Week Ahead
THURSDAY 5/25
Senior PGAChampionship
Arnie's Army may have witnessed its last major battle. Last week Arnold Palmer,76, withdrew from the Champions Tour's first major because he's no longercompetitive enough. Even without Palmer, the field at Oak Tree Golf Club inEdmond, Okla., will be deep: It includes defending champ Mike Reid (above),eight Ryder Cup captains and 19 major champions. Thursday and Friday USA 2p.m., Saturday and Sunday NBC 12:30 p.m.
SI PICK OF THE WEEK
THURSDAY 5/25
Drivin' ThatTrain
At age 34,Shaquille O'Neal isn't the Diesel anymore. But Detroit, which hosts the Heatfor Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, shouldn't mistake him for theLittle Engine That Can't, either. He's averaging career postseason lows inpoints (19.3) and minutes (31.0), but O'Neal (above) leads Miami in rebounding(9.2 per game) and shooting percentage (58.9%). And he's well-rested: The Heat,who beat the Nets in five games in the East semis, hasn't played since May 16.Shaq will join a select club if Miami advances. Only 15 players have been tothe NBA Finals with three teams. ESPN 8 p.m.
SATURDAY 5/27
St. Louis at SanDiego
No National Leaguer has won the Triple Crown since St. Louis outfielder JoeMedwick did it in 1937. Albert Pujols (right) might keep the Crown in theCardinals family. Phat Albert leads the NL in home runs (22) and RBIs (54) andranks 11th in batting average (.317). Those numbers should swell against thePadres: Pujols batted .385 with six RBIs against them last season. Fox 4p.m.
NCAA LacrosseFinal Four
The natural order of things has been restored: Syracuse is back in the FinalFour. Last year the Orange missed the NCAA semifinals for the first time in 23years, but, led by senior attackman Brett Bucktooth (above), they'll start anew streak in Philadelphia this weekend. Syracuse, riding a nine-game winningstreak, faces top-ranked Virginia, while UMass and Maryland square off in theother semi. Saturday ESPN2 11:30 a.m., Monday ESPN 2 p.m.
SUNDAY 5/28
Mansionpoker.netPoker Dome Challenge
Is this a card game or a focus group? Six players sit inside a soundproof domein Las Vegas where spectators can see in--and the participants can't see out.The winner goes to the next round to play for a shot at $1 million. Fox SportsNet 11 p.m.
Nike PrefontaineClassic
Stars abound at America's premier track meet. The co--world record holders inthe 100 meters, Justin Gatlin (page 22) and Asafa Powell, will run--though notagainst each other. They'll be joined in Eugene, Ore., by one of the world'stop middle-distance runners: Bahrain's Rachid Ramzi (left), the reigning 800-and 1500-meter world champ. ESPN2 5 p.m.
 
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BILL FRAKES (O'NEAL)
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KIRBY LEE/WIREIMAGE.COM (RAMZI)
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DAVID E. KLUTHO (PUJOLS)
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JEROME DAVIS/ICON SMI (BUCKTOOTH)
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ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES (REID)
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