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LINEUP
62
The Cardinal Way
The dominant hybrid pitching staff that has pushed St. Louis to the top of the National League is the product of a tried-and-true approach—but one that allows for constant tinkering
BY BEN REITER
FEATURES
NBA PLAYOFFS
36 Paul George
The emergence of the third-year forward has solidified the Pacers' D and lifted them back to the conference finals
BY LEE JENKINS
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
44 California Hockey
Led by the success of the Ducks, Kings and Sharks, the sport is thriving on all levels in the Golden State
BY AUSTIN MURPHY
SI HONORS
51 College Athletes Of the Year
An exhaustive search for the best and brightest yielded SI's first campus champs
• Loren Shealy of North Carolina
BY KELLI ANDERSON
• Kyle Dake of Cornell
BY LUKE WINN
SPECIAL REPORT
58 A Ref's Death
Soccer was Ricardo Portillo's life, until one punch from a 17-year-old ended it all
BY MELISSA SEGURA
DEPARTMENTS
4 SI Digital
6 Leading Off
12 The Mail
14 Scorecard
The impact of the NFL's new CBA on rookies and free agents
20 Faces in the Crowd
22 Just My Type
Patrick Ewing talks Kareem, LeBron and the truth about Larry
BY DAN PATRICK
70 Point After
The story of the NHL—and of this year's playoffs—is the Original Six
BY STEVE RUSHIN
ON THE COVER: Photograph by Todd Rosenberg for Sports Illustrated
Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling
PHOTO
NEIL LEIFER/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
COVER INSPIRATION This week's front was inspired by our 1968 shot of Roger Maris, Tim McCarver, Bob Gibson, Mike Shannon and Lou Brock.
