BLACKBOARD » DASHBethancourt circled the bases after hitting an RBI doub

MINNEAPOLIS -- The NBA has spent years making in-roads in basketball-loving China, installing offices there, bringing players stateside and playing exhibitions there to increase the leagues presence in a country that cant get enough of it.One of the few steps left to be taken was to add a Chinese owner to a team. As the NBAs chairman of the board, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor felt a particular sense of duty to make that happen.Taylor finalized an agreement with two new minority owners on Wednesday, including the first Chinese minority partner in league history.Lizhang Jiang has purchased a 5 percent stake in the Wolves, and Taylor said he plans to be very active in the teams business side and forging partnerships for the league and the franchise in China.I believe Im doing this not only for the Timberwolves, but Im doing it for the NBA, Taylor told The Associated Press on Wednesday evening. Somebodys got to do it sometime and who would be better than the chairman of the board to experiment with something like this. Im always interested in doing that.Lizhang is a 35-year-old who founded founder Shanghai Double-Edged Sports Company, a sports marketing firm. He was introduced to Taylor through a mutual acquaintance and, after both sides found a desire to work together, Taylor spoke to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and solicited the leagues help in doing background research on Lizhang.His addition to Minnesotas ownership group may not do for the Timberwolves what Yao Mings arrival in Houston did for the Rockets, but Taylor believes Lizhang can make an impact both locally and abroad.Hes very interested in trying that to do what he can do, Taylor said. We have NBA China over there. There might be some type of coordination with them.Lizhang also recently purchased 98 percent of Granada CF, a Spanish soccer team. He also becomes a minority owner of three-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx, whose star Maya Moore plays in China in the winter.The Cleveland Cavaliers had negotiated to add a Chinese group to their ownership team in 2009, but that deal fell through.As a passionate sports fan, Im excited to become a part of the Timberwolves and Lynx organization and honored to be the first Chinese citizen to have ownership in the NBA, he said in a statement issued by the Timberwolves. My goal is to bring China and this great league closer, and build the Timberwolves and Lynx fan base in our country.Taylor also sold 9.5 percent of the Timberwolves to Manhattan real estate mogul Meyer Orbach, chairman of the Orbach Group in New York City. The group owns retail and residential buildings in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California that are valued at over $2 billion.Last year the Orbach Group was investigated by the New York Attorney Generals office for allegedly filing numerous frivolous lawsuits against low-income residents in rent-controlled units in an effort to get them out of the housing so they could charge higher rents.Taylor said Orbach mentioned the investigation in the early stages of their talks. The NBA enlisted a law firm to look into the matter and Taylor said the allegations involved a former employee of Orbachs and not Orbach himself.They went through everything and found out that everything he said was true and there was no ongoing investigation, Taylor said. But he was asked to provide some materials to show that they hadnt done anything wrong while that employee worked for him.Both Lizhang and Orbach will have input into the Timberwolves business side of the operation, but not the basketball operations, Taylor said.Im excited to join such a dynamic organization, in an amazing city, at an especially promising time for these great franchises, Orbach said. I look forward to spending more time in Minnesota and to a successful partnership that I know will result in an NBA Championship and future WNBA Championships.Taylor said Lizhang and Orbach were not immediately planning to enter into an agreement to eventually succeed Taylor as the majority owner of the franchise. But he was leaving that option open in the more distant future.Im not going to speculate what their opportunities might be or their net worth might be 10 years from now, Taylor said. Maybe by being here and being involved, maybe they change what their goals are. I surely wouldnt answer that. Right now, they didnt ask for that. Salomon Shoes Clearance Canada . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. Cheap Salomon Shoes Canada . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. http://www.cheapsalomoncanada.com/ . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Salomon Shoes Clearance Sale . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. Discount Salomon Shoes Canada . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. TORONTO -- Pitching against the Blue Jays for the first time, Padres rookie Luis Perdomo made a big impression on Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion.Adam Rosales hit a two-run home run, Alex Dickerson and Brett Wallace each hit solo shots and the Padres beat the Blue Jays 8-4 Wednesday, avoiding a three-game sweep.San Diego extended its club-record streak of games with at least one home run to 25. Thats the longest run since the 2002 Texas Rangers set a major league record by homering in 27 straight.Our lineup has a lot of talent, Dickerson said. Every single guy is a threat to take you deep.Perdomo (5-4) allowed four runs and six hits in 5 /-3 innings to win back-to-back starts.Encarnacion, who went 0-for-2 with a strikeout against Perdomo, asked San Diego catcher Christian Bethancourt for a scouting report on the young hurler.He asked me about him, Bethancourt said. Hes like: `Who is he? Where did he come from?After Bethancourt explained that Perdomo was a Rule 5 pick who had never pitched above Class-A before this season, Encarnacion asked the Padres catcher to pass along a compliment on his behalf.He said: `Just tell him to keep doing it, hes doing great. Im glad to see kids have success like that.Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was equally impressed by Perdomo, who came in with a 6.93 ERA.Great arm, it didnt look like a six-plus (ERA), Gibbons said. He had great life on the ball, nice little breaking ball. I was really impressed.To Padres manager Andy Green, no one else in the majors has made strides as big as Perdomo this season.Thats exciting because hes part of our future, Green said.Wallace reached base three times. He was hit by a pitch and scored on Rosales homer in the third, connected off R.A. Dickey in the fifth and hit an RBI single off Joe Biagini in the sixth.Dickerson homered for the fourth time in four games when he connected off Franklin Morales in the eighth. He is first Padres rookie to homer in four straight games.Hes amazing, Bethancourt said. I was telling him he looks like a video game. Every time hes in the batters box, you think hes going to hit a homer.ddddddddddddDickey (7-12) allowed seven runs, six earned, and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, starting on three days of rest after the Blue Jays adjusted their rotation for a weekend series against Baltimore.The knuckleballer is winless in three starts and has allowed six home runs in that span.Its been a little bit of a rut, Dickey said. I was going pretty good before the All-Star break and Ive run into a little adversity here the last three outings.Dickey has surrendered 26 home runs this season, tying him with Kansas Citys Ian Kennedy and Chris Young for most in the majors.Melvin Upton Jr. made his first start for Toronto after being acquired from San Diego on Tuesday. He went 1 for 4 with a single.Right-hander Joaquin Benoit made his Blue Jays debut with a scoreless ninth. Toronto traded right-hander Drew Storen to Seattle for Benoit on Tuesday night.BETHANCOURTS BIG DASHBethancourt circled the bases after hitting an RBI double in the sixth, advancing to third on Kevin Pillars fielding error and scoring on an errant relay throw by Devon Travis. It was fun, Bethancourt said. I got tired.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: 3B Yangervis Solarte was placed on the family leave list, meaning he will be out three to seven days. San Diego recalled INF/OF Alexi Amarista and LHP Buddy Baumann from Triple-A El Paso.Blue Jays: RHP Bo Schultz was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Benoit.UP NEXTPadres: After an off day Thursday, San Diego opens a three-game series at home to Cincinnati on Friday. RHP Edwin Jackson (1-0, 2.92) starts against Reds LHP Brandon Finnegan (5-8, 4.93). Jackson is 403 with a 3.99 ERA in 10 career games against Cincinnati.Blue Jays: Toronto is off Thursday before opening a three-game series against AL East-leading Baltimore on Friday. RHP Marco Estrada (5-4, 2.94) was pushed back two days to start against the Orioles. Estrada is winless in four starts. RHP Kevin Gausman (2-7, 3.77) starts for Baltimore. ' ' '