Olympic Travel Leads to Surge in Travel Insurance Sales

The 2012 Summer Olympics have provided a welcome boost for airlines, hotels and other travel suppliers that will benefit from an expected jump of more than 30 percent in the number of global travelers going to London compared to the same period in 2011.

Now it appears that travel insurance providers are among those experiencing a strong uptick in sales. Richmond, VA-based Allianz Global Assistance USA, a provider of travel insurance and travel assistance, says that sales of travel insurance to Americans headed to London between late July and early September are up by 36 percent compared to the previous summer. The company also found that Allianz Travel Insurance customers will stay in London longer than usual and one in five are using frequent flyer miles to get there.

?Summer travel to Europe is always strong, but the 2012 London Olympics is creating a perfect storm of potential headaches for travelers,? said Robert Pearson, director of market intelligence at Allianz Global Assistance USA. ?Unexpected illness or injury, significant airline delays and lost or delayed baggage are some of the concerns that consumers have when traveling and they are using travel insurance as a strategy to mitigate those risks.?

The 36 percent uptick in sales of Allianz Travel Insurance exactly matches an expected 36 percent increase in Americans headed to London during the Olympics compared to those going to London last summer, according to a study by Amadeus and Forward Keys, a travel data intelligence firm. That surge is expected to lead to increased pressure on travel infrastructure which may translate to longer delays and more lost or misdirected baggage. In addition to coverage for travel-related losses, Allianz Global Assistance provides travelers with 24/7 emergency travel assistance.

The company also found that their customers? trips to London during the Olympics will last about 26 days, which is 22 percent longer than the average visit to London last summer. Longer stays increase the chance that a traveler may become ill, injured or experience some other event which may require them to file a travel insurance claim or seek emergency travel assistance.

Allianz Travel Insurance customers are also using frequent flyer miles to purchase their tickets to London in greater numbers than usual. The percentage of travelers using frequent flyer miles to travel to London during the Olympics is 20 percent, compared to 14 percent who used their miles last summer. Many airlines may charge up to $150 per ticket to redeposit frequent flyer miles when a customer changes their plans. Allianz Travel Insurance offers products which will cover those redeposit fees when a customer cancels their trip for a reason covered by their policy.

Allianz Global Assistance USA is a consumer specialty insurance and assistance company with operation centers in 29 countries. In the United States, Allianz Global Assistance USA (AGA Service Company) insures 13 million customers and is best known for its Allianz Travel Insurance plans.

In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA offers event ticket protection and assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for health insurers, property and casualty insurers, and credit card companies.

Article source: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2012/06/04/249984.htm

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Week in Geek: U.S and Israel Caught Operating as Partners in ...

Our first edition of WIG for June is filled with news link goodness covering topics such as no more Start Menu hacks in the Windows 8 Release Preview, Microsoft has upset advertisers with IE10 ?Do Not Track? policy, the FTC will investigate Facebook?s purchase of Instagram, and more.

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Weekly News Links

Original, unaltered Grim Reaper wallpaper is available for download here.

• Confirmed: US and Israel created Stuxnet, lost control of it
  In 2011, the US government rolled out its ?International Strategy for Cyberspace,? which reminded us that ?interconnected networks link nations more closely, so an attack on one nation?s networks may have impact far beyond its borders.? An in-depth report from the New York Times confirms the truth of that statement as it finally lays bare the history and development of the Stuxnet virus?and how it accidentally escaped from the Iranian nuclear facility that was its target.
• Spy malware infecting Iranian networks is engineering marvel to behold
  Malware recently found infecting Middle Eastern networks is so complex and sophisticated that it?s probably an advanced cyber-weapon unleashed by a wealthy country to wage a protracted espionage campaign on Iran, researchers from some of the world?s leading security companies said.
• Tiny banking trojan can do a lot of damage
  Security experts at CSIS say that they have discovered the smallest online banking trojan yet. Called Tiny Banker (Tinba), the malware is just barely 20 KB in size, including its configuration files.
• How a trio of hackers brought Google?s reCAPTCHA to its knees
  Google revamped its reCAPTCHA system, used to block automated scripts from abusing its online services, just hours before a trio of hackers unveiled a free system that defeats the widely used challenge-response tests with more than 99 percent accuracy.
• FTC to investigate Facebook purchase of Instagram
  U.S. antitrust regulators sent a ?second notice? to Facebook earlier this month regarding investigation, according to Reuters.
• Google told by EC to play ball or face a trial
  The European Commission is warning Google to change its search methods or the company will be forced into court over antitrust issues.
• New Microsoft EULA fine print nixes class action
  Microsoft is changing its end-user license for unspecified consumer software and hardware products to eliminate users? ability to engage in class-action lawsuits.
• Apple?s Crystal Prison and the Future of Open Platforms
  Two weeks ago, Steve Wozniak made a public call for Apple to open its platforms for those who wish to tinker, tweak and innovate with their internals. EFF supports Wozniak?s position: while Apple?s products have many virtues, they are marred by an ugly set of restrictions on what users and programmers can do with them.
• No More Start Menu Hacks in Windows 8 Release Preview
  In addition to the wide range of other changes that the almost-here Release Preview of Windows 8 is expected to pack in terms of performance and visual design, there might also be some that could make some users very unhappy.
• Fedora 18 to support UEFI Secure Boot
  Matthew Garrett, kernel developer at Red Hat, has given details of the plans to ship Fedora 18 with the ability to boot under UEFI secure boot. The Secure Boot technology of UEFI will be enabled by default on future Windows 8 hardware and is designed to ensure that only appropriately digitally signed operating systems will boot.
• Cannot access secured Web sites after OS X update
  Inconsistent symptoms suggest several approaches people can try to get certificate-based Web communication working properly.
• Facebook?s traffic from Google and Bing takes a nosedive
  New stats show that ever since Google launched ?Search Plus Your World,? referral traffic to Facebook has been halved. Oddly, though, the same thing has happened with Bing traffic too.
• Google Apps for Business receives ISO 27001 certification
  Google Enterprise Director of Security Eran Feigenbaum has announced that the Google Apps for Business web-based productivity suite has received ISO/IEC 27001 certification. This means that the company?s online business suite has now been certified to comply with the IT security family of standards which governs ?explicit managed control? of information security.
• Microsoft ticks off advertisers with IE10 ?Do Not Track? policy
  The ?Do Not Track? feature will be turned on by default in Internet Explorer 10, a move that?s upsetting the advertising community.
• Skip Internet Explorer for Web Dev. Save $100,000
  An interesting story about a new startup that is avoiding developing for IE since it costs more money. ?To save more than $100,000, 4ormat decided to skip Internet Explorer, opting to only allow users to access its service through Mozilla?s Firefox and Google Chrome browsers.?
• Mozilla official article: ?To have the Australis theme up for review next week?
  After numerous mockups and expressed user desires (and a serious amount of positive feedback), it seems that, according to an official blog post, the Firefox developers are ?to have the Australis theme up for review next week?, meaning the new Australis theme is to probably land in Firefox in the near future (probably first in its nightly and BETA channels).
• 2012?s Best Linux desktop: Linux Mint 13
  The Linux Mint distribution keeps getting better and better with its own take on GNOME, the Cinnamon Linux desktop.
• Wine 1.5.5 adds support for Mono as an add-on package
  Version 1.5.5 of the Wine open source Windows API implementation has been released. The most notable changes include the addition of support for installing the .NET 4.0 runtime and for installing Mono as a Wine add-on package.
• SkyDrive Support Coming to GNOME 3.6
  On May 31st, Debarshi Ray, a developer for the GNOME Project, announced on his blog that initial support for SkyDrive has been implemented in the daily builds of the GNOME Documents app, via the GNOME Online Accounts software by using a Windows Live account.
• Virtual currency exchange ?good idea? yet tough to establish
  The concept of a virtual currency exchange, in which gamers can sign up with to trade their in-game currency with other types of virtual money as well as real-world ones, may seem a ?good idea?. However, it will be difficult to set up and flourish due to regulatory constraints and lack of game operators? buy-in.

Super User Questions

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

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One Year Ago on How-To Geek

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

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Olympic torch starts 5-day Northern Ireland tour

Karen Marshall, the first torch bearer from Northern Ireland, carries the Olympic torch to start the relay from Titanic Museum, background center, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sunday, June 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Karen Marshall, the first torch bearer from Northern Ireland, carries the Olympic torch to start the relay from Titanic Museum, background center, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sunday, June 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Karen Marshall, the first torch bearer from Northern Ireland, poses with the Olympic torch at Titanic Museum, before the relay in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sunday, June 3, 2012. to Photo/Peter Morrison)

Karen Marshall, the first torch bearer from Northern Ireland, poses with the Olympic torch in front of Harland & Wolff shipyard during her relay in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sunday, June 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Karen Marshall, the first torch bearer from Northern Ireland, poses with the Olympic torch at Titanic Museum, before she starts the relay in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sunday, June 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Karen Marshall, the first torch bearer from Northern Ireland, carries the Olympic torch to start the relay at Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sunday, June 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) ? The Olympic torch began its five-day tour of Northern Ireland with plenty of excitement and no signs of trouble Sunday as the territory's Protestants and Catholics vowed to show the world how united the community has become after four decades of conflict.

Police warned of extra security to deter any of the region's small Irish Republican Army factions ? still trying to undermine a broadly successful peace process with guns and bombs ? from trying to disrupt the event.

But the Olympic torch proceeded from Belfast's Titanic Quarter to the prosperous belt of towns along the County Down coast with no unusual security evident. Just as during its first two weeks on British soil in England and Wales, the crowds were free to stand beside the passing torchbearer, who was flanked by four to six tracksuit-clad security staff jogging alongside.

Between stops, a Northern Ireland police motorcycle unit used to protecting VIPs sped ahead to block roads and ensure the torch convoy of more than a dozen vehicles carrying support staff and media stuck to its ambitious schedule to reach every corner of this province of 1.7 million by Thursday.

Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party that long supported IRA attacks but today helps govern Northern Ireland alongside its British Protestant majority, said all of Ireland was excited to see the symbol of the 2012 London Games arrive. The flame will cross the border Wednesday into the Republic of Ireland to tour Dublin, a special concession to demonstrate today's exceptionally strong British-Irish relations and cooperation between the two governments on the island of Ireland.

"The all-Ireland torch relay is a celebration of sport, culture and our local heroes. This really is our opportunity to shine and showcase our cities, beautiful scenery and most of all the people who live here," said Caral Ni Chuilin, the Sinn Fein sports minister for Northern Ireland.

Sunday's torch run started at dawn in the Belfast docklands where the city's most infamous export, the Titanic, was built a century ago. It headed east to Holywood, best known as the hometown of top-ranked golfer Rory McIlroy, then to the port of Bangor, the major town of a stretch of coastline known as the Gold Coast because of its reputation for comfort and affluence.

Along the sidewalks, sometimes the crowds of spectators grew to five deep in the hearts of town, but more often the torchbearer was able to wave to single groups of people cheering, whistling, hooting ? or occasionally still rubbing sleep out of their eyes, bathrobes on, coffee mugs in hand.

The torch spends the rest of Sunday visiting Stormont Parliamentary Building, the base for Northern Ireland's 5-year-old unity government, then showcasing some of the province's most spectacular scenery along the coast north past glacier-carved forest glens and the Giants Causeway, with its strange carpet of hexagonal rocks running down to the Atlantic waves.

As the torch passed through predominantly Protestant towns east of Belfast, the locals' loyalties were on display, with many waving British flags adorned with images of Queen Elizabeth II. Much of the torch's later route goes through predominantly Irish Catholic turf, including areas where IRA extremists still committed to the idea of overthrowing Northern Ireland by force live.

Underscoring the threat, a suspected IRA activist tossed a grenade at a police unit Saturday in Northern Ireland's second-largest city, Londonderry, where the Olympic cavalcade will spend parts of Monday and Tuesday. The police, who were searching a property at the time, weren't injured but their vehicle suffered heavy shrapnel damage.

In Belfast a police deputy commander, Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay, said the Northern Ireland public would see heavy deployments of officers both along the Olympic torch routes and at events associated with the queen's Diamond Jubilee, also being celebrated this weekend. He said IRA splinter groups "will take any opportunity to cause disruption."

He said people might find roads blocked, and other unexpected security delays. "We are taking these steps to keep communities and their officers safe. We would not do this if it was not absolutely necessary to protect life," Finlay said.

Several spectators said they doubted that any IRA splinter group would seriously disrupt the torch run. They said even if Irish republican extremists tried something, Northern Ireland's people were determined to keep partying anyway.

"We're not going to let that crowd of morons ruin our day. They represent zero-point-zero of the population. This is the real Northern Ireland," said Gareth Wilson, 35, standing with his wife and two sons by the roadside with cell phones in hand, each snapping pictures as the torch cavalcade passed.

___

Online:

Olympic torch relay May 19-July 27, http://l2012.cm/Juynr7

Associated Press

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Mexico Drug Cases Federal Judges Suspended For Possible Irregularities

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican court authorities have suspended two federal judges who presided over high-profile drug cases, saying investigators are looking into possible irregularities involving the jurists.

The Federal Judiciary Council said Friday evening that it was temporarily relieving appellate Judge Jesus Guadalupe Luna and district Judge Efrain Cazares of their duties, but its statement didn't describe the allegations being investigated. The Attorney General's Office declined to comment Saturday.

Both judges have taken part in cases involving well-known people with alleged ties to Mexico's drug business.

In April 2008, Luna ordered the release of the son of purported Sinaloa drug cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar had been sentenced by a lower court to five years in prison for money laundering, but the appellate judge ruled that there was no proof the money he used to open two bank accounts came from drug trafficking and that being the son of the infamous capo wasn't grounds for imprisonment.

Last summer, Luna upheld a lower court ruling that cleared Sandra Avila Beltran of organized-crime charges despite efforts by Mexico and the U.S. to prosecute the woman nicknamed "Queen of the Pacific." Avila is wanted on a 2004 U.S. indictment as a suspect tied to the seizure of more than nine tons of U.S.-bound cocaine on Mexico's west coast.

A judge acquitted Avila in December 2010 of charges stemming from that drug confiscation, and Luna backed that decision by citing a lack of evidence.

U.S. authorities have sought extradition of Avila, a niece of Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, known as "the godfather" of Mexican drug smuggling, but that has been rejected twice by other judges on grounds she shouldn't be prosecuted in the U.S. on charges that have been dismissed in Mexico.

The other suspended judge, Cazares, has been accused by Mexico's government of ignoring credible evidence when he released some of the mayors detained in a mass arrest of officials in the western state of Michoacan in 2009. The federal attorney general alleged the officials had ties to the La Familia drug gang, and prosecutors filed a complaint against Cazares saying he improperly acquitted the officials.

With all of the officials freed by various judges, the crackdown became one of the most embarrassing episodes in President Felipe Calderon's 5 1/2-year-long offensive against drug cartels.

Most recently, drug battles have escalated as Mexico's two most powerful drug cartels, the Sinaloa and Zetas gangs, wage a war in several regions considered strongholds of one or the other.

Late Friday, a group of armed men opened fire on a police station in the border city of Matamoros, which is across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas. Tamaulipas state Interior Secretary Morelos Canseco Gomez said they threw an explosive, possibly a grenade, but no one was injured in the attack. Canseco said he did not know the motive or the gang behind it.

The attack came only days after suspected drug cartel gunmen set off a car bomb near a police barracks in the same state, wounding eight officers.

___

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Olympic wrestling trials had $5.6 million economic impact on ...

George C. Ford, CR Gazette -

IOWA CITY ? The recent 2012 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials at the University of Iowa generated a projected $5.6 million economic impact for Johnson County.

A study released Friday by the Iowa City-Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau showed the average visitor spent $201 and the average expenditure per party was $707. The event attracted 14,214 fans, including 11,655 or 82 percent who were from outside of Johnson County.

The convention and visitors bureau was assisted in conducting the survey by a team of students selected by lecturer Dan Matheson in the University of Iowa?s Recreation and Sports Business program.

One hundred and seventy nine randomly selected fans at thee area hotels, the ASICS Fan Fest in downtown Iowa City and Carver-Hawkeye Arena were asked to complete surveys between April 20 and April 22. The students determined that 171 of the surveys were completed correctly.

Three percent of the respondents who were in Iowa City for the trials did not attend the event. They reported being on the UI campus for other events and retail activities.

The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials attracted record-breaking crowds. The Session I attendance of 13,784 was a single-session record for the event, breaking the previous-day mark of 13,750.

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Road Trips With Kitty , Dog, Cat and other Pet Friendly Travel Articles

Our cats don?t often take road trips, usually we bring the family dog and the cat gets the house to her/himself for the long weekend. But sometimes we need to bring our cat especially if we are moving and driving to the new place or going to be gone for a while and boarding or finding a pet sitter is not an option. The first rule of traveling with a cat is to have ID tags for your cat and a good collar. Many lost cats end up in shelters because of no ID. You can also microchip your cat if you haven?t already.

Here are a few travel tips to make the car ride a safe one:

1: Motion sickness can happen to anyone. Cats can get sick in the car but they can also get used to it. Start by taking short trips and gradually extend the time. The motion of the car stopping and starting again at lights and stop signs will become familiar to your cat. Make sure the air is fresh and well ventilated. This means, no smoking in the car with your cat and removing heavily scented air fresheners. Your cat?s sense of smell is stronger than yours and can affect her. Before setting off on a trip, it is also a good idea to remove food and water a few hours before leaving.

2: If your cat panics or is hyper, you can talk to your vet about medication to sedate her. It can make the trip safer, less stressful, and easier. Administer the medication hours before the trip so it has time to digest and kick in. Talk to your vet about the proper dosage and try a pre-trip to see how she reacts to the car and medication. You don?t want to be driving cross country with a cat who is howling and bouncing all over the place.

3: No matter what your cat is doing in her carrier or crate, keep your eyes on the road. If your cat is a good traveler and can be let out, she may curl up and sleep on a seat but if she?s not, then letting her roam the interior of the car is a bad idea. She could hide under the brake or gas pedal, crawl on your lap, or sit on the dashboard. For safety?s sake keep your eyes on the road and your cat away from the driver?s side.

4: Pull over and take breaks. Your cat may need to use a litter box or need a snack on the trip. Make a few stops and let her stretch her legs. If she?s used to being outside, you can buy a harness and leash to walk her around at a rest stop. If she?s indoor only, use a makeshift litter box from a disposable aluminum pan. You can throw out the used litter and save the pan for the whole trip. Praise her and pet her to let her know that everything is ok.

5: If you go to get some food and leave her in the car, be aware of the temperature outside and remember how fast a car can heat up or cool down depending on the season. Your cat could suffer from heat stroke if it?s summer. If you are going to spend some time eating at a rest stop, it would be best to bring her with you in a carrier.

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Durant powers Thunder past Spurs 109-103

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka dunks against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka dunks against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9), of France, looks to pass between Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, left, from the Republic of Congo, and forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka dunks against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) dunks in front of San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21), Boris Diaw (33), and Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? When Lil Wayne turned down Kevin Durant's invitation to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, he missed quite a show by the three-time scoring champion.

Durant scored 18 of his 36 points in a scintillating final 7 minutes, Serge Ibaka added a career-high 26 points and the Thunder evened the series at two games apiece by beating the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 Saturday night.

After seeing his team's 15-point lead dwindle to four, Durant took over midway through the fourth quarter by scoring all 16 of the Thunder's points during a span of just over 5 minutes to keep the Spurs at bay.

"I didn't tell myself that I need to go score because what we were doing was working," Durant said.

"We were passing the ball and guys were making shots. ... I just wanted to stick with what we were doing, but it started to open up for me and I could see some lanes that gave me some opportunities to make some shots."

With All-Star teammate Russell Westbrook limited to seven points, Durant did almost all of the damage late to send the series back to San Antonio all square for Game 5 on Monday night.

Durant, who finished behind only LeBron James in MVP voting, hit three straight jumpers, the last one coming after he bumped into Tony Parker in the lane to draw a foul and set up a three-point play. Then he attacked the rim for his next three baskets, getting to the line again when he was fouled on a layup off of James Harden's alley-oop.

Durant hit another jumper after coming off a Westbrook screen for the last basket in his personal run ? and the Spurs were still within striking distance. Rookie Kawhi Leonard bracketed a pair of 3-pointers around that Durant jumper, and the Spurs were only down 102-96 with 1:24 left.

The Spurs succeeded in getting the ball out of Durant's hands on the next possession, only for him to provide the assist on Harden's 3-pointer from the left wing that bumped the lead to nine.

"When a player that talented gets hot, it's really hard to contain," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We tried different things and they didn't work.

"He scored a bunch in a short period of time. When we tried to blitz or really help, he kicked it and they made big shots."

Durant hit two free throws in the final minute to help close it out.

"We tried to do a couple of different things but his play was better than anything we did defensively, that's for sure," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He finished it off in fine fashion."

Before the game, Durant said he still hoped to convince Lil Wayne to come see a game in Oklahoma City after the rapper created a stir before Game 3 by tweeting he was denied access and followed it up by saying he felt "unwanted" at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

With another big closing effort, Durant provided another reason to catch the Thunder in the playoffs.

"I just want to be calm and composed and poised in those situations and make the right basketball play," Durant said. "I just try to calm down and go with my instincts."

Oklahoma City is trying to become the 15th team in NBA history to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a seven-game series, and the eighth to do it since 2004. The Thunder avoided an even trickier task by winning.

Only eight teams have ever overcome a 3-1 hole, and only two had done it while needing two wins on the road ? the 1995 Rockets and 1968 Celtics.

"We've just got to go down there with the mindset that we're going to play hard every possession, play together like we've played in these last two games and we'll see what happens," Durant said.

"We've just got to keep believing, man, and we'll be fine."

Tim Duncan had 21 points for San Antonio, which had won 20 in a row before losing Game 3. Leonard added 17 points and nine rebounds.

The Spurs wiped away most of a 15-point deficit with a run that coincided with Popovich turning to DeJuan Blair, who's had some notoriously big games against the Thunder but had occupied a spot on the bench for most of the playoffs after starting 62 of the 66 regular-season games.

Blair sprung free for a layup early in an 18-5 comeback, and Ginobili's 3-pointer from the top of the key trimmed Oklahoma City's lead to 73-71 with 1:16 to go in the third quarter.

The Spurs were within four after Duncan's left-handed runner with 6:55 left in the game. That's when Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a timeout, and Durant came out of it firing away. He made seven of his last eight shots and also finished with eight assists and six rebounds.

"It was hard because were on a run, we were feeling good about ourselves and we just couldn't make a stop," Ginobili said.

Ibaka made all 11 of his shots ? and all four of his free throws ? to lead a strong performance from Oklahoma City's frontcourt while Durant's usual running mates, Westbrook and Harden, both struggled.

Ibaka, starting center Kendrick Perkins and reserve Nick Collison combined to go 22 for 25 from the field for 49 points. Westbrook missed eight of his 10 shots and Harden was limited to eight points.

The Thunder shot 56 percent and outrebounded San Antonio 41-31.

Oklahoma City pulled ahead to stay with a 12-3 run early in the second quarter with Durant and Westbrook both taking a break. Westbrook nailed a 3-pointer from the left side soon after returning to provide the Thunder's first double-digit lead at 43-33 with 4:44 to go before halftime.

NOTES: After committing a postseason-worst 21 turnovers in Game 3, San Antonio had 10 that led to 11 Oklahoma City points. ... Ryan Seacrest sat in the front row near midcourt.

Associated Press

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