Bayern Munich and Chelsea were gearing for their Champions League final showdown here Saturday as the Bavarian capital buzzed with anticipation ahead of the biggest game in club football.

A worldwide television audience estimated in the hundreds of millions is expected to tune in for Saturday's clash between the German and English Premier League giants, which kicks off at 8:45 pm (1845 GMT).

Tony Parker celebrated his 30th birthday by scoring 22 points to lead San Antonio over the Los Angeles Clippers 105-88, stretching the Spurs' win streak to 16 games.

San Antonio on Thursday took a 2-0 lead over the Clippers in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series, which continues with games three and four on Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles.

Manchester United revealed the financial impact on Thursday of its early exit from the Champions League, with earnings dropping and cash reserves being halved in the first three months of the year.

United was deposed as Premier League champions by Manchester City on Sunday and eliminated from the lucrative Champions League at the group stage in December.

LeBron James grabbed a seat on Miami's bench, lowered his head and stared down at the floor.

Way down.

Bayern Munich heads into the Champions League final against Chelsea at its own stadium as a strong favorite to win a fifth European Cup, a title that could make up for its failures in domestic competitions.

Chelsea won the FA Cup but had a disappointing Premier League season. It is missing four important players through suspension and is guided by a temporary manager.

Two-time world MotoGP champion Casey Stoner has announced he will quit motorcycle racing at the end of the season for "family reasons."

Stoner, who has won 35 MotoGPs in his career and leads the current standings after winning two of the season's three events, made the announcement at a news conference ahead of Sunday's French Grand Prix.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer reached the Rome Masters quarterfinals on Thursday, but fourth seed Andy Murray suffered another setback in his French Open plans when he crashed out to Richard Gasquet.

Murray, who lost 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-2 to the Frenchman, revealed that he has been carrying a back problem since December, but declined to go into details on the symptoms or its treatment.

The American University of Beirut held a send-off ceremony on May 16 for two of its students who will be representing Lebanon in tae kwon do and table tennis at the 2012 Olympics in London, a press release said Thursday.

Andrea Paoli, a business junior, and Tvine Moumjoghlian (BA in economics, 2010), will be heading to London in July to represent Lebanon in tae kwon do and table tennis respectively.

A Frenchman who lost his limbs in an electrical accident swam from Papua New Guinea to Indonesia in strong winds and currents Thursday, finishing the first stretch in a mission to swim between five continents.

Philippe Croizon, 43, who swam the English Channel in 2010, left Papua New Guinea's fishing village of Wutung in the early morning to begin what he has billed as the Oceania-Asia stretch of his challenge.

NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant struck for 22 points, five coming in a game-ending 9-0 run, as Oklahoma City stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 77-75 in the NBA playoffs on Wednesday.

The Thunder, unbeaten in six playoff games, seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series, which shifts to Los Angeles for games three and four on Friday and Saturday.