Update on the latest sports
NBA-PLAYOFFS
Big 3 lead Nets past Celtics
UNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets’ Big 3 shook off a poor start to lead a 104-93 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their NBA first-round series.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden combined for 82 points despite going 0 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half. They sparked an 18-4 run at the start of the second half and provided 28 of the Nets’ 31 third-quarter points.
Durant had 32 points and 12 rebounds, Irving scored 29 points and Harden had 21.
Jayson Tatum scored 22 points for the Celtics but shot just 6 for 20 and couldn’t come to his 50-point effort in the play-in tournament.
The series stays in Brooklyn for Game 2 on Tuesday.
The Bucks have opened their NBA playoffs schedule by defeating the team that knocked them out of last year’s postseason.
Khris Middleton nailed a jumper with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Bucks a 109-107, playoff-opening win over the Heat.
Middleton was closely guarded by Duncan Robinson before releasing a 19-footer for the last of his 27 points. It came about 20 seconds after Miami’s Goran Dragic (DRAH’-gihch) tied it with a 3-pointer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) contributed 26 points, 18 rebounds and five assists but was just 6 of 13 on free-throw attempts.
Dragic had a team-high 25 points and Robinson chipped in 24 for the Heat.
Game 2 is Monday in Milwaukee.
The Mavericks also took their playoff opener as Luka Doncic (DAHN’-chihch) dropped in 31 points in a 113-102 decision over the Clippers. Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. made five 3-pointers each, and Dorian Finney-Smith had four to help Dallas shoot 47% from long-range.
Hardaway Jr. added 21 points and Finney-Smith had 18 for the Mavs, who led most of the game.
Kawhi (kah-WY’) Leonard had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, and Paul George added 23 points. But they were a combined 3 of 14 on 3-pointers as the Clippers shot 31% after leading the NBA at 41% during the regular season.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Like the Mavericks, the Trail Blazers used their long-range snipers to earn a road win.
Damian Lillard poured in 34 points and led a 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazers’ 123-109 win over the Nuggets. The Blazers shot 19-for-40 from beyond the arc, with Lillard providing five treys.
Subs Carmelo Anthony and Anfernee Simons added four each as Portland outscored Denver by 24 points from beyond the arc. CJ McCollum added 21 points and Anthony scored 18 in his first playoff game against the team that drafted him 18 years ago.
MVP favorite Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH’-lah YOH’-kihch) led Denver with 34 points.
Game 2 is Monday.
NBA PLAYOFFS-VIRUS RULES
NBA tells head coaches they can go without masks in games
UNDATED (AP) — Just in time for the playoffs, the NBA told its head coaches Saturday they may work without masks during games if they have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (SPOHL’-struh) and Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer quickly took advantage of the new guidance. Both ditched their masks for Game 1 of their series that started Saturday afternoon.
Assistant coaches and players will still be required to wear masks in the bench area.
NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Bolts, Isles win
UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights were able to take a three-games-to-one lead in their Stanley Cup first-round series. The Pittsburgh Penguins were not.
Alex Killorn (kih-LOHRN’) scored a pair of second-period goals and Nikita Kucherov (KOO’-cheh-rahv) collected four points as the Lightning hammered the Panthers, 6-2. Kucherov provided a goal and three assists in the rout, giving him three goals and nine points already in the series after missing the entire regular season.
Killorn tallied twice in a 94-second span to chase Sergei Bobrovsky (boh-BRAHV’-skee). Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV’-skee) turned back 39 shots for the Bolts, who can wrap up the series on Monday.
The Golden Knights were 4-0 winners over the Wild as Marc-Andre Fleury made 35 saves for his 16th career postseason shutout. Nicolas Roy scored twice for Vegas, who have netted the last nine goals of the series.
Alex Tuch (tuhk) and Mark Stone each got their third goal of the series and Keegan Kolesar (koh’-leh-sahr) had two assists in the Knights’ third win in a row.
Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal challenged and erased by a replay review for the second straight game.
The Knights can close out the series at home on Monday.
The Islanders have evened their first-round series at two games apiece with a 4-1 win over the Penguins.
The Isles took control when Oliver Wahlstrom and Jordan Eberle scored 24 seconds apart early in the third period to make it 4-0. Wahlstrom’s goal actually was knocked in on a clearing attempt by Teddy Blueger (BLOO’-gur).
Wahlstrom and Ryan Pulock (POO’-lahk) each had a goal and an assist to back Ilya Sorokin (sah-ROH’-kihn), who stopped 29 shots. Sorokin has been in goal for both Islanders’ wins.
Tristan Jarry made 23 saves for the Penguins, who host Game 5 on Monday.
Toronto has knotted its first-round series at a game apiece by scoring five unanswered goals in a 5-1 win over the Canadiens.
Auston Matthews led the way with the game-winning goal and two assists as the Maple Leafs solved Carey Price after scoring just once in the opener. Rasmus Sandin and William Nylander (NEE’-lan-dur) provided power-play goals against Price, who finished with 29 saves.
Jack Campbell handled 22 shots for the Leafs, who head to Montreal for Game 3 on Monday.
NHL-NEWS
Tavares has concussion, knee injury; likely to miss series
UNDATED (AP) — Toronto captain John Tavares is probably going to miss the rest of the Maple Leafs’ first-round series against Montreal after sustaining a concussion and a knee injury in Game 1.
General manager Kyle Dubas (DOO’-buhs) said there is no structural damage to the head, neck or spine after the center took an accidental knee to the face from Canadiens forward Corey Perry. Dubas indicated the knee issue is expected to keep Tavares out of the lineup at least two weeks.
Tavares’ availability for the rest of the postseason is uncertain if the Maple Leafs advance.
In other NHL news:
— Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal has been fined $5,000 for what the NHL called a dangerous trip on Nashville’s Luke Kunin (KUH’-nihn). The fine is the maximum allowed under the labor agreement.
GOLF-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Lefty leads after tumultuous back nine
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Phil Mickelson bent, but he didn’t break as he flirts with history at the PGA Championship.
Mickelson survived a wild ride at Kiawah Island with a 2-under 70 that leaves him 18 holes away from becoming golf’s oldest major champion.
The 50-year-old Mickelson walked off the 10th green with a five-shot lead, only to give it all away while Brooks Koepka (KEHP’-kuh) rattled off three birdies to tie him for the lead.
Lefty curled in the 4-foot par putt to become the oldest player with a 54-hole lead in a major since 59-year-old Tom Watson at Turnberry in 2009.
Mickelson is 7 under, one shot ahead of Koepka. Louis Oosthuizen (OOST’-hay-zehn) is two back after beginning the round in a first-place tie with Mickelson.
Kevin Streelman remains three off the lead.
LPGA-PURE SILK CHAMPIONSHIP
Hsu, Jutanugarn share lead through 54
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Wei-Ling Hsu birdied the final hole for a 6-under 65 and a share of the third-round lead with Moriya Jutanugarn in the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Championship.
The 26-year-old Hsu reeled off five straight birdies on the front nine as she seeks her first LPGA Tour victory.
Jutanugarn eagled the par-5 seventh in a 65 to match Hsu at 10-under 203.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Yanks starters still firing blanks
UNDATED (AP) — Starting pitching was supposed to be a question mark when the New York Yankees opened the season. That isn’t the case right now.
Gerrit Cole scattered four hits over seven shutout innings to lead the Yankees’ 7-0 rout of the White Sox. The Yanks now have four consecutive starts of at least seven shutout innings for the first time since May 1932.
New York starters have thrown 30 consecutive shutout innings, a prime reason for their five-game winning streak.
Gleyber (GLAY’-bur) Torres followed Friday night’s walk-off hit with three hits and four RBIs, including a two-run double.
In other major league action:
— The Red Sox have a four-game winning streak after Xander Bogaerts (BOH’-gahrts) and Danny Santana hit consecutive home runs in the sixth inning of their 4-3 win over the Phillies. Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL’-dee) allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings before four relievers combined for one-run, two-hit relief to help Boston move a season-high 11 games over .500.
— The Rays picked up their ninth straight win as Taylor Walls hit a pair of doubles in his major league debut, helping Tampa Bay earn a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays. Manuel Margot (mahn-WEHL’ mahr-GOH’) hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Mike Zunino (zuh-NEE’-noh) homered for the Rays.
— César Hernández belted a two-run homer in the 10th inning off Alex Colomé to give the Indians a 5-3 triumph over the Twins. Cleveland ace Shane Bieber struck out six over 5 1/3 innings, ending his 23-game streak of at least seven strikeouts.
— Andrew Benintendi drove in three runs and the Royals ended Detroit’s four-game winning streak by topping the Tigers, 7-5. Benintendi gave the Royals an early lead with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the first and made it 5-3 with an RBI single in the fifth.
— Chris Bassitt pitched five-hit ball into the eighth inning of the Athletics’ 6-2 verdict over the Angels. Seth Brown hit a two-run homer for Oakland, which also received solo shots from Matt Olson and Aramís (ah-RAH’-mihs) García.
— Adolis García has 14 homers this season after connecting twice in helping power the Rangers past the Astros, 8-4. Jose Trevino hit a two-run double during a five-run seventh inning as the Rangers overcame a 4-3 deficit.
— Yadier (YAH’-dee-ehr) Molina delivered a tiebreaking, solo homer in the seventh inning to send the Cardinals past the Cubs, 2-1. Four pitchers combined for five innings of scoreless, two-hit relief after Miles Mikolas (MY’-koh-las) appeared to get injured in his delayed season debut.
— Daniel Robertson hit his first home run in more than two years, a tiebreaking, seventh-inning drive in the Brewers’ 4-3 victory over the Reds. Cincinnati outfielder Jesse Winker hit his 12th home run of the season and fourth in two games.
— Ryan Zimmerman hit a tiebreaking three-run homer and finished with three hits as the Nationals rallied for a 12-9 win over the Orioles. Josh Harrison started for the first time in center field for Washington and hit his first career grand-slam in the third after Baltimore built a 6-1 lead.
— The Marlins pulled out a 3-1 win over the Mets on Garrett Cooper’s two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth. Miami’s Pablo López allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings and struck out eight.
— Ozzie Albies homered from both sides of the plate and Ronald Acuña (ah-KOON’-yah) Jr. led off with his major league-best 15th home run as the Braves dumped the Pirates, 6-1. Albies hit a two-run shot and a solo blast, one day after Atlanta banged out seven round-trippers in a 20-1 thrashing of Pittsburgh.
— Eric Hosmer (HAHS’-mur) hit a two-run, bases-loaded single and Fernando Tatis Jr. came flying around third to score on an error on the play, highlight a five-run fifth in the Padres’ eighth straight win, 6-4 against the Mariners. Seattle committed three errors in the fifth, two after Hosmer singled.
— Max Muncy slammed a ball into McCovey Cove, Austin Barnes went deep and Walker Buehler worked seven innings of the Dodgers’ 6-3 win at San Francisco. Muncy homered off Scott Kazmir, who worked four innings in his first major league appearance since 2016.
— Charlie Blackmon hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Madison Bumgarner in a four-run sixth that pushed the Rockies past the Diamondbacks, 7-6. Blackmon’s sixth homer off Bumgarner put the Rockies ahead 5-3.
MLB-NEWS
Pirates’ Cahill lands on 10-day IL with left side discomfort
UNDATED (AP) — Pittsburgh right-hander Trevor Cahill has been placed on the 10-day injured list with left side discomfort.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton says Cahill “hadn’t seen a ton of improvement” since suffering the injury in Wednesday’s start against St. Louis. Shelton says no decision has been made on who will fill Cahill’s next scheduled start on Tuesday against the Cubs.
In other MLB news:
— Pitchers Robert Dugger and Anthony Misiewicz were reinstated by the Mariners, one day after they and two other relievers were placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Right-handers Will Vest and Drew Steckenrider remain on the COVID IL.
— The Blue Jays have placed third baseman Cavan Biggio on the 10-day injured list with a cervical spine ligament sprain. Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo expects Biggio to be ready to return when eligible to come off the IL.
— Texas right-hander Kohei Arihara needs shoulder surgery and is expected to miss at least 12 weeks. Rangers general manager Chris Young says Arihara has an aneurysm in his pitching shoulder. Arihara has been on the 10-day injured list since May 9.
