Update on the latest sports
NBA PLAYOFFS
Nets host Bucks in Game 7
NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn’s blockbuster trade brought in James Harden. Milwaukee dealt for Jrue Holiday. Both teams hoped their big move was the one that would lead to a championship.
One of them won’t even get halfway there. The Nets and Bucks play Game 7 of their second-round series Saturday in Brooklyn, with the winner moving on to play for the Eastern Conference title and the loser falling well short of expectations.
The Nets are trying to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since making their only two NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. The Bucks are trying to avoid a second straight second-round exit, but are 0-7 all-time in Game 7s on the road.
The home team has won every game in the series. Brooklyn is 6-0 at home in the playoffs and 24-3 against East teams at Barclays Center this season.
The Nets say Kyrie Irving will be out for the third straight game with a sprained ankle.
NHL PLAYOFFS
Islanders in familiar series hole, down 2-1 vs. Lightning
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Islanders are in a familiar position heading into Game 4 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series against Tampa Bay. They once again find themselves trailing 2-1 in a series after a narrow loss in Game 3 at home.
The first two times in this postseason they bounced back with three straight wins to advance past Pittsburgh and Boston. That gives the Islanders some confidence heading into Saturday night’s game at Nassau Coliseum. Now they have to find a way to manage another series comeback against the defending champions, who have been matching New York’s defensive intensity and physical play.
The Islanders have totaled five goals on 85 shots against Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV’-skee) in the first three games after averaging 3.6 per game in their first two series.
PGA-US OPEN
Moving day at Torrey Pines
SAN DIEGO (AP) — It’s moving day at the U.S. Open, and this one could be fascinating.
The co-leaders are 48-year-old Richard Bland and Russell Henley at 5-under par. Bland is playing his fourth major, one each in the last four decades. Henley has played 26 majors without registering a top 10.
Behind them is a long list of star power and experience. Twenty players are separated by five shots, and six of them are major champions. That includes Brooks Koepka (KEHP’-kuh) and Bryson DeChambeau. They have won three of the last four U.S. Opens.
Rory McIlroy is six shots behind and believes he’s very much in the mix. Phil Mickelson is another shot back and feels the same way.
In early play, Jordan Spieth (speeth) had two birdie putts inside 6 feet to start his third round and made one of them.
BRITISH OPEN-FANS
British Open to allow attendance of 32,000 fans each day
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The British Open will admit up to 32,000 fans each day for next month’s tournament at Royal St. George’s.
The figure was announced Saturday after the R&A confirmed the Open would be included in the government’s plan to allow some events, like the Wimbledon tennis tournament, to take place with higher capacities than otherwise permitted under coronavirus rules.
Golf’s oldest championship is scheduled for July 15-18. It was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Capacity is usually about 40,000 per day at Royal St. George’s.
F1-FRENCH GP
Verstappen beats both Mercedes for pole at French GP
LE CASTELLET, France (AP) — Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen has won his second pole of the season and put his Red Bull in front of Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton for the start of the French Grand Prix.
Verstappen set a time of 1 minute, 29.990 seconds around the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France to grab the top starting spot before Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas crossed the line at the end of Saturday’s qualifying session.
Bottas jumped to second when he crossed the line, but Hamilton completed his lap right behind Bottas and bumped his teammate down a spot.
Verstappen’s only other pole this season came in the opener at Bahrain, but he finished second to seven-time champion Hamilton. He’s since won two races to take a four-point lead over Hamilton into Sunday’s race.
