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.
NBA-HAWKS-BOGDANOVIC
Sore knee threatens Bogdanovic’s status for Hawks in Game 7
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks may be without their top 3-point shooter with their season on the line.
The status of Bogdan Bogdanovic (bahg-DAH’-noh-vich) is uncertain for Sunday night’s Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series at Philadelphia due to a knee injury.
Bogdanovic left Friday night’s 104-99 home loss to the 76ers in the fourth quarter with right knee soreness and did not return. He struggled before leaving the game, making only 3 of 11 shots and scoring only seven points. After scoring 22 points in Game 4, he managed only six points in Wednesday night’s Game 5 win.
Coach Nate McMillan said Saturday the soreness is not related to the fracture in the same knee which forced Bogdanovic to miss 25 games early in the season.
NBA-COMEBACKS
Clippers are NBA’s playoff comeback kings
UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are the NBA’s king of the playoff comeback.
There have been only eight instances since 1996 of a team rallying to win a playoff game after trailing by at least 25 points. And after a big rally Friday night, the Clippers now have three of those comebacks. They were down by 25 before beating Utah 131-119 Friday in Game 6 to win that Western Conference semifinal series and advance to the conference finals for the first time. They also trailed Golden State by 31 on April 15, 2019, before winning 135-131 and trailed Memphis by 27 on April 29, 2012, before winning 99-98.
The Clippers aren’t the only team to pull off comebacks recently. This was the first week in NBA playoff history where there were four instances of a team leading by at least 10 points at halftime and losing. On Monday, Atlanta trailed Philadelphia by 13 at the break and won 103-100. Tuesday, Brooklyn trailed Milwaukee by 16 and won 114-108. Wednesday, the Hawks did it again, this time from 22 down after two quarters and beating the 76ers 109-106.
And there have been an NBA record six instances of double-digit halftime deficits turning into wins in these playoffs, including New York’s comeback from 13 down to top Atlanta on May 26 and Utah’s erasing of a 13-point deficit to beat the Clippers on June 8. The previous record for double-digit halftime deficits erased in a single postseason during the shot-clock era (since 1955) was five, done on four previous occasions — 2018, 2017, 2012 and 2008.
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.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Lindor breaks out, 5 RBIs lead Mets over Nats 5-1 in opener
UNDATED (AP) — Francisco Lindor (lihn-DOHR’) had five RBIs on a pair of two-run homers and run-scoring single for his first big offensive game with the New York Mets, a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Lindor homered in the first on a sinker from Joe Ross, singled in the third on a changeup for a 3-0 lead and homered in the fifth on a slider for his 12th multi-homer game. The five RBIs were his most since his career-high seven for the Indians on July 2, 2018, at Kansas City.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The St. Louis Cardinals’ game at the Atlanta Braves on Saturday was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Sunday at 2:10 p.m. and 7:08 p.m. Under pandemic rules, both games will be scheduled for seven innings. St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright and Atlanta left-hander Drew Smyly are scheduled to start the opener. Lefty Kwang Hyun Kim is slated to pitch the nightcap for the Cardinals. Atlanta’s starter wasn’t announced.
MLB-TWINS-BUXTON
Twins activate Buxton after lengthy absence for hip strain
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has been activated from the 10-day injured list and is the lineup against the Texas Rangers after being sidelined since May 6 with a right hip strain.
Buxton homered twice in a three-game rehab stint with Triple-A St. Paul. Buxton last played in the finale of a four-game series against the Rangers. Buxton was second in the majors with a .370 batting average when he got hurt.
The Twins optioned utility man Willians Astudillo to St. Paul.
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 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.
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.
