Update on the latest sports
NBA PLAYOFFS-BUCKS/HAWKS
Bucks get even, down Hawks
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have tied the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals at a game apiece with a dominant performance against the Atlanta Hawks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-tah-KOON’-poh) scored 25 points and Jrue (jroo) Holiday added 22 in the Bucks’ 125-92 blowout against the Hawks. Khris Middleton chipped in 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds., and Antetokounmpo provided nine rebounds and six assists.
The Bucks never trailed, scored 20 straight points late in the second quarter and led by at least 30 throughout the second half. Both teams rested their starters for the entire fourth quarter.
Young scored 15 points but matched a career worst with nine turnovers before leaving the game for good with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter.
Atlanta has dropped Game 2 in each of its three playoff series this year.
The series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Sunday.
NHL PLAYOFFS-LIGHTNING/ISLANDERS
Bolts reach Cup Final again
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning will make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
The defending champs have closed out their semifinal series by defeating the New York Islanders, 1-0 in Game 7. Yanni Gourde (YAH’-nee-gohrd) put the Bolts ahead with a short-handed goal 1:49 into the second period, setting up a meeting with the Montreal Canadiens.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV’-skee) made 18 saves in his second shutout in three games.
The only drawback for the Lightning was the end of Brayden Point’s goal streak. He had gone nine straight games with a goal, one off the all-time playoff record set by Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach in 1976.
Semyon Varlamov (SAHM’-yahn vahr-LAH’-mahv) turned back 30 shots for the Islanders, who were trying to advance to the Final for the first time since 1984.
Game 1 of the Final is slated for Monday in Tampa.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Bosox top Yanks
UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Red Sox stayed within a half-game of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by beating the New York Yankees for the fourth straight time this month.
Hunter Renfroe had two RBIs, including go-ahead sacrifice fly in the third inning of the Red Sox’s 5-3 victory over their arch-rivals. Boston’s pitchers held New York scoreless over the final seven innings.
Matt Barnes allowed two hits in in the ninth but struck out Clint Frazier and got DJ LeMahieu (leh-MAY’-hyoo) to hit into a game-ending double play for his 16th save.
Elsewhere on the major league schedule:
— Brandon Lowe (low) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, bringing home the tiebreaking run in the Rays’ 4-3 win over the Angels. Meadows had a two-run single during a three-run first against Griffin Canning as the Rays took a 3-2 lead. It came after Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) led off with his 24th home run of the season, a 453-foot drive off the D-ring in right field at Tropicana Field.
— The Orioles’ 20-game road losing streak is over after Trey Mancini walked with the bases loaded in the 10th to send Baltimore past the Blue Jays, 6-5. Austin Hays drove in two runs to cap the Birds’ eighth-inning rally. Toronto ended a five-game winning streak despite Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s major league-leading 25th home run.
— Nate Lowe’s three hits included his first major league triple as the Rangers clobbered the Royals, 9-4. Lowe’s two-run triple came in his 146th big league game and highlighted a four-run fourth. Rookie Jonah Heim matched career highs with three hits and two RBIs to help Dane Dunning win for the first time since May 9.
— Yusei Kikuchi pitched another gem and Luis Torrens homered twice in leading the Mariners’ 9-3 romp over the White Sox. Kikuchi allowed one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings while improving to 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA over his last six starts. Jake Fraley also went deep in Seattle’s ninth win in 11 games.
— Luis Arraez (ah-RY’-ehz) hit two triples and a tiebreaking two-run double to spark the Twins’ 8-7 win over the Indians. Arraez went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, Alex Kirilloff socked a two-run homer and Josh Donaldson also drove in two runs for Minnesota. Cleveland wasted homers by Josh Naylor, Amed Rosario, Bobby Bradley and Eddie Rosario.
— Johnny Cueto (KWAY’-toh) outdueled Sean Manaea (mah-NY’-ah) in leading the Giants past the Athletics in the Bay Bridge Series opener, 2-0. Cueto gave up five hits and fanned six over seven scoreless innings. Curt Casali homered in the seventh to greet A’s reliever Cam Bedrosian (ba-DROH’-zee-ehn).
— Willy Adames (ah-DAH’-mehs) hit a tying, two-run homer in the ninth and was part of an 11th-inning rally that sent the Brewers past the Rockies, 5-4. Adames singled in the 11th to move the designated runner to third before Keston Hiura (HEE’-ruh) lifted a game-ending, sacrifice fly. The Rockies took a 4-1 lead in the seventh on pinch-hitter Joshua Fuentes’ two-run homer, but Kolten Wong went deep an inning later.
— Jacob Stallings and Phillip Evans drove in two runs each for the Pirates in their fifth win in seven games, 5-4 over the Cardinals. Wil Crowe gave up four runs over five innings for his first major league win. St. Louis has lost five straight, seven of eight and 18 of 24, dropping a season-worst four games under .500 at 36-40.
— The Mets took the opener of their doubleheader with the Phillies, 2-1 despite Aaron Nola’s major league record-tying string of 10 consecutive strikeouts. Nola’s performance occurred a few hundred feet from where Mets hurler Tom Seaver struck out the last 10 Padres in a 2-1 win at Shea Stadium on April 22, 1970. But reliever José Alvarado’s throwing error set up Francisco Lindor’s (lihn-DOHRZ’) game-tying single, one inning before Dominic Smith singled home the winning run.
— The Phillies also blew a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning of the nightcap before Odúbel Herrera’s RBI grounder in the eighth gave them a 2-1 win over the Mets. Bryce Harper blew kisses at a booing crowd to punctuate his home run. James McCann forced extra innings with a sacrifice fly following an error by first baseman Alec Bohm (bohm).
— Guillermo Heredia (gee-EHR’-moh heh-RAY’-dee-uh) homered, doubled and made a defensive gem before crashing into the wall in the eight inning in his return to Atlanta’s lineup, helping the Braves earn a 3-2 win over the Reds. The game’s first run came in the fifth when Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman doubled home Ronald Acuña Jr. for his 900th career RBI. Dansby Swanson hit a solo homer in the sixth and Heredia added a solo shot in the seventh, both off Reds rookie Vladimir Gutierrez.
— Miguel Rojas slammed a three-run homer in a four-run first that jumpstarted the Marlins’ 11-2 pounding of the Nationals. Garrett Cooper homered and doubled twice as the Marlins stopped a four-game skid while ending Washington’s five-game win streak. Kyle Schwarber smacked his 22nd homer of the year and 14th in his last 15 games for the Nats.
— The Astros and Tigers were postponed due to inclement weather in Detroit. The game is now scheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.
MLB-VACCINATIONS
One team OK’d to relax COVID-19 protocols
NEW YORK (AP) — — A 23rd team has reached the 85% vaccination threshold for players and other on-field personnel, which allows relaxed protocols, but there were few additional vaccinations in the past week.
Major League Baseball and the players’ association said Friday that 85.4% of tier 1 and 2 tier individuals had been fully vaccinated, up just 0.1% from the previous week.
NBA-NEWS
AP source: Mavs pick Kidd to replace Carlisle
DALLAS (AP) — Former Dallas Mavericks All-Star guard Jason Kidd is returning to the team as head coach.
A person with knowledge of the hiring tells The Associated Press that Kidd is replacing Rick Carlisle, who stepped down eight days earlier in the wake of general manager Donnie Nelson’s departure.
Kidd just completed his second season as a Los Angeles Lakers assistant and is 183-190 in four-plus seasons as head coach with Milwaukee and Brooklyn.
The person says the Mavericks have also found Nelson’s replacement in Nike executive Nico Harrison. He will carry the titles of GM and president of basketball operations, as Nelson did.
In other NBA news:
— Officials are under renewed pressure to enforce the 10-second rule, placing Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) further in the spotlight tonight in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks. The NBA says Antetokounmpo should have been called for 10-second violations on both free throws he shot with 5.3 seconds remaining in the Hawks’ 116-113 Game 1 win on Wednesday night. Antetokounmpo made both free throws, trimming the Hawks’ lead to 114-113
NFL-NEWS
Steelers sign 5-time Pro Bowl guard Turner
UNDATED (AP) — It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh Steelers to find a replacement for David DeCastro.
The Steelers signed five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner to a one-year deal on Friday, a day after cutting DeCastro.
Turner heads to Pittsburgh three months after getting cut by the Chargers. He spent just one season in Los Angeles, playing in a career-low nine games.
In other NFL news:
— The Jets have signed former Washington offensive tackle Morgan Moses to a one-year deal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the signing. The addition gives rookie quarterback Zach Wilson another veteran protector. Moses was released by Washington on May 20 after starting every game at right tackle the past six seasons.
PGA-NEWS
Day leads through 36; Watson 1 back
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Jason Day fired an 8-under 62 in taking the second-round lead at the PGA’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Day is 9 under as he seeks his first top-3 finish in three years. The former world No. 1 missed three straight cuts before he tied for 44th at the PGA Championship. Day then withdrew from the Memorial with a back injury and did not qualify for last week’s U.S. Open.
First-round co-leader Kramer Hickok was at 10 under before flying the green on the par-3 16th hole and then three-putting from 18 feet for a double bogey. Hickok is one shot off the lead with Bubba Watson, whose neon pink driver broke apart mid-swing on the second tee before he completed a 4-under 66.
LPGA-WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Korda takes lead
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) — Nelly Korda used a string of birdies to take the second-round lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Korda closed with six straight birdies for a 9-under 63 that gives her a one-shot edge over Lizette Salas going into the weekend. Korda’s flurry could have been better had she been able to sink one of her two eagle putts down the stretch.
Korda is the only multiple winner on the LPGA Tour this season.
Salas hit all 18 greens in regulation, shot another 67 and has yet to make a bogey through 36 holes.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS-SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Stricker in command through 36
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Steve Stricker has increased his lead to five strokes in the Senior Players Championship by following an opening 7-under 63 with a 68 at breezy Firestone.
The 54-year-old U.S. Ryder Cup captain had a 9-under 131 total on the difficult South Course, playing bogey-free for the first two rounds.
Paul Broadhurst is second at 4 under after a 69.
WIMBLEDON-DRAW
Djokovic, Federer could meet in Wimbledon final; Halep out
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) and Roger Federer have been placed on opposite sides of the Wimbledon bracket. That means they only could meet in the final. It would be a rematch of their epic 2019 title showdown won by Djokovic in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
The top-seeded Djokovic will have a lot at stake when play begins at the All England Club on Monday. He seeks a 20th major title to tie the men’s record shared by Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Third-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 5 Dominic Thiem (teem) are skipping the tournament.
Reigning women’s champion and No. 3-ranked Simona Halep (HAL’-ehp), pulled out of the field just before the draw began, citing a torn left calf that also forced her to sit out the French Open. No. 2 Naomi Osaka withdrew last week.
