NBA:
In the NBA playoffs, Cleveland bested Chicago 94-73 to win the series 4-2 and Houston topped the Clippers 119-107 to even the series at 3 games apiece.
MLB:
In baseball, in the American League, Tampa Bay defeated the Yankees 6-1, Boston edged Seattle 2-1, Houston won against Toronto 6-4, Kansas City doubled up Texas 6-3, and it was Detroit over Minnesota 13-1.
In the National League, the Cubs slid past the Mets 6-5, Philadelphia doubled up Pittsburgh 4-2, Cincinnati edged San Francisco 4-3, Colorado beat the Dodgers 5-4, and it was San Diego over Washington 8-3.
In interleague play, St. Louis beat Cleveland 2-1.
NCAA:
In the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament, UAlbany goes up against No. 1 Notre Dame on Saturday at 3 p.m. No. 2 Syracuse will face Johns Hopkins at noon on Sunday.
NFL:
NFL officials say Commissioner Roger Goodell will personally hear Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension over deflated footballs. League officials say Goodell chose to preside over the appeal as allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement. The players union that filed the appeal urged Goodell to appoint a neutral arbitrator in the case.’
NHL:
The New York Rangers start the Eastern Conference finals with the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday at 1 p.m.
A planned $2.1 billion bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, will be named after hockey great Gordie Howe. The 87-year-old Howe, known as "Mr. Hockey," was born in Saskatchewan and led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships. The yet-to-be built Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to be operational in 2020. Howe has been undergoing treatment after suffering a significant stroke.
Golf:
Robert Streb has the first-round lead at the PGA event in Charlotte. Streb set the early pace with two quick birdies on the back nine and played a bogey-free round for a 7-under 65. Patrick Reed and Kevin Chappell are one stroke back and one ahead of six others. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy opened with a 70 that included a double-bogey on the par-3 17th hole. Phil Mickelson opened with three birdies but had a double bogey on 18 for a 1-under 71.
The first major of the year on the Champions Tour is underway in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff Maggert is the leader through 18 holes of the Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek. Maggert birdied three of the final four holes for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke edge over Kevin Sutherland. Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie and Wes Short Jr. are two strokes back.
France's Joanna Klatten had five birdies in a six-hole stretch en route to a 6-under 65 and the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour's Kingsmill Championship. Klatten birdied Nos. 3 through 6 and 8 before closing with a par on No. 9. Morgan Pressel, Alison Lee and Pat Hurst share second, one shot better than So Yeon Ryu, Paula Creamer, Jacqui Concolino and Perrine Delacour. Michelle Wie (wee) withdrew because of a hip injury after a 78.
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