NBA:
The Boston Celtics opened their NBA playoff schedule with a buzzer-beater, while the Miami Heat enjoyed an old-fashioned blowout.
Jayson Tatum hit a layup at the buzzer to give the Celtics a 115-114 win over the Nets. Tatum scored 16 of his 31 points in the second half, the last coming on a feed from Marcus Smart.
Boston had four players with at least 20 points. Jaylen Brown delivered 23 points and Al Horford added 20 with 15 rebounds. Smart also had 20 points for the Celtics, who host Game 2 on Wednesday
The Nets had outscored the Celtics 29-17 in the fourth quarter before Tatum’s game-winning bucket. Kyrie Irving poured in a game-high 39 points and Kevin Durant had 23 for Brooklyn.
Duncan Robinson was three-mendous as the Heat opened their NBA playoff schedule with a 115-91 pounding of the Hawks.
Robinson came off the bench to set a team record for 3-pointers, going 8-for-9 from downtown and 9 of 10 overall. He led all scorers with 27 points, teammate Jimmy Butler finished with 21 and P.J. Tucker had 16.
Meanwhile, Hawks guard Trae Young was ice cold as he missed 11 of his 12 attempts and finished with just eight points. Danilo Gallinari had a team-high 17 points for Atlanta.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami.
The top overall seed won after blowing most of a big lead.
Chris Paul pumped in 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to secure the Suns’ win over the Pelicans, 110-99.
Paul got hot after New Orleans cut a 23-point deficit to 79-71 by the end of the third quarter. He shot 12 for 16 from the field, including 4 of 6 on 3-pointers.
Devin Booker had 25 points for Phoenix, which held New Orleans to 34 points and 22% shooting in the first half.
CJ McCollum had 25 points for the Pelicans, who stay in Phoenix for game 2 on Tuesday.
In Milwaukee, the Bucks coughed up a 16-point lead before going on an 8-0 run to beat the Bulls, 93-86.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 16 rebounds to help Milwaukee improve to 5-0 versus Chicago this season. Jrue Holiday sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:03, part of the 8-0 that put the Bucks ahead, 85-78. Holiday finished with 15 points and Brook Lopez had 18.
Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls, who scored 13 straight late in the third quarter to take the lead.
Game 2 is Wednesday in Milwaukee.
The NBA has announced the finalists for some of its major individual awards. Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid and Denver center Nikola Jokić are the three finalists for the MVP Award. The Rookie of the Year Award is down to Toronto forward Scottie Barnes, Detroit guard Cade Cunningham and Cleveland forward Evan Mobley.
MLB:
Rougned Odor was cut by the New York Yankees after last season. He got his revenge on Sunday by breaking up a scoreless tie with a pinch-hit, two-run single in the eighth inning of the Orioles’ 5-0 shutout of the Yanks in Baltimore.
The Birds were 2-for-28 with runners in scoring position in the series before Odor ignited a five-run rally. Kelvin Gutiérrez followed with a two-run double, and Jorge Mateo added an RBI single.
In other MLB action:
The Blue Jays topped the Athletics, 4-3 as Alek Manoah struck out six over six innings to win his second straight start. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits and scored twice to back Manoah, who allowed two runs and four hits.
Michael Wacha tossed one-hit ball over five shutout innings before the Red Sox finally opened the scoring in an 8-1 romp over the Twins. J.D. Martinez and Trevor Story each had two RBIs for Boston, which broke it open with a six-run eighth.
The Rays ended a four-game skid as Randy Arozarena doubled twice and finished with three hits in their 9-3 assault on the White Sox. Kevin Kiermaier and Yandy Diaz had RBIs in a four-run first when the Rays jumped on shaky Chicago starter Vince Velasquez without hitting the ball hard.
Ty France hit a three-run homer and rookie starter Matt Brash took an odd no-hitter into the sixth inning of the Mariners’ 7-2 dumping of the Astros. Brash walked batters to lead off each of the first three innings and hit another, but Seattle got out of the jams with four double plays to take three of four in the series.
Seven Angels had one RBI and Los Angeles took advantage of seven walks to beat the Rangers’ 7-2. The Angels say three-time AL MVP Mike Trout is day to day after being hit on the left hand by a pitch on Sunday. X-rays were negative.
Thairo Estrada drove in four runs and Alex Wood scattered four hits over five shutout innings to help the Giants complete a three-game sweep of the Guardians, 8-1. It was the ninth straight game in which a Giants starter allowed two runs or fewer, the second longest streak since 1901.
Freddie Freeman and Andrew Heaney helped the Dodgers complete a four-game sweep of the Reds, 9-1. Freeman had four hits and three RBIs in support of Heaney, who struck out 11 over six innings of one-hit, shutout ball.
Yu Darvish rebounded from the shortest outing of his career by dominating into the seventh inning of the Padres’ 2-1 victory against the Braves. Darvish allowed a run and struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings to help San Diego win with just three hits.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. tripled, doubled and drove in three runs in the Marlins’ 11-3 pounding of Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. Jesús Sánchez had three hits and two RBIs for the Marlins, who won three of four against Philadelphia in the weekend series.
Pete Alonso belted a two-run homer and five Mets pitchers combined on a five-hitter for New York’s third shutout in 10 games this season, 5-0 over the Diamondbacks. David Peterson tossed 4 1/3 effective innings that left Mets starters with a 1.07 ERA overall.
Seiya Suzuki and Wilsson Contreras homered, Nick Madrigal had three hits and Nico Hoerner collected two ribbies as the Cubs topped the Rockies, 6-4. Suzuki is batting .400 and has hit safely in eight straight games with an at-bat, slamming four home runs in the process.
Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run double in the seventh to give the Brewers breathing room in a 6-5 downing of the Cardinals. Albert Pujols crushed his 681st career homer, a three-run shot in the third inning off Aaron Ashby that tied the game at 3.
Michael Chavis drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Pirates came back from 3-0 down to beat the Nationals, 5-3 and take the four-game series. Chavis finished 2 for 4 with the RBI a day after going 3 for 4.
The Tigers and Royals were postponed by poor weather in Kansas City, creating a split doubleheader on July 11.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Boston expects to be without multiple unvaccinated players for an upcoming series at Toronto.
Starting pitcher Tanner Houck told the Boston Globe on Sunday that he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and won’t pitch during the four-game series beginning next Monday. He would have been in line to start the second game.
To enter Canada, the Canadian government requires a person must have received a second COVID-19 vaccine dose at least 14 days prior to entry.
Elsewhere around the majors:
The Blue Jays added left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu to the 10-day injured list with left forearm inflammation. The 35-year-old Ryu was pulled after just four innings in Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Athletics.
The Orioles have transferred left-hander John Means to the 60-day injured list with a sprained elbow. The move isn’t a huge surprise after manager Brandon Hyde conceded Saturday that it would be a while before Means pitched again.
The Twins placed right-hander Sonny Gray on the 10-day injured list with a low grade strained hamstring a day after he left his start. Manager Rocco Baldelli said before the game that he doesn’t think Gray will miss more than one start.
Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez has been diagnosed with cancer and will be stepping away from the broadcast booth. Martinez said in a statement released by Sportsnet that Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics would be his last for “a little while” as he begins weeks of cancer treatment.
NHL:
The Florida Panthers are back within two points of the Colorado Avalanche as the two teams compete for home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Panthers have rolled their winning streak to 10 games by blasting the Red Wings, 6-1. Anton Lundell scored twice for Florida, which tied a team record with its 22nd road win. The Cats also received goals from Anthony DuClair, Sam Reinghart, Maxim Mamim and Gustav Forsling.
Spencer Knight turned back 33 shots and blanked Detroit until Pius Suter scored with 7:56 remaining.
Despite the rout, Jonathan Huberdeau’s point streak ended at 13 games. He had 11 goals and 24 points during that span.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
The Maple Leafs’ 4-2 win over the Islanders leaves Toronto with a team record of 50 wins and 106 points. William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Pierre Engvall and David Kampf scored to help the Leafs win without league goal-scoring leader Auston Matthews. Jack Campbell made 28 saves to pick up the win as the Maple Leafs allowed the Capitals to clinch a playoff berth.
The Wild have wrapped up a Stanley Cup playoff berth by defeating the Sharks, 5-4 in overtime. Jared Spurgeon netted his second goal of the day 65 seconds into OT to secure Minnesota’s 12th postseason berth. Kevin Fiala registered a goal and three assists, while Frederick Gaudreau set up three tallies to help the Wild stay three points behind the Blues for second place in the Central Division.
The Blues set a franchise record for goals in a period, hanging seven on Nashville in the second period of an 8-3 win. Calle Rosen, Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou each scored twice for St. Louis. Jordan Binnington made 33 saves in the Blues’ ninth win in a row.
Troy Terry scored twice and Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist to send the Ducks past the Blue Jackets, 6-4.
The Sabres completed a home-and-home weekend sweep of the Flyers as Victor Olofsson and Tage Thompson each scored twice in a 5-3 victory for Buffalo.
NASCAR:
Kyle Busch eluded the spinning cars of Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe to steal his first Cup win of the season on slick, wet, dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway.
Reddick was chasing the first Cup win of his career. He led 99 of the 250 laps. and controlled the race from the final restart with 24 laps remaining. But lapped traffic allowed Briscoe to close in on Reddick and he timed his move for the win for the third turn, when Briscoe tried to slide his way past Reddick on the inside.
Reddick finished second and faulted himself for not holding off Briscoe.
Joey Logano was third, followed by Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.
PGA:
Jordan Spieth used a marvelous approach shot on the first playoff hole to beat Patrick Cantlay and win the PGA’s RBC Heritage.
Spieth hit a 56-foot shot from a greenside bunker to 7 inches of the cup. He won his 13th PGA Tour title and second straight on Easter Sunday after taking the Valero Texas Open a year ago to end a four-year drought.
Playing four groups ahead of Cantlay, Spieth birdied Harbour Town’s par-4 18th lighthouse hole in regulation, holing a 10-footer for a 5-under 66 and 13-under 271 total.
All contents © copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved