NBA PLAYOFFS
Jalen Brunson had 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes in a season-extending performance, and the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks denied the Heat’s first attempt to become just the second No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals and sent the series back to Miami for Game 6 on Friday night. RJ Barrett added 26 points and Julius Randle had 24 for the fifth-seeded Knicks, who stayed alive in hopes of reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2000. They did that by getting by the Heat in seven games in the second round, a possibility that still exists. Game 6 is 7:30 Friday night in Miami.
Stephen Curry had 27 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins added 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and elsewhere, the defending champion Golden State Warriors staved off elimination by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals last night. LeBron James had 25 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis added 23 points and nine rebounds but went to the locker room late after appearing to take a hit in the head from Kevon Looney. Draymond Green contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds as Golden State played tough defense that led to better chances on the offensive end. Now, it’s back to LA for Game 6 on Friday night.
Lakers center Anthony Davis injured his head in what appeared to be an inadvertent hit by Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 Game 5 victory in the Western Conference semifinals. Davis grabbed at his head grimacing on the bench before going to the locker room following the play with 7:43 remaining. He and Looney were battling for positioning in the paint on a driving layup by D’Angelo Russell. Davis’ status for Game 6 on Friday night back in Los Angeles is unclear but coach Darivn Ham was encouraged afterward without providing details on what evaluation — such as concussion testing — the big man went through once in the locker room. TNT reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room. Davis walked out of the arena on his own.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic now knows how Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid felt during two previous NBA award seasons. Second in the MVP race, but only second-team All-NBA. The league MVP in Embiid headlined the All-NBA team that was unveiled Wednesday night. He was the first-team center, while Jokic was the second-team pick at that position. It was a reversal of the results from 2021 and 2022, when Jokic was MVP over Embiid, who then had to settle for the second-team All-NBA center spot. And this should be the final time such a quirk happens. Starting next year, the All-NBA team will no longer be broken down by position.
Philadelphia hasn’t been to the Eastern Conference finals since 2001. Denver hasn’t played a home game in the Western Conference finals since 2009. The 76ers and Nuggets are on the brink of updating those numbers. Philadelphia went into Boston and won Game 5 of their East semifinal series on Tuesday night for a 3-2 lead in that series, while Denver snapped a two-game slide and held serve at home to take a 3-2 lead over Phoenix in Game 5 of their West semifinal series. They can close out those matchups on Thursday. Philly getting a chance to clinch at home, Denver facing a Game 6 in Phoenix.
The Philadelphia 76ers look to clinch the Eastern Conference second round over the Boston Celtics in game six at home tonight at 7:30. The 76ers lead the series 3-2.
And The Denver Nuggets look to clinch the Western Conference second round over the Phoenix Suns in game six tonight at 10. The Nuggets lead the series 3-2..
NHL PLAYOFFS
Final Toronto 2 Florida 1
Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots in his first playoff start, Mitch Marner and William Nylander had the goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series last night. Nylander was the beneficiary of an odd bounce for a power-play score in the second period, Marner scored midway through the third and Woll did the rest as he took the place of injured starter Ilya Samsonov. Sam Reinhart scored the goal for Florida, which got 23 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 in Toronto on Friday night.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 to even their second-round playoff series at two games apiece. Nick Bjugstad, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm also scored as the Oilers built a four-goal lead in the second period. Connor McDavid had two assists and Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots. Nicolas Roy scored in the third period for Vegas. Adin Hill stopped 29 shots in his first NHL playoff start after playing minutes in the two previous games of the series. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night at Las Vegas, and Game 6 will be back in Edmonton on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils are at Carolina for game 5 tonight at 7. The Hurricanes lead the series 3-1. The Dallas Stars host the Seattle Kraken in game five of the second round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 2-2. Game time is 9:30 p.m.
MLB
Rookie Anthony Volpe hit his first career grand slam in a seven-run fifth inning and the New York Yankees pulled away for an 11-3 rout of the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday to complete their first series sweep this season. Heading into a four-game series against the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees have won three straight for the first time this season. Harrison Bader hit a three-run homer in the first that was upheld after a review and DJ LeMahieu added a two-run drive in the fifth.
Kenley Jansen became the seventh player in major league history to earn 400 saves, pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2. Jansen, who had 41 saves last year in his only season with the Braves, faced four batters for his ninth save in 10 chances. The 35-year-old right-hander trails Billy Wagner by 22 saves for sixth place on the career list. Tapia drove in Jarren Duran from second to make it 3-2 against Nick Anderson. Triston Casas hit a two-run shot 442 feet off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias to make it 5-2 in the ninth.
N.Y. Mets 2 Cincinnati 1
Justin Verlander pitched seven innings of two-hit ball for his first victory with the Mets, and Pete Alonso hit his major league-leading 13th home run as New York squeezed out a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Brandon Nimmo had three hits for the Mets, including a go-ahead single in the fourth to help New York win for only the fourth time in 16 games. Cincinnati had been the only major league team Verlander had never beaten. The three-time Cy Young Award winner retired 18 of the last 19 batters he faced in his second start for the Mets. He struck out seven and walked two as New York snapped a three-game skid. David Robertson finished the two-hitter for his seventh save.
Edmundo Sosa scored on Bryce Harper’s hard-hit grounder in the 10th inning after Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette’s throwing error and the Philadelphia Phillies came back to defeat the Blue Jays 2-1. Harper lined a bouncer toward the mound and Tim Mayza made a good play to snare it and fired to second base to set up an apparent double play. But Bichette’s throw went wide of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Sosa just beat Guerrero’s throw home while sliding headfirst into the plate. Craig Kimbrel struck out two in a scoreless top of the 10th for the win. The Phillies have won three in a row after tying it in the ninth on J.T. Realmuto’s RBI double. Brandon Belt homered for Toronto.
Jurickson Profar hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to lift Colorado by Pittsburgh 4-3. Less than 24 hours after homering twice in a 10-1 rout, Profar gave the Rockies their eighth win in 10 games by lacing a Robert Stephenson pitch into left field to score Austin Wynns. Alan Trejo had two hits and an RBI for Colorado. Randal Grichuk added a run-scoring double as the Rockies earned their third straight series win. Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 3 and hit his seventh home run of the season for Pittsburgh. The Pirates have dropped 9 of 10.
NFL
Former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs has admitted he drove drunk at up to 156 mph before causing a fiery crash that killed a woman in November 2021. The 24-year-old former first-round NFL draft pick avoided trial with a plea deal on Wednesday that is expected to result in a sentence of three to 10 years in state prison. Prosecutors dropped other charges, on which Ruggs might have faced up to 50 years behind bars. The former Alabama Crimson Tide player was dropped by the Raiders shortly after the crash. Family members of the woman who died declined to comment following Ruggs' plea. He remains free pending sentencing Aug. 9.
NCAA
West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has agreed to a three-game suspension and a $1 million pay cut after he used a homophobic slur during a radio show. The agreement allows Huggins to keep his job as the school's basketball coach, but the blunder will leave a lasting mark on his Hall of Fame career. During a call to a Cincinnati radio station Monday, Huggins was asked whether he had a chance of landing an Xavier player from the transfer portal. Huggins then made offensive comments about Xavier fans. He later apologized. Huggins will also be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders as part of the agreement.
The son of another NBA great says he'll play for Southern California next season. D.J. Rodman said on social media that he's transferring from Washington State to USC. The son of rebounding great Dennis Rodman played his first four seasons for the Cougars. He'll use a fifth year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic to finish his college career closer to his hometown of Newport Beach. Bronny James announced on social media last weekend that he will play at USC. His father, LeBron James, stars for the Los Angeles Lakers.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
The PGA Championship always tries to get the strongest field in the majors. This year is no exception. The field next week for Oak Hill just outside Rochester, New York, features 99 of the top 100 in the world ranking. Missing is Will Zalatoris, who is out for the rest of the season after back surgery. The field features 18 players who play for Saudi-backed LIV Golf. One player missing from the 155-player list is Sergio Garcia. He is No. 189 in the world. LIV Golf does not get ranking points. This will be the first time Garcia is ineligible for a major since 1999.
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