NBA
Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Jalen Brunson had 41 points and 12 assists to lead the Knicks, who move on to face the Indiana Pacers. Game 1 is Monday in New York. The Knicks are through to the second round in consecutive years for the first time since the postseasons from 1992-2000. Joel Embiid finished with 39 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers but fouled out in the closing seconds.
Obi Toppin scored 21 points, T.J. McConnell had 20 points and nine assists and the Indiana Pacers won a playoff series for the first time in a decade, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 in Game 6 on Thursday night. The Pacers will face New York in their first Eastern Conference semifinal in a decade. Indiana’s milestone victory came exactly 30 years after it swept Orlando 3-0 to advance in the NBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and it came on a night the Bucks again were without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time league MVP never played after straining his left calf April 9. Damian Lillard had 28 points for Milwaukee.
The Orlando Magic desperately want an opportunity to go back on the road. The Los Angeles Clippers are hoping to go home, though not for good. There are two more elimination games in the NBA playoffs Friday night, with the Magic hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Clippers visiting the Dallas Mavericks after falling behind 3-2 in the first-round matchups. With Donovan Mitchell scoring 28 points and Evan Mobley blocking Franz Wagner’s layup in the closing seconds of a one-point victory Tuesday night, Cleveland is on the brink of advancing to face Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals after taking Games 1, 2 and 5 at home. The Dallas-Los Angeles winner will face Oklahoma City in the West semifinals.
NHL
William Nylander scored twice, Joseph Woll made 22 saves and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 last night to force a seventh game in the first-round Eastern Conference series. Toronto has overcome a 3-1 series deficit, also staving off elimination with a 2-1 victory in overtime in Boston on Tuesday night, to send the series (goes) back to Boston for a winner-take-all finale Saturday night at 8. The series winner will face the Florida Panthers. Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who also blew a 3-1 lead against the Florida Panthers last year in the first round before losing in Game 7 following a record-setting regular season. Morgan Geekie spoiled Woll’s shutout bid with 0.1 seconds left.
MLB
Ryan Mountcastle and Jorge Mateo each homered and drove in two runs to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a series-deciding 7-2 victory over the New York Yankees. Ryan McKenna also connected and Jordan Westburg’s two-run triple helped the Orioles complete a four-run fifth to chase Yankees starter Carlos Rodón and secure a third win of the four-game set. Righty Kyle Bradish allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings in his first start after beginning the season on the 15-day injured list with a UCL strain, and Keegan Akin retired four batters while allowing a run in middle relief.
Francisco Lindor delivered a pair of two-run doubles off the bench, rallying the New York Mets past the Chicago Cubs 7-6 in 11 innings for a split of their four-game series. Right fielder Starling Marte made two rocket throws in extra innings, cutting down Cubs runners at the plate to end the 10th and 11th. Brandon Nimmo had two RBIs for the Mets, who overcame a 4-0 deficit to salvage a 3-4 homestand. Daniel Palencia drilled Harrison Bader with a pitch to begin the bottom of the 11th. Lindor, who didn’t start after leaving Wednesday night’s game early with flu-like symptoms, lashed a sharp grounder down the left-field line to score automatic runner Brett Baty and Bader.
Mike Yastrzemski had a visit from his grandfather Carl and then homered into the Red Sox bullpen like the Hall of Fame outfielder so often did in his heyday, and the San Francisco Giants beat Boston 3-1. Ryan Walker pitched a perfect sixth inning to help the Giants avoid the sweep and snap Boston’s four-game winning streak. Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his sixth save. Tyler O’Neill walked twice and hit a wall-scraping popup to drive in Boston’s only run. Carl Yastrzemski visited his grandson in the visitor’s clubhouse before the game, but did not stay to see Mike's homer.
Nathan Eovaldi pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings before leaving with groin tightness, Ezequiel Duran’s two-out double was the first of three consecutive RBI hits in the second inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Washington Nationals 6-0. Eovaldi limited the Nationals to two hits and two walks while throwing 92 pitches — 13 short of his season high. He struck out eight for the fourth time this year, his season high. Nationals starter Mitchell Parker gave up three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings and two walks striking out five.
Jon Singleton homered and had three RBIs and Jose Altuve added three hits to lead the Houston Astros to an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. The victory gives the Astros, who are last in the AL West at 11-20, consecutive series wins for the first time this season. The Astros trailed by 1 with one out in the sixth inning when Jeremy Peña tripled on a ball that deflected off the glove of center fielder Gabriel Arias. There were two outs when Singleton knocked a ball from Logan Allen into the front row in right field to put the Astros up 3-2.
Jesús Sánchez hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 and swept their three-game series. Sánchez’s two-out opposite-field line drive to left off reliever Jalen Beeks scored automatic runner Luis Arraez from second. The Rockies lost their fifth straight and are the first team since 1900 to have trailed at one point in each of their first 31 games.
The average time of a nine-inning game is 2 hours, 36 minutes through the first full month of the major league season, down 1 minute from 2023 in the second year of the pitch clock. Over objections from the players’ association, MLB lowered the timer to 18 seconds from 20 with runners on base while keeping it at 15 seconds with no runners. Last year, the average increased gradually through the season, from 2:37 through April to 2:38 in May, 2:39 in June, 2:41 in July and August to 2:44 in September. The season average of 2:40 was down 24 minutes from 2022 and the lowest since 1985.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
With the expanded College Football Playoff locked in through 2031, questions still remain about what the rest of the postseason will look like. One thing is certain, there will still be bowls. Nick Carparelli, the executive director of the organization that represents bowls games, a more professionalized version of college football could quell players opting-out of bowls by tying compensation to postseason participation. He also said giving bowl organizers more freedom to make matchups could help create more compelling games.
Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13 million. Smart surpasses Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who is set to make $11 million in 2024. Smart gets a bump in salary of $1.75 million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs through 2033. He could also receive up to $1.55 million per year in bonuses based on the new 12-team playoff structure, an increase from $1.3 million under the previous terms. Athletic director Josh Brooks got an extension that raises his salary to $1.275 million annually.
GOLF
Tiger Woods is headed to the U.S. Open after receiving the first of what likely will be many special exemptions. Woods has been eligible for every U.S. Open since he played in his first one in 1995 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. By the time he played his first Open as a pro, Woods already was the Masters champion. And 14 more major titles followed. Jack Nicklaus received eight U.S. Open exemptions. Arnold Palmer received five. Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion as part of his 15 majors. The U.S. Open is June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2.
Matt Wallace has a one-shot lead over seven players in the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The 34-year-old Englishman finished three strokes ahead of defending champion Jason Day. Hometown favorite Jordan Spieth is five back with world No. 1 and fellow Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler sitting out while awaiting the birth of his first child. Wallace is without a top-10 finish this season. His only PGA Tour victory came last year in the Dominican Republic. The round was suspended by darkness with nine players yet to finish at TPC Craig Ranch.
SOCCER
Bayer Leverkusen silenced the Stadio Olimpico with a 2-0 win at Roma in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals to extend its record unbeaten streak to 47 matches across all competitions. Roma was dangerous with an early header off the crossbar from Romelu Lukaku. But then Leverkusen struck on the counterattack seven minutes later with a goal from Florian Wirtz. Midfielder Robert Andrich added another goal for Leverkusen in the 73rd with a long-range shot. Atalanta drew 1-1 at Marseille in the other semifinal.
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