The Boston Celtics are 5-0 under the NBA Playoff bubble. The Celtics have opened their Eastern Conference semifinal series with a surprisingly easy victory against the defending champs, 112-94 over the Raptors.
Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart each scored 21 points for the Celtics, who never trailed and improved to 4-1 versus Toronto this season. Brad Stevens' club is the only one to knock off the Raptors more than twice. Kemba Walker added 18 points and 10 assists, while Daniel Theiss delivered 13 points and 15 rebounds. Toronto has dropped its two meetings with Boston in the bubble by a combined 40 points. The Raptors are 11-0 against everyone else. Kyle Lowry had a team-high 17 points for the Raptors.
The Clippers have advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by taking out Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in six games. Kawhi Leonard had 33 points and 14 rebounds for Los Angeles in a 111-97 downing of Dallas. Paul George and Ivica Zubac added 15 points apiece for the Clippers, who turned up their defense after winning Game 5 with the best offensive performance in their postseason history. Doncic capped a superb first postseason with 38 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
The Nuggets have forced a Game 7 in their opening-round series with Utah. Jamal Murray extended his torrid run with 50 more points to lead the Nuggets to their second straight win, 119-107 over the Jazz. Murray had his second 50-point game of the series to equal Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 44 in this one. No player has ever had more 50-point games in an entire postseason. Murray outscored Mitchell 21-17 in the final period, helping prevent the Jazz from ever getting close enough to have a real chance of finishing the series. Murray had a little more help. Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and Jerami Grant adding 18 for Denver. Mike Conley had 21 points for the Jazz, but Rudy Gobert and Jordan Clarkson were each only held to 11. Game 7 is Tuesday, with the winner taking on the Clippers.
NHL
The New York Islanders need another victory to get to the conference final for the first time since 1993. The Islanders scored twice in the third period to come away with a 3-2 victory and a three-games-to-one lead in their second-round series with the Flyers. Jean-Gabriel Pageau broke a 1-1 tie with his seventh goal of the postseason, beating Brian Elliott at the 7:18 mark of the final period. Brock Nelson added insurance with his second goal of the game, and it became the game-winner once Ivan Provorov scored with 65 seconds left. Thomas Greiss turned back 36 shots for the Islanders. Sean Couturier scored and Elliott finished with 30 saves for the Flyers.
The Dallas Stars are one win away from reaching the Western Conference final for the first time in a dozen years. The Stars have a three-games-to-one lead after grabbing leads of 3-0 and 5-2 before holding off the Avalanche, 5-4. John Klingberg opened the scoring 6:18 into the first before Radek Faksa and Jamie Benn added power-play goals to make it 3-0 midway through the period. The power-play tallies followed minor penalties called on Nazem Kadri. Cale Makar's power-play goal got the Avalanche within 3-2 with 26 seconds left in the second period, but the Stars regained a three-goal edge when Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov scored 32 seconds apart in the third. Makar made a poor pass from behind the goal linie on the Gurianov goal, allowing the Dallas forward to shoot into a wide open net. The Stars scored three times with the man advantage to support Anton Khudobin, who turned back 33 shots.
The Golden Knights are on track for their second conference final appearance in their three-year history following a 5-3 comeback win over the Canucks. Vancouver led 3-2 until Nate Schmidt, Max Pacioretty and William Karlsson scored in the first 8 ½ minutes of the third period. Pacioretty finished with two goals and an assist to support Marc-Andre Fleury, who turned back 27 shots in his return to the nets. Elias Petterson, Bo Horvat and Tyler Toffoli provided the Canucks' scoring.
MLB
The Yankees erupted for five runs in the seventh inning before Gio Urshela laced a walk-off single in the eighth to give the Bombers an 8-7 stunner over the Mets in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The Yanks rallied from 7-2 down by scoring five with two out in the seventh, including Aaron Hicks' game-tying, two-run homer. The Yankees also took the nightcap in eight innings as pinch-hitter Gary Sanchez unloaded a grand slam off Drew Smith in a 5-2 triumph over the Mets. Tyler Wade also homered and Luis Cessa ended the game by striking out Wilson Ramos with the bases loaded.
Elsewhere in the majors:
The Athletics-Astros game in Houston was postponed when a member of the Oakland organization tested positive for COVID-19. The A's said the team conducted testing and contact tracing for the entire traveling party Sunday morning and would self-isolate in Houston with recommended safety precautions in place.
The Red Sox outscored the Nationals, 9-5 as Bobby Dalbec hit a two-run homer in his major league debut and Rafael Devers added a pair of round-trippers. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer and Kevin Plawecki added two RBIs to help Boston deal Washington its fifth loss in six games.
The Blue Jays picked up their fourth straight win as Teoscar Hernández stroked a two-run single with two out in the ninth inning to complete a 6-5 decision over the Orioles. Baltimore dropped its fifth in a row despite Ryan Mountcastle's first two major league home runs.
Austin Riley homered, doubled and collected three RBIs in Atlanta's 10-run second before the Braves hung on for a 12-10 decision over the Phillies. Nick Markakis and Marcell Ozuna each added three hits and two RBIs to help the NL East leaders avoid a three-game sweep.
The Chicago White Sox picked up their 11th win in 13 games to slide into a tie with Cleveland for first place in the American League Central. The White Sox also continue to receive positive results from their budding stars. Prized rookie Luis Robert hit his first game-ending homer, a three-run drive in the 10th inning that gave the White Sox a 5-2 victory over the Royals. Chicago's Dane Dunning threw five no-hit innings before being pulled from his second major league start. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out seven and allowed just one runner, when he walked Maikel Franco on a 3-2 count with one out in the third. The White Sox pulled even with Cleveland when the Indians dropped a 7-2 decision at St. Louis. Adam Wainwright struck out nine on his 39th birthday and went the distance on a four-hitter. Dexter Fowler homered and had three RBIs as the Cardinals stopped Cleveland's four-game winning streak.
Willy Adames launched a grand slam and the surging Rays made it 12 wins in their last 14 games by completing a three-game sweep of the Marlins, 12-7. Joey Wendle, Yoshi Tsutsugo and Kevin Kiermaier also went deep in Tampa Bay's eighth consecutive win over Miami since 2018.
Jonathan Schoop hit a tie breaking home run in the sixth inning to send the Tigers to their fifth straight win and a three-game sweep of the Twins, 3-2. Jeimer Candelario also homered and Tyler Alexander pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief as Detroit moved back to .500 and handed Minnesota its fifth consecutive loss.
The Mariners picked up a 2-1 win over the Angels on a single by pinch-hitter Tim Lopes in the 10th inning. Lewis homered in the seventh and scored the winning run after Justin Dunn threw six scoreless innings for Seattle.
Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Will Smith homered for the Dodgers in a 7-2 win at Texas. Bellinger's two-run blast gave Los Angeles 57 home runs for August, a major league record for any single month. The Dodgers have 12 straight series victories to start the season, tied for the fifth-best season-opening run since 1969.
Eric Hosmer started San Diego's power surge with his three-run homer in the first inning of a 13-2 laugher against the Rockies. Jake Cronenworth added a two-run drive in the seventh before Jurickson Profar and Trent Grisham lined solo shots in the eighth, leaving San Diego second in the majors with 66 home runs.
The Giants picked up their first road series victory of the year as Alex Dickerson homered and had two RBIs to support Johnny Cueto in a 4-1 verdict over the Diamondbacks. Cueto was sharp in his last start before the trade deadline, allowing a run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Cubs' starting outfield of Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward and Ian Happ each homered twice in a 10-1 romp over the Reds. The NL Central leaders belted 14 home runs in the series.
Josh Bell and Gregory Polanco homered off Brandon Woodruff in the Pirates' 5-1 victory at Milwaukee. Bell broke a 1-all tie in the fourth with a towering, two-run blast that hit an SUV parked well above the wall in right-center as part of a promotion.
In MLB news:
The Mets have placed struggling pitchers Dellin Betances and Steven Matz on the injured list, one day after they both made appearances against the Yankees. Betances landed on the injured list with right lat tightness. Matz was placed on the IL with left shoulder discomfort.
The Padres have made more moves to demonstrate they are prepared to challenge for a playoff berth if not an NL West title. The Padres have picked up slugger Mitch Moreland from the Red Sox for a pair of prospects: outfielder Jeisson Rosario and infielder Hudson Potts. The Padres are making one move after another in pursuit of their first playoff appearance in 14 years. They bolstered their bullpen on Saturday by acquiring Trevor Rosenthal in a trade with the Royals. Seattle and San Diego completed a seven-player trade Sunday night, with catcher Austin Nola joining the contending Padres and prized outfield prospect Taylor Trammel going to the Mariners. The Padres also get right-handed relievers Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla and send Trammell, infielder Ty France, catcher Luis Torres and reliever Andres Muñoz to Seattle.
The Cubs have acquired José Martínez from the Rays for two players to be named or cash. The 32-year-old Martínez is a .294 hitter with 43 homers and 182 RBIs in 422 major league games.
The Braves have acquired left-hander Tommy Milone from the Orioles for two players to be named. The division-leading Braves have a pressing need for starting pitching behind Max Fried.
The Rockies have acquired right-handed reliever Mychal Givens from the Orioles for prospects and cash considerations. As part of the deal, the Orioles received infielders Tyler Nevin and Terrin Vavra, along with a player to be named later and cash considerations.
NFL
Disgruntled pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue is headed north, far away from Jacksonville. A person familiar with the trade says the Jaguars have agreed to send Ngakoue to the Vikings for a second-round draft pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2022. The person said Ngakoue agreed to rework his 2020 salary to get out of Jacksonville. He had been the league's only franchise-tagged player unsigned, opting to turn down an offer that would have guaranteed him $17.8 million this season.
GOLF
Jon Rahm birdied the first playoff hole to nose out Dustin Johnson and win the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields. The Spaniard closed with a bogey-free, 6-under 64 to finish at 4 under. Johnson forced the extra hole with a 43-foot double-breaker on 18, but Rahm won it with a 66-foot putt. It was Rahm's second PGA win of the year and fifth of his career.
Also, Austin Ernst has rallied to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, her second LPGA Tour title. She became the second American to win the event, closing with an 8-under 63 for a two-stroke victory over Anna Nordqvist. Four strokes behind Nordqvist entering the round, Ernst had the best score of the day with making 10 birdies and two bogeys at Pinnacle Country Club.
F1
Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish at the Belgian Grand Prix to clinch his 89th career win and move two behind Michael Schumacher's Formula One record. The world champion was untroubled from pole position, beating his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by eight seconds and finishing 15 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Hamilton's fifth win in seven races also extended his championship lead over Verstappen to 47 points.
TENNIS
French tennis player Benoit Paire has been removed from the U.S. Open men's field after testing positive for the coronavirus. That's according to a person familiar with the situation. The 31-year-old was seeded 17th and was supposed to face Kamil Majchrzak of Poland in the first round on Tuesday. Contact tracing will now be used to determine who might have been exposed to Paire and needs to be quarantined. The Grand Slam tournament begins Monday, with no spectators allowed as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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