© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
An update has been released for the Android version of the WAMC App that addresses performance issues. Please check the Google Play Store to download and update to the latest version.

#SportsReport: Nets Advance; Diamondbacks Beat Mets

Nets Logo
wikipedia.org
Brooklyn Nets logo

The Brooklyn Nets have advanced to the second round of the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals by closing out the Boston Celtics in five games. James Harden had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first postseason triple-double, leading the Nets to a 123-109 win over the Celtics.

Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and Kevin Durant had 24 for the Nets, who will face the Bucks in their first appearance in the second round since 2014. Brooklyn reeled off an 11-2 burst in less than 90 seconds to take a 108-91 lead midway through the fourth. Jayson Tatum had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics. The Nets will host Game 1 of the Bucks series on Saturday.

Also Tuesday: 

The Suns had no trouble beating the short-handed Lakers for a three-games-to-two lead, rolling to a 115-85 victory. Devin Booker scored 30 points and Phoenix made 14 3-pointers and had just four turnovers against the NBA's regular-season defensive efficiency leader. Cameron Payne chipped in 16 points for the Suns, who outscored Los Angeles, 32-10 in the second quarter to take a 30-point lead into the locker room. The Lakers had just 36 points in the first half while playing without Anthony Davis, who missed the game with a groin injury suffered on Sunday. James scored 17 of his 24 points in the third quarter but couldn't rally the listless Lakers. James sat at the end of the bench by himself in the final period before heading to the locker room with about five minutes left. Game 6 is Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Nuggets were able to take a three-games-to-two lead in their series despite Damian Lillard's franchise playoff-record 55 points. Michael Porter Jr.'s 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the second overtime sent Denver past the Trail Blazers, 147-140. Porter finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets, who closed on a 9-0 run. Nikola Jokic fell one assist shy of a triple-double, delivering a team-high 38 points and 11 boards. Monte Morris added 28 points off the bench. Lillard scored 17 of Portland's 19 points in the two overtimes, but he didn't score again after his 12th 3-pointer in 17 attempts put the Blazers ahead 140-138 with 3:47 left.

In NBA news, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 tonight because of a sore right knee. A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that the MVP finalist had an MRI on Tuesday and his status will be decided before gametime. Embiid wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington's Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter. He eventually headed to the locker room in the last minute of the period. Embiid came into the game averaging more than a point per minute in the best-of-seven series.

NHL 

The Tampa Bay Lightning put just 15 shots on goal on Tuesday yet maintained control of their Stanley Cup second-round series. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots and the Lightning took a two-games-to-none lead by downing the Hurricanes, 2-1. Vasilevskiy's performance came hours after he was named one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender. He blanked Carolina until Andrei Svechnikov scored with 90 seconds left. Neither team scored until Alex Killorn 7:09 into the second period. Anthony Cirelli provided what became the game-winner just over eight minutes into the third. Alex Nedeljkovic turned back 13 shots for the Hurricanes, who will try to get back in the series on Thursday in Tampa.

MLB

Josh Reddick hit a two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat the New York Mets 6-5. Arizona overcame a four-run deficit and tied it with two outs in the ninth on an RBI single by Josh Rojas off closer Edwin Díaz, who was handed his first blown save in 10 chances this season. Pavin Smith started the comeback with a three-run homer off Mets starter Marcus Stroman in the sixth. A little earlier, Rojas and Stroman got into a verbal spat on the field. The benches emptied, but no punches were thrown. Dominic Smith homered and drove in three runs for New York, which had won five straight.

Elsewhere in baseball: 

The Yankees pulled out a 5-3 win over the Rays on Clint Frazier's game-ending, two-run homer with two out in the 11th inning. Frazier also made a game-saving catch in the ninth before New York handed Tampa Bay just its second loss in 18 games.

Luis Garcia threw a career-high seven innings and Jose Altuve led off the bottom of the first with a homer in the Astros' third straight win, 5-1 over the Red Sox. Garcia permitted one run and six hits, retiring 11 of 12 batters over one stretch.

The Toronto Blue Jays were winners in their return to Buffalo. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted his major league-leading 17th homer while going 4-for-4 with three RBIs in the Jays' 5-1 win over the Marlins. Guerrero doubled in the first, hit a three-run homer in the third and added two singles for his first career four-hit game. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had three hits, including a towering solo home run. Robbie Ray allowed one run on six hits through six innings in the Blue Jays' first game at Sahlen Field this season. Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro believes there's a chance the team could finally return home to Toronto at some point this season, but he says the decision hinges on when Canada will loosen its strict border regulations. 

Odúbel Herrera and Andrew McCutchen each hit two of the Phillies' seven home runs in a 17-3 thrashing of the Reds. Matt Joyce capped the rout with a grand slam in the ninth off Reds infielder Alex Blandino, helping Philadelphia halt a three-game skid.

Juan Soto was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, four RBIs and four runs scored to lead the Nationals' 14-hit outburst in an 11-6 win against the Braves. Ryan Zimmerman also smacked a two-run homer as Washington won despite Stephen Strasburg, who left the game after taking a line drive to his left arm in the second inning.

The Orioles' 14-game losing streak is over after Pedro Severino and Maikel Franco homered in their 7-4 win over the Twins. Cedric Mullins got two hits, scored two runs and made a sensational catch in center field as Baltimore beat Minnesota for the first time in their last 17 meetings.

Matt Olson socked his 14th homer of the season in the second inning and added a key two-run single in a six-run seventh that carried the Athletics past the Mariners, 12-6. Sean Murphy capped the rally with a two-run double down the left-field line.

Austin Hedges smacked a tiebreaking, two-run homer and Shane Bieber allowed two earned runs over seven innings of the Indians' second straight win over the White Sox, 6-5. Chicago scored twice in the ninth off James Karinchak before Jose Abreu grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game.

The Royals coasted to a 10-5 win over the Pirates as Andrew Benintendi hit a grand slam and drove in five runs. Salvador Perez had two homers and three RBIs to help Kansas City sweep the two-game series.

Eric Haase and Jonathan Schoop each homered twice and Miguel Cabrera had three RBIs for the Tigers in a 10-7 downing of the Brewers, ending Milwaukee's five-game winning streak. Kolten Wong and Tyrone Taylor also hit two homers apiece for the Brewers in a game that saw nine round-trippers.

Patrick Wisdom hit his third homer in two games and Willson Contreras also went deep for the Cubs in their eighth win in nine games, 4-3 versus the Padres. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo singled twice for Chicago after missing the previous six games because of back tightness.

Edmundo Sosa supplied the tiebreaking single in the ninth inning before Tyler O'Neill made a running catch for the final out in the Cardinals' 3-2 verdict over the Dodgers. John Gant threw six shutout innings, but the right-hander did not factor in the decision after Matt Beaty's two-run homer in the seventh off Giovanny Gallegos.

Anthony Rendon was in an 0-for-10 funk before providing a two-run single and a three-run double to finish with RBIs in the Angels' 8-1 rout of the Giants. Max Stassi returned from a concussion and hit an RBI double to support Andrew Heaney, who gave up one run over 6 1/3 innings.

Ryan McMahon scored on Brett Martin's wild pitch in the 11th inning to end the Rockies' 3-2 win over the Rangers. Yonathan Daza had three hits for Colorado, which handed Texas its seventh straight loss over and 13th in a row on the road.

In MLB news: 

The Seattle Mariners have placed outfielder Kyle Lewis on the 10-day injured list with a torn right meniscus that could require surgery. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year appeared to get injured while trying to run down a fly ball from Sean Murphy in the eighth inning of the Mariners' victory Monday against Oakland. Lewis made a leaping attempt on the deep drive and left the game before the start of the ninth inning. Lewis is hitting .246 with five home runs and 11 rebounds in 36 games this year. He batted .262 with 11 homers and 29 ribbies last season.

Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. had to leave last night's game against the Cubs because of right oblique tightness. Tatis exited after hitting a fly to left in the sixth inning. He is hitting .293 with 16 home runs.

The Cardinals have placed pitcher Jack Flaherty on the 10-day injured list with what manager Mike Shildt termed a "significant" oblique injury. Flaherty leads the majors with eight wins and left during the sixth inning of Monday's 9-4 loss to the Dodgers with tightness in his left side. The right-hander had allowed two runs on two hits with nine strikeouts.

The major league batting average rose slightly in May, though it remained at its lowest level in 53 years. The Elias Sports Bureau says hitters batted .239 in May, up from .232 in April and the lowest average for May since .237 in 1972. The .236 average for the season through May 31 is the lowest since .229 in 1968, the last season before the pitcher's mound was lowered from 15 inches to 10.

The Giants will support Pride Month on the field and on their uniforms and caps during Saturday's game against the Cubs. The Giants will feature Pride colors in the SF logo on their game caps along with a Pride patch on the right sleeves of their home uniforms, making them the first major league team to do so.

Former Cy Young Award winner Mike Marshall has died while in hospice care at age 78. Marshall pitched in the majors from 1967 to 1981 for nine teams, compiling a record of 97-112 and 3.14 ERA. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1974, going 15-12 with a 2.42 ERA and 21 saves while establishing major league records with 104 appearances, 208 1/3 relief innings, 83 games finished and 13 consecutive appearances.

TENNIS

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff and Ash Barty were among Tuesday's first-round winners at the French Open. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic opened his quest for a 19th Grand Slam title and second in Paris by defeating American Tennys Sandgren, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two hours. Djokovic saved all six break points he faced and compiled a total of 33 winners to improve to 17-0 in first-round matches at Roland Garros.

Nadal's bid for a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title and 14th French Open crown has started with a straight-set victory. Nadal twice was a point from dropping the third set against Alexei Popyrin before posting a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 victory.

The 17-year-old Gauff won her first match as a seeded player in a Grand Slam event, 7-6, 6-4. The 24th-seeded Gauff fought off set points before earning the right to take on the player she beat for her first WTA title last weekend.

The top-ranked Barty struggled midway through her 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory against Bernarda Pera. The 2019 champ played with her left thigh bandaged and struggled before getting medical treatment at the start of the deciding set.

Also at Roland Garros:

Leaders of the four Grand Slam tournaments have reacted to tennis star Naomi Osaka's stunning withdrawal from the French Open by promising to address players' concerns about mental health. The pledge came in a statement signed by the same four tennis administrators who threatened the possibility of disqualification or suspension for Osaka if she continued to skip news conferences. She was fined $15,000 for not speaking to reporters after her first-round victory, saying she experiences anxiety before meeting with the media.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova says on Instagram that she has pulled out of the French Open because of an ankle injury. Kvitova says she fell and hurt her ankle during "post-match press requirements" after her first-round victory.

OLYMPICS

Senior International Olympic Committee member Richard Pound was emphatic about the Tokyo Games being held without delay this summer. Pound told a British newspaper, the Evening Standard, that "Barring Armageddon that we can't see or anticipate, these things are a go." Tokyo is under a COVID-19 state of emergency, but IOC Vice President John Coates has said the games will open on July 23.

TRANSGENDER ATHLETES

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is plunging Florida deeper into the culture wars. With a stroke of his pen on Tuesday, Florida is now the latest state to bar transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes born as girls. The measure DeSantis signed at a Christian school was approved by the GOP-led Legislature. Starting July 1, a transgender student athlete can't participate without first showing a birth certificate saying she was a girl when she was born. Critics call the new law hateful and are preparing to challenge it in court.

© The Associated Press 2021. All Rights Reserved. 

Related Content