The Toronto Raptors are one win away from their second trip to the NBA's Eastern Conference finals in team history, and their first since 2016. The Raptors have a three-games-to-two lead in the conference semifinals after Kawhi Leonard delivered 21 points and 13 rebounds in a 125-89 romp over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Pascal Siakam furnished a game-high 25 points for the Raptors, who outscored the 76ers 37-17 in the second quarter to take a 64-43 halftime lead. Toronto shot 16 for 40 from 3-point range and led by as many as 40 in its second straight win. Sixers center Joel Embiid contributed just 13 points and had eight turnovers. Embiid started despite missing the morning shootaround because of flu-like symptoms. Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and Tobias Harris had 15 for the 76ers, who will try to stave off elimination when they host Game 6 on Thursday.
In Denver, the Nuggets are closing in on their first appearance in the Western Conference finals in a decade. Nikola Jokic dropped in 25 points and tied a team playoff high with 19 rebounds in the Nuggets' 124-98 blowout of the Trail Blazers. Paul Millsap scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half of the first lopsided game of the series. Denver never trailed in taking a three-games-to-two lead. The Nuggets led by 18 at the half and 28 heading into the final period. Damian Lillard led Portland with 22 points but again struggled from the arc, going 2 of 9 on 3-pointers. Portland is the site for Game 6 on Thursday as the Blazers look to extend their season.
NHL
The St. Louis Blues have advanced to the NHL's Western Conference final by winning a marathon seventh game in their second-round series with the Dallas Stars. Pat Maroon delivered his second game-winning goal of the series by beating Ben Bishop 5:50 into double-overtime to complete the Blues' 2-1 win over the Stars. Maroon slammed the puck in after Robert Thomas skated in on Bishop from the right wing. Bishop was otherwise brilliant in goal, turning back 52 of 54 shots. Vince Dunn was the only other player to beat the Dallas netminder. Jordan Binnington stopped 29 shots and blanked the Stars after Mats Zuccarello beat him in the first period. St. Louis will face the winner of Wednesday's Game 7 between the San Jose Sharks and visiting Colorado Avalanche.
In NHL news, the Edmonton Oilers are hoping Ken Holland can revive the once storied franchise. Holland has left the Detroit Red Wings to become the Oilers' general manager and president of hockey operations. He led the Red Wings to 25 straight playoff appearances and four Stanley Cup titles before the team's current three-year dry spell. Holland was promoted from GM to senior vice president by Detroit last month after hiring Steve Yzerman as general manager. Holland inherits a team that has made the playoffs just once since advancing to the 2006 Stanley Cup final. The Oilers won five Stanley Cups from 1984 through 1990 before dealing their high-salaried players.
MLB
The Yankees pulled out a 5-4 win over the Mariners when Cameron Maybin narrowly beat right fielder Jay Bruce's throw home on DJ LeMahieu's game-ending single in the ninth. Gio Urshela hit a tying two-run homer three batters earlier before LeMahieu's hit capped New York's rally from a 4-1 deficit. The Yanks have won 13 of 17 and remain two games behind the AL East-leading Rays.
The Mets ended a four-game skid by beating the Padres, 7-6 on rookie Pete Alonso's two-run homer in the ninth. Alonso also supplied an RBI single while New York was scoring three times in the seventh to erase a 5-2 deficit. Robinson Cano was 4-for-5, including a first-inning double that was his 2,500th career hit.
Lorenzo Cain poked a three-run double while the Brewers erupted for six runs in the seventh inning of a 6-0 shutout of the Nationals. Wily Peralta worked five innings of three-hit relief after Adrian Houser pitched the first two frames of Milwaukee's fifth consecutive win. Washington starter Steven Strasberg struck out 11 and carried a three-hit shutout into the seventh before running out of gas.
Bryce Harper's first grand slam as a Phillie was part of a six-run second against Dakota Hudson in an 11-1 romp over the Cardinals. Rhys Hoskins was 4-for-5 with a homer and three runs scored to back Aaron Nola, who limited St. Louis to a run and three hits in six innings. Hudson gave up eight runs - two earned - over five innings.
Mitch Moreland's three-run blast was one of three homers belted by the Red Sox in an 8-5 win over the Orioles. J.D. Martinez hit a two-run drive in the first inning and Xander Bogaerts delivered a solo shot while Boston scored its first six runs via the long ball. Marcus Walden tossed three innings of one-run relief for the Bosox.
Elsewhere in the majors, add Mike Fiers to the list of major league hurlers to throw multiple no-hitters. Fiers earned his second with a masterful 131-pitch performance in the Oakland Athletics' 2-0 win over the Reds. He completed the no-hitter by fanning red-hot Eugenio Suarez for his sixth strikeout. Fiers entered the night 2-3 with a hefty 6.81 ERA before receiving help from Jurickson Profar's defensive gem two RBIs. Profar made a diving catch on Kyle Farmer's popup into short right field for the second out of the sixth inning, one batter before Ramon Laureano robbed Joey Votto of a home run. Profar also hit an RBI double in the second and a seventh-inning homer. Fiers is the 35th pitcher to toss at least two no-hitters.
The Twins shut out the Blue Jays for the second straight night as Juan Berríos allowed four hits in seven innings of Minnesota's 3-0 victory. Berríos won a career-best fifth consecutive start as the AL Central-leading Twins won for the eighth time in 11 games and moved a season-high 10 games over .500. Mitch Garver shook off a cut on the neck from a broken bat by going 3-for-3, including a two-run homer in the sixth off Aaron Sanchez.
Lucas Giolito combined with two relievers on a five-hitter as the White Sox topped the punchless Indians, 2-0. Giolito scattered three hits over 7 1/3 innings, but Jace Fry loaded the bases in the eighth before closer Jesus Colome struck out Carlos Santana to get out of the jam. The Indians wasted a strong outing by starter Jefry Rodriguez and have scored just one run over their last three games.
Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 with an RBI groundout and a walk in his season debut as the Angels beat the Tigers, 5-2. Ohtani was playing his first game since undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. Griffin Canning earned the win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits while fanning seven over 5 1/3 innings.
The Rays are a season-high 11 games over .500 after Brandon Lowe homered on the opening pitch in the bottom of the first to jumpstart a 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks. Lowe also poked an RBI grounder during a three-run seventh as Tampa Bay improved to 9-1-2 in series play by opening the three-game set with consecutive victories. Ryne Stanek and five other relievers combined on a seven-hitter.
Whit Merrifield and Ryan O'Hearn each hit a grand slam while the Royals were ripping the Astros, 12-2. Merrifield finished a double shy of the cycle, collecting four hits and tying a career high with five RBIs. Danny Duffy picked up his first win in three starts since returning from a shoulder injury, allowing two runs and six hits over 6 2/3s.
Gregory Polanco's first home run in eight months was a two-run blast in the sixth inning of the Pirates' fifth win in six games, 5-4 against the Rangers. Melky Cabrera added a pinch-hit, two-run double to back spot starter Steven Brault, who combined with six relievers on a five-hitter. Hunter Pence homered and drove in all four runs for Texas, but the rest of the Rangers went 2-for-27.
The Dodgers earned their ninth straight home win as Hyun-Jin Ryu and Justin Turner led a 9-0 romp over the Braves. Turner set career highs with three home runs and six RBIs to back Ryu, who tossed a four-hit shutout. Ryu struck out five and walked none in his second career complete game and first since 2013.
Kris Bryant smacked a three-run, walk-off homer with two out in the ninth to complete the Cubs' 5-2 victory over the Marlins. Albert Almora Jr. also connected as the Cubs won for the eighth time in nine games. Chicago rallied after Jon Lester yielded a pair of unearned runs over six innings.
Mac Williamson provided a homer and four RBIs after being recalled from the minors to carry the Giants to a 14-4 thrashing of the Rockies. Evan Longoria and Kevin Pillar also homered in support of Madison Bumgarner, who went six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. Steven Duggar and Brandon Crawford each had two-run singles, and pinch-hitter Tyler Austin added a two-run triple as San Francisco won for just the third time in 21 games.
In MLB news, Indians ace Corey Kluber is hopeful he will be able to come back from a broken right arm and pitch again this season. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner was struck by a 102 mph line drive off the bat of Brian Anderson during a start last week in Miami. The arm is currently wrapped in a soft case and will undergo weekly X-rays so doctors can see if his bone is healing properly. Kluber said Tuesday that he has no definitive timeline since everything hinges on how the arm heals.
Gold Glove first baseman Matt Olson has returned to the Athletics after having surgery on his right hand earlier this season. Olson had surgery on March 22 to remove a hamate bone. Outfielder Skye Bolt was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Olson.
NFL
Two of Patriots owner Robert Kraft's defense attorneys are being accused of lying by prosecutors in his solicitation of prostitution case. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office filed a motion Tuesday asking that attorneys Alex Spiro and William Burck be held in contempt.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers say the club's medical staff is conducting a "thorough evaluation" of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who was treated and released from a hospital after a single-car crash last Thursday. ESPN reported that Pierre-Paul may have suffered a neck fracture that could sideline him all of next season. He had 12½ sacks last season to become the first Tampa Bay player to have 10 or more in a season since Simeon Rice in 2005.
The South Carolina Senate has delayed a key vote on whether to give the Panthers tax breaks and incentives to move their practice fields out of North Carolina. The decision to delay comes as it became increasingly unclear if the bill could pass. Democratic state Sen. Dick Harpootlian and a few other more conservative senators have continuously questioned whether Panthers billionaire owner David Tepper needs any public help.
A claims administrator for the NFL concussion fund says it has paid out $485 million since its start in 2017. However, some retired players' lawyers at a court hearing Tuesday in Philadelphia say there aren't enough doctors in the approved network to diagnose dementia cases. They oppose a rule to require players to be evaluated by doctors within 150 miles of home to prevent "doctor shopping."
SOCCER
Liverpool has advanced to the Champions League final for the second straight year with an incredible comeback at Anfield. Down 3-0 in aggregate scoring following last week's loss at Barcelona, Liverpool received two goals apiece from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum to earn a 4-0 victory over the Spanish powerhouse. Origi began the rally with a goal in the seventh minute and put the Reds ahead in the two-game series by scoring in the 79th. Wijnaldum tallied twice about two minutes apart after entering the game for Andy Robertson at the start of the second half. Liverpool managed to win without injured snipers Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. It was only the third time in the history of the European Cup that a team came from three goals down after the first leg of a semifinal and progressed to the final, and the first in the Champions League era. Liverpool will face either Ajax or Premier League rival Tottenham on June 1.
NASCAR
Denny Hamlin suffered from nausea and double vision from carbon monoxide that seeped into his Toyota at the end of Monday's NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway. Hamlin felt ill after the race and was attended to by medical staff on pit road after he finished 21st. Hamlin was treated and released from the NASCAR medical care center. Debris struck Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota during the race that knocked out the right rear crush panel and allowed fumes into the car. Hamlin said he felt fine on Tuesday and was ready to race this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
THOROUGHBRED RACING
There will be no Triple-Crown winner in thoroughbred racing this year. Assistant trainer Riley Mott has confirmed to The Associated Press that Country House will not run in the May 18 Preakness. Trainer Bill Mott told The Daily Racing Form that the Kentucky Derby longshot developed a cough and was "acting like he's going to get sick." Country House went off at 65-1 in the Derby and was credited with the victory following the disqualification of race winner Maximum Security. Maximum Security is also skipping the Preakness.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
A California executive has pleaded guilty in Boston federal court to charges that he paid $400,000 in bribes to get his son into Georgetown University. Stephen Semprevivo became the third parent to plead guilty in the vast college admissions bribery scheme. Authorities say Semprevivo gave the money to an admissions consultant who paid off then-Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst for pretending Semprevivo's son was a team recruit. Semprevivo has been fired from his job.
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