Too much Heat on Memorial Day? Maybe for the Celtics!
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night on the hardwood in Miami, Lebron James' alley-oop dunk, two of his game-high 32 points, helped the Heat take the conference opener from the Celtics 93-79. Sound courtesy of ESPN. The Heat and Celtics were tied at the half, but the Heat picked up its defensive intensity, limiting Boston to just 33 second-half points. Kevin Garnett netted 23 for the Celtics, who’ll try to even up the series in Game 2 Wednesday.
To baseball, in the American League, Mark Trumbo led off the ninth with a walk-off solo shot, to power the Angels to a 9-8 win over the Yankees, Chris Sale fanned fifteen as the White Sox beat Tampa Bay 2-1, Minnesota finished off Oakland 5-4, Cleveland clipped Kansas City 8-5, Toronto bounced Baltimore 6-2, Texas topped Seattle 4-2, and Felix Doubront tossed six innings of four-hit ball as the Red Sox dumped Detroit 7-4.
Over to the NL, Cole Hamels picked up his eighth win as Philadelphia doubled up the Mets 8-4, the Cubs snapped their 12-game losing skid with an 11-7 win over San Diego, Miami edged Washington 5-3, St. Louis downed Atlanta 8-2, Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 4-1, San Francisco got by Arizona 4-2, Colorado outlasted Houston 9-7, and Milwaukee held off the Dodgers 3-2.
At the French Open, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both breezed into the second round, winning in straight sets.
On the women’s side, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka narrowly won in three sets, surviving a scare from Alberta Brianti to advance to the second round. Also advancing was 18-year-old Lauren Davis. The Boca Raton, Florida native knocked off Mona Barthel 6-1, 6-1 to pick up her first Grand Slam victory.
And at the Roger Clemens perjury retrial, the government is expected to finish its case against the former major league pitcher today, and the defense should begin its case. The trial is entering its seventh week. Clemens' lawyers say they will need seven or eight court days to put on their defense. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone.
I’m Tristan O’Neill, WAMC News.