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NBA FINAL
Warriors take rubber series for 2nd title in 3 years
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Golden State Warriors brought Kevin Durant to the Bay Area last summer for the express purpose of winning an NBA title and erasing the memory of last year's collapse against Cleveland in the finals. Mission accomplished.
Durant pumped in 39 points and the Warriors won their second championship in three seasons by taking Game 5 of the finals, 129-120 over the Cavaliers. The All-Star forward shot 14-for-20 from the field, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range in helping Golden State close out its third title since the franchise moved from Philadelphia in 1962.
Durant was named MVP of the finals, 10 years after being taken second overall in the NBA draft.
Warriors guard Stephen (STEH'-fehn) Curry shot just 2-for-9 from beyond the arc but finished with 34 points and a team-high 10 assists.
The Cavaliers got off to a sizzling start after ripping the Warriors, 137-116 in Game 4 to extend the series. Cleveland enjoyed a 41-33 lead in the second quarter Monday before the Warriors ripped off a 28-4 run.
The Cavs fell behind by as many as 17 but closed to within three early in the final period before ending their reign as champions. Cleveland stormed back from a 3-1 series deficit to win last year's finals against Golden State after the Warriors knocked off the Cavaliers in the 2015 finals.
LeBron James fell two assists shy of his second consecutive triple-double, contributing team highs of 41 points and 13 boards for the Cavaliers. James had a spectacular series, averaging 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Kyrie (KY'-ree) Irving had 26 points and J.R. Smith chipped in 25 on 7 of 8 from 3-point range.
MLB-SCHEDULE
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the New York Yankees to their sixth consecutive victory, 5-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.
One day after hitting a 495-foot homer in the Bronx, Judge hit a majestic 438-foot shot on the opposite coast for his fourth homer in three games and the 22nd of his spectacular rookie season.
The California native hit his first homer in his home state after Angels manager Mike Scioscia curiously allowed closer Bud Norris to pitch to the AL homers leader with first base open.
Jose Alvarez (0-3) gave up Aaron Hicks' one-out double before Judge's homer.
Tyler Clippard (1-3) got the win and Dellin Betances recorded four outs for his sixth save.
— Boston knocked off Philadelphia, 6-5 on Dustin Pedroia's (peh-DROY'-uhz) RBI single in the bottom of the 11th. Hanley Ramirez slammed a solo shot after Andrew Benintendi hit a bases-empty blast. Mookie Betts had four hits with three doubles and a single in the Bosox's third win in four games.
— Jacob deGrom (deh-GRAHM') tossed the Mets' first complete game of the season as New York dealt the Cubs their ninth consecutive road loss, 6-1. Asdrubal (as-DROO'-bul) Cabrera homered twice and turned four double plays to support deGrom's five-hitter. Addison Russell homered in Chicago's fifth loss in six games overall.
Astros continue skid
UNDATED (AP) — It was a tough day for the Houston Astros, who lost another starting pitcher before falling for the fifth time in seven games since an 11-game winning streak.
Yu Darvish pitched seven solid innings and Nomar Mazara hit a three-run homer as the Rangers dumped the Astros, 6-1. Darvish blanked the American League's top team until Alex Bregman's RBI single in the fifth.
Rougned Odor (ROOG'-nehd oh-DOHR') and Joey Gallo laced back-to-back doubles to put Texas ahead 2-0 in the third inning.
The outcome drops the Astros to 44-21 and trims their lead in the AL West.
Houston was in action shortly after Lance McCullers was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to discomfort in his lower back. General manager Jeff Luhnow said the team doesn't expect McCullers to be out too long but didn't specify a specific timetable for his return.
McCullers is 6-1 with a 2.58 ERA in 13 starts this season, providing a potent 1-2 punch with Dallas Keuchel (KY'-kul) at the front end of the rotation.
Keuchel is on the DL due to a neck problem that also sidelined him last month.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Jameson Taillon (TY'-ahn) worked five scoreless innings and the Pirates roughed up Kyle Freeland in a 7-2 win against Colorado. Josh Harrison hit a two-run homer in the first inning to support Taillon, who was making his first start since undergoing surgery to treat testicular cancer May 8. The Rockies dropped their second straight since a season-high, seven-game winning streak, cutting their lead in the NL West to one game over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
— Atlanta won a wild one in Washington as the Braves rallied from three runs down and beat the Nationals, 11-10 on Tyler Flowers' three-run homer in the ninth. Matt Adams' second homer of the night was the first of five runs scored against a Nationals bullpen that blew a ninth-inning lead for the second straight day. Nats starter Stephen Strasburg was tagged for three homers while yielding six runs in just five innings.
— The Mariners crushed the Twins, 14-3 as Nelson Cruz collected four RBIs and Mitch Haniger had four hits. Danny Valencia and Mike Zunino hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth to pad the rout. Yovani Gallardo (yoh-VAH'-nee gy-AHR'-doh) was well supported in just his third win in nine decisions, allowing three runs and seven hits over six frames to help the M's cut Minnesota's lead in the AL Central to one game over Cleveland.
— Kevan Smith hit his first career home run and Avisail Garcia celebrated his 26th birthday with three RBIs as the White Sox outscored Baltimore, 10-7 in Chicago. Smith smacked a two-run shot and finished with a career-best three ribbies to help the Pale Hose win for just the third time in a dozen games. The Orioles suffered their fifth straight loss and have been torched for 40 runs in their last three games.
RED SOX-REMY CANCER
Red Sox TV analyst Remy has cancer again, facing surgery
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox TV analyst Jerry Remy (REH'-mee) says on Twitter that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer again and will start treatment in two weeks.
The 64-year-old Remy has been a popular Red Sox television analyst since 1988 and is a member of the team's Hall of Fame. The former Boston second baseman was originally diagnosed with cancer in 2008.
MLB-DRAFT
Twins take shortstop at No. 1
SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — The Major League Baseball draft has begun with Minnesota's selection of California high school shortstop Royce Lewis with the No. 1 pick.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Lewis hit .377 with four homers and 25 stolen bases for JSerra Catholic High School. Lewis was a standout on USA Baseball's gold medal-winning Under-18 team at the Pan American Championships last year.
Cincinnati used the second selection to take California high school right-hander Hunter Greene, one of the top two-way talents in a draft full of them.
San Diego selected North Carolina high school left-hander MacKenzie Gore with the third choice.
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL-BUTLER
Butler hires a hoops coach
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision says LaVall Jordan has agreed to become Butler's next men's basketball coach.
Jordan replaces Chris Holtmann, who accepted the Ohio State job last week. Jordan went 11-24 in his only season at Milwaukee but led the Panthers to the Horizon League championship game.
NHL-PENGUINS
Celebration for Penguins coming Wednesday
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory parade will be held Wednesday morning.
This year's parade will continue into Point State Park, where the players, coaches and other dignitaries will take the stage to deliver remarks.
The parade after last year's championship drew about 400,000 fans, the biggest celebration for any of the team's four previous Stanley Cup championships.
The Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 in Game 6 of the final on Sunday to become the NHL's first repeat champions since the 1998 Red Wings.
NHL NEWS
Panthers hire Bob Boughner as head coach
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Bob Bougner (BOOG'-nur) is the new head coach of the Florida Panthers, the 15th in the team's 24-year history.
He spent the last two years as an assistant coach under former Panthers coach Peter DeBoer (deh-BOHR') in San Jose. Boughner's only previous experience head coaching experience came in the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
SOCCER
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (AP) — The men's soccer team at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has been suspended pending an investigation. Newsday reports the academy's superintendent sent an email to students and faculty last week saying upperclassmen on the soccer team were under investigation and that he was suspending the team. Federal officials declined to comment on the investigation, but Republican Congressman Peter King told Newsday the matter was related to an "incident that occurred on a team bus."
TENNIS RANKINGS
Nadal up to No. 2; Djokovic slides to No. 4, worst since '09
PARIS (AP) — French Open men's champion Rafael Nadal has moved up two spots to No. 2 in the ATP rankings, his highest placing since October 2014.
Andy Murray retains his No. 1 ranking after a semifinal exit in Paris, and Stan Wawrinka stays at No. 3 after losing to Nadal 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in Sunday's final.
Novak Djokovic (JOH'-koh-vihch) has slid from second to fourth, his lowest status in 7 ½ years. He lost in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros after winning it a year ago.
GOLF-US OPEN-ALTERNATES
Davis Love, Ryan Palmer, Chris Wood added to US Open field
ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Davis Love IV and Ryan Palmer are among six players added to the 156-man field for the U.S. Open.
The USGA sets aside six spots for those who moved into the top 60 in the world ranking on Monday. Chris Wood of England stays at No. 60 and was the only player who was not previously exempt. The next five were Whee Kim, Gregory Bourdy, Todd Light, Palmer and Love.
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