NBA:
To the NBA Playoffs and the Western Conference finals where Stephen Curry allowed the Golden State Warriors to overcome an outstanding performance by James Harden as the Warriors held off Houston 99-98 and take a 2-0 series lead.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Golden State guard Stephen Curry are unanimous choices for the NBA All-Star team. The first and second teams consist of two Cavaliers and eight players from the Western Conference. James and Curry are joined on the first team by Anthony Davis of New Orleans, Marc Gasol of Memphis and Houston's James Harden.
The second team has Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings, Chicago's Pau Gasol Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul of the Clippers.
NHL:
In the NHL's Western Conference finals, The Ducks took a 2-1 series lead by beating the Blackhawks 2-1 in Chicago. Simon Depres (deh-PRAY') scored the game-winner and Frederik Andersen turned back 27 shots to help Anaheim bounce back from its triple-overtime loss in Game 2. Game 4 is in Chicago tomorrow.
The New York Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Lightening in Game 4 in Tampa tonight at 8 on NBC. Tampa Bay leads the series 2-1.
MLB:
In baseball, in the American League, Texas beat the Red Sox 3-1, Baltimore slid past Seattle 5 -4, The Yankees had an off day, they start a three game series against the Texas Rangers tonight at 7:05.
In the National League, The Mets blanked St. Louis 5-0, The Rockies beat the Phillies 7-3, and San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner launched a 415-foot homer off ace Clayton Kershaw and pitched into the seventh to lead the Giants to a 4-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The Detroit Tigers coughed up a 5-0 lead before beating Houston 6-5 on James McCann's solo shot in the bottom of the 11th. Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-nohs) smacked a two-run homer and Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EH'-nehs SEHS'-peh-dehs) was 3-for-3 with two runs scored to help the Tigers pick up their second straight win. Tigers starter David Price gave up just one hit while striking out 11 over the first six innings before fading.
— Lucas Duda (DOO'-duh) homered twice and Jacob deGrom (deh-GRAHM') allowed just one hit over eight innings as the New York Mets blanked St. Louis 5-0 to gain a split of the four-game series. DeGrom struck out 11 and retired his last 23 hitters following Matt Carpenter's one-out single in the first inning.
— Edwin Encarnacion (ehn-kahr-nah-see-OHN') belted a three-run homer and Danny Valencia added a solo shot as Toronto doubled up the Los Angeles Angels 8-4. R.A. Dickey went the distance on a four-hitter for his second victory of the season.
— Steve Pearce launched a grand slam in the first inning, but the Baltimore Orioles needed J.J. Hardy's RBI single in the eighth to pull out a 5-4 win against Seattle. The Birds collected just one hit between Pearce's first career grand slam and a single by Chris Davis in the eighth inning.
— Mitch Moreland was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs as Texas downed Boston 3-1. Wandy Rodriguez allowed a run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings to help the Rangers take the rubber match of the three-game set.
— Cameron Maybin hit a two-run single while Atlanta was scoring seven times in the seventh to crush Milwaukee 10-1. Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis (mahr-KAY'-kihs) drove in two runs apiece to back Julio Teheran, who limited the Brewers to a run and two hits in seven innings.
— Tampa Bay shut out Oakland 3-0 as Alex Colome (KAH'-loh-may) scattered four hits in five innings. David DeJesus (deh-HAY'-zoos) supplied a solo homer and an RBI double for the Rays, who lead the American League East by a half-game over the New York Yankees.
— A.J. Pollock singled home the tiebreaking run and Ender Inciarte (EHN'-dur ihn-see-AHR'-tay) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs as the Diamondbacks nipped Miami 7-6. Arizona completed its first four-game series sweep in seven seasons and dealt the Marlins their seventh consecutive loss.
— Michael McKenry belted a two-run homer and Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WITS'-kee) singled home a pair in the Rockies' 7-3 triumph over Philadelphia. The Rockies' bullpen gave up two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings after Jorge De La Rosa was lifted in the fifth.
— Kyle Hendricks tossed a five-hitter and Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer in the Chicago Cubs' 3-0 shutout of San Diego. Addison Russell also went deep as the Cubs won for the eighth time in 10 games.
— Cleveland's Danny Salazar struck out eight while tossing six shutout innings in a 5-2 triumph over the White Sox in Chicago. Nick Swisher and Mike Aviles socked solo homers in the Indians' four-run first.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he thinks the New York Yankees have grounds not to pay Alex Rodriguez a $6 million marketing bonus for tying Willie Mays for fourth place on the career home run list. After Rodriguez hit No. 660 on May 1, New York refused to make the payment. The Yankees said making the payment was their right and not an obligation. "The Yankees have a well-founded legal position," Manfred said Thursday. Rodriguez returned to the Yankees this year after serving a season-long drug suspension.
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu has undergone season-ending surgery for a tear in his left shoulder. The South Korean had been the team's projected No. 3 starter this season, but he never pitched because inflammation. Ryu was 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA last year. He signed a $36 million, six-year deal in December 2012.
NFL:
A judge in has dismissed domestic violence charges against Ray Rice, who was captured by a surveillance camera knocking his then-fiancee unconscious in a hotel elevator. Judge Michael Donio dismissed the charges after the Atlantic County prosecutor told him the former Baltimore Ravens running back had completed the terms of his pretrial intervention. Under terms of the program, Rice paid $125 in fines and received anger management counseling.
Hundreds of former players have filed a lawsuit against the NFL. The players claim all 32 teams, their doctors, trainers and medical staffs obtained and provided painkillers to players —often illegally — as part of a decades-long conspiracy to keep them on the field without regard for their long-term health. The lawsuit reprises some of the allegations made in a federal lawsuit last year on behalf of 1,300 former players against the NFL. That complaint was filed in May 2014 and dismissed in December by a judge who wrote that the collective bargaining agreement was the appropriate forum to resolve such claims. That decision is being appealed.
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus will miss the season opener after being suspended without pay by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The suspension means the two-time Pro Bowl selection will miss Buffalo's home game against Indianapolis on Sept. 13. The punishment stems from Dareus being arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia after being stopped by Alabama State Police on May 5. Dareus avoided trial, during which he would have faced felony drug charges, by agreeing to enter an NFL substance abuse program in August.
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Massy Kuramoto is the first-round leader in the Senior PGA Championship at Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Indiana. Kuramato opened with a 1-under 71, one stroke better than five players. The 59-year-old Kuramoto is a 30-time winner on the Japan Tour and chairman of the PGA of Japan. Colin Montgomerie, Billy Andrade and Barry Lane share second with Jean Francois Remesy and Bart Bryant.
RACING
And finally, to Auto Racing as The Indianapolis 500 is this Sunday at Noon on ABC.
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