Football / Sports

Jose Mourinho’s Giallorossi take home UEFA Conference League title

Jose Mourinho has done it again. The Special One led his AS Roma side to its first title since 2008 and the first UEFA trophy won in club history. The Giallorossi defeated Feyenoord, 1-0, in the UEFA Europa Conference League final in Tirana, Albania, on Wednesday. Nicolo Zaniolo scored the winning goal in the inaugural tournament in the 32nd minute that helped send Giallorossi fans into a frenzy.

The last time AS Roma won any silverware came in 2008 when they won the Coppa Italia under Luciano Spalletti. They also lost their previous two European finals at the hands of Liverpool in the 1984 European Cup and Inter Milan in the 1991 UEFA Cup. It took them 31 years to play another final, but this time the trophy is going back to Rome, where tens of thousands of fans watched the match inside the Stadio Olimpico. With the win, AS Roma have clinched a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League group stage, which you can stream directly on Paramount+.

This is Mourinho’s fifth European final and trophy. He’s never lost a major UEFA final as manager. He has been triumphant in each of the previous four – with Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup and 2004 UEFA Champions League, Inter in the 2010 UEFA Champions League and Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League. He has, however, lost two UEFA Super Cups. For the Portuguese coach as well as Roma fans, Wednesday will go down as a an unforgettable night.

The first half wasn’t exciting as we could expect from these two sides, but it produced the only goal of the night. Feyenoord tried to maintain possession time and Mourinho’s side didn’t take many risks. There were not many chances, with only three shots on target overall in the first 45 minutes. However, AS Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who had just worked his way back to fitness, was forced to go off with an injury and was replaced by Sergio Oliveira. The 32nd minute gave us the …

Basket Ball / Sports

Jaylen Brown leads Celtics’ second-half turnaround as Boston beats Miami Heat

The Celtics found themselves trailing the Heat by five, on the road, at halftime of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night.

And yet, the Celtics felt just fine. They couldn’t have played much worse in the first half, committing 10 turnovers and giving up nine offensive rebounds to Miami — which allowed the Heat to take 14 extra shots.

“We weren’t playing our best, in a lot of ways,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “Sometimes, all it takes is one guy getting back to his average game.”

No one was playing worse than Jaylen Brown. He went 2-for-7 from the field and committed four turnovers — all in the first quarter. Then the second half started. And as it played out, Brown wound up being the face of the team’s turnaround.

Brown’s 19-point, 0-turnover second half — coupled with an 18-point second half from Jayson Tatum — allowed Boston to finally break open what was a rock fight in the first half, as the Celtics went on to win 93-80 over the Heat, moving Boston to within one victory of its first trip to the NBA Finals in 12 years.

“Same player,” Brown said from the first half to the second. “Just had to get settled in. That’s it. As the game wears on, some of that energy, some of that intensity starts to wear off, so the game opens up a little bit. The game opened up for me in the second half.

“I didn’t want to get down. I didn’t want to look into the past, think that this game was over. My team needed me to come out and respond.

“First half was s—. Threw it away. [Just] come out, play basketball in the second half.”

It was unclear whether Boston was going to be able to follow through on Brown’s instructions after yet another ugly stretch of basketball in this series for the Celtics in the first half of Game 5. The difference from the other periods when Boston has gone off the …

Sports / Tennis

Emma Raducanu out of French Open after Aliaksandra Sasnovich fightback

Emma Raducanu ran out of steam as her French Open dream was ended in the second round by Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

The British number one looked in fine shape after an excellent first set, but she was unable to maintain that early momentum and slipped to a 3-6 6-1 6-1 defeat.

Sasnovich, the world number 47 from Belarus, had emphatically won their only previous meeting, 6-2 6-4 in Indian Wells last October in Raducanu’s first match after winning the US Open.

But a pumped-up Raducanu broke her opponent in the fifth game of the opening set. Sending Sasnovich wide whenever possible, the 19-year-old from Kent unleashed a couple of fearsome backhands and finished the job with a blistering forehand.

A second break wrapped up the opening set before a wobbly start to the second, including a pair of double faults – her first of the match – saw Sasnovich snatch a double break and a 4-0 lead.

Raducanu’s winners had dried up; she hit just four to Sasnovich’s 19 in a stinker of a set as the 28-year-old from Minsk levelled the match.

A reset was required and, after a quick departure from the court, Raducanu reached 30-30 on the Sasnovich serve only to dump a backhand into the net, prompting to  cover her face with her racket in frustration.

Nevertheless, the fist pumps were back as she saved a break point to hold for 1-1.

But game three was to prove pivotal, Sasnovich fending off five break points amid seven deuces to hold, and moments later Raducanu mistimed a forehand and found herself a break down.

Sasnovich was now in complete control with Raducanu unable to stem the flow of winners, and she went on to run away with the set and reach the third round for the first time.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Luka Doncic leads Dallas Mavericks to victory against Golden State Warriors to avoid WCF sweep

The Dallas Mavericks staved off elimination and avoided a series sweep in the Western Conference Finals, as Luka Doncic led his team to a 119-109 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Ahead of Game 4, a moment of silence was held for “those who lost their lives in multiple tragedies in our home state,” referencing a fatal accident from Sunday and Tuesday’s shooting of an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
On Tuesday, a gunman clad in body armor rushed his way into the school and opened fire on classrooms of young children, killing 19 students and two adults, officials said.
After a somber and moving pregame, the importance of basketball seemed significantly diminished — indeed, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr refused to speak about basketball at all in his pregame press conference — but these two teams had to play regardless.
Doncic had a somewhat inefficient shooting night — shooting 38% from the floor and 27% from three-point range — but led the Mavericks with 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, as well as registering two steals and two blocks.
After Doncic’s fellow starters offered no support whatsoever in the Game 3 defeat, Dorian Finney-Smith came up big in Game 4 with 23 points on 69% shooting, while Reggie Bullock and Jalen Brunson scored 18 and 15 respectively.
The win cuts Golden State’s series lead to 3-1, but no team in the NBA’s 75-year history has come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs in 146 attempts. “Our defense was amazing today,” Doncic told reporters. “That’s how we’ve got to play; when we play like this, we’re a dangerous team.
“You never know,” he added when asked if Dallas could still win the series. “We’re going to stick together. As I said, we’re going to believe.
“This is one and, straight away, we’ve got to think of the next one. It’s going to be really tough with Golden State, we know that, but we have to stay together.”
Dallas’ defense really hindered the Warriors’ shooting ability, with Steph
…
Basket Ball / Sports

Boston Celtics’ ‘sense of urgency’ from start to finish propels Game 4 blowout of Miami Heat to even East finals

When things have gone poorly for the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, it has been when they’ve lost focus and allowed Miami to speed them up and turn them over, leading to fast-break points — the one consistent way the Heat have scored in this series.

That was the formula Miami used to fuel its victories in Games 1 and 3. And so, heading into Game 4, Boston knew that in order to even this series at two wins apiece, it would have to avoid falling into those same bad habits once again. Mission accomplished.

The Celtics were utterly dominant at both ends from start to finish on Monday night. Boston scored the first eight points and never looked back, cruising to a wire-to-wire 102-82 victory in front of a sellout crowd at TD Garden to send this series back to the shores of Biscayne Bay for Game 5 on Wednesday, with both teams two wins away from a trip to the NBA Finals.

“Urgency,” said Jayson Tatum, who led all scorers with 31 points, when asked to describe Boston’s mindset entering Game 4. “That was a focal point coming into this game, to just have a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor, from start to finish. Really starting the game better, obviously, than we did last game. That’s something that we talked about and something that we executed tonight.”

In a series that has seen each game swing wildly from one direction to the other, it took about 10 seconds to realize Game 4 would follow a similar pattern. Boston immediately jumped out to an 8-0 lead before Miami scored a single point; and the Celtics eventually took an 18-1 lead before the Heat finally made their first field goal with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter when Victor Oladipo buried a 3-pointer.

By then, Miami had missed 14 consecutive shots to open the game, setting a tone for all that was to come over the final 40 minutes. The Heat simply never got …

Sports / Tennis

Rafael Nadal takes massive Major record from Roger Federer

Since the start of the Open era, 29 players have achieved at least 106 Major victories. Rafael Nadal is among the leaders with 299 triumphs on the most significant scene. One hundred six of those have come in 18 editions of Roland Garros, with the Spaniard writing the record books as the most dominant figure at a single Major.

Nadal made a debut in Paris at 18 in 2005 and lifted the trophy as the last teenager with a Major crown. Nadal has won 13 of the previous 17 editions of Roland Garros, suffering only three losses and claiming 106 wins from 109 encounters!

Rafa’s 106th Parisian victory came in the opening round against Jordan Thompson, and he earned a massive record. The Spaniard became the first player with 106 triumphs at a single Major, leaving Roger Federer’s 105 Wimbledon wins behind him.

Struggling with a foot injury before the tournament, Rafa looked good on Court Philippe-Chatrier, playing well on serve and return in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory in two hours and two minutes.

Rafael Nadal became the first player with 106 victories at a single Major.

Nadal dropped 16 points behind the initial shot and got broken once.

Thompson failed to follow that pace in his games, losing over half of the points and suffering seven breaks from 11 chances offered to Nadal. The Spaniard lost five points behind the initial shot in the opener, defending a lone break point and stealing the rival’s serve twice for 6-2.

Rafa grabbed a break in the third game with a backhand drive-volley winner for an early advantage. The Spaniard hammered a forehand down the line winner in game four to bring it home at love and open a 3-1 gap. Rafa forced Jordan’s error in the fifth game to deliver his second break and extend the gap.

Nadal fended off a break chance with a drop shot winner and forced Thompson’s mistake to move 5-1 ahead. Rafa held at love with an ace in game eight for 6-2 in 37 …

Sports / Tennis

Naomi Osaka suffers first-round loss to Amanda Anisimova in French Open

Naomi Osaka’s return to the French Open ended in the first round on Monday, and the four-time Grand Slam winner said she is leaning toward not playing at Wimbledon.

After she lost her opening match to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 at Roland Garros on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Osaka was asked about whether the collective decision to remove ranking points from Wimbledon would influence her decision on whether to compete at the next Grand Slam on the circuit.

“I’m not 100 percent sure if I’m going to go there [to Wimbledon],” Osaka said. “I would love to go just to get some experience on the grass court, but, like at the same time for me, it’s kind of like — I don’t want to say pointless, no pun intended, but I’m the type of player that gets motivated by, like, seeing my ranking go up or like, you know, stuff like that. So I think the intention was really good, but the execution is kind of all over the place. When later asked more on what her thoughts were ahead of Wimbledon, she said, “Yeah, like for me, I’m not sure why but, like, I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just like feels that way. Whenever I think like something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100 percent. I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing given the current circumstances but, you know, that might change.”

Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 who took two mental health breaks last season. That included one that began when she withdrew before her second-round match at the 2021 French Open. Anisimova is a 20-year-old American who reached the French Open semifinals in 2019. She also beat Osaka in the third round at the Australian Open in January.

On Monday morning in Paris, Osaka double-faulted twice on break point, once in each …

Football / Sports

AC Milan Secures First Serie A Title Since 2010-11 With Win on Final Day

AC Milan has completed its ascent back to the Serie A summit.

For the first time since 2010-11, the Rossoneri have been crowned Italian champions, outlasting rival and defending scudetto winner Inter Milan for the ’21-22 league trophy.

It has been a humbling decade for Milan, which has seen Juventus win nine straight titles before Inter ended a lengthy title drought last season. But the red side of the San Siro is the one celebrating now, pulling even with Inter for the second-most titles in Italian history (19; both trail Juventus’s official tally of 36).

On Sunday, the final day of the Serie A season, there was never any doubt. In the 17th minute, Olivier Giroud opened the scoring with his 10th league goal of the season and it wasn’t long before he added his second in the 32nd. Four minutes later, Franck Kessié extended Milan’s lead to 3–0, securing the title for Milan. Milan has been clinical since late January, going 16 unbeaten in the league ever since it lost to Spezia on Jan. 17 and conceding just six goals in that span. It’s been far from a one-man show for Milan, who have been paced by attacking stars young and old. Giroud’s 11 goals, Rafael Leão’s 10 and Zlatan Ibrahimović’s eight spearheaded Stefano Pioli’s attack. Ibrahimović was part of Milan’s last title, when he took on the role of its leading scorer while on loan from Barcelona, and he came ready to celebrate after the title was clinched.

…
Football / Sports

Manchester City win a title race to be crowned champions of England

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described his players as “legends” after they completed one of the most memorable comebacks in English Premier League history on Sunday.

At 2-0 down to Aston Villa with less than 15 minutes left, even the most ardent City fan must have been dreading the worst, knowing they needed a win to guarantee winning the league.

The game and the title looked to be slipping away until this side, yet again, proved just how special it is by scoring three times in five minutes to provide a dramatic conclusion to the Premier League season that many will remember for some time.

It was a win fitting for the occasion. A fourth league title in five years is simply remarkable and testament to what Guardiola has done since arriving at the Etihad Stadium six years ago.

“Four Premier Leagues. These guys are legends already; people have to admit it,” said Guardiola after an extraordinary Sunday.

“This group of players are absolutely eternal in this club because what we achieved is so difficult.”

Manchester City lifts the trophy after a memorable title race against Liverpool. – Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Comeback irony

The mentality of this team and its manager had been questioned after City fell victim to Real Madrid’s stunning comeback in their Champions League semifinal this season. City was just minutes away from booking its place in the final of European football’s most prestigious competition but snatched defeat from the jaws of victory after buckling under Madrid’s pressure – eventually losing the second leg 3-1.

It was a result that might have crushed City’s players in its immediate aftermath, but this title win will go some way towards healing those wounds.

“I called Real Madrid and they gave me good advice!” Guardiola joked with reporters when asked how his side completed the comeback against Aston Villa.

“No explanation in Madrid, no explanation today. It’s momentum. Sometimes, it’s nice to live in these kinds of situations. I had the feeling this will help us to be …

Sports / Tennis

‘Nothing to recover’: Nadal dismisses doubts over foot injury

Rafael Nadal has played down concerns over the chronic foot issue that resurfaced in Rome last week as he prepares to launch his bid for a 14th French Open title.

The Spaniard limped to a third-round loss to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open, but practiced in front of thousands of fans at Roland Garros on Wednesday without any obvious discomfort.

“There is nothing to recover,” Nadal told reporters Friday. “What happened in Rome is something that happened very often in my practices.

“I was suffering after that for a couple of days, but I feel better. That’s why I’m here.”

Nadal began the year with a 20-match winning run, capturing a second Australian Open title to claim a record 21st Grand Slam and move ahead of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The 35-year-old then missed six weeks with a rib injury sustained during his run to the final in Indian Wells, where he suffered his first loss of the season to Taylor Fritz.

Nadal complained of a recurring foot problem in Rome, but he appears confident it can be managed in Paris.

“The pain is there always. It’s not going to disappear now. It’s about if the pain is high and strong enough to allow me to play with real chances or not,” he said.

“It’s something that I live every day with, so it’s nothing new for me and is not a big surprise.

“So I am here just to play tennis and to try to make the best result possible here in Roland Garros. And if I don’t believe that this thing can happen, probably I will not be here.”…

Football / Sports

Everton storm back to avoid relegation

The Toffees saved themselves from relegation and secured another season in the Premier League, as they came back to beat the Eagles 3-2 at Goodison Park on Thursday. The victory puts Everton on 39 points, 16th in the Premier League table, four points clear of 18th-place Leeds United with one game left to play. Everton will be in the top flight of English football next season, for the 69th straight season (1954). Jean-Philippe Mateta put Crystal Palace ahead after 21 minutes, followed by the second from Jordan Ayew in the 36th. Michael Keane pulled a goal back for Everton not long after halftime, before Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewis each scored inside the final quarter-hour. Play was briefly halted after hundreds of Everton fans stormed the field at Goodison Park following Calvert-Lewin’s goal, in the 85th minute.

Everton vs Crystal Palace final score, stats, results

Final score: Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2

Goal scorers: Everton (Keane 54′, Richarlison 75′, Calvert-Lewin 85′), Crystal Palace (Mateta 21′, Ayew 36′)

Shots: Everton 12, Crystal Palace 7

Shots on target: Everton 6, Crystal Palace 5

Possession: Everton 43%, Crystal Palace 57%

3 things we learned – Everton vs Crystal Palace

1. Relegation battle down to two teams: Exhale, Everton fans, for you are safe from relegation. It’s now down to Burnley (35 points – GD -18) and Leeds (35 points – GD -38), as we head to Championship Sunday with oh so much still to play for.

2. Breaks go against Everton early: With precious little doubt, Ayew should have been sent off for a dangerous scissor tackle on Anthony Gordon in the 34th minute, thus he wouldn’t have been on the field to score his goal barely 45 seconds later. When you’re teetering on the edge of relegation, it’s hard not to see a moment and decision like that as anything but a bad omen. 3. Everton find joy after going direct: For 45 minutes, Everton were incredibly poor in possession (35 percent, while completing just 67 percent of their passing …

Basket Ball / Sports

Celtics dominate Heat in Game 2 to tie series

It shouldn’t come as shocking, but the return of Marcus Smart and Al Horford paid dividends for the Celtics. Both players missed Game 1 of the series, with Smart dealing with a foot sprain and Horford in protocols. Their presence in this game was felt immediately, and they both made a big impact in the box score. Smart played 40 minutes, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, one block, and five triples. He started off slow with his shooting, but he was able to shoot 6-for-11 in the second half, including four of his triples. Smart’s control of the game helped Boston lower their turnovers from 16 in Game 1 to just nine in Game 2. Obviously the Defensive Player of the Year’s impact doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet (though it did in this game). He made even more plays that made a huge difference in the game that won’t appear in a box score. Horford has been a steady veteran for the Celtics all year, and that proved to be a factor in this game. He didn’t shine with his numbers (10/3/3/1/1 line on 4-for-4 FGs), but Horford did play a critical role in this game on both ends. We’ve seen him fill it up throughout the postseason, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see bigger numbers from him as the series progresses.

Derrick White missed this game due to the birth of his child (big congrats!), but Boston’s bench didn’t miss a beat. Grant Williams returned to a bench role, which didn’t slow his production in the slightest. He finished with 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting with two triples and four rebounds. He also finished as a +37, which was second on the team to Payton Pritchard, who finished as a +39. Pritchard finished with 10 points and two triples in 23 minutes.

Boston’s pair of star wings didn’t disappoint. Jayson Tatum finished with a 27/5/5 line with four triples, while shooting 8-for-13 from the floor. After turning it over seven …

Basket Ball / Sports

Golden State Warriors Sail Past the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals

The Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks kicked off their Western Conference Finals series in San Francisco for Game 1 on Wednesday night and after a slow start, the Warriors were definitely the better team on the night.

The Warriors were not one of the favorites to come out of the West at the beginning of the season, but a hot start to their 2021-22 campaign ensured they returned to their status as one of the most feared teams as Steph Curry also found some of his MVP form.

Curry did not have his best shooting night against the Mavs, but finished with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds as the Dubs cruised to a 112-97 win to take a 1-0 lead.

The Mavericks learned pretty quickly in this game that they will need to learn to defend space better as the Warriors are a much better 3-point shooting team than the Phoenix Suns.

Luka Doncic, who has almost single-handedly willed his team to this stage of the playoffs, had an off-night, ending Game 1 with 20 points (6-of-18 from the field) and seven rebounds. The Warriors held him to just 16.7 percent shooting on contested field-goal attempts – a career playoff low for the Slovenian.

Only one game separated the teams in the regular season, and it’s because of the Warriors’ 53-52 edge in wins — rather than the Mavericks’ 3-1 triumph in the season series — that Golden State has earned the home-court advantage in this best-of-seven series.

Mavs’ coach Jason Kidd will have a couple of days to figure out what adjustments he needs to make to get Doncic back in his groove, and to help his team (hopefully) steal a win at Golden State before heading back to Dallas.

The Sporting News tracked all of the action from Game 1.

Warriors vs. Mavericks score

Game 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Warriors 28 26 34 24 112
Mavericks 18 27 24 18 87

Warriors vs. Mavericks series schedule

Here is the full schedule for the …

Football / Sports

Eintracht Frankfurt Win final Europa League in Penalties Shootout

Rafael Borre scored a 70th-minute equalizer and the shootout-sealing penalty kick as Eintracht Frankfurt won its first Europa League crown in 42 years on Wednesday in Seville, Spain.

The win means the 11th-place side in the Bundesliga is going to the UEFA Champions League group stage. The same honor is denied of Rangers.

Aaron Ramsey was the only player to miss his penalty, the Welsh midfielder not hitting the frame as Eintracht made all five of theirs after 120 minutes of play ended 1-1.

Rangers held the lead through Joe Aribo’s early second-half goal, but could not hold it for more than a dozen minutes.

Kevin Trapp made an incredible save deep in extra time to get the tie to penalty kicks, where no keeper was able to stop a penalty.

Eintracht Frankfurt won the Europa League for the first time since their triumph over Borussia Monchengladbach in the all-German 1979-80 final.

Eintracht most recently won the German Cup in 2017-18, while Rangers were runners-up in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup competition

NYCFC product James Sand was on the field for the losing effort, while fellow USMNT player Timothy Chandler was an unused sub for his long time club.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Rangers final score, stats

Eintracht Frankfurt 1, Rangers 1 (Eintracht wins 5-4 in pens)

Scorers: Aribo (57′), Borre (69′)

Shot attempts: Eintracht 22, Rangers 14

Shots on target: Eintracht 4, Rangers 6

Possession: Eintracht 48, Rangers 52…

Football / Sports

Reds survive early scare to keep Premier League title hopes alive

Man City made its move, and Liverpool responded in kind, ensuring the Premier League title race will come down to the final day of the season.

After City barely survived against Newcastle, needing a three-goal comeback to secure all three points, Liverpool also fell behind early but managed to grind out a victory on the season’s penultimate matchday. Now, with the Reds sitting a point adrift at the top of the table, the two teams will look to better the other’s result on Sunday.

Nathan Redmond put Southampton up early and put Liverpool’s title chase on life support with a deflected strike 13 minutes in. The hosts were dangerous in spurts, but had to fend off waves of high Liverpool pressure and attacking flow.

Liverpool found an equalizer through Takumi Minamino, making his first Premier League start for Liverpool after a loan spell at Southampton last season. Then, after halftime, the Reds broke the deadlock as Joel Matip looped an awkward but effective header into the back of the net off a corner.

Now, with Liverpool chasing an historic quadruple, Jurgen Klopp essentially has two finals to look forward to as the season comes to a close: one in the Premier League against Wolves and one in the Champions League against Real Madrid. The only wrinkle is Man City must slip for Liverpool to have a chance to claim them both.

Southampton vs. Liverpool final score

1H 2H Final
Southampton 1 0 1
Liverpool 1 1 2

Goals:
13th min — SOU — Nathan Redmond
27th min — LIV — Takumi Minamino
67th min — LIV — Joel Matip

Commentary:

FULL-TIME: Southampton 1-2 Liverpool

The Reds’ second-string lineup manages a come-from-behind victory and ensures the title race will come down to the final day of the season. It’s not exactly the ideal finish for Liverpool, but it’s enough for now.

Jurgen Klopp clearly prioritized the Champions League with his starting lineup, and the minimum job required was achieved. Southampton gave it a real go at times, troubling the Reds on …

Basket Ball / Sports

Jimmy Butler scores 41 as Miami Heat take Game 1 from short-handed Boston Celtics

Jimmy Butler scored 41 points, and the Miami Heat turned things around with a huge third quarter on the way to beating the short-handed Boston Celtics 118-107 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night.

Tyler Herro scored 18 and Gabe Vincent added 17 for the Heat, who outscored Boston 39-14 in the third quarter. Butler had 17 alone in the third, outscoring the Celtics by himself over those 12 minutes.

Max Strus scored 11 and Bam Adebayo added 10 for Miami.

Jayson Tatum scored 29 for the Celtics, who were without starters Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (health and safety protocols). Jaylen Brown added 24 for Boston, which got 18 apiece from Robert Williams III and former Oregon Ducks star Payton Pritchard.

Game 2 is Thursday.

Boston led by 13 in the first half and took a 62-54 lead into halftime. Whatever Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said during intermission clearly worked.

A 22-2 run was how Miami started the second half, the run punctuated by steals that led to baskets on three consecutive possessions. Strus had one, the next two by Butler pushed the lead out to 76-64, and the Heat were off and running.

The lead reached 96-76 when Herro was fouled on a three-point try and made all three free throws early in the fourth.

Boston had a run left; a 10-0 spurt cut the deficit in half, and a three-pointer from Tatum made it a nine-point game — outcome still very much in doubt — with 7:35 left.

But the Heat had a response. PJ Tucker answered Tatum’s three with one of his own. Brown then connected from deep to get Boston within single digits again, only to have that one answered by a three from Strus.

Some of the plans that both sides had for Game 1 were thrown away about 3½ hours before game time, when the Celtics revealed that Smart and Horford wouldn’t be playing. Smart’s absence was somewhat expected because of a mid-foot sprain he suffered in Game …

Football / Sports

Gunners beaten again in top-four collapse

The Magpies dealt perhaps the final blow to the Gunners’ top-four hopes with a 2-0 victory at St. James’ Park on Monday.

Arsenal’s (66 points) second defeat in five days sees them slip to 5th in the Premier League table, two points behind north London rivals Tottenham (68 points), with one game left to play. Arsenal will host relegation-battling Everton, with Tottenham visiting already-relegated, last-place Norwich City at the same time on Championship Sunday.

Newcastle (46 points), meanwhile, have jumped from 14th to 12th with the victory. A top-half finish is still on the table for the Magpies, who trail 9th- and 10th-place Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion (48 points each) by two.

Newcastle vs Arsenal final score, stats, results

Final score: Newcastle 2, Arsenal 0

Goal scorers: Newcastle (White 55′ – OG, Guimaraes 85′), Arsenal (None)

Shots: Newcastle 16, Arsenal 11

Shots on target: Newcastle 4, Arsenal 2

Possession: Newcastle 51%, Arsenal 49%

3 things we learned – Newcastle vs Arsenal

1. Occasion too big for Arsenal: Just as was the case in the north London derby on Thursday, the pressure of being favorites — the expectation, and the fear of “blowing it” — appeared far too much for this young Arsenal side, who were consistently nothing short of brilliant in the run-up to the run-in. But, on Monday, they were slow in thought and in action, timid in their approach, increasingly shorthanded in their numbers as the game wore on and, ultimately, second-best to a side that just a few months ago was a legitimate relegation candidate. With three games to go in the season, they held a four-point lead. With one game to go, they trail by two. Only a Tottenham loss to Norwich will give Arsenal a final shot at Champions League qualification.

2. Arteta’s project still right on schedule: Without any European football this season, Mikel Arteta was able to put all of his focus and energy into preparing for Premier League games for the whole week, rather than all of …

Basket Ball / Movies / News

Disney debuts official trailer for ‘Rise’ movie on Giannis Antetokounmpo

Starring real-life brothers Uche Agada and Ral Agada as Giannis and Thanasis respectively, the Disney film follows the lives of the Antetokounmpos, an immigrant family from Nigeria struggling to make a life for themselves in Greece amid daily threats of deportation.

While Charles (Dayo Okeniyi) and Vera (Yetide Badaki) Antetokounmpo sail their family’s daily storms, Giannis and Thanasis would play basketball with a local team. The boys soon discover their great Basketball talents rising to world champions.

Production for the Akin Omotoso directed film kicked off last year with Disney announcing in October that Giannis would serve as executive producer for the Bernie Goldmann produced title.

“I am thrilled and honored that Disney+ is bringing my family’s story to people all over the world,” the Milwaukee star said.

“My hope is that it will inspire those in similar circumstances to keep the faith, stay true to their goals and not to give up on striving for a better life.”

The official synopsis for the trailer reads: “After emigrating to Greece from Nigeria, Vera and Charles Antetokounmpo struggled to survive and provide for their five children, while living under the daily threat of deportation.

With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn.

When they weren’t selling items to tourists on the streets of Athens with the rest of the family, encouraged by their father, the brothers would sneak away to play basketball with a local youth team.

Latecomers to the sport, they discovered their great abilities on the basketball court and worked hard to become world class athletes. With the help of an agent, Giannis entered the NBA draft in 2013 in a long-shot prospect that would change not only his life but the life of his entire family.”

A two-time NBA MVP, Giannis is currently one of the most celebrated Basketball stars of the decade. In 2021, he led the Milwaukee to a championship.

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Sports / Tennis

Iga Swiatek beats Azarenka at Italian Open for 25th straight win

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek was tested before pulling out a 6-4, 6-1 victory over former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals on Thursday and extend her winning streak to 25 matches.

Azarenka took a 3-0 lead before Swiatek won five straight games in a grueling first set that lasted 1 hour, 20 minutes.

The defending champion in Rome, Swiatek is attempting to win her fifth straight tournament.

The last player to win more consecutive matches was Serena Williams, who had a streak of 27 in a row over 2014 and 2015.

Swiatek’s run makes her a favorite to win a second French Open when the year’s second Grand Slam gets underway in 10 days.

In a sign of how challenging it was for Swiatek to hold serve on the red clay court at the Foro Italico, she played more than twice as many points with her serve than Azarenka did — 98 to 47.…

Sports / Tennis

Stan Wawrinka relishes ‘special’ challenge against Djokovic in Rome

Three-times major champion Stan Wawrinka said that playing Novak Djokovic is always special but added that he may not quite be ready to face a player of the world number one’s quality following his return from long-term injury.

The 37-year-old, who did not play for an entire year after undergoing two surgeries for a foot injury, battled past Laslo Dere 7-6(8) 3-6 6-4 to set up a 26th career meeting with Djokovic in the last-16 of the Italian Open on Thursday.

“It’s not the best prize, but it’s always special to play against him,” said Wawrinka, who has won his last two matches against the Serbian.

“I’m not where I want to be yet with my game, with my fitness level, with my mental (game). I need those matches, so to have a chance to play against the best player, it’s going to be really difficult for me, that’s for sure.”

Wawrinka’s victory over 14th seed Reilly Opelka in Rome earlier this week was his first in 15 months and the Swiss said he had a long way to go before regaining full fitness.

“I’m not ready to compete I think at that level, but it’s what I need. I need those challenges. I need to push myself as much as I can to keep improving.”

Djokovic, who defeated Aslan Karatsev in his opening match, is looking for his sixth title on the clay in Rome and first this season.…