Boxing / Sports

Is Floyd Mayweather retired? Former champion steps back into ring for 2022 exhibition boxing fight

Floyd Mayweather has had a long and storied boxing career. He has beaten a who’s who of fighters over the years, and collected several titles across multiple weight classes. His professional career may be over, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t stepped in the ring every now and then.

Yes, Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017. Initially stepping away in 2015 after facing Andre Berto, he returned for a big payday against MMA star Conor McGregor. Mayweather reportedly made over $100 million for his final bout. The McGregor fight ended a long career which started in 1996 and titles in the super-featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and light-middleweight divisions. “Money’s” career record stands at 50-0. Since that bout, Mayweather has focused on his gentlemen’s club called Girl Collection, The Money Team Racing, and Mayweather Promotions. The latter he has used to work with some of the top boxing stars out there, including Gervonta Davis. Mayweather has also competed in exhibition bouts. In 2018, Mayweather fought kickboxing champion Tenshin Nasukawa at a RIZIN event. Mayweather knocked the young star down several times before beating him via TKO. The fight only lasted one round. In 2021, Mayweather returned, facing YouTuber Logan Paul in Miami. It was a non-scored bout that went the distance.

On May 14, Mayweather faces former sparring partner Don Moore in another exhibition bout. They will be fighting on the Burj Al Arab Hotel helipad in Dubai.It appears that Mayweather can do these type of events whenever he wants while earning a massive paycheck. Speaking with Fight Hype, Mayweather talked about remaining relevant in boxing and not paying attention to critics.

“I was able to leave boxing on my own terms and now the boxing critics are upset that I am still able to milk and finesse the sport of boxing by throwing exhibitions,” Mayweather said, via Mirror. “Sixteen minutes and I am able to get eight and nine figures from the fruits of my labor. Once again I am not hurting for my money, I am far from hurting …

Basket Ball / Sports

Four for De Bruyne as Manchester City roll to Victory

Kevin De Bruyne scored his 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th goals of this Premier League season as Manchester City took its next steps toward another Premier League title with a 5-1 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux on Wednesday.

Raheem Sterling set up one of De Bruyne’s goals and scored in the 84th minute. Two of De Bruyne’s goals were unassisted and Bernardo Silva set up another as City moved to 89 points, three more than Liverpool. City now has a seven-goal advantage in goal differential with two matches left for each side.

Leander Dendoncker briefly had the score 1-1 with his 11th-minute goal, but De Bruyne had his hat trick by the 23rd minute. His fourth came at the hour mark, and Sterling’s goal was cued up by Joao Cancelo.

Wolves’ hopes of seventh place aren’t very good after the draw. Bruno Lage’s men are five points back of West Ham United with two just two matches remaining for each club.

Wolves vs Man City final score, stats

Wolves 1, Man City 5

Scorers: De Bruyne (7′, 16′, 24, 80′), Dendoncker (11′), Sterling (84′)

Shot attempts: Wolves 6, Man City 11

Shots on goal: Wolves 3, Man City 4

Possession: Wolves 35, Man City 65

Three things we learned from Wolves vs Man City

1. Four points left (at most): Pep Guardiola’s been saying that City needs to win all of its game down the stretch in order to hold off Liverpool, but that’s no longer true. City can lay claim to its fourth title in five seasons if it takes four of six points available to them from Week 37 (West Ham away) and Week 38 at home (Aston Villa).

2. De Bruyne on fire: The 30-year-old Belgian brought his finishing boots and actually smashed the post in the 90th minute in a performance that could’ve given KDB as many goals as Sergio Aguero scored a few years ago. De Bruyne is up to 15 goals and seven assists this Premier League season. De Bruyne entered the …

Basket Ball / Sports

Milwaukee stuns Boston late to steal Game 5 on road

It took all of 10 minutes for the Celtics’ playoff fortunes to change Wednesday night.

Boston led the Milwaukee Bucks by 14 points with 10 minutes remaining in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at TD Garden and appeared on its way to a 3-2 series lead.

The Bucks came storming back, however, outscoring Boston 33-14 down the stretch en route to a stunning 110-107 victory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (40 points, 11 rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists) played key roles in Milwaukee’s comeback, while Bobby Portis’ put back layup with 11.4 seconds remaining proved to be the difference.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to score 60 points (34 and 26, respectively) for Boston, while Marcus Smart added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

Here are our takeaways from a defeat that puts the Celtics one loss from playoff elimination entering Game 6 in Milwaukee on Friday night.

Defense wins championships

The Celtics played well offensively for most of the night, but the Bucks put the clamps on Boston late to engineer their comeback.

Holiday in particular was a defensive menace, his signature play a block on Smart with 8.7 seconds remaining and his team up by one point.

Holiday then picked Smart’s pocket on Boston’s final possession to seal Milwaukee’s victory.

After committing five turnovers total over the first three quarters, the Celtics had five turnovers in the fourth quarter alone. Their offense looked stagnant, as Tatum settled for midrange jumpers and the team didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer.

Boston still misses Time Lord

If there’s one area where Milwaukee had the clear advantage in Game 5, it was on the offensive glass. The Bucks racked up 17 offensive rebounds to Boston’s five, none more important than the late put back by Portis, who had seven offensive boards.

Milwaukee also won the overall rebounding battle 49-36, taking advantage of Robert Williams’ absence to dominate in the paint.

The Celtics managed to win Game 4 without Williams and should have won without him Wednesday night. But …

Basket Ball / Sports

Grizzlies rout Warriors to avoid elimination, force Game 6

The Memphis Grizzlies fought off elimination with the highest-scoring performance in their franchise’s postseason history.

And with All-Star guard Ja Morant cheering from the bench. Then Morant upped the ante by chanting “Grizz in seven!”

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to force a sixth game in their Western Conference semifinal.

“We’ve exceeded expectations ever since I’ve been here,” Bane said. “It almost seems whenever someone thinks we can’t do something, we end up doing it. So I never want to put a limit on this team on what we can do because anything’s possible.”

Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De’Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive as Memphis outscored Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points. The Grizzlies never trailed, turning in their best performance of this series to pull within 3-2 even with Morant out a second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. They improved to 4-11 when facing elimination.

“We knew what was at stake,” Jackson said. “We didn’t change anything, though. We just calmed down, looked at the film, understand what we had to take away from the last game and just went out there and executed.”

Memphis scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter, threatening the three biggest postseason blowouts in NBA history. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years.

“Obviously, this was a very impressive win for our group, great bounce-back for sure,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

When Memphis fans chanted “Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick!” early in the fourth, Stephen Curry laughed on the court while Draymond Green swung a towel in unison with the crowd. Green said he doesn’t respect people who only bring energy when …

Football / Sports

Reds comeback to claim 3 points

Liverpool overcame an early hiccup to beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park on Tuesday, going level on points with first-place Man City before the leaders play Wednesday.

A controversial opener saw Douglas Luiz put Villa in front after just three minutes, but the lead lasted less than that as Joel Matip bundled the Reds level in the sixth.

It was a cagey affair that looked like Liverpool could drop points for a second-straight match, but Sadio Mane scored in the 65th minute to get the Reds to 86 points.

Villa stays 11th with 43 points, one back of the top half of the table.

Liverpool’s goal differential is three behind Man City. Any hope of a Reds title would require City to either draw twice or lose at least once.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool final score, stats

Aston Villa 1, Liverpool 2

Scorers: Luiz (3′), Matip (6′), Mane (65′)

Shot attempts: Aston Villa 9, Liverpool 17

Shots on goal: Aston Villa 4, Liverpool 6

Possession: Aston Villa 379 Liverpool 61

Three things we learned from Aston Villa vs Liverpool

1. To the wire we go: The Premier League title race will certainly head into Week 38 thanks to the three points claimed by the Reds on Tuesday. Man City plays Wolves on Wednesday and will not be able to clinch the Premier League title even with a win there and a Week 37 win coupled with a Liverpool loss. Man City can, however, go up six points on Liverpool before the Reds meet Southampton for their 37th game, which won’t come until Tuesday, May 17.

2. Not a banner day for Jon Moss and crew: An early offside against Aston Villa went unspotted and a few moves later the ball was in Liverpool’s goal, unable to be reviewed because the initial chance/phase has gone. Then, on a much lesser note, Philippe Coutinho was clobbered by Fabinho on a Villa counterattack and referee Jon Moss was looking in the wrong direction while the assistant referee did not raise his flag …

Basket Ball / Sports

Heat demolish Sixers to take 3-2 series edge

Jimmy Butler and the Heat move within a win of advancing to the Eastern Conference finals

Seven players scored in double figures for the Heat as Miami blasted the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, 120-85, to grab a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night, May 10 (Wednesday, May 11, Manila time).

Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 23 points for the Heat, but unlike losses in Games 3 and 4 when he was their only consistent source of offense, he had plenty of help.

Miami’s Max Strus produced his first double-double of the postseason with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Gabe Vincent added 15 points, while Victor Oladipo came off the bench for 13. Bam Adebayo (12), Tyler Herro (10) and PJ Tucker (10) also hit for double figures.

Butler added 9 rebounds and 6 assists while hitting 9-of-15 field goal attempts. Strus was 7-of-13 from the floor, including 4-of-10 from three-point range.

Joel Embiid scored 17 points to pace Philadelphia, while James Harden added 14 and Tobias Harris netted 12 points. However, the 76ers made just 36.5% of their field goal attempts and were outrebounded 46-36.

The Heat hit 53.6% from the field, including 13-of-33 (39.4%) from beyond the arc. The 76ers wound up 9-of-32 (28.1%) from long distance, with Georges Niang missing all six of his three-point attempts and finishing scoreless in 16 minutes.

Game 6 is Thursday night in Philadelphia, where the 76ers try to stave off elimination. The road team hasn’t won yet in the series.

Miami set an immediate tone, rattling off 12 straight points for a 21-10 lead at the 5:16 mark of the first quarter. Strus drained consecutive three-pointers to cap the run.

The Heat stretched the margin to 18 in the second quarter before settling for a 56-44 halftime lead. Butler had 14 first-half points to lead all scorers.

Miami pushed the advantage to 20 less than four minutes into the third quarter on Vincent’s three-point play.…

Basket Ball / Sports

SUNS BLAST MAVS IN GAME 5, INCH CLOSER TO WEST FINALS

The Suns used a huge third quarter to turn a tight game into a comfortable win. Phoenix opened up the second half on an 11-4 run, highlighted by Booker’s two 3-pointers, for a 61-50 lead.

Mavs coach Jason Kidd called for a timeout, but it did little to stop the onslaught. The Suns led 82-60 going into the fourth with Booker pouring in 12 points during the third.

While the Suns were finally finding some offensive continuity, the Mavs completely lost theirs, scoring just four points in the first six minutes of the third. At times, the Dallas offense regressed to mostly watching Luka Dončić try and work magic, but he couldn’t do it all by himself.

The Mavs had 12 turnovers during the third quarter, finishing with 16. They also tallied just nine assists on the night, compared to 28 for Phoenix, which also out-rebounded Dallas 50-38.

The top-seeded Suns bounced back after dropping the previous two games and can win the series in Game 6 on Thursday in Dallas.

Dončić finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Brunson added 21 points. The Mavs shot just 38% from the field.

The Suns took a hard-fought 49-46 lead into halftime. Booker scored 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. Dončić countered with 18 points, though it was a little less efficient after making seven of 16 shots.

The Mavericks led for a majority of the first half before Booker’s baseline jam tied it at 40-all with 3:47 before halftime. Mikal Bridges had a nifty steal and then scored on a fast-break layup for a 44-42 lead.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Al Horford, Celtics outlast Bucks in exhausting Game 4 to even series

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo lay exhausted in the backcourt, their bodies entangled and their hands clasped together.

The fourth-quarter playoff action Monday night continued without two of the NBA’s hardest-working players, but they just couldn’t seem to summon the energy to help each other get back on their feet. When Boston’s Al Horford scored on the other end, a still-horizontal Antetokounmpo slumped his shoulders and rested his head on the hardwood. The way to beat the two-time MVP, who has taken his game to new heights this postseason, has been to outlast him when his teammates falter.

On a night when both teams struggled to shoot — continuing a series-long trend — the Celtics shook off a slow start and rallied from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to claim a 116-108 victory in Game 4 at Fiserv Forum. Horford helped pull Boston back from the brink with a playoff career-high 30 points, eight rebounds and three assists to even this slugfest of a second-round series at two games apiece.

“We all understood the importance of this game,” Horford said. “At the end of Game 3, we were in a position to win, and we didn’t. I was just locked in. I understood the moment and what we needed to do as a group. I did whatever it took. It was one of those types of nights.”

The 35-year-old Horford has long cultivated a reputation as a heady, steadying presence, but Monday he showed a rare electric streak. Shortly after halftime, Antetokounmpo dunked on Horford and received a technical for taunting. Horford answered early in the fourth quarter, throwing down a poster dunk of his own on Antetokounmpo that helped swing momentum in Boston’s favor.

“The way that [Antetokounmpo] was looking at me and going about it, it didn’t sit well with me,” Horford said. “Something switched with me.”

The veteran center followed up his dunk with a series of clutch jumpers, scoring 16 fourth-quarter points as Milwaukee stalled on the other end. Horford made …

Basket Ball / Sports

Mavs drill 20 three-pointers in series-tying win over Suns

The Dallas Mavericks rained 20 three-pointers and again neutralized Phoenix point guard Chris Paul to beat the top-seeded Suns 111-101 on Sunday and knot their NBA playoff series at two games each. Star guard Luka Doncic scored 26 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 24 for Dallas, who have won two games at home to level the best-of-seven Western Conference matchup after dropping the first two games in Phoenix. The Suns, who finished the regular season with the best record in the league, will try to regain the advantage when they host game five on Tuesday. It’s guaranteed to shift back to Dallas for game six on Thursday.

Overall, the Mavs were on fire from beyond the arc, their eight three-pointers in the first quarter helping them build a 37-25 lead.

Their 14 three-pointers in the first half tied a franchise playoff record for three-pointers in a half.

They led 68-56 at the break and even more ominously for Phoenix, veteran point guard Paul committed his fourth foul trying to make a tip-in with 1.1 seconds left before half-time.

Paul picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter and headed to the bench. He returned with 10:28 left in the fourth and promptly fouled out thanks to a hand to the arm of Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson.

A dangerous team

Devin Booker led the Suns with 35 points. Jae Crowder added 15 and Deandre Ayton scored 14.

But the Mavericks bench out-scored the Phoenix reserves 36-26.

“This team was amazing,” said Doncic, who was outstanding but received little support in the Mavs’ two series-opening defeats. “Everybody that gets to the court leaves everything out there. If we play hard and we get stops, we’re a dangerous team.”

While Doncic struggled with his shots, he added 11 assists along with four rebounds. He also forced four steals as the Suns turned it over 17 times. While Phoenix managed to cut the deficit to four points with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter, the Mavericks repelled every …

Basket Ball / Sports

James Harden, Joel Embiid lead Philadelphia to crucial Game 4 win over Miami

The Philadelphia 76ers have new life in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Miami Heat following their 116-108 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night. After losing the first two games without the services of Joel Embiid, Philadelphia has bounced back in a. major way on their home floor with the team’s MVP candidate on the floor.

In the end, Jimmy Butler led all scorers with 40 points but it was the Sixers’ balanced attack, led by James Harden’s 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds that ultimately led to the win for Philly to even the series. These two teams will square off in South Beach on Tuesday night in Game 4 with the opening tip scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Here are the biggest takeaways from Game 4.

1. Will the real James Harden please stand up?

James Harden was Philadelphia’s best player on Sunday. The numbers, in a vacuum, were stellar: 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds is the sort of production a team should expect out of a player it has invested as much in as Philly has in Harden. He made nearly as many 3-pointers (six) as the Heat did as a team (seven).

And yet, I can’t help but wonder what it says about Harden that this is the sort of performance he’s getting praised for. After all, he averaged just shy of 34 points, eight assists and seven rebounds two seasons ago. This was not peak James Harden. This wasn’t even a throwback to his old self. He only made two two-point shots in the entire game. He was certainly more aggressive as an attacker, and his 10 free throw attempts were the second-most he’s earned this postseason. But it’s not as though he rediscovered his old first step. Harden had shot 28.3 percent on his 3s in Philly’s past eight playoff games. That isn’t who he really is. But neither is 6-of-10 and without that hot shooting, the conversations surrounding his performance probably aren’t changing much.

Scoring isn’t all Harden does. …

Basket Ball / Sports

Suns erupt in fourth quarter to race by Mavericks for 2-0 lead in Western Conference semifinal

There were 54 fouls called.

Eleven were offensive, with Phoenix picking up the first seven of them.

There were 30 3-pointers made. Dallas hit 17 of them.

Then there was Chris Paul.

With Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker and JaVale McGee all in foul trouble, the Suns turned to their floor general and once again, Paul delivered in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 129-109 win to take a 2-0 series lead in the conference semifinals.

“It impresses us every time you see it, but it doesn’t surprise us,” Booker said. “It’s just the will to win. If he sees a matchup he likes, you can hear their bench yelling, ‘Send him left.’ You can try whatever you want to do, but he has a rebuttal move for you at every turn. Not only can he score, he can make a play for somebody else if you leave your man.

Scoring 14 of his 28 points in the fourth, Paul, who turns 37 years old Thursday, had the sellout crowd of 17,071 rocking in the fourth to fuel Phoenix’s offensive eruption.

“It’s fun, I love it,” said Paul, who shot 6-of-7 from the field in the fourth.

The Suns outscored the Mavs 40-26 in the fourth as they led by as many as 26. This after finishing Game 1 poorly in winning by just seven after leading by 21.

“You have to not only be impressed, but proud of the way we continue to win games mentally,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.

The series now shifts to Dallas for Friday’s Game 3 and Sunday’s Game 4.

“You’ve got to accept the challenge,” Suns forward Jae Crowder said. “They have a lot of guys who put the ball in the basket and they try to get mismatches and stuff like that. Coming into this series, you have to accept the challenge of guarding these guys and making it as tough as possible.”

Booker finished with 30 points on Wednesday as he hit three 3s in the fourth, with his final one putting Phoenix …

Football / Sports

Real Madrid mounts stunning comeback to beat Manchester City and reach Champions League final

Real Madrid battled back from the brink of elimination to overcome Manchester City and book its place in the Champions League final.

For the third knockout tie in a row, Real looked down and out. Though this is a team that has become accustomed to improbable heroics, even by its own absurd standards Wednesday’s late, late show to secure a 3-1 victory over City was cutting it fine.
With City leading 4-3 from the first leg, Riyad Mahrez’s second-half goal had seemingly booked his team passage through to the final in Paris.
However, two goals either side of the 90-minute mark from substitute Rodrygo turned the game on its head and sent the match to extra time.
In truth, it then felt as though there was going to be only one winner.
Just three minutes into extra time, Karim Benzema — who had been rather anonymous all game by his own high standards — was fouled by Ruben Dias inside the box and made no mistake dispatching the penalty. That goal secured Real’s 6-5 aggregate victory.
No matter how deep of a hole Real seems to find itself in, the magic inside the Bernabeu always seems to pull the team out.
For three successive rounds, Carlo Ancelotti’s side has been on the verge of elimination. Now, somehow, it finds itself with a chance to win a record-extending 14th title when it takes on Liverpool in Paris’ Stade de France on May 28.
It will be the fifth time Ancelotti has reached the Champions League final as a manager, the only man to have ever achieved that feat.
“A por la 14,” read the writing on the back of Real’s celebratory shirts. “Let’s go for number 14.”

Real down, but now out

It took less than eight minutes for tempers to flare for the first time, as Luka Modric and Aymeric Laporte both received yellow cards for their part in a scuffle that was sparked by Casemiro’s poor tackle on Kevin De Bruyne.
Casemiro, as he so often inexplicably manages to
…
Basket Ball / Sports

Morant’s 47 points lift Grizzlies over Warriors to even series

The Memphis Grizzlies used Ja Morant’s 47 points to rally past the Golden State Warriors 106-101 and even the second round series on Tuesday night.

Morant single-handedly outscored the Warriors 15-6 in the final 4:16 of the game on his way to a tying his own franchise postseason record with 47 points on 15-for-31 shooting. Morant connected on five 3-pointers to go with eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

Ziaire Williams scored 14 points with five rebounds on 4-for-8 shooting while supplying tight defense in the final minutes. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12 points with seven rebounds while Brandon Clarke tallied 10 points with three rebounds.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while Jordan Poole notched 20 points, five assists and three rebounds.

The Grizzlies took the early lead behind Morant’s 14 first quarter points on 4-for-7 shooting. Jackson Jr. notched 10 points and three rebounds as the Grizzlies led 33-25 after 12 minutes of play.

Memphis held off the Warriors in the second quarter, holding on to a 56-51 lead at halftime. Morant led the Grizzlies with 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field to go with five assists and four rebounds in the half. Curry scored 15 points with five rebounds to lead the Warriors.

The Warriors finished the third quarter on a 13-3 run to bring the score even at 77-77 with one quarter remaining, but the fourth quarter belonged to Morant as he exploded for 18 points in the final period.

Morant is the third player in NBA history to have multiple 45-point postseason performances before turning 23 years old, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant (ESPN).

Next Game

The Grizzlies will look to take the series lead over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. CT.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Jaylen Brown takes charge in huge Game 2 win

The Celtics were on the ropes without one of their top fighters Tuesday. But they still threw a mean counterpunch. Despite missing starting point guard Marcus Smart due to a right quad contusion, the Celtics jumped out to an early double-digit lead against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and never looked back, rolling to a 109-86 win at TD Garden to tie the best-of-seven series 1-1. Jaylen Brown delivered the biggest blow with a game-high 30 points, 17 of which came in the first quarter. Jayson Tatum added 29 points while the Celtics hit a franchise-record 20 3-pointers (20 of 43) to bounce back from an ugly 101-89 loss in Game 1. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists but shot just 40.7 percent (11 of 27) with five turnovers. He was the only Milwaukee player to reach 20 points, as the Celtics’ defense limited the Bucks to just three 3-pointers on 18 attempts. The teams will have an extended layoff before Game 3, which is Saturday in Milwaukee. Here are our takeaways from an impressive Boston win at the Garden:

Jaylen Brown came to ball

Brown was the first one in the building Tuesday, arriving about three hours before tip to get some extra shots up after scoring just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting in Game 1.

That extra work clearly helped: Brown exploded a playoff career-high 17 points in the first quarter, hitting six of his first seven shots and dropping Grayson Allen with a filthy crossover.

Brown had 25 points by halftime and missed just five shots (10 of 15) while committing just two turnovers, looking like a completely different player after his rough Game 1.

The Celtics need Brown to be at least the third-best player on the floor to have success in this series. On Tuesday, he was the best, giving Boston a huge boost in Smart’s absence.

Boston has a three party

After making just 18 of their playoff career-high 50 …

Football / Sports

Reds reach 10th European Cup final

Liverpool played as poorly as they’ve played in months for 45 minutes and it still didn’t matter as the Reds scored three second-half goals to advance to their 10th European Cup Final with a 3-2 second-leg win over Villarreal on Tuesday that gave Jurgen Klopp’s men a 5-2 aggregate victory.

First-half goals from Boulaye Dia and ex-Arsenal man Francis Coquelin had it level at the break, but Liverpool scored for the 28th time in 31 games and then scored again… and again.

Fabinho, Luis Diaz, and Sadio Mane led the three-goal final 45 minutes and Villarreal rarely showed a threat after the Reds got the score line back to 3-2 on aggregate.

Liverpool will meet either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final on May 28 in France. Man City leads Real Madrid by a goal heading into Wednesday’s second leg.

Villarreal vs Liverpool

Villarreal 2, Liverpool 3 (Liverpool wins 5-2 on aggregate)

Scorers: Dia (3′), Coquelin (41′), Fabinho (62′), Diaz (62′), Mane (74′)

Shot attempts: Villarreal 5, Liverpool 15

Shots on goal: Villarreal 2, Liverpool 5

Possession: Villarreal 44, Liverpool 56

Three things we learned from Villarreal vs Liverpool

1. Can’t stop scoring: This has a double meaning, in that Villarreal’s two goals at the break meant they’d still need at least one more to complete the upset and, well, Liverpool simply cannot stop scoring. The only times the Reds have been kept off a scoreboard in 2022 were in games that did not cost them anything but further effort: The 1-0 second-leg against Inter Milan in the Round of 16, which obviously wasn’t detrimental to the club’s goal of reaching the European Cup Final, a 0-0 draw with Arsenal in League Cup semifinal first leg, and the 0-0 with Chelsea in the League Cup Final that saw the Reds triumph in penalties. All told: Since a 1-0 loss to Leicester City on Dec. 28, Liverpool has scored in 28 of 31 matches.

2. What Villarreal did right: Unai Emery’s men didn’t exactly like the first half on …

Football / Sports

Red Devils steal a point at Old Trafford

The Red Devils and Blues traded goals, only not in that order, as the hosts stole a point they didn’t deserve in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Marcos Alonso fired Chelsea ahead right on the hour mark, but Cristiano Ronaldo hit back in Manchester United’s only truly dangerous moment two minutes later.

The draw sees Chelsea (66 points) move to six points clear of 4th-place Arsenal (60 points) as everyone in the top-five, including Tottenham (58 points), has now played the same number of games (33) once again.

Manchester United vs Chelsea final score, stats, results

Final score: Man United 1, Chelsea 1

Goal scorers: Man United (Alonso 60′), Chelsea (Ronaldo 62′)

Shots: Man United 6, Chelsea 21

Shots on target: Man United 3, Chelsea 6

Possession: Man United 35%, Chelsea 65%

3 things we learned – Manchester United vs Chelsea

1. Fight drained from Man United players: To call Manchester United’s squad and tactics disjointed would be an incredible understatement. The players are not playing for interim manager Ralf Rangnick, so much as they appear to be playing in spite of him. They are not playing for one another either, and some don’t even appear to be motivated to perform for their own self-interests. There is only apathy and disdain. One player would press the ball while three others stood and watched, failing to rotate and fill in any space and/or passing lanes by which the opposing player might try to escape. There’s not a player in the Premier League who can’t successfully play his way out of a one-man “press,” and the Blues sliced through the Red Devils like warm butter. Scott McTominay — bless his heart — tried to want it enough for seven or eight of his teammates currently on auto-pilot, all of whom are paid exponentially more than him, but he was no match for N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Alonso and Kai Havertz. And, still…

2. Chelsea can’t get out of their own way: In the first half, it was

…
Basket Ball / Sports

76ers blow out Raptors in Game 6, 132-97

The Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from a pair of losses to the Toronto Raptors to win by 35 on the road in Game 6 and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Philadelphia won the first three games of the series, but star center Joel Embiid suffered a thumb injury in Game 3 and the team struggled offensively in Games 4 and 5. That wasn’t the case Thursday night when the 76ers scored 70 in the second half alone of a 132-97 win.

Embiid led the team in scoring with 33 points, making 12 of his 18 field goals on the night. Every starter for the 76ers scored at least 12 points on the night. James Harden finished with 22 points and 15 assists, and the 76ers got 25 points and eight assists out of Tyrese Maxey.

Toronto trailed by only one point at halftime, but managed to score just 36 points in the second half, something the 76ers managed to accomplish before the end of the third quarter. Chris Boucher came off the bench to lead the Raptors in scoring with 25 points.

The 76ers advance to face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, which will begin Monday.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Luka Doncic, Dallas rally past Utah in series clincher, will face Suns next

The Dallas Mavericks advance to the Western Conference semifinals after beating the Utah Jazz 98-96 in Game 6 Thursday night. It was a closely contested battle that came down to the final shot as Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic missed what would’ve been a game-winning 3-pointer to extend this series.

The Mavericks got a combined 48 points out of Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, while Spencer Dinwiddie tacked on 19 points off the bench. The Jazz carried a 10-point lead heading into halftime, but couldn’t finish it off in the second half as Doncic started to catch fire after the break. Donovan Mitchell had 23 points in the loss, while Jordan Clarkson put up 15 points and six rebounds off the bench. The Jazz will head into the offseason, while the Mavericks will now face the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the second round.

Here are three takeaways from the Dallas’ series-clinching win over Utah.

1. Not about how you start, but how you finish

If you stopped watching this game at halftime you would probably assume that Utah held on to win this game based on how Dallas was playing. The Mavericks shot just 38.6 percent from the field, and an even worse 16.7 percent from deep. Doncic was held to just nine points on 3 of 8 from the field, and the Mavericks couldn’t buy a shot from practically anywhere on the floor.

Meanwhile, after a similarly slow start in the first quarter, the Jazz began to figure things out in the second quarter and took advantage of mismatches on offense and attack the rim. Utah was smart in hunting Doncic on offense, which resulted in several easy buckets around the rim. At the half, the Jazz held a 12-point lead and despite the injury concerns leading up to this game, Mitchell looked like he was unbothered by those quad bruises.

And then the third quarter started. Just for some context, Doncic ranks sixth in the league in points scored in the third quarter this season (8.3), and in the …

Basket Ball / Sports

Chris Paul makes NBA playoff history in Phoenix Suns’ closeout win over the New Orleans Pelicans

Chris Paul shot a perfect 14-of-14 from the field to help the Phoenix Suns close out their opening round playoff series with a 115-109 Game 6 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Living up to his ‘Point God’ moniker, it marked the first time in playoff history that a player made 13 or more shots without a single miss.
Paul also made all four of his free throws to finish with 33 points, while also racking up eight assists and five rebounds.
However, the 12-time All-Star was lucky not to receive a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter for a brutal elbow to the chin of New Orleans guard Jose Alvarado. The incident was missed by the referees and, despite Alvarado’s protestations, the Pelicans were unable to call for a review after having already used their coach’s challenge.
Paul spent the first six years of his illustrious career in New Orleans after being drafted fourth by the franchise — then the Hornets — in 2005 and played his fifth season with current Pelicans head coach Willie Green.

“I’m emotional every game here [in New Orleans],” he told NBA on TNT. “Willie being my brother, somebody I talk to about everything, us not talking this whole series, seeing his son sitting on the baseline.

“It’s a good win for us, there’s a reason why he’s the coach here. There ain’t been this much energy here in a long time and I’m just glad we got the win. I always say this city raised me, man. It’s tough, this is emotional for me.
“I root for this team when I’m not playing against them, so to beat them was nice to get through the first round.”
On his return from a hamstring injury suffered in Game 2 of the series, Suns shooting guard Devin Booker put up 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, while center Deandre Ayton had a bright night with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
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Football / Sports

Liverpool vs Villarreal final score: Klopp’s men have total control

Liverpool bossed Villarreal in every area and will bring a 2-0 lead to Spain after controlling a UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg at Anfield on Wednesday.

Pervis Estupinan’s deflection of a Jordan Henderson cross went down as an own goal and Mohamed Salah set up a Sadio Mane goal as the Reds beat the Yellow Submarine by holding a 19-2 shots advantage and 74 percent of the ball.

The second leg is Tuesday in Spain, which will come after both teams play league matches early Saturday morning.

Liverpool vs Villarreal final score, stats

Liverpool 2, Villarreal 0

Scorers: Estupinan (o.g. 53′), Mane (55′)

Shot attempts: Liverpool 19, Villarreal 1

Shots on goal: Liverpool 5, Villarreal 0

Possession: Liverpool 74, Villarreal 26

Three things we learned from Liverpool vs Villarreal

1. Almost complete victory: The only thing that would’ve made this match better for Liverpool — and we’re being picky — is a third goal. The Reds have left the door closed but not locked heading to Spain next week, though Villarreal could be suitably dispirited by its defensive display yielding almost nothing on the counter. Liverpool was so good all the way across the back aside from one bad pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold that led to Villarreal’s most dangerous counter. There’s no reason not to anticipate a berth in the final.

2. Alexander-Arnold shines: One of several players to collect more than 100 touches on the day, Trent Alexander-Arnold managed the figure in less than 90 minutes as Jurgen Klopp rested some players for the weekend’s trip to Newcastle. Alexander-Arnold had four key passes and would’ve had an assist had Andy Robertson managed to stay onside for what could’ve been 3-0 to the hosts. Alexander-Arnold was also credited with four tackles on the day.

3. Emery back to the drawing board: Well, Unai Emery simply cannot play it this conservative in the second leg if he wants any hopes of shocking the Reds. Unfortunately, that could lead to Liverpool just pounding away at the hosts in Spain, but Emery

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