Digital Sports Desk

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It’s 2-2 …

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Cleveland 111, Boston 102

When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, May 21, 2018
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
Attendance: 20,562
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

CLEVELAND – LeBron James scored 44 points on 17-of-28 shooting to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 111-102 victory over the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena to even the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

Kyle Korver scored 14 points (all in the first half) for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers. Tristan Thompson recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds, George Hill scored 13 points and Kevin Love collected 11 rebounds while scoring nine points.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 points and Jayson Tatum had 17 for the second-seeded Celtics, who dropped to 1-6 on the road this postseason. Terry Rozier notched 16 points and 11 assists, Al Horford tallied 15 points and Marcus Morris scored 10.

Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston, and James is already gearing up for the contest.

“It’s a hostile environment, we understand that,” James said in a postgame television interview on ESPN. “There is no love in there. If you don’t have on green, if you don’t play for that team, if you don’t bleed green, they’ve got no love for you.

“So we’ve got to come out with a bunker mentality and understand it’s just us. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

Celtics coach Brad Stevens echoed that sentiment.

“It’s a best two of three to go to the NBA Finals. It doesn’t get much better than that,” Stevens said in his postgame press conference. “Ultimately, anybody that didn’t think this was going to be tough — I mean, everything is tough. In this deal, it’s a blast to have to grit your teeth, get up off the mat and go after it again. That’s part of what makes these guys on both sides special.”

Cleveland shot 50.6 from the field on Monday and had a 47-37 rebounding edge. Boston shot 41.2 percent from the floor.

Hill’s basket gave the Cavaliers a 96-81 lead with 9:53 remaining in the contest before the Celtics rattled off eight straight points. Love and James responded with back-to-back baskets to increase the Cleveland margin to 100-89.

Boston again was within seven after Marcus Smart’s bucket with 4:29 left, but Thompson and James scored consecutive baskets to again push the Cavaliers’ lead to 11. Hill followed with a 12-foot floater to give Cleveland a 106-93 advantage with 2:36 left.

James drained a 3-pointer with 1:43 left to record his sixth 40-point outing of this postseason and give the Cavaliers a 109-95 lead. Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson (2001) is the most recent player to have six 40-point performances in a single playoff year.

“I put the work in day in and day out on my body, working on my game every day to try to put myself in the best condition I can be in the postseason,” James told ESPN afterward. “My teammates, my coaching staff allow me to go out and do the things to try to help us win and trust me.

“And besides the seven turnovers tonight, I think I earned their trust a little bit more.”

Cleveland led by 15 at halftime but saw Love head to the bench with this fifth foul with 7:40 left in the third quarter as Boston crept within 11. The Celtics later trailed 80-72 after Tatum’s basket with 3:40 remaining in the quarter before the Cavaliers answered with a 9-2 surge to push the lead back to 15.

Tatum’s dunk with 1.7 seconds to play moved Boston within 89-76 entering the final stanza.

James scored 22 points in the first half as the Cavaliers led 68-53 at the break.

–Field Level Media

It’s 3-3 …

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Washington 3, Tampa Bay 0

When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, May 21, 2018
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Attendance: 18,506
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

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 Braden Holtby
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WASH DC – Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby made 24 saves in a 3-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, forcing a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals. The Capitals won Game 6 on Monday night at Capital One Arena in Washington, marking their first home victory of the series.

T.J. Oshie scored twice, including an empty-net tally, and Devante Smith-Pelly also produced a goal for the Capitals, who will return to Tampa, Fla., for Wednesday night’s series finale.

“We have to use it to our advantage,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of returning home.

The winner meets the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.

Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots, but his teammates couldn’t find an opening at the other end.

Tampa Bay had won three games in a row in the series.

“They were the more desperate team tonight,” Lightning star Steven Stamkos said of the Capitals after the game. “They played like their backs were against the wall. … Our desperation level needs to be higher.”

Entering the game, the Lightning held a 7-0 record all-time against the Capitals in postseason games in Washington.

The Lightning advanced through the first two rounds by winning in their first chances in clinching games. This time, Tampa Bay will have to work a little extra if it wants to move on to hockey’s ultimate round.

Oshie scored on a power play — Washington’s only chance on the man advantage for the game — with 4:48 to play in the second period. Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov assisted on the goal.

It was Backstrom’s first point in the series after he missed the first three games coming off an injury suffered during the Pittsburgh series. He was minus-1 in both of the other games he played against the Lightning. He was also credited with an assist on Oshie’s empty-net goal, Backstrom’s 12th assist of the postseason.

“I think once we scored that first goal, we didn’t give up the physical side of the game,” Oshie said. “We kept pounding them and played physical and that wears you down.”

Midway through the third period, Smith-Pelly scored when he broke free skating toward the net and received a pass from Chandler Stephenson.

In a scoreless first period, the Capitals registered eight of the 14 total shots. There were stretches without solid scoring chances with tight checking.

Most the action from the opening period came with a rare postseason fight when Tampa Bay’s J.T. Miller and Washington’s Brooks Orpik tangled with 4:12 remaining.

The Capitals held a 15-8 edge in second-period shots.

–Field Level Media

Off-Season Injury Woes for NE

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FOXBOROUGH – (Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots newly signed defensive end Adrian Clayborn could be limited in the upcoming OTAs after injuring his quadriceps in a recent workout, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

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Injured Patriot Adrian Clayborn

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Clayborn, who signed a two-year, $10 million deal in March, had his workload reduced after tweaking the muscle and could be limited when the team ramps up in phase three of its offseason program.

Clayborn, 29, racked up 9.5 sacks for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, including five in one game against Cowboys backup left tackle Chaz Green. Other than 2012 and 2014 campaigns that were almost entirely lost to injury, Clayborn has averaged six sacks per season in his career.

The former first-round pick spent the first four years of his career as a full-time starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before taking a rotational role in Atlanta.

While he may be limited during OTAs, the team reportedly expects he’ll be fully ready to go for training camp.

Only two Patriots had more than five sacks a season ago: Defensive end Trey Flowers (6.5) and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (5.5).

–Field Level Media

NY Rangers Tap BU’s Quinn

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NEW YORK – Boston University coach David Quinn is expected to become the next head coach of the New York Rangers, according to multiple reports on Saturday.

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David Quinn peportedly leaving Boston U. for NYR

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There were multiple reports that Quinn informed the school of his plans to leave on Saturday morning. The Rangers and Quinn have discussed a five-year contract worth around $2.5 million annually, according to multiple reports.

Quinn, 51, has gone 105-67-21 in five seasons at his alma mater, leading the Terriers to three regional finals and a runner-up finish at the Frozen Four in 2015. He had previously served as an assistant for Boston from 2004-09 before joining the then-Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League as head coach from 2009-12.

Quinn was an assistant for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2012-13 season before taking the head job at Boston, and he has also been a Team USA assistant several times during his career.

New York missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 2009-10, and only the second time since ’03-04. The Rangers finished with 77 points, 10 fewer than they had in any other non-lockout-shortened season since ’03-04.

The team fired Alain Vigneault, who took the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14 in his first season at the helm, in April. Vigneault finished his five-year tenure with a 226-147-37 regular-season record and a 31-30 mark in the postseason.

–Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Takes Lead

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Tampa Bay 3, Washington 2

When: 7:15 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2018
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa
Attendance: 19,092
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

TAMPA – A sterling start to each of the first two periods gave the Tampa Bay Lightning all the push they needed to win Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, defeating the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Saturday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

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For the first time, the Lightning lead the series, taking a 3-2 edge into Game 6 on Monday night in Washington.

Cedric Paquette scored 19 seconds into the game and Ryan Callahan scored 33 seconds into the second period for the Lightning, who have won three games in a row. In between those goals, Ondrej Palat tallied for Tampa Bay, which took a 3-0 lead on the way to winning at home for the first time in the series.

“We had good opportunities and that’s what you have to do (with them),” Callahan told reporters afterward.

Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots, including 12 of 13 in the third period.

“He has been our backbone all year,” Callahan said of his goaltender. “That’s why we had the season we had.”

Washington goalie Braden Holtby made 19 saves, facing only four shots in the final period.

The Capitals didn’t go away because Evgeny Kuznetsov notched his 11th goal of the postseason 4:21 into the second period. Kuznetsov has scored in all three games in Tampa in the series.

After pulling Holtby for an extra skater, Alex Ovechkin scored with 1:36 to play, but the Capitals couldn’t find a way to pull even. Ovechkin has 11 goals in the playoffs this spring.

“The margin of error of between the teams is not much,” Caps head coach Barry Trotz said afterward. “We haven’t scored (enough).

“…[The power play] is something we have to get some production from. We have to get special teams (going).”

After converting two of four power-play chances in Game 1, the Capitals are 1-of-10 on the man advantage. They did not have a single power-play opportunity Saturday night.

For the Lightning, Paquette’s goal was six seconds away from being the quickest goal at the start of a postseason game in Tampa Bay franchise history. That came from Adam Hall in 2013. Paquette had no resistance as he charged toward the net for the game’s opening score.

Palat’s goal came in transition as he appeared to have a difficult path for the puck to make it to the net, but he shortly fired a shot after crossing the blue line and Holtby couldn’t make the stop.

Callahan’s goal came with some traffic around the net.

This was the first time in the series that Steven Stamkos didn’t score for the Lightning.

–Field Level Media

SCOTUS Rules on Sports Gambling

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hy·poc·ri·sy
həˈpäkrəsē
noun
  1. the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.
By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief, Digital Sports Desk
BOSTON – Let the games begin! Let the posturing begin! All bets down. With an easy edit of an infamous quote and all due respect to the great pundit Michael Ray Richardson, “The Ship be Sailin’ … and the Skies the Limit!”

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First, the Hypocrisy:
Let’s start with the NFL statement issued within hours of today’s Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruling on The State of New Jersey v. NCAA which overturned the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which barred most US States from enacting sports gambling within the State. Here is the first exhibit of pretense:
“The NFL’s long-standing and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our game remains absolute,” said a statement issued by the league today. “Congress has long recognized the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events. Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting. We also will work closely with our clubs to ensure that any state efforts that move forward in the meantime protect our fans and the integrity of our game.”
  • Puh-leeze?
A sports betting site, Boyds, recently estimated a record $158.5 million was wagered on the Super Bowl alone in 2018. The NFL, although a beneficiary through added fan engagement and eyeballs on the television broadcasts, didn’t pocket a cent of that hefty sum. That is about to change. The NFL’s head-in-the-sand approach is no longer acceptable.
  • Hypocrisy you say?
While the NFL was perfectly keen to play a handful of games in London each year where every Tom, Dick and William Hill have kiosks to take wagers from everything from Horse Racing to Snooker or from the NBA to the very NFL game being played steps away from Twickenham to Wembley, the NFL and its Commissioner Roger Goodell are taking the high and mighty stance today, as though the SCOTUS unearthed some new-fangled vice or a gambling mechanism that former NFL Today pundit Jimmy The Greek had never thought of as he put forth his picks against-the-spread (ATS) decades ago. If not in London, the NFL was happy to play before record crowds in Mexico City where gambling is legal, similar to the UK.
Take all of that aside for a second, as gambling experts estimate some $93 billion was wagered on the NFL and $400 billion in the sports gambling universe last year alone, via illegal offshore sites for online wagering at the click of a handheld device, with much of it on the campuses of USA-based colleges and universities. Now that its going to be legalized in as many of 32 of the 49 states, aside from Nevada, the NFL stands with a different take and their major concern is potential harms?
  • So what is a USA-based Sports League to do?
Let’s start with the outlook of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court opens the door for states to pass laws legalizing sports betting,” he said. “We (meaning the NBA and its teams) remain in favor of a federal framework that would provide a uniform approach to sports gambling in states that choose to permit it, but we will remain active in ongoing discussions with state legislatures. Regardless of the particulars of any future sports betting law, the integrity of our game remains our highest priority.”
Of course Silver was on record, dating back to a November 13, 2014 Op-Ed piece in The New York Times, as well as a number of statements made at sports industry conferences near you, when he stated, in favor of regulation of the sports gambling industry, “Betting on professional sports is currently illegal in most of the United States, outside of Nevada. I believe we need a different approach.”
You got it, Adam, and, get your Chief Financial Officer and Chief Revenue Officer to finalize their budget projections.
  • So? What’s Next?
There are now two things you can count on, resulting from today’s SCOTUS ruling:
1. The States Will Screw It Up: Some 32 states are currently jockeying for position to launch sports wagering in some shape or form. Each state will trust the judgment of its Treasury officer, some sports consultants and, maybe, just maybe seek input from the professional (or college) sports industry execs within their own state. With each entity having different goals and entirely different viewpoints, agendas, and budget needs, they will undoubtedly screw it up.  Some of the States are well on their way to ineptitude in sports gaming, some to epic proportions. (For prior examples: See NYC OTB, warehouses of Scratch-off game cards with various team logo identification and weak efforts of NFL parlay betting in Delaware).
Remember. in November 2016 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts voted to legalize the use of marijuana for adults 21 years and older, but set aside the right for communities to regulate dispensaries, store hours and the like. As summer of 2018 approaches, there’s not a store in sight in my Massachusetts community. Weed? Gambling? The states will find a way to fumble it, delay it and then totally screw it up.
2. The Leagues Will Have Their Hands Out: We’ve already heard about a 1% “Integrity Fee” that legal experts scoff at, noting that Las Vegas has been operating quite nicely without any portion of their take going to the coffers of the league offices or to the big, bad NCAA. Now, guess what? The leagues have the upper hand as power brokers and lobbyists in Nevada and Washington DC are holding a two and a three against the dealer’s “Black Jack” in this game. The leagues have the deal. Forever.
The leagues control the stats and the real time, accurate stat feeds and the “tip of the iceberg” halftime and final score wagering is but a “mere bag of shells” when you compare it to the power of global “In-Game” transactional wagering where real time stat feeds, right from Courtside or the ballpark will pave the way for the leagues to grab their piece of the action or else!
The “or else” might be a future situation where only licensed partners, not much different from official licensees of merchandise or authorized official game broadcasters are provided with the “official” in-game stat feeds. In most situations like this, you follow the money, but in this situation, follow the stat feeds.
  • Where will the Money come from? Your pocket.
I can see the gaming scenario play out much the way TicketMaster and some of the others charge fans for “Facility Fees” whereby a few bucks (even $1 or $2) come out of your pocket when you place a single wager or join the gambling community for a particular game.
Sure, place your $110 to win $100 but it will now cost you $111.00
Get ready sports fans, cozy up to your local saloon, order a beer and a Fireball, place your bet at the window or on your phone, watch your game, take a bad beat and don’t forget to tip your bartenders, wait staff, Adam Silver and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

SCOTUS: Let the Games Begin!

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The SCOTUS just ruled on the longstanding case of the NCAA vs The State of New Jersey. Now, let the real games begin.

In short, the NCAA was arguing to uphold the prior Federal law, tagged PASPA (Google it!). The State of New Jersey, at the urging of former Governor Chris Christie, argued and won in front of the highest court to legalize sports gambling on a State-by-State basis, noting an outdated legal framework and one set of laws for Nevada, another set for a handful of States (like Delaware, Oregon), and a third set of laws for other States.

That noted, the very sports leagues and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) are in a position where the very laws they were opposing soon will have an opposite residual effect of creating one of the top three or four revenue streams, if managed properly and aggressively.

Just one of those revenue streams, as it relates to legalized gambling, will be the control and distribution of the “official” and “real time” statistics from sporting contests, albeit contests between the “student athletes.”

From the official news release via Genius Sports today … and the key is the line in bold below. Read on!

Today, the NCAA announced a landmark initiative to transform the digital collection and distribution of intercollegiate sports data. This initiative, conducted in partnership with Genius Sports, a leading sports data and technology service, will benefit the NCAA’s member institutions across all three divisions and will be used in select NCAA championships, starting with men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in 2019.

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The cutting-edge software will revolutionize how real-time data and statistics are captured, managed and distributed.  The technology will subsequently be rolled out to schools for other NCAA sports, including volleyball, football, soccer, baseball and softball.

As a service to its membership, the NCAA will offer the application to its members at no cost for an introductory period.

NCAA member schools and conferences adopting the software platform will benefit from improved efficiencies that include enhanced data capture and distribution services, richer coaching insights, and the ability to captivate fan and media experience by delivering engaging statistics to multiple platforms in real-time.

In addition to providing development, promotional, and technical support for the data software, Genius Sports will serve as the NCAA’s exclusive agent in licensing real-time official data from championship events, including NCAA March Madness, to media platforms and other companies.

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“This digital transition comes at a time when data for all intercollegiate sports are increasingly important to our fans, our institutions and our partners,” said Oliver Luck, executive vice president of regulatory affairs and strategic partnerships for the NCAA. “This initiative will transform the way we collect, use, and distribute the vast amount of sports data being consumed across all sports at every level.  It will allow our schools to upgrade to state-of-the-art technology.”

“This technology will deliver a world-class experience for NCAA fans, coaches, players, athletic directors and administrators alike,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “We’re delighted to be playing a pivotal role in the NCAA’s digital transformation, implementing one of the most advanced technology systems in sports.”

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@DigSportsDesk Side Opinion: This move will better position the NCAA to benefit monetarily if/when the SCOTUS rules against them in the New Jersey vs NCAA case. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Best LAX in World Coming to Boston

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The best lacrosse players in the world will compete at Harvard University when the All-Stars of Major League Lacrosse plays Team USA as it prepares for the FIL World Lacrosse Championships in Netanya, Israel.  The game will take place on Thursday, June 28, 2018, at historic Harvard Stadium, home of the MLL’s Boston Cannons.

The MLL All-Stars vs. Team USA competition happens only once every four years and is always one of the most exciting, competitive matches.  Tic kets for the game are available on Ticketmaster and by visiting MajorLeagueLacrosse.com.

“This year’s MLL All-Star Game pitting our players against Team USA is the premier lacrosse event of the year, featuring the game’s top players.” said Alexander Brown, MLL Commissioner. “We are thrilled to add to Boston’s rich lacrosse tradition and provide our fans with unequivocally the best lacrosse that they will ever see.”

In conjunction with the All-Star Game, youth lacrosse players are invited to Millennium Park in West Roxbury on Thursday, June 28. MLL will host skills clinics for boys while the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League will provide girls with the opportunity to participate in skills clinics hosted by their players. For more information, visit the MLL All-Star event website atallstar.majorleaguelacrosse.com.

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The 2018 MLL All-Star Game will mark the sixth time Boston has hosted the event in the league’s 18-year history. Harvard Stadium, one of the country’s most storied athletic venues, has hosted the game five times and was also the site of the 2008 and 2012 MLL Championship Games. Built in 1903, it is the oldest permanent concrete structure in the country and is currently home to the Boston Cannons, as well as Harvard football and lacrosse.

“We are proud to have played a key role in the history of professional lacrosse, having been home to MLL since the league’s inception, said said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “I’m looking forward to the game and to welcoming the athletes and spectators from all over the region to our city.”

Beginning with the MLL All-Star Game, Grant Thornton, a leading independent audit, tax and advisory firm, has become an official special events partner of MLL. Grant Thornton has offices throughout the U.S., including two in the Boston area.

“Lacrosse is successfully challenging the sports world, increasing in popularity with players and fans alike, and making other sports take notice,” said David Platt, office managing partner of Grant Thornton’s New England practice. “We approach service to our clients the same way and are excited to join Major League Lacrosse as they continue to inspire and create fun across the country.”

Since in 2006, MLL has partnered with US Lacrosse every four years to showcase Team USA against the MLL All-Stars prior to the World Championships. In the most recent matchup in 2014, Team USA edged out the MLL All-Stars 10-9, so the athletes are eager for a rematch.

“This will be an extremely valuable competition in preparation for the world championship in Israel, and it will provide fans with a one-of-a-kind showcase of the best lacrosse players in the world,” said Steve Stenersen, president and CEO of US Lacrosse. “It’s another wonderful example of our collaboration with MLL, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to work with Commissioner Brown and his team to highlight the best of our sport.”

Prior to the start of this year’s All-Star Game, fans are invited to visit the Fan Zone at Harvard Stadium, where they will have opportunities to meet MLL players, view product demos from top equipment suppliers and experience interactive exhibits.

“The Boston Cannons are thrilled to host this year’s MLL All-Star Game. We welcome fans to come experience a truly exciting athletic competition,” said Ian Frenette, President, Boston Cannons. “We hope this event will thrill young and old lacrosse fans alike.”

NBA Playoffs Game Scout:

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Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers

When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, May 21, 2018
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

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CLEVELAND – For all the excitement they’ve provided as the overachievers in the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have struggled to find success on the road, a trend they will try to reverse when they take on the host Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday. The Cavaliers followed up a pair of double-digit losses in Boston to begin the series before rolling to a 116-86 win in Game 3 back home.

Cleveland raced to a 20-4 lead and never looked back against a Celtics team that shot 39.2 percent from the floor and made six 3-pointers, their lowest total this postseason. “The toughest team sets the rules,” Boston point guard Terry Rozier told reporters. “They came out aggressive from the jump and never looked back. We’ve got to play aggressive from the tip. Tonight, we were all over the place, playing too fast and doing things we didn’t want to do.” LeBron James scored 27 points on 8-of-12 shooting – including 3-of-3 from 3-point distance – and handed out 12 assists in a dominant all-around effort that got his team back in the series. “Even when things broke down, we just covered for one another,” James told the media. “We made them make extra passes. We made them make extra dribbles. We were flying around, and I just happened to be one of the guys on the floor that wanted to fly around as well.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston is 1-5 on the road in the playoffs but it knows that a victory would’ve been elusive no matter where they played Game 3. “If we would have played like that in Boston, we would have gotten beat,” coach Brad Stevens told reporters after his team also tied a playoff low with 16 assists while getting outrebounded 45-34. Jaylen Brown is averaging 11.3 points on 42.3 percent shooting in the past three road games – compared to 23.3 on 59.6 percent in the past three at home – after being limited to 10 points with one assist and three turnovers in Game 3.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Starting guards George Hill and J.R. Smith combined to make six 3-pointers and score 24 points Saturday after they put up a pair of clunkers in Boston, while reserve sharpshooter Kyle Korver made all five of his shot attempts – four from long range – en route to 14 points in 20 minutes. Another complementary player stepped up on the defensive end as center Tristan Thompson stifled Celtics big man Al Horford, who was limited to seven points in Game 3 – his first single-digit showing since March 20. “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Tristan because Horford is really the one that makes them go,” teammate Kevin Love told the media. “[Horford] can play a little bit of the point forward. He can do a lot of the intangibles that even for their team might not show up on the box score as well. But he did a great job on him tonight, and he’s done a great job on him the last two games.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. James is averaging 34.5 points on 58.5 percent from the floor and 12 assists in the last two games, and he needs six made baskets to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2,356) for the all-time NBA playoff record.

2. Celtics PG Shane Larkin (shoulder) has missed four straight games and there is no timetable for his return.

3. Cavaliers PF Larry Nance Jr. had eight points on 4-of-4 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals in Game 3 after a pair of scoreless outings in Boston.

Kerr Named Rudy T Award winner

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OAKLAND – Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors has won the 2017-18 Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which honors an NBA coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court, according to an announcement made by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.

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Kerr led the Warriors to a 58-24 record in his fourth season as their coach. He gives members of the Warriors’ public relations staff room to do their jobs and he encourages players to express themselves. Kerr also is generous with his time with the working press and is thoughtful with his answers.

The PBWA selected five finalists for the award. The other finalists were Steve Clifford of the Charlotte Hornets, Mike D’Antoni of the Houston Rockets, Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers and Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics.

Kerr won the award through a vote of PBWA members. He also won the award during the 2014-15 season.

The award is named for Rudy Tomjanovich, a former Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers coach who always was professional and respectful while dealing with the media. During his 13 seasons as an NBA head coach, Tomjanovich amassed a 527-416 regular-season record and a 51-39 postseason record. His Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

The PBWA is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA on a regular basis for newspapers, online outlets and magazines.

Rudy Tomjanovich Award winners

2010-11 Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz

2011-12 Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics

2012-13 George Karl, Denver Nuggets

2013-14 Frank Vogel, Indiana Pacers

2014-15 Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

2015-16 Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors

2016-17 Stan Van Gundy, Detroit Pistons

2017-18 Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

C’s Embarrased; Cavs Desperate

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics are embarrassed despite leading the Eastern Conference final. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers want to remain in desperation mode. Cleveland will seek to tie the series on Monday when it hosts the Celtics. Boston leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

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The Cavaliers played by far their best contest of the series when they rolled to a 116-86 win in Game 3 on Saturday. As for Boston, the players were disturbed with their effort.

“I use (Game 3) as fuel. I thought it was embarrassing,” Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown told reporters on Sunday. “Thought we came out, the way I played, the way I performed, how not aggressive I was in the first half, I look at that as fuel to come out in Game 4 and be excited about it and be ready to play and ready to fight.

“As a mindset, the game is 90 percent mental, so everything that we do affects our mindset. We can’t look at the last game and get down on ourselves or think we’re out of the series because we lost one game. That’s what the world thinks, that’s what the world wants us to think, so we’re going to come out and play some basketball (in Game 4), regardless of what anybody got to say.”

Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue doesn’t want his players going into relaxation mode after its Game 3 destruction of the Celtics.

Lue wants to see his players feeling the same sense of urgency that fueled the Game 3 win.

“We know what it takes,” Lue said Sunday after the Cavaliers held a film session. “We did it before. We’ve got a lot of veterans, a veteran crew and they know what it takes to win.

“We can’t get satisfied with just one win. It’s just one; we’ve got to come out (Monday) night and duplicate it again.”

Lue’s message during the film session was elementary in nature.

“Just remind them that this is the way we have to play,” Lue said.

Watching film of Game 3 wasn’t the least bit entertaining for Boston coach Brad Stevens.

Stevens doesn’t want his plays focusing on the mistakes and errors. He wants them to envision making the necessary improvements.

“I think, as coaches, you probably watch it over and over and over and over, and then you try to just trim it to what’s necessary,” Stevens said after the session. “This team is, again, prideful, competitive. They’ve been resilient. Nobody felt good leaving the gym (Saturday) night. Nobody felt good when they woke up this morning.

“And so I think that we have to look at what we can do better. There is a physical component to that, and we have to be honest and watch the film and see the things that we got outworked on and see the things that we can just execute better on both ends.”

One eye-opening component in Game 3 was that Boston center Al Horford took just four shots and was held to seven points. He averaged 17.5 points over the first two games.

“I just think that we were a little out of sync,” Horford said. “I think that (in Game 4) we’ll be better in making sure that we have better ball movement. I’m not worried about that. I know I’ll be able to get more shots (Monday).”

Cavaliers star LeBron James had 27 points and 12 assists in Game and is averaging 32.9 points, 9.4 assists and 8.9 rebounds in 14 games this postseason.

–Field Level Media

Wise Takes AT&T Byron Nelson

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DALLAS – (Wire Service Recap) – Aaron Wise and Marc Leishman of Australia began the rain-delayed final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday with a four-stroke cushion over the field, creating a match-play scenario between the two golfers with everyone else playing for third place.

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Aaron Wise with the win at Byron Nelson

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The 21-year-old Wise played his part as expected and was the better player over the last 18 holes, shooting 6-under-par 65 in the final round to Leishman’s 68 to finish at 23-under 261 to win this storied event by three strokes at Trinity Forest Golf Club, located six miles south of downtown Dallas.

Wise, a rookie with 26 PGA Tour events now under his belt, captured his first Tour title two weeks after he finished tied for second to Jason Day at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte.

“I hit the ball incredible all week along and it got better as the week went along which was fun for me to see,” Wise said. “It continued today. I absolutely striped it. Hit it incredible.

“I had a talk with my putter there on No. 3 a little bit about it because I missed a couple chances early. It got red hot in the middle of that round and kind of shot me off to a huge lead.”

The key sequence Wise used to separate himself from Leishman happened on the front-nine, when Wise collected five birdies in a six-hole stretch and turned in 31. He added another birdie on the 10th hole and cruised home with eight straight pars, the final of which came in near-darkness.

“I knew coming down the stretch Marc was going to get some chances because he was hitting the ball great as well and luckily the ball kind of bounced my way,” Wise said. “I was able to par in and get the victory.”

Leishman, who began the week at Trinity Forest with a 10-under 61 to establish a course record, played his worst golf when he needed to be at his best, and never really challenged Wise.

He bogeyed the second, eagled the fifth after driving the green, and birdied the seventh and eighth — but still trailed by two. Leishman then had two birdies and two bogeys coming in.

“I played with Aaron yesterday, and he played very well and he played extremely well today,” Leishman said. “He holed putts he needed to hole. I didn’t. That’s what you got to do. I hit a couple of loose shots where I could have probably put a bit of pressure on him and didn’t, and that’s probably the difference in the end.”

Branden Grace of South Africa (who fired a field-low 62 on Sunday), J.J. Spaun (63), and Keith Mitchell (63) tied for third but were never in the conversation to catch Wise. Grace’s round, which came on his 30th birthday, tied for his career low.

“You get more luck on the links golf course than maybe on a normal golf course,” Grace said. “It was a breath of fresh air playing something different this week instead of the week-in, week out. It was fun. The tournament did a great job at the venue. It will only get better with time.”

Jimmy Walker (67), Ryan Blaum (66) and Kevin Na (68) finished in sixth, seven shots off Wise’s pace. Adam Scott of Australia (65), Charles Howell III (66), and Kevin Tway (67) ended up tied for ninth at 269.

Most casual fans likely didn’t know much about Wise until his runner-up performance in Charlotte. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa, but he moved to the United States when he was 3.

Wise went to college at Oregon, where he helped the Ducks win the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship in 2016, and he was also the NCAA men’s individual champion that season.

While this was Wise’s first victiory on America’s preeminent golf tour, he has won on both the Web.com Tour in 2017 and on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour in 2016. Wise has made the cut in 10 of 17 starts this season and has five top-25 finishes in 2017-18 after making nine combined starts on the PGA Tour the past two seasons.

“It feels amazing, you know,” Wise said about winning. “It’s incredible. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of. I get to plan my schedule — which is huge to me — and I get to play in the majors. It’s dream come true to win this one.”

The PGA Tour remains in Texas and heads 40 miles east next week to venerable Colonial Country Club for the Fort Worth Invitational.

–Field Level Media

Luck Be a Lady To-Knights

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Vegas 2, Winnipeg 1

When: 3:00 PM ET, Sunday, May 20, 2018
Where: Bell MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Attendance: 15,321
Special to Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

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LAS VEGAS – An improbable goal-scorer lifted an improbable contender into the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ryan Reaves’ tie-breaking goal in the second period Sunday enabled the Vegas Golden Knights to edge the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, clinching the Western Conference title for Vegas in its first season of existence.

A roster consisting almost entirely of other teams’ castoffs will meet either Tampa Bay or Washington for the Stanley Cup. The Lightning lead the Eastern Conference championship series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Monday night in Washington.

“This is incredible,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said afterward. “With this group of guys, we come to the rink, everyone’s so happy to see each other. They trust they’ll do what it takes to win games.”

Reaves’ first goal of this postseason, and just his second career playoff goal, came at 13:21 of the second. Luca Sbisa took a wrister from the point that deflected off one stick before Reaves got his blade on it, tipping it off the crossbar and over the goal line.

The Golden Knights defended the lead fiercely from that point, getting 31 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury and keeping the Jets from overrunning their defensive zone, even when Winnipeg pulled goalie Connor Hellebuyck for a sixth skater in the last two minutes.

“Guys really hustled, you know?” Fleury said after the game. “We made plays getting it out of the zone, we had some chances, and it paid off.”

When asked if he’s playing the best hockey of his career, the 33-year-old replied, “You’re only as good as your team, you know?”

Vegas became the first expansion team to reach the Cup Finals since the St. Louis Blues, who played in a division of nothing but expansion teams after the NHL grew from six to 12 teams prior to the 1967-68 season.

 

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Dustin Byfuglien of Winnipeg

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As they have done throughout the series, the Golden Knights started fast. A failed clearing attempt by Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey found the stick of Alex Tuch in the high slot. He wheeled and wired a wrister past Hellebuyck at 5:11 of the first period for his sixth playoff goal.

Vegas had a 15-3 advantage in shot attempts in the first nine minutes, but Winnipeg finally found some traction as its sellout crowd roared to life.

Morrissey atoned for his mistake by tying the game at 17:14 of the first with his first playoff goal. Bryan Little’s clean faceoff win found its way to Morrissey for a one-timer over Fleury’s glove.

Winnipeg evened the shot totals at 32 apiece by game’s end, but the Jets couldn’t solve Fleury.

“The goaltender was extraordinary,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “He’s playing lights-out right now.”

Vegas is now 12-3 in the postseason, going 6-1 at home and 6-2 on the road. If the Lightning advance from the East, they will hold home-ice advantage in the finals, but a Capitals appearance would give the Golden Knights home ice.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: NHL

Throughly Trounced …

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Golden State 126, Houston 85

When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, May 20, 2018
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland
Attendance: 19,596
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

OAKLAND – Stephen Curry hit seven straight shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, in a third-quarter flurry Sunday night that broke open a competitive game and sent the Golden State Warriors to a 126-85 blowout win over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals in Oakland, Calif.

Curry, who had been held to a total of 34 points in the first two games of the series, exploded for 35 points in 34 minutes, propelling the Warriors into a 2-1 lead over the top-seeded Rockets in the best-of-seven series.

“That’s what I expected to do, but just like my approach after every game is you don’t get too high after highs, don’t get too low after lows.” Curry said in an on-court interview after the game. “Obviously thankful to hit some shots tonight, eventually.”

Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night, also in Oakland.

Kevin Durant had 25 points, while teammate Draymond Green had a game-high 17 rebounds to complement 10 points, as the Warriors rebounded from a 127-105 shellacking Wednesday in Game 2 in Houston.

The Warriors have lost three games in their three series this postseason, and have rebounded to win the next contest by a combined 65 points.

“Tonight was all about defense and taking care of the ball,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s it. When we defend at that level and take care of the ball, we’re usually in pretty good shape.”

James Harden had 20 points and a game-high nine assists to lead the Rockets, who had won three of their previous four road games in the postseason. Houston had the best road record in the NBA during the regular season at 31-10.

“As a team, we played a lot better defense today, which I think got everybody more involved,” Curry said.

The 41-point margin of defeat was the largest in the Rockets’ postseason history.

“It was not a very good game, and we’re going to have to play a lot better Tuesday,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We have short memories. Have to.”

The Rockets led by as many as four points in the first quarter and trailed just 54-43 at halftime before Curry almost single-handedly left them in the dust in the third period.

Curry, just 1-for-7 on 3-pointers in the first half after going just 2-for-13 in the first two games of the series, connected from 28 and 25 feet during a 14-0 burst midway through the third period that turned a 70-56 game into an 84-56 demolition.

“He’s good, and sooner or later he’s going to erupt,” D’Antoni said. “You can analyze him all you want, but at the end of the day, he’s still a pretty good basketball player.”

Curry made four of his five 3-point attempts in the second half to finish 5-for-12. He hit 13 of 23 shots overall.

Asked what the Warriors had to do to keep rolling in Game 4, Curry answered, “Just do everything we didn’t do in Game 2 and we should be in good shape.”

Klay Thompson (13), Quinn Cook (11) and Andre Iguodala (10) also scored in double figures for the Warriors, who have won 26 of their last 30 playoff games.

Harden’s 20 points came on 7-for-16 shooting for the Rockets, who shot just 39.5 percent overall in the game and 32.4 percent (11-for-34) on 3-pointers.

Clint Capela added 13 points, while Chris Paul logged a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Rockets.

Eric Gordon (11), P.J. Tucker (six) and Trevor Ariza (six), who combined for 68 points in the Game 2 win, combined for just 23 points in Game 3.

–Field Level Media

Sox Take Another Series From O’s

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Boston 5, Baltimore 0

When: 1:05 PM ET, Sunday, May 20, 2018
Where: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Temperature: 78°
Umpires: Home – Nic Lentz, 1B – Alfonso Marquez, 2B – Lance Barrett, 3B – Bill Welke
Attendance: 35,550
Recap by Field Level Media

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David Hess after J.D. Martinez HR

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BOSTON – (Staff and wire Service Report) – J.D. Martinez blasted two home runs and finished with three RBIs to supplement a strong start by Eduardo Rodriguez as the host Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 5-0, in the final game of a four-game series Sunday. The Red Sox are (14-1) in series finales this season.

It was the first multi-homer game with the Red Sox for Martinez (2-for-4), who tied teammate Mookie Betts for the major league lead with 15 home runs. Sox OF Andrew Benintendi went 3-for-5 and slugged a two-run shot as Boston won three of four in the series.

Rodriguez (4-1) claimed the victory, striking out seven over 5 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing nine hits and walking none.

Baltimore starter David Hess (1-1) was charged with five runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts in a 4 2/3-inning defeat. Adam Jones went 3-for-4 for the Orioles, who lost for the 15th time in 16 road games.

Martinez’s first-inning blast barely reached the right-field seats, sailing an estimated 324 feet around Pesky’s Pole to put Boston up 1-0. It was Martinez’s American League-leading fifth first-pitch homer of the season.

Boston broke the game open with a four-run fourth, which included Benintendi’s estimated 386-foot, two-run blast to right and Martinez’s mammoth 443-foot, two-run bomb to straightaway center.

Baltimore chased Rodriguez by loading the bases with two outs in the sixth, but reliever Heath Hembree got Trey Mancini to fly out to right to end the threat and preserve Rodriguez’s scoreless outing.

Before the game, the Orioles recalled Hess from Triple-A Norfolk to make his second career start. To make room for Hess on the 25-man roster, Baltimore optioned left-handed reliever Donnie Hart back to Norfolk.

Baltimore right-hander Andrew Cashner (1-5, 4.83 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Boston lefty Chris Sale (4-1, 2.29 ERA) starts a three-game set Tuesday at Tampa Bay.

–Field Level Media

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