Update on the latest sports
APNBA PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Suns and Lakers on brink of elimination
UNDATED (AP) — The last time Damian Lillard was on the court he had one of the best individual playoff performances ever, with 55 points, including 12 3-pointers. Yet, his Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Denver Nuggets in double overtime. Now the series shifts to Portland for Game 6 with Denver up 3-2 and the Blazers on the brink of elimination.
Meanwhile, LeBron James finds himself in uncharted waters as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Phoenix Suns trailing 3-2 in their first-round series. James has been to the NBA playoffs in 15 of his 18 NBA seasons, and has never missed the second round. That streak that is now very much in doubt.
James’ 14-0 record in first-round series is almost beyond compare in NBA history. Robert Horry and Derek Fisher both played in the first round 16 times; their teams went 16-0 in those series. They are the only players who have enjoyed more first-round success than James.
NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Hurricanes visit Lightning down 2-0…Islanders host Bruins in 1-1 series
UNDATED (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes are struggling to beat one of the NHL’s best goaltenders and dealing with some key injuries. That makes the challenge of beating Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay even tougher as the Hurricanes head to the home of the Lightning down 2-0 in their second-round playoff series.
Carolina has two goals in 70 shots through two games against Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV’-skee). There are also injury concerns with winger Nino Niederreiter (NEE’-dur-eye-tur) considered doubtful for the series and the status of center Vincent Trocheck uncertain after he suffered an apparent leg injury in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss.
Also Thursday night, the Islanders and Bruins head into Game 3 in New York with one win apiece in their second-round series.
FRENCH OPEN-DAY 5
Top-ranked Ash Barty retires from French Open with injury
PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Ash Barty has retired from her second-round match at the French Open because of an injury.
The 2019 champion trailed 6-1, 2-2 when she returned to her chair and signaled she was not able to continue against Polish rival Magda Linette. Barty had called for a medical timeout at the end of the opening set, then briefly left the court for treatment. She stopped after Linette hit an ace. Barty then walked to the net to shake the 45th-ranked player’s hand.
The Australian started Thursday’s match with her left thigh bandaged and it was immediately clear she could not move properly. Dealing with a left hip problem, Barty had struggled through a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win against 70th-ranked American Bernarda Pera in the first round. She said afterward she was not fully healthy and would adopt a one-match-at-a-time approach.
Barty decided not to defend her title last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, choosing instead to remain home in Australia.
In other action Thursday:
— Last year’s French Open runner-up Sofia Kenin advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hailey Baptiste in a battle of Americans.
— Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina also progressed by defeating French Open debutant Ann Li of the United States 6-0, 6-4.
— Former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens defeated a top-10 player for the first time in 2 1/2 years to reach the third round. The 59th-ranked American returned well and used her defensive skills to defuse 10th-ranked Karolina Pliskova’s (PLIHSH’-koh-vahz) power for a 7-5, 6-1 victory.
— Coco Gauff is living up to her career-best ranking at the French Open. Ranked 25th at age 17, Gauff advanced to the third round by beating Wang Qiang, 6-3, 7-6.
— Gael Monfils (GAH’-ehl mohn-FEES’) lost in the second round of the French Open, leaving the host country’s men on the verge of their worst collective result at Roland Garros. Richard Gasquet (ree-SHARD’ gas-KAY’) needs a victory over 13-time champion Rafael Nadal or there will be no Frenchmen in the third round for the first time in the Open era. Gasquet is 0-16 against Nadal.
— Matteo Berrettini has matched his best result at the French Open by reaching the third round. The ninth-seeded Italian beat Federico Coria of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, hitting 46 winners along the way.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Surging Cubs head to San Francisco
UNDATED (AP) — The surging Chicago Cubs are headed west for a series in San Francisco having won three straight and nine of 10. The NL Central leaders have limited opponents to three or fewer runs in 12 of 13 games, a trend they’ll try to continue with right-hander Zach Davies on the mound.
The Giants have won six of eight and continue to be a surprise contender alongside the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West. Anthony DeSclafani is set to pitch the series opener against Chicago.
In other highlights of Thursday’s schedule:
— Yankees ace Gerrit Cole faces the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time since dominating the AL East leaders last month, when he struck out 12 over eight innings in a 1-0 victory. Cole’s 1.78 ERA is tops in the American League, and his 97-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio was best in the majors entering Wednesday. Tampa Bay plans to start left-hander Ryan Yarbrough in the finale of the four-game series.
— The Nationals are scrambling for starting pitchers after right-hander Stephen Strasburg was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a neck sprain. Strasburg flew to Washington to be examined after he complained of tightness in his shoulder and neck in Tuesday night’s 11-6 win over the Braves. The 32-year-old was pulled after only 1 1/3 innings. Strasburg’s injury adds more stress to an already thin Nationals rotation. Left-hander Jon Lester started Wednesday night on only three days’ rest. Left-hander Patrick Corbin starts Thursday night’s finale of the four-game series. Atlanta is recalling left-hander Tucker Davidson from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his second big league start of the season.
USFL RELAUNCH
USFL relaunching next year, four decades after its birth
UNDATED (AP) — The USFL is relaunching in 2022, four decades after the spring football league’s short-lived run that featured such stars as Reggie White, Herschel Walker, Steve Young, Jim Kelly and future president Donald Trump.
The new USFL announced Thursday it will play next spring with a minimum of eight teams “and deliver high-quality, innovative professional football to fans.” Although those teams, along with the cities, head coaches and schedules won’t be announced until later, the league said it retains the rights to “key original team names.”
The USFL also is using the same red, white and blue stars-and-stripes logo it did from 1983-85.
Fox Sports, which has a minority equity stake in the company that owns the new USFL, will serve as the league’s official broadcast partner.
