Update on the latest sports
APNBA PLAYOFFS
Nets host Bucks in Game 7
NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn’s blockbuster trade brought in James Harden. Milwaukee dealt for Jrue Holiday. Both teams hoped their big move was the one that would lead to a championship.
One of them won’t even get halfway there. The Nets and Bucks play Game 7 of their second-round series Saturday in Brooklyn, with the winner moving on to play for the Eastern Conference title and the loser falling well short of expectations.
The Nets are trying to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since making their only two NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. The Bucks are trying to avoid a second straight second-round exit, but are 0-7 all-time in Game 7s on the road.
The home team has won every game in the series. Brooklyn is 6-0 at home in the playoffs and 24-3 against East teams at Barclays Center this season.
The Nets say Kyrie Irving will be out for the third straight game with a sprained ankle.
NHL PLAYOFFS
Islanders in familiar series hole, down 2-1 vs. Lightning
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Islanders are in a familiar position heading into Game 4 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series against Tampa Bay. They once again find themselves trailing 2-1 in a series after a narrow loss in Game 3 at home.
The first two times in this postseason they bounced back with three straight wins to advance past Pittsburgh and Boston. That gives the Islanders some confidence heading into Saturday night’s game at Nassau Coliseum. Now they have to find a way to manage another series comeback against the defending champions, who have been matching New York’s defensive intensity and physical play.
The Islanders have totaled five goals on 85 shots against Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV’-skee) in the first three games after averaging 3.6 per game in their first two series.
PGA-US OPEN
Brand shares the lead heading into Round 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) — It took Richard Bland 478 starts before earning his first European Tour victory last month. He now finds himself sharing the lead in a major he usually watches only on television.
The 48-year-old Bland carded a 4-under 67 that leaves him minus-5 through two rounds of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, tying him with Russell Henley. The oldest first-time winner on the European Tour has compensated for his short drives with deadly accuracy as he navigates the long course.
Henley lost a chance to take sole possession of the lead when he three-putted his final hole for a closing bogey.
Louis Oosthuizen (OOST’-hay-zehn) shot an even-part 71 to remain at 4 under, tying him for third with Matthew Wolff. Bubba Watson and Jon Rahm are 3 under through 36 holes, two weeks after Rahm had to pull out of the Memorial with a six-stroke lead because of a positive COVID-19 test.
BRITISH OPEN-FANS
British Open to allow attendance of 32,000 fans each day
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The British Open will admit up to 32,000 fans each day for next month’s tournament at Royal St. George’s.
The figure was announced Saturday after the R&A confirmed the Open would be included in the government’s plan to allow some events, like the Wimbledon tennis tournament, to take place with higher capacities than otherwise permitted under coronavirus rules.
Golf’s oldest championship is scheduled for July 15-18. It was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Capacity is usually about 40,000 per day at Royal St. George’s.
