NBA PLAYOFFS
Pacers, Thunder, Warriors stay alive
UNDATED (AP) —For the first time in NBA history, there will be three Game 7’s on the same day — Saturday– to decide first-round playoff series. Here’s how that happened:
— Indiana captured a must-win Game 6 by winning in Atlanta 95-88 to even that series at 3-3. David West led the Pacers on a 16-0 run to end the game. Paul George and West led the Pacers with 24 apiece. George Stephenson added 21. Jeff Teague led all scorers with 29 for the Hawks. Game 7 is Saturday in Indianapolis.
— Oklahoma City stayed alive by routing Memphis 104-84. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 36 points and 10 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 25. Game 7 will be Saturday in Oklahoma City.
— The Golden State Warriors nipped the L.A. Clippers 100-99 to force a Game 7 Saturday to decide which team advances to the Western Conference semifinals. Stephen (STEH’-fihn) Curry led the Warriors with 24 points and nine assists. Game 7 is Saturday at Staples Center.
NBA-OWNERS MEETING
Owners want to end Sterling’s ownership “expeditiously”
NEW YORK (AP) — NBA owners are not wasting any time to end the tenure of one of their own, embattled L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling. The NBA owners’ advisory/finance committee has held its first meeting about Sterling and is committed to ending his ownership “as expeditiously as possible.”
The 10-member committee held a conference call Thursday to discuss “the process for termination of Donald T. Sterling’s ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers,” the league says in a statement.
Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million Tuesday for making racist comments. Silver said he also would urge owners to force Sterling to sell.
The committee plans to meet again next week.
NBA-STERLING/STIVIANO
Attorney: Sterling tape leaked by friend
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney representing the woman Donald Sterling was talking to when he made racist remarks says the hour-long conversation was taped by mutual agreement last September and provided to a friend for safekeeping, who then leaked it to TMZ.
Lawyer Siamak Nehoray says V. Stiviano sent two snippets of the conversation, recorded in her Los Angeles duplex, to a friend who released them without her permission. Nehoray says the 31-year-old Stiviano only learned they would become public after TMZ contacted her.
NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Canadiens take marathon opener
BOSTON (AP) — It’s the 34th time the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are meeting in the postseason. For just the sixth time, it required multiple overtimes to decide a game as P.K. Subban scored a power-play goal at 4:17 of the second overtime to give the Canadiens a heart-stopping 4-3 victory in Game 1.
It was Subban’s second power-play goal of the game. Boston forced overtime by scoring three times in the third period before losing in the second overtime. Boston fans pelted the ice with cups and giveaway towels as the players filed off of the ice.
Carey Price was magnificent in goal for Montreal, turning back 48 shots. Montreal is a perfect 5-0 in the postseason. Game 2 is Saturday, also in Boston.
Tonight, two more conference semifinals get underway. The New York Rangers are at Pittsburgh and the Minnesota Wild take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
NHL-CANUCKS
Vancouver dumps Tortorella
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks have fired John Tortorella one year into a long-term deal. He signed a five-year contract last summer after being dismissed by the New York Rangers. The Canucks finished 25th in the 30-team NHL this season for their worst finish in 14 years. Assistant coach Mike Sullivan was also fired.
NHL-TRADE
Caps and Islanders deal
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Washington has sent the negotiating rights of veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak (YAHR’-oh-slav HA’-lak) to the Islanders for a fourth-round draft pick. Halak split this season between St. Louis and Washington and went a combined 29-13-13 in 52 games. He was traded by the Blues to Buffalo on March 1 but was sent to the Caps four days later before playing a game for the Sabres.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Cano has last laugh in New York…Marlins break out the brooms…Buehrle wins fifth
UNDATED (AP) —Ex-Yankee Robinson Cano (kan-OH’) doubled and drove in two runs, Roenis Elias struck out 10 in seven impressive innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 4-2.
Michael Saunders had three hits, including an RBI double, to help the Mariners win for the fifth time in six games following an eight-game skid.
In other baseball:
— The Miami Marlins finished a three-game sweep of Atlanta, 5-4. Giancarlo Stanton and Casey McGehee hit consecutive run-scoring singles off David Carpenter during a two-run rally in the seventh.
— Mark Buehrle (BUR’-lee) improved to 5-1, Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus each went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 to avoid a series sweep.
— Brayan Pena’s second career pinch-homer started Cincinnati’s big eighth-inning rally and gave the Reds an 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
— Carlos Gonzalez homered before leaving with a finger injury, Juan Nicasio pitched seven scoreless innings and drove in three runs, and the Colorado Rockies beat the New York Mets 7-4.
— Yasiel Puig (yah-SEE’-ehl pweeg), Juan Uribe (oo-REE’-bay) and Miguel Olivo (oh-LEE’-voh) each drove in two runs to lead the Dodgers to a 9-4 win over Minnesota in the first game of a doubleheader. Dan Haren improved to 4-0, striking out seven in 6 2-3 innings. The Dodgers swept the twinbill by taking the nightcap 4-3 in 12 innings. Adrian Gonzalez hit his ninth homer, one of three Dodger homers in the second game.
— David DeJesus (deh-HAY’-soos) homered and drew a bases-loaded walk to help the Rays top Boston 2-1 as the Rays swept a day-night twinbill. Tampa Bay won the nightcap 6-5 as Yunel Escobar homered leading off the ninth inning.
— Steve Pearce had three hits and two RBIs in Baltimore’s 5-1 win over Pittsburgh in the opener of a twin bill. Matt Wieters (WEE’-turz) delivered a game-winning home run in the 10th inning to win the nightcap, 6-5.
NFL-GIANTS
No Manning this spring
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning will miss all of the New York Giants’ spring activities. General manager Jerry Reese says Manning’s left ankle surgery will keep him out and that the team will not rush back its starting quarterback.
Manning’s primary backup last year, Curtis Painter, recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is out for about a month. He could be back for the team’s minicamp in June.
NFL-BROWNS
Cleveland inks quarterback
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Browns, who are in desperate need of a quarterback, have signed a player who hasn’t played in a regular season NFL game since 2011. The man in question is free agent Vince Young. He was given a tryout earlier this week. The 30-year-old is 31-19 as an NFL starter.
KENTUCKY DERBY
Hopportunity scratched
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hopportunity, the second-favorite at this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, is out of the race. Trainer Bob Baffert says the colt has a sore left front foot. The scratch means Pablo Del Monte can run in the Derby, as a 50-1 shot starting from the No. 20 post position.
PGA-WELLS FARGO
Cabrera has lead
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Angel (AHN’-hehl) Cabrera bunched seven birdies into his 6-under 66 to take the lead in the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship. Phil Mickelson took a run at the lead, but a bogey on the 17th hole dropped him back and he settled for a 5-under 67. That ties him for second with Martin Flores. Webb Simpson, Jonathan Byrd and Stewart Cink posted 68’s.
LPGA-NORTH TEXAS
Pettersen atop the Shootout
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Suzann Pettersen (PEHT’-ur-suhn) shot a bogey-free 5-under 66 to take the first-round lead in the North Texas LPGA Shootout.
Pettersen, who returned to the LPGA Tour last week after missing a month with back issues, had a one-stroke lead over playing partner Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie (WEE), Caroline Masson, Christina Kim, Cydney Clanton and Dori Carter.
