NBA-EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Heat wrap up another finals berth
MIAMI (AP) β The Miami Heat have joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers as the only teams to reach the NBA Finals in four consecutive years.
The Heat did it by crushing the Indiana Pacers 117-92 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Miami trailed 9-2 before scoring 54 of the game’s next 75 points. The Heat led by 26 at halftime and 33 through three periods, allowing head coach Erik Spoelstra (SPOHL’-struh) to empty his bench with 6 1/2 minutes left.
LeBron James finished with 25 points on 8 of 12 shooting and had six assists before sitting out the fourth quarter. Chris Bosh came out of the game midway through the fourth after scoring 25 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Dwyane (dwayn) Wade and Rashard Lewis each scored 13 points for Miami, which shot 58 percent from the field.
Paul George had a game-high 29 points for the Pacers, who entered the series with home-court advantage before losing all three games in Miami.
NBA-CLIPPERS
League ready to welcome Ballmer
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The NBA is prepared to welcome Steve Ballmer into the league as the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, but the current owner isn’t leaving without a fight.
The league has canceled its June 3 hearing to consider Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Clippers, saying the team will be sold to the former Microsoft CEO. The NBA says in a statement that it has resolved its dispute over the franchise’s ownership with Shelly Sterling and the Sterling Family Trust, which agreed Thursday to sell the franchise to Ballmer for $2 billion. Shelly Sterling and the Trust issued a statement on Friday agreeing not to sue the NBA and to indemnify the league against lawsuits from others, including from Donald Sterling. But there may be a glitch.
Donald Sterling has filed suit in federal court against the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver and is asking for damages in excess of $1 billion. The suit alleges the league violated Sterling’s constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording that publicized racist remarks he made to a girlfriend. It also says the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling $2.5 million and violated antitrust laws by forcing a sale.
Earlier, a person close to the Sterling family said Donald Sterling was stripped of his ability to act as a trustee of the Los Angeles Clippers and the rest of the family’s fortunes after two neurologists determined he was suffering from dementia.
NHL-WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Hawks force seventh game
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The NHL’s Western Conference finals are headed back to Chicago for a Game 7 on Sunday.
The Blackhawks stretched the series to the limit by scoring two unanswered goals over the final 8:26 to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Patrick Kane provided the game-winner with 3:45 left after assisting on Duncan Keith’s equalizer less than five minutes earlier. Kane also scored a power-play goal in the second period, one game after collecting four assists in a double-overtime victory.
Kane and Ben Smith scored 1:37 apart in the second period to put Chicago ahead 2-1, and the lead held up until Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez tallied within a 2:06 span early in the third.
The Hawks managed to rally despite taking just three shots in the final period.
Sunday’s winner takes on the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Giants rock Redbirds
UNDATED (AP) β St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright owned an 8-2 record and a National League-leading 1.67 ERA heading into Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. Wainwright was unable to become the league’s first nine-game winner, surrendering seven runs in just 4 1/3 innings as the Giants ripped the Redbirds 9-4.
Hunter Pence belted a three-run homer to put the Giants ahead 5-0 in the second inning. Hector Sanchez and Gregor (GREG’-or) Blanco each added two RBIs to back Madison Bumgarner, who’s 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA after limiting the Cards to three hits while striking out 10 in seven shutout innings.
The Giants are a major league-best 36-19 following their fourth straight win.
Elsewhere in the majors on Friday:
β Francisco Liriano finally won for the first time in 15 starts since last Sept. 10, striking out eight over 5 2/3 shutout innings to lead Pittsburgh’s 2-1 win against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Ike Davis went 2-for-4 with a solo homer that put the Pirates ahead 2-0 in the fourth.
β Brandon Moss hit a grand slam and Josh Donaldson homered twice while driving in four runs to lead Oakland’s offense in a 9-5 win over the Angels. Donaldson had three hits and scored three times for the A’s.
β Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez banged out two-run homers before Rajai (RAH’-zhay) Davis added a solo shot in Detroit’s 6-3 win at Seattle. Justin Verlander struck out seven and allowed three runs over 7 2/3s for his sixth win.
β Lorenzo Cain was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and four RBIs as Kansas City whipped Toronto 6-1, the Blue Jays’ second straight loss since a nine-game winning streak. Alex Gordon also socked a two-run shot to help Jason Vargas improve to 5-2.
β Minnesota drubbed the New York Yankees 6-1 as Oswaldo Arcia, Josh Willingham and Trevor Plouffe homered. Ricky Nolasco entered the game with a 6.12 ERA before limiting the Yanks to a run and seven hits in six innings.
β Corey Kluber was terrific in Cleveland’s 5-2 triumph against Colorado, striking out 12 and limiting the Rockies to two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings. Asdrubal (as-DROO’-bul) Cabrera hit a two-run homer while the Indians were scoring four times in the fifth.
β Ian Kennedy struck out nine and gave up just four hits in six innings of San Diego’s 4-1 triumph over the White Sox in Chicago. Yonder Alonso hit a two-run homer and Cameron Maybin added a solo shot as the Padres stopped the White Sox’s three-game winning streak.
β The Astros have their first seven-game winning streak in four years after Jonathan Villar broke an 0-for-26 slump with a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning of Houston’s 2-1 victory against Baltimore. Brett Oberholtzer allowed four hits and a run in seven innings for the win.
β Boston beat Tampa Bay 4-3 on A.J. Pierzynski’s (peer-ZIHN’-skeez) RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th. Xander Bogaerts (ZAN’-dur BOH’-gahrts) was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored as the Red Sox won their fifth straight since dropping 10 in a row.
β Ryan Braun’s two-run homer sparked a five-run first that allowed Milwaukee to coast to an 11-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Braun had three hits and three RBIs as the Brewers beat the Cubs for the 25th time in their last 31 meetings.
β Jason Heyward hit an RBI triple in the seventh and scored on B.J. Upton’s sacrifice fly as Atlanta beat Miami 3-2 to end a four-game skid. Julio Teheran (the-RAHN’) worked 7 1/3 innings and blanked the Marlins after Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run homer put the Marlins ahead in the first.
β Devin Mesoraco (meh-soh-RAH’-koh) hit a grand slam and a solo shot in Cincinnati’s 6-4 win at Arizona. Mike Leake gave up three earned runs in six innings for the win.
β Reid Brignac (BRIHN’-yak) hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 14th to end Philadelphia’s 6-5 win over the New York Mets. Dominic Brown hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs for the Phillies, who improved to 12-16 at home.
β Ian Desmond hit a three-run homer and pinch-hitter Tyler Moore added a two-run double in Washington’s 9-2 romp over Texas. Stephen Strasburg struck out nine while limiting the Rangers to a pair of unearned runs and six hits in six innings.
MLB-GIANTS/CAIN
ST. LOUIS (AP) β San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, a move retroactive to May 22. Giants manager Bruce Bochy (BOH’-chee) says Yusmeiro Petit (yoos-MEHR’-oh peh-TEE’) will start in Cain’s place for the second straight time tomorrow. Bochy anticipates Cain will make his next start at home June 6 against the New York Mets.
NASCAR-QUALIFYING
Keselowski on Dover pole
DOVER, Del. (AP) β Brad Keselowski turned a track-record lap of 164.444 mph to win the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. Keselowski won his second pole of the season on Friday and fifth of his career. Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Larson round out the top five for Sunday’s race.
FRENCH OPEN-DAY 6
Another major upset
PARIS (AP) β The top three women’s seeds are finished at the French Open. No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska (ahg-nee-ESH’-kuh rahd-VAHN’-skuh) was knocked off by an unseeded player from Croatia in straight sets on Friday. Her surprising defeat follows ones earlier in the week by No. 1 Serena Williams and No. 2 Li Na (lee nah).
Women’s No. 7 Maria Sharapova (shah-rah-POH’-vah) and No. 8 Angelique Kerber advanced to the fourth round, as did Samantha Stosur.
In men’s play Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) and Roger Federer both needed four sets to reach the fourth round. The second-seeded Djokovic advanced with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win against Marin Cilic (CHIHL’-ihch), and the No. 4 Federer moved on with a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Dmitry Tursunov (duh-MEE’-tree tur-SIHN’-awf).
John Isner (IHZ’-nur) became the first American man to reach the French Open’s fourth round since 2010, beating 17th-seeded Tommy Robredo.
NFL-NEWS
NFL sends Cards’ Washington to sidelines…Giants cut Josh Freeman
PHOENIX (AP) β The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Daryl Washington for one year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Washington, considered among the best in the NFL at his position, was suspended for the first four games of last season for violating the substance abuse policy. In March, Arizona exercised a $10 million option to keep Washington on the roster.
In other NFL news:
β Cleveland Pro Bowl wide receiver Josh Gordon was ticketed for speeding last weekend, while a passenger in his car was cited for marijuana possession. The traffic stop comes as the Browns are awaiting news whether Gordon will be available to play this season. ESPN reported that Gordon failed another drug test, which could result in a one-year ban.
β New York Giants safety Will Hill has been suspended for six games by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Hill has failed three drug tests since 2012 and lost an appeal for the latest infraction. He will be eligible to return on Oct. 13.
β The Giants have released quarterback Josh Freeman, five weeks after signing him as a free agent. Freeman’s stock has been plummeting since the beginning of last season, when he was Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback.
PGA-MEMORIAL
Casey leads, McIlroy unravels
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) β Paul Casey is the leader through two rounds of the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, three shots ahead of Masters Champion Bubba Watson.
Casey fired a second straight 6-under 66 after beginning the round three strokes behind Rory McIlroy, who is seeking his second victory in two weekends. McIlroy is nine strokes back after following Thursday’s 63 with a 6-over 78.
LPGA-SHOPRITE CLASSIC
Going low at the ShopRite
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) β Jennifer Johnson has matched the course record with a 9-under 62 to take the first-round lead in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey. Johnson carded 10 birdies, including five straight from the ninth through 13th holes. Haru Nomura is one shot back and one ahead of Christina Kim.
CHAMPIONS TOUR-PRINCIPAL CHARITY
Calcavecchia, Short share lead
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) β Mark Calcavecchia (kal-kah-VEK’-ee-uh) and Wes Short Jr. are co-leaders after shooting 6-under-par 66s in the opening round of the Champions Tour’s Principal Charity Classic.
Calcavecchia had three straight birdies on the back nine for his best start of the season. Short birdied the 18th hole to join Calcavecchia atop the leaderboard.
Bobby Clampett, Peter Senior and Shane Lowery were a stroke back.
