UNDATED (AP) β The Miami Heat have completed a four-game sweep of their NBA first-round series as LeBron James scored 31 points and had nine assists to lead the two-time defending champions past the Bobcats 109-98 in Charlotte. Manu Ginobili (MAN’-oo jih-NOH’-blee) had 23 points and Boris Diaw (DEE’-ow) hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 32.9 seconds left to lift San Antonio past Dallas 93-89, giving the Spurs a 3-2 lead in that series. And Atlanta is up 3-2 in its series with the Pacers after Mike Scott made five 3-pointers during a 30-6 run in the second quarter of the Hawks’ 107-97 victory at Indiana.
NEW YORK (AP) β NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will hold a news conference Tuesday in New York, where he could reveal sanctions the league will impose on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling concerning racial comments purportedly said by him in a taped phone conversation. Clippers coach Doc Rivers says he believes “a very strong message” is coming from the NBA in response to the scandal, adding that “I can’t tell you how upset I am.” The Clippers already have lost numerous sponsors since Sterling’s alleged comments were revealed last weekend, first by TMZ and then in another recording posted on Deadspin.
MIAMI (AP) β Hall of Fame basketball coach Jack Ramsay has died at age 89. Ramsay coached in the NBA for parts of 21 seasons, including a 1977 championship with the Portland Trail Blazers before a long career as a radio and television analyst. He also took Saint Joseph’s to the 1961 Final Four and was GM of the Philadelphia 76ers when they won the 1967 NBA title.
UNDATED (AP) β The Pittsburgh Penguins have advanced to the NHL’s conference semifinals by winning on Monday, but the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild each forced Game 7s in their first-round series. Evgeni Malkin notched a hat trick while the Penguins were building a 4-0 lead in a 4-3 win at Columbus. Zach Parise had two goals and two assists in the Wild’s 5-2 triumph over Colorado, and Justin Williams and Anze (AHN’-zhay KOH’-pih-tahr) each tallied twice in the Kings’ 4-1 victory against San Jose.
WASHINGTON (AP) β ESPN reports that Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is going to be sidelined at least until July because of surgery on his left thumb. The network says Harper will have the operation Tuesday, four days after injuring the thumb on a headfirst slide into third base. The two-time All-Star is hitting .289 with one homer and nine RBIs this season.
