CLEVELAND (AP) — Karl Anthony-Towns had 19 points and 14 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 17 and the New York Knicks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 Monday night to complete a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference finals and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Landry Shamet scored 16 off the bench while Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson had 15 apiece for the Knicks, who became the fourth team to have an 11-game winning streak during their postseason run. The last to do it was Golden State, which had a 15-game run en route to its second title in three seasons in 2017. Donovan MItchell had 31 points for Cleveland, which was swept in a postseason series for the first time since the 2018 NBA finals against Golden State.
PARIS (AP) — The tennis season is heating up with the French Open underway. That means that racket-smashing moments can’t be far off. In a sport known for its mental challenges, it’s part of the game to see top players lose their cool on court. In recent weeks Daniil Medvedev and Daniel Altmaier have each had memorable racket-smashing meltdowns on Europe’s clay courts. So what goes on inside players’ heads that results in temper tantrums before packed stadiums? Former top-five player Andrey Rublev says in tennis "you are alone and they are watching you" and that he's “one of those guys” who let emotions "take over me.”
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai and relievers Steven Okert and Alimber Santa combined to throw a no-hitter in a 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers. It was the first no-hitter in the major leagues since Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers combined for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 2024. The 23-year-old Santa fired two perfect innings Monday night and became the first pitcher to finish a no-hitter in his big league debut. Imai went six innings in the 17th regular-season no-hitter in Astros history and fourth that was a combined effort. Houston also threw a no-hitter in the 2022 World Series when four pitchers combined against Philadelphia. Okert worked the seventh, and Santa threw a called third strike past Brandon Nimmo to end it.
MONTREAL (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored at 14:06 of overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final. Shayne Gostisbehere and Taylor Hall scored in regulation for Carolina. Frederik Andersen made 11 saves. Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal, which got 35 stops from Jakub Dobes. Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday at the Bell Centre.
There’s an ironic prize on offer if Crystal Palace can beat Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on Wednesday. The prize is a spot in the competition that Palace originally should have been playing in anyway. A season which began with Palace in court appealing in vain against demotion from the Europa League ends with a chance to win its first-ever European trophy in the competition it didn’t want to play in. The winner gets a Europa League place for 2026-27. It’s the last game at Palace for Oliver Glasner, the club’s most successful coach, before he leaves at the end of the season.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The New York Knicks made a commitment to Jalen Brunson four years ago, signing him as a free agent and building their team around him. Brunson proved they made the right decision by leading them to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The All-Star point guard averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists during New York’s sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, earning the Larry Bird Trophy as the series MVP. He had 15 points and five assists, when the Knicks crushed Cleveland 130-93 in Game 4.
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — A Dominican judge has ruled that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor but will not serve a sentence. Judge José Antonio Núñez found Franco was a victim of extortion by the minor's mother, who was sentenced to ten years for trafficking her daughter. Franco was arrested in January 2024 for a relationship with a 14-year-old girl. After the ruling, Franco expressed relief and asked fans for support. The full sentencing is set for June 16.
PARIS (AP) — Tennis players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the 2024 Paris Olympics. And the Olympics were held in July and August. Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F). That's far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week. Besides making it uncomfortable for fans and players alike the sultry conditions have also created faster conditions on court. Russian-born Australian player Daria Kasatkina says “I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros.”
MIAMI (AP) — Inter Miami confirmed Monday that Lionel Messi has a left hamstring issue, though did not say when the problem is expected to be cleared up. And that adds a bit of intrigue for defending World Cup champion Argentina, which is scheduled to open its training camp for this year’s tournament on June 1 in Kansas City. Messi underwent testing on Monday — which almost certainly means an MRI exam, though the team did not divulge what procedures were involved — and was ultimately diagnosed with “an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.” Typically, the timeframe for recovery from such issues is varied depending on the severity.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers finally got past the second round and face-planted in the Eastern Conference finals. They weren’t ready for the Knicks or the big stage. Cleveland’s season ended with an embarrassing 130—93 loss on Monday night in Game 4 to the New York Knicks, who swept the series and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The sweep will trigger a massive roster overhaul and perhaps even a coaching change in Cleveland. This isn't what the Cavs had in mind when they traded for guard James Harden in February.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Washington 10 Cleveland 2
Final Miami 8 Toronto 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Chicago White Sox 3 Minnesota 1
Final Baltimore 9 Tampa Bay 7
Final N.Y. Yankees 4 Kansas City 3
Final Houston 9 Texas 0
Final Seattle 9 Athletics 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 2 Chicago Cubs 1
Final Milwaukee 5 St. Louis 1
Final Cincinnati 7 N.Y. Mets 2
Final Arizona 6 San Francisco 2
Final Philadelphia 3 San Diego 0
Final L.A. Dodgers 5 Colorado 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final New York 130 Cleveland 93
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final OT Carolina 3 Montreal 2