Nuggets force Game 7 behind Murray’s 50
The Jamal Murray-Donovan Mitchell duel will be settled in the first Game 7 in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida.
Murray continued his torrid run by scoring 50 points, including nine three-pointers, to lead the Nuggets to a 119-107 victory Sunday against the Jazz and square the first-round series at 3-3. Game 7 is scheduled for Tuesday.
Murray, who has scored 142 points in his last three games, had his second 50-point game of the series to equal Jazz star Mitchell, who finished with 44 and matched Murray’s nine three-pointers in this one.
Before Murray and Mitchell, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson had been the only players to notch multiple 50-point games in an entire postseason.
Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and the Clippers eliminated Luka Doncic and the Mavericks with a 111-97 triumph for a 4-2 victory their firstround series.
Doncic capped a superb first postseason with 38 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, keeping the game interesting into the fourth quarter even while playing without injured teammate Kristaps Porzingis (knee).
Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart each scored 21 points, Kemba Walker added 18 points and 10 assists and the Celtics never trailed on the way to drubbing the Raptors 112-94 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS Stars push Avalanche to brink
Radek Faksa had a goal and two assists, John Klingberg added a goal and an assist and the Stars scored three times in a 4oeminute span of the first period before holding off the Avalanche 5-4 to open a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series in Edmonton, Alberta.
Brock Nelson scored twice, Thomas Greiss made 36 saves and the Islanders took a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with a 3-2 victory against the Flyers in Toronto.
SOCCER Real Salt Lake owner to sell teams
Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen will sell his soccer teams in the wake of reports that he made racist comments, Major League Soccer commissioner Don
Garber announced. Hansen owns the MLS club, the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League and the Real Monarchs of the United Soccer League.
MLS and the NWSL had said they were investigating Hansen after a report Friday in The Athletic quoted former employees and others who said Hansen had made racist statements and used a racial slur.
MISCELLANEOUS Virus puts French player out of U.S. Open
Multiple outlets reported French tennis player Benoit Paire tested positive for the coronavirus and was removed from the U.S. Open field. Paire — who was seeded 17th — is the first player to test positive ahead of the Grand Slam tournament, which begins Monday in New York without spectators.
Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish to win the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps for his 89th career Formula One victory, two behind Michael Schumacher’s series record. Hamilton beat Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas to the finish line by eight seconds.
†Multiple outlets reported LSU junior Ja’Marr Chase, considered the top receiver in the country entering the 2020 season, has decided to forgo this season and enter the NFL Draft next spring. LSU didn’t immediately confirm the news.