Miami Heat can eliminate Celtics in Game 6 tonight
There have been two undeniable truths about the Miami Heat this season.
They must make 3’s to win.
They aren’t invincible with sizable leads.
The Boston Celtics have scouting and analy tics teams that undoubtedly know these trends. But, really, so would anyone who simply can read a boxscore.
Take away Miami’s 3’s, and the Heat are easier to beat. The Celtics proved that again in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals when they extended their season with a victory — and will aim to take the same tact Sunday night when they meet the Heat again in another must-win for Boston.
“They’re going to hit some shots, they’re going to make some plays,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. “They’ve got some good players. We’re just trying to make it as tough as we could.”
The Heat have played 87 games this season and shot below 20% from 3-point range in just three of them — one of them being Friday night, when the Celtics prevailed 121-108 to cut Miami’s lead in the series to 3-2.
Miami was 7 for 36 from deep, just 19%.
Tennis
SERENA BEGINS FRENCH OPEN QUEST >> Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam title at age 17 and now that she’s pushing 40, she’s still making it to the late stages of major tournaments.
Impressive as that might be, it’s not enough for her. She wants a 24th Grand Slam singles trophy.
“A semifinal is always great. Is it great for me?
Absolutely not. That’s just how I feel. That’s how I always feel,” Williams said in Paris on Saturday, her 39th birthday and the day before the pandemic-postponed French Open begins.
“I mean, I’m in a position in my career where I cannot be satisfied,” she said. “I don’t want to sit here and say, ‘ Oh, I’m happy.’ Because I’m not.”
Since setting an Openera record with her 23rd major singles championship at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant, Williams has reached four Grand Slam finals, losing each. She made it to the semifinals at the U.S. Open two weeks ago, when she stretched her left Achilles tendon and lost in three sets to Victoria Azarenka. ALL EYES ON DJOKOVIC >> Novak Djokovic already would have been closely watched in Paris — he is, after all, ranked No. 1 and seeded No. 1 and won five of seven Grand Slam tournaments to raise his total to 17 major titles, closing the gap with Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (19).
Now Djokovic’s every emotion could be scrutinized at a tournament he won in 2016, because it his first Grand Slam appearance since getting disqualified at the U. S. Open this month for accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball hit in anger after dropping a game in the fourth round.
“That’s something that is obviously staying in my mind after what happened in New York,” Djokovic said Saturday. “It’s going to stay there for a long time. Of course, I will make sure I don’t make the same mistake twice. It happened. Whatever happened, happened. I had to accept it and move on. Of course, it was a shock for me and a lot of people. But that’s life, that’s sport. These things can happen,”
Motorsports
BUSCH STRUGGLES TO RETURN TO VICTORY LANE >> Kyle Busch is in a terrible slump, winless this Cup season and his 15- year streak of at least one victory a year in danger. The reigning Cup champion struggled to contain his frustration after finishing second last week at Bristol to title favorite Kevin Harvick and his losing streak was extended to 29 races. Busch predicted his bid to win back-to-back titles will soon be over.
“We’ll be eliminated in the next round, so, don’t care,” Busch said after Harvick beat him at Bristol. The second round of the playoffs begins Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in the city where Busch grew up and where he and his older brother, Kurt, are currently featured on the side of the MGM Grand casino. It should be the perfect spot for Busch to break his slump, but he was blunt when asked if the No. 18 team is close to competing with Harvick and the title front-runners.
“No,” was all Busch replied.
Las Vegas marks the first race in a three-race second round that goes from the 1.5-mile standard oval to high-banked Talladega Superspeedway and then eliminates four drivers from the playoffs at the hybrid road course- oval “Roval” at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Soccer
MLS MATCH POSTPONED BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS >> Colorado’s MLS game against Sporting Kansas City has been postponed after a Rapids player and three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. A player for FC Cincinnati also tested positive and is in isolation, the team announced.
Golf
ADAM LONG LEADS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC >> Adam Long took over the lead with a stretch of three straight birdies on the back nine and finished with key par saves for an 8-under 64 and a two-shot lead in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. Hudson Swafford had to settle for nothing but pars on the back nine for a 69 and was two shots behind.
Long matched the low round of the day and will be going for his second PGA Tour victory. Long was at 17-under 199, with only five other players within five shots of the lead.
Swafford was at 15 under and will be in the final group. Mackenzie Hughes of Canada twice chipped in for birdie late in his round of 67, leaving him three shots behind.
Former Evergreen High standout Justin Suh, who needs a top 10 to get into the next PGA Tour event, is among a group six shots off the lead.