YOUNG BRAVES RISING
Giannis and Bucks force G7 vs. Celtics
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 14 rebounds and the host Milwaukee Bucks pulled away late to beat the Boston Celtics 97-86 on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in the first-round series.
l The NBA said LeBron James’ block in the closing seconds of Game 5 on Indiana’s Victor Oladipo should have been called goaltending.
In the league’s Last Two Minute Report posted Thursday, the NBA said the three officials missed the call with 5.1 seconds left. The league said the video shows James blocked Oladipo’s shot “after it makes contact with the backboard.”
Under league rules, the play could not be reviewed because it wasn’t called on the floor.
l Stephen Curry has resumed full practice with contact and could play for the defending champion Golden State Warriors as soon as Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday night against New Orleans.
Curry practiced Thursday wearing a protective black brace over his sprained left knee.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, the two youngest players in the major leagues, both homered and combined for five RBIs to lead Atlanta over the Reds 7-4 in Cincinnati.
l J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer, Chris Sale won for the first time in three starts and the visiting Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4.
l Jarrod Dyson, Nick Ahmed and David Peralta homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks earned an 8-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Phillies.
l Corey Dickerson hit the first game-ending home run of his major league career, a disputed oneout drive in the ninth inning that lifted the host Pittsburgh Pirates over the Detroit Tigers 1-0.
l Jung Ho Kang is back in the United States and on his way to rejoining the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The club announced Thursday that the South Korean third baseman has been granted a work visa by the U.S. government and will report to the training complex.