SPORTS BRIEFS
NASCAR
Keselowski dominates in playoff win at Richmond » Brad Keselowski entered NASCAR’s playoffs certain he has as good a chance at the Cup championship as favorites Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. He even predicted he’d win at Richmond Raceway. His confidence was correct as Keselowski indeed won Saturday night at Richmond, the second playoff race, and advanced into the second next round. Harvick, the title favorite, won last week’s opener to earn the automatic berth into the second round. Hamlin, derailed at his home track of Richmond by a speeding penalty, finished 12th but still advanced into the next round based on points. Keselowski was the only driver able to run with Harvick and Hamlin when racing resumed in May following a pause for the pandemic. He won three races, earned a contract extension at Team Penske and steadfastly maintained he should not be discounted in the title race. He didn’t do a celebratory burnout after making good on his Richmond prediction because that specific No. 2 Ford has now won twice this year and Keselowski wants it intact for the championship-deciding finale at Phoenix. Keselowski led a race-high 192 of the 400 laps and gave Team Penske a sweep of the day – Will Power won for the IndyCar arm of the organization earlier Saturday.
TENNIS
Osaka comes back to win 3rd Slam » After one errant forehand in the first set of the U.S. Open final, Naomi Osaka looked at her coach in the mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium stands with palms up, as if to say, “What the heck is happening?” In response to another wayward forehand against Victoria Azarenka seconds later, Osaka chucked her racket. It spun a bit and rattled against the court. Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday, Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit. Until, suddenly, she lifted her game, and Azarenka couldn’t sustain her start. By the end, Osaka pulled away to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall. A quarter-century had passed since the last time the woman who lost the first set of a U.S. Open final wound up winning: In 1994, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario did it against Steffi Graf. Osaka, a 22-year-old born in Japan and now based in the United States, added to her trophies from the 2018 U.S. Open -- earned with a brilliant performance in a memorably chaotic final against Serena Williams -- and 2019 Australian Open.
NBA
Nuggets force Game 7 » Flights home from the NBA’s bubble are planned whenever a team is on the cusp of elimination, just in case they’re needed. Denver is in no hurry to board that plane. The never-say-die Nuggets pulled off another season-saving comeback — and, after rallying from 19 points down with 22 minutes remaining, they’ll see the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 on Tuesday night for a berth in the Western Conference finals. Nikola Jokic had 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and the Nuggets topped the Clippers 111-98 on Sunday to even their West semifinal series at three games apiece. The Nuggets will try to become the first team in NBA history to rally from a pair of 3-1 deficits in the same postseason, after doing so against Utah in the West first round. Jamal Murray scored 21 for Denver, which got 16 from Gary Harris, 13 from Michael Porter Jr. and 10 from Monte Morris.
MLB
Alec Mills throws no-hitter for Cubs » Alec Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season, shutting down the Milwaukee Brewers for the Chicago Cubs’ 16th no-hitter in a 12-0 victory Sunday. Mills got Jace Peterson — who replaced star slugger Chritsian Yelich late in the blowout — to hit a routine grounder to shortstop Javier Baez with two outs in the ninth. Baez completed the play, and the Cubs swarmed around Mills, tearing off his cap and pulling at the smiling right-hander’s uniform. Mills (5-3) threw 114 pitches and hardly had any close calls. He struck out five and walked three. His five strikeouts are the fewest in a Cubs no-hitter since Ken Holtzman in 1969.