Holiday's defense lifts Bucks over Celtics for 3-2 series lead
BOSTON >> Bobby Portis made a putback off Giannis Antetokounmpo's missed free throw with 15 seconds left, Jrue Holiday snuffed Marcus Smart on Boston's final two possessions and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Celtics 110107 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 11 rebounds, Holiday finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Portis added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the defending NBA champion Bucks.
Milwaukee has a chance to wrap up the Eastern Conference semifinal in Game 6 at home Friday night. The Celtics need a win to force a decisive seventh game back in Boston on Sunday. JOKIC CAPTURES 2ND STRAIGHT MVP TITLE >> Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic earned a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player trophy Wednesday to become the second consecutive international player to win two in a row.
The 27-year-old from Sombor, Serbia, averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists to take home MVP honors. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo — who hails from Greece — earned the title in 2019 and 2020.
International players finished 1-2-3 in this year's MVP voting. Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, who led the league in scoring average, finished runner-up and Antetokounmpo was third. Devin Booker of Phoenix wound up fourth.
NHL PANTHERS 5, CAPITALS 3 >>
Carter Verhaeghe set a Florida postseason record with a five-point night, and Florida escaped a threegoal deficit to beat Washington and take a 3-2 lead in an Eastern Conference first-round series. RANGERS 5, PENGUINS 3 >> Filip Chytil scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and New York staved off elimination with a victory over Pittsburgh in Game 5 of the teams' firstround playoff series.
MLB
GUARDIANS-WHITE SOX
GAME POSTPONED OVER COVID-19 OUTBREAK >>
A COVID-19 outbreak in Cleveland's clubhouse, including a positive test for manager Terry Francona, led Major League Baseball to postpone the series finale between the Guardians and White Sox to allow for more testing and contact tracing.
It was the first coronavirus-related postponement in the league so far this season, which started on April 7.
MLB released a statement saying only there were “multiple positive COVID-19 tests” within Cleveland's organization.
Francona, who has dealt with serious health problems the past two seasons, tested positive a few hours before the scheduled first pitch. The team said the 63-year-old Francona currently is not showing any symptoms.
Horse racing
DERBY-WINNING RIDER LEON SERVING SUSPENSION BY OHIO STEWARDS >> The jockey of Kentucky Derby upset winner Rich Strike is currently serving a four-day suspension handed down by Ohio racing stewards that his agent says won't prevent him from riding the horse in next week's Preakness.
Stewards last week suspended Sonny Leon for careless riding in the third race on April 27 at Thistledown Racecourse, during which he “deliberately and aggressively” steered One Glamorous Gal toward the rail to block other horses in the stretch. Leon interfered with jockey Alexander Chavez aboard Ultra Rays, the ruling stated, and One Glamorous Gal was disqualified from third and placed sixth.
Tennis NADAL BOUNCES BACK FROM LOSS TO ALCARAZ, BEATS ISNER IN ROME >>
Once is enough when it comes to beating Rafael Nadal on a clay court.
Throughout his career, Nadal has never lost consecutive matches on his favorite surface and the Spaniard extended that perfect record by beating John Isner 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Italian Open.