Warriors take 3-0 series lead vs. Mavericks
Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Andrew Wiggins added 27 while posterizing Luka Doncic on a dunk and the Warriors beat the Mavericks 109-100 on Sunday night in Dallas for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Klay Thompson scored 19 with a pair of big fourth-quarter threepointers as the Warriors moved within a victory of a return to the NBA Finals, three years after the end of a run of five consecutive trips that yielded three championships.
Golden State, which swept Portland in its most recent West finals in 2019 before Toronto won the title, goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Tuesday in Dallas. No team has rallied from 3-0 down to win an NBA playoff series. Doncic scored 40 to lead the Mavs, who shot 13 of 45 from three-point range.
† Heat star Jimmy Butler intends to play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics on Monday in Boston, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
† The NBA fined the Mavericks for a third time in the playoffs because of violations of rules regarding their bench. The fines, with the latest being $100,000, have been for players and coaches standing for extended periods, straying too far from the bench and encroaching on the court during game action.
† Michigan coach Juwan Howard reportedly has declined an offer to interview for the Lakers’ coaching job.
HOCKEY
Wolves roll past Admirals
Orland Park native David Gust scored two goals in the first period and Stefan Noesen added a hat trick in the second as the Wolves rolled to an 8-2 victory against the Milwaukee Admirals at Allstate Arena in Game 2 of the Central Division Finals.
Forwards Andrew Poturalski and CJ Smith and defenseman Max Lajoie also scored for the Wolves, who tied the franchise’s postseason record for goals in a game while winning their fifth consecutive playoff game by three goals or more for the first time in the organization’s 28-year history.
The Wolves can clinch the bestof-5 series Wednesday in Milwaukee.
† Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and the Lightning beat the visiting Panthers 5-1 to move to the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference final. Corey Perry and Erik Cernak also scored, and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy had 34 saves to help the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Panthers, who had the NHL’s best record during the regular season.
† Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist, Igor Shesterkin stopped 43 shots, and the Rangers beat the visiting Hurricanes 3-1 in Game 3 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Chris Kreider and Tyler Motte also scored as the Rangers cut their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-seven matchup.
† Evander Kane scored three times during a four-goal outburst in the second period that carried the Oilers past the visiting Flames 4-1 for a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. Mike Smith made 31 saves for the Oilers.
† Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is out for the rest of the series against the Avalanche after suffering a lower-body injury in a pileup at the net involving the Avs’ Nazem Kadri during Game 3 on Saturday.
AUTO RACING
Dixon wins Indy pole
Scott Dixon turned four laps at an average of 234.046 mph around Indianapolis Motor Speedway to post the fastest Indianapolis 500 pole run in history. His average broke Scott Brayton’s pole-winning record set in 1996 of 233.718 mph. Arie Luyendyk holds the four-lap qualifying record of 236.986 mph, also done in 1996, but not in a run for the pole.
Dixon also started from the pole in 2008 when he scored his only Indy 500 win, as well as 2015, 2017 and last year.
† Ryan Blaney needed two extra laps after thinking he had already won the NASCAR All-Star race and $1 million, staying in front through a green-white-checkered finish after a caution came out just yards before he got to the line the first time. The All-Star race in Fort Worth, Texas, has to finish on a green flag, and the caution flag initially came out just before Blaney had crossed the line because Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slammed into the outside wall going into the backstretch. Pushed by his Penske teammate Austin Cindric on the restart, Blaney was able to stay in front and hold off Denny Hamlin, who finished 0.266 seconds behind.
MISCELLANEOUS
Red Stars top Pride
Mallory Pugh scored two second-half goals to cap the visiting Red Stars’ 4-2 victory against the Orlando Pride. Sarah Griffith opened with a goal in the 11th minute (from Vanessa DiBernardo) and Bianca St. Georges scored in the 54th minute (from Pugh). Red Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher stopped a penalty shot by Sydney Leroux in the 80th minute.
† The Browns re-signed defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to a one-year contract reportedly worth up to $11 million.