Celts, Wiz win & take 3-2 leads
Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley scored 24 points apiece to help host Boston beat Chicago, 108-97, on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series. Dwyane Wade had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Chicago.
Bradley Beal scored 27 points, and John Wall added 20 points and 14 assists, leading Washington to a 103-99 home victory over Atlanta for a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for confronting a referee during live game action. The incident occurred Tuesday in the final minute of the first quarter during the Rockets’ 105-99 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
FIRST BLOOD TO PREDS
P.K. Subban had a goal and two assists and Vernon Fiddler scored with 5:05 left, sending Nashville to a 4-3 victory over St. Louis on the road in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series. The Predators lost forward Kevin Fiala to an ugly leg injury in the second period and blew a 3-1 lead before Fiddler poked a loose puck by Jake Allen in the third.
EX-ISLE NEW CANUCK SKIPPER
The Vancouver Canucks have named former Islanders center Travis Green their new coach. Green spent the last four seasons coaching the Canucks’ top farm team, the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.
The Boston Bruins said they will drop the interim tag from coach Bruce Cassidy’s title. Cassidy replaced Claude Julien in February and helped the team return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
THAMES HAS HAMMY SCARE
Eric Thames put a brief scare into the Brewers. Baseball’s biggest surprise so far this season says he will be fine.
Thames scored twice before leaving with an injury, and host Milwaukee beat Cincinnati, 9-4, on Wednesday for a three-game series sweep.
Thames, who leads the majors with 11 homers, appeared to be favoring his left hamstring as he stretched before the Reds batted in the eighth. Manager Craig Counsell talked with him near first base before the two walked off the field. Jesus Aguilar replaced Thames.
Gift Ngoepe, the first African to reach the major leagues, singled in his first plate appearance and Josh Harrison led off the bottom of the first with a home run to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-5 home victory over the Chicago Cubs. Ngoepe, 27, who is South African, was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and entered the game in the fourth inning as part of a double switch and finished 1-for-2 with a walk.
Maikel Franco hit his second grand slam of the month, helping Philadelphia beat visiting Miami, 7-4, for its fifth straight victory.
Trea Turner nearly hit for the cycle for a second straight night, finishing a triple shy, and Bryce Harper had four more hits to run his average to .432 as Washington beat Colorado on the road, 11-4.
Seth Smith drew a bases-loaded walk from Danny Farquhar to force in the winning run with two outs in the 11th, and host Baltimore rallied to beat Tampa Bay, 5-4.
Avisail Garcia and Leury Garcia homered to back run-starved starter Jose Quintana and the Chicago White Sox beat Kansas City, 5-2, to complete a three-game home sweep.
Michael Brantley drove in three runs and host Cleveland defeated Houston, 7-6.
James Paxton struck out nine in seven outstanding innings, and Nelson Cruz and Guillermo Heredia homered to lift Seattle to an 8-0 road victory over Detroit.
Ryan Rua connected for a grand slam and Texas avoided another series sweep with a 14-3 home victory over Minnesota.
EX-DEVIL DIES
Ex-Devils tough-guy winger Sasha (Pitbull) Lakovic has died at 45, according to a CBC report. Lakovic, who played 37 career NHL games including 18 for the Devils in the late ’90s, was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer last year. The East Vancouver native played the role of Soviet star Boris Mikhailov in the 2004 hockey movie “Miracle.”