The Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 4-3, in Game 4 of the American League Division Series to win the series 3-1.

Red Sox send Yankees packing with a 3-1 triumph in the ALDS

The Boston Red Sox came into Tuesday’s ALDS showdown with a 2-1 lead over the New York Yankees and were looking to wrap the series up last night in the Bronx after crushing the Yankees 16-1 in Game 3 (the worst in Yankees playoff history).

Pitcher Rick Porcello started for the Red Sox looking for his first career postseason win against CC Sabathia on the hill for the Yankees.

Boston scored three runs in the third inning. The Yankees switched Sabathia for Aaron Boone in the fourth then Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez came in and hit a home run over Aaron Judge, thus putting the Sox up 4-0.

The Yankees got a run in the fifth and scored twice in the ninth inning.

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With runners on first and second with two outs, the Yankees began to rally back in the ninth. Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres hit a slow roller but Red Sox third baseman Eduardo Nunez charged and threw it across the diamond to first baseman Steve Pearce.

Pearce stretched for an outstanding catch, beating Torres to the base by a split-hair of a second.

The Yankees immediately challenged the “out” call as a sellout crowd of 49,641 stood in suspended celebration, fixated on the center-field video board.

After a 63-second review, umpire Mike Winters took off his headset, raised his right fist and made the “out” call official.

The Red Sox beat the Yankees 4-3, setting up a postseason rematch with the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.

To make things worse, after the game the Red Sox made sure to kick off their celebration by blaring “New York, New York” in the visitor’s clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.

The (108-54) Red Sox are now headed to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2013, where they’ll host the (103-59) Astros at Fenway Park.

First pitch for Game 1 of the ALCS will start at 8:09 p.m. EST and will air on TBS.

The Boston Red Sox will visit the New York Yankees on Tuesday for Game 4 of the American League Division Series, and here is what you need to know.

Red Sox to visit Yankees for ALDS Game 4

Boston leads the series 2-1 after trouncing the Yankees 16-1 in New York on Monday night. This easily marked the Bombers’ worst loss in modern playoff history.

Tuesday’s game will start at 8:07 p.m. EST and will air on TBS. CC Sabathia, who finished the regular season 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA, will start for the Yankees. The Red Sox will start 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, who finished 17-7 with a 4.28 ERA and 190 strikeouts this season.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone faced criticism for the changes and other decisions he made for Game 3. The TBS broadcast on Monday reported that starter Luis Severino was confused or wrongly informed about the contest’s starting time and therefore did not show up to his team’s bullpen to warm up until less than ten minutes prior to the first pitch. Severino — who allowed six runs on Monday — and Boone allegedly denied this report.

The Bombers also did not benefit from putting Lance Lynn as a reliever on the mound on Monday, as the former St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins right-hander was also charged with several runs.

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Here is what the potential starting lineups for Tuesday look like for each team:

Red Sox:

1. Mookie Betts, CF
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. J.D. Martinez, RF
4. Xander Bogaerts, SS
5. Steve Pearce, DH
6. Brock Holt, 1B
7. Eduardo Nunez, 3B
8. Ian Kinsler, 2B
9. Sandy Leon, C

Yankees

1. Andrew McCutchen, LF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Aaron Hicks, CF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Luke Voit, 1B
6. Didi Gregorius, SS
7. Miguel Andujar, 3B
8. Gary Sanchez, C
9. Gleyber Torres, 2B 

The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Golden State Warriors on Friday night for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and here’s everything you need to know about this crucial matchup.

warriors vs. cavaliers game 4 preview

This has been a sad, sad series for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After losing to the Warriors during Game 3 at home 110-102, Golden State leads the NBA Finals 3-0 and are on the verge of sweeping LeBron James and the 12 other players he’s carried on his back up to this point. LeBron has been amazing throughout this entire postseason, putting up ridiculous numbers while almost literally being the entire Cavaliers team. But while this more or less worked as Cleveland trudged their way through the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the same cannot be said for this series against the Warriors, because Golden State is just too good.

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The Dubs seem to be the polar opposite of the Cavs in the sense that they are so star-studded that even when two of their best players have off games, they still have at least one other guy to pick up the slack. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were both awful for most of Game 3, but Kevin Durant had a masterful performance of 43 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 65.2% (6-9 from 3-point range. Even with Curry and Thompson faltering, the Warriors still had someone to go to. However, if LeBron has a bad game, the Cavaliers have no chance whatsoever. They cannot do a thing on the court if LeBron is underperforming, which makes this all the more disappointing for The King. He’s the best player in the world, but the rest of his team is so mediocre that they cannot do a thing on basketball’s biggest stage without him.

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This being the case, LeBron is going to be fighting his heart in Game 4, doing everything he can to keep the Cavs’ season afloat. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the NBA Finals, and this year’s Cavaliers don’t look like they’ll be the first to do it judging by how this series has gone so far, but you can never count out LeBron. Sweeps are also incredibly difficult, as there have only been 8 Finals sweeps since 1950, so it’s not unreasonable to see the Cavs take this game home. However, the Warriors are just so good that normal basketball logic doesn’t necessarily apply to them, so there are plenty of things up in the air right now.

You can see whether or not the Warriors can complete their sweep of the Cavaliers tonight at 9:00 pm EST on ABC.

The Washington Capitals will host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and here is what you need to know.

Golden Knights Vs. Capitals Game 4 Preview

After dropping the series opener, the Capitals lead the series 2-1. Washington won Game 3 by a score of 3-1 on Saturday.

The Caps stand a strong chance at winning Game 4 given their home-ice advantage. Additionally, Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL playoffs in goals scored with 14.

However, Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has also been stellar, having stopped 70 of the 80 shots the Capitals have fired at him this series.

Monday’s game in Washington will begin at 8pm EST, will air on NBC and can be live-streamed on NBC Sports.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the series:

• Game 5 (in Vegas): Thursday, June 7, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Game 6 (if necessary) (in Washington): Sunday, June 10, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Game 7 (if necessary) (in Vegas): Wednesday, June 13, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

The Golden State Warriors will host the Houston Rockets for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Rockets vs. Warriors Game 4 Preview

Defending NBA champions Golden State lead the series 2-1 after a 41-point blowout win in Game 3 on Sunday. Stephen Curry scored 35 points in the victory, and Kevin Durant added 25. The Warriors had eight turnovers, while the Rockets recorded 20.

Given all this, the Dubs are the projected favorite to win Game 4, a victory that would put them just one more win away from reaching their fourth straight NBA Finals. Andre Iguoadala has been listed as “questionable” for the Warriors after he suffered a knee injury in Game 3.

Tuesday’s game at Oracle Arena will begin at 9pm EST and will air on TNT.

In the Eastern Conference, the Final series is tied 2-2 after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 111-102 on Monday. The two teams will play again on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum suffered a left hamstring injury on Sunday night, the latest in a series of injuries in this year’s NBA playoffs. 

Jazz’s Dante Exum Injures Hamstring In Game 4

The 22-year-old Australian was attempting to dribble past James Harden in the third quarter of the Jazz’s 100-87 Game 4 loss to the Houston Rockets when he pulled up with the injury and limped off the court with soreness in his hamstring. Exum then returned to the floor, missed a three-pointer and went over to the Jazz’s locker room in pain for the rest of the night. He scored nine points before his injury.

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The Rockets lead the second-round series 3-1.

Exum — the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 Draft — has been beset with injuries since he began playing for Utah. He had shoulder surgery in October and missed four months of action.

Exum also tore his ACL in his left knee in 2015, when he played for Australia’s national team.

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The guard will become a restricted free agent after this season. Utah is already missing starting point guard Ricky Rubio, who has also been sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Game 5 is set for Tuesday at 8pm EST in Houston, and will air on TNT.

The Toronto Raptors will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series, and here is what you need to know.

Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 4 Preview

Cleveland leads the series 3-0 after their 105-103 Game 3 victory on Saturday. The Cavaliers are the favorites to win on Monday, as they have never lost a Game 4 after winning the first three games of any postseason series. Cleveland has also beat Toronto in 14 of their past 16 contests.

Monday’s game will begin at 8:30pm EST and will air on TNT.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the second-round series between the two teams:

• Game 5 in Toronto: Wednesday, May 9, TBA, TNT (if necessary)
• Game 6 in Cleveland: Friday, May 11, TBA, ESPN (if necessary)
• Game 7 in Toronto: Sunday, May 13, TBA (if necessary)

Also playing on Monday night at 6:00pm EST are the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, who will play at Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics lead that series 3-0 after winning 101-98 in OT on Saturday.

Mitt Romney made an appearance at Monday night’s Game 4 playoff contest between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder in Salt Lake City, and he couldn’t help but take a jab at Russell Westbrook.

Mitt Romney Taunts Russell Westbrook In Playoffs Game 4

The former Governor of Massachusetts, who is an avid Jazz fan, was wearing the team’s jersey while sitting court-side, and after Westbrook drew his fourth foul less than two minutes before halftime, Romney decided to poke fun at the MVP. Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee for president, was seen smiling, clapping and holding up four fingers while visibly saying “That’s four” after Westbrook picked up the foul.

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Westbrook, whose fourth foul came after he aggressively charged Ricky Rubio, finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds in the Thunder’s 113-96 loss. Utah leads the first-round series 3-1, and Game 5 is set for Wednesday at 9:30pm EST in Oklahoma City.

Photos on social media quickly revealed Romney was wearing a personalized Jazz jersey with the number 5 and his last name on the back. Utah’s David Stockton currently sports the No. 5 on the team’s roster.

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Romney lost the Utah GOP’s Senate nomination on Saturday, which means he will have to compete against state representative Mike Kennedy for the seat in a primary in June. Romney is looking to replace long-standing Republican Senator Orrin Hatch. According to CNN, Romney finished second in the second round of voting with 49.12 percent, while Kennedy led with 50.88 percent.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Houston Rockets for Game 4 of their first-round playoffs series on Monday night, and here is what you need to know.

Rockets Vs. Timberwolves Game 4 Preview

Houston leads the series 2-1 after taking the first two games. Eighth-seeded Minnesota won 121-105 in Game 3 on Saturday. The top-seeded Rockets, who finished the season 65-17, had a 17-game win streak earlier this season but seem to have lost the strength they displayed during that stretch.

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Other than a strong performance in Game 2, Chris Paul looks like he has been struggling. James Harden has missed a fair share of layups, and Clint Capela has also not been as strong as he could be. Nevertheless, Houston beat Minnesota in all four of their regular-season contests. The Timberwolves are making their first postseason appearance since the 2003-2004 season.

With regards to injuries, the Rockets’ Luc Mbah a Moute (shoulder) is expected to miss the whole first-round series. Ryan Anderson (ankle) has sat out Games 1 and 2.

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Monday’s game at Minneapolis’s Target Center will begin at 8pm EST and will air on TNT. Here is the schedule for the rest of the seven-game series:

• Game 5 in Houston: Wednesday, April 25, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
• Game 6 in Minneapolis: Friday, April 27, TBA (if necessary)
• Game 7 in Houston: Sunday, April 29, TBA (if necessary)

Goalkeeper Martin Jones put on a great performance, and the San Jose Sharks edged the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 at home on Wednesday night to sweep their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

Sharks vs. Ducks NHL Playoffs Game 4 Score

Jones finished with 30 saves, 14 of them in the second period of Game 4.

“We’re playing well going into the second round,” stated defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic. “Everybody is contributing if it’s offensively, blocking shots, taking a hit. Everybody is doing what they have to for us to win.”

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San Jose outscored Anaheim 16-4 in this four-game series. In the middle period on Wednesday, the Sharks struggled significantly, and several of the team’s players credited Jones with keeping it from becoming a total disaster. During that frame, the goaltender helped kill three of San Jose’s four penalties of the night.

Marcus Sorensen’s goal in the first period, his third of the playoffs, gave San Jose a 1-0 lead. Anaheim’s Andrew Cogliano tied it 1-1 at 7:53 of the final period with a shot from the slot. Then just 1:16 later, the Sharks got up 2-1 when Vlasic’s point shot bounced off Tomas Hertl and into the net.

“I’m just really proud of our group, the resiliency, the composure,” stated Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. “We asked them to come into this series and play with composure. We knew what we were going to get, they were going to try to push us out of the series physically. We stood in there and did it without taking penalties and with discipline.”

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The Sharks will next visit the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 1 of the Western Conference second-round playoff series. The date and time of that opening game have yet to be announced. The Golden Knights also swept the Los Angeles Kings in four games.

Here are more highlights from Thursday’s game:

Stephen Curry scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 points and 12 rebounds in leading the Golden State Warriors to a 129-115 road victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night to finish a four-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals.

Warriors Sweep Spurs To Reach Third NBA Finals In Three Years

Golden State, which is undefeated in this year’s playoffs, has now reached its third consecutive NBA Finals.  The Warriors are the first team in league history to begin the postseason with a 12-0 run — their last loss came on April 10, their penultimate game of the regular season. Curry emphasized after Monday’s victory, however, that his team shouldn’t become complacent.

”(Being) 12-0 is great, but it doesn’t mean anything going into the next series, and we understand that,” said the two-time MVP.

The 2015 NBA champions will face either the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers or the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, beginning June 1. The Cavs hold a 2-1 lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

”It’s great to be one of the last two teams standing, we’ll see how it goes,” said Durant.

Golden State led by 14 at halftime, and was ahead by double digits the rest of the night.

The Spurs’ only lead came on the opening possession when Manu Ginobili — who made his first start of the season in what may have been one of the last games of his career — scored a left-handed scoop shot. The 39-year-old Argentine guard has stated he will not decide whether he is retiring or not until after this season.

‘We started him tonight out of respect,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ”That was the whole reason for starting him. Before the game, you think it may or may not be his last game that he ever plays in, and I did not want to miss the opportunity to honor him in front of our home fans for his selflessness over the years.”

Given the uncertainty regarding Ginobili’s future with the team, the AT&T Center crowd treated the veteran to chants of “Manu, Manu” toward the end of Monday night.

Ginobili finished with 15 points in 32 minutes.

”He kind of worked us pretty good these four games,” said Draymond Green, who recorded 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors. ”So, I think he’s got quite a bit left in the tank. Obviously, it’s up to him how much longer he wants to go. But one thing about it, he’s definitely not a liability on the floor.”

Kyle Anderson scored 20 points for the injury-riddled Spurs, who were missing Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and David Lee.

In the fourth quarter, Anderson dove to the floor for a loose ball that San Antonio batted away defensively. Anderson then tossed the ball up-court to Patty Mills, who assisted Ginobili for a 3-pointer that put the Spurs within 108-94 with seven minutes left.

”It’s the second time we’ve gotten swept in 15 years, and those are the easiest to digest because you’ve been overplayed,” Ginobili said. ”The opponent was better than us, and in this case, way better than us.”

The Warriors have won their last ten games with Mike Brown as interim coach. Brown took over for head coach Steve Kerr after the latter stepped away for medical reasons in the first round of the playoffs.

Kerr has been around the team in recent weeks, nevertheless, and has delivered pep talks at practices — and in the locker room at halftime — and analyzing videos.

The 51-year-old former Spurs player has said his status for this year’s NBA Finals remains uncertain. Kerr continues to deal with complications from back surgery he underwent two years ago. He took an indefinite leave of absence from the Warriors on April 23.

Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob told ESPN late Monday night that he has told Kerr to take “as long as he wants” to return to the team.

“He is a fantastic coach and a fantastic human being and a great friend,” Lacob said. “I told him the other day, ‘I don’t even want to talk about or think about anything other than winning this championship. You can contribute in any way you can, and we’ll worry about the future in the future.'”

The Warriors on Monday were missing starting center Zaza Pachulia, who sat out his second consecutive game with a bruised right heel. Pachulia drew anger from Spurs fans and Popovich — who called him “unsportsmanlike” and “dangerous” — for stepping on an already-injured Leonard in Game 1. One Spurs fan even went as far as to sue the Georgian center and the Warriors for ruining San Antonio’s competitive chances in the playoffs by hurting Leonard.

Leonard missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Popovich announced his All-Star forward would not play about two hours prior to tipoff.

Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge capped a disappointing series with his second eight-point performance against Golden State.

Aldridge entered Game 4 averaging 18 points, but was held to 4-for-11 shooting in 22 minutes in the last contest of the Western Conference Finals.

”No excuses but a lot of unfortunate things happened, but we still tried to compete and do the best we could do,” Aldridge said. ”They’ve been the best team in the west for the last few years and they proved it again. (Warriors) came out and competed, they had a good game plan for the guys that we had out there, we just came out and did everything we could do.”

Brown said it was challenging to face the Spurs, and said that he had an enjoyable phone conversation with longtime friend and mentor Popovich before the series began.

”He called, we talked, we laughed,” Brown said. ”He said, `Hey, I love you. I told him I loved him and he said, `But you know once this starts, we’re going to try to kick your (butt). I said, `Ok, it’s on.”’

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MAY 22: Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors battle for the ball in the second half during Game Four of the 2017 NBA Western Conference Finals at AT&T Center on May 22, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas.

Corey Perry scored in overtime to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-2 road victory over the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Final to even the best-of-seven series 2-2.

Corey Perry Scores in OT, Ducks Beat Predators 3-2 In Game 4

At 10:25 of the extra session, Perry fired a shot at the goal from the right boards, and the puck ricocheted off Predators defenseman P.K. Subban’s stick and past Pekka Rinne.

With the game-winner, his 36th goal, the Ducks right wing and alternate captain passed Teemu Selanne for second place on the franchise’s all-time playoff scoring list. Perry also scored on his 32nd birthday in Tuesday’s Game 3, which Anaheim lost 2-1 in Nashville.

“Like we’ve been saying all playoffs, we have a checklist that we go through every single day,” Perry said. “It doesn’t matter when it is in the game, you’ve got to go back, you’ve got to think of what’s on that list and adversity is one of them, ebbs and flows of a game.

“We knew coming into overtime, you put that jersey on you, go out and play like you did in the first period; hard-nosed, pucks in deep. We kind of changed the momentum there. We got some chances, and we got the break.”

Predators forward Filip Forsberg tied it 2-2 with 34.5 seconds remaining in regulation. Viktor Arvidsson passed the puck from behind the net and Forsberg shot through John Gibson’s five-hole for his seventh goal.

Rickard Rakell and Nick Ritchie gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead with goals in the first and second period, respectively. Rakell’s slap shot at 11:30 of the first beat Rinne from the top of the left face-off circle, as Anaheim caught Nashville in a line change. Then at 10:22 of the second, Ritchie fired a wrist shot from the right face-off circle between the legs of Nashville defenseman Roman Josi and past Rinne for his fourth postseason goal.

Subban opened scoring for the Predators at 13:33 with a slap shot from the right point for his second playoff goal. The puck passed through traffic for the score.

“I thought we did a good job of getting back in the game,” Subban said. “We had an opportunity in overtime and just an unlucky bounce so turn the page and get ready for next game.”

Nashville had a 5-on-3 power-play for 1:31 in the third but was unable to score.

Anaheim allowed two shots on goal in the opening period, a franchise record for least shots surrendered in a period of a Stanley Cup Playoff game.

Game 5 is Saturday at 7:15 pm EST in Anaheim.

NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 18: Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks shoots the puck against Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators during the second period in Game Four of the Western Conference Final during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 18, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Stephen Curry scored 30 points in leading the Golden State Warriors to a 121-95 victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Monday night to complete their second-round sweep of the Western Conference Semifinals in four games.

NBA Playoffs: Steph Curry’s 30 Points Lead Warriors to Game 4 Win, Sweep of Jazz

Draymond Green added 17 points, ten rebounds and 11 assists for his third career playoff triple-double, while Klay Thompson scored 21 points and Kevin Durant contributed 18. Here are some highlights of Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ big shots in the win:

Here is a different look at the victory:

”We have a lot of talent,” Curry said. ”We never know who is going to have a hot night. We try to move the ball, use each other to create open shots and when we do that, the ball is hopping and a lot of good things happen.”

Warriors interim coach Mike Brown said prior to Monday’s game that he hoped the team would get off to a fast start, and Golden State indeed delivered. The Dubs led 39-17 after one quarter of play thanks to strong offensive performances from Curry and Green, who combined to shoot 6 for 8 in the first 15 minutes.

”Steph was Steph and we fed off him,” Warriors interim head coach Mike Brown said.

Curry entered Monday’s game averaging 26.7 points in the playoffs.

Gordon Hayward led Utah with 25 points, and Shevlin Mack added 18 for the Jazz, which went on a 14-0 run early in the second quarter thanks to Dante Exum and Derrick Favors to trim their deficit to ten points and eventually trail 60-52 at halftime.

Utah, which snapped a four-year postseason drought by reaching the 2017 playoffs, was never ahead in three of their four games against Golden State, including Monday’s matchup.

”It’s been a unique arc for us,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ”The adversity that kind of continued to rear its head and the way these guys dealt with it. It was apropos tonight.

”What happened, happened. We got blitzed.”

Golden State, the reigning Western Conference champions, have won both their postseason series 4-0 this year. The Warriors next face the winner of the Houston-San Antonio series, which is tied 2-2, in the third round. The Rockets and Spurs face off Monday night (8 pm) at AT&T Center.

”The most important thing was we imposed our will on the game and we had the game at our pace,” Green said.

The Dubs could face the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, who are also 8-0 in the 2017 playoffs, for the third consecutive NBA Finals this year.

The Warriors’ eight straight victories to start the playoffs are a record for the franchise. If Golden State wins the next round, it will mark the first time the team has ever reached three consecutive NBA Finals.

Head coach Steve Kerr remained out for the Warriors after undergoing a spinal cord leak procedure on Friday. There is no timetable for his return. Kerr had back surgery two years ago and has dealt with complications ever since. Brown has been Golden State’s interim coach since Game 3 of the first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

In other NBA Playoffs news, the Rockets announced Monday that center Nene is out for the postseason with a groin injury. The Brazilian star tore a muscle in his left thigh during the first quarter of Houston’s 125-104 Game 4 victory over the Spurs on Sunday and did not return. The Rockets said they are reviewing treatment options.

“I hate it for Nene,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s been so valuable all year, such a good guy.”

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, meanwhile, will forgo the final year of his contract to become a free agent this summer.

The three-time All-Star has one year and $12 million left on the four-year, $48 million deal he signed in July 2014.

Lowry averaged career-highs of 22.4 points, 7.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in the regular season but was held to 60 games due to a right wrist injury that required surgery in February. In eight playoff games he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MAY 8: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors directs a play in the first half against the Utah Jazz in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on May 8, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Isaiah Thomas did not blame himself for the Boston Celtics‘ 121-102 loss to the Wizards in Washington on Sunday, nor did he say anyone else was at fault, but said the officials and his teammates did not help by being passive.

Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas Criticizes Refs, teammates After Game 4 Loss to Wizards

The All-Star guard, who scored 19 points on 7-of14-shooting in 31 minutes of play, was held to just two points in the second half on Sunday, and said the referees’ lack of calls allowed the Wizards to “hold and grab” him and eventually cost the Celtics the game. Thomas was particularly frustrated at the fact that he wasn’t able to shoot a single free throw, and said the officials were part of the reason why. The point guard said the referees were partially to blame for Washington’s 26-0 burst in the third quarter.

“[The Wizards] were very physical. The refs were allowing them to hold and grab and do all those things,” said Thomas. “I think, especially in that third quarter, I might have hit the ground five or six straight times, and I’m not the one that likes hitting the ground. So I think it got to be called differently.

“I’m not saying that’s the reason we lost. They went on a 26-0 run, and we can’t have that on the road. But I can’t be allowed to be held and grabbed every pin-down, every screen. And I don’t shoot one free throw. I play the same way each and every night. So I think that has to change.”

Here are Thomas’s full comments in the press conference after Game 4 at Verizon Center:

The 28-year-old guard admitted he should have played more aggressively on Sunday as he has in other NBA playoff games, like in Game 2 when his 53 points helped lead Boston to a home victory over Washington. However, Thomas added he was still incensed at the fact that the referees were not calling blatant fouls.

“No matter what, I’ve gotta play the same way,” Thomas said. “So whether I’m getting the calls or not, I’ve gotta be in attack mode, I’ve gotta be aggressive to get in the paint, to make things happen, not just for myself but for my teammates. But I have to put it on the refs to call it. So I’m going to keep attacking and keep being myself no matter if they’re calling it or not. But it does get a little frustrating when you continue to play the same way and there’s nothing being called.”

Thomas, whose younger sister died the eve of the playoffs, also said he was disappointed in his teammates’ lack of confidence and their “shook” demeanor after the loss. The All-Star, who averaged 28.9 points per game last season and is averaging 29.5 points per contest this series, said it was crucial for the Celtics to not become so easily discouraged after missing shots in order to beat the Wizards in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a series that is now tied 2-2.

“We’ve gotta be confident,” Thomas said. “For whatever reason today, there were guys with their heads down after missing shots. We’re getting the right shots. If you miss then just continue to shoot. We have to remain confident.”

The point guard continued: “You’ve gotta step into it and shoot it like you just made three in a row. This is not the time to be shook,” he said. “This is not the time to shy away from the opportunity. This is the time to take advantage of it. If you’re open, we expect you to make it and shoot it with confidence.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night (8 pm EST) in Boston.

San Antonio Spurs and Houston are also tied 2-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals after the Rockets defeated the Spurs 125-104 at Toyota Center on Sunday. Game 5 is Tuesday night at AT&T Center.

Cleveland remains undefeated in this year’s playoffs, as the Cavaliers beat the Raptors 109-102 in Toronto Sunday to sweep their series 4-0.

The Golden State Warriors, who lead their series against Utah 3-0, will visit the Jazz on Monday night (9 pm EST) for Game 4.

WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 07: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics reacts after a call in the second half against the Washington Wizards in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Verizon Center on May 7, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie both scored early in the first period to lift the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 Game 4 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Capitals Beat Maple Leafs 5-4 In Game 4 To Tie Series

With the win, the Capitals have tied the first-round Eastern Conference series 2-2 after losing the past two games to the Maple Leafs.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Friday in Washington.

Wilson and Oshie had two goals each, Alexander Ovechkin also scored, and Braden Holtby made 29 saves for the Capitals, who were up 2-0 just 4:34 into the game.

“We had everyone going. We were putting pucks to the right areas” Oshie said. “We were shooting a little bit more, getting guys to the net, and I think that gave us some more chances. You’ve got to tip your hat because they kept coming at the end there, but we were able to hold them off.”

Oshie opened scoring for Washington at 2:58 of the first period for his first goal of the playoffs, and Ovechkin made it 2-0 1:36 later on a power-play goal that went in off the post. The Maple Leafs scored 42 seconds later when Jake Gardiner’s shot bounced off Zach Hyman’s skate at the top of the crease and slipped past Holtby’s left pad.

Toronto enjoyed a 5-on-3 advantage for the first 1:53 of the third period, when it trailed 4-2, but was unable to score on the power-play despite taking five shots. Washington’s Lars Eller was called for delay of game, and then two seconds later Brooks Orpik was whistled for slashing.

Wilson then scored two goals in quick succession late in the first (at 13:41 and 16:04) to put the Capitals up 4-1. Moments after diving to swat away a puck that got past Holtby and dangerously close to the goal line, Wilson raced to the other end of the ice for a breakaway and fired a shot past goalie Frederik Andersen that deflected off a Toronto defenseman near the crease to give Washington a 3-1 lead.

Thus far, Wilson has three goals in the series after scoring seven in 82 regular-season games.

James van Riemsdyk scored on a power play at 5:39 of the second period to cut Washington’s lead to 4-2 with a shot that deflected into the net off Dmitry Orlov. 

Oshie scored at 8:11 of the third period, but his goal was waved off after officials called Nicklas Backstrom for interfering with Andersen.

Auston Matthews scored for Toronto to make it 4-3 with 8:00 left in the game to make the jovial crowd at Air Canada Centre sing “Sweet Caroline” in unison during a brief stoppage in play. However, Oshie netted the game-winning goal 59 seconds later on an odd-man rush.

Tyler Bozak, who scored the game-winner for Toronto in overtime in Game 3 on Monday, scored the Maple Leafs’ fourth goal to make it 5-4 with 27 seconds left while his team had an extra attacker. By then, however, it was too late.

Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner missed his second game with an upper-body injury.

Game 5 begins Friday at 7 pm EST at Verizon Center.

TORONTO, ON – APRIL 19: T.J. Oshie #77 of the Washington Capitals blocks a puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on April 19, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Capitals defeated the Maple Leafs 5-4 to even series 2-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

After a 3-1 loss on Sunday, the New York Rangers rebounded to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 at home Tuesday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round thanks to goals from Rick Nash and Jesper Fast.

NHL Playoffs: Rangers Beat Canadiens 3-1 In Game 4, Tie First-Round Series 2-2

With the win, the Rangers have evened the series 2-2 and snapped a six-game losing streak at Madison Square Garden in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday at Montreal.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 shots for New York.

“It was our best home game [of the series], for sure,” said Nash, who scored the game-winning goal early in the second period. “It was a tough couple of days after Game 3 (a 3-1 loss on Sunday), and we knew we needed to come with a good effort. I still think the third period could be a bit better, we could create more. But you’ve got to give them a little credit too. They came hard.”

Torrey Mitchell scored for the Canadiens, who nearly tied it up when Shea Weber’s slap shot from the left circle hit the post with 1:18 left. Carey Price made 30 saves for Montreal.

“They were desperate tonight,” the Habs goalie said. “They executed a pretty good game plan. You have to give that team credit; they played well tonight.”

Unlike in Games 2 and 3, the Rangers outshot the Canadiens 32-24 on Tuesday, and the results of New York’s greater effort showed.

Fast put the Rangers up 1-0 at 11:39 of the first period. Brady Skjei hit the puck around the boards and it bounced off the stick of Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov and in front of Fast, who tapped the puck between Price’s pads for his first goal of the postseason.

“I think we just forced passes tonight,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. “We weren’t as good tonight as we were [Sunday] night. I thought that we were forcing things more than just managing the puck better, and that resulted in a lot of icings. Same thing on the faceoffs; we had a lot of draws on our own hand, so we needed to manage the puck better tonight.”

Michell then got his own first goal of the playoffs to tie it 1-1 for Montreal with 1:23 remaining in the first period. The center one-timed a pass by Weber from the left circle to beat Lundqvist. Mitchell’s goal came after Alexander Radulov won a puck battle against Skjei at the Rangers blue line and delivered a no-look backhand pass to set up Mitchell and Weber on a two-on-one.

Nash’s tie-breaking goal came on an assist from Ryan McDonagh. Nash cut to the net and fired a backhand shot past Price at 4:28 of the second period for his second goal of the playoffs.

“I saw a hole to the net right away,” Nash said. “I haven’t seen the replay; I don’t know if I beat the guy off the wall or if he kind of cheated out, I’m not sure. But right away, I thought I had a lane. Once I took to my backhand, I saw the five-hole kind of open up.”

Lundqvist made a brilliant glove save with 9:11 left in the first period. The Rangers goalie blocked Andrew Shaw’s wrist shot on a breakaway following Alex Galchenyuk pass through the neutral zone. Lundqvist’s save came less than a minute before Fast’s goal.

The Rangers were 0-for-2 on the power play and are 0-for-12 in the series. The Canadiens were 0-for-3. Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich played his first-ever NHL Playoff game. Tanner Glass was a healthy scratch. Defenseman Nick Holden played after being a healthy scratch for Game 3. Holden replaced Kevin Klein.

Game 5 is set for Thursday at 7 pm EST in Montreal.

Following a crushing 3-2 overtime road loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins regained hope after defeating the Sharks 3-1 in Game 4 at SAP Center in San Jose on Monday night.

Penguins Beat Sharks 3-1 In Game 4, One Win From Stanley Cup

The Penguins now lead the Stanley Cup Final series 3-1 and are just one victory away from winning a national championship, which they will seek to earn when they return home to Consol Energy Center for Game 5 Thursday night.

“You’ve just got to understand that it’s going to take our best and we’re going to see their absolute best,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. “In saying that, you can’t get caught looking ahead of things. We’ve had a great approach all playoff long — all season long — in making sure we’re staying in the moment here. That will be important here, now more than ever.”

The Penguins have come a long way from a rough start to the season that began with three straight losses. After struggling through much of November, general manager Tim Rutherford fired second-year head coach Mike Johnston and replaced him with Mike Sullivan. 

“No one was happy with the way [the season] started,” said defenseman Ian Cole, who opened scoring on Monday with his first-ever playoff goal. “We learned hard lessons. We grew as a team. We had some fantastic additions to our team. We just kind of grew together and knew we had to kind of come together as a team to be this successful, to get to where we wanted to get to, and we did that.”

The Penguins will try to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time; each of their previous wins (1991, Minnesota North Stars; 1992, Chicago Blackhawks; 2009, Detroit Red Wings), were on the road. If they win on Thursday, it would be the first major sports championship won at home by a Pittsburgh-based team since the Pirates defeated the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.

Cole scored 7:36 into Game 4, slamming home the rebound of a shot from Phil Kessel that Sharks goalkeeper Martin Jones kicked into the right face-off circle.

It was Cole’s first goal in 105 games, regular season and playoffs, dating to March 26, 2015 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I hit a lot of posts, a lot of sticks; pucks were going to the open net and they’d get tipped wide,” Cole said. “It was a weird year in that sense. It’s nice to finally get that one. I was saving a special one for a special game.”

The only time San Jose has led in this Final series was when forward Joonas Donskoi scored in overtime of Game 3. The Penguins, meanwhile, have been ahead in 435:46 of playing time, dating to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Center Evgeni Malkin, who assisted on Cole’s goal, scored at 2:37 of the second period to make it 2-0. He got his stick on a power-play shot by Kessel for his first goal in six games. It was Pittsburgh’s first power-play goal in eight attempts in the Finals, and Malkin’s 10th career game-winning goal in the postseason.

Sharks forward Melker Karlsson scored at 8:07 of the third period to make it 2-1, but the Sharks were unable to capitalize, despite outshooting Pittsburgh 12-7 in the period.

Penguins goalie Matt Murray finished with 23 saves, and is now 5-0 with a 1.76 goals-against average and .935 save percentage this postseason.

Eric Fehr gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead with 2:02 remaining, thus leaving the Sharks one loss from the end of their first Cup Final in their 25-year history.

“We’re confident that we can go to Pittsburgh and win a hockey game,” Sharks forward Logan Couture said. “We’ve been good on the road all year. We’re going to go there and start by having a good first period, into the second [period] and then the third and see what happens.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsLb18kgBII

PHOTO: SAN JOSE, CA – JUNE 06: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes the save as Patrick Marleau #12 of the San Jose Sharks looks for a rebound in Game Four of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center on June 6, 2016 in San Jose, California. The Penguins defeated the Sharks 3-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Golden State Warriors for the second straight time with a 118-94 home victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night to gain a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals and push the defending NBA champions closer to the brink of elimination.

Thunder Crush Warriors 118-94 In Game 4 To Push Golden State Closer To Elimination

The Thunder jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and for the second consecutive game had 72 points by halftime, when the score marked 72-53. Klay Thompson attempted to bring the Warriors back into the game in the third quarter by scoring 19 points in just a few minutes, but Golden State was unable to come back. Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points. Before Game 4, the Warriors were 12-0 in bounce-back games this season.

Russell Westbrook helped lead the way for Oklahoma City, and earned his fifth career post-season triple-double, as well as 36 points (on 12-of-27 shooting), 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Kevin Durant chipped in 26 points and 11 rebounds.

“He just plays with incredible passion,” Thunder Coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. “He’s got such great force and great will, and he’s also a really, really high basketball I.Q. player.”

Shooting guard Andre Roberson, whom the Warriors have struggled to guard, scored a career-high 17 points and added 12 rebounds for the Thunder. Serge Ibaka also finished with 17 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Oklahoma City finished the first half on a 28-13 run, all while becoming the first team to score at least 72 points in a half during a playoff game since 1987 (the Los Angeles Lakers did it against the Denver Nuggets on April 23 and April 25).

On Golden State’s side, two of their strongest players, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, both struggled. Curry had 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting and six turnovers, while Green scored six points 1-of-7 shooting and had two assists, 11 rebounds and six turnovers in 38 minutes. Curray missed 10 of his first 11 shots. In the last two games, Green is a combined minus-73. Green kicked Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin in Game 3 on Sunday and received no suspension for it, a story that has been all the talk for the last three days.

The Thunder also out-rebounded the Warriors 56-40.

This was the first time this season that Golden State lost consecutive games. The Warriors must win Game 5 on Thursday at Oracle Arena in Oakland in order to remain in the playoffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJrwoxhZx1E

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MAY 24: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors in the second half in game four of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 24, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Following the Golden State Warriors’ decisive Game 4 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, which came amidst the loss of reigning MVP Stephen Curry to a sprained right knee, Warriors forward Draymond Green was confronted with an awkward question from a reporter.

Warriors’ Draymond Green Calls Out Reporter On Question About Houston Flood

The reporter was seemingly attempting to conflate the Warriors’ victory over the Rockets with the dangerous flooding that resulted from the torrential downpours that have befallen the city of Houston over the past week or so. Green did not take the questions that followed very well.

“Draymond, here is an interesting question,” the reporter began. “So, last year, you visit us. Game 3, there’s no flood — you win. Game 4, there’s flood — you lose. This year, you visit us. Game 3, there’s a flood — you win. Game 3, there’s no flood — you … uh, no, Game 3, there’s flood, you lose. Game 4, there’s no flood, you win, so …”

That’s when Green interrupted him.

“Brother, you asked me about the flood in practice the other day,” said Green, who finished with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, as well as eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 35 1/2 minutes in the win. “And I said I pray for the city of Houston, because you don’t want to see anyone go through that. I feel like you keep trying to get at, like, us hitting 3s or something, and you’re trying to get a controversial statement out of me. But you’re not, because I feel sorry for the people of Houston.

“People are losing their homes, losing their cars, losing their lives, losing loved ones. And you’re trying to get a controversial statement out of me about the 3s we’re hitting. I know what you’re getting at, but you’re not getting that out of me. It — it sucks. If I was from Houston, I’d do anything I can to help the city out, and I’m sure some of those guys [the Rockets] are going to do what they can to help the city out. You saw a donation the other night. It sucks.

“Stop trying to do that. That’s not cool, man. You keep asking me the same question about this flood — these people are losing their lives, bruh. Losing their homes. Don’t ask me that no more. Because it ain’t cool, and you not getting the statement you want out of me. That’s not cool, man. Stop doing that.”

It is quite common for reporters to search for strong hooks to make their stories unique. However, the difference in this case was that the peg this particular reporter settled on was a natural disaster that has reportedly left eight people dead, some 6,700 homes flooded throughout the county and more than $5 billion in damage. When all this, including human lives, is at stake, it is usually best as a journalist to steer clear of questions about this.

 According to CSN Bay Area’s Henry Wofford, the reporter who posed the question that Green refused to answer has been fired:

The Warriors now lead the series against the Rockets 3-1. Game 5 will take place at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Wednesday.

ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 22:  Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being charged with a foul in the final minutes of their 102-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 22, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia.