While the NBA continues to bless its fans with endless entertainment and environments in which viewers can truly experience basketball as it’s played at the highest level, the league’s recent installment in the 2019 NBA playoffs brought up concerns regarding the level of involvement and impact fans should have on the game.

During Game Four of the Easter Conference Finals, all eyes not on the players seemed to find their way toward superstar rapper Drake, who drew attention with his antics. The Toronto native seemed to be sitting amongst Raptors players on the bench.

From start to finish, the four–time Grammy winner and “In My Feelings” singer rarely stayed seated, often trash-talking Bucks players and strolling up and down the court. At times, the Raptors super–fan could be spotted obnoxiously laughing amidst any Milwaukee turnovers, botched plays, or unfortunately for MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, air–balled free throws. Drake even trotted up behind head coach Nick Nurse during one of the game’s most pivotal moments, patted him on the back in support and seemed to rub his shoulders.

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer felt affected by Drake’s presence perhaps the most. The coach made clear his displeasure for the rapper’s shenanigans as he stated after the game, “There’s certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors. You know, to be on the court, there’s boundaries and lines for a reason.” Drake responded to the backlash through his Instagram story, as he quickly posted, “If you don’t want the opposing team to celebrate and dance, prevent them from scoring, winning, or achieving their objective. Get over it and keep moving.”

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The NBA stands no stranger to instances such as this. Just earlier this year, the Utah Jazz crowd, and one fan in particular, pushed the boundary between fans and the game, enticing former MVP Russell Westbrook, which eventually led to that fan’s banishment from all future Jazz games. During the 2004 NBA season, a massive fight involving players and fans broke out during a Pacers vs Pistons game, which would infamously later coin the name  “the malice at the palace.”

Although Drake refrained from causing disruption to the level that former NBA fan interference episodes have in the past, his actions once again cause concern regarding the boundary between fans and the game. While Game Five tips off in Milwaukee, Drake will get another crack at the Bucks as the series will shift to Game Six in Toronto on Saturday.

With their Game 3 double–overtime victory still fresh in their minds, the Toronto Raptors sought out to recapture that gratifying feeling all basketball players experience after the buzzer sounds, stamping another hard–fought victory into the books. Thanks to Kyle Lowry’s 25–point performance alongside Kawhi Leonard’s 19–point and 7–rebound contribution, the Raptors walked away victorious for the second time in a row, tying up the Eastern Conference Finals at 2–2 on Tuesday night.

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Toronto’s bench proved vital to the victory as well, as Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell combined for 48–points. Although Kris Middleton poured in 30–points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo supplied 25–points with 10–rebounds, Milwaukee now leaves Toronto (“the six”) without their series lead.

Tonight back in the Fiserv Forum, both teams will attempt to capture a pivotal series lead. Coming off a bounce–back game, look for Antetokounmpo to remind us why his name remains in the MVP discussion and to defend home court. After falling victim to a crowd–igniting slam dunk dealt out from Leonard, the “Greek Freak” most likely will attempt to return the favor tonight with his high–flying vertical and athletic skill set. Equipped with a normally effective bench, which has recently shown struggles when facing Toronto’s stellar defense, the Bucks will need to lean on its other impact players such as Brook Lopez, Middleton, and Nikola Mirotic. Matching up against this squad, Toronto aims to steal the series’ first road game, continuing to ride Lowry and Leonard’s excellence. Alongside this lethal Toronto duo stands Pascal Siakam, averaging 24.3–points per game and shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. Siakam plans add another chapter to his Most Improved Player of the Year campaign during tonight’s contest.

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With tipoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST in Milwaukee, each ball club — as well as fans — knows Game Five’s importance, as Game 5 winners move on to win their series 78% of the time. The game will be available on TNT, with the Bucks favorited at -7.

The Vegas Golden Knights will host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and here is what you need to know.

Golden Knights Vs. Capitals Game 5 Preview

The Capitals lead the series 3-1 and are thus only one win away from their first-ever Stanley Cup title, as well as Washington’s first sports championship in 26 years (when the Redskins last won the Super Bowl).

The Caps won Game 4 by a score of 6-2 on Monday. Washington needed only 23 shots to score all their goals, three of which came on power plays. (The Capitals had five power plays in the contest)

Braden Holtby finished with 28 saves for Washington in Game 4, and Evgeny Kuznetsov logged four assists in the win, which featured goals by six different players.

Thursday’s game at T-Mobile Arena will begin at 8pm EST and will air on NBC. It can also be live-streamed on NBC Sports. 

The Houston Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors for Game 5 on Thursday night, and here is what you need to know.

Rockets vs. Warriors Game 5 Preview

The Western Conference Final series is tied 2-2 after the defending NBA champion Warriors lost 95-92 at home in Game 4 on Tuesday, despite Stephen Curry putting on a stellar performance, particularly in the third quarter.

According to the Warriors’ website, the team finished with a season-low 14 assists on Tuesday night, despite leading the NBA in this category for a long time. As of late Wednesday, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have been listed as questionable for Game 5 due to knee and leg injuries, respectively. Iguodala missed Tuesday’s loss, while Thompson headed to the locker room in the second quarter after limping for a while.

The Rockets have not listed any injured players.

Thursday’s game will start at 9 p.m. EST and will air on TNT.

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics lead the Final series against the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2 after a 96-83 victory at TD Garden on Wednesday. Game 6 is set for Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Philadelphia 76ers may have been eliminated from the second round of the NBA playoffs on Wednesday night after losing to the Boston Celtics in the final seconds, but Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid remain hopeful about what’s next for their team.

Celtics Eliminate JOel embiid, Sixers In Game 5

“We have a bright future,” Embiid said. “We’re going to be fine.”

Embiid also cited Simmons as telling him ”There’s going to be a lot of rings on these,'” while pointing to his fingers.

In a press conference after the Sixers’ 114-112 Game 5 loss to the Celtics in Boston — which came after Jayson Tatum took a pass underneath the hoop and scored a layup with just 23 seconds remaining in the game — Embiid explained how much each player on his team has to contribute every night in order for the 76ers to become “unbeatable.”

“Looking at where we are, it paid off,” the 24-year-old Cameroonian-born Sixers center said after the game. “We definitely have more to show.”

Embiid finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds on Wednesday. He was called for a technical foul halfway through the third quarter for elbowing Al Horford. 

“We feel like when everybody is on, we’re unbeatable,” he added. “We committed a lot of mistakes [in the series]. We’ve got to learn from it.”

Simmons struggled, finishing with 18 points, six assists and eight rebounds in Game 5.

Tatum led Boston with 25 points, and Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier added 24 and 17 points respectively. The Celtics were missing guard Shane Larkin, who sat out with a sprained left shoulder.

The Celtics will next face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, just like last year. Game 1 of that series is set for Sunday at 3:30pm EST at TD Garden. The Cavs knocked the Celtics out in five games in 2017 to reach the NBA Finals against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. Cleveland beat Toronto 128-93 on Monday to sweep the Raptors in four games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Toronto finished as the top seed in the East this year, going 59-23 in the regular season.

The Raptors’ Dwane Casey was named the NBA Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches association on Wednesday. Casey helped lead Toronto not just to the top seed in the East this season, but also to become one of the top five teams in the league both defensively and offensively. The official NBA awards will be handed out in June.

Watch highlights from the Celtics’ Game 5 win over the Sixers:

The Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and here is what you need to know.

Sixers vs. Celtics Game 5 Preview

The Celtics lead the series 3-1 but have been struggling offensively without players like Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. According to NBA.com, Boston has gone from scoring 119 points per 100 possessions in Game 1 of this series to 96 points in Game 4.

Boston has also struggled in three-point shooting. In Games 1 and 2, the Celtics shot 45 percent from beyond the arc, but then shot 30 percent in Games 3 and 4.

The Sixers have no reported injuries ahead of Game 5.

Game 5 at TD Garden will begin at 8pm EST and will air on TNT.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the series:

• Game 6 in Philadelphia: Friday, May 11, TBA, ESPN (if necessary)
• Game 7 in Boston: Sunday, May 13, TBA (if necessary)

On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors eliminated the New Orleans Pelicans with a 113-104 win in Game 5, while Houston Rockets eliminated the Utah Jazz with a 112-102 victory in their own Game 5. The defending NBA champion Warriors and the Rockets will now face off in the Western Conference Finals. Game 1 is set for Monday night in Houston.

The Golden State Warriors will host the New Orleans Pelicans for Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Pelicans vs. Warriors Game 5 Preview

The defending NBA champions lead the series 3-1 after winning Game 4 by a score of 118-92 on Sunday. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry returning to the lineup has certainly given the Warriors a major boost.

Steve Kerr has stated he will start the “Hampton 5,” some of the top scorers on the team: Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant. 

Golden State’s coach also compared those five players to the legendary Chicago Bulls lineup that led the team to glory years ago: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman are among those.

Game 5 will begin at 10:30pm EST and will air on TNT.

Here is the schedule for the rest of this series:

• Game 6 in New Orleans: Thursday, May 10, TBA, ESPN (if necessary)
• Game 7 in Oakland: Monday, May 14, TBA, TNT (if necessary)

The Warriors are missing guard Patrick McCaw, who has been out since the playoffs began with a spinal contusion. Meanwhile, New Orleans is missing DeMarcus Cousins, who is out for the rest of this season with a torn Achilles tendon.

Also playing in Game 5 in Houston on Tuesday night are the Rockets and Utah Jazz. The Rockets lead the series 3-1.

The Boston Bruins are officially out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after the Lightning defeated them 3-1 in Tampa Bay on Sunday night in Game 5 of their second-round series.

Lightning Eliminate Bruins In Game 5

Boston took the lead after David Krejci scored on a power play with 48 seconds remaining in the first period. Tampa’s Brayden Point then tied it 1-1 at 10:43 of the second period following a turnover he forced from Kevin Miller’s stick. J.T. Miller scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with six minutes left in the second.

Anton Stralman netted the third goal for the Lightning with 1:29 remaining in the final period.

According to the Boston Globe, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy complimented the Lightning on their performance.

“I think you have to give [Tampa] credit,” said Cassidy, who noted how his team had evolved over the course of the postseason. “We’re a team that scored all year with different players in and out of the lineup. We scored vs. Toronto [28 times in the opening series]. It’s not like after 89 games we forgot how to score or not play the right way.”

The Lightning next face the winner of the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins second-round series at home for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Washington leads the series 3-2 after winning 6-3 on Saturday. Game 6 is set for Monday night (7pm EST) in Pittsburgh.

On the Western Conference side, the Vegas Golden Knights have advanced to the Finals after beating the San Jose Sharks 3-0 on Sunday to win the series 4-2.

The Philadelphia 76ers have reached the second round of this year’s NBA playoffs after rolling past the Miami Heat 104-91 in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Sixers Eliminate Heat From Playoffs In Five Games

Joel Embiid finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first home playoff contest, and Ben Simmons added 14 points, six assists and 10 rebounds.

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The Sixers, who won their first-round postseason series 4-1, will face the winner of the Boston Celtics-Milwaukee Bucks series in Round 2. The Celtics lead that series 3-2, with Game 6 set for Thursday in Milwaukee.

Dwyane Wade, who recently returned to the Heat, praised Simmons and Embiid after Tuesday’s game, saying the duo were “the future” of the league.

“Those guys grew up in this series,” Wade stated of the pair, according to CBS Sports. “This is their first playoff. I think they grew up and they learned some things from us and they way we pushed them. And it’s just congratulating them. You want to see nothing but good things for those guys — these [guys] are the future of the NBA. And the NBA is great hands with Ben and Joel.”

Wade, whose NBA career is speculated to be ending soon, logged 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Per CBS Sports, Simmons has averaged 18.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 2.4 steals thus far in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Embiid has thrown down some major dunks during this postseason. He wore a face mask earlier in the playoffs to protect himself from an eye injury (in addition to a concussion) he suffered late in the regular season and vowed to return with a vengeance.

Another big contributor to the Sixers’ victory on Tuesday was J.J. Reddick. He had a game-high 27 points, including five of the team’s seven completed 3-pointers.

Philadelphia is hoping to advance to its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2001.

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Watch highlights from Tuesday’s game here:

The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Indiana Pacers for Game 5 on Wednesday night, and here is everything you need to know.

Pacers vs. Cavaliers Game 5 Preview

The first-round series is tied 2-2 after Cleveland defeated Indiana 104-100 in Game 4 on Sunday. Before that, the Cavs trailing 2-1 marked the first time a LeBron James–led team trailed a first-round postseason series.

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The past three games between these two teams have had margins of four points or less. The Pacers won Game 1 by a score of 98-90.

James scored 32 points in Game 4, and J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver added 30 points combined to propel the Cavaliers to victory. Cleveland topped the Eastern Conference the last three years, and finished fourth this year. Indiana finished fifth.  The Pacers won their regular-season series 3-1.

Wednesday’s game at Quicken Loans Arena will begin at 7pm EST and will air on TNT. Cleveland’s George Hill, a former Pacer, missed Game 4 due to back spasms and has been listed as questionable for Game 5.

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Game 6 is set for Friday in Indianapolis, and if necessary, Game 7 will be played in Cleveland again on Sunday.

Last year, the Minnesota Lynx lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in the final seconds of Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. This year was a different story.

Minnesota Lynx vs. LA Sparks WNBA Championship Game Score

The Lynx secured their fourth national championship on Wednesday night following an 85-76 victory over the Sparks at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

All five of the home team’s starters scored in double figures. Sylvia Fowles finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds, Maya Moore added 18 points and ten rebounds, and Lindsay Whalen had 17 points and eight assists.

Fowles became the first player since Seattle’s Lauren Jackson in 2010 to win both the regular-season MVP and WNBA Finals MVP. Minnesota previously won championships in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

The win came on the home court of Whalen’s alma mater, the University of Minnesota. The Lynx generally play at the Target Center, although the arena is being renovated.

Whalen — a point guard who hails from Hutchinson, Minnesota — led the Golden Gophers to the Women’s Final Four her senior year in 2004, and was then selected by the Connecticut Sun as the fourth overall draft pick. She played in the WNBA Finals twice with the Sun (2004, ’05) and then was traded back home in 2010.

“That’s something to really be proud of — that our team has had this big of an impact on our community, our league, and the sport,” Whalen said. “To have it be here in Minnesota where I grew up and played in college — it’s really cool.

The Lynx won only one playoff game in their first 12 seasons. This year, they finished the regular season (27-7) and beat the Sparks in the series 3-2 after defeating the Washington Mystics in three contests in the first round of the playoffs.

“When you go through a period of time when you’re successful, some of it is luck, and some is timing,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “As they say, you have to go through some failure before you go through success.”

Fowles is a two-time MVP, while Moore has four WNBA championships in addition to two NCAA titles at UConn and two Olympic gold medals.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 04: Odyssey Sims #1 of the Los Angeles Sparks and Lindsay Whalen #13 of the Minnesota Lynx go after a loose ball during the fourth quarter of Game Five of the WNBA Finals on October 4, 2017 at Williams in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lynx defeated the Sparks 85-76 to win the championship.

The Golden State Warriors raced to their second national title in three years on Monday night with a 129-120 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Warriors Top Cavs for Second NBA Title in Three Years

Kevin Durant — who signed with the Dubs last summer in free agency — was named Finals MVP after finishing with 39 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 14-of-20 shooting in 40 minutes. The former Oklahoma City Thunder forward averaged 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the Finals, with a 55.6 field goal percentage.

“It feels amazing to win a championship with these guys,” Durant said. “I can’t wait to celebrate for the rest of the night — well, maybe the rest of the summer.”

The 2007 second overall pick is the third player to win four NBA scoring titles and an NBA title, joining Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. 

Durant, 28, is also only the third star since 1969 to win Finals MVP in his first season with a team. Moses Malone earned the honors with the 76ers in 1983, and Magic Johnson did it in his rookie season with the Lakers in 1980.

The Cavaliers, who won their first-ever franchise NBA championship in 2016, scored six of their first seven field-goal attempts, and led by as many as eight in the first quarter. However, the Warriors rallied and recorded 15 straight points to gain a 54-43 lead in the second quarter. Golden State then went ahead 71-60 at halftime with a 28-4 run.

After Cleveland trimmed the lead to four in the third quarter, Durant hit a three-pointer. Then in the fourth, Cavs shooting guard Kyle Korver made a 3 and Durant got inside for a dunk. Curry then tossed a pass to Iguodala for another slam, and Golden State got ahead by ten.

The game also included three technicals on one play 3:08 before halftime. David West tussled with Irving for the ball, the pair became entangled and Tristan Thompson entered the mix. Thompson and West then faced off. West, Thompson and J.R. Smith all drew technicals following a replay review.

James finished off his postseason strong with 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving added 26 points on 9-of-22 shooting and J.R. Smith contributed 25. Irving finished with 40 points in Friday’s Game 4 loss, Golden State’s only defeat in the playoffs, which they finished 16-1.

Draymond Green — who missed the last game of the 2016 finals after being suspended due to a flagrant foul he drew after hitting James’ groin in Game 4 — ended Monday night with ten points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

”I had a letdown last year,” said Green, who has garnered a reputation in the NBA as a dirty player whose kick-and-flops have injured opponents in rather sensitive body parts. ”If KD was the consolation prize to lose, thanks for that loss, and we’re champs this year.”

Durant hit a 17-foot fadeaway over James early in the fourth quarter, then assisted on a 3-pointer by Iguodala on the next play as Golden State pulled ahead.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was there to see his team win the NBA championship after assistant Mike Brown replaced him as interim head coach for 11 games while Kerr recovered from back surgery. Golden State won those 11 contests, including the Finals opener against Cleveland. Kerr returned for Game 2.

“Winning a championship is so hard,” Kerr said. “And when you do it, you just get nine months of all this work and you can finally let loose.”

The Cavaliers sent the Dubs this congratulatory tweet following the game:

OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 12: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after being named Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 in Game 5 to win the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California.

Avery Bradley scored a playoff career-high 29 points and Kelly Oubre was received with insults from Boston fans in the Celtics’ 123-101 home victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Avery Bradley Scores 29, Celtics Fans Boo Wizards’ Kelly Oubre Game 5

Though Bradley, a 2010 NBA draft first-round pick, had one of the best nights of his career, he knew he couldn’t beat his postseason opponents alone.

”We’re a team,” Bradley said. “And it’s going to take a team effort to beat the Washington Wizards.”

The Celtics indeed played like a team on Wednesday: Al Horford contributed 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Isaiah Thomas added 18 points and nine assists. Jae Crowder finished with 18 points and eight boards.

Though the Wizards scored the first four points of the game, the Celtics went on a 16-0 run immediately afterwards.

”The great start kind of got us going on both ends of the floor,” Bradley said. ”Tonight we saw if we’re able to start the right way, the game’s in our control.”

Check out some of the Celtics guard’s highlights here:

Bradley was fighting bruises on both sides of his pelvis, but this didn’t stop the 26-year-old shooting guard from scoring 14 first-quarter points, two more than he finished with in Games 3 and 4 combined.

“Fine,” Bradley said of his hips. “Those two days [of rest] were very important for me. I feel like our training staff is the best. They made sure that I was in twice a day icing my hips, taking care of myself, and I just wanted to come out and play as hard as I can, play through the pain, whatever it is.”

Unlike Bradley, Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. did not have a good night. Oubre was treated to boos, jeers and even reportedly insults from Celtics fans every time he touched the ball. The Washington star served a one-game suspension for Sunday’s Game 4 after charging at Boston’s Kelly Olynyk in Game 3, from which Oubre was ejected.

In response, Celtics supporters began chanting “We want Oubre!” at first during the opening quarter, but then seemed to grow more aggressive with their screams, and started yelling something that sounded like “F— you, Oubre” later in the game:

Oubre claimed he expected to be treated disrespectfully by the TD Garden crowd of nearly 19,000 fans, and seemed unencumbered by the jeers and boos. Wizards coach Scott Brooks stated he suggested the forward wear earplugs for Game 5.

“A lot of people are going to be booing me tonight,” said a smiling Oubre during Washington’s pre-game shoot-around, according to The Washington Post’s Candace Buckner. “They know who I am, so it’s definitely a blessing.”

Wizards power forward Markieff Morris also said he wasn’t surprised by the crowd’s behavior, and noted Boston’s reputation as a city filled with angry and profane sports fans.

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals is Friday at 8 pm EST in Washington. Game 7 would be Monday night in Boston.

BOSTON, MA – MAY 10: Avery Bradley #0 of the Boston Celtics dunks against the Washington Wizards during the first half of Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden on May 10, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Fred Hoiberg had no desire to answer a question about Isaiah Thomas’s ball-handling following the Chicago Bulls‘ 108-97 road loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Watch: Bulls’ Fred Hoiberg Storms Out of Press Conference After Isaiah Thomas Question

A reporter asked the second-year Bulls coach if he saw the Celtics guard carrying the ball in Wednesday’s Game 5. Boston leads the first-round series 3-2 after losing the first two games against Chicago.

After being asked the question, Hoiberg curtly replied “No” and stormed out of the media conference.

Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver shared the moment:

The query was likely made as a follow-up to comments Hoiberg made about Thomas after the Bulls’ Game 4 loss to the Celtics on Sunday. The coach praised the All-Star for his performance, noting how particularly impressive Thomas has played given “everything he’s going through,” a reference to the Celtics star having lost his younger sister Chyna to a deadly car accident. However, Hoiberg also said Thomas’s occasional carrying makes it “impossible” to guard him.

“Let me say this: Isaiah Thomas is a helluva player. An unbelievable competitor. He’s a warrior — everything he’s going through right now, he had a helluva game tonight,” Hoiberg said on Sunday. “But when you’re allowed to discontinue your dribble on every possession, he is impossible to guard. He’s impossible to guard. When you’re able to put your hand underneath the ball, and take two or three steps and put it back down, it’s impossible to guard him in those situations.”

The coach was booed for his remarks before Wednesday’s game in Boston.

The question does seem awkward, yet not entirely surprising or unreasonable given Hoiberg’s statement about Thomas from three days prior.

In another strange NBA Playoff press conference moment on Wednesday, Washington point guard John Wall showed up to his post-game interview wearing a cape after the Wizards defeated the Atlanta Hawks 103-99 in Game 5 at Verizon Center. The Wizards lead the first-round series 3-2.

The Wizards next visit the Hawks for Game 6 Friday night, when the Bulls will host the Celtics.

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 26: Fred Hoiberg Head Coach of the Chicago Bulls reacts during the third quarter of Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 26, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley exchanged heated words in the fourth quarter of the Houston Rockets’ series-clinching, Game 5 home victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, after Westbrook fouled Beverley for a fourth time.

Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley in Rockets’ Game 5 Win vs Thunder

Midway through the final period, as the Rockets led 90-87, Westbrook attempted to grab a bad pass by jumping but lost control of the ball and pushed Beverley to the ground near the sideline. Naturally, the Houston guard confronted his Oklahoma City counterpart and a tense verbal spat ensued that led to their teammates, as well as coaches, to split them up.

Beverley, who finished with 15 points, explained what exactly happened in the post-game press conference: He said he felt Westbrook became arrogant after scoring 40 points (the All-Star actually finished with 47 points and fell one assist short of a triple-double) and believed nobody could guard him.

“That’s actually the first time we’ve exchanged words this postseason,” said Beverley. “But he’s a really good player. He applies a lot of pressure just due to his athleticism and his creating ability.”

The Rockets guard continued: “But it shocked me, because he looked up and said, ‘No one can guard me, I got 40 points.’ I said, ‘That’s nice. You took 34 shots to get it.’ I’m not out here trying to bash anybody, but I mean, men lie, women lie, but the numbers don’t. Collectively, as a unit, we’ve done a great job on him. We tried to make him shoot a lot of tough shots, and the numbers show it.”

Westbrook, who received a technical for arguing with Beverley, also detailed his own version of the incident, telling reporters after the game that the Houston guard bragged about being “first-team All-Defense.”

The Rockets advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs by winning the series 4-1 with their 105-99 victory over the Thunder. Houston will next face the winner of the Memphis-San Antonio series in the Western Conference Semifinals.

James Harden led the Rockets with 34 points on 8-for-25 shooting with eight rebounds. Lou Williams added 22 points

Houston used a 5-1 run, with all their points coming on free throws, to gain a 98-91 lead over Oklahoma City in the fourth quarter. The Rockets, who only made one of 13 3-point attempts in the third period, simply began running down the clock after Harden made a layup with about three minutes remaining and the Thunder missed one shot after another.

Westbrook, who had 20 points in the third quarter, also had 11 rebounds and nine assists and made only two of 11 fourth-quarter shots in a lackluster end to a great season during which he became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double by scoring an NBA-best 31.6 points a game, with 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists. Westbrook also set a league record for most triple-doubles with 42 to help Oklahoma City manage the loss of All-Star Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors last offseason. Victor Oladipo contributed ten points and eight rebounds for the Thunder, and Alex Abrines added 11 points.

The Rockets led 51-44 at halftime. The hosts were upset with a few calls in the first quarter, and team owner Leslie Alexander rose from his court-side seat to walk over to a referee during play late in the period to argue before sitting down again.

HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 25: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Patrick Beverley #2 of the Houston Rockets confront each other in the fourth quarter during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals game of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 25, 2017 in Houston, Texas.

Scores of Chicago Cubs fans have held their breath for the past two days. If they couldn’t witness their team win its first championship since 1908, could the franchise at least win one World Series game at Wrigley Field?

Aroldis Chapman Leads Cubs To 3-2 Win Over Indians; Cleveland Leads World Series 3-2

The team delivered, and Aroldis Chapman’s trick — a career-best eight-out save–on Sunday night carried the Cubs to a 3-2 home victory over the Indians to cut Cleveland’s World Series lead to 3-2 at the end of Halloween weekend.

“I feel like we play our best with our backs up against the wall,” Kris Bryant said after the Cubs’ first win in a World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945. “We went out there today, took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win Game 6, because you never know what can happen in a Game 7.”

Bryant scored a big home run in the three-run fourth inning.

Wrigleyville has been buzzing as the Cubs hosted their first World Series in 71 years. By the end of the night, Cubs fans celebrated the win that kept them alive in the series by singing “Go Cubs Go.”

Pre-game, the team got pumped up thanks to Anthony Rizzo, who ran around the clubhouse playing the theme from the movie “Rocky” and then used it as his walk-up music for his first at-bat.

“I wanted to get the crowd pumped and let them know we plan on going the distance,” Rizzo said. “Hopefully, we’re the last ones standing.”

Indians starter Trevor Bauer, who lost Game 2 at Progressive Field, struck out seven, including five of the first 10 batters he faced. The Cubs have had no problems catching balls, including a wall-climbing snag by Jason Heyward to stop Bauer’s foul popup down the right-field line.

With the exception of a 3-0 pitch that Ben Zobrist hit for a single two batters after Bryant’s homer, “I located every single pitch that they hit exactly where I wanted them,” Bauer said. “Sometimes, it doesn’t work out for you. I got three of them to chase balls that were way out of the zone. Usually, those go in your favor. Clearly, not tonight.”

Jose Ramirez gave the Tribe a 1-0 lead in the second. Bryant tied the game with a leadoff blast in the fourth, the seventh homer allowed by Cleveland in 13 postseason games. The Cubs then added four hits in five at-bats, including an RBI infield single by Addison Russell that scored Rizzo and started a 2-1 lead. David Ross, who played his final game at Wrigley Field before retiring after the season, added a sacrifice fly.

Francisco Lindor’s RBI single in the sixth pulled the Indians within 3-2, and both teams’ managers, Joe Maddon and Terry Francona, turned to their closers early. Maddon called on Chapman with one out and one on in the seventh, and the lefty escaped that jam, worked around a runner reaching third in the eighth and closed the win with a perfect ninth. Maddon said he had alerted Chapman that he might call on him early.

Francona brought in Cody Allen in the bottom of the seventh, after Bryan Shaw retired the first batter. Allen worked a scoreless 1 2/3 innings to stop the Cubs from scoring, but Chapman stopped the Tribe’s offense for the rest of the night.

“We’re trying to do anything to get on base and get something going,” Indians first baseman Mike Napoli said. “He was going to be in there to the end — that’s what it looked like. We had an opportunity.”

The loss was a rarity for Francona, who is now 11-2 in World Series games, but the Indians will continue the pursuit of their first championship since 1948 on Tuesday in Cleveland.

“Sometimes you’ve got to respect what the other team can do, too,” Francona said. “Sometimes they beat you. I didn’t think we beat ourselves. I thought they beat us.”

Right-hander Josh Tomlin will start for the Indians on Tuesday, while Cubs righty Jake Arrieta will make his fourth postseason start and second at Progressive Field.

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 30: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field on October 30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

There has been much speculation about how the Golden State Warriors would have fared had forward Draymond Green not been suspended in Game 5.

NBA FINALS GAME 5 HIGHLIGHTS

Green put all conjecture to rest Wednesday, telling CSN Bay Area’s Monte Poole that he believes the Warriors would already have closed out the NBA Finals in five games had he played Monday night.

“I have a strong belief that if I play Game 5, we win Game 5,” Green told CSN Bay Area. “But I didn’t because I put myself in a situation where I wasn’t able to play.”

Green posted 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Game 2.

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Golden State 112-97 in Game 5, on the strength of record-scoring performances from Lebron James and Cavs point guard Kyrie Iriving.

James scored 41 points, pulled down 16 rebounds and dished seven assists to go with three blocks and three steals.

It was a game that would have ranked near, if not at, the top of his illustrious career had it not been for Irving stealing some of the spotlight.

Irving scored 41 points of his own and shot nearly 71 percent from the floor to help pace the Cavs past the dubs, who were missing Green on both ends of the floor.

“The only thing that matters is what happen(s) in between these four lines,” James told Doris Burke after Game 5. “Our guys understood that this was, I mean, it’s the final countdown. We had to come out mentally focused, mentally prepared, mentally sharp. Our coaching staff gave us a great game plan and we executed it.”

LEBRON JAMES AND KYRIE IRVING GAME 5 POSTGAME INTERVIEW

Green’s suspension was handed down by the NBA after reviewing an altercation between he and James from Game 4.

James appears to step over Green, who was lying on his back, and he responded by taking a swipe in the direction of King James’ family jewels. The NBA went back to look at the tape and found Green committed a Grade-1 Flagrant Foul, which pushed the Warriors do-everything player over the threshold for suspension.

“At the end of the day, everyone is going to have their opinion on it and it don’t matter no more,” Green said. “I have to be better and not put myself in this position.”

HERE”S A LOOK BACK AT GREEN VS> JAMES

With Game 6 looming Thursday night in Cleveland, Lebron and the Cavs will be looking for revenge, but the Warriors just want to repeat the success they have had, both in 2015-2016, and last season.

Golden State gutted the Cavaliers on their own floor in the sixth game of the 2015 NBA Finals, Green thinks nothing would be sweeter than a repeat performance.

“We got an opportunity to do something that, i don’t think it’s ever been done … where you win a championship on someone else’s floor two years in a row,” Green said Wednesday. “We have that opportunity. It’s a fun one. It’ll be tough.”

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving completely overpowered the Golden State Warriors defense, scoring 41 points apiece in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 112-97 victory over the defending champions in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena on Monday night.

LeBron James, Kyrie Irving Each Score 41 In Cavs’ 112-97 Game 5 Win Over Warriors

James and Irving became the first teammates to score 40 points in an NBA Finals game. The Warriors, who were missing forward Draymond Green due to a suspension for fouling James in Game 4, now lead the series 3-2 and will visit the Cavs in Cleveland for Game 6 on Thursday.

“We’re just happy we got another day. That’s all we can ask for,” James said. “We got another day to survive. We’re going to start preparing tonight, start preparing tomorrow and whenever Game 6 is we’ll be ready.”

After tying 61-all at halftime, the Warriors missed 14 of their first 20 shots in the third quarter and shot 7 for 24 in that period, clearly struggling in Green’s absence.

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 37 points and six 3-pointers, while Stephen Curry added 25 points with five 3s, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. However, as the game continued, the dynamic duo shot airballs and bounced 3-point attempts off the front rim. Andre Iguodala, who started in place of Green, had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

“We weren’t very good defensively,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We obviously knew we were without Draymond, so there’s no point in harping on that. We had to play better, and we didn’t.”

James and Irving combined to shoot 33 for 54, while Golden State went cold and finished 36.4 percent from the field. James also added three steals and three blocked shots.

“I’m thankful, but at the same time we wouldn’t be in any position without both of us putting on a performance like this,” Irving said. “Our guys coming in and just trusting our leadership and doing it for four quarters — that’s what it’s about.”

Irving’s three-point play put Cleveland up 102-92, and the Cavs continued pushing, answering on offense and making all the key stops on defense.

Kevin Love returned to the Cavs’ starting lineup for the first time since sustaining a concussion in Game 2 at Oracle Arena on June 5. He played 34 minutes.

Warriors center Andrew Bogut went down early in the third, grabbing his left knee and writhing in pain on the floor. Kerr stated he was undergoing an MRI exam.

After their record-setting 72-win season, the Warriors evidently seemed disappointed with the loss.

“It obviously stings real bad,” Thompson said. “We’ll come back stronger.”

Former Orland Magic star Grant Hill spoke on behalf of the NBA in offering support, thoughts and prayers to victims in the mass shootings in Orlando, Florida before a moment of silence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=494lFLd4OXI

PHOTO: OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket between Shaun Livingston #34 and Marreese Speights #5 of the Golden State Warriors in the second half in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2016 in Oakland, California.