Josh Hart scored 37 points in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 112-109 Summer League semifinals victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, and broke a franchise record while doing so.

Lakers’ Josh Hart Breaks Franchise Record In Summer League

Hart surpassed Lonzo Ball’s (36) record for most points scored by a Laker during the Summer League. With the double-overtime win, the Lakers have reached the Las Vegas Summer League championship game two years in a row now. Hart’s nine rebounds also matched a game-high, and even though his performance amazed, the 23-year-old guard — a first-round pick out of Villanova in 2017 — said he was disappointed in having missed a pair of key free throws in overtime.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

According to several reports, Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson, head coach Luke Walton and general manager Rob Pelinka have all been praising Hart recently. Rumors have been swirling over the guard potentially winning the NBA Summer League MVP award.

The Lakers will play the Portland Trail Blazers in Tuesday night’s title game.

Hart was one of several people who decried recent acts of vandalism against a new mural of LeBron James in Los Angeles.

SLIDESHOW: Sports Figures Who Died In 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo has made his way even further into the history books thanks to a fantastic opening World Cup performance on Friday. Ronaldo recorded a hat trick, accounting for all 3 of Portugal’s goals in a 3-3 draw against Spain.

As remarkable as it is on its own, this particular hat trick holds some historical weight, as Ronaldo’s 82nd, 83rd, and 84th international goals tied him for the most goals ever scored by a European player in international play. His mark puts him even with Ferenc Puskas, who played for the Hungarian national team from 1945 to 1956. Puskas is also the namesake of FIFA’s Goal of the Year Award. At 33-years-old, Ronaldo also became the oldest player to ever record a hat trick in the World Cup.

Ronaldo now needs another 25 goals in order to tie Ali Daei’s record for most international goals all time by a player from anywhere in the world, as his 109 goals scored for Iran from 1993-2006 makes for the highest mark in history. And just an extra little fun fact: Ronaldo is now the fourth player in history to score a goal in 4 different World Cups, joining the likes of Pele, Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose.

Friday’s hat trick was the 51st of Ronaldo’s career in both international and club play, but it was the only one which didn’t result in his team’s victory. Ronaldo was not disparaged by the result, though, as he indicated that there is plenty more soccer (or football, in this case) to be played. He said, “It was a good result. We sacrificed a lot but we believed in ourselves right to the end. This is just the first match. It was a very difficult game.”

We’ll see how Ronaldo follows up this performance when Portugal takes on Morocco on Wednesday, June 20 at 8:00 am EST.

LeBron James finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to help lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their franchise record-tying 13th consecutive victory on Wednesday night, a 101-95 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Cavs tie franchise record for consecutive wins

James — who sank a big 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining — changed his sneakers three times. The fifteenth-year NBA veteran was on each of the two previous Cavs squads that won 13 straight games, in 2009 and 2010. On Wednesday, he helped Cleveland rally from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to remain undefeated since Nov. 11.

His decisive 3-pointer in the last minute over JaKarr Sampson came after James went to the bench during a timeout and requested coach Tyronn Lue run a play for him.

”Was going to run a different play and then Bron said, ‘I want Chicago.’ So I said, `OK,”’ Lue said. ”We got it to him and he made a big shot.”

The “Chicago” play is named after a game-winning shot James once scored in the playoffs to defeat the Bulls.

 ”It felt good,” said James, who finished 12 of 18 from the floor. ”I was able to get the laces where I wanted them and I got enough space, I created enough space with the step-back away from JaKarr and I was able to let it go. It felt good the whole time.”

 The Cavaliers will have a chance to break their record with 14 victories if they win on Friday at Indiana.

Zach Randolph had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Buddy Hield added 17 points for the Kings. Sampson grabbed 16 rebounds in his first start this season.

Although the Cavs’ unbeaten streak is amazing, James says he is hoping the team can double it.

“Twenty-five,” he said when asked what number the streak should reach before it can be regarded as special. “Because you’re getting close to 33 (Lakers 1971-72), that’s the all-time record. We ain’t nowhere near close. We got close in Miami. We got to 27 and lost to Chicago.”

 Cleveland guard Derrick Rose, meanwhile, has returned to the team from a self-imposed hiatus. Rose has been dealing with a sprained ankle, and the 2011 NBA MVP’s latest injury has been one of his largest.

 The Kings next wrap up a four-game trip at New Orleans on Friday.

CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 06: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives past JaKarr Sampson #29 of the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on December 6, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won the game 101-95. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn set a franchise record on Sunday by compiling six sacks in the team’s 27-7 home victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Adrian Clayborn Sacks News

Before Sunday, Clayborn had two sacks through the first eight games of the season. The 29-year-old defenseman — who is in his third season with Atlanta — now has a team-leading eight sacks. Clayborn’s previous career high was 7.5 sacks as a rookie with Tampa Bay in 2011.

The DE was one shy of the NFL record of seven in a game, set by Derrick Thomas in 1990.

Clayborn broke the record previously set by Hall of Famers Claude Humphrey and Chuck Smith. Humphrey had five in a game twice, and Smith recorded a five-sack game against the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 12, 1997.

Clayborn completely outplayed Cowboys left tackle Chaz Green, and all six of his sacks were on quarterback Dak Prescott.

The DE will now earn a sweet payday for his performance, according to ESPN’s Field Yates:

“I mean, it’s unfortunate,” Green said. “You have some good days. You have some bad days. This obviously wasn’t my best day. I take this on my shoulders and look at myself in the mirror. Just need to fix the things I need to fix. I’m going to get it fixed.”

Two other Falcons defenseman managed to sack Prescott: Dontari Poe and Brooks Reid. The only Cowboys quarterback to be sacked more times in a game was Troy Aikman, who was taken down by the Philadelphia Eagles 11 times in 1991.

“We’re not going to leave somebody out to dry, for the most part,” Prescott said. “We’re not going to point fingers and say it’s Chaz. It’s whatever it is. We’ll go back and look. I probably could have gotten the ball out faster sometimes. We’ll go back and look at it and get better from it.”

 The Falcons (5-4) next visit the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 20, while the Cowboys (5-4) will host the Eagles on Sunday.

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 12: Adrian Clayborn #99 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates a sack during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

English Premier League teams have broken the record for spending on summer transfer fees for the sixth straight year, dishing out  £1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) on players during the transfer window.

Premiere League Summer Transfer Deadline News

The figure — which includes an unprecedented  £210 million ($272 million) on deadline day — represents a 23 percent increase relative to last year.

Net spend — in which the amount raised through sales is subtracted from purchases — also continued to rise to a total of £665 million ($861 million), having been £635.6m in 2016, £432.6m in 2015 and £386.5m in 2014.

Among the biggest deals completed Thursday were Chelsea’s £35 million ($45 million) signing of Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater and French center-back Mamadou Sakho’s £26 million ($34 million) transfer to Crystal Palace from Liverpool.

Other transfers that occurred after the 11pm BST deadline on Thursday were Chelsea’s signing of Torino’s Italian defender Davide Zappacosta, Spurs’ recruitment of Swansea striker Fernando Llorente for £15 million ($19 million) and the Welsh club’s replacement of him with Manchester City’s Ivorian forward Wilfried Bony — who spent last season on loan to Stoke City — for £12 million ($15.5 million).

The increase in spending also comes after the introduction of the new TV deal, which will see the Premier League benefit from a 70 percent increase in the value of its British television rights for the 2016-2019 seasons with Sky and BT paying a combined 5.136 billion pounds ($7.8 billion) to air games. Broadcasters are set to pay more than 10 million pounds ($15.2 million) to screen each game.

Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho remains with Liverpool despite bids from several different high-profile clubs including Barcelona, which offered £114 million ($148 million) for him earlier this month.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – APRIL 10: Danny Drinkwater of Leicester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Leicester City at the Stadium of Light on April 10, 2016 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The Washington Nationals smacked five home runs in one inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park on Wednesday afternoon to tie a major league record.

Nationals MLB Record Brewers

After the fourth (back-to-back-to-back-to-back) homer in the frame, the Nats had already made history by marking the eighth time in MLB history any team has achieved this feat and the first since 2010. The MLB record for most homers in a game is ten, and the National League mark is nine. Washington thrashed Milwaukee 15-2 in the closer of the three-game series, which the Nationals (61-39, 1st in National League East) won 2-1.

The five homers came in the bottom of the third against Brewers starter Michael Blazek. 

Washington right-hander Max Scherzer drew a walk to open the inning, and then left fielder Brian Goodwin homered to right field. Wilmer Difo followed with a deep hit to right-center field. After that, Bryce Harper blasted one over the wall in left center, and then Ryan Zimmerman belted his own homer to left center. Following a Daniel Murphy flyout that led to derisive boos from the Washington crowd, Anthony Rendon smacked one over the wall in left-center for the hosts’ fifth homer of the frame.

The Nationals are now the sixth team to hit five homers in an inning. Incidentally, the Brewers were the last team to accomplish this feat in 2006.

Scherzer also set a personal record on Wednesday by earning 200 strikeouts for the sixth straight season, the longest active streak in the majors. The righty, who turned 32 on Thursday, later said he was very pleased with his team’s offensive performance.

“Yeah, what a birthday gift,” he said. “I said coming in here I wanted to get a win and a knock. So the guys showed up today, put an ungodly amount of runs up there, 15 runs, oh man, what a pitcher’s best friend.”

Harper and Zimmerman each scored two of Washington’s eight home runs — all of which came in the first four innings — on Wednesday. Those eight round-trippers tied the franchise record set by the Montreal Expos in 1978.

“It’s like you almost can’t believe it, and we’ll take it,” Washington manager Dusty Baker said. “The guys, I mean, that was some kind of inning and then the next inning also, so we had a big offensive barrage today, gave Max a birthday present, and he’ll always take that. We preserved our bullpen, so it was just a good day overall.”

The Nationals are 13 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the lead in the NL East. They next host the Colorado Rockies on Friday at 7:05 pm EST for the opener of a three-game series.

Anthony Rendon scored ten runs and Bryce Harper set an MLB record for runs in April with his 32nd of the month to lead the Washington Nationals to a 23-5 home thrashing of the New York Mets on Sunday.

Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper Lift Nats to 23-5 Rout of Mets

Harper had four runs to beat the Major League Baseball record of 29 set by Larry Walker in 1997. His third run came on a bases-clearing double by Rendon, who went six-for-six with three homers to become the first MLB player since ten-RBI game since Garret Anderson in 2007.

The Nationals — who avoided a three-game sweep with the rout — have scored 170 runs through the first month of the season, the most in MLB and the 10th-most for any team since at least 1913. The team’s 23 hits and seven homers were also the most it had since relocating to Washington from Montreal in 2005. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Nats are now also the first team in Major League history to score at least 14 runs five times in April.

The 23 runs allowed by the Mets, meanwhile, are the second-highest total in the team’s history. The most is 26 runs surrendered to the Philadelphia on June 11, 1985.

Harper, the 2015 National League MVP, leads all players in on-base percentage (.510) and times reaching base (58). During that MVP season, Harper recorded a .440 OBP and had reached base 44 times once May began.

“That’s probably more important than mine,” Rendon, who recorded his first multi-homer game, said of helping Harper reach that achievement. “Obviously, you want to help the guys because it’s a team game in the end. It’s not like tennis, it’s not golf. There’s nine guys out there on the field. For all of us to come together, that’s what it’s going to take for us to win. That’s more important.”

Nationals manager Dusty Baker, meanwhile, was surprised to learn Harper had set a Major League record.

Rendon’s fifth-inning double off the wall in right-center field to clear the bases not only drove in Harper, but also Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy to give Washington a 13-5 lead. With the hit, which came off Fernando Salas, Rendon just missed a grand slam.

The Nationals scored five runs in the first inning off Noah Syndergaard, who played three days after he was scratched from his previous start with discomfort in his right biceps and a “tired arm.” The Mets right-hander lasted only 1 1/3 innings on Sunday, having exited in the second frame with what the team called a “possible lat strain.”

Backup catcher Kevin Plawecki was forced to replace Syndergaard in the final two innings. Plawecki recorded three straight outs in the Nationals’ five-run seventh, but then struggled in the eighth, when Harper scored a solo homer off him. Rendon and Adam Lind also homered in the eighth, but Plawecki said he was somewhat satisfied with his performance.

“I threw a lot of strikes, I was happy with that,” the catcher said. “I used the whole ballpark the first inning and got out of it and the second inning I left a couple up.”

Before Plawecki came in, the Mets also used Salas, Sean Gilmartin, and Josh Smoker to replace Syndergaard.

Matt Wieters also hit one homer in the sixth and another in the seventh, and drove in four runs for runs for the Nationals.

The Mets next make their first trip to SunTrust Park in Atlanta on Monday night to face the Braves at their new stadium in the opener of a four-games series. Rookie Robert Gsellman will start against fellow right-hander Julio Teheran at 7:35 pm EST.

The Nationals have an off-day Monday and then host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night for the opener of a three-game series that begins at 7:05 EST. Tanner Roark will start against righty Taijuan Walker.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: Anthony Rendon #6 of the Washington Nationals watches his solo home run during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 30, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Anthony Davis had a big night in New Orleans on Sunday, scoring a record-breaking 52 points on 39 shots to lead the Western Conference to a 192-182 victory over the East in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.

Anthony Davis Scores Record 52 Points for west in NBA All-Star Game

The 23-year-old Pelicans power forward, playing in his home arena, broke the record of 42 points set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Davis scored 22 of his points in the first half, a game-high. He joins Kobe Bryant (2011), Shaquille O’Neal (2004, 2009), Karl Malone and John Stockton (1993), and Michael Jordan (1988) as the only players in recent memory to win All-Star MVP in front of their home crowd, according to Basketball-Reference.

Russell Westbrook, who was seeking his third straight All-Star MVP honors, added 41 points, seven assists and five rebounds for the West, including seven 3-pointers. However, West coach Steve Kerr subbed Westbrook out of the game for the final minutes but left Davis in, and the latter scored eight more points.

Westbrook’s highlights included an alley-oop dunk set up by his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, Kevin Durant. 

Meanwhile, Milwaukee Bucks rising star Giannis Antetokounmpo led the East team with 30 points on 17 shots, and dunked on Stephen Curry. LeBron James contributed 23 points, and Kyrie Irving added 14 assists.

Both teams shot better than 56 percent from the field and combined for 374 points, the most in NBA All-Star Game history.

The honor is the first NBA trophy for Davis, who finished fifth in regular-season MVP voting after the 2014-15 season.

“It was a lot of fun,” Davis said. “My teammates did a great job of looking for me.”

Davis also added 10 rebounds.

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

NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 19: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans dunks the ball during the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center on February 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Golden State Warriors have proven themselves to be one of the most difficult teams to beat in the NBA, but the Denver Nuggets found a way to do it, and all while matching a league record.

Nuggets Tie NBA Mark With 24 3-Pointers vs Warriors

The Nuggets (25-30) tied an NBA record by scoring 24 3-pointers en route to a thunderous 132-100 home victory over the Warriors on Monday night.

”Once we saw a few go in, we just wanted to keep going, see how many we could hit,” Will Barton said.

The sellout crowd at the Pepsi Center was in for an exciting game indeed.

”We just wanted to get after them, challenge them on offense and defense. It just so happened that we hit a lot of 3s. So, we just kept rolling with it,” Barton said. ”But we never come into a game, especially with a team like that and just want to outshoot them from beyond the arc because that’s what they do.”

The Warriors, meanwhile, were left stunned, and were only able to sink 8 of 32 3-pointers.

Even two-time MVP Stephen Curry struggled to keep up with Denver’s impressive long-range shooters, finishing 1 of 11 from beyond the arc.

”I felt confident, every shot I took felt like it was going in,” said Curry, who scored 11 points. ”Just got served a humble slice of cupcake.”

The only Nuggets player who didn’t record a 3 was Nikola Jokic, although the Serbian power forward– who will be 22 on Sunday– did set career highs with 12 assists and 21 rebounds along with 17 points in his second career triple-double.

Denver tied the 3-point record set by Houston in December against New Orleans when rookie Juan Hernangomez scored his sixth three at the 2-minute mark.

”Yeah, we knew it at the end,” Gary Harris said. ”We were trying to get one more.”

However, their final two 3-pointers in the last minute rattled out, and Jamal Murray opted to dribble out the clock rather than shoot one last uncontested 3. The Nuggets finished 24 of 40 from beyond the arc.

Hernangomez scored a season-high 27 points along with a season-best 10 boards, Barton contributed 24 points and Jameer Nelson added 23.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 25 points just two days after his emotional return to Oklahoma City.

He kept hoping the Nuggets would eventually slow down, but they never did.

”I thought they would. They were playing confident and free,” Durant said. ”They had nothing to lose, especially missing some of their guys.”

The Warriors (46-9) had won three straight and eight of their previous nine games. Monday’s loss also marked their biggest defeat since a 129-100 blowout loss to the Spurs in the season opener.

”It was one of those nights they had everything going, they were on fire and we couldn’t get much going ourselves,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”We looked kind of gassed out there.”

The Nuggets next host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, in what should mark new trade Mason Plumlee’s first game in a Denver uniform.

Golden State will host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

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

DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 13: Jameer Nelson #1 of the Denver Nuggets drives against Briante Weber #2 of the Golden State Warriors at the Pepsi Center on February 13, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.

Coach Gregg Popovich tied the NBA record for most wins with one team, earning his 1,127th as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 102-86 at the AT&T Center Thursday night.

Popovich Tied the ex-utah jazz coach after 21 seasons with spurs

“When you get all those wins, it’s just a longevity thing more than anything,” Popovich said. “So I’m thankful for having the job for a while.”

The 68-year-old coach, who has led the Spurs since 1996, tied the record set by former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, thanks partly to San Antonio forcing a season-high 24 turnovers, while Kawhi Leonard led the way with 19 points, two steals and two blocks. Popovich has modeled much of what he’s done with the Spurs on Sloan’s program over 23 seasons in Utah (1988-2011).

Popovich has won five NBA championships with San Antonio, although he said Sloan “is in a different league than me.”

“[Utah] was then, and still is, a class organization, and we tried to do it similarly to them as far as how we conducted the program, what we expected, how to do it, how to keep it to yourself, and that sort of thing,” Popovich said.

The Spurs helped their coach achieve his latest milestone despite playing without top front-court players LaMarcus Aldridge (sore right knee) and Pau Gasol (fractured fourth metacarpal in left hand). The Sixers, however, were even more shorthanded, with Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington sitting out.

San Antonio finished with seven double-digit scorers, including Leonard and Dewayne Dedmon, (13 points and 10 rebounds) who recorded his second double-double as a Spur. Davis Bertans, Patty Mills, Danny Green and David Lee each contributed 12 points apiece, while Jonathon Simmons contributed 11.

Popovich also recently voiced his opinions, in an interview, on Black History Month– which is celebrated yearly in February– race relations in America, and other major social and political topics and how he viewed these issued to have evolved in recent years leading up to the election of President Donald Trump.

Here is what the coach said, per Michael C. Wright of EPSN.com:

“Well, it’s a remembrance, and a bit of a celebration in some ways. It sounds odd because we’re not there yet, but it’s always important to remember what has passed and what is being experienced now by the black population. It’s a celebration of some of the good things that have happened, and a reminder that there’s a lot more work to do.

But more than anything, I think if people take the time to think about it, I think it is our national sin. It always intrigues me when people come out with, “I’m tired of talking about that,” or, “Do we have to talk about race again?” And the answer is, “You’re damned right we do.” Because it’s always there, and it’s systemic, in the sense that when you talk about opportunity, it’s not about, “Well, if you lace up your shoes and you work hard, then you can have the American dream.” That’s a bunch of hogwash.

If you were born white, you automatically have a monstrous advantage — educationally, economically, culturally, in this society and all the systemic roadblocks that exist, whether it’s in a judicial sense, a neighborhood sense with laws, zoning, education. We have huge problems in that regard that are very complicated, but take leadership, time, and real concern to try to solve. It’s a tough one because people don’t really want to face it.

And it’s in our national discourse. We have a president of the United States [Donald Trump] who spent four or five years disparaging and trying to [de]legitimize our president [Barack Obama]. And we know that was a big fake. But still, [he] felt for some reason it had to be done. I can still remember a paraphrase close to a quote “investigators were sent to Hawaii and you cannot believe what they found.” Well, that was a lie. So if it’s being discussed and perpetrated at that level, you’ve got a national problem.

I think that’s enough.”

For some readers/listeners, Popovich’s comments may seem like too much rather than just “enough,” while others surely found it to be an honest assessment of the current state of race relations in the United States.

In either case, the fact that a prominent white public figure in a predominantly black sport is stating that we still have many problems to solve regarding race in America will undoubtedly resonate with many fans who are passionate about the issue.

SAN ANTONIO,TX – MAY 10: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during game against the Oklahoma City in game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 10, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas.

Aroldis Chapman has just landed a huge deal with a big MLB team.

Yankees Sign Aroldis Chapman To Five-Year, $86M Deal: Highest-Priced Reliever Contract

The hard-throwing lefty closer reached an agreement to return to the New York Yankees late Wednesday, signing a five-year, $86 million contract to set a new record for the highest-priced deal ever for a relief pitcher.

MLB Network Insider Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was one of the first to report the big news:

The pact shatters the MLB record for a reliever set just two days earlier by new Giants closer Mark Melancon, whose four-year, $62 million deal had itself topped Jonathan Papelbon’s four-year, $50 million contract back in 2011 as the new No. 1. New York’s new deal for Chapman.

Chapman was the team’s closer for the first half of 2016 after being acquired last December from Cincinnati.

Many believe they Yankees are taking a major risk in terms of both years and money with this deal.

In a season split between the Yankees and the Chicago Cubs, Chapman, a 28-year-old Cuban-American, managed to strike out 90 players in 58 innings. Those innings were truncated by a month-long suspension at the beginning of the season for a domestic violence incident last December. He also posted a 1.55 ERA with 36 saves. That marked Chapman’s fourth year out of the last five with an ERA of 2.00 or below, and since becoming a full-time closer in 2012, he has posted a strikeout-per-nine rate of 14.0 or higher every year.

After being acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline, Chapman played a crucial role in the team’s World Series run, throwing 15 2/3 innings over 13 games, including an incredible eight-out showing in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.

Fans have understandably mixed opinions about Chapman given his history both on and off the field. Some fans even began trends by donating fixed sums of money to an anti-domestic violence group every time the closer recorded a save.

Chapman will likely pair well with the Yankees’ Dellin Betances. However, the team faces several issues. The pitching rotation behind ace Masahiro Tanka is a disaster, and includes the perpetually disappointing Michael Pineda, the aging CC Sabathia and a group of young pitchers– including minor league prospects acquired from recent trades– whose real impact with the Yankees won’t likely be seen for another few years.

Furthermore, the Yankees recently seem to be investing in youth supplemented by short-term contracts and keep attempting to remain below the luxury tax limit they have surpassed for every year since they were formed (and with they were forced to pay hefty fines for as a result).

Thus, the Chapman deal seems like a very strange decision. As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the luxury tax limit is increasing (albeit by a small amount, from $186 million this year to $195 million next, and with penalties rising commensurately), which allows the Yankees more wiggle room.

However, New York already had $149 million in salary committed to the 2017 roster, not including arbitration costs and what needed to be spent in order to fill out the team. Chapman will now take up a large portion of that leftover space.

The Yankees also signed designated hitter Matt Holliday to a one-year deal earlier this week.

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)

Jimmie Johnson pulled off an unlikely last-to-first-place drive in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway to secure a record-tying seventh series championship.

Jimmie Johnson Ties Record With Seventh Sprint Cup Series Championship

Johnson, 41, gained his first lead of the Ford EcoBoost 400 on the final restart, a two-lap overtime sprint to the checkered flag, and finished well ahead of Kyle Larson. Kevin Harvick finished third, followed by championship contender Joey Logano.

The driver’s seventh title tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the most in Nascar’s 68-year history.

“I thought there was no way on earth this race was going to come to us,” said Johnson, who had been relegated to the back of the field for the start after Nascar officials found a technical issue on his Chevrolet in a pre-race inspection.

Johnson rapidly made up most of the deficit, passing 34 cars in the first 50 laps of the 267-lap scheduled distance. He spent the remainder of the race attempting to close the gap on the other three drivers: Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Logano. Edwards was consistently the fastest of the four contenders. Nevertheless, he triggered a big, nine-car pileup on a restart with 10 laps left, when he moved to block Logano.

“That was just good hard racing, and it was my deal, I own it,” Edwards said afterward. “I had to block Joey to have any chance at winning the championship. I couldn’t have gone to bed tonight if I had given up that lane to him.”

Logano, whose car became slightly damaged in the mess, agreed the contact in that situation was inevitable.

“He had to block me, or I would have passed him for sure,” Logano said. “That was the only thing he could do in that situation.”

Johnson won five of his titles in a row from 2006 to 2010, something which critics dismissed as simply a hot streak rather than the result of season-long consistency. His sixth championship came in 2013.

“I’m sure the world felt like anybody but Jimmie Johnson was going to win the championship with 20 to go,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who grew up in El Cajon, Calif., said he never expected a career in Nascar stock car racing, much less success in the series.

“I wouldn’t be here without so many people believing in me and giving me this chance, from my dirt days,” said Johnson, whose career started at age 5 on pee wee motorcycles.

When Tony Stewart, the three-time champion who retired following the race, went to congratulate Johnson, Johnson gave Stewart his helmet.

“That was special to me,” said Stewart, who finished 22nd in the final race of his career. “It will definitely go into my collection.”

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 and the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Johnson wins a record-tying 7th NASCAR title. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

Stephen Curry set a new NBA single-game record for three-pointers with 13 on Monday night.

Steph Curry Sets Single-Game Record With 13 Three-Pointers in Warriors’ 116-106 Win Vs Pelicans

The two-time reigning MVP shot 13-for-17 from three-point range and scored a season-high 46 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 116-106 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Curry, 28, shot 16-for-26 overall and added five assists and five rebounds. He sank his 13th 3-pointer with 2:23 left in the fourth quarter to put the Warriors up 109-97.

“This was a special night,” the point guard said.

The explosion came one game after Curry’s record streak of 157 straight regular-season games with at least one three-pointer was snapped. He shot 0-for-10 from long range in a 117-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

“I was hard on myself in practice the last two days. I had pretty good shooting sessions,” Curry said. “I don’t overreact to games like that whether I go 0-for-10 or 2-for-12 or whatever it is. My process is the same, but I had another level of focus the last two days trying to get my rhythm back and see the ball go in.”

Curry was one of three players to hold the previous record of 12 three-pointers in a game, tying the mark last season on Feb. 27. Kobe Bryant set the record of 12 in January 2003, and Donyell Marshall matched it in March 2005. Curry now has seven career games with at least 10 three-pointers.

“Nothing you can do about it. He was being Steph,” Pelicans star Anthony Davis said. Davis led New Orleans with 33 points.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who was named the 2015-2016 NBA Coach of the Year, also praised Curry.

“That was quite a show. Not at all surprising the way Steph bounces back from bad nights,” Kerr said.

While the star guard shot 76% from three-point range, the rest of Golden State went just 3-for-18 from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson was 2-for-7, Kevin Durant was 1-for-4, and Andre Iguodala was 0-for-4.

Thompson scored 24 points for the Warriors, and Durant added 22.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SS7MKWkis

OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 07: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three-pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans at ORACLE Arena on November 7, 2016 in Oakland, California.

Serena Williams defeated German fourth-seed Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in London on Saturday to earn the women’s singles Wimbledon 2016 title, thus securing her first major victory in 12 months.

Andy Murray Wins Second Wimbledon Title, Serena Williams Ties Steffi Graf Record

With the win, the top-seeded American also matched German Steffi Graf’s record for the most Open era Grand Slam titles won by a female player (22).

Kerber– who defeated Serena in the final of the 2016 Australian Open in January– put up a resilient fight against Williams, but the 34-year-old American’s serving prowess ultimately proved too difficult for the German, who had not lost a single set entering Saturday’s final.

Kerber came close to losing her serve on Centre Court at the first time of asking after letting her opponent serve first, saving three break points to stay level.

The official Wimbledon Twitter account posted evidence of just how impressive the world No. 1 was in the early exchanges. After leading 4-3 in the opening set, Williams had already recorded five aces, 16 winners and only eight unforced errors.

Williams suffered a slip in the ninth game after her toes got caught on the playing surface and she appeared to roll her ankle, thus drawing concern. However, this seemed to barely affect the match as the score became tied at 5 games apiece.

Serena then timed the first break of the match perfectly. Despite Kerber saving a set point at 40-15 down, Williams took the crucial lead.

In the seventh game of the second, Kerber snatched a 40-30 lead for the first time in the match. Williams was at risk of conceding a break for the first time, but still the American thundered back with three points in succession to end the challenge quickly.

The pivotal break came when a rare, wild error from Kerber let Williams gain a 5-3 game lead before serving out the win, her seventh Wimbledon title in straight sets.

For the third time in her career, Williams has earned back-to-back Wimbledon titles. It would mark a first for the American if she could complete a hat-trick in 2017.

Kerber took the time to praise her opponent after the match.

“First of all, I would like to say congrats to Serena. I mean, you really deserve the title and your next title,” the German said in her post-match comments. “You are a great champion, you’re a great person, and it’s always an honor for me to play against you in the finals. We played a great match and congrats, you deserve it, so really well done, Serena.”

Just over six weeks now remain until the U.S. Open kicks off on August 29, where Williams can hope for a chance to win yet another title.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Andy Murray defeated Canadian Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) on Sunday to win his second Wimbledon title.

The 29-year-old No. 2 Brit — the heavy favorite to win the final– sat in his chair on Centre Court sobbing into his towel as the awards ceremony began.

Murray, who had humble beginnings, won his first Wimbledon title in 2013, and lost in the final to Roger Federer one year before that.

“I’ve had some great moments here and also some tough losses,” Murray said Sunday, holding the trophy close. “And obviously the wins feel extra special because of the tough losses.”

For all his achievement, he has yet to reach No. 1, and his record in Grand Slam finals coming into Sunday was an unprecedented 2-8, with all of those finals being played against either Novak Djokovic or Federer.

Raonic, the No. 6 seed, was sure to be a tough new opponent. He upset Federer in a five-set semifinal to become the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final.

Murray did not crack on Sunday, however, making just 12 unforced errors over the three sets, limiting Raonic to just eight aces with his quick returns and routinely producing decisive passing shot combinations– especially off his backhand– as Raonic constantly charged the net, knowing he had a small chance of winning from the baseline.

“I think it’s phenomenal for him, to back up his win from three years ago,” said Raonic. “He’s been in many finals since then that he wasn’t able to make the most of. So for him it’s a big step forward. The next move is up to him. He’s got to go for it. There’s many other guys who will be trying to go for it as well. I know I will.”

Since Wimbledon in 2013, Murray has gone through back surgery and two different coaches before reuniting with his mentor Ivan Lendl last month. Murray was married to his longtime girlfriend, Kim Sears, last year, and she gave birth to their daughter, Sophia, in February.

“I’m playing for something a bit different now,” he said of Sophia in a post-match interview with ESPN. “Hopefully she’ll be proud of this one day.”

The Brit also said, however, that he views this as a more personal achievement than his 2013 title.

“I’m not suggesting this was only for me,” he said Sunday after showing off his trophy from the Centre Court balcony to thousands of fans gathered below. “I know it’s something bigger than that. But the last time it was such a big thing for a British man to win Wimbledon. It had been so long. I was so relieved that I’d done that.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Andy Murray of Great Britain celebrates victory during the Men’s Singles Final against Milos Raonic of Canada on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic broke a Rod Laver record on Wednesday by defeating Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the second round at Wimbledon, thus earning his 30th consecutive Grand Slam victory.

Novak Djokovic Sets Record 30 Straight Grand Slams With Win Over Adrian Mannarino At Wimbledon

Djokovic beat Mannarino– who turned 28 on Wednesday– 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). Unhindered by the rain, the Serb teased Mannarino and the crowd by starting with a 15-40 deficit in his opening service game. Djokovic hurtled after a drop shot during the tie-break, and lay on his back for a few moments.

“The record that I managed to break today is one of the better ones because as a professional tennis player, you always aim to play your best in Grand Slams,” said 29-year-old Djokovic, who holds all four Grand Slam titles. “Knowing that I won 30 in a row, it’s very pleasing. I want to keep on going. Let’s see where it takes me.”

His victory over the World No. 55 Frenchman came in two hours and five minutes, and was littered with eight double faults, the last of them coming when he was broken serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set. Djokovic was patient, however, securing the first set after Mannarino netted a backhand.

Five of Mannarino’s nine break points came in the second game of the start of the third set. The Frenchman ended up hitting 30 winners and committed 42 unforced errors, sending a backhand long to drop his serve at the start of the second set.

Djokovic, who is seeking a third straight title at the All England Club, will next face American 28th seed Sam Querrey, who defeated Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the second round also on Wednesday. Querrey and Djokovic will play on Friday for a spot in the last 16.

Also under the Center Court roof, Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to the next round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova to keep her record of never having lost in the first round at Wimbledon. Radwansk, the 2012 runner-up, will next face Croatian Ana Konjuh. 

World No. 3 Roger Federer defeated 25-year-old Brit Marcus Willis 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.

Willis, the World No. 772 who makes his living coaching children and senior citizens at a rowing club in the English midlands, had never played a tour match before Wimbledon. The strong lefty, nicknamed ‘Cartman’ after a stout character from cartoon series ‘South Park,’ found himself facing one of the best players in the world, a man who had won 79 matches more than him at the All England Club.

The two come from very different worlds: Federer has career earnings just shy of $100 million, while Willis has only earned $200 this year and still lives with his parents.

Willis was far from embarrassed by Federer despite shipping the first set in just 24 minutes.

“Marcus brought some unbelievable energy to the court with the fans, his play and his personality as well,” said 34-year-old Federer who next faces Britain’s Dan Evans. “It was very refreshing.”

Evans beat 30th-ranked Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov on Wednesday.

Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych, the 2010 runner-up, defeated Croatian Ivan Dodig 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) and will next face German Benjamin Becker. 

Two-time women’s champion Petra Kvitova, the 10th seeded Czech, brushed aside Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-4 after needing just 15 minutes to take the first set.

Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem, 22, beat Halle German champion Florian Mayer 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 while German teenager Alexander Zverev, seeded 24, saw off French veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 05: Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a forehand during the Men’s Singles final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on day fifteen of the 2016 French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts became the first leadoff hitter in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game on Tuesday night in the Red Sox’s 6-2 road victory against the Baltimore Orioles.

Red Sox OF Mookie Betts Ties MLB Record With Five HR In Two Games

Betts also went deep in his first two at-bats in the Red Sox’s 13-9 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday, thus becoming the first player ever to hit a homer in each of the first two innings of consecutive games.

It was his third leadoff homer of the season and the fifth of his career. Betts scored on the second pitch of the game off right-hander Mike Wright, sending the fastball flying to right-center field.

The 23-year-old also tied a major league record with five homers in a span of seven at-bats. The last player to achieve this feat was Josh Hamilton, who did it with the Texas Rangers on May 7-10, 2012.

“I didn’t know that. Tying is pretty cool,” Betts said. “[Hamilton] is pretty good. To tie someone like that is pretty special.”

Betts also added that he doesn’t view himself as a power hitter, despite scoring 14 homers, behind David Ortiz for the team lead.

“I see myself as a gap-to-gap doubles hitter,” Betts said. “They’re just going over the fence right now.”

Betts admitted he surprised himself by hitting the first opposite-field homer of his career on Tuesday night.

“He’s swinging the bat great,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “He’s been a force all year for us. He’s been fun to watch. Hopefully he continues to do what he’s doing because it’s pretty exciting.”

The youngster is only the third Red Sox player with five homers in a two-game span, the two others being Nomar Garciaparra (July 21-23, 2002) and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (May 19-20, 1976). Betts is also the second-youngest player ever to accomplish this feat, trailing only Bryce Harper, who did it May 6-8, 2015 at age 22 with the Washington Nationals.

“You rarely see it,” Boston manager John Farrell said of power surges like Betts’. “Sometimes you never see it in a career. We’re blessed to be able to watch Mookie every night from our dugout.”

The Red Sox (32-21, first in AL East) will visit the Orioles (29-22, second in AL East) again on Thursday night.

PHOTO: BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 31: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Max Scherzer struck out 20 batters in the Washington Nationals’ 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night to match the major league record for a nine-inning game.

Nationals’ Max Scherzer Ties MLB Record With 20 Strikeouts

This is just one of the many accomplishments the right-handed pitcher has reached, along with throwing two no-hitters and coming within one strike of a perfect game, since signing a $210 million contract with the Nationals.

“There’s something about 20,” said Scherzer, 31, after Wednesday night’s game. “Tonight was an emotional game, facing a former team and all those guys I have so much respect for. And so to have a game like this against that caliber of hitter on their side, it really puts a feather in my cap.”

The game marked Scherzer’s first time pitching against the Tigers since he last played for them in 2014.

Scherzer (4-2) pitched two no-hitters for Washington last season and struck out 17 in the second one, thus joining Roger Clemens (twice), Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson as the only major league pitchers to compile 20 strikeouts in nine innings. Johnson was the last to achieve the record for Arizona during a 2001 game that went 11 innings. Tom Cheney holds the major league record with 21 strikeouts when he pitched all 16 innings for the Washington Senators against Baltimore in 1962.

“I was thinking of all the different scenarios in an 0-2 count that I could do to be able to get that last strikeout,” the ace right-hander said.

After striking out the side in the eighth inning on Wednesday, all on called strikes, Scherzer was up to 18 on 106 pitches, with the Nationals holding a two-run lead. “I knew there was a lot,” manager Dusty Baker said.

The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner gave up a leadoff homer to J.D. Martinez in the ninth, then blew a 97 mph fastball by slugger Miguel Cabrera for strikeout No. 19. Victor Martinez then singled for his third hit before Scherzer got another All-Star slugger, Justin Upton, swinging on a low slider to finally tie the record. This happened just one pitch after Upton’s foul pop landed just beyond the reach of first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and in a camera well.

“Had to go through some tough, tough hitters there with Miggy and J.D. and Victor and all those guys over there,” Scherzer said after being hugged and high-fived by several of his teammates. “Those guys are unbelievable and they gave me a heck of a time tonight.” Scherzer threw an astounding 96 of 119 pitches for strikes in a six-hitter for his sixth career complete game.

He also out-pitched Jordan Zimmermann (5-2), a former Nationals teammate who left Washington as a free agent for a $110 million deal with the Tigers prior to this season.

“That was one of the more dominant performances I’ve ever come across,” said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, also an opponent during Wood’s 20-strikeout game and one of the two compiled by Clemens. “It wasn’t quite as dominant as Kerry Wood and it was more dominant than Clemens.”

Scherzer’s great performance also comes after allowing seven runs on four homers in an 8-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Zimmermann allowed three runs over seven innings in his return to Nationals Park. The right-hander received a standing ovation from the crowd of 35,695 when he stepped into the batter’s box after Iglesias’ homer.

The Nationals (21-13) are now second in the NL East.

PHOTO: WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 11: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Nationals Park on May 11, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

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