The Celtics will then still have the Nets' unprotected first-round pick next season, giving them further potential trade ammunition or just the ability to add another young piece to go with Jaylen Brown, last year's No. Boston acquired the Nets' 2014, 2016 and 2018 first-round picks in the deal. After the lottery ended, Pierce wrote on twitter: "And look what I leave behind for the Celts on my way out #1 pick". Read More »

Filip Forsberg tied the game 3:54 into the third period for the Predators. Jakob Silfverberg opened the scoring at 5:15 of the first period on Anaheim's first shot of the game. Especially not on home ice. Smashville will be out in force tomorrow night and will bring their full-throated fury to 501 Broadway to help this team maintain that advantage. Read More »

I'd be extremely surprised if they win two games. "It's short rest, so I assume he's going to be ready". There's no Tony, no Kawhi as of right now. "It's just such a hard task at hand for this Spurs team. "It makes them less predictable", Golden State forward Draymond Green said. You know, it hurts. Watch him here: he stays as the ball goes baseline, in case he can help, backs out to play free safety as the ball passes the basket, checks to see where the pass may go, cuts off the angle ... Read More »

Rebounding has been a dominant theme for the Warriors ever since they learned San Antonio would be their finals opponent, and Curry picked up the beat in the final practice before Game 1 . Popovich was asked about Brown's Friday response when discussing the San Antonio coach's intimidation factor. D'Antoni, who helped Houston to a 14-game improvement in his first season, believes the Rockets might have been worn down by dealing with a team that lacks a clear weakness to exploit. Read More »

Yet, obvious by Magic Johnson's smile, the hated rivals were both celebrating. Thomas, 28, finished third in the league in scoring this past season, averaging a whopping 28.9 points per game. Last night's NBA Draft Lottery indicates that the actual draft is only one month away. But while Fultz probably should be the No. 1 overall pick, the Celtics shouldn't be the team taking him. Read More »

Alexis Sanchez says Arsenal's inability to mount a sustained challenge on the Premier League title is the cause for his frustrations. Asked about the number of fans who stayed away from the game, Wenger said: "We have to focus on our job, not looking at how many people are in the stands". Read More »

In winning his second scoring title in three seasons, the 6-3 guard paced the National Basketball Association in games with at least 20 points (72), 30 points (44), 40 points (18) and 50 points (four). Why would Davis potentially sign a DPE while still under contract with the Pelicans rather than wait until his contract runs out and test free agency? Anthony Davis was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second time in the past three seasons. Read More »

Cleveland lit up IN and Toronto from deep (NBA-best 43 percent through eight games), but expect the Cavs to struggle at times IN the series from downtown. The Second Big Three of Paul Pierce , Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen lost to Miami in Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals. NOTES: Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who borrowed a Bill Belichick line pregame by telling his players to "do your job", on his team's mindset coming in. Read More »

The Gunners had to win to keep their top four hopes alive and thanks to Sanchez's goals , they are now one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool going into the final day of the season. Swathes of empty red seats at a hushed Emirates Stadium illustrated the apathy of some Gunners fans, the subdued atmosphere compounded by Arsenal failing to make their early dominance count. Read More »

Ducks: Defeated Flames 4-0; Defeated Oilers 4-3. The Predators made sure they were well-rested for their conference finals debut after 18 National Hockey League seasons. Converting on just one of those opportunities could have changed the outcome entirely. Neither team scored on power plays, but the Predators failed to score with a 5-on-3 power play. Read More »

Guardiola wanted to see a better pressing game from Aguero, more teamwork and link-up play, a better work ethic. Guardiola is in the process of shaping his squad for next season, and while Zabaleta's future has been decided, those of City's six other out-of-contract players remain in the balance. Read More »

Even in uncharted territory for this franchise, the Predators are still rolling through the Stanley Cup playoffs with their distinct combination of smash and flash. "Whatever they did is fine, but it's on us". Anaheim had led 1-0 through 40 minutes but lost for the first time in the postseason when defending a lead in the third period. Read More »

Tottenham Hotspur played their final game at White Hart Lane at the weekend, defeating Manchester United 2-1 in an emotional farewell fixture. Spurs will play at Wembley Stadium next season with a move to a newly built stadium for the 2018-19 campaign. Read More »

To score four goals was very good for him. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said he has no concerns about holding on to Kane during the summer transfer window. Apart from an error from Hugo Lloris which allowed Ben Chilwell to score , Tottenham were always on top with Leicester now destined to finish mid-table. Read More »

What adjustments can the Wizards make? Unlike the Wizards , the Celtics fortunately showed up in-front of a wild T.D Garden crowd to take a 3-2 series lead. "He put his injuries aside and laced his shoes up and played", teammate Isaiah Thomas said of Bradley. "Hopefully, everybody else is treating it like that". Read More »

Despite his side's total control of the game, the ever feverish Conte prowled the touchline as usual, gesticulating wildly and yelling commands to his players. Babayaro, who also enjoyed spells with Newcastle United and Anderlecht, went on to praise Conte for the wondrous job he has done during his first season at Chelsea . Read More »

Popovich was taking a stand, he was performing some playoff theater, he was trying to prod his players into something special in Game 2... and what he got was a bunch of Spurs who probably realized that Popovich was so angry because Leonard is so valuable. Read More »

However, Pochettino later said the position would be "impossible" for him to take as a former Espanyol coach. We will decide at the end of the season with different players. "We're all disappointed that we couldn't do it in the end and win the league", Alli added. Our performance wasn't the best for different reasons. "That has to motivate us to hopefully be out there next year lifting the Premier League together". Read More »

The Celtics kept changing up defenders guarding James, but he exposed them all and showed that there is no one in the league who can stop a determined James. At the halfway mark in the third, Curry raced up the court, and Spurs backup center Dewayne Dedmon lost his footing while backpedaling on defense. Read More »

The Cavs front court starters dominated the Celtics, 90-32. He led a bench unit that had both James and Irving on the bench to start the second quarter and was able to actually extend the lead (by one, but still). The good news is that the Celtics have more talent that was not seen in that terrible first half. There were a number of times when Love simply drifted to the corner and waited for a pass that often didn't come, and he sometimes disappeared from games if he didn't get involved in ... Read More »

The Cavaliers opened a 14-point lead on Korver's 3-pointer late in the first half. He and his staff will take the methodical approach as they always have. James said. "Should be mad about the shoes you picked out today". "We're trying to be progressive thinkers, and not just continue to pound, pound, pound on something that hasn't worked". Read More »

And the Game 1 moment between James and Olynyk was far from the end of the Celtics' defensive woes. When it was over, he'd piled up 38 points plus nine rebounds and seven assists. The first half finished with Cleveland holding a commanding 61-39 lead. Holding the rights to Brooklyn's first-round draft pick from the 2013 trade that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets, they won the lottery and will take the top pick for the first time since 1950. Read More »

Subban. By the end of the game, it wasn't the Predators who ran out of gas, but rather the Ducks, who gave up two goals - not including the two that were disallowed - in the third period of a 2-1 loss. The Nashville Predators are so confident right now that not even having two goals in eight seconds waved off for goaltender interference can shake them. Read More »

And in 2018, who knows, it could very well be the No. 1 overall pick once again, depending on what the Nets are able to do this offseason. The Celtics should take Jackson if they are comfortable with his character. That gave Celtics fans a day to dream about next year's team, which could add a college star like Washington's Markelle Fultz; at least one fan showed up at Wednesday's game with Fultz's name written on his Celtics T-shirt in marker. Read More »

With teams preparing for another round of match-up games, the public is also quite excited to tune in for more updates from both the Western and Eastern Conference Finals. All 13 Warriors players scored in the game. For Golden State it was Stephen Curry leading the way with an easy 29 points, going 6-of-9 from 3-point range while adding seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Read More »

Like, his family and his friends watching him play, I don't know how you can cheer for a guy like that. While Johansen has the clear edge on the scoresheet, Kesler has ramped up the physicality ten-fold - most notably getting away with a nasty elbow to the head of Johansen. Read More »

Chalk this particular over/under potentially as one such scenario, considering the two hurlers that are set to go at it in tonight's series opener between the Rays and Indians. In the eighth inning, with the Jays trailing 6-5, Travis was asked to lay down a bunt in an attempt to move pinch runner Darrell Ceciliani from second to third and Justin Smoak from first to second, with none out. Read More »

When asked if the title battle with Vettel , whose lead was slashed to six points after Barcelona, would impact their still-cordial relationship if they kept going wheel-to-wheel on track, Hamilton said: "I don't know, it's hard to say". Read More »

Churchill Downs officials say attendance for the Kentucky Derby is 158,070. As might be expected from two successful guys from the neighborhood, he and Viola reveled in Always Dreaming's win together. Pletcher added, "I think it's even more special than the first one". Yes it's engaging and engrossing and many a great story emerges from it - but the stage is a bit of a mess at times. Read More »

Play it in a sold-out arena. The Cavs didn't even play that great! LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavs showed no signs of rust last night despite a 10-day layoff between their Game 4 victory over the Raptors and last night's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston. Read More »

It wasn't easy at all, but Thomas' 29 points and 12 assists helped the Celtics hold off the Wizards , 115-105, to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. We played them four times. Wall made only 1-of-8 three-point attempts and stumbled with three turnovers. They know better than any team how stingy life is with guarantees. Read More »

Speaking with Michael Felger on CSNNE's Early Edition on Tuesday, before the NBA Draft Lottery announced the winners, Fultz spoke again about the tantalizing prospects of forming a backcourt with Isaiah in Boston. Boston acquired the Nets' 2014, 2016 and 2018 first-round picks, as well as the rights to swap in 2017. The Lakers landed the No. 2 overall pick in next month's draft and will have the selection for the third consecutive year. Read More »

They are a flawless 9-0 in the playoffs while the Warriors are one better at 10-0 this postseason. The Celtics had no answer for LeBron James, who racked up 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. It was that kind of game in the fourth quarter as the Celtics hung close but had too much ground to make up and not enough defensive stops in them to really put a dent in the Cavaliers' big lead. Read More »

There will be plenty of talk about the Boston Celtics winning the first overall pick in the NBA's draft lottery - and deservedly so - particularly after advancing to the Eastern Conference finals with a Game 7 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Read More »

It was that kind of night for the Celtics . Washington , which dominated the first quarter for most of the series , won both games at home by average of 23 points. Washington fans booed Olynyk every time he touched the ball in Game 4, but the Wizards' Bradley Beal said he thought Celtics fans took it too far Wednesday night. Read More »