LeBron, Cavs Set Up Third Straight Finals Mathcup With Warriors
The NBA Finals matchup that everyone expected since the season opener is now set, as the Cleveland Cavaliers continued to cruise with ease through the Eastern Conference. LeBron James passed Michael Jordan for first on the all-time postseason scoring list, as the Cavs blew out the Boston Celtics, 135-102, for a 4-1 series victory. James finished with 35 points to help Cleveland finish at 56 percent shooting on the night, as they are set for a third straight Finals series with the Golden State Warriors. Kyrie Irving chipped in 24 points, while Kevin Love had 15, as Cleveland led by as many as 39 on the night. With the win, they also set an NBA record by completing their 13th straight series victory, and improved to 12-1 this postseason. Including his time with the Miami Heat, "King James" is entering his seventh consecutive NBA Finals, looking for his fourth NBA Title. On the other end of the floor, Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 23 points in their final game of the season. The NBA Finals will kick off at Oracle Arena for Game 1 on Thursday night.
Penguins Earn Double-OT Win in Game 7 to Advance to Stanley Cup Finals
The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading to their second straight Stanley Cup Finals, but it was not easy to get there. The Penguins needed two overtime periods to squeak past the Ottawa Senators at home, as Chris Kunitz scored his second goal of the game 5:09 into the second overtime to give them a 3-2 win. Sidney Crosby assisted Kuntiz' second goal of the game and postseason, supporting Matt Murray's 27 saves on his 23rd birthday. Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa in the heartbreaking loss, as they fell to 0-6 in Game 7's in franchise history. Craig Andersen made 39 saves on the night, but had a hard time finding an answer for the 37-year-old Kunitz. The Pittsburgh Penguins will now look to become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions since the 1998 Detroit Red Wings. They have proven time and time again that they can face adversity better than anyone, improving to 13-2 following a loss in the last two playoffs. They will play host to the Nashville Predators for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday night.
Dodgers Fight Back to Take Series from Cardinals
The Los Angeles Dodgers fell behind early against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, but scored six runs over three innings for a 7-3 win in Dodger Stadium. Hyun-Jin Ryu took over the headlines in L.A. by shutting down the Cardinals with four scoreless innings to earn his first career save in his first relief appearance. St. Louis scored all three of their runs in the first inning against starter Kenta Maeda, but Ryu impressed in his first relief appearance in the majors, and first since 2011 in the Korean Baseball Organization. He was taken out of the starting rotation following a win over the Miami Marlins on May 18th after going 2-5 with a 4.75 ERA to begin the season. Maeda did help out on the offensive side of the game with a two-run single off of Michael Wacha. He earned his fourth win of the year after allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings. Chase Utley also added his first home run of the season, as Wacha suffered his second loss of the year after allowing a season-worst six runs in a season-low four innings. The Cardinals continue their road trip over the weekend in Colorado against the first-place Rockies, while the Dodger stay home to host the first-place Chicago Cubs.
The NBA Finals matchup that everyone expected since the season opener is now set, as the Cleveland Cavaliers continued to cruise with ease through the Eastern Conference. LeBron James passed Michael Jordan for first on the all-time postseason scoring list, as the Cavs blew out the Boston Celtics, 135-102, for a 4-1 series victory. James finished with 35 points to help Cleveland finish at 56 percent shooting on the night, as they are set for a third straight Finals series with the Golden State Warriors. Kyrie Irving chipped in 24 points, while Kevin Love had 15, as Cleveland led by as many as 39 on the night. With the win, they also set an NBA record by completing their 13th straight series victory, and improved to 12-1 this postseason. Including his time with the Miami Heat, "King James" is entering his seventh consecutive NBA Finals, looking for his fourth NBA Title. On the other end of the floor, Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 23 points in their final game of the season. The NBA Finals will kick off at Oracle Arena for Game 1 on Thursday night.
Penguins Earn Double-OT Win in Game 7 to Advance to Stanley Cup Finals
The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading to their second straight Stanley Cup Finals, but it was not easy to get there. The Penguins needed two overtime periods to squeak past the Ottawa Senators at home, as Chris Kunitz scored his second goal of the game 5:09 into the second overtime to give them a 3-2 win. Sidney Crosby assisted Kuntiz' second goal of the game and postseason, supporting Matt Murray's 27 saves on his 23rd birthday. Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa in the heartbreaking loss, as they fell to 0-6 in Game 7's in franchise history. Craig Andersen made 39 saves on the night, but had a hard time finding an answer for the 37-year-old Kunitz. The Pittsburgh Penguins will now look to become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions since the 1998 Detroit Red Wings. They have proven time and time again that they can face adversity better than anyone, improving to 13-2 following a loss in the last two playoffs. They will play host to the Nashville Predators for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday night.
Dodgers Fight Back to Take Series from Cardinals
The Los Angeles Dodgers fell behind early against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, but scored six runs over three innings for a 7-3 win in Dodger Stadium. Hyun-Jin Ryu took over the headlines in L.A. by shutting down the Cardinals with four scoreless innings to earn his first career save in his first relief appearance. St. Louis scored all three of their runs in the first inning against starter Kenta Maeda, but Ryu impressed in his first relief appearance in the majors, and first since 2011 in the Korean Baseball Organization. He was taken out of the starting rotation following a win over the Miami Marlins on May 18th after going 2-5 with a 4.75 ERA to begin the season. Maeda did help out on the offensive side of the game with a two-run single off of Michael Wacha. He earned his fourth win of the year after allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings. Chase Utley also added his first home run of the season, as Wacha suffered his second loss of the year after allowing a season-worst six runs in a season-low four innings. The Cardinals continue their road trip over the weekend in Colorado against the first-place Rockies, while the Dodger stay home to host the first-place Chicago Cubs.
