Warriors Hold Off Pelicans for Series Win
The Golden State Warriors are definitely walking around with some extra swagger at full health, and they seem to be back to normal They advanced to the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, earning the series win in Game 5 with a 113-104 win on their home floor. Steph Curry had 28 points, while Kevin Durant added 24, as the Warriors advanced to their fourth straight Conference Finals, all of which have ended up with NBA Finals appearances. They also tied the Chicago Bulls with their record 15th straight home playoff win, as Chicago did that from April of 1990-May of 1991. The Pelicans' season ends, despite them getting much more success than expected after they lost DeMarcus Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon midway through the regular season. Anthony Davis had 34 points and 19 rebounds in Tuesday's loss, although, New Orleans did make things interesting late after trailing by double digits for most of the night, as they cut the lead down to seven points in the fourth quarter. Jrue Holiday chipped in with 27 points and 11 assists to fuel that comeback, which fell short against the Warriors. By the time Golden State earned that victory, they already knew who they would be matched up with in the Western Conference Finals, and it was exactly who many basketball experts expected it to be.
Paul, Rockets Advance Past Jazz at Home
The Houston Rockets rolled as the top seed with their second straight five-game series win on Tuesday night, advancing past the Utah Jazz with a 112-102 win at the Toyota Center. Chris Paul took over with a playoff career-high 41 points, including eight three-pointers, to go along with 10 assists and seven rebounds. Paul did not turn the ball over on the night, while becoming the first player in playoff history with at least 40 points and 10 assists without a turnover since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977-78. It will be the first time ever that CP3 is in the Western Conference Finals, as the Rockets advanced that far for the second time in the past four years. The nine-time All-Star point guard surpassed his previous playoff career high of 35 points, which he has done three separate times. It was a tough ending for the Jazz, who lost star rookie Donovan Mitchell to an apparent left leg injury with seven minutes left in regulation. There was no update after the game, but the point guard was in a walking boot. He finished the game with 24 points, 22 of which took place in the third quarter. The Jazz were able to get their deficit into single digits down the stretch, but never got closer than nine points. The Rockets will begin their playoff series on their home floor against the Warriors Monday night.
Mariners' Paxton No-Hits Blue Jays
James Paxton was already excited enough to be pitching in his home country of Canada on Tuesday night, but just under three hours and nine innings later, that excitement grew by a large margin. The Seattle Mariners' hurler became the second Canadian with a no-hitter by doing so against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-0 victory. Paxton walked three and struck out seven, as the 29-year-old received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Rogers Centre. The right-hander joined Dick Fowler as the only Canadians to throw a no-hitter, as Fowler did so with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1945. Tuesday was also just the seventh no-hitter thrown outside of the United States, with two of them taking place this season, as the Los Angeles Dodgers no-hit the San Diego Padres in Mexico last weekend. It was the third no-hitter this season, which have taken place in three different countries. Paxton finished with 99 pitches on the night, with the highlight play being Kyle Seager's diving stop at third base to rob Josh Donaldson of a base hit in the seventh inning. This also helped Paxton forget about his previous outing in Canada, which featured him allowing nine runs on seven hits, while walking six in just 2.2 innings. The Mariners and Blue Jays will continue their series with two more games on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Golden State Warriors are definitely walking around with some extra swagger at full health, and they seem to be back to normal They advanced to the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, earning the series win in Game 5 with a 113-104 win on their home floor. Steph Curry had 28 points, while Kevin Durant added 24, as the Warriors advanced to their fourth straight Conference Finals, all of which have ended up with NBA Finals appearances. They also tied the Chicago Bulls with their record 15th straight home playoff win, as Chicago did that from April of 1990-May of 1991. The Pelicans' season ends, despite them getting much more success than expected after they lost DeMarcus Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon midway through the regular season. Anthony Davis had 34 points and 19 rebounds in Tuesday's loss, although, New Orleans did make things interesting late after trailing by double digits for most of the night, as they cut the lead down to seven points in the fourth quarter. Jrue Holiday chipped in with 27 points and 11 assists to fuel that comeback, which fell short against the Warriors. By the time Golden State earned that victory, they already knew who they would be matched up with in the Western Conference Finals, and it was exactly who many basketball experts expected it to be.
Paul, Rockets Advance Past Jazz at Home
The Houston Rockets rolled as the top seed with their second straight five-game series win on Tuesday night, advancing past the Utah Jazz with a 112-102 win at the Toyota Center. Chris Paul took over with a playoff career-high 41 points, including eight three-pointers, to go along with 10 assists and seven rebounds. Paul did not turn the ball over on the night, while becoming the first player in playoff history with at least 40 points and 10 assists without a turnover since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977-78. It will be the first time ever that CP3 is in the Western Conference Finals, as the Rockets advanced that far for the second time in the past four years. The nine-time All-Star point guard surpassed his previous playoff career high of 35 points, which he has done three separate times. It was a tough ending for the Jazz, who lost star rookie Donovan Mitchell to an apparent left leg injury with seven minutes left in regulation. There was no update after the game, but the point guard was in a walking boot. He finished the game with 24 points, 22 of which took place in the third quarter. The Jazz were able to get their deficit into single digits down the stretch, but never got closer than nine points. The Rockets will begin their playoff series on their home floor against the Warriors Monday night.
Mariners' Paxton No-Hits Blue Jays
James Paxton was already excited enough to be pitching in his home country of Canada on Tuesday night, but just under three hours and nine innings later, that excitement grew by a large margin. The Seattle Mariners' hurler became the second Canadian with a no-hitter by doing so against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-0 victory. Paxton walked three and struck out seven, as the 29-year-old received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Rogers Centre. The right-hander joined Dick Fowler as the only Canadians to throw a no-hitter, as Fowler did so with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1945. Tuesday was also just the seventh no-hitter thrown outside of the United States, with two of them taking place this season, as the Los Angeles Dodgers no-hit the San Diego Padres in Mexico last weekend. It was the third no-hitter this season, which have taken place in three different countries. Paxton finished with 99 pitches on the night, with the highlight play being Kyle Seager's diving stop at third base to rob Josh Donaldson of a base hit in the seventh inning. This also helped Paxton forget about his previous outing in Canada, which featured him allowing nine runs on seven hits, while walking six in just 2.2 innings. The Mariners and Blue Jays will continue their series with two more games on Wednesday and Thursday.
