Giannis Antetokounmpo dismissed suggestions he should get on with it from the free-throw line after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a series-levelling win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Eastern Conference Finals could sway on how Giannis performs over the coming games, with the teams now poised at 1-1 following the Bucks' storming 125-91 win on their home court.
The Hawks are reportedly annoyed at NBA officials ignoring Antetokounmpo repeatedly taking longer than the allotted 10 seconds at the line.
It was reported by The Athletic that Antetokounmpo took between 11.5 seconds and 13.3 seconds for each of his eight free-throw attempts in Game 1 against the Hawks.
"Usually I take eight to nine seconds. So it was borderline 10 seconds," Antetokounmpo responded on Friday night.
"When my coaching staff tells me to speed it up I know I'm maybe around 10 and sometimes the referee will talk to me and say, 'You've got to speed it up'.
"Then I make an effort to take it a second or two seconds faster. But my mindset going into this game was to do my routine, get as many dribbles as I can, get my breath and just shoot my shot."
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo posted 25 points in 29 minutes and Jrue Holiday added 22 points of his own as the Bucks made light work of the fifth-seeded Hawks.
Antetokounmpo said the key for the Bucks after their 116-113 setback in Game 1 was to take a measured approach into the second clash in the series.
"I was calm, it wasn't the end of the world – if we had lost today I would have been a little bit more nervous," he said.
"I trust my team-mates, trust our habits. I think everybody's on the same page and know what we have to do. We knew we had to come in here and get this game and that's what we did.
"There's got to be some urgency, but you still have to enjoy the fact that we're here. We worked extremely hard to be one of the last four teams standing.
"We're going to try to play good basketball. The way I think about it is I'm going to be doing this for a long time so I've got to enjoy each game."
He relished the home support but added: "Also, there's an enjoyment factor when you're on the road and everyone's booing you and counting... '1, 2, 3, 4...'.
"What I do is enjoy each moment. You never know when it's going to be taken away from you, you can never take it for granted."
Ahead of Sunday's Game 3, Antetokounmpo said the Bucks would keep learning from each performance.
"We've got to focus on ourselves and how can we get better and put ourselves into position to win a game. We've got to keep getting better, each game at a time," he said.
"From Game 1 to Game 2 we've been better, we're happy about that, and hopefully from Game 2 to Game 3 we can get better."
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola tied a 51-year-old strikeout record in MLB on Friday.
Nola matched Tom Seaver's strikeout record after striking out 10 consecutive batters in the Phillies' 2-1 loss to the New York Mets in game one of a doubleheader.
While the Phillies went on to lose, Nola joined Seaver (1970) as the only pitchers in baseball history to accomplish the feat.
"It's pretty cool being in a category with Tom," Nola said.
Nola finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts, but the Phillies still lost, though they bounced back 2-1 in the second game.
"It was tough," Nola said about the loss. "I mean, yeah, it's a cool accomplishment. But winning's cooler, in my opinion."
As for the Mets, they have allowed three runs or fewer in 21 of their last 22 home games. According to Stats Perform, they are the first team to do so in any span of 22 home games since the 1917 White Sox, who went on to win the World Series.
The Tatis show
Fernando Tatis Jr. recorded his first career three-homer game as the San Diego Padres crushed the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5. Tatis took his tally to 25 home runs for the season, moving level with Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Los Angeles Angels fell 4-3 to the high-flying Tampa Bay Rays but two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit a 453-foot home run. It was his seventh homer in nine games and 24th of the season.
Johnny Cueto pitched seven shut-out innings to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 2-0 win over the Oakland Athletics. Cueto struck out six batters while allowing just five hits and one walk.
The Baltimore Orioles snapped their 20-game road skid after rallying past the Blue Jays 6-5 in 10 innings. An away drought tied for the second-longest in American League (AL) history came to an end thanks to a four-run eighth inning. Guerrero's home run had helped the Blue Jays take a 5-1 lead before their five-game winning streak was halted.
The Boston Red Sox made it four straight wins after upstaging bitter rivals the New York Yankees 5-3.
Luis Torrens homered twice to help the surging Seattle Mariners trump the Chicago White Sox 9-3. Seattle have won nine of their last 11 games.
A.J. Pollock, Max Muncy and Zach McKinstry homered in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-2 victory at home to the Chicago Cubs.
Martin struggles
The less said about Corbin Martin's performance, the better. In just 0.1 innings, Diamondbacks pitcher Martin gave up three hits, four runs, two homers and two walks without a strikeout. He finished with a 10.69 ERA. Arizona team-mate Riley Smith did not fare much better after allowing three hits, four runs and three homers in 3.2 innings.
Arenado milestone
The slumping St Louis Cardinals lost 5-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates but it was a memorable outing for Nolan Arenado, who hit his 250th career homer in the third inning.
Friday's results
Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 Colorado Rockies
New York Mets 2-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 New York Mets
Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Los Angeles Angels
Atlanta Braves 3-2 Cincinnati Reds
Boston Red Sox 5-3 New York Yankees
Miami Marlins 11-2 Washington Nationals
Texas Rangers 9-4 Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins 8-7 Cleveland Indians
Seattle Mariners 9-3 Chicago White Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 St Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants 2-0 Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres 11-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros-Detroit Tigers (postponed)
Astros at Tigers
The Astros (47-28) and Tigers (32-43) will clash in a doubleheader after Friday's game was washed out. Houston are riding an 11-game winning streak and will send Framber Valdez to the mound in game one, while Casey Mize starts for the Tigers.
Andrei Vasilevskiy was labelled the "best in the world" after guiding NHL champions the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final.
Lightning goaltender Vasilevskiy starred after stopping all 18 shots he faced as the Lightning outlasted the New York Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of the semi-finals on Friday.
Vasilevskiy produced his second shutout in three games, while Yanni Gourde scored shorthanded in the second period for the Lightning – who will face the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos hailed Vasilevskiy after the Islanders – who were trying to reach the Cup Final for the first time since 1984 – were shut out in a Game 7 for the firs time.
"I don't think we can say anything more about him," Stamkos said. "He's the best in the world for a reason. He's the steady rock that allows us to play with pace, play with confidence and play with a lead."
Canadiens star Carey Price and Vasilevskiy will be the first former Vezina winners to face each other in the Stanley Cup Final since Ed Belfour (Dallas Stars) and Dominik Hasek (Buffalo Sabres) in 1999, according to Stats Perform.
Tampa Bay's Brayden Point fell short of an NHL record after failing to score a goal in a 10th straight Stanley Cup playoff game.
Point was unable to match Philadelphia Flyers forward Reggie Leach, who scored a goal in 10 successive postseason games in 1976.
"We've come such a long way; I've been with this group for a while," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. " … It's so [darn] hard to win in this League, but last year, I just found we could win in different ways, but in the end, just the warrior mentality this group had, and it was prevalent tonight.
"After a really tough loss the other night [in Game 6], you just can't count them out. They've just learned how to defend, and again another masterful performance in the defensive zone to win a huge Game 7 for us."
The Lightning will host the Canadiens – featuring in the showpiece for the first time since 1993 – in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks trounced the Atlanta Hawks 125-91 to square the Eastern Conference Finals series at 1-1.
After dropping the series opener, the third-seeded Bucks responded by routing the visiting Hawks in Game 2 in the NBA playoffs on Friday.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo posted 25 points in just 29 minutes and Jrue Holiday added 22 points of his own as the Bucks eased past the fifth-seeded Hawks in Milwaukee.
The Bucks – ahead 103-63 at the end of three quarters – never trailed against the Hawks, leading by at least 30 points through the second half as both teams rested their starters for the entire fourth period.
In Game 1, Antetokounmpo and Holiday became the first pair of team-mates to each attempt 25-plus field goals and make at least half of them in a playoff game since Kyrie Irving (16-for-29) and LeBron James (15-for-27) did it for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals.
While they did not reach those numbers in the second showdown, Antetokounmpo (11-for-18 shooting) and Holiday (nine-for-14 shooting) were heavily involved again as the Bucks bounced back on home court.
Brook Lopez (16 points) and Khris Middleton (15 points) were the only other players to finish in double digits for the Bucks, who blew out the Hawks 43-17 in the second period.
Hawks star Trae Young came into the clash on the back of a 48-point, 11-assist performance in Game 1 but he was unable to replicate those numbers.
Young finished six-for-16 shooting for a team-high 15 points as starters John Collins (11 points), Clint Capela (two points and eight rebounds), Bogdan Bogdanovic (eight points) and Kevin Huerter (eight points) struggled.
Suns at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers, still missing Kawhi Leonard (knee) can level the Western Conference Final at 2-2 when they host the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 on Saturday.
Nani scored a stunning late goal to lead high-flying Orlando City to a 2-1 win at MLS rivals Inter Miami.
Orlando rallied away to David Beckham's Inter Miami on Friday, Nani's memorable 80th-minute effort completing the comeback.
After a scoreless opening half, former Juventus and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain had come off the bench to give Inter Miami a 67th-minute lead.
Higuain scored within seven minutes of his introduction, a low shot from distance putting the hosts ahead at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
But Orlando hit back within six minutes – Chris Mueller teed up by Nani for the equaliser before the latter decided the contest.
Former Manchester United star Nani cut onto his right foot and hit a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area with 10 minutes remaining.
After three wins in six days, Orlando are now second in the Eastern Conference and just two points behind New England Revolution, while Inter Miami are 11th.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a "great champion but at times he can be annoying", according to Hungary boss Marco Rossi.
Hungary came up against Ronaldo's Portugal at Euro 2020, beaten 3-0 by the defending champions on matchday one following the superstar's late brace.
Ronaldo has scored five goals in three games to lead Portugal to the last 16 and a blockbuster showdown with Belgium, but Hungary head coach Rossi hit out at the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"Ronaldo is a great champion but at times he can be annoying," Rossi told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"After the penalty with us he celebrated as if he had scored in the final. People notice these things."
Ronaldo equalled Ali Daei's long-standing men's record for international goals.
The 36-year-old Juventus forward scored twice from the penalty spot to move onto 109 goals for Portugal as they secured passage to the knockout stages of Euro 2020 with a 2-2 draw against France on Wednesday.
Ronaldo is now the top-scoring European player at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros), with his brace against France moving him beyond Miroslav Klose (19) to 21 goals.
Indeed, that was Ronaldo's second brace of Euro 2020 already – no player has ever registered three in a single tournament at the European Championships.
Austria star Marko Arnautovic said Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not from this world and are on this planet to "take all the trophies with them".
Ronaldo and Messi are regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all-time following their exploits for club and country.
Portugal and Juventus superstar Ronaldo – a five-time Ballon d'Or winner with 32 major trophies – matched Ali Daei's international men's record for most goals (109) following his two-goal haul in the 2-2 draw with France at Euro 2020.
Record six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has won a club-record 34 trophies at Barcelona, while he equalled Javier Mascherano for the most Argentina appearances in their 1-0 Copa America victory over Paraguay.
As Austria prepare for Saturday's Euro 2020 last-16 showdown against Italy, Arnautovic hailed Ronaldo and Messi.
"When you mention [Cristiano Ronaldo's] name, we aren't talking about a human being," Arnautovic said. "That’s it. What am I supposed to say about it?
"There are two players who are not from this world. They are from far away and just came here for a while to succeed in every league and take all the trophies with them. And then they are leaving again.
"Those are Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi."
This will be Austria's first ever appearance in the knockout stages of the European Championship, and their first in the knockout stage of any major tournament since the 1954 World Cup, when they reached the semi-final.
Austria have lost four of their six games in London in all competitions (W1 D1), with this their first visit to the English capital since a 7-0 friendly defeat in September 1973 (against England).
The nation's only previous game in London which was not against England came in the 1948 Olympic games, a 3-0 loss to Sweden.
David Alaba created nine chances in the group stages, at least four more than any other Austria player. Four of these came in Austria's 1-0 win against Ukraine last time out.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss his sixth consecutive game after being ruled out of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Leonard has endured an injury-hit NBA playoff campaign, having not played since suffering a sprained right knee in Game 4 of the Conference semi-finals against the Utah Jazz.
The Clippers will again be without Leonard when they host the second-seeded Phoenix Suns on Saturday, looking to level the matchup at 2-2.
In this season's playoffs, two-time NBA champion Leonard has been averaging 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the fourth-seeded Clippers.
The Clippers trail the Suns 2-1 in the series following Thursday's 106-92 win at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Paul George led the way with 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Clippers celebrated their first ever victory in the Western Conference Finals.
Entering the contest following back-to-back games on the road, George had scored at least 20 points in all 15 games this postseason.
The latest performance saw George eclipse LeBron James' run of 15 consecutive games (in 2016) with 20-plus points in the playoffs – Kevin Durant is the only other active player to achieve the feat in the postseason (20 straight in 2012 and 21 in a row in 2018).
Mo Farah will not be taking part in the men's 10,000 metre race at the Tokyo Olympics, after the four-time gold medalist failed to hit the qualifying time.
Farah, who won gold in the 10,000m and 5,000m races at both the 2012 and 2016 Games, needed to beat a time of 27 minutes 28 seconds to qualify.
Despite winning the 10,000m race on day one of the British Championships, Farah clocked a time of 27:47:04 – a stadium record at Manchester Regional Arena but not enough for Olympic qualification.
Farah had been struggling with an ankle injury that hindered his attempts in an Olympic trial in Birmingham earlier this month, though it had reportedly cleared up ahead of the Manchester event.
"I have had a wonderful career," he said when asked if it could mark the end of his track career.
"It is a tough one – if I can't compete with the best, I am not going there to just finish a final. It wasn't good enough tonight.
"It was quite windy. I tried to push and push. I knew I was on my own.
"It was amazing to have a crowd once more. That's all you can do as a human being: you give it your all.
"I've been lucky enough to have had the long career I've had. I'm very grateful but that's all I had today."
Farah has been concentrating on road racing for the past three years, though had hoped to return to the track for the Olympics.
Angelique Kerber won two games on Friday to progress to the final of the inaugural Bad Homburg Open, with unseeded Katerina Siniakova her opponent.
Kerber made home advantage count, following up a 2-6 6-3 6-3 quarter-final win over Amanda Anisimova – a match that was pushed back from Thursday when rain washed out play – with a triumph over top seed Petra Kvitova.
The former world number one came back from behind to win 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) and take a spot in her first WTA singles final since 2019.
Kerber and Kvitova have now met 15 times, with the German winning on nine occasions.
She will go up against an unexpected finalist in the form of Siniakova, who defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo.
The Czech is the world number two in doubles, winning three grand slam titles in that format, and will be looking to replicate the feat of her regular partner Barbora Krejcikova, who triumphed at the French Open this year.
At the Viking International in Eastbourne, Jelena Ostapenko made light work of Elena Rybakina, while Anett Kontaveit made it into the final due to Camila Giorgi's retirement.
Latvian wildcard Ostapenko finished her 6-4 6-1 victory with zero double faults – the first time she has managed such a performance since winning in Luxembourg two years ago.
"I'm really happy with the way I played this week, and every match I played better and better," Ostapenko told a news conference after clinching a spot in her ninth career final.
"It's been a while [since making a] final, so I'm really happy to be in a final and looking forward to tomorrow's match."
The 2017 French Open champion will face Estonia's Kontaveit, who has won their previous two meetings and was 5-4 up in the opening set against Giorgi when her opponent retired hurt.
"It's actually nice to have a Baltic final, because [we're] not such big countries, but we still have good players," Ostapenko added.
"Anett, I know since juniors. We have been playing a lot, maybe not so many matches but we practice sometimes together, in juniors, and played even doubles. So I know her quite well."
Roberto Mancini has urged his Italy players to "have fun" as they bid to set two national records in their Euro 2020 last-16 clash with Austria at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The Azzurri shone in the group stage, scoring seven goals – the most they have scored across their first three games of a major tournament since 1998 – in wins over Turkey, Switzerland and Wales.
Mancini's team have won 11 games in a row without conceding a goal, their clean sheet streak lasting 17 hours and 35 minutes since Donny van de Beek scored for the Netherlands in October 2020.
One more clean sheet will see them equal their record for consecutive games without conceding (12), set between 1972 and 1974, while also surpassing the previous total of minutes (1,143) without letting a goal in.
Their run of 30 games without a defeat, meanwhile, also matches a record set under Vittorio Pozzo between 1935 and 1939.
A quarter-final tie against Belgium or holders Portugal in Munich awaits should they overcome Austria, and Mancini wants his side to enjoy the occasion at one of the world's most iconic stadiums.
"I've enjoyed my time as Italy coach and I would like to continue doing it. I thank the players, as they allowed me to have fun with this experience too," Mancini told a media conference.
"Playing at Wembley should always be a pleasure. There are players in this squad who have never experienced it and they ought to relish this opportunity in a beautiful stadium.
"When you play football, it's because you want to do it in stadiums like this. I think this team needs to keep feeding the joy and at the same time respect a temple of football like this. I am sure the lads will play well tomorrow."
Austria have not beaten the Azzurri in their last 13 meetings, a run dating back to December 1960.
Mancini, though, has warned his players to expect a tough game against a side who are making an appearance in the knockout stages of a major competition for the first time since the 1954 World Cup.
"We need a great performance, as Austria have quality," he added. "They are aggressive and we cannot get anything wrong.
"That's the beauty of these tournaments, you have to win and there's no other option. We have to continue playing our football, hopefully for another four games at Euro 2020."
Austria captain David Alaba, meanwhile, said it is a "dream come true" for his country to take on Italy in the knockout stages.
Alaba – who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in May after leaving Bayern Munich – created nine chances in the group stage, at least four more than any other Austria player.
"It is a special game and we want to do well," he said.
"I've won at Wembley, so I have very good memories of this stadium. I expect a wonderful game and I remember the atmosphere from the Champions League final, but tomorrow will be special for Austria and we can't wait to get out there.
"I don't need to tell the lads how to treat certain situations. Some might ask me for advice, but we have others who have played at this level and I am not concerned.
"This is a dream come true for Austria to play a round of 16 match in a Euros against Italy."
Daniil Medvedev reached the first grass-court final of his career as he saw off Pablo Carreno Busta at the Mallorca Championships.
Medvedev, the top seed, had to come from a set down against his Spanish opponent, winning 3-6 6-3 6-2 to tee up a showdown against Sam Querrey.
The world number two has won 10 ATP Tour titles, but they have all come on hard courts.
"I know that I can play well on grass," said Medvedev, who followed up a quarter-final run at Roland Garros with a first-round defeat to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Halle Open.
"Unfortunately we don't have that many tournaments, only one ATP 500 and one grand slam. It's going to be a special feeling [if I] win my first title on grass.
"I still don't have one on clay, even if I have one final. Adding these titles, especially on different surfaces, can help your confidence and it’s just a great thing for your career."
World number 13 Carreno Busta had looked sharp in successive straight-set wins en route to the semi-finals, and started Friday's encounter in good form.
He had not dropped serve across the first four sets of his campaign in Mallorca and extended that streak by saving three break points in the opening set.
However, Medvedev – who has been drawn in the same half as Roger Federer at Wimbledon – rallied and served out the one-hour, 56-minute victory with an ace.
Querrey, meanwhile, will be going for his first ATP Tour title since 2017 after he cruised to a 6-4 6-3 win over unseeded Adrian Mannarino.
Another player who is hunting for his first Tour triumph on grass is Alex de Minaur, who defeated Soon Woo Kwon 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to progress to the Viking International final.
The world number 18 has won four hard-court titles and will go up against Lorenzo Sonego for the crown in Eastbourne.
Sonego beat De Minaur's compatriot Max Purcell 6-1 3-6 6-1. The Italian triumphed at the Sardegna Open in April.
England midfielder Declan Rice is "relishing" the opportunity to face Germany duo Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller in a mouth-watering Euro 2020 last-16 clash on Tuesday.
Gareth Southgate's side came top of their group, taking seven points from games against Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic without conceding a goal, ensuring they will begin the knockout rounds at Wembley Stadium.
There, they will face Germany for the third time at a European Championship and the first in a knockout match since the Three Lions lost on penalties in the semi-finals of Euro 96.
West Ham midfielder Rice has started all three of England’s games so far and is likely to be in from the start against two players who he has expressed admiration for in the past.
After Bayern Munich's 2020 Champions League final triumph over Paris Saint-Germain last year, Rice tweeted: "Muller has to be up there as one of the most underrated players of all time! Serious footballer."
He followed this up in April with a tweet about Kroos after Real Madrid's 3-1 Champions League victory over Liverpool, saying: "Watching Toni Kroos is very special." Los Blancos midfielder Kroos replied: "Thanks mate."
Kroos has been exemplary for the 2014 world champions so far in this tournament. No player has completed more passes at the finals than the 31-year-old (280), with 217 of those occurring in the opposition half – by far the best return at the tournament.
Speaking at a media conference on Friday, Rice described Kroos as "world class" and said he cannot wait to go toe-to-toe with him.
"I can't remember what my tweet actually was but I woke up to him saying 'thanks mate'," he told a media conference. "It was a good moment to be fair and the lads at West Ham were giving me a bit [of stick] for it.
"If you go back to the tweets, I have always said I am a fan.
"When there are big games on and you are watching, you appreciate top footballers. Obviously that night I felt the need to say [what I did] about Muller and Kroos.
"I am relishing to go out there and put myself up against the best. It is England v Germany, round of 16, at Wembley, it is going to be proper, so I need to go out there and give a solid performance myself and as a team.
"Kroos is world class, other midfielders like me want to test ourselves. But we need to impose ourselves on the game and be physical and stop him spraying it around the pitch."
Tuesday's game will be the third meeting between England and Germany at the European Championship. Germany won 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the 1996 semi-final, before England won 1-0 in the group stages at Euro 2000.
England will be hoping to improve on a poor record in the knockout games in this competition, having never won one in 90 minutes (D4 L2). Four games have gone to penalties, with England only progressing once via this method, against Spain at Wembley in 1996.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
