Philadelphia 76ers veteran Danny Green urged Ben Simmons to take more risks as he provided an honest assessment of the beleaguered star's woes following a disappointing end to the NBA season.
Simmons' future in Philadelphia is up in the air after struggling in the 76ers' shock Eastern Conference semi-final exit at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.
All-Star Simmons was subjected to boos as the top-seeded 76ers crashed out of the NBA playoffs, Philadelphia fans venting their frustration after the Australian attempted just four shots for five points in the series-deciding Game 7.
Simmons – who will skip the Olympic Games to focus on his shooting – also passed on a wide-open dunk during the closing stages against the Hawks, instead passing to Matisse Thybulle – who was fouled and made just one of the two free throws.
While 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said the franchise have a plan to address Simmons' shooting problems, talk of a trade has intensified.
Green – a three-time NBA champion – discussed team-mate Simmons via his podcast 'Inside the Green Room', saying: "Off the court with his family things back home, and he doesn't necessarily discuss it with us in private, but I knew he was going through a lot.
"He had some things going on during the season. It might have come all at once during this time but you can tell, Ben's the type of kid, if he's not encouraged, and he's not pushed or forced to do it, he's not the type to take that risk.
"Obviously, he's a high IQ guy. You can tell, he gets a lot of assists and pushing the pace and he gets paid to do what he does, because he’s so good at it, but he doesn't step outside that box because he knows well enough 'I'm good at this. I don't need to step out. It's not like I'm encouraged to do this, or I'm kind of afraid to do this kind to do this' type of thing."
The debate around Simmons – an elite defender and creator – centres on his offense or lack thereof, with the 76ers often handicapped by his unwillingness to shoot.
Simmons' field-goal percentage has regressed, dropping from 58.0 in 2019-20 to 55.7 this season – he only managed worse in his 2017-18 rookie campaign (54.5).
The 24-year-old only averaged 10.1 field-goal attempts in 2020-21 – a career low, which dropped to 7.9 in the playoffs. It is the same story with his scoring as it dropped to a career low 14.3 points per game and 11.9 in the postseason – both career lows.
From free-throw line, Simmons finished with a career-worst 34.2 per cent average in the playoffs, having made just 25 of 73 in the past postseason.
Green added: "I think they need encouragement and some type of push to do that to not be scared to fail at trying something new because he's one of those guys 'I know what I'm good at and I don't need to do anything else'.
"When the things that he's doing that he's good at isn't working as well even though he played defense as well as he could for us and gave us dynamic of assists in the ball, and finding guys and pushing the pace, we did need him to attack the rim and be more aggressive.
"But he felt like he was not getting his touch right and also the free-throw line, it kind of crept on him mentally to where he wasn't able to get the rhythm you wanted. … At the same time, he still fought, he showed up, he still played, he still worked hard, he still tried to give us his best chance for us to win with doing what he does with screening, rolling, rebounding, defending, and he did to the highest capability could. Just offensively he wasn't the Ben Simmons we needed him to be at the time."
Serena Williams was left "heartbroken" after being forced to retire hurt in her first-round match at Wimbledon as the American great's quest for a record-equalling grand slam title continues.
Williams – seeking a historic 24th slam crown – was in tears after succumbing to an ankle injury during the early stages of Tuesday's clash with Aliaksandra Sasnovich at SW19.
Stuck on 23 slams since 2017, Williams hurt her ankle in the fifth game and the 39-year-old eventually called a halt to proceedings with the match level at 3-3 on Centre Court.
"I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg," seven-time Wimbledon champion Williams wrote via Instagram following a possible SW19 farewell.
"My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful.
"Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on - and off - the court meant the world to me."
Williams had arrived in London amid high expectations in pursuit of matching Margaret Court's record of 24 slams.
Veteran Williams, who lost in the French Open fourth round, has won seven Wimbledon titles (level with Steffi Graf) – only Martina Navratilova has more in the Open Era (nine).
Williams has been a Wimbledon runner-up in 2018 and 2019. Chris Evert is the only player in the Open Era to have lost three consecutive Wimbledon finals (between 1978 and 1980).
She was looking to become only the second woman to win 100 Wimbledon singles matches (currently 98), alongside Navratilova (120), while Williams had been hoping to become the first woman to reach 100-plus wins in two different majors (106 wins at the US Open).
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young will miss Tuesday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals due to a right foot bone bruise.
Young hurt his foot in the third quarter of Sunday's 113-102 defeat as the Milwaukee Bucks claimed a 2-1 series lead in the NBA playoffs.
Hawks guard Young suffered the freak injury when he stepped on referee Sean Wright's foot in Game 3 at State Farm Arena.
Young hobbled off and was taken to the locker room to get his injury assessed, but was able to return to the court early in the fourth quarter.
The 22-year-old was able to post 35 points in a losing effort at home to the third-seeded Bucks, who were fuelled by Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Atlanta had been 15-0 this season (regular and playoffs) when Young scored 35-plus points before Sunday as he had a team-high 35 points on 12-of-23 shooting. It was his eighth 30-point game this postseason, second most in a single playoff in team history (Bob Pettit, nine in 1963).
Young began the series last week by scoring 48 points and 11 assists as the Hawks took Game 1 in Milwaukee.
He tied Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (2007) and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant (2001) for the most points scored in a playoff game in NBA history before turning 23 years old.
The 2020 All-Star (22 years and 277 days) also became the second youngest player in league history to record 45-plus points and 10-plus assists in a postseason game, with Luka Doncic (22 years and 98 days) the youngest to do so.
Young's 48 points were also the third most scored in a playoff game in Hawks history, behind only Bob Pettit (50 in 1958) and Dominique Wilkins (50 in 1986).
In Game 2, Young was held to 15 points but bounced back with 35 in the third game, going six for 14 from three-point range, taking his points per game for the week to 32.67, way up on his already impressive average of 25.3 from the regular season.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Hector Santiago has been banned for 10 games and fined by MLB for having a foreign substance on his glove during Sunday's clash with the Chicago White Sox.
Santiago is the first player to be suspended amid MLB's crackdown on foreign substances, though the 2015 All-Star is appealing the decision.
The 33-year-old became the first player to be ejected as part of MLB's growing stance after he was tossed in the fifth inning of the Mariners' 3-2 win over the White Sox.
"It was rosin and rosin is behind the pitcher's mound, so it's not foreign. It's not a foreign substance," Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters on Tuesday.
"So I am surprised, to some degree. But I understand what Major League Baseball is trying to do, they're trying to create a level playing field and understand why they decided to do this in the middle of the season."
Since June 21, MLB has enhanced its enforcement of the rules that prohibit applying foreign substances to baseballs, with pitchers subjected to random checks and could face ejections, fines and suspensions of 10 games.
Santiago had his glove inspected and confiscated in the opening game of the doubleheader, though the veteran insisted he only used rosin.
"[Umpire Phil Cuzzi] said he felt some sticky stuff on the inside of the glove," Santiago said after the game. "All I used was rosin. I used it on both sides, trying to keep that sweat from dripping down to the hands."
In his first season with the Mariners, Santiago has a 2.65 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 17 innings over nine relief appearances.
Carla Suarez Navarro described herself as the happiest player in the tournament despite her Wimbledon defeat to Ash Barty, who said it was a privilege to share the court with the retiring Spaniard.
Suarez Navarro was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in September last year, just months after announcing her intention to retire.
She delayed her retirement and, after being given the all-clear in April, began a farewell tour at the French Open that will end with the year's final grand slam, the US Open, which starts in August.
Having lost to Sloane Stephens at Roland Garros, Suarez Navarro took a set off world number one Barty on Centre Court, before eventually suffering a 6-1 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 defeat.
Barty and the Wimbledon crowd gave her a standing ovation as Suarez Navarro left the court, ensuring it was a day she will never forget.
"Wimbledon make me a really good gift," Suarez Navarro told a media conference.
"I cannot ask for anything else better than this day, one of my last match here, against Ash, world number one, Centre Court, with the roof, was amazing.
"Today I am the most happy player in the tournament. The crowd was amazing, was fantastic, I'm in love with this tournament, this court and this crowd."
Barty said of the former world number six: "She's a hell of a competitor, hell of a fighter, it was a privilege to be able to share that moment, share that court with her today.
"I hadn't had the opportunity to play Carla and it was really special to experience what she can bring from the other side of the court.
"All credit goes to her for her resilience and her nature as a competitor to be able to come back from the adversity that she has and to be able to have that moment with her was nothing shy of remarkable.
"I just said to her it was a pleasure to share the court with you, she's an exceptional person, a great fighter, a great competitor and very well respected in the locker room.
"She's going to be sorely missed, I just wanted to give her the appreciation that she thoroughly deserves, I didn't know what else to do, I wanted to give her a hug and just say congratulations on an exceptional, remarkable career."
Barty will face Anna Blinkova in the second round.
Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon in the first round after injury forced her to retire in the early stages of her match with Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The American, who was seeking a historic 24th grand slam title at the return of an event she has won seven times, was tearful as she had to withdraw from the match.
Williams had broken Sasnovich and led 3-1, appearing to be in full control of Tuesday's contest on Centre Court.
But she suffered an ankle injury in the fifth game after seeming to slip while playing a forehand.
With her movement clearly limited, Sasnovich broke back and Williams left the court for treatment as she took a medical timeout.
She re-emerged to huge applause and bravely tried to continue but was visibly in severe discomfort.
The 39-year-old soon had to call a halt to proceedings with the match level at 3-3, having let out a scream of pain as she tried in vain to reach the ball.
Roger Federer came from two sets to one down to survive a Wimbledon scare from Adrian Mannarino, who was forced to retire after suffering a knee injury.
Federer was expected to come through his first match at the All England Club since losing the 2019 final to Novak Djokovic with little difficulty.
That anticipation was increased when he claimed the first set, only for Mannarino to fuel hope of a first win over Federer in their seventh meeting by taking the next two sets.
The 20-time grand slam champion had re-established a measure of control in the fourth set when Mannarino was left in agony after his knee buckled at 4-2.
Mannarino attempted to continue but conceded the injury was too much to overcome in the opening game of the fifth with the score 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 3-6 6-2.
Federer lost just five points on serve in taking the opener, though he took only one of his six break points, with Mannarino proving a significantly tougher nut to crack in the second set.
The Frenchman did not face a break point and was surprisingly dominant in the tie-break, and he carried that confidence into the third, making six unforced errors to Federer's 10.
At that point, the biggest shock of the tournament looked to be on the cards, but Federer was back to his best in the fourth.
Imperious at the net, Federer hit 18 winners in the fourth and a decider already looked an inevitability by the time Mannarino's misfortune meant the Swiss could save energy before a second-round clash with either Richard Gasquet or Yuichi Sugita.
Mark Cavendish claimed an emotional victory to cap a fourth stage in the Tour de France that had begun with a rider protest.
Sprint legend Cavendish claimed his 31st stage win – albeit this was his first since 2016 – as he came through in a battle for the line to round out a 150.4-kilometre journey from Redon to Fougeres.
Clearly overwhelmed at his achievement, the British rider struggled for words during his post-race interview, admitting he feared there would be no further opportunities to add to his impressive career tally at Le Tour.
His place on the Deceuninck–Quick-Step squad only came about after an injury to Sam Bennett, the unexpected chance allowing the 36-year-old to end a drought spanning four years and 348 days thanks to a trademark strong finish.
"I don't know what to say. Just being here is special enough, I didn't think I'd ever get to come back to this race," Cavendish – who now sits three wins short of Eddy Merckx's all-time stage record – told the media.
"So many people didn't believe in me, but these guys do.
"I thought I was never coming back to this race, honestly. When you come to Deceuninck–Quick-Step, they've got the best riders in the world. The stars aligned somehow."
The drama at the end of proceedings came after the peloton had staged a protest as soon as Tuesday's proceedings started, a collective move made to raise concerns following a crash-filled Stage 3.
CPA Cycling - the association of active pro riders - issued a short statement on Twitter to explain the decision, with competitors hoping for a change to safety measures, including a change to the ruling over late accidents.
"At KM 0 of today's stage of the Tour de France, riders paused in solidarity as part of their calls for UCI to set up discussions to adapt the 3 km rule during stage races," CPA Cycling tweeted.
Primoz Roglic, who had suffered injuries after a heavy fall on Monday, was able to continue with the aid of plenty of strapping. Caleb Ewan was not so fortunate, however, as he was ruled out with a broken collarbone sustained after going down in the sprint, having tangled with Peter Sagan.
With the flat stage ideal for sprinters, Mathieu van der Poel was able to retain the yellow jersey. He remains eight seconds clear of Julian Alaphilippe.
STAGE RESULT
1. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep) 3:20:17
2. Nacer Bouhanni (Team Arkea-Samsic)
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix)
4. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange)
5. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 16:19:10
2. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:08
3. Richard Carparaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:31
Points Classification
1. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 89
2. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 82
3. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) 78
King of the Mountains
1. Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe) 5
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 4
3. Anthony Perez (Cofidis) 3
Paul George says he "can't worry" about critics after his masterful Game 5 display against the Phoenix Suns kept the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA playoffs.
George was the star of the show in a resounding 116-102 victory at Phoenix Suns Arena on Monday.
The seven-time NBA All-Star scored a career postseason-high 41 points, including 30 in the second half, to reduce the Suns' lead to 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals.
George became the first player in NBA history to score 40 points or more with at least 75 per cent field goals, 50 per cent three-pointers and a perfect record with free-throws.
The shooting guard feels he has been harshly singled out, but will pay little attention to those who continue to point the finger at him.
Asked if he feels he has been criticised more than other NBA stars, he said: "I do. And it's the honest truth. It's a fact.
"But I can't worry about that. It comes with the job, I guess. I still try to go and dominate and so I'm beyond that, you know what I mean. I am who I am. I wish I could shoot 80 per cent, 75 per cent, on a nightly basis, but it's not realistic."
He added: "What I can do is do everything else. They can judge me on what they want to. That part don't matter to me. I'm going to go out there and hoop and give it everything I got."
George has put up at least 20 points in all 18 games he has played during this postseason. The only other players in NBA history to score at 20 or more points in their first 18 games of a single NBA playoffs are Michael Jordan (1992, 1997, 1998), Kobe Bryant (2008) and Kevin Durant (2012, 2018).
George becomes the third player since the 1996-97 season to score 30-plus points on 80 per cent shooting or better in the second half of a postseason game, joining Anthony Davis (2020) and Dwyane Wade (2010).
Clippers coach Ty Lue has been baffled by criticism of George.
"PG has been great for us all year and I just don't understand why it's magnified so much when he doesn't play well,” said Lue.
The Tampa Bay Lightning were served with a warning by head coach Jon Cooper after launching their Stanley Cup Finals mission with a 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Cooper said his team still had a heap of work to do if they are to clinch back-to-back titles, and borrowed a string of baseball metaphors as he spoke of potential "curveballs" to come.
Two goals and an assist from Nikita Kucherov helped the Lightning to their comprehensive win in Game 1 at Amalie Arena.
Kucherov now has 30 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs for a second straight year, after seven goals and 23 assists. He has 64 points across this season and the previous campaign in the playoffs, a total only ever surpassed in successive playoff campaigns by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
The Russian became just the fifth player in NHL history to achieve multiple 30-point playoff campaigns, following Gretzky (six), Mark Messier (three), Jari Kurri (two) and Lemieux (two).
Cooper sounded a note of caution though, dialling down the euphoria and saying in his post-game news conference: "Consistency is the key.
"You have your plan, you stick with it and you consistently rock it, and if you do that we like our chances in games, but it doesn't guarantee results.
"For us we have found something that works with us. It doesn't mean you're going to win every night, but it's sticking with that process.
"You look no further than the last series we played in."
That was the semi-final against the New York Islanders that went all the way to the seventh game, the Lighting taking a 1-0 win in that decider.
"Teams in this league push you to the brink," Cooper said. "You have to hang in there and stick with it and this group has found a way to do that.
"You're not going to win a series in one night. There's curveballs and sliders and fastballs, and they're all thrown at you at different times, but if you're consistent with your game we trust that good things will happen.
"Tonight was just one, but the series is long from over. We're happy with tonight and now we're just going to improve on what we're doing and try and replicate it in Game 2."
That second game comes on Wednesday night, also in Tampa.
Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson, leading the team in the continuing absence of Dominique Ducharme who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, expects a tighter battle next time.
Richardson said: "The rink was buzzing, and that's something that we will get over and we'll be a little bit more used to next game.
"I think maybe just to strike early for us will be key next game, to try and weather that storm and quiet the building a little bit and let us get a rhythm going."
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani continued his red-hot form with his 26th homer of the season in a 5-3 win over the slumping New York Yankees.
Ohtani moved into a tie with Toronto Blue Jays sensation Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the most home runs this MLB season on Monday.
After going 0 for nine in his previous appearances at Yankee Stadium, Ohtani recorded his first career hit at the venue thanks to his powerful opening-inning homer.
Ohtani – who is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday – now has nine homers in his last 12 games.
"That definitely sent a message," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. "He's so easy to speak to during the game. He never gets upset. He never loses focus.
"He's able to turn the page to the next one. But yeah, that was just the right way to start his trip to New York, with him hitting a home run."
The loss condemned the Yankees to a fourth consecutive defeat following their series sweep at the hands of bitter rivals the Boston Red Sox.
Schwarber's historic night
The Washington Nationals topped the New York Mets 8-4 thanks to Kyle Schwarber, who homered twice. He became the first player in MLB history to hit 15 home runs in a 17-day span, according to Stats Perform.
Schwarber and Trea Turner went back-to-back to open the game for the Nationals. Mookie Betts and Max Muncy did the same thing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 3-2 win over rivals the San Francisco Giants. According to Stats Perform, it is the first time in major league history that two teams have started a game with back-to-back home runs on the same day.
Manning mauled in Cleveland
Matt Manning was rocked for nine runs in the Detroit Tigers' 13-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers pitcher allowed nine hits and two home runs across 3.2 innings, while striking out just two batters.
As the Milwaukee Brewers celebrated a sixth successive win, the Chicago Cubs were left to pick up the pieces following a 14-4 demolition. The Cubs allowed 10 runs in the eighth inning. Trevor Megill was tagged for a three-run homer in the outburst. He gave up four hits, six runs, two homers and two walks in less than an inning.
Castellanos slam
The Cincinnati Reds crushed the Philadelphia Phillies 12-4. Nick Castellanos hit a grand slam in the seventh inning. He finished with three hits and a career-high seven RBIs. Tyler Naquin, Jesse Winker and Castellanos have all had six-plus RBI in a game for the Reds this season. Cincinnati are the first MLB team ever to have three different outfielders with a six-RBI game before the All-Star break, according to Stats Perform.
Monday's results
Colorado Rockies 2-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Cincinnati Reds 12-4 Philadelphia Phillies
Los Angeles Angels 5-3 New York Yankees
Washington Nationals 8-4 New York Mets
Cleveland Indians 13-5 Detroit Tigers
Boston Red Sox 6-5 Kansas City Royals
Baltimore Orioles 9-7 Houston Astros
Milwaukee Brewers 14-4 Chicago Cubs
St Louis Cardinals 7-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 San Francisco Giants
Minnesota Twins-Chicago White Sox (postponed)
Twins at White Sox
After Monday's game was postponed, the White Sox (45-32) will host the Twins (33-43) in Tuesday's all-American League (AL) Central clash. Lucas Giolito starts for the White Sox as the Twins counter with Kenta Maeda.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue does not understand the criticism of Paul George after the star helped the team avoid elimination from the NBA playoffs with a 116-102 win over the Phoenix Suns.
George scored a career postseason-high 41 points, including 30 in the second half, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals as the Clippers stayed alive in the postseason series on Monday.
The 31-year-old stepped up when the Clippers were challenged in the third quarter, with second-seeded Phoenix hitting the lead briefly, as George hit back with 20 third-quarter points.
George became the first player in Clippers history to record 40-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and five-plus assists in a postseason game, while also becoming the first player in NBA history to have 40-plus points on at least 75 per cent field-goal shooting, 50 per cent three-point shooting and 100 free-throw shooting in a playoff contest.
HE is also the third player since the 1996-97 since to score 30-plus points on 80 per cent shooting or better in the second half of a postseason game, joining Anthony Davis (2020) and Dwyane Wade (2010).
George has been criticised in the past and has missed some key free-throws against the Suns, but he has been the Clippers' top scorer in all five games this series in the absence of Kawhi Leonard (knee), while he led all three categories – points, rebounds and assists, for the second successive game for the fourth seeds.
"I just don't understand why it's magnified so much when he has a bad game, when he doesn't play well," Lue said during his post-game news conference.
"A lot of people play bad. Like I said, I'm just happy he came back, played a great game, we needed every bit of it."
George has put up at least 20 points in all 18 games he has played this season. The only other players in NBA history to have at least 20 points in their first 18 games of a single playoff campaign are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.
Lue added: "That's what great players do. You always bounce back, if you have a rough game.
"Our team needed it… We fed off Marcus' [Morris Snr] momentum in the first half. Every time they made a run, we responded."
The Clippers have already come from behind to win two series this postseason, triumphing 4-3 over the Dallas Mavericks after trailing 2-0, while they won four straight games against the top-seeded Utah Jazz, having been down 2-0.
Lue and the Clippers would need to win three straight games to overcome the Suns, having trailed 3-1 but they can level the series in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
A championship-winning coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lue moved to a 10-2 coaching record when his side is facing elimination, but preferred to focus on his players who he labelled "resilient".
"It's been all season long," Lue said. "Guys have been out, different guys are stepping up and playing well.
"I keep saying the same word resilient but this group is. We got a gritty win without three starters, we gotta do it again two more times."
He added: "It is fun. I was just talking to our team about not winning three games but winning each quarter. The journey is too long if you think about three games, six days. I thought our guys came out with that mindset, we won three of four quarters."
Paul George posted a playoff career-high 41 points as the Los Angeles Clippers avoided elimination with a 116-102 win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
George flexed his muscles away from home on Monday and in the absence of star team-mate Kawhi Leonard, scoring 30 second-half points to keep the series alive against the second-seeded Suns.
The win means the Clippers, who have come from behind to triumph in their past two playoffs series, trail the Suns 3-2 in the matchup ahead of Game 6 back in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
George and the Clippers had led at half-time for the first time in the series, up 59-52, but the Suns earned a 62-61 lead before the visitors launched a 10-0 run and never looked back.
Clippers star George entered the must-win game as the fourth player in NBA history to score 20-plus points in each of his first 17 games of a single postseason, joining Michael Jordan (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998), Kobe Bryant (2008) and Kevin Durant (2012 and 2018).
George also had 13 rebounds and six assists, dominating for the fourth-seeded Clippers, who were without injured pair Leonard and Ivica Zubac.
The Clippers continued their resilient playoff campaign, having trailed 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round before winning 4-3, while they won four games in a row against the top-seeded Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semi-finals, having fallen 2-0 behind.
The Suns refused to surrender, with Devin Booker scoring 31 points and Chris Paul contributing 22 of his own, but the Clippers always had an answer to silence the home crowd.
George, who shot 15-from-20 from the field for the game, had good support from Reggie Jackson (23 points, including four three-pointers), while Marcus Morris Sr. finished with 22 points after scoring 20 in the first half.
The Clippers dominated with 34-8 first-half points in the paint and 58-32 for the game.
Suns center Deandre Ayton could not capitalise on Zubac's absence, only managing 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Paul missed all six three-point attempts for Phoenix, while he had eight assists.
Bucks at Hawks
The Milwaukee Bucks can claim a 3-1 lead over the Atlanta Hawks when they visit State Farm Arena for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is questionable for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals as he deals with bone bruising in his right foot.
Young hurt his ankle in the third quarter of Sunday's 113-102 defeat as the Milwaukee Bucks claimed a 2-1 series lead in the NBA playoffs.
Hawks guard Young suffered the freak injury when he stepped on referee Sean Wright's foot in Game 3 at State Farm Arena.
Young hobbled off and was taken to the locker room to get his injury assessed, but was able to return to the court early in the fourth quarter.
The 22-year-old was able to post 35 points in a losing effort at home to the third-seeded Bucks, who were fuelled by Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He began the series last week by scoring 48 points and 11 assists as the Hawks took Game 1 in Milwaukee.
Young tied Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (2007) and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant (2001) for the most points scored in a playoff game in NBA history before turning 23 years old.
The 2020 All-Star (22 years and 277 days) also became the second youngest player in league history to record 45-plus points and 10-plus assists in a postseason game, with Luka Doncic (22 years and 98 days) the youngest to do so.
Young's 48 points were also the third most scored in a playoff game in Hawks history, behind only Bob Pettit (50 in 1958) and Dominique Wilkins (50 in 1986).
In Game 2, Young was held to 15 points but bounced back with 35 in the third game, going six for 14 from three-point range, taking his points per game for the week to 32.67, way up on his already impressive average of 25.3 from the regular season.
Andy Murray made clear he is far from finished after overcoming a fourth-set wobble to upset 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round at Wimbledon.
The two-time champion at SW19 has seen his career beset by injury issues in recent years, with this his first appearance in the main draw since reaching the quarter-finals in 2017.
However, he won two matches at Queen’s Club ahead of the third grand slam of the season and treated the Centre Court crowd to a trip down memory lane on Monday, including a dramatic twist when seemingly on the brink of victory.
Having taken the first two sets, Murray somehow contrived to lose the third despite at one stage holding a 5-0 lead. The sudden collapse sent nerves jangling among the spectators as the roof was closed at the venue, but he responded impressively to the setback to triumph 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3.
Speaking during his on-court interview after the triumph, the Scotsman once again reiterated he has no plans to make this year his Wimbledon swansong.
"It's been extremely tough. Even these last few months. It has been extremely frustrating not being able to get on the court," Murray said.
"I've had such little momentum over these last few years. I've kept trying, doing all the right things to be back in this position. I feel very lucky I get to do it again.
"I keep getting asked is this going to be my last Wimbledon. I don't know why I keep getting asked, though. No, I'm going to keep on playing.
"I want to play, I'm enjoying it. I can still play at the highest level. He is ranked 28th in the world and I beat him, so I will keep going."
Basilashvili saved two match points as he somehow survived in the third set by winning seven games in a row, though Murray responded to the setback impressively.
"I did well to win the fourth set in the end because that was mentally not easy going to the locker room after losing that third," Murray added.
Next up will be either Oscar Otte or Arthur Rinderknech, their contest having been locked at 9-9 in the deciding set when play on the opening day was suspended on the outside courts.
Jason Kidd is excited at the prospect of working with Luka Doncic and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks roster after he was confirmed as the franchise's new head coach.
Kidd is no stranger to Dallas, having had two spells with the team during his illustrious playing career. The Mavs drafted him in 1994 and following his departure to the Phoenix Suns two years later, he returned as part of an eight-player trade in 2008.
The 10-time All-Star won the NBA title in 2011 while working under Rick Carlisle, the head coach he has now replaced at the Mavs.
"Dallas has meant so much to me as a player and I want to thank Mark Cuban for the opportunity to return as a head coach," Kidd said.
"I am excited to get to work with this young, hungry and incredibly talented team and to continue to build a winning legacy for the Mavericks organisation."
Kidd, previously head coach at both the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, leaves his role as an assistant at the Los Angeles Lakers – where he won a championship last season - to take charge in Dallas.
He boasts a 49.1 per cent win rate when serving as head coach in the NBA and was tipped for the Mavericks job by Carlisle, who left the team after 13 years at the helm.
Kidd sits second in the all-time list for assists (12,091) and steals (2,684), behind only John Stockton in both categories.
"We are excited to welcome J-Kidd and his family back to Dallas," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.
"He possesses a winning mentality that carried him through a hall of fame career as a player and has helped him successfully transition to the NBA's coaching ranks.
"We are eager for him to get to work and lead our franchise and talented young players into the future."
The Mavs - who lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs for a second successive year - have also announced the appointment of Nico Harrison as general manager and head of basketball operations.
We could soon know who will be fighting it out for the NBA title, with both Conference Finals in danger of being decided emphatically.
The Phoenix Suns have surged into a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers, while title favourites the Milwaukee Bucks have recovered from a Game 1 loss to the Atlanta Hawks to lead 2-1.
The coming week will decide who will face off for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and, in this edition of Heat Check, Stats Perform looks at which players are on form heading into the decisive matchups, as well as those who need to step up.
RUNNING HOT
Reggie Jackson - Los Angeles Clippers
With Kawhi Leonard showing no sign of making a return from a knee injury that has kept him out for the past six games, the Clippers need players to improve if they are to save their season.
Los Angeles face an elimination game on Monday in the Western Conference Finals, but they can take heart from what Jackson has done in Leonard's absence.
Jackson has scored at least 20 points in five of the last six games, including a 27-point performance in the Game 7 win over the Utah Jazz.
He averaged 20.67 points per game last week, exactly 10 points more than he did in the regular season. The Clippers must have another big effort from him in Game 5.
Deandre Ayton - Phoenix Suns
Ayton enjoyed one of the defining moments of these playoffs with his game-winning alley-oop in Game 2 of the Conference Finals. He is blossoming into the star center the Suns thought they were getting when Phoenix selected him first overall in 2018.
His dramatic final basket in the second game capped a superb performance in which he produced 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Not content with just one double-double, Ayton produced another in Game 4, putting up 19 points and tallying 22 rebounds.
Over the course of the three matchups last week, Ayton recorded 20.33 points and 15 rebounds per game, both significant increases on his averages of 14.15 points and 10.54 rebounds in the regular season. No wonder Ayton has received such effusive praise from team-mate Chris Paul.
Trae Young - Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks' hopes of upsetting the odds once more against the Bucks hang in the balance with star point guard Trae Young having been diagnosed with a bone bruise, making him questionable for Game 4.
If he is ruled out, it will be a great shame as Young has played phenomenally in the playoffs, including making a superb start to the Eastern Conference Finals.
He began the series last week by scoring an astonishing 48 points as the Hawks took Game 1 in Milwaukee.
Young was held to 15 in Game 2 but bounced back with 35 in the third game, going six for 14 from three-point range, taking his points per game for the week to 32.67, way up on his already impressive average of 25.3 from the regular season.
GOING COLD...
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Atlanta Hawks
Young's presence is even more important given one of Atlanta's secondary scoring threats is having to fight through a knee injury.
Bogdanovic has continued to battle knee soreness and the impact on his play has been obvious.
He averaged over 16 points a game in the regular season, but has put up only 6.67 so far in this series.
The Hawks may need him to produce more amid the pain to improve their odds of stunning the Bucks.
Clint Capela - Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks also haven't quite got the desired production they desire from center Capela.
That may be a slightly unfair statement given that Capela has tallied double-digit rebounds in two of the three games in the series, including a double-double in the Hawks' opening win.
Yet in terms of putting up points, his output has disappointed in comparison with his regular-season numbers. Tallies of 12, two and eight give him a per-game average of 7.33 that is in stark contrast to the 15.17 he delivered in helping the Hawks clinch the fifth seed in the East.
In a series with a Bucks team whose leading lights are firing on all cylinders, that isn't going to cut it.
Paul George - Los Angeles Clippers
With the Clippers competing in a place in their first Finals without Leonard, it is a bad time for George to go cold from deep.
Having made 3.17 threes per game in the regular season, George was off the mark from beyond the arc in three games against the Suns last week.
He made an average of 1.67 threes per game, hitting on one triple in two contests, including the Game 4 loss that has put the Clippers on the brink of elimination.
George simply must rediscover his aim to keep their season alive.
Justin Burrowes and William Knibbs both began the final day of the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) National Senior Trials at Caymanas Golf Club on Sunday on even par 216 but it was Burrowes, who took home the trophy at the end.
The leaderboard showed four birdies and a bogey on the front-nine for three under par 33. On the back-nine, he shot a birdie, two bogeys and one double bogey for a three-over-par 39, for an even-par 72.
His combined score of even-par 288 was three strokes ahead of runner-up Knibbs.
“Today (Sunday) was pretty good. I shot even par. I was three-under on the front-nine and three over on the back-nine. I would say that I felt like I had my best game today. I felt like I struck it the best,” he said.
“I felt like I was swinging the best today out of all the four days. I didn't quite score like I wanted to. I didn't quite finish like I wanted to but a win is a win and I am very grateful for it and I am thankful to my entire team around me for all the support. It's just always an amazing feeling when you can execute and come out on top and I am just very grateful for that."
Knibbs was on target up to hole number 15 but had a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 18 for a three-over par 75 for a total score of 291.
"My ball-striking wasn't where I wanted it to be over the course of this weekend so the last two rounds (I) missed a lot of greens with irons and short clubs which is usually the strength of my game but I just made a bad swing on 16, lost a ball, made double - just one of those things but I take a lot of positives from the past week because my ultimate goal was to break par for the four rounds and I came really close to it so I know that if I tighten up on a few things, then I should be good for the Caribbean Championships," he said.
Dr Mark Newnham with a score of 301 (78, 74, 75, 74) was third, while junior golfer, 16-year-old Rocco Lopez, who improved his position after every round, ended in fourth after the final round of 76 for an overall score of 304.
Shamar Wilson was one stroke back on 305 (77,80, 74, 74) in fifth.
Junior golfer, Emily Mayne copped the Ladies category, which she led from round one.
She posted her best round of five over par 77 in the final round for a total score of 316 (80, 79, 80, 77) to win by 32 strokes ahead of Mattea Issa who ended on 358. Many-time national champion Jodi Munn-Barrow, who was in second place, did not compete on the final day.
“Today (Sunday) was a good day. I had a very good start which was different from the first two days which I had a bad start. I kept it consistent,” she said.
“Obviously, I had two bad holes, which is what resulted in me shooting five over. However, the pin positions on a lot of the greens were very difficult and you had to know your way on the greens which I did not succeed in on the holes which I finished badly on, however, I am proud of myself for my finish today."
The golfers were competing for places on team Jamaican for the Hoerman Cup for men and the George Teale Trophy for women in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship which is tentatively set for Puerto Rico August 8-13.
The top three golfers in the various categories in the two-day (Saturday/Sunday) Caymanas Golf Classic which ran concurrently with the national trails were:
Men & Men Senior 0-6: Justin Burrowes - 140, William Knibbs - 145 and Dr Mark Newnham - 149.
Men & Men Senior 7-12: Dave Cameron - 171, Gregory Mayne - 172 and Ryan Lue - 173.
Men & Men Senior 13-24: Philip Gooden - 165, Delroy Anderson - 191 and Richard Wayner - 200.
Men Super Senior 0-12: Robert Chin - 156, Mike Boyd - 157 and Wayne Chai Chong - 160.
Men Super Senior 13.24: George Wright 182, Fred Sutherland - 191 and Howard McKenzie - 201
Ladies 0-12: Emily Mayne -157, Michele McCreath 173 and Winni Lau 174.
Junior Boys 11-13: Aarron Ghosh - 165, Ramsay Wayner 177 and Kemari Morris 193.
Junior Girls 11-13: Khatri Anoushka 188.
Geraint Thomas, Primoz Roglic and Peter Sagan were among the big names to crash during an incident-packed Stage 3 of the Tour de France, one that saw Tim Merlier take victory.
Aided by the work of his Alpecin–Fenix colleagues, Merlier was able to come out on top in a sprint finish, crossing the line ahead of team-mate Jasper Philipsen at the end of the 182.9-kilometre journey from Lorient to Pontivy.
"I'm living the dream, I think," the Belgian said in his post-stage interview.
"After the Giro d'Italia I wasn't really very happy, but now I've won a stage on the Tour - the biggest race in the world - I can't believe it."
Having won on Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel was seventh this time around as he retained the yellow jersey, making it a double celebration for the Alpecin-Fenix squad.
However, there was little to cheer about for 2018 winner Thomas, who suffered a shoulder injury following a heavy fall in the early going that saw Robert Gesink forced to retire from the race.
That was far from the end of the drama, though. Roglic came a cropper with just under 10km remaining, leading to him losing over a minute in the standings.
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar's progress was then delayed by a mass pile-up not long after the breakaway group was caught, while Sagan's spillage came when he tangled with Caleb Ewan in the closing metres.
Pogacar sits in sixth place in the general classification, now 38 seconds behind Van der Poel. Julian Alaphilippe remains in second, while Richard Carapaz is up to third, sitting on the same time as Wout van Aert.
STAGE RESULT
1. Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) 4:01:28
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix)
3. Nacer Bouhanni (Team Arkea-Samsic)
4. Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck-QuickStep)
5. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious)
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 12:58:53
2. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:08
3. Richard Carparaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +00:31
Points Classification
1. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 80
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 62
3. Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) 50
King of the Mountains
1. Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe) 5
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 4
3. Anthony Perez (Cofidis) 3
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