New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant was full of praise for Filip Chytil's performance after his side's 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in their series opener on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old scored twice and was one of six Rangers players with two points on the way to defeating the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Chytil made it 3-2 at a critical juncture, at 10:09 of the second period, scoring from the left circle off a pass from Kaapo Kakko, who was behind the net.
The Czech center broke the game open and scored his second from the right circle to make it 4-2, handing the Rangers their first series lead in these playoffs, and their head coach was evidently impressed.
"He's growing up to be a man," Gallant said post-game. "Every time he goes out there, he's more confident. He's stronger. He's growing up."
"A lot of sharpness. Our team just kept going. We got a day off and kept playing. Obviously, they [the Lightning] looked rusty."
Chytil has scored eight goals in his previous two regular seasons for the Rangers, but has now contributed seven goals for the team in 15 games over the 2022 playoffs, trailing only Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
Zibanejad, however, only trails the free-scoring Edmonton Oilers duo of Connor McDavid (29) and Leon Draisatl (28) for points over the playoffs with 21.
The Eastern Conference final stays in New York for Game 2, with the two teams facing off at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
An offensive explosion in the sixth inning saw a combined nine runs as the Philadelphia Phillies held on for a hard-fought 6-5 home win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
Both teams had their ace pitchers on the mound, and they were both excellent through the first five innings as Philadelphia's Aaron Nola and San Francisco's Carlos Rodon combined for one earned run.
The Phillies led 2-0 heading into the sixth frame – with one of the runs going down as unearned for the pitcher due to a fielding error – before the Giants finally found their groove.
The Giants' first five batters in the sixth inning went: double, RBI rouble, single, hit-by-pitch, before being capped off with a big three-run home run to Wilmer Flores.
With their big inning, the Giants jumped ahead 5-2, and after seeing Nola fall apart, the visitors opted to pull Rodon from the game. It was a decision that will be questioned after the Phillies rallied back with four runs of their own in the same frame.
They came with a pair of two-run homers – the first a 348-foot shot from Nick Maton, before Kyle Schwarber sent his 392 feet over the wall to put his side back in front 6-5.
From that point on the bullpens took over, with no hits and no walks allowed by either team in the final three frames, allowing Corey Knebel to come in and collect the save for the Phillies.
Verlander teases a no-hitter
Houston Astros star pitcher Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before his side then had to fight from behind to beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4.
Verlander was spectacular, allowing just one walk through the first six innings, but only led 1-0 as Cole Irvin was also at the top of his game on the mound for the Athletics.
In the seventh inning, an Elvis Andrus RBI double and a two-run Christian Bethancourt home run turned the game on its head, grabbing a 3-1 lead for the Athletics in the process, holding it until the ninth inning.
It was a poor showing from Oakland reliever Dany Jimenez, allowing the bases to load before walking in a run to make it 3-2, setting the plate for Yordan Alvarez to be the hero with a three-run, bases clearing, game-winning double.
Rockies win a shoot-out
The Colorado Rockies beat the Miami Marlins 13-12 in an extra-innings crowd-pleaser, ending in a walk-off home run.
Six Rockies finished with at least two hits, but Brendan Rodgers was the undisputed star of the show, hitting solo home runs in the second and fifth innings, before crushing his third long-ball of the day for the walk-off winner in the 10th frame.
Ryan McMahon was also terrific with the bat for the home side, with a three-run triple in the third inning and an RBI double in the fifth, as he and Rodgers combined to drive in eight of Colorado's 13 runs.
Casper Ruud beamed following his French Open quarter-final win over Holger Rune, proclaiming Tuesday a "big day" for Norwegian tennis.
Following compatriot Ulrikke Eikeri's progression to the mixed-doubles final with Belgian Joran Vliegen, Ruud defeated Rune 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The 23-year-old had already secured his best finish at a grand slam before the win, having never previously progressed past the fourth round.
Despite becoming the first Norwegian man to make a major semi-final, Ruud was inclined to share the spotlight with Elkeri and her own success.
"A big day for Norwegian tennis, because we have also a female player Ulrikke Eikeri who made the finals of mixed doubles today," Ruud said post-match. "She’s even one step further than me!
"She will play for probably the biggest title of her life tomorrow, so I wish her luck."
He held off a spirited challenge from Rune after taking the first set in comfortable fashion, with the 19-year-old Dane securing a double break to win the second set.
Ruud showed his experience in what proved to be a critical third set, starting to anticipate Rune's variation in shot selection, stepping onto drop shots and upping the tempo from the baseline.
After claiming the third-set tie-break with relative comfort, the eighth seed closed out with an assured fourth, setting up a semi-final with the resurgent Marin Cilic.
"When you play best of five sets you will face some difficulties, some challenging moments and some good ones hopefully," Ruud said. "The third set was key for me to win. It was a long one and a very close one. It was a nice feeling to sit down and having a two sets to one lead.
"These are the matches you dream about playing and hopefully of course even the final, if it's possible. I have to be really focused and bring my A-game in the semi-final, because Marin has played great all week and it's going to be another tough match.
"That's going to be a very tough match. [Cilic] seems like he's playing some of the best tennis of his life at the moment, here in Roland Garros."
Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green took some time during Wednesday's NBA Finals Media Day to reflect on the evolution of their once-mocked franchise since their arrival.
Curry was drafted in 2009, Klay Thompson followed in 2011, before Green was selected in 2012, setting the foundation for one of the league's greatest dynasties.
After announcing themselves on the world stage through gutsy performances against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 playoffs and a seven-game series against the 'Lob City' Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, the Warriors began a five-year streak of making the NBA Finals, winning titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
When asked about his thoughts on the Warriors before he was drafted, Curry admitted he truly believed he was going to be selected by the New York Knicks, and discussed the turmoil that followed his selection.
"What did I think about the organisation? I didn't think much about it," he said.
"I grew up on the east coast, so I mean I watched games, but all I really knew was the 'We Believe' team, and the Baron Davis dunk, and beating Dallas [in 2007].
"When I got drafted I thought I was going to New York, and I didn't really have Golden State on the radar at all.
"Then there was a lot of drama with my rookie year, with a potential Phoenix trade on draft night, [if] me and Monte [Ellis] could play together as a small back-court – 'can we play together?' – and obviously what his answer was at the time."
In a 2009 interview, Ellis replied "we just can't" when asked if he can see himself and Curry playing together, going on to say they "are not going to win that way".
Curry continued: "So there's a lot going on in that sense, but to see the evolution from that year to now, and the fact that six out of the last eight years we've been in the Finals. It's crazy to think about, for sure.
"It speaks to all the different people who have played a part in that – myself, Draymond, Klay, Andre, all the vets who have played significant roles for us, our front office… it's been an amazing run, and we obviously feel like we have a lot left in the tank, that's why we're here."
Green arrived three years after Curry, but he had similar stories, going as far as calling the Warriors "the laughing stock of the NBA".
"I knew [Golden State] won 23 games the year before, and they were the laughing stock of the NBA – but I also knew they had two guys who could really shoot the lights out of the ball," he said.
"Everybody was like man, we were the last-ranked defense in the league, we won 23 games last season, we've been to the playoffs one time in 10 or 11 years – that was kind of the aura that was around.
"We just came in hungry, we wanted to change that, and we did. But it wasn't always this.
"I remember walking downtown Oakland giving away tickets to the game as a rookie – for one of our team activation or community things we had to do – certain guys had to go to the park and give tickets away.
"I remember that, it wasn't that long ago. It was a much less-respected franchise, but we were able to change that, and that's what it's all about."
It wasn't all looking backwards for Green, though, as he also shared his respect for the Boston Celtics and Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
"You respect and admire that everyone is defending – there is not a guy who comes on the floor that isn't giving 110 per cent on that side of the ball," he said.
"You have to give a lot of respect to [coach] Ime [Udoka] – that's not a much different squad than we've seen… since Kyrie left. It's not a much different team, yet more has been required of them, and they've answered that bell.
"You have to give a lot of credit to them, and you have to give a lot of credit to Marcus Smart, who is their leader on that side of the ball.
"In order to have everyone come in and play [hard], there has to be some leadership there that's holding it all together, and is holding somebody responsible, and to me I think that's Marcus Smart… I appreciate that more than anything."
Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian man to make a grand slam semi-final after seeing off teenager Holger Rune in four sets at the French Open.
Wednesday's encounter was already a history maker, with Ruud having become the first male player from Norway to have reached a major quarter-final, while Rune was the first from Denmark to make the last eight at Roland Garros.
Yet while Rune at times showed the volatility of youth – albeit with flashes of the quality that makes the world number 40 one of the brightest prospects on the ATP Tour – Ruud's composure got him through in the end as the 23-year-old prevailed 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Ruud breezed through the first set, striking four aces and 14 winners on his way to claiming the opener 6-1 with a little over 30 minutes on court.
Yet any chances of Rune rolling over were dispelled when the youngster broke Ruud straight back after conceding serve to go 3-2 down in the second set.
Having fended off a break point, the crucial double break came Rune's way to seal the 55-minute second set 6-4.
Rune endured a nervy hold of serve to start the third set, and once again the Dane – vocal in his frustration throughout – showed great resilience to hit back and break immediately after Ruud had nosed ahead at 4-3.
A second break point of the set went missing for Ruud, but the Norwegian was clinical in the tie-break, getting on top of Rune with some aggressive shots to regain the momentum.
With the match edging over three hours, Ruud upped the tempo, easily holding on each of his serves but making Rune work hard on his own.
Three unforced Rune errors handed Ruud three breakpoints, with the chance to serve for the match begging, yet the 19-year-old's resolve came to the fore again as he clawed his way to deuce with a wonderful cross-court forehand.
But this time, Rune could not swing the pendulum in his favour as Ruud broke at the fourth attempt, with a supreme forehand winner down the line sealing his victory.
Data slam: Maiden grand slam semi for Ruud
The world number eight is enjoying a fine season. He already has two titles under his belt, including a triumph in Geneva prior to the French Open, which followed on from reaching the semi-finals in the Internazionali d'Italia.
But for the first time in his career, he is into the final four of a major, with Marin Cilic (the fourth Croatian male player to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals in the Open Era) standing in his way of a place in the final.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Ruud – 55/24
Rune – 54/46
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Ruud – 13/1
Rune – 1/4
BREAK POINTS WON
Ruud – 5/17
Rune – 3/6
The NBA got a two-season break from the Golden State Warriors.
Now, the Warriors are back in extremely familiar territory – the NBA Finals, where they will face the Boston Celtics in a mouth-watering series.
Golden State saw off the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals, reaching the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons.
And, thanks to what Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob described as a "two-tiered strategy", the Warriors may well be competing to remain on this stage in both the short and the long term.
The Warriors' success in returning to the Finals this season is down primarily to the three players that powered the start of their dynasty: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Curry has seven games of 30 points or more this postseason and is averaging 3.8 made threes per game, the most among players to have featured in at least 10 games in these playoffs.
Tied second on that list is Thompson (3.6), whose return after two years on the sideline has been a critical feel-good story for the Warriors. Despite his lengthy absence, Thompson has retained his ability to come through with clutch shooting, converting eight three-pointers in closeout games against both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Mavericks.
Meanwhile, Green, the undisputed heartbeat of the Warriors, has illustrated his all-round value in superb fashion. He is averaging 13.7 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists per 48 minutes in the playoffs, with his influence on both ends of the floor encapsulated by an average plus-minus of plus-6.1 that is seventh for players with a minimum of 10 postseason games under their belt.
Andrew Wiggins (+6.9) sits two spots above Green, the 2014 first overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers taking a belated chance to blossom on the big stages in emphatic fashion. Wiggins has produced a series of strong showings and delivered one of the defining moments of the postseason with his monster dunk over Luka Doncic in the Conference Finals.
"I think the Wiggins trade is the key to all of this," head coach Steve Kerr said recently, referencing the trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves that took 2022 All-Star Wiggins to Golden State.
"I don't know where we'd be without him. He's just been brilliant."
A substantial part of the Warriors' ability to brush aside the Mavericks was Kevon Looney's dominance on the boards. Looney had double-digit rebounds in three of the five games, including 18 in the decisive Game 5 meeting, having also racked up 22 in Game 6 against Memphis as the Warriors closed out the Grizzlies.
While the Warriors are back in the Finals in large part through the play of four members of the core who helped them establish a stranglehold over the league and the success of the Wiggins reclamation project, perhaps the most exciting aspect of Golden State's surge to this point has been the glimpse of the future.
That glimpse has come primarily from Jordan Poole, the Warriors' first-round pick in 2019, who after starting for much of the regular season has served as a hugely important sixth man in the playoffs, offering Golden State another shooter alongside Curry and Thompson whose remarkable athleticism also makes him a substantial threat attacking the rim.
Poole is third in effective field goal percentage and second in true shooting percentage for the playoffs (min. 10 games), his composure belying the 22-year-old's inexperience in the pressure cooker of the playoffs in a postseason campaign in which he has demonstrated why he is a strong candidate to be the centrepiece of the next Warriors era that does not feature their big three.
Also expected to be a part of that future are Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, selected seventh and 14th overall in last year's draft, the build-up to which was dominated by calls for the Warriors to package those picks to land another star after an underwhelming 2020-21 campaign ended with defeat in the play-In tournament.
Both Kuminga and Moody have played sparingly in the postseason, each averaging just over 10 minutes per game, but neither 19-year-old has appeared overawed when thrown into the fire.
The return to prominence with Curry, Thompson and Green, combined with the signs of progress from their proteges led Lacob to express a feeling of vindication in the Warriors' strategy.
Asked about rejecting the external pressure to trade their 2021 picks, Lacob told reporters: "I think the 19-year-olds that have played in the playoffs, the number of minutes over the history of the NBA or even in the Finals. I mean [Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody] haven't played very much and yet they're up there.
"Kobe [Bryant] I think was number one in terms of minutes for a 19-year-old. So the 19-year-olds just don't play deep into the playoffs or certainly in the Finals historically in the NBA.
"So the fact that we are where we are, and these guys have both contributed, maybe not as much as they would like to, they want to play more. Everyone wants to play more when you're a good player. But what they've done is great and what our coaches have done to get them ready for this level of play is great.
"I know we took, I, Bob [Myers, general manager], the organisation took some criticism from people that we should trade all our draft choices, that we had to get one more great player or whatever. I was very adamant about it. So was Bob. But that was not the path we were going down.
"We want to be good for a long time. We want to be great for a long time. And we felt that we already had our investment in our core great players. And they're still young enough to perform.
"Our success this year was always going to depend primarily on Steph, Klay when he came back, Draymond and Wiggins, you could argue. That was always fundamentally what the issue is. They're either going to be good enough or they're not, and we'll find out in the Finals too."
"I love what we've been able to do. We've been able to do this, call it a two-tiered strategy, call it whatever you want. But you've got your core guys that are going to get you this year. Meanwhile, you're going to develop these young guys. And I think we've done that."
Regardless of whether the Warriors overwhelm the Celtics to return to the NBA mountain top, Golden State's plan for this season has been an unequivocal success, and their next steps will be fascinating to watch as they continue to try to achieve the dual aims of setting themselves up to compete now and in a post-Curry and Co. future.
The trade winds may once again blow. With Wiggins having just one year left on his deal, there has already been some mention of him and James Wiseman, the 2020 second overall pick who has been kept off the court by injury, being packaged in a trade to land another star.
For now, such speculation can wait until after the confetti has fallen, and if it lands on Golden State, the Warriors will receive the ultimate reward for faith in both experience and youth that has quickly propelled them back to the league's elite and given them more potential options through which to stay there.
The Warriors are back. If they continue to execute the vision of Lacob and Myers, it could be a long time before they leave.
Marin Cilic beat Andrey Rublev in a five-set classic on Court Philippe-Chatrier to reach the French Open semi-finals for the first time.
The 2014 US Open winner produced an incredible quarter-final display as he dominated a final-set super tie-break to down the Russian 5-7 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-2) after four hours and 10 minutes of absorbing tennis.
The win means the Croatian, the 20th seed at this year's edition of Roland Garros, has reached at least the semi-finals of all four grand slams, with the French Open the only major at which he has yet to reach a final.
Rublev enjoyed the upper hand early on, claiming the first set with a display of clinical serving and forcing the all-important break in Cilic's final service game, as the seventh seed failed to give up a single break point during a strong start.
But Cilic bounced back in the second, breaking with a big forehand winner in Rublev's first game on serve before clinging on in a series of drawn-out service games of his own.
The 33-year-old had to be more patient in the third, breaking in game seven with a winner to end a 16-shot rally to turn the match on its head, only for Rublev to fight back to force a decider.
The Russian won 92 per cent of first-serve points during a big-hitting fourth set, finally breaking in the eighth game before neither player could convert their one break point apiece in the decider, as an epic encounter required the use of the newly introduced super tie-break.
After four hours of intense back-and-forth, Cilic produced a classy display to blow a visibly frustrated Rublev away, claiming the tie-break 10-2 to set up a final-four meeting with either Casper Ruud or Holger Rune.
Speaking after the win, Cilic hailed the quality on display during the titanic tussle, saying: "It was an incredible battle and Andrey played incredibly well. It was an incredible performance [from both players].
"There was a lot of heart and one had to go down. Today was my day, but Andrey also played an incredible match, bad luck to him.
"Unfortunately I lost that fourth set, I thought I was close to getting the break at some points and Andrey played some great games, but when you play this long there's always going to be ups and downs."
Data Slam: Cilic joins greats in completing semi-final set
Cilic's superb win made him just the fifth active men's player to have reached at least the semi-finals at each of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, after world number one Novak Djokovic and former number ones Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Cilic - 88/71
Rublev - 35/31
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Cilic - 33/2
Rublev - 15/2
BREAK POINTS WON
Cilic - 2/7
Rublev - 2/8
Iga Swiatek continued her outstanding form as she cruised into the French Open semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula, joining an elite list of young players to have reached the final four in the year's first two grand slams.
In racking up her 33rd consecutive win, the world number one ensured she followed up her semi-final appearance at this year's Australian Open with another deep run at Roland Garros.
On the day after her 21st birthday, 2020 French Open champion Swiatek joined a select group of players in managing that feat, with only six women making back-to-back semi-finals at the tournaments at a younger age than the Pole since the turn of the century.
They are Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova.
Having become just the fourth woman this century to win five consecutive tournaments on the WTA Tour coming into Roland Garros, Swiatek will go into her semi-final clash against Daria Kasatkina confident of taking another step towards a second grand slam title.
Iga Swiatek says it was "disappointing and surprising" to hear Amelie Mauresmo state that watching women play at the French Open is less appealing than seeing their male counterparts.
Mauresmo, the tournament director at Roland Garros, was asked on Wednesday why only one match out of 10 during the night sessions in Paris had been contested by women.
The former world number one replied: "In this era that we are in right now, I don't feel - and as a woman and former player, I don't feel bad or unfair saying that right now you have more attraction. Can you say that? Appeal? That's the general, for the men's matches."
Mauresmo added: "This is what we wanted to showcase to spectators who had only one-match tickets, because some of them do. It was more difficult to have, of course, a match, a night-session match with only female tennis players."
Alize Cornet's victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the second round was the only evening match involving women to take place in the first year where night sessions have been on the schedule at the French Open.
While Swiatek says she is not bothered what time of day she plays, the world number one was not impressed with Mauresmo's comments.
It's 33 straight wins for No.1 @iga_swiatek -- catch all the best moments from her 6-3, 6-2 win today with Highlights by @emirates#RolandGarros | #EmiratesFlyBetterMoments pic.twitter.com/NuIw0xcOfe
After reaching the semi-finals at the expense of Jessica Pegula, the top seed said: "It is a little bit disappointing, and surprising because she was also in the WTA.
"From my point of view, for every player it's more convenient to play at a normal hour, but for sure I want to entertain and I also want to show my best tennis in every match.
"So, for me, I'm always focused the same way when I'm going out. It doesn't matter if it's day session or night sessions. But, yeah, it is a little bit disappointing.
"But it's always their decision and we kind of have to accept that. But I want my tennis to be entertainment as well, I always said that, and in my toughest moments I always remember that I also play for people.
"I think it's kind of [the] personal opinion of every person if they like men's tennis or women's tennis more, or if they like them equally, but I think women's tennis has a lot of advantages.
"And some may say that it's unpredictable and girls are not consistent. But, on the other hand, it may also be something that is really appealing, and it may really attract more people. So it depends on personal views of some people."
Daria Kasatkina aims to climb another "mountain" when she faces Iga Swiatek in her first grand slam semi-final at the French Open.
Kasatkina won an all-Russian showdown with Veronika Kudermetova on Court Philippe-Chatrier 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to break new ground at a major on Wednesday.
The 20th seed had lost her previous two grand slam quarter-finals in 2018, but she was not denied on this occasion in Paris.
Kasatkina will do battle with Swiatek for a place in the Roland Garros final on Thursday after the world number one beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets.
Top seed Swiatek has beaten Kasatkina twice in hard-court events this year and the Pole is on an astonishing 33-match winning run.
Yet Kasatkina has not dropped a set at the French Open and the 25-year-old is relishing the challenge of playing the biggest match of her career.
She said: "We played a few times this year. Okay, I lost those matches, but it was a different story. It was a hard court, beginning of the year, I was not in the same shape as I am now.
"I cannot compare what we are going to have tomorrow and what we had in February, March when we were playing. It's going to be completely different match. I want to win a lot, she wants to win as well, and it's going to be a good match.
"You never know what's going to happen in the semi-final of a grand slam, so it's going to be fun and that's it."
Kasatkina will savour her best performance at a major, but is hungry for more.
"I have no time to relax, I'm playing already tomorrow. So a little bit of time to enjoy it, because still it's special for me, a first semi-final," she added.
"But I know that tomorrow is another mountain in front of me which I have to climb and that's it. Maybe it's even better that I don't have much time to think about how good it is to be in the semi-finals, so I have another battle."
As she prepares to face the all-conquering tournament favourite, Kasatkina does not believe she has ever been in better shape.
She said: "Mentally and physically I feel the best I ever was, which is good, because it means that I'm improving. But I don't feel safe, because when you're in the comfort zone it means there's something wrong.
"I think it's better to feel something behind you, so you don't relax much. I think I'm always ready, you have to be always be ready.
"It doesn't have to be like, 'Oh, I'm so bad, and what do I have to do now?' But if you are ready and you know how to get out of this, this is also what I learn."
The Boston Celtics have made sure to do it the hard way en route to the NBA Finals.
Sometimes this can suggest a team's name is on the trophy; look at Real Madrid's remarkable run in European football's Champions League before winning their record-extending 14th title.
The Celtics, an organisation with similar prestige, will hope they can now follow suit.
After all, this is a team who reached the turn of the year with a 17-19 record under a rookie coach, then recovered to take the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Having worked so hard to secure home court in the second round of the playoffs, the Celtics lost to a Milwaukee Bucks outfit missing Khris Middleton in Game 5, falling 3-2 behind in the series and requiring another fightback.
Then the Celtics again failed to make the most of the Boston crowd in the Eastern Conference Finals, allowing the Miami Heat to return home for a Game 7.
Still, the Celtics made it through, and now they must take on the Golden State Warriors, back in contention and looking to extend the sort of dynasty Madrid would be proud of.
The Warriors are going to their sixth Finals in eight seasons; Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have played in each of them.
On the other hand, the Celtics are in their first Finals since 2010 – Curry's rookie season. Not a single member of the Boston roster has reached this stage before.
And yet, against the Warriors of all teams, the Celtics should have little to fear.
This is a battle of defense versus offense – Boston allowed a league-low 104.5 points per game in the regular season, while Golden State have scored a season-high 114.5 points per game in the playoffs – and it is a battle the Celtics have won numerous times in recent seasons.
In the 10 years since the Steph-Klay-Draymond Warriors came together, the Celtics are 10-10 against Golden State. Boston are the only team with a winning record (9-7) against Steve Kerr's Warriors, and they are a hugely impressive 7-3 in this matchup since drafting Jayson Tatum in 2017.
Before splitting this season's two-game series, the Celtics had won five in a row against the Warriors.
The key to this success has been defense. The Celtics have held both the Steph-Klay-Draymond Warriors (103.3 points per game) and Kerr's Warriors (104.4) to fewer points than any other defense. The same is true of Boston in Tatum's five years in the league, during which they have outscored Golden State 110.7-103.1 on average.
In Curry and Thompson, the Warriors boast two of the best shooters of all time, yet the Celtics have repeatedly forced them to take bad shots.
In the past five years, the Warriors have attempted just 83.2 field goals per game against the Celtics – only mustering fewer against the Detroit Pistons (80.8) – yet they have had a lofty 36.5 three-point attempts on average in these games. That means 43.9 per cent of Golden State's field goal attempts against the Celtics since 2017 have come from beyond the arc, attempting a higher percentage of their shots from deep against the Brooklyn Nets alone (44.1).
Given the talent in this Warriors team, shooting from range is not generally an issue, yet they have made just 31.8 per cent of those threes – again only performing worse against the Nets (31.4 per cent).
This has contributed to the Warriors making a meagre 43.1 per cent of their field goals against the Celtics, comfortably their worst rate against any team over this period.
Still, with the title on the line, the Warriors will undoubtedly back themselves to overcome this hurdle.
Curry (52.6 per cent), Thompson (50.0) and Jordan Poole (50.0) are all counted among the 10 players to attempt 10 or more contested shots (with the closest defender within two feet) and make at least half in this postseason.
Curry and Poole are two of only five players to make such a shot from three-point range, although that Golden State trio are a combined two-for-eight from beyond the arc in these circumstances – a record that does not look quite so bad next to Heat wing Max Strus' miserable one-for-seven shooting on contested threes. Four of those low-percentage shots came in the Celtics series alone.
The Warriors have not yet faced an elite defense in this playoff run, with the four best teams on that end of the floor operating in the East.
It figures that the best offense should emerge from the West, where teams averaged 109.2 points per game in the postseason, while the standout defense came out of the East, with playoff teams averaging 103.9 points.
The Finals will surely, therefore, be decided by what sort of series this becomes.
Tatum may be out to prove himself as one of the best players in the world, but the Celtics' success in keeping Curry, Thompson and Poole quiet is likely to be far more pivotal to their hopes.
As long ago as December, when his team were toiling, Celtics coach Ime Udoka explained: "The identity is to rely on defense, be a great defensive team and give ourselves a chance every night as far as that."
They have done that just about ever since – and now it is time to prove their winning identity can be a title-winning identity.
The Madden 23 cover will feature the late NFL legend that gave his name to the video game following his death last year.
John Madden passed away in December at the age of 85.
He enjoyed a Hall of Fame NFL coaching career with the Oakland Raiders and later became a legend in the realm of broadcasting.
However, for many, he is most synonymous with the Madden video game, to which he lent his name and voice from 1988 onwards. He also had significant input in the creative process.
Madden last featured on the cover in 2000.
For his return to the cover, EA Sports have used the same image that adorned the original 'John Madden Football' game, with a beaming Madden grasping a football in his right hand.
Also adorning the cover is a message that simply reads "thanks, coach", in a touching tribute to a man who left an indelible mark on the sport he loved.
Iga Swiatek is enjoying a birthday week to remember – or perhaps one to forget.
The world number one turned 21 on Tuesday, between the 32nd and 33rd matches of a remarkable winning streak.
Having won five consecutive tournaments heading into the French Open, there was plenty for Swiatek to celebrate even before her big day.
So perhaps she can be forgiven for losing track of her age in the moments after her latest win against Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.
Having carried out her on-court media duties, Swiatek wrote a message on one of the Roland Garros cameras with the hashtag "#22".
"No, wait," the 21-year-old said just as she prepared to step away, covering her face with embarrassment. "I forgot how old I am!"
A failed attempt to wipe off the incorrect number resulted in Swiatek instead crossing out her message and scribbling "#21" next to it – far more untidy than any display she has turned in at Roland Garros.
Iga Swiatek showed no signs of slowing as she reached the French Open semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Jessica Pegula, her 33rd in succession.
The 2020 Roland Garros champion entered this year's event in imperious form, having become the fourth woman this century to win five consecutive tournaments on the WTA Tour.
And the day after her 21st birthday, Swiatek took another stride towards extending that streak to six, swatting aside Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the last eight.
Only Daria Kasatkina – against whom she has won three in a row, including the second match in this remarkable run of victories – now lies between the world number one and yet another final.
The early signs were predictably ominous for Pegula as Swiatek broke immediately, although a sloppy first service game followed and saw the Pole collapse from 40-up to level the scores when she thrashed a forehand into the net cord.
Pegula then stuck with Swiatek for a period, but her opponent's class soon came to the fore again as she sensationally scrambled to beat the second bounce from a drop shot and squeeze a return over the net to restore her lead at 4-3.
That was the first of five successive Swiatek games as she wrapped up the set at the second attempt on Pegula's serve – the American committing five unforced errors in that game alone.
That sequence was interrupted by a gutsy Pegula hold, only for Swiatek to defend her own serve in the next game to remain in the ascendancy before breaking for the first time in the second with a brilliant backhand down the line.
Pegula kept battling, but she was only temporarily able to hold up Swiatek at the finish line, a seven-minute game ended by a stunning winner to break again and reach the semis.
Data Slam: Pegula no match for number one
Pegula's only previous meeting with a current number one saw her thrashed in straight sets by Ash Barty at the Australian Open. Swiatek has succeeded Barty at the top of the rankings following her retirement and has since surpassed the Aussie's dominance, now winning 16 in a row as number one.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 30/28
Pegula – 16/27
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 4/0
Pegula – 2/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 5/11
Pegula – 1/2
Daria Kasatkina is through to her first grand slam semi-final after winning an all-Russian battle with Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets at the French Open.
Kasatkina lost her previous two major quarter-finals in 2018, but she broke new ground with a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory at Roland Garros on Wednesday.
The 20th seed will face Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after ending Kudermetova's best run at a grand slam.
Kudermetova paid the price for 50 unforced errors in her maiden major quarter-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Kasatkina overcame the nerves to move into the last four.
It was Kudermetova who drew first blood when she broke to lead 3-1, but she failed to consolidate as a tenacious Kasatkina responded immediately.
The two 25-year-olds both fended off a couple of break points in their next service games, but Kasatkina edged in front for the first time courtesy of a sublime cross-court winner to take a 5-4 lead after a terrible miss from Kudermetova with the court wide open.
A steely Kasatkina was moving superbly and served out the set, before moving into a 3-1 lead in the second set after three consecutive games went against the serve.
The 29th seed was struggling to find her rhythm, but she was level at 4-4 when her compatriot overcooked a forehand.
Kasatkina had looked edgy in that service game, yet she had an opportunity to serve for the match when a Kudermetova backhand struck the net cord and landed on her side of the net.
A nervy Kasatkina was unable to serve it out but held to force a tie-break after Kudermetova called for treatment on her left foot.
Kasatkina took a 6-1 lead in the breaker following a string of errors from Kudermetova and finally finished it off with her fifth match point, executing a drop shot to perfection.
Data Slam: No setbacks for Kasatkina in Paris
Kasatkina has not only put together her longest run in a grand slam, she has done so without dropping a set. While it was certainly not all plain sailing in the quarter-final, she showed her strength of character to come through another test in straight sets.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kasatkina – 16/25
Kudermetova – 38/50
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kasatkina – 0/3
Kudermetova – 3/2
BREAK POINTS WON
Kasatkina – 5/17
Kudermetova – 4/7
Dustin Johnson is among the 42 confirmed entrants for the first event of the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series but Phil Mickelson's name was not among the participants for the Saudi-funded competition.
Two-time major winner Johnson is the highest-profile name in three-day event, which will be held at Centurion Club near London from June 9-11.
Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood are also set to feature in a tournament that will have 12 teams and 48 players.
Johnson's name is perhaps the most surprising, with the former world number one having gone back-and-forth over his participation and issued a statement back in February pledging his future to the PGA Tour.
On Tuesday, his agent David Winkle released a statement quoted by ESPN that read: "Dustin has been contemplating the opportunity off-and-on for the past couple of years.
"Ultimately, he decided it was in his and his family's best interest to pursue it. Dustin has never had an issue with the PGA Tour and is grateful for all it has given him, but in the end, felt this was too compelling to pass up."
Mickelson had long been linked with the event, but the 51-year-old has not played since apologising for comments made about the Saudi Arabia regime. The American said in February he was taking a break from golf and did not defend his US PGA Championship last month.
The series has courted plenty of controversy due to the fact it is being funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, leading to claims of sportswashing.
The inaugural tournament clashes with the Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, an event of which Johnson is a previous winner.
Coco Gauff has finally shed the burden of comparisons to Serena Williams and is enjoying herself at the French Open, where she considers a dual singles-doubles run "light work".
Gauff has long been identified as a future WTA Tour superstar and enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 as a 15-year-old.
The American reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and third round at the US Open, before again advancing to round four at the Australian Open at the start of 2020.
Yet only now, at Roland Garros, has Gauff advanced to a singles grand slam semi-final after beating compatriot Sloane Stephens on Tuesday.
Still just 18, she is the fifth woman this century to reach the last four at the French Open before turning 19.
Crucially, too, Gauff is enjoying herself, having struggled to celebrate wins previously as she believed her early-career hype.
"Even at eight years old, [I was] 'the next Serena', 'next this', 'next that', and I think I really fell into the trap of believing that," the teenager said.
"Yeah, it's important that you have high hopes for yourself, but also, at the same time, it's important to be in reality – and I think that's where I am.
"I'm in reality, where I'm enjoying the moment and enjoying the situation.
"I felt like I was to the point where even when I made the second week or beat Naomi [Osaka] at the Australian Open, I remember like I was happy but I wasn't that happy, because I was like 'I feel like that's what I should do'.
"Now, I'm really appreciating each win and loss."
Indeed, Gauff claims she is no longer "looking at the finish line", even considering her upcoming semi-final against Martina Trevisan "just another match".
And "mentally", Gauff says, she is "in a great place".
"I feel like a lot of my losses in the past were due to mental errors of just getting used to being on tour and getting used to playing these intense matches," she explained, adding that now: "I know if I do lose a match it's not going to be because of that.
"I'm okay if it is because of my game, because that's something that I can work on."
That is the plan heading into the Trevisan match, with her only previous meeting with the Italian a defeat at this event two years ago.
Gauff has already shown how she can adjust following defeats, responding to her first loss to Naomi Osaka at Flushing Meadows in 2019 by beating her at the very next major. Before defeating Stephens this week, Gauff's only previous clash with her was a loss at the 2021 US Open.
"I think it gives me confidence," she said. "Losing to Sloane at US Open and [winning] here, and then losing to Naomi [and then winning], and I lost to Trevisan, so I'm hoping the trend keeps going.
"I think that it helps, because I feel like I know what's going on on the court and I know why I lost the match, and I know what I need to work on for the next time.
"I remember each loss pretty well. I mean, my grandfather always told me: forget your wins; remember your losses. I remember each and every loss.
"So when I play the second time, I try not to lose; at least if I'm going to lose, try not to lose the same way I did the first time."
Even before that match on Thursday, though, Gauff has a doubles quarter-final alongside Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.
"If I felt like I couldn't give 100 per cent in both singles and doubles, then I wouldn't play doubles," Gauff said. "But I feel like I can give 100 per cent all the way to the end.
"The intention for me when I enter the tournament is to try my best to win both. So I know going into that, I'm going to be playing double matches in some days.
"For me, really, I'm used to it; playing juniors, we would play three matches in a day. So this is light work."
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar asserted he was not overwhelmed as hide claimed an historic win on Tuesday, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their playoff series.
The Avalanche's win was the first playoff game in NHL history in which both teams allowed six or more goals, while using multiple goaltenders.
The opening game of the Western Conference final was played at an entertaining but frenetic pace, as both teams moved the puck with astounding fluidity.
According to Bednar, especially following the Oilers' high-scoring series win over the Calgary Flames, it was something his side anticipated and adapted well to.
"I didn’t feel helpless at all," Bednar said post-game. "I thought our guys did a nice job getting above pucks, shutting down the rush. The pace we expected no question, it's the fastest team we've played against, obviously a lot of talent.
"There's areas of our checking game that I really liked, there's a couple of other ones that I didn't that we'll look at and talk about.
"I thought we were doing a nice job on the offensive side of things, even in the third period when we had two breakaways, another great seam pass that we missed on. We were generating, we were shooting the puck, we were staying assertive, just have to make a few less errors on the other side of it."
Goals were expected between the two highest-scoring teams in this year's playoffs for the Stanley Cup, and the stars of the show did not disappoint.
Nathan MacKinnon claimed a goal and an assist for Colorado, while coming off his overtime winner in Game 7 against the Flames, Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers.
Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen and Andrew Cogliano also scored for Colorado, but the result wasn't secured until Gabriel Landeskog's empty-net goal late with less than a minute to go in the third period.
Mark Canha and Starling Marte led the New York Mets, who claimed 17 hits in their 10-0 thrashing of the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
Canha claiming four of those hits leading off for the Mets, and Marte got it rolling with his home run in the first inning, going deep off Patrick Corbin.
Jeff McNeil also had three hits while Eduardo Escobar homered off Nats reliever Francisco Perez, as Francisco Lindor extended his RBI streak to nine games.
The Mets' hitting did not have to counteract for any poor performances from the mound, with Trevor Williams giving up only three hits over 80 pitches in a full five innings.
Every Mets starter claimed a hit as the National League East leaders went to secure their season-best fifth consecutive win.
Thor hammered as Halos lose to Yankees
Across town, former Met Noah Syndergaard had a disappointing return to New York, as the Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-1.
Syndergaard allowed five runs and seven hits, including a two-run homer from Matt Carpenter, and he was pulled after only 45 pitches.
Jordan Montgomery pitched solidly as the Yankees kicked off a high-profile three-game series against the Halos, striking out four and giving up four hits over 87 pitches in seven innings.
Kody Clemens hitless as Tigers
Jonathan Schoop starred for the Detroit Tigers as Kody Clemens made his major league debut, beating the Minnesota Twins 4-0 on Tuesday night to split a double-header.
Schoop claimed a home run and drove in four runs against the American League Central leaders, while the 26-year-old Clemens went zero-for-three on debut, with his father and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens watching from a suite.
Clemens was without such blemishes in the field at second base, however, handling a ground-ball for the final out of the game.
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