So here we are, after all that basketball in 2021-22, we come down to the final pair as the Golden State Warriors take on the Boston Celtics to decide the destination of this year's NBA championship.
It was a relatively smooth route for the Warriors after a 4-1 win against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals, while the Celtics went to Game 7 for the second round in a row, eventually overcoming the Miami Heat.
Having been able to rest up since they sealed their place in the finals on Friday, Steve Kerr's team will be heavily fancied to win their first title since 2018.
Golden State were electric against Dallas, with all four of their wins being by a margin of at least nine, and even managing to overcome the outrageously talented Luka Doncic, winning Games 2 and 3 despite 40 or more points in both coming from the Slovenian.
It is no surprise that Stephen Curry is leading the way for the Warriors, averaging 25.9 points per game in the postseason, as well as 6.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds.
His three-pointer attempts have been a little wayward by his own very high standards, making 60 of 158 attempts in the playoffs, just three more than Klay Thompson (57 from 143 shots), who himself is playing more than just a support role.
Thompson is averaging 19.8 points per game, while Jordan Poole is not far behind with 18.4.
Andrew Wiggins also deserves credit for his contribution, averaging 15.8 and scoring 27 in the Game 3 win against the Mavs at the American Airlines Center, and a good example of how Kerr's team can get at you from anywhere on the court.
All that being said, the Celtics have shown themselves to be big-game players during the playoffs, overcoming both the defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks and the number one seeds in the East, the Heat.
Jayson Tatum has invariably been the main man, averaging 27.0 points in the playoffs along with 5.9 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Like the Warriors, though, Boston are able to spread the responsibility, with Tatum's 26 against the Heat in Game 7 supplemented by 24 each from Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
The Celtics are in the finals for the first time since 2010, and it feels like they have shown the backbone needed to go all the way, even against a supremely talented Warriors side.
Ime Udoka could cement his legacy in Boston, admitting after overcoming the Heat they will need to go one better to be remembered, saying: "We don't hang or celebrate Eastern Conference championships in the Celtics organisation, so we all fall in line and appreciate that standard of excellence."
Udoka against Kerr could be the most interesting contest across the NBA Finals, but all over the court there are intriguing narratives and plenty of top-class basketball to witness.
Whoever rises to the top, they will surely be worthy champions.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Golden State Warriors – Draymond Green
The outspoken 32-year-old said on his podcast recently that whatever happens, "the dynasty been stamped" for this Warriors team.
A fourth NBA title in eight years would be quite a convincing way to stamp it further, and Green is likely to play a big role if that is to happen.
In the playoffs, he has been averaging 2.8 turnovers, 8.7 points, 6.3 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game. He racked up nine assists in the clincher against the Mavs, as well as sinking six of seven field goal attempts.
Boston Celtics – Al Horford
After a year each at the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Horford came back to Boston to try and finally reach the NBA Finals, and he has done just that.
His ability to stop the opposition and tidy up attacks could well be key against an opposition with danger-men all over the place.
Horford has averaged 8.1 defensive rebounds in the playoffs, including 12 in the Game 7 win against the Heat, and managed three turnovers in three different games during that series.
KEY BATTLE – Will defense win the championship?
Following on from Horford's ability to snatch the ball in defense, these two were both in the top four in the league in the regular season for defensive rebounds, with Golden State second overall with 2,930, while Boston were fourth on 2,915.
One thing the Celtics will need to be aware of is the Warriors' ability to steal, making the fourth most in the league in the regular season (719), while the Celtics were only in 19th place (591).
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Celtics will be especially confident based on recent match-ups, having won six of their past seven meetings with the Warriors, including a 110-88 win at Chase Center in their most-recent contest in March.
Casper Ruud described his French Open win over Hubert Hurkacz as the "perfect" way to tee up his first grand slam quarter-final appearance, as the eighth seed looks to extend the best major run of his career.
Ruud downed Hurkacz 6-2 6-3 3-6 6-3 in 2 hours and 31 minutes on Monday to make the last-eight of the singles draw at a grand slam for the first time in his career, bettering his run to the fourth round at the Australian Open last year.
The Norwegian will face talented teenager Holger Rune for a spot in the semi-finals after the 19-year-old became the first Danish man to reach a grand slam quarter-final in the Open era by eliminating Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Speaking at his post-match news conference, Ruud said the win featured some of his best tennis this year.
"I feel good, of course. It's a good result. To make my first quarter-final here in Roland Garros means a lot. It's the first grand slam that I visited as a kid," he said.
"It's nice to get one of my best results of my career so far here. I hope I can continue the level of my tennis and [keep] the streak going.
"Today I think I played some of my best tennis this year for the first two sets. [In the] fourth set as well, I played well when I had to come back.
"I think that's a perfect way to go into a quarter-final for me. Hopefully I can reach a step or two or three more."
After recording his career-best major performance, Ruud – who lost his first ATP 1000 final to Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open in April – was keen to go further, saying he will only allow himself to look back upon the milestone at the end of his campaign.
"Well, I mean, of course, it's a new milestone. [But] when I'm playing the tournament, playing the match, I don't really think too much about it," he added.
"Of course, when I'm done with this or when this tournament is over for me, I will look back and think that I did a good job and did a good result and made my best result in a grand slam.
"It is going to change, of course, the way I think I look at the grand slams in the future, when you know you have reached a quarter-final one time. It has been a big goal for me this year, and to reach it is a good feeling.
"But of course, when you reach a goal, you make new goals. That's usually how it goes. My new goal will be in a few days' time to try to reach the semi-final."
With many of the game's biggest names, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz all landing on the opposite side of the draw to Ruud, the 23-year-old may not get too many better chances to enjoy a deep grand slam run.
And the Norwegian suggested pundits may have placed too much focus on a few big names in the build-up to Roland Garros, adding: "Before the tournament, there was, of course, already a lot of talk who the favourite was.
"I think everyone was talking about the top half of the draw with Nadal, Djokovic and Alcaraz of course there, [but] there are many other good players in the tournament."
Iga Swiatek had to come from behind to see off Zheng Qinwen in the French Open fourth round, eventually winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 6-2.
The number one seed was given a scare in the first set, losing on a tie-break, but powered back to seal a win that was partly helped by an apparent thigh injury sustained by the Chinese teenager.
The first set looked to be going with form as Swiatek raced out to a 5-2 lead, only for Zheng to come back to 5-5 before forcing a tie-break.
Again, Swiatek took a 5-2 lead, but Zheng stormed back with five straight points to claim the first set.
The first set was just three minutes shorter than Swiatek's entire third-round victory over Danka Kovinic, taking 87 minutes to be completed.
Predictably, having lost a set for the first time at Roland Garros this year, Swiatek upped the tempo at the start of the second, again getting an early break before Zheng had treatment on the top of her right leg after going 3-0 down.
With the Pole motoring and Zheng with strapping on her leg, the game swung hugely in the former's favour as she breezed through the second set 6-0.
Zheng removed the strapping at the start of the third set but it made little immediate difference as Swiatek broke immediately.
However, Zheng soon rediscovered some of the fight she showed in the first set as she was able to halt an eight-game streak from her dominant opponent to hold serve in the third game of the decider, before troubling the 20-year-old on her own serve and then holding again.
The relentless Swiatek kept applying the pressure and eventually forced the second break, before serving out the match.
She will play number 11 seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals after the American also came from a set down to beat Irina-Camelia Begu on Monday.
Data Slam: Unstoppable Swiatek
Swiatek's growing winning streak is now at 32, which means only Serena Williams (34) and Venus Williams (35) having recorded longer streaks on the WTA Tour this century.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 32/39
Zheng – 21/46
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 2/1
Zheng – 4/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 7/14
Zheng – 2/10
Stefanos Tsitsipas branded his performance against Holger Rune "ridiculous", admitting he allowed his frustrations to get the better of him on court during his shock last-16 exit at the French Open.
Having finished as runner-up at Roland Garros last year, the fourth seed crashed out in the fourth round this time around, going down 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-4 to the Danish teenager, who had only managed one previous win over a top-five opponent.
The three-hour contest began with Tsitsipas earning an early break, but the Greek went on to struggle against the 19-year-old, who became the first Danish player to reach a grand slam quarter-final during the open era.
Speaking during his post-match press conference, a visibly emotional Tsitsipas admitted he struggled to apply enough pressure on Rune, highlighting his own lack of rhythm on court.
"Great match from his side, but I have to say it was a very bad management from my side," he said.
"I was struggling a lot the last couple of days in terms of finding my rhythm. I was very nervous on the court, being frustrated a lot, and I knew I was this way, but I couldn't stop being like this.
"I was a completely different player once I stepped into the court, taking returns [too] early.
"I think we could see that in the last two service games of his, I was really able to apply a lot of pressure; it was day and night, pretty much, that transformation.
"I just, you know, didn't have my mind completely there when I had to make those changes. It came way too late on in that match, way too late.
"I wasn't really applying a lot of pressure, it was ridiculous at a point, and again I was stubborn, I was stubborn to change it. I need to adjust way quicker, it's too late for this stuff."
Tsitsipas, who squandered a two-set lead in his 2021 final defeat to Novak Djokovic in the French capital, had been tipped by many to repeat his run to the final after landing on the opposite side of the draw to pre-tournament favourites Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
But the Greek refuted suggestions the pressure that comes with a supposedly kinder draw had hindered his performances, telling reporters: "Absolutely not. I don't watch draws, I don't watch my next opponents.
"I pretty much know the progress and the way I need to do things in order to get to where I was last year, and that doesn't come easy, for sure.
"Of course, I knew I'm going to have to play difficult opponents that know how to play on this surface, but mentally, physically, tennis-wise, I felt good.
"It's just that I had a few troubles in practice. Again, back to frustration, back to not understanding certain things and certain patterns that I was trying to impose.
"He [Rune] is a very emotional player, he can play great, he absolutely deserves this victory, [he] played better, faced tough moments better. But I can see something different next time with this opponent. I'm pretty convinced I can do way better.
"This is not where I've maxed out, let's say. I didn't give myself the opportunity to max out. I didn't give myself the opportunity to go all the way and that is a shame."
Stefanos Tsitsipas is out of the French Open after being beaten by Danish teenager Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday.
Tsitsipas earned an early break, but things soon started to unravel as he lost the first set.
The Greek number four seed came back to even things up in the second, but had no answer for Rune's power and precision as his opponent won in four sets, 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Rune - earning just his second ever win over a top five opponent - is the first Danish men's player to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam in the Open Era.
The contest lasted just over three hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and Rune thanked the crowd for the part they played.
"I have an unbelievable feeling right now," the 19-year-old said in his on-court interview. "I was so nervous at the end but the crowd was amazing for me the whole match, the whole tournament.
"I am so grateful and so happy to be playing on this court. You guys are amazing.
"I was very nervous but I know at the same time that if I go away from my tactics against a player like Tsitsipas I am going to lose for sure.
"I told myself just to keep at it and play my plan in the tough moments. It worked out so well in the end and gave me a huge confidence boost. It is just so great to still be here."
Rune will play Norwegian Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals after the number eight seed beat 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz earlier on Monday.
Sixteen years after they first met in a grand slam Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will do battle in another mouthwatering French Open quarter-final on Tuesday.
Two of the all-time greats have locked horns 58 times in their illustrious careers, but only two of those meetings have been in the last eight of a major.
The first of those was in their first meeting, which happened to be at the same stage at Roland Garros back in 2006.
Nadal progressed to the semi-finals on that occasion as Djokovic retired at 6-4 6-4 down and the legendary Spaniard went on to defend his title and double his tally of major triumphs.
He has gone on to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires a record 13 times and no man can boast more than his tally of 21 grand slam titles.
Yet Nadal comes into the latest instalment of their rivalry under the lights on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the unfamiliar position of not being a strong favourite to prevail.
While world number one and defending champion Djokovic has not dropped a set in his four matches in Paris, Nadal needed five sets to get the better of Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday.
Nadal had to draw on all of his fight, skill and experience to see off the Canadian in an enthralling contest that had spectators on the edge of their seats for four hours and 21 minutes.
Djokovic beat Nadal in four sets the last time they faced each other in this tournament last year and the Serb went on to be crowned French Open champion for the second time.
The top seed from Belgrade would move level with Nadal's haul of major crowns if he triumphs at Roland Garros once again on Sunday.
Djokovic holds a superior record of 30-28 in his head-to-head with Nadal, but the latter has won seven of their nine matches at Roland Garros.
Nadal started his favourite tournament with only five matches on clay under his belt this season after recovering from a foot injury, but he is relishing the challenge of facing one of his biggest rivals.
He said: "I didn't play this kind of matches for the last three months, so it's going to be a big challenge for me. Of course he already won I think nine matches in a row, winning in Rome and now winning here in straight sets every match.
"Probably he will be confident. I know what my situation is, and I accept it well. I am gonna fight for it, that's it."
Djokovic hopes being the fresher of the two will be crucial.
"Nadal is obviously a well-anticipated match I think when the draw came out for a lot of people. I'm glad that I didn't spend too much time on the court up to quarter-finals, knowing that playing him in Roland Garros is always a physical battle, along with everything else," he said.
"It's a huge challenge and probably the biggest one that you can have here in Roland Garros."
While Djokovic did not spend much time on court in the first week in Paris, he could be in for a late night when the two tussle in what could be yet another epic.
Daria Kasatkina feels she has cut the "kid bulls***" out of her game after securing a straight-sets win over Camila Giorgi to reach the French Open quarter-finals.
The Russian delivered a convincing 6-2 6-2 victory over the Italian with a convincingly mature performance, to reach the last eight at Roland Garros for the second time in her career.
Kasatkina has yet to drop a set and has conceded just 14 games across her four matches at Roland Garros so far.
The 20th seed has previously spoken about wanting to showcase a more mature approach to her game, and mooted that she has increased her focus in her overall performances.
"Why are you asking me this?" Kasatkina quipped in her post-game briefing before laughing when asked in what ways she has matured – and where she has not.
"I want to say I've become much more mature and that's it. [I'm] not thinking how exactly.
"But as I said, with the decisions on the court, with my time management off the court as well I'm trying to be more focused on what I'm doing, what is important, not the kid bulls***, let's say.
"And that's it, because it's very tough to keep the focus and it's very easy to lose it. So I'm working a lot to be more focused on my job."
Kasatkina will face compatriot Veronika Kudermetova in the last eight after she fought back to beat American Madison Keys.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted team strategy halted Charles Leclerc from triumphing at his home race, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez winning the Monaco Grand Prix.
Leclerc finished in fourth place after starting the race from pole position, which is critical at a circuit like Monte Carlo, with its tight streets making overtaking difficult and track position paramount.
Perez managed to keep Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari at bay with an assured drive, but it was also borne of circumstance after a pit-stop mix-up before a second red flag tumbled Leclerc down the order.
Binotto conceded it was a team error that cost his drivers from claiming more points but specifically for Leclerc, a potential maiden Formula One win at a home race where he has been dealt constant bad luck.
"I fully understand the disappointment for Charles," the Ferrari boss told Sky Sports F1. "He was first and finishing fourth means that something was wrong in the decision we made.
"So clearly we need to review it and I think we underestimated the speed of the intermediate [tyres] at that stage, so we could have called a lap earlier for Charles or later on, maybe we should have left him outside on the extreme wet then going on the dry.
"These are mistakes that may happen, but more importantly it is a lesson to learn to try and understand why they happened and I am sure that is a process we will do."
Ferrari went down a further ten points in the constructor standings to Red Bull, who now lead by 36 points after both Perez and Max Verstappen finished on the podium.
Leclerc's fourth-placed finish also means Verstappen extended his lead atop the driver's standings to nine points, heading into the next grand prix in Azerbaijan.
Sergio Perez has called winning the Monaco Grand Prix a "dream come true" after his triumph from third on the grid to take the top step.
Perez put in an assured and calculated drive in tricky conditions on Sunday, which meant only 66 laps could be completed on the streets of Monte Carlo after a late start, and further delays following a big crash for Mick Schumacher.
Perez claimed only his third race victory from 220 starts. Admittedly for the Mexican driver, the prestige of taking the race victory at Monaco is different to his other two wins, in Sakhir and Azerbaijan.
"Well, certainly very high up there, winning Monaco, it's a dream come true as a driver," Perez told a news conference.
"When you come into Formula One and when you come to Monaco, when you drive it for the first time, you always dream about one day winning the race or racing here. So it's just incredible.
"It's such a big day for myself. I was driving with Pedro Rodriguez's helmet today, and I'm sure that there he will be super proud of what we have achieved in this sport."
Perez pitted from fourth place for a set of intermediates before both Charles Leclerc and team-mate Max Verstappen came in, putting him in position to take the race lead as the track dried, albeit with the help of poorly executed Ferrari strategy.
He was eventually able to hold off a late charge from Carlos Sainz, becoming the first Mexican driver to win in Monaco.
With only six drivers from Mexico to ever drive in Formula One, Perez did not lose perspective on the gravity of such an achievement.
"Certainly, in terms of history of the sport, I'm a big fan of my sport," he said. "So, certainly knowing what it means to win a race like this. I mean, they're all very important, but certainly this is very special. And it goes very, very high on the list for my country.
"I certainly feel like at the moment, I'm the only Mexican – or even Latin American – driver on the grid. So, it just shows how difficult it is for us - not saying that for European drivers it's easy, but it just shows how difficult it is for us to make it into the sport and to have a successful career. It is quite hard, but I have to say I'm extremely proud of it."
Charles Leclerc could not understand Ferrari's strategy during the Monaco Grand Prix, as he lost ground on Formula One leader Max Verstappen.
Leclerc finished fourth in his home race on Sunday after an eventful, rain-soaked grand prix.
Ferrari had closed out the front of the grid and seemed all set to go on and claim a big win, but Red Bull's Sergio Perez clinched victory.
Carlos Sainz finished second ahead of Verstappen to restore some pride for Ferrari, but the Dutchman's lead in the driver's standings grew to four points over Leclerc.
Some strange tactical decisions cost Ferrari, who delayed putting Leclerc on intermediate tyres before then accidentally instructing the Monegasque driver to come in and change to slicks.
Before Ferrari realised their error, Leclerc had already entered the pit lane, allowing Verstappen to overtake him and hold on for a place on the podium.
"Let down is not the word," Leclerc told reporters.
"Sometimes mistakes can happen – but there have been too many mistakes.
"I'm used to getting back home disappointed but we cannot do that, especially in a moment now where we are extremely strong.
"We need to take opportunities. I love my team. We will come back stronger, but it hurts a lot.
"We cannot afford to lose so many points like this. It's not even from first to second, it's from first to fourth because after the first mistakes we've done another one.
"I don't understand what made us change our minds. We got undercut and then stuck behind Carlos [Sainz]. There were a lot of mistakes and we cannot afford to do that.
"The first [radio message for the first pit stop] was a clear decision and a very wrong one. From that moment onwards, the mess started.
"I don't know if it was panic – I don't hear all the background stuff between the team so it's not up to me to judge.
"The last message I had was not clear because I was told to come in and then to stay out but I was already in the pit lane and that's when I let it out on the radio and screamed because I knew it was done."
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he wanted to "honour" Kobe Bryant, after his side advanced to the NBA Finals on Sunday, defeating the Miami Heat 100-96 on Sunday.
For Game 7, Tatum wore an armband in the colours of the Celtics' long-time rival Los Angeles Lakers – a purple armband with his idol Bryant's number 24 for the Lakers stitched on in gold.
The 24-year-old went on to put up 26 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal in just over 45 minutes on the court, taking out the inaugural Larry Bird trophy for Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
While explaining the inspiration behind the armband, Tatum said afterwards how Boston securing their first finals appearance since 2010 and his MVP award all feels surreal.
"That was my inspiration, that was my favourite player," he said post-game. The shoes I wore in the last couple of games were dedicated to him and today, before I took my nap, I was watching some film and some moments from his career. I wanted to wear that armband to honour him and kind of share that moment.
"It's an honour. It still doesn't even seem real right now, but I'm extremely happy and grateful for all of this. Regardless of how long I've been in the league, I'm not too far removed from when I was in high school, dreaming about moments like this.
"I still feel like a kid, sometimes, in that I'm truly living out my dream. To be the first person to win this award, after Larry Bird, it still hasn't sunk in yet."
Boston's playoff opponents to secure the Eastern Conference title were also the three to eliminate them in each of the previous three seasons.
Aside from their progression past the Brooklyn Nets this season, the Celtics engaged in highly physical battles in series against the Milwaukee Bucks and Heat to get to the finals.
According to Tatum, those playoff losses inspired them to get out of the East this time around.
"It was the biggest game of our season and my career, and I just had faith that we were going to give it all we had, regardless of the outcome," he said. "To get over this hump in the fashion that we did it - obviously we took the toughest route possible, winning Game 7 to go to the championship on the road, it's special.
"Losing my first year and losing to these guys in the bubble, I think going through those tough times helped us grow, helped us learn and once we get in that situation again, we'd respond differently.
"In the moment, when you lose those series, obviously it hurts and it's tough, but you never forget it. I think that's what we all had in common, that we had all been through those tough times and we remembered how that felt, and we didn't want to have that feeling again leaving here tonight."
The Celtics will now face the Golden State Warriors, with Game 1 taking place in San Francisco on Thursday.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra holds nothing against Jimmy Butler's shot selection and praised the Boston Celtics, after they defeated his side 100-96 in Game 7 to progress to the NBA Finals.
Butler, who willed the Heat and the series back to Miami after 47 points in their Game 6 win, played all 48 minutes and their chance to win or tie the game with 17.1 seconds remaining.
Despite Al Horford's close-out, Butler had a clean look but his three-point attempt to make it 99-98 was short, handing the Celtics the game and the series.
Spoelstra would not have his perspective altered by the outcome, however, saying it was the right shot for the six-time All-Star to take with Miami's season on the line.
"It was fitting that it would come down to the last possession," Spoelstra said post-game. "I felt it had been an incredible storyline, for Jimmy to pull up and hit that three and I love that about Jimmy, it was the right look. I thought, as it was leaving his hands, for sure that was going in.
"You can't prepare for it. It's one of the worst feelings in the world to address a locker room after a game like this. When it ends, it ends in a thud.
"I just have so much incredible respect and love for everybody in that locker room and for what everybody gave to this team. When it's such a memorable season and post-season, it felt like five seasons in one."
Miami's loss on Sunday makes for the sixth consecutive season where the Eastern Conference's first seed does not advance to the finals.
Sunday's Game 7 played out in almost typical fashion, both for a Game 7 and between these two intense teams, with constant momentum swings and scoring runs.
Spoelstra was full of praise for the Celtics and counterpart Ime Udoka, as well as his own team, after what was a highly competitive and ultimately even series.
"It was a really fun group to be around, a really hard-edged group with all the qualities that we love, the good, the bad and everything in between. It's heartbreaking when it ends like this," he said post-game.
"You certainly have to credit the Boston Celtics and their team and coaching staff. Ime [Udoka] did such a tremendous job, building on what they've done the last six, seven years.
"They've probably done it they way that it's supposed to happen in this league. We tip our hats off to them. They are a heck of a basketball team, they can really defend at a high level, they're competitive. This was all about competition, and we faced a team that kind of matches the best qualities of what we do."
The Boston Celtics have advanced to the NBA Finals, defeating the Miami Heat 100-96 on Sunday and taking out the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart combined for 74 points, as Boston confirmed their 10th conference title and a 22nd finals appearance.
Tatum received the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy for Eastern Conference Finals MVP, coming into Game 7 with an average of 24.8 points.
The three-time All-Star finished Game 7 on the road with 26 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal, in what was an exceptional performance.
In a game of momentum swings, the Heat trailed as much as 17 points at one stage, but gained momentum with defensive stops and consequent transition baskets to bring it back to single digits.
Boston restored their buffer midway through the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, before Jayson Tatum drained a massive step-back three-pointer deep in the shot clock with just under six minutes remaining.
The Heat fought to get it to a one-possession game, and after backing up Max Strus' triple with a defensive stop, had the ball with 17 seconds left.
Jimmy Butler, who willed the Heat and the series back to Miami with 47 points in Game 6, played all 48 minutes and had the chance to either tie or win the game with what was effectively their final possession.
He opted for the latter but his three-point attempt was short, with Al Horford's rebound confirming the result and series.
The Celtics will now face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, with Game 1 to take place on Thursday.
Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats on Sunday, but it was not enough to stop the Toronto Blue Jays from winning the high-scoring battle 11-10.
Ohtani scored the game's opening run with a solo home run in the first inning, but by the time he stepped to the plate for a second time, his side trailed 6-2.
After sending his first blast 413 feet to center field, his second shot was a 425-foot, two-run homer, trimming the score back to 6-4.
Los Angeles catcher Max Stassi tied the game with a two-run single later in the third inning, before Travis Ward's two-run home run in the fourth frame made it 8-6 Angels.
Ward drove in another run with an RBI double in the sixth inning, but the Blue Jays tied things up at 9-9 in the seventh when three runs came home from a pair of bases-loaded walks, and an RBI single to Raimel Tapia.
Stassi made sure that tie was short-lived with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, before Bo Bichette again pulled the Blue Jays level with his own solo homer in the eighth.
After Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr was intentionally walked, Lourdes Gurriel made the Angels pay, driving in what would be the game-winning run with a double to make it 11-10, setting the table for David Phelps to come in and secure the save.
Overall the two teams combined for 25 hits, and while nine players finished with multiple knocks, Stassi was the top performer with the bat, going four-for-five with three singles and a home run.
McClanahan bests the Yankees
New York Yankees MVP candidate Aaron Judge hit his league-leading 18th home run, but his side was no match for Tampa Bay Rays Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan, going down 4-2 on the road.
McClanahan pitched six complete innings, striking out seven, while conceding just one run from seven hits and no walks.
As he kept the Yankees quiet, the Rays were able to build a lead thanks in large part to solo home runs from Choi Ji-man and Taylor Walls, leading 4-1 before Judge blasted a 420-foot consolation shot in the eighth inning.
Red Sox hold their own Home Run Derby
The Boston Red Sox hit a season-high five home runs in their 12-2 home win against the Baltimore Orioles – and they were the first five scoring hits of the game.
Bobby Dalbec got things started with a two-run homer in the second inning, with Franchy Cordero adding a solo shot later in the inning – his 448-foot bomb would be the biggest of the day.
Rafael Devers sent his moonshot 431 feet over the right-field wall in the third frame, and just an inning later both Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez chipped in with their own solo home runs to make it 6-0.
Nick Pivetta was terrific on the mound in front of the Fenway Park faithful, pitching six innings for one earned run and five strikeouts.
Tyler Herro will return from injury for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals as his Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics.
Herro, who won this season's Sixth Man of the Year, has missed Game 4, Game 5 and Game 6 with a groin injury, but was given a chance to prove his fitness with an NBA Finals berth on the line.
The 22-year-old guard averaged 20 points, five rebounds and four assists per game in the regular season, shooting a career-best 39.9 per cent from long range on a career-high 6.7 attempts per game.
He has scored in double-figures in eight of his nine playoff games this season, and the Heat won two of the three games he was present for in this series against the Celtics.
His return will likely see Caleb Martin's role reduced to zero, while one of Victor Oladipo or Gabe Vincent should also see reduced minutes.
Sam Burns drained a putt from off the green to win the Charles Schwab Challenge in a playoff against world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Despite making no birdies on Sunday, Scheffler was in contention all day after entering the day in the outright lead, but had to battle with the difficult conditions later in the day to post a 72.
Burns was in much better touch, and had the benefit of getting his 18 holes out of the way earlier before the wind picked up, notching a 65 for the round of the day.
He was one shot back from a four-way tie at 10 under when he finished his tournament at nine under, and he had to wait two hours to find out – first if the field would come back to him – and then if Scheffler could hold on for the playoff.
Scheffler needed to save a number of tough pars down the back nine, including out of the bunker on the 18th hole to force the playoff, which he did by sinking a clutch five-footer.
In the playoff, after a pair of solid drives, Scheffler found the green a long way from the hole, while Burns put his approach just off the back of the putting surface. Approaching three hours since his last putt, Burns drained an incredible tournament-winner, with Scheffler not able to match him from distance.
Speaking to the media after securing the win, Burns said it was a hard-fought result.
"I think, just with the conditions today, and how tough it was playing, I'm just so proud of the way we hung in there," he said.
"I just played such a good round of golf today, and [caddie] Travis [Perkins] did a good job of keeping us in it, especially after hitting a foul ball at 12 which killed our momentum. Hitting that putt – that's just icing on the cake."
It is 11 years since Burns attended Colonial Country Club in person to witness David Toms win the Crowne Plaza Invitational, and he said it is hard to believe he is a champion at the same course.
"I don't know if I would've believed you – I remember that week like it was yesterday," he said.
"To finish it off here, and have [Toms'] family here… to add my name on that list now is really cool."
Scheffler's playing partner Brendon Todd finished one stroke outside the playoff, alone in third at eight under, while American trio Tony Finau, Davis Riley and Scott Stallings collected top-five finishes, tied for fourth at seven under. Finau and Burns were the only two players to shoot 67 or better in the final two rounds as the conditions worsened throughout the weekend.
A strong group rounded out the top-10, with pre-tournament favourite Jordan Spieth and US PGA Championship main character Mito Pereira headlining the five-man bunching in a tie for seventh at five under,
Spieth, Riley and Im Sung-jae – who was part of the logjam at three under – were the only three players to shoot 70 or better in all four rounds.
Norway's Victor Hovland was one of two players to finish at two under, while New Zealand's Danny Lee tied Burns for the round of the day, with his Sunday 65 bringing him to one under for the tournament.
Harold Varner III was part of the four-way tie for the lead at 10 under through 11 holes, but went triple-bogey, double-bogey, triple-bogey over his next three holes to plunge down the leaderboard and finish at even par.
Talor Gooch and Webb Simpson joined him at even par, Tommy Fleetwood finished at one over, and Collin Morikawa never shot worse than 71, but never shot better than 70 to finish two over.
Sixteen years after their rivalry began with a Roland Garros quarter-final, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will do battle again in the last eight of the French Open.
Nadal promised he will be "focused" for the big occasion, set to come on Tuesday, while Djokovic said he was ready for "a physical battle, along with everything else".
They could hardly have had more contrasting wins to set up that eagerly awaited match, however, with Djokovic enjoying a 6-1 6-3 6-3 Sunday stroll past Diego Schwartzman, before Nadal was pushed almost to his limit by Felix Auger-Aliassime, scraping a 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory in four hours and 21 minutes.
Auger-Aliassime has Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, on his coaching team now, but the 21-year-old Canadian played down that factor before the match, and it was a mere sideshow to the spectacle that unfolded.
Now Nadal and Djokovic can prepare for centre stage. The illustrious pair have never collided as early as the quarter-final stage at any other grand slam, but their clash in Paris will be a third such last-eight clash at the French major.
All matches considered, it will be a 59th career meeting, with Djokovic up to now holding a 30-28 lead in the head-to-head.
Nadal leads 10-7 in their grand slam matches, however, and has a 7-2 record in their Roland Garros past encounters, albeit losing the last of those in last year's semi-final.
The very first match between the pair came at Roland Garros in the 2006 quarter-finals, when Djokovic retired at 6-4 6-4 behind, giving up due to a back injury during the first game of the third set.
Nine years later, Djokovic thrashed Nadal 7-5 6-3 6-1 at the same stage to end the Spaniard's five-year all-conquering reign on the French capital's clay courts.
Djokovic called the upcoming reunion "a well-anticipated match", and he was delighted to get the job done quickly against an overwhelmed Schwartzman. The world number one has yet to drop a set in four matches in Paris, and that follows on from his triumph at the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome where he raced to the title without dropping a set either.
Assessing the Nadal prospect, Djokovic said: "I'm glad that I didn't spend too much time on the court myself up to the quarter-finals, knowing that playing him in Roland Garros is always a physical battle, along with everything else."
The "everything else" element of that may mean the feverish backing that Nadal is likely to receive, but Djokovic wants his tennis to do the talking.
"It's a huge challenge and probably the biggest one that you can have here in Roland Garros," said the Serbian. "I'm ready for it. I like the way I have been feeling, the way I have been hitting the ball. I will focus on what I need to do."
This is a first match of the year between Djokovic and Nadal. They have played each other at least once every year since that 2006 first encounter.
After describing Auger-Aliassime as "without a doubt one of the best players in the world", Nadal, who is again battling the foot problem that has plagued his career, turned his focus to the man who surely currently tops that list.
Nadal is nevertheless one ahead of Djokovic on the all-time list of most grand slam titles, having won the Australian Open in January when Djokovic was prevented from competing to move to 21 major successes.
Booing broke out when Djokovic's name was mentioned in Nadal's post-match on-court interview, an early indication that the record 13-time French Open champion will have the crowd's support.
"Of course we know each other well. We have a lot of history together," Nadal said. "He came here after winning Rome, and for me it has been not the ideal situation to arrive here.
"But here we are in Roland Garros, it is my favourite place without a doubt, and the only thing I can tell you is I will be focused. I don't know what will happen, but the only thing I can guarantee is I am going to fight until the end."
The last time Nadal and Djokovic met so early in any tournament was in May 2016 on clay in Rome, when Djokovic beat Nadal in straight sets but went on to lose to Andy Murray in the final.
Since then there have been four semi-finals and five finals between the pair, Nadal edging those matches five wins to four. This is knife-edge tennis, not to be missed.
Jamaica’s Olympic gymnast Danusia Francis has announced her retirement from international competition while expressing gratitude for the love and support she received while representing the country.
Francis, 28, represented Jamaica at the Tokyo Olympics. She was due to compete in the women's individual all-around event but two days prior to the competition, she discovered she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament.
She subsequently withdrew from the balance beam, the vault and the floor exercise but chose to continue to compete in the uneven bars with her knee bandaged, scoring the lowest of any competitor as the judges deducted 6.5 points for various infractions and gave her only a 0.5 difficulty score. However, her 9.033 execution score was the highest for any athlete on uneven bars.
Less than a year later, she decided that it was time to call it a day from the sport she loves.
“I am announcing my official retirement from gymnastics. I am so grateful and thankful for all the opportunities, I’ve had in this sport, to be a Jamaican Olympian is an absolute dream come true. I want to give a massive thank you to Jamaica Gymnastics and the JOA (Jamaica Olympic Association) for believing in me, funding me and for the opportunity to represent on the biggest stage,” she said in a statement Sunday.
“I will treasure the memories forever.”
Notwithstanding her retirement, Francis, who also represented UCLA in NCAA gymnastics, said she plans to remain involved with the sport in her adopted country.
“I would love to always be a part of the sport in Jamaica, help it improve and grow,” she said. “Anytime I am in Jamaica, I am definitely coming to the gym, do some coaching and I will always be on the other side of the phone for advice, for whatever it might be and however I can help.
“So, thanks again to everybody and thanks again to the amazing Jamaican fans. You have supported me and shown me so much love and embraced me and for that, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
Francis said she plans to continue in the sport as a host and presenter.
President of the JGA Nicole Grant said Francis has done much for Jamaican gymnastics in a very short time.
It is truly an honour to have had Danusia Francis as part of the Jamaica gymnastics team. She has helped to grow the sport in so many ways. Competing for Jamaica at so many important gymnastics meets, putting us out there and showing the world that Jamaica does have the ability to be great in the sport," Grant said.
"Being the first female gymnast to qualify Jamaica for the Olympic test event in 2016 opened doors for us and she played her part in enabling our berth to the 2016 Olympics. She showed so much determination to keep going for Jamaica, especially after her disappointment with not being chosen for the Olympic test event in 2016 and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, her drive demonstrated her full commitment to Jamaica as she had choices. Her love for Jamaica shone brightly and that love was returned 100 times more.
"Her retirement from competitions, for us only means that she will have more time to help develop the sport locally through coaching and consultation. We wish her good luck and God's richest blessings on her future journey."
American tennis player Coco Gauff threw her support behind the Miami Heat after defeating Elise Mertens 6-4 6-0 in the fourth round of the French Open.
Gauff, the 18th seed, has not lost a set through the first four rounds, booking a quarter-final showdown against compatriot Sloane Stephens.
After her latest win, she signed the camera with support for the Heat in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics.
Speaking to the media after leaving the court, Gauff said she has not been able to watch the series because of the time difference in France, but she thinks her Heat can go all the way.
"I haven't watched actually any games, because the games have been way too early or late, I don't know what you want to even call it," she said. "I wake up in the morning and watch the score.
"I feel like, really, I do believe we are going to win, and I think whoever - I hope, not even going to put that possibility out there, but I think whoever wins this game is going to win the championship.
"I love the Warriors. I really do. I think Steph Curry and that team is really one of the best teams we are ever going to see. I think we are better. I think it's just about the culture we have."
Game 7 will be played on Sunday in Miami.
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