Cleveland was 39-0 during the regular season when leading after three quarters and kept that perfect mark intact with a Game 2 win.
The incredible second-half charge came exactly one year after Indiana blew a 26-point halftime lead in a historic playoff collapse against the Cavs.
This time, the Pacers delivered a devastating blow to the three-time defending Eastern Conference champs – on a night LeBron Jones joined Michael Jordan as the only players in playoff history to record 100 double-doubles. James finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Bradley Beal heeded his coach’s plea to ”do his job” by scoring 21 of his 28 points in the first half, his All-Star backcourt running mate John Wall delivered 28 points and 14 assists, and Washington beat Toronto 112-103 to cut its Eastern Conference first-round playoff series deficit to 2-1.
After letting the Raptors grab the first 2-0 series lead in franchise history, the Wizards came home and checked off every box coach Scott Brooks presented. They got Beal more involved after he made only three shots in Game 2; they actually led after the first quarter, 30-29; they played with enough defensive focus to get produce 19 turnovers by Toronto, leading to 28 points for Washington.
Add it all up, and it was a rare recent victory for Washington, which had lost seven of eight games dating to the regular season.
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Khris Middleton scored 23 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 19 and Milwaukee used a dominating first half to overwhelm Boston 116-92, narrowing its deficit in the series to 2-1.
Eric Bledsoe and Jabari Parker each added 17 for the energized Bucks, who held the Celtics without a field goal for nearly an 11-minute stretch of the first half.
Backup center Thon Maker scored 14 points and blocked five shots. Pesky guard Matthew Dellavedova, a veteran of a championship run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, helped hold young Celtics point guard Terry Rozier to nine points on 2-of-7 shooting.
NHL
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sean Couturier’s long shot from the point got past Matt Murray with 1:17 left and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 to force a sixth game in the first-round series.
The Flyers cut the Penguins’ series lead to 3-2 going into Game 6 on Sunday in Philadelphia.
After missing Game 4 with a lower-body injury, Couturier extended his team’s season at least two more days by picking up his second goal of the series. Claude Giroux Authentic Jessie Bates III Jersey , Valtteri Filppula and Matt Read also scored for the Flyers. Michal Neuvirth stopped 30 shots, including a diving stop on the doorstep to deny Penguins star Sidney Crosby shortly after Couturier’s knuckler put Philadelphia in front.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) – Jacob Trouba, Bryan Little, Brandon Tanev and Joel Armia scored in the first 11:59 to chase Minnesota goalie Devan Dubynk and Winnipeg beat Wild 5-0 to win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history.
Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for his second shutout of the series, and Mark Scheifele added a goal in the third to help the Jets finish off the Wild in five games. Winnipeg will face the winner of the Nashville-Colorado series in the second round.
Winnipeg’s previous post-season appearance was a sweep by Anaheim in 2015. The franchise moved from Atlanta in 2011. The Thrashers started in 1999-2000, with their only playoff series ending in four straight losses to the New York Rangers in 2007.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Sven Andrighetto scored with 1:28 left to lift the Colorado Avalanche past the Nashville Predators 2-1, sending the first-round series back to Denver for Game 6.
This is the third time the Avalanche had trailed 3-1 in a series since the franchise relocated to Colorado. They lost the first two, but will have a chance Sunday to push this series to a seventh game after rallying with two goals in the final 4:11.
Gabriel Landeskog started the rally with his goal into an empty net with Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne caught outside the crease with his own teammate Ryan Ellis in his lap. Then Andrighetto gave the Avs the lead off a rebound of a shot by J.T. Compher.
Andrew Hammond made a career-high 44 saves for his first postseason victory in his first playoff start since April 17, 2015, with Ottawa and just the third of his career.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Bill Peters was not able to lead the Carolina Hurricanes back to the NHL playoffs and after coming up short following his fourth season with the club, he announced he is resigning.
Peters went 137-138-53 in his lone head coaching job in the NHL. He had one season left on the contract extension he signed in 2016.
New team owner Tom Dundon said he has ”a lot of respect for Bill as a person and coach.”
The move leaves the Hurricanes looking for a new general manager and head coach. Hall of Fame player Ron Francis was reassigned to another front-office position during the season.
BASEBALL
PHOENIX (AP) – Tyson Ross lost his bid to pitch the first no-hitter in the history of the San Diego Padres when rookie center fielder Franchy Cordero appeared to misplay a ball with two outs in the eighth inning of a 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Playing their 7,835th game since joining the majors in 1969 Authentic Tommy Hunter Jersey , the Padres again came agonizingly close to their first no-no. They remain the only team in the big leagues that has never thrown a no-hitter.
Ross had a 1-0 lead with two outs in the eighth when Miami Dolphins 14th-year veteran John Denney first saw his future career path in eighth grade, when he bent over and looked between his legs.
His coach was putting together a place-kicking team at practice, and Denney volunteered to try out as a long snapper.
"Whoever was interested lined up and started snapping the ball at a tire hanging from the uprights," Denney said. "Beginner's luck, I hit the chain holding the tire and it knocked the tire off the chain. At that age, that got everybody in a frenzy."
Those cheers might still be the loudest Denney ever received for doing his job. All long snappers toil in anonymity 鈥?unless they make a mistake, and Denney doesn't. That's why he has been with the Dolphins since 2005, four years longer than any other active player.
At 39 he's among the oldest players in the NFL.
"It has been a ride, that's for sure," Denney said following a recent practice. "I would never guess 14 years later I would still be on this field in the same place. I won the lottery."
Is the hardest part of the job the drudgery of training camp in steamy South Florida?
"For everybody else, yeah," Denney said with a chuckle. "My position is different."
That's for sure. Long snappers spend much of practice off to the side with the place-kickers and punters, often watching and chatting. It's not bad duty for $1 million a year, which is Denney's salary this season.
But as with any specialist, there's pressure. Denney is expected to be nearly 100 percent accurate Authentic Phillip Gaines Jersey , and has been. When asked to tabulate the misfires, Dolphins special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi paused to search his memory.
"In my nine seasons with him, I think we had confusion once on a field goal," Rizzi said Tuesday. "Brandon Fields (the holder) wasn't looking, and John hit him in the face mask.
"To have to sit here and think about it is a credit to him."
And while the 6-foot-5, 242-pound Denney doesn't log as many snaps as an every-down player, he does run downfield under punts, and wins raves for staying in shape.
"The guy is in unbelievable physical condition," coach Adam Gase said. "He's the ultimate pro."
Denney doesn't look his age, but he'll turn 40 in December.
"Wow. I didn't know he was going to be 40," said running back Frank Gore, who's a mere 35. "He does work hard, though. During the offseason he works very, very hard."
That includes snapping drills. Sometimes Denney recruits his 11- and 13-year-old sons to help, and hikes in the backyard.
Like everything else Cheap Austin Corbett Jersey , practice makes perfect.
"If I give you a ball right now and you look between your legs and everything is upside down, it's not natural," Denney said. "It's a matter of working at it to a point it becomes natural."
Denney played linebacker and offensive line in high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was a three-year starter at defensive end for Brigham Young. All the while he groomed his skills as a long snapper, which is how he made the Dolphins' roster after going undrafted.
He played in every game as a rookie, and each year since he has played in all 16 games 鈥?208 in total. That's by far a team record for consecutive games, and tied for third among active NFL players.
The streak will likely grow, although Denney has nominal competition in training camp from undrafted rookie Lucas Gravelle. It's one of the few times the team has brought in another long snapper to compete with Denney, but he said he always feels like he's fighting for his job.
"Regardless of whether there is another body in camp, they have a list on a board somewhere with the next five best long snappers available," he said. "It's not like you're ever in the clear."
That accurately describes life in the NFL. As usual, Denney is right on target.
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