The Philadelphia Phillies matched the best 35-game span in franchise history with a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday behind seven strong innings from Zach Wheeler.
The major league-leading Phillies have won seven straight and are 29-6 over their past 35 games, a stretch the franchise hadn’t accomplished since 1892.
Philadelphia completed its seventh series sweep of the season and improved to 17-3 in May. The Phillies either split or won each of their last 15 series, the longest span since a 19-series stretch in 1984.
Wheeler allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts to win his sixth consecutive decision.
Phillies starters have gone at least seven innings in 18 starts this year, the most in baseball.
J.T. Realmuto homered for the second straight day and Nick Castellanos also went deep as the Phillies moved to 15-3 since they lost two-time All-Star shortstop Trea Turner to a left hamstring injury.
Defending World Series champion Texas has lost four straight and 10 of 12 to drop a season-high three games under .500.
Athletics stun Rockies with five-run 11th
Tyler Soderstrom walked with the bases loaded to cap a five-run 11th inning and the Oakland Athletics rallied for a stunning 10-9 win over the Colorado Rockies.
After the Rockies scored four in the top of the 11th, Oakland opened the bottom half with a double, single and two-run homer by JJ Bleday to tie it at 9. Colorado loaded the bases on an intentional walk to Kyle McCann before Peter Lambert walked Soderstrom to force in the winning run.
J.D. Davis and Daz Cameron homered for the A’s, who trailed 4-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh.
Oakland won its fourth game when trailing after eight innings, tied with Miami for most in the majors.
Giants rally past Pirates again
Matt Chapman hit a three-run homer during an eighth-inning rally and the San Francisco Giants spoiled a solid start by rookie Paul Skenes in a 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Giants overcame a five-run deficit in Wednesday’s extra-inning win and trailed 6-2 after seven innings in this one before getting going against Pittsburgh’s struggling bullpen.
Chapman homered for the third straight game after LaMonte Wade Jr. and Thairo Estrada opened the eighth with singles. After Jorge Soler doubled and scored on pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores’ single, Brett Wisely delivered a go-ahead hit off Aroldis Chapman later in the inning to put the Giants on top 7-6.
San Francisco won consecutive games in which it trailed by at least four runs for the first time since 1998.
Joey Bart staked Pittsburgh to a 5-1 lead with his fourth career grand slam in the fourth. He also doubled before being ejected by first base umpire Alex Tossi after grounding out to end the eighth.
Skenes was excellent for the second straight start, allowing one run and six hits in six innings.
Both members of Jamaica’s female gymnastics team of Isabelle David and Alana Walker have advanced to the final round of the women’s all-around category at the Pan American Championships being held in Santa Maria, Colombia.
David’s score in the qualification round for all-around was 47.967 which placed her 12th while Walker’s score of 47.067 placed her 16th among the 24 finalists. David was also named as a reserve for the final rounds of both the beam and floor exercise categories.
Her scores in the beam and floor were 12.267 and 12.200, respectively.
"I am so excited to have made it to all-around finals and be a reserve for two events," David told Sportsmax.tv.
"It is such a great accomplishment and I'm proud of myself for being able to achieve it. I'm so honoured that I was able to represent Jamaica to the best of my abilities during the qualifying competition. I am so excited to have another opportunity during the all-around final competition. I hope to show off all of the skills that i have worked so hard to get," she added.
Walker reacted to competing for Jamaica on the international stage once again.
“It felt really good out to get back out there on the international competition floor after a long three years off,” she said.
“Although it wasn’t my best, I’m very proud of how I performed yesterday. It was fun to be out there with Izzy and the coaching staff and very exciting to find out I made all-around finals. I’m very thankful to team Jamaica for their continued support and belief in me. I’m ready to get back out there, do my best and represent Jamaica with Izzy tomorrow,” she added.
Novak Djokovic beat Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets in the Geneva Open quarter-finals on Thursday, teeing up a last-four meeting with Tomas Machac.
Djokovic was pushed all the way in an intriguing opener, Griekspoor generating three set points only to fail to convert any of them.
The world number one immediately punished Griekspoor's wastefulness by breaking at the end of a back-and-forth service game, then proceeded to serve the first set out in comfort.
Griekspoor would not get a second chance to make a contest of it as Djokovic took full advantage of an early break in the second set, serving at 81 per cent and winning 92 per cent of points behind his first serve from there as he cruised to a 7-5 6-1 win.
Data Debrief: Age just a number for Djokovic
Having turned 37 on Wednesday, Djokovic is the oldest semi-finalist in Geneva Open history.
Now 14-5 for the year, he is the strong favourite to claim his first title of 2024. Flavio Cobolli will face Sebastian Baez or Casper Ruud in the other semi-final.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first play-off series in six years earlier this month.
That wasn't enough, however, for J.B. Bickerstaff to keep his job as the team's coach.
The Cavaliers decided to dismiss Bickerstaff from his position on Thursday, according to a statement made by the team.
Since taking over for John Beilein in 2020, Bickerstaff went 170-159 in five seasons with Cleveland and led the franchise to the play-offs each of the last two years.
In 2023-24, Bickerstaff helped direct Cleveland to a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.
The Cavs then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round for the franchise's first play-off series win since the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.
The Cavs' season ended in the conference semis, where they lost to the NBA-best Boston Celtics in five games.
Bickerstaff's team, however, was significantly undermanned with five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games against the Celtics with a left calf strain and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen missing the last eight play-off games due to a right rib contusion.
"J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being," Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. "Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavours."
The University of the West Indies (UWI) Sports & Physical Education Centre (SPEC) at the St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad is poised for an exhilarating weekend of volleyball. From Friday, May 24, to Sunday, May 26, 2024, the UWI Intercampus Volleyball Tournament will bring together some of the best clubs in the region, including Glamorgan, Big SEPOS, and West Side Stars.
The tournament kicks off on Friday with games starting at 12:00 noon, while matches on Saturday and Sunday will commence at 9:00 am. The event promises to showcase high-calibre volleyball, reflecting the skill of the participating teams.
The UWI Mona Club/Intercollegiate male and female teams, hailing from Jamaica, will depart from Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday, May 23, at 2:55 pm on Caribbean Airlines.
The UWI Mona volleyball team has a storied history of success. Over the years, both the male and female teams have dominated intercollegiate competitions, national club championships, and international club championships. With an impressive tally of over 100 championships, they are the most successful team at the Mona campus and the leading volleyball team in Jamaica.
This success is not just in numbers but also in influence. The team has been a critical source of national players for both indoor and outdoor volleyball. Their involvement in diverse leagues and tournaments, along with the variety of nationalities represented, offers players significant exposure and opportunities, attracting many prospective students from across the Caribbean region.
The resilience of the UWI Mona volleyball team has been particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many other clubs ceased activities, the Mona team continued to engage its members through ongoing training programs and off-court activities, adhering to health protocols. This proactive approach led to their selection to spearhead a pilot program for the return of the sport, demonstrating their leadership and dedication.
Currently, the UWI Mona Volleyball program boasts 70 active students and 30 alumni. Their commitment to the sport and each other highlights the strong community and support system within the team. This spirit of unity and perseverance will be on full display at the upcoming tournament.
Rafael Nadal will begin his French Open campaign against fourth seed Alexander Zverev, as the 14-time champion approaches what will likely be his final tournament at Roland-Garros.
Nadal has repeatedly said he plans to call time on his glittering career at the end of 2024, having struggled with hip and abdominal injuries in recent years.
His 14 titles in the French capital are four more than any other man has won at a specific major, with Novak Djokovic triumphing 10 times at the Australian Open.
The Spaniard, who has missed the last four majors, arrived at Roland-Garros on Monday and faces a tough opening assignment.
He will face world number four Zverev – who won the Italian Open last week – for a place in the second round, where David Goffin or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard awaits.
Nadal faced Zverev en route to his last grand slam triumph at the 2022 French Open, the German being forced to retire due to an ankle injury over three hours into a gruelling semi-final matchup.
Novak Djokovic starts his title defence against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, as he looks to fend off competition from Jannik Sinner for top spot in the ATP Rankings.
Australian Open winner Sinner will face Christopher Eubanks first up, while third seed Carlos Alcaraz begins against a qualifier.
Like Nadal, Andy Murray is likely featuring at the French Open for the final time, and he has been drawn to face 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka in a huge first-round encounter.
In the women's draw, Iga Swiatek starts her bid for a third straight French Open crown against either a qualifier or a lucky loser, with Naomi Osaka a potential second-round opponent if the former world number one can overcome Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti.
Coco Gauff is on the same side of the draw as Swiatek, while second seed Arnya Sabalenka begins against Erika Andreeva in the other half, with Elena Rybakina her forecasted semi-final opponent.
Chris Finch lamented the Minnesota Timberwolves’ lack of composure in their Western Conference finals Game 1 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves lost 108-105 on the road on Wednesday, failing to hold onto their lead in the final four minutes.
Minnesota sank just 11 of 18 from the free-throw line and committed five turnovers in the final frame, allowing Dallas to complete a late turnaround.
Asked what the biggest problem was for his side in a tight contest, Finch said: "No composure.
"We haven't really closed quarters very well, closed halves very well over the last handful of games.
"It cost us a game in the Denver series. It certainly had an impact on this game tonight, too. We've got to be better in clutch moments."
Mike Conley echoed his coach’s thoughts and believes the Timberwolves can use this as a learning curve.
"I think we haven't been tested like this where we've had to trade basket to basket, late-game free throw situations or fouling situations, stuff that we have to be better at," Conley said.
"But we'll learn from it. I think each game we've learned a lot about ourselves, a lot we can get better at. Obviously, it's going to be a long series, regardless of what happened tonight."
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic starred for Dallas once again, scoring 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter to help them over the line to a Game 1 victory.
The Slovenian admits that the Mavericks wanted to make a statement by winning at home.
"We had to work really hard to get this one," said Doncic.
"I think we're known for losing game ones, so we were trying to make a point. But it's only one and we have three more [wins] to go."
Lando Norris believes McLaren can open up the F1 title fight when they head to Monaco for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old finished in the top two of the previous three grand prix, claiming his maiden victory in Miami.
He threatened to finish ahead of Max Verstappen for a second time at Imola last Sunday with a late charge, but finished within one second of the Red Bull driver.
Looking back at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Norris said while he is sure he could have done things differently, he sticks by his choices.
"I did everything I believed was right at the time," Norris told Sky Sports.
"When it's so close you always think 'What really could I have done that little bit differently,' but you always could have done something a little bit better or a little bit differently. I'm sure Max could have reviewed things and said the same thing.
"But nice to know it wasn't an easy one for him. It's about time someone put him under pressure, and he felt a bit of nerves again because I'm sure he hasn't felt it for a while.
"I don't want to be overconfident - that's never been me - but we want to come into races now and be confident in racing against the Red Bull, racing against Ferrari because we are in the mix with them."
Before the race at Imola, Norris said he believed McLaren were not quite ready to challenge Red Bull for the title this year.
The Briton currently sits fourth in the standings, 60 points behind Verstappen, but he now thinks they can count themselves in the running this year.
"We're a third of the way through so we have a very long way to go, so I think many, many things can happen," he added.
"But also, Monaco is a place where anything can happen. So, I would never say 'no' anymore.
"I've got fed up of myself kind of underestimating what we can achieve as a team. So, we're going to come in, we're positive, we've had a very good run of results - second, first, second - and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to continue that here in Monaco.
"It's not known to be our best track but, at the same time, anything can happen."
Edmundo Sosa hit a three-run homer and Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto had solo shots as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Texas Rangers 11-4 for the best 50-game start in franchise history on Wednesday.
Realmuto finished with three RBIs and Alec Bohm had a two-run double to extend the lead to 10-3 in the sixth inning. He is tied for the National League lead with 46 RBIs.
The major league-leading Phillies (36-14) are just the 26th team in NL history to win at least 36 of their first 50 games played. The 1988 Atlanta Braves were the last team to get off to such a start. Only 17 teams in AL history have reached that mark. The last was the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who went on to 116 wins.
Philadelphia has won five straight and 17 of its last 20 games overall and 17 of 19 at home.
Realmuto’s home run in the third snapped a 2-2 tie and his two-run single in the sixth made it 8-3.
Corey Seager and Leody Taveras homered for the defending World Series champion Rangers, who have lost four straight and nine of 11 to drop two games under .500.
Streaking Indians beat Mets
Johnathan Rodriguez drove in the go-ahead run with his first major league hit and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for their sixth consecutive win, 6-3 over the New York Mets.
Rodriguez, playing in his second game since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus two days earlier, snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with a grounder through the right side of the infield.
Cleveland, which trailed 3-0 heading into the sixth, moved into a tie for the second-best record in the majors at 33-17.
Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo had RBI doubles in the eighth after Andres Gimenez hit a tying, three-run homer in the sixth off starter Jose Quintana.
The Mets got home runs from Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Harrison Bader but have lost eight of 10 to fall to a season-high seven games under .500 (21-28).
Royals’ Ragans dominates Tigers
Cole Ragans pitched one-hit ball over six innings and struck out a career-high 12 to lead the Kansas City Royals to their sixth straight win, 8-3 over the Detroit Tigers.
Ragans walked three but held the Tigers hitless until Riley Greene’s two-out single in the sixth to win for the fourth time in five decisions.
Freddy Fermin drove in three runs, Bobby Witt Jr. added two hits and two RBIs and Nelson Velazquez homered as the Royals won their first series against the Tigers since September 2002. It was Kansas City’s first sweep of Detroit since July 2021.
Tarik Skubal allowed four runs on six hits over five innings to end his 14-game unbeaten streak dating to Aug. 29.
Detroit has lost four straight to fall a season-worst three games under .500.
Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 23 shots and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist to lead the Florida Panthers to a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
Carter Verhaeghe also scored and Sam Bennett tallied into an empty net as the Panthers won for the fifth time in their last six playoff games.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 24 shots for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers, who have lost three of four after opening the playoffs with seven straight wins.
Game 2 is Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Bobrovsky made five saves in the first period, seven in the second and was at his best in the third with 11 more saves to complete his second career postseason shutout.
He denied Kaapo Kakko on a one-timer with a sliding save 6 ½ minutes into the third and stopped Alexander Wennberg on two attempts in close with seven minutes left.
New York had four shots on goal in the first 1:55 of the second period, and then went nearly 14 ½ minutes without one until Adam Fox’s attempt with 3:42 to play.
Luka Dončić scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and Kyrie Irving added 30 points as the Dallas Mavericks edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-105 on the road in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night.
Dallas trailed 102-98 after Anthony Edwards’ 3-pointer with 3:37 remaining but scored the next eight points- five from Doncic - before the Timberwolves scored on a tip-in with 10.5 seconds to play.
Game 2 is Friday night in Minnesota.
Jaden McDaniels had his third straight 20-plus point game with 24 points for Minnesota and Edwards, who went scoreless in the third quarter, had 19 on 6-of-16 shooting with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Karl-Anthony Towns needed a late burst to get to 16 points and finished 6 for 20 from the field.
The Timberwolves hit 18 3-pointers to just six for the Mavericks but were outscored 62-38 in the paint and sank just 11 of 18 from the free throw line.
P.J. Washington hit a huge 3 during Dallas’ late deciding run and finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Irving effectively sealed the win with a pair of free throws with seven seconds left.
League MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder were both unanimous selections to the All-NBA first team.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee Bucks were also named to the first team, which was revealed Wednesday.
Jokic, who has won three of the last four MVP awards, and Gilgeous-Alexander were both listed on all 99 ballots.
Doncic fell one vote shy of joining them, while Antetokounmpo received 88 first-place votes and Tatum garnered 65.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Los Angeles Lakers centre Anthony Davis were named to the second team.
The third team was made up of Lakers forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Suns guard Devin Booker.
This is the 20th consecutive season James has been named to an All-NBA team since being included on the second team in his second season.
At 39 years old, he became the oldest All-NBA player in league history. He was also the youngest All-NBA selection as a 20-year-old back in 2004-05.
Jokic, who won the 2023-24 MVP award in a runaway with 79 of a possible 99 first-place votes, was named to the All-NBA first team for the fourth time to go with a pair of inclusions on the second team.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in MVP voting, was named to the first team for the second straight season.
Doncic made the first team for the fifth year in a row, while Tatum is on it for the third consecutive season.
Antetokounmpo has been on the first team each of the last six seasons after being on the second team the previous two years.
The New Jersey Devils are hiring former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe for the same position.
An official announcement will be made on Thursday.
Keefe’s deal with the Devils will be for four years, including the two years owed to him by the Maple Leafs, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
Keefe, 43, was fired by Toronto after the Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Boston Bruins in seven games.
Keefe led Toronto to the playoffs in each of his four-plus seasons there, but won just one round.
He takes over a Devils team that fell well short of expectations last season, missing the playoffs after they had 112 points and advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23.
Lindy Ruff was fired by New Jersey late this season and was replaced on an interim basis by Travis Green.
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said at the end of the season that he would be conducting an extensive coaching search.
Novak Djokovic celebrated his 37th birthday by breezing into the Geneva Open quarter-finals after his comfortable straight-sets victory against Yannick Hanfmann.
The world number one made light work of Hanfmann, who defeated Andy Murray the day before, after a 6-3 6-3 victory in Switzerland on Wednesday.
Serbia's Djokovic saved nine of the 10 break points faced and won six straight games in the second set for a routine victory, responding emphatically after going 3-0 down.
The winner of a last-16 meeting between Denis Shapovalov and Tallon Griekspoor awaits in the last eight for Djokovic, who triumphed with little trouble on his 37th birthday.
Data Debrief: Age will not stop Djokovic
Having watched rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal struggle for fitness in the latter stages of their career, Djokovic is showing no signs of slowing down before the French Open starts later this month.
Djokovic will be aiming to become the second player in the Open Era to secure a Grand Slam Singles title after turning 37, along with Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open 1972.
Emma Raducanu will return to action at the Nottingham Open, as she steps up her return to action ahead of Wimbledon.
The 21-year-old withdrew from the French Open after instead choosing to prepare for the grass-court season.
On Wednesday, Raducanu was confirmed as a participant in Nottingham, with the tournament starting on June 8, three weeks prior to the start of Wimbledon.
The former US Open champion has played at the event twice before, but lost to Harriet Dart in 2021 and withdrew due to injury from a match against Viktorija Golubic the following year.
Andy Murray is a "gladiator" and his love for tennis means he could yet prolong his career, according to former world number eight Diego Schwartzman.
Murray has endured a difficult few years with injuries, undergoing surgery on both hips in 2018 and 2019.
The three-time major champion has repeatedly said he is approaching the end of his career, revealing in February that he does not "plan on playing much past this summer".
Murray is currently preparing for what will likely be his final appearance at the French Open, having sat out five of the last six tournaments at Roland-Garros.
Schwartzman, however, feels Murray's love for the game could lead to him playing on for longer than anticipated.
"His life is tennis and I think he enjoys it. I think this is his legacy," Schwartzman – who won his only tour-level meeting with Murray in Antwerp in 2021 – told Stats Perform.
"No matter what you do, your age or how you are doing, if you really love the sport and you love what you do, you can do it and you can push hard for as many years and as many tournaments as you want.
"He's a fighter, a gladiator, and he's been doing the same since he was very young, and for us also, sharing tournaments and sharing moments, he has the passion out there.
"So, it's good to see these kinds of guys because tennis always needs guys who love the sport, and this is the one for sure."
Murray would surely have added to his one US Open title and two Wimbledon crowns if not for the presence of the 'big three' of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The Scot has lost five grand slam finals to Djokovic and one to Federer.
Schwartzman says the importance of preparation is the main thing he learned from being on tour with those three greats, though he refused to say who was the greatest of all time.
"I know them very well, playing them on court, outside of the court," the Argentine added. "The good thing for me and many guys who share the tournaments with them is how differently they prepare the tournaments.
"How differently they do things with food, with practice, with everything. It's crazy.
"I think, okay, 'in one small way he's the best to do this side of the game', and then the other one is the best [at another aspect], so it's not my thing, who the GOAT is."
Beatriz Haddad Maia and Madison Keys have both progressed to the quarter-finals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
American Keys, seeded fourth, surged clear of China’s Wang Xinyu in a dominant second set to prevail 7-5 6-0, only being broken once in the match.
Haddad Maia, meanwhile, fought back from losing the first three games to defeat Emma Navarro 6-4 7-6 (7-1) in a keenly contested battle.
Second seed Haddad Maia will face Liudmila Samsonova in the last eight, while Keys will take on either Ekaterina Alexandrova or Magda Linette at the WTA 500 event.
Top seed Marketa Vondrousova and two-time tournament winner Elina Svitolina are among the other players due to play later on Wednesday.
Data Debrief: Haddad Maia shows resilience
The battling win for Haddad Maia lasted two hours and 16 minutes, with Navarro pushing the Brazilian all the way.
Navarro forced 17 break points on Haddad Maia’s serve across the two sets and converted six of them, but still fell to defeat.
Haddad Maia now leads the head-to-head against Navarro 2-1, having also beaten her at the Madrid Open last month as part of her run to the last eight in Spain.
Jaylen Brown hailed the Boston Celtics' never-say-die attitude after his last-gasp 3-pointer teed up their overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Indiana Pacers were just 6.1 seconds away from a 117-114 road win in the opening game of the series on Tuesday, only for Brown to sink a 3 over Pascal Siakam from the corner to level things up.
Two Tyrese Haliburton free throws put the Pacers back in front in overtime, but Jayson Tatum scored 10 of his game-high 36 points in the additional period as Boston triumphed 133-128.
Jrue Holiday supported Tatum with 28 points, while Brown added 26. All three players finished with three steals apiece as Indiana committed 21 turnovers.
Speaking after the dramatic finale, Brown said: "Welcome to the NBA playoffs! You've just got to manage your emotions. Anything can happen.
"It's not over until the final buzzer sounds. It's not over until it’s over. We found a way to win the game at the very end."
Holiday echoed those sentiments, adding: "We've seen crazy stuff happen all the time.
"We don't think we've lost a game until we've actually lost the game. That's part of the reason why we were so resilient towards the end.
"A couple of turnovers, a great shot, a great look by JB, or at the other end if we make a couple other shots that were wide open it could be a completely different game.
"We're just the type of team that's going to keep on fighting no matter how long and no matter what it takes."
The Celtics host Game 2 on Thursday as they target a first NBA Finals appearance since 2021-22, when they were runners-up to the Golden State Warriors.
Asked how Boston will approach Game 2, Tatum said: "Don't relax, it'll be different circumstances. The first two rounds we won our Game 1 by a wide margin, so maybe human nature played into that.
"But tonight being a close game, going into overtime, we certainly felt like we should have won and we could have played better."
Ranger Suarez struck out 10 to become the majors’ first nine-game winner and the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Texas Rangers 5-2 on Tuesday.
Suarez allowed one run on five hits over seven innings with two walks. Since a no-decision in his first start of the season, the left-hander is 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA in his last nine starts.
Suarez is the first pitcher to go undefeated with a sub-1.50 ERA and at least 65 strikeouts over his first 10 appearances of a season.
Jeff Hoffman gave up Corey Seager’s home run in the eighth but Matt Strahm retired Nathaniel Lowe on a sharp line drive to left with two runners on to end the inning and preserve Philadelphia’s 3-2 lead.
Jose Alvarado pitched the ninth for his ninth save.
Bryce Harper hit his 11th home run and Alec Bohm drove in a pair of runs – his NL-best 44th – as the Phillies won for the ninth time in 11 games to improve the best record in the majors to 35-14.
The Rangers have lost eight of 10 to drop under .500 (24-25) for the first time this season.
Witt leads streaking Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. hit a pair of home runs and drove in six runs as the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to five with a 10-3 rout of the Detroit Tigers.
Witt hit a 468-foot, three-run homer in the second inning off Casey Mize and added a solo shot leading off the sixth. He also had an RBI single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the third.
Kansas City had six extra-base hits and have had at least one in all 50 games this season, one game shy of the franchise record set in 1978.
Maikel Garcia tied a career high with four hits and scored three runs. He extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Guardians edge Mets to stay hot
Jose Ramirez homered and drove in three runs and the Cleveland Guardians held on for their fifth straight victory, 7-6 over the New York Mets.
David Fry added his first career pinch-hit home run as the Guardians won their sixth in a row at home and improved the majors’ fourth-best record to 32-17.
Ramirez has driven in 34 runs in his last 34 games to take over the American League lead with 44.
Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte hit two-run homers and Mark Vientos had a solo blast for the Mets, who have lost the first two games of the series to drop to 3-9 since May 10.
Nick Sandlin got two outs in the fifth in relief of starter Xzavion Curry for the win and Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his MLB-best 15th save in 18 chances.
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