>>Heat Beat Celtics To Reach NBA Finals
(Undated) — The NBA Finals matchup is now set. The Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets will take on the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat for the NBA title. Miami cruised to a 103-84 win over the Boston Celtics in Game Seven of the East Finals at TD Garden. Cody Martin erupted for 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead Miami to the series win. Boston shot just 21.4-percent from three-point range as it fell short of its second straight Eastern Conference title. Nikola Jokic [[ yo-kitch ]] and the Nuggets will host Jimmy Butler and the Heat for Game One of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at Ball Arena.
>>76ers Hire Nick Nurse As New Head Coach
(Philadelphia, PA) — The 76ers have found their next head coach. ESPN reports Nick Nurse has agreed to become the new coach of the Sixers. The Phoenix Suns were also interested in Nurse, but the former Raptors head coach chose Philadelphia despite it being “a difficult decision between two contending teams.” Nurse spent five seasons with Toronto and helped guide the team to a 2019 NBA Championship. He also earned coach of the year honors the following season. Nurse was let go from Toronto following a bad season in which the Raptors missed the playoffs. The 76ers dismissed Doc Rivers after blowing a 3-2 series lead and losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
>>Golden Knights Advance To Stanley Cup Final
(Dallas, TX) — The Golden Knights are moving on to the Stanley Cup Final. Las Vegas blew out the Stars 6-0 in the Western Conference Finals from Dallas. Adin Hill stopped all 23 shots to earn the shutout. William Karlsson scored a pair of goals as the Knights dispatched Dallas in six games. The Golden Knights face off against the Panthers in the Cup final. Florida swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals to advance. The puck drops for game one in Las Vegas on Saturday.
>>Ryan Blaney Wins Coca-Cola 600
(Concord, NC) — Ryan Blaney is celebrating a win at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The driver of the number-12 car edged out William Byron for the top spot to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series win since 2021. Byron started the race from the pole after qualifying was rained out over the weekend and recorded his seventh top-five finish of the season. Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five finishers. Last weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race winner Kyle Larson came in 30th. The racers head into World Wide Technology Raceway next Sunday for the Enjoy Illinois 300.
>>French Open Day Two Recap
(Paris) — The action continues on the clay courts at the French Open. Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz and third-seeded Novak Djokovic rolled to straight sets wins in the first round. Frances Tiafoe and Marcos Giron both advanced with victories, while fellow Americans Aleksandar Kovacevic and Brandon Nakashima were each eliminated from the tournament. On the women’s side, Sloane Stephens upset 16th-seeded Karolina Pliskova in straight sets. Twelfth-seeded Belinda Bencic was also ousted in the first round. Americans Madison Keys, Kayla Day, Bernarda Pera and Peyton Stearns all moved on to the second round.