Jayson Tatum had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Payton Pritchard scored 23 points and the Boston Celtics easily got their first win in the Eastern Conference semifinals by routing the New York Knicks 115-93 on Saturday in Game 3.

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder looked very much like the dominant teams they were during the regular season in securing lopsided first-round playoff series wins.

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was so excited about Indiana’s improbable overtime rally that he didn’t realize what led to the postgame scuffle between his teammates and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum has missed a playoff game for the first time in his career.

Francisco Lindor is off to a smashing start for a change, and he picked up right where he left off against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves will try to avoid complacency when they return to action on Tuesday after dominating their first-round playoff series openers.

Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 10 points and 12 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers past the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history to have 35 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high 20 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 126-113.

Mookie Betts is no longer ailing, finally able to keep food down and eating up a storm to pack on the weight that he dropped while battling a stomach virus during the first two weeks of the season.

Framber Valdez pitched seven scoreless innings and Josh Hader struck out Juan Soto with two on to save the Houston Astros' 3-1 win over the New York Mets.

There almost certainly won’t be a $700 million deal for any player in the baseball’s next free agency class, nothing like the record contracts for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and four-time All-Star slugger Juan Soto the past two winters.

San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox will miss the rest of the season with a finger injury.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says his proposal for a long-term contract with the Toronto Blue Jays was for less than $600 million.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was ruled out of Monday's game against Chicago with an injured left knee.

Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in his spring training debut with the Boston Red Sox, launching a drive over the left-field wall in the second inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Slick-fielding shortstop Geraldo Perdomo has agreed to a $45 million, four-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks that begins in 2026.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t swung a bat in three or four weeks and isn’t sure whether he will be ready for opening day because of painful tendinitis in both elbows.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is uncertain for opening day because of chronic tendinitis in both elbows.

Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul made history on All-Star Saturday night.

The Detroit Tigers are expecting Alex Cobb to miss the start of the season.

Pete Rose may be on baseball’s permanently ineligible list, but the late hit king’s No. 14 will be on Cincinnati Reds’ uniforms this year.

Caitlin Clark is going to wait until Indianapolis hosts the WNBA All-Star weekend to enter her first 3-point contest.

Anthony Davis had 42 points and 23 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers used a huge first quarter from the All-Star center to build a 23-point lead before beating the Charlotte Hornets 112-107 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

The Phoenix Suns currently employ one of the best scorers in NBA history, a four-time All-Star, a three-time All-Star, a coach who has won a championship and several veteran, accomplished role players.

Bradley Beal made the most of the unfamiliar role of substitute for the Phoenix Suns.

David Wright’s No. 5 will be retired by the New York Mets before a July 19 game against Cincinnati.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is the early leader in fan balloting for the NBA All-Star Game, and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers seems well on his way toward extending his record and getting picked for a 21st time.

Andrew McCutchen is sticking around to see if the Pittsburgh Pirates can finish the climb back to contention.

John Wall was at the G League Winter Showcase last year, trying out, hoping to get back in the game.

Nathan Eovaldi and the Texas Rangers have finalized a $75 million, three-year contract that keeps him in their starting rotation.

The Texas Rangers and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi have agreed on a $75 million, three-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press.

Nolan Arenado is open to a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, at age 33 wanting to be on a World Series contender.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract Sunday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that right-hander Shane Bieber is returning to the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts and undergoing Tommy John surgery last season.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $63 million, three-year contract.

Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, has died.

Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher CC Sabathia are among 14 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot, joining 14 holdovers led by reliever Billy Wagner.

The NBA is considering going to a tournament-style event for the All-Star Game, similar to what has been used in the Rising Stars competition in recent years.

Left-handers Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox have been selected Major League Baseball’s Comeback Players of the Year.

Thousands of fans have streamed into Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati despite steady rain to pay respects to Pete Rose.

Philadelphia 76ers All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss the season opener against Milwaukee and could miss more games as they return from injuries.

For DeMar DeRozan, this path toward improved mental health started with writing a tweet.

José Ramírez's late home run in Game 2 of the ALCS was a positive sign for the Cleveland Guardians.

Pitcher Alex Cobb has been dropped from the Cleveland Guardians AL Championship Series roster after getting hurt in the opener and has been replaced by fellow right-hander Ben Lively, the team’s winningest pitcher during the regular season.

Philadelphia 76ers prized free agent acquisition Paul George left Monday’s preseason game against Atlanta with a hyperextended left knee.

The Detroit Tigers plan to put right-hander Keider Montero on the mound against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 3 of their AL Division Series on Wednesday, when one team will earn an edge in the best-of-five series.

Salvador Perez homered leading off the fourth inning to spark a four-run rally against Carlos Rodón, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 4-2 to even their AL Division Series at one game apiece.

The San Francisco Giants have hired former All-Star catcher Buster Posey as their president of baseball operations and fired Farhan Zaidi.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick in a franchise-altering deal.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez spent part of his day off playing an impromptu game of Wiffle ball with a bunch of kids in Kansas City, Kansas.

Indianapolis will host the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse next July.

Juan Soto has hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, connecting in three consecutive at-bats for the New York Yankees against the Chicago White Sox.

Mookie Betts is returning to right field and adjusting to a new spot in the lineup after missing nearly two months with a broken left hand.

The Chicago White Sox have fired manager Pedro Grifol, two days after the team ended a 21-game losing streak that tied the American League record.

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, San Diego added All-Star closer Tanner Scott, and Arizona, Baltimore and Pittsburgh made significant deals for the stretch run ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The WNBA All-Star Game drew a record number of viewers with 3.44 million people watching the contest in Phoenix on Saturday night.

There is no panic in the U.S. women’s Olympic team.

WNBA players have amped up their clothes game, garnering attention off the court for their pregame fashion choices.

Major League Baseball’s three-day amateur draft concluded on Tuesday, with the 30 teams blazing through 300 picks in less than 3 1/2 hours.

The WNBA heads into its monthlong Olympic break following this weekend’s highly anticipated list of All-Star festivities.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez is set for his first All-Star Game appearance as the replacement for Chris Sale.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes allowed no hits through seven innings against the Milwaukee Brewers but left-hander Colin Holderman started the eighth and gave up a single to the first batter, Jake Bauers.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will team up on the WNBA All-Star team to play against the U.S. Olympic team led by A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum spent part of his Father’s Day thinking about how his son made him a better person — and probably a better basketball player, too.

The Houston Astros have released José Abreu, cutting ties with the former AL MVP less than halfway through a three-year, $58.5 million contract.

Kyrie Irving returning to Boston.

Jorge López has been cut by the struggling New York Mets, a day after the reliever threw his glove into the stands following his ejection at Citi Field.

José Berríos turned 30 years old on Monday, giving up an obscure crown in the process.

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Jayson Tatum scored 33 points with LeBron James watching from a courtside seat and the Boston Celtics beat the severely short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 109-102 in Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their East semifinal series.

Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell missed Game 4 against the Boston Celtics on Monday with a left calf injury, a devastating loss that will make it even tougher for Cleveland to get back in the series.

When Willson Contreras was struck on his left arm by a swing, it was felt by former and current catchers all over the major leagues.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Sunday’s Game 4 of a first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks because of right knee inflammation.

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.

Honored by the New York Mets with the retirement of his No. 16 on Sunday, Dwight Gooden recounted how his career in Queens was cut short by drugs and alcohol, forcing him to sign across town ahead of the 1996 seasons.

Jrue Holiday agreed to terms on a four-year, $135 million contract extension with the Celtics, his agent Jason Glushon confirmed.

Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story exited Boston’s game against the Angels in the fourth inning after injuring his left shoulder on a backhand dive to stop a hit by Mike Trout.

Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $140 million, 10-year contract, raising the team’s spending to nearly $1.4 billion for five key players since December.

After the Dodgers and Padres soft-launched the 2024 MLB season with a two-game series in South Korea last week, the rest of the league was scheduled to start play Thursday.

Former New York Mets and Yankees star Darryl Strawberry is recovering from a heart attack and is at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital.

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz is set to appear in a game for the first time since tearing a patellar tendon during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes will be sidelined indefinitely after he broke the middle finger on his left hand during the first half of Friday night’s loss to Golden State.

The Atlanta Hawks have lost All-Star point guard Trae Young for at least four weeks with a torn ligament in his left pinkie finger.

One National League All-Star right-hander is getting the largest contract ever for a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher.

Mac McClung has won his second straight NBA Slam Dunk Contest by grabbing the ball out of Shaquille O’Neal’s hands and leaping over him to draw five perfect scores on his final attempt.

In Adam Silver’s eyes, the NBA’s new 65-game policy is working.

A person with direct knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that free agent outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler has agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants.

Money can buy lots of things, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a pair of Japanese superstars that set the Los Angeles Dodgers back more than $1 billion.

The New York Liberty are bringing their core group back and trying to add another piece with prized free agent Nneka Ogwumike, while Seattle signed Skylar Diggins-Smith as WNBA free agency tipped off.

Indiana State Police arrested two-time NBA champion Rajon Rondo on Sunday in southern Indiana on misdemeanor gun and drug charges.

Saddiq Bey dunked in a Trae Young miss with 1.1 seconds left to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a 126-125 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer have been elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame while Billy Wagner and Gary Sheffield fell short.

Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton appeared on track to gain election to Cooperstown on Tuesday, while Billy Wagner was likely to be right around the needed 75% threshold and Gary Sheffield was projected to fall short.

Golden State bad boy Draymond Green was ejected once again on Tuesday night after hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face while the two were battling for position in the third quarter during a game against the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant moved into the top 10 in scoring in NBA history Friday night when a layup gave him 27,411 career points.

There are a few surprises who have played their way into the early season MVP conversations, joining the list usual list of NBA stars that includes Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.

Chris Paul’s return to Phoenix ended in the second quarter on Wednesday night after the 12-time All-Star was ejected by his old nemesis: referee Scott Foster.

Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, David Wright, José Bautista and Matt Holliday are among 12 new candidates on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released Monday.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will be out for at least the next three weeks as he continues to recover from a low back strain that has kept him out for the majority of the season.