Photo by Thunder Wire
CLIPPERS CAN’T HANDLE THE PAYNE AS SUNS GO UP 2-0
Deandre Ayton slammed home an alley-oop pass with just 0.7-seconds remaining as the Suns slipped past the Clippers 104-103 in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals in Phoenix. Murray State Hall of Famer Cameron Payne went off for a career-high 29 points to go with nine assists as he started again in place of Chris Paul, who missed his second straight game due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Ayton finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Devin Booker added 20 points for the Suns, who take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set. Game Three is Thursday in Los Angeles.
RACER SOCCER RELEASES 2021 SCHEDULE
The Murray State soccer team announced its 2021 fall schedule yesterday which features eight home games at Cutchin Field. The Racers get things started with an August 10 exhibition at Evansville followed by an August 12 home exhibition against Samford. MSU begins the regular season at Cutchin Field on August 19 against Missouri State. The Racers will play at Florida Atlantic on September 4 and Florida International on September 5, before playing at Indiana on September 9 and Kentucky on September 12. MSU has it’s final two non-conference games at home against Southern Illinois on September 19 and Cincinnati on September 26. The Racers begin OVC play when they host Southeast Missouri on September 30. The OVC slate is a total of eight games with the Racers hosting three more games at home against Morehead State, SIUE, and Austin Peay. The regular season champion will host the OVC Tournament semifinals with quarterfinal games played at campus sites.
JONES INVITED TO NBA COMBINE
Louisville guard Carlik Jones is heading to the NBA Combine. Jones reportedly got the invite after two strong performances at the G League Elite Camp. Jones transferred to Louisville in 2020 following three seasons at Radford.
CARDINALS FALL IN DETROIT
Johan Oviedo struggled as the Cardinals fell 8-2 to the Tigers in Detroit. Oviedo gave up six-runs over three and two thirds. Lars Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt each drove in runs for St. Louis. The Cards have dropped four-of-five. The Cardinals will try to split the two game series today with airtime set for 11:15 this morning on Classic Hits, WNBS AM and FM.
VOLS ELIMINATED AT CWS; VANDY FACES STANFORD IN MUST-WIN GAME
Tennessee’s season is over after they lost to Texas 8-4 in an elimination game in the College World Series. The Vols finish the season with a 50-and-18 record. Vandy plays Stanford today at 1 in an elimination game on ESPN.
AREA MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP
In regional minor league baseball, the Louisville Bats walked off the Indians to win 9-5 in Louisville. The Memphis Redbirds lost to the Mud Hens 8-4 in Toledo, and the Nashville Sounds defeated Charlotte 6-3.
THOMAS TO LEAD OLYMPIC GOLF TEAM
A Kentucky native will lead the U.S. men’s golf team at the 2020 Olympic games. Goshen, Kentucky native Justin Thomas is the second ranked player in the world. The U.S. team also includes the third, fourth, and fifth ranked players in the world. The men’s Olympic golf competition is scheduled to be held July 30th through August 2nd at a course just outside of Tokyo.
HAYDEN CHOOSES OHIO STATE
One of Tennessee’s top high school football prospects is leaving the state. Memphis running back Dallan Hayden announced yesterday he’s committed to play for Ohio State. The Christian Brothers High School star chose the Buckeyes over UT and Notre Dame. Dallan’s father Aaron Hayden played for the Volunteers and his mother was a cheerleader for the Vols.
DEALS TONIGHT FOR VACCINATED NASHVILLE SOCCER FANS
Vaccinated fans who attend tonight’s Nashville SC game at Nissan Stadium are eligible for a special incentive. Fans with proof of vaccination at tonight’s match against Toronto FC can get up to 30 percent off select items at the team’s Fanatics merchandise locations. The promotion is the first of two vaccine incentives from the team, with the second on June 26th before Nashville’s home game against C.F. Montreal, where fans can get a voucher book worth 100-dollars. Kick-off for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
NATIONAL SPORTS BRIEFS
The Detroit Pistons are the winners of the NBA Draft Lottery, winning the number one overall pick. Rounding out the top five are the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and the Orlando Magic. The draft will be held July 29th. Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham, USC’s Evan Mobley, and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs highlight the top players available at the top of the draft.
The Canadiens are one step away from the Stanley Cup Final as they beat the Golden Knights 4-1 in Las Vegas in Game Five. Carey Price made 26 saves as the Habs put Vegas on the brink of elimination, going up three-games-to-two in the best-of-seven series. Game Six is Thursday in Montreal. Tonight, the Islanders have a tall task in front of them as they look to prevent elimination against the Lightning. They’re down three-games-to-two as they return to Uniondale for Game Six.
Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi asked for umpires to check Washington starting pitcher Max Scherzer for foreign substances in the fourth inning of the Phillies-Nationals game Tuesday night and was later ejected. Nothing was found by the officials, despite the overt display put on by the Nationals’ right-hander. Shortly after, Scherzer struck out JT Realmuto to end the fifth inning and then stared down Girardi as he was walking off the mound. Girardi then walked out of the dugout and Scherzer held up his glove and hat to taunt him. Girardi got ejected right after he left the dugout.
TUESDAY’S SCOREBOARD
MLB National League
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Washington Nationals 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2
Atlanta Braves 3, New York Mets 0
Milwaukee Brewers 5, Arizona Diamondbacks 0
San Diego Padres 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
MLB American League
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Houston Astros 3, Baltimore Orioles 1
Kansas City Royals 6, New York Yankees 5
Boston Red Sox 9, Tampa Bay Rays 5 (11)
Oakland Athletics 13, Texas Rangers 6
MLB Interleague
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Cincinnati Reds 10, Minnesota Twins 7
Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Chicago White Sox 3
Detroit Tigers 8, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Toronto Blue Jays 2, Miami Marlins 1
Chicago Cubs 7, Cleveland Indians 1
San Francisco Giants 5, Los Angeles Angels 0
Seattle Mariners 2, Colorado Rockies 1
NBA Playoffs
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Phoenix Suns 104, LA Clippers 103
(Suns lead best-of-seven Western Conference Finals, 2-0)
NHL Playoffs
——-
Montreal Canadiens 4, Vegas Golden Knights 1
(Canadiens lead best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series, 3-2)
WNBA
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Connecticut Sun 80, Dallas Wings 70
Chicago Sky 92, New York Liberty 72
Washington Mystics 87, Seattle Storm 83
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE (All Times Are Eastern)
MLB National League
——-
1:05 p.m. – Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies
3:40 p.m. – Milwaukee Brewers at Arizona Diamondbacks
7:10 p.m. – Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
10:10 p.m. – Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres
MLB American League
——-
7:05 p.m. – Houston Astros at Baltimore Orioles
7:05 p.m. – Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
7:10 p.m. – Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays
8:05 p.m. – Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers
MLB Interleague
——-
12:35 p.m. – Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates
1:10 p.m. – St. Louis Cardinals at Detroit Tigers
4:07 p.m. – San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Angels
4:10 p.m. – Colorado Rockies at Seattle Mariners
7:10 p.m. – Toronto Blue Jays at Miami Marlins
NBA Playoffs
——-
8:30 p.m. – Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks
(Game One of best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals)
NHL Playoffs
——-
8:00 p.m. – Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Islanders
(Lightning lead best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series, 3-2)
WNBA
——-
7:00 p.m. – Minnesota Lynx at Atlanta Dream
