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Oilers: “Not Dead Yet”

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EDMONTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to help the Edmonton Oilers avoid elimination with an 8-1 win against the visiting Florida Panthers on Saturday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

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Game 5 is set for Tuesday in South Florida.

Dylan Holloway had two goals and an assist and Mattias Janmark had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. Adam Henrique, Darnell Nurse, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan McLeod also scored, while Stuart Skinner made 32 saves.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped just 11 of 16 shots before he was replaced by Anthony Stolarz, who finished with 16 saves for Florida.

The Oilers never trailed, building a 3-1 lead in the first period.

Jeff Van Gundy in Demand

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics are reportedly considering moving Jeff Van Gundy from his senior consultant role to one courtside, but they may not be alone in a desire for Van Gundy’s services.

While the Celtics are exploring making Van Gundy an assistant coach, the Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly interested in doing the same, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein, via Substack.

Stein reported Friday that the Clippers have a “strong interest” in Van Gundy as an assistant coach, and that L.A. has “a strong chance at succeeding in that pursuit after the NBA Finals are complete.”

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is already very familiar with Van Gundy, having been coached by Van Gundy on the Houston Rockets in 2004. The two were also together on the Team USA staff at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The Celtics are likely eager to keep Van Gundy on board. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla has sung the praises of Van Gundy’s work using a “non-biased perspective” to help the organization.

Additionally, the Celtics already know they’ll lose top assistant Charles Lee, who accepted the head coaching position with the Charlotte Hornets, and could lose veteran assistant Sam Cassell, who has been interviewed for multiple head coaching openings.

The Celtics can claim a record 18th NBA title if they win Friday night’s Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Van Gundy, 62, compiled a 430-318 record as head coach of the New York Knicks and the Rockets.

–Field Level Media

MLB: Yanks Visit Sox at Fenway Tonight

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BOSTON – After a series victory over the National League-leading Philadelphia Phillies, the Boston Red Sox will look to continue the momentum against the American League-leading New York Yankees as a three-game set begins Friday night. The AL East archrivals will be meeting for the first time this season. The series opener in Boston will be the 70th game for the Red Sox and the 72nd for the Yankees.

The Red Sox have won three of their past four games after winning the final two games of the three-game series against the Phillies. Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run home run while Jarren Duran and Enmanuel Valdez hit two doubles apiece to power Boston to a 9-3 win on Thursday.

“We’ve got a good team,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’re gonna lose some games and we’re gonna win some games. I know everybody thought the must-win was Sunday in Chicago (against the White Sox) because they have the worst record in baseball. We don’t see it that way. We show up every day and work hard.”

The Red Sox had 14 hits in the finale against Philadelphia, including five straight during a four-run second inning against Phillies ace Aaron Nola. Duran, whose two-run double capped the frame, produced his seventh game with multiple extra-base hits this season.

“We were finding barrels and hitting the ball hard,” O’Neill said. “It was awesome to see.”

Brayan Bello (6-3, 4.78 ERA) is scheduled to start for Boston on Friday. He took a loss Saturday against the White Sox after allowing five runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Bello is 2-2 with a 1.45 ERA in five career starts against New York.

The Yankees’ four-game winning streak was snapped with a 4-3, walk-off loss to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. New York also saw its eight-game road win streak come to an end.

Kansas City was up 2-0 until Anthony Rizzo homered, Anthony Volpe drove in a run with a groundout and Juan Soto hit an RBI single to put New York in front in a three-run eighth.

“All losses hurt, especially when you’re up and you’re leading, but then again, (the Royals) are also professionals,” New York left-hander Nestor Cortes said after his Thursday start.

The Red Sox will face Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (8-1, 2.04 ERA), who had won seven straight starts before taking a no-decision Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 5 2/3 innings during his latest outing.

“In the small time I’ve seen him, he lives for those moments,” Yankees star Aaron Judge said. “I look forward to more.”

The Yankees are 11-2 in Gil’s starts this season. He had thrown at least six innings and given up no more than one run in each of his previous seven outings, a feat that no Yankees pitcher had accomplished.

With Gil returning from Tommy John surgery, his innings — currently at 75 — are being monitored.

“We’re not putting any kind of a limit on him, but there may be a natural one that happens,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But I don’t necessarily think that’s our expectation.”

 

Celtics on the Brink of Banner 18

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum poured in 31 points and Jaylen Brown supplied 30 as the Celtics held off a late rally by the Dallas Mavericks for a 106-99 victory on Wednesday night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

By taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, Boston pulled within one victory of its 18th title in franchise history. The Celtics will have a chance to complete the sweep on Friday when they face the Mavericks in Dallas for Game 4.

Tatum bounced back on Wednesday after combining for just 34 points in Games 1 and 2. Brown added eight rebounds and eight assists for Boston, which also got 16 points from Derrick White. Big man Kristaps Porzingis (lower leg) didn’t play after getting injured in the third quarter of Game 2.

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Like Tatum, Kyrie Irving made up for a lackluster showing in each of the first two games of the series, and he paced the Mavericks with a game-high 35 points. Luka Doncic went for 27 points, six boards and six assists, but he dealt a critical blow to Dallas’ comeback hopes by fouling out with 4:12 left in the game.

The Mavericks challenged the foul on Doncic, but the call stood, forcing him from the game.

It looked like the game was over when White drilled a 3-pointer with 11:07 left in the fourth quarter to put the Celtics up 91-70.

But Dallas then took over, rattling off 28 of the next 37 points to get within 100-98 following a Dereck Lively II dunk with 1:20 to go.

Brown made sure Boston never let the Mavericks draw even, though, and his mid-range jumper at the top of the key made it a four-point game with 1:01 remaining. P.J. Washington and Irving both missed 3-point attempts down the stretch before two free throws from White and two more from Tatum put the finishing touches on the victory.

Doncic’s layup had the Mavericks within six, 71-65, with 5:11 left in the third quarter. The Celtics answered with a 7-0 spurt and later took an 85-70 lead into the fourth.

After Dallas led by as many as 13 in the opening 12 minutes, neither team led by more than four in the second quarter. The first half ended with the Mavericks clinging to a 51-50 edge behind 20 points from Irving.

Boston outshot Dallas 46.3 percent to 44.2 percent for the game.

– Field Level Media

Porzingis Out, Day-to-Day

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis missed Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night due to a lower left leg injury. The team ruled Porzingis out about 90 minutes prior to tipoff.

“The medical team and the staff just decided that it wasn’t what was best for him (to play) today,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said during his pregame availability.

Porzingis had missed Boston’s 10 games leading up to the Finals due to a calf strain, but he returned for Games 1 and 2 against Dallas, helping the Celtics build a 2-0 series lead. However, at the 3:27 mark of the third quarter of Game 2 on Sunday, Porzingis sustained a dislocation of his left posterior tibialis tendon.

The new injury has no relation to the calf strain.

In the first two games of the Finals, Porzingis averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. He played 21 minutes in Game 1 and 23 in Game 2, coming off the bench both times.

Porzingis, 28, had averages of 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks across 57 games (all starts) during the regular season. Boston acquired the big man in a trade with the Washington Wizards this past offseason.

Porzingis also played for the Mavericks from 2019-22.

–Field Level Media

NBA Legend Jerry West, 86

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jerry West, a Hall of Fame basketball player, legendary team executive and the inspiration/image for the silhouette NBA logo, died on Wednesday morning. He was 86.

West won nine NBA championships as a player, scout, coach, executive and consultant during a storied career that spanned eight decades. Nicknamed “Mr. Clutch,” West was an All-Star during each season of his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping the club win the title in 1971-72.

The initial announcement of West’s death came from the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.

“This is a hard day,” stated Clippers team owner and governor Steve Ballmer. “I am honored to call Jerry a confidant, an advisor and a friend. Connie, my wife, called him my ‘basketball dad.’ He was absolutely my basketball sage: wise, loyal and so much fun. If you were in his presence, you felt his competitiveness and his drive. He cared about everything and everyone.

“From the first day I met Jerry seven years ago, he inspired me with his intellect, honesty and enthusiasm. He never stopped. I spent a lot of time with him, some of the best times of my life. He always lent an ear, and he always had a quip. He always left me laughing. I will miss him.”

West was named the MVP for the 1969 NBA Finals despite playing on a losing team. He scored 42 points in Game 7, however the Lakers fell to the rival Boston Celtics.

A 12-time All-NBA selection, West found much more success after retiring from a career on the court.

He helped the “Showtime” Lakers win five titles in the 1980s and oversaw the formation of the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant tandem. In a rebirth of the franchise’s glory days, the All-NBA duo led the Lakers to three straight titles (2000-02).

West became an adviser for the Clippers in 2017, and the club reached the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history in 2021. He was a two-time executive of the year.

He went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again 30 years later as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team. He also was name to the Hall as a contributor.

–Field Level Media

Note: Jerry West is pictured in the NBA at 75 celebration, front row, third from left.

Twelve Invited to ’24 NBA Draft

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NBA invited 12 players to attend the first round of the June 26 draft in Brooklyn, ESPN reported Wednesday. Another 11 or 12 invitations for draftees to attend the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft and have special seating behind the scenes in the green room will be sent out starting next week, according to the report.

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The first wave of invitees includes Matas Buzelis, Devin Carter, Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Ron Holland, Dalton Knecht, Zaccharie Risacher, Tidjane Salaun, Alex Sarr, Reed Sheppard, Ja’Kobe Walter and Cody Williams.

All 12 of those players are projected lottery picks, according to ESPN’s most recent mock draft.

The 2024 NBA Draft is being held over two days, with the first round taking place at Barclays Center and the second round on June 27 at ESPN’s Manhattan studio.

–Field Level Media

Kelce’s Invest in Small Batch Brew

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COLUMBUS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – For the first time, Jason and Travis Kelce are teaming up as significant owners and operators of a business – and of course, it is with one of the fastest growing beer brands in the country, Garage Beer! The small batch brewed, classic light beer was founded in their home state of Ohio and has been growing rapidly across the country.

Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce team up as significant owners and operators of Garage Beer (Garage Beer via PR Newswire).

The Kelce brothers are passionate about their beer and their business and have talked for years about partnering together in the beverage category. With this passion, they wanted to be thoughtful and find the right opportunity with the highest quality brewery and brand that aligned with their values of how a business should be run. And most importantly, a company built to serve the customer. Jason and Travis believe that beer should be fun, and they want to partner with a brand that embodies the spirit of a neighborhood feel, a light beer all will enjoy. Serendipitously, through a prior relationship, the Kelces’ learned about Garage Beer and for the past two years have been laying the groundwork to join forces with the company.

The brothers join Garage as significant investors, partners, owners, and operators. Jason and Travis will be involved in every aspect of the business, including brewing, distribution, sales, marketing, and national expansion efforts. Retail displays will be in stores shortly along with social content, billboards, and other promotional activities.

The Garage Beer recipe was originally created in Cincinnati, Ohio (where Jason and Travis both played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats) and the business headquarters is now just north in Columbus, Ohio. The beer is currently sold in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia, Idaho, Montana, and New Jersey… with planned expansion into dozens of new states this year.

“People crave quality and simplicity, and Garage Beer nails both for me. We are light beer drinkers and Garage is the best light beer,” said Jason Kelce. “For me, the brand fits my lifestyle, and having a few beers is a great excuse to get the neighbors together.”

“It comes down to quality for me. I think everyone knows I like to have a couple beers now and then, so being an owner of Garage Beer and heavily involved in making the best light beer is exciting, man! There is nothing better to bring people together than an ice-cold beer, and for Jason and me that is what beer is all about – friends, family and fun. I have worked with Andy for years and I really trust the team and their approach to running the business. We look forward to taking Garage Beer to the next level,” added Travis Kelce.

“We want a beer that tastes like beer and one that keeps the stories alive in the neighborhood. Garage prides ourselves on small batch brewing and a commitment to quality. Ever since our first conversation with Travis and Jason, it was clear we had similar opinions about beer, but they also had brilliant, and very funny, business sensibility. Our team better be on their toes now,” quipped Garage Beer co-owner Andy Sauer. “The garage is a symbol for building stronger communities one beer at a time, and I think we can all use more time with friends, family, and neighbors to talk, smile, laugh, and enjoy that time together.”

Porzingis Hurt, Day-to-Day

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg at 3:27 of the third quarter of Game 2. The injury, considered rare, is unrelated to Porzingis’s prior right calf injury.

After consultation with numerous specialists regarding this injury, his availability for upcoming games will be determined day-to-day.

Top Dog for Boston? Who Cares?

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Dallas Mavericks Playing Those Mind Games

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Prior to the Celtics’ 105-98 victory over the Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, Dallas coach Jason Kidd seemingly tried to pit Boston stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown against each other.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Kidd referred to Brown as the Celtics’ best player. Both Brown and Tatum were unfazed by the remark, but it later became evident that Boston coach Joe Mazzulla took it to heart.

“I’m really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball,” Mazzulla said following Sunday’s win. “Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor, is the most important thing.”

Brown scored 21 points and Tatum finished with 18 to go along with 12 assists and nine rebounds in Game 2. However, it was Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard that ended up stealing the spotlight.

Holiday supplied team highs in points with 26 and rebounds with 11, while White sealed the victory by ferociously blocking P.J. Washington’s dunk attempt with 50.5 seconds left in regulation to prevent Dallas from pulling within 103-100. Pritchard gave the Celtics a lift as the buzzer sounded in the third quarter, banking in a 34-foot 3-pointer to put Boston up by nine.

And those plays didn’t go unnoticed by the man who was anointed as the Celtics’ best player just one day earlier.

“We got a lot of weapons on our team, so we just got to trust what we’ve been doing all season long, trust our game plan,” Brown said. “I thought we had a bunch of great looks. If you go back and look in the first half, Sam (Hauser) had a bunch of great looks, D-White had some looks that didn’t go down.

“But we didn’t panic. We kept guarding, we stayed in the game and we kept trusting it and we made enough (Sunday) to win the game. But we expect to shoot the ball better going forward when we get on the road.”

The series now shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Wednesday, but playing as the visitor has presented few challenges for Boston. The Celtics are 6-0 on the road during the playoffs, and they have won 22 of their past 27 games away from home dating back to the regular season.

“They haven’t lost a game since May something, right? Yeah, they’re hot,” Kidd said of the Celtics. “And not just on the road, but at home. We’ve got to protect home, and that’s it. We’ve got to find a way, continue, again, to build on our defense. Our defense put us in a position to win (Sunday). Unfortunately, our offense didn’t help us.”

Kidd is hoping guard Kyrie Irving can get back on track, as the former Celtic has scored just 28 points on 13-of-37 shooting (35.1 percent) through the first two games of the Finals.

Boston fans were jawing at Irving any time he touched the ball in Games 1 and 2, a reaction stemming from Irving’s decision to leave the Celtics for the Brooklyn Nets once free agency hit in June 2019.

“You have to accept the ups and downs of this. That’s, I would say, the toughest challenge when you’re in a series,” Irving said. “You want to play extremely well, especially when you’re playing in a Finals. … (Sunday’s loss) wasn’t all on me, but I’m definitely taking the majority of it because my teammates look to me to convert a lot of these shots and ease the burden of not just Luka (Doncic) but everyone else and settle our team.

“We definitely made our dinner on the defensive end, but now offensively I have to play better.”

Doncic posted a triple-double on Sunday, racking up 32 points, 11 boards and 11 assists. Washington had 17 points and Irving chipped in 16.

“At the end of the day, it’s basketball, away or home,” Doncic said. “We’ve just got to play better basketball to win.”

– Field Level Media