What a contentious weekend. We expect people to smack each other around in boxing (more about that in a moment), but a big baseball fight led to six suspensions and a basketball injury led to accusations that it was done deliberately. We’ll catch you up:
BASKETBALL
The Cleveland Cavaliers completed their four-game playoff sweep of the Boston Celtics on Sunday but it may cost them forward Kevin Love for a while. Love dislocated his left shoulder when he and Boston’s Kelly Olynyk got tangled up and Olynyk wrenched Love’s arm. Love said he thought it was deliberate and called it a “bush-league move.” There was plenty of other pushing, shoving and elbowing in that game. … Also in the NBA playoffs, the Washington Wizards swept the Toronto Raptors, beating them 125-94 in Game 4 on Sunday. Six Wizards scored in double figures. The Golden State Warriors completed their sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
HOCKEY
The Calgary Flames escaped the first round of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2004, a 4-2 win on Sunday sealing a six-game triumph over the Vancouver Canucks. A 2-0 victory by Montreal eliminated the Ottawa Senators in six games and sent the Canadiens on to the next round. And, also to win in six games, the Minnesota Wild beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1. The Chicago Blackhawks advanced on Saturday by beating the Nashville Predators in six.
BOXING
Wladimir Klitschko defended his heavyweight title successfully for the 18th time, winning a unanimous decision over Bryant Jennings at Madison Square Garden. Klitschko is 64-3.
BASEBALL
Alex Rodriguez hit his 659th career home run on Sunday in the New York Yankees’ 6-4 win over the New York Mets. He is one shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time list. The Yankees took two of three from the Mets in the Subway Series. … Six players were suspended as a result of a Thursday night brawl between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox. Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura got a seven-game ban – the harshest of the penalties.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .
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