Sports
Cavaliers out to avenge loss, cool off red-hot Celtics
Nov 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) controls the ball while Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images While Cleveland heads into Sunday’s home matchup with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics sporting the league’s best record, the Cavaliers also come in trying to avoid a three-game losing streak.
Cleveland had its 15-game winning streak to open the season interrupted in its last meeting with Boston, a 120-117 win for the host Celtics on Nov. 19. The Cavaliers recovered with a pair of wins over Toronto and New Orleans, but fell in meetings with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and Friday.
A 20-point, 22-assist game from Trae Young on Wednesday powered Atlanta to 135 points, the most Cleveland has allowed this season. The Hawks followed the 11-point win in Cleveland with a 16-point rout of the Cavaliers on Friday in Atlanta.
The consecutive losses dropped Cleveland to 17-3, tied with Boston for the NBA’s best mark in the loss column. The Cavaliers maintain the league’s best winning percentage at .850 but are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since last April.
“Our defensive engagement was good,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said, contrasting Friday’s loss with Wednesday’s. “(But) our offense kind of tanked. It’s hard to be mad at our guys. They’ve been phenomenal offensively.”
The Cavaliers ranked No. 20 in points per game a season ago with 112.6. In their first season under Atkinson as coach, they lead the NBA in scoring at 122.4.
Friday’s contest was Cleveland’s lowest-scoring output of the season despite 29 points from Darius Garland and 24 from Evan Mobley. Donovan Mitchell managed less than half of his season average (24.1) with 12, while 14.5-point per game scorer Jarrett Allen managed just six.
The Cavaliers look to get back on track against a Celtics team riding a seven-game winning streak. The Celtics, averaging the NBA’s second-highest point-per-game output at 121.2, have bookended their streak with 139 points in a rout at Brooklyn on Nov. 13 and 138 points in a win Friday at Chicago.
Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Boston’s nine-point defeat of the Bulls. He is averaging 28.7 points, which includes his 33-point performance in the win over the Cavaliers.
In Friday’s NBA Cup win, Boston also got a huge performance off the bench from Payton Pritchard. His 29 points (19 in the fourth quarter) came on the heels of a 20-point outing in the Celtics’ 126-94 home blowout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
“The key to him is he finds different ways to impact games. He’s grown as a player over the course of his career,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Pritchard. “He’s a complete player. I know it sounds weird, but he’s one of the best three-level scorers I’ve seen for his size, and he’s just a high-level competitor.”
At 15.6 points per game, Pritchard is one of five Celtics averaging more than 12 points along with Tatum, Jaylen Brown (24.7), Derrick White (18.3) and Jrue Holiday (12.1).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lionel Messi's brace helps Inter Miami slay Rapids in front of huge crowd
Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) kicks and scores a penalty kick in the first half against the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Lionel Messi recorded a brace and German Berterame added a tally on a header as Inter Miami earned a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in Denver.
Messi scored the go ahead goal in the 79th minute. He started a run just inside midfield and went unchallenged until the box where he blasted a shot into the upper part of the left corner for a 3-2 lead.
Rafael Navarro and Darren Yapi each scored a goal for Colorado (4-4-0, 12 points) in a contest played in front of 75,824, the second-largest crowd in MLS history.
Miami (4-1-3, 15 points) took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute after Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen’s pass was intercepted by Yannick Bright. Josh Atencio offered a hard challenge and drew a yellow card after video review.
Messi took the resulting penalty kick and rolled a shot straight down the middle as Miami took a 1-0 lead.
Colorado had a solid look at the goal when midfielder Wayne Frederick attempted a one-touch lob shot. Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair sprinted well beyond the penalty arc to head away a loose ball, but Frederick’s attempt sailed over the open net.
In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Miami extended its lead to 2-0 as it connected on a series of passes deep in their attacking third. Messi got the run of play started with a tight touch pass to Rodrigo De Paul.
De Paul sent Mateo Silvetti on a run to the boundary line. His inward-spinning cross floated to the front of the goal where Berterame rose above the Colorado defense and tucked a header under the cross bar.
Navarro’s goal cut the Miami lead to 2-1. He started a run at midfield and used a step-over move to get an open shot a few steps into the box that tucked inside the left post past a diving St. Clair in the 58th minute.
In the 62nd minute, second-half substitute Yapi settled on a direct pass from Lucas Herrington and sizzled a shot past St. Clair for the equalizer.
Miami closed the win playing a man down as Bright was sent off with a red card in the 87th minute.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brice Turang and Brandon Woodruff lead Brewers past Marlins
Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Brice Turang slugged a go-ahead, two-run homer, and Brandon Woodruff pitched seven brilliant innings as the Brewers beat the host Miami Marlins 5-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Abner Uribe inherited a bases-loaded, one-out mess in the ninth. However, he got both batters he faced on only four pitches to record his second save.
Turang went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for Milwaukee, which won its season-high fourth consecutive game.
Woodruff (2-0) allowed just three hits — all singles — one walk and one run, lowering his ERA to 3.42. He fanned four Marlins.
Miami has lost four straight and seven of their past eight games.
Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara (2-2) took the loss, allowing five hits and three runs in five innings. He walked a career-high six batters and struck out just one, a career low in a start of at least five innings for the nine-year veteran.
Miami opened the scoring in the second inning as Liam Hicks singled, advanced on a groundout and scored on Connor Norby’s base knock to center.
Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out in the third on three walks, but Alcantara got the slow-footed Gary Sanchez to bounce into a double play.
The Brewers tied the score in the fourth as Luis Rengifo walked and scored on Brandon Lockridge’s two-out single.
Milwaukee grabbed a 3-1 lead in the fifth as William Contreras grounded a hustle double past two middle infielders and scored on Turang’s 402-foot homer to center. He hit a first-pitch slider for his fourth long ball of the year.
The Brewers extended their lead to 5-1 in the sixth. Garrett Mitchell started the rally with a walk. He stole second, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Sal Frelick. Mitchell was initially called out, but the Brewers won a challenge.
Turang then hit an RBI single to score Joey Ortiz, who had also walked.
Miami threatened in the eighth on a pair of two-out singles by Jakob Marsee and Xavier Edwards. But reliever Jake Woodford got Agustin Ramirez on a groundout, ending the inning.
In the ninth, the Marlins loaded the bases with one out, banging three singles against Woodford. Uribe got Heiberto Hernandez to ground to third base, plating Otto Lopez, then retired Javier Sanoja on a grounder to second.
Hicks and Norby had two hits apiece for Miami.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Matt Fitzpatrick builds 3-shot lead at RBC Heritage, but Scottie Scheffler lurks
Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland at the end of their round during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Another strong finish from England’s Matt Fitzpatrick would put him where he wants to be in the RBC Heritage.
Fitzpatrick turned in a strong stretch on the back nine Saturday to shoot a 3-under-par 68 and keep the lead through three rounds at Hilton Head Island, S.C.
“I felt like I was making good enough swings to make a turnaround on the back nine,” Fitzpatrick said. “Obviously, some nice momentum with the hole-outs on 14 and 15.”
Fitzpatrick moved to 17-under 196 and increased his lead to three shots, but world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler stands as his closest pursuer going into Sunday’s final round.
Fitzpatrick’s eagle 3 on the 15th at Harbour Town Golf Links capped a four-hole stretch that he played at 4 under. He settled down after three bogeys on the front side.
“It’s always satisfying when you can turn it around, particularly if you have not played that well and you are struggling a little bit and not scoring as well as you want,” Fitzpatrick said.
Scheffler shot 64 to climb into second. Brian Harman (63) joined Austria’s Sepp Straka (67) and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim (66) at 13 under.
Fitzpatrick will be aiming for his second victory of the year. He won a month ago at the Valspar Championship, just one week after a runner-up finish at The Players Championship.
Saturday’s turnaround was rewarding.
“I was pleased the way I hit the ball off the tee coming in,” Fitzpatrick said. “Obviously, then just some good putting on that back nine to take advantage of it.”
He rolled in a putt from off the green — 26 feet away — the par-3 14th. On the next hole, he chipped from off the green for the eagle on a shot from just inside 30 feet.
Scheffler sizzled at the start Saturday with birdies on five of the first six holes.
“I was a little bit behind the 8-ball going into today but had a nice round to put myself back in position,” Scheffler said. “… As you start kind of getting back into contention, I think that’s always fun.”
Fitzpatrick said he understands there will be a pro-Scheffler tone in Sunday’s galleries.
“We’re in America, so I wouldn’t expect any different,” Fitzpatrick said. “Yeah, they’ve got to support their guy, and that’s totally fine.”
Harman became the clubhouse leader before the final groups reached the round’s midway mark. Harman began the day in 27th place, but he posted birdies on the final three holes to be the first to finish at 13 under.
“Just tried to keep the pedal down,” Harman said. “It’s going to take a low number to win. The weather is going to turn a little bit (Sunday), so it was nice to get out there with some good conditions.”
Still, Harman said the setup could work to his advantage.
“You really have to think your way around this place,” he said. “It’s not just a bomb-and-gouge. I’m not a bomber.”
The golfers at 12 under are Andrew Novak (65), Gary Woodland (66), Patrick Cantlay (68), Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (68) and South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter (67).
“I think I kind of got to go in with the same kind of attack mentality as today and get it going, go post a number, and see how guys handle the wind late,” Novak said.
–Field Level Media
