Sports
James Harden comes up clutch, Cavs avoid 0-3 hole vs. Pistons
May 9, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Detroit Pistons during the first half of game three in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Donovan Mitchell had 35 points and 10 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 116-109 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday afternoon.
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers lost the first two games of the series in Detroit but ended the contest on a 12-5 run to remain unbeaten at home this postseason. James Harden came through in the clutch, scoring seven of his 19 points in the final 90 seconds.
“He’s an all-timer,” Pistons star Cade Cunningham said of Harden. “Being an isolation scorer is what he likes doing. Guys get into a rhythm and make shots when he got comfortable.”
Game 4 is Monday in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are 10-1 all-time in the playoffs against the Pistons.
Cunningham posted the second triple-double of his playoff career with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the top-seeded Pistons but committed eight turnovers. Two of his miscues occurred in the final 2:32 — the first when Max Strus stole his inbounds pass and scored to put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 106-104.
Harden took over from there making a jumper, tough pull-up and a 3-pointer, the latter making it 113-109 Cleveland. Cunningham had buried a 3-pointer to pull the Pistons within one before Harden’s 26-footer. Mitchell then iced the win at the foul line with three makes in the last 20 seconds.
“We found a way to defend home court,” Mitchell said. “Collectively, we rebounded and executed — and James Harden does what he does. That’s why he’s here: his scoring, rebounding and passing.”
Jarrett Allen had 18 points and Evan Mobley added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers. Mitchell scored his 1,000th career playoff point in the first quarter.
“Screw the rotations,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We just had to find the five guys who can help us win. I’m usually really strict on that, but in this situation, you’ve got to put your best players on the floor.”
Tobias Harris scored 21 points and gave Detroit its final lead at 100-98 with a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson scored 15 points and Paul Reed had 11 points in 10 minutes off the bench, all in the second half.
“We understand that (Harden) hit some tough shots and made an impact on the game,” Harris stated. “But we can be tougher than that.”
“It’s a series, and we had a great opportunity tonight. You’ve got to give them credit. They made tough shots.”
Reed made a layup to complete a 28-10 run to begin the third for the Pistons, who grabbed a 76-74 lead behind 10 points from Cunningham. Mitchell answered with consecutive hoops as Cleveland moved back in front 83-81 going into the fourth.
The Cavaliers outscored Detroit 32-18 in the second, fueled by 11 points from Mitchell and seven from Mobley to extend their advantage to 64-48. Mitchell scored 20 points and Allen added 13 in the first half, while Cunningham and Harris had 10 apiece.
The second featured a five-point Cleveland possession that saw Harden make a 3-pointer and miss the attached free throw, but Mobley grabbed the team’s first offensive rebound for a slam. The Pistons were called for three offensive fouls in the period.
“In the first half, we got great looks and open shots,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.”They just did not fall for us. We’ve got to make sure we get shots on goal, so we can set our defense and make people have to work through it.”
Allen and Mitchell each scored nine points in the first as Cleveland went up 32-30 on the seventh lead change. Cunningham had six points, five rebounds and four assists for the Pistons, who jumped ahead 12-5 with Mitchell picking up two fouls in the first 2:45.
“Playing basketball in the playoffs with great teammates with great fans means the world,” Mitchell added. “We got one win, we’ve got to get another.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ernie Clement racks up five hits as Blue Jays maul Angels
May 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-Imagn Images Brandon Valenzuela hit a three-run homer to cap a seven-run fifth inning Saturday and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 14-1.
Valenzuela had four hits and Ernie Clement recorded his second career five-hit game, including a solo homer as Toronto rapped out 20 hits to take their second in a row in the three-game series. Jesus Sanchez added a solo homer as Toronto padded statistics against infielder Adam Frazier, who pitched a four-run eighth for the Angels, who have lost four of five to Toronto this season.
Mason Fluharty (2-0) pitched a perfect fifth to pick up the win.
The Angels threatened in the second against Trey Yesavage. Jorge Soler led off with a double to the top of the center field wall. He took third on Yoan Moncada’s ome-out single to right. The inning ended when Addison Barger threw Soler out of the plate on Vaughn Grissom’s flyout to right.
Barger (sprained ankle) was reinstated from the injured list Saturday with Yohendrick Piñango optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
Yesavage lasted four innings, allowing no runs and four hits with six strikeouts.
Toronto scored once in their fourth against Jack Kochanowicz (2-2). Sanchez was hit by a pitch followed by singles from Daulton Varsho and Clement to load the bases with no outs. Andres Gimenez hit a sacrifice fly to the left-field corner.
Toronto scored four more in the fifth against the sloppy Angels. Barger walked and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled. The runners advanced on a wild pitch and Kazuma Okamoto flared an RBI single to left. Sanchez blooped an RBI single that dropped among three fielders down the left-field line. Another run scored when Kochanowicz threw wildly to first on Varsho’s comebacker. Clement grounded an RBI single to left to make it 5-0. Mitch Farris replaced Kochanowicz and allowed Valenzuela’s one-out three-run homer to left.
Kochanowicz allowed seven runs (six earned), nine hits and two walks with no strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Clement led off the seventh with a homer to left against Farris. Guerrero added an RBI single,
Pinch hitter Frazier stroked an RBI double to right against Tyler Rogers in the eighth to give the Angels their first run of the series.
Angels pinch hitter Omar Martinez picked up his first major league hit in the ninth with a single against Tommy Nance.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reds snap eight-game losing streak with win over Astros
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros, Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Chase Burns worked six strong innings, and the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of a critical fifth-inning fielding error to top the visiting Houston Astros 3-1 on Saturday and snap a season-worst eight-game losing skid.
The Reds set the table for a rubber match on Sunday for this three-game interleague series. Cincinnati did so by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth against Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (4-1), who suffered his first defeat in five starts this season.
Arrighetti was perfect through two innings and worked around a leadoff walk to Will Benson in the third. He closed that frame with a strikeout of TJ Friedl.
After catcher Christian Vazquez erased Elly De La Cruz trying to swipe second base, Arrighetti fanned Sal Stewart to end the fourth immediately. De La Cruz notched the first hit off Arrighetti by bouncing a single into center field.
Leading 1-0, Arrighetti fanned Nathanel Lowe to open the fifth before the Reds rallied, starting with a Spencer Steer single. Benson worked his second walk against Arrighetti before the game pivoted when right fielder Cam Smith dropped a Jose Trevino fly ball. That loaded the bases for Matt McLain, who delivered a two-run single to left, scoring Steer and Benson for a 2-1 lead.
Three batters later, De La Cruz slapped a single to left, plating Trevino. Zach Cole threw out McLain at the plate to end the inning, but the damage was done. Arrighetti recorded a pair of outs in the sixth before departing. He allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
Burns (4-1) retired the side in order only once, doing so in the top of the third, and he matched his season low with two strikeouts. But he induced Isaac Paredes to ground into an inning-ending double play in the first and stranded runners in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, with Cole and Yordan Alvarez left at second base in the second and sixth.
Branden Shewmake smacked his third home run with two outs in the fifth to break the scoreless tie, but Burns held firm. Brock Burke, Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson combined for three scoreless innings of relief for Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Daniel Rios' late PK lifts CF Montreal over Orlando City
May 9, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; CF Montreal midfielder Victor Loturi (22) plays the ball and Orlando City SC defender Adrian Marin (3) defends with teammate midfielder Braian Ojeda (8) during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Daniel Rios scored on a penalty kick in the 94th minute as CF Montreal outlasted visiting Orlando City FC for a dramatic 2-0 victory on Saturday.
Montreal (4-7-0, 12 points) won for the third time in four games (2-1-0) by finally scoring in the final minutes after creating numerous chances.
Rios scored his first goal in MLS competition for Montreal after Orlando’s Robin Jansson was called for a foul by tackling Luca Petrasso’s legs.
On the ensuing penalty kick, Rio send the ball into the upper right corner as he lifted a right-footed shot over goalie Maxime Crepeau’s diving attempt.
Rios scored his clutch goal after scoring in Montreal’s 5-0 win over Calgary Blizzard SC in the opening round of the Canadian Championship on Wednesday.
After Rios scored, Dagur Thorhallsson tallied in the eighth minute of stoppage time by putting a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the upper right corner.
The late goals were among 25 shot attempts for Montreal. Montreal saw 11 shots get blocked, but six attempts were on target.
Thomas Gillier made four saves, but he also was aided by his defenders. Not long before the clutch goal by Rios, Dawid Bugaj blocked a shot by Duncan McGuire in the 88th.
Orlando (3-8-1, 10 points) was unable to win a third straight contest after pulling off an unlikely comeback over Inter Miami last week. The Lions have not won in Montreal since Decision Day in the 2021 season.
Crepeau, a Quebec native, made three saves and his teammates finished with nine shot attempts. He kept the game deadlocked by denying Petrasso’s header off a corner kick in the 58th.
Before the dramatic goals, Montreal missed the net four times in the first half and also saw Wikelman Carmona get denied in the opening minute. Montreal also saw Ivan Jaime miss the net after making a 1-on-1 move in the box in the 18th.
In the initial minutes of the second half, Petrasso hooked a shot to the left and Victor Loturi missed the net in the 59th before misfiring on a header eight minutes later.
–Field Level Media
Ernie Clement racks up five hits as Blue Jays maul Angels
Reds snap eight-game losing streak with win over Astros
