Sports
Cavs use third-quarter surge to best Raptors in Game 7
May 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors guard Ja’Kobe Walter (14) during the first half of game seven in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Jarrett Allen scored 14 of his career playoff-high-tying 22 points in the third quarter and grabbed 19 rebounds, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-102 win over the visiting Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday night.
Fourth-seeded Cleveland, which trailed by double digits in the first and second quarters, will play the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the East semifinals, beginning Tuesday in Detroit. The home team won every game in the Cavaliers-Pistons series.
Donovan Mitchell also had 22 points and James Harden posted 18 points and six rebounds for the Cavaliers, who built a 94-72 lead early in the fourth. Allen had 10 rebounds — five offensive — in the third when Cleveland outscored the Raptors 38-19.
Scottie Barnes collected 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists for fifth-seeded Toronto. RJ Barrett had 23 points on 9-of-25 field goal attempts and Jamal Shead added 14 points and seven assists.
Cleveland is 5-0 all-time at home in Game 7 and has beaten the Raptors all 11 times in the playoffs in its arena. The Cavaliers also have won all four of their postseason series against Toronto.
Evan Mobley, who had 13 points, scored the first basket of the second half to give Cleveland its initial lead at 51-49. It turned into a 20-2 run spanning the second and third quarters when Mitchell made a hoop with 9:28 remaining in the third to make it 58-49.
Cleveland used an 11-2 run to close the opening half, tying the score for the first time at 49-all on a Jaylon Tyson 3-pointer. Shead and Barnes led all players at the half with 14 points apiece, while Harden had 10 points and Sam Merrill added eight off the bench.
The Cavaliers committed 13 turnovers in the first half, which Toronto turned into 14 points. Cleveland had six miscues in the first quarter and seven in the second.
Barnes netted the first five points of the evening after Allen missed a dunk on Cleveland’s opening possession. Shead made a runner to give the Raptors a 22-12 advantage, but Merrill had five points in the final three minutes to cut it to 26-24.
Shead scored seven points in the period and Barnes had five points and four assists, helping Toronto shoot 55% from the floor.
The Raptors were without two starters, small forward Brandon Ingram (right heel soreness) and point guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Xander Bogaerts’ RBI single helps Padres' snap skid over White Sox
May 3, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) slides into home plate to score a run during the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Xander Bogaerts’ infield single in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday was enough for the winning run as the San Diego Padres snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 decision over the visiting Chicago White Sox.
Ramon Laureano started the winning rally by coaxing a leadoff walk from Tyler Davis (0-1). Bryan Hudson relieved Davis and fanned Miguel Andujar as Laureano stole second. Jackson Merrill’s infield hit moved Laureano to third.
Merrill swiped second while Hudson whiffed Manny Machado. Bogaerts’ check-swing on a 2-2 fastball produced a soft bouncer that third baseman Colson Montgomery gloved but couldn’t make a throw as Laureano scored.
Jason Adam (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Mason Miller mowed Chicago down in the ninth for his 11th save in as many chances. The result snapped the White Sox’s five-game winning streak.
Chicago tied the game at three in the seventh when pinch-hitter Derek Hill clouted an 0-2 fastball from Adrian Morejon 409 feet over the center field wall with Chase Meidroth aboard after a single.
Hill’s tying homer no-decisioned both starters after five-inning outings. Chicago’s Anthony Kay permitted seven hits and three runs, two earned, with a walk and five strikeouts. San Diego right-hander Griffin Canning, making his first start of the year, allowed only three hits and a run while walking three and fanning seven.
Drew Romo gave the White Sox a 1-0 edge in the top of the third, lining a homer into the right field seats that traveled an estimated 363 feet. It was his third homer of the year.
The Padres took their first lead of the series with three runs in the fourth. Andujar drilled a leadoff homer to left-center, his second of the year, and Machado followed one out later with his fifth homer that traveled an estimated 397 feet to left-center.
Bogaerts and Ty France followed up with singles, then moved up 90 feet on Nick Castellanos’ groundout. Freddy Fermin drew a walk and Romo was charged with a passed ball on ball four, enabling Bogaerts to score.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mark Vientos' two homers power Mets over Angels
May 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) gestures after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Mark Vientos hit a pair of two-run homers Sunday afternoon for the visiting New York Mets, who earned a rare series win by beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 in the rubber game of a three-game interleague set.
Carson Benge had an RBI double immediately before Vientos’ second homer in the eighth for the Mets, who won for just the fifth time in 23 games. The series win is the second in that span for New York, which also took two of three from the Minnesota Twins from Apr. 21-23.
Jorge Soler delivered a run-scoring single in the first for the similarly skidding Angels, who have dropped 12 of 14 since an 11-10 start.
Mets starter Clay Holmes (4-2) earned the win by allowing the one run on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings. The outing lowered his National League-leading ERA to 1.69.
Holmes allowed just four baserunners after Soler’s one-out RBI hit.
Luke Weaver retired all four batters he faced before Brooks Raley struck out two in a one-hit ninth.
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz (2-1) gave up two singles in the first three innings before walking Benge with one out in the fourth. Vientos followed two pitches later by hitting a 427-foot homer to left-center.
Benge and Vientos teamed up again in the eighth against Nick Sandlin, when Benge’s double scored Brett Baty before Vientos homered to left. It was the sixth regular season two-homer game for Vientos and his first since last Aug. 23, when he went deep twice against the Atlanta Braves.
Bo Bichette had two hits for the Mets.
Nolan Schanuel had two hits and a unique fielding play at first base in the third for the Angels. Schanuel snared a grounder by Juan Soto but couldn’t get the ball out of his glove, so he tossed the glove to Kochanowicz covering first.
Kochanowicz gave up two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
5-star C Obinna Ekezie Jr. picks Louisville, reclassifies to ’26
Mar 21, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey looks on during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Obinna Ekezie Jr., one of the top recruits in the Class of 2027, will reclassify to 2026 and join Louisville next season, he announced Sunday.
The 7-footer was the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
He was also considering Arkansas, BYU and Maryland, where his father starred before going on to play four NBA seasons.
“I have chosen to commit to University of Louisville as I feel it’s the best situation to develop, showcase my game and strive to win a national championship,” the younger Ekezie told multiple outlets in a statement.
Ekezie is finishing his junior year of high school at Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Fla.
He joins an incoming Louisville class that was previously without a true freshman but is packed with transfers. Coach Pat Kelsey attracted top transfers Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas) and Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa) this offseason.
–Field Level Media
Xander Bogaerts’ RBI single helps Padres' snap skid over White Sox
Mark Vientos' two homers power Mets over Angels
