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Pistons look to cool off Anthony Davis, Lakers

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Toronto RaptorsNov 1, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) scores a basket as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) looks on during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis is off to a hot start and that’s bad news for the Detroit Pistons.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ star big man is averaging 31.8 games and 12.0 rebounds through the first six games. He’ll now face a team that he has dominated during his career when the Lakers visit Detroit on Monday night.

Davis has averaged 28.3 points in 19 career games against the Pistons, his highest point total against any opponent.

In the Lakers’ most recent game at Toronto on Friday, Davis recorded 38 points and 11 rebounds in a 131-125 victory. He has scored at least 30 points in all four of the Lakers’ wins this season.

Los Angeles was coming off its first two losses after opening the season with three consecutive wins.

“We need to win games,” Davis said. “We lost two in a row. We lost beating ourselves. So, I think we’re very capable of putting pressure on ourselves to have games where it’s a must-win.”

The Lakers led by 25 at halftime, then held off the Raptors’ late surge.

“We played extremely well,” Davis said. “The ball was moving. We’re getting good looks, great opportunities for one another. Our defense was phenomenal. Everything that we talked about from our two losses we went on to execute in the first half. And if we play like that, we’ll be a tough team to beat.”

The team’s other superstar, LeBron James, also is off to a strong start. He’s averaging 22.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.7 rebounds. He’s shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 44.1 percent from long range. He posted 27 points, 10 assists and six rebounds Friday.

“We took two steps forward,” James said. “That’s a good sign for our ballclub.”

The Lakers have won their past seven meetings against the Pistons. Detroit’s last victory in the series came on Jan. 28, 2021.

Detroit will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set. The Pistons collected their second victory of the season Sunday afternoon, rallying to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 106-92.

The Pistons outscored the Nets 54-35 in the second half.

“We know how good we can be,” Detroit forward Tobias Harris said. “We’ve just got to be consistent, night in and night out.”

Harris played a big role in the win with 18 points, six assists and five rebounds. Center Jalen Duren had his best outing of the season with 13 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Cade Cunningham scored 19 points, though he also committed seven turnovers. Malik Beasley provided a lift off the bench with 18 points.

“I thought the guys from a grit standpoint — how hard they played and how they shared the ball tonight — it was unbelievable,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “How they kept creating shots for one another — we got a ton of wide-open looks. Guys were getting to the paint and making the right read. Tonight, we played an identity game. It was big for us.”

Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell reportedly is listed as questionable for Monday with a right foot contusion.

–Field Level Media

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Manchester City look to extend win streak, take on Everton

Soccer: FIFA Club World Cup 2025-Round of 16-Al Hilal FC at Manchester City[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Manchester City forward Erling Haaland (9) celebrates scoring their second goal with midfielder Rodri (16) during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images

Manchester City will try to keep pace with Premier League front-runner Arsenal on Monday night when they pay a visit to an Everton side still on the fringes of the European picture.

City (21-5-7, 70 points) will begin the day six points back of Arsenal with two matches in hand after the Gunners dispatched Fulham 3-0 on Saturday. The Cityzens won’t be even on games played until May 13, when they make up a postponed match against Crystal Palace that was delayed because of City’s triumphant League Cup run.

As a result, there continues to be the appearance of a chase, although the teams would finish level on points if they win out.

Manager Pep Guardiola insists it shouldn’t matter.

“It’s normal, so it’s the calendar,” Guardiola said on Friday. “Sometimes you play first. Sometimes behind. It is what it is. So, nothing changes in these stages, and you know exactly what you have to do.”

City have won six in a row in all competitions, the last three by a single goal: A 2-1 home league win over the Gunners on April 19, a 1-0 league victory at Burnley three days later, and a 2-1 FA Cup semifinal triumph over Southampton on April 25.

Erling Haaland scored once in both league fixtures to bring his EPL-leading total to 24. In the FA Cup semifinal, Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez scored inside the final 10 minutes to complete a late rally.

Everton (13-13-8, 47 points) finished Saturday in 11th place, but only four points out of seventh, which currently would earn a berth in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Should City win the FA Cup, it could be the top eight English league finishers who earn a spot in Europe.

And if Everton could return to continental competition for the first time since 2017-18, it would conclude a much-improved first season at their new Hill Dickson Stadium, after bringing the curtain down on historic Goodison Park last May.

“We still believe there could be something out there for us. And we’ll keep pushing,” manager David Moyes said. “Building Everton back up is a process which I think is going to take quite a bit of time, but I think the first year or so here, we’ve certainly put decent foundations down. And hopefully we can continue to build on it.”

The Toffees are looking to avoid a third consecutive league defeat for the first time this season after a 2-1 home loss to derby rivals Liverpool on April 19 and a 2-1 away defeat at West Ham last weekend.

Beto, one of two Everton players with eight goals, departed the former contest late with a head injury and missed the latter fixture working through the league’s concussion protocol. He should be available Monday night, Moyes said.

–Field Level Media

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Yankees tee off on Orioles to win third straight in 4-game series

MLB: Baltimore Orioles at New York YankeesMay 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a two run home run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Jasson Dominguez scored the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning before hitting a two-run homer and an RBI double during a seven-run eighth as the New York Yankees pulled away for an 11-3 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.

The Yankees won for the 13th time in 15 games and beat the Orioles for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings.

Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer off Baltimore rookie Trey Gibson. Ben Rice hit his 12th home run of the season in the first and doubled ahead of Judge’s 13th homer in the third.

Rice exited after the Yankees batted in the third because of a bruised left hand. The Yankees announced X-rays were negative and the first baseman is day-to-day. Rice appeared to get injured fielding a low pickoff throw from Max Fried and was replaced by Paul Goldschmidt.

Dominguez started the tiebreaking rally with a double to left field against Grant Wolfram (1-1) and advanced to third on a groundout by Austin Wells. Ryan McMahon, facing a drawn-in infield, followed with a single that first baseman Coby Mayo couldn’t handle after diving to stop it.

Dominguez started New York’s big inning with a two-run drive into the right field seats off Andrew Kittredge for a 6-3 lead. After an RBI sacrifice fly by Trent Grisham, Goldschmidt ripped a two-run single after the Yankees executed a double steal.

Following a sacrifice fly by Jazz Chisholm Jr., Dominguez added a double to left field for an 11-3 lead.

The Orioles tied it twice before losing their fourth straight and for the 12th time in 18 games.

Blaze Alexander had an RBI single in the third before getting thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. After Judge’s 413-foot drive bounced into Baltimore’s bullpen in left field, Leody Taveras hit an RBI infield single and Tyler O’Neill scored on a double play grounder by Jeremiah Jackson in the fourth.

Fried allowed three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out six and walked three.

Fernando Cruz (3-0) got the final two outs of the sixth and the first out of the seventh. Brent Headrick ended the eighth by getting a double play grounder against Mayo.

Gibson allowed three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings during his major league debut.

The four-game series concludes Monday.

–Field Level Media

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Cam Smith drives in 2 in 10th, Astros edge Red Sox

MLB: Houston Astros at Boston Red SoxMay 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) hits a two run RBI against the Boston Red Sox during the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Cam Smith had three hits, including a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, to help the visiting Houston Astros earn a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Smith’s two-out single came against Zack Kelly (0-2) and drove in Braden Shewmake and Jose Altuve.

Boston had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but Bryan Abreu got Ceddanne Rafaela to ground into a double play to end the game.

Jarren Duran hit a solo home run for the Red Sox, who stranded 13 runners and were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Duran’s home run was his third of the season and his second of the series. He hit a three-run homer in Boston’s 3-1 victory Friday night.

Abreu (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one.

Willson Contreras collected three of Boston’s nine hits in the loss.

Christian Walker and Christian Vazquez each had two-hit games for the Astros, who won two games in the three-game set.

Boston starting pitcher Ranger Suarez was pulled after four scoreless innings because of hamstring tightness. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three. Suarez threw 70 pitches.

Duran’s home run off Houston reliever AJ Blubaugh opened the scoring in the fifth. Houston tied the game in the sixth, when Walker reached on an infield single, took third on Altuve’s double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brice Matthews.

The Red Sox had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. An error on Abreu allowed Contreras to reach second with two outs in the inning, but Roman Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.

Houston had the bases loaded with no outs in the 10th, but Altuve grounded into a 6-2-5 double play. Following a walk to Matthews, Smith delivered his two-run single.

–Field Level Media

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