Sports
Pressure on Cavs in Game 3 for first win of series vs. Pistons
May 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder (8) in the second half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images All-Star guard Cade Cunningham and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons have the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on the ropes, holding a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon, when all of the pressure will be on the home team. The Cavaliers are 4-0 in their arena and 0-5 on the road this postseason.
“We had plenty of chances both games, but we just didn’t make shots,” Cavaliers guard James Harden said. “In the fourth quarter, we were either tied (in Game 1) or did go ahead (in Game 2). Our margin for error isn’t a large margin.
“It’s 2-0. They did what they did at home. We have to do the same.”
Cunningham has been the best player on the court in the first two games, averaging 24.0 points, 8.5 assists and a series-high 42 minutes while thoroughly outperforming fellow lead guard Harden. He also has made 17 of 19 free-throw attempts.
The likely soon-to-be All-NBA selection poured in 12 points in the final 5:47 of Game 2, single-handedly outscoring the Cavaliers by two as Detroit pulled out a 107-97 win Thursday. Harden managed a mere two points in 19 minutes in the second half.
“Our closer was a closer,” Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins said of Cunningham. “We know if we can do our job on the defensive end, he’s going to get us a good look. He’s an MVP candidate, for sure.”
Cunningham finished with 25 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and two blocked shots, earning chants of “MVP” as the clock wound down. He has scored 20-plus points in the first 15 playoff games of his career, the fourth-longest streak in league history, following the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Since trailing the Orlando Magic 3-1 and being on the brink of elimination in the first round, Detroit has rattled off five straight victories.
“We never lost composure,” Cunningham said. “We just stayed poised, stuck to our principles, stuck to our system and just turned up the energy a little bit. I enjoy winning. I just enjoy my team. I don’t want my season to end.”
Harden, meanwhile, used the phrase “for the betterment of the team” twice when asked about his lack of production after halftime, when he went 1-of-3 on field goal attempts and seldom dribbled the ball more than briefly.
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson, guard Donovan Mitchell and others continue to publicly support Harden, who is shooting 32.1% on field goals and 9.1% on 3-pointers, and has 11 turnovers to 10 assists in the series against the Pistons.
“We’ve got to make James’ and Don’s job a little easier,” Cavaliers forward Dean Wade said. “That’s on all of us. We have to make the simple pass sometimes.”
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen agreed, saying, “Sometimes, I think we overthink things. And honestly, we haven’t been hitting shots this playoff, as well.”
Detroit’s suffocating half-court defense has been the primary reason for the latter, harassing the Cavaliers into missing their final 11 3-point attempts in Game 2. Cunningham and Duncan Robinson combined to go 4-of-6 beyond the arc for the Pistons in the fourth.
Swingman Robinson is shooting a scorching 58.8% on 3-pointers in the series, one year after being with the Miami Heat when they were swept by Cleveland in the first round.
“They did what they’re supposed to do and won two at home,” said Mitchell, who totaled 54 points in the two games in Detroit. “We’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out.”
Cavaliers small forward Sam Merrill (left hamstring strain) was hurt in the opener, missed Game 2 and is listed as questionable for Game 3, while Pistons shooting guard Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) is doubtful for Saturday’s matchup and could miss the entire series.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Golf Glance: Canada hosts final U.S. Open prep; Nelly Korda returns to LPGA's team event
Tommy Fleetwood during the final round of the Memorial Tournament on June 7, 2026. The Canadian Open provides a final U.S. Open tune-up for the PGA Tour, while Nelly Korda teams with a good friend as she seeks to follow up her win at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open.
PGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: RBC Canadian Open, Toronto, June 11-14
Course: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, North Course (Par 70, 7,389 Yards)
Purse: $9.8M (Winner: $1.764M)
Defending Champion: Ryan Fox
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 7:45-6 p.m.
X: @RBCCanadianOpen
NOTES: Dating back to 1904, the RBC Canadian Open is the second-oldest non-major on the PGA Tour behind only the BMW Championship (1899). … The top three players who make the cut and are not otherwise exempt will earn spots into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale as part of The Open Qualifying Series. … The top 60 players this week who are not otherwise exempt will earn spots into next week’s U.S. Open. … The field includes 21 Canadian players, with Nick Taylor the most recent player to win his country’s national event in 2023. He became the first Canadian to win the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954. … This is the final event for players to earn spots into the Travelers Championship signature event via the Aon Swing 5. The top five are currently Eric Cole, Brandt Snedeker, Mac Meissner, Mark Hubbard and Jackson Suber. All but Snedeker are in this week’s field. … Brooks Koepka, who has six top-20 finishes so far in his return to the PGA Tour, is in the event for the first time since 2019. … Viktor Hovland is making his event debut as he attempts to kick-start a season that has seen him record just one top-10 finish so far. … Sponsor exemptions include former Masters champion Mike Weir, fellow Canadians Adam Hadwin, Ben Silverman and Roger Sloan, past champion Sean O’Hair and Padraig Harrington along with Joey Savoie and Ashton McCulloch.
BEST BETS: Tommy Fleetwood (+1150 at DraftKings) has four top-10s in his past eight starts and briefly held the lead last Sunday before settling for a T4. … Matt Fitzpatrick (+1200) is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 4. With two wins already this year, Fitzpatrick is seeking to rebound from a T36 at the Memorial. … Sam Burns (+1275) lost to Fox on the fourth playoff hole last year and is coming off a T4 at the Memorial. … Wyndham Clark (+2350) has regained his form, following up his win at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a solo third last week. … Collin Morikawa (+2400) had five consecutive finishes of T7 or better before going T62 and T55 in his past two starts. … Kristoffer Reitan (+2500) is a career-high 24th in the world rankings with his T6 last week coming two weeks off his maiden tour win at the Truist Championship.
Last Tournament: the Memorial Tournament (J.T. Poston)
Next Tournament: U.S. Open, Southampton, N.Y., June 18-21
LPGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: Dow Championship, Midland, Mich., June 11-14
Course: Midland Country Club (Par 70, 6,287 Yards)
Purse: $3.3M (Winner’s share: $402,691)
Defending Champions: Jin Hee Im, Somi Lee
Race to CME Globe Leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 2-3 p.m. (Golf Channel Digital), 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday: 12-1 p.m. (GC Live), 1-3 p.m. (CBS)
X: @dowchampionship
NOTES: This is the only official team event on the LPGA Tour calendar. While it does not award Rolex Rankings points to the competitors, the winners are credited with an official victory on tour and the standard two-year winner’s exemption on the LPGA Priority List. … Teams will compete in foursomes in the first and third rounds and a best ball format for the second and fourth rounds. … The field will be cut to the low 33 teams and ties after 36 holes. … Im and Lee defeated Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang on the first playoff hole last year. … Korda is in the field for the first time since 2022 as she teams with friend Olivia Cowan. Korda has four wins and three runner-ups through her first eight starts in 2026.
Last Tournament: 81st U.S. Women’s Open (Nelly Korda)
Next Tournament: Meijer LPGA Classic, Belmont, Mich., June 18-21
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
THIS WEEK: Principal Charity Classic, Des Moines, Iowa, June 12-14
Course: Wakonda Club (Par 72, 6,865 Yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Miguel Angel Jimenez
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday: 10 p.m.-Midnight ET (Golf Channel – Tape Delay); Saturday: 5-7 p.m. (GC); Sunday: 3-6 p.m. (GC)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: Iowa native Zach Johnson is No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings as the Champions Tour rookie makes his event debut. … Ernie Els holds the tournament scoring record of 21-under 195 set in 2024.
Last Tournament: American Family Insurance Championship (Darren Clarke, Ben Crane)
Next Tournament: Dick’s Open, Endicott, N.Y., June 26-28
LIV GOLF
THIS WEEK: OFF.
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: 4Aces GC
Last Event: LIV Golf Andalucia (Individual: Tyrrell Hatton; Team: Legion XIII)
Next Event: LIV Golf United Kingdom, July 23-26
DP WORLD TOUR
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
Last Tournament: KLM Open (Eugenio Chacarra)
Next Tournament: Open d’Italia, Torino, Italy, June 25-28
–Field Level Media
Sports
Serena Williams, 44, wins doubles comeback in London
Aug 29, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Serena Williams of the United States serves to Danka Kovinic of Montenegro on day one of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-Imagn Images Serena Williams successfully launched her comeback Tuesday with a doubles upset during the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in West Kensington, London.
Ending a nearly four-year retirement, the 44-year-old Williams partnered with 19-year-old Victoria Mboko of Canada for a 7-6 (2), 6-2 win against No. 3 seed Nicole Melihar-Martinez and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe.
Routliffe is a two-time U.S. Open doubles champion (2023, 2025) and Melihar-Martinez was a doubles finalist at Wimbledon in 2018 and the U.S. Open in 2020.
“I was having so much fun playing with Vicky,” Williams said in a post-match on-court interview. “She was really able to hold up the team and play big on the big points. I could really rely on her. We never played together but it just felt so natural playing with her.”
Williams’ first-round victory at the WTA 500 grass-court tournament was the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s first professional match since a tearful farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Williams, who received a wild-card entry into the tournament, and Mboko advanced to the quarterfinals. They will face the winner between Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Germany’s Laura Siegemund vs. Russia’s Alexandra Panova and the Netherlands’ Demi Schuurs.
Williams was asked what her tennis schedule might look like down the road and why she picked the HSBC Championship for a doubles return.
“I don’t know … I had nothing better to do,” Williams said, drawing laughs from fans. “I got tired sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer so why not.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Andrew Putnam wins 9-hole playoff for final U.S. Open spot from Oregon
May 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Andrew Putnam watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images PGA Tour veteran Andrew Putnam took the concept of “Golf’s Longest Day” to a new extreme.
After playing 36 holes at Emerald Valley Golf Club for U.S. Open final qualifying Monday in Creswell, Ore., Putnam and Spencer Tibbits were tied for second on the leaderboard. The problem was that only two spots were available from Oregon, requiring a 2-for-1 playoff.
Putnam and Tibbits played six more holes late Monday and couldn’t break their deadlock. They returned to the course Tuesday morning, and Putnam finally claimed victory on the ninth hole.
Putnam, a 37-year-old from Tacoma, Wash., will play his second major championship this year after appearing in none of the majors in 2025. He tied for 55th last month at the PGA Championship. Putnam last appeared in the U.S. Open in 2023, when he tied for 43rd.
His only victory on tour came in 2018 at the Barracuda Championship.
Greyson Leach shot 4-under-par 140 over 36 holes for medalist honors at Emerald Valley. Putnam and Tibbits tied at 3-under 141, with Tibbits squandering an advantage by following an opening 66 with a second-round 75.
Emerald Valley was one of 10 final qualifying sites across the U.S. and Canada on Monday. They were also contested in Toronto (near this week’s RBC Canadian Open), at two locations in Ohio, one in California and several courses around the East Coast.
The U.S. Open will be contested June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
Here is the final list of players to qualify Monday (three other qualifiers were previously held):
–Ball Ground, Ga.: Chris Kirk, Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Robbie Higgins, Chase Kyes (a)
–Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.: Giuseppe Puebla (a), Ben Silverman, Ryder Cowan (a), Miles Russell (a)
–Purchase, N.Y.: Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Benjamin James (a), James Nicholas
–Gastonia, N.C.: Jackson Ormond (a), Carl Yuan, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer
–Rockville, Md.: Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, Logan Reilly (a), Jake Sollon
–Springfield, Ohio: Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel, Nick Hardy
–Westerville, Ohio: Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes, Vaughn Harber (a), Arni Sveinsson (a)
–Toronto: Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, William Mouw, John Parry, Max McGreevy
–Sacramento, Calif.: Taylor Montgomery, Eric Lee (a), Matthew Robles (a), Marek Fleming (a)
–Creswell, Ore.: Greyson Leach, Andrew Putnam
–Field Level Media
Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 is a version of Mythos the public can access today
Golf Glance: Canada hosts final U.S. Open prep; Nelly Korda returns to LPGA's team event
