FAST BREAK SPORTS REPORT
NEW YORK (AP) — Trent Grisham homered and had three RBIs, doubling his totals in both categories, and the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 8-5 victory for their eighth straight win. New York slugger Juan Soto was removed with left forearm discomfort following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning. Gleyber Torres had a two-run double for the Yankees, who broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors. They moved to 25-6 in the last 31 games and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022. On deck this weekend, the Yankees renew an old October rivalry when they welcome Shohei Ohtani and the NL West-leading Dodgers to the Bronx for a highly anticipated series.
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 in his first game in more than a month and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title. Porzingis, who had been sidelined since April 29 with a strained right calf, came off the bench and provided an immediate spark, adding six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. Six Celtics finished in double figures.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Billionaire media magnate and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has agreed to partner with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez on their in-dispute attempt to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were not being made public. Bloomberg is currently ranked as the 12th-richest person in the world by Forbes. Lore and Rodriguez agreed in 2021 to buy the Timberwolves for $1.5 billion. Glen Taylor halted the sale in March because he said they missed the deadline for the final payment.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma slugged its way to a record fourth straight NCAA softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas 8-4 for a two-game sweep of the Women’s College World Series championship. The Sooners won their eighth title overall, all under coach Patty Gasso, and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second-most national championships behind UCLA’s 12. Second-seeded Oklahoma scored eight runs in each of the two games and pounded 21 hits total against a top-seeded Texas team that came in having thrown three consecutive one-hit shutouts in the World Series.
PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics organizers have unveiled a display of the five Olympic rings mounted on the Eiffel Tower as the French capital marks 50 days until the start of the Summer Games. The structure of rings, made of recycled French steel, will be displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River. The hugely popular tower in central Paris has seen soaring visitor numbers in the leadup to the Games in the French capital.