Basketball
Warriors rally to beat Trail Blazers in Game 2
Just when the fans at Oracle Arena were beginning to wonder if their side was going to miss star player Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors once again showed that they are champion material.
The fourth quarter of the match was decisive as the Warriors erased a 11-point deficit and went on to win the game against Trail Blazers 110-99.
Klay Thompson was the hero once again, notching up 27 points, including crucial baskets in the 34-12 fourth quarter burst, to take a 2-0 series lead.
Elsewhere, Miami Heat took a 1-0 series lead against Toronto Raptors with a 102-96 victory, despite Raptors’ Kyle Lowry forcing overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from 39 feet.
Cricket
Red-hot Daredevils take on Supergiants
Having notched up five wins out of the seven games they have played so far, Delhi Daredevils would be eager to continue their good run.
Their opponents, Rising Pune Supergiants, have been rocked by injuries through the tournament and are yet to figure out a settled combination.
Form and team-strengths point to Daredevils, but Supergiants would have to believe that they still have what it takes to make it to the playoff stages.
Pant, bowlers give Delhi easy victory
Rishab Pant, who played in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup for India, made his mark with a 40-ball 69 in the first chance that he got to open the innings for Delhi Daredevils.
After the bowlers had helped Delhi restrict hosts Gujarat Lions to a modest 149/7, Daredevils chased it down with ease, largely due to the 115-run opening wicket stand between Pant and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock (46).
Football
Atletico Madrid reaches Champions League finals on away goals
Antoine Griezmann’s away goal proved to be the difference between the two sides as Pep Guadiola’s Bayern Munich was done-in by Spanish opposition in the semi-finals of the Champions League for the third year running.
Griezmann’s goal in the 54th minute came between Xabi Alonso’s free kick in the 31st, that levelled the two-game tie at 1-1, and Robert Lewandowski’s headed goal in the 74th.
Apart from these three goals, the match also witnessed two missed penalties - Thomas Mueller missed a penalty for Bayern in the first half, while Atletico’s Fernando Torres missed the chance to put the tie beyond doubt in the second.
Despite Bayern winning 2-1 against Atletico on the night, the tie finished 2-2 (Atletico won their home leg 1-0), which meant that Atletico were through, having scored an away goal.
Klopp hopes to work Anfield magic once again
Having lost the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Villarreal 1-0 last week, the onus is on Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to go after the tie at Anfield. While getting a goal is important, Liverpool need to ensure that they don’t expose themselves, as away goals for Villarreal could hurt them further.
Klopp would be hoping for a repeat of the kind of performance he saw in the second-leg quarter-final game against Borussia Dortmund, but Liverpool have had a string of poor results since that euphoric night.
The other semi-final between Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk is firmly in double defending champions Sevilla’s favour, as they drew the away game last week 2-2.
Tennis
Murray requires three sets to go past Stepanek
Andy Murray advanced to the third round of the Madrid Masters, but not before being stretched by veteran Radek Stepanek. Murray fought hard for his 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 win against Stepanek, who had become the oldest player to win a match at the Masters 1000 level on Monday, since Jimmy Connors in 1992.
Rafael Nadal had no such troubles, as he eased past Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 18 minutes.
