Cleveland dropped back-to-back games in Boston to open the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA playoffs 2018: Tyronn Lue wants Cavaliers to play at faster pace in Game 3
In Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate, dissecting legacies is wrong approach
The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate rages on. It’s old and tired, but maybe take a different approach before it spins out of control.
Nadal sets up Djokovic semi-final in Rome, Zverev marches on

ROME: Rafa Nadal rallied from a set down before easing past Fabio Fognini 4-6 6-1 6-2 in the Italian Open quarter-finals on Friday to set up a mouth-watering clash against long-time adversary Novak Djokovic for a place in Sunday’s final.
Djokovic plotted a similar path to the Spanish claycourt king when the Serb lost the first set against Japan’s Kei Nishikori before recovering to win 2-6 6-1 6-3 and seal an open-era record 51st career meeting against Nadal.
Nadal started strongly and raced into a 4-1 lead but Fognini refused to surrender in front of a partisan Rome crowd, clawing a break back before running away with the set.
The Italian’s joy was short-lived, however, as Nadal regrouped, charging around the court and putting his opponent under relentless pressure as he took the second set to level things up.
Fognini was then hampered by an injury to his left knee as Nadal continued to fire on all cylinders and the Spaniard duly wrapped up the match in two hours and 14 minutes.
“Having a break early in the second set definitely helped my confidence,” Nadal told reporters. “But then, I think, I played more aggressively with my forehand and when I play more aggressively with my forehand, then the backhand becomes better.
“I feel it is an important victory for me. There’s a lot of positive things out of the match today.”
Djokovic, who last met Nadal in the semi-finals of the 2017 Madrid Open, was on the back foot early against Nishikori as the Japanese baseliner capitalised on consecutive backhand errors to forge the first break.
Both players are still feeling their way back to full fitness after troublesome long-term injuries, but Djokovic showed more promise ahead of the upcoming French Open in his positive response to falling a set behind.
The Serb broke Nishikori three times to force a decider before edging a tight third set with some courageous shot-making.
“Today, the quality of tennis was really high,” Djokovic said. “Kei was playing fantastic, especially in the first set… and it took me little bit of time to adjust to his pace.
“It means a lot to me to be able to play the semi-finals of a tournament again. This is what I was looking forward to. It’s what I was hoping to achieve.”
Meanwhile, defending champion Alexander Zverev beat ninth seed David Goffin of Belgium 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the day’s final match to remain on course to defend his title after notching up a 12th consecutive victory.
The German, who is the form player on the ATP Tour, will battle Croatian Marin Cilic for a place in the final. Fourth seed Cilic pulled off a regulation 6-3 6-3 victory over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta earlier in the day
The post Nadal sets up Djokovic semi-final in Rome, Zverev marches on appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
England batsman Ballance taking a break for personal reasons

LONDON: England batsman and Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance is taking a break from cricket for personal reasons, his county said on Friday.
“Captain Gary Ballance is set to miss several Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures after the Club, this week, granted him some time away from the game due to personal reasons,” Yorkshire said.
“We ask that his privacy be respected during this time.”
The 28-year-old, who has 23 test caps for England, missed Yorkshire’s most recent County Championship game against Surrey at the Oval, with Joe Root taking over the captaincy on that occasion.
Steven Patterson was named captain for Friday’s Royal London Cup opener against Durham at Chester-Le-Street.
The post England batsman Ballance taking a break for personal reasons appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
Sharapova edges Ostapenko, to play Halep in Rome semis


Russia’s Maria Sharapova in action during her first round match against Australia’s Ashleigh Barty during Italian Open in Foro Italico in Rome, on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Photo: Reuters
ROME: Former world number one Maria Sharapova stepped up her French Open preparations with a battling 6-7(6) 6-4 7-5 win over reigning Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in the Italian Open quarter-finals on Friday.
Sharapova, 31, will play top seed and world number one Simona Halep in the semis after the Romanian crushed Caroline Garcia 6-2 6-3.
Sharapova produced one of her best performances of the season to overcome her Latvian opponent in a gripping contest lasting three hours and 10 minutes.
Fifth seed Ostapenko saved a set point before edging the opener in a tiebreak but failed to maintain her level in the second as Sharapova forced a decider.
The Russian missed two match points at 5-3, allowing Ostapenko to draw level after 10 games, but Sharapova was not to be denied as she booked a semi-final spot in Rome for the first time in three years.
“It’s great to back at this stage,” Sharapova said.
“My fans have been so loyal throughout the years and for me to be able to produce this kind of tennis again in front of them is very special.”
Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit knocked out world number two Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-1 to record her second consecutive win over a top-10 opponent.
Kontaveit, who overcame Venus Williams in the last 16, struck 23 winners and broke her Danish opponent’s serve six times to wrap up victory in just over an hour.
The world number 26 set up a semi-final battle with defending champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who defeated former world number one Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-4.
The post Sharapova edges Ostapenko, to play Halep in Rome semis appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
Giro d’Italia 2018: stage 14 to Monte Zoncolan – live!
- Updates as Simon Yates tries to hold onto the pink jersey
- Stage 13 report: Yates stays in pink as Viviani wins again
- Email John or tweet @JohnBrewin_ with your thoughts
And here’s what awaits at the end.
Current scene on the top of Monte Zoncolan – and those grey clouds look ominous. Nice to see the Tyrolean Mountain Guards putting in a feathered appearance, too. #Giro101 pic.twitter.com/0GSCqpBg8V
Here’s a look at the last time the Giro took this route.
MMAMC advance
KATHMANDU: Mahendra Morang Adarsh Multiple Campus of Biratnagar thrashed Public Youth Campus by six wickets and advanced the semi-finals of the BBA Cup here at the Mulpani grounds on Friday.
Batting first, Public Youth scored 91-6 in their allotted 15 overs before MMAMC raced to 92-4 in 13.3 overs. In another matches, Mahendra Multiple Campus of Nepalgunj beat Nepal Commerce Campus by two wickets in super over and advanced to the quarter-finals along with Shankar Dev Campus, who thrashed Kathford International College by 67 runs. — HNS
The post MMAMC advance appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
Per Mertesacker: ‘As Arsenal academy manager I will challenge the players’ mindsets’
In an exclusive extract from his new book, the former defender explains what he learned during his career and how footballers must do more to condition their bodies
I invested a lot in my fitness. My personal network [of therapists] cost me 10% of my net salary, several hundreds of thousands of euros. But it was absolutely the right decision and it paid off as after two seasons I extended my contract by a further three years. I wouldn’t have been able to play for a top club for seven years in the Premier League without these additional therapies.
Related: Per Mertesacker: ‘Some fans want a selfie but sometimes I want to say: Let’s just shake hands’
Continue reading…NASCAR All-Star Race: Weather reports indicate thunderstorms on race day
Here’s how the weather could affect the NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
Chelsea vs Manchester United: TV channel, live stream, squad news & FA Cup final preview
Two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs lock horns as they attempt to get their hands on one of the most prestigious trophies in English football