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sports Wednesday 15 June 2022
However it ends, these NBA Finals may be a classic

By TIM REYNOLDS ing champion Milwaukee.
AP Basketball Writer Went on the road in the
The series won't end until Eastern Conference finals
Thursday, or maybe Sun- to win a Game 7 at Miami
day. A champion will be to get here. And now they
crowned, an NBA Finals know, they'll need to win
MVP trophy will be hoisted, another Game 7 if they're
one side will spray a few going to win this title.
gallons of champagne and "The message to the guys
the other side will head out is to be confident going
into a summer of lament. home, get your rest, let's
The winner: Still to be de- get ready to bring it back
termined. But this much is here," Celtics coach Ime
already clear: Even without Udoka said. "For us, it's real-
a single game decided by ly about consistency. That's
single digits through the first the thing we're not having
five contests, these 2022 throughout a full game,
NBA Finals are on the brink consistent efforts, sustained
of going down as a classic. effort, more so offensively
It's Golden State 3, Boston than anything."
2 going into Game 6 on The entire series has been a
the Celtics' home floor on Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) dunks against the Boston Celtics during the pair of heavyweights throw-
Thursday night. The Warriors second half of Game 5 of basketball's NBA Finals in San Francisco, Monday, June 13, 2022. ing knockout punches. The
grabbed the lead in the Associated Press 48-18 run by the Celtics to
series with a 104-94 win on turn a 15-point third-quar-
Monday in San Francisco, Warriors up 16 before long most prolific 3-point shooter luster offense. ter deficit into a 15-point
the latest entry on a long list and taking a 12-point lead ever, the Warriors' Stephen "Our team came out with a fourth-quarter lead in
of gut-check moments in into halftime. Boston roared Curry, clanked all nine of lot of fight," Golden State's Game 1. The 35-14 third
this series and the first time back in the third, taking as his tries from deep in Game Jordan Poole said after quarter that the Warriors
either of these teams found much as a five-point lead 5. The combined shooting Game 5. turned into an easy win in
a way to win consecutive before Golden State re- numbers in these NBA Finals Such has been the story of Game 2. The way the Celt-
games in this matchup. stored order and pulled are the lowest for a title se- these NBA Finals — the guys ics wasted a big lead, then
"It feels good," Golden away in the fourth — the ries since 2016, and so is the with more fight walk off win- outscored the Warriors 34-
State's Klay Thompson said. latest entry on a list of wild scoring average. But that's ners. Such has really been 17 to close Game 3. Curry
"But we haven't done any- back-and-forth swings that more a byproduct of two the story for Boston most of scoring 43 points, even yell-
thing yet." has defined this series. teams with a propensity for the way in these playoffs. ing at the crowd along the
It looked easy early for his The basketball hasn't al- cranking up defense when The Celtics won a Game 7 way, to lead Golden State
team in Game 5, with the ways been pretty. Even the they must, more than lack- in Round 2 to oust defend- to a road win in Game 4.q

Serena Williams gets wild-card entry for Wimbledon singles

By HOWARD FENDRICH gles entry list released by don.
AP Tennis Writer the grass-court Grand Slam The 40-year-old American
Serena Williams is going to tournament earlier this has won seven of her sin-
play at Wimbledon, after month. gles trophies at Wimbledon,
all. The All England Club But Williams was among a the first in 2002 and most re-
announced on Tuesday half-dozen women given cently in 2016. Williams was
that Williams was awarded a spot in the singles draw the runner-up there in 2018
a wild-card entry for sin- on Tuesday, along with five and 2019 (the tournament
gles, marking her return to British players: Katie Boul- was canceled in 2020 be-
Grand Slam action after a ter, Jodie Burrage, Sonay cause of the coronavirus
year away. Kartal, Yuriko Miyazaki and pandemic).
The owner of a professional Katie Swan. In 2021, Williams lost her
era-record 23 Grand Slam Two other women will get footing on the slick grass
singles trophies, and as big invitations "in due course," and then her right leg buck-
a star as tennis ever has the All England Club said. led, leading to just the sec-
seen, is going to tune up by Seven of the eight men's ond mid-match retirement
playing doubles at a small- wild-card berths were also at any Grand Slam tourna-
er grass-court event first, announced, including one ment of her career and first Serena Williams of the U.S holds her trophy after winning the
women's singles final against Angelique Kerber of Germany on
teaming with Ons Jabeur for three-time major cham- since 1998. day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London,
at Eastbourne, England, pion Stan Wawrinka. With the lack of activity Saturday, July 9, 2016.
next week. Earlier in the day, Williams since then, Williams — who Associated Press
Main-draw play at Wimble- posted a photo of her first reached No. 1 in July
don begins on June 27. white shoes on what ap- 2002 — is 1,208th in the WTA into the opening left by her That allowed Swiatek to
Williams has not competed pears to be a grass court rankings this week. That is extended absence. Barty rise to No. 1, and she has
anywhere since getting in- and the message: "SW and why she was not automati- won Wimbledon last year backed up that new status
jured during the first set of SW19. It's a date. 2022. See cally placed in the Wimble- and the Australian Open with an ongoing 35-match
her first-round match at the you there. Let's Go." don field. this January to solidify her winning streak that in-
All England Club in 2021. "SW" are her initials, of While Williams has been hold on the No. 1 ranking, cluded claiming a second
And her name did not ap- course, and "SW19" is the sidelined, first Ash Barty and but then abruptly retired at French Open trophy this
pear on the women's sin- postal code for Wimble- then Iga Swiatek stepped age 25 in March. month.q