The Comeback Knicks are the Champion Knicks. Brunson scores 45, and New York tops Spurs for title
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jalen Brunson and the Comeback Knicks did it again. And now they’re the Champion Knicks. For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA. Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night. The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of those victories. The deficit was 16 on Saturday night. Brunson and the Knicks were never fazed.
Brazil rallies for 1-1 draw against Morocco in its World Cup opener behind Vinícius Júnior's goal
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Vinícius Júnior scored an equalizing goal in the 32nd minute to give five-time champion Brazil a 1-1 draw against Morocco in a pulsating, high-profile group match at the World Cup. A semifinalist four years ago, Morocco dominated early, and Ismael Saibari put the African champions ahead in the 21st minute. Brazil, seeking its first World Cup title since 2002, entered the tournament with high expectations and yellow-clad Seleção fans who dominated the crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium became a bit subdued before Vinícius evened the score with a spectacular angled effort.
Jalen Brunson bet on himself and bet on the Knicks. A championship and a Finals MVP was his reward
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jalen Brunson was fully aware of how much money some people spent to see the New York Knicks finally become champions again. Some tickets during the NBA Finals sold for $5,000, some for $50,000, some for probably more. Of course, Brunson parted with more money than any of those fans did. Brunson is now an NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP in large part because of what he did against the San Antonio Spurs in the finals — though, really, his biggest contribution to this title run likely came in 2024, when he left as much as $113 million on the bargaining table to allow the Knicks the financial flexibility they needed to finish building a championship roster.
Dodgers' Yamamoto loses no-hit bid on Peters' leadoff homer for the White Sox in the 9th inning
CHICAGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto lost a bid for a no-hitter when Tristan Peters hit a leadoff homer for the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning. Yamamoto retired his first 23 batters before Chase Meidroth reached on a two-out error on shortstop Mookie Betts in the eighth. Jacob Gonzalez then bounced to second, ending the inning. But Peters connected for his third homer of the season on a 96.6 mph fastball, sending a drive deep to right. After Edgar Quero flied out to center, Yamamoto was replaced by Alex Vesia. The Dodgers then closed out a 7-1 victory over the White Sox.
Scotland marks 28-year World Cup absence with 1-0 victory over Haiti in Group C
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — John McGinn deflected a shot off an opposing defender and past goalkeeper Johny Placide in the 28th minute, and Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 in Group C of the World Cup. The Scots were making their first appearance in the tournament since 1998 and earned their first World Cup victory since beating Sweden 2-1 in 1990. Group favorites Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw earlier in the day, putting Scotland at the top the group standings. Haiti, whose only other World Cup appearance was in West Germany in 1974, is still in search of its first World Cup point.
49ers mourn the sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith at 36
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, has died. He was 36. The team announced the death on Saturday but did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his first two seasons, the most by any player in their first two seasons. Smith was first suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys.
Boualem Khoukhi's goal on header in stoppage time earns Qatar a 1-1 World Cup draw with Switzerland
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Boualem Khoukhi scored an equalizing goal on a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Qatar spoiled a dominant day by Switzerland in a 1-1 draw in Group B of the World Cup. Breel Embolo scored for Switzerland from the penalty spot in the first half just over a week after being cleared to enter the U.S. following a visa delay, but the Swiss failed to capitalize on multiple other scoring chances. Switzerland dominated the possession game on an unseasonably warm June afternoon — with sprinklers running during a first-half break. There were thousands of empty seats scattered throughout Levi’s Stadium.
70 seconds, 26 passes and an iconic World Cup moment for the US and Gio Reyna
Gio Reyna's goal might go down as one of the iconic moments of the 2026 World Cup. It will certainly take something special to eclipse it as the goal of the tournament even at this early stage. Deep into added time at Los Angeles Stadium and with virtually the last kick of the game, Reyna capped a spectacular 4-1 win for the United States against Paraguay on Friday with an exquisite finish to a wonderful team move. This was Pochettino-ball at its finest.
Olympic gold medal-Stanley Cup double is at stake for Americans in the final
Jaccob Slavin is one win away from becoming the second American to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year. That could happen as soon as Sunday if Carolina defeats Vegas in Game 6 of the Cup final. It would bring some measure of retribution for teammate Seth Jarvis, who played for Canada in the overtime loss in the final in Milan. Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore were on the wrong side of that game, too, and Golden Knights teammates Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin need two more victories to complete the Olympic gold-Stanley Cup double that only Ken Morrow had before in 1980 with the “Miracle on Ice” and the New York Islanders.
James Harden is arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden has been arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon in a motor vehicle, according to the Harris County District Clerk’s Office. Harden was arrested at 3:41 a.m. Saturday and booked just before 5 a.m. He posted $100 bond and was released from police custody, according to charging documents. The documents say Harden had a handgun in plain view that was not in a holster. His arraignment is scheduled for June 22, according to the clerk's office website. Harden is listed as a Houston resident in court documents.
