LOCAL SPORTS
Playoffs Begin in the U15 League: Today, the Novas host the Truro Bearcats at the Antigonish Arena at 4:30.
U16: Cabot Highlanders outscored the Fundy Thunder 5-4 in Double Overtime to sweep their opening playoff series. Their second round opponents will be determined this weekend.
U18: CB West Islanders host Halifax at the Al MacInnis Sports Centre in Port Hood. Puck drops at 7.
NS Junior: It’s Game 3 of the Sid Rowe Division Final tonight, with the series tied between the Antigonish Bulldogs and the Junior Miners. Game time at the Antigonish Arena is 7:30.
Maritime Major Female League: The Northern Subway Selects are in Bedford tonight to play the Station Six Fire. A win tonight for the Selects would guarantee them the Nova Scotia Championship. If Game 4 is necessary, it will be in Bedford tomorrow afternoon at 3:30.
NATIONAL SPORTS
The Montreal Canadiens have given themselves some breathing room in the standings with their third win in a row. Jake Allen made 22 saves as the Canadiens downed the Senators 4-1 in Ottawa. Montreal is now six points up on Calgary and Vancouver for the final playoff spot in the North Division, and also have four games in hand.
Jesper Fast scored with 29 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. The Hurricanes pulled within a point of co-leaders Tampa Bay and Florida in the Central Division. The Blackhawks remain tied with Nashville for the final playoff spot, and the teams meet on Saturday night.
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Randal Grichuk led off the 10th with an RBI double, and the Toronto Blue Jays took advantage of the second year of starting extra innings with a runner on second to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 Thursday in the major league opener. Fans returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2019. Capacity was limited to 20% because of coronavirus protocols, and the attendance was announced as 10,850.
Canada’s Jamal Murray scored 23 points and the Denver Nuggets led all the way in beating the Los Angeles Clippers 101-94 for their fourth straight victory. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Paul George had 17 points and eight rebounds in his return after missing two games with a sore right foot.
Shake Milton scored 27 points, Dwight Howard had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers finished a six-game road trip without their injured M-V-P candidate centre by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-94. The Sixers went 4-and-2 on their trip as they wait for Joel Embiid to get back from a knee injury.
Victor Oladipo finally made his Miami debut, and the Heat ensured it was a memorable one. Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Duncan Robinson scored 21 and the Heat held off the Golden State Warriors 116-109 to win their third straight outing and move back over the .500 mark at 25-and-24. Oladipo started and did a little of everything in his first game, finishing with six points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Camilo Villegas chipped in twice to highlight a nine-birdie round that earned him an 8-under 64 and the first-round lead at the Valero Texas Open. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.-C is the top Canadian following a 2-under 70. Defending champion Corey Conners of Listowel, Ontario fired a 71.
Thursday’s Games
NHL
Montreal 4 Ottawa 1
N.Y. Rangers 3 Buffalo 2 (OT)
Tampa Bay 3 Columbus 2
N.Y. Islanders 8 Washington 4
Pittsburgh 4 Boston 1
Florida 3 Detroit 2 (OT)
Dallas 4 Nashville 1
Carolina 4 Chicago 3
Minnesota 3 Vegas 2 (SO)
NBA
Philadelphia 114 Cleveland 94
Detroit 120 Washington 91
Brooklyn 111 Charlotte 89
Miami 116 Golden State 109
Orlando 115 New Orleans 110 (OT)
Atlanta 134 San Antonio 129 (2OT)
Denver 101 L.A. Clippers 94
MLB
American League
Detroit 3 Cleveland 2
Toronto 3 N.Y. Yankees 2 (10 innings)
Kansas City 14 Texas 10
L.A. Angels 4 Chicago White Sox 3
Houston 8 Oakland 1
Baltimore at Boston — postponed
National League
Pittsburgh 5 Chicago Cubs 3
Philadelphia 3 Atlanta 2 (10 innings)
San Diego 8 Arizona 7
St. Louis 11 Cincinnati 6
Colorado 8 L.A. Dodgers 5
N.Y. Mets at Washington — postponed
Interleague
Milwaukee 6 Minnesota 5 (10 innings)
Tampa Bay 1 Miami 0
Seattle 8 San Francisco 7
Friday’s Games (All times Eastern)
NHL
Washington at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
St. Louis at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Arizona at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
San Jose at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.
NBA
Golden State at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Dallas at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Houston at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Indiana, 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Atlanta at New Orleans, 9 p.m.
Chicago at Utah, 9 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
Milwaukee at Portland, 10 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
MLB
American League
Baltimore (Means 0-0) at Boston (Eovaldi 0-0), 2:10 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Keuchel 0-0) at L.A. Angels (Heaney 0-0), 9:38 p.m.
Houston (Javier 0-0) at Oakland (Luzardo 0-0), 9:40 p.m.
National League
L.A. Dodgers (Bauer 0-0) at Colorado (Senzatela 0-0), 8:40 p.m.
Arizona (Kelly 0-0) at San Diego (Snell 0-0), 10:10 p.m.
Interleague
Tampa Bay (Yarbrough 0-0) at Miami (Lopez 0-0), 7:10 p.m.
San Francisco (Cueto 0-0) at Seattle (Paxton 0-0), 10:10 p.m.