Thursday Sports in Brief

PRO BASKETBALL

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jaylen Brown fueled a comeback charge and scored 24 points, Al Horford hit six 3-pointers and the Boston Celtics rode the most lopsided fourth quarter in NBA Finals history to a 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1.

Horford finished with 26 points and the Celtics outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the final 12 minutes after trailing by 15 points late in the third quarter.

Stephen Curry scored 34 points in his return to the NBA’s big stage for the first time in three years, but the Warriors couldn’t sustain momentum from a 38-point third quarter that put them ahead 92-80 going into the final 12 minutes.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night back at Chase Center.

The Celtics’ comeback was the biggest in the finals after three quarters since Michael Jordan’s Bulls overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Trail Blazers in Game 6 in 1992.

HOCKEY

DENVER (AP) — Nazem Kadri had three assists in a 2:04 span in the second period, backup Pavel Francouz stopped 24 shots for his second career playoff shutout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The Avalanche broke through in the second after a scoreless opening period that featured something rarely seen so far in this series — defense. Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson scored 15 seconds apart to get things going in the second, with Mikko Rantanen adding another on Kadri’s third assist.

Nathan MacKinnon scored late in the third.

Game 3 is Saturday in Edmonton. The Avalanche are 5-0 on the road so far in these playoffs, and 15-4 in a best-of-seven series when taking a 2-0 lead.

TENNIS

PARIS (AP) — American teenager Coco Gauff reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Martina Trevisan of Italy 6-3, 6-1 at the French Open.

The 18th-seeded Gauff will face No. 1 Iga Swiatek for the championship on Saturday. Swiatek is pursuing a second title at Roland Garros. She ran her winning streak to 34 matches by defeating No. 20 Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 on Thursday.

Gauff and Trevisan were even at 3-all during the second semifinal on a sunny, breezy afternoon at Court Philippe Chatrier. That’s when Gauff grabbed the last three games of that set. The 18-year-old has won all 12 sets she’s played in the tournament.

BASEBALL

DETROIT (AP) — Minnesota Twins broadcaster Jim Kaat referred to New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes as “Nestor the Molester” during a broadcast, the second offensive remark in the past year by the 83-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher while calling a game.

As Minnesota’s Chris Archer struck out Detroit star Miguel Cabrera, Kaat began to explain that Cortes had become one of his favorite pitchers during a breakout season with New York.

“‘Nestor the Molester,’ Nestor Cortes,” Kaat said. “Angles and different speeds. He’s a pitcher.”

Twins vice president of communications and content Dustin Morse spoke with Kaat after the broadcast about the comment. Kaat planned to contact Cortes directly and speak with the pitcher about the situation.

After the Yankees swept a day-night doubleheader from the Los Angeles Angels, Cortes said he heard about Kaat’s comment. “I’m sure, you know, he didn’t really mean it, and people make mistakes, but it didn’t offend me at all,” Cortes told The Associated Press. “So, you know, I don’t really have anything more than just that, honestly,” he said.

GOLF

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Just being at the Memorial was a reminder how far Cameron Young has come in the last year. Being part of a six-way tie for the lead was another reminder how well he is playing.

In his first start since challenging at the PGA Championship, Young finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 5-under 67 on rain-softened Muirfield Village.

Even with slightly softer greens, the 67 was the highest score to lead after the first round of the Memorial since 2004. And it was the second straight week on the PGA Tour of a big logjam at the top — eight were tied after one round at Colonial.

Joining Young were Luke List, Cameron Smith and K.H. Lee from the morning wave, and Mackenzie Hughes and Davis Riley each shot 67 in the afternoon. Bryson DeChambeau, in his first tournament since the Masters because of surgery on his left hand, had a 76. Harris English made his first start since the Sony Open in January because of hip surgery. He opened with a 77.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) — Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad shot the lowest round by an amateur in the 77-year history of the U.S. Women’s Open, a 6-under 65 that gave her the early lead at Pine Needles.

Because she’s an amateur, Lindblad wouldn’t be able to collect the record $1.8 million first-place prize if she holds on to win the event. She would have had to declare as a professional before the tournament began.

Australia’s Minjee Lee and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist both shot 67 in the morning, and are two strokes behind after the early tee times. Several golfers remained on the course.

Lindblad finished tied 30th at 6-over 292 in her only other U.S. Women’s Open appearance in 2020.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

POCATELLO, Ohio (AP) — Idaho State assistant football coach DaVonte’ Neal was arrested on suspicion of killing a man in Arizona and the school intends to terminate his contract.

Neal was charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of drive-by-shooting, and one count of discharging a firearm at a structure in the 2017 death of Bryan T. Burns. The indictment contains no details of what circumstances led to the shooting.

Neal was indicted by a grand jury in Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix metropolitan area, on May 16, and a warrant for his arrest was issued shortly after. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the shooting, but spokesperson Kahri Harrion said the agency was unable to release information on the case. The shooting happened in a busy commercial area along Interstate 10 about 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Neal, who played college football at the University of Arizona, is being held without bail at the Bannock County Jail in the eastern Idaho city awaiting extradition to Arizona.