TORONTO -- Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant will not play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, but coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that it is "feasible" that Durant could participate in just one practice before being cleared to play in a game.

"It's feasible," Kerr said. "But again, it's really a day-to-day thing. If we had a crystal ball, we would have known a long time ago what we were dealing with. It's just an injury; there's been a lot of gray area. So literally it's just day to day and how the progress is coming. And at this point he's still not ready."

Durant has not played or practiced since suffering a right calf injury on May 8 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets. Kerr and the Warriors remain optimistic that Durant will return at some point in the Finals, but they just don't know when he will be able to do more work with his teammates.

"Kevin is fine," Kerr said. "He didn't go through our shootaround. He's with our trainer, so he's out obviously. Another day, another step forward in his rehab progress."

Durant spent time with the group on the floor during the beginning of Saturday's practice but went back to the locker room area to receive more treatment. The Warriors are not scheduled to practice Monday as they head back to Oakland for Wednesday's Game 3.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo hopes to be sidelined no more than two weeks because of a left oblique strain.

Gallo was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday. He consulted with New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who has been out with a similar injury since April 20.

The strain is on the back side of the left-handed-hitting Gallo's swing, while Judge's injury is to his front side.

"I talked to Judge yesterday because I was concerned," Gallo said before Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. "I was trying to figure out what he felt, 'cause at the time I didn't have the MRI. He said, yeah, it's better to be on the back side. His was more significant."

Gallo has 17 homers and was tied for second in the American League entering Sunday. His .653 slugging percentage topped the AL.

Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he thought Gallo would miss about two weeks.

"He worries me just because he creates so much torque with his body and he's so strong that we don't want him to come back too early," Woodward said. "We don't want that to turn into a six- or eight-week deal."

Woodward said Gallo, who is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, probably will be able to bat before he can return to the outfield.

Gallo left Saturday's game in the fifth inning after hitting his second homer in two days in the fourth. He was pulled with a full count after speaking with Woodward and head athletic trainer Matt Lucero.

He felt the injury in the top of the fifth when he prepared to throw from center field to third base.

"It's not like an excruciating pain," he said. "Just an annoying kind of, little nagging thing."

Center fielder Delino DeShields was recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

PITTSBURGH -- The Milwaukee Brewers have placed struggling starter Jhoulys Chacin on the injured list with a strained lower back, paving the way for Jimmy Nelson's return to the majors.

The Brewers made the move Sunday, two days after Chacin fell to 3-7 with a 5.74 ERA after giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Pittsburgh.

Milwaukee recalled right-handed relievers Jacob Barnes and Taylor Williams from Triple-A San Antonio to give the team some help in the bullpen for Sunday's series finale against the Pirates. The Brewers optioned catcher Jacob Nottingham to Triple-A.

The team said it expects to recall Nelson on Wednesday and start him against the Miami Marlins. The appearance will be Nelson's first in the majors since Sept. 8, 2017, when he partially tore his labrum and strained the rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder diving head-first into first base to beat out a single against the Chicago Cubs.

The injury put an end to Nelson's breakout season. He went 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA for Milwaukee in 2017. He underwent shoulder surgery shortly after the injury and missed all of 2018.

Nelson went 3-0 with a 3.75 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance for San Antonio this spring. He will make his return to the majors on his 30th birthday.

SEATTLE -- Former All-Star outfielder Jay Bruce says he has been traded to Philadelphia by the Seattle Mariners.

Bruce is owed $8,317,204 this year from his $13 million salary and has a $13 million salary in 2020 -- the remainder of a three-year contract he signed with the New York Mets in January 2018. The Mets remain responsible for the second $1.5 million installment of his $3 million signing bonus, a payment due Jan. 31, 2020.

The 32-year-old Bruce is hitting .212 with 14 homers and 28 RBIs. He has struck out 53 times in 165 at-bats.

"I figured this would be the situation," Bruce told reporters. "It's bittersweet. I really like the group of guys here. I got to know some of them and had great relationships. It's part of the business, though. I get to go somewhere I have a chance to win, and at this point in my career, that's pretty paramount for me."

A three-time All-Star for Cincinnati in 2011, '12 and '16, Bruce was acquired by the Mets from the Reds on Aug. 1, 2016, traded to Cleveland on Aug. 9, 2017, then became a free agent and returned to the Mets in 2018.

He hit just .223 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 94 games last year, and New York traded him to Seattle in December as part of the deal in which the salary-shedding Mariners sent second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz to the Mets.

Philadelphia outfielder Odubel Herrera was placed on administrative leave by the commissioner's office Tuesday under the sport's domestic violence policy after his arrest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Bruce is expected to help in filling that void.

Bruce's last hit with Seattle was memorable: his 300th career home run on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Just one more out, and Joey Cora's little brother would be a champion. One more out, for a moment of elation and celebration, for reflection, for what they had lost and won together.

Alex Rodriguez was seated right next to Joey Cora, watching the game but also watching Joey watch his brother, Alex Cora. Rodriguez bore an understanding of the depth in the brothers' relationship, and as much as he was locked in on what was happening on the field, Rodriguez wanted to see Joey's reaction to Alex Cora's happiness.

Joey's grin lifted his cheekbones, his face emitting pride. One more out, and there would be one more reason for the Cora brothers to laugh at that fatherly lecture that the big brother had given the little brother a couple of years before.

One more out.

A swing. A long drive down the right-field line. A ball falling into a forest of outstretched hands on the other side of the fence.

Warren Morris of Louisiana State hit a two-run homer to win the 1996 College World Series, and as Morris joyfully rounded third base, a director in the CBS production truck switched to a close-up shot of Miami's shortstop, Alex Cora. Joey Cora's little brother was lying face down, body flattened across the lip of the outfield grass, arms over his head, defeated, sobbing.

About 200 miles away from that scene in Omaha, Nebraska, big league players had gathered around a television in the visitors' clubhouse in Kansas City -- for that weekend, the temporary home of the Seattle Mariners -- and they watched this unforgettable end to the College World Series. Including Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez, and second baseman Joey Cora.

Rodriguez turned and glanced at Alex Cora's big brother.

Joey Cora was weeping.

When Alex Cora was born in 1975, Joey Cora was 10½ years old, and that kind of age gap meant that Joey would hold his little brother as a baby, help care for him, catch him when he'd start to fall in his first steps, play catch with him. That kind of age gap assures an older brother will carry vivid memories at each stage of his sibling's life, from the first beaming smiles of recognition from an infant lying in the crib to the first tantrums to the first days running across the living room.

That kind of age gap meant that while Joey was a big brother to Alex, in the Cora pecking order of two brothers and two sisters, he represented something more than a mere brother to Alex. Joey was an ideal.

"I still look up to him," Alex Cora said. "He's amazing. He's a guy that sometimes I wish I was as structured as he is. Very smart guy, very smart individual who has a passion not only for baseball but his family."

They wouldn't scrap like siblings of similar ages. Rather, the age gap embedded a mutual respect. Joey thrived and Alex followed, watching as his older brother evolved from a youth baseball star to a high-end college prospect. At the direction of Jose Manuel Cora, their father, Joey enrolled at Vanderbilt University, despite the fact that he spoke little English.

A Cora family refrain is that Alex is more like their mother, Iris, at ease in expressing feelings and more engaging in a crowded room, and Joey is more like their father, more serious and sometimes blunt as a sledgehammer, when necessary.

"My father was strong," Alex Cora recalled. "I mean, he had a presence. Tall, dark guy, dark skin, gray hair. Everybody knew where he was, deep voice, and when he talked, people listened, especially us four kids." At the park where Alex played as a kid, there was a bench and tree where his father had always stood, and friends tell Alex of their memories of his father and mention that place.

Like their father, Joey was very serious about any task, regimented and tough. If Joey felt anxiety about living in a place or going to a college with which he was unfamiliar, with all those around him speaking a language he didn't speak fluently, he never dwelled on that. Joey just worked, like their father, strong and serious about each purpose, learning English, attacking academics, setting university records in baseball and improving -- always improving. The San Diego Padres drafted him in the first round in 1985, not long after his 20th birthday.

When he was home in Puerto Rico, he watched his little brother. Alex was incredibly bright, Joey thought, incredibly stubborn, and school was a bore for him. Alex loved being outside, through a childhood spent on ballfields with their dad and Joey, and he knew baseball -- and was precocious. He was resolute in his belief that he knew more about baseball than just about anybody else, including his coaches.

"He wasn't afraid," Joey recalled. "Kids that age, when they're told to do something, they'll do it. But he told the manager, 'This is the way you should do it.' He was 5 or 6 and he told his coach, 'I want to hit leadoff.'

"He was always playing against kids that were older, and you know, he thought was better than anybody else. And he was. He never lacked confidence. He'd tell the coach, 'I want to play second base,' and later on, he said, 'I want to play shortstop.'"

Two years after Joey Cora was drafted, he reached the big leagues, playing 77 games for the Padres in 1987. But through Joey's first months in the big leagues, he bore a larger burden. Their father, Jose Manuel Cora, was sick. With cancer.

In his last months, he pushed Joey emotionally, pushed him to accept more responsibility.

"He was preparing me the whole time to take his role [in the family]," Joey Cora said. "I didn't know it at the time. I had no idea. Actually, I was kind of like, 'What the hell. You know you've been too tough on me.' He wasn't fair.

"He was always strict, but he was even more strict at that time. Then I realized what he was trying to do. He was trying to get me ready for my role, and when he left, I was ready."

Alex Cora had been shielded from the stark reality of their father's illness. After his father passed away, his sister reminded him of family trips that she joined, because he was sick. "I had no idea," Alex recalled.

Not long before his 13th birthday, Alex played a volleyball match, and right after it was over, he was picked up and taken to the hospital. His father wasn't feeling right, he was told. After the visit, Alex went to bed that night, and at 4 a.m., a neighbor knocked on the Coras' door. They had to go to the hospital again.

His father was gone.

"A father who took care of you, who was interested in the things that you were interested in. And all of a sudden that is not there," Iris Cora said. "It was tough for him. I know it was tough."

Alex Cora committed to play at the University of Miami and left home for the first time for his freshman year. Six weeks after departing his home in Caguas, however, he was deeply homesick. The plan had been for Alex to visit Puerto on weekends, buying round-trip tickets with money saved from the dollars that Joey had sent home. Instead, Alex packed his three suitcases and bought a one-way ticket to San Juan.

"I decided, 'Nah, you know what? I had enough of this.' I didn't feel comfortable in the environment," Alex recalled.

Regimented as always, Joey called every Sunday when he was in college, and after starting in pro ball, he switched his day to phone home to Monday. Always Monday. For some reason, in those hours after Alex returned to Caguas, the usually consistent and predictable Joey called home on a Thursday. Alex assumes his college coach, Jim Morris, had called Joey to give him a heads-up.

Jose Manuel Cora had prepared his son for a moment like this, a patriarch's moment.

"What the f--- are you doing there?" Joey said to his little brother.

Alex explained how homesick he was, and how he wasn't going to be able to play shortstop right away at Miami, and that he could play baseball elsewhere.

Joey warned Alex that if he didn't get on the next plane to Miami, Joey would fly back to Puerto Rico and physically place him on a plane to go back to college.

Joey Cora recalled, "He had no choice. He had to go back. He thought he was a man at that time, but he wasn't even close; he was learning to be a man.

"He went back and took ownership of his life. And that's why he was successful."

"That phone call," Alex Cora said, "changed the path of my life."

Alex Cora would go on to star at Miami and was drafted by the Dodgers in the third round in 1996. Two years later, he would make his major league debut -- coincidentally, against the Mariners, with Joey standing at second base for Alex's first at-bat in the big leagues.

Years later, in the fall of 2017, Alex was told he would become the new manager of the Boston Red Sox. His first call was to Joey. "We got it," he said.

The Cora brothers talked briefly about the idea of Joey joining the coaching staff in Boston, but Joey told his brother that he was happy in his role as the third-base coach for the Pirates, his family settled in Pittsburgh. "In many ways because of the respect that Alex has for his brother, that was a big relief for Alex," said Rodriguez.

In late October, Joey was in the stands in Los Angeles to see Chris Sale on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 of the World Series. One out to go, and Joey Cora's little brother would be a champion, again, after having already been a part of Boston's 2007 championship, and having served as bench coach for the Houston Astros' title team in 2017.

One out to go. Sale threw a slider near the feet of Manny Machado. A swing and miss, and moments later, Alex Cora hoisted the trophy over his head, and watching, Alex's joy became Joey's joy. Joey Cora thought about going to the parade in Boston, about celebrating the Red Sox win, but there was too much of Jose Manuel Cora's discipline in him for that to happen. As a member of the Pirates organization, he felt that would have been the wrong thing to do, when Pittsburgh is chasing its first title since 1979 is looking to hold its own parade.

No matter the distance in space or time, however, the bond between the Cora brothers persists. This spring, Joey Cora was in Bradenton, Florida, at the Pirates' spring training site, answering questions about that last day of the 1996 College World Series.

He recalled how he had gotten to the visitors clubhouse in Kansas City early to get breakfast, seize the best seat and watch Alex. He remembered how his little brother hit a double to give Miami the lead, and how Mariners teammates good-naturedly gave Joey a hard time while watching the game. "He might have been the MVP," Joey said. "He had a hell of a series, and they were going to win."

One more out. One last swing. Warren Morris changed everything, and Alex collapsed on the infield.

Twenty-three years later, Joey Cora recalled that moment, and his eyes started to fill with tears again. For the little brother he loves.

Highlights from the South, Midlands and North of England Championships

South of England Championships, Bedford

Olympians Margaret Adeoye and Martyn Rooney were in action at the South of England Senior and Under-20 Championships in Bedford this weekend, where good weather led to plenty of PBs, Paul Halford reports.

Adeoye fought off the faster-finishing Phillipa Lowe to win the 400m in 53.47 – exactly a year to the day since her last competition.

The Enfield & Haringey athlete, who ended her 2018 season early to try to sort out ongoing Achilles problems, enjoyed a good start but was almost caught by Lowe, who clocked 53.50.

Three-time 400m Olympian Rooney put in some early-season under-distance work in the 200m, clocking a legal 21.88 to win his heat and then a windy 21.77 to win his semi-final. He didn’t take his place in the final, won by Edmond Amaning in 20.97.

Had a great time running some 200m’s at the South of England’s today, nothing quick unfortunately but two wins (yay). Disappointed I won’t be contesting the final, ?? hips have seized up! It’s a shame they can’t bump someone up to take my place. On to the next one!

— Martyn Rooney (@MartynRooney) June 2, 2019

European U18 champion Dominic Ogbechie took a tightly-fought under-20 high jump with a best of 2.10m. The multi-talented athlete, who has run 21.52 for 200m, also has the standard for the European U20s in Boras in the long jump and will do both events at the trials back here in Bedford later this month.

European under-23 110m hurdles silver medallist Khai Riley-La Borde narrowly won his event in 13.99 from Enfield & Haringey club-mate James Weaver, who clocked 14.05.

A top-quality under-20 women’s triple jump saw the championship record broken twice. Eloise Harvey, who had won the long jump the day before with a PB of 6.10m, recorded 12.87m for another lifetime best. That fell just 0.13m short of the qualifying mark for the European U20 Championships, although her record was surpassed in round four by Italy’s Mame Snow’s 12.92m.

Kiah Dubarry-Gay’s 23.96 to win the under-20 200m was just 0.16 outside the Boras target.

Max Law’s 68.57m to win the under-20 hammer was a PB and UK age-group lead.

Frankie Johnson, who already has the standard for Boras under his belt, found 5.00m enough for the under-20 pole vault win.

Winner Lucy-Jane Matthews and Marcia Sey both went under the Boras standard in the 100m hurdles, although the 13.60 time they shared was wind-assisted.

Other senior winners included: Amy Holder in the discus (53.47m), Korede Awe in the 100m (10.44 PB), Katie Head in the hammer (60.63m PB), Lia Stephenson in the triple jump (13.13m PB) and M40 Neil McLellan in the javelin (69.40m).

Among the other under-20 champions were: Josh Douglas and Heather Cubbage in the discus (49.19m PB/46.48), Serena Vincent (14.70m in the shot) and Tobi Ogunkanmi in the 100m (10.56 PB).

Midland Championships, Nuneaton

Craig Murch notched up his fourth successive Midland hammer championship with a first-round effort of 67.92m but, in damp conditions, subsequent throws were of the same order but nothing close to his 71.16m from Loughborough earlier in the year, Martin Duff reports.

After that early Sunday effort, the rains came to hamper subsequent events, but it was warm and windy on the opening Saturday.

Former European U23 discus champion Eden Francis was lucky that there were not many entries in her senior championship. The 30-year-old had three no-throws before getting into her stride en-route to a 51.91m final fling.

Also in the throws, UK second-ranked Emma Hamplett took the women’s javelin with 50.68m.

The sprints saw a men’s double from Kyle de Escofet in 10.40 and 21.13 but both were windy, while Cassie-Ann Pemberton scored a useful under-20 sprint double in 11.81 and 24.25.

North of England Championships, Sportcity Manchester

Danielle McGifford fell a tenth of a second shy of completing a unique sprint triple at the North of England Championships, Jacob Phillips reports.

The Wigan and District athlete successfully took the 100m (11.78) and 100m hurdles (13.66) titles on Saturday before winning her 200m heat in a photo finish alongside Katy Wyper, as they both finished in 24.60.

However, after winning four races across Saturday and Sunday morning, McGifford fell just short in the 200m final, finishing in 24.50 to Wyper’s 24.36.

Heptathlete McGifford’s success, which includes previous titles in both the English Schools heptathlon and long jump, reflects the current depth in British heptathlon.

Sale Harriers’ Andrew Robertson also came close to completing a sprint double. Robertson took gold in the men’s 100m (10.41) before taking silver in the 200m (21.12) behind club-mate Connor Wood, who clocked 20.97 to win.

T38 sprinter Ben Foulston was the first to cross the line in the men’s ambulant 100m, clocking 12.49, while T44 athlete Victoria Baskett was first to finish in the women’s 100m in a time of 14.45.

Elsewhere, the men’s 1500m seemed to resemble a Preston Harriers training session. The club’s Matthew Wigelsworth (3:52.87), Tiarnan Crorken (3:54.00) and Daniel Bebbington (3:54.44) managed to take all three coloured medals home with them.

Leeds City came close to replicating Preston’s success in the women’s 1500m. Claire Duck took the women’s title in 4:19.66 from Manx Harrier Rachael Franklin, 4:20.50, while team-mate Jennifer Walsh clocked 4:25.59.

In the field events, Vizamuje Ujaha took gold in the high jump, being the only man to jump 2 metres, while Abby Ward won the women’s event in 1.75, edging out Emily Borthwick who jumped the same distance.

Osian Jones threw the hammer 68.64m, 18 metres ahead of second-placed Daniel Nixon with 54.50m, completing dominating the field.

Other field events were much more competitive. Amy Hodgson and Micaela Brindle were separated by just 2 cm in the women’s long jump. Hodgson’s 5.85m was just enough to outdo Brindle’s 5.83

Notable results in the under-20 championships included Dan Preston’s 1500m in 3:55.28, while Rory Keen ran 54.52 in the 400m hurdles to run nearly two seconds clear of the rest of the field.

The women’s junior 100m final was won by Leonie Ashmeade in a photo finish with Hannah Kelly as both ran 11.79.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Shane Stewart ended a nearly yearlong winless streak with a $25,000 score on night two of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ Music City Outlaw Nationals at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Saturday night.

In spectacular fashion, the Oklahoma-native claimed his first win of the season with his new CJB Motorsports team and his 34th career World of Outlaws win.

“Big stage, big win for this team,” Stewart said.

With one win during the 2018 season, Stewart was released from his ride with Kyle Larson Racing at the end of the year. At the same time CJB Motorsports parted ways with its then driver, David Gravel – a pairing that never finished worse than third in points together.

The two paired together for the 2019 season.

With a pinch of luck, Stewart’s team drew an early qualifying order position, leading to the No. 5 car being second fastest to Brad Sweet’s track record breaking 14.083-second time. Stewart then went on to win his Drydene Heat race and finish second in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash. He started second in the main event.

Throwing his car around the tight turns of the quarter-mile track, Stewart took the lead on the first lap of the feature and put distance between he and second-place lap after lap. His early run was cut short by Daryn Pittman spinning and bringing out the caution on lap two.

On the restart, Stewart set sail again. Behind him, though, lurked another driver just as eager to return to victory lane.

In the early stage of year, Brent Marks missed two features and didn’t find the top-10 until the tenth race of the 2019 season. The Myerstown, Pa.-native earned his first top-five during the first round of the Music City Outlaw Nationals Friday night and was poised to do better on night two.

Marks methodically charged his way from fourth to second by Lap five. Two laps later, he found himself to the outside of Stewart down the front stretch. The two went side-by-side into turn one. Marks high. Stewart low.

Stewart slid up the track in turn two, allowing Marks to dart underneath him exiting the corner. But before he could complete the pass, a caution came out for several cars tangled in turn four.

Marks showed his hand. Stewart now knew there was no cruising to a win. The battle was on.

When the race went back green, Stewart stuck to the high side, while Marks ran low. The red No. 19 car showed its nose to Stewart turn after turn. Until lap 11.

Marks finally found enough traction on the bottom of turns three and four to pull past Stewart for the lead. He cleared the No. 5 car the next corner, but Stewart wasn’t ready to watch another potential win slip away. He launched his car around the outside of Marks through turns three and four and charged back to the lead.

Marks then returned the move by throwing his car to the bottom of turn one and sliding up in front of Stewart in the center of the turn. Stewart cut underneath Marks, but couldn’t find enough traction to challenge Marks again for the position.

Marks was on his way to a historic win.

Lapped traffic soon became an obstacle, though. Stewart kept Marks in his crosshairs, giving the Pennsylvanian no room for error while the track slicked up each lap.

With nine laps to go, Marks misjudged his drive into turn one around the outside of a lapped car and hit the cushion. His error allowed Stewart to dart past him and reclaim the lead, again.

The win wasn’t his, yet. Marks stayed close behind and with three laps to go Sweet made it a three-horse race for the win, challenging Marks for second. And even though Stewart reclaimed the lead, he knew it was going to be a battle to keep it.

“I don’t think I had the best car, but I knew once we got in to lap traffic, I had to be patient,” Stewart said. “I knew the bottom was going to be key.”

Stewart cautiously slid his car to the bottom of the track each turn and eased back on the throttle off of it, leaving no opening for Marks to make a run. He did that with fine-tuned precision, leading to a standing ovation by the crowd as he soared past the checkered flag.

“It’s special,” Stewart said. “Being the inaugural race here at Nashville. So many people here that came out to support the World of Outlaws, which is really cool to see. Just a big win. I don’t know where it ranks, but it’s up there for sure.”

For Marks, he was left meandering by his car, contemplating what could have been. But he still had fun.

“It actually was a lot of fun,” Marks said. “I thought the track was in real good shape there for the Feature and made it racy for us. Sort of took a little bit of rubber there toward the end. It wasn’t like lock down rubber, so when you’re following lap cars around and keep hearing people behind you because obviously everybody is so close, you’ve got to try to outsmart them.

“Another good thing to do is put a lap car between them. That’s what I tried to do and just caught the wall the wrong way.”

Sweet, who finished third said he hopes to continue to build momentum with his team. He cut a small chuck out of Donny Schatz’s points lead, now sitting 48 points behind the reigning champion in second.

To see full results, turn to the next page.

The St. Louis Blues had waited 49 years to host another Stanley Cup Final game. They will have to wait a little bit longer for a happier home memory, after the Boston Bruins blasted the Blues 7-2 in Game 3 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 series lead.

Here's everything you need to know about how Game 3 played out in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily.

Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 3: Boston Bruins 7, St. Louis Blues 2 (Bruins lead series 2-1)

It was supposed to be a special night in St. Louis, and the crowd was dotted with celebrities like Jenna Fischer, Jon Hamm, Travis Kelce, Jackie Joyner Kersee and Patrick Mahomes. This game, however, was all about the Bruins' domination, though we'll probably also remember this as the first time Jordan Binnington was pulled in his NHL career (mercifully, after Boston's fifth goal).

Boston climbed to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period -- the last goal, with 9.2 seconds remaining in the period, was a dagger -- and didn't look back. The Bruins' power play was absurdly efficient, going 4-for-4 ... on four shots. In the end, seven different Bruins scored. Things could have gotten out of hand late, especially as St. Louis exerted its physicality in an attempt to rile up the Bruins. The Bruins didn't bite and protected Tuukka Rask.

Meanwhile in the St. Louis room, players adamantly defended their rookie goaltender. They admitted to leaving him hanging out to dry and vowed to be better. The Blues owe it to their home fans to come out stronger in Game 4.

Three stars

1. Torey Krug, D, Boston Bruins

With a goal and three assists, Krug set a new Bruins Stanley Cup Final record for points. He was the primary beneficiary of a power play that was frighteningly efficient.

2. Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins

There has been some speculation that the top-line center is playing through an injury. After scoring the first goal of the game, Bergeron silenced that talk, for now. (He also added two assists). "Watch the game tonight. Does he look hurt?" linemate Brad Marchand quipped.

3. David Pastrnak, LW, Boston Bruins

Another goal, another reason to never doubt the first line. According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio of Pastrnak, Bergeron and Marchand scored three times on eight scoring chances in Game 3.

Play of the night

Charlie Coyle puts it up over Blues Jordan Binnington to extend the #Bruins lead#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/x86E16Xf6h

- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 2, 2019

Not sure what's prettier, the goal by Charlie Coyle or the pass by Marcus Johansson. It sure feels like Johansson, an impending unrestricted free agent, is driving up his contract price every round these playoffs.

Dud of the night

The Blues' challenging the Bruins' third goal, which occurred with 9.2 seconds left in the first period. The dud wasn't necessarily the decision to challenge; it was a smart challenge, and we're actually still not totally convinced the play was on-sides. But when the refs rued in Boston's favor, it became a kiss of death for St. Louis.

Boston scored on the ensuing power play at the start of the second period to build a 4-0 lead. And while wild things have happened in the playoffs, let's note that in the 2018-19 season, teams went 1-252-1 after trailing by four goals.

Social post of the day

We're not sure when it became a requirement for NFL quarterbacks attending sporting events to chug beers, but we're not complaining. Mahomes aced his opportunity:

Hey now.#Chiefs QB @PatrickMahomes in the house!
Chugged a beer.
Not sure how full it was, but still better than Rodgers. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/NKddIFftDC

- Raul Martinez (@RaulNBCBoston) June 2, 2019

Quotable

"We could use a win. It's been a rough run for the city the last three decades or so with the odd Cardinals championship here and there and what-not. It would be nice for a million different reasons, but mostly I think for the guys on this team. When you look back, whatever it was, Jan. 2, last in the league. And to have the guts and fortitude and strength and character and the skill to come back from that, yeah, I mean, I think these guys believe. And I think the city's starting to also." -- Blues fan/actor Jon Hamm.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has said he used his pain in last year's Champions League final to inspire him as Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 to win the trophy on Saturday.

Salah, forced out of the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev a year ago with injury after a clash with Sergio Ramos, scored an early penalty as Liverpool erased the memory of that disappointment.

The Egypt international said he had used a photograph of him leaving the pitch in pain against Madrid to inspire him against Spurs at the Wanda Metropolitano.

- Marcotti: Despite win, Liverpool's journey far from over
- Liverpool ratings: Virgil, Alisson worthy of European title
- Champions League seeding confirmed for 2019-20

"I looked at the picture from last year before the game," he told reporters. "I was very disappointed that I got injured and went out after 30 minutes and we lost the game. It was something to motivate me to win.

"I didn't look at the picture for a long time. You can feel what you can beat, so I just looked at it one time and said: 'OK, let's go.'

"Our job is more mental and you have to believe in yourself before the game. You could see the players -- we were believing in ourselves in the game.

"I think everything happens for a reason, and the reason for us to lose the final last season was to come back and win it again."

Salah said he had not been worried about the pressure of taking Liverpool's first-minute penalty, awarded for handball by Moussa Sissoko.

"I prepared myself before the game," he said. "I scored a penalty to send Egypt to the World Cup after 28 years in the last minute, so this one was easier.

"It's great. The final of the Champions League, take a penalty, to show the courage and to win the trophy."

It was Liverpool's first trophy under manager Jurgen Klopp after they lost out by just a point to Manchester City in a dramatic race for the Premier League title.

And Salah said he believed it would be the catalyst for more success, adding: "It's the start. We will go next season for the Premier League.

"The average age of the team is 26-27, so we still have young players. It is good experience for us to win the trophy now, and also last season we learned a lot."