SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE

Jesperi Kotkaniemi had two goals to lead the Carolina Hurricanes past the New Jersey Devils 6-1. That win gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series. Jordan Staal and Martin Necas also scored in the decisive second period. Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen added clinching third-period goals.

—

The finalists for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s best head coach have been named. Seattle’s Dave Hakstol, Boston’s Jim Montgomery and New Jersey’s Lindy Ruff are all in contention for the award.

—

George Springer hit his fourth home run of the season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0. Starter Chris Bassitt struck out five and walked four as Toronto ended a five-game losing streak. Bassitt, who signed a three-year deal with the Blue Jays in the off-season, won for the third time in four starts for Toronto.

—

Kyle Tucker hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off reliever Matt Brash, and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4. Tucker and Yordan Alvarez provided all the offensive punch for the Astros. Alvarez continued to torment Seattle pitching with a three-run homer off Luis Castillo in the third.

—

NLL Playoffs (Single Game Knockout)

Quarterfinals
Toronto 15 Halifax 11
Colorado 13 San Diego 12

—

Devin Booker scored 47 points, Kevin Durant added 39 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Nuggets 121-114 to cut Denver’s lead to 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series. Booker shot 20 of 25 from the field, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished with 30 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds.

—

Canadian Alphonso Davies has been named CONCACAF Men’s Player of the Year for the second year in a row. The 22-year-old from Edmonton is the first back-to-back winner of the award that dates back to 2013. Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas has also won the award twice, but not in consecutive years back in 2014 and 2017.

(CP)