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.

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"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."

After missing the All-Star Game for the first time since 2015, Draymond Green in these playoffs has reminded everyone what kind of two-way force he is -- a former Defensive Player of the Year who already ranks among the greatest playmaking big men ever.

Ask insiders to name what makes Green special, and two qualities come up over and over: intelligence and anticipation -- his ability to read the game ahead of everyone else. That Green is the one Golden State will need tonight to even the NBA Finals (Game 2, ABC, 8 p.m. ET) after a fearless Pascal Siakam scored over and around him (and every other Warrior) in Toronto's Game 1 win.

Before the NBA Finals, ESPN.com picked 10 plays from the Golden State Warriors' postseason run and asked Green to take us inside his mind.

Green's comments have been edited for clarity and length.

Play No. 1

It looks so simple -- Klay Thompson and Green negotiating a standard pick-and-roll. But Clint Capela's screen drills Thompson. Chris Paul comes open on the other side. Green slides toward Paul, and appears ready to switch onto him. And then, bam: Thompson recovers, Green slides back to Capela, and a window that opened wide for a split second is slammed shut.

How did Green know not to switch? How did Thompson know what Green would do?

Chris is always going to be a pass-first player. He's coming off to his left hand. I know he's not comfortable coming off to his left hand. The chances of him just firing are slim.

I know when we've been switching, they've made it a point to try to hit Capela on the dive. If Klay gets nailed like that and I jump to switch, there's no way Klay gets back to affect that pass to Capela.

And I know -- Klay is a ball hawk. If he doesn't hear "switch," he's going to chase the ball.

Look at Green's feet as Paul sizes him up:

His left foot is directly in front of his right foot; his hips are wide open. That's a little unusual -- some coaches would say dangerous -- and Green does it a lot. Why? It's about weight distribution and recovery speed. Green can plant on that left foot, convince Paul he is moving forward, and push off that same foot to begin his retreat to Capela.

If my left foot is up, it's going to tell [Paul] I'm coming to him. If my feet are parallel to half court, there's no way I can drop back at the rate I need to. I'm back on my heels that way. I can't jump. The only other way I can get back to [Capela] that way is to turn and sprint, which takes another second. If I've got one foot up, I can play a cat-and-mouse game with the ball-handler and the roller. For a split second, it allows me to guard two people even though I'm not all the way up to the 3-point line.

My uncle [Bennie Baber, Green's coach during elementary school] taught me to play defense with one foot in front of the other. You have to be careful of giving somebody a lane. But my mindset on that is different: If I open my hips like that and I give you that way, I know you're going that way and I can react better.

You're taught to send some guys to their weak hand. But one thing I've figured out -- some guys, I like to send to their strong hand, because I know exactly what you're gonna do. That gives me a better chance.

If I try to send you to your weak hand, chances are you're a great player -- if I'm worried which hand I'm gonna send you to, you've made a living out of still getting to that strong hand. So now I'm guessing what you're gonna do as opposed to knowing, "OK, I know he's going this way."

Play No. 2

How is Green, like, everywhere before the Blazers expect him?

I'm at the free throw line analyzing the entire possession. I know it's CJ [McCollum] coming off, so it has to be a blitz. At that point, it's really Klay's rotation [to Meyers Leonard at the rim]. He's the low man.

But Klay is guarding Damian Lillard. So we'd rather not have Klay go help. If he does, we're leaving a 2-on-1 on the weak side with Dame and Seth [Curry]. We don't want that. I'm guarding the non-shooter, so I'm the help man.

Before Green slides to Leonard, he takes a half-step in McCollum's direction. The pass to Leonard appears open.

CJ has Andre [Iguodala] and [Kevon Looney] on him. CJ's 6-3? The likelihood of him seeing that pass and actually getting it through is slim to none.

And then comes perhaps Green's hallmark defensive play: winning a one-on-two situation by stunting at Evan Turner, and baiting Turner into a lob pass. Green is already on his way back to tip that pass before Turner releases the ball.

I am going to force Evan Turner to hit this shot from the foul line. Chances are, he probably won't even take it. What I can't give up is the automatic two with the lob. I stunt at him to make him think I'm coming, but I'm never going to Evan Turner at the free throw line. Once I stunt and get back, now I can affect the lob. But I'm also putting myself in rebounding position, and we're off to the races.

Smart players have figured out Green plays possum for the pass. In the second round, James Harden stopped throwing it, and attacked Green at the rim. Green didn't mind.

You could tell as the series went on, James threw the lob out of his repertoire. If that guy continues to drive, I'm going to meet him at the rim. Every now and then I'm going to get dunked on. I don't care. I think I affect way more shots than I get dunked on.

Play No. 3

This looks similar, except that Maurice Harkless slips that pass behind Green -- leading Al-Farouq Aminu toward pay dirt.

I really f---ed this up. I have to keep my feet open there. My left foot should have been higher. Instead, I have to drop my right foot again [when the pass gets behind him], and it's wasted motion.

I know Harkless is not shooting that from the foul line. If he does, that's a win for me. I should stunt to him and get back. He'd throw that pass, and I'd have a steal. But I f---ed up and started coming toward him too much.

Jordan Bell saved me. He makes Aminu stop for a split second, and that's all you need.

Play No. 4

McCollum splits a trap, draws Green, and fakes Green off of his feet before dumping to Harkless for what looks to be a dunk. Instead, Looney and Green smother him. Green stops himself before leaping too high on the first jump, and bounces into a super-quick second jump.

I wouldn't say CJ fooled me. I wouldn't say I guessed wrong. I have to honor CJ, or it's a floater, which is money for him, or a layup. There's no more trying to stunt and faking him out. When you're beat, your only job is to make the offense make one more pass. That allows for the possibility of another rotation.

Right here, we're dead. CJ's either going to get fouled or get the layup. I have to sell out to him. I force the pass, and Loon covers for me. Once Loon covers for me, I'm able to get back and help get the block. But Loon slowed Harkless down.

On that first mini-jump, and the burst after:

I didn't jump and take myself out of position like most guys do. I've always had a quick second jump. I basically couldn't jump, so my second jump was always more important than my first jump.

Play No. 5

Imagine being Seth Curry. You come off this Zach Collins pick with room to launch, but then Green flies at you. OK, Plan B: Green's momentum is carrying him toward you, so there's no way he can get back to interfere with any pass to Collins.

Nope. Green opens his stance again -- left foot way in front of the right -- and bounces back to intercept the pass.

Seth loves shooting going to his left. Steph [Curry] has done his job. He forces Seth over the top. It's my job to be up at the level of the screen and take that shot away. So I go at him. But knowing Steph is right on his hip, if I can take the shot away, I can start right back to Zach Collins. He tries to wrap that pass around me, but it's not getting there. I can just take it.

The most important thing is to force another pass. If I do, Looney's there [under the rim, guarding Enes Kanter] waiting on it. That's his rotation. Now I gotta fly back and crack back on Kanter.

On his footwork:

I'm not selling out to Seth. If I sell out, I'm coming up in an all-out blitz, which means my feet are parallel to the baseline. I don't sell out here. I try to cover up but not break our whole defense down.

Play No. 6

This one-on-two looks trickier, with Austin Rivers coming from a diagonal and more space for Green to navigate. Turns out, it wasn't so tricky.

He severely telegraphed his pass. He don't even look at the rim. He looks at Capela from the time he starts dribbling. The entire time. So I'm stunting and getting back to Capela. If Austin wants to come to the rim, I'll meet him up top.

What does Green fear most in these situations?

The lob. Notice I drop back to the rim. I don't recover to Capela at the dunker [spot, along the baseline]. I stand at the rim. Capela is not about to catch this and shoot a floater.

Is there a spot on the floor Green knows he can't cross without exposing the lob?

If you get out of the restricted area, you can forget about it. There's no way to recover.

Play No. 7

This is classic roving Green. He's technically guarding Harkless, but he ignores Harkless to overload Lillard's side of the floor.

I just do this. The coaches trust me to make reads, to do whatever I want.

Green's gambit risks Harkless flashing open at the foul line, and into a 2-on-1 -- the sort of play Green would make on offense, actually. Green doesn't care.

If he flashes, I'll meet him at the rim.

Green's one-man zone is so brazen. He hides nothing about his intentions. He is right in Lillard's line of sight, daring him to pass to Leonard, almost taunting him. Was he surprised Lillard tried it?

Not necessarily. The goal is to make him play on one side of the floor, or force him to try the skip pass [to the other side]. You have a 6-7 guy and a 6-8 guy on a -- what is Dame, 6-2? How is he gonna see [the skip pass]?

So my job is to then take the first pass away. If you blitz Dame, like we have Jordan Bell do here, you can't give up that first pass. Otherwise the trap is pointless.

He shouldn't make that pass. But to him, I'm not taking Meyers Leonard away -- in his mind. I'm not denying him directly. But I'm close enough to get it.

Play No. 8

What a visual: two stars as mirror images -- crouched to the same height, leaning forward nose-to-nose, lead feet (James Harden's left, Green's right) almost touching toes.

Most guys who press Harden end up staring at the back of his jersey.

I'm giving him his right hand. If he wants to take off right, I already have a head start to get on his hip. Not necessarily that I'm gonna cut him off, but I can force a tougher shot. Because I'm giving him that lane, I can press up more. If he's going to drive, I know exactly where.

I'm also trusting the help. I know if he does get by me, I have to make the next rotation.

I'm just taking stabs at his dribble. James and several other guys in the NBA -- they use their dribble to get rhythm. James really uses his dribble for rhythm. I'm just trying to keep him off balance. Steve [Kerr] always talks about controlling the point -- a tennis analogy. You want to be the person charging the net, not the person on his heels.

When James Harden has the ball, I don't care who you are, you're at a disadvantage. He is that good with the ball. So what can I do to try to give myself an advantage? I try to force him one way and I play the step-back. I know he's trying to get to the step-back. If I'm two steps off him, I'm at his mercy. I jump out to get a contest, and it's more than likely going to end up a foul. I win this possession because I take the step-back away.

Green again has one foot in front of the other, and can almost rock back and forth on that lead foot -- so that even as he jabs toward Harden, he can push back toward the rim in one quick motion.

I'm playing him to beat me off the drive, so I'm ready to react to him driving.

Play No. 9

This is the play I will always remember from Golden State's clinching Game 6 win in Houston. Golden State destroyed the Rockets with this Curry-Green pick-and-roll on the right side. P.J. Tucker blitzed Curry, and for most of the fourth quarter, Green responded by slipping open toward the paint, taking a pass from Curry, and rampaging into his trademark 4-on-3s for floaters, layups, and lobs to Looney.

Watching from afar, it seemed as if all that rim-running set up this dagger. At a pivotal moment, Green stopped short. He seemed to know Tucker would again lunge at Curry and then scramble back toward the paint, and that if he hit the brakes for a handoff, Tucker would not be able to reverse momentum in time to contest Curry's 3-pointer.

I can't remember if it was him [Curry] that said "hand back" or me that said "hand back," but one of us said, 'Yo, the hand back is about to be open." We've been playing together for seven years now. We got chemistry. We don't need a stoppage in play to get a signal to each other. You can't make that up -- the big moments and big experiences.

The last three or four plays, I've rolled out of this into the paint. So I know, once I catch [Curry's pass], P.J. is going to retreat the paint. And once he takes one step, he's dead. Steph's release is that fast.

Even if Capela takes me and P.J. tries to crack back and take Looney, his first step has to go toward the paint. And if he takes one step, he's dead. And we had beaten them so much going to the hole, I know he's taking that step.

Was Green surprised Houston didn't switch more?

I was surprised. But Steph had it going. If they do switch, I'm taking Steph in that matchup. P.J.'s a great defender, but I'm taking Steph 10 times out of 10.

Play No. 10

This has become perhaps Green's signature pass, and Looney is its most frequent recipient. It is the great irony of Green's game: In defending one-on-two situations, Green baits the offense into passing; in leading 2-on-1s in the half court, Green baits defenders into thinking he'll shoot. Smart defenders have realized Green wants to pass; they sit on the lob, and dare Green to finish layups over a late challenge. Green largely obliged against Houston and Portland.

This play seemed unusual in that Green appeared to wait a very long time -- until the ball is rolling off his fingertips -- to decide whether to pass or shoot. That looks like a floater until you realize it's heading a few feet left of the rim.

What had Green known, and when?

Most of the time, I know already once I catch the ball what's gonna happen. This is different. Even when I jump here, I'm thinking shot. Montrezl [Harrell] did a really good job of taking my shot away and taking the lob away. But he still commits. He jumps at the last second. And look where he jumps at. He didn't meet me at the rim. That's what I'm telling you. You gotta drop back and meet me at the rim.

Once he commits, he tells me what to do as a playmaker. He picked one.

Looney has sneaky bounce. He has long arms. He has feel. The connection we have is that he's smart.

TORONTO -- KYLE LOWRY'S path to becoming the starting point guard for a team in the NBA Finals could best be described as a happy accident.

When he joined the Toronto Raptors in a trade with the Houston Rockets in July 2012, he was forced to compete with Jose Calderon for minutes before eventually beating out the Spaniard when Calderon was traded. A year later, a different trade -- one that didn't happen -- would've seen him wind up with the New York Knicks, only for them to scuttle the deal at the last minute after it was all but done.

Then came last summer. After yet another playoff beatdown at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the other two pillars of the greatest stretch in Raptors history -- coach Dwane Casey and guard DeMar DeRozan, who also happens to be Lowry's best friend -- were fired and traded, leaving Lowry as the last man standing from a five-year run that had been both the team's most successful and ultimately most disappointing.

Meanwhile, a guy who spent the first few years of his career bouncing from place-to-place, struggling to find a home, has found one north of the border -- a place Lowry himself never dreamed he'd be in this long.

"When I first got traded here I didn't really know what to expect," Lowry said Saturday. "I thought I would be here a couple years, and be out of here."

Instead, he came and never left. Now, Toronto finds itself three wins away from the first championship in franchise history. And while much of the praise has gone to former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and breakout star Pascal Siakam, it has been Lowry who, behind the scenes, has been driving Toronto to heights it has never reached before.

"We have been through so much and he's a winner," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. "There's no other way to put it, he's a winner. He's been hit upside the head from every different angle in the world, whether it's personal, everything, and he survives it. Like every day he comes, he comes to win. Doesn't matter what mood he's in, like he comes to win."

"I GOT MAD respect for Kyle."

It's the day before the biggest moment in Raptors franchise history: Game 1 of the NBA Finals here at Scotiabank Arena. A franchise that, for most of its history, has operated on the fringes of relevance (even in the best of times) now finds itself with a true superstar in Leonard, the platform of playing against one of the greatest teams in NBA history in front of the entire world and the chance to forever make itself part of basketball royalty ahead of it.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is at the podium, holding court as he always does in front of the cameras, tape recorders and microphones. Green will do whatever it takes to gain an advantage -- be in on the court, or at the podium. He'll make any play, or say any thing, in order to advance the cause of winning.

But when Lowry's name comes up, he goes out of his way to praise a kindred spirit, acknowledging their similar paths to stardom and the ways their games mirror one another.

"He wasn't always an All-Star," Green said. "He wasn't always a starter. But he got it out of the mud and he's where he's at today.

"He's faced a lot of doubt. He's been criticized a ton, this year and previous years before, but yet he's still standing and he's here in this moment and it's well-deserved."

That Lowry came from such a place -- traded twice, without a starting job in the league until his fifth season, not named on an All-Star team until his ninth -- helps explain how his game is perceived by his peers. He's listed at 6-foot-1. He's oddly shaped. He'll never be seen as the quickest or most athletic player on the court.

And yet, despite all that, he constantly finds himself making winning plays.

"He plays above his talent," Raptors center Marc Gasol said. "That's how I look at it. You see his talent, and he plays above it."

So how, exactly, does a player with Lowry's (lack of) physical gifts find a way to survive in a league full of players that are almost universally bigger, stronger and faster? By relying on the things he learned playing on the streets of North Philadelphia as a kid: grit, toughness and a determination to never back down.

"He plays like a Philly boy," Danny Green said. "He's a bulldog. He's a bully. He's out there with grit, doing his all, doing his thing. He's scrappy.

"He's trying to take everything he can. Obviously he's a little bit different off the court as he's gotten older, has a family now with children, but not much.

"He's a Philly boy at heart. That's who he is, and that's how he plays."

There have been multiple moments that have exemplified those traits during this playoff run. Lowry secured a critical offensive rebound to win Game 3 of Toronto's first round series against the Orlando Magic. He repeatedly found himself taking charges against Joel Embiid -- who only has a foot and roughly 100 pounds on Lowry -- against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

And in that Game 6 against the Bucks, Lowry's handprints were all over the run Toronto made at the start of the fourth quarter to take control of the game. No play was more definitively a Lowry one than the steal, drive and dish he made to Leonard for an epic slam dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo -- a play Lowry, in true Lowry fashion, helped further facilitate by giving Antetokounmpo a slight nudge, preventing him from properly challenging Leonard's shot.

"Those are the Kyle Lowry-type plays," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said with a smile.

"As we've seen this whole playoff run, from the offensive rebound in Orlando, charges on Embiid ... it's something special."

"HE'S A COMPLETE jackass on the court, and he's probably one of the best teammates I've ever had."

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, Lowry's understudy for the past three seasons, is blunt when asked to describe Kyle Lowry.

Lowry prefers the world only see the hard exterior that he puts on display during press conferences and when he is on the court. But that's not the person the Raptors know best. VanVleet calls it a "weird dynamic."

"His teammates love him," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "He's the guy that's feeding them a lot on the planes. He's inviting them over to his house in Philly, making sure there's team events he's in charge of -- and funding."

During his early stints in Memphis and Houston, Lowry had developed a reputation -- perhaps undeserved -- for butting heads with teammates and coaches. But in Toronto he has grown into the kind of veteran the young players on the team all gravitate toward. For VanVleet -- another tough-nosed, undersized point guard, it was natural he and Lowry would grow to form a bond.

VanVleet said their families are close -- Lowry publicly shouted out the birth of VanVleet's second child, Fred Jr., at a press conference after Toronto's Game 4 win over Milwaukee -- and credited Lowry for helping him, after going undrafted out of Wichita State, develop into one of the league's best backup point guards.

"He's meant everything," VanVleet said. "He helps me on the court, off the court. He helps me in a lot of things. He's taught me a lot, he's showed me a lot. He's a great friend. I love him to death. There's nothing he wouldn't do for me, and vice versa.

"He's just got a big, loving heart, man. Under all that antics of him trying to be a tough guy, he tries to portray himself like an a--hole, and he's just a big teddy bear."

Siakam, whose 32-point performance helped power Toronto to its Game 1 win Thursday night, said Lowry's encouragement to continue expanding his game this season was a big part of what led to his breakout season -- one that most likely will end in Siakam winning the league's Most Improved Player award later this month.

But he also said how Lowry has coached him through what is about to come his way as his star rises has been equally important to him.

"He's always been one of the guys, even early, encouraging me to dribble the basketball," Siakam said. "And just, in terms of life in terms of the jump I'm making, he's given me advice on how things are going to change ... but at the same time encouraging me to be myself.

"He's amazing. He's definitely been a help for me, being here. He's one of the best teammates I've ever had."

"This is our sixth year with Kyle, and it's a testament to him that he's grown every single year," Webster said. "I think if anyone can think about making personal growth six years in a row, you get to be a pretty good person, and you get to be a pretty good leader, on and off the court."

"I CALL IT home."

In the aftermath of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Raptors and their fans celebrated their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals, Lowry remained all business.

He secured the game ball after George Hill's meaningless last-second heave bounced away from the rim. He immediately began shaking hands with members of the Bucks, then migrated toward Toronto's locker room.

All of that changed, though, when he saw his children -- Karter and Kameron -- waiting for him on the baseline. Suddenly, the facade that Lowry always tries to make sure holds up in public -- stoic and acerbic -- melted away.

Still holding that game ball under his left arm, Lowry wrapped both young boys in his arms -- each wearing a red No. 7 Raptors jersey, with matching camouflage pants and white shoes -- lifting them off the ground.

"I can't even tell you," Lowry would say later that night, taking a quiet moment at his locker inside Scotiabank Arena, having reached a point that many in these parts thought the Raptors never could. "It was everything you could kind of imagine. Everything you could possibly think about as a basketball player. It's things you can't even explain."

Later, as Lowry sat at his locker, thumbing through his phone and scanning the 220 messages he said he had to respond to, the moment for sentiment had passed. His defiant game face was firmly back in place.

"I don't look for it as validation," he said of reaching the Finals. "I think it's more so all the work that we've put in as an organization, a team -- everything that's brought us to this moment."

Lowry has said repeatedly throughout the season that this team has championship potential. At every point during the playoffs, he's repeated the same mantra -- "stay level."

Saturday night was no different. Those emotions poured out, but then they were gone -- perhaps to be revealed again sometime in the next couple of weeks.

"Nothing I can think about right now, to be honest with you," Lowry said with a smile, when asked what this run has meant to him. "I'll look back on this thing when I'm done. I'll look back on everything when I get a chance to. But not right now.

"We've got another one to try to get."

World long jump silver medallist says his positive test was likely the result of eating contaminated beef

Jarrion Lawson has been handed a four-year ban by the IAAF after testing positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited steroid trenbolone.

The American world long jump silver medallist was provisionally suspended in August following the positive result from an out-of-competition doping control test in June 2018.

According to the case decision document, published by the Athletics Integrity Unit, Lawson maintains “that the likely source of the epitrenbolone in his system was contaminated meat” which he had eaten for lunch the day before the test.

The @iaaforg Disciplinary Tribunal has banned long-jumper Jarrion Lawson of the USA for four-years.
Find all the details here: https://t.co/cBkQOqSHT4#CleanSport #AIUNews
@sportresolutions pic.twitter.com/qNgbAbRvHw

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) June 1, 2019

However, the decision document adds in part: “… the Tribunal holds that the Athlete has failed to satisfy his burden of establishing how the Prohibited Substance Epitrenbolone entered his body.”

Lawson’s ban is backdated to the date of his provisional suspension – August 3, 2018.

His results achieved from June 2 to August 3 are also disqualified.

Lawson can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The full case decision document can be found here.

Meanwhile, Russian athletics officials have been accused of overseeing the forgery of documents in an attempt to cover up a breach of anti-doping rules by high jumper Danil Lysenko.

The world indoor champion, who also claimed silver at the outdoor world championships in London in 2017, was provisionally suspended last year following a whereabouts rule violation.

According to an investigation report by The Sunday Times published on Saturday (June 1): “It is claimed that false paperwork was created to give Lysenko a medical excuse for failing to disclose his location.”

The Russian athletics federation has been suspended as an IAAF member since November 2015 and reinstatement had been expected to form a key part of discussions at the next IAAF council meeting in Monaco next weekend.

The Sunday Times reports that Russia is now facing a ban from competing in the 2020 Olympics following this latest investigation.

Big-name ambassadors to inspire new generation of female players
By ELLIE MAWSON

The PSA (Professional Squash Association) are teaming up with with recently retired eight-time World Champion Nicol David to launch a new joint awareness campaign titled ‘It’s Mine’ – created to help foster a greater sense of belonging and ownership among squash players and the PSA World Tour.

Malaysian icon David, one of the greatest players to ever pick up a squash racket, is a key driving force behind the campaign, with the former World No.1 wanting to leave behind a legacy following her retirement from the sport earlier last month at the Allam British Open.

To begin with, the campaign is designed to increase awareness of, and engagement with, the women’s tour, increase the participation of female athletes on the PSA Tour and create a more sustainable women’s tour.

The campaign will initially feature seven different ambassadors – Egyptian trio Raneem El Welily (world No.1), Nour El Sherbini (three-time world champion), Nour El Tayeb, France’s Camille Serme, England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, United States’ Amanda Sobhy and British national champion Tesni Evans from Wales.

These ambassadors have each selected a different value which they feel belongs to them and epitomises the qualities found among their peers on the PSA World Tour.

These values will be unveiled in a multimedia campaign consisting of videos, graphics and candid interviews, while players across the PSA Tour will be encouraged to engage with the campaign and showcase their own values.

In addition, the ambassadors will travel to tournaments on the PSA World Tour and PSA Challenger Tour to meet and inspire up-and-coming players.

Squash fans can get involved in the campaign by taking part in contests and posting on social media about the values that define them using the #ItsMine hashtag.

The campaign will appear across the PSA’s digital channels throughout the year leading up to the PSA Women’s World Championships, which will be held in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt in October.

“Since accepting that I was going to retire, I didn’t want to leave without giving something back to the sport that has given me so much,” said David.

“I know that our players have the power to inspire people with the experiences they have to share. I believe we are defined by titles but we are remembered by our values and the example we set out to be. This campaign is built to elevate the values that our players have and I hope to encourage them to be an example to others.

“Our sport has so much to offer and these seven diverse and empowered women will showcase the values that embodies our campaign. I hope this inspires every one of you in the upcoming months and that you share with us this journey!”

PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough said: “As a sport, we have made huge strides forward in the past decade by uniting the men’s and women’s professional tours and we now want to encourage all players to have a greater sense of ownership and belonging on the PSA Tour.

“When Nicol approached us about launching a joint campaign, we were delighted to get involved and wholeheartedly believe that the ‘It’s Mine’ campaign will allow our players to engage with the sport more than ever before.

“The ‘It’s Mine’ campaign will enable some of our female athletes to share their inspiring stories in their own words and explain what they believe defines them. We look forward to working with Nicol over the coming months and encourage all of our players and fans to get behind the campaign.”

The PSA will expand on the campaign with a men’s initiative set to be launched at a later date.

Article by ELLIE MAWSON (PSA Media Team). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA 

JOLIET, Ill. – Robert Hight rocketed to the No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car on Saturday at the 22nd annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the ninth of 24 events during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

After a lengthy weather delay, Funny Car points leader Hight powered to the top spot for the sixth time this year and 66th time in his career with a run of 3.880 seconds at 334.24 mph during the final qualifying session in his Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Hight was 14th in qualifying before the impressive run during the fourth session. The two-time world champion has two victories from the No. 1 spot this season.

“The conditions were there tonight, and we gave it the power and it stuck,” Hight said. “It was a great run and I’m loving the conditions we’re going to have (Sunday). It’s awesome to come to Chicago and see a field like this. There are a lot of good cars here. Some didn’t make it, but for a while there we were wondering if it was going to be us. When you’re 14th going into the last session, it’s a little nerve-wracking.”

Tommy Johnson Jr. moved to second during the final qualifying session with his 3.882-second run at 326.24 mph, while Friday’s provisional No. 1 Ron Capps, who is seeking this third consecutive victory, finished third.

Top Fuel’s Salinas picked up his third No. 1 qualifier this season and fourth in his career after his run of 3.693 seconds at 328.30 mph from Friday in his Scrappers Racing dragster. In a strong field of 21 dragsters, Salinas was the only driver to reach the 3.60s.

“We do have a good program,” Salinas said. “I’m doing the same thing I was doing last year. The only difference is the people who are behind me now. They’re making this possible and I’m trying to do what they need me to do. The level we’re at now, it’s a different level than I’ve ever been. It’s pretty intense and it’s pretty amazing.”

Antron Brown qualified second after going 3.715 seconds at 328.14 mph, while defending world champ and points leader Steve Torrence, who is after his fourth straight win this season, took the third spot.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson took over sole possession of third place in career No. 1 qualifiers in NHRA history with his 103rd after a run of 6.571 seconds at 210.54 mph in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro. Anderson, who was previously tied with Bob Glidden for career No. 1 qualifiers, earned his first top spot of the year Saturday, slipping past teammate Jason Line during the final qualifying session.

“That’s a huge number, no question about it,” Anderson said of his 103rd No. 1 qualifier. “Anytime you can go by one of Bob Glidden’s records, you better be proud of that. That’s pretty darn cool. This racetrack, I’ve always loved coming here. It’s a great Pro Stock track because every bit of power you can find you can apply to it. Tonight’s session was just a perfect running car. That’s great and now onto business (Sunday).”

Line finished second with a 6.575-second pass at 209.39 mph, while Matt Hartford took third.

Krawiec took his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 45th in his career in Pro Stock Motorcycle thanks to his 6.801-second pass at 198.79 mph from Friday on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. Krawiec will be racing for his first victory of the year after watching teammate Andrew Hines win four of the first five events of the year.

“I’ve got a great crew that’s behind me,” Krawiec said. “It’s just fun to come out here and have a great bike going into raceday. I’m just looking at making good, cleans laps because that’s what it’s going to take to win.”

Defending world champion Matt Smith qualified second with a 6.819-second run at 200.00 mph and Hines sits third.