LeBron James tallied 23 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers moved within one victory of reaching the NBA finals with a 116-78 blowout home triumph over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta’s phenomenal streak of consistency put him in the record books on Wednesday.

The San Jose Sharks advanced to their first Stanley Cup final in franchise history Wednesday by fending off the St. Louis Blues 5-2 in game six of their Eastern Conference series.

Australia’s Scott Hend was the early pace-setter at the European PGA Championship at Wentworth yesterday as he headed the field with an opening seven-under par 65.

Matteo Trentin took a brilliant victory on the Giro d’Italia 18th stage as race leader Steven Kruijswijk comfortably held onto the pink jersey yesterday.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo set the pace for Red Bull in Monaco Grand Prix practice yesterday, with crashes and a loose drain cover putting safety back in the spotlight at Formula One’s showcase race.

Rafael Benitez has signed a three-year contract to stay on as Newcastle United manager, after agreeing to lead their quest for an immediate return to the Premier League, the club said on Wednesday.

England manager Roy Hodgson revealed yesterday that Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph is set to miss Euro 2016 after suffering a groin injury.

Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar was yesterday appointed national head coach for the limited overs tour of Zimbabwe, starting June 11 while ex-domestic cricketer Abhay Sharma was named fielding coach.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said the “weather can be a factor but it can’t be an excuse” as his side looked to draw level in their Test series against England.

Chris Woakes will replace the injured Ben Stokes in England’s side for the second Test against Sri Lanka, skipper Alastair Cook said yesterday.

Diego Simeone has turned Atletico Madrid from a team teetering on the brink of relegation into European heavyweights.