Reuters Sports News Summary

Rockets hang on to defeat Thunder, move on to West semis James Harden capped a miserable shooting performance with a timely defensive play, and the Houston Rockets held on for a 104-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Wednesday near Orlando.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Djokovic overcomes slow start to extend win streak

World number one Novak Djokovic brushed aside Briton Kyle Edmund 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday after a sluggish start to remain unbeaten in 2020 and move into the third round of the U.S. Open. On a hot, humid day at Flushing Meadows, Edmund was left bathed in sweat while a cool and collected Djokovic stayed on course for his 18th Grand Slam title and improved his 2020 match record to 25-0. Brazil announces equal pay for men's and women's national teams

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday that its men's and women's national soccer teams will receive equal pay and prize money. "There is no more gender difference, the CBF is treating men and women equally," CBF chief Rogerio Caboclo said in statement https://www.cbf.com.br/selecao-brasileira/noticias/selecao-feminina/presidente-da-cbf-anuncia-equiparacao-das-diarias-pagas-as-selecoes-br. Rockets hang on to defeat Thunder, move on to West semis

James Harden capped a miserable shooting performance with a timely defensive play, and the Houston Rockets held on for a 104-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Wednesday near Orlando. Harden closed out on Thunder guard Luguentz Dort and recorded a blocked shot with 4.8 seconds left and Houston clinging to a one-point lead. Following a Robert Covington free throw, the Rockets blew up an inbounds play from the Thunder with 1.1 seconds left to clinch the series and set a date opposite the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. Mask after mask, Osaka brings protest to international audience

Naomi Osaka stepped into the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a mask that read "Elijah McClain" ahead of her second-round U.S. Open victory on Wednesday, harnessing tennis's global appeal in her fight for racial justice. The 22-year-old's mask honored McClain, the 23-year-old Black man who died after a violent encounter with Aurora, Colorado, police officers in 2019. No sign of slowdown as Osaka beats second-round challenger at U.S. Open

Former champion Naomi Osaka made quick work of second-round opponent Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-2 at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, in a lopsided matchup at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in which she showed no sign of slowing down. A dominant Osaka came roaring out of the gate, winning the first five straight games in near-pristine form, committing just four unforced errors in the first set and winning 10 of her 12 first-serve points. MLB roundup: Duvall gets Braves' second straight three-homer game

The visiting Atlanta Braves got a three-homer performance for the second straight night, this time by Adam Duvall in a 7-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The result gave Atlanta a three-game sweep of Boston, the first time the Braves swept three from the Red Sox since 2002. Highlights: U.S. Open day three

Naomi Osaka continued her charge towards a second U.S. Open crown by thrashing Italian Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-2 in the second round on Wednesday, while top seed Karolina Pliskova crashed out following a 6-1 7-6(2) loss to Caroline Garcia. Osaka, who withdrew from her Western & Southern Open final last week with a left hamstring problem, walked onto the court with her leg wrapped in medical tape but was barely troubled in the lopsided match to set up a meeting with Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk. 'Not easy' during U.S. Open, but Djokovic moving forward with players body

Novak Djokovic is finding it tough to deal with issues related to his breakaway players body in the middle of the U.S. Open but the world number one says he is moving forward with it as more professionals join the cause daily. Djokovic resigned as head of the ATP player council last week, along with members Vasek Pospisil, John Isner and Sam Querrey, to form the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). Former New York Mets star pitcher Tom Seaver dies at 75

Tom Seaver, the Hall-of-Fame pitcher who won more than 300 games during his Major League Baseball career and led the New York Mets to their unlikely 1969 World Series championship, has died at the age of 75. Seaver, who was nicknamed "The Franchise" and "Tom Terrific" because of how valuable he was to the Mets, died in his sleep on Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19, the Baseball Hall of Fame said in a statement. Avalanche knock off Stars, force Game 7 in semifinal series

Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon each collected one goal and one assist and the Colorado Avalanche overcame a couple more injuries to beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 Wednesday night and force Game 7 in their Stanley Cup playoff series. Colorado goaltender Michael Hutchinson -- their third stringer -- rebounded from surrendering a dud of a goal to make 27 saves in the victory that set the stage for Friday's game to decide the Western Conference semifinal. Colorado trailed the series 3-1.