Sports News Roundup: Baseball-Giants coach Kapler plans anthem protest over U.S. gun violence; Soccer-Liverpool to play for Ukraine people in Champions League final, Klopp says and more

The 35-year-old world number one, who was on court for less than two hours, next plays 15th seed Diego Schwartzmann of Argentina and if victorious could face 13-times winner Rafael Nadal in what would be a mouth-watering last eight clash. Jimmy Butler scores 47 against Celtics, forcing Game 7 in Miami Jimmy Butler set a personal playoff high with 47 points and contributed nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals to lead the Miami Heat to a 111-103 victory over the host Boston Celtics on Friday night to tie the Eastern Conference finals at three games apiece.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Baseball-Giants coach Kapler plans anthem protest over U.S. gun violence

San Francisco Giants coach Gabe Kapler said he will not take the field for the pre-game playing of the national anthem to protest U.S. government inaction on gun violence after a school shooting in Texas. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed at a school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday by an 18-year-old gunman using an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle he purchased legally.

Soccer-Liverpool to play for Ukraine people in Champions League final, Klopp says

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp dedicated Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris to the people of Ukraine, expressing support for the country against Russia's invasion. The game, a rematch of 2018 final, had been scheduled for St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena but was shifted to the Stade de France after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of its neighbour.

Tennis-Nadal stays on course for possible Djokovic clash in quarter-finals

Rafa Nadal hammered Dutch 26th seed Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3 6-2 6-4 in the French Open third round on Friday to remain on course for a potential mouth-watering showdown against world number one Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. Fifth seed Nadal has won a record 13 Roland Garros titles and 21 majors but the Spaniard was denied last year when he went down in the semi-finals to eventual champion Djokovic.

Reports: Lakers decide on Darvin Ham as next head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers filled their head coaching vacancy Friday, signing former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham to a four-year deal, multiple outlets reported. Ham, 48, does not have any head coaching experience but has been an NBA assistant coach the past 11 seasons, including two seasons (2011-13) with the Lakers. He has been with the Bucks since 2018.

Tennis-I hold no grudges and want to play in Australia again says Djokovic

World number one Novak Djokovic said on Friday he would like to return to play in Australia again despite being deported from the country earlier this year due to not having a COVID-19 vaccination. The 20-time Grand Slam winner was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported amid a media frenzy after being initially admitted to the tournament despite not being vaccinated.

Motor racing-Indy 500 captivated by Castroneves's drive-for-five

Having joined the Indianapolis 500's most exclusive club of four-time champions last year, Helio Castroneves will try to move into a league of his own on Sunday by becoming the first to win the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on five occasions. Castroneves exploded onto the IndyCar scene by winning the 500 on his first two tries in 2001 and 2002. He completed the hat-trick in 2009.

Motor racing-Mercedes drivers all shaken up after Monaco practice

Monaco's unforgiving street circuit proved a bone-jarring, eye-popping ride for Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on Friday as they wrestled with bouncing cars and a bumpy surface. The champions were struggling on a hot afternoon as Ferrari's local hero Charles Leclerc and Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz finished second practice one-two.

Tennis-Top seed Djokovic blazes past Bedene into fourth round

Novak Djokovic powered past Aljaz Bedene 6-3 6-3 6-2 on Friday with a near-flawless performance to reach the French Open fourth round and stay firmly on course to challenge for a record-equalling 21st Grand Slam triumph. The 35-year-old world number one, who was on court for less than two hours, next plays 15th seed Diego Schwartzmann of Argentina and if victorious could face 13-times winner Rafael Nadal in what would be a mouth-watering last-eight clash.

Jimmy Butler scores 47 against Celtics, forcing Game 7 in Miami

Jimmy Butler set a personal playoff high with 47 points and contributed nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals to lead the Miami Heat to a 111-103 victory over the host Boston Celtics on Friday night to tie the Eastern Conference finals at three games apiece. Butler had scored just 27 points over the previous three games before erupting during a must-win situation in Game 6. He made 16 of 29 field-goal attempts -- including 4 of 8 from 3-point range -- and sank all 11 free-throw attempts while reaching the 40-point mark for the second time in this series and the fourth time in the postseason.

NBA-Green relishes leadership role as Warriors advance to Finals

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said the team's trip to their sixth NBA Finals in eight years "feels different" now that he, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson have taken the mantle as veteran leaders. The Warriors completed a gentleman's sweep of the Dallas Mavericks with a 120-110 win in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals in San Francisco on Thursday. They will face either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat for the championship.