Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Chara's status unclear as Bruins, Blues prepare for Game 5

If the Boston Bruins are worried about the prospect of playing a pivotal Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final without their captain, veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara, they aren't showing it. The Bruins have been here before, both in the regular season and playoffs. And coach Bruce Cassidy expects them to be on their game -- with or without Chara -- as they host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday with the best-of-seven series tied at two games apiece.

Hope for Federer if he breaks Rafa's rhythm

Short of booting him in the shins at a change of ends, Roger Federer has used just about everything in his vast armoury to try and beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open -- so he will need something different when they meet on the Parisian clay for the first time in eight years on Friday. Five editions of arguably the sport's greatest rivalry have taken place on the Parisian claycourts, the first in 2005 when Nadal burst into the public consciousness by taking the title on his debut and the most recent in 2011.

Soccer: Absent Hegerberg would have lit up the World Cup, says Rapinoe

U.S. captain Megan Rapinoe knows all about taking a stance for social equality and justice and can understand why Norway's Ada Hegerberg has turned her back on the women's World Cup. That said, she still wishes Hegerberg - the first female to be awarded the Ballon d'Or and the winner of four successive Champions League titles with Olympique Lyon - was competing in the tournament in France this month.

Raptors beat shorthanded Warriors, take 2-1 Finals lead

The Toronto Raptors defeated a short-handed Golden State Warriors squad 123-109 in Oakland on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. The Raptors won behind 30 points from Kawhi Leonard and a balanced attack that saw five other players score in double digits.

NBA notebook: GM Ainge didn't see Celtics' commitment

Danny Ainge is just five weeks removed from his second heart attack, but that didn't stop him from delivering a strong opinion of the 2018-19 Boston Celtics on Wednesday. "There's a lot of guys that didn't handle things the right way, and didn't make the sacrifices that needed to be done for the benefit of the team," the Boston general manager and president of basketball operations told reporters in his first interview session since his May 2 heart attack. "We didn't have 100 per cent buy-in from 100 per cent of the team. I did not anticipate that."

Soccer: Nicholson strike gives Jamaica to win over the United States

A goal from Shamar Nicholson early in the second half gave Jamaica a 1-0 win over the United States in a warm-up match for the Gold Cup on Wednesday. Forward Nicholson's long-range strike on the hour mark in Washington DC guaranteed Jamaica their first win since they defeated Suriname last November.

Ex-USC AD Haden investigated in admissions scandal

Former Southern Cal athletic director Pat Haden is being investigated for a potential role in the national college-admissions cheating scandal that has involved several high-profile universities, including USC, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The federal investigation reportedly involves possible ties between Haden, USC's AD from 2010 to 2016, and William "Rick" Singer, who allegedly organized the scam, the Journal reported, through a person familiar with the investigation.

MLB notebook: Indians' Carrasco out due to a blood condition

Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco is out indefinitely after being placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a blood condition. Carrasco, 32, recently was diagnosed with the condition after feeling lethargic for several weeks, according to the Indians. He "is stepping away from baseball activities to explore the optimal treatment and recovery options," the team announced.

Soccer: Neymar ruled out of Copa America after Brazil beat Qatar

Brazil's 2-0 friendly win over Asian champions Qatar in Brasilia on Wednesday came at a heavy cost after they lost striker Neymar for this month's Copa America because of an ankle ligament injury. Neymar limped off in the 17th minute after he appeared to twist his right ankle and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) later confirmed he would miss the tournament.

NFL notebook: LT Williams reportedly wants out of D.C.

Seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams wasn't present Tuesday for the start of the Washington Redskins' mandatory minicamp, and it was presumed he wanted a new contract. One report Wednesday, however, said that isn't the case. Instead, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported that Williams wants out of Washington because of how the team addressed surgery he had in April to remove a tumour from his scalp.