AP Wednesday Sports Roundup

NBA PLAYOFFS

Grizzlies, Hawks get even

UNDATED (AP) — Mike Conley returned to action last night and gave the Memphis Grizzlies a big boost in Game 2 of the NBA's Western Conference semifinal series.

Conley poured in 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting as the Grizzlies ended the Golden State Warriors' 21-game home winning streak, 97-90. He made his first four shots despite playing with a protective mask following surgery for broken bones in his face. He started after missing the Grizzlies' previous three playoff games, including Sunday's series-opening loss in Oakland.

Zach Randolph contributed 20 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, which built an 11-point halftime lead.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry had a rather quiet night after being introduced as the NBA's most valuable player before tipoff. Curry shot just 2-for-11 from 3-point range and finished with 19 points and six assists.

Klay Thompson scored just 13 points on 6 of 15 shooting as the Warriors suffered just their third home loss of the season.

Game 3 isn't until Saturday in Memphis.

The Atlanta Hawks have pulled even at a game apiece in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against Washington.

DeMarre Carroll scored 22 points and the Hawks bounced back from Sunday's loss to beat the Wizards 106-90. Paul Millsap finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta, while Al Horford chipped in 18 points. Kyle Korver hit four of the Hawks' 10 3-pointers in scoring 12 points.

The Wizards tied the game late in the third quarter after trailing by 10 early in the second. Washington was down just 88-83 midway through the final period before the Hawks closed on an 18-7 run.

Ramon Sessions scored a team-high 21 points for the Wizards while starting in place of guard John Wall, who sat out because of a left hand injury suffered in Sunday's game.

The Wizards ended a team-record, five-game playoff winning streak.

The teams enjoy a three-day break before resuming the series Saturday in Washington.

NBA-CAVALIERS-BULLS

James prepared to step up game...Rose expects to be fine Wednesday...Paul questionable for Game 3

UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James says he may be more aggressive when the Cavaliers host Chicago in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series Wednesday night. Cleveland was missing two starters in the Game 1 loss Monday as Kevin Love sat out with a season-ending shoulder injury and guard J.R. Smith began a two-game suspension.

Love's absence creates an offensive void that may require James and All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to do more.

Cavs coach David Blatt is considering lineup changes for Game 2.

Also in the NBA:

— Bulls star guard Derrick Rose says he has no pain in his right shoulder and doesn't expect it to affect him in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cavaliers tomorrow night. Rose sustained a "stinger" in his shoulder late in Chicago's 99-92 win over the Cavs on Monday. He scored 25 points with five rebounds and five assists, showing flashes of the player he was before being slowed by knee injuries the past three years.

— Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers thinks the odds are 50-50 point guard Chris Paul will return to the lineup on Wednesday in Houston. Paul missed Game 1 against the Rockets with strained hamstring suffered in the Clippers' stirring Game 7 victory over San Antonio. The Clippers managed to earn a 117-101 win over the Rockets without Paul.

MLB-SCHEDULE

Cardinals make it eight straight

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals haven't wilted after learning staff ace Adam Wainwright would be out the remainder of the season.

The Redbirds are a major league-leading 20-6 after rallying for their eighth straight win, a 7-4 triumph over the Chicago Cubs. The Cards trailed 4-1 until Matt Carpenter launched a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Carpenter finished with four RBIs, pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds hit a tiebreaking double and Kolten Wong was 3-for-4 with a run-scoring single and two runs scored.

The Cardinals are off to the best 26-game start in modern franchise history.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— The New York Yankees won for the 14th time in their last 18 games as Michael Pineda tossed eight scoreless innings to lead a 6-3 triumph over the Blue Jays. Mark Teixeira clubbed a two-run homer and Alex Rodriguez put the Yankees ahead to stay with a two-run double.

— Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer and an RBI triple as Kansas City dumped Cleveland 5-3 to improve to 17-9. Jason Vargas gave up just two hits in six innings, including Michael Brantley's two-run homer.

— Jeff Samardzija allowed a pair of runs in seven innings as the Chicago White Sox downed Detroit 5-2. Conor Gillaspie had two RBIs to help the White Sox end a five-game losing streak.

— Zack Greinke surrendered an unearned run and just two hits in 7 2-3 innings to pitch the Los Angeles Dodgers to an easy 8-2 win at Milwaukee. Justin Turner hit a three-run homer before Jimmy Rollins and Adrian Gonzalez went deep to help Greinke win his career-best 10th straight decision since last season.

— Bartolo Colon is 5-1 after holding Baltimore to a run and six hits while striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings of the New York Mets' 3-2 win against the Orioles. Kevin Plawecki lined a two-run double in a three-run fourth that helped the Mets win for just the second time in their last seven games.

— Atlanta ripped Philadelphia 9-0 as Shelby Miller struck out nine and allowed only three hits in his third career shutout. Kelly Johnson hit a three-run homer and collected four RBIs after Freddie Freeman put the Braves ahead with a two-run homer in the first inning.

— Marlon Byrd hit a two-run homer and a two-run double in Cincinnati's 7-1 rout of Pittsburgh. Todd Frazier also went deep to back Michael Lorenzen, who allowed a run and three hits in six innings for his first major league win.

— San Francisco silenced San Diego 6-0 as Ryan Vogelsong limited the Padres to three hits in seven innings. Joe Panik hit a solo homer and Brandon Crawford was 3-for-3 with an RBI as the Giants dropped Andrew Cashner to 1-5 despite a 3.16 ERA.

— Carlos Perez led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer to send the Angels past Seattle 5-4. Albert Pujols smacked his 525th career home run to put Los Angeles ahead 2-0 in the first inning, but the Angels trailed 4-2 until Erick Aybar and Johnny Giavotella poked RBI singles in the eighth.

— Texas has its first winning streak of the season after Kyle Blanks went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored in a 7-1 thumping of Houston. Carlos Peguero added a two-run blast and Wandy Rodriguez allowed just a run and three hits in eight innings to help the Rangers hand the Astros their second straight loss since a 10-game winning streak.

— Mat Latos and four relievers combined on a three-hitter in Miami's 2-1 triumph at Washington. Nationals manager Matt Williams says starter Stephen Strasburg was removed after two innings because of a shoulder issue.

— Mookie Betts homered twice and Boston halted a four-game skid by blanking Tampa Bay 2-0. Winning pitcher Rick Porcello scattered eight hits but no walks in seven innings.

— Minnesota's five-game winning streak is over after Jesse Chavez held the Twins to an unearned run over 7 1/3 innings of Oakland's 2-1 victory. Chavez struck out seven and allowed four hits in his first win of the season.

— Arizona and Colorado were postponed by rain in Denver for the second straight night. The two teams will try to play a doubleheader on Wednesday, but rain is in the forecast the rest of the week.

MLB-MOVES

Cobb could face Tommy John surgery

UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have stopped right-hander Alex Cobb's rehabilitation program amid a Tampa Bay Times report that he has a partial tear of a ligament in his throwing elbow.

The Times says Cobb will try to pitch through it after receiving platelet-rich plasma therapy. If that is unsuccessful, he would need Tommy John surgery.

Cobb has been out since leaving a spring training game March 17 with a forearm strain. He was 10-9 with a 2.87 ERA last season and projected to be atop the Rays' rotation this season.

In other baseball moves:

— Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander is awaiting the results of a third MRI for his strained right triceps. Verlander began the season on the disabled list and then cut short a simulated game due to fatigue and soreness. The 2011 AL MVP says he feels "a little bit better" and hopes to start throwing again soon.

— The Minnesota Twins have placed infielder Eduardo Nunez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. Nunez hit .409 with four doubles in eight games before getting hurt.

— Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia threw 70 pitches during an extended spring training outing and could begin a rehab assignment Sunday. Garcia is trying to come back after a setback in his rehab from thoracic outlet surgery in spring training.

— The Padres have placed right-hander Brandon Morrow on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, a move retroactive to May 3. Morrow is 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA on the season.

— Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been released by the Miami Marlins after batting just .069 with 12 strikeouts in 29 at-bats. The Marlins parted ways with the veteran even though he has nearly two seasons left on his $21 million, three-year contract.

— Outfielder Cody Ross has been released by Oakland after clearing waivers, ending a short and unproductive stint with the Athletics. Ross batted .091 with no home runs and three RBIs in nine games with the A's.

— The Atlanta Braves have designated left-handed reliever Donnie Veal for assignment and recalled right-hander Brandon Cunniff from Triple-A Gwinnett. The move leaves Luis Avilan as the only left-hander in Atlanta's bullpen.

— The Cleveland Indians activated Nick Swisher from the disabled list and optioned fellow outfielder Tyler Holt to Triple-A Columbus before Tuesday night's game in Kansas City. Swisher spent the first month of the season on the DL while recovering from surgery on both knees that ended his season last August.

NHL PLAYOFFS

Hawks top Wild...Flames outlast Ducks

UNDATED (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks are one victory away from their third straight trip to the NHL's Western Conference finals.

The Hawks own a three-games-to-none lead in their second-round series after Patrick Kane scored a power-play goal and Corey Crawford handled 30 shots in a 1-0 shutout of Minnesota. Kane has six goals and five assists in nine playoff games after his first-period tally sent the Hawks to their seventh victory of the postseason. Crawford picked up his fourth career playoff shutout and helped Chicago kill off the Wild's three power-play attempts.

The Blackhawks can clinch the series with a win Thursday in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames have rallied to hand Anaheim its first loss of this postseason.

Mikael Backlund scored at 4:24 of overtime to complete the Flames' comeback in a 4-3 triumph against the Ducks. Anaheim led 2-1 after one period and 3-2 after the second intermission, but Calgary extended the game on Johnny Gaudreau's goal with just 20 seconds left in regulation.

Brandon Bollig and Joe Colborne also scored for the Flames, who trail the Western Conference second-round series 2-1.

Game 4 is Friday in Calgary.

NHL-CANADIENS-PRUST

Prust apologizes for ref comments

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust has apologized to referee Brad Watson for his comments following Game 2. That didn't stop the NHL from fining Prust $5,000.

Prust said after Montreal's 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night that Watson insulted and cursed him. Prust said after practice Tuesday he wants to "apologize to Brad Watson and the rest of the officials in the NHL. It was uncalled for."

BOXING-PACQUIAO

Pacquiao sued for failure to disclose injury

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Manny Pacquiao is in danger of losing another decision in the wake of his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Pacquiao and his handlers have been hit with a lawsuit filed by two plaintiffs who allege they were defrauded after paying to watch his fight because Pacquiao failed to disclose his shoulder was injured. The suit seeks class action status on behalf of anyone who bought tickets, purchased pay-per-view or bet on the fight. The suit comes as Nevada boxing regulators are looking into possible disciplinary action against Pacquiao for failing to disclose the injury suffered in training for the fight.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MISSISSIPPI

Kennedy gets extension

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has agreed to a four-year contract extension with men's basketball coach Andy Kennedy that will keep him at the school until 2019. The school says the package includes a base salary of $1.925 million per season as well as possible performance incentives. Kennedy has led the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons.

NFL-OBIT-HUBBARD

Raiders fullback Marv Hubbard dies

LIVERMORE, Calif. (AP) — Former Oakland Raiders fullback Marv Hubbard has died at 68.

Hubbard was a three-time Pro Bowl selection who spent seven of his eight NFL seasons with the Raiders from 1969-76, rushing for 4,544 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also caught 85 passes for 628 yards and one score.