Sub sparks Celtics in regular-season finale
MILWAUKEE — Forward Luigi Datome hit three 3-pointers and finished with 22 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-100 Wednesday night in the regular-season finale at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
With guard Avery Bradley back in Boston nursing a quad injury, Datome was in the starting lineup for the first time this season. He hit nine of 15 shots from the field in 27 minutes of action.
Forward Jonas Jerebko and center Kelly Olynyk each added 16 points for Boston, which shot 49.4 percent as a team and made 13 of 30 3-point attempts (43.3 percent).
The Celtics (40-42) head the playoffs on a roll, having won six in a row and eight of their last nine. Boston, the seventh seed, will face the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the postseason on Sunday.
While posting a 26-game improvement from an NBA-worst 15-67 finish a year ago, Milwaukee (41-41) missed a chance to finish above .500 for just the second time in 11 seasons.
However, with a playoff spot and No. 6 seed already sealed, Bucks coach Jason Kidd opted to limit many of his starters’ minutes. Milwaukee will open the playoffs against the third-seeded Chicago Bulls.
Sharks, coach to part ways
A mutual parting is expected between the San Jose Sharks and coach Todd McLellan, according to a report.
The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that McLellan and the Sharks will sit down Wednesday to make a decision about the coach’s future with the team. The signs point toward McLellan and general manager Doug Wilson reaching a mutual agreement on a coaching change despite McLellan having one year left on his contract.
McLellan has compiled a 311-163-66 record in seven seasons with the Sharks and won division titles in his first three years. But San Jose failed to make the playoffs for the first time during his tenure and the first time in the past 10 seasons.
If the 47-year-old McLellan is let go, there appears to be plenty of interest around the league in him. Teams with coaching vacancies include the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and other jobs could come open.
But the knock on McLellan is his teams’ lack of postseason success. The Sharks have a pedestrian 30-32 postseason record during his run and have never reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Dodgers’ Puig to curb bat flips
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig plans to cut down on his bat flips at the plate after a hit out of respect for the game.
He began to display restraint Monday night when he homered in the Dodgers’ 6-5 win in 10 innings over the Seattle Mariners and tossed his bat aside instead of flipping it into the air.
“I want to show American baseball that I’m not disrespecting the game,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
Puig said it was never his intention to showboat.
“I don’t do that because I lack respect,” the Cuban slugger said. “I do that because of the emotions that I have.”
Puig, who is batting .222 with two homers and three RBIs after the first week of the 2015 season, added that he won’t rule out more bat flips in the future after key hits.
Kane cleared for Blackhawks’ playoff opener
Chicago center Patrick Kane confirmed Tuesday that he will return for the Blackhawks’ Western Conference playoff opener on Wednesday night against the Nashville Predators after missing seven weeks with a fractured clavicle.
Kane, who was injured on Feb. 24 and had surgery the next day, practiced for the first time on Monday and again Tuesday without any problems.
“It’s exciting,” Kane said. “It’s been a long 50 days here, so it’s a credit to a lot of hard work from obviously the doctors and the trainers and just listening to them and trying to heal as fast as possible.
Kane’s return is faster than projections. His injury was expected to take 12 weeks to heal, but he’s back in seven. Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry cleared Kane to resume playing.
At the time of the injury, Kane had 27 goals and 34 assists and was tied for the league lead in points with 61.
Steelers cornerback Taylor retires
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor is walking away from the NFL after 12 seasons with the franchise.
Taylor’s retirement became official Tuesday, five days after safety Troy Polamalu announced his playing career was coming to an end. Both defensive backs spent their entire professional career with the Steelers.
“Other than having my son, playing for the Steelers has been the best experience in my entire lifetime,” Taylor said Tuesday.
Taylor customarily checked the opponents’ top wide receiver aligned at left cornerback in the hyper-aggressive 3-4 defense of the Steelers. Taylor, who turns 35 in May, returned to the team in 2014 after taking a pay cut to remain on the roster.