he White Sox, apparently thinking it was a home run, set off fireworks.T

Phoenix spent most of the summer trying to play like everyone -- including the Mercury themselves -- expected this team to play. It didnt really happen with any consistency during the regular season -- but its not too late. The Mercury are a victory away from advancing to the best-of-five semifinals but will have to win in New York on Saturday to do so.Meanwhile, Atlanta got one of the best individual performances in playoff history from Angel McCoughtry in the first round. On Sunday, the Dream head to Chicago, where they hope to avenge a painful playoff series loss to the Sky two years ago.Awaiting the winners are No. 1 seed Minnesota and No. 2 Los Angeles.No. 8 Phoenix vs. No. 3 New York (NBA TV, ESPN3, 7 p.m. ET Saturday)Heres the deal with the Mercury: No one would have been stunned to see them lose in the first round at Indiana. But no one will be stunned to see them move on to the semifinals. Thats how hard it has been to predict what Phoenix might do.It has been an up-and-down season for the Mercury because they couldnt count on their defense, which is the very thing that was a rock for them when they won the WNBA championship in 2014.During the 2016 regular season, Phoenix allowed foes an average of 83.3 points per game. The Mercurys effort in their 89-78 victory over the Fever on Wednesday was much closer to what theyll need to beat the Liberty. The Mercury held the Fever to 37.2 percent shooting while shooting 54.5 percent themselves.Any night we play good team defense, we pack the paint around the ball and get on shooters, the results come out in our favor, Phoenixs Brittney Griner said. We know what we need to do now; everybody has to go up another level.Phoenix got important offensive contributions from several players on Wednesday, with Diana Taurasi leading the way with 20 points. Griner and DeWanna Bonner each had 18, and Candice Dupree and Penny Taylor each scored 12.Bonner has been coming off the bench the past five games, with Marta Xargay starting instead, and that worked well for the Mercury on Wednesday. Bonner was fresh and very effective in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of her points to hold off the Fever.It was an emotional night, as Indianas Tamika Catchings played her last game, but it could also have been the last for Australias Taylor. Now Saturdays game will be the end for either Taylor or New Yorks Swin Cash, who is also retiring at seasons end.Neither the Mercury nor the Liberty played much defense in their first meeting this season, a 104-97 Phoenix victory in New York on June 26. Dupree had a season-high 26 points in that game, going 11-of-13 from the field. Tina Charles had 26 for New York but took 27 shots to do it. And the Liberty went 12-of-15 from the line compared with the Mercurys 27-of-33.The second meeting, in Phoenix on July 1, was more the type of game that defined the Mercury much of the season: They scored a lot, but they gave up a lot more. New York won 99-88, led by Charles 31. This time, the Liberty were able to match -- actually, slightly exceed -- the Mercury going to the line, with New York at 25-of-29 and Phoenix 23-of-26.The last game, though, was a Liberty blowout: 92-70 on Sept. 3 in New York. Phoenix shot just 32.8 percent from the field, and Griner had her lowest output of the season with two points. The Liberty held Griners offense down without center Kiah Stokes, a defensive specialist who has been out since Aug. 26.Were a bit of a toss-up, Taurasi said of the Mercury this season. But since the Olympic break, we kind of know who we are. Everyone is healthy. We see ourselves playing differently and feeling differently.Even so, Phoenix was 6-4 after the Rio Games going into the postseason, so toss-up really is probably the best way to put it. However, as they showed at Indiana, the Mercury are especially hard to beat when they face elimination. Thats the Taurasi factor as much as anything. New York will have to find a way to limit her, which Indiana could not do.No. 6 Atlanta at No. 4 Chicago (ESPN2, 1 p.m. ET Sunday)Wednesday, the Dream didnt have their second-leading scorer, Tiffany Hayes, who was out because of a suspension after her seventh technical foul in the regular-season finale. They didnt have inside veteran presence Sancho Lyttle, who is injured.But they had McCoughtry, who knew she had to put the Dream on her back. She did just that in a 94-85 victory over Seattle, scoring 37 points to go with seven assists and three rebounds. She shot 66.7 percent from the field (14-of-21), which also was critical. During the regular season, she shot 43.4 percent.It was one of McCoughtrys finest performances, and it couldnt have come at a better time. But rookie Bria Holmes also had a very timely big game, playing all 40 minutes and finishing with a season-high 21 points, plus seven rebounds and three assists.Seattle No. 1 pick Breanna Stewart, whos sure to win rookie of the year, had 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists. But her first WNBA season came to a close, while Holmes, who was drafted No. 11 out of West Virginia, moves on.The Dream prevailed 2-1 in the regular-season series with the Sky, winning the first two games in Atlanta, 87-81 on May 22 and 101-97 on June 17. In the teams first game back after the Olympics, the Sky won 90-82 in Chicago on Aug. 26.The big difference is that Elena Delle Donne, last seasons MVP, had 34 points in that victory over Atlanta, but now shes out after thumb surgery. And although the Sky actually played surprisingly well in five games without her -- winning three, including against Minnesota -- theres no getting around the big void it leaves for Chicago.Defense is going to be key for the Sky, which is a worrisome proposition. That hasnt been the Skys strength, not this season or in recent ones. And no team is more successful getting to the line than the Dream, who went there a league-high 909 times in the regular season. However, they made just 75.1 percent (683); only Connecticut was worse at the stripe (71.5.) So against the Sky, the Dream not only have to draw fouls, they also must convert the free throws.Few are better at that skill than Delle Donne, who shot 93.5 percent from the line this year and is at 93.8 percent for her career. But with her out, the Sky have been led by veteran Cappie Pondexter, who averaged 22.3 points in four games after Delle Donnes injury. Neither Pondexter nor Courtney Vandersloot played in the Skys regular-season finale at Seattle, as that had no impact on their seeding.In 2014, the Dream and the Sky met in the Eastern Conference semifinals (in the WNBAs old playoff format), with Atlanta as the No. 1 seed and presumed favorite. But Chicago won the series 2-1, rallying from 16 down after three quarters in Game 3 in Atlanta. Delle Donne had 34 points in that 81-80 victory, and the Sky then went on to beat Indiana in the East finals before losing to Phoenix in the WNBA Finals.That tough defeat at home to end 2014 sat irritatingly with Atlanta through last year, as the Dream didnt make the playoffs. Now they hope to end the Skys season at home this year.Danton Heinen Bruins Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Gerry Cheevers Bruins Jersey .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/john-moore-hockey-jersey/ . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Jeremy Lauzon Bruins Jersey . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). Johnny Bucyk Jersey . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said.CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox suspended their ace and picked up a pair of wins in their final at-bat.It was quite a day for a fading team.Melky Cabrera drove in Adam Eaton with a game-ending single in the ninth inning after closer David Robertson gave up three home runs in the top half to lead the White Sox to a 5-4 victory hours after they suspended All-Star Chris Sale for five days on Sunday afternoon.Baseball is funny like that, Eaton said. It will beat you down, but then it will build you back up. Its a love-hate relationship, for sure.There hasnt been much love for the White Sox since a 23-10 start. Theyve been in a tailspin ever since, but they at least got a bit of a break after dropping eight of nine.They beat the Tigers 4-3 on a single by Eaton in the ninth after play was suspended the previous night because of rain and finished the day with another wild victory.Robertson got the win in both, though he didnt feel like he deserved it after that rough ninth in the scheduled game.Its absurd that I pitched that poorly, he said.The big news Sunday was Sale getting suspended and fined one day after he was scratched from his scheduled start and sent home. The punishment was handed down after he destroyed collared throwback uniforms the team was scheduled to wear in this game. He is eligible to return Thursday against the crosstown Cubs at Wrigley Field, though general manager Rick Hahn would not say if the left-hander would start that game.Robertson did his best to help the White Sox get two victories on Sunday.He came in with a 4-1 lead after Jose Quintana dominated into the seventh and Eaton hit a three-run homer.Robertson (2-2) gave up a leadoff homer to Nick Castellanos and back-to-back solo drives to pinch hitters Tyler Collins and Jarrod Saltalamacchia with two out.Eaton led off the bottom half with a walk against Bruce Rondon (3-2), moved up on a sacrifice by Tim Anderson and came around on Cabreras sharp single to left.That gave the White Sox a four-game split against the playoff-contending Tigers.It was a tough pill to swallow, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said.Quintana pitched three-hit ball over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, and Eaton made it 4-0 with his three-run homer against Anibal Sanchez in the second.ddddddddddddDetroits Andrew Romine hit a solo drive off Nate Jones in the eighth.Sanchez allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings. He settled down after Eaton went deep, but his future in the rotation is uncertain with Daniel Norris (oblique) and Jordan Zimmerman (neck) working their way back from injuries.Andrew Romine hit a solo homer in the eighth against Nate Jones, but Victor Martinez struck out with runners on first and second to end that rally.The White Sox were forced to go with their bullpen after Sale got sent home Saturday, and the game was suspended after eight innings when it was interrupted three times by thunderstorms.ROBBERY, FIREWORKSThere was a funny moment in the third when Detroits Justin Upton reached high above the left-field wall to rob Abreu. The White Sox, apparently thinking it was a home run, set off fireworks.TRANSACTIONSThe Tigers recalled right-handed pitcher Buck Farmer from Triple A Toledo and the White Sox brought up infielder Carlos Sanchez from Triple-A Charlotte. Both served as the 26th man.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: Manager Brad Ausmus said no decision has been made on whether LHP Norris will rejoin the team Monday in Boston. Norris allowed five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings during a rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on Saturday.White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (sprained left wrist) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte on Monday. ... 2B Brett Lawrie (strained left hamstring) was held out of the lineup for the third straight game, though he was available off the bench.UP NEXTTigers: Detroit opens a three-game series at Boston, with RHP Justin Verlander (9-6, 3.74 ERA) pitching for the Tigers and LHP Drew Pomeranz (8-7, 2.83) for the Red Sox.White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (2-5, 4.41) starts for the White Sox as they meet reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta (12-4, 2.60) and the crosstown Cubs at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday. ' ' '