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Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Warriors ready to unleash playoff-mode Durant

When Kevin Durant rained down shots on the Los Angeles Clippers with his deadly playoff performance on Thursday, he also provided a glimpse of what life will be like for Golden State and their competition without the injured DeMarcus Cousins. In short, less Cousins will equal more Durant -- more Durant post-ups, more Durant pull-ups and more Durant brilliance.The Clippers learned the hard way as Durant hung 38 points on them in a 132-105 rout that gave the Warriors a 2-1 best-of-seven first-round series lead.

MLB notebook: Suspensions issued over Royals-White Sox melee

Kansas City pitcher Brad Keller, Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and manager Rick Renteria received suspensions for taking part in a benches-clearing incident between the teams on Wednesday. Joe Torre, chief baseball officer for Major League Baseball, announced the suspensions on Friday.

Djokovic falls to Medvedev in Monte Carlo, Nadal marches on

World number one Novak Djokovic's French Open preparations were dealt with a blow as he suffered a 6-3 4-6 6-2 defeat by Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Friday. Djokovic, twice champion in Monte Carlo, fought back to level the match after dropping the first set before the 23-year-old Medvedev claimed the biggest victory of his career.

NBA roundup: Irving puts Celtics on verge of sweep

Kyrie Irving had a hand in 11 of Boston's final 16 points Friday night as the Celtics withstood a late charge by the Indiana Pacers to record a 104-96 win at Indianapolis and go up 3-0 in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup. The Pacers, playing at home for the first time in the series, got within 88-87 with 6:05, but that's when Irving took over.

Report: Red Wings to hire Yzerman as GM

Steve Yzerman is coming home to become general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, according to TSN's Gord Miller. "The Red Wings will introduce Steve Yzerman as their new GM this afternoon, Ken Holland to remain as Sr Vice President," Miller tweeted on Friday morning.

Weather halts RBC Heritage with Lowry ahead

The RBC Heritage second round was suspended on Friday due to strong winds and rain in South Carolina with Ireland's Shane Lowry holding a one-stroke lead. There was no indication when play would resume as severe storms moved through the U.S. South.

Draft notebook: Kentucky's Montgomery submits his name

Kentucky freshman forward EJ Montgomery announced Friday he will enter the 2019 NBA Draft but will return to school if he doesn't receive a first-round draft grade. He has until May 29 to withdraw his entry. "I have sat down with Coach Cal (John Calipari) and my family and decided to take full advantage of the rules that are in place and enter my name in the draft process," he said. "My goal is to be a first-rounder. If the information I receive supports that, my plan is to stay in the draft and pursue my dreams of playing in the NBA."

MLB roundup: Mariners blow 8-run lead, win in 9th

Ryon Healy homered twice and drove in five runs, and the Seattle Mariners ended a six-game losing streak with an 11-10 win against the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of the four-game series on Thursday in Anaheim, Calif. After the Mariners squandered a 10-2 lead with the Angels scoring seven runs in the seventh and tying the game in the eighth, Jay Bruce moved Seattle ahead 11-10 with a pinch-hit single in the ninth off Cody Allen (0-1).

NHL notebook: Wings legend Yzerman takes GM job

Steve Yzerman is coming home to become general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, the franchise announced on Friday. The hiring of the former Detroit star also marked the end of Ken Holland's 22-year stint as general manager. Holland signed a multiyear deal to become the club's senior vice president.

NBA notebook: Technicals on Durant, Green rescinded

The NBA rescinded technical fouls assessed to Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Clippers forward JaMychal Green on Friday after reviewing a call made during Thursday night's game. Durant and Green were exchanging words during the third quarter when the double-technical was called, stunning both players.