Reuters Sports News Summary

Australia will finish off their preparations for this year's rugby World Cup with a brief tour of the United States, featuring a one-off test against the Americans in Chicago. The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) announced on Wednesday the test match would be played on Sept. 5 at Chicago's Soldier Field, where the Eagles also hosted New Zealand's All Blacks a year ago.

Curry spices up Warriors in series-tying win over Grizzlies

Stephen Curry lived up to his Most Valuable Player status with 33 points as the Golden State Warriors brushed aside the Memphis Grizzlies 101-84 at FedExForum on Monday to even their Western Conference semi-final series at 2-2. Curry shot 11-for-22 from the floor, including 4-for-9 from three-point range, as well as adding eight rebounds and five assists. It was the point guard's fourth 30-point game of the 2015 post-season.

James scores 38 as Cavaliers takes series lead over Bulls

The Cleveland Cavaliers moved one win away from the Eastern Conference final after beating Chicago 106-101 in Game Five of their semi-final series on Tuesday. Lebron James finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, Kyrie Irving scored 25 points, and Iman Shumpert grabbed a crucial offensive rebound in the final minute as Cleveland took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Boxing contender and convicted rapist Ayala dead at 52 in Texas

Former boxer Tony Ayala Jr., a middleweight title contender whose career was cut short by a rape conviction, was found dead on Tuesday at the age of 52 at a gym in San Antonio. Ayala's death was confirmed by Henry Rodriguez, a long-time friend and business associate. After his release from prison, Ayala was seen as a mentor to a generation of Texas boxers, Rodriguez said.

Rosberg sets the pace in first in-season F1 test

Nico Rosberg followed up his Spanish Grand Prix victory by stepping back into his Mercedes on Tuesday for another 146 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya in Formula One's first in-season test of the year. The German was unsurprisingly the fastest of the nine drivers on track, with only tailenders Manor Marussia not taking part in the test, with a best time of one minute 24.374 seconds.

Clippers thrive with their 'Be Relentless' approach

A year after their playoff hopes were rocked by a racism scandal that left previous owner Donald Sterling with a life ban, the Los Angeles Clippers are flourishing in this postseason with a 'Be Relentless' approach. With former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer a vocal and inspiring presence as the new owner and shrewd head coach Doc Rivers back at the helm, the franchise is one win away from reaching a maiden conference final.

Pelicans fire head coach Williams

The New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Monty Williams on Tuesday, parting company with a man who led the team to the playoffs twice in five seasons. Williams, 43, was appointed as Pelicans head coach in June 2010 and compiled an overall record of 173-221 with the National Basketball Association team.

Lightning stop the rot, top Habs in Game Six to seal series

Having lost two straight and facing the possibility of a Game Seven on the road in Montreal, the Tampa Bay Lightning buckled down and closed out their Eastern Conference semi-final with a 4-1 win over the Canadiens at their Amalie Arena on Tuesday. Goaltender Ben Bishop stopped the first 18 shots he faced as the Lightning wrapped up the series 4-2 and advanced to the conference final for just the third time.

NFL again under scrutiny with Brady poised to appeal suspension

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected this week to formally appeal his four-game suspension over his role in "Deflategate," in what would be the latest test for a league whose sanctioning policies have come under intense scrutiny. Brady, a four-time Super Bowl champion and one of the National Football League's marquee players, has said he will appeal the penalty, handed down on Monday for his part in deflating footballs for the AFC title game in January.

Mayweather, Pacquiao fight smashes pay-per-view records

The "Fight of the Century" between boxing greats Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao generated record pay-per-view revenue in the United States of $400 million from 4.4 million buys, cable networks Showtime and HBO said on Tuesday. The May 2 fight in Las Vegas that saw Mayweather beat Pacquiao in a unanimous decision cost $99 to view in high definition. With additional revenue from ticket sales, international TV distribution and other sources, worldwide receipts are expected to top $500 million, the networks said.