National Sports

As he continues chasing his football dream, Montreal Alouettes quarterback Jeff Mathews is buoyed knowing regardless of the challenge, someone has his back. Mathews' older sister, Katie, was paralysed following an '06 auto accident.

TORONTO — Dawson Murschell and Jim Long will represent Canada at the BetVictor World Cup of Darts.

ROME — Canada's Denis Shapovalov is off to the second round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The 20-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont.

TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard squatted and watched as his moon shot from the corner bounced off the rim an agonizing once, twice, three times, then four before finally dropping through the hoop.

TORONTO — Serge Ibaka left Philadelphia after the Raptors' Game 6 loss on Thursday determined to play better. He felt like he redeemed himself on Sunday night.

DENVER — Damian Lillard's shots kept banging off the backboard, rattling off the rim, going everywhere but through the hoop. The Portland Trail Blazers are going to the Western Conference Finals anyway because CJ McCollum had his back.

Sunday's Games World Hockey Championship At Kosice Slovakia United States 7 France 1 Germany 2 Denmark 1 Canada 8 Great Britain 0 At Bratislava Slovakia Russia 5 Austria 0 Sweden 8 Italy 0 Switzerland 3 Latvia 1 --- Stanley Cup Playoffs Boston 6 Caro

Sunday's Games World Hockey Championship At Kosice Slovakia United States 7 France 1 Germany 2 Denmark 1 Canada 8 Great Britain 0 At Bratislava Slovakia Russia 5 Austria 0 Sweden 8 Italy 0 Switzerland 3 Latvia 1 --- Stanley Cup Playoffs Boston 6 Caro

LANGFORD, B.C. — Canada's bid to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is on hold after a fifth-place finish at the HSBC Canada Sevens Series at Westhills Stadium.

GUELPH, Ont. — Isaac Ratcliffe and the Guelph Storm have been through so much over the last six weeks that a 2-0 deficit after 20 minutes wasn't about to faze them. That resiliency is a big reason they're now headed to the Memorial Cup.