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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette has an infectious personality. That much was on display shortly after the Panthers took him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Legette, who was born in South Carolina, quickly went viral after the draft for hisaccent,love of horsesandculinary preferences. While some of those traits made him a unique personality, it was Legette's enthusiasm that really set him apart. He seemed genuinely excited to answer questions about his upbringing and had an infectious energy. So, whoever decided to send Legette to his first Carolina Hurricanes game, give him seats on the glass and mic him up was an absolute genius. The result was a hilarious and endearing video of Legette very quickly learning to love the sport. It began with Legette talking on the phone and telling a friend, "You didn't tell me the hockey pucks coming flying over here, man." It only got better from there. We had Xavier Legette mic'd up at NHL game and it was PURE ENTERTAINMENT 🤣pic.twitter.com/6HoSxW4wWS — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)May 29, 2025 Legette seemed to have a blast at the game. He reacted every time players hit the glass near him, complimented the players for their speed and physicality and took on a major rooting interest in the game. His excitement clearly came across in the video. At the end of the clip, Legette makes it clear he had a great time. "I ain't gonna lie," he said. "I'm gonna be back to one of these." Legette turned in a solid rookie season after going No. 32 overall. The 24-year-old hauled in 49 passes for 497 yards and 4 touchdowns. As the season went along, Legette worked his way into a bigger role with the Panthers, eventually playing in over 90 percent of the team's offensive snaps before an injury limited his production. Bigger things are expected in 2025. Legette should take on a larger role in the team's offense and pair with 2025 first rounder Tetairoa McMillan to give quarterback Bryce Young two promising, young targets. While Legette still has plenty to prove in the NFL, no one if going to match his enthusiasm on the field. Here's hoping that leads to plenty more excellent mic'd up moments during the Panthers' 2025 season.

The Minnesota Vikings believe in the vision general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has for the organization's future. The team reportedly handed Adofo-Mensah amultiyear contract extensionFriday after the team made the playoffs in two of his three seasons at the helm, according to multiple reports. With the move, both Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell are under contract with the team for the foreseeable future. The#Vikingshave signed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multiyear contract extension, sources tell me and@RapSheet.The deal was signed Thursday night. Minnesota is 34-17 with two playoff trips since Kevin O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah arrived. Now both are signed for years to come.pic.twitter.com/q3EiJN9pix — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero)May 30, 2025 The Vikings hired Adofo-Mensah ahead of the 2022 NFL season. The team has gone 34-17 under his guidance, making the playoffs twice since he took over. This story will be updated.

The2025 NCAA baseball tournamentis set to kick off Friday with regional action across 16 host sites. As is the case in any tournament, some teams will have an easier path to reach the super regional – and eventually the Men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Vanderbilt earned the No. 1 overall seed, but the Commodores don't necessarily have the easiest path to reach the CWS. REQUIRED READING:College baseball tournament bracket winners and losers start with SEC Meanwhile, Southern Miss wrestled away the No. 16 seed and the final regional hosting privilege, but the Golden Eagles are rewarded with the toughest path to even reach the super regional round. Here's a power ranking of the toughest regionals in the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament based on the mean RPI of the four teams in the bracket: No. 16 Southern Miss:19 Alabama:13 Miami:40 Columbia:60 Median RPI:33 The Golden Eagles barely earned the final top-16 seed to host the regional but will face the stiffest competition to reach the super regionals, which would be rewarded with potentially facing No. 1 Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide will come in with a chip on their shoulder after being denied a hosting bid despite finishing ranked No. 13 in RPI. The Hurricanes and Lions present the toughest draws as No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. No. 14 Tennessee:10 Wake Forest:30 Cincinnati:34 Miami (Ohio):80 Median RPI:38.5 The defending national champion Vols don't have an easy path by any means, as Wake Forest and Cincinnati have proven to be strong teams with top-34 RPIs during the regular season. Tennessee has the second-toughest regional opener, having to square off against Miami (Ohio). If the Vols can come out of their regional, they'll be as battle-tested as any team in the super regional round. No. 8 Oregon State:7 TCU:17 USC:44 St. Mary's: 89 Median RPI:39.25 The Beavers earned the right to host not only a regional, but also a super regional if they can withstand the Corvallis Regional. Oregon State will have to get past a tough Horned Frogs team that narrowly missed making the tournament last season. USC is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, while Saint Mary's won the West Coast Conference tournament championship. No. 2 Texas: 4 UTSA:25 Kansas State:37 Houston Christian:94 Median RPI:40 Not only did the Longhorns draw the short end of the stick by not getting the No. 1 overall seed, but they also have one of the hardest paths in the regional round. UTSA and Kansas State can give Texas a run for its money in the Austin Regional. First-year coach Jim Schlossnagle has his work cut out with this regional draw. No. 11 Clemson:9 West Virginia:28 Kentucky:38 USC Upstate:86 Median RPI:40.25 Clemson will be one of a few seeded programs on upset alert, having to face a dangerous Mountaineers team. The Tigers don't want to experience deja vu from last season when Florida walked into the Clemson Regional and knocked them off. Playing in the SEC, Kentucky also played a gauntlet of a schedule and could prove to be a major challenge in the regional. No. 10 Ole Miss:12 Georgia Tech:20 Western Kentucky:42 Murray State:90 Median RPI:41 Ole Miss is back in the regionals for the first time since 2022 and hosting for the first time since 2021. However, the road to a super regional for the Rebels will be anything but easy. The Yellow Jackets could very well have been hosting a regional if a game or two had gone their way in the regular season or the ACC tournament. Georgia Tech was projected to be one of the hosts leading up to the conference tournaments. No. 13 Coastal Carolina:8 Florida:18 East Carolina:66 Fairfield:74 Median RPI:41.5 Coastal Carolina could argue it was underseeded after finishing with the No. 8 RPI in the country through conference championships. Yet, the Chanticleers are the No. 13 overall seed and face a squad that ended up winning a regional as a guest last season in Florida. The Gators began the season 1-11 in SEC play but finished with 18 wins in their final 24 conference games. Florida is a dangerous visiting team, seeking its third consecutive College World Series trip. East Carolina and Fairfield are also ranked well within the top 75 in RPI. No. 1 Vanderbilt:1 Louisville:32 ETSU:36 Wright State:102 Median RPI:42.75 The Commodores earned the No. 1 seed after defeating Ole Miss 3-2 in the SEC tournament championship game and earning the No. 1 overall spot in the RPI heading into the selection show. Vanderbilt, despite a lofty baseball history, will be the top seed in the tournament for the second time in program history. Vanderbilt will have to get past a pair of top 36 RPI-ranked teams, but it will open with a matchup against a Wright State team that went 2-10 against Quad-1 opponents. No. 15 UCLA:15 UC Irvine:23 Arizona State:49 Fresno State:100 Median RPI:46.75 The Bruins will have a tough test against UC Irvine and face a former Pac-12 opponent in Arizona State. However, opening against Fresno State gives UCLA a chance to open the tournament with positive momentum. UCLA is playing in its first regional since 2022. No. 5 UNC:6 Oklahoma:26 Nebraska:50 Holy Cross:144 Median RPI:56.50 UNC draws a favorable road in the regional round after beating Florida State in the ACC tournament semifinals. While Oklahoma was tested in the SEC, the Sooners played the No. 213-ranked out-of-conference schedule and finished with a 9-9 road record. North Carolina went 25-6 at home this season. No. 3 Arkansas: 5 Kansas:24 Creighton:45 North Dakota State:152 Median RPI:56.50 Arkansas' path to the super regionals will start with North Dakota State, the No. 152-ranked team in RPI, but it will get tougher with matchups against potentially Creighton and Kansas from there. The Razorbacks posted a dominant 32-4 record at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this season. Despite finishing the season 20-32, the Bison clinched an automatic berth in the tournament after winning the Summit League tournament. No. 12Oregon: 16 Arizona:27 Cal Poly:29 Utah Valley:170 Median RPI:60.50 The Eugene Regional is anything but a cakewalk, despite being this low on the list. Arizona and Cal Poly each had strong 2025 regular seasons and have more than enough talent to steal the regional and pull off an upset. Utah Valley, which finished the season ranked No. 171 in RPI, is making its second-ever NCAA tournament appearance. No. 7 Georgia:2 Duke:31 Oklahoma State:46 Binghamton:163 Median RPI:60.50 Despite having the same media RPI as the Eugene Regional, it's clear the Bulldogs have a slightly easier path than Oregon. Duke is just outside the top 30 in RPI, while Oklahoma State finished the season 28-23 and 5-12 in Quad-1 games. Binghamton is making its sixth NCAA tournament appearance and owns a 1-10 record, with its lone win coming in the Greenville Regional in 2009. No. 9 Florida State:14 Northeastern:22 Mississippi State:35 Bethune-Cookman:200 Median RPI:67.5 Link Jarrett and Florida State missed out on a hosting seed by one ranking. The Seminoles likely would have played host if they had defeated North Carolina in the ACC tournament semifinals. While RPI doesn't suggest it, the Seminoles have to play a Northeastern team that has won 27 consecutive games and is arguably the hottest team in the nation. Mississippi State is an SEC squad that could also give FSU a run for its money. On the other hand, the Wildcats enter the tournament after beating FAMU in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship game in dramatic fashion on athree-run walk-off home run by Andrey Martinez. No. 3 Auburn:3 NC State: 33 Stetson:62 Central Connecticut:183 Median RPI:70.25 The Tigers earning the No. 3 overall seed probably shocked a lot of college baseball fans, as their 38-18 record likely did not jump off the page. However, Auburn was the No. 3-ranked team when it comes to RPI. NC State, however, is a team capable of knocking off the Tigers and the Hatters always play a tough out-of-conference schedule. Auburn opens the regional against Central Connecticut, which, despite a 31-15 record, went 0-2 in Quad-1 and 2 games. No. 6 LSU:11 Dallas Baptist:21 Rhode Island:68 Little Rock:238 Median RPI:84.5 While LSU has the lowest median RPI of any regional, that does not mean its path to hosting a super regional is easy. Dallas Baptist is making its fifth consecutive regional appearance, including having pulled off an upset in the Columbia Regional in 2021. Little Rock enters the tournament as the lowest-ranked team in RPI after finishing the season eight games below .500. The Trojans won five games in four days to win the Ohio Valley conference tournament and steal an automatic bid. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ranking NCAA baseball tournament regionals by RPI

When the 2025NBAplayoffs began, theIndiana Pacerswere given 50-to-1 odds to win the title. Ten teams had better chances and most analysts didn't even mention them in championship conversations. But sometimes in the NBA, fate doesn't care about odds. Sometimes, it's just your time. We've seen it before. In 2011, the Dallas Mavericks stunned the world, sweeping Kobe Bryant and the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, outlasting the young and hungry Oklahoma City Thunder led by Kevin Durant, and then conquering the seemingly unbeatable Miami Heat trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. I covered that team. I saw it unfold in real time – and no one saw it coming. Then came 2019. Kawhi Leonard's Toronto Raptors embarked on a similarly improbable journey. They survived a Game 7 thriller against the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to Leonard's four-bounce buzzer-beater, outmuscled Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, and capitalized on key injuries to Durant and Klay Thompson in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The result: a championship no one predicted, but one they absolutely earned. Now, in 2025, the Pacers are building a case that they might be next even if their dominant lead in the Eastern Conference Finals was shrunk to 3-2 by theNew York Knicks on Thursday night. They go home to Indianapolis on Saturday night for Game 6 with a chance to clinch a trip to the NBA Finals. You can't call a team a "team of destiny" without at least one miracle. The Pacers have had three. Since 1997, NBA teams trailing by seven or more points in the final 50 seconds of regulation or overtime are a combined 4-1,702. The Pacers account for three of those wins, and they've all come during this playoff run: Game 5 vs. the Bucks in the first round Game 2 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round Game 1 vs. the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals That last one, against New York, will go down in Garden infamy. With just 2:50 left, the Knicks held a 14-point lead. Before that game, teams leading by 14 or more in the final 2:50 of a playoff game were 977-0. They're now 977-1 thanks to an epic three-point barrage by Aaron Nesmith that stunned the Madison Square Garden crowd into silence. Every team of destiny has one thing in common: a superstar who raises his game to an all-time level. Dirk Nowitzki did it in 2011. Kawhi did it in 2019. Now, it's Tyrese Haliburton taking on that role. The 25-year-old from Oshkosh, Wisconsin – already an All-Star and Olympic gold medalist – has taken his game into the stratosphere. He's been at the center of every improbable comeback, orchestrating the chaos with poise, vision and confidence. In Game 4 against the Knicks, Haliburton delivered one of the greatest playoff performances ever by a point guard: 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds – and zero turnovers. Read that again. A 30-point triple-double with 15 assists and no turnovers had never been done in the playoffs. Not by Magic Johnson. Not by LeBron James. Not by Chris Paul. Not by anyone – until now. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said it best: "He makes our team go. Playing with him and knowing that he cares about putting us all in position to be successful is what makes him special." That was certainly true on Thursday; when Haliburton had a down night, the Pacers were dominated by the Knicks in a 111-94 defeat. Head coach Rick Carlisle – who led Nowitzki's Mavs during their 2011 miracle run – put it in historic perspective. "To not turn it over in any of those situations is remarkable. That's become his thing. There might be a stat category named after him someday – him and Chris Paul, guys like that," Carlisle said. "Stockton didn't turn it over much. LeBron didn't either. Tyrese takes pride in that. It's a motivating factor." Haliburton, ever steady, simply said: "I take pride in taking care of the ball. The more we take care of the ball as a team, the more shots we get, and the better our chances to win. … I'd rather do really anything else on a basketball court than turn the ball over." If the Pacers truly are a team of destiny and clinch a Finals berth, then their final exam may come in the form of the league's most dominant team: the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC has been historically great this season, going 68-14 in the regular season. They haven't lost four in a seven game span all year – and that, of course, is what it would take to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. They clinched an opportunity to play for the championship on Wednesday with a124-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending the Western Conference Finals in five games. But that's the thing about destiny: it doesn't care what's supposed to happen. The Pacers have already done the improbable. Three times. They've got a superstar playing perfect basketball. They're tough, unselfish, fearless – and they never think they're out of a game, even when everyone else does. So, are the Indiana Pacers a team of destiny? We'll find out soon enough. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Their commentary is breathless. Literally. Australian twin brothers Archie and Miles Shepherd have become internet stars for their high-energy and comedically nuanced interpretations of some of the most dramatic moments insports. But if you were in the bedroom where they shoot their material, likeArsenal's Champions League win at Real Madrid, you'd hardly hear a thing. "I feel like it's a whisper," said Archie in an interview withCNN Sports, noting that the lip synching of the original commentary only requires them to mime the words. "It's a soft yell, if I was yelling then I'd have no voice!" Shepmates, as the duo is known, began almost by accident. The 23-year-old identical twins were working together as salesmen at a timber yard in 2021 and Miles was listening to the Ashescricketon the radio. When the Australian bowler Mitchell Starc claimed an English wicket with the very first ball of the match, the commentator's contagious enthusiasm inspired him to film his own reenactment of the call. "It was Covid, so I was bored," he recalled, "and I just filmed this video and the next morning it blew up and people were asking for more. And then Archie was like, 'Can I get in on this?'" They spent the rest of the summer generating more cricket content, honing their craft as a double act and building a devoted following. Sometimes, their material has been flagged for copyright infringement, but when the International Cricket Council targeted one of their early World Cup clips, it worked to their advantage. "Ten hours later, it got taken down, our account got banned," Miles said. "I reached out to the ICC, and we're like, 'Why are you banning this? People love this!' So, they brought our account back and they actually collaborated on the video with us, and it went absolutely bananas." Sport is not just a live broadcast product, the action is now being repackaged across disparate media platforms, finding new audiences in faraway places. GolfandFormula Oneare now enjoyed in hitherto unexpected markets thanks to the reach of "Full Swing" and "Drive to Survive" on Netflix. Shepmates have been able to tap into this new trend, covering everything from soccer to basketball, mountain biking and darts. Their spoof of Donald Trump and Joe Biden bickering about who was the better golfer was conceived and recorded while the CNN presidential debate was still ongoing, and released immediately afterward. It's been seen around 20 million times. No sport is off the table – Shepmates say that sperm racing could even be in the pipeline soon. Sitting side by side and wearing broadcast headsets, they dress according to the sport they are covering and exchange either smug, knowing glances or accusatory and puzzled looks. At the crescendo of each play that they feature, the scene often descends into chaos; when filmingHarry Maguire's dramatic late winner for Manchester United in the Europa League, Archie rocked the camera for dramatic effect as Miles threw a chair across the room, damaging the wall: "The landlord wasn't happy." When the darts commentator Wayne Mardle gasped, "I can't speak, I can't speak," the Shepmates' interpretation of the moment spoofed a commentator falling backwards in a state of medical distress. The brothers often switch positions in their pretend commentary box, making it impossible to tell which one is which, and sometimes they're even able to quickly duck out of shot, change their appearance and re-appear as a third character just seconds later. They've become skilled at repackaging the energy and joy of sport with a humorous twist, their repertoire has found a global audience and they've been able to quit the lumber yard and focus full-time on the Shepmates media brand. Initially, each shoot was labor intensive. Miles said that he used to spend hours trying to memorize every line – "a nightmare." Now, they write the lines out on a screen, using a series of commas and dots to time their delivery. "It doesn't matter how good our facial expressions or the comedy," Miles explained, "if the lip-sync's not good then people aren't going to watch it." He's become an expert in mimicking Spanish and Arabic commentary, but admits he has no idea what they're saying. "Most of the clips we can nail in four or five shots, we have a ball," said Archie, "But you start screwing up, then it starts to wear a bit towards the end, like you've heard this commentary close to 40 times and by the time you put it out, you're like, 'I don't even know if this is funny.'" Their fans would argue that the labor of love is well worth it, and so far, they say that the commentators they've covered approve of their work, but in 2024 they were accused of a gross invasion of privacy when they filmedMercedes F1 driver George Russellin the urinal. "That was a big moment for us," Miles explained, "It felt like we were on top of the world, and I think we probably just got a bit ahead of ourselves and we made a mistake. We were like, 'Jeez, are we bad humans for doing this?' We apologized to George. I wouldn't change it, I'm glad it happened. It made us realize we're not invincible, I think it's made us better." Archie and Miles have grown up together, they still live together and now they're embarking on a dream career together that they could never have imagined when they were making videos together as kids. Miles acknowledges that they have suffered from an imposter syndrome. "Do we deserve all this?" he asked. "A lot of the time we're worried it's going to get taken away from us." "We tried to become professional athletes and failed at that," Archie added, "So I think the stars aligned with sports and content." In a manner that they never could have imagined, they have found their calling. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

With the Indiana Pacers just one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals, the team couldn't get it done in Game 5. The New York Knicks fought back,winning the contest 111-94and pushing the series to 3-2. It was a welcome sign for New York, which had mostly looked overmatched in previous games of the series. It may have also been a turning point for the Knicks, who finally have some momentum as the series shifts to Game 6 Saturday in Indianapolis. TNT analyst Charles Barkley may have summed it up best after Game 5, when he called Game 6 a "must-win" for the Pacers. His reasoning: If the Pacers drop two straight games and then have to go play a Game 7 in New York, the Knicks have a massive advantage. That puts a lot of pressure on the Pacers to finish the job in Game 6. Given what's at stake, that amount of pressure could prove overwhelming. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton won't let that happen. Following Indiana's Game 5 loss, Haliburton urged histeammates to stay calmas the series heads to a Game 6, per ESPN. "We're a resilient group," Haliburton said after the game. "We always want to respond when things don't go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. ... We're fine. There's no need to panic or anything." That's probably exactly what the Pacers need to hear after a disappointing performance in Game 5. Frustrations already seemed to be boiling over after the loss, as Pascal Siakam got into an awkward exchange with a reporter who questioned the Pacers' effort during the contest. "You good bro?... Who is this guy?" 😳👀Awkward exchange between Pascal Siakam and this reporter after Pacers Game 5 loss 😬pic.twitter.com/t3Y5bEeGhu — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)May 30, 2025 Throughout the entire playoffs, the Pacers have thrived on their ability to be calm in tense situations. The team has pulled offmultiple late-game comebacksin the postseason so far, showing poise when other teams would wilt under the pressure. At the center of all those comebacks is Haliburton, who has excelled most when the Pacers needed it. Given Haliburton's late-game heroics, he's the perfect person to tell the rest of his teammates to remain calm ahead of what should be a pressure-packed Game 6. If they can follow that advice, there's a good chance the Pacers will find themselves in the NBA Finals soon. If not, it's going to be much harder to remain calm if a Game 7 in New York is on the schedule.

MUNICH (AP) — European club soccer reaches its crowning moment with theChampions League finalin Munich on Saturday. This season's showpiece pits French champion Paris Saint-Germain against Italian runner-up Inter Milan, with the former striving for its first ever European Cup title, while Inter is going for its fourth. Success for PSG would make it the first French champion of Europe since bitter rival Marseille in 1993, and finally reward years of huge investment from its Qatari backers, who bought a majority stake in the club in 2011. Inter faces the prospect of a trophyless season after seeing Napoli pip it to the Italian title. But Inter has shown it's a threat on the European stage with epic wins overBarcelona in the semifinalsand Bayern Munich in the quarters. Here's your guide to the final. When is the Champions League final? — Kickoff is at 9 p.m. local time in Germany on Saturday. That's 3 p.m. ET or 1900 GMT. How to watch the final on TV? — In the U.S., on Paramount+. DAZN will show it in Canada. — Other countries arelisted here. Players to look out for in the final — Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé have all left PSG but that doesn't mean there aren't players to watch. Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has starred for the team since joining from Napoli in January. Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembelé are chipping in the goals that Mbappé's no longer scoring, and the team has one of the world's best goalkeepers in Gianluigi Donnarumma, formerly of Milan. — Inter counts on Argentina star Lautaro Martínez to lead the team with his captaincy and goals. Which stadium is hosting the final? — The match will take place in Bayern Munich's 75,000 capacity home stadium, known as Allianz Arena for sponsorship reasons since it opened in 2005, though UEFA refers to it as Munich Football Arena during its competitions. Key facts — PSG would become only the second French champion of Europe with a win. The closest it came so far was in 2020 when it lost in the final to Bayern after a restructured tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic. — Inter's success in 2010 ended its long wait since back-to-back wins in 1964 and '65. But it lost on its last appearance in the final, to Manchester City in 2023. This will be its seventh final altogether. It has won three and lost three so far. — This will be the fifth European Cup final to be played in Munich. Each of the previous four produced a first-time winner: Nottingham Forest in 1979, Marseille in 1993, Borussia Dortmund in 1997, and Chelsea in 2012. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Coco Gauffcame through an unexpectedly difficult match against Tereza Valentová to win 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday,becoming the youngest player in 17 yearsto reach the third round of theFrench Openfor five consecutive years. The 21-year-old failed to hold her serve four times during the second set but broke back on five occasions to round off a topsy-turvy run and take the victory over her Czech opponent, who was last year's girls' champion in Paris. Two-time French Open winnerMaria Sharapovawas also 21 when she reached the third round at Roland-Garros for the fifth straight year in 2008. "I think overall it was fine. I think towards the end of the second set I could have been much more aggressive on the serve. The return game was pretty good," said Gauff after her win, perrolandgarros.com. "She's obviously a great young player, I knew it was going to be a tough match today. "Definitely going to practice (tomorrow) and work on things I feel I could have done a lot better today." The world No. 2 won just 19% of her second serve points and had six double faults to her opponent's three. Nonetheless, she has now won 12 of her last 14 matches as part of a run which has seen her reach the final of both the Madrid Open and Italian Open. She will face Valentová's compatriot Marie Bouzková in the third round on Saturday. Elsewhere, Jessica Pegula claimed a confident 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Ann Li to record her 30th match-win of the year; only world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has more. In Gauff and Pegula, the US has two of the top three seeds at the French Open for the first time since Venus and Serena Williams in 2010, and Pegula put up a performance worthy of her ranking. The 31-year-old dropped the first two games to her compatriot, but then won six of the next seven to breeze into a 1-0 lead. In the second set, Pegula had to fend off two break points for Li and won the tiebreak with a deep backhand. "It was a really tough match today," Pegula said afterward, per theWTA. "Ann has been playing some really good tennis this year and had a lot of close matches with good players. It was tricky with the wind. She was slicing a lot, kind of making me earn a lot of points. "I felt like it was a pretty physical match, a lot of long points and long games. But happy I was able to kind of hold on to that second set there definitely." Pegula will play Markéta Vondroušová in the third round on Saturday. Later on Thursday, Madison Keys, who is playing in her first grand slam since she won the Australian Open in January, eased to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Katie Boulter. In doing so, the 30-year-old became the oldest woman to win nine consecutive grand slam matches since Angelique Kerber in 2018, per the WTA. Keys will face another former Australian Open winner, Sofia Kenin, on Saturday. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Fiorentina says coach Raffaele Palladino has left the Serie A club "by mutual consent" after only one season in charge. It was reported earlier this week that Palladino had handed in his resignation but that the club was trying to convince the 41-year-old coach to stay. "Fiorentina can confirm that Raffaele Palladino's contract, as well as those of his backroom team, has today been terminated by mutual consent," the Italian club said Friday ina brief statement. Palladino coached Fiorentina to a sixth-placed finish in Serie A and a Conference League spot. It was regarded as a successful season, so his reported resignation had caught club management off guard. Fiorentina also reached the semifinals of the Conference League. It had lost in the final of that competition in each of the previous two seasons, under Vincenzo Italiano. Less than a week after the season ended,the Serie A coaching carouselis ramping up.Massimiliano Allegri returned to AC Milanon Friday and a number of other changes are expected. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

HOUSTON (AP) — Soon after Lance McCullers Jr.'s family received online death threats following a tough start by the Houston Astros' pitcher, his 5-year-old daughter, Ava, overheard wife Kara talking on the phone about it. What followed was a painful conversation between McCullers and his little girl. "She asked me when I came home: 'Daddy like what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?'" McCullers told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "So, those conversations are tough to deal with." McCullers is one of two MLB pitchers whose families have received online death threats this month as internet abuse of players and their families is on the rise. Boston reliever Liam Hendriks took to social media soon after the incident with McCullersto call out people who were threatening his wife's life and directing "vile" comments at him. The Astros contacted MLB security and the Houston Police Department following the threats to McCullers. An police spokesperson said Thursday that it remains an ongoing investigation. McCullers, who has two young daughters, took immediate action after the threats and hired 24-hour security for his family. "You have to at that point," he said. Abuse increasing with rise in sports gambling Players from around the league agree that online abuse has gotten progressively worse in recent years. Milwaukee's Christian Yelich, a 13-year MLB veteran and the 2018 NL MVP, said receiving online abuse is "a nightly thing" for most players. "I think over the last few years it's definitely increased," he said. "It's increased to the point that you're just: 'All right, here we go.' It doesn't even really register on your radar anymore. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. You're just so used to that on a day-to-day, night-to-night basis. It's not just me. It's everybody in here, based on performance." And many players believe it's directly linked to the rise in legalized sports betting. "You get a lot of DMs or stuff like that about you ruining someone's bet or something ridiculous like that," veteran Red Sox reliever Justin Wilson said. "I guess they should make better bets." Hendriks has had enough Hendriks, a 36-year-old reliever whopreviously battlednon-Hodgkin lymphoma, said on Instagram that he and his wife received death threats after a loss to the Mets. He added that people left comments saying that they wished he would have died from cancer among other abusive comments. He later discussed the issue and his decision to speak out about it. "Enough is enough," he said. "Like at some point, everyone just like sucking up and dealing with it isn't accomplishing anything. And we pass along to security. We pass along to whoever we need to, but nothing ends up happening. And it happens again the next night. And so, at some point, someone has to make a stand. And it's one of those things where the more eyes we get on it, the more voices we get talking about it. Hopefully it can push it in the right direction." What teams are doing Both the Astros and the Red Sox are working with MLB security to take action against social media users who direct threats toward players and their families. Red Sox spokesperson Abby Murphy added that they've taken steps in recent years to make sure player' families are safe during games. That includes security staff and Boston police stationed in the family section at home and dedicated security in the traveling party to monitor the family section on the road. Murphy said identifying those who make anonymous threats online is difficult, but: "both the Red Sox and MLB have cyber programs and analysts dedicated to identifying and removing these accounts." The Astros have uniformed police officers stationed in the family section, a practice that was implemented well before the threats to McCullers and his family. Abandoning social media For some players, online abuse has gotten so bad that they've abandoned social media. Detroit All-Star outfielder Riley Greene is one of them, saying he got off because he received so many messages from people blaming him for failed bets. "I deleted it," he said of Instagram. "I'm off it. It sucks, but it's the world we live in, and we can't do anything about it. People would DM me and say nasty things, tell me how bad of a player I am, and say nasty stuff that we don't want to hear." Criticism is part of the game, threats are not The 31-year-old McCullers, who returned this year after missing two full seasons with injuries, said dealing with this has been the worst thing that's happened in his career. He understands the passion of fans and knows that being criticized for a poor performance is part of the game. But he believes there's a "moral line" that fans shouldn't cross. "People should want us to succeed," he said. "We want to succeed, but it shouldn't come at a cost to our families, the kids in our life, having to feel like they're not safe where they live or where they sit at games." Houston manager Joe Espadawas livid when he learned about the threats to McCullers and his familyand was visibly upset when he addressed what happened with reporters. Espada added that the team has mental health professionals available to the players to talk about the toll such abuse takes on them and any other issues they may be dealing with. "We are aware that when we step on the field, fans expect and we expect the best out of ourselves," Espada said this week. "But when we are trying to do our best and things don't go our way while we're trying to give you everything we got and now you're threatening our families and kids — now I do have a big issue with that, right? I just did not like it." Kansas City's Salvador Perez, a 14-year MLB veteran, hasn't experienced online abuse but was appalled by what happened to McCullers. If something like that happened to him he said it would change the way he interacts with fans. "Now some fans, real fans, they're gonna pay for that, too," he said. "Because if I was him, I wouldn't take a picture or sign anything for noboby because of that one day." McCullers wouldn't go that far but admitted it has changed his mindset. "It does make you kind of shell up a little bit," he said. "It does make you kind of not want to go places. I guess that's just probably the human reaction to it." Finding a solution While most players have dealt with some level of online abuse in their careers, no one has a good idea of how to stop it. "I'm thankful I'm not in a position where I have to find a solution to this," Tigers' pitcher Tyler Holton said. "But as a person who is involved in this, I wish this wasn't a topic of conversation." White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman is disheartened at how bad player abuse has gotten. While it's mostly online, he added that he's had teammates that have had racist and homophobic things yelled at them during games. "Outside of just simply not having social media I really don't see that getting better before it just continues to get worse," he said. "I mean, I think it's kind of the way things are now. Like, people just feel like they have the right to say whatever they want to whoever they want and it's behind a keyboard and there's really no repercussions, right?" ___ AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick and AP Sports Writers Jimmy Golen, Kyle Hightower, Larry Lage and Steve Megargee contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

It's patently fair to think that both theKansas City ChiefsandSan Francisco 49erswill be among the leading contenders to win Super Bowl 60 at the end of the 2025 NFL season. Both teams have star-studded rosters. They've combined for 11 appearances in conference title games over the past seven seasons – K.C. qualifying each of those years – a period when no other club has made it that far more than twice. And, of course, the Chiefs and Niners have met on two of the past six Super Sundays. Yet Thursday seemed to illustrate a – maybethe– major difference between these proud franchises and might even be the reason that Kansas City beat San Francisco in those Super Bowls while winning another and appearing in five overall since the start of the 2019 campaign. Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes,a three-time Super Bowl MVP, was asked about the challenge of resetting and resuming the relentless football grind after a Super Bowl defeat –February's blowout lossto thePhiladelphia Eaglespreventing Kansas City from becoming the first team to capture three successive Lombardi Trophies. "I feel like I focus every year, because I know how special of a run that we're on and how many years left I'll have with all these great players and a great team," said Mahomes. "And every team is different and you don't want to miss an opportunity. "When you lose a Super Bowl, I think there's sometimes in those workouts – you might be a little tired – (but) you have that extra, added motivation to finish even harder or finish even stronger." NFL POWER RANKINGS:Where teams stand post-draft It was the latest insight into the mindset of Mahomes and his dynasty – and both might have a case as the greatest in league history by the time their runs conclude – especially in the face of their rare setbacks. And let's not forget, the 2024 Chiefs somehow won a franchise record 15 regular-season games and, then, the conference – even though they couldn't protect Mahomes (sacked a career-high 36 times), couldn't consistently run the ball and lost No. 1 wideout Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Compare that to the 2024 49ers, who followed up their overtime loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl 58 with a 6-11 campaign – their worst since 2018, when the team was forced to use three starting quarterbacks. And, yes, last season's Niners were stripped of several key players – Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave – due to injuries for most of the year. Yet coach Kyle Shanahan, who previously signaled his most recent outfit was out of sorts from training camp on, admitted Thursday, "I felt guys weren't ready to come back. And I understood that. But I told them how I won't really understand it this year." The dreaded Super Bowl hangover, emotional debilitation or whatever you want to call it felt like the latest excuse for an organization that's had several as its championship drought now extends beyond three decades. There was former quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's fourth-quarter overthrow of wide open Emmanuel Sanders in Super Bowl 54, a game the 49ers probably win if the connection is made. There was safety Jaquiski Tartt's dropped interception in the fourth quarter of the 2021 NFC championship game – and if he hangs on, San Francisco (not the Los Angeles Rams) almost surely reaches Super Bowl 56. Then there was the late defensive collapse and Shanahan's controversial decision to receive the opening kickoff of overtime in Super Bowl 58 –which actually might have been the right call regardless– which Kansas City ultimately claimed 25-22 on a game-ending touchdown. The Niners have also been occasionally sideswiped by major injuries in recent seasons and always seem to be in the midst of significant contractual issues every summer – though that shouldn't be the case in 2025, especially now that Brock Purdy is no longer on the quarterbacking version of welfare. Still, funny how that stuff never seems to affect the Chiefs, who will reach the league's version of the final four no matter what roadblocks are thrown in front of them. Coach Andy Reid attributes much of it to his veteran leaders, players like Mahomes who don't skate during or skip out on the team's offseason program. "All the good leaders have been here," Reid said. "It's good to have them there. When they're there, it's a certain energy that comes with it. Expectations from all the … new guys – free agent type or the college kids – and they set a tempo with that." Meanwhile, Shanahan's just glad to have perfect attendance for a change after so many years of having the spring and summer sidetracked in some capacity by financial standoffs between players and the front office. "I thought the coolest thing was everyone being there on the first day," Shanahan said in reference to the start of this year's offseason program. "We had every guy show up and I didn't have to call anyone and beg them, which said a lot." Sure does, even if Shanahan intended it as a compliment to his current crew after several expensive veterans were purged in recent months as the team cleared room for Purdy's five-year, $265 million extension. Tight end George Kittle, who was extended along with Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner, says having the business side of football resolved should help on the field. "I'm glad they decided to do that," said the six-time Pro Bowler. "That's awesome for us because now we have everybody in the building that's just focused on playing football and focusing on just getting a little bit better every single day. "It's good for football because now all we're focused on is football." San Francisco's stars paid, the teamdrawing the league's easiest schedule(the Niners' 2025 opponents had a collective winning percentage of .415 last season), McCaffrey apparently back to 100% and after an atypically long offseason to rest and recover, Shanahan knows this year's squad has little to rationalize. "The year before last year coming off the '23 season was one of the shorter breaks that we've had, having that tough loss in the Super Bowl and coming back really just like six weeks later," he said. "It's never fun to have January off, but those extra five weeks add up a lot, and I think guys were itching to get back this time, excited to get back, ready to go for the first day, and it's been a lot more fun that way." As for the Chiefs, saddled with another tough first-place schedule full of prime-time games plus a Week 1 pilgrimage to Brazil, they'll turn the adversity of an embarrassing Super Bowl showing into their own fun. "I think it'll be good for us at the end of the day," said Mahomes. "I mean, obviously looking back you want to win the game, but a lot of those (younger teammates) hadn't lost one – hadn't ended a season on a loss that are on this team now. So I'm sure they'll be motivated to go back out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl and win it this year." A lesson the current 49ers have yet to learn and a goal they have yet to reach. All NFL news on and off the field.Sign upfor USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:49ers should learn from Chiefs and stop making Super Bowl excuses

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold on Friday in time for the Club World Cup after paying a reported fee of 10 million euros ($11 million) to Liverpool. The 26-year-old England right back has agreed to a six-year deal through June 2031, the Spanish club said. Madrid said Alexander-Arnold will play for Xabi Alonso's team at the Club World Cup to be held in the United States starting in mid-June. Alexander-Arnold had been criticized by some Liverpool fans for having let his contract run down — meaning he could leave as a free agent. But the deal announced Friday means Liverpool will get at least something. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PARIS (AP) — For the fourthFrench Openin a row, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo was asked about a lack of women's matches during the tournament's night sessions — there was one in2022, onein 2023, zeroin 2024and, as of Friday, zero in 2025. And for the fourth French Open in a row, Mauresmo dismissed the issue, saying at a news conference Friday, when she also was pressed about placing women's matches in the noon slot at Court Philippe-Chatrier, when attendance tends to be sparse: "The funny thing is that it's the same questions, year after year." At the other Grand Slam tennis tournaments that sell separate tickets for night sessions, the U.S. Open and Australian Open, the main stadiums tend to feature two singles matches for that part of the daily schedule, one involving women and one involving men. Wimbledon has an 11 p.m. cutoff for competition and doesn't sells tickets for a night session. Roland-Garros added night sessions starting three years ago and the French federation has a contract with a streaming service for viewers in the home country that calls for one daily match in European primetime for the first 1 1/2 weeks of the event. Only two of the 36 contests at night in that stretch were women's matches. Mauresmo, a former player who was ranked No. 1 and won two Grand Slam titles,took over as tournament directorahead of the 2022 tournament. She repeatedly has offered similar explanations for why the night match has almost always been a men's match, including that their best-of-five-set format is likely to offer more time on court for ticket-buyers than the best-of-three setup for women. In recent years, some female players have argued that's a mistake and hurts the growth of their sport, although Mauresmo said Friday that no current or former athletes have complained to her about it or offered their thoughts. Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, was asked about the topic this week and called the current setup "a shame." "It's still sad that we are still seeing this," Jabeur said. "In Europe, in general, it's unfortunate for women's sports. ... Not for tennis, but in general. ... Whoever is making the decision, I don't think they have daughters, because I don't think they want to treat their daughters like this." "It's a bit ironic," Jabeur added. "They don't show women's sport, they don't show women's tennis, and then they (say), 'Mostly, (fans) watch men.' Of course they watch men more, because you show men more." Iga Swiatek, the three-time defending champion in Paris, said it doesn't bother her. "Every year, we talk about it. My position didn't change: I like playing days, so I'm happy that I'm done and I can have a longer rest," she said. Mauresmo said that having just one night match hasn't changed, "So for me, the message is not changing, and has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night." When a reporter tried to return to matters such as night matches and scheduling women first in Chatrier, asking Mauresmo how big a deal she considers those matters, she replied: "You know what? I would like to change the subject." ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here:https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

MILAN (AP) — Massimiliano Allegri was namedAC Milan'snew coach on Friday, charged with restoring to glory thecrisis-hit teamthat he won Serie A with nearly 15 years ago. Allegri replacesSergio Conceicao, who was fired on Thursday after guiding Milan to an eighth-placed finish in Serie A that left the Rossoneri out of Europe. "AC Milan is pleased to announce that Massimiliano Allegri has been appointed as the head coach of the men's first team," the club said in a statement that did not include any contract details. Allegri's last two jobs were with Juventus.He was fired a year agoby the Bianconeri for an ugly outburst directed at the referees during the Italian Cup final. Allegri won the Italian league for the first time with Milan in 2011, then guided Juventus to five straight titles from 2015 to 2019. Milan is coming off a disappointing season that sparked fan protests. Milan began the season as a potential title contender but ended up 19 points behind Italian champion Napoli. The seven-time European champion was eliminated by Feyenoord in the Champions League playoffs in February then got beat by Bologna in the Italian Cup final this month. Meanwhile, city rival Inter Milan will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday. Allegri becomes Milan's third coach in a year. Stefano Pioli left after last season to conclude a five-year run at the club, then Paulo Fonseca lasted only half a season before he was fired in December and replaced by Conceicao, who quickly guided the Rossoneri to the Italian Super Cup — the team's biggest achievement last season. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

TheStewartofNY/Getty Joshua Jackson says starring inKarate Kid: Legendsis a "childhood dream come true" In the movie, Jackson plays Victor, a former boxing champ and pizzeria owner Karate Kids: Legendsis now in theaters Joshua Jacksonis especially grateful for his role inKarate Kid: Legends. Speaking with PEOPLE at the film's premiere on Tuesday, May 27, the actor, 46, shared pride in "being a part of this legacy" that is theKarate Kidfranchise, describing it as a "childhood dream come true." TheDoctor Odysseyactor added that starring in the film was a full-circle moment, as he remembers watching 1984'sKarate Kidwhen he was young. "As [Ben Wang] said very wisely, he's going to be the Karate Kid for my daughter and I just think that that's awesome that I get to be a part of the movie that like pays that forward to the next generation," Jackson said. Karate Kid: Legendsfinds Jackson playing Victor, a former boxing champ and pizzeria owner. The actor shared with PEOPLE how he brought his 5-year-old daughter,Juno, whom he shares with exJodie Turner-Smith, on set. "She came out to visit Montreal for five, six days because my brother lives up there, it was a family trip and I brought her on set the day that we were doing the fight scene," he said, which turned out to be a "really stupid thing" to do. "That was really dumb," Jackson said. "She did not like seeing her dad get beat up. So I don't think I'll watch it with her in the theatrical run, but within a couple years I think we'll be okay." TheStewartofNY/Getty Jackson's role was particularly challenging as he had to gain 20 lbs. to embody his character Victor. "I walk around at 175," he explained on the Tuesday, May 27, episode of theTodayshow. "I was almost 195 for the film." The actor admitted he was surprised to learn bulking up was not so easy. "It was harder than I thought it was going to be," he said. "I was eating 4,000 calories a day." Nonetheless, Jackson welcomed the challenges because for him, "the training part is the fun part of my job." "Every time you pick up a new job, you've gotta pick up a new skill. But the training hits different at 45, 46 than it did when I was in my 20s," Jackson shared. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Karate Kids: Legendsis now playing in theaters. Read the original article onPeople

Lebron will soon suit up for theAlabama Crimson Tideas theregional tournament roundof the college baseball postseason – the lead-up to the 2025College World Series– begins Friday. No, not that LeBron. Shortstop Justin Lebron has emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars in the SEC over his first two seasons playing for the Tide. He's started in all 114 games he's played over the 2024 and 2025 seasons and boasts a career slash line of .326/.426/.596 in that span, good for an OPS of 1.021. In 2025, Lebron stole more bases, hit more home runs and knocked in almost twice as many RBIs as he did as a freshman. COLLEGE WORLD SERIES PREDICTIONS:Who will reach Omaha in 2025 NCAA baseball tournament? As Alabama gears up for its first game in the Hattiesburg regional on Friday, the Crimson Tide's No. 2 hitter and SEC All-Defensive Team shortstop will be a big name to watch. Here's everything to know about Justin Lebron: Lebron, 20, is a sophomore shortstop for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has started all 114 games for Alabama since joining the team, with 113 of those starts coming at shortstop (his lone other start was as a center fielder). This year, he was named to the All-SEC Second Team and the conference's All-Defensive Team for his prowess in the middle infield. The sophomore led his team in several statistical categories, including home runs, RBIs and runs scored. As a high school recruit, he was ranked as the nation's No. 41-ranked shortstop by scouting organization Perfect Game, in part because of a perceived lack of power – he hit one home run in his high school career. In two years at Alabama, he has already hit 30 long balls. His 18 this year tied for fifth among all SEC players. NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT:Regional host sites for College World Series bracket No, Lebron has no relation to Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James. 2024:Slashed .338/.429/.546 (.975 OPS) with 12 home runs, nine doubles, 37 RBIs and seven stolen bases 2025:Slashed .315/.422/.644 (1.066 OPS) with 18 home runs, 17 doubles, one triple, 72 RBIs and 17 stolen bases Career:.326/.426/.596 slash line (1.021 OPS), 30 home runs, 26 doubles, one triple, 109 RBIs, 24 SBs Lebron was born in The Bronx, New York but grew up in Florida after his family moved there at a young age. Lebron attended Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida. COLLEGE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT:Bracket winners and losers start with SEC No. Since Lebron is only a sophomore, he will have to wait until after next season to be eligible for the MLB draft. Date:Friday, May 30 Matchup:Alabama vs. Miami (FL) Location:Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Alabama begins their postseason quest for a College World Series berth at the Hattiesburg regional tournament. They'll play their first matchup against Miami (FL) on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The winner of that game will play the winner of national No. 16 seed Southern Miss vs. Columbia on Saturday. The losers will also play each other. The regional tournament will conclude on either Sunday, June 1 or Monday, June 2, when all but one team has lost two games in the double-elimination format. The regional winner will move onto a super regional matchup against another regional winner, where the winner of an ensuing best-of-three series moves on to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College World Series: Alabama's Justin Lebron poised to turn heads

NEW YORK — It was always going to be on defense. For theNew York Knicks to stave off elimination, to get back in this Eastern Conference finals, they needed to somehow curb theIndiana Pacers. New York, for at least one game Thursday night, did exactly that, becoming the first team this postseason to hold Indiana to fewer than 100 points for a 111-94 victory. The question for the Knicks now becomes whether this is something that can be replicated — whether Game 5 revealed a blueprint they can use to even the series at three games apiece. "In this series, we haven't lacked scoring, it has been more about us not stopping them from scoring," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said after the game. "I think tonight we did a great job of upping the pressure and making sure we were making it more difficult for them to get open looks and get those shots that they got comfortable with last game. It's a testament to our team answering the call." From the tip, New York harassed Indiana's starters, flying around the court and swarming. New York held the Pacers' starters to just 13 made field goals on 33.3% shooting. Forward Pascal Siakam was the only starter to reach double-figures in scoring, and he recorded just 15 points. Indiana's entire first five combined for 37 points; its bench poured in 57. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was coming off a historic 32-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound triple-double in Game 4, was limited to eight points and six assists on 2-of-7 shooting. In fact, Aaron Nesmith (eight attempts), Andrew Nembhard (eight), Obi Toppin (10) and Benedict Mathurin (10) all attempted more shots than Haliburton did. While wing defenders Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby led the defensive charge — particularly on Haliburton — another player not known for his defense also stepped up. Throughout this series, point guard Jalen Brunson had been a target for Indiana, which often set up pick-and-rolls to attack Brunson, who vowed after Game 5 to amp up his effort on defense. "We picked up our intensity a little bit," Brunson told reporters after the game. "We paid attention to detail better as a team. The little things go a long way." Little things like showing harder when Indiana tried to get Haliburton open in space, clogging the lanes he normally would have used to drive. Little things like sprinting back on transition defense to take away Indiana's outlet passes and throw-ahead opportunities. "They were just more aggressive than us from the jump," Siakam said. "They brought the fight to us and I just don't think we brought it enough. "It was all about will and energy." Ahead of Game 6 Saturday in Indianapolis, the Pacers will tweak their operation and make adjustments. For example, coach Rick Carlisle said, "there's more things I'm going to have to do to help" Haliburton get easier attempts to shoot. But this was the very best version of the Knicks. When their defensive effort is like it was Thursday, it feeds other facets of their game. They're able to generate turnovers and increase their own output in transition, which leads to a barrage of points in the paint — an area where New York bullied Indiana 60-34. That increased effort manifests on the glass, too, where New York claimed a +9 advantage. That, then, feeds second-chance points, where the Knicks outscored the Pacers by a margin of 13-7. "We're going to have to be even better next game," Towns said, "if we expect to have our season continue." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Knicks unlock blueprint to beat Pacers. Can it save their season?

HOUSTON (AP) — Junior Caminero homered and drove in a career-high six RBIs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 13-3 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night. The game was tied 3-all with no outs and two on in the seventh when Yandy Díaz's RBI single put the Rays on top. Tampa Bay made it 5-3 when Jonathan Aranda reached and Díaz scored on a fielding error by first baseman Victor Caratini. Caminero then connected off Bryan King (3-1) on his 11th homer this season to push the lead to 8-3. The 21-year-old Caminero, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, drove in two more runs on a double in Tampa Bay's five-run eighth that made it 13-3. Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz hit solo homers for the Astros, whose four-game winning streak was halted. Altuve tied it at 3 with his shot to left-center field off Shane Baz with no outs in the sixth. It's the third home run in three games for Altuve, who went deep twice Tuesday night. The Rays took an early lead when Díaz drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Simpson walked to start the fourth and stole second base. He swiped third after a strikeout by Kameron Misner and scored on the play on a throwing error by Diaz, making it 2-0. The Rays extended the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single by Caminero with two outs in the fifth. Diaz homered with one out in the bottom of the inning before a double by Cam Smith. There were two outs in the inning when Mauricio Dubón drove in Smith with a single to cut the lead to 3-2. Houston starter Ryan Gusto allowed four hits and two runs with four walks in 3 2/3 innings. Utility player César Salazar pitched the ninth for the Astros after they used five relievers following Gusto's early exit. He hit one batter in a scoreless inning. Baz yielded seven hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings. Edwin Uceta (4-1) got the last out of the sixth for the win. Key moment The three-run homer by Caminero that broke the game open in the seventh. Key stat The Rays had five stolen bases Thursday to give them an MLB-leading 81 this season. Three were by Simpson to bring his season total to 19, which ranks third in the majors. Up next Houston LHP Framber Valdez (4-4, 3.39 ERA) opposes RHP Ryan Pepiot (3-5, 3.55) when the series continues Friday night. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB

Chris Sale became the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts, pitched six scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 on Thursday night to split a doubleheader. The Phillies won the afternoon game 5-4. Sale (3-3) struck out Edmundo Sosa in the sixth inning for his eighth strikeout, to reach the milestone. He did it in 2,026 innings, surpassing the record of 2,107 2/3 set by Randy Johnson. Sale became the 40th pitcher in major league history to reach 2.500 strikeouts and joined Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers to have reached that plateau. Sosa was the last hitter Sale faced. He allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. Austin Riley had a double, a homer, and four RBIs, Ozzie Albies homered and drove in three, and Luke Williams had a pair of RBIs for the Braves, who snapped a three-game losing skid. Zack Wheeler (6-2) allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Phillies, who lost for just the second time in their last 13 games. BLUE JAYS 12, ATHLETICS 0 TORONTO (AP) — Ernie Clement homered and had five RBIs, Bo Bichette homered and drove in three runs, and Toronto used an eight-run second inning to rout the struggling Athletics. José Berríos (2-2) and two relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Blue Jays recorded their second straight shutout and fourth of the season. All four have come since May 20. The Athletics have lost three straight and 14 of 15, getting outscored 117-44 in that span. The A's have been outscored by 101 total runs this season. They've lost by 10 or more runs an MLB-worst seven times. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer and George Springer added a solo shot for Toronto. Alejandro Kirk reached base four times, scored twice and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The A's have allowed at least one home run in 11 consecutive games, giving up 25 total homers in that span. Athletics opponents have hit 84 home runs this season. Berríos struck out nine in six innings to win for the first time since April 7 at Boston. Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez (0-3) allowed seven runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings, his third straight losing start. RAYS 13, ASTROS 3 HOUSTON (AP) — Junior Caminero homered and drove in a career-high six RBIs to lead Tampa Bay to a win over Houston. The game was tied 3-all with no outs and two on in the seventh when Yandy Díaz's RBI single put the Rays on top. Tampa Bay made it 5-3 when Jonathan Aranda reached and Díaz scored on a fielding error by first baseman Victor Caratini. Caminero then connected off Bryan King (3-1) on his 11th homer this season to push the lead to 8-3. The 21-year-old Caminero, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, drove in two more runs on a double in Tampa Bay's five-run eighth that made it 13-3. Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz hit solo homers for the Astros, whose four-game winning streak was halted. NATIONALS 9, MARINERS 3, 10 INNINGS SEATTLE (AP) — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer in a seven-run 10th inning in Washington's victory over Seattle. The Nationals set a franchise record for runs in an extra inning. Rookie Daylen Lile got the outburst started against Collin Snider (1-1) with a sacrifice fly to deep right that came just a few feet shy of a home run. Luis Garcia Jr. doubled home a pair of runs before Bell hit eighth home run of the season and second in two days. For a good while, it appeared Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore would require little offensive support, considering MLB's strikeout leader racked up eight strikeouts across six shutout innings to up his season total to 101. Gore was buoyed, too, byJames Wood's two-RBI double to left field in the sixth inning,and was in line for the victory that instead went to Nationals reliever Jose A. Ferrer (2-2). But in the seventh, the Mariners drew back even. Leody Taveras and Ben Williamson had back-to-back RBI singles to tied it at 2.

Chris Sale made baseball history on Thursday with his last pitch of the night. The Atlanta Braves ace fanned the Philadelphia Phillies' Edmundo Sosa to end the sixth inning, the 2,500th strikeout of Sale's career. The left-hander became the fastest in baseball history to reach the 2,500-K milestone, getting there in 2,026 innings. The record previously was held by Randy Johnson, when he fanned his 2,500th batter after 2,107 2/3 innings in 1999. "I appreciate it for what it is, but I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that right now," Sale said after the Braves closed out a 9-3 win to gain a split of a day-night doubleheader in Philadelphia. "I know what our job is here. And no matter whether you have a good one or a bad one, the next one is the most important one." Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said of Sale, "He's kind of doing Hall of Fame stuff. That guy is probably as big a baseball fan as anybody, just the history of the game and the competition. He's a ballplayer, and it's really cool to watch." After allowing two hits and three walks while striking out eight Phillies, Sale is 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA through 12 starts this year. While his numbers are decent, they are far off the production he managed last year en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award. Sale won the pitching Triple Crown by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225). He took just three losses and also topped the majors in fewest homers allowed per nine innings (0.5) and most strikeouts per nine innings (11.4). Sale, 36, is an eight-time All-Star who helped the Boston Red Sox win the 2018 World Series. He has pitched for the Chicago White Sox (2010-16), Boston (2017-19, 2021-23) and Atlanta (2024-25). He owns a career 141-86 record with a 3.04 ERA in 384 career games, 304 starts. --Field Level Media