The Denver Nuggets have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Miami Heat are here for the seventh time, though this trip is their most surprising. Miami is only the second No. 8 seed to play for the title, joining the New York Knicks in 1999. Game 1 of the series is Thursday night in Denver. The Heat have opened with a road victory in all three of their series. Even if they do it again, the prediction is the Nuggets will win the series anyway behind their duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Ryan Blaney pulled away late to win the rescheduled Coca-Cola 600 on Monday at Charlotte Speedway, giving team owner Roger Penske a sweep of the Memorial Day weekend’s top races in the United States. Josef Newgarden won a record-extending 19th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday for Team Penske. It marked the first time Team Penske has earned a sweep of the two races in the same year. Like Newgarden, Blaney went into the crowd to celebrate with fans. Blaney took the lead from William Byron on a restart and led the final 26 laps to win his first Cup Series race since the 2021 Daytona’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. Blaney’s victory snapped a 59-race drought.

It’s called “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” because the Indianapolis 500 is supposed to be one of the most dramatic and difficult races in the world. Sure, it’s an automobile race. But it’s also very much entertainment, even if Marcus Ericsson vehemently disagrees. The controversial ending to the 107th running of the Indy 500 gave Josef Newgarden the win. Newgarden drives for Roger Penske, who owns the race and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So when IndyCar went to an unprecedented one-lap shootout that allowed Newgarden to win the race, well, Ericsson was furious and conspiracy theorists went wild.

Emiliano Grillo atoned for a double bogey on the final hole by making a 5-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat Adam Schenk in the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge for the Argentine’s first PGA Tour title in 7 1/2 years.

PGA Tour rookie Harry Hall from England still has the solo lead after 36 holes at Colonial. Hall followed his opening eight-under 62 with a 66 on Friday that included four consecutive birdies midway through the round. He is at 12-under 128. That is three strokes better than Harris English, who had a hole-in-one at the par-3 eighth hole in his 66. Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player and Colonial runner-up last year, had his second consecutive round of 67 and is tied for seventh at 6 under. Jordan Spieth shot 72 both days to miss the cut.

Brooks Koepka has returned from winning the PGA Championship just five days ago. It was a rusty return at LIV Golf DC. Harold Varner III leads the way with a 64. He leads by two over James Piot. Koepka had a flat round of two birdies, two bogeys and the rest pars. That gives him a 72 and an eight-shot deficit with two days remaining. Varner made two eagles at Trump National. The tie for third at 68 includes Cameron Smith and Andy Ogletree. Ogletree is a LIV sub. He's filling in this week for Paul Casey.

Stewart Cink is contending in his PGA Tour Champions debut with consecutive rounds of 4-under 68 in the Senior PGA Championship. Cink trails leader Padraig Harrington by four shots halfway through the Senior PGA. Cink was a late entrant because he waited to see if would get in the PGA Tour event at nearby Colonial. The second senior major of the season is the first event at the new Texas headquarters for the PGA of America. Harrington matched Cink's 68 after his opening 64. Japan's Katsumasa Miyamoto trails Harrington by three in his Senior PGA debut.

The Indianapolis 500 on Sunday has shaped up to be a showdown between Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren Racing. Ganassi and McLaren have eight strong cars between them, and a combined five former Indy 500 winners. It's also the best rivalry in IndyCar because Chip Ganassi and McLaren boss Zak Brown dislike each other. Ganassi driver Alex Palou of Spain starts on the pole and is the betting favorite. He heads to McLaren next season.

Even when the NFL institutes a rule designed to reduce concussions, it can’t shake the perception that it doesn’t care what players and coaches think. The league took a step toward eliminating kickoffs this week by enhancing the touchback rule for a one-year trial with a priority on player safety. The receiving team will now get the ball at its own 25 with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line. Some of the league’s most prominent coaches criticized the decision.

All of those questions about who would step to the fore once Serena Williams walked away from the tennis tour seem to be getting answered with three names: Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. As the start of the French Open approaches on Sunday, defending champion Swiatek is ranked No. 1, Sabalenka is No. 2 and Rybakina is No. 4. More to the point, perhaps, with a major trophy up for grabs on the red clay of Roland Garros: This group divvied up the past four Grand Slam titles, the prizes that help define greatness in their sport.

The United States beat the Czech Republic 3-0 to set up a semifinal game against Germany at the ice hockey world championship. Canada will face Latvia at Nokia Arena in the other semifinal on Saturday. The Americans earned their eighth straight victory. In another quarterfinal in Tampere, Canada beat defending champion Finland 4-1. In the Latvian capital of Riga, Germany upset Switzerland 3-1 to reach the semifinals. Co-host Latvia followed the suit by upsetting Sweden 3-1.

Scouting and recruiting players in the NCAA transfer portal has become a vital part of building a college football program. And the process moves fast. To sift through a mountain of names, NFL-style personnel departments are using data and statistics from online analytics companies to more efficiently identify players who can help their teams. Information and services from companies such as SportSource Analytics, Tracking Football and The UCReport have become essential in college football's new age of free agency.

The Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 27 years. They swept the Carolina Hurricanes and became the third team in NHL history to eliminate three of that season's top four teams in the same postseason. The first to do it was the 1969 Montreal Canadiens. The second was the 1980 New York Islanders. They both won the Stanley Cup. Florida now has a chance to join them.

The Dallas Stars will be without captain Jamie Benn for at least the must-win Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. Benn was suspended two games by the NHL one day after his ugly hit that ended with his stick on Vegas captain Mark Stone's neck in Game 3. Benn says he has to be more responsible with his body and stick and called it an unfortunate play. The Golden Knights take a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 in Dallas on Thursday night. If the Stars win, Benn will also miss Game 5.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is moving forward allowing schools to earn more money generated from their own postseason performances. That move comes as the league tries to find ways to close a growing financial gap with two power-conference peers. The ACC announced Wednesday that its board of directors have endorsed a “success incentive initiative” for the 2024-25 season. Details are being finalized. The league has long distributed revenue evenly among its membership. TV money will remain equally distributed. The change would affect money coming from revenue-generating postseason events like the College Football Playoff and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

There’s a reason a statue of Rafael Nadal stands outside Court Philippe Chatrier on the southwest outskirts of Paris. No player has lorded over a Grand Slam tennis tournament the way Nadal ruled the French Open, winning it year after year after year for a total of 14 times. It is impossible to overstate what a monumental development it is that Nadal’s name will be absent from the bracket when play begins Sunday. The last time they held the clay-court major without him? All the way back in 2004 — back before women and men received equal prize money there, before the main stadium was reconstructed with a retractable roof, before night sessions were added.

Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour spent some time Tuesday shaking his head. The occasional shoulder shrug was thrown in there, too. He knows all the questions, and there are few answers. Here’s what befuddles him right now: There isn’t much to fix regarding the way the Hurricanes are playing against the Florida Panthers. The offense is generating chances. The defense is giving up almost nothing. And they’re down 3-0 to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals anyway.

Scottie Scheffler is part of a three-way tie for the lead going into the weekend at the PGA Championship. Oak Hill over two days has provided a little of everything — freezing temperatures, warm wind and rain. It also has unlimited possibilities on the weekend. Nine players are under par. Eighteen players are separated by five shots. Bryson DeChambeau is two back. Brooks Koepka ran off birdies on rain-softened greens for a 66 to get within three. Rory McIlroy was stunned to be only five behind the way he's hitting the ball. Rain is in the forecast for Saturday.

Taxed raced to an upset victory in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, closing strong for convincing win over Hoosier Philly and unbeaten favorite Faiza. Taxed was claimed by owner Richard Bahde last year for $50,000. The filly won this $300,000 race at Pimlico by 3 3/4 lengths over Hoosier Philly. Faiza settled for third for trainer Bob Baffert, who makes his return to Triple Crown racing at Saturday’s Preakness after missing time while suspended. Faiza was a 3-5 favorite after winning her first five races, all in California.

The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes face a challenge of regrouping from a draining four-overtime game to open their Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers won Game 1 on Matthew Tkachuk's goal in what became the sixth-longest game in NHL postseason history. It also represented the longest game in the history of each franchise and spanned nearly two full games' worth of hockey. The game ended early Friday. That leaves less than 48 hours before the puck drop for Saturday's Game 2. Neither team practiced Friday as they focused on rest.

Congratulations are in order for the good people of Tempe, Arizona. They might’ve cost themselves an NHL team, but that was a small price to pay to hang on to their wallets. In a rare setback for billionaire owners and their endless scams to get the public to build them new places to play, the Phoenix suburb decisively turned back a $2.3 billion proposal that included a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes. This one was a stunner for the NHL and the Coyotes, who are likely headed to a new city in their endless quest for a new arena.

After 27 years, NASCAR is returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star race on Sunday night. It follows a dramatic transformation of a forgotten venue. The track was abandoned after NASCAR moved on to larger, more populated cities across the country. Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s decision to map the course for iRacing in 2019 changed things. Fans helped spur racing's return to the track. Government funds helped, too. Now, NASCAR is back for the weekend and maybe beyond.

Rafael Nadal’s superlative tennis career will be admired for achievements such as 22 Grand Slam titles and a record 14 French Open championships. No matter when it comes to a close. No one really knows for sure when that will be. Nadal said Thursday he will not be able to compete at Roland Garros, where play begins later this month. He is going to take some time off to let his injured hip and his mind rest and heal. The 36-year-old expects 2024 to be his final year as a pro tennis player. But he does not want it to amount to a farewell tour. He wants to be able to win.

Bryson DeChambeau is the leading the frost-delayed PGA Championship. It's been more than a year since DeChambeau was the incredible bulk who tried to overpower golf courses. Now he's slimmer and feels healthy. That much is evident with his 66 at Oak Hill. That gives DeChambeau a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Corey Conners among those who finished. Thirty players have to finish the round Friday. Eric Cole is at 5 under and has four holes to complete. Johnson was tied for the lead until making his only bogey on the final hole.

Expectations and intrigue surround the WNBA as the league tips off its 27th season this weekend. There are super teams in Las Vegas and New York loaded with star power and championship aspirations. Brittney Griner is set to make her long-awaited return to the league with the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night in a road game at Los Angeles. She missed last season while detained in a Russian jail on drug-related charges before the saga ended with a prisoner swap in December. On Sunday, Griner plays her first regular-season home game since her release when the Mercury face the Chicago Sky at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

Jason Day won his first PGA Tour event in five years Sunday, closing with a 9-under 62 for a one-shot victory over Austin Eckroat and Si Woo Kim at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

Scottie Scheffler has a one-shot lead over fellow Texan Ryan Palmer and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes after the second round of the AT&T Byron Nelson. Scheffler has recorded consecutive 7-under 64s. Hughes matched that number in the second round and Palmer shot 65. South Korean S.Y. Noh had a 74 after tying the course record with an opening-round 60. Two-time defending champion K.H. Lee made the cut on the number at 4 under. But the South Korean's bid to become the first player in 12 years to win a tournament three consecutive times is in jeopardy.

Branden Grace is leading LIV Golf Tulsa after one round and one low score. Grace shot a 61 at Cedar Ridge. This is the first LIV Golf event in Oklahoma. Grace leads by two shots over Dustin Johnson and Brendan Steele. Johnson is off to a slow start this year but he had a fast finish at Cedar Ridge. He made five straight birdies at the end of his round for a 63. LIV has six players who went to school in Oklahoma. The best of that bunch is Matt Wolff. The former Oklahoma State star shot 66.

Colton Herta’s victory in last year’s Indianapolis Grand Prix was supposed to catapult him into IndyCar championship contention. Instead, the 23-year-old Californian has been snakebitten by one frustration after another. He has a 16-race winless streak as he marks a year since going to to victory lane. He hopes to break the skid Saturday on Indy’s 14-turn road course. Herta is trying to become the second back-to-back winner in race history. Will Power won the title in 2017 and 2018.

Kentucky Derby winner Mage will run in the 148th Preakness following an encouraging workout at Churchill Downs, the horse’s connections said. Mage galloped about 1 1/2 miles at a brisk pace with exercise rider J.J. Delgado aboard Friday morning at the track. Co-owner and bloodstock agent Ramiro Restrepo said the chestnut colt was “thriving” with good energy levels after his latest training session since winning the 149th Derby, paving the way for the horse to enter the Triple Crown’s second jewel at Pimlico in Baltimore. Mage will run in the 1 3/16th mile Preakness just two weeks after covering 1 1/4 mile in the Derby in 2:01.57.

Jesper Fast deflected in a shot by Jesperi Kotkaniemi at 7:09 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a series-ending 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Fast’s deflection while shielding Akira Schmid set off a celebration for the Hurricanes, who never led until the final play and twice trailed by a goal before winning the best-of-seven series 4-1 to reach the Eastern Conference final. In the first tight game of the second-round matchup, Fast made amends for when he popped a puck over the goal in front of an open net in the first period. Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for Carolina, and Frederik Andersen made 27 saves. Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier scored for New Jersey.

S.Y. Noh has a three-shot lead at the AT&T Byron Nelson after he tied the course record with an opening-round 60. Noh decided against going for the green in two on the par-5 18th. He made birdie and finished at 11-under even after dealing with a cracked driver on the back nine. Sebastián Muñoz set the TPC Craig Ranch record last year with a 12-under opening round. The course is now a par 71 in its third year of hosting the Nelson after one of the par-5s was converted to a par-4. Two-time defending champion K.H. Lee of South Korea shot 71. Local favorite and world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler had a 64.

Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots in his first playoff start, Mitch Marner and William Nylander had the goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night. Nylander was the beneficiary of an odd bounce for a power-play score in the second period, Marner scored midway through the third and Woll did the rest as he took the place of injured starter Ilya Samsonov. Sam Reinhart scored the goal for Florida, which got 23 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers still lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 in Toronto on Friday night.

Jordan Martinook had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes scored five times in the second period to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Martin Necas scored twice and Brett Pesce, Jesper Fast and Brent Burns added goals as the Hurricanes routed the young Devils for the third time in four games. Frederik Andersen made 21 saves in a relatively easy game after giving up an early goal to Jack Hughes. The Hurricanes have outscored New Jersey 17-3 in their three wins. The five goals in the second period were the most the Devils have given up in a period this season.

Sports wagering experts say it was a matter of time before college gambling scandals surfaced. Last week, the Alabama baseball coach was fired after suspicious wagering activity was detected on a game involving the Crimson Tide. This week, both Iowa and Iowa State announced gambling investigations involving some of their athletes. Keith Whyte is executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. He expects investigations at other schools to follow. East Carolina assistant professor Michelle L. Malkin says sports betting has become part of college culture. NCAA rules prohibit athletes, coaches and staff from betting on most sports.