MIAMI (AP) — Josh Bell hit a tying homer off Edwin Díaz in a four-run ninth inning, the latest costly meltdown by the struggling New York Mets closer, and Otto Lopez singled home the winning run in the 10th as the Miami Marlins rallied for a 10-9 victory Saturday.

Lopez grounded a single up the middle off Jorge López (1-1) through a drawn-in infield to score automatic runner Christian Bethancourt from third base, and the last-place Marlins stretched their winning streak to a season-best four games.

Miami was down 9-5 in the ninth before Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled off Díaz to drive in Vidal Bruján, who led off with a double. Bryan De La Cruz reached on an infield single with one out, and Bell hammered Díaz’s first-pitch slider 428 feet to straightaway center field for a three-run shot that tied it.

Díaz wasn’t charged with a blown save because he entered with a four-run lead. But he’s blown two consecutive chances and three of his last four. In his past three outings, he’s allowed seven earned runs, seven hits, three walks and two homers over 2 1/3 innings. The star closer with a $102.5 million contract has an ERA above 10.00 in his last eight appearances.

It was Díaz’s first outing at Miami’s home ballpark since he went down with a season-ending knee injury there in March 2023 while celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

New York (20-25) lost for the seventh time in nine games — all against division opponents — and equaled a season worst of five games below .500 set with its 0-5 start.

Tanner Scott (3-4) picked up the win by pitching a scoreless 10th.

Miami had shut out its previous three opponents — including an 8-0 win over the Mets on Friday night — before J.D. Martinez ripped an RBI single off starter Braxton Garrett that scored Francisco Lindor in the first. The Marlins’ streak ended three innings short of the franchise record set in April 2004.

Garrett pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits and six runs with five strikeouts and a walk.

Chisholm had three hits and three RBIs, including a solo homer off Mets starter Luis Severino in the third. Bell finished with three hits and four RBIs.

Severino gave up six hits and five runs in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander let the Marlins back in it in the seventh when he allowed a walk, a run-scoring double and a two-out RBI single that made it 7-4. Reed Garrett replaced Severino and gave up an RBI single to Bell before retiring Jesús Sánchez on a flyout to end the inning.

Martinez and Starling Marte each had an RBI double in the ninth to give the Mets a four-run cushion.

Marte finished with three hits. Harrison Bader and Jeff McNeil each had two RBIs for New York.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Manager Carlos Mendoza said RHP Kodai Senga (right shoulder capsule strain) will throw a bullpen Sunday as he continues to shore up his mechanics. … RHP Drew Smith (shoulder soreness) will throw a bullpen early next week. Mendoza said Smith has been playing catch and felt no “pinch” in his shoulder area.

UP NEXT

LHP Sean Manaea (2-1, 3.05 ERA) starts the series finale for the Mets against RHP Sixto Sánchez (0-1, 5.96) on Sunday.

___

This story has been corrected to indicate that Chisholm’s home run came in the third inning, not the second.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Luis Matos hit a three-run homer and had a career-high six RBIs to continue his hot streak, Matt Chapman went 4 for 4 and scored three runs and the San Francisco Giants used 18 hits to rout the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

The Giants have won three straight for the first time this season. They were the last team in the majors without a win streak of three or more games.

“We’re swinging the bat really well and I think the vibe in the dugout is probably as good as it’s been,” manager Bob Melvin said.

Matos, who drove in five runs Friday night, has RBIs in his last six games and set a franchise record with 17 RBIs in his first six games of the season with a plate appearance. With Jung Hoo Lee out for the season, the 22-year-old Matos figures to keep seeing playing time in center field. He also took away a potential extra-base hit from Ezequiel Tovar with a leaping grab in the fifth.

Matos was hitting just .218 in 31 games with Triple-A Sacramento before being called up for the second time this season last week. He said he’s proud of having success in the majors. He’s seeing the ball really well and trusting himself more both at the plate and in the field.

“I’m not the one in the stressful situation,” Matos said through interpreter Erwin Higueros of RBI chances. “The pitcher is the one that’s trying to get me out. So I have the upper hand.”

Matos put the Giants ahead with a three-run homer in the first inning, hit an RBI double in his second at-bat to give San Francisco a 6-3 lead and then knocked in two more runs in the eighth with a bases-loaded single as part of a six-run inning.

“I’m just trying to get on base for him,” Chapman said. “I mean, he’s been doing unbelievable.”

Colorado dropped the first two games in San Francisco after winning seven straight. Tovar had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

San Francisco has won each of the last seven starts by Kyle Harrison (4-1), who allowed three runs in five innings.

The Giants knocked Rockies starter Ty Blach (1-2) out of the game after three innings, tagging him for six runs. Blach, who was the Giants’ opening day starter in 2018, faced his former team for the sixth time. The Denver-born 33-year-old was drafted by the Giants in 2012 and has been back and forth between the minors and big leagues with Colorado the last three seasons.

“He’s just persistent,” Rockies manager Bud Black said before the game of Blach’s journey. “He loves to play, loves to compete. He’s got a great way about him. He’s a persistent major league player.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: C Elias Díaz (left hand soreness) remains out of the lineup, but is expected to return as soon as swelling goes away. … Díaz’s backup, Jacob Stallings, was sore but available Saturday after being hit by a pitch on the right forearm. Utility player Hunter Goodman made his first career start behind the plate. … OF Nolan Jones and INF/OF Kris Bryant, who both have strained lower backs, each went 1 for 4 on Friday with Triple-A Albuquerque. They will make two more rehab starts before the Rockies determine whether to bring them up.

Giants: Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell (left adductor strain) is expected to return to the rotation next week, likely Wednesday after pitching well in two rehab starts. … Another starter, Alex Cobb, is still dealing with a shoulder injury and has not pitched this season so far after undergoing offseason hip surgery. … With Lee going on the 60-day injured list, the Giants claimed OF Ryan McKenna off waivers from Baltimore.

UP NEXT

RHP Jordan Hicks (3-1, 2.44 ERA) pitches for the Giants against RHP Dakota Hudson (1-6, 6.13 ERA) for the Rockies in the final game of the three-game set.

–

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

TORONTO (AP) — Jonny DeLuca hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Saturday for their fourth straight win and 11th in 15 games.

“Today was a huge win,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “To come back right there, we should be feeling pretty good about ourselves.”

Yandy Díaz reached base five times and Amed Rosario hit a two-run single for the Rays, who have won four of five series.

“We’re playing really good baseball right now and making sure we pick the next guy up,” Rays right-hander Zach Eflin said.

Erasmo Ramírez (3-0) worked one inning for the win, Jason Adam pitched the eighth and Garrett Cleavinger finished for his third save in three chances.

Four of Tampa Bay’s past six games have been decided by a single run. The others were two-run decisions.

“It always feels better to win those close ones,” DeLuca said. “Those are big.”

Isaac Paredes singled off right-hander Nate Pearson (0-1) to begin the eighth with Tampa Bay trailing 4-3. DeLuca followed with a first-pitch drive that bounced off the top of the wall in left field and went out, his second home run.

DeLuca said he went to the plate thinking of bunting pinch runner Richie Palacios into scoring position, but decided to change his strategy.

“They didn’t put anything on,” DeLuca said of the bunt. “I was thinking about doing it myself and then I was like, ‘First pitch, I’m going to sit heater.’ I ended up getting it and putting a good swing on it.”

Rosario singled and José Caballero walked before Pearson was replaced by right-hander Trevor Richards, who escaped the jam without allowing another run.

Toronto (19-25) has lost four of five and is winless in eight series. Before the game, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said his struggling team can’t wait too long to get back to .500 and rejoin the postseason race.

“We believe in this talent, we believe there is time left, but there is a massive sense of urgency and we need to get it turned around soon,” Atkins said.

Toronto began the day second to last in the majors with 155 runs in 43 games. Only the Chicago White Sox (130) had scored fewer.

The Blue Jays dropped struggling outfielder George Springer from the leadoff spot to sixth and put Davis Schneider at the top of the order.

A four-time All Star and the MVP of the 2017 World Series, Springer came in batting .196 with three home runs and six RBIs. He opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the fourth.

Toronto added three more in the fifth. Daulton Varsho hit a two-run double and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with an RBI single.

The Rays chased Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman with a three-run sixth. Rosario drove in two with a bases-loaded single and Caballero’s base hit capped the rally.

“You’ve got to give them credit,” Gausman said. “Not many times I get got late in my outing. It’s usually early or not.”

Gausman allowed three runs and eight hits. He walked one and struck out six.

Eflin allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out three.

Paredes had two hits, extending his career-best streak of reaching safely to 17 games.

RAYS TRADE

Tampa Bay acquired LHP Richard Lovelady from the Cubs in exchange for minor league LHP Jeff Belge. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred RHP Jacob Waguespack (right shoulder) to the 60-day IL.

UP NEXT

RHP Alek Manoah (0-1, 4.91) is scheduled to make his third start of the season as Toronto tries to avoid its first sweep in Sunday’s series finale. RHP Aaron Civale (2-3, 5.83) is scheduled for the Rays.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

DENVER (AP) — Denver coach Michael Malone calls them “the two greatest words in sports.”

Game 7.

The NBA has two of them Sunday, and all four teams — the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Knicks and Pacers — have experienced both ends of blowouts in their otherwise scintillating semifinal series.

In the East, Indiana prevailed by 32 points in Game 4 only to watch New York return the favor with a 30-point shellacking in Game 5.

Out West, the Wolves cruised to a 26-point win at Denver in Game 2 before losing Game 3 by 27 points. Then came Game 6, where the Timberwolves staved off elimination by beating the Nuggets by a whopping 45 points.

How is it that a series featuring two teams so evenly matched can produce so many lopsided results?

“Good question,” Malone said Saturday. “To your point, our regular season was 2-2 and the playoffs it’s 3-3. I think if we played that team 100 times it would be 50-50. You just have two really talented teams. Depending on the day, who gets hot and who’s making shots” is the one that prevails.

And in a big way, like the Wolves’ 115-70 beatdown in Game 6

“But as far as the three blowouts in six games, that’s a tough one to explain,” Malone said. “But I do not expect that to happen tomorrow. I think it’s going to be a tremendous Game 7.”

No Western Conference team was better than the Nuggets at home — 33-8 — in the regular season, but the Wolves won the first two games of the series in Denver.

Maybe homecourt won’t really matter Sunday.

“I’d rather play at home than on the road,” Malone said.

So would the Knicks.

Like the Nuggets, New York played all its regulars down the stretch in the regular season in its quest to secure the homecourt at least through Round 2.

“It’s definitely something we fought for, to have home-court advantage for as long as we can throughout the playoffs,” said Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton is embracing the villain role at Madison Square Garden.

“Now it’s a one-game series and it’s for all the marbles, and where better to have a Game 7 than the Garden?” Haliburton said. “So I’m really excited about it, our group is excited to get the opportunity to compete. We haven’t won a game there yet, no team has won a game on the road in this series, so we’ve got to be ready to go from start to finish for 48 minutes.”

Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards has a similar mindset heading to Denver.

“They’re the defending champs, so it’s going to be super tough. … It’s going to be super loud,” he said. “But I feel like as a competitor it’s like one of the best feelings in the world.”

Tied, 3-3. Game 7, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC

— NEED TO KNOW: The Knicks and Pacers will play each other in a Game 7 for the third time. New York won 94-90 in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, and Indiana avenged that loss the following year with a 97-95 victory in the East semis. Both games were at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks have won all three games in this series. The winner this time gets a quick turnaround before Game 1 in Boston on Tuesday.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: The Knicks’ energy level. Undermanned and overworked, New York was terrible with a short turnaround from a Friday night Game 3 to a Sunday afternoon tip for Game 4 last weekend, falling behind 34-14 after one quarter en route to a 121-89 loss. It’s the same short turnaround now from Game 6 to Game 7 — only this time with travel from Indiana back to New York.

— INJURY WATCH: After Josh Hart appeared in discomfort multiple times before leaving Game 6 early with an abdominal strain, the Knicks listed him as questionable to play Sunday. They also upgraded OG Anunoby to questionable after he missed the last four games with a strained left hamstring. If they can’t play, the Knicks would be without five key players, with Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic already lost.

— PRESSURE IS ON: Brunson. With five 40-point games, he has already had a memorable postseason. He might need one more Sunday to keep it from ending for the Knicks.

Tied, 3-3. Game 7, 8 p.m. ET, TNT

— NEED TO KNOW: The Wolves have held the Nuggets to the two lowest point totals in the NBA playoffs this year, with a 106-80 romp on the road in Game 2 and the 115-70 beatdown at home in Game 6. The Nuggets are 3-1 in Game 7s in the playoffs with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. This game will be played on the 20th anniversary of Minnesota’s win in Game 7 over Sacramento to reach the Western Conference finals, the only other year in the franchise’s 35 seasons the Wolves have advanced past the first round.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: Jokic. The Nuggets will rely hard on their hulking Serbian superstar after the rest of the team shot just 17 for 67 for a woeful 25% in Game 6. The Wolves had no answers for him in Game 5 when he racked up 40 points and 13 assists without a turnover.

— INJURY WATCH: Murray blamed his 4-for-18 shooting performance on his banged-up right elbow courtesy of a Rudy Gobert screen. Asked about Murray on Saturday, coach Michael Malone said, “He feels great. He was able to go through all of practice.” For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards landed hard on his tailbone during a drive to the basket in Game 6, but after gingerly getting up he didn’t miss any time.

— PRESSURE IS ON: Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets’ forward is shooting just 3 for 15 from 3-point range in this series, and the Nuggets need the Porter who dominated the Lakers in the first round to show up Sunday.

___

With contributions from AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney and AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

CHICAGO (AP) — Christopher Morel singled in Cody Bellinger with one out in the ninth to give the Chicago Cubs a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Bellinger got the winning rally started with a ground-rule double down the left-field line with one out off David Bednar. Morel then cracked a 3-2 pitch up the middle, and Bellinger narrowly beat Michael A. Taylor’s throw to the plate on a play that withstood a video review.

“I knew it was close,” said Bellinger, who slid in and just avoided Joey Bart’s tag. “I was glad, extremely happy when they said it was confirmed.”

Hector Neris (4-0) tossed a perfect ninth, striking out two, for the win.

“Our pitching staff today was the only reason why we had any chance of getting a win,” said Bellinger, who finished with two hits. “They all did a tremendous job to keep us in the game.”

Cubs starter Shota Imanaga tossed seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball in his third straight no-decision. The 30-year-old left-hander from Japan struck out seven and walked one as he threw 68 of 88 pitches for strikes.

Imanaga lowered his ERA to 0.84 through his first nine major league starts, the lowest mark though nine since earned run average started being tracked as a stat by baseball in 1913. He’s won five of them without a loss and was dominant again on Saturday.

Imanaga’s ERA beats out Los Angeles Dodger Fernando Valenzuela’s 0.91 in 1981.

“To be honest, I’m not really too interested in my stats or any historic value,” Imanaga said through a translator. “But just knowing there are so many good pitchers that came before me and the fact that in the past there are plenty of guys who were able to do that is a good learning experience.”

Mark Leiter Jr. followed with a perfect eighth, striking out the side.

Pittsburgh’s Bailey Falter pitched scoreless, three-hit ball through 7 2/3 innings, the longest outing of his career. The 27-year-old left hander struck out two and walked two, throwing 55 of 83 pitches for strikes.

Falter enjoyed locking horns with Imanaga, even in in eventual loss.

“It was awesome,” Falter said. “That guy is one of the best pitchers in the game right now and he’s pretty electric. It was good to battle with him.

“My job is to go out there, put up zeroes and get these guys into the dugout as quick as possible until my job is over.”

Colin Holderman relieved with two outs and two runners on in the eight. After walking pinch-hitter Michael Busch to load the bases, Holderman struck out Patrick Wisdom to end Chicago’s threat.

Bednar (2-3) took the loss.

The Cubs traded left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league lefty Jeff Belge before the game.

Lovelady, 28, pitched in seven game for the Cubs this season, going 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA before being designated for assignment on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Belge was at Double-A Montgomery of the Southern League and has never appeared in the majors.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Manager Craig Counsell said 2B Nico Hoerner (left hamstring) is improving and could be ready to return in the next few days. … SS Dansby Swanson (right knee sprain) “is headed in a good direction,” Counsell said and could come off the IL this week. The two-time All-Star was eligible on Saturday. … LH Drew Smyly (right hip impingement) could be sent on a rehab assignment to High-A South Bend next week. … LHP Jordan Wicks (forearm strain) will throw another bullpen session, then likely go on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-3, 3.93) faces Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (3-1, 1.61) in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto had his first multihomer game with the Yankees, Luis Gil struck out a career-high 14 and New York beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Saturday to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.

Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino also went deep for New York, which has won 12 of 14 and improved to an AL-best 32-15. Soto was 4 for 4 with a walk and is batting .317 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs.

“It was a fun day,” said Soto, who has rebounded after a 3-for-25 slide on a six-game road trip.”

New York is 12-2-1 in series, matching 2002 as the only times since 1950 the Yankees have won 12 of their first 15 series.

Soto tied the score in the first with a 417-foot drive deep into the right-field bleachers, had an RBI single in the second and hit another solo shot in the fifth with a 437-footer deeper into the right-field bleachers. It was the 18th multihomer game for Soto, who combined with Stanton and Aaron Judge to make New York the first team this year with a trio of double-digit home run hitters.

Gil (5-1) won his fourth straight start and fifth consecutive decision, allowing one run, five hits and one walk in six innings. Gil has given up two runs over 24 1/3 innings in his last four starts.

“I have a great professor in Gerrit Cole,” Gil said through a translator of his Cy Young Award-winning teammate. “He’s always around and always giving me pointers.”

The 25-year-old right-hander averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball, 0.5 mph above his season average. He set the Yankees’ rookie record for strikeouts, topping the 13 on Aug. 13, 1998, by Orlando Hernández, who threw out Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch.

“I was very happy to meet him after the game,” Gil said. “For him to be here and connect after the game — great.”

After struggling through a 29-pitch first inning that included 13 changeups, Gil struck out seven in a row starting in the fourth in a streak ended by Eloy Jiménez’s single.

“Maybe his best fastball of the year, which is saying something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Brad Keller (0-2) allowed a career-high four homers. Making his second start this season, he gave up six runs — five earned — and seven hits in four-plus innings. Chicago batters struck out a season-high 16 times as the White Sox dropped to a major league-worst 4-18 on the road and 14-32 overall.

Andrew Benintendi’s opposite-field RBI double to left put Chicago ahead in the first, but Gil stranded the bases loaded when Korey Lee took a fastball for a called third strike.

Soto tied the score, Judge reached on an infield hit when third baseman Danny Mendick double-clutched before his throw, and Stanton hit an opposite-field RBI double off the right-center wall for a 2-1 lead.

Stanton homered to right-center in the fourth, his 11th of the season and fifth in nine games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: INF Bryan Ramos, on the IL since straining his left quadriceps Tuesday, could soon start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, manager Pedro Grifol said.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow nerve inflammation and edema) threw his first bullpen session in which he sat down in the middle for a break simulating an inning. “That’s a big, big one for him to check that box,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “See how he bounces back after today and then go from there.” Cole was throwing in the low 90 mph range and soon could progress to batting practice. Cole was told to stop throwing in mid-March and pitched his first bullpen on May 4. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is likely to need four or five minor league rehab starts, simulating spring training.

UP NEXT

LHP Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.31) starts Sunday’s series finale coming off his first consecutive winning outings with the Yankees. RHP Chris Flexen (2-3, 4.46) starts for Chicago.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars finally get a little bit of a breather after avoiding another Game 7 on the way to their second Western Conference Final in a row.

They knocked out the last two Stanley Cup champions while playing 13 games in 26 nights. The last one stretched past midnight into early Saturday, when Matt Duchene’s game-winning goal in double overtime ended Game 6 at Colorado. That came nearly an hour after Dallas thought it had won in the first extra period against the 2022 champs.

Dallas began these playoffs with a seven-game series over the Vegas Golden Knights, who last year beat the Stars in a six-game West final and then won the Stanley Cup.

“For the guys that were here last year, all we wanted was an opportunity to be in the position that we were last year, and snap your fingers and we’re back,” Stars goalie Jake Oettinger said. “Now it’s up to us to change the ending. We couldn’t ask for more than just another opportunity to get another run at it.”

The top-seeded Stars will host the first two games of the West final next week against Edmonton or Vancouver. The Canucks took a 3-2 lead in that second-round series into Game 6 on Saturday night.

While Stars coach Pete DeBoer has never lost a Game 7, including one already this postseason against Vegas, they didn’t particularly want to have to play another one.

“I don’t know what it is, in how many days, but it seems like it’s been a lot,” forward Mason Marchment said. “The grind is what makes it the playoffs, right? So just keep going and get ready for the next round.”

Marchment put a puck in the net 12 1/2 minutes into the first overtime against the Avs, but on-ice officials immediately waved off the goal and that call stood after replay review. The ruling was that Duchene, whose skates were outside the crease while jostling with defenseman Cale Makar, had impaired goalie Alexandar Georgiev’s ability to try to make a play.

“It’s indescribable. You’re so happy and see all the boys hopping over the bench and then I look over and he’s kind of waving it off,” Marchment said on the quick change of emotions. “Doesn’t really matter now because we won. I thought it was a good goal but …”

There was no debate about Duchene’s goal to win it at 11:42 of the second overtime. After he carried the puck deep and flipped it to the front of the net, it was pinging around sticks before Joe Pavelski, the nearly 40-year-old still looking for his first Stanley Cup, pushed it to Duchene to left of Georgiev.

“Obviously, it can be a little tough to reset after you think it’s over, and hope it’s over, and then it’s kind of a gut-punch a little bit, but that’s kind of what we do,” Duchene said. “We’re a pretty even-keeled group. Everyone just reset and kept going.”

After opening these playoffs losing their first two games at home against Vegas, the Stars are in the West final for the third time in five seasons. They made the Stanley Cup Final in the 2020 playoffs that took place in the Canadian bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic, but lost to Tampa Bay in six games.

This is the seventh conference final for DeBoer, though like Pavelski he is still looking for his first Cup title. This is DeBoer’s fifth final in six seasons with three different teams: both years in Dallas, after two with Vegas (2020 and 2021) and San Jose in 2019. He reached the Cup final with New Jersey in 2012, and San Jose in 2016.

“I never take for granted making the playoffs. It’s really hard. It’s really hard to win a round in this league. And it’s obviously even harder to win two and get to a conference final, so on, so on,” DeBoer said. “You never know how that journey is going to end. I think any of the teams left could win. You got to have some luck. You got to have some health. You got to have some bounces. Hopefully, the stars align for us.”

So far, everything has lined up nicely for Dallas and DeBoer this postseason.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

DALLAS (AP) — A kinder, gentler Luka Doncic has the Dallas Mavericks in the same place they were in the first round, headed home with a chance to clinch a playoff series in Game 6.

The difference is the smile on the face of the 25-year-old superstar, replacing the scowl that often accompanies his complaints toward officials over their calls, or non-calls.

Doncic focused on other things in his third career 30-point playoff triple-double, leading the Mavericks to a 104-92 victory in Game 5 that put Western Conference No. 1 seed Oklahoma City on the brink of elimination.

Dallas can advance to the West finals for the second time in three seasons with a victory Saturday night at home, where the fifth-seeded Mavs beat the Los Angeles Clippers for a 4-2 series win two weeks ago.

Now, the Mavs will see if Doncic can keep his focus off the officials again.

“I’m not going to sit up here and complain about him when you get on the refs, like the refs are perfect. I got to give my brother a little benefit of the doubt,” co-star Kyrie Irving said. “But I think he found a healthy balance where he was just really focused on getting us going offensively and making the right plays and making sure we kept our foot on the gas pedal. That’s one of the things he’s done as an engine on this team.”

It’s been a rough series offensively for Doncic and Irving, who have made up for it defensively.

The same could be said of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s supporting cast with the Thunder.

While the runner-up for NBA MVP has numbers similar to those he posted as the league’s No. 3 scorer from the regular season at 30 points per game, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams have been hit and miss.

The Mavericks focused on challenging Gilgeous-Alexander in the lane in Game 5, while Holmgren and Williams combined to go 1 of 8 from 3-point range as the Thunder shot 25% from deep (10 of 40).

“It’s our first playoff run, it’s their first playoff run,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “So everything’s a learning experience for everybody. Those guys are going to bounce back. They’re really good players that we have a ton of confidence in.”

Dallas is a victory from advancing despite Irving being nearly 10 points below his career playoff scoring average. The eight-time All-Star scored in single digits twice in his first 80 playoff games. Irving has less than 10 points that many times in this series.

“He’s taking the double teams, he’s accepting them, and trusting that his teammates are going to make the right play,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s giving everything he has on the defensive end. I’ve never seen him play defense like this in the playoffs.”

Daigneault said the Thunder felt bottled up on offense in the second, third and fourth games, although Oklahoma City made enough shots in the fourth quarter of Game 4 to rally for a victory in Dallas.

Even with a second consecutive loss at home in the series, the Thunder will be back on the road feeling they’re on the right track with their offense.

“It’s probably going to sound crazy because we didn’t shoot it well, but I thought our offense was really good,” Williams said. “I thought we tried to do the right thing the whole game. Didn’t make shots.”

Dallas leads 3-2. Game 6, Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT, ESPN

— NEED TO KNOW: The Mavericks might have had their best defensive effort of the season in Game 4. The offense wasn’t good enough to turn that into a victory. But Game 5 was the first time the Mavs have held the Thunder to less than 100 points in the series. Dallas is 13-0 this season when doing that. Four of the victories have been in the playoffs.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: Lu Dort’s primary job for the Thunder is defending Doncic. But with the offense struggling, Oklahoma City could use his 3-point game. Dort is 9 of 29 (31%) from deep in the series after shooting 52% (12 of 23) in the first-round sweep of New Orleans.

— INJURY WATCH: Doncic has an extra day of rest in his playoff-long struggle with a sprained right knee and a sore left ankle. He also had a hard fall onto his back in Game 3. “I think an extra day can help with the bumps and bruises and give you a little bit more gas in the tank,” Kidd said. “But once the game starts, the nagging injuries will pop up.”

— PRESSURE IS ON: The Thunder have to think about how they’re defending the corner 3, although they believe it’s a pick-your-poison situation with trying to slow Doncic and Irving along with Dallas’ pick-and-roll game. P.J. Washington Jr. did most of his damage there in three consecutive games of at least 20 points. Derrick Jones Jr. used the corner 3 to spark a playoff career best of 19 points in Game 5.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan will lead the United States men’s hockey team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, USA Hockey said on Saturday.

Sullivan, who led the Penguins to two Stanley Cup titles, was supposed to take the helm at the 2022 Games in Beijing but was replaced after the National Hockey League (NHL) withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win,” General Manager Bill Guerin said in a statement.

The United States lost in the quarter-finals at the Beijing Games.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Ed Osmond)

ROME (Reuters) -Iga Swiatek beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-3 to win her third Italian Open title on Saturday as the Pole came out on top once again in a battle between the top two in the women’s rankings following her Madrid Open triumph earlier this month.

The title was the 21st of Swiatek’s career as the world number one extended her unbeaten run to 12 matches on clay to sound out a warning to her rivals ahead of this month’s French Open where she is a three-time winner and the defending champion.

“After Madrid I knew it would not be easy. It can always go both ways,” 22-year-old Swiatek said. “Thank you (Sabalenka) for sharing the court with me and pushing me to be better.”

Swiatek broke Sabalenka twice in the first set where the Belarusian conceded 12 unforced errors in a lopsided start to the match. Sabalenka fought back, reaching five break points in a bid to lead 2-0 in the second, but Swiatek held her own serve.

Sabalenka failed to break again with Swiatek holding her nerve to save two break points on her next serve. The set progressed to 3-3 before the Pole broke twice, ensuring her victory in the tournament without dropping a set.

“I love this tournament… I’ll come back stronger next year and hopefully win the trophy,” Sabalenka said as she congratulated Swiatek. “I hope we make it to the final at Roland Garros and I will get you there.”

In response, Swiatek said: “We will see about the Roland Garros final.”

The French Open starts on May 26.

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)