SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — With no time left on the clock in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-final-florida-panthers-vegas-golden-knights-de71ab974e02a46bfa472b4836c724d9">Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final,</a>&nbsp;helmets, gloves, sticks and plastic rats littered the ice, the result of a fracas started in the final seconds of an emotional showdown.

For all the punches, pushes and shoves that accumulated in the melee, none of them changed the result: The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup title.

Vegas held on to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panthers-stanley-cup-final-2023-nhl-vegas-87ee166a2dd7778a9c059a8042d8bb99">beat the Florida Panthers</a>&nbsp;3-2 on Saturday night, staving off a rally that culminated with one final shot block and a big save at the end to take a 3-1 series lead in the Cup final.

“Obviously, that was a battle till the last second,” Vegas forward Nicolas Roy. “They pushed back there. We knew they would. They’ve been doing it all series. But it’s nice to get that one, for sure.”

The Golden Knights can win the NHL championship on home ice Tuesday night.

“We’ve played really well at home here in the playoffs, so you’ve got to feel pretty good going home with a 3-1 lead,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said.

Chandler Stephenson scored twice for the Golden Knights, and William Karlsson broke through to end his series-long goal drought to build a 3-0 lead. The Panthers scored twice — Brandon Montour on a pinball goal late in the second period, and Aleksander Barkov’s first of the series early in the third — to claw back into it.

But their rally fell short and put Florida, eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and final team to qualify for the playoffs, on the brink of this improbable run coming to an end.

“We’ve earned the right to play our best hockey,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Where we’ve been at our strongest is at the most critical time. I think you’ll see that.”

Down 2-1 in the series, Sergei Bobrovsky again almost kept the Panthers afloat, stopping 28 of the 31 shots he faced and giving up goals when teammates left him out to dry. At the other end of the ice, journeyman goaltender Adin Hill made 29 saves for his 10th win since stepping in during the middle of the second round.

“It’s a credit to him for being prepared when he did come in there a few series ago,” Pietrangelo said. “You’ve got to be happy for him.”

The Golden Knights need only win one more game to deliver a championship to Las Vegas in just their sixth year of existence, making good on owner Bill Foley’s goal to win the Stanley Cup in that period of time. They reached the final in their inaugural season in 2017-18 before losing to Washington in five games.

Vegas is more talented and has certainly looked more prepared for the spotlight this time around. Stephenson — who beat them five years ago as a member of the Capitals — and Hill were trade acquisitions, as was first-line center Jack Eichel and captain Mark Stone, who had two assists in Game 4.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-final-nhl-playoffs-golden-knights-panthers-c4734869b4a6fa07d424204afb3cb51d">A couple of original Knights players</a>&nbsp;also helped them take the penultimate step to the peak of hockey’s mountaintop. Jonathan Marchessault assisted on Karlsson’s goal that made it 3-0, his 24th point that ties for the playoff lead in scoring.

Then the Panthers made it interesting. Montour scored by banking the puck off the right skate of Brayden McNabb and then the right skate of Shea Theodore and past Hill with 3:51 remaining in the second period and set up Barkov with a perfect pass from behind the net 3:50 into the third.

Missing leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk for several shifts, Florida kept buzzing around Hill and got a few more big stops from Bobrovsky to continue the pressure. A 17.4 second 6-on-4 advantage when veteran Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo put the puck over the glass provided a final few chances but did not yield the team’s first power-play goal of the series.

It also caused a scrum that resulted in six penalties, including two unsportsmanlike penalties and two misconducts.

“I kind of felt my helmet get ripped off, and they had six guys on the ice, we had four, so get in there a bit and try and help out teammates,” said Hill, who threw some punches as part of the melee. “I don’t know if there’s really a message to be sent. We’re just getting ready for (Game 5) Tuesday.”

That will be a last gasp chance for the Panthers, who will have to have to replicate their opening round comeback from down 3-1 to Boston to keep Vegas from winning it all.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686459284481.png" alt="Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson (20) celebrates after scoring a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)" />
 <figcaption>Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson (20) celebrates after scoring a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)</figcaption>
 </figure>SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — With no time left on the clock in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-final-florida-panthers-vegas-golden-knights-de71ab974e02a46bfa472b4836c724d9">Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final,</a>&nbsp;helmets, gloves, sticks and plastic rats littered the ice, the result of a fracas started in the final seconds of an emotional showdown.For all the punches, pushes and shoves that accumulated in the melee, none of them changed the result: The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup title.Vegas held on to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panthers-stanley-cup-final-2023-nhl-vegas-87ee166a2dd7778a9c059a8042d8bb99">beat the Florida Panthers</a>&nbsp;3-2 on Saturday night, staving off a rally that culminated with one final shot block and a big save at the end to take a 3-1 series lead in the Cup final.“Obviously, that was a battle till the last second,” Vegas forward Nicolas Roy. “They pushed back there. We knew they would. They’ve been doing it all series. But it’s nice to get that one, for sure.”The Golden Knights can win the NHL championship on home ice Tuesday night.“We’ve played really well at home here in the playoffs, so you’ve got to feel pretty good going home with a 3-1 lead,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said.Getting to this point wasn’t easy.Chandler Stephenson scored twice for the Golden Knights, and William Karlsson broke through to end his series-long goal drought to build a 3-0 lead. The Panthers scored twice — Brandon Montour on a pinball goal late in the second period, and Aleksander Barkov’s first of the series early in the third — to claw back into it.But their rally fell short and put Florida, eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and final team to qualify for the playoffs, on the brink of this improbable run coming to an end.“We’ve earned the right to play our best hockey,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Where we’ve been at our strongest is at the most critical time. I think you’ll see that.”Down 2-1 in the series, Sergei Bobrovsky again almost kept the Panthers afloat, stopping 28 of the 31 shots he faced and giving up goals when teammates left him out to dry. At the other end of the ice, journeyman goaltender Adin Hill made 29 saves for his 10th win since stepping in during the middle of the second round.“It’s a credit to him for being prepared when he did come in there a few series ago,” Pietrangelo said. “You’ve got to be happy for him.”The Golden Knights need only win one more game to deliver a championship to Las Vegas in just their sixth year of existence, making good on owner Bill Foley’s goal to win the Stanley Cup in that period of time. They reached the final in their inaugural season in 2017-18 before losing to Washington in five games.Vegas is more talented and has certainly looked more prepared for the spotlight this time around. Stephenson — who beat them five years ago as a member of the Capitals — and Hill were trade acquisitions, as was first-line center Jack Eichel and captain Mark Stone, who had two assists in Game 4.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanley-cup-final-nhl-playoffs-golden-knights-panthers-c4734869b4a6fa07d424204afb3cb51d">A couple of original Knights players</a>&nbsp;also helped them take the penultimate step to the peak of hockey’s mountaintop. Jonathan Marchessault assisted on Karlsson’s goal that made it 3-0, his 24th point that ties for the playoff lead in scoring.Then the Panthers made it interesting. Montour scored by banking the puck off the right skate of Brayden McNabb and then the right skate of Shea Theodore and past Hill with 3:51 remaining in the second period and set up Barkov with a perfect pass from behind the net 3:50 into the third.Missing leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk for several shifts, Florida kept buzzing around Hill and got a few more big stops from Bobrovsky to continue the pressure. A 17.4 second 6-on-4 advantage when veteran Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo put the puck over the glass provided a final few chances but did not yield the team’s first power-play goal of the series.It also caused a scrum that resulted in six penalties, including two unsportsmanlike penalties and two misconducts.“I kind of felt my helmet get ripped off, and they had six guys on the ice, we had four, so get in there a bit and try and help out teammates,” said Hill, who threw some punches as part of the melee. “I don’t know if there’s really a message to be sent. We’re just getting ready for (Game 5) Tuesday.”That will be a last gasp chance for the Panthers, who will have to have to replicate their opening round comeback from down 3-1 to Boston to keep Vegas from winning it all.

Vegas a game away from Stanley Cup after 3-2 win

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

They may or may not be wearing the colors of Kansas colleges, but several Kansas athletes have represented the state well at the NCAA Div. I State Track and Field Championships this week in Austin, Texas.

The men's high jump Friday evening featured two of Kansas' best high jumpers in recent years, both now jumping for the University of Nebraska. Sterling's Tyus Wilson, a freshman in Lincoln who is tied for No. 3 all-time in Kansas at 7-3, tied for fourth with a top height of 7-1. Husker senior Michael Hoffer, a Shawnee Heights graduate, tied for 14th at 6-11. Wichita State junior Brady Palen, a Beloit-St. John's graduate, placed 18th at 6-11.

The javelin competition Thursday evening featured the two best throwers in Kansas high school history. Andale's Katelyn Fairchild finished third in the competition with a top throw of 190-2 for Texas A&amp;M. Olathe North's Dana Baker, now at Duke, placed 15th on a throw of 168-3. Baker, in 2018, became the only Kansas high school thrower with the IAAF-approved javelin to break 180 feet. Fairchild's sister, Mackenzie, a three-time gold medalist thrower in Class 4A this spring, will join Katelyn at Texas A&amp;M next year.

The men's javelin competition also featured a top-five national finisher from Kansas. Manhattan's Sam Hankins reached 224-6 in 2019 to rank No. 4 all-time among Kansas high school throws. Wednesday he threw 249-11 to place fifth for Texas A&amp;M. Baylor took the bronze at 257-1.

Thursday's women's 10,000m run featured three of the top-four 3200m runners all-time in Kansas high school history. Lawrence Free State's Emily Venters, now a senior at Utah, led part of the race and played a key role in stretching out the race near the finish. She placed second in 32:47.70, eight seconds from the title. Iowa State senior Cailie Logue, formerly of Girard and ranked No. 2 all-time in Kansas, placed sixth in 33:06.86. Molly Born, ranked No. 1 all-time in Kansas and now a sophomore at Oklahoma State, finished 13th in 33:54.16.

Andover's Tayton Klein won two Class 5A hurdle golds, a long jump gold, and the 100m dash bronze at the KSHSAA State Championships in 2022. Now a freshman at the University of Kansas, Klein was sitting in the No. 10 spot of the decathlon after the completion of five of the 10 events. He did not finish the final 1500m run, dropping to 20th overall. He finished with 6,753 points to miss the top-10 by nearly 1,000 points. Texas junior Leo Neugebauer scored 8,836 points to win the gold by 206 points with a new NCAA record.

Kansas had ties in the men's pole vault competition Wednesday. Zach Bradford, a former standout at the University of Kansas, finished third for Texas Tech with a top clearance of 18-4.5. Sophomore Clayton Simms, a Louisiana native, placed fifth for the Jayhawks at 18-4.5. Kansas State University's Emma Robbins, a junior from California, placed fourth in the hammer with a top throw of 229-3. She missed the bronze by just more than five feet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686370486605.jpeg" alt="Sterling's Tyus Wilson cleared the high jump bar at 7-2 for a new Kansas Class 2A state meet record in 2021. Jumping for the University of Nebraska in the NCAA National Championships Friday in Austin, Texas, Wilson cleared 7-1 to tie for fourth." />
 <figcaption>Sterling's Tyus Wilson cleared the high jump bar at 7-2 for a new Kansas Class 2A state meet record in 2021. Jumping for the University of Nebraska in the NCAA National Championships Friday in Austin, Texas, Wilson cleared 7-1 to tie for fourth.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThey may or may not be wearing the colors of Kansas colleges, but several Kansas athletes have represented the state well at the NCAA Div. I State Track and Field Championships this week in Austin, Texas.The men's high jump Friday evening featured two of Kansas' best high jumpers in recent years, both now jumping for the University of Nebraska. Sterling's Tyus Wilson, a freshman in Lincoln who is tied for No. 3 all-time in Kansas at 7-3, tied for fourth with a top height of 7-1. Husker senior Michael Hoffer, a Shawnee Heights graduate, tied for 14th at 6-11. Wichita State junior Brady Palen, a Beloit-St. John's graduate, placed 18th at 6-11.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686370680734.jpeg" alt="Katelyn Fairchild, an Andale graduated now at Texas A&amp;M, placed third in the javelin competition Thursday." />
 <figcaption>Katelyn Fairchild, an Andale graduated now at Texas A&amp;M, placed third in the javelin competition Thursday.</figcaption>
 </figure>The javelin competition Thursday evening featured the two best throwers in Kansas high school history. Andale's Katelyn Fairchild finished third in the competition with a top throw of 190-2 for Texas A&amp;M. Olathe North's Dana Baker, now at Duke, placed 15th on a throw of 168-3. Baker, in 2018, became the only Kansas high school thrower with the IAAF-approved javelin to break 180 feet. Fairchild's sister, Mackenzie, a three-time gold medalist thrower in Class 4A this spring, will join Katelyn at Texas A&amp;M next year.The men's javelin competition also featured a top-five national finisher from Kansas. Manhattan's Sam Hankins reached 224-6 in 2019 to rank No. 4 all-time among Kansas high school throws. Wednesday he threw 249-11 to place fifth for Texas A&amp;M. Baylor took the bronze at 257-1.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686371360773.jpeg" alt="Utah's Emily Venters, seen here as a Lawrence Free State runner in 2018, placed second in the NCAA 10,000m finals Thursday." />
 <figcaption>Utah's Emily Venters, seen here as a Lawrence Free State runner in 2018, placed second in the NCAA 10,000m finals Thursday.</figcaption>
 </figure>Thursday's women's 10,000m run featured three of the top-four 3200m runners all-time in Kansas high school history. Lawrence Free State's Emily Venters, now a senior at Utah, led part of the race and played a key role in stretching out the race near the finish. She placed second in 32:47.70, eight seconds from the title. Iowa State senior Cailie Logue, formerly of Girard and ranked No. 2 all-time in Kansas, placed sixth in 33:06.86. Molly Born, ranked No. 1 all-time in Kansas and now a sophomore at Oklahoma State, finished 13th in 33:54.16.Andover's Tayton Klein won two Class 5A hurdle golds, a long jump gold, and the 100m dash bronze at the KSHSAA State Championships in 2022. Now a freshman at the University of Kansas, Klein was sitting in the No. 10 spot of the decathlon after the completion of five of the 10 events. He did not finish the final 1500m run, dropping to 20th overall. He finished with 6,753 points to miss the top-10 by nearly 1,000 points. Texas junior Leo Neugebauer scored 8,836 points to win the gold by 206 points with a new NCAA record.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686371515373.jpeg" alt="Texas Tech's fifth-year senior Zach Bradford set a KU Relays pole vault record in 2019 as a Jayhawk. He placed third for Red Raiders Wednesday in the NCAA Nationals." />
 <figcaption>Texas Tech's fifth-year senior Zach Bradford set a KU Relays pole vault record in 2019 as a Jayhawk. He placed third for Red Raiders Wednesday in the NCAA Nationals.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas had ties in the men's pole vault competition Wednesday. Zach Bradford, a former standout at the University of Kansas, finished third for Texas Tech with a top clearance of 18-4.5. Sophomore Clayton Simms, a Louisiana native, placed fifth for the Jayhawks at 18-4.5. Kansas State University's Emma Robbins, a junior from California, placed fourth in the hammer with a top throw of 229-3. She missed the bronze by just more than five feet.

Kansas athletes performing well at NCAA track and field finals

MIAMI (AP) — The mission for the Denver Nuggets was clear: Come to Miami, get two wins and head back home with a chance to finally become NBA champions.

The 47-year wait for Denver might be over as soon as Monday, with Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets now just one win away from getting the title that he’s wanted for so long. Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Jokic added 23 and the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

“We haven’t done a damn thing yet,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We have to win another game to be world champions.”

Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who won their fifth straight road game to grab complete command. They’ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first of them in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5.

Jamal Murray had 15 points and 12 assists — his fourth consecutive double-digit assist game — for Denver.

“Today was a team effort.” Murray said. “I can’t even name one person. Everybody locked in. We’ve got one more to go.”

Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances — this one joining 2014 and 2020. Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, while Kyle Lowry added 13 points.

The Heat walked off the floor in silence, fully aware of how much trouble they’re in now.

The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. The Nuggets had won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the teams, and their run of success over the Heat has continued through four games of the finals.

“Our guys are locked in, man,” Malone said. “We’re focused.”

Denver led by 13 going into the fourth, and Miami came out for the final quarter with appropriate desperation. The Heat scored the first eight points, Jokic committed his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with 9:24 left — and it was down to 86-81 when Butler converted a three-point play with 8:42 remaining.

But the Nuggets — who fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for their lone loss of the series — didn’t fold, even with their two-time MVP still out. Murray made a 3-pointer to stop Miami’s 8-0 spurt, and Jeff Green made a huge corner 3 from near the Heat bench for a 94-85 edge with 6:21 left.

Jokic checked out with Denver up 10. He came back with the Nuggets up nine. Miami didn’t take advantage of that chance, and now finds itself on the wrong end of history.

Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have won 35 out of 36 previous times, and the Heat will have to buck that trend to keep Denver from winning its title.

“We have an incredibly competitive group,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ve done everything the hard way and that’s the way it’s going to have to be done right now — again. And all we’re going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686368975052.png" alt=".Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50)dunks the ball during the first half of Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)" />
 <figcaption>.Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50)dunks the ball during the first half of Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — The mission for the Denver Nuggets was clear: Come to Miami, get two wins and head back home with a chance to finally become NBA champions.It’s officially there for the taking.The 47-year wait for Denver might be over as soon as Monday, with Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets now just one win away from getting the title that he’s wanted for so long. Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Jokic added 23 and the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.“We haven’t done a damn thing yet,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We have to win another game to be world champions.”Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who won their fifth straight road game to grab complete command. They’ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first of them in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5.Jamal Murray had 15 points and 12 assists — his fourth consecutive double-digit assist game — for Denver.“Today was a team effort.” Murray said. “I can’t even name one person. Everybody locked in. We’ve got one more to go.”Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances — this one joining 2014 and 2020. Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, while Kyle Lowry added 13 points.The Heat walked off the floor in silence, fully aware of how much trouble they’re in now.The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. The Nuggets had won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the teams, and their run of success over the Heat has continued through four games of the finals.“Our guys are locked in, man,” Malone said. “We’re focused.”Denver led by 13 going into the fourth, and Miami came out for the final quarter with appropriate desperation. The Heat scored the first eight points, Jokic committed his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with 9:24 left — and it was down to 86-81 when Butler converted a three-point play with 8:42 remaining.But the Nuggets — who fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for their lone loss of the series — didn’t fold, even with their two-time MVP still out. Murray made a 3-pointer to stop Miami’s 8-0 spurt, and Jeff Green made a huge corner 3 from near the Heat bench for a 94-85 edge with 6:21 left.Jokic checked out with Denver up 10. He came back with the Nuggets up nine. Miami didn’t take advantage of that chance, and now finds itself on the wrong end of history.Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have won 35 out of 36 previous times, and the Heat will have to buck that trend to keep Denver from winning its title.“We have an incredibly competitive group,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ve done everything the hard way and that’s the way it’s going to have to be done right now — again. And all we’re going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly.”

Nuggets take 3-1 lead in NBA Finals with 108-95 win

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Overtime. Season on the line. The Florida Panthers keep finding ways to flourish in those moments.

And for the first time, they’ve won a game in the Stanley Cup Final.

Carter Verhaeghe snapped a wrister from the slot into the high back of the net 4:27 into overtime and the Panthers rallied to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Thursday night in Game 3. Vegas still leads the title series 2-1, but Florida has life and found a way to turn overtime into its favorite time once again.

The Panthers are 7-0 in these playoffs in OT — actually winning more games in extra sessions than they’ve won in regulation.

“We’re the Cats,” Verhaeghe said. “We have whatever lives we have, but it’s awesome. It shows how great our team is and the guys on our team have no quit in them.”

Matthew Tkachuk tied it with 2:13 left in the third period for the Panthers, who got the franchise’s first title-series game win in seven tries. Florida had to fend off a power play to start overtime, and Verhaeghe got the winner with Tkachuk providing some traffic in front of the net.

“I had a little bit of time to walk in and shoot,” Verhaeghe said. “I’m so happy it went in.”

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for Florida. Adin Hill made 20 saves for Vegas, but got beat on the only shot that came his way in overtime.

Brandon Montour also scored for Florida, which pulled Bobrovsky down 2-1 late in the third for the extra attacker and Tkachuk — who left for parts of the first and second periods after taking a big hit — made that move pay off when he tied the game.

His goal breathed life into a very nervous building. But the Panthers were furious — and replays showed they had a case — when Gustav Forsling was sent to the box with 11.2 seconds remaining for tripping. Florida survived that scare, and a few minutes later, had life in the series again.

The odds are still long, but the Panthers at least have a bit more statistical hope now. Of the previous 55 teams to trail 2-1 at this point of the Stanley Cup Final, 11 have actually rallied to hoist the trophy.

It’s improbable, sure. So are the Panthers, who were the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, were down 3-1 to Boston in Round 1, were 133 seconds away from trailing this series 3-0 — and now have tons of reasons for optimism.

Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone each had power-play goals for Vegas.

Marchessault’s goal was his 13th in his last 13 playoff games, his fourth of this series and his third with the man advantage.

As if all that wasn’t enough, there was a little history in there as well. Vegas joined the 1980 New York Islanders as the only team with at least two power-play goals in three consecutive games in the Cup final. And Marchessault became the third player in the last 35 years to score in each of the first three games of a title series — joining Steve Yzerman in 1997 with Detroit and Jake Guentzel with Pittsburgh in 2017.

But it wasn’t enough to give Vegas a 3-0 lead in the series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686283534328.png" alt="Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates the game winning goal by teammate Carter Verhaeghe during overtime in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. The Florida Panthers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)" />
 <figcaption>Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates the game winning goal by teammate Carter Verhaeghe during overtime in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. The Florida Panthers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)</figcaption>
 </figure>SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Overtime. Season on the line. The Florida Panthers keep finding ways to flourish in those moments.And for the first time, they’ve won a game in the Stanley Cup Final.Carter Verhaeghe snapped a wrister from the slot into the high back of the net 4:27 into overtime and the Panthers rallied to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Thursday night in Game 3. Vegas still leads the title series 2-1, but Florida has life and found a way to turn overtime into its favorite time once again.The Panthers are 7-0 in these playoffs in OT — actually winning more games in extra sessions than they’ve won in regulation.“We’re the Cats,” Verhaeghe said. “We have whatever lives we have, but it’s awesome. It shows how great our team is and the guys on our team have no quit in them.”Matthew Tkachuk tied it with 2:13 left in the third period for the Panthers, who got the franchise’s first title-series game win in seven tries. Florida had to fend off a power play to start overtime, and Verhaeghe got the winner with Tkachuk providing some traffic in front of the net.“I had a little bit of time to walk in and shoot,” Verhaeghe said. “I’m so happy it went in.”Game 4 is Saturday night.Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for Florida. Adin Hill made 20 saves for Vegas, but got beat on the only shot that came his way in overtime.Brandon Montour also scored for Florida, which pulled Bobrovsky down 2-1 late in the third for the extra attacker and Tkachuk — who left for parts of the first and second periods after taking a big hit — made that move pay off when he tied the game.His goal breathed life into a very nervous building. But the Panthers were furious — and replays showed they had a case — when Gustav Forsling was sent to the box with 11.2 seconds remaining for tripping. Florida survived that scare, and a few minutes later, had life in the series again.The odds are still long, but the Panthers at least have a bit more statistical hope now. Of the previous 55 teams to trail 2-1 at this point of the Stanley Cup Final, 11 have actually rallied to hoist the trophy.It’s improbable, sure. So are the Panthers, who were the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, were down 3-1 to Boston in Round 1, were 133 seconds away from trailing this series 3-0 — and now have tons of reasons for optimism.Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone each had power-play goals for Vegas.Marchessault’s goal was his 13th in his last 13 playoff games, his fourth of this series and his third with the man advantage.As if all that wasn’t enough, there was a little history in there as well. Vegas joined the 1980 New York Islanders as the only team with at least two power-play goals in three consecutive games in the Cup final. And Marchessault became the third player in the last 35 years to score in each of the first three games of a title series — joining Steve Yzerman in 1997 with Detroit and Jake Guentzel with Pittsburgh in 2017.But it wasn’t enough to give Vegas a 3-0 lead in the series.

Florida avoids 3-0 deficit with overtime win against Vegas

BELOIT - Several area football players will play in the Kansas Eight Man All-Star Football Game this Saturday at Trojan Field in Beloit. The Division II All-Star game kicks off at 10:00 a.m., the Division I game will start at 1:30 p.m.

Area players on the Division I West roster Ryan Kuckelman - Macksville Gustavo Portillo - Macksville Head Coach: Kyle Bright - Macksville

Area players on the Division I East roster Braxton Lafferty - Little River Grant Stephens - Little River Toby Jesseph - Little River

Area players on the Division II West roster Dylan Gantz - Stafford Josh Hildebrand - Stafford Evan Stratmann - Central Plains Assistant Coach: Mitch Engelken - Stafford

BELOIT - Several area football players will play in the Kansas Eight Man All-Star Football Game this Saturday at Trojan Field in Beloit. The Division II All-Star game kicks off at 10:00 a.m., the Division I game will start at 1:30 p.m.Area players on the Division I West roster Ryan Kuckelman - Macksville Gustavo Portillo - Macksville Head Coach: Kyle Bright - MacksvilleArea players on the Division I East roster Braxton Lafferty - Little River Grant Stephens - Little River Toby Jesseph - Little RiverArea players on the Division II West roster Dylan Gantz - Stafford Josh Hildebrand - Stafford Evan Stratmann - Central Plains Assistant Coach: Mitch Engelken - Stafford<figure>
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🏈 Area players in Saturday's Kansas 8-Man All-Star Game

IRVING, Texas&nbsp;– Today, the Big 12 Conference announced the launch of Big 12 Mexico, the Conference’s first international extension that will see Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and baseball games held in Mexico with the Kansas Jayhawks being at the forefront of the innovative initiative.

Big 12 Mexico’s first contest will be a men’s and women’s basketball matchup between Kansas and Houston, held in Mexico City at Arena CDMX in 2024. Following the launch of Big 12 basketball in Mexico, Big 12 women’s soccer and baseball will participate in exhibitions against clubs from the region.

Additionally, the Big 12 will explore establishing a football bowl game in Monterrey, starting in 2026. This would be the first bowl game ever held in Mexico.

“Mexico is a natural extension to the Big 12 footprint, and I’m thrilled to introduce Big 12 Mexico as the Conference’s first-ever international presence,” said&nbsp;Commissioner Brett Yormark.&nbsp;“Through Big 12 Mexico, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international setting, and our Conference will have the chance to showcase our brand across Mexico.”

Kansas Men’s and Women’s Basketball will travel to Mexico City in December of 2024 to participate in their respective matchups against Houston.

"Behind Commissioner (Brett) Yormark, the Big 12 is doing a lot to expand the conference brand, and one way they are doing this is by playing a game in Mexico City. Kelvin (Sampson) has built Houston back to a national power and this should be a great matchup. We’re excited to play a game in Mexico City and represent the Big 12."

"Basketball is a global game and I commend Commissioner Yormark and the Big 12 for expanding the league’s reach into Mexico. We look forward to the challenge of competing against Houston and playing the game in Mexico City. This will provide great exposure for our program and our conference."

KANSAS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH BRANDON SCHNEIDER

Leading up to the launch of Big 12 Mexico and throughout 2023, Fox and ESPN will help seed the Big 12 product across Mexico and Spanish-speaking communities through ESPN Deportes (U.S – based), ESPN Mexico (Mexico – based) and Fox Deportes (U.S. – based) channels, which will air select Big 12 football and basketball games. Additionally, the Big 12 will look to secure for the first time Spanish radio broadcasts for Big 12 Football and Basketball Championships in 2023-24 and beyond, and will implement a robust Mexico digital strategy.

The Big 12 Conference will team up with Mexico City-based live entertainment agency Zignia as a co-promotional partner. Zignia will support with marketing and sales of Big 12 Mexico events, as well as provide the Conference with their depth of resources. Additionally, On Location, an Endeavor-owned company, will assist with all school travel and VIP packages, while Endeavor will assist the Conference in all facets of its international digital strategy.&nbsp;The Big 12 Business Advisory Board will also continue to provide key insights and counsel as the Conference grows its presence in Mexico.

Beyond hosting Conference games across multiple sports, Big 12 Mexico will see the Conference execute a variety of community outreach programming, commercial partnerships, merchandise and activations. This includes the Conference partnering with notable musicians and artists and launching an influencer marketing campaign in the region.

Five current and future Big 12 Conference campuses – Baylor, Houston, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech – are located less than 400 miles away from Mexico, while the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have campus extensions in Mexico.  Mexico City – the largest city in North America with a greater area population of over 22 million – has played host to MLB, NBA, NFL, and is home to the G League’s Capitanes de Ciudad de México.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686235576189.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas AthleticsIRVING, Texas&nbsp;– Today, the Big 12 Conference announced the launch of Big 12 Mexico, the Conference’s first international extension that will see Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and baseball games held in Mexico with the Kansas Jayhawks being at the forefront of the innovative initiative.Big 12 Mexico’s first contest will be a men’s and women’s basketball matchup between Kansas and Houston, held in Mexico City at Arena CDMX in 2024. Following the launch of Big 12 basketball in Mexico, Big 12 women’s soccer and baseball will participate in exhibitions against clubs from the region.Additionally, the Big 12 will explore establishing a football bowl game in Monterrey, starting in 2026. This would be the first bowl game ever held in Mexico.“Mexico is a natural extension to the Big 12 footprint, and I’m thrilled to introduce Big 12 Mexico as the Conference’s first-ever international presence,” said&nbsp;Commissioner Brett Yormark.&nbsp;“Through Big 12 Mexico, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international setting, and our Conference will have the chance to showcase our brand across Mexico.”Kansas Men’s and Women’s Basketball will travel to Mexico City in December of 2024 to participate in their respective matchups against Houston."Behind Commissioner (Brett) Yormark, the Big 12 is doing a lot to expand the conference brand, and one way they are doing this is by playing a game in Mexico City. Kelvin (Sampson) has built Houston back to a national power and this should be a great matchup. We’re excited to play a game in Mexico City and represent the Big 12."KANSAS MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH BILL SELF"Basketball is a global game and I commend Commissioner Yormark and the Big 12 for expanding the league’s reach into Mexico. We look forward to the challenge of competing against Houston and playing the game in Mexico City. This will provide great exposure for our program and our conference."KANSAS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH BRANDON SCHNEIDERLeading up to the launch of Big 12 Mexico and throughout 2023, Fox and ESPN will help seed the Big 12 product across Mexico and Spanish-speaking communities through ESPN Deportes (U.S – based), ESPN Mexico (Mexico – based) and Fox Deportes (U.S. – based) channels, which will air select Big 12 football and basketball games. Additionally, the Big 12 will look to secure for the first time Spanish radio broadcasts for Big 12 Football and Basketball Championships in 2023-24 and beyond, and will implement a robust Mexico digital strategy.The Big 12 Conference will team up with Mexico City-based live entertainment agency Zignia as a co-promotional partner. Zignia will support with marketing and sales of Big 12 Mexico events, as well as provide the Conference with their depth of resources. Additionally, On Location, an Endeavor-owned company, will assist with all school travel and VIP packages, while Endeavor will assist the Conference in all facets of its international digital strategy.&nbsp;The Big 12 Business Advisory Board will also continue to provide key insights and counsel as the Conference grows its presence in Mexico.Beyond hosting Conference games across multiple sports, Big 12 Mexico will see the Conference execute a variety of community outreach programming, commercial partnerships, merchandise and activations. This includes the Conference partnering with notable musicians and artists and launching an influencer marketing campaign in the region.Five current and future Big 12 Conference campuses – Baylor, Houston, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech – are located less than 400 miles away from Mexico, while the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have campus extensions in Mexico. Mexico City – the largest city in North America with a greater area population of over 22 million – has played host to MLB, NBA, NFL, and is home to the G League’s Capitanes de Ciudad de México.

🏀 Kansas and Houston men & women to tip off Big 12 Mexico in 2024

Just weeks ahead of their 50th&nbsp;event in Hays, the Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors is excited to announce the return of the Kansas Shrine Bowl to Emporia in 2024. The 51st&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth will be held Saturday, June 29th, 2024, at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University. “Emporia State’s Welch Stadium will be a great backdrop for our game, with a true all-star environment,” said B.J. Harris, Executive Director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl. &nbsp;“We’re thrilled to welcome the Kansas Shrine Bowl back to Emporia for the first time since 2016,” said LeLan Dains, Director of Visit Emporia. “It provides a great opportunity to host students and athletes in our community and we hope they’ll take full advantage of all Emporia has to offer.” &nbsp; “Emporia has always been a great host city for the Kansas Shrine Bowl,” said Harris. “We’ve had successful events each time we’ve returned, and we’re excited about what 2024 has in store!”

The Kansas Shrine Bowl is awarded following a competitive bid process which includes communities across Kansas. Since 1974, the Kansas Shrine Bowl has been played in Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita, Topeka, Hays, Emporia, Pittsburg, Dodge City, and Hutchinson.

In addition to the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football game and camp for eighty players, the Kansas Shrine Bowl event includes all-star band and cheer camps for more than two hundred respectively. Additional events include a golf tournament, banquet, parade, alumni reunion, tailgate party, and more. &nbsp; The Kansas Shrine Bowl is an all-star high school senior, East vs. West, football game put on each year in Kansas, by the Kansas Shrine. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children, now known as Shriners Children’s. The Kansas Shrine Bowl has donated over $3.7M to Shriners Children’s.

Beginning in 1974, the flagship event has been the East/West All-Star Football Game. As of 2022, the West leads the series with 30 wins, the East has 17 wins, and there have been two ties. Recent NFL alumni include Cody Whitehair (Chicago Bears). Additional notable alumni include former All-Pro Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson, former All-Pro NFL Defensive Back Terrance Newman, NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, former Kansas State and Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Gary Spani, former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Champion Linebacker Mark Simoneau and many others.

Learn more about the upcoming 50th&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl, Saturday, July 15th, 2023, in Hays, Kansas at&nbsp;www.KansasShrineBowl.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672686596673.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just weeks ahead of their 50th&nbsp;event in Hays, the Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors is excited to announce the return of the Kansas Shrine Bowl to Emporia in 2024. The 51st&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth will be held Saturday, June 29th, 2024, at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University. “Emporia State’s Welch Stadium will be a great backdrop for our game, with a true all-star environment,” said B.J. Harris, Executive Director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl. &nbsp;“We’re thrilled to welcome the Kansas Shrine Bowl back to Emporia for the first time since 2016,” said LeLan Dains, Director of Visit Emporia. “It provides a great opportunity to host students and athletes in our community and we hope they’ll take full advantage of all Emporia has to offer.” &nbsp; “Emporia has always been a great host city for the Kansas Shrine Bowl,” said Harris. “We’ve had successful events each time we’ve returned, and we’re excited about what 2024 has in store!”The Kansas Shrine Bowl is awarded following a competitive bid process which includes communities across Kansas. Since 1974, the Kansas Shrine Bowl has been played in Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita, Topeka, Hays, Emporia, Pittsburg, Dodge City, and Hutchinson.In addition to the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football game and camp for eighty players, the Kansas Shrine Bowl event includes all-star band and cheer camps for more than two hundred respectively. Additional events include a golf tournament, banquet, parade, alumni reunion, tailgate party, and more. &nbsp; The Kansas Shrine Bowl is an all-star high school senior, East vs. West, football game put on each year in Kansas, by the Kansas Shrine. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children, now known as Shriners Children’s. The Kansas Shrine Bowl has donated over $3.7M to Shriners Children’s.Beginning in 1974, the flagship event has been the East/West All-Star Football Game. As of 2022, the West leads the series with 30 wins, the East has 17 wins, and there have been two ties. Recent NFL alumni include Cody Whitehair (Chicago Bears). Additional notable alumni include former All-Pro Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson, former All-Pro NFL Defensive Back Terrance Newman, NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, former Kansas State and Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Gary Spani, former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Champion Linebacker Mark Simoneau and many others.Learn more about the upcoming 50th&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl, Saturday, July 15th, 2023, in Hays, Kansas at&nbsp;www.KansasShrineBowl.com.

Kansas Shrine Bowl announces 2024 game site will be Emporia

MIAMI (AP) — After building their largest lead of the night to that point midway through the third quarter of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9f451bc00f48e0faae0f907854c8c6c3">Game 3 of the NBA Finals,</a>&nbsp;the Denver Nuggets put on a rebounding clinic.

Aaron Gordon grabbed one on the defensive end after Miami’s Max Strus missed, then Michael Porter Jr. came down with the ball off Jamal Murray’s failed 3-point attempt. Porter got his own own rebound off a block — and when he missed, Gordon put it back up and in, and the score wasn’t close the rest of the way.

It was their own personal game of shoot until you make it — and it spoke to the Nuggets being too big, too strong and too tough inside for the Heat in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2023-heat-nuggets-f15a5273ea2e05117142ee65953284c2">109-94 victory</a>&nbsp;Wednesday night that put them up 2-1 in the series and one step closer to the first championship in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-nuggets-jokic-3042b538d9e67d13f2776e6d55dbc04e">franchise history.</a>

“It’s a collective effort,” said Murray, who had 10 rebounds as part of his triple-double. “Sometimes it’s just an effort play. Sometimes the ball just comes to you. Sometimes somebody else does the dirty work and boxes the big guy out. I think it’s everybody chipping in to get those rebounds.”

Denver outrebounded Miami 65-41, and points in the paint were a lopsided 60-34. Nikola Jokic had 18 rebounds on the defensive end alone and 21 total as part of his triple-double.

“When we rebound like that, there’s usually a direct correlation to a ‘W,’” said Gordon, who had 10 rebounds. “We’ve got to keep eating the glass, continue to rebound on both sides of the floor.”

While Jokic became the first player with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game in the finals, he had plenty of help on the glass. The Heat had few answers inside for Gordon, Murray and Porter, who with his seven.

“They just pummeled us in the paint,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said, lamenting his team losing too many 50-50 plays. “They didn’t really have to shoot 3s. They had, whatever, 60 in the paint. They probably shot over 65% in the paint at the rim there. Wasn’t a need to space the floor.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/26adde2457338af0841e8035a737a55e">With Denver looking for complementary help for Jokic and Murray</a>&nbsp;— who had 14 points midway through the second quarter and finished with a game-high 34 that were the most by a Canada-born player in a finals game — Gordon stepped to the forefront. The 27-year-old forward had 11 points in 34 minutes on the court.

Rookie Christian Braun also came up big with 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench. His was just one of several crucial secondary performances.

“This is by far our best game of the series, the most compete game of the series, and it’s not because of the triple-doubles or all the individual stats,” coach Michael Malone said, citing the 60 points in the paint and outrebounding Miami by a significant amount in a game in the finals. “That really helped us out tonight: the defending and rebounding at a high level.”

Malone saw it as the Nuggets responding teamwide to their Game 2 performance, when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d3f7a8482bd59ee4bc916357b013aeaa">blew a 15-point lead and lost.</a>&nbsp;Now he hopes it carries into Game 4.

“I loved our energy, our effort, our urgency, our discipline,” Malone said. “I felt we were where we needed to be tonight, and we’ll have to be even better come Friday evening.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686231020626.png" alt="Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) drives to the basket during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)" />
 <figcaption>Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) drives to the basket during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — After building their largest lead of the night to that point midway through the third quarter of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9f451bc00f48e0faae0f907854c8c6c3">Game 3 of the NBA Finals,</a>&nbsp;the Denver Nuggets put on a rebounding clinic.Aaron Gordon grabbed one on the defensive end after Miami’s Max Strus missed, then Michael Porter Jr. came down with the ball off Jamal Murray’s failed 3-point attempt. Porter got his own own rebound off a block — and when he missed, Gordon put it back up and in, and the score wasn’t close the rest of the way.It was their own personal game of shoot until you make it — and it spoke to the Nuggets being too big, too strong and too tough inside for the Heat in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-2023-heat-nuggets-f15a5273ea2e05117142ee65953284c2">109-94 victory</a>&nbsp;Wednesday night that put them up 2-1 in the series and one step closer to the first championship in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-nuggets-jokic-3042b538d9e67d13f2776e6d55dbc04e">franchise history.</a>“It’s a collective effort,” said Murray, who had 10 rebounds as part of his triple-double. “Sometimes it’s just an effort play. Sometimes the ball just comes to you. Sometimes somebody else does the dirty work and boxes the big guy out. I think it’s everybody chipping in to get those rebounds.”Denver outrebounded Miami 65-41, and points in the paint were a lopsided 60-34. Nikola Jokic had 18 rebounds on the defensive end alone and 21 total as part of his triple-double.“When we rebound like that, there’s usually a direct correlation to a ‘W,’” said Gordon, who had 10 rebounds. “We’ve got to keep eating the glass, continue to rebound on both sides of the floor.”While Jokic became the first player with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game in the finals, he had plenty of help on the glass. The Heat had few answers inside for Gordon, Murray and Porter, who with his seven.“They just pummeled us in the paint,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said, lamenting his team losing too many 50-50 plays. “They didn’t really have to shoot 3s. They had, whatever, 60 in the paint. They probably shot over 65% in the paint at the rim there. Wasn’t a need to space the floor.”<a href="https://apnews.com/26adde2457338af0841e8035a737a55e">With Denver looking for complementary help for Jokic and Murray</a>&nbsp;— who had 14 points midway through the second quarter and finished with a game-high 34 that were the most by a Canada-born player in a finals game — Gordon stepped to the forefront. The 27-year-old forward had 11 points in 34 minutes on the court.Rookie Christian Braun also came up big with 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench. His was just one of several crucial secondary performances.“This is by far our best game of the series, the most compete game of the series, and it’s not because of the triple-doubles or all the individual stats,” coach Michael Malone said, citing the 60 points in the paint and outrebounding Miami by a significant amount in a game in the finals. “That really helped us out tonight: the defending and rebounding at a high level.”Malone saw it as the Nuggets responding teamwide to their Game 2 performance, when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d3f7a8482bd59ee4bc916357b013aeaa">blew a 15-point lead and lost.</a>&nbsp;Now he hopes it carries into Game 4.“I loved our energy, our effort, our urgency, our discipline,” Malone said. “I felt we were where we needed to be tonight, and we’ll have to be even better come Friday evening.”

Nuggets win, take 2-1 series lead in NBA Finals

MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez singled twice and raised his major league-leading average to .403 as the Miami Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Wednesday night.

Jesús Sánchez homered, singled twice and had four RBI for the Marlins, who won their sixth straight. The consecutive three-game series sweeps over the Royals and Oakland A’s are the first by the Marlins at home since winning six straight against Washington and Houston in 2008.

“We’re very confident and happy right now,” Sánchez said. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is to win the game. The positive vibe and adrenaline are there.”

Marlins starter Edward Cabrera’s one-run outing ended after throwing his warm-up pitches to begin the sixth. Manager Skip Schumaker and a Marlins trainer approached the mound and spoke with the right-hander, who was then removed because of a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand.

Cabrera (5-4) gave up two hits, walked two, struck out four and hit a batter.

“I started feeling it in the third inning but we were winning and I couldn’t let the team down,” Cabrera said. “I kept fighting and throwing as many innings as I could.”

Jordan Lyles remained winless and lost his 10th decision. He allowed five runs, six hits, walked one and struck out two in seven-plus innings.

“He’s had several starts like that this year where he’s gone real deep in the games,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And that’s something he’s always done. He’s durable and bounces back well.”

Left-handers Steven Okert, Tanner Scott, Andrew Nardi and A.J. Puk relieved Cabrera and threw an inning each to complete the three-hitter.

Sánchez’s three-run shot in the third erased a 1-0 deficit. Sánchez hit a change-up from Lyles over the wall in center for his sixth homer and second straight game.

“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, just making a good swing,” Sánchez said.

Miami padded its lead in the eighth on Bryan De La Cruz’s two-run double and Sánchez’s RBI single.

The Royals struck first on Nick Pratto’s RBI single in the third inning.

Marlins centerfield Garrett Hampson tracked down Bobby Witt Jr.’s drive, jumped and caught it above the wall in the fourth.

“It was high enough where I could get to the wall,” Hampson said. “Just trying to get back and find the wall, kind of get a general idea where the wall is and go make the play.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686186266028.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jordan Lyles throws to a Miami Marlins batter duirng the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jordan Lyles throws to a Miami Marlins batter duirng the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez singled twice and raised his major league-leading average to .403 as the Miami Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Wednesday night.Jesús Sánchez homered, singled twice and had four RBI for the Marlins, who won their sixth straight. The consecutive three-game series sweeps over the Royals and Oakland A’s are the first by the Marlins at home since winning six straight against Washington and Houston in 2008.“We’re very confident and happy right now,” Sánchez said. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is to win the game. The positive vibe and adrenaline are there.”Marlins starter Edward Cabrera’s one-run outing ended after throwing his warm-up pitches to begin the sixth. Manager Skip Schumaker and a Marlins trainer approached the mound and spoke with the right-hander, who was then removed because of a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand.Cabrera (5-4) gave up two hits, walked two, struck out four and hit a batter.“I started feeling it in the third inning but we were winning and I couldn’t let the team down,” Cabrera said. “I kept fighting and throwing as many innings as I could.”Jordan Lyles remained winless and lost his 10th decision. He allowed five runs, six hits, walked one and struck out two in seven-plus innings.“He’s had several starts like that this year where he’s gone real deep in the games,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And that’s something he’s always done. He’s durable and bounces back well.”Left-handers Steven Okert, Tanner Scott, Andrew Nardi and A.J. Puk relieved Cabrera and threw an inning each to complete the three-hitter.Sánchez’s three-run shot in the third erased a 1-0 deficit. Sánchez hit a change-up from Lyles over the wall in center for his sixth homer and second straight game.“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, just making a good swing,” Sánchez said.Miami padded its lead in the eighth on Bryan De La Cruz’s two-run double and Sánchez’s RBI single.The Royals struck first on Nick Pratto’s RBI single in the third inning.HOMER DENIEDMarlins centerfield Garrett Hampson tracked down Bobby Witt Jr.’s drive, jumped and caught it above the wall in the fourth.“It was high enough where I could get to the wall,” Hampson said. “Just trying to get back and find the wall, kind of get a general idea where the wall is and go make the play.”

Arraez up to .403, Marlins down Kansas City 6-1

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;— Former Kansas forward Dedric Lawson is the most recent addition to the Mass Street roster for the upcoming TBT regional next month in Wichita.

The 6-foot-9 native of Memphis, Tennessee played for Bill Self and the Jayhawks during the 2018-19 season after transferring from Memphis. While at Kansas, Lawson played and started 36 games, averaging 19.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He was a 1st Team All-Big 12 team following the season and was also selected as a 1st Team All-Big 12 Tournament selection.

Lawson opted to forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility and declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. He was not selected in the draft and played in the NBA G League. After playing one season in the G League, Lawson played overseas in Turkey.

The 25-year-old is now added to a roster that already has Tyshawn Taylor, Thomas Robinson, Keith Langford and Marcus Garrett onboard. You can find more information about the Mass Street team <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/teams/mass-st-collective/">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686160591412.jpeg" alt="Kansas forward Dedric Lawson reacts after scoring a basket during overtime of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, in New York. Kansas defeated Tennessee 87-81. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas forward Dedric Lawson reacts after scoring a basket during overtime of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, in New York. Kansas defeated Tennessee 87-81. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;— Former Kansas forward Dedric Lawson is the most recent addition to the Mass Street roster for the upcoming TBT regional next month in Wichita.The 6-foot-9 native of Memphis, Tennessee played for Bill Self and the Jayhawks during the 2018-19 season after transferring from Memphis. While at Kansas, Lawson played and started 36 games, averaging 19.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He was a 1st Team All-Big 12 team following the season and was also selected as a 1st Team All-Big 12 Tournament selection.Lawson opted to forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility and declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. He was not selected in the draft and played in the NBA G League. After playing one season in the G League, Lawson played overseas in Turkey.The 25-year-old is now added to a roster that already has Tyshawn Taylor, Thomas Robinson, Keith Langford and Marcus Garrett onboard. You can find more information about the Mass Street team <a href="https://thetournament.com/tbt/teams/mass-st-collective/">here</a>.

🏀 MBB: Lawson added to KU alumni team roster

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State fans wanting to see the reigning Big 12 Champions in action this fall in Manhattan can begin purchasing single-game football tickets next week, K-State Athletics announced today. A pre-sale for Ahearn Fund members will begin on Monday, June 12, while the general public can begin purchasing tickets on Thursday, June 15.

Tickets to the season opener against SEMO on September 2 – which serves as the annual Golden Cats reunion and the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 Big 12 Championship team – start at less than $30. The game will kick off at 6 p.m., and will include a stripe out of the stadium to celebrate the 2022 Big 12 Championship. University Family Day is scheduled for September 9 when the Wildcats host Troy at 11 a.m. Tickets for the second home game also start at less than $30. Following a game at Missouri, the Wildcats will welcome new Big 12 foe UCF on September 23. The game is Celebrate Ag, and tickets are currently less than $40. A rematch of the 2022 Big 12 Championship game is set for October 21 when the TCU Horned Frogs return to Manhattan. Fans can see this highly anticipated match-up, which is also Harley Day, for less than $45. Tickets start at less than $40 for the three final conference home games, which includes Homecoming against new Big 12 opponent Houston on October 28, Fort Riley Day against Baylor on November 11, and Senior Day against Iowa State on November 25. Fans are encouraged to act fast and purchase their tickets as K-State Athletics utilizes dynamic pricing; single-game prices may change based on demand. Demand for tickets is also high with season tickets currently pacing nearly 4,000 above this time last year. New this year, fans will no longer pay additional handling fees when checking out. All single-game ticket prices include all fees, including sales tax, credit card fees, and ticket software fees. Tickets can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686154092336.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics&nbsp;MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State fans wanting to see the reigning Big 12 Champions in action this fall in Manhattan can begin purchasing single-game football tickets next week, K-State Athletics announced today. A pre-sale for Ahearn Fund members will begin on Monday, June 12, while the general public can begin purchasing tickets on Thursday, June 15. Tickets to the season opener against SEMO on September 2 – which serves as the annual Golden Cats reunion and the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 Big 12 Championship team – start at less than $30. The game will kick off at 6 p.m., and will include a stripe out of the stadium to celebrate the 2022 Big 12 Championship. University Family Day is scheduled for September 9 when the Wildcats host Troy at 11 a.m. Tickets for the second home game also start at less than $30. Following a game at Missouri, the Wildcats will welcome new Big 12 foe UCF on September 23. The game is Celebrate Ag, and tickets are currently less than $40. A rematch of the 2022 Big 12 Championship game is set for October 21 when the TCU Horned Frogs return to Manhattan. Fans can see this highly anticipated match-up, which is also Harley Day, for less than $45. Tickets start at less than $40 for the three final conference home games, which includes Homecoming against new Big 12 opponent Houston on October 28, Fort Riley Day against Baylor on November 11, and Senior Day against Iowa State on November 25. Fans are encouraged to act fast and purchase their tickets as K-State Athletics utilizes dynamic pricing; single-game prices may change based on demand. Demand for tickets is also high with season tickets currently pacing nearly 4,000 above this time last year. New this year, fans will no longer pay additional handling fees when checking out. All single-game ticket prices include all fees, including sales tax, credit card fees, and ticket software fees. Tickets can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 K-State single-game tickets on sale next week

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— The demolition of Cessna Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University is officially underway, as the bulldozers started knocking down the east grandstand on Tuesday afternoon.

The 24,000 seat stadium was built in 1946 as Veterans Field, and was renamed to Cessna Stadium in 1969 after a renovation was done to the existing stands.&nbsp;

The Kansas Board of Regents approved demolition of the stadium on April 15, 2020, citing the high cost of repairs needed. On September 26, 2022, the university presented its plan for a new facility to the Board of Regents. The plan will be roughly $51 million rebuild of the stadium, and will hold a capacity of around 10,000. 

The project is scheduled to be done in four different phases. The east grandstand will be the first to go and will be replaced with a seating berm for nearly 2,400 people. The phase known as 1A will also include new lighting, ticket pavilions, restrooms, storage buildings and a plaza. The 1B plan will follow next summer.

You can watch the demolition of the stadium on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/tRXZ-T3nBj8?feature=share">WSU TV YouTube channel</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686087148102.png" alt="Cessna Stadium demolition has begun at Wichita State University. Photo courtesy of the WSU TV YouTube channel." />
 <figcaption>Cessna Stadium demolition has begun at Wichita State University. Photo courtesy of the WSU TV YouTube channel.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;— The demolition of Cessna Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University is officially underway, as the bulldozers started knocking down the east grandstand on Tuesday afternoon.The 24,000 seat stadium was built in 1946 as Veterans Field, and was renamed to Cessna Stadium in 1969 after a renovation was done to the existing stands.&nbsp;The Kansas Board of Regents approved demolition of the stadium on April 15, 2020, citing the high cost of repairs needed. On September 26, 2022, the university presented its plan for a new facility to the Board of Regents. The plan will be roughly $51 million rebuild of the stadium, and will hold a capacity of around 10,000. The project is scheduled to be done in four different phases. The east grandstand will be the first to go and will be replaced with a seating berm for nearly 2,400 people. The phase known as 1A will also include new lighting, ticket pavilions, restrooms, storage buildings and a plaza. The 1B plan will follow next summer.You can watch the demolition of the stadium on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/tRXZ-T3nBj8?feature=share">WSU TV YouTube channel</a>.&nbsp;

Cessna Stadium demolition underway in Wichita

The PGA Tour abruptly dropped its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on Tuesday and instead announced a stunning merger that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth.

As part of the deal merging the PGA Tour and European tour with Saudi Arabia’s golf interests, the sides immediately are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf.

From the golf side, still to be determined is how players like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-the-masters-golf-rory-mcilroy-brooks-koepka-bbd749c85f449b5e07dbcb66f6b0ad73">Brooks Koepka</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-golf-sergio-phil-mickelson-dustin-johnson-21f4722d284a2b9ed0c95652de809522">Dustin Johnson</a>&nbsp;can rejoin the PGA Tour after defecting last year for signing bonuses reported to be in the $150 million range.

From the commercial side, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund joins the PGA Tour board of directors and leads the new business venture as chairman, though the PGA Tour will have a majority stake.

News of the deal came as a surprise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-golf-pga-liv-trump-lawsuit-edcd86df5ff12fa067505afd98b18a84">many watchers of the lawsuits and Saudi Arabia’s inroads</a>&nbsp;into U.S. politics, sports and culture.

“This is a huge development and obviously upends a world of golf, which has been perhaps more tradition-bound in the past,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Houston’s Baker Institute.

Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has made a point of seeking out investments, like LIV, where it could shake up existing industries, Ulrichsen said.

“That’s sort of one of their mantras, is to try to be disruptive and to take on the status quo,” he said. “And in this case, they seem to have succeeded.”

The announcement comes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-charl-schwartzel-phil-mickelson-louis-oosthuizen-branden-grace-78d7e81d0b9937eba4132bde75e107bc">a year after LIV Golf began</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-greg-norman-bryson-dechambeau-dustin-johnson-england-956515e3a79f59d620a39a52708eed67">PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was at the Canadian Open</a>&nbsp;that week and said pointedly about any player who joined LIV or was thinking about it: “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”

Now they are partners, giving Saudi Arabia a commercial voice in golf’s premier organization.

“I recognize everything I’ve said in the past. I recognize people will call me a hypocrite,” Monahan said in a conference call Tuesday evening. “Any time I’ve said anything, I’ve said it with the information I had, and I said it with someone trying to compete with our tour and our players.”

Most PGA Tour players were bewildered by the shocking turnaround. It didn’t help that a news outlet broke the embargoed announcement before Monahan could send a memo to the players. Most learned of the development on social media.

“I love finding out about morning news on Twitter,” two-time major champion Collin Morikawa&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/collin_morikawa/status/1666085967105773574?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.

Many were not happy. Wesley Bryan&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wesleybryangolf/status/1666086991476424706" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, “I feel betrayed, and will not ... be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time.”

Byeong Hun An added on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ByeongHunAn/status/1666090106447593474" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: “I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years.”

“They were going down their path, we were going down ours, and after a lot of introspection you realize all this tension in the game is not a good thing,” Monahan said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

“We have a responsibility to our tour and to the game, and we felt like the time was right to have that conversation.”

Monahan held a player meeting at the Canadian Open, though most top players are not there. He described the meeting as “intense, certainly heated.”

And while this likely will only lead to greater riches in golf, there still was explaining to do on why the tour would merge with a group that tried to take away some of the PGA Tour’s best players and was seen as the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/liv-pga-sportswashing-saudi-golf-5614114833688edfe58c4ff6dd47ac75">example of “sportswashing.”</a>

The deal was in the works for the last seven weeks, when Monahan first met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund. Players typically approve changes to the schedule and other competition matters. On this one, they were left out.

“No one had word of this,” Monahan said. “Our players expect us to operate in the best interests of the tour.”

Instead, he cited guidance from corporate members of the PGA Tour board.

Still, Monahan has his toughest work ahead of him.

He sought loyalty from his players against a league accused of taking part in sportswashing, an attempt by Saudi Arabia to shift focus away from its human rights abuses, such as the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Now the very group that posed such a threat is the commercial partner of the PGA Tour and European tour.

“The divisiveness is now over, and two years of disruption and distractions ... is over and now we can concentrate on building our respective tours,” said Keith Pelley, CEO of the European tour. “And we are building it with PIF, who is clearly committed to the game.”

Along the way, PGA Tour players also got rich. The tour raised prize money at elite events to $20 million, the same purse for LIV’s individual competition. The 2024 schedule has been reshaped for roughly 16 tournaments like that.

“In the short term, I expect a lot of questions and criticism,” Monahan said. “In the long run, players who stayed with the PGA Tour will see they benefited in many ways.”

The agreement combines the Public Investment Fund’s golf-related commercial businesses and rights — including LIV Golf — with those of the PGA and European tours. The new entity has not been named.

Al-Rumayyan will join the board of the PGA Tour, which continues to operates its tournaments. The PIF will invest in the commercial venture.

“From the very beginning, the whole initiative was how to grow the game of golf,” Al-Rumayyan said. “And I think what was achieved today was exactly that.”

Augusta National and the Royal &amp; Ancient welcomed the news because it ends a bitter feud. Augusta National said the deal “represents a positive development in bringing harmony to men’s professional golf.” R&amp;A CEO Martin Slumbers said it would help golf “move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion.”

As for the new role of Greg Norman, Al-Rumayyan said only that Norman is LIV Golf’s commissioner and details of his future role would be announced in the coming weeks.

Monahan’s memo to players indicated a strong Saudi Arabian presence. He said PIF would make a financial investment to become a “premier corporate sponsor” of the PGA Tour, the European tour and other international tours.

The PIF initially will be the exclusive investor in the new entity and will have the exclusive right to further invest, including a right of first refusal on any capital that may be invested.

Al-Rumayyan has been spotted wearing a “MAGA” hat during LIV events at courses owned by former President Donald Trump.

Trump predicted last July that a merger was inevitable and said anyone not signing with the Saudi league would be losing out. He&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110497654627066909" target="_blank">weighed in</a>&nbsp;Tuesday and called it a “glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf.”

Monahan said the merger came together the last seven weeks, with PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne responsible for bringing together Monahan and Al-Rumayyan. Dunne and Ed Herlihy, chairman of the PGA Tour’s board, will serve on the board of the commercial venture.

Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau were among 11 players who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-lawsuits-golf-phil-mickelson-d17cc25c582c2ec2dd4dce318c288bb1">filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour</a>&nbsp;last August.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-lawsuits-golf-e85dce12007d5a34bbaa0085741c5a7e">LIV joined as plaintiffs</a>, and the PGA Tour countersued.

The concern for PIF was whether its leaders could be deposed, which Saudi Arabia wanted to avoid. Being open to depositions would leave the kingdom’s leaders more vulnerable to legal action, including lawsuits demanding they reveal business deals in the United States.

A federal judge had ruled the PIF could not claim immunity from the Foreign Service Immunity Act because of its commercial work with LIV Golf in the U.S.

The PIF appealed the ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which was likely to extend the lawsuit deep into 2024 if not longer.

Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and AP Sports Writer Steve Douglas in Stockholm contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686106188400.png" alt="FILE - Team champions David Puig, Sebastián Muñoz, Mito Pereira, Captain Joaquín Niemann of Torque GC and their caddies celebrate on stage with the team trophy during LIV Golf DC at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Sterling, Virginia. The most disruptive year in golf ended Tuesday, June 6, 2023, when the PGA Tour and European tour agreed to a merger with Saudi Arabia's golf interests, creating a commercial operation designed to unify professional golf around the world.(Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Team champions David Puig, Sebastián Muñoz, Mito Pereira, Captain Joaquín Niemann of Torque GC and their caddies celebrate on stage with the team trophy during LIV Golf DC at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Sterling, Virginia. The most disruptive year in golf ended Tuesday, June 6, 2023, when the PGA Tour and European tour agreed to a merger with Saudi Arabia's golf interests, creating a commercial operation designed to unify professional golf around the world.(Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>Associated PressThe PGA Tour abruptly dropped its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on Tuesday and instead announced a stunning merger that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth.As part of the deal merging the PGA Tour and European tour with Saudi Arabia’s golf interests, the sides immediately are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf.From the golf side, still to be determined is how players like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-the-masters-golf-rory-mcilroy-brooks-koepka-bbd749c85f449b5e07dbcb66f6b0ad73">Brooks Koepka</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-golf-sergio-phil-mickelson-dustin-johnson-21f4722d284a2b9ed0c95652de809522">Dustin Johnson</a>&nbsp;can rejoin the PGA Tour after defecting last year for signing bonuses reported to be in the $150 million range.From the commercial side, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund joins the PGA Tour board of directors and leads the new business venture as chairman, though the PGA Tour will have a majority stake.News of the deal came as a surprise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-golf-pga-liv-trump-lawsuit-edcd86df5ff12fa067505afd98b18a84">many watchers of the lawsuits and Saudi Arabia’s inroads</a>&nbsp;into U.S. politics, sports and culture.“This is a huge development and obviously upends a world of golf, which has been perhaps more tradition-bound in the past,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Houston’s Baker Institute.Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has made a point of seeking out investments, like LIV, where it could shake up existing industries, Ulrichsen said.“That’s sort of one of their mantras, is to try to be disruptive and to take on the status quo,” he said. “And in this case, they seem to have succeeded.”The announcement comes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-charl-schwartzel-phil-mickelson-louis-oosthuizen-branden-grace-78d7e81d0b9937eba4132bde75e107bc">a year after LIV Golf began</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-greg-norman-bryson-dechambeau-dustin-johnson-england-956515e3a79f59d620a39a52708eed67">PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was at the Canadian Open</a>&nbsp;that week and said pointedly about any player who joined LIV or was thinking about it: “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”Now they are partners, giving Saudi Arabia a commercial voice in golf’s premier organization.“I recognize everything I’ve said in the past. I recognize people will call me a hypocrite,” Monahan said in a conference call Tuesday evening. “Any time I’ve said anything, I’ve said it with the information I had, and I said it with someone trying to compete with our tour and our players.”Most PGA Tour players were bewildered by the shocking turnaround. It didn’t help that a news outlet broke the embargoed announcement before Monahan could send a memo to the players. Most learned of the development on social media.“I love finding out about morning news on Twitter,” two-time major champion Collin Morikawa&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/collin_morikawa/status/1666085967105773574?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.Many were not happy. Wesley Bryan&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wesleybryangolf/status/1666086991476424706" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, “I feel betrayed, and will not ... be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time.”Byeong Hun An added on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ByeongHunAn/status/1666090106447593474" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: “I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years.”“They were going down their path, we were going down ours, and after a lot of introspection you realize all this tension in the game is not a good thing,” Monahan said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.“We have a responsibility to our tour and to the game, and we felt like the time was right to have that conversation.”Monahan held a player meeting at the Canadian Open, though most top players are not there. He described the meeting as “intense, certainly heated.”And while this likely will only lead to greater riches in golf, there still was explaining to do on why the tour would merge with a group that tried to take away some of the PGA Tour’s best players and was seen as the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/liv-pga-sportswashing-saudi-golf-5614114833688edfe58c4ff6dd47ac75">example of “sportswashing.”</a>The deal was in the works for the last seven weeks, when Monahan first met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund. Players typically approve changes to the schedule and other competition matters. On this one, they were left out.“No one had word of this,” Monahan said. “Our players expect us to operate in the best interests of the tour.”Instead, he cited guidance from corporate members of the PGA Tour board.Still, Monahan has his toughest work ahead of him.He sought loyalty from his players against a league accused of taking part in sportswashing, an attempt by Saudi Arabia to shift focus away from its human rights abuses, such as the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Now the very group that posed such a threat is the commercial partner of the PGA Tour and European tour.“The divisiveness is now over, and two years of disruption and distractions ... is over and now we can concentrate on building our respective tours,” said Keith Pelley, CEO of the European tour. “And we are building it with PIF, who is clearly committed to the game.”Along the way, PGA Tour players also got rich. The tour raised prize money at elite events to $20 million, the same purse for LIV’s individual competition. The 2024 schedule has been reshaped for roughly 16 tournaments like that.“In the short term, I expect a lot of questions and criticism,” Monahan said. “In the long run, players who stayed with the PGA Tour will see they benefited in many ways.”The agreement combines the Public Investment Fund’s golf-related commercial businesses and rights — including LIV Golf — with those of the PGA and European tours. The new entity has not been named.Al-Rumayyan will join the board of the PGA Tour, which continues to operates its tournaments. The PIF will invest in the commercial venture.“From the very beginning, the whole initiative was how to grow the game of golf,” Al-Rumayyan said. “And I think what was achieved today was exactly that.”Augusta National and the Royal &amp; Ancient welcomed the news because it ends a bitter feud. Augusta National said the deal “represents a positive development in bringing harmony to men’s professional golf.” R&amp;A CEO Martin Slumbers said it would help golf “move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion.”As for the new role of Greg Norman, Al-Rumayyan said only that Norman is LIV Golf’s commissioner and details of his future role would be announced in the coming weeks.Monahan’s memo to players indicated a strong Saudi Arabian presence. He said PIF would make a financial investment to become a “premier corporate sponsor” of the PGA Tour, the European tour and other international tours.The PIF initially will be the exclusive investor in the new entity and will have the exclusive right to further invest, including a right of first refusal on any capital that may be invested.Al-Rumayyan has been spotted wearing a “MAGA” hat during LIV events at courses owned by former President Donald Trump.Trump predicted last July that a merger was inevitable and said anyone not signing with the Saudi league would be losing out. He&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110497654627066909" target="_blank">weighed in</a>&nbsp;Tuesday and called it a “glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf.”Monahan said the merger came together the last seven weeks, with PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne responsible for bringing together Monahan and Al-Rumayyan. Dunne and Ed Herlihy, chairman of the PGA Tour’s board, will serve on the board of the commercial venture.Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau were among 11 players who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-lawsuits-golf-phil-mickelson-d17cc25c582c2ec2dd4dce318c288bb1">filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour</a>&nbsp;last August.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-lawsuits-golf-e85dce12007d5a34bbaa0085741c5a7e">LIV joined as plaintiffs</a>, and the PGA Tour countersued.The concern for PIF was whether its leaders could be deposed, which Saudi Arabia wanted to avoid. Being open to depositions would leave the kingdom’s leaders more vulnerable to legal action, including lawsuits demanding they reveal business deals in the United States.A federal judge had ruled the PIF could not claim immunity from the Foreign Service Immunity Act because of its commercial work with LIV Golf in the U.S.The PIF appealed the ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which was likely to extend the lawsuit deep into 2024 if not longer.___Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and AP Sports Writer Steve Douglas in Stockholm contributed to this report.

PGA Tour and European tour agree to merge with Saudis and end LIV Golf feud

MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez had two hits to raise his major league-leading batting average to .401 and help the Miami Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Tuesday night.

Second in the NL East, the Marlins have won five straight to improve to 34-28 — the first time they’ve been six games over .500 since August 2016.

After Arraez flew out to left in his first two at-bats, he hit consecutive singles to finish 2 for 4 with an RBI. Jesús Sánchez homered and Bryan De La Cruz drove in three runs.

“It is an honor when I see that number on the scoreboard but as I’ve said before it is not impossible,” Arraez said in Spanish. “Things are going well for me and we are also winning, which is what is most important.”

Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo threw seven innings of one-run ball. Luzardo (5-4) scattered two hits and struck out eight, matching his longest outing of the season. Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing followed Luzardo, each throwing an inning to complete the five-hitter.

“Today was a step in the right direction for something me and (catcher) Nick (Fortes) have been working on, which is just mixing it up with everything I’ve got,” Luzardo said. “Hopefully, we keep doing that and taking steps forward.”

Luzardo was pulled after 86 pitches and a perfected seventh.

“We have an idea of the amount of innings Jesús has thrown in his career,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s going to be on pace for a career high and we want to monitor it, throwing the extra inning when it’s needed. We felt we had really good matchups at the end with the bullpen to give guys an inning.”

Miami broke open a scoreless game with a five-run fifth against Zack Greinke (1-6).

The former Cy Young Award winner kept Miami hitless until Sánchez’s leadoff blast. Sánchez drove the first pitch breaking ball from Greinke over the wall in left for his fifth homer.

“All of his pitches move,” Sánchez said about facing Greinke. “Although he doesn’t have the stuff, I always look for the fastball. He threw me the curveball and I adjusted because I have the ability to hit the curveball, too.”

Arraez’s one-out single with the bases loaded made it 2-0 and ended Greinke’s outing. Reliever Jackson Kowar retired Jorge Soler on a pop out to second before De La Cruz cleared the bases with a double to right.

The 39-year-old Greinke gave up five runs, four hits and struck out three. He was unbeaten in seven career decisions against Miami.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686105870864.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Matt Duffy (15) reacts after striking out swinging during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Matt Duffy (15) reacts after striking out swinging during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — Luis Arraez had two hits to raise his major league-leading batting average to .401 and help the Miami Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Tuesday night.Second in the NL East, the Marlins have won five straight to improve to 34-28 — the first time they’ve been six games over .500 since August 2016.After Arraez flew out to left in his first two at-bats, he hit consecutive singles to finish 2 for 4 with an RBI. Jesús Sánchez homered and Bryan De La Cruz drove in three runs.“It is an honor when I see that number on the scoreboard but as I’ve said before it is not impossible,” Arraez said in Spanish. “Things are going well for me and we are also winning, which is what is most important.”Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo threw seven innings of one-run ball. Luzardo (5-4) scattered two hits and struck out eight, matching his longest outing of the season. Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing followed Luzardo, each throwing an inning to complete the five-hitter.“Today was a step in the right direction for something me and (catcher) Nick (Fortes) have been working on, which is just mixing it up with everything I’ve got,” Luzardo said. “Hopefully, we keep doing that and taking steps forward.”Luzardo was pulled after 86 pitches and a perfected seventh.“We have an idea of the amount of innings Jesús has thrown in his career,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s going to be on pace for a career high and we want to monitor it, throwing the extra inning when it’s needed. We felt we had really good matchups at the end with the bullpen to give guys an inning.”Miami broke open a scoreless game with a five-run fifth against Zack Greinke (1-6).The former Cy Young Award winner kept Miami hitless until Sánchez’s leadoff blast. Sánchez drove the first pitch breaking ball from Greinke over the wall in left for his fifth homer.“All of his pitches move,” Sánchez said about facing Greinke. “Although he doesn’t have the stuff, I always look for the fastball. He threw me the curveball and I adjusted because I have the ability to hit the curveball, too.”Arraez’s one-out single with the bases loaded made it 2-0 and ended Greinke’s outing. Reliever Jackson Kowar retired Jorge Soler on a pop out to second before De La Cruz cleared the bases with a double to right.The 39-year-old Greinke gave up five runs, four hits and struck out three. He was unbeaten in seven career decisions against Miami.“Really, he didn’t throw the ball any differently that inning,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Maybe one of those pitches may have been left over the middle of the plate. They got a little more aggressive that inning and put a couple of good swings on it.”Nick Pratto doubled off Luzardo in the seventh, advanced on a ground out and raced home after a wild pitch for Kansas City’s run.