LAS VEGAS (AP) — Golden Knights games have always been as flashy as any show on the Las Vegas Strip, the sword-fighting mascot taking the ice before what seems like a legion of players marching out through the mirrored entrance into the roar of the crowd. If this team was ever going to win the Stanley Cup, it was going to do it with Vegas flash.

DETROIT (AP) — Atlanta Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna has avoided a serious injury to his right wrist after being hit by a pitch Monday night. Ozuna was sent to a hospital for testing after leaving a 6-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers when he was struck by a pitch from Garrett Hill.

DENVER (AP) — Confetti flying in Denver. The Nuggets sharing hugs while passing around the NBA championship trophy. Those scenes that, for almost a half-century, seemed impossible, then more recently started feeling inevitable, finally turned into reality Monday night. The Nuggets outlasted the Miami Heat 94-89 in an ugly, frantic Game 5 that did nothing to derail Nikola Jokic, who bailed out his teammates with 28 points and 16 rebounds on a night when nothing else seemed to work.

DETROIT (AP) — Spencer Torkelson sparked a three-run, ninth-inning rally against Raisel Iglesias with a two-run homer and hit a game-ending single in the 10th, lifting Detroit over the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Monday night to stop the Tigers' nine-game losing streak. “This is huge, because the last 10 days haven't been much fun,” Torkelson said.

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz there, after winning the French Open for a men's-record 23rd Grand Slam title. Djokovic now will add to the record he already held for the most weeks leading the tennis rankings — men's or women's — since the computerized system was set up a half-century ago.

ATLANTA (AP) — Washington had a rare power surge against the Atlanta Braves. Dominic Smith and Jeimer Candelario hit two-run homers in the sixth inning and the Nationals beat Atlanta 6-2 on Sunday to stop a six-game skid and the Braves' seven-game winning streak. “If they keep swinging like that in the middle of the lineup, we're going to do some good things,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.

ATLANTA (AP) — Ozzie Albies' walk-off homer for the Braves did more than just complete their three-game sweep of the NL East-rival New York Mets. The win also made Atlanta comeback history.

MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi has pulled off his latest stunning feat: He is headed to Major League Soccer, and joining Inter Miami. After months — years, even — of speculation, Messi finally revealed his decision to join a Miami franchise that has been led by another global soccer icon, David Beckham, since its inception but has yet to make any real splashes on the field.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons running back and return specialist Avery Williams is expected to miss the 2023 season after suffering a knee injury in a non-contact drill. Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that Williams is expected to have season-ending surgery on Thursday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Elder has posted better pitching lines this season. He hasn't had a more impressive recovery, though, and his ability to regroup set the stage for a Braves comeback against the division-rival Mets. Orlando Arcia drove in the go-ahead run in Atlanta's four-run sixth, Elder overcame his worst inning of the season and the Braves beat New York 6-4 on Tuesday night.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves recalled right-hander Roddery Muñoz from Triple-A Gwinnett and outrighted left-hander Lucas Luetge to Gwinnett before Tuesday night's series opener against the New York Mets. The Braves on Tuesday also acquired right-hander Ben Heller from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for international bonus pool money.

The most disruptive year in golf ended Tuesday 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. As part of the deal, the sides are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf against each other effective immediately.

The former president of the latest version of the United States Football League is launching a spring football league for high school players. Brian Woods, who stepped down as the USFL’s president at the end of last year, said his Prep Super League will begin next year with a six-week season.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola lost his no-hit bid against the Detroit Tigers on Nick Maton's three-run homer into the second deck with two outs in the seventh inning on Monday night. Nola had faced the minimum through six innings and struck out 10 with two walks. He ran into trouble in the seventh when two batters reached on a walk and fielding error. But the righty still had two outs when he hung an 0-2 breaking ball to Maton and the third baseman crushed one into right to make it a 5-3 game.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia hired LSU pitching coach Wes Johnson as its new coach on Monday. Johnson replaces Scott Stricklin, who was fired on May 26 following a 9-0 loss to South Carolina in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference tournament. Georgia finished 29-27 this season, including an 11-19 mark in the SEC.

Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame for the first time this year. The National Football Foundation released Monday a list of 78 players and nine coaches from major college football who are on the Hall of Fame ballot. There also are 101 players and 32 coaches from lower divisions of college football up for consideration.

PHOENIX (AP) — Marcell Ozuna stayed at home plate way too long admiring his 415-foot single. The Atlanta Braves slugger spent most of the rest of the game watching from the bench. …

PHOENIX (AP) — The Atlanta Braves were down to their last out, the difference between a successful series and disappointment hanging in the balance. With one swing of the bat, Eddie Rosario sent the ball over the wall and the Braves back home with some momentum. Rosario hit a grand slam off Miguel Castro with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Braves rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 on Sunday.

Merrill Kelly threw seven strong innings, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped a two-run double and the Arizona Diamondbacks won their season-high sixth game in a row by beating the Atlanta Braves 3-2. It was …

Lionel Messi arrived two years ago wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with ”Ici C’est Paris” (This Is Paris) — a favorite cry among Paris Saint-Germain fans — and to chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!" The soccer superstar will leave the team on Saturday not quite so revered.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Florida put itself in difficult positions all season, none more dire than its deep hole against Florida State in the national semifinals. The experienced Gators consistently found ways to dig their way out and it helped them when things got tight Wednesday in the championship match. Individual NCAA champion Fred Biondi beat Hiroshi Tai 1 up with a par on the 18th hole and Florida won its fifth men's national golf title with a 3-1 victory over Georgia Tech at Grayhawk Golf Club.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — During a season that has been one of the most tumultuous in franchise history, second-year Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay has worked overtime to keep his players positive. It’s starting to pay off. After losing their first nine series at home — one shy of the Oakland record — the A’s are finally stringing together victories.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Jumping into the crowd to celebrate a big race victory appears to have become a Team Penske thing. Ryan Blaney held off William Byron to win the rescheduled Coca-Cola 600 on Monday at Charlotte Speedway, giving team owner Roger Penske a sweep of the Memorial Day weekend’s top races in the United States. Josef Newgarden won a record-extending 19th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday for Team Penske. Like Newgarden, Blaney jumped out of his car and climbed into the crowd to celebrate the win with fans.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — During the dark days of his long rehabilitation while recovering from two separate tears to his right Achilles tendon, Michael Soroka imagined a triumphant comeback on the mound. Finally back in the majors Monday night, Soroka took his first loss in three years. But he sort of won anyway.

ATLANTA (AP) — Given a seven-run lead in the first inning, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider could relax and keep adding to his majors-leading strikeout total. “That game felt like it was over pretty quick,” Strider said. Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in three runs with four hits, including a two-run single in Atlanta's seven-run first inning, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-4 on Sunday night to split the four-game series.