AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:30 p.m. EDT

Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat 108-95 for 3-1 lead

MIAMI (AP) — Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series. Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who took both games in Miami 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 coming there in what's sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5 on Monday night. Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances.

Iga Swiatek beats Karolina Muchova in the French Open final for her 3rd trophy in Paris, 4th Slam

PARIS (AP) — Iga Swiatek has defeated Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to collect her third championship at Roland Garros and fourth Grand Slam title. The No. 1-ranked Swiatek raced to a 3-0 lead after just 10 minutes in Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday. And then she was ahead 3-0 in the second set, too, before Muchova made things more intriguing. With Swiatek looking out of sorts and seeking advice from her coach between points, Muchova grabbed five of six games on the way to pulling even at a set apiece. Muchova carried that momentum into the deciding set, going ahead 2-0 and 4-3. But Swiatek took the last three games.

In finally competitive Stanley Cup Final, Vegas may still have edge on Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Stanley Cup Final finally looks like a competitive series. The Florida Panthers assured that by rallying to beat Vegas in overtime in Game 3 and cut the Golden Knights' lead to 2-1. And while it may have stunted momentum, there's little doubt Vegas has been the better team so far. The Western Conference champions as a result of that don't figure they'll change much of their approach for Game 4. The Panthers, on the other hand, are riding high after Matthew Tkachuk tied it late and Carter Verhaeghe scored to keep them unbeaten in OT this postseason.

Man City seeks 1st Champions League title, Inter Milan eyes upset

ISTANBUL (AP) — Manchester City is trying to win its first Champions League title. Inter Milan has lifted the trophy three times already. They square off in Istanbul in European club soccer's biggest game. Pep Guardiola's team has won the Premier League title and FA Cup this season. Inter stands in the way of City's treble. The Serie A team has a more storied history in Europe, though this is its first final since winning in 2010. An estimated 450 million viewers are expected to watch from around the world. Among the VIPs at Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium will be Man City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It's only the second game he's attended since Abu Dhabi's ruling family bought City in 2008.

Novak Djokovic eyes history with a 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open; Casper Ruud seeks 1st

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic has pursued Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for quite some time. They were the guys he measured himself against. The players who established the standards he sought to surpass. Now Djokovic can stand alone atop the men's Grand Slam trophy list for the first time by earning his record 23rd championship in the French Open final on Sunday. Djokovic will be playing in his 34th major title match against Casper Ruud, a 24-year-old from Norway. Ruud was the runner-up at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open last year but still is seeking his first Grand Slam trophy.

Secretariat Triple Crown celebration at Belmont subdued by death and air quality

This was supposed to be the year thoroughbred horse racing celebrated the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's magnificent Triple Crown triumph. It would come as the current crop of 3-year-olds finished their act on center stage. Heading into the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, the racing has become almost an afterthought. The public is focused on a recent spike in deaths of horses at racetracks and air quality problems that have surfaced in the northeast because of wildfires in Canada. Forte, a 2-year-old champion, is the favorite in the highly-competitive Belmont. The good news is the bad air has blown out to sea.

US Open in LA nearly afterthought with Saudi, PGA Tour deal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The toughest test in golf takes on several meanings for this U.S. Open. Tough starts with the golf course. Los Angeles Country Club should be all of that. Tough also means traffic. Imagine a U.S. Open on the edges of Beverly Hills between Sunset and Wilshire boulevards. And it's been tough on the USGA. It's premier championship is being overshadowed by the shocking deal that puts the PGA Tour in a partnership with Saudi Arabia's wealth fund. No one is sure what this ultimately means for LIV Golf. And there are more hard feelings than at the previous two majors.

Blue Jays cut pitcher Anthony Bass after latest anti-LGBTQ+ comments

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays cut pitcher Anthony Bass on Friday, one day after the right-handed reliever said he didn't think an anti-LGBTQ+ social media post he shared last month was hateful. The team now has seven days to trade Bass or put him on waivers. The move came hours before Bass was set to catch a ceremonial first pitch from an LGBTQ+ activist before Friday's game against Minnesota as the Blue Jays begin their Pride Weekend. Bass apologized before a May 30 game after sharing a post on his Instagram calling for boycotts of Target and Bud Light over support they showed for the LGBTQ+ community.

'Le Monster' takes on Le Mans in NASCAR takeover of iconic race

LE MANS, France (AP) — NASCAR's entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans at last got racing Saturday after NBA superstar LeBron James waved the French flag to start the most iconic sports car race in the world. NASCAR has a special entry in the centenary running of Le Mans as part of its celebration of its 75th season. The car is fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear and features seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. The effort has been very popular in Le Mans and the car has been dubbed "Le Monster" because of the growl of the V8 engine.

Champions League final set to reach 450 million broadcast viewers worldwide

ISTANBUL (AP) — UEFA estimates a global audience of 450 million viewers will watch at least some part of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. The live, minute-by-minute average audience of about 150 million is expected for the game in Istanbul that is being shown in more than 200 territories worldwide. Average audience is a longtime gold standard in the broadcasting industry. It includes in-home TV viewers, fans streaming the game plus watching in bars, restaurants and fan parks. The Champions League record is 184 million for the 2014 final when Real Madrid beat city rival Atlético Madrid.

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