AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:07 a.m. EDT | Associated Press

Vegas Golden Knights hold off Florida Panthers 3-2, move win from Stanley Cup title

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup title after holding on to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in Game 4 of the final. Vegas leads the series 3-1 and can win the NHL championship on home ice Tuesday. Chandler Stephenson scored twice for the Golden Knights and William Karlsson ended his series-long goal drought to build a three-goal lead. The Panthers scored twice to cut their deficit to one. But they’re now on the brink of elimination after the comeback bid fell short.

Panthers need another 3-1 series comeback, this one in the Cup final

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — It can be done. Such will be the thinking for the Florida Panthers for the next couple days, as they now try to dig their way out of a 3-1 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. And they’ll think that for good reason — because they’ve already done it once. Here they go again. The Panthers rallied from a 3-1 series hole in Round 1 against the Boston Bruins, and now they’ll have to do it again in this matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Game 5 is Tuesday in Las Vegas, with the hosts just win away from hoisting the Cup for the first time.

Nuggets showing plenty of poise in these NBA Finals against Heat

MIAMI (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have shown a lot of poise in their first NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have led the way as the Nuggets have taken a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat. The Nuggets could win the title as early as Monday night when the series resumes in Denver. Jokic is in position to become the first player ever to finish as the NBA’s leader in postseason points, rebounds and assists. But he’s had a lot of help. And the Nuggets don’t care who gets the credit.

Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes to make Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to win a Triple Crown race

NEW YORK (AP) — Arcangelo took the lead at the top of the stretch and won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race. Arcangelo finished the 1 1/2 mile race in 2:29.23 and as 1 1/2 lengths in front of favored Fotre, with Tapit Trice third. After the horse crossed the finish line, the 47-year-old Antonucci doubled over and rested her arm and her head on the back of a chair. She kissed the horse on the nose when it returned to the area in front of the winner’s circle.

Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals

MIAMI (AP) — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie’s costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets. The Heat said Saturday that the employee wearing the flame costume, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home.

Iga Swiatek tops 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.

Pan leads Canadian Open, with McIlroy 2 shots back on crowded leaderboard

TORONTO (AP) — Days after being blindsided by the PGA Tour’s partnership with Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund, Rory McIlroy put himself in position for a run at a third straight Canadian Open title. McIlroy, the strongest voice against Saudi-funded LIV Golf who said Wednesday he feels like a “sacrificial lamb,” shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday at Oakdale, leaving him two strokes behind leader C.T. Pan. McIlroy won in 2019 at Hamilton, then — after the event was canceled for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic — won last year in Toronto at St. George’s amid a flurry of LIV Golf controversy. Pan, from Taiwan, birdied the final two holes for a 66 to get to 14-under 202. He won the 2019 RBC Heritage.

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.

Brittney Griner, Mercury teammates confronted at airport by ‘provocateur,’ WNBA says

DALLAS (AP) — The WNBA says Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates were confronted by a “provocateur” at a Dallas airport on Saturday. The league said in a statement it was looking into the team’s run-in with a “social media figure” whose “actions were inappropriate and unfortunate.” Before the season started, the league had discussed with Griner’s representatives and the Mercury security concerns when the All-Star center traveled for road games after she returned from detainment in Russia. The thought was that the highly publicized case compromised her and others’ safety. The league granted Griner permission to book her own charter flights. Mercury player Brianna Turner said in a tweet people at the airport followed the team with cameras “saying wild remarks.”