June 8, 2026 4:17 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Police scuttled an NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks warned fans to get to Monday’s matchup at least two hours early as part of enhanced security measures with President Donald Trump attending the game. Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. Part of the fallout from Trump’s visit was the cancellation of a Game 3 watch party outside MSG. The NYPD said the decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service. Also, the Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Game 3 and encouraging them to arrive early as part of enhanced security measures with Trump attending the game.
June 8, 2026 4:21 am
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin went from the rear to first again Sunday, winning at Michigan International Speedway to earn his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory from the pole position. Just like last week’s win at Nashville Superspeedway when the Joe Gibbs Racing car was penalized for jumping the start, Hamlin qualified first at Michigan but dropped to the back at the green flag because of a penalty for unapproved adjustments to his No. 11 Toyota. He took the lead for good on a three-wide pass during a restart with 38 laps remaining, sweeping into first around Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar.
June 7, 2026 5:23 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Dominic Smith hit a two-run homer, Spencer Strider allowed three runs in five innings and the Atlanta Braves recovered after losing an early three-run lead to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 and clinch another series win. Atlanta led 3-0 after three innings. The Pirates pulled even in the fifth on Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly off Strider. Smith’s homer just inside the foul pole in left field capped Atlanta’s three-run fifth. The Braves improved to 44-21, the best record in the majors. They have won 18 of 21 series, including 10 of 11 at home.
June 7, 2026 5:24 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Shea Theodore scored at 5:38 of double overtime, avoiding what could have been a potentially devastating loss for the Golden Knights after they blew a four-goal lead, and Vegas beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 series lead. Theodore’s goal, which went off goalie Brandon Bussi skate, came on a night that teammate Mitch Marner had the fastest hat trick in Cup Final history. The teams take two days off before meeting in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
June 7, 2026 5:25 am
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Golden Tempo won the Belmont Stakes five weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby. Golden Tempo charged down the stretch at Saratoga Race Course to capture the third and final leg of the Triple Crown with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Commandment was second and favorite Renegade third. DeVaux after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner is the second in four years to do so at the Belmont. Jena Antonucci did so with Archangelo in 2023.
June 7, 2026 5:26 am
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — J.T. Poston and Ryan Gerard are tied for the lead at the Memorial after bad weather halted the third round. Scottie Scheffler was making a strong charge but hit two bogeys in three holes. Poston and Gerard are at 9-under par through five holes, just ahead of Sam Burns. The PGA Tour stopped play because of thunderstorms, with the third round resuming Sunday morning. Scottie Scheffler, aiming for a third consecutive win at the Memorial, started 10 shots behind but made a quick climb before slipping back. Rory McIlroy is also eight shots behind.
June 6, 2026 4:32 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Mauricio Dubón homered for the third straight game and the Atlanta Braves opened another home series with a victory, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Friday night. Dubón was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. It is the first time in his eight-year career he has homered in three consecutive games. Ronald Acuña Jr. was 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI and Matt Olson had two hits and a run. Martín Pérez (4-3) went five innings and gave up three runs before giving way to the bullpen, which blanked MLB’s fourth-highest scoring offense in the final four innings. Raisel Iglesias got his 12th save.
June 6, 2026 4:37 am
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — J.T. Poston knew he was in for a long and windy day at the Memorial. He also was eager to try a golf ball geared toward helping him in the wind. It was a rousing success. Poston shot a 65 to build a one-shot lead over Ryan Gerard. That score was nine shots better than the field average. Justin Thomas made the cut on the number and said it was as hard as any course he has played including the majors. Scottie Scheffler thought he might shoot 90. He was off. He rallied for a 72 and was 10 back.
June 6, 2026 4:34 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Go crazy, New York. Or, perhaps more accurately, crazier. The red-hot Knicks are going home, two wins away from an NBA championship that the capital of the world has been waiting to see for generations. Jalen Brunson hit a go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left after a turnover by Victor Wembanyama moments earlier, then Wembanyama missed a jumper at the end of New York’s 105-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 for the Knicks — who have now won 13 straight, the second-longest streak by any team in NBA playoff history.
June 6, 2026 4:39 am
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears are looking to build a stadium in Northwest Indiana after a proposal to provide financial incentives for the NFL team to build its new home in Illinois stalled in the state legislature. The Bears’ board of directors voted Thursday to move forward with a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. The team had been doing its due diligence on a tract of land near Wolf Lake, but it says an exact site has not been selected. The Bears say in a team statement that a stadium in Northwest Indiana “will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun welcomed the team’s announcement.
