TORONTO -- There's very little about Kawhi Leonard that screams "mindfulness guru," but as the Toronto Raptors gathered on the bench during a timeout in the midst of the team's big 26-3 run in the second half, he told his teammates, "Enjoy the moment, stay here, stay together, we're good," according to Raptors guard Norman Powell.

The Raptors did enjoy the moment, did stay together and were so good they erased a 15-point deficit late in the third quarter in less than four minutes of game time. This explosive spurt was the most consequential stretch of basketball in this NBA postseason, vaulting Toronto to a 100-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday night, and the first NBA Finals appearance in Raptors' franchise history.

"It's what you play basketball for, for those moments," Powell said. "The one thing Kawhi really stressed to us was just to enjoy it. Don't get too out of character, just enjoy the moment and continue to go out there and just lay it on the floor. So it was an amazing feeling just to be able to battle and chip away at it.

"It's how you make history."

The 26-3 surge took less than eight minutes of game time, but it was an action-suspense film. The sequence was befitting of a Raptors' postseason run that was highlighted by Leonard's dominance but also complemented in recent days by timely contributions from many of the supporting cast who have endured cold snaps.

The first stage was mounted with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, and the Raptors trailing 76-61 -- it was an exhibition of rugged dominance by Leonard. Toronto ripped off the final 10 points of the quarter, eight of them scored by Leonard, the other assisted by him -- a hook shot from close range by Serge Ibaka.

These were not Leonard's most artful eight points on the night -- an awkward step-through leaner in traffic, a 21-foot jumper moving left off a pick-and-roll and four free throws sprinkled in. Yet it was the sort of heavy manufacturing the Raptors desperately needed to stay within shouting distance of Milwaukee as the game entered the fourth quarter. During that span, Leonard also corralled four defensive rebounds off Raptors misses, and collected one of his own free throw misses as well. With Leonard's individual exploits, a 15-point deficit was now cut to five headed into the fourth.

"He's been here before," Raptors guard and longtime Leonard teammate Danny Green said. "He's very comfortable in those situations. When the bright lights get brighter, his game rises and he knows how important it is. He makes the big plays, whether it's getting shots or getting rebounds."

Leonard was scheduled for a short blow to start the fourth quarter, which presented the Raptors with one of their toughest assignments of the postseason: maintain their momentum without the player who propelled it. With Kyle Lowry returning to the lineup with Powell, Ibaka, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, the Raptors ignited the most improbable 3½ minutes of their postseason. It started with VanVleet, who slithered into the lane off a nice stack play, cutting the lead to three points.

"When [Leonard] is on the floor we all defer a little bit to whatever he wants to do," VanVleet said. "So you have to take a little more initiative with playmaking."

Ice cold for much of the playoffs, VanVleet's reemergence over the past week -- a stretch that coincided with the birth of his first child -- had been a bellwether of the Raptors' reversal in the conference finals. Those struggles were one reason why roster depth seemed to favor Milwaukee dramatically in the series. But the elevated play of VanVleet and Powell in recent days had flipped the script for Toronto, with the big run in Game 6 another display. With Lowry, a teammate he regards as a mentor and older brother, VanVleet took the controls of the potentially fateful six possessions of the season, without Leonard.

The Raptors scored on four of those possessions without Leonard to take the lead. As has often been the case when the Raptors are on their game but Leonard isn't on the floor, the ball popped for the Raptors. VanVleet and Siakam attacked Milwaukee with a pick-and-roll, with Lowry moving into the space vacated by VanVleet on the perimeter. As soon as the kickout hit Lowry, he quickly swung a pass to Powell, who was open in the corner, as the ball beat the Bucks' rotation.

The Raptors tied the score on the next trip down when Lowry slung a beautiful pass to Ibaka, who snuck behind a collapsing Milwaukee defense. Then, the Raptors snatched their first lead since the opening minutes with another VanVleet-Siakam pick-and-roll that yielded Siakam a silky floater.

"You get in the game, you want the score to go the right way," VanVleet said. "As a player, you're conscious of that -- not to the point that it affects decisions, but you want to feel the momentum of the game change. To be able to get ourselves going and get ourselves some offensive momentum was big."

As Leonard checked back into the game, the score was going the right way -- a five-point deficit at the start of the quarter had transformed into a two-point lead. Leonard had taken his rest, and with his return, the Raptors sustained their rhythm to the delight of a raucous Scotiabank Arena crowd. Toronto scored seven of the game's next nine points, including a step-back 3-pointer courtesy of VanVleet, and the tour de force -- an emphatic dunk by a trailing Leonard on a break, left for him by a crafty underhanded shuttle pass from Lowry.

"It was a momentum kind of capper," Lowry said. "We kind of were on a run, and why not feed the big dog. Let the big dog eat. I'm always going to look for the guy that I know can finish with the best of them. That's what he did."

A dynamic run like the one the Raptors enjoyed Saturday night must, almost by definition, be as driven by defensive stops as by offensive scores. And for every 3-pointer and transition bucket, there was a less photogenic sound rotation and ball denial. Whether it was Siakam switching onto Eric Bledsoe and inducing an off-balanced runner toward the end of the third quarter, or a brilliant sequence after a turnover early in the fourth in which the Raptors blunted a half-dozen actions by Milwaukee in a possession that resulted in a desperation heave by Hill at the shot-clock buzzer, the Raptors put on a defensive clinic during the run.

"Our communication, scheme, switching, blitzing, our rotations, contesting shots, all those things have been growing here since the start of the playoffs," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "The other thing is there are some moments, like stretches -- we call them consecutive stops -- and there are some stretches where it's darned hard to complete a pass against us. That wears into a team after a while when you're up into them and you're denying, and everybody is just that connected and playing that hard."

The Bucks were worn, as the Raptors maintained the lead until the final horn sounded and confetti fell. A Toronto team that had been entirely dependent on Leonard succeeded both with him and without him during a historic run that will have a prominent place in the franchise's time capsule.

ATTICA, Ohio — This year will mark the 12th season Ohio Logistics has been the title sponsor of the Brad Doty Classic.

The 31st annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics will hit the track at Attica Raceway Park on Tuesday, July 16 featuring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series.

The 2018 Brad Doty Classic saw 50 drivers compete for the $10,000 top prize with 10-time series champion Donny Schatz claiming the victory.

“I feel so fortunate Ohio Logistics President and CEO Chuck Bills and his family took an interest in our race 12 years ago and signed on as the title sponsor,” said Brad Doty. “It’s been an incredible and long-lasting partnership and all of us at Attica Raceway Park are so thankful for their continued friendship and support.”

Ohio Logistics provides innovative warehousing, distribution and transportation services to clients with local or global logistic requirements.

This year will mark the 15th consecutive season the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has sanctioned the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics.

There have been 22 different winners in the 28 contested Brad Doty Classic features (two have been rained out).

ORRVILLE, Ohio — The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 fell victim to Mother Nature yet again, this time at Wayne County Speedway.

Heavy rain and high winds invaded the Orrville, Ohio-area just after 4 p.m. and lasted nearly 20 minutes, ultimately leaving Wayne County Speedway heavily saturated.

Additional heavy rain fell on the speedway just before 6 p.m. leaving All Star and Wayne County Speedway officials with no choice but to cancel the evening program. The event has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 2.

Mother Nature is now responsible for 12 cancellations and/or postponements during the last 14 All Star Circuit of Champions events.

Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions will conclude their three-day, Memorial Day weekend sweep of the Buckeye State with a Sunday night visit to Fremont Speedway on May 26.

TULSA, Okla. – Concerning two-day events with the American Sprint Car Series, an amendment has been made to the ASCS rule book in regards to lock-in drivers from the first night.

The Top-Four drivers from the first night of competition will no longer lock into the second day of a two-day show, meaning all two-day events are treated with each night as it’s own standalone event.

One thing not changed is that, in order to be eligible for the redraw on the second night, the driver must have drawn in and attempted to compete on the first night.

“I apologize for making the change after the season started. We talked about this last season and meant to make the change before PRI, and it got overlooked,” said ASCS founder Emmett Hahn. “We raced last weekend at I-96 Speedway and honored it because it was already a part of the weekend program, but going forward there will be no lock-ins from the first night to the second on ASCS two-day events.”

Events like Dirt Cup, Knoxville 360 Nationals, and the Hockett/McMillin Memorial do not follow the two-day format and are special events with unique formats that use event points.

The rule now reads as follows:

“On the second night for a two-day event at the same track, all drivers will re-qualify. No lock-ins from the first night. The top four in passing points (who drew in and attempted to compete on the first night) will draw for positions one through four, with the next four drivers in passing points drawing for positions five through eight.”

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Heavy showers and a bit of hail during 410 time trials was too much for the Knoxville Raceway to take Saturday night during Slideways Karting Center/Knoxville Hospital & Clinics Night.

The wet grounds caused a cancellation of racing.

Racing resumes at the black-dirt half-mile oval on Saturday, June 1 with McKay Group/West Bend Insurance Night.

CONCORD, N.C. – Logan Schuchart survived an overtime-extended, rubber-down war of attrition to win the finale to the United Rentals Patriot Nationals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Saturday night.

Schuchart, who started 14th for the 30-lap main event, methodically moved his way forward and then found himself in position to pounce when many drivers began blowing right-rear tires in the final laps.

He took over the top spot with three to go in regulation, when Brad Sweet pulled to the infield from the race lead with a flat right-rear tire, then held on through a green-white-checkered finish for the victory.

The Hanover, Pa., native’s triumph was his third World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win of the season, tying David Gravel for the most of any driver on tour through 20 completed features.

“Man, does this one feel good!” Schuchart said in victory lane. “A lot of times, a driver has a pretty good idea of how much tire you have left, but those last couple laps … (the right-rear) stuck and it still felt like I had grip. It was funny because that (tire) started off used. I’m pretty sure it was on the rack from last year because we didn’t want to waste a new tire starting 14th, but it didn’t matter tonight.

“It’s been a great season so far,” Schuchart added. “I didn’t know who was behind me (on the last lap), but I knew some guys who had problems probably had a new tire. That last lap, I came off turn two and I heard another engine … so I knew I had to make it as wide as I possibly could.”

Outside polesitter Kraig Kinser took the lead off the initial start and paced the first 16 laps, but 10-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz snuck pas Kinser in traffic with 14 to go and appeared to be on his way to victory.

Track conditions and circumstances ultimately dictated otherwise, however.

The drama began with six to go, when Dominic Scelzi exploded a right-rear tire and stopped off turn two to bring out a late caution flag. That was the first of multiple tire-related yellows which ultimately changed the game – as well as the final outcome.

A three-car melee involving Ian Madsen, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Cale Thomas brought the yellow back out with five laps left, and that was followed by a third yellow for Sheldon Haudenschild losing a right-rear tire at the three to go mark.

Once lap 27 went up on the scoreboard, it didn’t pay to lead, as first Schatz and then later Brad Sweet both slowed from the race lead with flat right-rear tires, ending their respective chances at victory.

Once Sweet pulled off, the race was in Schuchart’s hands, and he rocketed away on the ensuing restart before a caution waved after the white flag for a triple tire failure biting Shane Stewart, Ian Madsen and Carson Macedo.

That set up a green-white-checkered finish, pushing the feature one lap beyond its scheduled distance, but Schuchart was not to be denied despite a hard-charging James McFadden on the final lap.

As Schuchart alluded to, though he took the victory, his right-rear tire was all but bald after the race.

“I don’t think I would have survived another lap, and even if I could have gone another lap with the tire like it was, James definitely would have passed me,” Schuchart admitted. “It worked out, though. A lot of it’s luck, and maybe a little bit about saving the tire at the right times and passing cars when you can.

“We won the race, though, and that’s all that matters. It feels great.”

McFadden restarted third at the final green flag, but hauled around Kerry Madsen and nearly got alongside Schuchart coming to the twin checkers before settling for second.

“Everyone started looking after their tires after the first couple of (cautions). I figured we had nothing to lose,” said McFadden, who started 18th. “I’m not here to points chase. I just wanted to win, but I kind of used my left rear up a little bit too much. I thought I waited a little bit on Logan in (turns) one and two and had a good enough run going into turn three. He just did a really good job.

“I’m pumped with second. In my second night with Kasey Kahne Racing … this is awesome.”

Kerry Madsen completed the podium, putting two Australians in the top three finishing positions, with 1995 World of Outlaws champion Dave Blaney crossing the line fourth and Friday winner Gio Scelzi rallying back from a flat tire under caution with five to go to complete the top five.

Jacob Allen was sixth ahead of Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides, Kinser and Haudenschild. Schatz was 11th.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- Mark Stone scored his tournament-leading eighth goal, Matt Murray made 39 saves, and Canada beat the Czech Republic 5-1 on Saturday to advance to face Finland in the world hockey championship final.

"I think we can beat anybody in this tournament,'' Stone said. "It's just a matter of whether we play well or not. We're going to have to bring our best game to beat [Finland], but I'm comfortable with the team that we have.''

In the first semifinal, Marko Anttila scored midway through the third period in Finland's 1-0 victory over Russia.

Darnell Nurse, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Turris and Thomas Chabot also scored for Canada.

"I think as a team we're just thankful for the opportunity,'' Murray said. "One, to be here and play for our country, and now to get this opportunity to play for gold. It's very exciting, and that's what we're here for.''

Tomas Zohorna scored for the Czechs.

"The score was 5-1, but it felt closer than that,'' Dubois said. "The Czechs played a really good game. They did a lot of good things. I thought we defended well as a unit of five. We didn't give them a lot. Murray was really good when we made mistakes, and that's what made the difference.''

Canada has won eight straight games since opening with a 3-1 loss to Finland. The teams last met in the final in 2016 in Moscow, with Canada winning 2-1. The title game is Sunday.

In the first semifinal, Anttila grabbed the loose puck after Henri Jokiharju's point shot bounced off defenseman Nikita Zaitsev's leg and fired it through goalie Andrei Vasilevski's five-hole.

"He took a stick in the face and came back and scored the game-winning goal,'' Finnish goalie Kevin Lankinen said. "That shows a lot of character. He's a good leader and a really nice guy to be around.''

Lankinen made 32 saves for his second shutout of the tournament.

"We've believed in ourselves all tournament,'' Lankinen said. "I don't know if anybody else has, but the way we're playing, we can beat any team in this tournament. I like to think we've got one more win left in us.''