Ticket prices for the United States' quarterfinal match against France at the Women's World Cup are skyrocketing, with one seller listing a pair of tickets for more than $11,000 on the secondary market.

The U.S. labored its way into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win against Spain on Monday to set up a match against hosts France on June 28 in Paris, in what looks to be one of the more sought-after tickets in women's sports in recent years.

The least expensive ticket on the resale site StubHub.com is currently $681, while the most expensive one is listed at $11,398, with a number of tickets on sale in the $2,000-$3,000 range.

In comparison, the quarterfinal match on June 27 featuring Norway and England has tickets as low as $33, with the most expensive ticket costing $170.

- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know
- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule

The match featuring the United States and France is set to take place at Parc des Princes in Paris, so it seems natural that tickets would be in demand, but the numbers listed for these tickets are abnormally high even given the location.

In fact, the prices for the quarterfinal with France are astronomically higher than ones for the United States' matches at the 2015 Women's World Cup. The quarterfinal match against China in 2015 had an average resale price of $165 on SeatGeek.com, with the highest prices coming in the final versus Japan at $368.

For further comparison outside of soccer, the most in-demand women's hockey ticket on SeatGeek.com was the 2013 matchup of the United States and Canada, which had an average resale price of $114. The 2015 US Open women's final in tennis between Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci saw tickets priced at an average of $438 each.

While it was not an international event, SeatGeek.com had an average resale price of $280 for the women's 2014 NCAA national championship basketball game between Connecticut and Notre Dame.

The combination of the hosts playing in Paris against the pre-tournament favorite U.S., which has had strong traveling support in France this summer, seems to have created the perfect storm for ticket prices.

The popularity of this World Cup could also be a big factor.

On June 22, after 36 matches had been played over 14 consecutive days, FIFA released some of its digital numbers from the tournament's group stage.

The tournament saw 433 million views on the official FIFA Women's World Cup digital channels, gained 1.25 million new social media followers focused on women's soccer and had 6 million likes on Facebook.

In terms of ticket sales through FIFA itself, 1,094,639 tickets had been allocated as of June 20, with 70 percent stadium occupancy and 11 sold-out matches, according to world soccer's governing body.

President Donald Trump said he does not think it's appropriate for a co-captain of the U.S. women's soccer team to protest during the national anthem.

Megan Rapinoe has described herself as a "walking protest" to Trump's policies.

Trump told The Hill in an interview Monday that he disagrees with her actions, but loves watching women's soccer and thinks the players are "really talented."

After Rapinoe started kneeling during the anthem, the United States Soccer Federation adopted a policy that requires players to stand during the anthem. Now she stands, but she has been criticized for not singing and putting her hand over her heart like other players.

Trump also said economics should be considered in deciding whether women's national team players should receive pay as the men.

"I think a lot of it also has to do with the economics," Trump said. "I mean who draws more, where is the money coming in. I know that when you have the great stars like [Portugal's Cristiano] Ronaldo and some of these stars ... that get paid a lot of money, but they draw hundreds of thousands of people.

"But I haven't taken a position on that at all," he added. "I'd have to look at it."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Australia women coach Matthew Mott has admitted that the way the team faded at the end of the 2017-18 Ashes has provided motivation to retain the prize with outright victory in this year's multi-point series.

Australia kept hold of the Ashes when it was played on home soil - having regained them in 2015 - but England won the final two T20Is to level the contest at eight points each. Australia were bowled out for 112 in Canberra, before Danni Wyatt's century cancelled out Beth Mooney's unbeaten 117 in the final game.

Mott said that slip had been used as a drive to bring a greater ruthlessness to Australia's cricket and the results since have been evidence of that, with just two defeats in all internationals since the end of the previous Ashes.

"It's been a huge factor. Everyone in that team felt a bit of a bitter taste at the end of that series. We'd done the hard work and just took the foot off the throat," Mott said. "We talk a lot about finishing teams off and it's really been a motivating factor for the last 12 months and how we've played the game.

"In all the series we've played since the intensity on the last day has been as good as the first. It's been a huge factor and in our minds one of the themes is a bit of unfinished business. We are obviously happy to hold the Ashes but we want to come over here and win them this time."

Mott knows his team will face a confident England side that is currently on a run of 14 unbeaten matches having made convincing work of defeating West Indies over the last few weeks. "It's two great teams going head-to-head, they'll be chock full of confidence and we've had a really good 12 months. Two of the best teams in the world going head-to-head, it's a special summer, I think everyone has earmarked this for a while and we just hope to start well."

The Ashes begins with the three-match ODI series - where two points are on offer for a victory - before the Test in Taunton, where victory carries four points, followed by the three T20Is. Australia could look to supplement their squad ahead of the Test with a player from the Australia A team which is playing concurrently in the UK.

"It's created a really unique opportunity for us to play alongside each other and give our players the opportunity to get some game time," Mott said. "We are going to work together to make sure we maximise game time for everyone, rather than sitting and watch if they can get some games in, then great. Also there's an added incentive for the A-team players, they know we've got the opportunity to add an extra player around the Test match so that 15th player, if they are knocking the door down in the A team, they have the chance to come in."

Australia begin the tour with two warm-up matches against the England academy team in Loughborough ahead of the opening ODI in Leicester on July 2.

Ashes squad Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck

Australia A squad Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Maddy Darke, Josie Dooley, Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa, Amanda-Jade Wellington

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Lakers governor and controlling owner Jeanie Buss said she was stunned by Magic Johnson's shocking resignation but that she has full confidence in Rob Pelinka directing Los Angeles' basketball operations.

Speaking Monday for the first time since Johnson shocked the Lakers and then later accused Pelinka of backstabbing him, Buss said the Lakers "are in a really good place" and are "on the right path."

"There really wasn't anything to say," Buss said at the NBA Awards show of why she has remained quiet until now. "I think that when Magic decided that he didn't want to be with the organization any longer in an official capacity, that took me off guard. So I needed time to figure out what the process was going to be. That's all. Just taking care of business and looking out after the organization."

"It was a surprise when Magic turned in his resignation," Buss later added when asked about the perception that the Lakers have been surrounded by turmoil for most of the offseason. "I didn't see that coming. But everything else has been pretty much as any organization moves forward and changes going into a new season. So as much as has been speculated as to what the Lakers are doing, to me, we are in a really good place and we are following our path, and our plan, going into the next season."

Buss has moved forward with Pelinka, the team's general manager, running the basketball operations. She reiterated her full confidence in Pelinka, who orchestrated a trade in agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans for All-Star center Anthony Davis in exchange for the fourth overall pick in last week's NBA draft, along with Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart. Buss and the Lakers cannot comment on the trade until it becomes official, perhaps as early as July 6.

"I've always had confidence in Rob," Buss said. "Whatever the speculation that's out there, we don't need the outside media to validate the things that we do. I'm very happy, I think we are on the right path, but there's still more work to do."

"There's a lot of changes, Lakers fans, be patient," Buss later added. "We're going to get there. We will not finish until we are all proud."

Buss has leaned on Pelinka, Linda Rambis and Kurt Rambis on basketball decisions since Johnson left. Linda Rambis, executive director of special projects, has been one of Buss' closest confidants and most trusted advisors for the past four decades. Kurt Rambis is a senior basketball adviser who has worked closely with Pelinka.

Buss added some clarity on Linda and Kurt Rambis' roles in the organization's decision-making.

"That's what's so interesting, because they've been part of the Lakers, surrounding me," Buss said. "Linda Rambis and I have worked the exact same way for the last 30 years. Nothing's changed, but for whatever reason, it's things that people want to hear about. And they're part of our team, and they do a fantastic job."

Buss, who was at the NBA Awards to support both Johnson's receiving a lifetime achievement award and former Laker Shaquille O'Neal as the show's host, was asked about Johnson's recent appearance on ESPN's First Take when he spoke about Pelinka betraying him.

"I can't really anticipate what he thinks," said Buss, who made it clear that her relationship with Johnson remains close. "He has to answer those questions. He's always full of surprises. Like as surprising as it was, it kind of reminded me of back in 1981 when he asked to be traded after winning a championship with the Lakers because he wasn't happy with the way the offense had changed. And that led us to getting Pat Riley as our head coach.

"So he's got good instincts," she continued. "He's got to stay true to who he is and do what is right for him. I wish I would've had a little bit more notice, but I think we are going to be just fine."

Johnson also said on First Take that he would be interested in buying the Lakers should Buss ever decide to sell.

"I've had probably 20 to 30 people actually call and want to buy the team in the last five years," Buss said. "There's probably, oh, a billion people who would like to own the Lakers, too. That's nothing new. It was no surprise. Who wouldn't want to own the Lakers?"

The Lakers still have more moves to make in free agency as Pelinka pursues more help for LeBron James. Buss says that the expectation entering next season is clear for the Lakers.

"Dr. Buss set the bar high for the Lakers," Buss said of her father. "There's the gold standard, and then there's the purple-and-gold standard. Certainly, we are going to do everything we can to get the best players possible and to get the Lakers back to consistently be at that level. But we got a ways to go, and I think we are [heading] in the right direction, but at the end of the day, we will be judged by our wins and losses.

"The goal has always been to get back into the playoffs."

Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second Milwaukee Bucks player to win the Most Valuable Player award. The award was announced on Monday at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

At just 24 years old, Antetokounmpo became the third-youngest player to win MVP over the past 40 seasons, behind Derrick Rose and LeBron James. The native of Athens, Greece, is the fifth player born outside of the United States to win the award.

Antetokounmpo received 78 of the 101 possible first-place votes. Houston's James Harden came in second with the other 23 first-place votes. Every voter had either Antetokounmpo or Harden No. 1 or No. 2 on their ballot.

Oklahoma City's Paul George came in third, followed by Denver's Nikola Jokic and Golden State's Stephen Curry.

"MVP is not about stats and numbers. It is all about winning and all about making sure you go out there and do everything you can to win," Antetokounmpo said Monday night. "I think that is what we did as a team."

Antetokounmpo said his father's death and a challenge by Kobe Bryant on Twitter to win MVP fueled his motivation.

"Definitely Kobe, he is the one that started that flame," Antetokounmpo said.

Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this season. He was voted a 2019 All-Star team captain alongside James. He became the first player to average 25 points and 10 rebounds per game on a team with the league's best record since Shaquille O'Neal did it as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999-2000.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks made it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001. They were eventually eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals by the Toronto Raptors.

The "Greek Freak" averaged 25.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game during the postseason.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.

Giannis Antetokounmpo captured his first MVP, Luka Doncic was named top rookie and Lou Williams won his third Sixth Man award. Who else took home the hardware?

Note: Six of the awards are voted on by the media: MVP, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man award and Most Improved Player. Other awards include Executive of the Year (voted on by the league's executives), Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year (voted on by the players), NBA Sportsmanship Award (voted on by the players), the NBA Cares Community Assist Award (voted on by fans and a panel of judges), the Lifetime Achievement Award, the NBA Hustle Award and the Sager Strong Award.

More: All-NBA | All-Rookie | All-Defense | Awards history

Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

Stats & Info: Giannis Antetokounmpo is the second Bucks player to win the NBA MVP award, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won it three times. Antetokounmpo is the third-youngest player to win MVP over the past 40 seasons, trailing only Derrick Rose and LeBron James, and he ties Steve Nash for the lowest-drafted MVP in the lottery era (15th overall pick).

Other finalists:
Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
James Harden, Houston Rockets

Giannis got emotional as he paid tribute to his family while accepting the #KiaMVP trophy. ?#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/T8p5XH73cZ

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

Just a kid from Sepolia.

Who came to Milwaukee.

And became the MVP!!
#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/wHxErFbOZ7

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 25, 2019

My man....M.V.P. Greatness. ???? Next up: Championship. #MambaMentality https://t.co/dhZTFI1Aam

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) June 25, 2019

Kobe challenged Giannis to win NBA MVP in 2017.

Nearly two years later, he answered the call ? pic.twitter.com/hiB8ovhzWH

— ESPN (@espn) June 25, 2019

Giannis had #NBATwitter on FIRE!! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/KEeGy7GoX5

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 25, 2019

Watching @Giannis_An34 play and listening to him speak after winning #NBAMVP makes me very proud to be a @Bucks fan. Absolute class act and a great representation of our team, the city of Milwaukee and our great state. Congrats buddy #youdeserveit #class #finalsmvpnext

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) June 25, 2019

MVP.

Congratulations, @Giannis_An34! pic.twitter.com/531IhN4PIe

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) June 25, 2019

The #KiaMVP trophy belongs to the Greek Freak. ? pic.twitter.com/HwVrYASX9V

— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) June 25, 2019

MVP first place votes: Giannis Antetokounmpo 78, James Harden 23 pic.twitter.com/hJydZu4pao

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 25, 2019

Congrats to the new MVP, but we respectfully disagree.

? @JHarden13 ⤵️

✔️ Finished Top 2 in MVP voting 4 out of the last 5 seasons

✔ 1st player in NBA history to avg at least 35.0ppg & 7.0apg in a single season

✔ Scored 40+ pts 28 times this season, 50+ 9 times & 60+ twice pic.twitter.com/UMmHARlNxg

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) June 25, 2019

Harden got robbed... 36 ppg smh ??‍♂️ Congrats to Giannis tho he's a beast ??

— Carlos Correa (@TeamCJCorrea) June 25, 2019

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Jazz

Stats & Info: After winning the award in 2017-18, Rudy Gobert is the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons since Kawhi Leonard in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Before that, it was Dwight Howard in three straight seasons from 2008 to 2011.

Other finalists:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder

? @rudygobert27 of the @utahjazz wins the 2018-19 Defensive Player of the Year... winning for the second consecutive season! #KiaDPOY #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/rZBCIItC0Q

— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2019

Yessssirrrrrrr!!!!! Congrats big fella ???????????? https://t.co/p5xq1OK771

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 25, 2019

E N C O R E#KiaDPOY | #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/bvI0IK1kD1

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 25, 2019

Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Bucks

Stats & Info: In the 2018-19 season, Mike Budenholzer became the seventh head coach in NBA history to win at least 60 games in a season with multiple franchises, joining Pat Riley (three times), Phil Jackson, K.C. Jones, Mike D'Antoni, Don Nelson and Rick Adelman.

Other finalists:
Michael Malone, Denver Nuggets
Doc Rivers, LA Clippers

The @Bucks' Mike Budenholzer accepts the 2018-19 Coach of the Year trophy! ? pic.twitter.com/0f4hcaJKy8

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

Congratulations Coach Bud on being named Coach of the Year!! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/k4rGAEmuEd

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 25, 2019

Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams, Clippers

Stats & Info: Lou Williams is the second player to win Sixth Man of the Year three times, joining Jamal Crawford. Williams joins Kevin McHale and Detlef Schrempf as the only players to win the award in consecutive seasons.

Other finalists:
Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers
Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers

"You can never have too many of these, right?" ?@TeamLou23 accepts the 2018-19 #KiaSixth trophy at the #NBAAwards! pic.twitter.com/rSBqBVZMLV

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

Lou Williams of House Clippers
First of his Name
Getter of Buckets
Underground GOAT#KiaSixth Man of the Year

??? @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/wmXeZcD4gK

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 25, 2019

.@TeamLou23 with his third 6th Man of the Year award ?

- Most career points off the bench (11,375)
- Most career 30-point games off the bench (29)
- Most 40-point games off the bench (5) pic.twitter.com/FAhpxCXhk7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 25, 2019

Congrats @TeamLou23 ! ??

— ? Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 25, 2019

Should we just call this the Lou Williams/Jamal Crawford Award and be done with it?

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 25, 2019

Most Improved Player: Pascal Siakam, Raptors

Stats & Info: Pascal Siakam increased his points-per-game average by 9.7 points in 2018-19, most by any player to play at least 40 games in each season. Siakam held opponents to 39.4 percent as the closest defender during the 2018-19 season, lowest by any player to face at least 500 shots, per Second Spectrum tracking. He is also the first Raptors player to win the award.

Other finalists:
De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

"I'm just blessed to be able to make this dream become a reality." ?@pskills43 accepts his #KiaMIP award at the #NBAAwards. pic.twitter.com/rIxofpv8up

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

Earned Not Given.

Congrats, @pskills43! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/ZmZwdnOXNG

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 25, 2019

Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic, Mavericks

Stats & Info: Luka Doncic is the second Mavericks player in franchise history to win Rookie of the Year, joining Jason Kidd, who shared the award with Grant Hill in 1994-95. Doncic was the fifth rookie to average 20+ points, 5+ assists and 5+ rebounds in a season -- all five won the ROY award.

Other finalists:
Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

.@luka7doncic accepts the 2018-19 #KiaROY trophy! ? pic.twitter.com/en47XUGv4S

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 25, 2019

My guy!!! Well deserved https://t.co/fOhc9lDiJF

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) June 25, 2019

?‍♂️ https://t.co/U71DFE5Ed4

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) June 25, 2019

That Rookie of the Year feeling ? pic.twitter.com/iP5olnUe45

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 25, 2019

Sager Strong Award: Robin Roberts

.@RobinRoberts is Sager Strong. ?#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/yWKQsVToHI

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

"Make your mess your message." @RobinRoberts shares an inspirational message as she accepts the 2019 Sager Strong Award. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/Sb8BBJpZZa

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

Robin Roberts: "You always walked away from Craig with a smile on your face...and a drink in your hand." Amen.#SagerStrong

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 25, 2019

That @RobinRoberts tribute was amazing - keep fighting Robin! #SagerStrong

— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) June 25, 2019

Congrats to our friend @RobinRoberts on her Sager Strong Award. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/r6G9VZTs65

— Franklin (@SixersFranklin) June 25, 2019

Lifetime Achievement: Larry Bird and Magic Johnson

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson reminisce on their historic careers as they accept the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/AqPPH1RRUh

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

Congratulations to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on receiving the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/hitiahqgFA

— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2019

3x NBA MVP
3x NBA Finals MVP
5x NBA Champion
12x NBA All-Star
Olympic Gold Medalist

A resume deserving of the @nba Lifetime Achievement Award. Congrats, @MagicJohnson! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/W22EEOdWnW

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 25, 2019

Congratulations Larry ?☘️ pic.twitter.com/H5ZxKmBUGA

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 25, 2019

What would it look like if Magic and Larry played today? Maybe something like this. ?#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/ZtZXr68ebK

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

More NBA awards

Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Winner: Mike Conley

NBA Sportsmanship Award Winner: Mike Conley

NBA Cares Community Assist Award Winner: Bradley Beal

Executive of the Year Winner: Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks GM

Hustle Award Winner: Marcus Smart

NBA Moment of the Year: Derrick Rose's career-high 50 points (Oct. 31)

D-Rose's 50-point game is the Moment of the Year.

His emotional interview afterwards was unforgettable ? #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/eNQH4rO3Q3

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 25, 2019

The stars hit the red carpet

"If I don't win MVP, I'll be back next year." - @Giannis_An34 #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/rAGiX63rZ5

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 25, 2019

.@ALaForce caught up with Adam Silver on the Red Carpet before the 2019 #NBAAwards at 9pm ET on TNT! ? pic.twitter.com/bpdSdlvuoo

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

.@TheTraeYoung shares why he believes he's this season's #KiaROY. ?

The #NBAAwards - 9pm ET on TNT! pic.twitter.com/8bwM5j4Dxf

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 25, 2019

?IN THE BUILDING?#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/XKcp3Gz0eY

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 25, 2019

"Giannis has nothing but a positive future for them." @kaj33 talks Bucks at the #NBAAwards: pic.twitter.com/jFhXrzpryH

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 25, 2019

.@RobinRoberts joins @TaylorRooks and @TONYROCK to explain why being the recipient of the Sager Strong Award is so meaningful to her. ?

Catch the #NBAAwards - 9pm ET on TNT! pic.twitter.com/o3PMNgaYHC

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

View this post on Instagram

I'm ready for the NBA Awards tonight! #SagerStrong ❤️

A post shared by Robin Roberts (@robinrobertsgma) on Jun 24, 2019 at 4:22pm PDT

We have our first @SHAQ photo-bomb of the night! ??

Catch the #NBAAwards Red Carpet LIVE show // NEXT on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/kopm4KsKAv

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 24, 2019

.@ALaForce caught up with @luka7doncic in L.A. as he reflected on his stellar rookie season! #NBAAwards Red Carpet LIVE show starts at 8pm ET on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/Ujz5BaMSjt

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 24, 2019

"You got the city on fire." ✊

Jaren Jackson Jr. talks Ja Morant & more with @ALaForce ahead of tonight's #NBAAwards on TNT! pic.twitter.com/dpTOpOGJiV

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

"I'm just trying to soak it all in."

From being drafted by the @nyknicks to the #NBAAwards red carpet, @RjBarrett6 has had a wild week! Tune-in - 9pm ET on TNT! pic.twitter.com/dxPtORs7MV

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 25, 2019

#KiaROY finalist @DeandreAyton makes his way through the red carpet! #NBATwitter#NBAAwards • 9:00pm/et @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/SOXpsHxxq4

— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2019

Looking sharp, @MuggsyBogues! #NBAAwards #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/FASjfeKtaP

— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2019

Award show fresh ?@pskills43 | #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/wizcYONYxa

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 24, 2019

CHICAGO -- It might be a first in baseball: The benches clearing because of an argument involving pitch framing.

It came after Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras homered in the second inning off of Atlanta Braves starter Julio Teheran in the Cubs' 8-3 win on Monday night. Contreras was upset that plate umpire John Tumpane was giving Braves catcher Tyler Flowers a few calls -- and he let him know it after a homer to right field.

"To be honest, those pitches weren't even close to the strike zone, and [Flowers] got mad because I was talking to the umpire about that," Contreras said after the game. "He jumped into the conversation."

Contreras was asked what he said to Flowers as he began his jog around the bases.

"'You do your job I'll do mine,'" Contreras recalled saying. "He got pissed off."

As he rounded first base, Contreras also gave a look inside the Braves dugout. By the time he crossed home plate, Flowers was waiting for him, and the two exchanged words before the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, and the altercation subsided.

"It was an exchange based on catching technique," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said with a smile. "I was kind of amused by the whole thing."

Flowers said he was upset that Contreras was showing up his pitcher.

"I got no problem with him saying anything to me, but when it starts to reflect on our pitcher on the mound and our team, that's more of an issue for me," Flowers said.

Flowers also said he believes the 27-year-old Contreras has a reputation for instigating matters with his complaints.

"I know I think he does that from time to time. I don't know. It was all very unnecessary in my opinion," Flowers said. "The guy is a decent hitter, he doesn't need to complain about every call. We won't get into that aspect of the game we just finished. He got plenty of calls for his guys, too. Sometimes you need to pick your battles, and that's hopefully something he will learn as he gets a little bit older."

On the Braves' broadcast of the game, former outfielder Jeff Francoeur added fuel to the fire when he said he should have thrown a "haymaker" at Contreras in 2016 when the teams had a similar issue with each other. Contreras caught wind of Francoeur's comments.

"That made me laugh," Contreras said. "He's a poor guy. If he's behind the screen [on the microphone], he should be a professional. He knows better."

There were no other issues the rest of the game, as the matter was downplayed as much as possible, especially by Maddon.

"It really wasn't worth more than what happened," Maddon said. "That was about all that it was worth."

The New York Yankees tied the major league record for the longest streak of consecutive games with a home run when Aaron Hicks went deep in the fifth inning on Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Yankees have now homered in 27 straight games, tying the record set by the 2002 Texas Rangers. New York beat Toronto 10-8 on Monday.

With two on and one out in the bottom of the fifth, Hicks hit a 2-1 fastball from Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez into the right-field seats to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.

The last game in which the Yankees failed to hit a home run was May 25 against the Kansas City Royals.

"Nothing surprises me that they do," Boone said about his club, which set a major league record last year with 267 homers. "I wouldn't set out to predict they're going to break that one. That's kind of an obscure one. But now that it's happened, with our group, does it surprise me? No."

The Yankees have been paced during their streak by catcher Gary Sanchez, who has hit eight home runs since the streak began on May 26. Shortstop Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu each have six.

With this current streak, 13 different Yankees have combined to hit 47 home runs. Giancarlo Stanton got his first of the streak in the seventh inning Monday night. Aaron Judge does not have any over the 27 games. Both sluggers, who respectively were the National and American League home run champs in 2017, are just getting back from injured list stints that held them out for more than two months.

Last season, the Yankees set a separate major league homer-hitting record. Their 267 are the most hit by a team in a single season.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, Stanton could be a strong candidate to hit a record-breaking home run. He's 4-for-8 with a home run in his career against Clayton Richard, the Blue Jays' scheduled starting pitcher. As for some other notable Yankees sluggers, Sánchez is 1-for-2 with a double in his career against Richard. Neither Edwin Encarnación nor Judge has ever faced Richard.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The New York Mets' front office has dictated at least some pitching moves during games this season, multiple organizational sources confirmed to ESPN's Buster Olney.

The New York Post was the first to report the unusual machinations, citing a specific incident on June 1, when Jacob deGrom was removed from a game while dealing with a hip cramp.

Front offices are typically heavily involved in the planning of lineups and possible pitching matchups before each game, but generally, most managers have the autonomy to make moves through the course of each contest, often applying the information provided by analysts and executives.

Some evaluators with other teams reiterated Monday it is very rare for a member of the front office -- an owner or general manager -- to direct managerial decisions during games.

Under Sandy Alderson, who was fired as general manager of the Mets last year, the manager was left to make in-game decisions. Sources say that has changed under Brodie Van Wagenen, who is in his first year as general manager of the Mets, with directives being forwarded to manager Mickey Callaway through clubhouse staff.

Callaway, in his second year as Mets manager and his first working under Van Wagenen, has accepted and implemented the directives, according to the sources.

Van Wagenen on Monday denied reports he was getting involved in strategic in-game decisions following the Mets' 13-7 loss to Philadelphia, but he said communicating with the training staff during games was "normal protocol."

"We're evaluating the players' health, we're talking about X-rays, we're talking about whether a player -- as you all know -- we try to get information to the press box as quickly as possible about the statuses. That is normal protocol for us," the GM said. "We'll continue to do that and make sure that if the training staff and the health of the player is such that the player can't continue, then that communication happens between the training staff and the coaches."

Callaway downplayed the instructions from Van Wagenen when asked about them after Monday's game, saying his communication with upper management is limited only to injuries.

"I think we're always in communication," Callaway said. "Especially when guys are injured, obviously I've been filled in on what you're talking about. When a guy gets injured on the field or when a guy is actively injured or has something going on, you know everybody is in communication with the training staff to take care of the players the best we can."

The Post reported that Van Wagenen was watching the June 1 game on TV when he relayed an order to remove deGrom in the seventh inning after Callaway and a trainer visited deGrom twice on the mound. Callaway said Monday that deGrom's removal was a mutual decision.

"I think that we got information from all parties and we made the decision to take care of our ace pitcher that's going to be here for a long time," he said. "We all thought it was prudent at that point."

Asked if he has the latitude to manage how he wants, Callaway said, "Yeah, I do, I do. Yeah."

Callaway came under fire Sunday after cursing at a reporter following questions about his decisions on pitching changes. The incident earned him a fine from the team, and he apologized to the reporter, as well as the assembled media on Monday.

At 10 a.m., train A left the station, and an hour later, train B left the same station on a parallel track. If train A traveled at a constant speed of 60 mph and train B at 80 mph, at what time did the Mets front office order a pitching change, and at what time did Gabe Kapler receive a vote of confidence?

Did I mention that both trains are hurtling down the mountain, and both conductors have lost control of the brakes?

The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies met Monday in Philadelphia in the first game of a four-game series, and the big news wasn't so much the Phillies' winning 13-7 to snap a seven-game losing streak as it was off the field, where these two teams continue to make headlines for the wrong reasons.

Buster Olney reported that sources within the Mets organization said the team's front office has dictated pitching changes at times this season -- something generally viewed as a no-no within the game, even as front offices and behind-the-scenes analysts are more involved than ever in setting lineups. As Buster wrote:

Under Sandy Alderson, who was fired as general manager of the Mets last year, the manager was left to make in-game decisions. Sources say that has changed under Brodie Van Wagenen, who is in his first year as general manager of the Mets, with directives being forwarded to manager Mickey Callaway through clubhouse staff.

After the game, Van Wagenen denied the reports that he has been involved in in-game strategy, other than communicating with the training staff. A New York post story mentioned a specific game on June 1, when Jacob deGrom was removed from a game while dealing with a hip cramp.

Meanwhile, before the game, Phillies GM Matt Klentak told reporters that Kapler's job is not in jeopardy:

Gabe Kapler will be the Phillies manager for the rest of the season, Matt Klentak said.

— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) June 24, 2019

"I'm very well aware of all the criticism right now of the manager, the coaching staff and of certain players," Klentak told reporters. "I understand why it's happening. When a team goes through a stretch like we've gone through in the last couple of weeks, people are going to ask a lot of questions. My view right now is that the wrong thing to do is to point a finger at any one person and say, you are the reason this is happening."

Because we're talking about New York and Philadelphia, and because both teams made a big push to go all-in for 2019, Mickey Callaway and Kapler are under bigger spotlights than most managers. The media coverage in those cities is more intense and more opinionated than what most teams face. In a sense, both of these second-year managers still have to prove themselves -- vote of confidence or not.

Callaway was a successful pitching coach with the Indians, but managing is a different test. He lost his cool on Sunday in a confrontation with a reporter, and after Monday's reports about front-office interference in game managing, the New York post headline on Mike Vaccaro's column read, "Mickey Callaway is the Mets' sad puppet."

"It is one of the narratives that nourishes Mets fans constantly as they try to figure out if their baseball team is a contender or a pretender, dueling roles they seem to inhabit on an inning-by-inning basis sometimes," Vaccaro wrote. "Mickey Callaway is a manager on a hot seat for a reason, because his team loses more than it wins and because, often as not, he makes decisions that are unconventional at best, inexplicable at worst."

As Vaccaro asked, however: Are they even Callaway's decisions?

Maybe more to the point, do the decisions look bad because the Mets' bullpen -- as constructed by one Brodie Van Wagenen -- owns a 4.75 ERA?

As for the Phillies, one of the controversies brewing around town has been the perceived lack of hustle at times from Jean Segura and Cesar Hernandez. Wrote Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

In the court of public opinion, however, Kapler has been found guilty of failing to discipline players for lack of trying, with shortstop Jean Segura and second baseman Cesar Hernandez being the worst offenders. Fans wanted them benched for failure to hustle. Kapler opted to handle the situation via communication. Klentak said he supported Kapler's handling of those situations.

"We work for the Philadelphia Phillies and we need to give the Phillies the best chance we have to win," the general manager said. "To penalize the other 24 guys on the field by benching one and not putting our best lineup out there is not the right thing to do."

OK, all that sounds like a legitimate issue. But perhaps the bigger issue is that the Phillies supposedly built an offensive powerhouse, yet they rank 10th in the NL in batting average, ninth in OBP, 12th in home run percentage and ninth in runs per game. Maybe the bigger issue is that Segura has a .272 OBP in June and Hernandez a .284 OBP.

Maybe all it takes is one game. Segura went 4-for-6 and Hernandez 3-for-5 in Monday's win. They hit four home runs (three off Steven Matz) and fanned just two times. Maikel Franco, who has also struggled in June, hit the big go-ahead knock, getting the green light on a 3-0 count:

Green means go. ?#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/4a3Kvx7YSl

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 25, 2019

The Phillies are 40-38. The Mets are 37-42. Kapler is apparently safe. Callaway, hired by a different general manager, remains on a very hot seat.

The best athlete in the game? The Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 8-5, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth to break open a 4-4 tie. (Imagine if the Dodgers had a better bullpen.) Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw both allowed four runs in six innings, so it wasn't exactly a classic pitchers' duel between two future Hall of Famers, but Greinke did do this:

Oh My Greinke!

Career-high 3rd home run this season. ? pic.twitter.com/9X09Auo0JV

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 25, 2019

Greinke is hitting .306/.342/.667 with three home runs (six of his 11 hits have been for extra bases) to go with his 3.08 ERA. He hit a respectable .234 last season, hit .328 for the Dodgers in 2013 and has a stolen base this year after swiping three last season. He has won the Gold Glove five years in a row. He's also having his best year at the plate at age 35, when most position players these days are rapidly declining as hitters. He's an amazing player, not just an amazing pitcher.

Yankees tie record: The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 10-8, and Aaron Hicks ' three-run homer in the fifth was not only the big hit of the game but also allowed the Yankees to tie the 2002 Rangers' record of 27 consecutive games with a home run. That Rangers team featured Alex Rodriguez (57 home runs) and Rafael Palmeiro (43 home runs) and led the majors with 230 home runs (though only one other player reached 20 home runs).

The Yankees will face Clayton Richard on Tuesday. He has allowed five home runs in 25⅓ innings and has more walks than strikeouts. Wild prediction: The Yankees will break the record.