Benjamin Cremaschi scored on a diving header in the 30th minute and Inter Miami beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Saturday.

The matchup between the lone remaining teams in Major League Soccer drew 60,614 fans to Huntington Bank Field, a single-game record for a Crew home game and the largest non-NFL event in stadium history.

The match was moved from Columbus to the home of the NFL's Cleveland Browns due to the popularity of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi.

It is the second time this season and ninth since Messi joined MLS in 2023 that Inter Miami has had a road crowd of at least 60,000.

Inter Miami improved to 5-0-3 while Columbus dropped to 5-1-3.

Oscar Ustari made three diving saves in the second half to keep the shutout intact.

Miami took the lead in the 30th minute when Miami midfielder Marcelo Weigandt sent a crossing pass into the center of the box. Columbus defender Malte Amundsen was step for step with Cremaschi, but the 20-year-old midfielder was able to get to it in time and put it past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte for his first goal of the season.

The goal was also the first in 277 minutes scored by a Miami player other than Messi.

Messi had a chance to make it 2-0 during stoppage time in the first half, but was just wide to the left of the net with a blast from the top of the box.

The 37-year-old appeared to be moving gingerly toward the end of the game, but Miami coach Javier Mascherano said afterward he was not aware of any issue.

Fellow forward Luis Suárez was replaced by Telasco Segovia midway through the second half, with Mascherano acknowledging he had one eye on Thursday's Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg at the Vancouver Whitecaps.

"We decided to sub out Luis because I thought we needed to refresh," Mashcerano said in his postgame news conference. "Luis has been playing many minutes, and we wanted to have the ball more so we decided to involve Telasco Segovia and leave Messi loose

"The idea was to do what we had to at that moment but also thinking about the fact that we have a game on Thursday."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick lauded Barcelona's "unbelievable" comeback against Celta Vigo as the "best feeling" after Raphinha's stoppage time penalty sealed a vital 4-3 win for the LaLiga leaders.

A Borja Iglesias hat trick had earlier cancelled out Ferran Torres' opener and given Celta a surprise 3-1 lead at the Olympic Stadium with just 30 minutes to play.

However, quick fire goals from Dani Olmo and Raphinha levelled the match, with the Brazilian's 98th-minute penalty then sealing a victory that took Barça seven points clear of Real Madrid, who host Athletic Club on Sunday, with six games to go.

"After 3-1, it was unbelievable how we came back," Flick said in the post-game news conference. "It was not easy. I feel proud that we won the three points today. It was a very important victory.

"This is the attitude, the mentality. It's really great to see. It was tough. We tried everything to get the points and we did it. It was great."

It's the third time this season Barça have recovered from a two-goal deficit in the second half to win a match. They also came back to beat Benfica 5-4 in the Champions League in January and Atlético Madrid 4-2 in LaLiga in March.

Flick suggested his team may not have been capable of such feats prior to Christmas, praising the never-say-die attitude which still has them alive in three competitions heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

"Today is one of the big comebacks," he added. "It was very important because we know it's now the end of the season, one match less, three points more. It's the best feeling.

"It's good to see the team never gives up. In November we have this situation, head down, negative energy. Now it's different. We have positive energy. We go on."

Flick was especially happy with the response his team showed to some woeful defending, with all three goals conceded avoidable to some extent.

Inside two minute of Iglesias competing his treble, though, Olmo had made it 3-2, with Raphinha heading in a cross form Lamine Yamal, who had started the game on the bench, to level the scores four minutes later.

It looked like Barça would go on to win the game at that point, but they had to wait until the eighth minute of added time to seal it when a penalty was awarded after a VAR review for a foul on Olmo.

"When we conceded the [third] goal, Pedri grabs the ball and is going for the next kick off," Flick said. "And it was a good start from there because [Olmo scored quickly].

"For me, it's very important that we show we're here, we're fighting until the end of the match. It's really good. I love this mentality.

"Maybe some situations were not perfect. We pressed good, were brave against this Celta team, a really good team, and we have three points in the end."

Barça's win was tempered by an injury to Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker was taken off in the 77th minute after appearing to hurt his hamstring.

"We have to wait until tomorrow," Flick said when asked for an update on Lewandowski. "In my experience, [it's always best to] wait and see what happens."

Barça can ill-afford to lose Lewandoewski, who's scored 40 goals this season, for any length of time as the fixtures come thick and fast.

They host Mallorca in LaLiga on Tuesday and then face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final next Saturday. They then meet Inter Milan over two legs in the Champions League semifinal, with a trip to Real Valladolid sandwiched in the middle, before a potentially title-deciding Clásico against Madrid in the league on May 11.

United States star Trinity Rodman has been ruled out indefinitely by the Washington Spirit as she continues to deal with an ongoing back injury.

"Trinity is taking time away from team activities to manage her back," the Spirit said in a statement to ESPN on Saturday. "We look forward to her returning when she's healthy."

Rodman, 22, has been battling back issues for several years and last month said that she didn't think it would ever be "100 percent" healthy.

"It's kind of an issue of it's not one specific thing, it's just the way that my back's structured," she said. "And it's more so management than like a curable fix.

"I don't think my back will ever be the way it was my rookie year, which is unfortunate," she added.

Rodman's agent Mike Senkowski told The Washington Post on Saturday that she was "taking time away from team activities at the moment to meet with [Spirit] doctor in London," adding that "she will return as soon as she's healthy."

Two weeks ago, Rodman make a scoring return to the USWNT against Brazil in her first appearance since the 2024 Olympics. In Paris, she scored three goals as part of the self-proclaimed "Triple Espresso" forward line alongside Sophia (Smith) Wilson and Mallory Swanson to lead the USWNT to the gold medal.

Rodman was forced to leave a Spirit NWSL game in a wheelchair in September after a recurrence of the back injury. While she returned for the end of the season, she acknowledged that she was hindered by the back problem in the Spirit's NWSL championship loss to the Orlando Pride in November.

Washington next play at the Orlando Pride on Saturday. The USWNT's next action is scheduled to come in two friendlies against China and Jamaica on May 31 and June 3, respectively.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association's Coach of the Year.

Atkinson took over a Cavaliers team that reached the second round of the postseason last year and led them to a 16-win improvement and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland's 64-18 record marks the first time the team has won 60 or more games since 2009-10 and the first ever without LeBron James on the roster.

"Kenny Atkinson has long been respected by his peers as an innovative and humble servant to the game," Indiana Pacers coach and NBCA president Rick Carlisle said in a statement. "Congratulations to Kenny on a historic season along with this prestigious recognition by his peers."

Other coaches receiving votes (in alphabetical order) for the honor were J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons), Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Michael Malone (Nuggets) and Ime Udoka (Rockets).

Bickerstaff, who was replaced in Cleveland by Atkinson, led the Pistons to their first playoff appearance since 2019, more than tripling their win total from last season (14) to this season (44).

Daigneault's Thunder romped through the regular season, going 68-14 for the league's best record and finishing 16 games ahead of the second-place Rockets in the Western Conference.

Led by Udoka, those Rockets were a surprise this season. While the expectations were higher entering the season, Houston finishing second in the loaded West seemed unlikely. However, the Rockets are in the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Malone earned votes for Coach of the Year but was fired with three games to go in the regular season. His departure was part of an unexpectedly timed housecleaning done by Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke. The winningest coach in franchise history, Malone guided the team to an eventual fourth seed in the West.

BOSTON -- Though Celtics All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown declined to go into specifics about the bone bruise in his right knee, the 2024 Finals MVP said after practice Saturday that he felt good and wouldn't be on a minutes restriction heading into Sunday's playoff opener against the Orlando Magic.

Brown's knee is perhaps the Celtics' biggest question mark heading into the postseason opener against the seventh-seeded Magic on Sunday at TD Garden in Boston. Brown missed the final three games of the regular season and, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported, received pain injections in his knee to promote healing.

But Brown was a full participant at practice this week and was the last Celtics player to leave the court after the team's Saturday session.

"He looks good," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "He was able to do everything, no limitations. He's been great, physically, mentally, really preparing himself, ready to go. So [I] love the week that he had."

Asked about the injections, Brown said, "I'm not here to talk about my knee, guys. It is what it is. I'm focused on Orlando."

Brown averaged 22.2 points per game this season for the Celtics, second on the team behind fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum's 26.8.

The 61-win Celtics, the second-seeded team in the East behind the Cleveland, are trying to be the first team to repeat as champions since the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors.

Even though they have a league-high 18 championships, the Celtics have not repeated since the 1960s, when they won eight straight with star center Bill Russell anchoring the middle.

Brown said he and his teammates understand the expectations.

"Of course we know what we're trying to accomplish, but I think our mindset is just what's in front of us, not looking down the line, not overlooking nobody," Brown said. "Our goal is [Game 1]. That's the focus. Nothing else. Not next week, not six weeks, not 10 years from now. Just Sunday."

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers certainly savored their first playoff opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since the 2013-14 season and appropriately celebrated their 117-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

But after taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, the Pacers tried to walk a fine line of taking heart in the win while also understanding that Saturday's blueprint might be hard to duplicate. After surviving a 36-point, 12-rebound effort from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo by shutting down the Bucks' supporting cast, the Pacers know they've got to keep their collective foot on the pedal.

"I haven't looked at any of the film yet, but the series is one-seventh over and Game 2 will be monumentally more difficult than this one," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

"I think it was decent," Pacers center Myles Turner said of his team's defense, which limited Milwaukee's four starters outside of Antetokounmpo to 5-of-20 shooting (25%). "We definitely have areas to improve. I think we fouled way too much. I think we missed ... some of our doubles, as well. So, overall, I think it was good to get our baseline. That's what Game 1's all about. Get your baseline, you make your adjustments, you improve from there."

It was quite the luxury to come away with some dissatisfaction in a game the Pacers led by as many as 28 points. Indiana was dominant at times in the first half, closing the second quarter on an 18-5 run to take control before the Bucks tightened things in the second half. Indiana forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points and seven rebounds, guard Andrew Nembhard added 17 points and guard Tyrese Haliburton contributed 12 assists.

Of course, Indiana cannot realistically expect the Bucks to have a similarly poor shooting night in each game this series, meaning that an intensified defensive effort against Antetokounmpo will be a focus ahead of Tuesday's Game 2 -- especially with Damian Lillard potentially able to play by then.

"Giannis got to the basket too much," Carlisle said. "We're trying to build walls. He's still getting there. He's a great player and great players cause collateral problems, so it's not a surprise. But we've got to look at that."

Antetokounmpo consistently got downhill against the Pacers, resulting in him shooting 11 free throws in the first half alone. The Pacers tried using a second defender against him throughout, but that worked only intermittently.

"A tough cover," Siakam said. "You've got to do the best you can. He's really good at getting to the paint, getting to the rim. He's strong, he's physical, so it is going to take a lot and I thought we did a decent job. But he got a lot of easy buckets there, too, and we've just got to continue to make it as hard as we can on him. It's a tough job for sure."

That job was made easier by the fact that the remaining Bucks offered little, including starters Taurean Prince and Kyle Kuzma, who were both held scoreless. That came as a result of the Pacers creating tough shots and, at other times, outright misses. Coupled with the fact that the Pacers had a well-rounded offensive effort, with five players in double figures, and it was more than enough to come away with a key win.

The Pacers' ball movement was impressive, with 28 total assists compared to Milwaukee's 15. Antetokounmpo took issue with his team's offensive disposition and made it clear Saturday's effort won't suffice.

"We've got to be more decisive with the ball," he said. "That's pretty much it. When the ball gets to your hand, see that you shoot the ball or create an opportunity to create the advantage for the next player. If you don't have a shot, that means you can get downhill. Or if you get downhill, either you finish or you pass the ball. Just be decisive.

"The way we played tonight, at times, wasn't us."

DENVER -- Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and Aaron Gordon added 25, including a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left, and the Denver Nuggets roared back from a 15-point first-half deficit to power past the LA Clippers 112-110 in overtime Saturday in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series.

Jamal Murray added 21 points, nine boards and seven assists for the fourth-seeded Nuggets, who improved to 4-0 under interim coach David Adelman, Michael Malone's replacement.

The No. 5 seed Clippers' loss was their first since March 30 at Cleveland. They rolled into the playoffs having won 18 of 21, including their past eight, and they jumped out to an early lead that held until the final minutes of regulation.

Game 2 is Monday night at Ball Arena.

Russell Westbrook came up big at the end of regulation with an uncontested corner 3 for a 98-96 Denver lead, and again in overtime when he knocked the inbounds pass away from -- and off of -- James Harden with 9.6 seconds left and Denver clinging to a 3-point lead.

The clutch 3-pointer from Westbrook marked his first career go-ahead 3 inside the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime in his playoff career, according to ESPN Research.

Jokic was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and his two free throws made it 112-107 before Norman Powell's buzzer 3-pointer.

The score was tied at 98 at the end of regulation.

After Westbrook's 3-pointer from the left corner, Harden responded with a floater to tie it and the Nuggets couldn't get off a shot in the final 18 seconds.

In overtime, the Nuggets never trailed.

Jokic had 12 assists and finished one rebound shy of a triple-double. Harden led the Clippers with 32 points. Kawhi Leonard added 27 and Ivica Zubac had 21.

These teams last met in the playoffs in 2020 at the Walt Disney World in the pandemic bubble, when the Nuggets overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Clippers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BOSTON -- Liam Hendriks knew the number as if it was his career saves or ERA: 680 days.

The 36-year-old right-hander was back on a major league roster Saturday with the Boston Red Sox, in position to make his first big league appearance since June 9, 2023.

"It feels like at least a thousand," Hendriks said, smiling in the middle of the clubhouse. "It feels a lot longer than that. It's been a long and arduous journey to get here."

Hendriks was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2022, and the three-time All-Star returned to the mound on May 29, 2023. He made five appearances, went on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and had Tommy John surgery Aug. 2 that year.

After the season, he was voted the AL Comeback Player of the Year for 2023.

Hendriks made six minor league rehab appearances last August and three this spring. The Red Sox activated him from the 15-day injured list Saturday and optioned right-hander Hunter Dobbins to Triple-A Worcester.

A popular player known for charitable work, including providing T-shirts for team employees at last year's season-ending staff party, Hendriks questioned his own ability during spring training.

"Even when I was 96 [mph] in spring, they were taking way too comfortable swings on it, and that was one thing that was really hampering me," Hendriks said. "It was really a mental struggle to figure out what the difference was."

An All-Star with Oakland in 2019 and the White Sox in 2021 and '22, Hendriks couldn't figure out what he was doing differently after the surgery.

"All the data said it was similar but it's really hard to define the things that made me as far as pitching," he said. "One of things that gave me the ability to do well was the jump to the fastball and having that jump where it plays up a little bit and gets on guys."

When he was sidelined, his wife, Kristi, pushed him to return to the field.

"A lot of it is just showing up every day and making sure you just get that little bit better," he said, before joking: "That and the disdain from my wife [from] still being on the IL. That was one of the motivating factors, as well."

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed veteran right-hander Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list with forearm tightness while right-hander Evan Phillips was activated for the first time this season.

Treinen had lingering forearm discomfort that was aggravated during a throwing session Friday. The 36-year-old was 0-2 in eight appearances to start the season with two saves and a 3.38 ERA.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Treinen would undergo imaging on his throwing arm on Saturday.

"It was just some forearm tightness, so we want to get to the bottom of it," Roberts said. "Don't know how long it'll be. I appreciate Blake for letting us know his discomfort."

In 11 major league seasons, including five with the Dodgers, Treinen is 43-36 with 82 saves and a 2.79 ERA in 507 appearances (seven starts).

Phillips, 30, has been out with a rotator cuff injury that cost him a spot on the team's World Series roster last season. Phillips was 5-1 with 18 saves and a 3.62 ERA in 61 relief appearances last season.

In seven seasons, including the last four with the Dodgers, he is 16-12 with a 3.43 ERA and 45 saves in 243 appearances (one start).

PHILADELPHIA -- Jordan Romano says his right arm felt the best it had in a long time -- the two-time All-Star closer even hit 99.8 mph on a four-seam fastball. The Marlins just hit him -- rocked him, actually -- much, much harder.

The Phillies' eight-inning rout turned close in the ninth once Romano was summoned to close out an 11-4 lead. Dane Myers instead hit a three-run homer, Graham Pauley added an RBI double and Liam Hicks added a two-run shot -- his first big-league homer -- and suddenly it was 11-10.

Romano, already in the midst of a rough first season in Philly, was heavily booed Saturday as he trudged off the mound.

"Kind of expect that when you're pitching like that, for sure," Romano said.

Romano was charged with six runs and retired just two batters in the ninth before Jose Alvarado bailed him out and got the final out of the 11-10 win for his fifth save. Romano's ERA ballooned to 15.26 in nine games this season.

"I felt confident, honestly, in all my pitches," Romano said. "I don't know, they were seeing it really well today. Everything I threw in there, I felt like they were pretty comfortable with. Obviously, putting pretty good swings on it."

After a slow start to the season, Romano thought he might have solved his mechanical issues when he adjusted the leg lift on his delivery. Romano was left to wonder after he gave up six hits on just 22 pitches if perhaps he's tipping his pitches. He said he'd watch the video to find out if there's another flaw in his delivery.

"Usually, I don't [watch video], when it's just a blooper or something like that," Romano said. "But when they're putting that good a swings on it, for sure."

Manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies will conduct a deeper dive to determine whether Romano is tipping his pitches.

"He's got a great track record," Thomson said, adding that he was very surprised at his outing overall. "As long as his stuff is good, you've got to believe in him."

An All-Star in 2022 and 2023, Romano spent the first six seasons of his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had 105 saves and a 2.90 ERA in 231 relief appearances with Toronto. The Phillies declined to re-sign former All-Star relievers Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman and instead made a short-term bet on Romano with an $8.5 million, one-year contract.

Hoffman signed with the Blue Jays and entered Saturday 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA, 16 strikeouts in 11 innings and five saves.

The 31-year-old Romano was limited to just eight saves in 15 games last season. He had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in July but has been healthy with the Phillies.

"What's honestly crazy to me is, like, I went out there and executed what I wanted to do," Romano said. "It's just the worst result possible. I wanted to drive the zone with my heater, throw the slider in there for strikes. I did that. Just got crushed."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.