Once Gregg Popovich formally commits to return for his 24th season as San Antonio Spurs coach, he's expected to sign a three-year contract that will keep him as the highest-paid coach in the NBA, league sources told ESPN.

A Popovich contract extension has been a foregone conclusion for months, but the deal won't change the fact that he will continue to take his coaching future year to year, league sources said. Spurs ownership believes he's entitled to manage his future the way he wants, sources said.

Popovich, 70, told reporters on Monday that he was negotiating a new contract and suggested that he would see them again in the fall. His five-year contract ended with the Spurs' Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Popovich will coach Team USA in the FIBA World Cup in China in September and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. There's a belief that he could use the Olympics as a final coaching act, but that remains unclear.

Popovich has 1,245 victories, third on the all-time list behind Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens. He's won five NBA championships as Spurs coach and has advanced to the NBA playoffs a league-record 22 consecutive years.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant doesn't think Houston Rockets guard James Harden is "cheating" the game by playing the way he does.

"I wouldn't say that he has an advantage," Durant said after the morning shootaround before Game 2 on Tuesday night. "I think everybody, once they get into the lane, they use little tricks to try to get their shots off. I don't think he's any different.

"He may bump guys off going to the rim, but everybody does that. I wouldn't say that he's found a way to ... cheat the rules. I wouldn't say that. I just think that he has his style of play. It might not be what everybody likes to see, but it's been effective. And I don't think he's been cheating the game at all."

Golden State leads the series 1-0 after a 104-100 win on Sunday.

After Game 1, much was made of Harden's ability to initiate contact from a defender with the way he sometimes jumps forward after releasing a shot. Warriors coach Steve Kerr opened his news conference Monday by flopping on a reporter -- a shot at how Harden and the Rockets try to induce a whistle from the officials.

Though Durant understands the conversation surrounding the series has been engulfed by questions about officiating, he brushed off the notion that Harden was breaking the rules of the game.

"I don't think he does that," Durant said. "I think he plays inside the game, plays within the rules of the game. S--- happens. I think referees aren't going to be perfect all game -- just like players aren't -- so I think more so than just the talk of calls or officiating, it should be about how great all of these players are on the court. How they uniquely bring something different to the table. It's been a fun last couple of days."

The spotlight on foul calls will intensify heading into Game 2, as official Scott Foster will be part of the officiating crew at Oracle Arena. Foster, who has been an NBA official for 25 years, has not worked a game involving the Rockets since Feb. 21, when Harden fouled out against the Los Angeles Lakers. Afterward, Harden said Foster shouldn't officiate Rockets games anymore.

"I think both teams are going to try and play their best tonight," Durant said. "I think the officials are going to try to ref the best game that they can ref. That's all we can ask for going forward. I think that's what will dominate this series: just how great both these teams are."

Durant, who has known Harden since they played together as members of the Oklahoma City Thunder, said Harden has "always been clever" at getting into the paint and putting pressure on the defense, something the Warriors expect to see going into Game 2. They just want to try to stay in front of him as much as possible.

"Just try to get a good contest," Durant said. "We practice contest and closeouts. We've been practicing that stuff since we were in elementary, you know what I'm saying. So there's a certain way that we tend to contest shots, close out on shooters. So it's not just James, it's all their guys we got to have proper technique on. Make sure we are out there on the catch. Making sure they see a hand once they get up and shoot the ball. Just having proper technique, I think, is the most important thing, no matter who is in front of you."

MILWAUKEE -- Eric Bledsoe was fuming.

He knew better than to be baited by Joel Embiid -- one of the league's most notorious trash-talkers -- but the game was physical. It happened so quickly: jostling for the rebound, the shove, Embiid tossing the ball at Bledsoe, who fired it back into Embiid's gut, the whistle. Just like that, Bledsoe was ejected.

The Philadelphia crowd taunted him as he walked down the corridor and back to the visitors locker room in Wells Fargo Center, flanked by two security guards. Bledsoe understood that the Milwaukee Bucks pride themselves on being a team that is calm and collected. But his teammates call him a pit bull for a reason.

Days later, in a secluded corner of Carnevor, a dimly lit steakhouse in downtown Milwaukee, Bledsoe and Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer rehashed the play. Over cuts of medium-rare filet mignon, Budenholzer reminded his starting point guard why he needed to keep his cool. In the first round of the 2018 playoffs, Bledsoe became embroiled in an extended back-and-forth with Celtics guard Terry Rozier, and he later admitted the war of words got in his head. For the Bucks to reach their goal of winning a title, Budenholzer explained, they couldn't afford for Bledsoe to lose his temper.

"He wasn't pissed," Bledsoe said. "He was just saying in the future, especially in the playoffs, you can't make it personal."

Between bites, Budenholzer recalled the fate of the Golden State Warriors after Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals, which the Cleveland Cavaliers won en route to making history by overcoming a 3-1 series deficit. They discussed how Amar'e Stoudemire's suspension hurt the Phoenix Suns in the 2007 Western Conference semifinals. There were times, Budenholzer said, that teams will just try to beat you by playing mental games.

"He said sometimes teams may not be more talented than us, but they might try to get in our heads," Bledsoe said.

Which brings us to Friday -- two days before the Celtics-Bucks postseason rematch.

"Look," Bledsoe said, spinning a basketball between his hands and leaning up against the padded wall of the Bucks' practice facility. He knows the questions about Rozier are coming. He knows all eyes are on him. He admits he is nervous and fully expects to be taunted and ridiculed when the Bucks play in TD Garden. And he is sick of talking about it.

This series, for Bledsoe, is a mental test. He must maintain his composure and handle the nerves that can creep up, particularly early in games. He wants to prove to himself that he is a more focused player than he showed last season.

"I'm just trying to move on," he said.

IN THE DAYS after the Bucks fell to the Celtics in Game 7 last season, Bledsoe spent a lot of time watching film. He didn't watch film of Rozier splashing a clutch 3-pointer over him in Game 1, or film of Rozier scoring 23 points in Game 2, or the interview in which Rozier accidentally referred to Bledsoe as "Drew." Those things, particularly Rozier's 3, are seared into his memory.

"I can't downplay it," Bledsoe said. "He made a hell of a move. I could've still contested it, but I just stopped. I didn't think he was going to make it. That comes back to respect. I didn't respect him at the time, but he made a big shot. I have to tip my hat."

Instead, Bledsoe dusted off film from 2013, his first season with the Suns. It was the first time he had been a starter. Back then, he said, he was having a lot of fun.

"I went back and looked myself in the mirror and reminded myself that a lot of people said I couldn't be a starter," Bledsoe said. "I watched film of what took me over the hump -- I wasn't worried about what so many people thought of me. I was just focused on myself back then."

That Celtics series revealed weaknesses he knew he needed to address, such as his bouts with overconfidence and his occasional habit of being complacent.

Bledsoe spent the summer of 2018 in Arizona, where he got back into the gym immediately. He would go in the early morning and sometimes again late at night, convinced his conditioning played a role in why the Bucks lost. He flew to Las Vegas and Milwaukee to work out with Charles Lee, a Bucks assistant coach. He took yoga classes to help with his nerves, balance and flexibility. He worked on breathing techniques. He would later employ that deep breathing as a way to calm the frayed nerves he has battled for more than a decade.

A new season began. With a new coach, a new offensive system and Giannis Antetokounmpo playing at an MVP level, Milwaukee got off to a blazing-hot start. The Bucks played the Celtics for the first time Nov. 1 and lost. Bledsoe missed a key free throw down the stretch of that game. Instead of going home when the Bucks' plane landed in Milwaukee that night, Bledsoe and Lee went to the practice facility to work on the shots Bledsoe missed.

Reminders of the Boston series popped up sporadically. During a Dec. 12 game in Indiana, Pacers fans took a page out of the Boston crowd's playbook, chanting, "Who is Bledsoe?" when he shot free throws.

The Bucks beat the Celtics in their next two matchups, with Bledsoe posting 16 points in the first meeting but just five in their second. At the time, Bledsoe wasn't concerned about the five-point game. He chalked it up to shaking off some rust because it was the first game after the All-Star break.

In March, Bledsoe signed a four-year, $70 million extension to remain in Milwaukee. The Bucks marched along to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NBA with a league-best 60 victories.

They swept the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs and had six days off before facing the Celtics. They held three practices and two days of individual workouts. The time off felt like an eternity. Antetokounmpo joked that it was long enough to take a mini-vacation to the Bahamas.

The days crept along. Arrangements were made for the Bucks to get a private screening of the new Avengers movie. Bledsoe attended with his family.

"I just want to play already," Bledsoe said two days before the second round of the playoffs began. "I'm ready to get the first one out of the way."

GAME 1 WAS not the redemption Bledsoe was seeking.

The Celtics came out strong -- Bledsoe was expecting that. Kyrie Irving, who sat out injured during their meeting in the 2018 playoffs, scored a game-high 26 points. Bledsoe was expecting that, too. Bledsoe was nervous, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. He has been battling nerves since he was in junior high school.

The nerves usually kick in when Bledsoe arrives at the arena, and he often tries to manage them by playing with his kids before games. They don't care how he plays; to them, he's just their dad. Sometimes, Bledsoe brings his son, Ethan, out to the court to warm up with him.

The butterflies reappear when he is in the Bucks' layup line 10 minutes before tipoff. During the national anthem, Bledsoe meditates. He is usually the first person to break from the line of his teammates -- usually several seconds before the final notes of "The Star-Spangled Banner" are sung.

He takes a big, centering breath before the public-address announcer booms, "A 6-foot guard from Kentucky -- Eric Bledsoe."

"I am nervous all the way through the national anthem and the first play," Bledsoe said. "Once I get up and down the court a few times, it fades."

The San Diego Padres placed rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained left hamstring.

The move was made retroactive to Monday.

Manny Machado will move from third base to shortstop while Tatis is out, allowing Ty France to take over at third. The Padres called up right-handed pitcher Phil Maton from Triple-A El Paso to fill Tatis' spot on the roster.

Tatis left Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning after he did an awkward-looking split while trying to stretch for a throw at second base. He was unable to keep his foot on the bag on the play. He moved around gingerly while umpires reviewed the play, and he could not continue.

The 20-year-old entered this season as one of the top prospects in baseball and is hitting .300 with six homers and 13 RBIs for the Padres. The son of former major leaguer Fernando Tatis had a career-high three hits Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Seattle Mariners demoted struggling outfielder Mallex Smith to Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday and recalled outfielder Braden Bishop.

Smith, acquired by the Mariners in an offseason trade that sent catcher Mike Zunino to the Tampa Bay Rays, is hitting .165 with two triples, one homer, five RBIs and eight stolen bases in 27 games this season.

The 25-year-old outfielder had a breakout season in 2018 for Tampa Bay, hitting .296 and tying for the American League with 10 triples. He also had two homers and stole 40 bases.

Bishop, 25, made the Mariners' Opening Day roster and went hitless in one at-bat before being optioned to Triple-A on March 23. He was hitting .267 with three homers and 13 RBIs in Tacoma.

NEW YORK -- The Cincinnati Reds could bring up top prospect Nick Senzel before Friday's homestand opener against San Francisco, putting the 23-year-old outfielder in position to make his major league debut against the Giants.

Reds manager David Bell says the decision has not been made yet and he has not determined whether Senzel will start Friday.

Senzel is ranked as baseball's No. 6 prospect by ESPN's Keith Law.

"He has what I would call like an edge to his game that would allow him to compete at this level," Bell said Tuesday. "He's talented. He's always hit and when he does play, reach the major leagues, there's going to be adjustments, just like there is for any player, but because of his makeup we believe it will happen for him quick."

Senzel was the second overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft from Tennessee and signed for a $6.2 million bonus.

He sprained his right ankle during a minor league spring training game on March 25 and did not make his season debut at Triple-A Louisville until April 23. He entered Tuesday hitting .296 with one double, one homer and two RBI in six games and 27 at-bats, including three hits, including a two-run homer, on Tuesday night against Toledo.

Senzel played third, shortstop and second before transitioning to the outfield this year.

"He's been an infielder his whole life, and to make the adjustment to being someone we consider that could play a major league outfield in that short a period of time, it just says a lot about his athleticism and his determination," Bell said. "He believes in himself and he's got a seriousness about him. He expects a lot of out of himself and he enjoys the competition. From what I saw, just in a brief period of time, the better the competition, the better response from him."

Senzel hit .310 with six homers and 25 RBI in 44 games at Louisville last season before season-ending surgery on June 28 to repair a broken right index finger. He returned to play in the instructional league, then had surgery Oct. 16 for bone spurs in his left, non-throwing, elbow.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

MIAMI -- Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A New Orleans, the latest setback for the team's centerpiece in the Christian Yelich trade.

Brinson is hitting .197 with 28 strikeouts in 76 at-bats for the Marlins, who have the worst record in the majors. He batted .199 last year in his first season with Miami and missed two months because of a hip injury.

"There's no doubt in my mind that I can play up here, and that I can be one of the best players in the big leagues when I do get back," Brinson said. "I've just got to go down and find myself again. I'll be back soon."

The Marlins reinstated outfielder Garrett Cooper from the 10-day injured list. He has been their opening day right fielder the past two years, but because of injuries, Tuesday night's game was just his 18th since the beginning of 2018.

Brinson will be an everyday center field for New Orleans.

"We felt it was best for him at this time to go down and sort of clear his head," Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. "We're still immensely confident in Lewis and his ability and how he will help this organization in the long term."

Brinson, now 24, was a highly regarded prospect when acquired in the trade that sent Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects before the 2018 season. Yelich was the NL MVP last year and ranks among the major league leaders this year in batting, home runs and RBIs.

Hill disputed the idea Brinson felt pressure from comparisons with Yelich.

"It wasn't a one-for-one deal," Hill said. "There were a lot of other pieces that make up that deal."

None of the other prospects acquired has reached the majors yet.

The Marlins put no timetable on Brinson's return from the minors.

"I wasn't getting it done," Brinson said. "It's about results up here. I've got to go down there and regroup."

SEATTLE -- For 22 straight innings earlier this month, Chicago Cubs pitcher Cole Hamels was doing exactly what he wanted with a baseball: throwing it over the plate. The results showed in the form of three consecutive starts without his issuing a walk, leading to three wins for his team.

No pitcher in the history of the game wants to walk opposing hitters, but Hamels has taken a desire to avoid walks to a new level, one that is tailored to today's era. It goes like this: Walks are bad, really bad. Home runs are OK. More specifically: Solo home runs are OK.

"Even the best starters are going to give up homers," Hamels said in a dugout interview earlier this week. "If you're telling me I'll give up about 40 solo home runs, I still have room to work with to be successful. Obviously, you don't want to give them up with the game on the line."

A pitcher being OK with 40 home runs? Aces of the past might beg to differ, but even a Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson would likely find the launch-angle era perplexing. Hamels has decided to turn into the skid, so to speak. He'd rather pump the zone with strikes, give up a few long balls and keep his team in the game without a big, multirun home run forcing him out of it. With balls leaving the yard at record rates, Hamels is trying to use the launch-angle phase to his advantage.

"I think the hitters have realized they're only going to stay around and get contracts based on home runs," he said. "You're not getting paid if you're a .300 hitter. You're not getting acknowledged on ESPN or MLB Network if you're going 3-for-4 with three singles. They don't care. It's not the fantasy talking points. They've come up with a new understanding, so you have to counter it.

"I was always a blow-them-away, down-in-the-zone-type pitcher. Now, you can try to go up there and keep walking the ladder up. I'm starting to use that to my advantage, seeing how far I can take a hitter up in the zone."

Hamels has recent experience to lean on when it comes to the dangers of walks. In his first start of the season in March, he was squeezed by the plate umpire, eventually issuing two free passes to load the bases. The next batter hit a grand slam. Those were the last walks Hamels issued until his most recent start, in which he walked six Dodgers.

"That was the thing about my last game," Hamels said. "It was 0-0, so I couldn't give up any runs, so I was a little more cautious. I ended up walking a few more guys."

That kind of game has been the exception for Hamels. His walk percentage as he takes the mound Tuesday in Seattle is his lowest since 2013 -- about the time the launch-angle phase took hold. Hamels took some beatings in the American League before he adjusted.

"You go to the AL, and you realize what damage control is," he said with a smirk. "The nature of a 1-9 lineup and what AL baseball is about. Then you start pitching around guys because of that, and it starts to get you out of whack of what pitching is all about. Coming back to the NL got me back into that mindset of what I was conditioned and how I evolved in the big leagues."

Evolving has been key for Hamels, as he's no longer in search of perfection. He thinks it's nearly impossible, as today's No. 8 hitters can launch unlike at any time in the past. Instead, he's finally taking some advice -- even if it is about 10 years old.

"A lot of information I got from older guys is coming back to me, and I'm starting to go, 'Yeah, you're right,'" Hamels said. "When you have Jamie Moyer and Roy Halladay and Cliff [Lee] and Roy Oswalt, you hear them talk, but you're young and dumb and full of all sorts of internal numbers that you want to accomplish, and that takes away from the actual goal as a team."

Hamels likely no longer has the stuff to put up those elite numbers, and the era he plays in doesn't allow for it. It's almost as if he's in damage-control mode before he even takes the mound. All of this will be put to the test on Tuesday, as the Mariners have hit the most home runs in baseball while drawing the most walks in the AL. Damage control will again need to be the name of the game for Hamels

"I look at it that way now," Hamels said. "As opposed to 'I have to go and strike out nine or 10' -- you know, getting to those numbers that you get acknowledged for -- I would rather just come away with the win."

Improve your performance with a running camp in southern Portugal

Autumn can be the ideal time to assess your running regime and set new goals – and what better way to do it than in the warmth and sunshine of the Algarve, with good company and under the guidance of professional coaches?

Following a successful first edition in 2018 which proved to be a sell-out, The Campus Run Academy is returning this year, with two four-day options to choose from.

Taking place on October 17-20 or 24-27 this year and led by 2018 British marathon champion Lily Partridge and ultra marathon runner Susie Chan, The Campus Run Academy is a running camp which caters for all abilities and is designed to help take your training to the next level in what is a unique and stunningly beautiful environment.

For four days and three nights, participants can experience coaching expertise, exclusive workshops and the remarkable coastline luxuries on offer at Quinta do Lago’s renowned resort in southern Portugal.

There will be access to advice on training, performance, recovery and nutrition, not to mention access to the host athletes and guided runs along miles of beautiful, soft and hard-packed trails next to the Atlantic ocean.

The luxury hotel stay also provides full access to the Quinta do Lago resort and its array of facilities, including the state of the art multi-sports complex, The Campus.

Places filled up quickly last year so if you’re inspired by the London Marathon to set your own targets, to improve your performance or simply to give yourself an opportunity to run and train in a glorious setting, then now’s the time to act!

To book your place visit www.fortesportsmanagement.com

“It is better to be humble and succeed for a long time,” says the world record-holder, whose winning celebrations were confined to the finish line

As he crossed the finish line, arms aloft and with a big smile spread across his face, it was clear how much a fourth Virgin Money London Marathon victory meant to Eliud Kipchoge.

He was the huge favourite going into the race, but never takes anything for granted.

The Kenyan’s time of 2:02:37 improved his own London course record. It was the second quickest ever mark on a record-eligible course, after his own world record of 2:01:39 from Berlin. He won by 18 seconds, leading Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun both inside 2:03:30, to take his marathon winning streak to an impressive 10 races.

Such a performance must demand some lavish celebrations? Of course, the answer is no. As has come to be expected from this marathon master, his post-race ritual proved just as humble as his low-key lifestyle.

“I am a man who doesn’t like celebrations,” said the 34-year-old.

“I think celebrations ended yesterday at the finish line.

“I have a great team with my sponsors, management and coaches. I will get together and have tea and dinner with them.

“It’s good to go back on a low profile and just chill, stay with the family, plan for the next season and stay focused.”

How will @EliudKipchoge celebrate after his fourth @LondonMarathon win? “I think celebrations ended yesterday at the finish line. It’s good to go back on a low profile and just chill, stay with the family, plan for the next season and stay focused.” #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/VAMupmVRjO

— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) April 29, 2019

He added: “The more you are humble, the more you become successful. The more you have a lot of pride, the more you can fall. It is better to be humble and succeed for a long time.”

Given all he has achieved, just how does he maintain that motivation?

“I love the sport,” he said. “That’s what drives me and that’s what acts as my ignition key.”

After all his success, how does @EliudKipchoge remain motivated? “I love the sport. That’s what drives me and that’s what acts as my ignition key.” #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/nB3IyMWalW

— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) April 29, 2019

Kipchoge has previously spoken of his intention to defend his Olympic marathon title in Tokyo next year and although reluctant to voice specific plans for further into the future, he has confirmed that he would like to complete the World Marathon Majors series.

“I trust that before I see the sport out, I will run all six major marathons,” said the three-time Berlin champion.

With 2014 Chicago victory added to his London wins and Berlin titles, Kipchoge would need to run New York, Boston and Tokyo to complete the six-race series.

As for other global goals he must be targeting a world marathon title, perhaps in Doha later this year, to go with his Olympic gold from Rio?

“But I am world champion on the track!” the 2003 5000m winner replied with a smile.