Vincent Kompany is hoping to take Manchester City's head of academy coaching and a number of young players on loan with him to Anderlecht, sources have told ESPN FC.

Kompany, 33, announced on Sunday that he will leave City this summer, after 11 years with the club, to become player-manager of Anderlecht.

After he announced his departure, Kompany said he wanted to recreate Pep Guardiola's style at the club where he started his career and said: "It's the football I want to teach."

City are keen to retain strong links with Kompany and highly rated youth coach Simon Davies could further help the development of young players in the Jupiler League.

Davies was in charge of City's Under-23 side after Patrick Vieira left for New York City FC in Major League Soccer in 2015 before becoming head of academy coaching.

The former Manchester United midfielder helped develop the talents of midfielder Phil Foden along with Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz.

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Kompany said farewell to fans at the club's victory parade in front of 100,000 fans in Manchester on Monday and was presented with the club's goal of the season award for his strike against Leicester in his last game at the Etihad Stadium.

And Guardiola said he expects his captain to return to City in the future.

"I think we're going to miss him [Kompany] a lot," the City boss told fans. "I'm going to miss him, but he is going to see us in the future because he is coming back sooner or later.

"It's the best way to say goodbye after an incredible season together. He was a real captain, he helped us a lot."

Kompany will be back in September for a testimonial match in aid of the homeless at the Etihad Stadium where former players Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart are expected to play.

Although plans for a statue to Kompany are still to be confirmed, City have plans to make a "lasting tribute" to their most successful ever captain.

The United States will host Cuba on Oct. 11 and Canada on Nov. 15 in the first CONCACAF Nations League.

CONCACAF said Tuesday that the Americans, seeded in Group A, will play at Canada on Oct. 15 and at Cuba on Nov. 19.

Sites have not been determined.

Other Nations League groups are:

B -- Bermuda, Mexico, Panama

C -- Martinique, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago

D -- Costa Rica, Curacao, Haiti

The top team in each League A group advances to the semifinals in March, and the last-place team is relegated to League B.

The U.S. intends to play exhibitions on the September FIFA dates for national teams.

Finally, after nearly 30 months of being supervised by a court-appointed authority, the BCCI members are on track to regain control with the board elections scheduled for October 22. This significant decision was taken by the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) in Delhi today, nearly two-and-a-half years after it was appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the BCCI's implementation of the Lodha Committee's recommendations.

The development comes close on the heels of the negotiations between the BCCI members - state associations - and senior Supreme Court advocate PS Narasimha, the amicus curiae appointed earlier this year. Having heard all the BCCI members individually, Narasimha submitted a report to the court, which will sign off on the matter when it reopens office in July after the summer recess.

It is understood that 31 out of the 38 state associations have technically agreed to comply with the Lodha recommendations subject to all the concessions discussed and approved by Narasmiha. Of the seven other members, a few wanted to take a final call after consulting with their own members.

One important recommendation that Narasimha agreed to modify, in step with the state associations, was regarding the strength of the Apex Council, a key authorising body under the reforms. Narasimha agreed to expand it from nine members to 19. Under the CoA-approved BCCI constitution, the Apex Council would comprise nine members both at the board and state level, something the board members objected to.

During the negotiations, Narasmiha also provided clarity over the disputed recommendation concerning the tenure of the office bearer. The Lodha Committee had recommended that an office bearer could preside for nine years separately at the state and the BCCI level, as long as the cooling off period was exercised. But the new BCCI constitution registered last year was not clear on this point. Narasimha confirmed that an office bearer could work for 18 years as long as the cooling off period of three years, which comes into play after two consecutive terms of three years each, was exercised.

The CoA chairman Vinod Rai, at the time of appointment, had said the interim panel's role was akin to the nightwatchman in cricket. But their role turned out to be significantly more lengthy as virtually every board member - state association - was against readily implementing the Lodha reforms that were approved by the court in 2016.

As the state associations became more dogged in their stance, the CoA's vigil extended and so did its authority. Gradually as the CoA wielded its control beyond the Lodha reforms and even became the final authority on cricketing decisions. Consequently, a parallel conflict erupted with the state associations and the three BCCI office bearers contesting the CoA's powers and approaching the court on the matter on several occasions.

With the states associations adopting a confrontational stance, the CoA submitted 10 status reports in the court listing out the difficulties it was facing in helping the BCCI implement the reforms. The court intervened intermittently, including amending a few of the original Lodha recommendations. Last October the BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri, at the behest of the CoA, registered a new BCCI constitution mandating the reforms.

Several states refused to budge though, even with the CoA asking the court to bar the voting rights of all BCCI members that declined to be compliant. A total of 80-odd interlocutory applications - pleas - were filed by various state associations contesting the reforms.

However, Narasimha's mediation role seems to have worked, allowing the CoA to now put out a roadmap for the elections. Rai said the CoA was "exceedingly happy" that the BCCI members had decided to become compliant. "It was a nightwatchman who came to stay," Rai told ESPNcricinfo. "However I feel very happy that the state associations have cooperated and all the recommendations have been accepted, which means now there is a general consensus that cricket administration should be streamlined and run [in an] objective and transparent manner. The CoA is exceedingly happy to entrust the administration of the BCCI back to the democratic body."

According to Rai, till the elections are held the CoA will continue to monitor and authorise cricketing operations, including matters related to the appointment or renewal of coaching staff. Incidentally, the tenure of the coaching staff of the Indian men's team is till the World Cup, which ends on July 14.

The BCCI elections will usher in a new era in Indian cricket administration, which has historically been run by a group of individuals that has wielded power and exercised control for decades.* To contest these elections, both at the state level and the BCCI, an administrator/office bearer would need to fulfil the following criteria: he/she should be an Indian citizen, not over 70, not insolvent or of unsound mind, not a government servant or a minister, not part of any other sports federation, and most importantly not held office at state or BCCI level for a cumulative period of nine years.

It remains to be seen whether the three current BCCI office bearers - CK Khana (acting president), Amitabh Choudhury (acting secretary) and Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer) - will be eligible to contest the elections. All three have reportedly served for more than the permissible nine years at their respective state associations. At the BCCI level, all three have served for varied periods and might need to serve the mandatory three-year cooling off period before being eligible to contest board elections.

Key dates
June 30: Deadline for the BCCI to appoint an electoral officer, and the preparing of the electoral protocol by the said electoral officer in consultation with the CoA, which should be communicated to all the state associations
July 1: Deadline for appointment of an electoral officer by the state associations
August 14: Deadline for completion of election protocol and electoral roll of the state associations by the state's electoral officer
September 14: Deadline for completion of elections of the state associations
September 23: Deadline for sending of names of representatives of state associations to the BCCI
September 30: Deadline for preparing the electoral roll of nominees qualified for the BCCI elections
October 22: The BCCI elections

*16.20GMT, May 21: The article was updated with information on candidates' eligibility

There are some things - flights, cups of tea and your heartbeat, for example - you want to find predictable.

And perhaps it is the same with squad announcements. Squad announcements for global tournaments, anyway.

Selectors have had four years to plan for such events. They have had four years to ensure that every player knows their role and every player knows what to expect from their team-mates. At this stage, squads should be settled and predictable.

England have achieved that pretty well. Yes, David Willey is unfortunate. Yes, Joe Denly will be disappointed. But, for the first time in many, many years, England are going into a World Cup with a relatively settled, well-balanced side that has a realistic chance of victory. The position that provoked most debate and discussion on Tuesday was that of reserve spin bowler. It's a detail, really. An important one, but nothing compared to what we have seen before.

Perhaps, to appreciate how smooth this process has been, it is worth comparing it to the chaos with which we have become accustomed. In 2015, for example, England sacked their captain, Alastair Cook, a few weeks before the tournament. Then, on its eve, they changed the new-ball attack (demoting Chris Woakes to first-change) and fiddled with the batting order (swapping Gary Ballance and James Taylor at 3 and 6). In the tournaments before that, it became customary for them to change their wicketkeeper (2007 and 2011) or opening partnership (1999) at the last minute. Indeed, in 1999, they dropped their captain (Adam Hollioake) and their opening batsman (Nick Knight) shortly before the tournament and prepared for a home event with a training camp in… Lahore. You could hardly make it up.

And, even if England did go into a tournament with their best side, there was usually some crisis (the Zimbabwe affair of 2003, for example) or late change of approach that threatened to derail their progress. There rarely had a chance to define plans or develop well-rehearsed strategies. In a format in which role definition and planning is so important, England have invariably gone into World Cups hoping it would all come together on the night. It rarely has done.

It doesn't feel like that this time. While the introduction of Jofra Archer has come at a late stage, anyone taken by surprise simply hasn't been paying attention. While England would, in an ideal world, like him to have played more than three ODIs - and, indeed, more than 17 List A matches - the experience he has of playing in high-profile, high-pressure T20 leagues suggests he has the talent and temperament to succeed. His range of skills - not least his well-controlled pace - are a huge asset to a team that, Mark Wood apart, can look a little pedestrian. They were, remember, thrashed for a six by Chris Gayle on average every 8.10 balls he faced in the recent series in the Caribbean. Archer's batting and fielding are also more than useful. He is British, he is eligible and he is very good. His is not, at this stage, a remotely controversial selection.

Nor is Liam Dawson. He is, quite simply, a more experienced, more reliable spin bowler than Denly. And while Denly is almost certainly a better batsman, Dawson's average of 45.33 in the Royal London Cup is proof that he's no mug either. Besides, the role essentially demands that the occupant can come into the side at short notice and fill the hole left by injury to either Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid. Dawson is a better fit for that specific job. Denly may console himself with the knowledge that he now has the opportunity to return to county cricket and score heavily in the Championship with a bid to securing a place in the Ashes. He is the man in possession of the No. 3 spot in the Test side, after all.

Willey could yet win a recall mid-tournament. While he is not officially on any reserve list, it stands to reason that he - and perhaps Chris Jordan - would be next in line should one of England's seamers suffer an injury. His left-arm variation, the swing he can generate with the new ball and the control he demonstrates at the death are all attractive qualities. But it was his ill-fortune to be competing for the new ball, in particular, with Archer, Wood and Woakes. Leaving him out was a tough decision, but it was also probably right.

Again, in an ideal world, England might have liked Dawson to have been with them throughout the Pakistan series. Or at least for the final couple of games, when it became apparent the selectors were not in total agreement over the suitability of Denly for the role. But at least Dawson was playing cricket rather than running drinks on for his colleagues, and it is not as if he is a stranger to either the environment or the players.

There have been other bumps on the road. The loss of Alex Hales - who may be remembered as the Pete Best of cricket if England go on to win the trophy (Denly may be remembered as the Jimmie Nicol) - might have destabilised some squads. Equally the introduction of Archer might have unsettled the bowlers and provoked reasonable concerns about talent pathways in both England and the Caribbean.

But, whatever feathers within the squad were ruffled by Archer's arrival have long since been patted back down - not least by evidence of his obvious ability and his amiable, equable nature - while Hales has simply been left behind. This team, like kids cramming ahead of important exams, no longer had time for the class joker. Damning though it sounds, his absence has hardly been mentioned in recent times.

So England go into this tournament confident, settled and united. Their squad has bite with the ball, punch with the bat and balance through the depth provided by the all-rounders. This may well be the best World Cup squad they have ever assembled; it certainly represents their best chance to win in many years.

The No. 32 has been put back in circulation by the Buffalo Bills for the first time since 1977, the last season O.J. Simpson wore the number.

Running back Senorise Perry, who signed with the Bills as a free agent, is wearing the number during the team's organized team activities. He told The Athletic that he thought the number was retired.

"I thought it was retired, but then I was told it was available. Boom, I took it," he told The Athletic.

"I know the situation. I know that greatness comes with that number, playing in Buffalo. But I'm willing to take anything that comes my way. I'm going into my sixth year, and I know what it takes to get in this league and stay here. With that number on my back, I know I'm doing well for my family."

Simpson rushed for 10,183 yards and 57 touchdowns and led the NFL in rushing four times in nine seasons for the Bills, but his post-career troubles with the law have kept his number from being retired. His name does appear on the team's Wall of Fame at New Era Field.

Simpson, 71, was acquitted in 1995 for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, but a civil court jury found him liable for wrongful death and ordered him to pay $33.5 million. That total has now increased to more than $70 million since the original verdict in 1997. He was sentenced to prison in 2008 for armed robbery and kidnapping after entering a Las Vegas hotel room to recover stolen memorabilia items. He was paroled in 2017.

"Whatever they do is fine with me," Simpson told The Athletic in a telephone interview. "That's how I feel. When I played there, I tried to honor the team. Since I left, I always tried to honor the Bills.

"And, to be honest, it's not something I think about. There's too much else going on in life."

Perry, 27, has mainly contributed on special teams during his NFL career, averaging 20.6 yards on 22 kick returns. He has rushed for 30 yards and caught two passes in his career.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have signed star receiver Julian Edelman to a two-year contract extension that includes an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million in guaranteed money, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

The extension through the 2021 season includes $19 million in "new" money, and gives the 32-year-old Edelman, the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, a chance to finish his career where it started.

The extension was first reported Tuesday by NFL Network.

Edelman was scheduled to earn a base salary of $2 million in 2019. He also had a chance to earn a $500,000 workout bonus, $375,000 in roster bonuses and other incentives for this season.

After missing the first four games of the 2018 regular season because of a suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Edelman totaled 100 receptions for 1,238 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games (12 regular-season, three playoff).

Edelman, 32, has three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, and had 10 catches for 141 yards in this year's victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

He has 115 postseason receptions, which trails only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (151). He also has six 100-yard receiving games in the postseason, which is tied for second in NFL history with Michael Irvin behind Rice (8).

After the Super Bowl, coach Bill Belichick noted how Edelman played quarterback at Kent State and made the transition to receiver with the Patriots after he was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, a move that earned his respect.

Belichick said other than collegiate wrestler turned NFL offensive lineman Stephen Neal, "Nobody has worked harder than Julian in my career to develop his skills and his craft at another position."

In an offseason when the Patriots have undergone significant personnel turnover -- including the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski -- Edelman returns as quarterback Tom Brady's No. 1 pass-catching option. Outside of Edelman and first-round draft choice N'Keal Harry, the Patriots have a wide-open competition for roster spots at wide receiver.

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has been cleared to fully participate in OTAs, coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday.

"Carson has no limitations," Pederson said, adding, "I'm not going to hold him back."

Wentz has been recovering from a stress fracture in his back, which was discovered in December and cost him the last three games of the regular season. He told reporters in April that the bone had not fully healed, adding "that's not really the main concern. It's just kind of how I feel, and I feel pretty good with where I'm at."

Wentz did not fully participate in OTAs last season as he recovered from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Dealing with multiple injuries and unable to fully develop chemistry with his teammates during the offseason, Wentz fell short of his MVP-caliber 2017 season but still completed 70 percent of his throws with 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 2018.

Providence coach Ed Cooley has opted to remain with the Friars after meeting with Michigan officials on Monday, agreeing to a multiyear contract extension.

The school officially announced Tuesday that Cooley had withdrawn his name from consideration at Michigan, which is looking to replace John Beilein, the new coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"While it's very flattering to be considered for other head-coaching jobs, after talking with my family I have decided to remain in my hometown of Providence," Cooley said. "The Friars are my family. Most importantly, my commitment is to my players and my team at Providence."

IT'S AN EXCITING TIME IN FRIARTOWN!!!

— Ed Cooley (@CoachCooleyPC) May 21, 2019

Cooley, a lifelong New Englander who was born in Providence, has been the Friars' head coach for eight seasons. He led them to five consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2014 to 2018, before finishing 18-16 last season.

"We are excited to announce that Ed Cooley will continue to lead our men's basketball program," athletic director Bob Driscoll said. "We believe that Ed is one of the top of coaches in the country."

Michigan could now turn to Miami Heat assistant and former Michigan star Juwan Howard, whom the Wolverines were expected to interview on Tuesday. They have also met with Luke Yaklich and Saddi Washington, who were assistants the past few years under Beilein.

Butler coach LaVall Jordan and Texas' Shaka Smart have been linked to the job as well.

The Toronto Raptors saved their season in a grimy Game 3 win Sunday, but it is on the line again Tuesday in Game 4. The Milwaukee Bucks haven't lost three times in a row all season. They've lost twice in a row only once. The odds of Toronto falling behind 3-1 and then winning three straight, including twice in Milwaukee, are minuscule. Game 4 is essentially must-win.

It is tempting to scan over Sunday's double-overtime thriller with a day of distance and see hints that Milwaukee will have a foot-on-throat response tonight. This is the sort of road Game 4 the favorite always seems to snatch.

The Bucks shot 14-of-44 from deep. Their three leading scorers -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Eric Bledsoe -- combined for 32 points on 11-of-48 shooting, and committed 16 of Milwaukee's 20 turnovers. Milwaukee missed 11 free throws, absorbed bounce-back games from Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam -- plus a 19-point outburst from the fearless and frowny-faced Norman Powell -- and still had chances to win.

OK, sure. Milwaukee has been the league's best team all season. I'm picking them to win tonight, and I picked them to win the series in six games. Kawhi Leonard tweaked his left leg early in Game 3, and proceeded to play 52 minutes while defending Antetokounmpo and carrying Toronto's offense. That kind of two-way load is hard to (pause for effect) manage.

But some of that "make-or-miss league" analysis shortchanges Toronto. The Raptors shot just 40 percent on 2-pointers, their fifth-lowest figure in 97 games this season. Milwaukee got 52 combined points from George Hill, Malcolm Brogdon and Pat Connaughton on 18-of-29 shooting; can those three replicate that? Twenty Milwaukee turnovers in what amounted to a five-quarter game isn't a crazy outlier. The Raptors ranked ninth in opponent turnover rate this season; it was obvious Toronto would have to win the possession battle to win the series. Antetokounmpo has yet to solve the combination of Leonard and hard double-teams.

Most of all: Toronto's half-court defense has been impenetrable. The Bucks have scored just 80 points per 100 possessions on half-court trips in this series, per Cleaning The Glass -- 20 below their regular-season figure, and the worst mark among all four conference finalists.

The notion that Milwaukee is getting much better looks than Toronto does not quite hold up, either, per Second Spectrum data. Milwaukee's expected effective field goal percentage, based on the location of each shot and nearby defenders: 52.8 percent. Toronto's: 51 percent.

(My hunch is that understates the shot quality difference a bit. Toronto is getting zilch around the basket. Meanwhile, for all the bellyaching about Toronto missing open 3-pointers, they have actually outshot Milwaukee from deep -- 35 percent to 29.5 percent. Both teams are underperforming those expected field-goal percentages, but Milwaukee is underperforming to a slightly larger degree. Also: Second Spectrum does not take into account which specific player attempts each shot.

You could spin these numbers a few ways. To me, they reveal Milwaukee getting better looks on a level that matters, but not in total blowout fashion.)

Where Milwaukee has destroyed Toronto: in transition. It was the Bucks' only source of reliable offense for much of Game 3, and a lot of that damage from the Raptors' perspective was self-inflicted. Toronto too often failed to match up, letting good shooters -- Brogdon, Connaughton, Hill -- walk into trailing 3s. Powell and Serge Ibaka, standing next to each other, inexplicably decided Powell should take Antetokounmpo in semi-transition late in the first quarter; Antetokounmpo drove baseline, drew a triple-team, and kicked to Nikola Mirotic for an open 3-pointer. (Mirotic is 4-of-20 from deep in this series, and shooting just 31 percent on 3s in the playoffs.)

Some transition leakage against Milwaukee is inevitable. Antetokounmpo rampaging at you, shooters on all sides, is legitimately frightening, and frightened defenders are prone to make dumb mistakes. But Toronto can clean this up. If they do, the Bucks have to prove they can score against the Raptors' set defense.

But at least the Bucks have enjoyed some stretches when things looked easy -- moments when they could breathe. Toronto has scored just 99 points per possession in this series, five points worse than the league's brickiest offense this season (what up, Knicks!). Every basket has been exhausting.

Everywhere the Raptors turn, they see multiple enemy bodies and outstretched arms.

(Milwaukee's arms are an underrated part of its defense. Arms are the low-hanging fruit of good defense. Raise them up, stretch them out, wave them in the air -- even if you just don't care -- and you are automatically 10 percent improved. In the fourth quarter of Game 1, the Raptors ran a Kyle Lowry/Leonard pick-and-roll on the left side. Hill chased Lowry over the pick; Middleton dipped away from Leonard to clog up Lowry's drive. Leonard popped open behind the arc. Lowry picked up his dribble to pass to him. Hill leaped with his arms stretched over his head. Lowry had to lob the ball more than 10 feet in the air. That gave Middleton time to recover. The possession died.

You want to know if a player cares about defense? Watch his arms. There is no 100 percent effective cure for slow feet or low-IQ, but anyone can raise their arms.)

Middleton and Brogdon have blanketed Leonard. Their ball denial -- arms in passing lanes -- is textbook. A half-dozen times per game, Toronto aborts a Leonard dribble handoff because Middleton plants himself between Leonard and the ball. That should open up backdoor cuts, and perhaps Toronto needs to try more of those. But when Leonard (or anyone else) goes that route, helpers -- Lopez on Gasol up high, Antetokounmpo lurking off of Siakam -- close passing lanes before they open.

Middleton's relentless work may be taking a toll on his offense -- he's averaging 11 points per game on 33 percent shooting -- which only deepens your appreciation for the challenge Leonard has ahead of him.

The Raptors are trying to unlock some off-the-dribble 3s for Leonard and Lowry -- or at least extended the runway -- by having Gasol and Ibaka screen for them near half court:

Milwaukee's perimeter defenders are slithering around those picks. Toronto's two best players have no room to pull up.

The Raptors have often defaulted into Leonard going one-on-everyone from the top of the arc. They are not going to win that way. Milwaukee's defense is too good. The Bucks help at just the right moment -- at the last minute, so that Leonard is already in shooting mode, but never too late. When they telegraph their help, Leonard either sees available passes too late or ignores them. He is not a think-two-steps-ahead playmaker who manipulates defenses into yielding the passes they are geared to prevent. He rarely throws the pass they don't expect.

Leonard passes as a last resort, and it is hard to make productive passes that way against a defense this locked in. Leonard has 52 assists against 47 turnovers in the playoffs -- and nine dimes to 10 turnovers against Milwaukee. This isn't really a knock. It's hard to be all-world at everything.

Toronto has scored just 0.79 points per Leonard isolation, per Second Spectrum. Most end in leaning midrange jumpers. The Raptors cannot even see the rim. Only 19 percent of their attempts in the half court have come within the restricted area, a mark that would have ranked dead last for the season by a mile.

It is tempting to suggest the Raptors should get the ball to Leonard more in the post. They've tried! Middleton and Brogdon have done a great job "three-quartering" Leonard -- riding his left shoulder, and denying the entry pass without full-on fronting:

Leonard has had to surrender, scramble outside, and accept the ball 25 feet from the basket. Tough sledding.

Toronto has to make Leonard's life easier. Springing him for quick-hitting post-ups can be part of that. Run him off some picks -- cross-screens under the rim -- and hope he can seal his defender. That will work now and then, but the Bucks are ready for it.

Toronto flashed some healthy methods of attack in Game 3. One favorite -- and keep your eye on Gasol along the left wing:

If Leonard is going to attack one-on-one, it makes sense to start him from the right wing. The Bucks are forcing him left; if Leonard attacks from the right, he can go left and have more of the court in front of him.

Gasol screening for Lowry at the top of the arc is a gorgeous bit of fluff meant to distract Lopez. Lopez has been on point balancing help duty with man-to-man defense, and he takes only a brief peek at Gasol before realizing it's a ruse. Antetokounmpo pounces anyway, abandoning Fred VanVleet in the corner -- and exposing a wide passing lane.

Here's what the same action looks like with no fluff:

Ibaka is doing nothing, so Lopez ignores him to overload against Leonard. The Bucks are really good at tilting the floor without revealing any profitable pass:

There is no secret strategic sauce in that. It requires five committed, hyper-alert defenders with natural timing and anticipation. Golden State might be the only team better than Milwaukee at this zone-style, help-and-recover positioning.

Corner action involving Toronto's point guards screening for Leonard has also worked:

VanVleet's screen forces an uncomfortable choice: switch your smallest defender onto Leonard, or trigger crisis rotations. Both teams should probably hunt mismatches with their stars a bit more. (For a Bucks-centric perspective, Howard Beck and I discussed how Milwaukee might deal with Leonard guarding Antetokounmpo on Monday's Lowe Post podcast.) The Lowry/Leonard pick-and-roll hasn't been as effective as Toronto hoped, but they should try more.

This is some advanced improv work from VanVleet and Leonard. VanVleet creeps toward Leonard as if he's going to set a pindown, only to flip his pick at the last second so that Leonard can cut backdoor with more of a surprise element:

Hill has to help, but doesn't want to switch. VanVleet pops open and actually makes a shot.

Leonard can screen for VanVleet (or Lowry) out of the same setup, and rocket up toward Gasol for a handoff:

An aggressive, involved Gasol is a must. The best way for the other Raptors to help Leonard is to, like, help Leonard. Lowry needs to be meaner exploiting Lopez on Lowry/Gasol pick-and-rolls. Lopez wants to corral Lowry, and rush back to Gasol along the arc. He's antsy. Hit him with a hesitation dribble -- make him think his job is done -- and burn his ass. If Lowry generates a switch, he has to punish it with hard drives and step-back 3s.

Danny Green needs to keep running when Nikola Mirotic is on him. The Raptors are getting open looks almost every time they slingshot Green -- or Powell -- off a baseline screen while the Bucks are focused on a high pick-and-roll.

Monitor Toronto's assist rate in Game 4. They assisted on 28 of 40 buckets in Game 3 -- a Warriors-esque 70 percent. In 14 prior playoff games, Toronto had assisted on just 53 percent of baskets with Leonard and Gasol on the floor -- a mark that would have ranked 29th, way below the 67 percent rate they posted with Gasol on the court during the regular season.

An uptick in assists is a symptom of producing better overall looks. That might amount to only five or six shots per game, but when you're fighting for your playoff life against an elite team, every bit matters.