Manchester City retained the Premier League after surviving a scare on the final day of the season to eventually see off Brighton and beat Liverpool to the title.

For 21 minutes, Liverpool were champions on the final day as they led Wolves with Manchester City falling behind at the Amex, but Pep Guardiola's men found their stride to finish on 98 points -- one ahead of their nearest challengers. Liverpool's 97 points is the highest total amassed by a runner-up in English top flight history.

"Back to back, it was the hardest and most satisfying ever. Liverpool were exceptional this year. I don't mean to rub it in -- they didn't deserve to lose," Vincent Kompany said.

"But we played against such a good team all season and until now we were able to stay in front."

"It means a lot. We have to say congratulations to Liverpool as well. They helped us to push on. It's been an incredible season for us," Guardiola said.

"I think last season, Ciy raised the standard higher. To win the title, we needed 14 wins in a row and couldn't drop points. So, it's incredible to do it after 100 points (last season). Liverpool helped us.

"It was the toughest title win in all my career so far."

Glenn Murray gave Brighton a shock lead on 26 minutes, his clever flick from a corner sending Liverpool fans at Anfield into delirium, but City soon responded.

First, Sergio Aguero struck through Mat Ryan's legs after a fine touch from David Silva two minutes after City fell behind and then Aymeric Laporte headed unmarked from a corner on 38 minutes to make it 2-1.

Riyad Mahrez, making a rare start, finished excellently just after the hour mark and Ilkay Gundogan's majestic free kick put City further in control as their fans celebrated another success.

City were comfortable in the second half as the goals flowed, killing off any lingering Liverpool hope and making it the first time a team has retained the league since Manchester United in 2009.

With the title destiny in their hands before kick-off, City started tentatively with Brighton bright and posing problems on the counter attack.

Bernardo Silva had a good chance to settle the nerves early on but he was blocked in the area as he burst through on goal.

City were sloppy in patches and fell behind when Murray got ahead of his marker to beat Ederson and put Brighton 1-0 up. It sparked joyous scenes at Anfield as Liverpool were top as it stood, but City hit back.

Aguero got City back on level terms with a fine finish past Ryan and then Laporte's header put Guardiola's men in front before the break.

Mahrez then jinked his way through and finished with a brilliant right-footed shot into the top corner to make it 3-1 to the visitors. Lewis Dunk was turned inside out by Mahrez, whose effort was met with exuberant celebrations on the City bench.

Gundogan put the finishing touches on a fine win and another Premier League title when he hit a sublime free kick 18 minutes from time as City finally saw off a spirited title challenge from Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, who beat Wolves 2-0.

"I am delighted. This is why I came to the club -- to win trophies. The mentality is the best here -- no matter what game it is, it's all about winning," Raheem Sterling said.

"Players challenge each other. Nobody is comfortable here. It's been a lovely season, I'm happy to have a decent season."

Kompany added: "I had no interest in what Liverpool were doing all season. If anyone wanted to try and figure out permutations or see what they were doing I would have lost my head and lost my mind.

"We didn't come this far having to worry about someone else. We played Brighton and we knew we could beat them playing our way and that's what we needed. I'm so happy that we could go behind and come back with the big players who make the difference in big games."

The ICC are satisfied England did not tamper with the ball in their second ODI against Pakistan amid a swirl of social media speculation.

Unverified footage from Saturday's match, which England won by 12 runs having scored 373 for 3 and managed to contain Pakistan to 361 for 7, highlighted England pace bowler Liam Plunkett moving fingers over the ball whilst preparing to run in and vision of the ball with one side looking extremely rough.

The ICC is believed to have seen the video and spoken to Plunkett, who alerted them to the footage, and are not concerned that anything untoward occurred.

"The ICC is aware of the unverified video that is currently circulating on social media," the ICC said in a statement on Sunday. "The match officials are comfortable that there was no attempt to change the condition of the ball or any evidence of this on the over by over examinations of the ball throughout the game."

The video does not show any evidence of wrongdoing by Plunkett or any other player and the condition of the ball, if accurately depicted, would appear to be consistent with one bashed around during such a high-scoring game. The ball used in the Royal London Cup semi-final between Hampshire and Lancashire on the same Ageas Bowl pitch the following day did not look dis-similar after 44 overs and 230 runs being scored.

South Africa women 265 for 6 (Luus 80, Lee 57, Wolvaardt 56, Riaz 2-49) tied with Pakistan women 265 for 9 (Javeria 74, Riaz 71, Klaas 3-55, Kapp 2-57)

The final match of the series not only became a high-scoring nail-biter, but also ended in a result that would please the visiting Pakistan side: a tie.

Asked to bat in Benoni, South Africa rode on half-centuries by openers Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt and an 84-ball 80 from captain and No. 4 Sune Luus to put up 265 for 6. Pakistan's chase looked dead in the water when Javeria Khan was dismissed for 74 to leave them at 165 for 6 after 37 overs. But Aliya Riaz fought with her career-best 82-ball 71, and Nashra Sandhu hit a six in the last over to ensure her team got out of the contest with honours shared.

When Riaz walked out to join Javeria, Pakistan were 91 for 4, with Nahida Khan, Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar all dismissed, and South Africa on top.

Riaz is an allrounder, but an ODI average of 12.88 before this game wouldn't have given Javeria - or their team - too much confidence. But it was to be Riaz's day. She had earlier been Pakistan's best bowler with 2 for 49, and turned it on with the bat, first adding 74 with Javeria - her contribution only 25 - and then pretty much bossing the remainder of the chase. She scored 46 of the 84 runs scored between Javeria's dismissal and her own, in the 48th over with Pakistan needed 17 from 14.

Shabnim Ismail conceded just four off the penultimate over before Sandhu slammed a six off the penultimate ball and sealed the tie with a single off the last ball.

For South Africa, Masabata Klaas and Marizanne Kapp, who finished with 3 for 55 and 2 for 57 respectively, struck at key moments to almost always keep their team slightly ahead. The point from the game was a big one for Pakistan, who had won the first game of the series after bowling South Africa out for just 63, as it took them above New Zealand to fifth spot on the ICC Women's Championship table, just below South Africa, who have 16 points, both teams having played 15 games.

Earlier, Lee, (57 off 61), and Wolvaardt (56 off 84) gave South Africa strong start. The two added 75 for the first wicket before the aggressive Lee was caught behind off Riyaz, and after Andrie Steyn's third failure in the series, Wolvaardt and Luus took them to 150 midway through the 35th over before Wolvaardt was dismissed.

Luus was in charge after that, and with Chloe Tryon scoring a quick 15-ball 28, they put up a big total on the board. Another day, it might have been enough to stop Pakistan short, but Riaz, Javeria and Sandhu made sure it didn't happen.

Somerset 337 (Trego 73, Azhar 72, Banton 59) beat Nottinghamshire 222 (Slater 58, Hales 54) by 115 runs

There will be no Lord's final for Alex Hales, not that even the most ardent county cricket follower would claim that was adequate compensation for missing out on a place in England's World Cup campaign. Instead, Hales was part of a Nottinghamshire side shouldered aside by Somerset in an emphatic manner that will bring delight in the south-west.

Somerset have reached Lord's the hard way. Since finishing third in South Group courtesy of a must-win floodlit tie against Surrey at Taunton on Tuesday night, they have seen off Worcestershire in the play-offs by 147 runs and now Nottinghamshire, this time by a margin of 115.

Hales' dismissal for 54, as he fell to his favoured square cut, was the fourth Nottinghamshire wicket to fall, on 135, in a sequence of four wickets for 25 in 45 balls which changed the complexion of the match. Craig Overton ran jubilantly into the off side, pursued by the rest of the Somerset team, the importance of the wicket apparent. Sometimes you don't have to just take a wicket, you have to kill a suspicion that fate is not on your side.

Somerset now contest the final of the last 50-over competition that will actually mean something and it is good that a county which still treasures the county game will be represented. In 2020, it will be denuded by running in direct competition with The Hundred. The most powerful counties will contest it while most of their squad are on loan elsewhere. Results will be devalued and statistics misleading. One giant-sized work experience scheme to give professionals who remain unsold in the auction for The Hundred something to do.

In Restaurant Six, Trent Bridge's acclaimed new fine-dining restaurant and bar, the view of the cricket below became ever-more discouraging. One of the imaginative offerings of Dan Warren, Britain's bartender of the year in 2018, is the Grass Cutter cocktail which evokes the smell of freshly-mown grass. Long before the end, it was the sort of day to put some extra gin in it.

Trent Bridge hosts so many big scores that no first-innings score ever feels safe. But Somerset's 336 was a challenging total, disguised by several bad dismissals. The pitch was central (even if one of ropes was brought in more than necessary) and the ball did not purr onto the bat quite as conveniently as normal. Steven Mullaney termed the total "chaseable," but conceded that Nottinghamshire had been outplayed in every department.

For Somerset to reach 182 for 1 by the 29th over was a considerable achievement. If Tom Banton's edge against Jake Ball, on 1, had not fallen just short of Matthew Carter at second slip, the outcome might have been different. But Banton, Azhar Ali and Peter Trego all made fifties, the admirable Lewis Gregory held the later stages together with 37, and the Overton twins made merry with 46 off 30 late on, their stand once again having the appealing atmosphere of a bit of a singalong at the end of something more serious.

Banton, after his century against Worcestershire, had to deal for the first time with national acclaim - most obviously in the form of Michael Vaughan's Twitter feed. Vaughan told his 1.08m followers that Banton's style reminded him of Kevin Pietersen. As Vaughan remarked, no pressure there then.

It is an apt comparison. Banton might have been influenced by Jos Buttler, who studied at the same school, but there are definite reminders in his long-limbed sweeps and reverse sweeps. Tall and elegant, he can rarely have played more methodically until he burst ahead with 24 off Matthew Carter's second over, striking the offspinner over the ropes three times.

He fell for 59, flicking at a ball from Harry Gurney to be caught at the wicket, the only success for Gurney who had only just returned from a stint with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, stood in for Darren Pattinson, who has a sore side, and Stuart Broad, not released by England, and went for 86 in 10 overs.

Alongside him, Azhar progressed furtively. His 71 from 70 balls was shorn of excess, a shrewd assessment of the nature of the pitch, until he swung and missed at Jake Ball. There was a similar run-a-ball contribution from Trego, who played with great responsibility for 73 until he was run out, sold down by the river by Gregory's push into the leg side and change of heart over a single. George Bartlett's second-ball duck, making room against Mullaney, suffered for the vaulting ambition of youth. Ball's well-disguised slower balls helped him to 4 for 62 and Luke Fletcher, although wicketless, was also on the money.

Nottinghamshire perished with Hales, although the unsung Ben Slater played well for 58 until he worked Jamie Overton to short midwicket. When Ben Duckett reverse-swept to deep square, the bowler, Roelof van der Merwe, jumped to attention with the ball in the air as if the Duke of Edinburgh had suddenly walked onto the square and requested an audience.

There were still 11.4 overs remaining when the end came, Fletcher's demise at long-on after a hard-hitting but futile 43 allowing Somerset to celebrate their second complete performance in 48 hours. For Tom Abell, already a much-loved Somerset captain at 25, a Lord's final now lies ahead.

MADRID -- Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to win his third Madrid Open title Sunday, tying Rafael Nadal for most Masters 1000 trophies with 33.

It was the second title of the season for the top-ranked Djokovic, adding to his triumph in the Australian Open. He hadn't won in Madrid since 2016, with his other title in the Spanish capital coming in 2011.

Nadal and Djokovic each have five Masters 1000 titles more than Roger Federer, third on the all-time list.

Djokovic was in control from the start against his 20-year-old Greek opponent, who had defeated Nadal in the Madrid semifinals and was trying to become the first player to win three tour titles this season.

The Serb broke Tsitsipas early in the first set and late in the second to close out the match at the Magic Box center court.

The Miami Dolphins signed running back Mark Walton after his successful tryout at their rookie minicamp this weekend.

Walton, a 2018 fourth-round pick out of the University of Miami, was arrested three times in 2019 before being waived by the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.

Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Saturday that "people deserve a second chance" in reference to the Walton tryout.

"I don't want to judge people based on one incident (or) two incidents," Flores said. "I think it's a case-by-case situation for a player and just for people in general. That's kind of my stance."

When speaking with reporters Saturday, Walton declined to comment on his legal situation, but he did show gratitude for the Dolphins giving him this opportunity.

"There's a lot of things that were happening in the offseason, but right now my focus is on the task at hand, and right now that's trying out for the Miami Dolphins and that's what I'm going to talk about right now," Walton said.

The legal matters from his arrests on March 12, Feb. 16 and Jan. 16 are still pending, and the NFL could decide to impose discipline at a later date.

He is facing a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon along with three misdemeanor charges: resisting an officer without violence, marijuana possession and reckless driving from the March 12 incident, a battery charge in the Feb. 16 case, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana from the Jan. 16 arrest.

Flores, general manager Chris Grier and others on the Dolphins staff discussed his legal issues before trying him out and eventually signing him.

Walton is from Miami, presenting an opportunity for him to restart his NFL career close to home.

"He's a talented player," Flores said. "We wanted to definitely take a look at him and see if he was a fit for us on the field (and) off the field."

Walton joins a running back room led by Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage. The Dolphins also drafted a fullback, Chandler Cox, and a running back, Myles Gaskin, each in the seventh round.

Flores said he anticipates the Dolphins keeping five or six backs on their final 53-man roster.

Walton, who had 14 carries for 34 yards and five catches for 41 yards in 14 games for Bengals last season, is at his best as a pass-catching running back.

What are the biggest things to watch in Sunday's two Game 7s of the NBA playoffs?

With the Portland Trail Blazers facing the Denver Nuggets (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and the Philadelphia 76ers matching up with the Toronto Raptors (7 p.m., TNT) one more time, our experts answer the big questions that will decide each series.

Who are the players to watch? Who has the most at stake with a trip to the conference finals on the line?

We break it down and predict the results.

1. What has been the biggest surprise in either series?

Jorge Sedano: Ben Simmons needing six games to put his imprint on the series. I think Simmons is still only scratching the surface of how talented he is. Game 6 was arguably the best and most important game of his career. Can he duplicate that in Game 7?

Kevin Pelton: How ineffective Monte Morris (Denver) and Fred VanVleet (Toronto), two of the league's better backup point guards, have been in these series. Morris has shot 6-of-27 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts, while VanVleet is 1-of-12 on 3s and 3-of-19 overall. Both undersized players seem to have been bothered by the size and length opponents who don't use traditional backup point guards have been able to throw at them.

Tim Bontemps: Toronto's inability to make open shots. During the season, Toronto made 41.4 percent of its uncontested 3-pointers, good for seventh in the league, per Second Spectrum tracking. In this series, the Raptors are shooting 32.5 percent on those looks. If the Raptors had made their open 3s, this series already would be over. If they make them in Game 7, they'll advance to the Eastern Conference finals. But the fact that they haven't has left this team in a far more precarious position than it should be.

André Snellings: The dominance of the young Nuggets duo. I wrote last week that Nikola Jokic (age 24) and Jamal Murray (age 22) are better building blocks than Damian Lillard (age 28) and CJ McCollum (age 27), in large part due to the upside and rarity of Jokic's game. But Jokic has been the best player out West, and Murray has exploded to average 25 points, six rebounds and five assists through six games. The future is now.

Bobby Marks: Jimmy Butler and Zach Collins, for different reasons. The 76ers guard has gone from being a third option in the regular season to a player who proved he can carry a team (25.7 points and plus-16.7 in the three wins). Meanwhile, Portland is getting a real glimpse of Collins' potential. He has been a team-high plus-4.5 in the six games, and he's the most consistent player coming off the bench (9.0 PPG on 53.8 percent shooting from the field).

2. What are you watching most closely in Blazers-Nuggets?

Snellings: Will Lillard have another "Dame Time" closeout game? He is the most electric player in the series, and though he has had some strong games, he has the ability to go further into his bag and come out with a 50-point, double-digit-3-pointers performance for the ages. The Nuggets had the best home record in the NBA this season and are hosting Game 7, so it feels like a Dame classic is the Trail Blazers' best shot to advance.

Pelton: How many minutes Jokic plays. All series, Portland has gotten the better of the stretches Jokic and Lillard have spent on the bench. The easiest fix for Denver coach Michael Malone is to extend Jokic's minutes, as he did in Game 7 vs. San Antonio and again in Game 3 of this series, when Jokic played the entire second half and nearly all four overtimes.

Marks: The officiating. We likely will see three new officials who have not worked this series together already. How the refs allow each team to play in the first five minutes will set a tone for the rest of the game.

Sedano: Which superstar has the bigger impact on the game and drags his team across the finish line. Jokic had a triple-double in the closeout against the Spurs. We all know Dame waved bye-bye to Russ. Who stands out on Sunday is the most important thing for me.

Bontemps: Lillard's energy level. Lillard has been carrying an insane load in these playoffs as Portland continues to survive without Jusuf Nurkic. As this series wore on, Lillard (understandably) began to look tired. But in Game 6, he looked back to his usual self. If the Blazers are going to go into Denver and win a Game 7 on the road, they need "Logo Lillard" to be operating at peak efficiency.

3. What are you watching most closely in 76ers-Raptors?

Marks: The two head coaches. This is uncharted water for Nick Nurse and Brett Brown. After skating through the first round in five games, both are now in a position they've never faced: a Game 7 to reach the conference finals. How each coach manages minutes will be scrutinized. Be prepared for an all-out mentality, with players such as Kawhi Leonard and Butler potentially playing the full 48 minutes.

Snellings: I want to see if Joel Embiid is healthy enough to turn in another MVP-caliber performance. Embiid dropped 33 points on 18 field goal attempts to lead the 76ers to a win in Game 3, but in the three games since, he has averaged only 13.7 points on 38.7 percent shooting while visibly ailing from his various health issues. The Raptors are hosting Game 7, which should bode well for their role players and make things more challenging for the non-star 76ers. Embiid has to be at peak level to give his team a chance to win.

Bontemps: Will the Raptors besides Leonard make shots? We know Leonard will show up; he arguably has been the best player in the playoffs thus far. Pascal Siakam likely will, too. How this game plays out likely will come down to how the rest of their teammates -- specifically Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Danny Green and Serge Ibaka -- play. If they hit shots like they did in Games 1 and 5, Toronto likely will win comfortably. If not? Things could get awfully interesting.

Sedano: Can Gasol continue his impressive effort against Embiid? Gasol is a veteran of playoff battles. He has been a huge X factor on both ends for the Raptors, initiating offense from the high post and doing excellent work defensively on Embiid. No one has limited Embiid offensively in the past three seasons quite like Gasol has in their matchups.

Pelton: Toronto's 3-point shooting. The Raptors, sixth in the NBA in 3-point percentage during the regular season at 36.6, are hitting just 30.8 percent of their 3s in this series. Per Second Spectrum data, Toronto has had the better shot quality, as measured by qSP (quantified shot probability, which factors in the location and type of shot as well as distance of nearby defenders and the shooter's ability), in all six games of the series. The Raptors' 3-point misses are a big reason they've had the better effective field goal percentage in just three of the six games, all Toronto wins.

4. Which player or team has the most at stake on Sunday?

Pelton: The 76ers. Win or lose, the Raptors' future is in the hands of Leonard this summer. Philadelphia, by contrast, has more choices ahead. The Sixers must decide whether to stick with Brett Brown as head coach and how much to offer unrestricted free agents Butler (who, like Leonard, has a player option he's sure to decline) and Tobias Harris. Should those decisions be made on the basis of a single game? Of course not, but given the high expectations from Philadelphia ownership after loading up with Butler and Harris, that might prove the case.

Marks: Portland. Despite Lillard and McCollum being under contract for the next two seasons -- possibly more if they agree to extensions -- Game 7 represents an opportunity they might not have in the future. Because of upcoming financial restrictions, this could be a drastically different team next year, one that might be without Al-Farouq Aminu, Enes Kanter, Seth Curry and Rodney Hood. There's no guarantee that the Blazers get back here.

Bontemps: We'll cheat and say both teams in the East. With huge roster decisions ahead this summer, the clock starts immediately for the loser -- and that team will lose the chance to make a run to the Finals that could influence those decisions as well.

Snellings: The pressure is all in the East, especially in Philadelphia. Both Butler and Harris could leave as free agents, and this postseason has made questions about Embiid's health and Simmons' lack of jump shot more concerning. The 76ers made moves this season consistent with a team going all-in to win, so another second-round loss has the potential to trigger organization-wide changes, with no coach or player guaranteed to return next season.

Sedano: I'll go slightly off the board and say Brett Brown. I find rumors of his alleged uncertain job status to be silly. However, the rumors exist. I think he has done a fine job and deserves to continue as the head coach. A win in Game 7 can go a long way to solidify that.

5. Who wins each Game 7?

Bontemps: Portland will win in Denver because I've grown to expect Lillard to come up big on occasions such as these. He has proved it time and again. Meanwhile, the Raptors will win because they have the best player (Leonard) and home-court advantage. More than anything, though, here's hoping we get two great Game 7s, which are always the best things in sports.

Snellings: I'm taking the Raptors in the East matchup. They have been the better team all season, they have home-court advantage, and they have experience in these moments. The West is essentially a toss-up, but the Nuggets are hard to beat at home, especially with how well Jokic has been playing. Add the Nuggets' big size advantage, and they should be the favorites to advance.

Sedano: The Raptors and Blazers. The Raptors have home court, Leonard has been insanely good, and as I mentioned before, Gasol has done an excellent job in this series. In the West, Dame and CJ can carry the scoring load for Portland. The Blazers' bench has been ignited by Hood, who is averaging 16 points on 60 percent shooting. Plus, Collins has been a gem off the bench. The Blazers have outscored the Nuggets by 22 points in 113 minutes with Hood and Collins paired on the floor.

Pelton: Since 1984, the average home-court advantage in Game 7 is 6.3 points, so the home team should almost always be favored to win unless there's a key injury (as was the case last year, when the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets without Chris Paul in a road Game 7). I don't see a compelling reason to pick against the home teams here.

Marks: The home teams. On paper, the better roster is Philadelphia, not Toronto. However, do we know what 76ers team will actually show up for a Game 7? Will we get MVP-level Embiid? In Denver, we have seen that the moment has never been too big for this young Nuggets team. The Game 7 win over the San Antonio Spurs proved that.

Rodney Hood has been the star of the Portland Trail Blazers' bench in this beautiful, exhausting, exhilarating battle against the Denver Nuggets, and he deserves all the public fawning.

He's averaging 16 points on 60 percent (!) shooting, and brutalizing whichever undersized guard the Nuggets throw at him -- to the point that Denver for one stretch of Game 6 slid Paul Millsap onto Hood, and a smaller wing onto Evan Turner. The Nuggets might want to try that again in Game 7.

Hood is beasting in the post. He is averaging 1.37 points per isolation in the postseason, second behind Marcus Morris among players who have recorded at least 15 such plays, per Second Spectrum. He has proven up to the challenge of defending Jamal Murray.

Swapping Hood for one of Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu -- 7-of-30 combined from deep in this series -- has upped Portland's shooting quotient without compromising its defense. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, dealing with traps at every turn, have more space to breathe with Hood on the floor. He has punished Denver for creeping away to help on Portland's central pick-and-roll action:

It has been a wonderful story. Hood quaked under the pressure of replacing Gordon Hayward in Utah, and disintegrated playing with LeBron James in Cleveland on the game's biggest stages. He has rediscovered his game, and his confidence, amid Portland's healthy culture. With one of Lillard and McCollum always on the floor, Hood can focus on what comes naturally to him (scoring) instead of what has always seemed a little outside his wheelhouse (running an offense).

Neil Olshey, Portland's general manager, grabbing Hood for Wade Baldwin, Nik Stauskas, and two future second-round picks on the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday -- four days before the trade deadline -- barely registered, but the Blazers would not be playing in Game 7 without that deal.

Hood has had some bench help in the form of a reserve with much more long-term importance to Portland: Zach Collins, the edgy and roaring big man who has spent time at both power forward and center against Denver, and thrived in both roles. Olshey traded the 15th and 20th picks (Justin Jackson and Harry Giles III) in the 2017 draft to Sacramento to move up and select Collins with the 10th pick.

Some insiders dubbed the move a reach -- some dub any splashy draft-day move for a big man a reach as the league evolves toward guards and wings -- and Donovan Mitchell indeed went three spots later. But the Blazers had no pressing need for Mitchell with Lillard and McCollum on board. Portland bet Collins would mesh with their star guards before they exited their primes, and that bet is starting to pay off.

The Blazers have outscored Denver by 22 points in 113 minutes with Hood and Collins on the floor, per NBA.com. They have played together mostly in bench-and-McCollum lineups that have generally won the starts of second and fourth quarters. Denver has countered with lineups featuring Millsap as the lone starter, but those groups have been a disaster despite Millsap's best "adult in the room" efforts.

Turner, working as a small-ball power forward, has battled Millsap in the post since Game 4 after Millsap bullied him in the earlier part of the series. Collins took the Millsap assignment for a couple of possessions in Game 6, leaving Turner to guard Mason Plumlee; the Blazers might want to revisit that setup if Millsap gets into a Game 7 groove. Denver dumping the ball to Plumlee in the post against Turner is a win for the Blazers. Small children should avert their eyes during Plumlee's laborious post-ups.

One of these teams has only 48 minutes left in its season. Those bench-on-bench clashes become even more fraught Sunday. Expect both coaches to treat them with more urgency. Murray started the fourth quarter of Game 6 alongside Millsap -- a second starter to bolster the bench mob -- and Michael Malone might want to have one of Murray and Gary Harris (stout all series) on the floor at all times in a do-or-die game.

Malone will surely stretch Nikola Jokic as far as he can go, and he has already gone a preposterous 65 minutes in one epic game in this series. Portland has been wary of matching Collins and Jokic in center-versus-center minutes. Jokic can bulldoze Collins in the post, though Collins thwarted him on one key faceup attack late in Game 6 and drew a charge about a minute later on one of those delicious inverted Jokic pick-and-rolls. Doubling Jokic only unlocks his lethal passing game. Collins is vulnerable on the defensive glass. He's still filling out. Keep an eye on the minutes chess match.

Good thing Collins can play next to Enes Kanter, too -- and defend Denver's power forwards. Portland is plus-15 in 31 Collins-Kanter minutes against the Nuggets, per NBA.com. Millsap has shot just 1-of-11 when matched up with Collins, according to Second Spectrum.

So many of Portland's games against the best competition come down to whether Aminu and Harkless make open 3s. If they miss early, Collins has made a strong case to usurp more minutes at power forward. He and Hood played four minutes of Game 6 in place of the Harkless/Aminu duo alongside Portland's three other starters -- Lillard, McCollum and the tough-as-all-hell Kanter. That five-man group is plus-6 in nine total minutes for the series. Might we see it again Sunday?

Collins has the blurry outlines of a modern big who can protect the rim, shoot 3s, post up guards on switches, and do just enough off the dribble to hurt you. (Witness his Eurostep floater in Game 5 when Denver trapped Lillard on the pick-and-roll, and let Collins slither into open space.) Those outlines have sharpened a bit in these playoffs.

Collins is 4-of-12 from deep in the postseason, and has looked comfortable jacking from above the break. His pick-and-pop triple isn't polished enough to punish Jokic when they are matched up, but he's getting there. (Kanter -- at least the healthy version -- might be able to overpower Plumlee in the post when the double-center lineups face off.) Collins is explosive rolling to the basket, with good start-and-stop footwork; he makes sure a pocket pass is always available for Lillard and McCollum.

On defense, Collins has been a menace protecting the basket; opponents have shot just 46 percent in the restricted area in the playoffs with Collins nearby, eighth stingiest among 48 players who have contested at least four such shots per game. He has flashed the ability to think almost in sync with the opposing offense, and arrive in help position early -- before they expect him there.

Collins is listed at 7 feet. Guys that tall with his skill set project as stretch-centers, but part of their value lies in being malleable enough to play next to almost any frontcourt partner. If Collins hones his 3-point shot, he will provide enough spacing for Portland to fit a traditional center -- Kanter now, Jusuf Nurkic once he recovers from that leg injury -- next to him.

He's quick enough to guard most traditional power forwards. He has not looked out of his element switching onto Murray when needed. Against the dread Murray-Jokic pick-and-roll, Collins has mostly been able to slide onto Murray and rotate back to Jokic without ceding anything good.

Executives across the league have made a parlor game of handicapping the 2019-20 Western Conference in the event Kevin Durant leaves Golden State. The Warriors made a loud statement about that parlor game in running Houston out of the playoffs -- again -- Friday night without Durant. As ever, Portland is overlooked in that discussion. There is a sense these Blazers have reached their apex, and that the Lillard/McCollum duo will still struggle against the wrong playoff matchup.

Maybe. But Lillard and McCollum -- 28 and 27, respectively -- are squarely in their primes. They are good, they are mean, and they are going to cook you. As long as they are in Portland, there will be very few easy nights against the Blazers.

Nurkic is still just 24, and enjoyed a career year across the board before his injury. For much of the season, he was Portland's second-best overall player -- improved on offense, and a bulwark on defense and the glass. (McCollum's crafty shot creation probably jumps him over Nurkic in the playoffs, but Nurkic was awesome this season. He would have received All-Star consideration in the East.)

The forward spots are big questions; Aminu is a sneakily important free agent this summer, a bedrock of Portland's culture and defense, and the capped-out Blazers have limited means to replace him if he leaves.

Collins making a leap would change so much about Portland's short- and long-term trajectory. In the immediate future, he can continue toggling between both big-man spots -- filling some of the power forward gap while manning his more natural position when Nurkic rests. Zoom out, and Collins popping would unlock a lot of interesting trade possibilities should a game-changing deal present itself.

But that's a discussion for another day. These teams have a Game 7 to play. Regardless of the outcome, it has been a successful season for both. Collins' strong play should make Portland fans even more optimistic about the franchise's long-term outlook.

WHEN JAMAL MURRAY is asked about playing the two-man game with Nikola Jokic, he replies, "The best part is we don't really don't know what is going to happen."

"And the beauty of that," Paul Millsap adds, "is if we don't know, then [the defense] can't possibly know."

The pick-and-roll partners are heavy on improvisation, but their attraction to the motion began a world apart.

When Jokic was a young boy in Sombor, Serbia, a reluctant basketball talent who cried when his father dragged him to practice, he knew what he liked.

Tim Duncan was his man. The first time he saw the San Antonio power forward mastering the nuances of the pick-and-roll with teammate Manu Ginobili, the adolescent Jokic was drawn to Duncan's understated excellence and unselfishness.

"He wasn't flashy," Jokic says. "I liked that."

In Kitchener, Ontario, some 4,550 miles away, Murray was eagerly gobbling up a steady diet of Michael Jordan highlights under the watchful eye of his father Roger. Murray marveled at the symmetry of Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who seemed to innately sense what the other would do next. Many of the clips were from the Bulls' tussles with the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals, so, Murray recalls, "you couldn't help but notice Stockton and Malone."

Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is careful to pay the proper homage to the Jazz greats. But, he asserts, the game has changed, and the Denver Nuggets' compelling duo of Jokic and Murray, whose symbiotic innovation has vaulted their team to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals, has surpassed them.

"I've never seen a combination like those two," McGrady says. "You have a guy like Jamal, who comes off the pick and shoots the way he does, or passes it to a guy with the skill set of Jokic.

"Karl Malone was a great midrange shooter but he didn't have the skill set that Jokic has. Nikola can knock down the shot, he drives to the basket, he makes these incredible passes. He does so many things out of [the pick-and-roll] that no other big man can do."

Jokic detects tendencies, both on film and in real time -- often in the middle of a tight game -- to determine what is the best course of action for him and Murray. It often requires a split-second decision, something Denver's big man has been preparing for since those early days of tracking Duncan.

"I just wonder what they're doing," Jokic says, "and then I do the opposite of that."

In this new-age NBA world, where double-teams are scarce and switching is the norm, where 3-point shots are rampant and midrange jumpers are decried, the Nuggets have inverted the pick-and-roll by featuring sets in which Murray, the point guard, screens for Jokic, the big man.

"That's unheard of," Nuggets coach Mike Malone says. "It speaks to a couple of things: Nikola's ability to handle and make plays, but also the underrated fact that Jamal Murray is our best screener.

"They're not going to switch on a 1-5 pick-and-roll, so now you have Nikola coming off and making plays at the top of the floor," Malone says. "Teams can double-team him in the post, but when he's got the ball up top, he's unguardable. Because if you want to put two players on the ball, you've got Jamal, who is a pick-and-pop threat who can also drive to the basket. I've not seen anything like this in many, many years -- if ever."

HALL OF FAME point guard Isiah Thomas, who excelled in the two-man game with Detroit Pistons teammate Bill Laimbeer, contends there are three requirements to execute an effective pick-and-roll: the point guard must be able to make his own shot, be a great passer, and draw the attention of two players. Thomas checked all those boxes, and, he says, "Jamal does too."

"So many of these new guys [in the NBA] think the pick is for them," Thomas says. "The roller is actually the most important player.

"Laimbeer was special because he could catch going to the basket, but also could lead the defense, and change things by popping as opposed to rolling. That stretched the defense and the weakside defender couldn't get there in time."

What makes Jokic different from Laimbeer, Thomas says, is that not only can he pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop, but Jokic also does a third thing that Thomas terms "just impossible."

"He can put it on the floor and make as good a pass as a guard can," Thomas says. "Most bigs are good passers when stationary. Very few bigs are great passers off the bounce, but Jokic is."

Like Thomas and Laimbeer, or former Phoenix Suns teammates Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire, Murray and Jokic have compiled a litany of reads over time through trial and error. They have experimented with the side pick-and-roll and high pick-and-roll, and have tweaked many of their approaches by altering the angles to keep defenses guessing.

"I couldn't have set a screen for Laimbeer," Thomas says. "Stockton couldn't have set a screen for Karl Malone. But Murray can do that because of the skill set Jokic brings to the table. It's freaky to say this, but he's got Magic Johnson and Larry Bird passing ability."

During the regular season, the Nuggets ran 171 plays with Murray as the screener and Jokic as the ball handler. That combination averaged 1.30 points per direct pick, per ESPN Stats & Information, tied for the best in the NBA.

"Think about what Jokic is doing," Thomas adds. "He's dropping passes on a dime with touch to guys who are 6-2, 6-3, and he's doing it consistently.

"So yes, in this era you would have to say the two of them are the best. But that's because of Jokic."

Denver assistant coach David Adelman takes exception to that analysis. He insists Murray's innate ability to determine the angles of a screen, and to know when to slip or when to pop depending on the opponent, is equally critical.

"Jamal has some unteachable instincts that allow these two guys to improvise," Adelman says.

The angles are everything, whether it's running a flat screen, which is when the player starts lower and steps up to the opponent, or when implementing a touch screen. Murray has proven to be particularly effective with the touch screen, leading a player to react the way he wants so he can pop out, slip to the rim or find Jokic for a basket. Jokic, in turn, is astute at creating pockets of space so he can slip out for a 3-pointer, or simply "light up" his opponent with a step-up pick-and-roll.

"Setting a proper screen is so important," Adelman says. "What Jamal's screens often do is provide Jokic with a downhill drive. And, once a man of that size gets that close to the rim, with his touch, he's gained a big advantage without having to work so hard."

"We can post Jokic all day, but banging with [LaMarcus] Aldridge, banging with [Enes] Kanter, can take its toll," Adelman says. "When Jamal sets that screen, it allows Nikola to get downhill freely."

AFTER A PULSATING Game 5 victory over San Antonio in Denver's grueling opening-round playoff series, coach Mike Malone described the chemistry between Jokic and Murray as "romantic." Their uncanny chemistry, respect for each other's skill set and willingness to share the ball was so entrenched that their coach didn't feel the need to call a single offensive play in the third quarter.

"I've never seen anything like it," Nuggets backup point guard Monte Morris says. "The connection they have is crazy.

"It looks so smooth and effortless because they've been doing it for years. You can't just start out playing like that. It takes work."

Indeed, although the two players do not fraternize much off the court, they have spent countless hours watching film together and collaborating on how they can exploit defenses.

Give and go get yourself a bucket!#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/0J3ZzAZ3Cz

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 4, 2019

Malone has afforded both of them great freedom to create offensively, but that came with a price.

Last season, Denver averaged 15.0 turnovers a game (23rd in the league), but even more damning, finished dead last in the NBA in opponents' points off turnovers (18.7). The Nuggets were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the regular season, and Malone's point of emphasis all summer was to drill home the need to take care of the ball. That meant playing fast but not frenetic, and making the simple play as opposed to the pass with a higher degree of difficulty.

His message resonated; the Nuggets averaged 13.7 turnovers a game this season and gave up 15 points a game on those miscues, ranking sixth overall.

"We make mistakes," Murray shrugs, "but we learn from them."

THE DENVER NUGGETS understand they are a work in progress with miles to go defensively, yet a future cemented on a foundation of Jokic and Murray has the league buzzing. Is it too premature to anoint their pick-and-roll prowess on par with that of Stockton and Malone or Nash and Stoudemire?

"I won't say it's too soon at all," Pippen says. "The game is played in a bigger space now. Back in the '80s and '90s, everything was played inside the 3-point line. These days, it's played outside the 3-point line, and Jokic and Murray are maximizing that.

"Jokic is a hybrid center, a guard-center. I haven't seen big guys bring the ball up floor like that. I haven't seen big guys come off the pick-and-roll and shoot a 3. I haven't seen big guys find the open player like he does. He's special, something new to our game.

"Jamal has that stronger hunger and a good knack for scoring the ball. The fact that he's playing with a Peyton Manning guy that sees him all the time, and is willing to throw him the ball under all sorts of stress, helps Murray be the player he is. And, Jamal enhances that by moving so well without the basketball."

Jokic, who eschews platitudes at most every turn, says there's much work to be done as the evolution of his partnership with Murray continues.

"We are trying to put our game on a higher level to set us apart," Jokic says.

"But what we're doing is nothing like we've seen before," Murray says. "Of course, there will always be Stockton and Malone, and Nash and Stoudemire, but what we're doing is different. Unique.

"Maybe they'll be talking about Murray and the Joker someday."

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this story.

New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks is set to make his long-awaited return from the injured list on Monday, manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.

Hicks has been sidelined by a strained left lower back he suffered in early March, shortly after he signed a seven-year, $70 million extension with the Yankees.

"Assuming everything goes well [Sunday] ... the idea is we're planning on him being back [Monday]," Boone told reporters, according to MLB.com.

Hicks, 29, has played in five rehab games this month. He had been 0-14 in the first four games but went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Last season he set career bests with 119 hits, 27 home runs and 79 RBIs.

Meanwhile, catcher Gary Sanchez and shortstop Gleyber Torres were both out of Sunday's lineup against Tampa Bay as the Yankees took a conservative approach with the nicked-up players.

Sanchez was hit hard on his catching helmet by Guillermo Heredia's backswing Saturday night in the eighth inning, but stayed in the game.

"Was considering a DH day for him today, but then felt like it was best to have him out of there," Boone said. "Went through some testing last night. He came in this morning feeling good, so I think we're good to go there. Probably a good day to give him a day."

Torres played Saturday, one day after getting hit by a pitch on the right elbow.

"Getting hit by that pitch the other night didn't affect him all swinging the bat," Boone said. "Felt like he was a little sore throwing the ball from short yesterday. Getting with him last night, felt like it was a good day to give him a day."

The Yankees, who entered Sunday 1 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Rays, have 12 players on the injured list including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.