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FORT LAUDERDALE — Luis Suárez scored his fifth goal of the season for Inter Miami and Alonso Martínez scored the first of his career for New York City FC as the clubs played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night.

Suárez staked Inter Miami to a 1-0 lead just 15 minutes into the match, scoring on a header with an assist from Julian Gressel off a set piece. Suárez has also assisted on three goals as he continues to carry the scoring load with superstar teammate Lionel Messi out for the past three weeks with a muscle injury. Suárez is tied with the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Dejan Joveljic and one behind Lewis Morgan of the New York Red Bulls for the early goals lead.

NYCFC pulled even by halftime when Martínez took a pass from Keaton Parks in the 34th minute and right footed a shot from the right side of the box to the center of the net. Martínez was making his first start and fifth appearance for NYCFC over the past two seasons.

Drake Callender totaled two saves for Inter Miami (3-2-2). Matt Freese saved five shots for NYCFC (1-4-1).

Inter Miami is hoping Messi will return Wednesday for a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series against Monterrey.

New York City returns home to play Atlanta United on Saturday. Inter Miami will host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday with Messi’s status for that one also up in the air.

 

CBSnews.com reported Saturday evening that a man was dead and another person arrested after a hit-and-run in Broward County in the early-morning hours.

Fort Lauderdale Police arrested 48-year-old Max Fleury and charged him with failing to stop for an accident involving death, driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without a license. He is also under investigation for DUI, FLPD noted.

Around 12:29 a.m., FLPD responded to a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident along the 900 block of West Sunrise Boulevard. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue transported the victim — who was on a bike at the time of the crash — to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died.

To read the full report, click here for cbsnews.com

HALLANDALE BEACH — Fierceness rolled to a dominant win in the Florida Derby on Saturday, almost certainly setting himself up as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

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He went wire-to-wire on the lead, steadily opening up the margin until the field got to the turn toward home at Gulfstream Park. And from there, it was over, with a Florida Derby-record 13 1/2-length rout as jockey John Velazquez got Fierceness — the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion last year — through the 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute, 48.22 seconds.

It was the third win in five starts for Fierceness, who pushed his career earnings to about $1.7 million. Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher both extended their records of Florida Derby dominance; no jockey has more wins in that race than Velazquez’s six, and Pletcher won the race for a record eighth time.

Fierceness returned $4.20, $3.20 and $2.80. A pair of long shots also hit the board; 25-1 shot Catalytic finished second and paid $12.20 and $8; 21-1 shot Grand Mo the First was third and returned $6.40.

The win gave Fierceness 136 points in the Race to the Kentucky Derby standings, more than ensuring he’ll qualify for the May 4 race at Churchill Downs. It was big for Catalytic and Grand Mo the First as well; their finishes on Saturday should be enough to get them in the field for the Triple Crown opener.

“We’re going to go to Kentucky as the Kentucky Derby favorite,” owner Mike Repole said. “I’ve been there before.”

It was the fastest Florida Derby final time since Velazquez and Pletcher teamed up for a win with Always Dreaming in 2017; that horse went on to win the Kentucky Derby.

And Repole expects Fierceness, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by six lengths and prevailed in even more dominant fashion Saturday, to do the same.

“The fastest horse I’ve ever owned,” Repole said.

The Florida Derby — the second-biggest race each year at Gulfstream Park, topped now only by the Pegasus World Cup Invitational — has long been one of the most important, and most telling, races on the Triple Crown prep trail.

There are 21 Florida Derby winners who have gone on to win at least one race in the Triple Crown series; 15 of them won the Kentucky Derby, 10 won the Preakness and six won the Belmont Stakes.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

GAINESVILLE — Florida true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway’s first spring scrimmage was a milestone and a measuring stick for the 18-year-old, along with the rest of the Gators.

Only Lagway, the nation’s No. 1 QB recruit in 2024, arrived with a good bit more fanfare and fascination than the vast majority of his new teammates. While his role is yet to be determined, he is sure to have one in 2024 alongside veteran incumbent Graham Mertz.

Playing primarily with the second-team offense Saturday in the Swamp, Lagway showcased his athletic ability but also made clear the learning curve ahead.

“He did a lot of good today,” Gators coach Billy Napier said after the closed scrimmage. “He made some plays with his feet; played with the 2s most of the day. I think that’s where he’s at.”

Florida true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway throws the football during Gators’ spring practice March 19 at the Sanders football practice fields in Gainesville. (UF’s University Athletic Association Communications/Molly Kaiser)

Lagway has impressed coaches and teammates with his ability to pick up the offense. It’s no surprise it has not always translated to the field.

“The big next step for him is the game-management piece,” Napier said.

The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Texan can no longer overwhelm his competition with size and raw ability, but it has not stopped him from trying.

Napier said he at one point Saturday asked Lagway whether he’d grown up playing Texas Hold ‘Em, given that  the Gators’ quarterback of the future needed to occasionally fold ’em rather than go all-in.

“You got to learn how to play the next hand,” Napier said. “Play the next play, managing the situation thinking of your decision-making relative to the game and the team within that setting. He’s done a really good job in a practice setting, but today was new for him.”

UF veteran quarterback Graham Mertz (right) and true freshman signal caller DJ Lagway work side by side during Gators spring practice March 19 at the Sanders football practice fields in Gainesville. (UF’s University Athletic Association Communications/Nicole Scharff)

Time and natural talent are on Lagway’s side.

Meanwhile, Mertz continues to be a valuable resource as Lagway learns the ropes.

“Graham has earned the respect of his teammates with the way he prepares,” Napier said. “This guy lives in the building, very process-oriented. He’s maximizing all parts of his day, and he’s an example. Think about good teams; typically the quarterback sets the pace.

“He’s done that.”

Mertz, 23 and in his sixth year in college, has his own areas to improve in Year 2 with the Gators following a 5-7 season.

During his time at Wisconsin (2019-22), Mertz developed a bad habit of forcing the action. He transferred after the 2022 season with a respectable 19-13 record as a starter but also 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions.

Mertz cleaned up his act in 2023 at Florida, throwing 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while completing a SEC-leading 72.9% of his passes.

The next step is to develop a balance between efficiency and aggressiveness. After all, the Gators’ 14 passes of 30 yards or longer were fewer than any team in the SEC but Mississippi State (13).

UF starting quarterback Graham Mertz, shown March 7 during spring practices, is back for his second season with the Gators. (UF’s University Athletic Association Communications/Molly Kaiser)

“He proved that he could play clean ball last year,” Napier said. “Now it’s about trying to improve the calculated risk:  let’s try to be aggressive and manage the game and eliminate careless play. But let’s try to go create more explosive plays and distribute the ball, be the point guard and push the ball down the court.”

Napier and his staff aim to find the right buttons to push with every player on the roster during the final seven of 15 spring practices, culminating with the April 13 Orange and Blue game.

“The next two weeks are going to be critical,” Napier said. “We’ve got to get really specific about the areas where we need to improve. We’ll present plans to the players individually, the position groups, the units and the entire team.”

Defense won the day Saturday.

Napier said the offense committed two turnovers in the red zone. He also noted a few disappointing penalties.

Improved tackling in a secondary and the play of South Carolina transfer linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard stood out.

“But overall, it was back-and-forth,” Napier said. “There were bright spots on both sides.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

MIAMI — Jared Jones struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings to win his major league debut and lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Miami Marlins 9-3 on Saturday.

A 22-year-old right-hander taken by Pittsburgh with the 44th pick in the 2020 amateur draft, Jones allowed three runs, three hits and two walks. He threw 62 of 89 pitches for strikes, including 22 swings and misses. His fastball topped at 99.9 mph and averaged 97.1 mph.

He credited catcher Henry Davis.

“Felt really good. I just wanted the pitches anywhere close where he would catch them and my nerves settled in right there,” Jones said. “Executing the pitches and the spot they needed to be, that was huge.”

Jones (1-0) made the opening-day roster after throwing 16 1/3 scoreless innings in six spring training outings. He kept Miami hitless until Jake Burger’s two-out RBI double in the fourth.

“We should be excited, but it’s also one start,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think the excitement is this a guy we drafted. This is a guy we developed. And we’ve talked about organizationally, we’re going to have to build our depth from within and this is one of the guys that was a part of that.”

Connor Joe doubled twice, singled and drove in two runs for the Pirates, who had 16 hits against starter Ryan Weathers (0-1) and four relievers.

Pittsburgh also scored seven after two out and had batters reach in eight innings. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz beat out double play grounders that would have ended innings but instead resulted in runs.

“The more you get guys on base the more you’re getting to the top of the lineup and the harder it is for a starter,” Hayes said. “We just have to stay with it and not try to do too much. Just keep the same mentality of trying to hit the ball hard.”

Miami’s Luis Arraez singled in the seventh, ending an 0-for-13 start for the defending NL batting champion.

Edward Olivares gave the Pirates an early lead with his RBI single off Weathers in the third. Joe’s run-scoring double and Hayes’ RBI single in the fourth made it 3-0.

Ahead 5-3, the Pirates scored four runs in the seventh helped by Bryan Reynolds’ two-run double.

Pittsburgh All-Star closer David Bednar, who had been dealing with a lat issue during spring training, made his season debut with a perfect ninth that finished a five-hitter.

Weathers gave up three runs, seven hits and two walks in four innings. Marlins starters haven’t pitched into the sixth inning in the first three games of the series.

“We’ve had some long innings on the other side. When you’re having 30-pitch innings, it’s tough to come in and provide offense,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said.

Before the game, the Marlins recognized Schumaker for earning 2023 NL Manager of the Year last season in his first season running a big league dugout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Edward Cabrera (right shoulder impingement) is to make a rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville Sunday. … LHP Braxton Garrett (left shoulder soreness) will have a bullpen session on Sunday after throwing two innings in an extended spring training game Thursday.

UP NEXT

LHP Bailey Falter will start the series final for the Pirates on Sunday while the Marlins will go with LHP Trevor Rogers.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Kyrese Willingham buried a 3-pointer with a second remaining and Minnesota State beat Nova Southeastern 88-85 to win its first Division II championship at the Ford Center on Saturday.

Minnesota State (35-2) became just the third school in any division to win both the men’s and women’s championships in the same season. The women beat Texas Women’s University 89-73 on Friday. Connecticut accomplished the feat twice at the Division I level, doing so in 2004 and 2014. Central Missouri State won both D-II titles in 1984.

Willingham’s winning shot came after the Mavericks blew a 13-point lead in the final 10 minutes.

Dylan Peeters had 19 points on 9-for-10 shooting to lead the Mavericks, who won their final 16 games of the season. Justin Eagins totaled 17 points and six rebounds. Kyreese and older brother Malik Willingham as well as reserve Harrison Braudis each scored 12. Kyreese added five rebounds and three steals, while Malik finished with five assists and five steals. Elijah Hazekamp pitched in with nine points and eight rebounds.

MJ Iraldi scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half for defending-champion Nova Southeastern (32-3), which won its first championship last season with a 111-101 victory over West Liberty. Shane Hunter totaled 19 points and 10 rebounds. Isaiah Fuller scored 12 and Ryker Cisarik added 11 points and six rebounds. The loss snapped a 20-game win streak for the Sharks.

Iraldi and Fuller had three-point plays as Nova Southeastern jumped out to 12-2 lead. Minnesota State battled back and two straight baskets from Kyreese Willingham and Peeters turned a 19-9 deficit into a 26-25 lead for the Mavericks with 7:10 remaining in the first half.

There were seven lead changes and three ties from there until Trey Doomes hit a turnaround jumper in the paint to give the Sharks a 40-38 advantage at halftime.

Minnesota State came out firing in the second half, using 3-pointers from Hazekamp and Eagins to forge a 10-0 run that took 76 seconds. Another Hazekamp 3-pointer gave the Mavericks their biggest lead at 56-43 with 16:43 remaining.

Iraldi and Hunter had two baskets apiece in a 13-0 run and the Sharks pulled even at 71 with 6:55 to go. A Malik Willingham layup off a steal by his brother ended the run but another Iraldi layup knotted the score. Peeters scored for the Mavericks, but Iraldi answered with a 3-pointer and the Sharks took their first lead of the second half 76-75 with 4:50 left.

Nova Southeastern took its last lead at 81-80 on an Iraldi 3-pointer with 2:37 remaining. Eagins hit a 3-pointer and Kyreese Willingham had a layup off a steal and assist from his brother and Minnesota State led 85-81. Hunter and Iraldi had back-to-back layups to tie the game with 1:15 to go.

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One person was hospitalized and another is in custody after a Saturday afternoon shooting in Pompano Beach deputies say.

Around 2 p.m., Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 1900 block of Northwest 16th Street, spokesperson Miranda Grossman said in an email. There, they found one person who had been shot. The victim was transported to a local hospital.

The area appears to have several businesses including a masonry, a paving contractor and a plumber, though most were closed Saturday.

Another person is in custody, Grossman said. She did not say whether that person is facing criminal charges or identify either of the people involved.

BSO’s Violent Crimes detectives are investigating.

By MARC BERMAN (Associated Press)

MIAMI GARDENS — Danielle Collins had the perfect send-off at her final Miami Open, beating Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday to capture the title in her home state before an adoring crowd that included Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova.

The 30-year-old Collins announced at the Australian Open that this season would be her last because she’s suffering from endometriosis, a painful ailment that affects the uterus.

“I’m really ready to hold that trophy,” said a teary-eyed Collins, who was born and raised in St. Petersburg. “It was a battle. To the fans, I’ve played a lot of tennis, a few finals, and nothing close to this. In my home state, to come out here in front of thousands of my best friends pushing me to get over this hurdle, I was getting very emotional. It was an incredible environment. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

Ranked No. 53 and unseeded, Collins was animated throughout the two-hour match against the fourth-ranked Rybakina, pumping her fist and staring up at the crowd that featured a big American flag early in the third row. It was too much for the ragged Rybakina, who hit several backhands long.

On her fourth match point, Collins hit a backhand crosscourt winner, then bent over for 10 seconds without moving, seemingly in disbelief.

It was the third career title and first since San Jose in 2021 for Collins, who became the lowest-ranked women’s champion at Miami. She leaves with $1.1 million in prize money and will move up to 22nd in the rankings.

Collins also won NCAA singles titles at Virginia in 2014 and 2016.

In winning the first set in an hour, Collins survived four break points at 3-3. She closed out that game and faced another break-point crisis at 5-5. She won three straight points — a backhand winner, a service winner and a forehand passing shot — as the crowd thundered.

Rybakina saved two break points while trying to serve her way into a tiebreaker. Collins finally seized the set as the Kazakh player nervously poked a backhand deep on the third set point.

Rybakina left the court for five minutes in between sets and Collins got off to a fast start with an early break. Rybakina broke back but then squandered three break points at 3-3, hitting two straight backhands long, giving Collins the momentum.

Collins broke at 4-4 as Rybakina hit a swinging volley into the net, then pounded another backhand long on break point.

Sunday’s men’s final pits Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner against tournament surprise Grigor Dimitrov.

Following his wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, Dimitrov will vault into the top 10 for the first time since 2018.

The Bulgarian also has a prominent fan in the stands in retired legend Serena Williams, who watched Friday’s semifinals. They became pals a while ago when Williams was on the tour. A tournament official said Williams and her sister, Venus, used to call Dimitrov their “little brother.’’

“She’s amazing,” Dimitrov said late Saturday after his three-set win over Zverev. “We stay in touch. We nearly speak on a daily basis. She said, ‘I’m gonna come watch.’ I was like, ‘OK.’ It’s always very humbling to have such a supporter in your corner, and I think just before the match she came, we had a little chat. It’s friendship, man.”

In the men’s doubles final Saturday, top-seeded Rohan Bopanna and Matt Ebden beat Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, 6-7, 6-3 (6), with the title decided on a 10-point tiebreaker.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Buyer beware, judge rules, after home inspection skipped  Times Colonist

By ALANIS THAMES (AP Sports Writer)

MIAMI — Ke’Bryan Hayes had a single and an RBI double, and the Pittsburgh Pirates used another solid pitching outing to beat the Marlins 7-2 on Friday night.

Michael A. Taylor and Connor Joe also doubled for the Pirates, who beat the Marlins in front of 13,636 people at loanDepot park — a sharp decline in attendance from the crowd of 32,564 on opening day. Marlins games have typically been among the fewest-attended in MLB for years, but Thursday’s opening-day home crowd was Miami’s largest since 2016.

Starter Martín Pérez held the Marlins to one run through four innings, allowing six hits with two strikeouts and three walks in his Pirates debut.

Pérez, a 36-year-old left-hander, signed an $8 million, one-year deal with Pittsburgh after winning the World Series with Texas last November.

“I always say, they’re not perfect,” Pérez said of his pitches. “They’re going to miss. … I know it’s going to be a long season, and we just have to continue to pound the zone.”

Ryder Ryan (1-0) replaced Pérez in the fifth and pitched 1 2/3 innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts. Josh Flemming limited Miami to one hit in the seventh and eighth before giving up back-to-back singles starting the ninth. He then retired Jonah Bride on a popout, and Christian Bethancourt and reigning NL batting champion Luis Arraez on groundouts.

Jake Burger drove in Miami’s first run with a single in the third that scored Arraez, who remains hitless in the series. Burger had his second straight multihit game, but the Marlins have been hurt by grounding into seven double plays this season.

“Any time we go out there we know the defense behind us is going to make plays,” Flemming said. “I think whenever we go out there we know who we are as pitchers. For me, I know I’m gonna get a lot of ground balls. And that’s what I’m looking for any time a guy gets on first base, I’m looking for a ground ball to try and get that double play.”

Miami’s A.J. Puk (0-1) struggled in his first big league start, giving up three hits, four runs and six walks in two innings. Puk went 7-5 in 58 relief appearances last season but was moved to the rotation because of injuries.

“I think there were some grip issues or something going on. I’ll have to talk to him,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s usually a really good command guy. Doesn’t really walk too many people. It wasn’t borderline — it was pretty erratic. So we’ve got to see what happened and work on whatever he was not feeling. He wasn’t feeling right, obviously, so we’ve got some work to do.”

Puk walked three of his first four batters in the second around a single, forcing in the game’s first run with a free pass to Jared Triolo. Bryan Hoeing replaced Puk and gave up two hits and a run with four strikeouts over four innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Colin Holderman, on the 15-day IL with an illness, began a rehab assignment Friday night with Triple-A Indianapolis and allowed three runs, two hits and a walk in two-third of an inning against Louisville. He threw 24 pitches.

UP NEXT

RHP Jared Jones will start for the Pirates on Saturday, while the Marlins will throw LHP Ryan Weathers.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 152-82 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers:

– This wing thing is getting interesting.

– For reasons beyond the question of what happens when Tyler Herro returns.

– Because Haywood Highsmith is on the rise.

– As Jamie Jaquez Jr. levels off.

– And as Caleb Martin remains somewhat uneven amid a variety of ailments.

– The suggestion of Highsmith over Jaquez in the playoff rotation would have seemed folly earlier this season.

– But Highsmith continues to change that calculus.

– Yes, he’s more limited than Jaquez.

– More of a 3-and-D.

– But if the 3s are falling like this?

– It could leave Erik Spoelstra with some interesting choices.

– Beyond how a Herro return will impact the rotation.

– Potentially even beyond whether Martin starts in the postseason at power forward over Nikola Jovic.

– Highsmith has put his name into the mix.

– No longer to be discounted.

– With Jimmy Butler back from his one-game absence due to illness, the Heat opened with Butler, Bam Adebayo, Jovic, Terry Rozier and Patty Mills.

– It was Mills’ fifth start with the Heat.

– As he continues as a placeholder for sidelined Herro and Duncan Robinson.

– Martin, whose status had been in question prior to the game due to ankle soreness, was first off the Heat bench.

– Jaquez followed.

– From there, it was Thomas Bryant as the Heat’s first big man off the bench.

– And not Kevin Love, who had been cleared earlier in the day to return from his heel bruise.

– Spoelstra said that with Love missing time the previous two days for a personal reason, the veteran big man might not be rushed back into a rotation role.

– As for Love being available, Spoelstra said, “I think it also has been important for our team to develop other connectors. We like to say that we need leadership at all levels. And it may look different for other guys. It might be smaller pockets of opportunity to lead, depending on who the player is.”

– Spoelstra added, “While Kevin was out, Thomas really stepped up and provided really quality minutes, and that’s been really encouraging to see. Niko also has developed into more opportunities, not only starting in the frontcourt with Bam, but playing some of these games as out reserve five for pockets of the game. And that’s been good for us, as well.”

– On Love, Spoelstra said, “He makes our best players better, because of experience and spacing. As we know he’s a fantastic rebounder. But that experience is something that has really helped our group.”

– Highsmith then entered to make it nine deep for the Heat.

– With Delon Wright making it 10 deep.

– Of what matters most at the moment, Spoelstra said pregame, “This far into the season, we know what our identity is. That has nothing to do with who’s available, who’s not available. It’s about getting to that identity more consistently. When we do that, we put ourselves in a much better position to win basketball games.”

– Butler’s third defensive rebound was the 3,000th of his career.

MIAMI — The Portland Trail Blazers spent the 2023 offseason acting as if the Miami Heat didn’t exist, at least when it came to soliciting trade offers for since-dealt guard Damian Lillard.

Friday night at Kaseya Center, the Blazers could not deny the reality of the Heat very much taking care of business, with Erik Spoelstra’s team pounding Portland 142-82 — the most lopsided victory in the Heat’s 36 seasons.

“There was a professionalism  from our part and an energy and an intentionality,” Spoelstra said. “And that’s what we’re aiming for right now.

“Hopefully that becomes more who you are.”

Pushing their lead into the 40s by the early stages of the third period and later to a franchise-record 60, the Heat closed out an uneven 2-2 homestand that included losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden Warriors and blowout victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Blazers.

Ultimately, it was a net neutral night for the Heat, with the Indiana Pacers’ home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers keeping the Heat at No. 7 in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The magnitude of the rout left the Heat somewhat coming up short.

Center Bam Adebayo, for example, was pulled one assist shy of a triple-double when he was subbed out with 59 seconds left in the third quarter. He closed with 21 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Forward Jimmy Butler, back after a one-game absence, closed with eight points, only the second time this season he failed to score in double digits and the first time in a game he wasn’t injured (the other time was when he went out on Dec. 30 at Utah with a toe injury after scoring eight points in 24 minutes.

The Heat also got 22 points from Rozier, who shot 6 of 10 on 3-pointers, as well as 26 from Thomas Bryant and 20 from Haywood Highsmith.

“To win big like this, it feels good for the group,” Rozier said.

The previous franchise record for margin of victory had been 43 over the Los Angeles Clippers in 1994. Included in the victory were a franchise-record 41 assists.

Asked if he had ever been part of something so lopsided, Rozier said, “Maybe middle school. But at this level? Nah.”

About the only downside was starting power forward Nikola Jovic leaving in the third period with a knee contusion.

The Heat again were without Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. The Blazers were without Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams.

“Everything started all getting bad at the same time,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said.

Next up for the Heat is a Sunday road game against the Washington Wizards, before a challenging stretch against the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Pacers.

“This is good momentum for us,” Bryant understated.

Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat led 29-19 at the end of the first period and 74-40 at halftime, the Heat’s highest-scoring first half of the season. The Heat’s 24 assists in the first half were the most in a first half in the Heat’s 36 seasons.

The Heat then went into the fourth quarter up 107-63, opening the period with an all-reserve unit of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Bryant, Highsmith, Delon Wright and Jamal Cain.

“That was encouraging to be able to see us sustain that,” Spoelstra said.

2. Adebayo attack: Even with Butler back after missing Tuesday night’s loss to the Warriors due to illness, Adebayo seized control for the Heat, up to 18 points, six rebounds and five assists by halftime, dominating his matchup against Deandre Ayton.

Adebayo also drained a second-quarter 3-pointer, making it at least one conversion in seven of his last eight appearances. He then made it 2 for 2, with a third-period conversion, as well. The lone shutout in that streak was when he sat out the fourth quarter of Sunday’s blowout victory over the Cavaliers.

Spoelstra said he gave Adebayo one final possession to try to get his 10th assist, with Patty Mills not cooperating on the scoring end.

“I told him you got one crack at it,” Spoelstra said. “Ultimately, we’re not playing for stats. And the way our season has gone, with all the injuries and missed games, I also have to be responsible as the head coach.”

3. Pass first: Still showing signs of the illness that kept him out Tuesday, Butler played in pass-first mode, with seven assists in his 15 first-half minutes, attempting just two shots.

Butler had five assists in the second period, when he did not attempt a shot in his 6:48.

Butler closed 2 of 4 from the field, including a 3-pointer, with eight assists and four rebounds in 24:50.

That the Heat could accomplish what they did without heavy lifting from Butler was particularly encouraging.

“I think we all want to build off of this,” Rozier said.

4. Haywood Makesmith: After going a perfect 7 of 7 on 3-pointers the previous two games, Highsmith’s streak ended when he missed his first 3-point attempt Friday. He promptly converted his next five.

Highsmith closed 7 of 9 from the field, including 5 of 6 on 3-pointers.

“It’s just me locking in and zoning in,all that work I put in over the summer,” Highsmith said. “I just was feeling it I guess.”

He said the focus was there after losing to the Warriors.

“We definitely wanted to come in here and bounce back off a loss,” he said.

5. No Love, yet: Available for the first time since Ayton fell on him in the teams’ Feb. 27 meeting in Portland, Kevin Love nonetheless missed his 15th consecutive game.

With Love having been away from the team this week due to personal reasons, Spoelstra said pregame it was unlikely Love would immediately fully return to his previous rotation role. Love was the lone available Heat player not to see action Friday.

Instead, Bryant continued at backup center, closing his initial nine-minute stint in place of Adebayo with 10 points and three rebounds. Bryant then kept going from there.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Lionel Messi’s hamstring injury will keep him sidelined for Inter Miami’s home game against New York City FC on Saturday, but he could return for the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg against Mexico’s Monterrey on April 3.

After missing Saturday, Messi will have played in nine of 19 MLS matches since joining Miami last summer.

“He is working with the physios,” Miami coach Javier Morales said Friday, “but he won’t be available because we are doing all we can to get him ready for next Wednesday. There is a possibility he will play in that game — that is what we are working for.”

Messi has not played for Miami since March 13, when he left a 3-1 win over Nashville just a few minutes into the second half because of discomfort in his right hamstring.

The 36-year-old also missed Argentina’s exhibitions this month against El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Miami has won all five matches that Messi has played in this season but has lost two of three without him, including a 4-0 defeat at New York last Saturday.

___

AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer

This is how Jim Crutchfield prepares for the latest, greatest game of his career: He stands on the windmill hole at Walter’s Golf and Fun miniature course in Evansville, Ind., and jokes about the putt of his assistant, Nick Smith.

“My assistant can’t get it past the windmill,’’ the Nova Southeastern basketball coach was saying over the phone late Friday afternoon.

All day long, they’d watched videos, practiced with players or talked strategy for their Division II championship game on Saturday against Minnesota State. They needed a break.

“It was this or pickleball,’’ Crutchfield said. “Oh, look … he’s still struggling with that windmill.”

Crutchfield represents the great thing about sports. No, not windmills. It’s how there are no road maps to success or borders for excellence. The 68-year-old coach chasing a second consecutive national title on Saturday was 48 when he got his first head-coaching job at Division II West Liberty in West Virginia.

Think about that. Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel became depressed as an assistant in his mid-30s when NFL jobs passed him by. Tony Sparano, upon taking the Dolphins job, admitted thinking his chance was gone. He was 47.

Coaching, like many jobs, is considered a young man’s game. But Crutchfield won 85 percent of his games at West Liberty and wondered after 12 years there if he could recreate his success from scratch. He had three criteria: A losing program, a sunny climate and a nearby beach.

Nova Southeastern checked all the boxes right down to having one 20-win season in its 34 years. It’s won at least 23 games each of his five seasons. It’s 100-3 in the past three seasons. Its 62 straight wins across this and last season set a Division II record.

These are Harlem Globetrotters’ numbers. They should whistle, “Sweet Georgia Brown,” at some Nova Southeastern games.

All this is merely the appetizer for the most impressive feat of all: NSU can win back-to-back titles Saturday with completely different lineups. No starter returned from last year’s championship. Not one.

They each left for bigger basketball climes: Jonathan Pierre (Memphis) and RJ Sunahara (Georgia) reportedly got mid-six-figure NIL deals; Dallas Graziani (Samford) and Kobe Rodgers (Charleston) got NIL money, too; Will Yoakam went to play in the Mexican pro league.

“I was thinking when they all left, ‘Do I want to come back and do this?’ Crutchfield said. “It might’ve been the year to retire. Then I began thinking if we got all new guys, it was a new challenge. That’s probably the reason I came back. It was a challenge.”

He recruited 10 new players. Two of them, Ryker Cisarik and Isaiah Fuller, were on Elite 8 schools Nova Southeastern beat last year. Another, Ryan Walsh, came from the Ohio high school area Crutchfield often recruits. One crucial holdover, Shane Hunter, sat behind the team’s Division II players of the year the past two seasons.

“It took a while for us to start playing well,’’ Crutchfield said. “We dropped a couple games. We didn’t have bad days. We were just getting better at what we wanted to do. Next thing you knew, we got a run in the tournament.”

Players matter, of course. But Crutchfield’s system is so different in creating endless pressure that it’s become the star. Two of his former players employ his methods at Gannon and West Liberty and are nationally ranked, too.

“I don’t have a name for it, but I see online they’re calling it, ‘The System,’‘’ Crutchfield said. “It’s pretty specific, the roles we have and tempo we play at.”

His team averaged 100.4 points a game this year. Minnesota State, by contrast, won a tournament game 43-42. So, Saturday will be yet another game where Crutchfield’s style is the centerpiece as much as any player.

“They’re big and strong and play a different game,’’ Crutchfield said. “They’re great at it. A certain percentage of the game will have to be in our fast, up-tempo style. We’ll have to force turnovers. It won’t be easy.”

Here’s what else isn’t easy: The three-level hole Crutchfield now stood on at Walter’s Golf and Fun. He held the phone in one hand, the putter in another.

“Made it one-handed,” he said.

Now, if Saturday doesn’t come with windmills …

 

GAINESVILLE — Even before his son stepped onto the football field, Eugene Willson II saw he had what it would take to be great.

At 5 years old, Eugene Wilson III refused to lose and lived to compete. 

During a footrace with an older girl from the neighborhood, the concept of “ladies first” didn’t register with the boy known as “Tre.”

“They’re racing and they were pretty close, tight, all the way down to the finish line, and he saw his opportunity to make sure he wins and he dove across the finish line,” the elder Wilson recalled with a chuckle. “This is at 5 years old, and he’s got this competitive nature about him. I’m just like, man, this little dude — he’s going to make me proud.”

The best is yet to come.

Tre Wilson enters his second season at Florida poised to lead the Gators’ attack, become an SEC star and eventually follow his father’s path to the NFL, where he played eight seasons and in three Super Bowls.

“My whole life I’ve been seeking to follow in his footsteps,” he said.

Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III runs against Tennessee during the Gators’ 29-16 win Sept. 16, 2023 in Gainesville, on his way to becoming a member of the SEC’s All-Freshman team. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Tre also left dad in the dust and grasping for air as he evolved into a top two-way talent at Tampa’s Gaither High and the top offensive signee in UF’s 2023 class.

Working together at the local park on one-on-one releases from the line of scrimmage, Eugene fell victim to one of his son’s ankle-breaking moves.

“We have a video of that, but we’re going to keep it behind the scenes,” Tre said.

Dad recalls a bit differently the day his son finally got the best of him.

“He actually shook me and I went to plant and I blame it on I didn’t have cleats,” the elder Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel. “I had on gym shoes, and he had cleats. So I told him that was his reason he got me.”

SEC defenders surely were looking for excuses themselves as Wilson burst onto the scene as a first-year freshman phenom.

Wilson was a bright spot during a 5-7 season and will be a centerpiece of Billy Napier’s offense in 2024.

“He’s gonna be amazing this year,” Ricky Pearsall, a potential top 50 NFL draft pick, said March 21 during UF’s Pro Day. 

New England safety Eugene Wilson breaks up a pass intended for Travis Taylor during the Patriots 24-3 against the Baltimore Ravens Nov. 28, 2004 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. (BALTIMORE SUN STAFF/DOUG KAPUSTIN)

Wilson was something to behold at times last season. But he’s stronger, faster and sharper entering the Gators first spring scrimmage Saturday in the Swamp.

The 5-foot-10 sophomore is 181 pounds, up from 170, and has the playbook down pat after choosing not to enroll early — an anomaly these days in college football. 

Wilson, though, barely missed a beat and earned his first start Week 2 against McNeese. He finished the season with a team-high 6 touchdown catches and was second to Pearsall with 61 receptions and 538 receiving yards  Add 55 yards on six carries and Wilson averaged 8.97 yards per touch.

“I appreciated the opportunities and what I was able to make out of them,” he said.

Wilson also had an invaluable resource and unique advantage: a father who truly knew the ins and outs of the sport.

Eugene Wilson II was a second-round draft pick as second-team All-America safety at Illinois and became a two-time Super Bowl winner with the 2003 and 2004 New England Patriots.

“I’m not just Joe Schmo off the street,” he said.

His son was a captive audience, knowing he had no ordinary dad.

Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III led the 2023 Gators with 6 touchdowns as a true freshman. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

The first fatherly advice was straightforward.

“Instilling hard work and doing extra pays off,” he said. “With him having that at such an early age it came easier in high school and college. Now, he doesn’t have to have me telling them, ‘You need to go run you need to go lift or you need to go work on this skill or that skill.’ 

“He knows what he has to do.”

At first, Tre didn’t know quite what to make of Dad’s approach.

By the time he was 7, he was playing Pop Warner with his Pops as an assistant coach and full-time mentor. At home, the Wilsons worked on the game’s fine points.

“My first couple years of youth league football he had me doing backpedals in the front yard,” Tre recalled. “I had no idea what it meant.”

Wilson had the skills to excel at safety, but also a knack to make defenders miss when the opportunities arose.

“In practice, he would score touchdowns and he’d be running all over the place. They couldn’t couldn’t tackle him,” Eugene said. “But he just happened to be on the team where the coach’s sons were running backs.”

Eugene Wilson II, the father of Gators’ sophomore receiver Eugene III, was a second-team All-America safety at Illinois in 2002 and second-round NFL draft pick in 2003 by the New England Patriots. (University of Illinois athletics)

Eugene Wilson III eventually became too difficult to contain with the ball in his hands. As a high school junior, he became a two-way force. He scored 18 touchdowns and recorded 9 interceptions in 18 games during his final two seasons at Gaither.

Having seen the game from both sides, he wouldn’t want to face himself.

“Any DB, they don’t like the type of dudes like me,” he said.

Eugene II hasn’t seen too many like his son — and he saw plenty of dudes in the NFL.

Yet Tre Wilson’s acceleration, instincts and football IQ are special, best evidenced after the catch.

The elder Wilson sees similarities with Gators legend Percy Harvin and San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel.

“He’s more of a running back playing receiver,” Eugene said of his son. “Once he gets the ball, one man can’t bring him down. Tre is fearless.”

Injuries undercut Harvin’s promising career while Samuel’s durability is an issue.

Tre Wilson missed several games as a high school senior because of a broken collarbone. During the Gators’ Week 3 win against Tennessee, he left early in the second quarter after suffering a bruise to the area, costing him two games.

But Eugene Wilson II doesn’t expect anything to stop his son this season.

“I see a player that the only one that could stop him is himself,” he said. “If you can get Tre ball, then the rest is just gonna happen.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By MICHAEL R. SISAK (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan prosecutors suggested Friday that Donald Trump violated a gag order in his hush-money criminal case this week by assailing the judge’s daughter and making a false claim about her on social media.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to “clarify or confirm” the scope of the gag order, which he issued Tuesday, and to direct the former president and presumptive Republican nominee to “immediately desist from attacks on family members.”

In a letter to Merchan, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass argued that the gag order’s ban on statements meant to interfere with or harass the court’s staff or their families makes the judge’s daughter off-limits from Trump’s rhetoric. He said Trump should be punished for further violations.

Trump’s lawyers contended the D.A.’s office is misinterpreting the order and said it doesn’t prohibit him from commenting about Loren Merchan, a political consultant whose firm has worked on campaigns for Trump’s rival. President Joe Biden, and other Democrats.

“The Court cannot ‘direct’ President Trump to do something that the gag order does not require,” Trump’s lawyers Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles wrote to Merchan in a response to the prosecution’s letter. “To ‘clarify or confirm’ the meaning of the gag order in the way the People suggest would be to expand it.”

The trial, which involves allegations Trump falsified payment records in a scheme to cover up negative stories during his 2016 presidential campaign, is scheduled to begin April 15. Trump denies wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

In his posts Wednesday on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that Loren Merchan “makes money by working to ‘Get Trump,’” and he wrongly accused her of posting a social media photo showing him behind bars.

A spokesperson for New York’s state court system said Trump’s claim was false and that the social media account Trump was referencing no longer belonged to Loren Merchan.

The account on X, formerly known as Twitter, “is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screenname since she deleted the account. Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned,” court spokesperson Al Baker said.

In the same Truth Social posts, Trump complained that his gag order was “illegal, un-American, unConstitutional.” He said that Judge Merchan was “wrongfully attempting to deprive me of my First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponization of Law Enforcement” by Democratic rivals.

The gag order, which prosecutors had requested, bars Trump from either making or directing other people to make public statements on his behalf about jurors or potential witnesses in the hush-money trial, such as his lawyer turned nemesis Michael Cohen and porn star Stormy Daniels.

The order, echoing one in Trump’s Washington, D.C., election interference criminal case, also prohibits any statements meant to interfere with or harass the court’s staff, prosecution team or their families. Trump, however, is free to criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the elected Democrat whose office is prosecuting Trump — but Steinglass wants his family off limits, too.

In his letter, Steinglass implored the judge to “make abundantly clear” to Trump that the gag order protects his family, Bragg’s family and family members of all other individuals covered by the gag order. He urged Merchan to warn Trump “that his recent conduct is contumacious and direct him to immediately desist.”

A gag order violation could result in Trump being held in contempt of court, fined or even jailed.

Trump’s lawyers argued against any such warnings, citing constitutional concerns about restricting Trump’s speech further while he’s campaigning for president and fighting criminal charges.

They said that if prosecutors press the issue, they’ll want to litigate it fully, adding a potential wrinkle to trial preparations with jury selection set to begin in a little over two weeks.

MIAMI – Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love were back in the mix Friday night for the Miami Heat, with the team confirming the returns shortly before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Kaseya Center.

Butler missed Tuesday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors due to illness, before returning to Thursday’s practice. The Warriors game was his 22nd absence of the season and third in the six games prior to Friday night, having missed two others with a bruised right foot.

Love was back after missing 14 games with a bruised right heel. Love was injured in the teams’ previous meeting, the Heat’s 106-96 Feb. 27 victory in Portland, when 247-pound Blazers center Deandre Ayton landed on him.

“With Kevin, it’s kind of easy. It’s not like rocket science,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of working Love back into the mix. “You’re talking about a highly decorated, multi-year All-Star who has embraced and accepted a role coming off the bench.”

The Heat, though, remained shorthanded.

Guard Tyler Herro missed his 17th consecutive game, now dealing with medial tendinitis in his right foot. Herro took a platelet-rich plasma injection two weeks ago, a treatment course likely to have him out at least one more week.

Missing his fifth consecutive game was guard Duncan Robinson, who had been starting in place of Herro. Robinson is dealing with left-facet syndrome in his back.

In addition, guard Josh Richardson is sidelined by season-ending shoulder surgery.

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The Heat also have guard Alondes Williams, forward Cole Swider and center Orlando Robinson in the G League, with the Sioux Falls Skyforce contending for that Western Conference title.

The two-day break prior to Friday was the Heat’s last such break of the season. Friday began a run of 10 games over the final 17 days of the regular season, which ends April 14 for the Heat against the visiting Toronto Raptors.

As for attempting to reestablish cohesion with so many moving parts, Spoelstra said other concerns are more pressing.

“We’re not thinking about that right now,” Spoelstra said. “We’re thinking about whatever we need to do to build consistency to win games. We’re not thinking about the narrative of just wait ’til the playoffs.

“We have a lot of work to do. There’s only 10 games, but these games are really important. And each game will be an opportunity for us to get better. Yes, there’ll be some elements of trying to build a continuity, but more importantly than any of the continuity is consistency and sustainability to our identity.”

Adebayo’s thoughts

Amid the Heat’s rash of injuries, it made others take on greater responsibilities. That had center Bam Adebayo assessing the impact.

Adebayo said the shuffle allowed guard Terry Rozier to further show his possibilities, after being acquired in January from the Charlotte Hornets.

“He can make something out of nothing – clock winding down, getting doubled, whatever the case may be, he can make something out of nothing,” Adebayo said. “For us, we need guys like that down the stretch when we need a bucket.

“And then, obviously he can do the tangibles — catch-and-shoot, get us into offense, run things. So for us, he does so many things well, it just doesn’t do anything but help our team.”

Amid Love’s absence, it also meant an extended look at second-year big man Nikola Jovic, with Adebayo citing Jovic’s defensive growth.

“One,” Adebayo said, “having the opportunity to play. I feel like that gets you more comfortable than any practice rep. Being out there, actually going against guys, seeing that you can guard people. I feel like that makes a difference for his confidence.”

As for his own increased role, Adebayo said it is something he has had to roll with.

“I feel like it depends on the flow of the game,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to go get a tough bucket, sometimes you might get an easy layup. But for us and me, it’s creating an action, making something happen sometimes. Sometimes it’s a tough bucket, sometimes a guy is open. It’s just reading the game.”

By KEN RITTER (Associated Press)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Images of a campus police officer diving behind a patrol vehicle to escape gunfire and then fatally shooting a gunman outside a building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, are among footage in newly released video of a deadly rampage that left three professors dead and a fourth badly wounded last December.

The deadly shootout captured by campus surveillance cameras ended what authorities say was 10 minutes of terror unleashed by a 67-year-old former business professor from North Carolina whose applications to teach at UNLV had been rejected.

The gunman, Anthony Polito, was armed with a legally purchased 9 mm handgun, carried nine bullet magazines, and had a target list of names, although none of the people shot was on that list, police said.

The university on Thursday released 20 hours of footage from campus security and officer body cameras, along with more than an hour of recordings of 911 calls made to campus police.

Sounds of the gunfire that killed three people in upper floors of the five-story business school sent people fleeing from the nearby Student Union just before noon on a sunny day. Video shows a campus police officer, running across the plaza toward the business school building, arrived within 78 seconds of the shooting.

“It is difficult to listen to these recordings and watch the videos and not reflect on the tragic events that day,” university Vice President of Public Safety Adam Garcia said in a statement accompanying the release of the material in response to public records requests.

Two gunshots are heard early in more than an hour of 911 recordings that include one father calling to say he got a text from his daughter who was hiding in a classroom.

“Is there an active shooter there?” he asks.

“Yes,” the male dispatcher replies, adding that police are at the scene. “So just tell your daughter to stay where she’s at.”

New video shows campus security officers immediately entering the business school building as Las Vegas police swarm the area near the center-campus Student Union while young people stream the other way.

Video footage from a parking lot shows the gunman get out of a black sedan wearing a black trench coat and retrieve something from a passenger compartment before walking calmly toward the business school building.

A different video shows officers helping a badly wounded professor who walked out of the same building before collapsing on a sidewalk behind a patrol car.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield told the university community this month the man, a visiting professor, was “improving daily … doing rehab and out of the hospital.” He has not been identified by name.

Las Vegas police began releasing video and audio recordings in December showing officers from throughout southern Nevada spending hours going door to door in campus buildings, releasing students and faculty members in waves, before declaring the gunman had acted alone and there was no further threat.

The shooting occurred just a few miles from the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history: An Oct. 1, 2017, massacre that had a gunman open fire from windows of the high-rise Mandalay Bay resort into a crowd of 20,000 people at an outdoor music festival below. Sixty people died, and hundreds were wounded or injured.

____

Associated Press journalists Rio Yamat and Ty O’Neil contributed to this report.

By MARC BERMAN (Associated Press)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jannik Sinner is starting to dominate.

Sinner overwhelmed third-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 on Friday in the semifinals of the Miami Open to improve to 21-1 this year.

The second-seeded Sinner, rock-solid with his firecracker forehand, became the first man to reach back-to-back Miami Open finals since John Isner did it in 2019. In last year’s Miami final, Medvedev prevailed over Sinner at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.

This time, Medvedev’s three games tied his career low for wins in a match. He committed 22 unforced errors.

“I’m happy about this season — who wouldn’t be happy?” Sinner said. “I know the players will get to know me more and study me so I have to be ready.”

Sinner, 22, will play in the final Sunday against 11th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who beat No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in the other semifinal after knocking out top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

Sinner began his revenge against Medvedev for last year’s Miami final by beating him in the Australian Open final in January — rallying from two sets down — and setting the stage for a wonderful 2024 campaign.

Sinner posted his fifth straight win over Medvedev, all in the past 12 months.

“He’s serving ten times better,” Medvedev said. “He always served well but now he serves big, big.”

This match was a lot easier than Australia in the 80-degree South Florida heat as the Italian jumped to a 5-0 lead at the outset in posting two straight breaks of the Russian’s serve. It was over in 69 minutes.

Sinner’s opponent in the final, the surging Bulgarian Dimitrov, backed up his upset of Alcaraz by pulling off a win over the German Zverev in a three-setter, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4.

With fans chanting “Gri-gor, Gri-gor’’ and several Bulgarian flags waving, the match went on for two hours, 36 minutes.

The victory gave the veteran Dimitrov back-to-back wins over top-5 opponents for the second time in his career.

As such, Dimitrov should surge into the top 10 for the first time since 2018.

“Whatever I say doesn’t do it justice,” Dimitrov said. “I fight my own battles. I run my own race. All that comes with the work we all put in as a team. I’m at a very different path in my life and my career. … I kept on believing. This is just a cherry on the cake.”

Dimitrov has lost two of three matches all-time to Sinner.

Sinner, who said his serve has improved because he’s gotten stronger, broke Medvedev four times, didn’t get broken, had seven aces and won 80% of his first serves.

“This year, I have another chance,” Sinner said in the on-court interview. “I don’t think he played his best tennis and I tried to stay focused and in my rhythm.”

In the match’s second game, Sinner hit a cross-court forehand winner on a third break point for a 2-0 lead. Medvedev motioned a thumbs down at his player’s box.

The Italian went up 4-0 after cashing in on his fourth break point of the game, flicking away a short ball by Medvedev, who was flustered by two net cords during the game.

Sinner broke Medvedev in the first game of the second set and was on his way. Late in the second set, down 5-1, Medvedev heard jeers and whistles when he appeared to frustratingly hit a ball back to a ball girl with extra zest.

Sinner, whose only loss this year was to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final, said Friday was “one of the best matches in how I handled everything.”

“It’s a great feeling,” he said.

Long ago touted as the next major champion, Dimitrov is now 32 years old and has never been to a final of any of the four majors.

On serve at 5-4, Dimitrov broke Zverev for the first set, hitting a spectacular backhand volley after which the German then got tight. Zverev committed two straight unforced errors, including on set point a shanked forehand that sailed 2 feet long.

After losing the second-set tiebreaker, Dimitrov stayed resilient. At 3-3 he broke Zverev after a forehand winner and falling-down volley winner as he acrobatically blocked back a shot that caromed off the net cord.

That gave him a 4-3 lead. He held both his service games to close it out.

Alcaraz can attest to Dimitrov’s current play, saying after his loss, “He played amazing tennis, almost perfect. … He made me feel like I’m 13 years old.’’

The women’s final is set for Saturday when American Danielle Collins faces No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis