When Mikko Rantanen takes over a game, he takes over a game.

Rantanen continued his hot streak Wednesday when he scored a second-period hat trick in the Dallas Stars’ 3-2 victory in Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets. That ended the Stars’ streak of losing Game 1 in eight consecutive series.

He already became the first player in NHL history to record four-point periods in back-to-back games in Games 6 and 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. His Game 7 hat trick in the third period helped Dallas overcome a 2-0 deficit and knock off his former team.

By the time he scored his third goal on Wednesday, he had a hand in 12 consecutive Stars goals, an NHL playoff record. He’s also the first NHL player with multiple three-goal periods in the same postseason.

His Game 1 hat trick couldn’t have been more varied.

Rantanen, who was being double-shifted, poked a rebound into the net with one hand on his stick while he was being knocked down. That tied the game at 8:43.

He tipped in a Thomas Harley shot at 14:21 for a 2-1 lead. The third goal was a fluke when his pass attempt banked in off Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg at 16:38.

But when you’re hot, those things happen.

‘Let’s see how long he can run this for,’ Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. ‘He’s rolling and he’s feeling it. Pretty impressive what he’s doing, considering the opponent and the time of year and how he’s dominating games.’

Rantanen, nicknamed Moose, is known for his size, shot and skating, plus his playoff prowess. He had 101 points in 81 playoff games with the Avalanche before they shockingly traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. The Hurricanes, worried they wouldn’t be able to re-sign him, dealt him to Dallas on trade deadline day and he signed an extension there to play alongside the Stars’ stable of Finnish players.

With the hat trick, Rantanen leads the NHL with eight playoff goals, passing Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, who’s out of the playoffs.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

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The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs had gotten off to a surprising start to say the least..

After seeing all four first-round series go as expected, the Eastern Conference has been turned upside down with the heavy favorites – the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics – losing the first two games on their home courts. Now, the New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers have a golden opportunity to pull off major upsets.

Out West, both lower-seeded teams also won the opening game of their series on the road. The No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder and No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves both face tougher roads now in their matchups with the No. 5 Denver Nuggets and No. 7 Golden State Warriors.

Here’s the complete NBA playoffs schedule, including results in the first round and broadcast information:

NBA bracket: Playoff schedule, scores and results

The conference semifinals are underway, potentially running through May 19.

All times Eastern. *-if necessary

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

Pacers lead series 2-0

Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
Game 3: Cavaliers at Pacers | Friday, May 9, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Game 4: Cavaliers at Pacers | Sunday, May 11, 8 p.m. | TNT
Game 5: Pacers at Cavaliers | Tuesday, May 13, TBD | TNT*
Game 6: Cavaliers at Pacers | Thursday, May 15, TBD | ESPN*
Game 7: Pacers at Cavaliers | Sunday, May 18, TBD | TBD*

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks

Knicks lead series 2-0

Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90
Game 3: Celtics at Knicks | Saturday, May 10, 3:30 p.m. | ABC
Game 4: Celtics at Knicks | Monday, May 12, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Game 5: Knicks at Celtics | Wednesday, May 14, TBD | TNT*
Game 6: Celtics at Knicks | Friday, May 16, 8 p.m. | ESPN*
Game 7: Knicks at Celtics | Monday, May 19, 8 p.m. | TNT*

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Denver Nuggets

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119
Game 2: Thunder 149, Nuggets 106
Game 3: Thunder at Nuggets | Friday, May 9, 10 p.m. | ESPN
Game 4: Thunder at Nuggets | Sunday, May 11, 3:30 p.m. | ABC
Game 5: Nuggets at Thunder | Tuesday, May 13, TBD | TNT
Game 6: Thunder at Nuggets | Thursday, May 15, TBD | ESPN*
Game 7: Nuggets at Thunder | Sunday, May 18, TBD | TBD*

(6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

Warriors lead series 1-0

Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88
Game 2: Warriors at Timberwolves | Thursday, May 8, 8:30 p.m. | TNT
Game 3: Timberwolves at Warriors | Saturday, May 10, 8:30 p.m. | ABC
Game 4: Timberwolves at Warriors | Monday, May 12, 10 p.m. | ESPN
Game 5: Warriors at Timberwolves | Wednesday, May 14 TBD | TNT*
Game 6: Timberwolves at Warriors | Sunday, May 18 TBD | TBD*
Game 7: Warriors at Timberwolves | Tuesday, May 20, 8:30 p.m. | ESPN*

Conference finals

All times Eastern. *-if necessary

Eastern Conference

(Series start could move up to May 19)

Game 1, May 21: TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 2, May 23: TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 3, May 25: TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 4, May 27: TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 5, May 29: TNT, 8 p.m.*
Game 6, May 31: TNT, 8 p.m.*
Game 7, June 2: TNT, 8 p.m.*

Western Conference

(Series start could move up to May 18)

Game 1, May 20: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Game 2, May 22: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Game 3, May 24: ABC, 8:30 p.m.
Game 4, May 26: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Game 5, May 28: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6, May 30: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 1: ESPN, 8 p.m.*

2025 NBA Finals schedule

*-if necessary

Game 1, June 5: ABC
Game 2, June 8: ABC
Game 3, June 11: ABC
Game 4, June 13: ABC
Game 5, June 16: ABC*
Game 6, June 19: ABC*
Game 7, June 22: ABC*

First-round NBA playoff results

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat

Cavaliers win series 4-0

Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat 112
Game 3: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87
Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic

Celtics win series 4-1

Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100
Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93
Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98
Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

Knicks win series 4-2

Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93
Game 5: Pistons 106, Knicks 103
Game 6: Knicks 116, Pistons 113

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

Pacers win series 4-1

Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Game 2: Pacers 123, Bucks 115
Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 107
Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103
Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (OT)

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

Thunder win series 4-0

Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzles 80
Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

Warriors win series 4-3

Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116
Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
Game 7: Warriors 103, Rockets 89

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves win series 4-1

Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

Nuggets win series 4-3

Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110
Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115
Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105
Game 7: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101

Lawyers involved in the proposed settlement of three athlete-compensation antitrust cases against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences said in filings on May 7 that they have addressed the concern a federal judge had said was preventing her from granting final approval.

The issue involves roster limits that had been set to go into effect immediately as part of the agreement. On April 23, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken said that the immediate implementation of sport-by-sport roster limits made the proposed settlement “not fair” because thousands of athletes who are supposed to be benefiting from the deal stood to lose their places on teams after the current school year.

Wilken gave the sides two weeks to address her concerns, and in a new filing, the plaintiffs’ lawyers wrote that they and the NCAA have agreed to an arrangement under which: “any athlete who would have lost their roster spot (or a promised roster spot) for the 2025-2026 academic year due to the immediate implementation of roster limits will be exempt from any roster limits at any Division I institution, for the duration of their college athletics careers.”

This does not remove the roster limits from the settlement. And this would not require schools to keep all of their current athletes on their rosters. However, it would give schools the option to keep any athlete who was on a roster in 2024-25 and who has been or would have been removed for 2025-26 because of the limits. It also lets schools accommodate any high school senior who was ‘recruited to be, or was assured they would be’ on a Division I school’s roster for the 2025-26 school year.

Lawyers for the NCAA wrote that ‘there are no guarantees’ that these athletes ‘will get or maintain roster spots. But that does not adversely affect any’ athlete, the NCAA said, because athletes’ roster spots always have been ‘at the discretion of the coach’ and the school.

However, Steve Molo, a lawyer for a group of objectors, said in a statement on the night of May 7 that the ‘proposed mushy modification doesn’t go far enough. Many, many student athletes have had something taken away from them. The fight will continue.”

Laura Reathaford, another lawyer for an objector, told USA TODAY Sports she will be filing a separate brief.

In apparent anticipation of this, lawyers for the NCAA wrote: ‘To the extent the Objectors want more, e.g., guaranteed roster spots or years of delay in imposing roster limits, Defendants respectfully submit they are overreaching’ and they provided a series of arguments defending the new proposal. Some were based on legal reasoning connnected to the antitrust standard that a settlement must be fair, reasonable and adequate. Others were based athletic department operational issues.

In her order two weeks ago, Wilken asked that Reathaford, Molo and another lawyer for objectors be included in discussions about revisions to the roster limits that also were included a mediator and lawyers for the plaintiffs, the NCAA and the Power Five conferences.

On the night of May 7, Wilken said in an order that each of these three lawyers can file responses by May 13, and that the plaintiffs and the NCAA and conferences can file replies by May 16.

In that order, Wilken also wrote that she was inclined to approve the rest of the deal over a variety of other objections. That means she already was otherwise prepared to accept an arrangement under which $2.8 billion in damages would be paid to current and former athletes — and their lawyers — over 10 years, and Division I schools would be able to start paying athletes directly for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), subject to a per-school cap that would increase over time and be based on a percentage of certain athletics revenues.

For any school that would be making direct NIL payments to athletes, the roster limits were to take effect on July 1 alongside an end to the NCAA’s existing system of sport-by-sport scholarship limits for any such school. However, during a final-approval hearing on April 7, Wilken asked for several smaller changes to the proposed settlement and strongly suggested a system of phased-in implementation of the roster limits after a number of lawyers and scores of athletes and parents — some in emotional and personal written pleas — had asked her to consider such a solution.

On April 14, the principals submitted a revised version of the deal that did not include changes to the roster limits. Wilken refused to approve it, though she gave them another chance while also setting a case-scheduling order that would begin to move the case toward a trial date that was left unspecified.

Lawyers for the NCAA wrote that the new approach to roster limits “restores the pre-settlement status quo for (the affected athletes) so that they will not lose roster spots ‘because of’ the roster limits. That eliminates, beyond any doubt, any remaining question as to whether the settlement is fair and reasonable’ for athletes ‘as a whole.”

To make this operational, the lawyers for the plaintiffs wrote, within 30 days of final approval, schools would be “required to use good-faith efforts” to identify athletes who would have lost roster spots in 2025-26 because of the limits – those who are being called “Designated Student-Athletes.” And the plaintiffs’ lawyers will have the right to note additional athletes “who should have been identified” in that manner.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers also wrote that any athlete who ‘transferred or is scheduled to transfer because they were told that they would be removed from a roster in 2025-2026 due to the implementation of roster limits, nothing in the NCAA rules … will restrict schools from allowing that athlete to transfer back to — or rescind their decision to transfer from — their original school.’

A sports power couple will be welcoming a new addition to the family.

USWNT star forward Mallory Swanson and Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson announced on Instagram that they are expecting their first child.

‘Our greatest blessing,’ the caption reads.

The athletic couple have been dating since 2017 and were married in 2022. Mallory Swanson is coming off a stellar 2024 in which she played a key role on the USWNT team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as she scored game-winning goal in the gold medal match against Brazil. It also was her 100th cap with the national team.

A member of Chicago Stars FC in the NWSL, Swanson hasn’t played this season as she missed the season opener due to personal reasons. Now with the pregnancy, it is unlikely Swanson will play this year.

Dansby Swanson is batting .236 with seven home runs and 20 RBI as Chicago is 22-16 and in first place of the NL Central.

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WASHINGTON – It is the kind of turnaround any ballplayer dreads, a most extreme version of the day game after a night game, and the Cleveland Guardians’ clubhouse reflected that harsh reality Wednesday morning.

The Guardians played 18 innings the day before, finishing off a doubleheader around 9:30 Tuesday night, only to be greeted by a noon start to finish the series and cap a span of 22 games in 23 days. Classic rock plays gently on the speakers and Gatorade cups are filled with coffee, the better to summon whatever energy to get through this necessary evil of a 162-game schedule.

In another year not too long ago, Carlos Santana would have his own setup, a coffeemaker that produced the good stuff, befitting a ballplayer who hails from the Dominican Republic hometown from which Café Santo Domingo draws its name.

But Santana is 39 years old, and coffee is no longer in the equation.

He is now the second-oldest position player in Major League Baseball, and surviving the game’s rigors comes with sacrifice. And preparation. And discipline.

It is why he has a personal chef at his disposal, both for homestands in Cleveland and at his Tampa home in the off-season. And spends time atop the massage table before and after every game.

And, in a sacrifice that stung, left his coffeemaker behind and cut his caffeine intake to virtually nothing.

“Last year, I quit. And my body feels good,” Santana tells USA TODAY Sports. “It was tough. It’s hard, everybody knows, at my age.

“People have retired. But I’m keeping on.”

He’s not just keeping on: Santana salvaged a split for the Guardians in that doubleheader the night before, crushing a three-run home run to ensure their 9-1 victory. He had four hits in nine at-bats over those 18 innings – and was in the lineup once again at first base the next morning.

He played savior for the second time in less than 18 hours, erasing a 3-0, sixth-inning deficit with a bases-clearing double off Washington Nationals starter Michael Soroka to rouse the Guardians from their afternoon slumber. It was the key blow in an eight-run inning and the Guardians went on to an 8-6 victory Wednesday.

Hey, the Guardians aren’t paying him $12 million this season to sit. Santana has four homers and 16 RBI as he begins a third tour of duty with Cleveland.

Technically, he’s played for eight teams. But Cleveland was where it began at the big league level for Santana, way back in 2010, an eight-year run during which he hit 174 home runs and helped Cleveland to Game 7 of the World Series and, now that Michael Brantley has retired, outlasted all the position players from a debut squad with several guys worth remembering.

With Carlos Carrasco’s designation for assignment by the Yankees, Santana’s the last man standing from that team. Only Justin Turner, the Chicago Cubs’ 40-year-old DH, is older among position players across the big leagues.

And many of his current teammates were in grade school when Santana first stepped on a major league diamond.

“First and foremost, he’s just a professional,” says Guardians All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan, a sixth-grader when Santana debuted. “Takes care of his body, does everything right. He’s very vocal about what he does in the weight room, off the field. He doesn’t drink, makes sure he eats the right things, gets full sleep.

“I think it’s a really cool role model for a lot of us young guys. It shows if you want to play in this game a long time, this is what it looks like. There’s no secrets. Just all the stuff that’s been hammered into us at a really young age.”

It’s a role Santana takes seriously, particularly given the makeup of the Guardians’ roster.

‘You think you know everything’

More than one-quarter of Cleveland’s roster hails from the Dominican, including franchise player Jose Ramirez, All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and charismatic outfielder Jhonkensy “Big Christmas” Noel.

Beyond being a familiar face and comforting voice from home, Santana tries to hammer home that nothing in this game is permanent.

In turn, his half-dozen Dominican teammates – ranging in age from 23 to 32 – keep Santana feeling spry.

“I try to help the Dominicans,” he says. “They follow me. They ask so many questions, asking why I play for a long time and look good. I feel like a kid. I feel like a younger guy when I’m playing with them.

“When you’re younger, you think that you know everything. You think, at the time, it’s never coming to an end. I remember that when I was 23 years old. I thought I knew everything.”

At this point, there’s not much Santana hasn’t done. He’s hit 328 career home runs, and his stellar .353 career on-base percentage and .783 OPS ensures his phone in Tampa will ring each winter.

His notorious plate discipline is still there: Santana averages 4.11 pitches per plate appearance, just off the 4.15 for his career, nearly 8% higher than the MLB average during that time.

‘It’s always really important to have that veteran presence in the middle of the lineup, especially with how he takes his ABs – not necessarily the outcome but the approach, and that sets the tone for the whole lineup,’ says infielder Gabriel Arias, who had a career-high four hits Wednesday. ‘Our lineup gets a lot better when you see that type of veteran presence.’

Santana endured an 0-for-25 stretch last month and survived, now on an 11-for-35 run while reaching base each of the past 11 games. The Guardians – surprise winners of the AL Central a year ago – have flourished in that period, too, winning seven of 10 games to improve to 22-15.

‘We really feel like he’s starting to come into his own right now, and we’re seeing the ‘los who has 16 years in the big leagues,’ says Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. ‘He’s a great player, consistent, and we’re really excited how he’s starting to swing the bat.’

 Santana is embarking on a quest for his seventh postseason appearance, and winning the final game of the season is one of the few things he hasn’t seen in this career.

‘An open book’

The man who once smashed a clubhouse TV to better focus his video game-playing teammates is perhaps a little more mellow now, or perhaps simply surrounded by professionalism.

He speaks freely of his baseball past, not in a “back in my day” fashion but rather imparting what he’s picked up through a vast array of diamond experience.

“It’s the stories he tells about different teammates and the places he’s been,” says Kwan. “He loves sharing them, and I appreciate that. With veterans like that, I’m a little sheepish to ask them for their secrets.

“But he’s an open book. I think that’s why he’s so beloved across the league.”

And perhaps that’s why Santana keeps coming back. Sure, a beloved personality helps, but simplicity in his off hours probably matters more.

It sounds so easy: “Drink a lot of water, sleep well,” he says. “That keeps me playing.”

Eight hours a night. An hour nap when the Guardians are at home. And above all, listening to a body that has served him well: Santana has spent just 31 days on the injured list since the start of the 2011 season.

That’s a model the youngsters can appreciate – especially when he’s still winning them games, and answering the bell, just a month after turning 39.

“He takes into account, too, that when you’re younger you’re going to fail and rely on your body to bounce back,” says Kwan. “As he’s had years in the league, he’s picked up things here and there and it’s culminated in where he is now.”