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MILAN (AP) — Massimiliano Allegri was namedAC Milan'snew coach on Friday, charged with restoring to glory thecrisis-hit teamthat he won Serie A with nearly 15 years ago. Allegri replacesSergio Conceicao, who was fired on Thursday after guiding Milan to an eighth-placed finish in Serie A that left the Rossoneri out of Europe. "AC Milan is pleased to announce that Massimiliano Allegri has been appointed as the head coach of the men's first team," the club said in a statement that did not include any contract details. Allegri's last two jobs were with Juventus.He was fired a year agoby the Bianconeri for an ugly outburst directed at the referees during the Italian Cup final. Allegri won the Italian league for the first time with Milan in 2011, then guided Juventus to five straight titles from 2015 to 2019. Milan is coming off a disappointing season that sparked fan protests. Milan began the season as a potential title contender but ended up 19 points behind Italian champion Napoli. The seven-time European champion was eliminated by Feyenoord in the Champions League playoffs in February then got beat by Bologna in the Italian Cup final this month. Meanwhile, city rival Inter Milan will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday. Allegri becomes Milan's third coach in a year. Stefano Pioli left after last season to conclude a five-year run at the club, then Paulo Fonseca lasted only half a season before he was fired in December and replaced by Conceicao, who quickly guided the Rossoneri to the Italian Super Cup — the team's biggest achievement last season. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Lebron will soon suit up for theAlabama Crimson Tideas theregional tournament roundof the college baseball postseason – the lead-up to the 2025College World Series– begins Friday. No, not that LeBron. Shortstop Justin Lebron has emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars in the SEC over his first two seasons playing for the Tide. He's started in all 114 games he's played over the 2024 and 2025 seasons and boasts a career slash line of .326/.426/.596 in that span, good for an OPS of 1.021. In 2025, Lebron stole more bases, hit more home runs and knocked in almost twice as many RBIs as he did as a freshman. COLLEGE WORLD SERIES PREDICTIONS:Who will reach Omaha in 2025 NCAA baseball tournament? As Alabama gears up for its first game in the Hattiesburg regional on Friday, the Crimson Tide's No. 2 hitter and SEC All-Defensive Team shortstop will be a big name to watch. Here's everything to know about Justin Lebron: Lebron, 20, is a sophomore shortstop for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has started all 114 games for Alabama since joining the team, with 113 of those starts coming at shortstop (his lone other start was as a center fielder). This year, he was named to the All-SEC Second Team and the conference's All-Defensive Team for his prowess in the middle infield. The sophomore led his team in several statistical categories, including home runs, RBIs and runs scored. As a high school recruit, he was ranked as the nation's No. 41-ranked shortstop by scouting organization Perfect Game, in part because of a perceived lack of power – he hit one home run in his high school career. In two years at Alabama, he has already hit 30 long balls. His 18 this year tied for fifth among all SEC players. NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT:Regional host sites for College World Series bracket No, Lebron has no relation to Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James. 2024:Slashed .338/.429/.546 (.975 OPS) with 12 home runs, nine doubles, 37 RBIs and seven stolen bases 2025:Slashed .315/.422/.644 (1.066 OPS) with 18 home runs, 17 doubles, one triple, 72 RBIs and 17 stolen bases Career:.326/.426/.596 slash line (1.021 OPS), 30 home runs, 26 doubles, one triple, 109 RBIs, 24 SBs Lebron was born in The Bronx, New York but grew up in Florida after his family moved there at a young age. Lebron attended Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida. COLLEGE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT:Bracket winners and losers start with SEC No. Since Lebron is only a sophomore, he will have to wait until after next season to be eligible for the MLB draft. Date:Friday, May 30 Matchup:Alabama vs. Miami (FL) Location:Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Alabama begins their postseason quest for a College World Series berth at the Hattiesburg regional tournament. They'll play their first matchup against Miami (FL) on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The winner of that game will play the winner of national No. 16 seed Southern Miss vs. Columbia on Saturday. The losers will also play each other. The regional tournament will conclude on either Sunday, June 1 or Monday, June 2, when all but one team has lost two games in the double-elimination format. The regional winner will move onto a super regional matchup against another regional winner, where the winner of an ensuing best-of-three series moves on to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College World Series: Alabama's Justin Lebron poised to turn heads

NEW YORK — It was always going to be on defense. For theNew York Knicks to stave off elimination, to get back in this Eastern Conference finals, they needed to somehow curb theIndiana Pacers. New York, for at least one game Thursday night, did exactly that, becoming the first team this postseason to hold Indiana to fewer than 100 points for a 111-94 victory. The question for the Knicks now becomes whether this is something that can be replicated — whether Game 5 revealed a blueprint they can use to even the series at three games apiece. "In this series, we haven't lacked scoring, it has been more about us not stopping them from scoring," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said after the game. "I think tonight we did a great job of upping the pressure and making sure we were making it more difficult for them to get open looks and get those shots that they got comfortable with last game. It's a testament to our team answering the call." From the tip, New York harassed Indiana's starters, flying around the court and swarming. New York held the Pacers' starters to just 13 made field goals on 33.3% shooting. Forward Pascal Siakam was the only starter to reach double-figures in scoring, and he recorded just 15 points. Indiana's entire first five combined for 37 points; its bench poured in 57. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was coming off a historic 32-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound triple-double in Game 4, was limited to eight points and six assists on 2-of-7 shooting. In fact, Aaron Nesmith (eight attempts), Andrew Nembhard (eight), Obi Toppin (10) and Benedict Mathurin (10) all attempted more shots than Haliburton did. While wing defenders Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby led the defensive charge — particularly on Haliburton — another player not known for his defense also stepped up. Throughout this series, point guard Jalen Brunson had been a target for Indiana, which often set up pick-and-rolls to attack Brunson, who vowed after Game 5 to amp up his effort on defense. "We picked up our intensity a little bit," Brunson told reporters after the game. "We paid attention to detail better as a team. The little things go a long way." Little things like showing harder when Indiana tried to get Haliburton open in space, clogging the lanes he normally would have used to drive. Little things like sprinting back on transition defense to take away Indiana's outlet passes and throw-ahead opportunities. "They were just more aggressive than us from the jump," Siakam said. "They brought the fight to us and I just don't think we brought it enough. "It was all about will and energy." Ahead of Game 6 Saturday in Indianapolis, the Pacers will tweak their operation and make adjustments. For example, coach Rick Carlisle said, "there's more things I'm going to have to do to help" Haliburton get easier attempts to shoot. But this was the very best version of the Knicks. When their defensive effort is like it was Thursday, it feeds other facets of their game. They're able to generate turnovers and increase their own output in transition, which leads to a barrage of points in the paint — an area where New York bullied Indiana 60-34. That increased effort manifests on the glass, too, where New York claimed a +9 advantage. That, then, feeds second-chance points, where the Knicks outscored the Pacers by a margin of 13-7. "We're going to have to be even better next game," Towns said, "if we expect to have our season continue." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Knicks unlock blueprint to beat Pacers. Can it save their season?

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton followed hishistoric triple-doubleby getting held to single digits in everything. With a passive performance from their playmaker, the Indiana Pacers failed in their first attempt to earn the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history, falling111-94 to the New York Knicksin Game 5 on Thursday night. They will need Haliburton to be much closer to the player who dominated Game 4 than the one who managed only two baskets in Game 5 when they try again at home Saturday. "Rough night for me," Haliburton said. Haliburton had 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds and no turnovers in Game 4, the first 30-15-10 in the postseason since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. But he was limited to eight points, six assists and two rebounds Thursday. The All-NBA point guard didn't even have a basket in the first half, when the Pacers' total of 45 points was just two more than the had in the first quarter of Game 4. "I've got to be better setting the tone, getting downhill. I feel like I didn't do a great job of that but I'll watch the film," Haliburton said. "There were some different things they did defensively, but for the most part their base stuff was the same. They picked up the pressure a little bit more, try to apply more as the game went on. But I've got to be better and I will be better in Game 6." The Knicks cut down on some of the mistakes they made in Game 4 that allowed Haliburton and the Pacers to get their transition game going. And they were much sharper in the halfcourt, rarely letting him penetrate into the lane to set up opportunities for himself of his teammates. "It's probably a combination of him missing some shots he normally makes, but I thought our guys were tied together and trying to make him work for everything and that's what you have to do," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. The Pacers were held to their lowest point total of the postseason and shot just 40.5% from the field. Haliburton wasn't the only one who struggled, with Aaron Nesmith going just 1 for 8 on the same court he had a postseason career-high 30 points to spark Indiana's comeback in Game 1. Pascal Siakam, who had his postseason career high of 39 in Game 2, was limited to 15 — and that made him the only Indiana starter in double figures. "We weren't great as a group," Haliburton said. "We turned the ball over too much, didn't rebound to our ability (like) we have shown this series. When you (don't) do those two things against these guys in a game that comes down to so many possessions, it's tough. So, we've got to be better as a group. I think our pace has to be better and that starts with me. I've got to be better there. " ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/nba

This year, the Stanley Cup Final will look familiar, as the Edmonton Oilers face off against the Florida Panthers for the second straight year. The 2024 Final rematch will begin Wednesday in what is likely to be another exciting series. Edmonton secured its 2025 Final appearance with a 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday, icing a 4-1 series win and the Western Conference championship. The victory set up a rematch against Florida, which picked up its own 4-1 series win over the Carolina Hurricaneson Wednesday. As the Oilers chase their first Stanley Cup since 1990, their final obstacle will once again be the Panthers, whodefeated Edmonton in a thrilling series in 2024. Florida went up 3-0 in the series before Edmonton went on a run to force a Game 7; the Panthers staved off a historic collapse with a 2-1 victory over the Oilers to earn the franchise's first title. It's been more than 30 years since a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup — and the Oilers, out for revenge, have extra motivation to break that drought. Edmonton will alsoopen the series as a slight betting favoriteover the Panthers. Hockey superstitions may also come into play here. After not touching the Clarence S. Campbell trophy last year and subsequently losing the Finals, Oilers captain Connor McDavid grabbed it right away this year — opening the hope that Edmonton's luck might change. The Edmonton Oilers touched the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after winning the Western Conference Final 👀They did not touch it last year and lost in the Stanley Cup Final.pic.twitter.com/3mVMCvsswB — ESPN (@espn)May 30, 2025 Both teams have been on strong postseason runs heading into the rematch. Florida kicked off the playoffs with a 4-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, before dashing the Toronto Maple Leafs' postseason dreams witha 6-1 Game 7 victory. As for Edmonton, the Oilers pulled through the first two rounds with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-2 win and a 4-1 win over the Las Vegas Knights before dispatching the Stars. The Stanley Cup Final begin Wednesday, with Edmonton hosting the first two games.