PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- For as many good iron shots as he hit to give himself chances Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods hit just as many puzzling ones on his way to an even-par round of 71 that left him well back of the leaders.

Known for his iron prowess throughout his career, and especially at the best times of his comeback in the past two years from back surgery, Woods has been uncharacteristically off at Pebble Beach. He hit just nine greens in regulation Thursday and only 11 Saturday, several times coming up short, which makes you wonder about any physical problems.

Woods was predictably coy when asked about any physical issues as he wore KT tape -- a therapeutic strip often worn to treat pain -- on his neck, just as he had during The Open at Carnoustie last year.

"When it's cold like this, everything is achy," Woods said. "It's just part of the deal."

Woods was tied for 27th and 10 shots back of leader Gary Woodland as the third round continued.

Asked specifically about the neck strain that kept him from competing in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and if there was any correlation, Woods said: "It's all the same. It's been like that for years. The forces have to go somewhere. And if they're not in the lower back, they're in the neck, and if they're not, they're in the mid-back, and if not they go to the knee. You name it."

Woods gave a similar answer at the Players Championship in March when he returned from the neck issue, and it's simply another example of Woods' fate, having had four back surgeries. Some days, as he has said often, are not going to be as good as others.

He only talked about it because he was asked and did not suggest it directly impacted any of his shots Saturday.

"As I say, my back impacts every shot I play. It's just part of the deal," he said. Pressed on any specific shots, Woods said: "Let me put it this way, I feel every shot I hit. I think that's always going to be the case from here going forward."

Woods got off to a poor start, bogeying two of his first three holes before birdies at the fourth and fifth. But he couldn't par the par-5 sixth, and then was up and down throughout the rest of the round, hitting some good approaches but hitting some poor ones as well.

He managed to get back to even par for the round and the tournament by holing a long birdie putt at the 16th and then knocking it on the 18th green in two and two-putting for birdie.

"I got off to an awful start and clawed it around, but still gave myself a chance, which is positive," Woods said. "And we'll see what the weather forecast is for tomorrow. There are a lot of guys ahead of me right now. Seems like everyone is doing what I was supposed to do earlier, which is play 2- to 4-under par through the first seven [holes]. We'll see what they do coming in.

"I was playing with Ben [An] today, and he played a hell of a round. Missed the ball in the correct spots, and that's what you have to do at this place."

An, 29, who won the U.S. Amateur at age 17 in 2009, shot 68 and played with Woods for the first time while moving near the top 10.

"I always dreamed about playing golf with him and especially it's the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, that's definitely something special," said An, who kept refreshing his phone on Friday night to see the pairings for Saturday, thinking he might get paired with Woods.

"It felt like two and a half hours," he joked. "I wanted to play with him, see what it's like. And I got my wish. I'm happy that I played a great round in front of the GOAT. ... He didn't have the best day, but he's still Tiger. Doesn't matter how he plays, just playing with him that means a lot to me."

The newly crowned NBA champion Toronto Raptors, who won the title in Oakland, California, on Thursday night, apparently are having too good of a time celebrating in Las Vegas. Expected back in Toronto on Saturday, they instead are staying an additional night in Sin City.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the franchise, said the Raptors extended their trip and will return to Toronto in time for a victory parade and rally in the city on Monday, a spokesperson told TSN.

The players are expected to travel the parade route in open-air, double-decker buses with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy beside them. The parade is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET and conclude with a 12:30 p.m. rally at Nathan Phillips Square.

Drake, the hip-hop superstar and Toronto native, was the unofficial emcee for the team's party late Friday night at XS Nightclub.

"Las Vegas, let's have cheers to this incredible team," Drake said during the festivities, according to the Review-Journal. "I want to give cheers to every one of my brothers!"

Toronto defeated Golden State 114-110 in Game 6 for the franchise's first NBA championship. The best-of-seven series was a smashing success for Canada all the way around.

The NBA said Friday that 56 percent of the Canadian population watched at least some part of the NBA Finals, with an average viewership of about 8 million for Game 6.

The league also said the total combined U.S. and Canadian audience for the Finals was up 11 percent over the combined viewership of the 2018 title series between Golden State and Cleveland.

Thursday's game was the most-watched NBA game in Canadian television history, a record that was toppled several times during this postseason because of the Raptors' popularity. Viewership for each of the six Finals games rank among the 10 most-watched television programs in Canada so far this year.

"Everybody who supported us during the season, all the fans in Toronto, everyone in Canada -- this is for you," Raptors forward Serge Ibaka said after the title-clinching win. "This is for Canada, baby. You should be proud."

The NBA said that online sales through the league's official portals smashed records for the day following the end of a championship series, up more than 80 percent from the previous mark (set when Cleveland beat Golden State in 2016) and were more than 100 percent over sales on the day following the Warriors' sweep of the Cavaliers last season.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

Social media erupted Saturday night after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the New Orleans Pelicans had agreed to trade Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks.

That a trade was coming was no surprise, but the magnitude of the deal and the pairing of Davis with LeBron James still sent shockwaves throughout the sports world.

The deal cannot be finalized until July 1, but the reaction was immediate.

Great job by Owner Jeanie Buss bringing Anthony Davis to the Lakers! Laker Nation, the Lakers are back in a championship hunt! Congratulations to the entire organization. I know LeBron James has a big smile on his face. I'm loving this!!

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 15, 2019

Laker Nation, you wanted the great Jeanie Buss to step up and bring a championship team back to LA and she's doing just that!

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 15, 2019

And the Lakers still have over $30 million of cap space to spend on free agents starting June 30th.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 15, 2019

Great trade Rob Pelinka! Job well done.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 15, 2019

Love this league. Hoop reality show. Entertainment on and off the court. #NBA

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) June 15, 2019

pic.twitter.com/oZhpaUtc75

— Jusuf Nurkić (@bosnianbeast27) June 15, 2019

Welp there goes the first domino... Things about to get interesting...???

— DeMarre Carroll (@DeMarreCarroll1) June 15, 2019

@AntDavis23 is built for this!! Dude might be MVP next season

— Quincy Pondexter (@QuincyPondexter) June 16, 2019

Offseason? Nah. The NBA is a 365 operation.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) June 15, 2019

Pelicans made out smooth...

— David West (@D_West30) June 15, 2019

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Since entering the league in 2012, Davis is tied for 3rd-most 1st-Team All-NBA selections in the league.

The only players with more during that stretch are LeBron James and James Harden. pic.twitter.com/t5GcdYcap0

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 15, 2019

no offseason for the nba

— Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) June 15, 2019

NBA, greatest show on earth !

— ? Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 15, 2019

The Los Angeles Lakers reached an agreement to acquire three-time All-NBA forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans for three players and three first-round draft picks on Saturday, league sources told ESPN.

The Lakers paid a steep price to partner Davis with LeBron James: sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and the picks -- including the No. 4 overall selection in Thursday's NBA draft -- to the Pelicans, sources said. The Lakers were able to hold on to forward Kyle Kuzma in the trade, which cannot be finalized until July 6.

New Orleans' trade package from the Lakers represents one of the most substantial returns on a single star player in modern league history.

Davis, who had requested a trade to L.A. in January, joins James in Los Angeles to create one of the most powerful duos in the NBA. Davis has long indicated privately that he plans to sign a new contract with the Lakers once he becomes eligible for free agency in 2020, sources said.

The Pelicans' return for Davis was substantial and perhaps even more impressive given that the market had shrunk on New Orleans, based upon rival teams believing he would ultimately become just a one-year rental before leaving for the Lakers next summer.

The Boston Celtics had resisted including Jayson Tatum in a trade package, and that ultimately made the Lakers the clear-cut choice to strike a deal, league sources said.

The Pelicans now will have two of the top four picks in Thursday's draft -- No. 1 and No. 4. New Orleans will select Zion Williamson at No. 1 and now has the flexibility to select a player at No. 4 -- or trade it at auction in the next several days.

New Orleans has had significant interest in talks with teams in recent days on the fourth overall pick, and those talks are expected to continue over the next several days, sources said. Teams are pursuing point guards Darius Garland and Coby White high in the lottery, giving New Orleans a chance for an even bigger haul from the deal.

In addition, the language in the deal concerning the future first-round picks includes the possibility of a pick swap that could make the trade even more advantageous to the Pelicans, league sources said.

Ingram and Ball were the key players in the trade for the Pelicans, who imagine them in a starting lineup with Williamson and Jrue Holiday. Ingram has been recovering from a blood clot in his right shoulder that ended his season prematurely. He is expected to be back on the court in July -- and ready for training camp in the fall, sources said.

If both sides agree to push back the trade call until July 30, Los Angeles will have $32.5 million in room to use in free agency.

By waiting, Los Angeles would be acting like a team over the cap and would be allowed to use the fourth pick in the draft as salary. If the trade is finalized on July 6, that number will shrink to $27.8 million.

Davis also has a 15 percent trade bonus worth $4 million that would see the Lakers' cap space shrink to $23.8 million if the trade is completed in the first week of July. Davis will have the right to void the bonus.

Like the Lakers, New Orleans could also benefit by waiting to complete the trade.

The Pelicans would see their cap space increase from $15 million to $19 million.

ESPN's Bobby Marks contributed to this report.

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected in the sixth inning of Saturday's game against Cleveland.

Detroit was trailing 3-0 when Gardenhire was tossed for the fifth time this season. It wasn't clear what brought on the ejection, but immediately beforehand, Tigers pitcher Nick Ramirez appeared to stop his delivery as if time had been called.

Gardenhire was ejected, then came out and argued with plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. He then gave the ground around home plate a sweeping kick before leaving the field.

The Chicago Cubs have considered opening a sportsbook at Wrigley Field and at locations just outside of the Friendly Confines, multiple sources familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN.

Betting windows, automated kiosks and even a full-blown sportsbook venue inside the stadium are among the options that have been considered by the Cubs and other Chicago professional franchises, as Illinois' new sports betting law prepares to take effect.

The Cubs declined to comment, and there are no official plans, only preliminary discussions at this point. Who would run the sportsbook and which parties would receive a cut of the action is unknown.

"Pen hasn't hit paper yet," a source familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN.

MLB currently prohibits sportsbooks, including betting kiosks or windows, inside a club's stadium. The NBA has similar rules in place prohibiting retail sportsbooks from offering in-person betting inside arenas. The leagues are reviewing the Illinois legislation.

"We will work with our clubs to explore the opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving sports betting landscape in a socially responsible manner," a spokesperson for MLB told ESPN in a statement.

On June 2, the Illinois legislature passed SB 690, authorizing regulated sports betting. The bill is awaiting the signature of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was supportive of the legislation that will bring a casino to Chicago and potentially sportsbooks to the state's professional stadiums.

Under the legislation, which was supported by MLB, the NBA and multiple team owners, sports facilities with seating capacity greater than 17,000 could apply for a license to offer sports betting inside or within a five-block radius of the venues. Soldier Field, home of the Bears; United Center, where the Bulls and Blackhawks play; and Guaranteed Rate Park, the White Sox's stadium, are among the venues that can apply for a masters sports wagering license, which costs $10 million.

Securing rights for stadiums to operate sportsbooks has also been pushed by MLB and the NBA in New York and Washington, D.C. Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards, has talked openly about opening a sportsbook at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Soldier Field, United Center and Guaranteed Rate Field are said to also be examining any sports betting opportunities afforded by the legislation. The Bears, Bulls and White Sox each declined comment. The NFL also did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

"We are following the discussions about sports betting at sports venues," said Denny Hartwig, director of communications for the Chicago Speedway, one of the sports venues that could apply for a betting license. "We have not made any decisions and have no definitive plans for sports betting at the speedway."

Sportsbooks at stadiums were discussed at MLB's winter meetings in December in Las Vegas, seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, the federal statute that had restricted state-sponsored sports betting to primarily Nevada.

Since the ruling, legal, full-scale sportsbooks have begun operating in Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. New York's upstate casinos are preparing to offer in-person sports betting in the coming months, and the New York state legislature is considering a bill that would allow mobile sports betting and sportsbooks at stadiums. The bill faces tough odds, with the legislative session in New York slated to end this week.

Indiana, Iowa, Montana and Tennessee have passed sports betting legislation this year, and bills in Illinois and New Hampshire are awaiting governors' signatures.

As sports betting has expanded around the U.S., professional leagues and franchises have struck partnerships with bookmakers and casinos. In late November, MLB announced MGM Resorts as an official betting partner. No team has opened a sportsbook inside a stadium, though. Sports venues in the United Kingdom, including Wembley Stadium, have sports betting windows and kiosks.

In Illinois, the Cubs appear to be the furthest along in getting involved in sports betting, although representatives of the White Sox, including Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, also were involved in lobbying for the bill.

The NBA and MLB's lobbying requests in Illinois appeared in early versions of the legislation and included a royalty fee paid by bookmakers to sports governing bodies based on the amount wagered, data rights and the sports venue language. There was strong opposition to the royalty and data rights, but there wasn't immediate or forceful pushback about the sports venues, said Illinois state Rep. Mike Zalewski, one of the bill's initial sponsors.

The royalty did not make it into the final bill, but sportsbook operators will be required to use official league data to grade some wagers, and the sports venues do have the option to offer betting.

"It didn't surprise me that the [stadiums] concept was raised," Zalewski told ESPN in a social media message. "My sense was the leagues and the teams, and the Cubs specifically, were looking for unorthodox ways to capitalize the ballparks in an age where fans are glued to their phones."

In February, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts invested in sports betting media outlet The Action Network, and in March, Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said on an appearance on Chicago radio station 670 The Score that the team is considering a secondary broadcast infused with sports betting analysis.

"Look, Wrigley Field draws people year round," Vic Salerno, founder of sportsbook operator US Bookmaking and a member of UNLV's Gaming Hall of Fame, told ESPN. "It's going to be a great location for them."

Asked if he thought it would be feasible for the Cubs to open a sportsbook by next baseball season, Salerno said, "Oh, yeah. For sure."

SARVER, Pa. – The spoiler on the rear of Michael Norris’ No. 72 car reads “CRUSHER” in bold, block letters, with his Rocket XR1 Chassis still donning a now-iconic black, red and yellow color scheme.

The young gun from Sarver, Pa. had always dreamed of standing atop a race car in Lernerville Speedway’s victory lane since he was a child.

Once upon a time, that dream got fulfilled.

June 22, 2018 is a date that still holds a strong place in the mind of the two-time and defending Lernerville Speedway late model champion.

A second-best time in qualifying, a win in his heat race and a pole-position redraw effort set him up for a chance at the biggest win of his career – a preliminary feature as part of the 12th annual Firecracker 100, the biggest stage in Pennsylvania dirt late model racing.

Norris grabbed the lead on the first lap and, when the checkered fell over him on lap 50, had given the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series regulars quite a tour of his home track – a place he had won at four times already that season.

He crossed the scales and met his overjoyed pit crew in victory lane, a first-time winner with the World of Outlaws.

In the record books, he became the 82nd driver all-time to win with the tour.

Almost immediately overcome with emotion, Norris stood tall in victory lane with series announcer Rick Eshelman holding a microphone up to him, and let out a gasping, “You’re gonna have to give me a second.”

No, it wasn’t the big 100-lap, $30,000-to-win Firecracker finale that Saturday night always boasts. But the gratitude he felt toward his team, his huge fanbase on hand to watch him dominate and prestige he earned that night was all worth far more than the check he received for the qualifying feature win.

It was never about the money and it was about his place in Lernerville Speedway history.

A third-generation driver, now in his 10th full season behind the wheel of a Super Late Model, 27-year-old Michael Norris is the son of Mike Norris, a well-known Late Model veteran around the western Pennsylvania area himself.

Michael made his first appearances at the track as an infant, watching his father race on a weekly basis. A handful of years into Michael’s childhood, Mike took some time off from the sport to focus on family, but Michael still remained around the race track.

“I would still go to the track with my grandma every Friday and watch,” he said.

A few seasons spent in the bleachers soon turned into a few seasons spent in the pit area, wrenching on dad’s race car, as Mike returned to racing once again when Michael entered his teenage years. Mike won the final super late model track championship at the now-reopened Latrobe Speedway in Latrobe, Pa., before offering the ride up to his son in 2009.

“I had a really close group of four friends from high school that wanted to help,” Michael said. “From my sophomore year on, that was pretty much what consumed our lives.”

In 2010, Norris got his first dirt super late model win at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway behind the wheel of a newer Rocket Chassis, after starting with his father’s Rayburn equipment. Ever since, he’s been a Lernerville regular.

Alongside his weekly racing efforts came the need to uphold the family business. Norris works a job in his grandfather and uncle’s scrapyard, Millerstown Pic-A-Part, and its sister branch D&D Auto Salvage — both sponsors on the side of his car. Part of that job requires the use of a car crusher, which spawned his nickname, “The Crusher Kid.”

Norris won his very first track championship at Lernerville in 2017, collecting an impressive five wins in 10 races that year.

That success set him up for what would be the most decorated season of his career — a nine-win tear through 2018, eight of which came in weekly competition.

In that time, Norris finished in the top two in every weekly race that year except for one.

But the most memorable night of that season goes to the eve of his triumph over the Outlaws. A very popular win among the Lernerville fans, Norris recalls that warm, summer night as if it happened last weekend.

“When I was driving, it felt like another Friday night,” he said. “I tried not to think about who was behind me. But standing in victory lane, with all the hype about it, it really hit me like a tidal wave.”

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Kings have bought out the final two years of defenseman Dion Phaneuf's contract.

The Kings made the move Saturday.

The 34-year-old veteran spent 93 games with the Kings, who acquired him in February 2018. Phaneuf scored 16 points and racked up 68 penalty minutes, but the former Maple Leafs captain occasionally sat as a healthy scratch last season for the first time in his career.

Phaneuf had two years left on a seven-year, $49 million contract through the 2020-21 season. He agreed to the deal in Toronto but has been traded twice since.

The Kings are rebuilding after finishing eighth in the Pacific Division last season with their worst point total since 2008.