Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lakshan Sandakan and Lahiru Madushanka have missed the cut, as Sri Lanka announced their finalised squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh which starts on July 26.

As such there will be six changes to the squad that travelled to England for the World Cup, with Shehan Jayasuriya, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Amila Aponso and Lahiru Kumara all coming in. Dasun Shanaka, meanwhile, is set to play from the second ODI onwards as a replacement for the retiring Lasith Malinga.

ALSO READ: Malinga to retire from ODIs after first match of Bangladesh series

Of the newcomers, Jayasuriya, Kumara and Hasaranga have the best chance of being included in the side for the first ODI. Jayasuriya, who is also a part-time offspinner, impressed in the warm-up game with a gritty fifty, legspin-bowling-allrounder Hasaranga had a wicket to go with an impressive 28-run cameo, and pacer Lahiru Kumara was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers in largely unhelpful bowling conditions.

Dananjaya, who is the only specialist spinner in the squad, will also likely feature, though Aponso's superior batting may figure in the minds of selectors.

Among those who missed out, Dickwella, who was out for three-ball duck in the warm-up, and Gunathilaka, who squandered an impressive start, will rue a missed opportunity to get back into the first-team fold. Both Sandakan and Madushanka, though, can count themselves a touch more unfortunate. Despite being named in the original 22-man squad, Sandakan wasn't even named in warm-up side, while Madushanka, who has impressed with the emerging team and was name-checked by captain Dimuth Karunaratne earlier this week, was available to play but featured neither as a bowler nor batsman.

Sri Lanka's finalised squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Amila Aponso, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana.

LOS ANGELES -- The Pac-12 has agreed in principle to move its football championship game to Las Vegas when the Raiders' new NFL stadium opens in 2020 and remain there for at least two years, conference commissioner Larry Scott announced Wednesday.

Though the deal is not yet finalized, it is expected to be completed in the near future, Scott said.

"Our Pac-12 universities and entire conference are thrilled to have our 2020 and 2021 football championship event take place in one of the most anticipated new venues in sports," Scott said in a statement. "Highlighting and showcasing our programs on one of the biggest stages in a major destination market is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes, universities and fans, and consistent with our mission to create the best possible experiences for student-athletes."

In the two-plus years since the Oakland Raiders announced they would move to Las Vegas, there has been speculation that the Pac-12 football championship game would follow. The conference's men's and women's basketball tournaments already are held in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas' accessibility from a travel logistics standpoint within the Pac-12 footprint, in addition to the new venue, made it a logical destination, though the new NFL stadium in Los Angeles was also considered.

In 2020, the new stadium will also host the Las Vegas Bowl, which pits a Pac-12 team against either a Big Ten or SEC opponent.

The conference introduced the championship game in 2011 after it expanded to 12 teams and split into north and south divisions. For the first three seasons, the team with the best conference record hosted the title game. The title game then moved in 2014 to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Looking for a raise, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jalen Ramsey showed up at training camp in an armored bank truck Wednesday.

At least he showed up. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue did not report to the team facility with the rest of his teammates because he wants a new contract, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ramsey said after June's mandatory minicamp practice that his agent told him the Jaguars will not give him a contract extension in 2019. Roughly an hour later, Ramsey joked on social media that he's going to "ask for so much money, they have to put me on lay-away."

Ramsey, however, said then that he wasn't angry that he wouldn't be getting an extension this season, the final year of his rookie contract. The Jaguars picked up his fifth-year option, which means he would make $13.703 million in 2020 but the contract would be guaranteed for injury only, and the team could use the franchise tag on him in 2021.

Arriving to training camp in an armored truck brought the money issue back to the forefront. Ramsey rode in the back of the truck and had his own emcee, who grabbed a bullhorn and announced his arrival by saying:

"Y'all know what time it is. ... A man so good they're fixing to give him his own jail, Jalen Towers, because these receivers are on 24-hour lockdown. He's got eight Master Locks in his pocket. They're on lockdown all season. The man, the myth, Jalen Ramsey."

Ramsey, the No. 5 overall pick in 2016, has made two Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro once in his first three seasons. He has nine interceptions and 44 pass breakups and hasn't missed a start.

Ngakoue, a fourth-year player, had skipped the three-day mandatory minicamp in June, resulting in a fine of $86,650. He now faces a fine of $40,000 for each day he misses.

Ngakoue is due to make $2.02 million this season and wants a deal similar to the mega-contracts that pass-rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark signed in the offseason. Both players' deals are worth more than $100 million over the life of the contract. Lawrence received $65 million guaranteed and Clark received $62.3 million.

Ngakoue has recorded 29.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles since he entered the league as a third-round pick in 2016. He has more sacks than Lawrence (26), as well as Dee Ford (25) and Trey Flowers (21), who also received new contracts that guaranteed them $45 million and $56 million, respectively.

Information from ESPN's Michael DiRocco was used in this report.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A big salary, an injury and some high-priced additions on defense spelled the end for Mike Daniels with the Green Bay Packers.

The team will release Daniels, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday, one day before the Packers' first training camp practice.

While the former Pro Bowl defensive tackle's release might have come as a surprise, Daniels was due to make $8.5 million this season -- $7.6 million base salary, $500,000 roster bonus and $400,000 workout bonus -- in the final year of a four-year, $41 million contract extension signed on Dec. 13, 2015, when he looked like a future star.

While the workout bonus already would have been paid, the Packers will save $8,312,500 in salary-cap space this season. His cap charge for this year would have been $10,712,500.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said general manager Brian Gutekunst will address the move later Wednesday, but added: "I've been around Mike for a short period of time. I know he's meant a lot to this community, he's meant a lot to this football team. Obviously, having to prepare for him in the past, I still think he's a really good player. I wish him well.

"You always want to keep good players. Unfortunately, that's part of this business. There's tough decisions that you have to make."

The move came one day after the Packers signed fellow defensive lineman Dean Lowry to a three-year, $20.325 million deal.

The Packers believe they have plenty of depth on the defensive line, which is led by rising star Kenny Clark, who is under contract through the 2020 season. They also have Montravius Adams, a third-round pick in 2017, signed through 2020. They drafted defensive tackle Kingsley Keke in the fifth round this year and return backups Tyler Lancaster, Fadol Brown and James Looney -- all three of whom finished last season the 53-man roster.

First-round pick Rashan Gary and veteran free agent Za'Darius Smith, while technically outside linebackers, can move inside on the defensive line in certain packages for coordinator Mike Pettine.

The Packers spent $56 million in signing bonuses in the first week of free agency, including $20 million to Smith and $16 million to fellow pass-rusher Preston Smith.

Daniels, a fourth-round pick in 2012, made the Pro Bowl as an alternate after the 2017 season. He missed two games that year because of a hip injury, and he finished 2018 on injured reserve following a foot injury that ended his season after 10 games.

Daniels did not take part in any of the offseason practices, but indicated recently that he expected to be cleared for the start of training camp.

Lindsey Harding, who was hired as an assistant coach by the Sacramento Kings on Friday, said that "being afraid of the unknown," rather than concerns over whether they'll be respected by players, is all that's keeping women from ascending to head-coaching positions in the NBA.

"The question is always, 'Will the guys respect you? Can [women] coach men?' But when you get [to the NBA], the guys aren't the problem at all. That's the most fun part," said Harding, the former Duke and WNBA star who coached with the Philadelphia 76ers last season before landing a promotion on the Kings' staff.

"I think the whole thing is just being uncomfortable, or being comfortable in the unknown."

Harding told ESPN that she developed great relationships with several players, including point guard T.J. McConnell and forwards Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler, last season on the Sixers' bench.

"The moment you talk to any guy that plays [in the NBA], you say hi, here's who I am and what I've done, I've played [in the WNBA] or coached [in college], there's an automatic respect," Harding said. "It was as if I'd been an NBA player."

Harding joins the growing list of female assistant coaches in the NBA, which includes Becky Hammon (San Antonio Spurs), Jenny Boucek (Dallas Mavericks), Natalie Nakase (Los Angeles Clippers), Kristi Toliver (Washington Wizards), Kara Lawson (Boston Celtics) and Karen Stack Umlauf (Chicago Bulls).

"I think if you speak to any other woman that is coaching here, they would say the same thing about the players," Harding said. "They've been fantastic. The players have never been the issue. I guess it's just being afraid of the unknown.

"Because you can't say we don't know basketball when you have someone who has played in the WNBA or played professionally [overseas] for years, you can't really say that."

Harding said the growing ranks of female coaches should help close that opportunity gap eventually.

"This isn't the only job in the world that was difficult for women to break through," she said. "At one point, with every job, there was only one woman doing it. and then eventually other women start doing it. I mean, you don't think twice now when you see a female doctor."

Harding began her time in Philadelphia as a scout with an eye toward a career in the front office. But she pivoted into a coaching role toward the end of the season and in the playoffs.

The opportunity to join Luke Walton's staff in Sacramento came up very recently while she was at summer league in Las Vegas. She'd previously worked with Kings assistant coach Jesse Mermuys, when they were both on the Toronto Raptors summer league staff, and he recommended her for this position. In addition to being an assistant, she will be a player development coach as well.

Harding said Sixers general manager Elton Brand immediately encouraged her to take the opportunity.

"From her strategic and insightful approach as a scout, to her commitment to excellence and attention to detail as a player development coach, Lindsey Harding was fantastic here," Brand said. "I'm not surprised she is in high demand in our league. I'm thrilled for her promotion and opportunity in Sacramento."

Free agent forward Furkan Korkmaz has agreed to a two-year contract to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, agent Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports tells ESPN.

Korkmaz, 21, brings back a rotational forward with the ability to spread the floor with his shooting. The loss of JJ Redick in free agency - and Kyle Korver's decision to choose Milwaukee over Philadelphia - brought some increased urgency to keep Korkmaz on the Sixers roster.

The deal includes a guarantee on the deal's first year, league sources said.

The Sixers had declined his option for the 2019-20 season to create salary cap space, but brought him back as an unrestricted free agent. Korkmaz was the franchise's 26th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Turkey, where he enjoyed an impressive professional and national team career prior to the NBA.

Korkmaz has played two full seasons with the Sixers, including averaging nearly six points in 14 minutes a game last season.

Korkmaz's deal will include a guarantee on the first year of the deal, league sources said.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is not happy with the events that transpired to expedite the departure of Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers, saying it was "bad for the league."

Kerr said the trend of players who are not free agents forcing trades to get out of existing contracts, as evidenced by the Davis-to-Lakers deal, is a "real problem."

"I'm talking more about the Anthony Davis situation," Kerr told The Warriors Insider Podcast. "Where a guy is perfectly healthy and has a couple years left on his deal and says, 'I want to leave.' That's a real problem that the league has to address and that the players have to be careful with.

"When you sign on that dotted line, you owe your effort and your play to that team, to that city, to the fans. And then it's completely your right to leave as a free agent. But if you sign the contract, then you should be bound to that contract."

Davis, who had another season left on his deal with the Pelicans when he requested a trade to the Lakers in January, was dealt to Los Angeles in exchange for three players and three first-round draft picks in June.

"If you come to an agreement with the team that, 'Hey, it's probably best for us to part ways,' that's one thing," Kerr said. "But the Davis stuff was really kind of groundbreaking -- and hopefully not a trend, because it's bad for the league."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly said he wishes trade demands "were handled behind closed doors" to avoid franchises being involved in very public tugs of war over the teams' and players' best interests.

"You have a contract and it needs to be meaningful on both sides," Silver said at the Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month. "On one hand, there's an expectation if you have a contract and it's guaranteed that the team is going to meet the terms of the contract, and the expectation on the other side is the player is going to meet the terms of the contract.

"I will say, without getting into any specific circumstances, trade demands are disheartening. They're disheartening to the team. They're disheartening to the community and don't serve the player well. The players care about their reputations just as much. And so that's an issue that needs to be addressed."

On the podcast, Kerr agreed there's a right way and a wrong way to the process.

"What LeBron [James] did, played out his contract. What Kevin [Durant] did, both when he arrived at Golden State and when he left. You sign contracts, you play them out and you move on. That's how it should be done," Kerr said.

"But it's a little disturbing that there has been some action that happens before contracts are up, where teams are sort of held hostage and the league is sort of held hostage. I'm not a big fan of that. That's damaging for everybody."

For the first time in years, the NBA does not have an odds-on favorite to win the title. The dual impact of the Golden State Warriors falling in the NBA Finals then losing Kevin Durant in free agency (along with the expected loss of Klay Thompson for most of next season because of a torn ACL) created a power vacuum teams rushed to fill.

"This was a year where everybody saw the Warriors finally opened the door," a Western Conference executive said, "so the teams thought they could win.

"And they're going for it."

The collective chase to do so produced a truly frenetic offseason. Star duos have since formed in Los Angeles (twice!), along with Brooklyn and Houston. A constellation of big names -- including reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Durant, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, Al Horford and Mike Conley -- have changed teams, including half of the starters from last season's All-Star Game alone.

The result is a landscape where six to eight teams will enter next season with realistic dreams of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of it. And while the LA Clippers landing both Leonard and George was the talk of the summer, there was more than enough other action to keep the NBA buzzing. So ESPN asked 20 coaches, executives and scouts from across the NBA about what happened -- and what lies ahead -- on topics ranging from who is the best player in the league to which team will win next season's championship.

Here's what they had to say:

1. Who is the best player in the NBA?

• Kawhi Leonard - 12

• Giannis Antetokounmpo - 6

• James Harden - 2

Why Leonard, and not either of the past two MVP winners?

"Did you watch what just happened?" one Eastern Conference executive said with a laugh.

Another summed it up this way: "Because if he plays every game in the playoffs, he's the best player in the world. And if you can be good enough the rest of the way to get there, then great."

Leonard's dominant playoff run led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title. And while he got the most votes in our survey, there was plenty of hemming and hawing. Several people said they would've at least considered Kevin Durant -- if not outright picked him -- had he been healthy and not recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Others also gave strong consideration to LeBron James, although ultimately no one selected him.

The arguments in favor of Antetokounmpo and Harden, meanwhile, go back to the same debate that was held throughout much of last season over their respective candidacies for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

"He's the best two-way player," an Eastern Conference assistant coach said of Antetokounmpo. "He gives it to you at both ends."

"His scoring is just special," an executive said, when asked to explain why Harden was his choice. "His ability to elevate a team with his offense as a passer and scorer is as good as it gets. To rely on him to carry an offense every night and stay healthy, he'd be my No. 1 guy."

And, not surprisingly, even among some of those who chose to ride with Leonard, there remains an expectation that Antetokounmpo -- still only 24 -- will soon put himself atop the heap for a long time to come. The one thing holding him back? His still inconsistent jumper.

"Giannis is coming strong," said a Western Conference assistant who picked Leonard. "I think he's gonna get that jump shot. He's going to be improved. I think he's that dude."

2. What move from the summer did you like the most?

• Clippers getting Leonard/Paul George - 10

• Jazz getting Bojan Bogdanovic/Mike Conley - 2

• Pelicans overall offseason - 2

• Josh Richardson/Al Horford to Philadelphia - 2

The Clippers received praise from people across the spectrum for their summer. Some praised the obvious: that getting Leonard, along with Paul George, vaulted the Clippers into title contention. Others, though, gave the Clippers credit for retaining the depth that made them so interesting last season. Despite all the picks they gave up, they still have considerable roster balance -- unlike, say, their co-tenants at Staples Center.

"They were a nice little team without him and Paul George," an Eastern Conference scout said. "Getting them gets them into another stratosphere."

"The Clippers are pretty impressive with how they finagled that," a Western Conference assistant coach said. "The [number of] picks are kind of crazy [to give up], but to get Kawhi and Paul George, that's what it cost.

"To contend, that's what it was going to take. That's what matters."

Besides the Clippers, there was a variety of respect paid to several teams -- though only three (the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz) got more than a single vote.

For Philadelphia, it was for the way the franchise managed to pivot from the potential loss of Jimmy Butler and recover to not only get Richardson in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat, but also to get Horford as a free agent to play alongside Joel Embiid in the 76ers' frontcourt.

"With Jimmy walking, to be able to scramble around and get Tobias [Harris], Josh, Horford ... I think they made something out of a tough situation," a Western Conference scout said. "They couldn't bring back both [Butler and Harris]. They weren't good enough."

Now, in the eyes of some, they are.

"I think they've got the most talent," an Eastern Conference assistant coach said. "I think they're huge. I think those guys are going to be better."

Others receiving votes: Brooklyn getting Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving 1, Oklahoma City trading away Paul George and Russell Westbrook 1, Chicago getting Tomas Satoransky 1, Dallas re-signing Dorian Finney-Smith 1

3. What was the worst move of the summer?

• Knicks offseason - 6

• Ricky Rubio to Phoenix - 6

• Terry Rozier to Charlotte - 4

The criticism of the Knicks came on multiple fronts. First, after they struck out on superstar signings, they settled for middling players, rather than using their cap space to take on bad contracts and add draft assets.

"Some people were like they did a good job keeping their powder dry, but I don't even like [Julius] Randle, so I don't get what they did," an Eastern Conference executive said. "I guess it was better than spending $80 million on two free agents. But that's like saying you're eating healthier because you didn't go to McDonald's for lunch and Burger King for dinner.

"Yes, you're eating healthier -- but only because you couldn't eat worse."

Additionally, the Knicks were knocked for signing several players -- Randle, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris -- who all play power forward. The glut of big men could potentially stunt the growth of last year's No. 9 overall pick, Kevin Knox, and second-team all-rookie selection Mitchell Robinson, who plays center.

"The Knicks' five-big attack is confusing to me," one Eastern Conference assistant coach said.

Phoenix, meanwhile, was both docked for the three-year, $51 million contract it handed to Rubio, but also for the price it paid -- De'Anthony Melton and two second-round picks -- to dump Josh Jackson's contract to clear the space to sign him in the first place.

"They paid him a lot of money, and he isn't very good," an Eastern Conference scout said. "Maybe it was the best they could do to finally get a point guard, but you're designed for less than mediocrity."

Rozier, meanwhile, was the beneficiary of Charlotte losing Walker, as Boston agreed to a sign-and-trade to send him to the Hornets and making him their new starter in his place. The price for doing so -- three years and $58 million -- was richer than many thought the Hornets should've paid.

"I thought that was a huge overpay without enough short term to justify it," one Eastern Conference executive said. "I think that's going to be a disaster to be a bottom-end team and throw that money around. I don't see how that's going to work out."

Others receiving votes: Wizards giving up Tomas Satoransky 1, Sacramento's offseason 1, Jimmy Butler to Miami 1, Russell Westbrook to Houston 1

4. What was the most surprising move of the summer?

• Al Horford to Philadelphia - 6

• D'Angelo Russell to Golden State - 6

• JJ Redick to New Orleans - 2

A stipulation off the top: Given how truly shocking the combination of Leonard and George going to the Clippers in one fell swoop was, those polled for this survey were not allowed to give that answer so as to make this category somewhat interesting.

As a result, the two runaway leaders instead were Horford winding up with the division-rival Sixers, and Russell being part of a sign-and-trade to go to the Golden State Warriors. For Horford, it was both leaving the Celtics and joining the Sixers that surprised people. Horford had been expected by most people to stay put when the season ended -- and few, if any, would've guessed he would be playing alongside Embiid in Philadelphia next season.

"I really thought he'd be a Celtic still," an Eastern Conference executive said.

"I didn't see Miami giving up Richardson to sign Jimmy Butler," an Eastern Conference executive said, "and I didn't see the Sixers punting on Jimmy to replace him with Al Horford."

Russell's move to the Warriors, meanwhile, was equally surprising to people. The idea that Durant would leave, and even go to Brooklyn, was somewhat expected. But that he would be included in a sign-and-trade sending Russell back to Golden State was not.

"That did not seem like a Warriors-type move," a Western Conference scout said.

A West executive, however, could at least understand it while being surprised it happened.

"There's always two ways to look at those things," he said. "They didn't want to give [Durant] up for nothing, but then, while they got [Russell], they gave up that first-round pick and Iguodala.

"I think they had to look at all those things. That surprised the heck out of me, but I thought it was an appropriate move."

Redick, meanwhile, was one of the first free agents to agree to terms on June 30, and his move to New Orleans -- both that he chose the Pelicans and that he signed for two years and $26.5 million -- was a stunner.

"For a guy who could've picked anywhere to play and who had been looking to be contending teams, then he goes to New Orleans?" a Western Conference assistant coach asked.

Others receiving votes: Nikola Mirotic going to Barcelona 1, Boston signing Kemba Walker 1, Marcus Morris to Knicks 1, Kevin Durant to Nets 1, Overall fiscal discipline 1, So many first-round picks being traded 1

5. Why are teams moving first-round picks more than before?

• Prioritizing winning now - 9

• Warriors' demise - 5

• Rookie scale salary changes 3

After the Boston Celtics acquired basically this entire decade's draft capital from the Brooklyn Nets back in 2013, there was a period of time when teams were hesitant to move first-round picks in trade.

Those days are over.

Over the past few weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers (three first-rounders and one swap right), the LA Clippers (five first-round picks and two swap rights) and Houston Rockets (two first-round picks and two swap rights) sent out loads of draft assets in trades for Anthony Davis, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.

Why the change? Because teams have decided that winning now is worth potentially mortgaging the future. The combination of shorter contracts and increased player movement has shortened title windows -- and created a sense of urgency to strike when they arrive.

"Shorter-term contracts for the star players gives them the leverage, and so now there is pressure that these stars want better players, not young rookies that are great for team building," said a Western Conference executive, who pointed at the lack of young players on teams with LeBron James over the years as an example of this playing out previously.

There was one other rather obvious thing that changed this summer, as well, that was pointed to as a possible catalyst: the fact the Warriors are no longer ruling over the league as a seemingly unbeatable foe, keeping teams from thinking it was the right time to swing for the fences.

"Would this have happened if the Warriors are still the Warriors?" an Eastern Conference executive wondered. "There are five to 10 teams that are really, really good, so those teams are thinking, 'Why not us?'"

"You basically would have been stupid to do that a couple years ago."

The other factor given credit for the surge in picks being traded are the changes in the last collective bargaining agreement that increased the salaries for rookie-scale contracts -- removing them from being the big-time bargains they were previously, and making the risk for taking on a "second draft" player taken with a lottery pick a more costly one. No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will make more than $8.1 million in his rookie season, while the non-taxpayer midlevel exception is set at $9.2 million.

The No. 15 overall pick, meanwhile -- Detroit Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya -- will make $2.7 million -- nearly double the salary for a player making the veteran's minimum.

"I think the value of first-rounders might not be as high as it once was partly because those picks aren't quite as valuable contracts," a Western Conference scout said. "Now those contracts are [near] the midlevel exception for the top guys, so I think you're now not seeing guys get their options picked up if you can't come in right away and make strides."

Others receiving votes: Teams getting away with it 1, Draft being random chance 1, Big market teams doing it 1

6. Who will be the conference champions? The NBA champion?

• East: Milwaukee Bucks 12, Philadelphia 76ers 8

• West: LA Clippers 16, Denver Nuggets 2, Utah Jazz 1, Houston Rockets 1

• NBA title: LA Clippers 13, Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 2, Utah Jazz 1, Denver Nuggets 1, Houston Rockets 1

In the East, those surveyed see it coming down to a two-team race between a pair of teams that were knocked out of the 2019 playoffs by Kawhi Leonard and the eventual champion Raptors: the Bucks and the 76ers, with Milwaukee getting the slight edge.

"[The Bucks] have the best player in the conference," a Western Conference executive said, referring to Giannis Antetokounmpo, "and it's Year 2 with [coach Mike Budenholzer]. Losing [Malcolm] Brogdon hurts, but Giannis will take another step forward, and they've proven to be a good regular-season team."

In the West, Leonard's new squad was the runaway favorite, although several of those polled, while choosing the Clippers, indicated that this will be very difficult field of competitors.

And while the Lakers came up as several people debated who their ultimate choice to win the conference would be, they were not among the four West teams picked by at least one person to reach the Finals -- let alone win the title.

"I'm going to say the Clippers right now," an Eastern Conference scout said. "Certainly I'd understand why someone would say the Lakers, but I don't trust the Lakers to get anything right."

Not surprisingly, the Clippers -- the team with the reigning NBA Finals MVP, Leonard -- got the lion's share of the votes to win the title next season.

"If you can get to the end of the season with those two guys [Leonard and Paul George] on the court, with the guards they have and some solid vets coming off the bench, they do it," an Eastern Conference executive said.

However, they were one of just six teams to get votes in this survey, a far cry from last year, when it was virtually impossible to find anyone picking a team other than the Warriors. Four Western Conference teams were picked as potential NBA title winners -- including the Rockets, who've been knocked out of the playoffs by the Warriors each of the past two years.

"They have two of the last three MVPs," an Eastern Conference executive said. "One is in his prime, the other just averaged a triple-double for a third straight year. I'm making a point because they're somehow being overlooked."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Loud shouts, random yells and blaring, bass-thumping, speaker-rattling music could be heard vibrating through the heavy wooden doors that separated the New York Yankees' clubhouse from the Target Field service-level tunnel late Tuesday night.

All with good reason.

Minutes prior, the American League-leading Yankees -- led in large part by shortstop Didi Gregorius' five-hit, seven-RBI night and Aaron Hicks' game-ending, diving catch -- had secured arguably their biggest win of the season, coming back and holding on in the most dramatic of fashions on the road to beat the Minnesota Twins, the current kings of the AL Central, 14-12 in a back-and-forth game that ended in 10 innings.

"That's a postseason game right there," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said, hinting at an October rematch between the teams. "They're going out there giving their best, we're going out there giving our best. It came down to who wanted it more at the end.

"We'll see them down the road for sure."

Following Wednesday's regular-season series finale, the next time the Yankees and Twins could meet, the games would mean significantly more, with World Series hopes on the line.

And Gregorius might have a hand in it, just as he did Tuesday.

"He's a big reason why it's noisy in there right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said as more postgame shouts could be heard across from his closed-door office in the visitors clubhouse.

It was Gregorius' bat that spoke the loudest. A perfect 5-for-5, Gregorius became only the fifth Yankee since 1920 (the year RBIs became an official stat) to post a 5-for-5 day with seven RBIs in the same game.

It's also the second time in his career he has had a 4-for-4 or better game with seven RBIs, making him one of just three Yankees in history to have enjoyed multiple such contests in their careers. Lou Gehrig accomplished that feat three times, while Joe DiMaggio also did it twice.

"It was really good to see him just barrel the ball up all over the ballpark, line to line," Boone said of Gregorius. "Right in the middle of everything."

Gregorius doubled twice, homered once and had a pair of singles to go along with a walk. By the fifth inning, he already had five RBIs and had supplied all of the Yankees' offense to that point.

New York had once trailed 8-2.

Given a day off as the teams opened the series Monday, Gregorius used his break to develop a plan for how he wanted to attack Twins pitchers once he got back into the lineup. He took that plan into Tuesday's pregame batting practice and saw positive results.

"I was trying to drive the ball to left-center, and trying to stay consistent and trying to keep that in the game," Gregorius said. "I did that with the first pitch I saw from [Twins starter Kyle] Gibson. I drove it to left-center."

The double carried over Twins center fielder Max Kepler's head and plated Hicks and Edwin Encarnacion to give the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead.

Why did the left-handed-hitting Gregorius make going the other way such a big focus?

"I can sit on every pitch, basically," he said. "If I can track the ball that way and stay back on curveballs and changeups, then I'm able to drive them, too, and hit them hard. It's a work in progress, but so far it's good."

Gregorius wasn't the only Yankee making a ruckus with his bat.

In the ninth inning, with the Yankees one out away from dropping their third straight game, Hicks -- once a first-round Twins draft pick -- delivered a laser to the bullpens in left-center that left many of the remaining 32,470 fans stunned. The two-run homer, which came right after No. 9 hitter Mike Tauchman had drawn a full-count, two-out walk, pushed the Yankees out in front 12-11.

A half-inning later, Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman struggled trying to pick up the save, walking the bases loaded. Of his 29 pitches, 17 were balls. His shaky performance led to Jorge Polanco's game-tying sacrifice fly that sent the game to the 10th.

"You're going to have those [outings] over the course of 162 where guys hit a little bump in the road here and there, and it just was a tough night out there," Boone said. "But guys kept picking each other up, and those guys that we've leaned on so heavily, especially at the back end, have picked us up time and time again this year."

Gregorius' fifth and final hit came in the 10th inning, kicking off a one-out rally that ended with him scoring the go-ahead run. The batter behind him, catcher Austin Romine, also scored to give the Yankees the cushion they needed.

Romine had just entered the game in the eighth inning after starting catcher Gary Sanchez had suffered a left groin injury that Boone said will lead to a "possible" injured list stint. Sanchez will have an MRI on Wednesday. Last year, he went on the disabled list twice because of right groin strains.

"It felt kind of like a cramp," Sanchez said Tuesday through a translator. "It's nothing like what I had last year. The pain is completely different.

"It just feels a little tight, and it's not preventing me from walking or anything like that. So I'm positive about that. But like I said before, we got to wait 'til [Wednesday] 'til we get the test done and see where it is."

In terms of the cushion Romine's score provided, it was necessary in part because reliever Adam Ottavino loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th and was replaced by right-hander Chad Green with Minnesota in a good position to end things with one dramatic swing. That swing came, but the drama belonged to the Yankees.

On the crack of the bat as Kepler lined a 103-mph missile toward the warning track in left-center, Hicks took off. He had expected a ball to be hit on that side of his body after seeing Romine set up for a pitch along the outside corner to the lefty-hitting Kepler.

"Didn't want anything crazy to happen right there. I wanted to keep my eyes on that one," Hicks said of tracking the liner. "Line drive like that, you have to keep your eyes on that one."

With his sprint speed maxing out at 27.4 feet per second -- his fastest on an out he's recorded this season, according to Statcast -- Hicks traveled 74 feet before needing to extend himself into a full-stretch dive on the track.

"One hundred percent I thought it was down off the bat," Twins reliever Blake Parker said. "[Kepler's] been giving us good at-bats all year. That's what he does. And we knew he was the right guy up in that situation."

For the Yankees, Hicks was the right man to be playing in center.

Hicks got back up with the ball in his glove and a mouthful of warning-track dirt that he spent the next few minutes trying to spit out as he celebrated with teammates.

"That was a do-or-die play. That was a play that needed to be made in order for the game to end," Hicks said.

Said Kepler: "You do everything right, and it gets caught. That's baseball."

As soon as he saw the grab, Green lifted his arms in the air, applauding his teammate for coming away with "one of the best catches I've ever seen."

"I'm not a pitcher that shows much emotion," Green added. "Obviously I was relieved. The game was over at that point."

The game may be over, but the intrigue in the New York-Minnesota series may only be beginning.

"That's one of those games for being late July that we'll probably be talking about for a long time," Boone said. "I mean, our guys are just really, really good at competition. And that was the ultimate competition out there, where it was tough for both teams on the mound, and so many guys did some really, really special things."

ESPN's Jeff Passan contributed to this report.

DETROIT -- The Philadelphia Phillies have put Brad Miller on the 10-day injured list, less than 24 hours after he made a game-saving throw from left field against Detroit.

The Phillies said Wednesday that Miller has a right hip flexor strain. They activated Sean Rodriguez from the injured list.

Philadelphia beat Detroit 3-2 in 15 innings in a game that ended shortly after midnight. Miller threw Nicholas Castellanos out at the plate in the 14th to keep the game tied.

Also Wednesday, Detroit put right-hander Victor Alcantara on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sunday, with a right middle finger contusion. The Tigers recalled right-hander Jose Cisnero from Triple-A Toledo.