MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Danny Dietrich continued his strong season with a victory in Saturday’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions feature at Orange County Fair Speedway.

The victory earned the Gettysburg, Pa., driver $10,000.

Dietrich, who nearly swept the evening program at Orange County Fair Speedway by winning his respective heat race, the evening’s dash, and finally the 25-lap main event, now owns four All Star Circuit of Champions victories in the state of New York over the course of his career, adding Orange County Fair Speedway to a list that already includes Weedsport Speedway, Lebanon Valley Speedway, and Fonda Speedway.

Despite crossing under the final checkers by a margin of victory exceeding four seconds, Dietrich did not take command for good until lap 19, taking advantage of Gerard McIntyre’s misfortune after the All Star Rookie of the Year contender made contact with the outside retaining wall while leading.

McIntyre led the majority of the 25-lapper, actually controlling 17 circuits, including the first, while attempting to keep Dietrich in his rearview mirror. Dietrich did slip by McIntyre to lead lap 12, but the New Oxford, Pa.-native battled back instantly to regain control the following circuit.

“That was a lot of fun. Hats off to my team for their hard work so far this weekend. We have one more night to go, so hopefully we can cap this weekend with another win,” Dietrich explained. “We were pretty good all night. We got close to Gerard [McIntyre] a few times before he made contact with the wall. I think we were just as good as him. Regardless, it was a great effort by everyone involved. I certainly wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t them.”

Although Dietrich was in pursuit of McIntrye from the drop of the green, the battle between the lead duo started to intensify on lap 11. McIntrye was in control ripping the top, but Dietrich was utilizing the shorter way around the speedway, closing-in on McIntyre inch by inch as the laps clicked off the counter.

By lap 12, Dietrich was in position to make a bid for the top spot, eventually sliding through turns three and four to sneak by McIntyre as the pair raced back to the flagstand. McIntyre retaliated in a hurry, quickly returning to the topside to drive back around Dietrich to lead lap 13.

With heavy traffic coming into play by lap 15, things really started to heat up between McIntyre and Dietrich, actually translating into a near-nose to tail battle during the next three circuits. Lap 19 is when trouble struck for McIntyre, slipping up the track just enough in turn two to make contact with Orange County’s unforgiving retaining wall.

After inheriting the top spot, Dietrich drove away to a four second advantage and the $10,000 prize.

Dale Blaney ended up second, followed by Tony Stewart, Aaron Reutzel and Justin Barger.

The finish:

1. 48-Danny Dietrich [1]; 2. 11-Dale Blaney [3]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [6]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4]; 5. 5-Justin Barger [5]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [13]; 7. 13-Paul McMahan [8]; 8. 70-Brock Zearfoss [9]; 9. K4-Chad Kemenah [7]; 10. 70X-Justin Peck [14]; 11. 40-George Hobaugh [10]; 12. O7-Gerard McIntyre [2]; 13. 10-Joe Kata [16]; 14. 26-Cory Eliason [19]; 15. 99-Skylar Gee [11]; 16. J4-John Garvin [17]; 17. IO7-Mark Coldren [12]; 18. 90-Jordan Givler [15]; 19. 55-Darren Schott [18]; 20. 87jb-Jim Bob [20]

DODGE CITY, Kan.– Current series points leader Kip Hughes overcame some early adversity to race to Dodge City Raceway Park victory lane as the Sooner Late Model Series made its first appearance atop the three-eighths-mile clay oval on Saturday.

Hughes battled past early leader Adam Schrag on the 11th round and led the remained of the 25-lapper for his fourth series win of the year.

While Hughes topped the late model forces, Clay Sellard added his second consecutive IMCA Modiifed win, Alex Wiens scored his first career DCRP win in IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mike Petersilie bested the IMCA Stock Cars and Reagan notched his third IMCA Hobby Stock win of the year.

In Sooner Late Model action, the night started off with Kip Hughes suffering engine problems in hot laps and missing out on heat race action.

“We hurt a brand new motor in hot laps, fortunately we had some spares with us and were able to get it changed out pretty quick,” Hughes explained.

Adam Schrag jumped into the early lead, but soon had Hughes pressuring him for the point.  Hughes finally slipped under to take command on the 11th round and held point until the race’s only caution flew with ten laps to go when Schrag came to a stop on the track.

Back under way, Hughes paced the final ten rounds ahead of Adam Popp with Steven Hawkins outlasting Scott Phillips over the closing circuits for the show position and Mark Brill rounding out the top five.

In the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature, Bucklin’s Clay Sellard broke into the lead on the second lap and le the rest of the way to make it two in a row.

It wasn’t without challenge though, as reigning track champion Nick Link closed in and pulled alongside on the bottom on the 13th lap.  Sellard was able to fend off the challenge and took Link’s line away to secure the win.

Link settled for second with current points leader William Nusser in third while Trent Gray nipped Ryan Heger at the line for fourth.

The 15-lap IMCA Sport Modified turned into a showdown between the Wiens brothers Alex and Kyle, both from Newton.

A. Wiens gunned into the initial lead from the pole position but soon had K. Wiens pressuring for the point. After some side-by-side battling along the way, A. Wiens prevailed for his first DCRP score with K. Wiens in second.  Bart Baker crossed the stripe third with Mike Lunow and Brian May also in the top five.

A past IMCA Modified winner at DCRP, Hoisington’s Mike Petersilie outdueled Troy Burkhart to get his first 20-lap IMCA Stock Car win atop the 3/8-mile clay oval.

After Robbie Perkins and Donald Kaup traded tuns leading the initial handful of circuits, Burkhart battled into the lead with Petersilie moving in to challenge for the point.

The duo battled wheel-to-wheel for several round before Petersilie battled into the front on the 11th round.  Petersilie kept Burkhart at bay the rest of the way to secure the win with Burkhart, Chris Oliver, Michael Pepper and Donald Kaup rounding out the top five.

Bucklin’s Reagan Sellard raced around Matt O’Hair on the 11th of 15 laps to pick off his third IMCA Hobby Stock feature win in the last four events.

O’Hair had wrestled the lead away from Dion Priddy on the fourth lap and then held off Sellard until the final handful of rounds.  The two-time and defending track champion raced on to victory lane ahead of O’Hair with Priddy, Cody Ghumm and Brett Copeland rounding out the top five.

While current points leader R. Sellard padded his Hobby Stock points lead and William Nusser maintained his Modified points lead, a pair of points leaders ran into feature issues with both Angel Munoz (Stock Cars) and Jeff Kaup (Sport Modifieds) both exiting a lap into their respective features after being collected in incidents.

WHEATLAND, Mo. – Jimmy Owens continued his mastery of Lucas Oil Speedway by capturing the first night of the CMH Diamond Nationals – Presented by Super Clean on Saturday night.

In a race that saw three different leaders, Owens fought off several challenges from Earl Pearson Jr. to secure his second straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory and his fourth-career Diamond Nationals. Saturday night’s $15,000-to-win event marked Owens’ 63rd series win.

Scott Bloomquist, the defending CMH Diamond Nationals winner, started from the pole and led the first 10 laps until Owens charged to the lead after starting fifth. Pearson moved by Bloomquist on lap 20 using the top groove and within just a few laps caught the front-running Owens.

Owens and Pearson then dueled side-by-side for several laps as the two went back-and-forth for the top spot. Owens eventually pulled away from Pearson in heavy lapped traffic and he went on the record his ninth career win at Lucas Oil Speedway.

For the second night in a row, Pearson ran second to Owens. Mike Marlar edged out Bloomquist in the waning laps to secure the third spot. Bloomquist was fourth, with current series point leader Jonathan Davenport coming home in fifth after starting in 13th.

“We are rolling right now,” Owens said. “This is a big win for us. My car owner Leon Ramirez is here. My crew has worked their tails off in the last week. I didn’t want to see any cautions. We are still struggling on restarts. It’ll be awesome to get to back here tomorrow night and race. The crew is pumped up. It’s a great feeling to get back to victory lane at Lucas Oil Speedway.”

“We couldn’t get off the corner,” commented Pearson. “Everybody knows that Jimmy is so good here. He has won countless times here before. We tried to run with him for 12 to 15 laps. He could move around a lot better than us. We finished second to Jimmy last night and again here tonight. We’ll come back tomorrow night and give it another shot.”

Marlar continued his streak of solid finishes with the series by coming home in third.

“We changed some stuff on the car before the feature. It was a fun track to race on tonight. We went with something out of the ordinary and it worked. Congrats to Jimmy on the win, he deserves this win. It was good to race against Scott [Bloomquist] again, and it’s good to see him back. He and I battled the whole race.”

The finish:

Jimmy Owens, Earl Pearson Jr., Mike Marlar, Scott Bloomquist, Jonathan Davenport, Shanon Buckingham, Billy Moyer, Jesse Stovall, Rick Eckert, Hudson O’Neal, Tony Jackson Jr., Tim McCreadie, Kyle Bronson, Shannon Babb, Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Billy Moyer Jr., Devin Moran, Stormy Scott, Mason Oberkramer, Gavin Landers, Mitch McGrath, Jake Neal, Logan Martin, Payton Looney, Terry Phillips, Will Vaught, Michael Norris.

OXFORD, Maine – Calvin Rose Jr. raced to his first super late model win of the season Saturday night in Budweiser Championship Series stock car racing action at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Rose, a former champion in the second-tier Street Stock class, took the lead away from four-time track champion Timmy Brackett about a quarter of the way through the 50-lap, caution-free race, then stayed in front of fast-closing Curtis Gerry.

It was the secondSuper Late Model win for Rose.  Gerry, who lined up 19th, again impressed, earning runner-up honors without the benefit of a restart.  Brackett, who has been luckless all season long, ended up with the third-place trophy after the checkered flag waved.

Dan Winter was fourth across the finish line, followed by Cole Butcher.  Scott Robbins, Jeff White, Ryan Deane, Scott McDaniel and Reid Lanpher filled out the top-10.

Billy Childs Jr. didn’t lead every lap of the Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stock main event, but no one ever got all of the way by the 2018 champion in the 30-lap race and he scored his first triumph of this season.

Matt Dufault, the division’s defending champion and current points leader, put on a show in the outside groove, challenging Childs before earning runner-up spoils.  David Whittier, who led a couple of laps while battling Childs from the outside groove, was the third-place finisher.  Rick Spaulding, the previous week’s winner, charged from the back of the pack to finish fourth. Skip Stanley rounded out the top five.

Defending Bandit division champion Dustin Salley continued to dominate in Budweiser Championship Series four-cylinder competition, winning his fifth race this season in his third different winning ride. Rookie Alex Mowatt was the best of the rest, followed by Chad Wills, Tyler Green and Travis Verrill.

Brady Childs raced to his fifth victory of the year in Rookie class competition to remain atop the championship standings.  Owen Stuart was forced to settle for runner-up honors, snapping a two-race winning streak. Maddie Herrick earned third-place hardware, ahead of Derek Cook and Jeremy Turner.

LONDON -- In the end, the Centre Court crowd cheered. But it came after Novak Djokovic had fallen, howled, cupped his hand to his ear and shown all manner of frustration, both with himself and the world on the way to his sixth Wimbledon final.

Djokovic had inhabited every character in his persona as he got through the men's semifinal challenge of Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Friday. He got wound up by the crowd, he slid around on the baseline as if he were on clay, he dispatched those beautiful sweeping forehands, he fell in dramatic style, nudged those deft drop shots so they kissed the top of the net and clocked up the sets. It was your typical Djokovic knockout match. Appreciate it while you can.

Perhaps the most evident underlying emotion among the spectators watching this match was anticipation for what was to come. There was a restlessness. From the outside, it appeared like they were relaxed watching the first semifinal, perhaps even underappreciating Djokovic and Bautista Agut, regarding them as entrée to the main course of the other semifinal, between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

For all his grace on the court, his effortless style and his No. 1 ranking, Djokovic still seems to thrive most when he manages to cast himself as an outlier on Centre Court, a place he has already won four titles. The crowd roared when opponent Bautista Agut got on the front foot and took the second set. Perhaps it was that classic British mentality of favoring the underdog -- even Djokovic suggested as much in his postmatch news conference -- or maybe it's that they have never really taken Djokovic to their hearts in the same way they have Roger and Rafa. As Djokovic walked to his chair after having lost that second set, he motioned toward the crowd to increase the volume in favor of Bautista Agut. He was welcoming the challenge while still recognizing that this is his court, one that he marks winning the tournament on by eating the grass. "I had enough support here over the years, so I don't complain," Djokovic said afterward.

Before the match started, many expected this to be a straightforward task for Djokovic; a case of get the job done, get the rackets strung up and watch Nadal-Federer. But while the first set was a walk-through for Djokovic -- almost rope-a-dope at times as he tempted Bautista Agut to hit winners and then watched them fly over the baseline -- the second set saw the Spaniard stamp his authority on Centre Court.

This was Bautista Agut's first Grand Slam semifinal, and his pre-Wimbledon expectations were so low he had booked his stag do for this week in Ibiza. But on this warm July afternoon, instead of moving to the relentless sounds and lights of Pacha or Amnesia, he was in his own dance with Djokovic on Centre Court. He threw everything at Djokovic, but it took him a set to work out how best to cope with the unrelenting nature of his game. "We finally have a match now," was the verdict of one Wimbledon veteran behind the press box when Bautista Agut broke Djokovic for the first, and only, time. It was the catalyst Djokovic needed, triggering urgency and a longer, lower-pitch growl behind every shot. It was Djokovic's Hulk mode. Eric Bana, watching on from the Royal Box, would have appreciated the transition, having played the character in 2003.

"It's nothing unusual," Djokovic said afterward. "You go through these kinds of emotional moments, especially in big matches like this, all the time. I mean, at least on my side. Sometimes I show my emotions, sometimes I don't. It's nothing really in particular."

From losing that second set, Djokovic was more settled but still gesticulated to his box, and at one point let out a remarkable wolflike howl into the sky after sending a forehand long -- it was like the sound you make when you've just shut the house door and realized the keys are still inside. That came when Djokovic already had the third set in the bag and had just missed out on breaking Bautista Agut at the start of the fourth. It proved to be a short-term frustration, as he eventually broke the Spaniard twice and came through 6-2.

After the fist-pumping celebration to acknowledge a job done, he stood in the middle of Centre Court and welcomed applause from all four sides. He turned his hands to the air. It was his court again. But he will remember how the crowd rallied behind the underdog. He will remember his own frustration at how his game was derailed in the second set. And he will use that as motivation on Sunday when he goes up against an old foe in Federer. But don't expect him to treat this like just "another Wimbledon final."

"Of course, I'm going to be excited and nervous and everything that you can think of," Djokovic said. "I'm going to do my best to control that in some way and be able to portray my best tennis in [a] balanced, hopefully, state throughout the match."

But with Djokovic, don't expect it to be an emotionless display. Expect him to be fighting against the world, chasing that moment of calm at the end where he soaks in the deserved recognition.

LONDON -- Eleven years ago, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal set a new, impossibly high bar for Wimbledon matches, with Nadal winning that 2008 final in near darkness after five enervating sets before an amazed Centre Court crowd.

Federer and Nadal did not quite clear that tall bar in their four-set Wimbledon semifinal on Friday, but Federer, the winner by 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, won't mind one bit. For 11 long years, he has had to live with the fact that while he is considered by most to be the GOAT, he was the loser in what many believe is the greatest match of all time. As far as redemption narratives go, this was close enough. Where does it rank on Federer's own highlight reel?

"Obviously, extremely high," Federer said afterward. "It's always very, very cool to play against Rafa here, especially [as we] haven't played in so long. It lived up to the hype. ... It's definitely, definitely going to go down as one of my favorite matches to look back at, again, because it's Rafa, it's at Wimbledon, the crowds were into it, great weather."

Eleven years is a long time, and much has changed for and about both men.

Nadal, 33, has long retired those "Gilligan's Island" clam diggers and sleeveless shirts. His dark hair is now visibly thinning on top, instead of framing his face in perspiration-soaked coils.

For his part, the 37-year-old Federer has stored that foppish, retro cardigan he wore here in 2008, fathered four children and abandoned his once-indispensable 90-square-inch racket in favor of one with a significantly larger (97-square-inch) head, the kind of racket that his 2008 self might have pooh-poohed as a racket for the elderly.

That final detail is significant, because Federer has admitted that the larger racket, adopted after at least one failed trial run in 2013, had been instrumental in his recent six-match winning streak over his career rival, a streak finally halted at last month's French Open.

It wasn't so long ago that Nadal ran roughshod over Federer's one-handed backhand, knowing he could eventually break the shot down by peppering it with those high-bouncing, heavy forehand topspin drives. It's different now. As Federer said in March 2017 after a straight-sets victory over Nadal at Indian Wells, "This year, I feel super comfortable with the racket. And I think I have gained confidence stepping into [the backhand]."

Federer was almost 32 years old and already a 17-time Grand Slam champion when he decided to embrace the larger racket. He was mindful that his friend and onetime role model Pete Sampras, who retired at 31 in 2002, regretted never giving one of the new, larger rackets a chance to add a year or two to his career.

Federer's decision is one of many that help explain his longevity, as well as the level of tennis that he has sustained. His willingness to ignore his success and dare to reinvent himself goes hand in hand with his long view of his career.

"I wanted to play for a long time," Federer said earlier in this tournament. "I felt that I took that decision a long, long time ago, not just three years ago, that hopefully I can still be on tour. This was basically taken back in 2004 when I became world No. 1."

But Federer himself might be shocked at what he still is accomplishing at age 37 -- or he might be, if he ever took time out from bamboozling his rivals. Among them, Nadal is his sentimental favorite, as well as his career-measuring yardstick. Theirs is a rivalry that has been distilled down to its pure essence.

The men were asked Wednesday to talk about forehands and backhands, strengths and weaknesses. Both of them shrugged and took a pass: "I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway. Who cares?" Federer said. "It's about how has he played so far, how have I played so far. I hope it goes my way."

Still, 11 years is a long time, and the changes in the two men were evident in the match. The exuberance and explosive desire of youth has been replaced by patience, stoicism and an opportunistic and watchful focus.

Perhaps because he lost that historic match to Nadal, Federer seemed especially eager to shut out all distractions. He played Friday's entire match with his head down, communing only with himself, when the ball wasn't in play. He walked gingerly from side to side on the court. He waited patiently between points, his entire body slack, oblivious to Nadal taking his time, going through his elaborate rituals before allowing play to continue.

"It's always very, very cool to play against Rafa here, especially [as we] haven't played in so long. It lived up to the hype." Roger Federer

The greatest surprise in the match was Federer's continued ability to stay in the rallies when they were throwing haymakers at each other, the kind of warp-speed rallies that Nadal always has specialized in winning. Those rallies might not have occurred in the most crucial moment of the match, and there weren't a great number of them. But the way Federer stood in and exchanged blows with Nadal gave him confidence.

"Winning long rallies is always a nice feeling," Federer said. "They were also played on a very high level in terms of speed and power and spin and everything. Almost every shot we're trying to win the point. ... I think it is important that I can win those, as well. I wonder if it took something out of him."

And it appeared to discourage Nadal.

Nadal was unable to execute a reliable game plan. But for that second-set lapse by Federer, Nadal was unable to break down the backhand. Federer's quickness and fierce serve returning took care of the rest.

"[He plays] very inside the court. He's not giving you time to open the court," Nadal said. "When I was hitting the ball with the forehand, [and] especially with the backhand, I was not able to open the court as [on] the other days. You will not make him miss for speed of the ball. You need to make him miss because you put him out of position."

Federer probably will have to bring the same measure of determination and the same physical skill set to Sunday's final against Novak Djokovic. The defending champion looked strong in his own semifinal win over Roberto Bautista Agut, even if that match was, by comparison, a ho-hum affair.

Federer's win on Friday was of modest duration (3 hours, 2 minutes) -- as compared to the 4 hours, 48 minutes Federer and Nadal consumed in 2008 -- so theoretically he should have plenty left in the tank. But this was an extremely intense, draining and deeply satisfying experience for Federer. Can he do it all over on Sunday?

"I don't have much energy to go train very much right now," Federer said jokingly, when asked how he would prepare for the ultimate test. "I don't think there's much I need to do in terms of practice. This is like a school: The day of the test, you're not going to read I don't know how many books that day. You don't have the time anyhow. It's quite clear the work was done way before."

Federer likely will have to labor just as hard -- and play an equally leakproof game -- if he hopes to neutralize Djokovic in the final. The Serbian champ is trying to equal Bjorn Borg's five Wimbledon titles. But Djokovic also is hoping to move closer to the eight-time Wimbledon and 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer in the record books.

"We all know how good [Federer] is anywhere, but especially here," Djokovic said after his own victory. "This surface complements his game very much. He loves to play very fast."

Djokovic pointed out how Federer likes to "take time away" from his opponents and how he doesn't often give opponents the "same looks."

"He just rushes you to everything," Djokovic added. "So, for players like Nadal or myself that like to have a little more time, it's a constant pressure that you have to deal with. I've played with Roger in some epic finals here a couple years in a row, so I know what to expect."

There are no surprises among these three men. Their trivalry has been long and rich, with chapters still unwritten. All three men are in their 30s now (Djokovic is 32), so there's no telling how long this can all go on. Nadal knows the window is closing.

But then, what might he -- or Federer -- have said in 2008, if they were told after that epic final that they would have to wait 11 years to meet again under similar circumstances?

"Age kicks in," Federer said, looking ahead to the final. "I know it's not over yet. There's no point to start partying tonight or get too emotional, too happy about it, even though I am extremely happy. I think I can with experience really separate the two. If it was the end of the tournament, it would be very different right now. I'd be speaking very different, feeling very different. There is, unfortunately or fortunately, one more."

And a big one it is. Whether it will come close to being as big as the 2008 final for the man who was on the losing end of that one remains to be seen.

LOS ANGELES -- Lonzo Ball was in a car on his way to watch his brother, LaMelo, play in the Drew League when he learned he had been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans from Twitter.

After the Los Angeles Lakers drafted the point guard second overall in 2017 amid incredible hype and pressure, Ball's purple-and-gold tenure ended abruptly a month ago after just two injury-shortened seasons. However, Ball said he had been expecting and bracing for change to come and is ready for a "fresh start" with Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

"I was kind of excited, honestly," Ball told ESPN of his first reaction to the trade, after filming for the PUBG MOBILE Team Up Superstar Showdown event. "I kind of figured someone was going to get moved soon enough. I knew Anthony Davis wanted to come bad. Anytime you can get a guy like that, you are going to have to do what you have to do to get him. So I was kind of already just waiting for it, honestly, and I was happy to go with two guys I am comfortable with in B.I. [Brandon Ingram] and JHart [Josh Hart]. I am excited to see what we can do."

"I tell people when I was a rookie, I probably would have been sad," he added of being traded. "Just being from L.A., having my whole family here and wanting to be a Laker. But being in the league for two years, knowing it's a business, as long you get to play, that's a blessing in itself. I'm excited to get started."

On Saturday, the Lakers introduced Davis as their latest All-Star big man to join the franchise. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka opened the news conference by thanking several people, including Ball, Ingram and Hart.

The trio, along with the draft rights to No. 4 overall pick De'Andre Hunter, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and cash were sent to New Orleans in exchange for Davis. The Lakers also sent Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones and a second-round pick to Washington as part of the trade.

The blockbuster deal finally put to an end months of trade speculation surrounding Ball and many of the young Lakers. The constant trade rumors hung over the Lakers' locker room since January, as the team missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

"Yeah, I've been hearing my name for two years now," Ball said of expecting to be traded. "So it didn't bother me at all. We were all ready for it."

The Pelicans could be one of the more exciting young, up-and-coming teams. Ball, who averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 47 games last season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury on Jan. 19 can hardly wait to start lobbing passes to New Orleans' latest first overall pick, Williamson.

"Man, I've never seen somebody that size move like him," Ball said of the hyped rookie out of Duke. "... He's only 19, right? He's definitely a freak. I've never seen nothing like it."

"Honestly, you just got to run the lane, set screens and roll," Ball added of Williamson. "With his game and with him getting a full head of steam, it's going to be very tough to stop him. So, I think we play fast and get out on the break as soon as possible."

Ball, 21, has been shooting, jogging and jumping and expects to be cleared for full contact in two weeks. Knee and ankle injuries prevented Ball from playing more than 52 games in any of his first two seasons and from showing his full potential with the Lakers. He shot just 38% from the field and 31.5% from behind the arc in his first two seasons.

But before injuring his ankle at Houston, Ball was just hitting his stride and averaging 11.1 points, 7.0 assists and 6.1 rebounds in the month of January.

Ball is eager to help New Orleans surprise people this season.

"Obviously, injuries kind of messed up things a little bit," Ball said of his Lakers tenure. "But you take the bumps with the bruises and keep moving forward. Only been in the league for two years and looking forward to this third year in New Orleans, get a fresh start and show people what I can do."

"I know New Orleans is excited to have me, and I'm excited to get started," Ball added. "Moving to a new team, a new situation, a new organization, new coaches, new everything -- it's a refresh, getting back to playing basketball how I know I can play."

LOS ANGELES -- After a dominant MVP season in which he led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA-best 60 wins, Giannis Antetokounmpo said he's at only "60 percent" of what he can fully become.

Antetokounmpo said one of the biggest takeaways he took from the Bucks' run to the Eastern Conference finals is that he has a lot more to work on despite averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals last season.

"There's a lot of things I can improve on," Antetokounmpo told ESPN after filming for the PUBG MOBILE Team Up Superstar Showdown event. "First of all, [I have to] look at myself before I look at anybody else. Try to self-improve as much as possible. There are a lot of things that I got to work on in my game.

"A lot of people say, 'You are the MVP, you are one of the best players in the league, you are so dominant,'" he continued. "But I think I can get better. I think I am at 60 percent of my potential, as good as I can be. I just want to be better. If I am in the same situation again [in the conference finals], react better, play the game better, play better, execute better."

Antetokounmpo, 24, shot 57.8% from the field but just 25.6% from behind the arc in the regular season. He felt like the Bucks were the favorites to win the Eastern Conference before falling in six games to the Toronto Raptors in the conference finals. The Bucks star said he liked the moves Milwaukee made in free agency, such as re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez and adding the likes of Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews. He also is excited about playing with his brother, Thanasis, who agreed to a two-year minimum contract with the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo has publicly and repeatedly voiced his adoration for the city of Milwaukee. When asked about potentially having one of the longest tenures with the same team someday, Antetokounmpo reiterated how important winning and being on the same page with an organization committed to winning a championship is to him.

ESPN reported in April that reaching the NBA Finals next season could help the Bucks to sign Antetokounmpo to a supermax contract in the summer of 2020.

"I'm going into Year 7, it's insane," Antetokounmpo said of his Bucks tenure. "... My goal is going to stay the same -- it's get better, take it day by day, step by step and the ultimate goal is to win a championship. As long as that we are all on the same page, and we are all focused on that goal, why not play for the Bucks 20 years, why not play 25 years? Why not after playing, be a member of the coaching staff or a member of the front office. But we got to have the same goal. We got to have the same principles ... we got to focus on winning a championship.

"I want to be a part of a winning team," Antetokounmpo continued. "As long as we have the same mindset and same approach to the game, there's no reason for me to move and not be like Steph [Curry], not like be like Dirk [Nowitzki] or Kobe [Bryant] or Tim Duncan."

Stars, though, are on the move more than ever, as this summer's flurry of moves and trades have proven. Like the rest of the NBA, Antetokounmpo couldn't believe so many of the free-agency transactions that have altered the landscape of the NBA.

"It's insane, obviously, but it evens up the balance in the NBA," Antetokounmpo said of watching stars such as Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Paul George and Russell Westbrook all change teams. "You can see a lot of stars all over the place. Clippers, Lakers, Brooklyn, Sixers, Boston ... it's good."

Despite several superstars changing addresses and forming formidable duos in some cases, Antetokounmpo still believes the best team will win a championship, like Toronto did. Milwaukee largely kept its main core and hopes continuity will help the Bucks reach the Finals next season.

Antetokounmpo said he wishes Leonard had actually remained in Canada instead of going to the Clippers with George.

"For me personally, I would love for Kawhi to stay in the East and stay in Toronto because I would love to go through the series [with them] again," Antetokounmpo said. "But unfortunately, this is the NBA we are talking about. Moves happen, people change teams. But we got an opportunity right now. We got to take advantage of it, and hopefully, we can seize the opportunity and make big things happen."

"It's insane," Antetokounmpo added of all the changes this summer around the NBA. "Like people ask for a trade and a trade happens. Players ask for a trade, 'I want to get traded there,' and players go there. It's insane. A lot of star players have a lot of power right now. This is the league we live in. I think it's good to control your own destiny and your own career."

CLEVELAND -- Max Kepler has Trevor Bauer's number.

Kepler connected for home runs his first two times up Saturday night against Cleveland's hard-throwing starter, giving the Minnesota outfielder five homers in five straight at-bats against the right-hander.

Kepler homered three times off Bauer in Minnesota's win on June 6, and also drew a walk.

He made it four homers in four straight at-bats with a leadoff shot Saturday night, then connected in the second inning, one batter after rookie Jake Cave homered off Bauer.

Bauer finally got the best of Kepler in the fourth inning, striking him out, but only after Kepler hit a deep foul ball into the upper deck in right. He finished the night 2-for-5 as the Twins beat the Indians 6-2 to move 7½ games ahead of Cleveland in the American League Central.

According to Elias Sports Bureau research, Kepler matched the longest streak in the expansion era for homers in consecutive at-bats against one pitcher. Carlos Delgado did it against Jorge Sosa (2003-04), and Frank Howard connected against Bob Hendley (1963-64).

After the game, Kepler didn't make much of his achievement.

"Every pitcher is the same,'' Kepler said. "I have the same approach. I just try to simplify it when I go up there.''

Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli was more effusive in his praise.

"It's unfathomable that it's happening right in front of our eyes,'' Baldelli said. "Nobody has seen anything like it.''

Kepler has 13 career homers against the Indians, including 11 at Progressive Field. He also had a three-homer game in Cleveland as a rookie in 2016.

Saturday marked Kepler's fourth multihomer game of the season, matching his total from the previous three seasons.

Kepler's five home runs vs. Bauer are his most against any pitcher in his career, and the most by a batter against Bauer in the pitcher's career.

"I don't know,'' the right-hander said. "How do you explain it? It's just one of those baseball things ... he's just locked in against me -- for whatever reason. It won't be that way forever. He'll cool down, and he'll go through a 0-for-10 with seven punchouts or whatever and miss pitches. It's just one of those things right now.''

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hall of Fame right-hander Bob Gibson, who won the Cy Young and National League MVP awards in 1968, sent a letter to living Hall of Famers informing them he is battling pancreatic cancer.

Gibson, widely considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time, was diagnosed with cancer several weeks ago, his longtime agent, Dick Zitzmann, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Zitzmann told the newspaper that he has spoken to Gibson and that chemotherapy is expected to begin Monday in Omaha, Nebraska, the pitcher's hometown. Gibson, who turns 84 in November, has been hospitalized in Omaha for the past two weeks.

"We all know what a competitor he is," Zitzmann told the Post-Dispatch.

Gibson went 22-9 and led the majors in ERA (1.12), shutouts (13) and strikeouts (268) in 1968 for the St. Louis Cardinals. The year before, he went the distance in three games, all wins, and St. Louis beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games in an epic World Series.

In 1969, Major League Baseball lowered the pitcher's mound from 15 inches to 10 inches in hopes of boosting offense. Gibson remained dominant, winning 20 games for the fourth time and completing 28 games in 33 decisions.

Gibson, who spent his entire career with the Cardinals, won 251 games over 17 seasons. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

The Cardinals offered their well wishes Saturday night, tweeting: "Get well soon, Bob. All of Cardinal Nation is behind you!"