MILWAUKEE - A young and eager Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down to clack out a tweet.

"I'll never leave the team and the city of Milwaukee till we build the team to a championship level ...," he wrote.

It was the summer of 2014, and Antetokounmpo was a gangly, doe-eyed 19-year-old who spent the year videotaping himself drinking smoothies for the first time and building muscle. He had finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting.

Fast forward five years: Antetokounmpo has blossomed into a physically imposing player and MVP favorite who led his team to the best record in the NBA.

The Bucks had lived a charmed existence most of the 2018-19 season. They waltzed out to 60 wins, secured the one-seed and bulldozed the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs.

Milwaukee's first real trial was supposed to come against the Boston Celtics in the semifinals. Instead, the Bucks -- after dropping Game 1 -- rattled off four consecutive wins to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001.

Then came the Raptors.

After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead in the conference finals, the Bucks crumbled. Milwaukee lost four consecutive games and fell in six.

In what would be their final game of the season Saturday, the Bucks led most of the game before unraveling late in the third quarter. The Raptors tied the game on a Serge Ibaka dunk with 10:31 left in the fourth quarter while Antetokounmpo was on the bench.

Brook Lopez hit two free throws with 29.6 seconds remaining to make it 97-94, but the Raptors finished it out at the free-throw line to pull out a 100-94 victory and advance to their first NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

Now, Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and general manager Jon Horst are headed into an extraordinarily busy summer. The contracts of three starters -- Khris Middleton, Lopez and Malcolm Brogdon -- need to be addressed. And they'll have to decide on the futures of George Hill and Nikola Mirotic, two key bench players, as they attempt to construct an even better team around their superstar.

This week, Antetokounmpo qualified for a five-year, $247.3 million supermax extension, the largest in NBA history, by earning All-NBA honors for the second straight season. He can't accept that agreement until next summer, once he has seven years of NBA experience, a timeline that clearly puts Milwaukee on the clock this summer.

Antetokounmpo has consistently made public proclamations of his love for Milwaukee, as he grew up and became acclimated to American culture in Cream City after moving from Greece. Antetokounmpo adores the Bucks medical staff. His mother moved to Milwaukee. But he is all about winning. In more concrete terms, a source close to Antetokounmpo said that getting to the NBA Finals is not just an ambition, it could tip the scales as he weighs his contractual future.

And if they can reach the NBA Finals next season, the Bucks can improve their chances of signing Antetokounmpo to the supermax in the summer of 2020.

This season, the Bucks were built to win.

Horst hired ex-Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer on May 17, 2018. Horst upgraded the center position by replacing Thon Maker and John Henson with Lopez, a 3-point shooting 7-footer who could space the floor. He also signed Pat Connaughton, another shooter who could add depth to the Bucks' bench.

At the Bucks coaches' summer retreat, Budenholzer laid out his vision for the season: Do everything to accentuate Antetokounmpo's strengths. Nix Middleton's long 2s in favor of 3s. Instruct Bledsoe and Brogdon to shoot more 3s. Maintain spacing on the perimeter to allow for Antetokounmpo's dominance in the paint.

"We really drilled that stuff," Lopez told ESPN in April. "Our offense is predicated on shooting."

Horst also traded for Hill and Mirotic -- shooters with playoff experience.

The Bucks finished the regular season No. 1 in defensive rating and No. 4 in offensive rating. They attempted and made the second-most 3-pointers per game in the league, and Antetokounmpo led the league in dunks.

The Bucks didn't lose back-to-back games until March 2 and 4. They lost a close game to the Jazz in Utah, then dropped a game on the road to the Phoenix Suns. The locker room was glum after both losses, but Antetokounmpo vowed that his team would be better.

Determined not to lose three games in a row, the Bucks bounced back against the Pacers in Indianapolis on March 7.

Antetokounmpo was issued a technical foul early on for being uncharacteristically vocal with the referees. Antetokounmpo credited his teammates with keeping control of the game when he lost his cool.

"That's the guys you want to play with," Antetokounmpo said. "They know their role, and they try to do the best job they can every single night. You could feel it, we didn't want to lose a third game in a row."

But which teammates will continue with Antetokounmpo in the Bucks' quest for a Finals appearance that could impact whether they keep their superstar when he's eligible for free agency in 2021?

The Bucks likely will pay Middleton. After signing Eric Bledsoe to a four-year, $70 million contract in March, retaining Brogdon would come with a hefty price that could send the Bucks into the luxury tax. Milwaukee also will need to choose between Mirotic, Hill and Lopez. It is unlikely that all three will be retained.

Re-signing Lopez, league sources said, is a priority.

Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals was the team's first real test of the playoffs. The series was tied. The Bucks were back on their home court. It was a crucial game.

After the Bucks squandered a 12-point lead with 7:43 left in the third, it came down to the final two minutes.

Trailing by three with one minute and 12 seconds to go in the game, Antetokounmpo rolled his ankle and Budenholzer pulled him from the game. Rather than take a seat on the bench, Antetokounmpo leaned up against the scorer's table and watched as Kawhi Leonard went to the line and split two free throws.

This would have been a logical time for Budenholzer to call a timeout and reinsert his franchise player. Instead, the game went on without Antetokounmpo.

When Antetokounmpo checked back in, the Bucks trailed 100-97 with 34.7 seconds left, and it wouldn't get any closer.

A deflated Antetokounmpo exited the court with a towel draped over his head. He sat in front of his locker munching on a postgame snack. Twenty minutes later, he explained that he was "pissed" and "frustrated" but vowed this wouldn't be the end for the Bucks.

"We're the best team in the league," Antetokounmpo said. "We are not going to fold."

The Bucks may have been the best team in the league during the regular season, but the Raptors were right behind them and ultimately proved to be superior in the postseason.

Milwaukee made major strides this season and still has time to reach a Finals with Antetokounmpo. Even so, given Antetokounmpo's intense desire to win and his looming contract decision, the expectations and pressure are bound to increase next year.

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets have hired Jeff Peterson as their assistant general manager.

Peterson replaces Trajan Langdon, who was hired as the New Orleans Pelicans' general manager.

Peterson spent seven seasons in the front office of the Atlanta Hawks, the past three as assistant general manager. He worked there with Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson, who was an assistant to coach Mike Budenholzer.

Nets general manager Sean Marks said Saturday that Peterson is an "innovative basketball executive" whose "extensive scouting and front office experience" will be assets to a Nets team that lost in the first round of the playoffs.

With or without Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors are the favorites in the NBA Finals for a fifth consecutive year.

Caesars Sportsbook installed the two-time defending champion Warriors as -320 favorites to beat the Toronto Raptors in the Finals. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Toronto. Golden State opened as a 1-point road favorite in Game 1.

The Warriors are entering their fifth consecutive Finals. They were favored in the past four Finals series, all coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and won three of the past four titles.

Durant missed all four games of the Warriors' sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals with a calf injury. He is unlikely to play in Game 1, Golden State said Thursday. Regardless, the Warriors are heavy favorites.

Late Saturday night, the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas opened Golden State as a -275 favorite in the Finals. SuperBook executive director John Murray told ESPN that the price reflected the possibility of Durant playing in the series. The Warriors have won 31 of their past 32 games when Stephen Curry plays and Durant does not. They are 34-4 in those games overall.

The SuperBook raised the price on Golden State to -310 minutes after posting.

"[We] took a bet at -275 right away," Murray said in a text message.

Toronto opened as a +260 underdog in the series at Caesars Sportsbook. In the past eight Finals, only last season's Cavaliers were larger underdogs to start than the Raptors.

Toronto erased an 0-2 deficit to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals and advanced to the franchise's first NBA Finals with a comeback victory in Saturday night's Game 6.

The Raptors won both meetings with the Warriors this season: 131-128 in overtime in Toronto on Nov. 29 and 113-93 in Oakland, California, on Dec. 12.

After struggling through his shortest outing of the season, Angels right-hander Matt Harvey was placed on the 10-day injured list with an upper back strain.

Harvey gave up eight runs on seven hits, including four home runs, in just 2⅔ innings against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

The 30-year-old deemed the "embarrassing" loss one of the worst starts of his career, but did not blame his struggles on an injury immediately following the game.

Harvey's agent, Scott Boras, told The Los Angeles Times on Saturday that the righty developed a muscular issue in his upper back during his start Thursday, but said it was "not anything long term."

Angels manager Brad Ausmus also told reporters Saturday that Harvey's back started acting up during the start, but said Harvey kept the injury to himself.

Harvey signed a one-year, $11 million deal in the offseason. His 7.50 ERA would rank highest among American League starters, though he doesn't have enough innings pitched in his 10 starts to qualify among the leaders.

In a series of other moves involving right-handers Saturday, the Angels reinstated Luis Garcia, recalled Taylor Cole from Triple-A and optioned Luke Bard to Salt Lake.

Garcia returns after going on the injured list May 13 with a lumbar spine muscle spasm.

Cole was sent down to Salt Lake only Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will call up right-hander Mitch Keller, the organization's top pitching prospect, to make his major league debut Monday, according to multiple reports.

According to MLB.com, which first reported the news, the Pirates plan to start Keller in one of the games of Monday's doubleheader at the Cincinnati Reds.

Keller, 23, was ranked as the No. 24 prospect in all of baseball by ESPN's Keith Law in January. Law ranked him second in the Pirates' system behind third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (No. 18 overall).

Pittsburgh selected Keller in the second round of the 2014 draft. He's 5-0 in nine starts with a 3.45 ERA for Triple-A Indianapolis this season.

Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price exited Saturday night's start at Houston in the first inning with flu-like symptoms, the team said.

Price threw just 15 pitches. He retired the first two batters before giving up a single, after which manager Alex Cora came to the mound for a discussion, and Price left the game.

It was his second start after returning from a stint on the injured list with elbow tendinitis, though Cora reaffirmed during an interview on Fox's game broadcast that Price's early exit was not due to any arm injury.

"It's not his arm. He's been battling the flu for four days and his progression throughout the week wasn't the right one," Cora said. "We were proactive."

Price said after the game, a 4-3 Boston loss, that he wanted to keep pitching when Cora came out to visit the mound.

"I could have just ducked this start from the get-go. I didn't want do that; I didn't want to put is in that position," Price said. "I went out out there are tried to take the ball and AC didn't like what he saw so he took me out of the game. I wanted to stay in the game.

Cora said Price was "too valuable" to risk a further setback, saying the pitcher had been ill since before his first start following his return from the IL.

"He's been battling since the start in Toronto. It wasn't a normal week for him. I talked to him before the game and said, 'We don't need heroes here.' ...

"When he came in after he warmed up Sandy (Leon) talked to me a little bit. (Pitching coach) Dana (LeVangie) talked to be a little bit. I saw him and talked to him. As soon as he went out there and threw the first pitch my mind started spinning. We didn't need this. This guy is too valuable. ...

"There was no energy. He was trying to compete with that. I appreciate that like I told him, but there's a bigger picture here. We need this guy to be right. Shame on me if he makes a pitch and something happens. That was going to be on me."

Colten Brewer replaced Price out of the bullpen and got out of the inning.

ESPN's Joon Lee contributed to this story.

Angela Copson could break a UK record as the Vitality Westminster Mile incorporates the British Masters Championships

While the major attention will be on the senior performances by the likes of Laura Muir and Chris O’Hare, Sunday’s Vitality Westminster Mile also holds the British Masters Championships and there are separate men’s and women’s masters races with a record entry of 278 runners.

The British Masters Athletic Federation (BMAF) only recently set up record times over the road mile and there should be a number of UK records at Westminster.

The main men’s race should be competitive but there is little chance of records given the previous fast quality runs of James Thie and Anthony Whiteman.

A time of 4:30 is likely with M35 Andy Graham, M40s Mick Hill, Mark Wynne and Craig Sharp and M45 Simon Coombes all capable of that sort of time on their best track form.

Also likely to be close to the front is world masters indoor 800m and 1500m champion Mark Symes and the UK M50 record looks on borrowed time with Andrew Haines also capable of bettering the 4:44 mark.

The M55 race looks competitive with little between Rob Andrew, Chris Ireland, Tony Tuohy and Anthony Roper.

One other men’s record in danger is the M65 mark with Nigel Gates, who set an indoor 3000m mark in winning the British title in the winter, though the 800m and 1500m champions Kevin Archer and Dave Bedwell are also capable of records if Gates falters.

The women’s race is likely to see a battle between last year’s winner Charlene Jacobs-Conradie and world masters indoor 1500m and 3000m champion Zoe Doyle.

One interesting entry is Olympic marathoner Alyson Dixon who hopes for a time of around five minutes but is not known for her speed and is making a step up to ultra running.

Last year, Clare Elms was only a fraction behind Jacobs-Conradie in setting a W50 record and the W55 mark should be well within her range this time.

The most sure fire record though will be in the W70 category as Angela Copson (pictured) could take close to a minute off the current record and she will be a huge favourite for the overall age-grading award given to the top male or female.

Other favourites include M60 Alastair Walker, M85 Richard Pitcairn-Knowles, W50 Sue McDonald, W60 Anna Garnier and W65 Ros Tabor.

Full details of the results of these races will be given on the AW website and in the magazine.

Men’s UK road mile records
M35 James Thie 4:09 Cardiff 24.5.14
M40 Anthony Whiteman 4:08 London 24.5.15
M45 Anthony Whiteman 4:08 London 28.5.17
M50 Andrew Ridley 4:44 Cardiff 3.10.15
M55 John Thomson 4:48 Markinch 6.5.14
M60 Martin Rees 5:00 Cardiff 2.5.14
M65 Peter Molloy 5:27 Cardiff 4.10.14
M70 Brian James 5:47 Ealing 2.6.17
M75 Victor Shirley 6:16 Scunthorpe 17.8.18
M80 Edmond Simpson 7:38 Cardiff 30.9.17
M85 Eric Shirley 9:29 London 29.5.16

Women’s UK road mile records
W35 Helen Clitheroe 4:39 Newcastle 18.9.10
W40 Helen Clitheroe 4:35 London 24.5.14
W45 Clare Elms 5:00 Battersea 20.6.10
W50 Clare Elms 5:16 London 27.5.18   (chip time 5:13
W55 Jane Clarke 5:38 London 14.6.15
W60 Breege Nordin 6:06 London 19.6.16
W65 Ros Tabor 6:15 London 24.5.15
W70 Patricia Gallagher 7:31 Cardiff 1.10.16
W75 Anne Martin 7:39 Cardiff 4.10.14
W80 Ruth Anderson 10:16 South Shields 3.11.15

PB performance at the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix puts the teenager second on the UK under-17 1500m all-time list

Teenager Ethan Hussey moved to second on the UK under-17 1500m all-time list after improving his personal best to 3:46.45 at the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix meeting at SportCity, Manchester, Kevin Fahey reports.

Running in the A race the 16-year-old from Leeds finished strongly to carve almost four seconds from his personal best set last year and move up 16 places – overtaking the likes of Steve Cram and Charlie Da’Vall Grice in the process – in the British rankings with only Matthew Shirling ahead of him on 3:44.11.

Hussey finished sixth in the race which was won by Matthew Wigelsworth in a PB of 3:44.03.

Another top performance came in the men’s 800m as 18-year-old Oliver Dustin not only raced to his first Grand Prix A victory but also set a PB of 1:48.01 which took him inside the European U20 Championships qualifying standard of 1:49.00

Runner-up Alex Botterill also finished inside that standard, clocking 1:48.46.

Other juniors to achieve qualifying standards for the European U20s in Sweden included Erin Wallace in the 1500m (4:18.94), Grace Brock in the 3000m (16:08.82) and Rory Leonard in the 5000m (14:16.35), with the latter pair both making their debuts at the distance.

The men’s 5000m was won by Petros Surafel, whose PB of 13:52.79 was inside the European U23 Championships qualifying standard of 13:53.

British internationals Lynsey Sharp and Jess Judd were both winners, Sharp winning the 800m in 2:06.56 and Judd holding off a spirited challenge from Claire Duck with 15:39.00.