DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars avoided a Western Conference finals sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights with a 3-2 Game 4 victory Thursday, thanks to forward Joe Pavelski's power-play goal 3:18 into overtime.

Now comes the hard part: trying to become the first team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win the round before the Stanley Cup Final. Teams leading the conference finals or semifinals 3-0 have a 47-0 series record, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

In the process, the Stars would become the fifth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 hole and win a playoff series. Teams holding that lead in the Stanley Cup playoffs have a series record of 201-4.

Pavelski knows better than anyone that it can be done. Because he was on the other side for one of those four rallies.

In 2014, the San Jose Sharks won the first three games against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Pavelski watched as the eventual Stanley Cup champions won four straight to take the series.

"They're not fun when you're on the other side of it. But you then understand that it can happen," he said.

Game 5 of the Western Conference finals is Saturday night back in Las Vegas, where the Stars dropped the first two games of the series in overtime.

"It's such a fine line this time of year. You're going good and then all of a sudden you're in a 3-0 hole. So we'll see where this goes. We'll get some rest and we'll look to do it again. Keep trying to put a little doubt in their minds," Pavelski said.

Dallas scored twice on the power play in Game 4, both times with Brayden McNabb in the penalty box for high sticking. In overtime, McNabb's stick connected with Stars forward Ty Dellandrea's face. While no penalty was initially signaled, the on-ice officials consulted and then called over McNabb from the Vegas bench to enter the penalty box.

Pavelski's one-timer off a feed from defenseman Miro Heiskanen beat Vegas goalie Adin Hill (39 saves). It was his ninth goal of the playoffs and kept the Stars' season alive.

"That's what you've got to guard against. That those guys don't get excited to play and [this] gets them going," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said after the loss. "You're always concerned about that, that it'll spark their team."

The Stars had plenty of motivation for Game 4, but something the players said they seized on was winning Game 4 for forward Jamie Benn. The Dallas captain was given a two-game suspension by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for cross-checking Vegas forward Mark Stone in the face in Game 3. Benn was ejected in the first period for that incident.

Pavelski said the team has talked about extending the series to at least Game 6, so Benn can return to playoff action. "It's a tight-knit group in there. I know when I went out in Game 1 against Minnesota [in the first round], there were guys talking about playing hard and buying some extra time so I would be able to get back," said Pavelski, who returned to the Stars in Game 1 of the second round against Seattle after Matt Dumba injured him.

"Jamie means everything for the guys in there. He leads the way. We want to extend this and get him back. We got the win we needed here. We have to keep our focus narrowed in and on the next game and keep trying to earn that extra time."

Some of the Stars' best players stepped up when they were needed the most in Game 4.

Jason Robertson scored Dallas' other two goals. With McNabb in the box, Robertson had one of the most dexterous goals of the postseason. He deflected a shot on Hill and then tapped a rebound out of the air to himself, tucking it into the net at 15:42 of the first period for his third goal in four games against Vegas.

That tied it at 1-1 after Vegas center William Karlsson had scored just 4:17 into the game.

It was 2-1 for the Golden Knights after Jonathan Marchessault scored his eighth goal of the postseason at 10:23 of the second period. The Stars tied the game again thanks to an energetic bit of forechecking from Dellandrea and Max Domi. Robertson joined the play and put a puck off the post. Defenseman Esa Lindell's shot from the point hit the end boards and bounced to Robertson for his second goal of the night at 17:21 of the second.

Robertson finished with a game-high 11 shots on goal.

Meanwhile, Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger had his best outing of the series, making 37 saves.

Things spiraled for the Stars in Game 3 after Vegas scored early. While Oettinger wasn't happy giving up an early goal again in Game 4, the Stars didn't unravel this time.

"We've responded well, and I knew we were going to score at least one goal. So I was just trying to make the next save," he said.

Oettinger said he believes the Stars' Game 4 win won't be their last.

"Three out of four games in overtime shows you how tight these two teams are. This gives us the belief we can beat these guys," he said. "We can build on what we did tonight."

That belief could be found throughout the Dallas dressing room after the game -- and perhaps back in Las Vegas for Game 5.

"We've got a great group here," forward Roope Hintz said. "We're not quitters. We're going to show them."

BOSTON -- Jimmy Butler still believes the Miami Heat are going to close out the Boston Celtics and advance to the NBA Finals despite two straight losses that have cut their series lead to 3-2.

After a 110-97 Game 5 loss Thursday night inside a raucous TD Garden, the Heat have lost by a combined 30 points over the past two potential close-out games. So why is Butler, who walked around the outside of the locker room calmly eating popcorn after the game, still so confident about his team's chances?

"Because the last two games are not who we are," he said. "It just happened to be that way. We stopped playing defense halfway because we didn't make shots that we want to make. But that's easily correctable. You just have to come out and play harder from the jump. Like I always say, it's going to be all smiles and we are going to keep it very, very, very consistent, knowing that we are going to win next game."

For one of the first times throughout his torrid postseason run, Butler did not live up to the sky-high standard he has set for himself over the past month, scoring 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field as the Celtics dominated from start to finish.

"Our offense was disjointed a little bit," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We weren't able to initiate our offense, get the ball where we needed it to go in spots where you could operate. If we can get Jimmy in his comfort zones and strength zones more consistently, he'll be just fine."

That was the sentiment throughout a Heat locker room that wasn't panicking despite the fact that the No. 2 seeded Celtics are playing with a renewed sense of confidence on both ends of the floor.

"I think just give him a steady diet, and we know that he'll find it," Heat big man Kevin Love said of Butler. "Just based off of who he is, based off the numbers, we have no doubt in Game 6 he'll come out and be Jimmy Butler."

The calmness Butler showed after the Heat's past two losses seemed to be permeating throughout the locker room, where his teammates expressed trust that they will still be able to find their way, especially if guard Gabe Vincent, who missed Game 5 because of a sprained left ankle, is able to return in Game 6.

"Why would we lose confidence?" Heat center Bam Adebayo said. "When we started this journey, nobody believed in us. Everybody thought we were going to be out in the first round. Everybody thought we were going to be out in the second round. And now we are here one game away. For us, we've always had confidence, and that's not going to go away."

Spoelstra didn't buy into the notion that his team was going to have an emotional letdown.

"Who cares about mood?" Spoelstra said. "We have a gnarly group. I think so much of that is overrated. It's a competitive series. You always expect things to be challenging in the conference finals. One game doesn't lead to the next game. Based on all the experience that we've had, it doesn't matter in the playoffs. It doesn't matter if you lose by whatever.

"We beat them by whatever in Game 3. It just doesn't matter. It's about collectively preparing and putting together a great game. We'll play much better on Saturday. That's all we just have to focus on right now."

So will Game 6 on Saturday night in Miami feel like a Game 7?

"No, it feels like a Game 6," Love said with a chuckle. "But they're a hungry team. And being down 3-0 and getting a win at our place and then getting a win here you can tell they're fighting for everything, clawing for everything, and now both teams are going to be feeling that, so we need to come out and have a great showing and set the tone at home."

And the key to doing that Saturday night will be to get Butler rolling quickly after being held in relative check in Games 4 and 5.

"We've just got to play better," Butler said. "Start the game off better, on the starters, make it more difficult for them. They are in a rhythm since the beginning of the game. But we are always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win this series. We'll just have to close it out at home."

BOSTON -- Before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about his team's mindset entering a second straight elimination game.

"Just win or die," he said.

After a dominant performance Thursday night, the Celtics are still alive.

Boston took control from the start and never looked back, shooting over 50% from the field, forcing the Miami Heat into 16 turnovers that became 27 points and having four players finish with at least 20 points in a wire-to-wire, 110-99 victory in front of a raucous crowd at sold-out TD Garden.

"Our back has been against the wall," said Jaylen Brown, who finished with 21 points. "Obviously, we didn't imagine being in this position, being down 3-0, but when adversity hits, you get to see what a team is really made of.

"It couldn't get worse than being down 3-0, but we didn't look around, we didn't go in separate directions. We stayed together."

The Celtics moved a step closer to becoming the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-0 deficit and win a best-of-seven series. In fact, across the 151 times a series has been at 3-0, the Celtics are only the 22nd team to fall behind 3-0 with a higher regular-season winning percentage than their opponent. The prior two that did so: the Washington Capitols against the Chicago Stags in 1947, and the Orlando Magic against the Celtics in 2010.

Now, the Celtics will try to do something those teams couldn't: win in Miami on Saturday night and bring this series back here for a Game 7 on Memorial Day.

"For some odd reason, even last year, we always seemed to make it a little bit tougher on ourselves," said Jayson Tatum, who had 21 points and dished out double-digit assists (11) for the first time this postseason. "But what I do know is that you can see the true character of a person, of a team, when things aren't going well, and our ability to come together, figure things out when it's not necessarily looking good for us. It's unlike any team I've been on this year and last year, just the core group of guys being able to respond.

"I think that's just a testament to our togetherness, obviously how bad we want it, and we've got a room full of determined, tough guys that push comes to shove, you look to the left and the right of you, believe that the guy next to you is going to do whatever it takes and go down fighting if it don't work out."

In Games 4 and 5, Boston has resembled the team that played so well the first seven-plus months of the season.

After shooting 29% from 3-point range in Games 1-3, the Celtics have hit at least 40% in the last two, including a 16-for-39 showing (41%) Thursday night. Boston is now 38-2 this season when it hits at least 40% of its 3-pointers; it's 29-31 when it doesn't.

Turnovers also were key again. The Celtics forced 16 Heat turnovers in Game 4, turning them into 27 points. In Game 5, they forced ... 16 Heat turnovers that became 27 points.

And their scoring was balanced. For the first time all season (regular season or playoffs), the Celtics had four players finish with at least 20 points -- Derrick White (24), Marcus Smart (23), Tatum and Brown.

"I think we just consistently got good looks today," White said. "[We were] able to get out and run, make that extra pass, and when you get looks like that with the shooters we have, we're going to make them more than miss.

"Just continue to make that extra pass and find the right guy."

Boston has been on a roller coaster of emotions for several weeks; it's either won or lost consecutive times over its last 11 games, dating to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 3.

The Celtics also continued on a potentially history-making path. Only three teams have forced a Game 7 after being down 3-0: the New York Knicks against the Rochester Royals in 1991, the Denver Nuggets against the Utah Jazz in 1994 and the Portland Trail Blazers against the Dallas Mavericks in 2003.

Boston is now 48 minutes away from becoming the fourth.

And while the Celtics have struggled mightily at the Garden the past two years in the playoffs (11-11), they've been a totally different team away from home. Including their Game 4 victory, the Celtics are 13-7 on the road since the start of the 2022 playoffs, and have won four consecutive road elimination games.

They'll look to make that five with a win in Miami on Saturday.

"It's going to take everything," Brown said. "It's going to be a dogfight. I imagine those guys will play better than they played tonight, and they're going to come out aggressive.

"We've got to be ready to take their punch at home. We've got to be ready to be resilient and come out and do what we're supposed to do."

One week after he was called up by the New York Mets, veteran catcher Gary Sanchez was designated for assignment Thursday.

The Mets reinstated catcher Tomas Nido (dry eye syndrome) from the 10-day injured list to replace Sanchez.

In three games with the Mets, Sanchez had one hit and one RBI in six at-bats.

The Mets signed Sanchez on May 9, one week after he opted out of a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants.

Sanchez, a two-time All-Star, has 154 career home runs, including seasons of 33 and 34 during his seven years with the New York Yankees. He was then traded to the Minnesota Twins before the 2022 season.

In 128 games for the Twins, Sanchez posted a slash line of .205/.282/.377, with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Their latest loss prompted Toronto Blue Jays players to call a postgame meeting in response to a 2-9 stretch manager John Schneider described as being "punched right in the face."

"We have to get better," Schneider said after Thursday's 6-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays. "When it come down to us as a staff, the expectations are put right in front of you. There is an urgency that needs to be had in order to meet those expectations. Wins and losses out the window, the last 10 days haven't been great, and I think that the urgency in which those expectations are trying to be achieved is not right there."

"Yes, that's on me and the players ... Ultimately on me." Schneider added. "When the players are recognizing that, and when the players are calling attention to that, it's going to hold a lot more weight than any one of the staff members trying to get mad or get in their face."

Zach Eflin became the major league's third seven-game winner in the victory over struggling Alek Manoah as the Rays took three of four from the Blue Jays.

Eflin (7-1) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings as the major-league-leading Rays (37-15) stole seven bases for the second time this season and improved to 24-5 at home. He joined teammate Shane McClanahan (8-0) and Minnesota's Joe Ryan (7-1) as the big league's winningest pitchers.

"Elite pitch execution," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "To get them to swing early in the count and not drive the ball, it's speaks to Zach's stuff."

Manoah (1-5), a 16-game winner last year, extended his winless streak to nine starts after giving up five runs, three hits and five walks over three innings with six strikeouts. He threw just 44 of 87 pitches for strikes and his ERA climbed from 5.15 to 5.53, which ranks 68th of 72 qualified pitchers this season (his 2.24 ERA last season was fourth lowest).

The Rays stole five bases while he was on the mound.

"We know we're better than we're playing right now," Manoah said. "We just need to stick together, and we've just got to keep fighting."

Toronto (26-25) is 8-15 in May. The Blue Jays are 6-15 in division play after going 43-33 last year. They trail the Rays by 10½, and the teams do not meet again until six games during the final 10 days of the season.

"We're all grown men here," Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman said. "It's up to us. We're the one's out on the fields. Our coaches can't hold our hands. We have to go out there, and we have to find ways to win games.

"We have to communicate with each other, help try and make each other better because we are a team. We want to win, and if we want to win a division or play in the playoffs, it's up to us to find ways to get us back on track. It's up to nobody else but us."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

NEW YORK -- Ejected for the fourth time this season and second time in a four-game span, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn't think there was a need for robot umpires.

"I don't want that," Boone said after Thursday night's 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Boone was tossed in the middle of the third inning by Edwin Moscoso over the umpire's strike zone. Boone held up four fingers while arguing, signaling Boone thought the plate umpire missed four calls on pitches by Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt.

A graphic posted by the Yankees' YES Network indicated at least six of Schmidt's pitches that caught the edge of the strike zone were called balls.

"Clearly he shouldn't have had to throw almost 30 pitches in that first inning," Boone said. "But, no, I'm not advocating for the robo. I think these guys do for the most part a great job and work really hard at it. When you're playing for a lot, there's going to be some issues from time to time, as simple as that."

Boone also was angry Moscoco walked away during the argument and first base umpire Chris Guccione, the crew chief, stood between the two when Boone tried to re-engage Moscoso.

"I should not have been thrown out of that game." Boone said. "I was very calm, didn't do much at all. And then Gucc was holding me back and just telling me - so I didn't need to be restrained. The dismissive attitude in walking away, I took exception to."

Boone may have gotten spit on an umpire while arguing, which could lead to a suspension from Major League Baseball.

"I hope not," Boone said.

Boone was ejected moments after Gunnar Henderson lined out to first to end the top of the third. Henderson worked a six-pitch walk against Schmidt in the first in which Moscoso called balls on three borderline pitches.

Facing Schmidt again, Henderson laid off two pitches on the outside corner called balls in his third-inning at-bat.

"It's going to happen. There's going to be some missed calls, obviously, throughout the game," said Schmidt, who threw 29 pitches in the first and 97 pitches over five innings. "It seemed like there was some crucial ones early on. It kind of ran up the pitch count a little bit early on."

Boone was ejected against Cleveland on April 12, against Toronto on May 15 and against Cincinnati on Sunday. He has been ejected 30 times in five-plus seasons as Yankees manager.

"We're fighting tooth and nail out there, and so to see your manager out there fighting tooth and nail for you, as well, is a good feeling," Schmidt said. "I know he's always going to have our backs.":

MILWAUKEE -- Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says a vote on the Oakland Athletics' prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when MLB owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

"It's possible that a relocation vote could happen as early as June," Manfred said Thursday at Milwaukee during his tour of major league stadiums to speak with players. "It's very difficult to have a timeline for Oakland until there's actually a deal to be considered. There is a relocation process internally they need to go through, and we haven't even started that process."

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said Wednesday that legislative leaders and the Athletics had reached a tentative agreement on a $1.5 billion stadium funding plan that would lure the franchise to Las Vegas. A funding bill still must be approved by the legislature.

Manfred was asked whether he believes the door is completely closed on the possibility of the Athletics remaining in Oakland, where the team has played since 1968.

"I think you'd have to ask the mayor of Oakland that," Manfred said. "She said she had cut off negotiations after an announcement was made in Las Vegas. I don't have a crystal ball as to where anything's going. There's not a definitive deal done in Las Vegas. We'll have to see how that plays out."

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao had issued a statement after the Athletics' land purchase in Nevada saying she was disappointed the team didn't negotiate with the city as a "true partner."

The Athletics have been seeking a new ballpark to replace Oakland Coliseum, which has served as their home park since they arrived from Kansas City and where the team's lease runs through 2024. The A's looked at a location near Oakland's Howard Terminal before shifting their focus out of state.

With their future unsettled, the Athletics are struggling at a historic level on the field and in the stands.

They began Thursday 10-41 after matching the 1932 Boston Red Sox and 1897 St. Louis Browns for the fourth-worst 50-game start in major league history. Their average home attendance of 8,695 is nearly 3,600 fewer fans per game than that of any other team.

Manfred was in Milwaukee as Wisconsin legislators debate potential funding plans for American Family Field, the Brewers' home stadium since 2001. Manfred expressed confidence the state would work something out.

The Brewers' lease, which runs through 2030, calls for the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District to cover repairs. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the team have said the district does not have enough money to pay for what is needed, and the state surplus provides a chance to fund the repairs without implementing a new tax or borrowing money.

"This is a gem of a ballpark," Manfred said. "It's really important that the existing obligation under the lease be funded so that this great ballpark is maintained on a regular basis. It needs to be done in a timely way."

Evers proposed spending nearly $300 million in taxpayer money to make improvements at the stadium, a plan that Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos declared to be dead on arrival. Republicans who control the legislature have yet to unveil their own alternative, but talks have been ongoing in private.

Vos has said he wants to work a deal that would look for a commitment from the team to remain in Milwaukee longer and not rely as heavily on money from a one-time budget surplus that's projected to be around $7 billion.

"The choices that are made between the various ways that public funds can be spent are choices that legislators have to make," Manfred said. "What I can say is that this ballpark is an asset. The Brewers are interested in a long-term relationship, an extension of the lease that keeps them here."

Manfred noted that Milwaukee's situation is "really the antithesis of what happened in Oakland."

"This is an A-plus facility when it's built," Manfred said. "It's been well maintained. Ownership has made a commitment not only to put a competitive team on the field, but to do its share in terms of keeping this stadium. And most important, the fans here have supported the team enthusiastically. I think the real decision that needs to be made here is what we can do to maintain that really great dynamic.

"Oakland, unfortunately, it's a facility that was never as good as this one when it started. They made some unfortunate decisions not to maintain the ballpark in the way that it needed to be maintained. It resulted in a decline in the attendance, which had an impact on the quality of product the team could afford to put on the field."

Being a pro athlete is many kids’ dream. That’s because sports stars are popular, highly skilled, and earn a lot of money. What’s best, many athletes earn extra from brand endorsements and product promotion.

But why do notable sports figures engage in advertising campaigns? And how much can they earn from it? Read on to see the answers!

Types of brands athletes tend to promote

Many people wonder which companies tend to hire sportsmen, but the truth is this: Almost all of them do it. 

We’ll start with the obvious – sports apparel companies frequently hire athletes to promote their clothing or shoes. Examples include Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Puma, Reebok, and New Balance, to name just a few.

Besides that, companies making sports drinks and nutritional supplements are also agile in this field. It’s a natural combination because athletes promote products that emphasise the importance of hydration and proper nutrition for athletic performance. You’ll probably think of Gatorade or Red Bull, but there are tons of other brands in the same niche. 

One of the rising trends is the impact of the gambling industry. You’ve probably seen it before if you play online casino games – as soon as you choose the casino, you see ads with well-known faces. This is the case when you play at the best payout online casino because it does everything to impress users. You can withdraw money quickly, all while playing sports-themed games and watching commercials with superstar runners or track and field athletes.

Perhaps it feels strange to see athletes endorsing online casinos, but it comes down to the financial benefits for both parties involved.  Bear in mind that the best casino with no account can afford to hire famous people for its marketing campaigns. That greatly adds to the Olympic athletes income, helping them earn some extra bucks. 

Of course, the automobile industry is not immune to this kind of marketing either. The likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW often partner with athletes to promote their vehicles. But the list goes on, as you’ll notice sportsmen promoting a range of other businesses like:

• Tech companies
• Financial services
• Fast food chains
• Watch and jewellery brands
• Cosmetics 
• Healthcare

Athletes as brand ambassadors

Fans love athletes with exceptional skills, but brands appreciate sportsmen for their off-the-field presence. That’s because many athletes have celebrity status and huge social media followings. In such circumstances, athletes become a valuable asset for brands that want to strengthen relationships with their target audience.

We know you’ve seen many VIP figures who promote products and services outside of their sport. Here are just a few extremely notable names:

• Usain Bolt: The best sprinter in history reportedly earned over $20 million for leading Puma’s campaign before and during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 
• Michael Jordan: The basketball legend built an iconic partnership with Nike. It all started in 1984 with the launch of the Air Jordan sneaker line. However, the partnership quickly grew to become the most profitable business deal in history. 
• Serena Williams: One of the best tennis players ever is a brand ambassador for companies like Gatorade and Nike. Serena’s strong work ethic and determination on the court make her a great fit for brands conveying a message of strength and resilience.
• Simone Biles: The Olympic gymnast has partnered with Nike and Uber Eats, to name just a couple. Simone has an extremely positive attitude, which makes her ideal for brands promoting a healthy lifestyle.

How much can athletes earn from it?

This question is hard because the actual deal varies greatly depending on several factors. The main factors are the athlete’s popularity and his negotiation skills. Some sportsmen sign multi-million dollar endorsement deals, while others get a smaller fee or just free amenities.

For instance, Michael Jordan earned $2.5 million from Nike for a five-year deal that started in 1984. But time has changed a lot since then, which is why Jordan is now a billionaire thanks to his cooperation with Nike and other brands. 

However, you should know that athletes are subject to regulations. Many pro leagues have specific guidelines on the types of partnerships their players can enter into.

Conclusion

Professional athletes already make a lot of money, but some still get extra income from endorsing all sorts of brands or even specific products. These endorsements not only benefit the athletes financially but also help companies reach a wider audience and build credibility with their customers.

Do you think athletes should be promoting the brands they don’t know well? Write a comment to share your thoughts on this interesting subject!