Josh Kroenke didn’t need to look far to find the next head coach of the Denver Nuggets. All he had to do was take a short stroll from his office.

The team’s president and governor took the interim tag off David Adelman on Thursday, rewarding the 44-year-old hoops lifer for righting the discombobulated Nuggets on short notice and leading them to a Game 7 against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.

Adelman replaced Michael Malone last month and led the Nuggets to wins in their last three regular-season games to avoid the NBA’s play-in, dispatched the Clippers in seven games and took the West’s top seed to the brink before losing 125-93 on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

Kroenke said he needs more time to decide on a new general manager, but he wanted to name Adelman his head coach now so the organization could gear toward a return to the NBA pinnacle to capitalize on the prime years of superstar Nikola Jokic.

Mobley headlines NBA’s All-Defensive team

Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, the defensive player of the year this season, was also the top vote-getter for the NBA’s All-Defensive team revealed on Thursday.

Mobley got 99 first-team votes from a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA and cast ballots to determine award winners. He was a second-team pick on the lone other ballot.

Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort, Golden State’s Draymond Green and Houston’s Amen Thompson rounded out the first team.

The second team was Portland’s Toumani Camara, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac.

Hockey

U.S. reaches semis, Canada knocked out

Nick Olesen scored with 49 seconds left and Denmark, playing at home in the sold-out arena in Herning, stunned Canada 2-1 at the ice hockey world championship Thursday to advance to the semifinals.

The semifinals are set for Saturday: Denmark will play Switzerland; and the United States will face Sweden.

Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. advanced by beating Finland 5-2 backed by Conor Garland’s two power-play goals

Trailing 2-1 in the middle period, the Americans needed 71 seconds to turn things around when defenseman Zeev Buium put home a rebound at 23:53 before Garland’s second goal restored the U.S. lead.

Blackhawks hire Blashill as head coach

The Chicago Blackhawks hired Jeff Blashill on Thursday, giving him a second chance to prove himself as a head coach in the NHL.

Blashill, a 51-year-old Michigan native, coached the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons. He was let go after the team went 32-40-10 during the 2021-22 season.

While Blashill had an underwhelming stay with Detroit, finishing with a 204-261-72 record, he has a player development background that likely was appealing for the rebuilding Blackhawks. He has coached in the AHL and USHL, along with the college ranks. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant to Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Maple Leafs won’t bring Shanahan back

Brendan Shanahan will not be returning as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending the Hall of Fame player-turned-executive’s tenure after 11 years, nine playoff appearances and no trips beyond the second round of the playoffs.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the team, said Thursday his contract that is expiring at the end of June will not be renewed.

The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. They have not advanced to the third round since 2002.

College football

CFP shifts to straight seeding model

The College Football Playoff will go to a more straightforward way of filling the bracket next season, announcing Thursday that it will place teams strictly on where they are ranked instead of moving pieces around to reward conference champions.

Ten conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director came to the unanimous agreement they needed to shift the model that drew complaints last season.

The new format will no longer guarantee an opening bye week for the four highest-ranked league champions, reserving that benefit for the four top-ranked teams in general. The change was widely expected after last season’s jumbled bracket gave byes to Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State, even though they were ranked 12th and ninth, respectively, by the playoff selection committee.

GOLF

Scheffler trails tour rookie Pak by 5 shots

Scottie Scheffler and John Pak enjoyed the same start to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial with eagles on their respective first holes.

The world No. 1 couldn’t keep up with the PGA Tour rookie from there.

Four days after winning his third major at the PGA Championship, Scheffler opened his attempt at three consecutive victories with a 2-under 68 Thursday. Pak shot 63 for a three-shot lead over nine players.

BRIEFLY

Minor league baseball >> Matt Wallner hit two homers in his first rehab game with the St. Paul Saints, who lost to Norfolk 8-3 in the first game of a doubleheader at CHS Field on Thursday. Simeon Woods Richardson then pitched six innings with one run allowed in a 3-2 win in the nightcap.

Soccer >> Cat Rapp and Mariah Nguyen scored in the first half, and the Minnesota Aurora opened the season with a 2-0 win at home against Rochester at TCO Stadium on Thursday. Goalkeeper Taylor Kane had three saves for Minnesota.

golf >> Bianca Pagdanganan, Chisato Iwai, Jenny Shin and Brianna Do hold a four-way share of the lead in the LPGA Mexico Riviera Maya Open.

GOLF >> Cameron Percy of Australia shot 67 to take sole possession of the lead at the Senior PGA Championship, one stroke ahead of Keith Horne.

— From news services