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2026 NBA playoffs first-round series odds: Pistons, Rockets favored to force Game 7s
With three Game 6s taking place on Thursday, two teams advanced to the second round. The New York Knicks emphatically did so with a scoreline that should be reserved for horror movies. The Minnesota Timberwolves, or what is left of them, also advanced with an upset win against the Denver Nuggets.We will get at least one Game 7 this round though after Philadelphia pulled away from Boston in the second half to force a decisive game on Saturday.Advertisement
Trail Blazers' GM: Decision to not allow two-way contract players to travel is 'on me'
Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin took the blame for the team’s controversial decision not to allow its players on two-way contracts to travel with the rest of the team for its first two road games of a first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.“That one’s on me,” Cronin told reporters Thursday. “It was more of a miscommunication on my end.”Advertisement
Tottenham's creative players are all injured - their must now summon the spirit of Bilbao
How do you create chances without creative players? How do you score goals without elite goalscorers? How do you, when the future of the football club is on the line, find a way to put the ball into the opponents’ net and then hang on for a win?These are some of the biggest questions that Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi will be pondering this week as he gears up for Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa.Advertisement
Does Jack Grealish still believe he is an elite footballer?
There was a time in Jack Grealish’s career when Marca, the Spanish sports newspaper, used to run articles asking whether he might end up at the Bernabeu or the Nou Camp. This week, the same publication had an entirely different headline. “Grealish, Pep Guardiola’s lost cause at Manchester City because of alcohol,” it read.Advertisement
Premier League predictions: Arsenal vs Fulham, Man Utd vs Liverpool and the rest of matchday 35
Welcome to week 35 of The Athletic’s Premier League predictions challenge, where late, late goals continue to cause chaos.The clubs scored 24 times across 10 Premier League games in week 34, a measly average of 2.4. But no fewer than nine of those came from 80 minutes onwards — and five of them were in stoppage time.Advertisement
Nikola Jokic at center of another altercation in Nuggets-Timberwolves series
With just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter of Game 6, emotions boiled over again for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.Minnesota was leading 86-80, up 3-2 in the series and trying to eliminate the Nuggets inside the Target Center, when Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark lingered on a Nikola Jokić screen for too long, then gave a light push to the back of the three-time MVP. Jokić turned around, walked toward Clark and put his hands on him before Clark slippe...
Arsenal vs Manchester City: Premier League title race – what the numbers say ahead of matchweek 35
Welcome back to The Athletic’s title-race tracker, where our data and tactics writers analyse the key trends behind the two-horse race as Arsenal and Manchester City fight to be the 2025-26 Premier League champions.With City in FA Cup semi-final action — beating Southampton 2-1 — Arsenal were the only title contenders in league action last weekend. Mikel Arteta’s side ground out a 1-0 home win over Newcastle to return to the top of the table.Advertisement
Will the Championship deliver final-day drama? There is so much still at stake
Just a year ago, the Championship’s propensity for drama on the final day of the season brought stoppage-time ecstasy for Leeds United and heartache for Burnley.Going into the 46th and final round of matches in a hard-fought campaign, those two clubs from either side of the Yorkshire-Lancashire border were already Premier League-bound, promotion having been clinched a little under a fortnight earlier on Easter Monday.Advertisement
Arsenal fans and a stressful title race: How four generations are coping with run-in
We asked four generations of Arsenal fans for their views on an intense season — and how well it could end…
Meet the current world number one in Fantasy Premier League: 'It's my first time playing!'
There’s beginner’s luck and then there’s lording it over more than 13 million other players in a game that you “hadn’t considered playing before”.Meet Erik Rantala Ibsen, a 23-year-old medical student from Denmark who is the world’s current number one in Fantasy Premier League.Ibsen has held on to the number one spot since Gameweek 29, which concluded on March 5, and now has just four gameweeks to go as he battles to finish top of the pile.Advertisement
Parents warned they may face prison for buying adult children beer at 2026 World Cup
It has been estimated that as many as 30,000 England football fans could be flying out to attend this summer's World Cup and parents taking their adult children have been warned about the laws surrounding drinking alcohol
'Cricket wants to go football way, purists not ready': Heinrich Klaasen
South African batter Heinrich Klaasen suggests T20 cricket should be treated as a distinct sport, allowing leagues to thrive and globalize the game. He believes cricketers are moving towards football-like careers, though purists resist a future where international cricket is diminished. Klaasen emphasizes T20's role in evolving the sport and coaching methodologies.
The Prospects: Airidas Golambeckis, West Ham United
The Premier League 2 campaign has entered the crucial play-off stages, when the top 16 compete in a knockout to reach the final.The top eight after 20 rounds of games have home advantage against the second eight. Last Friday night at Motspur Park, fourth-placed Fulham faced West Ham United, who were 13th in the 29-team table.Advertisement
The supercomputer, relegation six-pointers and the pressure of the battle: 'It's horrible'
What does the Opta Supercomputer know?Well, quite a lot. Its model attempts to predict where each club will finish in the Premier League by estimating the outcome of every match, using betting-market odds and the Opta Power Rankings.The Supercomputer simulates the remaining fixtures of a season 10,000 times and analyses the results to create an average league table from those simulations.Advertisement
Andree Jeglertz transformed Man City by listening: 'I'd never met that kind of manager before'
It is August 2025, your first meeting with Andree Jeglertz. There’s a frisson of nerves.Not many in England know of the Swede’s resume yet, but this is the Manchester City head coach; a Women’s Champions League winner, a three-time league champion and two-time manager of the year in the Swedish top division, a Finnish football manager of the Year, and the guy who nurtured a teenage Marta. Yes, that Marta. Advertisement
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 1, 2026, puzzle No. 585
Need help with today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle? You’ve come to the right place.Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.A quick public service announcement before we continue: The bottom of this article includes the answers — and hints — for the four categories. So if you want to solve the board hint-free, we recommend you play before continuing.You can access today’s game here.Advertisement
Preity Zinta rallies Punjab Kings after first IPL 2026 loss to Rajasthan Royals: ‘More games ahead of us'
Punjab Kings may have broken their winning streak this IPL season, but co-owner Preity Zinta is already looking ahead. After a dream run, Punjab Kings suffered their first defeat of IPL 2026 as Rajasthan Royals clinched a six-wicket win in Mullanpur on Tuesday night. But Zinta is determined to not dwell on the loss. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Taking to X after the match, Preity shared a montage from the evening and kept spirits soaring des...
Ultimate face-off: Can Starc stop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's rampage?
A thrilling contest awaits as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi faces Mitchell Starc tonight. The aggressive young batter, known for his explosive starts, takes on the seasoned Australian pacer returning from injury. Sooryavanshi's remarkable strike rate against top bowlers sets the stage for a high-octane duel, with Starc aiming to curb his fearless approach.
India's World Cup stars needed a break before IPL 2026: Ian Bishop
Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop suggests India's T20 World Cup winners might have benefited from a longer break before the IPL, citing their subsequent inconsistent performances. He also advocates for more varied pitches to balance the game between bat and ball, noting that strong bowling is crucial for champion teams.
RR vs DC Preview: Time for Riyan Parag to step up amidst myriad of controversies
RR vs DC Preview Time for Riyan Parag to step up amidst myriad of controversies