Golden State Warriors wing Moses Moody was stretchered off the court with a serious non-contact left knee injury during Monday’s overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
The 22-year-old collapsed with just over a minute remaining in the extra period after stealing the ball from Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg.
As he planted his leg to attempt an uncontested dunk, his knee buckled visibly beneath him.
Devastating blow for injury-hit Warriors
Play continued briefly before medical staff and visibly distressed teammates rushed to his aid under the basket.
Arena personnel eventually brought a stretcher onto the floor to carefully remove the stricken player following a lengthy stoppage.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr confirmed the team immediately sent the player for X-rays following the final buzzer.
“We don’t know what it is, but it sure looked bad,” Kerr said.
A brutal setback after impressive return
The injury casts a dark shadow over a hard-fought 137-131 road win for the visitors.
It marks a cruel twist of fate for the fifth-year professional, who had only just returned from a right wrist sprain that sidelined him for 10 games.
Prior to the incident, the former lottery pick had been enjoying a stellar performance, registering 23 points and three steals while effectively defending Flagg throughout the second half.
Crisis deepens in Golden State
This latest setback compounds a miserable medical crisis for the Western Conference franchise.
They are already navigating the season without veteran forward Jimmy Butler, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
Furthermore, star point guard Stephen Curry has been absent for the past 22 fixtures due to a persistent right knee problem of his own.
The sidelined wing is currently in the first season of a three-year contract extension worth $39m (£30.8m) and was enjoying a career-best campaign averaging 11.9 points per game.
San Antonio Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama has outlined his intention to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award after helping his team secure their first Southwest Division title in nine seasons with a 136-111 victory over the Miami Heat.
The French phenomenon detailed his credentials following another dominant performance on Monday night.
San Antonio are currently in formidable form, having secured 22 victories in their past 24 matches.
“I think right now there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race.”
Victor Wembanyama
He added that he intends to leave “no debate” regarding the award by the end of the regular season.
A three-point pitch for the trophy
The former Rookie of the Year laid out a comprehensive three-part argument to support his candidacy against reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He emphasised his defensive impact, noting that preventing opposition scoring remains undervalued in the current awards landscape.
“My first one would be that defence is 50% of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race. I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league.”
Victor Wembanyama
The San Antonio talisman also highlighted his team’s dominance over Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
Finally, the versatile forward argued that his overall offensive contribution extends far beyond mere points scoring.
Historic numbers and eligibility rules
The sophomore standout is currently averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game.
Only legends of the sport such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O’Neal have previously recorded those staggering season averages.
However, the NBA’s strict 65-game minimum eligibility rule for major individual awards looms large over the current campaign.
With 10 regular-season fixtures remaining, the towering centre can only afford to miss three more matches to remain on the official ballot.
Spurs backing their franchise star
San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson fully endorsed his marquee player’s lofty ambitions.
“He affects as much of the game in every single way — on the court, on both ends, with and without the ball, what the other team tries to do, plan for, scheme, adjust to, on both sides.”
Mitch Johnson
While Gilgeous-Alexander remains the bookmakers’ favourite, accompanied closely by Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, San Antonio’s late-season surge has undoubtedly strengthened their star’s formidable case.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has confirmed that star guard Stephen Curry will play in the Western Conference play-in tournament if his injured right knee allows.
The 38-year-old has been sidelined since 30 January due to patellofemoral pain syndrome and bone bruising.
Speculation had suggested the franchise might rest their leading scorer rather than risk him without a guaranteed playoff berth.
However, Kerr firmly dismissed those notions ahead of his team’s Monday night fixture against the Dallas Mavericks.
Setback delays practice return
The four-time NBA champion was scheduled to resume practice on Sunday before medical staff intervened.
Team doctors opted to delay his on-court rehabilitation by a few days to conduct further physical testing.
“It’s all just part of the rehab and all the different testing he does,” Kerr explained.
An official decision on his next steps will be made when the squad returns home following the conclusion of their six-game road trip.
The fight for a post-season spot
The California-based franchise currently sit 10th in the highly competitive Western Conference standings.
Securing a traditional playoff spot is now mathematically impossible, meaning they must win two consecutive away games in the play-in tournament to advance.
Their form without the two-time MVP has been dismal, managing just 10 wins in 32 outings this season.
Recent performances have been particularly alarming, with the team suffering eight defeats in a recent nine-game stretch since his latest injury setback.
Prioritising long-term health
Despite the poor run of form, management remains adamant that their talisman will only take the floor if there is zero risk of long-term structural damage.
“Bottom line, if Steph is healthy, he’s going to play because that’s what we’re here for,” Kerr stated.
“The chance to get into the playoffs is a big deal for us, big deal for Steph.”
The prolific shooter, who leads the roster with an average of 27.2 points per game, is reportedly desperate to return to action.
“It’s been a long haul,” his coach added. “He’s dying to get out there for sure.”
Azzi Fudd scored 34 points in her final home game as top-ranked UConn thrashed Syracuse 98-45 on Monday to reach the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 for a 32nd consecutive season.
The Huskies produced a devastating 31-0 run in the first half to completely overwhelm their ninth-seeded opponents at Gampel Pavilion.
The sharpshooting senior tied her career highs in both points and three-pointers, adding five assists and four steals in a dominant individual display.
Her total of eight three-pointers fell just one short of the all-time NCAA tournament single-game record.
Ruthless Huskies maintain perfect record
Sarah Strong contributed 18 points and nine rebounds as the undefeated Connecticut outfit secured their 52nd consecutive victory of the season.
Blanca Quiñonez also added 18 points for the overall top seeds, who stormed into an insurmountable 65-12 advantage by half-time.
Syracuse endured a torrid evening on the court, missing 10 consecutive shots and going nearly ten-and-a-half minutes without scoring a single basket during the opening half.
Uche Izoje managed a team-high 12 points for the Orange, who had previously defeated Iowa State in the opening round to reach this stage.
Historic rivalry awaits in Fort Worth
The top-ranked side will now travel to the Fort Worth 1 regional semifinal on Friday to face North Carolina.
It marks only the second NCAA tournament meeting between the two storied basketball programmes.
The Tar Heels emerged victorious in their only previous post-season encounter, winning 81-69 on their way to claiming the 1994 national title.
Meanwhile, Monday’s comprehensive victory extended a remarkable home streak, marking a 52nd straight tournament win at Gampel Pavilion for the unstoppable hosts.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka and fourth seed Coco Gauff have progressed to the Miami Open quarter-finals, while Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock third-round exit.
The reigning champion required just an hour and 25 minutes to dispatch China’s Zheng Qinwen in a convincing 6-3 6-4 victory.
The 27-year-old Belarusian, who has captured the past two US Open titles, continues to display serene form on the Florida hard courts.
She will next face American Hailey Baptiste, who secured her own last-eight spot by defeating Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
Gauff overcomes sketchy display on home soil
Fourth seed Gauff also reached the quarter-finals following a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 6-2 triumph over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
The 22-year-old American survived a difficult serving performance, committing six double faults and suffering five breaks of serve.
The hometown favourite entered the event carrying a left arm nerve issue that forced her retirement at Indian Wells earlier this month.
“I want to win this tournament so bad because it is my home tournament,” said Gauff.
“But I didn’t have the best preparation, so setting expectations lower allows me to free up and not expect too much of myself.”
Spider cam scare overshadows Medvedev defeat
In the men’s draw, former world number one Medvedev was eliminated at the last-32 stage by Francisco Cerundolo.
The Argentine secured a dramatic 6-0 4-6 7-5 victory to knock out the player who recently defeated Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells.
The match was temporarily interrupted by a bizarre incident when the aerial ‘spider cam’ became entangled with umpire Mohamed Lahyani’s elevated chair.
Lahyani was forced to evacuate his seat while ball boys intervened to prevent the structure from completely toppling over.
“I didn’t know what to expect, it was a great match, super tough,” Cerundolo said of his victory.
“It was my first match against Daniil. He’s probably one of the only guys on tour who I have never played.”
Czech mixed martial arts fighter and influencer Dominika Elischerova has died aged 23 following a fatal scooter collision in Thailand.
The 23-year-old, known to her online audience as Mina, was travelling to a training session on the island of Koh Samui when her scooter was struck by a truck.
She was immediately rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to severe trauma after suffering multiple cardiac arrests.
Teammate Samir Margina witnessed the devastating incident and confirmed the Czech national had been placed into a medically induced coma prior to her passing.
Teammates and promoters pay tribute
Margina later shared a poignant photograph on social media holding his teammate’s hand during her final hours.
“You were the biggest fighter and always will be. Thank you for the beautiful experiences.”
The combat sports competitor had built a significant online presence, chronicling her martial arts journey in Southeast Asia to an audience of approximately 800,000 followers.
Clash of the Stars mourns loss
Prior to her relocation, the content creator was a featured participant in the Czech combat television programme Clash of the Stars.
The broadcasting organisation released a statement expressing profound grief over the loss of their former presenter and wrestler.
“Your laugh, positive energy and fight will never be forgotten. You were and always will be great.”
Fellow influencer Adelka Soukupova also offered her condolences online, describing the late athlete as an older sister figure whom she could always confide in.
A spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that emergency interventions were ultimately unsuccessful in saving the young star’s life.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has strongly denied rumours linking him with the managerial vacancy at Real Madrid, dismissing the reports as fabricated nonsense.
The 57-year-old has been away from the dugout since ending his trophy-laden nine-year spell at Anfield in 2024.
He recently transitioned into a boardroom position, taking over as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer in January.
Real Madrid struggles spark speculation
Recent speculation suggested the German was being lined up by Florentino Perez to take the top job at the Bernabeu.
The Spanish giants have endured a difficult run of form under Alvaro Arbeloa, who succeeded Xabi Alonso earlier this year.
However, the two-time Champions League-winning coach emphatically rejected claims of an impending move to La Liga.
Speaking at a Magenta TV conference, the former Borussia Dortmund boss expressed immense frustration at the media circus.
Frustration over fabricated stories
“Did Real call me or Perez and ask: Jurgen, do you fancy it? Or is it enough if some AI writes any rubbish? It’s annoying.”
“If Real had called me, you would have heard about it. But they haven’t called.”
The charismatic tactician also joked about the absurdity of the ongoing rumours.
“And what next – am I also taking over Atletico at the same time? Sorry, Madrid. They have to call me first before I can say anything.”
No plans for Germany role
Alongside the Spanish links, the Red Bull executive has frequently been touted as a future manager for the German national team.
Julian Nagelsmann currently holds the reins for Die Mannschaft following his own successful stint at Bayern Munich.
Yet the Stuttgart-born sporting director insists he has no immediate desire to unseat his compatriot.
“I’m not thinking about that at all at the moment.”
“Who knows what the next few years will bring, but there are absolutely no plans in that regard.”
Tenth seeds Virginia have become the first ever First Four team to reach the NCAA women’s Sweet 16 after stunning hosts Iowa 83-75 in double overtime.
The Cavaliers secured their third victory in just five days by overcoming the second-seeded Hawkeyes in front of a capacity crowd of 14,332 in Iowa City.
Kymora Johnson delivered a standout performance for the visitors, scoring 14 of her game-high 28 points during the two additional periods.
It marks the first time the Charlottesville programme has advanced to the second weekend of the tournament since 2000.
Missed opportunities for the hosts
Iowa had multiple chances to seal the game before the second overtime period was required.
Chazadi Wright failed to connect on a turnaround jumper with just one second remaining in regulation time.
The hosts were similarly frustrated at the conclusion of the first overtime when Taylor Stremlow missed a three-pointer and Ava Heiden could not convert the follow-up attempt.
Heiden had otherwise been exceptional for the home side, leading her team with 26 points despite picking up two early fouls.
Gruelling schedule yields historic run
To reach this stage, the resilient 10th seeds had already navigated a narrow 57-55 triumph over Arizona State on Thursday before defeating Georgia in overtime on Saturday.
Paris Clark contributed 20 vital points for the history-making squad, while Romi Levy added 13 to help maintain their remarkable postseason momentum.
The last time a 10-seed reached this stage of the competition was in 2022, when Creighton remarkably also eliminated Iowa in the second round.
Virginia will now travel to the Sacramento Regional 4 semifinals to face third seeds TCU.