Jalen Brunson scored 26 points as the New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 in their Eastern Conference semi-final on Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead.
Playing without their injured superstar Joel Embiid, the visiting side put up a significantly stronger fight than during their heavy 137-98 defeat in the series opener.
The closely fought contest featured 25 lead changes and 14 ties, with neither franchise managing to build an advantage larger than seven points.
Brunson delivers in clutch moments
However, the tense environment proved ideal for New York’s talismanic point guard.
The former Villanova standout hit a crucial tie-breaking basket with just over five minutes remaining to shift momentum in his team’s favour.
He subsequently added another vital jumper to establish a 103-99 advantage before Mikal Bridges extended the margin to six points.
Supporting cast steps up
OG Anunoby provided excellent scoring support by contributing 24 points to the vital home victory.
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the paint, securing a comprehensive double-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
This commanding performance follows a historic run for the Eastern Conference contenders, who recently became the first team to win three consecutive post-season games by 25 points or more.
Sixers face uphill battle
Tyrese Maxey led the resistance for the visitors with 26 points, but his impressive efforts were ultimately not enough to prevent a second successive defeat.
The Pennsylvania franchise now faces another steep mountain to climb, mirroring the adversity they experienced when falling 3-1 behind against the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
The series will now transition to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
All eyes will be on whether Embiid can return from injury to rejuvenate his struggling squad in front of what promises to be a fiercely partisan home crowd.
Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam wants Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-term future resolved before next month’s NBA draft to clarify the franchise’s rebuilding strategy.
Haslam made the comments on Wednesday alongside general manager Jon Horst during a press conference introducing Taylor Jenkins as the team’s new head coach.
The Greek forward has spent his entire 13-year career with the franchise but could depart following a heavily disrupted, injury-hit season.
Asset planning before the draft
The two-time MVP has consistently stated his desire to remain in Wisconsin provided the team remains capable of challenging for NBA championships.
However, Milwaukee finished this campaign with a dismal 32-50 record, ending a streak of nine consecutive playoff appearances.
“I just think before the draft is a natural time. If Giannis does play somewhere else, we’ve got to have a lot of assets.”
Jimmy Haslam, Bucks co-owner
The organisation can offer their star player a lucrative four-year, $275m (£216m) contract extension in October.
Should he decline the offer, the 2021 NBA Finals MVP could become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season.
Jenkins takes charge of rebuild
Haslam stressed that the ownership group, alongside management and the new coaching staff, will ultimately decide the roster’s direction over the next two months.
The Bucks hold a lottery pick in this year’s draft, creating an immediate deadline to either build around their franchise cornerstone or pivot towards a full rebuild.
“Sometime over the next six or seven weeks, we’ll decide whether Giannis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us, or he’s going to play somewhere else.”
Jimmy Haslam
New head coach Jenkins arrives having previously led the Memphis Grizzlies to three consecutive playoff berths between 2021 and 2023.
He previously worked with Antetokounmpo as an assistant on Mike Budenholzer’s staff during the 2018-19 season.
“Obviously, even only being here for one season, he and I established a really good relationship and maintained that respect, even from a distance.”
Taylor Jenkins, Bucks head coach
Bayern Munich had two penalty and handball appeals dismissed by officials during a contentious 1-1 Champions League draw with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Bundesliga giants were left frustrated by Portuguese referee João Pinheiro following two separate first-half incidents.
Both controversial moments centred around potential infractions by the French champions that ultimately went unpunished.
Mendes escapes second booking
The first major flashpoint occurred in the 29th minute when Nuno Mendes appeared to handle the ball to deny a promising attack.
Having already been booked earlier in the match, the Portuguese full-back risked receiving a second yellow card and a subsequent dismissal.
Pinheiro reversed his initial decision to penalise the defender after a consultation with his assistant referee.
The match officials instead awarded a free-kick to the visitors, ruling that Austrian midfielder Konrad Laimer had handled the ball in the immediate build-up.
Penalty appeals waved away
Because the initial incident did not involve a direct red card or penalty, the Video Assistant Referee could not intervene under current protocols.
Just two minutes later, the Bavarian hosts demanded a spot-kick when the ball struck the arm of João Neves inside the penalty box.
A clearance from teammate Vitinha deflected into the midfielder at close range, prompting immediate protests from the home side.
The referee immediately waved play on, a decision correctly supported by the official laws of the game.
Refereeing process questioned
Regulations stipulate that an offence is not committed if the ball strikes a player’s arm directly from the clearance of a teammate.
Former elite referee Andy Davies reviewed the incidents and suggested the officiating team lacked clear communication during the opening controversy.
A confusing incident. You would expect a refereeing team at this level and on this stage to deliver their outcome with a far better process than we witnessed in the moment.
Paris St-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been labelled a defensive nightmare by analysts following his influential performance in the Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich.
The French champions secured a 1-1 draw in Germany to progress 6-5 on aggregate against the Bundesliga giants.
Following the tense knockout tie, expert pundits Nedum Onuoha, Guillem Balague and Stephen Warnock highlighted the Georgian’s unique attributes.
A physical and technical threat
The lightning-fast attacker combines raw pace with an unpredictable dribbling style.
This dynamic movement constantly leaves opponents off balance in crucial moments.
“He is a defender’s worst nightmare.”
Onuoha and Warnock, both former Premier League defenders, understand exactly what makes the dynamic forward so difficult to contain.
Balague noted that it is almost impossible for full-backs to anticipate his next move in one-on-one situations.
Crucial role in European pursuit
Paris St-Germain are desperately chasing their maiden European Cup.
Surviving the difficult aggregate test against the German powerhouse demonstrates growing resilience within the Parisian squad.
With their marquee forward in devastating form, the French outfit will fear no one in the next round of the competition.
Paris St-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele had a lighter and plastic cups thrown at him by Bayern Munich fans during their Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena.
The reigning Ballon d’Or winner was preparing to take a 34th-minute corner when he was targeted by a barrage of objects from the home crowd.
A red cigarette lighter landed near the 28-year-old, forcing him to momentarily step away from the quadrant.
The object did not appear to strike the forward, who calmly retrieved it from the pitch and handed it to referee Joao Pinheiro.
Neuer intervenes to restore calm
The match official immediately jogged to the touchline to pass the lighter to the fourth official.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer rushed over to the section of supporters, strongly urging them to stop throwing items onto the playing surface.
The veteran stopper also pointed to his wrist, seemingly warning fans against wasting time while the German side chased the game.
PSG dominant in record-breaking tie
The Parisian outfit were leading 1-0 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate when the unsavoury incident occurred.
The French international had extended their advantage after just three minutes, lashing home a cutback from Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Bayern pushed relentlessly for an equaliser to reduce the aggregate deficit before half-time, but failed to capitalise on their opportunities.
The first leg in Paris ended in an enthralling 5-4 triumph for the French club, making it the highest-scoring semi-final match in Champions League history.
The eventual winner of this tie will face Arsenal in the final in Budapest later this month, after Mikel Arteta’s side overcame Atletico Madrid.
Erling Haaland’s representative Rafaela Pimenta has revealed she had no leverage during the striker’s recent contract negotiations with Manchester City because of the club’s supreme organisation.
The prolific Norwegian committed his long-term future to the Premier League champions last season by signing a new deal running until 2034.
Despite rumoured interest from European giants such as Real Madrid, the 25-year-old ultimately chose to extend his stay in England.
City hold all the cards
Speaking to ESPN, Pimenta offered a rare glimpse into the realities of bargaining with the treble-winning hierarchy.
“Very serious, they’re very organised. They’re very big.” Rafaela Pimenta
“They know what they’re doing, they have a lot of experience, they don’t really need anything, they have everything. So we don’t have any leverage.”
A dedicated professional
The formidable forward has been an undisputed success since completing his transfer from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022.
Having already plundered 160 goals in 195 appearances across all competitions, the former Bundesliga star continues to justify his lucrative extension.
Pimenta was quick to praise her client’s mindset, pushing back against the perception that life as an elite athlete is straightforward.
“I often say that high-performance football players have to be very intelligent, so don’t underestimate the intelligence of those at the top of the pyramid,” she added.
Wider transfer market movement
While the Scandinavian marksman remains firmly settled at the Etihad Stadium, his agent expects significant movement elsewhere in the upcoming summer transfer window.
She highlighted heavyweight sides like Liverpool and Ajax as potentially busy participants in the market over the coming weeks.
“I think Liverpool will make a lot of moves. Ajax we already know that it is making a lot of moves, everyone knows that,” she concluded.
Free agent quarterback Russell Wilson is weighing a contract offer to join the New York Jets against a potential move into television broadcasting.
The 37-year-old visited the franchise last week to discuss becoming the primary backup to current starting quarterback Geno Smith.
However, the veteran passer is also holding discussions with CBS Sports regarding a studio analyst role for their NFL coverage.
Decision looms for experienced playmaker
Speaking at a charity event in New York on Wednesday, the former Seattle Seahawks star confirmed he has multiple options on the table.
“They offered me, and I’m trying to figure out what the next best thing is for me to do,” he told the New York Post.
“I still know I can play ball at a high level, but I also have the opportunity to do TV, so we’ll see what happens.”
The Jets are eager to add valuable experience to a depth chart that currently features inexperienced backups Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik.
Reuniting with a familiar face
Accepting the proposal would reunite the seasoned play-caller with Smith, with whom he shared a quarterback room for three seasons in Seattle.
The Jets consulted Smith on potential additions to the roster, and the established starter reportedly spoke highly of his former colleague.
Wilson spent last season on a $10.5m (£8.3m) one-year deal with the New York Giants, but was benched after starting the campaign with three consecutive defeats.
Meanwhile, newly appointed Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich has thrown his full support behind Smith as the undisputed leader of the offense.
“We’re getting the best version of who he is,” Reich stated during his first media availability.
“And I think his best football’s ahead of him.”
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not compete in the upcoming Preakness Stakes, officially ending any hopes of a Triple Crown this year.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux confirmed the decision on Wednesday, prioritising the long-term health and happiness of the champion colt.
The withdrawal means the sport must continue its wait for a first Triple Crown winner since Justify achieved the historic feat in 2018.
Belmont Stakes the new target
Instead of travelling to Baltimore for the second jewel of the racing crown, the DeVaux-trained runner will be given additional time to recover from his recent exertions.
A return to action is already being planned, with the prestigious Belmont Stakes next month highlighted as the next primary objective.
“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort.”
Cherie DeVaux
The carefully managed schedule ensures the standout thoroughbred will be preserved for top-level competition later in the season.