F1 / Sports

Azerbaijan GP: Lewis Hamilton blows race chance with error after mistakenly hitting ‘magic’ switch

Lewis Hamilton says flicking a “magic” button on his Mercedes car caused him to blow his chance of an Azerbaijan GP victory, with the world champion inadvertently “switching the brakes off” and missing the first corner just as it appeared he had passed Sergio Perez at the restart.

Hamilton looked to have lucked in at Baku after championship and race leader Max Verstappen crashed out, and – second on the grid for the post-red flag restart – he then got the jump on Perez off the line. But, in dramatic scenes on an extraordinary afternoon, Hamilton then locked up into Turn One and ran onto the escape road, dropping him way down the order and out of the points.

On team radio, a devastated Hamilton asked his Mercedes team: “Did I leave the magic on? I could have sworn I turned that off.”

He then told Sky F1 after the race that he mistakenly pressed the ‘magic’ button just when it appeared a victory was within his reach.

“On the restart, I think when Checo [Perez] moved over towards me I clipped a switch and it basically switches the brakes off so I just went straight,” said Hamilton. “I had no idea that I’d even touched it.”

The ‘magic’ switch is essentially designed to heat the front tyres on the car before a race start by changing the brake balance. Hamilton likely turned it off before the start before hitting it again by accident.

“He touched a button and the brake balance changed,” explained Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “The brake balance went forward and basically the car doesn’t stop.”…

Sports / Tennis

Roger Federer Pulls out of French Open

Roger Federer has stunned the tennis world by pulling out of the French Open.

The Swiss maestro took to Twitter to announce his withdrawal from the year’s second grand slam, saying he needs to look after his body.

“After discussions with my team, I’ve decided I will need to pull out of the French Open today,” he said in a statement.

“After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation it’s important that I listen to my body and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery.

“I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court. See everyone soon!”

French Open tournament director Guy Forget said: “The Roland Garros tournament is sorry about the withdrawal of Roger Federer, who put up an incredible fight last night.

“We wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”

This year was the first time Federer had contested the French Open since 2015.

The 20-time grand slam champion had played well in his first three outings at Roland Garros, defeating Denis Istomin, Dominik Koepfer and Marin Cilic.

Federer bombshell sparks angry backlash

Federer is one of the most loved players tennis has ever seen but not everyone was happy with his decision to quit midway through the tournament, just so his body holds up for Wimbledon.

Former star turned ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe told the New York Times: “I understand it, but I don’t like it. It’s just not a great look to pull out of a tournament in the middle.

“It’s one thing if you sprain an ankle badly and finish a match on adrenaline. Those things happen. But it’s another thing when you kind of go into a tournament knowing that you probably aren’t going to be able to really finish the tournament.

“Roger can’t expect that he’s going to play the French Open and not have some physically demanding matches in the first three or four rounds. That’s kind

…
Sports / Tennis

Serena Williams Crashes out of French Open

Serena Williams’s quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title fell short as she ended with a shock loss to Elena Rybakina in the French Open last 16 on Sunday.

The 39-year-old American went down 6-3, 7-5 at Roland Garros to the Kazakh 21st seed, leaving her still one short of Margaret Court’s all-time record for most Grand Slam singles titles.

She has not gone beyond the fourth round at Roland Garros since losing the 2016 final, the year after capturing the last of her three titles in Paris. Her last major triumph came at the 2017 Australian Open while she was pregnant.

Williams though is not too worried.

“I’m kind of excited to switch surfaces, but historically I have done pretty well on grass,” said Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion.

“I have done pretty well on clay too. Just not this particular season.”

Williams became the eighth top-10 seed in the women’s draw to depart, outmuscled by the Russian-born Rybakina who was appearing in the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time.

“It was definitely close. I’m so close. There is literally a point here, a point there, that could change the whole course of the match,” said Williams.

“I’m not winning those points. That like literally could just change everything.”

Despite arriving in Paris with just one win on clay this season, Williams had seen her title hopes boosted by the absence of Simona Halep, and early exits of Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka.

Instead, she was knocked out by an opponent who was just two months old when Williams won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in September 1999.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Trae Young, Atlanta survive Game 1 after Joel Embiid, Philly storm back late

The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks tipped off their second-round series at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon after both teams made short work of their opening-round opponents. If Game 1 was any indication, the series promises to be a lot tougher for both teams. The Hawks ultimately pulled out a 128-124 victory, but it was far from easy for them.

After dominating the first 24 minutes of the contest and taking a 20-point lead into halftime, the Hawks had their hands full in the second half as the Sixers made a furious comeback to cut the lead all the way down to three in the closing minutes of the contest. Despite being outscored 70-54 in the second half, Atlanta was able to hold on for the win, though coach Nate McMillan likely won’t be happy with his team’s play down the stretch of the game.

 

Just as he did against the New York Knicks in the first round, Trae Young led the way for Atlanta, especially early on. Young lit the Sixers up for 25 points and seven assists in the first half alone, and finished the game with 35 points and 10 assists. In the process, Young became the first Hawks player ever to record 35 points and 10 assists in a playoff game. He also got some major help from John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanović, as that duo combined for 42 points and eight rebounds.

One huge question regarding the series was answered before Game 1 even started: Would Joel Embiid play? He did, despite suffering a small tear in his meniscus against the Wizards. Embiid started for the Sixers, played a game-high 38 minutes and scored a game-high 39 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks. While Sixers fans were certainly happy to see him out on the floor, his production wasn’t quite enough to help Philadelphia pull out a win in this one.

Even though they almost gave it away at the end, the Hawks have to feel …

Basket Ball / Sports

Clippers Advance to 2nd Round

After a grueling seven-game series, the Los Angeles Clippers have clinched their spot in the Western Conference semifinals with a 126-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.

As we have seen him do over the course of his career, Kawhi Leonard put the Clippers on his back on both ends of the floor to help put Los Angeles in a position to pull away from Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in the second half as they used a 24-4 run to close the third quarter to really open things up. While Dallas made a run in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to seven points, Los Angeles had just enough answers down the stretch to finish the job and win the series.

With the win, Los Angeles advances to face the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals with Game 1 of that best-of-seven series scheduled for Tuesday night.

Here are four key takeaways from the game:

1. Clippers survive and advance

When the Clippers lost the first two games of this series at home, it was pretty easy to start firing up the same old narratives about this team’s playoff history. And even more so after they dropped Game 5 at home as well. After all, they blew a 3-1 lead in the second round just last season, and have never made the conference finals in franchise history.

But streaks are made to be broken, and narratives can always be rewritten. After their Game 7 win on Sunday afternoon, the Clippers are well on their way to doing just that. Perhaps it was fitting that after their collapses in past postseasons, the Clippers were the ones who battled back from significant deficits in this series. The jury is still out on their ability to win a title, but any questions about their toughness and will to win have been answered.

Now, they’re on to face the No. 1 overall seed, the Utah Jazz, in the second round. It will be a quick turnaround, …

Football / Sports

Transfer News Update

 

Thiago Silva has signed a one-year contract extension with Chelsea after a fantastic debut campaign.

The Brazil international arrived at Stamford Bridge on a free following his release from PSG, featuring 34 times in all competitions.

As well as winning the Champions League and FA Cup in his first season in English football, the 36-year-old is a vital member of Thomas Tuchel’s squad due to his experience.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “When we brought Thiago Silva in last summer, we knew we were adding a world-class player to the squad.

“Thiago has duly shown everyone at Chelsea his immense quality throughout this season, and he has had a huge influence on and off the pitch for us.

“We said when he signed that we hoped Thiago would add new trophies to his impressive list of honours, and he has done just that with our success in the Champions League this weekend.

“We now hope that he carries on in exactly the same fashion in the coming year.”

Gareth Bale insists Carlo Ancelotti’s return to Real Madrid does not change his future.

The Italian coach left Everton to rejoin Los Blancos earlier this week, just six years after being sacked by club president Florentino Perez.

Bale scored 11 goals in 20 Premier League games in a loan spell with Tottenham last season and previously said a decision on his future would cause ‘chaos’.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Bale revealed he is still in the ‘same boat’, despite Ancelotti’s reappointment at Real Madrid.

He told Sky Sports: “I know Carlo Ancelotti is a great manager. I get on with him really well, we had some great times in the past.

“He’s returned to Real Madrid and he’s a great guy.

“We had a great time together at Real Madrid and I’m sure he’s going to be amazing in charge there.

“I spoke to him when we played Everton at the start of the season, we hugged and had a little chat which was nice.

“But I’m still in …

Basket Ball / Sports

Nuggets pick out Trail Blazers in second half to take Game 6 126-115

Nikola Jokic tallied 36 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points, all in the first half, as the Denver Nuggets closed out the Portland Trail Blazers 126-115 in Game 6 to win the series 4-2. Damian Lillard led Portland with 28 points, but struggled from the field. CJ McCollum added 21 points for the Trail Blazers.

Porter Jr. started the game 5-5 from behind the arc to give the Nuggets an early advantage, but Portland found its rhythm to eventually get a 33-29 lead after one.

The Trail Blazers then went on a 16-6 run to open up a 63-53 lead in the second quarter. Portland took a 68-61 lead into halftime and went on a run early in the third quarter to open up a 93-79 advantage, but from there it was all Denver.

Jokic scored 20 points in the third quarter as Denver closed the frame on a 19-8 tear, trailing by three entering the final period. The Nuggets then went on a 21-7 run to open the fourth and never looked like letting up.

Lillard set a playoff record for 3-pointers made in a series, but will face speculation about his future with the franchise after his fifth first-round exit. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic could also be on the way out if the Trail Blazers look to start from scratch again. The Nuggets will face the Suns series in the second round.…

Basket Ball / Sports

LeBron James, Los Angeles eliminated from playoffs by Phoenix

The Phoenix Suns have knocked off the defending champions as Chris Paul and company have bested the Los Angeles Lakers in their best-of-seven series following their 113-100 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.

In the end, the Lakers had no answer for the loss of Anthony Davis as Los Angeles found themselves facing an insurmountable lead after the All-Star big man was forced to leave the floor in the opening six minutes. While Los Angeles was faced with their own injury issues, the Suns took advantage of the situation as Devin Booker led all scorers with 47 points to ensure Phoenix would take care of their opponent in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This marked the first time that a team led by LeBron James had been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

With the win, the Suns advance to face the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. Denver advanced out of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a win on Friday night. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Phoenix’s win.

Devin Booker has been compared to Kobe Bryant for pretty much his entire career. Like many of today’s young stars, Bryant mentored Booker. Their playing styles are eerily similar and grew more so this season. Booker took the most mid-range shots of his career this season. More important by Bryant’s reckoning would be the fact that Booker made the playoffs for the first time in his career.

He happened to do so against Bryant’s former team, and on Thursday, he delivered a performance that would have made his idol proud. Booker scored 47 points, including 22 in the first quarter alone, but the variety of shots and moves that led to them were what truly stood out. Booker made 8-of-10 3-point attempts. He killed the Lakers in the mid-range. Every time they started sneaking up on the Suns, Booker nailed a dagger to remind us how big the margin in this game really was.

It was a …

Basket Ball / Sports

Blazers lose in Double OT thriller

Needing a win, the Portland Trail Blazers came out with their pants full of soup in Game 5 of their series against the Denver Nuggets. With defense as porous as a broken screen door and offense as dry as the Sahara, the Blazers dug themselves a 20-point deficit by the second period. Denver’s mission to capture advantage in the series seemed secure.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the rout. Portland ate away at the increasingly-complacent Nuggets, then Damian Lillard went nuclear, posting an amazing performance culminating in 17 straight points over two overtimes…a feat impossible to describe.

When the smoke cleared, Lillard had the best performance in Blazers playoffs history with 55 points on 17-24 shooting, an NBA record 12-17 from distance, with 10 assists. But Lillard’s teammates came up woefully short, missing rotations and easy scoring plays in the double-OT thriller, leaving the Blazers down 147-140 in the game, 2-3 in the best-of-seven series.

First Quarter

The Blazers opened the game with a new wrinkle: stiff defense! They made the Nuggets waste dribbles and passes. Denver tried to run the offense through Aaron Gordon but he couldn’t deliver. Portland forced him to go away from the basket instead of towards it once he received the ball. Unfortunately the Blazers were ice cold on offense, missing easy shots and hard. Jusuf Nurkic went scoreless on three fairly makeable conversions. CJ McCollum drifted on his jumpers. As the Blazers bricked their first 8 shots, the Nuggets opened up a 10-0 lead.

The Blazers finally got their first point at the 7:53 mark on a free throw after an Illegal Defense call on Denver. Their second score came on a goaltend of a Norman Powell layup. They didn’t make a real bucket until the clock read 6:25, when Robert Covington got loose in the lane. By that time Denver was like butter on a roll. Nikola Jokic, Facu Campazzo, Michael Porter, Jr., everybody was scoring. The Nuggets ended up hitting 7 threes in the period, Portland only …

Basket Ball / Sports

James Harden triple-double leads Nets past Celtics

The Brooklyn Nets are headed to the second round. The Eastern Conference’s second seed completed a gentleman’s sweep against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. All three of the Nets’ stars put together strong performances, but James Harden led the way in the 123-109 victory.

Harden did a little bit of everything as usual and led all scorers with 34 points in a triple-double effort. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists to finish with a game-high 75.5 DKFP. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant poured in 25 and 24 points, respectively. Boston’s lone star wasn’t enough to keep up with one of the NBA’s most productive offenses. Jayson Tatum only trailed Harden in points with 32 to go along with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Tatum tallied 55.25 DKFP in a game-high 41 minutes.

The Nets covered the spread by the skin of their teeth as 12.5-point favorites. The absences of Kemba Walker and Robert Williams gave the home team a major edge, and it handled business for Brooklyn backers.

The Nets will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. Milwaukee lost its first matchup against Brooklyn two-thirds of its Big 3 were active, but won the next two matchups. Milwaukee’s offense and defense dominated the Miami Heat in a sweep in the first round thanks to far above-average offense and defense. Keeping that up against the NBA’s best scoring offense will be a challenge, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and company might have the tools to pull an upset off…

Sports / Tennis

Naomi Osaka: Spotlight on media, authorities & player after French Open withdrawal

When Naomi Osaka won the US Open in 2018, she pulled down her visor to hide her tears.

It was her maiden Grand Slam title, she had beaten the great Serena Williams to win it, and she had a bright future ahead.

Except that the victory had come in unusual and traumatic fashion, with boos and controversy surrounding Williams’ infamous outburst at the umpire.

And we now know that this title also marked the start of the “long bouts of depression” that have led to Osaka pulling out of the French Open in a move that has sent shockwaves through the sport and raised the prospect of some soul-searching for the authorities and media.

Roland Garros is now without one of the sport’s biggest stars, and despite Osaka’s desire to not “be a distraction” she and the issues she raises are firmly in the spotlight.

Did the authorities handle things well?

Osaka received a lot of support from fellow players and athletes over her decision to boycott news conferences at Roland Garros.

And there was criticism of the sport’s governing bodies’ strongly-worded statement on Sunday, which threatened her with expulsion from the French Open and future Grand Slams over what she said was a decision based on seeking to protect her mental health.

American basketball player Stephen Curry was critical of the authorities, saying the “powers that be don’t protect their own”, while former British number one Laura Robson also questioned whether the matter could have been dealt with differently.

“I’m sure a lot of people are disappointed with how the statement was handled yesterday from the Grand Slams and how strong it was,” Robson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Maybe if they had not let it escalate to this point then we wouldn’t be here.”

In a statement after Osaka’s withdrawal, French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said major tennis bodies were committed to athletes’ wellbeing and improving their tournament experience, including their interaction with the media.

Osaka said “the rules are quite outdated in parts” and that …

Football / Sports

Kevin De Bruyne Wont need Surgery says Roberto Martinez

Kevin De Bruyne will not need surgery on his facial injuries but is at risk of missing Belgium’s Euro 2020 opener, according to manager Roberto Martinez.

The Manchester City midfielder suffered multiple fractures to his face during their Champions League final loss to Chelsea. De Bruyne had to be substituted off after a clash with Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger.

De Bruyne, 29, is now a doubt for Belgium’s game against Russia on June 12.

What has Martinez said?
He said: “Kevin had a different programme to the rest of the players.

“He was only going to join us seven days later because he was playing in the Champions League final. But that programme has obviously been changed, he won’t be able to relax and rest just yet.

“We’ve got to be very cautious, and we will get more clarity in the next few days, but I’ve spoken to Kevin and he was quite positive. We are very fortunate that even though he has a double fracture, he doesn’t need surgery.

“An operation would have made it impossible for him to play in the European Championship. We don’t know if we can use him in the first game. I cannot give an answer because I don’t have any medical facts right now.

“We are still assessing the injury and over the next four to five days we expect clarity.’ Then we will know what the next steps for Kevin will be.”

How did De Bruyne get injured?
De Bruyne went down injured shortly before the hour mark of Saturday night’s game.

The Belgian was assessed by City’s physios and the club doctor. De Bruyne was seen with a noticeable black eye.

The decision was then taken for De Bruyne to be substituted off due to the injury. He was clearly not happy with the call.

Gabriel Jesus came on in his place, with a visibly devastated De Bruyne being consoled by City’s backroom staff as he left the pitch in tears.

Who will Belgium face at Euro 2020?
They kick off their …

Basket Ball / Sports

Russell Westbrook makes history as Washington forces Game 5

The Philadelphia 76ers lost Joel Embiid to a knee injury during the first quarter of Game 4 of their best-of-seven series against the Washington Wizards but that was just one of their issues coming out of Monday night’s matchup in D.C. as the Wizards were able to take advantage of Embiid’s absence in order to pick up a 122-114 win to extend the series to, at least, a Game 5.

While Bradley Beal performed at a high level as he has throughout the series, he finally received some support on the offensive end as Washington had seven players, including their entire starting five, score in double figures. Philadelphia was able to hold off Washington in the first half to take a one-point lead into the break but it was the Wizards who took control from there on out.

With the win, this series will shift back to Philadelphia for Game 5 as that matchup is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center.

Here are three key takeaways from the game:

1. Embiid leaves after hard fall

Yes, the Wizards won the game and extended the series, but the biggest takeaway from this game is by far Joel Embiid’s injury. Late in the first quarter, Embiid drove to the basket and tried to contort his body to get a shot away against Robin Lopez. In the process he lost his balance and landed awkwardly on the baseline.

He got up grabbing his hip and lower back, and that seemed to be the problem based on his landing. However, the Sixers later announced that he would be out for the rest of the game due to knee soreness. Upon further review of the video, you can see that he sort of jolts his knee when he comes down, and that was apparently a bigger issue.

When Embiid left the game, the Sixers were leading 20-12. Without him, they were outscored by 16 points the rest of the way and ended up losing 122-114. They’re still a better team …

Football

UEFA 23man Squad of the Season

UEFA’s Technical Observers have chosen their 23-man squad from the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League.

UEFA’s Technical Observers: Packie Bonner, Cosmin Contra, Corinne Diacre, Dušan Fitzel, Steffen Freund, Robbie Keane, Roberto Martínez, Ginés Meléndez, John Peacock, Gareth Southgate, Patrick Vieira.

Goalkeepers

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Ederson (Man. City)
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)

Defenders

César Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Rúben Dias (Man. City)
Marquinhos (Paris)
Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea)
Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)
David Alaba (Bayern)

Midfielders

Jorginho (Chelsea)
Mason Mount (Chelsea)
N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea)
Kevin De Bruyne (Man. City)
İlkay Gündoğan (Man. City)
Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
Sérgio Oliveira (Porto)
Phil Foden (Man. City)

Forwards

Erling Haaland (Dortmund)
Kylian Mbappé (Paris)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Neymar (Paris)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)…

Athletics / Sports

Ese Brume erases Chioma Ajunwa’s 25-year-old long jump record

Jumps 7.17m to set world lead record

Twenty-five years after long jumper, Chioma Ajunwa, conquered the world by winning a gold medal at Atlanta ‘96 Olympics, another Nigerian, Ese Brume, has made big headlines in that country, this time in the city of California.

Brume, who was Nigeria’s only athlete to reach the final of any event at the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil, jumped a distance of 7.17m on Saturday at Chile Vista Festival in California to become the first African woman to ever make such a mark. She shattered Ajunwa’s 25-year-old Long Jump record of 7.12m in the process. Brume’s jump was also a World Lead.

“I am so glad for this achievement,” Brume told The Guardian on phone from California in the early hours of yesterday.

Jumping six times, Brume saved the best for the last, leaping that mark on her very last attempt after jumping 6.83m (three times) and 6.88m once.

 …

Boxing / Sports

Joshua may vacate his WBO title

Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn says Joshua may take the fight with Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs), but he also may vacate the WBO belt if it doesn’t make “business sense” for them.

Hearn has a couple of other options that he’s looking at for Joshua’s next fight.

Presumably, those are bigger money fights than what Usyk brings to the table. Usyk isn’t someone who will attract a lot of excitement from the fans, as he’s not done anything at heavyweight to make a name for himself.

Hearn and Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) are still steaming about losing out on the Tyson Fury undisputed championship fight, and the last thing they want is for a sanctioning body to order them around.

“We negotiate all the time with people who sometimes aren’t entitled to a fight, and we got it again now,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing Social. “The WBO straightaway sent a little in, ‘You’re now fighting him.’

“At some point, you want to turn around and say, ‘You know what? Why can’t we just breathe and do our own thing, but of course, he [Joshua] wants to be undisputed, and that’s why we’re considering our options.

“I think the most likely scenario is, we fight Oleksander Usyk. If the deal is right and everyone is sensible, yes, I think that fight happens.…

Football / Sports

Aguero joins Barcelona on a free Transfer

Sergio Aguero, Man City’s record goalscorer with 260 goals, is departing the Etihad after a decade at the club; Argentina forward joined from Atletico Madrid in 2011; injuries and illness restricted his appearances in final season at City; 32-year-old unveiled by Barca on Monday

The forward was presented in a Barca kit and greeted the media on Monday evening after completing a medical in the afternoon prior to signing a two-year deal.

Aguero will move to Barcelona on a free transfer but the Catalan club have said Aguero’s buyout clause is set at €100m (£86m). He will officially become a Barcelona player on July 1 after his City contract expires.

Aguero’s departure from the Etihad was announced at the end of March after Pep Guardiola informed City’s record goalscorer of the club’s decision not to renew his deal.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Anthony Davis Questionable for Game 4

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is dealing with an injury to his knee that has his status for Sunday’s Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns up in the air.

Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters after Saturday’s practice that Davis will be listed as questionable with a sprained knee, though Davis made it clear he will be out there.

“There’s no chance that I don’t play tomorrow,” he told reporters.

Davis said after the Lakers’ Game 3 win that he hyperextended the knee but expected to play on Sunday.

After starting the postseason with 13 points in Game 1, Davis has averaged 34.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the past two games against the Suns.

As the Lakers fought to avoid being relegated to a spot in the play-in tournament, head coach Frank Vogel was careful not to push Davis too hard. The eight-time All-Star missed 30 straight games from February 16 to April 19 because of a strained calf and Achilles injury.

Davis showed some rust after returning, averaging 20.5 points per contest with a 41.5 field-goal percentage in 11 games. He did have a fantastic performance on May 9 with a season-high 42 points in a 123-110 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers held Davis out of their May 12 win over the Houston Rockets with a groin injury. The reigning NBA champions have also played most of the second half of this season without LeBron James because of a sprained ankle.

As long as Davis and James are healthy for the postseason, the Lakers are capable of making another deep run in their quest for a second straight title.

Markieff Morris will likely move into the starting lineup if Davis is unable to play in Game 4.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Bucks sweep Heat, advance to second round of 2021 NBA playoffs

Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied a triple-double with 20 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds, Brook Lopez added 25 points and Bryn Forbes continued his hot shooting with seven triples as the Milwaukee Bucks knocked off the Miami Heat 120-103 in Game 4 to complete a first-round sweep of Miami. Jimmy Butler had 12 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for the Heat in the loss.

Milwaukee was expected to struggle with the team that eliminated them from last season’s bubble, but the Bucks showed why they’re a contender for the 2021 NBA title. They covered the spread (-5) easily in a Game 4 they struggled in before the second half.

The Heat jumped out to an early 22-12 advantage and maintained their lead for much of the first half. Miami held a 66-57 lead after Bam Adebayo scored the opening bucket of the third quarter but the Bucks made a major push, going on a 34-19 run to close the frame and hold a 91-85 lead. Miami missed 15 shots in the third quarter.

Antetokounmpo kept Milwaukee humming with two baskets and two assists to open the fourth quarter while the Heat continued to go cold from the floor. Miami missed 13 shots in the fourth quarter, including five attempts from deep.

The Bucks now await the winner of the Nets-Celtics series, with Boston getting Game 3 after Jayson Tatum’s 50-point explosion. Milwaukee will get some additional rest before its second round series.…

Football / Sports

Chelsea Win the Uefa Champions League

Chelsea are celebrating being crowned Champions League winners for only the second time after a memorable victory over Manchester City in Porto on Saturday night.

The Blues were excellent in an entertaining final at the Estadio do Dragao, thoroughly deserving of a hard-fought 1-0 victory secured courtesy of a cool first-half strike from £71million record signing Kai Havertz that came after a superb, defence-splitting Mason Mount pass.

The triumph – Chelsea’s first in the Champions League since that famous 2012 night in Munich – represents an incredible turnaround from Thomas Tuchel, who has far exceeded expectations since replacing Frank Lampard in January and will surely be handed a long-term contract after a strong few months that also included a top-four Premier League finish and FA Cup Final appearance.

As for domestic champions Manchester City, their frustrating wait for a first taste of Champions League glory continues after a chastening evening in Portugal.

…