Friday 19 April 2024
RAIN FORCES MIXED GRID FOR CHINESE GP, SPRINT AS NORRIS TAKES POLE
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| Lars Baron/Getty Images |
SHANGHAI, China -- Lando Norris will start the first sprint race of the 2024 season from first position after a wet sprint shootout session in China resulted in a mixed grid.
Norris' best time was initially deleted for exceeding track limits at the final corner of his previous lap, briefly moving Lewis Hamilton to first place, but it was reinstated by race control moments later.
Hamilton will start from second place for Mercedes on the jumbled grid ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso in third.
Championship leader Max Verstappen could only manage the fourth fastest time after two of his three attempts in the wet final session were deleted for track limits infringements.
The 19-lap sprint race will take place on Saturday morning in China ahead of qualifying for the full-length grand prix, and carries points from first place to eighth.
Although of less significance than full grand prix qualifying, the result marks the first time a McLaren has started from the front of an F1 grid this year and the first time since Norris took pole in the sprint shootout in Brazil last year.
"It was [wild]. I am extremely happy, big thanks to the team. It was tricky," Norris said afterwards. "I got a good final lap. I am happy, sad it is not for a proper qualifying, but good enough.
"They were conditions where you've just got to risk a lot, you've just got to push, build tyre temperature and so forth. I was a little bit nervous that I made a few mistakes, started to aquaplane quite a bit, but it's good fun.
"It gets your heart going, and to end up on top is exactly what we wanted. So a nice surprise and a good position for tomorrow," he added.
Lando Norris took pole as his flying lap time was reinstated by the stewards before the end of the session.
Meanwhile Hamilton said: "It was very tricky, tricky conditions, not a lot of grip as you saw for everyone. But yeah, so happy. As soon as I saw the rain coming, I was getting excited.
"Naturally in dry conditions, we're not quick enough, so when the rain came, and I thought I'd have a bit of a better opportunity, and that's kind of when it all came alive."
Rain started to fall at the end of SQ2 and by the start of SQ3 it had forced all drivers to switch from slick tyres to intermediates.
Charles Leclerc, who qualified seventh, went off the track at Turn 3 on the first lap out of the pits, while a number of drivers had lap times deleted due to track limit violations.
Verstappen ran off the road at Turn Six on his first attempt and again at the final corner on his second attempt. He finally completed a single clean lap before the chequered flag, but for the first time this year it was not fast enough to secure the front row of the grid.
"It was incredibly slippery," Verstappen said. "I struggled a lot to get the temperature in the tyres, it was very difficult to keep the car on-track, and it never really switched on for me.
"It was just like driving on ice. That's why I think it was quite deserved where we are in qualifying, because it's not really working for me in the wet, even though I think the dry we look quite good.
"So of course I'm quite happy with that."
Norris ran off the track at the final corner ahead of his fastest lap, which can often be seen as gaining an advantage for the following lap as well, but his best effort was quickly reinstated by the FIA in line with the race director's notes for the weekend.
Carlos Sainz will start fifth on the grid for Ferrari ahead of Sergio Perez for Red Bull, Leclerc's Ferrari in seventh and Norris' McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in eighth.
Valtteri Bottas secured ninth on the grid for Sauber ahead of Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who set the tenth fastest time in front of a jubilant home crowd.
The start of the second part of qualifying was delayed after a grass fire broke out at the side of the track near Turn Five. A similar incident happened during the morning practice session at Turn Seven, with video evidence suggesting the fires were ignited by sparks from the titanium skid plates on the underside of the cars.
The short delay to Q2 coincided with the arrival of light rain, although all drivers were able to complete a flying lap on slick tyres before heavier rain arrived at the end of the session. The downpour at the end of Q2 locked positions in place from the drivers' first attempts, with Zhou beating George Russell to a place in Q3 by 0.038s.
Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg will line up 12th and 13th ahead of Daniel Ricciardo's RB in 14th and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll in 15th.
Pierre Gasly missed the cut for Q2 by less than a tenth of a second but qualified 0.088s faster than Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon, whose car was fitted with the team's latest updates. The new parts and lighter chassis on Ocon's car are expected to bring a step in performance for the struggling French team, but could not be manufactured in time to be fitted to both cars this weekend.
Alex Albon was 18th fastest for Williams ahead of RB's Yuki Tsunoda in 19th and the second Williams driver, Logan Sargeant, in last.
- Laurence Edmondson
LEVERKUSEN,ROMA, ATALANTA, MARSEILLE,INTO EUROPA LEAGUE S.F.
Liverpool failed to overcome a three-goal deficit and was eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday despite beating Atalanta 1-0 in the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup.
The result officially ended Liverpool’s hopes of a treble of trophies in manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield, though the feat had looked unlikely after the Italian team won 3-0 in the first leg in Merseyside.
“We won the game and that was the reaction we wanted to show,” Klopp told TNT Sports. “It was difficult and we knew it would be, but Atalanta deserve to go through, 100%."
Days after celebrating its first-ever Bundesliga title, Bayer Leverkusen remained on course to claim a historic treble by holding West Ham to a 1-1 draw at London Stadium to stretch its unbeaten streak to 44. Xabi Alonso's team advanced to the semifinals 3-1 on aggregate.
Leverkusen will face Roma in the last four after the capital club beat AC Milan 2-1 in an all-Italian quarterfinal to advance 3-1 on aggregate.
Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead early, heading in a cross from Vladimir Coufal. Jeremie Frimpong came off the bench and equalized in the 89th minute to clinch the aggregate victory and extend the team's unbeaten run.
Alonso’s team will play second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final in Berlin on May 25, three days after the Europa League final in Dublin.
In Bergamo, Liverpool had a dream start after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross hit Matteo Ruggeri’s hand. Mohamed Salah sent goalkeeper Juan Musso the wrong way from the penalty spot for an early lead in the seventh minute.
But the Reds failed to convert any other chances — a long way off from their 5-0 win at Atalanta in the Champions League in 2020.
Atalanta will meet Marseille after the French team topped Benfica 4-2 in a shootout after winning 1-0 to level the aggregate score at 2-2.
With the English League Cup already secured, Liverpool still hopes for a second Premier League title under its German manager but is now in third and two points adrift of first-place Manchester City.
Inconsistent in Serie A, Atalanta has been shining in the second-tier continental league this season. Thursday’s loss was its first in the campaign after six wins and three draws.
It’s only the second time the Italian club reached the semifinals of a European competition.
In Rome, Roma coach Daniele De Rossi marked an extension of his contract announced earlier Thursday by reaching the last four with his team reduced to 10 men.
Gianluca Mancini put the hosts 1-0 up early at Stadio Olimpico after Lorenzo Pellegrini’s shot bounced off the post and the defender was in the right place to net. Mancini also scored the winner in the first leg at San Siro last week.
Paulo Dybala doubled the advantage in the 22nd.
Roma defender Zeki Celik received a red card on the half-hour mark for fouling Rafael Leão but Milan only halved the deficit with a Matteo Gabbia header five minutes from time.
Milan, the seven-time European champion, is second in the Serie A, trailing leader Inter by 14 points on the way to finish the season without a trophy after it was knocked out of the Italian Cup.
After Arsenal and Manchester City were eliminated from the Champions League on Wednesday, the Premier League clubs were knocked out also from second-tier Europa League.
Aston Villa remains the only English club in Europe in the third-tier Europa Conference League.
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Emiliano Martínez saved two spot kicks and Douglas Luiz converted the decisive penalty for Villa to prevail 4-3 in a shootout over Lille and advance to the Europa Conference League semifinals.
After Villa won the first leg of their quarterfinals 2-1 last week, Yusuf Yazıcı and Benjamin André scored in each half for Lille's 2-0 lead before defender Matty Cash's 87th-minute goal evened the aggregate score 3-3 to force extra time.
Villa is into its first European semifinal since 1982 and will face Olympiakos which beat Fenerbahce 3-2 on penalties for a spot in the May 29 final in Athens.
Fiorentina, last year's runnerup, also reached the semifinals after Nicolás González and Cristiano Biraghi both scored in extra time to edge 10-man Viktoria Plzeň 2-0 in the second leg. The opening leg was a goalless draw. The Italian team will face Club Brugge, which won 2-0 at PAOK to advance 3-0 on aggregate, Plzeň’s Brazilian midfielder Cadu received a red card in the 66th minute.
JULIAN NAGELSMANN SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH GERMANY
🇩🇪 OFFICIAL: Julian Nagelsmann has signed new deal as German national team head coach until World Cup 2026.
“This is a decision of the heart. It is a great honour to be able to coach the national team. We can ispire the country”.
GROUP CONDEMNS 'HUMILIATING SEARCHES' BY SECURITY AT BARCELONA STADIUM
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| AP Photo |
PARIS (AP) — The director of a group that advocates for female sports fans says she and other Paris Saint-Germain supporters were subjected to “abusive” searches while entering Barcelona's stadium for a Champions League match earlier this week.
Anoush Morel, the director of Her Game Too France, told L'Equipe and RMC Sport that her breasts, buttocks and groin were touched by a female security officer during a pat-down at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night. Other women reported similarly aggressive searches, she said.
Paris Saint-Germain won the match 4-1 and advanced to the Champions League semifinals.
In a letter Thursday, the organization condemned the practice and called on “relevant authorities” to take action.
“It's unacceptable that spectators, fans and women in general were particularly targeted by these intrusive and humiliating searches that constitute sexual aggression,” the letter read.
The group said there have been similar complaints at other stadiums in Europe, usually impacting visiting fans. It called on teams, organizers of the games and stadiums to ensure their security protocols avoid the “unfair treatment” of supporters.
It asks UEFA to provide answers on whether visiting fans in particular are being subjected to more aggressive searches.
A request for comment from UEFA sent on Thursday evening was not immediately answered.
GOALKEEPER NAHUEL GUZMÁN SUSPENDED FOEN11 GAMES, FINED FOR POINTING LASER AT RIVAL IN LIGA MX MATCH
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nahuel Guzmán, a goalkeeper for the Mexican club Tigres of Nuevo Leon, was suspended 11 games and fined for pointing a laser at fellow goalie Esteban Andrada during a tournament match last weekend, Liga MX announced Thursday.
The 38-year-old Guzmán is recovering from right knee surgery and was in the visiting team’s box at the BBVA stadium in Monterrey last Saturday during the first half when he pointed the laser in the direction of Andrada, a fellow Argentine and the starting goalkeeper for Rayados.
Monterrey's sports president, Jose Antonio Noriega, went to the box and took away the laser in the first half of the match, which ended in a 3-3 draw.
In addition to the suspension and fine, Guzmán must do unspecified community work.
This is the first time in the history of Mexican soccer that a player has been sanctioned for pointing a laser at a rival. The 2014 Apertura final between América and Tigres was stopped momentarily because a fan was aiming a laser at players.
Guzmán, who was on Argentina's roster for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, will miss the rest of the Clausura tournament because of the suspension. It's not clear when he will be healthy enough to play.
The fine of Guzmán was one of several stemming from the match.
Tigres was fined an unspecified amount for the behavior of its fans. A Tigres fan could be seen urinating in a glass and throwing it on Rayados fans in video posted on social media.
Andrada received a fine for a post on his Instagram account in which he made homophobic comments about Guzmán.
And Monterrey was also fined over fan behavior. A video posted on social media showed a Rayados fan throwing liquid at forward André-Pierre Gignac and making an obscene gesture.
Without revealing names or the teams they supported, the Disciplinary Commission of Liga MX said two fans would be banned from attending league matches, although it did not say for how long.
VIRGINIA LAW ALLOWS THE STATE'S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO DIRECTLY PAY ATHLETES THROUGH NIL DEALS
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| AP |
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed measure into law Thursday that allows state colleges and universities to directly pay their athletes through name, image and likeness compensation deals, a measure believed to be the first of its kind.
The law, which takes effect July 1, was signed one day after the NCAA eased some of its NIL restrictions but noted that its longstanding “prohibitions against pay-for-play and schools compensating student-athletes for use of their NIL remain in place.”
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said other states may follow Virginia's lead. Several states have legislation pending, including Oklahoma, Nebraska and Louisiana.
“The Virginia decision — by the lawmakers there and the governor to sign it — I think really kickstarts it and puts it right at all of our doorsteps,” Manuel said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The NCAA in July 2021 allowed college athletes to earn money from deals with brands or businesses that compensate them for such things as endorsements or personal appearances. That has made millions of dollars available to athletes and prompted many states to put laws in place preventing the NCAA from restricting NIL revenue, seen by most as a recruiting enticement.
“If this law gets us closer to a federal or a national solution for college athletics then it will be more than worthwhile,” University of Virginia athletic director Carla Williams told ESPN. “Until then, we have an obligation to ensure we maintain an elite athletics program at UVA.”
Earlier this week, the NCAA moved forward on legislation that would allow its 1,100 member schools to be more actively involved in securing sponsorship and endorsement deals for their athletes, including facilitating opportunities between third parties and athletes.
The Virginia law clears the way for donors to work directly with a school on paying athletes. One of the bill's sponsors, Del. Terry Austin, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, that the bipartisan measure was drafted by a University of Virginia deputy athletic director.
Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock told ESPN the school is considering different options for NIL payments, from contracting with a marketing agency or booster-backed collective to pay the athletes rather than money directly from the athletic department.
In December, when NCAA President Charlie Baker proposed a new subdivision of Division I athletics, he said all D-I schools should attempt to bring most NIL activities in-house and consider joint licensing deals with their athletes that would allow schools to pay the athletes.
State lawmakers have been a recent catalyst in prompting changes to NCAA rules around player compensation. In 2019, California lawmakers passed a bill that allowed college athletes to cash in on their fame, other states quickly followed suit and the NCAA was forced to lift its regulations. What remains is a patchwork of rules across the country.
Since then, the NCAA has suffered a number of losses in court tied to its basic model of amateurism amid growing support for empowering athletes.
Last month, it halted investigations into booster-backed collectives or other third parties making NIL deals with D-I athletes. A few days later, Dartmouth men’s basketball players took an early step toward forming the first union in college sports.
“I do think the time is upon us where student-athletes either are going to be employees or are going to be allowed to receive money, even if they’re not employees,” Manuel told the AP.
LIVERPOOL COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AS ATALANTA REACH SEMIFINALS
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| Mohamed Salah and Liverpool couldn't get the goals they needed to deny Atalanta |
Atalanta progressed to the Europa League semifinals despite losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to move one step closer to a first ever European final for the Serie A side.
Atalanta had stunned the Premier League club 3-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal last week at Anfield, levelling another huge blow to Liverpool's dreams of a fairytale ending in manager Jurgen Klopp's final season.
"We gave ourselves a massive hurdle [in the first leg], but I liked the game a lot for a long time, the commitment, the desire, the power the boys showed was incredible," Klopp told TNT Sports.
"It is mixed emotions. We would have wished that we could have gone to Dublin [for the final], but that hasn't happened.
"We now have one competition left [Premier League] and we will throw ourselves into that completely."
Mohamed Salah and Liverpool couldn't get the goals they needed to deny Atalanta.
Timothy Rogers/Getty Images
Liverpool got off to a quick start in Italy as talisman Mohammed Salah scored from the penalty spot in the seventh minute, fuelling hope that a remarkable comeback was in the making.
But while Klopp's men looked little like the shaky side who were steamrolled by Atalanta at Anfield, particularly in the first half, Gian Piero Gasperini's team held on in what the manager had called the biggest game in the team's history to earn a semi-final place against Olympique de Marseille.
"If you don't win without danger, there's no glory to your triumph," Gasperini said.
"The fans always ask us for the shirt to be soaked in sweat, and that's one thing we must have at a minimum."
Salah had Liverpool's best chance at a second goal when he was sent in one-on-one against goalkeeper Juan Musso, but he chipped the ball well wide.
Later in the first half, Salah almost set up Luis Díaz with a ball over the top into the area, but it hit the arm of Isak Hien. Liverpool screamed for a penalty to no avail, and Diaz was booked for dissent.
"Last week we were very poor and they had a good game," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports. "They deserved to go through because we made it far too difficult for ourselves.
"Tonight was a good game and we showed great fight. It was an improvement but the reality is we are out. We are disappointed to be out of the competition as we really wanted to win it."
Liverpool, who won the League Cup earlier this season, now turn their attention back to the Premier League. They are level on 71 points with second-placed Arsenal and two points behind leaders Manchester City.
They play at Fulham on Sunday in a quick turnaround.
"We won tonight and we kept a clean sheet, so there are so many more positives we can take. Yes, it is a bad feeling to be out so we have to get back up," Van Dijk added.
"We have been through difficult moments all together, so showing maturity and togetherness is the key to this. We need everyone now for the last push in the league."
- Reuters
Thursday 18 April 2024
BUCKEYE NATION MAKES HOT DOG 🌭 HISTORY
Buckeye Nation ate a record 3,113 hot dogs at last night's game vs. Wright State at Bill Davis Stadium!
REAL MADRID BEATS MANCHESTER CITY 4-3 ON PENALTIES TO ADVANCE TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
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| AP Photo |
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Real Madrid weathered the storm, silenced the crowd and ultimately ended Manchester City’s brief hold on the Champions League.
The all-time kings of Europe moved a step closer to a record-extending 15th title in the competition they have dominated after a 4-3 win Wednesday on penalties at Etihad Stadium.
But not before being pushed to the limit by defending champion City.
“I was pretty much dead on my feet at the end,” Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham said. “It’s so difficult. They are continuously probing with the ball and move you around. Most teams would fall apart when City get on top of you, but we stood up really well.”
The game had gone to the uncertainty of a shootout after ending 1-1 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate.
City dominated the chances after going behind to Rodrygo’s goal in the 12th minute, but only had Kevin de Bruyne’s leveler in the 76th to show for its superiority, which included 64% of possession and 18 corners to Madrid’s one through extra time.
That counted for little as Antonio Rudiger struck the decisive spot kick after Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both saw their penalties saved.
“In this competition, that’s the way football happens,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “In other sports, for (these) statistics, we would have won.”
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Guardiola had few complaints. He accepted his team had failed to capitalize against a Madrid team that was forced to defend deep against wave after wave of attack.
Erling Haaland hit the bar with one header in the first half De Bruyne sent an effort sailing over from inside the box in the second.
Madrid dug deep, held on and now faces Bayern Munich in the semifinals after the Germans beat Arsenal 1-0 on Wednesday and 3-2 on aggregate.
“Today it came down to mentality," Bellingham said.
The defeat ended City’s bid to become the first English team to win back-to-back Champions League titles and its pursuit of successive trebles. It is still challenging for the Premier League title and FA Cup.
Victory for Madrid saw the Spanish giant advance to the semifinals for the fourth year in row — denying City the chance to emulate that feat.
“This was about survival,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "Madrid is a club based on always fighting to stay in situations where there seems to be no way out – but we always find a way. By the time the penalty shoot-out came, we were totally convinced we’d go through.”
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| AP Photo |
Ancelotti has already won the Champions League a record four times as a coach — one more than Guardiola — and could extend that record by lifting the trophy for a third time with Madrid.
For Guardiola it is back to the drawing board after watching his team to relinquish the trophy it won for the first time last year and ending his own 12-year wait to triumph again in European club soccer's most demanding competition.
“I have to say thank you to these players from deep in my heart because the way they played. But football is about winning and we didn’t do enough, yet we were exceptional," he said.
This was the third straight season Madrid and City have clashed in the Champions League in what is becoming a classic rivalry. The winner of their meetings going on to win the competition in each of the past two years.
Madrid avenged last year's loss when its defense of the trophy was ended by a 4-0 rout at the hands of City in the semifinals.
England midfielder Bellingham was pivotal to Madrid’s opener with a moment of brilliance to open City up. Collecting a high ball just past the halfway line, he shook off the attention of Rodri with a deft touch to wrong-foot his opponent.
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| AP Photo |
The ball was worked to Vinícius Junior on the right who crossed to Rodrygo, who beat Ederson at the second attempt after his first shot was saved.
That pressure eventually paid off when De Bruyne leveled the game, lifting the ball high into the net after Rudiger could only partially clear a cross from substitute Jeremy Doku.
With no further goals in extra time, the game went to a shootout and City immediately seized the advantage after Julian Alvarez converted his opening penalty and Luka Modric’s effort was saved.
But Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin then saved successive spot kicks from Silva and Kovacic to swing the balance in the visitors’ favor. Silva’s attempt was right down the middle and easily caught chest-high by Lunin.
It came down to Rudiger to take the winning kick that sent Madrid fans wild and City supporters home.
“We suffered a lot tonight because City really put you under the cosh (pressure)," Madrid captain Nacho said. “But we are Real Madrid. We always, always fight until the very end.”
- Job Robson
JOEL EMBIID SCORES 23 POINTS, HAS.THE BIG ASSIST AS 76ERS BEAT HEAT IN PLAY-IN TO EARN NO. 7 SEED
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| AP |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 76ers needed all the improbable tricks they could summon to even have a chance at winning their first play-in game in team history.
Nicolas Batum hit game-shifting 3-pointers. Buddy Hield was in the mix. Even the promise of free chicken nuggets was enough to revive an offense and smother the boos from Philly fans that rained inside the arena.
But in crunch time, the game came down to Joel Embiid. Always Joel Embiid.
With the NBA MVP on the court, the 76ers proved they have a shot at a long postseason run as long as he’s in the lineup.
Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night.
“Lots of booing,” Embiid said, smiling. “We stuck together. It just shows you that I don't play my best, I don't get to my spots the whole game until the fourth quarter, and we still find a way to win.”
The 76ers earned the No. 7 seed and advanced to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
The Heat — who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — host Chicago on Friday night, with the winner getting the No. 8 seed.
Embiid exploded out of a quiet game late in the fourth and carried the Sixers back from 14 down in the second half. Embiid, who missed 43 games this season and finished out on a surgically repaired left knee, was a non-factor as Batum and Hield sparked the 76ers in the second half. Batum had 20 points.
“We won the game because of them,” Embiid said. “Those guys stepped up and we won the game.”
But when the Sixers needed big buckets, who else was there but their big man?
Embiid buried a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 2;33 left in the game for a 93-91 lead that sent a crowd — that had about booed the Sixers out of the building at the half — into a frenzy. After the Sixers blew that lead, Embiid again was clutch with a three-point play for a 96-94 lead.
With the game tied 96-all, Miami's Tyler Herro was whistled for a backcourt violation. Embiid slipped the ball to Oubre under the basket for the bucket, the free throw and a 99-96 lead they would not give up.
The 76ers played this one like it was Game 7 — and with good reason. They like their chances against the upstart Knicks rather than playing for the No. 8 seed and a date with the NBA's best, the Boston Celtics.
That's what Miami faces if it can get out of Friday's game and make the playoffs under this format for the second straight season.
Herro — who hit a 3 in the final second before the 76ers lost the ball out of bounds as time expired — finished with 25 points. Jimmy Butler, perhaps slowed by a first-half knee injury, had 19.
“We will do this the hard way,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That has to be the path right now. We're going to rest up, treat up, rally around each other up, get ready for Friday. Again, embrace these competitive games. It will be competitive in front of our home fans.”
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| AP |
Butler had four steals in the first half, and gutted out two free throws after he slipped and appeared to tweak his right knee, perhaps a reason he scored only two points in the fourth. Butler said he would need an MRI on Thursday.
“It felt like I couldn't do too much, which sucks with the timing of the game and everything,” Butler said. “I hope that I'm fine. I hope that I wake up tomorrow and can still stick-and-move. Right now, I can't stay that's the case.”
The 76ers rallied in the third, fueled perhaps by a free fast-food chicken promotion triggered when the Heat missed consecutive free throws with a nine-point lead.
With the crowd roaring for the first time all night, the Sixers took off — but not behind the usual suspects. Batum — acquired in the James Harden deal with the Clippers — instead hit three 3s in the quarter that edged the Sixers within one possession of a tie game three times. Each time, the 76ers were stymied, none worse then when Embiid was stripped on a drive that could have knotted the game at 68-all. Kevin Love instead buried a 3 and the Heat took a 74-69 lead into the fourth.
After a few quick buckets put them up early, the Sixers caved and seemed downright befuddled by Miami’s zone. The Sixers were passive and could not find a way to dump the ball inside to Embiid -- the 7-footer waving his arm in vain for a ball that never came. And where his help? All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey -- who had three 50-point games this season -- vanished and scored only nine points in the half. He finished with 19.
Philly’s voracious boo birds were heard early, often and never louder than when the oft-maligned Tobias Harris ripped a page out of the 1990s Knicks star Charles Smith's book when he missed four -- four! -- gimmes at the bucket on one possession.
Harris was benched in the final minutes of the game.
They'll need Harris playing close to an All-Star level moving forward. But for a game, Batum and Hield — and a heaping dose of Embiid — were enough for the Sixers.
“Just like we planned it,” a smiling team president Daryl Morey said in the locker room.
- Dan Gelston
NBA BANS JONTAY PORTER AFTER GAMBLING PROBE SHOWS HE SHARED INFORMATION, BET ON GAMES
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| The Canadian Press via AP |
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA on Wednesday after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and wagered on games, even betting on the Raptors to lose.
Porter is the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules. The other was now-former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014, shortly after Silver took office.
In making the announcement, Silver called Porter's actions “blatant.”
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” Silver said.
The investigation started once the league learned from “licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets” about unusual gambling patterns surrounding Porter's performance in a game on March 20 against Sacramento. The league determined that Porter gave a bettor information about his own health status prior that game and said that another individual — known to be an NBA bettor — placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million.
Porter took himself out of that game after less than three minutes, claiming illness, none of his stats meeting the totals set in the parlay. The $80,000 bet was frozen and not paid out, the league said, and the NBA started an investigation not long afterward.
“You don't want this for the kid, you don't want this for our team and we don't want this for our league, that's for sure," Raptors President Masai Ujiri said Wednesday in Toronto, speaking shortly before the NBA announced Porter's ban. “My first reaction is obviously surprise, because none of us, I don't think anybody, saw this coming.”
Later, after the NBA revealed the ban, the Raptors said they are "fully supportive of the league’s decision to ban Jontay Porter from the NBA and are grateful for the swift resolution to this investigation. We will continue to cooperate with all ongoing inquiries.”
The league has partnerships and other relationships with more than two dozen gaming companies, many of whom advertise during NBA games in a variety of ways. Silver himself has been a longtime proponent of legal sports wagering, but the league has very strict rules for players and employees regarding betting.
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| AP |
And what Porter was found to have done was in violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which states: “Any Player who, directly or indirectly, wagers money or anything of value on any game or event in the Association or in the NBA G League shall, on being charged with such wagering, be given an opportunity to answer such charges after due notice, and the decision of the Commissioner shall be final, binding, and conclusive and unappealable.”
Silver cautioned last week that this move was possible, saying what Porter was accused of represented “cardinal sin” in the NBA. Porter has not commented since the investigation began, and never played for the Raptors again — he was listed as out for all of Toronto's games for the remainder of the season citing personal reasons.
The league also determined that Porter — the brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. — placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using someone else's betting account. The bets ranged from $15 to $22,000; the total wagered was $54,094 and generated a payout of $76,059, or net winnings of $21,965.
Those wagers did not involve any game in which Porter played, the NBA said. But three of the wagers were multi-game parlays, including a bet where Porter — who was not playing in the games involved — wagered on the Raptors to lose. All three of those bets lost.
“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players,” Silver said. "Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Porter was on what is called a two-way contract, meaning he could play for both the Raptors and their affiliate in the G League. His salary for this year was around $410,000; had the Raptors signed him to a standard NBA contract next season, as seemed possible, his salary would have exceeded $2 million.
The 24-year-old Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games, including five starts. He also played in 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-21 season.
ESPN first reported the investigation, which it said surrounded Porter’s performance in games on Jan. 26 and March 20. In both games, Porter played briefly before leaving citing injury or illness. Porter played 4 minutes, 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of those games, then 2:43 against Sacramento in the second game.
In both of those games, Porter did not come close to hitting the prop-wager lines for points, rebounds and 3-pointers that bettors could play at some sportsbooks. For example, one set of prop wagers for Porter for the Clippers game was set at 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists; he finished with no points, three rebounds and one assist. For the Kings game, they were around 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds; Porter finished that game with no points and two rebounds.
The league said its probe “remains open and may result in further findings,” and that those findings are being shared with federal prosecutors.
- Tim Reynolds
KIMMICH GOAL SEES BAYERN BEAT ARSENAL TO ENTER SEMIFINAL
Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich powered in a 63rd-minute header to give the Bundesliga side a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday and send them through to the semifinals for the first time in four years with a 3-2 aggregate win.
Germany international Kimmich timed his run into the box perfectly to connect with a Raphael Guerreiro cross and put Bayern, who had earlier hit the woodwork twice from a double chance, in the driving seat following a 2-2 first-leg draw.
The Bavarians, enduring their worse domestic season in more than a decade after failing to win both the Bundesliga title and the German Cup, will next face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the last four.
There was little to separate the two sides in a cautious first half with Bayern threatening early with two shots from striker Harry Kane, who had scored in the first leg.
Arsenal, bidding to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2009, were almost caught on the break in the 23rd minute when Noussair Mazraoui's cutback after a quick turn of pace was palmed wide by David Raya. The Arsenal keeper also blocked a Jamal Musiala shot a minute later as Bayern had a brief spell of pressure in the first half.
The best chance, however, fell to Arsenal in the 32nd with Gabriel Martinelli's first-time shot, after good work from Martin Odegaard, going straight to keeper Manuel Neuer, who set a competition record with his 58th clean sheet.
The hosts went close straight after the restart with Leon Goretzka's header bouncing off the crossbar before Guerreiro hit the post with a shot on the rebound.
But they gradually upped the pressure against a toothless Arsenal and Kimmich charged into the box and drilled his header past Raya.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta made several substitutions but they could not find a way into the German box and had no real scoring chances in the second half with Bayern remaining disciplined and in control of the game.
The defeat caps a disappointing four days for Arteta's team after their Premier League title challenge suffered a blow with their loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Wednesday 17 April 2024
NBA PLAYOFFS 2024: FIRST-ROUND NEWS, SCHEDULE, SCORES AND HIGHLIGHTS
The 2023-24 NBA regular season is complete and the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs is almost here. Expect plenty of drama after a memorable regular season.
The Boston Celtics clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in March and have homecourt advantage through the entire postseason as they look to return to the Finals for the first time since 2022 and hang an NBA championship banner for the first time since 2008. They'll await the results of the play-in tournament to know their first-round opponent, as will the No. 2 seed New York Knicks.
In the West, the defending champion Denver Nuggets are the 2-seed, behind the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and are looking to win the team's first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.
After the play-in tournament, the 16-team NBA playoffs will begin with four games on Saturday and four more on Sunday. Eight teams from each conference will reach the first round and face off in a best-of-7 series to advance. All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are best-of-7, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have homecourt advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary).
We'll have complete coverage of the NBA playoffs all the way through the 2024 NBA Finals, which tip off on June 6 on ABC and the ESPN app.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics (1) vs. TBD (8)
Game 1: Sunday at Boston, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Wednesday, April 24 at Boston, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Saturday April 27 at play-in winner, 6 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Monday April 29 at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday May 1 at Boston
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Boston
New York Knicks (2) vs. TBD (7)
Game 1: Saturday April 20 at New York (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Game 2: Monday at New York, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Thursday April 25 at play-in winner, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at play-in winner, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at New York
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at New York (TNT)
Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Indiana Pacers (6)
Game 1: Sunday at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Tuesday at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 3: Friday April 26 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Indiana, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at Milwaukee
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Indiana
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at Milwaukee (TNT)
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Orlando Magic (5)
Game 1: Saturday at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: Monday at Cleveland, 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 3: Thursday April 25 at Orlando, 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 4: Saturday April 27 at Orlando, 1 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at Cleveland
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at Orlando
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Cleveland
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. TBD
Game 1: Sunday at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Wednesday April 24 at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Saturday April 27 at play-in winner, 3:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Monday April 29 at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday May 1 at Oklahoma City
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Oklahoma City
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Game 1: Saturday at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Monday at Denver, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Thursday April 25 at Los Angeles, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Saturday April 27 at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Monday April 29 at Denver
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Los Angeles
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at Denver (TNT)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) vs. Phoenix Suns (6)
Game 1: Saturday at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: Tuesday at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Friday April 26 at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at Minnesota
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Phoenix
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at Minnesota
LA Clippers (4) vs. Dallas Mavericks (5)
Game 1: Sunday at LA Clippers, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Tuesday at LA Clippers, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Friday April 26 at Dallas, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday May 1 at LA Clippers
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at Dallas
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at LA Clippers
- ESPN
DORTMUND ENDS 'ROLLERCOASTER' DAY IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS
 |
| Borussia Dortmund players celebrate in front of their fans after reaching the Champions League semifinals. Getty Images |
Marcel Sabitzer scored late and set up two goals to send Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League semifinals with a helter-skelter 4-2 win over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.
After losing the first leg of their quarterfinal 2-1 in Madrid, Dortmund had to come from behind twice over two legs to advance 5-4 on aggregate.
Julian Brandt opened the scoring to level the tie before Sabitzer set up Ian Maatsen to give Dortmund a 2-0 lead on the night.
Atlético coach Diego Simeone responded with three changes at the break and they all paid off. A Mats Hummels own goal and goal from substitute Joaquín Correa put the Spanish side back in front on aggregate.
Then Sabitzer set up Niclas Füllkrug in the 71st minute for the Germany forward's first goal after nine scoreless games, and Sabitzer scored himself three minutes later to send Dortmund into the last four.
"That was a rollercoaster, a really great evening," Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said. "It's not always like that for Borussia Dortmund. The last time we were in the semifinals was in 2013. This is a great day for all Borussen."
Dortmund will face Paris Saint-Germain again in the semifinals. PSG progressed to the final four with a 4-1 win at Barcelona. And Dortmund coach Edin Terzic feels his side, who won the Champions League in 1997, are now better prepared to face the French champions, after the Germans lost away and drew at home in the group stage.
"Our first game against them wasn't good. In the second game, we adjusted to them better and were closer to victory. I think we're a better team today than we were against them in the group stage," Terzic said following the win over Atletico.
The final will be played June 1 in London, where Dortmund lost the 2013 final 2-1 to bitter rival Bayern Munich.
Tuesday's win stretched Dortmund's unbeaten run at home in the Champions League to 10 games.
"We were close to tying the game, but they were superior, and when a team is superior they should be congratulated," Simeone said.
Atlético needed goalkeeper Jan Oblak at his best. He denied Brandt, then Karim Adeyemi, before Brandt finally made the breakthrough in the 34th, firing a powerful shot in off Oblak's leg from a difficult angle after eluding former teammate Axel Witsel.
Sabitzer then combined with Maatsen, who surged past two defenders and fired the ball inside the far post in the 39th. It was the Dutch defender's first Champions League goal.
But Atlético only needed four minutes after the break to level the tie when Hummels' attempted clearance of Mario Hermoso's header ended in his own net.
Correa should have scored shortly afterward when he nudged the ball wide. Simeone - dressed sharply in a black suit - flopped to the ground in frustration.
Correa made no mistake in the 64th when he fired in a rebound after his first attempt was blocked.
It put the visitors back in front, but Sabitzer was involved in both goals as Dortmund struck twice in three minutes to send the home fans wild.
"It was a crazy game for the fans and for us. A great game for us, for our fans and for all football fans around the world," Brandt said after receiving his man-of-the-match award.
"It's going to be very serious now against Paris. We played well against them at home in the group stage, but not well away. We want to do better now and, of course, reach the final."
For striker Niclas Fullkrug, who also got on the scoresheet, the Champions League semifinals will be a new experience.
"I've never played at this level before and I'm very proud to be in the semifinals of the Champions League with my team," Fullkrug said. "Things will certainly be different against Paris than in the group stage."
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.
- ESPN News Services
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