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[Meanwhile, at Blackpool, Ben Compton goes to his century-warm applause round the ground as he raises his bat to all corner in a window of bright sunlight.]
The stream cameras are showing surround-sound clouds and the commentators report rising damp. Just what Durham’s were dreaming on. Here come the players and the first over goes to…. Ollie Robinson.
Continue reading...Thunder join Warriors in exclusive NBA company after Finals win over Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Oklahoma City Thunder did something only the Warriors and two other NBA teams have done before.
By winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at Paycom Center, Oklahoma City notched its 84th win (playoffs and regular season combined) of the 2024-25 season, something only three other teams, including Golden State in 2016, have done.
However, the Thunder’s 84th win came with a championship, while the Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games nine years ago after winning 73 games during the regular season, the most in NBA history.
After that heartbreaking 2016 Finals loss, though, Golden State once again climbed the NBA mountaintop and won the championship again in 2017. And again in 2018. And again in 2022.
Maybe a similar dynastic run is in store for the Thunder?
Pierre LeBrun recently revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs and the John Tavares family had contract extension talks, and that the parties are far apart. According to reports, the pending UFA received an offer for a three-year contract with a $4 million average annual value (AAV). The soon-to-be 35-year-old center just played the last year of the seven-year contract with an $11 million cap hit he signed as a free agent back in 2018, when his presence on the free agent market had caused quite a stir.
Back then, Tavares had refused to meet with the Montreal Canadiens to hear their offer, but things might just be different this time around. When the Leafs were eliminated, Tavares was very clear about his desire to come back to Toronto, but this new development might have soured his enthusiasm.
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On Sunday, we discussed the fact that the Canadiens were one of the interested teams in signing free agent Jonathan Toews. Still, they ultimately lost that battle, as the former Chicago Blackhawks captain opted for the Winnipeg Jets instead. If talks break down between Tavares and Toronto, he could be an interesting option to explore for the Canadiens.
He’s two years younger than Toews and just came off a 74-point season. Just like Toews, he was also a captain, although he was stripped of the captaincy in Toronto to give it to Auston Matthews. That was in no way an indictment of his leadership skills, but rather a way to place the team squarely in the franchise’s cornerstone’s hands. Of course, he doesn't have the same winning track record as Toews does however.
The question is, however, what kind of cap hit would Tavares be after, and would he be willing to play for the Leafs’ oldest rivals, the Canadiens? We’ve seen Josh George block a trade from the Canadiens to the Leafs because he was too used to hating the Ontario outfit.
Like Toews would have been, Tavares would be nothing more than a temporary fix to the Canadiens’ center woes, but he would be an excellent placeholder until Michael Hage has had the time to develop and turn pro. In his last four seasons, the Mississauga, Ontario native posted 76, 80, 65, and 74 points, and it’s not hard to imagine him clicking with Ivan Demidov in Montreal.
One can also wonder if the veteran might decide to head south of the border after the salary dispute he had with the Canadian Tax Authorities. However, the case has recently been adjourned. When that happens, such cases often remain dormant. Still, it could have soured Tavares on the already higher taxes in Canada.
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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With the 2025 NHL Draft now less than a week away, the Philadelphia Flyers are continuing their due diligence down at the Gold Star Hockey Development Camp in Florida, which runs until June 26.
As reported by Hockey News Hub, the Flyers, led by GM Danny Briere himself, are watching the camp, which is being held at the Florida Panthers' practice facility in Fort Lauderdale, keeping a close eye on some of the top attending Russian prospects.
Some names at the camp include top goalie prospect Semyon Frolov, defenseman Maxim Agafonov, and winger Alex Zharovsky.
Frolov is beginning to gain some steam as a potential first-round selection, rivaling top North American goalie Joshua Ravensbergen in that regard.
Confirmed in attendance:#LetsGoFlyers GM Daniel Brière, #TimeToHunt Roberto Luongo, #ALLCAPS scout Maxim Mayorov.
— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) June 20, 2025
Each team has at least one representative at this event. https://t.co/FA5OIcxJ2F
Both Frolov and Zharovsky, an uber-skilled inverted right winger with a prototypical 6-foot-1 frame, were on my list of Russian prospects who could complement star Flyers sophomore Matvei Michkov (and potentially Maxim Shabanov, too).
All 32 NHL teams are said to be taking in Gold Star's camp ahead of the draft, though other notable names in league with Briere include the Panthers' Roberto Luongo and Washington Capitals scout Maxim Mayorov.
This camp, led by former NHLer Sergei Samsonov (a former teammate of Brad Shaw's), will put the potential Flyers draft picks through some drills and skills training in front of the attending teams in addition to some gym work at BARWIS Sports Performance Academy.
Of note: agent Dan Milstein, the leader of the Gold Star Hockey operation, represents Flyers prospects Nikita Grebenkin and Aleksei Kolosov, as well as former Flyers forward Andrei Kuzmenko.
Tyrese Haliburton sustained torn Achilles in Pacers' Game 7 loss: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Indiana Pacers’ worst fears were realized a day after they lost out on an NBA championship.
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in the Pacers’ Game 7 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday night, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Haliburton had suffered a calf injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals but played in the Pacers’ Game 6 win in Indiana on Thursday. He opened Game 7 with nine points on three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes before falling to the floor with a leg injury. He was helped off the court and later ruled out for the rest of the decisive Game 7, which the Thunder went on to win 103-91.
The Pacers initially ruled it a “right lower leg injury,” but the diagnosis of a torn Achilles was the expected result.
Haliburton is one of several NBA stars to suffer a torn Achilles in the 2025 playoffs. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum sustained one in the second round against the New York Knicks, while Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard sustained one in the first round against the Pacers.
It can take more than a full year for a player to recover from a torn Achilles, putting Haliburton’s status for the 2025-26 season in jeopardy.
Haliburton’s injury drew immediate comparisons to Kevin Durant, who tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors after dealing with a calf injury of his own. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 NBA season and returned to the floor to start the 2020-21 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets, ultimately waiting 18 months between games.
Giants notes: Why Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks weren't with Red Sox this weekend originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — The Red Sox expect Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks to help them this season, but when they spent a weekend at Oracle Park, the only former Giant who could impact the three-game series was the man who will coach both men. Former Giants pitching coach Andrew Bailey now holds the same position in Boston.
Harrison was optioned to Triple-A after the Rafael Devers trade was made, and Hicks was on the IL at the time. That’s still the case for the right-hander, who went down with toe inflammation on June 3. Hicks made a rehab appearance in Triple-A on Sunday and could be activated when the Red Sox return to Fenway Park this weekend.
Hicks signed with the Giants to be a starter and still would like to have that role in the big leagues. But manager Alex Cora said the Red Sox plan to use him as a reliever.
“It’s another good arm that we’re going to have in the bullpen,” he said. “The bullpen the last month and a half has been amazing, and I think he’s going to fit right in and he’s going to help us win ball games.”
When Hicks is activated, the Red Sox will have the hardest-throwing bullpen duo in MLB history. In the pitch-tracking era, Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman and Hicks rank one-two in pitches thrown at least 103 mph. Chapman has hit triple-digits 109 times this year, while Hicks did it 28 times before getting hurt.
Harrison was regularly back up to 96-97 mph before the trade, but he hasn’t pitched for the Red Sox organization yet. He threw a bullpen session in Worcester, Mass. on Wednesday to work on some tweaks the Red Sox would like to see. Harrison has been working on a sinker and cutter to complement his four-seamer and tested them out in a live BP session Saturday that was watched by head of baseball operations Craig Breslow. The expectation is that Harrison will join the big-league club at some point next month.
“We expect big things out of him, just like (the Giants) did,” Cora said. “It’s a special fastball. We saw it last year at one point. We’re excited about that.”
Justin Verlander went on paternity leave Friday so he could fly back to Florida and join wife Kate Upton for the birth of their second child, a son named Bellamy Brooks Verlander. Manager Bob Melvin said Verlander will be back in time to start Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
Verlander came off the IL last Wednesday and gave up four runs — three earned — in 4 2/3 innings, and he said afterward that he was frustrated with his inconsistency in that outing. The active wins leader still is looking for his first with the Giants, and they’ll need him to find his form. They’ve lost some rotation depth over the past week.
Now that Boston reporters are gone and Rafael Devers is through a full week with the Giants, Melvin probably won’t have to answer the “when will Devers play first” question every day. That’s good, because it’s going to be a while.
Devers has been nursing minor groin tightness, something he was playing through before the trade. The Giants don’t want to push him too hard defensively until he’s fully healthy, because the bat is too important to their hopes.
“Stretching over at first is maybe not the most comfortable thing for him,” Melvin said. “Obviously we want to keep him healthy, too, while learning the position.”
The groin issue doesn’t seem to be bothering Devers at all. He scored from first on Heliot Ramos’ double Sunday and recorded a sprint speed of 27.7 feet per second, which is considered slightly above average.
Devers is the only Giant who is anywhere near the top of his position in All-Star voting, but he’s also about 1.4 million votes behind Shohei Ohtani at DH, even with the carryover from his time on the American League ballot. The only other Giants to make the top 10 at their position are Matt Chapman (eighth) and Wilmer Flores (ninth at first base). It’s particularly grim in the outfield, where Heliot Ramos, an All-Star last year, ranks 19th among outfielders, four spots behind Michael Conforto, who is hitting .165 for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Finalists will be announced on Thursday, with Phase 2 of voting beginning next week. The All-Star starters will be announced on July 2 and the full rosters will be revealed July 6.
From Haliburton's injury to KD trade, how NBA's wild Sunday impacts Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics’ 370-day reign as NBA champions ended Sunday. But even before the Oklahoma City Thunder outlasted the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals, the NBA delivered an absolutely head-spinning final day that will have lasting repercussions on the league as a whole.
The Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant in hopes of chasing the new champs. The Pacers lost Tyrese Hailburton to an Achilles injury that potentially could sideline him for the entirety of the 2025-26 season.
How did the NBA’s wild day impact the Celtics? Let’s digest it all:
You can’t help but feel for the Pacers. Not only did they endure a stomach punch of a Game 7 loss to the Thunder — a close game that got ripped open in the second half as Indy struggled with ball security in Haliburton’s absence — but the injury to their star guard now complicates their path to getting back to the championship stage.
In the span of less than two months, Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard all suffered Achilles injuries. The Pacers, Bucks, and Celtics have represented the Eastern Conference in four of the last five NBA Finals. If the conference felt wide open before Game 7, it feels especially outstretched as we wait for the league calendar to officially flip.
Every single playoff qualifier in the East last season should feel like it can win the conference next season. Some of that confidence will hinge on how rosters shake out this summer, but even the trio of teams that lost their stars to Achilles injuries can still compete given the state of the conference.
The Magic already loaded up with the addition of Desmond Bane. The Pistons still have room for a big swing. The Cavaliers are smarting from an early exit after dominating the conference. The Knicks still need a coach but are coming off the deep trek to the East Finals.
The East could be a lot of fun next season despite some star absences.
The Rockets acquired 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and five second-round picks.
On one hand, it’s a solid haul for a soon-to-be 37-year-old player who hasn’t been out of the second round of the playoffs since Golden State won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. But Houston maintained much of its core and is positioned to build off last year’s No. 2 finish in the West.
The big takeaways from a Celtics perspective:
The Thunder are NBA champions. Massachusetts can take a small piece of the credit given all the local ties to the Thunder brain trust in general manager Sam Presti (Concord), assistant GM Rob Hennigan (Worcester), and head coach Mark Daigneault (Leominster).
The bigger concern for the Celtics, and the rest of the NBA, is how OKC is set up for a sustained run as a title threat. As teams scramble to cut money and get their finances in order, the Thunder have the assets and financial flexibility to continue adding to their title squad. Or they can just ride it out with the current core, which should only get better with time.
Of course, the last couple months have proven that injuries are the ultimate wild card to any NBA season. No year goes exactly to script. The Celtics were supposed to be on the title stage at the end of the 2024-25 season, but things changed in a hurry.
Still, as teams start building their rosters for the new season, all moves are pondered against the backdrop of how teams can compete with the Thunder moving forward.
Sharks to host free 2025 NHL Draft viewing party at SAP Center on June 27 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It’s almost that time, Sharks fans.
With San Jose set to make nine selections in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, Team Teal enthusiasts will have a chance to watch the Sharks make their two first-round picks, at Nos. 2 and 30, at SAP Center on Friday, June 27.
The team is hosting its third annual NHL draft viewing party at its home arena, providing Sharks fans and the community with a place to celebrate and watch the big night, free of charge. Event tickets are complimentary, and those who attend will be able to watch the draft’s first round on the SAP Center center-hung video board.
Here was the scene at last year’s draft viewing party after the Sharks selected Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 overall pick.
The event will be hosted by Sharks in-arena personalities Emily Harlan and Danny Miller. Fans also will be able to take part in a meet and greet with NBC Sports California’s Alan Hoshida, host of Sharks Pre and Postgame Live, with a photo op at the news desk for the show. Other festivities at the draft viewing party include:
Sharks alumni players, including Scott Hannan, Dan Boyle, and Tom Pederson, are expected at the event, and the Sharks Audio Network will stream audio live from SAP Center starting at 3:30 p.m. PT throughout SAP Center for fans to enjoy.
Doors for the viewing party will open at 3 p.m. PT for Sharks365 members and 3:15 p.m. for the general public. Fans who would like to attend the draft viewing party must claim their free tickets by clicking HERE. Close to 10,000 tickets already have been issued, per the Sharks, with a limited number of tickets remaining. Last year, more than 8,000 fans attended the Sharks draft viewing party.
Bruins trade targets: Four top-six forwards B's should consider pursuing originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins will not be a true contender again until they fix their offense.
There were a lot of reasons for Boston’s lackluster 2024-25 season in which it failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The goaltending was subpar. The penalty kill was uncharacteristically bad. The team struggled defensively.
But a lack of scoring, especially on the power play, is what really doomed the Bruins. They were one of the worst offensive teams in the sport. The only reliable scorers were David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.
If you watched the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final in particular, you know that without enough high-end offensive talent, it’s extremely difficult to win a championship.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers combined to score 45 goals in the Cup Final (7.5 per game). The Panthers averaged 4.1 goals per game in the playoffs overall — the second-highest average for a Cup champion in the last 15 years. Scoring is up, and the Bruins need to keep pace.
So, how do the Bruins add much-needed goal scorers to their roster before next season? Free agency is one option, but the 2025 class isn’t super deep. Only one player who’s able to become an unrestricted free agent this summer — 34-year-old John Tavares — scored more than 27 goals this past season.
The trade market is perhaps the best place for the Bruins to make immediate upgrades.
After taking a sledgehammer to his roster at the trade deadline in March, B’s general manager Don Sweeney now has a lot of assets to use to make deals. Those assets include five first-round picks and four second-round picks over the next three drafts, as well as some talented prospects.
Which players should the B’s target via trade? Let’s look at four players worth considering.
2024-25 stats: 35 G, 45 A in 82 games
Contract: Signed through 2025-26, $7.5 million salary cap hit
The Stars are in a tough salary cap situation. They just traded a very good forward in Mason Marchment to the Kraken for third- and fourth-round picks. If the Stars choose to free up more cap space, would Robertson be available?
“The Stars aren’t actively shopping him but are listening on him to educate themselves on the market and what teams might be willing to do at some point,” The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Saturday.
It also doesn’t sound like the Stars are in a rush to do something.
“The market interest is already pretty robust for Robertson, as it should be,” LeBrun added. “Either way, though, I don’t see a quick resolution in the coming week or two. This is a slow-play situation where he’s either extended by the end of the summer or traded in August.”
Robertson would be a perfect addition to the Bruins lineup. He is a tremendous goal scorer and would take a lot of pressure off Pastrnak. Robertson scored 35 goals last season, and he has averaged 37.8 goals over the last four years. He scored 41 goals in 2021-22 and 46 in 2022-23. He also is quite durable, having not missed a game since 2022.
Robertson is entering the final year of his contract, and a long-term deal would be expensive. But 25-year-old forwards who consistently score 30-plus goals are tough to develop and acquire.
2024-25 stats: 27 G, 56 A in 79 games
Contract: Signed through 2025-26, $6.5 million salary cap hit
Necas took his offensive production to a new level in 2024-25, setting career highs with 56 assists and 83 points in 79 games between the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. He also scored 27 goals — one short of his career-high set in 2022-23.
Necas has averaged 26.3 goals over the last three seasons, and he’s a very good playmaker on the wing. He’s also one of the fastest players in the league, and the Bruins definitely need to play with more pace next season.
His zone entries are elite as well, and that’s an area that new Bruins head coach Marco Sturm mentioned in his introductory press conference where Boston must improve.
Necas is also just 26 years old, so he would fit the age timeline of the Bruins’ core players. He also is from Czechia and has played quite a bit with Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha during international tournaments, including a gold medal triumph at the IIHF World Championship in 2024.
Necas is able to become a UFA next summer. If the Avalanche aren’t able to reach an extension with Necas, would they move him at some point? The Bruins should at least give Colorado a call.
2024-25 stats: 15 G, 30 A in 64 GP
Contract: Signed through 2031-32, $11.6 million salary cap hit
The strongest argument against trading for Pettersson is his contract. He is signed for the next seven seasons with a $11.6 million cap hit. That’s a huge salary and one that wouldn’t be super easy for the Bruins to absorb.
On the flip side, No. 1 centers are very tough to find, and Pettersson is supremely talented.
The 2024-25 season was a tough one for the Canucks and many of their players. A reported feud between Pettersson and J.T. Miller resulted in the latter being dealt to the New York Rangers during the season. The situation seemed to affect Pettersson, who saw his production drop from 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games in 2023-24 to just 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 64 games last season.
However, Pettersson is in the prime of his career at 26 years old. He has three seasons of 80-plus points, including a career-high 102 during the 2022-23 campaign. He’s great on the power play and has elite playmaking talent.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to at least contact Vancouver and see what the price might be.
2024-25 stats: 24 G, 36 A in 82 GP
Contract: RFA on July 1
Rossi just had the best season of his career, setting personal bets in goals, assists, points, power-play points and time on ice. The No. 9 overall pick from the 2020 draft can become a restricted free agent in July. He did benefit from playing alongside star wing Kirill Kaprizov for much of the 2024-25 season, but he clearly has impressive offensive talent.
So far, the Wild and Rossi haven’t been able to agree on an extension. The Athletic’s Michael Russo recently reported that Rossi “had been looking for a long-term deal in the Matt Boldy range ($7 million) — an area the Wild have so far shown no appetite to go near.”
The Vancouver Canucks have offered the Wild the No. 15 pick in next week’s NHL Draft, plus a player, in exchange for Rossi, per Patrick Johnston of The Province. Should the Bruins match that offer?
It’s definitely worth considering. Rossi is a 23-year-old center who has scored 21-plus goals each of the last two seasons and should have his best years still ahead of him. And the Bruins very much need centers with top-six talent.
Mike Dunleavy and the Golden State Warriors would love to find a young, reliable shooter in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Casey Schmitt making case to stay in Giants' lineup after Matt Chapman returns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Two years and one month ago, when Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers still were in the American League East, there was a stretch of games that seemed to indicate the Giants might not have a need at third base for the rest of the decade.
Casey Schmitt arrived as a shortstop in May 2023, but only because Brandon Crawford was on the IL at the time. He was one of the best defensive third basemen in the minors, and when he hit the ground running, it looked like the Giants might have a homegrown player at the hot corner for years to come.
During that first week in the big leagues, Schmitt showed off the entire arsenal. He became the first Giant since Willie McCovey to record eight hits in his first three games. Two of them were homers, including a 443-foot blast that left the bat at 111.6 mph. Even his sprint speeds were high.
Schmitt looked like a future star. When a prominent prospect-ranking site moved him to the back end of their top 100, team officials joked that it was a sly way to cover for Schmitt not getting as much publicity as he should have in the minors.
The two years since that eye-opening first week have been uneven, but Schmitt appears to have rediscovered that form, and the timing couldn’t be better for the Giants.
In Sunday’s 9-5 win over the Boston Red Sox, Schmitt had four hits for the first time since his third big-league game. His homer screamed out of the yard at 111.6 mph. It was his hardest-hit ball since that loud home run at Chase Field two years ago.
Since taking over for the injured Chapman at third 12 games ago, Schmitt has a .415 average, 1.210 OPS and four homers.
“It’s been great to see,” manager Bob Melvin said Sunday. “He’s hitting the ball the other way, pulling the ball — he gets into a 3-1 count (today) and he’s looking for a fastball and he does some damage with it to the pull side. He’s seeing the ball really well right now. He’s gotten an opportunity to play.”
Schmitt has given the Giants more than they ever could have expected as a Chapman fill-in, but also another option at a time when they might otherwise be forced to look externally for help at second base.
Tyler Fitzgerald’s slump has dropped his OPS to .609, and he has just two homers one season after putting his name in the record books with a stunning second-half power display. Christian Koss has struggled in his opportunities, and overall, the Giants rank 27th in OPS from their second basemen.
The staff still has plenty of belief in Fitzgerald’s talent, and he ranks among the league leaders in Defensive Runs Saved, but they need more offensive production out of the position and Schmitt looks poised to be a good option once he’s no longer needed at third base. Chapman took the splint off his sprained right hand on Friday, and he’s hopeful that he can return to the lineup in about two weeks. The staff is a bit more cautious, but the rehab process has gone well so far.
A lot can happen in two weeks, but there are reasons to believe that this version of Schmitt will have more staying power. Two years ago, the league adjusted quickly, taking advantage of a young player who swung at everything.
Schmitt still is striking out at a high clip, but he has doubled his walk rate and cut his chase by about 10 percent. When that came up on Sunday’s “Giants Postgame Live,” Schmitt smiled.
“Who would have thought, right?” he said.
“It’s just grinding, to be honest with you. I know it was a big problem,” he continued. “I feel like last year I took a better step forward working on it, and this year I wanted to make sure I continue to work on it. It’s just working with (the hitting coaches) and just trying to swing at good pitches and go up there and not try to do too much and not worry about my swing.
“I would try and do a little too much and tinker too much and now it’s just, I’m going up there with what I’ve got and I’m going out there and competing.”
With Sunday’s big game, Schmitt’s average is up to .286 and his OPS is .831, which ranks third on the team behind Devers and Heliot Ramos. The latter was the breakout star last season, and the Giants will be in much better shape for a second half run if Schmitt can become this year’s version. They also will be a lot more comfortable at the trade deadline next month.
After acquiring Devers, the front office doesn’t expect to be able to add salary at the deadline. Perhaps Buster Posey can convince ownership to keep stretching, but the Giants also are short on young assets after trading Kyle Harrison and James Tibbs. If they do decide to part with more prospects, they’d probably be better served using them on starting pitching depth or another right-handed bat for the outfield rather than on a second baseman.
Schmitt hasn’t started a game at second base this season, but he made 29 starts there the previous two years. If he keeps hitting like this, there could be a lot of time on that side of the diamond once Chapman returns.
“Whatever the team needs me to do, that’s what I’m going to do,” he said Sunday. “That’s always been my motto.”
Bach’s successor is already making a positive impression but will need all her resolve at mammoth organisation
A new day has broken, has it not? For several reasons, Tony Blair’s 1997 election victory speech comes to mind on what will be a historic and symbolic day for sport. Because in Lausanne on Monday, after plenty of handshakes and platitudes, the 41-year-old Kirsty Coventry will become the first female and first African president of the International Olympic Committee in its 131-year-old history.
It has been, by any measure, a dizzying ascent. In 2016, Coventry stepped out of an Olympic pool for the final time in Rio. Now, nine years later, she is the most powerful person in sport. Yet as she takes charge, there are some who suspect that the new dawn will look rather like the old one – and that her predecessor, Thomas Bach, and his administration, will remain puppet masters behind the throne.
Continue reading...Australian batting star Travis Head is confident Josh Inglis will “excel” with a prolonged run in Test cricket as the tourists prepare for an unknown wicket after rain wreaked havoc on Sunday ahead of the first clash with the West Indies.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander understood the assignment of Game 7.
"Those are the minutes, those are the moments when the best players, the biggest stars, the superstars, Hall of Fame players, make their name. I want to have that name, I want to have those titles attached to my name," he said.
Haliburton excelled under the brightest of lights: 29 points and a career-playoff-high 12 assists in Game 7, leading the Thunder to a 103-91 win and the team’s first championship in the city. He controlled and orchestrated the game in a masterclass performance, and with that, he was the unanimous NBA Finals MVP.
SGA = NBA FINALS MVP
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
⛈️ 30.3 PPG
⛈️ 4.6 RPG
⛈️ 5.6 APG
⛈️ 1.9 SPG
⛈️ 1.6 BPG@shaiglalex's special 7-game series lifts the Thunder to their first title in the OKC era! pic.twitter.com/kuMT7qxvdY
Gilgeous-Alexander's list of accomplishments in these Finals and throughout this season is historic:
• He is only the fifth player with 25+ points, 5+ rebounds and 10+ assists in Game 7 of the NBA Finals (Jerry West, Walt Frazier, James Worthy and LeBron James).
• First player to be named the regular-season regular season MVP and Finals MVP in the same season since LeBron James in 2012-13.
• First player to earn regular-season MVP and win the NBA championship in the same season since Stephen Curry in 2014-15.
• First player to win the NBA scoring title and the NBA championship in the same season since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-00.
• Fourth player to win the NBA scoring title and be named the regular-season MVP and the Finals MVP in the same season (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan — four times — and Shaquille O'Neal).
"Yeah, it's hard to believe that I'm part of that group. It's hard to even fathom that I'm that type of basketball player sometimes," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "As a kid, you dream. Every kid dreams. But you don't ever really know if it's going to come true. I'm just glad and happy that my dreams have been able to come true. That's a "thank you" to everyone that's been in my corner that helped me get there."
His teammates were in awe.
"At the end of the day that's going to go down in history as one of the greatest seasons that's ever been had by a player," Chet Holmgren said. "It's amazing to be a part of that, to witness somebody going through it, succeeding in so many different ways He really makes it a joy to be around. It's never about him. It's always about us. It's always about winning. His talent shines through all of that. We saw that all year. He's a hell of a basketball player, but he's an even better person."
"I think he has a unique mindset. I think he gives us a lot of confidence," Isaiah Hartenstein said of SGA. "Like we say all season, he's always zero and zero. I don't think he ever gets too high, too low. A great leader on and off the court. He also puts the work in. If you see him on a daily basis, the work he puts in on and off the court, the way he leads. I've been with a lot of players, a lot of superstars, but just how ego-less he is really makes him special."
That 0-0 always mindset — which his teammates tease him about at times — has carried him to one of the great individual seasons in NBA history. And it earned him the NBA Finals MVP and a ring.
Luis Torrens became the Mets' everyday catcher Sunday when New York optionedFrancisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse.
Manager Carlos Mendoza cited a lack of consistency when he explained the Mets' move for the 23-year-old, which makes Torrens the unquestioned starter.
"I'm going to continue to do my job the way that I've been doing it," Torrens said through an interpreter after Sunday's 7-1 loss at the Philadelphia Phillies.
"I'm going to prepare as if I'm in the lineup, day in and day out, and try to help the team win games."
Torrens, 29, is slashing .227/.303/.336 with one home run and 13 RBI through 46 games this season. His defense has been a strength and is something that he takes pride in.
"I feel like that's something I've been working on since the offseason, and to be able to put those into action with games, it feels good, and that's what we work for," Torrens said through an interpreter.
An 0-for-3 Sunday followed a 2-for-4 Friday in which he was a bright spot during the Mets' 10-2 loss, and Torrens hopes that the lineup consistency will keep his offense trending up.
"Yeah, I expect so," Torrens said through an interpreter.
