Aspinall beats Dobey 6-1 in final to boost playoff chances
Littler’s win against Humphries enough for No 1 seeding
Nathan Aspinall beat Chris Dobey 6-1 to take victory on night 15 of the Premier League in Aberdeen and close in on the playoffs, while Gerwyn Price earlier hit a nine-dart finish and Luke Littler made sure of top spot at the O2.
Aspinall – who coasted past Stephen Bunting 6-1 in the semi-finals – built on a couple of early breaks over Dobey to establish a solid lead. After Dobey, who knocked Littler out to reach the final, lost his throw again in the sixth leg, he then missed two more darts at a double in the next as Aspinall came back to land double 10.
Goodbyes to Goodison and Vardy, Palace and City brace for Wembley and the return of Kai Havertz
Aston Villa could not conceal their anger after their game at home to Tottenham was brought forward 48 hours. Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, said shifting the game from Sunday to Friday was “clear prejudice” against the club and Villa objected to Spurs’s request for it to be moved to aid their preparations for Wednesday’s Europa League final. Villa were also privately perplexed at Bournemouth’s game with Manchester City being rearranged for Tuesday, after Saturday’s FA Cup final, which is guaranteed to have implications on whether eighth place qualifies for the Europa Conference League. The flipside to all of this is Villa can get on the front foot, kicking off 45 minutes before Chelsea entertain Manchester United and two days before Nottingham Forest head to West Ham and Arsenal host Newcastle. Victory for Villa could hoist them as high as fourth before a final-day trip to Old Trafford and, psychologically, that could prove a knockout blow. Ben Fisher
Aston Villa v Tottenham, Premier League, Friday 7.30pm (all times BST)
Chelsea v Manchester United, Premier League, Friday 8.15pm
Crystal Palace v Manchester City, FA Cup final, Saturday 4.30pm
Highly touted prospect Alexander Nikishin is set to make his NHL debut tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 against the Washington Capitals.
Defenseman Jalen Chatfield will miss tonight's game due to a lower-body injury.
Nikishin, 23, had long been considered one of the best prospects outside of the NHL, setting records and dominating the KHL.
The defenseman will have the chance to prove himself in a high-pressure situation as the Canes look to close out their second-round series in Washington.
The 2020 third-round pick is a towering figure and has all the tools to be successful.
Being paired alongside Dmitry Orlov should also help given the language barrier.
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As the postseason moves along, it seems as though the San Jose Sharks are focusing on getting some of their own things done this offseason as they look to improve on what was a rough 2024-25 campaign. In a recent report, it seems as though they will be signing Yegor Afanasyev for the 2025-26 season.
Per Artur Khairullin, Yegor Afanasyev will sign with @SanJoseSharks for the 2025-26 season. His KHL contract was mutually terminated with CSKA.
Afanasyev, who is 24 years old, was acquired from the Nashville Predators in June of 2024, but signed in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) after becoming a restricted free agent (RFA). This season with CSKA Moskva, he scored seven goals and added 14 assists for 21 points through 53 games.
Afanasyev was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators at 45th overall after a strong showing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he had 62 points in 58 games.
For the 2019-20 season, he joined the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he scored 31 goals and added 36 assists for 67 points through 62 games. He made the jump to the professional level in the 2021-22 season.
Through 19 games in the NHL over two seasons, he has one goal. Through 187 games in the American Hockey League (AHL), he scored 52 goals and added 61 assists for 113 points, which comes out to a 0.60 points-per-game average.
There aren't any details on what a contract looks like for next season, but if the report is accurate, details should come out on his new contract soon.
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
The Philadelphia 76ers own the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft after lottery luck, but what to do with it has already sparked a heated debate among the fan base. The name at the center of it? Ace Bailey, the 6-foot-9 athletic marvel with tantalizing upside but uneven production at Rutgers.
Kevin O’Connor didn’t mince words on the latest episode of "The Kevin O'Connor Show" with ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, suggesting Bailey is “most likely to bust of the top five guys.” But Givony shot down the skepticism. “Absolutely not. I love Ace Bailey,” Givony said, even after acknowledging valid questions about Bailey’s track record. Givony stressed Bailey’s maturity, competitiveness and game-changing potential: “He’s 18 years old, doesn’t turn 19 until August. … I firmly believe Ace Bailey is going to be a star in the NBA.”
Bailey’s case feels eerily similar to past draft debates — upside versus college-winner credentials. Detractors say, “He couldn’t help Rutgers win, how is he going to help win games in the NBA?” But Givony has spent time at Rutgers, at Team USA camps and describes a player and person who checks all the right boxes for long-term success.
The Sixers’ current options at No. 3 aren’t jaw-dropping, as both host and guest agree. “VJ Edgecombe? How does that make sense with [Tyrese] Maxey and [Jared] McCain?” asks Givony. For a team that’s always looking for the next Joel Embiid running mate, Givony urges Bailey: “I’m 100% drafting him third.”
Pereda allowed four hits, three earned runs and one walk in one inning pitched, but the strikeout of Ohtani outweighs all of that.
“I know it’s something he’ll remember for the rest of his career, for sure,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game.
Long before Pereda struck out the reigning NL MVP, the Athletics jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Shea Langeliers RBI double in the first inning.
But the Dodgers pummeled Athletics starter Osvaldo Bido and reliever Jason Alexander, tagging the duo for 15 earned runs in the first four innings.
While Ohtani struck out in his final at-bat, he stole the show earlier in the game, crushing two homers and driving in six runs on his bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani and the Dodgers won the war, but Pereda won the battle, and the Athletics catcher never will forget the moment.
Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. made his Double-A debut on Thursday evening and had a successful start with Somerset.
The No. 44 overall prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went 1-for-2 with two walks against the Portland Sea Dogs. The lone hit came in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first. Leading off for the Somerset Patriots, Lombard Jr. took a 1-1 in the middle of the plate and slapped it into right field. The 19-year-old hit the ball at 103 mph off the bat.
Lombard Jr. was promoted last week after demolishing High-A pitching earlier this season. In 24 games in that level, Lombard Jr. slashed .329/.495/.488 with a .983 OPS with one home run, eight doubles and one triple. He also stole 11 bases in 13 tries.
He played one game at third base in High-A with the bulk of his starts at shortstop. That's where he played in his Double-A debut on Thursday, just in case Yankees fans are hoping a promotion to the big leagues to play third was an option this season.
Lombard Jr. was drafted in the first round (No. 26 overall) in the 2023 draft and the Yankees have high hopes for the young infielder. After playing in just nine spring training games last year, Lombard Jr. got to see the field in 14 this season. In that time, he went 6-for-26 (.231) while smashing two home runs and stealing one base in two tries.
"Great head on his shoulders; loves the game, great work ethic, smart heady player," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when Lombard Jr was promoted to Double-A. "Over the two years, you've seen him slowly turning into a man and [a] big physical presence.
''The ease with which he can make plays and moves in the field, he's starting to impact the ball more, doing a good job so far of controlling the strike zone -- George is someone we're super excited about. ... He certainly earned that next step up to Somerset. I'm excited for him and the start he's off to. He's got special makeup."
George Lombard Jr. picks up his first hit at TD Bank Ballpark!
Two years ago, former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in the second round on their way to their first Stanley Cup championship, but history did not repeat itself in the second-round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the Oilers turned the tables on Vegas and eliminated them in five games with a 1-0 overtime victory in Game 5.
Kasperi Kapanen scored at 7:19 of the extra frame to give Edmonton the win and advance them to their second straight Western Conference Final to face the winner of the Winnipeg-Dallas series, in which the Stars lead 3-1. Eichel led the Golden Knights in scoring with 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists) in 11 games, while ex-Sabre Victor Olofsson finished his first post-season appearance with four points (2 goals, 2 assists), and Brayden McNabb had four assists in 11 games.
The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers will square off in a Western Conference Final rematch in the 2025 NHL playoffs, while the defending champion Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes meet in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years.
The Oilers, last year’s Stanley Cup runners-up, are also eyeing a return trip to the Cup Final in search of the franchise’s first championship since 1990. Connor McDavid and Co. dropped their first two games of this postseason, but have only suffered one loss since.
The Oilers, last year’s Stanley Cup runners-up, are back in the Western Conference Final as they eye the franchise’s first championship since 1990. Connor McDavid and Co. dropped their first two games of this postseason, but have only suffered one loss since.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are making their second Eastern Conference Final appearance in three years. Carolina, the Metro Division’s No. 2 seed, needed just five games to bounce both the No. 3 New Jersey Devils and the East-leading Washington Capitals. Frederik Andersen has been stellar between the pipes for Carolina, boasting a 1.36 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage in nine playoff starts.
So, when will the conference finals start and who has home-ice advantage? Here’s what to know:
When do the NHL Eastern, Western Conference Finals start?
The NHL hasn’t yet announced when the conference finals will get underway. This story will be updated as schedule details emerge.
For what it’s worth, the final second-round game that’s currently scheduled is a possible Game 7 between the Jets and Stars on Monday, May 19.
What are the NHL Eastern, Western Conference Final matchups?
Eastern Conference Final: Carolina Hurricanes vs. winner of Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. winner of Dallas Stars-Winnipeg Jets
Who has home-ice advantage in the Eastern, Western Conference Finals?
The team with the superior regular-season record gets home-ice advantage in the conference final round.
The Oilers won’t have home-ice regardless of opponent, as both the Jets and Stars finished ahead of them in the standings. The Hurricanes will have home-ice advantage if they face the Panthers, but will start the conference final on the road should they see the Leafs.
Cricket West Indies have urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to give Caribbean nations a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games and avoid the region being “shut-out of history”.
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react to the midweek slate of MLS fixtures including another bad defensive performance from Inter Miami! Christian and Alexis then chat with MLS reporter & analyst Michele Giannone ahead of the Hudson River Derby between NYCFC and New York Red Bulls. Later, Christian and Alexis react to Ashlyn Harris’ latest podcast appearance on another edition of Run that Back.
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler didn’t live up to his “Playoff Jimmy” moniker in Golden State’s final two losses of its Western Conference semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Butler, under the weather during Games 4 and 5, attempted 20 combined shots and scored 31 total points, well below what was expected from the six-time NBA All-Star.
With Steph Curry moving closer to returning, the Warriors needed to win just one game to extend the series long enough for the 37-year-old to have a chance to play in Game 6.
But Butler wasn’t able to put the Warriors on his back. His performances on Monday and Wednesday were criticized by a pair of ESPN analysts on Thursday morning.
“You weren’t asked to win the war. You were asked to hold the damn line,” Jay Williams said on “Get Up” on Thursday. “Right? For one game. One game. Not two games. Not three games. Just one game. Give the sun in your solar system a chance to rise again for Game 6. That sun is Steph Curry. And what we came off last game, where he took nine shots, the fact that Jimmy Butler only took 11 shots when you needed him … the most in this game, it’s shocking to me. It’s shocking to me.
“It’s the biggest question I have from this series. This is a guy who is going to get paid $120 million over the next two years. $120 million. Took only 11 shots. Now, I know the game got away. But [Udonis Haslem], you’re going to swing. If you’re going to go out, you’re going to go out swinging, not taking two more shots than the nine shots you took in the game you didn’t come out for [two nights] before.”
.@RealJayWilliams sounds off on Jimmy Butler's performance after the Warriors' loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5.
While Stephen A. Smith believes the Warriors’ trade for Butler lived up to expectations, he echoed Williams’ sentiments, though in a more toned-down manner.
“When Butler first arrived in Golden State, a lot of us didn’t think much of it because we said, ‘How does this really pair with seeing a guy like Steph with a guy like Klay [Thompson]? How does this mesh? How does this work exactly?’ And then they were playing lights out together and so we got our hopes up. But then it came crashing down once Steph hurt his hamstring. And it is what it is.
“Here’s what makes this look bad. Butler obviously forced his way out of Miami. We know you didn’t want to be a No. 1 option. You wanted to play with someone who’s a No. 1. You didn’t mind being that ‘Robin.’ Then you go to Golden State and y’all have major success. Steph gets hurt. You got your money. And Joe Lacob and the Golden State Warriors, all they needed was one game.
“See, it ain’t like Steph went down like [Boston Celtics star Jayson] Tatum did [with a ruptured Achilles] and he’s out for the next year, at least. It’s not like that. Everybody had projected, it’s going to take about a week. Steph Curry should be back for Game 6. All you got to do, being [Game] 3, 4 or 5, give me one game and he couldn’t do it. Eleven shot attempts last night. Twenty shot attempts over the last two games.”
Butler’s arrival jump-started the Warriors’ season and helped them secure the No. 7 seed. But his last impression wasn’t good and he left himself open to sharp criticism.
