Manager said club ‘feel’ lack of Champions League trophy
Mikel Merino could replace Thomas Partey in midfield
Mikel Arteta has told the Arsenal support to “bring your boots” and a can-do attitude for the Champions League semi-final first-leg at home against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, as he radiated conviction that the club was primed to make history.
The manager described the game as the biggest of his career and one of the most significant hosted by the Emirates Stadium, which opened for the 2006-07 season. It is Arsenal’s third appearance in the last four of Europe’s elite competition, after the victory against Villarreal in 2005-06 and the defeat by Manchester United in 2008-09.
Manager says side is more complete since October meeting
‘We are full of confidence and looking forward to playing’
Luis Enrique believes that Paris Saint-Germain’s record against English clubs in the Champions League this season should give them confidence as they prepare to face Arsenal in the semi-final, and he hinted that he does not view the Premier League as the best in the world.
The French champions face Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg on Tuesday having already knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa to reach the last four after finishing 15th in the league stage. Enrique suggested that their experience of playing against English clubs could be an advantage as they attempt to reach the final for only the second time in their history.
Lakers forward Stan Love dribbles the ball during a game against the Washington Bullets in 1975. Love, the father of NBA star Kevin Love and brother of Beach Boys singer Mike Love, has died at age 76. (Getty Images)
Raised in a supremely creative Southern California family immersed in pop music, Stan Love took a different path to fame, playing four years in the NBA — including two with the Lakers — after starring at Inglewood Morningside High and the University of Oregon.
When his playing career ended, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound Love remained close to his family. His brother, Mike Love, was a founding member of the Beach Boys, and Stan Love eventually became an essential adjunct to the band, serving as a human shield for his cousin, Brian Wilson, throughout the turbulent late 1970s and early '80s.
"Those were chaotic years," Love told the Portland Tribune in 2019. "It was 24 hours a day of worrying, trying to keep the creeps away. Fame and money in rock-and-roll — it's all a very dangerous area to live in."
Love eventually settled in Lake Oswego, Ore., after marrying Karen Love in 1986. They had a daughter, Emily, and two sons, Collin and Kevin, who followed his father into the NBA.
Kevin Love, a five-time All-Star in his 17th season, announced his father’s death Sunday on social media. Stan Love was 76. His cause of death was not mentioned.
“Dad, you fought for a long time,” Love wrote on Instagram. “The hardest stretch being these past 6 months. The most painful to witness being these last few weeks. And even at the end as you continued to deteriorate — I still saw you as a Giant. My Protector. My first Hero.
"The words we continuously heard from you in your last chapter were how blessed you’ve been to have such a loving family. And in return how much you’ve loved your wife and kids. Your only wish was to be at home surrounded by your family when you took your dying breath.
"That breath came. And now it’s time to rest."
Stan Love was drafted ninth overall in the 1971 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets and averaged 6.8 points and four rebounds in 226 games in four seasons with the Bullets and Lakers. He also played 12 games for San Antonio in the American Basketball Assn.
As a three-year starter at Oregon, Love was a twice named first-team All-Pac-8 Conference and posted career averages of 21.1 points and 10.4 rebounds. He scored 30 or more points in a game 12 times, the most in program history. He was inducted into the Oregon Hall of Fame in 1994.
Love shifted gears after his NBA career, in 1977 becoming a full-time protector and caretaker of Wilson, the creative genius behind the Beach Boys music but whose prodigious talent had been compromised by mental illness and substance abuse. Love toured with the band for five years.
Love told the Portland Tribune that during that time, Brian's brother and Beach Boys drummer, Dennis Wilson, was supplying Brian with cocaine. At one point, Love decided to put an end to it. He and former Oregon football player Rocky Pamplin posed as police officers, broke into Dennis' Bel Air home and beat him up.
Love was fined $750, placed on six months probation and a mutual restraining order was issued.
"Do you think [Dennis] got the message?" Love said in 2019. "Brian is a very fragile individual with a lot of mental challenges. For someone to give him access to cocaine — that pissed me off. People get what they deserve."
"Mike has been unbelievable to hold down that brand and keep them on tour for all these years," Love said. "The demographics are anybody from teenagers to 80-year-olds. They've put together a great body of work."
The Loves grew up in Baldwin Hills, and Stan was the fourth of six children to Milt and Glee Love. Milt was a union sheet metal worker and Glee enjoyed playing piano and singing. Their cousins, the Wilsons, lived in nearby Hawthorne, and founded the Beach Boys in 1961. Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, and rhythm guitar player Al Jardine were teenagers, and Mike Love was in his early 20s.
"In our living room when I was growing up were a cello, a harp, a Steinway piano and other instruments," Stan said. "We'd get together and sing. My mother pushed the arts. I watched opera at Hollywood Bowl at age 12. I like music, and I can carry a tune, but I don't play any instruments."
Love certainly could play basketball, and he passed along that skill to Kevin, a former UCLA star who remained close to his father throughout his life.
“Dad, I’m so proud to be your son,” Kevin Love posted Sunday on Instagram. “My only hope is that you’re proud of me. It was all I ever wanted. Thank you for everything.”
Indian batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi on Monday became the youngest to hit a senior T20 century at 14 years and 32 days as he powered Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase against Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
Steph Curry, the self-proclaimed “Petty King,” made sure Dillon Brooks knew how many fouls he had drawn on the Houston Rockets wing.
And Curry’s gesture started a kerfuffle between the Warriors and Rockets.
Midway through the second quarter of Game 4 at Chase Center, Curry drew the second personal foul on Brooks and as the Warriors superstar lay on the ground, he held up two fingers.
That didn’t sit well with Brooks, who tried to grab the ball from Curry.
The Warriors and Rockets have been headed toward a blow-up all series long, and while this wasn’t a full-on fight, the teams are getting closer to scrapping.
NBA insider Chris Haynes, who is close to Lillard and his camp, posted this:
"In speaking with Damian Lillard, he's motivated on attacking his rehab and returning to form. He's in good spirits."
Lillard went down with a non-contact injury midway through the first quarter on Sunday. He was eventually helped off the court and did not return to the game. When Bucks coach Doc Rivers said postgame, "It's not very promising," you knew things were bad.
Lillard, 34, is a nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA player who was part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists a game this season, and he was the guy the Pacers brought in specifically to provide a second high-level shot creation and scoring option next to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lillard's injury, combined with another early playoff exit — barring a historic comeback, this will be the Bucks' third straight year being bounced in the first round, the last two years at the hands of the Pacers — leaves some challenging questions for just extended GM Jon Horst. The Bucks are not good enough to contend for a title with this roster, now will potentially be without Lillard for a year, are $20 million into the second apron next season with contracts already on the books (limiting trades and ways to sign players), and don't control their own draft picks until the next decade. There is no clear path back to the top of the East. How does Horst retool this team?
The bigger question: Does Antetokounmpo want to stay with the Bucks? Milwaukee will not trade him unless he requests a trade. He remains under contract and has said nothing this season except about how he wants to win in Milwaukee with this group. However, other teams around the league are eyeing how the ultra-competitive two-time MVP is viewing his situation. If winning another ring during his prime is his highest priority, he's going to have to look elsewhere.
Lillard is under contract for $54 million next season and will work hard on his rehab, hoping to return to a team that clearly needs him.
Now that Mike Sullivan has officially parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers have already jumped in as the favorites to land the Stanley Cup-winning coach.
After 10 seasons with the Penguins, Sullivan is free to search for a new head coaching gig and coincidentally, the Rangers are looking for a coach.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury pursued Sullivan in the past, specifically in 2021 when he reportedly did some behind-the-scenes work to see if Sullivan was interested in a move according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple.
Sullivan wasn’t interested in moving on from the Penguins at that time and Drury went ahead and hired Gerard Gallant, a marriage that only lasted two seasons before he was fired in 2023.
Some people around the NHL believe that it is a matter of when the Rangers hire Sullivan, not if.
“I’ve gotten messages from NHL general managers already this morning saying ‘Does Mike Sullivan end up in New York today or tomorrow?’ I think it is one of those things that could be locked up within the next 42 to 78 hours,” NHL insider Frank Seravalli said.
The Rangers have been through three coaches since 2021 between David Quinn, Gallant, and most recently Peter Laviolette who was fired after the completion of the 2024-25 season.
After winning the first two games of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Florida Panthers fell to the Bolts by a 5-1 final score in Game 3. Overall, it was simply a tough game for the Panthers, and they will now look to bounce back in Game 4 from here.
If the Panthers hope to extend their series lead to 3-1 over the Lightning, they will need these three key players to shine in Game 4.
Sergei Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky is certainly a Panther to watch against the Lightning in Game 4. The 36-year-old's goal will be looking to have a strong night after a shaky performance in Game 3. During it, he allowed four goals on 21 shots, which equates to a .810 save percentage.
While Bobrovsky had some struggles in Game 3, he undoubtedly has the potential to bounce back for the Panthers. He notably had a 19-save shutout in Game 2, and it will be intriguing to see if he regains that form in Game 4 against the Lightning from here.
Brad Marchand
One of the main reasons the Panthers brought Marchand in from the Boston Bruins was his high amount of success in the playoffs. He is still looking to have his first big playoff performance as a Panther, and perhaps it will come in a crucial Game 4.
Marchand has one assist, five shots, and a plus-2 rating in three playoff games for the Panthers so far. Overall, he has been creating chances, and it will be interesting to see if he puts together a multi-point night in Game 4.
Matthew Tkachuk
Good things happen for the Panthers when Tkachuk is on his game, and he has been all post-season. In three games thus far, the 2016 sixth-overall pick has three goals, one assist, and a plus-1 rating. This includes scoring the Panthers' lone goal in their Game 3 loss.
With the Panthers looking to not allow the Lightning to tie the series up, they will be hoping that Tkachuk can have himself another clutch game. Given how well he has played early on this post-season, it is hard to bet against him doing just that.
The Rotoworld Basketball crew will be publishing season recap articles for all 30 NBA teams from now through the conclusion of the NBA Finals in June.
Within each article, you'll find the story for each team's season, fantasy highlights and disappointments, as well as a look-ahead to the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Bookmark this page and check back in the coming weeks!
Coachella Valley, CA - The Coachella Valley Firebirds shut out the Calgary Wranglers 2-0 on Saturday night at Acrisure Arena. Goaltender Nikke Kokko was perfect between the pipes, stopping all 23 shots he faced to earn his first AHL playoff shutout.
Mitchell Stephens, who scored his first overtime game-winner for Coachella Valley in Tuesday’s series opener, and John Hayden—both of whom saw NHL action with the Kraken this season—each contributed goals in the win. Hayden sealed the series with an empty-netter on Saturday night.
Kokko, a 2022 NHL Draft pick, has had a standout season. He made his NHL debut with the Seattle Kraken in February during a road game against the St. Louis Blues, stepping in after head coach Dan Bylsma pulled starter Joey Daccord following the Blues’ fifth goal in the second period. Kokko earned his shutout in clutch fashion, making three key saves in the final four minutes—none bigger than a deflection stop with 40 seconds left, which he calmly smothered to deny a rebound.
The Firebirds have now eliminated the Wranglers from the playoffs for a third straight year—each year in the franchise’s three-season history—and advance to Round Two of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. They’ll face the Abbotsford Canucks in a best-of-five series starting Thursday, May 1, at Acrisure Arena. This marks the first postseason meeting between the teams, with Coachella Valley holding a 3-1-0-0 record against Abbotsford this season and a 12-3-0-1 all-time regular-season advantage.
Round Two Series Schedule:
Game One – Thursday, May 1st – 7:00 p.m. PT – Acrisure Arena
Game Two – Saturday, May 3rd – 6:00 p.m. PT – Acrisure Arena
Game Three – Wednesday, May 7th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Game Four* – Friday, May 9th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Game Five* – Sunday, May 11th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News or Join the discussion with others in your hockey community on the Seattle Kraken Forum.
Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Images This much is clear -- USC is financially committed to its men's basketball program.After last week landing Maryland guard transfer Rodney Rice, who was reportedly seeking a substantial NIL package, the Trojans added one of the biggest names this entire transfer portal cycle in Chad Baker-Mazara from Auburn.
Rumors of big off-season changes for the New York Islanders had been percolating since the March 7 trade deadline.
They wasted little time getting started, not bringing back GM Lou Lamoriello last week.
Led by team co-owner John Collins, the Islanders are searching for Lamoriello's replacement. It would be ideal to have the new GM in place by the end of May, giving them enough time to prepare for the 2025 NHL draft on June 27 and 28 and the start of free agency on July 1.
The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner said some top candidates might not be available to interview for the position while the Stanley Cup playoffs are on. They can, however, prepare to move quickly once they do become available.
The Athletic's Arthur Staple reported former NHL GMs, such as Marc Bergevin, Jarmo Kekalainen and Peter Chiarelli, are among the names getting the most play. However, it remains to be seen if the Isles choose one of them or opt for someone else.
Whoever gets the job has a lot to deal with throughout the summer.
Ethan Sears of the New York Post reported Isles coach Patrick Roy and his staff remain in limbo until Lamoriello's replacement is found. He believes Roy's future behind their bench depends on whether he can establish a rapport with the new GM.
Rosner reacted to the Pittsburgh Penguins parting with coach Mike Sullivan on Monday, calling it a game-changer for the Islanders and any team with coaching questions.
Before his firing, Lamoriello was having contract extension talks with Kyle Palmieri, but those discussions are on hold for now. The 34-year-old right winger is slated to become a UFA on July 1.
Sears wondered if the new GM would entertain trade offers for long-time Isles forwards Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Lee, 34, and the 32-year-old Pageau are a year away from UFA eligibility.
Defensemen Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov and winger Simon Holmstrom are the Islanders' notable RFAs.
Before Lamoriello's firing, Staple believed both defensemen would be re-signed. He speculated the 25-year-old Dobson could get a four or five-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.5 million and $8 million. Romanov could receive a six or seven-year deal between $6.5 million and $7 million annually.
The changes in Islanders management likely won't affect the club's plans to re-sign Dobson and Romanov. They're too valuable to their blueline to trade, and they won't risk another club signing them to offer sheets.
Contract buyouts could also take place under new management. Sears suggested forward Pierre Engvall and defenseman Scott Mayfield as buyout candidates.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau, meanwhile, believes the Islanders should be more aggressive pursuing a full rebuild with a new GM.
Raphielle Johnson
