Joshua Zirkzee was handed his first start of 2026 on Saturday but the forward doesn’t look a good fit for Man Utd or the Premier League.

Manchester United will pay the final instalment owed to Bologna for Joshua Zirkzee this summer, but the forward’s time at Old Trafford looks to be coming to an end just as debts are settled.

Zirkzee was handed a first start under Michael Carrick at Sunderland on Saturday and did little to convince he had a future at the club. Despite his height and physical presence, he is a lightweight No.9 who looked ill-equipped to thrive in the Premier League at the Stadium of Light.

The Netherlands international was an opportunistic signing in 2024, when United were really feeling the pinch financially and needed more competition for Rasmus Hojlund, a £72million acquisition from Atalanta the year before.

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Zirkzee had a release clause of just over £34million (€40million) in his Bologna contract, but United opted to pay £36.5million to spread the fee over three years, giving them more cash to play with in that window.

There is an argument that is financially prudent, but the bigger concern is what attracted them to Zirkzee in the first place. He had scored 12 goals in his final season in Serie A, spearheading Bologna’s surprise qualification for the Champions League, but he was a quirky forward who had thrived in a system that played to his strengths.

He had never been prolific and was clearly a technically skilled forward who might do well in a team built around him, but not exactly a line-leading striker ready for the muck and nettles of the Premier League.

That was a summer of chaos at United, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe pondered sacking Erik ten Hag only to take weeks to decide to keep the faith. Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth both started work at the club midway through the summer and it was never clear who was pulling the strings, which led to signings like Zirkzee.

It’s hard to imagine that deal happening in 2026. United’s approach to recruitment seems more aligned now, and the greater emphasis on data would have surely red-flagged a signing like Zirkzee, who has never looked at home in England.

Nearly two years on, it’s still difficult to know what his best position is. He is often referred to as a nine-and-a-half, but what does that even mean? Perhaps he would be a good false nine, but United don’t play that system. His best performances came as one of two No.10s in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1, but his only route to games now is as a No.9.

His performance at the Stadium of Light proved he doesn’t have that in him. He has scored nine goals in 73 games for United, and 51 in 231 games throughout his career. Carrick said on Saturday that Zirkzee wouldn’t be judged on one game, but the file of evidence is much thicker than that. He is never going to be a prolific forward.

There will be a market for Zirkzee back in Italy. His technical skills can prosper in Serie A in a way they haven’t in the Premier League, especially in this iteration of the league, where forwards are barely given time to breathe.

An issue for United will be the lack of finance in Italy. Recouping the fee they paid will be impossible and they might end up with a loan and an option or obligation to buy.

They will at least bank £38million from Napoli for Hojlund this summer. That is money that can be reinvested in adding another forward to take the heat off Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenian has looked more suited to life as Old Trafford’s No.9 than Hojlund or Zirkzee, but he needs support. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha can play the role, but they are very different options, more likely to drop deep than stretch the play, and they might well be required elsewhere.

United might well look to sign a versatile forward to replace Zirkzee, someone who can play wide as well as through the middle. Or they might look for an older head.

Danny Welbeck is an obvious candidate, with a year left on his contract at Brighton. United have twice considered bringing him back to Old Trafford in recent years. He will turn 36 in November but has had another good season at the Amex and his experience could be valuable.

There will be other options out there. United spent around £108million on Hojlund and Zirkzee, and will be lucky to get half of that back. This summer, they should look for a much cheaper option and rely on the recruitment team to unearth the right kind of player.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The Minnesota Vikings signed quarterback Kyler Murray in March, but he will not be handed the QB1 job without a battle, according to NFL.com and Tom Pelissero.

Murray has the resume. McCarthy still has his opening.

The incumbent starter, J.J. McCarthy, has a puncher’s chance to keep his job, and folks should fully expect a legitimate competition at training camp.

Minnesota’s QB Competition Now Has National Confirmation

Get the popcorn ready because it’s a quarterback mano a mano.

NFL.com: It’s a QB Battle in MIN

Training camp will have suspense. NFL.com’s Grant Gordon wrote Sunday, “If it was assumed that Kyler Murray was going to be handed the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback reins following two ill-fated years for J.J. McCarthy, that won’t be the case. Minnesota will host a good, old fashioned quarterback battle between McCarthy and Murray this offseason, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.”

“McCarthy’s struggled in his two years in the NFL since the Vikings chose him 10th overall in an already celebrated 2024 NFL Draft. Some of his struggles have been self-inflicted (12 interceptions in 10 games), while others have been the result of injuries, as he missed all of his rookie campaign with a knee injury and dealt with multiple injuries in his sophomore season.”

Pelissero personally said, “They envision it being a true competition: Kyler Murray versus J.J. McCarthy. And both these guys are going to go into this believing they’re gonna win this job.”

“I don’t know, frankly, how friendly that quarterback room is going to be. It’s going to be a very competitive quarterback room. From everything that I’ve understood, it is truly wide open; they’re keeping an open mind as a coaching staff.”

The Case for Murray

It should not be a hot take to announce this: Murray is a better quarterback than McCarthy. He’s faster, more accurate, has a stronger arm, and has more experience. The Cardinals merely soured on him because he was in the QB1 chair for seven seasons, and Arizona failed to win a playoff game.

McCarthy is taller than Murray by about five inches, and that matters, but other than height, Murray has McCarthy beat in almost every talent-related category.

There are also the numbers. Across 17 starts, on average, Murray produces about 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and roughly 600 rushing yards. He’s basically Lamar Jackson on a bad team without the marketing.

Murray will also have a chip on his shoulder later this summer; getting kicked out of Arizona is rather embarrassing, all things considered.

The Case for McCarthy

The Vikings drafted McCarthy in 2024 to unabashedly be the quarterback of the future. Hell, the franchise said “no thanks” last offseason to Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Aaron Rodgers in favor of McCarthy.

McCarthy also showed flashes of brilliance in 2025, his first season as a starter. He made throws that many cannot make, and his attitude in the Vikings’ locker room was infectious. McCarthy knows how to lead and has the drive to become a franchise quarterback.

The third-year pro also has youth on his side. He’s 23. Murray will turn 29 this summer. Per the original plan, it would probably be “better” if McCarthy just showed up to training camp, suddenly showcasing improved mechanics, maturity, and moxie.

NBC Sports‘ Mike Florio on the battle: “For McCarthy to win it, he’ll need to step up. Ball out. Outplay the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. The player who was named offensive rookie of the year before making it to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021.”

“Even if McCarthy wins the job, he’ll need to hold it. That means staying healthy. He has missed all of his rookie year due to a preseason knee injury. In 2025, he missed seven games. A ‘true competition’ will help both get ready to play. Chances are they both will.”

Prediction

There’s a world where McCarthy takes July and August by storm; fans would love it. It would also align with historical timelines — quarterbacks taking the next step in Year No. 3.

However, this battle is probably Murray’s to lose. Some have compared Murray’s arrival in Minnesota to the aforementioned Darnold’s two years ago or Baker Mayfield’s in Tampa Bay three years ago. It’s an understandable analogy, but Murray has played consistently well since 2019. Darnold and Mayfield were deemed busts before their career reclamations.

McCarthy has a shot, but Murray will likely win this thing. It’s important to note that Murray is susceptible to injury — he’s missed 26% of all career starts — so McCarthy might get a chance to strut his stuff sometime in 2026 if history repeats.

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Trainer Tom Charlton will separate two key horses from his yard across state borders this coming weekend, positioning Linebacker for the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone as promising speedster Napoleonic takes on the Group 1 Doomben 10,000.

Linebacker features in entries for the pair of races, but Charlton is inclined to choose Scone where the Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) offers 100m more, fitting the horse’s optimal range.

“He is nominated for both, and we can think about it, but he will probably go to Scone and Napoleonic will go to Queensland,” Charlton said.

“With Linebacker, 1300 is a distance he’s very effective at. He will enjoy Scone and if we can get a bit of confidence in him, we can get him to the Stradbroke (Handicap).”

Winner of the 2025 Randwick Guineas, Linebacker competed at high levels during autumn.

He was beaten by a mere 1-1/2 lengths from Joliestar in his first-up Canterbury Stakes (1300m), held midfield in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) won by Autumn Glow, and claimed sixth place solidly in the Doncaster Mile (1600m).

According to Charlton, the gelding should improve with a freshening and shorter distance as he aims to return to the winners’ list.

“His Canterbury Stakes run was great, and the George Ryder turned out to be a very good form race, and he wasn’t too bad in hindsight,” Charlton said.

“In the Doncaster, he put himself in a good position and they went very quick. He presented like he was going to be in the finish, but the pattern of that race probably played against him.

“He was the best on-speed horse, and he might appreciate a freshen up and coming back to that 1300 and 1400 metres.”

Napoleonic received a spell post his competitive Canterbury Stakes run and has dominated two recent barrier trials.

Second across the line in the Eskimo Prince Stakes as well as the Hobartville Stakes, the three-year-old eyes the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), stepping via the Doomben 10,000 (1200m) this Saturday and Fred Best Classic (1400m) at Eagle Farm in two weeks.

“He’s still improving and developing, and his trial is indicative he has improved again,” Charlton said.

“We came back this time thinking he was on a three-run Stradbroke campaign.

“James (McDonald) is riding him, so clearly he thinks he’s capable of winning.”

Discover competitive racing betting markets ahead of the Luskin Star Stakes.

For a long time, it has been reported that Kasper Hjulmand is practically certain to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Now, Bild reports that Die Werkself have made a final decision on the Danish coach’s future.

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The German tabloid claims that Hjulmand’s time at the club will be over at the end of the season, and that his final game in charge will be Saturday’s match against Hamburger SV.

Even though it is still mathematically possible for Leverkusen to qualify for the Champions League, Die Werkself almost certainly threw away their chance of reaching Europe’s premier club competition on Saturday with a 3-1 loss to VfB Stuttgart.

With just one game left to play, Leverkusen sit sixth, three points behind both Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart in fifth and fourth place respectively.

The New York Knicks seem to enjoy a nice rout in playoff series-clinching games.

It was a 51-point blowout against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their First Round matchup earlier in these NBA Playoffs, and with a potential sweep on deck against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday, the Knicks put on a historic shooting clinic from beyond the arc.

The Knicks tied three different NBA Playoffs single-game records for three-pointers made — first quarter, first half and game total — in a 144-114 dominant victory to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

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Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers watches as Miles McBride of the New York Knicks celebrates during the first quarter of Game Four in the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on May 10, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

In the first quarter, the Knicks held a 43-24 lead after shooting 11-of-13 from three-point land, with Miles “Deuce” McBride going 4-for-4 to start his game and help New York race out to a substantial lead.

The Knicks didn’t stray from their gameplan in the second quarter. McBride knocked down two more three-pointers, going 6-of-7 for a team-high 20 points at halftime. But he wasn’t alone.

76ERS’ JOEL EMBIID TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT OFFICIALS AFTER KNICKS TAKE COMMANDING 3-0 LEAD IN PLAYOFFS

Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson was 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, Josh Hart made 3-of-5, Karl-Anthony Towns was 2-of-2 and Landry Shamet went 3-of-5 off the bench as New York sank 18 three-pointers, tying the NBA Playoffs first-half record on their way to an 81-57 lead at the half.

Shamet, who was solid from three-point territory in New York’s Game 3 victory, had a good look to break the first-quarter record, but he hit back iron on the rim for a miss just before the buzzer.

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks reacts during the fourth quarter of Game Three in the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on May 8, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the 76ers couldn’t put out the Knicks’ fire with offense of their own. They shot just 4-of-15 from three-point land, and 51% overall (21-for-41). But their six turnovers resulted in 12 points for the Knicks.

Still, it’s hard to battle back after seeing a team shoot over 40% from three, let alone 62% like the Knicks shot. But the second half didn’t bode well for Philadelphia either. 

New York kept up the pressure to the point where all starters sat on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter. They did so sitting two shy of tying the total game record, and Jose Alvarado and a last-minute dagger from Pacome Dadiet got the total to 25 for the Knicks in the win. 

The Knicks shot 57% from three and 54% from the field, cementing their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s their first time back since the 2024-25 season, where they fell to the Indiana Pacers. 

Now, New York waits to see what happens with the Detroit Pistons, the top seed in the East, and Cleveland Cavaliers, who secured its first win of the series with a strong fourth-quarter performance in Game 3 at home. Detroit, though, owns a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 on Monday night.   

Miles McBride and Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks celebrate after McBride’s 3-pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., on May 10, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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Perhaps, more history could be made with some fine shooting in the second half.

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Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford is celebrating this week after Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-0 to win La Liga

Marcus Rashford is the toast of Barcelona after the Catalan club won La Liga on Sunday evening. A 2-0 victory for Hansi Flick’s side over Real Madrid ensured they couldn’t be caught by their biggest rivals, heaping more misery on the Spanish capital’s biggest club.

And Manchester United’s loanee set the tone early. His superb free kick deceived Thibaut Courtois and ignited Camp Nou. Ferran Torres doubled the advantage inside 18 minutes to seal the bragging rights and the title; completing Rashford and Barcelona’s season in the process. Now, attention turns to the future and what comes next for the winger.

Rashford’s time at United is done. Ruben Amorim may have left but too much water has gone under the bridge for the forward to return. His high wage is a contributing factor and the Reds’ co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to lower the squad bill considerably. But if leaving is a guarantee, it must be on United’s terms.

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Barcelona, Rashford and United came to an agreement last summer to include a £26m buy clause to the deal. This expires on June 15 and if it is not activated, Rashford will not have his stay in Barcelona extended.

It is understood Barcelona are reluctant to pay £26m for Rashford. Instead, they have attempted to renegotiate that fee and, failing that, agree another loan for next season. Rashford’s Old Trafford contract expires in 2028 so agreeing to another loan for the 2026/27 campaign is not in United’s interests.

All this would do is push the issue to next summer. By which point, United’s negotiating position will have weakened and, once more, Barcelona would be seeking to get more money knocked off.

So what can United do? Well, they must hold their nerve. Rashford may have struggled to get going in the early stages of his Barcelona career but he is ending the season as a man in form. The 28-year-old has four goals in six La Liga matches and is showing signs of his best form.

A £26m fee is not unreasonable. If Barcelona are not willing to spend that much, United know they must seek an alternative buyer. They should not be coerced into agreeing a reduced rate because Barcelona are strapped for cash. Rashford may want to stay in Catalonia but United must think about what is best for them.

If they don’t stump up the cash, there will be plenty who will. All the Reds need to do is maintain patience.

After the Philadelphia 76ers lost the first three games of their second-round series to the New York Knicks, Paul George was asked what the message should be. His reply was simple: he cursed and said “win a game.”

[Narrator]: They did not win a game. 

That was to be expected. With the Sixers, you always know how it will end — badly, and usually sooner rather than later. Their annual summer vacation was slightly delayed this season when they upset the Celtics in the first round, beating Boston in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Any goodwill accrued from that Game 7 win in Boston was undone in eight days by a no-show effort against the Knicks, who put the Sixers out of their misery and finished off the sweep on Sunday. Philly lost to New York by an average of 22.2 points per game. Game 2 — played without Joel Embiid who suddenly popped up on the injury report with knee and hip issues, because of course he did — was the only flicker of fight the Sixers showed in the series, and that faded quickly. As Embiid said when it was all over, the Knicks “were just better than us in everything.”

Adding insult to injury, Knicks fans swarmed South Philadelphia like locusts and comported themselves with roughly the same grace. (A Knicks fan interrupted a moment of silence for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s recently deceased brother and was booed for the lack of decorum.) The overall experience prompted more than one Sixers fan on social media to post something along the lines of how it would have been better to lose to the Celtics than get swept by the Knicks. The way the season ended for the Sixers was that deflating — but it wasn’t surprising. 

A familiar Philly feeling

Crashing out of the postseason in abject fashion has become a franchise hallmark. The Sixers have lost in the first or second round in each of the last nine seasons — except for last year, when they didn’t make the playoffs at all. They haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001. That remains one of the principal knocks against Embiid, who remains the only MVP in league history never to make it out of the second round. 

In fairness, Embiid playing in the Celtics series just 17 days after having an emergency appendectomy was remarkable. It was yet another entry in a long list of ailments suffered shortly before or during the postseason, including a bout with Bell’s Palsy, two orbital fractures, two torn meniscuses and a torn thumb ligament. Despite the latest medical procedure, he played well in four games against Boston, and they couldn’t have beaten the Celtics without him. But as with all things related to the Sixers and Embiid, the good times didn’t last. They never do. He played better than any of his teammates in Game 4 against the Knicks, but by then it didn’t matter anyway. It was too late. That’s how it invariably goes with the Sixers. 

Just a few months ago, there was cause for some optimism with regard to the Sixers. Or if not exactly optimism, then at least not the usual overarching dread that has defined the organization for so long. The season began with low-to-no expectations. Whatever the oft-injured Embiid and uneven Paul George could produce was seen as a bonus. The immediate and future focus instead shifted to the promising young backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, as dynamic a guard combination as Philly had ever seen.

During the All-Star festivities in Los Angeles, I asked Maxey about teaming up with Edgecombe. He replied that Edgecombe “is like a little brother to me” and said “he’s great, man. Not just basketball-wise, but for our team personality-wise and culture-wise for our organization.” After winning just 24 games the season before due to various injuries and a back-end tanking effort that ultimately resulted in drafting Edgecombe, Maxey added that “this year we’ve done a really good job of turning things around.”

[Narrator]: They did not, in fact, turn things around. 

That is not Maxey or Edgecombe’s fault. Maxey was an All-Star and is almost certain to make All-NBA, while Edgecombe finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting and even got one curious second-place vote, most likely cast from a pub in deep South Philly with spotty wifi.

The pair got some playoff experience together and even beat Boston. Those are positives to build on moving forward. But it’s also fair to wonder if that pair would have been better suited this season and long term if they were still a trio. 

So.., can anything change?

At the trade deadline, the Sixers opted to duck the luxury tax and ship underappreciated and underutilized fan favorite Jared McCain to the Thunder. At the time, President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said the Sixers were “playing well” and he was “trying to upgrade the team and add now” but “nothing materialized.” So instead of adding, they subtracted McCain. A lot of people had a hard time understanding that math. Morey took a lot of heat for that move — especially for smugly claiming he was “quite confident that we are selling high.” 

Anyone who has watched the Thunder since then has probably noticed McCain flourishing with his new team. He recently had 18 points in 18 critical minutes off the bench in a Game 3 win over the Lakers, then laughed in the postgame interview that the Sixers didn’t sell high enough. Ouch. No one is saying the Sixers would have beaten the Knicks if only they had McCain, but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt Philly to have a shooter of that caliber coming off its painfully thin bench. That the Thunder, inarguably the deepest team in the league, figured out how to use McCain when the Sixers let him atrophy before “selling high” was a gross indictment of the front office and Nurse, who might not be head coach for much longer. 

And so the Sixers enter another offseason with no easy answers. The obvious lever to pull is the head coach, who in terms of wins and losses was somehow less successful in the role than his much-maligned predecessor, Doc Rivers. Hard to imagine, but true. There’s an outside shot that the ownership group kicks Morey to the curb along with Nurse, but that seems less likely. Though there’s a case to be made for it. 

In addition to the McCain mess and a host of other questionable decisions, Morey is responsible for two of the worst contracts in the NBA. George still has two more years left on the four-year, $211 million deal that the team used to lure him away from LA. In retrospect, the luring should have cost a lot less. George will be 37 in the final year of the contract, which has a player option at $56.6 million. Meanwhile, Embiid — who has missed 150 games over the last three years and has never played more than 68 in a single season — has two more seasons remaining on his three-year, $187 million extension. In his final year, which is also a player option, the Sixers will pay the then-34-year-old $67.2 million. Toss up on which of those two contracts is worse, but they’re both basically unmovable. 

The Sixers also have decisions to make with some of their rotation pieces. Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents. They’d probably like to retain Oubre. Grimes is another matter that very much depends on the price point, which was an issue last offseason and the reason why he’s headed for free agency this summer. 

As for the draft pick situation, it could be worse. But, as with all things Sixers-related, it could also be better. They have the Rockets first-round pick in the upcoming draft, which will be 22nd overall. Astute draft watchers and the Philly faithful have pointed out that the team drafted Maxey one slot higher. Perhaps they get lucky again and land on someone talented in what has been touted as a loaded draft. 

Their own first-round pick, 17th overall, is owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That pick was top-four protected. Had the Sixers crashed out of the play-in and lost both games rather than advancing as the 7-seed, they would have had less than a 3% chance to land in the top four and keep their pick. In retrospect, even after beating the Celtics, that still might have been the better option, considering getting past Boston led to getting humiliated by New York. But who knows, maybe the draft gods will smile favorably on the Sixers this summer. Maybe they’ll make a series of inspired moves to bolster the bench and pad out the roster. Maybe George won’t get suspended next season and miss 25 games. Maybe Embiid will be (relatively) healthy. Maybe it will all finally fall into place for them.

[Narrator]: You don’t need a narrator to know how this will likely turn out. 

Victor Wembanyama is due for more sessions with those Shaolin monks. The French phenom found himself in early foul trouble of the worst kind on Mother’s Day.

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs gestures during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Four of the Western Conference playoffs at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 10, 2026. (David Berding/Getty Images)

The San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals after a heated exchange in the paint with Minnesota’s Naz Reid.

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The ejection occurred with 8:39 left in the first half at the Target Center.

Wembanyama was swinging, hoping to shield the ball after a rebound when he unleashed a high right elbow, which caught Reid squarely in the chin, sending the Timberwolves forward to the hardwood.

Spurs teammate Dylan Harper was left gobsmacked by the hit, just steps away from it.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 10, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))

Officials initially called a common foul but moved to a video review as the Minnesota crowd grew restless.

After examining the replay, the call was upgraded to a Flagrant 2.

SPURS PHENOM VICTOR WEMBANYAMA MAKES NBA HISTORY WITH FIRST CAREER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Wembanyama left the floor with just four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes of action. His absence left the Spurs without their primary defensive anchor in a pivotal road matchup.

Reid hit both resulting free throws.

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This marks the first time in Wembanyama’s professional career that he has been booted from a game.

The NBA will likely review the incident for potential further discipline.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David had a forgettable outing in the match against the Mumbai Indians (MI), his former side, on Sunday. David, who was dismissed for a golden duck, continued to cheer for his teammates from the RCB dugout. However, as the Rajat Patidar-led franchise defeated MI in a last-ball thriller, David’s middle-finger gesture left fans stunned. David, who has previously represented the Mumbai Indians, was understandably thrilled to register a win against his former team, but such a gesture in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was unexpected.

As the video of David’s gesture went viral on social media, NDTV was unable to verify the authenticity of the footage. It is also unconfirmed whether the gesture was made by the Australian batter during the RCB vs MI match in Raipur. No punishment for the gesture has yet been announced by the BCCI or the IPL. RCB coach Andy Flower, however, was penalised by the Governing Council over a heated argument with the fourth official, but no action has been taken against RCB’s Australian finisher yet.

Andy Flower Penalised By Tim David Spared

RCB head coach Andy Flower has been fined “15 per cent of his applicable match fee” for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during the match.

IPL, in its statement, said, “Andy was found to have breached article 2.3 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to ‘use of an audible obscenity during a match’”

The incident occurred in 17.2 over when Andy spoke aggressively with the fourth umpire after a contentious boundary call involving Krunal Pandya.

Facing AM Ghazanfar, Krunal lofted the ball towards wide long-on, where Naman Dhir took the catch near the ropes and parried it towards Tilak Varma while stepping over the boundary line. Tilak did not complete the catch and appeared to signal a six, perhaps mistaking Naman clipping one boot with the other for contact with the boundary cushions.

Replays, however, showed Dhir had not touched the cushions during the effort. Krunal, who was cramping up, did not attempt a run, and the delivery eventually resulted in a dot ball.

As per IPL code of conduct, Article 2.3 covers “the use of words commonly known and understood to be offensive, obscene and/or profane (in any language) and which can be heard by the spectators and/or the viewing public whether by way of the stump-microphone or otherwise. This conduct may include, for example, swearing in frustration at one’s own play or fortune.”

Andy has admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Amit Sharma.

With IANS Inputs

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