If the first night of the NBA play-in tournament is an appetizer of what’s coming for the next couple of months, the postseason will be at the very least intriguing.

The teasers came with a couple of compelling results. While there’s no guarantees that a new wave of contenders have been identified, there’s the notion that there are must-see moments ahead.

Ripe with controversy, comebacks and drama, it’s odd to suggest that the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers could be responsible for setting the tone.

The Hornets survived for a 127-126 overtime victory against the visiting Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers rallied for a 114-110 road victory in Phoenix to advance into the playoffs.

The Suns will have to play Friday night at home against Wednesday’s Golden State-Los Angeles Clippers winner for the right to reach the playoffs.

The Hornets have work to do as well, taking on the loser of Wednesday’s Orlando-Philadelphia game on Friday with a spot in the playoffs in the balance.

The Heat have been eliminated, failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since prior to the COVID pandemic. Their chances might have dimmed anyway with Bam Adebayo sitting out since early in the second quarter Tuesday because of a back injury. He played only 11 minutes.

That’s where the controversy arrived in the first game following the regular season. Adebayo crashed to the floor courtesy of an undetected trip by Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball.

The Heat were hot that no infraction was called, with coach Erik Spoelstra adamant after that the game that the maneuver should have resulted in Ball’s ejection.

Instead, Ball made the winning shot a couple of hours later.

These play-in games don’t come with the benefit of a series, so this saga won’t play out across another week.

Should they win Friday, the Hornets might be fun to have around in the playoffs for no other reason it’s an injection of new blood. They’re a team that emerged to exceed expectations from what most observers projected last fall. Charlotte hasn’t appeared in the playoffs in a decade.

After Coby White rescued the Hornets in regulation with a tying 3-pointer, they won on Ball’s drive for a basket and then – of all things – a defensive play with Miles Bridges blocking the game’s final shot on Davion Mitchell’s attempt to extend Miami’s season.

Charlotte’s success in the first play-in game came despite minimal contributions from Kon Knueppel, who’s a favorite to be named Rookie of the Year. The NBA’s most productive 3-point shooter during the regular season went 0-for-6 from long range and 2-for-12 overall.

But the Hornets have Ball, who’s been waiting for the spotlight to shine his way.

Later out West, the Trail Blazers earned the right to hold the No. 7 seed and face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. All it took was rallying from 11 points down in the fourth quarter and a 41-point night from Deni Avdija.

Portland finds itself in the playoff field for the first time since 2021. That qualifies as an infusion of something new, with Avdija landing in the playoffs for the first time.

We could enjoy more of what he has to offer after Tuesday night’s sampling.

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s progression to the Champions League semi-finals can act as a massive boost for his side’s pivotal top-of-the-table Premier League clash against Manchester City.

Arsenal made sure of their second successive last-four spot on Europe’s grandest stage for the first time in their history with a 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates, a week after Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time opening-leg winner in Portugal.

They will now face Atletico Madrid over two legs for a place in this season’s final.

Arsenal, who lost against Bournemouth last Saturday, were not at their best – and Sporting’s Geny Catamo struck David Raya’s post in the first half.

But the goalless draw will serve Arteta’s side with renewed hope that they will not end the season empty handed ahead of their trip to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

“One hundred per cent,” said Arteta when asked if the result can serve as springboard for their meeting with Pep Guardiola’s side.

“This is a massive push to win the semi-final of the Champions League. It’s extremely tough and we know what we’ve done. We deserve it, fully deserve it as well, and we’re going to enjoy it because we deserve it.

“My message (to the players) was gratitude to them. I know the effort and the commitment that they have put in.

“There’s a lot of work behind it. We’ve done something that has never been done in the history of our club in 140 years, so that tells you the difficulty of that, and we had to do it in a very special way, missing a lot of important players.”

Arteta continued to be without Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber through injury. Noni Madueke will also be a doubt for the match at City after he limped off with a knee problem in the second half.

Arsenal headed into Wednesday’s fixture facing criticism for their shock 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which followed a Carabao Cup final loss against City and a dismal FA Cup exit to Southampton.

But for the second season in a row, Arsenal are the only Premier League team left standing in the last four of the Champions League.

And Arteta added: “There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition, because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you.

“We are not perfect, we need to improve things, that’s for sure and we recognise that. But there’s value in what these players have done.”

Sporting head coach Rui Borges felt his side earned enough chances to force extra time.

He said: “The word ‘proud’ is the right word for all the players for what they have done for these two games.

“I thought we deserved more and potentially extra-time. The character and the personality to fight one of the best teams in Europe was amazing.

“We had the best opportunities and Arsenal didn’t create that much in our penalty area, here and in Lisbon.”

• 

• 32 Thoughts: The Podcast

  Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

  Latest episode

Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4-3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6-4 aggregate victory and setting up a semi-final with holders Paris Saint-Germain.

The tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead three times on the night. 

Bayern won 2-1 last week in the Spanish capital, but Arda Guler pounced on a loose Manuel Neuer pass to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds at the Allianz Arena. He scored again from a free-kick after Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised. 

Harry Kane put Bayern back ahead in the tie only for Kylian Mbappe to restore parity overall when he put Madrid 3-2 up before half-time.

Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card with four minutes left and Bayern pushed forward, Diaz blasting into the corner from outside the box after a crucial deflection. 

Read moreGriezmann hopes to bid Atletico farewell in spectacular fashion

With Real pressing for an equaliser, Bayern broke and Olise curled in a magnificent shot to rubberstamp their ticket to the last four, where Luis Enrique’s reigning European champions await.

Tempers boiled over after the final whistle with Guler picking up a straight red for confronting the referee. 

“We got off to a bad start, and then conceded again through a free-kick and a counter. The first half was hectic,” Joshua Kimmich told DAZN. 

“The second half was calmer, we had more control – and then managed to win it in the end. It wasn’t our best performance, but we’ll take the win.

“The two best teams in Europe will face each other. We had many top level games against Paris in recent years. I’m looking forward to it.”

For the first time in Real’s long Champions League history, their starting XI did not contain a single Spanish player. Jude Bellingham, who impressed off the bench in the first leg, was one of four changes to Alvaro Arbeloa’s line-up for the visitors.

Read moreChampions League: PSG through to semis after defeating Liverpool

Guler punishes Neuer 

Neuer, widely lauded after a vintage performance in Madrid, gifted Real an opener. The Bayern goalkeeper miscued a pass directly to Guler, who floated a first-touch shot into the unguarded goal in the first minute.

Bayern looked stunned but struck back almost immediately when Pavlovic headed in a Kimmich corner after Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin failed to read the flight of the ball. 

The match had barely time to settle before Real were ahead once more thanks to a Guler goal, with Neuer again not at his best. 

The Turkey international whipped a free-kick into the top corner which Neuer got a hand to but was unable to keep out.

The match continued to swing back and forth before the break, as Kane struck first before Mbappe responded by getting himself on the scoresheet.

Kane slotted clinically into the bottom corner in the 38th minute to again haul Bayern level on the night — and ahead in the tie — before Mbappe ran onto a Vinicius Junior pass and slotted home to level the tie 4-4 on aggregate.

With Real regularly cutting into Bayern’s high line, coach Vincent Kompany responded by introducing the pace of Alphonso Davies at the interval. 

Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Olise particularly dangerous, forcing a fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes left. 

Camavinga came on midway through the half but picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave his team a man down in the closing stages.

It proved a turning point as Bayern struck three minutes later when Diaz’s effort from outside the box took a touch off Eder Militao and flashed beyond Lunin.

Olise made certain of Bayern’s progress deep into stoppage time as the German giants took down Real in a knockout clash for the first time since 2012.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Shakur Stevenson is currently one of the most talented fighters in the sport, but Manny Pacquiao believes that one of his former opponents would have had Stevenson’s number if they met in their primes.

Stevenson has boxed between featherweight and super-lightweight, winning a world title in each to become a four-division conqueror, but he has struggled to find the willing dance partners who could make him a global superstar.

In January, the undefeated southpaw notched a career-best victory over Teofimo Lopez and the Newark sensation is now on the hunt for further opponents with big profiles, in pursuit of recognition as boxing’s pound-for-pound number one.

Although, whilst Stevenson may indeed be the most skilful operator in the sport, boxing’s only eight-division world champion Pacquiao told Inside The Ring that he believes Shane Mosley would have been too much for the 28-year-old, if they collided when both were at their best.

“Shakur Stevenson vs Shane Mosley in his prime? I’m going Mosley. Mosley has speed and combinations in his prime. If you watch Mosley in his prime, he’s very good. Hard to hit and can move around.”

Mosley ruled in three weight divisions, but lost almost every round to Pacquiao (120-107, 120-108, 119-108) when he challenged for the Filipino icon’s WBO welterweight world title back in 2011.

Still, Mosley boasts two famous wins over Oscar De La Hoya, as well as impressive stoppage triumphs over Antonio Diaz and Antonio Margarito, but the Californian hung up the gloves with a record which did not reflect his quality – retiring at 49-10-1 in 2016.

As for the fantasy fight, Stevenson would disagree. In fact, he has said himself that he believes he would ‘smoke’ Pacquiao had they been in the same era, so a similar prediction would be directed Mosley’s way.

If you’ve ever taken a golf lesson or gone down the rabbit hole of swing videos online, you’ve likely heard about the importance of sequencing. A well-timed swing generates more speed and power than one that’s out of sync. 

However, there’s a critical link in the chain many amateurs forget—largely because they don’t even realize it’s part of their sequence in the first place.

Mike Perpich, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, explains that if you want to hit longer, straighter drives, you have to learn how to time your head in your swing. Not your clubhead. Your noggin.

Sequence your head for more speed

Now, you might be wondering, “what does my head have to do with my golf swing?”

As Perpich explains, the head plays a vital role in the swing because it helps counterbalance your lower body in your transition and downswing. This creates a slingshot effect that boosts clubhead speed.

It works like this: as you transition into the downswing, you change direction. To do so, you have to push off your trail foot. As a result, pressure shifts forward. This initiatives your downswing sequence. But, as Perpich explains, it also causes your force to move from back to front. As your club and lower body move forward, your upper body actually needs to resist briefly and work in the opposite direction. 

“You can’t have the top and the bottom going in the same direction,” Perpich says. “Your head is going to feel like it’s going backwards. That’s what helps speed the clubhead up.”

This brief moment of separation is what causes the “whip” effect that elite players use to maximize speed.

Time your head to boost accuracy

Poor head sequencing might be draining you of power. It could also be the cause of your mis-hits with the driver. In a swing where the head is going forward at the same time as their lower body, Perpich says, the path of the swing will likely travel too far out—or over the top—and you’re going to have to compensate to strike the ball.

“When the head moves with the torso, you’re hitting down with the driver,” he says, “So, you’re not going to get a center hit, and you’re also not going to get an ascending blow.”

Remember: head backwards for longer straighter drives

If you’re trying to incorporate this into your swing, Perpich says to think about the top of your head going backwards as you change direction and begin the transition into your downswing.

“It’s like a whip, a slingshot,” he says, “You have to have the bottom half going forward, but the top half is going backwards.” 

Do that, and you’ll hit longer, straighter drives.

Advertisement

Sign up for GOLF Schools Today

Improve your game with GOLF Top 100 Teachers.

Advertisement

The Detroit Tigers and standout rookie third baseman Kevin McGonigle have agreed to an eight-year contract extension, the club announced on Wednesday. The deal is worth $150 million guaranteed and includes escalators that could push the total value to $160 million. It kicks in for 2027 and will run through the 2034 season.

McGonigle’s deal is the latest in a recent spate of long-term extensions for young players with little or no MLB service time. His pact is larger than the recent one signed by young shortstop Konnor Griffin and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 21-year-old McGonigle is a former No. 37 overall draft pick out of a Pennsylvania high school who’s thus far enjoying a highly productive rookie campaign in Detroit. 

Advertisement

Through the first 17 games of his MLB career, McGonigle has an OBP of .417 with more walks (11) than strikeouts (eight). He’s also slugging .492 with six doubles and an OPS+ of 162. Thanks to strong quality-of-contact measures, McGonigle boasts an expected slugging of .546, which puts him in the 90th percentile of MLB hitters in projectable power. That’s in addition to his running the bases well and playing sound defense at short and third for a Tigers team with designs on making the playoffs for a third straight year.

“Since I’ve been drafted by the Tigers, the way I am, I’m loyal,” McGonigle said at a press conference Wednesday. “I want to stick in one spot and help a team to win a World Series.”

Coming into the 2026 season, CBS Sports ranked McGonigle as the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball. Here’s part of our write-up: 

McGonigle is probably the single most polished hitter not already in the majors. He’s a lefty who, when he’s in his stance, resembles a mirrored version of Jose Altuve. There are some skill-set similarities too. McGonigle can hit the ball wherever, whenever, and often with gusto behind it. He’s mindful of the zone, and last year he walked 13 times more than he struck out combined across three levels. McGonigle has shown headiness on the basepaths in the past, though last year he wasn’t as successful in volume or efficiency. Defensively, he may play shortstop at the onset of his big-league career as a necessity to get his bat in the lineup. McGonigle seems unlikely to remain at the six much beyond that, however, with second base appearing to be his long-term home. It won’t matter. If he hits like he’s demonstrated he can throughout his professional career, the Tigers will be pleased all the same.

The eight-year extension buys out multiple free agent years from McGonigle and all but ensures he’ll remain in Detroit through at least his age-29 season. From McGonigle’s standpoint, he gets a life-changing guarantee, and he can still test the free-agent market before he turns 30 years of age. For the Tigers, it’s bound to be a highly popular move for a fan base that’s primed to be frustrated by ace Tarik Skubal‘s likely departure via free agency next offseason. 

McGonigle becomes the fifth player to whom the Tigers are committed beyond the current season. Marquee offseason addition Framber Valdez will be owed $42.8 million for the 2027 season, and he has a $35 million player option for 2028. Javier Báez is owed $27 million for the final year of his contract in 2027. Colt Keith is under contract through at least 2029 with three additional club options. Finally, reliever Kyle Finnegan will make $9.5 million next season. The Tigers also have 2027 options on Kenley Jansen and Drew Anderson. Overall, that comes to just more than $80 million committed for 2027, which means the Tigers have plenty of room to add salary this coming winter.

At this writing, McGonigle and the Tigers have won four in a row to reach 8-9 on the season after a slow start. 

Spring prospect extensions

Familiarity with playing conditions and players breeds confidence, especially for a player going through a lean patch with the bat. Punjab Kings’ middle-order batter Nehal Wadhera is hoping that his return to the Wankhede Stadium for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash with the Mumbai Indians on Thursday will help him regain form and produce a big knock. Wadhera, who has scored 3, 10, and 14 runs in the three matches in which PBKS have batted this season, has played two seasons for the Mumbai Indians from 2023-24 and is quite familiar with the Wankhede Stadium and the current MI squad, barring a few players.

The 25-year-old batting all-rounder from Ludhiana in Punjab is brimming with confidence on his return to Wankhede.

“I have played here for two years, so I know the conditions well. I have played with everyone here. I have played a lot of these bowlers in the nets too. I know I am short of runs, but I am hoping that the time will come when I am also scoring well. I am in good touch, though. I think it is a matter of one innings, and then it will start from there,” said Wadhera in the pre-match press conference at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Wadhera said the team will take confidence from their good record against the Mumbai Indians over the year — among the eight IPL-founding teams, PBKS are the only one with an equal head-to-head record with MI, with both teams having won 17 matches in the 34 they have played so far.

“Just like a bowler who is doing well has lots of confidence in bowling or a batter who is doing well has confidence in his batting, similarly, a team. If a team has a good winning record against another team, that also carries forward the momentum.

“So we are in a very positive frame of mind. It is not only that, but last year we won against them in the semifinals, and this time too they same set of bowlers, the same team.

“So, we also have an idea of what plan they will come up with, which plan of action they will come up with, and we already have an idea. It is an added advantage that last year, if we did well against their plans, then this year also we will do well,” said Wadhera.

The middle-order batter who bowls leg-break when required agreed that Punjab Kings have started from where they left off last year, though they were disappointed at losing the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

“We are exactly where we left, we are carrying up the same momentum. Though we lost the final last year, we are still dominating every team like we did last year. We are following the same routine, there is the same atmosphere basically, which we had last year,” he said.

Wadhera praised head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Shreyas Iyer for instilling a positive outlook among the players and giving them confidence to play freely. He said Ponting always tells the players to follow their natural game without bothering about failure.

Wadhera said interacting with a legend like Ponting is a big gain for players like him who have not played for India. “He is a great batsman and has captained Australia to multiple World Cup titles, so he brings a lot to the conversation. He always asked the players to be positive in their outlook and that results will come,” said Wadhera.

The 25-year-old batter from Punjab said skipper Shreyas Iyer’s one-on-one interactions with the players also have a good impact on the players. “Just the other day, I was having a conversation with him, and he told me to play my natural game without bothering about pressure. ‘You play your natural game, I am there to take up the pressure, he told me,” said Wadhera.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans

Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini, who was sentenced to life in prison, insists he is innocent of the 2021 murder his in-laws.

Serafini did a recent interview with “Dateline,” where the ex-Minnesota Twins hurler claimed to Keith Morrison that he was not the one who killed Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood five years ago.

“I don’t understand it at all,” Serafini said to Morrison. “I believed in the justice system. And the justice system failed.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Pitcher Dan Serafini of the Minnesota Twins poses for the camera on Photo Day during spring training at Hammond Stadium at Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. (GETTY)

Serafini was accused of surprising Spohr and Wood in Lake Tahoe, California, at their home in 2021, where he murdered them in the belief he would acquire a piece of their fortune via his then-wife, Erin Spohr.

Prosecutors said Serafini had snuck into the Lake Tahoe home while the married couple was out on the lake. He was allegedly hiding in a closet with a gun for several hours awaiting their return.

BRIAN WALSHE TO BE SENTENCED FOR MURDERING, DISMEMBERING WIFE WHO DISAPPEARED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY 2023

When they got back, Serafini allegedly shot them both in the head, but Wood survived after being left for dead. However, she died by suicide in 2023.

Serafini was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder as well as first-degree burglary in 2025 after a trial that lasted weeks. In February, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“Circumstantial case and I believe that the circumstantial stuff that they had was just making up a story. They had no proof, no anything,” he told Morrison.

Dan Serafini of Italy delivers a pitch during a World Baseball Classic game against Canada at Rogers Centre in Toronto on March 9, 2009. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Serafini also felt the jury didn’t like him for the way he was acting in court, though he alleges he was just following his lawyers’ advice.

“They just didn’t like me, they didn’t like my lifestyle,” Serafini explained. “They didn’t like the way I acted in court, which I didn’t act any way. I sat there like I was supposed to because my lawyers told me to [not] react, [not] respond. ‘Sit there like nothing’s bothering you.’ And I did. And I got crucified for it.”

The full “Dateline” special with Serafini will air on Friday night.

Dan Serafini #50 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sept. 11, 2003. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Serafini was a first-round draft choice by the Twins in 1992, eventually making his major league debut in 1996. He allowed five runs on seven hits, including a home run, and two walks across 4.1 innings.

Serafini also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies in his seven years in the big leagues.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.