Manchester City beat Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor on Wednesday night to move top of the Premier League table on goals scored
John Stones’ name got an airing from the away end at Turf Moor on Wednesday night but it’s the new boys of the Manchester City backline that have helped Pep Guardiola’s side to the top of the Premier League table.
While the likes of Rayan Cherki, Erling Haaland and Nico O’Reilly have hit the headlines and the goals in recent weeks, City’s five game winning run across three competitions has seen them concede just once. And even that was after a blunder from Gianluigi Donnarumma against Arsenal last weekend.
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In a season where goal difference could prove the deciding factor and Arsenal’s defence has been lauded as best in class, City have conceded only three goals fewer than the Gunners in the league and registered just one fewer clean sheet.
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Against Burnley on Wednesday night the visitors were profligate in front of goal, missing countless chances to extend their winning margin in a result that could have given Arsenal fresh impetus given the Gunners may have feared a goal difference deficit.
But goal difference works both ways and City have found a partnership in Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi that have proved rock steady in the heart of the defence. It’s easy at times to forget that this City side is shorn of Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias while Stones, now fit again, has missed huge chunks of the campaign.
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Khusanov has grown into a calm and commanding Premier League presence, with his pace a huge asset and his attitude and willingness to learn endearing him to manager and fans.
Guehi has brought added leadership to the ranks with the England international having captained Crystal Palace, while his quality on the ball has enabled City to break lines from the back.
And Stones, along with Nathan Ake, have provided an experienced hand from the sidelines when they’ve not been required on the pitch.
Early in the second half at Turf Moor Guardiola dissected a passage of play where Burnley threatened with a long ball forward and a flick on which required a timely intervention from Matheus Nunes.
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The City boss took his seat and animatedly pointed out his thoughts to Ake and Stones on the bench. Those two experienced heads could both be departing in the summer but both have played an important role this season despite limited opportunities.
Ake came into the side for Carabao Cup final and performed admirably and while injuries have limited Stones’ minutes, he’s still been an important presence at the training ground and a sounding board for the new boys to learn from.
This is a player who has done it all at City in a glittering career. He’s not played the matches he would have liked this term but has been a voice of experience behind the scenes, offering advice and encouragement to the academy prospects who step into first team training.
It was perhaps notable that as the City players took in the applause of the away end at full time, Guardiola was deep in conversation with Ake.
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The Blues have a balance at the back that is going under the radar. It could prove pivotal in the coming weeks.
Al Nassr could boast a team featuring some of the finest players on the planet next season – if Cristiano Ronaldo’s team gets their way this summer
Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, alongside several other high-profile names, could link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr next season. The Saudi Pro League side haven’t claimed the domestic championship since 2019 and have been forced to watch the recent supremacy of Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.
It now seems they’re pulling out all the stops to claim the trophy next season. Al Nassr already possess a squad brimming with quality including the likes of Croatian World Cup finalist and Serie A winner Marcelo Brozovic as well as multiple Bundesliga-winning French international Kingsley Coman.
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Former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane, a Premier League and Champions League victor, also features alongside Ronaldo. Meanwhile the once most expensive player on the planet, and former Chelsea forward, Joao Felix, plus Inigo Martinez, who secured La Liga with Barcelona in 2025, are just some other figures who comprise their squad.
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Nevertheless, they could be poised to elevate their super team to unprecedented levels. MEN takes a closer look at the five stars who could join Al Nassr this summer.
Mo Salah
Salah shocked the football world when he revealed his desire to depart Liverpool in March after nine years. The Egyptian sits third on the club’s all-time top scorers list and has secured two Premier League titles and the Champions League at Anfield.
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Multiple offers have reportedly surfaced to acquire his services, including one from Al Nassr. The club, owned by The Public Investment Fund (PIF), is understood to have expressed interest in partnering him with Ronaldo to form a formidable attacking partnership, positioning him as the league’s latest marquee arrival.
Nevertheless, several other Saudi clubs are similarly tracking the striker’s circumstances closely, including Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadsiah. Questions have also been posed regarding precisely how Salah would integrate into the team at Al Nassr.
Bernardo Silva
According to Saudi publication Al-Yaum, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are locked in competition to sign the Manchester City star on a free transfer. The Portuguese playmaker arrived at City in 2017 and has featured 451 times, claiming six Premier League titles and the Champions League under Pep Guardiola.
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Following City’s confirmation of his departure at season’s end, the 31-year-old is believed to be coveted by Ronaldo at Al Nassr. Silva has been representing Portugal alongside Ronaldo at international level since March 2015.
The attacking midfielder has additionally been connected with transfers to Barcelona or Juventus, alongside clubs in the MLS. However, his associations with the Saudi Pro League run considerably deep, as in 2023, Al Hilal were believed to be assembling a package valued at £75million per season to secure the player from City.
Casemiro
Manchester United announced last month that Casemiro will depart the club when his contract expires in June. The midfielder became strongly linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia in 2023 as he dropped down the pecking order under former United manager Erik ten Hag.
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Ronaldo, who played alongside Casemiro at Real Madrid, has reportedly advocated for the transfer. Inter Miami, co-owned by United legend David Beckham, are also eager to sign Casemiro.
Brazilian heavyweights Sao Paulo are also understood to be prepared to offer the player a two-year contract with an option to work for the club following his retirement.
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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.
Nevertheless, according to Marca, Ronaldo sees Casemiro as the defensive linchpin required to ensure Al-Nassr’s supremacy in the Saudi Pro League. The financial proposal being assembled in Riyadh is anticipated to rival almost any other offer Casemiro receives.
Antonio Rudiger
The German centre-back is entering the final months of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu and is poised to become a free agent in the summer of 2026.
Rudiger moved to Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2022. The La Liga and Champions League victor is believed to be sought after by Al-Nassr.
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However, some reports suggest that remaining with Los Blancos is a “priority” for the centre-back. The Spanish giants have reportedly tabled a one-year extension for the defender, which could complicate any move.
Diogo Costa
Al Nassr are reportedly in the hunt for a new goalkeeper after losing faith in their current options, Brazilian shot-stopper Bento and Raghed Al-Najjar, who is sidelined through injury.
The 26-year-old Costa, who has claimed two Primeira Liga titles with Porto, would represent a significant acquisition for Al Nassr, with the likes of United and City both credited with an interest in recent months.
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While Ronaldo and his teammates are said to be fronting the pursuit of the goalkeeper, Costa penned a contract extension with Porto until June 2030 in December 2025, meaning any interested party would need to splash out a substantial fee to lure him away from his current club.
Speaking to O Jogo, Costa also suggested he would like to bring the curtain down on his career in Portugal. He said: “I would truly be the most fulfilled man in the world, because, as everyone knows, my dream has always been to play here. And now the story continues and I hope there will be more games.”
While the club’s prospective squad looks like something conjured up by a Football Manager fan with a cheat code, the reality is somewhat less glamorous for the Saudi Arabian outfit.
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As of the 2024/25 season, SPL clubs are permitted to register a maximum of 10 non-Saudi players. However, while 10 can be registered, only eight non-Saudi players are permitted to feature in the matchday squad for domestic fixtures.
This means that should Al Nassr genuinely wish to assemble a superteam, compromises will inevitably need to be made, with several of their potential new recruits facing an anxious wait for regular game time.
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HOUSTON — For the first time in 2026, the LPGA is center stage, and the year’s first major comes with massive stakes.
Under the direction of new commissioner Craig Kessler, the LPGA has big plans to break through. That includes a new broadcast television deal, schedule changes, purse increases and a plan to create a stable of global stars. All this serves Kessler’s main focus: Finding a way to grab attention and hold on to it — to better satisfy the current fans who desperately want to see women’s golf elevated while harvesting a new group of supporters.
Making that climb is easier said than done.
Perhaps no tournament better underscores the challenges facing the LPGA and women’s golf than this week’s Chevron Championship. It’s the year’s first major, but one that has lacked a significant identity. It was elevated to major status in 1983 but has gone through numerous name changes and moved from Mission Hills to the Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, in 2023. The only things that have stayed the same are the iconic jump into Poppie’s Pond and the winning robe, and even that has had to be shoehorned in since the move.
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The move to Texas didn’t help with this unique crisis, as the course at Carlton Woods and the event’s broadcast failed to make it feel like the major it’s billed as. As the LPGA has looked to grow and expand, the Chevron Championship has found itself at a crossroads. It has a rich history, and Chevron has invested in the event, but it hasn’t fully cemented a major championship identity that the LPGA needs for the first big tournament of the season. The Masters signals the start of men’s major season and serves as a launching pad for the rest of the pro golf year. Women’s golf needs the Chevron Championship, or a different tournament, to be something similar.
That’s why this week looms as a massive test for the Chevron Championship and the LPGA.
After three underwhelming years at Carlton Woods, the LPGA and Chevron made the decision to move the tournament from the Houston suburbs to Memorial Park, a muni in the heart of the city that also hosts the PGA Tour’s Houston Open. The move to Memorial Park was universally praised. Moving the event into the city should make it easier to boost attendance, giving it a bigger feel, and Memorial Park is a far more interesting course, with tricky greens that demand precision and a memorable finishing stretch.
But the move to Memorial Park also further underscores the ongoing identity crisis. What makes the U.S. Women’s Open, AIG Women’s Open and KPMG Women’s PGA exciting is the rotation of venues those majors run through. It’s hard for a non-iconic course to take root as a standalone major venue. On the men’s side, the only constant is Augusta National. If a major is going to come back to the same place every year, the course has to be a central figure in the story. It has to be something fans are familiar with and want to return to every year.
In order for the Memorial Park move to pay dividends, it’s going to need the help of one of Kessler’s first big swings as commissioner: the enhanced broadcast.
Thanks to a deal with FM, Golf Channel and Trackman, LPGA broadcasts will have a 50 percent increase in cameras, three times as many microphones, quadruple the number of shot-tracing capabilities, more slow-motion cameras and drones. The LPGA rolled out the enhanced broadcast features at Sharon Heights earlier this year, and its debut was a clear win. There were kinks to work out and improvements to make, but the changes were noticeable and welcome.
This week is the real test for those enhancements and broadcast partner NBC’s willingness to give this event the major shine. It’s incumbent on the broadcast to use all of the bells and whistles for greater storytelling, to highlight the intricacies of the Tom Doak course and create major tension. It’s not enough to say it’s a major; you have to make the viewer feel it.
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All of that leads to the one thing that’s out of the LPGA’s control this week, but that is most vital in giving this major the juice it needs: the stars have to show up.
Back in November, Kessler said there’s “no silver bullet” to building stars. While that may be true, if you want to create inroads and build the audience, the needles have to be front and center on your biggest weeks.
That starts, and maybe ends, with Nelly Korda.
Just as men’s golf has become dominated by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, the LPGA needs Korda to do the same. After winning seven times in 2024, Korda went winless in what she called a “weird” 2025. She changed her schedule and preparation this year and has gone 1-2-2-T2 in four starts. The World No. 2 arrived in Houston after taking a week off and seems to be feeling free and easy as the first major arrives. Plenty of signs point to this being a Korda week, and that would be a welcome sight as the LPGA goes under the spotlight and the major season begins.
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Outside of Korda in 2024, the Chevron Championship has seen several first-time major winners in recent years. Building a base of major champions is good for the depth of the league, but if you’re looking to create a bigger fan base, the best path is to have your stars — Korda, Charley Hull, Jeeno Thitikul, Lydia Ko — in the mix entering the weekend, have them bring the eyeballs and then let them and the enhanced broadcast be the entry point to the rest of the tour.
That’s the formula for success for the LPGA and Chevron Championship. We’re about to see if they find it this week.
An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025.(Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
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While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025.(Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
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All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026.(Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New photos of New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL insider Dianna Russini have been leaked online amid their alleged affair scandal. After Page Six shared exclusive snippets of them spending time together at a luxury private resort in Sedona last month, fresh photos from that time have raised more questions about this situation.
In the new photos shared, we see Vrabel and Russini having breakfast together. According to the article, several eyewitnesses claimed that they dined alone, but sources close to the insider claimed that a group of friends joined them.
Thanks for the submission!
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On X, NFL analyst Tony Farmer shared his thoughts on these new leaks of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini.
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“That’s Vrabel! Same shirt as the prior published photos. Not a girls trip. Not “laughable” to suggest it’s not innocent. This is breakfast guys, that means the sleepover is confirmed,” Farmer wrote.
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After receiving extensive backlash for the scandal, Dianna Russini decided to resign from her position at The Athletic earlier this month. In her resignation letter, she stated that she’s doing so to avoid it hampering the career that she’s built and denied the affair allegations.
“I have decided to step down aside now- before my current contract expires on June 30,” Russini wrote. “I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to let it further oxygen or let it define me or my career.”
Mike Vrabel dodges a question about Dianna Russini’s resignation
After days of silence, Mike Vrabel finally addressed the affair allegations with Dianna Russini during a press conference on Tuesday. He was asked to share his thoughts on the insider’s resignation from The Athletic.
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However, the Patriots coach decided to dodge answering this question.
“I appreciate and respect every single question,” Vrabel said. “But I’m not going to be able to comment on anything as it relates to that. I appreciate your job and what you guys have got to do, but I have to make my comments and what I answer about our football team.”
The NFL has also come forward to state that it will not review and investigate the Vrabel and Russini situation.
Former Arsenal star and 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit believes Marcus Rashford would be a good signing for the Gunners.
Speaking via Andy’s Bet Club, he said: “I would love to see Marcus Rashford at Arsenal, I think he’d have a big impact. What he has done at Barcelona, after he struggled for two or three seasons, has impressed me.
“The Rashford we know wasn’t there for a while and everyone was criticising him, at Barcelona he has recovered his qualities.
“I was quite surprised that he didn’t start in the Champions League second-leg against Atletico, although Raphinha has been very good for Barcelona, too.
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“Robert Lewandowski, I was quite surprised that he was sitting on the bench for the two games. But coming back to Rashford, that could be something very good for Arsenal. He has something to prove coming back to England and they need wingers.”
Marcus Rashford has spent the season on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United(Image: Alex Caparros – UEFA, UEFA via Getty Images)
Wednesday night’s NBA playoff action was largely drama-free, as the No. 1 seeds in each conference cruised to double-digit wins. Early on, the Detroit Pistons used a 30-3 run in the third quarter to pull away from the Orlando Magic en route to a 98-83 win. And in the second game of the doubleheader, the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a fourth-quarter push by the Phoenix Suns for a 120-107 victory.
The Pistons and Magic are now all even at 1-1 and will have plenty of time off before Game 3 in Orlando on Saturday. The Thunder, meanwhile, have a commanding 2-0 lead on the Suns, who will host Game 3 of their matchup on Saturday.
Here’s a look at the winners and losers from Wednesday night in the NBA playoffs.
Winner: Chet Holmgren
This was, by far, Holmgren’s best season since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2022. He averaged career-highs in scoring, rebounds and field goal percentage, made his first All-Star appearance and finished second to Victor Wembanyama in Defensive Player of the Year voting. When the All-Defensive Teams are announced, he should make the First Team.
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Holmgren has continued his strong play into the postseason. After a strong 16-point, seven-rebound, two-block effort in just 25 minutes in Game 1, Holmgren went for 19 points, eight rebounds and four blocks on Wednesday. All of those blocks came in the third quarter, and were the most blocks in a quarter in the playoffs in 18 years. For the series, Holmgren is shooting 12 of 22 (54.5%) from the field, including 5 of 12 (41.7%) from 3-point range.
“He’s special, man,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said during his postgame interview on the broadcast. “He affects the game at a really high level every time he steps on the floor. I’m gonna sound like a broken record, but since the day that Chet Holmgren played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, we’ve been the first seed in the West, and it’s no coincidence. He makes plays, he anchors the best defense in the league.”
The Thunder are going to need even more from Holmgren if Jalen Williams ends up missing time with his apparent hamstring issue.
Loser: Thunder’s health
In the middle of the third quarter, the Thunder’s Jalen Williams ran the floor hard in transition, caught a pass from Gilgeous-Alexander and went up for a layup that he missed. Immediately, he grabbed for his left hamstring and took his time getting back down the floor.
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After taking a foul to stop play, Williams appeared to inform the bench that his left hamstring was bothering him, then went to the locker room and did not return. It’s far too early to know how long Williams may be sidelined — he’ll likely undergo an MRI either late Wednesday or early Thursday — but this was not what the Thunder wanted to see.
Williams played only 33 games this season due to multiple injuries, including a right hamstring issue that kept him out for eight weeks across two different stretches. The Thunder will be fine against the Suns even if Williams doesn’t come back, but if he’s facing another extended spell on the sidelines, that would be a big blow to their title hopes.
In Game 1, Williams put up 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 9 of 15 from the field. Though he had struggled at times this season, he is a proven playoff performer and was their second-best player last season en route to their first title.
Gilgeous-Alexander was also in pain early in the game after an awkward fall where he put his left hand out to brace himself and his fingers bent the wrong way. He was checked out by the team’s medical staff and remained in the game — and finished with 37 points and nine assists — but it was clear his hand was bothering him all night. That could be something to monitor over the next few days.
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Winner: The Pistons’ supporting cast
Even though the Pistons won 60 games and were the No. 1 seed, they weren’t the clear favorites in the Eastern Conference entering the playoffs, in large part because of concerns about their over-reliance on All-Star guard Cade Cunningham.
Game 1 was a perfect example. Cunningham poured in 39 points on 13 of 27 from the field on Sunday, but the Pistons lost because every other Detroit player combined for 62 points on 18 of 50 shooting. In fact, Tobias Harris was the only other player who scored in double figures that night, and he shot 5 of 15.
The Pistons won’t get past the Magic, let alone make a deep run, unless their supporting cast steps up to give Cunningham some help. They certainly did in Game 2. Cunningham went off again for 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. But the Pistons had five more double-figure scorers, including all four other starters.
The Pistons still only scored 98 points and shot 6 of 26 from 3-point range, so questions remain about their playoff offense, but this was a must-win game and an important confidence builder for the supporting cast.
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Loser: Desmond Bane
Bane didn’t ask the Magic to trade Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four first-round picks and a first-round pick swap to acquire him from the Memphis Grizzlies last summer. But fairly or not, the steep price has raised the expectations for him.
By any standards, his performance in Game 2 simply wasn’t good enough. He scored 12 points on 2 of 11 shooting and had more turnovers (three) than made baskets.
It’s one thing to miss shots, but Bane has to take them or the Magic have no chance. He is by far their best 3-point shooter (39.1% on 5.2 attempts per game in the regular season) and their most reliable shot creator in the backcourt. During the regular season, the Orlando was 7-8 when Bane took 11 or fewer shots and 38-29 when he took 12 or more.
Bane’s no-show on Tuesday was a big reason why the Magic had their worst offensive performance of the season. Their 83 points and 32.5 field goal percentage were both season lows.
Todd Pollard might be in the initial phase of managing his personal stable, but his roster has begun to build steadily after mere months.
Scrumptious joins as a late addition for the one-time aide to Annabel, positioning her as a valuable asset moving forward.
Until recently, the three-year-old filly was with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, but post her $75,000 Inglis online transaction last month, Pollard is identifying her upside, potentially on display in the Seven Benchmark 70 Handicap (1350m) at Ipswich on Thursday.
“We scratched from a sticky draw yesterday at Doomben and this is a similar race although a step up in trip but this is a bit weaker than the midweek metro grade last time,” Pollard said.
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“She is a pretty handy horse and being a winner in town in Sydney, she does get hammered by the handicapper up here.
“She has been rated like she has won two-and-a-half races rather than one race.”
Her breakthrough maiden win came at Canterbury over 1250m on January 30, and she’s a $3.50 prospect for today’s Ipswich race.
Last appearance saw her seventh, beaten three lengths over 1200m at Doomben.
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“Last start in benchmark 70 grade, it was actually a pretty strong race and for a lightly raced three-year-old filly she was taking on handy opposition.
“There were horses there a couple of horses who have won six races and that was tough on a little three-year-old filly.
“She is probably looking for 1350m and, who knows, she might even get to a mile in time.”
Leading hoop Ben Thompson retains the ride on Scrumptious from draw two at Ipswich.
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Check racing betting markets for the Seven Benchmark 70 Handicap at Ipswich this Thursday.
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will need to win all their remaining games to claim the Premier League title after moving top on Wednesday.
Erling Haaland scored the only goal as City continued their recent charge to hit the summit with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Burnley, who were consequently relegated.
It is the first time City have led the table since August and, with five games to play, they appear to be timing their run perfectly.
Yet their lead over Arsenal is slender, on goals scored only, and with the Gunners in action twice before City’s next league outing, Guardiola recognises the pressure is still firmly on.
The Spaniard said: “Now we have the FA Cup on Saturday and after that we have five games. The only chance is to win all the games.”
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Haaland also hit a post and Rayan Cherki had an effort deflected on to the woodwork but Burnley, battling to delay their return to the second tier after a single season in top flight, fought to the end.
Guardiola felt his players performed well so soon after Sunday’s victory over title rivals Arsenal.
He said: “It was such a demanding game on Sunday. It is not easy after three days, but in the Premier League you have to adjust.
“Winning is the main target and, considering the last three days and the emotion and physicality in the game we played, we made an extraordinary game.
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“With the chances we created we could have scored more goals, but the important thing is winning every game. Five games in the Premier League – we see what happens.”
With the race so close, Guardiola admitted he would have liked to have improved the goal difference.
He said: “Yes, we had chances – but we have to win the games. It was clear, clear, clear.
“We did not have ‘umph’ in the last part of the shots and sometimes that’s the fatigue. I had the feeling if we scored at 2-0 it would be more relaxed and we could be more composed in the final third.”
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City’s attention now turns to Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton at Wembley and Guardiola will consider making changes.
“Now we have to think about it a lot because I had a lot of doubts about the line-up today because of the fatigue,” he added.
“Now it will be three in a row in three days, go to London. I have to think about it.”
Victor Wembanyama wins Defensive Player of the Year
Victor Wembanyama has been named the 2025–26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
The San Antonio Spurs star was a unanimous choice, receiving all 100 first-place votes from the media panel and finishing with 500 points.
Wembanyama becomes the youngest player to win the award and the first to do so within his first three seasons since David Robinson. He is also the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner since the award was introduced.
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Behind him in the voting were Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson, who finished second and third respectively.
The award recognises the best defensive player over the regular season, and Wembanyama’s impact on that end of the floor made him the clear choice this year.
;)
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