SAN ANTONIO — It’s tempting, but the San Antonio Spurs will not play Victor Wembanyama every minute of regulation against Oklahoma City even as they trail the Thunder 2-1 in the Western Conference finals.
Instead, San Antonio has to find a way to play better when Wembanyama rests because Oklahoma City is dominating when the 7-foot-4 star from France is on the bench.
The Thunder are two wins away from returning to the NBA Finals with Game 4 on Sunday in San Antonio.
Oklahoma City has won two straight by an average of 12 points since Wembanyama had 41 points, 24 rebounds and three rebounds in 49 minutes during San Antonio’s 122-115 double-overtime victory in Game 1 on Monday.
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As the Spurs seek solutions, playing Wembanyama more minutes is intriguing but not viable.
“The idea is there,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said, smiling, “but, yeah, I think as we’ve seen it, him fresh or somewhat fresh is still the best. … We don’t want to sacrifice our style of play and the identity that we’ve been building since October.”
The Spurs were a plus-4 in Wembanyama’s 39 minutes in Game 3’s 123-108 loss to the Thunder on Friday. That number may seem inconsequential, but San Antonio was minus-15 as a team and its main reserves were in the negative by double digits.
MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a team-high 26 points, but the rest of the starters combined for 21 points.
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Their scoring wasn’t needed Friday.
Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 76-23 and were a combined 14 for 29 on 3-pointers. The 76 bench points are the most in the conference finals since the NBA went to the 16-team playoff format in 1984.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of injuries throughout the year, but it’s built us,” Thunder center Jaylin Williams said. “It’s built us as a team. It’s built us as players to be ready for the moment, to be ready when your name is called.”
Williams had a playoff career-high 18 points, and fellow reserve Jared McCain finished with 24 points.
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The Spurs opened Game 3 on a 15-0 run, the longest run to open a game in the conference finals since the play-by-play era began in 1997. San Antonio led 19-4 when Wembanyama subbed out with seven minutes remaining in the quarter but the Thunder cut the deficit to 24-19 when he returned with 3:44 remaining in the first.
The Thunder’s depth also allows them to throw multiple bodies and looks to wear on Wembanyama and the Spurs.
“I know I’m not going to play as many minutes as (Wembanyama) is, so the minutes I’m out there I’m trying to make his job as tough as I can make it,” Williams said.
Making matters worse for the Spurs is two of their primary playmakers and scorers are battling injuries.
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Point guards De’Aaron Fox (sprained right ankle) and Dylan Harper (right adductor soreness) played in Game 3 but were not at 100%. Fox also appeared to injure his left ankle in the third quarter but returned shortly after exiting for the locker room.
“They came out of the game, finished on their own accord,” Johnson said. “I took them out, so that’s a plus and as of now we expect them to be ready to go. So, those guys are giving us all they got, and I commend them and tip my cap because they’re competing … and they’re not 100%.”
There was no update on their playing status as of Sunday afternoon.
The diminished health of Fox and Harper along with Oklahoma City’s physicality has slowed San Antonio’s usual breakneck pace offensively.
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The Spurs played reserve center Luke Kornet alongside Wembanyama at times Friday in an attempt to improve its rebounding and spark a faster pace, but the Thunder limited that as well.
“That’s been good for us all year,” Castle said of the Spurs’ pace. “I don’t think it’s just against them that it’s crucial that we have those possessions, but, I mean, I think that comes from getting stops first.”
Castle did not want to give away any strategy, but he did say the Spurs discovered some “schematic stuff” that should fix their lapses on both ends for Game 4.
Regardless, San Antonio has to find a way to keep playing with Wembanyama on the bench.
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“I feel like each and every one of us has got to be better,” Wembanyama said. “Yeah, I think it’s just that as a team, as an organization, there’s a lot of new experiences. We’re just going to have to find the answers.”
The criticism remained at the conclusion of the fight, but now for another reason, with lots of viewers furious over the nature of the stoppage.
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Verhoeven had put in a shock performance against the Ukrainian and looked like he could have been on his way to a major upset, but Usyk was able to find the big shot he likely needed and dropped the kickboxing star towards the end of round 11.
Verhoeven managed to get back to his feet, but a flurry of shots in the corner led referee Mark Lyson to jump in and stop the contest, though many people think it was done so prematurely.
Bellew is one who thinks that way, revealing on the DAZN broadcast that he thinks Verhoeven should have been given the chance to continue.
“It’s the only time in his whole career I’ve seen Usyk outworked. He started some of the rounds quite well but when it came to the last 30 seconds he was losing them, he was getting out landed if I’m being totally honest.
“I think Peter Fury [Verhoeven’s trainer] is spot on, I don’t think he would have been ready to carry on in the 12th. He was done, he was spent, but a massive part of that is down to experience. If I’m being totally honest a rematch is the least that boy deserves.
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“He’s a top referee, he’s human. I feel for everyone. I do want to see him come out for that 12th round without a shadow or a doubt and he should have been allowed that.
“I wasn’t writing the scores down at the end of each round but I’m not going to lie, he’s possibly ahead going into the 11th round.
“In no way shape or form should that have been stopped and we’re never going to know now so you know what the best thing to do is? Just run it back.”
The Las Vegas Aces will host the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night for their second meeting of the season. The game is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be available on CBS and Paramount+.
The reigning WNBA champions are off to a 4-1 start with their only stumble being their loss in the season opener to the Phoenix Mercury on May 9. The Aces are coming off a thrilling 85-84 win against the Atlanta Dream, which saw Chelsea Gray come in clutch (once again) in the final seconds.
The Sparks, 2-3 overall, notched a 97-88 road win over the Mercury on Thursday while making 15 3-pointers as a team. Los Angeles had 60 first-half points, which tied for the second most in an opening half in franchise history.
Las Vegas will unveil its 2025 WNBA championship banner at the Michelob ULTRA Arena during a pre-game ceremony. The Aces already had their ring ceremony on May 9.
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Where to watch LA Sparks vs. Las Vegas Aces
Date: Saturday, May 23 | Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena — Las Vegas, NV TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Last meeting
The Sparks lead the all-time series 57-51, but the Aces have won their last three encounters. Los Angeles suffered a 105-78 home loss to the Aces during their season opener on May 10 despite Kelsey Plum scoring a game-high 27 points against her former team. That was the 31st time Plum scored over 25 points in her WNBA career. Nneka Ogwumike, who will miss Saturday’s game with a hand injury, had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
It was a strong shooting night for the Aces, who went 43 of 69 from the field. That 62.3% was the second-best percentage in franchise history. They had five players reach double figures, led by Chennedy Carter’s 22 points off the bench, while starters Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson contributed 20 and 19 points, respectively.
Chennedy Carter’s immediate impact
When it comes to the Aces, the conversation always starts with four-time MVP A’ja Wilson. However, newcomer Chennedy Carter’s role is worth highlighting too. She might have a somewhat controversial past, but signing her during free agency has already paid off for the Aces. Through the first five games of the season, Carter is leading the team in steals and is the second leading scorer behind A’ja Wilson while coming off the bench.
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This is looking like a promising season for Carter as she is averaging a career-high 19.4 points per game while shooting a career-best 67.2% from the field. It is still early in the 2026 campaign, but Carter is making a strong case for Sixth Player of the Year. While she is still working on improving her defense, Aces coach Becky Hammon described her as a “spark plug” of the bench that the Aces really needed.
“That firepower off the bench. I’m asking her to play a really high-intensity role,” Hammon said this week. “I’m asking her to play a really exhausting way because she is capable, and that is something that we don’t have. That’s something she can bring to our team that we didn’t necessarily have before. Just trying to put her in spots to be successful. She’s integrated really nicely with the group. Not just on the court but off the court.”
Ogwumike making history in L.A. return
Ogwumike scored 12 points in the Sparks’ 97-88 victory over the Mercury on Thursday night, and in the process, she continued writing her name in the WNBA history books. She now has a total of 7,383 career points, which moved her into fifth place on the league’s all-time scoring list, passing Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.
What made it more special is the fact that Ogwumike did it in her return to Los Angeles after spending two seasons with the Seattle Storm. She was drafted No. 1 overall by the Sparks in 2012 and stayed with the franchise until 2023. Ogwumike was a free agent this offseason and made the decision to rejoin her former team.
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Next up on the all-time scorers list is Tina Thompson, who wrapped up her WNBA career in 2013 with a total of 7,488 points. Through the first five games of this season, Ogwumike is averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting 55.8% from the field.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to a number of Senegalese football fans who were convicted during the Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Morocco.
The pardon was announced as a sign of goodwill, friendship, and unity between Morocco and Senegal, further strengthening the close relationship between the two African countries.
The supporters were arrested following incidents connected to the tournament. However, officials did not reveal the exact number of fans pardoned or the offences they were convicted for.
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The decision has been warmly received in Senegal, where many people described it as a humanitarian and diplomatic move that shows the strong bond between both nations.
King Mohammed VI has remained active in promoting peace, unity, and cooperation across Africa through different political, economic, and cultural programmes.
Verhoeven, an icon of the kickboxing world, was boxing professionally for just the second time as he challenged Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title – at the pyramids of Giza, no less.
And Verhoeven was arguably on track for a remarkable result, seemingly ahead on points as the 11th round – the penultimate frame – arrived. But it was at that moment that he walked onto an uppercut in the corner, which dropped him to his knees.
Oleksandr Usyk hurt Rico Verhoeven with an uppercut in the corner, just before the stoppage (Getty)
Verhoeven beat the referee’s count and was given extra time to recover as his mouthguard was put back in, but when Usyk swarmed the Dutchman with more offence on the ropes, the official waved off the bout as the bell sounded.
Many will have felt that the referee should have let the round finish, while others will argue that Verhoeven was already given extra time to recover from the knockdown.
In any case, the result saw Usyk, 39, maintain his unbeaten record, retain the WBC belt, and avoid a historic upset in Egypt.
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Up to that point, the Ukrainian had not looked his usual inventive, spritely self. However, that could have been down to the fine work of Verhoeven, 37, who did well to fight on the front foot for much of the bout, seemingly win the clinch battles, and land clean to the head and body.
Usyk had grown into the fight somewhat after appearing to lose the first few rounds, but it still seemed like he would need a stoppage in the final two rounds to avoid an embarrassing loss.
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And Usyk secured that stoppage at 2:59 of round 11, per the official result, with Verhoeven gracious in defeat despite the controversial nature of the ending.
“Yeah, of course, I thought it was an early stoppage, but in the end it’s not up to me,” Verhoeven said in the ring. “But still, I thought it was a little bit early.
“I thought the referee knows that we’re nearly at the end of the round, so let me go out on my shield or let the bell go. But it’s not up to me, and I was already super thankful for the opportunity.”
Rico Verhoeven protesting the referee’s stoppage against Oleksandr Usyk (Reuters)
Usyk said: “Thank you so much, for me it’s very important, but for me I know right now in Ukraine – my people, my country – are being bombed. My family, my daughter, too, is in a bomb shelter and sent me a message. She said, ‘I know you’ll win.’ I prayed.
“Rico, you’re an amazing fighter, thank you so much. Coach, smart. My team, I love you, you are the best. Katarina, my wife, I love you. You’re my life, you’re my heart.”
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The Ring magazine’s Rick Reno then brought Agit Kabayel into the ring, with the German expected to be next for Usyk; Kabayel is the unified champion’s mandatory challenger with the WBC, which granted Usyk a voluntary defence against Verhoeven.
However, Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh told Reno that it was “not the time” to push a fight with Kabayel, suggesting that Verhoeven deserved a rematch with Usyk.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named the Premier League Player of the Season following a historic individual campaign. The veteran midfielder claimed the prestigious honor ahead of several title-winning Arsenal stars, while Manchester City’s versatile academy graduate Nico O’Reilly secured the Young Player of the Season award.
Red Devils Skipper Creates History
Fernandes has secured his first career Premier League Player of the Season accolade after guiding United back into the Champions League. The 31-year-old playmaker enjoyed a stunning creative campaign, scoring eight top-flight goals and matching the historical single-season record of 20 assists. By conquering a star-studded shortlist, the Portuguese international became the seventh different Old Trafford representative to claim the award, and the first since Nemanja Vidic in 2011.
Historic Assist Record Matched
The seasoned talisman’s exceptional statistical output saw him emulate legendary top-flight creators Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne by reaching the 20-assist milestone. This latest administrative triumph follows his recent FWA Footballer of the Year coronation. Fernandes captured the individual prize over formidable title-winning Arsenal trio David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Declan Rice, alongside Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Brentford’s Igor Thiago.
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City Prodigy Lands Youth Prize
Meanwhile, City starlet O’Reilly capped off a sensational breakthrough year under Pep Guardiola by winning the Young Player of the Season award. The 21-year-old academy graduate established himself as an indispensable tactical asset, registering 34 senior appearances across multiple positions, including left-back and central midfield. O’Reilly edged out contemporary nominees, including Rayan Cherki, Eli Junior Kroupi, Mateus Fernandes, Lewis Hall, Michael Kayode, Kobbie Mainoo, and Alex Scott.
World Cup Test Looms
O’Reilly must now quickly transition from local domestic success to the highest tier of international football after earning a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad. The versatile youngster enters the tournament in pristine form following match-winning Wembley displays in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals.
Conversely, Fernandes shifts his focus towards the World Cup and his leading role with Portugal, while Michael Carrick and Manchester United look to take care of business in the transfer window.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
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The opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as well as the USA’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
Max Verstappen has threatened to quit Formula 1 at the end of this season if planned changes to the engine regulations for next year are blocked.
Governing body the FIA said two weeks ago that an agreement had been reached in principle to changes that would reduce the need for energy management with the new engines introduced this year.
But opposition has emerged in subsequent talks around the detail of the plan and there is currently not enough support for the move to be passed under F1’s governance protocols.
“If it stays like this, it’s going to be a long year next year, which I don’t want,” said Verstappen.
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“It’s just mentally not doable for me to stay like this. It’s really not.”
Verstappen confirmed that if he did decide to stop, he would not come back. “There’s a lot of other fun things out there,” he said.
Drivers have been complaining this year about the way the new engines, which have a nominal 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical energy, have reduced their ability to drive on the limit at all times.
The engines are energy starved, which has required techniques to recover energy even on qualifying laps.
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One change has already been made to address this and the latest plan is to make the energy split – which is actually currently about 54-46 in favour of the internal combustion engine – 60-40.
The effect of this will further reduce the need for energy management, especially in qualifying.
England captain Harry Kane scored a brilliant second-half hat-trick as Bayern Munich defeated VfB Stuttgart in the German Cup final to complete a domestic double.
The final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion ended goalless in the first half before Kane opened the scoring in the 55th minute. The striker headed home from a cross delivered by Michael Olise at the far post.
Kane grabbed his second goal late in the match after turning neatly from a pass by Luis Díaz before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper.
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The former Tottenham Hotspur star completed his hat-trick in stoppage time from the penalty spot to secure victory for Vincent Kompany’s side.
The goals crowned an outstanding campaign for Kane, who ended the season with 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern.
Since joining the German champions in 2023, Kane has now lifted four trophies with the club, including back-to-back Bundesliga titles, the German Super Cup, and now the German Cup.
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The victory also handed Bayern their 21st German Cup title and their first triumph in the competition since the 2019-20 season.
Canelo Alvarez had one of the best seats in the house as one of his old world title belts was claimed by the likely future star of the super-middleweight division.
Canelo had dominated the 168lbs scene for several years and was the undisputed super-middleweight champion up until his showdown with Terence Crawford last September.
Despite moving up two weight classes, Crawford secured a unanimous decision win to claim all four major world titles before then hanging up the gloves shortly afterwards.
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Following that retirement, it meant the belts became fragmented, with it announced that the vacant WBO title would be contested between Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic. That bout taking place this evening at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, though fans would have missed it if they blinked.
Canelo was able to witness first-hand the quality of Sheeraz, as the unbeaten Brit dominated on his way to a second-round body shot stoppage win, becoming world champion for the first time.
Now that Sheeraz has a world title belt around his waist, it could entice Canelo into a future showdown against the 26-year-old, who has made it clear for several years that he would love an opportunity to face the Mexican superstar.
A possible unification match-up with Sheeraz could then come next, but after the destructive performance over Begic, Canelo may also decide it could be smart to look elsewhere.
Manchester United are in the market for several midfielders with a golden transfer opportunity emerging after the Championship play-off final
Manchester United look to have been handed a major Hayden Hackney transfer boost after Middlesbrough’s Championship play-off final defeat. The 23-year-old has been linked to an Old Trafford switch in recent months and the chances of a reunion with Michael Carrick now only look to have increased.
Boro went into the Wembley showpiece as favourites but a stoppage-time Oli McBurnie goal sealed Hull City’s place in the Premier League for next season. Hackney played the final 20 minutes after missing the last two months with a calf injury, but he was unable to make a lasting impact.
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With Middlesbrough set to remain in the Championship, which will see them miss out on roughly £200million from promotion, Hackney staying at Riverside Stadium for the 2026/27 season seems highly unlikely. Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest have also been linked to the midfielder.
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Links to Old Trafford have been concrete in recent months with The Athletic stating he is well-liked by United and Carrick. He is also also been considered a player with huge potential for some time.
Carrick will likely be the man leading any pursuit for Hackney having spent nearly three years with him at Middlesbrough. The 44-year-old was sacked from that role last June and started his temporary job with United six months later.
He told BBC Radio Tees back in January: “He’s very important, of course. He’s a top player and person. In every aspect of the game he’s s good, defensively and offensively.
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“I like him very much and if I had to decide I would say he’s not for sale, but it will not come down to me. I think he wants to stay here. You can see him being very happy with how it works, so hopefully he’s with us this year and further on.”
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