There are seasons where whole careers happen, and Roki Sasaki is in the middle of one right now. Sasaki was so bad in his return to the rotation this spring that the Dodgers faced questions about whether he would actually make the rotation, and when he opened the season with a 6.35 ERA by the end of April, most Fantasy players had pretty much written him off. Given how bad he was last season as a starter, that made sense.

But Sasaki kept tinkering. He changed his slider shape to a harder version in the offseason, and then around the end of April he started working on a harder version of his splitter, too. That change was the most interesting one, as he deprioritized the loopier, harder-to-command version of the pitch (now classified as a forkball) for a few starts and gave himself a version he can throw for strikes or whiffs more consistently. 

That change helped Sasaki stabilize, and then a velocity bump over the past few starts has seen him absolutely take off like a rocket ship. We have arguably seen the three best starts of Sasaki’s career in his past four, with the apex unquestionably coming Friday against the Angels, where he struck out 10 over seven shutout innings. It’s the first time he has had double-digit strikeouts in a major-league start, and the first time he has thrown that many innings without allowing a run. 

All of a sudden, Sasaki has a 2.55 ERA with 38 strikeouts and only eight walks in 35.1 innings since the start of May. It’s not just the best stretch of his career; it’s the first time Sasaki has looked even remotely close to justifying the hype he carried into the majors. In fact, over the past few starts, I’d argue he’s actually just living up to the hype. It’s still a small sample size, and it might be especially dependent on Sasaki sustaining the velocity jump; his fastball unsurprisingly looks like it plays a lot better at 98 mph than 97 and below, and that velocity may not last, of course.

But right now, I think we have to take Sasaki’s breakout at face value. Maybe it blows up in our faces, but the upside he has shown lately is too much to ignore. He’s still available in about a quarter of CBS Fantasy leagues, and that number should be approaching zero by the time waivers run this week.

Here’s who else we’re looking to add ahead of Week 12: 

Week 12 Waiver Targets

Catcher

Francisco Alvarez, Mets (35%) 

Alvarez continued his rehab assignment this weekend and, assuming he gets through the next few days, he could be back as soon as this week’s home stand, beginning Tuesday. Alvarez has been out for a bit less than a month after surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, and while there’s always a risk of lingering effects with any kind of surgery (let alone Alvarez’s relatively swift recovery from this one), Alvarez was showing signs of breaking out before the injury, posting both his lowest strikeout rate and highest expected wOBA on contact ever. I still think there’s the potential for Alvarez to be a top-12 catcher in Fantasy the rest of the way. 

Deep league option: Endy Rodriguez, Pirates (7%) – Rodriguez is having a weird start to his season. He’s hit just .225, but has a .404 on-base percentage thanks to 12 walks in 16 games. The Pirates have cycled through a trio of once-hyped former prospects over the past few years, and Rodriguez is at least showing some signs of life lately, making him worth a look in OBP leagues with two catcher spots.

First Base

Bryce Eldridge, Giants* (51%) 

Eldridge needs one more appearance at first base, which could come any day. Maybe that lack of eligibility is what’s holding his roster rate back, because the top slugging prospect is hitting like he belongs on rosters in a lot more than just one out of every two leagues. He has three multi-hit games in the past seven (and has hit safely in nine straight), while striking out just 24.4% of the time. We haven’t seen a ton of over-the-fence pop from Eldridge, but he is hitting the ball hard and putting it in play regularly and even holding his own against lefties. It feels like he’s about to take a huge step forward and should be adding first base (and corner infield) eligibility any day now. It’s time to buy. 

Deep league option: Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees (17%) – All of a sudden, Goldschmidt is being used like an everyday player. That probably won’t last long, but with the Yankees’ injuries to their corner and DH options, he has now started 15 straight games entering play Sunday. And his success doesn’t really feel like a fluke, as his .371 xwOBA for the season fully backs up his actual .376 mark. I don’t necessarily think it’s fair to expect Goldschmidt to keep it up all season long, but he’s been remarkably productive as basically a full-time player for the past month-plus, so why not just ride the hot hand here and see if he can keep it up? At least until the playing time questions come back.

Second Base

Sam Antonacci, White Sox (56%)

Second base is a bit deeper than we expected coming in, but that’s okay, because the outfield looks weaker, and you can use Antonacci in either spot. You aren’t going to get much power out of him, but I really don’t see much reason to be skeptical about his performance otherwise so far – his .288 batting average would be pretty exceptional even without knowing it is backed up by a .309 xBA. He’s getting on base a ton while primarily hitting near the top of the lineup, so runs and steals should be a pretty big part of his game, too. I think Antonacci looks like one of the most under-rostered players in Fantasy right now, even in points leagues. 

Deep league option: Jacob Gonzalez, White Sox (22%) – Gonzalez is more or less being used as the Munetaka Murakami replacement in the White Sox’s lineup, and he’s more or less holding up his end of the bargain. A .300-plus batting average is going to be tough to sustain with his swing and miss issues, but he hit his first homer Saturday and has an average exit velocity of 91.2 mph so far in the majors, a sign that he hasn’t been overwhelmed. As a cheap source of power, Gonzalez remains very interesting.

Third Base

Curtis Mead, Nationals (56%)

It might all fizzle out in the end, but Mead deserve a lot more credit than he’s getting right now. He’s been productive all season long, but didn’t matter much for Fantasy because he just wasn’t playing enough. Well, he has started 13 of 16 games since May 20, including eight of 11 against righties, and he has gotten multiple plate appearances in two of the three he didn’t start, too. This is a full-time player right now, and he’s hitting .268/.339/.554 in that span and has the underlying numbers to match it. We might just be seeing a delayed breakout from a recently well-regarded prospect, ala Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch.

Royce Lewis, Twins (35%)

For a player like Lewis, I’m not sure much we can really learn from the fact that he absolutely crushed Triple-A to the tune of a .333/.403/.900 line in 15 games after his demotion. He’s a five-year MLB veteran, of course he should be dominating Triple-A. So, I’m mostly just hoping that the trip back to the minors serves as a little reset for a guy who we know is talented but who might just be getting in his own way. One interesting wrinkle here is that Lewis is playing second and first base since his return from the IL, giving him a couple of extra avenues to a lineup spot and to your lineup if the bat comes around. If he plays like we saw in the first few stints of his MLB career, Lewis’s bat will play anywhere, but having extra eligibility never hurts. 

Deep league option: David Hamilton, Brewers (13%) – Hamilton is the kind of player where, on those occasions he gives you more than just stolen bases, it’s a nice bonus. He’s 8 for 23 since the calendar flipped to June, so we’re getting a little something from him lately. It likely won’t last, but we’ll take it from a guy with eligibility at three different infield positions.  

Shortstop

Edwin Arroyo, Reds (25%) 

Arroyo needs to get hot quickly to force his way into the lineup a bit more consistently for the Reds. He has started four of six games since getting called up, splitting time between shortstop and second base, and it’ll be easier to make the case for him when he gains eligibility at second – he had his fourth appearance there Sunday, so it’ll be whenever he makes his next one. Elly De La Cruz is recovering well from his hamstring injury, so Arroyo could be ticketed for a return to Triple-A in the next few weeks, but he also has a real chance to force the team’s hand if he gets hot and starts to outplay Matt McLain. Arroyo was hitting .323/.383/.562 in a breakout season at Triple-A, and is one of the few high-upside options at shortstop who isn’t already widely rostered. 

Deep league option: Jett Williams, Brewers (17%) – The Brewers are once again on pace for 100-ish wins, and they’re doing it this time by getting basically nothing from their third basemen, shortstops, and corner outfielders offensively. And wouldn’t you know it, Williams has extensive experience playing shortstop, third, and the outfield. The Brewers are probably just waiting for Williams to get hot so he can hit the ground running in the majors, and it helps that May was a significantly better month for him than April was. It sure feels like his promotion has to be imminent.

Outfield

Noelvi Marte, Reds (51%) 

I was hoping Marte could be a must-add player after his return from Triple-A, but the Reds maybe don’t have the same plans, as he has started just two of four games since his return this week. It doesn’t really make much sense to recall a 24-year-old without playing him everyday, especially after he went down to Triple-A and hit .369/.409/.575 in 40 games after his demotion. I still think Marte is the most talented of the outfield options on the roster and it probably wouldn’t take much for him to unseat Will Benson from his current role. He’ll just have to take advantage of the opportunities he gets when he gets them. Marte isn’t as obvious an add as he seemed when he was first recalled, but I still think the upside is worth chasing here, even if the current usage is frustrating. 

Jasson Dominguez, Yankees (39%)

There are still some long-term questions about Dominguez’s role with the Yankees, but with Aaron Judge on the IL with a fractured rib and Giancarlo Stanton still recovering from a calf strain, he’s going to have some runway to prove himself. Dominguez started his rehab assignment this weekend as he recovers from a shoulder injury, and he should be back with the Yankees within the next few days. Dominguez has largely been a non-factor in the majors, but he’s still somehow just 23 and has hit .321/.394/.483 with a 20-homer, 50-steal pace in his Triple-A career, so I’m still pretty interested in seeing what he can do with a real chance in the majors. 

Lars Nootbaar, Cardinals (13%)

I guess we’ve been disappointed in Nootbaar for long enough that there isn’t much residual excitement left. And I get it: He mostly stayed on the field last season, playing 135 games, and just wasn’t very good, hitting .234/.325/.361 with just 13 homers and four steals. However, he was playing through issues in both of his heels, so maybe the surgery that kept him out for the first couple of months this season helped get him right and will allow him to finally break out. It isn’t exactly the highest probability outcome possible, but I remain interested in the potential for Nootbaar to emerge as a

Jake McCarthy, Rockies (36%) 

“Well, he was decent before, maybe Coors Field can elevate his bat” is a narrative we try to convince ourselves of every year that the Rockies are mired in this perpetual rebuild, and it often fails. But it might actually be working with McCarthy, who has emerged from a crowded outfield situation to play pretty much everyday for the Rockies. His .280 batting average isn’t backed up by the underlying stats, but that’s where the value of Coors Field comes in, as it impacts batting average most of all. McCarthy makes a decent amount of contact, will run, and has shown non-zero power. It’s not a profile that really works in a three-outfielder league, but McCarthy is useful enough in five-outfielder leagues if you’re looking for batting average and stolen bases help. 

Colton Cowser, Orioles (22%)

All of a sudden, Cowser looks like he belongs again. He was pretty much dead and buried for Fantasy players when he put up a sub-.500 OPS through mid-May to open the season, but since he homered on May 17 he was hitting .348/.404/.696 before he homered for the second game in a row Sunday. He still isn’t an everyday player and will likely continue to sit against most lefties, but Cowser is at least playing every single day against righties and is a viable hot-hand play right now.

Starting Pitcher

Reid Detmers, Angels (65%) 

The slow growth in Detmers’ roster rate makes sense. At this point, anyone playing Fantasy Baseball has probably already been run over and left on the side of the tracks by the Detmers hype train. But there’s still a lot to like about his profile if you can remove the disappointing history from your memory. There’s the 14-strikeout start a few weeks back, plus the very solid start against the Dodgers of all teams this week, which saw him twirl six shutout innings while striking out six. He’s always prone to blowup starts that can be tough to stomach, but Detmers’ skills look stronger than ever, with a 2.93 xERA and similar marks from other peripherals. It’s fair to take those with a grain of salt (Detmers’ career ERA is nearly three-quarters of a run worse than his xERA or FIP, after all), but I also think it’s okay to be open-minded about the possibility of him figuring some stuff out. Either way, there just aren’t typically pitchers with this kind of upside and skill set available on the wire while they are pitching well, so why not take the flier and see if something has changed? 

Dustin May, Cardinals (57%)

The types of pitchers available on the wire at this point in the season typically look a lot more like May: Useful pitchers, but limited enough in their upside that it makes sense why nobody is sprinting to add them. That May was such a disaster early in the season that his overall numbers still look pretty bad certainly doesn’t help his case. But since he allowed 13 runs in his first two starts of the season he has just a 3.19 ERA in his past 10 starts, with a 2.99 FIP to go along with it. He doesn’t miss enough bats consistently enough to dream of May being a Fantasy ace, but he is backed up by a pretty solid Cardinals defense, so I don’t think the bottom is just going to drop out here, either. But his upcoming matchups against the Mets, Padres, and Royals – the latter two as part of a very enticing two-start week next week – should allow May to keep finding success, at least. 

Gage Jump, Athletics (46%)

I’m still waiting for Jump to start missing bats, but it’s coming. In the meantime, he sports a 2.45 ERA through his first three MLB starts, mostly thanks to his ability to keep hitters off balance and avoid hard contact while limiting walks. Those are harder skills for a young pitcher to sustain, so he’ll need better than an 18% strikeout rate moving forward to find success. Jump got good enough strikeout numbers in the minors (and rates well enough in the various stuff metrics) to think the strikeouts will come, so I’m willing to get in on the ground floor with this exciting young pitcher before the breakout even comes. 

Karson Milbrandt, Marlins (14%) 

The Marlins pitching depth has taken a lot of hits, with the latest coming with prospect Thomas White being knocked out for the rest of the season with a left shoulder sprain. Milbrandt is one notable exception, as he has made the leap to Triple-A thanks to a big breakout at Double-A as a 22-year-old. That leaves him on the verge of the majors for a team currently using multiple relievers in their starting rotation. The Marlins generally like to let their prospects really marinate at Triple-A before promoting them, but Milbrandt’s success this season and their pressing rotation needs might force their hand earlier this time. It’s a name to know if you’re looking for someone to stash in a deeper league. 

Relief Pitcher

Grant Taylor, White Sox (28%)

I don’t think the White Sox are likely to fully pull the plug on Dominguez until the trade deadline, because the goal here still has to be getting something for the veteran reliever. But it seems pretty clear that Taylor is the best reliever in this bullpen and should continue to get the occasional save. For now, you’re adding Taylor for strikeout and ratio help with the occasional save tossed in, with the hope that he’s the full-time closer sometime in July. If the White Sox keep hanging around the fringes of contention that plan could change, but that could also serve as its own incentive to get their best reliever into their highest-leverage situation, too. There are multiple paths here. 

Alex Lange, Royals (11%)

I don’t think the Royals want to totally turn away from Lucas Erceg, as seen in him getting the save Sunday. Of course, even in a “successful” outing, he still allowed a run and had the go-ahead runs on base when he got the final out. Lange got the three saves prior to that, including with a three-strikeout effort Saturday. I don’t think the changing of the guard has fully happened yet, but Erceg is on shaky ground, and Lange seems most likely to take advantage if and when Erceg falters again. 

Robin van Persie has been given hid marching orders as the boss of Feyenoord after being outgunned in the Eredivisie title race

Robin van Persie has been sacked as the boss of Feyenoord despite guiding his former side to second place last season.

The ex-Manchester United striker was handed his second major role in management by the Rotterdam outfit in February of last year, but has already received his marching orders.

Van Persie did have a contract until 2027 but Feyenoord have opted for a change after coming nowhere near the Eredivisie title. They finished a mammoth 19 points behind runaway winners PSV Eindhoven and were inconsistent throughout ⁠the season, enduring a damaging dip in form around November and December. Van Persie was also criticised for run-ins with players and constant tinkering ⁠with the team.

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They finished the season with just four wins in ten games, which will have ramped up the pressure on Van Persie.

“Robin van Persie has given everything for the club over the past 18 months,” the club’s technical director Devy Rigaux said. “He deserves credit for guiding the team through a challenging season and ultimately securing second place. That ensured qualification for the UEFA Champions League, which is of great importance to the club.”

“We conducted a thorough internal evaluation in which we looked at several factors, including the development of the team’s performances and the downward trend in points collected, both in Europe and in the Eredivisie. The conclusion was that it would be better to start the new season with a new head coach.”

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Van Persie saw Feyenoord get dumped out of the Dutch Cup in the second round while they won just two of the eight games in the Europa League. They only found themselves in that tournament after getting hammered by Fenerbahce in Champions League qualifying.

Raheem Sterling moved to Feyenoord in January after being allowed to end his Chelsea exile, but Van Persie could inspire a return to form for the Englishman. The former boss was forced to defend some of Sterling’s performances.

Van Persie leaves Feyenoord with a 51 percent win record from his 58 games. Prior to taking charge in Rotterdam the ex-United attacker had been given the chance to begin his managerial career with Heerenveen, but failed to last the season.

During his time at Old Trafford, Van Persie inspired United to the Premier League title in 2012/13 – their most recent success in the top flight – and scored 58 times in 105 appearances for the club.

Only a fifth of England fans are backing the Three Lions to win the Fifa World Cup, despite Thomas Tuchel’s squad being among the favourites to lift the trophy.

This figure places England significantly behind several European rivals when it comes to domestic support for their national team, according to new data from leading bookmakers.

Betting analysis from Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, sheds light on the extent of “patriotic punting” ahead of the men’s football tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday.

Portugal leads the pack with a remarkable 57 per cent of all domestic bets placed on their national side.

France emerges as the second most patriotic nation in terms of betting, with 29 per cent of home market wagers backing their team.

They are followed by Austria at 25 per cent and Germany at 24 per cent. In contrast, England’s 20 per cent home backing highlights a notable lack of confidence among its own supporters.

The sentiment is even lower north of the border, with just nine per cent of all bets placed in Scotland backing their team, who are currently priced at 300/1 to win.

The data from Entain covers bets placed up to and including 3 June, with figures relating to the percentage of slips and stakes placed by betters in each market on their respective home nation.

The betting stakes from Entain’s global markets shows Spain in the lead as the most-backed team overall, followed by France, while England and Portugal are level at third.

Despite confidence among rival countries, Spanish punters are less patriotic with 16 per cent of bets placed backing the home nation.

The data also revealed that there is limited cross-border support with 8 per cent of Scots putting money on England to win, and just 1 per cent of English betters backing Scotland to lift the trophy.

Tom Ritzema, group trading director at Entain, said the stakes show that “football loyalty and betting logic don’t always go hand in hand”.

“England fans are passionate, but years of near misses have made them think beyond their own country,” he said.

“Portugal clearly stands out as the most patriotic market, with fans firmly backing their team, while countries like France and Germany also show strong belief.

“What’s striking, though, is in the global picture Spain remains the most popular choice across our markets, showing that when it comes to this World Cup, neutrals and patriots alike are looking beyond national borders for their winner.”

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice will be England’s vice-captain for the World Cup.

Rice has earned 72 caps for the Three Lions and will be one of the most experienced players in Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up.

The 27-year-old has just helped Arsenal win the Premier League for the first time since 2003-04 and reach the Champions League final, which they lost on penalties to Paris St-Germain last weekend.

Rice filled in as captain during Harry Kane’s absence for the October friendly against Wales, when Ollie Watkins replaced Kane in the England attack.

“I think I would say Declan is my vice-captain,” Tuchel said after Saturday’s friendly win over New Zealand.

Asked whether Rice knows he has that role, the England manager added: “That is a good question. I was just thinking about it. Whether it is an official thing or not.

“But I think we had this talk when Harry was not in camp with us. We started with Ollie and I think Declan was captain. That was where I told him.”

Rice and his Arsenal team-mates Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have now joined England’s training camp in the United States and began work with the group in Florida on Sunday.

Tuchel’s side have one more friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday and will play a behind-closed-doors game with Miami FC before travelling to their Kansas City base on Saturday.

The Three Lions begin their World Cup campaign on 17 June against Croatia and also face Ghana and Panama in Group L.

On December 12, 2024, India’s chess grandmaster D Gukesh achieved what every chess player dreams of. At just 18 years old, he defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in history.

The victory appeared to mark the beginning of a new era. India had its first world champion since Viswanathan Anand, and Gukesh seemed destined to become the unquestioned face of Indian chess for years to come.

Yet less than 18 months later, the spotlight has gradually shifted.

Praggnanandhaa in spotlight

As the ongoing Norway Chess 2026 reaches its final round, it is R Praggnanandhaa and not the reigning world champion who stands on the verge of history. A victory would make him the first Indian ever to win Norway Chess, one of the strongest and most prestigious tournaments in the world.

The change did not happen overnight. It was the result of a steady sequence of performances, tournament victories, and high-profile wins that gradually transformed Praggnanandhaa from one of India’s brightest talents into arguably the most talked-about player in world chess.

But how exactly did Praggnanandhaa manage to overshadow the bright light of Gukesh’s world championship win? Let’s take a look.

Praggnanandhaa starts building momentum after Gukesh’s title win

Gukesh entered 2025 carrying the aura of a world champion. Expectations were enormous, and every tournament became a test of whether he could establish a period of dominance similar to that enjoyed by Magnus Carlsen.

Praggnanandhaa, meanwhile, began the year by making a statement of his own.

At Tata Steel Masters 2025, one of the strongest classical tournaments on the calendar, both Indians finished level at the top. However, when the title was decided in the playoff, Praggnanandhaa defeated Gukesh and lifted the trophy.

Praggnanandhaa bank on consistenty

While Gukesh struggled to convert his world title into sustained tournament success, Praggnanandhaa continued collecting elite results.

Over the course of 2025, Praggnanandhaa won the Tata Steel Masters and the Superbet Chess Classic Romania, reached the Grand Chess Tour Finals, and qualified for the Candidates Tournament through the Grand Swiss.

His classical record across 2025 and 2026 stood at:

• 
  139 games
• 
  39 wins
• 
  27 losses
• 
  73 draws
• 
  54.3 per cent score rate

By comparison, Gukesh’s corresponding record stood at:

• 
  96 games
• 
  22 wins
• 
  27 losses
• 
  47 draws
• 
  47.4 per cent score rate

The gap was not enormous, but it was consistent. Praggnanandhaa was winning more often, losing less frequently relative to games played, and repeatedly finding himself in contention for titles.

The world champion begins to struggle

The biggest shift came in 2026. Rather than turning things around after a year-long struggle, Gukesh endured one of the toughest stretches of his elite career.

Across the major classical tournaments listed in 2026, he played 40 games and was only able to win six games. He suffered 15 losses while drawing 19 games. His score percentage fell below 39 per cent.

He finished in the lower half of the standings at Tata Steel Masters 2026 and Prague Masters 2026 and struggled for consistency throughout the season.

Praggnanandhaa was hardly unstoppable himself, but he remained competitive in every major event. Most importantly, he continued producing victories against the strongest players in the world.

Praggnanandhaa starts to dominate

The virtual rivalry between Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa became increasingly important. For years, Indian chess fans had debated which teenager would eventually become the country’s leading player.

The results began to provide an answer. In key moments, Praggnanandhaa repeatedly came out on top. He defeated Gukesh in the Tata Steel Masters playoff in 2025, before securing a big win at Norway Chess 2026 during a crucial stage of the title race.

Across classical games during 2025 and 2026, Praggnanandhaa holds the edge over Gukesh:

Praggnanandhaa vs Gukesh: Head-to-head (since 2025)

• 
  Total matches: 5
• 
  Praggnanandhaa wins: 2
• 
  Gukesh wins: 1
• 
  Draws: 2

Including playoffs and tiebreaks, the advantage became even clearer.

Every time the two Indians met in a high-pressure situation, Praggnanandhaa increasingly looked like the stronger performer.

The Magnus Carlsen effect

The current generation of chess players is ultimately judged by how they perform against Magnus Carlsen. This is where Praggnanandhaa’s rise truly accelerated.

At Norway Chess 2026, he defeated Carlsen twice in classical chess—once with White and once with Black. Very few players in the world can claim such an achievement. Even fewer can do it in the same tournament.

Those victories generated headlines across the chess world and instantly elevated Praggnanandhaa’s status from elite grandmaster to genuine global star.

Praggnanandhaa shines at Norway Chess 2026

Norway Chess has historically been Magnus Carlsen’s domain. No Indian player had ever won the event.

Yet heading into the final round of the 2026 edition, Praggnanandhaa found himself just one victory away from making history.

The route to that position highlighted everything that had changed in Indian chess. He defeated the likes of Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh, and Alireza Firouzja, all within the same tournament.

Meanwhile, Gukesh finished outside title contention despite arriving as the reigning world champion.

Why Praggnanandhaa can be considered the face of Indian chess

Gukesh still possesses the most important title in chess. No player can take away the fact that he became world champion at 18 years old. However, being the face of a sport is about more than a title.

It is about who is winning the biggest games, collecting the biggest trophies, and creating the biggest moments.

The irony of Indian chess today is striking. The reigning world champion is Gukesh.

But the player carrying the momentum, commanding the headlines, and shaping the sport’s present is Praggnanandhaa.

If he completes the job and wins Norway Chess 2026, it will be difficult to argue otherwise.

R Praggnanandhaa tournament-wise performance (2025-2026)

D Gukesh tournament-wise performance (2025-2026)

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson had a technical foul against him from Game 2 of the NBA Finals rescinded after the league took a look back.

During the Knicks’ 105-104 thrilling win on Friday to push their series lead to 2-0, Robinson and San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama were involved in a shoving match near the paint, which resulted in a whistle.

But despite both players getting physical, it was only Robinson who received a technical foul. Both players were trying to fight for position, but when Wembanyama threw his hands in the air, Robinson was the one getting a foul.

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New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson reacts to a call in the second quarter during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)

This came with 4:56 left in the first half, and required Karl-Anthony Towns to come back in the game.

A technical foul is free throws and possession of the ball, which could’ve hurt the Knicks in the end. However, they once again stole a game on the road, as they head to Madison Square Garden for its first Finals game since 1999 against these same Spurs.

KNICKS CENTER MITCHELL ROBINSON SEEMS TO BE FIRED UP ABOUT PLAYING GAME 3 IN FRONT OF PRESIDENT TRUMP

The game came down to the final possession, where Wembanyama, who turned the ball over and fouled Jalen Brunson to allow him to hit one of two free throws for the eventual game-winning bucket, missed the final shot to suffer back-to-back losses.

Robinson was defending Wembanyama on the play, but when the 7-foot-4 big man went for the shot, he had a clear look. However, it smacked off the rim and bounced out. Devin Vassell secured the rebound for San Antonio, but there wasn’t enough time left on the clock despite banking in his shot.

Robinson ended up playing 14 minutes for the Knicks, tallying seven points, three rebounds, one block and one steal across that span.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama drives as New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson defends during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio on June 5, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)

He has been playing these Finals games thus far with a surgically repaired pinky finger on his right hand, which reportedly happened at his home just days before tip-off against the Spurs. The Knicks had time to kill after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Robinson plays a key role for head coach Mike Brown’s team, being one of the main bench players who has made an impact this year. He not only spells Towns when he’s tired or gets into foul trouble, but Robinson also does well to protect the paint, grab rebounds and slam home the occasional alley-oop.

The Spurs, though, used the “Hack-A-Mitch” game plan when Towns got into foul trouble and they were trying to make a run in the second quarter of Game 2. Purposefully getting into the team bonus, fouling Robinson awarded him two free throws, but he has struggled at a historic rate. Robinson is shooting just 32% (16-50) from the charity stripe in 15 games.  

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs shoots against Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter of Game Two in the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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That will likely be used by Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson if the opportunity arises again, but both teams have certainly been physical to begin these Finals. But the NBA decided that a technical on Robinson should not have been the call, and luckily for the Knicks, it didn’t factor into the win at the end of the contest.  

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Artur Beterbiev has not fought since losing his undisputed light-heavyweight world title in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol last February. He has now revealed that he agreed to a fight with David Benavidez until the latter’s team had a change of heart.

Beterbiev became the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the four-belt era when he outpointed Bivol in October 2024, but the tables were turned in their rematch four months later, as Bivol claimed the throne.

Ever since, the pair have been linked to a trilogy affair, but many boxing fans seem more interested in a showdown between Bivol and Benavidez, who currently holds the WBC light-heavyweight title as well as the unified cruiserweight world titles.

However, following the WBO’s recent order, it seems as though Bivol may instead fight Liverpool’s Callum Smith if he wishes to retain that belt before he can pursue a clash with either Benavidez or Beterbiev.

As a result, there are suggestions that Benavidez and Beterbiev could meet, with the winner moving on to an undisputed clash with Bivol.

In an interview with Match TV, Beterbiev said that Benavidez’s team recently turned that fight down, despite previously agreeing to the bout following ‘The Mexican Monster’s’ win over Anthony Yarde back in November.

“Benavidez is such a person that talks a lot more than he does. But, we must admit that it is very competently conducted. He’s already a three-weight world champion, but his boxing is dirty and, of course, there are questions about some of his victories.

“He had a fight with Anthony Yarde and I agreed to come out with him after that fight. Apparently, his team didn’t expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose [Zurdo] Ramirez.

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“That was a year ago, in general, this has become the norm in boxing – I will box, I will not, I will choose my opponents – I like this one and I don’t like that one. I have a different mentality – it is alien to me.”

At the age of 41, Beterbiev is continuing to train, hopeful of securing the opportunity to take on Bivol for a third time and cement himself as the victor of a trilogy that will be remembered for generations to come.