The Indiana Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals last year came to a screeching halt when the team lost Tyrese Haliburton with a torn Achilles in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 season as he watched Indiana only win 19 games and fall to 14th in the Eastern Conference. But as he revs up to play in 2026–27, Haliburton admitted that it’s not the physical injury that he’s worried about going into next year.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shoots around on the court before an NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Indianapolis on April 7, 2026.(Doug McSchooler/AP)
It’s an illness he’s been battling.
He said Monday he has been dealing with shingles, which has caused him to gain weight, lose part of his right eyebrow and forced him to wear glasses to avoid scratching his swollen eye.
“First of all, I’d tell anybody over 50 years old to get the shot,” Haliburton said. “It’s been miserable. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it’s been bad days.
“I’ve been taking unbelievable amounts of medication to try to get rid of it. It hasn’t worked. It’s not been fun, and hopefully it goes away soon. It’s hard to really tell with nerve pain, but I’ve been dealing now with nerve pain for two months and in the world of nerve pain, that’s not very long. Hopefully, it goes away soon.”
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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts after suffering an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on June 22, 2025.(Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 1 in 3 Americans will get shingles. The illness, if severe enough, can cause vision loss and nerve pain.
Haliburton said he was on a similar recovery timeline as Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also suffered a torn Achilles in the playoffs last year. Tatum returned to the Celtics in March and has provided the boost Boston needed to be seen as championship contenders.
Haliburton said he has “no worries” about getting back into playing shape once he’s off the medication.
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“I’m out of shape like crazy, like I never have been before,” Haliburton said. “I’ve changed my medication a bunch of times. I’ve gotten a Botox injection I thought would help, it hasn’t really helped. I’ve done everything, it just hasn’t worked yet. But I’m confident it goes away soon.”
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton plays in the second half against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 29, 2026.(Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
The Pacers will likely have a top lottery pick in the draft. Adding another young superstar to the Haliburton-led team would be a blessing in disguise for Indiana as they look to get back on top of the conference next season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
Manchester United were reportedly on the verge of offering Michael Carrick the head coach job on a permanent basis, but are now said to be reconsidering their options
Manchester United are reportedly reconsidering handing Michael Carrick the permanent head coach’s role at Old Trafford. The Reds appointed Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season back in January, following the exit of Ruben Amorim.
Since taking charge, Carrick has steered United to third place in the Premier League, placing the club in a commanding position to secure Champions League football with six matches still to play.
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The past couple of months have been swirl with speculation surrounding whether Carrick could be handed the United job on a full-time basis this summer, and a fresh update has now emerged regarding the thinking of those at the top of the Old Trafford hierarchy.
According to the i Paper, United were on the verge of offering Carrick the role on a permanent basis.
However, the report suggests that news of Andoni Iraola’s impending departure from Bournemouth this summer is prompting United to reconsider their position.
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Iraola has been linked with the United job for several months, and the 43-year-old is set to leave the Vitality Stadium when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
Precisely what decision United will make regarding the club’s future direction remains to be seen, with the outcome of the current season likely to prove pivotal in those discussions, reports the Mirror. United sit third in the Premier League table, level on points with fourth-placed Aston Villa following Monday night’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds.
Liverpool trail by three points in fifth, while Chelsea find themselves seven points adrift of United in sixth place, currently outside the Champions League qualification spots.
Iraola is not the only Premier League manager poised to depart their current club amid speculation over the Old Trafford vacancy.
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Oliver Glasner is also understood to be in the frame for the role, having already confirmed he will leave Crystal Palace when his contract comes to an end at the close of the season.
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Dalton Joyce (@youngdalt) is a golf content creator known for showing off his dedication to health, performance and enjoying the game one swing at a time. He also happens to manufacture ball speeds upwards of 200+ miles per hour. Known for his “Nobody cares, work harder” mentality, it’s fascinating to watch Dalton work, and to follow his success on his Instagram page. I caught up with Joyce at a Callaway Ambassador shoot last month to see what was in the bag for this high-speed player and why he chooses to play the Callaway clubs he does.
A top end of choices built for speed
Consistency is king
Swinging at speeds like Joyce reaches, there are some unique problems to solve at the top end of the bag. For him, specifically with the driver, it’s about consistency in spin. This has been a huge talking point with Callaway over the last few years as they continue to improve on their Ai-Smart Face. That technology was developed to implement Ai to construct a face that supports off-center hits. Typically this is done by adding speed where it’s needed, but Callaway has started to hone in on spin consistency as well. With the introduction of the Tri-Force face this year on Callaway’s Quantum drivers, the brand has also added even more speed and stability. For Dalton, that’s everything.
When asked about his switch into the Quantum Triple Diamond 9º Joyce said, “I switched to the Quantum driver rather quickly this year… it takes a little bit of time (usually) but this time there was zero hesitation. I love the way the crown looks, reminiscent to the Ai Smoke, but beyond that the spin dispersion is just way better for me. I need something with a little bit better spin dispersion, a little tighter, reign it in.”
The next club in his bag is his Callaway Elyte Mini, which — spoiler alert — will be replaced by the upcoming Quantum Mini (more on that soon). The Mini for Joyce is a “tool” in the bag, often replacing his driver on courses where his driver just doesn’t make much sense on the course. Joyce talks a lot about course strategy, along with gear strategy, and how that helps his game. He tied the current course record at TPC Houston, so I’m gonna let him direct me to the success on this one. The Mini plays a great role in his bag, though. It’s a driver replacement when necessary, but also works as a great secondary tee option for courses that require some shot-shaping off the tee. He finds it easier to manipulate the flight of the Mini than he does with the driver.
Dalton Joyce’s Callaway Elyte Mini
Jake Morrow / GOLF
No 3-wood
Alongside the mini sits the Callaway Apex UW in 17º of loft. In Joyce’s bag it works as a 3-wood replacement. Because of the shape of the UW and the step sole that they have added to the newest generation of the club, it’s a very easy club to hit off the deck. For Joyce, this means pretty much every par 5 becomes reachable in two with very little stress. If he has the driver in the bag, and a confident feeling off the tee for the day, the UW is going to be in the bag over the Mini just to make sure that all the shots he needs are in the bag. He says he doesn’t hit it off the tee all that much, but performance off the turf was hard to ignore.
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Dalton Joyce’s 17º Callaway Apex UW
Jake Morrow / GOLF
The club that influenced and influencer
Yes, we’re still at the top end of the bag. As such an important piece of success for Joyce, he’s really got this area of the bag locked down for problem solving. They most reliable problem-solver in the bag? His latest generation Callaway Apex UT. He likes the design of this version much better than the last.
“This is probably my favorite club in the bag. I just think this is so much better than their last UT model. The offset looks really good to me, I didn’t think the other one had enough offset for how the face was … this one just looks a little bit more like an iron than the last one.”
Dalton Joyce’s 265-yard cut shot club; the Callaway Apex UT
Jake Morrow / GOLF
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That’s something we agree on. What we don’t share is the ability to hit this thing the way he does. A UT in his hands, in this case a 3-iron variant, can be his 265-yard shot into a “short” par 5. He’ll do that that hitting a cut. I don’t have that in my bag, but it’s sure fun to watch Dalton do it. There was actually a point where Joyce only had one headcover in the bag: his driver.
“I used to go driver, this is the first mini I have ever had, I used to go driver, 16º iron, 20º iron, and then 4-iron thru the rest… but this is a little easier on me now.”
“Big fan of these,” he said. “I think that while they are a little bit longer heel to toe, it breeds confidence for me. I felt like the TCBs that I played for a while were really good but for the thickness I didn’t understand why they were so thick heel to toe.”
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Joyce pointed out that he doesn’t love irons with shorter blade lengths. “I love the classic look, when I look at this I just think prime Phil Mickelson.”
For Joyce, the X-Forged sole is a dream. Having a tri-sole design allows him to stay aggressive with every iron in the set, while making sure that the club exits the turf efficiently; a very important factor in choosing irons at high speeds.
Dalton Joyce’s Callaway X-Forged irons
Jake Morrow / GOLF
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At the bottom of the bag Joyce wraps up his set with Callaway Opus SP wedges and an Odyssey Ai-One Milled 7T in silver, although the putter was replaced by a find from the PGA Tour Superstore used bin during our filming trip. He now has a special Odyssey 2 Ball Ten Triple Track PGA Tour 2K edition putter in the bag, because why not?
Dalton’s Odyssey Ai-One Milled 7T in silver
Jake Morrow / GOLF
Joyce also mentioned he was experimenting with Callaway’s new Opus SP+ wedges and saw some great results. He also mentioned that he can carry his lob wedge about 120 yards. He’s comfortable swinging his shortest club at “…about 115 [yards] downwind,” joking that, “I spin it too much, buddy.”
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Dalton’s Opus SP 54º, bent to 55º
Jake Morrow / GOLF
“I have tried the SP+, I think I was the first one to hit them. Within a matter of two balls … the trajectory from 40-yards must have gone down 10ft … unbelievable … It makes me feel a lot better than I should feel, but I’ll take it.”
After asking about the grinds on his lobber he responded with a cool little nugget. “With the SP+ the Z-grind is what I felt best with. This (Opus SP) is a C-grind, for the SP+ definitely a Z-grind guy. As soon as I put the Z-grind in action, that’s when I really started seeing the (launch) benefits of the SP+”
Multiple golf balls in play
Depending on the course Joyce will actually switch golf balls.
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“If it’s a big, wide open golf course, I’ll just send the Triple Diamond if I know I am going to hit a lot of drivers. But for tournament purposes I am a (Chrome) Tour guy. I did a lot of testing with the ball R&D at Callaway and I’m just a Tour guy over the X. I just spin the X a little bit too much, especially with the mid to short irons.”
Translated: Hit scramble team bombs with the Chrome Tour Triple Diamond, score when it matters with Chrome Tour.
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You can see more from Joyce on his Instagram page. Just prepare to be jealous of his speed, and probably end up thinking you’re not working hard enough on your game. Every time I see his content, it’s quite a good reminder to get back to the grind.
Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price (RB15) works through drills during the NFL Scouting Combine, showcasing his movement skills and readiness in front of evaluators. Feb 28, 2026 highlighted the session at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where Price took part in on-field testing as teams assessed his draft profile. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings are doing their homework on rookie backs for next week, and they’ll probably leave the draft with one. That’s the good news. The bad news? Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price may not be available.
Price’s draft momentum may force Minnesota to pivot at running back.
Price is increasingly being discussed as a late 1st-Rounder, and if so, he’d work his way out of Minnesota’s draft range.
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The Vikings’ RB Options Expand beyond Jadarian Price
It might be time to cross Price off the purple bingo board.
Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price breaks through the Pittsburgh defense and accelerates into open field during first-half action on November 15, 2025, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The explosive run highlights his burst and vision as he capitalizes on a crease created by the offensive line in a physical road matchup. Mandatory Credit: Michael Longo-Imagn Images.
Price as a 1st-Rounder
Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton sized up five players who could sneak into Round 1 this week, and Price was the one running back to get the nod.
He wrote, “NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes Jadarian Price will be the second tailback off the board and may sneak into the first round within a shallow class of ball-carriers.”
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“Jeremiyah Love, a projected first-rounder, and Price played together through three terms with the Fighting Irish. The former took on the featured role after Audric Estime’s departure to the NFL, while the latter served in a complementary role.”
Until recently, Price has been considered a safe Round 2 or 3 pick.
“Although Price didn’t rack up more than 746 yards in a single collegiate term, he averaged at least six yards per carry and scored 18 touchdowns over the last two years. After a couple of seasons as Notre Dame’s No. 2 running back, Price may have more to offer a team that wants a decisive early-down ball-carrier who can also contribute on special teams,” Moton continued.
“He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in college. Most of the league’s clubs featured multiple running backs, so don’t discount one of them taking Price on Day 1.”
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Others, like Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers and Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, got shoutouts from Moton, too.
Then What for the Vikings?
Suppose Price indeed slips into the bottom of Round 1 or the top of Round 2, disqualifying him from the Vikings’ grasp. It’s not doomsday. The club would just have to pivot and explore an alternative rookie running back.
Per the current Consensus Big Board, the options would look like this:
All the Round 1 chatter for Price that has emerged might be code for the Seahawks. The Super Bowl champions have the luxury of a deep roster, and picking a running back like Price might be fair game after Kenneth Walker III left in free agency for the Chiefs.
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Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price carries the ball and navigates traffic during the first half on Oct. 18, 2025, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. He presses forward through contact, working for extra yardage while helping the Fighting Irish offense find rhythm early against a packed defensive front. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images.
SI.com‘s Michael Hanich on Price to Seattle: “The Seahawks could find a way to trade back into the second round for more picks and still find a way to get Price. He might be one of the most undervalued players in this draft. In the last two seasons, Price has rushed for 1,420 yards and 18 touchdowns on 233 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.”
“In the receiving game, he also caught 10 receptions for 97 yards for two touchdowns. Price is also a serious threat on special teams by taking two kickoff returns for a touchdown. Price would come in and immediately be the favorite for the starting running back. He has a much higher ceiling than George Holani and newly signed Emanuel Wilson. The Seahawks could have Price be a main contributor until Zach Charbonnet returns from his injury, but even then, he could be the main back.”
Time for a Rookie RB
While the Vikings’ ground game has improved gradually under Kevin O’Connell, it has yet to become a dominant strength. Here’s their rushing DVOA and NFL ranking during his tenure:
Vikings Rushing DVOA NFL Ranking in O’Connell Era:
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2022: 27th
2023: 27th
2024: 20th
2025: 13th
The significant jump in 2025 is encouraging. However, the play-calling reveals another aspect of the story. Minnesota ran the ball on 43% of its plays, ranking 19th in the league. This indicates that while their rushing production improved to a Top 13 ranking, their commitment to the run still ranked in the bottom half of the league.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts along the sideline after a rushing touchdown by Aaron Jones during the first quarter on Oct. 20, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The moment captures O’Connell’s energy as the offense converts a ground-game opportunity against the Detroit Lions in a key divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Meanwhile, the Vikings have no running backs scheduled under contract next offseason. Aaron Jones will be a free agent; so will RB2 Jordan Mason. Jones will be 32 at that time, Mason 27.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, it’s time for a young running back to enter the mix for Minnesota. While that may not be Price, Washington Jr., Johnson, and Coleman make sense.
The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament begins tonight, providing high-intensity matchups to claim the latest DraftKings promo code to get $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager wins. Tuesday features Heat vs. Hornets in an elimination game in the Eastern Conference, followed by the Trail Blazers vs. Suns, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference NBA playoffs. The SportsLine Projection Model is backing the Suns, who made the playoffs four of the previous five years, to cover as 3.5-point favorites as part of its Tuesday NBA best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 23-9 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The Brewers are set to start 24-year-old Jacob Misiorowski, who soared to one of the top prospects in baseball last season and made last year’s MLB All-Star Game after allowing one run or fewer in three of his first five MLB starts and just two runs over his first three outings. This season, he has 28 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings with a 3.31 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays turn to 35-year-old Kevin Gausman, who allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings to the Dodgers in his last start. The Blue Jays are off to a 6-9 start while the Brewers are 8-7 this season, and the model gives the Brewers the advantage at home on Tuesday. Milwaukee wins in 61% of simulations. Back the Brewers at DraftKings here, and claim $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins as a new user:
Tyler Herro, Heat, Over 21.5 total points
“Tyler Herro sat out Friday with foot soreness and then played just 22 minutes in Sunday’s rout of the Hawks. Miami was saving Herro for Tuesday’s play-in game at Charlotte,” SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein said. “Herro put up 33 points and 20 points in two meetings with the Hornets last month, going 9 of 12 from deep and 12 of 12 from the foul line combined. The Heat will need a huge game from Herro to pull off the upset, so I’m betting on Erik Spoelstra giving Herro 35-plus minutes.” Back Herro’s Over at DraftKings here, and claim $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins as a new user:
Suns (-3.5) vs. Trail Blazers
The Suns went 2-1 against the Trail Blazers this season, with each of their wins coming by more than four points. The Suns have the top scorer in this matchup in Devin Booker, who was ninth in the league at 26.1 points per game this season. He rested the final two games of the regular season due to an ankle that has bothered him since late January, but Booker scored at least 30 points in each of his last three games in April. He’s scored at least 30 points in five of his last six games, and could be too much for Portland to handle. The Suns are a win away from their fifth playoff appearance in the last six years, while the Trail Blazers haven’t made the playoffs since the 2020-21 season. The model projects the Suns to cover in 60% of simulations. Back the Suns to cover at DraftKings here, and claim $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins as a new user:
NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli was seen training with his left knee heavily strapped ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.In a video shared by LSG’s social media handle, Kohli was seen walking with his left knee strapped while meeting New Zealand great Kane Williamson. He greeted Williamson, who is part of LSG’s support staff, and also hugged LSG skipper Rishabh Pant.
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Krunal Pandya on RCB’s performance and key turning points
Kohli, who has been in ominous form in IPL 2026, had walked off the field with an ankle niggle during the previous match against Mumbai Indians, raising concerns about his availability for Wednesday’s game.However, the star batter spent time in the nets with a strapped knee, easing concerns over his fitness for now. He also had an extended batting session during practice.In four matches so far this season, Kohli has scored 179 runs at an average of 59.66 and a strike rate of 162.72, including two fifties, with a highest score of 69*.In the previous outing against Mumbai Indians, he struck a 38-ball 50, hitting five fours and a six.RCB will once again rely on their formidable batting line-up as they aim to overcome an inconsistent Lucknow Super Giants side and move clear of the mid-table congestion.The Bengaluru outfit are currently third on the points table with six points, while four other teams trail closely with four points each. RCB are two points behind leaders Rajasthan Royals and one point adrift of Punjab Kings.
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Krunal Pandya on RCB’s performance and key turning points
Squads:Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Josh Hazlewood, Jordan Cox, Nuwan Thushara, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik DeswalLucknow Super Giants Squad: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mayank Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, Anrich Nortje, Josh Inglis, Himmat Singh, Mohsin Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Maharaj Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari.
The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets look to extend their seasons when they meet in a 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament matchup on Tuesday night. The winner will play the loser of Wednesday’s Magic-76ers matchup for the eighth seed on Friday, while the loser is eliminated. Miami won the season series 3-1, but Charlotte won the most recent game, 136-106 on March 17. The Heat (43-39), who were fourth in the Southeast Division, are 17-24 on the road this season. The Hornets (44-38), who finished third in the Southeast, are 21-20 on their home court.
Tipoff from Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Charlotte is a 6-point favorite in the latest Heat vs. Hornets odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 230.5. Before making any Heat vs. Hornets picks, check out the Heat vs. Hornets predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 23-9 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
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Top Heat vs. Hornets predictions
After 10,000 simulations of Heat vs. Hornets, SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (230.5), which has incresed by three points since the opening line. Charlotte has trended heavily to the Under this season with 63% of its games hitting that side of the total.
The SportsLine model is projecting the Heat to have six players scoring 10.6 or more points, led by Bam Adebayo’s 20.9 points. LaMelo Ball is projected to lead the Hornets with 24.6 points scored, while five Charlotte players are projected to score more than 10.5 points. The teams are projected to combine for 226 total points as the Under hits 58% of the time. See the spread pick at SportsLine.
Semenyo’s case is the latest in a growing list of racist abuse suffered by Premier League players this season, with four players targeted during a single weekend in February.
The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) is investigating the abuse of the four players in February, which included Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida, Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare.
Years after winning gold medals at the Paralympics and various World Championship titles, Heinrich Popow believes the future for disabled people is brighter than it has ever been, thanks in part to the success and growing popularity of the Paralympics. But there is one particular societal issue the lower leg amputee would like to see change: Adults should view people with disabilities through the same eyes and curiosity as children.
“The biggest change I would love to see is to break the barriers of having this, we call it in German, Berührungsangst, being afraid to come too close,” Popow told DW. “The way that kids interact with people with a disability, and also with stuff they see for the first time. That is what I would like to see adults do.
“So when I, for example, go to Kindergarten with shorts in the summer, I’m the coolest daddy in the world because kids accept me. And then they ask me, ‘What do you have?’ So I explain. And because my two daughters, always put some new stickers on my legs, every day I have a different leg.
“What I really would love to see is that we accept each other the way we are and learn from kids.”
One of Germany’s greatest para athletes
Popow maintains that the amputation of his lower leg was tougher on his parents than on his 9-year-old self. He stayed active in sports, and eventually settled on athletics at the sports club, Bayer Leverkusen. In 2002, at age 19, Popow won a bronze medal at the International Paralympics Committee World Athletics Championships in Lille, France. Three bronze medals in the T42 category followed at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, a silver in Beijing 2008, and a gold medal in the 100-meters in London Paralympics. He won gold in the long jump in the 2016 Games in Rio. “Sports gave me the opportunity to push barriers and limits,” said Popow. And it still does.
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Heinrich Popow won gold at the London 2012 Olympics and has also seen long jump successImage: Volkmann/IMAGO
In addition to pushing and prodding those who may be newly disabled toward sport these days, he actively promotes and defends people with disabilities in Germany and around the world. He is often seen in clinics and other engagement opportunities for the mobility firm, Ottobock (which employs him), which focuses on, among other things, prosthetics for those who have had amputations, injuries, or neurological diseases.
Inclusivity breeds success
Popow’s travels have led him to believe that countries that do well at the Paralympics usually do well with the inclusivity of the disabled back at home. Germany finished a disappointing 11th in the 2024 Paralympics medals table. Popow believes he has a clue why.
“Grassroot sports in Germany are not improving the way they need to improve,” he told DW. Federal government research in 2022 suggested more than half of disabled people in Germany avoided sports. Part of the reason could be that 90% of all playing fields and gymnasiums were not barrier-free. Meanwhile, insurance companies often do not cover medical devices for sports.
“I feel the government and insurers can save a lot of money if they realize paying for disabled sports is better than the bill from a pharmacy. Sports is the best medicine.
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“I do running clinics, and I see activity all over the world. The Netherlands is doing a great job. It is the size of the German state of North Rhine Westfalia, and it is more successful than our whole country.” The Netherlands was 4th in the 2024 Paralympics medal table.
Does the International Day of Persons with Disabilities help?
Popow is an avowed booster for the disabled. He is sure that the one day of the year set aside by the UN to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities is positive in ways that go far beyond simple awareness. “I forget the day of my marriage sometimes,” he joked. “But this UN day becomes more and more special.”
Yet he acknowledges that having lived with his disability since 1992 (he was nine when a rare form of cancer in his left calf led to his lower leg being amputated), the day personally matters less to him than it previously did. Those who are recently disabled see things much differently, and the acknowledgment of that fact is important, he said.
“I have no restrictions from my disability in my daily life. It is packed with kids, job, and everything, but no further movement is important.”
“But to be honest, and this is something also the (disability) community thinks about, it’s more important if we think about disabilities every day, like the awareness we should have every day. A special day is nice, but it is only one step. We need that second and third day,” he says.
A little tired but with a smile on her face, Kathrin Marchand arrives for her first training session of the day. Together with her rowing partner Valentin Luz, the para-athlete will spend the first few hours of the day on the water in a double scull. A few quick stretches, and then they’re off.
“Five years ago, I never would have thought I’d be rowing this much again,” Marchand told DW. “I consider it a privilege that I can still compete at the elite level.”
Now 35, Marchand made her Olympic debut in 2012 in London as part of the German women’s eight. Four years later, she competed for the second time at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Marchand made her Olympic debut at the London Games in 2012 (seen here) and also competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016Image: Rainer Jensen/dpa/picture alliance
After the Olympics in Brazil, Marchand ended her sporting career, completed her medical degree and then began working as a doctor in 2018 — until a stroke in 2021 turned her life upside-down.
During an indoor cycling class, the left side of her body suddenly went numb, she recalled. “I didn’t immediately think of a stroke back then because I was simply far too young. I was 30 years old and had no preexisting conditions,” she said.
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Marchand didn’t call an ambulance until an hour after the incident. An MRI scan at the hospital then confirmed the stroke. “In that moment, you think: ‘What did I do to deserve this?’”
Adjusting to a new reality
The medical bolt from the blue changed the young doctor’s life. Since then, Marchand has had problems with concentration and forgetfulness, and difficulty orienting herself, as well as a limited field of vision. It has taken her a long time to get used to her new reality and come to terms with her limitations.
“It’s really hard when you’re suddenly torn away from your everyday life,” she said. “I’ll never be healthy again. I’ve learned that the body isn’t a machine, even if I sometimes wish it were.”
The stroke has meant she has had to scale back on a number of fronts. “I have to lower my standards. I set fewer goals for myself, but I’ve also learned not to be quite so hard on myself.”
But Marchand is determined to make the best of her situation. “I’ve changed my perspective. Of course my limitations annoy me, but in the end, it comes down to how you deal with them.”
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From Rio to Paris and Olympics to Paralympics
Just a few months after her stroke, Marchand was back in a rowing boat — this time, however, as a para-athlete. “Sports teach you a lot about how to cope with negative events. A sports career isn’t always smooth sailing, there are some lows but also positives,” she said.
Marchand didn’t have to wait long for her first successes in her “new” discipline. She won her first medals at the European and World Championships and also qualified for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, where she took fourth place in the German mixed four-person boat.
Marchand and her para-rowing partner, Valentin Luz, have progressed rapidly in the sportImage: Tobias Lackner/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/picture alliance
“I used to have nothing to do with para sports and had no connection to it at all,” said Marchand.
“But then I spoke with para-athletes and started looking into it. I went to my first training session and it was absolutely wonderful. Everyone there had a disability, and then you see: ‘Hey, having a disability isn’t so bad.’ It was a totally positive experience.”
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Marchand makes sporting history
After several years competing in summer Paralympic sports, Marchand took it a step further with a new challenge: para cross-country skiing. Her first winter training sessions on the narrow skis weren’t easy, but she adapted to such an extent she qualified for the Milan-Cortina Games earlier this year.
In doing so, she became the first athlete in history to have competed in the Summer Olympics, the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics.
Since then, Marchand’s profile has grown. She has become a public figure in Germany — and wants to use that to encourage others facing similar challenges.
Marchand’s participation in the 2026 Winter Paralympics gave her a place in sporting historyImage: Martin Schutt/dpa/picture alliance
“I’m just living my life and find it amazing when I can inspire other people or serve as a role model,” she said. “I’m always happy when I get messages saying, ‘Hey, we love what you’re doing, and it’s helped us get through a difficult time.’”
Aiming for 2028 Paralympic medal
Marchand tries to wring as much from her own life as possible, and believes that “in the end, the stroke has given me more than it has taken away.” She admits that often sounds strange to other people.
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“I used to be healthy, and now I’m sick. Why would anyone want to be sick when they can be healthy?”
Her explanation is simple: “Before the stroke, my life was much more stressful; I worked a lot and took much less joy in the things I did.”
It’s sad to admit to that, she said. “I could have turned my life around before, but I didn’t. It’s a shame that it takes a moment of fate to realize so many things.”
Today, Marchand is content with her life and knows her limits. Nevertheless, she has set herself a major goal at the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028, where she hopes to finally win her first Paralympic medal in the para-rowing boat.
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This article was originally written in German.
Meet a successful amputee equestrian pursuing her dream
As Rory McIlroy put the finishing touches on his second straight Masters win, 144 miles away, James Holley watched with the TV blaring from a TaylorMade Tour truck.
He was already on-site for this week’s RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, but he couldn’t miss this moment — especially since he played a part in it.
“It’s always fun to see a putter you have a little bit a part of win on Sunday,” says Holley, TaylorMade’s putter rep and the man responsible for maintaining McIlroy’s Spider putter, the same one he used to win a green jacket last year as well. “And especially in a major it’s awesome.”
Holley will be a busy man on the putting green at Harbour Town as well, but it won’t faze him. That’s basically been the case every week this season on the PGA Tour.
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In a lot of ways, it’s fitting that a Spider putter won the Masters yet again. The putter family has won all but two Masters since 2020 and won three of the four majors last season. It was the winningest putter on the PGA Tour last year with 15 victories.
But the hype around the putter has hit a fever pitch to begin 2026 as pros seek to copy what is working for others. With McIlroy’s win at Augusta, that marks six wins by five different players already this season, including five of the first six events of the year.
McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, who finished second at the Masters, account for the majority of those victories last season, but the residual effects of their success are evident in other players.
New pros are adding the putter seemingly every week, including names like Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa, who won with a flow neck Spider Tour X after years of waffling between putters, mostly blade models.
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TaylorMade Spider Tour X Custom Putter
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THIN WALL UNDERCUT CONSTRUCTION
We’ve engineered a super stable structure by removing excess weight to create high MOI and legendary Spider performance.
STEEL WIREFRAME
Allows engineers to better control weight distribution and CG location.
HYBRAR ECHO® DAMPENER
HYBRAR is behind the face to dampen unwanted vibrations, delivering premium sound and feel on every putt with the best possible sensation.
DIFFERENT CG LOCATION
Each Spider Tour model features different CG locations for optimal putter fitting.
TSS WEIGHTING
TSS weights provide balanced weighting and help optimize performance for all various putter lengths.
GUNMETAL PVD FINISH
The durable PVD coating creates a beautiful high-quality finish.
TRUE PATH™ ALIGNMENT
The patented alignment system provides visual clarity and helps golfers better envision the line to the hole.
WHITE TPU PURE ROLL™ INSERT
Made from a combination of Surlyn and aluminum, the white TPU Pure Roll™ insert creates a softer feel. Grooves are angled at 45° to encourage optimal forward roll as well as better sound, feel and overall roll characteristics. The white insert also creates better symmetry with the white True Path alignment.
REFINED HOSEL DESIGNS
Spider Tour Series includes two different hosel shapes and designs. The small slant produces toe hang, and the double bend produces a face balanced design.
“It’s definitely the hot putter and a lot of players you wouldn’t necessarily think want to try to tinker and switch into the putter have come up and we’ve built putters for them,” Holley said during an interview in March, just after Jacob Bridgeman won the Genesis Invitational with a Spider Tour. “It’s a good spot to be in.”
Holley sits firmly in the middle of all that success as TaylorMade’s putter rep, a job he’s had since the summer of 2024. In that time, Spider usage on the PGA Tour has exploded, in part led by Scheffler’s switch earlier that spring.
But just about everyone who has switched since, like Tommy Fleetwood, who got “Spidered” last spring, Holley has been the one helping them through the fitting and building process on the practice green.
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Holley had aspirations of being the guy fitted for putters, not necessarily the one doing the fitting.
He was a standout junior golfer and played at San Diego State from 2013 to 2015, the same time Xander Schauffele was an Aztec. In the spring of his junior season, he captured his only collegiate victory at the WIU/Carlton Oaks Invitational.
While he was in school, he also did product testing for TaylorMade, whose headquarters are in nearby Carlsbad. That introduced him to TaylorMade Tour reps Ryan Ressa, who took care of Holley’s club needs in college, and Bucky Coe, TaylorMade’s putter rep at the time.
Holley played the mini tours and worked as an instructor on the side, but he found out that life wasn’t for him.
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“I have a family, so it got kind of old,” Holley says. ”You know, making a lot of money one month and then no money the next month.”
It was around this time when Coe transitioned out of his role as TaylorMade’s Tour putter rep and posted the job on his Instagram. A lifelong putter nerd, Holley pounced on the opportunity.
“I’ve always kind of been a putter-tinker and would always jump on like the Quintic here and test a bunch of different stuff,” Holley says. “That’s probably what makes me a good tour rep but didn’t make me a good tour pro. The amount of putter knowledge I have is probably not super great for, you know, playing golf.”
He got the job on a Monday in August 2024 and flew to Memphis that evening for the first round of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. The first person he was introduced to was Tommy Fleetwood, who ended up being one of his first major success stories.
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Fleetwood testing the Spider ZT with Holley at the 2025 RBC Heritage.
TaylorMade
At the end of 2024, Fleetwood was beginning his search for a new putter to replace his longtime Odyssey White Hot Pro 3 blade. The first try was a TaylorMade Prototype Truss Soto blade. The Truss putter line was released in 2020 and featured a unique triangular hosel that was aimed at reducing the twisting forces of the putter on mishits while retaining a traditional look.
Fleetwood had two different versions of his Truss prototype before Holley approached him in early 2025 about switching into a Spider.
“That’s the kind of art of being the rep of trying to go up to a guy who’s maybe been struggling, and if it’s the right time to ask him if he wants to try a putter or not,” Holley says. “I had been watching him putt for the last six to nine months, an hour each day during the week.”
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The key, Holley says, is never pushing a move on a player. While much of his job revolves around being ready for when a curious player walks up to his bag stationed at the putting green, the real work is biding his time to know when he’s going to approach a player.
The results for Fleetwood speak for themselves. He was 84th on the PGA Tour in SG: Putting entering the RBC Heritage and was 15th at the end of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The putter change sparked the best summer of Fleetwood’s career, culminating in his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship, another victory at the DP World India Championship and a career-high World Ranking (3rd).
At his breakthrough at East Lake, he led the field in putting, picking up more than eight shots over the week on the greens.
Holley helped find Collin Morikawa a Spider Tour X putter earlier this season.
TaylorMade
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Fleetwood liked the milled True Path alignment aid on the Spider ZT, so Holley drew Sharpie lines on the top of the Spider Tour and Fleetwood liked it so much he stuck with that version until the Texas Open this season. (Holley redrew those lines by hand every few weeks, but it was worth it.)
The same success story holds true for TaylorMade’s two other top-ranked athletes. Scheffler was 143rd in SG: Putting during the 2024 season before making the switch to the Spider at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He improved to 69th by the end of 2024 and 18th by his final start of 2025.
McIlroy was 97th in 2018, the year before he started dabbling with the Spider. In the 2019 season, when he won three times, including the Players Championship and Tour Championship, he was 25th. Last year, his first full season using the custom torched Spider Tour X, he finished in the top 10 in putting for the first time in his career.
What makes the Spider so successful at taking long-time blade users and turning them into some of the top putters on the PGA Tour?
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Take it from Holley himself, who was a blade guy most of his playing career until he started using a Spider.
He was — and still is, as his Handicap Index is +5.4 — an extremely high-level player, giving him a unique perspective to pitch the Spider to Tour pros.
But the thing that makes the Spider tick, Holley says, is TaylorMade’s Pure Roll insert.
The insert is made from a blend of Surlyn and aluminium and has grooves angled at 45˚ that are supposed to help you produce immediate forward roll on your putts instead of skidding. The most common insert on Spiders on Tour is the 80/20 variant with 80 percent Surlyn and 20 percent aluminum, but Holley can also do a fully Surlyn insert to soften the feel or add more aluminum to make it more responsive.
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Holley preparing to glue a Pure Roll insert in a Spider ZT.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
“Any of the guys that have switched like Scottie or Tommy, they see such a big improvement inside that 20 feet,” Holley says. “Especially out on Tour, that’s where those guys make their money. Statistically, the best putter and the worst putter from 30 feet, there isn’t that big of a difference from a strokes-gained perspective.”
After Scheffler’s putter switch, he went from 151st from inside 10 feet in 2023 to 33rd last season.
That kind of statistical success is crucial for Holley, whose job is much different than a Tour rep dedicated to full swing clubs.
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Early in the week on a PGA Tour practice green, the perimeter is lined with staff bags, each with dozens of putters leaned up against them, just asking to be rolled. The putter reps stand nearby, waiting to spring into action. But because of the Spider’s success, players visit Holley often, curious about what so many pro are using and winning with.
Technically, Holley’s first putter switch was McIlroy’s move to the torched Spider Tour X at the 2024 Tour Championship.
“All I did on that was punch in the email,” he jokes. “So that was the extent of the switch that I had there.”
Holley also plays a role in the week-to-week maintenance of the putters. He takes care of loft and lie checks and regrippings, like the one he did for McIlroy at Bay Hill last month, the same putter that’s now responsible for two consecutive Masters wins and potentially many more victories.
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While McIlroy probably won’t change any time soon, these things have a domino effect. Not only will more players be curious to try a Spider after yet another win, but TaylorMade is launching a whole new line of Spiders on the PGA Tour this week, presumably the first step of a new retail release later this year. (From what Holley and TaylorMade are willing to divulge at this point, it doesn’t look like there’s been much of a change to the shape of the uber-successful Spider Tour or Tour X shapes, nor the Pure Roll Insert. But a new Spider Tour V and Spider Tour X are joining the fray.)
But for Holley, there’s little time to celebrate. Back on Hilton Head Island, his week just got a whole lot busier.
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