Sports
Wolves crawl back to score shock NBA playoffs win over Nuggets
Anthony Edwards scored 30 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves staged a double-digit fightback for a series-leveling 119-114 upset of the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs on Monday.
A titanic duel in Denver saw the Wolves overturn an early 19-point deficit before a clinical fourth-quarter display sealed a crucial victory in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.
The Nuggets, 116-105 winners in game one on Saturday, picked up where they left off with a blistering first-quarter performance that pushed them into a 39-25 lead.
But the Timberwolves bounced back in the second quarter to tie the game 64-64 at halftime before edging the second half.
Edwards was backed by 24 points from Julius Randle while Donte DiVincenzo added 16.
Jamal Murray led the Denver scoring with 30 points while Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
“We did what we expected to do,” Randle said.
“When you’re coming on the road to start a series, you want to steal one. So we did that, and now we go home and we’ve got two days to get our bodies right.”
CJ McCollum scored 32 points and led a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback as the Atlanta Hawks overturned a 12-point deficit to score a series-leveling 107-106 defeat of the New York Knicks.
Atlanta looked poised to fall 2-0 down in the series after trailing a confident Knicks line-up by as much as 14 points in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden.
But the Hawks roared back to life in the fourth quarter, hauling themselves back into the contest with an 11-0 run to take a 103-100 lead with under two minutes remaining.
A Jalen Brunson 3-pointer tied it at 103-103 but McCollum calmly nailed a fadeaway jump shot to put Atlanta back in front before Jalen Johnson’s dunk gave the Hawks a 107-103 lead with 10 seconds remaining.
Another Brunson 3-pointer cut the lead to 107-106 to set up a frantic finale, but Mikal Bridges missed an attempted buzzer-beater for New York and Atlanta claimed the win.
Cavs in control
“It’s not a series until you get one on the road — and we’ve got one,” McCollum said. “We’re tough, we’re young, but we’re gaining experience by the day.
“We didn’t play our best basketball tonight, but we gave ourselves a bunch of chances and we did enough to win.”
Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for 58 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 115-105 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference series.
Fourth-seeded Cleveland, convincing 126-113 victors in game one on Saturday, once again proved too strong for fifth-seeded Toronto as they powered to a wire-to-wire victory.
Mitchell scored 30 points, including four 3-pointers, while Harden finished with 28 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Evan Mobley also had a big night for the Cavs, weighing in with 25 points from an efficient 11-of-13 shooting display.
The Cavs’ victory provided more evidence that the offensive partnership between Mitchell and the 36-year-old Harden, who was traded to the team in February, is blossoming at the right time for Cleveland.
“He’s been doing it a little bit longer than me, but we’ve still been doing it for a long time – just trying to find ways to win,” Mitchell said of Harden.
“Whether it’s passing, it’s rebounding, getting stops — when you have two guys who are trying to chase the same thing, it definitely helps for sure,” Mitchell added.
Toronto’s scoring was led by Scottie Barnes with 26 points, while RJ Barrett added 22.
Game three of the series takes place in Toronto on Thursday.
If four-time world champion Max Verstappen were to quit Formula One, as he has hinted on numerous occasions, it would be a “big loss” for the sport, his McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri said on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, who won four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024 and narrowly missed a fifth last season, has struggled at the start of this campaign with Red Bull against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
Verstappen has repeatedly voiced his frustration at the sport’s sweeping 2026 rules overhaul, which places greater emphasis on electric energy management in qualifying and races, as well as limiting car speeds.
“I think it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole. I think for us as drivers we want to race against the best and try and prove ourselves against the best,” said Piastri.
The 25-year-old Australian said Verstappen had “shown his calibre in the last 10 years” and added that the Dutchman had been the benchmark “for the last five or six”.
Norris, the 2025 world champion, believes Verstappen’s exit would leave F1 a poorer place.
“It would be a shame for the sport, it would be a miss for the sport if that does happen, because he probably is one of the best drivers you’ll see in Formula One ever,” said Norris.
“He’s always been very open to say what he thinks, whether you agree or not.”
Verstappen has openly criticized his Red Bull car and likened the direction of F1 to “Formula E on steroids” or the video game “Mario Kart”.
At last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, he spoke of wanting to spend more time with his family and has increasingly turned his attention to endurance racing.
Robots can run a half-marathon, box, and now beat elite human table tennis players, Sony’s artificial intelligence unit said in research published Thursday.
A team from the Japanese company built an AI-powered robotic arm clutching a ping-pong paddle that can perceive, react to and return the “the blistering speed and spin of elite-level table tennis”.
The research was published in the journal Nature.
“Ace” is a bulky industrial robot as big as the table tennis table, but is able to make split-second decisions and execute agile movements with power, according to Sony AI.
The noisy player, characterized by constant whirrs, rattles and a vigorously moving arm, faced five elite players and two professionals.
It won three out of five matches against the elite group, while other matches were “competitive,” the company said.
But Ace continued to improve its performance even after the paper was submitted to Nature, winning more recent matches against professionals with higher shot speeds, more aggressive placement closer to the table edge, and faster-paced rallies, Sony AI said.
“By solving a problem that requires exceptional real-time sensing and control, this research lays the groundwork for AI systems that can safely and reliably operate in dynamic physical environments, ranging from safety-critical settings to real-time interactive domains,” it said.
Previous table tennis playing robots could hold rallies, but never went beyond the amateur level, Sony AI said.
“Once AI can operate at an expert human level under these conditions, it opens the door to an entirely new class of real-world applications that were previously out of reach,” said Peter Stone, Chief Scientist at Sony AI.
Inter Milan could have their first chance to seal the Serie A title on Sunday as the champions in waiting take on Torino while Napoli and AC Milan try to push back the celebrations by at least one more week.
Cristian Chivu’s players lead both reigning champions Napoli and second-placed Milan by 12 points with five matches remaining in the league season.
And they will know if they can seal a 21st league crown for Inter this weekend by Friday night, when Napoli host relegation strugglers Cremonese.
Anything but a win for Napoli will allow Inter to take on Torino in Turin knowing that a win could give them the Scudetto with four matches to spare.
But they would then have to wait for the result of Milan’s headline clash with Juventus at the San Siro, which is also key for those two teams’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
Winning the league with four matches to spare would be quite a feat as before the most recent international break Inter were wobbling and both Napoli and Milan looked ready to knock them off their perch.
But a maximum nine points, and 12 goals scored, in the three matches since club football reconvened have turned things back in Inter’s favor, and now it’s just a matter of time before the discussion is officially over.
Inter come into the match with a domestic double in their sights after a thrilling win over Como booked them a place in next month’s Italian Cup final, where they will face Lazio.
And regardless of how Napoli and Milan do, Inter know that four points from their remaining fixtures will seal the deal.
Milan find themselves in the odd position of potentially being able to hand the title to their local rivals, although that wouldn’t be worse than two years ago, when they allowed Inter to win it by losing the Milan derby.
But Massimiliano Allegri’s side are close to securing a return to the Champions League thanks to the eight-point gap separating them from fifth-placed Como.
Milan should finish in the top four even if they lose on Sunday, while Juve’s situation is more precarious as they sit fourth and lead Como and sixth-placed Roma by five points.
Como, who threw away a two-goal lead before being knocked out of the Cup by Inter, have no easy task this weekend as they travel to an in-form Genoa team who could secure safety this weekend.
Player to watch: Adrien Rabiot
France midfielder Rabiot faces his old team on Sunday and will be the driving force behind Milan’s efforts against Juve alongside Luka Modric.
Rabiot has fully repayed Allegri’s faith in him with six goals and four assists in 25 league appearances, his latest strike at Verona last weekend showcasing his powerful running and finishing ability.
The 31-year-old was snapped up by Milan, in large part due to Allegri’s insistence, after he was dumped by Marseille in August following a violent bust-up with teammate Jonathan Rowe.
Rabiot was a midfield lynchpin for Juve’s last Serie A title in 2020 and he went on to play four more seasons for the Turin giants before moving to Marseille.
Turkish wrestling icon Rıza Kayaalp made history by claiming his 13th European championship title, becoming the most successful wrestler in the competition’s history.
Competing at the 2026 European Wrestling Championships in Tirana, Kayaalp defeated Hungary’s Darius Atilla Vitek 7-1 in the final, surpassing the long-standing record of 12 titles held by Russian great Aleksandr Karelin.
The Greco-Roman heavyweight has now reached 15 European finals in his career, winning 13 gold and two silver medals, while maintaining his remarkable record of securing a medal in every European championship he has entered.
Kayaalp’s achievements extend beyond Europe, with five world championship gold medals, along with three silvers and two bronzes, in addition to one Olympic silver and two bronze medals, cementing his place among the greatest wrestlers in history.
Erdoğan, ministers hail Kayaalp’s historic 13th European wrestling title
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and senior officials congratulated Turkish wrestling legend Kayaalp after his victory in Albania.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak praised Kayaalp for adding another milestone to his decorated career, saying the national wrestler had written his name in history as the sole record holder after surpassing Russian great Aleksandr Karelin.
President Erdoğan personally called Kayaalp following his victory in Tirana. The president expressed pride in the achievement, describing the title as a historic record and extending his congratulations to the wrestler and his family.
Kayaalp thanked Erdoğan during the call, noting that he had fulfilled his promise to break the record, referencing earlier support pledged for sports facilities.
Members of the presidential Cabinet also shared congratulatory messages, highlighting Kayaalp’s determination and discipline, and praising his role in raising Türkiye’s flag at the top of European wrestling once again.
West Ham’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Monday condemned Wolves to Premier League relegation, boosted West Ham’s survival hopes and left struggling Tottenham in deeper trouble.
Bottom of the table Wolves have long been destined for the drop and their descent into the Championship was confirmed by the stalemate at Selhurst Park.
Wolves are now 16 points behind fourth-bottom West Ham, with a maximum of 15 available from their last five matches.
After eight seasons in the top-flight, Wolves succumbed tamely, winning just three of their 33 league matches to date this term.
Despite notable recent wins against Aston Villa and Liverpool, Wolves have looked like relegation certainties for months and their eight-year stay in the Premier League is coming to an end.
Vitor Pereira, now in charge of Nottingham Forest, started the season in charge of the Molineux club but the Portuguese coach was sacked in early November after a terrible start to the campaign.
Former Middlesbrough boss Edwards was brought in but he had an almost impossible task and has been unable to work a miracle.
Second-bottom Burnley look certain to join Wolves in the second tier next season.
They will be relegated if they lose against title-chasing Manchester City on Wednesday.
The Hammers’ draw improved their own survival prospects, moving them two points clear of third-bottom Tottenham.
Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Brighton on Saturday was a boost to West Ham, with the two London rivals having five games left in the fight to avoid relegation.
Tottenham, winless in their first two games under boss Roberto De Zerbi, haven’t played in the second tier since 1977-78.
The north Londoners have gone 15 league matches without a win, stretching back to December.
Last in the Championship in 2011-12, West Ham’s biggest league win for three years, 4-0 over Wolves nine days ago, moved them out of the bottom three for only the second time in 2026.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side built on that result with a gritty point against UEFA Conference League semi-finalists Palace.
“It will go all the way, for sure. Not only at the bottom of the table but at the top. This season has been very tight,” Nuno said.
“We have a mission ahead and keep going. It’s going to be a fight until the end.”
Palace’s win at West Ham in September sparked Graham Potter’s sacking and Nuno’s eventual appointment as his replacement.
Nuno has gradually revived West Ham since then and from January 17 onwards, only four Premier League teams have picked up more points than the Hammers.
West Ham threatened first when Valentin Castellanos fired over from the edge of the area.
Brennan Johnson should have put Palace in front from Tyrick Mitchell’s cross, but the unmarked forward headed wastefully wide.
Johnson tried to make amends, curling narrowly wide from 18 yards.
But it was West Ham who finished the half stronger, with El Hadji Malick Diouf’s cross reaching Konstantinos Mavropanos for a towering header that forced a fine save from Dean Henderson.
Mavropanos had another header repelled by Henderson after the interval.
Palace winger Ismaila Sarr was denied a late winner when he slammed home from close-range, only for the goal to be disallowed for handball by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Tennis took center stage at the Laureus Awards in Madrid on Monday, where Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz were named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year.
The pair were honoured after glittering 2025 campaigns that saw them finish atop the women’s and men’s tennis rankings, respectively.
Spaniard Alcaraz, 22, reclaimed the year-end world number one spot after capturing two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and U.S. Open, underlining his supremacy across surfaces.
Belarusian Sabalenka, 27, meanwhile, stood alongside him in the winners’ circle in New York and also reached the final in Australia and France, capping a season of relentless consistency.
With her triumph, Sabalenka joins a roll call of Laureus Sportswoman of the Year recipients from her sport, including Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin and Naomi Osaka.
In a first for the awards, the ceremony was hosted by two athletes – both former Laureus winners – Novak Djokovic and Eileen Gu. Last year’s top honours went to gymnast Simone Biles and pole-vaulter Mondo Duplantis.
Mcilroy takes comeback prize
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy claimed the World Comeback of the Year Award after ending an 11-year wait to complete the career Grand Slam with a playoff victory at the 2025 Masters, a title he defended in 2026.
Formula One’s Lando Norris was named World Breakthrough of the Year, while Paris St Germain took World Team of the Year after a trophy haul in 2025 that included the French league and Cup, plus their first Champions League crown.
The Laureus World Sports Awards nominees are selected by the global media, while the winners are determined by the 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
The awards have been presented annually since 2000.
23 April special session in the Turkish Grand National Assembly… Kurtulmuş: Parliament is the place to defend what is for the good of the nation
Top Turkish trade body criticizes EU chief’s Türkiye remarks
Ex-EU council chief backs Türkiye after von der Leyen remarks
23 April special session in the Turkish Grand National Assembly… Kurtulmuş: Parliament is the place to defend what is for the good of the nation
Top Turkish trade body criticizes EU chief’s Türkiye remarks
Ex-EU council chief backs Türkiye after von der Leyen remarks
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