Sports
Wounded T’Wolves feast on Nuggets for commanding playoff lead
Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu erupted for 43 points off the bench Saturday as Minnesota overcame two injury scares to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 and take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series.
All-Star guard Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both exited in the first half, Edwards suffering a left knee injury when he came down awkwardly after contesting a basket shortly before half-time.
DiVincenzo was hurt less than two minutes into the contest and, according to ESPN, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon.
“This is for them,” said Dosunmu, who made all five of his 3-point attempts and became just the fourth bench player in playoff history to score 40 points in a game.
“Ayo was just out of this world,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Just play after play after play.”
Trailing by four at halftime, Minnesota bore down in the second half to pull away in front of an ecstatic crowd at their Target Center arena in Minneapolis.
Naz Reid added 17 points off the bench to help the Timberwolves withstand a 30-point performance from Jamal Murray and a near triple-double of 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists from Nikola Jokic.
Three-time MVP Jokic and the Nuggets, who have lost three straight games, will be trying to fend off elimination in the best-of-seven Western Conference series when they host game five Monday.
It promises to be tense after a scuffle at the buzzer sparked when Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels scored a basket with the outcome decided and most players heading to the sideline.
An irked Jokic rushed him and players had to be separated.
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are also on the brink of reaching the Western Conference semifinals after a 121-109 victory over the Suns in Phoenix, fueled by a sensational 42-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
But Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit fell 2-1 down to the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, who fended off a late Pistons rally to secure a stirring 113-105 home victory.
The New York Knicks, seeded third in the East, reasserted their authority with a 114-98 victory over the Hawks in Atlanta and will head home for game five on Tuesday with their series tied at 2-2.
Ruthless
Oklahoma’s Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and a finalist for this year’s MVP, connected on 15-of-18 shots from the floor in a ruthlessly efficient shooting display.
“I think we did a really good job tonight of playing to our identity offensively,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It kept their defense as a whole, which is a really good defense, in a bind (as to) what to pick and choose.”
Dillon Brooks scored 33 points for the Suns, who grabbed an early nine-point lead and kept it close in the second quarter but couldn’t find a way to stop Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch.
Ajay Mitchell scored 15 points and Alex Caruso added 13 off the bench for the Thunder.
They’ll try to polish off a sweep on Monday in Phoenix, where the Suns will be painfully aware that no NBA team has rallied from 0-3 down to win a playoff series.
No fear
In Orlando, Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points each for the Magic, whose 17-point fourth-quarter lead was erased in a powerful late effort from Cade Cunningham, who led all scorers with 27 points.
But having nudged into a single-point lead with three minutes remaining, the Pistons didn’t score again and Orlando closed it out with a 9-0 run.
Banchero added 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Bane matched the Orlando franchise playoff record with seven 3-pointers.
“We know how we stack up, we know what we got in this locker room and so we don’t fear them,” Banchero said.
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff, whose team comfortably topped the East with 60 wins, said it was now a matter of taking it “one game at a time.
“If we win on Monday, we take home-court advantage back,” Bickerstaff said.
That’s exactly what the Knicks did with their big win in Atlanta after dropping two straight games by just one point each.
Karl-Anthony Towns had his first career playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Galatasaray strengthened its grip on the Süper Lig title race on Sunday with a 3-0 home victory over fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in a tense and turbulent Istanbul derby that swung decisively after a missed penalty and a red card.
Goals from Victor Osimhen, Barış Alper Yılmaz and Lucas Torreira secured the win at RAMS Park, lifting Galatasaray to 74 points and leaving Fenerbahçe seven points adrift in second place with the season approaching its climax.
The match began at high intensity but produced few clear chances early on. Fenerbahçe were handed a golden opportunity in the 11th minute when Cherif was brought down in the box by defender Sánchez, prompting the referee to point to the spot. But Talisca’s penalty was struck wide, a costly miss that would soon define the contest.
Galatasaray struck first just before half-time. From a long throw-in, Lemina flicked the ball on and Osimhen controlled it sharply before finishing with a composed, improvised effort to make it 1-0.
The second half shifted firmly in the hosts’ favor. Galatasaray had two goals disallowed for offside before winning a penalty of their own after Yunus Akgün was fouled inside the area. The moment sparked further drama as Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Ederson was shown a second yellow card for dissent, leaving the visitors reduced to 10 men.
Barış Alper Yılmaz converted the penalty in the 67th minute, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to double the lead.
With Fenerbahçe stretched and increasingly frustrated, Galatasaray added a third in the 83rd minute. After a chaotic corner, the ball broke kindly for Torreira, who finished from close range to seal a dominant scoreline.
Fenerbahçe’s night ended in further frustration as they squandered a late chance to pull one back, while Galatasaray controlled the closing stages with relative ease.
The result not only widened the gap at the top but also delivered a psychological blow in the title race, with Galatasaray emerging from one of the season’s most anticipated fixtures with momentum firmly on their side.
Fenerbahçe’s defeat was compounded by Ederson’s suspension after his dismissal, ruling him out of their next league match.
Ten-man Al-Ahli retained the AFC Champions League Elite title Saturday as Feras al-Brikan struck in extra time to secure a 1-0 win over Japan’s Machida Zelvia at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Matthias Jaissle’s side became only the second team to retain the trophy in the Asian Champions League era after cross-Jeddah rivals Al-Ittihad in 2005, having seen Zakaria Hawsawi sent off in the 68th minute.
Al-Ahli held out despite being outnumbered to take the match into an additional 30 minutes and substitute al-Brikan struck from close range after a Riyad Mahrez cross to give his team back-to-back titles.
“It’s amazing. We’re so happy. It was difficult for us again. We like to make it difficult for ourselves. Ten against 11 is nearly impossible, I don’t know how we found the strength and the energy, but we’ve done it and we’re happy,” Mahrez said.
“After the red card we stuck together, we fought more, we ran more until we scored.”
The win came in front of the Al-Ahli fans with their Jeddah base hosting the centralized eight-team finals tournament for the second season in a row.
A crowd of almost 59,000 turned out to see Machida keeper Kosei Tani throw himself to his right to keep out Galeno’s 13th-minute effort after Enzo Millot’s pass behind Hotaka Nakamura had split the Machida defense.
Daihachi Okamura’s follow-up clearance prevented Ivan Toney from netting the rebound.
Merih Demiral’s close-range effort clipped the top of the crossbar with three minutes left in the half when Galeno’s in-swinging cross from the right caused concern in the backline, the Turkish defender falling back as he struck the ball.
Machida’s efforts to frustrate the champions paid off with 22 minutes remaining when Hawsawi needlessly reacted in a confrontation with Tete Yengi, headbutting the Australian in full view of referee Ilgiz Tantashev.
With the extra space following Hawsawi’s red card, the Japanese outfit started to take charge.
Edouard Mendy dived to his right to deny Hiroyuki Mae in the 73rd minute and eight minutes later, the former Chelsea man saved a low, curling effort that was bound for the bottom corner from Yuki Soma.
Despite being a man down it was Al-Ahli who found their way through a miserly Machida defence, Mahrez swinging a left-footed cross from the right towards the far post, where Franck Kessie laid the ball off for al-Brikan to score.
The Turkish Riviera welcomed top cyclists from around the world Sunday when the Tour of Türkiye kicked off in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir.
The eight-day tour is the only race in Türkiye categorized as ProSeries on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Europe Tour calendar.
It features a course featuring some of the country’s beautiful Mediterranean and Aegean coastal towns, including Izmir, Aydın, Muğla and Antalya.
Starting in Çesme, Izmir, the tour will end in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on May 3.
By the end of the race, a total of 161 cyclists from 27 countries will have traveled 1,133 kilometers (704 miles) along the Turkish Riviera.
The only “intercontinental bicycle tour” in the world will host 23 teams, including three world tour teams, 14 professional teams, and six continental teams.
“TUR 2026” will be broadcast live internationally on Eurosport and domestically on TRT Spor, showcasing Türkiye’s beauty and cycling culture to a global audience.
Last year, Wout Poels of the XDS Astana Team won the 60th edition, followed by Poels’ teammate Harold Martin Lopez in second, and Team Picnic PostNL’s Guillermo Juan Martinez in third.
Cyclists who complete the tour in the shortest overall time, along with those leading in sprint points on each stage, will wear four different colored jerseys.
The leaders will be identified as follows: the turquoise jersey for the general individual classification leader, green for the best sprinter, white for the leader of beauties of Türkiye sprint primes, and red for the best climber, aka the “King of the Mountains.”
Distinguished history
Traditionally organized by the Turkish Cycling Federation, the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey started in 1963 as the Marmara Tour.
It gained international status for the first time in 1965 and the next year was put under the auspices of the Turkish presidency.
The Tour of Türkiye was upgraded to the 2.1 category by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in 2008 and to Hors Category (2. HC) in 2010.
Beginning in 2017, the tour was included in the UCI World Tour calendar for three years.
Suspended in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the race was included in the newly created UCI ProSeries in 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, it was held under the UCI Europe Tour 2.1 race, and in 2024, it returned to the ProSeries races.
Considered one of the world’s most prestigious cycling events, this year’s Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye will be its 61st edition.
Top winners
Riders with the most stage wins in the Tour of Türkiye
Cyclist Country Stage wins Andre Greipel Germany 11 Mark Cavendish Great Britain 11 Sam Bennett Ireland 9 Jasper Philipsen Belgium 7 Svetoslav Tchanliev Bulgaria 6
Tour route
Stage 1: (April 26) Çeşme-Selçuk, 148.7 kilometers
Stage 2: (April 27) Aydın-Marmaris, 152.8 kilometers
Stage 3: (April 28) Marmaris-Kiran, 132.7 kilometers
Stage 4: (April 29) Marmaris-Fethiye, 130.4 kilometers
Stage 5: (April 30) ancient city of Patara-Kemer, 180.7 kilometers
Stage 6: (May 1 ) Antalya-Feslikan, 127.9 kilometers
Stage 7: (May 2) Antalya-Antalya, 152.8 kilometers
Stage 8: (May 3) Ankara-Ankara, 105.2 kilometers
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday that Istanbul will host Formula 1 races for five consecutive seasons between 2027 and 2031.
Speaking at the Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix promotion event at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the Istanbul Park circuit will stage “thrilling, high-quality races that offer strong spectator appeal” over the five-year period.
Erdoğan expressed hope that Türkiye’s partnership with Formula 1 would continue to strengthen in the coming years, emphasizing the country’s ambitions as a motorsports hub.
Türkiye previously hosted Formula 1 races at Istanbul Park between 2005 and 2011, before the event was dropped from the calendar. The circuit briefly returned to the schedule in 2020 and 2021 as part of a revised calendar during the COVID-19 pandemic, when races were relocated or added to replace canceled events.
Designed by renowned track architect Hermann Tilke, Istanbul Park is widely known for its challenging layout, particularly the high-speed Turn 8, considered one of the most demanding corners in Formula 1.
The renewed hosting agreement is expected to boost Türkiye’s international sports profile and tourism sector, as countries increasingly compete to secure long-term slots on the Formula 1 calendar.
A special envoy to Donald Trump has suggested that Iran be replaced by Italy in the upcoming World Cup, according to the Financial Times, citing remarks by Paolo Zampolli, but Italy quickly rejected replacing Iran.
The newspaper, citing remarks by Paolo Zampolli, said he wanted Iran’s team to be replaced by four-time world champions Italy, who failed to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and [FIFA president Gianni] Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup,” Zampolli was quoted as saying.
“I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,” he said.
The move is reportedly aimed at repairing strained ties between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The two leaders have recently traded criticism following Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV.
Iran’s participation in the World Cup in June-July has been thrown into doubt in recent weeks because of the war with the US.
Infantino last week reaffirmed that Iran would take part in the tournament, telling US news outlet CNBC: “The Iranian team is coming for sure.” He stressed the importance of the country’s participation in the World Cup.
The Iranian Embassy in Rome reacted with outrage.
“Football belongs to the people, not to politicians. Italy has achieved the greatness of football on the field, not thanks to political rents. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup only shows the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which even fears the presence of 11 young Iranians on the playing field,” it posted on X.
There were also negative reactions from Italy. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said: “This is inappropriate; you qualify on the field.” Such action by the world governing body FIFA is not possible.
The president of the National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio, expressed a similar view: “I would be offended. You have to earn your place in the World Cup.”
Iran’s three group matches against Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt are scheduled in Seattle and Los Angeles. FIFA rejected Iran’s request to move the matches to Mexico.
The tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico begins on June 11 and runs until July 19.
Italy dismisses replacing Iran
Italian sports officials say four-time champion Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup following a suggestion to that effect by a Trump administration official.
Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup, and the team is preparing to play in the U.S. despite the war in the Middle East. FIFA has insisted its group stage games near Los Angeles and in Seattle will go ahead as planned in June.
The Financial Times reported that Paolo Zampolli, the U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested the swap to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
In a phone interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli emphasized that “my request is not a political request.” The ask, which was made to Trump and Infantino on Wednesday, was meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament at the last minute.
“I had a dream,” Zampolli told the AP. “My request was for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”
He said in the FT interview that, with four titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified.
Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday that “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”
Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea.
“I would feel offended,” Buonfiglio said. “You need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”
Italy’s Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggested swap “shameful.”
While Iran was among the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, Italy missed out for the third consecutive tournament, resulting in the resignations of its national team coach and soccer federation president.
Zampolli has long been a part of the Trump family orbit, having introduced then-Melania Knauss to Donald Trump at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. He regularly posts on social media about his meetings with Infantino, calling him the “King of Soccer.” Trump last year appointed him as special representative for global partnerships.
In March, The New York Times reported that Zampolli had reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, informing him that the mother of his child was in the country illegally as the two were locked in a custody dispute. She was ultimately deported.
The White House did not return a request for comment. Its World Cup task force, housed under the Department of Homeland Security, said it had no comment. FIFA also would not comment.
The Iranian embassy in Rome denounced Zampolli’s remarks in a comment on X.
“Football belongs to the people, not to politicians,” the embassy said. “Italy earned its soccer prowess on the field, not thanks to political maneuvers. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup shows only the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which fears even the presence of 11 young Iranians on the field of play.”
Iran’s status at the World Cup, which starts in June, has been a source of debate and concern since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks on the country in February.
Trump in March discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, citing safety concerns.
FIFA has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup schedule decided last December, and refused to negotiate any suggestion of moving the team’s games to co-host Mexico.
An Iranian government spokesperson said Wednesday that the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the U.S.
Iran earned one of eight guaranteed World Cup places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation. Should Iran pull out, in theory the replacement should be the United Arab Emirates, the highest-ranked Asian team that didn’t qualify.
One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.
FIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.
Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of Barcelona’s season but should be healed from a leg injury in time to play for Spain at the World Cup, the club said on Thursday.
Barcelona said 18-year-old Yamal will miss the remaining six La Liga games for the leaders as he follows a “conservative treatment” process to heal a muscle injury in his left leg that he picked up on Wednesday while converting a penalty in a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo.
The club added in a statement that their doctors “foresee that (Yamal) will be available for the World Cup.”
Yamal is supposed to make his World Cup debut this summer. Spain’s campaign starts against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta.
“This injury sidelines me just when I most wanted to be on the field,” Yamal wrote in an Instagram post. “It hurts that I won’t be fighting alongside my teammates. But I believe in them and know that they will give it their all in every game.”
Yamal has emerged as one of the world’s top players since making his Barcelona debut at a record-breaking 15 years old. He helped to lead Spain to the 2024 European Championship and is a major reason why Luis de la Fuente’s team is among the favorites this summer thanks to his dribbling, creativity and ability to both score and set up teammates.
Yamal went down after he scored the winner against Celta in the 40th minute and immediately looked to the bench to signal he was hurt. He dropped to the ground as his teammates arrived to celebrate, then appeared to grab the back of his left leg.
Yamal left the field on his own after being attended by doctors. He talked briefly with coach Hansi Flick on the sidelines before walking into the locker room tunnel by himself.
Barcelona lead Real Madrid by nine points with two more rounds before they meet at Camp Nou on May 10.
Barcelona will start their run-in without Yamal on Saturday when they visit Getafe. Flick could replace Yamal on the right side with winger Roony Bardghji or mix up his front line and play with an extra midfielder.
Yamal leads Barcelona in scoring (24) and assists (18) across all competitions.
“This is not over. This is just a pause,” Yamal wrote in his social media post. “I will come back stronger and more motivated than ever and next season will be even better.”
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