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The Kings’ newest tanking attempt was shameful beyond belief  The Sacramento Kings almost achieved the unthinkable on Tuesday night: Win a game. Locked in a stunningly close battle with the Golden State Warrior, the 21-59 Kings had to make sure they lost to keep their draft dreams alive, and damn if they didn’t go above and beyond the call of duty.With 3:25 left on the clock Sacramento came to the realization they were actually leading the game due to some horrific Warriors’ shooting, which meant it was time to tank like nobody has tanked before.Doug McDermott was so far away from the play that it was comical, and fouled Seth Curry for absolutely no reason other than intentionally trying to lose the game while up by one point. It was part of some simply incredible work in the clutch by the veteran McDermott to achieve the franchise goal of losing.Following this foul he made a three, and needed to pull himself back in. He immediately committed a turnover on a bad pass, then missed two threes early in the shot clock with under a minute left to kill any potential Sacramento offense and ensure the Warriors could pull away.It worked, as the Kings went from leading 101-100, to losing the game 105-110.This is the entire raison d’être for Sacramento this season. They are currently tied with the Utah Jazz for 4th worst in the NBA, and they absolutely cannot afford to finish and better. If they were to win on Tuesday night their No. 1 lottery pick odds would have dropped from 11.5% to 8.3%, and their Top 4 pick offs would have fallen from 45.2% to 34.8%. The 2026 NBA Draft is loaded with talent, but there is serious suck competition to try and get one of the big three prospects in the class between Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa.Even with the stake being this high the tanking in the NBA is out of control, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Adam Silver levies some sort of penalty for committing such a brazen, unnecessary foul.  #Kings #newest #tanking #attempt #shameful #belief

The Kings’ newest tanking attempt was shameful beyond belief

The Sacramento Kings almost achieved the unthinkable on Tuesday night: Win a game. Locked in a stunningly close battle with the Golden State Warrior, the 21-59 Kings had to make sure they lost to keep their draft dreams alive, and damn if they didn’t go above and beyond the call of duty.

With 3:25 left on the clock Sacramento came to the realization they were actually leading the game due to some horrific Warriors’ shooting, which meant it was time to tank like nobody has tanked before.

Doug McDermott was so far away from the play that it was comical, and fouled Seth Curry for absolutely no reason other than intentionally trying to lose the game while up by one point. It was part of some simply incredible work in the clutch by the veteran McDermott to achieve the franchise goal of losing.

Following this foul he made a three, and needed to pull himself back in. He immediately committed a turnover on a bad pass, then missed two threes early in the shot clock with under a minute left to kill any potential Sacramento offense and ensure the Warriors could pull away.

It worked, as the Kings went from leading 101-100, to losing the game 105-110.

This is the entire raison d’être for Sacramento this season. They are currently tied with the Utah Jazz for 4th worst in the NBA, and they absolutely cannot afford to finish and better. If they were to win on Tuesday night their No. 1 lottery pick odds would have dropped from 11.5% to 8.3%, and their Top 4 pick offs would have fallen from 45.2% to 34.8%. The 2026 NBA Draft is loaded with talent, but there is serious suck competition to try and get one of the big three prospects in the class between Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa.

Even with the stake being this high the tanking in the NBA is out of control, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Adam Silver levies some sort of penalty for committing such a brazen, unnecessary foul.

#Kings #newest #tanking #attempt #shameful #belief

The Sacramento Kings almost achieved the unthinkable on Tuesday night: Win a game. Locked in a stunningly close battle with the Golden State Warrior, the 21-59 Kings had to make sure they lost to keep their draft dreams alive, and damn if they didn’t go above and beyond the call of duty.

With 3:25 left on the clock Sacramento came to the realization they were actually leading the game due to some horrific Warriors’ shooting, which meant it was time to tank like nobody has tanked before.

Doug McDermott was so far away from the play that it was comical, and fouled Seth Curry for absolutely no reason other than intentionally trying to lose the game while up by one point. It was part of some simply incredible work in the clutch by the veteran McDermott to achieve the franchise goal of losing.

Following this foul he made a three, and needed to pull himself back in. He immediately committed a turnover on a bad pass, then missed two threes early in the shot clock with under a minute left to kill any potential Sacramento offense and ensure the Warriors could pull away.

It worked, as the Kings went from leading 101-100, to losing the game 105-110.

This is the entire raison d’être for Sacramento this season. They are currently tied with the Utah Jazz for 4th worst in the NBA, and they absolutely cannot afford to finish and better. If they were to win on Tuesday night their No. 1 lottery pick odds would have dropped from 11.5% to 8.3%, and their Top 4 pick offs would have fallen from 45.2% to 34.8%. The 2026 NBA Draft is loaded with talent, but there is serious suck competition to try and get one of the big three prospects in the class between Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa.

Even with the stake being this high the tanking in the NBA is out of control, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Adam Silver levies some sort of penalty for committing such a brazen, unnecessary foul.

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#Kings #newest #tanking #attempt #shameful #belief

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KKR vs LSG, IPL 2026: Tyagi credits Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Bravo for helping him manage pressure <div id="content-body-70839203" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Young Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Kartik Tyagi on Wednesday said he got a lot of help from team mentor Dwayne Bravo about the implementation of one’s skills in match situations.</p><p>On the eve of KKR’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Eden Gardens, Tyagi said, “Everyone knows about one’s skill set. Sometimes you make plans, but when you are under pressure, and you are playing after a long time, then you are not able to think properly. At such a time, when you have so much experience outside, that helps us a lot on the ground.”</p><p>The 25-year-old said he was aware that several key KKR pacers would not be available due to injuries, and he might get chances to play.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/lsg-vs-kkr-ipl-2026-rishabh-pant-mohammed-shami-digvesh-rathi-carl-crowe-quotes-latest-news/article70838874.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LSG vs KKR, IPL 2026: ‘Pant is a bowlers’ captain,’ says Lucknow Super Giants bowling coach Crowe</a></b></p><p>“Long before, everyone knew that Harshit (Rana) bhai was injured. And there was a chance of (Matheesha) Pathirana being injured. So we prepared (accordingly),” he said.</p><p>Tyagi, who got a chance to play in the IPL after taking 11 wickets in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup but later struggled with fitness issues, said he worked on his fitness and bowling.</p><p>“When I was in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Dale Steyn was there. I was having an injury-related problem. There was an issue of shin splints, which was not getting sorted. Then I went to the physiotherapist, who had been with me from under-16 days, and did the treatment there. I made a lot of changes. I had to fix everything so that I could become a better bowler,” said Tyagi.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 08, 2026</p></div> #KKR #LSG #IPL #Tyagi #credits #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #mentor #Bravo #helping #manage #pressure

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Deadspin | Reid Detmers aims to guide Angels to series win vs. Braves <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28655086.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28655086.jpg" alt="MLB: Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) delivers during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Two pitchers coming in off strong starts in which they did not gain a decision will take the mound Wednesday afternoon when the Los Angeles Angels face the Atlanta Braves in the rubber match of their three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Los Angeles left-hander Reid Detmers (0-0, 2.38 ERA) will start in the series finale after allowing just three singles over 6 2/3 shutout innings in his team’s 3-1, 10-inning loss to Seattle on Friday.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Detmers will oppose right-hander Grant Holmes (0-1, 2.45 ERA), who yielded just one hit and struck out four over six shutout innings in a game Atlanta won 2-0 at Arizona on Friday. </p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Holmes is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one career start against the Angels, striking out 10 and allowing three hits over six scoreless innings in a 4-0 loss on July 1, 2025.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Detmers is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two career appearances (one start) vs. the Braves. He walked four batters and struck out four against the Mariners on Friday.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>“I thought he was great,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said of Detmers. “Under control, executed, made pitches. He freaking pitched his butt off.”</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Los Angeles, behind home runs by Zach Neto and Jo Adell and eight dominant innings from Jose Soriano, won the series opener with the Braves 6-2 on Monday. Atlanta bounced back for a 7-2 victory on Tuesday.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-8"> <p>Ozzie Albies hit his third homer on Tuesday, but the story of the night was a fifth-inning fight between Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez and Los Angeles designated hitter Jorge Soler.</p> </section> <section id="section-9"> <p>Soler hit a two-run shot in the first inning, his fifth home run in 23 career at-bats against Lopez. Soler was hit on his wrist in his next at-bat in the third and then saw a head-high fastball sail to the backstop in the fifth.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>It was after that pitch that Soler decided to confront Lopez, his teammate with the Braves in 2024. The two squared up and began swinging wildly, with neither landing a solid blow as the dugouts emptied. Soler eventually was tackled to the ground by Atlanta manager Walt Weiss, who was a bench coach with the Braves when Soler garnered World Series MVP honors in 2021. Meanwhile, Mike Trout grabbed a hold of Lopez.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>“It wasn’t over his head, but it was head-high coming in,” Suzuki said. “I don’t blame Jorge one bit. Words were exchanged and Jorge came out. Any time you get thrown at your head … you have a family, your career, it’s dangerous. I know it’s part of the game, it happens, but ask any hitter, ball gets thrown near their head, especially after hitting a homer, it’s not good.”</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>“He didn’t miss with the other hitters like that, like he missed to me,” Soler said through an interpreter. “So I think it was intentional.”</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Lopez, also via an interpreter, called the incident “a misunderstanding.”</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>“We spend time together as teammates, and so I just think it was a misunderstanding because I would never do anything,” Lopez said. “I wasn’t trying to hit him, and there was never any intent on my part to hit him at all at any point.”</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Reid #Detmers #aims #guide #Angels #series #win #Braves

This was supposed to be the summer of George.

Despite arriving at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship race, George Russell was on track for a weekend in Montreal that would put him right back in the fight. Russell captured pole position for the F1 Sprint race on Friday, held off Lando Norris and Antonelli after a hard fight with his teammate to take the win in that race on Saturday, and then took pole position for Sunday’s main event with a strong performance in qualifying.

And after yet another hard fight with Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with several changes between the two Mercedes drivers, Russell was leading the race.

Then, on Lap 30, his car stopped on the track. His race was over.

His frustration seemed to boil over as he exited his challenger:

And with Antonelli going on to take his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory, Russell is left to wonder if his championship hopes have been brought to a halt as well.

“Disbelief,” said Russell to the official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.

“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”

Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.

“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.

“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.

“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”

When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.

“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”

There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Perhaps the summer of George can begin then.

#George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix">George Russell ‘lost for words’ after Canadian Grand Prix  This was supposed to be the summer of George.Despite arriving at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship race, George Russell was on track for a weekend in Montreal that would put him right back in the fight. Russell captured pole position for the F1 Sprint race on Friday, held off Lando Norris and Antonelli after a hard fight with his teammate to take the win in that race on Saturday, and then took pole position for Sunday’s main event with a strong performance in qualifying.And after yet another hard fight with Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with several changes between the two Mercedes drivers, Russell was leading the race.Then, on Lap 30, his car stopped on the track. His race was over.His frustration seemed to boil over as he exited his challenger:And with Antonelli going on to take his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory, Russell is left to wonder if his championship hopes have been brought to a halt as well.“Disbelief,” said Russell to the official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.Perhaps the summer of George can begin then.  #George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix

official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.

“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”

Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.

“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.

“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.

“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”

When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.

“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”

There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Perhaps the summer of George can begin then.

#George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix">George Russell ‘lost for words’ after Canadian Grand Prix

This was supposed to be the summer of George.

Despite arriving at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship race, George Russell was on track for a weekend in Montreal that would put him right back in the fight. Russell captured pole position for the F1 Sprint race on Friday, held off Lando Norris and Antonelli after a hard fight with his teammate to take the win in that race on Saturday, and then took pole position for Sunday’s main event with a strong performance in qualifying.

And after yet another hard fight with Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with several changes between the two Mercedes drivers, Russell was leading the race.

Then, on Lap 30, his car stopped on the track. His race was over.

His frustration seemed to boil over as he exited his challenger:

And with Antonelli going on to take his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory, Russell is left to wonder if his championship hopes have been brought to a halt as well.

“Disbelief,” said Russell to the official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.

“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”

Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.

“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.

“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.

“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”

When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.

“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”

There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Perhaps the summer of George can begin then.

#George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix

Sunderland became only the fifth ​side in Premier League history to qualify for Europe ⁠in its first season following promotion after beating Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

A 25th-minute volley from Trai Hume and a second-half own goal from ‌Malo Gusto lifted Sunderland into seventh place in the table. Cole Palmer pulled one back for a Chelsea side that had Wesley Fofana sent off.

Sunderland will join Bournemouth, which drew 1-1 ‌at ⁠Nottingham Forest, in the Europa League next season with ⁠Chelsea missing out on Europe entirely.

The Conference League spot went to Brighton & Hove Albion in eighth despite a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United.

United, whose talisman Bruno Fernandes scored ​a goal and supplied a record-breaking ‌21st assist of the season, had Champions League qualification wrapped up, as did champion Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa. Liverpool picked up the point it needed to make mathematically certain with a 1-1 ‌draw at home to Brentford.

Crystal Palace can also qualify for ​next season’s Europa League if it beats Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final in Leipzig on Wednesday.

Sunderland last ⁠played in Europe in the 1973-74 Cup Winners’ Cup, but after a superb return season in the top flight under coach Regis Le Bris, it ‌has a lot to look forward to next season.

Bournemouth, which played in the third tier of English football 13 years ago, will play in Europe for the first time in its history after Marcus Tavernier’s second-half equaliser earned a point at Forest in coach Andoni Iraola’s final game in charge.

Before kickoff, there was an outside chance of Champions League ‌football for Bournemouth if other results opened up a sixth qualification position for English ​clubs, but that evaporated with Aston Villa’s 2-1 win at Manchester City.

Published on May 25, 2026

#Sunderland #secures #Europa #League #spot #win #Chelsea">Sunderland secures Europa League spot with 2-1 win over Chelsea  Sunderland became only the fifth ​side in Premier League history to qualify for Europe ⁠in its first season following promotion after beating Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.A 25th-minute volley from Trai Hume and a second-half own goal from ‌Malo Gusto lifted Sunderland into seventh place in the table. Cole Palmer pulled one back for a Chelsea side that had Wesley Fofana sent off.Sunderland will join Bournemouth, which drew 1-1 ‌at ⁠Nottingham Forest, in the Europa League next season with ⁠Chelsea missing out on Europe entirely.The Conference League spot went to Brighton & Hove Albion in eighth despite a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United.United, whose talisman Bruno Fernandes scored ​a goal and supplied a record-breaking ‌21st assist of the season, had Champions League qualification wrapped up, as did champion Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa. Liverpool picked up the point it needed to make mathematically certain with a 1-1 ‌draw at home to Brentford.Crystal Palace can also qualify for ​next season’s Europa League if it beats Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final in Leipzig on Wednesday.Sunderland last ⁠played in Europe in the 1973-74 Cup Winners’ Cup, but after a superb return season in the top flight under coach Regis Le Bris, it ‌has a lot to look forward to next season.Bournemouth, which played in the third tier of English football 13 years ago, will play in Europe for the first time in its history after Marcus Tavernier’s second-half equaliser earned a point at Forest in coach Andoni Iraola’s final game in charge.Before kickoff, there was an outside chance of Champions League ‌football for Bournemouth if other results opened up a sixth qualification position for English ​clubs, but that evaporated with Aston Villa’s 2-1 win at Manchester City.Published on May 25, 2026  #Sunderland #secures #Europa #League #spot #win #Chelsea

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