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UEFA Champions League — Liverpool captain Van Dijk says PSG ‘deserved’ semifinal spot  Virgil van Dijk had no complaints after Liverpool was knocked out of the Champions League by title-holder Paris Saint-Germain in a defeat compounded by a serious injury to Hugo Ekitike.Ousmane Dembele’s double sealed a 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg win for PSG against an outclassed Liverpool on Tuesday.Six-time European champion Liverpool was, however, still fortunate to be in the tie after escaping from last week’s first leg at the Parc des Princes with just a 2-0 defeat after entering what Reds manager Arne Slot labelled “survival mode”.Premier League champion Liverpool was much improved compared to the first leg but that was scant consolation to club captain Van Dijk who, when suggested his side had at least given it a go on home soil, replied: “That’s the bare minimum, isn’t it? It’s disappointing to be knocked out but PSG deserved to go through.“Knocking on the door is not enough. I’m disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games.”Tuesday’s loss put paid to any lingering hopes Liverpool had of winning a trophy this season and also appeared to signal an abrupt end to Ekitike’s first season at Anfield.The 23-year-old has scored 17 goals in 45 matches in all competitions since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt and was set to go to this summer’s World Cup with France.But he was taken off the pitch on a stretcher after going down awkwardly in the first half, with Slot saying the injury looked “really bad” and would be investigated further on Wednesday.Liverpool had still to confirm the severity of the injury on Wednesday following reports the striker had ruptured an Achilles tendon, which would potentially sideline him for at least nine months.Alexander Isak’s return to fitness means he looks set to lead the line against Everton on Sunday in the first Merseyside derby at the Toffees’ new Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Liverpool will continue its bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.“We should be very disappointed at this stage and at this point,” said Van Dijk.“But a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is. It will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to. But at this stage, I’m just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League.”Published on Apr 15, 2026  #UEFA #Champions #League #Liverpool #captain #Van #Dijk #PSG #deserved #semifinal #spot

UEFA Champions League — Liverpool captain Van Dijk says PSG ‘deserved’ semifinal spot

Virgil van Dijk had no complaints after Liverpool was knocked out of the Champions League by title-holder Paris Saint-Germain in a defeat compounded by a serious injury to Hugo Ekitike.

Ousmane Dembele’s double sealed a 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg win for PSG against an outclassed Liverpool on Tuesday.

Six-time European champion Liverpool was, however, still fortunate to be in the tie after escaping from last week’s first leg at the Parc des Princes with just a 2-0 defeat after entering what Reds manager Arne Slot labelled “survival mode”.

Premier League champion Liverpool was much improved compared to the first leg but that was scant consolation to club captain Van Dijk who, when suggested his side had at least given it a go on home soil, replied: “That’s the bare minimum, isn’t it? It’s disappointing to be knocked out but PSG deserved to go through.

“Knocking on the door is not enough. I’m disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games.”

Tuesday’s loss put paid to any lingering hopes Liverpool had of winning a trophy this season and also appeared to signal an abrupt end to Ekitike’s first season at Anfield.

The 23-year-old has scored 17 goals in 45 matches in all competitions since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt and was set to go to this summer’s World Cup with France.

But he was taken off the pitch on a stretcher after going down awkwardly in the first half, with Slot saying the injury looked “really bad” and would be investigated further on Wednesday.

Liverpool had still to confirm the severity of the injury on Wednesday following reports the striker had ruptured an Achilles tendon, which would potentially sideline him for at least nine months.

Alexander Isak’s return to fitness means he looks set to lead the line against Everton on Sunday in the first Merseyside derby at the Toffees’ new Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Liverpool will continue its bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“We should be very disappointed at this stage and at this point,” said Van Dijk.

“But a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is. It will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to. But at this stage, I’m just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League.”

Published on Apr 15, 2026

#UEFA #Champions #League #Liverpool #captain #Van #Dijk #PSG #deserved #semifinal #spot

Virgil van Dijk had no complaints after Liverpool was knocked out of the Champions League by title-holder Paris Saint-Germain in a defeat compounded by a serious injury to Hugo Ekitike.

Ousmane Dembele’s double sealed a 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg win for PSG against an outclassed Liverpool on Tuesday.

Six-time European champion Liverpool was, however, still fortunate to be in the tie after escaping from last week’s first leg at the Parc des Princes with just a 2-0 defeat after entering what Reds manager Arne Slot labelled “survival mode”.

Premier League champion Liverpool was much improved compared to the first leg but that was scant consolation to club captain Van Dijk who, when suggested his side had at least given it a go on home soil, replied: “That’s the bare minimum, isn’t it? It’s disappointing to be knocked out but PSG deserved to go through.

“Knocking on the door is not enough. I’m disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games.”

Tuesday’s loss put paid to any lingering hopes Liverpool had of winning a trophy this season and also appeared to signal an abrupt end to Ekitike’s first season at Anfield.

The 23-year-old has scored 17 goals in 45 matches in all competitions since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt and was set to go to this summer’s World Cup with France.

But he was taken off the pitch on a stretcher after going down awkwardly in the first half, with Slot saying the injury looked “really bad” and would be investigated further on Wednesday.

Liverpool had still to confirm the severity of the injury on Wednesday following reports the striker had ruptured an Achilles tendon, which would potentially sideline him for at least nine months.

Alexander Isak’s return to fitness means he looks set to lead the line against Everton on Sunday in the first Merseyside derby at the Toffees’ new Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Liverpool will continue its bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“We should be very disappointed at this stage and at this point,” said Van Dijk.

“But a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is. It will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to. But at this stage, I’m just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League.”

Published on Apr 15, 2026

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LaMelo Ball hurt Bam Adebayo by tripping him in NBA play-in, and Erik Spoelstra’s response says it all <div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The Heat and Hornets gave us an instant classic to kick off the NBA Playoffs with their overtime thriller, but the conversation following the game was understandably focused on an ugly moment which happened at the start of the second quarter.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">LaMelo Ball was driving to the basket when he fell to the ground on some light contact. Bam Adebayo recovered the ball, tried to keep it inbounds on one leg, when Ball tripped the Heat star, causing him to fall hard and be forced out of the game with a lower back injury.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The incident has been hotly debated. The angle above is damning, and it appears clear that Ball tripped Adebayo on purpose. Another angle from behind the play is less conclusive, looking more like LaMelo was flailing while complaining for a foul, and happened to pull Adebayo’s ankle as a result. Further muddying the water was a lack of a foul on the play, with a referee standing <em>right</em> <em>at the baseline</em>, but not making a call.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Adebayo was listed as questionable to return with a lower back injury and was later downgraded to being out — playing only 11 minutes.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was understandably heated after the game and didn’t hold back. While he credited the Hornets for making plays down the stretch, he acknowledged that not having Adebayo hurt his team in the elimination game.</p></div><div><blockquote class="duet--article--blockquote _1teeyfa0 ls9zuh9"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1">“I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was — but I’m going to check on hin, make sure he’s okay and everything.”</p></blockquote></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The big question now is whether or not the NBA will take any action against LaMelo Ball. The Hornets are set to play the loser of Magic/76ers on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. If the league decided a suspension was warranted for the trip it would essentially ensure Charlotte would lose that game, with Ball being the most important player on the Hornets. However, without a foul being called on the play it would be highly unusual for the NBA to suspend a player, meaning that LaMelo could get away with a fine.</p></div> #LaMelo #Ball #hurt #Bam #Adebayo #tripping #NBA #playin #Erik #Spoelstras #response

#NHL #mock #draft #Instant #projection #Maple #Leafs #win #lottery">NHL mock draft 2026: Instant projection after Maple Leafs win lottery  The Stanley Cup Playoffs roll on, but on Tuesday night the league conducted the 2026 NHL Draft lottery with the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the No. 1 pick, and the right to draft either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in a class with more parity at the top than originally expected.McKenna was viewed as the grand prize for much of the 2025-26 season. The rangy left wing already has good height, great playmaking, and a knack for driving the pace from the wing — making him a low-risk top overall pick. At times he’s been compared to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, though personally, I don’t think he has quite the same ceiling as either phenom. Still, he’s a franchise cornerstone player, and it will be interesting to see whether a team chooses to keep him at his natural LW, or tries to convert him into a center.The choice at No. 1 will be between McKenna and Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, who has been racing up the boards as scouts take a deeper look into his run in the SHL. It’s unusual for a true 18-year-old to have any modicum of success in a pro league, but Stenberg more than held his own with his hockey IQ, and a shot volume that routinely made him one of the biggest threats on the ice for Frölunda HC. That pro-readiness is appealing for a team looking for an immediate impact, and his polish could cause him to be the top overall pick.We’ll take a deeper dive into this year’s class as the draft approaches, but for now here’s a rapid-fire mock draft involving the teams in the lottery for the 2026 NHL Draft.As a reminder, these were the lottery odds for winning the first draw entering Tuesday night.Vancouver Canucks — 18.5%Chicago Blackhawks — 13.5%New York Rangers — 11.5%Calgary Flames — 9.5%Toronto Maple Leafs (Top 5 protected to Bruins) — 8.5%Seattle Kraken — 7.5%Winnipeg Jets — 6.5%Florida Panthers — 6.0%San Jose Sharks — 5.0%Nashville Predators — 3.5%St. Louis Blues — 3.0%New Jersey Devils — 2.5%New York Islanders — 2.0%Columbus Blue Jackets — 1.5%St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings) — 0.5%Washington Capitals — 0.5%  #NHL #mock #draft #Instant #projection #Maple #Leafs #win #lottery

The NBA has fined Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown $50,000 for public criticism of game officials following Boston’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

The fine was announced by NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones on Tuesday night, two days after Brown said in a livestream he hosts that game officials “clearly had an agenda” to call fouls against him for “pushing off” when he drove toward the basket while handling the ball.

“There are some referees that need to be investigated,” Brown said on the livestream on Sunday, a day after the Celtics’ 109-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said.

Brown was previously fined $35,000 in January after a two-minute postgame rant about the officiating following Boston’s loss to San Antonio.

Published on May 06, 2026

#Boston #Celtics #Jaylen #Brown #fined #NBA #public #criticism #playoffs #officiating">Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown fined ,000 by NBA for public criticism of playoffs officiating  The NBA has fined Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown ,000 for public criticism of game officials following Boston’s first-round exit from the playoffs.The fine was announced by NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones on Tuesday night, two days after Brown said in a livestream he hosts that game officials “clearly had an agenda” to call fouls against him for “pushing off” when he drove toward the basket while handling the ball.“There are some referees that need to be investigated,” Brown said on the livestream on Sunday, a day after the Celtics’ 109-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said.Brown was previously fined ,000 in January after a two-minute postgame rant about the officiating following Boston’s loss to San Antonio.Published on May 06, 2026  #Boston #Celtics #Jaylen #Brown #fined #NBA #public #criticism #playoffs #officiating

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