Brendon McCullum admitted it would be “slightly mad” if the progress Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have made on England’s tour of India was stymied by a lack of opportunities at county level.
The spinning duo were uncapped at the start of the trip and held modest first-class records, albeit from small sample sizes, but Hartley is the series’ leading wicket-taker with 20 dismissals in four Tests and Bashir took a maiden professional five-for in Ranchi.
But Lancashire signing Australia star Nathan Lyon this summer places a question mark over how much game time Hartley will get and Bashir is second choice at Somerset to Jack Leach, who will have surgery on a knee injury which ended his tour early and allowed the rookies to shine on the international stage.
While McCullum acknowledged Lancashire and Somerset have their own interests to consider, England’s head coach hopes Hartley, 24, and Bashir, 20, will not fade away in the months ahead.
“We’ve got to keep trying to get cricket into them,” McCullum said. “Whatever opportunity we can we’ll try and give it to them because there’s two guys there more than good enough for international cricket.
“They’re tough characters. We’ve seen both of them have big hearts. It doesn’t get any harder than it is right now and they’ve both stood up and performed so we’ve just to keep giving both of them chances.
“It will be a slight frustration of ours if they weren’t given opportunities at county level. There’s a very real possibility that might be the case.
“But without wanting to dictate to counties because they have their own agendas, when you see performances like we have out of those two bowlers throughout the series, I think you’d be slightly mad if you didn’t give them more opportunities in county cricket.”
England losing by five wickets in Ranchi leaves them 3-1 down with just the final Test in Dharamshala, starting Thursday week, with McCullum suffering the first series defeat of his reign.
There have been just four wins in their last 11 Tests but McCullum is convinced England are a superior team than the one he inherited in May 2022, which had triumphed just once in their previous 17 matches.
“We weren’t quite good enough when it mattered – or India were better, to be honest, than us being not quite good enough,” McCullum said.
“We’ve lost this series and we didn’t win the Ashes (last year) but we’re a better cricket team than we were 18 months ago and we’ve got opportunity in the next 18 months to do some pretty special s***.
“Time on the tools, experience and just keep chiselling away at any of those rough edges which creep up every now and then, which is natural, and we’ll get there eventually.”
McCullum confirmed Jonny Bairstow will play in his 100th Test next week, despite not reaching 40 in the series, but there is scrutiny over seamer Ollie Robinson following a disappointing return to action.
Robinson registered an important fifty in his first competitive appearance since July last year but while pace has never been his biggest asset, he struggled to reach 80mph on the speed gun and sent down six no-balls – taking his career tally to 77, which is one more than his haul of wickets in 20 Tests.
His drop of Dhruv Jurel was a key moment, allowing India to move to within 46 of England’s total after the first innings, while Robinson was not called upon to bowl as the hosts chased 192 to win by five wickets on Monday.
McCullum explained Robinson, who has an impressive Test average of 22.92, felt a twinge in his back, which he has struggled with in the past.
“Everything he did leading into the Test match suggested we’d see not just the Ollie Robinson we’d seen previously but a better version of it,” McCullum added.
“He’s not just as disappointed as everyone else, he’s the most disappointed out of everyone. It’s just sport right? You have great expectations and sometimes you’re not quite able to deliver.”
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott accepts he will have to continue to push himself “to the max” as injuries threaten to derail the club’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple.
The 20-year-old played the full 120 minutes of Sunday’s Carabao Cup extra-time win over Chelsea just four days after playing the entirety of the 4-1 victory against Luton, in which he scored a 90th-minute goal and had to be hauled off the turf at the end of the game.
His previous four appearances had all been as a substitute and amounted to just 153 minutes, but with 12 first team players unavailable through injury, fringe and academy players are now finding they are having to play more significant roles.
That is likely to be the case against Sky Bet Championship high-fliers Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Anfield on Wednesday – the third of four games in 15 days.
“Digging in deep – it came off the back of 90 minutes in midweek – is what you live for. This is why you’re a footballer,” said Elliott, who collapsed to the ground in exhaustion as the rest of the team ran to celebrate Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute goal at Wembley.
“You need to push yourself to the max in order to get results and we did that.
“To come away with a victory is massive but we need to put it behind us, make sure we are recovered and focused on Wednesday.
“It will be another big test against Southampton as they are doing well this season and are going to cause us problems.
“I can’t wait for another game.”
Wednesday looks like a significant hurdle for Liverpool – top of the Premier League by a point and facing Sparta Prague in the Europa League – to overcome in their quest to win four trophies taking into account their injury situation and the emotional toil of the cup final just a few days ago.
Elliott insists it is up to the players to battle their way through if of they want to keep the bid on track.
“It’s going to be hard. It is just down to us. We need to put in the fight, desire and hunger and who knows at the end of the season,” he added.
Joe Fanning is set for a short spell on the sidelines after being knocked out in a fall at Wolverhampton on Monday night that led to three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy being hit with a nine-day ban.
Fanning and his mount Sennockian passed the post a nose in front of the Murphy-ridden Dr Foster in an extended one-mile handicap at Dunstall Park, but was unseated just after the winning line.
The 53-year-old regained consciousness prior to leaving the track, but was taken to hospital for precautionary tests before later returning home.
“Joe is fine. He had precautionary scans on his head and everything at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and they came back clear,” said his agent Niall Hannity.
“He got home late last night and I spoke to him this morning and he is fine.
“I’m not sure how long he’ll be out for. He’ll have to pass a baseline concussion test and it will be up to Dr Jerry Hill when he’ll be able to take that.
“We’ll see how he is in the next day or two, but he obviously won’t be riding this weekend or next week, I wouldn’t have thought.”
A stewards’ enquiry was called to consider the placings after several incidents of interference in the home straight.
The stewards ruled that Fanning had not committed any riding offences and that the placings should remain unaltered, but Murphy was found guilty of careless riding.
A stewards’ report read: “Murphy was suspended for nine days as he allowed his mount to drift approximately two horse widths right-handed away from the whip causing interference to Sennockian, before then using the whip again in the left hand whereupon his mount shifted further right-handed causing interference to Sennockian, with Fanning being unseated after the line.”
Murphy will be out of action on March 11 and 12 and from March 18 to 24, meaning he is set to miss the first weekend of the British Flat turf season at Doncaster.
Sweden midfielder Kristoffer Olsson is on a ventilator in hospital after collapsing at home due to a brain condition, his club Midtjylland have announced.
The 28-year-old, who had a spell at Arsenal as a teenager, has not appeared for the Danish club since December and there had been mounting speculation over his absence.
Midtjylland said in a statement on their official website: “In view of the increasing rumours and speculation that are circulating about the reason for Kristoffer Olsson’s absence in the recent period, we are forced to make this announcement to the public.
“The 28-year-old Swedish international lost consciousness in his home on Tuesday 20 February and was transferred to Aarhus University Hospital, where he has been admitted and on a ventilator.
“Kristoffer Olsson is affected by an apparently acute disease related to the brain, which is not caused by self-harm of any kind, nor is the cause due to external factors.
“A team of Denmark’s leading medical experts is currently working hard to make a diagnosis and initiate the right treatment.”
Midtjylland called for “respect and understanding” and added: “Everyone at FC Midtjylland is of course deeply affected by Kristoffer’s sudden illness and our thoughts and full support go to Kristoffer and his family.”
Arsenal wished Olsson, who has won 47 caps for his country, a “full and speedy recovery” on social media.
Olsson joined the Gunners from Swedish side Norrkoping aged 16 and made one senior appearance as a substitute in a League Cup game against West Brom.
He is currently in his second permanent spell with Midtjylland and has also had stints at AIK, Krasnodar and Anderlecht.
Gordon Elliott is readying Jalon D’oudairies, Romeo Coolio and The Yellow Clay for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Cullentra handler has saddled two previous winners of the Grade One contest that concludes day two of the meeting, with Fayonagh striking gold in 2017 and Envoi Allen prevailing two years later.
Jalon D’oudairies, a £420,000 purchase for Gigginstown House Stud after winning his sole start in the point-to-point field, moved towards the top of ante-post lists for this year’s renewal after following up an impressive bumper debut at Fairyhouse with another clear-cut win at Leopardstown in December.
The five-year-old is set to be joined by the equally expensive Romeo Coolio, who won his only bumper start so far at Fairyhouse, and The Yellow Clay, who Elliott feels may have been underestimated following his fourth-place finish in Grade Two company at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“Jalon D’oudairies is a nice horse and has a good attitude. He showed in Leopardstown that he drops his head and wants to win,” said the trainer.
“Romeo Coolio pulled a muscle and we didn’t get to run him (before Christmas) and then I put myself under pressure to run him. He’ll have come on a stone for his first run and we haven’t missed a beat with him since he ran. He’s in good form and we’re happy with him.
“I think The Yellow Clay is going under the radar. He doesn’t do anything fancy at home and I think he was declared to run in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal in November and got a kick the day before, so we ended up missing a month with him.
“I think he’ll come on a lot from his run the last day. He mightn’t have beaten the winner (Jeroboam Machin), but he definitely would have been a good second if he’d got the run of the race.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack (Kennedy) rode him.”
While Elliott suggested it will not be a straightforward choice for his stable jockey to decide which one of the trio he would like to ride, there is no doubt the trainer holds Jalon D’oudairies in particularly high regard.
He added: “I know last October, November and December, which horse was knocking the place down working, so I’ll leave it up to Jack to decide and we’ll let the other lads ride the others.”
What the papers say
Big changes could be in the pipeline at Chelsea on and off the pitch this summer, according to various reports. The Daily Mail says Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is a possible replacement for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
On the field, the club are looking to sell defender Trevoh Chalobah, 24, and Albania forward Armando Broja, 22, according to The Daily Telegraph. England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, and Spain left-back Marc Cucurella, 25, could also leave in the summer.
Summer changes are also expected at Manchester United. The Manchester Evening News says Brazil winger Antony, 24, is among the players they would be prepared to sell.
Victor Osimhen is eyeing a move to the Premier League, according to The Sun. Arsenal and Chelsea are believed to be heading the race for the Napoli striker, 25, although Manchester United and Paris St Germain are also reportedly interested.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid have reached agreement to sign the Bayern Munich and Canada left-back, 23, in the summer or next year, according to The Athletic.
Joao Palhinha: Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Arsenal are chasing the Fulham and Portugal midfielder, 28, reports Football Insider.
Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored third-period goals to back Stuart Skinner's 38 saves as the Edmonton Oilers got back on track with Monday's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl each finished with a goal and an assist as the Oilers halted a three-game losing streak and dealt the surging Kings just their second loss in seven games.
Edmonton had to rally to do so, as it trailed 2-1 before Draisaitl scored on a power play with 4:04 remaining in the second period.
Skinner then stopped all 14 shots he faced in the third to protect a 3-2 lead he inherited when Bouchard blasted a shot from near the blue line past Los Angeles goaltender David Rittch just 1:25 into the period.
Nugent-Hopkins later put the contest out of reach by scoring off a give-and-go with Connor Brown with 3:29 remaining.
After Los Angeles' Trevor Moore and Edmonton's Zach Hyman traded goals in the first period, Alex Laferriere put the Kings back ahead 7:34 into the second.
Rittich recorded 27 saves for Los Angeles, which had a three-game road winning streak stopped.
Kraken win in shootout as Bruins' skid reaches three games
Kailer Yamamoto scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Seattle Kraken dealt the formidable Boston Bruins a third straight loss by coming through with a 4-3 victory.
Yamamoto opened the shootout by beating Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark glove-side, and Philipp Grubauer made the lead stand by stopping all three Bruins skaters he faced in the deciding phase after making 29 saves in regulation and overtime.
Boston, which got two goals and an assist from David Pastrnak, still managed to extend its point streak to six games when Charlie Coyle scored on a power play with 2:52 left in regulation to forge a 3-3 tie.
The Bruins had lost each of their two most recent games in overtime and are 2-0-4 during the run.
Pastrnak had the only goal of a first period in which the Bruins recorded an 11-7 shot advantage, then put Boston back ahead late in the second with his 38th of the season. Jordan Eberle had tied the game earlier in the period when Ullmark's attempted clearing pass deflected off the Seattle forward, who promptly tapped the puck into an open net.
The Kraken then took their first lead of the night on third-period goals from Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand, the latter coming with 5:30 left in regulation.
Ullmark finished with 24 saves for Boston, which moved one point ahead of the New York Rangers for first place in the Eastern Conference with the result.
Islanders win in overtime to continue Stars' slump
Bo Horvat scored with 2:06 remaining in overtime as the New York Islanders extended the Dallas Stars' recent slump with a 3-2 victory.
Horvat one-timed a feed from Mathew Barzal past Dallas goaltender Scott Wedgewood to hand the Stars a fifth loss in six games (1-2-3), though Dallas did move two points clear of the second-place WInnipeg Jets in the Central Division by forcing overtime.
The outcome was a familiar one, as Horvat also had the game-winner in overtime when these teams last met in New York on Jan. 21.
Ryan Pulock had a goal and an assist to help the Islanders snap a two-game losing streak, while Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 of 32 shots.
After Pulock registered the lone goal of the first period, the scoring picked up in the second as Matt Duchene converted a Dallas power play to tie the game 7:11 into the period.
Kyle MacLean put New York back ahead later in the second, but the Stars again drew even when Logan Stankoven beat Sorokin with a wrist shot with 1:43 left in the period for his first NHL goal.
Stankoven, playing in his second career NHL game, added an assist on Duchene's goal.
Wedgewood finished with 25 saves.
The new Formula One season begins in Bahrain on Saturday with Max Verstappen bidding to win a fourth consecutive world championship.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key questions heading into the 2024 campaign.
Who is the favourite to win the title?
Red Bull’s preparations for the new season have been overshadowed by allegations facing team principal Christian Horner. Horner, who is fighting to save his career following a claim of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female colleague, insists it is business as usual at Red Bull. Off-track it has been anything but for the team which has dominated the sport for the past two seasons. But on-track it has been precisely that.
Verstappen — in an upgrade of the machine which carried him to 19 victories from 22 rounds last year — set a blistering pace on the opening day of last week’s test, finishing 1.1 seconds quicker than anybody else.
Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, summed up the ominous feeling in the paddock. Writing about Verstappen on ‘X’ he said: “He’s gloating. He’s taunting us. He knows. This year is going to be one long victory lap. You cannot begrudge anyone their success. All we can do is watch and admire.”
So, can anyone challenge Verstappen and Red Bull?
Ferrari ended last year with five pole positions from the final nine races and Carlos Sainz secured the only non-Red Bull win of the season in Singapore. The Italian team have worked hard over the winter on translating their one-lap pace into race conditions, where they tended to struggle in 2023.
They will take solace from a trouble-free test and their pace appeared relatively encouraging, too. Sainz topped the time charts on the second day, while Leclerc ended the final day quickest – albeit on speedier rubber than Verstappen.
An upbeat Leclerc said: “We are in a much better place and it is an easier car to drive. The feeling was good. We have been consistent straight away and this will help us in the race.”
And what about Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Hamilton stunned the sporting world by choosing to quit Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025. The news broke earlier this month and is likely to be difficult for those at Mercedes to digest. Hamilton took the decision – one he described as the hardest of his life – after two winless years with the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes are armed with a new design philosophy for the new campaign but – although both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell spoke of an improved, more reliable machine – there was little to suggest from testing that they have closed the gap to Red Bull.
Mercedes finished ahead of Ferrari in last year’s constructors’ championship but do not be surprised if the Scuderia start the new season ahead of them.
What about the other teams?
McLaren came alive in the second half of 2023, with Lando Norris scoring seven podiums. But the British team looked short of last year’s form in Bahrain last week – although it is a track which has not always suited them in recent seasons.
Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors’ championship, with Fernando Alonso, now 42, leading their charge for a second season. Alpine are set to head the midfield, with Williams, the newly-rebranded RB and Sauber teams (nee AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo) and Haas likely to follow.
Have there been any driver changes?
No. This season’s line-up is the same as the previous year – the first time that’s ever happened. But with Hamilton already announcing his move to Ferrari for 2025 and 13 of the 20 drivers out of contract at the end of the season – next year’s grid is sure to have a whole different feel about it.
What else happened during the winter break?
Aside from Hamilton’s blockbuster transfer, his soon-to-be Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc penned a new deal which is expected to keep the 26-year-old Monegasque dressed in red until 2029. Lando Norris also extended his stay with McLaren until at least the end of 2026.
Andretti’s move to become the 11th team on the grid was blocked by F1 bosses. The British Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for another decade after Silverstone agreed a new long-term deal with F1’s American owners’ Liberty Media.
How does the calendar look?
There will be a record-breaking 24 races – the longest season in history – starting in Bahrain on March 2 and ending in Abu Dhabi nine months and six days later.
The Chinese Grand Prix returns after five years away, while the round in Japan moves from its traditional October slot to April. The roster features six sprint races in China, Miami, Austria, Austin, Qatar and Brazil. The format has been tinkered with, too. Qualifying for the sprint will now take place on Friday, with the grid for Sunday’s main event decided on Saturday, following the shortened race.
What else do I need to know?
The opening two races will both take place on a Saturday. The Muslim holy period of Ramadan starts on March 10. As such, the second round in Saudi Arabia has been brought forward by a day. FIA rules stipulate there must one week between races, meaning the Bahrain GP will also be 24 hours earlier than usual.
“If Lewis were to leave,” pondered George Russell as he addressed the prospect of Hamilton joining Ferrari. “That would put Mercedes in a tricky spot. It would almost look like he’s lost faith in the team.”
Russell was speaking in an episode of Netflix’s newly-released Drive to Survive series – a chapter the Mercedes’ PR machine envisaged would celebrate Hamilton’s decision to stay with them.
Hamilton, after all, had signed a two-year contract extension last August to remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025.
But following Hamilton’s shock decision to tear up his contract a year early in favour of a move to Ferrari, Russell’s remarks – too late to be pulled from Netflix’s sixth season – shed a very public spotlight on the awkward dynamic that faces the grid’s once-dominant team and its superstar driver ahead of the new season which starts in Bahrain on Saturday night.
Mercedes transformed Hamilton from a man with a single world championship to a one-man winning machine. He has seven world championships and 103 victories. No other driver in history can boast such an impressive resume.
But Hamilton is motivated by capturing the eighth title he believes he was robbed of in Abu Dhabi in 2021. And the 39-year-old no longer thinks he can achieve the record-breaking feat with Mercedes. As Russell would say, he’s lost the faith.
Can Hamilton be blamed? He has not tasted victory for two years. Mercedes did not win one of the 22 rounds last season. He heads into the new campaign as a 16/1 underdog to win the championship.
This year is being called Hamilton’s last dance with Mercedes. But do not expect it to be a samba.
Mercedes will remain at the sharp end of the grid this season. They have ditched the concept that has failed them so miserably for the past two years and introduced a new design philosophy – one that both Hamilton and Russell said is more predictable and easier to drive.
But will it possess the speed to knock Red Bull and Max Verstappen off their perch?
F1 works in cycles and, although Mercedes carried Hamilton to six championships in seven glorious years, this period in time belongs to the team from Milton Keynes, despite the on-going controversy surrounding its team principal Christian Horner and allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against him by a female colleague.
Horner continues to deny the claims and a resolution is expected before Saturday’s curtain raiser.
Red Bull swept all before them in 2023, winning every race bar one, with Verstappen taking 19 victories as he waltzed to a hat-trick of titles.
Such was their superiority, Red Bull and their genius designer Adrian Newey could afford to start work on this year’s challenger long before the others.
And the finished product, unveiled in all its glory at last week’s test, sent shivers down the spines of their competitors. The fear, for those not in a Red Bull cockpit, is that Newey’s latest masterpiece is an improvement on its brilliant predecessor.
Given the sport’s rule book is largely unchanged and the budget cap means rival teams can no longer break the bank to discover a winning solution, Verstappen heads into this mammoth 24-round campaign as the favourite to become only the sixth driver in history with four world titles to his name.
Alarmingly for the neutrals, Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, has predicted this season will be “one long victory lap” for Verstappen and his all-conquering team – and that’s before a wheel has been turned in anger.
But all is not lost – and that is when we return to Hamilton.
While Verstappen could prove an unstoppable force on track, Hamilton’s agonisingly long goodbye with Mercedes – one that is set to stretch nine months and six days – will provide a fascinating subplot.
Bam Adebayo compiled 28 points and 10 rebounds as the Miami Heat overcame the absence of several key players to record a 121-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday and extend their winning streak to four games.
Miami moved a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic for first place in the Southeast Division despite missing two of its stars in Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, as well as starting point guard Terry Rozier. Herro and Rozier sat out due to injuries, while Butler was serving a one-game suspension for his role in an on-court altercation in the Heat's win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Rookie Jaime Jaquez helped fill the void by producing 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting, and the Heat also got key contributions from reserves Kevin Love and Haywood Highsmith.
Love poured in 19 points in just 15 minutes, while Highsmith scored 15 first-half points to help Miami take a 65-62 lead into the break.
Jaquez then put up 13 points during a dominant third quarter in which the Heat outscored Sacramento by a 36-19 margin. Miami took the lead for good with a 10-2 run that snapped a 71-71 tie, then later scored the final 10 points of the period to build a commanding 101-81 advantage entering the fourth.
The Kings had a three-game winning streak snapped despite Domantas Sabonis registering his league-leading 21st triple-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
Keegan Murray led Sacramento, which was coming off a 16-point road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, with 28 points. De'Aaron Fox finished with 27 in the loss.
Barnes' triple-double powers Raptors past Pacers
Scottie Barnes recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 130-122 win over the weary Indiana Pacers.
Toronto also received big efforts from RJ Barrett and rookie Gradey Dick en route to its season-high third consecutive win. Barrett delivered 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting, while Dick had 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished 7 of 9 from the field while making all four of his 3-point attempts.
Playing for the second straight night, the Pacers had a three-game winning streak snapped despite Bennedict Mathurin matching a career-high with 34 points to go along with nine rebounds. Former Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his second meeting with his ex-team since being traded to Indiana on Jan. 17.
The Pacers got an off night from leading scorer Tyrese Haliburton, however, as the All-Star guard misfired on nine of 11 shot attempts while being held to nine points.
Indiana did manage to battle back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit, however, to tie the game at 102-102 with just over eight minutes left in the fourth.
The Raptors then regained control with a 13-2 run, which Dick started and finished with 3-pointers, to take a 115-104 lead with 6:21 remaining.
Indiana closed the gap to four points entering the final three minutes, but a jumper by Toronto's Gary Trent Jr. followed by a Barrett 3-pointer helped end any comeback hopes.
Hart's late basket lifts Knicks over Pistons
Josh Hart scored the go-ahead layup with 2.8 seconds left as the New York Knicks held off a determined upset bid from the Detroit Pistons and came away with a controversial 113-111 victory.
The Pistons fought back from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to take a 111-110 lead on former Knick Quentin Grimes' layup with 37.3 seconds remaining. New York's Jalen Brunson misfired on a 3-point try on the ensuing possession, but Detroit's Ausar Thompson had the ball stolen away after colliding with the Knicks' Donte DiVincenzo to set up Hart's basket off a feed from Brunson.
Hart missed the free throw for a potential three-point play, but the Knicks collared the rebound and Hart was fouled again with 1.3 seconds left. He made 1 of 2 from the line to prevent a potentially damaging home loss to a Detroit team with an NBA-worst 8-49 record.
Game officials acknowledged afterward that a loose-ball foul should have been called on DiVincenzo during the collision that preceded Hart's basket.
Brunson finished with 35 points and 12 assists and Hart had 23 points and eight rebounds as the playoff-hopeful Knicks won for the second time in three outings following a four-game losing streak. DiVincenzo contributed 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Detroit was dealt a sixth straight loss despite Cade Cunningham's 32 points and eight assists and an 11-point, 16-rebound effort from Jalen Duren.
The teams were facing one another for the first time since collaborating on a six-player trade on Feb. 8 that sent veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to New York, with Grimes among the return pieces to the Pistons.
Grimes finished with 14 points while Bogdanovic recorded 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.
David Moyes hopes West Ham have turned a corner after finally beating bogey side Brentford 4-2.
On a night of firsts, Jarrod Bowen scored a first career hat-trick to ease the pressure on boss Moyes after a rotten run of eight matches without a win.
The Hammers won their first match of 2024, with Bowen scoring his first goals since before Christmas and becoming the first Hammers player to hit a treble at the London Stadium.
It means West Ham, for all the talk of their poor form and Moyes’ future, are back up to eighth and in the mix for Europe again.
“Most teams have difficult periods in the Premier League. Manchester City have, Liverpool have, so West Ham are certainly going to be no different,” said Moyes.
“We’ve struggled to get our best team out, but overall if we can get our better players out there we can compete with most teams.”
Bowen scored twice inside the opening seven minutes before Neal Maupay pulled one back for the Bees, who had beaten West Ham in all five of their previous Premier League meetings.
Bowen headed his third midway through the second half and Emerson Palmieri hit a 20-yard rocket before Yoanne Wissa pulled another back.
“I’m really pleased for Jarrod, his performances have gone unnoticed as we’ve not been playing well,” added Moyes.
“Tonight it happened for him, his all-round play, the way he was working, he was a threat all night and hopefully the goals will get him back in (England manager) Gareth (Southgate’s) thinking.
“If you can play wide and you’re a goalscorer you will be of interest to the international manager.”
Maupay, Brentford’s premier wind-up merchant, was seen having a heated discussion with Hammers coach Kevin Nolan as the teams came back out of the tunnel for the second half.
“I actually didn’t know who the row was with, I thought maybe it was with the fourth official. I didn’t see it so I can’t really tell you anything about that,” said Moyes.
Brentford, already plunged deeper into the relegation scrap earlier on Monday following Everton’s points deduction being reduced from 10 to six, suffered another defeat – their 12th in 15 matches since beating West Ham at home in November.
“Today we didn’t hit a good level individually and collectively. West Ham hit a good level, Bowen was unplayable, Emerson hit the top corner and we lost 4-2,” was boss Thomas Frank’s blunt assessment.
“I need to watch the game back because one of the things we’ve been good at is consistent performances. There are very few games where we don’t perform to a certain level and this was only the third this season we’ve been below our level.
Asked whether the Everton situation had an effect, Frank replied “Absolutely not.
“I think right now I’m very irritated with our performance, that’s the main focus.”
England head coach Steve Borthwick hopes fly-half Marcus Smith could be fit to return to action in the Guinness Six Nations clash against Ireland at Twickenham.
Harlequins star Smith has sat out all three of England’s games so far with a calf problem suffered on a pre-tournament training camp.
Borthwick also feels Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell could be back in action before the end of the Six Nations, having missed the defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield with a knee issue.
“I am very hopeful that Marcus will be available for selection for this latter part of the tournament,” Borthwick said, quoted in several national newspapers.
“We have got positive news on Alex Mitchell’s injury, we are hopeful he will feature in the latter part of this tournament – whether that’s the next game, we are not sure, but we are hopeful he will be available as well.”
Following Saturday’s 30-21 Calcutta Cup loss in Edinburgh, the England squad are set to regroup in York for training.
Borthwick is expecting a response as the squad prepare to head back to Twickenham in the build-up to the showdown with Grand Slam contenders Ireland on March 9.
He said: “What’s going to be interesting to me and what I want when we debrief the players, is that after the first 20 minutes on Saturday – why did we go and play in a manner that was not the way we had played the first 20?
“What changed? What in the thought processes altered to try and do something different?
“I will only be able to understand that fully once we have talked to the players and listened to them about how it was on the grass.”
Boss George Elokobi hailed his Maidstone history makers as their FA Cup heroics ended with a 5-0 defeat at Coventry.
Ellis Simms’ first-half hat-trick and Fabio Tavares’ late brace fired the Sky Blues into the quarter-finals.
The Stones were the first team outside the top five divisions to reach the fifth round since Blyth Spartans in 1978, having started their run in September and beaten EFL sides Barrow, Stevenage and Ipswich.
It was their eighth game in the competition this season and Elokobi saluted his National League South battlers.
“I’m super proud of our players, super proud of our community and how we have gone about this historic FA Cup run,” said the former Wolves defender.
“There has been so much attention, they have inspired so many people. This is a moment we will never forget in the history of the club.
“We are all winners, some are a little bit disappointed but my job is to pick them up and remind them how far we have come.
“Everyone who watches football, this is the moment we live for. There are so many positives to take. We want to make sure we can concentrate on the league.
“The magic of the FA Cup is still alive. When we began this FA Cup journey we knew we weren’t going to win it. It was about showcasing our talent and skills. We have done that.”
Coventry rain riot early and were 2-0 ahead after just 15 minutes through Simms.
He opened the scoring after nine minutes, latching onto Kasey Palmer’s throughball to beat Lucas Covolan before linking with Palmer six minutes later to drill in a second.
His first senior hat-trick was complete after 35 minutes when Covolan parried Palmer’s 35-yard volley for the striker to gobble up the rebound from four yards.
There was no coming back for Elokobi’s side but they held firm for the majority of the second half until Tavares’ late double.
Coventry, who last won the cup in 1987, reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years and will learn their opponents on Wednesday.
Boss Mark Robins said: “I’m delighted, if you do it right against any opponent who are below you, you should prevail. It was important we started well.
“We didn’t turn up on Friday (a 3-0 defeat to Preston) so we needed to start like we did. Ellis’ movement was brilliant, in 35 minutes the game was over as a contest.
“Ellis deserved and needed it, you have to take those chances. It should give him plenty of confidence, he has six (goals) in eight (games) and is starting to come to life and believe in himself.
“He has some brilliant attributes and he is doing it with plenty of scrutiny.”
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has urged Jack Grealish to seize an opportunity to finish the season strongly.
The England midfielder has so far this term been unable to reproduce the influential form he played in last year’s treble success.
The 28-year-old’s campaign has twice been interrupted by injury and there was also an unsettling off-field incident when his house was burgled while members of his family and girlfriend were in the property.
His latest setback came when he suffered a groin injury during City’s Champions League game at FC Copenhagen earlier this month but, after a speedy recovery, he was an unused substitute at Bournemouth on Saturday.
He could come back into the reckoning for Tuesday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Luton and Guardiola hopes he can make the most of it.
Guardiola said: “He started a bit late but (in) the last month Jack is back in terms of many things.
“That’s why he played an important game in the Champions League in Copenhagen. Unfortunately there was a setback after 10-15 minutes but he’s recovered quick and he is back.
“Hopefully (he can have) the impact he had last season. It depends on him.
“I try to be fair with my decisions. If he played a lot of minutes last season and this season a little bit less in the beginning, he is the same player. It’s the same manager, the same way we want to play. Nothing has changed.
“It is just how how we perform, that is the difference. We need him. I’ve said from day one we need him. He has a special quality for our team. Hopefully he can do a good last three months.”
With other players in good form, however, Guardiola admits Grealish will have to hit the ground running when the chance arises.
Grealish must compete with the likes of Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva, all of whom have been in better form this season, for a place.
Guardiola said: “I cannot give three or four games in a row in order to get the rhythm.
“They have to take a rhythm to play 20 minutes, 90 minutes, in the high level. You cannot wait.
“I’m going to give you three or four (games) for you be fit and the other 10 players don’t play?
“They don’t deserve the same? Of course they deserve it but that’s not how it works.
“You have to see in the training session, every moment all details.
“He’s the same lovely person, lovely guy, same qualities, skills. He has even more years to improve.
“So the players don’t have to convince me. They have to convince themselves that they deserve to play.”
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