Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić will play in Sunday's Game 2 of the NBA Finals despite being downgraded to questionable on the injury report earlier in the day.

Doncic is dealing with a chest contusion and was given a questionable designation hours before the Mavericks were due to face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The NBA MVP finalist participated in pre-game warm-ups, however, and the team announced shortly afterward he would be available to play.

The franchise guard was initially listed as probable with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness, injuries Doncic has dealt with for much of this post-season despite playing in all 18 of Dallas' games. 

Doncic is averaging 28.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game in the post-season to help Dallas to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. The five-time All-Star had 30 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes during the Mavericks' 107-89 loss to Boston in Thursday's series opener. 

Doncic is also averaging 41.3 minutes per game during the play-offs and has played at least 37 minutes in each of the Mavericks' post-season contests. 

Scotland thrashed Oman for a seven-wicket victory at the T20 World Cup on Sunday, boosting their chances of reaching the Super 8 at England's expense.

Brandon McMullen hit an unbeaten 61 as Scotland needed just 13.1 overs to chase down their target of 151, the victory taking them top of Group B.

Safyaan Sharif had figures of 2-40 on his 200th international outing, bowling Aqib Ilyas lbw and having Mehran Khan caught as Oman finished 150-7.  

McMullen wasted no time in helping the Scots overhaul that figure, slamming his 61 runs off just 31 deliveries, hitting nine fours and two maximums.

After seeing their opening match against England rained off then beating Namibia on Thursday, Scotland sit top of their pool with seven points ahead of next week's clash with Australia.

A victory in that match will guarantee Scotland escape the group, while they could even advance with a defeat. England will need to win both of their matches and overhaul Scotland's strong run rate to progress. 

Data Debrief: McMullen leads the way

McMullen's score of 61 was his highest in a T20I since he managed 68 against Ireland in Edinburgh last June. 

He still trails team-mates Michael Jones (87) and George Munsey (89) in the total run-scoring charts at this World Cup, with only eight players bettering the latter's tally overall.

India captain Rohit Sharma described Jasprit Bumrah as a "genius" after he pushed Pakistan closer to an early T20 World Cup elimination on Sunday.

Looking to bounce back from their stunning defeat to the United States, Pakistan appeared to be in the ascendency when they skittled India for 119 before reaching 73-2 in their chase.

However, they slipped to 88-5 as Bumrah dismissed Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, bowling 15 dot balls and only giving up 14 runs in four overs.

Requiring 16 off the final three balls, Pakistan saw Naseem Shah hit a couple of fours when a maximum was required as India held on. 

After falling short with the bat, Rohit knew India would have to rely on their bowlers to make it two wins from two Group A matches.

"We didn't bat well enough," Rohit said. "Halfway through, we were in a good position, 81 for 3.

"You expect guys to stitch partnerships, but we didn't put enough partnerships there. I thought we fell 15 to 20 short.

"We spoke about how every run matters on a pitch like that. We were looking at 140, but I thought the bowlers could do the job for us and they did.

"That's what's required in a tournament like this. We need everyone to show up. Those little contributions make a huge difference.

"Whoever had the ball in hand wanted to make a contribution for the team."

Asked about Bumrah's efficient performance, Rohit added: "He is going from strength to strength. We've seen over the years what he can do, I'm not going to talk too much about him. 

"We want him to be in that kind of mindset until the end of the World Cup. He's a genius with the ball, we know that, but hats off to the other guys as well."

Bumrah himself said: "We felt we were a little under-par. When the sun came out, the wicket got a bit better. 

"We had to be disciplined with what we were trying to do. I tried to keep it simple, the wicket got better, and the swing was less. I just tried to be clear with my plan and focused on my execution."

India take on the USA next time out on Wednesday, having moved above the co-hosts to go top of the pool due to their superior run rate through their first two contests.

Jamaica's assistant coach, John Wall, voiced strong criticism following the Reggae Boyz's 3-2 win over Dominica in their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier on Sunday. Despite securing three points, Wall expressed disappointment with Jamaica's performance and the substandard condition of the pitch at Windsor Park.

"The result was better than the performance," Wall stated bluntly. "We should have killed this game a lot earlier based on the chances that we had. The conversion rate was low. The best of it was the result—we got away with three points."

The state of the pitch was another sore point for Wall, who didn't mince words about its impact on the game. "It was more based on the pitch," he said regarding the slow tempo of Jamaica’s play. "There was a lot more to ask for. It was a 120m in depth and 72/75m wide; that’s a cricket pitch. For me, it’s not up to standard."

Reflecting on the match, Wall acknowledged Dominica's commendable performance and their effective counter-attacks. "Overall, Dominica performed well, and counter-attacked with the two, three players that they had up front. But overall we should have contained the game much better and just finished it off with the chances that we had," he added.

Jamaica entered the match on a high note following their 1-0 victory against the Dominican Republic in Kingston on June 6. However, despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, the Reggae Boyz struggled to find the net until the 31st minute when Shamar Nicholson broke the deadlock.

Kaheim Dixon doubled Jamaica’s lead just before halftime, scoring from close range to send the team into the break with a 2-0 advantage. The second half mirrored the first, with Jamaica continuing to squander opportunities. Dixon missed a glaring chance by hitting the upright from inside the box, while Nicholson also failed to convert several chances, often thwarted by goalkeeper Glenson Prince.

With 10 minutes remaining, Nicholson finally added a third goal from the penalty spot after a Dominica defender handled the ball inside the box. This goal proved crucial as Dominica mounted a late comeback.

Javid George capitalized on a counter-attack, beating an advancing Jahmali Waite and scoring into an empty net. Moments later, Troy Jules fired in a stunning free kick from just outside the 18-yard box, making it 3-2.

Nicholson had a chance to secure the win but lobbed the ball over the advancing Prince and the crossbar, leaving Jamaica to hold on for a nervy finish.

 

 

 

France failed to round off their Euro 2024 preparations with a victory as they were held to a goalless draw by Jesse Marsch's impressive Canada side in Bordeaux.

With captain Kylian Mbappe starting on the bench after picking up a knock against Luxembourg on Wednesday, Didier Deschamps' team were unable to find a way through and were arguably fortunate to avoid an upset.

Antoine Griezmann saw a low drive tipped wide by Maxime Crepeau in the first half, but Canada went closer shortly after the restart as Liam Millar curled a shot against Mike Maignan's crossbar.

Olivier Giroud – playing his final home international before he calls time on his France career after the Euros – miscued on the volley before substitute Randal Kolo Muani somehow headed wide when totally unmarked late on.

Having entered the fray as a 74th-minute substitute, Mbappe tried to provide some inspiration with a mazy run in stoppage time, but his powerful drive was pushed away by Crepeau as Canada stepped up their Copa America preparations with a creditable result.

Data Debrief: No way through for Les Bleus

France will not be panicking just yet, with Mbappe's absence from their starting lineup an obvious factor as they struggled to break Canada down, but they will certainly need more in the final third when they face Austria in eight days' time.

They actually managed fewer final-third entries (40 to 50) than Canada, only hitting the target with four of their 13 attempts.

Ousmane Dembele attempted to provide some much-needed drive, attempting more dribbles in the first half alone (11, finished with 13) than in any other game for France. However, end product was lacking for both the winger and his team-mates. 

The Dallas Mavericks downgraded Luka Doncic to questionable for Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

With the Mavericks in danger of dropping the first two games in Boston, the injury designation from probable was made about 6 1/2 hours prior to tip-off.

He was also diagnosed with new ailment on the report, with a thoracic contusion being added to prior injuries of a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness.

Video posted of him from Saturday's practise showed the five-time All-Star holding his chest while appearing to be in some pain.

Doncic has routinely been listed on the injury report throughout the play-offs, but has yet to miss a game in the post-season.

Despite dealing with multiple injuries, he's still averaging 28.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists in the play-offs.

In Dallas' 107-89 loss to Boston in Thursday's Game 1, he finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and one assist.

 

Italy rounded off their Euro 2024 preparations with a 1-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in Empoli, with Davide Frattesi's wonderful volley proving the difference.

Frattesi met Federico Chiesa's left-wing cross with a brilliant side-footed finish while off the ground 38 minutes in, giving Kenan Piric no chance as the ball sailed into the top-left corner.

Luciano Spalletti's team had earlier been indebted to Gianluigi Donnarumma as he denied Haris Hajradinovic, and the Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper made another excellent one-on-one save to keep Anel Ahmedhodzic out in the closing stages.

Spalletti will have been relieved to see a strong Italy team avoid injuries after losing defenders Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini in recent weeks, ahead of their Euro 2024 opener against Albania next Saturday.

Data Debrief: Frattesi makes his mark

There are plenty of new faces in Italy's squad for the Euros, with midfielders Matteo Verratti and Manuel Locatelli both left out after helping the Azzurri triumph at Euro 2020. Frattesi has assumed a key role in their absence.

Since making his international debut in June 2022, Frattesi has scored five goals in 15 games for Italy, more than any other player. 

Max Verstappen beat Lando Norris to win a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, the lead changing hands on several occasions in wet conditions in Montreal.

Starting second on the grid behind George Russell, Verstappen was passed by Norris in the early stages but managed an expert restart after a safety-car period with 11 laps to go.

Norris took the lead on two separate occasions but was unable to hit back when Verstappen pulled two seconds clear late on, having to settle for his third second-place finish of the season.

An error-strewn performance saw Russell give up the lead and slip into a battle for third with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri.  

Contact between Russell and Piastri allowed Hamilton to surge into third place with five laps remaining, but Russell overtook his team-mate with a neat move at the final chicane on lap 68.

With Hamilton finishing fourth, both Mercedes drivers recorded their best finishes of the season thus far.

The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was sixth, while neither Ferrari managed to finish, Charles Leclerc retiring just past the halfway stage and Carlos Sainz following suit as he collided with Alex Albon's Williams.

Data Debrief: Sixty up for Verstappen

Verstappen's previous two victories in Montreal had come from pole position, but he had to fight his way past Russell and later Norris to make it three straight wins in Canada.

The victory was his 60th in Formula One overall, from 194 races. Among drivers who have achieved at least 25 wins, only Jim Clark (25 – 34.7 per cent) has a higher win ratio than the Dutchman's 30.9 per cent.

Pakistan are on the brink of a humiliating early exit from the T20 World Cup, having followed up their shock defeat to the United States with a six-run loss to India.

Pakistan were on the wrong end of an all-time World Cup upset against the co-hosts on Thursday, and they fell short in their chase of 120 against their great rivals at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Rain at Long Island caused a lengthy delay to the start of proceedings and the covers were back on after just one over, but the weather quickly cleared up and that was the only interruption.

India were caught cold after the pause, with Virat Kohli (4) toe-ending Naseem Shah's delivery straight to Usman Khan at cover point before Rohit Sharma (13) picked out Haris Rauf in the deep before the end of the third over. 

Rishabh Pant steadied the ship somewhat with his knock of 42 off 31 balls including six fours, but Pakistan had his crucial wicket in the 15th over as he hoisted Mohammad Amir's ball up into the air and into the waiting palms of Babar Azam.

India's middle order was unable to respond as both Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah were dismissed for golden ducks, Shah and Rauf both finishing 3-21.

Needing a run-a-ball 120 for victory, Pakistan had an early reprieve as Mohammad Rizwan was dropped on seven by Shivam Dube, but he made slow progress with 31 off 44 deliveries.

Nevertheless, Pakistan were looking good at 73-2 only to slip to 88-5, Rizwan being bowled by Bumrah for the second of his three wickets between Fakhar Zaman (13) and Shadab Khan (4) going for low scores.

After Rizwan's departure, no other Pakistan player managed more than 15, Bumrah's full-toss dismissal of Iftikhar Ahmed (5) leaving them requiring 18 off the final over.

Arshdeep Singh then took up the ball, Imad Wasim (15) glancing his delivery into the palms of Pant before Shah could only manage a couple of fours when he required maximums, one mammoth strike having Kohli worried in the deep but bouncing just before the boundary. 

Data Debrief: Bumrah pushes Pakistan to the brink

A full-on delivery to send stumps flying and remove steady-hitting Rizwan was the highlight of Bumrah's outing, but equally as important was the way he gave Pakistan no gifts. 

He finished with figures of 3-14 as Pakistan simply failed to maintain their momentum after a decent start to their chase, bowling 15 dot balls through his full four overs.

Pakistan now need a minor miracle to make the Super-8 stage, while India's superior run rate puts them ahead of the USA at the top of Group A.

Alexander Zverev described Carlos Alcaraz as a future International Tennis Hall of Famer after losing to the Spaniard in a five-set classic in Sunday's French Open final.

Alcaraz clinched his third major title – and his first at Roland Garros – with a 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 success on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The 21-year-old looked set for defeat when Zverev went 2-1 up, the German's aggressive style allowing him to dictate the contest from the baseline, but the Spaniard rediscovered his composure in the fourth set.

After evening things up, Alcaraz clinched two breaks in the decider to join compatriot Rafael Nadal on the list of French Open champions.

At the age of 21 years and 35 days, he is the youngest player in the Open Era to win men's singles titles at three different grand slams.

He has also needed the fewest major appearances (13) of any male player in the Open Era to capture grand slam titles on grass, clay and hard courts.

Speaking in his post-match interview, Zverev – who has lost both of his grand slam finals – said: "Congratulations Carlos. Third grand slam at 21 years old. It's incredible.

"You won three different ones. You're already a Hall of Famer and you're only 21 years old."

Alcaraz, meanwhile, thanked his support team for their work in helping him overcome a troublesome forearm injury that caused him to miss the Italian Open. 

"My team have been incredible in the last month. We were struggling a lot with the injury. Coming back from Madrid, I didn't feel well," he said.

"I'm grateful to have the team that I have. I know everyone in my team is giving their heart to help me improve. I call this a team but it's a family.

"I have loved having part of my family here. I used to watch this tournament on TV and now I'm holding the trophy, so thank you very much.

"Everyone has a really important part in making this tournament special. It's not easy to do that, we complain a lot, but you all do a great job. Thank you to everyone.

"The crowd have been great since the first match until today. The support has been unbelievable in the matches and practice. I'll see you soon, for sure. Thank you."

Addressing Zverev, Alcaraz added: "It's unbelievable, the level you are playing at and the work you are putting in every day. 

"I'm pretty sure you will win slams and this tournament very, very soon, so keep going and congratulations."

Carlos Alcaraz claimed the French Open title for the first time as he beat Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 1-6 6-2 on Sunday.

Alcaraz was staring down the barrel of a defeat when Zverev emphatically came back from conceding an early break of serve to take the third set and a 2-1 lead.

Yet the Spaniard turned on the style in the fourth, needing just 41 minutes to take the set and tee up a decider.

Alcaraz grabbed the first, crucial break, and then clawed back four break points to hold onto that advantage.

A second break followed in game seven, paving the way for Alcaraz to win his third grand slam title when he sent a brilliant shot into the corner.

Neither player started confidently as the first set began with back-to-back breaks of serve, but it was Alcaraz who took an error-strewn opener, slamming a powerful forehand past Zverev on set point.

A downcast Zverev shouted at his box as the mistakes continued at the start of the second set, but a lengthy hold was the catalyst for a sudden upturn as his aggression and power began to overwhelm Alcaraz on the longer rallies.

The German took five straight games to level things up, even drawing applause from Alcaraz with a flicked backhand winner at the net, one of the shots of the tournament.

Alcaraz initially came on strong in the third set, breaking to love in the fifth game courtesy of some expert play at the net, but Zverev roared back to inch ahead, converting his second set point with an overhead smash.

The momentum switched yet again in the fourth as Alcaraz rediscovered his groove either side of a medical timeout for treatment on his left leg, Zverev's consistency tailing off as he only won 46 per cent of points behind his first serve. 

Alcaraz did not let it slip from there, breaking Zverev in game three of the decider, before brilliantly saving four break points himself in the very next game.

With Zverev's resolve broken, Alcaraz duly served out, etching his name on the French Open trophy alongside legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal.

Data Debrief: He's a superstar 

Alcaraz, aged 21 years and 35 days, is the second-youngest player in the Open Era to win all his first three major finals, after Bjorn Borg (20 years and 27 days).

He is also the youngest player in the Open Era to win the singles title at three different grand slams, with the Australian Open the only one missing from the set.

Alcaraz has taken the fewest main draw appearances of any player in the Open Era to win titles on grass, clay and hard courts, and is the youngest player to win majors on clay, grass and hard court, surpassing Nadal.

Record-champion Nadal may well have made his farewell Roland-Garros appearance, but the future of tennis is in safe hands with his heir apparent.

Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid is "a nail in football's coffin" and symptomatic of the transfer market approaching breaking point, believes Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl.

Mbappe finally sealed his long-awaited move to Madrid earlier this week, leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after seven years at the Parc des Princes.

The forward has signed a five-year contract with the European champions and will reportedly earn €15million (£12.7m) per year and receive a signing-on bonus of €150m (£127.7m).

Eberl believes that level of financial outlay cannot be sustained, predicting the tendency for top players to run their contracts down will kill the market.

"You can always become more of a money-grubbing person, but everyone who is a money-grubbing person will gradually become a nail in football's coffin," he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

"If all the money goes out [of the market] at some point, there will be nothing left for us to do business with. 

"We're talking about hundreds of millions. That's too much and at some point you get the feeling that it will burst. 

"At some point it will be oversaturated and Saudi Arabia will come along. That doesn't feel very good. The money is leaving the market. No club benefits from it. 

"Players, families, agents, everyone benefits, but not the clubs. In the past, at least clubs profited. The money stayed in the cycle and that will become less and less now."

Mbappe scored a club-record 256 goals for PSG, including 42 in the Champions League.

Adding 108 assists for the perennial Ligue 1 victors, Mbappe's 364 goal involvements rank as the most for PSG this century – ahead of Edinson Cavani (236) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (210).

He also scored 44 times in 48 games for PSG in 2023-24, a tally only matched by Bayern star Harry Kane among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Mbappe is currently preparing to lead tournament favourites France at Euro 2024, having scored 12 goals across Les Bleus' last three major tournaments – the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, with all of those strikes coming at the World Cups. Kane is also the only player to match that figure.

 

Liverpool have sent their well-wishes to club legend Alan Hansen, who is seriously ill in hospital.

Hansen, who was a key figure in Liverpool's dominant team of the 1980s, won eight league titles, three European Cups, two FA Cups and three EFL Cups during his 14-year stint with the Reds.

He played 620 matches, and captained Liverpool for four seasons.

No further information was given regarding Hansen's status, though Liverpool said they were in contact with the 68-year-old's family.

"We will provide any further updates as we receive them in due course, and we request that the Hansen family's privacy is respected at this time," the statement concluded.

Hansen was a long-time pundit on BBC Sport's Match of the Day programme.

Defending champions Nicholas Benjamin and Aliana McMaster are set to defend their Jackson Bay Hunting & Fishing Club Sporting Clays titles on Sunday which they won last year.

Well over one hundred gunners are expected to trek to Jackson Bay in Clarendon for the 9:30 am shot-gun start of a challenging day on the course. 

If last year's conditions are repeated then the competitors can expect extreme heat, wind and some rain before the end of the tournament. Notwithstanding those conditions, the shooters will get a chance to display their skills by the sea as at least one station will be positioned with the sea in the background. 

In 2023 Benjamin shot 90 to be the only shooter to post a score in the 90's while McMaster was engaged in a shoot-off which she won convincingly over Kashka Jones. 

The top contenders for this year include former national shotgun champions Ian Banks, Shaun Barnes, Christian Sasso and Chad Ziadie plus other top gunners such as Bruce DeQuesnay and Ray McMaster.

On the female side, Aliana will have to contend with her mother and many-time national female shotgun champion Wendy McMaster as well as several other ladies who have been shooting well. 

Club president Sean Clacken looks forward to the tournament for the development of the club as well as to gain funds to assist the people of the Portland Cottage Community where the club is based.

President Clacken credits the support of many sponsors who have come on board for the shoot this year. They include First Rock, Century 21, Ultra Financiers and Optimum Distributors as well as many others.

 

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