The Boston Celtics have made sure to do it the hard way en route to the NBA Finals.

Sometimes this can suggest a team's name is on the trophy; look at Real Madrid's remarkable run in European football's Champions League before winning their record-extending 14th title.

The Celtics, an organisation with similar prestige, will hope they can now follow suit.

After all, this is a team who reached the turn of the year with a 17-19 record under a rookie coach, then recovered to take the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Having worked so hard to secure home court in the second round of the playoffs, the Celtics lost to a Milwaukee Bucks outfit missing Khris Middleton in Game 5, falling 3-2 behind in the series and requiring another fightback.

Then the Celtics again failed to make the most of the Boston crowd in the Eastern Conference Finals, allowing the Miami Heat to return home for a Game 7.

Still, the Celtics made it through, and now they must take on the Golden State Warriors, back in contention and looking to extend the sort of dynasty Madrid would be proud of.

The Warriors are going to their sixth Finals in eight seasons; Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have played in each of them.

On the other hand, the Celtics are in their first Finals since 2010 – Curry's rookie season. Not a single member of the Boston roster has reached this stage before.

And yet, against the Warriors of all teams, the Celtics should have little to fear.

This is a battle of defense versus offense – Boston allowed a league-low 104.5 points per game in the regular season, while Golden State have scored a season-high 114.5 points per game in the playoffs – and it is a battle the Celtics have won numerous times in recent seasons.

In the 10 years since the Steph-Klay-Draymond Warriors came together, the Celtics are 10-10 against Golden State. Boston are the only team with a winning record (9-7) against Steve Kerr's Warriors, and they are a hugely impressive 7-3 in this matchup since drafting Jayson Tatum in 2017.

Before splitting this season's two-game series, the Celtics had won five in a row against the Warriors.

The key to this success has been defense. The Celtics have held both the Steph-Klay-Draymond Warriors (103.3 points per game) and Kerr's Warriors (104.4) to fewer points than any other defense. The same is true of Boston in Tatum's five years in the league, during which they have outscored Golden State 110.7-103.1 on average.

In Curry and Thompson, the Warriors boast two of the best shooters of all time, yet the Celtics have repeatedly forced them to take bad shots.

In the past five years, the Warriors have attempted just 83.2 field goals per game against the Celtics – only mustering fewer against the Detroit Pistons (80.8) – yet they have had a lofty 36.5 three-point attempts on average in these games. That means 43.9 per cent of Golden State's field goal attempts against the Celtics since 2017 have come from beyond the arc, attempting a higher percentage of their shots from deep against the Brooklyn Nets alone (44.1).

Given the talent in this Warriors team, shooting from range is not generally an issue, yet they have made just 31.8 per cent of those threes – again only performing worse against the Nets (31.4 per cent).

This has contributed to the Warriors making a meagre 43.1 per cent of their field goals against the Celtics, comfortably their worst rate against any team over this period.

Still, with the title on the line, the Warriors will undoubtedly back themselves to overcome this hurdle.

Curry (52.6 per cent), Thompson (50.0) and Jordan Poole (50.0) are all counted among the 10 players to attempt 10 or more contested shots (with the closest defender within two feet) and make at least half in this postseason.

Curry and Poole are two of only five players to make such a shot from three-point range, although that Golden State trio are a combined two-for-eight from beyond the arc in these circumstances – a record that does not look quite so bad next to Heat wing Max Strus' miserable one-for-seven shooting on contested threes. Four of those low-percentage shots came in the Celtics series alone.

The Warriors have not yet faced an elite defense in this playoff run, with the four best teams on that end of the floor operating in the East.

It figures that the best offense should emerge from the West, where teams averaged 109.2 points per game in the postseason, while the standout defense came out of the East, with playoff teams averaging 103.9 points.

The Finals will surely, therefore, be decided by what sort of series this becomes.

Tatum may be out to prove himself as one of the best players in the world, but the Celtics' success in keeping Curry, Thompson and Poole quiet is likely to be far more pivotal to their hopes.

As long ago as December, when his team were toiling, Celtics coach Ime Udoka explained: "The identity is to rely on defense, be a great defensive team and give ourselves a chance every night as far as that."

They have done that just about ever since – and now it is time to prove their winning identity can be a title-winning identity.

Iga Swiatek is enjoying a birthday week to remember – or perhaps one to forget.

The world number one turned 21 on Tuesday, between the 32nd and 33rd matches of a remarkable winning streak.

Having won five consecutive tournaments heading into the French Open, there was plenty for Swiatek to celebrate even before her big day.

So perhaps she can be forgiven for losing track of her age in the moments after her latest win against Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.

Having carried out her on-court media duties, Swiatek wrote a message on one of the Roland Garros cameras with the hashtag "#22".

"No, wait," the 21-year-old said just as she prepared to step away, covering her face with embarrassment. "I forgot how old I am!"

A failed attempt to wipe off the incorrect number resulted in Swiatek instead crossing out her message and scribbling "#21" next to it – far more untidy than any display she has turned in at Roland Garros.

The Madden 23 cover will feature the late NFL legend that gave his name to the video game following his death last year.

John Madden passed away in December at the age of 85.

He enjoyed a Hall of Fame NFL coaching career with the Oakland Raiders and later became a legend in the realm of broadcasting.

However, for many, he is most synonymous with the Madden video game, to which he lent his name and voice from 1988 onwards. He also had significant input in the creative process.

Madden last featured on the cover in 2000.

For his return to the cover, EA Sports have used the same image that adorned the original 'John Madden Football' game, with a beaming Madden grasping a football in his right hand.

Also adorning the cover is a message that simply reads "thanks, coach", in a touching tribute to a man who left an indelible mark on the sport he loved.

With Manchester United confirming Paul Pogba is to leave the club as a free agent, six years on from his £89million return and a decade after his first departure, talk will inevitably turn to the midfielder's next destination.

Could a return to Juventus - the club where he won four consecutive Serie A titles between 2012 and 2016 - reignite Pogba's career, or would a move to newly crowned European champions Real Madrid hold greater appeal?

If not, could Pogba, who was born in a Paris suburb and enjoyed the greatest moment of his career when lifting the World Cup with France in 2018, join a host of other big names at Paris Saint-Germain? 

Or could the 29-year old choose to make one of the most controversial moves in Premier League history by joining United's cross-city rivals Manchester City?

As Pogba weighs up his next move, Stats Perform looks at four potential destinations for the enigmatic midfielder.

The return: Could Pogba refresh a flagging Juventus? 

Juventus is the club that made Pogba's career, with the midfielder making 178 appearances during a trophy-laden four-year spell under Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, starring alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio as the Bianconeri dominated Serie A.

With Allegri back at the helm and Juventus requiring fresh energy in midfield after consecutive fourth-placed finishes in Serie A, could Pogba be a key part of the Bianconeri rebuild? He's certainly not shown an aversion to returning to former clubs in the past.

The European champions: Is Pogba the man to succeed Blancos legends?

Having won a record-extending 14th European title by beating Liverpool last week, Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid don't appear to be in dire need of reinforcements. 

However, the aging midfield trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro cannot go on forever – Modric, along with team-mates Karim Benzema and Dani Carvajal, equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of five Champions League titles this term. With president Florentino Perez still smarting from Kylian Mbappe's public rejection of Madrid, adding Pogba to Los Blanco's stacked engine room could also fulfil his need for a marquee signing. 

The homecoming: Will PSG's new project appeal?

Mbappe's decision to remain in the French capital was presented as a monumental coup for PSG, and given their penchant for adding star names, could a move for his France team-mate Pogba now make sense?

Pogba, who managed more Premier League assists (38) and chances created (231) than any other United player since re-joining in 2016, could be the man to add some creativity to a workmanlike midfield featuring the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Danilo Pereira, and Ander Herrera, as PSG look for the right combination to win their first European crown.

The controversial move: Could Pogba follow in Tevez's footsteps? 

Having already wrapped up the coveted signature of Erling Haaland, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has confirmed the Premier League champions are targeting more incomings in the upcoming transfer window, while rumours linked Pogba with a stunning cross-city switch last month.

While Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said City should not go "anywhere near" the Frenchman, Pogba would likely excel in Pep Guardiola's technically gifted side. Replicate Carlos Tevez's infamous move from red to blue? He couldn't, could he? 

Iga Swiatek showed no signs of slowing as she reached the French Open semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Jessica Pegula, her 33rd in succession.

The 2020 Roland Garros champion entered this year's event in imperious form, having become the fourth woman this century to win five consecutive tournaments on the WTA Tour.

And the day after her 21st birthday, Swiatek took another stride towards extending that streak to six, swatting aside Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the last eight.

Only Daria Kasatkina – against whom she has won three in a row, including the second match in this remarkable run of victories – now lies between the world number one and yet another final.

The early signs were predictably ominous for Pegula as Swiatek broke immediately, although a sloppy first service game followed and saw the Pole collapse from 40-up to level the scores when she thrashed a forehand into the net cord.

Pegula then stuck with Swiatek for a period, but her opponent's class soon came to the fore again as she sensationally scrambled to beat the second bounce from a drop shot and squeeze a return over the net to restore her lead at 4-3.

That was the first of five successive Swiatek games as she wrapped up the set at the second attempt on Pegula's serve – the American committing five unforced errors in that game alone.

That sequence was interrupted by a gutsy Pegula hold, only for Swiatek to defend her own serve in the next game to remain in the ascendancy before breaking for the first time in the second with a brilliant backhand down the line.

Pegula kept battling, but she was only temporarily able to hold up Swiatek at the finish line, a seven-minute game ended by a stunning winner to break again and reach the semis.

Data Slam: Pegula no match for number one

Pegula's only previous meeting with a current number one saw her thrashed in straight sets by Ash Barty at the Australian Open. Swiatek has succeeded Barty at the top of the rankings following her retirement and has since surpassed the Aussie's dominance, now winning 16 in a row as number one.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 30/28
Pegula – 16/27

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 4/0
Pegula – 2/1

BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 5/11
Pegula – 1/2

Paul Pogba said he feels "privileged" to have played for Manchester United, as he thanked the Red Devils' fans after the club announced he will depart at the end of his contract this month.

Pogba, who re-joined United in an £89million move from Juventus in 2016 after initially coming through the Red Devils' youth system, will leave the club for a second time after failing to agree terms on a new deal.

Many of European football's biggest clubs - including Champions League winners Real Madrid and Pogba's former side Juventus - have been credited with an interest in the midfielder, who has come in for criticism after United ended the 2021-22 season with their lowest-ever Premier League points tally (58), finishing sixth in the English top-flight under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Pogba scored just once in 27 appearances during his final season with the Red Devils, though he did add nine assists – four of them during a stunning display in United's Premier League opener against Leeds United last August.

No Manchester United player, meanwhile, has created as many chances (231) or provided as many assists (38) in the Premier League as Pogba since he re-joined in August 2016.

Writing on social media after United announced his departure, Pogba said he felt fortunate to have played for the club and thanked fans for their "unconditional" support.

"I feel privileged to have played for this club," he wrote on Twitter, alongside a video showing several highlights from his six-year spell at Old Trafford.

"Many beautiful moments and memories but most importantly an unconditional support from the fans.

"Thank you @ManUtd."

One of the worst-kept secrets in football is out in the open after Manchester United confirmed Paul Pogba's second stint at the club is coming to an end.

The France star departed for Juventus back in 2012 before returning to Old Trafford in an £89million deal four years later.

Few Premier League players have proven as enigmatic as Pogba, with the 29-year-old capable of incredible individual brilliance but frequently subjected to fierce criticism throughout his difficult second spell at United.

From a World Cup success to sparring with Jose Mourinho, Stats Perform looks back on the highs and lows of Pogba's second spell with United.

High: Cup glory in triumphant first season

Pogba played his part as Mourinho, also in his first season at the club, led United to what remain their most recent major trophies.

The Frenchman made 51 appearances in all competitions as the Red Devils scooped an EFL Cup and Europa League double, ensuring Champions League qualification despite a sixth-placed Premier League finish. 

After starting United's 3-2 Wembley triumph over Southampton in February 2017, Pogba opened the scoring as United beat Ajax 2-0 to lift their second piece of silverware of the season in May, as the Red Devils won their sixth major European honour.

High: Conquering the centurions as City's celebrations put on hold

Manchester City's 2017-18 Premier League campaign was record-breaking in many ways, with Pep Guardiola's men becoming the only side to pick up 100 points in the competition, the first to win 32 of their 38 games, and the first to win 18 consecutive matches as they romped to the title.

They also, however, missed out on wrapping up the sweetest of title triumphs in a Manchester derby – a fact which owed primarily to a rampant performance from Pogba.

With City 2-0 up at half-time and seemingly cruising to the win they required to wrap up the title at a jubilant Etihad Stadium in April 2018, Pogba scored twice in two second-half minutes before Chris Smalling completed a sensational comeback, as United put the City celebrations on ice. 

High: World Cup glory with France

United finished the 2017-18 season as Premier League runners-up, with Pogba registering six goals and 12 assists in 37 appearances throughout the campaign.

And the midfielder carried that form into the 2018 World Cup in Russia, scoring in a 4-2 final win over Croatia as Les Blues were crowned world champions for the second time – his strike was the first goal scored from outside the penalty area in a World Cup final since Italy's Marco Tardelli did so against West Germany in 1982.

Pogba started six of the seven games France played during their triumphant campaign, but any hopes he may have harboured of building on those displays with his club were soon proven to be misplaced…

Low: Sparring with Mourinho as the world watches on

Reports of Pogba and Mourinho possessing a strained relationship were widespread during the Portuguese boss's time at the club, and such tensions were laid bare for the world to see in September 2018.

After an Instagram post appearing to show Pogba laughing with team-mates Luke Shaw and Andreas Pereira while United fell to an EFL Cup loss to Derby County, Sky Sports' cameras captured Mourinho discussing the incident with a visibly irked Pogba on the training ground.

It was not a good look as United struggled desperately in Mourinho's final months at the helm, with the former Chelsea boss relieved of his duties with the Red Devils sat sixth in the Premier League in December 2018.

Low: Penalty woe in 2021

Pogba enjoyed a renaissance of sorts under Mourinho's successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, ending the Norwegian's first half-season in charge with 13 league goals and nine assists, making 2018-19 his most productive campaign in a Red Devils shirt.

But Solskjaer's men frequently fell short on the big stage, most notably in their 2021 Europa League final loss to Villarreal, as David de Gea missed the vital kick at the end of a long penalty shoot-out after Pogba had been substituted for Dan James during extra-time.

That was not the only penalty heartache Pogba would experience in 2021, as France crashed out of the delayed Euro 2020 after a round-of-16 shoot-out loss to Switzerland, with Kylian Mbappe failing from the spot as Pogba's stunning 25-yard strike counted for nought. 

Low: Seeing red in Liverpool rout

Pogba's final season at Old Trafford was one to forget, as United finished sixth in the Premier League with their lowest-ever points tally in the competition (58), and interim manager Ralf Rangnick ended his six-month tenure with the worst Premier League win rate of any United boss (41.7 per cent – 10 wins from 24 games).

But before Rangnick entered the United dugout, Pogba endured the ignominy of being sent off as Solskjaer's Red Devils fell to a dire 5-0 home loss to Liverpool in October 2021 – their heaviest home loss without scoring since a 5-0 thrashing by Manchester City in February 1955.

Pogba's dismissal came just 15 minutes after he entered the fray at the break, making him the first substitute to be sent off in a Premier League for over three years (since Marcus Rashford in September 2018).

Head coach Andrew McDonald will miss the start of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka after testing positive for coronavirus.

McDonald was unable to fly out with the rest of the touring party on Wednesday after returning a positive test on Tuesday.

Michael Di Venuto will coach the Twenty20 team in the absence of McDonald, who must spend a week in isolation.

A three-match T20 series gets under way in Colombo next Tuesday.

Sri Lanka and Australia will then play five ODIs this month before a two-match Test series in Galle.

Australia have not been in action since McDonald was appointed as Justin Langer's successor on a four-year deal.

Daria Kasatkina is through to her first grand slam semi-final after winning an all-Russian battle with Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets at the French Open.

Kasatkina lost her previous two major quarter-finals in 2018, but she broke new ground with a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

The 20th seed will face Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after ending Kudermetova's best run at a grand slam.

Kudermetova paid the price for 50 unforced errors in her maiden major quarter-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Kasatkina overcame the nerves to move into the last four.

It was Kudermetova who drew first blood when she broke to lead 3-1, but she failed to consolidate as a tenacious Kasatkina responded immediately.

The two 25-year-olds both fended off a couple of break points in their next service games, but Kasatkina edged in front for the first time courtesy of a sublime cross-court winner to take a 5-4 lead after a terrible miss from Kudermetova with the court wide open.

A steely Kasatkina was moving superbly and served out the set, before moving into a 3-1 lead in the second set after three consecutive games went against the serve.

The 29th seed was struggling to find her rhythm, but she was level at 4-4 when her compatriot overcooked a forehand.

Kasatkina had looked edgy in that service game, yet she had an opportunity to serve for the match when a Kudermetova backhand struck the net cord and landed on her side of the net.

A nervy Kasatkina was unable to serve it out but held to force a tie-break after Kudermetova called for treatment on her left foot.

Kasatkina took a 6-1 lead in the breaker following a string of errors from Kudermetova and finally finished it off with her fifth match point, executing a drop shot to perfection.

Data Slam: No setbacks for Kasatkina in Paris

Kasatkina has not only put together her longest run in a grand slam, she has done so without dropping a set. While it was certainly not all plain sailing in the quarter-final, she showed her strength of character to come through another test in straight sets.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kasatkina – 16/25
Kudermetova – 38/50

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kasatkina – 0/3
Kudermetova – 3/2

BREAK POINTS WON
Kasatkina – 5/17
Kudermetova – 4/7

Harry Maguire says he will continue to take criticism on the chin, but the Manchester United captain notes a line was crossed when he received a bomb threat in April.

Cheshire Police carried out a search of the England defender's home, where he lives with his fiancee and two young children after he was reportedly threatened in an email.

Maguire said: "I'm big enough to accept people getting on my back and saying I can improve.

"There is a line where we are human beings, I do have a family. People ask if it affects me. My mentality is that it doesn't affect me too much but when it comes to bomb threats, it is more about family, my fiancee Fern.

"I'm just happy my kids are at an age where they don't read things and see things on the news.

"If my kids were an older age, they could see things and go to school and people are speaking about it. That is when it affects you a little bit more."

Maguire was left out of the United team in the aftermath of the incident, having been singled out for criticism during another disappointing campaign for the Red Devils, but the centre-back is ready to put that behind him in a new era under Erik ten Hag.

"Yes, it's been a tough season - no hiding away from that," he said.

"I'm my biggest critic. Although there are a lot of critics out there, I'm actually still my biggest.

"But every day I'm trying to improve. Obviously, this season has been a challenging part of my career. But during a career of 10 or 15 years, if you want to play at the top, you're going to have ups and downs."

As Maguire prepares for England's Nations League showdown with Hungary on Saturday, the 29-year-old is not dwelling on being booed by a small section of fans during the team's 3-0 win over Ivory Coast in a friendly in March.

"I am not going to let the minority - I don't know how many it was, 10-20 people - doing that in the Ivory Coast game to affect my relationship with the England fans, no." he said.

Gareth Bale has confirmed his expected departure from Real Madrid in a letter to team-mates, staff and fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale, who was the world's most expensive player when he joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2013, is out of contract at the end of this month.

The Wales forward has played a key role in winning 16 major honours while in Spain, including a remarkable five Champions League triumphs.

Bale has scored three Champions League final goals, including a memorable overhead kick against Liverpool in 2018. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (four) has netted more.

But the 32-year-old was an unused substitute for Madrid's most recent triumph on Saturday – again versus Liverpool – and featured in only seven minutes during an epic European campaign.

Restricted to just seven appearances in all competitions after returning from a loan spell at Spurs, Bale's exit had long been anticipated.

In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, he wrote: "I write this message to say thank you to all my team-mates, past and present, my managers, the backroom staff and to the fans that supported me.

"I arrived here nine years ago as a young man who wanted to realise my dream of playing for Real Madrid. To wear the pristine white kit, to wear the crest on my chest, to play at the Santiago Bernabeu, to win titles and to be part of what it's so famous for, to win the Champions League.

"I can now look back, reflect and say with honesty that this dream became a reality and much, much more.

"To be a part of this club's history and to achieve what we achieved while I was a Real Madrid player, has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget.

"I also want to thank president Florentino Perez, Jose Angel Sanchez and the board for giving me the opportunity to play for this club.

"Together we were able to create some moments that will live forever in the history of this club and football. It has been an honour."

Dustin Johnson is among the 42 confirmed entrants for the first event of the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series but Phil Mickelson's name was not among the participants for the Saudi-funded competition.

Two-time major winner Johnson is the highest-profile name in three-day event, which will be held at Centurion Club near London from June 9-11.

Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood are also set to feature in a tournament that will have 12 teams and 48 players.

Johnson's name is perhaps the most surprising, with the former world number one having gone back-and-forth over his participation and issued a statement back in February pledging his future to the PGA Tour.

On Tuesday, his agent David Winkle released a statement quoted by ESPN that read: "Dustin has been contemplating the opportunity off-and-on for the past couple of years.

"Ultimately, he decided it was in his and his family's best interest to pursue it. Dustin has never had an issue with the PGA Tour and is grateful for all it has given him, but in the end, felt this was too compelling to pass up."

Mickelson had long been linked with the event, but the 51-year-old has not played since apologising for comments made about the Saudi Arabia regime. The American said in February he was taking a break from golf and did not defend his US PGA Championship last month.

The series has courted plenty of controversy due to the fact it is being funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, leading to claims of sportswashing.

The inaugural tournament clashes with the Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, an event of which Johnson is a previous winner.