Urs Fischer is not the kind of coach to get overexcited easily. Indeed, there has been little serious talk of a title charge at Union Berlin, despite the fact they have occupied one of the top three spots for much of the season.
"It's even more surreal than it was before the game," Fischer said after Union won 2-1 at RB Leipzig on February 11. "Forty-two points in the 20th round, what should I say?"
A week before, Fischer had insisted 40 points was the only target after Union scraped an unconvincing home win over Mainz.
But that target has been surpassed, and next up it's Bayern Munich, and if Union win, then why shouldn't their fans, players and even coach start to think that something magical could be just around the corner?
The only frustration for Union ahead of Sunday's trip to Allianz Arena is that they do not head to the home of the 10-time reigning champions as league leaders.
Bayern's defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach last Saturday handed Union, hosting lowly Schalke a day later, a chance to move top with a win. Yet a frustrating 0-0 draw, the first time they had dropped points since before the World Cup, instead sees them sit third, with Borussia Dortmund having leapfrogged into second.
All three teams sit on 43 points and, with 13 rounds of games remaining, the title race is wide open.
Union returned to form in style on Thursday, beating Dutch giants Ajax 3-1 at home to seal their progression in the Europa League.
"It really doesn't get any better. I'm not only proud of the team, we can all be proud of ourselves," said Fischer afterwards.
With the help of Opta data and a German football expert, Stats Perform looks at what has been behind Union's remarkable campaign.
More than one way to play
"Everybody is obsessed with pressing, pressing and pressing, leaving huge gaps for players to exploit," Lewis Ambrose, a football writer based in Berlin, told Stats Perform.
"Why I think [Union] are doing so well is they just don't buy into that. It's about protecting our box and the other team can have it as much as they want, they're just not allowed to do what they want with it."
The data suggests this is the case. Union head into Sunday's game with the fewest pressed sequences of any side in the Bundesliga.
On average, they allow their opponents 15.8 passes outside their own defensive third before a defensive action occurs. Opta defines this as passes per defensive action (PPDA).
PPDA is the number of opposition passes allowed outside the pressing team's own defensive third, divided by the number of defensive actions by the pressing team outside their own defensive third. Essentially, a lower number means a team presses more frequently, while a higher number suggests a more passive approach.
Union have won the ball back in the opposition's third on 76 occasions across 21 league games this season, the second-lowest total in the Bundesliga after Bayer Leverkusen (69). Heading into the weekend, they also ranked in the bottom six for high turnovers (151) and bottom four for shot-ending high turnovers (19), scoring just once from such situations.
Bayern, on the other hand, lead the league with 138 instances of winning possession in the opposition defensive third, while they have the lowest PPDA (10.4). Their six goals from high turnovers is a joint-league high along with Eintracht Frankfurt, while Bayern are way clear in terms of high turnovers (237) and shot-ending high turnovers (42).
But Union are going about things their own way, and it's one of the secrets to their success.
Defence first
"Most Bundesliga teams are happy to play in a 'you score three, we'll score four' type of way, and it all ties into nipping the ball high up the pitch," Ambrose explained.
"Union have gone 'let's make sure nobody takes the ball in our final third, and they'll come onto us and leave gaps that way'.
"In a league where everybody plays one way, they play the complete opposite way."
Sunday's game is between the two sides to have outperformed their expected goals (xG) more than any other Bundesliga teams this season.
Bayern's league-high 45.03 xG has been improved on by 15.97, with the team scoring 61 goals, and this is by far the biggest margin in the competition. Union, meanwhile, have netted 11.15 goals more than they would have been expected to, based on the quality of opportunities they have created and shots they have taken (35 goals from 23.85 xG).
Going the other way, Union have conceded the second-fewest goals in the league (24), behind only Bayern (21). Yet their defence has been the best when it comes to expected goals against (xGA).
Union have actually conceded close to four goals more than would have been anticipated. This, combined with their 23.7 expected goals on target conceded (xGOT), which gives more credit to shots that end up in the corners compared with shots that go straight down the middle of the goal, shows they have been subject to some quality finishing from the opposition.
An uncompromising coach
Fischer was hardly the most celebrated of defenders during his playing career, which he spent entirely in his home country of Switzerland.
His coaching career, too, saw him lead FC Zurich, Thun and Basel before he made the move to Germany's second tier in 2018. The rest, as they say, is history.
Fischer got Union promoted in his first season in charge and after securing 11th in the 2019-20 season, took them up to seventh the following year and a remarkable fifth last term.
He has overseen 123 Bundesliga matches, winning 53 (43.1), losing 38 and drawing the other 32. As you'd expect, his team do not score many (176 in 123 Bundesliga matches, an average of 1.4 per game), but equally they keep things tight, conceding 169. Fischer has averaged 1.55 points per game in the top flight.
Ambrose believes Union are the perfect fit for Fischer, saying: "I can't imagine Fischer taking one of the top jobs in Germany and doing well.
"The only way it's ever going to work is if every player buys in, leaves their ego at the door, parks that to one side and is willing to sacrifice having fun on the pitch. I'm sure they're having the time of their lives, but if they're willing to sacrifice any flair, ego, they have to fight for the team and every loose ball."
The noisy neighbours
Hertha Berlin have for years been the prominent club in Germany's capital, but as they struggle at the wrong end of the table after scraping to survival last season, it's Union who are taking the bragging rights.
Since Union's promotion in 2019, they have won six of the nine derby meetings with their city rivals, who have taken just two victories. Union have won the last four by an aggregate score of 12-4.
"They're the model club," Ambrose says. "They don't spend much money, the fans get involved, the results improve, whereas Hertha have pumped money in chasing magic results and fallen deeper into crisis."
Going all the way...
Bayern are unbeaten against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga (W4, D3) – they have only faced Rot-Weiss Oberhausen and SV Darmstadt (both eight times) more often in the top flight without ever losing. Indeed, Bayern are the only current top-flight side that Union have never managed to beat.
Yet a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in August showed Union's mettle, and what better time to break their duck than now? After all, they have more league wins than Julian Nagelsmann's team this season (13 to 12) and have won each of their last three Bundesliga away games, equalling a club record.
Ambrose thinks Union will ultimately fall short due to results such as last week's draw to Schalke, but he sees no reason why the underdogs shouldn't believe they can pull off a sporting miracle.
"If they lose on Sunday, or finish six, seven points short, nobody is going to say they've failed," he said.
"I think they think they can [win the league] and they'll never admit it. They won't buy into the idea of a race, they're just riding the wave and enjoy it week by week.
"They'll back themselves to win any game at home because the atmosphere is brilliant and teams hate going there, and they'll probably back themselves to beat anyone away as well.
"There's no reason for them not to believe."
When Alex Ferguson addressed Manchester United's fans at Old Trafford in 2013 asking them to support his chosen successor, David Moyes, few would have anticipated what the next decade would be like for the club.
In the final nine years of his near 27 in charge of United, Ferguson won five Premier League titles, three EFL Cups and the Champions League.
The nine seasons following his retirement brought the Red Devils just one FA Cup, one EFL Cup and the Europa League.
That Europa League success in 2017 was the last time United won a trophy of any kind, with a rare gap of six years without silverware for the club with the most league title wins in England.
However, Sunday gives them an opportunity to bring that drought to an end when they face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final, and it could be the latest step on the impressive return to form overseen by Erik ten Hag since his arrival ahead of this season.
The Dutch coach was the eventual replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with Ralf Rangnick's interim spell in between, but it's easy to forget how badly things started for Ten Hag.
United's first two games of the season saw them lose 2-1 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion before being thrashed 4-0 at Brentford.
Since then, Ten Hag's side have won 28 of their 37 games in all competitions, scoring 74 goals and conceding just 32, and overall they have a win percentage of 71.8.
Between Ferguson leaving and Ten Hag arriving, United have had Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer as permanent managers, none of whom had a win percentage as high after their first 39 games, with only Mourinho's above 60 per cent (61.5).
In fact, Ten Hag has already won more games than Moyes did in his entire 51 game spell (27).
Interestingly, Ten Hag's United have only scored a few more goals than Mourinho's did in his first 39 games (75-71), and have actually conceded more (38-30).
In terms of goal output, this United team has not outperformed previous ones across their first 39 games by all that much, with Moyes' side scoring 66 and conceding 39, Van Gaal's scoring 68 and conceding 38 and Solskjaer's scoring 58 and letting 43 in.
Ten Hag's side have clearly been more efficient in finding the goals to win games though, forcing those fine margins in their favour that are so often the difference between what is perceived to be success and failure at top clubs.
Statistically, the only noticeably significant difference in Ten Hag's United compared to his predecessors during their overall tenures at the club has come in the intensity of the team's pressing game.
Under the former Ajax boss, United have been winning possession in the final third at an average of 5.5 times per game, compared to Solskjaer's era when it was 4.2, Van Gaal's at 4.1, Mourinho's at 3.9 and Moyes at 2.7.
The trend was developing that way under Rangnick's brief interim spell at 4.7 times per game, but Ten Hag has taken it up another level again this season, making them look more like the aggressive high-octane United people remember under Ferguson.
The addition of Casemiro to the midfield has undoubtedly helped, with the Brazilian one of the best in the world at winning possession and putting pressure on opposition players.
He has produced all-round performances for United though since arriving from Real Madrid, with only Bruno Fernandes (201), Marcus Rashford (153) and Christian Eriksen (116) recording more than his 102 attacking sequence involvements, with all three having played more minutes than him.
In fact, the additions of Casemiro and Eriksen seem to have brought Fernandes back to the form he showed when he first joined from Sporting CP in January 2020.
It is Rashford, though, who has been the undoubted star of the season so far.
The England international scored just five goals in 32 games in 2021-22, but has hit 24 in 37 this season, already his most in a single campaign for United and including 17 goals at Old Trafford, the most at home by a player in a single season for the Red Devils since Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 (19).
United find themselves in a title race after recent stumbles by Arsenal and Manchester City, while also into the FA Cup fifth round and getting past Barcelona in the Europa League play-off round.
The fans are onside again with prospect of new ownership possibly also round the corner, and there generally seems to be a genuine feel-good factor that has been missing outside of some false dawns in recent years.
When Ferguson spoke to the fans in 2013, it would have been hard to imagine a possible EFL Cup win being seen as such a potentially significant moment for such a proud club, but United fans know as well as anyone that one trophy can often lead to more.
Ten Hag said as much at his press conference on Friday, stating: "I see [the season] so far not as a success. It's more the road to hopefully success. It's only success when you win trophies, but on Sunday we have an opportunity to get success."
It did not prove to be a sign of things to come for Van Gaal, who was sacked after winning the FA Cup, or for Mourinho, who could not follow up his EFL Cup and Europa League double.
It feels like there's more substance to this United revival though, and there are few better ways to cement that than by ending their trophy drought at Wembley on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp knows Liverpool will have to make signings at the end of the season, but for now Reds fans must get behind the existing team.
In a difficult season at Anfield, Klopp has noted the strong reaction towards some of his long-standing stars.
Few of the players who have taken Liverpool to three Champions League finals have impressed this term, yet Klopp is asking supporters not to forget their past successes.
While the manager said Liverpool "have to be in the market definitely" before next season, his focus remains on the players at his disposal.
"The only reason I don't like to talk about that now is because there are still a lot of games to play," Klopp said.
"This team is the basis for all what we do and it was always the basis for all what we do.
"Even if people are now in the mood like, 'he can go, he should go', – my God, calm down, please. Go on YouTube and watch an old video and think: 'That's what he did, he threw his heart and soul on the pitch.'
"That doesn't mean we have to be thankful for the rest of his life, but that's still in there, so let's make a decision after the season. As long as we are together, let's support this group with all we have."
Klopp has previously bemoaned the spending power of clubs like Manchester City, Newcastle United and Chelsea, but he is still confident Liverpool will be able to get what they need in the market.
"My job is to make 100 per cent clear what we need from a sports point of view, and then other people are responsible for giving us the resources or whatever," he said.
"I think we played five years in a row in the Champions League, which is massive money, and went to the final three times in that time, which is also massive from a money point of view.
"We built a stand, we built a training ground, and the club is in a really good place, but around us obviously a few people are speeding up a little bit and you cannot ignore that. We cannot ignore these kind of things.
"It is still about finding the right players, not about bringing in a lot, and thank God in the world of football there are a lot of right players.
"Not all of them are affordable or want to come, but there are a lot of really good players out there."
The Sacramento Kings emerged victorious in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history as they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime on Friday.
With a grand total of 351 points, it eclipsed the previous second-highest score by 14 points, set back in 1982 as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Milwaukee Bucks 171-166. Only the Detroit Pistons' 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 had more.
In a wild back-and-forth affair, both teams had hit 110 points by three-quarter time, and after the Kings trailed by 11 with three minutes left, the visitors rallied back with a 17-6 run to close regulation and tie it up at 153-153.
All-Star Domantas Sabonis fouled out in the first overtime period with 20 points (eight-of-14 shooting), 10 rebounds and four assists to his name, leaving Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox to run the show.
A pair of clutch Monk free throws forced a second overtime, where Monk again rose to the occasion with a deep three to cut the Clippers' lead to one with a minute to play, setting up Fox for the go-ahead basket with 36 seconds on the clock.
Monk finished with a career-high 45 points on 15-of-24 shooting, while Fox finished two points shy of his career-high with 42 on 17-of-27 shooting with 12 assists.
Both the Kings and Clippers set new franchise-records for their most points in a single game.
Kawhi Leonard finished one point away from his career-high with 44 points (16-of-22 shooting), three steals and two blocks, and he also tied his career-high for minutes played with 46.
With the win, the Kings strengthened their position sitting third in the Western Conference at 34-25, while the Clippers (33-29) are 2.5 games back in fifth.
Randle ties career-high
New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle tied his career-high with 46 points during Friday's 115-109 road win against the Washington Wizards.
Randle shot 16-of-29 from the field, including seven-of-14 from deep, making up for an off shooting night by running-mate Jalen Brunson (six-of-20).
In his first game since returning from an injury he suffered on January 18, Mitchell Robinson returned to the Knicks' starting line-up and put together a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double, while finishing with a game-high plus/minus of plus 13.
Klay catches fire
Future Hall of Fame marksman Klay Thompson put on a shooting display against the Houston Rockets as he drilled 12 three-pointers in the Golden State Warriors' 116-101 victory.
All 12 of Thompson's field goals came from long range, finishing 12-of-19 from the field and 12-of-17 from deep for his game-high 42 points.
There have only been eight instances in NBA history of a player hitting 12 threes in a single game. Thompson has three of them – two of which have been this month – and he is the only player to make 14.
It will be third time lucky for followers of Jake Paul and Tommy Fury on Sunday as their twice-rescheduled bout finally takes place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, and there are more than a few scores to settle.
Boxing has changed a lot recently, as demonstrated by the sheer interest generated by a fight between a YouTube personality and a Love Island runner-up.
While purists may sneer at Paul's lack of boxing clout and his stated ambition of becoming world champion, the fighters' rivalry has undeniably set tongues wagging.
Their feud can be traced back over two years and involves accusations of faking injuries, interventions from Tyson Fury and pledges from both men to end the other's career.
Here, Stats Perform takes a look back at the taunts, the postponements and the controversies that have marked their rivalry.
March 2021: Tyson throws down the gauntlet
Tommy Fury's all-conquering brother Tyson Fury is often good value on social media, and the Gypsy King got the ball rolling for one of boxing's most talked-about feuds.
After Tommy Fury dispatched Scott Williams, his older brother offered congratulations on Twitter, suggesting Paul – who was gearing up to face former mixed martial artist Ben Askren – as his next opponent.
Paul responded by claiming he didn't know the elder Fury had a brother, but the duo would quickly become familiar with one another.
May-November, 2021: Paul gets personal, bout gets made
After British fighter Fury pledged to face Paul "any time, any place", the American stepped up his taunts and insults.
"Tommy, no one gives a f*** about you if it wasn't for your older brother, who I respect, or your catfish girlfriend [Molly-Mae Hague, a fellow Love Island contestant]," he said. "We all made you famous. You didn't make yourself famous."
Paul then provoked Fury by sharing a message he alleged he had received from Hague, asking him to give her a tour of the United States, which she claimed to be fake.
Paul told Fury to "make the right choice" and sign a deal to face off before the end of 2021, with a bout agreed shortly thereafter.
December 6, 2021: Fury's fitness woes
It's fair to say the reaction to the bout – initially set for Tampa, Florida on December 18, 2021 – was mixed. The prospect of a 'genuine' boxer – even one whose previous victories had largely come against journeymen – stepping into the ring with a YouTuber drew extreme reactions.
While Fury acknowledged he only agreed to the fight for financial reasons, promoter Eddie Hearn said: "If Tommy loses, he should go to a desert island and stay there for life."
With less than a fortnight to go before the fight, a chest infection and a broken rib prompted a "heartbroken" Fury to withdraw, attracting Paul's ire.
"He was scared," Paul said, before knocking down Fury's late replacement Tyron Woodley in the sixth round.
June 2022: Madison Square mayhem
Fury returned to the ring to beat Daniel Bocianski in April 2022, but negotiations for a rearranged meeting with Paul rumbled on, with a breakthrough reached in June.
"It's official, I'm taking little Fury's head off," Paul wrote on Twitter as the fight was pencilled in for August 6 at Madison Square Garden.
While Fury avoided fitness issues, the Manchester-born fighter was denied boarding when attempting to travel Stateside, with visa problems causing another postponement.
Referring to Fury as "Tommy Fumbles", Paul accused his opponent of deliberately avoiding the fight. Paul then returned to action in October, recording his most impressive win yet against former UFC champion Anderson Silva.
January 27, 2023: Third time lucky?
"The moment of truth has finally arrived," Paul announced last month. "On February 26, I will get in the ring with a 'real boxer,' and show the world the truth."
With Paul now 6-0 in professional bouts, a deal was finally agreed for him to face Fury in Diriyah.
Englishman Fury was in bullish mood.
"Jake Paul's boxing career ends on February 26 and I can finally move on with mine," Fury declared. "The world is about to see what happens when a proper boxer faces a YouTuber."
Shortly before the bout was confirmed, Tyson Fury weighed in once more. "It's going to be fun, and I expect Tommy to chin him," he said. "If he doesn't, he can stay in Saudi Arabia!"
January 29-30, 2023: Paul's doubts and baby controversy
Despite an agreement being reached for the fight, Paul told BBC Sport he "definitely" harboured doubts as to Fury's willingness to appear.
Paul attracted heavy criticism in the immediate aftermath of the bout being made, after 'announcing' the birth of Fury and Hague's child on Twitter before the couple staged their own reveal.
When Hague posted an image of newborn daughter Bambi on social media, Paul commented: "Just in time to watch your dad get knocked out."
February 23, 2023: 'Double or nothing' deal as foes face off
Despite Paul's doubts, Fury hailed "the best camp of my life" on social media before jetting off to Saudi Arabia last week.
The duo finally came face-to-face at Thursday's press conference, shaking on a "double or nothing" offer from Paul, who suggested Fury should receive no payment if he loses.
Paul and Fury were separated amid a minor fracas as both taunted the other about their previous fights, with the latter sending out a warning.
"This is in my heart, blood and soul, and you're going to feel that," Fury said. "You should have stuck to easy money fighting old men."
For a fight two years in the making with the backdrop of a deeply personal rivalry, the stage is finally set.
England have put themselves in a winning position after day two of their second Test in New Zealand, with three quickfire James Anderson wickets torpedoing the hosts' chances.
The visitors resumed on Saturday at 315-3 with Harry Brook and Joe Root at the crease, with Brook only adding two more runs to reach 186 off 176 deliveries before getting caught-and-bowled by Matt Henry.
Root, who picked things up at 101 not-out, made his way to 153 not-out from 224 deliveries. After just 28 of his first 101 runs came via boundaries (seven fours), he put the foot down on day two, with 32 of his 52 runs resulting from three fours and three sixes.
New Zealand quick Neil Wagner caused Ben Stokes to mistime a pull shot and lob an easy one to mid-off on 27, and spinner Michael Bracewell removed Ben Foakes (duck) and Stuart Broad (14).
Henry came back in and collected his fourth wicket, dismissing Ollie Robinson for 18, and with England at 435-8 they decided to declare and have a bowl in swinging conditions.
The decision paid early dividends, with Anderson starting like a house on fire.
Anderson got the wicket of opener Devon Conway (duck) in the first over, with a review finding the faintest of edges through to Foakes behind the stumps.
England's all-time leading wicket taker then caught the edge of Black Caps talisman Kane Williamson (four), and Foakes had three catches by the ninth over after Anderson removed Will Young (two).
Anderson's onslaught left New Zealand at 21-3 – the same mark England were before Brook and Root's heroic partnership – but there was little resistance waiting in the wings, as Jack Leach took three wickets and Broad nabbed one to make it 138-7.
For the second day in a row stumps were called hours before the scheduled finish time due to heavy rain, and the weather may be the hosts' only chance of salvaging a result.
Brook second to Bradman
Despite only mustering two more runs after resuming play, Brook's 186 raised his average to 89.88 from nine innings.
Among all players with at least five Test innings, Brook's average is second to only Sir Donald Bradman (99.94).
Anderson's bread and butter
All three of Anderson's early wickets were caught behind by the wicketkeeper – a familiar sight for the legendary quick.
No player has ever registered more dismissals via that method, with Anderson's 191 now giving him 39 more than second-placed Glenn McGrath.
Among the top-five – McGrath, Broad, Courtney Walsh and Dale Steyn – Anderson's percentage of wickets caught behind (27.88 per cent) is the highest.
The Milwaukee Bucks are waiting for an update on Giannis Antetokounmpo after their two-time MVP was forced to leave Friday's game early after a clash of knees.
Antetokounmpo played just six minutes before he signalled to the bench to take him out, but the Bucks did not miss a beat as they blew out the Miami Heat 128-99.
All-Star Jrue Holiday picked up the slack with a team-high 24 points on nine-of-14 shooting, adding seven assists and five rebounds, while Bobby Portis chipped in 18 points (seven-of-11 shooting) and 11 rebounds off the bench.
For the Heat, Kevin Love was given a spot in the starting line-up after being bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he finished with eight rebounds, four assists and zero points, missing all four of his three-point attempts.
Touching on the status of his star player after the win, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said he is still not sure of the severity.
"I haven’t gotten the full breakdown, but I’m pretty sure either on a drive or on a screen or something like that, he knocked knees with somebody and just wasn’t able to return," he said.
Antetokounmpo was only able to make a ceremonial start in the All-Star Game as he used the break to recover from a wrist injury, and Holiday said he would like to see the franchise exercise some caution with him, given their strong position.
"Sometimes you have to stop him from himself," he said. "Being able to calm down and maybe even not play a couple of games, knowing that we're the number two [seed], knowing that we're all right.
"I know he doesn't like it. He tries to play every single game, which I completely understand. I feel like I'm the same way."
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra agreed that the Bucks can survive without Antetokounmpo if necessary.
"It didn't slow them down one bit when Giannis went out," he said. "They just put it in overdrive."
The win improves the Bucks' record to 42-17, just one game behind the league-leading Boston Celtics (43-17), while the Heat sit seventh in the East at 32-28.
The top two seeds at the Rio Open remain on a collision course after both Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie advanced to the semi-finals on Friday.
World number two and top overall seed Alcaraz was strong in his 6-4 7-6 (7-0) victory over Serbia's Dusan Lajovic, improving his unbeaten record in 2023 to 6-0.
Alcaraz has his eyes set on his second title win in a row after also emerging triumphant in last week's Argentina Open.
Meanwhile, Norrie had to fight back from an early deficit to eliminate Hugo Delien 4-6 6-1 6-4, with the world number 13 and second seed now boasting eight wins from his past nine matches. The only loss during that stretch was to Alcaraz in the Argentina Open decider.
For a chance to avenge that loss, Norrie will have to beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles after he overcame Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4 2-6 6-4 in an all-Spanish quarter-final.
Alcaraz will contend with Nicolas Jarry, after the unseeded Chilean knocked out his second seeded opponent of the tournament, this time getting the better of Sebastian Baez 6-3 7-6 (7-3).
Former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is nearing an agreement to fill the Atlanta Hawks' head coaching vacancy.
According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Snyder is expected to command a salary in the range of $8million per year to replace Nate McMillan, whom the Hawks fired Tuesday with the team sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break.
The 56-year-old Snyder is arguably the top available coach on the market after leading the Jazz to six consecutive postseason appearances before resigning in June. Utah compiled a 294-178 regular-season record over that six-year stretch, the highest winning percentage among Western Conference teams and the third highest in the NBA.
Utah was not able to achieve the same success during the postseason, however, as the Jazz failed to advance past the conference semifinals in each of those six playoff trips.
Atlanta's interest in Snyder, a Hawks assistant under current Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer in 2013-14, was already known after general manager Landry Fields told reporters Wednesday the former Duke player and assistant coach was among those the team was considering to replace McMillan.
McMillan took over as Atlanta’s interim head coach after the team fired Lloyd Pierce during the 2020-21 season and went 27-11 to lead the Hawks to the East’s fifth seed. Atlanta later upset top-seeded Philadelphia in the second round to reach the conference finals before losing to Milwaukee in six games.
The Hawks removed the interim tag from McMillan shortly after that strong run, but Atlanta was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in 2021-22 and struggled to find consistency this season. Atlanta took a 29-30 record into the All-Star break after entering the campaign with high expectations, fuelled by the offseason acquisition of guard Dejounte Murray to pair with All-Star Trae Young.
McMillan amassed a 98-80 regular-season record with Atlanta, who tabbed assistant Joe Prunty to serve as interim coach for Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reigning Korn Ferry Tour Championship winner Justin Suh has a chance to win his first PGA Tour event after finishing Friday's second round of the Honda Classic with the outright lead.
Suh, 25, produced a near-perfect campaign last season on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing number one overall in points, winning the Tour Championship and being voted the tour's Player of the Year.
He has made the cut in eight of his 11 events to start his PGA Tour career, and after collecting his first top-20 in January's Farmers Insurance Open, he is looking to break through in a big way.
After his opening 66 at PGA National, Suh followed it up with a six-under 64 to reach 10 under overall and take a one-stroke lead into the weekend.
Alone in second place is Chris Kirk, who sits one shot back at nine under after posting a 62 for Friday's round of the day.
England's Ben Taylor is joined by American Monday qualifier Ryan Gerard in a tie for third at eight under, while the trio of Ben Martin, Eric Cole and Brice Garnett round out the top-five at seven under.
After finishing the opening round tied for the lead, both Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett fell back into a tie for 28th, following their 65s with a pair of 73s.
With none of the world's top-17 golfers in the field, world number 20 Shane Lowry will feel he still has a chance from his position at four under, tied for 16th, while 18th-ranked Im Sung-jae is at two under.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter revealed he has received messages wishing death on him and his family during his short time in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Potter, whose team travel to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, has struggled to build a winning team since replacing Thomas Tuchel in September.
While Chelsea have bought extensively, assembling a large squad at great expense, Potter's Chelsea sit 10th in the table and are almost certain to miss out on a top-four finish.
The head coach has faced criticism in recent times, with a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton last week a low point of his reign.
Chelsea have scored just six goals in their last 11 Premier League games and have netted more than once in just one of their last 14 league outings.
While some fans still show patience, others have turned against Potter, and a small minority have expressed their disenchantment viciously.
Potter said on Friday: "If you go to work and somebody is swearing at you, it's not going to be pleasant. If you’re referred to as the worst person in the history of the club.
"I want to succeed here. There's this nonsense I don't care. My response would be, 'Where’s your evidence on that?'.
"Not that I'd let you do it, but you can ask my family how my life has been for me and for them. It's been not pleasant at all."
He remains "really grateful" to have the Chelsea job and knows some people will be dismissive of the problems of a football coach on a huge salary.
"Nevertheless if you ask me, 'Is it hard, is it tough, is it nice to hear?', as much as I've had support, I've had some not particularly nice emails come through that want me to die and want my kids to die. That's obviously not pleasant," Potter said.
He sees talk of him facing pressure in the media all the time, and is often answering questions on the subject.
"And if we don't get the results then obviously that's what happens," Potter said. "You suffer, and you get upset. When you're in private you show real emotion with your family."
The former Brighton and Hove Albion boss said he would continue to "act with an integrity that is right for me".
"I never want to be anybody else. I don't want to be fake," Potter said. "I'll do my best and if my best isn't good enough, OK, I accept that."
Andy Murray will play Daniil Medvedev in the Qatar Open final after the 35-year-old came through yet another lengthy contest in his semi-final against Jiri Lehecka.
Murray appeared to be on course for a routine win after taking the first set 6-0, but was broken early in the second, eventually losing 6-3 to take him to a fourth three-set contest in four matches this week in Doha.
Lehecka should have won a hard-fought decider when 5-4 and 40-0 up on his own serve, but Murray's trademark resilience saw him break back despite facing five match points against, before ultimately winning the tie-break 8-6.
"I don't know how I managed to turn that match around," Murray said after the win. "In the 5-4 game, I think I played most of the match points really well. He missed one bad shot on the deuce point in that game at 5-4, but I played the match points pretty well.
"It's been an amazing start to the year. I have never experienced this in my whole career, like this many matches... It was sort of looking [like it might be a quicker match] for 30 minutes and then it turned into something completely different. Yeah, just amazing that I managed to turn that around."
Murray equalled Jimmy Connors for the fifth-most ATP hard court wins in the Open Era (489), and will play Medvedev in the final after the Russian's 6-4 7-6 (9-7) win against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The Canadian had three set points in the second set tie-break to try and force a decider, but Medvedev showed determination to turn it around and seal his place against Murray in the final.
At the Open 13 Provence, number one seed Hubert Hurkacz is through to face Alexander Bublik in the semi-finals, with both also having to come through three-set matches in a deciding tie-break.
Hurkacz was finally able to overcome Mikael Ymer 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8-6) before Bublik defeated Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 3-6 7-6 (8-6).
Third seed Alex de Minaur was shocked by Benjamin Bonzi, who broke the world number 23 four times on his way to a 6-2 6-4 victory to avenge his third-round defeat at the Australian Open.
Bonzi will meet qualifier Arthur Fils in the final four after the French 18-year-old beat former world number three Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 to reach a second straight tour-level semi-final.
Bukayo Saka needs to protect himself from roughhouse tactics but manager Mikel Arteta warned he must stay within the laws of the game.
Saka reacted angrily to a challenge from Philippe Coutinho during Arsenal's 4-2 win at Aston Villa last weekend, shoving the former Liverpool man before team-mates intervened.
Saka has been involved in 49 Premier League goals for Arsenal (26 goals, 23 assists), and could become the youngest player to reach 50 goal involvements in the competition since Cesc Fabregas in 2008 should he score or assist against Leicester City on Saturday.
With teams increasingly looking to use tough tackling to halt the 21-year-old's sparkling displays, Arteta feels Saka has a right to defend himself.
"The first one who has to protect Bukayo is himself," Arteta said. "There's many ways to do that on a football pitch, within the rules, and he needs to learn and improve that.
"He reacted in a way, but that line is extremely thin and that cannot take him out of his game and lose his focus.
"But he can help that, as well, to have more focus, more determination, more belief for the next action. It's something he needs to do."
Saka is set to make his 32nd Arsenal appearance of the season against Leicester on Saturday, while he also started four of England's five games at the World Cup in Qatar.
Arteta pointed to Saka's mentality as the reason for his ability to play so many matches, explaining: "I really see his determination and where he wants to get to.
"He really wants to get there and have that resilience and that capacity to consistently show a certain level. He has a great physical element to be able to play every three days. Hopefully he can continue to do that."
With his team top of the Premier League table, two points above closest challengers Manchester City with a game in hand on the reigning champions, Arteta is hoping he can repay the Arsenal board's faith in him by delivering the Gunners' first Premier League title since the 2003-04 'Invincibles' campaign.
The former Gunners midfielder has endured rough periods since taking over in 2019, and he is grateful the board have stuck with him.
Asked how significant trust was between ownership and manager, Arteta said: "It's extremely important, obviously. The people you work with need to have faith, but at the same time they have to see every day what you are doing.
"I think it's something that works very close together, and I was lucky to have the people and the ownership we have. They believed we could continue to do the work that we wanted to do and gave me time. Hopefully we can repay that faith."
The Kansas City Chiefs have promoted Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, the team announced on Friday, filling the void created by Eric Bieniemy's departure.
Nagy is a longtime mentee of head coach Andy Reid and previously served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2016-17.
Nagy was head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, compiling a 34-31 record and collecting honours as the AP's Coach of the Year in 2018.
After he and the Bears parted ways, Nagy returned to Kansas City last February as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach, helping the Chiefs win their third Super Bowl in franchise history.
Bieniemy had served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator for the last five seasons before leaving this offseason for Washington, who named him their assistant head coach and OC.
Nagy has been professionally connected to Reid since 2008, when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles' staff as a coaching intern.
After playing quarterback for the University of Delaware, Nagy was not selected in the 2001 NFL Draft and ended up in the Arena Football League, where he threw over 300 touchdown passes from 2002-08.
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