Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says re-signing Kyrie Irving is the franchise's top offseason priority while he launched a stunning rebuke at Jalen Brunson's trade to the New York Knicks.
The Mavs are in danger of missing the play-in tournament altogether, heading into Wednesday's slate of games in 11th in the Western Conference with a 37-42 record.
Dallas traded in All-Star Irving to play alongside Luka Doncic in February but the side have gone 8-16 since that move, sliding out of contention. The Mavs are 4-11 when Irving and Doncic have played together on the backcourt.
Irving is eligible to leave in the offseason in free agency and Cuban is eager to ensure he stays with the Mavs, having traded away Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and a several of future Draft pick for him only months ago.
Cuban, however, would not be drawn on whether Irving was a max contract player.
"We want him to stay and I think we have a good shot," Cuban said. "I think he's happy here. He tells me he's happy here.
"I think he's a good guy. Everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because of everything I read was 100 per cent wrong."
The Mavs owner was also confident Doncic would stick with the franchise and spend his entire career in Dallas although he acknowledged "we have to earn that".
Doncic is averaging 28.4 points on 45.7 per cent shooting and a career-high 35.3 per cent from beyond the arc with 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists this season.
Cuban was also pressed on guard Brunson, who left the Mavs in July last year for the New York Knicks in a free agency move on a four-year, $104million deal. Doncic admitted earlier this week that the Mavs miss his presence "a lot".
Brunson has since played a key role as the Knicks have clinched a playoffs spot, with career-highs in 24.0 points on 41.6 per cent three-point shooting with 6.2 assists this season.
The Mavs owner blamed the involvement of Brunson's father Rick - who was hired as a Knicks assistant in June last year - in negotiations before Jalen left in a move that attracted an NBA investigation which determined the Knicks had violated tampering rules.
"Things went south when the parents got involved," Cuban said.
Cuban also took responsibility for the Mavs' slide but remained hopeful of a run into the playoffs.
"It's absolutely my fault for not recognising that," Cuban said when asked about their defensive issues. "[But] I haven't heard the fat lady sing yet."
New Zealand's ODI captain Kane Williamson is set to miss this year's ICC World Cup after scans confirmed he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fielding in the Indian Premier League.
The decorated 32-year-old batsman underwent scans on Tuesday having sustained the injury to his right knee fielding in the Gujarat Titans' season opener against the Chennai Super Kings on Friday.
Williamson, who returned to New Zealand following the incident, will likely miss the World Cup in India in October and November given the significant rehabilitation timeframe for an ACL injury.
"I look forward to doing what I can to support [New Zealand coach] Gary [Stead] and the team over the next few months," Williamson said in a New Zealand Cricket statement.
"Naturally it's disappointing to get such an injury, but my focus now is on having the surgery and starting rehab.
"It's going to take some time, but I'll be doing everything I can to get back on the field as soon as possible."
Williamson averages 47.83 across 161 ODIs with 13 centuries and 42 half-centuries, with his absence at the World Cup to be a major blow for the Black Caps. Tom Latham is the leading candidate to take over as captain at the World Cup.
"You take Kane the player for a start, but then Kane the leader and the person he is within our group as well, it's a huge spanner in the works for us," Stead said.
"We haven't given up hope that he might be right but at this stage it does look unlikely. Our first thoughts are with Kane at the moment, it's a tough time for him, it's not an injury you expect…it hits you pretty hard."
New Zealand were beaten in the 2019 World Cup final by England in a dramatic super over on the boundary count back rule. Williamson was named Player of the Tournament in 2019, making 578 runs in 10 games.
Carlo Ancelotti felt Real Madrid played the "perfect match" after a 4-0 thumping of Barcelona at Camp Nou secured their place in the Copa del Rey final with a 4-1 aggregate win.
Madrid faced a daunting task heading to the home of their Clasico rivals, who hold a 12-point lead over Ancelotti's men at LaLiga's summit, facing a one-goal deficit after Eder Militao's own goal gave Barca a 1-0 first-leg victory at the Bernabeu.
But Vinicius Junior levelled the tie just before the break, before Karim Benzema fired in a second-half hat-trick to lead Madrid to a superb triumph and clinch their place in the final against Osasuna on May 6.
Ancelotti was delighted with his side's second-leg heroics, telling reporters at his post-match news conference: "It was a complete game. When you win 4-0 here, it is in every way.
"We played a great game. The first goal changed the dynamics, we found more space in the transitions.
"[It was] a bit hard at first, but in the second half we did very well. We did not panic when they pressed and we knew how to take advantage of the spaces in transitions.
"We played the perfect match."
This season, Benzema has failed to match the same vein of form that saw him win the Ballon d'Or in October, struggling with injuries and not enjoying the same scoring output.
But the striker has netted hat-tricks in back-to-back games since the international break, taking his goals tally for the season to 25 from 31 matches in all competitions.
Ancelotti believes the striker is somewhat back to his brilliant best, saying: "He has done a very good job in the [international] break, he has found optimum condition and his quality makes the difference, without a doubt.
"He has flicked the switch. He is still one of the best players in the world, without a doubt. If he's fit, he's one of the best.
"He can win another Ballon d'Or because he is one of the best forwards in the world."
Xavi was disappointed by Barcelona's failure to win "moments" after they were romped by Clasico rivals Real Madrid 4-0 at the Camp Nou to fall to a 4-1 Copa del Rey semi-final aggregate defeat.
An Eder Militao own goal in the first leg at the Bernabeu meant Barca headed into Wednesday's return match on home turf with a one-goal advantage.
But a strong first half by Barca ended with a short period of play that would prove crucial, as Thibaut Courtois made a brilliant save to deny Robert Lewandowski before a sweeping counter-attack ended with Vinicius Junior levelling the tie.
Madrid then sealed their progression with a brilliant second half, as Karim Benzema's hat-trick put the 31-time winners out and set Carlo Ancelotti's men up to meet Osasuna in the final on May 6.
Xavi was left frustrated by his team's failure to match their first-half display, telling Movistar+: "It is a difficult night to digest. This is football.
"You have to compete better. We have competed well until 1-0. They are moments that we have to stop. We could have also stopped the 2-0 moment. In short, they are details that we have to control.
"In the first half we were very good, but that's what I said: football is about moments and we didn't take advantage of them.
"When football is so even, you have to take advantage of the moments. We didn't do it in the first half and they did in the second. They have been superior, no excuses."
Xavi credited Madrid for their excellent second-leg display, saying: "I already said yesterday that Madrid were favourites.
"We cannot argue that they are a great team. They are the LaLiga and Champions League champions and they do not forgive.
"When you don't kill Madrid, they kill you."
Despite the elimination, Xavi's men hold a 12-point lead over Madrid at the top of LaLiga, and he is hoping his team can put this setback behind them to kick on and claim the title.
"We had a very bad second half, but we have to get up," he said. "Tomorrow we will get up with all the hope to beat Girona.
"It is a tough result, but we have to focus on the league."
Marcus Rashford is keen to see Manchester United back on form after returning to winning ways against Brentford.
The England international struck the only goal of the game to seal victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday, ending a run of three games without a win in the Premier League.
United's struggles in the league began after winning the EFL Cup, suffering a humiliating 7-0 reverse to Liverpool and losing to Newcastle United either side of a goalless draw against Southampton.
Erik ten Hag's side had better results in the cup competitions, advancing in both the FA Cup and Europa League, but the drop of form in the Premier League led to worry in the hunt for a top-four finish.
Now that one hurdle has been overcome, Rashford is keen to build momentum and finish the season on a high.
"We are in that period of the season where every game is important and every game counts so we are pleased to win and hopefully we can get back to where we were a few weeks ago," he told BBC Sport.
"The important thing is always to win the next game. Everyone is clear that we are not going to play our best every week but there is never a time to drop our standards and we have to keep trying to push each other every week.
"We were a bit more patient out of possession; we waited for the right conditions to press rather than pressing every ball. We were calm and kept communicating to try and stop the supplies to their forward men."
United's victory propels them back above Tottenham and into fourth, holding a three-point lead and having a game in hand over the north London side, with Rashford focused on securing Champions League football next season.
"That's the aim – we want to get as many points as we possibly can and we will try and win every game," he added. "We just have to keep playing well and give our best, keep recovering well and move on to the next fixture."
Nantes secured their place in the Coupe de France final for a second successive season after Ludovic Blas' sensational second-half strike secured a deserved 1-0 win against Lyon.
The holders sit 14th in Ligue 1 but have enjoyed another inspired cup run, with Wednesday's upset of Lyon now gifting them the opportunity to win back-to-back crowns.
Jean-Charles Castelletto almost gave Nantes the perfect start but his first-minute effort was saved expertly by Anthony Lopes.
The home side thought they had gone ahead when Samuel Moutoussamy capitalised on a Lyon defensive mistake, but his effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Antoine Kombouare's side would finally make their advantage pay in the second half, however, as Blas fired home a marvellous left-footed effort into the top corner to secure another famous win in front of a frenzied home crowd.
The defending champions will now play either Toulouse or second-tier Annecy in the final on April 29.
Fiorentina have one foot in the Coppa Italia final after a dominant away performance saw them record a 2-0 win against ten-men Cremonese in the first leg of the semi-final.
Arthur Cabral's header and Nicolas Gonzalez's penalty wrapped up a comfortable victory for La Viola, who are now unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions.
Fiorentina were much the better team in the first half and took a deserved lead when Cabral rose highest to head home Cristiano Biraghi's cross in the 20th minute.
Gonzalez should have doubled his side's lead before the break, but the winger saw his close-range header expertly saved by Mouhamadou Sarr's save.
Half-time substitute Cyriel Dessers forced a good save from Pietro Terracciano but Fiorentina found their second when Gonzalez slotted home from the spot after Cabral's effort was blocked by Emanuel Aiwu's hand, with the centre-back sent off after a VAR check.
Vincenzo Italiano's side take their two-goal advantage into the second leg, with the fixture taking place on April 27 at the Artemio Franchi Stadium.
Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Brentford at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Marcus Rashford's first-half strike was enough to see off the Bees, ending a three-match winless streak for Erik ten Hag's side in the league since winning the Carabao Cup.
Brentford could not muster much of a response in the second half, United controlling the flow of the game throughout.
Though the scoreline was far from flattering, it sealed a vital three points for United that moves them back ahead of Tottenham and into fourth position.
The hosts dominated possession early on but were unable to test David Raya in the Brentford net, Scott McTominay firing an effort over the top of the crossbar before Antony cut inside onto his left and curled an effort wide.
United's breakthrough came after 27 minutes, Brentford not clearing their lines effectively from a corner and Antony clipping a ball back into the box where Marcel Sabitzer headed down for Rashford to duly smash home.
Brentford were almost gifted an equaliser shortly after the restart, David de Gea put under pressure by Ivan Toney and the keeper's clearance bouncing off the back of the England international and just wide of the post.
Ten Hag's side continued to be on the front foot, though struggling to truly test Raya's capabilities, but Sabitzer tested his reflexes with a low shot from the edge of the box after Rashford's lay-off.
Though United were not able to find more effectiveness in front of goal, any threat of a Brentford comeback was unfounded as United held firm to clinch three valuable points.
Real Madrid reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time since 2014 as a Karim Benzema hat-trick and a Vinicius Junior strike earned a 4-0 Clasico victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou and a 4-1 triumph on aggregate.
Eder Militao's own goal at the Bernabeu had Barca heading into Wednesday's second leg with a 1-0 advantage, but Vinicius' goal in first-half added time got Madrid back into the tie.
Carlo Ancelotti's men then took over after the break, Benzema putting them ahead with a sublime finish before coolly converting from the spot after Vinicius was felled.
The reigning Ballon d'Or winner clinched his hat-trick late on to dump the 31-time winners out and set Madrid up to meet Osasuna in the showpiece match on May 6.
Barca started brightly with Sergi Roberto and Raphinha seeing early efforts foiled, though alert defending was needed by Ronald Araujo at the other end to deny Vinicius.
Tempers were starting to fray in a typically high-charged encounter, Xavi booked for dissent before Gavi and Vinicius were cautioned for a fracas in midfield. The visitors remained focused, though, to level the tie just before half-time.
After Courtois made a superb stop to deny Robert Lewandowski, Madrid flew up the other end, and though Jules Kounde initially blocked Vinicius' shot, it crept over the line to make it 1-1 on aggregate.
Ancelotti's side took the lead shortly after the break, Luka Modric teeing up Benzema to expertly stroke into the bottom-left corner.
Madrid then landed a killer blow shortly after, Franck Kessie bringing Vinicius down in the box for a penalty before Benzema stepped up and ruthlessly slotted into the bottom-right corner.
Benzema sealed his hat-trick with 10 minutes to play, delicately dinking over Marc-Andre ter Stegen to send his team cruising into the final.
The Denver Nuggets could have clinched the one seed in the Western Conference by the time they face a Phoenix Suns team already sure of the four seed.
Denver will secure the one seed on Wednesday if the two seed Memphis Grizzlies lose to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Should the Grizzlies stay in the hunt with a victory, however, then the Nuggets will go into their penultimate road game of the season knowing a win will see them finish top of the pile in the West. The Nuggets have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Grizzlies.
The outcome of the Grizzlies' game in New Orleans may therefore impact whether the Nuggets elect to play their stars, including MVP contender Nikola Jokic.
Phoenix, meanwhile, have little reason to risk the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
The Suns are locked into the four seed in the West, but if they want to lay down a marker ahead of a postseason in which they may well face a first-round series with the defending champion Golden State Warriors, this could prove a compelling potential playoff preview.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Phoenix Suns – Kevin Durant
The Nuggets recently received a reminder of the damage Durant can do. The former MVP and two-time Finals MVP tallied 30 points in the Suns' 100-93 win over Denver on March 31.
He followed that up with 35 points against Oklahoma City Thunder, having been booed by the home crowd, fans of the team where he first made his name. Though he cooled off and had only 18 in the win over the San Antonio Spurs last time out, Durant is in ominous form ahead of the playoffs, and a battle with the potential MVP could further whet his appetite for the postseason.
Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic
Even if the Nuggets already have the one seed wrapped up, perhaps Jokic might play in this high-profile encounter to improve his MVP odds.
Joel Embiid is the heavy favourite after his 52-point showing for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics.
But if Jokic can play a starring role against the Suns, could that be enough to tilt the race back in his favour?
KEY BATTLE – Can Suns foil the fast break?
The Nuggets rank fifth in the NBA in fast break points with 16.3 per game. Phoenix, meanwhile, have excelled at stopping teams scoring in that fashion, allowing an average of just 13 fast break points.
Regardless of the makeup of the two teams and the playoff scenarios at play, that area of the game will go a long way to deciding the victor.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Suns have won three of their last five against the Nuggets. They have won their last two as the home team, having lost their previous five as the hosts in this matchup.
Punjab Kings fended off a Rajasthan Royals fightback after a stunning spell from Nathan Ellis had teed up a five-run win that saw them start the 2023 IPL with back-to-back victories.
Both teams had enjoyed opening wins, and this match too could have gone either way despite the Kings appearing to be in complete control thanks to Ellis.
After Punjab captain Shikhar Dhawan did the heavy lifting with 86 not out to see his side finish on 197-4, Ellis (4-30) took a series of vital wickets to slow the Royals' response.
Luck was initially on the Australia bowler's side as an inside edge looped up off Jos Buttler's pad for a smart catch for 19.
Sanju Samson carried the scoring burden, making 42, before he too departed off the bowling of Ellis, who also accounted for Riyan Parag (20) from his next delivery, then bowled Devdutt Paddikal (21) later in the same over.
A deep Royals line-up still contained Shimron Hetmyer (36 off 18) and impact player Dhruv Jurel (32 not out off 15), and the pair combined for a quick 61.
But even with Ellis' allocation up, Hetmyer had himself run out in the final over as Sam Curran (0-44) just about kept the batting side at bay.
Chahal's slow progress
This was not a night IPL veteran Yuzvendra Chahal will reflect on particularly fondly, even if it saw him edge closer to the tournament's wickets record.
His figures of 1-50 were damaging – Punjab scoring easily despite some fine fielding, including from Buttler – but the wicket of Jitesh Sharma was his 171st in the IPL, moving ahead of Lasith Malinga and now trailing only Dwayne Bravo (183).
Electric Ellis excels
Both teams named unchanged XIs, meaning Ellis was preferred to 99-wicket Kagiso Rabada. The Australian had only five IPL wickets to his name prior to this match.
Ellis significantly added to that tally, however, his spell turning the tide and providing a reminder of the talent that saw him take a hat-trick on his T20I debut in 2021 – even if Curran's contribution was still required to get the job done.
Wolves winger Daniel Podence has been charged by the Football Association (FA) for allegedly spitting at Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson in Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw.
During a disagreement between the two sets of players towards the end of the second half, Podence and Johnson exchanged words at close proximity.
Although replays appeared to show Podence in the act of spitting, footage was unable to conclusively prove if the Portugal international actually spat, and therefore the VAR review did not lead to a red card.
Johnson was asked about the incident at full-time and, while he told Sky Sports he was not going to "allegate [Podence]", the Forest player also claimed he "felt like some sort of spit came towards my face".
The FA seemingly saw enough to deem Podence worthy of retrospective punishment on Wednesday.
A statement read: "Wolverhampton Wanderers' Daniel Podence has been charged after the forward allegedly spat at an opposing player during the 90th minute."
The FA also charged Forest for their players surrounding the referee in the first half, while both teams' assistant managers will answer charges of improper and/or violent conduct.
Joe Joyce expressed confidence he could overcome Anthony Joshua and feels he can provide a route back into title contention.
Joshua returned to winning ways against Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena last weekend, albeit not with the most impressive performance.
The 33-year-old is rebuilding his career after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, which saw him cede his three heavyweight belts to the Ukrainian.
Joshua has taken on a new trainer in the United States and called out compatriot Tyson Fury following his unanimous decision win against Franklin.
Discussions for that bout have previously fallen through, however, and Joyce believes he possesses a route back into the title picture that should appeal to Joshua.
"I'd knock both of them out with their performance the other night. I'd definitely force a stoppage on Franklin and Joshua's ripe for the picking," he told Sky Sports.
"It wasn't great but [Joshua] got the job done. He went 12 rounds, I thought he would come with some more firepower and aim to push a stoppage but he wasn't really putting shots together.
"He was [using] single shots and boxed kind of like he did in the [Andy] Ruiz second fight. So, it was a little bit disappointing.
"He seems to have gone, in my opinion, a bit backwards. He hasn't progressed. I think he lacked the combinations, but I think Franklin was a tough guy.
"That would be his route back in. It would definitely be his way back in because I'm in front of him now, at last, high up the rankings and obviously got the WBO Interim.
"I was always trying to catch up with him but now I've overtaken him, so that's good. That's what I wanted. But I haven't caught up to him financially yet so I need to have those big fights."
FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemned racist chants from Juventus fans towards Inter striker Romelu Lukaku during their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.
Lukaku scored a penalty in stoppage time to earn visitors Inter a 1-1 draw in Turin on Tuesday, duly celebrating by holding a finger to his lips in front of Juve supporters as a response to abuse.
The celebration was deemed provocative and the Belgian was sent off for a second bookable offence, with the incident leading to a confrontation between the two sets of players.
Lukaku released a statement on Wednesday demanding action from Italian authorities, which has been widely supported by other big names in the football world.
Infantino labelled the chants "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.
Infantino said: "Football has no place for racism or any form of discrimination.
"It is simply unacceptable to see the racist abuse aimed by spectators at Inter forward Romelu Lukaku during the Coppa Italia match at Juventus in Turin.
"FIFA and I stand with Romelu Lukaku, just as we do with any other player, coach, match official, fan or participant in a football match who has suffered from racism or any other form of discrimination.
"Victims of those abuses must be supported, and the perpetrators duly punished by all authorities.
"I repeat the call made earlier this year for fans to stand up and silence the racists.
"Equally, in football, we need to ensure that strict sporting sanctions are applied to address such incidents and to serve as a deterrent."
In Lukaku's message earlier in the day, he was keen to highlight how such incidents are recurring rather than isolated.
"History repeats. [I've] been through it in 2019 and [now in] 2023 again," he said via Instagram.
"I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone.
"Thank you for the supportive messages. F*** racism."
His message has received support from the likes of Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe wrote on Instagram: "2023 and still the same problems. But we are not going to let you get away with it."
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