American Wyndham Clark shot a bogey-free day to go two strokes clear of the pack while English pair Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood are still in the mix after day three of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte on Saturday.
Clark finished the day with eight-under 63 to become the outright leader going into the last day on the tournament with 16-under at Quail Hollow, with American Xander Schauffele two strokes behind.
If Clark can hold on to the lead on the last day it will be the 29-year-old’s first ever PGA Tour win.
After finishing day two tied in first place with Clark and Schauffele, Hatton continued his good form but could not keep up with the top two.
Hatton had six birdies and three bogeys to end the day with 68 and tied in third with Australian Adam Scott who are both on eleven-under, five strokes behind Clark.
Tommy Fleetwood had a strong outing with five birdies and just one bogey which came on the last hole of the day.
He finished the day tied fifth with South Korean Sungjae Im and American Harris English on ten-under.
Rory McIlroy had another inconsistent day in Charlotte and looks out of the running for his fourth Wells Fargo Championship, finishing the day tied in 50th place.
McIlroy hit four bogeys and four birdies and finished the day one-under.
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes was criticised by Toto Wolff as being “a nasty piece of work” after the British driver qualified only 13th for the Miami Grand Prix.
As Sergio Perez took a surprise pole position – with Charles Leclerc’s late crash resulting in a red flag to leave Max Verstappen ninth on the grid – Hamilton endured another sobering evening in his unruly machine.
Fernando Alonso joins Perez on the front row following another impressive display by the evergreen Spaniard, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz third.
Kevin Magnussen qualified fourth for Haas ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell. Leclerc, who broke his rear wing in the accident at Turn 7, qualified seventh.
On Friday, Hamilton described the performance of his lacklustre Mercedes as “a kick in the guts”, and his mood will only have worsened after he was eliminated from Q2, an eye-watering 1.1 seconds off the pace, and two tenths down on Russell.
He returned to the pits shaking his head and took aim at Mercedes for leaving him with too much to do by not releasing him early enough for his final attempt in Q2.
“We left that way too late, guys,” he said over the radio. Hamilton now trails team-mate Russell 4-1 in qualifying after the opening five rounds.
“There is not a lot to say to Lewis because the car is simply not fast enough,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff.
“Putting him in a situation on his out lap where the driver is not able to prepare his tyres makes it even worse.
“We are not trying to make mistakes. We are trying to give the drivers the best position on the track, and we have in the past got it wrong many times, and also got it right many times. But if things go badly, they compound the situation.
“I take no enjoyment from finishing sixth (with Russell) and it is the lack of comprehension of what is wrong that makes this car such a nasty piece of work.
“The car is not a good car. There are problems everywhere, with the base performance of the car and the lack of understanding of the car. The performance is just really bad. It is not acceptable.”
Hamilton, already 45 points behind championship leader Verstappen, started Saturday’s running on the backfoot following a near-miss with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.
The 38-year-old was on his first speedy lap of the afternoon when he was blocked by the Dane under braking at Turn 17. Hamilton was forced to take evasive action, brushing the barriers in the process.
“Check the front wing”, said the Mercedes driver, who swiftly dived into the pits for repairs. “I just hit the wall.”
Commenting on his lowly grid slot for Sunday’s 57-lap race, Hamilton said: “We knew it would be very hard and there was a 50:50 chance we could get into Q3 so we needed to be better with our timing.
“But it’s done. I’ll try and get my head down tomorrow and see what I can do – 13th to God knows where.”
Verstappen looked set to secure pole after dominating practice, but he made a mistake in his first run in Q3.
Then, with less than two minutes remaining, Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari and thudded into the wall.
The session was red-flagged and did not restart, leaving Verstappen, who leads Perez by just six points in the standings, in the midfield.
“F*** sake,” said the Dutchman over the radio after he was unable to complete his final lap.
For Perez, his pole comes a week after winning in Azerbaijan, and provides him with the chance to assume control of the world championship.
“It has been a bad weekend,” said the Mexican, who had struggled to get up to speed in his Red Bull before qualifying.
“But we made a small change and everything came alive. Tomorrow is an opportunity starting from pole and we will go out there and enjoy this amazing crowd.”
Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix from 13th following a qualifying session to forget for the seven-time world champion in the United States.
As Sergio Perez took a surprise pole position after Charles Leclerc’s late crash resulted in a red flag to leave Max Verstappen ninth on the grid – Hamilton endured another sobering evening in his unruly Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso joins Perez on the front row following another impressive display by the evergreen Spaniard, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz third.
Kevin Magnussen qualified fourth for Haas ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Russell. Leclerc, who broke his rear wing in the accident at Turn 8, qualified seventh.
Hamilton ended Q2 an eye-watering 1.1 seconds off the pace and two tenths down on team-mate Russell.
Hamilton, who returned to the pits shaking his head, took aim at Mercedes for leaving him with too much to do at the Hard Rock Stadium
“We left that way too late, guys,” he said over the radio. Hamilton now trails team-mate Russell 4-1 in qualifying after the opening five rounds.
Hamilton, already 45 points behind championship leader Verstappen, started Saturday’s running on the backfoot following a near-miss with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.
The 38-year-old was on his first speedy lap of the afternoon when he was blocked by the Dane under braking at Turn 17.
Hamilton was forced to take evasive action, brushing the barriers in the process.
“Check the front wing”, said the Mercedes driver, who swiftly dived into the pits for repairs. “I just hit the wall.”
The incident will be investigated by the stewards.
Hamilton’s afternoon then took another major setback following a scruffy lap, leaving him way down the order for Sunday’s 57-lap race.
Verstappen looked set to secure pole after dominating practice, but he made a mistake in his first run in Q3.
With less than two minutes remaining, Leclerc then lost control of his Ferrari and thudded into the wall.
The session was red-flagged and did not restart, leaving Verstappen, who leads Perez by just six points in the standings, in the midfield.
“F*** sake,” said the Dutchman over the radio after he was unable to complete his final lap.
Perez’s pole comes a week after his victory in Azerbaijan and provides him with the chance to take the lead of the world championship.
“It has been a bad weekend,” said the Mexican, who had struggled to get up to speed in his Red Bull before qualifying. “But we made a small change and everything came alive.
“Tomorrow is an opportunity starting from pole and we will go out there and enjoy this amazing crowd.”
Both McLarens failed to progress from Q1 with Lando Norris 16th and rookie team-mate Oscar Piastri last but one on another sobering evening for the British team.
The television feed immediately cut to McLaren CEO Zak Brown whose pained expression was evident to see.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant, 22, who was raised in nearby Fort Lauderdale, will bring up the rear for his first F1 race on home soil.
Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix from 13th following a qualifying session to forget for the seven-time world champion in the United States.
Hamilton ended Q2 an eye-watering 1.1 seconds behind pacesetter Max Verstappen and two tenths down on team-mate George Russell, who progressed to the final phase.
Hamilton, who returned to the pits shaking his head, took aim at Mercedes for leaving him with too much to do at the Hard Rock Stadium.
“We left that way too late, guys,” he said over the radio. Hamilton trails team-mate Russell 4-1 in qualifying after the opening five rounds.
Hamilton started Saturday’s running on the backfoot following a near miss with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.
The British driver, 38, was on his first speedy lap of the afternoon when he was blocked by the Dane under braking at Turn 17.
Hamilton was forced to take evasive action, brushing the barriers in the process.
“Check the front wing”, said the Mercedes driver, who swiftly dived into the pits for repairs. “I just hit the wall.”
The incident will be investigated by the stewards.
Both McLarens failed to progress from Q1, with Lando Norris 16th and rookie team-mate Oscar Piastri last but one on another sobering evening for the British team.
The television feed immediately cut to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, whose pained expression was evident to see.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant, 22, who was raised in nearby Fort Lauderdale, will bring up the rear for his first F1 race on home soil.
Aryna Sabalenka turned the tables on Iga Swiatek to win a gripping battle in the final of the Madrid Open.
The world’s two leading female players were meeting in the final for the second event in a row after Swiatek successfully defended her title in Stuttgart.
But the top seed had to settle for second best here as Australian Open champion Sabalenka powered to a 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory to claim her third title of the season.
Although Swiatek still has a big lead in the rankings, the gap has certainly closed and Sabalenka confirmed her status as the best player in 2023 so far ahead of the French Open later this month.
Women’s tennis has been crying out for a rivalry at the top of the game for years and this is shaping up to be a good one, particularly as there appears to be little love lost between the pair.
They are contrasting players with very different personalities – Sabalenka bubbly and ultra-aggressive on court, while Swiatek is a self-declared introvert who uses her supreme athleticism to dominate.
Throw Wimbledon and Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina into the mix, and the WTA can begin to look forward with optimism despite the lack of true household names.
Sabalenka was desperate to get revenge over Swiatek and she learned the lessons from Stuttgart with a controlled but relentlessly offensive first set.
The Belarusian looked frustrated after failing to take two break points at 3-2 but did not allow her head to drop and made the breakthrough to lead 5-3 before clinching her first set on clay against Swiatek.
The Pole responded impressively by opening up a 3-0 lead in the second set but back came Sabalenka to level with some tremendous power tennis and, had she taken her chance to make it four games in a row, the match might have been over.
However, Swiatek dug in and reeled off another three games in a row to level proceedings at the Caja Magica.
Both knew how important the start of the decider was and, with the intensity levels increasing still further, Sabalenka produced some of her best tennis of the match to move 3-0 in front.
Swiatek rallied again as she looked to maintain her proud record in finals – she had won 14 of her previous 16 – but, having levelled at 3-3, Sabalenka broke once more to lead 5-3 and overcame her nerves to clinch her fourth match point.
Max Verstappen took top spot in final practice for the Miami Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton finished only 13th.
Verstappen clocked the best time in Saturday’s running, and the world champion will head into qualifying at 4pm (9pm BST) as the favourite to secure pole position.
Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari – four tenths slower than Verstappen – with Sergio Perez, six points behind Red Bull team-mate Verstappen in the driver standings, third.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished fourth. Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell was 10th.
Hamilton has described Mercedes’ form at the first of three rounds to be staged in the United States as a “kick in the guts”.
He heads into Sunday’s race 45 points behind championship leader Verstappen after just four rounds of the season.
The British driver’s Mercedes team have endured a turbulent campaign. Hamilton finished second in Australia at the beginning of last month to raise hope of a Mercedes fightback.
But the 38-year-old, whose contract with the Brackley team expires in just over six months, was a distant sixth in Azerbaijan last weekend.
And, despite an encouraging opening practice session on Friday, with Russell leading his team-mate in a Mercedes one-two, the Silver Arrows look poised for another troubling weekend.
Hamilton ended the concluding running before qualifying 1.1 seconds slower than Verstappen. Russell outpaced his team-mate by 0.1 sec.
Mercedes are due to introduce an upgrade at the next round in Imola in a fortnight’s time, but team principal Toto Wolff has already warned Hamilton that he will not have the speed to fight with Red Bull.
“I am going to stay optimistic, but it feels like we are racing the same car as last year,” said Hamilton.
“We desperately need those upgrades, that is for sure. We have to keep our heads down for one more race and hopefully we will start a new path at the next race.”
Andy Murray guaranteed a return to the top 50 with victory over Harold Mayot to reach the final of the ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence.
The Scot, currently ranked 52, took a late wild card into the second-tier tournament after losing in the first round of the Madrid Open and has made the most of the opportunity with four victories in a row.
They have all come against French players, and Murray comfortably brushed aside 21-year-old Mayot, ranked 241, 7-5 6-1 to set up a finale against American Tommy Paul.
One consequence of the decision to extend the clay-court Masters events in Madrid and Rome to two weeks each has been the strong Challenger fields this week, with Paul a top-20 player and Australian Open semi-finalist in January.
Murray has certainly gained in confidence through the week and pulled well clear with a run of seven games in a row, Mayot bowing to the pressure being exerted on him by double-faulting to give away the opening set.
Finishing off matches has at times been a struggle for Murray in recent years and he wobbled slightly, missing two match points at 5-0 before finally taking his fifth opportunity to clinch it.
It is Murray’s second final of the season after the ATP Tour event in Doha in February, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.
The Scot is bidding for his first title since Antwerp in 2019, while, should he beat Paul, he would claim his first trophy at Challenger level for 18 years.
He would also climb to just outside the top 40, which would be a major boost to his hopes of being seeded for Wimbledon.
Andy Murray guaranteed a return to the top 50 with victory over Harold Mayot to reach the final of the ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence.
The Scot, currently ranked 52, took a late wild card into the second-tier tournament after losing in the first round of the Madrid Open and has made the most of the opportunity with four victories in a row.
They have all come against French players, and Murray comfortably brushed aside 21-year-old Mayot, ranked 241, 7-5 6-1 to set up a finale against American Tommy Paul.
One consequence of the decision to extend the clay-court Masters events in Madrid and Rome to two weeks each has been the strong Challenger fields this week, with Paul a top-20 player and Australian Open semi-finalist in January.
Murray has certainly gained in confidence through the week and pulled well clear with a run of seven games in a row, Mayot bowing to the pressure being exerted on him by double-faulting to give away the opening set.
Finishing off matches has at times been a struggle for Murray in recent years and he wobbled slightly, missing two match points at 5-0 before finally taking his fifth opportunity to clinch it.
It is Murray’s second final of the season after the ATP Tour event in Doha in February, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.
The Scot is bidding for his first title since Antwerp in 2019, while, should he beat Paul, he would claim his first trophy at Challenger level for 18 years.
He would also climb to just outside the top 40, which would be a major boost to his hopes of being seeded for Wimbledon.
Former world eventing champion Ros Canter is on course for a first Badminton Horse Trials title after the dressage phase.
Lincolnshire-based Canter, who won the world crown in North Carolina five years ago, leads on Lordships Graffalo.
A score of 22.1 penalties edged 2016 Rio Olympian Kitty King and Vendredi Biats into second place overnight, but just 1.5 penalties separate the top five combinations.
And the chasing pack includes two Olympic team gold medallists in Oliver Townend and Tom McEwen, who lie third and fifth respectively aboard Swallow Springs and Toledo De Kerser.
Canter and Lordships Graffalo finished second behind Laura Collett and London 52 at Badminton last year, but 37-year-old Canter now has an outstanding chance of claiming the £105,000 top prize.
Sunday’s demanding cross-country phase will be pivotal – steady rain and testing conditions saw organisers make late alterations to five of the fences – while it all concludes with the showjumping phase on Monday.
“I can’t ask for more than that,” Canter said, reflecting on her dressage test. “If the crowd had stamped their feet, he would have danced even more – that’s why he is so great.
“I have never ridden in these conditions (at five-star level). It will be a case of looking after the horse, riding what is under me and attacking.”
Townend, meanwhile, also has his 2017 Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class in the mix, keeping alive a possibility of finishing first and second, which was last achieved at Badminton 35 years ago by Scotsman Ian Stark.
Sport paid tribute to the King on the day of his coronation as Chelsea forward Sam Kerr led the Australian delegation in the formal procession in London.
Kerr was chosen to bear her country’s flag as part of the Commonwealth, fronting an Australian contingent which included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as they made their way into Westminster Abbey for the service on Saturday morning.
After cricketers had stood to observe the national anthem ahead of day three of the current round of LV= Insurance County Championship matches, the afternoon’s football matches also paid tribute to the King.
Premier League leaders Manchester City hosted Leeds at the Etihad Stadium, where the national anthem was played before kick-off as the players stood around the centre circle while the big screen showed a symbol to mark the coronation.
Ahead of the games at Bournemouth and Tottenham, fans had been given the opportunity to watch the ceremony, as were spectators at the Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire, where events had been paused during the ceremony.
Further afield, Formula One sent its congratulations to the King, with several teams displaying the coronation emblem at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
Sir Alastair Cook – who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 – was among those cricketers who stood to observe the national anthem.
Cook joined his Essex team-mates and opponents from Surrey, including England players Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Will Jacks, as they lined the boundary edge at Chelmsford while God Save the King played out to those in attendance.
There were similar scenes at the likes of Headingley, Ageas Bowl and Trent Bridge, although some of the fixtures were unable to start on time due to rain.
England stars James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow were among the best known faces to take part in proceedings.
Charles, previously the Prince of Wales, has been a patron of Glamorgan since 1986 and they posted a picture of him holding a bat during a visit to Sophia Gardens.
Two matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, at Old Trafford and Chester-le-Street, were marked in similar fashion.
Events in London also had an impact at the Badminton Horse Trials.
Saturday’s dressage started at 8am and paused at 10.15am to allow spectators to watch the coronation on big screens.
The action resumed at 12.45pm, with some screen access still available for those wishing to take in the full ceremony.
Defending champions Nicholas Chen and Aliana McMaster are ready to defend their titles at the Rangers Gun Club and Family Fun Day which is set for Sunday, May 7 beginning at 10 am at the True Juice complex in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.
The Rangers Gun Club is expecting a field of approximately one hundred and fifty shooters along with family members to trek the lush walking course venue for a day of individual and team competition featuring the local gun clubs.
For the second year in a row four clubs will compete for the trophy; Driftwood Gun Club, Jamaica Gun Club, Rangers Gun Club and defending champions, the Trelawny Gun Club.
Competition for top honors will be stiff as some of the Jamaica Skeet Club's best shooters will be vying for top honors. They include nine-time national shotgun champion Ian Banks, six-time national shotgun champion Shaun Barnes, current national shotgun champion Chad Ziadie, his father Geoffrey Ziadie, Ray McMaster, Andrew Hopwood, Ryan Chen and Bobby Chung as well as the high performance family team of female McMasters - Aliana, Wendy (five-time national shotgun champion) and Abigail along with other well known female shooters in Renee Rickhi, who is part of the Jamaica Rifle Association's Alpha Angels lady shooters, Marguerite Harris and Tara Brown.
Shooters in various classes from A- E, Hunters or Beginners, Juniors, Sub-Juniors, and Ladies will be competing in order to win their classes and, in some cases, move up to more challenging classes. The course features a seventeen-station walking course.
Part proceeds from the event will be donated to the Food for the Poor organization.
The lead sponsor for the Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays and Family Day is Sterling Asset Management. Worthy Park Select is the gold sponsor and there are several 'station' sponsors.
The club has rich a history of young business men and some of their fathers who loved shooting getting together in the mid 1980s to start the Rangers Gun Club at their Salt Gully base in St. Catherine.
They initially focused on bird shooting then took on sporting clays which is currently the most popular form of the sport and is said to be the favorite of the younger shooters. The tournament is being brought back by on their request. The club's archives show that Michael Ammar, John Ammar, David Shoucair and Wayne Srour took the leap with Michael Ammar Sr., Sameer Younis and Dr. Badih Shoucair to start the club.
Lewis Hamilton has described Mercedes’ form as a “kick in the guts” – but team principal Toto Wolff insists his superstar driver will still sign a new contract.
Hamilton heads into Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix 45 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen after just four rounds of the season.
The British driver’s Mercedes team have endured a turbulent campaign.
Hamilton finished second in Australia at the beginning of last month to raise hope of a Mercedes’ fightback, but the 38-year-old, whose contract with the Brackley team expires in just over six months, was a distant sixth in Azerbaijan last weekend.
And, despite an encouraging opening practice session at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, with George Russell leading his team-mate in a Mercedes one-two, Hamilton ended the day’s concluding running in seventh, nine tenths back from Verstappen.
Asked for his assessment of Mercedes’ speed in the Sunshine State, Hamilton replied: “It is the same as every weekend.
“We are a second down. We are just not particularly quick. It is a struggle out there.
“We are trying different things. First practice looked good and then we got to second practice and the true pace came out. It is a kick in the guts. It is difficult to take sometimes.”
Mercedes are due to introduce an upgrade at the next round in Imola in a fortnight’s time, but Wolff has already warned Hamilton that he will not have the speed to fight with Red Bull.
Hamilton added: “I am going to stay optimistic, but it feels like we are racing the same car as last year. We desperately need those upgrades, that is for sure.
“We have to keep our heads down for one more race and hopefully we will start a new path at the next race.”
Hamilton’s future with Mercedes, and indeed in Formula One, continues to hang in the air.
But Wolff believes Mercedes’ failure to provide the Briton with a championship-winning machine will not prevent him from extending his stay with the team he joined in 2013.
Wolff said: “We have been together for 11 years, and every single time when we talk about Lewis’s contract, it’s six months of, ‘Where are we and what is happening?’ And we keep seeing the same thing, that we’re just rolling on.
“The contract negotiations are not difficult. It’s just putting a different timeline and a few different numbers in there. That is what we are doing and that is what we are working on.
“It’s a work in progress, bouncing emails back and forth, and eventually we’re going to sign it.”
County cricket paid tribute to the King on the morning of his coronation, while Chelsea’s forward Sam Kerr led the Australian delegation in the formal procession.
Kerr was chosen to bear her country’s flag as part of the Commonwealth, fronting an Australian contingent which included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as they made their way into Westminster Abbey.
Meanwhile, Sir Alastair Cook – who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 – was among those cricketers who stood to observe the national anthem ahead of day three of the current round of LV= County Championship.
Cook joined his Essex team-mates and opponents from Surrey, including England players Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes and Will Jacks, as they lined the boundary edge at Chelmsford as God Save the King played out to those in attendance.
Similar scenes played out at Headingley, Derby and Trent Bridge, though a handful of other fixtures were unable to start on time due to rain. Two matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, at Old Trafford and Chester-le-Street were marked in similar fashion.
James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow were among the best known faces to take part in proceedings.
Charles, previously the Prince of Wales, has been a patron of Glamorgan since 1986 and they posted a picture of him holding a bat during a visit to Sophia Gardens.
Chief executive Hugh Morris said: “As our Patron, King Charles III has a long-standing association with Glamorgan County Cricket Club and we would like to wish His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort well as we celebrate the Coronation on Saturday, 6th May.”
Jayson Tatum bounced back with 27 points and the Boston Celtics received a balanced effort in a 114-102 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
The victory gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the second-round series with Game 4 set for Sunday.
Each Celtics starter reached double figures, with Jaylen Brown scoring 23, Al Horford adding 17 and Marcus Smart contributing 15.
Malcolm Brogdon had 15 points, including a 3-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left to give Boston a 100-92 lead. Horford hit one of his five 3s to put Boston up seven with 3:25 remaining.
James Harden's 3-pointer with just over two minutes left drew the 76ers within 105-99 but Tatum, who was limited to seven points in Game 2, responded with a 3 of his own, then sank a pair of free throws to make it 110-100 with 1:18 to play.
Joel Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds for Philadelphia after he received his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony. Harden struggled with 16 points on 3-of-14 shooting and is 5 for 28 from the field in the past two games – 2 of 13 from long range - following a 45-point performance in the series opener.
Boston's Grant Williams suffered a bloody mouth late in the game when he was hit in the head by a falling Embiid.
Suns take Game 3 from Nuggets behind Booker, Durant
The Phoenix Suns were in desperate need of a win and Devin Booker and Kevin Durant made sure they got it, combining for 86 points in a 121-114 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday.
No other Suns player scored in double digits, but Booker and Durant’s heroics were enough as Phoenix trimmed the second-round series deficit to 2-1.
Booker tied his playoff career high with 47 points on 20-of-25 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Durant wasn’t as efficient with his shot, connecting on 12-of-31 but still finished with 39 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 32 points and Nikola Jokic tallied his ninth career postseason triple-double with 30 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists, one off his personal best.
Cameron Payne started for Phoenix in place of 12-time All-Star Chris Paul and was limited to seven points but hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter and added six assists.
TJ Warren only made three baskets for the Suns but two came in the final 2 ½ minutes. His 3 with 2:23 left put Phoenix up eight and he sank a driving floater less than a minute later to make it 114-107.
The Suns will try to even the series on Sunday.
Alun Wyn Jones was named as British and Irish Lions captain for the summer tour of South Africa, on this day in 2021.
The Wales forward later suffered a shoulder injury which looked certain to rule him out of the trip, but he made a remarkable recovery to join up with the squad and play in all three Tests against the Springboks.
Wyn Jones had captained Wales to the 2021 Guinness Six Nations title and was set to embark on a fourth successive Lions tour, having stepped in to lead the squad in the series-clinching victory over Australia in Sydney when Sam Warburton was injured.
“Obviously very proud, very privileged (to be named captain),” said Wyn Jones, who at the time of the announcement had clocked up a world record 157 Tests for Wales and the Lions.
“To be selected in the squad is initially what you want to be hearing, and to have the armband as well is a privilege, with the names that have gone before and what those players have achieved.
“I’ve just got a huge amount of pride to add this to the CV, but obviously there’s a lot of work to do once we get out there and some huge games to face.”
It had, however, looked as if Wyn Jones’ hopes of leading Warren Gatland’s side into the Tests against the world champions were over after dislocating his left shoulder just seven minutes into the pre-tour curtain-raiser against Japan at Murrayfield on June 26.
Wyn Jones was initially ruled out of the tour, with Ireland’s Conor Murray named as replacement Lions captain.
However, after making a remarkable recovery – which saw him dubbed ‘Lazarus’ by team-mates – Wyn Jones returned to training with Wales before proving his fitness to join up with the rest of the Lions squad at their Cape Town base.
Jones helped guide the Lions to a 22-17 victory in the opening Test, the tourists mounting an impressive second-half comeback.
The Springboks, though, responded to dominate the second Test 27-9 and the Lions were then edged out 19-16 in the decider by Morne Steyn’s late penalty to slip to a series defeat.
Englishman Tyrrell Hatton has finished tied first after the second day at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte on Friday, with the 31-year-old having a day out with the putter.
Hatton finished the day with six-under 71 to move up and finish the day tied on eight-under with Americans Nate Lashley and Wyndham Clark after 36 holes at Quail Hollow.
He had a great closing stretch hitting a 26-foot eagle putt on the seventh hole and made three putts of 25 feet or more on the last four holes.
Speaking after the second round, Tyrrell Hatton said it was “nice” to see some of the more challenging putts go in.
“They’re not the type of putts that you hole consistently, so to finish the round that way, I’m obviously very pleased with that,” Hatton said.
“There was a lot of good par saves where short game helped me out and that kept me in it and I’m thankful to have a good finish… I hope that continues over the weekend.
“I always try my best and this week on tough golf courses is no difference.”
The one-time PGA Tour winner had one eagle, six birdies and two bogeys in a successful day on the tough course.
After a great start yesterday, Tommy Fleetwood dropped down to 10th with two birdies and two bogeys to finish the day six-under.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy didn’t have the same success, with just two birdies and four bogeys, finishing the day one-under par.
The three-time winner of this event just scraped through the make the cut to the third round.
Max Verstappen restored Formula One’s natural order by posting the fastest time in second practice for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc crashed out.
After George Russell finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton in a surprise one-two finish for Mercedes in the earlier sun-cooked running at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Verstappen took the spoils in the day’s concluding running.
The double world champion finished 0.385 seconds clear of Carlos Sainz with Leclerc, whose day ended in the barriers at Turn 7 with 10 minutes remaining, third in the other Ferrari.
Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez claimed fourth spot with Hamilton only seventh, nine tenths back, and team-mate Russell down in 15th.
F1 is back in Miami for a second time at a 3.36-mile circuit constructed around the home of NFL side the Miami Dolphins – 15 miles north of the city.
The race marks the first of three rounds to be staged in the United States this year as F1’s American owners Liberty Media continue to build on the rise of the sport across the Atlantic.
A debut event on the Las Vegas strip will take place in November, while Austin’s grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas – a permanent fixture on the F1 schedule since 2012 – also features.
Despite the boom of the sport, the actual competition is facing accusations of being “predictable” and “boring” with Red Bull winning 14 of the last 15 races.
Verstappen leads Red Bull team-mate Perez in the standings by six points after the opening four rounds.
Mercedes’ encouraging start here provided hope that Red Bull might not have it all their own way in Florida.
But Verstappen’s pace later in the day indicates they will again be the team to beat heading into the remainder of the weekend.
The opening session was suspended for nine minutes when Nico Hulkenberg crashed into the wall after he lost control of his Haas coming through the third corner.
With Hulkenberg’s broken machine in a precarious position, the red flags were deployed. The second running almost saw another Haas in the barriers after Hulkenberg’s team-mate Kevin Magnussen span at Turn 14 and drifted backwards into the wall. The Dane thudded the armco but escaped without significant damage.
The same could not be said for Leclerc after he carried too much speed into Turn 7, and headed straight for the tyre wall.
Leclerc broke his front wing and suffered possible suspension damage in the accident before he headed back to the pits on the back of a moped.
The running was red-flagged for six minutes as Leclerc’s Ferrari was removed from danger. The cars returned to the track for a four-minute splurge but it was Verstappen who remained at the summit.
Pep Guardiola has said Kalvin Phillips’ Manchester City future is in his own hands.
The £42million summer signing has made only eight Premier League appearances for City, all as a substitute, and will be eager to make a ninth when his former club Leeds visit the Etihad on Saturday.
Phillips suffered an early setback in his City career with shoulder surgery in September, but since returning in November he has found it impossible to dislodge Rodri from the base of Guardiola’s midfield, with John Stones now also stepping out of defence into a more advanced position.
The England midfielder’s lack of playing time has prompted speculation that the player and club might part ways this summer, but Guardiola said no decisions would be taken now.
“It depends on the players,” Guardiola said. “At the end we’re here, I try to be honest with the questions and my feelings.
“My feelings sometimes change. But at the end it belongs to the players, they have to convince themselves and the team and not because I say something.
“They have to earn my confidence. All of them, not just Kalvin, all of them how they perform. Teams change a lot and players for previous seasons who were incredibly important but this season less important. It’s how they perform, many things can happen.”
City continue to compete on three fronts. They can move four points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League if they beat Leeds, with the first leg of their Champions League semi-final away to Real Madrid on Tuesday immediately following, and an FA Cup final against Manchester United booked for June.
Guardiola said the tightness of the Premier League title race has worked against Phillips.
“I’m not complaining about Kalvin because when you don’t play much it’s difficult to take the rhythm,” Guardiola said.
“John we’re seven years together, Rodri is (four) years together. I don’t have to tell them anything. Just little details – a movement here or there.
“Kalvin if maybe in the past he’d played more minutes he will get that but Rodri was in exceptional form. That role is so, so important, that’s why the lack of minutes makes the circle more difficult. But he always pays attention, in the training sessions he is always open-minded to get it.
“But being behind Arsenal, we cannot drop points. We haven’t had that situation of being eight, 10 points in front – in the past it happened. He can do it, but in that moment I always had the feeling Rodri knows exactly what to do in the role.”
Guardiola also cited that relentless schedule when he said he had not given any thought as to whether Phillips has a long-term future at the club.
“What happens next season, I’m not concerned for one second now,” he said.
“We will see at the end of the season. We’ll sit with the players. Maybe they want more minutes or maybe they are not happy with the situation. But right now I’m not going to discuss anything.”
City have failed to win only twice at home all season, something Guardiola put down to the “vibe” they are enjoying in front of their fans.
As they play on the day of the King’s Coronation, the Catalan said he was eager to make sure that continued.
“There is no time to keep something in the fridge,” he said. “We have to give everything, it’s so close.
“We still have one game in hand, important tough games. We saw Brighton (beat Manchester United) and we still have to go there.
“We have just two games at home – Leeds and Chelsea – and we need our people. Please come at 3pm if you don’t have anything better to do. There are important things in this country but anyway, if you don’t have anything more then come and help us because we need it.”
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