Christian Horner faces a hearing on Friday following an accusation of “inappropriate behaviour” at Red Bull’s Formula One team.
Red Bull – the Austrian energy drinks company which owns the team – confirmed on Monday an independent investigation had been launched after it was made aware of the allegations.
The PA news agency understands the allegation has been made by another member of staff for the British-based team which last year carried Max Verstappen to his third consecutive world championship.
Horner, 50, who has been Red Bull team principal since 2005, strongly denies the accusation.
He said: “I completely deny these claims.”
PA understands the hearing is likely to take place at Red Bull’s headquarters in Milton Keynes.
Horner has been team principal at Red Bull since their entry into F1 19 years ago, overseeing seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles.
Red Bull won 21 of the 22 rounds staged last year, with Verstappen setting a record of 10 consecutive victories as he cruised to his third title in as many years.
Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, was awarded a CBE for his services to motorsport in the New Year Honours List.
Red Bull are due to launch their latest car on February 15 ahead of the new season which starts in Bahrain on March 2.
A spokesperson for Red Bull said on Monday: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.
“This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.
“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Impaire Et Passe looks set to head straight to the Aintree Hurdle in April after being scratched from both the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old was considered one of the most exciting horses in training following an unbeaten novice campaign that saw him land the Ballymore at Cheltenham and a Grade One at Punchestown, but he has suffered defeat in each of his three outings so far this term.
He was touched off by leading Stayers’ Hurdle contender Teahupoo on his reappearance in the two-and-a-half-mile Hatton’s Grace and has since proved no match for his Champion Hurdle-bound stablemate State Man in either the Matheson Hurdle or the Irish Champion Hurdle over two miles at Leopardstown.
With connections of the opinion he requires a step back up in distance but that a first foray over three miles in the Stayers’ Hurdle would be a step too far, Impaire Et Passe will not be in action at the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds in five weeks’ time.
Anthony Bromley, racing manager for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: “The feeling after Daryl (Jacob) rode him the other day was that we need to keep him to two and a half miles and there isn’t a two-and-a-half-mile race at Cheltenham. We’ll wait for Aintree and see if we can get him sparkling again.
“We don’t feel he’s reached the form that he was showing last year, so the idea is to wait for Aintree and if he’s not sparkling going into Aintree we’ll just wait for novice chasing next season.
“We can’t see either race at Cheltenham being what needs at this moment. Two miles looks too short and we don’t want to go three miles at this stage.
“Daryl was adamant to go two and a half at Aintree and freshen him up for that.”
Impaire Et Passe is one of four horses scratched from the Champion Hurdle along with his stable companion Vauban, James Owen’s high-class juvenile Burdett Road and the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bob Olinger, who also appears bound for Aintree after splitting State Man and Impaire Et Passe when second in the Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday.
Seven have been taken out of the Stayers’ Hurdle, with Ahoy Senor and Ashdale Bob among those joining Impaire Et Passe as absentees.
Dual winner Allaho tops six horses scratched from the Ryanair Chase along with Dysart Dynamo, Idas Boy, Jonbon, Sir Gerhard and Greaneteen.
Dysart Dynamo and Greaneteen are also out of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, as are Dinoblue, Fil Dor and Nube Negra, while the Cheltenham Gold Cup field has also reduced by four, with Envoi Allen, Royale Pagaille, Stay Away Fay and the fatally injured Datsalrightgino all withdrawn.
Sixmilebridge could be added to trainer Ben Pauling’s small but select team for next month’s Cheltenham Festival following an impressive debut at Sandown last weekend.
The Naunton Downs handler is fast approaching the 50-winner mark for the current campaign and has unearthed several exciting prospects who are under consideration for the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds in five weeks’ time.
Pauling is particularly strong in the novice hurdle division, with Fiercely Proud and The Jukebox Man both placed in graded company and the unbeaten Handstands and dual winner Tellherthename both facing crucial tests this week in the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon and Betfair Hurdle at Newbury respectively.
Point-to-point recruit Sixmilebridge was unraced under rules prior to running in Sandown’s bumper finale on Saturday, but was backed as if plenty was expected and duly justified favouritism with an impressive victory, teeing himself up for a potential tilt at the Champion Bumper.
“In everything he’s done at home he’s been impressive,” said Pauling.
“He’s not a keen horse, he’s just a good work horse, and we’ve struggled with him throughout the whole season in getting his lung health spot-on.
“He still wasn’t spot-on on Saturday, but it had got to the point in the season where we either rolled the dice to see how we got on or we shut up shop for the season. We decided to roll the dice and we were delighted to see what we got because there’s probably a fair bit of improvement to come when he’s 100 per cent healthy.
“If I can get his trach wash clean, he would be the sort that I would roll at the Cheltenham bumper because he seems to have that mental attitude you need and travels well without being too keen – he looks like he knows his job.
“We might let him roll in the Cheltenham bumper, which would be unusual for me, but I do think he’s potentially a bit special.”
Sixmilebridge’s victory was the second leg of a Sandown double for Pauling and his owners the Megson family, with the tricky but talented Harper’s Brook striking gold in a valuable handicap chase.
The eight-year-old had thrown away victory on his previous outing at Ascot when pulling himself up on the run-in, but having got the job done on Saturday, he too is Festival-bound.
Pauling added: “He is a horse with enormous ability, an unbelievable stride and the scope he has is just mad, but he is a bit of a character to say the least, so any day you get his head in front is a good day.
“I was thrilled with the way he travelled through the race off a strong pace. He was nearly taken out at the third-last by the loose horse and it was unfortunate at the last for the other horse to fall, but we can now look forward to going to Cheltenham with an exciting horse for the Grand Annual.
“He’s been given a mark of 140 which is spot-on as it’ll get you in, but you’ll be near the bottom of the weights. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Harry Redknapp-owned The Jukebox Man has not been seen in competitive action since finishing third in the Grade One Challow Hurdle at Newbury in late December, but he is also on Pauling’s Prestbury Park teamsheet.
“Jukebox will go straight to Cheltenham and I’d say he’s more of an Albert Bartlett horse than a Baring Bingham horse,” the trainer said.
“If the Baring Bingham came up on proper heavy ground then I’d probably stick at two-and-a-half, but I think he’s probably more of a three-miler.
“He ran a blinder in the Challow. It was pretty tough going that day and they went a proper, honest gallop considering the conditions.
“I just thought that even though that he seems great at home, he could do with a proper opportunity to freshen up. He’s in really good form and I think he’s only going to improve.”
Naomi Osaka fell to defeat against Danielle Collins in her opening match at the Abu Dhabi Open.
The four-time grand slam champion made her comeback last month following the birth of her first child, reaching the second round of the Brisbane International before losing a close contest to Caroline Garcia in her opening match at the Australian Open.
Those performances gave plenty of cause for encouragement but Osaka faded badly against American Collins, losing 7-5 6-0.
Rallies were few and far between in a first set dominated by serve until Collins claimed the crucial break at 5-5.
From there, the former Australian Open finalist ran away with the contest, with Osaka committing 20 unforced errors and looking dispirited as she dropped serve four times in a row.
Osaka plans to play a fuller schedule than she did prior to her 15-month break but it is clear the 26-year-old has plenty of work to do if she is to get back to the top of the game.
Collins, who is planning to retire at the end of the season, moves on to a second-round clash with top seed Elena Rybakina.
Title-chasing rider Sean Bowen has been cleared to make his comeback from injury at Huntingdon on Thursday.
Bowen, out of action since a fall at Aintree on Boxing Day, has seen his long-established lead at the top of the jump jockeys’ standings chipped away at in recent weeks by Harry Cobden.
Before racing on Tuesday Cobden had reduced the lead to just five, and that during a time when his main backer Paul Nicholls is habitually quiet. His runners have clicked back into gear recently, though, and he provided Cobden with a four-timer at Musselburgh on Sunday.
Bowen has one ride at Huntingdon, on Olly Murphy’s new recruit Roccovango in the Mulberry Developments Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
“It was great to jock Sean back up on a horse this morning,” said Murphy.
“He’s riding out tomorrow, his rehab has gone well and he told me he was on the Equicizer yesterday, did some exercises and all was good.
“We’re looking forward to having him back. He’s a huge part of our team and is someone all the young lads look up to as well.
“He’s a big part of the furniture at Warren Chase and we’ll be doing all we can to get back behind him, along with many other people, to make him champion jockey.
“He was flying up to Christmas, he’d been riding extremely well all year but unfortunately the life of a jump jockey means injuries are a part of it and he had a bad fall at Aintree on Boxing Day and missed six weeks.
“Harry Cobden has clawed back a lot of his lead, he is riding extremely well as well and he’s ultra-talented. We wish the two of them the best of luck, but obviously our loyalty is to Sean.
“It will be good for jump racing if the two of them stay injury-free until the end of the season and have a good tussle.”
Asked to sum up Roccovango’s chance, Murphy said: “He’s a new recruit who had some nice novice form. I’d like to think he’s got a nice each-way chance.
“Harry Derham’s horse (Nordic Tiger) will be hard to beat escaping a penalty for winning last week, but I’d like to think my lad could be competitive and it would be magic if we can give Sean a winner on his first ride back.”
Flanker James Botham has been released from Wales’ Guinness Six Nations squad due to a knee injury.
The Welsh Rugby Union said that Botham, who is the grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian Botham, was hurt during Saturday’s 27-26 defeat against Scotland.
Cardiff forward Seb Davies has been called into the squad, while experienced Harlequins prop Dillon Lewis has also been summoned by Wales head coach Warren Gatland ahead of next Saturday’s Twickenham appointment with England.
The WRU said: “James Botham (Cardiff Rugby) has been released from the squad due to a knee injury picked up during Wales’ 26-27 defeat to Scotland on Saturday.
“He will continue his rehabilitation back at his club.”
Botham scored Wales’ opening try during a thrilling second half against the Scots that saw them fight back to within a point after trailing 27-0.
His Cardiff team-mate Alex Mann, who also touched down, replaced him on his Test debut and now looks a likely starter against England.
Botham’s problem is another back-row injury blow for Gatland, with World Cup co-captain Jac Morgan and 104 times-capped number eight Taulupe Faletau out of the tournament.
Lewis, who has won 54 caps, was a surprise omission from Gatland’s original Six Nations squad.
And he now becomes the fourth tighthead in the group, joining Leon Brown, who started against Scotland but went off at half-time due to an injury, Keiron Assiratti and uncapped Bath forward Archie Griffin.
Scotland have suffered further injury woe after forwards Luke Crosbie and Richie Gray were ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations.
Edinburgh back-rower Crosbie went off in the second half of Saturday’s 27-26 victory away to Wales with a shoulder issue, while Glasgow second-rower Gray was forced off in the first half with a bicep problem.
The injuries have now been assessed and Scotland confirmed on Tuesday morning that the pair – who both started in Cardiff – will be sidelined for the rest of the tournament.
Scotland were already missing some key players going into last weekend’s opener as co-captain Rory Darge was not deemed fit enough to feature due to a knee injury sustained at the end of December, while Toulouse full-back Blair Kinghorn and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham were ruled out of at least the first two matches with knee and quad problems respectively.
The Scots are hopeful that Darge will be fit enough to return in Saturday’s Murrayfield showdown with France, which would offset the loss of Crosbie in the back row, while Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist is available after suspension to take the place of Gray.
Harry Fry has his eyes fixed on two of Newbury’s biggest prizes of the season with Boothill and Altobelli on Saturday.
Two-mile chaser Boothill is set for a clash with Edwardstone, Editeur Du Gite and dual winner Funambule Sivola in the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase.
Boothill won twice at Ascot early in the season, missed the Tingle Creek due to the heavy ground and was a faller last time out in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.
“We are looking forward to running Boothill on Saturday in the Betfair Game Spirit Chase at Newbury,” said Fry.
“He was last seen at Kempton where he fell at Christmas, but thankfully he was none the worse for that fall and we are hoping he can put that firmly behind him on Saturday.”
Altobelli, a second-season hurdler, has been placed in two big-field handicaps at Ascot, first when second to Dan Skelton’s Knickerbocker Glory and then when third to Luccia in the Betfair Exchange Trophy and he is chasing more of the sponsor’s money this weekend.
“Altobelli is all set to run in the Betfair Hurdle having run well in two competitive handicap hurdles at Ascot so far this season,” said Fry.
“The experience of those races won’t be lost on him and, with hopefully slightly slower underfoot conditions, that can only play to his strengths and he can be competitive, all being well on Saturday.”
The Philadelphia Eagles will play in Brazil on the opening weekend of next season as South America hosts its first-ever NFL regular season game.
As well as three games in London and one in Munich in 2024, the league announced in December that it would be breaking new ground by taking another to the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.
The Eagles, last year’s Super Bowl runners-up, have been confirmed as the designated team for the historic occasion in Brazil in September.
View this post on InstagramThe NFL has confirmed that the game would be played on the Friday night of opening weekend – the first time a fixture has been in that slot since 1970.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “This landmark first international game in South America demonstrates the ongoing expansion of our global footprint.
“Playing on Friday night of week one is a unique way to highlight our international growth and ambitions.”
The opponent, like with the other International Games, will be announced shortly before the 2024 schedule release in the spring.
A recent vote by teams means the NFL will have the ability to schedule up to eight international games per season from 2025.
LeBron James says he loves the players in the current Los Angeles Lakers locker room as speculation about roster changes swirls ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.
The Lakers won 124-118 against the short-handed Charlotte Hornets on Monday, with their third straight victory marking their best run since winning the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.
There is still much debate over how different Los Angeles' team will look by the time it takes to the court at home to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
D'Angelo Russell is one of the players mentioned in trade talks and he led the team with 28 points and six assists in Charlotte.
Anthony Davis had his third career triple-double with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, while LeBron had 26 points on 12-for-22 shooting.
LeBron was asked after the game whether the current roster was good enough to win a championship or if he felt changes should be made.
"It's not a question for me," he said, per ESPN. "I love who we have in the locker room and that's all I worry about.
"We are going to go out and prepare ourselves every single night no matter what it is, no matter who's out there on this team. No matter what.
"This is who we have, so there's nothing else to talk about."
Russell is also completely blocking out the speculation after producing an impressive run of performances. The Lakers are 10-6 since he returned from injury in January.
"Show up to work," he said about how he was coping with the trade debates. "That's it. Just play. You can't control that. I don't care at all [about trade speculation].
"Obviously I've been here before, I played for the Lakers before, so I know what the requirements are to be successful here are.
"So, if you're part of the future here you'll be successful. If you're not, you'll get traded. And I've been traded before here. So, my approach is just a little different.
"I really just genuinely, humbly don't care because I know I can't control it, one. And, two, I just won't allow my mind to go there.
"I like to focus on this and you can see how I've been focusing on basketball and not comments and what's trending on social."
Miles Bridges produced a career-high 41 points and rookie Brandon Miller scored 33 points for the Hornets, but it was not enough to prevent them from suffering their eighth straight loss since trading Terry Rozier.
The Lakers are 27-25, ninth in the Western Conference, and would need to improve to at least sixth to avoid the play-in tournament.
After going 4-2 on their six-game road trip, Los Angeles now has three straight home games against Denver, New Orleans and Detroit.
"When we put our minds to it, we can beat any team in this league," added Davis.
"We lost two we felt like we should have won, and we won two that the people in Nevada thought we should lose. When we buckle down defensively and play the right way we are a tough team to beat."
Adrian Lam is determined to prove Leigh’s stunning 2023 season was no fluke.
Fuelled by an off-field rebranding campaign, the promoted Leopards not only charged up the Super League table on their top-flight return but dramatically won the Challenge Cup for the first time in 52 years.
After spending most of the summer era toiling in the lower tiers – with just three fleeting single-season campaigns in Super League amid numerous financial crises – it marked an extraordinary turnaround.
The challenge now for their dynamic former Wigan coach Lam is to prove it was no flash in the pan, as he fears many people suspect.
“I think people underestimated us last year,” said Lam, who was named coach of the year after following up cup success with a fifth-placed finish.
“I think people probably still doubt that we can do it and potentially feel that we may have got lucky, so we’ve still got a few people to prove wrong.
“We’re aware that it’s going to be that little bit harder because everyone’s aware of us.
“But we’ve added 10 new players to the group and hopefully they can bring something to us, while we’ve not lost many. We’ve just got to believe really, and have that consistency.”
Lam is pleased with how his squad has been rejigged over the winter. While a host of new faces have arrived, a core of key players including Dream Team entrants John Asiata, Robbie Mulhern, Josh Charnley, Edwin Ipape and the coach’s son Lachlan Lam have all been retained.
Among the new signings is former Penrith and Cronulla playmaker Matt Moylan, a one-cap Australia international, who looks set to play alongside Lam junior in the halves.
Lam senior said: “I think the new players that have come in are definitely better players, to add to the squad and to make us better.
“That’s all really exciting. We’ve just got to make sure that we gel off the field. By doing that we get the trust on the field.
“I think that the goal will be to finish higher than we did last year, so that would be in the top four.
“I think that’s a realistic goal but it’s going to take a lot of hard work. We’re aware of that but we’re a club that’s on the up and we want to show that’s what we’re capable of.”
The Leopards, who beat Warrington 28-12 in a pre-season friendly last weekend, begin their Super League campaign when they host Huddersfield on February 16.
Luke Littler is ready to “kick on” in the Premier League after taking the darts world by storm.
The teenage sensation has enjoyed a whirlwind few weeks since his remarkable, headline-grabbing run to the final of the World Championship last month.
Littler followed up his Alexandra Palace heroics by winning the Bahrain Masters and reaching the final of the Dutch Masters.
The Warrington-based youngster now wants to make his mark in the Premier League, having reached the semi-finals on his debut in the elite tournament in Cardiff last week.
His next opportunity comes in Berlin on the the second night of the competition on Thursday.
“I am just happy with how I have been playing,” Littler, who also turned 17 last month, told the PA news agency.
“The Worlds was a big step up but I have proved I can play with the best and that is why I have got my shot in the Premier League.
“It was good to win on my debut (in Bahrain) and obviously be the youngest person to hit a nine-darter as well.
“But overall it was just match practice for the Premier League, as was Holland. Now we are kicking on with the Premier League. I know I have got the ability to beat the best.”
Littler has so far taken his sudden fame in his stride.
The player nicknamed ‘The Nuke’ was a relative unknown in December but his performances at such a young age have earned him recognition beyond darts.
He said: “It’s just been crazy but I’ve just been living how I have been doing – chilling when I have time off but when I’m at my darts events, being fully focused.
“That’s what I have always done. I have always been myself and keep myself to myself.”
Littler admits he has mixed feelings about all the attention, particularly the media interest in his life on and off the oche.
Asked if he has enjoyed being interviewed so often, he said: “I have and I haven’t. It does get very boring!”
::Target Darts are launching a new range of Luke Littler products on February 21. They are available now to pre-order at: https://www.target-darts.co.uk/luke-littler-range
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce wants to make sure his girlfriend Taylor Swift is not the only person in their relationship to bring silverware home this week.
Pop star Swift created history on Sunday by becoming the first artist to win a fourth Grammy for Album of the Year for her Midnights release.
It is Kelce’s turn to shine this week as he is part of the Chiefs’ squad who are gunning for back-to-back Super Bowl glory against the San Francisco 49ers.
The 34-year-old, who has won NFL’s biggest match twice before, is keen to contribute to the trophies on the mantelpiece.
“She’s unbelievable,” the Chiefs star tight end said at the Super Bowl’s ‘opening night’ in Las Vegas.
“She’s rewriting the history books herself. I told her I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware, too.”
Kelce’s relationship with Swift has brought more attention to the NFL in recent months and Kelce is embracing it.
“She’s definitely brought a lot of new faces to the game, and it’s been fun to experience that,” he said.
“Taylor has an unbelievable fanbase that follows her and supports her throughout her life.
“It’s been fun to kind of gather the Swifties into Chiefs Kingdom and open them up to the football world and sports world. It’s been cool to experience that.”
Kelce and the Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are appearing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years and are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in 2005.
Brady ended his career with a record seven Super Bowl rings, but Mahomes is not thinking about matching history.
“I’m not even close to halfway, so I haven’t put a lot of thought into it,” Mahomes told ESPN.
“So right now it’s do whatever I can to beat a great 49ers team and try to get that third ring.
“Then if you ask me that question in 15 years, I’ll see if I can get close to seven, but seven seems like a long ways away still.”
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and led a torrid shooting performance from 3-point range that carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to a sixth consecutive win, a 136-110 rout of the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
Cleveland rolled to its 14th victory in 15 games by going 23 of 41 (56.1 percent) from beyond the arc. Mitchell finished 5 of 11 on 3-point tries and Max Strus was 6 for 10 while adding 22 points.
The Kings got 12 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists from Domantas Sabonis - his 15th triple-double of the season - but couldn't match the Cavaliers' prolific perimeter shooting as Cleveland began pulling away early in the second quarter.
Cleveland scored five straight points to stretch its lead to 46-36 less than two minutes into the second quarter and went into the half owning a comfortable 74-59 advantage behind Mitchell's 19 points.
The Cavaliers remained up by double digits the rest of the way, with their lead expanding to as many as 29 points late.
Harrison Barnes led Sacramento with 22 points while finishing 6 of 10 from 3-point range. The Kings closed out a seven-game road trip in which they had won five of their first six outings and six of seven overall coming into Monday's clash.
Irving, Doncic lead Mavericks past ailing 76ers
Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić combined for 42 points in the duo's first appearance together in two weeks to propel the Dallas Mavericks to a 118-102 win over the staggering Philadelphia 76ers.
Irving racked up 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting to go along with eight assists in his return from a six-game absence caused by a sprained right thumb. Doncic had 19 points and eight assists to help Dallas end a two-game skid and deal the ailing 76ers their sixth loss in seven games.
It was just the 23rd time in the Mavericks' 50 games this season they had a healthy Irving and Doncic together in the lineup.
Playing their third straight game without reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who will undergo left knee surgery and is out indefinitely, the Sixers received 19 points from Kelly Oubre Jr. and 17 from Tobias Harris.
All-Star Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia's second-leading scorer behind Embiid, had 15 points but was just 6 of 16 from the field.
The 76ers did manage to lead 33-26 after one quarter and 57-53 at the half, but Doncic hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:57 left in the third quarter to spark an 8-2 run that gave the Mavericks a 77-72 edge near the end of the period.
Dallas then dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the 76ers by a 41-28 margin with its bench providing most of the offence, as reserves Jaden Hardy and Grant Williams each recorded 10 points in the final 12 minutes.
Leonard's 36 points help Clippers cap trip with win over Hawks
Kawhi Leonard scored 13 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Atlanta Hawks and completed a successful road trip with a 149-144 victory.
James Harden added 30 points and 10 assists as he and Leonard powered Los Angeles to a ninth win in 10 games. The Clippers went 6-1 on an 11-day trek away from Crypto.com Arena while the venue hosted the Grammy Awards.
In a fast-paced fourth quarter that saw both teams combine for 90 points, the Clippers outscored Atlanta by a 21-10 margin over a late stretch to move ahead for good.
Leonard began the run with a putback of his own miss that gave Los Angeles a 124-123 lead with 4:52 left, and Harden capped it when he was fouled after hitting a 26-foot jumper with 1:06 to go. He made the free throw to complete the 4-point play and extend the margin to 143-133.
The Hawks put forth a late rally and got to within 147-144 on Bogdan Bogdanović's 3-pointer with 26.7 seconds remaining, but Harden sunk two free throws on the ensuing possession to keep Atlanta at bay.
De'Andre Hunter had 27 points and seven rebounds off the bench to lead Atlanta, which had a four-game winning streak snapped. Trae Young finished with 25 points and 12 assists in the loss.
Alexis Lafreniere's goal 1:53 into overtime lifted the New York Rangers to a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday in a matchup of division leaders that started up the NHL's post-All-Star break schedule.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers trailed 1-0 in the third period before rallying behind goals from Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin that supported a sharp 32-save effort from Jonathan Quick.
Former Ranger Alexandar Georgiev shut out his ex-team for over 2 1/2 periods until Panarin's wrist shot bounced off Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon and deflected past the Colorado goaltender to tie the game at 1-1 with 8:43 left in regulation.
Lafreniere later ripped the puck by Georgiev on the Rangers' lone shot attempt in overtime to end the Central Division-leading Avalanche's three-game winning streak. Quick was credited with a secondary assist on the goal.
MacKinnon extended his point streak to 14 games when he rushed up the ice and fired a shot that beat Quick to the glove side with 1:46 remaining in the first period.
Georgiev finished with 29 saves, including 11 in the first period.
Engvall's late goal puts Islanders over Maple Leafs
Former Maple Leaf Pierre Engvall scored the tie-breaking goal in his return to Toronto to send the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over his ex-team.
Engvall knocked in a rebound of teammate Brock Nelson's shot with 2:02 left in the third period to snap a 2-2 deadlock and help stop New York's three-game losing streak. The forward was making his first appearance at Scotiabank Arena since being traded by the Maple Leafs to the Islanders on Feb. 28, 2023.
Mathew Barzal and Kyle MacLean also scored for New York to back 35 saves from Ilya Sorokin.
Former Islanders captain John Tavares had a goal and an assist for Toronto and briefly tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play tally with 4:48 remaining.
After Barzal recorded the lone goal of the first period, Mitchell Marner scored just 50 seconds into the second to pull the Maple Leafs even. The tied score lasted only two minutes, however, as MacLean beat Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov on a breakaway for his first NHL goal.
MacLean's father, John, is an Islanders' assistant coach.
Samsonov registered 26 saves for the Maple Leafs, who had a three-game winning streak halted.
Ethan Roots believes his barnstorming England debut was given special meaning by his unorthodox route into professional rugby.
Roots was named man of the match for a powerful display at blindside flanker in Saturday’s 27-24 Guinness Six Nations victory over Italy, continuing a breakthrough season for the Exeter Chief.
Yet as a teenager he fell out of love with the game when his lack of size prevented him from making an impact and instead he turned to jiu-jitsu and kickboxing.
View this post on InstagramBefore long he had his only MMA fight – which ended in a draw – and was competing at jiu-jitsu, only to be expelled from his club for dating his coach’s daughter.
Driven back to rugby, he benefited from a growth spurt and, upon being presented with several contract offers, opted for the Crusaders in 2020 only to then be limited to a single appearance.
It drove the Maori All Black to seek his fortune in the UK and, having impressed at Ospreys, he joined Exeter last year, with his form soon alerting Steve Borthwick that England might have found their successor to Courtney Lawes in the number six jersey.
“Playing rugby professionally again and enjoying it – I’m so glad that I stuck at it,” the 26-year-old said.
“I had a bit of a rough patch and came out of the end of it. I was lucky when I came out the end of that rough patch to still be in a professional set-up and I fell back into it, I fell back in love.
“The last six or seven months have been pretty hard to process. Everything has happened really quickly and everything has gone really well for me.
“A win in a tough place like the Stadio Olimpico and coming away with man of the match is pretty special. So I’m pretty happy.”
Roots was greeted by his mum Cara after the game in an unexpected visit and hopes she will also be present for Saturday’s round-two fixture against Wales, when he will face some of his former Ospreys team-mates.
“My dad is back in Auckland but my mum flew out and surprised me – it was the first time I had seen her for quite a while,” he said. “That was pretty special.
“She arrived the night before the game. I don’t know how she planned it all. Her and my partner landed at the same time. It was a nice surprise.
“It is a long trip but she is going to see my brother when she is in London and hopefully catch another game.
“I know a lot of those boys in Wales and it would be great to have a hit-out against them. It is a big occasion and it would be my first Test at Twickenham, so I would be really excited about it.”
Emma Raducanu breezed into the last 16 of the Abu Dhabi Open with a 6-4 6-1 win over world number 26 Marie Bouzkova.
Raducanu recovered from a slow start to win 10 of the last 11 games and seal a meeting with second seed Ons Jabeur in the next round.
It was another promising display from the 21-year-old, who had impressed in her first-round win over Shelby Rogers at last month’s Australian Open.
Her aggressive tactics stunned her opponent, a 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalist, as she hit back from an early break to reel off four games in a row and take the first set.
There was no looking back for Raducanu in the second as she pressed home her advantage to seal another win that suggests her injury problems may be a thing of the past.
Raducanu had returned from eight months out due to multiple wrist and ankle surgeries at the Auckland Open, where she pushed Elina Svitolina to three sets.
And her run in Australia was ended in round two where she defied a stomach bug to push Wang Yafan all the way in a match lasting just five minutes short of three hours.
Raducanu said: “I think in the beginning I was just adjusting to the speed of the court. I hadn’t played on this court this year yet, so I was kind of just adjusting.
“It was pretty quick and also a lot more still than it had been for the week, because it’s been very windy, so it was a different tempo. Marie is a really tough opponent.
“I knew that going in I was going to have to play so many balls and I think in the beginning I was missing a few of the finishing shots, but I cleaned that up so I’m very happy about.”
Alex Albon’s Williams boss James Vowles has issued a hands-off warning to both Mercedes and Red Bull after revealing his star driver is under contract for next season.
Lewis Hamilton’s shock move from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025 has set Formula One’s transfer market into overdrive, with the London-born Albon mooted as a possible replacement for the seven-time world champion.
Albon, 27, has also been linked with a return to Red Bull, with Sergio Perez’s contract due to expire at the end of the year.
But speaking at Williams’ season launch, team principal Vowles said: “Alex is signed with Williams until the end of 2025.
“It is not something I have been very public about because I have not felt the need to.
“It is our job at Williams to create an environment that deserves someone of the calibre of Alex. He is an incredible driver that deserves his place towards the front of the grid.
“Some of his drives last year were no different to other champions I have worked with in the past.
“He and I have good chats about how we want to move forward, and how we want to move forward is by having our journey together in this team for a long time.
“But would I stand in Alex’s way? I have the responsibility of Williams on my shoulders and that is the most important thing to me, not the responsibility towards one individual, in this case Alex, but to the team.”
Albon finished last year with an impressive 27 points to help Williams land seventh in the constructors’ championship, the team’s best result for six seasons.
He was dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2020 but the world champions still hold him in high regard.
Asked if Vowles’ revelation means he will remain with Williams for at least the next two seasons, Albon said: “Let’s see. Time will tell.
“The real focus is on 2024 and making progress for 2025. That is where I am at.
“If the team is where I want them to be, it will be a long-term contract and we are going to go all the way or nothing.”
Meanwhile, F1 bosses have confirmed a rejigged running order for the six sprint weekends this season.
Qualifying for the sprint will now take place on Friday, with the grid for Sunday’s grand prix decided on Saturday following the shortened race.
The new season starts in Bahrain on March 2.
New Masters champion Stephen Bunting has opened up on his battles with mental health and revealed how a hypnotist has helped turn his career around.
The 38-year-old won his first televised PDC major title on Sunday when he outclassed Michael van Gerwen in the final in Milton Keynes just a few years after nearly walking away from the game.
Bunting, who is a former BDO world champion, made the switch to the PDC circuit a decade ago and threatened to make waves before he hit a dip that left him depressed.
The Liverpudlian said he felt like a laughing stock and turned to a hypnotist and sports psychologist to get over his demons.
“I was ready for walking away,” he said. “It was awful, I was walking into events and I felt like everyone was laughing at me.
“I felt like no matter what I was doing everything was going wrong. I was taking it out on my family and locking myself away.
“I was depressed, it was an awful place to be. Thankfully the psychologist and hypnotist over the last few years have helped.
“I was against it at first but I thought I needed to do something and that was probably the last step that I could take and I went.
“He taught me how to think not just about darts, there’s other things than darts, your family, your home life.
“I know they say in Peter Pan you think about happy stuff and you can fly but it is the same sort of logic in darts. If you turn up and are feeling happy and good then you can win anything.
“The hypnotist helped me with my sleep. That’s the biggest thing for me, a one-hour session with a hypnotist is a four-hour REM state so it helps you to focus, it helps you look at all the positives and stop looking at the negatives.
“Your mind is 95 per cent negative so sometimes every one of us will be in the negative side of the brain without even knowing it.
“I don’t think there are many players who have dipped into that side so to have that extra one or two per cent that helps. As you can see I am a champion now, so I’m just happy.”
Bunting, who channelled his inner Lionel Messi by sleeping alongside his trophy on Sunday night, has been waiting a long time to get his hands on some silverware.
But he said he would consider giving it back if it meant Jurgen Klopp decided to stay at his beloved Liverpool.
“I might give my trophy, but I wouldn’t give my title back,” he quipped.
“I actually felt like I lost a family member. I was away in Ireland when I heard the news and I was absolutely devastated. I don’t think there is a manager in the world that could take his place.
“Such a fantastic manager, what he has done for the club, a special, special man. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Liverpool. Even the Premier League will miss him.
“I am going to go to the cup final, I have got a ticket for the last game of the season, so I will be able to pay my respects and see him off. It is emotional for any Liverpool fan.”
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