Doc Rivers said he is unsure whether Ben Simmons can play point guard on a championship team as the Philadelphia 76ers head coach casted doubt over the embattled All-Star's future following Sunday's NBA playoff exit.
Simmons and the 76ers were subjected to boos following their shock 103-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, who won Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
After another failed run at a first NBA title since 1983, Simmons was particularly in the firing line having attempted just four shots for five points in the series decider, while tallying 13 assists and eight rebounds.
The debate around Simmons – an elite defender and creator – centres on his offense or lack thereof, with the 76ers often handicapped by his unwillingness to shoot.
Asked if he thought Simmons could be a guard on a championship team, Rivers told reporters post-game: "I don't know the answer to that right now.
"I don't know. He struggled from the free throw line and that became a factor in the series. There's no doubt about that. Still believe in him.
"But, we have work to do. We're gonna have to get in the gym, put a lot of work in, and go from there."
It remains to be seen whether Simmons – who had at least eight assists in a half for the third time in his career, the most such performances by a 76ers player since 1996-97 – will still be in Philadelphia for the 2021-22 season.
Simmons was reportedly at the centre of trade talks in January as the 76ers tried to acquire James Harden from the Houston Rockets before Eastern Conference rivals the Brooklyn Nets prised the former MVP to the Barclays Center.
Booed by 76ers fans, with videos circulating on social media of some supporters burning Simmons jerseys, the Australian said: "I love being in Philly. I love this organisation.
"The fans are great, great people. I had a bad series. I expect that. It's Philly."
Philadelphia team-mate Joel Embiid (31 points and 11 rebounds) also appeared to aim a jab at Simmons following the postseason elimination.
Simmons passed on a wide-open dunk during the closing stages against the Hawks, instead passing to Matisse Thybulle – who was fouled and made just one of the two free throws.
"I'll be honest," MVP runner-up Embiid said. "I thought the turning point was when we—I don't know how to say it—but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw.
"We didn't get a good possession on the other end and Trae [Young] came back and he made a three and then from there down four, it's on me. I turned the ball over and tried to make something happen from the perimeter. But I thought that was the turning point."
Asked whether he would like to see the 76ers run it back next season, Embiid replied: "That's a tricky question".
Kyle Schwarber equalled an MLB record after homering three times in the Washington Nationals' 5-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.
Schwarber hit a lead-off home run to start the game, adding further homers in the fifth and the seventh innings.
The trio of homers means Schwarzer has hit five home runs in his past two appearances, tying the major league record over a two-game span.
Schwarber also set a franchise record with nine homers in a 10-game span, moving up to 18 for the season.
"To be honest with you, I don't know what's going on,'' Schwarber said.
He added: "I'm a big believer that hitting is a feeling. Don't get me wrong, there's mechanical, there's approach, things like that but when you step in the box and everything feels right, you already have a big advantage.''
Acuna reaches century
Ronald Acuna Jr. also reached rare territory as the Atlanta Braves bounced back with a 1-0 win over the St Louis Cardinals in the second game of their doubleheader. After losing the opener 9-1, Acuna – who turns 24 in December – hit the decisive homer in the third inning of the second game, registering the 100th in his career. He joins an exclusive list of players who have hit 100 homers and 70 stolen bases before the age of 24 in the modern era, alongside Mike Trout, Alex Rodriguez, Andruw Jones and Ken Griffey Jr.
Shohei Ohtani homered again to move into the joint lead for the most home runs this season, alongside Toronto Blue Jays sensation Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with the 23rd of the campaign. The Los Angeles Angels still lost 5-3 to the Detroit Tigers.
Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit the 673rd homer of his career in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-8 triumph at the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Houston Astros made it seven consecutive wins with their 8-2 victory over the high-flying Chicago White Sox, while the Colorado Rockies hit four homers in one inning but lost 7-6 to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Shed Long hit a rare walk-off grand slam as the Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 and completed a sweep over the defending American League (AL) champions.
Padres sweating on Tatis injury
The National League's home run leader Fernando Tatis Jr. exited early after an injury to his left shoulder as the San Diego Padres completed a sweep over the Cincinnati Reds with a 3-2 win –the team's first four-game sweep of any franchise since 2011. Tatis hurt the shoulder, the same one which troubled him in spring training, while diving in the field.
Yankees' triple-play to clinch win
The New York Yankees finished their 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics in style with a triple play. It was a record-tying third triple play for the Yankees this season, with Sean Murphy hitting straight to third to initiate the trio of outs. A's manager Bob Melvin said. "I've never seen a game end like that before."
Sunday's results
Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees 2-1 Oakland Athletics
Cleveland Indians 2-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals 5-2 New York Mets
Kansas City Royals 7-3 Boston Red Sox
Houston Astros 8-2 Chicago White Sox
St Louis Cardinals 9-1 Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs 2-0 Miami Marlins
Minnesota Twins 4-2 Texas Rangers
Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 Colorado Rockies
Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 San Francisco Giants
Detroit Tigers 5-3 Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8 Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres 3-2 Cincinnati Reds
Seattle Mariners 6-2 Tampa Bay Rays
Atlanta Braves 1-0 St Louis Cardinals
Dodgers at Padres
The in-form Dodgers (44-27) make the short trip to take on the Padres (42-32), who swept their four-game series against the Reds but have dropped five of their past 10 games and may be without Tatis.
The Philadelphia 76ers' crashed out of the NBA playoffs amid a chorus of boos after the top seeds were sensationally upstaged by the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Back on home court for the series decider, the 76ers were tipped to close out the matchup at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, but the fifth-seeded Hawks had other ideas following a stunning 103-96 victory.
Despite Trae Young's off night (21 points on just five-for-23 shooting), the Hawks still managed to conquer Joel Embiid and the 76ers thanks to unheralded guard Kevin Huerter.
Huerter had a team-high 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists as the Hawks returned to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2015, setting up a showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was a topsy-turvy battle in Philadelphia, where the 76ers trailed 76-71 at the start of the fourth quarter before rallying to lead by as many as four points in the final period.
However, the Hawks refused to surrender and pounced on the sloppy 76ers, who finished with 17 turnovers en route to bowing out of the postseason.
Double-doubles from MVP runner-up Embiid (31 points and 11 rebounds) and Tobias Harris (24 points and 14 rebounds) were not enough for the 76ers, with Ben Simmons (five points, 13 assists and eight rebounds) the subject of boos in his home arena after attempting just four shots throughout.
With Atlanta's victory, it is the first time since 1994 both number one seeds in the playoffs failed to make the Conference Finals after the Utah Jazz were ousted by the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Stats Perform.
Earlier in the day, the Phoenix Suns were 120-114 winners over the Clippers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Devin Booker recorded his first career triple-double, posting 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the second-seeded Suns in the absence of Chris Paul (COVID-19 health and safety protocols).
Booker – in the midst of his maiden NBA playoffs campaign – became the first Suns player to register a triple-double in the postseason since Hall of Famer Steve Nash in 2005.
The 24-year-old also became the third youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point triple-double in the playoffs – only Luka Doncic and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson have achieved the feat at a younger age.
The Clippers – featuring in the Conference Finals for the first time in their history – were without star Kawhi Leonard for a third consecutive game due to a knee injury.
Paul George (34 points) and Reggie Jackson (24 points) tried to inspire the fourth seeds on the road in the series opener.
Clippers at Suns
After a day off, the playoffs resume with the Suns hosting the Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Jon Rahm birdied his final two holes to outlast Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke for U.S. Open victory and his first major title.
Oosthuizen was in a three-way share of the lead heading into the deciding round and opened up a one-shot lead on a gripping final day at Torrey Pines.
But Rahm rallied in San Diego, where the emotional Spanish star dramatically birdied the 17th and 18th holes to claim a lead he never relinquished on Sunday.
Rahm signed for a four-under-par 67 to finish six under through 72 holes as 2010 Open Championship winner Oosthuizen (71) settled for a runners-up cheque.
At the scene of his maiden PGA Tour win – the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open – Rahm became the fourth player from Spain to win a major and first at the U.S. Open.
Rahm, who was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament when leading by six shots after testing positive for coronavirus earlier this month, said post-round: "I'm a big believer in karma. After what happened a couple of weeks ago, I stayed really positive, knowing big things were coming.
"I didn't know what it was going to be, but I knew we were coming to a special place, I know I got my breakthrough win here, and it's a very special place for my family. The fact my parents were able to come, I got out of COVID protocol early, I just felt like the stars were aligning.
"I can't even believe I made the first two putts! This was definitely for Seve [Ballesteros]. I know he tried a lot, and wanted to win this one most of all. I just don't know how to explain it! I don't know why, but every time we land here, we are happy. We’re in our spot!"
Oosthuizen was initially circumspect on day four, going one over through eight holes to leave the South African one shot behind defending champion Bryson DeChambeau – who came agonisingly close to a sensational hole-in-one at the par-three eighth.
But DeChambeau was unable to maintain his hot start, finishing with a forgettable six-over-par 77 to end the event eight shots off the pace.
Oosthuizen also failed to keep Rahm at bay – dropped shots at the 11th and 17th holes, paving the way for the red-hot Spanish golfer to emerge triumphant for the first time at a major.
Harris English (68) finished solo third, a stroke better off than Guido Migliozzi (68), two-time U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka (69) and Collin Morikawa (70) as former world number one Rory McIlroy's final-round 73 resulted in a share of seventh spot at one under.
World number one Dustin Johnson (74) and fellow stars Jordan Spieth (72) Justin Thomas (73), Patrick Reed (67) and Sergio Garcia (68) closed out the event tied for 19th.
Devin Booker recorded his first career triple-double but the Phoenix Suns All-Star insisted he is purely focused on winning after guiding the franchise past the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Booker was the star of the show with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the second-seeded Suns drew first blood against the Clippers 120-114 in Phoenix on Sunday.
With star team-mate Chris Paul (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) sidelined, Booker – in the midst of his first NBA playoffs campaign – became the first Suns player to register a triple-double in the postseason since Hall of Famer Steve Nash in 2005.
Booker also became the third youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point triple-double in the playoffs – only Luka Doncic and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson have achieved the feat at a younger age.
"I'll let you guys do the rankings," Booker said. "I'm just going out there to win every game possible.
"I've been saying this since the start of the playoffs — every next game is the biggest game."
Suns team-mate Jae Crowder said: "I don't understand why everyone's acting surprised at this point.
"This is his first time on this stage but he's capable. He's more than capable. He's more than ready. He prepares like no other."
The Clippers – featuring in the Conference Finals for the first time in their history – were without star Kawhi Leonard for a third consecutive game due to a knee injury.
Paul George (34 points) and Reggie Jackson (24 points) tried to inspire the fourth seeds on the road in the series opener.
"I have no excuse," Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said. "I thought we played hard and competed. A little credit — they were making shots and we didn't. But I loved our fight. I loved what I saw."
George added: "We got to figure out how to counter, which we will, figure out another game plan. I think this was a good feel-out game to see adjustments. We have been great at adjusting."
Louis Oosthuizen opened up a one-shot lead in a gripping final round at the U.S. Open.
Oosthuizen was in a three-way share of the lead heading into Sunday at Torrey Pines but was initially circumspect, going one over through eight.
That put the 2010 Open winner a shot behind defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who came agonisingly close to a sensational hole-in-one at the par-three eighth.
That birdie result was enough for the outright lead on five under at the turn, although the American's first bogey of the weekend on 11 came as Oosthuizen's putter heated up, picking up shots on nine and 10. Oosthuizen dropped one at 11 though.
DeChambeau erred again, meaning Jon Rahm – who flew out of the blocks with back-to-back birdies – was the nearest challenger to Oosthuizen alongside another overnight leader Mackenzie Hughes on four under.
Rory McIlroy drained a 35-footer on the fourth, leaving him well-placed early on minus four.
However, the Northern Irishman passed up three further birdie opportunities by the midway point of his round and his hopes were fading when he bogeyed the 11th.
That left McIlroy level on three under with Brooks Koepka, although the American four-time major winner was through 16 holes and appeared to have missed his moment to make a decisive move.
The 2020 US PGA champion Collin Morikawa was one of the pack on four under until he went through the green on 13 and left with a double bogey.
Louis Henley was alongside Oosthuizen and Hughes in the clubhouse on Saturday but also dropped back to minus two, albeit in less spectacular fashion than Morikawa.
Qualifier Liudmila Samsonova battled back from a set down to beat Belinda Bencic in Sunday's bett1open final for her first WTA title.
Samsonova became the first qualifier to reach a WTA 500 final this season by shaking off Victoria Azarenka in the semis and followed that up with victory over fifth seed Bencic.
The world number 106, competing in her first career final, held serve in the final two sets to win 1-6 6-1 6-3 in a time of one hour and 37 minutes in Berlin.
Bencic was seeking a fifth WTA title and stormed into a 5-0 lead in a one-sided opening set, but Samsonova soon found her rhythm and hit back in the second.
The Russian broke her opponent's service game in the second and fourth games to level up the contest and earned an early break in the deciding set.
Samsonova did not look back and got over the line on her second championship point by forcing Bencic into a netted backhand with a strong return.
She ended the match with 28 winners to just 15 unforced errors and will move into the world's top 100 following victories over Madison Keys, Azarenka and Bencic in this breakthrough week.
Ons Jabeur got her first WTA singles title on the board as she overcame Daria Kasatkina to win the Viking Classic in Birmingham.
In her third career final, the Tunisian second seed prevailed 7-5 6-4.
Jabeur's victory saw her inflict defeat on fourth seed Kasatkina, who won a Moscow title-match showdown between the pair in 2018. The other final defeat for Jabeur came earlier this year in Charleston.
The triumph adds to what has been a superb season so far for Jabeur. She has 28 match victories in 2021, matching world number one Ashleigh Barty's tally – no player has more.
Jabeur faced a tough opponent in the form of Kasatkina, who had won the previous two meetings between the pair and has claimed two titles this season.
World number 24 Jabeur started with real intent, breaking immediately, yet Kasatkina hit straight back and then saved three set points.
Jabeur took the set at the fourth time of asking, however, and two breaks got her clear in the second set, with the win wrapped up at the first opportunity when Kasatkina found the net.
A delighted Max Verstappen reflected on his "very rewarding" win at the French Grand Prix in which Red Bull's risky strategy delivered in dramatic fashion.
Championship leader Verstappen had pole position but swiftly slipped behind Lewis Hamilton when he lost his rear at Turn 2 on the opening lap.
From there, though, Red Bull provided a hugely effective rescue package, first by executing an undercut that allowed Verstappen to edge back in front despite a solid Hamilton pit stop.
The Dutchman's battling qualities came to the fore as he held off both Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, before Red Bull opted to take a gamble.
Verstappen went in for a second stop and faced a sizeable deficit on fresh medium tyres, albeit with time on his side.
The 23-year-old had to stay patient, but Bottas put up little fight and Hamilton was then passed on the penultimate lap to open up a 12-point gap at the top of the drivers' standings.
"Thank you so much, so good," Verstappen told his team, and he was then asked on the podium if he had enjoyed a gripping race.
"Towards the end, yes," he replied.
"In the beginning, it was super difficult out there with the wind, so one lap you had an okay balance and then the next lap you were just sliding everywhere. It was really difficult to keep the car stable.
"Once we made the first pit stop, you could clearly see on the hard tyres they were pushing me hard from behind.
"But when we made the call to do a two-stopper, luckily in the end that paid off. We had to work hard for it, but of course it's very rewarding."
On his attempts to reel in Hamilton, Verstappen added: "It was difficult, because there was quite a lot of backmarkers to go through, but luckily they all did well so we could have a good fight to the end."
And talk predictably then turned to the title picture, with seven-time champion Hamilton finally facing a fight again.
"You could see the whole race we were fighting each other, so I think it will be like this for the rest of the season," Verstappen said.
Hamilton added: "We've got to find some pace, that's for sure.
"You could see most of the time we lost today was on the straights, so we've got to definitely dig deep, try to figure out what that is – whether it's power or drag – but we've still got a good package."
Matteo Berrettini became the first Queen's Club Championships debutant to carry off the singles trophy since Boris Becker, as the Italian landed the biggest title of his career.
The world number nine beat British hope Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 in the London showpiece match on Sunday, setting himself up ideally ahead of a Wimbledon mission later this month.
Whereas Becker was 17 when he triumphed at Queen's Club in 1985, going on to be champion at Wimbledon just weeks later, Berrettini is 25 years old and established as a leading player.
His big serve – an aspect of his game he shares with vintage Becker – proved a huge asset against Norrie as Berrettini served 19 aces and won 91 per cent of points when landing his first delivery.
Norrie could not forge a break point but did commendably well to force a deciding set in a match that lasted three minutes short of two hours.
Berrettini said he had experienced an "unbelievable week", lifting his first title at ATP 500 level, and he was blown away by the Becker link.
"If I think about his name and my name, it's crazy," he said in an on-court interview.
"I was dreaming about playing this tournament. I was watching when I was a kid and now I had the chance to lift the trophy. It's a dream come true."
Berrettini could be a threat to anyone if his serve fires at Wimbledon, and he was proud of how he fended off Norrie.
"I didn't check the numbers during the match. I knew I was serving well," said Berrettini. "I knew it was important because in the rallies this guy is dangerous. I knew I had to play my best tennis."
Berrettini said his celebrations were likely to be muted, given he is in a pre-Wimbledon bubble, predicting his team would limit his post-match treats to "probably room service and sparkling water".
There would be cause for greater cheer if Berrettini goes on a run at the All England Club, with Wimbledon due to begin on June 28. His previous best performance at Wimbledon was a run to the fourth round two years ago.
Berrettini told Amazon Prime: "I know it's going to be a really tough tournament.
"Probably all the players have extra motivation to play well there so it's going to be tough, but I have a lot of confidence."
Marc Marquez dedicated his German Grand Prix victory to all those who had helped him during his recovery from a broken arm.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marquez sustained the injury following an accident in the opening race to the 2020 season in Jerez, before then suffering a further setback when a plate inserted into his fractured humerus became damaged.
After sitting out all of last year and then also the opening two rounds of the 2021 campaign, the Spaniard finished seventh and ninth upon his return before enduring three successive retirements, leaving him short of form and way down the list in the standings.
However, a visit to Sachsenring saw Marquez rediscover his best form as he completed an 11th successive win at the track, with this latest triumph his eighth in a row in the top category.
There were understandably emotional scenes after he crossed the finishing line as he not only ended his own personal drought but also the long wait for success for his team, Honda having not prevailed at a race since Valencia in 2019.
"It's true that it was, and still is, a hard time in my career, so this victory helps a lot," said Marquez, who appeared in tears on the track before joining in emotional celebrations with his team ahead of the presentation ceremony.
"When you are in a hard situation, when you have had three crashes in a row, it's not easy mentally or physically. But when I crossed the line I thought of all the people who had helped me be there, because in such a situation it is impossible to do it alone.
"You need the team, the doctors, the physios, the manager, your family and friends, everybody that helps you. They were helping me a lot, and have helped me a lot to come back.
"Today is a time to enjoy and say thanks to all of them, specifically Honda. The respect they gave me during all of this year was something I appreciated a lot.
"This will be a great and important victory for me, but also for the Honda family."
Honda have won 17 of the past 23 MotoGP races at Sachsenring, with Marquez's latest victory making it 11 in succession at the venue.
Marquez moves up to 10th in the championship standings as Frenchman Fabio Quartararo leads the way, his advantage over compatriot Johann Zarco extended to 22 points thanks to securing third place in Germany.
"I knew we were going to struggle, turns six and seven we were extremely slow," Quartararo, who had started the race from sixth position after a difficult qualifying session, said in his news conference.
"On other parts of the track we were okay, but this corner where we stayed a long time on the angle we struggled a lot.
"It was quite clear with the team this morning. We said that we had good pace, but to fight for the victory looks difficult.
"The goal was trying to finish in front of the Ducati and finish on the podium, so we achieved that."
Red Bull rescued a dramatic victory for Max Verstappen with a powerful undercut and a bold second stop after his first-lap error put Lewis Hamilton in the ascendancy at the French Grand Prix.
A third consecutive win for Red Bull – two for Verstappen and one for Sergio Perez – boosted their leads in both the drivers' and constructors' championships.
Verstappen looked to be in trouble when he let Hamilton through at Turn 2, but his team's strategy turned the race on its head, extending his advantage to 12 points in the standings.
The championship leader – starting from pole – kept his nose in front at Turn 1 but then ran wide, exiting the track to give up position to Hamilton, who looked at ease at the front of the race.
Pit strategy proved pivotal, though, as Mercedes called in Valtteri Bottas – running in third – before team-mate Hamilton.
Red Bull followed as Verstappen boxed, causing Mercedes to react again, calling for "Hammer time" from their lead driver before bringing him in for a 2.1-second stop, the fastest of the three.
However, a flying out lap from Verstappen meant Hamilton could not quite get out ahead of his rival, instead settling in behind the Dutchman for a lengthy battle alongside Bottas.
Verstappen worked hard to keep Hamilton out of DRS range and gradually built a gap to the fading Silver Arrows that encouraged Red Bull to gamble with another stop and a switch to medium tyres.
Perez, who pitted after the other three, let Verstappen through to quickly take chunks out of the Mercedes lead, with Hamilton warned of a "painful" finish.
Bottas failed to hold Verstappen up, opening a gap for the rapid Red Bull and fuming at his team for delaying a second stop, with Perez soon following his team-mate through.
Red Bull cut it fine, but Verstappen eased past Hamilton on the penultimate lap after only a short tussle to land a significant blow in a thrilling title race.
Ugo Humbert upset the odds by overcoming Andrey Rublev to win the Halle Open title, clinching his first ATP 500-level trophy in the process.
Unseeded Humbert already claimed the scalp of Alexander Zverev earlier in the week and, having seen off Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach the final, came out on top against world number seven Rublev 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Rublev was appearing in his eighth final since the start of 2020, though it was his first on grass. The Russian was seeking a fifth successive victory in an ATP 500 level final, yet ultimately came up short, meaning Humbert made it three wins from three in his career finals.
The 22-year-old won his first two titles – in ATP 250 events in Antwerp and Auckland – last year.
Humbert's victory took just 87 minutes, with the Frenchman winning 45 of 53 points on his first serve.
The only break of the game went Humbert's way when he struck to make it 5-3 in the first set before holding off two break points in the next game to take the lead.
Neither player offered a single break point in the second set, and it was Humbert who nosed himself in the tie-break to secure a third career triumph, becoming the first player to win the Halle Open on his debut at the tournament since Lleyton Hewitt defeated Roger Federer in 2010.
Humbert's win will also take him up six places in the ATP rankings, from 31 to 25.
President of the Jamaica Gymnastics Association has described Alana Walker’s historic bronze medal performance in women artistic gymnastics at the Junior Pan Am Gymnastics Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday as a major boost for the sport locally, one that could help the association generate desperately needed funding.
The 14-year-old Walker scored 49.850 to finish third in the All-Around – bars, beam, floor and vault - that was won by the USA’s Katelyn Jong with a score of 54.10. Her compatriot Madray Johnson scored 53.550 for second place. It was the first time that Jamaica has ever won a medal in gymnastics at a major event.
By winning the bronze medal, Alana, who is coached by Ashley Brooke Umberger at North Stars Gymnastics in Boonton, New Jersey, automatically qualifies for the Junior Pan Am Championships in Colombia later this year.
Grant, who spoke to Sportsmax.TV from Panama said this victory provides the push needed for the sport to continue to grow locally.
“Every appearance at any international competition of this nature is always a boost for the sport, that is what we thrive to be a part of and that is why we are working on our programme to ensure that we can participate and compete effectively as a country, as young as our sport is locally,” Grant told Sportsmax.TV today.
“This major win for us is very important to the growth and development of our local sport because it shows that we have the ability and the capability to do well in gymnastics.
“This is also a major boost for our young gymnasts who are preparing for a youth competition in Colombia later this year, the Pan American Age-Group Hopes Tournament where the age-group levels are from age eight right up to age 14 and she will also be competing in the elite category as well.”
Notwithstanding these achievements, Grant said, the sport continues to face significant obstacles.
“Our setback is equipment, landing equipment, something that we have been campaigning for, for some time now and it’s very important because when someone like Alana comes to Jamaica and trains at the gym, the landing equipment is not good enough at this time because of the kind of skills that she or he has,” Grant said.
“And that is why we are working so hard because when our elite athletes come to Jamaica they are in awe of the gym but as it relates to the landing aspect, it’s just not up to the standard and it’s really dangerous for them to train their high-level skills.”
Grant thanked the Jamaica Olympic Association, which she said, did not hesitate to provide funding for the trip, despite the ‘last-minute request’. She also thanked Alana’s parents, who “have always been there and have put out a lot of effort to ensure that she got the documentation in order for her to compete at the event.
She also expressed her gratitude to Marlene Hylton-Williams, who was instrumental in helping Alana getting the license that allowed her to be able to compete and Naomi Valenza, who allowed Alana’s late entry to be accepted into the tournament.
Marc Marquez claimed his first race win since returning from injury as he ended Honda's MotoGP drought with a dazzling ride at the German Grand Prix.
A six-time world champion who missed nearly all of the 2020 season – as well as the start of this year's campaign – due to a broken right arm, Marquez had failed to finish in his three previous races, a career first.
However, the Spaniard clearly felt right at home around a Sachsenring track where he had won his previous 10 outings, including seven in a row in the top category between 2013 and 2019.
Further success on German soil appeared a tall order considering both his form and also his starting position following qualifying, yet Marquez burst off the line to go from fifth to second in a flash and was out in front by the end of lap one.
It was a lead he retained for the remainder of the race to become just the second rider ever to take eight consecutive premier class wins at the same circuit.
Aleix Espargaro put the early pressure on as pole-sitter Johann Zarco slipped back, though the former's challenge faded as the laps ticked by.
Instead it was Miguel Oliveira – winner of the Catalan Grand Prix last time out – who headed the chasing pack, the Portuguese getting inside a second of the frontrunner at one stage, but Marquez remained calm under pressure and was even able to pull away in the closing laps.
His victory means Honda have now won 17 of the 23 MotoGP races at the venue, though this is the first triumph for the manufacturer since the 2019 Valencia Grand Prix, a barren run of 21 outings – the worst in their history – that is finally over.
Emotions were understandably high at the result. There were tears on the track and in the garage, while Marquez dropped to his knees after dismounting his bike and looked skywards appearing to offer a prayer.
As for the championship standings, leader Fabio Quartararo extended his lead thanks to a third-place finish. The Frenchman is now 22 points clear of compatriot Zarco, while Jack Miller sits a further nine back in third place.
Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers superstars past and present – will both be absent as the team enter the Western Conference Finals for the first time.
The Clippers play Paul's Phoenix Suns in Game 1 on Sunday, having battled past the top-seeded Utah Jazz.
Leonard and Co became the first team in playoff history to overturn 2-0 deficits twice in the same postseason, having recovered first against the Dallas Mavericks and then against the Jazz.
The Game 6 win over Utah at Staples Center was the Clippers' eighth in this playoff campaign – a team record.
However, they were without two-time NBA Finals MVP Leonard for Game 5 and Game 6 due to a knee injury that is reportedly feared to be serious.
The five-time All-Star had been averaging 30.4 points per game in the postseason but remains out for the trip to Phoenix.
Paul is missing for the Suns, too, though, due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. As with Leonard, this means an indefinite spell on the sidelines.
Sixteen-year veteran Paul is considered among the Clippers' greatest ever players, having spent six seasons in LA.
In the regular season, he has the most assists in Clippers history (4,023), ranks sixth for points (7,674) and eighth for minutes (13,885).
"Control what we can control," Suns team-mate Devin Booker said. "Obviously Chris is in the health and safety protocols and we don't know the timetable on that, so we just go with what we hear day to day. It's next man up."
The next man up would appear to be Cameron Payne, the backup point guard who has only one start across the regular season and playoffs since moving to Phoenix in 2019.
In 20.4 minutes per game in the postseason, Payne has averaged 10.2 points but just 2.9 assists, although he and Paul have been on the floor together for 54 of the 26-year-old's 204 playoff minutes this year.
For the Clippers, Paul George has come to the fore since Leonard's injury, scoring 37 points at Utah in Game 5 – his highest playoff output for LA and tied for the second-highest of his career.
He will have to continue to perform, as coach Ty Lue said of Leonard: "I know [he is out for] Game 1 for sure.
"Right now he's back home getting treatment. We're not sure about Game 2 yet.
"Until he gets back, we can't do hypotheticals if he's coming back, what game. We have to prepare like he's not playing, just kind of go from there."
Giannis Antetokounmpo made clear there is still work to do for the Milwaukee Bucks after they survived a Kevin Durant onslaught to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Bucks came out on top 115-111 in Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets, albeit only after a dramatic finish in the fourth quarter that saw them escape by a matter of inches.
Durant hit a stunning turnaround jumper with one second remaining to tie the scores at 109-109, with Milwaukee relieved to see he had a foot on the three-point line as they narrowly avoided falling behind.
"Big, big shot," Antetokounmpo told the media about Durant's play that forced overtime. "That's KD – he makes shots like that."
However, the Nets were held to just two points in the extra period as the Bucks came through on the road, setting up a showdown with either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Atlanta Hawks – who meet in a Game 7 on Sunday – for a place in the NBA Finals.
Defeat was tough on Durant, who finished with 48 points – the most by any player in a Game 7 in NBA history – as he was on court for all 53 minutes. He went 0-for-6 in overtime, though, as the ailing Nets, minus the injured Kyrie Irving and with James Harden not at full fitness due to a hamstring issue, saw their season come to an end.
For the Bucks, however, the focus will have to quickly switch to their next assignment.
"We really wanted this as a team," said Antetokounmpo, who had 40 points and 13 rebounds.
"There were a lot of ups and downs during the series – there were a lot of ups and downs in just this game. We could have finished the game before overtime but weren't able to. We kept our composure."
He added: "At the end of the day, though, the job is not done. The job is not done. That's the message here and in the locker room, we’ve got to keep our heads in the game.
"We can't get too high, we can't get too low. It's a great step for our organisation and a great step for us, so we have got to enjoy this moment and then look at our next opponent.
"We've got to put this in the past and focus on the moment, focus on our next opponent."
Durant's performance drew praise from Stephen Curry, who simply tweeted at his former Golden State Warriors team-mate after the fourth-quarter shot: "That is insane."
Even P.J. Tucker – the player who attempted to cover Durant on the play – was suitably impressed.
"When I cut him off, I thought he would one-foot it, or step back. When he spun, he threw me off. That shot was incredible," Tucker said. "People don't really appreciate the level of difficulty with that shot, it was incredible.
"I laughed, I just laughed when he made it. I appreciated it, as a fan of the game, when someone makes that shot."
Durant was one of just 11 different players to score, the fewest in any regular season or postseason game since the merger.
Bryson DeChambeau is fully embracing the atmosphere created by the so-called 'Brooksy bros' at the U.S. Open.
There is little love lost between defending champion DeChambeau and two-time winner Brooks Koepka, with their simmering rivalry one of the more intriguing sub-plots in golf during 2021.
At last month's US PGA Championship, a video of Koepka visibly frustrated at an interruption from DeChambeau went viral, which led to the pair trading back-and-forth jibes on social media.
Prior to the tournament, DeChambeau admitted the two just "don't like each other". On Sunday, as he contemplated going for the par-five 18th in two while in a sand trap, fans of Koepka yelled "go get 'em Brooksy" and "Brooks would go for it".
DeChambeau resisted the temptation to bite but when questioned about it after his round, the world number five insists he is relishing the rivalry.
"Hey, I love it. I think it's so much fun," said DeChambeau, who recorded his first ever bogey-free round in major golf to sit two back of leaders Mackenzie Hughes, Louis Oosthuizen and Russell Henley at three under at Torrey Pines.
"People think that it annoys me. If anything, it just creates a great atmosphere for golf. At first, I didn't really know how to handle it. You're kind of thrown into a situation.
"But now I enjoy it. I think it's great. You've got to embrace it. There's going to be team Bryson, team Brooks out there, and hey, keep it up, I'm happy about it.
"I'm excited that one day we can eventually get paired up and play together. It would be fun."
DeChambeau, who scored a three-under 68 in round three, is using driver at almost every opportunity in tactics similar to those he employed when winning at Winged Foot last year.
He says he has learned the nuances of coping with major golf.
"You've got to be really patient out here at these majors. It's something that is not easy to do," he added.
"My first few goes at majors, I was not successful or anywhere near successful, and I feel like I'm starting to understand major championship golf and how to play it and how to go about managing my game, my attitude and just my patience level.
"If I can continue to do that [on Sunday], I think I'll have a good chance."
Jon Rahm is three off the lead after signing for a one-over 72 on Saturday. The Spaniard thinks being part of the chasing pack may actually play to his strengths.
"I feel like it's easy when you're in the lead to get a little tentative and start trying to be a little bit more safe in certain parts," he said.
"I feel like when you're a couple shots back, you have nothing to lose early on. So, I feel like you can be a little bit more aggressive and try to get some birdies.
"There will be somebody who gets a fast start, and hopefully that's me tomorrow, and I get a fast start, and I get it going fast."
Since winning The Open in 2010, Oosthuizen has been a perennial nearly man in the majors, recording five runners-up finishes including play-off defeats at the 2012 Masters and 2015 Open, while he was tied second to Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship last month.
The South African is aiming to take the positives from those experiences, though, saying: "The two that really hurt was the playoffs. That's so close to winning.
"You know, the other ones, just good weeks and good results. Could have been better but taking more positive out of it than anything else."
Oosthuizen drained an eagle at the par-five 18th, which drew a huge reaction from the galleries.
"A year ago, that would have been a very boring eagle with a few people going nuts. But that was nice to see everyone back," he said, alluding to the return of fans who were unable to attend in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Boston Red Sox have returned to the top of the American League (AL) East division.
Boston defeated Kansas City 7-1 Saturday as Martin Perez and three relievers shut down the Royals' hitters while J.D. Martinez and Bobby Dalbec each hit two-run homers for the Red Sox.
That win on the road coupled with the Tampa Bay Rays' 6-5 extra-inning loss at the Seattle Mariners later in the evening put the Red Sox alone atop the division for the first time since May 22.
The loss was Tampa Bay's season-high fifth in a row, and the third in that stretch to come via a walk-off win by their opponent, as Mitch Haniger's 10th-inning single scored J.P. Crawford for the victory.
Crawford had hit a grand slam in the second inning to give Seattle a 5-2 lead but Tampa Bay came back to tie it on solo homers from Mike Zunino, Manuel Margot and Brandon Lowe.
Tatis' replacement lifts Padres
After replacing the injured Fernando Tatis Jr. in the fifth inning, Kim Ha-seong hit a two-run homer in the eight to give the San Diego Padres a 7-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Padres manager Jayce Tingler said Tatis is day-to-day after hurting his left shoulder while diving for a ball hit by Tyler Naquin.
Walker Buehler struck out 11 and had a no-hitter through seven innings in a 9-3 Los Angeles Dodgers win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Orioles collapse despite long-ball heroics
The Baltimore Orioles' first six hits of Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays were home runs -- a franchise first, according to Stats Perform -- but the O's still managed to lose 10-7 after the Blue Jays scored six in the ninth inning.
The Chicago Cubs managed only three hits in an 11-1 loss to the Miami Marlins as they fell into a share of the National League (NL) Central lead with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Adames lights up Rockies
The Brewers prevailed over the Colorado Rockies thanks in large part to Willy Adames, whose two-run homer in the ninth provided the winning margin in a 6-5 victory. Adames also had three doubles, becoming just the fifth player in club history to record at least four extra-base hits in a game.
Saturday's results
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Cleveland Indians
New York Mets 5-1 Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals 6-2 New York Mets
New York Yankees 7-5 Oakland Athletics
Toronto Blue Jays 10-7 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 11-1 Chicago Cubs
Minnesota Twins 3-2 Texas Rangers
Boston Red Sox 7-1 Kansas City Royals
Houston Astros 7-3 Chicago White Sox
Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Angels 8-3 Detroit Tigers
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-3 Arizona Diamondbacks
Philadelphia Phillies 13-6 San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres 7-5 Cincinnati Reds
Seattle Mariners 6-5 Tampa Bay Rays
Atlanta Braves-St Louis Cardinals (postponed)
White Sox at Astros
The Houston Astros (42-28) look for a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox (43-28) and their seventh win in a row as they send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound against former team-mate Dallas Keuchel.
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