American Mackenzie McDonald toppled former champion Kei Nishikori in three sets to claim a spot in the Citi Open final on Sunday against fifth seed Jannik Sinner.
McDonald triumphed over unseeded Japanese Nishikori 6-4 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 45 minutes in Washington DC.
The 26-year-old American's win qualifies him for his maiden ATP Tour final, sending down 4-1 aces while getting a slight edge with his return.
Nishikori, who triumphed in DC in 2015, fought back when trailing a set and a break in the second with four straight games to send it to a third.
The 31-year-old Japanese appeared to have the momentum but McDonald responded to outlast him.
McDonald will face 19-year-old Sinner who overcame another emerging talent, American 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby, 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.
Sinner becomes the first Italian to reach the final in DC and also progresses to his first ATP 500 decider.
The Italian continued his fine run in DC, having not yet dropped a set all tournament, marking a return to form after being on a four-match losing run.
Sinner saved three set points at 5-6 in the first to fight back to take the lead in a tiebreaker before a dominant second.
Harris English maintained his two-shot cushion at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational leaderboard as Bryson DeChambeau climbed up the leaderboard.
Aided by three birdies during his final six holes, English carded a second successive score of 65 at TPC Southwind to sit at 18 under par.
The four-time winner on the PGA Tour endured a bogey-free round on Saturday, pulling clear in the closing stages having at one stage seen both Abraham Ancer and DeChambeau join him in top spot.
After a four at the par-five 16th, English produced an outstanding approach into the green at the next hole before rolling in a birdie putt, boosting his hopes of a wire-to-wire triumph in the tournament.
However, he is well aware that there is still plenty of work to do yet.
"There's a lot of good players behind me and my goal is just stick to my strategy and execute and whatever happens, happens," English said.
DeChambeau is not too far behind after a stunning 63 that saw him come home in just 30 shots. His seven-under score leaves him tied for second with Australian Cameron Smith, who signed for a 65.
"It was awesome being able to strike it that close to the hole all day," DeChambeau, who missed out on playing at the Tokyo Olympics due to contracting coronavirus, said.
"I didn't feel as comfortable as I would have liked with the swing, but the results were there so I was very pleased with the results. And honestly, if I can do that again tomorrow, I give myself a great chance to win."
Ancer is a further two strokes back following a three-under 67, the same score Scottie Scheffler and Ian Poulter both managed to sit just behind the Mexican on 13 under.
Dustin Johnson may still hold out hope of triumphing, with a round of 65 enough to be one of four players on 11 under par. He is joined by Paul Casey, Will Zalatoris and Louis Oosthuizen.
Defending champion Justin Thomas already faced a battle to retain his crown, and the American was only able to shoot 69 on day three.
At seven under for the event, a repeat of his 2020 triumph appears almost impossible, considering he is so far back and the number of players ahead of him.
Warren Gatland says the British and Irish Lions gave it everything but came up just short in their agonising Test series defeat to South Africa.
The Lions suffered last-minute heartbreak in Cape Town as Morne Steyn's penalty secured a 19-16 win for the Springboks, who take the series by a 2-1 scoreline having lost the opening match.
Gatland's side had taken early control of the decider, Ken Owens' try helping them claim a 10-3 lead before half-time.
However, the Lions were made to rue missed opportunities as the reigning world champions fought back, with veteran fly-half Steyn coming off the bench to land the knockout blow – just as he had done in the 2009 series between the same teams.
Nevertheless, Gatland was unable to fault the efforts of his players.
"I'm disappointed, but really proud of the guys," Gatland told Sky Sports. "We spoke beforehand about winning these Test matches being about big moments.
"We had a two-on-one when maybe Josh Adams should have scored and a couple of times we were held up across the line.
"I thought we were bold in terms of the tactics and what we wanted to do and tried to play rugby.
"We had a couple of calls which didn't go our way and bounces of the ball, particularly the try they scored, but I'm really proud of the effort.
"I can't ask the guys more than the guys giving 100 per cent and they definitely did that."
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi hailed team-mate Morne Steyn after his late penalty sealed a series victory for the Springboks over the British and Irish Lions.
Steyn came off the bench and proved the difference in Cape Town – his last-gasp kick securing a 19-16 win.
It was a first Test appearance in five years for the 37-year-old fly-half, who also landed the crucial blow in the 2009 series against the Lions.
The Lions were unbeaten in the final Test in each of their last three tours, but in a tightly contested tussle the Springboks produced a turnaround from 10-3 down to snatch a dramatic victory.
"As soon as he went for the kick, I thought 'no way!' It was beautiful to see him stay strong," Kolisi told Sky Sports.
"We didn't think he would come back and play. In his wildest dreams, he didn't think he'd get this opportunity again, so I'm very happy for him and the team.
"It was really challenging for both teams because there was a lot happening. But we focused as much as we could on what we had to do on the field, and that was most important.
"This is huge, 12 years – I will never get this opportunity again. I'm really honoured and proud of the team that we were able to achieve this. We can't compare it to anything else."
It was a heart-breaking end for the Lions and Alun Wyn Jones, who joined Mike Gibson and Graham Price as the fourth most-capped player in their history with 12.
Nevertheless, the skipper – who initially seemed set to miss the tour due to injury – revealed his sense of pride in the efforts of Warren Gatland's side.
"We are hugely disappointed – we were in it until the death. We had an opportunity at the end," he said.
"I am very proud of the boys and very conscious of who we represent but as I said, hugely disappointed at the same time.
"We wanted to come out for the second half with more of the same, we did that probably after the early exchanges, then the to-ing and fro-ing with the penalties broke up the game.
"It was probably similar to what we have seen in patches in previous games, we wanted to kick on but we could not do that."
Morne Steyn was the hero for South Africa as, just like in 2009, his penalty proved decisive in a 19-16 series-clinching win over the British and Irish Lions.
Steyn had last made a Test appearance for the Springboks back in 2016 but the 37-year-old came on from the bench to prove the difference in Cape Town.
Having replaced Handre Pollard, whose kicking was off in the second half, Steyn converted two penalties to secure a hard-fought victory from a tense tussle.
After Steyn's first effort, Finn Russell's penalty seemed to have sent the series to a draw, only for Steyn’s boot to once again prove the Lions' downfall with a 79th-minute three-pointer.
The Lions seemed to have been handed an early blow when Dan Biggar was forced off injured after attempting to tackle Lukhanyo Am, wth Pollard converting South Africa's resulting penalty.
However, Biggar's replacement Russell kicked a penalty five minutes after his introduction to restore parity as he asserted himself on proceedings.
Russell was kicking again soon after, this time adding the extras after Ken Owens marked his maiden Lions Test start by bundling over at the back of the maul for the first try.
A second Pollard penalty reduced the deficit, while Russell had a fortunate escape when he made direct contact with Cheslin Kolbe's head, a slip from the South Africa winger helping the Lions remain at full strength.
Pollard's penalty dropped just short, yet the Springboks finally found the breakthrough moments later, Kolbe holding off Luke Cowan-Dickie's challenge to race over in the corner after a loose ball had broken in South Africa's favour – the try standing after a long TMO review for a possible knock-on from Jasper Wiese.
An Ali Price error handed South Africa a chance to extend their lead, though the Lions held firm and Russell kept his cool at the other end to arrow a three-pointer through the posts after Eben Etzebeth's mistake.
Steyn, South Africa's hero in the 2009 series, entered the fray with 16 minutes remaining, and his first act was to nose the hosts back ahead.
Am's foul on Conor Murray handed Russell the chance to level the scores, an opportunity which the Scot took coolly, but it was Steyn who had the final say.
Herschel Jantjies tried to run the ball after the Boks were awarded a penalty 40 metres out, though fortunately the referee called it back, with Steyn holding his nerve to down the Lions.
OLD NEMESIS STEYN BACK TO HAUNT THE LIONS
Steyn kicked the penalty which settled the 2009 Lions tour in South Africa's favour, and history repeated itself on Saturday.
His 67th Test cap will last long in the memory for South Africa – two penalty opportunities, two successful attempts and a series win. He made four kicks in total in his 18 minutes on the field, including the final one out of play to signal full time and the end of the series.
South Africa's triumph also means all three matches in this year's Test series were won by the side trailing at half-time.
RUSSELL'S EFFORTS NOT ENOUGH
Like his fellow substitute Steyn, Russell ended the match with a perfect record from the boot – all three of his penalties and his conversion finding the target as he collected 11 points.
It was all in vain, however, and Warren Gatland will be left to lament the indiscipline his team showed in the second half after getting themselves into a strong position. Six Lions tours have gone to a deciding game since they became three-Test series in 1989, with the tourists losing on three occasions, winning twice and drawing once.
Jorge Martin made history as he claimed his second pole of the MotoGP season, which resumed at the Styrian Grand Prix on Saturday.
The Pramac Racing rider's winning time of 1:22.994 was the fastest recorded at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, as he finished 0.044s ahead of Francesco Bagnaia.
There was drama as Martin's effort was almost eclipsed by Fabio Quartararo, only for the runaway championship leader to exceed track limits by drifting into the green at the vital moment.
MotoGP debutant Martin made a strong start to his maiden campaign; taking pole in Doha in round two on the way to an impressive third-place finish.
However, injury during qualifying at the Portuguese Grand Prix two weeks later ruled him out of four races, while he was also forced to retire at the Dutch TT last time out.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old has demonstrated brilliant determination to bounce back and finish fastest in qualifying, which he dedicated to his currently hospitalised grandfather.
"It wasn't the perfect lap," he said. "I started quite well in the first sector.
"I kept pushing and saw I was coming in hot, but then I made a mistake with the gearbox in corners four and five.
"In the last two corners, I tried my best not to go to the green because with the wind, it was difficult. When I finished the lap and saw the time on my screen, I thought: 'that's a good time.'
"I want to dedicate this pole position to my grandfather. He's in hospital and he's battling a lot."
Despite missing out on a sixth pole of the season, Quartararo will begin Sunday's Grand Prix on the front row of the grid for Monster Energy Yamaha.
"It's a shame because of the track limit. I did the maximum with what I had," said the Frenchman, who is currently 34 points clear at the top of the riders' standings.
"Sunday, it looks like it's going to rain, so it's good to have a great position on the grid.
"I pushed my bike to the limit. I will not say it's my best lap because I made many mistakes, but it's the first time that I've pushed that much on a bike."
It was a good day for Ducati with Martin and Bagnaia first and second with Jack Miller and Johann Zarco, who finished fourth and sixth respectively, not far behind.
World champion Joan Mir will start fifth for Suzuki Ecstar.
Meanwhile, seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi, who announced earlier this week that he would retire at the end of this season, was 17th.
Provisional classification
1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) 1:22.994
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) +0.044s
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.081s
4. Jack Miller (Ducati) +0.306s
5. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) +0.328s
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +0.382s
7. Alex Espargaro (Aprilia) +0.454s
8. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +0.495s
9. Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.514s
10. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) +0.542s
11. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) +0.847s
12. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) +0.950s
Noah Lolesio's wayward kicking cost Australia at Eden Park on Saturday, but the Wallabies plan to keep faith with their young fly-half.
Lolesio, 21, entered the Bledisloe Cup opener against New Zealand with 52 Test points in 2021, trailing only Johnny Sexton (65) among players for tier one nations.
But he added just five in a 33-25 All Blacks victory, missing two of three penalties and three of four conversions.
Windy conditions did not help Lolesio, yet his profligacy proved the difference between the sides as Australia's run of defeats in Auckland – where Lolesio was born – extended to 21 Tests.
Coach Dave Rennie was in forgiving mood, though, with the number 10 having contributed 23 points in a series decider against France just last month.
"He was sensational in the French series and you don't go from an ace goal kicker to a novice overnight," Rennie said. "Tough conditions – we saw Richie [Mo'unga] miss as well.
"He kicked penalties in the French series to win the first and third Test and one that should have won us the second one. Yes, he'll be disappointed.
"We've got a lot of faith in the kid. He's going to get better and better, he's 21 and there are a lot of young men around him as well.
"He's growing and he's an impressive kid, too, very confident, great work ethic, he's spending a lot of time sitting around with Quade [Cooper] and talking about the generic parts of his game.
"He played pretty well tonight, but he had a rough night with the boot."
Captain Michael Hooper added: "We pick each other up. As Dave said, his boot guided us through a series win.
"In a goal kicker's career, there's going to be nights like that. He'll be better from it. He'll learn from that for sure."
New Zealand's Eden Park fortress remained unbreached as they took the Bledisloe Cup opener 33-25 against Australia following a clinical second-half spell.
The All Blacks have not lost to the Wallabies in Auckland since 1986 and have momentum to take into next week's Rugby Championship encounter at the same venue again.
Australia were in this contest throughout but allowed the scoreline to get away from them as Richie Mo'unga, David Havili and Damian McKenzie crossed in a 14-minute period.
That left a mountain to climb, with a double from Tom Banks and Jordan Uelese's try not enough, largely due to a poor kicking game from Noah Lolesio in tricky winds.
Those gusts played in Mo'unga's favour as he dispatched two early penalties and then stretched the All Blacks' lead to nine after Lolesio's kick faded right, one of several wayward Wallabies efforts.
Lolesio did get on the board with his next attempt before Andrew Kellaway burst through for the first try, but New Zealand finished the half firmly on top and Sevu Reece forced the ball over heading into the break.
Reece thought he had a second soon after the restart, finishing off one of the great Test moves from his team's own try line only for the score to be pulled back for a forward pass from Aaron Smith.
However, another sensational break brought the All Blacks joy as Mo'unga intercepted inside his own half and raced through, with the hosts really hitting their stride as Havili and McKenzie each touched down in the corner.
Australia finally got the response their pressure merited through Banks on the left and he toed the ball away to score again following Lolesio's incisive kick.
But repeated misses from the tee meant Uelese's try in the final seconds counted for little.
Not Noah's day
Johnny Sexton (65) is the sole player from a Tier One country with more Test points this year than Lolesio, but his tally only improved to 57 on a testing day.
Just one of his three penalties found the target, while he also missed three conversions in a row before belatedly hitting the mark when Uelese went over.
Out of touch
Australia had lost just one of their previous six Tests, including a victory over New Zealand in November 2020. However, each of those six matches had been decided by margins of no more than three points.
When the Wallabies were picked apart at the start of the second half and the lead reached 25 points, any hopes of back-to-back wins over the All Blacks for the first time since 2001 were all but over.
The Philadelphia Phillies surged into first place with their sixth consecutive win, beating the New York Mets 4-2 on Friday.
Bryce Harper's two-run homer in the eighth inning provided what proved to be the winning margin as the Phillies took over sole possession of the top spot in the National League (NL) East for the first time since May 7.
That was also the last day the Mets spent outside first place, as they have seen a lead that once stood at five games evaporate in dropping four of their last five games.
Trade-deadline acquisition Kyle Gibson allowed one run in his six innings and added an RBI single for the Phillies, who also got a home run from Didi Gregorius as they handed Marcus Stroman the loss.
Brewers walk it off against Giants
Rowdy Tellez's 10th-inning single gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in a matchup ot the teams with the two best records in the National League. Milwauke's Avisail Garcia and San Francisco's Brandon Belt had traded solo homers for the only other runs of the game.
The Chicago White Sox did not get what they expected out of their lockdown bullpen but still managed to pull out an 8-6 win over the rival Cubs in 10 innings. Newly acquired reliever Craig Kimbrel allowed a three-run homer to Andrew Romine in the eighth to tie the game at 4-4, but the White Sox put four on the board in the top of the 10th on a homer from Brian Goodwin and RBI singles by Gavin Sheets and Tim Anderson.
Brett Gardner gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners with an 11th-inning single in a game that saw the Yankees use nine pitchers, none working more than 1.2 innings.
Dodgers' extra-inning woes continue
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost 4-3 to the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings, their 11th straight defeat in extra-inning games. That was not even the worst news of the day for the defending World Series champions, though, as Mookie Betts left the game after six innings with right hip discomfort.
Boston Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi cruised through four scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays before everything came apart on him in the fifth. Toronto scored nine times in the frame, with seven of the runs charged to Eovaldi, as they rolled to a 12-4 victory at Rogers Centre.
Marte makes it count this time
Starling Marte's first home run after joining the Oakland Athletics was meaningless, a solo shot in an 8-1 loss earlier this week. His second made a bit more noise, a three-run bomb in the 11th inning to give the A's a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Friday's results
Tampa Bay Rays 10-6 Baltimore Orioles
Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 San Francisco Giants
Cincinnati Reds 10-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 New York Mets
New York Yankees 3-2 Seattle Mariners
Toronto Blue Jays 12-4 Boston Red Sox
Colorado Rockies 14-2 Miami Marlins
Oakland Athletics 4-1 Texas Rangers
St Louis Cardinals 4-2 Kansas City Royals
Atlanta Braves 8-4 Washington Nationals
Cleveland Indians 6-1 Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox 8-6 Chicago Cubs
Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 San Diego Padres
Minnesota Twins 5-4 Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels 4-3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Red Sox at Blue Jays
The Boston Red Sox (64-47) have lost seven of their last eight games to fall out of first place, but they have a chance to recover with a doubleheader at the Toronto Blue Jays (58-49).
Top-seeded Elise Mertens rolled into the semi-finals at the Silicon Valley Classic with a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) win over Yulia Putintseva on Friday.
The Belgian already has collected a pair of grand slam doubles titles this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and is seeking her seventh career singles crown.
She will need to get past fourth seed Daria Kasatkina to have a chance.
The Russian outlasted Magda Linette 6-4 3-6 6-4 in her quarter-final and is seeking her third title of 2021 after a three-year drought between wins.
The other semi-final will match seventh seed Danielle Collins against qualifier Ana Konjuh.
Collins pulled out a tight 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) upset of second seed Elena Rybakina to reach the semis in San Jose for the second time.
The American won her eighth consecutive match after taking the title at Palermo two weeks ago.
She will meet the only unseeded player remaining, Konjuh, who won the final 10 games of the match to close out Zhang Shuai 3-6 6-2 6-0.
Kei Nishikori is into his first ATP Tour semi-final in more than two years after defeating Lloyd Harris in straight sets at the Citi Open on Friday.
By far the most experienced player remaining in the field after Harris' upset of Rafael Nadal on Thursday, Nishikori prevailed 6-3 7-5 to avenge a loss earlier this year in their only prior meeting.
Nishikori had lost his last six ATP quarter-final matches dating to a trip to the semis in Barcelona in April 2019.
The 31-year-old next faces Mackenzie McDonald, who downed countryman Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 to reach his second career ATP semi-final. He has never played in a final.
In the other semi-final, fifth seed Jannik Sinner will meet wild card Jenson Brooksby.
Sinner had little trouble with American veteran Steve Johnson in a 6-4 6-2 win as the Italian won 93 per cent of his first-serve points and saved all three break points he faced.
Brooksby maintained the strong return game that as carried him all week in a 6-1 6-2 upset of 11th seed John Millman.
The Australian did not manage an ace against the 20-year-old American, who won 54 per cent of the points on Millman's serve and converted five of seven break points.
At 130 in the world, Brooksby is the lowest-seeded Citi Open semi-finalist since John Isner reached the 2007 final while ranked 416th.
Harris English heads into the weekend at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational with a two-stroke lead after maintaining his spot atop the leaderboard Friday.
The American followed Thursday's 62 with a five-under-par 65 at TPC Southwind, where he won his first PGA Tour title eight years ago.
Australia's Cameron Smith and Abraham Ancer of Mexico surged into a tie for second place after carding 62s of their own in Memphis to sit at 11 under for the tournament.
Ian Poulter (66), Scottie Scheffler (65) and Sam Burns (64) are three back of the lead at 10 under, while Louis Oosthuizen (64) and Bryson DeChambeau (66) are well within striking distance at nine under.
English started on the back nine and made three birdies going out before carding his first and only bogey of the day at the par-four second hole. But he managed to follow that disappointment with an eagle on the third before adding one more birdie later in his round.
Smith also eagled the third on the way to tying a PGA Tour record, as he needed just 18 putts to complete his bogey-free round.
That included a two-put at the last, not long after Smith figured out he was on the verge of history.
"I was walking down 17 and was counting my putts up and I thought, 'No, that can't be right,'" Smith said.
Further down the leaderboard, defending champion Justin Thomas (67) is seven strokes back of the lead at six under along with two-time major winner Dustin Johnson (65).
Phil Mickelson (66) is at five under, whie Hideki Matsuyama (69) and Patrick Reed (69) are well back at three under.
Rory McIlroy (66), Sergio Garcia (68), and Collin Morikawa (71) are at two under, one stroke better than Brooks Koepka (69).
Jordan Spieth (69) enters the weekend at even par and Olympic champion Xander Schauffele (73) is at two over.
Kyle Lowry's move to Miami is official, giving the Heat another playoff-tested veteran to lead what they hope will be a charge back to the NBA Finals.
The Heat announced on Friday they have acquired Lowry from the Toronto Raptors for Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa.
Miami did not disclose the contract terms in Lowry's sign-and-trade deal, but The Athletic reported he has signed a three-year, $85million contract.
"Kyle Lowry is a great leader and an exceptional defender," Heat president Pat Riley said in a release. "As a point guard, he will bring important skills to run the offense, score the ball and defend with the very best."
A 15-year NBA veteran, Lowry became a star after joining the Raptors in 2012 after serving as more of a role player previously with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.
He had started fewer than half of his NBA appearances before moving to Toronto but will leave there as arguably the best player in franchise history after averaging 17.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game over the last nine seasons, which saw him make the All-Star Game six times.
After leading the Raptors to their first NBA title in 2019, Lowry joins a Miami team that lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 Finals and went out in the first round to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks this year.
He will team up with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson on a squad that should be a threat in the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors get back the veteran point guard Dragic, who averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 assists last season, and the 21-year-old Achiuwa, who averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game.
But Lowry will be missed, and the feeling is mutual. In a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, Lowry thanked the franchise and its fans for his time there, saying his bond with the city is "unbreakable."
"Toronto will forever be my 2nd home and I will always be tied to the franchise, the city and the country of Canada which makes me so happy to say," he wrote.
The Brooklyn Nets and superstar Kevin Durant have reached an agreement on a four-year, $198 million contract extension, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday.
Like all deals agreed since Monday, Durant's extension will become official on Saturday after the end of the NBA's free agency moratorium.
The contract was reported hours before Durant and the rest of Team USA play France for the Olympic gold medal in Japan.
Durant, 32, averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 2020-21 in his first season back from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
A former league MVP and two-time Finals MVP, Durant played just 35 games last season as the Nets cautiously handled a series of minor injuries.
In the postseason, however, he played in all 12 of Brooklyn's games, including all 53 minutes in the Nets' second-round, Game 7 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Durant scored 34.3 points per game in the playoffs while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three-point range.
The extension is the first for the Nets' trio of superstars, with new contracts expected to come for James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
Brooklyn are the bookmakers' favourites to win the 2022 NBA title, which would be the first in franchise history for the Nets.
The British and Irish Lions lock horns with South Africa once more in Saturday's decider, with the Test series on the line at 1-1 as it boils down to the final game.
The Lions battled to a 22-17 opening victory but will now have to lick their wounds and respond to the heavy 27-9 defeat that the Springboks inflicted in Cape Town last Saturday.
While Warren Gatland's men eye a first series win on South African soil since 1997 in the winner-takes-all showdown, the Boks are also aiming to piece together consecutive series successes over the tourists for the first time since 1962-1968.
Each of Gatland's three Lions series have gone to the wire, though it will be a tough task to bounce back from South Africa's comeback victory last time out.
Having suffered an 18-point loss, the Lions head coach has made a host of changes, bringing in front-row forwards Ken Owens and Wyn Jones alongside scrum-half Ali Price, full-back Liam Williams, wing Josh Adams and centre Bundee Aki.
Despite Gatland's changes tailoring to the pre-existing strategy of matching their opponents physically, attack coach Gregor Townsend insisted creativity would be the key to overcoming Siya Kolisi's reigning world champions.
"If you create opportunities, you have more chance of winning the game," Townsend said. "You may create more through pressure. We know we have to control the game more by moving South Africa around, draining them of energy whenever we can."
The introduction of Finn Russell, who Townsend explained "can ask different questions than any fly-half in the world," on the bench for Owen Farrell may offer the tourists that.
The Boks, in contrast, make just the two enforced changes. Pieter-Steph du Toit and Faf de Klerk miss out through injury, opening up room for Lood de Jager and Cobus Reinach to start.
De Jager's arrival will force Franco Mostert into the back row role he filled after 55 minutes last time out. Indeed, Mostert's shift gained control of the lineout, ensuring the hosts won the remainder of the game 16-0.
Discipline key
The war of words between both camps, following Rassie Erasmus' remarkable campaign against the match officials, carried over onto the pitch in the second Test, yet Kyle Sinckler was the only player cited amid a hostile showing from both teams.
However, if the Lions are to succeed in the decider, they must remain composed in response to the Boks' contentious style of game management.
Gatland commented on the "stop-start" nature of the first two Tests but Courtney Lawes maintained his team "can't get too caught up in the niggle of stuff, scrapping."
"They can throw their handbags around, as long as we can get the ball out and play some rugby," the 32-year-old added.
Kolisi jumped to the defence of his side, who have been accused of time-wasting and suffocating games to their benefit, declaring: "If there are niggles we can't leave a man behind. That's our system and what we believe in."
Aerial bombardment
The Lions struggled under the high ball in the second Test and any chance of success for Gatland's men largely hangs on the aerial performances of their back three.
Duhan van der Merwe has endured a mixed tour so far, with a positive first outing and a fairly poor second showing. He is joined by Williams and Adams who will go head-to-head with key Springboks Willie le Roux and Makazole Mapimpi.
The latter battle between two try machines promises to be a thriller. Adams leads the Lions' scoring charts with eight tries in four appearances, though Mapimpi also boasts an impressive 15 in 16 internationals.
In response to the tourists' heaviest defeat since 2005, Gatland has rolled the dice in his selections and, if the Lions can get the ball in hand and play as opposed to battling themselves into the ground, they have a chance of legacy-making glory.
TEAMS
South Africa: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach; Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (captain), Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Koch, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies, Morne Steyn, Damian Willemse.
British and Irish Lions: Liam Williams, Josh Adams, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe, Dan Biggar, Ali Price; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones (captain), Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler, Adam Beard, Sam Simmonds, Conor Murray, Finn Russell, Elliot Daly.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Since 1962-1968, the past five series between the Lions and the Springboks have seen the winner alternate, with the hosts winning the most recent series in 2009.
- The Lions gained just 105 metres from 85 carries against South Africa in the second Test, their average gain of 1.24 metres per carry the lowest by a tier-one side in a Test match since Opta began recording such data in 2010.
- Both matches in this series have been won by the side trailing at the break; the Lions defeated the Springboks in the opener after outscoring them 19-5 in the second half, while in the second Test South Africa scored 21 unanswered points in the second 40 minutes.
- The Lions have lost just two series after winning the first Test (W10, D1) – against New Zealand in 1930 and Australia in 2001 – with the tourists winning four and drawing one of their five such series against South Africa.
- Alun Wyn Jones is set to win his 12th Lions Test cap, joining Mike Gibson and Graham Price as the joint-fourth most capped player in Lions history, behind only Willie John McBride (17) and Dickie Jeeps (13).
- Damian de Allende has made 25 carries during the series, six more than any other player, gaining the most metres (76), as well as the most post-contact metres (67).
Andre Iguodala has confirmed he will return to the Golden State Warriors on a one-year deal and plans to end his career with the franchise he helped to three NBA titles.
Iguodala was a pivotal part of the Warriors' dynasty, which saw them reach five successive NBA Finals between 2015 and 2019 and win championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Having accepted the role of sixth man in the 2014-15 season, Iguodala moved into a more prominent position for the 2015 Finals, with his defense of LeBron James crucial to Golden State's 4-2 victory.
Iguodala was named 2015 Finals MVP and continued to have a significant influence on the Warriors' success thereafter.
The swingman shot 49.4 per cent from the field and 37.8 per cent from three-point range in the playoffs in 2018 when Golden State won their most recent title.
He produced the same field goal percentage in the 2019 postseason as the Warriors lost in the Finals to the Toronto Raptors, before then moving on to the Miami Heat and helping them reach the Finals in the NBA Bubble.
Iguodala's field goal percentage of 38.3 for the Heat last season was the worst of his time in the NBA, but while he admitted to pondering retirement this offseason, he is relishing the chance to bring the curtain down at the place where his career reached its zenith.
"Who would have thought I'd have the opportunity to go back to the place where I was able to have, whatever you want to call it, legacy years, in terms of the accomplishments, winning multiple championships, the relationships that I was able to build with some of my closest friends and teammates?" the 37-year-old told The New York Times.
"The relationship with the fans, the relationship with the Bay, the opportunity to end it here, was just something special."
Iguodala will likely play a key role in mentoring the younger members of the Warriors' roster.
Golden State did not pull off the blockbuster draft-night trade many were anticipating, instead using picks 7 and 14 on two teenagers in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. The Warriors used the second overall pick in 2020 on a center with just three games of college experience in James Wiseman, who showed flashes of his potential before a meniscus injury ended his rookie year.
While that trio will look to call on Iguodala's experience, he is hopeful he can still make an impact on the court perhaps even beyond the 2021-22 season.
"I think I've got some more time left," Iguodala said. "Where I'm comfortable at is I can decide when I'm ready to go.
"I think I want to leave with just a little bit left. I don't want to go out on one leg. I know I've got a few more years. It's just my decision whether it's one or two or three or whatever it may be. I shouldn't even say three. One or two."
Top-seeded Elise Mertens pulled out a three-set win to reach the quarter-finals at the Silicon Valley Classic as all four matches went the distance on Thursday.
The Belgian, ranked 17th in the world, prevailed 6-2 4-6 6-4 over Kristina Mladenovic of France in two hours and 40 minutes to advance in San Jose.
She moves on to face the eighth seed, Yulia Putintseva, who rallied past Ajla Tomljanovic 3-6 7-5 6-3 as the Australian blew numerous chances to pull ahead by converting only two of 16 break-point opportunities.
In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Elena Rybakina remained on track with a 2-6 6-0 6-2 victory over American Claire Liu in a rematch of a second-round meeting at Wimbledon.
Rybakina next meets seventh seed Danielle Collins, a 3-6 6-4 6-3 winner over US countrywoman Sloane Stephens.
Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, has slipped to number 67 in the world and was playing in her first tournament since Wimbledon as she prepares for a return to Flushing Meadows.
The Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves picked up unlikely victories on Thursday night as the National League East race continued to tighten up.
Philadelphia scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6, while Atlanta struck for six in the eighth to roll past the St Louis Cardinals 8-4. Those results combined with the New York Mets' 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins means the top three teams in the division are within 1.5 games of one another.
In Washington, a two-run double from J.T. Realmuto and a two-run single by Rhys Hoskins provided the winning margin for the Phillies as they won their fifth in a row to move within a half-game of the first-placed Mets.
At least the Nationals could take some satisfaction in the Phillies earning the win; that was not the case in St Louis.
The Cardinals led 4-2 with two outs in the eighth when Freddie Freeman singled and Austin Riley tied the game with his 23rd homer.
After Dansby Swanson doubled, Adam Duvall got hit by a pitch and the next five Atlanta batters walked to force in four more runs before Freeman lined out to end the inning.
According to Stats Perform, the Cardinals' 26 bases-loaded walks this season are the most since the 1999 Seattle Mariners issued 28.
With the victory, Atlanta (55-54) moved over .500 for the first time this season after having been one game under the .500 mark 28 different times.
Giants stun Diamondbacks with rally
The San Francisco Giants, who own the best record in MLB, were on the verge of being shut out by the team with the worst record before pulling off yet another miraculous rally. Down 4-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants scored four times in the top of the ninth to tie the game before Kris Bryant's double in the 10th provided the winning margin in a 5-4 victory.
Though Anthony Rizzo failed to drive in a run for the first time in seven games as a New York Yankee, fellow newcomer Joey Gallo picked up the slack. The former Texas Ranger pounded out two doubles and his 26th home run of the season, driving in three runs as the Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3.
Joey Votto got back in his power-hitting groove with a three-run homer that followed blasts by team-mates Eugenio Suarez and Jonathan India as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4.
Baez whiffs for Mets
The Javy Baez honeymoon did not last long in New York. The new Mets shortstop struck out in all five of his trips to the plate, leaving eight men on base in New York's loss to Miami.
Bichette's Blue Jays bomb
Bo Bichette joined Troy Tulowitzki (2016) and Tony Batista (1999) as the only Toronto shortstops to reach 20 home runs in a season with a two-run, fourth-inning shot in the Blue Jays' 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Thursday's results
Cincinnati Reds 7-4 Pittsburgh Pirates
Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 Washington Nationals
New York Yankees 5-3 Seattle Mariners
Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers 8-1 Boston Red Sox
Miami Marlins 4-2 New York Mets
Los Angeles Angels 5-0 Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals 3-2 Chicago White Sox
Atlanta Braves 8-4 St Louis Cardinals
Colorado Rockies 6-5 Chicago Cubs
San Francisco Giants 5-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Minnesota Twins 5-3 Houston Astros
Mets at Phillies
The NL East race is the closest of any division, and the top two teams will face off as Marcus Stroman and the New York Mets (56-52) visit Kyle Gibson and the Philadelphia Phillies (56-53).
This time, Rafael Nadal could not summon the third-set magic he needed.
Coming off an epic three-hour duel Wednesday in his first match since the French Open final, Nadal fell to Lloyd Harris 6-4 1-6 6-4 on Thursday at the Citi Open.
After a short-lived maiden appearance at the Washington, D.C. tournament, the Spaniard will look ahead to Toronto and Cincinnati as he continues his preparations for the U.S. Open.
Harris, meanwhile, heads to a quarter-final matchup against veteran Kei Nishikori after recording the biggest win of his career.
Facing Nadal for the first time, the 24-year-old South African slammed 16 aces Thursday and saved four of six break points.
The 20-time grand slam winner, who battled a foot injury to outlast Jack Sock in his first match, did not have enough to answer the world number 50 on Thursday.
In addition to the top-seeded Nadal's defeat, second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime also went down Thursday, falling 6-3 6-4 to American wild card Jenson Brooksby.
With their exits, the tournament is now without its top four seeds.
That leaves fifth seed Jannik Sinner as the top player remaining after he defeated Sebastian Korda 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3).
Nishikori advanced by downing seventh seed Cameron Norrie 3-6 6-3 6-3, while John Millman knocked out eighth seed Reilly Opelka 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Among unseeded players, Denis Kudla defeated the red-hot Brandon Nakashima 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4, while Steve Johnston eased past Ricardas Berankis 6-2 6-1 and Mackenzie McDonald beat Illya Ivashka 6-4 6-4.
In addition to Harris-Nishikori, Kudla will face McDonald in the other quarter-final in the top half of the draw, while Sinner meets Johnson and Millman takes on Brooksby in the bottom half.
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