Formula Woman Driver, Sara Misir, is slated to compete at Radical Invasion 2022 on Easter Monday as local Motor sporting action returns to Dover Raceway in St. Ann.
Dubbed ‘Radical Invasion,’ the meet is slated to get underway at 9 am and will feature some 80 racers competing throughout the day across their various classes.
Misir will participate in the Modified Production 3 category.
“We haven’t had local racing at Dover in over two years, so I’m just looking forward to the great atmosphere and seeing local fans again. I’ve missed the racing community, the vendors and just the overall vibe of being at Dover. I look forward to setting a new personal best on the track and having a great race day,” she said.
Misir, who now races with the Formula Women’s team in the GT Cup Championships in the UK, recently emerged as one of four drivers to compete in the series after recording the second-fastest time from a pool of over 75 drivers.
The RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation Awards recently recognized Misir as a 2021 motorsports athlete of the year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas remains on course for a second consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title after recording a straight-sets semi-final win over Alexander Zverev.
The third seed, who defeated Andrey Rublev to clinch the title in Monaco last year, produced a scintillating performance to beat the world number three 6-4 6-2 in Saturday's last-four encounter.
Tsitsipas will face world number 46 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Sunday's final, and the Greek said he will need to perform at an even higher level to defeat the 22-year-old, whose incredible run continued with a three-set win over Grigor Dimitrov in the final four.
"It was good," Tstispas told Amazon Prime Video of his semi-final win. "I don't know whether the long match [his three-set quarter-final win over Diego Schwartzman on Friday] gave me some rhythm, but I was able to play good tennis today. I'm happy with the level I was able to execute, and I came up with some good ideas on the court.
"I'm looking forward to the next one, I have a difficult opponent tomorrow, so I need to be ready and to take the best out of this one and move on.
"It's going to take a little bit more [to beat Davidovich Fokina], he's in a good rhythm. I've played him before, and he's a difficult opponent, I'm going to be as ready as possible, he's definitely improved and I'm going to have to produce the best tennis I can."
Davidovich Fokina, who has made headlines by eliminating Novak Djokovic and Indian Wells Masters champion Taylor Fritz during a thrilling run in the municipality, beat Dimitrov 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 earlier on Saturday, reaching his first ATP Tour final.
The unseeded Spaniard needed two hours and 43 minutes to wrap up his semi-final contest, and revealed that a bathroom break allowed him to reset his mind and clinch a hard-fought victory after he failed to serve out the second set at 5-4 up.
"I am so happy to be in the final, it's a dream come true to try to have the title," he said after the win.
"When I was a kid, I was dreaming about this day and it's come true, I'm so happy.
"In the second set I had my chances, I was so tight. But I went to the bathroom [after the second set] and I said to myself 'I want this'. Now I am in the final, I will enjoy, I have all the power with me."
Deebo Samuel has claimed he has received death threats and been targeted with racial slurs from fans over his contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers.
Wide receiver Samuel is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers having enjoyed a career year in 2021.
He was named a first-team All-Pro after racking up 1,405 receiving yards and six touchdowns while also thriving running the ball out of the backfield.
Samuel averaged 6.2 yards per carry in finishing with 365 yards on 59 attempts, with his eight regular-season rushing touchdowns an NFL record for a wide receiver – two clear of Eric Metcalf's previous benchmark of six for the 1989 Cleveland Browns.
His unique role in the offense, with Samuel describing himself as a 'wide back', will undoubtedly have complicated negotiations, which have so far shown no sign of delivering a resolution. Samuel recently deleted all references to the 49ers on his Instagram page.
The 2019 second-round pick is said to be looking for a contract in the region of $25million a year, having seen the wide receiver market explode this offseason amid a flurry of high-profile trades and lucrative free-agent contracts.
In a video on Instagram, Samuel made it clear the appalling messages he says he has received on social media have not affected him.
"For all y'all fans that's in the DM, sending death threats and racial stuff, that don't bother me," Samuel said.
"Y'all the same ones that was just hoo-rahing and 'go Deebo!', now y'all want to send death threats and all racial stuff, it don't bother me, I'm cool, I'm chilling, I'm happy."
The Los Angeles Clippers will play no part in this year's playoffs, but coach Ty Lue still believes they "can be special" next season.
The Clippers finished eighth in the West to enter the Play-In tournament, only to fall short of the postseason with consecutive defeats.
After losing 109-104 to the Minnesota Timberwolves with Paul George in the lineup, the seven-time All-Star was in health and safety protocols for Friday's make-or-break 105-101 defeat at home to the New Orleans Pelicans.
George's absence was a cruel blow for the Clippers, not that playing without him is a new experience.
Injury limited George to 31 games this year – in which he averaged a team-leading 24.3 points – but that was 31 more games than the team got out of two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who is still recovering from a partial ACL tear in last season's playoff run.
Even Norman Powell, signed in February, suffered a setback and could play only limited minutes in a bench role after returning ahead of the play-in games.
Since the Clippers signed George and Leonard ahead of the 2019-20 season, they have played together in only 104 games across the regular season and playoffs.
The Clippers have a 72-32 (.692) record in those games, versus 83-71 (.539) in the 154 when one of their superstars is missing.
For that reason, Lue can retain some optimism as they hope to have Leonard back for 2022-23.
"We get our main guys back, we can be dangerous," he said after the Pelicans game. "Health is part of it. We've got to stay healthy, continue to work.
"When you get Kawhi back, a top-five player, PG, a perennial All-Star, your team changes tremendously.
"Guys who have taken on bigger roles this year, who have never been in this position before, they can kind of fall back into their original roles.
"We could be very different with those two guys back and healthy. We can be special."
The Pelicans have themselves missed a big name this year, with former first overall pick Zion Williamson joining Leonard in sitting out the entire season to date.
In his stead, C.J. McCollum and, particularly in the play-in tournament, Brandon Ingram have stepped up to lead the Pelicans into a first-round series against title favourites the Phoenix Suns.
Ingram has averaged 18.5 points per game for his career and 22.7 in the regular season this year but 28.5 across play-in wins over the San Antonio Spurs and the Clippers.
His 30 led the team on Friday, prompting high praise from coach Willie Green.
"Brandon Ingram is the truth," Green said. "He just brought it. He had that look in his eye from the time we got on the plane. Shootaround, he's been locked in. He has been waiting for this moment, for this type of moment."
Trae Young knew he just needed to stay aggressive in the second half of the Atlanta Hawks' 107-101 play-in win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and said he expects a fun series against the Miami Heat.
It was a tale of two halves for the Hawks' All-NBA point guard, as he struggled with six points in the first, before exploding with 32 after half-time.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was crucial off the bench for Atlanta, hitting six-of-eight shots for 19 points and three steals in his 29 minutes, while Onyeka Okongwu invigorated his side after Clint Capela went down with an injury, finishing with a plus/minus of plus 21 while Capela was minus 21.
Speaking to post-game media, Young said he was always looking to score, despite how tough the Cavaliers were making it for him early.
"Early in the game, they were making some reads and making some switches, and I was trying to get my teammates involved," he said.
"I missed a couple shots, but I needed to stay aggressive, and that's all I did in the second half. We just took care of business.
"The team we beat tonight definitely deserved a playoff spot, but this year it's so tough. They weren't able to make it. It's just a testament to our team that we kept fighting."
Young then touched on the upcoming series against the Heat, saying he is looking forward to the playoff atmosphere when they head to Miami on Sunday.
"I mean, [Miami have] been clicking on all cylinders, especially recently, [and] they've got a little bit more rest than we have, so we got to be ready to bring it," he said.
"We know the crowd is going to be crazy, and the environment is gonna be fun, so [we have] got to be ready to be locked in and take care of business."
Hawks coach Nate McMillan was inspired by his team's fight, and his point guard.
"This team is built for moments like this," he said.
"Trae has a great deal of confidence in his game, his ability and he continued to believe. I didn't see any panic in his play.
"He came out in the second half [and] remained aggressive. Those shots started to fall, the same shots that he was taking in the first half, they started to fall in the second half."
A Trae Young masterclass in the second half of the Atlanta Hawks' play-in clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers led his side to a 107-101 victory.
After only scoring six points in the first half, Young had 32 in the second, finishing with 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting (four-of-11 from deep) to go with nine assists.
It was a gutsy comeback from the Hawks, who trailed 28-14 in the first quarter and 49-61 with 30 seconds to play in the first half.
Overall, the Hawks outscored the Cavaliers 56 to 40 in the last two quarters, and after committing seven turnovers in the opening frame, cleaned things up significantly and only committed six more across the next three quarters.
Cleveland's Darius Garland had a difficult shooting night, finishing nine-of-27 from the field for his 21 points, but he showed excellent command of his side throughout, dishing nine assists, snatching three steals and finishing with a plus/minus of plus three in his 43 minutes. This means in the five minutes Garland was sitting on the bench, the Cavs were outscored by eight.
With the win, the Hawks have earned a seven-game series against the top seed of the Eastern Conference – the Miami Heat.
Pelicans survive Clippers comeback
The New Orleans Pelicans survived a massive second-half surge from the Los Angeles Clippers to fight back and win on the road 105-101.
Through the first half, it looked like it would be smooth sailing for the Pelicans as they jumped out to a 56-42 lead with one minute to play in the second quarter.
Los Angeles were without star Paul George after it was announced he had tested positive for coronavirus and had to adhere to health and safety protocols, but they found a second wind to start the third period.
The Clippers started the second half on a 20-to-two run, flipping a 56-46 deficit to a 66-58 lead as Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris started to catch fire.
After being outscored 38-18 in the third term, the Pelicans began the final period trailing 84-74, but it would be their turn to make a run, rallying to tie the game at 88-88 with 7:35 to play.
Brandon Ingram was the star of the show, finishing with 30 points (14-of-21 shooting) with six assists and six rebounds, but the clutch long-range shooting from rookie Trey Murphy III was the catalyst for their surge down the stretch.
Murphy came off the bench and finished with a game-high plus/minus of plus 26 in his 24 minutes, hitting four-of-six threes, including three of them in the last 10 minutes.
Jackson and Morris finished with 27 points each for the Clippers, while the former also added eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals.
The win means the New Orleans Pelicans will face the Phoenix Suns in a best-of-seven series, beginning on Sunday.
After seven consecutive road games to start their season, the New York Mets put on a show for their home crowd at Citi Field in a 10-3 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Making his second start of the season, Chris Bassitt was lights out again for the Mets, pitching six full innings for six strikeouts while only giving up one run and four total baserunners.
After Pete Alonso drove in the first two runs through two sacrifice-fly balls, Robinson Cano delivered the first big shot of the day with a solo home run in the third inning, before Francisco Lindor bombed a two-run jack in the fifth frame.
Starling Marte would get in on the action in the eighth inning, connecting on a 391-foot three-run homer, before Lindor added his second long ball of the day in the very next at-bat.
Orioles walk-off with a walk
The New York Yankees went down 2-1 in extra innings against the Baltimore Orioles as the winning run was gifted home plate with a walk.
Giancarlo Stanton was the lone bright spot for the Yankees on the offensive side of the ball, getting three hits from five at-bats and driving in New York's only run.
The two starting pitchers – Jordan Montgomery for the Yankees and Jordan Lyles for the Orioles – combined for 10 innings of work for only one earned run.
Patrick Cantlay holds a two-stroke lead after the second round at the RBC Heritage following a four-under par 67.
After posting a bogey-free 66 on the first day, the world number six's second round featured three bogeys, but he closed it out with four consecutive birdies starting on the par-five 15th hole to tie for the best round of the day.
Over his first two rounds, Cantlay has birdied 10 of the 18 holes at Harbour Town.
Speaking to the media after his round, Cantlay explained that his finish was exactly how he wanted to head into the weekend.
"Obviously, that's a dream finish," Cantlay said. "I finally rolled in some putts and that was really nice to see going into the weekend.
"Just staying with my game plan and continuing to leave the golf ball in the right spots, which is paramount around this place, I think is the key."
Six players shot 67 on Friday, including second-placed Robert Streb, who is alone at seven under.
First-round leader Cameron Young could not come close to repeating his unbelievable round of 63, going 10 strokes worse, but he is still very much in the mix in a tie for third at six under with a group of players including Cameron Tringale and Erik van Rooyen.
Chilean pair Joaquin Neimann and Mito Pereira are one shot further back at five under, along with Jordan Spieth, while Corey Conners and Shane Lowry have continued their fine form from The Masters to be in the hunt at four under.
Pre-tournament favourite Collin Morikawa posted his second consecutive 70 to sit in a tie for 34th at two under, but blew a chance to go into round three in the top-20 after double-bogeying the 18th.
Justin Thomas finished one stroke better than the cut-line at one under, while reigning champion Stewart Cink held on to see the weekend at even par along with Webb Simpson and Danny Willett.
Cameron Smith's Masters hangover saw him finish one over, missing the cut along with Dustin Johnson, who followed up Thursday's 72 with an equally disappointing 71.
Other notable names to drop out include Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley and Matt Fitzpatrick, with the latter carding 75 to fall three strokes short.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph was an "unarmed" passenger in the vehicle from which the fatal gunshot that killed a 20-year-old man was fired, according to his attorney.
Cameron Ray died on March 18 after being shot outside a Dallas area nightclub following an apparent altercation between two groups.
ESPN reported on Thursday that local police wanted to speak to Joseph, 22, in connection with the incident.
In a statement to the Dallas Morning News on Friday, Joseph's attorney Barry Sorrels said the Cowboys player was present but not involved in the violence.
"Kelvin Joseph did not shoot Cameron Ray," Sorrels said. "Mr. Ray's death is a tragedy, and Kelvin extends his deepest condolences for the family's loss.
"On the night of March 17, Kelvin was unarmed and was not looking for violence. He found himself in a situation that escalated without his knowledge or consent.
"Along with condolences to the Ray family, Kelvin apologises to the Dallas community for being anywhere near this type of incident. The investigation is ongoing, and we intend to respect the process."
The Cowboys also released a statement confirming their knowledge of the situation.
"The Dallas Cowboys are aware of the tragic incident that occurred in Dallas on March 18," it read.
"First and foremost, our hearts go out to Mr. Ray's family and loved ones.
"The organisation is aware of Kelvin Joseph's possible connection to this incident. We are in contact with Dallas law enforcement and have alerted the NFL office."
Reigning Monte Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to overcome Alexander Zverev if he is to have the chance to defend his title.
Zverev, who is ranked third in the world - two places higher than Tsitsipas - fought back to defeat Jannik Sinner 5-7 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in his quarter-final match, denying his opponent another top-five seed scalp following his prior win over Andrey Rublev.
"It means a lot, definitely, especially [with] how this year has been going so far for me," said Zverev after a gruelling three hours on court.
"I've lost long matches like that, so I’m happy I won this one."
Tsitsipas also orchestrated a superb turnaround against Diego Schwartzman, prevailing 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-4.
The Greek had looked set for a last-eight exit at four games down in the final set, only to stage a dramatic comeback to keep his hopes of a first title since last May's Lyon Open alive.
"There was a moment in the match where I felt what I was doing wasn't working," Tsitsipas said.
"He had a massive lead and momentum in what he was trying to do. I just tried to stay in the match as much as I could and that worked out very well.
"I wasn't expecting much at that point being a double break down, so I relaxed at that point."
Schwartzman meanwhile will rue his inability to put the tie to bed, having already reached two ATP finals this year.
Grigor Dimitrov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will face off in the other semi-final.
Bulgarian Dimitrov beat off Hubert Hurkacz in another final-set tie-break, winning 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2).
Fokina, who eliminated Novak Djokovic in the second round, turned over Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz in another comeback result, triumphing 2-6 6-4 6-3.
The Dallas Mavericks will be without talisman Luka Doncic for Game 1 of their playoff series against the Utah Jazz and he is a major doubt for Game 2.
Doncic strained his left calf in the third quarter of the Mavs' final regular-season fixture, a 130-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs, and sat out the rest of the game after putting up 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
The two-time All-Star would have been ineligible for the game had the NBA not rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, which he earned in the game prior against the Portland Trailblazers.
It was reported on Thursday that Doncic was set to miss Saturday's game against Utah and now ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has claimed the 23-year-old will definitely be out, adding that Dallas have serious concerns that he will also be missing for Game 2 on Monday.
Doncic has averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game this season. Across his career, he has averaged 30 points per game against the Jazz.
Paul George has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols and will not feature for the Los Angeles Clippers against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to reports.
George spent three months out earlier this season due to a serious elbow injury but returned at the end of March to help the Clippers push for a playoff berth.
They did not quite seal a guaranteed postseason spot but face the Pelicans on Friday in the Western Conference's play-in game.
The Clippers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game of the play-in tournament but get a second shot against the Pelicans. However, they will be without their talisman George.
George scored a game-high 34 points in the defeat to Minnesota yet will sit out as his teammates aim to secure a playoff game against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news, with his colleague Ohm Youngmisuk stating that Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations for the Clippers, had told media that George had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.
George averaged 24.3 points per game for the Clippers across the regular season, more than any of his teammates.
After the loss to the Timberwolves, George told reporters: "It's win or go home.
"Obviously, [if] we don't win, we go home. I could care less who we play. The mindset is we have to win regardless. There's no pep talk, X's and O's. We've got to win. We've got to win if we want to continue our season."
George has carried a heavy burden this season in the absence of Kawhi Leonard who has not featured at all this season due to injury, though there is hope he may return for the playoffs should the Clippers progress.
Stephon Gilmore is on the move again and this time the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year is joining the Indianapolis Colts.
Cornerback Gilmore will receive a two-year contract worth $23million, of which $14million is guaranteed, ESPN and NFL.com reported on Friday.
It means his stay with the Carolina Panthers has proved short-lived, after he left the New England Patriots to move to Charlotte last October.
Gilmore visited the Colts on Wednesday, with the 31-year-old five-time Pro Bowl star leaving Carolina after playing just eight games for the franchise.
The 10th overall pick in 2012, when he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore moved to New England in March 2017 and helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl in his second season.
Gilmore was crucial in that Super Bowl success, with his interception clinching New England's 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, a year after they were beaten in the championship game by the Philadelphia Eagles.
He took Defensive Player of the Year honours in 2019, and after playing 11 games in the following season he moved on to the Panthers.
Sidelined by a torn quad initially, Gilmore was activated in Week 8 and started three of the remaining games as Carolina finished the 2021 season with seven straight losses.
NHL legend Mike Bossy has died at the age of 65, the New York Islanders said on Friday.
Canadian right-winger Bossy was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders and spent his entire NHL career with the franchise, from 1977 until his retirement in 1988.
In that time, Bossy scored 573 goals, which remains the most by any player in Islanders history, and added 553 assists for a combined 1,126 points in 752 games.
He achieved an NHL record of scoring 50 or more goals in nine consecutive seasons, posting 60 or more in five of those campaigns.
Of all players in league history, only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux reached 500 goals in fewer games than Bossy, the Islanders said.
Bossy and the Islanders won the Stanley Cup in four straight seasons from 1980 to 1983, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
In a statement, his former team said they were "deeply saddened" by news of Bossy's death, describing him as "the greatest pure goal scorer".
Bossy announced last October he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello added: "The New York Islanders organisation mourns the loss of Mike Bossy, an icon not only on Long Island but across the entire hockey world.
"His drive to be the best every time he stepped on the ice was second to none. Along with his teammates, he helped win four straight Stanley Cup championships, shaping the history of this franchise forever. On behalf of the entire organisation, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Bossy family and all those who grieve this tragic loss."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said: "The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Mike Bossy, the dynamic winger whose goal-scoring prowess during a remarkable 10-year career ranks, by almost any measure, as one of the greatest in NHL history and propelled the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups."
Bettman documented Bossy's feats in his tribute.
"Bossy scored 573 goals in 752 games – a .76 goals-per-game average that is the highest in the league's history. He is the only player ever to record nine straight 50-goal seasons and his five 60-goal seasons are matched only by Wayne Gretzky," Bettman said.
"One of only eight players in NHL history to have scored 50 goals in his first 50 games of a season, he was similarly dominating in the Stanley Cup playoffs, during which he scored 85 goals in 129 games."
Dillian Whyte reminded people that it is not the Tyson Fury show when the pair meet at Wembley Stadium.
The undefeated Fury will put his WBC belt on the line in a heavyweight bout on April 23 after mandatory challenger Whyte knocked out Alexander Povetkin to earn a shot against his fellow Briton.
Fury has already suggested he will retire after the clash with Whyte, who did not attend the first media conference to preview the fight before breaking his social media silence last week on Instagram.
But Whyte finally ended his media hiatus to discuss the showdown as he promised a two-way battle, as opposed to the "one-way traffic" he feels that has wrongfully been portrayed.
"This is a business," he told reporters. "It's not the Tyson Fury show. Everybody saying 'Tyson Fury this, Tyson Fury that'.
"This fight sold out because of me and Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury fought Wilder, he's a big superstar.
"It's not just the Tyson Fury show, it's the Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte show, so some things need to be done correctly.
"I don't dance to nobody's tune. I'm a warrior. We can dance together, but it can't be one-way traffic.
"I'm a disciplined guy and I've learned to be disciplined over the years. Okay, you want me to do things? That's cool, I'm up for that, I'm a professional. I've had six or seven pay-per-view shows and worked hard on all of them and looked after my opponents and dealt with them correctly.
"When these guys are trying to mug me off and treat me like it's the Tyson Fury show, they've got to get certain things correct. I'm a professional at the end of the day, so here I am. I'm here and ready."
Whyte has previously expressed disappointment with his share of the purse, with Fury pocketing £24million to the former's £6m.
While the challenger was left frustrated with the finances behind the fight, he referenced previous failures to agree a bout with Fury as a reason for his earlier refusals to speak to the media.
"You make an agreement to get the ball rolling, but there are still underlying issues that need securing and sorting out, and then when people are trying to play games and messing around then you've got to control what you can control," he added.
"What I could control is my actions, not what Fury does. So that's what I did."
Frustrations aside, Whyte insists it would be the pinnacle if he could become the champion of the world in front of a packed crowd at Wembley, where 94,000 are expected to attend.
"I'm a guy that as a kid, no future, no education, no family, I'm a survivor," he said.
"I've been on the streets since I was a child. For somebody like me that's come from nothing, I've come from no sporting background, no backing, no support, I didn't even do sports at school.
"For somebody like me to come from where I've come from, and to be heavyweight champion of the world is true inspiration.
"That's somebody that's come from a boxing family. I was a thug on the street that could knock people out. I'm under no illusion, I know what I am, I know what I bring."
Late in the NBA season it appeared the Phoenix Suns may finish top-two in both offensive and defensive efficiency – a feat only accomplished twice in the 21st century.
Those two teams were the 2014-15 and 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, who both went on to win NBA Championships.
As Phoenix wrapped up the top overall seed with weeks to spare, their total efficiency took a dip in the final games as Aaron Holiday was gifted starts, and the duo of Ishmail Wainwright and Gabriel Lundberg were playing nearly a combined 50 minutes.
For the season, the Suns finished with the third-ranked defense, giving up 106.8 points per 100 possessions, and the fifth-placed offense, scoring 114.2 points per 100 possessions, giving them a net-rating of 7.5 (7.4 gap between offense and defense, rounded up to the closest decimal).
The 'per 100 possessions' qualifier is simply to provide an even playing field for teams that play at different paces – the Dallas Mavericks are the slowest team in the league, getting 95.6 possessions per game, while the run-and-gun Minnesota Timberwolves average 101.5 possessions per game.
Since, and including, the 1999-00 season, the 2021-22 Suns are the 13th team to finish top-five in both offense and defense.
The other teams are:
1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers (fifth in offense, first in defense, 9.0 net-rating) 2001-02 Sacramento Kings (third in offense, fifth in defense, 8.1 net) 2005-06 Detroit Pistons (fourth in offense, fifth in defense, 7.6 net) 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks (second in offense, fifth in defense, 7.6 net) 2007-08 Lakers (third in offense, fifth in defense, 7.3 net) 2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers (fourth offense, second defense, 9.6 net) 2009-10 Orlando Magic (fourth offense, fourth defense, 7.9 net) 2010-11 Miami Heat (second offense, fifth defense, 7.8 net) 2014-15 Warriors (second offense, first defense, 9.9 net) 2016-17 Warriors (first offense, second defense, 11.4 net) 2018-19 Milwaukee Bucks (first defense, fourth offense, 8.6 net)
Of those teams – all of which won at least 57 regular season games – half made it to the NBA Finals, while the 1999-2000 Lakers, 2014-15 Warriors and 2016-17 Warriors are the three to win championships. The reigning champion 2008-09 Celtics were the only side to not make it to the Conference Finals.
The 2005-06 Pistons were two seasons removed from their 2004 title; the 2006-07 Mavericks featured many of the pieces that would win the 2011 title; the 2007-08 Lakers stuck with it and won back-to-back in 2009 and 2010; the 2010-11 Heat won back-to-back in 2012 and 2013; and the 2018-19 Bucks just needed to add Jrue Holiday to push themselves over the line in 2021.
What this means is that while this specific Suns side may not be guaranteed to win this year's championship, they have a great chance to make the NBA Finals, and it shows that as an organisation, they have hit a sweet spot that very few sides ever reach, right in the heart of a true championship window.
However, none of those teams had their championship windows opened with the arrival of a 36-year-old. While the Suns are at a stage where they do not simply live and die with the health of Chris Paul, they are very clearly not the same team when he sits.
The Suns are 53-12 in the 65 games Paul has played this season, and are still an impressive 11-6 without him, showing that he has helped turn the franchise around in a real way.
Paul's biggest contribution to the Suns has been culturally, turning a perennial losing side into a team that expects to win every time it steps on the floor, no matter who is suiting up.
He has now been a member of the best regular season teams in the history of four franchises – the New Orleans Pelicans, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Houston Rockets and now the Suns.
However, it would be silly to discount the improvements Phoenix were making prior to Paul's arrival, including going 8-0 in 'the bubble' ahead of the 2020 Playoffs. Much of that credit also goes to head coach Monty Williams, who has the Suns playing a system that seems to work no matter who is on the floor, especially at the center position.
After being released by the Charlotte Hornets, Bismack Biyombo was picked up on a minimum contract and produced the most efficient scoring season of his career, registering 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds per-36 minutes.
Career backup JaVale McGee has also been terrific, scoring 20.9 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds per-36 in his 14th season in the league.
For the season, McGee leads the Phoenix center trio in player efficiency rating (PER, where league-average is always 15) with 22.5, while Deandre Ayton is at 22.0 and Biyombo at 17.3.
The success of Phoenix's backup bigs has added fuel to the fire regarding the impending contract extension of Ayton, who the Suns made the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Ayton was eligible for a big-money extension this past off-season, but the organisation opted to wait until after this season when his contract expires, where they can decide if they feel he is worth the max-contract he is expected to demand, or if they are better served cashing on his perceived value through a trade.
Phoenix are paying Paul and Devin Booker max-contract money, and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Mikal Bridges signed a four-year, $90million extension in December, which was considered a bargain for a player of his two-way impact.
The Suns have likely built something sustainable, but they are set to become one of the more expensive teams in the league, with an owner, Robert Sarver, who has never shown the willingness to go deep into the luxury tax.
While Paul's days as a superstar are likely numbered with his advanced age, Booker and Bridges are both 25 and yet to hit their prime, while Ayton – whether he is viewed as a cornerstone of the future or as a premium trade asset – is just 23.
However, chemistry can be everything and this team, as is currently constructed, has it in spades.
It is easy to see how this could be the start of an incredible decade of Suns basketball – they are mostly young, and just set a franchise-record for wins in a season with 64.
But they are outliers this year, and outliers come back to earth at some stage – often sooner than we expect.
Bryson DeChambeau will likely miss the PGA Championship after requiring wrist surgery that prevented him from competing at "the highest level" in golf.
American DeChambeau has endured an injury-hit 2022, missing six weeks of action before struggling at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on his return and failing to make the cut at the Texas Open.
The 28-year-old then missed the cut by eight shots at the first major of the year, the Masters, with a four-over 76 on the first day and second-round 80 doing the damage for the 2020 US Open champion.
DeChambeau has since undergone surgery on his left wrist, which he fractured and injured his hip when he slipped on a marble floor while playing table tennis in February.
The successful operation meant DeChambeau will miss the next major of the year, the PGA Championship, along with a few PGA Tour events as well.
"Today [Thursday], I underwent successful left wrist surgery on my fractured hook of the hamate," the world number 19 posted on Instagram.
"The surgery was performed by world renowned hand surgeon Dr. Thomas Graham. I want to thank Dr. Graham and the incredible staff and The Kettering Medical Center in Ohio.
"Over the past few months my team, Dr. Graham, and myself have been monitoring the fracture to the hamate bone in my left wrist. I made attempts to play through this injury at three recent events, including the Masters, but this is typically an injury that requires surgical treatment.
"Through continued discomfort from the fracture, it has caused me to alter my grip and swing, resulting in my inability to compete at golf's highest level. This has not been easy physically and mentally for me.
"For now, I will be taking the appropriate time needed to rest and recover from this procedure and look forward to competing at the highest level within the next two months.
"Thank you to my family, team, partners, and supporters during this tough stretch but I am excited to work hard to get back competing soon."
DeChambeau will be hoping to return to action for the third major, the US Open, which starts on June 16 at The Country Club in Brookline.
Freddie Freeman vowed to never forget his winning home Los Angeles Dodgers debut, saying: "I don't think it could have gone much better than that."
Freeman joined the Dodgers in free agency after leaving the Atlanta Braves, where he won the World Series last season, the National League MVP the year before and was a five-time All-Star.
The 32-year-old first baseman had made a steady start to life as a Dodger prior to Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, batting .286/.375/.381 with six hits and two runs through five games.
But against the Reds in the first game of the year at Dodger Stadium, Freeman gave a flavour of why Los Angeles had invested $162million over six years in him.
Freeman finished with two hits and two runs, with his leadoff double at the bottom of the eighth with the game tied setting in motion a six-run inning that prompted his name to be chanted by the home crowd and sealed a 9-3 win.
"That's as special as it gets right there," Freeman said.
"You have those feelings before, coming out on the line for the intros, but usually once the game starts those feelings go away. For the fans to be able to create a moment for me in the eighth inning is something I'll never forget.
"It's definitely been nice. The last month has been pretty special, from the first game at [spring training] to tonight, they've been welcoming me with open arms.
"First game at Dodger Stadium with the Dodgers, I don't think it could have gone much better than that."
The 4-2 Dodgers have three more games against the Reds this weekend before the Braves visit LA next week in what is sure to be a big series for Freeman, who was unhappy with the nature of his exit from Atlanta.
Playing at Dodger Stadium as a Brave, Freeman batted .296/.353/.512 with seven home runs in 33 regular season games.
Police want to speak with Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph regarding a shooting murder that took place in the Dallas area in March, according to reports.
Joseph, a 2020 second-round pick by the Cowboys, allegedly appeared to be part of a group that was involved in an altercation with another group containing 20-year-old victim Cameron Ray.
Footage shows gunshots being fired out of an SUV at Ray and his friends as they walked back to their car after the initial scuffle.
One of the people seen in the video was allegedly wearing a chain with the initials YKDV. Joseph goes by the name YKDV Bossman Fat in his aspiring rap career.
The Cowboys did not have an official comment, however ESPN is reporting that the team have spoken with Joseph and are encouraging him to cooperate with police and disclose what he knows about the case.
Detective Tonya McDaniel told KDFW that Ray's group was not responsible for the initial incident, which led to the shooting.
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