Sports

The opponents of Real Betis and Celta de Vigo in this edition of the UEFA Europa League are already known.The two Spanish representatives in UEFA's second competition will face tough matches on their way to the final in Turkey.AdvertisementFor Betis, the current runner-up of the UEFA Conference League, Pellegrini's team will host in Seville Feyenoord, Olympique Lyon, Nottingham Forest, and Utrecht, with three of the toughest opponents in the draw.On the other hand, their away matches will be against Dinamo Zagreb, Thessaloniki to play against PAOK, Genk, and Ludogorets of Bulgaria.In the case of RC Celta under Claudio Giráldez, they will face duels at Balaídos against Lille, PAOK of Thessaloniki, Nice, and Bologna, with visits to Zagreb to play against Dinamo, Belgrade to face Red Star, Lu...

NBA All-Star Weekend feels as if it’s lacking a little juice. The “USA vs. World” format is a fun, Olympics-adjacent twist, and if the World team actually tries (a true stress-test of Wemby’s “ethical hooping” campaign), the game could have more competitive spark than usual.Saturday night is kind of a dud. The dunk contest is a shell of itself, following the gimmicky Mac McClung dunking dynasty and the absence of big names. The skills competition is lame. The 3-point contest is always fun, and the injured Damian Lillard’s entry in the event is a cool subplot.I want to propose a radical addition inspired by two visions: The Australian Open’s brilliantly innovative “One-Point Slam” that preceded this year’s tournament, and Unrivaled’s “1on1” tournament, which began Wednesday and runs through...

Dyche had made seven changes from Saturday's 0-0 Premier League draw against leaders Arsenal. The last time he altered the side so drastically was at Wrexham in the FA Cup.After exiting the competition that night, the Forest boss was highly critical of the players who had come into the team but he more forgiving on this occasion."There's effort there but the cutting edge... we want more of that," he added."We are in a weird situation where I have to protect certain players. We know the Premier League is massively important but we wanted to do well in this competition and we still do."It's a fine line, it's a juggling act. On one hand you want to protect some players and give everyone a chance."Yates felt that Forest were slightly hard done by to lose and that the visitors "controlled the m...

A couple of stars have instant chemistry. A cocksure point guard never learned about adjustment periods. And a second-draft candidate is in an ideal situation.Let’s open the notebook to run through three new fits since last week’s NBA trade deadline that have caught my eye.The new-look CavaliersThe first pick-and-roll James Harden and Jarrett Allen ever ran together might have told us something.Early in Harden’s introductory game with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his new center jogged to the right side of the court to set a screen for him. But his defender, rookie Maxime Raynaud, strayed from Allen too soon. The Kings were blitzing Harden, sending two guys at the dribbler.Allen noticed.Before laying the pick, he “slipped” it, drifting to the elbow and then rolling to the hoop. He received a pa...

The sides that come ninth to 24th will compete in the two-legged knockout play-off ties in February and there could be two British sides involved.Forest fell to a 1-0 defeat by Braga in Portugal, a result that practically confirms Sean Dyche's side will be in the play-offs.Mathematically, Forest, in 16th, can still finish eighth, but would need to beat Hungarian team Ferencvaros at the City Ground and hope the eight sides directly above them all dropped points.However, Forest will still be keen to win next Thursday as the sides coming ninth to 16th will play the second legs of their knockout play-off ties at home.Celtic were 2-0 ahead against Bologna, but down to 10 men, before the Italians fought back to earn a 2-2 draw. However, the point leaves Martin O'Neill's side on eight points and ...

The NBA was in a crisis in 2007. The FBI was investigating Tim Donaghy for allegedly betting on games he refereed and, potentially, influencing those games with his whistle.The league needed to know how deep the rot went. Then-commissioner David Stern, for the first time, hired Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a prestigious white-shoe law firm a few blocks away from the league office in midtown Manhattan.About a year after that first call to Wachtell Lipton, the firm authored the Lawrence Pedowitz report, a 133-page summary of its investigation into Donaghy that meticulously ferreted through allegations about the league’s now former referee and, more importantly, calmed nerves around NBA headquarters.Two decades later, when the NBA has a big problem on its hands — like possible salary c...

Aston Villa are on a superb run of form.They have won 20 of their past 25 matches (D1, L4) with only Arsenal (21) having won more among teams in Europe's big-five leagues during that period.Their blip on Sunday against Everton meant they missed out on the chance to move second, within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal - Emery's old club.He made six changes against Fenerbahce and his side dominated, with the 1-0 scoreline flattering the 28-time Turkish champions.After the match Emery praised his players for "respecting" the competition, adding he was "so, so happy" with their response.Villa's match-winner Jadon Sancho scored his first goal for the club on his 19th appearance since joining on loan from Manchester United in September."It's nice to have a manager that backs you and...

Getty Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on November 26, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. The New York Knicks are targeting a Feb. 19 debut for their latest acquisition, Jeremy Sochan, who will join the roster after All-Star weekend.According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, the Knicks are confident Sochan will pass his physicals and be ready for the clash against the Detroit Pistons next Thursday, which will be the team’s first game after the weeklong All-Star break. “Jeremy Sochan is expected to join the Knicks on Monday and will be available Thursday vs Pistons, the first game back from All-Star break, sources say,” Bondy reported on Thursday. “Heard the o...

Tottenham Hotspur are searching for their eighth manager/head coach (interim and permanent) since 2019 after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday amid a run of two wins in 17 Premier League games.Frank, who only joined in the summer following seven successful years as Brentford boss, leaves Spurs in a relegation battle, just five points clear of West Ham United in 18th place with 12 league matches left. This follows a dismal 2024-25 Premier League campaign when they finished 17th but won the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou, who was himself fired after two seasons in charge.Spurs do not play until their north London derby at home to Premier League leaders Arsenal on February 22, giving their hierarchy time to decide what to do next. John Heitinga, who joined Frank’s coaching staff less th...

Getty LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James continues rewriting the record books at an age when most players have long since retired. The Los Angeles Lakers forward posted 28 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds Thursday night in a 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena.The milestone came with 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter when James secured his 10th rebound. At 41 years and 44 days old, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, surpassing Karl Malone‘s previous record set in 2003.The crowd gave James a standing ovation as he checked out moments later, recognizing they had witnessed another piece of history from a player who keeps finding ways to defy age. ...