Sports

Mircea Lucescu, the legendary Romanian football coach, died on Tuesday.Managing his nation in a World Cup qualification play-off less than two weeks prior to his death, having stayed in the role despite health issues, spoke to his lifelong association with the sport.“If my health allows me, I will continue,” Lucescu said in 2023 when asked if he had considered retiring after four decades in management. “There is no life for me without football.”Lucescu was, unquestionably, a football legend. As a player, he captained Romania at the 1970 World Cup and won seven league titles with Dinamo Bucharest. His legacy, however, is a remarkable 47-year managerial career in which he won 38 trophies. Yet it began by chance rather than design. Lucescu managed Romania in a World Cup play-off against...

There's no denying that the NBA has embraced a more offense-centric style of play. In fact, a quick look at the final scores from Monday's games shows that every team that played scored at least 101 points, with the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, dropping 146 on the Utah Jazz.Of course, this only added more fuel to the argument that today's NBA players no longer play the type of defense fans enjoyed in past eras. However, Danny Green, a former member of the league's All-Defensive team, pushed back against that narrative, saying defense is gaining popularity again — thanks to the efforts of San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama.AdvertisementNothing is easy in the NBADespite playing in only his third season in the league, Wembanyama already has two block titles and is...

It is one of this season’s most compelling and unexpected Premier League plot lines: the shock unravelling of Tottenham Hotspur.The north Londoners are in the relegation places with eight games left and are still waiting for their first league win of the calendar year. The prospect of Tottenham dropping out of the top flight for the first time since the 1970s is beginning to feel real.Two-time champions of England, members of the domestic game’s ‘Big Six’, reigning Europa League winners, with a £1.2billion ($1.6bn at the current rate) stadium and having made it to this season’s Champions League last 16 — Spurs going down to the Championship would be an almighty shock.But they would not be the first club to suffer a previously unthinkable relegation from across Europe and beyond. The Athlet...

Getty BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 25: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden on March 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) On Friday night, the Boston Celtics played the New Orleans Pelicans (at home).The Celtics won by a score of 144-118.Payton Pritchard finished with 21 points, three rebounds, ten assists and one steal while shooting 7/14 from the field and 5/9 from three-point range in 30 minutes of playing time...

FC Porto head coach Francesco Farioli has called for patience and support for Nigerian striker Terem Moffi after he was booed by sections of the club’s supporters during their UEFA Europa League clash against Nottingham Forest, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Moffi, who joined Porto in the winter transfer window, endured a difficult outing in the match and was jeered as he was substituted in the second half, reflecting growing frustration among fans over his recent performances. Speaking ahead of Porto’s league fixture against Estoril Praia on Sunday, Farioli acknowledged the high expectations of the club’s supporters but stressed the need to continue backing the forward as he works to regain form. The Italian manager noted that while there was visible frustration during the Nottingham Forest ...

April 12, 2026 12:00 am EDTAs the first season of “The Athletic Show” comes to a close, we’re taking a look at the changes facing each major sport at the moment.For some, like the NFL, it’s the changing of the guard. With the draft less than a month away, The Athletic’s Austin Mock joins the show to help give a sense of which franchises will have new faces at the forefront next season. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the consensus choice for the Las Vegas Raiders’ selection at the top of the draft, but with so many big changes this offseason, the first round will have league-shifting picks for nearly every franchise. We learn how draft experts build their models and put our in-house scholars to the test with a mock draftIn the NBA, the Play-In Tournament is set to begin, which means the le...

April 11, 2026, 11:44 p.m. ETIllinois freshman Keaton Wagler announced Saturday that he is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft after leading the Fighting Illini to the Final Four for the first time since 2005.The news was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.Wagler was a consensus second-team All-American, averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range in 37 games. He set numerous freshman program records, including points (663), scoring average, field goals (202) and 3s (87).The 6-foot-6 guard became the first Illini freshman to earn a consensus All-American selection after ranking third in the country in win shares (5.5) and 11th in total minutes (1,255). He was also the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-conference pick.Wagler...

The NBA regular season concludes on Sunday with 10 post-season seedings still to be determined and the Denver Nuggets facing a big decision regarding three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic.The Eastern Conference fifth through 10th seeds are still to be determined with three teams -- Toronto, Orlando and Philadelphia -- still in with a chance to claim the sixth seed and avoid the play-in.The Western Conference third and fourth seeds are still in play with the Nuggets one game up on the Los Angeles Lakers.With home court advantage in the first round assured for both the Nuggets and Lakers, Denver coach David Adelman must decide whether to rest banged-up star Jokic for a second straight game -- even though the Serbian needs to play at least 15 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on Su...

April 11, 2026, 4:15 p.m. MTOKLAHOMA CITY — The Phoenix Suns have a laundry list of players on the injury report going into their final regular-season game on April 12 against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.With their play-in position set at seventh, the Suns have ruled Grayson Allen (left hamstring soreness), Devin Booker (right ankle injury management), Dillon Brooks (left 2nd metacarpal injury management) and Royce O'Neale (left knee injury management) out.Phoenix (44-37) will play either the Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) or Los Angeles Clippers (41-40) in the 7-8 play-in game for the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs on April 14 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.Allen injured his hamstring in the first half of Friday’s 101-73 road loss to the Los An...

After a brief one-game absence due to injury management, Stephen Curry returned to the lineup for the Warriors Friday night against the Sacramento Kings.Although the former Davidson guard didn't have his best output of the season, his 11 points were enough to pass two-time MVP and five-time NBA Champion Tim Duncan on the all-time scoring list.AdvertisementCurry now sits 19th in NBA history and trails another Hall of Famer (Dominique Wilkins) by 164 points for 18th place.Among active players, Curry is sixth in scoring, trailing only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan.Curry and the Warriors will return to action Sunday for their final regular-season matchup before a Play-In Tournament elimination game Wednesday.This article originally appeared on Wa...