Charles Leclerc has left the door ajar to replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
Hamilton’s Formula One future remains in the spotlight with no apparent development on an extension to his contract which expires at the end of the year.
Both Hamilton, 38, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff say a deal will be struck, but a report in Italy this week claimed it was an open secret that Ferrari’s Leclerc was already in dialogue with the Silver Arrows about a future move.
Leclerc’s bid to win his maiden world championship this year has been derailed by two mechanical retirements from the opening three rounds.
And although the Monegasque, who is under contract with Ferrari until the end of next year, insisted ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix that he has not spoken to Wolff about a transfer to the Silver Arrows, he admitted that could change in the future.
“No, there have not been any conversations,” said Leclerc, 25, before adding: “Not yet, not for the moment.
“For now, I am fully focused on the project I am in today – and that is Ferrari. For the future we will see, but I am fully confident in the Ferrari project.
“It has always been my dream to be in this team and my main priority is to win a world championship here so it (a move to Mercedes) is not in my mind.”
Asked whether he had directly spoken to Wolff, Leclerc replied: “No. Zero. Really zero. You all smile because you don’t believe me, but I promise.”
Hamilton finished second last time out in Australia, but he is already 31 points behind Max Verstappen.
It was put to him in Baku whether the speculation surrounding Leclerc’s future had any impact on his own.
“No, not really,” said the seven-time world champion. “Maybe some of the drivers have relationships with different bosses.
“I like where I am. I love my team. I am grateful for the journey we have been on and what we are working on moving forwards, so it doesn’t have any impact, no.”
The season fires up again on the streets of Baku following an enforced break after the round in China was scrubbed from the calendar.
F1 bosses have introduced a change to the format here, with the introduction of two qualifying sessions – one to decide the order for Sunday’s grand prix and the other determining the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint race, the first of six sprint events this season.
Qualifying for Sunday’s main event takes place here on Friday evening.
World champion Verstappen recently said that he could quit F1 if the sport’s chiefs pressed ahead with plans to extend the number of sprint races.
“One thing you do question is whether it is worth it,” said Verstappen on Thursday.
“I do like racing. I do like winning. I know that with the salary and everything, you have a good life. But is it actually a good life? I do feel that if it’s getting at one point too much, then it’s time for a change.”
Max Verstappen believes the approach of the leading drivers in Formula One will not change with the new sprint format, which debuts this weekend in Azerbaijan.
The new approach will see qualifying for Sunday's race take place on Friday, with Saturday seeing qualifying for the sprint followed by the short-form race itself.
Previously, qualifying would set the order for the sprint, which in turn would decide the line-up for the grid in Sunday's main race.
The idea is to encourage drivers to take more risks in the sprint, though Verstappen is not sure that will be the outcome.
"Maybe some people who are outside the points try to get a point. But once you are upfront, it's not making a massive difference," he told Sky Sports.
"I don't see it being a lot different for us than in the previous sprint weekends. There will be a little bit more chaos around because of the extra qualifying. This track is always quite chaotic, so this will make it a little bit more chaotic.
"From my side, I don't think it will change a lot. If you're first, second, third, you're quite happy in that position to just get the points, get it over with and focus on the race."
Verstappen has regularly been a vocal critic against changing the format of Formula One but admits he will have to cope with the new changes.
"You have to be ok with it. I love racing in general but I do feel like you don't have to touch anything that is great and I always thought that Sunday was great," he added.
"Of course, I understand selling more tickets on the Friday and Saturday, make every day worth fighting for, but when you're doing 24 or 25 race weekends, I think a good option would be to shorten it a bit anyway.
"Some people love racing, they will do it forever, but it also needs to be a healthy option as well. At one point, you start questioning that. Then when you add in these sprint weekends, it's even more busy."
While Verstappen made his concerns clear, McLaren's Lando Norris welcomed the new changes and believes the format is much better than before.
"There's still the budget cap, you don't want to damage the car, you don't want to do anything silly. Especially us, where we're wanting to improve the car as much as possible, the least amount of damage we cause, the better," he said.
"But I'm excited. I think it's a better format, I prefer it compared to what we had before. There's more room and more opportunities for everyone.
"I like the fact you have two qualifying. I love the format of practice, then qualifying on the Friday. The pressure is definitely higher, but it's enjoyable."
Phil Mickelson expects the four majors to find a way to include the cream of LIV Golf talent even if ranking system chiefs refuse to award points to the breakaway series.
LIV bosses are pushing for the official world golf rankings (OWGR) to award points for its events, but that has yet to come about.
There is no guarantee the situation will change, but Mickelson cannot see how it is in anyone's interest for the majors, golf's pinnacle events, to exclude some of the sport's biggest stars.
His LIV Golf colleague Bryson DeChambeau labelled the rankings "almost obsolete" when he spoke this week in Singapore. He has slipped from inside the top 30 to 178th since committing to LIV, where lucrative sign-up fees and prize money have drawn a host of golf's elite players.
Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, who both defected from the PGA Tour to LIV, finished tied for second at the recent Masters.
Sharp dips in ranking status could mean LIV stars are frozen out from the majors, but there seems likely to be an arrangement reached.
Reflecting on the sport's showpiece occasions and future prospects for LIV players, Mickelson said: "It's going to all iron itself out because if you're one of the majors, if you're the Masters, you're not looking at we should keep these guys out.
"You're saying to yourself, we want to have the best field, we want to have the best players, and these guys added a lot to the tournament this year at the Masters. How do we get them included?
"We have to come up with a qualifying mechanism that is inclusive, and if the world golf ranking isn't going to be inclusive, then they have to find another way.
"Maybe they take the top five or top 10 or winners of LIV, but they're going to have to find a way to get the best LIV players in their field if they want to have the best field in golf and be really what major championship is about. So they're already looking at that.
"If the world golf rankings doesn't find a way to be inclusive, then the majors will just find another way to include LIV because it's no longer a credible way.
"So it will all iron itself out for the simple reason that it's in the best interest of everybody, especially the tournaments, the majors, to have the best players."
The US PGA Championship is coming up in May, followed by the U.S. Open in June and the Open Championship in July.
Meanwhile, the Singapore leg of the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV series begins on Friday.
DeChambeau, a former winner of the U.S. Open, has little time for the ranking system as it stands.
"You should realise that the OWGR is not accurate, one," he said. "Two, I think that they need to come to a resolution, or it will become obsolete. It's pretty much almost obsolete as of right now.
"But again, if the majors and everything continue to have that as their ranking system, then they are biting it quite heavily."
Aaron Ramsdale claims Arsenal will not give up on their title dream despite Wednesday’s shattering loss at Manchester City.
The Premier League leaders crashed to a 4-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium to lose control of a title race they have dominated for most of the season.
City’s emphatic victory took the champions within two points of the Gunners at the top and, with two games in hand, Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing side now look firm favourites.
April has been a frustrating month for Arsenal, with three successive draws preceding the trip to Manchester, but Ramsdale is not ready to throw in the towel.
The England goalkeeper said: “We’re going to be disappointed now but we haven’t played nine months of Premier League football, and played the way we wanted to play, to give up with five games to go.
“If anything is going to happen in football, it is this league it is going to happen in. It might not do – but stranger things have happened in the Premier League.
“You see how tight it is at the bottom, you see how tight it is at the top, so we are going to be pushing every game – with five games left we need to win five games – and we will see how that ends at the end of the season.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ll get over it and the manager will do what the manager does and dissect it and tell us and we will do everything we can.”
? "We’re definitely disappointed that we can’t send them home with a smile on their faces, but if there’s one thing about this set of fans which I’ve seen over the last 18 months, they don’t give up."
We heard you all night, Gooners ❤️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 26, 2023
The game failed to live up to its billing as a heavyweight contest as City completely overran their visitors.
Kevin De Bruyne struck twice either side of a John Stones header as City effectively wrapped up victory inside 54 minutes.
It might have been even worse but for the fact Erling Haaland spurned a host of chances – most of them saved by a defiant Ramsdale – but the prolific Norwegian wrapped up the scoring late on after Rob Holding grabbed a consolation.
“Disappointment is the key word,” said Ramsdale. “When you give arguably one of the best teams in the world at the minute a bit of a leg-up in the game and are 2-0 down at half-time, it is a tough task to overcome.
“We know we are better than that but also this is where we want to be and the team we want to be like and be competing with.”
For Ramsdale there was some personal satisfaction in thwarting Haaland for most of the game, making four fine saves from the striker, but he was frustrated to concede to him in injury time.
The 24-year-old said: “I’m devastated I got to 94 minutes and 50 seconds – it was probably the goal I am most annoyed about, which I should save.
“But it was a good battle and hopefully I can have these battles with other players as well.”
Nicola Wilson’s medal-laden eventing career ended and her life changed forever following a catastrophic cross-country fall at the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials last year.
But the 46-year-old Olympian’s inspirational determination to seize what she describes as her “second chance” knows no limits.
She readily accepts that life will never be the same again, but her ongoing recovery from a neck injury that severely affected her spinal cord and all four limbs – she spent more than three weeks in intensive care and five months in hospitals 260 miles apart – has proved heroically defiant.
Nicola Wilson, who had a fall at Badminton today, is stable but has been transferred to Southmead Hospital for trauma scans and further investigation. JL Dublin has returned to his stable, and is comfortable.
We're thinking of Nicola and her connections, and wish them well. pic.twitter.com/1vuzfB6OPT
— British Equestrian (@BritEquestrian) May 7, 2022
“I am living with it every day,” Wilson told the PA news agency, in an exclusive interview.
“What I can and can’t do has changed enormously, which is a constant reminder from the moment I wake up each day to the moment I go to sleep. That will not leave me, I don’t think.
“But equally, it is what it is. I can’t undo it, so we have just got to make the most of what we have.”
As a rider, North Yorkshire-based Wilson was among the world’s best, helping Great Britain to team silver at London 2012 alongside Zara Tindall, Tina Cook, Mary King and William Fox-Pitt.
GOLD medal Wilson! ?
Wonderful Nicola Wilson's dreams came true. With a textbook round on the divine JL Dublin, @BritEquestrian's star of the show had us in awe in Avenches! ? pic.twitter.com/RKDR5txqaz
— The FEI (@FEI_Global) September 26, 2021
She was also crowned European individual champion in 2021, while seven other major championship medals included world team gold and three European team titles.
Her partnership with Badminton ride JL Dublin had made such an impact in recent seasons that many astute judges had them firmly in the selection mix for next year’s Paris Olympics.
“Dubs”, as he is affectionately known, is now in the equally expert hands of double Olympic medallist Tom McEwen, and while Wilson’s Paris hopes have been cruelly snatched away, her strong connection with the sport she adores remains.
She runs popular coaching clinics and eventing master-classes, while media work will mean an emotional return to Badminton next week for the 2023 event.
Wilson’s fighting spirit, family support unit led by husband Alastair and network of friends and colleagues inside and outside the sport, including the British Eventing Support Trust, would top any medal podium going.
“I was on the ground and thought I was winded because I couldn’t breathe,” she added. “There was somebody kneeling near to me, and I was trying to say I couldn’t breathe, but of course no words came out, and then it was lights out for me.
“The reason I couldn’t breathe was not because I was winded but because I was paralysed. Nothing was working, my diaphragm, nothing. I was surviving on the air I had in my body – then I disappeared.
“There was an army consultant anaesthetist, who I think was the first to me. He saw how I landed, knew it wasn’t good and held my neck and head. The Badminton medical team were amazing. If the fall had happened somewhere else, there is no way I would be here now.
“From then on, I knew it was serious, I knew there and then I would be retiring, but I just hoped and prayed that I would recover enough to have a quality of life.
“I don’t feel bitter. We do a dangerous sport and something like this could always happen. Life is for living, and I feel incredibly fortunate that I have been given a second chance.
“Yes, life is incredibly different to what it was before, but there are also qualities that have come out of that.”
More than three weeks at Southmead Hospital in Bristol were followed by four months in the spinal unit of James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.
But through it all, Wilson’s fierce drive never waned. Feeling sorry for herself has not once entered the thought process.
“I was back in the land of the living and stable with my breathing when I left Badminton, and then the paralysis bit was the next issue we needed to deal with,” she said.
“Bit by bit I could start to wiggle my toes, I got a little bit of movement into my legs, so I could bend and move them. They obviously had no strength, stability or co-ordination in them, but I could feel them.
“You have to be resilient. I felt if this was my next hurdle in life, it was something I needed to overcome. I am inclined to be more of a positive person than a negative one – where there is a will, there is a way.
Eventer Nicola Wilson has been named leading rider for 2017 by the British Equestrian Writers' Association.
Wilson helped Great Britain win team gold at the European Championships in Poland and climbed to world number two behind Germany's Michael Jung. pic.twitter.com/JOAAGO2GUX
— PA Sport (@pasport) December 14, 2017
“The will was there, and the way were the hospitals, their support, their care. I have a fighting inner me that wants to drive on and stay positive.
“When I came out of hospital, I came out with a wheelchair and was on crutches. My injury was an incomplete injury to the spinal cord, so I was going to be able to carry on improving. A complete injury means exactly that.
“I was adamant that the wheelchair went back. If I couldn’t walk to wherever I wanted to be, then I couldn’t go there until I was strong enough to do it. It was my challenge, my competition to compete against myself to try and make sure I carried on improving and getting stronger.
“I think about what I can do, not what I can’t do. Yes, it is frustrating, because by the time I have got myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, got myself dressed and downstairs, I feel like I have done a marathon.
“I can do a lot of things – it just takes me a very long time. I can now put a coat on, just, but it takes a long time and I am aware it takes a long time. People are so kind in helping me. I just need to keep doing it and keep practising it.
“My body feels very strange, but it is fighting for me and digging deep. The improvement will be up to two years. I am halfway through my improvement span, so we will see how I am this time next year.”
Exeter boss Rob Baxter has dismissed reports that England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie’s move to French champions Montpellier is under threat.
Cowan-Dickie has been sidelined by an ankle injury since early January, while he is also understood to be suffering from some nerve issues in his neck.
It has been suggested that 29-year-old Cowan-Dickie missed a recent medical in France, riling Montpellier chiefs, who have also signed his Exeter and England colleague Sam Simmonds for next season.
“I’ve had discussions with Luke and he said he hasn’t failed his medical. It is something that has massively been blown out of proportion,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said.
“I think he is popping over again just to finish off a couple of bits the French would like to investigate in terms of his injuries.
“He hasn’t failed a medical and he hasn’t not turned up for a medical.
“I am not saying it is totally pie in the sky because everything has a little bit of truth in it. But as far as he has not turned up and they’ve rolled up the contract and thrown it away, that is not the case.
“If the element (of truth) is a drink in a bar at some stage, then I would say probably yes. Other than that, I think there has probably been a fair bit of journalistic licence in a few things that have happened.
“I believe they (Montpellier) want some more information on the nerve damage around the last operation.
“All I know is Luke has said there has been a fair bit of over-hype around everything. At this stage, Luke is being told everything is okay. Reports it is all done and his contract is over couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Cowan-Dickie is among a number of Exeter players leaving the club this summer, although Chiefs would step in if the Montpellier deal fell through.
“If it all falls through, I would expect us to have a look into the possibilities of trying to, at the very least, look after him during his injury rehab and go from there. That would be my expectation,” Baxter added.
“He has been a very important player for us, he has played in some significant games for us. We would look to do something to look after him, of course we would.
“The nerve issue is a timescale one. Historically, they can take a long time or you can recover quickly. It is a bit ‘how long is a piece of string’?
“I know England are investigating if there is anything they can do to speed up the process, as we are, but it is not a problem that has a definitive answer.”
YOUR SEMI-FINAL FIXTURES ?@leinsterrugby ? @StadeToulousain @staderochelais ? @ExeterChiefs
Who will make the #HeinekenChampionsCup Final? pic.twitter.com/daVy4jHvuD
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 9, 2023
Chiefs’ England wing Jack Nowell, meanwhile, is set to be involved in Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against La Rochelle in Bordeaux after recovering from a knee issue.
It will also be Nowell’s first appearance since he was charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Rugby Football Union and the game after his Chiefs team-mate Olly Woodburn received a second yellow card in Exeter’s 62-19 Gallagher Premiership defeat against Leicester.
Woodburn had dived on Chris Ashton on the floor and upon seeing referee Karl Dickson’s decision, Nowell said in a since-deleted tweet: “I’m actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. EVER.”
The England wing accepted the charge at a disciplinary hearing and was fined £10,000.
? – @exeterchiefs star @nowellsy15 fined £10,000 for online remarks made on his Twitter feed during @premrugby clash with @LeicesterTigershttps://t.co/yOhZ65gbjS pic.twitter.com/bdzx1l1qFp
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) April 20, 2023
Baxter said: “He is a bit disappointed and frustrated with what happened around his tweet. It was one of those scenarios where he has used incorrect language to express a frustration with the game.
“Anyone who knows Jack, and knows his relationship with referees, will know there was nothing in there personally targeted at the ref.
“It can end up looking like that, he is aware of that, he has apologised for what he did and he has just got to get on with things now.
“It is a lesson for other players that sometimes you can react in the heat of the moment. You have just got to be careful what you say.”
Iga Swiatek considers it a sad state of affairs to see women's tennis lagging so far behind the men's game when it comes to regular tour prize money.
The WTA Tour's top-ranked player earned $120,150 for winning the title at the Stuttgart Open last week, plus a Porsche sports car, when she beat Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Yet for taking the title at the Barcelona Open in the same week, a cheque of €477,795 ($527,000) went to Carlos Alcaraz.
Those tournaments are considered comparable in terms of status and the quality of their fields, yet the difference between the money on offer was striking.
It offered a reminder of the gap between the elite men and women at regular tournaments, despite grand slam events offering equal rewards.
Swiatek and Alcaraz both compete this week at the Madrid Open, where prize money for men and women is equal, the champion of each event collecting €1,105,265 ($1.2m).
Asked about last week's situation, Swiatek said: "Well, it's kind of obvious what my opinion is, because tennis is one of the sports where we speak about equality. I think it's better than most sports anyway.
"But still, there is a lot we can work on in terms of getting equal prize money on some WTA tournaments compared to ATP on the same level.
"Grand slams are already even, as we know. That's nice, but for sure it would be good if WTA would focus on that, but I don't really want to get into that, because it's a lot of business and sometimes politics.
"I don't think I have a lot of influence. I just can say that it would be nice for our sport if it was equal, especially because we kind of do the same work."
The 21-year-old Polish player defended the women's game as she said: "I also get people who are saying that men's tennis is nicer to watch and guys can do more because they are physically and biologically stronger.
"I think there were a lot of people, for example a couple of years ago, who were saying that WTA is not consistent and that's a shame and it should be better, but right now basically I think we are even more consistent than the guys with our game.
"Watching women's tennis gives the same emotions, and sometimes even more emotions, because we are women and we are a little bit more emotional. But, yeah, I think it would be nice if WTA could make it even."
LeBron James knows he has "got to be better" after he was "not very good at all" in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-99 Game 5 playoff defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
The Grizzlies kept the series alive at 3-2 with a comfortable victory at FedExForum, where Desmond Bane scored 33 points and had 10 rebounds.
Ja Morant also had a big night for Memphis, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers were unable to wrap up the series.
James could only muster 15 points and was taken off by head coach Darvin Ham after spending 37 minutes on court
The legendary 38-year-old turned his attention to ensuring he delivers on Friday after falling short of his usually sky-high standards.
"Just got to be better. It starts with me. Tonight I was not very good at all. My defense was pretty good.
"Offensively, I was not really good. So, we've all got to do a better job helping one another."
James added: "I'll be better in Game 6."
Bane is adamant the Lakers will not finish off the job in Game 6.
"I said it out there, and I’ll say it again," Bane said. "We are going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA."
Wembley will celebrate its 100th birthday on Friday, the anniversary of the first FA Cup final it hosted between Bolton and West Ham.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the landmark moments from the old and the new stadiums.
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba scored the winner in the 2007 FA Cup final, the first to be played at the new Wembley (PA Archive)[/caption]
A crestfallen Giannis Antetokounmpo declared "there's no failure in sports" after the Milwaukee Bucks were consigned to a stunning first-round playoff exit by the Miami Heat.
The Heat won Game 5 128-126 in overtime at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday to take the series 4-1.
Inspired by Jimmy Butler, who scored 42 points, Miami became the sixth number eight seed to beat a top seed and the first since the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012.
The Heat were two points down with 2.1 seconds to go, prompting Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout and draw up a play that Butler did not feel was the right approach, so his coach changed his mind.
That paid off when Gabe Vincent threw a pass to Butler, who tied up the game to force overtime and the Heat went on to eliminate the Bucks.
Bucks superstar Antetokounmpo, who scored 38 points and took 20 rebounds, dismissed talk of the team being a failure this season.
"There's no failure in sports," he said. "There's good days, bad days. Some days you're able to be successful. Some days you're not. Some days it's your turn.
"Some days it's not your turn. That's what sports is about. You don't always win.
"It’s not a failure, it's steps to success. There's always steps to it. You work towards a goal. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? No."
Spoelstra lavished praise on Butler after he stepped up once again to make a huge impact.
"He’s desperate and urgent and maniacal and sometimes psychotic about the will to try to win," Spoelstra said of Butler.
"He'll make everybody in the building feel it. That's why he is us and we are him. That's the way we operate as well."
The New York Knicks are "hopeful" on All-Star Julius Randle's availability for the Easter Conference Semifinals after re-injuring his left ankle and exiting their Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Randle left Wednesday's game with 1:17 remaining in the second quarter after landing awkwardly on the same ankle which sidelined hm for the final five games of the regular season.
Knicks head coach Tim Thibodeau revealed after their Game 4 win on Monday that Randle was still dealing with the ankle issue originally sustained on March 29 against the Miami Heat.
Randle was only able to play 16 minutes in Game 5 before exiting when he rolled his ankle, scoring 13 points with four rebounds and six assists.
"It would be premature for me to comment," Thibodeau told reporters after the game. "Obviously, he has to be re-examined tomorrow. We're hopeful that it's not bad."
The Knicks' triumph means they get a longer break prior to the Conference Semifinals commencing on May 31 against Miami, who knocked out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
"The turnaround will be quick," Thibodeau said. "That's the next challenge, be ready."
The magnitude of the Knicks' victory was not lost on Thibodeau, marking the franchise's first postseason series win in more than a decade, dating back to 2012.
"The tradition of the Knicks, not only what it means to the city and the league," he said. "We have the best fans in the world, best city in the world, best arena in the world.
"They respond to the way this team plays. They play hard. They play smart and they play together. There's still a lot of work to be done. We have a lot of areas to improve upon. We're looking forward to the next challenge."
Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, while R.J. Barrett added 21, with Mitchell Robinson pulling in 11 offensive rebounds from his 18 for the game.
The Knicks out-rebounded the Cavs throughout the series, including 48-30 in the clincher and Cleveland All-Star Donovan Mitchell cited that physicality as the difference.
"They outplayed us," Mitchell said. "It's as simple as that. They did their job and we didn't.
"For me, personally, I don't feel like I was the player I needed to be for this group. I just didn’t deliver."
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said overtime hero Matthew Tkachuk is "just a gamer" after his dramatic goal clinched a 4-3 road win over the Boston Bruins in Game 5.
The Panthers will take the series back to Florida for Game 6, with Tkachuk swooping on an error from Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark to show poise and score six minutes into OT.
Tkachuk has been a central point during the Stanley Cup first-round series, with Ullmark threatening to fight him in Game 4, but Maurice lavished him with praise after his Game 5 heroics.
"That guy is a - and then you put a long string of profanity - gamer," Maurice told reporters. "Is he not a gamer?
"There's 700 guys in the league, 640 of them jam that thing as fast as they can and lose it, and he pulls it across. He's just a gamer."
Tkachuk revelled in sending the series back to Florida, after scoring his first career playoff OT goal in his 32nd playoff game. It was also the Panthers' first OT win in their history when facing elimination (1-4).
"I think my favourite part about this is I guarantee everybody in this building thought the series was over today," he said. "Get it back on a flight down to Florida, that's the most exciting part."
The Bruins set several regular-season records, including most wins (65) and most points (135) in NHL history and were the raging favourites for the series against the Panthers, who were the East's second wild-card team.
"We were supposed to get swept this series, right? Everyone was saying," Tkachuk said. "I don't think anybody really gave us a chance after losing two games in a row at home. Coming here, it just seemed like the series was over before the game even started.
"Now they're coming down to Florida. We know there can't possibly be a Game 7 in their mind right now, and everybody here in Boston's minds. So it's up to us to see you guys back here in a few days."
It may have been different when Brad Marchand skated in alone on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky late in regulation but was denied.
"I knew it wasn’t going in," Maurice said, before he admitted he was lying. "You can't know that it wasn't going in, so I'm full of [it] when I just said that to you.
"But I don’t feel like we’ve had a whole lot of advantage in this series, in the karma of the game. I just felt that we had stored enough karma that that shot wouldn't go in."
The result means the Bruins have lost consecutive home games for the first time this season.
"We tend to make big mistakes right now," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said. "I don't know why, but the last two games at home we don't manage the ice or manage the puck, it's one of the two."
Jimmy Butler delivered another clutch display with 42 points including a dramatic game-tying shot to send Game 5 to overtime before the Miami Heat eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 128-126 on Wednesday.
The OT victory at Fiserv Forum meant the Heat completed a shock 4-1 first round series triumph, becoming the sixth eight seed to beat a top seed and the first in more than a decade, dating back to 2012.
The Heat launched another fourth-quarter rally led by Butler, similar to Game 4, fighting back from a 102-86 three-quarter time deficit.
Butler scored 14 fourth-quarter points including a game-tying three-pointer with 2:11 left, along an incredible falling alley oop layup from Gabe Vincent's inbound with time almost expiring to send the game to OT.
Miami went ahead early in OT and did not surrender their lead, although the Bucks spurned the final possession as the clock expired with Grayson Allen unable to get a shot away.
Butler finished with 42 points on 17-of-33 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Kevin Love made five triples with 12 rebounds, while Gabe Vincent added 22 points and Bam Adebayo had a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points with 20 rebounds and Khris Middleton shot four-of-10 from three-point range in his 33 points.
Road Warriors take lead in series
The Golden State Warriors claimed a rare road win at the right time, as they claimed a 3-2 series lead over the Sacramento Kings with a 123-116 victory.
Stephen Curry scored 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, making only two-of-10 from beyond the arc, coming up with a patient three-point play to ice the game with 22.4 seconds left.
The Kings had closed within one point at 111-110 with 4:14 left, with Malik Monk getting hot to finish with 21 points after being scoreless midway through the third. De'Aaron Fox scored a team-high 24 points on nine-of-25 shooting with seven rebounds and nine assists but six turnovers.
Klay Thompson went five-of-11 from three-point range in his 25 points, while Draymond Green scored 20-plus points for the first time since Christmas 2019 with 21 points off the bench.
Grizzlies stay alive, Knicks progress
Desmond Bane and Ja Morant starred as the Memphis Grizzlies stayed alive in the playoffs with a 116-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers after a strong first half.
The Grizzlies led by as much as 17 points in the first half and while the Lakers closed the gap, Memphis pulled away again led by Bane's 33 points with four three-pointers, while Morant added 31 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Xavier Tillman did a brilliant defensive job on LeBron James who was kept to 15 points on five-of-17 shooting, going scoreless in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis had 31 points and 19 rebounds. The Lakers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 in LA.
The New York Knicks advanced into the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals with a 106-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out a 4-1 series win, their first series triumph since 2013.
Wales appointed Gareth Jenkins as their new head coach, replacing Mike Ruddock who resigned from the post earlier in the year, on this day in 2006.
Ruddock had won the Grand Slam with Wales a year earlier, but was succeeded by Jenkins, who signed a two-year contract to incorporate the 2007 World Cup.
Wales Rugby Union chairman David Pickering was part of a five-man panel that recommended Jenkins for the position.
Pickering said: “What shone through for us was Gareth’s fantastic passion and vision for the game. He is a coach of the highest calibre and he has had success over many years with Llanelli.
“We, as a board, are absolutely delighted. He is the right man at the right time to take Wales forward. We went out to seek the best man for the job – it is what we said from day one – and we know we have got the best person for the job.”
A firm favourite of the Welsh supporters, Jenkins enjoyed success with Llanelli and was assistant Wales coach when they were crowned 1994 Five Nations champions.
Additionally, he helped Ian McGeechan mould an unbeaten midweek team during the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
However, Jenkins’ reign in charge lasted just 20 Tests, winning only six games before his dismissal in September 2007 following a disappointing World Cup campaign.
Wales had beaten Canada and Japan in their group, but lost their decisive match against Fiji, meaning they did not reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
Following Jenkins’ departure, Warren Gatland was then appointed as Wales boss and immediately led the side to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008.
Aaron Judge overcame injury as he drove in three runs to lead the New York Yankees past the Minnesota Twins 12-6 on Wednesday.
Judge had an injury scare with an awkward slide into third base on a failed steal attempt in the second inning, immediately walking off the field and into the Yankees tunnel.
The Yankees outfielder got himself stuck in the ground on the head-first slide, with his shoulders lurching forward while his body stayed almost still.
Judge, on his 31st birthday, appeared to be favouring his right arm as he left the field and seemed to have some wrist discomfort when he returned to the bench. He would return to play, with a walk, single and strikeout, having hit a three-run double in the second inning before his injury scare.
Gleyber Torres capped a six-run fourth-inning by crushing a 429-foot two-run blast to left field to open up an 11-1 lead.
Jose Miranda homered twice for the Twins, while Joey Gallo drove in Miranda with a sixth-inning blast to make it 11-5, but the Yankees were always in control after racing to an early 5-0 lead.
Anthony Volpe and Anthony Rizzo both had two-run doubles, with the former going two-for-three with three RBIs. Dominic German had eight strikeouts across six innings but allowed five runs.
Rays shut down again
The record-breaking Tampa Bay Rays were shut down for the second straight time as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against the reigning world champion Houston Astros.
Hunter Brown had a career-high eight strikeouts as he combined with two relievers on a two-hitter, with Ryan Pressly working a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
The Astros scored on a Wander Franco error for misplaying a potential inning-ending double play, with Alex Bregman credited with the RBI, as Jeremy Pena scored.
Houston ended the Rays' 14-game home winning run to start the new season on Tuesday and backed that up.
Maggi's magic moment after long wait
Drew Maggi had a moment to remember, making his MLB debut after 13 seasons and more than 1000 games in the minor leagues, as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1.
The 33-year-old journeyman came in to pinch hit in the eighth inning and struck out on four pitches, having cranked a foul shot into the stands down the left-field line off his first pitch. It was Maggi's only at-bat and the end result was slightly underwhelming but it stirred up loud applause from the PNC Park crowd.
Jason Delay went three-for-three with three RBIs, while Roansy Contreras took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Contreras finished with five strikeouts and two walks, allowing only two runs.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was cited for two cases of third-degree assault after allegedly hitting two women with a chair immediately after his side's NBA playoffs elimination.
Edwards raced off the court after missing an attempted game-tying three-pointer on the buzzer as the Timberwolves lost 112-109 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 at Ball Arena sealing their elimination.
As Edwards exited down the tunnel, he grabbed a folding chair and swung it before throwing it, allegedly striking two women in the process.
The Denver Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that they are investigating the incident, although they noted neither woman was seriously injured. According to reports, the police held up the Timberwolves team bus to cite Edwards after the game.
The Timberwolves said in a statement: "We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this moment."
A third-degree assault charge in Colorado carries a punishment of up to 18 months in jail and a fine of up to $1000. The former NBA Draft top overall pick is scheduled for a June 9 court date in Denver.
Aaron Rodgers hinted his stay with the New York Jets could stretch beyond the 2023 season as he targeted glory at his unveiling, saying: "That Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely".
Rodgers ended a near-two-decade stint with the Green Bay Packers earlier this week, with the Jets trading four draft picks to land the four-time NFL MVP.
During the offseason, Rodgers hinted his future could lay outside the league, saying retirement was "100 per cent" an option back in February.
However, speaking at a press conference to mark his arrival in New York, Rodgers suggested he could represent the franchise for more than one season.
"They definitely gave up some picks for me to be here, so this isn't like one and done, in my mind," he said.
Asked if he was simply determined to enjoy the present, rather than look to the future, Rodgers added: "If that rubs some people the wrong way, so be it.
"I want to be all in. I want my 'yes' to be a full 'F yes'."
The Jets' 1969 triumph at Super Bowl III remains the only occasion on which they have won it all, with Rodgers looking to help the team end a miserable 12-year stint without a postseason run.
"I love daydreaming and night dreaming, too – it's fun to take your mind to that spot," he said.
"That's why I'm here. I'm not here to be a stopgap to have a mediocre season. We want to win the whole thing. That Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely."
US Open finalists in 2021, neither Emma Raducanu nor Leylah Fernandez made it beyond the first round at the Madrid Open.
Raducanu, who is set to drop out of the WTA's top 100, withdrew from her first-round meeting with Viktoriya Tomova on Wednesday due to a hand injury.
The 20-year-old Briton has endured a difficult season, with her best performance coming at the Indian Wells Open, where she lost to world number one Iga Swiatek in the last 16.
Fellow youngster Fernandez has also struggled, and she came unstuck against world number 194 Mirra Andreeva, who progressed 6-3 6-4.
The big shock came as Jaqueline Cristian, ranked 525th in the singles rankings, defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
Having taken the first set, Stephens looked set to book her place in round two, only for Romanian Cristian to prevail 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Alize Cornet overcame world number 39 Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-3, while Camila Giorgi was forced to retire from her match with Mayar Sherif before the start of a deciding third set, and Amanda Anisimova was another top-50 casualty.
Rebeka Masarova, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Marina Bassols Ribera and Irene Burillo Escorihuela carried the flag for Spain into the next round.
Eugenie Bouchard got the better of Dayana Yastremska as her return to top-level tennis continues.
Inter Milan booked their place in the Coppa Italia final as Federico Dimarco’s goal was enough to down Juventus.
With the semi-final level at 1-1 from the first leg, it was Inter who progressed after Dimarco’s first-time finish with just 15 minutes on the clock saw the hosts advance 2-1 on aggregate.
In Spain, Barcelona failed to further extend their lead at the top of LaLiga after slipping to a surprise defeat at Rayo Vallecano.
Nearest challengers Real Madrid had been stunned at Girona on Tuesday night but Barca lost 2-1 as the gap at the summit remained at 11 points.
Alvaro Rivera broke the deadlock for the home side, whose hopes of European qualification was boosted when Fran Garcia doubled their lead and they hung on despite a late Robert Lewandowski effort.
Third-placed Atletico Madrid came from behind to beat Real Mallorca 3-1 and move just two points behind their city rivals.
Matija Nastasic headed Mallorca in front only for Rodrigo De Paul to fire the hosts level in first-half stoppage time.
Comeback ✅ pic.twitter.com/rQLZmuEagR
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) April 26, 2023
Atleti were ahead two minutes after the restart courtesy of a fine Alvaro Morata header and the points were secured when Yannick Carrasco collected a through ball and finished coolly.
Luis Suarez hit a brace as Almeria won 2-1 at fellow relegation candidates Getafe who pulled a goal back through Borja Mayoral having seen Djene Dakonam sent off at the end of the first half.
Bottom club Elche lost 1-0 at Celta Vigo as Joseph Aidoo scored in the last minute.
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