Sports

Heat Make History By Reaching NBA Play-offs

Published

11 months ago

April 20, 2025

The Miami Heat became the first 10th-seeded team to reach the NBA play-offs through the play-in tournament as they scored an overtime success against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Heat began the four-team Eastern Conference qualification tournament needing to win consecutive road games to advance.

After beating the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, they followed up with a 123-114 overtime success over the Hawks to set up a first-round meeting with conference top seeds the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in round one, with play-off games in both conferences beginning on Saturday.

Defeat marks the end of a miserable campaign for the Mavericks, which included their star Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and Kyrie Irving sustaining a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Anthony Davis, who moved to Dallas as part of the Doncic trade, received medical treatment for groin and lower back injury problems throughout Friday’s game but still led his side with 40 points and nine rebounds.

The Heat had bounced back from a 10-game losing streak last month to reach the post-season tournament and dominated the opening half against the Hawks, leading by 17 points at one stage before taking a 62-53 lead into the break.

However, the Hawks stormed back and were 98-92 up with five minutes and six seconds remaining.

A Tyler Herro free throw edged the Heat 106-104 up with 12 seconds left, only for Trae Young to score a late lay-up and send the game to overtime.

The Heat found their range from the perimeter in the extra period with Davion Mitchell sinking three three-pointers and Herro adding two more to secure the win.

“I loved how my team fought,” said Herro, who finished on a game-high 30 points. “Every single run that they made, we answered. And I feel like this entire season has really built us up for this point.”

Morant beats injury to help Grizzlies advance

In Memphis, Ja Morant shrugged off a sprained right ankle for 22 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals for the Grizzlies.

The 25-year-old two-time All-Star suffered the injury in his side’s opening play-in loss to the Golden State Warriors and was only cleared to play shortly before the start of Friday’s game.

“Got an MRI, ultrasound, met with different doctors, got a shot, slept, woke up, came to the gym about 5:30, went through walkthrough,” Morant said.

“After that, sat for about 30 minutes until it was time to see another doctor and get an injection and start my pre-game stuff.”

Asked after the game how the ankle held up, he said, with a laugh, “I couldn’t feel it, that’s why I was out there.”

Zach Edey added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies while Scotty Pippen Jr hit 13 points.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd paid tribute to his players after their season.

“We had an incredible season when you look at the injuries that we’ve had, the Doncic trade, and for us to even be here playing in this game is incredible,” Kidd said.

“It shows the character of that group in the locker room, the fight, and being prepared. It was an incredible season and with the change and injuries, some people were saying we shouldn’t be here.”

-Leadership

News

Korda Stuns World No.1 Alcaraz In Miami Open Upset

Published

4 days ago

March 23, 2026

Olumide Ojo

World number one Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock third-round exit at the Miami Open after a hard-fought 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 defeat to American Sebastian Korda.

Top seed Alcaraz, 22, endured a sluggish start, allowing Korda to seize control of the opening set. Although the Spaniard rallied in the second, the match swung dramatically as Korda faltered while serving for victory at 5-4, only to be broken to love. Alcaraz capitalised, claiming the next two games to force a decider.

However, Korda showed impressive composure in the third set. With the contest finely balanced, he secured a crucial break for 4-3 after Alcaraz pushed a forehand wide. The world number 36 then held firm on serve, sealing a landmark victory on his second match point when Alcaraz overhit a return.

Despite the defeat, Alcaraz struck an optimistic tone, insisting his form is trending in the right direction ahead of the clay-court season.

“I think the process has been good. Besides the loss today, I think I’m still on the right path,” he said.
“In previous tournaments there were things I didn’t feel comfortable with, but here I started to feel better and better.”

He also acknowledged the challenge posed by lower-ranked opponents, who often play with greater freedom.

“They have more to win than to lose in these matches. They play without pressure,” he added. “I’m just trying to focus on my own game and perform at my best.”

For Korda, 25, the victory marks the biggest of his career, as he defeated a world number one for the first time. He becomes the lowest-ranked player to beat Alcaraz since David Goffin achieved a similar feat in Miami last year.

Alcaraz had enjoyed a strong start to the season, lifting his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open before suffering his first defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals at Indian Wells.

Korda, who previously reached the Miami quarter-finals in 2021 and 2025, will now face either Karen Khachanov or Martin Landaluce in the fourth round.

“It feels great,” Korda said after the match, which lasted two hours and 19 minutes. “I took the scenic route – a bit more stress than I would have liked – but I’m really happy with how I played.

“I kept believing. I got myself into some tough situations, but I stayed strong and finished well.”

-Leadership

News

Chelsea hit with transfer ban and huge fine for breaching Premier League financial rules under Roman Abramovich ownership

Published

2 weeks ago

March 16, 2026

Olumide Ojo

Chelsea have been handed a nine-month ban on registering academy players plus a £10.75 million ($13.7m) fine from the Premier League after being found guilty of breaching competition regulations when Roman Abramovich was club owner. However, the Blues have avoided an immediate ban on signing first-team players and have not been dealt a points deduction.

Chelsea learn punishment from Premier League

The Premier League confirmed on Monday afternoon that Chelsea had been handed their punishment after the club self-reported instances of incomplete financial reporting and missing payments from Abramovich’s spell as club owner. The incidents in question were from over ten years ago.

It has been decided that Chelsea will not be able to register academy players for the next nine months, though they have avoided another immediate ban on signing players for the first-team squad. Chelsea were hit with an initial two-window ban by FIFA in 2019 relating to rules over signing under-18 players, though this was reduced to one window following an appeal.

Instead, Chelsea will serve a two-year suspended sentence over a senior transfers ban, meaning they will not have to serve it unless they commit further breaches. Chelsea will also not be deducted any points in the Premier League either after such a punishment was previously tipped for the regulation breaches.

Why have Chelsea been punished?

Upon their takeover of the club in 2022, Chelsea’s BlueCo owners discovered the previous regime had made secret payments to players, unlicensed agents and third parties, with deals for Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Willian among those that were under scrutiny.

In a statement on Monday, the Premier League said: “As a result of the Premier League’s investigation, it was established that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties.

“These payments were not disclosed to the football regulatory authorities at the time, including the Premier League. The payments were made for the benefit of Chelsea FC and should have been treated as having been made by the club.

“The club has also accepted, among other things, that the making of these payments, as well as the failure to disclose them to the League, constituted a breach of the requirement to act in good faith towards the League.

“The Premier League Board was satisfied that in no scenario would the club have breached the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules during the relevant periods, had the relevant payments been properly included in the club’s historical financial submissions.

“When considering the appropriate sanction, the Premier League Board noted that the club’s proactive self-reporting, admissions of breach and exceptional cooperation throughout the investigation acted as significant mitigating factors.”

Chelsea statement on punishment

In their own statement, Chelsea said: “Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm that the club has reached a settlement with the Premier League in relation to historical regulatory matters that were self-reported by the club in 2022.

“As previously announced, the club voluntarily and proactively disclosed to all applicable regulators potential historical rule breaches, including incomplete financial reporting that took place over a decade ago.

“During an extensive Premier League investigation, the club proactively disclosed many thousands of documents. Also, when requests for information were made by the Premier League, the club promptly provided comprehensive responses and facilitated all lines of inquiry to support a complex and extremely thorough process.

“Furthermore, during the investigation, additional evidence was provided to the club by a third party regarding potential breaches of Premier League rules committed by a former employee in a small number of historical academy transactions. This information was immediately and proactively self-reported to the Premier League.

“The club wishes to make clear that following robust financial analysis by the Premier League, it was concluded that ‘in no scenario would the club have exceeded the maximum allowable loss of £105 million over the three-year assessment period in the Rules.’ Accordingly there is no scenario in which the club could have been in breach of the applicable limits in the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules during the applicable seasons historically.

“From the outset of this process, the club has treated these matters with the utmost seriousness, providing full cooperation to all relevant regulators. The club welcomes the recognition from the Premier League of its ‘exceptional cooperation’ and that ‘without those voluntary disclosures and the act of self-reporting, a number of the Premier League rule breaches may never have come to the attention of the League’.

“The club accepts the terms of the settlement in full, details of which have been published on the Premier League website. For clarity, the nine-month restriction on registering Academy players applies immediately, but only to Academy players who have previously been registered with another League or EFL club in the preceding 18 months. It does not apply to current Chelsea players, international players or players who are applying for their first registration at Under 9.

“We are pleased that the matter is now concluded.”

-Goal

News

Rodri Issues Stern Warning To Arsenal In Premier League Title Race

Published

2 weeks ago

March 16, 2026

Olumide Ojo

Manchester City’s midfield linchpin, Rodri, has issued a defiant warning to Arsenal, asserting that he and his teammates will battle relentlessly until the very end of the Premier League title race.

The Spaniard’s comments come after City dropped points for the second consecutive game, a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened West Ham United. The result, coupled with Arsenal’s recent victories, has allowed the North London club to establish a significant nine-point lead at the summit of the table, although City still hold a game in hand.

The draw at the London Stadium was a frustrating outcome for Pep Guardiola side, who had hoped to capitalise on any slip-ups from their title rivals. Prior to their encounter with West Ham, Arsenal had demonstrated their resilience by securing two late goals to overcome a stubborn Everton side, further solidifying their position at the top. Despite the growing points difference, Rodri remains resolute, refusing to concede defeat in what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the season.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Rodri acknowledged the challenging circumstances but emphasised City’s unwavering determination. “[Is the title race over?] Maybe yes, maybe no. We’re not going to drop hands, we’re going to keep fighting. We know it’s going to be difficult because we have this experience of what you need to win at the end. I think the distance is too far but we’re going to fight until the end. Now is a moment of no regrets,” he stated. Rodri also reflected on the team’s performance against West Ham, highlighting a recurring theme of their season. “We showed (against West Ham) a little bit of what the season was, ups and downs, then maybe the last pass or the last strike can make the difference. Football is about goals and we couldn’t find the players to have numbers in terms of goals.

That’s the most important thing in football because we created the chances, we controlled the games but this is what makes the difference.”
His words serve as a clear message to Arsenal that Manchester City, despite the current deficit, will not relinquish their title without a fierce and determined fight.

-Leadership