sport

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs has pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an alleged dispute with his private chef over money she said he owed her for her services.

Five days after playing in Super Bowl LX, Diggs appeared for his arraignment Friday morning at Massachusetts’s Dedham District Court. The four-time Pro Bowl player stood and was attentive but did not speak during the hearing, which lasted less than two minutes.

After attorney Michael Schuster entered the not-guilty plea on behalf of his client, Diggs was released on his own recognizance and ordered to have no contact with his accuser. A pretrial hearing was set for April 1.

“He is completely innocent of these false allegations that have been alleged against him,” Schuster told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing. “We are confident that after the facts and evidence are reviewed in this case, he will be completely exonerated. … When they are presented it will paint a very different picture and we’re very confident that he will be exonerated.”

Diggs did not speak to reporters.

The alleged incident is said to have occurred at Diggs’ house Dec. 2. His accuser reported it to Dedham police two weeks later, according to court records, stating that Diggs had “smacked her across the face”and “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”

Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery at a court hearing Dec. 30.

The arraignment hearing was originally scheduled for Jan. 23 but was postponed until after the Super Bowl. Diggs had three catches for 37 yards in the Patriots’ 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych had his appeal dismissed as images on his helmet breached an Olympic ‘sacred principle’.

⁠The Court of ⁠Arbitration for Sport on Friday dismissed an appeal by Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to be reinstated in the Milano Cortina Olympics after he was disqualified over his “helmet ⁠of remembrance”.

The 27-year-old was removed from the Olympic programme on Thursday when the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury ruled that imagery on the helmet — depicting athletes killed since Russia invaded Ukraine ⁠in February 2022 — breached rules on political neutrality.

“The CAS ad Hoc division dismissed the application and found that freedom of expression is guaranteed at the Olympic Games but not on the field of play which is a sacred principle,” CAS Secretary-General Matthieu Reeb said, reading from a statement following an eight-hour ‌hearing.

Heraskevych, who was seeking reinstatement or at least a CAS-supervised run, pending a decision by sport’s highest court in advance of the final two runs set for Friday evening, said he would look at his legal options now.

“CAS has failed us. We will consider our next steps,” Heraskevych told Reuters.

The case has dominated headlines in the first week of the Olympics, with the International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry meeting the athlete on Thursday morning at the sliding venue ⁠in Cortina d’Ampezzo in a last-minute attempt to broker a compromise and ⁠have him race without the specific helmet.

The IOC instead offered that he wear a black armband and display the helmet before and after the race, but said using the helmet in competition breached its rules on political protests and slogans ⁠in the field of play.

In a statement, CAS said the IOC guidelines for athletes’ expression in the Games were fair.

“The Sole Arbitrator found these ⁠limitations reasonable and proportionate, considering the other opportunities for athletes ⁠to raise awareness,” CAS said.

“The Sole Arbitrator considers these Guidelines provide a reasonable balance between athletes’ interests to express their views, and athletes’ interests to receive undivided attention for their sporting performance on the field of play.”

Ukraine’s Olympic Committee has backed their ‌athlete, who is also the team’s flagbearer for the Games and also displayed a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, days before Russia’s invasion. Heraskevych has also received support ‌from ‌Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

CAS was established in 1984 by the International Olympic Committee as an independent judicial authority to settle sports disputes worldwide.

The case has dominated headlines in the first week of the Olympics.

Before the ruling, Heraskevych accused the Milano-Cortina Games as acting as “propaganda” for Russia.

Who: Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
When: Saturday, February 14, at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid career has not got off the ground yet, but fit again after injury, the England right-back could be crucial for the Spanish giants in the second half of the season.

With Alvaro Arbeloa’s side still taking shape following the coach’s arrival in January, Alexander-Arnold has the chance to make himself a key part of the club’s battle for silverware.

Pellegrino Matarazzo’s in-form Real Sociedad visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday in La Liga, in what promises to be an enticing clash.

Arbeloa’s Madrid are looking to move two points clear of Barcelona and take the lead in La Liga before the Catalans visit Girona on Monday.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at Saturday’s headline fixture in La Liga.

Will Alexander Arnold start for Real Madrid against Sociedad?

Former Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold, who came off the bench last weekend as Madrid beat Valencia, could potentially start for the first time since December 3.

After a decent early showing for Madrid at the Club World Cup last year, hamstring and thigh injuries have stopped him from settling in, limiting him to 12 appearances across all competitions this season.

“After [he’s had] a long time out, we will proceed with caution,” said Arbeloa after Alexander-Arnold’s return, with Spanish newspaper AS reporting Madrid’s aim is for him to start against Benfica in the Champions League playoff round on February 17.

Even if Arbeloa uses veteran Dani Carvajal or youngster David Jimenez to start against Real Sociedad, the expectation is for Alexander-Arnold to get more crucial minutes under his belt.

How are Real Sociedad faring in La Liga this season?

Real Sociedad are unbeaten in nine matches but are eighth in the table – 14 points off fourth place and the crucial UEFA Champions League qualification spots.

Matarazzo’s side did, however, defeat champions Barcelona last month and have one foot in the Copa del Rey final after a semifinal first leg win at rivals Athletic Bilbao this week.

Sociedad are also coming off a 1-0 win at Basque Country rival Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Will Vinicius and Mbappe’s dinner give Madrid food for thought?

Real Madrid is counting on a team-bonding dinner reportedly paid for by its biggest stars to boost its late-season pursuit of the La Liga and Champions League trophies.

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe paid the bill at the restaurant in Madrid on Tuesday, midfielder Dani Ceballos told reporters. The tab ran in excess of 1,000 euros ($1,100), according to accounts by Spanish media.

Vinicius posted a photo of the entire squad during the dinner near the city centre in a fancy location that features an “Art Dining Club.”

Fans waited outside the restaurant to try to talk to the players after the dinner, which went well past midnight.

Coach Alvaro Arbeloa and his assistants were not part of the dinner, Spanish media said.

The show of unity came a week before Madrid faces Benfica in the first leg of the knockout playoffs of the Champions League. The team dropped out of the top eight that automatically qualified for the round of 16 after a 4-2 loss at the same as Benfica in the final round of the league phase.

Defender Raul Asencio told media that after the dinner, the team was “very united.”

Why has Real Madrid struggled this season?

Madrid went through turmoil at the end of last year, with some players reportedly not on the same page with coach Xabi Alonso.

Under Arbeloa, Madrid was eliminated by second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16, and lost to Benfica in the match that relegated the team to the Champions League’s knockout playoffs.

With the bad-tempered Bernabeu crowd on their own team’s backs in recent weeks, the chance to move top of the table could settle the natives.

How is the La Liga race shaping up for Real Madrid and Barcelona?

Madrid has won seven in a row to be one point behind leader Barcelona.

Barcelona will look to win its fourth in a row in the league against a Girona that was in 12th place and was winless in its last three matches.

Barcelona is coming off a resounding 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey on Thursday, when it conceded all goals in a disastrous first half.

It had won 17 of its last 18 matches in all competitions before the defeat. The last setback had been losing 2-1 at Sociedad in the league last month.

Third-placed Atletico will face lowly Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, while fourth-placed Villarreal is at mid-table Getafe.

What happened the last time Real Madrid met Sociedad?

Los Blancos were 2-1 winners against Sociedad in September’s reverse fixture in La Liga.

Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler scored either side of Dean Huijsen’s sending off in the first half.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s 56th-minute penalty offered the home side hope, but they were unable to further make the most of their numerical advantage.

Head-to-head

This is the 184th meeting between the teams, with Madrid winning on 103 occasions and Sociedad claiming the spoils in 38 of the contests.

The first fixture was played in April 1905, with Madrid winning the Copa del Rey meeting 3-0.

Real Madrid team news

Mbappe trained separately from the squad on Thursday because of a knee issue and became doubtful for Saturday’s game.

He had already been held to gym work on Wednesday. The club did not immediately give any details about his condition.

Vinicius was set to be back with Madrid after missing the previous league game because of a yellow card suspension, but Jude Bellingham will remain sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Predicted Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3)

Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Brahim, Mbappe, Vinicius

Real Sociedad team news

Brais Mendez is suspended for the trip to Madrid, while Takefusa Kubo and Unai Marrero are both absent with hamstring and facial injuries, respectively.

Arsen Zakharyan, Ander Barrenetxea and Luka Sucic have slight niggles and face late fitness tests.

Predicted Real Sociedad starting lineup (4-2-3-1)

Remiro; Odriozola, Martin, Caleta-Car, Gomez; Gorrotxategi, Turrientes; Marin, Soler, Guedes; Oyarzabal

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

OPEN DIVISION

Quarterfinals

#1 El Camino Real 1, #8 Wilmington Banning 0

#4 Palisades 2, #5 Bell 1

#6 Marquez 3, #3 Birmingham 3 (Marques wins 6-5 in shootout)

#2 South East 3, #7 Venice 0

Note: Semifinals Feb. 19 at higher seeds; Finals Feb. 27-28 at TBA.

DIVISION I

First Round

#17 King/Drew 2, #16 Sylmar 1

#13 Van Nuys 3, #20 Alliance Marine-Innovation 0

#19 LA Marshall 2, #14 Reseda 0

#15 Granada Hills Kennedy 2, #18 Eagle Rock 0

DIVISION II

First Round

#17 Canoga Park 3, #16 Contreras 2

#9 Santee 1, #24 Fairfax 0

#12 Arleta 1, #21 Animo Robinson 0

#20 Neuwirth Leadership 2, #13 Burton 1

#14 Taft 10, #19 Gertz-Ressler 0

#22 Elizabeth 9, #11 Monroe 0 (Elizabeth wins 4-3 in shootout)

#23 Huntington Park 1, #10 Jefferson 1 (HP wins 6-5 in shootout)

#15 RFK Community 1, #18 USC Hybrid 0

DIVISION III

First Round

#16 Camino Nuevo 3, #17 West Adams 2

#9 Franklin 1, #24 CALS Early College 0

#12 North Hollywood 6, #21 Simon Tech 1

#13 Foshay 2, #20 Northridge Academy 2 (Foshay wins 4-3 in shootout)

#14 Hollywood 2, #19 University Prep Value 0

#11 Grant 1, #22 USC-MAE 0

#23 Sun Valley Magnet 3, #10 Bravo 2

#15 Bernstein 5, #18 Torres 2

DIVISION IV

First Round

#16 Smidt Tech 1, #17 Hawkins 1 (Smidt Tech wins in shootout)

#24 New Designs University Park 3, #9 Dymally 2

#12 MSCP 3, #21 Crenshaw 2

#13 Animo South LA 2, #20 Animo De La Hoya 0

#19 Lakeview Charter 2, #14 Rise Kohyang 2 (LC wins 10-9 in shootout)

#11 Triumph Charter 2, #22 Los Angeles 1

#10 Alliance Levine 3, #22 Washington Prep 2

#18 Port of LA 3, #15 Stern 1

Note: Second Round Feb. 18 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals Feb. 20 at higher seeds; Semifinals Feb. 25 at higher seeds; Finals Feb. 27-28 at TBA.

GIRLS

SOUTHERN SECTION

FIRST ROUND

Pool Play

#1 Santa Margarita , #8 Corona Santiago

#4 Oaks Christian , #5 Palos Verdes

#3 Mater Dei , #6 Huntington Beach

#2 Redondo Union , #7 JSerra

DIVISION 1

Westlake 3, Fairmont Prep 2

El Dorado 1, Los Alamitos 0

Rosary Academy 1, Thousand Oaks 1 (Rosary wins in shootout)

Great Oak 1, Aliso Niguel 0

San Juan Hills 1, Mira Costa 0

Orange Lutheran 4, Chino Hills 1

Newport Harbor 2, Chaminade 1

Moorpark 4, Murrieta Valley 1

Edison 2, Mission Viejo 0

Eastvale Roosevelt 5, Foothill 2

Etiwanda 2, Bishop Amat 1

Anaheim Canyon 3, Hart 2

Harvard-Westlake 3, San Clemente 1

Garden Grove Pacifica 1, Torrance 0

Capistrano Valley 3, Camarillo 2

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1, Glendora 0

DIVISION 2

Beckman 3, Brea Olinda 1

Ayala 3, Buena 0

Temecula Valley 2, Paraclete 1

Saugus 3, Laguna Beach 0

Crean Lutheran 2, West Ranch 0

Portola 2, Tesoro 0

Rancho Cucamonga 3, Downey 2

San Marino 2, Villa Park 1

St. Genevieve 2, Western Christian 1

Millikan 3, El Segundo 0

La Habra 1, Corona Centennial 0

Warren 5, Yorba Linda 4

Riverside King 2, South Torrance 2 (King wins 4-2 in shootout)

Alta Loma 4, El Toro 0

Bonita 3, Cypress 2

La Serna 2, Royal 1

DIVISION 3

Valencia 3, North Torrance 0

La Mirada 1, Dos Pueblos 0

Oxnard 2, Mayfield 0

Crescenta Valley 3, Montclair 2

Fullerton 1, Burbank Burroughs 1 (Fullerton wins 4-3 in shootout)

La Salle 1, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0

South Hills 0, Estancia 0 (South Hills wins 4-3 in shootout)

Paloma Valley 2, Northwood 1

Sage Hill 4, Norco 0

Quartz Hill 2, Brentwood 1

Costa Mesa 2, Ventura 1

La Canada 2, Long Beach Wilson 0

Santa Monica 1, Oak Hills 0

Flintridge Prep 1, Valley View 0

Citrus Valley 1, Don Lugo 0

Simi Valley 1, Notre Dame Academy 0

DIVISION 4

Patriot 1, Windward 0

Monrovia 2, Los Altos 0

Katella 3, Palm Desert 2

San Jacinto 4, Pasadena Poly 1

Temescal Canyon 3, Santa Fe 0

Granite Hills 4, Culver City 2

Shadow Hills 1, California 0

Arcadia 4, Carter 1

Tahquitz 5, Riverside Poly 2

Laguna Hills 2, Redlands 0

Immaculate Heart 2, Viewpoint 0

Redlands East Valley 1, Linfield Christian 0

Yucaipa 1, Orange County Pacifica Christian 0

Chino 5, Palm Springs 0

Arlington 1, Ontario Christian 0

Apple Valley 3, Long Beach Poly 1

DIVISION 5

Ramona 2, Indio 1

Anaheim 2, Fillmore 1

Artesia 1, Summit 0

Channel Islands 5, Century 1

Rancho Verde 2, Maranatha 1

Grand Terrace 3, Arrowhead Christian 2

Carpinteria 3, Burbank 0

Coachella Valley 5, Cerritos 2

La Palma Kennedy 2, San Gorgonio 1

Santa Paula 3, Charter Oak 2

Sultana 1, Liberty 0

Lakewood 2, Rowland 0

Del Sol 2, Northview 1

Cerritos Valley Christian 2, Godinez 1

Alemany 1, Whittier Christian 0

El Rancho 3, Capistrano Valley Christian 1

DIVISION 6

Beverly Hills 1, Knight 1 (Beverly Hills wins in shootout)

Norte Vista 2, Alhambra 1

Palmdale Aerospace Academy 3, Fontana 2

Mark Keppel 1, Perris 0

Hemet 4, Cobalt 2

Arroyo Valley 3, Woodcrest Christian 2

Riverside Prep 5, Gahr 0

Segerstrom 2, Palmdale 0

Mayfair 2, Littlerock 1

Thacher 1, Orange Vista 1 (Thacher wins 3-1 in shootout)

St. Monica 2, Rim of the World 1

Grace 2, Village Christian 0

DIVISION 7

Nuview Bridge 3, Mary Star 1

Desert Mirage 1, Garey 0

de Toledo 6, San Jacinto Leadership 5

Savanna 3, Westminster La Quinta 0

Animo Leadership 3, Jurupa Hills 1

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 1, University Prep 0

Ganesha 5, St. Mary’s Academy 2

South El Monte 5, Hawthorne 0

Cate 4, Pioneer 0

Desert Christian Academy 1, Bellflower 0

Santa Rosa Academy 4, AGBU 0

Saddleback 1, Garden Grove Santiago 0

San Gabriel 2, St. Paul 0

Pasadena Marshall 1, Western 0

Oakwood 3, Baldwin Park 0

Azusa 3, Academy for Academic Excellence 0

DIVISION 8

CAMS 6, Academy of Careers & Exploration 0

Shalhevet 2, Bolsa Grande 0

Hawthorne MSA 2, Compton Early College 1

Mountain View 2, Bishop Diego 0

Milken 3, Loma Linda Academy 0

Vistamar 2, Palmdale Academy Charter 0

Buckley 3, Wildomar Cornerstone Christian 0

Indian Springs 1, Laguna Blanca 0

Environmental Charter 4, Silver Valley 0

Rosemead 2, Lennox Academy 1

Big Bear 6, Coast Union 1

Bishop Conaty Loreto 5, Redlands Adventist 2

Miller 2, Edgewood 1

Downey Calvary Chapel 2, Sacred Heart LA 0

Vasquez 2, San Bernardino 1

Webb 8, Workman 0

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

BOYS

SOUTHERN SECTION

ROUND 2

OPEN DIVISION

Pool Play

#8 Orange Lutheran at #1 Palos Verdes, 3:15 p.m.

#5 Cathedral at #4 Placentia Valencia, 5 p.m.

#6 JSerra at #3 Redondo Union, 5 p.m.

#7 Mira Costa at #2 Mater Dei, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 1

Anaheim Canyon at Arlington, 6 p.m.

Servite at Palm Desert

Santa Monica at Eastvale Roosevelt

Rancho Mirage at Sultana, 5 p.m.

El Toro at Sunny Hills

Fontana at Edison, 5 p.m.

Rialto at El Segundo, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Shadow Hills at Downey

El Dorado at Millikan

Oak Hills at Newport Harbor, 5 p.m.

Crossroads at Tesoro, 5 p.m.

Bishop Amat at Ayala, 5 p.m.

Culver City at Norte Vista

Patriot at Temecula Valley, 5 p.m.

Fullerton at Citrus Hill

DIVISION 3

West Torrance at Buena Park

Los Alamitos at Los Altos

La Serna at Palmdale

Godinez at Hillcrest, 5 p.m.

Channel Islands at Murrieta Valley

Oxnard at Littlerock

Calabasas at Claremont, 5 p.m.

Yorba Linda at Knight, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 4

Granite Hills at Santa Fe

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Cypress, 5 p.m.

Estancia at Sierra Vista

Sage Hill at Indian Springs, 5 p.m.

Irvine University at San Bernardino

Montebello at Santa Paula, 5 p.m.

Lakewood at Arroyo, 5 p.m.

Baldwin Park at Oxnard Pacifica, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 5

Santa Ana Valley at Linfield Christian

Windward at Crespi, 5 p.m.

Mountain View at Norwalk, 5 p.m.

Golden Valley at San Marcos, 5 p.m.

Esperanza at Pasadena, 6:15 p.m.

Magnolia at Tustin

Bellflower at Westlake, 7 p.m. at Cal Lutheran University

Camarillo at Ventura, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Cate at Viewpoint

Temescal Canyon at Bishop Montgomery

Beverly Hills at Coachella Valley

Animo Leadership at South Pasadena, 5 p.m.

Vista del Lago at Elsinore

Cerritos Valley Christian at Samueli Academy

Ontario Christian at Indio, 5 p.m.

Lakeside at Tahquitz, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 7

Artesia at Maranatha, 5 p.m.

Western Christian at Cerritos

Laguna Blanca at Pasadena Poly

Edgewood at Milken

Glenn at Oakwood, 4:30 p.m. at Valley College

Ganesha vs. Cristo Rey OC at Dan Young Sports Complex

Palmdale Academic at Temple City 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer at St. Anthony

DIVISION 8

San Jacinto Leadership at Burbank Providence, 12 p.m.

Foothill Tech vs. Fairmont Prep at Great Park, Field #7

Orange County Pacifica Christian at Don Bosco Tech

Le Lycée at Bishop Diego, 1 p.m.

Environmental Charter at Rio Hondo Prep

Buckley vs. Holy Martyrs at Valley United Sports Complex

Redlands Adventist vs. de Toledo, 1 p.m. at Whitsett Soccer Field #3

Big Bear at Thacher

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 17; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

Charlotte Bankes hoped to “put on a better show” as her Olympic hoodoo continued with a quarter-final exit from the snowboard cross – in another missed medal chance for Team GB.

Bankes, appearing at her fourth Games, is a former world champion and has 26 World Cup golds to her name, but an Olympic medal is the one that continues to evade her grasp.

Although slower than anticipated in her seeding run, the 30-year-old had qualified fastest from her heat but looked off the pace from the start of her quarter-final, crossing the finish line last.

It was the same story four years ago in Beijing when Bankes exited at the same stage, a crash to blame on that occasion.

Asked by BBC Sport how she was feeling, Bankes replied: “Lost.

“I feel like I’ve done exactly the same as four years ago, which is very frustrating.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to improve from that and I feel it hasn’t made any difference today.

“I’ve been struggling with the track all week, but we thought we’d found solutions.

“I really wanted this one.”

Bankes’ preparations for these Games had not been ideal.

In April last year she broke her collarbone, an injury she needed further surgery – including a bone graft from her hip – on in the summer after it was found not to be healing correctly.

But she came into the Games back to full fitness and had won a gold medal at a World Cup in China just last month.

“It’s a tough one to swallow. I was hoping to put on a better show, but it didn’t work out today,” she added.

“It can be a cruel sport. The team did all the work behind me and I didn’t pull it off.”

Australia’s Josie Baff won gold, with Czech Eva Adamczykova taking silver and Italian home favourite and former champion Michela Moioli the bronze.

Bankes has just 48 hours to brush off her disappointment before she returns to the start gate alongside team-mate Huw Nightingale in the mixed team event.

Bankes and Nightingale were crowned world champions in 2023.

The Livigno Snow Park has not been a happy hunting ground so far for Team GB at the Milan-Cortina Games, and the wait goes on for a first Olympic gold or silver medal on snow.

Two fourth-place finishes for freestyle skier Kirsty Muir and snowboarder Mia Brookes came earlier in the week, but both will return to action in the coming days, as will Zoe Atkin, the current halfpipe world champion.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Heraskevych says 2006 Winter Olympics ‘acts as propoganda for Russia’ after IOC decision.

The Court ⁠of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) began hearing Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych’s appeal on Friday, with a decision expected later in the day on whether he can return to competition at ⁠the Milano Cortina Olympics after his disqualification over his “helmet of remembrance”.

The 27-year-old was removed from the Olympic programme on Thursday when the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury ruled that imagery on the helmet — depicting ⁠athletes killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 — breached rules on political neutrality at the Games.

Heraskevych is seeking reinstatement or at least a CAS-supervised run, pending a decision by sport’s highest court in advance of the final two runs set for Friday evening.

“I’m pretty positive about how it went,” he told reporters outside the office of CAS ‌in Milan following his appearance before the court. “I hope the truth will prevail, and I know that I was innocent.”

The racer said he was now getting threats from Russians and blamed the IOC’s decision for that.

“I believe that these Games now and this act of the IOC also serves as an instrument of propaganda for Russia,” Heraskevych said. “I still receive a lot of threats from the Russian side.”

The IOC, whose president, Kirsty Coventry, met Heraskevych on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to break the impasse, has ⁠allowed the athlete to keep his credentials despite his disqualification, so he can ⁠stay at the Milano Cortina Games.

“For me, sitting down with Vladyslav and his dad, the conversation was extremely respectful,” Coventry told a news conference on Friday. “After that, I asked the disciplinary commission to re-look at not pulling his accreditation, out of respect for him ⁠and his dad. I thought that was the right thing to do.”

The case has dominated headlines in the first week of the Olympics.

CAS Secretary-General Matthieu Reeb ⁠could not say exactly when they were likely to reach a ⁠decision, despite the tight schedule.

“We hope to have a final decision announced today, but it’s difficult for me to say when,” Reeb told reporters. “Obviously, we know the schedule of the competition, and it is an objective for CAS to be able to run the decision ‌before the start of the race, but we don’t know how long the hearing will take.

“We have only one arbitrator from Germany, and she will be in charge of this case. We have participants attending in ‌person, ‌like the IOC, the athlete is here, the father of the athlete is here.

“We have a representative of IBSF attending remotely. The athlete is also assisted by legal counsel speaking from Kyiv.”

The 55-year-old first joined the Scottish Premiership club in 2013 as part of Derek McInnes’ management team and went on to spend eight years at Pittodrie.

He was also McInnes’ number two with Kilmarnock before spells as manager with Dundee and Ross County but was sacked by the latter in December with his side bottom of the Championship.

“Tony has a wealth of experience and knows the Club inside out,” Pfannenstiel told his club website.

“He has excellent knowledge of the Scottish Premiership, both as a coach and a manager, and that will be invaluable for us in the short term.

“Our managerial search is now reaching its conclusion and we hope to be in a position to announce our new head coach imminently.”

Leven, who is in his third spell as caretaker and whose side sit seventh in Scotland’s top flight, welcomed Docherty’s appointment.

“It’s great to have someone of Tony’s experience back in the Aberdeen dugout for the upcoming games,” Leven added.

“He was very enthusiastic about coming in when I spoke with him and his presence and knowledge at both training and matches will be a big boost to me and the squad.”

Horneland left Saint-Etienne at the start of February with his side sitting fourth in France’s second tier.

Should Aberdeen decide to wait until the summer for the Norwegian to take charge, it will mirror the six-month delay in Thelin arriving at Pittodrie from Elfsborg in summer 2024.

Adams: The Leicester-born 29-year-old has established himself as Clarke’s first pick up front. Since switching allegiances in 2021, he has amassed 45 caps and contributed 11 goals. Formerly of Sheffield United and Birmingham City, he moved to Torino two years ago after featuring in the Premier League with Southampton.

This season, he has scored six goals in 26 appearances, 17 of them starts, for the side sitting 13th of Serie A’s 20 clubs.

Bowie: The Kirkcaldy-born 23-year-old began his career with Raith Rovers before spells with Fulham and on loan to Northampton Town before rising to prominence with Hibernian, his nine goal in 30 appearances this season leading to his January sale to Hellas Verona.

Bowie, who has two Scotland caps, made his debut, and first start, in a 0-0 draw at home to Pisa.

Doig: The Edinburgh-born 23-year-old became a first-team regular for Hibs in the Scottish Premiership before moving to Italy and is already at his second Serie A club. He moved from Verona to Sassuolo in 2024 and won his one and only Scotland cap last year in a left-back role in which he finds himself behind Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney.

Doig has made 24 appearances, 20 of them starts, this season for his 11th-placed club side.

Ferguson: Having started his career with local club Hamilton Academical, the 26-year-old spent four seasons with Aberdeen in the Premiership before being sold to Bologna in summer 2022. Ferguson, who has 21 Scotland caps, became captain the following October and led his side to a Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan last year and European qualification.

He has made 29 appearances this season, 21 of them starts for the side sitting eighth.

Gilmour: Irvine-born, the 24-year-old started his career with Rangers but moved to Chelsea while still a youth. He made his senior debut aged 18 but moved to Premier League rivals Norwich City on a season-long loan in 2021.

Transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion the following year, he helped them to a sixth-place finish and qualification for European football for the first time before being sold to Napoli in 2024, on the same day as Scotland team-mate McTominay, and they finished the season with the first league titles of their careers. However, this season he has been limited to 12 appearances, only six of them starts, having been sidelined since November.

McTominay: The Lancaster-born midfielder came through Manchester United’s youth ranks and, although he did not make his first-team debut until aged 21, he went on to make 255 appearances for the Premier League club. After being sold to Napoli, the 29-year-old was nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award last season as his goalscoring feats helped win the league title.

His 14 goals in 67 Scotland appearances include a lauded overhead kick that helped beat Denmark to secure World Cup qualification in November. McTominay has made 34 appearances this season for his club, scoring 10 goals.

Miller: Born in Wishaw, the 19-year-old son of Scotland-capped former striker Lee came through the youth ranks with Motherwell, making his debut just days after turning 16. After 76 appearances for the Premiership club, he was sold to Udinese in August for a Well club record fee, two months after being handed the first of his four Scotland caps.

He has made 14 appearances, six of them starts, so far.

MILAN — Brock Nelson might be making his Olympics debut, but he has a rich family history when it comes to playing hockey for Team USA.

His grandfather was a forward on the team that won gold in 1960. His uncle was a forward on the “Miracle on Ice” team in 1980.

And Thursday night, Nelson made a mark of his own. The Colorado Avalanche forward scored two goals to lead the U.S. to a 5-1 victory over Latvia in an opening game that included some of the best American NHL players.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Nelson, 34, considered the old man on a team filled with some of the game’s brightest young stars. “It’s just an unbelievable experience. I’m trying to soak it all in.”

The Americans had to show resilience after two of their goals were wiped out in the first period by successful challenges. It’s rare to have two such reversals in a game, exceedingly rare to have two in the same period.

“Yeah, that was frustrating,” said defenseman Zach Werenski, who plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets. “But at the same time, you’re still getting the goals even though they got overturned. You’re doing the work to put the puck in the net, and I think that helps your confidence a little bit. After they get overturned, you’ve just got to put it out of your mind and continue to play the same way.”

Latvia was competitive early, forging a 1-1 tie in the first period, but eventually fell prey to a U.S. barrage. The Americans outshot them, 38-18, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck needed to make only 17 saves.

Brothers Brady Tkachuk, left, and Matthew Tkachuk after the U.S. scored the first goal of the game against Latvia.

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

“It was just 1-1 but there was never any panic,” said forward Matthew Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers winger. “From the second period on, we just wanted to make sure someone was at the net at all times. They were playing pretty tight, but with the skill and puck possession and strength that we have, we knew we were going to win some battles.”

Nelson, who said he takes a ribbing from his young teammates for his graying hair, has a rich family history when it comes to Olympic hockey. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold at the Games in Squaw Valley — now called Olympic Valley — and his uncle, Dave Christian, was on that championship team in Lake Placid.

“My brother came in today,” said Nelson, raised in Minneapolis. “He brought me a couple pins from back home, from ‘Hockeytown,’ and a couple letters from the youth team. They’ve always been supportive of me, going back to growing up there. I’m forever grateful for that.”

The U.S. team features brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, and Quinn and Jack Hughes — all NHL players. It has been 12 years since NHL players last took the Olympic stage.

“To make this roster is extremely difficult when you look at the amount of talent that the United States has developed and can play at this level,” said coach Mike Sullivan, who doubles as coach of the New York Rangers.

The fans were fairly evenly divided, with every “U-S-A” chant countered with one for “LAT-VI-A.”

“It was great to see the flags, the chants, and just the support that you have here,” said U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk, who was raised in a suburb of St. Louis and plays for the Ottawa Senators. “I’m just kind of a little example of the support you have back at home. So you’re playing in front of millions of millions of Americans, and you just want to represent them well, and it’s always an honor to put this jersey on.”

Their frustrating midseason slump was finally in the rear-view mirror, their season finally feeling back on the right track.

Any reservations about USC righting the ship after losing six of seven had largely been forgotten on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Victories over No. 8 Iowa, Rutgers, Northwestern and Illinois, two of which came on the road, had cemented its place on the right side of the NCAA tournament bubble.

But as the Trojans were reminded in a 79-73 win over Indiana at Galen Center, now is no time to get comfortable — even if Thursday’s victory had marked their longest winning streak of the season.

The Hoosiers certainly never let USC settle in, even as freshman Jazzy Davidson poured in another stat-stuffing performance that would have to carry a stagnant Trojan offense for much of the way. It would take an aggressive defensive effort, too, complete with 19 forced turnovers, to put Indiana away.

That it took such a hard-fought effort to escape a team that’s 3-11 in the Big Ten and was without the Big Ten’s leading scorer, Shay Ciezki, was not exactly reassuring, as USC (16-9 overall, 8-6 in the Big Ten) enters the final four games of their regular season slate. Two of those four are against top 10 teams, Ohio State and UCLA.

But where the Trojans might have slipped up earlier in the season, they held tight Thursday.

“We were tough where we needed to be when shots weren’t falling,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “Our confidence to get it done when it’s not always prettiest is something that we’re proud of.”

Outside of a stellar second quarter, Thursday’s win certainly would not be remembered for being aesthetically pleasing. Over the rest of the game, Trojans shot under 32% from the floor. Their issues from three-point range persisted, as they made just three of 19 from behind the arc. Over their last four games, they’ve knocked down just 11 of 68 (16%).

They wouldn’t need them Thursday, not with Davidson looking as dynamic as ever. The freshman sensation followed up a career-high, 27-point performance with 24 points, along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. She did so while playing all 40 minutes.

“You talk about overdelivering,” Gottlieb said, “To be a freshman and carry the load for us and continue to grow, the numbers are really showing it … she’s just capable of doing almost anything on a basketball court.”

That much has been abundantly clear over the last seven games, with Davidson as she’s averaging 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks per night. She credited that outburst with being more comfortable down the final stretch of the season.

The Trojans will likely go as far as their dynamic freshman can take them as March approaches. But of late that’s been a pretty successful strategy.

“She’s unique,” Gottlieb said. “I know there are several good freshmen in the country. We know how good she is. We see it every day, and we think there’s no one better.”

USC didn’t look early on like a team that had found solid ground . The Trojans went six straight minutes in the first without a single field goal, then gave up an 8-0 run to Indiana in the final 1:22 of the quarter.

It was until Davidson turned it on in the second quarter that USC seized control. Fresh off her fifth Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, Davidson tallied 10 points in the second alone, while the Hoosiers had just 13 total, USC’s defense clamping down after a sloppy start.

With Indiana’s attention on Davidson, Kara Dunn and Kennedy Smith would help the Trojans fire out front, as they combined for 20 points after half. But the Hoosiers tied the score just one possession into the fourth quarter.

An elbow to the face of guard Malia Samuels gave the Trojans free throws and a seven-point lead with just four minutes remaining in the game. Still, a foul from Dunn on a corner three-pointer by Indiana’s Maya Makalusky opened the door for the Hoosiers.

Makalusky, who led all scorers with 29, hit another three to once again cut the lead to a single possession.

But USC held on, with Smith applying the punctuation mark, snagging a driving Indiana lay-in out of mid-air with just a minute remaining. It was the sort of play that reminded what USC might be capable of, with everything working in concert.

It’ll need that to be the case, if it hopes to make noise come March.

“We’re in position to do all the things we set out to do,” Gottlieb said. “We’re as good and set up as any team outside of maybe the top group to get a great seed.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
THURSDAY’S RESULTS

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
OPEN DIVISION
Quarterfinals
#1 Westchester 43, #8 King/Drew 38
#5 Venice 55, #4 Granada Hills 42
#3 LA Hamilton 70, #6 Cleveland 65
#2 Birmingham 75, #7 Palisades 39

DIVISION I
First Round
#1 El Camino Real 58, #16 RFK Community 39
#9 Garfield 48, #8 Taft 35
#5 Arleta 38, #12 Narbonne 22
#4 Eagle Rock 50, #13 Bernstein 26
#3 San Pedro 63, #14 Fairfax 29
#6 Grant 53, #11 LACES 27
#7 Verdugo Hills 66, #10 Carson 32
#2 Granada Hills Kennedy 77, #15 Chatsworth 29

DIVISION II
First Round
#1 Harbor Teacher 43, #16 Bell 36
#9 Larchmont Charter 37, #8 Gertz-Ressler 27
#5 West Adams 38, #12 Hollywood 31
#4 Triumph Charter 43, #13 MSCP 21
#3 Santee 77, #14 Sylmar 39
#11 South East 48, #6 Northridge Academy 42
#7 New West Charter 53, #10 Hawkins 28
#2 North Hollywood 70, #15 Animo Watts 19

DIVISION III
First Round
#1 Washington Pep 65, #16 AMIT 11
#8 Diego Rivera 51, #9 Central City Value 24
#5 Sun Valley Poly 45, #12 USC Hybrid 35
#4 LA Marshall 45, #13 Van Nuys 31
#3 San Fernando 47, #14 SOCES 40
#11 Animo Robinson 26, #6 USC-MAE 22
#7 Crenshaw 60, #10 Stern 18
#2 Gardena 51, #15 Mendez 21

DIVISION IV
First Round
#16 Huntington Park 18, #17 Angelou 15
#13 Lincoln 49, #20 Roybal 27
#19 Franklin 32, #14 Lakeview Charter 13
#18 South Gate 56, #15 Community Charter 30

DIVISION V
First Round
#17 Horace Mann UCLA 25, #16 VAAS 17
#9 Los Angeles 22, #24 Rancho Dominguez 18
#12 Discovery 11, #21 Stella 7
#20 Sotomayor 38, #13 Orthopaedic 21
#14 Animo Bunche 51, #19 Valor Academy 25
#11 Monroe 50, #23 Animo de La Hoya 15
#23 Alliance Bloomfield at #10 Port of LA
#18 East College Prep 47, #15 Annenberg 39

SOUTHERN SECTION
OPEN DIVISION
Pool Play
#1 Ontario Christian 122, #9 Rancho Christian 72
#2 Etiwanda 79, #10 Fairmont Prep 49
#3 Sierra Canyon 77, #11 Oak Park 51
#4 Sage Hill 74, #12 Redondo Union 47

DIVISION 1
First Round
#1 Ventura 59, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 41
Bishop Montgomery 41, #16 Harvard-Westlake 38
Windward 56, #9 North Torrance 50
#8 Flintridge Prep 59, Rialto 44
#5 Valencia 76, Chino 44
Mira Costa 45, #12 Oak Hills 39
Troy 69, #13 Los Osos 57
#4 Brentwood 81, Alemany 56
#3 Moreno Valley 65, Village Christian 27
St. Bonaventure 43, #14 Thousand Oaks 37
Marlborough 55, #11 Beckman 46
#6 Orange Lutheran 56, West Torrance 35
#7 Villa Park 71, Palos Verdes 50
Santa Margarita 65, #10 Esperanza 54
St. Anthony 62, #15 Oaks Christian 37
#2 La Salle 62, Buena Park 39

DIVISION 2
First Round
#1 Glendora 60, Los Altos 45
Portola 64, #16 Paramount 41
#9 Saugus 64, Claremont 47
Heritage 58, #8 Chaparral 56
#5 Yucaipa 46, Bonita 39
#12 Summit 63, Campbell Hall 59
Camarillo 54, #13 South Torrance 32
#4 Rancho Cucamonga 45, Crossroads 42
#3 Crescenta Valley 70, Hacienda Heights Wilson 46
#14 Chino Hills 42, Gardena Serra 37
#11 San Clemente 52, San Marcos 39
Sonora at #6 Rolling Hills Prep
#7 San Juan Hills 53, Orange County Pacifica Christian 47
Dos Pueblos 53, #10 Los Alamitos 43
Riverside King 49, #15 Murrieta Mesa 41
#2 Rosary Academy 65, Trinity Classical Academy 36

DIVISION 3
First Round
#1 Lynwood 71, El Toro 31
Murrieta Valley 58, #16 Cerritos 42
Arcadia 62, #9 Bishop Amat 57
#8 St. Monica 66, CSDR 59
#5 Segerstrom 50, South Hills 30
#12 Trabuco Hills 70, La Serna 46
#13 Aliso Niguel 49, Rio Mesa 46
#4 Oxnard 62, Cypress 53
El Modena 53, #3 Aquinas 33
#14 Mark Keppel 48, Downey 30
#11 Shadow Hills 60, Ramona 41
#6 Leuzinger 61, Lawndale 52
#7 St. Margaret’s 46, San Dimas 29
#10 Riverside Poly 56, Arrowhead Christian 36
Canyon Country Canyon 75, #15 Vista Murrieta 52
#2 Wiseburn-Da Vinci 52, Huntington Beach 44

DIVISION 4
First Round
#1 Long Beach Jordan 47, Eastvale Roosevelt 32
Lancaster 71, #16 South Pasadena 33
#9 La Canada 62, Viewpoint 38
#8 Yorba Linda 43, Quartz Hill 38
#5 Eastside 43, Xavier Prep 39
Gabrielino 58, #12 Beaumont 53
Anaheim Canyon 55, #13 Moorpark 22
Knight 56, #4 Burbank 42
#3 El Dorado 67, Loma Linda Academy 34
#14 Ontario 50, Whittier Christian 45
Westlake 65, #11 Hesperia Christian 35
#6 Long Beach Wilson 43, Hesperia 35
#7 Pasadena Poly 60, Walnut 39
Shalhevet 51, #10 Bolsa Grande 30
#15 Holy Martyrs 67, Silverado 43
#2 Marina 40, St. Genevieve 36

DIVISION 5
First Round
#1 Tesoro 52, St. Paul 41
#16 Sunny Hills 40, Lakewood 25
#9 Bishop Diego 62, Milken 54
Fullerton 43, #8 Twentynine Palms 32
#5 Fountain Valley 75, Temescal Canyon 35
Torrance 78, #12 St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 45
#13 Godinez 64, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 38
Heritage Christian 46, #4 Colony 44
#3 Santa Ana Foothill 34, Temecula Prep 22
Whitney 73, #14 Calvary Baptist 39
YULA 60, #11 San Bernardino 24
Oakwood 55, #6 Rio Hondo Prep 31
#7 Burbank Burroughs 54, Sacred Heart LA 39
#10 Culver City 44, Santa Paula 40
Carter 61, #15 West Covina 50
#2 Western Christian 38, La Quinta 24

DIVISION 6
First Round
#1 Carpinteria 69, San Gabriel Academy 39
#16 San Jacinto 52, Pioneer 37
#9 Costa Mesa 63, Newbury Park Adventist 23
Immaculate Heart 42, #8 El Rancho 35
#5 Redlands 29, Loara 26
Savanna 48, #12 Pilibos 40
#13 Santa Monica 49, Sherman Indian 15
#4 Palm Desert 67, Colton 22
Hillcrest 55, #3 Glendale 42
#14 Notre Dame Academy 42, Citrus Valley 35
#11 Liberty 48, Irvine 46
Rowland 60, #6 Whittier 50
#7 Hart 49, San Jacinto Valley 44
#10 Sante Fe 49, Woodbridge 21
Warren 50, #15 Fontana 37
Silver Valley 54, #2 Cerritos Valley Christian 51

DIVISION 7
First Round
#1 Fillmore 31, Hawthorne MSA 29
#16 Foothill Tech 50, Lucerne Valley 24
Capistrano Valley Christian 58, #9 Monrovia 42
Laguna Hills 46, #8 Mary Star of the Sea 44
Desert Christian Academy 44, #5 Dominguez 26
#12 Rosemead 29, Lancaster Desert Christian 23
Patriot 48, #13 Arlington 42
Villanova Prep 56, #4 St. Monica Academy 45
#3 Canoga Park AGBU 49, Vistamar 24
#14 Nogales 50, Indian Springs 44
Ridgecrest Burroughs 40, #11 Chaffey 32
#6 Barstow 47, Coastal Christian 45
La Palma Kennedy 65, #7 San Jacinto Leadership Academy 35
Long Beach Poly 63, #10 St. Mary’s Academy 22
Garden Grove 52, #15 Kaiser 41
Cajon 39, #2 Paloma Valley 30

DIVISION 8
First Round
#1 Cobalt 58, Excelsior Charter 39
Yucca Valley 61, #16 Laguna Blanca 20
University Prep 40, #9 Anaheim 38
#8 Norwalk 44, Elsinore 36
Orange 50, #5 California Military 32
#12 Coachella Valley 53, Banning 31
#13 Riverside Notre Dame 54, Duarte 42
#4 Santa Ana Valley 54, Santa Barbara Providence 10
Mesa Grande 35, #3 EF Academy 17
#14 Schurr 75, Compton Early College 5
#11 South El Monte 53, Packinghouse Christian 21
#6 CAMS 40, Edgewood 30
Anza Hamilton at #7 Victor Valley
#10 Chadwick 48, Samueli Academy 30
#15 Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 55, Westminster 46
#2 Riverside North 50, Desert Chapel 25

DIVISION 9
First Round
#1 NOVA Academy 71, Southwestern Academy 12
#16 Vista del Lago 25, Eisenhower 19
#9 Victor Valley Christian 28, Saddleback 26
#8 Santa Clarita Christian 38, Webb 32
#5 Channel Islands 65, Riverside Bethel Christian 12
#12 Jurupa Hills 60, La Puente 21
Desert Hot Springs at #13 Glendale Adventist
34 Temple City 52, San Luis Obispo Classical 16
La Sierra 37, #3 Cate 35
Faith Baptist 30, #14 Arroyo 20
#11 Newport Christian 39, Miller 32
#6 Redlands Adventist 42, Ganesha 19
#7 San Gabriel 55, Lakeview Academy 6
#10 Sierra Vista 68, Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian 7
Santa Maria Valley Christian 39, #15 Rancho Alamitos 37
Western 35, #2 Avalon 21

The Lakers have reached the part of the NBA season in which they get a week off because of the All-Star break that starts Friday. It’ll give the Lakers time to rest and, perhaps most importantly, to get healthy.

Luka Doncic is at the center of what they do, but he missed his fourth straight game with left leg soreness, leaving the Lakers shorthanded yet again, a position they have found themselves in for most of the season.

So before LeBron James led the Lakers with a triple-double of 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 124-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, Lakers coach JJ Redick was asked about Doncic’s status for the All-Star game Sunday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

“It’s above my pay grade,” Redick said.

Doncic was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game.

So, Redick was asked again if Doncic would play in the game if he gets cleared.

“It’s above my pay grade,” Redick responded again.

Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring (32.8) and is third in assists (8.6), went through his pregame routine before the Lakers played the Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena.

Austin Reaves drives to the basket between Dallas’ Max Christie and Daniel Gafford in the first half.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Redick said Doncic is doing “really good.”

“He’s progressed really good,” Redick said. “I think part of him wanted to push to get back prior to the break. But we’ve gotta be cautious with soft-tissue injuries. Obviously, we were very cautious with Austin [Reaves]. I mean, you just saw what happened with [Oklahoma City’s] Jalen Williams [reoccuring right hamstring injury] coming back. We all feel very comfortable with the decision to hold him out and should be good to go post All-Star.”

After missing Tuesday night’s game against the Spurs, the Lakers got James (left foot arthritis), Reaves (left calf injury management) and Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) back.

But center Deandre Ayton missed his second straight game with right knee soreness. Redick said Ayton got an MRI that revealed his injury.

“He’ll get proper care over break and then he’ll be back as well,” Redick said.

The Lakers didn’t miss Ayton, building a 22-point lead and having five players score in double figures.

Rui Hachimura had 21 points on nine-for-13 shooting and Reaves had 18 points and six assists.

The Lakers are 33-21 and in fifth place in the super-tough Western Conference.

They have 28 games left in the regular season after an injury-marred first part of the season that tested the Lakers on many levels.

“I think the nature of this is there’s always going to be opportunities to respond to poor games, to failure,” Redick said. “There’s opportunities to respond to good stretches and not get complacent. I think the group has responded to all of the challenges the season has presented in a really good way.”

I am co-commentating on this game for 5 Live with Ali Bruce-Ball and I cannot wait.

Macclesfield boss John Rooney did an incredible job with his side’s historic win over Crystal Palace in round three.

I watched the game back as part of my prep and, while the Silkmen had less than 29% possession, they limited Palace to very few chances and they were deserved winners.

Knocking the holders out was rightly hailed as the biggest shock in the FA Cup’s illustrious history, and it would be another fantastic feat if they toppled Brentford too.

Only one non-league side has ever beaten two top-flight teams in the same FA Cup campaign – Millwall in 1913-14, who overcame Chelsea and Bradford City.

I’d love to think Macclesfield could do it too, and if they play like they did against Palace then they have a great chance, especially on their plastic pitch.

I think Brentford will be ready for them, though, and Keith Andrews’ side are having a tremendous season too.

Andrews will know he can’t make too many changes here, and maybe Brentford will go on an FA Cup run themselves – they have not reached the quarter-finals since 1989, so it it is long overdue.

This is going to be a tight game but I just have a feeling the Bees will edge it.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-2

Daffy: I don’t underthtand thith game at all – what is a Maccle? Why are there fields of them? And why do you altho call them the Thilkmen? Jutht for that, I’m going with Brentford!

Porky: B-b-Bees make honey, And honey is sweet… and so is my d-d-dear-d-d-arling Petunia.

Daffy & Porky’s prediction: 0-3

AI’s prediction: 0-3

Chris Sutton was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan. Porky Pig and Daffy Duck’s answers are as told to Dan Berlinka.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat. We asked the tool to predict the score of each tie.

Mateus Fernandes (West Ham): He’s one of those players that looks like he would infuriate me, both to play with and against. He did all the ratty things really well. He’s got high energy, he’s young, talented and he’s the heartbeat of the team. He gets caught up sometimes in silly moments, trying to buy fouls when he doesn’t really have to. I thought it was his best performance for West Ham this season – a very mature performance.

Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City): I love seeing him play in midfield. He adds the legs and energy into City’s midfield – and obviously he gets his goal there as well. I feel the more he plays in his natural position – with Rodri around him – he’ll be a star, not only for Manchester City but England moving forward as well.

Jacob Ramsey (Newcastle): When Newcastle’s midfield has been torn up because of injury or suspension in the last few weeks, he’s quietly gone about his business. He’s been excellent and made sure he delivers in terms of performances and now goals. I think he’s a real steal for Newcastle.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea): I’m going to give a sympathy vote to Cole Palmer. He was in there last week because he scored a hat-trick against Wolves – but this week: goal, assist, and is a level above everyone else – but what a miss that was. If he scores that goal, Chelsea obviously win the game. He’s a shoo-in. That miss does put a little stain on it, but I thought his overall performance was miles better.

John Shirreffs, the soft-spoken giant who trained Zenyatta, perhaps the best mare of all-time, died in Southern California on Thursday. He was 80. No cause of death was announced.

Shirreffs was one of the top trainers in Southern California with 3,589 starts, 596 of them wins resulting in $58.5 million in purses.

He was a familiar face around local tracks, usually ponying his horses to the track during morning training and then avoiding the spotlight when his horse won by staying on the racing surface and not going to the Winner’s Circle, leaving the punditry to his wife, Dottie Ingordo.

Shirreffs first grabbed national attention when he won the Kentucky Derby with Giacomo at odds of 50-1 in 2005. The horse was partially owned by legendary record producer Jerry Moss, the M along with Herb Alpert in A&M records. Shirreffs remained Moss’ primary trainer until his death in 2023.

Then after Giacomo came Zenyatta, whose personality and skill won the hearts of Southern California race-goers in her 19-race winning streak that included an “un-believe-able” (according to race caller Trevor Denman) last-to-first win against the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in 2009.

Shirreffs, a Marine veteran, fell into horse racing by accident.

“When I got back from Vietnam, I had no place to go, but I had a friend who knew somebody, so they they said, ‘Come on out West,’” Shirreffs told The Times before last year’s Kentucky Derby.

“So here I’m in New York, I don’t know anything about [horses] except I’ve seen a lot of cowboy movies. So here comes Jim Matthews, pulls up in his trailer, he has his horse set and he it backs his horse out of a trailer.”

Shirreffs admits to not really knowing what he was doing.

“A week or so later, Jim’s just calls me and says, ‘Do you want to come to work for me?’ I said ‘Yeah, that’d be great,” Shirreffs said. “So, I went to work for him and didn’t get paid anything, just room and board. He soon said, ‘I’ll give you this horse and if you sell it, you can make some money.’

“So I’m riding this horse across this field and I get stuck in this mud box. I get the horse out of the mud and Henry Freitas [at Loma Rica Ranch in Central California] asked if I would like to work for him. I said, ‘Well, sure, I get paid here, right? This is great.

“I worked there about 11 years, and one day in he says, ‘John, you wanna take my horse to the fairs?’ I said, ‘Sure, I’d love to do that.’ And that’s how it all started. You know, I never planned it and the opportunity just presented itself each time and when I was fortunate enough, and had some experience with horses, and that’s how it started.”

Shirreffs was asked if Vietnam or training horses was more difficult.

“Well, we don’t want to talk about that,” Shirreffs said.

Santa Anita issued a statement regarding Shirreffs’ death.

“Every horse who races at Santa Anita must first pass by the statue of John’s greatest trainee, the wonderful mare Zenyatta. While John’s victories were plentiful and prestigious, what he accomplished with Zenyatta in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic was a masterpiece and deservedly was voted as the top moment in Santa Anita Park’s 90 years. Our deepest condolences are extended to John’s wife, Dottie, and his family, including those horsemen and women who worked closely with John for so many years. May his memory be a blessing.”

No funeral arrangements have been announced.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy made a solid start to the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune set the early pace with a 10-under 62.

Hisatsune, 23, was six under at the turn and concluded a stunning performance with four more birdies on the back nine on the PGA Tour’s first signature event of the season.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy is still in contention six shots back after carding a four-under 68 in California.

But it was a case of what might have been for McIlroy, who opened with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th holes and another on the 17th at Spyglass Hill, with the highlight of his front nine coming when he chipped out of a greenside bunker on the 14th for an eagle.

However, his progress was checked after the turn with double bogeys at the two par-three holes – the third and the fifth – when his putter ran cold.

While the world number two picked up shots on the second, fourth and ninth, he has ground to make up in Friday’s second round, although not as much as the man directly above him in the rankings, Scottie Scheffler.

The American, who has not finished outside a top 10 place since last year’s Player’s Championship, struggled to a disappointing even par 72.

With the opening two rounds of the event split across two courses, Scheffler’s friend and compatriot Sam Burns fared much better at Pebble Beach golf links, to end the day in second on nine under alongside Keegan Bradley.

Chris Gotterup, a two-time winner already this season, began with six successive birdies and is well placed at eight under along with Tony Finau and Patrick Rodgers.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is at six under and Tommy Fleetwood and Ireland’s Shane Lowry made solid starts to sit at five under with Englishman Harry Hall one further back.

With a $20m (£14.7m) purse available, 18 of the top 20 players in the world are competing in the 80-man field, with Pebble Beach hosting Saturday and Sunday’s third and fourth rounds.