Lokesh Bam’s late heroics with the bat are not enough as Nepal are beaten by two-time champions in their Group C match in Mumbai.
Published On 8 Feb 20268 Feb 2026
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Nepal were left heartbroken after they came agonisingly close to pulling off a massive T20 World Cup upset against England but fell short by four runs as the two-time champions won the Group C match in Mumbai.
Lokesh Bam’s heroics with the bat – 39 runs off 20 balls – were not enough to see Nepal over the line at the Wankhede Stadium, which was packed with Nepalese fans on Sunday.
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Nepal finished on 180-6, handing England a nervy win to kick off their campaign in the controversy-hit cricket tournament.
When England’s captain Harry Brook (53) and teammate Jacob Bethell (55) hit fifties to power England to 184-7, they seemingly did enough to take the match out of Nepal’s reach.
But Rohit Paudel produced a captain’s innings of his own as he, alongside star all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, put Nepal on course for a shock win.
The pair’s departure slowed down Nepal’s progress, but Lokesh resumed the big hitting against some wayward bowling by England’s seamers.
Needing 10 off the last over, the Rhinos were unable to get Sam Curran’s accurate bowling over the boundary and could only score six runs.
The Rhinos’ fans, hundreds of whom had travelled from across the border, were left disheartened.
Earlier, electing to bat at the Wankhede Stadium, England slumped to 57-3 in the seventh over to find themselves in a spot of bother.
Sher Malla struck with the first ball on his World Cup debut, dismissing Phil Salt for one, and the pressure mounted on England after Jos Buttler and Tom Banton fell in quick succession.
Bethell had no problem adjusting to the nature of the track, where other batters found shot-making difficult. He and Brook combined in a 71-run partnership during their 45-ball collaboration to rebuild their innings.
Airee (44) and skipper Paudel (39) kept Nepal in the hunt with a stand of 82 from 54 balls.
Curran brought relief to the English camp when he had Airee caught in the deep and Paudel also departed soon afterwards.
Bam hit Jofra Archer for back-to-back sixes to turn the match on its head.
With Nepal needing 10 runs off the last over from Curran, Bam needed to hit the last ball for a six, but he managed only one as England heaved a huge sigh of relief.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO — CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The mountainside packed with fans and competitors was eerily silent after disaster struck.
Lindsey Vonn, attempting to win a gold medal despite sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her final race before the Games, clipped her pole on a gate early in her first Olympic downhill skiing run and crashed Sunday.
Vonn, 41, could be heard screaming after the crash. She received medical attention on the snow and was airlifted off the mountain.
The race was halted while Vonn was treated. Her teammate, Breezy Johnson, held the early lead and went on to win the race after the competition resumed. Johnson won the Americans’ first gold medal of the Games.
The U.S. downhill team celebrated with Johnson but continued to think of Vonn.
American Lindsey Vonn crashes into a gate during an alpine ski downhill race at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday.
(Handout / Getty Images)
“It’s heartbreaking,” said American Isabella Wright, who finished 22nd in the competition. “Jackie [Wiles] and myself, we were up there. We watched it live and things just happen so quick in this sport. It looked like Lindsey had incredible speed out of that turn and she hooked her arm [on a gate on the course] and it’s just over. Just like that. After all the preparation, after years of hard work and rehabilitation and all the things, it’s the last thing you want to see somebody go through.”
Vonn retired after a series of injuries seemed to be too much to overcome. Nearly six years later, she announced she missed racing and was confident she had fully recovered her form after a right knee replacement.
She shocked many by immediately winning races needed to qualify for the Games and entered the Olympics as the leader in the World Cup downhill standings. Nine days ago, she suffered a torn ACL, a bone bruise and meniscus damage.
Amid great scrutiny, Vonn was determined to keep racing with the support of her medical team and a large knee brace. She was optimistic about her ability to compete after practice runs and pushed back at critics on the social media platform X.
Fans react after watching American Lindsey Vonn crash during the women’s downhill skiing race at the Winter Olympics Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s the last thing you want to see for Lindsey, but she should be really proud of everything she has gone through to get back here,” Wright said. “And regardless, if got last today, if she won — she obviously crashed. Whatever happened today, she’s an inspiration to all of us and she should be really proud. I know it probably doesn’t feel like that right now, but I hope one day she can recognize that.”
Get ready for the return of bow ties for Redondo Union basketball coach Reggie Morris Jr. It’s his signature wardrobe item added whenever the playoffs begin, and the Sea Hawks (25-3) are capable of extending their season for more than a month the way they are playing.
“It means time to dress the part, time to win,” Morris said.
Few coaches in the postseason have achieved what Morris has. The son of City Section Hall of Fame coach Reggie Morris Sr., Morris Jr. has won Southern Section titles at Redondo, Leuzinger and St. Bernard along with winning a City Section title at Fairfax. He has one state title at Redondo.
Reggie Morris Jr., in 2013. He has a collection of bow ties he brings out for the playoffs.
(Nick Koza)
The Sea Hawks are seeded No. 3 in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs behind top-seeded Sierra Canyon (22-1). Both teams are similar, relying on pressure defense, athleticism and talent. If they ever get to meet, the game should be a good one.
“They have great personnel, a great coach,” Morris said. “There’s a lot of respect for what they do.”
Morris is familiar with many of the Sierra Canyon players, having coached them in travel ball, from Maxi Adams to Brannon Martinsen. And he knows Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier, who’s a fellow City Sectiongrad.
Last year in the playoffs, Redondo gave Sierra Canyon two of its toughest games, losing in overtime 69-66 during the Southern Section playoffs and losing 74-68 in the regional semifinals.
“Last year’s experience has helped us tremendously,” Morris said. “The level of intensity, the talent, the attention to detail — they’ve applied that all season long. We have a lot of lessons to pull from.”
Redondo’s big three are SJ Madison, Devin Wright and Chace Holley, all seniors. Playing in the Open Division requires extreme focus on taking it one game at a time and never looking ahead because every game can be won or lost by the slimmest of margins. Redondo opens pool play on Wednesday at home against Etiwanda.
“This year I feel anybody can be beaten,” Morris said. “We can beat anyone and they can beat us.”
Even though the Sea Hawks cruised to their Bay League championship with few challenges, they played a competitive nonleague schedule with two wins over Crestview League champion Crean Lutheran, the No. 1 seed in Division 1, and wins over Arizona power Phoenix Sunnyslope, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Crespi and Damien.
“We’ve played the most teams in the top 15 in Southern California,” Morris said. “We’re confident we can play with anybody. We’re battled tested. We feel we can make noise.”
Sierra Canyon and Redondo have been considered the top two teams in Southern California for months, but the computer rankings put Santa Margarita as the No. 2 seed.
The real surprise would be if either Redondo or Sierra Canyon fails to reach the Open Division championship game the final weekend in February at the Toyota Arena in Ontario.
Just keep track of Morris wearing bow ties in February for clues as to how the Sea Hawks are doing. He has plenty.
Asked what color of red he wears, Morris said, “Game time decision.”
Skiing icon Vonn cried in anguish and pain after her awful fall high up the course days after sustaining an ACL injury.
Published On 8 Feb 20268 Feb 2026
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Lindsey Vonn’s Winter Olympic dream ended in screams of pain after she crashed out of the women’s downhill, failing in her audacious bid to medal in her favoured discipline at the Milan-Cortina Games.
Vonn’s United States (USA) teammate and world champion Breezy Johnson won the race to claim gold on Sunday.
Germany’s Emma Aicher took the silver medal, 0.04 of a second slower, and Italy’s home favourite Sofia Goggia had to settle for bronze, according to provisional results.
Johnson’s Olympic title, on Cortina d’Ampezzo’s sunlit Olimpia delle Tofane piste, came exactly a year after she won world championship gold at Saalbach, Austria.
American star Vonn had been trying to claim her fourth Olympic medal despite suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee just over a week ago, but her race ended early in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
She cried in anguish and pain after her awful fall high up the course, medical staff surrounding the distraught 41-year-old on the Olimpia delle Tofane piste where she has enjoyed much success in the past.
The 2010 Olympic downhill champion hit the firm snow face first after just 13 seconds of her descent. She then rolled down the slope with her skis still attached, which could likely cause further serious damage to her knee.
Vonn’s Olympic dream now lies in tatters after her brave effort to achieve the seemingly impossible, an attempt which ended with her being taken away in a helicopter as fans in the stands saluted her with loud applause.
One of world sport’s most recognisable faces and an alpine skiing icon, Vonn has insisted that she could not only compete but win against the world’s best women skiers, some of whom like Aicher are nearly half her age.
Vonn said ahead of the Games that she was planning on also competing in the team combined event on Tuesday and the super-G two days later.
But that now looks unlikely, a potential long lay-off perhaps heralding the end of her comeback to skiing in her early 40s.
Vonn retired in 2019 but returned to competition in November 2024 following surgery to partially replace her right knee to end persistent pain.
Vonn had finished on the podium in every previous World Cup downhill race this season, including two victories in St Moritz and Zauchensee, and claimed two more top-three finishes in the super-G.
But retirement looms for Vonn following a disastrous end to one of the biggest stories of the Winter Olympics.
Vonn knew the risk she was taking by competing on Sunday and had even hit back at a doctor on social media who claimed the injury was “not a fresh tear”.
She responded by saying her ACL is “100% torn” and had hoped to defy the odds by replicating the Olympic downhill gold medal she won in Vancouver in 2010.
Videos on social media had shown her training in the gym after she said she had no pain or swelling of the knee, while two smooth runs in the build-up to the race had given her, and her team and fans, confidence.
Four-time British Olympian Chemmy Alcott was emotional on BBC coverage and said she “never believed” it would end in this way.
“What we saw [is] that the top of the piste is really hard for a fit athlete. It is brutal, think about her family, her team and herself.
“We have to be realistic – the risk was really high, the risk she takes when she falls will double that. Her body will not be able to take that.”
Alcott added that the long delay would also mean the snow on the piste would begin to melt in the midday sun, and therefore it would be unlikely that anyone would beat Johnson’s time of one minute 36.10 seconds.
I like Seattle. The Seahawks were the NFL’s most complete team this season and can present problems in all three phases.
While Seattle’s defense doesn’t scare New England — the Patriots prevailed against the solid Chargers and elite Houston and Denver defenses — the Seahawks likely will give Drake Maye’s blockers problems.
As good as he was this season, Maye fumbled six times in the playoffs, losing three. New England’s run defense was among the league’s best early in the season, then fell off, but has snapped back with the return of Milton Williams.
Establishing the run is huge for the Seahawks, who need that for their play-action passing game. Seattle needs some stepped-up production from running back Kenneth Walker III, who was so-so in the championship game.
It hurts the Seahawks that they don’t have running back Zach Charbonnet, who was excellent in short yardage and pass protection.
The Patriots have really good defensive backs who will have their hands full with Jaxson Smith-Njigba and the Super Bowl-seasoned Cooper Kupp.
Sam Darnold has proven time and again that he has turned the corner in his career and is legitimately sharp, reliable and poised under pressure. It feels like this game will be close for awhile, and Seattle will pull away just enough in the second half.
It’s always special for Bob Baffert to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, since the race is named after the late owner of Silver Charm, one of the trainer’s six Kentucky Derby champions.
Winning the Lewis also is as familiar to Baffert as looking in the mirror and seeing white hair. Saturday’s victory by Plutarch was the eighth straight for Baffert in the $100,000 race for 3-year-olds, and his 14th in the race known until 2007 as the Santa Catalina Stakes.
What made Baffert a little emotional Saturday was his other victory, with Splendora in a $200,000 Grade 2 race that used to be known as the Santa Monica Stakes. The name was changed this year in honor of a friend and fellow Hall of Fame trainer who died last summer.
“When I saw that this race was renamed for D. Wayne Lukas, I wanted to win this one,” Baffert told reporters at Santa Anita. “I miss him. I miss talking to him. He would have loved this.”
It would be easy for anyone to love training or just watching Splendora, a 5-year-old daughter of Audible who won her fourth straight start and her first since last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The 2-5 favorite cruised to a 2¾-length victory over Me and Molly McGee in 1:22.09 for seven furlongs.
“She is such a good filly. She just gives me chills,” Baffert said. “She missed the break and got behind, but Juan [Hernandez] rode her with a lot of confidence.”
It was the eighth win in the race for Baffert, who now leads Lukas by two. Lukas’ last victory in the race came in 1996 with the Hall of Famer Serena’s Song, owned by Lewis and his wife, Beverly. It was the next year that Baffert and the Lewises combined to win their first Derby with Silver Charm.
Whether Baffert has another Derby winner in Plutarch won’t be known for 12 weeks, but the colt certainly has the bloodlines. Into Mischief has been the leading sire in North America (by earnings) for the last seven years, including Derby winners Authentic (for Baffert), Mandaloun and Sovereignty, while Plutarch’s dam, Stellar Wind, was the 3-year-old champion filly in 2015.
Plutarch, with Florent Geroux aboard, outruns Intrepid, with Hector I. Berrios aboard, to win the Grade 3 $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
(Benoit Photo via Associated Press)
“This horse reminds me of Authentic,” Baffert said. “He keeps getting better every week. I don’t think distance will be a problem with him. This is very exciting. He’s legit.”
Plutarch lost his first four starts, including three in stakes races, before winning a maiden race on the final day of Del Mar’s fall meeting. That race and two others were on grass; Baffert said he did that because he wanted to get the colt in some races.
The surprise Saturday was how close Plutarch was to the lead, tracking the equally surprising pacesetter Intrepido through solid fractions of 47.65 for a half-mile and 1:11.35 for six furlongs. Baffert expected his 6-5 favorite, Desert Gate, to be on the lead, but the horse broke slowly and had to settle about a length and a half off the lead in the bunched field of seven.
Plutarch pushed ahead of Intrepido entering the stretch and the two dueled for most of the last quarter-mile, with Plutarch winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:37.02. He paid $10.20 as the co-third choice with the runner-up. Secured Freedom (3-1) edged Desert Gate for third.
“The longer the better,” said winning rider Florent Geroux, who just this week relocated to California from the Louisiana and Kentucky circuit. “He is a colt who has finally put it together this year. I watched some of his replays from last year and from what Bob told me, it looked like the horse was still a little bit green, trying to figure out what was going on during the race. But today, I felt he broke very alertly for me and put me in a great spot. When I asked him to move along the lane he responded really well.”
Intrepido defeated Desert Gate and Plutarch last October at Santa Anita in the Grade 1 American Pharoah, but finished a disappointing fifth later that month in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Trainer Jeff Mullins said he was pleased with the bounce-back.
“I really didn’t expect him to be on the lead … but he breaks [fast] like that, you’ve got to go with it,” Mullins said. “To be off that long, I’m happy with his race.”
Plutarch earned 20 Kentucky Derby points, giving him 23, tied with Intrepido for third in the standings. Silent Tactic, who won Friday’s Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn in Arkansas, and Renegade, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, lead with 25. It usually takes about 40 points to get into the Derby.
One of Baffert’s recent Lewis winners captured the Derby, though Medina Spirit (2021) later was disqualified. Newgate (2023) went on to win the Santa Anita Handicap as a 4-year-old, while Nysos (2024) and Citizen Bull (2025) ran one-two in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
The next race for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita is the San Felipe Stakes on March 7, followed by the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
Notable
Three of the top four finishers from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies make up three-quarters of the short field in Sunday’s featured Las Virgenes Stakes. Super Corredora, trained by John Sadler, won the Oct. 31 race at Del Mar and was named champion 2-year-old filly, with Baffert’s Explora second and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning fourth. Explora is the only one of the trio to race since; she won the Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 10. First post on Super Bowl Sunday is earlier than normal at 11 a.m.
Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacquet faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a shoulder injury playing for Rennes.
The 20-year-old French defender, who agreed a £60m move to Anfield last week, is set to join at the end of the season.
He fell awkwardly in the second half of Rennes’ 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat at Lens on Saturday, when defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal also suffered a muscular injury.
Rennes manager Habib Beye said: “It’s definitely quite serious for both of them.”
ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons rookie star James Pearce Jr. was arrested near Miami on Saturday night after fleeing officers and then crashing his car following what police said was a domestic dispute with Sparks player Rickea Jackson.
Pearce, the first-round pick who led the Falcons in sacks and was third in NFL defensive rookie of the year voting, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after Doral police were summoned to investigate a reported domestic dispute between a man and a woman.
According to jail records, Pearce is facing charges of two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon as well as aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren. Bond was not immediately set on all the charges.
The Falcons said in a statement they are aware of the arrest.
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami,” the Falcons said in a statement provided to the Associated Press. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
WPLG TV in Miami reported Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez confirmed the dispute was between Pearce and Jackson, a forward for the WNBA’s Sparks. Jackson was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and averaged 14.7 points in 38 games, including 37 starts, in the 2025 season. Jackson played college basketball for Tennessee and Mississippi State.
Pearce, an edge rusher from Tennessee, was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft as the Falcons emphasized the pass rush. Pearce had 10 1/2 sacks and his 45 quarterback pressures set a team record for a rookie. Pearce had 26 tackles and 16 quarterback hits. He forced a fumble and recovered a fumble while playing in all 17 games.
The Falcons finished 8-9, leading to the firings of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as coach and Ian Cunningham as general manager.
Odum writes for the Associated Press. AP Sports Writer Maura Carey in Atlanta contributed to this report.
France arrive in Cardiff next Sunday with Wales searching for a first Six Nations home win in four years.
The calamitous state of Welsh rugby means the WRU are struggling to sell out their three home games this year, with thousands of tickets still available for next weekend.
Tandy hopes Wales will receive the usual home backing.
“The fans have been amazing support for the team,” said Tandy.
“We know what it means to the boys to play in the Principality Stadium and the fans give them huge belief.”
Whether the Wales head coach will make changes remains to be seen as he balances reacting to an underwhelming display and the need to develop a settled side.
He says there would be no “knee-jerk reaction” and full-back Louis Rees-Zammit appears to have done enough to keep the number 15 jersey.
The former NFL triallist was making his first Six Nations appearance for almost three years and is settling into a new position after switching from the wing.
After a shaky start where he had an early kick charged down, Rees-Zammit settled down and produced one searing second-half break.
“He did well in his first start at 15 in a while for us,” said Tandy.
“In Test match rugby, there’s not much space but I thought he adapted with the aerial battles.
“He’s a big man and lit the game up in moments. It’s looking how we can get more of those moments.”
So maybe one thing for Welsh fans hold onto. There is currently not much more.
Trent Perry scored 23 points, including clutch free throws down the stretch, Tyler Bilodeau overcame foul trouble to score 19, Donovan Dent had 17 points and 10 assists and Eric Dailey Jr. scored 14 as UCLA held off Washington 77-73 Saturday night in a Big Ten clash at Pauley Pavilion.
Ahead of a pivotal Midwest trip to No. 2 Michigan and No. 10 Michigan State starting on Valentine’s Day, the Bruins wrapped up their three-game homestand on a positive note after splitting the first two, a one-point, double-overtime loss to Indiana followed by a 22-point blowout of Rutgers in which five players scored in double digits.
The Bruins (17-7, 9-4) struggled against Washington much as they did in the teams’ first meeting Dec. 3 in Seattle, when they escaped with an 82-80 victory thanks to 25 points (including six three-pointers) by Skyy Clark, who has sat out the past 10 games with a hamstring injury.
A winner in 10 of its last 14 games, UCLA will not host its next game until a Feb. 21 matchup with fifth-ranked Illinois.
Wesley Yates III scored 12 of the Huskies’ first 16 points as they built an eight-point lead in the first eight minutes. The Bruins pulled ahead 25-23 on Perry’s three pointer with 6:15 left in the half that capped a 9-0 run, but Washington carried a 34-30 lead to the locker room — the first time UCLA trailed at halftime since its loss at Ohio State on Jan. 17.
Bilodeau, who scored only four points in the first 20 minutes, hit a three pointer 10 seconds into the second half and added another to tie the score at 38. Dent stole the ball at midcourt and drove for a layup to put UCLA in front 47-45 with 13:43 remaining and the Bruins gradually increased the lead while holding the Huskies without a field goal for nearly five minutes.
Washington crept to within 60-58 with 5:39 left on a layup by Yates before Bilodeau’s basket and free throw restored a five-point cushion at the 4:40 mark. Dent’s driving layup made it 67-60 with 1:33 left and the Bruins improved to 13-3 when winning the turnover battle.
Yates finished with 21 points and Hannes Steinbach added 13 for the Huskies (12-12, 4-9), who cut their deficit to two on a layup and free throw by Yates with 23 seconds left. Dailey got fouled and made both shots to make it 75-71 with 21 ticks left. After a layup by Yates with 11 seconds left, Perry sank two free throws to ice the victory four seconds later.
The Bruins were 23 of 29 at the foul line and remain on pace to break the school single-season record for best free throw percentage (75.6) set in 1978-79.
Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy breaks down how Michael Carrick has set up Manchester United to get the most out of their potent attacking players.
The Lakers said Doncic was diagnosed with a mild left hamstring strain and will be listed as day-to-day, starting with Saturday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers play Oklahoma Monday night and San Antonio Tuesday night before playing the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night. The NBA All-Star game follows on Feb. 15 and the Lakers don’t play again until Feb. 20 against the Clippers at home.
So, Lakers coach JJ Redick and president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka both were asked Saturday night if Doncic would be able to play in the all-star game or if it would be best for him to rest.
“I’ve been around him as a teammate and as a coach and I know he [loves to] plays. If he’s able to play, he plays. I think he wants to be in the all-star game,” Redick said. “I know he wants to play against Dallas, the game before the all-star game. He has his team working on him day and night. So again, it’s day to day and when he’s ready to play, we’ll get him out there.”
Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring (32.8) and is second in assists (8.6), earned the most all-star game votes. In the new all-star game format of “U.S. vs. the World,” Doncic would play for the world team because he’s from Slovenia.
“Luka, one of his greatest qualities is when he has an injury or he’s unavailable for a game, he is deeply upset,” Pelinka, who spoke to the media for the first time since September. “He just can’t stand not playing basketball. He loves the game so much and wants to play every night. And that’s an incredible quality. Just a player who’s like fighting and clawing to play versus looking for a reason maybe not to. So we commend Luka for that. In terms of this injury, the good news is it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. It was a mild hamstring strain and he is truly day to day.”
Kennard didn’t waste any time making an impact for the Lakers during their game against the Warriors.
He drilled his first shot as a Laker, a high arching 25-foot three pointer with 2:23 left in the first quarter.
The shot was set up by Austin Reaves, giving Kennard a glimpse of what life will be like playing with the Lakers’ big three of LeBron James, Doncic and Reaves.
“Those guys attract so much attention to other teams on the offensive end and for me, it’s just spacing the floor, making the right plays at all times and just being aggressive out there,” Kennard said before the game about his role. “Coming off the bench and just looking to hunt my shot at all times. I know that’s what they want me to do as a team and the coaches and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
Etc.
Pelinka said the Lakers have a roster spot available and will look at the buy-out market to potentially find a player to add to the team. But, according to people with knowledge of the matter not authorized to discuss it publicly, the Lakers don’t have interest in Cam Thomas, a 6-foot-3 guard who was waived by the Brooklyn Nets.
“Yeah, so we have an open roster spot and we are in sort of active conversations with some players that are available now, doing our due diligence,” Pelinka said. “And then of course, to your point, players down the road could come in through the buyout market. So, we are evaluating that 15th roster spot and at some point probably will likely fill it.”
Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes score for United while Spurs captain Christian Romero sees red for a wild challenge.
Manchester United profited from Tottenham captain Cristian Romero’s red card to stretch their perfect start under Michael Carrick to four games, with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes on Saturday ended an eight-game winless run against Spurs for the Red Devils, who cemented their position in the Premier League’s top four.
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United close to within two points of third-placed Aston Villa and open up a five-point cushion over Liverpool in sixth.
A place in the top five is likely to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition.
Spurs’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position have long since disappeared, as another damaging defeat for Thomas Frank leaves Tottenham in 14th.
But there could be lasting consequences for Romero after his ill-discipline cost his side just days after a social media outburst aimed at the club’s hierarchy.
Frank said the Argentinian international had been “dealt with internally” after he described Tottenham’s threadbare squad as “disgraceful” following the closure of the transfer window.
Romero’s future as skipper had already been called into question, and the 27-year-old will now be suspended for four matches after his second red card of the season and sixth of his Spurs career.
The centre-back lunged in to catch Casemiro on the ankle on 29 minutes after playing himself into trouble just outside the Tottenham box.
Romero is sent off after a wild challenge on Casemiro [Phil Noble/Reuters]
United had been the better side during the opening half hour, even against 11 men, and made their numerical advantage count.
Mbeumo stroked into the bottom corner for his third goal in four games since Carrick took charge, after a clever corner involving Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo freed the Cameroon international at the edge of the box.
Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha had goals ruled out for offside as the home side dominated but had to wait until nine minutes from time to make the points safe.
Fernandes showed Romero how to lead from the front with another fine individual display.
The United captain prodded in Diogo Dalot’s cross at the back post for his 200th goal or assist in 314 games for the club.
Carrick said before the game that United cannot afford to rush their choice of a new permanent manager.
But the former midfielder, who enjoyed a stellar playing career at Old Trafford, is making his case for that job as he continues overseeing United’s stunning turnaround in fortunes since the departure of Ruben Amorim last month.
Fernandes had plenty of praise for Carrick in a post-match interview with TNT Sports.
“The energy is different because we are winning games and when you win games, everything is brighter,” Fernandes said.
“Michael came in with the right idea of giving the players more responsibility and freedom to make decisions on the pitch. I was always sure Michael could be a great manager, and he is showing that.”
Meanwhile, it is now two Premier League wins in 16 for Frank and his Spurs side.
“I think the first 30 minutes were a good away performance,” Frank told TNT Sports after the game.
“I’m very proud of the players, the resilience, staying in the game, mentality [to] still be a threat at times, to try to create something. Very proud of them.”
Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario told TNT Sports that Romero had apologised to his teammates for the sending off.
“Yeah, of course, he’s disappointed, because he knows that this card could have been avoidable, and so he apologised,” he said.
“He made his mistake, but we know the player he is, and he’ll be back for sure, stronger, and he’s going to help us massively.”
Match of the Day pundit and former England captain Alan Shearer explains how West Ham were able to “play on the front foot” and pressurise Burnley’s defence in their 2-0 win at Turf Moor.
MILAN — Ilia Malinin leaned his head back and wagged his tongue. This perhaps wasn’t the start to his Olympic career that he wanted.
The 21-year-old took it easy in the short program of the team figure skating competition Saturday, forgoing his signature quad axel, but even with a watered-down routine, the “Quad God” looked shockingly mortal.
He finished second in the short program after struggling on multiple jumps, trailing Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama’s electrifying performance by almost 10 points. The United States still enters the final day of the team competition with a five-point lead after Madison Chock and Evan Bates dazzled in the free dance with 133.23 points that earned first place.
The three-time reigning world champions swept both dance programs in the team event to pace the United States to a 44-point team total. The Americans lead second-place Japan (39 points) and third-place Italy (37) before Sunday’s medal event that will feature men’s, women’s and pairs free programs. The United States has not named the skaters who will perform Sunday’s long programs.
Ilia Malinin said he simply was managing his energy to prepare for the individual event, which begins Tuesday.
(Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Bates pumped his fist at the end of the free dance. The seven-time U.S. champions have increased their scores for the bull and matador-themed program at each international competition they’ve performed at this season. Malinin, sitting in the U.S. box on the side of the rink, high-fived his teammates at the end of the stellar program and waved a large American flag along with singles skaters Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito.
Almost as much as his own performances, the unique environment of an Olympic Games is what he has been dreaming about since he started his rise to the top.
“It was such an unreal moment coming to the Olympics,” Malinin said. “Everyone has been talking about the Olympics for years, ever since I started skating from a young age. … Really just being out there on that Olympic ice was just the best moment of itself.”
Malinin, who earned nine team points for his second-place finish in the short program, entered his first Olympics as the overwhelming favorite to win individual gold. With his unmatched technical skill, it likely would take multiple mistakes from Malinin and perfect performances from his competitors for him not to claim the United States’ second consecutive men’s singles gold medal.
But to become just the second skater to win two golds in the same Games, Malinin may need help from his teammates after he fell short of the lofty expectations Saturday.
Malinin planned to open with his quad axel in combination with a triple toe loop but settled only for a quad flip. He got a negative grade of execution on his triple axel. He underrotated a quad lutz that he connected to the previously left out triple toe loop.
“Of course, it wasn’t the perfect ideal 100% skate that I would [have] wanted to have,” Malinin said, “but for the standard I set myself today, I think I achieved that.”
Malinin’s Olympic standard is a slow-play progression, he said. He wanted to be at about 50% of his capacity in the team event to manage his energy to prepare for the individual event, which begins Tuesday.
Kagiyama highlighted Japan’s performances Saturday, pumping both fists after his program. As the crowd showered him with applause, he spread his arms wide and threw his head back. When he looked at his teammates cheering from the sideline he jumped in excitement. He stood up in shock when his score of 108.67 flashed across the screen.
Waiting for his turn to finish the competition, Malinin appreciated Kagiyama’s moment. He wasn’t intimidated by his opponent’s success.
“So inspired,” Malinin said. “He just went out there. He looked so happy. He looked like he was enjoying every single moment. I’m so happy for him. It’s just so unreal that all of us come out here on this Olympic stage and really feel so much energy, so much excitement.”
While Malinin is undefeated in individual events since November 2023, he hasn’t been perfect. He was third after the free program in the Grand Prix Final in December, the last major international competition before the Olympics.
He answered in the free skate by becoming the first person to land seven clean quad jumps in a single program.
Wigan said Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow will take charge of the first team on an interim basis while the club “will work quickly to identify and appoint” a new head coach.
The club also thanked Lowe for “his efforts and wishes him all the best for the future”.
Lowe previously won promotion from League Two with Bury and Plymouth and finished 13th, 12th and 10th in the Championship with Preston.
Having arrived at the club at the tail end of the 2024-25 season, Lowe guided Wigan to a 15th-placed finish in the table.
After winning against Northampton on the opening day of this season, Wigan’s form soon tailed off as they secured just three victories from 17 matches in all competitions between late August and late November.
Wigan’s next match is at home in the league against Reading on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) before they travel to face Premier League leaders Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, 15 February (16:30).
Cricket’s global governing body hopes to persuade Pakistan to reverse decision to boycott India T20 World Cup fixtures.
Published On 7 Feb 20267 Feb 2026
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The International Cricket Council is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board to resolve the boycott of its T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against India on February 15.
Any clash between archrivals India and Pakistan is one of the most lucrative in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsoring and advertising revenue.
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But the fixture was thrown into doubt after Pakistan’s government ordered the team not to play the match in Colombo.
The Pakistan Cricket Board reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket world body, a source close to the developments has told the AFP news agency.
The ICC was seeking a resolution through dialogue and not confrontation, the source added.
The 20-team tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up after Bangladesh, which refused to play in India, citing security concerns, was replaced by Scotland.
As a protest, Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture.
Pakistan, which edged out the Netherlands in the tournament opener on Saturday, will lose two points if they forfeit the match and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said this week that his team would travel to Colombo for the clash.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments.
