Roundup

Quenneville Fights Back Over Late No‑Icing Call

Quenneville Fights Back Over Late No‑Icing Call

Coach Quenneville publicly disagreed with a late no‑icing call that prevented his team from attempting a tying goal. He described the decision as costly and questioned its fairness, citing the impact on the game's outcome. slot-chickenroad.org

“I hate when people try to set guys up like, ‘Aw man, …

Green said he believes the people stating that it was a legacy performance are the same ones who will be ready to blame Embiid if the 76ers fail to reach the conference championship – somewhere Embiid has never been since entering the league in 2014. “I hate when people try to set guys up like, ‘Aw man, this is a legacy game for Joel Embiid,’ only to set him up to try to tear him down in the weeks to come,” Green said. “I don’t like stuff like that. There’s no way a guy of Joel Embiid’s stature can have a legacy game in Round 1 and he still hasn’t accomplished, ultimately, what he wants to accomplish.”

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “I hate when people try to set guys up like, ‘Aw man, …

Eagles DB shares brutally honest truth about A.J. Brown trade talk

A.J. Brown is still officially a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, but in many ways, it feels like his time with the team is coming to an end.

Eagles First-Team All-Pro cornerback Cooper DeJean was asked about the holding pattern with Brown during a recent appearance on Takeoff. DeJean admitted the NFL is a business with each player doing what's best for them in their personal situation.

“We talk pretty often still. Obviously, he’s a great teammate, a great friend of mine. Nothing will change the way I think about A.J.," DeJean told NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark. "Obviously, it’s a business, and everybody has to do what’s best for them. I know whatever happens, he'll always be a close friend of mine. ...I’m going to miss just seeing him in the building, if he's gone. Just seeing him out on the practice field and talking trash, those are some fun times. And just learning from him, too. He instilled confidence in me. That is something I will always appreciate.”

The Eagles are expected to trade Brown on or after June 1, when they would avoid a dead cap hit north of $40 million. As of right now, the New England Patriots are viewed as the likeliest destination for the three-time All-Pro wide receiver.

Things could obviously change if another team gets in on the negotiations, but everything has pointed in the Patriots' direction throughout the offseason. Both teams even drafted like a deal was already done behind the scenes, even though it reportedly isn't.

The Eagles used a first-round draft pick on rookie receiver Makai Lemon, which probably isn't a move they would have made if they thought Brown would still be on their roster for the season. Meanwhile, the Patriots didn't draft a receiver at all—another fishy move from a team that cut its leading receiver, Stefon Diggs, in the offseason.

The Brown drama is entering spoiler territory at this point, and everyone can see the writing on the wall. It all feels like a waiting game before the inevitable happens.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Eagles DB shares brutally honest truth about A.J. Brown trade talk

The family sacrifices that helped Wu become world champion

Wu Yize with his parents
Wu Yize, 22, is the second-youngest winner of the World Snooker Championship [Getty Images]

A new superstar of snooker. Another Chinese world champion.

A year earlier, it had been Zhao Xintong lifting the trophy and creating history for his country. On Monday, it was Wu Yize - who had defeated Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a compelling final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

And it was a particularly poignant moment for the 22-year-old, who relocated to the UK from his home city of Lanzhou aged 16, with his father, and attempted to pursue his dream amid concerns over the health of his mother.

"My mum wasn't in very good health condition for a long time," he said. "During that time we were in Sheffield, she has been in hospital a lot. She is forever a source of strength to me.

"She is feeling much better now. This is the second time she has visited me in the UK. I think in the future I will take her more to be by my side.

"She sacrificed everything for me. At that time she told me 'don't come back home, I can manage everything'. It was the second year I was playing in the UK.

"At that time my ranking was very low so it was a crucial time for me to achieve some good results and keep my professional status. She means everything to me."

Wu, who uses a translator in his news conferences, shared a bed with his father in a windowless flat in the Steel City as he tried to carve out a career in professional snooker.

But his attacking style and individuality, in a sport known for its formal attire and disciplined approach, marked him out for greatness.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and Murphy, who won the title in 2005, both tipped him as a future world champion earlier in the campaign.

Jason Ferguson - chairman of the sport's governing body - says he and others have the ability to transform the sport and deliver "a changing of the tide".

He told BBC Sport: "This boy is just outstanding. I've known Wu for a number of years, known his father for many years and seen the struggles and the tough battles to get to this stage.

"You cannot believe what it means to that family to actually be in that arena holding that trophy. It's quite an incredible moment. We are seeing a changing of the tide and it has to happen.

"Wu is really now entering that era of becoming a great where he can go on and win and win and win."

Wu is seen as one of the new breed that is helping to shape the future of the game.

"This will not be seen simply as another sporting victory but as part of a broader generational storyline, following Zhao Xintong's breakthrough," said May Zhao, who has been in Sheffield to report for the International Sport Press Association.

"It confirms a new era for Chinese snooker at the very top level.

"The reaction in China will be enormous. During the peak moments, the number of viewers may have exceeded 100 million people."

Is Wu changing the face of snooker?

Zhao's victory 12 months ago was regarded as a seismic moment for Chinese snooker.

With Wu following in his footsteps, it suggests that a golden period has arrived for players from the Asian country and possibly a new chapter for the sport as a whole.

Wu's triumph at the International Championship in Nanjing last November was a breakthrough moment, lifting him to a then career-high 13th in the world rankings.

"After that win, he was received by the vice governor of the Gansu province and this will be much bigger than that," said Chinese snooker reporter Joe Liu, who works for World Snooker.

"Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu and is not a place where they have huge sports traditions or achievement, so this will be huge for his home city.

"During my time associating with him, at all the tournaments I've been to, I can sense his confidence. He's very confident and I think he knows he can do a lot more in the future."

Wu's world title win has propelled him to fourth in the rankings and only added fuel to the belief that Chinese players could dominate the sport for years to come, playing a new brand of snooker.

"The game is changing, shot selection is changing and the likes of Wu Yize are changing the face of snooker to make it much more aggressive," said six-time world champion Steve Davis during the BBC's TV coverage of the final.

"The modern-day players coming through have got to copy this. You can't win playing safe."

Seven-time winner Stephen Hendry added: "He's just brilliant. He plays the game properly and goes for the shots.

"He's obviously at a stage of his career when he's not had many scars and he's not thinking about the consequences of missing. He just gets on with it and he's having fun."

A changing of the guard?

Chinese players won three times on the professional circuit during 2024-25. That figure increased to seven from 23 events this season, albeit courtesy of only three players - Zhao, Xiao Guodong and Wu.

And they are not the only numbers that are trending positively.

The number of players from China appearing for the televised stage of the World Championship rose from a record 10 in 2025 to 11 this year.

Prior to the start of the tournament last year, only four - Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, Xiao and Si Jiahui - sat inside the top 16.

This time there have been five, with Zhao and Wu added to the list and Zhang dropping out. Furthermore, 10 will start next term inside the top 32.

The top five players in the world were all British 12 months ago, but that is now no longer the case.

While John Higgins reached the last four in Sheffield and the final of the Masters this term, O'Sullivan's win at Alexandra Palace in January 2024 was the most recent occasion that a member of the sport's fabled 'Class of 92' won a Triple Crown event.

"There is a finite amount of time that a player can perform at the optimum level," said Ferguson.

"There is now a lot more talent chasing them and a lot more talent that's capable of winning. We've seen a big shift in the younger players. What we're seeing now is multiple players that can actually beat the 'Class of 92' and go all the way."

Liu echoed those comments, adding: "He's almost 30 years younger than those guys so I think we're definitely witnessing a change of era.

"A lot of players have already predicted Zhao will be the one who is in the dominant position in the next 10 years or so, but if Wu continues to grow in the next two or three years, he can up there together with Zhao."

However, it should be noted that English duo Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson, between them, hold five world titles and have won five tournaments this season, including the two other Triple Crown events - the UK Championship and the Masters.

Spark from Anthony Edwards off bench helps Timberwolves steal Game 1 on road from Spurs, 104-102

With two top-10 defenses facing off, points were always going to be hard to come by in a second-round series between Minnesota and San Antonio.

Victor Wembanyama took that to another level — he had 12 blocks in Game 1, the most in a playoff game in 52 years.
All of which is why Anthony Edwards' return from a bone bruise in his knee to play 25 minutes off the bench was so critical for Minnesota. His 18 points were a huge boost, as was the emotion of just having him back on the floor. Mike Conley also gave the Timberwolves a boost, shooting 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and Julius Randle did the same, scoring 21, including a clutch bucket in the final minute.

And yet, the Spurs had a good chance to win it. Julian Champagnie — who set a Spurs franchise record this season for made 3-pointers — got a quality look at the game-winner. It just didn't fall.

Minnesota stole Game 1 on the road by the score of 104-102. Game 2 is in San Antonio on Wednesday.

This has the potential to be the best series of the second round, two very evenly matched teams.

Minnesota's physical defense threw off Wembanyama (5-of-17 shooting) and De'Aaron Fox (5-of-14), who combined to score just 21 points.

"They did what they do, they're physical, they guard the ball well," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the Timberwolves defense.

What do the Spurs need to do to change that dynamic?

"Start by making some shots," Wembanyama said bluntly.
Minnesota might be one of the all-time great flip-the-switch teams the league has seen, a group disinterested in the regular season but come the playoffs, they are a different team.

Having Edwards back helped with that — he was his vintage self, chirping at the Spurs bench after a made basket, then not long after begging coach Chris Finch to leave him in the game.

This game was close the entire way, neither team ever led by double digits.

The 45-45 score at the half and the fact that both teams shot less than 42% overall were signs of what a defensive series this is going to be. Or there was the fact that Wembanyama had seven blocks in the first half alone.

Minnesota got 16 points from Jaden McDaniels despite his spending much of the night in foul trouble. Terrence Shannon Jr. added 16 points as well, and Naz Reid had a dozen off the bench.

Rookie Dylan Harper was doing his thing getting downhill and led the Spurs with 18 points, while Stephon Castle and Champagnie each added 17 for the Spurs.

San Antonio shot just 10-of-36 (27.8%) from 3 for the game, expect that to improve, and the young Spurs to improve.

Just don't expect a scoring explosion, it's not going to be that kind of series.

In brief

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