CINCINNATI: Scooter Gennett hit four home runs, matching the major league record, and finished with 10 RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds routed the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 on Tuesday night.
Gennett became the 17th player to homer four times in one game — and perhaps the least likely. A scrappy second baseman who was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee in late March, he began the night with 38 career home runs in five seasons, including three this year.
Josh Hamilton was the previous player to hit four home runs in one game, for Texas against Baltimore in May 2012.
The 27-year-old Gennett singled his first time up and then homered in four straight at-bats, including a grand slam. His 10 RBIs tied Cincinnati’s club record.
Gennett ended a 0-for-19 slump during the Reds’ 4-2 win over the Cardinals on Monday. He went 5 for 5 on Tuesday and raised his batting average 32 points to .302.
Since being picked up by the Reds late in spring training, Gennett has played a utility role for Cincinnati. He started in left field Tuesday night.
Gennett hit an RBI single and his second career slam off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright (6-4)
Tim Adleman (4-2) gave up one run — on Stephen Piscotty’s homer — in seven innings.
ROYALS 9, ASTROS 7: Mike Moustakas hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning after Kansas City rallied from a six-run deficit to end Houston’s 11-game winning streak.
Moustakas drove a 0-1 pitch from Ken Giles (1-2) out to right field with Salvador Perez aboard. Moustakas had four hits and three RBIs.
Alex Gordon also homered for the Royals, his first since Sept. 25 — a span of 192 at-bats.
Kansas City trailed 7-1 in the fourth but fought back with a four-run eighth. Whit Merrifield hit a three-run double with two outs to tie it at 7.
Merrifield has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games. Giles blew his second save in 18 opportunities.
The Astros’ winning streak was the longest in the majors this season. They dropped to a major league-best 42-17.
Mike Minor (3-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Carlos Beltran hit his 429th home run for the Astros.
NATIONALS 2, DODGERS 1: Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 14, outpitching Brandon McCarthy and leading Washington over Los Angeles in a game that ended with a testy exchange.
With a runner on second base, Koda Glover fanned Yasiel Puig for his eighth save and shouted in the direction of home plate. Puig walked toward the mound and twice appeared to ask Glover what he said.
Glover took off his cap and tossed aside his glove as players from both teams quickly intervened to keep the two separated. Nothing escalated before the squads headed off the field.
Both starting pitchers went seven innings and allowed only three hits. The first 11 outs for Scherzer (7-3) came on strikeouts.
Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy each had a sacrifice fly for the Nationals, who have won the first two games of this series between NL pennant contenders.
McCarthy (5-3), who lasted only four innings in his previous start because of a blister, walked two and struck out four.
ROCKIES 11, INDIANS 3: Rookie pitcher Antonio Senzatela hit a three-run double and Mark Reynolds homered twice to drive in five runs for Colorado.
Carlos Gonzalez also hit a home run for the Rockies, who can sweep the two-game interleague set on Wednesday.
Bouncing back from a loss in his previous outing, Senzatela (8-2) allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one in continuing to lead major league rookie pitchers in wins this season while also opening the scoring for Colorado.
Mike Clevinger (2-3) allowed five runs in four innings for Cleveland.
ORIOLES 6, PIRATES 5, 10 INNINGS: Jonathan Schoop tied it in the ninth inning with his second home run of the game and Mark Trumbo singled home a run in the 10th to rally Baltimore past Pittsburgh.
Baltimore trailed 4-1 after six innings and 5-3 in the ninth. Schoop’s two-run drive off closer Tony Watson knotted it at 5, setting the stage for Trumbo’s big hit.
Adam Jones singled with one out in the 10th against Wade LeBlanc (3-1) and took second when Manny Machado hit a fly ball to the warning track in left. Trumbo then lined a single to center, and Jones easily beat Andrew McCutchen’s throw to the plate.
Brad Brach (1-1) worked the 10th for the Orioles, who improved to 8-1 in extra innings.
RED SOX 5, YANKEES 4: Mitch Moreland and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs and Andrew Benintendi later connected off struggling Masahiro Tanaka, powering Boston over New York.
The Red Sox made their first visit of the season to Yankee Stadium, and the matchup between the longtime rivals and top teams in the AL East had the feel of October, mostly because of the raw weather — low 50s, windy and damp.
Overpowering closer Craig Kimbrel struck out five in 1 1/3 innings for his 17th save in 18 chances. He fanned one batter on a wild pitch, and struck out big-hitting rookie Aaron Judge on a 99 mph fastball to finish it.
Playing at the new Yankee Stadium for the first time without now-retired slugger David Ortiz on the roster, the Red Sox launched a trio of long balls and moved within a game of first-place New York.
Tanaka (5-6) lost his career-worst fifth straight start. He is been tagged for 27 runs and 11 homers in 22 2/3 innings during that span.
Drew Pomeranz (6-3) labored through a career-high 123 pitches in five innings to win his third start in a row.
CUBS 10, MARLINS 2: Jake Arrieta pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning, Anthony Rizzo drove in four runs and surging Chicago beat Miami for its season-high fifth straight win.
Arrieta (6-4) allowed two runs, struck out five and walked three in just his second win in the past month. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner retired 16 in a row over one stretch, showing signs of rounding into form after a bumpy start to the season.
Jason Heyward had three hits and two RBIs as the Cubs remained perfect since returning home after a winless six-game road trip. Kris Bryant reached four times, scored two runs and robbed Giancarlo Stanton of a hit with a diving stop on a grounder to third in the third.
Jeff Locke (0-1) cruised into fifth inning with a 1-0 lead and retired the first two batters before everything fell apart for the Marlins in a hurry.
WHITE SOX 4, RAYS 2: Avisail Garcia, Volmer Sanchez and Todd Frazier homered to help Chicago stop a five-game losing streak with a victory over Tampa Bay.
Chris Beck (1-0) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to win in relief of Jose Quintana, who avoided becoming the first pitcher in the major leagues to lose eight games this season.
Garcia led off the seventh with a homer, snapping a 1-all tie against Chris Archer (4-4), who also gave up a leadoff homer to Sanchez on the fourth pitch of the game.
Jose Abreu added an RBI single in the eighth before Frazier led off the ninth with a homer off Ryan Garton.
David Robertson earned his ninth save in 10 opportunities.
ANGELS 5, TIGERS 3: Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron homered as Los Angeles beat Detroit.
Jesse Chavez (5-6) got the win, allowing two runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but Bud Norris struck out Alex Avila for his 11th save.
Daniel Norris (3-3) gave up four runs — three earned — and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven, but allowed two homers.
The loss ended Detroit’s four-game winning streak. Avila homered for the Tigers.
RANGERS 10, METS 7: Joey Gallo hit a towering two-run homer that put Texas ahead to stay, and the Rangers ended a four-game losing streak with a victory over New York.
Nomar Mazara had four hits and also homered for the Rangers. Gallo’s 17th homer put Texas up 5-4.
Mets starter Jacob deGrom (4-3) pitched only four innings for his second straight start. Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-0) got his first major league victory.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker went deep in the third for the Mets. In between those shots, Jay Bruce was robbed of a homer when Jared Hoying made a leaping catch just above the 8-foot wall in straightaway center.
BREWERS 5, GIANTS 2: Chase Anderson pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings, drove in a run and won his third straight game for Milwaukee.
Anderson (5-1) extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings with the win. He walked one, struck out four and helped the Brewers beat the Giants for just the third time in the last 17 games against them.
Anderson collected his first RBI of the season and the fifth of his career in the third with a double off the wall in left.
Hernán Pérez added a homer for Milwaukee.
The Brewers roughed up Matt Cain (3-5) with four runs in the second.
PHILLIES 3, BRAVES 1: Aaron Nola allowed a run over eight innings, Odubel Herrera doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth and Philadelphia survived a ninth-inning scare to beat Atlanta.
Nola (3-3) earned his first win since April 20 and became the Phillies’ first starter to pitch past the seventh inning this season. Pat Neshek struck out Adonis Garcia and ended the game on Kurt Suzuki’s popup to catcher Cameron Rupp for his first save.
Jaime Garcia (2-4) allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings.
ATHLETICS 4, BLUE JAYS 1: Jesse Hahn allowed an unearned run over six innings in his return from the disabled list, pitching Oakland past Toronto.
Khris Davis drove in two runs and Adam Rosales hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the fifth as the A’s overcame their major league-leading 59th error.
Activated before the game, Hahn (2-4) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. The right-hander also got plenty of help from Oakland’s shaky defense.
Santiago Casilla closed for his 10th save.
Marco Estrada (4-4) took the loss.
DIAMONDBACKS 10, PADRES 2: Robbie Ray struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings and Chris Owings hit a three-run homer to help Arizona cruise past San Diego.
Jake Lamb drove in four runs, Gregor Blanco doubled twice and scored three runs, and the Diamondbacks won their seventh straight home game to equal a season high.
Owings’ career-high seventh of the season gave the Diamondbacks a homer in 10 straight home games for the first time since 2011.
Ray (6-3) had his scoreless streak stopped at 27 2/3 innings. The first of Hunter Renfroe’s two homers was the only run he allowed.
Dinelson Lamet (2-1) lasted just three innings. He gave up seven earned runs and nine hits with five walks.
The Padres lost their third straight and managed only three hits off Ray.
MARINERS 12, TWINS 3: Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager each hit a three-run homer, and James Paxton was effective enough for five innings to help Seattle defeat Minnesota.
Cano staked the Mariners to a 3-0 lead in the first and Seager’s shot capped a seven-run fourth that extended the lead to 12-2 as the Mariners won for the eighth time in nine games.
Paxton (5-0) missed most of May with a left forearm strain. He allowed three runs and five hits with three walks in his second start since coming off the disabled list.
Hector Santiago (4-6) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, yielding five runs and three hits with four walks, all of which came around to score. Twins catcher Chris Gimenez pitched the eighth, retiring all three batters he faced.
Scooter Gennett hits 4 home runs for Reds to tie MLB record
Scooter Gennett hits 4 home runs for Reds to tie MLB record
Wimbledon singles champions to receive record $4 million in prize money
- Doubles prize money has also increased by 4.4 percent, mixed doubles by 4.3 percent
- Top players called for significant improvements in prize money at the four Grand Slams
Wimbledon has increased its prize money for this year’s championships to $72.59 million (£53.5 million), a 7 percent increase on 2024 and double what they offered a decade ago, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said on Thursday.
The singles champions will receive £3million ($4.07 million) each, the highest across all Grand Slams and a 11.1 percent increase on the prize money Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova took home last year.
Singles players who exit the first round will receive 66,000 pounds, a 10 percent increase on last year. Doubles prize money has also increased by 4.4 percent, mixed doubles by 4.3 percent and the wheelchair and quad wheelchair events by 5.6 percent.
The increase also comes after the world’s top players called for significant improvements in prize money at the four Grand Slams as a way to ensure a more equitable distribution of revenue.
“We have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players,” AELTC chair Deborah Jevans said.
“But the focus on just the prize money at the four events, the Grand Slams, does not get to the heart of what the challenge is with tennis.
“The challenge with tennis is the fact that the players don’t have an off-season which they want, they have increasing injuries that they’re speaking about.”
Jevans added that Wimbledon is willing to engage and talk with the tours to try and find solutions but there has not been any proposal as to how the tour is able to change its structure.
Final at 4 p.m.
The AELTC also said the doubles finals on the weekend would start at 1 p.m. local time and the singles finals at 4 p.m.
Such a change could potentially change playing conditions — like having the roof closed and the lights switched on — if the match runs long and well into the night.
The French Open final this month where Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner lasted five hours and 29 minutes, but AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton said the change in timing would ensure an “improved experience” for all.
“Whether that’s the doubles finalists having greater certainty over their schedule, whether it’s the fans having the opportunity to experience a day which builds to the crescendo of the singles finals or ensuring that we have our champions crowned in front of the widest possible audience,” she said.
No line judges
This year’s championships also marks a break with an age old tradition where line judges will be replaced for the first time with the electronic line calling system that is in place at tournaments worldwide.
Bolton said “the time is right to move on,” adding that many line judges would return in different roles as match assistants, with two assigned per court.
“They’re extra eyes and ears, the assistant to the chair umpire... We’ve got about 80 of those across the Championships.
“They’ll also provide one of the parts of our resilience in the event that the electronic line calling system goes down at any point in time.”
Rediscovering the cradle of cricket
- Despite a lack of comprehensive match records until 1771, it is clear Hambledon’s heyday was from the mid-1760s to the late 1780s
LONDON: Last Sunday I visited Broadhalfpenny Down, Hambledon, Hampshire, in the south of England. The attraction was twofold. First, the cricket ground is regarded as the “cradle of cricket.” Second, the Invalids Cricket Club was playing there against Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC.
Seven weeks ago, I featured the history of the Invalids CC after watching a match between them and the Royal Household CC played in the shadows of Windsor Castle. More insights into Invalids CC history emerged during my visit to Hambledon, but it is the place of Broadhalfpenny Down in cricket’s development that demands first focus.
The ground sits atop a hill that is surrounded by verdant countryside and has outstanding, if windswept, views. Almost no buildings are visible, the most noticeable one being the appropriately named Bat and Ball Inn across the road. It was to this inn, then called the Hut, that Richard Nyren became the landlord in 1762, moving from neighbouring Sussex, about 28 miles (44.8 kilometers) distant. He was an accomplished and respected left-handed all-round cricketer, in an era when underarm bowling and two stumps were the norm. It is astonishing that this windy hilltop, which doubled as the village’s sheep common, was about to assume a lofty place in cricket’s historical development.
Evidence suggests that a Hambledon team existed circa 1750, achieving prominence in 1756 by defeating Dartford, a major team in Kent. Then, its patron was Squire Thomas Land, who withdrew his involvement in 1764.
Nyren’s arrival coincided with the setting up of a gentlemen’s social club at the inn. It is unclear whether this was Nyren’s idea or that of the Rev. Charles Powlett, who had been transferred from London to a church about 18 miles from Hambledon. There, he sought an outlet for his indulgence to gamble on cricket.
More than 150 members were recruited to the club, paying a handsome annual membership fee, equivalent to two months’ wages for a laborer. It comprised members of parliament, aristocracy, army and navy officers, unsurprising given that Hambledon is 15 miles from naval bases in Portsmouth. Although many of these gentlemen are thought to have lived relatively locally, travel to the ground would have been time consuming on horseback or horse-drawn carriage. By all accounts, hedonism was the attraction.
The wealthy members attracted the best players, locally and farther afield. In turn, these attracted top opposition, spectators and gamblers, since cricket and betting went hand in hand. London was a day’s ride away. Small marquees were hired out to the better-heeled spectators, while the inn provided food and refreshment. Nyren, referred to as the “general”, was at the center of the activity, both on and off the field, acting as a link between players and patrons. He was also the linchpin of the club, acting as captain, secretary, groundsman and landlord of the inn.
Despite a lack of comprehensive match records until 1771, it is clear that Hambledon’s heyday was between the mid-1760s and the late 1780s. Incredibly, 20,000 spectators were reported to have watched them play a Surrey side at Guildford in 1769. In June 1777, they took on an All England side at Sevenoaks and won by an innings. England scored 166 runs and 69 to Hambledon's 403, a huge score in those days. There is lack of clarity whether the team should be called Hambledon or Hampshire. The club was a social entity, an organiser of matches and either term could be used according to the opposition and/or the composition of the Hambledon team.
During these years, Nyren was regarded as a sage, whose views on laws and precedent in cricket were regularly sought. Famously, in 1771, an opposition player attempted to use a bat wider than the wicket. Objections by Hambledon players led to a resolution that effected a change in the laws of cricket, formally recognised in the 1774 code, limiting a bat’s width to four and one quarter inches (10.79 cm). A metal gauge was produced to help judgment.
Nyren also appeared to be very much a “one-club man”. This bucked the trend of the time, when skilled players were given by the stronger team to the weaker team to balance the odds for gambling. In 1782 the Bat and Ball Inn was requisitioned by the military and an alternative ground was provided closer to the village. It proved to be unsuitable and another ground, Ridge Meadow, was obtained. Since then, it has been the home of Hambledon CC.
The move in 1783-1784 suited Nyren, who had become landlord of the George Inn in the village. By then, he and other players who formed the backbone of the team were aging, Nyren retiring from cricket in 1784.
At the same time, the support of several rich patrons was shifting to London. In particular, the Earl of Winchilsea, Hambledon’s president, commissioned Thomas Lord to find and build a new ground for the White Conduit Club, of which he was a leading light. A suitable site was found in Marylebone and cricket’s centre of power was about to shift away from Hambledon to the Marylebone Cricket Club, formed in 1787.
Between 1791 and 1796, Hambledon declined sharply, membership falling from 52 to 16. Not only were members drawn to London, so were players. When no one turned up for the annual general meeting in 1796, the club’s former power had ebbed away, along with Nyren, who died in 1797 in east London. Broadhalfpenny Down lay fallow throughout the 19th century. Thereafter, cricket returned in piecemeal fashion.
In September 1908, a three-day match was held between a Hambledon XI and an All England XI, at which a memorial stone was unveiled to commemorate the site’s importance.
In 1925, the ground was acquired by Winchester College, where H.S. Altham, president of the MCC, was a master. The college played Hambledon to celebrate the ground’s restoration for hosting cricket. On New Year’s Day, 1929, a charity cricket match was played between The Hampshire Eskimos and none other than The Invalids. The match was played in bitterly cold conditions. Low scores ensued, The Invalids scoring 89 all out and the Eskimos replying with 78. Afterwards, the Bat and Ball provided welcome respite.
Since 1959, the ground has been home to the Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC, formed by a group of Royal Navy officers, who managed the ground and its facilities.
In 1992, the owners, Winchester College, granted a lease on the condition that an independent trust be established to secure the ground’s long-term future. This was achieved in 1996 and includes local, county and national cricket bodies. Funding was obtained for a new pavilion which opened in 2000. A new crowd-funding initiative was launched in 2025.
Broadhalfpenny Down and Hambledon occupy a special place, not just in English cricket history but in transforming aspects of the laws of the game. It is remarkable that a village of about 750 people holds this position.
Even today, Hambledon CC fields four adult league teams and has a flourishing junior section. The original ground and inn ooze history and continuity. Reverence to their importance within the game was encapsulated when the New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson, visited after winning the World Test Championship at nearby Southampton in June 2021. We may safely assume that Nyren would have approved.
Lebanon’s Abdallah Ondash confident on ONE Championship mission
- Muay Thai star takes on Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang at ONE Friday Fights 112 at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium
DUBAI: Lebanese Muay Thai star Abdallah Ondash is putting the final touches to preparations for the biggest matchup of his career.
The young Lebanese athlete features in the main event of global martial arts organization ONE Championship’s ONE Friday Fights 112 on June 13 inside Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium.
Ondash is no stranger to the iconic venue. He made a remarkable debut in the weekly fight series on Aug. 4, 2023, coming from behind to knock out his opponent with one second to go on the clock. The highlight-reel finish amazed fans worldwide who tune in every week as rising talents in the world of martial arts vie for a big contract and a place on ONE Championship’s international roster.
Ondash is oozing confidence ahead of his next mission, and said: “I want to focus and take my time (during the fight). Hopefully, I will win this fight. I don’t like talking much about fights; I let my performance in the ring do the talking.”
The 23-year-old Lebanese fighter has an impressive resume. Since turning professional in 2017, Ondash has amassed an overall professional record of 21-2, and picked up national, regional, and global accolades.
But the rising star knows he has a tough test on Friday as he takes on Thai opponent Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang in a 57.6 kg contest.
The 28-year-old holds a 6-1 record at ONE Friday Fights. The two fighters are evenly matched in their height, weight, and reach, but the Thai is far more experienced, with 84 career wins and accolades that include the World Muaythai Council’s Featherweight Muay Thai world title and IFMA World Championship.
Ondash has nothing but respect for his opponent, and said: “He (has) won six out of seven and lost one fight by the smallest of margins. He is a good fighter and has won lots of accolades.”
With two grueling training sessions per day for five weeks, Ondash has been focusing his efforts on improving his conditioning, cardio and fitness to keep up with an experienced fighter known for his slick movement and endurance.
However, Ondash owns the skill set, courage, and in-ring intelligence to claim what could be a pivotal win in his career.
He secured his third knockout victory at the expense of Thailand’s Petlampun in his most recent fight, bouncing back from a lone majority decision defeat he endured at the hands of Chokpreecha last July.
Ondash knows that victory against an established star will take him closer to the dream of winning a $100,000 contract with ONE Championship.
He said: “(Following my defeat) I won the next fight by knockout. So, if I had won that fight, even if by decision, I could have gotten the contract. But I am just focusing on my next fight. I want to win.”
ONE Friday Fights 112 begins at 3:30 p.m. KSA on Friday, June 13, and will be broadcast live via beIN SPORTS.
Backups bring down the house, Pacers take 2-1 NBA Finals lead with 116-107 Game 3 victory
- Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana have the advantage in the best-of-seven series
INDIANAPOLIS: Backup guards Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell helped Indiana’s bench break out with 49 points as the Pacers topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday to claim a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana have the advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Tyrese Haliburton provided heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven’t lost back-to-back games since December.
Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points. Chet Holmgren compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis.
The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.
Caruso made both free throws and Indiana’s Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.
Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the stadium for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.
McConnell was seemingly everywhere, and he came up with massive defensive plays all game.
He ripped off Caruso’s bullet inbounds pass with two hands at point-blank range under the basket and pumped in a layup to tie the game at 95 early in the fourth quarter.
Mathurin cashed a trey off a McConnell assist, putting the Pacers up 98-96.
Haliburton entered for the first time in the fourth quarter, took a handoff at the top of the key, stopped, squared and splashed his fourth 3-pointer of the game for a 101-98 lead with 6:42 remaining.
Indiana’s Aaron Nembhard made a 12-foot jumper from the left elbow and the Pacers got it back after a missed 3-point attempt, taking a touchdown lead (107-100) on Obi Toppin’s two-hand dunk off of a miss with 4:23 to go.
Nesmith caught a skip pass on the right wing and drained a trey on Indiana’s next possession for an eight-point lead.
McConnell hit a running right-handed layup between two clutch buckets by Mathurin as the Pacers stayed close, down 93-91, with 10 minutes to play.
Oklahoma City had surged ahead for its biggest lead of the second half — 89-84 — to end of the third. Williams hit a long 3-pointer came after an and-1 baseline dunk by Holmgren, who moved through the swiping hands of McConnell to finish.
Williams played a lot of the game with the ball in his hands as the Pacers worked to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in check.
McConnell leads NBA reserves in assists per game in playoffs (4.1).
Apathy and anger cloud US team a year out from World Cup
- Kasey Keller: I think it is the most embarrassed I have been for the US national team in a long time
- There were thousands of empty seats in Nashville for the Switzerland defeat after poor turnouts for March’s games in Los Angeles
MIAMI: A run of four straight losses, including a 4-0 hammering from Switzerland on Wednesday, has left Mauricio Pochettino and his US team feeling the wrath of critics a year out from the World Cup they will co-host.
The US head into their opening game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday having lost on home soil to Panama and Canada in the Nations League in March before friendly losses to Turkiye and the debacle against the Swiss.
“I think it is the most embarrassed I have been for the US national team in a long time,” said Kasey Keller, who played in goal for the US 102 times between 1990 and 2007.
While there were plenty of American fans venting similar feelings on social media after the loss, what will perhaps be more concerning for the US Soccer Federation is supporters voting with their feet and not attending games.
There were thousands of empty seats in Nashville for the Switzerland defeat after poor turnouts for March’s games in Los Angeles.
“There’s just a sense of apathy around the United States men’s program and I don’t think that’s a hot take,” former striker Taylor Twellman told NBC Sports.
Alexi Lalas, a star of the US team the last time they hosted a World Cup in 1994, has built a career in ‘hot takes’ for Fox Sports but even he was struggling to fire himself up for a Star Spangled rant after the latest disappointment.
“I’m having a hard time even conjuring up that and that makes a little sad. In the past when I was angry at what was going on, I felt compelled to express it and now they are not even worth that, not worth me expressing how disappointing this is right now,” he said on his podcast ‘State of the Union’.
Pochettino has been forced to field a largely second string squad in this month’s games with the likes of Tim Weah and Weston McKennie on Club World Cup duty with Juventus while captain and talisman Christian Pulisic has opted to take some rest along with some other members of the first choice squad.
That latter decision prompted fierce criticism from some ex-players, including Landon Donovan, the country’s all-time joint top scorer who during commentary of Portugal’s win in the UEFA Nations League hit out at the absentees.
“[Ronaldo is] 40 years old. He’s played a long-ass season. He’s tired. He’s out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can’t help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s pissing me off,” he said.
That led to a sarcastic reply on social media from Pulisic’s father Mark who posted a reminder of Donovan’s own ‘sabbatical’ from the US team.
But there is also pressure mounting on Pochettino, the Argentine former Tottenham Hotspur manager, who was appointed to the US role in September.
The coach said he would take the blame for the showing against Switzerland where the US were 4-0 down by halftime.
“It’s my responsibility the choice of the starting 11. I wanted to give minutes to certain players, but we were never in the game,” the Argentine said.
While Pochettino’s job may be safe, some are wondering if he might not need some assistance.
“It looks like he doesn’t know the team, it looks like he doesn’t scout the players, has no idea of the pieces he has at his disposal,” said former USA forward Hercules Gomez on You Tube.
“The US Soccer Federation, why not place somebody who has some experience with the player pool to help Pochettino out because it looks like he has no idea who his players are? With a World Cup on home soil that is a disaster,” he added.
The US will co-host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
