Phil Simmons will step down as Afghanistan coach after the World Cup. The former West Indies opener, who was appointed to the position in December 2017, said the time is right for him to move on as the target he was given - of helping Afghanistan reach the World Cup - has been achieved.

Simmons is understood to have communicated his decision to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Saturday. His contract, which runs until the end of the World Cup, would likely have been extended given Afghanistan's results during his tenure, including their tournament win in the crucial World Cup Qualifier last March.

"I have thought about it and I have actually given the ACB my notice that I will not be renewing my contract," Simmons told ESPNcricinfo. "I will move on to something different once my contract expires on July 15.

"I signed up originally for 18 months and I think I have done a lot in this period. It is time for me to move on to something else now. To want to get to the World Cup - that was ACB's goal at the time they appointed me. My goal is always to leave things better than when I joined: the way we practice, the way we think about the game, the way we assess other teams. I've tried to help the players in all those areas."

Simmons' decision to not extend his contract comes close on the heels of the ACB's controversial change in the side's leadership, which brought an end to Asghar Afghan's four-year captaincy stint across formats. Gulbadin Naib was appointed ODI captain, while Rahmat Shah and Rashid Khan were put in charge of the Test and T20I teams respectively. Rashid and Mohammad Nabi, the two global superstars of Afghanistan cricket, strongly criticised the move, tweeting in support of Afghan. Nabi said it wasn't "the right time" to change the captain, and credited Afghan for helping the team "gel" well. Rashid, who is the ODI vice-captain, called the move "irresponsible and biased".

Simmons revealed that neither the ACB nor the national selection committee had consulted or alerted him to the changes, catching him off guard.

"No, I was not aware of it. I was not given any reasons. It was the decision of the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the selectors," Simmons said. "How can I take it? I can't change it. So I have to just get on with what I have to do and make sure the squad is preparing in the same way I wanted them to prepare barring the [captaincy] change."

The full interview with Phil Simmons will be published on Monday, May 20

Pakistan 139 for 6 (Javed 55, Ismail 2-12) beat South Africa 138 for 3 (Brits 70*, Shamim 1-20) by four wickets

On Saturday, South Africa completed a tight chase with only a ball to spare to draw level in the series, but Pakistan pulled off their own last-over finish in the third T20I to make it 2-1.

Having slipped to 3 for 3 in pursuit of South Africa's 138 for 3, Pakistan were revitalised by a 77-run stand between Nida Dar and Iram Javed, who struck her maiden T20I fifty.

Pakistan needed seven from the last over, and South Africa's decision to leave that over to Nadine de Klerk seemed to have been justified when Javed carved the first delivery out to wide long on, where Tazmin Brits held a stunning diving catch at the boundary's edge. But that was as good as it got for South Africa, Sana Mir slamming the first ball she faced to the square leg boundary and then swiping two more runs in the same area to secure victory with two balls to spare.

Pakistan's turnaround was all the more remarkable considering the trouble they were in at the start of their innings. Shabnim Ismail struck twice in consecutive overs, while left-arm pacer Moseline Daniels also made an early incision to help send Pakistan's top three back to the pavilion inside the first three overs.

Dar and Javed took a little time to get going, and it wasn't until the final over of the Powerplay that Pakistan finally found the boundary, but they picked the pace up thereafter. Javed took a particular liking to Tumi Sekhukhune's medium pace, while the pair also combined to plunder 19 runs from Sune Luus' second over.

Their efforts brought the required rate down to a manageable level, and after Dar was bowled by Daniels for 32 in the 12th over, Aliya Riaz helped Javed to keep the momentum going. Back to back boundaries off de Klerk took Javed to a 39-ball fifty, and although she and Riaz both fell before the job was done, Mir ensured there would be no further slip-ups.

While she was unable to defend South Africa's total in the final over, de Klerk had played a hand in the most significant stand of her team's innings, adding 80 for the second wicket with Brits. After a mix-up lead to the early dismissal of Lizelle Lee, run out for 2, Brits and de Klerk combined to take South Africa to a steady 31 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay.

Brits brought up her maiden T20I fifty off 47 balls in the 14th over before the dismissals of de Klerk and Chloe Tryon in quick succession dented South Africa's progress and their run rate dipped below a run a ball. Luus' adventurous innings helped to up the tempo as she dominated a 44-run stand with Brits, who ended the innings with a massive six over midwicket, but thanks to Javed's personal best with the bat, South Africa were unable to defend their total.

The series now moves to Benoni for the final two matches, with the next one taking place at Willowmoore Park on Wednesday.

Derbyshire 253 for 5 (Reece 111, Hughes 63*) v Glamorgan

Luis Reece scored his first County Championship century in more than a year as Derbyshire edged the first day of the Division Two match against Glamorgan at Derby.

Reece made 111 and Alex Hughes an unbeaten 63 to take Derbyshire to 253 for 5 before a combination of bad light and rain ended play early.

It was a mixed day for Glamorgan who summoned Andrew Salter from Wales in the morning to replace Kieran Bull after he was ruled out with a back spasm, although Michael Hogan impressed with figures of 2 for 45 from 16 overs.

Billy Godleman's decision to bat on a cloudy day might have backfired had Glamorgan been able to find a consistent line and length after an excellent opening spell from Hogan. The fast bowler beat the bat several times before a full-length ball trapped Godleman on the crease in the ninth over but Glamorgan's inability to apply any sustained pressure allowed Reece and Wayne Madsen to rebuild the innings.

Daniel Douthwaite, straining to impress on his Championship debut, leaked 31 runs from four overs, and it was only when Hogan returned that Glamorgan were able to exert some control.

He tempted Madsen in his 150th first-class match for Derbyshire into a loose drive at the final ball of the morning and Glamorgan were rewarded for a more disciplined approach when Tom Lace edged Lukas Carey to third slip.

But Reece and Hughes showed judgement and patience to regain the initiative, helped by a couple of wayward overs from David Lloyd and Hogan with Reece completing his first red-ball hundred since April 2018 from 159 balls.

It was a timely return to form for the opener whose previous four Championship innings this season had yielded only 49 runs, but his departure shortly before tea saw another shift in the balance of the day. Douthwaite tempted him into a top-edged pull that was taken at fine leg and Glamorgan had another success to celebrate in the penultimate over of the session.

The fourth-wicket stand with Hughes had put on 104 in 22 overs but only four more runs were added before Marnus Labuschagne yorked Harvey Hossain with the last ball of his first over.

The Australian all-rounder almost bowled Matt Critchley who was also surprised by a bouncer from the leg-spinner but when the weather closed in, Derbyshire had secured a second batting point with Hughes following his unbeaten century in the previous four-day game at Bristol by completing 3,000 first-class runs for the county.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will leave the club this summer, after securing an historic domestic Treble, to become player-manager of Belgian club Anderlecht.

Kompany, 33, is City's longest-serving player, having joined in August 2008, but his contract runs out at the end of the season -- and though ESPN FC had been told that there was a willingness from both the club and the player to agree a new deal, he revealed he would be leaving after City's FA Cup final win over Watford.

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Kompany has been blighted with injury problems in recent years but started five of City's last six Premier League matches to help them win the title, including scoring a stunning winner against Leicester in the penultimate game.

"As overwhelming as it is, the time has come for me to go," he said in a post on Facebook. "And what a season to bow out. I feel nothing but gratefulness. I am grateful to all those who supported me on a special journey, at a very special club. I remember the first day, as clear as I see the last. I remember the boundless kindness I received from the people of Manchester.

"I will never forget how all Man City supporters remained loyal to me in good times and especially bad times. Against the odds you have always backed me and inspired me to never give up.

"Sheikh Mansour changed my life and that of all the City fans around the world, for that I am forever grateful. A blue nation has arisen and challenged the established order of things, I find that awesome.

"I cherish the counsel and leadership of a good human being, Khaldoon Al Mubarak. Man City could not be in better hands."

In a second post later on Sunday, Kompany revealed his next move: "For the next 3 years, I will take up the role of Player-Manager of RSC Anderlecht ... I have decided to take up the challenge at RSC Anderlecht. Player-Manager. I want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations. With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium."

Paying tribute to Kompany, chairman Al Mubarak said on the club website: "There have been many important contributors to Manchester City's renaissance, but arguably none are more important than Vincent Kompany. He defines the essence of the club. For a decade he has been the lifeblood, the soul, and beating heart of a supremely talented squad.

"A booming voice in the dressing room yet a quiet and measured ambassador off it, Vincent can be as proud of himself as we are of him. I am not sure he expected to lift the Premier League trophy on four occasions during his captaincy but he will be remembered and revered whenever this period of unprecedented City success is spoken about by future generations.

"His leadership, intelligence and determination have seen him adapt brilliantly to playing under four different managers and overcome some debilitating injuries. He is a special character who has answered every demand the club has made of him.

"We now look forward to celebrating his testimonial match in September so that we can properly celebrate his City contribution. He will always be part of the City family."

Kompany played in 360 games and scored 20 goals over 11 years at Man City. During that time he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Brooks Koepka didn't widen his lead in the third round of the 101st PGA Championship at Bethpage Black on Saturday.

But the defending PGA Championship winner didn't give anything back to the rest of the field, either.

Koepka shot even-par 70, for a 54-hole total of 12 under, to maintain his 7-shot advantage heading into Sunday's final round, with his buddy Dustin Johnson, Harold Varner III, Luke List and Thailand's Jazz Janewattaanond chasing him as the closest competitors.

In the Masters era since 1934, there have been 24 instances of a golfer having a lead of five or more strokes through 54 holes at a major championship.

Only four times did a player fail to hold the lead -- Jean Van de Velde at the 1999 Open Championship (led by 5 strokes), Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters (5), Ed Sneed at 1979 Masters (5) and Tom Watson at 1978 PGA Championship (5).

Let's not kid ourselves: Koepka isn't pulling a Van de Velde.

"Well, I'm definitely not going to let up; I promise you that. ... I'd love to force it on the field and I can make it where it's as big as a lead as I possibly can get," Koepka said. "I mean, it would be nice to be able to make a 10 on the last hole and be OK. But I'm just playing to play good golf, and wherever that puts me, I'll be satisfied if I just go play one more good round."

While it might be too early to etch Koepka's name onto the Wanamaker Trophy for the second straight year, it seems inevitable through 54 holes.

"It is a weird thing," said Xander Schauffele, who is tied for eighth at 3 under. "This is a major championship, and everyone is here to win, but there's only one guy who's absolutely just destroying this place. So, I'm sure he's having a blast. But for the rest of us, he's making it awfully boring."

With that being said, here are four reasons you should watch the final round of the PGA Championship on Sunday:

Because we have to see what else Koepka does

Koepka has torched the field. He has set some milestones and has some others in sight.

Some select company he already has joined:

He could join some big names who have won more than one PGA Championship and U.S. Open:

New York is a big stage. Few have owned the marquee more than once in a major here:

It has been a long, long time since anyone has gone wire-to-wire, which Koepka is set to do:

Because we have to see who wins the non-Koepka division of the PGA

There are only 15 players with 54-hole totals under par, and one of them is more than likely going to finish second to Koepka.

DJ thinks he has a chance, but he likely is playing for second like everyone else.

"I'm going to need some help from him [on Sunday], and then I'm going to have to play very, very well," Johnson said.

Koepka leaked oil at times on Saturday -- he had consecutive bogeys, on Nos. 9 and 10, for the first time since The Players in March and also posted a bogey on No. 16 -- but no one else took advantage of his mistakes.

Along with the four players in second place at 5 under, Matt Wallace (4 under), Schauffele (3 under), Patrick Cantlay (3 under), Adam Scott (3 under), Jordan Spieth (3 under) and Rickie Fowler (1 under) are in the mix.

Will anyone apply some pressure to Koepka on Sunday? Johnson might have done it in a final pairing, but he posted a bogey on No. 18, which gave the spot to Varner. Seems unlikely.

"No one likes to play for second, but that's sort of what he's doing to us," Schauffele said.

Because there's more than one player trying to get into the Masters

The top four finishers in the PGA Championship, including ties, receive invitations to the 2020 Masters.

A handful of players currently ranked outside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings are in contention to earn their first trip to Augusta National, including Varner, Janewattaanond and South Africa's Erik van Rooyen (tied for 12th at 2 under).

"It's awesome. It's a great opportunity," Varner said. "It's going to be a great day no matter what happens. This is what you practice for, and obviously I'm super excited."

Two other players -- List and Lucas Glover (tied for 16th, even) -- are in contention to return to Augusta for the first time in a while. List last played the Masters in 2005, Glover in 2014.

Because you have to see what the fans at Bethpage Black might do next

Here's what they did Saturday. You never know what they'll do Sunday.

One thing we know: They'll always love Phil.

Shattered the record. Not the round I wanted. Game is closer than my score. I'm putting all I have into tomorrow's round. Thank you NY for all your support. ❤️? pic.twitter.com/A0w9O6YXCs

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 18, 2019

Tony Finau's dance is way better than his hole-in-one celebration.

My New York fans ask for an ? dance. I do an eagle dance ? https://t.co/CGPXpgwBZ6

— Tony Finau Golf (@tonyfinaugolf) May 18, 2019

You never know who'll get the Bronx cheers at Bethpage.

Why are they booing Luke List??

— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) May 18, 2019

So who knows what comes next?

MILWAUKEE -- It took all of 51 seconds for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to declare to the world -- and, more importantly, to the Toronto Raptors -- how Game 2 was going to proceed.

A rim-rattling dunk off his own miss, between two defenders. A vicious rejection of what looked like a clear two points for Raptors center Marc Gasol. Another powerful slam after Giannis was left alone underneath the basket.

"I think it definitely set the tone," Antetokounmpo said. "That's what I tried to do."

In an instant, the Bucks were off and running, controlling the action and never looking back as they dismantled Toronto, winning 125-103 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

It has been considered a fait accompli for most of this season that the Golden State Warriors, armed with their four All-NBA stars, will march to a third straight title and a fourth in five years. Once the Warriors managed to dispatch their most bitter rival, the Rockets, in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals in Houston without Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins, that feeling only grew stronger.

It's about time, however, for that thinking to end.

"We got the MVP on our team, man," Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon told ESPN as he walked off the court. "We got a bunch of good dudes on this team, a great coach ... we've been winning like this all year, man.

"I have high expectations for this squad."

The same now should be said for the rest of the basketball world.

Now, let's get a couple of things straight: This series is far from over. The Raptors did win 58 games this season, they do have Kawhi Leonard, and they still have the next two games happening in Toronto as they try to get back into this series. It was only 48 hours ago that Toronto was leading after three quarters and looking as if it could potentially steal the opening game of this series. And if Milwaukee does get to the NBA Finals, Durant is likely to make his return at some point, and Cousins might, too.

So, no, this isn't a declaration that the Larry O'Brien Trophy is coming to Milwaukee. But it is a recognition that the idea of a 2019 Bucks title should no longer be seen as a fantasy.

For six months, all the Bucks did was run roughshod over the league, putting up a league-best 60-22 record while doing it by an average margin of victory that put them among the best teams in recent memory. While doing so, though, people wondered what the Bucks would look like when they went up against fellow elite competition in the playoffs.

After they dismantled the hopelessly overmatched Detroit Pistons in the first round, the wait was on to see what the Boston Celtics would do to them. After one blip in the opening game of that series, the Bucks rolled through the Celtics four straight times.

Now, after not only surviving a shaky showing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but throttling the Raptors from start to finish in Game 2, it's time to stop repeatedly asking if these Bucks are for real, but to instead wonder why it has taken so long for everyone else to acknowledge it.

In some respects, the doubts about these Bucks were exceedingly normal. The last time this franchise won a playoff series, Antetokounmpo was 6 years old and living in Athens, Greece. The Bucks have exited the playoffs in first-round losses in three of the past four seasons, and only one player in their regular rotation -- reserve guard George Hill -- has any NBA Finals experience.

Teams don't typically skip steps in the NBA playoffs. They certainly don't normally leap over them. Yet that is precisely what the Bucks seem to be doing.

Much of that is down to the presence of Antetokounmpo, who has gone from one of the game's brightest young talents to arguably the best player in the world. It was fitting that, prior to the Bucks stampeding past the Raptors on Friday, the NBA announced its finalists for this year's awards show next month in Los Angeles, with Antetokounmpo finishing among them for both the league's Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

It is his singular ability to impact the game at both ends -- he finished with 30 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal in Game 2 -- that makes him a singular force, one around which the Bucks have constructed their entire team.

"I'm beyond fortunate to have Giannis," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He's incredible, and then you're like, 'Wow, I think he can be even better.'

"The great part about Giannis is, he wants to be better. And we're coaching him and we're on him, and we think he can be doing more, and he just soaks it up. It's just so unique to have a player like that, that just wants to be great, and you feel like he has more."

Though Budenholzer was assessing his star, the same sentiment can be shared throughout Milwaukee's roster. It was equally fitting that Budenholzer was named a finalist for NBA Coach of the Year on Friday, as it is his system built around Antetokounmpo that has allowed this team to take off.

The same can be said for the team's general manager, Jon Horst, who signed Ersan Ilyasova, Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton last summer for a combined $12 million, then executed a pair of excellent midseason trades to add Hill and Nikola Mirotic.

All five of those players have become key cogs in Milwaukee's playoff rotation -- one that has remained at a steady nine players throughout the playoffs and has held up even as other, supposedly deeper teams have gone up against it.

"It's amazing," Antetokounmpo said of Milwaukee's depth. "It's so nice seeing guys come into the game being mentally prepared, setting the tone for the whole team and just playing hard.

"On this team, any given night, guys can step up. ... This is the beauty of basketball. This is the beauty of our team, that we trust one another."

The Bucks have trusted one another throughout this magical season. What they have been waiting for -- at least until now -- is for the rest of the basketball world to catch up to them.

In the hallways of Fiserv Forum after Milwaukee's Game 2 victory, that feeling was beginning to spread. Yes, there is a long way to go. Yes, the Raptors remain a formidable threat, one good enough to still make this a more competitive series. Yes, the Warriors almost certainly loom on the horizon after that, with one of the greatest collections of star power the league has ever seen -- and with the championship know-how and experience Milwaukee lacks.

What the Bucks do have, though, is their résumé. The Bucks have been the NBA's dominant force all season, a wrecking ball that has smashed through virtually everything put in its way. Milwaukee has an incandescent star and a system that both perfectly fits that star and is manned by ideally suited supporting pieces. And if the Bucks do advance to the NBA Finals, they will have home-court advantage.

That is a formula that could produce this year's NBA champion. It's time to start acknowledging that as more than a fanciful proposition. Instead, it is a perfectly reasonable reality.

About an hour after his team suffered a blowout loss at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, Kawhi Leonard -- never one to be subsumed into narratives or high drama -- offered the most literal response to the most pressing question facing his Toronto Raptors.

"We're going to Toronto," said Leonard, when asked where his team, now trailing the Eastern Conference finals 2-0, goes from here. "Game 3."

You have to admire Leonard's unflappable resolve. After outplaying the Bucks for most of Game 1 before losing in the closing minutes, the Raptors were outperformed wire-to-wire in Game 2. They struggled on each end of the floor, both with establishing a steady flow in the half court and with neutralizing Milwaukee's rhythm. The Bucks, now 10-1 this postseason, are just two games from their first NBA Finals in 45 years -- and they have yet to play their best basketball in the first two games.

Even though Leonard's comment might seem imperceptive on the surface, he's correct to point out that the action now heads to Toronto, because few things shift momentum in a series quite like a change in venue. Yet to hold serve in Toronto, the Raptors will have to quickly come up with some solutions to a few very pressing problems.

How can the Raptors make life easier for Kawhi?

Defending Leonard might be the most difficult task in basketball this spring. In 14 playoff games, the Raptors forward is averaging 31.7 points per game on an effective field goal percentage (eFG) of 57.9. He attacks the defense from so many different angles -- off the dribble in isolation, in the post, finding gaps off the pick-and-roll, as a locomotive in transition.

Few defenders in the NBA have thrived in that challenge more effectively than Khris Middleton this season, a pattern that has continued in the playoffs. Leonard scored 31 points in both games at Milwaukee, but he has worked exceptionally hard to do so. Middleton, as well as Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, have limited Leonard's drives to his right, influencing him to his weaker hand -- and into the Bucks' active help defenders. Time and again on Friday, Leonard found himself headed in a suboptimal direction off a screen only to encounter the likes of Brook Lopez -- who, as Raptors coach Nick Nurse said on Saturday, "never leaves the paint" -- or Ersan Ilyasova.

In Games 3 and 4, the Raptors will need to figure out ways to shift the Bucks' defense to give Leonard a little more breathing room in the half court. That might mean getting Leonard the ball later in the possession after some primary actions predicated on movement. For instance, Pascal Siakam can pressure defenses off the dribble, as can Kyle Lowry off some crafty pick-and-roll action.

The Raptors certainly ran these sorts of sets, but when they're generating only 0.80 points per Leonard drive and 0.79 points on possessions when Leonard works in isolation, they'll need to be even more resourceful.

Is Milwaukee's depth too much for Toronto?

Asked to identify the most striking characteristic of the first two games, multiple coaches and players identified the Bucks' deep supporting cast as the most decisive factor in Milwaukee's success. When it's time for a fresh body, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has all kinds of options at his disposal -- two poised combo guards who can defend in George Hill and Brogdon, a multi-skilled big man in Ilyasova, uber-athletic shooting guard Pat Connaughton. The Bucks' roster has capable players such as D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown (who is nursing a bad back) on call if need be.

For the Raptors, finding combinations that can contend with the Bucks' size is a more daunting task. Toronto badly misses forward OG Anunoby, recovering from an emergency appendectomy last month, whose size and versatility is suited to this matchup. Norman Powell, Toronto's only true backup wing, played confidently and efficiently on Friday, but he and backup guard Fred VanVleet give up a lot of size to Milwaukee's behemoth roster.

Whatever the mix, the Raptors must find a few combinations that can give them the size, spacing and penetration required to have a puncher's chance against the league's top-ranked defense.

Will the Raptors find a way to keep the Bucks away from the rim?

The Bucks are a quintessential modern-day NBA offense that doesn't waste its time taking midrange shots. But as much as they launch from beyond the arc -- 82 attempts over the first two games -- they exact much of their damage at point-blank range.

Over the first two games of the series, the Bucks have attempted 63 shots at the rim to the Raptors' 36 prior to Friday's garbage time, according to Cleaning the Glass. Giannis Antetokounmpo, to no surprise, has been the most dominant weapon. Even though the Raptors have done a fine job of converging on him in half-court situations, Antetokounmpo has managed to sneak underneath the defense on a few occasions and has unleashed a couple of signature blow-by slams.

Antetokounmpo will undoubtedly get his, but the Raptors can't allow the Bucks' peripheral threats to abuse them, whether it's Ilyasova rolling untouched off high screens in Game 2 or Brook Lopez on the block in Game 1 or Brogdon and Bledsoe manufacturing shots for themselves as they probe in the paint.

The Raptors aren't big, but they're a smart unit that understands how to make timely help decisions. That intelligence has never been in greater demand, as the Bucks will continue to pressure them inside.

Can the Raptors hold their own on the glass?

This has been one of their most precarious spots this spring. They were a middling rebounding team during the regular season but have gotten pounded against a procession of big opponents -- the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and now Milwaukee.

It's not unfair to say the Raptors' inability to control their defensive glass cost them Game 1, when Milwaukee scored only 68.8 points per 100 possessions in the half court but generated 24 second-chance points in the comeback win. Toronto managed to stem the tide -- a bit -- in Game 2 but still lost the rebounding battle to a team with more size, reach and athleticism.

"We've just got to be a little bit more physical rebounding the ball," said Lowry after Game 2. "We know that they're going to crash a little bit more. But when we get outrebounded, we don't get to play the way we need to play."

Antetokounmpo corralling a pogo-stick rebound beneath the rim off his own miss is one thing, but the Bucks' guards can't be left unaccounted for in the half court. The Raptors also need to heighten their awareness now that they're often switching while defending Milwaukee's pick-and-roll attack.

Make or miss?

"I sound like a broken record up here," said Raptors coach Nick Nurse after Game 2, "But we had our share of wide-open shots that could have at least stymied a little bit of the breakout in the score."

As Nurse's exasperation implies, Toronto's inability to make its uncontested shots has become an unsettling trend in recent weeks that has confounded Raptors players and coaches alike. In the regular season, the Raptors ranked second in the NBA (a 68.1 percent eFG) in uncontested attempts, according to Second Spectrum tracking. But over the past two rounds of the playoffs, that mark has dropped to 52.1. To put that futility in perspective, the New York Knicks ranked last in the league in the regular season at an eFG of 59.4.

It's hard not to empathize with the Raptors. Their offensive execution hasn't been brilliant, but even an average performance on their open looks would have them looking like a far more competent offensive team. In fact, neither team has shot particularly well in the first two games. Among the starters, only Lowry and Middleton have overperformed from the field, according to Second Spectrum tracking, when their diet of attempts is measured for shot quality.

For the Raptors, the situation is especially dire since they're down 0-2 and the confidence of their shooters can wane. If that record keeps skipping, the music could stop very soon.

On April 21, the Cubs and Nationals were both sitting at .500. Despite their mediocre starts, and despite playing in top-heavy divisions with improved rivals, both teams had decent playoff odds: Per FanGraphs, Chicago was at 51 percent, and Washington was at 74 percent. Exactly four weeks later and after splitting two games between them with a date on Sunday Night Baseball looming, the Cubs are rolling (with their odds clocking in above 80 percent), and the Nats are reeling (at 44 percent). We asked ESPN scribes Jesse Rogers and Eddie Matz to break down the inner workings of the two clubs. They kindly obliged.

CUBS KEEP WINNING SERIES; NATS KEEP LOSING 'EM

ROGERS: The Cubs simply have built a culture in which losing is no longer an option. Now, that doesn't mean they're going to win every game -- see the end of last season -- but it does mean they're more likely than not to get back into a race. From the outside looking in, it doesn't seem that the Nats have that kind of vibe. Anthony Rizzo said it recently: a nice, winning season is good for a team such as the Padres. Not for the Cubs anymore. Where are the Nationals in terms of this raised level of play, for which the floor is a playoff appearance?

MATZ: After a disappointing 2018 season and an even more disappointing start to 2019, Washington's floor has bottomed out like that carnival ride on which you and your buddies all stick to the walls (I believe it's called "The Rotor," if memory serves). Heck, these days, the Nats are thrilled just to win a series, something they did Thursday for the first time in a month. Between besting the Giants back in mid-April and taking two of three from the Mets earlier this week, Washington lost seven straight series, including one to the Marlins (Miami's only series win this season). Through it all, manager Davey Martinez, who apprenticed under one Joseph John Maddon Jr. before taking the helm in D.C. last year, kept saying how proud he was of his players. Imagine how proud he'll be if the Nats can start winning with any kind of consistency.

ROGERS: Well, if it's winning series you're looking for, you've come to the right place. The Cubs just lost their first one in a long time. Before the Reds took two of three earlier this week, Chicago had gone 9-0-1 in its past 10 series. The key to it has been a starting rotation taking over games. That's another perplexing thing about the Nats. On paper, theirs is a great staff -- in the winter, it was probably considered better than the Cubs' -- but it hasn't translated to more wins for you guys. One other thing motivating the Cubs is the division they're in. They know how competitive it's going to be all summer and have made a point of reminding themselves of that often. It's a tough division. Sound familiar?

MATZ: First things first: I do not play for the Nationals (you guys?). But if I did, I'd certainly be second-guessing all the success my team had the past few years. Now that the division is more like the NL Beast than the NL Least, all those wins and playoff appearances seem less a product of "Natitude" and more a function of foes' flatitude. Having said all that, though Scherzer has yet to kick into vintage Mad Max mode, it's hardly his fault that his mates are giving him the deGrom treatment so far this season. I'll still take him, Strasburg and Corbin over any big three in baseball. As for the other 20 or so guys on the roster, it's a little more complicated.

LEADERSHIP, INJURIES AND LIFE AFTER BRYCE HARPER

ROGERS: That's where leadership has to play a role. If your best players are also your best leaders, manager X has it as easy as it comes. When a veteran role guy is your best leader, that can work as well. The scenario that might not work is when your best player is anything BUT a great leader. This is actually why yours truly picked the Nats -- yes, the Nats -- to go to the World Series this year. I was thinking of it this way: Addition by subtraction. I thought -- maybe -- by losing Bryce but maintaining tons of talent, Washington might gel. My thinking was the attention would be off them and Davey, even though they're playing in a tough division. I don't know much about Max Scherzer, but it's hard to lead from the mound. So this is a long way of asking you: Where is the leadership on this team post-Bryce?

MATZ: Leading from the mound is uncommon, but Scherzer's that rare breed who has the résumé, cache and work ethic to pull it off. On the position side, Howie Kendrick definitely fits the vet role player mold. But all that clubhouse stuff doesn't much matter when the on-field product has been so consistently lousy. I too thought the 2019 Nats would benefit from a plus by minus situation in which they didn't have to deal with all the drama that surrounded Harper's tenure in the District, especially in recent years. But the bullpen has been brutal. Juan Soto, whose big bat was supposed to be the insurance policy for life after Bryce, has looked more like Mario Soto at the plate. And losing Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon to injuries has been killer. That said, the Yankees lead MLB in player days lost (more than twice as many as Washington), and they're doing just fine. Know who else has lost more time to injuries than the Nats? I'll give you a hint: It rhymes with Schmicago Schmubs.

ROGERS: Injuries? That's the least of the Cubs' problems even though their closer (Brandon Morrow) and his backup (Pedro Strop) are both out. Over the past few months, the organization has had to navigate more off-the-field issues than most do in a decade. First, the owners had to distance themselves from their father after bigoted emails associated with him emerged. Then recently the Cubs brought back infielder Addison Russell after a 40-game suspension for domestic abuse associated with his ex-wife. He took the place of veteran Ben Zobrist, who left the team as he and his wife have filed for a separation/divorce in two states. All this while Joe Maddon exists as a lame duck manager. I mean, technically, Davey Martinez has more job security than Maddon.

WHAT'S NEXT?

MATZ: The Nationals already fired pitching coach Derek Lilliquist earlier this month. Injuries or no injuries, there are plenty of folks around D.C. who think the manager should be next. Since inheriting a team that averaged 96 wins per season under his predecessor (Dusty Baker), Martinez has guided Washington to a sub-.500 record. With Turner's return in Friday's opener, the Nats are as whole as they've been in a long while. If they can't get hot with him and Rendon in the lineup (and with Scherzer & Co. atop the rotation), then the winds of change might start blowing.

ROGERS: For the Cubs, the converse of firing Martinez would be to extend Maddon's contract, but that probably isn't going to happen until the end of the season. Speaking of extensions, Kris Bryant might deserve one after his performance Friday. He has returned to elite status at the plate after a shoulder injury limited him last year, but his long-term future with the team is anyone's guess. Both he and Javier Baez are going to be due generational money someday, and fans will be wondering if the Cubs can pay both.

But that's for later. For now, it's about grinding out series wins as the schedule moves to the second quarter of the season. The Cubs have positioned themselves nicely after a slow start. Pulling away might be difficult in the NL Central division, but Chicago's play since the first 10 days of the season speaks volumes. The Cubs are to be reckoned with once again this season.

African duo to the fore over 10km at the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run

There were commanding wins for athletes at very different stages of their careers as Hellen Obiri and Jacob Kiplimo both enjoyed a victorious day at the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run.

For the 29-year-old Obiri, who is planning a full-time switch to road racing after next year’s Olympics and admitted to AW that she is hoping to target a track distance double of 5000m and 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships in Doha later this year, there was a healthy winning margin of 21 seconds as she hit the line in 31:23. Behind her Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga clocked 31:44 for second while two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat was third in 32:34.

In the men’s event, Ugandan teenager Kiplimo hit the front early and never looked back as he came home in a time of 27:31 – the fourth-fastest time for 10km on the roads this year – ahead of Italian Eyob Faniel (28:24) and 2016 European 10,000m champion Antonio Abadia (28:39).

The reigning 5000m world champion Obiri has known nothing but success this year, having won the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, the world cross country title and then storming to 3000m victory at the recent Doha Diamond League.

With confidence levels clearly high, she set about pushing the pace after she and Tokyo marathon winner Aga, who had separated themselves from the chasing pack, had gone through the 5km mark in 15:56. It was a lead she would not relinquish.

“I’m a big fan of Manchester United so I really enjoyed running this race,” she said. “I knew I was in good form – winning the World Cross and a Diamond League – so I tried my best to be at the level I want to be.”

Just behind the top three came Steph Twell, another athlete who has enjoyed her own successes on and off-road this year. The Scottish cross country champion, who also won the recent Brighton 10km, just managed to hold off Ireland’s Fionnuala McCormack, clocking 32:41 to take fourth by two seconds.

Lauren Heyes was the next Briton over the line, in seventh with 33:16, Clara Evans ninth in 33:46 and Mhairi Maclennnan completing the top 10 with 33:53.

Even though he may be tender in years, world cross country silver medallist Kiplimo was an utterly dominant force and looked in complete control throughout his impressive performance. He was joined in pushing the pace in the early stages by Britain’s in-form Nick Goolab but when the African reached halfway in 13:45 he held a 25-second advantage over his competitors which only grew in the closing stages.

The 18-year-old now looks likely to set his sights on the 10,000m in Doha and it will be intriguing to see how this young talent develops over the coming months.

Goolab has been impressive in recent weeks, clocking a course record 28:22 over 10km at Brighton and an excellent 13:34 for 5km in Ipswich. Here, he was only three seconds off third place thanks to a run of 28:42 – though he admitted afterwards that he had paid dearly for his early attempts to stick with Kiplimo.

Emile Cairess was next Briton over the line in sixth thanks a personal best of 29:08, with Southampton’s Alex Teuten eighth in 29:37 and Bristol athlete Daniel Studley two seconds behind in ninth.

In the elite wheelchair races, there was an emotional win for Johnboy Smith, who dedicated his victory to former Great North Run winner Mark Telford, who passed away in the lead-up to the event.

The Commonwealth T54 marathon silver medallist won a tight battle with Simon Lawson, finishing first by only a second in 22:11, with Spaniard Rafael Botello Jimenez a distant third in 22:49.

Three-time Paralympic medallist Shelly Woods marked her return to racing with victory in the women’s race as she clocked 25:40. Liz McTiernan followed in 36:15, with Helen Gilham (41:38) third.

The first winners of the day came in the half-marathon which is also staged as part of this festival of running. Salford Harriers’ Carl Hardman, who clocked 2:19:35 two years ago at the Berlin Marathon, was a convincing winner as he clocked 69:18 for victory ahead of Boalloy’s Carl Moulton (71:53) and last year’s winner Craig Pilsbury (72:22).

The women’s race was won by Belgrave Harrier Georgie Fenn in 81:16 from Germany’s Meike Freudenreich (82:02) and Emily Jeanes of Trent Park(85:06).

Great Britain celebrated gold at the World Team Cup in Israel with a 2-0 victory against France.

Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett avenged defeat by Nicolas Peifer and Stephane Houdet in the Rio Paralympics doubles.

Reid won the first set 6-1 against Peifer adding a second set tie-break 7-3, while Hewett saw off Houdet 6-0 7-5.

It equals GB's best performance at the tournament, replicating the feat of 2012, after the junior team won silver and the women's team took bronze.

The men's team last won the World Team Cup title in 2015.

"The last couple of years have been tough for us," said US Open champion Hewett.

"We have a great team and we have the potential to win it every single time, but we haven't pulled through those finals in the last two years.

"We didn't lose a singles match the whole week and that just shows how high our level has been. That first set for me today was probably the best set of tennis I've ever played.

"But it's not just one performance that wins the title and it was a top performance from Gordon today and Dermot [Bailey]'s played some really good matches too."

It could have been four medals but for a 2-1 defeat for the quad team of Andy Lapthorne, Antony Cotterill and James Shaw against South Africa on Friday.

The World Team Cup is the wheelchair tennis equivalent of the Fed Cup and Davis Cup competitions, with teams from 23 nations taking part in the finals in Ramat Hasharon, Israel.