The Week 4 NFL slate is stacked with great matchups. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.
Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information research provides a stat to know, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's Mackenzie Kraemer hand out helpful nuggets as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.
Let's get into the full Week 4 schedule, starting with two matchups of undefeated teams.
1 p.m. ET | Fox Matchup rating: 81.4 | Spread: KC -6.5 (54.5)
What to watch for:Patrick Mahomes hasn't played in a dome as a pro, and playing indoors at Ford Field should make Kansas City's offense somehow more dangerous. If Lions cornerbacks Darius Slay and Rashaan Melvin are not at full strength, Mahomes and the Chiefs could be extra special on Sunday. -- Michael Rothstein
Bold prediction:Travis Kelce will catch a couple of touchdown passes. Kelce has only one this season, and Detroit has done a nice job of defending tight ends, giving up only seven completions. But the Lions have also given up 93 yards on those passes, and they haven't faced a tight end with Kelce's ability. -- Adam Teicher
Stat to know: According to ESPN's coverage analysis using NFL Next Gen Stats research, Mahomes is averaging 12.5 yards per attempt with six passing touchdowns when facing zone coverage this season, both of which are the best in the NFL. But the Lions have used man coverage on 68% of their snaps this season, the third most of any team this season.
What to know for fantasy: Mahomes had the greatest fantasy season ever by a quarterback last season. But if he scores 28.5 points Sunday, he will actually be ahead of where he was through four games in 2018. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget:Matthew Stafford is 9-16 against the spread (ATS) in his career as a home underdog. Read more.
Teicher's pick: Chiefs 33, Lions 24 Rothstein's pick: Chiefs 38, Lions 27 FPI prediction: KC, 70.2% (by an average of 7.4 points)
1 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 73.5 | Spread: NE -7.5 (42.5)
What to watch for:Josh Allen has yet to turn in four quarters of mistake-free football this season, but he'll need to against the Patriots. A large part of his game is his ability to improvise. Whether he'll be able to make smart improvisational decisions against an opportunistic New England defense will determine how successful the Bills' offense will be Sunday. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
Bold prediction:Sony Michel will lead the way on offense for New England, as the Patriots' running game will find its groove after three outings in which the attack has trended more toward the pass. Michel, who has totaled only 108 rushing yards over three games, will top the 100-yard mark in a close contest that will be decided in the fourth quarter. -- Mike Reiss
Stat to know: New England has won 17 consecutive games against first- or second-year starting quarterbacks. And the Patriots' man defense could spell trouble for Allen. According to ESPN coverage metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats data, the Patriots use man coverage at the second-highest rate in the league (68%), and Allen averages just 6.6 yards per attempt versus man, compared with 8.0 yards per attempt versus zone.
What to know for fantasy:Tom Brady has failed to score more than 15.6 fantasy points in each of his past four games against the Bills. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Last season, New England was 1-5 outright as a single-digit road favorite, including 0-3 outright when favored by 6-9 points on the road. Read more.
Reiss' pick: Patriots 20, Bills 17 Louis-Jacques' pick: Patriots 21, Bills 13 FPI prediction: NE, 75.3% (by an average of 9.5 points)
1 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 69.1 | Spread: ATL -4 (46)
What to watch for: How the Falcons' receivers perform against the Tennessee secondary will be key. If Jacksonville's Gardner Minshew was able to connect downfield on the Titans, surely Matt Ryan can do the same. Keep an eye on Calvin Ridley, who vowed not to let a hip injury hold him back. He had only one target last weekend, and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter wants to get him more involved. -- Vaughn McClure
Bold prediction: Outside linebacker Harold Landry will have two sacks. He has been relatively quiet, having posted only one sack through three games, but he'll get home against the Falcons with Ryan waiting for the deep routes to develop with his receivers. -- Turron Davenport
Stat to know:Julio Jones has a receiving touchdown in seven consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. A.J. Green (nine in 2012), Antonio Brown (eight in 2018) and Wes Welker (eight in 2012 and '13) are the only players with eight-game streaks over the past 10 seasons.
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Ninkovich: Mariota could be benched if Titans lose to Falcons
Rob Ninkovich feels this is a must-win game for Marcus Mariota and the Titans, because if they lose, Mariota could be replaced.
What to know for fantasy: Since Week 13 of last season, Derrick Henry has run for 11 touchdowns. No other player has more than seven. And over that stretch, only Christian McCaffrey has more fantasy points among running backs. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Atlanta has failed to cover in 12 consecutive games against AFC opponents, including the Week 3 loss against Indianapolis. The Falcons are 5-21 ATS in their past 26 games against AFC opponents, including 4-14 ATS under Dan Quinn. Read more.
Davenport's pick: Falcons 28, Titans 20 McClure's pick: Falcons 31, Titans 17 FPI prediction: ATL, 54% (by an average of 1.4 points)
1 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 55.9 | Spread: BAL -6.5 (45)
What to watch for: The Ravens' offensive line could have problems against the Browns' pass rush, which is the best Baltimore has played this season "by a long way," according to coach John Harbaugh. Lamar Jackson is averaging 99 yards rushing per game in his five regular-season starts at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium, but how will the pass rush affect that part of his game? -- Jamison Hensley
Bold prediction: Two of Baker Mayfield's former Oklahoma teammates, Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews, score touchdowns as Jackson prevails in a shootout of former Heisman Trophy-winning QBs. -- Jake Trotter
Stat to know: The Ravens have blitzed on 47% of opposing QB dropbacks this season, the highest mark in the NFL. And they boast the NFL's fourth-best pass rush win rate, beating blocks within 2.5 seconds 58% of the time, per NFL Next Gen Stats research.
What to know for fantasy:Nick Chubb has the chance to join Todd Gurley as the only players since 2009 to have at least 17 carries and three receptions in each of their teams' first four games of a season (Gurley did it in 2018). See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Last season, Baltimore failed to cover in all five divisional games in which it was the favorite, including both tries against Cleveland. Read more.
Trotter's pick: Ravens 31, Browns 27 Hensley's pick: Ravens 28, Browns 27 FPI prediction: BAL, 72.7% (by an average of 8.4 points)
1 p.m. ET | Fox Matchup rating: 54.7 | Spread: HOU -4 (47.5)
What to watch for: The Texans haven't allowed a player to rush for more than 100 yards since Week 17 of the 2017 season, the third-longest active streak in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Can Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who has more than 100 rushing yards in two of three games this season, break that streak? -- Sarah Barshop
Bold prediction: Carolina quarterback Kyle Allen will follow his four-touchdown pass performance against Arizona with three against Houston, which has given up only five touchdown passes in three games. He'll also top 250 yards passing against a defense that is stingy against the run. -- David Newton
Stat to know: The Panthers' defense is using zone coverage on 72% of its snaps in 2019, the second-highest rate in the NFL. And the unit is giving up a league-low 4.6 yards per play this season in that coverage, per ESPN's coverage metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats data.
What to know for fantasy: Allen has made two starts in his NFL career, resulting in seven total touchdowns and a pair of top-7 fantasy finishes at the position. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Allen seeks to be the second quarterback in the Super Bowl era to begin his career 3-0 despite being an underdog in each game. Patrick Mahomes is the other. Read more.
Newton's pick: Texans 24, Panthers 21 Barshop's pick: Texans 24, Panthers 16 FPI prediction: HOU, 75.4% (by an average of 9.5 points)
1 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 45.5 | Spread: IND -6.5 (45.5)
What to watch for: The Colts had eight sacks in their first two games of the season, but as pass-rusher Justin Houston noted, Atlanta's Matt Ryan did a good job of getting a rid of the ball quickly to cause the Colts to go sackless in Week 3. Don't be surprised if Derek Carr and the Raiders try to do the same thing Sunday. -- Mike Wells
Bold prediction: The Raiders will ride rookie running back Josh Jacobs, whose touches have fallen from 24 to 12 to 10 in three games, to establish the run game early and set up the play-action passing game. -- Paul Gutierrez
Stat to know: Carr quietly has the third-highest completion percentage (73.5%) in the NFL this season, but he is also averaging just 7.1 yards per attempt (20th in NFL) and 6.4 air yards per attempt (31st).
What to know for fantasy: Oakland's Darren Waller ranks second in the NFL, across all positions, with 26 catches this season, and he is facing a Colts team that has given up more tight-end receptions than any other team since the beginning of last season (121). See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget:Jacoby Brissett will be the favorite as the starter for sixth time in 21 career starts. He is 4-1 both straight up and against the spread as a favorite in his career. Read more.
Gutierrez's pick: Raiders 21, Colts 20 Wells' pick: Colts 27, Raiders 16 FPI prediction: IND, 75.1% (by an average of 9.4 points)
1 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 14.5 | Spread: LAC -15 (43.5)
What to watch for:Keenan Allen probably will rack up huge receiving yards in this one. He had 183 yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches last weekend against the Texans, and now he has to be licking his chops facing the Dolphins' banged-up secondary. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Allen eclipse 200 yards. -- Cameron Wolfe
Bold prediction: Chargers running back Austin Ekeler goes for more than 100 rushing yards for the first time as a pro. The Dolphins are giving up a league-worst 208 rushing yards per game. Melvin Gordon's holdout is over, but Sunday's game will be Ekeler's opportunity to put up big numbers against a lackluster Miami run defense. -- Eric D. Williams
Stat to know: The Dolphins are trying to avoid becoming the third team to lose four consecutive games by 25-plus points in same season. It hasn't been done since the 1954 Redskins.
What to know for fantasy: Ekeler is RB3 for the season, and his 77.8 points are 3.2 more than Gordon has ever scored through the Chargers' first three games of a season. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Miami is the first team since the 1970 merger to be a home underdog of at least 14 points twice before the end of September. Read more.
Williams' pick: Chargers 27, Dolphins 17 Wolfe's pick: Chargers 34, Dolphins 13 FPI prediction: LAC, 86.2% (by an average of 15.1 points)
1 p.m. ET | Fox Matchup rating: 10.0 | Spread: NYG -2.5 (49)
What to watch for:Landon Collins makes his return to New Jersey to face his former team for the first time. He has been vocally critical of Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and the way his situation was handled, even calling him a "liar." Don't think for a second Collins won't want to stick it to his former team with a huge performance. -- Jordan Raanan
Bold prediction:Daniel Jones' mobility will be a problem for Washington's defense. He will buy enough time to throw for 250 yards and two touchdown passes in his first home start. But Redskins quarterback Case Keenum will top him with 275 yards and three scores. -- John Keim
Stat to know: The Redskins have given up more than 30 points in three consecutive games, and four straight would tie the team's single-season record, set in 1954. Meanwhile, the Giants are 8-3 with a plus-65 point differential (241-176) in their past 11 home games against Washington.
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Cruz, Ninkovich like Giants over Redskins
Victor Cruz and Rob Ninkovich both pick the Giants to defeat a depleted Redskins team Sunday afternoon.
What to know for fantasy: Jones was QB2 in Week 3 and now faces a Redskins defense that has allowed all three opposing quarterbacks this season to complete over 70% of their passes and throw for three scores. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Over the past two seasons, the Giants are 1-7-1 ATS at home. Since 2017, New York is 1-3 outright as a home favorite (0-3-1 ATS). Read more.
Keim's pick: Giants 28, Redskins 27 Raanan's pick: Giants 28, Redskins 22 FPI prediction: NYG, 55.3% (by an average of 1.9 points)
4:05 p.m. ET | Fox Matchup rating: 56.9 | Spread: LAR -9 (49.5)
What to watch for: The Rams are well aware that their offense has performed below standard. They'll attempt to get on track against the Bucs, though that could prove difficult against a Todd Bowles defense that ranks third against the run, giving up only 69.7 rushing yards per game. -- Lindsey Thiry
Bold prediction:Ronald Jones will notch his first career 100-yard rushing performance. He is coming off an 80-yard performance last weekend against the Giants in which he averaged 5.7 yards per carry. The Rams surrendered 128 rushing yards to Christian McCaffrey and 96 to Nick Chubb, so it's not as far-fetched as it sounds. -- Jenna Laine
Stat to know: Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston leads the NFL with 10 completions into tight windows (less than one yard of separation) this season, and his 187 passing yards on such throws are the second most, according to NFL Next Gen Stats research.
What to know for fantasy: Since the beginning of last season, Los Angeles' Jared Goff is averaging 83.5% more points per game at home than on the road. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Los Angeles is 7-1 ATS in its past eight games, including 3-0 this season. The team's only non-cover came in the Super Bowl. Read more.
Laine's pick: Rams 30, Buccaneers 14 Thiry's pick: Rams 28, Buccaneers 13 FPI prediction: LAR, 80.7% (by an average of 12.0 points)
4:05 p.m. ET | Fox Matchup rating: 31.5 | Spread: SEA -5 (48)
What to watch for:Larry Fitzgerald hasn't had a 100-yard game against Seattle since 2017, but that could change Sunday. Fitzgerald has gotten off to his best start (18 receptions, 253 yards, two touchdowns) through three games since 2015, and it's one of the best stretches to start a season in his career. He needs five catches Sunday to move into second on the NFL's all-time receptions list. -- Josh Weinfuss
Bold prediction:Quinton Jefferson, who has been Seattle's best defensive lineman this season, will have pair of sacks. Kyler Murray has been sacked more times (16) than all but one quarterback, despite facing blitzes on only 24.2% of his dropbacks, which is 18th most among QBs, according to ESPN charting. -- Brady Henderson
Stat to know: Murray has 137 pass attempts through his first three career games, the most by any player since the 1970 merger. Mike Glennon's 181 attempts is the most through a player's first four games.
What to know for fantasy: Seattle's Chris Carson has lost more fumbles this season (three) than all of 2018 (two), but he is one of only two backs with a 20-plus-yard rush in all three games (Dalvin Cook is the other). See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Over the past two seasons, Arizona is 5-0 ATS when it is an underdog of 3-7 points. Read more.
Henderson's pick: Seahawks 26, Cardinals 21 Weinfuss' pick: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 17 FPI prediction: SEA, 60.5% (by an average of 3.8 points)
4:25 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 79.0 | Spread: CHI -2.5 (38)
What to watch for: With a pair of sometimes-suspect quarterbacks -- Minnesota's Kirk Cousins and Chicago's Mitchell Trubisky -- the game probably hinges on which defense does a better job stopping the run. The Bears have allowed only one 100-yard rusher in regulation over their past 37 regular-season games. That player was a Viking: Latavius Murray in Week 17 of the 2017 season. -- Jeff Dickerson
Bold prediction:Dalvin Cook, the league's leading rusher, won't crack 100 yards rushing for the first time this season but will cross the century mark in yards from scrimmage with an increased role in the passing game. Minnesota's game plan will be predicated on short passes and screens, and we'll see Cook get his first receiving touchdown of the season. -- Courtney Cronin
Stat to know: Cook is the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 110-plus yards and a touchdown in each of his team's first three games of a season. The other four? All Hall of Famers (Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson, Emmitt Smith and Curtis Martin).
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Cruz: Trubisky's hot start will lead Bears past Vikings
Victor Cruz expects the Bears to simplify their offense and make it easy for Mitchell Trubisky against the Vikings' defense.
What to know for fantasy: Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs has caught only six passes this season, but he did haul in 21 passes against these Bears last season. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Regarding Chicago, teams coming off victories on Monday Night Football have failed to cover seven consecutive games and are 12-20-1 ATS since 2017. Read more.
Cronin's pick: Vikings 20, Bears 17 Dickerson's pick: Vikings 16, Bears 12 FPI prediction: MIN, 52.2% (by an average of 0.8 points)
4:25 p.m. ET | CBS Matchup rating: 38.7 | Spread: DEN -3 (38)
What to watch for: The Broncos are the only team to still not have a sack -- and the only team to still not have forced a turnover -- this season. The Jaguars, meanwhile, were tied for the league lead in sacks after three games, and Denver's Joe Flacco is one of only six quarterbacks who have been sacked more than 10 times in three games. -- Jeff Legwold
Bold prediction: The Jaguars will intercept Flacco at least twice. Flacco has struggled against Jacksonville overall (five touchdowns and seven interceptions, along with a 3-3 record), but it's particularly true in the past two meetings: no TD passes, four INTs and just 242 yards. The Jaguars' pass rush got cranked up last weekend (nine sacks) and might be even better than the unit Flacco played in 2017. -- Mike DiRocco
Stat to know: Jacksonville quarterback Gardner Minshew has 65 completions through 88 career pass attempts. Per Elias Sports Bureau research, he needs only six completions in his first 12 attempts in Week 4 to set the NFL record for most through 100 pass attempts.
What to know for fantasy: Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay scored twice in Week 3, but he has yet to gain even 10 yards on any of his 45 carries this season. See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Regarding Denver, since 2015, teams that are 0-3 are 12-2 ATS in their fourth game when playing a team that has won a game that season. Read more.
DiRocco's pick: Jaguars 17, Broncos 14 Legwold's pick: Broncos 21, Jaguars 17 FPI prediction: DEN, 59% (by an average of 3.2 points)
8:20 p.m. ET | NBC Matchup rating: 78.5 | Spread: DAL -2.5 (47)
What to watch for: Last weekend, Teddy Bridgewater proved the Saints can win without Drew Brees by relying heavily on Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. But the Cowboys' defense proved last season that it has the talent to shut down those guys. Dallas is the only team to keep them both at 72 yards or fewer since Kamara's first game in 2017. The Saints must find a way to create some big plays this time. -- Mike Triplett
Bold prediction:Dak Prescott will be sacked more than two times. Why is that bold? Prescott has been sacked only twice this season. But in their past five home games dating to last season, the Saints have put up 19 sacks, including six of Houston's Deshaun Watson. -- Todd Archer
Stat to know: Prescott leads the NFL in Total QBR this season at 90.4 and ranks second in passing touchdowns with nine (behind Patrick Mahomes). The only other Cowboys quarterback with nine passing TDs through three games is Don Meredith, in 1966. Prescott is completing an NFL-best 75% of his passes, up from 68% last season, thanks in part to seeing pressure on just 18% of his dropbacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats research.
What to know for fantasy: So far this season, 60.1% of Kamara's points have come as a pass-catcher (65.2% in Week 3, the first game under Bridgewater). See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Bridgewater is 13-2 ATS in his career as an underdog, the best ATS mark by any quarterback with at least 10 starts as an underdog in the Super Bowl era. Read more.
Archer's pick: Cowboys 30, Saints 28 Triplett's pick: Cowboys 24, Saints 20 FPI prediction: NO, 55.0% (by an average of 1.8 points)
What to watch for: Pittsburgh's offense failed to capitalize on the defense's five takeaways in Week 3. But now the Bengals are in a three-way tie with the 49ers and Dolphins for last place in the league with eight turnovers through the first three weeks. The Steelers will have another opportunity to make more defensive plays Monday, but it'll be up to the offense and quarterback Mason Rudolph to get more than a handful of points out of them. -- Brooke Pryor
Bold prediction: Pittsburgh will not give up a sack. The Bengals' pass rush has been hot and cold this season, and the Steelers have given up only four sacks this season, tied for seventh fewest in the NFL and the best of any AFC team. -- Ben Baby
Stat to know: The Steelers' James Conner is averaging 32.3 rushing yards per game this season after averaging almost 75 last season. Over the past two seasons, the Steelers are 1-7 when Conner rushes for 60 yards or fewer and 7-0-1 when he rushes for more than that.
What to know for fantasy:Andy Dalton ranks second in passing yards this season (978), and the Steelers have given up the second-most passing yards (908). See Week 4 rankings.
Betting nugget: Mike Tomlin is 17-6 ATS in his career against Cincinnati, though Ben Roethlisberger started all of those games. Read more.
Baby's pick: Bengals 17, Steelers 14 Pryor's pick: Steelers 17, Bengals 14 FPI prediction: PIT, 65.1% (by an average of 5.4 points)
NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant reiterated Friday that he does not expect to play this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals last June.
Durant told ESPN that he is progressing and has not experienced any setback in his rehab.
"I'm just strengthening my body," Durant said at the Nets' media day. "Not doing too much on the basketball court."
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson called incorporating Durant into the team a "wonderful challenge," even though he won't play.
Fellow Nets newcomer Kyrie Irving said he is encouraging Durant to take his time returning to the court.
"There isn't going to be any pressure from any of us at any time, and I will make sure of that," Irving said.
"I have been in the same position of being the guy that's injured on the team and everyone looking at you like, 'Are you going to come back anytime soon? If you come back then this is going to be our championship-caliber team. If you were playing, then this would happen.'"
Durant said this season his job is to get healthy and "be a teammate."
"I'm not going to do anything extra," he said. "Just do what I usually do. Work hard in my rehab, hopefully that sends a great message out. If anyone has a question on anything, whether in practice or a game, I know the game pretty well, so I can answer those questions quickly and honestly as I can and just try to approach it as an everyday manner and then try to take it a day at a time. I'm just going to be myself."
It was no secret that Irving, who signed with the Nets over the summer, had a rocky parting with the Boston Celtics. At the beginning of last season, the All-Star point guard told Boston fans that he was planning to re-sign with the franchise. He meant it at the time, he explained on Friday. But things changed. His grandfather died in late October and basketball became less important to Irving.
"Basketball and the joy I had from it was sucked away from me," Irving said at media day. "There was a facial expression that I carried around with me throughout the year. Didn't allow anyone to get close to me in that instance, and it really bothered me. I didn't take the necessary steps to get counseling or get therapy to deal with somebody that close to me dying. I've never dealt with anything like that."
Things began to spiral, the locker room became fractured and Irving was unpredictable. The Milwaukee Bucks bounced the Celtics in the second round of the 2019 playoffs; by that time, Irving seemed to have already distanced himself from his teammates.
"I responded in ways that are uncharacteristic," he said.
That distant and moody Irving was not the same guy who showed up to the dais for his news conference on Friday. Instead, he seemed reflective.
"A lot of the battles I thought I could battle through in the [Boston] team environment, I just wasn't ready for," Irving said. "And I failed those guys, in the sense that I didn't give them everything I could have during that season. ... In terms of me being a leader in that environment and bringing everyone together, I failed."
He is ready, he said, to snuff out the memory of turbulent days in Boston. He learned from that, he said, and now is ready to move on. He has come to Brooklyn, he said, with a "fresh mindset" -- a mindset geared toward "honesty."
By Irving's account, he spoke with Brooklyn's front office early on in free agency and expressed his "interest was very high." Irving said he told Nets representatives that he was aiming to bring other All-Star talent with him. That came to fruition, as Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan both ended up signing with the Nets.
"It was really easy to see what these guys brought to the table," Durant, who is expected to miss the season because of an Achilles tendon injury, said of his decision to join Brooklyn. "It was pretty easy to figure out what kind of organization this place is."
Durant went on to say that Irving is his best friend. The two of them expect to have a natural chemistry on the court. But Irving said firmly that he will never be pushing Durant to rush his rehab.
"We all know K was not ready to play," Irving said of Durant's return for the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals. "We all know that, whether people want to admit it or not. He was out 31 days and we put him on a national stage in the Finals to end up selling a product that came before the person, Kevin. Now, I'm here to protect that. And I'm going to be the protector of that all throughout the year and not allowing anyone to infiltrate that circle."
"It's going to be scary, that's all I can tell you," Westbrook said during Rockets media day Friday. "It's going to be scary -- not for us."
Seven years have passed since Westbrook and Harden last played together with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals. Harden and Westbrook, who have been friends since their childhoods in Los Angeles, have developed into perennial All-Star guards, and both have won an NBA MVP award.
But neither superstar has made it back to the NBA Finals since the Thunder's 2012 loss to the Heat.
They pushed to reunite with the Rockets, who traded Chris Paul and a package of first-round picks to acquire Westbrook from the Thunder, in large part due to their desire to finally win a championship.
"We've accomplished a lot of individual accolades," said Harden, who led the league in scoring the past two seasons after Westbrook did so during his 2016-17 MVP season. "Now it's time to accomplish something together that we haven't accomplished before."
Some questioned the pairing of two of the league's most ball-dominant players, as Harden has elevated from a Sixth Man of the Year to perennial MVP candidate since he last played with Westbrook. Harden acknowledged that they would have to "figure it out" regarding ball distribution and how the playmakers will complement each other offensively, but it's not a concern for him because of their friendship and mutual desire to win.
"If Russ got it going and Russ is having one of those games that we've all seen before, guess what I'm going to do: sit back and watch the show, and vice versa," Harden said. "It's just a part of basketball. So you can't sit up here and say, 'Oh, Russ is going to have the ball for the first half and I'm going to have the ball the second half.' No, things happen through the course of the game that you just flow with and go with.
"All of us in this locker room and this front office has one goal, and that's to win it. However that happens, it's going to happen, and we're just going to figure it out."
The process of figuring it out could be limited in the preseason by Westbrook's availability as he continues to recover from the arthroscopic knee surgery he had after the Thunder were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last spring.
Coach Mike D'Antoni said Westbrook was only recently cleared for 5-on-5 work. The Rockets intend to proceed cautiously with Westbrook, who is likely to sit out some practices and preseason games.
"I feel like I'm in a good place," Westbrook said of his health. "I'll be ready to go on opening night."
The Rockets are optimistic that Westbrook, one of the game's premier penetrators, will greatly benefit by playing in D'Antoni's wide-open offensive system while being surrounded by the kind of perimeter shooters that recent Thunder teams have lacked.
Houston general manager Daryl Morey noted that guards historically have had career years playing for D'Antoni, then chuckled when he added that it would be difficult for Westbrook considering his previous production. Houston also anticipates that Westbrook, the best rebounding guard in the league, will provide a turbo boost for a team that ranked 27th in pace last season.
"James Harden is, like, the best half-court player I've ever seen, honestly," Morey said. "And then Russell is maybe the best transition player, one of the best of all time, as well. If you put those things together, which I think we have a chance to do, now you've got something really special. We'll see how it all works out, but I think it could be really special."
D'Antoni plans to stagger the minutes of his star guards, as he did with Harden and Paul. He expects Westbrook to rest about 16 minutes per game and Harden about 13 per game, so they might play together for only about a quarter and a half.
That will include crunch time, with D'Antoni citing the last five minutes of games as the "most important thing" the Rockets need to figure out about the Harden-Westbrook dynamic. But D'Antoni emphasized that he will not ask Westbrook to drastically alter his playing style.
"It'll work itself out. You try not to overcoach it," D'Antoni said. "We need Russell to be Russell. We don't want to change him. He's an MVP. That's who we need. We need his bravura to be Russell. That's good enough."
Skeptics of the fit focus on how Westbrook, a career 30.8% 3-point shooter, will impact the Rockets' offensive spacing when he is playing off the ball. Westbrook waved away those worries by saying that he impacts the game in many ways.
"I don't have to have the ball to impact the game," said Westbrook, who has averaged triple-doubles in each of the past three seasons. "I don't have to score, I don't have to do anything. I can defend, I can rebound, I can pass, I can lead. Our main goal, main focus, is to win. I can go be scoreless, and if we win, that's the best thing that ever happened. That's all I cared about, and that's all I ever cared about.
"When it comes to me and James playing together, who's going to have the ball, who's not going to have the ball, it really doesn't matter. I don't have to prove I can score 30 points. I've done that before. I don't have to prove to average 10 assists. I've done that before. I don't have to prove to get 10, 11 rebounds. I've done that before. My goal is to win a championship, so whatever it takes to do that, that's what I'm going to do."
Judge maintained the top spot despite missing more than a third of the season. The 2017 American League Rookie of the Year entered Friday batting .272 with 26 home runs for the AL East champions.
Harper set a uniform sales record for any athlete in a 24-hour window after signing a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in February. Since Opening Day, he has ranked second in sales behind Judge, followed by National League MVP contender Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers had the fifth-most popular jersey. He didn't crack the top 20 last season.
Somewhat significantly, the International Table Tennis Federation was the first such organisation to accept Kosovo, the membership being officially accepted at the Liebherr 2003 World Championships in Paris.
The acceptance followed a coach education course organised under the ethos of the ITTF Development Programme earlier in the year in February under the guidance of Croatia’s Roman Plese; later he visited in May 2003 and July 2004. More recently, Aleksey Yefremov led a similar project in July 2011 as did Christian Lillieroos of the United States in November 2017.
Participating internationally
Support from the International Table Tennis Federation, it is a fact of which Kastriot Orana, Board Member of the Table Tennis Federation of Kosovo, was well aware when interviewed by local television.
“The International Table Tennis Federation was the first international federation to give recognition; so since the admission of our federation into the international arena we have been actively participating in European and World competitions. We have good co-operation and good relationships with the European Table Tennis Union and the International Table Tennis Federation. We consider activities, such as European Week of Sports, very important to get kids and parents closer to sports in general, including table tennis.” Kastriot Orana
Fair play award
Admitted the world scene; Kosovo has made its mark. At the Qoros 2015 World Championships, in the preliminary round of the mixed doubles event, Linor Citaku and Vlona Maloku were drawn to play Kenya’s Harshal Shah and Sejal Thakkar. Unfortunately, the Kenyans rackets did not meet the required standards; Linor Citaku and Vlona Maloku offered their opponents their spare rackets, Harshal Shah and Sejal Thakkar accepted the offer, the match progressed.
The Kosovo duo prevailed in straight games (11-5, 11-7, 11-3), before in the next round losing to Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs but not without causing some concern by extracting the third game (11-6, 11-3, 12-10, 9-11, 11-4).
Deservedly, the outcome was at the Lisbon 2015 ITTF Star Awards, presented by Isabel Beumier on behalf of the ITTF Umpires and Referees Committee, they received the Fair Play trophy.
Recognition
A notable success under the leadership of Nehat Çitaku, the President of the Table Tennis Federation of Kosovo, as are the present attempts to use table tennis as a vehicle to encourage physical activity and a give the state an increasing sense of identity.
“Kosovo through sport shows that it is physically in Europe even though we are not yet part of it; with such activities we express once again that we are undoubtedly part of Europe.” Nehat Çitaku
Notably there has been a most positive response Samire Jupolli, a representative of the Kosovo Deaf Association, was particular pleased.
“I am pleased with the participation in all kinds of activities including #BeActive’s activity for which we are here today. We are thankful to Table Tennis Federation of Kosovo for the equal opportunity.” Samire Jupolli
Equally, Gresa Statovci, simply enjoying playing table tennis and with no great additional motive was delighted.
“I think it is very important for all the citizens of Kosovo to be involved in sports as much as possible. I see a new spirit coming into our society regarding sport, not just for health but also for well-being and for a positive energy in our small country.” Gresa Statovci
A step forward for Kosovo, a step forward for an area of the world that seeks peace and stability; table tennis very much plays a pivotal role. .
The two victorious nations from the 2017 European Championships successfully retained their status as continental champions as Germany and Romania secured men’s and women’s team gold respectively at the Liebherr 2019 European Championships.
Possessing a perfect record in the lead up to the men’s team final, Germany also emerged with a 3-0 win over Portugal in the title decider as Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska combined to beat Marcos Freitas, Joao Monteiro and Tiago Apolonia with devastating effect.
Romania came mightily close to achieving an unblemished record in the women’s team event with Poland the only side not to fall 3-0 at the hands of the top seeds. At the final hurdle, the Romanian line-up of Bernadette Szocs, Daniela Monteiro Dodean and Elizabeta Samara held off a brave effort from Portugal’s Shao Jieni, Fu Yu and Leila Oliveira to further cement their place at the summit of the European game.
Lily Zhang is a real star!
Long held in high regard, Lily Zhang showed the world exactly why at the 2019 ITTF Pan American Championships with a quartet of title victories at the prestigious tournament.
The 23-year-old United States star was truly mesmerising throughout the course of the event, storming to women’s singles gold without dropping a single game across her five encounters! Lily Zhang also played a key role in helping Team USA to women’s team glory following impressive outings against big-time rivals in Puerto Rico and Brazil.
Seeded first for the draw Lily and Wu Yue lived up to expectations in the women’s doubles race by standing atop the medals podium while the mixed doubles contest saw Lily and partner Kai Zhang win an all United States final against Nikhil Kumar and Amy Wang. Successful in all four events she was eligible to compete in, Lily Zhang was surely the player of the tournament.
Japanese players love competing in Asuncion
Making its debut on the ITTF Challenge Series calendar the 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Paraguay Open was a huge success and if there’s one thing we’ve learnt following the close of the competition it is that players representing Japan seem to very much enjoy Asuncion as a setting.
All in all Japan captured five gold medals in the Paraguayan capital: Masataka Morizono was responsible for two of those celebrations with victories in the men’s singles and men’s doubles events, partnering Slovak Republic’s Lubomir Pistej in the latter, while two more came courtesy of Maki Shiomi who emerged triumphant in the Under 21 women’s singles draw before combining with Honoka Hashimoto to women’s doubles success. Hina Hayata contributed the fifth with a simply dazzling display in the women’s singles, seeing off Hashimoto 4-2 in the final.
China still the dominant force in Asia
There were so many stories to tell at the 2019 ITTF-ATTU Asian Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia but one stood out above the rest and that was the unrelenting might off Team China with all seven titles going their way!
Untouchable in both team events, China were just as dominant in the two singles competitions with Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto the only player from outside the country to reach the semi-finals. World no.1 Xu Xin kept up his stunning run of form to beat Lin Gaoyuan to the men’s singles crown but in the women’s singles there was somewhat of an upset as 18-year-old Sun Yingsha toppled the likes of Wang Manyu, Ding Ning and World champion Liu Shiwen to lift the trophy.
Defeat for Liu Shiwen but she did enjoy some success, pairing up once again with Xu Xin to form a formidable alliance in the mixed doubles campaign. The two remaining doubles events were won by the second seeded entries as Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan took home men’s doubles gold while Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling showed great class in the women’s doubles.
Rob Davies is European No.1 in Class 1!
One of the finest wheelchair players the world has to offer, Great Britain’s Rob Davies once again demonstrated his strength by adding another continental title to his collection.
Competing at the 2019 ITTF European Para Table Tennis Championships Davies emerged as Class 1 champion at the event for the fourth consecutive time, prevailing over Hungary’s Endre Major at the final hurdle. The highest ranked European player in the Class 1 world rankings, Davies continues to lead the way as one of the continent’s top players.
Top seed Nic Mueller makes a massive lunge towards the ball against Ivan Yuen
Yow powers on as Yuen falls to Mueller By KNG ZHENG GUAN – Squash Mad Correspondent
KUALA LUMPUR – Ng Eain Yow, Low Wee Wern and Rachel Arnold kept the home hopes alive in the Malaysian Open on a day when the seeded players lived up to their billing in the quarter-finals.
The 21-year-old Eain Yow had a lot riding on his shoulders, especially with Malaysia not having a men’s winner since 2010.
And the world No. 37 certainly put in the good work as he produced a smart performance in seeing off Pakistan’s Tayyab Aslam 11-9, 12-10, 11-2 at the National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil on Friday.
The fourth seed looked hesitant on his shots in the early stages and it allowed sixth seed Tayyab to play his way into the contest.
Twice however, Eain Yow kept a cool head as he edged out the first two games before stepping it up in the third for an easy 11-2 finish.
“I think I made it tougher for myself today. The last few times I played Tayyab it was always a close 3-2 and I was a bit nervous and cautious at the start,” said Eain Yow.
“But once I got into the rhythm, the third was easy. I probably should have started playing like this from the start but I’m still happy to go through in three games.
“Of course it always a physical tussle with Tayyab as well. He’s a smart player who uses his body well and if I put the ball loose in the middle he’s going to shut me off.
“So I thought I did well in that aspect, kept my emotions in check at times when there were a lot of contact.”
Eain Yow, who finished runner-up in the 2017 edition, goes on to meet unheralded Rui Soares from Portugal in the semi-finals.
World No. 92 Soares, who already has two upsets to his name in the competition, again produced one of the finest comebacks as he stopped world No. 80 Carlos Cornes of Spain 4-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-4, 12-10.
This means both Eain Yow and Soares will be battling to reach their first ever PSA Challenger 30 final.
There was no joy for another Malaysian in fifth seed Ivan Yuen after he ran out of steam against second seed Nicolas Mueller with the Swiss ace winning 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8.
World No. 28 Mueller, who had saved three game balls to sneak in the first, had looked to be cruising after going 2-0 up.
Ivan however threw everything at him and hit a few amazing winners to level the tie and force a deciding rubber.
Unfortunately, it was Mueller who started stronger in the fifth and he duly wrapped it up in 66 minutes.
“It was a very tough game as Ivan is so talented. I was lucky to win the first and I snuck in a 2-0 lead but I knew Ivan was always going to come back firing,” said Mueller.
“I didn’t had such a good start in the third and fourth and Ivan was hitting winners from everywhere.
“Maybe I played the big points better, maybe I was a bit hungrier or maybe it was just a bit more luck. But after two five-setters, I’m definitely in the tournament and I’m all warmed up now.”
The 30-year-old goes on to meet Egyptian third seed Youssef Soliman in the semi-finals. World No. 31 Youssef slogged it out in the day’s longest game, needing a good 75 minutes before seeing off Spain’s Edmon Lopez, clinching a marathon fifth game to win 11-5, 11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 17-15.
“I was really tested physically and mentally today. At 2-0 up I thought I would be fine for a 3-0 win but I was surprised with the way Edmon came back,” admitted Youssef.
“He put up an amazing performance and it was unbelievable the way he adapted. The fifth game was a bit of a drama but I’m proud of myself for coming through.”
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In the women’s competition, the Malaysian challenge is very much alive with defending champion Low Wee Wern and third seed Rachel Arnold both making it to the last four.
Second seed Wee Wern overcame a slight drop of focus in taking out Egyptian youngster Menna Hamed 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3.
She will go on to meet fourth seed Vanessa Chu of Hong Kong, who ended the gallant run of 14-year-old teenager Aira Azman in an 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 win.
“Menna had a good run on the PSA lately and you can never take an Egyptian for granted as they are always willing to go all out,” said Wee Wern.
“I think I was unlucky in the third and I should have closed it out but I started and finished the fourth strongly.
“Overall my game is falling in place better. I’m hitting better and that it turn helps me move better and it’s really about me finding my game when I take on Vanessa.”
World No. 46 Rachel on the other hand enjoyed the fastest game of the day she dispatched compatriot Ooi Kah Yan 11-3, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5.
“I slowed down a bit in the third and she attacked more which caused me to panic a bit but I’m glad to have gotten it back in the fourth,” said Rachel.
“It feels good to get some good results because I haven’t been playing all that well recently and it’s definitely nice to be in the semi-finals here in KL.”
Rachel, who will feature in her second PSA Challenger 20 semi-final, goes up against top seed Rowan Elaraby of Egypt for a place in the final.
The two-time world junior champion had another massive scare as she once again went the full distance before beating American Sabrina Sobhy 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2, 11-4.
“I knew it was tough because I lost to Sabrina two years ago when she wasn’t even training full time yet,” said Rowan.
“It’s definitely tougher now since she’s finished her studies so I’m happy to get through because I do want to prove myself on the PSA.”
Malaysian Open 2019, Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
$30k Men’s Quarter Finals: Rui Soares (POR) beat [9/16] Carlos Cornes (ESP) 4-11 4-11 11-6 11-4 12-10 [4] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [6] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 11-9 12-10 11-2 [3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP) 11-5 11-7 5-11 9-11 17-15 [2] Nicolas Müller (SUI) v [5] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 12-10 11-6 8-11 6-11 11-8 $20k Women’s Quarter Finals: [1] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [8] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 2-11 11-7 12-10 9-11 11-7 [3] Rachel Arnold (MAS) v [9/16] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) 11-3 11-3 7-11 11-5 [4] Vanessa Chu (HKG) v Aira Azman (MAS) 11-8 5-11 11-9 11-9 [2] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [7] Menna Hamed (EGY) 11-5 11-3 8-11 11-3
Coach Joe Schmidt has opted not to risk fly-half Johnny Sexton because of a thigh strain so Jack Carty is handed only a second Test match start.
Backs Rob Kearney, Keith Earls and Chris Farrell also replace Jordan Larmour, Andrew Conway and Bundee Aki.
A surprise Japan change sees skipper Michael Leitch left on the bench.
Instead, head coach Jamie Joseph opts to bring fit-again Amanaki Mafi into the back row, with flanker Pieter Labuschagne leading the Brave Blossoms for the first time.
Japan beat Russia in tournament curtain-raiser
Japan defeated Russia 30-10 in last Friday's tournament opener helped by Kotaro Matsushima's hat-trick of tries.
Mafi's inclusion for Leitch, which sees Kazuki Himeno move from the back of the scrum to blind-side flanker, is one of three personnel changes in the pack.
Koo Jiwon comes into the front row for Asaeli Ai Valu as Luke Thompson replaces Wimpie van der Walt at lock.
Wing Lomano Lemeki also makes way as Rhoyei Yamanaka comes in at full-back with Will Tupuo moving to the left wing.
Japan broke into the world's top 10 under Joseph's predecessor Eddie Jones, and have become almost a permanent fixture there under former All Black Joseph.
But they no longer carry the element of surprise following their heroics at the last World Cup four years ago, when they produced the biggest upset in the tournament's history by stunning South Africa 34-32.
Hosts claim Healy scrummages illegally
After regrouping from a worrying pre-tournament build-up to hammer the Scots in Yokohama, Ireland will be expected to have too much power for the hosts.
The build-up to the match has included Japanese claims of Irish scrummage illegality from host country prop Yusuke Kizu and coach Joseph.
Kizu said that Cian Healy "steps out" and illegally angles in at scrum-time, although Joe Schmidt dismissed the claim.
"Yes, at times they are illegal, but at all times they are a very strong scrum," said Joseph.
"But we've really improved our scrum and line-out recently. And it's an area we've been focusing on all week."
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt: "We always knew we were going to have to manage this start to the tournament because of a six and a five-day turnaround.
"We do know that the challenge this weekend is going to be particularly tough."
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph: "Our goal is that we want to do something that's never been done in Japan before and that's top eight. That's what we're about.
"We're focusing on us and making sure they are prepared physically, mentally and tactically to play the best game of their lives."
Match stats
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