Across the 43-year history of their rivalry, Barcelona have never knocked Liverpool out of Europe, never defeated the Reds at the Camp Nou. Four home matches: two defeats, two draws, one solitary goal scored -- 12 years ago, by Deco. It's an angry blemish scarring an otherwise superb European record from a club that, like Liverpool, is pursuing its sixth Champions League trophy.

And the harsh truth, amid the champagne and backslapping of their La Liga title win on Saturday, is that if Barcelona perform against Jurgen Klopp's team this week like they did in beating Levante 1-0, then both those bleak records are guaranteed to continue. Their bid for a third Treble, when no other club has more than one, will be in tatters.

Does that sound a little ungracious given that for Barcelona's squad, staff and fans, this is a time of momentous achievement? Eight domestic titles in 11 seasons -- particularly, played in a league in which the quality is enormously high, in which it's proven that any team, however humble, can beat any other, and that is populated by serial UEFA trophy winners such as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla -- is awesome.

However, facts must be faced. I'm stating the same truth that Ernesto Valverde, Gerard Pique, Luis Suarez & Co. will be digesting and trying to avoid at all costs.

What happened on Saturday, while Paco Lopez's Levante played absolutely superbly, going toe to toe with a squad that was assembled for hundreds of times the cost and is paid hundreds of millions more, was precisely what Lionel Messi has recently warned against. Barca's genius stepped off the pitch seconds after the final whistle against Manchester United in the quarterfinal and shrugged off praise from his interviewer so that he could go straight to the nub of the matter.

The gist of his message was: They have spoken among themselves about not playing as sloppily as they did in the first 10 minutes against United. They need to not repeat this again because a bad spell of eight or nine minutes in the Champions League and you're out.

The thrashings at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Roma in recent seasons were the stimulus for his critical message. United, a team in stasis, had been dealt with, but no such advantageous circumstances lay ahead in the semifinal. Liverpool are better, faster, stronger and more confident.

It's worth going back to Messi's words because, against Levante, Barcelona were wasteful, slow and lacking intensity -- and that's before their level dropped.

Putting it politely, Liverpool's scouts must have left the Camp Nou licking their lips in anticipation. Klopp's players -- or at least those who weren't spending Saturday praying that Burnley would do them a favour against Manchester City -- would have been forgiven for messaging their agents to book flights and hotel rooms in Madrid, where the final will be held, for family and friends.

One reason for writing so scathingly about Barcelona's weekend performance is the clash against Klopp's red machine already felt like Superman meeting kryptonite for the first time.

In case you're not familiar with the 81-year-old extraterrestrial, he went by the name Clark Kent and who has made millions for DC Comics and Hollywood filmmakers. He left mortals standing, but kryptonite mysteriously weakened him -- just as Liverpool's pressing, athleticism, high-tempo passing, three-man front line and height at set pieces can potentially do to Barcelona.

Indeed, just in case you've forgotten modern football history, never mind Superhero antecedents, it's not just PSG, Juve and Roma who are our reference points.

It's true Barcelona's home record could make the Camp Nou seem like an unassailable citadel. No team in Europe has an equivalent record of 31 home games in UEFA competition without defeat.

Liverpool, as powerful as they are and as much as the two rivals' states at present makes them feel like favourites, face a club that has won 28 and drawn three in the past six years, scoring 91 while conceding just 15 times. Pretty remarkable.

However, Barcelona's lone conquerors in that span were Jupp Heynckes' Bayern Munich. They were not identical to this Liverpool team, but not far off it: high tempo, physical, confident and wholly aware of where Barca's Achilles heel was in 2013.

It's coincidental that one of the jokers in Jurgen Klopp's pack, capable of springing surprises on unwary opponents and a different kind of footballer from those around him at Anfield, is Xherdan Shaqiri. He played for Bayern in that aggregate 7-0 semifinal rout.

If Klopp quizzes his Swiss international, Shaqiri will surely tell him that the 2013 version of Barcelona had also run away with their league title, but that they hated being harassed at high tempo, weren't at their athletic peak, were capable of being bullied, were vulnerable at set plays and needed to be overwhelmed.

I'd estimate Klopp's sermon to his players this week has been almost identical in content and tone to the one delivered by Heynckes. Bayern then, like Liverpool now, played 4-3-3, darting in behind the normally foraging Barca full-backs. The Catalans then, like Saturday at least, weren't at their peak of energy and stamina.

A year after Bayern thrashed Tito Vilanova's Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate, Xavi told me, vehemently, that the fundamental difference between the sides was that he and his teammates were exhausted and not at their physical best, and the Bavarians were absolutely flying in terms of pace, stamina and freshness. I was doubtful; the problems appeared to run more deeply. But it was only two seasons later that a buzzing Barca squad, not heavily changed but much more energetic after Luis Enrique had heavily rotated their first XI for months, pretty clinically dispatched Pep Guardiola's Bayern side in what was an epic Champions League semifinal en route to Barcelona's second Treble.

This lesson seems to be the key. If Barca are fresh, rather than frazzled, it's Liverpool who are underdogs. Otherwise, it's vice-versa. While Valverde has undoubtedly reduced the minutes of his vital, slightly more senior squad members, has it been sufficient?

If Messi is to fulfill his promise to bring the European Cup back to the Camp Nou, then there needs to be a massive leap forward in intensity, pace of passing, attention to detail, pressing and finishing.

Liverpool, judging by their domestic and European form, are coming to the boil. Barcelona, if you inserted a thermometer, would show a tepid temperature.

What Barcelona have achieved in winning the title both early and by a decent margin, while making this European semifinal plus reaching the Copa del Rey final, is exceedingly special. So few clubs have won Trebles because it's unbelievably difficult; there will be days when you win by luck, thanks to referees' blunders or, well, when you don't really know how you've got through.

So if you take a close look at Barca's recent level of performance -- away to United, at home to Atletico, in drawing 0-0 against Huesca, shipping four against Villarreal, ambling around against Real Sociedad and conceding sufficient chances to lose against Levante -- then the conclusion is that any team in this situation would be counted as distant second favourites to eliminate a phenomenon like Liverpool.

However, what's special about Messi, Pique, Suarez, Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitic, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Sergio Busquets isn't just their talent, it's their mentality.

They know that leaving massive gaps between the lines like they did against Levante, being robbed of the ball, giving it away lackadaisically, getting jittery and allowing the importance of the occasion to gnaw away at their intensity and excellence, well, that will end their European season. Good bye, Wanda Metropolitano on June 1. Good bye, Treble.

The thing about Superman is that he always found a way not to let the kryptonite finish him off -- by hook or by crook, his cape would always flutter, he'd soar above his apparently dominant rivals, his superpowers would always save the day.

Barcelona's task between now and Wednesday is to refocus, to accept that mental sharpness, intensity, concentration and experience must rouse in them a 180-degree transformation from the error-strewn, sloppy, below-par 90 minutes that won them the Spanish title to one of the performances of their entire lives against a Liverpool side who arrive at the Camp Nou, whether they admit it or not, expecting to win.

There's no pressure on him or on the team at the World Cup, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said, but hoped the players would put up a show that would help change perceptions about them.

There has been speculation about Mashrafe's future at the top level following his election as a Member of Parliament in January this year, and given how the Bangladesh Cricket Board has often reacted to results in major tournaments, a lot might depend on the team's result in England and Wales. But even if he does continue playing, there wouldn't be any more World Cups for him, the medium-pace-bowling allrounder stressed.

"This is definitely my last World Cup. I have to perform as a player, and of course, my role as captain is going to be important too," he said. "I have to fulfil my duties, but there's nothing more I can do. There will be pressure at the World Cup. I don't have any personal goals. I never want to take any extra pressure. I am a believer in luck, so what is meant to happen, will happen.

"Social media will neither harm us, nor will it be of any help to our cricket. It would be better not to focus on it" MASHRAFE MORTAZA

"We must work really hard, and it is important to find out if we are prepared to do that. The best teams sometimes don't make it to the semifinals, let alone win the World Cup. There's no pressure on us to win the World Cup, or even reach the semifinals. We just want to play well."

Mashrafe called on the players to try and make Bangladesh a better-regarded side by the time the World Cup gets over. "If you ask all the experts, analysts and former players about their favourites for this World Cup, none of them will pick us," he said. "I think we can change some perceptions if we can do something this time, more than how much it changed in the past. It is a great opportunity for us."

Some Bangladesh players have, over the years, been trolled incessantly by fans on social media, and Mashrafe suggested that, as far as possible, the players should avoid such distractions for the duration of the World Cup.

"Social media will neither harm us, nor will it be of any help to our cricket. It would be better not to focus on it," Mashrafe said. "It is a matter of personal choice. I am on social media but it doesn't affect me. I know it is the same for Shakib [Al Hasan]. It might affect others. There are no team rules for it.

"Since it creates trouble, it is better to stay away from it. We have to be totally focused on the World Cup for two months."

There has been talk in cricket circles in the country that the current Bangladesh squad is their best ever. While the lack of debate and controversy following the selection announcement on April 16 has contributed to this notion, Mashrafe pointed out that the side has largely remained unchanged since the 2017 Champions Trophy, as well as the Asia Cup where they lost to India in the final.

"There is little importance placed on whether this is our best squad or not. We had a similar squad in the Asia Cup and nearly won it. We made the semifinals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, with mostly these players," he said. "They have not become the best team by doing anything extraordinary in the last two years. The best team doesn't always do well. Only those who perform in the field, get the best results."

Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan will join England's ODI squad for Friday's match against Ireland and a T20 clash with Pakistan on Sunday, while James Vince will enter the squad for the upcoming five-game one-day series with Pakistan.

Their inclusions come in the wake of Alex Hales' axing and an untimely injury to opening batsman Jason Roy.

Hales was withdrawn from all England squads ahead of the international season following his 21-day ban for using recreational drugs.

Malan was part of England's touring party to the Caribbean at the start of this year, although he did not play, and he made an unbeaten 160 in Middlesex's County Championship season opener. Duckett played the last of his three ODIs in 2016. He top scored with 86 as Nottinghamshire reached 433 for 7 in a Royal London Cup match against Leicestershire last week.

Vince, who was originally selected for the Ireland ODI and the T20I against Pakistan, was added to England's squad for the ODIs against Pakistan after scoring a career-best 190 for Hampshire in their Royal London Cup victory over Gloucestershire last week.

While none of the three have been included in England's preliminary 15-man squad for the World Cup, the upcoming matches against Ireland and Pakistan represent an opportunity for all players involved to press their case for selection before the squad is finalised on May 23.

Roy suffered a hamstring injury during England's tour of West Indies in February and, shortly into his comeback with Surrey, was troubled by back spasms. He will continue to receive treatment before meeting up with the England squad ahead of the first ODI agianst Pakistan at the the Kia Oval on May 8.

Fast bowler Mark Wood also withdrew from the squad for the ODI against Ireland and T20I against Pakistan. He will play two Royal London Cup matches for Durham before joining the England squad in London next week for the Pakistan ODI series.

England 13-man squad for Ireland ODI and Pakistan T20I: Eoin Morgan, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, James Vince, David Willey.

England 17-man squad for Pakistan ODI series: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Alex Hales is said to be "devastated" by his axing from all England squads in the wake of his drugs ban.

Hales' management company, the 366 Group, said they were "hugely disappointed" by England selectors' decision to drop him from the England squads for the World Cup and lead-up matches.

"We are hugely disappointed at the treatment of our client, Alex Hales, by the ECB following his ejection from England's preliminary World Cup squad," the company said in a statement.

"Nobody is seeking to excuse Alex's behaviour in this instance. He absolutely acknowledges and recognises he made a huge mistake. But as part of the ongoing process, both he and his representatives have been involved in many conversations with senior members of the ECB over the past few weeks where Alex has apologised profusely for his actions.

"The ECB insisted on Alex taking certain rehabilitation measures following his suspension. In line with both the ECB and PCA guidelines, those measures must remain confidential. However, at every stage, Alex fulfilled his obligations and both he and his representatives were given assurances that any suspension - again under the ECB's guidelines - could not affect his selection for the World Cup."

Hales' management reiterated their client's belief that his ban would not affect his World Cup berth, saying he "took away the message his World Cup place would be judged on playing merit".

"The fact all those assurances seem to have been rendered meaningless has understandably left Alex devastated," the statement said. "He will take time to reflect on both his actions and the subsequent decisions but will receive the support from his team he deserves.

"Until the matter became public, the ECB had fully observed their own process and guidelines and given Alex the support and guidance laid out in those regulations. It is now disappointing to learn these guidelines seem to have been disregarded while, in this instance, player welfare would also appear to be low on their list of priorities.

"While Alex is hurt, the ECB's decision does not dilute his commitment to the game and he will continue to give everything to Nottinghamshire's cause. He would also like to wish England team-mates well for the World Cup."

Hales was withdrawn from all England squads after being slapped with a 21-day ban for using recreational drugs. As a result, he will not travel to Ireland for a one-off ODI on Friday in Malahide and has also been removed from England's squad for the T20I, the one-day series against Pakistan, and the preliminary World Cup squad.

James Duckett and Dawid Malan were subsequently called up to the squad for the ODI against Ireland and T20I against Pakistan. James Vince, who was already part of the squad for those matches, was also included for the five-match one-day series against Pakistan starting on May 8.

According to an ECB statement, Ashley Giles, ECB's managing director of England men's cricket, and the England selectors, headed by Ed Smith, took the decision to omit Hales after considering what is in the best interests of the England team.

"Consideration was given to creating the right environment within the team and ensuring that there are no unnecessary distractions and that the team is in the best position to succeed going into this crucial period," read the statement.

"We have thought long and hard about this decision," Giles said. "We have worked hard to create the right environment around the England team and need to consider what is in the best interests of the team, to ensure they are free from any distractions and able to focus on being successful on the pitch.

"I want to make it clear this is not the end of Alex's career as an England player. The ECB and the PCA will continue to aid Alex and work alongside his county club Nottinghamshire to give him the support he needs, to help him fulfil his potential as a professional cricketer."

England have until May 23 to finalise their World Cup 15, and so the coming series against Ireland and the Pakistan matches represent a huge opportunity for a replacement batsman to make his case for selection. The current front-runner would appear to be Hampshire's Vince, who made a career-best 190 from 154 balls against Gloucestershire last week.

Cricket Australia has told the BCCI that India would need to play an extra ODI in a future series in Australia if it is unable to reschedule the three-match ODI series to be held in India next January.

That extra match, CA indicated, would be to compensate for the loss of as much as USD 1 million for failing to host a 50-over international series in a home summer for the first time in more than 40 years - the ODI series Australia were due to play at home with New Zealand is likely to be scrapped because of the tour of India.

The proposal was mentioned in an email from CA chairman Earl Eddings to the BCCI last week. Eddings is understood to have marked the email to BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhury along with Rahul Johri, the chief executive officer.

However, top BCCI officials maintain that schedules can't be changed, with India having already signed off on the ICC's FTP schedule with other member boards. As per the new FTP, Australia are scheduled to travel to India next year to play a three-ODI series between January 12 and 17. They will leave for India immediately after a home series against New Zealand, comprising three Tests, and the originally planned three ODIs which are now in jeopardy.

The New Zealand Tests are in the Boxing Day-New Year slot where the third Test will likely run from January 3 to 7, leaving only four days before the start of the ODI series in India.

This schedule was finalised during meetings organised by ICC in February. At that point, all member boards had worked out the schedule with an allowance for tweaks of only a day or two. What should have been a straightforward scheduling matter has turned out to be a mess from CA's point of view.

Incidentally, CA has not yet announced dates for next summer's Big Bash League, or formal dates for home series against Pakistan and New Zealand. That could be the reason, senior BCCI officials suspect, for CA to now want to tinker with the India tour dates.

There is a possibility that as part of its broadcast contract with Fox, CA needs to ensure contracted players play in the BBL - as it stands, the India tour is likely to clash with the T20 tournament. Consequently, top CA officials have been knocking on BCCI doors searching for a solution. It is believed that both Eddings and chief executive Kevin Roberts are likely to travel to India to witness the IPL final, on May 12, and urge the BCCI to consider other options.

One of those is to defer the Australia series to March, after a South Africa tour to India of three ODIs and three T20Is. But that is unlikely and the BCCI has reminded CA that India players need to get a two-week break before and after the IPL, a policy that is only relaxed in extraordinary circumstances like in the ongoing season, when the general elections and the upcoming World Cup left very little time to play with.

As negotiations have continued, CA has linked the release of top Australian women players for the exhibition T20 matches during the IPL to the non-rescheduling of the men's ODI series.

In an email response to the BCCI's request on whether Australian women players would be released to play in the challenge, Belinda Clark, the CA's interim high-performance head, wrote to say a decision would be taken once both boards had "resolved" the schedule for the men's ODIs.

Before hosting South Africa, India are also scheduled to travel to New Zealand between late January and early March for two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. The BCCI has reminded CA that the FTP was finalised in the presence of other boards, including those of New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the ICC senior management. Broadcast rights for Australia's series in India have also been sold and BCCI members - the state associations - have approved it.

CA was hopeful of a resolution earlier this month. "We have been working hard to re-jig the schedule to fit a change in dates for the two ODI series, at home with New Zealand and away with India, on the back end of the Sydney Test but there are necessary trade-offs," a CA spokesperson said recently.

"As a sport, we are fortunate that we have three formats, a compelling international and domestic offering for both men and women. Complexities are bound to and often arise. What we are working through is a solution that sees us honouring our commitments to overseas boards, being flexible to their changing needs, balanced with the need to schedule a summer of cricket that works for the fans. We are confident we will find a way to deliver, with some trade-offs."

Senior Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has been given 10 days' leave from his team's pre-World Cup trip to England to deal with "personal issues".

Malik will miss Sunday's T20I and the first ODI against England on May 8. He is expected to rejoin the side before the second ODI on May 11. The exact reason for his unexpected exit has not been revealed by PCB.

"The Pakistan cricket team management has given leave to Shoaib Malik so that he can return home to deal with a personal issue," PCB said. "He is expected to rejoin the team in 10 days' time. "The PCB will not be making any further comments and fully expects all concerned to respect Shoaib's privacy."

Malik's selection for the World Cup raised eyebrows, given that he averages 13.6 with the bat from 23 innings in England. This year's World Cup will be his last as he has confirmed he will retire from ODIs after the tournament.

He made a comeback in Pakistan ODI side in a home series against Zimbabwe in 2015 after being dropped for two straight years after the 2013 Champions Trophy. Since his return he has became an integral part of the side.

His career average in 282 games is 35.12 with a strike rate of 81.75 which, since his return, has risen to 44.24 and 93.16. However, in 10 of his last 11 ODI innings, the 37-year-old Malik has been dismissed between 10 and 31. He has struggled to serve as the launchpad Pakistan want at No. 5.

Pakistan won their tour match against Northamptonshire by eight wickets on Monday.

DAVIE, Fla. -- Josh Rosen didn't really know his time with Arizona Cardinals was over until he got a call a few minutes before the draft, and he's embracing the adversity after being shipped to the Miami Dolphins for pennies on a dollar. Rosen is treating 2019 as a one-year tryout to prove to the Dolphins that he can be their answer at quarterback.

"Very rarely do you get a second chance to make a first impression," Rosen said. "It felt like I got drafted twice."

Rosen made a strong first impression in his first appearance in Miami. He didn't shy away from questions. He spoke about the emotions of Arizona drafting Kyler Murray and dumping him in Miami. He defended himself against criticism that he was a bad teammate and leader.

"I think I'm a really good teammate. What I've tried to do is not say or do anything extra, just kind of be me and keep my head down, and eventually the story will straighten out," Rosen said. "I think it has for the most part. Time and consistency are the best medicine to cure the narrative.''

Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Rosen will have to "earn" the Dolphins' starting quarterback role over journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, a competition Rosen is embracing. The 22-year-old said he believes he's coming in as the backup "on paper."

So expect an open competition this summer between Chosen Rosen and FitzMagic, with Flores picking the best man for the job.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier is expecting a newly motivated Rosen after all that has transpired and been said about the quarterback over the past week.

"I don't think my chip has got to grow anymore. I might tip over," Rosen said, laughing.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea and quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell will try to maximize Rosen's skill set. Rosen, a top-10 pick last year, will need to make a big leap after finishing last season with the NFL's worst passer rating (66.7).

Rosen's talent is still there, the potential excites Miami and opportunity is certainly plentiful

The Dolphins haven't had a Pro Bowl quarterback since Dan Marino 23 years ago, the longest drought in the NFL. Rosen would be the 20th quarterback to start for the Dolphins since Marino retired in 1999.

"I'm aware of the situation," Rosen said. "Hopefully I can follow in some semblance of his massive footsteps."

But Rosen's first step won't be replacing Marino. It'll simply be beating out Fitzpatrick, who certainly won't go down without a fight.

This is a chance for Rosen to prove the Cardinals and everyone who counted him out wrong, and in turn he could prove the Dolphins' great value bet on him to be the acquisition of the year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- Jurors in a federal criminal trial involving college basketball corruption on Monday heard a wiretap recording of a telephone call between defendant Christian Dawkins and business partner Munish Sood, in which Dawkins alleged that Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller "fronted" a deal to ensure the Wildcats signed former star center Deandre Ayton.

During the telephone call, which FBI wiretaps intercepted on June 2, 2017, Dawkins and Sood discussed how much it was going to cost for them to sign Ayton as a client in their new sports management company once he turned pro.

Sood testified on Monday that he and Dawkins were already paying then-Arizona associate head coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson to influence Wildcats players and recruits to sign with their firm.

"[Richardson] already made it clear you're gonna get, or we're gonna get, the No. 1 pick next year, assuming he's No. 1," Sood said during the call.

"It's going to be more money than what they, what Book said, I mean because I talked to Sean," Dawkins told Sood. "Sean's the one that fronted that deal. So it's going to be some money, but I mean we'll figure that out."

ESPN reported in February 2018 that FBI wiretaps intercepted a call between Dawkins and Miller, in which the Arizona coach discussed a $100,000 payment that secured Ayton's commitment to the Wildcats. At the time, Miller disputed the report and denied ever paying a recruit to sign with Arizona.

Last week, federal prosecutors played a surveillance recording of a meeting on June 6, 2017, in which Dawkins -- who is on trial for having allegedly bribed college coaches -- talks about Ayton and says Miller told him, "I'm taking care of everything myself. I wanna bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you."

Former financial adviser Marty Blazer, a cooperating witness for the government, was present at the June 2017 meeting and testified last week that the reference was about Miller "taking care" of payments for Ayton.

Ayton, a 7-foot-1 center from the Bahamas, spent one season at Arizona before the Phoenix Suns selected him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA draft.

Sood, who pleaded guilty to three felony counts related to the case, testified that Richardson accepted a $5,000 bribe during an initial meeting in New York on June 20, 2017. In return, Richardson promised to steer current and future Arizona players, including Ayton, Rawle Alkins and Allonzo Trier, to Dawkins' company.

"You're going to get Rawle Alkins, he's going to be a first-rounder," Richardson told Sood and others during the meeting at a New York hotel. "Allonzo Trier, you should get him. Deandre Ayton, we're working on him."

At one point during the recording, Richardson told Sood and the undercover FBI agents that Dawkins told him, "I wish I was a pimp and you were a prostitute. You'd make millions for me." Richardson said Dawkins also ridiculed him for using his own money to pay recruits.

"You make a quarter of a million dollars a year and you're broke," Dawkins told Richardson.

In July 2017, Richardson asked for an additional $15,000 from Dawkins and Sood to give to the mother of 2018 recruit Jahvon Quinerly of Hackensack, New Jersey. Richardson said he planned to make three payments of $5,000 each and would also pay her $10,000 of his own money.

"So Mom is like, 'How's this gonna work? I wanna move to Tucson,'" Richardson told Sood and an undercover FBI agent during a July 20, 2017, meeting at Sood's office in Princeton, New Jersey. "So I said, 'Look, you don't want to move to Tucson. It's a nice vacation spot. It's hot.

"'This is what I'll do. This is what I can do for you to put you in a situation to move to Tucson. ... I don't want the NCAA [expletive] with us. You should take two or three more visits and then shut it down. And then as soon as you do that, you commit."

Quinerly, the No. 7 point guard prospect in the Class of 2018 according to ESPN Recruiting, committed to Arizona over Villanova in August 2017.

After Richardson was among 10 men arrested by the FBI in September 2017, Quinerly decommitted and played at Villanova this past season. He announced in April that he is transferring to another school.

Richardson also said during the recording that he was making $2,000 monthly payments to Rodney Labossiere, Alkins' cousin, who was living with him in Tucson.

"His cousin moved to Tucson, which I'm highly against," Richardson said. "I never want the parents or anyone to move there. I'll give you two grand a month to make sure it works. But he brought him, his wife and his child. Wrong move."

During one of the recordings, Richardson also told the undercover FBI agents that LSU coach Will Wade attempted to hire him. At the time, Arizona and LSU were involved in a recruiting war for forward Nazreon Reid of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

According to Richardson, Wade told him, "Look, there's a deal in place. I got $300,000 for him."

Richardson said he responded, "S---, give me half and I'll make sure the kid goes there."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Monday "we anticipate Billy [Donovan] being back," in reference to whether the team's head coach will return next season.

Presti said he has not officially met yet with Donovan but plans to do that in the coming days, leaving the door cracked for something to change. Asked to clarify if "anticipate" means Donovan will be the coach next season, Presti said that's his expectation.

"I wouldn't expect anything to change," he said. "I haven't had the chance to sit down with him. I do think getting his perspective on things is important because there's nobody that works harder than him. If anything, I think he needs to take some time to think through the season himself and have a really good conversation."

Donovan is entering the last year of a five-year contract he signed when he was hired by the Thunder in 2015 after the franchise fired Scott Brooks. The Thunder exercised a team option for the 2019-20 season on Donovan's contract last December.

The Thunder had a "disappointing" and "frustrating" season, Presti said, bowing out in the first round in five games to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Thunder were 37-19 at one point in the season, but stumbled down the stretch, finishing 49-33. Presti said he viewed the season as 70 percent good and 30 percent bad, but it's also the third consecutive first-round exit for the Thunder.

"I don't think you can discount the fact that we got our ass kicked in the playoffs," Presti said. "There's no getting around that. But I think anyone objective and anybody that is more than a momentary problem solver would probably take a step back and look at the whole thing. To try to answer your question, it's to say, I don't have that answer, and I would think that if I did, you shouldn't listen to me because I would just be coming in here with an emotional perspective, which as a leader I can't do that."

Donovan has guided the Thunder to the playoffs in all four seasons at the helm, including the Western Conference finals and a 3-1 lead over the 73-win Warriors in 2016 (the Thunder lost the series in seven games, and then Kevin Durant joined the Warriors in free agency). The Thunder then won 47 games, 48 games and 49 games.

"When we were going through the Western Conference playoffs in 2016, within two minutes of going to the Finals, I thought he did an excellent job," Presti said." I don't think he's any different than he was there."

Presti noted the Thunder's defensive improvements this season (fourth in defensive rating), a stated offseason goal for the team, and Donovan's proficiency in after-timeout plays.

"I think he does a really good job," Presti said of Donovan. "But these jobs are really hard. You can draw up the best plays or you can put together what you feel is a really good team, and sometimes it doesn't come to fruition because there's so many other competing factors and forces that are at play. And so ultimately it's whether or not all of us -- when I say that, I mean every single person in the organization -- can we try to get the most out of what we have. You know, that's a unified thing."

Donovan is said to have a solid relationship with his players, particularly with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, who both gave positive comments about their coach last week.

"I've never had a problem with Coach Donovan," Westbrook said. "We've always been straightforward with each other and always had a good communication of respect for each other's jobs and respect for how hard we both work at what we want best for this team."

Said George: "I think that's the best thing about Billy is he takes our input, and it's always an open dialogue, and he's open with coaching and adjustments. It's great communication with Billy."

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks spent the 82 games of the regular season, followed by the four more it took them to dispatch the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, playing one way. Doing so allowed the Bucks to post the NBA's best record, and Giannis Antetokounmpo to produce a season that has him likely to win this year's Most Valuable Player award.

But then came Sunday's blowout loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals -- a loss that gave away home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series, and reignited doubts from around the league about whether Milwaukee's playing style and personnel are good enough to back up its regular-season performance.

If there were any questions about whether the Bucks had their confidence shaken by the loss -- and, as a result, felt a need to change what they are doing -- Antetokounmpo emphatically answered them following Monday's practice.

"Definitely not," he said when asked whether the Bucks need to make big changes to their game plan to respond to how the Celtics played. "We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing all year. I don't think we should change at all. Why should there be a change after a game that we lost? We should not be the team that made the adjustment.

"We are going to come out and play our hardest and see how Game 2 goes. If it doesn't go well for us, then you can think about adjusting. But right now, we are not adjusting nothing. We are just going to play. Be us. Go out there and compete."

If there was a consistent theme from all who spoke at the Bucks' practice here at their gleaming facility Monday afternoon, it was that the level of energy and effort -- and not the game plan -- was the biggest thing that needed to shift from Game 1 to Game 2.

Antetokounmpo included himself in that group, saying he needs to play harder -- and that his family, and specifically his older brother, called him out for not playing hard enough in Sunday's loss, in which he shot 7-for-21 from the floor.

"My older brother usually doesn't call me after games," Antetokounmpo said. "But he was like, 'You got to play harder. You have to help your team and play hard.' [He] definitely told me that.

"Coach [Mike Budenholzer] told me that I've got to put more effort, I've got to be more aggressive, I've got to find my teammates, I've got to do a million things we talk about. That's what I do. I'm going to try to keep getting better and come out tomorrow and do what I've got to do."

Throughout this season, the Bucks have been a team that has made no secrets about how it was going to approach each game. Offensively, the goal was to get the ball in Antetokounmpo's hands, surround him with floor-spacing shooters and let him go to work. Defensively, shots at the rim and behind the 3-point arc were to be prevented; anything in between needed to be contested, but was preferred.

In Game 1, though, neither worked. The offense was stifled by Boston's defense, led by an exemplary performance by Al Horford against Antetokounmpo. The defense, meanwhile, allowed the Celtics to shoot 54 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range, while Boston also went 15-for-27 on midrange shots -- season highs in both makes and attempts this season.

The Bucks have relied on the math at both ends of the court working in their favor all season. They are anticipating that will return to form in Game 2 -- thus eschewing the need to dramatically alter their approach.

"I think just some of our basic stuff defensively, offensively," Budenholzer said. "I think just our activity, I think the competitiveness that we need just wasn't where it needs to be.

"We just got to play better. Give credit to Boston, obviously they impacted how we played. They played well. We got to impact them more. They played well; we didn't. We need the opposite in Game 2."

The lack of effort was noticeable enough that Budenholzer lit into the team during its pre-practice film session analyzing what took place during Sunday's game.

"He chewed us out," said Eric Bledsoe, who went 1-for-5, including missing all four 3s he took, in 25 minutes in Sunday's loss. "He chewed us out during film today. ... Film don't lie, so people can say what they want, but once they get on film they can see what really happened. Bud and his staff do a great job of watching a lot of that and see where we can pick it up."

As the Bucks made clear Monday, they think the biggest thing they need to pick up is their energy and effort after they said they flatlined in both areas in Game 1. But it would certainly help if they also made some shots. Bledsoe was just one of several culprits on that front. Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Nikola Mirotic combined to go 9-for-13 from 3-point range. The rest of the Bucks, however, went just 4-for-26 behind the arc.

"You've got to keep shooting the shots you've shot all year," Antetokounmpo said. "We've been playing basketball, a lot of guys have been playing basketball since they're 8 years old, 9 years old. So if you miss a shot, it's nothing. You can fix that.

"Like for me, I don't care if I miss shots. If I don't play hard enough, that's what I care about. I know my team is going to be ready to knock down shots tomorrow, and I'm going to be ready to knock down shots tomorrow. Not to put pressure on anybody but what I really care about is what we do as a team.

"We're going to go out there and play really hard. Whether we make shots or miss shots, we're going to play hard."

One thing that won't happen -- at least in Game 2 -- is Malcolm Brogdon returning from the torn plantar fascia in his left food that has sidelined him since mid-March. While Budenholzer said Brogdon continues to progress, he won't be available Tuesday night, though the door seems to be left open for him to return when the series shifts back to Boston for Game 3 on Friday night.

"He continues to get better," Budenholzer said. "No setback as we go day-to-day. He went longer and harder today, so I think we're all hopeful he comes in tomorrow feeling good. He looks a lot like Malcolm that we've known.

"I think he and I are very much on the same page. He's very much on the same page with the medical. We'll see how these four, five days -- now we're three or four into them -- and evaluate him at that point and assess what the next step is."

For Boston, Aron Baynes said the rolled ankle he suffered in Game 1 was "bloody annoying" but that he would be ready for Game 2. The Celtics officially listed him as questionable. Marcus Smart, meanwhile, remains out, with Celtics coach Brad Stevens saying there will be no update on a timeline for his return from a torn oblique until Smart actually returns to practice.