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AD exits dominant debut with lower-body injury
DALLAS -- Anthony Davis' dominant debut for the Dallas Mavericks was cut short when he suffered what the team called a "lower-body injury."
The Mavericks announced Davis as doubtful to return with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the star big man never came back onto the court after leaving late in the third. Dallas was still able to hold on for a 116-105 win over the Rockets.
Davis, the headliner of Dallas' return in the Luka Doncic trade that prompted a large pregame protest outside of the American Airlines Center on Saturday, exited with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter and headed to the locker room while clutching his midsection.
He had 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks in 31 minutes before exiting. Davis had missed the previous five games -- his final three with the Los Angeles Lakers and first two with the Mavs -- due to an abdominal injury.
Davis was injured while attempting to contest Alperen Sengun's driving dunk as a help defender. Davis went down in the paint while holding his midsection.
After the game, Davis said the area around his groin and quad got tight and he felt a little spasm but he ultimately brushed off the injury.
"It's nothing serious, I'm fine," he said.
Mavs general manager Nico Harrison's decision to trade 25-year-old face of the franchise Doncic, who led the league in scoring last season before leading Dallas to the NBA Finals, resulted in outrage among the fan base.
The pregame protest was attended by approximately 1,000 people, many of whom held signs and participated in chants that were critical of Harrison.
Harrison, who sources said has received multiple death threats since the trade, did not sit in his normal seat in the arena's lower bowl.
Davis had the arena rocking from the opening possession -- when he threw a lob to center Daniel Gafford -- until his early exit.
After a putback dunk with 7:34 remaining in the first quarter -- Davis' fourth bucket in the first four-plus minutes -- he prompted roars from the crowd by waving his arms at the stands when the Rockets called timeout.
"I'm here," Davis shouted as he pointed at the American Airlines Center court.
Davis, 31, a 10-time All-Star selection, has had durability issues for much of his career. He played a career-high 76 games last season.
Easterby has made just two changes for the Scotland game, bringing in Peter O'Mahony and Robbie Henshaw while retaining Sam Prendergast at fly-half ahead of Jack Crowley.
The battle between the out-halves has attracted intense debate, but Easterby believes the attention is "part of their growth".
"Jack had a bit more of that last year throughout the Six Nations and dealt with it really well.
"He's also had a period of not being selected every week so that's a different dynamic to what Sam's going through at the moment.
"But they would share experiences with each other. Jack's been through that and we're fortunate to have Johnny [Sexton] in camp as well to impart some of his experiences in that position over the years, his battles with ROG [Ronan O'Gara] and how that developed over time."
Easterby added: "They're pretty comfortable in their own skin. They are down to earth, level-headed, extremely competitive and ambitious but understanding as well that there are ebbs and flows in life, in games and your selection.
"They're just figuring out a the moment how to get through that and we're supporting them the best we can."
What Scotland must do to end misery against Ireland
In Dublin last year, Ireland got off to a shaky start. In the opening minutes they gave away a penalty, a free-kick, got charged down and turned over. Finn Russell made it 3-0. An encouraging beginning.
Then Scotland messed up. They had a lineout close to their own line and threw it to Dan Sheehan, who went over. That game was a proper physical battle, with a four-point gap at the end. Scotland gave Ireland a free seven to Sheehan.
'Cheap points' is a term used by successive Scotland captains against Ireland. Over the 10 defeats, this kind of wounding error is a theme.
In 2022, while trailing 14-5, Stuart Hogg got greedy when going for the corner while Sam Johnson was free inside. Hugo Keenan put him into touch. A certain try was gone.
The piece-de-resistance of calamities came in 2020, when Hogg dropped the ball going over the Ireland line in Dublin. That was in the 50th minute. A converted try would have brought the score level at 13-13. And Scotland would have had momentum.
Tony Ward, the former Ireland fly-half working for RTE, said the Scots were the better team that day.
In 2019 Scotland started quickly at Murrayfield only to concede via a cock-up between Tommy Seymour and Sean Maitland.
The year before that, Peter Horne gave away an easy seven points early in Dublin when his pass was intercepted. Scotland butchered multiple chances that day, every error proving grist to Ireland's mill.
Every team makes mistakes but Scotland's mistakes in this fixture tend to be absolute whoppers. That has to stop.
England braced for France's return raid on Twickenham
Fin Smith is the man tasked with delivering a quantum leap forward.
The 22-year-old, with seven replacement appearances, totalling 122 minutes of Test action, to his name, starts at fly-half against the Six Nations favourites.
Fortunately he has broad shoulders.
Smith made his debut for Worcester at 18, lost his first 10 games for Warriors and then saw the club go bust at the end of his second season.
Since then he has twice steered Northampton into the play-offs, winning the Premiership title last season.
Still it is a bold call. Marcus Smith was the future once too.
Now, after eight straight starts in the 10 jersey, the Harlequins playmaker is shuffled back into his unfavoured and unfamiliar full-back role.
The theory is clear.
Fin Smith is a more conventional 10, playing flat to the line and finding holes with his selection of pass and breadth of vision, rather than Marcus' hot-stepping individual brilliance.
It is hoped he will give centres Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence more of a platform. With fellow Saints Alex Mitchell at scrum-half and Tommy Freeman and Ollie Sleightholme on the wings, Northampton connections should help the team click.
Against a French team that kick for distance, rather than to set up aerial duels, Marcus Smith's ability to pick his way through a broken field will be either a deterrent or a weapon.
Elsewhere the back row is beefed up with the inclusion of Tom Willis, and the bench, which had won a cumulative total of only 81 caps against Ireland, has the experience of former captain Jamie George, with 97, and Elliot Daly, with 69, to guard against England's customary last-quarter fade.
That's the theory.
Whether it survives contact with France's mix of the balletic and the brutal though is another thing.
Captain Antoine Dupont's game appears to have been elevated to yet another level by his time with France's Olympic gold-winning Sevens team.
Last weekend's win over Wales was the mercurial Toulouse star's 24th straight victory as a starting scrum-half in the 15-a-side game a run stretching back to France's quarter-final defeat by South Africa in October 2023.
Matthieu Jalibert is a fly-half with devil to his game and a point to prove after being overlooked.
Full-back Thomas Ramos has been dead-eyed off the tee. Wings Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey have bullet pace.
BRADENTON, Fla. Stellar conditions and aggressive crew chiefs combined to produce one of the quickest fields across Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories in recent memory Friday during the second annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout.
Multi-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown ran to the top of a stacked field of eight with a career quickest 3.644 second, 322.11 mph run. Funny Car world champion and defending SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout winner Austin Prock held onto the No. 1 spot with one of the quickest runs in Funny Car history, 3.791 seconds at 331.53 mph.
Pro Stock rising star Cory Reed drove his KB Titan Racing powered Chevrolet Camaro to the No. 1 spot in Pro Stock with a career quickest 6.494 second run at 209.62 mph.
Brown waited until the final session to wow the near capacity crowd at Bradenton Motorsports Park with his No. 1 qualifier pass. The three-time world champion knew he needed to drop a big number at the superstar event.
This is the PRO Shootout. What that means is, everybodys gonna come here and you have nothing to lose, said Brown. This is one of those races you come out and you want to show out. When you see other teams running low 3.60s you just want to be part of that gang. You know, this year, the field will be so tight. At the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout everybodys going to bring the best out that they got.
Following the final round of qualifying the eight quickest Top Fuel drivers drew chips to find out who their first-round opponent would be. The unique format is one of the special twists at the PRO Superstar Shootout. Brown and Shawn Reed will square off in the first round.
Other key first round matchups will be Doug Kalitta, the provisional No. 1 qualifier against Brittany Force and two of the best drivers off the starting line, Justin Ashley versus Shawn Langdon. The final pair of the quick eight will feature Josh Hart versus NASCAR Hall of Famer turned drag racer Tony Stewart.
Brown ran to the top spot in his championship winning dragster after he had a tire issue on the third qualifying session. It was the first run on the Top Fuel dragster since it had a significant chassis adjustment over the off-season.
This was our car from last year that we won the championship with, said Brown. (Crew chief) Brian (Corradi) told me if it feels good, just drive it all the way. He wants to see the number come up on the board. I saw the 3.644 come up and I was like, Lord have mercy. It gives us a little bit of confidence, because weve been trying to get our new combination to go there.
Defending Funny Car event winner Prock dominated qualifying at the second annual SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout. The reigning NHRA Funny Car world champion had the quickest elapsed time during each of the four qualifying sessions.
Handling the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for his second season, Prock came out of the gates with a 3.816-second pass at 332.84 mph to earn the provisional No. 1 qualifying position on Thursday night. His teammate, Jack Beckman, who was making his first appearance at the specialty pre-season event, followed behind him with a 3.836 at 329.99.
Man, this thing was trucking down there, and I had my hands full. I got really close to the center line down there, said Prock, following his final qualifying run. Really proud of this team. Weve been working at this for so long, and, you know, its been, I think, eight years now, since someones run 3.79 in Funny Car. The race cars, limitations and rules were much different then. To get back to that number, it says a lot about this team.
Prock would keep the momentum during Friday afternoon, laying down a solid 3.882 second run at 326.56 mph during the warmest part of the day followed by a 3.860 at 332.10.
The final qualifying session would mix things up in the Funny Car field. Matt Hagan in the American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT would jump from fourth to second after a stout 3.82-second pass at 328.22 mph. Not to be outdone, Prock and his Cornwell Tools team gave the fans a show with their No. 1 qualifier run of 3.791 seconds at 331.84 mph side-by-side with Beckman going 3.825 at 334.32, the top speed of the event so far.
In the chip draw, it would be Bob Tasca III, driving the PPG Ford Mustang that broke the 340-mph barrier at last years event with a 341.68 mph run, that would matchup with No. 1 qualifier Prock. When all was said and done, Hagan, the No. 2 qualifier, matched with No. 3 qualifier Beckman.
Everyone on the internet is going to think it was staged, but thats the funny thing about coincidences, right?, said Prock Its going to be great for the fans. We love racing Bob Tasca. He was one of the drivers that had a winning record against us last year. We know how tough that team is, and we enjoy racing them.
The Pro Stock class saw nearly half a dozen drivers race into the low 6.50 second range before Reed broke through with an eye-popping 6.494 second run in the final qualifying session under the lights. His teammate Greg Anderson joined him at the top of the field with a 6.498 second run but it was Reeds night to celebrate his first career No. 1 qualifier as a professional driver.
It just felt fast, said Reed, who is entering his second season as a Pro Stock driver after competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. I didnt expect it to go 6.49 seconds. We were hoping for sure. I totally thought that (reigning world champion) Greg Anderson was gonna blow me out of the freaking water.
Its a lot of fun, no matter, even the bad runs are fun, said Reed. Drifting a Pro Stock car, across the starting line and doing burnouts is cool. Then the chip draw is a little bit of wild card. It doesnt matter in this class, to be honest, if you dont go up there and have a 0.30 reaction time or better, youre probably gonna lose.
The energy here, its awesome, said Reed. The people have been great. The fan turnout looks good. I was looking at the stands and it was pretty packed.
New Zealand opt to bat in first game of tri-series; Babar to open for Pakistan
Toss New Zealand opt to bat vs Pakistan
New Zealand's opening batters will be Rachin Ravindra and Will Young, while Lockie Ferguson's injury means Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears and Matt Henry will be their fast bowlers.
Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Kamran Ghulam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Tayyab Tahir, 6 Salman Ali Agha, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed
New Zealand: 1 Will Young, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Ben Sears, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O'Rourke
Clayton century means Konstas made to wait at Gabba
Queensland 307 for 5 (Clayton 133*, Hearne 63) vs New South Wales
Queensland No. 3 Clayton was unbeaten on 133 after day one as the Sheffield Shield returned in Brisbane on Saturday, the hosts 307 for 5 after being sent in by the Blues.
The left-hander's fourth first class century was a valuable one, Clayton leading the recovery after they had slipped to 45 for 3 in the first session.
He enjoyed some luck after being pinned on the back by a bouncer with his first delivery, dropped at first slip on 98 and then scampering through for a risky single to bring up triple figures.
Jimmy Peirson (36) helped push the total towards 300 before returning allrounder Michael Neser and Clayton got the hosts to stumps.
"Nice to get the team in a decent position [on] day one," Clayton said. "Getting sent in to bat, we want to try and get a big total on the board and drive the game.
"It's really satisfying and it's been a bit frustrating the first part of the season ... some 80s and 90s and a lot of starts. To capitalise and with a bit of luck in there was really nice."
It means young gun Konstas will be made to wait for his first Gabba innings after he was replaced at the top of the Australian order by Travis Head in Sri Lanka and sent home to gain experience on the seam-friendly Brisbane surface.
Jacobs then had Angus Lovell and Ben McDermott's scalps in quick succession before the rearguard began.
Bowlers make hay as 20 wickets fall at the WACA
South Australia 124 (Sangha 45, Couch 4-33, Rocchiccioli 3-10) lead Western Australia 120 (Fanning 49, Scott 3-10, Buckingham 3-35) by four runs
Bowlers feasted as a whopping 20 wickets fell on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield clash between Western Australia and South Australia at the WACA Ground.
Joel Curtis and Ashton Turner were the only other WA players apart from Fanning to make it into double figures.
But Any thoughts of South Australia being able to build a big first-innings lead quickly evaporated, despite the best efforts of Jason Sangha.
Openers Conor McInerney and Henry Hunt weren't able to stick around for an extended period.
Cameron Gannon only took the one scalp, but it was a ripper of a delivery that kicked up and caught the glove of a surprised Sangha.
The match shapes as crucial in the race to reach the March 26-29 final.
South Australia (29.93 points) sit on top of the ladder with three wins and two draws from six games, while WA (23.91 points) sit fourth with two wins and two draws from six outings.
Kuhnemann's four, Webster's late impact puts Australia on course for 2-0
Sri Lanka 257 & 211 for 8 (Mathews 76, K Mendis 48*, Kuhnemann 4-52, Lyon 3-80) lead Australia 414 (Carey 156, Smith 131, Jayasuriya 5-151) by 54 runs
Sri Lanka lead by just 54 runs with two wickets in hand having lost 3 for 13 in the last five overs. Their chances of victory have effectively evaporated unless Mendis, who finished unbeaten on 48 having been left stranded on 85 in Sri Lanka's first innings, can produce a miracle.
Sri Lanka had earlier appeared headed for a defeat within three days. Trailing by 157 runs on the first innings, they stared down the barrel of a quick demise at 39 for 3 when Lyon claimed his 550th Test wicket after dismissing Dinesh Chandimal for 12.
It was Kuhnemann's second wicket after he bowled opener Pathum Nissanka with a good length delivery that slid on.
Chandimal had scored a couple of 70s in this series, but needed an even bigger contribution if Sri Lanka were to turn around their dire situation. But after being pinned down, Chandimal lost his patience against Lyon and hit to mid-off, where Webster moved nimbly to take a sharp catch low down.
Entering the series averaging over 70, Kamindu's tame series ended when he chipped Lyon to mid-off but skipper Dhananjaya de Silva batted crisply in a 47-run partnership with Mathews.
They moved along with relative ease to chip away at the deficit and Mathews reached his half-century in style with a six over cover off debutant Cooper Connolly, who was used for a couple of overs.
Just when Sri Lanka's hopes were raised, Smith seemingly dealt them a crushing blow when he completed a sensational one-handed, diving catch at slip after de Silva edged Kuhnemann.
But Mendis came out with an aggressive mindset to rattle a tiring Australia attack amid the humidity. He levelled the scores with a slog sweep off Lyon that sailed into the crowd before lifting Sri Lanka into the lead on the next ball.
Sri Lanka were having arguably their best period with the bat in the series before Mathews' rush of blood. It was a disappointment for Sri Lanka after their best day of the series ended on a sour note.
Sri Lanka's attempts at a fightback started when they claimed seven wickets in the morning session to bowl out Australia for 414. Jayasuriya found venomous bite with the second new ball to pick up four of his five wickets in the session.
Smith and Carey's magnificent partnership of 259 ended less than 20 minutes into the day's play. In another batting record for Australia in this series, it was the highest fourth-wicket partnership by a visiting pair in Sri Lanka in Tests, bettering the 258-stand between Michael Hussey and Shaun Marsh in Pallekele in 2011.
Australia resumed in a powerful position at 330 for 3, but they knew there was work to do in their bid to only bat once in this match. Carey overtook his highest first-class score of 143 in style with a firm sweep that rocketed to the boundary and he also moved past Adam Gilchrist's 144 as the highest score by an Australian wicketkeeper in Asia.
Jayasuriya was rewarded for his attacking line and lengths when Smith's stout defence was finally breached on 131 by a brilliant delivery that pitched on off stump and gripped off the surface. Smith walked off immediately after feathering an edge and he received a rousing ovation, but his dismissal reinvigorated Sri Lanka and brought a different complexion to the game.
Josh Inglis made his way to the crease one spot lower in the batting-order after spending time off the field during Sri Lanka's first innings because of a back spasm. After scoring a memorable debut ton in the first Test, Inglis' stumps were rattled on his second delivery when he played back to a full delivery that skidded on.
Carey on 156 finally succumbed to the sweep, a stroke he had been almost faultless through the innings, when he played over the top of a Jayasuriya delivery and was clean bowled.
All eyes were on Connolly, who boasted a first-class average of 61.80 from four matches but three of those was at the pace-friendly WACA ground.
Connolly has proven to be a big-game performer in his fledgling career, backing his aggressive instincts, and he got off the mark in trademark cavalier fashion with a boundary albeit off a top-edge from a full-blooded sweep.
But Connolly didn't add to his tally and was too ambitious when he skipped down to Peiris only to slice to backward point in an ugly dismissal. Webster provided a steadying 31 and he was to have a bigger impact later in the day's play.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
Can Vipers break the Capitals hoodoo and secure maiden title?
Big picture: Two familiar rivals chasing a maiden title
Desert Vipers dominated the ILT20 2025 league stage like no other. They won six of their first seven matches, became the first side to confirm a playoffs position, and ended the league phase as table-toppers. But it's not all been hunky dory.
Vipers have played 12 matches so far this season, of which they have only lost four. Three of those defeats, however, have come against their opponents in the final, Dubai Capitals: twice in the league stage and then in Qualifier 1. Having brushed most teams aside with a minimum of fuss, Vipers have come undone each time they have faced Capitals this season.
Can they turn that narrative around and pick up a win in the game that matters the most, or will Capitals make a clean sweep and secure their first ILT20 crown?
Both teams know what it's like to make it to the final and not win. Vipers did that in 2023, when they lost to Gulf Giants, while Capitals lost to MI Emirates in a one-sided final in 2024.
There is little doubt that the two best teams in the competition have made it to the final. Vipers were dominant throughout. Capitals started slowly, losing three of their first four matches, but a confident win over Vipers brought their campaign back on track. They have since been unstoppable, winning six of their last seven matches.
How the batters from both sides go might well decide the outcome of the final. Of the top ten run-getters in the tournament so far, five are from either Vipers or Capitals. These two teams played out a high-scoring clash at this venue just three days ago, and runs could once again be the theme in the final.
Both teams have a great record in Dubai this season - Vipers have won four of their six games here, and Capitals five out of six. And no matter which team wins the final, we are sure to get a new ILT20 winner.
Form guide
Dubai Capitals WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Desert Vipers WLLWL
In the spotlight: Gulbadin Naib and Alex Hales
Team news: Warner and Ferguson under injury cloud
Vipers are likely to miss two of their key players for the final. Wanindu Hasaranga, their joint-leading wicket-taker, has gone back to Sri Lanka and won't be available for the final, while captain Lockie Ferguson is also unlikely to make a full recovery from a hamstring injury. Sam Curran, who led the side in Qualifier 2, is likely to captain in the final as well. Depending on whether Vipers bat or bowl first, David Payne is likely to be substituted for Sherfane Rutherford and vice-versa.
Desert Vipers (possible): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 3 Max Holden, 4 Dan Lawrence, 5 Sam Curran (capt), 6 Azam Khan (wk), 7 David Payne/Sherfane Rutherford, 8 Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, 9 Nathan Sowter, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Ali Naseer.
David Warner scored an unbeaten 93 in his one game for Capitals so far, but has since been out with a back injury. He didn't look in great shape in a virtual press conference on the eve of the final, and is unlikely to make the cut against Vipers. Capitals had subbed Obed McCoy for Adam Rossington in Qualifier 1 and that could be the case in the final, too.
Dubai Capitals (possible): 1 Adam Rossingston/Obed McCoy, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Gulbadin Naib, 4 Sam Billings (capt), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Sikandar Raza, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Farhan Khan, 10 Haider Ali, 11 Qais Ahmad.
Pitch and conditions
It's Dubai, so the weather will be extremely humid and energy sapping. The teams batting second have held the advantage so far at this venue this season, winning ten out of 14 games. That's largely because of the dew which has made an appearance late in the day. The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl. The temperature is expected to hover around the late 20s to the early 30s on the Celcius scale.
Stats and trivia
- Shai Hope needs just ten runs to become the tournament's leading run-getter. He is currently on 484 runs, only behind Tom Banton.
- The average first-innings score in Dubai so far this season is 155.
- Naib is the only player to feature in the top ten of both the leading wicket-takers and run-getters lists.
Quotes
"When you've beaten them a couple of times, that's the scary part. Sometimes that momentum can break. Hopefully, that doesn't happen, and we can continue our form."
David Warner is wary of the Vipers threat
"They [Dubai Capitals] have won three games in a row, and I think it is our turn now to beat them in the big stage. I always believe that in the final whoever handles the pressure well has more of a chance to win the game. In the final the margin of error is very less so you have to be on your toes every single time."
Mohammad Amir has revenge on his mind
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
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