The last time the New York Knicks lost a game, they didn't do it again for another month and a half.When they fell behind against Atlanta in the first round of the NBA playoffs, desperation turned into domination. The Knicks won 13 straight games, many of them blowouts, in one of the most impressive postseason stretches in NBA history.They don't need to do anything so dramatic now. With a 2-1 lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, a simple 2-2 record the rest of the season would give New York its first championship since 1973.So after dropping Game 3, the Knicks don't need an overhaul. But they do need to be better.We have a veteran group. Nobody is quote-unquote panicking or anything like that, Knicks coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. "Everybody is disappointed that we didnt go out and execute and play to what we feel our standard is. Thats not taking anything away from San Antonio, but we feel like we can play a lot better than what we did.Were looking forward to going out on the floor and showing it.Game 4 is Wednesday in a series in which the road team has won all three games, only the second time that's happened in the NBA Finals.The Spurs jumped on the Knicks right at the start and then outplayed them late in their 115-111 victory on Monday. Victor Wembanyama controlled the action on both sides with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.Showing no fear of a rowdy road environment in the first NBA Finals game in Madison Square Garden since 1999, just as they didn't in winning a Game 7 on the road against defending champion Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals, Wembanyama and the Spurs again looked like a team that might be able to win a title without first experiencing the growing pains that other young groups have.We will see. But my bet would be yes, its possible, Wembanyama said.The Spurs thought so even after dropping two games in San Antonio, which means to win the title they would have to become the first team to do so after starting 0-2 in its own building. It's a belief built from having one of the best players in the world and loads of talent around him, a group so confident that the players didn't think much of their accomplishment Monday.I didnt want us to get too happy about one win and get satisfied and take our foot off the gas a little bit for the next game, said guard Stephon Castle, who scored 23 points. But I think since the end of Game 2 weve still been confident that were going to win this series, and thats what we plan to do.The Knicks' first loss since April 23 didn't send them scrambling for solutions, because they were constantly looking for ways to improve even when all they did was win. Each game, no matter what the situation is, were growing as a team. I think were learning and were getting better obviously before last night, Jalen Brunson said. No matter what the situation is, were going to stick together. Were going to execute, were going to be better. Thats just how our mindset has to be going forward.There are things to fix. Karl-Anthony Towns isn't scoring in the fourth quarter. Wembanyama has clearly figured out ways to hurt the Knicks in the last 1 1/2 games after struggling by his standards before that. They have to turn the ball over less and defend better without fouling no matter what Brown thought of the officiating in Game 3.The Knicks did enough of those things well to run off the second-longest winning streak in postseason history. Now they have to recover quickly from a loss, or they'll head to San Antonio for Game 5 with the series tied.We have, what, 13 games in a row, 50 days of film to show what it looks like when were at our best. So weve got good film, Towns said. Well get back to our fundamentals, what makes us great, what made us great, and get back to work."___This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Stephon Castle's first name.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a Somali match official selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has been barred from entering the United States despite possessing valid travel documents and a proper visa.The referee arrived at Miami International Airport on Saturday, five days ahead of the tournament's opening fixture, but was refused admission by border authorities.Artan would have made history as the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match. He was among 52 officials chosen globally and one of seven representing African football."I am very, very disappointed," Artan told The New York Times from Istanbul. "I'm just simply a referee who's trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup."The referee was taken aside upon arrival and subjected to questioning in a small room that lasted through the night. Over the course of 11 hours, border officials interrogated him about Somali politics, including numerous questions regarding Al Shabab, the militant group waging an insurgency against the Somali government.Artan presented FIFA documentation and photographs from his decade-long career, while officials also reviewed online material about his background. He was named Africa's best referee in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football.Following the interview, he was held in a separate cell for several more hours before being placed on a flight to Istanbul.US Customs and Border Protection stated the referee "was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns" but offered no specific explanation.Somalia's Ministry of Sports issued a statement on Tuesday expressing "deep regret" at the decision, noting that diplomatic efforts with both US authorities and FIFA had failed to secure a positive resolution.The government declared its "unwavering support" for Artan, affirming "full confidence in his integrity, professionalism, and continued contribution to the advancement of football both in Somalia and internationally".Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and former national team captain, urged the football community to stand behind the official."Denying him entry to the US and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football's commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play," Abshir said.Somalia remains on a list of countries subject to travel restrictions implemented by the Trump administration as part of broader immigration measures.The president has previously made inflammatory remarks about Somali immigrants, describing them as "garbage" during a White House address in December and claiming Somalia was "not even a country".Artan is not the only World Cup participant to encounter difficulties entering the host nation. Iranian players received their visas following months of uncertainty stemming from the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, though more than a dozen members of the team's support staff were refused entry.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

England head coach Thomas Tuchel says Bukayo Saka's fitness is being managed with a "little bit of care" heading into the World Cup.

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Andrew Giuliani, le patron de l'quipe de la Maison Blanche charge de l'organisation de la Coupe du monde 2026, a affirm que le refoulement de l'arbitre Omar Artan tait d "de bonnes raisons".

Australia have crashed to their first ODI loss against Bangladesh in 21 years, crushed by 86 runs in the opening match of their three-game series.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson transformed the once 5-12 team into an NFC North winner and playoff contender in just one season at the helm. Heading into next season, tight end Colston Loveland could see even more production with Johnson's offseason plans. The 2025 first-rounder who led the Bears offense in receiving yards became an underrated target for quarterback Caleb Williams last season. Lovelands 713 receiving yards and six touchdowns were an impressive start in his rookie season. For Johnson, Loveland has the potential to build off his numbers, calling on him to improve in a certain area in Year 2. "Im really happy with where he's at right now. We've been able to take the route tree to the next level, and it's something we're going to continue to develop in training camp as well," Johnson told reporters on Tuesday as the Bears took the field for minicamp. Loveland was able to stand out among a talented Bears wide receivers room in his rookie season. His emergence allowed the Bears to move on from veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore in the offseason, trading him to the Buffalo Bills. He also had more receiving yards than Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, hauling in 58 of his 82 targets. With minimal roster turnover on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, continuing to make Loveland a prime target will be incredibly important for Williams. The Bears' only notable addition to the receivers room was LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas, selecting him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Bears were able to have one of the league's top offenses this past season, ranking in the top 10 in yards and points. But if they're able to get more out of Loveland in 2026, then the Bears' offense could be even more dangerous this upcoming season. Johnson seems to sense that Loveland could take a leap. "I love what he brings to the table, Johnson said. "He's one of the most consistent players I've been around and that's saying a lot. But he's in early. He's always in his playbook. He's always taking notes. I think he really thrives with being available in the pressure moments."

The spectacle goes down on Sunday in Washington D.C. with seven fights scheduled to take place

NEW YORK Rarely has an all-time great and we believe Victor Wembanyama has a chance to be one been in the position that the San Antonio Spurs center found himself in between Games 2 and 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals: down 2-0 after a pair of home games.Where he is now, though, trailing, 2-1, is quite familiar for a young superstar, and if history is any indication, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Wembanyama's Spurs.Only twice before has anyone fallen behind 2-0 at home in the championship series. Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic dropped the first two games to the Houston Rockets and were promptly swept from the 1995 NBA Finals, while Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns lost the opening two games of the 1993 NBA Finals, only to win Game 3 on the road, as the Spurs did against the New York Knicks on Monday. Barkley's Suns pushed the best-of-seven set to six games but were ultimately defeated by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.Neither O'Neal nor Barkley were the best player in their series. Those distinctions belonged to Hakeem Olajuwon and Jordan by a wide margin. As good as Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been for the Knicks, I think we can pretty comfortably say that Wembanyama the 22-year-old phenomenon is the best player in this series."I tell the guys it's a seven-game series for a reason," said Knicks coach Mike Brown on Monday. "They are a great team. They are well-coached. They have an iconic player. It's not going to be easy. We have to keep trying to take one game, one possession at a time."Which is why it was so surprising to see Wemby's Spurs fall behind Brown's Knicks 2-0.Arguably, only six other times in NBA history has the best player in a series, making his first Finals appearance, fallen behind 2-0 (home or road). Has history taught us anything? It informs us Wembanyama, as the best player in this series, has a shot to flip the script.And the Knicks understand that."We've consistently talked to each other about everything being 0-0," said Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, removing momentum from this equation. "Even now, it's 0-0."Best to treat it that way, for fear of losing his grip on this series.Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)Dustin Satloff via Getty Images2024: Boston Celtics 4, Dallas Mavericks 1Luka Doni's Mavericks lost the first two games of the 2024 NBA Finals to the Celtics on the road, lost Game 3 at home, avoided the sweep in Game 4 and lost the series 4-1. Which is why San Antonio's Game 3 win was so vital. A 3-0 hole is a lot different than 2-1.Was Doni the best player in those Finals? Debatable. He certainly didn't play like it. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum outperformed the ex-Mavs superstar in the series.Could Brunson and Towns do the same? Sure, they could. But Wembanyama is averaging 29 points (on 47/32/83 shooting splits), 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.7 steals so far in this set. To topple him, the Knicks must be the better team, and they may be that.It would be hard to say the Knicks didn't have momentum through Game 2 of this series, winning 13 straight the second-longest streak in playoff history but if we recognize that, we must also acknowledge that Wembanyama halted said momentum on Monday.Can the Spurs carry the momentum forward into Wednesday's Game 4?"You can feel a certain way about it," said Spurs reserve center Luke Kornet, a component of Boston's 2024 championship team (as well as a member of the Celtics team that lost in the 2022 NBA Finals). "I think there's something to just progressing in terms of how you want to play against teams. That can kind of play out. But, frankly, every single game is just an individual one. It's kind of like the 0-0 thing, but every team, you feel this emotional up and down, regardless of the result, and then really all that matters is how you perform the next 48 minutes, and that can be a completely different thing from game to game."2021: Milwaukee Bucks 4, Phoenix Suns 2Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks dropped the first two games of the 2021 NBA Finals to the Suns on the road, won Games 3 and 4 at home and rolled to a six-game series victory.Antetokounmpo was absolutely the best player in a series that featured Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges (now on the Knicks) as the stars of the Suns."I just remember losing four straight. That's what I remember out of that," said Bridges, who has shared his experience from those 2021 Finals with teammates. "Yeah, they all know, too, and they all understand as well, knowing the series is far from over. Got to keep playing desperate and be the more desperate team. But we do a great job and we understand that after every game, no matter what, it's always 0-0 at the end of the day."2007: San Antonio Spurs 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 0LeBron James' Cavaliers dropped the first two games of the 2007 NBA Finals to the Spurs on the road, and then lost Games 3 and 4 at home, getting swept from the series.While James ended up the tilt's best player, he was only 22 years old, playing in his fourth season and second playoffs. He carried an ill-equipped team to the Finals, where he met Tim Duncan one of the 10 greatest players ever and the steward of five championships.But wait! Wembanyama is only 22 years old, playing in his third season and first playoffs. That is true. Yet, again, as good as Brunson and Towns have been, neither is Duncan, and these Knicks are hardly those Spurs a dynasty in full bloom. Actually, these two teams, New York and San Antonio, are about as even as it gets through three games of a Finals.Which is why the best player in the series matters. He almost always wins, especially if the teams are evenly matched. Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks, who beat James' Miami Heat in 2011, and Chauncey Billups' Detroit Pistons, who bested Shaquille O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, are a couple of exceptions from the past quarter-century not the rule.1995: Houston Rockets 4, Orlando Magic 0Speaking of O'Neal, his Magic, like James' Cavs, failed to win a single game against the Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals. He, too, was 22 years old, playing in his second playoffs.We can debate whether O'Neal or Houston's Olajuwon both top-15 players in the sport's history are the better player, but at the time they met in a championship series two decades ago Olajuwon was in his prime, working on his second straight title.There aren't many comparisons here, either, because Wembanyama has already done what James and O'Neal could not at the age of 22 make a series of it in his first Finals.1977: Portland Trail Blazers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2Bill Walton's Blazers from 1977 are actually the closest facsimile to this year's Spurs. They are also the only team younger than the Spurs to reach the NBA Finals. They, too, fell into a 2-0 hole, albeit on the road, and then they won their next four games to take the crown.It was thanks to Walton, 24 years old then, playing in his third season and first playoffs, who proved with each passing game that he not Julius Erving was, in fact, the best player in the series. Walton averaged a 19-19-5 with 3.7 blocks per game, capturing Finals MVP, before embarking upon a regular-season MVP campaign the next season at age 23.It is not difficult to draw comparisons between Wembanyama and Walton, who, before injuries derailed his career, was another one-of-a-kind big man. He could score. He could defend. He could pass better than anyone on planet Earth (or beyond). His skill-set was different than the Frenchman, but the impact so soon into his career was just the same.And that should concern the Knicks. The only other two times the best player in the series snatched a Game 3 win from the jaws of a 2-0 hole, when Antetokounmpo faced the Suns and Walton played the Sixers, he went on to win the series and Finals MVP.1964: Boston Celtics 4, San Francisco Warriors 1Wilt Chamberlain's Warriors won only Game 3 (at home) in a five-game 1964 NBA Finals against, you guessed it, Bill Russell's Celtics. We can argue all day about who was better, Chamberlain or Russell, and we have, but at the very least we have to accept them as equals, and Russell's Celtics were deeper and better (or at least they were this season).And maybe the Knicks are deeper and better.But it pays to have the best player. Ask the Golden State Warriors, who watched James erase a 3-1 deficit one of five times (2021, 2016, 2006, 1977, 1969) a team has come back from a two-game hole in the Finals to lead his Cavs to a championship, even against a team as talented as those 73-win Warriors, even against a player as great as Steph Curry.For his part, though, Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, also a member of those '16 Warriors, still does not believe in momentum, or at least the idea that his team gained control of it."I don't think there's momentum in a series," said Barnes, a 14-year vet. "When you look at the last three games, we've had leads. Two of the times we haven't been able to maintain it. So, I think for us it's just a matter of, we know them very well, they know us very well, and we're going to go out there each game, and each game has taken on a life of its own."Through Wembanyama, then, all things can be done, even a comeback."We will see," said Wemby. "But my bet would be yes, it's possible."