Category News

The Miami Heat eliminated the Chicago Bulls to progress in the NBA play-in tournament – beating the six-time Championship winners 109-90.

Tyler Herro scored 38 points as the Heat set up a game against the Atlanta Hawks, with the winner earning the right to take on top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs.

The Heat’s victory came after three regular season defeats by the Bulls.

“Chicago humbled us this year,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“They have a unique style of play, the way they play with that pace, and they score.

“They had two games where we felt like we were in control of the game both times in the fourth quarter and they came storming back and had some impressive scoring quarters. Our guys really respected how much they could score.”

In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 120-106 to set-up a play-in tie against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points – 16 of which came in the second quarter alone – to advance against the Grizzlies.

The play-in tournament features the teams who finished in seventh to 10th in both Conferences.

They face off to determine who fills the final two spots in their Conference play-offs.

Under the play-in format, seventh play eighth – with the winners going straight into the play-offs. The loser gets a second chance against the winners of an eliminator between ninth and 10th.

The Grizzlies, who finished eighth in the Western Conference, go into the ‘second chance’ game against the Mavericks having lost their first play-in tie, to the seventh-placed Golden State Warriors, in controversial circumstances.

The Warriors secured their play-off spot following a late flurry against the Grizzlies.

However, the NBA has since acknowledged officiating errors in the final moments of the match.

With the Warriors leading 117-116, the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report said the Grizzlies should have been awarded the ball with 7.6 seconds left after Stephen Curry got the last contact on an out-of-bounds play.

The Miami Heat eliminated the Chicago Bulls to progress in the NBA play-in tournament – beating the six-time Championship winners 109-90.

Tyler Herro scored 38 points as the Heat set up a game against the Atlanta Hawks, with the winner earning the right to take on top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs.

The Heat’s victory came after three regular season defeats by the Bulls.

“Chicago humbled us this year,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“They have a unique style of play, the way they play with that pace, and they score.

“They had two games where we felt like we were in control of the game both times in the fourth quarter and they came storming back and had some impressive scoring quarters. Our guys really respected how much they could score.”

In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 120-106 to set-up a play-in tie against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points – 16 of which came in the second quarter alone – to advance against the Grizzlies.

The play-in tournament features the teams who finished in seventh to 10th in both Conferences.

They face off to determine who fills the final two spots in their Conference play-offs.

Under the play-in format, seventh play eighth – with the winners going straight into the play-offs. The loser gets a second chance against the winners of an eliminator between ninth and 10th.

The Grizzlies, who finished eighth in the Western Conference, go into the ‘second chance’ game against the Mavericks having lost their first play-in tie, to the seventh-placed Golden State Warriors, in controversial circumstances.

The Warriors secured their play-off spot following a late flurry against the Grizzlies.

However, the NBA has since acknowledged officiating errors in the final moments of the match.

With the Warriors leading 117-116, the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report said the Grizzlies should have been awarded the ball with 7.6 seconds left after Stephen Curry got the last contact on an out-of-bounds play.

When Women’s Super League managers are sacked, the clock is ticking to find another job as soon as possible.

With families to look after and few opportunities for full-time jobs in the game, it’s not the easiest thing to do.

“If a Premier League manager loses their job, they are comfortable financially – but we are not,” former Liverpool boss Matt Beard told BBC Sport.

Beard, 47, was sacked at the end of February after four years in his second spell with the club.

He says he needs to get something lined up “by the summer at the latest” in order to provide for his wife and two children, aged 14 and 12.

“I need a plan A and a plan B. I want to stay in football but if I can’t find anything – there are not that many professional teams in England in the women’s game – then I need to look at maybe going back into estate agency work or something like that,” added Beard.

“It would probably be a last resort for me. But at the end of the day I have a family I need to support. I need to look at all options.”

Beard believes losing his job is “part and parcel” of being a football manager and he was supported by the League Managers’ Association (LMA) when he left Liverpool.

But his family moved up to north-west England from London, where the children started new schools, and he is conscious of disrupting things as he contemplates his next steps.

“I want to stay in the game and continue managing. I have my pro licence and degree in business management,” said Beard.

“I think people see me as a fixer who can build something but I know I’m much more than that when I look back at my time as a football manager.

Beard left Liverpool on strong terms having guided the club to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 during his first spell, before winning the Women’s Championship in 2022 on his return.

He says getting sacked with a year and a half left on his contract was “difficult” but he only has respect for the club and the support they gave him.

“It was going to happen at some point in my career,” said Beard.

“You have to take emotions out of the conversation. I have no qualms with the decision but I still think we would have finished in the top five this season.

“It’s frustrating losing your job. Was I owed time? I don’t know. I have nothing but pride when I look at the journey.

Time away has allowed Beard to reflect on the state of the game and what it was like competing financially with WSL leaders Chelsea.

He says other clubs must find ways to invest and grow simultaneously – but not at the expense of losing their connection with the fanbase.

“I think you’ve seen the game grow so much in such a short space of time. I’m always concerned that we run before we walk,” added Beard.

“I have always been an advocate for the bond we have with the fans. That’s what makes our game unique and I don’t want to see that go.

“I also look at Chelsea and the money they have spent… who can compete with that? They spent more on two players than we did on our entire squad. It’s crazy.

When Women’s Super League managers are sacked, the clock is ticking to find another job as soon as possible.

With families to look after and few opportunities for full-time jobs in the game, it’s not the easiest thing to do.

“If a Premier League manager loses their job, they are comfortable financially – but we are not,” former Liverpool boss Matt Beard told BBC Sport.

Beard, 47, was sacked at the end of February after four years in his second spell with the club.

He says he needs to get something lined up “by the summer at the latest” in order to provide for his wife and two children, aged 14 and 12.

“I need a plan A and a plan B. I want to stay in football but if I can’t find anything – there are not that many professional teams in England in the women’s game – then I need to look at maybe going back into estate agency work or something like that,” added Beard.

“It would probably be a last resort for me. But at the end of the day I have a family I need to support. I need to look at all options.”

Beard believes losing his job is “part and parcel” of being a football manager and he was supported by the League Managers’ Association (LMA) when he left Liverpool.

But his family moved up to north-west England from London, where the children started new schools, and he is conscious of disrupting things as he contemplates his next steps.

“I want to stay in the game and continue managing. I have my pro licence and degree in business management,” said Beard.

“I think people see me as a fixer who can build something but I know I’m much more than that when I look back at my time as a football manager.

Beard left Liverpool on strong terms having guided the club to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 during his first spell, before winning the Women’s Championship in 2022 on his return.

He says getting sacked with a year and a half left on his contract was “difficult” but he only has respect for the club and the support they gave him.

“It was going to happen at some point in my career,” said Beard.

“You have to take emotions out of the conversation. I have no qualms with the decision but I still think we would have finished in the top five this season.

“It’s frustrating losing your job. Was I owed time? I don’t know. I have nothing but pride when I look at the journey.

Time away has allowed Beard to reflect on the state of the game and what it was like competing financially with WSL leaders Chelsea.

He says other clubs must find ways to invest and grow simultaneously – but not at the expense of losing their connection with the fanbase.

“I think you’ve seen the game grow so much in such a short space of time. I’m always concerned that we run before we walk,” added Beard.

“I have always been an advocate for the bond we have with the fans. That’s what makes our game unique and I don’t want to see that go.

“I also look at Chelsea and the money they have spent… who can compete with that? They spent more on two players than we did on our entire squad. It’s crazy.

A “prominent” Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) official has been found to have breached its ethics code after a claim that they “spent an inordinate amount of time with a volunteer of the opposite sex” at a social event related to CGF business.

In a decision published on the CGF’s website, the chair of an ethics commission panel states that the unnamed individual admitted allegations that they “failed to act with the highest standards of integrity”.

The official – referred to only as ‘AB’ – is also said to have accepted acting “in such a way as to give the appearance of impropriety [and] to have the potential to bring the Commonwealth Games into disrepute”.

The CGF revealed that in October 2024, a senior CGF figure received a report that ‘AB’ “may not have acted with the appropriate level of ethical conduct whilst performing a CGF related role”.

AB is described as “prominent in the Commonwealth Games Federation”.

An investigation was then conducted by an unnamed London-based lawyer, referred to in the published decision as ‘CD’, who acted as an ethics officer in the case, and charged the official in February.

Their report “included a summary and analysis of a first-person witness to the alleged unethical conduct”.

“The report documents that AB, while at a social event related to CGF business, spent an inordinate amount of time with a volunteer of the opposite sex,” the CGF added.

“The first-person witnesses were uncomfortable with AB’s behaviour…It is clear these witnesses had concerns about the potential to bring the CGF and/or CGF Officials into disrepute, to the extent that they took photographs of AB with the volunteer.”

The ethics commission chair noted that the official insisted “nothing inappropriate happened at the event”, and “states that they have agreed to the allegations and acceded to the proposed sanction to allow the Ethics Commission to hear the matter with a chair as a single person panel”.

However, the chair also concluded that “the evidence before me indicates that AB’s actions denigrated the perception of the integrity, of the potential for the appearance of impropriety, and the possibility of bringing the image of the Commonwealth Games into disrepute”.

In an intriguing twist, the panel chair also claimed that the official suggested to the lawyer that they “should mitigate the sanctions” and that the lawyer acted inappropriately by proposing modified sanctions after the charges were initially delivered, giving the official “opinions or advice that goes well beyond the Ethics Officer role of providing information”.

“I have further determined that CD has, in effect, conducted what would be characterised as plea bargaining with AB, after AB had received the Notice of Charge” said the chair. “I find this to be highly inappropriate.

“CD should not have made any modifications to the charges or the sanctions, as that is in the sole purview of the Ethic Commission at a hearing, and only after a hearing is requested by the covered person.”

The chair also revealed that they rejected a suggestion by the reprimanded official to not publicly disclose the outcome of the case, stating that “not disclosing the decision could create a reputational risk for the CGF and possibly subject it to allegations of cover up.”

However, the chair said that they have chosen not to reveal the individual’s identity because based on the investigation, “no harm was done to any person, there does not appear to be any risk of harm towards any person or persons”.

They also noted that “AB is not the subject of a provisional or sanctioned suspension or expulsion where their identity must be provided in order to ensure compliance; and that the sanctions proposed by CD and accepted by AB are on the less severe end of sanctions spectrum”.

It is also noted that the decision “shall be posted on the Commonwealth Games Website under the relevant section concerning the Ethics Commission, and shall not be posted on the ‘News’ feed. The decision will be posted for a period of 28 days only”.

A “prominent” Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) official has been found to have breached its ethics code after a claim that they “spent an inordinate amount of time with a volunteer of the opposite sex” at a social event related to CGF business.

In a decision published on the CGF’s website, the chair of an ethics commission panel states that the unnamed individual admitted allegations that they “failed to act with the highest standards of integrity”.

The official – referred to only as ‘AB’ – is also said to have accepted acting “in such a way as to give the appearance of impropriety [and] to have the potential to bring the Commonwealth Games into disrepute”.

The CGF revealed that in October 2024, a senior CGF figure received a report that ‘AB’ “may not have acted with the appropriate level of ethical conduct whilst performing a CGF related role”.

AB is described as “prominent in the Commonwealth Games Federation”.

An investigation was then conducted by an unnamed London-based lawyer, referred to in the published decision as ‘CD’, who acted as an ethics officer in the case, and charged the official in February.

Their report “included a summary and analysis of a first-person witness to the alleged unethical conduct”.

“The report documents that AB, while at a social event related to CGF business, spent an inordinate amount of time with a volunteer of the opposite sex,” the CGF added.

“The first-person witnesses were uncomfortable with AB’s behaviour…It is clear these witnesses had concerns about the potential to bring the CGF and/or CGF Officials into disrepute, to the extent that they took photographs of AB with the volunteer.”

The ethics commission chair noted that the official insisted “nothing inappropriate happened at the event”, and “states that they have agreed to the allegations and acceded to the proposed sanction to allow the Ethics Commission to hear the matter with a chair as a single person panel”.

However, the chair also concluded that “the evidence before me indicates that AB’s actions denigrated the perception of the integrity, of the potential for the appearance of impropriety, and the possibility of bringing the image of the Commonwealth Games into disrepute”.

In an intriguing twist, the panel chair also claimed that the official suggested to the lawyer that they “should mitigate the sanctions” and that the lawyer acted inappropriately by proposing modified sanctions after the charges were initially delivered, giving the official “opinions or advice that goes well beyond the Ethics Officer role of providing information”.

“I have further determined that CD has, in effect, conducted what would be characterised as plea bargaining with AB, after AB had received the Notice of Charge” said the chair. “I find this to be highly inappropriate.

“CD should not have made any modifications to the charges or the sanctions, as that is in the sole purview of the Ethic Commission at a hearing, and only after a hearing is requested by the covered person.”

The chair also revealed that they rejected a suggestion by the reprimanded official to not publicly disclose the outcome of the case, stating that “not disclosing the decision could create a reputational risk for the CGF and possibly subject it to allegations of cover up.”

However, the chair said that they have chosen not to reveal the individual’s identity because based on the investigation, “no harm was done to any person, there does not appear to be any risk of harm towards any person or persons”.

They also noted that “AB is not the subject of a provisional or sanctioned suspension or expulsion where their identity must be provided in order to ensure compliance; and that the sanctions proposed by CD and accepted by AB are on the less severe end of sanctions spectrum”.

It is also noted that the decision “shall be posted on the Commonwealth Games Website under the relevant section concerning the Ethics Commission, and shall not be posted on the ‘News’ feed. The decision will be posted for a period of 28 days only”.