NBA playoff predictions 2026: the winner, key players and dark horses

Will an Oklahoma City repeat end an NBA-record run of seven different champions in seven years? Our writers make their picks ahead of Saturday’s postseason tip-offWemby will no doubt be the answer to this question at some point in the (perhaps not-too-distant) future. But for now, I defer to those with at least some playoff experience. For my money, Jokić still reigns supreme as the best player alive, and for that reason, he’s my pick. CDLJokić. Not since peak Shaq has there been an offensive force this inevitable

Inspirational success stories are great but is ADHD really a superpower for elite athletes? | Emma John

Kirsty Brown is a keen golfer. “If I could just transport myself straight to the first tee, that would be amazing,” she says. “But getting there on time, remembering all my kit, making sure I’ve eaten before I play – all those aspects are more challenging than competing itself.” Brown, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), admits that can be hard to explain to coaches or teammates. “It doesn’t necessarily make sense to them – it doesn’t really make sense to me either

Chess: Sindarov wins Candidates with record total, while Vaishali takes women’s event

Javokhir Sindarov finished with a record total in the world championship Candidates in Pegeia, western Cyprus, as the 20-year-old from Uzbekistan won the competition with a record 10/14 total, 1.5 points clear of his nearest rival, Anish Giri. The Women’s Candidates was won by India’s 24-year-old Vaishali Rameshbabu, half a point ahead of Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva, who is also Sindarov’s girlfriend.Sindarov dominated the field with a controlled display reminiscent of the old Soviet master Mikhail Botvinnik. His pre-game preparation was exceptional, several times accurately predicting what would appear on the board right into the endgame

Gout Gout eases into 100m semis to leave shot at breaking 10-second barrier on hold

Gout Gout has tuned his legs for a showdown in under two months against American superstar Noah Lyles with a solid opening run over 100m at the national junior championships in Brisbane on Friday.Five days after becoming the 16th fastest 200m runner ever by clocking 19.67sec at the national championships in Sydney, the teenager backed up at the shorter distance against athletes his own age.Gout recorded the fastest time in the heats, stopping the clock at 10.19sec with a tailwind of +0

Hull fans and players unite behind ‘betrayed’ coach Cartwright as St Helens go top

There is rarely a shortage of emotion and passion in this particular part of the rugby league world but even by the usually high standards set in Hull, this was a night many, least of all their head coach, will never forget.On any other night, the headline would be St Helens producing another impressive statement of their title credentials to go top of Super League. But this was no ordinary night: perhaps underlined not necessarily by the action on the field, but by what transpired after Saints’ win over Hull FC.As the game ebbed into its closing moments, the big screen inside the MKM Stadium panned to Hull’s coach, John Cartwright. What followed was a stadium-wide round of applause despite his side heading for a fifth league defeat in eight games

Tiger Woods mentioned drones over home and car, ‘president’ in remarks after crash, filing shows

Tiger Woods told police he had taken multiple prescription medications, including Vicodin, on the day of a crash that led to his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to court filings released on Wednesday.The filing, submitted by prosecutors in Florida as part of routine pretrial discovery and obtained by the Guardian, also details a series of unusual remarks Woods made to officers at the scene of the 27 March crash in Hobe Sound, including references to drones flying over his home and a claim that he had spoken to “the president”.Woods told investigators he takes medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as ibuprofen and Vicodin, and said he had taken all of them earlier that day when asked. He denied drinking alcohol.A breath test showed no alcohol in his system, but Woods refused a urine test for drugs, the filing states