Latest news with #Achilles
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Christian McCaffrey injury update and Kyle Shanahan's outlook on missing star's impact for San Francisco 49ers' playoff hopes
Kyle Shanahan shares update saying McCaffrey is close to full health (Image via: Getty Images) The San Francisco 49ers' 2024 season was a harsh reminder of how crucial Christian McCaffrey is to their success. Missing most of the year due to serious injuries, McCaffrey's absence was felt deeply. Now, with renewed hope and Kyle Shanahan's cautious optimism, the team looks toward 2025 with high stakes riding on his full recovery. Kyle Shanahan's insight on McCaffrey's recovery and its impact on 49ers Christian McCaffrey's 2024 season unravelled quickly after an Achilles injury kept him out of the first eight games. Just as the 49ers hoped for a comeback, a posterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee in December ended his year prematurely. This double injury setback derailed San Francisco's offense and contributed significantly to their playoff absence. Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently provided a crucial update on McCaffrey's health, expressing guarded optimism. Shanahan emphasized the importance of 'protecting him from himself,' highlighting the risk of rushing back too soon. Despite this, McCaffrey remains enthusiastic about his recovery and the prospect of returning to the field stronger. On Thursday, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared an encouraging update on Christian McCaffrey's recovery, as reported by 95.7 The Game. Shanahan highlighted McCaffrey's dedication and resilience, saying, 'Christian is as ready as any player I've ever been around. When he gets hurt, he commits fully to rehab. Right now, he's healthy as can be.' The 49ers' offense is built around McCaffrey's unique skill set. In 2023, he amassed 1,459 rushing yards, scored 14 rushing touchdowns, and added 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. His dual-threat capability as a rusher and receiver makes him indispensable in San Francisco's game plan. With quarterback Brock Purdy signing a new contract, the San Francisco 49ers have high hopes to bounce back and reach the playoffs next season. Christian McCaffrey's health remains the key factor; without full strength from the star running back, another tough season and a missed postseason are real possibilities. Also Read: Las Vegas Raiders could pursue Tyreek Hill trade to strengthen 2025 offense, with $36M cap space available Ultimately, the 2025 season will test whether McCaffrey can overcome his injuries and return to his dominant form. Kyle Shanahan's cautious yet hopeful stance reflects the team's recognition that their playoff ambitions depend heavily on their star running back's comeback. San Francisco's chances for postseason success are deeply tied to McCaffrey staying healthy and performing at his best.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Turning back time to learn about royal games
While many of us think of games as something limited to two or four people around the table in a family, in ancient times, games had far wider connotations, not just in India. For example, in Greek and Roman traditions, funerary games were competitions held in honour of the deceased person, often a hero or a noble figure, as part of their funeral rites. This is graphically described in Homer's Iliad, when Achilles organised elaborate games to honour his fallen friend, Patroclus. The purpose of these games was to pay tribute to the dead, to appease the gods as the games were seen as offerings, and of course, to display wealth and power. Closer to home, in India, games were very much a part of the Rajasuya ceremonies. The Rajasuya ceremony was one of the most prestigious and elaborate royal rituals in ancient times. It was a consecration ceremony performed by the king to assert his sovereignty. The purpose of the Rajasuya was to legitimise the king's rule through divine sanction and assert his supremacy over other kings who were invited to attend and who offered tribute. It helped to unify the realm under a single authority.
Indianapolis Star
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
What is the start time for NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Knicks vs Pacers Game 1?
The Indiana Pacers are in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season, and they start their best-of-7 series against the New York Knicks today, May 21. The No. 4-seeded Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks and top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games each. The No. 3 Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons and defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in six games each. The Knicks won the regular-season series over the Pacers 2-1, though all those games were before the All-Star break: The Pacers defeated the Knicks in the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs in seven games. Dustin Dopirak has the best Pacers coverage. Keep up with IndyStar's Pacers newsletter. Dustin Dopirak, IndyStar: Knicks 118-110 "If the Pacers are to win this series, they will use the wear-down effect as they roll 11 deep and the Knicks stick with their top five guys. You wouldn't see the difference until Games 4-7. I don't think this will be a Pacers sweep, and the Knicks will be lifted by the home crowd in Game 1, superseding the wear-down effect. I think the Pacers will manage a split before they leave New York." Fox Sports: Knicks 116-113 Pacers: Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) is out. Knicks: None. (All games ET; *-if necessary) Game 1, Wed., May 21: at Knicks, 8 p.m., TNT Game 2, Fri., May 23: at Knicks, 8 p.m., TNT Game 3, Sun., May 25: at Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT Game 4, Tues., May 27: at Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT *-Game 5, Thurs., May 29: at Knicks, 8 p.m., TNT *-Game 6, Sat., May 31: at Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT *-Game 7, Mon., June 2: at Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT TV: TNT Watch the Eastern Conference Finals on Sling 93.5 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analysis) and Pat Boylan (sideline reporting). Game 2 streaming is on SiriusXM channels 83 and 86 (Knicks feed). via BetMGM Favorite: Knicks by 4.5 points Over/under: 223.5 total points Moneyline: Pacers +155, Knicks -190 ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Knicks a 52.3% chance of winning. Pacers-Knicks tickets on StubHub start at $723
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aaron Gordon says hamstring injury would have sidelined him 2-3 games if Nuggets had advanced: 'I gave it my all'
Even as the Denver Nuggets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a Game 7 conference semifinals blowout, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon was willing to put his body on the line. Gordon played through a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the 125-93 loss, and was named as a starter despite being initially very doubtful for the game. But the 29-year-old forward said postgame that he knew the risks of playing through the pain, and was willing to accept them. Advertisement When asked whether he would have been able to keep playing had the Nuggets won and advanced, Gordon said that he likely would have had to sit out two or three games as a result of powering through on Sunday. "That was probably it. At least for two or three games, into the next round. So I was saying, maybe I can get through this one and the rest a little bit, come back later in the next series," Gordon said. That, he said, was a risk he was willing to take in order to get Denver through to the conference finals. "I knew the risks, but I wanted to be out there for my team," Gordon said. "I gave it my all." Gordon said that there was "never any doubt" that he would play, despite his injury, but that the MRI indicated "something worse than what I was feeling." As a result, he said, he spent the past few days trying various treatments to get himself ready for game time. "Everything that I could possibly do: hot, cold, contrast, massage, hyperbaric, everything that I could possibly do, just so I could be out there, and fight for my team," Gordon said. Advertisement Gordon said that he didn't feel the injury much during the game, but later admitted that he couldn't sprint at all. He finished with eight points and 11 rebounds. "Just wish I would've played better," Gordon added. Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman seemed to disagree, praising Gordon's commitment in his postgame press conference. "Aaron Gordon is incredible," Adelman said, noting the intense circumstances that Gordon persevered through. "That was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen ... It's just a testament to his toughness." But Gordon noted during his press conference that part of the reason behind his hamstring injury is the NBA's busy postseason schedule. Teams usually only get one day in between playoff games; if the Nuggets had won, the next series would have tipped off on Tuesday, only two days later. "A travel day and a recovery day, just two days, I think the product of the game would be a lot better," Gordon said. "Just to give all these professional athletes just one more day of rest, and you would see a higher level of basketball. Probably less blowouts." Advertisement Gordon noted the number of injuries to high-profile players during the playoffs, mentioning Stephen Curry's hamstring injury, which kept him out of four games, plus the season-ending Achilles injuries to Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum. Similarly, Tatum's teammate, Jaylen Brown, has reportedly been playing on a partially torn meniscus for the past few months. "You saw it around the league," Gordon said. "There's guys all around the league that are suffering fatigue-based injuries because the games are so closely stacked together.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"The opportunity for a faster recovery really is present" - Expert suggests Jayson Tatum has potential for unprecedented Achilles tendon recovery
In the focal moments of Game 4, under the glaring lights of Madison Square Garden, Jayson Tatum pounced, then fell. The Boston Celtics superstar forward, a six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA member, crumpled to the hardwood, clutching his right leg in a silent scream. His 42 points on 16-for-28 shooting had been a masterpiece, a defiant brushstroke against a gutty New York Knicks defense. Advertisement But with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, agony replaced artistry. Unable to bear weight on his foot, Tatum was carried off, the weight of a defending champion's season teetering alongside him. By Tuesday afternoon, the news broke: a ruptured right Achilles tendon, surgically repaired that same day. A city held its breath, and a franchise recalibrated. A surgical edge Dr. Lou Soslowsky, founding director of the Penn Achilles Tendinopathy Center of Research Translation, speaks with the quiet authority of someone who has not only studied the Achilles tendon but felt its betrayal. "You're going to get infiltration of biologic agents and cells that will create the beginnings of scar formation," Soslowsky told "Because this repair was within a day, those processes had only just begun, and with a surgical pair, the torn ends were put right back together before a lot of these adverse biologic effects occurred. And so the opportunity for a faster recovery really is present." Advertisement The Celtics' announcement was clinical, devoid of a return timetable, yet heavy with hope. Tatum's surgery, performed with preternatural speed, was deemed a success. The injury, a specter that haunts athletes with its cruel arithmetic — months of rehab, uncertain outcomes — had been met with a rare opportunity: immediacy. Tatum's case, Soslowsky explains, is a serendipitous convergence. The rupture, caught before scar tissue could muddy the repair, was stitched with careful speed and precision. The speed of the surgery is no small thing. Achilles ruptures, often a death knell for athletic primes, trigger a cascade of biological chaos — cells swarm, scar tissue forms and the tendon's delicate architecture frays. Advertisement Most athletes wait days, in rare cases even weeks, for surgery. Tatum, 27, an NBA champion and Olympian, by contrast, was under the knife before time ticked too far. "At some point in some months, we'll get a much better idea of whether they're going to try and get back next season or not," he said. "If you want to be conservative, one would say, well, it's probably a 12-month rehab anyway." "Therefore, let's let him sit out and give him the best shot during the following season. On the other hand, if in a handful of months he's doing well, then there'll be the push and pull to say, we can get him back next season," Soslowsky added. Advertisement Related: "I don't even know what he was thinking" - Former Lakers trainer recalls struggling to convince Kobe Bryant to leave the court after Achilles tear The road ahead The Celtics, now staring down a 3-2 series deficit, play Game 6 tomorrow night on the road, where they are 2-2 this postseason. Their future championship aspirations are leashed to the recovery speed of their franchise cornerstone. JT's 42-point eruption in Game 4 — 15 points in the third quarter alone, with a 60 percent field goal clip — had been a reminder of what he's capable of pulling off on the NBA playoffs stage. At his age, Tatum is a supernova — he averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 72 games in the 2024-25 regular season. His playoff performance, peaking at 42 points with his team just minutes away from tying the Eastern Conference semifinals, was a clarion call of his indispensability — though Boston took Game 5 on its home floor, 127-102, and now seek to continue shifting the momentum. Advertisement The tendon, repaired before inflammation could entrench, has a cleaner slate. Rehabilitation, a grueling odyssey of incremental gains, will test the Boston star's resolve. Physical therapy often with gentle stretches, then progress to weight-bearing exercises, each step a negotiation between haste and caution. The Celtics' training staff, among the NBA's best, will monitor every metric — range of motion, tensile strength, pain thresholds. The specter of a 12-month rehab looms, a conservative estimate rooted in the injury's history. Kobe Bryant, felled by an Achilles tear in 2013, returned in eight months but was never the same. Advertisement Kevin Durant, struck in 2019, took over a year and emerged a marvel, though not without struggle. Tatum's youth — 27 years old, with a body less worn than those legends — could tilt the odds. So too does the surgery's celerity. A much earlier-than-average return — perhaps merely pie in the sky optimism — for Tatum, could be as soon as nine months, placing him back on the hardwood before the finish of the 2025-26 regular season. "The fact that he did choose a surgeon — and there was availability to operate on him so quickly — gives him an excellent shot at an earlier-than-average, high-level athlete return," Soslowsky said. In Boston, where banners hang like promises, fans will wait, their eyes fixed on a horizon where their star might rise again. The Achilles, once a harbinger of endings, will optimistically be a chapter, not a conclusion, in Tatum's climb to the peak of his abilities on the court. Related: "Do I need to come home?" - Tatum's dad offered to leave his job because he was worried about his son's mental well-being after suffering a serious injury
