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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned Man Utd's McTominay mistake on the brink of repeating
After Scott McTominay enjoyed the season of his life at Napoli, Paul Ince warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe against allowing other stars to depart Manchester United Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince has cautioned Sir Jim Ratcliffe about hastily selling Rasmus Hojlund, advising a loan spell might be more beneficial based on Scott McTominay's experience. The Red Devils had a dreadful season, finishing an abysmal 15th and succumbing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final. Meanwhile, McTominay flourished with Napoli and was named Serie A's Most Valuable Player. For Antonio Conte's side, he has proven to be a bargain at £25million. Against this backdrop, £72m man Hojlund struggled this season and looked equally at sea under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. However, Ince is convinced there is a top striker in Hojlund waiting to be unleashed. The ex-Inter Milan man urged Ratcliffe to loan the 22-year-old, perhaps to another team in Serie A, so he can find his confidence and return to United as a more well-rounded and experienced forward. United lost out on the opportunity to do this with McTominay, as they sold him to the Serie A champions permanently. Speaking on behalf of bet365, Ince told the Manchester Evening News: "He (Hojlund) is still a young lad. He's got a lot to learn. I'd like to see him go on loan somewhere, let him go find his feet, get a bit of confidence. "It's a tough place at United with the expectations, that are required from you. He might need someone to play next to him, maybe a senior centre-forward, to take him under his wing. "It looks like he is playing every game on his own. I know Zirkzee has come from Bologna, but that has not really worked out in this moment of time. As a striker, you need someone to lean on and take the pressure off you, but he has not had that all season. It looks like it is affecting his game. "There is a very good player in there, believe me, a very good player. Maybe a little loan spell, out in Italy, somewhere like that, get some goals for a few months, get some confidence and then come back in. "United look like they are about to sign (Matheus) Cunha, who is a very good player, but even someone like Ollie Watkins would be a very good player. "Maybe Hojlund could come back after that, work underneath, play a certain amount of games where the pressure would not be on him too much? At the minute, there is a lot of pressure." Despite arriving from Atalanta with a hefty £72m price tag in the summer of 2023, Hojlund has struggled to live up to expectations at Old Trafford, managing just four Premier League goals this season amidst a challenging campaign. United were understood to be plotting a move for Liam Delap, but the Ipswich Town hitman looks to be on his way to Chelsea. Amorim has looked seemingly unimpressed by Hojlund's efforts. However, Ince points to McTominay's successful stint in Naples as an example of how a move could jumpstart his fortunes. He said: "It's funny because some players fit certain teams and environments. "When you look at Scott McTominay, you think, 'How the hell did they let him go?' Sometimes, it's the manager, what is going on at the club. You look at Antony, he's been great at Real Betis and played in a cup final. "You look at these two players, who could not perform the way they are performing now. Is it them, is it the coach, is it the environment, the pressures and expectations of playing for Manchester United? "As a midfield player, I've always loved McTominay, I always thought he was one of the few who was actually trying to make things happen at Manchester United. But I'm so pleased he's managed to go there, because he will be a god there. I know what those fans are like and Antony the same." Paul Ince was speaking on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League, which is hosting its Big Ticket Giveaway Game this Friday 30th May in Munich from 4pm, where fans have the chance to win tickets to the UEFA Champions League final. Full Terms and Conditions apply. Gamble Responsibly. Full interview can be found at bet365 News. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Thunder thrash Wolves in Game 5, storm into NBA Finals
Even before the basket went in, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spread his arms wide to his side in celebration. Cason Wallace left his right arm high in the air, just waiting for the ball to drop through the basket. Soon enough, inevitably, it did. Wallace's corner 3-pointer at the buzzer was the exclamation point on a dominant first quarter for Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who rode the hot start to a 124-94 home win that ended the Western Conference finals in Game 5 on Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder closed out the best-of-seven series. "I didn't want to go back to Minnesota travel-wise and I wanted the fans to enjoy the moment with us," Gilgeous-Alexander said. The Thunder are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 and the fifth time in franchise history. The first three appearances came when the club was based in Seattle. Oklahoma City will host Game 1 of the Finals against either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks on June 5. "Happy for this moment, but this isn't our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "This isn't the end of our road." The Wednesday outcome was evident early, as the Thunder buried the Timberwolves under the weight of a stifling defense and playmaking by Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Oklahoma City put the game away quickly, leading by 17 after the first quarter and 33 at halftime. The Timberwolves saw their season end in the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive year. "I'm going to work my butt off this summer," Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said. "Nobody's going to work harder than me this summer, I'll tell you that much." Gilgeous-Alexander dished out five of his assists in the opening quarter as he again showed why he was selected the NBA's Most Valuable Player. After the Timberwolves scored the game's first hoop, Gilgeous-Alexander had a hand in all five Oklahoma City baskets during an 11-0 run that started the Thunder's march toward the blowout. In that stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander had four assists -- three on Holmgren buckets -- and drained a finger roll to start the separation. On Monday, the Timberwolves started Game 4 red hot from the field but ultimately fell 128-126. On Wednesday, Minnesota struggled on offense from the start, going just 1-for-11 from the field over the first five minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander outscored Minnesota in the first quarter 12-9 and scored or assisted on 24 of the Thunder's 26 first-quarter points. Minnesota had more turnovers in the first half (14) than it did field goals (12). The Timberwolves finished with 21 turnovers. Holmgren amassed 22 points and seven rebounds while Williams had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. "These guys really make me feel like I'm a kid playing AAU basketball, like I'm 15 years old again," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's just fun. That's what makes us really good. We have so much fun being out there together." Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 24 points while Edwards scored 19 on 7-of-18 shooting. "They dominated the game from the tip," Edwards said. "Can't do nothing but tip my hat to those guys. They came ready." --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
France 24
3 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Thunder overwhelm Timberwolves to reach NBA Finals
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player, added eight assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder captured the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series 4-1 and will host game one of the NBA Finals on June 5. "This is a step in the right direction but we have a lot more work to do and we know that and that's what we're focused on so let's buckle up and get ready," said Gilgeous-Alexander. "We've got a lot of work to do to get to our ultimate goal and this is not it. That's all that I'm focused on." Oklahoma City will face the Eastern Conference champion, either the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks, for the NBA title. Gilgeous-Alexander, a 26-year-old Canadian who was named the series MVP, could become the first NBA scoring champion since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to win an NBA title in the same season. Chet Holmgren added 22 points and Jalen Williams netted 19 for the Thunder, whose average age of 25.6 years makes them the youngest team in the NBA Finals since Portland in 1977. "We have 17 dudes on the roster who will bring it every single game whether it's a closeout game or not," Holmgren said. "It's a step in the journey. We still have a season to play (in the Finals) so we're not done." Williams was proud of the way players have melded into a team. "We've been through ups and downs this entire season and that has only brought us closer. We've been able to bond and get better and that's why we're here now," he said. "We've still got a job to do but it's very exciting." Julius Randle led Minnesota with 24 points while Anthony Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves, who have never reached the NBA Finals. "They came ready to play. We didn't," Edwards said. "They dominated the game from the tip." Oklahoma City have never won an NBA title, although the franchise won a crown as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 before relocating in 2008, and the Thunder last reached the finals in 2012, losing to Miami. The Thunder had the best record in the NBA this season at 68-14. "These guys are uncommon," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They do everything right. They are professional. They are high character... They are competitive and most of all they are team first." 'This hurts' From the start Oklahoma City overpowered Minnesota in epic fashion, as the visitors suffered a nightmare performance when it mattered most. "We kept our foot on the gas for 48 minutes," Daigneault said. "The tone we set in the game was really good from the jump." "We were beat by the better team," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "This hurts." Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Thunder grabbed a 26-9 lead, holding the Timberwolves to their lowest points total in any quarter all season. "They came out and punched us," Minnesota's Mike Conley said. Minnesota shot 3-for-20 in the first quarter, 1-of-9 from three-point range, and lost four turnovers. Minnesota missed 10 of their first 11 shots as Oklahoma City jumped ahead 11-3 then closed the quarter on a 13-2 run. The Thunder rolled to a 48-20 advantage early in the second quarter on the way to a 65-32 half-time lead as Minnesota surrendered a season-high 14 first-half turnovers while making only 12 baskets. The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 37 points before reducing the deficit to 88-62 after three quarters, but never looked like overcoming the Thunder's dominant performance. "It hurts," Conley said. "For me it's going to take a while to dissect what we weren't able to do." © 2025 AFP
NBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC News
Oklahoma City Thunder advance to NBA Finals
Just three years after finishing with one of the worst records in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are now best in the West. The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, 124-94, to win their conference finals in five games and advance to the team's first NBA Finals since 2012. Oklahoma City will face either Indiana or New York; the Pacers currently hold a 3-1 series lead. No matter its Finals opponent, Oklahoma City will host Games 1 and 2 by virtue of their top playoff seed, on June 5 and June 8. It would also host Games 5 and 7, if necessary, on June 16 and June 22. Oklahoma City led by as many as 39 points to turn an otherwise tense, deciding game Wednesday into a blowout, led by 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who last week was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Even by the standards of the NBA, where franchises' fortunes and windows to win a championship can change quickly, Oklahoma City's rebuild that has returned it in the Finals has taken place with stunning speed. In 2021, it won 22 games during a COVID-affected shortened season, the fourth-worst record in the NBA and the franchise's fewest victories since moving from Seattle to Oklahoma in 2008. The following year it won 24 games — 40 fewer than Phoenix on its way to the West's No. 1 playoff seed. Every year since, Oklahoma City has gradually taken another step forward, with 40 wins in 2023 followed by 57 last season, the most in the conference, only to lose in the playoffs' second round. This season, Oklahoma City's upward trajectory continued with 68 wins, tied for fourth-most in NBA history. Of the six other teams who won at least that many times in a single season, four went on to win the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to join that select club. Oklahoma City has never won an NBA championship since relocating in 2008. In 2012, the Thunder made the Finals behind a roster with three future Most Valuable Players but lost to the Miami Heat. The current Thunder features one MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander and a roster, unique for its depth and versatility, that was built intentionally during its lean years. In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City received a haul of draft picks from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019 in exchange for superstar Paul George, a trade that served as a pivot point for Oklahoma City's franchise. One day after the trade, the Thunder made a far more under-the-radar roster decision by signing an undrafted Arizona State wing named Lu Dort, who has since become a perennial all-defense candidate while underpinning what has become the NBA's best defense during both the regular season and postseason. Three years after acquiring Gilgeous-Alexander and a mountain of draft picks, one of those selections from the Clippers became Jalen Williams, who this year earned All-Star honors while becoming the Thunder's second-leading scorer. And the losing in 2022 helped secure the second overall draft pick Oklahoma City used to draft Chet Holmgren, the team's third-leading scorer who scored 22 points Wednesday. Oklahoma City opened the 2025 postseason with a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies before outlasting Denver in seven games during the conference semifinals. Facing Minnesota with a berth to the Finals on the line, Oklahoma City took a 3-1 series lead before routing the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Bella Belen, Mycah Go banner 2025 PVL Rookie Draft applicants
Top collegiate volleyball players Bella Belen and Mycah Go have submitted their names for the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft which will be held on June 8. A total of 60 applicants applied for the draft with Capital1 holding the first overall pick, followed by Galeries Tower, Farm Fresh, NXLED, Zus Coffee, Cignal, Choco Mucho, Chery Tiggo, PLDT, Akari, Petro Gazz, and Creamline in that order. Belen of National University is a three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player and a three-time champion, while Go of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde is NCAA Season 97 Most Valuable Player and is also a two-time champion. Aside from Belen, her NU teammates Erin Pangilinan and Sheena Toring also submitted for the draft. Go, meanwhile, will be joined by other NCAA players like Arellano University's Kristine Adante, Cherry Mae Cuenca, Pauline De Guzman, and Nenita Padua; Letran's Angelique Ledesma and Lea Tapang; EAC's Jhan Pauline Fortuno and Jamaica Villena; JRU's Maliey Amante, Karyla Jasareno, and Jerry Lyn Laurente; Lyceum's Zonxi Jane Dahab and Joan Doguna; San Beda's Jan Gregorio and Reyann Cenete; San Sebastian's Von Dimaculangan; and Perpetual Help's Winnie Bedana. Here is the full list of the applicants: A Draft Combine for the applicants will be held on May 30 to 31 at the Paco Arena in Manila. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
