data-mm-id=”_tcqxfa99n”>Zion Williamson probably heard the rumblings. It would have been impossible not to. Some claimed he was out of shape, run-down or moving worse than he did during the regular season. Hell, some were saying he shouldn't even be playing right now. Monday night, he silenced some of those doubters. Williamson led the New Orleans Pelicans past the Memphis Grizzlies, 109-99, while scoring 23 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists in only 25 minutes. Yeah, there were times when he lumbered a bit, but plenty of guys haven't looked 100 percent since the NBA's Orlando bubble started. The rookie out of Duke mostly looked like his old self.Williamson was solid on defense but was downright explosive on offense during his bursts on the floor. He labored a bit and didn't run back on defense at one point in the fourth quarter — which led to him getting pulled — but after a brief rest he was on the floor as the Pelicans closed out the win. It's clear Williamson is supremely confident and is at ease against NBA competition. He bullies his way to the rim with ease regularly, like a wrecking ball smashing through an ancient building, he's almost unstoppable once he gets going. His basketball IQ was on display against the Grizzlies as well. The kid can fire some pinpoint passes in traffic and it's likely the most underrated aspect of his game. Zion was peaking before the NBA shut down. During March, he was averaging 24.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game, while also shooting 61.0 percent from the floor. That followed a 10-game February in which he averaged 25.7 points per game. The shutdown obviously hurt his progress, but it's worth noting he just turned 20 in July. There were always going to be fits and starts with his development. When Williamson is right he's one of the NBA's most exciting players to watch. Just check out the 3/4-court alley-oop he caught from Lonzo Ball Monday night:✈️?Picture-perfect connection. #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/vdXafBkLsk— NBA (@NBA) August 4, 2020I agree that Williamson doesn't look to be in the kind of shape he was a few months ago. He'll need to figure out what his optimal playing weight is and find a way to way to reach it. That has to be his biggest goal this offseason. Despite all of that, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the rest of his game.
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Collina will be replaced by Roberto Rosetti after opting to leave the role due to personal reasons.
Rosetti, who also becomes chairman of UEFA s referees committee, takes over having been responsible for implementing the VAR system at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Roberto was the natural choice for the job, said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. His experience, knowledge and standing in the game are outstanding and I know he will chair the committee with passion and enthusiasm.
Collina s eight-year spell in the position saw the 58-year-old oversee the establishment of the Centre of Refereeing Excellence.
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Cucho Hernandez is proud to have helped Columbus Crew create history as they beat Los Angeles FC 3-1 to win the Leagues Cup for the first time.
Cucho opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with a towering header past Hugo Lloris before Olivier Giroud netted his first goal for LAFC in the 57th minute.
When the game looked to be heading to penalties, Cucho stepped up again in stoppage time, curling a stunning effort in from the left wing before setting up Jacen Russell-Rowe for their third two minutes later.
Cucho, who scored four goals in the last three games on Columbus run to the title, was delighted to play such a big role in their success.
No words about that, no words. I m so happy for making history here, Cucho said. I m so happy for my famil…
Newcastle United are interested in signing Andreas Christensen from Barcelona, according to . The report in the Spanish publication has claimed that Newcastle wanted to sign Christensen in the summer of 2022 before he joined Barcelona on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea. The Magpies tried to get a deal done for the defender in the summer of 2023 as well.
According to Sport, neither Barcelona nor Christensen has any intention of leaving anytime soon. The Denmark international central defender is an important player in head coach Xavi’s team and is playing regularly for the Barca first team.
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Denis Suarez claimed he did not receive any messages from Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde following his move to Celta Vigo.
The 25-year-old joined Celta during the close season in a deal potentially worth a reported €16million after struggling to hold down a starting spot in his three years at Camp Nou.
Suarez was offered the chance to link up with Marcelino at Valencia but instead opted for a return to Celta, where he started his career before heading to Manchester City in 2011.
Marcelino was constantly calling me to tell me how the situation was, he told Cadena SER. I was willing to give up many things to go to Valencia, but I rejected his offer because they wanted me to give up many more things.
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Jan Vertonghen said Tottenham deserve so many trophies and added it would be a big shame if Spurs squad do not claim silverware.
Tottenham has not won a trophy since claiming the 2008 EFL Cup – a tournament it was knocked out of by Chelsea in the semi-finals this season.
Spurs – third in the Premier League and preparing for the Champions League last 16 – face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fourth round Sunday.
Tottenham defender Vertonghen understands the significance of the FA Cup following the club s EFL Cup exit.
It s very important, said Vertonghen of the FA Cup. This team deserves so much more, so many trophies.
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Team manager Bierhoff suggested after relegation in the Nations League last year Germany should keep faith with their experienced players, but there appears to have been a change of heart.
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Klopp was not happy with the VAR decision to award the home side’s equaliser, with the direct free-kick from James Maddison initially ruled out for offside, as he acknowledged any title challenge is now over.
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Prediction: Both Teams to Score and Dortmund to Win
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A monumental battle in the fight for the Bundesliga crown is in the offing on Tuesday evening as Der Klassiker takes place at the Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund host their great rivals Bayern Munich in what looks like a key clash in the title race following the resumption of the league.
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Despite the coronavirus pandemic pausing German football for a few months, Lucien Favre s Dortmund have picked up exactly where they left off in their last two matches. They at first secured a big 4-0 victory against rivals Schalke 04 before following that up with a 2-0 success against Wolfsburg. That means that they have won their last six matches in the league, securing clean …
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Looking to open the New Year with another Serie A statement, Fiorentina will travel to the Mapei Stadium when they meet Sassuolo on Saturday night.
Sassuolo
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Alvaro Morata may not have been prolific in terms of goals at Euro 2020 but his selfless work for the team is vital for Spain, according to Gaizka Mendieta.
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