US OPEN organizers said on Tuesday that they were happy with the slate of competitors for this year’s tournament, despite numerous dropouts by high-profile names amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

BARCELONA — Ronald Koeman is set to become Barcelona’s next coach and the Dutchman will construct his team around Lionel Messi, president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Tuesday.

KAWHI LEONARD registered 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals to help the Los Angeles Clippers produce a 118-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the opening game of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday night at AdventHealth Arena near Orlando.

BELIEVING in what the NBA G League wants to accomplish as an organization, former National Basketball Association (NBA)player and coach Brian Shaw is high on the league as a possible path for those who want to make it to the NBA.

THE sixth season of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League-Philippines kicks off with its regular season on Aug. 21. 

WITH the National Capital Region (NCR) reverting to a more relaxed lockdown setup beginning Wednesday, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is targeting to have its long-delayed return to activities commence at the earliest by Aug. 25.

WORLD number two Simona Halep of Romania will not travel to New York to play in the US Open due to COVID-19 concerns, she said on Monday, leaving the women’s draw at the Grand Slam tournament without six of the world’s top-10 players.

THE Friedkin Group are the new owners of AS Roma, the Serie A side announced on Monday, two weeks after US billionaire Dan Friedkin signed a deal worth more than $700 million to purchase the Italian club.

BARCELONA — Barcelona have sacked coach Quique Setien and brought presidential elections forward to March 2021, the club said on Monday, three days after the Spanish side were hammered 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

DUESSELDORF, Germany — Lautaro Martinez played chief tormentor as Inter Milan claimed an emphatic 5-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk to reach the Europa League final and come closer to a first title in nine years on Monday.

Heading into the Jazz’s first-round series against the Nuggets, All-Star Donovan Mitchell knew he had to step up. The blue and gold were decided underdogs against the West third seeds even at full strength, so he needed to pick up the slack in the absence of erstwhile starters Mike Conley, Jr. and Bojan Bogdanovic. The good news was that he did, winding up with a whopping 57 markers (on 19-of-33 and perfect 13-of-13 shooting from the field and from the line, respectively) to go with nine boards and seven dimes. And, in so doing, he managed to take the measure of the opposition despite limited help.

THE Los Angeles Clippers begin pursuit of the NBA title when they square off with the offense-loving Dallas Mavericks on Monday night near Orlando in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.