✅ Official Pisa v Lecce: calls on Touré, Durosinmi, Pierotti, Stulic

Matchday 35 of Serie A gets underway with a hugely delicate relegation battle between Pisa and Lecce.

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For Oscar Hiljemark’s Tuscan side, it is the last chance: bottom of the table with 18 points, they come into this on the back of a dreadful run (nine defeats in their last ten), and with a loss, relegation to Serie B would become mathematically certain after just one season in the top flight. chickenroad-game.rodeo

Lecce, coached by Eusebio Di Francesco, on the other hand, still have their fate in their own hands: they are fourth from bottom, just one point above the relegation zone, and are looking for a crucial win to widen the gap over Cremonese.

Below are the official lineups.

✅ PISA-LECCE

PISA (3-5-2): Semper; Bozhinov, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Leris, Akinsanmiro, Aebischer, Vural, Angori; Moreo, Stojilkovic. Head coach: Hijlemark

LECCE (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Veiga, Siebert, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Ngom, Banda; Cheddira. Head coach: Di Francesco

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Lewis Hamilton said he’s ready to race at the Miami Grand Prix after the season’s first three events were cancelled. He praised the extra time teams had to fine‑tune their cars and expressed excitement for the upcoming race in Miami.

The Denver Nuggets entered the Wolves’ den in Minneapolis on Thursday night and failed to make it out alive.

The undermanned and illness-stricken Minnesota Timberwolves weathered Denver’s comeback attempts and eliminated the Nuggets from the first round of the NBA Playoffs in Game 6. Minnesota played with transparent desperation, and in the end, they rose to the occasion.

The Target Center Advantage

Throughout the Wolves’ recent history, Target Center has earned a reputation as being a difficult place to play. From the starting introductions, the venue was rocking, prompting many fans and pundits in attendance to take note.

“It is deafening in here,” Krawczynski posted around the time of tipoff. Andrew Dukowitz of ZoneCoverage also avowed, “Not sure how well it’s coming through the TV, but I literally can’t communicate with the people next to me.”

The atmosphere made for a very intense, chippy episode in this rivalry. The noise was an issue for the players on the floor when, at one point in the fourth quarter, a Mike Conley foul did not immediately stop play due to the inability to hear the whistles.

The “Next Man Up” Mentality

After Kyle Anderson was ruled out due to illness and Ayo Dosunmu was ruled out nearly 90 minutes before game time, the Timberwolves embraced the “next man up” mentality. Minnesota showed a gutsy, gritty performance that renewed faith in their bench. The Wolves were flying around, tailing the Nuggets all night, and making Denver uncomfortable in transition. The effort felt desperate, and the team wasn’t.

Jaylen Clark played a huge role defensively for the Timberwolves, filling Ayo’s role on that side seamlessly.

The Finch Factor

Head Coach Chris Finch put on a masterful coaching performance, often resorting to a three-big-men lineup of Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle that had the Nuggets grasping at straws. He went with Terrence Shannon Jr in the starting lineup, and the results were pristine. Shannon got downhill, putting Denver defenders in a predicament all night long. Finch also made some timely timeout calls, great substitutions, and utilized his challenges brilliantly.

Yahoo Sports‘ Kevin O’Connor also took note of Finch’s masterclass, bringing up a point that Wolves beat writer Dane Moore had been calling for for years. “Shoutout to Dane Moore. He’s been saying for YEARS that Chris Finch needs to play a three-big lineup with Naz, Rudy, and Julius. Then, in a must-win Game 6, it’s that lineup that helped win it.”

His understanding of his personnel really shone through in Game 6, and he inserted Mike Conley at the perfect times to keep the Wolves levelheaded. He started Conley, and Conley rose to the challenge. The 38-year-old journeyman has been used sparingly by Finch this season, with some even questioning his presence at times. Conley proved Thursday night that he has enough gas left in the tank, and Minnesota needed all of it.

Tyler Metcalf of No Ceilings also noted the importance of Conley in Game 6, saying, “This is a turn back the clock game for Mike Conley. He’s been fantastic picking his spots on offense and playing really competitive defense.”

Finch also had some thoughts regarding the Nuggets’ postgame, which The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski captured. Finch told reporters, “They took it personal. Denver had that choice of who they wanted to play (in the first round), and they chose us. They chose us.”

The Individual Performances

With all eyes on him, Jaden McDaniels turned in a career-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. He ended the game a +16 and amassed a dazzling 52% FG percentage. He also contributed two steals in just shy of 45 minutes played. Krawczynski noted his performance, expressing that it was “just an incredible, ferocious, connected performance from the Timberwolves, up and down the lineup. Jaden McDaniels has the last word in a series that he owned from start to finish.”

Terrence Shannon Jr was also a star of the night. He and McDaniels combined for 56 of Minnesota’s 110 total points. Shannon’s speed was on full display, as he finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and two steals. He also had a rim-rocking slam right before halftime that sent the internet into a frenzy.

Julius Randle, who played just shy of 38 minutes in Game 6, ended the game a +15. He provided a needed scoring punch for the Wolves, dropping 18 points and adding four rebounds, five assists, and a steal. He bullied around the Nuggets from the jump and brought physicality that proved hard for Denver to handle.

Not to be forgotten was the performance of ages from one Rudy Gobert. Rudy turned in just shy of 42 minutes, added 10 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. His performance drew proclamation from many, with Kevin O’Connor declaring, “Rudy Gobert is one of the greatest defenders in sports history. I hope that is more than apparent now after taking down Jokic. What a player.”

Rudy again wore Nikola Jokic down, as evidenced in the later stages. He provided a couple of very timely blocks, with this one coming right before halftime:

The Nuggets’ Performance

Denver clearly struggled with the atmosphere of Target Center on Thursday. They were out of sorts all night and never able to find a real rhythm. Leading the way for the Nuggets was Jokic, who turned in 28 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Right behind him was Cam Johnson, who tallied 27 points and eight rebounds.

Jamal Murray was a shell of himself in Game 6, playing 40 minutes and only amassing 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists. He ended the game -18. All of Denver’s starters finished the game at -3 or worse.

The Records and Numbers

Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network astutely pointed out postgame that “in the 100th playoff game in franchise history, the Wolves win their first ever series in six games. They upset the higher-seeded Nuggets for the second time in three years. And (the Wolves) advance to the second round for a franchise record third straight season.”

Additionally, ESPN Insights on X.com dropped a stat that boggles minds. “The Timberwolves won the clincher against Denver without Ayo Dosunmu (21.8 PPG this series), Anthony Edwards (18.5), and Donte DiVincenzo (10.8). They are the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game while missing three or more players who averaged 10+ PPG in that series.”

Next Stop: San Antonio

The Minnesota Timberwolves will now move on to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they will face the San Antonio Spurs. Game 1 is set for Monday, May 4, in San Antonio. More info and the full series schedule can be found here.

The post Undermanned Timberwolves Debilitate Nuggets With Energy appeared first on The Lead.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari topped the sole practice for the Miami Grand Prix as Formula One resumed the 2026 season on Friday following a month-long break.

The Monegasque set the best time of 1 minute 29.310 seconds, 0.297 seconds ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri in the McLaren completed the top three.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fifth, followed by Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Defending champion Lando Norris was seventh in the other McLaren.

Drivers and teams were forced to take an unplanned break following the Japanese GP on March 29 after races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

During this period, the new set of regulations, which came into force this year, was slightly tweaked amid safety concerns due to dangerous closing speeds.

Miami is hosting a sprint weekend and qualifying for the sprint race is later on Friday.

The Football Association has granted permission for Dunstable Town and AFC Dunstable to merge and form Dunstable FC. The clubs, who finished 17th and bottom of their respective divisions respectively, will now await a final sign-off from the Financial Conduct Authority.

The new entity aims to appoint a board and coaching staff, following a history that includes a 1974 guest appearance by Manchester United legend George Best for Dunstable Town.