Latest - Rob Loe delivered his best NBL performance just hours after the New Zealand Breakers lost Yanni Wetzell, but the Tasmania JackJumpers pulled out the 88-86 win to keep their finals aspirations alive.
Rob Loe Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Breakers parted ways with standout centre Wetzell earlier in the day on Friday to allow him to join Spanish EuroLeague team Baskonia, but veteran backup Loe stepped up huge and almost delivered a match-winning performance in his absence.
Loe produced 27 points, seven rebounds, three huge blocks and two assists for the Breakers.
Peyton Siva also delivered 13 points, five assists and four steals, Rasmus Bach 12 points, Will McDowell-White nine points, five rebounds and four assists, and Chasson Randle eight points and two assists.
The JackJumpers had to fight all the way for the win and were down six midway through that final quarter, but they got the victory they needed to continue to be in the hunt for a play-off spot.
The Breakers end their season on 24 April against the Adelaide 36ers.
-NBL
Reds continue hold over Rebels in Super Rugby
The Queensland Reds have extended their unbeaten streak against the Melbourne Rebels to seven games with a 36-32 win in Super Rugby Pacific.
Queensland scored five tries to four in a seesawing affair, with the Reds holding off a late comeback from the home side in Melbourne.
20-year-old lock Lopeti Faifua made his Queensland and Super Rugby debut in the win, while Connor Vest and Lawson Creighton both crossed for their maiden Super Rugby tries.
A try to Cabous Eloff set up a thrilling final five-minutes at 36-32, but Queensland were able to hold on to claim the win.
The Reds are back in Melbourne next round to take on the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific's inaugural Super Round at AAMI Park.
Burnley sack manager
English Premier League club Burnley have sacked manager Sean Dyche ahead of a tight end-of-season run-in as they look to avoid relegation.
Sean Dyche Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Burnley have struggled this season and sit in 18th place in the standings, four points from the safety zone. But the decision was unexpected, given Dyche's track record of maintaining the Lancashire club's status in the top division on a relatively modest budget.
He was the longest-serving English top flight manager having been in charge for nine-and-a-half years.
U23s coach Mike Jackson, assisted by academy director Paul Jenkins, U23s goalkeeping coach Connor King and club captain Ben Mee have been asked to take charge of the team for Monday's (NZT) game with West Ham United.
-Reuters
New Zealand drop down in Billie Jean King Cup
New Zealand will drop down to Asia Oceania Group 2 for 2023 after losing 2-1 to India in their fourth tie at the Billie Jean King Cup in Antalya in Turkey.
Marina Erakovic's team fought hard against the higher ranked Indian team but defeats in both singles rubbers meant the ensured New Zealand would join Indonesia in dropping out of Group 1. New Zealand has one final tie against Indonesia tomorrow.
Emma Raducanu won on her Billie Jean King Cup debut to give Britain a crucial point in their qualifier against the Czech Republic with a hard-fought 7-5 7-5 win over Tereza Martincova in windy conditions in Prague.
Emma Raducanu Photo: PHOTOSPORT
U.S. Open champion Raducanu, 19, was playing her first professional match on clay and gradually adjusted to the surface as she battled back in both sets to level the best-of-five tie after Harriet Dart lost 6-1 6-0 to Marketa Vondrousova.
Raducanu was trailing 4-5 and saved a set point before winning three games on the bounce to take the opening set. She then found herself 1-4 down but rallied to win six of the last seven games to close out the win.
In her first match as world number one, Iga Swiatek helped Poland take a 2-0 lead over Romania with a dominant 6-1 6-0 victory over Mihaela Buzarnescu, hitting 16 winners to wrap up the victory in 55 minutes.
Earlier, Elena Rybakina dispatched Laura Siegemund 6-0 6-1 in just over an hour after Yulia Putintseva upset three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber with a 3-6 6-3 6-2 comeback win to give Kazakhstan a 2-0 lead over Germany.
-RNZ/Reuters
King into semi-finals of Manchester Squash Open
New Zealand's Joelle King has booked her place in the semi-finals of the Manchester Squash Open after a win over Malaysia's Aifa Azman in three games.
King raced out to a 7-2 lead in the opening game, hitting powerfully to the back and not missing a corner. Azman struggled to find any kind of rhythm and spent most of the game struggling to make an impact.
World No 5 King secured the opening game 11-3 in just six minutes.
The momentum continued for King in the second game as she maintained her accurate hitting and severe attacks. Azman was forced to do multiple tough movements that only gave King a further advantage.
After securing the second game 11-5, King booked her place in the last four of the tournament closing out the match 11-6 in the third game.
King has set up a semi-final clash with Belgium's Nele Gilis, ranked 12th who has looked on top form in this event.
