標籤: deserve

liverpoolAlexis McAllister has not had his best campaign with the Premier League this season.

The Reds began their title defense with five consecutive wins. Since then, they have won 12 of their last 30 league matches.

Liverpool are now fourth in the table, level on points with fifth-placed Aston Villa and will finish trophy-less this season.

Last month, Paris Saint-Germain ousted the English club from the Champions League. After abolition, the Argentina international said He is unhappy because he was expecting a successful campaign for Liverpool.

McAllister has been one of the players to come under criticism and it has led to suggestions that his future at Anfield is uncertain.

Agent sends message to Liverpool fans

winwin Alexis met with McAllister’s father Carlos, who is also the Liverpool man’s agent.

The representative says there have been no talks with any other club over a possible transfer of the 27-year-old player. He also revealed that Arne Slot’s side have not contacted him to talk about a new contract.

He said: “Alexis’s contract runs until June 2028, and so far, we have not been in public talks with any other club.

“We believe the club’s fans deserve that level of respect from the player. To date, the club has not negotiated with us regarding a contract renewal.”

The World Cup winner graduated from Boca Juniors’ youth system. He spent three years with them before joining Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2019.

two months ago, The Reds player said He would “love” to return to River Plate at some point in the future.

What next for Mac Allister and Liverpool?

The English club’s immediate focus is securing Champions League qualification and then working on rebuilding their squad over the summer.

Alexis McAllister will be looking to finish with a stellar performance and then join the Argentina squad for the World Cup.

His contract expires in 2028, and transfer market He is worth €80 million. If the Reds plan to extend his contract, it is unlikely to be discussed until after the World Cup.

The South American has played 52 matches this season, scoring six goals and providing seven assists.

After suffering a brutal 103-84 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics were disqualified from meeting the 40-20 rule, which argues that to win the NBA championship, a team must win 40 games before falling out of 20 during the regular season. The fact that this theory comes from 13-time NBA champion Phil Jackson should be proof enough of its validity. If that’s not the case, consider that 40 of the last 44 NBA champions have crossed the 40-20 threshold.

Since the Celtics failed to follow Jackson’s nearly infallible rule, are they doomed? History probably says so, but there are some important contexts that should make the green team get a pass this season.

It took 58 games for the Celtics to reach 20 losses, and star forward Jayson Tatum suited up for zero of those contests. The six-time All-Star and 2024 NBA champion is still recovering from an injury he suffered in May, yet there is reason to believe he could return to play before the regular season ends.

Shams on Jayson Tatum’s recovery:

“It’s about him combining multiple exercises and efforts to build strength in his calves.”

“(Tatum) is in the driver’s seat. He’ll make the decisions. The team hasn’t put any pressure on him.” https://t.co/f3zdRJiQ0b

– Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) 26 February 2026

Without one of their franchise cornerstones, the Celtics still Almost managed to satisfy Jackson’s 40-20 rule. This is an accomplishment in itself, as the C’s were considered dead by many pundits and preseason projections.

Rather than blitzing through a gap year, the Celtics have fully recovered from their offseason losses – including centers Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet as well as guard Jrue Holiday – and have continued to develop homegrown talent.

Nearly every young Celtic, from rookie Hugo Gonzalez to third-year wing Jordan Walsh, has improved, and so have most of the veterans. While reigning Sixth Man of the Year Peyton Pritchard and starting guard Derrick White aren’t having career years (although, they’re still producing at a high level), Celtics star Jaylen Brown is playing some of the best basketball of his life.

In his 10th year in the NBA, Brown is setting new career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game. His increased usage in Tatum’s absence has undoubtedly boosted his numbers, but, statistics aside, the 2026 Eastern Conference All-Star starter is playing winning basketball.

So, even without Tatum, the rest of the Celtics have stepped up and posted an impressive 38-20 record in nearly 60 games on the season. If they beat the Nuggets, they could reach the 40-20 rule with an easier matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

And while that hypothetical may no longer matter, what the Celtics could look like with Tatum does matter. The rehabbing star has been “full steam ahead” in 5-on-5 team scrimmages, according to NBA insider Shams Charania, meaning a return in March is not out of the question. His presence on an already overachieving Celtics squad will undoubtedly help them contend in a tough, but winnable East.

If Tatum had been healthy, it would have been pretty safe to say the Celtics would have been eligible for the 40-20 rule this season along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. Additionally, it is not unheard of for a championship team to win without its best player.

What the Milwaukee Bucks did without Giannis Antetokounmpo

During the shortened 2020-21 campaign, the Milwaukee Bucks failed to meet the 40-20 rule. Like the Celtics, they were shy in a few games, yet that didn’t stop them from winning the 2021 NBA Finals by defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games.

Before the Bucks’ first championship in 50 years, star center Giannis Antetokounmpo injured his knee in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals and was forced to exit the early loss. Fortunately, he did not suffer any major injuries, however, and he sat out Games 5 and 6 of the ECF against the Atlanta Hawks with the series tied 2–2.

However, that doesn’t mean the Bucks bowed out. They won both games by double digits without their star player, which is somewhat reminiscent of how the Celtics have been able to operate without Tatum.

Bucks win Game 5 over Hawks without Giannis

Lopez: 33 PTS (playoff career-high) | 7 REB

Portis: 22 PTS (playoff career-high) | 8 REB

MIL leads 3-2. pic.twitter.com/aOfI7GiGXq

– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) 2 July 2021

Of course, Antetokounmpo wasn’t injured as severely or for as long as Tatum, but this example proves that a team that falls short of the 40-20 threshold can still win everything even without their guy at full strength.

Seeding and eye test

The 2020–21 Bucks met another potential championship qualifier, despite losing 24 times before earning 40 wins. Those were the numbers. 3 seed, and NBA history shows that almost every champion has been a three-seed or higher.

The only exception is the 1968–1969 Celtics, who were ranked no. 4 seed, and the 1994–1995 Houston Rockets, who were number one. 6 seeds. Both of those teams were fresh off last season’s championship, and if there’s any team with a championship pedigree in the East, it’s the Celtics.

They may not be defending a title like the aforementioned teams, but they did capture a championship in 2024 under Tatum, Brown and head coach Joe Mazzulla. Those pieces are not left and although the Celtics violated the 40-20 law, they comply with the seeding stipulation.

NBA Standings Update‼️

▪️DET reclaims NBA’s best record
▪️ SAS achieved 10th consecutive victory

Download the NBA app for more: https://t.co/pBKIAWNToa pic.twitter.com/xb3B7EAMKB

– NBA (@NBA) 26 February 2026

Boston currently sits in second place in the East with a 2.5 game lead over the third-place New York Knicks. The Celtics aren’t cemented in that spot, but they’ve been taking up residence there recently. Also, more importantly, they have played their best basketball recently, winning nine of their last 10 games before losing to the Nuggets for the second night in a row.

Despite unofficial championship terms, the 2025-26 Celtics simply pass the eye test. They are fourth in net rating and have survived some early struggles to become a top-five team in the NBA this season. They crash the boards hard, defend well, and can’t be taken lightly, especially when the Browns are doing it.

Add Tatum to the mix and the Celtics are legitimate contenders. Not exactly a favorite for the title, but a contender — no matter what Jackson says.

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks started the second half of the season with a road win, an environment they have been quite comfortable in this year. As of Friday, the Hawks were 17-15 on the road.

It’s home games where they lag (10-16 record), and that was the case in their 128-97 loss to the Miami Heat. The Hawks took a flat approach to start the game, while the Heat were clicking on both sides of the ball.

It was the second quarter where the Hawks came alive, and with a run started by Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum, they saw a 15-point deficit disappear.

“We played with better pace,” McCallum said. “We came out and ran. I think in the first quarter, we got our sea legs back and we didn’t come out and run. Didn’t get a chance to get stops.

“In the second quarter, we came out and ran. Corey got a dunk and a transition three. Got some rim pressure, got some kick out three eyes out. I think that was the difference.”

The Hawks trailed 57-51 at halftime and with little momentum. Unfortunately, they went back to their old habits and the Heat never looked back in the second half, taking a 34-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“They went into the zone to start the fourth quarter and I think that changed the game,” McCollum said. “They took advantage of some turnovers and missed shots. I don’t think we did enough to win. [Tyler] Hero got down. He’s got a lot more freedom, a lot more space in his pick and roll, and a lot more space in his pull-ups. I think a lot of guys hurt us tonight, and I think we didn’t deserve to win this game.”

The Heat had 72 points in the paint to the Hawks’ 38. They were defeated 58-46. Plus, they got 20 points off their turnovers. The only thing that went good for the Hawks in this game was that they shot 42% from the three-point line, but that was still not enough to win.

“I think when we follow the game plan, and we come out and execute the game plan, that’s when we play our best. I don’t think we did a good job of executing the game plan tonight,” Jalen Johnson said.

The Hawks were coming up by one, but they didn’t use it as an excuse for the loss.

“I would have liked to have gone to bed before 3 a.m. last night, but they beat us to it,” McCallum said. “It’s the same. They came out, they played better than us. They started well. They got points in transition, they got threes, they got rim pressure. Tonight they did what they wanted. So back-to-back or not, they did enough to win, and we didn’t do enough.”

The Hawks have four consecutive games to correct their mistakes for their home woes this season, and they are coming against opponents who haven’t had the best performances this year.

Johnson said, “The opportunities are in front of us. We just have to go out there and get it. We got another chance to regroup on Sunday, and tomorrow we got a chance to watch film and get better.”