tottenham hotspur The fight against relegation has become one of the strangest stories of the Premier League season – and Richarlison is now living every part of that tension simultaneously.

The Brazilian striker is trying to help Spurs avoid disaster domestically, while also trying to secure his place in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup.

After Monday’s draw against Leeds United, Richarlison openly admitted concerns about the situation. He has already paid the price for this In Brazil’s previous call-up.

Spurs are dangerously close to the relegation zone with only two matches left. The club is just two points above West Ham United, who currently occupy the last relegation spot.

Richardson is speaking openly about the pressure

talking to espn brazil After the match, Richarlison admitted that the situation at Tottenham was becoming increasingly tense.

“It is difficult, but point by point we are moving forward,” He said. “Depending on the result of next weekend’s games, with one more point we can avoid relegation, but we need to do our part. Away from home we have managed to pick up a good amount of points. Now we have to stay calm.”

The striker also reflected on Tottenham’s latest performance, where Spurs won from the penalty spot.

“We played a very intense game today. Unfortunately we conceded a penalty, but that’s football. Now we have to continue these last two games.”

Spurs’ disastrous campaign has provided the backdrop to one of the most uncertain moments of Richarlison’s recent career.

World Cup pressure is increasing

Richardson also admitted that the World Cup situation is weighing heavily on his mind.

“Worried, okay? I feel like I’ve sacrificed a lot for that shirt,” the Tottenham player said while discussing Brazil. “I’m doing my job here at Tottenham, I’m playing, I’m scoring my goals. I think I’ll be watching hopefully on TV.”

Despite the uncertainty, the striker insisted he still believes he can make the final squad.

“I’m confident. I believe I can be there. And if I am, I will do my best for the national team shirt, as I have always done.”

The Brazilian said that even if he misses out, he will continue to support the national team.

“Regardless of whether I’m there or not, my brothers and teammates are there. I’m very patriotic. I will always support Brazil.”

Richarlison still producing despite Spurs chaos

What makes the situation more complicated is that Richardson’s own numbers aren’t disastrous Watching Tottenham collapse all around him.

The forward has scored 11 goals and registered five assists in 41 appearances this season. He has looked even sharper since returning from injury earlier this year and has become one of the few Spurs attackers to make even the slightest impact.

Yet, as competition for the Brazilian’s attacking spots has intensified and Tottenham come dangerously close to relegation, the fear now is that a club-wide decline could ultimately cost Richarlison his place at the World Cup.

The Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabers on Tuesday night, looking to leave the Bell Center with a 3-1 series lead.

As expected, it was another tight battle, but the Habs only scored on one of the seven power plays given to them, giving the Sabers a 3–2 victory.

Let’s look at the highlights!

Ode to Newfoundland

The Sabers opened the scoring during another poor start from the Habs. Despite the many improvements the Canadiens have made since the start of the rebuild, they have still not been able to win in the first 10 minutes of every game.

The Sabers appeared to have taken a 2–0 lead, but a smart challenge from Martin Saint-Louis was successful, restoring the one-goal lead.

The challenge led to an immediate and noticeable increase in effort from the Canadiens, culminating in a goal from usual suspect Alex Newhook.

It was his sixth goal in the playoffs, and his fifth in only three games.

Newhook is the stick that is sparking Montreal’s offense, there is no doubt about that.

Another goal for Newhook!

#GoHabsGo The forward tied the game after a great pass from Jake Evans. pic.twitter.com/jYHncH9QWG

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 12 May 2026

defend at all costs

Given that the Sabers decided to run rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs at full speed in Game 4, the Habs took no chances in Game 5, fiercely defending their most valuable player whenever traffic began to pick up.

The Habs are doing a good job guarding Dobbs, especially since the Sabers ran him at full speed in the last game.

Don’t take any risks with your current MVP. Protect him at all costs. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/aR3xZPvTzp

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 13 May 2026

star effect

After what can only be described as a soft call on Tage Thompson, Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield found the back of the net for the second consecutive game.

It was a powerplay goal, meaning he has yet to score at 5v5, but you can’t look like a gift horse, especially in the playoffs.

Caufield is heating up, and that’s nothing but great news for the Habs.

Cole Coffield makes it 2-1 #GoHabsGo Before the end of the first period!

A smart little deck opened the 5th hole. pic.twitter.com/RYTP1FUk0K

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 13 May 2026

can’t win them all

All things considered, the Habs actually had good luck in the playoffs, but it was the Sabers who benefited from a very fortuitous surge in Game 4.

Tage Thompson’s shot bounced off the seam of the boards, hit Dobbs’ back and landed behind him, tying the game at 2 in the second period.

A random bounce leads to a Sabers powerplay goal.

Thompson’s luckiest goal ever.

2-2. pic.twitter.com/NfejYQgTSo

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 13 May 2026

Penny Drops

Montreal deserves credit for using its speed wisely, but there is clearly something wrong when it comes to the Sabers in the second round.

They’re showing the type of discipline we’ve come to expect from the Canadiens, constantly taking penalties that are not only glaring, but completely pointless.

Fortunately for the Sabres, Montreal mostly failed to take advantage of the many power plays they were given.

While the Canadiens struggled to make the most of their power plays, the Sabers took a 3–2 lead via a goal by Zach Benson on the man advantage.

It was Buffalo’s second power play goal of the game, and a good reminder that special teams go a long way in ensuring playoff success.

Zach Benson gives Sabers lead in third period pic.twitter.com/8TDXytDUJe

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 13 May 2026

To Dobbs’ credit, he played very well, despite the fact that the Habs swept the Sabres.

At 5v5, Buffalo had an 8-3 edge in high-danger chances in the first two periods. Montreal eventually generated a good amount of scoring opportunities of their own, but it was a matter of score impact, and the Sabers attempted to park the bus for much of the half period.

It was all in vain, as the Sabers managed to hold on to their fragile lead long enough to emerge with a 3–2 victory.

Jacob Dobbs, ladies and gentlemen! pic.twitter.com/wAnyaXHPg4

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 13 May 2026

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday facing the Sabers in Buffalo. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

The 2026 Masters Round 3 leaderboard saw major movements at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday, with contenders making their moves and big names slipping down the standings. In one of the biggest stories, Rory McIlroy endured a tough day, losing his lead by six strokes and falling short in the race for the green jacket.

As Round 3 began, the updated Masters leaderboard reflected the dramatic changes to the course, with scores tightening heading into Sunday’s final round. Here’s a complete look at the Masters 2026 standings, scores and key highlights after Saturday at Augusta.

Masters 2026 Round 3 leaderboard: Saturday’s results at Augusta National

The third round of the 2026 Masters has been completed at Augusta National. Here are the full standings after Saturday’s round.

T1. Rory McIlroy:-11

T1. Cameron Young:-11

3. Sam Burns:-10

4. Shane Lowry:-9

T5. Jason Day:-8

T5. Justin Rose:-8

T7. Haotong Li:-7

T7. Scotty Scheffler:-7

T9. Patrick Cantlay:-6

T9. Russell Henley:-6

T9. Patrick Reed:-6

T12. Ben Griffin:-5

T12. Jake Knapp:-5

T12: Collin Morikawa: -5

T15. Windham Clark:-4

T15. Tommy Fleetwood:-4

T15. Ryan Gerrard:-4

T15. Tyrell Hatton:-4

T15. Brooks Koepka:-4

T15. Xander Schauffele: -4

T21. Ludwig Aberg:-3

T21. Michael Brennan:-3

T21. Brian Campbell:-3

T21. Matt Fitzpatrick:-3

T21. Chris Gotterup :-3

T21. Maximum Homa:-3

T21. Christopher Reitan:-3

T21. Nick Taylor:-3

T29. Jacob Bridgman:-2

T29. Sungjae Im:-2

T29. Hideki Matsuyama:-2

T29. Blacksmith Straka:-2

T33. Harris English:-1

T33. Brian Harman:-1

T33. Jordan Spieth:-1

T36. Marco Penge: E

T36. Adam Scott: E

T36. Sam Stevens: E

T39. Victor Hovland: +1

T39. Matt McCarty: +1

T39. Maverick McNealy: +1

T39. Alex Noren: +1

T39. Justin Thomas: +1

T44. Keegan Bradley: +3

T44. Corey Connors: +3

T44. Dustin Johnson: +3

47. Si Woo Kim: +4

T48. Sergio Garcia: +5

T48. Rasmus Højgaard: +5

T48. Jon Rahm: +5

51 Gary Woodland: +6

T52. Kurt Kitayama: +7

T52. Aaron Rae: +7

54. Charl Schwartzel: +9

Cutting. Ryan Fox: +5

Cutting. Harry Hall: +5

Cutting. JJ Spawn: +5

Cutting. Bubba Watson: +5

Cutting. Danny Willett: +5

Cutting. Akshay Bhatia: +6

Cutting. Bryson DeChambeau: +6

Cutting. Nikolai Hojgaard: +6

Cutting. Dustin Johnson: +6

Cutting. Robert McIntyre: +7

Cutting. Tom McKibbin: +7

Cutting. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen: +7

Cutting. Andrew Novak: +7

Cutting. Cameron Smith: +7

Cutting. Daniel Berger: +8

Cutting. Ethan Fang: +8

Cutting. Jackson Harrington: +8

Cutting. Casey Jarvis: +8

Cutting. Michael Kim: +8

Cutting. Fred Pairs: +9

Cutting. Mason Howell: +9

Cutting. Jose Maria Olazabal: +9

Cutting. Vijay Singh: +10

Cutting. Mike Weir: +10

Cutting. Johnny Kiefer: +11

Cutting. FIFA Lopakdi: +11

Cutting. Min Woo Lee: +11

Cutting. Carlos Ortiz: +11

Cutting. Sami Valimaki: +11

Cutting. Max Gressermann: +12

Cutting. Nico Echavarria: +13

Cutting. Brandon Holtz: +15

Cutting. Naoyuki Kataoka: +15

Cutting. Aldrich Potgieter: +15

Cut Matteo Pulcini: +15

Cutting. Angel Cabrera: +16

Cutting. David Riley: +18

Masters 2026 Round 3 Highlights and Key Moments

• Rory McIlroy struggled at +1 and lost the lead by six strokes after a double bogey on hole 11.
• Cameron Young posted an incredible -7 and took the co-lead heading into the final round.
• Scotty Scheffler dominated with a -7 and got himself back in the mix for Sunday.
• Sam Burns overtook McIlroy in his grouping and left him one stroke behind.

READ MORE: Masters 2026 Round 2 recap – full results from Friday at Augusta

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky

Josh Hart came to Mikal Bridges’ defense as Mikal Bridges struggled with shooting issues during the New York Knicks’ 2025-26 campaign.

Bridges is going through the eighth season of his NBA career, his second with the Knicks. This campaign has been different for the star wing as he is taking fewer shots per game. Since the All-Star break, entering Sunday’s win over the Washington Wizards, he was averaging just 10.4 points on 40.6 percent shooting and 31.3 percent from downtown.

Hart spoke to the New York Post about Bridges’ effectiveness on the court this season. He supports his star teammate, believing in his ability to persevere and continue to make big plays in big games.

“He’s doing what he’s asked. And I’ve said this before – when you’re a guy who’s been [with the Brooklyn Nets] When you’re the No. 1 guy and he’s calling those plays for you,” Hart said.

“Last year, there weren’t many plays called for him. This year, there’s probably even less plays called for him. So obviously there’s a mental hurdle that he has to overcome and that’s something where some of us can help him. I think he gets some unfair criticism because he’s doing what he’s asked. And if we sit there and say, shoot 15 shots a game, he’ll be efficient and he can do that. But that’s not the case. Asked him.”

Josh Hart, what’s next for the Knicks

Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges know it will take a lot to lead the Knicks to success, especially when they are competing for a title.

New York has a 47–25 record on the season and is in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, while trailing the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.

With six consecutive wins, the Knicks will continue to prepare for their next match at home. They will host the New Orleans Pelicans as tip-off takes place on March 24 at 7:30 pm ET.

Despite the New York Knicks defeating the underdog Golden State Warriors 110-107 on Sunday, there are some who are concerned about the close result due to the opponent missing key players like Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and others. As serendipitous as some may find the Knicks’ win over the Warriors to be, some are disappointed, such as Stephen A. Smith, who explained how the recent struggles are Jalen Brunson’s fault.

While some may hear this and react angrily, it’s not because it involves his impact on the court, which can’t be denied as he scored 30 points on Sunday, but it has to do with Mikal Bridges. There’s no denying how disappointing Bridges has been, especially in the last six games, with scores in single digits in five of them.

Smith would say Brunson was the reason New York made the trade for Bridges in the first place, which led to a massive return, including the team giving up four first-round selections, which did not pan out.

“Why did they do that? They did that because, instead of waiting a year and signing a five-year, max $270 million extension, Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156 million extension a year ago, giving the New York Knicks $113 million in free space around that cap. So what do the New York Knicks do? Obviously, he saves them that kind of money. He did it so they could take his guy,” Smith continued.

“The person I’m blaming most for all of this is Jalen Brunson… I had the Knicks going to the Finals… and the reason for that is if Mikal Bridges continues to look like he’s looking, this is going to turn out to be a terrible trade.”

-Stephen A. smithpic.twitter.com/6Jmuzb1985

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 16 March 2026

While Smith further states that Bridges is no “scrub”, he believes that the move to acquire Bridges and what New York gave up has put a “handicap” on the Knicks.

Smith said, “You can’t let your organization sacrifice so much to get a guy that will ultimately keep you from building a roster that can compete for championships.”

At any rate, New York is 44-25, leaving them in third place in the Eastern Conference with their next game against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Just when it seemed like the New York Knicks were figuring it out, they took a few steps back that calls into question the validity of their status as a contending team. On Monday night, the Knicks lost another game in Los Angeles, this time against the Clippers, New York did not have enough strength on both ends of the court and lost 126-118.

The Knicks, in particular, struggled taking care of the basketball. They turned the ball over 19 times as a unit, and a balanced table-setter would have caught on for New York, especially when they could rely on Karl-Anthony Towns to score the rock on a night where he tallied 35 points.

The Knicks have some depth uncertainty behind Jalen Brunson, which is why they brought in Jose Alvarado via trade in the first place. But head coach Mike Brown hasn’t exactly given Alvarado a long leeway; On Monday, he played only eight minutes and could not score, adding three points to his troubles.

After the game, Brown explained his decision to bench Alvarado and dust off Tyler Kolek.

According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Brown said, “I thought Jose was struggling a little bit so I moved Tyler out there and wanted to see if we could get a boost.”

The Knicks have no defense right now

This may be where Mitchell Robinson’s absence is felt most. The Knicks have allowed the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers to get whatever they wanted on back-to-back nights. A common factor in those losses has been the Knicks’ turnover problems, and the team’s guard struggles haven’t helped either.

The good news is that the schedule suits the Knicks for the next few weeks. They next face the Utah Jazz, followed by games against the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, two tanking teams in the Pacers, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, and then the New Orleans Pelicans.

It won’t be until March 26 when they take on the surging Charlotte Hornets and until March 29 when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite arriving from Wolves as the club’s biggest signing of the transfer window, John Arias is still waiting to become a regular starter at his new club.

The Colombian joins Brazilian club Palmeiras For approximately £21.5 million (€25 million). Expectations were naturally very high. However, despite this his first weeks in Brazil were slow. glimpse of talent.

Integration plan after Wolves transfer

according to globo esporteArias has come off the bench in all four appearances so far. He entered Wednesday’s match at half-time and has yet to start a game.

Part of the explanation lies in Palmeiras’ current strategic balance. Manager Abel Ferreira preferred to maintain the lineup that has produced strong results over the past month.

Arias operates in a different role than some of the players he competes with. In the current system, he battles for minutes with Mauricio and Allan rather than directly replacing centre-forward options like Flaco Lopez or Vitor Roque.

Meanwhile, former Nottingham Forest winger Sosa has been used as a more central attacking option this season. That tactical adjustment also explains why he started ahead of Arias in a recent match.

In short, Arias arrived from Wolves when Palmeiras already knew what the staff considered their ideal lineup.

Early numbers look promising

Even in limited minutes, the Colombian has shown glimpses of the qualities he didn’t have enough of at Wolves.

During Wednesday’s game he led the team in dribbles with two successful attempts. He also completed eight passes, attempted one shot and contributed defensively with a tackle. Those stats came in a little more than 30 minutes on the field.

After the match, Ferreira was asked what Arias still needed to do to become a starter.

“There is no shortage of anything. The team is performing well. Matches are decided in the second half and we need good players on the pitch and on the bench. Like everyone else, we are all equal here. It is just a choice we have, whether he starts or comes from the bench.”

A reality different from the wolves’ expectations

The situation draws an interesting parallel with Arias’ recent move from Wolves – for which he is grateful, According to a recent interview – Given that it was largely the same as when he arrived in England.

But he left the Premier League after just six months in hopes of playing regularly and establishing himself as a key man. Instead, he has found himself again in a more competitive environment, sharing minutes and adjusting to an already well-functioning team.

His national team coach recently said he was right to leave EnglandBut the irony is clear… Arias left Molineux in search of continuity. Yet his first weeks in Brazil show that even a £21.5 million signing may require patience to join an established, winning team.

The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into a tough stretch of the season, and Tyrese Maxey recently explained how the team is battling a depleted roster. The 76ers have struggled with injuries, Joel Embiid’s injury status, and Paul George’s suspension while trying to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Following Wednesday night’s narrow win over the PHLY Sixers, X, formerly an affiliate of PHLY Sports, shared a clip on Twitter that shows Maxey speaking about how the team has handled its recent games despite missing several starters.

“It’s not going to be easy. We’re not asking to make it easy. We’re basically missing all of our starters tonight. Get moving, guys.”

Tyrese Maxey: “I think we’re at 4-4 after the break. Listen, we’re the sixth seed right now. We’re staying right where we are.

“It’s not going to be easy. We’re not asking to make it easy. We’re basically missing all of our starters tonight. Get moving, guys.” pic.twitter.com/fo4JKLJ0p6

– PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) 5 March 2026

The comments came after the 76ers’ 106-102 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Despite missing several key contributors, the 2026 NBA All-Star helped direct the offense while the rotation relied on role players to close out the win.

Philadelphia has gone 4-4 since the All-Star break while dealing with several roster challenges. Embiid’s injury has sidelined the franchise center due to a right oblique strain, forcing the club to adjust both offensively and defensively during this stretch.

George’s suspension has also removed another primary scoring option and perimeter defender from the lineup. As a result, Maxey has taken on a larger offensive role while injuries are reshaping the rotation for Philadelphia.

During this period, the 76ers have leaned heavily on aggression to remain competitive. Wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat require 135, 135 and 124 points, respectively, which shows how much pressure the offense has endured.

Despite the adversity created by Embiid’s injury and George’s suspension, the 76ers remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race. If the roster stabilizes and Philadelphia’s injuries begin to subside, the team could still build momentum toward the end of the season.

The Denver Nuggets’ final game troubles continued on Sunday as the team missed another opportunity in crunch time during a 128-117 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Despite Nikola Jokic scoring 35 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists, the Nuggets could not perform when it mattered most.

The Nuggets have lost six of their last nine games and their star player is not holding back from making his point.

“I’m definitely worried because we’re losing games,” Jokic said. “We’re losing games, and we’re not making open looks. So it’s something we need to change. … I don’t know what it is, but we need to figure it out.”

After the loss, guard Christian Braun cited a lack of physicality and positioning as the root cause of Denver’s struggles.

“I think there’s been a lot of things this year that we haven’t been able to hold down,” Braun said. “Not being tough enough.” “It has nothing to do with our process. It has nothing to do with anything other than our need to keep our place.”

The Warriors took advantage of Denver’s defensive flaws, with Brandin Podziemski scoring 12 points in the final five minutes to seal the win.

Now sitting at 36-22, the Nuggets face a turning point ahead. After a few days’ rest, they will face Boston Celtics at home on Wednesday. Then on Friday they face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who currently have the league’s best record.

As the playoffs approach and the Nuggets want to maintain their legitimate contender status, they will have to find a way to close out these games.