標籤: worrying

It’s fair to say the Dane is keeping a close eye on Tottenham Hotspur following the departure of Thomas Frank in January.

The nation was thrilled when Frank was given the ‘big job’ last summer following his success at Brentford. They were certainly supportive of him and, often, one of his biggest champions.

Well, now that he’s been fired, he’s keeping an even closer eye on proceedings. And Francis Dickoh has spotted something that should leave Spurs fans very concerned. TipsBladet released its comments today.

He, like most of us, was watching the clash between Tottenham and Crystal Palace on Thursday evening. Igor Tudor’s team went into that game knowing that defeat could be devastating.

Crystal Palace disaster

And this proved to be true, as a 3–1 defeat and the departure of Micky van de Ven pushed them to the brink. Spurs are now one point outside the relegation zone, without a win in 11 and with no signs of improvement under Tudor.

What’s even more worrying is that people around them are picking points. West Ham won to close the gap this week, while Nottingham Forest picked up an unexpected point against Manchester City.

With five defeats in their last five, Spurs are unlikely to get similar results any time soon. Palace’s defeat certainly did not send any positive signals. And Dicko believes this is what should concern them most.

“The defeat to Crystal Palace was a low point for Tottenham,” He said.

“The team collapsed, and this is worrying when the club has already made changes to the coaching staff. One might fear that Tottenham have not yet reached rock bottom, with the threat of relegation looming.

“The clubs around Tottenham are looking confident. And in the game, it’s looking like other teams are dying with their boots on and are competitive. Tottenham are in a different place right now.”

tottenham needs to fight

The statistics certainly don’t look great for Tottenham. While they are bottom of the form table, West Ham have lost only one of their last five. Forest have two draws and three defeats from five.

However, his future will likely be determined by Tottenham’s clash with Nottingham Forest later this month. After this they will also face Leeds, who are two points ahead of 15.^thIn early May.

Considering his current form, this could prove to be a big decider. Of course, they are still in a fight at that time. Tudor must help them find that fight first.

The Toronto Raptors suffered a disappointing 116-107 loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. What made this loss even more disappointing for the Raptors was that the Thunder were shorthanded; The defending champions were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, but Toronto allowed Cason Wallace to score 27 points on 11-16 shooting from the field and 4-5 from beyond the arc.

Taken in isolation, this harm is not as worrisome. The Thunder have a deep team that remains dangerous despite the absence of SGA and J-Dub, and losing to the best team in the NBA is no shame. But a deeper look at the Raptors’ results reveals a very worrying trend that doesn’t bode well for their chances of making a deep playoff run.

As TSN’s Josh Levenberg reported, the Raptors are now 4-14 against NBA top-10 teams (in terms of win-loss record). Three of those wins came against the Cleveland Cavaliers before James Harden was brought in and rejuvenated the team, while the other win came against OKC in late January.

The Raptors have regularly struggled against the best teams in the NBA, but the old saying goes that to be the best, one has to beat the best. So far, Toronto isn’t passing that test.

The Raptors may just be a little short of being a legitimate contender

The Raptors may be struggling with the problem that their best shot-maker can get stuck against teams with elite defenses. Brandon Ingram has shown in the past that he can struggle when faced with defensive pressure, and Toronto’s other key players aren’t at a level where they can help compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

This doesn’t mean Toronto is a bad team; For some reason their record is a good 34-24. But the front office looking for stars on the trade market is making it known how they view this current squad.

The trade of Jayden Ivey from the Detroit Pistons to the Chicago Bulls was meant to give him a fresh start and new opportunities, but after only five games, he has already been removed from the rotation.

Bulls guard Jaden Ivey’s comments following his first career DNP have raised concerns about his health and future. His absence came during Thursday’s 110–101 loss to the Toronto Raptors, the team’s seventh straight loss.

Opening up about his absence, Ivy got candid about the struggles he is facing physically and mentally.

“I’ve been dealing with pain in my knee. I’m sure people can tell it – I’m not the same player I used to be. This is why. I’m not the G I used to be. The old G is dead. No matter the basketball setting, I’m alive in Christ. … It doesn’t matter how many DNPs, how many points I score, those things are a temporary thing. Jesus is eternal.”

Acting head coach Wes Unseld addressed the reasons behind Jaden Ivey’s surprising DNP after the game.

Unseld described this choice as a “basketball decision”, according to Joel Lorenzi.

“It’s really hard to play six guards,” he said, noting that the team’s recent roster changes have made the rotation more crowded.

When questioned about whether Ivey’s upcoming restricted free agency influenced the decision, Unseld chose not to comment.

“That conversation is probably above my pay grade,” he said.

Ivey missed Thursday night’s game but handled it with grace. He recognized his physical limitations without making any excuses, considered the situation through his faith, and insisted that he would be ready when the opportunity arose.

Now the Bulls have to decide when that opportunity will come. Unseld said it is not his job to make major decisions, leaving it to the front office to make sure Ivey’s role matches his value in rebuilding the team.

Ivey accepted the reality of the NBA and his place on the roster, and explained his perspective on sitting out.

“Going into it, you’ve got to look at who’s on the roster. … Making trades, that’s what happens in the NBA.”

Loaded postgame from Jaden Ivey, who thinks he had the first DNP of his career tonight. He said it doesn’t change his character and he is here to “do my job, glorify God.” Asked if he thinks it’s a possibility, he says, “Going into it, you’ve got to see who’s on the roster. … pic.twitter.com/nz8BfC3PYy

– Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) 20 February 2026

In 37 games with Detroit and Chicago this season, Ivy is averaging 8.5 points in 18.1 minutes per game. In his four contests with the Bulls, he has averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 28.8 minutes.

The loss dropped Chicago to 24–32, leaving them in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Brandon Ingram had 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists as Toronto improved to 33-23.

The Phoenix Suns were hoping to get off to a great start to the second half of the season, but those plans hit a major roadblock Thursday night.

Devin Booker, the heartbeat of the Suns’ offense, fouled out early during a high-stakes Western Conference showdown against the San Antonio Spurs. The team later confirmed that the five-time All-Star would not return due to a sore right hip, leaving a large void in the lineup.

The Phoenix Suns guard was trying to find his rhythm after the All-Star break before his night was cut short due to injury. Booker checked out, playing only 9 minutes, finishing with five points and 1 rebound. He struggled to find his stroke from deep, going 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, but he was active at the rim and the charity stripe to keep the Suns competitive early.

After the break, the Suns (32-24) are locked in a tight race to avoid the play-in tournament. Facing a red-hot San Antonio Spurs team that entered the night with a seven-game winning streak, the Suns already suffered a loss due to Dillon Brooks’ one-game suspension.

With Booker sidelined, the onus falls on Jalen Green and Mark Williams. The Spurs took full advantage of Booker’s absence, fueled by impressive performances from Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Devin Vassell, who all posted 20+ points in the third quarter. The Spurs lead 89-63 heading into the third quarter at the Moody Center.

Attention has now turned to the severity of Booker’s hip issue. He has already dealt with managing a right ankle injury throughout February, and any extended absence of the Suns’ leading scorer, who averages 25.2 points per game, could be devastating to their seeding hopes.

The Sons are back in action soon, and Wally will be holding his breath for an update on his superstar’s status.