data-mm-id=”_u2cni5uqj”>The Boston Celtics are in trouble. Not like, real, serious, actual bad things are going to happen trouble, but like unimportant to the real world sports trouble. How much longer can this team fall short before they break up?The Celtics will bring back their core next season. Going all the way back to the 2016-2017 season, Brad Stevens, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have been to the conference finals three times in four seasons. Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis joined the fray in '17-'18. Last summer, Kemba Walker signed a max deal.All those players are under contract next season, assuming Hayward takes his player option. Then the next year Hayward and Theis become free agents and Tatum becomes unrestricted. Tatum will be ready to negotiate a max deal of his own. He will no longer be twenty.The question is, has anyone gotten into Tatum's ear over the last couple years as the Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals and he's watched lesser players get big contracts while he finishes his rookie deal? Two years ago he said he wanted to be a lifelong Celtic, but what are the odds that actually happens? That never happens anymore. If the Bucks can get Giannis to stay, that's a good sign for Boston, right? Or does that make it all the more unlikely that the Celtics are ever able to get out of the East? The Heat aren't going anywhere. The Nets are about to add two All-Stars. Two years from now the 76ers will probably be a completely different team. The question is, will they have figured out how to win around Simmons or Embiid or be back in a complete rebuild?How much longer does Jaylen Brown want to play second, third or fourth banana? How much longer can any superstar stand on the court and watch Marcus Smart take 20+ shots in a playoff game? And how will Tatum react to being the subject of the "WILL SUPERSTAR X LEAVE?" articles and podcast conversations?Hayward is the obvious odd man out, but Brad Stevens loves him. They made each other. What happens if Danny Ainge moves Hayward? Does Stevens really want to stick around in Boston after they do to Gordon Hayward what they did to Isaiah Thomas?If the Celtics fail to win a title again next season, things could get ugly. You've got a superstar who needs to get paid. A bunch of guys who will have fans and the media pointing fingers because someone has to be blamed. Boston overachieved the first time they made the ECF. Continuing to get back there isn't really underachieving, but it's got to be a little disappointing as the playoff exits add up.There was a time when the Toronto Raptors went five consecutive seasons winning between 48 and 59 games and even made a conference final. They didn't have the highest expectations, but everyone assumed they would breakthrough. Eventually they did when they fired their coach and traded away the face of their franchise. It's nice for Celtics fans to think that this run will go on forever, but how likely is that? Everything ends, especially in the NBA. Someone always becomes unhappy. Someone always leaves. Even when teams win. The question is, will Boston win before this ends? The clock is ticking.
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The Fiorentina midfielder was flown back to his homeland and will begin treatment with the locally-based medical staff of the Chilean national team.
The decision was taken because the athlete had a twist in his left knee that caused a joint blockade during training on Monday, a statement on the Chilean Football Federation (AFP) website read on Wednesday.
The player was unable to partake in any physical activity the next day, suggesting a medial me…
Chelsea and Arsenal battle for Djilobodji
French daily newspaper that the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal are keeping close tabs on Nantes defender Papy Djilobodji.
The 25-year-old centre-back has largely impressed in his first ever top flight season, making 28 appearances and scoring 3 goals.
His excellent performances did not go unnoticed as Chelsea, Arsenal and Marseille are among clubs vying for his signature.
Nantes are desperate to keep hold of their star player, especially since they have been banned from signing new players until the summer of 2015.
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Juventus are desperate for striker Alvaro Morata s future to be sorted with Real Madrid holding a buy-back option.
The eight-time Spain international has impressed over two seasons in Serie A after leaving the Liga giants in mid-2014.
However, the deal was done with a buy-back clause that Madrid could activate, a move that will reportedly cost them €30million.
Juve general manager Giuseppe Marotta wants Morata s future decided one way or another as the Serie A giants look ahead.
Our intention is to do things fast with Real Madrid because we plan right away for next season, he said, as quoted by AS.
While Juve are on the verge of sealing a fifth-straight Serie A title, Madrid are fighting for La Liga and remain in the Champions League.
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Everybody was ready to start a new season of Poland s top-flight tournament (Ekstraklasa) this weekend. In the first match of the season Arka Gdynia were about to host Polonia Warsaw. But this and all other ties of the first match day were postponed and the competition suspended.
Everything started three years ago. In August 2005 Piotr Dziurowicz, then chairman of GKS Katowice, revealed details of a match-fixing scheme in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza . Initially, the Polish FA (PZPN) denied any knowledge about what had only been whispered so far. But when the prosecutor s office in Wroclaw started to arrest people involved in football corruption (more than 100 persons up til now, including referees, club chair mans, coaches, players and a member of the FA board), even they…
Erik ten Hag hailed Manchester United s character after a 4-1 victory over Real Betis got his side back on track.
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Marcus Rashford, Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Wout Weghorst were on target in a dominant win that put one foot in the quarter-finals and lifted the club s spirits.
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We scored…
Ivan Rakitic praised Barcelona for their patient approach after their 5-0 rout of Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday.
Quique Setien s side had proved a match for the LaLiga leaders for much of the opening 50 minutes but a ruthless second-half display saw the visitors take all three points.
Former Sevilla captain Rakitic put Barca ahead in the 59th minute before two goals each from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez made certain of a 17th win in 20 league games in 2017-18.
Rakitic felt his side produced a clever tactical display by allowing Betis to adopt their usual bold pressing approach before making the most of their chances.
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Luis Alberto has signed a new Lazio contract, extending his stay with the Serie A side through to 2022.
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Luis Alberto has also provided a strong creative threat for Lazio, recording seven top-flight assists this term.
6+7 Luis Alberto is the youngest player to have score at least five goals (six) and delivered at least five assists (seven) in Serie A this season. Mature.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
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FIFA president Sepp Blatter says goal-line technology is no longer an alternative but a necessity .
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FIFA have defended their World Coach of the Year award in the wake of Jose Mourinho s claim that the process was fixed.
The Real Madrid coach said in a TV interview on Tuesday that he was right not to attend the 2012 Ballon d Or Gala, highlighting an apparent adjustment of voters submissions which he suggested had compromised his hopes of winning the award given to the year s outstanding boss.
Mourinho told Record: Do I regret not attending the gala? No, it was the right decision.
They called me more than once. Two or three people said they voted for me but they appeared in another vote so I decided not to go.
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