Having faltered one last time in IPL 2019, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik conceded there was a lot of work to do for the team to get back to its best.

"Through the whole tournament, we've been good a lot of times, bad at a lot of times, but this tournament is such that we had to play consistent cricket and we were not up to the mark," he said at the post-match presentation. "It's been decent. I don't think it's the best season that we've had. There's definitely a lot of areas for us to improve and come back stronger next time."

KKR began the season very strongly, winning matches they seemed set to lose thanks to the brilliance of Andre Russell. But then they fell into a rut, losing six matches on the trot. Even so, they came into this game against Mumbai Indians with a very good chance of making the playoffs. All they had to do was win.

But the combination of Lasith Malinga, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were too difficult to handle. So much so that after being 49 for 0 at the end of the Powerplay, they finished 133 for 7.

"We didn't find momentum after the first six overs," Karthik said. "We'd set it up beautifully at the end of six overs but after that we didn't really get going. We kind of put the brakes on the way we batted and wickets falling didn't help either.

"When we batted, it held up a bit, it wasn't that easy for stroke-making and also they had some bowlers who were good with cutters and made it that much more harder whereas in the second innings, with a little bit of dew, it became much better to bat on."

The question of Russell batting higher up the order has been one that's hounded KKR through the tournament and it came up again.

"We had decided when there's an opportunity for him to bat up the order we were going to send him there," Karthik said. "I think the last three games we've done it. But it happens. I think he's a human being as well. He's been terrific through the tournament, he's been outstanding for us, to expecting him to deliver every time is unfair."

HOUSTON -- The Golden State Warriors are convinced that star guard Stephen Curry will bounce out of a series-long slump heading into Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal against the Houston Rockets.

"I think Steph has a good balance of beating himself up and just moving on with life," Warriors forward Draymond Green said on Sunday. "And I think that's important. It's part of the reason he's the shooter that he is. I think if you talk to anyone who plays basketball, the toughest thing is to miss shots and keep shooting. Your confidence wavers, you start to think -- Steph will miss four in a row and then heat-check the fifth one. Like from 35 feet. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it [works] for him. So I know he don't make too much off it, as a competitor I know he's pissed with himself and I think that will bode well for us. Probably it's going to lead to some aggressiveness, and we like when he's aggressive so I think he'll be fine."

Curry played arguably his worst game of the season during a 126-121 overtime loss in Game 3 on Saturday night, shooting just 7-for-23 from the field and missing a wide-open breakaway dunk with 19.2 seconds in overtime that left both fans and players stunned. Curry, who dislocated the middle finger on his left hand in the first quarter of Game 2, has brushed aside talk of the injury bothering him, despite the fact that he has had to tape his middle finger and his ring finger together since the injury.

He comes into Game 4 18-for-52 from the field in this series, including only 8-for-32 from beyond the arc.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a quick answer ready when asked how Curry responds after a bad game.

"He usually has a good game," Kerr said.

Kerr doesn't expect the two-time MVP to change anything up heading into Monday night.

"He's just really, really competitive and he gets locked in, and he gets a little bit angry," Kerr said. "And he comes out with a lot of focus and a lot of fight, so that's what we're expecting [Monday]."

Green echoed a similar sentiment, saying that he didn't think Curry needed any extra words of encouragement after a rough start to the series.

"I think at times you do," Green said. "And at times you just kind of feel it. Like you can feel when someone needs you, and you can just kind of feel like, 'He got it,' Like who's not saying anything? ... If you're asking me if you say something now, I don't think so."

Kerr said he would continue to have the same regular conversations he has with Curry throughout the season. There is no hint of panic from the Warriors perspective because of Curry's struggles. They have watched him break out of a slump too many times to think this one will last much longer.

"We've known each other for so long now it's not like, 'Hey, come to my office.' or 'I want to meet you,'" Kerr said. "We just chat. We just chat in passing. There's nothing planned, but my job as a coach is to help the players succeed, give them a little idea what they can do to maybe make an impact in one area or another. So those conversations happen all the time."

Of course, it's easier to handle Curry's slump while watching Kevin Durant continue to dominate offensively the way he has this postseason. Durant enters Game 4 averaging 35.6 points in the postseason, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.

"I don't really understand what he's doing right now either," Green said with a smile of Durant's performance. "It's pretty amazing, obviously for us to have that option. Just kind of give somebody the ball and get the hell out of the way. It's definitely beneficial for us, so for him to take over the game like he did in the third quarter, there's not much a defense can do. That's good for us, but I can't really tell you what Kevin is doing, scoring whenever he wants to."

Aside from Durant's brilliance, the other good news for the Warriors is that Kerr said Sunday that injured center Damian Jones will be cleared for contact next week. Jones has been out since Dec. 1 after tearing his left pectoral muscle. Kerr left open the possibility that both Jones and DeMarcus Cousins (torn quad) could still return in the postseason if they continue progressing during their rehab.

PHILADELPHIA -- Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who is nursing a right calf contusion, will be a game-time decision for Game 4 of the conference semifinals between the Raptors and the 76ers.

"We're still waiting," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "He hasn't been on the court yet. They're going to take him out there and see how he's doing. Obviously we had a team meeting this morning. He said it wasn't any worse than it was. It's a good start.

Siakam injured the calf in the Raptors' 116-95 loss at Philadelphia in Game 3 on Thursday. He did not dress for the Raptors' Saturday practice at Wells Fargo Center.

After Siakam tests the calf during pregame warm-ups, the team's medical staff will evaluate his condition. Should Siakam be unable to play, Nurse said he is considering several contingencies for the Raptors' starting lineup.

"Possibly [Serge] Ibaka, possibly [Fred] VanVleet, possibly one other guy," Nurse said.

In Toronto's eight games this postseason, Siakam has averaged 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with an effective field goal percentage of 56.9.

Toronto trails the series 2-1.

The Washington Nationals are down another first baseman because of injury.

Matt Adams was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with a left shoulder injury. The move comes just seven days after starting first baseman Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the IL with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Adams was hurt in Saturday's 10-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies when he jammed his left shoulder making a diving out on Phil Gosselin in the second inning. He was to undergo an MRI on Sunday morning.

Infielder Jake Noll was recalled from Triple-A Fresno in a corresponding move and started at first base in Sunday's game against the Phillies. It's the third time he has been called up to the majors in his rookie season.

The 30-year-old Adams is hitting .250 with three home runs and 13 RBIs this season.

He joins a growing list of impact Nationals players on the injured list, including third baseman Anthony Rendon, outfielder Juan Soto, shortstop Trea Turner and Zimmerman.

Manchester United will be playing Europa League football next season after a 1-1 draw away to bottom side Huddersfield ended their chances of finishing in the top four.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men started the game brightly and took the lead after just eight minutes when Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl somehow let Scott McTominay's effort squirm under him.

However, he made amends on the hour mark when he launched a long ball upfield -- following a poor United corner -- which Luke Shaw failed to intercept and Isaac Mbenza coolly slotted past David De Gea.

Huddersfield's relegation had been confirmed on March 30 after a defeat at Crystal Palace and had lost 22 of their past 24 matches -- and were looking for just their ninth match of the campaign without a defeat.

Solksjaer left Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial out of the matchday squad, with Alexis Sanchez handed a starting place. However, the Chile international left the pitch with an injury on 54 minutes.

As has been routine in previous matches, United started well and took the lead, but soon lost their spark and Huddersfield grew into the match before scoring a deserved equaliser.

United are ending the campaign with a whimper, and have now registered just one victory in their past eight matches across all competitions.

This result means they can no longer catch Tottenham and Chelsea in the Champions League places -- and could yet start the season in the Europa League play-offs should they finish in the sixth place and Watford beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Huddersfield will finish the season bottom despite picking up a point against United.

Vital ranking points that could be crucial in deciding who qualifies for the women's ODI World Cup in 2021 are up for grabs as Pakistan's tour of South Africa kicks off with the first of three one-day internationals at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Monday.

Hard-hitting opener Lizelle Lee is delighted with the consistent improvement of the team, and particularly the batting unit, and is cautiously optimistic of their chances against the visitors.

"There is no better teacher in cricket than game time against good opposition," Lee said. "We're really fortunate to be getting more and more time out on the field. It really helps teams grow and ups the competitiveness of women's cricket around the world.

"When we go into game one on Monday, we're going to go hard because we understand the importance of the World Cup and the points needed for World Cup qualification," added Lee. "The way we are batting and bowling now and even fielding gives me confidence that we can do well in this series. We're definitely going out to get those six points, we're not going to hold back.

"Right now, because we've played so much cricket we have a team that's more confident in themselves and their abilities because we've been in enough match situations that we don't panic when things don't go our way - it's the healthiest and most competitive that we've ever been as a national team."

Hosts South Africa are currently ranked fifth and visitors Pakistan sixth in the women's championship, with just a single point separating the two teams. The eight-team championship provides the path for direct qualification for the World Cup for four teams, alongside hosts New Zealand.

South Africa, on 13 points from 12 matches, would look to improve their points position in home conditions after their recent 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka, while Pakistan would be hoping to keep up the tempo after a 2-1 series win over the West Indies. They are also without captain Dane van Niekerk, who picked up a leg injury during Sri Lanka's tour earlier this year, with Sune Luus standing in as skipper.

Australia have assured themselves of a place in the World Cup as they are at the top of the table with 22 points from 12 matches while England, who have 18 points from 15 games, will get the chance to do so in a home series against the West Indies next month. India and New Zealand are second and third on the table with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

There are also personal milestones at stake in the series for both sides. Seamer Marizanne Kapp is South Africa's top-ranked bowler in sixth position, with an eye on a move into the top five. She is only 10 points behind India's Shikha Pandey with 678 points. Just behind Kapp with 663 points is Shabnim Ismail in seventh position. For Pakistan, former captain Sana Mir could challenge for the top position among bowlers as she goes into this series in third position, just 12 points adrift of the top-ranked Jhulan Goswami of India.

The hosts' squad also includes a couple of fresh faces looking to make a strong impression. Wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta, who is back in the national set-up for the first time in two years, said she is both nervous and excited about her re-call.

"I actually thought I got called to be told that I've missed out on the call-up, until he [Clinton du Preez, national convenor of selectors] told me that I've made it for the tour," Jafta siad. "I thought it was just for the ODIs because previously, I only ever played ODIs so when he said I was in for the whole tour, inside I was like 'finally all this hard work has brought me back here.' It's taken two years but I'm finally back. It was emotional.

"This time around, yes there are nerves, which is good. If I wasn't nervous I think I would be wasting my time, but at the same time, it's not overshadowing my confidence."

After a promising spell in the national academy, 23-year-old Nondumiso Shangase could be in line for an international debut against Pakistan. Shangase was the first black African woman to score a hundred for KwaZulu-Natal, a team she also captains, achieving the feat against Mpumalanga in a provincial match last year. Success at provincial level saw her included in the academy intake - alongside the likes of Robyn Searle, Tumi Sekhukhune and Lara Goodall - and she could now be tested in one of the allrounder slots against Pakistan.

"I was at Kingsmead practising (with the KZN women's provincial team) when Clinton (du Preez) called me and told me that I'm gonna be part of the squad in both formats," said Shangase. "I was so speechless. I froze, I didn't say anything to him, I kept quiet. I was so excited and emotional. I even cried."

"I didn't think it was gonna happen so fast. I was aiming for maybe after this year's national academy but I'm grateful," Shangase added. "By the end of this tour, I'm hoping to be a better player than before. To learn a lot about my batting and bowling because I'm an allrounder and I want to take in as much as I can so that I can get another call-up."

With the World Cup less than a month away, Kedar Jadhav has presented India with a worry, picking a shoulder injury while fielding during Chennai Super Kings' game against Kings XI Punjab in the IPL on Sunday. Jadhav is unlikely to play in Super Kings' remaining matches in the competition.

"Kedar Jadhav's getting an x-ray and a scan tomorrow," Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said after the match. "We're hopeful for him. I don't think we'll see him again in this tournament for us. So now his attention will turn to what it looks like for the World Cup.

"He's in some discomfort but we just need to be accurate with our assessments tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it's nothing too serious but it didn't look that good."

Jadhav was fielding on the leg-side boundary when he injured his left shoulder while diving to stop a ball. It was the 14th over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo, and Jadhav dived to his left while trying to stop an overthrow from Ravindra Jadeja. Jadhav stopped the ball, but immediately clutched his arm, and walked out to be attended to by Super Kings physio Tommy Simsek.

Jadhav did not take the field for the rest of the innings with M Vijay coming in as the substitute. To add to Super Kings' woes, Vijay spilled a straightforward catch at point from Nicholas Pooran the very next delivery.

The Indian team management and selectors will hope the injury is not too serious, considering that the squad will leave for the UK on May 22 with India playing their first group match on June 5 against South Africa. In case Jadhav's injury rules him out of the World Cup, the selectors will look at the back-up pool of Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel.

Jadhav had picked up an injury during the IPL last year too. He had sustained a hamstring tear in the tournament opener against Mumbai Indians and was then ruled out of the remainder of the tournament. This time, the injury will make him miss the playoffs for Super Kings.

As such, Jadhav has had an unimpressive IPL, scoring only 162 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 96 and average of 18, with one half-century. And he hasn't bowled at all.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Sachin Tendulkar has rejected the BCCI's observation that the conflict of interest charges against him fall in the "tractable category', holding it "responsible for the situation" that has arisen because of his dual role as member of the board's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and an icon with Mumbai Indians.

In his 13-point response to BCCI ombudsman and ethics officer Justice (Retd) DK Jain, a copy of which is in PTI's possession, Tendulkar has requested for Vinod Rai, the chief of the BCCI's Committee of Administrators, and Rahul Johri, the BCCI CEO, to be asked to "clarify their position" on the matter.

According to clause 38 (3) (a) of the BCCI's constitution: "Tractable conflicts are those that are resolvable or permissible or excusable through recusal of the individual concerned and - or - with full disclosure of the interest involved."

All three CAC members - Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - have been served notices by Jain for alleged conflicts of interest, and all three have denied the charges in their initial affidavits.

ALSO READ: Allegations 'baseless' as CAC not permanent body - Laxman

What seems to have angered Tendulkar is Johri's letter (in consultation with CoA) to Jain where - as with Ganguly - the issue has been termed as a case of "tractable Conflict of Interest".

The key areas where Tendulkar has provided strong rebuttals are Points 10, 11 and 12.

"Without prejudice to the aforesaid, the Noticee submits that it is surprising that the BCCI, being the very authority responsible for the Noticee's empanelment to the Cricket Advisory Committee ("CAC"), is presently taking a position that the Noticee is exposed to an alleged conflict of interest," he said in his reply.

"It is reiterated that, the Noticee was declared as the Mumbai Indians 'ICON' post his retirement in 2013, which was much prior to his appointment to the CAC in 2015."

Like Laxman, Tendulkar stated that neither the CEO nor the CoA had ever clarified the terms of reference vis-à-vis his appointment in the CAC: "The Noticee (Tendulkar) has time and again sought clarification from the BCCI on the scope of his role in the CAC - but has not received a response from BCCI till date. BCCI is aware that the CAC merely performs an advisory / recommendatory role - and therefore, the Noticee's role as a Mumbai Indians Icon (which in fact has always been in the public domain) cannot, in any practical way, conflict with his involvement in the CAC."

In Point No. 12, Tendulkar writes: "The Noticee fails to understand how the BCCI (after having appointed him to the CAC) can now maintain its current stand that he is in a position of 'tractable' conflict of interest. The BCCI Response does not clarify this variance in its stance and the Noticee requests the Hon'ble Ethics Officer to call upon BCCI Officials, Mr. Rahul Johri and Mr. Vinod Rai to clarify this position."

Tendulkar also pointed out how he had recused himself from the recruitment process of the national Under-19 selection committee as his son Arjun was a contender in the team.

"It is critical to note that the Noticee had specifically written to the BCCI in respect of the potential conflict of interest that could have arisen in the aforesaid scenario," he wrote.

"The Noticee has served the Indian cricket team for more than 2 decades and accepted empanelment with the CAC to help and contribute towards the growth of Indian cricket. It is unfortunate that the Noticee has to clarify the questions raised in the Complaint and BCCI Response.

"The Noticee repeats that BCCI is responsible for the situation created in terms of the Noticee's honorary empanelment to the CAC even though he was a Mumbai Indians Icon at the relevant time. The BCCI shall be called upon to clarify the issue."

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa — For the second time in three days, Bobby Pierce showed his toughness as he dominated the Lucas Oil MLRA main event at the West Liberty Raceway.

Pierce’s win netted him a $5,000 pay day, and makes it his third on the season with the MLRA.

Heavy rains early in the week provided for a challenging track as a softer than normal racing surface left drivers searching for the smoothest line around the super-fast half-mile speedway in the twenty-five lap A-Main. For the second time this season Chad Simpson locked up the pole after a dominating heat race win after starting in the eighth position.

Pierce rolled off alongside of Simpson with both drivers making a deep run into turn one at the drop of the green flag. Side-by-side through the corner both drivers showed a sense of urgency to assume the lead and it was Pierce using the top side momentum to seize control down the back stretch. Simpson would stay within striking distance until the events first caution on lap six for a slowing Jeremy Grady.

As he would do all night, Pierce showed his strength on the restart to again distance himself from the field. A red flag would slow the pace two laps later as contact down the front stretch between Jordan Yaggy and Dave Wada would see Yaggy barrel rolling down the frontstretch multiple times.

The event would also see its fair share of drama among the leaders. Fourth-running Billy Moyer would exit the track during the red flag, while a hard charging Hudson O’Neal suffered a flat right rear tire after climbing into the runner-up spot on the 17th lap.

In the end, Pierce showed the way for the entire 25 laps and giving him back-to-back wins with the series. In the closing laps, series point leader Will Vaught was able to sneak past Chad Simpson for second, while Jason Rauen and Sunoco Rookie candidate Jake Neal completed the top five.

“I’ve got to give a big thanks to my crew, I guess all the nuts and bolts stayed tight on this thing. It was a little choppy out there, so just glad we hung onto it. Besides the track being a little rough it was a pretty fun place,” Pierce said. “There was actually a cushion on the inside of the track right next to the tires and if you hit it right you could sail through there pretty good. “It definitely had a lot of characteristic in this race track tonight that’s for sure, and you can’t complain about that.”

Chris Zogg won the modified feature.

The finish:

Feature (25 Laps): 1.Bobby Pierce 2.Will Vaught 3.Chad Simpson 4.Jason Rauen 5.Jake Neal 6.Rich Bell 7.Logan Martin 8.Hudson O’Neal 9.Chad Holladay 10.Mitch McGrath 11.Dave Eckrich 12.Joseph Gorby 13.Billy Moyer 14.Jordan Yaggy 15.Dave Wada 16.Chris Simpson 17.Nick Marlof 18.Ray Guss Jr. 19.Jeremy Grady 20.Jay Johnson 21.Tim Simpson 22.Skip Frey 23.Jonathan Brauns