APRILIA STEALS THE SHOW AS ALEX MARQUEZ SCRAPES BY WITH SEVENTH IN AUSTIN
Alex Marquez admits Ducati is trailing Aprilia in the 2026 MotoGP season, citing a need for more time to unlock the bike.
Alex Marquez is kicking off the 2026 season in a way that feels miles away from how last year ended. In Austin, he barely managed to grab seventh place, and he admitted to reporters he pretty much scraped by. He needs more time to get comfortable on the new factory Ducati, and honestly, he says missing the Qatar round is an unexpected plus. It gives him and the team a breather to analyse things. But nobody’s pretending the main issue isn’t staring them in the face: Ducati’s struggling, and Aprilia is stealing the show.
Still, Alex isn’t frustrated, just realistic. The season’s long, and Ducati’s history proves they’re good at bouncing back. “I’m not happy, but this is what I expected,” Alex told the press. “I tried to stay in the mix, not lose time fighting for places. Starting from the third row is tough. All the Ducatis were running a similar pace, except Marc; he was consistent even on the long lap. We haven’t figured out how to unlock the bike’s full potential yet. Right now, we’re a step behind.”
His start this year is nothing like last season, but he’s taking it in stride.
“I’m not frustrated; I just want to keep working. I’m motivated, and I feel we’re close to a breakthrough. We're missing something, though, and honestly, not racing in Qatar right now helps; it gives us space to dig into what’s wrong.”
He battled with Ogura’s Aprilia and saw up close what Aprilia’s got going for it.
“Ogura passed me, and I pushed for three corners, trying to keep up, but by the time I recovered, he was gone. That was impressive. He was pushing so hard, and his bike had tonnes of grip; it’s like Aprilia’s running a very low, stable bike right now.”
Marc Marquez came past him, too.
“When I saw the warning on the board, I knew Marc was coming, and I knew he’d attack right there. I know his style. I tried to defend, but honestly, I won’t bother changing the lock on my front door; I’ve already moved on,” Alex joked.
Aprilia is dominating early in the season. What’s changed?
“They’re just super competitive right now. Last year, Ducati was ahead, and Aprilia couldn’t touch us. Now, Ducati’s back at work, and I trust them. At some point this season, we’ll step up again. With Ducati, the factory bikes always need half a season to hit their stride, and then they start flying, as we saw in 2022 and 2023. I’m not the kind to stop working; I’ll keep giving feedback and pushing to improve.”
Now that he’s a factory Ducati rider, is he worried about losing that spot in the future?
“No, honestly, riders are paid through the end of the year, and the team tries to help everyone out, collecting as much info as possible. Nothing’s changed; Ducati keeps backing all four factory riders.”
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
