With the NBA playoffs just around the corner, there are many teams to keep an eye out for. The East has been tight all season, and even now only one game separates the top four. The Celtics have been on an amazing streak lately winning nine of their last ten games. Jayson Tatum has been playing outstanding, with Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams being there to back him up. 

Philadelphia has recently acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets and as of now, the duo of Joel Embiid and Harden seems to be going well. Harden is back to his Houston self, while Embiid has continued to consistently score and lead his team to wins. 

The Miami Heat find themselves at the top of the standings, Philly and Milwaukee only half a game behind. Tyler Herro has been phenomenal off the bench, making his case for Sixth Man of the Year, while Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry have proved to be a great duo when on the floor together. 

The Bucks are staying as their usual strong selves with Giannis having another MVP-caliber season. Averaging almost 30 points and 11 rebounds a game, along with 1.4 blocks, making him a candidate for defensive player of the year as well. 

In the West, the Phoenix Suns top the table, already securing the first seed going into playoffs with 60 wins. Devin Booker has had a great season, and pairing him with veteran point guard Chris Paul, has proved to be lethal to other teams. Even though when you look at Chris Paul’s statistics, you don’t find anything alarming, it shows how basketball isn’t just about stats. He controls the game in a way few others do, and he has been the key factor in the Sun’s performance this season. 

One of the greatest surprise teams this season has been the Memphis Grizzlies. Holding the number two spot on the standings, they have drastically improved their game compared to last year. Ja Morant, in only his third season, is already another MVP contender, averaging 27.4 points per game. 

In third, we find the Warriors, who despite having a tremendous start to the season, have cooled off a bit in the second half. Curry’s three-month slump meant that the Warriors had to completely adjust their game plan, and it has worked out. Curry is back to his MVP form, and with Klay Thompson coming back after tearing his ACL, the Warriors have looked very good coming into the playoffs.

Other contenders for the MVP award have been Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. The two centers have been the stars of the show for two years running, with Jokic just edging him out for the award last season. Jokic has played phenomenal all season, leading the league in triple-doubles, and leading the shorthanded Nuggets to sixth place in the West. Embiid has also put up monster numbers, leading the league in points per game with almost 30. Along with Harden now, the Sixers are fighting for the top seed in the East, giving him an edge over other candidates for the award. 

In the world of football, the Champions League is down to its last 8 teams with Bayern, Villereal, Benfica, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid, all trying to make a run for the trophy. 

Villereal shocked Juventus, beating them 4-1 in aggregate (over two games). Liverpool and City continue their Premier League form on the international stage, with both teams dominating their previous matchups. 

Real Madrid pulled off a comeback over the league-favorite PSG, winning the second match 3-1 to propel them to the quarter-final. 

In the Premier League, Manchester City looked unstoppable, but with only a couple of games to go, Liverpool has made a run for the title. Winning all of their last 5 games has helped shorten the gap to only a one-point difference. They have also played one less game than City meaning that they have a chance to overtake them next week. The two titans clash on April 10, making that game possibly a decider for the crown of England. 

In La Liga, Real Madrid top the table, and Sevilla and Barcelona are close behind. Real suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of the surging Barcelona, getting blown out 4-0 at their home stadium. Barca, who have won all of their last 5 games, have looked like they are back to their usual selves, after having a shaky start to the season after losing Messi. 

Real Betis have come as the biggest surprise this season, as just two seasons ago, they were down in 16th on the table. Now as the 5th team in Spain, they have qualified for international competition in the Europa League. 

The biggest shock in the football world was that recently, one of the powerhouses in world football failed to qualify for the world cup. Italy was knocked out in a surprise upset by North Macedonia, playing in the heart of Rome.

The World Cup this year is going to be coming from Qatar, with African teams still fighting for qualification. Portugal was also upset by Serbia and now must fight for qualifications in a later tournament. The last few countries are going to qualify in these next couple of weeks, and we will soon know the groups for the Mundial. 

The new F1 season just started, and the new regulations are coming into play. The cars look completely different and based on the first Grand Prix in Bahrain, they are much better for racing as well. 

Ferrari looked very strong, getting a one-two finish in the first race of the season, with Leclerc grabbing the win. Red Bull looked good the entire race, despite suffering from mechanical issues that cost them the contest. 

Haas and Alfa Romeo look to have built a car to consistently compete for points, which they haven’t done in many years. Due to the situation with Russia and Ukraine, Nikita Mazepin lost his seat at Haas and was replaced by long-time Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen scored big on his debut, grabbing 5th and a 10 point haul. 

Mercedes, despite getting a lot of points (going 3rd and 4th), looked a class lower than their rivals the entire time. Due to Red Bull’s engine issues in the last few laps, they were able to garner great points. However, it’s clear that they have a lot of work to do if they hope for a title fight. 

With the second race of the season just finishing this weekend, we see a lot of the teams start to settle in. Max Verstappen won the race in the last five laps, with a safety car coming to his aid to help him close in.

Ferrari once again grabbed a double podium, firmly on top of the standings at this point. The Mercedes duo once again got a double-point to finish, Russel in 5th and Hamilton improving to 10th after a horrid qualifying. Magnussen showed out once again with a 9th place finish, grabbing Haas points for two consecutive races. The end of the race was filled with drama as 6 cars did not finish due to either crashes or mechanical issues.

Aston Martin has continued their poor performances this season, yet again failing to get into the top 10. Ferrari’s engine has looked dominant so far, and all the Ferrari-powered teams have improved drastically. In contrast, the Mercedes engine, once the most dominant powertrain, has proven to be unreliable and lacking in performance compared to their Italian rivals.