Sports News Roundup: Lightning win Cup Final rematch vs. Avs; Injured Messi to miss PSG clash with Monaco and more

Speaking for the first time since the reigning champions were hit with the charges this week, Guardiola gave an impassioned defence of the club he joined in 2016 and who he has taken to four Premier League titles. NBA roundup: Bucks win ninth straight as Lakers rest LeBron James Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks matched their longest winning streak of the season with a ninth consecutive victory, beating the host Los Angeles Lakers 115-106 on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Just Stop Oil activists convicted over Silverstone protest

Six "Just Stop Oil" activists who ran on to the track after an opening lap crash at last July's British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone were convicted on Friday of causing a public nuisance. The four men and two women, ranging in age between 22 and 47, will be sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on March 31 and were warned they could face imprisonment, British media reported.

Soccer-UEFA president warns clubs against 'reckless' spending on player wages

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin warned that many European clubs are "compromising their economic sustainability" due to ever-increasing player wages which have risen on average by 16% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Europe's soccer governing body released its Benchmarking report, a review of the European football finance landscape, which highlighted how the sport is returning to normality after the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHL roundup: Lightning win Cup Final rematch vs. Avs

Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy crafted his first shutout of the season, Brandon Hagel produced three points and the Lightning blanked the visiting Colorado Avalanche 5-0 on Thursday night. In the first meeting between the clubs since last June's Stanley Cup Final, Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots to extend his franchise-record shutout total to 29. Hagel had two goals and an assist to lead the Lightning offensive output as they broke a two-game skid (0-1-1).

Soccer-Time to show club is special, says Liverpool boss Klopp

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has called on his players to show why the club is special in Monday's Merseyside derby at home to Everton in the Premier League. The Anfield clash arrives with Liverpool languishing in 10th place in the table after a season blighted by poor form and injuries while Everton are battling to avoid relegation.

NBA-Kobe Bryant's jersey from MVP season sold for $5.8 million

A Los Angeles Lakers jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his only MVP season in 2007-08 fetched $5.8 million at an auction on Thursday, becoming the second-most expensive basketball jersey ever sold, auction house Sotheby's said. Michael Jordan's jersey from the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals holds the record for the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia in history after it sold for over $10 million in September also via Sotheby's.

NFL-Rihanna plans highly anticipated return to stage with Super Bowl halftime show

Nine-time Grammy Award winner Rihanna makes her highly anticipated return to live performance at Super Bowl 57 on Sunday, headlining a halftime show that will highlight her Caribbean culture. The Barbados-born singer has not released a solo album since January 2016 and fans will be clamouring to see the 34-year-old chart-topper when she takes the stage for a global audience of millions at State Farm Stadium, where the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Soccer-We've already been condemned, says Man City's Guardiola over charges

Manchester City manager believes the club has already been 'condemned' after being charged by the Premier League with over 100 breaches of financial rules since 2009. Speaking for the first time since the reigning champions were hit with the charges this week, Guardiola gave an impassioned defence of the club he joined in 2016 and who he has taken to four Premier League titles.

NBA roundup: Bucks win ninth straight as Lakers rest LeBron James

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks matched their longest winning streak of the season with a ninth consecutive victory, beating the host Los Angeles Lakers 115-106 on Thursday. Khris Middleton scored 22 points off the Milwaukee bench, and Jrue Holiday finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Soccer-Injured Messi to miss PSG clash with Monaco

Paris St Germain's injury crisis worsened after the club confirmed on Friday that Lionel Messi will miss this weekend's Ligue 1 clash against AS Monaco due to a hamstring injury. Messi played the full 90 minutes of PSG's 2-1 defeat by Olympique Marseille in the French Cup on Wednesday and the 35-year-old is in a race against time to be fit for their Champions League last-16 clash with Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Olympics row deepens as 35 countries demand ban for Russia and Belarus

A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, the Lithuanian sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games. The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is desperate to avoid the sporting event being torn asunder by the bloody conflict unfolding in Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies.)