by Jim SLATER OAKLAND, United States (AFP) — Versatile Cleveland playmaker LeBron James and Golden State 3-point sharpshooter Stephen Curry, today’s biggest NBA stars, have a date with destiny in Sunday’s decisive seventh game of the 70th NBA Finals. Back-to-back 41-point games by “King” James sparked victories that pulled the Cavaliers from a 3-1 hole to level the best-of-seven series and set up a tension-packed, winner-take-all spectacle that will leave one of the game’s greatest heroes […]
Sports
Russia cries foul, rest of world welcomes IAAF’s ban
Russia claimed the IAAF’s decision to continue its ban of Russian athletics on Friday was unfair and threatened legal action, while the rest of the world welcomed the move and urged the IOC not to go against it. “We are extremely disappointed by the IAAF’s decision, creating the unprecedented situation of a whole nation’s track and field athletes being banned from the Olympics,” said the Russian ministry of sport. “Clean athletes’ dreams are being […]
Rio declares financial disaster over Olympic Games
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Rio state authorities declared a “state of public calamity” Friday over a major budget crisis, in order to release emergency funds to finance the Olympic Games due to begin in August. The decree authorizes the state to “adopt all necessary emergency measures to ration essential public services in order for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to take place.” “Any institutional instability would hurt the country’s image,” said […]
NBA: Frustrated Curry loses his cool as Warriors lose to Cavs
by Jim SLATER CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — Stephen Curry’s frustrations over foul calls boiled over in a stinging NBA Finals loss to Cleveland that saw the Golden State star guard ejected for the first time in his career. And in the wake of the defending champion Warriors’ 115-101 loss to the host Cavaliers on Thursday, they face a winner-take-all title showdown Sunday on their home court to decide a best-of-seven series deadlocked at 3-3. […]
NBA: LeBron powers Cavs into one-game showdown with Warriors
by Jim SLATER CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — LeBron James delivered one of his greatest performances Thursday, scoring 41 points to power the Cleveland Cavaliers over Golden State 115-101 and force a one-game showdown for the NBA title. James, who made 16 of 27 shots from the floor, added 11 assists, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots as the Cavaliers leveled the best-of-seven NBA Finals at 3-3, setting up a dramatic seventh-game specatcle […]
NBA: Bogut ‘very unlikely’ to play for Australia in Rio
CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut, sidelined by a left knee injury for the remainder of the NBA Finals, said Thursday it is “very unlikely” he will play for Australia at the Rio Olympics. The 7-footer (2.13m) will be sidelined at least six to eight weeks after suffering multiple bone bruises in game five of the best-of-seven championship series on Monday. That offers a best-case, outside chance scenario of Bogut being […]
Philippine power-lifting team wins 25 gold medals in India
QUEZON City, Philippines – The Philippine power-lifting team won 25 gold medals in the Asian Power-lifting Tournament held in India. The Philippine team also got nine silver medals and three bronze medals. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Jericho Morales, Uploaded by MRFaith Bonalos)
NBA: Green has extra motive to spark Warriors after ban
by Jim SLATER CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — Golden State forward Draymond Green could only watch as his teammates missed a chance to capture the NBA Finals, but he’s back from a suspension and more motivated than ever. “I owe it to my teammates to come back and give all I have, all I can do to better the situation,” Green said Wednesday. “To come back and be a piece of that great team is […]
NBA: Curry’s biggest game could bring crown or Cavs’ finest hour
by Jim SLATER CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — Golden State’s Stephen Curry called game six of the NBA Finals the biggest contest of his career Wednesday while the revived Cleveland Cavaliers expressed confidence they can dethrone the Warriors. The defending champions lead host Cleveland 3-2 in the best-of-seven series entering Thursday’s tension-packed showdown, which will result in either a seventh game Sunday in California or the Warriors celebrating back-to-back titles clinched on the Cavaliers’ home […]
Olympics: WHO committee says low risk of Zika spread
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — There is a “very low risk” of the Zika virus spreading further internationally as a result of the Olympic Games in Brazil, the World Health Organization’s emergency committee on the disease said Tuesday. The statement came as worry mounted that the mosquito-borne virus, which has spread across much of Latin America and which can lead to severe birth defects in babies, might spread further when the Olympics begin in August. “The […]
NBA: More than finals, fate will decide LeBron’s legacy
by Jim SLATER OAKLAND, United States (AFP) — LeBron James considers himself a success, whether or not his Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Finals — a struggling inner-city kid who became a champion and rich enough to help others. But he dearly would like to bring Cleveland its first sports champion since 1964 and avoid becoming the first NBA Most Valuable Player to lose in the finals five times. The Cavaliers pulled within 3-2 […]
NBA: Cavs vow to be ready while Warriors could lose Bogut
by Jim SLATER CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — It could take another historic effort from Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to keep Cleveland in the NBA Finals, while the Golden State Warriors faced the possible loss of center Andrew Bogut. The defending champion Warriors lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 entering game six Thursday at Cleveland, with the Cavaliers needing a victory to force a seventh game Sunday in California. James and Irving each scored 41 […]