Sports

Durant named in US Olympic squad

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Kevin Durant will spearhead a powerful United States basketball team chasing a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal after being named in the squad for next month’s Tokyo Games on Monday. Brooklyn Nets star Durant was included in a 12-man roster which will be led by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich with assistant coaches Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce and Jay Wright. Several notable NBA stars are not part […]

NBA’s Simmons quits Australia’s Olympic basketball squad

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Ben Simmons withdrew from Australia’s Olympic basketball squad Tuesday, with officials saying he was having a “rough time” in the NBA and wanted to focus on improving his skills. The 24-year-old guard was heavily criticised for his wayward shooting when the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers were bundled out of the NBA playoffs by the unfancied Atlanta Hawks earlier this month. National coach Brian Goorjian said he and the rest of the squad […]

Japan Olympic chief says ‘no way’ to ensure zero virus cases

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Olympic chief said Monday there was “no way” to ensure zero virus cases among teams arriving for the Tokyo Games, as officials prepare to tighten screening procedures. Japanese Olympic Committee president Yasuhiro Yamashita said “thorough measures” would be necessary at airports, after two members of Uganda’s team tested positive last week following their arrival in Japan. “No matter what measures are put in place, there is no way we will […]

Middleton, Antetokounmpo spark comeback, Bucks grab 2-1 lead

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 71 points as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied to beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 in game three of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday. Middleton scored 20 of his 38 points in the fourth and Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Bucks grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series in front of a crowd of 16,600 at State […]

NBA Mavericks hire Jason Kidd as new coach: reports

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Jason Kidd, who won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks as a player in 2011, has agreed to a deal to coach the club, according to multiple media reports on Friday. The Mavericks also hired long-time Nike executive Nico Harrison as general manager, according to The Athletic, ESPN, USA Today and other media, citing unnamed sources. Kidd, who played on US Olympic gold medal squads in 2000 at Sydney […]

Young scores 48 to power Hawks over Bucks in NBA playoffs

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Atlanta’s Trae Young scored a career playoff high 48 points and the Hawks edged host Milwaukee 116-113 in Wednesday’s opening game of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Young, who also contributed 11 assists and seven rebounds, scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to spark a rally that baffled the Bucks. “We just keep fighting until the end, no matter what the score is,” Young said. “That’s what we’re going […]

Durant to lead new US set of NBA stars at Olympics: report

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant will compete for a third Olympic title in Tokyo alongside a new group of NBA stars seeking gold, according to an ESPN report Wednesday. A story on the US-based sports television network’s website said Durant, whose team was eliminated by Milwaukee in the second round of the NBA playoffs, will be the only player returning from the 2016 Rio champions. USA Basketball finalized its […]

Suns sink Clippers with last-gasp Ayton dunk in see-saw thriller

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Deandre Ayton made the go-ahead catch and dunk with one second left and a bloodied Devin Booker scored 20 points as the Phoenix Suns shocked the Los Angeles Clippers 104-103 in game two of their NBA playoff series. Booker shook off a cruel clash of heads that left him bloodied and bruised, returning to the game as the Suns took down the Clippers in a see-saw fourth quarter to […]

Sixers stunned as Young leads Hawks comeback

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Trae Young scored 39 points as the Atlanta Hawks completed a stunning second-half comeback to defeat the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers 109-106 in their Eastern Conference semi-final clash on Wednesday. Roared on by a raucous home crowd, the Sixers appeared to be poised to claim a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series after surging into a 26-point lead early in the second half. But a magnificent Atlanta offensive performance led […]

LaMelo Ball wins NBA rookie of year honor

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year on Thursday, beating out competition from Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton. Ball, 19, was chosen by the Hornets with the third overall pick of the 2020 draft after spending the 2019-2020 season with the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League. The teenager averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.59 […]

LeBron blasts NBA as playoff injuries mount

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James slammed the NBA on Wednesday as Clippers star Kawhi Leonard became the latest player forced out of the playoffs by injury. James took to Twitter to offer an angry “I Told You So” to the league, blaming the increase in injuries on the shortest off-season ever, which has been followed by a compressed schedule for the 2020-21 campaign. “They all didn’t wanna listen […]