Sports — International

Korda says could barely hold racquet in painful Australian Open exit

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | Tuesday 1/24/2023  Sebastian Korda said he could barely hold the racquet before retiring in the Australian Open quarter-finals Tuesday, but despite the disappointment is confident of “really big things” ahead. The 22-year-old American hurt himself in the second set against Russia’s Karen Khachanov and called it quits when trailing 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 3-0. He said he first felt the injury while playing the Adelaide International this month, where he made […]

Banchero, Isaac shine as Magic end Boston win streak

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Number one draft pick Paolo Banchero scored 23 points as the Orlando Magic ended the injury-depleted Boston Celtics’ nine-game winning streak with an upset 113-98 victory on Monday. Orlando, languishing three places off the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 17-29 record prior to Monday’s game, took full advantage of Boston’s injury crisis to complete a deserved win at the Amway Center in Florida. The league-leading Celtics were missing […]

Lakers trade for Japan star Rui Hachimura

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Japanese international Rui Hachimura in a deal that sends guard Kendrick Nunn and multiple draft picks to the Washington Wizards, the Lakers said Monday. The 6ft 8in (2.0m) Hachimura has made 30 appearances for the Wizards this season, averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. In his four seasons in the NBA, the 24-year-old has averaged 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 […]

Ronaldo punched but scores twice in Saudi reunion with Messi

by Talek HARRIS Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Cristiano Ronaldo recovered from a punch in the face to score twice against Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday in a lively reunion with his great rival Lionel Messi that demonstrated the financial firepower of the resource-rich Gulf. Ronaldo, 37, was decked by PSG ‘keeper Keylor Navas’s flailing fist but he drilled the resulting penalty and then added another in a 5-4 exhibition defeat, his first appearance […]

Antetokounmpo leads East in latest NBA All-Star voting

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has overtaken Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant at the top Eastern Conference vote-getter in the third fan voting returns for the NBA All-Star Game. The results announced by the NBA on Thursday put Antetokounmpo on track to captain a team in the February 19 mid-season exhibition in Salt Lake City. Fan voting, which continues through Saturday, counts for 50% of the starter voting. A media […]

Adams game-winner gives Memphis 11th straight win

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – Steven Adams grabbed the first game-winning basket of his career as the Memphis Grizzlies rolled to a franchise record-equaling 11th straight victory on Wednesday with a 115-114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. New Zealand international Adams was on hand to tip-in at the basket after an attempted layup by Ja Morant with just under 17 seconds remaining of a thrilling battle at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Memphis small forward […]

Jokic triple sparks Denver over Portland, Spurs stun Nets

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Nikola Jokic bagged his 13th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets overcame a 44-point display from Damian Lillard to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 122-113 on Tuesday. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as Denver extended their winning streak to seven games to move one game clear of Memphis at the top of the Western Conference. It was […]

Tatum half century as Celtics pound Hornets, Curry saves Warriors

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Jayson Tatum produced an electrifying 51-point display as the Boston Celtics marked the NBA’s Martin Luther King Day holiday schedule with a 130-118 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Two days after scoring 33 points against Charlotte on Saturday, Tatum once again took center stage with a commanding performance as the Eastern Conference leaders claimed a seventh straight victory. Tatum brought up his half century in the closing […]

‘That outfit’: Tiafoe dazzles Australian Open with colourful kit

Melbourne, Australia (AFP) Frances Tiafoe won his first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday but it was the American’s outrageously colourful kit which set tongues wagging. The world number 17 wore a matching vest and shorts that had squiggly haphazard lines of blue, purple, red, yellow and white. Tiafoe’s brazen outfit in his four-set win over Germany’s Daniel Altmaier was the talk of social media. “This outfit deserves to get to the second week minimum,” […]

LeBron James passes historic 38,000-point mark but Lakers lose again

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – LeBron James became only the second player in NBA history to score more than 38,000 career points on Sunday but his Los Angeles Lakers fell to a third straight defeat with a 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. James is now second only to fellow Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points on the NBA’s all-time career scoring list and he is expected to surpass that total in the coming […]

History as Chinese man wins for first time at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) – Teenager Shang Juncheng created a slice of history Monday by becoming the first male Chinese player to win an Australian Open main draw singles match. The gifted 17-year-old, a qualifier, battled past Germany’s Oscar Otte 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5 in nearly three hours of intense tennis to progress. After saving two break points in the opening set, he did not face another as he sealed the win on his third match […]

Warriors rout Spurs in front of record NBA crowd

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The Golden State Warriors were the stars of the party in San Antonio on Friday, cruising to a 144-113 NBA victory over the Spurs before a record crowd at the Alamodome. Jordan Poole led the defending champion Warriors with 25 points off the bench, and Donte DiVincenzo added 22 as Golden State’s reserves came up big. They weren’t the names that attracted a raucous crowd of 68,323 to […]