Sports — International

LeBron makes triple double in triumphant homecoming

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — LeBron James made a triumphant return home with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists on Monday to lead the Los Angeles Lakers over the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-120. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James sparked the Lakers team he led to the 2020 NBA crown over the Cavs hometown club he made into a 2016 NBA champion, spectators cheering and chanting the 37-year-old star’s name as he walked out […]

Warriors guard Curry gets new foot injury look in two weeks

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry will have his sprained left foot injury reevaluated in two weeks, the NBA club announced Friday. The 34-year-old sharpshooter underwent an MRI exam Wednesday night after suffering the injury late in the second quarter of a loss to the Boston Celtics. The MRI revealed Curry had suffered a sprained left foot ligament, the Warriors said, and that he will be reexamined at […]

Jokic wins MVP duel as Nuggets down Sixers

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Nikola Jokic won his duel with potential MVP successor Joel Embiid as the Denver Nuggets came from behind to score a 114-110 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The much-anticipated showdown between reigning NBA MVP Jokic and Sixers ace Embiid — seen as the front-runner for this year’s award — did not disappoint. Serbian star Jokic finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists as Denver […]

Nets rout Sixers after huge NBA trade as Harden humbled

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving led the Brooklyn Nets to a blowout 129-100 victory over ex-teammate James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers in an NBA grudge match on Thursday. Durant scored 25 points and had 14 rebounds and Irving added 24 points in the clash at Philadelphia, the first meeting of the clubs since their blockbuster NBA trade deadline deal last month sent Harden to the 76ers with Ben Simmons […]

Irving scores 50 as Nets sting Hornets

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Kyrie Irving erupted for 50 points as the Brooklyn Nets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 132-121 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. The fifth 50-point game of Irving’s career came courtesy of a superb shooting performance, with the seven-time All-Star shooting 15 of 19 attempts from the field including nine from outside the arc. The Nets improved to 33-33 with the victory, which keeps them […]

Sudanese women footballers tackle hurdles to play the game

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) – Sudan’s women’s football team is yet to win a match, but members say they have scored a victory by overcoming challenges including discrimination and a coup to play the game. “The girls are still taking their very first steps in international football,” said coach Salma al-Majidi, training the team that was formed just last year. A few years ago, the prospect of a Sudanese women’s national team was inconceivable, given the […]

Russian, Belarusian athletes banned from Winter Paralympics

by Lisa MARTIN Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — Russian and Belarusian athletes were on Thursday banned from the Beijing Winter Paralympics over the war in Ukraine, with organisers bowing to international pressure and threats of a boycott. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had just a day earlier said athletes from the two countries would be allowed to compete as “neutrals” in the Games, which start on Friday. It said that was the “harshest […]

Doncic sparks Mavs as Lakers slump continues

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Luka Doncic scored 25 points as the Dallas Mavericks sent the Los Angeles Lakers spinning to a third straight defeat on Tuesday. Doncic sparked a fourth-quarter fightback for Dallas, transforming a six-point deficit with just over seven minutes remaining into a five-point lead to help set up a 109-104 Mavs win at the Crypto.com Arena. It was another frustrating outing for LeBron James and the Lakers, who had battled […]

Russia expelled from World Cup as FIFA and UEFA hand down bans

  PARIS, France (AFP) — Russia has been expelled from the World Cup after being suspended from all international competitions “until further notice”, FIFA and UEFA announced in a joint statement on Monday, while European football’s governing body also ended its partnership with Russian energy giant Gazprom. The men’s team had been due to play in qualifying play-offs in March for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, while its women’s side had qualified […]

Magic Morant spurs Grizzlies, Heat gore Bulls

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Ja Morant produced a virtuoso 52-point performance as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 118-105 in the NBA’s Western Conference clash on Monday. Morant made 22 of 30 shots from the field in a magical display for Memphis, who bounced back in style following their defeat to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Morant’s masterpiece included two dazzling season highlights — an astonishing dunk over the Spurs’ Austrian […]

IOC calls for ban on Russians from world sport

The International Olympic Committee on Monday urged sports federations and organisers to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The recommendation could trigger further announcements with FIFA in “advanced discussions” to expel Russia from the 2022 World Cup, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. Russia are due to take part in the play-offs next month, but plans to play on neutral territory were dismissed […]

Ukrainian NBA players denounce Russian invasion

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Alex Len and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, the only two Ukrainian players in the NBA, released a statement Thursday condemning the Russian invasion of their homeland. Sacramento Kings center Len and Toronto Raptors wing Mykhailiuk called for unity among the Ukrainian people and prayed for friends, family and others in the country. “A great tragedy befell our dear homeland Ukraine,” the two said in their statement posted on their social […]