WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Trae Young scored 27 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 113-96 victory over New York on Sunday, pushing the Knicks to the brink of NBA playoff elimination. John Collins added 22 points while Italy’s Danilo Gallinari scored 21 off the bench and Clint Capella added 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Hawks. Atlanta seized a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series with game five […]
Sports — International
Lakers roll over Suns, Bucks pound Heat
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Anthony Davis scored 34 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James delivered 21 points and nine assists as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the short-handed Phoenix Suns 109-95 in a heated Western Conference playoff game Thursday. Davis is looking like his old self again and James’ balky knee isn’t the biggest injury story of the series anymore as the Lakers grabbed a 2-1 series lead in the opening round […]
Teams ban unruly fans as NBA promises ‘respectful’ environment
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Three NBA teams said Thursday they had banned fans from their arenas for inappropriate behavior — including a Philadelphia 76ers fan who dumped popcorn on Washington star Russell Westbrook. The Sixers said the fan was banned indefinitely from the Wells Fargo Center and had his season ticket revoked. The unnamed spectator had triggered uproar on Wednesday after showering injured Westbrook with popcorn as he left the court during game […]
Bucks pound Heat, seize 3-0 series lead
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks grabbed a 3-0 stranglehold lead in their first-round playoff series with a 113-84 thrashing of the Miami Heat on Thursday. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have carried the offensive load for the Bucks in the series, but Thursday they also got plenty of help from their supporting cast as six Milwaukee players […]
76ers rout Wizards in game two to seize control of East series
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid each scored 22 points as the Philadelphia 76ers seized a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series with a 120-95 rout of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Simmons had nine rebounds and eight assists and Embiid grabbed seven rebounds as the heavily-favored Sixers got contributions from a number of players including starting power forward Tobias Harris, who had 19 points and nine rebounds. Harris […]
Far from home: Weightlifter’s quest for first Philippines Olympic gold
by Patrick LEE JASIN, Malaysia (AFP) — Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz grunts with the effort of hoisting a barbell over her head in an outdoor makeshift gym ringed by banana and rambutan trees as trucks thunder past — an unlikely training base for a shot at Olympic gold in Tokyo. Diaz, 30, who took silver at Rio 2016, has been stuck in Malaysia since February last year because of the coronavirus pandemic but has remained […]
Davis scores 34 as Lakers beat Suns to level series, Nets thump Celtics
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Anthony Davis and LeBron James delivered down the stretch on Tuesday as the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers bounced back to beat the Phoenix Suns 109-102 and knot their playoff series at one game apiece. Davis had said he blamed himself after scoring just 13 points in the Lakers’ 99-90 defeat in game one of the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series. He wasn’t about to let it happen again. […]
Nets dominate Celtics for 2-0 NBA playoff series lead
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Brooklyn Nets ran roughshod over the Boston Celtics Tuesday, leading by as many as 33 points in a 130-108 victory that put them 2-0 up in their NBA playoffs first-round series. Kevin Durant headed another strong showing for Brooklyn’s “big three” along with fellow stars Kyrie Irving and James Harden, and Joe Harris excelled from three-point range to power the Nets to an early lead they had no […]
Pacific readies for ‘Super Blood Moon’ celestial show
by Andrew BEATTY SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Stargazers across the Pacific Rim can cast their eyes skyward on Wednesday night and behold a “Super Blood Moon”, as the heavens align to bring a rare celestial twin treat. The first total lunar eclipse in two years is happening at the same time as the moon is closest to Earth, in what astronomers say will be a once-in-a-decade show. If the skies are clear, anyone living between […]
Bucks thrash Heat to take 2-0 series lead
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Milwaukee Bucks produced an exhibition of three-point shooting in a crushing victory over the Miami Heat to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first round playoff series on Monday. Bryn Forbes erupted for five threes in the first half, and Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points to give the Bucks a resounding 132-98 win over last year’s NBA Finals runners-up. Overall, the Bucks made 22 of […]
Booker shines as Suns sink Lakers, Sixers down Wizards
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Devin Booker scored 34 points as the second-seeded Phoenix Suns outplayed the Los Angeles Lakers in their Western Conference playoff series opener with a hardfought 99-90 victory on Sunday. Booker — playing in the first NBA playoff game of his career — spearheaded a deserved win over the reigning NBA champions, rallying his team after an injury to Chris Paul restricted the Phoenix veteran’s influence. Booker was backed by […]
Middleton winner lifts Bucks over Heat, Mavs down Clippers
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Khris Middleton nailed a clutch two-pointer with less than one second remaining as the Milwaukee Bucks snatched a thrilling 109-107 overtime victory against the Miami Heat in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff opener on Saturday. Middleton kept his composure superbly to drain the decisive jump shot from 18 feet with just 0.5 seconds on the clock, handing the Bucks a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series. Middleton’s […]