Sports — International

LeBron out with ankle sprain as NBA All-Star Game looms

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss the reigning NBA champions’ last contest before the All-Star Game break with a sprained left ankle, the club announced Wednesday. James will stay in Los Angeles for treatment and miss his first game of the 2020-21 season on Wednesday when the Lakers play at Sacramento. The 36-year-old playmaker has been nagged by the injury but still managed to deliver 38 points, […]

Joker’s wild as Nuggets thrash Bucks, Celtics down Clips

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Nikola Jokic bagged the 50th regular-season triple-double of his career as the Denver Nuggets halted the Milwaukee Bucks’ five-game winning streak with a 128-97 drubbing on Tuesday. Serbian star Jokic dominated a one-sided encounter at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum as Denver never looked back after taking the lead midway through the first quarter before romping to victory. Jokic’s ninth triple of the season included 37 points, 11 assists and 10 […]

Zion dominant as Pelicans upset Jazz, Sixers bounce back

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Zion Williamson produced a dominant performance as the New Orleans Pelicans upset the league-leading Utah Jazz with a 129-124 victory on Monday. Pelicans prodigy Williamson finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to give New Orleans a deserved victory over the Western Conference-leading Jazz. It was the sort of display from the 20-year-old Williamson that made him one of the most coveted young players in years when […]

Suns’ Booker to replace Lakers’ Davis in All-Star Game

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker will replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the NBA All-Star Game, league commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday. With starters and reserves determined, Silver has the task of naming replacements for injured All-Stars for the mid-season exhibition set for March 7 in Atlanta. Davis was voted an All-Star reserve by NBA coaches, but he will miss the event as he continues to […]

Tiger Woods not facing reckless driving charge: sheriff

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Tiger Woods is not facing charges of reckless driving following the car crash in which he suffered serious leg injuries, authorities said Wednesday. “A reckless driving charge has a lot of elements into it, this is purely an accident,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters. He added that the most Woods could face would be a low-level offense known as an infraction if investigators conclude that he […]

Tiger Woods in surgery after roll-over car crash

  by Andrew MARSZAL Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Tiger Woods suffered serious injuries to both legs as his car flew off the road and flipped several times Tuesday near Los Angeles in a crash he was “very fortunate” to survive, law enforcement officials who found the US golf legend said. Woods did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the early-morning incident, and underwent surgery […]

Cousins to be waived by struggling NBA Rockets: reports

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Houston Rockets are reportedly set to part ways with journeyman center DeMarcus Cousins, who is expected to try and sign with another NBA team as a free agent. Cousins, 30, was averaging 9.6 points per game this season with the Rockets, who are prepared to waive him after a 25 game stint, US media reported Tuesday. Cousins was not happy with his role as a backup to Christian […]

Williams exits in tears as Osaka, Djokovic reach finals

by Martin PARRY Agence France Presse MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Japan’s Naomi Osaka brutally halted Serena Williams’s latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title on Thursday, as Novak Djokovic wrote the final chapter of qualifier Aslan Karatsev’s fairy-tale run. Fans returned after a five-day coronavirus lockdown in time to see an emotional exit from Williams, Jennifer Brady’s win over Karolina Muchova and top-ranked Djokovic preserving his perfect semi-final record at Karatsev’s expense. Triple […]

Davis facing injury layoff despite scan boost

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis faces a lengthy injury layoff despite a scan revealing he had not suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, ESPN reported Monday. ESPN said Davis was unlikely to return to action before the NBA’s All-Star break, due to take place from March 5-10. Concern mounted for the 27-year-old’s fitness after he limped out of Sunday’s defeat to the Denver Nuggets with a recurrence of his […]

Nets’ Durant sidelined by hamstring strain

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant will miss at least two games with a strained left hamstring, the NBA team said Sunday. Durant scored 20 points in 33 minutes Saturday at Golden State — his first return to the home court of the Warriors team he helped to NBA titles in 2017 and 2018. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the 2019 championship series and then departed Golden State […]

Durant will return for Nets at former club Golden State

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant returned to practice Friday after missing three games under Covid-19 safety protocols and will play on Saturday against his former club, the Golden State Warriors. Durant will be “a full go” for his first NBA game back in the Bay Area since leaving Golden State in the opener of a five-game Brooklyn road trip, Nets coach Steve Nash said. The All-Star forward was forced […]

Tokyo 2020 chief to resign, but successor choice criticized

  by Kyoko HASEGAWA Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori is expected to resign Friday over a sexism row, but his apparently hand-picked successor — an 84-year-old sports administrator — is already coming under fire. Mori is expected to formally step down later Friday at a gathering called by Olympic organisers to address his claims last week that women talk too much in meetings. The comments sparked a firestorm […]