LOS ANGELES: The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz were left on the brink of elimination from the NBA playoffs on Wednesday as the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers notched against-the-odds victories on the road.
In Philadelphia, Trae Young scored 39 points as Atlanta overturned a 26-point second-half deficit to lead the Hawks to a 109-106 defeat of the Sixers in their Eastern Conference semifinal clash.
The Clippers — rocked by an injury to star Kawhi Leonard earlier Wednesday — then toppled the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City by 119-111 to seize a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference series.
The results left the Sixers and Jazz one defeat away from elimination as they prepare to travel to Atlanta and Los Angeles for their respective game sixes.
Encouraged by a raucous home crowd, the Sixers appeared to be poised to claim a 3-2 advantage against the Hawks as they raced into a big lead in the second half.
But a magnificent Atlanta offensive performance led by Young saw the Hawks steadily chip away at the deficit.
Young nailed a floater to cut the Sixers’ lead to 104-102 before drawing a foul to earn three free throws which he promptly drained to give the Hawks their first lead of the game at 105-104 with 1:26 remaining.
Danilo Gallinari’s fadeaway put Atlanta 107-104 ahead and the Sixers’ fate was sealed when Joel Embiid missed two late free throws that could have put Philadelphia back within striking distance.
The Hawks can clinch a series victory in front of their home fans on Friday when game six heads back to Georgia.
“We just kept fighting,” Young said afterwards. “We have confidence in each other. We’re a great group, good to be around.
“We all love you to each other’s company and it shows on the court and we never stopped believing until the final buzzer.”That belief has left the fifth-seeded Hawks now on the brink of a place in the Eastern Conference finals, a remarkable turnaround for a team that axed head coach Lloyd Pierce on March 1.
Philadelphia, who piled on 38 points in the first quarter alone, were led by Embiid with 37 points while Seth Curry had 36 points. No other Philadelphia player made double figures.
“We struggled down the stretch,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said.
“We scored 19 points, and gave up 40. It’s on us, it’s on all of us, it’s on me. We have to figure out how to get back up — which we will — and bring this series back here for a game seven.”
In Salt Lake City, Paul George was the hero as the Clippers stunned the Jazz to move within one win of the Western Conference finals.
The Clippers’ day began with news that Kawhi Leonard faces missing the remainder of the series — and possibly the postseason — after suffering a knee injury in game four.
But George responded with a masterful 37-point display which included 16 rebounds and five assists. Marcus Morris added 25 points while Reggie Jackson chipped in with 21.
“This was the biggest game of the postseason, especially being down our best player,” George said afterwards.
“We knew coming into this, we had to play together, we had to step up. We did a great job playing collectively.”
George praised his teammates for soaking up an early barrage from Utah, who opened up a 10-point lead in the second quarter.
“We didn’t overreact,” George said. “They came out hot. Good thing about it was we were able to weather the storm.”
The series now returns to Los Angeles on Friday, where a win for the Clippers will see Utah eliminated.
“We just got to go into it with the mindset that we don’t want to come back to Utah,” George said.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Utah’s scorers with 32 points, while Donovan Mitchell was held to 21, making just four from 14 attempts from three-point range.
Top-seeded Sixers, Jazz on brink after Hawks, Clippers win
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Top-seeded Sixers, Jazz on brink after Hawks, Clippers win
- Atlanta Hawks overturn 26-point second-half deficit but not enough to beat the Sixers in their Eastern Conference semifinal clash
- Despite Kawhi Leonard's injury, Clippers toppled Utah Jazz 119-111 to seize a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference series
Alcaraz saves three match points to beat Sinner to French Open title in final for the ages
- Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday.
Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes.
The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the majors.
Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min.
Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation.
Sinner fell agonizingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year’s US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs.
He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final — and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.
Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban.
Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday’s final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own.
He couldn’t take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold.
Alcaraz’s persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back.
The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set.
Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve.
But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival’s momentum.
With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break.
The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide.
A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy.
It all looked to be going his way when he broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, but the Spaniard refused to surrender his title quietly and rattled off four games on the bounce to lead 4-1.
Alcaraz lost serve at 5-3 but promptly broke to love to force a fourth set, lapping up the roars of the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.
That ended Sinner’s run of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams.
Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amid a series of holds as Sinner doubled down. The Italian appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke at 3-3 as the finish line neared.
But Alcaraz had other ideas as he staved off three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner when he tried to seal the title on his serve.
Successive aces spurred a reinvigorated Alcaraz on in the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set.
A despairing Sinner lost his serve right away and his gloom deepened as Alcaraz saved two break points to pull 3-1 ahead, but incredibly there was another twist.
Alcaraz this time faltered with the title within his grasp as Sinner broke at 3-5 to spark a three-game burst that left the Spaniard needing to hold serve to prolong the final.
He kept his nerve to set up a 10-point tie-break, which Alcaraz ran away with as the outrageous shotmaking continued until the very end when he took his first championship point with a sizzling forehand down the line.
England complete series win over West Indies with a game to spare after chasing down a target of 197
England complete series win over West Indies with a game to spare after chasing down a target of 197
- Former captain Jos Buttler led the way with 47 and current skipper Harry Brook made 34
BRISTOL: England completed a series win over the West Indies with a game to spare after chasing down a target of 197 in the second T20 international in Bristol on Sunday.
Former captain Jos Buttler led the way with 47 and current skipper Harry Brook made 34 as the hosts reached 112-2 inside 13 overs.
But the duo were dismissed in consecutive overs, with England still needing 85 more runs to win. But that was the cue for two of the newer team members to lay down a marker.
Jacob Bethell’s rapid 26 off 10 balls, including three sixes, and Tom Banton’s 30 not out helped complete a four-wicket win with nine balls remaining as England went 2-0 up ahead of Tuesday’s series finale in Southampton.
West Indies were struggling at 121-4 off 16 overs before adding 75 runs in the final four overs of their innings.
Luke Wood gave England the ideal start when his swinging yorker had Evin Lewis lbw with the first ball of the match, but West Indies captain Shai Hope (49) and Johnson Charles (47) repaired some of the early damage in a stand of 90.
Rovman Powell added late impetus with 34 off 15 balls and former captain Jason Holder struck 29 off nine.
Adil Rashid bowled the penultimate over as England again only selected two seamers, but the veteran leg-spinner conceded 31 runs and finished with figures of 1-59 — his most-expensive T20 return.
Separately, Beau Webster is hoping to make an already memorable 2025 extra special by featuring for Australia in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s.
Webster only won the first of his three Test caps in January and was in the side when Australia played their most recent red-ball international, against Sri Lanka in February.
The 31-year-old all-rounder would relish the opportunity to play for the World Test champions on the hallowed turf at Lord’s.
“It’s pretty special. I’ve been here a couple of times to watch a few games throughout the years, but to be out in the middle, yeah, extra special,” he told reporters at Lord’s on Sunday.
“If I get the nod, I’m looking forward to Wednesday.”
Free entry for fans as Saudi Arabia face crucial World Cup qualifier against Australia
- The final match of the third round of Asia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers will be staged in Jeddah, with more than 60,000 supporters expected at the stadium
RIYADH: Fans will be granted free entry to Al-Inma Stadium on Tuesday as Saudi Arabia take on Australia in a must-win World Cup qualifier, the Saudi Football Federation announced on Sunday.
The final match of the third round of Asia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers will be staged in Jeddah, with more than 60,000 supporters expected at the stadium.
The federation’s decision to open the gates free of charge was confirmed via the national team’s fan council on social media platform X, citing “appreciation of the support from the nation’s fans.”
The Green Falcons face a daunting task, as only a win by five goals or more will secure direct qualification to the 2026 tournament.
Failure to meet that target will see Saudi Arabia move into the fourth qualifying round.
That stage features six teams split into two groups, with each group winner earning a direct World Cup berth.
The runners-up will meet in a two-legged playoff to determine Asia’s representative in the intercontinental playoff.
Pakistan to face off Myanmar in AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday
- The Pakistan team arrived in Yangon via private airline flight on Sunday
- Pakistan are placed in Group E alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face off Myanmar on Tuesday to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup tournament, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Sunday.
The Pakistan team arrived in Yangon via private airline flight on Sunday, according to the PFF. They will train in Yangon on Monday.
“The match between Pakistan and Myanmar will be held at Thuwana Stadium,” it said. “It will start at 3:30 PM according to Pakistani time.”
Pakistan have been training under the supervision of head coach Stephen Constantine in hopes of bouncing back from a 2-0 defeat to Syria in the campaign opener back in March.
Pakistan are placed in Group E alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria.
Dubai remains a cornerstone in Carlsen’s journey, says father after Norway chess triumph
- Carlsen’s deep ties with Dubai began in 2004, when he achieved his final grandmaster norm at the sixth Dubai Open at just 13 years old
STAVANGER: As Magnus Carlsen lifted a record-extending seventh Norway Chess title on Friday, his father Henrik Carlsen reflected on the enduring significance of a city that has long been woven into the fabric of his son’s chess journey — Dubai.
“Dubai has been part of Magnus’ chess journey for over 20 years now,” Henrik said after his son secured victory with a final-round win over India’s Arjun Erigaisi.
“He took his final GM norm there in 2004, won his first double crown in 2014, and played his last World Championship match during World Expo 2020. That kind of continuity is rare.”
Carlsen, 34, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in chess history, finished with 16 points — narrowly edging out American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana (15.5) and reigning world champion D Gukesh of India (14.5). The win meant the Norwegian star extended a remarkable run at the top of the sport that now spans over two decades.
“I used to say that everything after he became a GM was a bonus — and the bonuses just kept coming,” Henrik said. “He’s still winning tournaments, still competing at the highest level even as he’s preparing for a new chapter, becoming a father himself.”
Carlsen’s ties to Dubai began in 2004, when he achieved his final grandmaster norm at the sixth Dubai Open at just 13 years old. The performance made him the youngest GM in the world at the time and the second youngest in history behind Sergey Karjakin.
A decade later, he returned to Dubai to make history again, clinching both the World Rapid and World Blitz Championships in June 2014 — becoming the first player to simultaneously hold world titles in all three time controls.
In 2021, the city again played host to a milestone moment. At Expo 2020 Dubai, Carlsen defended his World Chess Championship title against Ian Nepomniachtchi, including a marathon Game 6 that lasted nearly eight hours and 136 moves — the longest match in World Championship history.
Dubai was also the stage for Carlsen’s appearance in the inaugural Global Chess League in 2023, where he reaffirmed his dominance and trademark confidence. “I’m still the best,” he declared, a statement made with calm assurance and underlined by his relaxed demeanor.
Despite an evolving look — in Stavanger this week, rather than sporting his trademark ponytail his tousled hair whipped in the breeze — Henrik said little has changed beneath the surface.
“He’s still the same cocky young man — and I mean that in the best way,” he said, referring to a famous moment of frustration when Carlsen slammed a table after his loss to Gukesh in Round 6. “In our family, arrogance isn’t a flaw if you’ve earned it — and Magnus certainly has.”
Henrik also dismissed recent speculation about a possible move to the UAE for his son.
“He’s spent a lot of time there lately, mostly playing golf, but there are no plans to move,” he said. “He knows all the golf courses there, but he’s staying in Norway.”
Nevertheless, Dubai’s imprint on Carlsen’s chess legacy is undeniable.
“Chennai was his first World Championship match, but Dubai remains his last [as of now]. And in between, so many important things happened there,” Henrik said. “For Magnus, it may well be the most special place in the world.”
Elsewhere at Norway Chess, GM Anna Muzychuk claimed the women’s title, finishing ahead of China’s GM Lei Tingjie and India’s Koneru Humpy.
The tournament also marked a breakthrough moment for 15-year-old Emirati prodigy Rouda Al-Serkal, the UAE’s first Woman Grandmaster and a former world youth champion, who wrapped up her debut in the open category with three consecutive wins.
