Tatum shines as Celtics down Cavs, Lakers thrash Clippers

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill in the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday in Cleveland. (AP)
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Updated 05 February 2025
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Tatum shines as Celtics down Cavs, Lakers thrash Clippers

  • Kyrie Irving scored 34 points but it was not enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from taking a 118-116 defeat against Philadelphia 76ers buoyed by the return of Joel Embiid
  • Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and hauled down 20 rebounds to help the New York Knicks to a 121-115 win over the Raptors

LOS ANGELES: Jayson Tatum scored 22 points as the Boston Celtics laid down a postseason marker against the high-flying Cleveland Cavaliers with a 112-105 victory on the road on Tuesday.

In a heavyweight showdown between the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers and the second-ranked Celtics, Boston produced a clinical display to seal a deserved win.

Tatum led the Boston scoring but it was the Celtics’ balanced offense that proved too much for the Cavaliers.

Tatum was one of five Celtics players to finish in double figures, while Derrick White’s 20-point contribution — which included six three-pointers — played a key role in securing a Boston victory.

Kristaps Porzingis finished with 19 points and Jaylen Brown 16 while Donovan Mitchell led the Cleveland scoring with 31 points.

Boston had looked poised to inflict a crushing defeat after outscoring Cleveland 28-15 in the first quarter before opening up a mammoth 20-point lead in the second.

But after trailing 43-23 midway through the second quarter, Cleveland came roaring back to cut the deficit to 10 points at halftime.

The Cavs kept chipping away at the Boston advantage in the second half but some superb shooting by the Celtics ensured the visitors always kept the hosts at arm’s length.

Elsewhere, Los Angeles Lakers recruit Luka Doncic looked on from the bench as his new teammates demolished the Los Angeles Clippers 122-97.

LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 26 points while Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves added 20 points apiece.

The Lakers improved to 29-19 with the win and are sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.

“We’re just trying to play good basketball and keep stacking days, tonight was another one,” James said. “We came out with the right mindset, we had a great scheme and we executed that.”

In other games, Kyrie Irving scored 34 points but it was not enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from slipping to a 118-116 defeat against a Philadelphia 76ers lineup buoyed by the return of Joel Embiid.

Embiid, who has missed the past month with a knee and foot injury, produced a superb triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and scored the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds remaining to help the Sixers claim a precious win.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers scoring with 33 points, with 13 assists and four rebounds.

The Mavericks were without new recruit Anthony Davis, who was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers.

Davis is still nursing an abdominal strain but is expected to be ready to make his debut later this week, either against Boston on Thursday or against Houston on Saturday.

In Toronto, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and hauled down 20 rebounds to help the New York Knicks to a 121-115 win over the Raptors.

The pre-game ceremony once again saw Canadian fans boo the US national anthem in protest at US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

In New York, the struggling Brooklyn Nets (17-33) upset the Houston Rockets 99-97 thanks to a D’Angelo Russell three-pointer with three seconds remaining.


Birthday boy Djokovic avenges Arnaldi loss in Geneva

Updated 11 sec ago
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Birthday boy Djokovic avenges Arnaldi loss in Geneva

GENEVA: Novak Djokovic overcame soggy conditions on his 38th birthday to beat Matteo Arnaldi on Thursday and reach the Geneva Open semifinals in a tune-up event for Roland Garros.
The former world number one retrieved a break in the second set to claim a 6-4, 6-4 win over the 39th-ranked Italian who dumped him out at the first hurdle in Madrid last month.
Djokovic is hunting the 100th title of his career on the eve of the French Open having not won a tournament since capturing Olympic gold in Paris last August.
“It’s great to be in the semifinals again. Last year I played the semifinals. Hopefully this year I can go at least a step further. That’s the goal,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic, who received a wild card to play in Geneva after skipping Rome, will meet British qualifier Cameron Norrie for a place in Saturday’s final.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion had not won a match on clay this season after also losing his Monte Carlo opener at the start of April to Alejandro Tabilo.
A single break early in the first set enabled Djokovic to take control, but the sixth-ranked Serbian had to rally from 4-1 down in the second.
He drew audible gasps from the crowd when he grabbed his right knee after stretching for a shot in the fifth game.
But Djokovic, who had surgery last year to repair a torn meniscus suffered at the French Open, quickly rebounded and let out a mighty roar as he broke to go 5-4 ahead before putting away Arnaldi.
He said an angry outburst after dropping serve helped him reset as he won the final five games.
“I think I’m playing really, really good tennis,” said Djokovic, who was presented on court with a chocolate cake topped with sparklers after his victory.
“Today it was a lot of tension on the court. A straight-sets win but it was much closer than maybe the score indicates.
“I was 4-1 down in the second. Somehow after that racquet breaking I didn’t lose a game and kind of found my optimal state and balance, mentally and emotionally.”
Norrie ousted Australian fifth seed Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 in the day’s last quarter-final.
Hubert Hurkacz put out top seed Taylor 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) earlier and will play Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner in the other semifinal.
The 128th-ranked Ofner came from behind to beat fourth seed Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.


Raphinha extends Barca deal until 2028

Updated 22 May 2025
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Raphinha extends Barca deal until 2028

  • “Barcelona and Raphinha have reached an agreement for the renewal of his contract,” said the Catalan giants
  • Raphinha, a candidate to win the Ballon d’Or, has scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists

BARCELONA: Barcelona winger Raphinha signed a contract extension until 2028 on Thursday after a spectacular season.

The Brazilian, whose previous deal was set to expire in 2027, was vital as Barcelona won a domestic treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

“Barcelona and Raphinha have reached an agreement for the renewal of his contract, which will link him to the club until June 30, 2028,” said the Catalan giants in a statement.

Raphinha, a candidate to win the Ballon d’Or, has scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists in 56 matches across all competitions.

The 28-year-old is the joint top goalscorer in the Champions League with 13, but Barcelona were knocked out in a thrilling semifinal tie against Inter Milan.

He netted a hat-trick in Barca’s group stage win over Bayern Munich and a brace in the recent Clasico win over Real Madrid which took Barca to the verge of their La Liga conquest.

Raphinha’s contract renewal follows coach Hansi Flick’s on Wednesday, with the German penning a new deal until 2027.

Teenage winger Lamine Yamal, 17, is also expected to sign a new contract in the coming weeks.

His agent Jorge Mendes told reporters “he will renew (his deal) soon,” after having lunch with Yamal on the outskirts of Barcelona on Thursday.

Raphinha and Yamal have been devastating on the flanks for Barcelona, either side of veteran striker Robert Lewandowski.

The Catalans have scored 99 goals in 37 La Liga matches and are hoping to pass a century on Sunday when they visit Athletic Bilbao in the last match of the season.

Raphinha arrived in 2022 from Leeds United for around £55 million ($74 million) and helped Barcelona win La Liga in his first season.

However he came close to leaving the club after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, but was convinced to stay by Flick.


Marsh ton powers Lucknow to IPL upset over Gujarat

Updated 22 May 2025
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Marsh ton powers Lucknow to IPL upset over Gujarat

  • Mitchell Marsh smashed 117 off 64 balls studded with 10 fours and eight sixes to help Lucknow post a formidable 235-2 off 20 overs
  • Gujarat, who have already qualified for the playoffs, could only make 202-9 in reply at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: Mitchell Marsh struck his first Indian Premier League century as Lucknow Super Giants pulled off an upset 33-run win against table-toppers Gujarat Titans on Thursday.

Marsh smashed 117 off 64 balls studded with 10 fours and eight sixes to help Lucknow post a formidable 235-2 off 20 overs.

Gujarat, who have already qualified for the playoffs, could only make 202-9 in reply at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

“We gave 15-20 runs extra. If we’d stopped them at 210-220 it would’ve been better, that was a huge difference,” said Gujarat skipper Shubman Gill.

“Getting momentum back will be key in the next game.”

Lucknow were playing for pride after being eliminated from the playoffs.

Gujarat lost in-form opener and the tournament’s highest run-getter Sai Sudharsan for 21, caught by Aiden Markram off Will O’Rourke, who ended with figures of 3-27.

Sudharsan’s opening partner Gill looked in good touch before he was caught in the deep by Abdul Samad off Avesh Khan for 35.

Jos Buttler (33) tried to steady the innings but was dismissed by Akash Singh in the 10th over.

Shahrukh Khan (57) and Sherfane Rutherford (38) revived hopes of a comeback but O’Rourke took two wickets in the 17th over to seal Gujarat’s fate.

“We had a lot of fun out there, T20 is fickle,” said O’Rourke.

Earlier, Marsh combined with Markram to give Lucknow a steady start, putting on 91 runs for the opening wicket after Gujarat won the toss and elected to bowl.

Markram (36) hit fellow South African Kagiso Rabada for two sixes in a row before being caught by Shahrukh near the boundary off Sai Kishore.

Marsh continued his onslaught at the other end, hitting Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan for 25 runs in his first over of the game.

The right-hander, who raced to his century off just 56 balls, was finally caught by a diving Rutherford off paceman Arshad Khan for 117.

Nicholas Pooran also impressed, making an unbeaten 56 runs off 27 balls with four fours and five sixes.

Lucknow’s struggling skipper Rishabh Pant made 16 not out.

The IPL resumed last Saturday after being paused due to a deadly conflict between India and Pakistan, forcing overseas players to revisit their season plans.


Pulisic leads list of US absentees for Gold Cup

Updated 22 May 2025
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Pulisic leads list of US absentees for Gold Cup

  • Pulisic plans to take a break following a demanding season with his Serie A club
  • Fellow Milan midfielder Yunus Musah and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson were also left out of the squad

ROME: AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic will miss next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, leading a group of notable absentees from Mauricio Pochettino’s 27-man US squad announced on Thursday.

Pulisic plans to take a break following a demanding season with his Serie A club, where he featured in 49 matches across all competitions, tallying up 17 goals and 12 assists, while dealing with some minor injuries.

“Christian and his team approached the federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break,” US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said in a statement.

“We made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”

Fellow Milan midfielder Yunus Musah and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson were also left out of the squad, while Juventus pair Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, along with Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna, will be unavailable due to their clubs’ participation in the Club World Cup in the US which starts on June 15.

Defenders Alex Freeman and Quinn Sullivan, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and forward Damion Down have all received their first senior call-ups.

“As we continue preparations for the World Cup, this is a fantastic opportunity to work with this group of players for an extended period and it’s important we take advantage of every moment,” Argentine manager Pochettino said.

“Of course, we want to win and to perform in a very good way. These players have earned the chance to compete for our fans and to show their quality and mentality.”

The US host Turkiye on June 7 before facing Switzerland three days later, with both friendlies serving as warm-ups ahead of the Gold Cup which runs from June 14 to July 6 in the US and Canada.


PSG sporting director Campos extends contract to 2030

Updated 22 May 2025
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PSG sporting director Campos extends contract to 2030

  • Campos “will oversee the sports strategy of the whole QSI group“
  • His existing deal was due to expire at the end of this season

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos has extended his contract with the French giants in a boost to the club ahead of the upcoming Champions League final.

In a statement issued on Thursday, PSG’s owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) announced that Campos had renewed his contract “for an additional five years until 2030.”

Campos, who is from Portugal and began working with PSG in an official role of football adviser in 2022, “will oversee the sports strategy of the whole QSI group.”

That includes Braga, who finished fourth in this season’s Portuguese league and in whom QSI holds a minority stake.

Campos’s existing deal was due to expire at the end of this season and the announcement is welcome news for PSG as they prepare for the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.

Before that they face Reims in the French Cup final on Saturday as they bid to complete a clean sweep of the domestic honors in France for the second season running.

Campos previously worked at Monaco and at Lille and has overseen the successful squad rebuild at PSG following the shift away from the superstar approach that led to the signings of Neymar and Lionel Messi.