Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris

Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum drives past Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Boston. (AP)
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Updated 20 January 2023

Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris

Celtics down Warriors in NBA Finals rematch, Bulls shine in Paris
  • The day tipped off at the Accor Arena in Paris, where DeMar DeRozan returned from injury to help Chicago Bulls beat Detroit Pistons 

PARIS: The Celtics put Boston in the NBA spotlight on Thursday with a gritty 121-118 overtime win over reigning champions Golden State Warriors as the league polished its global credentials with a glitzy game in Paris.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown came alive late for the Celtics, whose eighth straight win — this one against the team that bested them in last season’s NBA Finals — pushed their league-leading record to 34-12.

Even as Tatum and Brown struggled to make shots early, the Celtics built a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter.

But the Warriors chipped away, and grabbed a 55-54 on Stephen Curry’s shot from the halfcourt logo at the halftime buzzer.

It looked like the Warriors, who dominated Boston in a December victory in San Francisco, had the Celtics’ number again as they pulled away to lead by as many as 11 in the third quarter.

They were up by nine early in the fourth, but Tatum’s running dunk pulled Boston within two with two minutes remaining. Al Horford came up with a three-pointer and a big block and Brown’s three-pointer tied it at 106-106 with 18.6 seconds left in regulation.

Marcus Smart’s opening basket of overtime gave the Celtics their first lead since the first half.

After a three-pointer from Curry put the Warriors up by one, Brown drove for a layup that put the Celtics back on top for good with 2:23 remaining.

“It was a crazy game,” Tatum, who scored 34 points with a career-high 19 rebounds, told broadcaster TNT, insisting the contest wasn’t about revenge.

“The fact of the matter is they beat us in the championship, there’s nothing we can do about that,” Tatum said. “This was a regular-season game against a great team that’s really well coached, and it’s just two tough-minded teams playing against each other.”

Brown, returning from a three-game absence because of groin tightness, finished with 16 points — including 12 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Curry paced the Warriors with 29 points. Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole added 24 apiece.

But the defeat was another road blow for the Warriors, who fell to 22-23 overall and 5-18 on the road. They have yet to beat a team with a winning record on the road this season.

The day tipped off at the Accor Arena in Paris, where DeMar DeRozan returned from injury to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 126-108.

DeRozan, who missed three games with a thigh injury, scored 26 points.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine led all scorers with 30 as the French capital hosted its second regular-season game after debuting on the NBA calendar in 2020.

Victor Wembanyama, the 19-year-old French prodigy who is expected to be the first overall pick in this year’s NBA draft — which could belong to the Pistons – was seated courtside.

So were past NBA greats including Magic Johnson and France’s Tony Parker, as well as celebrity spectators like rapper Lil Baby and music producer Pharrell Williams.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before tip-off it was likely another game will be held in Paris in 2024.

“Man, it was amazing,” DeRozan said. “Tonight is one of those games, I know for me, I’m going to look back years and years down the line and realize how great of a moment this was.

“It definitely was a beautiful atmosphere and a privilege to be part of this whole thing.”

Pistons guard Killian Hayes, who grew up in France, received a thunderous ovation when the starters were introduced, but Chicago started quickly.

Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 25 points and Jalen Duren had a double-double. Duren, the NBA’s youngest player at 19 years old, was late arriving in France after misplacing his passport.

But it was a difficult night for Hayes as the 21-year-old dished out eight assists but was limited to four points with as many fouls.

Elsewhere, D’Angelo Russell scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to help the Minnesota Timberwolves rally for a 128-126 home victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Russell’s two free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining sealed the win. Anthony Edwards added 23 points and Kyle Anderson scored 20 for the Timberwolves, who were without Rudy Gobert and Austin Rivers.


Germany under-17 national team racially abused on way to winning European title

Updated 9 sec ago

Germany under-17 national team racially abused on way to winning European title

Germany under-17 national team racially abused on way to winning European title
FRANKFURT, Germany: Players on the Germany under-17 national team faced racist abuse on social media on their way to winning the European Championship, a team official said Wednesday.
General manager Joti Chatzialexiou said racist comments on social media made for “unpleasant circumstances” around the team’s run to the European title, won on penalties against France on Friday.
“Under particular posts on our social media channels there was a strong accumulation of racist comments. Our boys saw those and that really bothered them,” Chatzialexiou said on the German soccer federation’s website.
“Together they decided, however, not to give any space to these distractions during the course of the tournament, and so they came even closer together as a team. As a team which fully identifies with Germany and with the eagle (badge) on the chest, which lives its shared values and stands for diversity, tolerance, community and integration.”

Beatriz Haddad Maia upsets Ons Jabeur to reach French Open semifinals

Beatriz Haddad Maia upsets Ons Jabeur to reach French Open semifinals
Updated 14 min 15 sec ago

Beatriz Haddad Maia upsets Ons Jabeur to reach French Open semifinals

Beatriz Haddad Maia upsets Ons Jabeur to reach French Open semifinals
  • After playing nearly four hours to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo in the fourth round, Haddad Maia won only one of her service games in the first set
  • The 27-year-old Brazilian started the deciding set with a double break and a 3-0 lead

PARIS: Beatriz Haddad Maia scored another comeback win at the French Open, upsetting Ons Jabeur 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 on Wednesday to become the first Brazilian woman since 1968 to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.
The 14th-seeded Haddad Maia, who in 2019 was provisionally suspended for failing a doping test, shook off a slow start against the seventh-seeded Jabeur on Court Philippe Chatrier and will next face either Iga Swiatek or Coco Gauff.
After playing nearly four hours to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo in the fourth round, Haddad Maia won only one of her service games in the first set. But she saved the only two break points she faced in the second set — both in the 11th game to go up 6-5 — and won the tiebreaker.
The 27-year-old Brazilian started the deciding set with a double break and a 3-0 lead. A frustrated Jabeur flipped her racket in the air after sending an easy backhand wide on a break-point opportunity while down 4-1. Haddad Maia won the game and served out the match.
Jabeur was the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
Haddad Maia is the first Brazilian woman to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros in the Open era. Maria Bueno reached the last four at the 1966 French Open and made the 1968 US Open semifinals.
Haddad Maia’s fourth-round win over Sorribes Tormo, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5, was the longest WTA match of the year — clocking in a 3 hours, 51 minutes.
The top-seeded Swiatek and sixth-seeded Gauff were up next on Chatrier — a rematch of last year’s French Open final won by Swiatek in straight sets. The 22-year-old Swiatek has been ranked No. 1 for more than a year.


Al-Ittihad’s dream becomes reality with Benzema signing

French superstar striker Karim Benzema. @SPL_EN
French superstar striker Karim Benzema. @SPL_EN
Updated 07 June 2023

Al-Ittihad’s dream becomes reality with Benzema signing

French superstar striker Karim Benzema. @SPL_EN
  • Jeddah club strengthens with French international days after celebrating first SPL title in 14 years

What an amazing week for Al-Ittihad fans. Days after winning their first Roshn Saudi League title since 2009, French superstar striker Karim Benzema was confirmed to be joining the Jeddah club from Real Madrid.

It is another dream come true for Al-Ittihad followers and a scary prospect for rivals. The team were relentless in their title-winning campaign. Not only did they have the tightest defense with just 13 goals conceded in 30 games, they also had a devastating strike force. 

Abderrazak Hamdallah topped the scoring charts with 21 and Brazilians Romarinho and Igor Coronado also stood out. Coach Nuno Santo already has a wealth of talent at his disposal.

Now there is Benzema, one of the most feared strikers in the world, even at the age of 35. He may not be at the peak of his career, but he still has plenty to offer, especially with his status as the most recent recipient of the Ballon d’Or. 

He received that coveted individual award — given to the best player in the world — in October of last year after his exploits dug Real Madrid out of a hole more than once as they went on to become the champions of Europe with the Frenchman finishing the Champions League top scorer with 15 goals.

It was the fifth time he has won the biggest prize in club football. 

“If you can’t appreciate Benzema’s greatness then you don’t understand football,” said Zinedine Zidane (also linked to a coaching move to Saudi Arabia) and few would disagree.

Benzama’s Champions League medal haul even matches that of Cristiano Ronaldo. The presence of his former Madrid team-mate in Saudi Arabia has made a difference on a personal level. He contacted Ronaldo to ask about life in the country on and off the pitch. The reply must have been positive.

Ronaldo’s move to Riyadh has had a knock-on effect across the globe, with the huge rise in interest in the Saudi Pro League. He signed with Al-Nassr in December, suddenly putting a move to Saudi Arabia on the radar of many big names in world football. He was the first but there were always going to be others following. 

The only question was whether they would be players at the highest echelons of the world game. It can safely be said that Benzema is firmly in that category. With the Ballon d’Or holder the first major signing of the summer, it is perhaps a sign of things to come.

Title rivals have to accept Al-Ittihad’s challenge. If the champions are strengthening to such an extent, so early, then others are going to have to make similar moves. Al-Nassr have Ronaldo but fell short at the end and are currently without a head coach. That is going to change soon and given the captain’s stature, the new man is going to need a serious reputation.

Al-Hilal finished third and are also on the hunt for a coach to replace Ramon Diaz. After being banned from the last two transfer windows, there is going to be a lot of activity. Lionel Messi has been heavily linked but there are others such as Sergio Busquets. 

Then Al-Shabab are going to invest to try and build on fourth and that is even before Al-Ahli, the other Jeddah powerhouse, who bounced back straight away from their shock relegation, flex their muscles.

Now all know what they are dealing with. Karim Benzema has just made the best team in Saudi Arabia better and has set the scene for a sizzling summer.


How Saudi’s elite clubs can avoid mistakes of Chinese Super League

How Saudi’s elite clubs can avoid mistakes of Chinese Super League
Updated 07 June 2023

How Saudi’s elite clubs can avoid mistakes of Chinese Super League

How Saudi’s elite clubs can avoid mistakes of Chinese Super League
  • Fleeting success of Guangzhou Evergrande, Tianjin Quanjian, Jiangsu Suning and others because spending was unsustainable
  • Source of investment in Kingdom’s league more secure than China’s individual-based backing

As rumors swirl linking a host of footballing superstars with a move to the Saudi professional league, including arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, fans of Asian football would be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.

While the names are different, the sudden splurge from a nation looking to develop both its football, and standing within it, is eerily similar to what we saw from China less than a decade ago as it tried to upend the sport’s established order.

And for a period it did; the likes of Oscar, Jackson Martinez, Hulk, Paulinho, Renato Augusto, not to mention coaches including Marcello Lippi, Fabio Capelli and Manuel Pellegrini, were all tempted east as the Chinese Super League threatened to take over Asian football and become a big player on the global stage.

Guangzhou Evergrande led the charge, twice winning the AFC Champions League, while upstarts such as Shanghai SIPG, now Shanghai Port, Hebei CFFC, Tianjin Quanjian and Jiangsu Suning took the league by storm.

With China’s President Xi Jinping making it a national priority for the country to become a force in world football, countless businesses, mostly real estate developers, took the opportunity to invest in football, not just at home but around the world, in an attempt to curry favor with the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

By this time in their revolution, China was expected to be a powerhouse within Asia, but their reality serves as a warning for Saudi Arabian football as it embarks on its own journey for international prominence.

Less than a decade after China really started its extravagance, local football is arguably in a worse position than before it all started. The CSL has mostly been shed of all its star names, while the national team will likely struggle to qualify for the World Cup despite Asia’s allocation doubling from four to eight.

That is to say nothing of the country’s top football officials being detained on suspicion of fraud and bribery.

This is not how it was meant to be.

The once-mighty Guangzhou Evergrande, more recently renamed Guangzhou FC, has been relegated to China League One and are winless after eight games, placing them at risk of a second consecutive relegation. This is a long way from when they dominated the ACL with titles in 2013 and 2015.

Meanwhile, once-burgeoning outfits like Jiangsu, Hebei and Tianjin have all gone bust and no longer exist – standing as monuments of failure and a permanent reminder of just how quickly things can change.

“You need a vision, and then you need a strategy, and then you need to be able to put that strategy into action,” Prof. Simon Chadwick, an expert in sport and geopolitics, told Arab News.

“You need to have checks and balances within the system, that if the strategy is not working in the most appropriate way, then those checks and balances can be enacted, to keep you on the right path towards your vision.

“These are things that I sense a little more in Saudi Arabia that didn’t necessarily exist in China.”

With further details emerging this week of Saudi Arabia’s roadmap toward success, including the privatization of the country’s four biggest clubs – Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli – and a forecasted quadrupling of annual revenues, the Saudi experiment is already looking vastly different to that of China’s.

Whereas the largesse in China had the support of the ruling CCP party, it was more often than not financed by private individuals, albeit ones with links to the ruling communist party, using their own wealth accumulated through years of unsustainable growth in the real estate sector. By the time the heat came out of the real estate market, and the CCP tinkered to try and save clubs from themselves, it was too late.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, the investment is coming directly from the state via its sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund, the same source of funding for LIV Golf and Newcastle United. That alone makes this feel more secure and less at risk of an embarrassing collapse as was witnessed in China.

Chadwick also explained that the Kingdom needs to find its own uniqueness and not simply try to copy what is successful in Europe.

“One of the interesting things about both Saudi Arabia and China, I think, is a lot of people from outside the country advise and give guidance,” he said.

“(But) they don’t necessarily give the best advice or the best guidance, because what might work in Europe, for example, doesn’t necessarily work in Asia.

“So I think it’s really important, and I don’t think China did this, that Saudi Arabia needs to develop its own identity and its own system of governance, its own culture and its own way of working and not be overly preoccupied by replicating the experiences of what has happened in Europe.”


Hudson takes over at Qatari club a week after quitting American job

Hudson takes over at Qatari club a week after quitting American job
Updated 07 June 2023

Hudson takes over at Qatari club a week after quitting American job

Hudson takes over at Qatari club a week after quitting American job
  • Anthony Hudson has agreed a two-year deal to guide Al Markhiya in the Qatari soccer league
  • The club posted confirmation of the two-year contract on social media platforms

DOHA: Anthony Hudson has agreed a two-year deal to guide Al Markhiya in the Qatari soccer league a week after quitting as interim head coach of the US men’s national team.
The club posted confirmation of the two-year contract on its social media platforms late Wednesday, saying Hudson’s immediate goal is to help Al Markhiya improve on the seventh-place finish it achieved in its first season after promotion to the Qatar Stars League.
Hudson quit as interim head coach of the US men’s team last week, just two weeks before he was to lead the Americans in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals.
He was replaced by BJ Callaghan. At the time, the US Soccer Federation said Hudson was taking a job with a club but not identify the team or the role.
Hudson had been appointed to the US job on Jan. 4, and guided the Americans to two wins, one loss and two draws. His five games were the fewest for a US coach since John Kowalski in 1991.