Clippers overcome Jokic’s 41 points to beat Nuggets 109-104

Clippers overcome Jokic’s 41 points to beat Nuggets 109-104
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday in Denver. (AP)
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Updated 27 October 2024
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Clippers overcome Jokic’s 41 points to beat Nuggets 109-104

Clippers overcome Jokic’s 41 points to beat Nuggets 109-104
  • LeBron James had a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists
  • Jayson Tatum scored six of his 37 points in the final 65 seconds and Boston held on for a victory over Detroit

DENVER: James Harden had 23 points and 16 assists, Norman Powell scored 26 of his 37 points in the second half and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame Nikola Jokic’s 41 points to beat the Denver Nuggets 109-104 on Saturday.

Jokic made a career-high seven 3-pointers but missed a free throw with 20 seconds left that would have tied the game. Harden made four from the line in the final 30.5 seconds.

The Clippers trailed 103-100 when Powell hit a 3-pointer. Jamal Murray, who had 22 points, missed a layup and Harden then made two free throws.

After Jokic split a pair from the line, Harden made two more foul shots to make it 107-104 and Jokic missed an off-balance 3-pointer.

CELTICS 124 PISTONS 118

In Detroit, Jayson Tatum scored six of his 37 points in the final 65 seconds and Boston held on for a victory over Detroit.

The Celtics led by as many as 23 points in the first half, but trailed for much of the third quarter. Jrue Holiday tied the game with back-to-back 3-pointers, and Tatum put the Celtics up 116-114 by hitting a pair of free throws with 1:05 left.

The Pistons missed two shots on the ensuing possession and Tatum’s jumper made it 118-114 with 29 seconds left.

Malik Beasley’s 3-pointer pulled Detroit within one, but Derrick White hit two free throws and Boston clinched the game from the line.

Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Boston. Jaden Ivey had 26 points for Detroit while Cade Cunningham finished with 21 points and 10 assists.

CAVALIERS 135 WIZARDS 116

In Washington, Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen added 23 while going 10 for 10 from the floor and Cleveland eased to a victory over Washington.

Darius Garland also had 23 points, and Evan Mobley scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Cleveland remained perfect three games into their new season.

The Cavaliers shot 54 percent(47 of 87) from the floor to complete their ninth consecutive victory over Washington. A night earlier, they defeated Detroit for a 10th straight time.

Bilal Coulibaly scored a career-high 23 points for Washington, who have lost their first two games by a combined 39 points at home after posting a franchise-worst 15-67 record last season.

HEAT 114 HORNETS 106

In Charlotte, N. C., Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, Tyler Herro added five 3-pointers and 22 points and Miami spoiled Charlottes’ home opener with a victory.

Terry Rozier had 19 points and Bam Adebayo finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for Miami (1-1). Butler added eight assists and eight rebounds.

LaMelo Ball had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Hornets on an emotional night when they honored their late longtime public address announcer Pat Doughty, and showed livestream feeds on the arena scoreboard of a star-studded benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Helene taking place less than a mile away at Bank of America Stadium. One of the performers at the concert was musician Eric Church, a Hornets minority owner.

The Hornets (1-2) looked out of sync with 20 turnovers, and twice were whistled for 5-second calls after failing to get the ball in on side inbound plays.

THUNDER 114 BULLS 95

In Chicago, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points, Chet Holmgren added 21 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and Oklahoma City pounded Chicago in the Bulls’ home opener.

Jalen Williams added 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Zach LaVine had 22 points and nine rebounds for Chicago. Nikola Vucevic added 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Josh Giddey finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game against the Thunder since an offseason trade to Chicago for Alex Caruso. Oklahoma City granted his request to be dealt after his role in the playoffs was reduced.

Caruso, a popular player during his three seasons with the Bulls, got a standing ovation and waved to the crowd during an early timeout. He checked into the game late in the first quarter and finished with three points in 22 minutes.

GRIZZLIES 124 MAGIC 111

IN Memphis, Tennessee, Santi Aldama scored 22 points, reserve center Jay Huff added a career-high 18 and Memphis built a 26-point halftime team in a victory over Orlando in their home opener.

Ja Morant added 16 points and 10 assists in his first regular-season home appearance since Jan. 3. Aldama was 9 of 12 from the field, while Huff made seven of his nine shots.

Franz Wagner scored 23 points for the Magic and Jalen Suggs added 21, both players grabbing seven rebounds apiece. Paolo Banchero finished with 16 points, but was 4 of 12 from the field, part of the Magic shooting 43 percent for the game.

Memphis held a comfortable lead through much of the game despite withstanding 21 straight points by Orlando in the third quarter.

TIMBERWOLVES 112 RAPTORS 101

In Minneapolis, Julius Randle had 24 points nine rebounds and five assists and Minnesota beat Toronto.

Anthony Edwards also scored 24 for Minnesota, while Rudy Gobert added 15 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.

Toronto’s Gradey Dick led all scorers with 25 points, while Scottie Barnes had 20 points and Ochai Agbaji added 19 for the Raptors.

SPURS 109 ROCKETS 106

In San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points, Jeremy Sochan added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and San Antonio held on to beat Houston in their home opener.

Wembanyama added seven rebounds and three blocks while shooting 10 for 17 from the field.

Chris Paul added three points and nine assists, including a drive and feed to Sochan for an open layup that put San Antonio up 104-99 with 1:35 remaining.

After trailing by 22 points in the first half, Houston was within one possession for much of the final minutes. The Rockets went on a 21-8 run in the opening six minutes of the final quarter, turning an 18-point deficit into a 95-90 lead for San Antonio.

Jalen Green had 27 points for Houston. Fred VanVleet added 18 and Dillon Brooks had 16.

SUNS 114 MAVERICKS 102

In Phoenix, Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 14 rebounds and Phoenix beat Dallas.

The Suns never trailed after the first quarter, though the Mavericks kept the deficit in the single digits for much of the night. Luka Doncic scored 40 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Kyrie Irving added 22 points.

The Suns led 91-80 heading into the fourth quarter and extended the lead to 105-90 six minutes later. Devin Booker added 21 points while rookie Ryan Dunn scored 13 in his first career start. Tyus Jones added seven assists.

The Suns led by as many as 13 in the first half but settled for a 63-55 lead at the break.

LAKERS 131 KINGS 127

In Los Angeles, LeBron James had a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Anthony Davis added 31 points and nine rebounds to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Sacramento.

The Lakers are undefeated at 3-0 under new coach JJ Redick, and Davis has scored at least 31 points in each game this season.

Los Angeles were up by as many as 15 points in the first half but the Kings cut the lead to 64-60 by halftime and had built a 7-point lead in the third quarter. James helped the Lakers come roaring back with 16 points in the fourth quarter.

Davis had a big 3-pointer with 37 seconds left in the game to give the Lakers a 128-123 lead after the Kings had cut it to two.

Domantas Sabonis also had a triple-double in the loss. He scored 29 points on 10 of 14 shots and added 12 rebounds and 10 assists.


Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans

Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans
Updated 5 sec ago
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Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans

Ons Jabeur continues to capture hearts of Arab tennis fans
  • Tunisian tennis superstar may not be taking part in the WTA Finals, but turns heads everywhere in Riyadh

RIYADH: It only takes a few times shadowing Ons Jabeur around Riyadh to realize what a rock star she is in this part of the world.

After becoming the first Arab in history to qualify for the WTA Finals in 2022, and replicating that feat in 2023, the Tunisian struggled with injuries this campaign and did not make the cut for the season finale in Riyadh.

Still, as an Arab icon and history maker, Jabeur was invited to attend the inaugural Riyadh edition of the tournament and got to witness firsthand the biggest women’s sports event to be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Whether she was taking part in a meet and greet, tennis clinic or the opening ceremony, Jabeur was met with huge fanfare, which has only made her hungrier to qualify for the Finals in 2025.

“I’m very happy to be here in Riyadh, the WTA Finals is happening here. I think it’s a great thing for women’s sport, for Arab women’s sport as well. It’s the biggest event that ever happened for women in Saudi. It’s an amazing step,” Jabeur told Arab News.

Ons Jabeur was invited to attend the inaugural Riyadh edition of the WTA Finals in Riyadh. (Supplied)

“I’m not very happy that I’m not playing, but also at the same time I’m happy that I’m here to check everything out. It will be my motivation to qualify for next year.

“I had time to rest my shoulder, I’m feeling much better than before. It allowed me to also recover mentally. It’s been a tough couple of years going on tour, so to breathe in for a couple of months was really awesome and I can’t wait to come back in Australia.”

A shoulder injury forced Jabeur to pull the plug early on her season. Her last match of 2024, in early August, was an opening round defeat to Naomi Osaka in Toronto.

The former world No. 2 is already in training. “I’m ready and very motivated and honestly hungry to play matches. I feel 2025 is going to be an amazing year,” said the 30-year-old.

 

 

“I listened to my body for sure. I should have done that way before. But as a professional tennis player, as an athlete, you always try to push yourself to do more.

“For me, it was a bit tough, and thankfully it wasn’t too late to stop and take a break.

“I’ve learned with my experience and definitely still learning. The most important thing that I have learned is how to listen to my body and to know when to stop, when to take a break.

“And it’s okay to take a month or two off because it will help you have a deep breath and push for the next tournaments.”

During her time in Riyadh, the three-time Grand Slam finalist interacted with many young aspiring tennis players, who were keen to pick her brain on what it takes to become a professional athlete.

“I had a meet and greet with young girls, they were very nice to me, they asked me a lot of questions. They were amazing questions to answer,” said Jabeur with a smile.

 

 

“We talked a little bit, I got to know them more. They seem very motivated and hungry to become professional tennis players. I hope to see a bright future for them.

“They were different questions about my routines, about how I prepare for the match, how I decided to become a tennis player, what kind of advice I’d give them.

“And they were really on point questions, I’ve got to say. It was fun interacting with them, seeing that they’re truly interested in becoming professional.”

Jabeur also kept her eye on the court and enjoyed following the battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

Sabalenka leapfrogged Swiatek and reclaimed the year-end top spot ahead of these WTA Finals, for the first time in her career.

“It’s been amazing watching both fighting for this No. 1 spot. I think at the moment Aryna deserves it the best. She’s such a great friend and a great competitor. It’s nice. I hope they’ll keep fighting and get tired so I can take the first spot,” laughed Jabeur.

 

 

Jabeur was speaking to Arab News at the Kayanee flagship store in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, where her new collection is being launched.

The Saudi Arabia fitness and sports lifestyle brand signed a partnership deal with Jabeur at the start of 2024 and believes she perfectly aligns with Kayanee’s philosophy of fostering health, well-being, and personal growth.

“It’s an honor to be the ambassador of Kayanee. I feel like the perfect language for a woman is through fashion. And I wanted to share my ideas, how I am on the court, how I’m feeling comfortable with my outfit and share that with the rest of the world,” said Jabeur of her new collection.


Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out
Updated 16 min 29 sec ago
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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with defending champion Novak Djokovic out
  • ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century
  • Big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to add another entry into their rapidly developing rivalry when the ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
The top-ranked Sinner and No. 3 Alcaraz evenly split the year’s Grand Slam titles between them with two apiece and it would be fitting if the pair meet again in Turin.
And since Alcaraz was overtaken by Alexander Zverev in the rankings this week, the Spaniard could be placed in the same round-robin group as Sinner.
The draw for the eight-man event is scheduled for later Thursday.
After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.
The other qualifiers are: Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev.
The big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury.
23 years since Djokovic, Federer and Nadal missed the finals
Not since 2001 has the finals been held without at least one of Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. This season also was the first since 2002 without at least one Grand Slam title for a member of that trio.
Djokovic has won the ATP Finals a record seven times. He beat Sinner for the title last year.
Federer, who announced his retirement in 2022, won the event six times after making his debut in 2002; Nadal, who is retiring after playing in the Davis Cup the week after finals, was the runner-up twice at the finals but never won it.
Sinner withdrew from last week’s Paris Masters due to a virus and showed up early in Turin for training.
“This is for me the main event of the end of the year,” Sinner said.
A final decision in Sinner’s doping case is still pending
As an Italian, Sinner will be the main focus of attention in Turin.
It’s the first time that Sinner will be playing at home since it was announced before his US Open title that he had tested positive in two separate drug tests earlier in the year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year.
Alcaraz has won all 3 of his official meetings with Sinner this year
Sinner opened this year by winning the Australian Open to become the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in nearly a half-century — since Adriano Panatta raised the French Open trophy in 1976.
Alcaraz then claimed the French Open and Wimbledon titles to raise his career total to four Grand Slams.
Sinner responded by winning the US Open.
Alcaraz won all three official meetings with Sinner this year and holds a 6-4 advantage in their career head-to-head rivalry. Last month, Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
Zverev won in Paris last week and looks for a 3rd title at finals
The only two players in the field to have won the finals are Zverev and Medvedev.
Zverev won in London in 2018 and in Turin in 2021; while Medvedev triumphed in 2020 – the final year the event was held in London.
Zverev enters in solid form coming off a title at the Paris Masters.
Fritz is looking to add another big result after his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open; Ruud was a finalist in 2022; De Minaur is making his tournament debut; and Rublev is making his fifth straight appearance.
Biggest prize money on the men’s tour: $4.8 million
If a player wins all five of his matches en route to the trophy, he will earn $4.8 million – the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour.
That’s significantly more than what Sinner and Alcaraz earned for their victories at the US Open ($3.6 million) and Wimbledon (2.7 million pounds or $3.45 million) this year.


UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo less than 6 months after winning Asian Champions League title

UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo less than 6 months after winning Asian Champions League title
Updated 37 min 24 sec ago
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UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo less than 6 months after winning Asian Champions League title

UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo less than 6 months after winning Asian Champions League title
  • The decision came after a string of disappointing results that culminated in a 5-1 loss to Cristiano Ronald’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday
  • The high point of Crespo’s 12 month tenure was May’s victory over Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the two-legged Asian final

DUBAI: Al-Ain fired head coach Hernan Crespo on Wednesday, less than six months after the Argentine led the UAE club to Asia’s Champions League title.

The decision came after a string of disappointing results that culminated in a 5-1 loss to Cristiano Ronald’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday. It means Crespo, the former Inter Milan and Chelsea striker, will not get a chance to lead Al-Ain to the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup despite helping it qualify for the tournament in the US next summer.

The high point of Crespo’s 12 month tenure was May’s victory over Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the two-legged Asian final but the two-time continental champion has collected just one point from the first four games in this season’s tournament.

The club thanked Crespo in a statement but said “recent results have not met expectations.”

It did not immediately announce a replacement for the 49-year-old Crespo.


King, Carty tons as West Indies thrash England

King, Carty tons as West Indies thrash England
Updated 07 November 2024
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King, Carty tons as West Indies thrash England

King, Carty tons as West Indies thrash England

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Brandon King and Keacy Carty blasted centuries as the West Indies scored a series-clinching eight-wicket victory over England in the third and final game of their One-Day International series at Kensington Oval on Wednesday.
Replying to the visitors’ total of 263 for eight, King and Carty featured in a second-wicket stand of 209, the duo making light of what could have been a daunting task following the early loss of Evin Lewis.
King fell for 102 with victory in sight but Carty finished on an unbeaten 128 after hitting the winning boundary as West Indies coasted home on 267 for two with seven overs to spare.
Carty’s maiden ODI century spanned 114 balls and was highlighted by 15 fours and two sixes.
King stroked 13 fours and one six off 117 balls.
“I’ve been getting a few starts without carrying on so I’m grateful that it all came together in such a crucial match,” said King. “It was a fantastic innings by Keacy. He started fluently and was batting better than me most times.”
Earlier, England were indebted to Phil Salt’s top-score of 74 as he averted a complete collapse after the tourists slumped to 24 for four after being put in.
He finally got support from the lower order as Sam Curran contributed 40 while Dan Mousley stroked his way to 57 in successive 70-run partnerships with the pugnacious opener.
Salt’s innings off 108 balls (four fours, one six) was ended by the superb athleticism of King, who leapt high at the midwicket boundary to prevent a six and then relayed the ball to waiting teammate Alzarri Joseph before falling over the boundary rope.
Quickfire 30s from Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer led the plundering of 100 runs off the final ten overs with part-timer Sherfane Rutherford, brought on to complete the spell of the hobbled Romario Shepherd, suffering the most as 57 runs were plastered off his 3.5 overs.
In contrast, seamer Matthew Forde was the epitome of consistency and economy in claiming three for 35 from his ten overs while Joseph and Shepherd took two wickets each.
West Indies’ 2-1 series triumph over the English was a repeat of their success 11 months earlier in the Caribbean as the teams shared the first two matches in Antigua before the home side prevailed in the decider in Barbados.
Personnel adjustments to the two squads will now take place as they remain in Barbados for the first two T20 Internationals of a five-match series at the weekend.


Barcelona, Inter and upstart Brest win again in Champions League

Barcelona, Inter and upstart Brest win again in Champions League
Updated 07 November 2024
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Barcelona, Inter and upstart Brest win again in Champions League

Barcelona, Inter and upstart Brest win again in Champions League
  • Paris Saint-Germain, in their first season without Kylian Mbappe, trail far behind in 25th after Atletico Madrid scored in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win for the Spanish team
  • Atalanta won 2-0 at Stuttgart to stay unbeaten on eight points and Salzburg got their first goals and points in a 3-1 win at Feyenoord

LONDON: Barcelona and Inter Milan won again in the Champions League on Wednesday though both former title holders are looking up in the standings toward upstart newcomer Brest.

Aston Villa started the week atop the 36-team table but their winning run ended after a bizarre penalty was awarded when defender Tyrone Mings picked up the ball in the area at Club Brugge, resulting in a 1-0 loss that sent the English club plummeting to eighth place.

Paris Saint-Germain, in their first season without Kylian Mbappe, trail far behind in 25th after Atletico Madrid scored in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win for the Spanish team at Parc des Princes.

Barcelona’s blistering scoring form continued in a 5-2 win at Red Star Belgrade — a seventh straight win since the start of October at a rate of four goals per game. Robert Lewandowski scored twice and has 21 this season.

Inter Milan stifled Arsenal in a 1-0 win at San Siro sealed by Hakan Çalhanoglu’s penalty in first-half stoppage time.

Inter are unbeaten on 10 points and in fifth place, one below Brest who won 2-1 at Sparta Prague. The French debutant look sure to advance to the knockout phase starting in February.

Atalanta won 2-0 at Stuttgart to stay unbeaten on eight points and Salzburg got their first goals and points in a 3-1 win at Feyenoord.

Bayern Munich won 1-0 at home to Benfica in a game that was delayed 15 minutes by crowd congestion and then was played in a muted atmosphere because of a medical incident for a fan.

Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Heorhiy Sudakov had a fine assist and an even better goal in a 2-1 win for the Ukrainian champion against Young Boys. Shakhtar’s No. 10 showed why he is expected to be the club’s next big-money sale.

Liverpool, who on Tuesday routed Bayer Leverkusen 4-0, lead the standings at the midway point of the eight-round program.

Liverpool are the only team with four straight wins, while five teams have four losses. They are Leipzig, Sturm Graz, Young Boys, Red Star and Slovan Bratislava.

Two Italian teams – Inter Milan and Atalanta – have yet to concede a goal in four games. Another Italian side, Bologna, is the only team with no goals scored.

Villa slide

Villa had led the standings in the new league-phase format after three straight wins without conceding a goal — and it took a bizarre incident before goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was eventually beaten.

Mings was punished for picking up the ball when Martinez seemed to restart play with a goal kick passed forward to his teammate. Mings walked a couple steps to gather the ball with his left hand and returned to place it in the six-yard box.

“It’s the biggest mistake I witnessed in my career,” Villa coach Unai Emery said. “It has only happened one time in all my life. Today.”

Brugge captain Hans Vanaken placed the 52nd-minute spot-kick to Martinez’s left as the World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper dived to his right.

Bayern and Dinamo

It was the standout result of the inaugural week of the new Champions League in September: Bayern Munich 9, Dinamo Zagreb 2.

It was the first time a team had scored nine times in a game in the 32-year Champions League era, and Dinamo fired its coach two days later.

Since then? Bayern lost twice, including a 4-1 rout at Barcelona, and Dinamo won twice. At the end of play Wednesday, Bayern were 17th on six points, one place below Dinamo on seven. If those placings hold until January, they meet again twice more in the knockout playoffs round.

Next up

The fifth round in three weeks’ time has perhaps the stellar attraction of 144 games in the league phase: Liverpool vs. Real Madrid.

That game on Nov. 27 is a rematch of the 2022 and 2018 finals, both won by Madrid, and the 1981 European Cup titl e match that Liverpool won.

There is another final rematch: Bayern Munich hosts PSG on Nov. 26 in a repeat of the pandemic-season final played in August 2020 without fans in Lisbon. Also, sixth-place Barcelona hosts Brest, a fixture which might have been overlooked when the draw was made in August yet the French team is currently fourth.

Only the top eight teams in January advance directly to the round of 16 in March.