Kevin Durant scores 42 points as Suns eclipse Cavs

Kevin Durant scores 42 points as Suns eclipse Cavs
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Updated 22 March 2025
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Kevin Durant scores 42 points as Suns eclipse Cavs

Kevin Durant scores 42 points as Suns eclipse Cavs
  • The win lifted Phoenix into 10th place in the Western Conference and into the play-in tournament reckoning
  • Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their successful clinching of the No.1 seeding on Thursday with a ruthless 141-106 beatdown of the Charlotte Hornets

LOS ANGELES: Kevin Durant scored 42 points as the Phoenix Suns reignited their playoff hopes with a 123-112 upset of the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

A superb performance from Durant secured a third straight victory for Phoenix as they aim to muscle their way into the postseason picture in the Western Conference.

Durant erupted for 19 points in a third-quarter burst of scoring that took the game beyond Cleveland’s grasp, with the Suns opening up a 98-79 lead heading into the fourth quarter which they never looked like letting slip.

The win lifted Phoenix into 10th place in the Western Conference and into the play-in tournament reckoning.

The top six teams in each NBA conference qualify automatically for the playoffs, while teams placed from 7th to 10th play in a mini tournament to determine the final two playoff berths.

“This is the best team in the league,” Durant said of Cleveland following the Suns win.

“We’ve been struggling and we know we’ve got the toughest schedule for the last 10 games,” he added. “So we just wanted to dial in and make sure we kept building on the work we’ve done over the last week.”

Cleveland’s fourth consecutive loss leaves the second-placed Boston Celtics just five wins behind the Cavs at the top of the East.

The Celtics improved to 51-19 after thrashing the Utah Jazz 121-99 on the back of 27 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 26 points from Jayson Tatum.

The Detroit Pistons’ progress toward the playoffs suffered a jolt in a surprising 123-117 defeat on the road to the struggling Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs — whose season has been blown off course by the trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers and a season-ending injury to Kyrie Irving — powered to a precious victory thanks to 31 points from Spencer Dinwiddie and 27 from P.J. Washington.

The result leaves Dallas perched on the edge of playoff contention in 11th place with a 34-37 record in the Western Conference.

Detroit occupy the sixth and last automatic playoff berth in the East.

Despite the loss the Pistons will fancy their chances of locking down a postseason ticket given a vastly superior record — 39-32 — to seventh-placed Atlanta (33-36).

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their successful clinching of the No.1 seeding on Thursday with a ruthless 141-106 beatdown of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Thunder were assured of top spot in the West despite not playing on Thursday after the Los Angeles Lakers’ defeat to Milwaukee.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points as no fewer than eight OKC players finished in double figures in a wire-to-win which leaves the Thunder with a 58-12 record at the top of the West.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he wanted to see his team play with the same intensity for the remainder of the regular season as they build toward the playoffs.

“We got to play with a sense of purpose — you can’t coast into the postseason,” Daigneault said.

“It was a great 48-minute effort. We played to our standards on both ends of the floor.”

With OKC already assured of top spot, Houston boosted their hopes of clinching second place in the West after rallying from 11 points down to squeeze past the Miami Heat, winning 102-98 on the road to bag their ninth consecutive win.

Fred VanVleet was the key man for Houston, finishing with 37 points after a devastating exhibition of long-range shooting.

VanVleet drained nine-of-11 attempts from outside the arc as the Rockets improved to 46-25.

The Minnesota Timberwolves remain hard on the heels of the sixth-placed Golden State Warriors (41-29) in the race for the playoffs.

The Wolves, who are one place behind Golden State, improved to 41-31 after a 134-93 pasting of the New Orleans Pelicans.

In another upset, the Portland Trail Blazers outgunned the injury-hit Denver Nuggets 128-109.


Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals

Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals
Updated 8 sec ago
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Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals

Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals
  • The finals feature seven matches taking place in a new format
  • Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli topped their groups with 22 points each

JEDDAH: Football fans throughout Asia are turning their eyes to Jeddah, as the coastal city known as the Bride of the Red Sea gears up to host the AFC Champions League Elite finals from April 25 to May 3,2025.
The finals feature seven highly anticipated matches taking place in a new format with all matches played in King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City.
Saudi clubs secured their places in the final rounds after impressive performances in the group stage. Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli topped their groups with 22 points each, undefeated, while Al-Nassr finished third with 17 points after just one loss.
Four-time Asian champions Al-Hilal SFC of Saudi Arabia will face Gwangju FC from South Korea.
Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan will face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, with both sides aiming to win the title for the first time.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, will be at home to take on Thailand’s Buriram United while Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale will meet 2011 champions Al-Sadd SC of Qatar.
The winners of the Al Hilal-Gwangju tie will meet the winners of the Al Ahli-Buriram clash while the victors of Marinos-Al-Nassr will square off against the Frontale-Al Sadd winner in the semi-finals.
The first quarterfinal is scheduled for April 25, with the second and third last-eight ties on April 26, and the final one to be played on April 27.
The semifinals will be contested on April 29 and 30 with the final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on May 3, with ultimate glory on the line and a record prize worth $12 million.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr, is one of the tournament’s most prominent players and is out to add the AFC Champions League title to his impressive record.
Despite being 40 years old, Ronaldo as scored seven goals to date, proving his value to his team in its bid for the title.
As the matches draw closer, Jeddah is preparing to welcome thousands of fans from across the Kingdom and beyond.

Quarterfinals
Al-Hilal vs. Gwangju FC
Al-Ahli vs. Buriram United
Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Al-Nassr
Kawasaki Frontale vs. Al-Sadd
Semifinals
Al-Hilal or Gwangju FC vs. Al-Ahli or Buriram United
Yokohama F. Marinos or Al-Nassr vs. Kawasaki Frontale or Al-Sadd


Champions League spot would be ‘Premier League trophy’ for Man City: Nunes

Champions League spot would be ‘Premier League trophy’ for Man City: Nunes
Updated 5 min 46 sec ago
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Champions League spot would be ‘Premier League trophy’ for Man City: Nunes

Champions League spot would be ‘Premier League trophy’ for Man City: Nunes
  • The Portugal international scored a last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on Tuesday
  • Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea are the other sides in the mix for a top-five finish

LONDON: Matheus Nunes says Champions League qualification would be Manchester City’s “Premier League trophy” after a poor campaign by their stellar standards.
The Portugal international scored a last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on Tuesday to lift Pep Guardiola’s men to third in the table, four points ahead of seventh-placed Villa.
With Liverpool on the brink of the Premier League title and Arsenal sitting comfortably in second place, five clubs are battling for the three remaining places in Europe’s top club competition next season.
Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea are the other sides in the mix for a top-five finish.
City, who were hunting a fifth straight league title at the start of the season, suffered a costly collapse in form from late October.
But they can still end their season on a high, with Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal against Forest at Wembley coming hot on the heels of their vital win against Unai Emery’s Villa.
“This is our Premier League trophy now, to qualify for the Champions League,” Nunes said after scoring his first league goal for City in his second season at the club.
“I think it’s massively important for us, in terms of everything, the club, in terms of the players, the mentality.”
The 26-year-old admitted though that Champions League qualification for the 15th season running and FA Cup glory would not equal a good campaign.
“The club’s standards are much higher than this,” he said. “We know that there is not the standards we want this club to be at.
“But this is our reality now and we have to accept it. And we just have to go for it like it’s the Champions League, the Premier League trophy.”


Al-Qadsiah confident ahead of SPL showdown with Al-Khaleej in Dammam

Al-Qadsiah confident ahead of SPL showdown with Al-Khaleej in Dammam
Updated 22 min 53 sec ago
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Al-Qadsiah confident ahead of SPL showdown with Al-Khaleej in Dammam

Al-Qadsiah confident ahead of SPL showdown with Al-Khaleej in Dammam
  • Al-Qadsiah arrive in Dammam off the back of a 2-1 win over Al-Nassr
  • Teams have met five times before in the Pro League, with Qadsiah winning twice, Al-Khaleej once, and two matches drawn

RIYADH: Al-Qadsiah travel with confidence for their Saudi Pro League showdown with Al-Khaleej, today, 9pm, at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

Al-Qadsiah arrive in Dammam, for matchday 29 of the SPL, off the back of a 2-1 win over Al-Nassr, returning to winning ways after two draws against Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq, and two losses to Al-Fayha and Damac.

Meanwhile, Al-Khaleej continue to drop points, suffering three defeats, against Al-Hilal, Al-Fateh, and Al-Wehda, in their last four matches, while accounting for Al-Raed.

The two teams have met five times before in the Pro League, with Qadsiah winning twice, Al-Khaleej once, and two matches ending in draws. Their most recent game, in matchday 12 of this season, ended in a 1-0 win for Qadsiah.

Qadsiah currently sit in fifth place with 55 points, tied with fourth-place Al-Ahli, and trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by 13 points. Al-Khaleej lie tenth with 33 points.


Esports World Cup 2025 features $70m prize pool, 25 tournaments and global club showdown in Riyadh

Esports World Cup is scheduled to return to Riyadh from July 7 through Aug. 24. supplied
Esports World Cup is scheduled to return to Riyadh from July 7 through Aug. 24. supplied
Updated 23 April 2025
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Esports World Cup 2025 features $70m prize pool, 25 tournaments and global club showdown in Riyadh

Esports World Cup is scheduled to return to Riyadh from July 7 through Aug. 24. supplied
  • A $27 million share of the prize pool is allocated to the EWC Club Championship
  • Team Falcons won the 2024 title with 5,665 points and three tournament wins

Riyadh: The Esports World Cup Foundation has finalized the full lineup of games, tournament schedule and club championship rules for the Esports World Cup 2025, the world’s largest electronic sports event, scheduled to return to Riyadh from July 7 through Aug. 24.

It will feature 200 clubs, 2,000 players, 25 tournaments across 24 titles, and a record-breaking prize pool of more than $70 million — the largest in e-sports history.

Organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation, the event includes established and newly added games such as Valorant, Crossfire, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and chess. Competitions will be held at four dedicated arenas, with select titles offering last chance qualifiers during the opening EWC Festival. Finals will be held on weekends to maximize viewership and reduce schedule conflicts.

A $27 million share of the prize pool is allocated to the EWC Club Championship, which awards points for top-eight finishes and tournament wins. To win the title, a club must place in the top eight in at least two tournaments and win at least one. Joint ventures between organizations are ineligible, with all teams required to compete under a single name.

Game-specific tournaments will distribute more than $38 million in prizes, while MVPs will be awarded from a $450,000 pool. The club champion will be crowned during the closing ceremony on Aug. 24.

Team Falcons won the 2024 title with 5,665 points and three tournament wins, ahead of Team Liquid and Team BDS. Other top performers included Gaimin Gladiators, T1, Virtus.pro, Team Vitality, Gen.G, LOUD, and Twisted Minds. Tickets for EWC 2025 are now available.


Rally Jameel gets underway, route expands beyond Saudi Arabia’s historic sites

Rally Jameel gets underway, route expands beyond Saudi Arabia’s historic sites
Updated 23 April 2025
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Rally Jameel gets underway, route expands beyond Saudi Arabia’s historic sites

Rally Jameel gets underway, route expands beyond Saudi Arabia’s historic sites
  • Event reveals region’s evolving landscape of opportunity for women
  • Five-day rally takes a 1,600km route through two countries

PETRA: Starting in the ancient city of Petra, Rally Jameel, the first women-only navigational rally in the Middle East, got underway on Tuesday with the participation of 41 teams from 37 countries.

The official ceremony for the 4th edition of Rally Jameel was attended by prominent Jordanian figures, including Dr. Fares Braizat, chief commissioner of Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority.

Spanning five days and covering a 1,600-kilometer route through two countries, this year’s rally is a historic expansion beyond Saudi Arabia.

The route begins in Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and winds through Tabuk, a city framed by striking mountain ranges and ancient trade routes; AlUla, renowned for its dramatic rock formations; Hail, long considered the heart of the Arabian Peninsula’s caravan trade; and concludes in Qassim, a region celebrated for its rich agricultural traditions — offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Munir Khoja, managing director at Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, said: “The launch of Rally Jameel 2025 in Petra marks a pivotal step in our ambition to elevate women’s motorsport and expand Saudi Arabia’s presence on the global sporting stage.

“As we expand beyond borders, we remain committed to empowering women through world-class sporting opportunities that challenge and inspire, in line with Vision 2030. This year’s edition reflects the spirit of exploration, resilience, and cross-cultural connection that has always defined Rally Jameel, and we are extremely proud to support this journey and the incredible women driving it forward.”

Zaid Balqez, CEO of Jordan Motorsport said: “Hosting the launch of Rally Jameel here in Petra is a proud milestone for us, one that underscores the strength and potential of regional partnerships. Our collaboration with Jameel Motorsport reflects a shared vision to elevate the profile of motorsport across the region, not only as a competitive discipline, but as a platform for empowerment, cultural exchange, and adventure tourism. Together, we aim to create a more inclusive and globally connected motorsport ecosystem that positions the Middle East as a leading destination for world-class sporting experiences.”

The five-day event continues to set new benchmarks in global motorsport. With growing international participation and expanded geographic reach, the rally is carving out a lasting legacy. It reveals not only elite navigational talent, but also the region’s evolving landscape of opportunity, ambition and leadership for women.