LOS ANGELES: Devin Booker scored 25 points before fouling out in the final minute, Chris Paul made clutch free throws on a night everyone was missing, and the Phoenix Suns escaped with an 84-80 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
The Suns can advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 with a victory Monday night in Phoenix.
The Clippers struggled with poor shooting in all but the third quarter, when they made 10 of 17 shots to pull within three points. They got within one four times in the fourth, but could never take the lead in front of a sellout crowd of 18,222 that hung on every agonizing miss.
“It was a crazy, emotional game,” Paul said.
LA shot 32 percent (27 of 83) for the game; Phoenix was barely better at 36 percent (31 of 86). The Clippers made five 3-pointers in the game; the Suns hit four.
“That was a slugfest,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “It wasn’t Offense 101, for sure.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, “We had a chance to take the lead on 12 possessions and couldn’t do it. It just wouldn’t fall for us.”
Deandre Ayton added 19 points and a career playoff-high 22 rebounds, and Paul had 18 points and seven assists.
Paul George had 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists before fouling out with 1 second left. Reggie Jackson added 20 points for the Clippers. Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
The Clippers successfully challenged a call in the final minute that led to Booker’s sixth foul. Terance Mann scored and they trailed 79-76.
The final 13 seconds turned into a free-throw shooting contest, with the Suns fouling to try to keep the Clippers off the 3-point line. Paul made 5 of 6. The Clippers were 4 of 8, deliberately missing three of them to try to score. But it didn’t work.
With injured Kawhi Leonard again watching from a suite, the Clippers outscored the Suns 30-19 in the third.
Both teams’ offense collapsed in the fourth, when the Suns outscored the Clippers 15-14.
Booker picked up his fourth foul early in the fourth, along with a technical for arguing the call. That put George at the line and he made 2 of 3, missing the last one that would have tied the game for the first time. Instead, the Clippers trailed 71-70.
It stayed that way for minutes, with both teams going ice cold.
“At that point, you’re just relying on your defense and mental stamina,” Williams said.
Paul tossed up an alley-oop pass that Ayton slammed and Booker hit a jumper, keeping the Suns ahead 75-72.
Maddeningly, shots either rimmed out for both teams or hit the rim and bounced away, creating frantic scrambles for loose balls.
“It was a skirmish under the basket with the ball bouncing all over the place,” Williams said.
Paul ran off seven straight points early in the third, dropping his former team into a 13-point hole.
But the Clippers outscored the Suns 20-10 from there and trailed 69-66 heading into the fourth. Phoenix went without a field goal over the final few minutes of the third, when Booker made 4 of 6 free throws.
The Clippers shot 13 of 44 in the first half. None of them could get it going: George and Jackson were 3 of 11 and Marcus Morris was 1 of 6.
Phoenix raced to leads of 14-2 and 20-9 in the first quarter. The Clippers made just one of their first seven shots — a dunk by Zubac. Seven of George’s 11 points in the half came on a 3-pointer and four free throws.
Booker picked up three fouls in the first half, two of them within minutes of each other in the second quarter. At that point, the Suns were up by 16.
Suns outlast Clippers 84-80, take 3-1 lead in West finals
https://arab.news/96mru
Suns outlast Clippers 84-80, take 3-1 lead in West finals
- Suns can advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 with a victory Monday night in Phoenix
Saudi boxer Ziyad Al-Maayouf: Pioneering a new era in the sport
- In Ziyad Al-Maayouf, boxing has found not just a competitor, but a pioneer
- “Hopefully very soon we’ll be bringing a belt back to Saudi.”
Riyadh: In the heart of the boxing world, where legends are made and dreams are realized, a new figure is emerging, one that embodies the fusion of tradition and innovation, heritage and progress. Ziyad Al-Maayouf, a Saudi boxer with a vision as expansive as the desert horizon, is not just stepping into the ring; he is stepping into history.
“I’m honestly just looking at it right now. And I’m looking forward to being ringside and just, you know, living the dreams of a Saudi boxer, first. But, you know, just someone who loves the sport, second,” Al-Maayouf said.
His ascent is not merely about personal glory; it is also about rewriting the narrative of boxing itself. “Hopefully very soon we’ll be bringing a belt back to Saudi,” he added, his determination palpable. “I’m not going to stop until I do that.”
For Al-Maayouf, every fight is a testament to the golden era of boxing he finds himself in. “Like I always say, this is what I would like to call the golden era of boxing,” he said, adding that the spirit of the age continues to “inspire young fighters like me to take risks, fight the best.
“The records don’t matter. You know, bring out the real fighter in you and bring out the good fights.”
As Al-Maayouf prepares for his next bout, he carries with him the hopes and dreams of a nation, the aspirations of a global audience, and the unwavering belief that in the squared circle, anything is possible. “We want to see the sport of boxing go back to the top five and maybe even the top one sport of the world.”
In Ziyad Al-Maayouf, boxing has found not just a competitor, but a pioneer — a man whose journey transcends borders, whose dreams inspire generations and whose fists carry the weight of history. As he steps into the ring, he does so not just as a fighter, but as a symbol of what boxing was, what it is, and what it can become.
Maradona’s heirs lose court battle to block auction of World Cup Golden Ball trophy
- Maradona’s heirs tried to stop the auction of the Golden Ball trophy he received for being the best player of the 1986 World Cup
- Lawyer Gilles Moreu told The AP the court’s ruling “was not favorable to the heirs of Diego Maradona” and said he would lodge an appeal
PARIS: A French court ruled the auction of a trophy awarded to the late Diego Maradona after the 1986 World Cup can go ahead as planned despite opposition from his heirs, their lawyer told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Maradona’s heirs tried to stop the auction of the Golden Ball trophy he received for being the best player of the 1986 World Cup by starting an urgent judicial procedure. Lawyer Gilles Moreu told The AP the court’s ruling “was not favorable to the heirs of Diego Maradona” and said he would lodge an appeal.
The trophy is set to be auctioned next Thursday in Paris by the Aguttes auction house, which did not immediately comment on the ruling.
The Golden Ball was missing for decades after it disappeared in uncertain circumstances and only recently resurfaced. Maradona’s heirs say the trophy was stolen and claimed the current owner wasn’t entitled to sell it. Aguttes said the trophy reappeared in 2016 among other lots that were acquired from a private collection at auction in Paris.
Moreu said the president of the Nanterre court outside Paris considered the current owner of the trophy, identified as Mr. Benchaieb, “should be considered as acting in good faith.”
Benchaieb and Aguttes claimed that when he bought the trophy years ago he was not aware it had been stolen.
“The Ballon d’Or is a unique piece of property, which Diego Maradona’s children want back,” Moreu said. “My clients are extremely saddened by the court’s decision.”
Maradona received the award in 1986 at a ceremony at the Lido cabaret on the Champs-Élysées. It subsequently disappeared, giving rise to rumors. Some say it was lost during a poker game or sold to pay off debts. Others say Maradona stored it in a safe in a Naples bank that was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 when he played in the Italian league. Maradona’s heirs believe it was stolen from the bank.
French judicial officials last week opened an investigation after they received a complaint relating to the resale of allegedly stolen goods. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office did not say whether the court’s decision would have an impact on the probe, and if it was still ongoing.
Maradona, who died in 2020 at age 60, captained Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico City. In a quarterfinal win over England he scored the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century.”
Aguttes said it expects the trophy “to fetch millions due to its uniqueness.”
Bidders will be asked to make a deposit of 150,000 euros ($161,000) to participate in the auction.
The Hand of God goal came when Maradona punched the ball into England’s net. Four minutes later, he weaved through England’s midfield and defense and past goalkeeper Peter Shilton for what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.
Kompany to stick with same footballing principles after swapping Burnley for Bayern Muncih
- “At this club and this journey, I have no intention of being a different person,” Kompany said
- Kompany said the fact that next season’s Champions League final is being staged at Munich’s Allianz Arena will be used as some motivation
MUNICH: Vincent Kompany insists his footballing principles will not change after swapping the Championship for the Champions League by making the unlikely move from Burnley to Bayern Munich.
Kompany led Burnley to promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the northwest English club, only to get a reality check when his bold and attacking style of play was exposed in the top division.
Burnley’s relegation led to accusations by some that Kompany’s tactics were naïve, but the former Manchester City and Belgium defender said he was proud to have stayed consistent “in the very highs and the very lows” and will be working the same way at Bayern.
“At this club and this journey, I have no intention of being a different person,” Kompany said on Thursday at a news conference where he was presented as the replacement for Thomas Tuchel. “I don’t think that’s what they want.”
Kompany will, therefore, ask the same things from Bayern’s higher-quality players as he did from those at Burnley.
“I want the players of Bayern Munich to be brave, really brave on the ball, to have personality on the ball,” he said. “But also my nature is, I’m also someone that is aggressive, so I want the team to be aggressive.
“I want the team to represent those two things that would make my character — absolutely brave when they have the ball, when they’re making decisions, and absolutely aggressive, something that they carry throughout every minute of the game always.”
Kompany said the fact that next season’s Champions League final is being staged at Munich’s Allianz Arena will be used as some motivation.
“The goal is for me quite simple: I always try to win every match. It doesn’t matter where you are, it is always most, most important that we want to win every match,” he said. “That the Champions League final is here in Munich might make it a bit more important than the others, if I am honest. But I know we will not reach it by just expressing it.”
New York boosts T20 Cricket World Cup security after reported threats
- World Cup received Daesh-Khorasan threat over India-Pakistan match on June 9
- T20 World Cup will be held from June 1-29 in the United States and West Indies
WASHINGTON: New York will boost security for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup in June, the governor said on Wednesday, after reports of threats especially related to the India-Pakistan match.
“In preparation for the @cricketworldcup, my team has been working with federal & local law enforcement to keep attendees safe,” Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X, adding there was “no credible threat at this time.”
ABC News cited a New York City Police Department bulletin saying the tournament and its related events in New York City could be viewed by extremists as an opportunity to commit acts of violence or disruption.
“Recent pro-ISIS propaganda which specifically referenced the upcoming India-Pakistan match at this major event ... raises concerns and reinforces the need for heightened vigilance” among security partners, the bulletin is quoted as saying by ABC News.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the World Cup received a Daesh Khorasan-linked threat in April and more specific threats over the India versus Pakistan match.
World Cup matches between India and Pakistan, which have not played a bilateral series in several years due to tense political relations, are among the most viewed sporting events in the world.
Hochul said in a statement New York State Police had been directed to increase enforcement presence, surveillance and screening processes for the tournament.
Cricket has three formats — Tests, One Day Internationals and T20s, with T20s being the newest. The ninth T20 World Cup will run from June 1-29, with matches at nine stadiums — six in the West Indies and three in the United States.
The India-Pakistan June 9 contest will take place in at the Eisenhower Park stadium in Nassau County, New York.
Motorsport’s first United Against Online Abuse campaign garners support
- Sporting, political, business and civil society organizations are backing the initiative
PARIS: Members of sporting, political, business and civil society organizations have pledged their support for the new United Against Online Abuse coalition, which was launched at a conference organized by motorsport’s world governing body, or FIA, in Paris this week.
Those in attendance at the UAOA event included representatives from FIFA, UNESCO, Peace and Sport, and TikTok.
Amelie Oudea-Castera, France’s minister of sport, said: “Performance (in sport) cannot be at any price. The well-being of the athletes, their development, and their serenity as human beings … must be a priority. That is why my ministry has signed the United Against Online Abuse charter.”
Participants heard firsthand the experiences of top athletes, including Olympian and taekwondo champion Pascal Gentil, and rally driver Burcu Cetinkaya.
Cetinkaya, who is also the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission chair, shared her experiences as a survivor of online abuse.
Arwen.AI, a company using artificial intelligence to automatically detect and remove hate messages from social media platforms, presented data regarding the extent of online abuse and the impact of their tools.
The company found that 67 percent of social media users are less likely to engage with online content if they feel unsafe. Removing hateful comments saw a 56 percent rise in engagement on posts.
This data follows the UAOA’s findings from its barometer survey launched earlier this year. The study found that 75 percent of athletes have experienced physical threats, whilst over 90 percent agreed that if online abuse is not addressed, it will drive them away from their sports.
Throughout the conference, education was highlighted as a key factor to help eradicate online abuse.
The coalition has launched the United Against Online Abuse Educational Module, a free, open-access program, which explains the role of policymakers, international federations, and social media platforms in preventing and countering abuse.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA’s president and founder of the UAOA campaign, said: “This conference was an opportunity for leaders and experts to come together and collaborate on our united mission to combat online abuse.
“I thank all who have pledged their support for this coalition and urge the wider global community to come together and join us in this important fight.”
The UAOA campaign includes national governments, regulatory institutions and sporting bodies.
Support for the campaign has come from the governments of Albania, Australia, Belgium, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Malaysia, Slovenia and Spain. There have also been endorsements from Peace and Sport, the International Esports Federation, and ASETEK SimSports.
Those expected to record their support are FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, the International Tennis Federation, World Athletics, World Netball and World Squash.
