MIAMI: The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks stepped it up, bouncing back from opening upsets with convincing victories in the NBA playoffs.
LeBron James and the Lakers, seeded first in the Western Conference, thumped the Portland Trail Blazers 111-88 to even their best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
The Bucks came back from a humbling loss to beat the Orlando Magic 111-96.
Anthony Davis, who struggled through an eight-of-24 shooting night in the Lakers’ game one loss to Portland, led Los Angeles with 31 points on 13 of 21 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds in 29 minutes.
He’s the first Laker since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to score more than 30 points in a playoff game in less than 30 minutes of action.
“He was just aggressive from the beginning of the game,” James said of Davis. “He wasn’t passive at all, looked for his shots. He did a great job of rebounding as well, got some put-backs.”
James scored just 10 points, but his quiet night was no problem for a Lakers team that closed the first half on a 12-2 scoring run for a 17-point halftime lead.
“We knew we had to not have as many defensive lapses,” James said.
“When you have a defensive strategy you have to execute that strategy for 48 minutes and I think we did a great job of that tonight,” he added after the Lakers held the Blazers to 40 percent shooting overall and just 27.6 percent from three-point range.
The Lakers led by 30 — 88-58 — going into the fourth quarter, when Portland suddenly found themselves without star Damian Lillard.
Lillard exited with less than two minutes remaining in the third after dislocating his left index finger — apparently when he banged his hand against Davis’s foot while reaching for the ball.
Lillard, who torched the Lakers for 34 points in game one finished with 18.
The Blazers said X-rays on Lillard’s hand were negative, but any lingering problem for the player who powered Portland to a playoff berth — averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists in eight seeding games in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida — will be a severe blow to the Trail Blazers’ bid to topple the Lakers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 points for the Lakers, JR Smith added 11 off the bench and center JaVale McGee chipped in 10.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 28 points and 20 rebounds as the Bucks brought the defensive intensity that carried them to the league’s best regular-season record.
“Our whole mindset this game was to come out, play hard, play together and as long as we got stops we were going to figure it out on offense,” Antetokounmpo said.
“I think the team did a great job first quarter, setting the tone. Coming out hard, playing hard, rebounding the ball and just making the right play.”
Brook Lopez scored 20 points and Pat Connaughton chipped in 15 for the Bucks, who led by as many as 23 in the first half.
Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic followed up his 35-point game one performance with 32 points.
But Milwaukee held the Magic without a point in the paint for the whole of the first quarter and out-rebounded Orlando 57-42.
“The effort was definitely an ‘A,’” Lopez said. “Game one they came in and they out-worked us, that’s not something we can allow.”
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Top seeds back on terms as Lakers, Bucks bounce back
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Top seeds back on terms as Lakers, Bucks bounce back
- Brook Lopez scored 20 points and Pat Connaughton chipped in 15 for the Bucks, who led by as many as 23 in the first half
England coach Tuchel extends contract through to Euro 2028
- Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland
LONDON:Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland, the Football Association announced on Thursday.
Tuchel was confirmed as the successor to Gareth Southgate in October 2024 and has overseen an unbeaten qualification run to this year’s World Cup in North America, with England winning all eight group games under their German boss.
“I am very happy and proud to extend my time with England,” said the 52-year-old former Chelsea manager in an FA statement.
“It is no secret to anyone that I have loved every minute so far of working with my players and coaches, and I cannot wait to lead them to the World Cup.
“It is an incredible opportunity and we are going to do our very best to make the country proud,” added Tuchel, whose previous England deal ran only until the end of this year’s global showpiece.
The FA said that the new agreement with Tuchel would provide “clarity and full focus” amid speculation about his future after the World Cup.
Tuchel had been previously touted as a possible permanent successor to sacked former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, even though the English giants have experienced an upturn in form under caretaker boss Michael Carrick.
But in signing a new England contract, Tuchel appears to have ruled himself out of a post-World Cup move to Old Trafford.
The FA added that Tuchel’s senior backroom team — Anthony Barry, Henrique Hilario, Nico Mayer and James Melbourne — had all also agreed contract extensions through to the end of Euro 2028.
“I have had so much support from (FA chief executive) Mark (Bullingham), all my colleagues at the FA and from fans wherever I go that I did not hesitate when asked to continue in this dream job,” said Tuchel.
’No better candidate’
Extending his contract ahead of this year’s World Cup in North America is a clear sign of the FA’s confidence in Tuchel, looking to guide the England men’s team to their first major trophy in six decades.
“I am delighted Thomas has committed to stay with us through to the Euros in 2028,” said Bullingham.
“He was the right person for the job when he joined us for the World Cup campaign, and has only strengthened his reputation across the qualifiers...There is simply no better candidate available in world football.”
Tuchel, due to attend the Nations League draw in Brussels on Thursday, said in his first interview after succeeding Southgate that he wanted to add a “second star” to the England shirt by winning the 2026 World Cup.
The only major international tournament won by the England men’s team was when they triumphed on home soil at the 1966 World Cup, defeating the then West Germany in a Wembley final.
But they twice came close to ending that barren run under Southgate, losing in both the Euro 2020 and 2024 finals.
Tuchel’s England team eased through qualification, winning all eight matches in a group which also featured Albania, Serbia, Latvia and Andorra.
Tougher tests, however, await at the World Cup, with co-hosts Mexico in line to face England on home ground in the last 16 should Tuchel’s men top their group, with a possible quarter-final against five-time world champions Brazil to follow.
Tuchel was confirmed as the successor to Gareth Southgate in October 2024 and has overseen an unbeaten qualification run to this year’s World Cup in North America, with England winning all eight group games under their German boss.
“I am very happy and proud to extend my time with England,” said the 52-year-old former Chelsea manager in an FA statement.
“It is no secret to anyone that I have loved every minute so far of working with my players and coaches, and I cannot wait to lead them to the World Cup.
“It is an incredible opportunity and we are going to do our very best to make the country proud,” added Tuchel, whose previous England deal ran only until the end of this year’s global showpiece.
The FA said that the new agreement with Tuchel would provide “clarity and full focus” amid speculation about his future after the World Cup.
Tuchel had been previously touted as a possible permanent successor to sacked former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, even though the English giants have experienced an upturn in form under caretaker boss Michael Carrick.
But in signing a new England contract, Tuchel appears to have ruled himself out of a post-World Cup move to Old Trafford.
The FA added that Tuchel’s senior backroom team — Anthony Barry, Henrique Hilario, Nico Mayer and James Melbourne — had all also agreed contract extensions through to the end of Euro 2028.
“I have had so much support from (FA chief executive) Mark (Bullingham), all my colleagues at the FA and from fans wherever I go that I did not hesitate when asked to continue in this dream job,” said Tuchel.
’No better candidate’
Extending his contract ahead of this year’s World Cup in North America is a clear sign of the FA’s confidence in Tuchel, looking to guide the England men’s team to their first major trophy in six decades.
“I am delighted Thomas has committed to stay with us through to the Euros in 2028,” said Bullingham.
“He was the right person for the job when he joined us for the World Cup campaign, and has only strengthened his reputation across the qualifiers...There is simply no better candidate available in world football.”
Tuchel, due to attend the Nations League draw in Brussels on Thursday, said in his first interview after succeeding Southgate that he wanted to add a “second star” to the England shirt by winning the 2026 World Cup.
The only major international tournament won by the England men’s team was when they triumphed on home soil at the 1966 World Cup, defeating the then West Germany in a Wembley final.
But they twice came close to ending that barren run under Southgate, losing in both the Euro 2020 and 2024 finals.
Tuchel’s England team eased through qualification, winning all eight matches in a group which also featured Albania, Serbia, Latvia and Andorra.
Tougher tests, however, await at the World Cup, with co-hosts Mexico in line to face England on home ground in the last 16 should Tuchel’s men top their group, with a possible quarter-final against five-time world champions Brazil to follow.
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