Davis leads Lakers comeback over Bucks in overtime thriller

Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis knocks the ball from Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the second overtime of an NBA basketball game Tuesday in Milwaukee. The Lakers won 128-124 in double overtime. (AP)
Short Url
Updated 27 March 2024
Follow

Davis leads Lakers comeback over Bucks in overtime thriller

  • Davis finished with 34 points, 23 rebounds and two assists while also making four blocks in a towering defensive display
  • Golden State Warriors boosted their hopes of reaching the postseason with a huge 113-92 victory over the Miami Heat on the road

LOS ANGELES: Anthony Davis led a stunning late fightback as the Los Angeles Lakers overturned a 19-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-124 in double overtime on Tuesday.

With LeBron James ruled out through injury, a banged-up Davis spent nearly 52 minutes on court to rally the Lakers to victory against an in-form Bucks side who went into the clash on a six-game winning streak.

Davis finished with 34 points, 23 rebounds and two assists while also making four blocks in a towering defensive display.

The Lakers veteran was backed offensively by Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell, who both finished with 29 points apiece.

Reaves bagged only the second triple-double of his career, with 14 rebounds and 10 assists to go alongside his 29 points.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, were left wondering where it all went wrong after leading the game from the start of the first quarter until the Lakers tied it up at 101-101 courtesy of two free throws from Taurean Prince with 44 seconds remaining.

Two see-saw periods of overtime saw the lead go back and forth until a 28-foot Reaves three-pointer and two free throws from Russell gave the Lakers a decisive 126-121 advantage with 14 seconds remaining.

Malik Beasley’s three-pointer closed the gap to two points for Milwaukee but two more Davis free throws sealed victory.

“That was a hell of a team win right there,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said afterwards.

“The guys did it — they banded together once again and competed their asses off. It was a great way to start off a six-game road trip.”

Reaves meanwhile saluted Davis’ battling performance. The 31-year-old was clearly struggling for mobility for much of the game after injuring a knee in a collision with Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton.

“He just wanted to continue to battle with us,” Reaves said of Davis. “Any time he’s on the court he’s making an impact.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee’s scorers with 29 points while Damian Lillard finished with 27.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, meanwhile, said his team paid the price for not putting the game out of reach after twice opening up double-digit leads.

“When you have team down 18 points, you have a chance to take that lead to 30, and we didn’t do that,” Rivers said.

“Instead we let it go from 18 to 10; and that gave them hope. It will be a good lesson for us.”

The victory leaves the Lakers firmly on track for at least a place in the play-in tournament. The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 40-32 record. The Bucks remain second in the Eastern Conference despite falling to 46-26.

In other games on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors boosted their hopes of reaching the postseason with a huge 113-92 victory over the Miami Heat on the road.

Klay Thompson produced 28 points off the bench, including six three-pointers, while Jonathan Kuminga added 18. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins added 17 apiece as the Warriors improved to 37-34 to remain 10th in the West.

In New Orleans meanwhile, Oklahoma City Thunder kept up the pressure on Western Conference leaders Denver with a 119-112 win over the Pelicans.

Zion Williamson finished with 29 points and 10 assists for New Orleans, but the Thunder’s balanced offense saw them home for a win which leaves them half a game back from Denver in the West at 50-21.

Jalen Williams finished with 26 points, while Josh Giddey added 25 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 24 for the Thunder.


Pakistan’s army chief vows full support for hockey team after silver medal win in Malaysia

Updated 10 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan’s army chief vows full support for hockey team after silver medal win in Malaysia

  • The national hockey team reached the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final for the first time in 13 years
  • The Pakistani players were also hosted and praised by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir vowed on Friday to fully support the national hockey team while meeting with its players and applauding them for winning a silver medal in the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also hosted the Green Shirts in Islamabad in recognition of their outstanding performance at the tournament, where they reached the finals for the first time in 13 years.

Sharif praised the team’s performance and reiterated his administration’s commitment to promoting sports, particularly hockey, in the country.

The army chief also praised the squad during the interaction with its players in Rawalpindi.

“The hockey team has brought immense pride to the nation, and we are committed to providing them with comprehensive support to ensure their continued success,” he was quoted as saying in a statement released by the military’s media wing, ISPR.

He also extended his best wishes to the players for their future endeavors.

Cricket has generally overshadowed other sports in Pakistan, including hockey, in terms of popularity and media attention.

This is despite the fact that hockey is the country’s national sport and has a rich history of international success. Yet, it has not received the same level of sustained interest or investment as cricket, with the disparity impacting its development and visibility within the country.


England captain Buttler buoyed by return of ‘superstar’ Archer ahead of Pakistan series

Updated 28 min 25 sec ago
Follow

England captain Buttler buoyed by return of ‘superstar’ Archer ahead of Pakistan series

  • Injuries have blighted Jofra Archer and he has not played top-level cricket for the past year
  • Buttler says he relies on Archer who has a trick up his sleeve in every cricket tournament

LONDON: England white-ball captain Jos Buttler is glad to see “proper superstar” Jofra Archer back in action following the fast bowler’s wicket-taking return to action for Sussex’s 2nd XI.

Injuries have blighted Archer’s international career and he has not played top-level cricket for the past year.

England, however, have recalled Archer for the defense of their T20 World Cup title in the United States and the West Indies next month, with the paceman also selected for the upcoming warm-up series against Pakistan.

Archer continued his build-up to the four-game series against Pakistan by turning out for Sussex’s second string on Friday.

He was parachuted into the match on day four, taking the new ball and returning figures of 1-11 in six sharp overs in Kent’s second innings at Beckenham.

The 29-year-old, previously playing domestic cricket in his native Barbados, hit home opener Ekansh Singh on the helmet and then had him caught in the slips.

Archer will join the England squad in Leeds ahead of the first Twenty20 international against Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday.

Buttler, who returned early from the Indian Premier League to oversee England’s World Cup preparations, told Britain’s Press Association news agency: “It’s a huge encouragement for him to be back and see him ready to play.

“Everyone knows what he is capable of and the attitude he possesses. As a captain he is someone you can always turn to in a game because he always has a trick up his sleeve.

“It’s great to be able to call on him but it’s important to manage expectations. He has been out of it for a while now so we will need to look after him and realize that it might just take him a little while to be the Jofra of 2019.”

Dynamic batsman Buttler added: “He is a proper superstar but we do have to be smart with him. It’s a jump in intensity from what he’s doing now to international cricket and you can’t really replicate it.”


Slot confirms he will replace Klopp as Liverpool manager

Updated 40 min 41 sec ago
Follow

Slot confirms he will replace Klopp as Liverpool manager

  • “There hasn’t be an official announcement yet — but I don’t think it will come as news to you that I will be coach there next season,” Slot told reporters.
  • The BBC said last month that Slot’s deal to replace Klopp was worth up to £9.4 million

THE HAGUE: Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he would be replacing Jurgen Klopp as manager of Liverpool next season.
“There hasn’t be an official announcement yet — but I don’t think it will come as news to you that I will be coach there next season,” Slot told reporters.
The BBC said last month that Slot’s deal to replace Klopp was worth up to £9.4 million (10.9 million euros).
“The feeling that I’m leaving here is getting stronger. There are some people you don’t simply just want to shake hands with,” Slot said ahead of his last game at the club.
“At those times, it’s not about whether you have become a champion or won the cup, but more about the appreciation between people,” he added.
Slot moved to Feyenoord in 2021 after impressing in his first managerial role at AZ Alkmaar.
He led the Dutch giants to the inaugural Europa Conference League final at the end of his first season, in which they narrowly lost 1-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Slot then delivered just a second league title in 24 years to De Kuip last season before penning a new three-year deal.
“You can see people are genuinely sorry you are leaving,” he said.
“You can say that with words, but when you see it in people’s faces, it affects me quite a lot.”
The Feyenoord club website said a farewell party was being organized at the raucous De Kuip stadium after Slot’s final game, against Excelsior.
Feyenoord have enjoyed a strong season, winning the Dutch Cup and coming second to an all-conquering PSV Eindhoven side with one game remaining.
But Slot has only lost two league games all season and noted: “If we win (on Sunday), we will have 84 points and we will be the second best Feyenoord team in club history.”
Under Slot, Feyenoord have delighted the fans in De Kuip with an attacking brand of football and the 45-year-old won praise from Klopp himself.
“I like the way his team plays football. If he is the one, I like that he wants it,” Klopp told reporters last month.
“It’s the best job in the world, best club in the world. Great job, great team, fantastic people. A really interesting job,” said Klopp.
Liverpool captain and fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk has also hailed Slot’s attacking mindset, saying it would suit the philosophy at Anfield.
“I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach,” said Van Dijk.
A fan of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Slot was a slick forward as a player with a reputation as an accurate passer of the ball — so much so he has a move named after him.
The Arne Slot Pass is a slight deflection from a forward with his back to goal which splits the defense and releases a winger running off the ball.
Klopp will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of this season after a nine-year reign which brought the Champions League title in 2019 and Premier League trophy a year later.
Initially, Bayer Leverkusen boss and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso had been the favorite to succeed Klopp.
However, Alonso has committed to staying at Leverkusen after leading them to a first-ever Bundesliga title.


Zverev equals Becker record to reach Rome Open final

Updated 17 May 2024
Follow

Zverev equals Becker record to reach Rome Open final

  • World number five Zverev battled back to see off the Chilean 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in their semifinal
  • By making Sunday’s championship match, the 27-year-old Zverev has tied Becker’s record for the most Masters finals by a German since the series began in 1990

ROME: Germany’s Alexander Zverev equalled compatriot Boris Becker’s record by reaching an 11th Masters final on Friday when he ended the Rome Open giant-killing run of Alejandro Tabilo.
World number five Zverev, who lifted the Rome trophy in 2017, battled back to see off the Chilean 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in their semifinal.
The 26-year-old Tabilo had shocked Novak Djokovic in the third round and the 32nd-ranked player showed little fear of Zverev until he began to play more passively in the second set tie-break.
Third seed Zverev then raced through the decider to make the Rome final for the third time.
“I was just hanging on in the second set. I brought my energy up. I was really just hanging on and waiting and the patience was kind of good today,” Zverev said on court.
“He hit me off the court in the first set and I did not play well at all, but he was a big reason why. He gave me no rhythm and I am happy I turned it around in the tie-break and ran away in the third set.”
In Sunday’s final, he will take on either another Chilean in Nicolas Jarry or Tommy Paul of the United States.
By making Sunday’s championship match, the 27-year-old Zverev has tied Becker’s record for the most Masters finals by a German since the series began in 1990.


Unbeaten Leverkusen facing three finals in a week, says Alonso

Updated 17 May 2024
Follow

Unbeaten Leverkusen facing three finals in a week, says Alonso

  • Leverkusen are on a season-long unbeaten run of 50 games, already breaking a 59-year-old UEFA record
  • Alonso’s men face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-division Kaiserslautern three days later

BERLIN: Unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are facing three finals in one week in their bid for a treble, coach Xabi Alonso said on Friday.
Leverkusen are on a season-long unbeaten run of 50 games, already breaking a 59-year-old UEFA record.
Leverkusen can become the first ‘invincible’ team in Bundesliga history by avoiding defeat at home against Augsburg on Saturday.
Alonso’s men face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-division Kaiserslautern three days later.
“Tomorrow is our first final,” Alonso said. “We can achieve something historic.
“To stay unbeaten in the Bundesliga — we’ll be the first team and we’ll be a part of history.”
Leverkusen will be presented with the Bundesliga trophy for the first time in their history after Saturday’s match.
Long derided as “Neverkusen” for often finishing second and never winning a top-flight crown, Leverkusen are close to a remarkable treble.
“(We are) not thinking about Wednesday (Europa League final) — we’re thinking about tomorrow and about Augsburg,” Alonso insisted.
The Spaniard, who is in his first full season as a head coach, said his players “don’t have time” to celebrate “too much” on Saturday.
“We can celebrate with our fans, but from Monday we need to be fully focused on our final week.
“They’re professional and I don’t need to tell them. We need to be intelligent.”
Alonso said star midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has not started in the league for five games, had overcome a leg injury and “can start” against Augsburg.
“There are no limitations for tomorrow. He feels much better and doesn’t have any pain.”