Kawhi Leonard recorded 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and the Los Angeles Clippers took a 2-1 series lead with a convincing 117-83 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at Inglewood, California
James Harden had 20 points – all in the first half – to go with nine assists and six rebounds, while Norman Powell also scored 20 for the fifth-seeded Clippers. Ivica Zubac registered 19 points and nine rebounds as Los Angeles won its second straight in the best-of-seven, first-round series.
Denver star Nikola Jokic recorded 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his 20th career postseason triple-double. Jamal Murray also scored 23 points and Aaron Gordon added 15 points and seven rebounds for the fourth-seeded Nuggets.
“We got to build off of this,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. “It’s only two (victories). Today, I liked our approach and I like what we did defensively. It’s still going to be a tough series. It’s not over because we had a blowout. It’s only one (game). So we have to be ready to come out on Saturday.”
Game 4 is Saturday night on the Clippers’ home floor.
Russell Westbrook (left foot inflammation) sat out the second half for Denver.
The Clippers shot 48.2 percent from the field, including 18 of 39 from 3-point range. Nicolas Batum had 12 points and three blocked shots, and fellow reserve Derrick Jones Jr. had 10 points. Los Angeles held a 48-38 rebounding advantage.
Denver made 40.3 percent of its attempts and was 7 of 26 from behind the arc.
Harden and Batum each made three 3-pointers in the first half and Los Angeles was 12 of 22 from deep to hold a 65-47 halftime lead.
“We got a contribution from everybody,” said Harden. “Everybody made shots, we played as a team.”
Denver led 26-19 after Murray’s layup with 3:15 remaining in the first quarter.
The Clippers then ignited with a 23-2 run. They led 35-28 after the opening quarter and ended their spurt with seven straight points in the second quarter to lead by 14.
The Nuggets later moved within 50-40 on Westbrook’s 3-pointer with 6:23 left in the second quarter, before Los Angeles ripped off the next eight points to hold an 18-point advantage.
“We got what we deserved,” said Nuggets interim coach David Adelman. “We’ll reassess tonight, watch the film. ... Bottom line: This was not good enough. This was not our standard in any way.”
A basket by Zubac early in the third quarter gave the Clippers a 72-50 lead. Powell, who scored 12 points in the third quarter, later converted a three-point play to make it 85-60 with 3:35 left in the period.
Denver used a 10-2 run to creep within 17 late in the third quarter. But Batum drilled a trey with 7.3 seconds left as the Clippers took a 90-70 lead into the final stanza.
The Nuggets scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles ended the game with a 14-1 burst to make the final score even more one-sided.
Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers’ rout of Nuggets for series lead
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Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers’ rout of Nuggets for series lead
- Kawhi Leonard records 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists
- Game 4 is Saturday night on the Los Angeles Clippers’ home floor
Al-Hilal keep slim Saudi Pro League title hopes alive with comfortable win
- 4-0 home victory over relegation battlers Al-Orobah leaves the reigning champions 6 points adrift of leaders Al-Ittihad, with just 3 games remaining
Al-Hilal defeated Al-Orobah 4-0 on Monday to keep their slim Saudi Pro League title hopes alive. The reigning champions are six points behind leaders Al-Ittihad with just three games remaining.
After the Jeddah giants enjoyed a comfortable win on Sunday, defeating Al-Fayha 3-0 at home, the pressure was on their Riyadh rivals, also playing at home. Interim coach Mohammed Al-Shalhoub, who took over this month after the departure of Jorge Jesus, knew that only a win would do against the relegation battlers.
As expected, the Blues attacked from the start but the visitors defended deeply and in numbers. Hamad Al-Yami almost put the home side ahead at the midway point of the first half. After making a run on the right side, he was picked out by a fine floated pass from Ruben Neves but the full-back, stretching at close range, could not get enough power on his shot.
The home fans, who failed to turn up in large numbers, did not have to wait for much longer before the deadlock was broken, however. Salem Al-Dawsari has been in fine goal-scoring form of late, but just before the half-hour mark he turned provider with a perfect cross from the left side of the penalty area for Aleksandar Mitrovic, unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box, to steer home. Just before half-time, the goalscorer went down in the box under a challenge but the referee waved play on.
The attacks continued after the restart and the task Al-Orobah faced became more difficult within two minutes when Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi was shown a straight red for a reckless challenge on Malcom.
On the hour, Mohammed Kanno’s fierce effort from outside the area stung the palms of Gaetan Coucke and, despite the lead and the extra-man advantage, there was always a chance that the visitors might grab a goal that could all but hand the trophy to Al-Ittihad.
However, Al-Hilal effectively sealed the win in the 65th minute, thanks to that man Al-Dawsari, who scored a typically classy goal. Cutting in from the left, he exchanged swift passes with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as he moved into the area and then lifted a perfect chip over the advancing goalkeeper.
Two late goals added to the ultimately emphatic nature of the victory: Kaio Cesar scored from the spot in the 90th minute and then grabbed another two minutes later.
The title still seems likely to be heading to Jeddah but Al-Hilal are at least showing they will not be just handing it over without a fight.
IPL to resume on May 17 after India-Pakistan ceasefire
- The Pakistan Super League has yet to announce a date for resumption
- Pakistan initially decided to move the last eight PSL games to the UAE
The Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, suspended for a week amid fighting between India and Pakistan, will resume on May 17 following the announcement of a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbors, organizers said on Monday.
The IPL governing council took the decision to suspend the tournament last Friday after consulting franchises and players as India and Pakistan extended their worst fighting in nearly three decades.
The IPL still has 12 group matches left, which will be played in the cities of Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
“After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the Board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season,” India’s cricket board, BCCI, said in a statement.
“A total of 17 matches will be played across 6 venues, starting May 17, 2025, and culminating in the final on June 3, 2025. The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will be played on two Sundays.
“Venue details for the playoff matches will be announced at a later stage.”
An IPL match in Dharamsala on May 8 was abandoned midway through, with organizers citing a power outage, while another game at the same north Indian city was shifted to Ahmedabad because of the border tensions before being postponed.
A number of non-Indian players left the country after the league’s suspension.
The Pakistan Super League has yet to announce a date for its resumption.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially decided to move the last eight PSL games to the United Arab Emirates, but last week said it had postponed the matches on the advice of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
India and Pakistan have clashed since India struck multiple locations in Pakistan that it said were “terrorist camps” in retaliation for the deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, in which it said Islamabad was involved.
Pakistan denied the accusation but both countries exchanged cross-border firing and shelling, sent drones and missiles into each other’s airspace and left dozens of people dead.
A fragile ceasefire was holding between the neighbors after the agreement was reached on Saturday, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States.
Brazil signs Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti 1 year ahead of 2026 World Cup
- CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues: ‘Bringing Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement that we are determined to recover the top of the podium’
- Rodrigues: ‘He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer’
SAO PAULO: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave the Spanish club and take over as coach of Brazil’s national team, the Brazilian soccer federation said Monday.
The 65-year-old Ancelotti, who will be Brazil’s first full-time foreign coach in a century, is still under contract with Madrid. The last round of the Spanish league will be on May 25 and the CBF said in a statement that he will officially take over Brazil the following day.
“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement to the world that we are determined to recover the top of the podium,” CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement. “He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer.”
Rodrigues said Ancelotti will take charge of Brazil’s next two fixtures in South American World Cup qualifying, with his debut at Ecuador on June 5th and five days later in front of home fans against Paraguay in Sao Paulo.
Ancelotti’s contract with Madrid ends next year but is expected to be terminated early.
He will replace Dorival Junior, who held the job for 14 months and was fired in March after a 4-1 defeat at Argentina. Brazil lags in 4th position in World Cup qualifying after 14 matches and has its 33-year-old star Neymar still in difficulties to return to top form after an ACL injury in 2023.
The top six teams will secure direct spots in next year’s tournament.
Ancelotti leaves Madrid after a frustrating season in which the team did not defend its European title and saw rival Barcelona win the
Copa del Rey and get close to securing the league title after a 4-3 victory over Madrid on Sunday.
The Italian coach and Real Madrid are yet to comment on CBF’s announcement.
Ancelotti’s signing ends a turbulent time on Brazil’s bench since Tite left after the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals elimination against Croatia. Under-20 coach Ramon Menezes and Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz took charge for several matches as Rodriguez sought Ancelotti to become coach.
Menezes and Diniz both fared poorly, and Ancelotti extended his deal with Madrid during that span. Dorival Júnior was then chosen in 2024 to take the team to the World Cup, but he was also fired after the same lack of success and unimpressive performances.
Former Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus, a 70-year-old Portuguese who won several titles with Brazil’s Flamengo in 2019, was the favorite to take the Brazil job until Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal earlier in April.
Brazil will be Ancelotti’s first international experience as full-time coach. He was an assistant to Arrigo Sacchi in the 1994 World Cup as Italy lost to Brazil in the final on penalties.
That ended a 24-year World Cup title drought for Brazil, the same time frame it will face next year in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ancelotti, who won Serie A titles as a player with Roma and AC Milan plus two European titles with the latter as a creative midfielder, started his full-time coaching career in 1995 at Italy’s Reggiana.
He’s also coached Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton, winning titles in Italy, England, Spain, France and Germany.
He twice won the Champions League with Milan 2003 and 2007, and added three more titles with Real Madrid in 2014, 2022 and last year.
Ancelotti will be only the second foreign coach to take Brazil into an international tournament.
The first was Uruguayan Ramon Platero, who coached Brazil in the 1925 South American championship, the predecessor of the current Copa America. He was on the job for 19 days and four matches of a round-robin competition with Paraguay and Argentina, with two wins, one loss and one draw in the final with Argentina, who lifted the title.
Portuguese coach Jorge Gomes de Lima, known as Joreca, shared Brazil’s coach position with local Flavio Costa in two friendly victories over Uruguay in 1944.
And in 1965 Argentine coach Filpo Nunez coached Brazil for one day. Nunez was Palmeiras’ coach, and Brazil’s soccer body chose the Sao Paulo-based club to play with national team shirts in a friendly against Uruguay in the opening of the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte. The hosts won 3-0.
The announcement of Ancelotti’s departure came a day after Madrid lost its fourth straight match to Barcelona this season, falling seven points behind the Catalan rival with three rounds remaining.
Former player Xabi Alonso is widely expected to take over the club’s helm after he confirmed his departure from Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso led Leverkusen to an unprecedented German league and cup double last year in his first full season after taking over the team when it was in the Bundesliga’s relegation zone the season before. He starred as a player as Madrid won a Spanish league title in 2012 and the 2014 Champions League before leaving for three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
Madrid still has to play in the upcoming Club World Cup beginning next month.
Al-Hilal host Al-Orobah at Kingdom Arena
- Both teams head into the match looking to extend their winning streaks — Al-Hilal defeated Al-Raed 5-3, while Al-Orobah overcame Al-Riyadh 4-2
- Two sides have previously faced off five times in the Pro League, Al-Hilal winning four of those encounters, while Al-Orobah claimed one victory
RIYADH: Al-Hilal host Al-Orobah in a first meeting between the two sides at the Kingdom Arena at 7:05pm today, Monday, as part of Round 31 of the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League).
Both teams head into the match looking to extend their winning streaks — Al-Hilal defeated Al-Raed 5-3, while Al-Orobah overcame Al-Riyadh 4-2 in the previous round.
The two sides have previously faced off five times in the Pro League, with no matches ending in a draw. Al-Hilal won four of those encounters, while Al-Orobah claimed one victory.
In their most recent clash, which took place at Al-Jouf University Stadium in Round 13 of the first half of the season, Al-Hilal recorded their largest-ever win over Al-Orobah, scoring five goals.
Interim Al-Hilal coach Mohammed Al-Shalhoub aims to secure all three points and maintain pressure on league leaders Al-Ittihad, who currently sit six points ahead. He is expected to rely on the same lineup that faced Al-Raed, with the return of Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo.
On the other side, Al-Orobah’s Spanish coach Antonio Cazorla hopes to win and move away from the relegation zone, counting on key players including Syrian striker Omar Al-Somah, Spaniard Cristian Tello, and Jordanian defender Muhannad Abu Taha.
Al-Hilal currently sit second in the league table with 65 points, while Al-Orobah is in 16th place with 30 points.
And at 9:00pm Al-Okhdood’s football team will be aiming for their first-ever victory over Al-Nassr at Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Najran.
The two teams have met three times in the Pro League, with Al-Nassr winning all three matches. Al-Okhdood is now seeking their first victory against the Yellow team in the top flight.
Al-Okhdood currently sit in 17th place — second from bottom — with 28 points, and is fighting to avoid relegation. The team will be missing one of its key players, Brazilian midfielder Petros Matheus, due to injury.
On the other hand, Al-Nassr is in fourth place in the league table with 60 points and is looking to bounce back from a 3-2 home defeat to Al-Ittihad in the previous round.
It’s worth noting that the first-leg match between the two sides ended in a 3-1 victory for Al-Nassr, with Sadio Mane scoring twice and Cristiano Ronaldo adding a goal, while Saviour Godwin scored Al-Okhdood’s goal.
Crown prince congratulates Al-Ahli on historic Asian Elite Champions League win
- Praises Al-Ahli for exceptional performance, professionalism
- Victory vital to boost Saudi’s growing stature in global sports
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Al-Ahli on Monday for winning the 2025 Asian Elite Champions League.
At a reception here, the crown prince met with Sport Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al-Misehal, Al-Ahli Club Chairman Dr. Khaled Al-Issa Al-Ghamdi, and several of the club’s staff and players.
The crown prince congratulated the team on their historic victory and praised them for their exceptional performance and professionalism.
He stressed the importance of hard work to elevate Saudi Arabia’s profile in the global sports arena.
Al-Ahli’s continental success marks a major milestone in the club’s history and comes amid Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in sports and culture as a part of Vision 2030.
