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Thunder beat Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals

Thunder beat Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Pascal Siakam (43) battle for the rebound during the third quarter of game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on June 8, 2025. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
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Updated 09 June 2025
AP
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Thunder beat Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals

Thunder beat Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals
Updated 09 June 2025
AP
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OKLAHOMA CITY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece.

Jalen Williams scored 19, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren finished with 15 for the Thunder. It was the franchise’s first finals game win since the opener of the 2012 series against Miami.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 for Indiana, which erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 but never made a push on Sunday. Myles Turner scored 16 and Pascal Siakam added 15 for the Pacers, the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a 20-point scorer in the first two games of the finals.

Game 3 is Wednesday at Indianapolis, in what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s first basket of the night was a history-maker: It gave him 3,000 points on the season, including the regular season and playoffs. And later in Game 2, he passed New York’s Jalen Brunson (514) as the leading overall scorer in these playoffs.

But the real milestone for the MVP came a couple hours later, when he and most everybody else on the Thunder got a finals win for the first time.

A 19-2 run in the second quarter turned what was a six-point game into a 23-point Thunder lead. It might have seemed wobbly a couple of times — an immediate 10-0 rebuttal by the Pacers made it 52-39, and Indiana was within 13 again after Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 7:09 left in the third — but the Thunder lead was never in serious doubt.

With the noise level in the building often topping 100 decibels — a chainsaw is 110 dB, for comparison purposes — the Thunder did what they’ve done pretty much all season. They came off a loss, this time a 111-110 defeat in Game 1, and blew somebody out as their response.

Including the NBA Cup title game, which doesn’t count in any standings, the Thunder are now 18-2 this season when coming off a loss. Of those 18 wins, 12 have been by double digits.

 

Topics: NBA Finals 2025 Pacers vs. Thunders

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Al-Nassr coach confident of victory over Al-Ahli in Saudi Super Cup final showdown in Hong Kong

Al-Nassr coach confident of victory over Al-Ahli in Saudi Super Cup final showdown in Hong Kong
Updated 22 August 2025
Arab News
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Al-Nassr coach confident of victory over Al-Ahli in Saudi Super Cup final showdown in Hong Kong

Al-Nassr coach confident of victory over Al-Ahli in Saudi Super Cup final showdown in Hong Kong
  • This year’s Saudi Super Cup is the first to be staged in East Asia
  • The tournament opened in Hong Kong on Tuesday
Updated 22 August 2025
Arab News

HONG KONG: Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus expressed confidence in his players’ ability to lift the Saudi Super Cup when they face Al-Ahli in Saturday’s final in Hong Kong, despite the absence of star forward Sadio Mane.

“On Saturday, Saudi football will be exposed to the whole world, we are expecting to see two excellent and exciting teams, which is great for the game in the country,” Jesus said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

“It’s a 50/50 match, but we want to win and return to Riyadh with the trophy.”

Spanish defender Inigo Martinez, who joined Al-Nassr from Barcelona this summer, said the team’s battling 2-1 semifinal victory over Al-Ittihad with 10 men had shown “a high level of fraternity.”

A La Liga champion last season, the center-back added: “I am really pleased and honored to have the chance to contest a final in just my second match for Al-Nassr. Our mission is to counter the aggression of our rivals; it will be difficult but we own the tools to win. Our team is ready; we’ll be united and adopt the same spirit as on Tuesday.”

On the opposite bench, Al-Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle said his side were fully focused on the small details that could decide the final.

“(Saturday’s) result cannot be predicted, but we must work on the small details in order to achieve our goal from the match, which is victory,” he said.

Acknowledging Al-Nassr’s heavy investment in recent seasons, Jaissle added: “They have made huge signings; you can just be realistic with that. They did an amazing job with a big budget. Therefore, it will be a huge challenge tomorrow.”

Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney said preparations for the match had been intense.

“The preparations were a bit crazy,” he admitted. “We will have a tough match against an opponent with distinguished players, especially in defense, but we will fight for victory. My teammates and I are fully prepared for this encounter.”

This year’s Saudi Super Cup is the first to be staged in East Asia. The tournament opened in Hong Kong on Tuesday, when Al-Nassr booked their place in the final with a hard-fought win over Al-Ittihad. Al-Ahli joined them with a commanding 5-1 victory against Al-Qadsiah.

Topics: football soccer Saudi Arabia Saudi Pro League SPL Al-Nassr SPL Al-Ahli

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Barca’s Flick unfazed by criticism of Yamal’s goal celebrations

Barca’s Flick unfazed by criticism of Yamal’s goal celebrations
Updated 22 August 2025
Reuters
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Barca’s Flick unfazed by criticism of Yamal’s goal celebrations

Barca’s Flick unfazed by criticism of Yamal’s goal celebrations
  • Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal sparked controversy with his regal goal celebration last week when he pretended to crown himself after scoring against Mallorca
Updated 22 August 2025
Reuters

BARCELONA: Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal sparked controversy with his regal goal celebration last week when he pretended to crown himself after scoring against Mallorca, but manager Hansi Flick on Friday brushed off criticism of his 18-year-old winger.

The gesture appeared to anoint Yamal as the new king after netting his first goal of the season in Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca, with the teenager having inherited the iconic number 10 shirt worn by many club greats in the past.

Yamal has found himself under scrutiny recently, with a Spanish disability rights group threatening legal action over reports of people with dwarfism being hired as entertainment at his 18th birthday party last month.

But Flick remains unfazed by the external noise surrounding his player.

“I don’t care what other people say about my team. Lamine is only 18 years old but he’s a fantastic footballer,” Flick told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game away at Levante.

“I will help him to grow in the right way. But what I can see here, his behavior is very good.”

Robert Lewandowski is expected to return to the squad after the veteran striker, who turned 37 on Thursday, missed the LaLiga opener with an injury.

However, he will be competing with Ferran Torres to lead the line.

“We will see, we have some thoughts about how the match is going and what we can change, but at the end we have different options at number nine,” Flick said.

“Ferran scored a goal (against Mallorca) and it’s the best argument to play again. We will try and include Robert if it’s possible.”

Flick also suggested England forward Marcus Rashford could be deployed as a striker after he made his Barca debut as a second-half substitute.

“Rashford gives us some more options. He’s more familiar with the number 11 (position on the wing) but his strengths, his first touch, his speed — he is really helpful for our game,” Flick said.

“We can enjoy a fantastic Marcus Rashford this season, 100 percent.”

Flick said he hopes to have all players registered next week as Barcelona navigate LaLiga’s financial constraints.

The German also insisted on retaining midfielder Fermin Lopez, who had eight goals and 10 assists last season, amid transfer speculation.

“I don’t want to lose any players now because I think it will be a tough season and we need this quality from Fermin. He was doing really good last season and also when we started the new season,” Flick said.

“I’m happy with him, the players — I want to keep everyone here because the options we have now are very good.”

Topics: Barcelona FC

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Isak will not play against Liverpool, as ‘lose-lose’ situation continues

Isak will not play against Liverpool, as ‘lose-lose’ situation continues
Updated 22 August 2025
Reuters
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Isak will not play against Liverpool, as ‘lose-lose’ situation continues

Isak will not play against Liverpool, as ‘lose-lose’ situation continues
  • Newcastle responded by saying there had been no commitment to sell the 25-year-old who is under contract until 2028
Updated 22 August 2025
Reuters

Newcastle United’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak will not be in the squad when they host Premier League champions Liverpool on Monday, said boss Eddie Howe, who called the tense standoff a “lose-lose” situation.

Isak was the subject of a 110 million pounds ($148.34 million) bid from Liverpool earlier this month, according to media reports, and in a social media post on Tuesday accused Newcastle of breaking promises.

Newcastle responded by saying there had been no commitment to sell the 25-year-old who is under contract until 2028.

“There’s been no change,” Howe told reporters on Friday. “It’s a lose-lose situation. I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation.”

Should Isak still be under contract at Newcastle when the transfer window closes on September 1, Howe said he and the players would welcome him back into the squad.

“I have no doubt about how the players will feel. They will feel the same way I do. Alex is a fantastic player, he’s a good person, a good character and a good lad,” Howe said. “If Alex wanted to come back and play for us, the players would welcome him.

“100 percent I want to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.”

Howe said he has not seen Isak, who is not training with the team, this week, adding that conversation between the two has otherwise been normal.

“There’s no issues there. Of course it’s a difficult situation from both sides and it’s far from ideal for both parties,” he said. “When we bump in to each other, we speak but as I say I’ve not seen him this week as he’s training later on and detached from the group.”

When asked about the public statements from Isak and the club earlier this week, the manager said he prefers that “it doesn’t happen publicly.”

“Everything is better dealt with behind closed doors but in this situation, needs must and in this situation the club has spoken and justifiably so in that moment,” he added.

Howe is confident Newcastle’s supporters could forgive Isak if he comes back into the team.

“The supporters will always react off how a player plays and what he gives the team,” Howe said. “There is always two sides to every story.”

Topics: Liverpool

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ABA League’s MVP McKinley Wright IV touches down in Dubai ahead of new season

ABA League’s MVP McKinley Wright IV touches down in Dubai ahead of new season
Updated 22 August 2025
Arab News
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ABA League’s MVP McKinley Wright IV touches down in Dubai ahead of new season

ABA League’s MVP McKinley Wright IV touches down in Dubai ahead of new season
  • 26-year-old American is second addition to 2025-26 roster ahead of EuroLeague debut
Updated 22 August 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: Reigning ABA League MVP (most valuable player) and league finalist McKinley Wright IV has joined the Dubai Basketball squad for pre-season training. The 26-year-old American is Dubai Basketball’s second addition to the 2025-26 roster ahead of their EuroLeague debut.

Wright said: “(It) feels great, man. I’m excited for this opportunity.

“I’m excited to be here to meet some of the guys that are here so far. I’m excited for my family to be able to come out here and enjoy this experience, and the opportunity for myself. I’m looking forward to it.”

As Dubai Basketball count down to their EuroLeague debut, Wright stressed his aim to also play in the ABA League, where he was awarded the 2024-25 MVP.

He said: “Obviously I want to win the ABA League championship and qualify for the EuroLeague playoffs in the first year. Those are big goals, big team-orientated goals. And for myself personally, (I’ll) just try to stay afloat and continue to be me and be successful and do what I do.”

Wright, who played in Dubai last season as a visitor, said the city was also a major factor in his decision.

“The facilities, the atmosphere when we played here; it was beautiful,” he said. “The scenery outside, and I thought about my family too and things they’ll be able to do outside of basketball in the city.

“I have a lot of opportunities to get out and enjoy myself and have fun. I think that’s big for me and for my kids to be able to do something besides come to the gym and watch me play basketball. All of that came into play, and it was the perfect decision for me.”

Known for his intensity and leadership, Wright promised to bring the same qualities to his club.

He said: “(I’ll) just try to come in and be me. Don’t take a step back, just try to keep building off the joy and the success that I had last year. I (will) bring a lot of energy every night, be a vocal leader, and I promise to bring a lot of wins here.”

EuroLeague hosts its season’s opener in Dubai on Sept. 30 against Partizan at Coca-Cola Arena, and Wright said: “I’m sure there’ll be ups and downs just like there are every season.

“I’m battle-tested so it’s nothing that I can’t do. I’m excited for this opportunity, and I know that I can play at this level. So, I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait till Sept. 30.”

Topics: basketball Dubai

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Red Bull and KW25 to tender for new FIA World Rally Championship commercial rights
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Red Bull and KW25 to tender for new FIA World Rally Championship commercial rights

Red Bull and KW25 to tender for new FIA World Rally Championship commercial rights
Updated 22 August 2025
Arab News
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Red Bull and KW25 to tender for new FIA World Rally Championship commercial rights

Red Bull and KW25 to tender for new FIA World Rally Championship commercial rights
  • FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says WRC has enormous potential, with new younger audiences driving its global growth  
Updated 22 August 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: The FIA has announced that it will have a tender process for the commercial rights of the FIA World Rally Championship, which ends this season in Saudi Arabia.

This follows extensive discussions by the FIA, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, with Red Bull and KW25, the current rights holders.

The FIA World Rally Championship has surged in popularity in recent years, with a cumulative television audience of 1.3 billion, and over 4 million on-site visitors in 2024.

The next round of the championship is on Aug. 28 at the Rally del Paraguay, which is making its debut as a host country this year.  The WRC Rally Saudi Arabia, another debut event, rounds of the championship in Jeddah from Nov. 26 to 29.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA’s president, said in a statement: “The FIA World Rally Championship is at an exciting moment in its history. Millions of fans around the world are following the action, and new, younger audiences are driving its global growth.”

He added: “This process is an important step and will shape the long-term vision for the WRC, and I am confident that, together with the right partner, we can take the championship to the next level, preserve its proud heritage, and grow its global reach for generations of fans to come.”

In the statement, the FIA said its priority is to ensure that the WRC delivers value to all its stakeholders, including drivers, teams, manufacturers, organizers and fans, while also preserving its strong heritage.

J.P. Morgan, the global financial services company, will be acting as advisor to Red Bull and KW25 through the tender process.

Malcolm Wilson, the FIA’s deputy president for sport, said: “The FIA World Rally Championship is the longest-running motorsport series of its kind, one of the most thrilling competitions in the world, with a unique heritage and an exciting growth trajectory ahead.

“The tender process for the commercial rights holder is a big opportunity for a new enterprise to take the Championship into its next chapter with renewed energy and investment.”

Topics: Red Bull FIA World Rally

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