Tyrese Maxey scores 42 points, 76ers outlast Rockets 131-127 without injured Joel Embiid

Tyrese Maxey scores 42 points, 76ers outlast Rockets 131-127 without injured Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, front center, drives to the basket as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, left, and forward Jae'Sean Tate, right, defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Houston. (AP)
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Updated 30 December 2023
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Tyrese Maxey scores 42 points, 76ers outlast Rockets 131-127 without injured Joel Embiid

Tyrese Maxey scores 42 points, 76ers outlast Rockets 131-127 without injured Joel Embiid
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, 17 in the decisive third quarter
  • Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence to score 31 points and feed Luke Kornet for the tiebreaking basket in Boston’s victory over Toronto

HOUSTON: Tyrese Maxey had 42 points and the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Houston Rockets 131-127 on Friday night.

Philadelphia superstar Joel Embiid was out for a third consecutive game with a sprained right ankle and will miss at least one more game with the 76ers ruling him out Saturday night at Chicago. Nicolas Batum sat out for a fifth game with a strained right hamstring.

Tobias Harris added 22 points for the 76ers. They won for the fourth time in five games and sent Houston to their third straight loss.

Fred VanVleet had 33 points and 10 rebounds for Houston. Jalen Green added 31 points and Alperen Sengun had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

THUNDER 119 NUGGETS 93

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, 17 in the decisive third quarter and Oklahoma City overcame another efficient shooting game from Nikola Jokic to beat Denver.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points or more for the fifth time this season and was four shy of his career best set last season. He was 14 of 20 from the field and made all 10 of his free throws.

Oklahoma City have won three straight and eight of its last 10 to surge past Denver in the Northwest Division. The Nuggets, who had their six-game winning streak snapped, have lost just three home games this season and the last two have come against the Thunder.

Jokic, who finished with 19 points, made 9 of 10 shots and over the last two games he is 20 of 21 from the field. Jokic had 10 rebounds but committed seven turnovers.

CELTICS 120 RAPTORS 118

Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence to score 31 points and feed Luke Kornet for the tiebreaking basket in Boston’s victory over Toronto.

After Scottie Barnes tied it at 116 with a 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining, Boston found Kornet for a dunk with 32 seconds left. Boston’s lead stood at 119-117 when Barnes drove down the lane but couldn’t finish. Down three after replay determined that a foul occurred before the final horn, Toronto’s Pascal Siakam went to the line with 1.4 seconds left. He made the first but missed the second as the Celtics melted away the remaining time.

The Celtics, who were without starters Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis along with key reserve Al Horford, are an NBA-leading 25-6 and 16-0 at home. Boston won its fifth straight and 10th game in 11 tries.

Barnes led Toronto with 30 points.

BUCKS 119 CAVALIERS 111

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 16 rebounds, Damian Lillard scored 24 of his 31 points in the second half and Milwaukee beat Cleveland.

Antetokounmpo and Lillard each scored 14 points in the pivotal third quarter when Milwaukee outscored Cleveland 40-21 to erase a 15-point deficit and take the lead for good. The Bucks have the third-best record in the league at 24-8.

Donovan Mitchell had 34 points, six rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland in his return from a four-game absence. Jarrett Allen scored a career-high 30 points on 15-of-17 shooting and had 12 rebounds and six assists.

SUNS 133 HORNETS 119

Devin Booker scored 35 points and Phoenix, with Bradley Beal back on the court, beat Charlotte to hand the Hornets their 10th consecutive loss.

Beal, who missed the previous five games because of a sprained right ankle, contributed four assists in the first quarter, when the Suns went ahead for good. He finished with seven assists, six points and three rebounds in 30 minutes.

Kevin Durant had 21 points and added 11 assists, and Booker had seven assists. In Phoenix’s 31st game of the season, it was just the second time that the Suns’ “Big 3” of Booker, Durant and Beal played a full game. They played together in a Dec. 13 home loss to Brooklyn. Beal was injured in the Suns’ next game against New York.

Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 42 points on 14-of-21 shooting, going 8 of 11 from 3-point range.

MAGIC 117 KNICKS 108

Franz Wagner had 32 points and nine rebounds, Paolo Banchero added 29 points and 10 rebounds and Orlando held off New York.

Jalen Suggs had 21 points and six assists before a franchise-record home crowd of 19,587. Wagner also had four nine steals.

Julius Randle had 38 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in New York’s third loss in four games. Jalen Brunson added 20 points and eight assists, but shot 4 for 15 and missed all four of his 3-points shots.

Both teams struggled from 3-point range, with New York shooting 6 for 30 and Orlando 7 for 33.

KINGS 117 HAWKS 110

De’Aaron Fox scored 26 of his 31 points in the second half and Sacramento overcame a 23-point, first-quarter deficit to beat Atlanta.

Domantas Sabonis had 25 points and 10 rebounds to help the Kings snap a two-game skid.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 24 points and matched a career high with five steals. Atlanta has lost four straight and 10 of 13.

WIZARDS 110 NETS 104

Deni Avdija had 21 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, Kyle Kuzma scored 26 points and Washington beat Brooklyn.

Tyus Jones added 12 points for the Wizards, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Outside of recent back-to-back victories over the Detroit Pistons, who have currently matched the worst losing streak in NBA history, Brooklyn has lost seven in a row.

Mikal Bridges scored 19 points for Brooklyn.


Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League
Updated 43 sec ago
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Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League
MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City’s players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games.
Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw.
After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned.
While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on.
Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head.
City’s players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium.
City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival.

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite
Updated 26 November 2024
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Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite
  • The 3 Saudi teams maintain stranglehold on 12-team Group B after matchday 5 of 8, with Al-Ahli top on 15 points, followed by Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr on 13
  • Riyadh side open scoring in 10th minute but Al-Sadd remain a threat throughout highly competitive encounter and the pressure pays off with an equalizer after 71 minutes

DOHA: A 1-1 draw with Al-Sadd in Qatar on Tuesday was enough for Al-Hilal to book their place in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League Elite with three group games to spare.
The three Saudi teams in the competition maintain their stranglehold on the 12-team Group B after the fifth round of games, with Al-Ahli topping the group on a maximum 15 points, two ahead of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. All three have already qualified for the last 16.
During a highly competitive encounter in Qatar, the result of which might have gone either way, Al-Sadd asked some tough questions of the visitors early on, perhaps aware of how Al-Khaleej came back from two goals down to defeat Al-Hilal 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
However, it was the men from Riyadh who opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Mohammed Kanno rose high at the near post to meet a Salem Al-Dawsari corner and flick it on to defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, who was waiting to slide the ball home from close range with the kind of goal-scoring instincts teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic would surely have been proud of.
Five minutes later, the Serbian striker himself had a great chance but headed over with the goal at his mercy. Marcos Leonardo came closer just before the break with a low shot from outside the box that goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham did well to get a hand to.
It was not all one-way traffic, however. Al-Sadd, winners of the Champions League in 2011, had a couple of good efforts in the first half, with Youcef Atal and Mohammed Camara asking the questions.
Early in the second half, Akram Afif — recently crowned the successor to Al-Dawsari as AFC Player of the Year — shot just wide from outside the box as he tried to get more into the game.
The tie was almost put beyond the home side on the hour mark but Mitrovic shot just wide from close range after Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a fierce cross from the left.
Al-Sadd, however, started to pile on the pressure and were rewarded with the equalizer in the 71st minute. Afif curled a low cross around the defense from the left and Paulo Otavio got to the ball just ahead of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Al-Sadd continued to press forward and looked the likelier of the two teams to score, with Tarek Salman heading against the crossbar with Bounou beaten.
There was still time, though for the video assistant referee to consider, and reject, three Al-Hilal shouts for penalties, the last of which came in the 15th minute of added time. Ultimately, though, the spoils were shared and that was enough for Al-Hilal on the night.


AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League
Updated 26 November 2024
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AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League
  • Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack
  • Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout

ROME: AC Milan followed up their win at Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory at last-place Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack. Then Rafael Leao restored the Rossoneri’s advantage after Tigran Barseghyan had equalized for Bratislava and Tammy Abraham quickly added another.
Nino Marcelli scored with a long-range strike in the 88th for Bratislava, which ended with 10 men.
Milan moved up to 10th place in the new single-league format and within sight of the automatic qualifying spots. Bratislava have lost all five of their matches.
Milan won 3-1 at Madrid in their previous match.
Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout
Argentina World Cup winner Julian Alvaraz scored twice, and Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0 to move up to ninth.
Alvaraz scored with a free kick 15 minutes in and Marcos Llorente added a long-range strike before the break. Alvaraz finished off a counterattack early in the second half after being set up by substitute Antoine Griezmann, who then marked his 100th Champions League game by getting on the scoresheet himself.
Angel Correa added a late brace for Atletico.
Atletico beat Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and extended their winning streak across all competitions to six matches.
Sparta remained in the elimination places with four points.
The top eight finishers in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February, while the bottom 12 teams are eliminated.


Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale

Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale
Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale

Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale
  • Saudi Arabia chased a target of 134 runs in 18.4 overs to end Thailand’s qualification hopes
  • Thailand was restricted to 133-7 in 20 overs after exceptional bowling from the player of the match, Zain Ul Abidin

Saudi Arabia registered their third win in a row in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier as they beat Thailand by five wickets in Qatar on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia chased a target of 134 runs in 18.4 overs to end Thailand’s qualification hopes. The Kingdom had a rough start to the tournament with consecutive losses in the first two matches. With this win, Saudi Arabia now have a chance to finish in the top two and qualify for the regional finals.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia invited Thailand to bat first at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. Thailand was restricted to 133-7 in 20 overs after exceptional bowling from the player of the match, Zain Ul Abidin.

The left-arm spinner gave away just 19 runs in his four-over spell with the wickets of Nitish Salekar and Udsak Saranonnakkun, both in the sixth over of the innings. His double wicket meant Thailand slumped to 46-3 in the powerplay.

Opener Akshyakumar Yadav fought a lone battle at the top of the batting order, scoring 60 runs. He hit seven fours and a six in his 51-ball innings. He received little support from skipper Austin Lazarus toward the end. Lazarus hit five fours and a six in his 25-ball 35.

Ul Abidin was supported by two wickets from Abdul Wahid and one each from Ishtiaq Ahmad and Waji Ul Hassan.

In reply, Saudi Arabia lost Wahid in the second over after he was caught behind for just six runs. A centurion in the previous match, Faisal Khan continued his hitting prowess with five fours and a six in his 34-run innings. Siddharth Sankar kept the runs flowing with a run-a-ball 37, which included three boundaries.

Saudi Arabia lost wickets at regular intervals, but Manan Ali and Ul Abidin saw them home. Both were unbeaten on identical 13 runs off 10 balls each. Nopphon Senamontree and Sarawit Maliwan took two wickets each while Salekar grabbed a wicket for Thailand.

The other match on the day saw Qatar concede a 29-run defeat against UAE, which means the Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar match could be a winner-takes-all match on the final day. The UAE, on the other hand, have booked their place in the regional finals with five wins out of five. They have an unassailable 10-point lead at the top and will face Bahrain on the final day.

Bahrain themselves are on six points and will need to beat the UAE to have any chance of qualification. The final round of fixtures will be played on Thursday with qualification hopefuls Qatar and Saudi Arabia facing each other. Qatar has eight points and Saudi Arabia has six, meaning a UAE win and their win in the final match will be enough as Saudi Arabia already has a superior run rate to Qatar.

Opener Khan was ecstatic with the result and was focused on the next match. “We got the result today and we are happy. Now our focus is on the next match. Like today, the match against Qatar is a final for us and inshallah, we will qualify for the next round,” he said.

The top two teams from this tournament will join the final round of regional qualifiers. Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spot from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals as they have qualified for the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup held in the US and West Indies. The regional qualifier will be played in Malaysia in August 2025.


TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador

TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador
Updated 26 November 2024
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TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador

TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador
  • Saudi government, SACF and people of Jeddah deserve much praise for their warm hospitality and support, says envoy
  • Event is a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah — SACF

RIYADH: The Indian Premier League mega auction held at Jeddah’s Abadi Al-Johar Arena highlights the enduring friendship between India and Saudi Arabia, the Indian ambassador has said.

Suhel Ajaz Khan hailed the event, from Nov. 24-25, as a significant milestone in the growing influence of cricket across the region.

“Cricket, as we all know, is more than just a sport,” he told Arab News. “It is a powerful connector, bringing people together across borders, cultures and languages. Today, the IPL has become a global spectacle — a platform where talent, ambition and passion for the game converge. But beyond the game itself, it is events like these that reflect the deepening relationship between India and Saudi Arabia, two nations whose partnership continues to strengthen on every front, from economic cooperation to cultural exchange.”

The envoy praised the Kingdom, Cricket Saudi and Jeddahwis for their tremendous support.

“The Saudi government and the people of Jeddah deserve a lot of praise and applause for their warm hospitality and support in hosting this remarkable event,” he said. “A lot of credit is also due to the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, who made this event possible.

“It was also heartening to see how the Saudi community, with its growing enthusiasm for cricket, had wholeheartedly embraced this event.”

The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as “a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.”

“Over the past two days Jeddah has witnessed an unprecedented sporting event by hosting the IPL mega auction at Abadi Al Johar Arena, as part of the Jeddah Calendar, becoming the first international cricket event to be held in the Kingdom,” it said in a statement.

The auction was attended by officials and sports fans. A total of 1,574 players went under the hammer, with 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players competing for a place in the world’s premier T20 league. Total spending amounted to around $76.7 million, said the SACF.

The mega auction concluded on Monday evening in the presence of Saudi Deputy Minister of Sport Bader bin Abdulrahman Al-Kadi, SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, and Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and chairman-elect of the International Cricket Council Jay Shah. Also present were international figures in the world of cricket, while a drone show lit up the Jeddah sky with slogans symbolizing the partnership between the Kingdom and India.