Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122

Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122
Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his third straight triple-double to lead the Denver Nuggets past the Miami Heat 135-122 Friday night. (AP)
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Updated 09 November 2024
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Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122

Nikola Jokic’s third straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Heat 135-122
  • Jamal Murray had 28 points and became the first player in Nuggets franchise history with 1,000 career 3-pointers

DENVER: Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his third straight triple-double to lead the Denver Nuggets past the Miami Heat 135-122 Friday night.
The triple-double was Jokic’s NBA-best fifth of the season.
After missing the past three games in concussion protocol, Jamal Murray had 28 points and became the first player in Nuggets franchise history with 1,000 career 3-pointers.
The Heat played most of the game without Jimmy Butler, who turned his ankle on a drive against Murray seven minutes into the game and did not return.
Denver raced out to a 17-6 lead in the opening 4:10 as part of a 40-point first quarter in which it made 14 of its 20 shots. Though it fought back to get within seven in the final five minutes of the game, Miami never led and trailed by as many as 26 in the second half.
Tyler Herro had a team-high 24 points and 11 assists for the Heat.
Takeaways
Heat: Miami’s fourth loss in its past five games came with the added pain of losing Butler, who is second on the Heat with 18.1 points per game.
Nuggets: Though concerns continue to persist about the drop off between its starting five and its bench, Denver continued its recent surge, winning for the sixth time in the past seven games after an 0-2 start.
Key moment
After carrying an 11-point lead into halftime, the Nuggets outscored the Heat 15-4 in the opening 3:03 of the third quarter to extend its advantage to 86-64.
Key stat
Russell Westbrook continued a strong recent stretch, dishing out a season-high 10 assists for Denver. It’s just the second time he’s had double-digit assists in his past 44 games.
Up next
The Nuggets host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the same day the Heat continue a six-game road swing at the Minnesota Timberwolves.


Green Falcons in training camp for 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait

Green Falcons in training camp for 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait
Updated 11 sec ago
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Green Falcons in training camp for 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait

Green Falcons in training camp for 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait
  • Herve Renard has called up 28 players in preparation for tournament from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3
  • Green Falcons will play a friendly match behind closed doors against Trinidad and Tobago on Dec. 17 at Al-Shabab Club Stadium

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s national football team began a closed training camp on Thursday, until Dec. 20, for the 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait.

The Green Falcons will play a friendly match behind closed doors against Trinidad and Tobago on Dec. 17 at Al-Shabab Club Stadium.

The team depart for Kuwait on Friday. They are placed in Group B alongside Iraq, Bahrain and Yemen for the tournament that runs from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3.

Head coach Herve Renard has called up 28 players.

The squad includes Mohammed Al-Owais, Ahmed Al-Kassar, Mohammed Al-Yami, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Ali Lajami, Hassan Tambakti, Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Nawaf Boushal and Nasser Al-Dawsari.

Also joining are Abdulelah Al-Malki, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Musab Al-Juwair, Abdulmalik Al-Ayeri, Mohammed Kanoo, Salem Al-Dawsari, Abdulelah Al-Hawsawi, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Falata, Abdulaziz Al-Othman, Haroune Camara, Abdullah Radif, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Firas Al-Buraikan, and Saleh Al-Shehri.


Sweden ends rape inquiry allegedly targeting Kylian Mbappe

Sweden ends rape inquiry allegedly targeting Kylian Mbappe
Updated 12 December 2024
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Sweden ends rape inquiry allegedly targeting Kylian Mbappe

Sweden ends rape inquiry allegedly targeting Kylian Mbappe
  • Lead investigator: ‘The evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed’
  • Kylian Mbappe’s lawyer said in October that he was ‘shocked’ to see his name linked to the investigation

STOCKHOLM: An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

The 25-year-old French star, one of the highest-profile players in world football, visited the Swedish capital October 9-11 with a group of people after he was not selected by his country for a Nations League match.

Sweden’s prosecution authority announced on October 15 that it was investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on October 10, without mentioning the suspect by name.

Several Swedish media outlets, including newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, identified Mbappe as the suspect.

“My assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed,” prosecutor Marina Chirakova said in a statement that also did not mention Mbappe by name.

Chirakova said the suspect had “not been notified of suspicion of a crime.”

Mbappe’s lawyer said in October that he was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation.

Speaking for the first time about the case on Sunday, he told French television show Clique he was “not involved.”

“I haven’t received anything, no summons... I’m not involved,” he said.

According to Aftonbladet, Mbappe and his entourage dined at a restaurant one evening before going on to a nightclub.

Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on October 12 after the alleged victim had sought medical attention.

Expressen reported that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top.

Photographs showed police officers leaving the hotel with brown bags.

Mbappe has had a difficult season since moving to reigning European champions Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, failing to find his top form.

However the Frenchman scored in Madrid’s 3-2 win against Italian side Atalanta on Tuesday which revived Real’s flagging bid to regain their Champions League title.

Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were all on the scoresheet in Bergamo as Madrid moved up to 20th place in the Champions League table, on nine points from six matches.

The Spanish giants would have been at risk of dropping out of the Champions League play-off places if they had lost.

Mbappe is one of the hottest properties in world football.

He won the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar which France lost on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

At Paris Saint-Germain he was part of a superstar trio with Messi and Brazilian forward Neymar.


‘A mess’ — how cricket’s power dynamics are playing out in a congested calendar

‘A mess’ — how cricket’s power dynamics are playing out in a congested calendar
Updated 12 December 2024
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‘A mess’ — how cricket’s power dynamics are playing out in a congested calendar

‘A mess’ — how cricket’s power dynamics are playing out in a congested calendar
  • The game gives the appearance of having been hijacked by national, commercial and self-interests

Over the past two weeks this column has observed the storm clouds gathering menacingly above the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Mostly, they gave dim hope of clearance. Suddenly, on Dec. 6, they rolled back and light seemed to shine through.

Avoidance of the head-on collision between India’s unblinking refusal to play in Pakistan and the latter’s refusal to accept a hybrid model seemed possible, allowing preparations to proceed.

India’s inalienable position, based on security fears, provided it with the balance of negotiating power, quite apart from its commercial strength. Pakistan backed itself into a corner by failing to accept the hybrid model. Under that proposal, India will play its matches on neutral territory, possibly the UAE.

Pakistan’s logic for denial was expressed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who, in discussion with chair of the Pakistan Cricket Broad and Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi, said: “Pakistan’s honor comes first, and everything else follows.”

The only way out of this deadlock, other than the nuclear options of postponement, cancellation or total change of location, was a shift in stance. The first was the PCB’s suggestion that its players would not be safe in India. This was rebuffed by India, as Pakistan played there in 2023. Secondly, the PCB proposed an extended hybrid model by which Pakistan would not travel to India to play in two future ICC tournaments hosted there — the Women’s 2025 ODI World Cup and 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted with Sri Lanka. In these tournaments, the PCB seeks to be treated on the basis of equality and respect.

This translates into repudiation of “one-sided arrangements,” whereby Pakistan traveled to play in ICC events in India, such as the 2023 ODI World Cup, but India did not reciprocate by playing in Pakistan. It is a bold call, seeking to challenge India’s pre-eminent position in cricket’s power politics.

Some may argue that it is overdue. It is unlikely the PCB has forgotten the humiliation which it suffered in the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the 2023 ODI World Cup group match. The 132,000-capacity arena was populated entirely by blue shirted, partisan Indians.

It seems a little bit of respect might resolve the issue but it is slow to emerge. In an attempt to have the extended hybrid model codified, the PCB is understood to have requested a written assurance from the ICC that it would be implemented for events to be hosted by India up to 2027. The request has caused ridicule on Indian social media and an impasse in relations between parties.

There have been abundant behind the scenes meetings, cancelled meetings, negotiations and discussions between ICC and country board members. The crisis is a drama featuring a new chair and a new order at the ICC, entwinement of board chairs and politicians, deep, long-lasting nationalist pride and sentiment, power and influence and, not least, money, driven by broadcasting contracts.

Somewhere in all of this lies the game. Cricket gives the appearance of having been hijacked by national, commercial and self-interests. The ICC’s outgoing chair does little to dispel that judgement.

Greg Barclay was in post for four years. During his tenure, the international game has become impossibly congested, a “mess” in his words. Even he admitted being unable to keep abreast of all the matches and tournaments taking place simultaneously.

The feeling is shared. This is the price of growth, so coveted by the game. It is not going away because there is nothing to stop it, other than the removal of funding.

Earlier in the year, Barclay described the ICC as not fit for purpose, a remarkably forthright indictment of the impotency of the organization he led. The view seems to be based on concerns over an outdated financial model which may fail to generate sufficient funds to sustain growth.

Furthermore, internal change is hampered by an imbalanced structure which comprises 12 full members and 96 associates, each with an agenda, three more dominant than the others and possessing superior voting rights. The ICC is unlikely to dissolve itself, so the future lies along the same structure but now with a highly connected Indian in charge.

In this context, Pakistan’s lone wolf approach must be judged. Naqvi has said: “We will do whatever’s best for cricket” and “We need to settle this once and for all.” What may be best for cricket can be interpreted in several ways. Attempting to curb India’s power may be one. A lack of desire to rock the boat too energetically in return for some respect may be another. Recognition that the only real solution is a hybrid model tempered by commensurate compensation for Pakistan is most plausible.

Meanwhile, the tournament’s schedule is still to be released. The parting of clouds was temporary and the ICC was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. In that vacuum, mischief appeared on Dec. 9 in a promotional feature released by the tournament broadcaster, Star Sports, which failed to mention Pakistan as the host nation. Unsurprisingly, social media tensions were inflamed to boiling point.

Despite Pakistan’s push back, the power balance remains firmly with India. The national and diplomatic tensions between the two spill over into relations between the respective cricket boards. Having been granted hosting rights, Pakistan has its pride and aspiration to protect, as well as infrastructure investment. In attempting to exercise its rarely given hosting rights, it has challenged the status quo, a risky venture.

A believer in conspiracy theory might suggest that India laid a trap by delaying, or being allowed to delay, its decision not to travel to Pakistan until the last minute. Pakistan does seem trapped, assailed by Indian media. It stands to lose heavily if it does not participate in the tournament. Last week, common sense might have saved the situation. This week, respect is required to avoid Pakistan being shrugged off.

The mess to which Barclay referred is not limited to the international schedule. It clearly applies to the Champions Trophy.


‘Incredible honor’ for Lebanese star Arakji as Dubai Basketball debut looms

‘Incredible honor’ for Lebanese star Arakji as Dubai Basketball debut looms
Updated 12 December 2024
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‘Incredible honor’ for Lebanese star Arakji as Dubai Basketball debut looms

‘Incredible honor’ for Lebanese star Arakji as Dubai Basketball debut looms
  • 30-year-old’s first game will be against Mornar of Montenegro at Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday, Dec. 15

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball’s latest signing Wael Arakji is proud of becoming the team’s first Lebanese player.

The 30-year-old is the reigning Basketball Champions League Asia MVP after helping Al-Riyadi to championship glory in 2024 and now has his sights set on a new chapter in his career.

Dubai Basketball is currently second in Europe’s ABA League in its inaugural season. “I’m most excited to be part of a club with such big ambitions,” he said.

“Dubai Basketball is building something special, and I’m eager to contribute to the team’s success. They’re blending international standards with their vision for growth, and I’m excited to be part of that process.”

Arakji will make his Dubai Basketball debut when they take on Mornar at the Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday, Dec. 15.

“It’s also exciting to play in a league like the ABA, where the competition is high, and I can test myself against some of the best,” he said.

With championships in Lebanon, Qatar and Tunisia under his belt, Arakji wants to add Dubai to that list.

He has two Asia Champions League winners’ medals to his name and spent a summer with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, further reinforcing his on-court credentials.

“My ambition is to help Dubai Basketball compete at the highest level and push for championships. I want to continue improving my game, building chemistry with my teammates, and making a significant impact on both ends of the court.”

Not only is Arakji Dubai Basketball’s first Lebanese player, but he will also be the first from his nation to compete in the ABA League.

“It’s an incredible honor to be the first Lebanese player to join Dubai Basketball and the ABA League,” he said. “I’m proud to represent my country and take this step forward in my career.

“This is not just about me; it’s about opening doors for other Lebanese talents and proving that we can compete on some of the biggest regional stages.”

An icon in his homeland, Arakji helped his country to the 2022 Arab Basketball Championship, and finished runner-up in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup. He was named MVP in both tournaments.

“Representing Lebanon has always been a great honor and responsibility. Every time I step on the court, I carry the pride and passion of my country with me. Moving to Dubai, I want to continue that legacy, making my country proud.”

With an 8-3 record for the season, the team has built an excellent platform, and Arakji is excited at the prospect of competing. “I’ve had the chance to meet some of the guys, and I’m impressed.

“There’s a strong mix of talent, work ethic, and camaraderie within the group. Everyone’s focused on the same goal: winning. I’m looking forward to building that connection further.”


Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours returns to Yas Marina Circuit

Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours returns to Yas Marina Circuit
Updated 12 December 2024
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Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours returns to Yas Marina Circuit

Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours returns to Yas Marina Circuit
  • The region’s first regional endurance race celebrates its 14th edition on Dec. 14-15

ABU DHABI: Following last Sunday’s F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, motorsport fans in the UAE are set for more excitement as the 2024 Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours comes to Yas Marina Circuit on Dec. 14-15.

The event is the 14th edition of the region’s biggest legacy endurance race and is held in two parts, beginning with an eight-hour race. After a two-hour break, it then concludes with a dramatic four-hour sprint to the checkered flag.

This year’s lineup includes 25 cars from 19 elite teams, featuring manufacturers such as Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

Three previous champions — Kessel Racing, AF Corse and 2 Seas Motorsport — will once again be in action.

Fans can also look forward to performances in the Pro class, headlined by two-time GT World Challenge Europe champion Jules Gounon representing 2 Seas Motorsport.