Author: Agence France-Presse - AFP
The Milwaukee Bucks secured the Eastern Conference’s final automatic playoff spot on Saturday, then capped the night with a 121-115 overtime win against the Miami Heat. The Bucks had been assured of their ninth consecutive playoff appearance following the Atlanta Hawks’ 121-105 defeat to the New York Knicks earlier in the day. The loss meant the Hawks could no longer mathematically force their way into the playoff spots and will now have to enter the four-team play-in tournament which will determine the final two postseason berths from the East. That took the pressure off the Bucks in their road game…
Los Angeles FC handed Lionel Messi and Inter Miami their first defeat of the season on Wednesday, pulling off a 1-0 upset in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg. Nathan Ordaz, the Los Angeles-born El Salvador international, struck in the 57th minute to give LAFC a crucial advantage heading into next Wednesday’s return leg in Florida. Messi and Miami, unbeaten in nine games across all competitions, arrived in Los Angeles as the form team of Major League Soccer. However, after a cautious first half where neither side gained the upper hand, LAFC ramped up their intensity in the second…
Spanish prosecutors announced Wednesday they will appeal a court decision that overturned Dani Alves’ rape conviction – a ruling that sparked criticism from the government and women’s rights groups. Alves, a three-time Champions League winner with Barcelona, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison last year for raping a young woman in a VIP bathroom at a Barcelona nightclub in 2022. However, a Barcelona appeals court overturned the conviction on Friday, citing inconsistencies and contradictions in the trial and ruling that the evidence was insufficient to prove his guilt. The appeals court said the accuser was an…
Erling Haaland will be sidelined for up to seven weeks with an ankle injury, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed Tuesday. The 24-year-old Norwegian, who has scored 30 goals this season, limped off during City’s 2-1 FA Cup quarterfinal win over Bournemouth on Sunday. City announced Monday that Haaland would consult a specialist but is expected to return later this season, including for the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Guardiola provided an update ahead of City’s Premier League match against struggling Leicester at Etihad Stadium. Need for adjustment “The doctors told me between five and seven weeks,” Guardiola said.…
Aston Martin Lagonda announced Monday that it plans to sell its minority stake in the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team as part of a strategy to revitalize its struggling core business. At the same time, the luxury automaker’s primary shareholder, the Yew Tree Consortium, intends to increase its stake in the company to 33%, according to a statement. Together, the moves are expected to boost the group’s liquidity by more than 125 million euros ($162 million). The consortium is led by Canadian Lawrence Stroll, whose son, Lance Stroll, drives for the Formula One team. The company said its long-term…
Veteran Al Horford turned back the clock, leading the NBA champion Boston Celtics to a 117-103 win over the Grizzlies in Memphis on Monday, marking their ninth straight victory and securing a franchise first. Horford, 38, was the Celtics’ top scorer with 26 points off the bench, while Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 14 rebounds. Boston’s defense stifled Memphis in the second half, capping a perfect 6-0 road trip – the longest unbeaten road swing in the club’s history. The Celtics, currently second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, won all six games by double digits. Horford…
Sumo’s only grand master Hoshoryu vowed not to “tarnish the title” after being officially promoted to the highest rank on Wednesday, 15 years after his uncle quit the sport in disgrace. Mongolian-born Hoshoryu became the 74th yokozuna, or grand master, in the history of the ancient Japanese sport in a ceremony in Tokyo after winning the second tournament of his career on Sunday. His promotion meant sumo avoided having no yokozuna for the first time in over 30 years, after Terunofuji announced earlier this month that he would retire. Hoshoryu is the nephew of former yokozuna Asashoryu, who was forced…
Sumo’s only grand master Hoshoryu vowed not to “tarnish the title” after being officially promoted to the highest rank on Wednesday, 15 years after his uncle quit the sport in disgrace. Mongolian-born Hoshoryu became the 74th yokozuna, or grand master, in the history of the ancient Japanese sport in a ceremony in Tokyo after winning the second tournament of his career on Sunday. His promotion meant sumo avoided having no yokozuna for the first time in over 30 years, after Terunofuji announced earlier this month that he would retire. Hoshoryu is the nephew of former yokozuna Asashoryu, who was forced…
Sumo’s only grand master Hoshoryu vowed not to “tarnish the title” after being officially promoted to the highest rank on Wednesday, 15 years after his uncle quit the sport in disgrace. Mongolian-born Hoshoryu became the 74th yokozuna, or grand master, in the history of the ancient Japanese sport in a ceremony in Tokyo after winning the second tournament of his career on Sunday. His promotion meant sumo avoided having no yokozuna for the first time in over 30 years, after Terunofuji announced earlier this month that he would retire. Hoshoryu is the nephew of former yokozuna Asashoryu, who was forced…
Amen Thompson’s clutch drive with 1.3 seconds remaining secured the Houston Rockets a hard-fought 114-112 win over the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on Monday. After two victories over Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland last week, the Rockets held on to topple another Eastern power, surrendering an early 11-point advantage but clawing back after the Celtics took a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Dillon Brooks scored 36 points and Thompson added a career-high 33 points with 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal and a key late block for the Rockets. A 3-pointer from Brooks ignited a 13-0 Rockets run…