Sports

NBA: Curry’s game-worn shoes sell for $30,000

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) A pair of Stephen Curry game-worn shoes fetched $30,101 dollars Friday at an auction for victims of a deadly warehouse fire in Oakland, California. The price is a record for a player currently in the National Basketball Association and the money will go to the Oakland Fire Relief fund, which is helping those affected by the horrific Ghost Ship blaze this month which killed 36 people. The designer shoes went […]

NBA: LeBron turns 32 with Cavaliers looking for title repeat

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — LeBron James celebrated his 32nd birthday Friday with his defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers looking like a strong bet to deliver him a seventh consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. After a 124-118 home victory Thursday over Boston, the Cavaliers stood 24-7 with the best record in the Eastern Conference and third-best overall behind Golden State (28-5) and San Antonio (26-6). “Happy Birthday brother @kingjames What a year, what a year. […]

NBA: ‘Phenomenal’ Butler lifts Bulls over Nets

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — Jimmy Butler’s 40 points included the first buzzer-beating game-winner of his career, but the Chicago Bulls forward said Wednesday’s last-gasp heroics weren’t his dream scenario. “I hope it never comes down to that, to tell you the truth,” Butler said after the Bulls edged the Brooklyn Nets 101-99. “I just want to win by a couple possessions so there are no nerves running through anybody.” Nevertheless, he embraced the moment, […]

NBA: Aldridge leads short-handed Spurs over Suns

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — With San Antonio’s leading scorer Kawhi Leonard sidelined by illness, LaMarcus Aldridge stepped up with 27 points on Wednesday to lead the Spurs to a 119-98 NBA victory over the Phoenix Suns. Leonard missed his first game of the season with a stomach bug. “He just couldn’t keep anything down today, so he stayed home,” coach Gregg Popovich said. In his absence, Aldridge hit 10 of his 12 shots […]

MMA: Nunes predicts win ahead of Rousey comeback fight

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Mixed martial arts fighter Ronda Rousey will seek to reclaim the bantamweight title when she steps into the octagon for the first time in more than a year to battle Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas. The 29-year-old from Los Angeles has not fought since she was pummelled to an upset defeat by Holly Holm in 2015. Following the loss, Rousey went into seclusion and kept a low profile in […]

NBA: Pacers player, coach fined for criticizing refs

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The NBA fined Indiana Pacers forward Paul George and head coach Nate McMillan on Wednesday over their comments criticizing league officials in the wake of the team’s loss to Chicago on Monday. George, who was fined $15,000, was anticipating such a move even as he voice his frustration after the game. “I’ve been fined multiple times,” George said, but went on to say he believes the Pacers don’t get […]

Taiwanese baseball player Yang Dai-kang signs five-year contract with Japan’s Giants

TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) — Taiwanese baseball player Yang Dai-kang has agreed to a five-year deal with Japanese baseball team Yomiuri Giants after a 10-season stint with the Hokkaido Nippon-ham Fighters. The amount the contract is worth is a secret, Tatsuyoshi Tsutsumi, the team’s general manager, said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old baseball star said during a news conference in Taipei that he had finally found a team in need of his help. “I have decided to […]

NBA: Westbrook’s triple-double fuels Thunder

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Russell Westbrook’s 52nd career triple-double powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106-94 NBA victory over the Heat in Miami on Tuesday. Westbrook scored 29 points, pulled down 17 rebounds and handed out 11 assists, securing a triple-double with 6:40 to play in the third period. It was his 15th triple-double of the season and his sixth of the campaign to be achieved through only three quarters. Going into […]

NBA: Durant no fan of league’s officiating reports

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Kevin Durant is no fan of the NBA’s late-game officiating reports, even when they confirm his impression of referee errors. The league’s most recent “Last Two Minutes” officiating report said that Durant was fouled on the final play of his Golden State Warriors’ one-point loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Christmas Day. No foul was called when the Cavs’ Richard Jefferson’s foot made contact with Durant, who ended […]

NBA: Irving delivers another dagger as Cavs stun Warriors

Kyrie Irving’s turnaround jump shot over Klay Thompson with 3.4 seconds left lifted the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers to a 109-108 Christmas Day triumph over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. The rematch of last June’s NBA Finals highlighted the league’s holiday slate, and didn’t disappoint. The Cavaliers — who rallied from 3-1 down in the championship series last season to deny the Warriors a second straight title — trailed most of the game and […]

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers

By Kenneth Cruz Eagle News Service, EBC Sports (Eagle News) — It was like deja vu for the Los Angeles Clippers (21-8) who found themselves in the same spot as last season by playing without their All Star Power Forward, Blake Griffin. Griffin missed significant time in the 2015-2016 season with a quad injury and then right (shooting) hand injury he sustained from an off-court incident. In his absence last season, the Clippers went 30-15. […]

NBA: Heat retire O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Shaquille O’Neal fulfilled a promise in 2006 to bring Miami its first NBA championship and the Heat said thank you on Thursday by retiring his No. 32 jersey. The jersey was lifted to the rafters in an emotional but sometimes light-hearted halftime ceremony that included O’Neal’s mother, Lucille, arriving on the court behind the wheel of a scaled-down 18-wheel truck. It was a miniature version — right down to the […]