Sports — International

Golden State Warriors into NBA Finals after Rockets beaten

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Stephen Curry inspired a second-half fightback as the reigning champion Golden State Warriors booked their fourth consecutive NBA finals appearance with a 101-92 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday. Curry scored 27 points with Kevin Durant adding 34 as the Warriors advanced to an unprecedented fourth NBA Finals meeting in a row against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors’ Western Conference finals game seven victory in Houston […]

Serena set for Grand Slam return at Roland Garros

by Jed Court Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Three-time champion Serena Williams will make her eagerly-awaited return to Grand Slam tennis on Tuesday with a French Open first-round match against Kristyna Pliskova on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 36-year-old last played a major tournament in a victorious 2017 Australian Open campaign while two months pregnant, before taking time out of the game to give birth to her daughter. Serena has since crashed to 453 […]

Paul out of Rockets line-up for Warriors decider

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Chris Paul will miss Houston’s Western Conference finals decider against Golden State on Monday after losing his battle to be fit, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed. Paul, 33, was injured in the final seconds of game five on Thursday and missed game six on Saturday when the Warriors scored a series-leveling 115-86 victory. The Rockets ace had been hoping to recover from a sore right hamstring but has now […]

James powers Cavaliers into NBA finals

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LeBron James finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers reached their fourth straight NBA finals with an 87-79 game-seven victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. James put on another epic game-seven performance by rallying his team in the second half as he booked a spot in his eighth consecutive finals. Cleveland became the first team to win on the road in the series […]

Moonwalking astronaut-artist Alan Bean dies at 86

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US astronaut Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the moon, has died, his family announced in a statement released by NASA. He was 86 years old. The moonwalker who went on to become a painter died Saturday in Houston after suddenly falling ill weeks before, the statement said. He was among the elite group NASA chose for its third group of astronauts in 1963, having served as a […]

Defiant Harden says ‘no pressure’ as Rockets host game seven

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Houston Rockets, who battled to 65 regular-season wins to earn a home-court edge throughout the NBA playoffs, aim to put that advantage to use on Monday. The Rockets and their Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden host the reigning champion Golden State Warriors in a decisive game seven of the Western Conference finals on Monday with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. “There’s no pressure,” […]

Real Madrid parade Champions League trophy in front of ecstatic fans

by Daniel Silva Agence France Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Tens of thousands of ecstatic fans lined the streets of the Spanish capital to greet Real Madrid’s players as they returned home Sunday after winning their third Champions League title in a row in Kiev. Elated fans cheered and waved club scarves as an open-top bus carrying the squad and the trophy made its way to the club’s traditional celebration spot, the Plaza de Cibeles. […]

Rockets outlast Warriors, edge closer to NBA Finals

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Houston Rockets edged the reigning champion Golden State Warriors 98-94 on Thursday to move within one win of reaching the NBA Finals. The Rockets, who led the league with 65 regular-season wins, took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals and with one more victory can deny the Warriors a fourth straight trip to the championship series. Golden State, whose streak of 16 straight home playoff […]

Celtics push James, Cavs to brink with game 5 NBA win

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Boston Celtics, reinvigorated by a return home, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-83 on Wednesday to move within one win of reaching the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum scored 24 points to lead five Boston players in double figures as the Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James led Cleveland with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. But James […]

Clippers reach terms with Rivers on new coaching deal

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Doc Rivers has signed a coaching contract extension with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers even after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the team announced Wednesday. “Doc is one of the top coaches in the NBA, coming off one of his finest seasons since joining the Clippers,” Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer said. “We trust Doc to lead a competitive, tough, hard-working team while upholding a […]

Rockets edge Warriors to level NBA playoff series

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — NBA regular-season wins leader Houston, powered by James Harden’s 30 points and 27 from Chris Paul, edged defending champion Golden State 95-92 Tuesday to level their semi-final playoff series at two wins each. The Rockets snapped Golden State’s record playoff home win streak at 16 games, the Warriors suffering their first loss since the 2016 NBA Finals, and took their first playoff win over the Warriors in eight all-time […]

LeBron scores 44, leads Cavs over Celtics to level series

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — LeBron James scored 44 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics 111-102 on Monday, equalizing their NBA Eastern Conference final at two wins each. James added five rebounds and three assists to his sixth 40-point performance of this year’s playoffs — the most 40-point playoff efforts in a single year since Allen Iverson in 2001. “I’ve just put a lot of work in,” said James of his scoring […]