Sports — International

Golf: Els receives special invitation to Masters: reports

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Four-time major champion Ernie Els has received a special exemption to compete in next year’s Masters golf tournament, multiple websites reported Monday. Golfweek, Golf Digest and Golf magazine reported that his management had confirmed the 48-year-old South African had been given a special entry into the field for next April’s major championship at Augusta National Golf Club. “Thank you for a Great present! @TheMasters Can’t wait!” Els tweeted on Sunday […]

NBA: Durant, Thompson lead Warriors over Cavaliers

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Klay Thompson added 24 and both made crucial plays in the final seconds Monday, lifting the NBA champion Golden State Warriors over Cleveland 99-92. In a rematch of the NBA Finals that marked their third consecutive meeting on the holiday, the host Warriors won for the 12th time in 13 games to reach 27-7 while the Cavaliers fell to 24-10. Golden State grabbed a […]

NBA: Embiid, Redick lead 76ers over Knicks

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Joel Embiid scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while J.J. Redick added 24 points to power the Philadelphia 76ers over host New York 105-98 on Monday. Redick sank four 3-pointers while Australian Ben Simmons, who finished with only eight points, made a steal and breakaway slam dunk with 66 seconds remaining to give the 76ers an eight-point cushion. The Sixers’ victory at Madison Square Garden was the opener of five […]

NBA: Lakers’ Ball sprains left shoulder

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball is out of the lineup after suffering a sprained left shoulder in Saturday’s NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Ball will not play in the Lakers’ Christmas Day matchup against Minnesota and is expected to be re-evaluated by team doctors in one week, the club announced on Sunday. Ball returned to the court on Saturday after initially suffering the injury when he collided with […]

Nishikori, Stephens out of Brisbane International

BRISBANE, Australia (AFP) — Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori has withdrawn from the season-opening Brisbane International as he recovers from a wrist injury. Nishikori, 27, has been out of action for more than four months, dropping to 22 in the world rankings. “I am so disappointed to miss Brisbane this year. For years, it’s been my first tournament of the season and I always feel so at home there,” Nishikori said on the tournament’s official Twitter account. […]

England owe under-fire skipper Root a win – Bairstow

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) – England’s players owed under-fire skipper Joe Root their utmost to turn the tables on dominant Australia in the showpiece Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow said Saturday. The Ashes has already been decided with Australia taking the first three Tests, but England is scrambling to avoid an embarrassing 5-0 series whitewash. Bairstow said captain Root was coping with the growing pressure and the England team was working hard to break their […]

Beasley drops career-high 32 points; lifts Knicks past Celtics

  By Tennie Sumague EBC New York Bureau   NEW YORK (Eagle News) — No unicorn, not a problem for the New York Knicks. The Knicks’ bench led by Michael Beasley’s 32 points and 12 rebounds overshadowed Kyrie Irving’s dominant performance to lift the Knicks past the Celtics 102-93 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Entering the fourth tied at 68, Knicks Head Coach Jeff Hornacek made a gutsy move and went with the bench […]

NBA: Beasley fuels Knicks upset of Celtics; Cavs and Raptors win

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Michael Beasley was the unlikely hero in the New York Knicks’ upset of NBA Eastern Conference leaders Boston Thursday, exploding for 32 points to fuel a 102-93 triumph over the Celtics. Beasley’s effort off the bench — including 28 points in the second half — had “M-V-P” chants ringing around Madison Square Garden. He more than compensated for Kristaps Porzingis’ worst NBA game: a 0-for-11 shooting display that yielded […]

NBA: Cavs hang on to end Bulls’ seven-game winning streak

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LeBron James scored 34 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on to beat Chicago 115-112 on Thursday and end the Bulls’ seven-game NBA winning streak. Cleveland, playing their last game before their highly anticipated NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, had to make do without ailing coach Tyronn Lue on the bench, and without injured shooting guard J.R. Smith on the floor. But in […]

NBA: Nash, Kidd among Hall of Fame 2018 nominees

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Former star NBA point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd head the list of first-time eligible candidates for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2018, the organization said Thursday. Canada’s Nash, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player with the Phoenix Suns, ranks third in the NBA history with 10,335 assists. Kidd, the current coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ranks second in assists (12,091) and career triple-doubles […]

NBA: No reunion game for injured Paul against Clippers

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul will miss Friday’s scheduled NBA game against his former club, the Los Angeles Clippers, due to a sore thigh, the NBA win-leading Rockets announced Thursday. Paul suffered the adductor muscle injury in the fourth quarter of a 122-116 home loss Wednesday to the Los Angeles Lakers, a defeat that snapped Houston’s 14-game win streak. It was the first loss in a Rockets’ uniform for […]

NBA: Lakers end Rockets’ 14-game win streak

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Kyle Kuzma led the offensive charge as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the red-hot Houston Rockets’ 14-game winning streak with a 122-116 upset victory on Wednesday. Kuzma scored a NBA career-high 38 points as the Lakers dominated the Rockets early then held on through a mid-game Houston rally to claim the win and end their own three-game losing skid. “I scored 30 in the summer league,” Kuzma said. “This […]