Tag: Finals

Celtics celebrate 16-year wait, thump Mavericks 106-88 to win 18th NBA title

LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2024 (AFP) – Jayson Tatum produced a dazzling 31-point display as the Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to clinch a record-breaking 18th NBA championship crown on Monday. Humbled by Dallas in a 38-point game four drubbing on Friday, Boston slammed the door on any chance of a Mavericks fightback to seal a 4-1 series victory at an electric TD Garden. Tatum spearheaded a superb performance at both ends of […]

Djokovic beats Rune to secure top spot in year-end world rankings

TURIN, Italy, Nov 12, 2023 (AFP) – Novak Djokovic will finish the year as world number one for a record-extending eighth time after beating Holger Rune 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3 in his opening match at the ATP Finals on Sunday. The 24-time Grand Slam champion needed just one win or a defeat for young rival Carlos Alcaraz in order to secure top spot in the ATP rankings for 2023 and made no mistake in […]

Butler: Miami’s man for ‘moments of truth’

MIAMI, May 31, 2023 (AFP) — Desperate. Urgent. Incredible. Unique. World class. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has used an array of adjectives to describe Jimmy Butler over the course of his team’s remarkable postseason campaign. On Monday, Spoelstra was once again plundering his vocabulary after Butler led Miami’s scoring in a do-or-die game seven blowout of the Boston Celtics to seal a place in the NBA Finals. It was the latest in a […]

Quiet man Jokic ready for crowning glory in NBA Finals

DENVER, May 31, 2023 (AFP) — Nikola Jokic can cap an improbable journey to the pinnacle of his sport by leading the Denver Nuggets to a first ever championship when the NBA Finals get under way on Thursday. Nine years ago, the softly spoken Serbian center barely caused a murmur of attention when the Nuggets chose him with the 41st overall pick in the draft. That selection was so low-key that it was not even […]

Warriors on brink of NBA title as Wiggins punishes Celtics

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 26 points as the Golden State Warriors battled past the Boston Celtics 104-94 to move within one win of a seventh NBA championship crown on Monday. With Stephen Curry having a rare off-night after his 43-point game four heroics, Wiggins seized control to lead a balanced Golden State offensive effort which leaves the Warriors 3-2 up in the best-of-seven series. Wiggins delivered a huge performance at […]

Warriors’ Curry says he’ll play game 4 despite foot injury

BOSTON, United States (AFP) — Golden State star Stephen Curry was emphatic Thursday in confirming he’ll play game four of the NBA Finals, despite suffering a foot injury in the Warriors’ game three loss to the Boston Celtics. “I’m going to play,” Curry said at practice Thursday. “That’s all I know right now.” The Warriors trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven championship series heading into game four at Boston’s TD Garden. Curry was among the Warriors […]

Djokovic ‘shocked’ by Peng disappearance after tennis star accused Chinese politician of sexual assault

    TURIN, Italy (AFP) — Novak Djokovic expressed his shock Monday at the ‘disappearance’ of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who has not been heard from since accusing a powerful politician of sexual assault. Peng claimed earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had assaulted her, the first time the #MeToo movement has struck at the top echelons of the ruling Communist Party. Chinese officials have refused to answer questions on the fate […]

Milwaukee Bucks win NBA Finals to snap 50-year title drought

MILWAUKEE, United States (AFP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in an astounding all-around performance and the Milwaukee Bucks captured their first NBA title since 1971 by defeating the Phoenix Suns 105-98 on Tuesday. The Bucks won the best-of-seven NBA Finals by four games to two, becoming only the fifth team to claim the crown after dropping the first two games. Antetokounmpo, only the seventh player in finals history with a 50-point game, added 14 […]

Bucks focused as fans eye end to 50-year NBA title drought

MILWAUKEE, United States (AFP) — Milwaukee Bucks supporters are buzzing about the possible end of a 50-year NBA title drought while star Giannis Antetokounmpo fights to keep his focus with a crown tantalizingly near. The Bucks lead the best-of-seven NBA Finals 3-2 over Phoenix with game six Tuesday at Milwaukee, where 20,000 fans will fill the arena and 25,000 more will jam the “Deer District” outside to watch on huge videoscreens. “You can feel the […]

Lakers’ LeBron James named NBA Finals MVP

ORLANDO, United States (AFP) — LeBron James was named Most Valuable Player of the 2020 NBA Finals after powering the Los Angeles Lakers to their 17th championship with a victory over the Miami Heat. It’s the fourth time in four championship runs that James has captured MVP honors, after he did so with Miami in 2012 and 2013 and with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. © Agence France-Presse

NEU Hunters beat OLFU Phoenix to enter Breakdown Basketball Invitational finals

  QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — Down 14 in the third quarter against their toughest opponent to date, the New Era University (NEU) Hunters prevailed in the end and won over Our Lady of Fatima (OLFU) in their semi-final matchup in the Breakdown Basketball League Invitational (BBI), 65-62. The win meant the NEU Hunters would be facing Ateneo De Manila in the finals. The Hunters, led by the twin attack of Jefferson Comia and […]

Five Things We Learned From The NBA Finals

OAKLAND, United States (AFP) — Five things we learned from Toronto’s win over Golden State in the NBA Finals: Always the quiet ones  Victory and defeat looked the same most nights for the Toronto Raptors. Keeping a not too up or down manner, they kept a firm focus on their ultimate goal of a championship trophy, taking after star Kawhi Leonard, who was named Most Valuable Player. No trash talk. No joyful high fives or […]