DALLAS: Paul George and James Harden are two-for-two without Kawhi Leonard in the Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round playoff series against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks.
The healthy LA stars can afford to shrug over the blown 31-point lead in Game 4.
George and Harden each scored 33 points while playing key fourth-quarter roles to help the Clippers hold off a huge rally fueled mostly by Irving for a 116-111 victory Sunday to even the first-round series at 2-2.
“We knew they would make a run,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “But also, we didn’t think we’d come into this building and be up 31 points either. So I told our team, just get the win, however you’ve got to get it. In the playoffs, it don’t matter how you win.”
Leonard was out with right knee inflammation again after missing the series opener, then playing in both Dallas victories. The Clippers aren’t sure he’ll make it back for the third Western Conference first-round meeting between these teams in the past five seasons.
The teams have split a pair on each other’s home court. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Irving scored 40 points for Dallas, including an acrobatic layup with 2:15 remaining for a 105-104 lead that was the first for the Mavericks since the middle of the first quarter.
Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his fourth career playoff triple-double — all against the Clippers — while clearly struggling with right knee soreness that had him questionable until he warmed up before the game.
“It’s hurting, obviously,” said Doncic, who was 1 of 9 from 3-point range and not as effective on defense, a strength for him in this series. “But it shouldn’t be an excuse. Just came out sloppy. We’ve got to be way better than that.”
George scored 26 points in the first half, when the Clippers’ lead reached 55-24 on a 3-pointer by Harden. The high-scoring stars combined to go 11 of 15 from long range as LA finished 18 of 29 overall.
After Irving’s go-ahead layup, George hit his first basket of the second half, a fadeaway 3 from the corner. Irving missed a layup, and Harden converted a three-point play for a 110-105 lead. The 10-time All-Star scored 15 points in the fourth, hitting five of his well-known floaters that were mostly absent in the first three games.
This is part of why the Clippers added Harden in an early-season trade, giving them another option with a star such as Leonard sidelined.
“I’m blessed to be able to change it up and be a facilitator or a scorer,” Harden said. “My mindset coming to this team was doing whatever it takes to win and get to the end goal. Whether that’s scoring or facilitating, I think it goes possession by possession and game by game.”
The Clippers tied a franchise playoff record for a quarter with eight 3s in the first, and George had three of them while scoring his playoff first-quarter high with 16 points to match the Mavericks and help build a 39-16 lead.
Harden’s 3 for the 31-point lead midway through the second quarter came not long after Doncic was called for a technical foul coming down the court when his miss dropped Dallas to 0-11 from long range..
It was almost a replay of Game 1, when the Leonard-less Clippers led by 26 at halftime and 29 early in the third quarter. Minus the massive rally, although Dallas did whittle the deficit in the second half of the opener.
“This is like Game 1,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “Early game, for whatever reason we just haven’t played well. We’ve gotten off to slow starts. That’s just something that we’ve got to talk about as a team. If there’s another afternoon game, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go from the jump and we can’t wait.”
Irving hit the next two 3s for Dallas, and the rally was on. He scored 16 in the second quarter and kept it going in the third, finishing those two quarters with 26 after a scoreless first. Dallas trailed by four entering the fourth quarter.
“We dug ourselves in a hole,” Irving said. “There’s no time to complain about it or look to each other for any excuses. It was just time to get it going. Fell short, but this is a consistent thing in this series so far where Kawhi doesn’t play and we’re just dealing with a barrage of James Harden and Paul George getting off.”
Paul George, James Harden help Clippers even series with Mavs at 2-2 after blowing 31-point lead
https://arab.news/c5jpj
Paul George, James Harden help Clippers even series with Mavs at 2-2 after blowing 31-point lead
What’s on the line in Fury v. Usyk ‘Ring of Fire’ heavyweight boxing clash?
- Fury-Usyk one of the most hotly anticipated boxing matches of the century
RIYADH: One of the most hotly anticipated boxing matches of the century takes place in Riyadh on Saturday, as heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk battle it out in the “Ring of Fire” clash at the Kingdom Arena.
But what exactly is at stake?
Ukrainian Usyk holds the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization belts, while Briton Fury is World Boxing Council champion. The victor on Saturday will hold all four major championship belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
The winner will also maintain an undefeated record, further solidifying their legendary status in the sport.
There has not been an undisputed boxing heavyweight champion for a quarter of a century, not since British-Canadian Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.
For Usyk or Fury, the added incentive on Saturday is the chance to become an undisputed champion in the era of the four major belts for the first time, as the WBO belt has been added since Lewis’s triumph.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of fight organizers the General Entertainment Authority, said in September this was the “fight that everyone has wanted to see for some time,” adding: “It is the biggest fight in boxing, the world will be watching, and we are so proud to be the hosts for this spectacle.”
PSG star Mbappe will join Madrid: La Liga chief
- “He’s Madrid’s next season, yes,” Tebas told Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole
- Mbappe is set to join a star-studded Madrid team led by Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham
BUENOS AIRES: La Liga president Javier Tebas says Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe will join Real Madrid next season.
The 25-year-old France captain announced last week he is leaving PSG at the end of his contract this summer, without specifying his destination, and Madrid are poised to sign him after years of failed attempts.
“He’s Madrid’s next season, yes,” Tebas told Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole on Monday.
“If they’ve signed a five-year deal, he has five seasons of opportunity (to win the Champions League).”
Mbappe is set to join a star-studded Madrid team led by Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham.
Los Blancos strolled to the Spanish title and are in the Champions League final at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund on June 1.
“(Mbappe) is one of the best players in the world, but Vinicius and Bellingham are there too, Madrid will have a great squad,” continued Tebas. “But that does not guarantee you will win leagues.”
Mbappe is PSG’s all-time record scorer with 256 goals, having joined the club from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million).
With PSG he won six French league titles but failed to earn Champions League glory, finishing as runners-up to Bayern Munich in 2020.
By joining record 14-time winners Real Madrid, Mbappe would increase his chances of finally earning club football’s most prestigious trophy.
European football a ‘driving force’ for Newcastle, says Howe
- Howe’s men are sixth in the table, two places and three points better off than their hosts with two games to go for each team
- “Massive fixture for both teams,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday
LONDON: Eddie Howe said qualifying for Europe was a “driving force” for Newcastle as he prepares for Wednesday’s pivotal Premier League match against Manchester United.
Howe’s men are sixth in the table, two places and three points better off than their hosts with two games to go for each team.
Chelsea are in seventh place on 57 points — the same as Newcastle.
As it stands, the team in sixth place at the end of the season will earn a spot in the UEFA Conference League, the third-tier European competition.
But if Manchester City beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final, the sixth-placed team would qualify for the Europa League and the side in seventh would enter the Conference League.
“Massive fixture for both teams,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“It’s coming to the end of a long season for both clubs. We’re desperate to do well in the game, we’re desperate to finish as high as we can.
“We know European competition is there but it can also be a long way away if we don’t get the results we need.”
The Newcastle boss said his team were embracing the pressure after recovering from a poor start to the season and a damaging run of losses in December and January.
Howe, whose team flopped in this season’s Champions League, said it was vital for Saudi-backed Newcastle to be in Europe.
“We need to be there as a football club,” he said. “That’s a driving force for us. We’ll embrace the extra games, the travel, the experience, everything about the competition. We feel we’re in a position to do it.”
Howe said he was anxious not to underestimate misfiring United despite their poor form as Newcastle seek their first league double against the 20-time English champions since the 1930/31 season.
“We can’t underestimate the challenge in front of us,” he added. “That would be foolish. That would counteract everything that we need to be in this game.
“I think we don’t underestimate Manchester United’s qualities, we don’t underestimate the magnitude of the game.
“We are preparing for a really tough match. We know it will be and we expect a good atmosphere.”
Forwards Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are doubts for the match at Old Trafford after suffering from illness and neither trained on Monday.
Howe said it was “fingers crossed” Isak would train on Tuesday.
On Wilson, he added: “We’ll see. We haven’t seen Callum yet, so we’ll see if he’s available to train today. If not, then I’m sure he’ll be fit for Brentford.”
Newcastle have confirmed they will travel to Japan for a pre-season tour to face Urawa Red Diamonds on July 31 and Yokohama F. Marinos at the Japan National Stadium three days later.
What is behind the rise of Padel in the Middle East?
- Over 3,200 padel courts in Asia, 85% in Middle East, with 320 clubs in Saudi a continental high
LONDON: From politicians to professional athletes, padel has won a host of new admirers in recent years and is one of the world’s fastest growing sports.
Football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both share a love of padel, while France’s President Emmanuel Macron is among a growing number of enthusiastic amateurs to have embraced the trend and picked up a racket for the first time.
In the Middle East, padel has exploded in popularity, particularly the Gulf.
There are now more than 25 million players in over 90 countries reportedly playing the sport. But what exactly is the appeal of padel?
The common consensus is that the sport’s allure lies in its accessibility to players of all ages and skill levels — making it a favorite among families, amateurs, and seasoned athletes alike. Its compact court, typically one-third the size of a traditional tennis surface, helps facilitate fast-paced gameplay that is easy for beginners to pick up. It is also usually played in a doubles format — making it a sociable sport with a community element at its core.
Like many padel aficionados, Emirati Eisa Sharif Al-Marzooqi grew up playing tennis but after being introduced to the sport in 2013, he instantly became hooked. He has played padel for more than a decade and for the past three years has overseen the sport’s growth as a board member of the UAE Padel Association.
“Padel is a fantastic game,” Al-Marzooqi told Arab News. “I think it is easier to adapt when you are a tennis or squash player but the barriers to entry are very low, which is why it has become so popular, so quickly.
“There are a lot of different competitive levels. It can be played outdoors but also indoors in the heat of the summer. If I’m in Europe, I play padel; if I go to the US, I play padel. Now it’s the same thing in the GCC. The sport has come a long way in a very short time, particularly here in the Gulf, and we want to push it even further and continue its development.
“The UAE leadership has been very supportive towards our goals for the sport and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan, the crown prince of Dubai, has really shown a lot of interest in the sport and he plays regularly. So every now and then you see him posting something about padel — this is obviously great for the sport.”
In the UAE, padel’s progress has been particularly significant in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Al-Marzooqi stressing that it was a tipping point for the sport.
“During the pandemic, there were fewer sports that you could play but padel was one of them so we saw more courts being built — both in private residences and in public spaces,” he said. “I feel that the Emirati community really got behind padel and that has made a huge difference.
“Pre-pandemic it was an expat sport, played primarily by Spanish and Argentinian players who were familiar with it. Now, we have wider participation among expats of different nationalities, but we also have this huge base of Emirati players.”
Spotting the rise in padel participation among the country’s citizens, the UAE Padel Association has been working hard to grow the game at the grassroots level, including launching a national academy at Nad Al-Sheba Sports Complex to provide valuable development opportunities.
“We've initiated the UAEPA Academy for youngsters to play and compete and we have really, in a very short period of time, managed to really develop a few players to be able to compete on a very good level.
“There are kids and families that want to take their children to play padel and there are a lot of tournaments out there for them to be able to improve their levels. We are making sure that there are enough courts, enough high-quality coaches. It is about building an ecosystem.
“We have plans to involve schools too and have done lots of clinics already as we know we need to encourage the next generation to continue the legacy of the sport. A lot of schools have taken the initiative to build padel courts and down the line we would love to have the sport as part of the curriculum.”
While convincing young people to play padel is a vital part of the sport’s long-term strategy in the UAE, attracting beginners of any age is beneficial. Dubai resident Scott Grayston is among the numerous expats to have taken up padel and after starting to play a few years ago at Emirates Golf Club, he is now a regular.
“I’ve never seen a sport grow as quickly as padel has — in Dubai, especially,” the British expat said. “There used to be two or three courts at Emirates Golf Club when I started playing and now they have more than 10 including indoor ones. That’s just in a few years.
“Everywhere you look, particularly in Al-Quoz, there are so many courts and so many options. They always seem busy. It’s men, kids, ladies, older people who perhaps aren’t quite agile enough to play tennis anymore — it’s a really social sport.”
The community element of padel is often highlighted by those who play regularly and Grayston feels that many clubs in the UAE are getting it right.
“You can see that often it’s not just a standalone padel court,” he said. “There will also be a place where you grab a drink or some food afterwards, or there may be spaces to do other sports too.
“I feel like padel is a bit more relaxed; you can have a chat with your friends and once you find a good group of people to play with, it’s a great way to sweat and have a good time. Lots of different nationalities play, though the Spanish and South American players are definitely more advanced. I tend to stay away from them as I like to win.”
The UAE is not alone in its passion for padel, with Saudi Arabia also emerging as a key market for the sport. According to World Padel, there are more than 3,200 padel courts across Asia and 85 percent of those can be found in the Middle East — with the Kingdom’s 320 clubs a continental high.
Spanish coach Adrian Blanco Antelo works at one of the facilities — Padel Rush in Riyadh. Blanco, who trained at the Gustavo Pratto Academy in Valladolid for 10 years and still plays professionally, feels that there are untapped possibilities for the sport in Saudi Arabia.
“I have been here for a year and it is clear that padel has grown a lot in that time,” Blanco said. “People in Saudi Arabia are very open to trying new sports right now and I think there is a really good opportunity to help improve the level of Saudi players.
“Padel is a fun, social sport and although Saudi Arabia is perhaps the last country in the Gulf to discover it, padel has a lot of potential to get even bigger here. It would be great to see the government step in to build more public courts and make the sport even more accessible.”
Padel’s popularity is evident in the number of court bookings on apps such as Playtomic and Malaeb across the region. But at the elite level, padel has also increasingly found itself at home in the Gulf.
Although Enrique Corcuera, a businessman living in Acapulco, Mexico, is widely credited with creating the sport in the 1960s, it was in Spain where padel really began to take off a few decades later. The first international competitions began in the mid-2000s, and between 2013 and 2023, the World Padel Tour took the globe’s best players from country to country.
That series has since been usurped by Premier Padel, which initially began as a rival competition in 2022 but has now become elite padel’s preeminent property. It has previously taken tournaments to Qatar and Egypt, and in 2024 the season-opening event took place in Riyadh.
“Hosting Premier Padel was a big step for Saudi Arabia and shows that it is taking the sport seriously,” said Blanco. “Tournaments like this attract new fans and inspire people to start playing, or to play more.”
Perhaps the most significant event to happen in the Gulf so far was in 2022, when Dubai filled in at late notice in place of Doha as host of the World Championships. For UAE Padel Association board member Al-Marzooqi, it was a special moment.
“Filling a stadium for the World Championships was incredible,” he recalled. “We took on the hosting of the tournament at very short notice and delivered an amazing event.
“I think the UAE has played an important role in padel’s evolution in the Middle East — building courts and bringing pro players.
“But I’ve been so happy to see the expansion in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan. Lots of Arab countries are embracing padel and we hope that we will see Arab champions in the sport.”
Padel’s growth story has been remarkable but it may reach its zenith at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with suggestions it could be included in the mega-event for the first time. Al-Marzooqi feels it would be a deserved inclusion.
“I think it would make a spectacular Olympic sport,” said Al Marzooqi, who still tries to play three times a week. “The popularity is there, the fans are there. It’s just a matter of time before padel makes it to the Olympics.”
Commando Group crowned champions as Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour ends
- The fifth and final round of the season, held in Abu Dhabi, saw MOD UAE and Al-Wahda finish second and third respectively
ABU DHABI: This season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour concluded on Sunday, with Commando Group emerging as champions after the fifth and final round.
The event at the Mubadala Arena saw fierce competition between professional black belts worldwide¸ with MOD UAE and Al Wahda Jiu-Jitsu Club securing second and third respectively.
As the curtain fell on the 2023-2024 season, which included rounds in Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Tokyo, and Rome, organizers announced the best-ranked athletes in the various weight and belt divisions based on accumulated points.
The men’s rankings included black belts Welison Fernandes (under 62 kg), Jefferson Fagundes (under 69 kg), Diego Batista (under 77 kg), Luiz Paulo Medeiros (under 85 kg), Uanderson Ferreira (under 94 kg), Marcos Carrozino (over 94 kg), and Felipe Bezerra (over 120 kg).
The women’s rankings included black belt Diana Teixeira (under 49 kg), and brown belts holders Beatriz Campos (under 55 kg), Julia Alves (under 62 kg), and Isabely Lemos (under 95 kg).
“Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour is considered one of the major jiu-jitsu events presented by Abu Dhabi to the world,” said Youssef Al-Batran, UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation board member.
“The event gets bigger and better year after year, taking the sport to newer heights and establishing itself as a much sought-after platform for the world’s elite athletes. Professional athletes from around the world are keen to participate in it and have been intensifying their preparations for the competitions.”
Tareq Al-Bahri, general manager of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro, lauded the champions for their performances throughout the season, highlighting the event’s success across all levels of competition.
“The final round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour was a tremendous success, as testified by the fact that it welcomed more than 2,500 male and female players,” he said. “Preparations have already begun for the start of the new season, with the first event scheduled in Istanbul in June 2024.”
Marcelo Fanosa, coach of the MOD UAE, said: “We began preparing vigorously for the ADGS Abu Dhabi months ago. Our athletes gave stellar performances as we achieved first places in the master’s and amateur categories. I extend my thanks to the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and AJP for organizing a tournament of this level and allowing our competitors to test their skills against the world’s elite athletes here in Abu Dhabi.”
