LOS ANGELES: Jamal Crawford led a dominant performance by the Los Angeles reserves with 22 points, and the Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets 112-100 on Tuesday night, extending their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games.
Matt Barnes added 20 points — one off his season high — as the bench outscored the Clippers starters 64-48 in claiming the NBA’s best record at 22-6, one win better than Oklahoma City which lost to Miami earlier Tuesday.
Kosta Koufos and Jordan Hamilton scored 16 points each for Denver in the finale of a Christmas Day doubleheader at Staples Center. The Lakers, who will play the Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver, beat the Knicks 100-94 in the first game.
Ty Lawson added 15 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 7-13 on the road, where 22 of their first 32 games are being played.
Crawford’s 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter pushed the Clippers’ lead to 20 points and kept the starters on the bench for the final 12 minutes. Crawford scored eight points in the quarter.
Chris Paul led Los Angeles starters with 14 points; Blake Griffin had 13; and Willie Green 11.
Heat 103, Thunder 97: At Miami, LeBron James finished with 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 21, and Miami survived a frantic finish to beat Oklahoma City in an NBA Finals rematch.
Mario Chalmers scored a season-high 20 for the Heat, who matched the franchise’s best 25-game start at 19-6. Chris Bosh added 16 for Miami, which has beaten the Thunder five straight times going back to last June’s title series.
Kevin Durant scored 33 points and Russell Westbrook added 21 for Oklahoma City, but both Thunder stars missed potentially game-tying 3-point attempts in the final seconds. Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin each added 15 for the Thunder, who have dropped two straight for the first time this season.
The Heat went 19 for 19 from the foul line, the second-best effort in franchise history.
Lakers 100, Knicks 94: At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback, helping Los Angeles beat New York and extend its winning streak to five.
Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game, and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks. Bryant, the league’s leading scorer, has topped 30 in nine straight games.
The Lakers improved to 14-14 — 9-9 under new coach Mike D’Antoni — and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home.
The Knicks controlled most of the game behind Anthony and J.R. Smith, who had 24 points. But they struggled offensively in the fourth, when Anthony was limited to seven points, and Smith had five.
Smith’s 3-pointer pulled New York to 96-94. After Pau Gasol made one of two free throws, Smith missed another 3 that would have tied the game with 32 seconds left.
Steve Nash had 16 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in his second game in nearly two months. He missed 24 games while recovering from a small fracture in his lower left leg. Dwight Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Gasol had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Celtics 93, Nets 76: At New York, Rajon Rondo scored 19 points in his first full game against Brooklyn this season, and Boston beat the Nets in another game with heated moments between the division rivals.
Rondo, sidelined in the first meeting and thrown out of the second after shoving Nets forward Kris Humphries into the courtside seats, outplayed counterpart Deron Williams and helped the Celtics take control early.
Rookie Jared Sullinger tied a career high with 16 points, and Jeff Green had 15 for the Celtics (14-13), who avoided falling under .500 with their second victory in six games.
Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez each scored 15 for the Nets, who have lost four of five.
The Celtics took control with a 23-5 run in the second quarter. They had 11 assists on 13 baskets and outscored the Nets 34-18 in the period.
A month after the teams scuffled in Boston, there was another skirmish in the fourth quarter that resulted in four technical fouls.
Williams had only 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, and Joe Johnson, his partner in a high-priced backcourt, shot 4 of 14 for his 12 points.
Boston’s Kevin Garnett had eight points and 10 rebounds on the day he tied Charles Oakley for 15th place on the NBA’s career list with his 1,282nd game.
Rockets 120, Bulls 97: At Chicago, James Harden scored 26 points and Jeremy Lin added 20 points and 11 assists to lead Houston over Chicago. Omer Asik had 20 points and 18 rebounds in his first trip back to Chicago since signing with the Rockets in the offseason.
Every Rockets starter scored in double figures. Chandler Parsons added 23 points and Marcus Morris had 10 for Houston, which has won six of seven.
The Rockets had been 3-7 on the road, but a strong second quarter turned the holiday matchup into a blowout. The Rockets outscored the Bulls 31-19 in the period to break the game open.
Lin capped a 14-2 run midway through the quarter with a drive and a layup to make it 55-34. He scored 12 in the second quarter and Harden had 13.
Houston led 58-41 at halftime.
Nate Robinson led the Bulls with 27 points, and Marco Belinelli scored 15. The points allowed and margin of defeat were season-worsts for Chicago.
League-best Clippers stretch win streak to 14
League-best Clippers stretch win streak to 14
Flamengo’s impressive Club World Cup start sets up mouth-watering Chelsea showdown
- The Brazilian Cup champions next face Chelsea, who beat MLS side LAFC 2-0 earlier in the day, in a mouth-watering clash at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Friday
The Brazilian Cup champions next face Chelsea, who beat MLS side LAFC 2-0 earlier in the day, in a mouth-watering clash at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Friday that should determine the group winner.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:
It has been over a decade since a European team lost at the Club World Cup but the ease with which Flamengo dispensed with Esperance will give them confidence they can end that run when they face Chelsea on Friday.
The London side were the last European team to taste defeat at the tournament, losing to Corinthians in the 2012 final, but since then the continent’s clubs are undefeated in 27 matches.
Palmeiras and Boca Juniors came close to wins over Porto and Benfica in their openers at the current edition, and South American sides have six games left against European opposition in the group stage to break their stranglehold.
Flamengo are unbeaten in over a month and lead the Brazilian league playing a solid brand of football under the calm guidance of former Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis.
KEY QUOTES:
Flamengo midfielder Jorginho: “We enjoyed the goal, and the fans were amazing, as I’ve seen before but now I’m living it. The most important thing is the performance that we did. I think we controlled the game, we played well and we deserved the win, I think that was the most important thing for us.
“It felt really good, because we have great players who understand the game, I feel that we can understand each other very quickly, and it’s going to be a good bond with the group and everything, so we just need to keep working together and move forward.”
Flamengo manager Filipe Luis: “At the beginning we managed to control the game with possession, then after the first goal we slowed down a bit and that cost us a bit of time with the ball. But in the second half we managed to score the second goal and a great win, three points. Now we have to face the next chapter for this group, Chelsea is a difficult team, but very happy with the win.” (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
Williams scores 40 points and Thunder win 120-109 for a 3-2 NBA Finals lead over Pacers
- Williams was 14 of 24 from the field, and Gilgeous-Alexander added 10 assists
- Teams that win Game 5 of an NBA Finals that was tied at 2-2 have gone on to win the series 23 times in 31 previous opportunities, or 74 percent
OKLAHOMA CITY: Jalen Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 and the Oklahoma City Thunder moved one win from a title by beating the Indiana Pacers 120-109 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
It was the 10th — and by far, the biggest — time the Thunder stars combined for more than 70 points in a game. Williams was 14 of 24 from the field, and Gilgeous-Alexander added 10 assists.
Pascal Siakam had 28 points for Indiana, who now trail the series 3-2 and will host Game 6 on Thursday night. TJ McConnell added 18 for the Pacers, who whittled an 18-point deficit down to two in the fourth — then watched the Thunder pull away again, and for good.
“That’s a really good team over there,” Williams said. “You just don’t trip into the finals.”
True. But now, everything favors the Thunder.
Teams that win Game 5 of an NBA Finals that was tied at 2-2 have gone on to win the series 23 times in 31 previous opportunities, or 74 percent. And teams with a 3-2 lead in the finals have won 40 times in 49 previous opportunities, or 82 percent.
But Game 5 was not easy. Far from it.
Down by 18 late in the second quarter, the Pacers — the comeback kings of these playoffs, with as many wins in this postseason from 15 points down or more (five) than the rest of the league has combined, including in Game 1 of this series — did what they do, chipping away. And they did it with Tyrese Haliburton reduced to basically playing decoy on offense because of a leg issue that he aggravated in the first quarter.
Led by McConnell, who scored 13 points in just under seven minutes of the third, the Pacers got within five late in that quarter.
Then, Siakam went to work — a pair of free throws with 9:19 left got Indiana within four, then a 3-pointer about a minute later made it 95-93. In the play-by-play era of the NBA, starting with the 1997 playoffs, teams with leads of 15 points or more in the finals were 80-9.
Make that 81-9 now, and the Thunder are one win away.
“That was honestly the same exact game as Game 1,” Williams said. “Learning through these finals, that’s what makes a team good.”
One more win, and his team will be certified as great.
Tiafoe crashes out, Rune cruises through at Queen’s Club
- British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley joined Evans in round two after he made short work of Australia’s Alex Bolt with a 6-2 6-4 victory
- Qualifier Mackenzie McDonald got the better of 38-year-old Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4
LONDON: Frances Tiafoe fell to a first round exit at Queen’s Club on Monday as veteran Brit Dan Evans rolled back the years, while fourth seed Holger Rune eased through.
Evans, who needed a wildcard for his place in the draw after sliding to 199 in the world rankings, proved too good for the seventh seed in a 7-5, 6-2 win.
“I still believed I’ve got that tennis in me and I still believe I can do good things inside the top 100. But believing it and it happening is a lot different,” said Evans after winning the first men’s match on the newly-christened Andy Murray Arena.
The 35-year-old was a fitting victor as he had partnered Murray in his final match before retirement in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.
“A few people mentioned it, that I had finished with him in his last match and then played the men’s event, the first match,” added Evans.
“It was pretty cool to do that.”
Rune had no such problems as the Dane eased into his grass court season with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Australian lucky loser Christopher O’Connell.
British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley joined Evans in round two after he made short work of Australia’s Alex Bolt with a 6-2 6-4 victory.
But there was disappointment for another home favorite in Cameron Norrie, who was beaten 7-6 (8/6) 1-6 6-1 by Czech rising star Jakub Mensik.
The 19-year-old, who beat Novak Djokovic to win the Miami Masters in March, next faces Roberto Bautista Agut, who edged out Nuno Borges 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-4.
Qualifier Mackenzie McDonald got the better of 38-year-old Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz plays for the first time since his remarkable French Open victory over Jannik Sinner on Tuesday when he begins his quest for a second title at Queen’s against fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Boca denied by two Argentines as Benfica fight back
- The Argentine club had led 2-0 thanks to goals from Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia and looked set for a night of celebration after Benfica went down to 10 men in the 72nd minute
MIAMI GARDENS, United States, June 17, 2025 : Goals from two Argentine internationals denied Boca Juniors victory over Benfica on Monday, as the Buenos Aires side were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw in a stormy Club World Cup Group C clash.
An Angel Di Maria penalty on the stroke of half-time and an 86th-minute header from Nicolas Otamendi earned the 10-man Lisbon side a point from a fiercely contested encounter in what was a de facto home game for Boca.
The Argentine club had led 2-0 thanks to goals from Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia and looked set for a night of celebration after Benfica went down to 10 men in the 72nd minute.
Boca fans had taken over Miami Beach over the weekend, thousands of them gathering on the seafront for a traditional ‘banderazo’, singing, drinking and waving flags for hours in the searing heat.
A video of Boca fans jumping and chanting in a local Walmart supermarket, to the bemusement of regular shoppers, had captured the mood but it was nothing compared to the atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium.
The home of the Miami Dolphins was turned into a Bombonera by the beach, with 90 percent of the 55,574 crowd decked out in blue and yellow and bringing a level of constant noise rarely, if ever, heard for NFL games here.
When the action got underway it was clear that the enthusiasm from the stands was going to be matched on the field with Boca confirming the feeling that South American clubs in this tournament are out to prove a point against European opponents.
Boca’s midfield buzzed around, they attacked at pace and tackled with aggression and the first huge roar came when Benfica’s Argentine World Cup winner Di Maria received a rough challenge from behind.
But the physicality was laced with skill too and clever work from Lautaro Blanco down the left created the opening goal in the 21st minute.
Blanco cut in from the left flank, nutmegging Benfica defender Florentino and zipping a low ball in which was expertly flicked home by Merentiel.
The goal lifted the volume even higher and Benfica were struggling to cope — six minutes later they fell 2-0 behind when from a deep Kevin Zenon corner, Ayrton Costa headed toward the back post were the alert Battaglia nodded home from close range.
Two-time European champions Benfica desperately needed to get a foothold in the game and they were gifted one when Boca’s Carlos Palacios mistimed a challenge on Otamendi and after a VAR review — which included a red card for protesting from the already substituted Boca midfield Ander Herrera — a penalty was awarded.
The 37-year-old Di Maria showed all his experience to send Agustín Marchesín the wrong way as he gently slotted home to reduce the deficit.
The tempo slowed after the break but Boca had a chance to restore their two-goal lead in the 69th but Battaglia headed wide from a promising position.
Benfica found themselves further in trouble when Andrea Belotti, a half-time sub, was sent off in the 71st minute after a wild, high-footed kick into the head of Ayrton Costa.
But then with six minutes remaining Boca’s defense failed to pick up Otamendi at a corner kick and the Argentine veteran met Orkun Kokcu’s cross with a thundering header to level the game.
A disappointing result for Boca was compounded by a late red card for Nicolas Figal, who was dismissed for an ugly challenge on Florentino.
Group C also features Bayern Munich and Auckland FC.
Alexxanderr wins gold as Global Champions Arabians Tour concludes fifth stage in Cannes
- Focus now on Netherlands as competitors eye World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme in Doha
CANNES: The 2025 Cannes edition of the Global Champions Arabians Tour came to a close on Sunday with Alexxanderr, owned by Al-Mirqab Farm, taking home the prestigious Senior Stallion Gold Championship title.
Held at the Stade de Hesperides, the fifth stage of the tour and first European stop offered a blend of world-class Arabian horse competition, cultural experiences, and Riviera glamour.
A high-profile crowd of horse owners, celebrities, influencers, partners, and members of the public attended the event over three days.
Bader Al-Darwish, the CEO of the Global Champions Arabians Tour, said: “Cannes has once again proven to be a spectacular stage for our tour.
“This event reflects everything we stand for — excellence, integrity, and the celebration of Arabian horse heritage.
“Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their remarkable performances. We are honored to bring this experience to such a stunning destination and grateful for the support of our partners who made it possible.”
With $1.63 million in prize money awarded across all classes, the Cannes stage once again cemented its position as a highlight of the GCAT calendar. The results will contribute to the overall tour rankings, bringing competitors closer to the prestigious Leading Male, Leading Female, and Top Handler titles.
The competitors were challenging for a chance to qualify for the World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme, which is set to take place in December in Doha.
Meanwhile, the tour continues to its sixth destination in the Europe and Middle East Series at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands from July 18-20.
