BOSTON: Boston fans have been patiently waiting to get their first glimpse of the new era of Celtics basketball.
They finally got it, and it revealed a team with a lot of upside.
Offseason trade acquisition Kyrie Irving had nine points, four rebounds and three assists, and free agent pickup Gordon Hayward added five points and five rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 94-82 Monday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
Rookie Jayson Tatum, the third overall pick in June’s draft, finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Aron Baynes added 10 points and five rebounds and three assists for Boston. The Celtics also shot 11 of 31 from the 3-point line.
“We’re building a foundation,” Irving said. “We understand that a few other teams that we’re playing against, they’re starting from the bottom as well ... For us, we gotta take advantage of games like this.”
Dwight Howard, who was traded by Atlanta to Charlotte this summer, finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and six turnovers in his Hornets debut. Jeremy Lamb had 17 points.
Irving and Hayward, the jewel pieces of an offseason reconstruction that has left only Celtics intact from last year’s roster, sat out the second half.
In other games, the Washington Wizards beat the Guangzhou Long-Lions 126-96 in one of two exhibition games between NBA and international teams on Monday. In addition, the Utah Jazz beat the National Basketball League’s Sydney Kings 108-83. It is the first time an NBL team faced an NBA team on American soil.
Grizzlies 92 Magic 84: Mario Chalmers had 19 points in 20 minutes, Jarell Martin added 16 points and the Grizzlies defeated the Magic in both teams’ preseason opener.
Orlando led 65-64 late in the third quarter before the Grizzlies closed the period on an 8-0 run, which included six by Chalmers. Memphis led by as many as 10 in the final period.
Jonathan Isaac led the Magic with 15 points, followed by Mario Hezonja with 12.
Jonathon Simmons, Orlando’s biggest offseason pickup, had a couple of highlight-worthy dunks and scored nine points in his Magic preseason debut. Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier each played 15 minutes, scoring eight points apiece.
Mavericks 106 Bucks 104: Jonathan Motley hit a layup with 4.1 seconds left to lift the Mavericks to a win over the Bucks. Motley scored all nine of his points in a fourth quarter that saw the Mavericks outscore the Bucks 31-20.
Dallas’ starters were pulled after one quarter of action. Harrison Barnes was 4 of 6 from the field and had nine points. Dirk Nowitzki had five points in 10 minutes of action.
Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 12 points, followed by John Henson with 11 points and four rebounds.
Kings 106 Spurs 100: LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points in 16 minutes of action in the Spurs’ loss to the Kings in the preseason opener for both teams.
The Spurs (0-1) played their starters for two quarters, giving the Kings a chance to showcase their young second unit. Rookie De’Aaron Fox shined in the extra playing time, scoring a game-high 16 on 7 of 8 shooting from the field.
The Kings (1-0) outscored the Spurs 23-16 in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets 113 Lakers 107: Garry Harris scored 25 points in 21 minutes, Nikola Jokic added 16 and the Nuggets (2-0) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Lakers (0-2) with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Lonzo Ball finished with eight points and four assists, but also had four turnovers in his second preseason game.
Paul Millsap finished with 11 points, two assists, two blocks and two steals for Nugets while Lakers’ Julius Randall had a solid night with 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes.
Irving, Hayward make preseason debuts in Celtics’ victory
Irving, Hayward make preseason debuts in Celtics’ victory
Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine
BARCELONA: Barcelona blew away a miserable Valencia 7-1 on Sunday to get back on track in La Liga with a ruthless victory.
Fermin Lopez struck twice for the Catalans in the first half, along with goals from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha which gave Barcelona a commanding five-goal lead at the break.
Hugo Duro pulled one back early in the second half before Robert Lewandowski pounced for Barca, followed by a Cesar Tarrega own goal, with the third-placed hosts earning just their second win in their last nine league matches.
Hansi Flick’s side trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by seven points and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three.
Flick shuffled his pack against Valencia in order to spark a response given the club’s poor domestic form.
The coach began with Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo on the bench, while Pedri was absent because of a stomach bug, leading to De Jong, Ferran Torres and the superb Lopez all starting.
It took just three minutes for De Jong to open the scoring, with teenage star Lamine Yamal crossing for him in the area virtually unmarked, and he fired home.
Barcelona soon had their second, with Torres tucking home from Alejandro Balde’s cross, in similar fashion to the first goal but from the opposite flank.
The hosts moved three goals ahead in the 14th minute when Lopez clipped a fine ball over the top for Raphinha to run onto.
The Brazilian winger rounded Giorgi Mamardashvili and rolled home for his 12th league goal of the season.
Valencia, without the suspended Cristhian Mosquera, were struggling badly in defense and Barcelona broke in seemingly at will.
Lopez collected a perfectly measured Pau Cubarsi long pass for the fourth and although it was initially ruled offside, the decision was corrected by VAR.
Valencia thought they had won a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny brought down Hugo Duro but play was eventually brought back for a foul on Jules Kounde after another video review.
Lopez rattled home the fifth on the volley before half-time when Raphinha’s effort hit the post and fell nicely for him with the goalkeeper stranded.
Hugo Duro pulled one back for Valencia early in the second half from Diego Lopez’s low cross and Flick responded by sending on La Liga’s top goalscorer Lewandowski.
The Polish forward finished clinically for his 17th league goal of the season after being sent through by Lopez for Barca’s sixth on the night.
Barcelona netted their seventh when Torres’s hammered cross was deflected into his own net by Tarrega.
Seven goals did not flatter Barcelona by any means and the thrashing is a setback for Carlos Corberan’s Valencia, 19th and four points from safety.
Earlier Athletic Bilbao, fourth, could only produce a 0-0 draw at home against Leganes, and now trail Barcelona by two points.
Relegation-battling Getafe earned an impressive 3-0 win at Real Sociedad to climb to 14th, while Rayo Vallecano came from behind to beat Girona 2-1.
Ronaldo on target again as Al-Nassr win to go 3rd in Saudi Pro League
- Late strike lifts Portuguese star’s goal tally to 14 — and saves goalkeeper’s blushes
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s fine goalscoring form continued in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday as he helped Al-Nassr defeat Al-Fateh 3-1 to move back into third place.
A late strike made it three goals in two games for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as he moved clear at the top of the goalscoring standings with 14 for the season so far.
The deadlock was only broken four minutes before the break when Marwane Saadane put into his own net from close range after Angelo drove a low ball across the face of goal. Angelo was the provider of the second just before the hour, swinging over a free-kick for French defender Mohamed Simakan to head home his first goal for Al-Nassr.
At 2-0 the game seemed done and dusted, but with 18 minutes remaining, Al-Fateh, in last place in the standings, reduced the arrears thanks to Mourad Batna, who pounced after goalkeeper Bento spent too long on the ball inside his own area and was caught in possession.
Ronaldo spared Bento’s blushes with three minutes of normal time remaining, just as the visitors were threatening to take a surprising point.
It was so simple. Sadio Mane broke free down the left, passed to the far post, and there was the Portuguese star to sweep home with the minimum of fuss.
Ronaldo had the ball in the back of the net once more deep into injury time, smashing home spectacularly from the right side of the area, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside.
Al-Nassr now have 35 points from 17 games, eight behind Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, who have a game in hand.
Earlier in the day, Al-Ahli made it seven wins from the last eight in the league with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Riyadh.
Two goals from England striker Ivan Toney and one each from Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, and Ziyad Al-Johani made the difference as the Jeddah club stay in fifth, three points behind Al-Nassr.
Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev in 3 sets for his second Australian Open title in a row
- Jannik Sinner is the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-1993
MELBOURNE: Jannik Sinner claimed his second consecutive Australian Open championship on Sunday, never facing a single break point and using his complete game to outplay and frustrate Alexander Zverev for a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory in the final.
Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, is the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93.
Sinner rose to No. 1 last June, remaining there for every week since, and the gap between him and No. 2-ranked Zverev was pronounced as can be in Rod Laver Arena. This was the first Australian Open final between the men at No. 1 and No. 2 since 2019, when No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal – also in straight sets.
Here’s how dominant Sinner has been since the start of last season: He has won three of the five major tournaments, including the US Open in September, and his record in that span is 80-6 with a total of nine tournament titles. His current unbeaten run covers 21 matches, dating to last year.
The only thing that’s clouded the past 12 months for Sinner, it seems, is a doping case in which he was cleared by a ruling that was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He tested positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid twice last March but blamed it on an accidental exposure involving two members of his team who have since been fired. Sinner initially was exonerated in August; a hearing in the WADA appeal is scheduled for April.
While Sinner became the eighth man in the Open era (which began in 1968) to start his career 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, Zverev is the seventh to be 0-3, adding this loss to those at the 2020 US Open and the 2024 French Open.
Those earlier setbacks both came in five sets. This contest was not that close. Not at all.
There truly was only one moment that felt as if it contained a hint of tension. It was late in the second set, which Zverev was two points from owning when he led 5-4 and got to love-30 on Sinner’s serve. But a break point – and a set point – never arrived there.
Zverev not got closer, dropping the next four points, making it 5-all. Sinner then emerged with the ensuing tiebreaker. No surprise there: He went 4-0 in those set-deciders over the past two weeks and has grabbed 16 of his past 18.
A year ago, Sinner went through a lot more trouble to earn his first Slam, needing to get past Novak Djokovic – who quit one set into his semifinal against Zverev on Friday because of a torn hamstring – first, before erasing a two-set deficit in the final against 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
Beating Zverev allowed Sinner to become the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.
Usman Nurmagomedov retains Bellator lightweight world title after epic win over Paul Hughes
- Defending champion says he would welcome a rematch in Belfast
DUBAI: Usman Nurmagomedov beat Paul Hughes on Saturday night to retain his Bellator lightweight world title at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
The main event at the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series produced a 25-minute battle between the prides of Dagestan and Northern Ireland, with Nurmagomedov staying unbeaten after receiving the nod from two of the three judges sitting outside the SmartCage (47-47, 48-46, 48-46). After the majority decision win, Nurmagomedov had nothing but respect for his opponent.
“This is for you guys, Paul Hughes, you are the man, brother you’re tough, I underestimated this guy,” Nurmagomedov said. “But I’m still undefeated, undisputed Bellator lightweight champion.”
Hughes also made it clear he would love a rematch in Belfast.
“It played out how I expected, I’m so gutted and disappointed I lost. I thought I won the fight, I probably left some in the tank, I need to leave everything behind next time. I really thought I was going to win,” Hughes said. “The PFL believed in me and I believe in the PFL. We have to do the rematch in Belfast, it has to be in Belfast, I think I’ve earned this.”
The PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series is the inaugural “Road to Dubai” event after the signing of a groundbreaking multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Sports Council and the Professional Fighters League.
The first-of-its-kind partnership will allow MMA world champions and the sport’s biggest stars from the PFL to compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a marquee destination for the best of MMA.
All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as “Road to Dubai” events, with each show building to the finale, set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL’s commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati star fighters will now have a pathway to become future PFL champions.
In the heavyweight co-main event of the evening, former Bellator light heavyweight world champion Vadim Nemkov (19-2) made quick work of Tim Johnson (18-11), needing only 3:08 to submit the former Minnesota National Guardsman. Originally scheduled to face Corey Anderson in a rematch, Johnson took the bout on short notice and brought the fight to Nemkov, but a rear-naked choke brought the bout to an end. Nemkov now has 14 straight wins under his belt.
Dagestan’s Akhmed Magomedov (11-1) submitted Ireland’s Nathan Kelly (11-3) via rear-naked choke in Round 2 in a featherweight main card bout on Saturday. Magomedov, who had not fought in almost two years, quickly shook off any rust. With the win, Dagestan moved to 2-0 against Ireland with the main event remaining.
England’s Ibragim Ibragimov improved to 9-0 after a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) against Kenny Mokhonoana (5-2). Ibragimov’s third win under the PFL banner shows that he is not only one of the best rising prospects on the European MMA scene, but globally as well.
The opening main card bout of the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series featured Russia’s Renat Khavalov (9-0) against Brazil’s Cleiver Fernandes (9-2) at bantamweight. With Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Khavalov cruised to a unanimous (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) decision in his PFL debut.
Preliminary card results
Ahmed Samy (12-4) beat Tarek Suleiman (13-9) via TKO at 5:00 in Round 1
Mirafzal Akhtamov (8-0-1) beat Mike Thompson (7-3) via technical submission (head and arm choke) at 2:50 of Round 2
Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (6-1-1) beat Ruel Panales (5-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
John Mitchell (10-2) beat Souhil Tairi (7-6-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Haider Khan (9-1) beat Mostafa Nada (9-4) via TKO at 3:18 of Round 1
Talal Alqallaf (3-0 AM.) beat Saeed Alhosani (4-3 AM.) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
LIV Golf set for first-ever night event at 2025 season opener in Riyadh
- After three years of hosting the event in Jeddah, LIV Golf will debut at Riyadh Golf Club from Feb. 6-8
- Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, and many of golf’s biggest stars set to compete
RIYADH: Following three years of hosting events at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club near Jeddah, LIV Golf will make its debut this season at the Riyadh Golf Club from Feb. 6-8 in what will be its first-ever night event.
The event will feature a strong line-up of players including LIV Golf 2024 individual champion Jon Rahm (Legion XIII), LIV Golf Jeddah 2024 winner Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC), as well as international golfing stars such as World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC), five-time major winner Brooks Koepka (Smash GC), 2024 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC), and many more.
Ross Hallett, LIV Golf executive vice president and head of events, shared his excitement, saying, “LIV Golf Riyadh is going to be a can’t-miss event featuring world-class competition and entertainment for fans of all ages. Hosting the tournament at night is another example of our commitment to innovation and presenting new ways to enjoy the sport at its highest level.
“We encourage all fans to arrive early to enjoy the fan village, food festival, fun fair and on-course treasure hunt amongst the many family activities happening around the golf course as we deliver an unforgettable experience at Riyadh Golf Club starting on the 6th of February,” he added.
The 2025 season opener will also mark the debut of Lee Cheih-po, winner of the LIV Golf Promotions 2024 event at Riyadh Golf Club. The Chinese-Taipei star secured the sole spot to join the league’s prestigious 54-player field after a thrilling final day at the Riyadh Golf Club in December.
