Best of the West: Warriors seal return to NBA Finals with Game 5 victory over Mavericks

The Golden State Warriors celebrate with the Western Conference champion trophy at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. (AFP)
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Updated 01 June 2022
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Best of the West: Warriors seal return to NBA Finals with Game 5 victory over Mavericks

  • The Warriors have not lost a playoff game at home this season, the first post-season run in their new arena in San Francisco after leaving behind their old home in Oakland
  • After missing the playoffs the past two seasons while rebuilding, the Warriors are playing for the trophy again with champion core stars Curry, Thompson and Green back setting the pace

SAN FRANCISCO: Klay Thompson scored a game-high 32 points and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons by defeating Dallas 120-110 on Thursday.

The Warriors, chasing a fourth title in eight campaigns, won the best-of-seven Western Conference finals 4-1 and secured a place in June’s title showdown against either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat.

The Celtics carry a 3-2 series lead into Friday’s sixth game of the Eastern Conference finals at Boston.

Golden State won NBA crowns in 2015, 2017 and 2018 by defeating the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers each time but lost the finals in 2016 to the Cavs and in 2019 to Toronto.

“This is a blessing for us to get back here, to get back where we belong,” said Golden State guard Stephen Curry, who was named the Western Conference playoff Most Valuable Player.

Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Warriors while Draymond Green added 17 points and nine assists, Jordan Poole scored 16 points off the bench, Curry added 15 and nine assists, and Kevon Looney added 10 points and 18 rebounds.

The Warriors have not lost a playoff game at home this season, the first post-season run in their new arena in San Francisco after leaving behind their old home in Oakland.

“It’s special to do it in our new building,” Curry said. “This isn’t the ultimate goal but we’ve got to celebrate this for all we went through the past three years.”

After missing the playoffs the past two seasons while rebuilding, the Warriors are playing for the trophy again with champion core stars Curry, Thompson and Green back setting the pace.

“This one is special because this is a group no one thought would ever be back here,” Green said.

“This group put the work in every day and we’re here. We’re back.”

It will be the sixth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals for Thompson, who missed the entire 2019-20 campaign after left knee surgery and the entire 2020-21 season with a torn Achilles tendon.

“I’m so happy to be back,” Thompson said. “I’m thankful for this team. I can’t believe we’re back. We’ve still got four more to go.”

Thompson made 12-of-25 shots from the floor, including 8-of-16 from 3-point range.

The Mavericks haven’t reached the NBA Finals since winning the crown in 2011.

Slovenian star guard Luka Doncic had 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Mavericks while Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 points off the Dallas bench.

“We didn’t play our best game but we accomplished a lot,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, whose team upset top seed Phoenix in the second round.

“We’ve laid a foundation. Now we can start building.”

Dinwiddie’s corner 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted Dallas within 28-23 after the first quarter.

But Thompson scored eight points in a 12-5 Warriors’ run, starting and ending the spurt with 3-pointers to put Golden State ahead 45-32 with 7:30 remaining in the second quarter.

Reserve Moses Moody scored seven points in a 9-0 Golden State run to stretch the lead to 56-38 with 4:00 to play in the period on the way to the Warriors taking a 69-52 edge at half-time.

Thompson scored 19 points in the first half on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor with 5-of-8 made from 3-point range while Dinwiddie led Dallas with 17.

Early in the third quarter, Green delivered a spectacular no-look, behind-the-back bounce pass to Thompson for a wide-open 3-pointer that gave Golden State a 74-53 lead.

But the Mavericks stung the Warriors with a 15-0 run to the final seconds of the third quarter, pulling within 92-84 as Golden State went scoreless for almost four minutes until managing the final basket of the period.

Doncic scored 15 points in the third quarter to lift Dallas back into the contest, but Golden State opened the fourth quarter with a 7-1 run for a 101-85 advantage and held the Mavs at bay from there.


Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery

Updated 30 sec ago
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Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery

“Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October

BERLIN: Bayern Munich and Japan center-back Hiroki Ito underwent another surgery on his injured foot on Tuesday, the latest setback for the Japan defender.
The 25-year-old is yet to play a competitive match for Bayern, having arrived in the summer from Stuttgart for a reported fee of 23.5 million euros ($25.6 million).
“Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said in a statement.
“The FC Bayern defender will therefore be sidelined again for the time being and will restart his rehab program as soon as possible.”
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October or start of November.
He broke his metarsal in a pre-season friendly against lower division side FC Dueren in July.
Ito made his Japan debut in 2022 and has since played 19 international games, scoring one goal.

Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford

Updated 50 min 17 sec ago
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Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford

  • Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility
  • The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025

MACNHESTER: A majority of Manchester United fans favor building a new stadium rather than re-developing Old Trafford, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility, while 31 percent supported the re-development of one of the most recognizable stadiums in world football. Another 17 percent were undecided.
United’s cross-city neighbors Manchester City left their Maine Road stadium in 2003 to move into the new City of Manchester Stadium, but Premier League rivals Liverpool have re-developed their Anfield home.
United released artist’s images in September of a potential Old Trafford regeneration project and have indicated that a new stadium could be part of a multi-billion-pound re-development project.
The club’s owners are considering options in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which includes former United defender Gary Neville and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe among its members.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025.
The Task Force is understood to have focused its discussions on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping Old Trafford.
Rick McGagh, United’s director of fan engagement, said: “We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.
“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members. And if younger fans have different views to older fans.”


ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know

Updated 05 November 2024
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ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know

  • The tournament playoffs will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 8-16, with the final on Dec. 7

RIYADH: The ESL Saudi Challenge qualifiers have officially ended and the stage is now set for the playoffs, which take place from Nov. 8-16.

After an intense round of Overwatch2 competition, the best teams from across Saudi Arabia have secured their spots and are ready to face off in the next phase, with a total prize pool of $20,000 up for grabs.

The success of the recent Esports World Cup in Riyadh highlighted the popularity of gaming among Saudi players and fans, and that looks set to continue with more competitions taking place across the Kingdom in the coming years.

The ESL Saudi Challenge, organized by esports and video game entertainment company ESL FACEIT Group, will also give the victors a chance to compete on a global stage.

During the playoffs, teams face off in an attempt to advance to the Finals, where the top three teams will go head-to-head in front of a live audience at VOV Gaming in Riyadh on Dec. 7.

Schedule and Format

Playoffs: Nov. 8-16

The best eight teams face off in the double elimination bracket matches.

Grand Finals: Dec. 7

The top three teams from the playoffs compete in lower bracket and upper bracket for the Grand Final. The winner will be crowned ESL Saudi Challenge Champion, taking home the top prize of $9,000 and qualifying for an international event in 2025.

Teams

The ESL Saudi Challenge will see some of the best teams in Overwatch compete for the grand prize:

Twisted Minds

Vision Esports

Himawari

Amigos

Roc esports

Al-Qadisiah

Dragons

Negative Mental Attitude

Prize money (USD) 

Total pool: $20,000

1st: $9,000

2nd: $5,000

3rd: $3,000

4th: $,1000

5th-8th: $500

Where to watch

Fans can watch  the playoffs on the ESL Arabia Twitch and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand free of charge via YouTube.


Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

Updated 05 November 2024
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Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

  • Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
  • Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29. 

Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028. 

“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday. 

Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches. 

The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029. 

In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.

“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.

Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
 


Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership

Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership

  • Pact between the parties was inked at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh
  • Collaboration will help identify opportunities for improving public participation in physical activities

RIYADH: The Saudi Sports For All Federation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the STC Group to promote physical activity, encourage social integration through sports, and support the development of grassroots programs.

The signing ceremony took place last week at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, which was held under the theme “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

Shaima Alhusseini, managing director of the SFA, and Maha Alnuhait, general manager of sustainability at the STC Group, inked the agreement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The collaboration will focus on establishing sustainability reporting frameworks, key performance indicators, and metrics in alignment with community-driven programs.

The SFA aims to leverage the telecom group’s expertise to achieve their goals and contribute to the objectives of Vision 2030, the SPA reported.