PARIS: The United States erased a 17-point deficit to beat Nikola Jokic’s Serbia 95-91 on Thursday and reach the Olympic men’s basketball final, keeping their bid for a fifth straight gold medal alive.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry dazzled with 36 points and all-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James had a triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
But it took a massive fourth-quarter effort to finally subdue the Serbs, who led most of the night and took a 76-63 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker drilled back-to-back three-pointers to start the fight-back.
Joel Embiid pulled the States within four with a three-point play and James tied it up at 84-84 with 3:41 to play.
Curry rattled in a three-pointer with 2:24 remaining to give the United States their first lead since the first quarter 87-86.
James followed with a driving layup, Curry grabbed a steal and drove for a basket that pushed the US lead to five and the Americans held on.
“We know we weren’t playing our best basketball at all the whole game, but we were like two or three possessions away or one bad bounce away from flipping the momentum,” Curry said.
“We could feel it. There was a point end of the third quarter where you started to feel a little like ... are they going to slow down at all?
“That first four minutes of the fourth quarter changed everything.”
Embiid scored 19 points and Durant woke up just in time after a sleepy first half to add nine and the US maintained their chance to claim a 17th Olympic crown.
Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic finished with 17 points and 11 assists for Serbia, who got 20 points from a brilliant Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Curry got off to a scorching start, drilling five three-pointers on the way to 17 first-quarter points.
But Serbia combined for five three-pointers themselves and led 31-23 after a frenetic first quarter in which only four players scored for the United States.
Serbia continued to pour it on, pushing their lead to 42-25 with more than six minutes left in the second period.
Struggling offensively, the United States were also unable to slow the Serbian offense keyed by Jokic.
Aleksa Avramovic was a deadly four-of-six from three-point range on the way to 15 first-half points and Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Bogdanovic had 12 before the break.
Curry had 20 points in the first half but subdued Phoenix Suns star Durant missed his only attempt.
Suddenly the United States, whose romp through the group stage included a 110-84 victory over Serbia, looked in serious trouble for the first time at the Paris Games.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Curry and Jrue Holiday cut the deficit to 59-65 but try as they might the US couldn’t reel Serbia in.
Marko Guduric converted a four-point play when he was fouled by Derrick White on a bomb from well beyond the arc to propel Serbia into the fourth quarter in the ascent.
USA rally to beat Serbia, reach Olympic men’s basketball final
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USA rally to beat Serbia, reach Olympic men’s basketball final
Endrick’s surprising tribute to Charlton has Brazilians calling him ‘Bobby’
- Endrick, who turned 18 in July, wasn’t used against Ecuador but he looks set to start on Tuesday against Paraguay in Asuncion in his first appearance since the Copa America in July
- Endrick ended a goalless friendly with England 10 minutes from time with his first goal for Brazil and became the youngest male scorer at Wembley
SAO PAULO: After Endrick scored the only goal for Brazil in a win over England at Wembley, he revealed a player he unexpectedly idolized.
Bobby Charlton.
Ever since that March night, his Brazil teammates have never let him forget it.
They started calling him “Bobby” and it has stuck.
Last Friday, as Endrick warmed up before the World Cup qualifier against Ecuador in Curitiba, fans were yelling “Bobby Charlton” at him. He was seen smiling and waving.
On Sunday, Brazil striker Rodrygo confirmed it. “Now he is Bobby, he is no longer Endrick. The banter is on,” Rodrygo told ESPN. “There’s nothing he can do. If he gets angry it will be worse.”
Endrick, who turned 18 in July, wasn’t used against Ecuador but he looks set to start on Tuesday against Paraguay in Asuncion in his first appearance since the Copa America in July, when he failed to shine and Brazil bowed out in the quarterfinals.
That was in stark contrast to March when Endrick ended a goalless friendly with England 10 minutes from time with his first goal for Brazil and became the youngest male scorer at Wembley. He paid surprising tribute to Charlton, the England and Manchester United great who died last October.
“I am a fan of Bobby Charlton’s, he played a lot in this stadium. To play and score at a stadium where he scored so many goals is very important to me,” Endrick said.
Journalists at the match had the impression Endrick was instructed to pay tribute to Charlton, which he never confirmed. Later, Brazilian media reported Endrick played a video game that included Charlton.
When memes exploded on Brazilian social media featuring the striker as a fan of antiques, Endrick went quiet about it. An old interview in which he said his father initially wanted to name him after Real Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano added to doubts about whether Endrick was being truthful or just trying to pander to an international audience.
But last month, he again named Charlton, a 1966 World Cup winner, as one of his favorite players in an interview with a social media influencer.
No Pele, no Diego Maradona, no Lionel Messi.
Endrick’s list of five also included four past or present players from Real Madrid, which he joined in July.
His Brazilian teammates at Real Madrid — Eder Militao, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo — were already on the “Bobby” train but others came aboard after the striker scored his first goal for Madrid on Aug. 25.
“Bien Bobbyyyyyy,” goalkeeper Thibault Courtois wrote on social media. Midfielder Jude Bellingham added, “Bobbiiigol.”
There seems to be no stopping “Bobby” now.
US Open champion Jannik Sinner is a young man in a hurry. He is 23, is No. 1 and has 2 Slam titles
- Sinner is the first man since Guillermo Vilas all the way back in 1977 to pick up major titles No. 1 and No. 2 within the same season
- This season could be seen as a transfer of power from the generation of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — a trio with 66 Slam trophies — to the Big Two of Alcaraz and Sinner
NEW YORK: New US Open champion Jannik Sinner is making big strides in a short amount of time.
And that, he figures, bodes well for what’s to come.
Just 23, Sinner already reached No. 1 in the ATP rankings a few months ago and, on Sunday, collected the second Grand Slam trophy of his career — and of the year — by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the final at Flushing Meadows.
Add that to his Australian Open championship in January, and Sinner is the first man since Guillermo Vilas all the way back in 1977 to pick up major titles No. 1 and No. 2 within the same season.
“I’ve gone through a lot things quickly,” said Sinner, Italy’s second US Open singles title winner, joining 2015 women’s champ Flavia Pennetta. “I’m still young. That gives me confidence I still can get better, because at 23, you haven’t perfected everything. So my team and I know we have to improve.”
In what ways? He pointed to the match against Fritz.
“Today, I played well from the back court. I felt good there,” said Sinner, who was exonerated in a doping case the week before the tournament began in New York. “But could I do more? Yes. Could I serve better? Absolutely.”
That aspect of his game is considered a relative weakness, but check out this stat: Sinner won 88 percent of points when his first serve went in.
What the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Sinner did best Sunday is what he does as well as any other man in tennis right now: control the baseline, using his instincts and considerable wingspan to get to nearly every ball and whip it with serious force. He’s also an elite returner: Fritz had lost just nine of 107 service games across 22 sets before Sinner broke him three times in the first set alone and a half-dozen times overall.
“Credit to Jannik. He returned well at some of the big moments and got some serves back that a lot of guys don’t get back,” said Michael Russell, Fritz’s coach. “He creates a lot of unique challenges, because he’s so dangerous off both sides, the forehand and the backhand, and he moves really well, too.”
Fritz, the first American man in a major singles final in 15 years, had played Sinner twice before, both times at Indian Wells, California, winning in 2021 and losing in 2023. Fritz said Sinner’s greatest areas of improvement are his movement and serve.
“In my mind, I know that I’m not perfect, and I will never be perfect, but we always try to evolve,” Sinner said. “Then after my career, I can say, ‘OK, I’ve done everything possible to be at 100 percent.’”
When Fritz tried to go to what he called “Plan B” on Sunday, opting to keep balls in play more, rather than going for winners early in exchanges, he said, Sinner managed to “bully me a little bit too much.”
And it’s not as though Sinner is only capable of these things on hard courts like those used at Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows. He’s been a semifinalist on the French Open’s clay and Wimbledon’s grass.
The self-belief he got at the Australian Open — beating 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, then defeating 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev for the championship after being two sets down — also was important.
He called that title “kind of a relief” because “you never know if you can win one Grand Slam or not, but when you win one, you know that you can.”
The US Open was different, Sinner said, both because of elevated pressure and what he termed “pre-tournament circumstances.”
He considered it “pretty surprising” to wind up with a pair of majors in 2024, which is a fair assessment, especially given that 24-time Slam champion Djokovic, 37, is still around, and Carlos Alcaraz, 21, is showing himself to be elite.
This season could be seen as a transfer of power from the generation of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — a trio with 66 Slam trophies — to the Big Two of Alcaraz and Sinner.
The young duo divvied up the four biggest prizes in men’s tennis, making this the first time since 2002 that no member of the Big Three won at least one.
“It is a bit different, for sure. I mean, it’s something new, but it’s also nice to see,” Sinner said. “Nice to see new champions. Nice to see new rivalries.”
Italy beat Israel in Nations League
BUDAPEST: Italy continued their post-Euro 2024 recovery on Monday with a tight 2-1 Nations League win over Israel in Budapest.
Goals in each half from Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean were enough for Italy to win in a subdued atmosphere at the Bozsik Arena which hosted the Israel home fixture due to the security situation in the Middle East.
Luciano Spalletti’s team have reacted well to their disastrous European Championship title defense, which ended at the last-16 stage, and were deserved winners on a soaking night in the Hungarian capital.
The crowd of 2,000 fans meant Monday’s match didn’t have the feel of a senior international match, with the main off-pitch event coming during Israel’s national anthem ahead of kick-off, when a small group of Italy fans turned their backs to the pitch.
The Azzurri were slow starters as they were in Friday’s 3-1 win over France in Paris, but were not punished by Israel and grew into the match.
By the time Frattesi chested home Federico Dimarco’s pinpoint cross in the 38th minute, his sixth international goal since Spalletti replaced Roberto Mancini just over a year ago, Italy were firmly on top.
Sagiv Jehezkel should have levelled for Israel just after half-time when he failed to divert Dor Peretz’s scuffed shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma from close range.
But in the 62nd minute Fiorentina striker Kean scored his first Italy goal in almost exactly three years to seal the points, with Mohamed Abu Fani’s strike in the final minute too late for Israel to mount a comeback.
France beat Belgium with Kolo Muani and Dembele goals
LYON: Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele scored the goals as France bounced back from a home loss to Italy at the weekend by beating Belgium 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Monday.
It was not a full-strength French team that took to the field for the game in Lyon, with captain Kylian Mbappe dropping out as one of eight changes made by coach Didier Deschamps.
France lost 3-1 to Italy in Paris on Friday despite taking the lead inside 13 seconds, while Belgium came into this match fresh from beating Israel by the same scoreline.
This game was a repeat of the Euro 2024 last-16 tie which France won 1-0 in Duesseldorf thanks to a late own goal.
Les Bleus went ahead here just before the half-hour mark, Kolo Muani applying the finish after Dembele’s mishit shot was pushed out by Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
A Belgian side captained by Kevin De Bruyne could not find an equalizer and France scored again on 57 minutes thanks to a fine individual effort by Dembele.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger skipped inside from the right wing before blasting a shot into the net on his left foot.
Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Michael Olize were among the players who came off the bench for France in the second half, as they saw out a victory which will boost confidence after the disappointing defeat by Italy.
The Italians are on top of Group A2 with six points out of six after beating Israel 2-1 on Monday.
France and Belgium have three points apiece, while Israel are bottom without a point.
The next matches are in October, including Italy playing Belgium in Rome, and Israel meeting France on neutral territory in Budapest.
De Silva hails hundred hero Nissanka as Sri Lanka end England drought
- Nissanka made 127 not out as Sri Lanka cruised to the target of 219, before lunch on the fourth day as they won third Test by eight wickets
- The victory was a significant moment for Sri Lanka whose last Test-match win over England was a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014
LONDON: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said Pathum Nissanka had proved himself the “best batsman” in the country after the opener’s superb century at the Oval helped the team end their 10-year wait for a Test win over England.
Nissanka made 127 not out as Sri Lanka cruised to the target of 219, before lunch on the fourth day as they won the third Test by eight wickets. England took the three-match series 2-1 after victories at Old Trafford (by five wickets) and Lord’s (by 190 runs).
The victory was a significant moment for Sri Lanka whose last Test-match win over England was a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014.
“This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life,” said de Silva.
“We had a tough time in the last two weeks so to come here and get a win in English conditions against an English team, it is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country as well.”
The victory was a personal triumph for Nissanka, who only returned to Test cricket following a two-year exile at Lord’s. The 26-year-old was named player-of-the-match after also making a fine 64 in Sri Lanka’s first innings at the Oval.
“The moment he came in, he proved he is the best batsman in Sri Lanka right now,” said De Silva.
England captain Ollie Pope, meanwhile, admitted his side “shot ourselves in the foot” after two poor batting displays cost them the chance of a first home Test sweep since 2004 after a rejuvenated team overwhelmed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season.
Pope, on his Surrey home ground, scored his first century since stepping as skipper for the injured Ben Stokes at the start of this series.
Despite his 154, England declined from 261-3 to 325 all out in their first innings. Worse followed as they were dismissed for a mere 156 in just 34 overs second time around.
“It’s been disappointing, on the third day we shot ourselves in the foot,” said Pope.
“With the bat we weren’t good enough and, in the second innings, we weren’t up to it.”
When play resumed on Monday, Sri Lanka needed only 125 more runs for victory, while England required nine wickets.
Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson showed the strain of playing six Tests in a relatively short space of time, while the 20-year-old duo Josh Hull and Shoaib Bashir never threatened to derail Sri Lanka’s run chase.
Atkinson, who had been carrying a quad injury, was subsequently withdrawn from the one-day squad to face Australia, with Olly Stone taking his place.
Atkinson, a 26-year-old Surrey quick, made his debut during England great James Anderson’s international farewell in July and has enjoyed a sensational start to his Test career, taking 34 wickets in six matches at an average of just 20.17.
Atkinson appears set for a key role during England’s tour of Pakistan next month, with county colleague Pope saying: “Obviously there’s a few of our guys carrying a few small injuries but credit to them on the way they fronted up and cracked on.”
Joe Root, who passed the England record of 33 Test centuries held by Alastair Cook with twin hundreds at Lord’s, tried to put Monday’s loss in context by telling the BBC: “I don’t think we played our best cricket this week and that is going to happen from time to time.
“Coldplay can’t be number one every week.”
