LeBron James had a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Anthony Davis added 31 points and nine rebounds to lead the unbeaten Los Angeles Lakers to a 131-127 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.
The Lakers improved to 3-0 under new coach JJ Redick, and Davis has scored at least 31 points in each game this season.
Los Angeles was up by as many as 15 points in the first half, but the Kings cut the lead to 64-60 by halftime and had built a 7-point lead in the third quarter. James helped the Lakers come roaring back with 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Davis had a big 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to give the Lakers a 128-123 lead after the Kings had cut it to two.
Domantas Sabonis also had a triple-double in the loss. He scored 29 points on 10 of 14 shots and added 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
James made a long 3 in the fourth quarter to cap an 8-0 run to give the Lakers a 101-94 lead.
Durant, Suns overcome Doncic
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks 114-102 despite Luka Dončić’s 40 points.
The Suns never trailed after the first quarter, though the Mavericks kept the deficit in the single digits for much of the night. Doncic also grabbed 10 rebounds while Kyrie Irving added 22 points.
The Suns led 91-80 heading into the fourth quarter and extended the lead to 105-90 six minutes later. Devin Booker added 21 points while rookie Ryan Dunn scored 13 in his first career start. Tyus Jones added seven assists.
Doncic started hot with 23 points in the first half but cooled off after halftime. He shot 12 of 25 from the field, including 5 of 13 from 3-point range. Klay Thompson had 19 points, making five 3s.
The Suns led by as many as 13 in the first half but settled for a 63-55 lead at the break.
Clippers survive Jokic’s 41
James Harden had 23 points and 16 assists, Norman Powell scored 26 of his 37 points in the second half and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame Nikola Jokić's 41 points to beat the Denver Nuggets 109-104.
Jokic made a career-high seven 3-pointers but missed a free throw with 20 seconds left that would have tied it. Harden made four from the line in the final 30.5 seconds.
The Clippers trailed 103-100 when Powell hit a 3-pointer. Jamal Murray, who had 22 points, missed a layup and Harden then made two free throws.
After Jokic split a pair from the line, Harden made two more foul shots to make it 107-104 and Jokic missed an off-balance 3-pointer.
Harden was 12 of 13 from the line and several of his 16 assists were to Ivica Zubac, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three early homers off Carlos Rodón to beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Saturday night for a 2-0 World Series lead in a game overshadowed by an injury to Shohei Ohtani.
Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández went deep for the Dodgers, who watched Ohtani walk off the field with a left shoulder injury at the end of the seventh inning.
After the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton's RBI single in the ninth against Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia relieved with the bases loaded and retired pinch-hitter Jose Trevino on a first-pitch flyout for the save.
Yamamoto allowed Juan Soto's third-inning homer, then retired his last 11 batters and 15 of his final 16.
Soto also singled in the ninth and scored on Stanton's one-out hit off the third-base bag. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled, and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Treinen then struck out Anthony Volpe before Vesia relieved.
Ohtani hurt his left shoulder on a feetfirst slide when he was caught stealing second base to end the seventh.
Game 3 is Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Forty-five of 56 teams holding 2-0 World Series leads have gone on to win the title.
New York star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is hitting .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.
Yamamoto struck out four and walked two with a five-pitch array that included curveballs, splitters, sliders and cutters. He improved to 2-0 in four postseason starts.
A night after Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in Series history to transform a 3-2 deficit with two outs in the 10th inning into a 6-3 win, Edman put the Dodgers ahead with a solo shot in the second.
After Soto tied the score, Mookie Betts singled with two outs in the bottom half and Hernández, in a 3-for-27 slide, homered into the right-center pavilion for a 3-1 lead.
Holger Rune was on the end of an upset as he lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
Mpetshi Perricard has soared into the top 50 after starting the year ranked at 205, and the Frenchman was on top form against his fellow youngster on Saturday.
He served 17 aces to get the better of Rune and tee up a final against American Ben Shelton.
"It's amazing to be in the final. I played a good match today. It was difficult against Holger, but I found the key to win this match," said Mpetshi Perricard.
"Inside of me there was a lot of emotion, but I tried to calm it down. It's nice to be in the final and I hope to get the win."
Shelton, meanwhile, beat Arthur Fils 6-3 7-6 (11-9).
At the Vienna Open, Jack Draper ensured his place in the top 15 of the ATP rankings and reach the first ATP 500 final of his career by overcoming Lorenzo Musetti 6-2 6-4.
Musetti downed favourite Alexander Zverev to reach the last four, but the Italian was no match for Draper, despite the Briton letting a 4-2 lead slip in the second set.
"I thought the first set was a really high level from my side," said Draper.
"Lorenzo is a really tough competitor. I've known him since I was really young and playing against him is always so difficult. He's had an incredible season.
"The second set was really up and down. There were some long points and definitely some nerves and difficult moments, but I'm really proud of the way I kept on fighting and kept on going. In the end I got it done."
Karen Khachanov will be Draper's opponent in the final, after the Russian overcame Alex De Minaur.
The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to make Anthony Davis "the main focal point" of the team after he starred in their win over the Phoenix Suns.
Those were the words of LeBron James after the Lakers recorded their first 2-0 start to an NBA season with a 123-116 triumph over the Suns on Friday.
Davis finished with 36 points, becoming the third player after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to notch at least 35 points in consecutive games for the Lakers.
It has been an impressive start for Davis, who, at age 31, and in his sixth season with the Lakers, is looking to take the torch from James as the team's leading man.
James, who finished the game with 21 points and eight assists, expressed Davis' importance this season, particularly how he can be kept involved effectively for the duration of the game.
"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James said.
"We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively, we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.
"And we've done that through two games."
It also marked a memorable game for Los Angeles coach JJ Redick, who became the first Lakers boss to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999.
The Lakers hired Redick in the offseason with the expectation that he would bring knowledge of the game of basketball along with an ability to connect with players.
There were immediate sceptics of the hire, as Redick had never coached professionally, but Davis was quick to praise his coach and the game plan that led to the win.
“The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor," Davis said.
"He trusts us, and we trust him as far as what he teaches us and what he wants us to do on the floor, on both ends, and it’s our job to go execute it.
“I think we were very prepared tonight. Like I said, we executed the game plan to a T.
"I’m not going to tell you the game plan because I know Minnesota will probably be watching this and figure out how to try to beat us next time.
"But our game plan was elite, and we executed it and were able to get the win.”
The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to make Anthony Davis "the main focal point" of the team after he starred in their win over the Phoenix Suns.
Those were the words of LeBron James after the Lakers recorded their first 2-0 start to an NBA season with a 123-116 triumph over the Suns on Friday.
Davis finished with 36 points, becoming the third player after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to notch at least 35 points in consecutive games for the Lakers.
It has been an impressive start for Davis, who, at age 31, and in his sixth season with the Lakers, is looking to take the torch from James as the team's leading man.
James, who finished the game with 21 points and eight assists, expressed Davis' importance this season, particularly how he can be kept involved effectively for the duration of the game.
"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James said.
"We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively, we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.
"And we've done that through two games."
It also marked a memorable game for Los Angeles coach JJ Redick, who became the first Lakers boss to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999.
The Lakers hired Redick in the offseason with the expectation that he would bring knowledge of the game of basketball along with an ability to connect with players.
There were immediate sceptics of the hire, as Redick had never coached professionally, but Davis was quick to praise his coach and the game plan that led to the win.
“The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor," Davis said.
"He trusts us, and we trust him as far as what he teaches us and what he wants us to do on the floor, on both ends, and it’s our job to go execute it.
“I think we were very prepared tonight. Like I said, we executed the game plan to a T.
"I’m not going to tell you the game plan because I know Minnesota will probably be watching this and figure out how to try to beat us next time.
"But our game plan was elite, and we executed it and were able to get the win.”
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both expressed optimism over Ferrari’s start to the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, with the pair particularly encouraged by their long-run pace.
Sainz topped second practice after coming second in FP1, while Leclerc backed him up in fourth after missing FP1 due to Ollie Bearman’s latest outing for the Scuderia.
Bearman, who will join Haas next year, was involved in an incident with the Williams of Alex Albon in the first practice, sustaining damage to the front-left corner of the Ferrari.
Sainz and Leclerc's display comes a week on from an impressive showing in the United States, with the pair achieving a second one-two this year after doing so in Australia.
If they do so again in Mexico, it will be the first time since Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in the 2008 season that Ferrari have managed three one-two finishes in a single year.
And Sainz is confident of their chances, saying: "We hit the ground running in FP1 with a good car, good set-up, then all FP1 and FP2 we just worked in fine-tuning a couple of things," Sainz said.
“Nothing major, so yeah, I’m quite happy with how everything feels. Especially the long runs feel good.
"I think when it comes to qualifying we’ll have a lot of challenge from our competitors, and over one lap it will be a tight battle.”
Leclerc echoed Sainz’s feelings after taking over from Bearman, with the Monegasque aiming to claim his fourth race win of the season that would surpass his 2022 total.
“It felt good. It was a bit of a messy FP2 for everybody with the red flag of George [Russell] at the beginning," Leclerc said.
“It was quite a good FP1 to miss on paper because we would have half an hour more in FP2, but at the end it was just not great, because in the FP2 we couldn’t do the maximum laps that we wanted to do.
“But anyway, the feeling is good with the car. For me, even though we did two, three laps, we were still straight away in the pace. The long run seems to be good, so that’s really positive.”
Anthony Davis scored 35 points, Austin Reaves added 26 and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 123-116 on Friday night for their first 2-0 start since 2010-11.
LeBron James had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for the Lakers, who trailed by 22 points in the second quarter.
Davis is the 3rd Lakers player with consecutive 35-point games to start a season in franchise history, joining Elgin Baylor in 1962 and Jerry West in 1969.
Kevin Durant led Phoenix (1-1) with 30 points and Devin Booker had 23.
The Lakers were down 61-52 at halftime, then outscored Phoenix 35-24 in the third quarter to take the lead as Davis and James each scored 11 in the period.
Phoenix made 21 of its first 30 shots, including nine straight 3-pointers, before going 21 of 52 the rest of the game. Phoenix was 24 of 39 from the field in the first half, but 9 of 27 in the third quarter.
The Lakers trailed 81-74 with three minutes left in the third before scoring nine straight points to grab the lead. That was part of a 20-6 run during a nearly five-minute span from late in the third to early in the fourth.
Young lifts Hawks over Ball, Hornets
Trae Young scored 38 points and the Atlanta Hawks overcame LaMelo Ball's 34 points and career-best nine 3-pointers to beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-120.
Ball made 9 of 14 3-pointers, surpassing his previous career high of eight.
De'Andre Hunter added 24 points and Dyson Daniels scored 18 for Atlanta, which has won its first two games.
Ball scored 34 points in the Hornets' 110-105 win at Houston on Wednesday to open the regular season. He matched that total with his ninth 3 with 7:31 remaining.
The Hornets were without two starters, including guard Brandon Miller. The team said Miller will be out at least a week because of a strained left glute. Center Mark Williams was held out with a strained tendon in his left foot.
Despite missing two starters, Charlotte showed depth with four players in double figures. Miles Bridges scored 27 points, Tre Mann had 17 and Nick Richards tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds.
With the game tied at 90, Young's 3 gave the lead back to Atlanta. Following a tying 3 by Charlotte's Josh Green, Young answered with a short jumper.
Bulls sink 21 3-pointers to beat Bucks
Coby White scored 35 points, and the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls spoiled Milwaukee’s home opener with a 133-122 victory over the Bucks.
Zach LaVine added 25 points, Nikola Vucevic had 22 and Josh Giddey scored 17 for the Bulls, who shot 21 of 47 from 3-point range.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Damian Lillard had 28 points, but only went 3 of 12 from deep.
After the first three minutes of the third quarter featured five lead changes, the Bulls broke a 72-all tie and pulled ahead for good by scoring seven straight points.
After Milwaukee's A.J. Green made a pair of 3s in the first minute of the fourth quarter to cut Chicago's lead to 102-101, Patrick Williams answered with a 3 of his own. Williams' basket ignited a 13-1 run, and the Bucks never seriously threatened again.
Freddie Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a dramatic opener Friday night.
Hobbled by a badly sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw - an inside fastball from Nestor Cortes - and then dropped his bat before beginning a trot while greeted with a roar from the sellout crowd of 52,394.
It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson's game-ending homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium - one of the most famous swings in baseball lore.
Gibson, sidelined by leg injuries, came off the bench and connected off Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley.
Freeman, who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of an injury to his right ankle, didn't have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple earlier on Friday.
In this much-hyped, star-studded World Series between two of baseball's most storied and successful franchises, Game 1 certainly delivered.
In the top of the 10th, Anthony Volpe grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third after he stole two bases, to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
It was the third straight World Series opener to go extra innings.
The speedy Chisholm singled off Blake Treinen and then stole second and third for a Yankees team not known for speed.
Lorenzo Musetti described his triumph over Alexander Zverev as "a pretty big win" as the Italian battled from the brink to advance to the Erste Bank Open semi-finals.
Musetti, who will now face Jack Draper in the final four, found himself 3-0 down in a second-set tie-break before roaring back to claim a 2-6, 6-5 (7-5) 6-4 victory.
In an absorbing clash with Zverev, who was the top seed in Vienna, Musetti showcased his class in the decider, ending the almost three-hour clash with a love service game.
The 22-year-old struck 35 winners and saved eight out of 12 break points he faced en route to earning the biggest hard-court win of his career against the 2021 Vienna champion.
“It didn’t start how we planned, I was struggling to find the right balance with my forehand and the variation of my backhand,” said Musetti.
“But I stayed there, even when he came back in the second, I saved a lot of break points at 5-5. It’s definitely a match that means a lot to me.
“It’s a pretty big win [in my career], because Sascha really loves to play here, on this court, in these conditions.
"But, after the first round, I was feeling in good shape and today I showed that.”
Sergio Perez described his 2024 Formula 1 season as "terrible", but is hoping for a strong result at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend to turn his campaign around.
Perez currently finds himself eighth in the drivers' championship and 204 points behind Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
The Mexican started the season strongly with four podium finishes in the first five races, but has since failed to reach the top three.
Back-to-back retirements in Monaco and Canada halted his early season momentum, with Perez not finishing higher than sixth in the last 13 races since.
His recent run of form has seen McLaren overtake Red Bull in the constructors' standings, with the British-based team now 40 points in front heading into the final five races.
"I know I've had a terrible season. It started really well, but it's been really, really difficult," Perez told BBC Sport.
"If I had a strong result, it can definitely change my season massively in terms of personal feeling. So I'm really up for it."
The Mexican's start to the season was rewarded with a new two-year deal, but Perez's subsequent slump has led to sustained speculation about his future.
After Red Bull chose to stick with him beyond the summer break, Perez impressed at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but finished without anything to show for it after a last-lap collision with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
He then finished 10th and seventh in the following two races in Singapore and the United States.
But the return of highly-rated Liam Lawson, who finished ninth in Austin last weekend in his first race since replacing Daniel Ricciardo at RB, has further heightened focus on Perez's form.
Yuki Tsunoda is also still aiming to make his claim for a promotion, while Franco Colapinto has also impressed since taking over from Logan Sargeant at Williams.
"This is Formula 1. Sometimes the results are not coming, and you just have to make sure you keep your head down," Perez said.
"You focus on the stuff that you can control and the rest is something that you cannot get bothered with."
Sean McVay is happy to have Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp back out on the field and "expects it to stay that way".
The Rams caused an upset on Thursday, beating the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 as they were boosted by the returns of Kupp and Puka Nacua, playing together for the first time since their opener.
It is the first time the Rams have recorded back-to-back wins this season, and scored a season-high 30 points, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive games with fewer than 30.
Kupp recovered from a left ankle sprain he suffered in week two to play the Vikings, and had five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
In the build-up to the game, there was trade speculation over the 31-year-old, with LA reportedly approaching teams about him before the November 5 deadline, but McVay was quick to shut down the idea.
"I'm really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way," McVay said.
"Teams reached out," he added when asked about the trade speculation. "Some of the things that I've seen out there, they're just not true.
"We've addressed that with those individuals. Teams have called about him, and we let him know what the dialogue was there. And then there's a lot of stuff out there where there's not a lot of accountability to the reports. And that's unfortunate."
Nacua, meanwhile, was only activated to play on Thursday, having recovered sooner than expected from a posterior cruciate ligament in week one.
He led the team with seven catches for 106 yards on nine targets, making it his eighth career game (out of 19 played) with 100 receiving yards.
Overall, McVay was pleased with the spark that the pair's return provided to the team.
"There's a confidence, there's a comfort, there's a rapport that's been established with Matthew [Stafford] and Cooper over the years and then Puka and Matthew last year and then leading into this season," McVay added.
"And so, these guys are ballers. Matthew brought out the best in everybody. But I thought Puka and Cooper were ready to go. They made an impact."
Derrick White believes Neemias Queta is "more sure of himself" after helping the Boston Celtics cruise to a 122-102 win over the Washington Wizards.
The Celtics maintained their perfect record in the NBA this season with their first road win of the season, with Jayson Tatum leading the charge with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown scored 27, while White added 19 as the reigning champions extended their winning streak over Washington to five games.
The Wizards struggled to gain any momentum in what was their season opener and trailed the Celtics throughout.
Boston were much changed from their opening win over the New York Knicks, as Joe Mazzulla went with a double-big line-up to make up for Sam Hauser's absence.
One of those brought in was Queta, who scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, including a game-high four on the offensive end.
And White was impressed with the influence Queta had despite his short time on the court.
"He's athletic, seems to get every offensive rebound, and is just a big body around the rim," White said.
"I just think he's a little more comfortable, a lot more sure of himself, of where to be in the offense. I think last year he was maybe thinking too much, but this year he's just playing and doing what he does.
"He was really good for us in training camp and again [against Washington]."
Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet were the other backups brought in by the Celtics, and proved their most efficient scorers, shooting a combined 10-of-14 from the field.
"The standard is the standard and no matter who we put in there, we expect the same things," White added.
"Obviously, it's not Sam Hauser running around out there, but there's a lot of ways for us to create advantages and I thought all the bigs did a great job for us today."
Lando Norris accused Max Verstappen of "incorrect" driving following the incident at the United States Grand Prix that led to him receiving a time penalty.
The McLaren driver overtook Verstappen in the latter stages of the race but was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track to gain an advantage while making the pass.
The penalty meant that Norris dropped from third to fourth, and now sits 57 points behind the Drivers' Championship leader with only five races remaining.
McLaren have announced plans to launch a bid to overturn the penalty on Thursday, saying the Brit was left with no option but to go off the track as Verstappen broke late and ran wide and off the track on the turn.
"We'll ask questions. We've already asked certain questions. It's not something that needs to be done publicly or anything," Norris told Sky Sports F1 when asked about whether the rules need to be clarified when two cars go off track.
"But we can just have conversations on why I got the penalty because I don't believe it was correct. I think the majority of people don't agree it was correct, but that's life and sometimes it doesn't go your way.
"I think things just need to be clear for the future on what's allowed and what's not. I think the fact of getting off your brakes to achieve just the ruling of being ahead at apex, no matter how wide you run on the exit, is incorrect and I don't think that's how racing should be.
"Of course, that's the ruling at the minute and that's just what you've got to deal with. So I think there needs to be some tweaks."
Norris also admitted he did not think Verstappen's driving in the incident was "how racing should be".
"Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking. So, I have to be at his level and at the moment I am not quite at the level I need to be at.
"It's a shame to say, but it's probably the truth. At the same time, it's a chance for me to learn and progress."
However, Verstappen did not understand the frustration, pointing out that he was following the rules during the incident in Austin.
"It's how the rules are written. I don't make the rules, first of all. I just follow the rules, as much as I can," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.
"Of course, sometimes you get caught out with it. We've had that in the past. I just implement the rules and play with them.
"At the end of the day, you cannot overtake outside of the white line. That's a very clear rule, and I've been done by it myself.
"So, I don't understand why then, suddenly now, we need to ask and scream for changes in the regulations when it's been like that forever.
"I mean, I grew up go-karting, F3, F1 - you know that you cannot pass outside of the white line, it's as simple as that."
Klay Thompson was delighted with his "great" debut, after setting a new franchise record in the Dallas Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs.
He got 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes, with eighteen of those points coming from 3-pointers, a record for a Mavericks player.
Thompson, who left the Golden State Warriors after 13 years in the close season, helped push the Mavericks to a 120-109 victory on Thursday.
"Great debut," Thompson said.
"It's only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way.
"I had a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often."
Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, finished with 17 points on 5-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds, one assist and a game-high-tying four turnovers to open his second season with the Spurs.
Due to his involvement in the Paris Olympics, Wembanyama was limited to fewer than 40 minutes in preseason, and he admitted he felt that in their season opener.
"Some moments felt great," Wembanyama said. "A little hard conditioning-wise at first, of course [as] I expected.
"But I think we had some good basketball moments and some really bad ones.
"None of us really have played four games since [the] middle of the summer for me. It's a struggle.
"Every player in the NBA goes through it. Conditioning is not an excuse [for missed shots]. I'll have different weapons we need to know when to use.
"So, for the missed shots, it's more getting used to taking shots, getting used to again taking shots in a game."
Anthony Edwards sank two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled Sacramento's opener by beating the Kings 117-115 on Thursday night.
Edwards was fouled by Domantas Sabonis on a drive with the game tied and calmly hit the free throws to give him 32 points.
Keegan Murray's 3-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer for the Kings.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 33 points in his second game after being acquired in a trade from New York this month.
Demar DeRozan scored 26 points to lead the Kings in his debut for Sacramento after being acquired this summer in a sign-and-trade from Chicago. Sabonis added 24 points and Murray had 23.
Edwards and Naz Reid hit back-to-back 3-pointers that started an 11-0 run for Minnesota that turned a five-point deficit into a 105-99 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
After going 13 for 41 from 3 in the opener, Minnesota shot 20 for 50 from long range against Sacramento. The 91 attempted 3s are the most ever for the Timberwolves in the first two games of a season.
Holmgren's all-around performance powers Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren added 25 as part of a stellar all-around game and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in the season opener for both teams.
Holmgren proved to be a handful at both ends of the floor. He tied a career-high with 14 rebounds and had five assists and blocked four shots. Reserve Aaron Wiggins added 15 points.
It was an important divisional game right out of the gate. The Thunder and Nuggets both finished 57-25 last season, with the Thunder earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 131st triple-double.
Jokic's point guard partner, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Christian Braun added 16 points, while Aaron Gordon, fresh off signing a new contract extension, added 12 points. Denver missed 32 of 39 3-pointers.
New addition Russell Westbrook was held to six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Doncic, Thompson pace Mavericks
Luka Doncic had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson added 22 points in his Dallas debut and the Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 in the opener for both teams on Thursday night.
Kyrie Irving had 15 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who got eight assists from Doncic and seven rebounds from Thompson.
Thompson set a franchise record in a debut with six 3-pointers.
He scored 14 points after halftime and was 4 of 5 from long range, as Dallas went 13 of 21 from deep after making just 6 of 23 in the first half. The five-time All-Star and four-time champ with the Warriors also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Victor Wembanyama shot just 5 of 18 from the field for 17 points to open the young French phenom's second year with the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 18 apiece.
Chris Paul had three points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in his Spurs debut.
Anthony Edwards sank two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled Sacramento’s opener by beating the Kings 117-115 on Thursday night.
Edwards was fouled by Domantas Sabonis on a drive with the game tied and calmly hit the free throws to give him 32 points.
Keegan Murray's 3-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer for the Kings.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 33 points in his second game after being acquired in a trade from New York this month.
Demar DeRozan scored 26 points to lead the Kings in his debut for Sacramento after being acquired this summer in a sign-and-trade from Chicago. Sabonis added 24 points and Murray had 23.
Edwards and Naz Reid hit back-to-back 3-pointers that started an 11-0 run for Minnesota that turned a five-point deficit into a 105-99 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
After going 13 for 41 from 3 in the opener, Minnesota shot 20 for 50 from long range against Sacramento. The 91 attempted 3s are the most ever for the Timberwolves in the first two games of a season.
Holmgren’s all-around performance powers Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren added 25 as part of a stellar all-around game and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in the season opener for both teams.
Holmgren proved to be a handful at both ends of the floor. He tied a career high with 14 rebounds and had five assists and blocked four shots. Reserve Aaron Wiggins added 15 points.
It was an important divisional game right out of the gate. The Thunder and Nuggets both finished 57-25 last season, with the Thunder earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 131st triple-double.
Jokic's point guard partner, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Christian Braun added 16 points, while Aaron Gordon, fresh off signing a new contract extension, added 12 points. Denver missed 32 of 39 3-pointers.
New addition Russell Westbrook was held to six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Doncic, Thompson pace Mavericks
Luka Dončić had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson added 22 points in his Dallas debut and the Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 in the opener for both teams Thursday night.
Kyrie Irving had 15 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who got eight assists from Doncic and seven rebounds from Thompson.
Thompson set a franchise record in a debut with six 3-pointers.
He scored 14 points after halftime and was 4 of 5 from long range, as Dallas went 13 of 21 from deep after making just 6 of 23 in the first half. The five-time All-Star and four-time champ with the Warriors also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Victor Wembanyama shot just 5 of 18 from the field for 17 points to open the young French phenom's second year with the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 18 apiece.
Chris Paul had three points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in his Spurs debut.
Cooper Kupp caught a touchdown pass and Puka Nacua had 106 yards receiving in their returns from lengthy injury absences, and Matthew Stafford passed for 279 yards and four TDs in the Los Angeles Rams ' 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
Demarcus Robinson caught two TD passes from Stafford as the Rams (3-4) won back-to-back games for the first time this season with 386 yards from an offence that looked exponentially more dangerous with its top two receivers back in uniform.
After missing the previous five games, Nacua had seven catches while posting the eighth 100-yard game of his short career. Kupp returned from a four-game absence with five catches for 51 yards, including a 27-yard grab for a key first down late in the fourth quarter.
Kyren Williams rushed for 97 yards and caught an early TD pass for the Rams. Robinson caught a 25-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to put Los Angeles ahead, and he caught a 10-yard TD throw with 6:17 to play for a 28-20 lead.
Sam Darnold passed for 240 yards for the Vikings (5-2), who followed up their first loss of the season with an ineffective defensive performance.
Justin Jefferson had eight receptions for 115 yards, while Josh Oliver and Trent Sherfield caught TD passes from Darnold. Minnesota was held to two field goals in the final three quarters.
Following an internal investigation by Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), significant gaps in training have been identified, leading to stewarding practices at Caymanas Park falling short of international standards. As a result, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe has called for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to address these issues and ensure the future integrity of horse racing in Jamaica.
The investigation was prompted after the Heroes’ Day race meet at Caymanas Park was abandoned on Monday, October 21, 2024. A group of punters reacted violently to the stewards’ decision in Race 2, leading to the event’s cancellation for safety reasons. Sharpe stressed that the current state of officiating is not up to par for a racing jurisdiction aspiring to world-class status.
“Our internal investigation has identified significant training gaps that have resulted in local stewarding practices falling short of international standards,” Sharpe said. He explained that while SVREL provides the facilities for racing, the stewards' oversight falls under the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), a government-appointed body. Sharpe believes this disparity between local and international standards must be addressed immediately.
In his statement, Sharpe emphasized that improving stewarding standards is critical for the growth of horse racing in Jamaica. He called for the implementation of mandatory certification programs for stewards, ensuring that they are properly trained to handle the complexities of modern racing. He also advocated for regular assessments and retraining of officials to maintain a high level of competence and consistency in their decision-making.
Sharpe further stressed the need for clear accountability frameworks to be established, so that all decisions made by stewards are transparent and based on consistent, well-defined criteria. This, he believes, would help avoid situations like the one on Heroes’ Day, where the lack of clarity led to confusion and frustration among punters. Moreover, Sharpe called for the introduction of an independent appeals mechanism that would allow for the review of stewarding decisions, ensuring fairness and trust in the system.
Sharpe explained that these reforms are essential to creating a level playing field and restoring confidence in the integrity of horse racing at Caymanas Park. He expressed frustration that despite previous discussions with the JRC about the need for improved officiating, little progress has been made.
The incident on Heroes’ Day, which caused significant financial losses estimated at over JMD$70 million, underscored the importance of addressing these issues urgently. While Sharpe acknowledged the passion of racing fans, he firmly condemned the violent behaviour that followed the stewards' decision, stating that it endangered lives and tarnished the reputation of the sport. "While we value our patrons' enthusiasm, any expression of discontent must remain within acceptable bounds of sporting behaviour,” he asserted.
Sharpe also expressed disappointment with the lack of response from industry stakeholders following the incident. He pointed out that many who are typically vocal about SVREL’s operations have remained silent on this serious breach of sporting conduct. He called on all stakeholders to take equal responsibility for the sport’s integrity and to advocate for improvements in officiating and the overall management of races.
“The growth and sustainability of horse racing in Jamaica require more than just infrastructure investment and promotional efforts,” Sharpe said. “It demands the consistent application of international best practices across all aspects of racing.”
SVREL remains committed to modernizing Caymanas Park and advancing Jamaican horse racing. However, Sharpe made it clear that this vision can only be achieved through collective responsibility, with all stakeholders playing an active role in improving the industry’s standards and holding each other accountable.
“The time has come for all stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to the industry's growth not merely through words, but through actions, consistent engagement, and a willingness to address difficult issues head-on,” Sharpe concluded.
Rough Fight League (RFL) Amateur Lightweight Champion Shiaeine ‘Da Great’ Blake says fans can expect him to make quick work of opponent Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir when the two lock horns in the main event of RFL Ocho at Funland in Hope Gardens in Kingston on Saturday.
‘Da Great,’ who has held the number one spot across three weight classes in the Caribbean, will be making his professional debut against Weir, an accomplished boxer, who is now stepping into the professional MMA scene after taking this fight on short notice.
“I envision him laying on the canvas within eight minutes looking up at me and wondering what went wrong,” Blake told Sportsmax.tv on Tuesday.
“Fans are coming out expecting a fight but they’ll bear witness to a slaughter,” added Blake.
Knowing that Weir is coming from a strictly boxing background and this being an MMA fight, one would think that the obvious play for Blake is to lean into a wrestling-heavy style on Saturday.
The 29-year-old has other ideas, however, noting that his ego has got the best of him ahead of their bout.
“Knowing that Daron’s style is boxing heavy, I’ve allowed my ego to get a hold of me and challenged myself to beat him primarily with boxing,” Blake said.
“I’ve prepared to beat him where he’s best at. Boxing is his hope, but there cannot be despair without hope so I’ll beat him where he’s best and watch him crumble,” he added.
Blake last fought at the IMMAF Pan American Championships in Monterrey in September, losing via kneebar submission to Mexico’s Diego Rangel in round two of their three-round fight.
That fight is in the past and Blake says he’s going into Saturday’s fight with a clear mind.
“The loss hasn’t really affected me mentally of physically. You win and you lose in sports. That’s given, analyze it, learn from it and move onward,” he said.
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