Connect with us

Sports

Luka Dončić and LeBron James lead LA Lakers to thrilling OT win over New York Knicks, extend win streak

Published

on



CNN
 — 

Hours after the last time the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks met, one of the most shocking trades in NBA history went down as LA acquired superstar Luka Dončić in a three-team deal that shook the league.

On Thursday, the two teams faced each other again, this time at Crypto.com Arena in the City of Angels as Dončić played the hero in the Lakers’ 113-109 overtime win over the Knicks.

Down double digits in the fourth quarter, the Lakers completed the comeback behind some Dončić and LeBron James magic to force OT.

While Los Angeles jumped out to an early lead in the extra period, Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson put his team on his back, becoming the centerpiece of the team’s stingy offense.

However, with just over the minute left, Brunson drove to the basket and was fouled by Lakers guard Austin Reaves. The 28-year-old remained on the ground, writhing in pain as replays showed he twisted his ankle on the play.

Brunson stayed in the game to shoot the ensuing free throws but slowly limped to the locker room afterwards and would not return. He scored all eight of the Knicks’ points in overtime up to that point, finishing with 39 points and 10 assists.

After Brunson’s departure, the Lakers would hit six free throws – with James hitting four in the final 40 seconds – to secure the team’s eight straight victory and improve their record to 40-21 on the season.

LeBron James finished two assists shy of a triple-double in the win.

Dončić finished with 32 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and four steals, while James contributed 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

The Slovenian star told the TNT broadcast after the game that it took “a lot” to take down the Knicks.

“They’re a great team,” Dončić said. “They have great players and it’s a tough win. Now, we got eight in a row and every game is a battle for us.”

The loss was the Knicks’ second straight as they fall to 40-22 on the season. New York will likely rue its performance on the night as it had multiple chances to win the showdown between two of the better teams in the league.

The Knicks controlled the game, behind timely offense and defense. However, a 10-1 Lakers run in the fourth led to the brakes falling off completely.

After Los Angeles took the lead for the first time since the second quarter, Brunson did what he did all season: thrive in the clutch.

The two-time All-Star tied the game back up with an and-1 with 46 seconds to go in regulation.

After a defensive stop, the Knicks had a golden chance to escape with a victory but forward Josh Hart failed to get a would-be game-winner off before time expired.

New York head coach Tom Thibodeau had no update on Brunson’s injury but was complimentary of his teams effort, calling it a “hard fought game.”

“Came down to the stretch,” Thibodeau told reporters. “Lot of tough plays that – we couldn’t get to a loose ball, things like that. Often times, that’s the difference. Overall, I thought the first three-and-a-half quarters was very, very good. So, obviously, we have to close out better.”

The Knicks will play the second half of a back-to-back on Friday as they visit the Intuit Dome to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers begin a four-game road trip in Boston as they take on their long-time rival Celtics on Saturday night.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray end coaching partnership after six months

Published

on



CNN
 — 

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have ended their coaching relationship after six months as the 24-time grand slam singles champion continues to struggle for form in 2025.

“Thank you, coach Andy, for all the hard work, fun & support over last six months on & off the court,” Djokovic wrote on his social media channels. “I really enjoyed deepening our friendship together.”

The longtime rivals, who faced off in several all-time classic encounters on the court, announced in November that Murray would be joining Djokovic’s coaching team.

The partnership got off to a promising start as Djokovic reached the semifinals of January’s Australian Open after beating Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set epic in the quarterfinals, only for an injury to cut his last-four match against Alexander Zverev short.

However, Djokovic and Murray have failed to rekindle anything close to that kind of form in the months since.

“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray said in a statement. “I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season.”

Djokovic’s best performance this year came in reaching the final of the Miami Open, where he lost to unseeded teenager Jakub Menšík. The 24-time grand slam champion lost in the first round at the Qatar Open and Indian Wells before Miami, and in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open since.

As recently as March, Djokovic said he hoped Murray would be his coach through the French Open and Wimbledon.

The 37-year-old pulled out of the ongoing Italian Open at the end of April, and this week accepted a wildcard into the Geneva Open which begins on May 18.



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Jayson Tatum: Boston loses star to leg injury as Knicks come up huge at home to take 3-1 lead over Celtics

Published

on



CNN
 — 

Jayson Tatum will have an MRI on the lower leg injury he suffered during the Boston Celtics’ 121-113 Game 4 defeat against the New York Knicks on Monday.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Celtics forward went down with an apparent non-contact injury as he tried to go after a loose ball. He quickly grabbed his right ankle and appeared to be in a lot of pain.

Tatum was helped off the court as he couldn’t put any pressure on his right leg and was taken through the tunnel in New York’s Madison Square Garden in a wheelchair.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game Tatum suffered a “lower body injury” and will have the scan on Tuesday.

“You are always worried about someone’s health,” Mazzulla told reporters. “He’s the type of guy that gets right up. He didn’t and we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is. It’s tough to watch a guy like him getting carried off like that.”

To make matters worse, Monday’s defeat means the Boston Celtics now trail 3-1 in the series and face elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Trainers check on Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum after he was injured late in the fourth quarter.

Down by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, New York ended the period on a 12-2 run to take an 88-85 lead into the fourth.

With less than six minutes remaining in regulation of a tied 102-102 game, OG Anunoby drained a three-pointer to give the Knicks a 105-102 lead, which New York would not relinquish.

Four Knicks players scored at least 20 points with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 39 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 23 points and Anunoby added 20.

After the victory, Brunson discussed the comeback win and extending the series lead.

“It means a lot. It’s a big game for us, just the way we responded, is what I’m most proud of, sticking together and making sure we are not quitting,” Brunson said at the postgame news conference.

“That’s a tough team over there. Obviously, we want to get off to better starts, but they got experience. They’re the defending champs for a reason.”

Tatum finished with a game-high 42 points, tying Celtics legends Larry Bird and John Havlicek for the most 40-point postseason games in franchise history. Tatum also had eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.

“That’s our brother, hate to see him go down. We know the type of guy he is. It’s tough to see him go down,” Celtics guard Derrick White, who scored 23 points in the loss, said after the game. “We just have to find a way to win Game 5.”

Boston guard Jaylen Brown, who finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, said it was “tough” seeing Tatum go down.

Tatum is set to undergo an MRI Tuesday.

“Tonight is tough. I think everybody is kind of at a loss of words just because, one losing a game, but obviously, the concern with JT. But we pick our heads back up tomorrow and go from there,” Brown said.

Brunson said he’s “praying for the best” for Tatum.

“We want to go out there and compete, but when a player of his caliber goes down and he’s rolling in pain like that, you know something is wrong, so that why I gave my thoughts and prayers because you never want to see something like that ever. ”

The Knicks will look to eliminate the defending NBA champion Celtics on Wednesday in Boston.



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Coco Gauff makes history with dominant victory over Emma Raducanu to advance to Italian Open quarterfinals

Published

on



CNN
 — 

American tennis star Coco Gauff put on a dominant display as she eased past Emma Raducanu on Monday to book her spot in the Italian Open quarterfinals.

The No. 4 seed dropped just three games in her convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over her British opponent in Rome, needing just 79 minutes to secure victory.

In reaching the quarterfinals, the 21-year-old becomes the youngest player to reach four quarterfinals in WTA 1000 clay tournaments since the top-level events were introduced in 2009.

Gauff will face world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva in the final eight on Wednesday after the 18-year-old came back to beat Clara Tauson in three sets.

Gauff is showing impressive form on clay at the right time with the French Open just around the corner.

The American has won eight of her last nine matches on the surface, with her only loss coming in the final of the Madrid Open to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Gauff revealed after her victory over Raducanu that she has been focusing on her footwork over the last two weeks in preparation for playing at Roland Garros, and highlighted her forehand – which has been inconsistent of late – as a key factor in her win on Monday.

“I think, today, (it) was the reason why I won the match,” Gauff told reporters. “Especially on this surface, I think I can do a lot with it.”

Gauff was in control from the outset against Raducanu on Campo Centrale and never let up. She won 39 of her 59 service points and broke Raducanu’s serve four times.

Gauff has now won both of her matches against Raducanu during her career.

She admitted that it has taken some time to get adjusted to playing on a different surface in Italy but feels good about where she is now.

“It still feels so slow compared to Madrid,” Gauff said, “but I’m getting used to it with each match. I feel really happy with how I played. I think I really was the one dictating the match for the most part.”

Elsewhere on Monday, Sabalenka held of a stiff challenge from Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk to book her spot in the quarterfinals, winning 6-1, 7-6 (8) in two hours and five minutes.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending