Football / News / Sports

‘You cannot turn down Manchester United’: Ralf Rangnick unveiled as manager to begin club’s new era

Manchester United stepped into a new era on Friday morning as the German innovator Ralf Rangnick was unveiled as new interim manager in the club’s boldest move since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure eight years ago.

Less than 12 hours after caretaker Michael Carrick walked away from the club – marking the last of Ferguson’s 2008 Champions League winners to leave Old Trafford, having played and then coached at United ever since – the 63-year-old Rangnick gave a measured press conference in which he hailed Cristiano Ronaldo, warned of the “big” gap to the Premier League’s three, and hinted he could stay on permanently.

Rangnick has walked away from a brief stint as sporting director at Lokomotiv Moscow where he was charged with overhauling the club as he had done so successively at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig before. He revealed he turned down an interim position at Chelsea in February because it was only short-term, whereas United offered him a two-year consultancy role after this season to use his considerable experience guiding the hierarchy. “If a club like Manchester United contacts you for such a role, you cannot possibly turn it down.”

His first recommendation at the end of the season could be to hire Ralf Rangnick. “The people with whom I’ve spoken so far, they’ve been very clear we’re talking about a six-and-a-half month role. Maybe if it goes well and they ask me, I might make the same recommendation as I did twice at Leipzig – to continue with me.”

One of the most interesting aspects of the coming weeks will be to witness how Rangnick’s relationship with Ronaldo unfolds. Rangnick has been dubbed the ‘godfather of gegenpressing’ and his philosophy on determinedly winning the ball high up the pitch has been adopted and adapted by Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann, now at Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively, and it is not a strategy naturally suited to the 36-year-old Ronaldo.

But after watching from the stands as Ronaldo scored twice to sink Arsenal on Thursday night, …

Basket Ball / Entertainment / News

Khloe Kardashian’s estranged partner Tristan Thompson expecting 3rd child with personal trainer

American basketballer Tristan Thompson is expecting a third child with a personal trainer.

According to DailyMail, the NBA star is expecting a baby boy with a Texas-based personal trainer.

The trainer, Marilyn Nicole has already filed for child support from the rich NBA star before giving birth to the child.

 

Nicole said she conceived the child on the night of Tristan’s 30th birthday. At that time, the NBA star was still in a relationship with Khloe Kardashian whom they share a daughter.

However, Tristan admitted in the lawsuit that he had sex with the 31-year-old trainer but claimed that it only happened once.

In a twist, Nicole said the affair started five months before his birthday and the affair continued after she got pregnant.

Earlier in the year, an Instagram model, Sydney Chase had revealed that she had an affair with the basketballer.

The won’t be the first time Thompson will be cheating on his baby mama.

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Basket Ball / Sports

Suns win 17th in a row to tie franchise record

On Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns tied the franchise record for most consecutive wins with 17 of them, this most recent one being extra special as it came against the second hottest team in the league in the Golden State Warriors. The last time they won 17 straight was in the 2006-2007 season, and we’ll find out as soon as Thursday if they can officially break the record. We’ll start with the bad first, as Devin Booker exited in the middle of the second quarter with a hamstring injury, finishing with 10 points, two rebounds and one dime in 15 minutes, but he was seen on the Phoenix bench relentlessly cheering on his team despite suffering an injury mid-game. He’s had some hammy issues in the past but he’s bounced back rather nicely, and basically everyone gets a small boost if he misses time, with Chris Paul being the next man up and go-to guy. CP3 tallied a 4×5 line to the tune of 15 points (7-of-13 FGs), six rebounds, 11 assists, five steals, one 3-pointer and two turnovers in 39 minutes, and he just has not seemed to age and will remain in the first-round status that he held before this gem. Deandre Ayton feasted and was hustling up and down the court like nobody’s business, going for a team-high 24 points (11-of-19 FGs) with 11 rebounds (six offensive), two assists, one steal and two blocks with just one turnover to his name in 34 minutes. He’s still just top-60 on the season because he isn’t blocking shots, with the two tonight tying his season high, only accumulating that many on two occasions. Cam Johnson had a 14/4/2/1/1 evening with three triples and is probably the biggest direct beneficiary whenever D-Book is hurt, so feel free to stream him if Booker sits on Thursday against the Pistons (I see no reason why he wouldn’t get some extra rest even if he’s fine, given the opponent). Mikal Bridges had just two points but brought the defense with four steals and …

Basket Ball / Sports

Nets escape with wild win over rival Knicks

Kevin Durant and the Nets survive a thriller against the Knicks

James Johnson hit the tiebreaking free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining as the host Brooklyn Nets blew a 16-point lead, survived a wild fourth quarter, and outlasted the New York Knicks for a 112-110 victory in front of a raucous crowd Tuesday night, November 30 (Wednesday, December 1, Manila time).

The game was tied at 110-110 after New York’s Evan Fournier hit a three-pointer over Bruce Brown with 17 seconds left. Brooklyn used its last timeout to advance the ball, and James Harden inbounded to Kevin Durant.

Durant held the ball for a few seconds, took about five dribbles and moved to his left near midcourt. After encountering a double-team, he passed to Johnson, who was fouled by Mitchell Robinson and then calmly sank the foul shots.

New York had one more chance, but Fournier’s 44-foot three-point try as time expired clanked off the front of the rim.

Johnson’s free throws gave Brooklyn its fifth win in six games and capped a final quarter that featured 10 lead changes.

Harden scored 28 of his 34 points in the first half to lead all scorers and Durant scored 11 of his 27 in the fourth quarter. Durant hit two free throws to give Brooklyn a 109-107 lead 27.5 seconds before Fournier’s three-pointer.

Alec Burks led the Knicks with 25 points and Julius Randle added 24 for New York, which shot 48.4%. Derrick Rose contributed 16 points and Fournier contributed 13.

Harden scored 15 points as the Nets overcame an eight-point deficit and ended the first quarter with a 33-28 lead. Harden surpassed 20 points with two free throws to give Brooklyn a 43-36 lead with 8:48 left in the half and Brooklyn held a 45-36 lead on a layup by Johnson on its next possession.

The Knicks held a 61-60 lead at intermission after Harden canned a triple with 3.5 seconds left. Brooklyn scored the first 14 points of the third quarter and held an 84-68 lead on a jumper

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Awards / Football / Sports

Lionel Messi adds 7th Ballon d’Or to his record haul

Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi beat out Bayern Munich’s runner-up Robert Lewandowski and 28 other nominees for the 2021 men’s Ballon d’Or, which he received at a ceremony on Monday in Paris.

The honor is awarded by France Football magazine to the male soccer player considered to be the best in the world over the previous year. It’s voted on by a panel of 180 international journalists and is the most prestigious individual honor in the sport.

Spain and Barcelona forward Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or, which was awarded for the third time this year. She was named the UEFA women’s player of the year in August.

Monday marked the seventh time that Messi has won the Ballon d’Or, extending a record he set with his sixth time being honored in 2019. Rival Cristiano Ronaldo is second all-time with five Ballon d’Ors. The Manchester United and Portugal forward finished sixth in voting this year.

The award is also Messi’s second straight. The Ballon d’Or wasn’t awarded in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the international soccer schedule. He won this year for a professional season split between PSG and Barcelona. Messi left a Barcelona team he’d play for since 2004 in August to join PSG. He led his national team Argentina to a Copa America championship in July.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Chicago Bulls cruise past Hornets as Lonzo Ball pips his brother

Lonzo Ball has faced his brother LaMelo three times in the NBA, winning twice. That’s the only thing that matters to him.

”I play to win. I’m still the big brother at the end of the day,” Lonzo Ball said, ”and I got to stack my wins.”

The Chicago Bulls took the latest battle of the Ball brothers, riding a stellar performance by Nikola Vucevic to a 133-119 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

Chicago shot a season-high 59.6% from the field and had five players score in double figures. Vucevic had a season-best 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, and Zach LaVine, a game-time decision because of an illness, finished with 25.

With patriarch LaVar Ball watching and wearing a black hat that read ”I Told You So,” Lonzo Ball helped the Bulls get back on track after dropping three of four. He had 16 points and eight assists, and LaMelo Ball had 18 points and 13 assists.

”I mean we’ve been talking about the NBA since we were little boys,” LaMelo said. ”Just going out there and playing against him, always a dream come true, for real.”

The United Center crowd of 21,366 roared every time the Ball brothers matched up early on. But there was little sign from Lonzo or LaMelo that they were guarding someone they’d guarded since they were kids.

”Obviously we are brothers and it’s all love off the court,” Lonzo Ball said. ”But on the court, like I said, he got a job he got to do, I got a job I got to do.”

Terry Rozier scored 31 points and Gordon Hayward had 22 for the Hornets, who dropped to 0-2 on their four-game trip.

”Disappointed tonight in our defense,” Charlotte coach James Borrego said. ”We just got to correct it.”

Charlotte trimmed a 23-point deficit down to four on Hayward’s cutting layup with 7:31 left, but Chicago responded with a 9-0 run.

Vucevic sparked the decisive stretch with a layup. The 6-foot-10 center also …

Basket Ball / Sports

Hornets beat Wizards 97-87 for 4th straight victory

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points for Charlotte, which ended Washington’s five-game winning steak after it stopped Golden State’s run at seven Sunday.

”The goal and the challenge here is to sustain it, and get better along the way, even into tomorrow’s practice,” Hornets coach James Borrego said.

LaMelo Ball added 11 points and a career-high 14 assists, Mason Plumlee had 11 points and 13 rebounds, Jalen McDaniels also scored 11 points.

”After the first quarter, we locked it in on defense and that got us going,” Bridges said. ”As long as we stay focused, do what we need to do on defense, we have a great chance of winning every night.”

Bradley Beal led Washington with 24 points, Daniel Gafford added 20, and Montrezl Harrell had 15.

”We stopped being aggressive, especially on offense,” Beal said after Washington lost a double-digit halftime lead. ”We settled for a lot of jumpers. We got a lot of good looks. We just didn’t make them. We still could have put a lot of pressure on the rim and gotten to the free-throw line a little more.”

After tying it at 63 with 3:52 left in the third period, Charlotte had a 10-2 run to close the quarter. Oubre scored seven points during the run.

”I wasn’t in tune with the pace,” said Gafford, who keyed Washington’s first-half lead but didn’t contribute much in the second. ”I felt like I was holding the team back at the time because I wasn’t doing the things I did in the first half. I can’t explain it, but I’m sure everyone saw it. I didn’t come out with the same intensity that I came out with at the beginning of the game.”

Beal played with a heavy heart Wednesday after the recent death of his grandmother.

‘I use basketball as my getaway, but it reminds me of her a lot,” Beal said. ”I just try to keep it as controlled as possible. It’s not something you can ignore, you have to take the punches and roll …

Basket Ball / Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 47 points, Bucks deny Lakers

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points and Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee’s franchise record for career 3-pointers as the Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-102 on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum.

Middleton returned after missing eight games due to COVID-19, played 30 minutes and made consecutive 3-pointers 30 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead for good. The second of those 3s was his 1,051st with the Bucks to match Ray Allen for first place on the team’s all-time list.

“That’s a very, very special place to be,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think we all just admire what Khris does every night, his ability to shoot, the different ways he gets 3’s and his kind of consistency and longevity here.”

Allen holds the NBA record with 2,973 3-pointers in a career that also included stints with the Seattle Super Sonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

LeBron James missed an eighth straight game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain. The Lakers have gone 3-5 during that stretch.

Los Angeles also is missing Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn, who haven’t appeared in a game this season.

“It’s a part of the game,” said Anthony Davis, who scored 18 points for the Lakers. “Same thing with the team we just played. They’ve been hit with injuries as well. It kind of goes with the league, the business of the game. You go out there and put your body on the line every night, God forbid, something is going to happen in the course of a season. Someone’s going to get hurt. We’ve got to adjust and continue to fight until we get everybody back.

Talen Horton-Tucker scored 25 points for the Lakers two nights after getting a career-high 28 in a 121-103 loss to Chicago. Russell Westbrook had 19 points, Malik Monk 11 and Carmelo Anthony 10.

Antetokounmpo posted his highest point total since scoring 50 in a Game 6 Finals victory over the Phoenix Suns that clinched Milwaukee’s first title since 1971.

“I wanted

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Basket Ball / Sports

Jazz suffer first home loss, fall 111-100 to Pacers

Myles Turner stood up to Rudy Gobert and the Indiana Pacers knocked down the Utah Jazz.

Malcolm Brogdon scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds, leading the Pacers to a 111-100 victory on Thursday night that ended Utah’s unbeaten home start.

Turner, Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles were ejected with 4:01 left. Turner shoved Gobert, planting his shoulder in his back after a missed layup. Gobert responded by bear hugging him and trying to wrestle Turner to the floor. The two players had to be separated near the basket across from the Pacers bench.

Turner blamed the scuffle on Gobert knocking him to the floor after the initial play.

“I had to stand up for myself in that situation,” Turner said. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. But that’s not for me to decide. We’ll talk to the league and see what happens from there.”

Brogdon had the eighth 30-point game of his career and T.J. McConnell added 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench for the Pacers. Turner had 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Pacers finished 2-2 on their road trip after their second road win of the season.

“We’ve got a resilient group,” Brogdon said. “We’ve got a group that’s maturing and a group that’s getting better and getting tougher. We’ve got to continue to build on this.”

Mitchell scored 26 points and Gobert added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Mitchell blamed the scuffle on built-up frustration over the referees allowing too much contact early in the game.

“That whole thing could have been avoided — just draw the line early, as opposed to letting it build up for the whole game,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell got off to a fast start and gave the Jazz an early boost. But after Bojan Bogdanovic drove for a layup to give Utah a 42-38 lead midway through the second quarter, the Pacers held the Jazz to just four baskets over the final 6 ½ minutes before halftime. Meanwhile, Indiana crashed the boards and …

Basket Ball / Sports

Raptors Beat 76ers, 115-109

Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet hit back-to-back 3-pointers over the final 1:10 to lift the Raptors past the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers, 115-109 on Thursday night.

VanVleet hit six 3s and scored 32 points, and Trent added 20. The Raptors lost to Boston on the front end of a back-to-back but the late 3s rallied them to a needed road victory.

The Raptors played hard until the end, a trait that can work wonders for a team trying to surprise this season.

“It’s been in the culture with the Raptors for a while,” coach Nick Nurse said. “We just believe in it, talk about it, drill it. We hold guys accountable. I think the biggest metric is your heart and your toughness and your desire to want to do it. Fortunately, our guys most nights will do that.”

Joel Embiid, Isaiah Joe, and Matisse Thybulle are still in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and sat out again. Seth Curry did return from a foot injury and Tobias Harris scored 19 points in his return from a six-game absence after testing positive for COVID-19.

“We just need bodies. He’s a warm body. The fact that he’s one of our better players helps,” coach Doc Rivers said.

The Sixers need more reinforcements and have lost three straight games. Tyrese Maxey did score 33 points for the Sixers.

Andre Drummond had put the Sixers ahead 109-107 with 1:44 left and then followed with a blocked shot on the next possession that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Trent, though, hit the 3 with 1:10 left that put the Raptors ahead.

The Raptors led most of the fourth quarter until the Sixers went on a late run. Shake Milton hit a 3 and his baseline drive cut it to 92-89 before Harris scored to bring the Sixers within one. VanVleet and Svi Mykhailiuk, though, each buried 3-pointers that stretched the lead and OG Anunoby dunked off a turnover.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Return home Saturday to play Detroit.

76ers: Open a six-game road trip

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Basket Ball / Sports

Paul George scores 24, Clippers beat Blazers to extend win streak

Paul George has been putting the Los Angeles Clippers on his shoulders the first month of the season. He needed some help Tuesday night after running into foul trouble midway through the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Reggie Jackson and Nicolas Batum were able to pick up the slack.

George led the Clippers with 24 points in their 117-109 victory over the Trail Blazers, but Jackson added 23 and Batum scored a season-high 22 points as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to five.

“We just keep being resilient and finding ways to win,” coach Tyron Lue said. “In the timeouts my message was I wanted us to keep our poise. We had to keep playing through it. They held it down until we got Paul back in the game.”

George went to the bench with 5:53 remaining in the third quarter and the Clippers up 70-65. When he came back into the game with 9:55 left in the fourth, LA had extended the lead to 88-82.

Batum and Isaiah Hartenstein keyed the Clippers’ offense during George’s absence with eight points apiece.

“The first two or three possessions we didn’t play well. We weren’t moving the ball,” said Batum, who was 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. “Then we just started to play simple, move around and got open shots. That was a big stretch before Paul came back.”

George, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, played only 33 minutes because of his foul trouble. Despite the decreased playing time, he was near a triple-double with nine rebounds and seven assists.

“So many guys are stepping up when we need them. You never know in a big night who it is going to be. You can’t put enough emphasis on that,” said George, who is fifth in the league in scoring at 26.7 points per game.

Damian Lillard led Portland with 27 points and Norman Powell scored 23. Jusuf Nurkic had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who are winless in their …

Football / Sports

Tottenham appoint Conte as manager after sacking Nuno

Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Antonio Conte as their new manager until the summer of 2023, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, a day after sacking Nuno Espirito Santo.

Former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss Conte replaces Nuno, who was sacked after 17 matches in charge, with last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United in the league his final game with Spurs.

Conte had been out of work since terminating his contract at Inter in May, shortly after he led them to their first Serie A title in 11 years last season.

“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist (in the title race) again,” Conte said in a statement.

“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.”

Tottenham had topped the Premier League standings in August under Nuno after winning their opening three games but are now ninth, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea after 10 matches.

Conte’s first game in charge will be Thursday’s Conference League match at home to Vitesse Arnhem.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder overturn sizeable deficit to beat Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered defeat from the jaws of victory as the Oklahoma City Thunder came back from 26 points down to prevail 123-115.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points as the Thunder won their first game of the season against the Lakers, who were without LeBron James.

Los Angeles were up 56-30 in the second quarter as former Oklahoma City player Russell Westbrook celebrated his 185th career triple-double.

Laker Carmelo Anthony missed a three-point attempt with 9.7 seconds left to play which would have tied the game as LA fell to 2-3 for the season.

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Basket Ball / Sports

Heat pull away to beat Nets 106-93

Bam Adebayo had 24 points and nine rebounds to lead the Miami Heat to a 106-93 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

Jimmy Butler added 17 points for Miami (3-1). P.J. Tucker finished with 15, and Tyler Herro and Dewayne Dedmon each contributed 14.

A preseason favorite to win the NBA championship, Brooklyn has alternated losses and wins through the first five games of the season and dropped to 2-3. Kevin Durant finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

”I like how we’re playing defense the last couple games,” Durant said. ”I like where our defense is trending. … I feel like we’re generating good shots. We’re just (not) knocking them down. If we continue to generate good shots we’ll put ourselves in good position.”

Joe Harris contributed 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting, including 5 for 11 from 3-point range. With his third 3-pointer of the game, Harris passed Jason Kidd as the franchise’s career leader in made 3-pointers.

James Harden had 14 points and Bruce Brown chipped in with 12.

The first of four regular-season matchups between the Eastern Conference rivals was a contrast in styles, the flashy, up-tempo, high-scoring Nets against a physical Heat squad.

Despite forcing the Nets to play a possession-by-possession game for much of the first half, the Heat trailed 51-49 at the half. Miami had outscored Brooklyn in the paint (30-20), had more second-chance points (15-2), and had a decided edge in rebounds (35-25).

”We have a bunch of like-minded guys,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. ”(That’s) the way those guys are hard-wired.”

What the Heat did not have, though, was the tandem of Durant and Harden, who combined for 25 of Brooklyn’s 51 points in the half. Durant also grabbed eight rebounds while Harden added three boards and three assists.

Miami stayed with its approach and it paid dividends in the third quarter, as the Heat outscored the Nets 32-23 and took an 81-74 lead into the fourth. The Heat extended their lead to 88-77 before Brooklyn used a 7-2 spurt to …

Basket Ball / Sports

Damian Lillard Continues His Struggles, LA Clippers Defeat Portland Trail Blazers 116-86

After suffering two tough losses to begin the season, the LA Clippers have gotten their first win, blowing out the Portland Trail Blazers 116-86 on Monday night. The team was backed by a special shooting performance from Luke Kennard, and when combined with the team’s stellar defense, it was enough to get a blowout win.

Coming into this matchup against the Blazers, there was some concern surrounding the Clippers’ ability to defend Portland’s perimeter attack. The team had struggled in their first two games containing dynamic guard play, and the Blazers have no shortage of it. Despite this concern, Damian Lillard never really got going.

The Clippers took a 56-42 lead into halftime, and that point, Lillard had just 8 points on 3/8 shooting and 0/5 from deep. His co-star CJ McCollum was able to get a little bit more freedom in that first half, pouring in 16 points on 6/14 shooting; however, the Clippers were likely content with the way they defended that duo through 24 minutes.

Fortunately for the Clippers, the 2nd half was more of the same. Lillard finished with just 12 points on 4/15 from the field and 0/8 from deep, while McCollum ended with 20 points on 7/16 shooting. Ty Lue’s ability to effectively show those two guards different looks was successful all night. Eric Bledsoe, Nicolas Batum, Terance Mann, and Justise Winslow all took turns defending Portland’s backcourt duo, and each did a solid job.

As a team, the Clippers forced 30 turnovers which is just the 8th time in franchise history such a mark has been achieved, and the first time since 1996 that the clip was reached. Of the 30 turnovers, 21 were steals, which was the 2nd most in a game in franchise history. A combination of solid defense and sloppy offense from Portland created some historic defensive numbers for the Clippers.

Offensively for the Clippers, it was the Luke Kennard show. As the team wants him to do, Kennard was hunting shots. They tend to go in when he does …

Football / Sports

Champions League: Liverpool survive Atletico Madrid comeback

Liverpool survived an Atletico Madrid fightback to win 3-2 and Lionel Messi scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat RB Leipzig by the same score on a breathless night of Champions League action on Tuesday.

In other games, Karim Benzema netted for Real Madrid as the 13-time European champions thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 in Ukraine on the eve of the start of his trial in France on charges of complicity in blackmail.

Much of the night’s drama happened at the Wanda Metropolitano in the Spanish capital where Mohamed Salah scored another impressive goal, twisting away from a string of Atletico defenders before his shot deflected in off James Milner to open the scoring.

Naby Keita doubled Liverpool’s lead with a stunning volley but Atletico hit back with French international Antoine Griezmann scoring twice to fire up the home crowd.

Just as Atletico seemed to have the upper hand, Griezmann was given a straight red card for a high boot in the face of Roberto Firmino.

A pulsating game was decided from the penalty spot in the 78th minute as Salah sent Jan Oblak the wrong way after Mario Hermoso pushed Diogo Jota. The Egyptian’s 31st Champions League goal makes him the club’s top scorer in the competition, overtaking Steven Gerrard.

In a dramatic finish, Atletico were denied a penalty when the referee studied the VAR and decided Jota had not fouled Jose Maria Gimenez.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport: “We played a really solid second half in a tough game with intense football from both teams.

“We got the penalty, then there was a red card and obviously it was in our favor.”

The Reds are top of Group B with three wins out of three while Atletico are equal on four points with Porto, who beat AC Milan 1-0 in Portugal.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Bucks begin title defense with 127-104 victory over Nets

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t let the celebration of the franchise’s first NBA championship in half a century distract them as they opened their title defense.

In his first game since scoring 50 points in a title-clinching Game 6 NBA Finals victory over the Phoenix Suns, Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Bucks to a 127-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.

”We’re part of history,” Antetokounmpo said. ”I’m excited. But now it’s over with. We’ve got to focus on building good habits, keep moving forward and keep playing good basketball and hopefully we can repeat this again this year, next year and all the years that we’re going to be here down the road.”

Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton each added 20 points to help the Bucks withstand the loss of Jrue Holiday, who sat out the second half with a bruised right heel after scoring 12 points. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said MRI results on Holiday were encouraging.

Kevin Durant led the Nets with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Patty Mills scored 21 points and shot 7 of 7 from 3-point range. James Harden added 20 points.

”We weren’t very good,” Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. ”If you’re not playing at a high level against the champs, you’re not going to win.”

The Nets were missing star guard Kyrie Irving, who isn’t with the team due to his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

A New York mandate requires professional athletes on local teams to be vaccinated to practice or play in public venues. Rather than using Irving exclusively in road games, the Nets decided he wouldn’t play or practice with them at all until he could be a full participant.

After receiving their rings, raising a banner and watching a highlight video of their first NBA championship since 1971, the Bucks defeated the team that nearly eliminated them in the second round of the playoffs. Antetokounmpo acknowledged that he teared up a little bit during the pregame …

Basket Ball / Sports

Curry, Warriors stun James, Lakers 121-114 in opener

Opening night in Hollywood went well for three quarters for Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

But it was a flop for their new supporting cast, including L.A. native and former league MVP Russell Westbrook.

Curry, a two-time MVP, had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Warriors, who rallied from 10 points down to stun the Lakers 121-114 in a season opener Tuesday night.

The Lakers went cold in the fourth quarter, and surrendered the lead halfway through the period.

James had 34 points and 11 rebounds, while Davis had 33 points and 11 rebounds. No other Lakers scored in double figures.

”Those two guys were spectacular,” coach Frank Vogel said. ”We’re going to be pretty good if we get those type of performances. We just have to be better defensively. This is a team that is all new to each other, so everybody’s finding their way a little bit.”

Wesbrook shot just 4 for 13 for eight points in his Lakers debut.

”Him more than anybody, it’s going to be an adjustment period,” Vogel said. ”He’s coming into our culture, our system, he’s the new guy, he’s got to find his way. It’s difficult, when you’re used to being the guy that has the ball most nights, to be able to play off others like LeBron and A.D. It’s just a little bit different for him. He’s going to be great for us but it’s going to be an adjustment period.”

James and Davis said they helped console Westbrook afterward.

”I told Russ to go home and watch a comedy,” James said. ”Put a smile on his face. Don’t be so hard on himself.”

The Lakers had an 84-74 lead late in the third quarter after a jumper by Kent Bazemore, but the Warriors slowly closed the gap.

”We didn’t finish quarters well the whole night,” Vogel said. ”We gave up a 38-point fourth quarter. If you do that you’re going to lose most nights. …

Boxing / Sports

YouTuber’s Profitable Boxing Run Gets Real Test; Business Side May See Odd Ending

Jake Paul’s critics may finally calm down once the YouTuber’s next fight is sealed.

Although it has yet to be made official, the 24-year-old’s next opponent will likely be a legitimate boxer in the person of Tommy Fury.

The 22-year-old is the younger and half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. He holds an unblemished record of 7-0 with four wins coming by way of knockout.

The British pugilist was last seen in action this past August. He took on Anthony Taylor of the United States and won via unanimous decision.

There is no official word on who he may fight next. But it appears he will be in for something different with Paul looming as his next foe.

Fury admitted that he has nothing to gain in this fight against the internet sensation. However, he could be doing boxing critics a big favor if he deals Paul a loss in the ring.

“I’ve been doing this job since I was seven,” he told TMZ. “He’s not a boxer. He’s gonna see that when we fight.”

Fury is aware that winning the fight won’t get him a title shot. But then again, he would rack in a good payday from doing so.

In what is looming as a one-sided fight, considering Fury is someone who has been in the ring for some time, it may be best to taper expectations. Proof of that is the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul fight. Most expected the American fighter to give the 26-year-old YouTuber a sound beating. That never happened, but both fighters raked in millions.

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Boxing / Sports

Tyson Fury knocks out Deontay Wilder to win an epic world heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas

The British heavyweight star was on the brink of defeat when he was floored twice in the fourth round, but Fury staged a sensational recovery and dropped Wilder in the 10th before inflicting a crushing knockout to retain his WBC belt. Wilder had been blasted to the canvas in the third round, but the American nearly pulled off a stunning fightback in the fourth, before Fury quickly regained command and eventually broke the resistance of his exhausted challenger. Wilder had been blasted to the canvas in the third round, but the American nearly pulled off a stunning fightback in the fourth, before Fury quickly regained command and eventually broke the resistance of his exhausted challenger.

In a tense opening round, Wilder tried to enforce his aggressive tactics as he forced Fury onto the back foot with stinging body shots and clubbing right hands.

But Fury began to find the range with his hurtful straight right hand in the second, then unloaded it perfectly in the third to daze Wilder, who was cuffed to the canvas. With Wilder badly hurt, Fury went for the finish in the fourth, but he wilted to the canvas after a huge right hand from the Alabama man.

A right hand from Fury sent Wilder crumpling to the canvas in the 10th, and still he threw back, briefly buzzing the Brit with crude shots.

But Fury finally concluded their saga in the 11th as a huge right hand sent Wilder crashing spectacularly to the canvas.

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