Brook Lopez scored 20 points in his return from an injury-shortened season and Deron Williams also had a strong return from surgery in the Brooklyn Nets’ 111-94 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday night.
Williams had 17 points and seven assists in Brooklyn’s pre-season opener.
The Nets head to China, where they are to play exhibition games against the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing.
Lopez played in only 17 games last season and was the Nets’ leading scorer before breaking his right foot in December. He had surgery to repair that injury and later another procedure on his left ankle.
He shot 8 of 12 on Tuesday, playing into the fourth quarter.
“It was great to be back on the floor,” Lopez said.
“I felt so giddy when we first got on the floor, standing on the court, getting shots up. To be back out with the guys was a fantastic feeling,” he added.
Williams made it through last season, but struggled with ankle problems for a second straight campaign. He had surgery on both ankles during the off-season.
“They [Lopez and Williams] are an integral part of our team and having them both back and both healthy and playing at the highest level, that’s the key for us to succeed,” forward Andrei Kirilenko said.
Joe Johnson scored 14 points, and Kirilenko and Mirza Teletovic each added 13 for the Nets. Kevin Garnett started his 20th NBA season with six points and five rebounds.
Jeremy Pargo finished with 27 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a thunderous dunk in the final minutes for Maccabi, the Euroleague champions.
Maccabi, who play in the the Israeli Premier League, had plenty of crowd support in the Barclays Center in New York, with Israeli flags being flown all around the arena.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria. Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys. “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just