Taiwan Blue yesterday prevailed over Canada 89-86 in an exciting seesaw battle whose outcome was in doubt until the final moments, with captain Liu Cheng and forward Lu Cheng-ju making clutch shots to win the game and send the packed crowd into celebration at the William Jones Cup in Taipei.
In the dying seconds, Lu drained a three-pointer from the left side and Liu made two free throws, followed by Canada shooting guard Garrett Williamson missing both of his free throws, leaving Canada unable to level the score with another missed shot before the buzzer.
“It was a great result for us, because Canada are a very tough team and they were undefeated before this game. I also want to thank the fans, who were really into the game with boisterous support for us. They gave our team the home-court advantage for the win tonight,” Liu said after the game.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
With the loss, Canada, led by head coach Kyle Julius, remained on top of table, but had to share first place with Taiwan Blue, Lithuania, South Korea and the Philippines.
Earlier, Taiwan White put on a solid display to get past Iraq 87-79, while Iran routed India 88-44.
Lithuania downed previously undefeated South Korea 95-80 in yesterday’s other prominent matchup. The outcome put both teams into a tie for first place, with three wins and one loss each after four days of the competition.
Sarunas Beniusis, the 2.06m-tall big center for Lithuania, had an outstanding double-double performance with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Fellow starter forward Eigirdas Zukauskas also did major damage to South Korea, posting 20 points and pulling down six rebounds.
South Korea spread around their scoring, with four players into the double digits led by sharpshooter Jeon Jun-beon, who netted 21 points, including five of seven from three-point range.
The Philippines, represented by Gilas Pilipinas, joined the other teams at the top when they scored an even 100 to down Japan 100-85.
Taiwan Blue head coach Chou Chun-san confirmed that Quincy Davis — a US-born naturalized citizen — would sit out rest of the tournament after sustaining a vertebra injury in Monday’s game.
Davis will require a few months of medical treatment and recuperation after aggravating an old injury, Chou said, adding that he would rely on veteran Tzeng Wen-ding, who was earlier this year recalled to play for the national team after playing for the Shanghai Sharks for the past few seasons.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first