BASKETBALL
James responds to Trump
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James on Wednesday hit back at US President Donald Trump after he called National Basketball Association (NBA) stars who kneel during the national anthem “disgraceful.” The two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player smiled when asked about Trump’s comments that he did more for the black community than any US president except maybe Abraham Lincoln, who freed slaves in the 19th century. “Trying to make me laugh right now? I appreciate that,” James said. Trump told Fox News he turns away when he sees players kneel during the anthem, although players have said the move is to protest police brutality and social injustice, and is not an insult to the flag, military or nation. “I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership,” James said.
HOCKEY
Habs defeat Pens
Jeff Petry on Wednesday night scored 5:33 into the third period as the Montreal Canadiens rallied from two goals down and beat Pittsburgh 4-3 in Game 3, pushing the Penguins to the brink of elimination in the best-of-five Eastern Conference qualifying series. Shea Weber had a goal and two assists for Montreal, Paul Byron added a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Drouin also scored. Ben Chariot also had had assists. Carey Price stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens — the 12th seed in the conference as part of the National Hockey League’s 24-team restart to its pandemic-delayed season. Montreal can advance to the normal first round with 16 teams with a win in Game 4 today.
SOCCER
United, Inter advance to QF
Manchester United and Inter Milan on Wednesday booked their places in the Europa League quarterfinals. United won 2-1 against LASK Linz to complete a 7-1 aggregate win over the Austrian club, five months after the first leg was played. LASK held the lead on the night for two minutes after Philipp Wiesinger’s 55th-minute goal, but Jesse Lingard soon leveled for United. Anthony Martial scored another for United in the 88th. “They haven’t played for a while, some of these lads, and it showed,” Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said in televised comments.
BASKETBALL
NBA to fund foundation
NBA team owners are to contribute US$300 million over the next 10 years to a charitable foundation aimed at accelerating economic growth in the black community, the league said on Wednesday. Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is to provide US$1 million annually during that time to fund the NBA Foundation, which is being launched by the league’s board of governors and the players’ union. The foundation aims to drive economic empowerment for black communities through employment and career advancement, increasing access and support for high school, college-aged and career-ready black men and women. It would also work toward deepening the NBA’s commitment to racial equality and social justice, movements that have gathered momentum after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed in police custody in May. Anti-racism protests have been at the forefront of the NBA’s restart at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road. The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets’ most lopsided victory of the season. Tre
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