BASKETBALL
LeBron passes Malone tally
LeBron James on Saturday moved into second place on the NBA’s all-time regular season points scoring rankings, but could not prevent the Washington Wizards from defeating his Los Angeles Lakers 127-119. James produced a typically virtuoso performance to finish with 38 points and 10 rebounds at the Wizards’ Capital One Arena, giving him enough to power past Karl Malone into second place in the regular season scorers rankings with 36,947 points. “Just to be a part of this league for as many years as I’ve been a part of it, to be linked with some of the greatest to ever play this game, guys I’ve watched or studied, or read about, or inspired to be like, I’m just lost for words for it,” James said of his scoring achievement. The Washington crowd gave James an ovation after he reached the milestone, with the Lakers star saluting fans as he basked in the applause. James’ points haul leaves him within range of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record of 38,387 points.
MOTORSPORTS
Masi made error: FIA
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Saturday concluded that ex-Formula One race director Michael Masi made a “human error,” but acted in “good faith and to the best of his knowledge given the difficult circumstances,” after his controversial restart call at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year led to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen beating Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton. After a crash brought out safety cars with five laps remaining, Verstappen entered the pit for new tires, but Masi then flipped his decision and let five drivers separating Verstappen from Hamilton pass the safety car under yellow, but not all eight, which would have taken longer. On fresh tires, Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap. Despite the call’s influence on the outcome of the race, the FIA ruled that the result was “valid and final.”
Masi has since been removed from his post and race control restructured.
TRACK AND FIELD
Jacobs wins 60m gold
Italy’s Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs on Saturday trumped US rival Christian Coleman for the 60m gold on the second day of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, while Yaroslava Mahuchikh claimed a memorable high jump title for war-ravaged Ukraine. Jacobs timed a winning 6.41 seconds as he produced a savage, perfectly timed dip at the line to nudge ahead of defending champion and world 100m title holder Coleman, making his comeback from an 18-month ban for breaking anti-doping rules. Coleman’s teammate Marvin Bracy claimed bronze in 6.44 seconds. “I always have the same target: to be in best shape at the most important moment,” said Jacobs after backing up his Olympic performances. Earlier, Mahuchikh won a dramatic high jump gold, having fled her war-torn nation after the Russian invasion and making it to Belgrade after a tortuous three-day trip. After holding her nerve amid “explosions, fires, and air raid sirens” the 20-year-old replicated her sangfroid in the Stark Arena, triumphing with a best of 2.02m, in what she said was a “defense of Ukraine colors on the track in the international arena, to show that we are the strongest in the world.”
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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