Basketball

Nike suspend sponsorship deal with Brooklyn

Published

2 years ago

November 5, 2022

Nike has suspended its sponsorship deal with Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving after he promoted on Twitter a documentary which contained anti-Semitic material.

Irving is serving at least a five-game ban from the Nets after he initially defended having shared a link to the film.

Irving, 30, later apologised, claiming he is “learning” from what happened.

Nike said it was “deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation”.

Irving’s deal with Nike, which started in 2014, is reported to be $11m (£9.6m) a year according to Forbes.

Nike, who has also cancelled their next branded shoe release with Irving, said in a statement: “At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism.

“To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8.”

The Nets, without Irving, beat the Washington Wizards 128-86 on Friday to secure their third victory of the season, the win coming at the end of a week that also saw the franchise sack head coach Steve Nash.

Kevin Durant stepped up in Irving’s absence, top-scoring for Brooklyn with 28 points, plus nine rebounds and 11 assists.

“Let’s put the joy back in basketball,” Nets owner Joe Tsai said in a tweet after the win.

Bucks make it 8-0

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks were inspired by Giannis Antetokounmpo as they continued their best ever start to a season, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-102.

Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, with 14 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Bucks won their eighth straight game to maintain their 100% record.

Brandon Ingram’s return after a four-game absence with concussion saw him top score with 26 points to help the New Orleans Pelicans beat a Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors 114-105.

Also missing Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors are now 0-6 away from home.

Jerami Grant struck the decisive blow in the dying moments to round off a career-best 30 points and secure a 108-106 win for the Portland Trail Blazers over the Phoenix Suns.

Reports /TrainViral/

Basketball

Curry injured as G State Warriors lose again

Published

2 years ago

December 15, 2022

Stephen Curry suffered a shoulder injury as NBA champions the Golden State Warriors’ indifferent season continued with a 125-119 defeat away to the Indiana Pacers.

Curry had a game-high 38 points when he was hurt attempting a steal in the third quarter.

Curry will have a scan on the injury on Thursday, said coach Steve Kerr.

“Maybe it’s going to get tougher if Steph is out for a little while,” added Kerr after a 15th defeat in 29 games.

The Warriors, who are seeking a fifth title in nine season, lie 10th in the Western Conference.

“My message to the group was it’s about competing, it’s about weathering the storm,” Kerr added. “This has been a tough start to the season. We’re in a tough stretch.”

The Warriors were trailing 93-80 when Curry, who has averaged 30 points this season, departed the court.

A pair of Donte DiVincenzo three-pointers pulled them back to within 122-119 with a little over a minute to play.

But ultimately the Pacers, for whom Tyrese Haliburton top-scored with 29 points, held on.

Elsewhere, two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 43 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 141-128 win over the Washington Wizards.

Paul George managed a triple double of 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to help the Los Angeles Clippers to a 99-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Writes /BBC/

Reports /TrainViral/

Basketball

LeBron James passes Magic Johnson on all-time

Published

2 years ago

December 3, 2022

LeBron James passed Magic Johnson on the NBA’s all-time assists list as the Los Angeles Lakers battled to a 133-129 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

James took his assists tally to 10,144, with his 11 against the Bucks moving him past Johnson (10,141) into sixth.

Former Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton, who retired in 2003, tops the list with 15,806 assists in his career.

James scored 28 points as the Lakers – led by Anthony Davis with 44 points – held off a late Bucks surge.

Giannis Antetokounmpo top scored for Milwaukee with 40 points, but his side missed key chances as Grayson Allen and Jrue Holiday both failed with three-pointers in the last seconds of the game.

In Boston, Jimmy Butler returned from a seven-game injury absence to help the Miami Heat to a 120-116 overtime victory over Eastern Conference leaders the Celtics.

Jalen Brown scored 37 points for the Celtics, including a three-pointer that forced overtime.

Tied with little more than a minute left on the clock, Butler landed a jump shot that proved the clincher, the defeat ending Boston’s 10-game home winning streak.

The leaders of the Western Conference also lost as the Phoenix Suns were narrowly beaten 122-121 by the Houston Rockets.

In San Francisco, NBA champions the Golden State Warriors beat the Chicago Bulls 119-111, while the Brooklyn Nets made it four wins in succession with a 114-105 victory against the Toronto Raptors.

Writes /BBC/

Reports /TrainViral/

Basketball

Celtics beat Miami Heat in front of Prince

Published

2 years ago

December 1, 2022

The Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to five games with a 134-121 victory over the Miami Heat in front of the visiting Prince and Princess of Wales.

Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 49 points and had a game-high 11 rebounds, with Jaylen Brown adding 26 points.

The Celtics are now unbeaten in their last 10 home games.

Prince William and Catherine are in Boston to hand out awards for their Earthshot Prize.

In Arizona, the Phoenix Suns won their sixth game in succession by beating the Chicago Bulls 132-113.

Devin Booker scored a season-high 51 points, with Deandre Ayton also recording a season best of 30.

Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks held off the New York Knicks for a 109-103 win, while the Minnesota Timberwolves edged the Memphis Grizzlies 109-101.

LeBron James’ 31 points led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-109 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, while the Lakers’ city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers lost 125-112 as the Utah Jazz ended a five-game losing streak.

Kevin Durant scored 39 points for the Brooklyn Nets in a 113-107 win over the Washington Wizards, improving the Nets’ record to 12-11 for the season.

There were wins elsewhere for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Atlanta Hawks, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets.

Reports /TrainViral/