Sports
LeBron Scores 30, And The Lakers Avoid 1st-Round Elimination With A 119-108 Win Over Champion Denver
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers managed to overcome the Denver Nuggets’ dominance in this rivalry and prolonged their presence in the playoffs for at least one more game.
Unsurprisingly, LeBron James took the lead.
James scored 30 points, while Anthony Davis contributed 25 points and 23 rebounds. On Saturday night, the Lakers secured a 119-108 victory over Denver in Game 4 of their first-round series, preventing their elimination from the postseason.
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves scored 21 points for the Lakers, the seventh-seeded team that ended its 11-game losing run against the reigning NBA champions by securing its first victory against the Nuggets since December 2022.
The Lakers ultimately emerged victorious as the series, characterized by distinct patterns and rhythms, underwent a significant shift. For the fourth game in a row, Los Angeles established a double-digit advantage, but Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets led a second-half comeback.
AP – VOR News Image
LeBron Scores 30, And The Lakers Avoid 1st-Round Elimination With A 119-108 Win Over Champion Denver
However, in this series, the Lakers showed tenacity and refused to buckle under the pressure from the defending champions. James, who is 39 years old, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter by making 6 out of 8 shots. Once again, he single-handedly led the Lakers to victory in the late stages of his 21st NBA season.
The series’ fifth game will take place on Monday evening in Denver.
“We have granted ourselves an additional opportunity to succeed, and now we are facing a decisive game,” James stated. “The game on Monday holds utmost significance for us this season, and we fully comprehend that.”
Last season, Denver completely defeated Los Angeles in the Western Conference finals. However, despite being down 0-3, the current Lakers showed a remarkable performance that was more fitting for a club with a strong record of 12 victories in 15 games leading up to the tournament.
“We have the chance to play an additional game, and if we are victorious, we will have the opportunity to play another one and continue progressing,” Reaves stated. “Although the odds are not in our favor, we are always willing to face challenges and seize any opportunity to achieve something remarkable while maintaining our stability.”
Jokic achieved a remarkable performance with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, marking his 18th career triple-double and second in this series. However, despite his efforts, the two-time MVP and his teammates could not regain their typical late-game superiority against the Lakers.
AP – VOR News Image
LeBron Scores 30, And The Lakers Avoid 1st-Round Elimination With A 119-108 Win Over Champion Denver
The Lakers’ commanding 19-point advantage, which they held for over six minutes, gradually decreased to 113-106 after Jokic’s successful three-point play with 1:25 left on the clock. However, Reaves responded by making a quick jump shot and securing four free throws in the last minute.
Denver finally failed to overcome another sluggish offensive beginning in a series replete with such starts.
“Naturally, we desire to commence with greater speed. However, I have acquired knowledge from horse racing that emphasizes the significance of one’s conclusion rather than one’s initial performance,” Jokic remarked. “Our performance today was not satisfactory, so we aim to improve in the future.” Our intention was to take the lead and dominate the game, but it appears that we were unable to achieve that.
Michael Porter Jr. contributed 27 points and 11 rebounds to Denver’s performance, while Jamal Murray scored 22 points despite missing all four 3-point attempts. Aaron Gordon’s scoring output for the Nuggets was limited to just seven points, a significant drop from his 29-point performance in Game 3, his highest-scoring playoff game. However, Coach Michael Malone attributed the Nuggets’ struggles to factors other than offense.
“The defense in the paint was laughable,” Malone commented, expressing his dissatisfaction with his team’s performance as they conceded an astonishing 72 points.
“During every huddle, I repeatedly made the same point tonight,” Malone added. “Each huddle was focused on the task of painting.” Our opponents scored 70 points in the third game, but we won. They scored a total of 72 points tonight. That is an astounding figure. We lacked the necessary physical strength and sense of urgency. This game was not the final game in the series.
Last season, the Nuggets, ranked second, also lost a game that might have closed out the series against Minnesota in the first round. However, Denver managed to win the series in five games and only suffered three more losses on their path to winning their first championship.
Although Jokic had great skill and James attracted attention towards the end, Davis consistently performed exceptionally well for the fourth consecutive game. He achieved a career playoff high of 23 rebounds and led the Lakers’ team with six assists.
“Being swept is a challenging experience,” Davis remarked. “No one desires that sensation, particularly when heading into the summer season.” It would help if you endured that sensation throughout the entire summer. We did not engage in a discussion over the matter. We are aware of the potential consequences or risks involved. No one wants to experience that sensation in their oral cavity during summer. How we performed tonight is how we must perform throughout the remainder of the series.
AP – VOR News Image
LeBron Scores 30, And The Lakers Avoid 1st-Round Elimination With A 119-108 Win Over Champion Denver
In Game 4, despite their difficult situation, the Lakers demonstrated great determination by consistently attacking the basket and scoring 44 points in the paint throughout the first half. As a result, they managed to take the lead at halftime for the fourth time in the series.
The Lakers increased their lead to 15 points in the third quarter until the closing minutes. At that moment, Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ignited a rally for the Nuggets.
“They were exerting a significant amount of effort to maintain a fast tempo,” Jokic stated. “They had uncontested shots near the basket.” They were dominating us in the interior. We were unable to successfully take a shot. At times, they were also unable to make a shot, but it seemed that this greatly impacted our defense. “That team is excellent.”
Reggie Jackson, who sprained his ankle in the second half of Game 3, played for nine minutes for Denver.
Caleb Williams, a former USC quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy and was selected as the Chicago Bears’ first overall pick in the recent NFL draft, observed the game from a seat near the basketball court.
SOURCE – (AP)
Indianapolis — Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points, T.J. McConnell added 15 points and 10 assists, and the Indiana Pacers won their third-largest playoff game ever, defeating the New York Knicks 121-89 on Sunday to tie the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2.
Haliburton also had six rebounds, five assists, and four three-pointers as the Pacers cruised to a 43-point victory. They fell barely shy of their greatest lopsided playoff victory, a 34-point win over Cleveland in April 2018.
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Pacers Even The Series With 121-89 Game 4 Win Over The Knicks
The series’ fifth game will be played on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks had only three players in double figures. Alec Burks finished with 20, Jalen Brunson with 18 — his lowest total in this tournament — and Deuce McBride with 16 on a day when they shot 33.7% from the field, 18.9% from three, and faced the greatest deficit of any team in this postseason.
Nuggets 115, Timber Wolves 107.
Minneapolis (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, and Aaron Gordon added 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting to lead Denver to a series-tying victory over Minnesota in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, capitalizing on his buzzer-beating swish from behind half-court, and the Wolves only pulled the margin below double digits for brief intervals of the second half.
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Pacers Even The Series With 121-89 Game 4 Win Over The Knicks
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points in another outstanding outing for Minnesota, hitting 16 of 25 from the field. Despite a 42-31 rebounding advantage, the Wolves were defeated at home for the second straight game by the defending NBA champions, who were fired up after losing the first two games of the series on their home court.
The series returns to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Mike Conley scored 15 points, Karl-Anthony Towns went 5 for 18 from the field for 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert came on late to score 11 and 14 rebounds. Nonetheless, the Wolves trailed at home for the second consecutive game.
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Pacers Even The Series With 121-89 Game 4 Win Over The Knicks
Gordon didn’t miss until there was 3:39 remaining. The Nuggets closed the first half with eight points in 20 seconds, highlighted by Murray’s unbelievable heave.
SOURCE – (AP)
Darlington, South Carolina – Kyle Larson made it clear that he is no Swiftie, despite the fact that he surprised his daughter with a birthday vacation to Paris this week to see Taylor Swift in concert.
Larson wore a Taylor Swift-themed T-shirt and friendship bracelets that his wife, Katelyn, and 6-year-old Audrey had given him.
“I don’t feel like I’m a Swiftie at all,” Larson said Saturday at Darlington Raceway. “I do appreciate her music and how hard she works, but I’m not a Swiftie.”
Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, has grown accustomed to being one of the circuit’s hottest and busiest drivers. He is coming off a historic victory last week at Kansas, where he beat Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds, the tightest finish in Cup Series history.
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Kyle Larson Is Not A Hardcore Fan Of Taylor Swift Despite A Trip To Paris For A Concert
The picture finish with Buescher exceeded a landmark Darlington moment from 2003 when Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by 0.002 in the sport’s all-time closest finish.
Larson expected to hit a wall rather than win in the final moments.
“I just thought I was going to run out of space,” he explained. “But he allowed me ample space. Yeah, we went off the corner, and it was all about how the run would go.
Larson emerged victorious, with a frustrated Buescher finishing second.
Buescher claimed he repeatedly viewed the finale and replayed it in his thoughts. He learned far more than he thought about NASCAR’s scoring system and transponder placement, and he identified numerous things he would have done differently to win.
In the end, the Roush Fenway Racing driver accepted second place. “It was bothersome for two days,” he claimed. “There’s really no way around that.”
Buescher believes the best way to overcome it is with a more comfortable and successful performance at Darlington, where he has four top-10 results in his last six races, including a career-best third behind Victor Larson at the Southern 500 last September.
Larson, whose two wins this season trail those of Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, said the trip to France provided a reprieve from what will be a demanding rest of the month.
Larson will compete in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and qualify for the Indianapolis 500. The following week, he’ll try to complete all 1,100 miles of racing, starting at Indianapolis and finishing at Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600.
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Kyle Larson Is Not A Hardcore Fan Of Taylor Swift Despite A Trip To Paris For A Concert
Erik Jones returns to racing after missing the past two weeks due to a compression fracture of a lower vertebra sustained in a collision at Talladega last month. Jones, a two-time Darlington winner, said he feels 100 percent, but it’s more probable that he’ll need some time to heal over the next few weeks.
Jones said he is unable to lift large weights, but he hopes to return to the gym next week. He intends to be fully recovered for the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte in two weeks.
NASCAR allowed Jones to race at Kansas, but after consulting with his crew, he decided he needed more time to recover.
“If I really pushed it, I could’ve been in the car if I pushed it, I could’ve been in the car if I really, really wanted to be,” Jones stated. “At the same time, if I make that call on my own and overrule, and I go out and re-injure myself, I look like an idiot.”
Tyler Reddick dominated qualifying for Sunday’s race, extending his impressive record at Darlington. Reddick, 28, has three top-three results at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway, including second place in this race two years ago and runner-up to Larson in the Southern 500 last September.
Reddick will start ahead of two Roush Fenway Racing drivers, Brad Keselowski and Buescher. Byron is fifth, then Ty Gibbs. Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Hamlin, and Larson are in order of ranking.
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Kyle Larson Is Not A Hardcore Fan Of Taylor Swift Despite A Trip To Paris For A Concert
Larson’s performance at Kansas puts him the betting favorite to win his second consecutive race at Darlington. BetMGM.com lists him at 4-1 odds for the Goodyear 400 on Sunday.
JGR teammates Hamlin (4.75-1) and Truex (5.5-1) come next. Byron, who won Darlington’s spring race in 2023, is 7.25-1, while pole-sitter Reddick is 8.5-1.
SOURCE – (AP)
MONTREAL — Lionel Messi played the entire game despite a first-half injury scare, Benjamin Cremaschi broke a tie in the 59th minute, and Inter Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Montreal 3-2 on Saturday night, its fifth consecutive Major League Soccer victory.
Luis Suarez scored his 11th goal of the season for Inter Miami, while Matías Rojas scored from a free kick. Montreal (3-5-3) got goals from Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and Bryce Duke.
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Messi Plays Through A Scare, Inter Miami Rallies Past Montreal 3-2 For Fifth Straight Win
Inter Miami (8-2-3) extended its unbeaten record to seven games (5-0-2) despite Lionel failing to score or assist for the first time in nine MLS appearances this season. Inter Miami is 7-0-2 in those nine games, with one loss coming against Montreal in March when Lionel did not participate.
Playing in Canada for the first time, Lionel abandoned the game late in the first half due to a problem with his left knee caused by defender George Campbell’s foul. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the world’s best player collapsed immediately, clutching his knee and moaning in agony.
Inter Miami’s medical personnel entered the field to treat Messi, who stood up after around two minutes and headed to the Miami sideline. He was not subbed out, allowing him to return moments later.
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Messi Plays Through A Scare, Inter Miami Rallies Past Montreal 3-2 For Fifth Straight Win
And for some reason, the match shifted at that moment.
Inter Miami was behind 2-0 when Messi was injured; when he returned, the score was 2-1, and it was tied moments later. Rojas scored on a free kick that Messi would normally take to put Inter Miami up, and Suarez added a goal from a corner kick late in the first-half stoppage time.
Suarez became the third player in MLS history to score 11 goals in his first 800 minutes of the season, following Mamadou Diallo (11 in 2000) and Ola Kamara (11 in 2021).
The game-winning goal occurred when Rojas threw a ball into open space, and Cremaschi ran it down. Then, he made a second attempt to nudge the ball just clear of two defenders and into the net for a 3-2 advantage. Messi had two final-minute chances to extend the lead, which he missed narrowly.
AP – VOR News Image
Messi Plays Through A Scare, Inter Miami Rallies Past Montreal 3-2 For Fifth Straight Win
Inter Miami was met by hundreds of fans when it arrived at its hotel Friday night, and Montreal, thanks in part to Messi’s signing with Major League Soccer last summer, sold out its 15,000 season tickets for the first time since joining in 2012. Messi has scored in 31 nations.
The match drew an announced sellout crowd of 19,619 spectators, including one dressed in a Messi tracksuit and sporting a goat mask in tribute to Messi’s status as the Greatest of All Time.
SOURCE – (AP)
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