Tag: opens

Greece opens strong; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance

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Giannis Antetokounmpo in Greece’s Fiba OQT game against Dominican Republic in Piraeus, Greece. –FIBA BASKETBALL PHOTO

Giannis Antetokounmpo looked like a player intent on leading Greece to its first Olympic berth since 2008.

Antetokounmpo had 32 points in 19 minutes, going 11 of 11 from the field, as Greece rolled to a 109-82 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in Group B of the Piraeus, Greece Fiba OQT.

Thomas Walkup added 17 points for Greece, which led by as many as 27 and can advance to the semifinal round with a victory over Egypt on Thursday.

READ: Fiba OQT: Bahamas tops Finland in opener, Slovenia falls to Croatia

“Giannis loves to be here. He loves to represent his country,” Greece coach Vassilis Spanoulis said. “He’s very humble. He’s part of the team. For a superstar you don’t find this easy. … He’s about winning.”

The tournament in Greece is one of four that opened Tuesday to settle the final four spots in the field for the Paris Olympics. Other tournaments are ongoing in Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Group play at all four sites continues through Thursday, with semifinal games Saturday and the title games Sunday.

READ: Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics in the Fiba OQT

An appearance in the Olympics is one of the few things Antetokounmpo has yet to accomplish in his career.

On Wednesday, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the strained left calf that caused him to sit out the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff run in April. He got to the rim at will, went 9 of 13 from the free-throw line and knocked down his lone 3-point attempt.

New Zealand 90, Croatia 86

Croatia advanced in its bid to earn one of the final Olympic berths, but not with the kind of momentum it had hoped.

New Zealand beat Croatia 90-86 in Group A in Piraeus. Corey Webster had 21 points and Shea Ili added 18, including a go-ahead layup in the final minute to help New Zealand rally.

“I think it’s just a gutsy win from our team,” New Zealand captain Reuben Te Rangi said.

Ivica Zubac had 29 points and 16 rebounds, Dario Saric added 19 points and eight rebounds and Mario Hezonja had 16 points for Croatia, which was able to secure a place in the semifinals with the four-point differential. The loss, however, kept NBA star Luka Doncic and Slovenia in contention.

Slovenia can make it out of Group A and into the semifinals if it beats New Zealand by 21 points when the teams meet Thursday. If not, New Zealand will advance.

Croatia won its opener 108-92 over Slovenia on Tuesday.

“It was a tough spot playing after an emotional win over Slovenia,” Saric said of the loss Wednesday. “We were hoping we’d be on a level and push the game in our direction. But today wasn’t the case.”

Montenegro 70, Cameroon 66

In Riga, Latvia, Montenegro survived a sluggish start to keep its semifinal hopes alive with a 70-66 win over Cameroon.

Marko Simonovic had 18 points, six rebounds and went 9 of 9 from the free-throw line to lead five Montenegro players in double figures. Nikola Vucevic finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Cameroon needs to beat Brazil when the teams meet Thursday to advance to the semifinals out of Group B. Otherwise, the second spot would go to Montenegro.

Cameroon led 32-29 at the half. But Montenegro opened the third quarter with a 15-2 run to take a 44-34 lead and never trailed again. Montenegro connected on 7 of 9 free throws in the final period and 20 for 24 for the game.

Fabien Quentin Philibert Ateba and Jordan Bayehe each had 14 points apiece to lead Cameroon.

Bahamas 90, Poland 81

Valdez Edgecombe Jr. scored 21 points, Deandre Ayton added 18 points and nine rebounds, and the Bahamas advanced to the knockout round with its win over Poland in Valencia, Spain.

The Bahamas led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter, knocking down 13 3-pointers and assisting on 24 of its 31 field goals for the game. Buddy Hield finished with 17 points and 10 assists to help his team finish 2-0 in Group B.

Poland and Finland play Thursday to decide which will join the Bahamas from the group in the semifinals.

Philippines 89, Latvia 80

Justin Brownlee Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid schedule

Justin Brownlee soars for a slam in Gilas Pilipinas’ Fiba OQT win against Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Justin Brownlee had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the Philippines hold off a late charge and beat Latvia 89-80 in Group A of the Latvia tournament.

Kai Sotto added 18 points and eight rebounds.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Latvia trailed by 26 points and cut what was a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to 10 with 1:21 remaining. But the Philippines settled down and was able to close it out.

Rodions Kurucs led Latvia with 18 points.

The Philippines is in the driver’s seat to win the group and advance to the knockout stage when it plays Georgia on Thursday. Latvia beat Georgia 83-55 on Tuesday.

Spain 89, Angola 81

Santiago Aldama had 24 points and Spain beat Angola 89-81 to win Group A and advance to the semifinals of the Liga, Spain, tournament.

Willy Hernangomez added 22 points and 10 rebounds. The winner of Lebanon and Angola on Thursday will join Spain in the knockout round.

Spain carried a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and Angola never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Jilson Bango led Angola with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Lithuania 97, Ivory Coast 93

Domantas Sabonis had 22 points to help Lithuania beat Ivory Coast 97-93 and advance to the knockout round of the San Juan, Puerto Rico tournament.

Marius Grigonis added 18 points and Lukas Lekavicius finished with 13, including 3 with under a minute to play to put his team ahead for good. Sabonis also had nine rebounds to help Lithuania finish 2-0 in Group A.

Deon Thompson had 18 points to lead Ivory Coast, which needs to beat Mexico Thursday to earn a semifinal berth.

Ivory Coast took a 72-65 lead into the fourth.

Lithuania twice got within a point before Lekavicius made a floater for a 92-90 lead. Ivory Coast nudged back in front with a minute to play on a 3 by Jean Philippe Dally.

Lekavicius answered with a 3 to make it 95-93 with 41 seconds left.

Puerto Rico 90, Bahrain 56

Stephen Thompson Jr. scored 20 points and Puerto Rico powered past Bahrain 99-56 on home soil to secure a spot in the semifinal round.

George Conditt IV added 17 points and eight rebounds for Puerto Rico, which will face Italy on Thursday to determine the winner of Group B. Italy also advanced to the knockout stage, having beaten Bahrain 114-53 on Tuesday.

Puerto Rico controlled the game throughout, building a 39-19 halftime lead that grew to more than 40 early in the fourth quarter.



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Zee Hamoda led Bahrain with 15 points.

Chris Paul joins Wembanyana at Spurs as NBA free agency opens

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San Antonio Spurs’ French center #01 Victor Wembanyama (L) shakes hands with Golden State Warriors’ US guard #03 Chris Paul after the NBA preseason game between the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California on October 20, 2023. (Photo by Loren Elliott / AFP)

Chris Paul is set to form a partnership with Victor Wembanyama at the San Antonio Spurs next season after agreeing a one-year $11 million deal with the franchise, reports said Sunday as NBA free agency got underway.

The 39-year-old, 12-time NBA All-Star, who played for Golden State last season, will now spend his 20th season in Texas as he chases an elusive first championship ring.

Paul was used sparingly by the Warriors last year, making only 18 starts at an average of 11.9 points and 7.3 assists.

However, the likely future Hall of Famer provides crucial experience in a young squad that is being built around the talents of French prodigy Wembanyama under the guidance of veteran coach Gregg Popovich.

Paul is also an avowed admirer of Wembanyama, describing the towering 7ft 4in center as the player best placed to be the figurehead of the league in years to come.

READ: NBA: Warriors’ Chris Paul returns after missing 21 games

“Wemby is different and he’s the guy you’re talking about after the game,” Paul said. “Wemby is the guy that, after the game in the locker room we all were talking about playing against him. We literally all had to change how we shot a little bit.”

The Warriors announced earlier Sunday they had waived Paul in a move to save luxury tax funds.

Golden State star guard Klay Thompson is now a free agent. The 13-year NBA veteran, every second of it played for the Warriors, is expected to have talks with Dallas, Philadelphia, the Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In other free agency news on Sunday, James Harden was reported to have reached a two-year deal to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers.

With teams unable to confirm new deals, media reports revealed most player moves in the opening hours of the scramble for clubs and talent to come to terms to reshape the landscape for the 2024-25 season.

READ: NBA: Chris Paul fractures left hand, will require surgery

The NBA moratorium period begins Monday and ends on Saturday.

Paul George, a former Clippers forward, was the biggest name in the available talent pool and his deal was expected to set the tone for more moves.

He was expected to have talks with Philadelphia and Orlando. Those clubs and Oklahoma City have the most salary cap space to offer deals to free agents.

Harden, according to multiple reports, reached a deal worth $70 million to spend the next two seasons with the Clippers.

READ: NBA: James Harden set to stay with Clippers

Forward Kevin Love was expected to re-sign with Miami for $8 million over two seasons, The Athletic and ESPN reported, while ESPN reported center Obi Toppin was set to return to Indiana on a four-year deal worth $60 million.

Turkish center Omer Yertseven was set to be released by Utah, ESPN said.

Another free agent is Lakers star LeBron James, although he is expected to re-sign with the Lakers to play alongside son Bronny next season.

James reportedly has said he would take a pay cut if it would help the Lakers sign certain top free agents such as Thompson.



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The NBA announced the salary cap for the 2024-25 campaign was set at $140.588 million with the tax level for the season at $170.814 million and the minimum team salary at $126.529 million.

Harden set to stay with Clippers as NBA free agency opens

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Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden brings the ball up during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo)

 

NEW YORK –  James Harden has reportedly reached a two-year deal to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers while Chris Paul was released by the Golden State Warriors on Sunday as NBA free agency began.

With teams unable to confirm new deals, media reports revealed most player moves in the opening hours of the scramble for clubs and talent to come to terms to reshape the landscape for the 2024-25 season.

The NBA moratorium period begins Monday and ends on Saturday.

Paul George, a former Clippers forward, was the biggest name in the available talent pool and his deal was expected to set the tone for more moves.

He was expected to have talks with Philadelphia and Orlando. Those clubs and Oklahoma City have the most salary cap space to offer deals to free agents.

Harden, according to multiple reports, reached a deal worth $70 million to spend the next two seasons with the Clippers.

Forward Kevin Love was expected to re-sign with Miami for $8 million over two seasons, The Athletic and ESPN reported, while ESPN reported center Obi Toppin was set to return to Indiana on a four-year deal worth $60 million.

Turkish center Omer Yertseven was set to be released by Utah, ESPN said.

The Warriors announced they had waived 39-year-old Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star, in a move to save luxury tax funds.

Golden State star guard Klay Thompson is now a free agent.

The 13-year NBA veteran, every second of it played for the Warriors, is expected to have talks with Dallas, Philadelphia, the Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Another free agent is Lakers star LeBron James, although he is expected to re-sign with the Lakers to play alongside son Bronny next season.

James reportedly has said he would take a pay cut if it would help the Lakers sign certain top free agents such as Thompson.



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Your subscription has been successful.

The NBA announced the salary cap for the 2024-25 campaign was set at $140.588 million with the tax level for the season at $170.814 million and the minimum team salary at $126.529 million.

A door opens for Marinduque gal

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Jamie Solina during the PVL Rookie Draft combine.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The inaugural PVL Rookie Draft, as expected, attracted some of the best talents from the UAAP and NCAA.

But lurking alongside those familiar names from prestigious universities in the country’s capital are unheralded players looking to pursue their dreams of breaking through in the league.

One of those aspirants is Jamie Solina, a 23-year-old setter out of Marinduque State University, who took the first step to reaching her goal through the Rookie Draft Combine held recently to allow teams to see what the 47-strong pool has to offer.

But Solina, who has drastically less experience than the others from her class, knows how slim her chance can be.

“When I passed my requirements [for the Draft], I said to myself ‘no expectations,’” Solina said in Filipino. “Because we all know that the other applicants will be from the UAAP and NCAA so when I saw that I was among those accepted, it was an answered prayer.”

“I didn’t expect that the list of accepted applicants will be posted [online] and I was shocked at the other names with me on the list so I started doubting my decision to continue because the others are way stronger,” she added.

And Solina, who unsurprisingly looks up to Jia de Guzman, wasn’t wrong about that with the names in the hat filled with stalwarts from formidable collegiate programs to national team members.

Those applying to be playmakers include Arellano’s Donnalyn Paralejas, Adamson’s Nikka Yandoc and Angelica Alcantara, Filipino-Canadian Nathali Ramacula, who also plays as a libero from Red River College Polytechnic, and one of the strongest bets Julia Coronel from La Salle and Alas Pilipinas.

Solina actually spent a lot of her childhood in Manila, transferring to different cities before an unexpected problem forced her family to move to Marinduque.

But her love for the sport remained the same as she continued playing and returned to Manila to finish her senior high school before the pandemic prevented her from trying out for a UAAP or NCAA school and she had to go back to the province.

But Solina pushed through, bringing with her to Manila the support of her kababayans (provincemates), coaches and teammates and dedication to improve herself.

Solina DIY-ed a bulk of that self-improvement, training herself by doing drills she learned as a senior high school student and adding to that by asking for more advanced workout programs from former teammates still in Manila.



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“They told me to continue pursuing the Draft because this is an opportunity that I have been waiting for a long time … and no matter what happens they still have my back,” said Solina. “Me being a fan of professional volleyball players has helped [motivate] me to try and join the PVL Draft.”

Minus equestrian, pentathlon opens Olympic path for PH athletes

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Juliana Sevilla, Princess Arbilon and Shyra Aranzado finish with medals at the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) 2024 Laser Run World Championships.

Modern pentathlon, now more accessible to Filipinos has suddenly become a pathway for athletes to make it to the Olympics.

With the discipline discarding equestrian in favor of obstacle course racing, Filipinos can now hope to book tickets to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

The other disciplines in the sport are swimming, running, shooting and fencing.

READ; PH duo rules mixed relay event in China

Just last week, Melvin Sacay and Juliana Shane Sevilla thrived on the global stage after claiming a gold medal in the UIPM 2024 Laser Run World Championships.

“All our athletes are strong and driven. A different medalist from our team emerges in every competition, that’s how determined they are to qualify for the

Olympics,’’ said Philippine Modern Pentathlon Association president Richard Gomez.

Joseph Godbout led the roster of Filipino athletes, who excelled at the world championships last year after topping the UIPM 2023 Biathle/Triathle World Championships in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia following a silver finish at the UIPM 2023 Laser Run World Championships in Bath, Great Britain.

READ: Princess Arbilon claim two golds in Biathle/Triathle World Championships

Princess Honey Arbilon was likewise a cut above the rest after bagging two gold medals in the Bali, Indonesia world champs last year.

The shifting landscape in the five-sport discipline provides added motivation for Filipino pentathletes to clearly visualize their Olympic dream starting with the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.



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