Paul Oberjuerge | June 20, 2013
Game 6 of this year's NBA finals was a keenly contested affair with LeBron James' Miami Heat winning 103-100 to force Game 7. Lynne Sladky / AP Photo
Miami Heat erased a five-point last-minute deficit to defeat San Antonio Spurs 103-100 and force an NBA Finals Game 7, tonight, in Miami. The road team last won a Finals Game 7 in 1978. Paul Oberjuerge reviews the most recent “ultimate” finals games: 2010: Lakers beat Celtics Kobe Bryant, holding the trophy, scored 23 points and Ron Artest, never known for his shooting, scored a clutch three-pointer in the final minute as Los Angeles defeated their old rivals 83-79. Boston had held a 13-point lead in the second quarter. 2005: Spurs beat Pistons Tonight’s game is not the first Finals [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 19, 2013
Village cricket games such as these are the bedrock for the sport in England. Photo courtesy David Nixon
A cricket team has had to leave the English village it has played in since 1934 and will be forced to change its name – because local officials have ordered them to stop using proper cricket balls in practice. Bacton Cricket Club play in the village in the county of Norfolk, but its parish council says that the restrictions are necessary due to health and safety rules to prevent passers-by from being hit or injured by stray balls. Nobody has actually been hurt by a ball at the pitch so far. When the club refused to comply with the rules [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 17, 2013
Choi Kang-hee feels his South Korean side were badly treated on their trip to Iran. Karim Jaafar / AFP
A war of words between the coaches of Iran and South Korea has spiced up things between the Group A rivals as they bid to secure automatic qualifying spots for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The top two sides in the group clash in Ulsan on Tuesday, while Uzbekistan host Qatar looking for a big win to sneak in ahead of the Iranians in the final round of matches. South Korea could take one of Group A’s two automatic berths even if they lose to Iran but coach Choi Kang-hee has ensured the clash will not lack intensity. In [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 16, 2013
Tom Croft, the British & Irish Lion, crosses the line for a try against the Waratahs. Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
SYDNEY // Wallabies fans will be urged to don gold “lion-hunting” safari hats to combat the “sea of red” that British & Irish Lions supporters will bring to the Test series, the Australian Rugby Union says. The ARU said it has produced more than 50,000 “lion-hunting pith helmets” to ensure the Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney Test venues have a golden backdrop for the much-anticipated showdown, which begins next weekend. The safari hats will be distributed free to Australia fans as they enter the stadiums in Brisbane on Saturday, Melbourne on June 29 and Sydney on July 6. Bill Pulver, the [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 13, 2013
The Confederations Cup starts on Saturday in Brazil. Several elite national teams will be there, and Thomas Woods looks at five attacking players who might catch the attention of the planet’s biggest clubs. Lucas Moura, Brazil Only 20, he was coveted by most of Europe’s biggest clubs before he joined Paris St Germain in January. A Brazil fan favourite, the winger has outstanding dribbling ability and lightning pace, making him a danger down the right. He also has a penchant for scoring long-range goals. Brown Ideye, Nigeria The Dynamo Kiev forward, 24, impressed as Nigeria won the African Cup of [...]
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Chitrabhanu Kadalayil | June 12, 2013
At 34, Matt Kuchar is in his prime and no longer under the radar.
This week marks the five-year anniversary of Tiger Woods’s last major championship but that has not stopped fans from assuming he is the man to beat at the US Open. Steve Elling highlights five players he believes could sidetrack Woods. 1) Dustin Johnson, USA His most notable US Open pedigree is that he blew the 54-hole lead three years ago at Pebble Beach. While the 28 year old has won this year in the States, he has generated more attention lately for his relationship with retired ice hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky’s media-savvy daughter, Paulina. 2) Matt Kuchar, USA The Florida native [...]
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Paul Radley | June 9, 2013
Ryan Grant played for Scotland in the Six Nations against France on March 16 in Saint-Denis near Paris, France. John Berry / Getty Images
Ryan Grant will complete the unlikely journey from Sharjah Wanderers to the British & Irish Lions having been summoned to Australia as an injury replacement for the summer tour. The Scotland prop, who has been called up to cover for the injured Gethin Jenkins and Cian Healy, played for the Wanderers in 2006 when visiting family in the emirate. His father, Billy, who now lives and works in Doha, played as a prop for the Sharjah club while he was employed in Port Khalid, while brother Lee was a flanker in the same team. Although the Lions-bound prop was contracted [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 5, 2013
Indian cricket will always remain under scrutiny.
By Ajay Jacob Truman Burbank: Was nothing real? Christof: You were real. That’s what made you so good to watch… – The Truman Show, 1998 Earlier today, when I pulled my Team India shirt out of my cupboard and pulled it on, it was with a soft, lingering sense of wistfulness. The last time I wore the shirt, India were the newly crowned champions of the world. Mumbai was hosting the mother of all parties, and everything seemed right with the world. I remember walking around for days after that game with a lightness of step, frequently replaying the precise moment of triumph in [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 4, 2013
Volatile Russian Mikhail Youzhny smashed the same racquet nine times on Monday, sending splinters spiralling into the air and ball boys running for cover in a stunning French Open meltdown. Youzhny boiled over after he slipped a set and 3-0 down to Tommy Haas in the last-16 at Roland Garros with the random act of violence becoming an instant YouTube hit. “You try and do all you can to help yourself. I tried it this way, but it doesn’t help really,” said 29-year-old Youzhny, who slumped to a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 defeat to Haas on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Youzhny is [...]
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Sportsdesk | June 3, 2013
Sheikha Latifa was on Sunday named as a goodwill ambassador of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in South Korea, writes Ahmed Rizvi. Here’s why: Past success Riding Kalaska De Semily, Sheikha Latifa won two silver medals at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in the equestrian jumping individual and team events. Inspiration Sheikha Latifa, who also took a bronze at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is hoping her appointment will inspire Emirati athletes to seek qualification for the 2014 Games. “I hope that in my role as goodwill ambassador I will inspire athletes [...]
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