James’ 42 points lead Lakers over Warriors, Mavs top Celtics in NBA Finals rematch

James’ 42 points lead Lakers over Warriors, Mavs top Celtics in NBA Finals rematch
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James scores a basket against Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday in Los Angeles. (AP)
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Updated 07 February 2025
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James’ 42 points lead Lakers over Warriors, Mavs top Celtics in NBA Finals rematch

James’ 42 points lead Lakers over Warriors, Mavs top Celtics in NBA Finals rematch
  • Edwards scored 41 points to propel the Timberwolves to a 127-114 home victory over the Houston Rockets
  • NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic produced his 24th triple-double of the season, piling up 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter of the Denver Nuggets’ 112-90 rout of  Orlando Magic

LOS ANGELES: LeBron James joined NBA icon Michael Jordan as the only players to score 40 points in a game at the age of 40, pouring in 42 on Thursday as the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Golden State Warriors 120-112.

James, who turned 40 on Dec. 30, delivered another age-defying performance that featured a three-pointer from the halfcourt logo in the first half and a dagger three that pushed the Lakers’ lead to 115-106 with 1:08 remaining.

James’s sixth three-pointer of the night helped thwart a late surge that saw the Warriors slice a 26-point deficit to five points — 109-104 — with 3:40 remaining.

Warriors star Stephen Curry shook off a slow start to key the comeback, scoring 19 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter.

But James and the Lakers wouldn’t be denied. James added 17 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one blocked shot as the Lakers won their fourth straight game and their 10th in their last 12.

“What do I think? That I’m old,” James said of joining the exclusive 40-at-40 club. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep.”

More seriously, James added: “The biggest thing is that we got the win. But anytime I’ve been named or (put) in the category with any of the greats it’s always humbling.”

It was all under the admiring eye of Luka Doncic, the 25-year-old Slovenian star acquired by the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday in exchange for big man Anthony Davis in a deal that rocked the NBA.

Doncic, nursing a calf injury, could make his Lakers debut as early as Saturday but Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated it would now more likely to be in Monday’s game against Utah.

The Warriors are also eagerly awaiting reinforcements in the shape of Jimmy Butler, whose acquisition at the trade deadline ended Butler’s acrimonious breakup with the Miami Heat.

With the deal finalized, Butler joined the Warriors in Los Angeles, where he said he was “just so happy to be playing basketball again” after being suspended three times this season by the Heat for conduct detrimental to the team in the midst of his trade demand.

As the sight of Doncic on the sidelines whetted Lakers’ fans appetites for his debut, Minnesota star Anthony Edwards was busy breaking a Doncic record.

Edwards scored 41 points to propel the Timberwolves to a 127-114 home victory over the Houston Rockets.

One day after his 49-point outburst led the T’Wolves to victory over Chicago, Edwards set the franchise record for most 40-point games with 14, surpassing Karl-Anthony Towns.

The 23-year-old made five three-pointers and became the youngest NBA player to reach 1,000 career treys, surpassing the mark set by Doncic — who did it when he was 24 years, 286 days old.

Meanwhile the new-look Mavericks, fueled by a scorching start from Klay Thompson, beat the NBA champion Celtics 127-120 in Boston in an NBA Finals rematch.

Davis’ Dallas debut was delayed again as he continues to recover from an abdominal strain.

But Thompson, acquired in the offseason, provided plenty of firepower, scoring 23 of his team-high 25 points in the first half to put the Mavericks on the road to victory in their first return to Boston since they fell in game five of last season’s championship series.

Kyrie Irving added 19 points for the Mavericks, who led by as many as 27 points.

Jaylen Brown led Boston’s scoring with 25 points and Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis added 17 apiece before Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters in the fourth quarter.

In other games, NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic produced his 24th triple-double of the season, piling up 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter of the Denver Nuggets’ 112-90 rout of the Orlando Magic.

Pascal Siakam scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Indiana Pacers, who erased a 22-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-112.


Morocco’s history-making surfer Ramzi Boukhiam believes best is yet to come

Morocco’s history-making surfer Ramzi Boukhiam believes best is yet to come
Updated 57 sec ago
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Morocco’s history-making surfer Ramzi Boukhiam believes best is yet to come

Morocco’s history-making surfer Ramzi Boukhiam believes best is yet to come
  • Two-time Olympian has high ambitions for his sophomore season on the WSL’s Championship Tour
  • Last year was a big one for Boukhiam, not just because of his second appearance at the Olympics

ABU DHABI: Last summer at the Paris Olympics, Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam attacked one monster wave after another at Tahiti’s iconic Teahupo’o, going toe-to-toe with Brazilian Joao Chianca in one of the most memorable heats of the Games.
The duo traded perfect 8-to-10-foot barrels throughout the heat, with Boukhiam scoring a stunning 9.70 on one of his waves. But the Moroccan’s total, which combines the highest-scoring two waves per surfer, ended up being just 0.3 points short of Chianca’s tally and he missed out on a spot in the quarter-finals and a chance to fight for an Olympic medal.
“It was pretty much the conditions that I love, that I dream of. Perfect heats, at perfect Teahupo’o, big waves, barrels. And I was against Joao Chianca. He’s one of the best barrel riders in the world. And he’s a good friend. And I knew he charged a lot,” Boukhiam told Arab News on the sidelines of the ongoing Surf Abu Dhabi Pro at Hudayriyat Island in the UAE capital.
“We knew that both of us were going to go for it and bring the best out of each other. And we did. It was an amazing, amazing, amazing heat. And I was really bummed.
“I think it’s the toughest loss of my career. Even though I put on a show and it was amazing, but I still didn’t come home with a medal. So, at the end of the day, I was really sad. But I’m proud of my performance.”
It may have felt like he left Tahiti empty-handed, but Boukhiam walked away from his second appearance at the Olympics with scores of new fans, from the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.
The Paris Games gave surfing a wider platform compared to when the sport made its Olympics debut in Tokyo three years earlier.
Opting to stage the competition in Tahiti, the Paris Olympics showcased surfing at its best, with massive barrels and elite-level ripping on full display.
“When you see those big, perfect barrels, even if you don’t understand nothing about surfing, you’re going to be like, wow! You know? It gets you. It captivates you,” Boukhiam said.
“So, I really feel like these Olympics were way bigger for surfing than the other one. And we really showed what surfing is all about. I wish I had the medal. But it is what it is. It was a nice one.”
Last year was a big one for Boukhiam, not just because of his second appearance at the Olympics. The Agadir native spent 10 years battling on the Qualifying Series before he finally clinched a spot for the 2023 Championship Tour, or CT, of the World Surf League, or WSL, only to get injured and break his ankle in training just before the start of the new season.
He got his chance a year later when he was handed the replacement slot for 2024 and a couple of withdrawals made way for the first Arab surfer to compete on the WSL’s CT, the highest-level of competition in the world of professional surfing.
Boukhiam finished his rookie campaign ranked 12th in the world and he has loftier targets for his sophomore season, which began at Pipeline in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago before landing on Abu Dhabi shores this weekend for the first CT event to be staged in the Middle East.
“My first year, I had a lot of fun,” Boukhiam said. “And I was super proud of a few moments in the year where my back was against the wall and I managed to step it up and turn the situation around and come out with big results and just boost of confidence, coming back from my injury and everything.
“So, I was pretty happy and proud of myself after a nice year.”
An interference call in the round of 32 saw Boukhiam finish 17th at Pipeline last week and he admits it was a tough pill to swallow given he had high hopes for the opening event of the 2025 season.
“It really felt like I let an opportunity go by to have a really, really good result. So it hurt a lot,” he said.
Boukhiam quickly put the disappointment behind him on landing in the UAE for a historic inaugural Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, and is excited to compete in front of Moroccan and Arab fans.
“Honestly, it’s super cool. And I’m sure I’m going to see some Moroccan flags the day of my heat. I know a lot of friends and a lot of Moroccans that live here in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi as well. So, I hope they’ll come around and check it out and support,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s going to motivate the kids from here in the Middle East. Maybe a champion is going to come from here soon. And you guys have good waves close by. You know, Sri Lanka and everything. So, yeah, it’s a perfect start for the region. Having the best surfers on the planet in your home. I’m super happy.”


Winning his first CT event is high up on Boukhiam’s bucket list for 2025, and he’s also hoping to finish the year in the top five.
“I know I can do it. It’s really hard, but I know I can do it. So, I’m going to go for it,” said Boukhiam, whose best CT finish so far was clinching third at the Tahiti Pro last year after defeating surfing great Kelly Slater in the quarter-finals.
At 31, Boukhiam believes his best days are still ahead of him. He feels he’s finally coming into his own competing against the world’s best and isn’t putting any limits on his ambitions.
Could a third Olympics appearance be in the cards for him at LA 2028?
“If my body lets me, for sure, I’m thinking about it,” he said.
“I feel fresh, honestly. I feel the strongest I’ve ever been. My surfing is there. I feel like I’m almost still improving a little bit, which is not usual. At 31, normally you start going down. But I feel like I’m getting better and stronger. So, Alhamdulillah, yeah. Why not? Why not?
“I’m going year by year and event by event. I just want to do good in the CT. And if I’m ready for the Olympics, I’ll be ready, inshallah.”
Boukhiam was born in Agadir to a Moroccan father and Dutch mother. He lost his father at the age of 11 and later moved with his mother and brother to Biarritz, France — the epicenter of European surfing.
After a strong junior career and a decade toiling on the Qualifying Series, Boukhiam, who is back based in Agadir, is finally where he belongs, competing against the best surfers on the planet.
Asked what his advice would be for Arab surfers looking to follow in his footsteps, Boukhiam said: “I know it’s cliche, but keep going, because that’s exactly what I did. I had a good junior career, and then I had ups and downs for more than eight, nine, 10 years on the Challengers and all that stuff, and then finally qualified at 29,” he said.
“So I kept pushing with a lot of injuries, a lot of stuff. I know it’s cliche, but keep pushing, believe, and keep improving.
“Forget about what everyone is doing. Do you, and do the best of you, and try to be the best of you every day, and keep going, and try to do the maximum so you have no regrets. I think that’s the mindset you need to have.”


Bayern Munich tie star player Jamal Musiala to contract until 2030

Bayern Munich tie star player Jamal Musiala to contract until 2030
Updated 44 min 1 sec ago
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Bayern Munich tie star player Jamal Musiala to contract until 2030

Bayern Munich tie star player Jamal Musiala to contract until 2030
  • The Bavarian powerhouse said Friday that the 21-year-old Musiala signed a new deal extending the one he had for another season
  • “People go to the stadium for players like Jamal Musiala,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said

MUNICH: Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala has extended his contract with the club through June 2030.
The Bavarian powerhouse said Friday that the 21-year-old Musiala, who joined the club as a youth from English side Chelsea in 2019, signed a new deal extending the one he had for another season.
“People go to the stadium for players like Jamal Musiala. He’s a truly exceptional player,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said.

“Sometimes you feel like the rules of gravity don’t apply to him. Credit to our sporting management and the board. Today is a very good day for FC Bayern.”
Musiala’s extension follows recently announced new deals for teammates Alphonso Davies and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich and forward Leroy Sané and Thomas Müller still have contracts expiring at the end of this season.
Musiala fired Bayern to the 2023 Bundesliga title with the winning goal at Cologne in the last round while Borussia Dortmund were held to a draw by Mainz.
He has seven goals in 38 appearances for Germany.


New Zealand’s O’Rourke’s four wickets limit Pakistan to 242 in tri-series final

New Zealand’s O’Rourke’s four wickets limit Pakistan to 242 in tri-series final
Updated 14 February 2025
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New Zealand’s O’Rourke’s four wickets limit Pakistan to 242 in tri-series final

New Zealand’s O’Rourke’s four wickets limit Pakistan to 242 in tri-series final
  • Final is a dress rehearsal for opening Champions Trophy match between the two sides on Wednesday
  • Pakistan’s batting ace Baber Azam scored confident 29, reaching 6,000 runs in one-day internationals

KARACHI: New Zealand pace bowler Will O’Rourke took four wickets to restrict Pakistan to a modest 242 runs in the tri-series final in Karachi on Friday.
O’Rourke finished with 4-43 and was ably supported by spinners Mitchell Santner (2-20) and Michael Bracewell (2-38) as Pakistan were dismissed in 49.3 overs after they won the toss and batted.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with a 76-ball 46, while Salman Agha hit 45 off 65 balls, with slow and variable bounce on the National Stadium pitch proving tough for batting.
The final is a dress rehearsal for the opening match of the Champions Trophy between the same teams at the same venue on Wednesday.
Pakistan lost opener Fakhar Zaman to O’Rourke in the fourth over for 10 and then Saud Shakeel for eight.
Babar Azam looked good for his 29 runs, hitting four boundaries and a six, and reached 6,000 runs scored in one-day internationals when he was on 10.
He was playing his 123rd innings, the joint fastest to reach the 6,000-runs milestone with South African Hashim Amla.
Azam fell to a miscued shot off Nathan Smith, leaving Pakistan struggling at 54-3.
Rizwan and Agha, who shared a match-winning 260-run partnership against South Africa on Wednesday, then revived the innings with an 88-run stand.
Rizwan hit four boundaries and a six but he and Agha fell within 19 runs of each other to end any hope of a big total.
Tayyab Tahir hit a 33-ball 38, also with four boundaries and a six, while Faheem Ashraf (22) and Naseem Shah (19) added 39 invaluable runs to get Pakistan past 240.


Formula E drivers revved-up for podium finishes at first Jeddah E-Prix

Formula E drivers revved-up for podium finishes at first Jeddah E-Prix
Updated 14 February 2025
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Formula E drivers revved-up for podium finishes at first Jeddah E-Prix

Formula E drivers revved-up for podium finishes at first Jeddah E-Prix
  • The doubleheader of races will take place at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Friday and Saturday

JEDDAH: Ahead of the third round of the Formula E’s season in Saudi Arabia this weekend, drivers from the teams competing in the first Jeddah E-Prix have revealed their ambitions for the doubleheader under lights.

Sam Bird of NEOM McLaren, Maximilian Guenther of DS PENSKE and Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing spoke to Arab News recently ahead of the action taking place at Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the first time after six years of Formula E’s Saudi Arabia residency in Diriyah.

Bird, who previously managed to claim two wins in Saudi Arabia, said: “I am very motivated to get the best on the Jeddah’s track for the first time.

“I am really excited to take on the two doubleheaders in Jeddah and push for my first points with Jaguar Racing. I’ve won in Saudi Arabia, particularly in Diriyah not so long ago so can’t wait to get going here in Jeddah.”

Even though the Mexico City E-Prix in January did not go as planned for the British driver, who ended fourth, he is determined to get back on the podium on Saturday.

“We need a strong performance to stay in the fight at the top of the standings,” said Bird.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Cassidy is keen to replicate past success in Saudi Arabia.

“We have put in a lot of hard work since Mexico and hopefully we can translate that into some strong results in Jeddah,” the Jaguar driver said.

“I have happy memories of racing in Saudi Arabia for Jaguar TCS Racing, including taking my first win with the team, so it would be great to continue that.”

Germany’s Guenther, who narrowly lost the internal team duel against Jean-Eric Vergne in Mexico, commented: “I am happy with the way the team works together.

“It was only my second race with DS Penske, but I have the feeling that everything is developing very well. Now I am really looking forward to Jeddah.”


Horsfield leads, Reed hits hole-in-one at LIV Golf Adelaide

Horsfield leads, Reed hits hole-in-one at LIV Golf Adelaide
Updated 14 February 2025
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Horsfield leads, Reed hits hole-in-one at LIV Golf Adelaide

Horsfield leads, Reed hits hole-in-one at LIV Golf Adelaide
  • Torque top the team competition leaderboard after first round at Grange Golf Club

ADELAIDE: Patrick Reed started the celebrations early in Friday’s opening round at LIV Golf Adelaide, while Majesticks GC’s Sam Horsfield and a couple of Torque GC teammates followed with the lowest scores on what proved to be a challenging day at The Grange.

Horsfield moved atop the individual leaderboard with a 6-under 66, while Torque took the team lead at 8 under thanks to a pair of 67s by captain Joaquin Niemann and Carlos Ortiz.

Defending champions Ripper GC received massive support from the Australian fans but struggled to generate many fireworks. They will play catch-up this weekend, starting Saturday’s second round 11 shots behind.

But it was Reed who produced the biggest shot of the day, with a hole-in-one at the Watering Hole less than 20 minutes after the shotgun start. His 8-iron at the 151-yard par 3 set off scenes reminiscent of two years ago, when Chase Koepka delivered LIV Golf’s first ace at the famous party hole. Reed’s ace is the ninth in league history.

“It’s awesome to give the fans what they want,” said Reed on his fifth competitive ace — and sixth overall — of his career. “That’s why we want to be out here: Golf, but louder.”

The hole-in-one was one of the few highlights of his 1-over 73, however, with the rest of the day belonging to several other competitors.

Among them were multiple major winners Dustin Johnson (68), Bryson DeChambeau (68) and Brooks Koepka (69), each inside the top 10 on the leaderboard.

But it was Horsfield who emerged with the solo lead, thanks to shooting the only bogey-free round of the day. In fact, he has made just one bogey in his last 60 holes going back to last week’s LIV Golf Riyadh, when he tied for 12th. He’ll enter this weekend in search of his first LIV Golf title.

“I feel like I’m playing really, really good,” said the Englishman. “Played solid last week. It's just nice to see that momentum from last week carry over and be able to put a low one out there today and try to do more of the same this weekend.”

Ortiz held the solo lead until a couple of late bogeys, and his captain Niemann also shared it temporarily until suffering his only bogey of the day on his next-to-last hole. Still, it was a productive afternoon for both players, who combined to win three individual titles a year ago.

“It’s unbelievable,” Ortiz said of the atmosphere in Adelaide. “The people here are great. The music is even better. This is probably my favorite tournament I’ve ever played in.”

Niemann tied for third in Adelaide a year ago and won the Australian Open in 2023. He said the enthusiastic Australian golf fans were definitely a factor in his performance Down Under.

“The Australian crowd is really good. They kind of like me a little bit, I think, and you can feel the energy,” he said. “There (are) a few guys following around, really energized, enjoying my shots, enjoying when I was making a putt. So that gets me going.”

DeChambeau was 4-under through his first nine holes but two poor swings resulted in a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 ninth. Thanks to a hot putter, though, he battled back down the stretch to stay close to the leaders and give himself a shot at his first individual LIV Golf title since 2023.

“Certainly, this is one of the best LIV events, if not the best LIV event, on our schedule, and it’s a joy coming back here with the fans and the people and the atmosphere,” he said. “This is what LIV Golf is about.”

 

Team Scores

LIV Golf’s new scoring format made its debut in last week’s season opener in Riyadh, with all four scores now counting in every round in the team competition.

Here are the results and scores for each team after Friday’s 1 of LIV Golf Adelaide.

1. TORQUE GC -8 (Niemann 67, Ortiz 67, Pereira 72, Munoz 74)

T2. FIREBALLS GC -6 (Ancer 68, Puig 70, Garcia 71, Masaveu 73)

T2. LEGION XIII -6 (Hatton 70, McKibbin 70, Rahm 70, Surratt 72)

T2. 4ACES GC -6 (Johnson 68, Varner III 70, Pieters 71, Reed 73)

T5. STINGER GC -5 (Schwartzel 69, Burmester 70, Grace 72, Oosthuizen 72)

T5. CRUSHERS GC -5 (DeChambeau 68, Lahiri 71, Casey 72, Howell III 72)

7. MAJESTICKS GC -2 (Horsfield 66, Stenson 69, Poulter 74, Westwood 77)

8. HYFLYERS GC E (Ogletree 70, Tringale 71, Mickelson 72, Steele 75)

T9. SMASH GC +3 (Koepka 69, Kokrak 73, McDowell 73, Gooch 76)

T9. IRON HEADS GC +3 (Lee 70, Jang 71, Na 71, Ormsby 79)

T9. RIPPER GC +3 (Herbert 71, Smith 72, Leishman 73, Jones 75)

12. CLEEKS GC +4 (Bland 69, Meronk 71, Kaymer 73, Kjettrup 79)

13. RANGEGOATS GC +5 (Watson 70, Campbell 73, Uihlein 73, Wolff 77)

Wild Cards: Lee 72, Kim 73