Indian Hindu fans pray for victory over Pakistan in Champions Trophy clash

LOS ANGELES, United States: Luka Doncic delivered a dominant 32-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak on Saturday with an impressive 123-100 victory on the road in Colorado.
Doncic, playing only his fourth game for the Lakers since his blockbuster trade from Dallas, was in scintillating form as the Lakers conjured a statement wire-to-wire win over their Western Conference rivals.
The Slovenian superstar was the standout performer on a night when the Lakers saw four players finish with 20 points or more for the first time this season.
Doncic finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while LeBron James backed him with 25 points. Austin Reaves added 23 points and Rui Hachimura 21.
“I’m starting to feel a little bit more like myself — that’s why I was smiling the whole game,” Doncic told ESPN afterward.
“There’s still a lot of room for improvement and this is only my fourth game. Chemistry takes time. But you saw today that things are getting better.”
Doncic had signalled he was in the mood for a stellar performance early in the first quarter, arrowing a couple of superb passes to James and Jaxson Hayes to help the Lakers take an 8-3 lead.
A sublime three-pointer from Doncic put the Lakers into a 31-18 lead as the visitors remained firmly on top.
Doncic finished the first quarter with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists and was soon back into the groove in the second quarter.
A delicate lobbed assist to James for an alley-oop dunk made it 60-52 before Doncic unfurled a 24-foot three-pointer to put the Lakers 11 points up.
The Nuggets closed the deficit to 63-54 at the half, but the Lakers remained in control for much of the third quarter, taking a nine-point advantage into the final frame.
The Lakers continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the fourth, and Doncic put Los Angeles into a 20-point lead at 117-97 with just over four minutes remaining after another Denver turnover to effectively ice the game.
The Lakers improved to 34-21 with the win and remain fifth in the West. The Nuggets fell to 37-20 with the defeat.
In other NBA action on Saturday, the Phoenix Suns halted their four-game losing streak with a 121-117 road victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Devin Booker finished with 29 points while Kevin Durant added 27 and Bradley Beal 25 as Phoenix fought back from an early 13-point deficit to claim a win that lifts them to 27-29 in the Western Conference.
Australian international Josh Giddey led the Bulls’ scorers with 24 points.
Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers problems continued with a seventh straight defeat as they slumped to an agonizing 105-103 home loss against the Brooklyn Nets.
Sixers ace Tyrese Maxey leveled it for Philadelphia with a three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining.
But Nic Claxton’s tip layup at the buzzer snatched victory for Brooklyn, who improved to 21-35 with the win.
Cameron Johnson led Brooklyn’s scorers with 23 points, while Maxey’s 31-point haul went in vain for Philadelphia.
Sixers star Joel Embiid had another frustrating outing, finishing with only 14 points from 4-of-13 shooting and being benched for the fourth quarter.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse defended Embiid’s contribution as he continues to struggle with a niggling knee problem.
“He’s giving us what he can,” Nurse said of Embiid. “He’s not himself, we all know that. He’s not, certainly, the guy that we’re used to seeing play at a super high level.
“But I commend him for giving us what he can.”

RIYADH: The Saudi capital was the backdrop for a spectacular night of boxing as The Last Crescendo fight night delivered a number of unforgettable moments that highlighted both established champions and emerging talents.

Headlining was a remarkable upset in the light-heavyweight division, where Dmitry Bivol dethroned Artur Beterbiev to become the undisputed champion. Alongside this historic victory, Joseph Parker made a powerful comeback, dominating Martin Bakole to add further excitement to the star-studded card.

The evening’s main event saw a thrilling reversal of fortune as Bivol avenged his previous loss to Beterbiev. Having fallen short in their first meeting, Bivol made key adjustments and outboxed his opponent in a tactical showdown that went the distance.

Judges scored it 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114 in favor of the Russian, securing his place as the undisputed light-heavyweight champion. The win opens the door for a potential trilogy between the two and boxing fans are already buzzing for the next chapter in their rivalry.

The excitement was evident early on when Saudi fighters Ziyad Al-Maayouf and Mohammed Alakel secured dominant victories, igniting the crowd. Al-Maayouf was impressive in his super lightweight clash with Jonatas de Oliveira, winning by unanimous decision after a disciplined and controlled performance.

Alakel followed up with a strong six-round display against Engel Gomez, maintaining his unbeaten record at 3-0. The victories set the tone for a thrilling evening, and the energy in the arena continued to build throughout the night.

In the co-main event, former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker returned to form with an emphatic second-round TKO over Martin Bakole. Parker’s combination of speed and power overwhelmed his opponent, forcing the referee to step in after a crushing barrage of punches sent Bakole to the canvas. The win was much needed for Parker, signaling his intent to challenge the top names in the heavyweight division once again.

Shakur Stevenson continued to shine in the lightweight division, successfully defending his WBC title against Josh Padley. From the opening bell, Stevenson’s superior skill and speed were on full display, eventually leading to Padley’s corner throwing in the towel after the ninth round. Stevenson remains undefeated with a 20-0 record, solidifying his place as one of the sport’s rising stars.

The middleweight division witnessed a controversial outcome in the bout between Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz. Despite a competitive back-and-forth, the fight ended in a split draw after one judge scored it for Sheeraz, another for Adames, and the third called it even. Adames retained his WBC title as a result, though many felt the decision left more questions than answers.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. continued his climb in the welterweight ranks, successfully defending his WBC interim super welterweight title with a narrow unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov. The fight was a war; both men exchanged powerful shots, but Ortiz’s precision and ability to stay composed in the later rounds allowed him to come out on top. His win kept his perfect record intact, moving him to 23-0.

In the heavyweight ranks, Agit Kabayel extended his unbeaten record to 26-0 with a spectacular sixth-round knockout of Zhilei Zhang. Kabayel’s impressive power was on full display as he dropped Zhang with a brutal body shot that silenced the crowd, confirming his status as a dangerous contender.

Callum Smith added another title to his collection, claiming the vacant WBO light heavyweight belt with a hard-fought majority decision victory over Joshua Buatsi. The bout was a tactical masterpiece, with Smith’s experience and poise in the later rounds giving him the edge and handing Buatsi his first career loss.

The action left the crowd buzzing. With local stars making their mark and world-class fighters delivering thrilling action, The Last Crescendo was a night to live long in the memory.