The Pampanga Giant Lanterns avoided an upset try by the Pasay Voyagers for a tight 70-65 win in the 2024 MPBL season on Monday night at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in Pampanga. Down 52-53 with over eight minutes left, the Giant Lanterns went on an 8-0 scoring run behind two free throws by Kurt Reyson and back-to-back triples from Archie Concepcion and MJ Garcia for a 60-53 lead. Pasay attempted to make a run behind three-pointers by Warren Bonifacio and Dhon Reverente, but Pampanga responded with inside hits from Justine Baltazar and Jhaymo Eguilos to stretch the lead to 68-61. The Voy ..read more

Bobby Ray Parks Jr.’s solid performance was not enough as the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins fell to Hiroshima Dragonflies, 79-73, in the do-or-die Game 3 of the Japan B.League Division 1 semis on Monday night at the Dolphins Arena. The former TNT Tropang Giga guard finished with 20 points, including four three-point conversions, to go with three rebounds, three assists, and one steal to lead the losing Diamond Dolphins. The Dragonflies moved on to the best-of-three championship series and will face either defending champions Ryukyu Golden Kings or Chiba Jets, which will battle in a do-or-die Game 3 ..read more

Meralco coach Luigi Trillo believes they will have their hands full when they meet Barangay Ginebra again in Game 3. The Bolts leveled their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with a 103-91 victory in Game 2, and this will prompt a furious fightback in the following match. “It’s gut it out. It’s hard,” said Trillo of their semifinal pairing with the Gin Kings. The Meralco coach admitted it was tough outcoaching Ginebra tactician Tim Cone two times in a row. “We know we’re capable; we know we can, but we really have to be detailed in the things we do. We know there would be struggles,” said Tr ..read more

The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons weathered a late run by the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers for a 76-73 escape in the Filoil EcoOil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup on Monday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. Holding to a 70-58 lead with over four minutes in the game, the Fighting Maroons were stunned by a huge 15-4 uprising by the Growling Tigers, cutting the deficit to 73-74 with three seconds left. Gerry Abadiano knocked down two free throws to extend the Fighting Maroons’ lead to 76-73. The Growling Tigers still had a shot at forcing an overtime, but Christi ..read more

Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga admitted that reigning ONE women’s atomweight champion Stamp Fairtex is the superior striker. But she can’t be the same when it comes to ground fighting. She will get the chance to prove this when they clash in ONE 167 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. “I believe I can utilize my ground game as my advantage because I don’t think she can stop it. Ever since we started training together [at Fairtex], I’ve always been more knowledgeable in grappling, and I feel I can use that against her in this match,” Zamboanga said on ONE’s website. The two used to be trai ..read more

The Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 20-point deficit to stun Denver 98-90, knocking the defending NBA champions out of the playoffs Sunday as Indiana ousted the New York Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Jaden McDaniels added 23 points and Anthony Edwards hit his stride late as the Timberwolves became the first team to come back from a halftime deficit of more than 11 points to win a game seven. The Pacers connected on an NBA playoff record 67.1 percent of their shots — making 53 of their 79 attempts from the floor — in a 130-109 game seven triumph over the K ..read more

The Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 20-point deficit to stun the Denver Nuggets 98-90 on Sunday, knocking the defending champions out of the NBA playoffs. The Timberwolves followed up a 45-point game-six victory with an epic comeback to win their best-of-seven series 4-3 and book a Western Conference finals clash with the Dallas Mavericks. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, Jaden McDaniels added 23 and Anthony Edwards hit his stride late as the Timberwolves became the first team to come back from a halftime deficit of more than 11 points to win a game seven. “I think ..read more

By John WEAVER Manchester City are celebrating a historic fourth straight Premier League title, underlining their total dominance of the English game, but several key factors contributed to their historic triumph. AFP Sport looks at five reasons for City’s success — their sixth English title in seven seasons. Ortega’s crucial save When Son Heung-min burst through the middle with just Stefan Ortega to beat on Tuesday, time stood still at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The entire season hung in the balance late in a game in which Spurs fans were caught in two minds over whether they wanted to depriv ..read more

By Andrew Caballero-Reynolds with Danny Kemp in Washington US President Joe Biden said Sunday he heard the voice of Gaza war protesters as some students turned their backs on his graduation ceremony speech at the former university of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. A small number of graduates carried out the silent protest, with some holding Palestinian flags and one holding up a fist as Biden spoke at Morehouse College, a historically Black university in Atlanta, Georgia. Others wore keffiyeh scarves over their gowns in a sign of solidarity with the protests that have roiled campuses ..read more

Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool’s fans as the “superpower of world football” after his final match as manager ended in a 2-0 win at home to Wolves on an emotional day at Anfield on Sunday. Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah scored the goals, but the game was largely a sideshow as supporters paid tribute to the German they have taken to their hearts. The charismatic 56-year-old, who announced in January he was leaving the club, has forged a strong bond with the Anfield faithful, who gave him a rousing welcome as he emerged from the famous tunnel. The fans used cards to create giant mosaics, o ..read more