Sports
NBA roundup: Rockets shoot to sixth consecutive win
Eric Gordon scored 25 points and led the Rockets’ record 3-point barrage as Houston rolled to a 136-106 win over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Gordon hit five of the Rockets’ franchise-best 28 treys. Houston earned its sixth win in a row and moved above .500 for the first time this season. DeMarcus Cousins also hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points.
The Rockets’ previous record for 3-pointers in a game was 27 last season, which set an NBA record at the time. The Milwaukee Bucks broke that record earlier this season with 29.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 19 points while Darius Bazley and Hamidou Diallo added 15 each.
Devin Booker nailed a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to cap a wild finish that gave visiting Phoenix a victory over Dallas.
In the rematch of a game the Suns won 111-105 on Saturday night in Dallas, the Mavericks had a shot at breaking a five-game losing streak, but Luka Doncic couldn’t connect from 28 feet at the final horn.
Booker, who missed the Suns’ previous four games with a hamstring injury, went for 24 points in 31 minutes.
Chris Paul had 34 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for Phoenix while Deandre Ayton put up 10 points and 17 rebounds. Luka Doncic totaled 25 points and eight assists while Kristaps Porzingis registered 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks.
Final scores Phoenix Suns 109 – Dallas Mavericks 108.
LeBron James scored 21 points, including the final nine points of the game for the Lakers, and made a crucial defensive play to help visiting Los Angeles hold off Atlanta.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points and Dennis Schroder scored 16 against his former team. The Lakers were 5-2 on the road trip and have won two straight.
The Hawks got 25 points and a season-high 16 assists from Trae Young, 22 points from John Collins and 16 points and 13 rebounds from Capela.
Final scores Los Angeles Lakers 107 – Atlanta Hawks 99.
Nine Memphis players scored in double figures as the Grizzlies romped past host San Antonio for their seventh consecutive win.
Gorgui Dieng led Memphis with 19 points off the bench. Brandon Clarke scored 18, and Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton hit for 17 points apiece.
San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson paced all scorers with 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 and 12 points, respectively, and Patty Mills scored 11 for the Spurs, who have lost two straight.
Final scores Memphis Grizzlies 133 – San Antonio Spurs 102.
Reserve Malik Monk scored a career-high 36 points, helping Charlotte rally to an overtime win at Miami.
Monk, who entered the game averaging 6.3 points, made 11 of 18 shots, including 9 of 13 from 3-point range.
He also sank a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Hornets rookie point guard LaMelo Ball, making his first NBA start, had 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Miami was led by Jimmy Butler, who had 25 points and nine rebounds. Bam Adebayo, who fouled out in overtime, had 23 points and nine rebounds.
The Heat’s Max Strus, an undrafted player competing in just his 13th NBA game, had 17 of his career-high 19 points in the first half.
Final scores Charlotte Hornets 129 – Miami Heat 121 (OT).
Jrue Holiday recorded 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals to help Milwaukee roll to a decisive victory over visiting Portland.
Bobby Portis matched his season best of 21 points and also collected eight rebounds as Milwaukee snapped a two-game slide.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 18 points and six assists and Khris Middleton contributed 17 points and matched his season high of nine assists for the Bucks.
Nassir Little established career bests of 30 points and five 3-pointers for the Trail Blazers, who have lost four straight meetings with the Bucks and three of their past four games overall.
Final scores Milwaukee Bucks 134 – Portland Trail Blazers 106.
Lauri Markkanen scored 30 points and Zach LaVine netted 21 to help host Chicago close out a win over New York.
Thaddeus Young finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Bulls, who finished the game on a 10-2 run.
Coby White finished with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds for the Bulls, who shot 47.7 percent overall from the field and 32.4 percent (11-for-34) from 3-point range.
The Knicks shot 42.5 percent overall but struggled from long distance, making just 20.7 percent (6 of 29) on 3-point tries. Julius Randle once again led New York with 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and RJ Barrett had 14 points and seven rebounds.
Final scores Chicago Bulls 110 – New York Knicks 102.
De’Aaron Fox produced 38 points and 12 assists, and visiting Sacramento rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat New Orleans.
Harrison Barnes added 24 points, and Richaun Holmes had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots for Sacramento.
Buddy Hield scored 16 points and Marvin Bagley III scored 10 points before being ejected early in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul.
Brandon Ingram scored 20 points to lead the Pelicans. Josh Hart added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Zion Williamson scored 17.
Final scores Sacramento Kings 118 – New Orleans Pelicans 109.
Collin Sexton scored 26 points and Jarrett Allen collected 23 points and 18 rebounds to lift host Cleveland to a victory over Minnesota.
Allen also had five blocks while playing in place of Andre Drummond, who sat out the contest due to lower back soreness.
Drummond recorded 25 points and 22 rebounds in Cleveland’s 109-104 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Darius Garland had 19 points and 11 assists for the Cavaliers, who are 7-4 at home.
D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points and rookie Anthony Edwards added 13 for the Timberwolves, who have lost 15 of their last 18 games overall and eight of nine overall on the road.
Final scores Cleveland Cavaliers 100 – Minnesota Timberwolves 98.
By Dr. Salau Dee Elf (NUGA Publicity Liaison Officer 1993-2001)
The Federation of African Universities Sports (FASI), the body that is in charge of Organisation of Sports competitions within Universities in Africa. Many sports stars have been discovered in various Sports for many African Countries. The popular athlete Chidi Imo, Olapade Adeniken and others who competed and won many medals for Nigeria in Athletics are products of Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA)
In Football, Adokie Amesimaka, a Law Students of the University of Portharcourt, Mutiu Adepoju of the University of Ibadan, Super Eagles Midfielder Seyi Olofinjana of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso among others were University stars who performed wonderfully for the National Football Team.
Many others in other national sports who were stars in their Sports competed and won laurels for Nigeria in their various Sports. It is very easy to Coach University Students in Sports due to their level of education and exposure.
However, with the turn of quick and fast results in Football and other sports, institutional sports was relegated to the background. Most American draft into American Professional Baseball are from American Colleges/Universities. The same is also the case with Athletics and other major sports. Their Institutional Sports are well organised and well supported by private organisations. Their star players/Athletes are not only well supported but are monitored to know their growth.
With this background it will be worthwhile for Nigeria to ensure her Institutional Sports such as the NUGA, Nigerian Polytheistic Games Association (NIPOGA), Nigerian Colleges of Education Games Association (NICEGA) and School Sports Federation of Nigeria (SSFN) are properly supported and funded to become the grass root for the production of star sportsmen and women in Nigeria.
Come September 20th to 29th 2024 this year, two Nigerian Universities will host the 11th FASU Games. The University of Lagos, (UNILAG) Akoka Lagos and Lagos State University, (LASU) Ojo Lagos will Co-host this 11th Edition of the Games.
About 100 Universities from different Countries in Africa with more than 3,500 sportsmen and women with about 1,000 officials will be at the Games. It will be an avenue for the athletes to showcase their talents during the FASU Conmpetitions.
It will be recalled that Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University(ATBU), Bauchi hosted the 4th edition of the Games in 1996. The Federal and Bauchi State Governments fully supported NUGA and ATBU. As the NUGA Press Officer then, we worked directly with Alhaji Sani Toro, then Bauchi State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, who made the State work tirelessly for the success of the FASU Games.
The hosting of the FASU is an opportunity for Nigerian Universities to showcase the talents they have, win laurels and eventually become stars in their respective sports for Nigeria. Other Universities in Africa are also coming to compete for laurels and expose their athletes.
The success of this FASU Games highly lies in the organisational efforts of the joint host Universities, the Lagos State and Federal Governments. The outside influence that will also come handy for the Games is the power of the organisers to seek sponsorship for the Games.
The greater import of the Games is for Nigeria to deliberately scout for potential stars in different sports for the country. This will be a great opportunity for the country to get back to its original grassroots way of catching the sports stars young and turning them to stars.
So obviously, the FASU Games being jointly hosted by UNILAG and LASU Is not only a good opportunity for Nigeria to showcase good brotherliness to her African brothers and Sisters, but an opportunity to grow its sports industry.
With the return of Nigeria to Institutional Sports through this September 20th to 29th FASU Games, we hope Nigeria will get it right.
Dr Salau Dee Elf writes from Lagos | [email protected]
Team Nigeria wrestlers will depart the country on Wednesday for Spain for a pre Olympic tournament in Madrid, before settling in Germany for their last camping ahead of the games proper.
Daniel Igali, President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), told the News on Tuesday in Abuja that athletes have been in camp for a couple of weeks, training.
According to Igali, six wrestlers who will fly the nation’s flag at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France have been unveiled by the federation.
Igali said that he was optimistic that the wrestlers would put up a good performance at the Olympics.
“Yesterday, six wrestlers were celebrated in a colourful ceremony at the Dynamite Wrestling Gym in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.
“The athletes will not only participate in the Paris Olympics but they will compete and win medals to make the country proud.
“They have passed through a lot of training during their camping and I am sure they will surpass their previous performance,” he said.
Team Nigeria wrestlers comprises five female, one male freestyle wrestler and three coaches.
The wrestlers are: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, Blessing Oborodudu (68kg), the African champion Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) and Military World Champion, Hannah Reuben (76kg).
Others are the African champions and Olympics debutants, Esther Kolawole (62kg) and Ogunsanya Christinah (53kg) as well as Ashton Mutuwa, who will compete in the men’s freestyle (125kg).
The coaches are Victor Kodei, Purity Akuh and Happiness Burutu.
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