Messi lauds Ronaldo’s goal-scoring power

MADRID — Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi praised archrival Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal-scoring prowess in an interview published Thursday as speculation mounted that the Portuguese international could be picked as World Player of the Year.

A day after picking up a Golden Boot award for scoring 46 league goals last season, more than any other player in Europe, the 26-year-old Messi paid respect to his Real Madrid rival.

“I don’t know if Cristiano Ronaldo is at his peak but he is always there scoring goals in all the games and taking part in his club and national side,” Messi told Spanish sports daily Marca and other European sports journalists.

“He has been doing that for many years and whether he is at his peak or a bit less makes no difference.”

The 28-year-old Ronaldo is emerging as a favorite to pick up this year’s Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player over four-time winner Messi.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick on Tuesday as Portugal qualified for their fourth straight World Cup finals and he tops the Spanish league scoreboard so far this season with 16 goals in 13 matches.

Messi has 11 goals from eight games in the league this season but has been sidelined for up to eight weeks with a muscle tear in his left hamstring muscle, his third leg injury this season.

Messi brushed off comments in the media about his injuries, following some criticism that he should have paced himself better.

“What they say about the injury did not worry me and does not worry me because I am used to people talking and saying many things not only about the injury but about pretty much everything,” he said.




“I am sorry I cannot help my team-mates now but it is an injury that heals normally and I will be back next year keen to get started.”

The Argentine international said there was no chance of his leaving Barcelona despite suggestions that some clubs would be ready to write a blank cheque to sign him.

“My intention is to stay with Barcelona for good,” Messi said.

“I am grateful if what they say is true and there are people interested. It makes you proud that they say such things. But my life is with Barcelona.”

Despite picking up four World Player of the Year awards, three Golden Boots, and with Barcelona a string of Liga, King’s Cup and Champions League victories, Messi said he still dreamed of winning the World Cup with Argentina.

“I have had the fortune of winning all the individual and club awards. Getting the World Cup would be a dream for me, for my team-mates and for a whole country that has not won in a long time,” he said.

Argentina has big hopes, Messi said.

“We aim to arrive in top form to win the World Cup, which is the dream for the whole of Argentina,” he said.

Asked about Argentina’s biggest rivals, Messi said Brazil, Germany and Spain were widely seen as World Cup favorites, “and then there is always a surprise team that appears.”

For the Champions League, Messi said he saw Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as Barcelona’s most serious challengers.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Messi feeling ‘low’ over injury – Pique

MADRID, Spain- Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is feeling down after being sidelined for up to eight weeks with a leg injury, teammate Gerard Pique said in an interview published Thursday.

Pique, who has been struggling himself with a groin strain, said the 26-year-old Argentine international had a serious injury.

“His case is different. He has had several injuries in a row and perhaps that has led him to lose confidence. I haven’t had muscle problems like Leo’s. Touch wood,” Pique told Barcelona-based sports daily Mundo Deportivo.

“He is feeling low but that’s normal. It is a serious injury. His spirits will improve in a matter of days but right now it is logical that he feels a certain psychological fatigue,” the Barcelona defender said.

Asked whether it was possible to speak to Messi about the injury, Pique said: “When you get injured you need some space and that’s the case with Leo who has had several injuries in a row.

“The main thing is that he is at ease. It’s normal that, for example, after leaving the field he goes straight to the bench without saying anything.”

Barcelona announced Monday that Messi would be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a muscle tear in his left hamstring muscle, his third leg injury this season following hamstring and thigh injuries in his right leg.

Messi limped off after just 20 minutes of Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday.

The injury means Barcelona will be without Messi for up to eight matches, including their last two Champions League group games against Ajax and Celtic.

Messi thanked his fans for their support this week and said it was “a pity” that he could not join his Barcelona teammates.

Pique has been struggling with a groin strain in recent weeks and was left out of Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad for the friendlies against Equatorial Guinea and South Africa this month to allow him to recover.

The 26-year-old central defender said he could recover “100 percent” from the injury.

source: sports.inquirer.net

‘Miracle’ needed to reopen Armstrong case: WADA

JOHANNESBURG—Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong needs nothing less than a “miracle” to revisit his lifetime ban from sports after admitting to doping, the world anti-doping body chief said Tuesday.

“I see it as done and dusted and it would take something close to a miracle to see it go forward in his case,” said John Fahey, outgoing president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Armstrong, 42, said in an interview he would cooperate to discover the extent of doping in the sport so long as he’s treated the same as his fellow drug cheats.

Punishment for other cyclists has been less severe after they admitted to doping, while Armstrong was stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles won between 1999 and 2005.

But WADA’s Fahey was unsympathetic after Armstrong had denied for years that he used banned substances.

“He did not cooperate, he did not defend the charges,” Fahey told a news conference at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg.

“There’s been no mood to say ‘I want to give substantial assistance’.”

Any decision to reopen Armstrong’s case would have to come from American anti-doping agency USADA, who banned him in the first place, said Fahey.

Even then, the fallen star would need “a damn good case”, he said.

Brian Cookson, the new president of the UCI, the cycling’s world governing body, has promised to set up an independent commission to find out the full extent of doping within the sport.

“I am confident from what UCI have indicated … that it will happen within weeks rather than within months,” said Fahey.

“There’s some work to be done,” he said about doping in cycling, but “the goodwill appears to be there.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Heat beat Wizards, end rare 2-game slide

MIAMI —LeBron James scored 25 points and Chris Bosh added 24 as Miami beat winless Washington 103-93 on Sunday night to end a rare two-game slide.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 points for Miami, which hasn’t dropped three straight regular-season games since Jan. 10-13, 2012. The Heat (2-2) had 32 assists on 37 field goals, including on all nine of their baskets in the third quarter.

Including playoffs, the Heat are now 100 games over .500 at home since the start of the 2010-11 season — 127-27.


Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards. Marcin Gortat finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for Washington (0-3).

Miami’s last three-game slide was against Boston in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, a series the Heat won in seven games.

In Michigan, Josh Smith and Andre Drummond scored 15 points each as Detroit kept Boston, 87-77, and first-year coach Brad Stevens winless.

The Pistons (2-1) trailed 65-63 early in the fourth quarter but went on a 10-0 run to take the lead for good and win their second home game in as many tries. Drummond added 12 rebounds and Brandon Jennings had 14 points in his Detroit debut.

Rookie Kelly Olynyk scored 15 points and Jordan Crawford added 13 for the Celtics (0-3).

Jennings missed most of the preseason and the first two games because of a fractured jaw caused by a wisdom tooth. Jennings came to Detroit during the offseason in a sign-and-trade deal with Milwaukee.

In Orlando, Florida, Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 12 rebounds as Orlando routed Brooklyn, 107-86, in Jason Kidd’s coaching debut.

Magic rookie Victor Oladipo scored 19 points, 14 in the second half, as Orlando won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 19, 2012. Andrew Nicholson added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic (2-2), who beat New Orleans 110-90 at home last Friday night.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 21 points. Paul Pierce was the only other Net to score in double figures with 16 points and he grabbed seven rebounds. The Nets (1-2), who shot 38.2 percent for the game, and were outscored 66-48 in the second half.

In Oklahoma City,  Kevin Durant had 33 points and 10 rebounds and Russell Westbrook had 21 points and seven assists in his return from a knee injury to bring down Phoenix, 103-96.

Serge Ibaka added nine points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City (2-1), which won its fifth straight home opener and defeated Phoenix (2-1) for the 11th straight time. The Suns last beat Oklahoma City in December 2010.

Westbrook, sidelined for six months after first tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee during the second game of the NBA playoffs, then having a medical setback, returned three to five weeks ahead of the team’s previously announced timetable.

Eric Bledsoe scored 26 points and added a career-best 14 assists for Phoenix, which opened the season with home wins over Portland and Utah. The Suns stayed with Oklahoma City thanks to 14-of-37 3-point shooting, compared to 2 of 18 for the Thunder.

In New York, Kevin Love had 34 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and Kevin Martin scored 30 points as Minnesota improved to 3-0 for the first time in 12 years by beating New York, 109-100.

Minnesota took a huge lead after a 40-point first quarter, then pulled away after the Knicks trimmed it to two in the closing minutes to move halfway to matching the 2001-02 team that set the franchise record by winning its first six.

The Timberwolves, averaging a whopping 37.3 points in the first quarter, are healthy again after an injury-wrecked 2012-13 and showing the early promise of a team that can contend for its first playoff berth since 2004.

Carmelo Anthony had 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Knicks, who have dropped two straight after a season-opening victory and drew some loud boos in the first half while appearing to be standing still on defense.

Anthony shot just 8 of 21. Metta World Peace added 17 points, but the Knicks were too far behind by the time they found any offense.

LAKERS 105, HAWKS 103

In Los Angeles, Xavier Henry scored 18 points and Pau Gasol hit two tiebreaking free throws with 6 seconds remaining for Los Angeles to get past Atlanta, 105-103.

Henry started at forward for the first time as a Laker and the 19th time in 137 NBA games. He was 5 of 11 from the field. Gasol finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Steve Nash had 13 points and six assists and Nick Young added 13 points.

Kyle Korver led Atlanta with 22 points, converting all six 3-point attempts, but he missed a 21-footer from the right baseline as time ran out. Hawks point guard Jeff Teague had 14 points and six assists after missing his first five shots.

Two nights after shooting only 37 percent from the field and blowing a 15-point lead against San Antonio, Los Angeles shot 42.7 percent.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kobe Bryant progressing steadily in recovery for Lakers

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant says he’s making steady progress in his injury recovery, although the Los Angeles Lakers star is likely still weeks away from a return to the court.

Bryant said before Friday’s game with the San Antonio Spurs that he’s running on flat ground and improving the flexibility in his ankle.

Bryant isn’t predicting a return date, but has said he would need about three weeks of conditioning work before returning to practice. He thinks this week counts toward that total.

The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history tore his Achilles tendon in April.

Bryant says he’s spending his time on the shelf mentoring his young teammates, specifically Nick Young, Wes Johnson and Xavier Henry.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Vettel seizes historic world title with Indian Grand Prix domination

GREATER NOIDA — Sebastian Vettel roared into history as Formula One’s youngest four-time champion in superlative style as he dominated the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Pole-sitter Vettel pitted early to change his soft tyres but then sped through the field to win 30 seconds ahead of Mercedes’s Nico Rosberg, with Lotus driver Romain Grosjean third.

The 26-year-old German becomes the youngest man to win four straight titles, with Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher the only other drivers to achieve the feat.

“Unbelievable day,” said the jubilant Vettel over the team radio. “We did it! Yes! Yes!”

Vettel celebrated in uproarious fashion by spinning doughnuts in front of the grandstand. He then stood on top of his Red Bull and saluted the crowd before bowing to his car in mock worship.

Despite team-mate Mark Webber’s retirement with a mechanical problem, Red Bull also sealed their fourth straight constructors’ title in what has become an era of dominance.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who was Vettel’s nearest challenger going into the race but 90 points adrift, managed only 11th place.

Vettel’s sixth win in a row, 10th in 16 races this season and 36th of his career left him poised to shatter more records in the remaining three races in Abu Dhabi, America and Brazil.

If he wins all three, Vettel will equal Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in 2004 and become the only driver to secure nine consecutive victories in a season.

Italian Alberto Ascari drove a Ferrari for nine straight wins, but his run was spread over two seasons in 1952 and 1953.

The German, who won the Indian race in both 2011 and 2012, once again dominated the circuit with record times in all three practice sessions this year and a perfect qualifying round on Saturday.

Vettel, made a quick change to medium tyres after the second lap and dropped to the back of the field, but was he returned to second place by the 21st lap behind Webber.

The German regained the lead in the 30th lap but then saw Webber drop out of the race in the 40th due to gearbox problems.

As Vettel took charge in familiar fashion, his team were taking no chances in the pitlane and at one stage even admonished him for trying to set the fastest lap.

The big turnout at Buddh International Circuit would have pleased the organizers, who hope to return to Formula One in 2015 after being left out of the 2014 calendar.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Key dates in 2013-14 NBA season

LOS ANGELES — Some key dates in the 2013-14 NBA season that starts on Tuesday:

Oct 29: Season openers feature Derrick Rose returning for Chicago against NBA champions Miami

Dec 18: San Antonio and Minnesota square off in Mexico City, first of two regular-season games to be played outside the United States and Canada

Dec 19: Brooklyn Nets host New York Knicks in season’s first battle of the Big Apple

Dec 25: NBA celebrates Christmas with Miami at the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago at Brooklyn, Oklahoma City at the New York Knicks, Houston vs San Antonio, LA Clippers vs Golden State Warriors

Jan 16: Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks play in London

Jan 20: Knicks and Nets continue New York cross-town rivalry on Martin Luther King Jr. day

Jan 26: Heat and Spurs meet for first time since Miami beat San Antonio in 2013 finals

Feb 14: NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans

Feb 19: Dwight Howard returns to LA to face Lakers for first time since departing for Houston

Feb 20: Trade deadline

April 16: Regular season ends

April 19: Playoffs begin

May 20: NBA draft lottery

June 5: NBA Finals begin

June 26: NBA draft

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBron James says he’s still striving to be better

MIAMI — LeBron James was desperate for some time away from basketball, so he packed up his family for a vacation this summer. Sun and sand. Rest and relaxation.

Pen and paper, too.

It didn’t take long until the NBA’s MVP took a break from taking a break.

Considered the best player in the game, James remains obsessed with getting better. That’s why, on the verge of starting his 11th professional season and fourth with the Miami Heat, James fully expects the 2013-14 campaign to be his best one yet. He knows there’s no shortage of challengers aiming to knock both him and his team off their respective mountaintops.

“I’m nitpicking now, obviously, at my own game,” James said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I want that. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to continue to push the envelope and get to a point where I feel like I’m trying to master everything. Now, I can’t be the greatest at everything. There’s better rebounders than me. There’s better passers than me. There’s better scorers than me. But I want to be able to maximize my potential in everything I do.”

So that’s why, when he finally got some down time this summer – after the season and before his wedding to Savannah Brinson – James didn’t allow himself to totally step away from the game.

Even while on vacation, and with a notepad at his side, James broke down every Heat playoff game, every moment of postseason matchup last season against Milwaukee, Chicago, Indiana and San Antonio.

When he saw something that wasn’t just right, he wrote it down to further analyze later.

“I push myself,” James said. “There are ways I can get better. I would write down the exact time, the exact play, the exact quarter, the plays where I could have did something better.”

At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, a marriage of size and speed that many covet, the reality is that James probably is not going to get much better physically. His shooting has improved. He’s talked plenty in recent months about becoming a better free-throw shooter. His post game has been reinvented. His defense is exceptional.

Where James is getting better, those around him say, is in the thinking department.

“Some skills may get sharper, but where his growth is going to take off for the next 10 years is mentally,” Heat forward Shane Battier said.

“He’s talking about situations now that he wasn’t talking about two years ago when I first got here and understanding how to best beat those situations. Everyone always lauds his basketball IQ, but his experience is now really coming through.”

Four MVP awards. Two championships. Two Finals MVPs. By the end of this season – after which he could choose to be a free agent again, though he swears that he doesn’t know what will happen next summer – he could be among the top 25 scorers in NBA history. Based on jersey sales, there’s no more popular basketball player on the planet, something few would have imagined after all the scorn directed his way when he chose to sign with Miami. And he’s not even 30 yet.

“He’s a special dude,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s always going to continue to stay in a state of uncomfortableness. This summer was a busy summer for him and yet he always finds time to get his work in, his conditioning. He wants to add different elements.”

One thing he added this summer was a diamond-crusted wedding band.

James’ wedding finally happened in September, and out of respect to the couple, guests still are leery to talk about many specifics of that night at a San Diego resort. James thought San Diego would be the ideal spot after holding some youth camps there and seeing how the weather, almost without fail, is perfect.

“The best part of the wedding was probably after the wedding,” James said. “It turned into a party.

Basically, that’s all it was. It wasn’t nothing but a big old party. We gave each other our rings and after that it turned into a big old party with all my friends and family. That’s all.”

On Tuesday night, he gets another ring, his second NBA title ring.

And he insists that he’ll do whatever it takes for this season to end with another party.

“The man above has given me God-given ability and talent, obviously,” James said. “I want to take full advantage of it.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

UFC: Mark Muñoz takes on Lyoto Machida in England

MANILA, Philippines — Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Muñoz will face Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at the main event of UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester, England on Saturday, October 26 (Sunday in Manila).

Muñoz (13-3) was originally scheduled to fight England’s Michael Bisping (24-5) who had to beg off due to an eye injury.

Machida (19-4), the former light heavyweight champion, will be making his middleweight debut in the said bout which will take place at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester.

Muñoz was born in a US military base in Japan to Rodolfo Muñoz of Pasay City and Imelda Kenery of Santa Ana, Manila.

The family relocated to Vallejo, California, in 1980, when Mark was two years old. He had his first MMA fight in July 17, 2007.

“LET’S DO THIS! Kaya natin to Pinas! War UK!” Muñoz said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wade’s 25 points lift Heat over Spurs, 121-96

MIAMI—LeBron James spent most of the night sitting with fans, Ray Allen didn’t re-enact his famous shot and the Larry O’Brien Trophy was nowhere to be found.

It was an NBA Finals rematch in name only, though once again, it was the Miami Heat coming out on top.

Dwyane Wade scored 25 points in 26 minutes, James Jones added 18 and the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 121-96 in a preseason game Saturday night.

Wade made 10 of 14 shots, plus added seven assists and four rebounds for the Heat, who were without reigning league MVP James and Ray Allen for the matchup of last season’s NBA finalists.

“I don’t know how I look,” Wade said. “I’m getting better every day. But I’m not where I want to be. When the season starts I won’t be where I want to be. But as the season goes on, I’ll get stronger and stronger and better.”

Chris Bosh finished with 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting for Miami. Bosh is shooting 61 percent in the preseason, averaging 17 points in six games.

Kawhi Leonard scored 17 for the Spurs, while Marco Belinelli added 15 and Manu Ginobili scored 13.

Michael Beasley scored 12 and Norris Cole added 10 for Miami, which led by as many as 32 and never trailed.

“Both teams are trying to prepare for the regular season,” Wade said. “I’m sure it wasn’t a joy for them to come back to Miami in the preseason.”

The Heat were without James, who decided to rest, and Allen – whose 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation of Game 6 of the title series saved Miami and essentially ripped the trophy from San Antonio’s grasp. The Spurs hardly went with what could be called a regular-season rotation: Tony Parker logged no points, rebounds or assists in 18 minutes, and Tim Duncan scored nine points in 21 minutes.

“Haven’t thought about it at all,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich deadpanned, when asked if being back in Miami churned up painful memories. “Are you serious? I think about it every day.”

That can’t be surprising.

Popovich confessed he recently dreamt of James and his MVP-level play during that seven-game series, and that it doesn’t take much for his thoughts to drift back to Allen’s 3-pointer or the missed opportunities – free throws that bounced off the rim, rebounds that weren’t corralled – that probably would have wrapped up a fifth title for the Spurs.

For 13 hours last month, Popovich relived all the pain of the last two finals games as part of his preparations for this season.

“We have a practice, we’ve done it every year I’ve been there, we take the coaches on a retreat in September and we watch film for four days,” Popovich said. “And we begin with whatever team we ended with the year before, whether the first round or the finals or you won or you lost or whatever, and we go through that tape. So we took seven hours and went through Game 6, we took six hours and went through Game 7.”

At least this time, James did nothing that would keep Popovich up at night. He was in warmups and sitting on the baseline near the Heat bench, fans on either side of him.

But James does understand where Popovich is coming from. He long lamented what happened in his first finals experience against San Antonio – the one in 2007 when the Spurs swept Cleveland.

And that outcome wasn’t the down-to-the-wire, excruciating-type of loss the Spurs had to deal with.

“I’m right with him,” James said, when told of Popovich’s regular reflection upon last season’s series. “I think about it a lot, man. One play here, one second there, it changes the whole format of the games. I think about it almost every day, too.”

The Heat played again without Rashard Lewis, who remains away from the team while tending to a personal matter. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team expects Lewis back in the coming days.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Del Potro warns he’s hitting the heights

SHANGHAI – Juan Martin del Potro said he was playing even better than when he won the 2009 US Open after pushing Novak Djokovic to the limit in a gripping Shanghai Masters final.

The towering Argentine won this month’s Japan Open and beat world number one Rafael Nadal in the Shanghai semi-finals, before coming up just short in a third-set tie-breaker with Djokovic.

But the six-foot-six inch (1.98 meter) del Potro has shown he is primed for another assault on the majors with three titles this year and two appearances in Masters finals.

“I think I’m playing even better than many years ago,” the 25-year-old world number five told reporters in Shanghai.

“I couldn’t win a Grand Slam like I did in 2009 but I have reached finals in the Masters. I have already won three tournaments. I beat the top guys, which is fantastic for me,” he added.

“I think I’m playing even better than 2009 or 2008 or last year. That’s important. That’s a good thing for the future. I still have the same goal, which is getting closer to the top guys. If I keep working like this, I hope I can be there one day.”

Before Tokyo, del Potro won in Rotterdam and Washington this year and lost the Indian Wells Masters final to Nadal. He beat world David Ferrer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals before losing to Djokovic in the semis.

In Shanghai, the stunning 6-2, 6-4 victory over Nadal – handing the Spaniard only his fifth defeat this year – qualified del Potro for the World Tour Finals in London.

He said he was still not quite in the same league as the quartet known as tennis’s ‘Big Four’: Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Swiss great Roger Federer.

But del Potro, the only man other than that exalted quartet to win a Grand Slam title since 2005, is quietly confident that he is not far away from their level.

“I think they are still the favourites for each tournament,” he said. “But I believe in myself. I’m very confident. I’m very pleased with my level. I’m very honest with myself.

“I think if I’m healthy and if I play like today or yesterday I will have the chance to play in good battles like we did today.”

Speaking after his sobering semi-final defeat, Nadal said that del Potro was one of the “biggest candidates” to win another Grand Slam.

Djokovic said there was no doubt about the Argentine’s quality, but his biggest problem was his sheer size and staying injury-free in their high-impact sport.

“Since his first Grand Slam title in 2009, we all knew has the calibre to be a top tennis player and always a contender to win any Grand Slam he plays,” said the world number two.

“With his serve and his game, for his height, he moves extremely well. He uses the court very good. He has a very good anticipation. He’s mentally really strong.

“So he has the potential, there’s no question about it. Now, for somebody his height, I think it’s two or three times more physical effort to overcome these kind of matches.

“That’s I think the biggest obstacle he has, to be able to stay fit throughout the whole year.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Jeremy Lin charms Taiwan fans in preseason game

TAIPEI — Asian-American NBA star Jeremy Lin and teammate James Harden joined hands Sunday to help the Houston Rockets beat the Indiana Pacers 107-98 in an NBA preseason game held in Taipei, Lin’s ancestral home.

As a point guard, Lin scored 17 points in his 34-minute play while center Harden contributed 21 points in a game that drew a sell-out crowd of more than 13,000 fans at the Taipei Arena stadium.

When Lin had to quit just a few minutes before the close of the game, local fans gave him a thundering applause.

“I’m happy with the result. After all, we won. Playing (basketball) here is crazy. Fans are noisy and passionate,” Lin said in Mandarin Chinese at a press conference.

Houston coach Kevin McHale added: “The atmosphere was unbelievable. Yes, it was definitely Jeremy Lin’s home court. He played very well.”

“The last week to 10 days he’s been very, very good in our games and our practices. I think he’s really comfortable with who he is. He’s in a good state of mind”, McHale said.

The 25-year-old, whose parents are Taiwanese, has become a sporting hero on the island since he shot to stardom in the NBA with the New York Knicks early last year, sparking a global following known as “Linsanity.”

Lin, who was later traded to Houston, had a mixed performance in his first full NBA season that saw the Rockets eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

McHale said he could understand the tremendous pressure on Lin after he swiftly rose to his fame and emerged as the basketball icon in Asia and elsewhere in the world.

“He is a great young man, he worked out very hard this summer,” McHale said, in his reference to Lin’s step-up training, including in shooting where he has sometimes struggled, after his first full-year with NBA.

NBA commissioner David Stern on Saturday hailed Lin’s success as a “true milestone,” saying Lin had been “adopted by all countries in Asia as their very own” after the two NBA team’s successful exhibition game in Manila last week.

At Sunday’s game, Paul George led the Pacers with 19 points followed by 17 points of George Hill.

Among those watching Sunday’s game in Taipei were Terry Gou, founder of Taiwan’s tech giant Hon Hai Precision and Chinese basketball icon Yao Ming, a former Rockets center.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Houston Rockets trounce Pacers

Midway through the fourth period, Omri Casspi rescued a miss with a wild tap that turned into an extra possession for the Houston Rockets. There was a drive by Jeremy Lin, there was an extra pass after an extra pass and then Casspi capped the fun sequence with a three-point play that got a lot of love from his bench.

If that was any indication at all, this could be how the Rockets will look once the season rolls along: Deeper than last season, fast and quite enjoyable to watch.

Houston started hot and stumped the Indiana Pacers with a lot of pace en route to a 116-96 victory last night in the NBA Global Games preseason match at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Rockets scored the first 12 points of the game—within the first three minutes of the opening period—and never allowed the Pacers to get any rally going to notch the victory.

“We wanted to get out to a good start,” said Rockets coach Kevin McHale. “We set some defensive goals and the first unit gave us a strong start defensively.”

The game had preseason written all over it. Both teams were far from the forms their coaches want them to be once the regular season rolls around. But there was still enough action to excite the crowd.

Fans cheered a dunk by Dwight Howard, the newly acquired Rockets center, and strong scoring finishes by Houston star James Harden. They roared when Jeremy Lin did anything at all and reserved a lot of cheers for forward Chandler Parsons, who became a crowd favorite after rumors that he went out with a popular Filipino actress.

Indiana had its share of supporters also. Paul George worked up the crowd with back-to-back treys to fuel a strong Indiana reply late in the first quarter. Danny Granger, who spent last season on the injury list, got a lot of cheers when he checked in as a sub.

But as the Rockets started to pull away, there was little reason for Pacers fans to applaud.

“Tough loss,” said Indiana coach Frank Vogel. “Houston had a lot of speed. It’s early in the season and our guys are still struggling in transition.”

Mostly, that Indiana transition defense struggled because the offense allowed Houston to run a lot.

“Our defense was phenomenal,” said Harden “We got stops, [forced] turnovers and that allowed us to get easy points.”

Vogel, though, did see something he liked: With a little more time, George and Granger could wreak havoc this season.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA looks to alter finals format—report

NEW YORK CITY —The NBA competition committee has voted to recommend the club owners change the NBA finals schedule, a move that could come as soon as next year, ESPN reported on Sunday.

Citing unnamed sources, ESPN’s website reported that the owners are expected to return to the 2-2-1-1-1 format for hosting games in the best-of-seven championship series, scrapping the 2-3-2 format used since 1985.

The switch is expected to be adopted at the next NBA owners meeting in October and could be used for next June’s finals of the upcoming campaign.

Supporters of the move say the current format diminishes some of the edge for the higher seed, although it does ease travel issues for teams.

The Miami Heat won a second NBA in a row last June by capturing games six and seven at home, but were only the fourth club in 29 years to achieve that distinction.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Raonic beats Berdych to Thailand Open title

BANGKOK — Canadian Milos Raonic used his thumping serve to ace his way to victory over top seed Tomas Berdych Sunday, with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win at the Thailand Open.

Third seed Raonic took full advantage of his big serve to beat his Czech opponent, firing 18 aces — his last to set up a pair of match points.

After winning the first set in a tiebreaker, the Canadian tightened his grip in the second to earn the fifth title of his career.



The trophy, his second of the season, will help the 11th-ranked Canadian as he bids for a place in the eight-man season-ending championships in November in London.

Raonic beat Berdych, who is ranked 6th in the world, at their last meeting in Cincinnati in 2012.

Berdych remains the only member of the ranking top 10 without a title in 2013.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather dominates Alvarez for easy decision win

LAS VEGAS — Canelo Alvarez proved nothing more than easy money for Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather turned one of the richest fights ever into just another $41.5 million payday Saturday night, dominating Alvarez from the opening bell and winning a majority decision in a masterful performance that left no doubt who the best fighter of his era is.

Fighting off his shortest layoff in years, Mayweather was sharp, efficient and sometimes brutal in dismantling an unbeaten fighter who was bigger and was supposed to punch harder. He frustrated Alvarez early, pounded him with big right hands in the middle rounds, and made him look just like he said he would — like any other opponent.

Mayweather was favored 117-111 and 116-112 on two ringside scorecards while a third had the fight 114-114. The Associated Press scored it 119-109 for Mayweather.

“I just listened to my corner, listened to my dad,” Mayweather said. “My dad had a brilliant game plan, and I went out there and got the job done.”

Mayweather remained unbeaten in 45 fights and added another piece of the junior middleweight title to his collection in a fight that was fought at a 152-pound limit. Alvarez weighed in at that weight, but was an unofficial 165 pounds when he got into the ring while Mayweather, who weighed in at 150 1/2 pounds, was an even 150.

Mayweather’s speed was the difference all night as he was able to land straight rights and left jabs, then get out of the way before Alvarez was able to respond. But while Mayweather used great defense, he wasn’t afraid to attack often and at different angles, finding Alvarez with punches he couldn’t anticipate.

“He’s very talented, very elusive,” Alvarez said.

When it was over, Mayweather didn’t even celebrate, walking over to a corner to look at the crowd. Just another payday, just another win for Money May. The only suspense came when it was announced the decision wasn’t unanimous.

“I can’t control what the judges do,” Mayweather said.

Alvarez was supposed to be Mayweather’s greatest challenge and he did his best to force the action. Like others, though, he couldn’t solve the puzzle that is Mayweather and spent much of his night punching at an opponent who had already moved away from him.

“I didn’t know how to get him, it’s extremely simple,” Alvarez said. “He’s a great fighter, very intelligent. The frustration was getting in there, but he’s a great fighter. We tried to catch him.”

The sellout crowd at the MGM Grand tried its best to urge Alvarez on, but the cheers of “Canelo! Canelo!” were faint and wistful by the late rounds. Mayweather was so much in charge that the only question was whether the ringside judges would allow him to pitch a shutout.

Mayweather came out aggressive and used his speed to hit Alvarez with one or two shots in the early rounds and then get safely out of the way. Alvarez tried to stalk Mayweather and throw right hands, but Mayweather was usually safely out of the way by the time the punches arrived.

“He’s a tough competitor,” Mayweather said. “A tough competitor.”

Alvarez kept trying to force the fight, but every time he went after Mayweather he paid for it with a counter right or a combination to the head. By the fourth round he was beginning to get frustrated, landing a low blow that angered Mayweather, who was further angered when Alvarez refused to touch gloves with him to resume the fight.

The fight was one of the richest ever — if not the richest ever — with a live gate of $20 million and at least another $100 million from pay-per-view. Tickets were so hot that celebrities were actually offering to buy them and some tickets were being offered online for as much as $29,000.

Mayweather was the big beneficiary of that, making a guaranteed $41.5 million to $5 million for Alvarez. Add in his purse from his win over Robert Guererro in May and Mayweather made $73 million in two fights — easily making him the highest-paid athlete in the country.

Alvarez had some star power himself, with his red hair, good lucks and big punching power winning over most of his native Mexico. The fight was on free TV in Mexico, and some estimates were that 70 million people would watch.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather weighs in 1.5 pounds lighter than Alvarez

LOS ANGELES — Floyd Mayweather, who is fighting twice in the same calendar year for the first time since 2007, weighed in at 1.5 pounds lighter than Mexican star Saul Alvarez.

The boisterous crowd of about 12,000 that squeezed into the MGM arena cheered loudly Friday when Alvarez tipped the scales right on the catch weight of 152 pounds (68.9 kilograms) one day ahead of their 12-round world championship bout for the 154-pound title held by the Mexican boxer.

The world’s highest paid athlete Mayweather will put his perfect record on the line when he squares off against Alvarez in a showdown between the two undefeated boxers.

“My job is to go out there and keep my composure and be the same Floyd Mayweather,” he said at the weigh in. “I can’t wait to get out there and go to work.”

The 36-year-old Mayweather weighed in at 150.5 pounds — just under the mutually decided catch weight of 152 pounds.

Alvarez (42-0-1) hasn’t weighed 152 or less for a fight since 2011, while Mayweather has fought above 147 just twice — for the Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto wins.

Alvarez said on Wednesday he was sparring at 155 pounds but feels comfortable moving down in weight to fight Mayweather.

Saturday’s fight has generated huge interest, especially in Mexico where the 23-year-old Alvarez is considered one of their biggest sporting heroes.

The fight with Alvarez is the second in Mayweather’s six-bout, 30-month contract with American cable network Showtime that could pay him more than $200 million.

After Mayweather beat Robert Guerrero in May, he said he wanted to fight again in September.

Mayweather’s guaranteed purse for the Alvarez fight is reported to be a record $41 million, which would surpass the previous record of $32 million he received for fighting Guerrero.

Organizers are also hoping that this fight will eclipse two million pay-per-view sales. Mayweather will also get a cut of the pay-per-view money on top of his purse.

The last time Mayweather stopped an opponent inside the distance was two years ago, when Victor Ortiz lowered both his hands and was looking at the referee. Mayweather seized the moment and hit Ortiz with a combination of fight-ending punches.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Suns trade Scola to Pacers in 3-player deal

PHOENIX  — The Indiana Pacers have bolstered their front-line depth with the acquisition of Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns.

The Pacers sent forward Gerald Green, center Miles Plumlee and a lottery-protected first-round draft pick to the rebuilding Suns.

Scola, a 6-foot-9 forward from Argentina, played his first five NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets before coming to Phoenix a year ago when the Suns submitted the winning bid under the league’s amnesty rule. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns, averaging 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. It was the fifth time in his career that he’s played in all games.

Scola, who has averaged 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in his career, joins a team that figures to contend in the Eastern Conference after he toiled for a season with a Suns squad that compiled the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst in the franchise’s history.

The 6-foot-8 Green has played for six teams since coming to the NBA in 2005. Signed as a free agent by Indiana in 2012, he appeared in 60 games, averaging seven points per contest. The 6-11 Plumlee was selected in the first round by the Pacers out of Duke last year, the 26th selection overall, but appeared in only 14 games for the deep, talented Indiana squad.

Not surprisingly, Scola said he was “very, very excited to play for the Pacers.”

“They are one of the top three teams in the NBA with a good shot to win a championship,” Scola said in a Pacers news release announcing the Saturday trade. “I think it’s a great team and this is a great opportunity. I can’t wait.”

Hall of Famer Larry Bird, the Pacers’ president of basketball operations, said Scola adds veteran experience to the Indiana bench.

“He has NBA experience, international experience and is the type of player that will fit nicely on our roster,” Bird said.

Since returning to the Pacers in late June after taking a leave of absence for health reasons, Bird has re-signed power forward David West, then spent most of his time strengthening the Pacers bench.

When free agency opened, he convinced point guard C.J. Watson to sign. He also has signed backup swingman Chris Copeland and point guard Donald Sloan, and now he’s added a solid scorer to back up West. Bird also selected Arizona forward Solomon Hill in the draft.

He’s been able to make the moves without going over the NBA’s luxury tax threshold – something Bird has said he will not do.

The price for Scola wasn’t particularly high, from Indiana’s perspective.

Pacers fans have grumbled constantly about the lack of productivity from Green, who still has two years and $7 million left on the free agent deal he signed last season, and Plumlee spent much of his rookie playing time with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League.

Bird believes that a better bench will help the Pacers continue to make deep runs in the playoffs, and possibly even get past two-time NBA champion Miami in the Eastern Conference. The Heat beat Indiana 4-2 in the second round of the 2012 playoffs and needed to win Game 7 to finally fend off Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals this year.

New Suns general manager Ryan McDonough called Plumlee “one of the best players” in this year’s Summer League, where the big center averaged 10 points, 9.5 rebounds and three blocked shots. McDonough also said that Green will add athleticism and scoring ability to what is designed to be an up-tempo style under new Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek.

Phoenix is undergoing a roster overhaul in what could be a lengthy rebuilding process.

“The trade is consistent with our stated plan to continue to acquire young assets,” said Lon Babby, the Suns’ president of basketball operations. “With this trade, we now have the potential of three first-round picks in the 2014 draft and five first-round picks in the next two drafts.”

Plumlee gives the team a second young center. Phoenix used the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft to select Maryland’s Alex Len, a 7-foot Ukrainian who is recovering from right ankle surgery.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Moyes reiterates Wayne Rooney not for sale

SYDNEY  — Manchester United manager David Moyes reiterated on Friday that he has no plans to sell Wayne Rooney despite Premier League rival Chelsea continuing its pursuit of the England striker.

United formally rejected an ambitious Chelsea bid for Rooney this week and Moyes has made it clear he wants Rooney among the striking options for his first season in charge of the 20-time English champions.

New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho appears desperate to land the forward and new deal is expected to be tabled soon.

“The club’s position has not changed,” Moyes said Friday of United’s determination that Rooney play out the remaining two years of his contract.

The 27-year-old Rooney has pushed for a move from United since expressing frustration about his lack of playing time.

He is not with the club on the Australian leg of its Asia Pacific tour after aggravating a hamstring injury in Bangkok last week.

Speaking at a media conference on the eve of United’s pre-season friendly against an A-League All Stars team, Moyes said rather than shedding players the league champions are looking at more signings, promising news in the next 24 hours on the possible recruitment of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

“The chief executive is dealing with it. Hopefully know more in the next few days,” he said.

Moyes is yet to sign any new first-team players since taking over from Alex Ferguson in May, much to the concern of United fans.

”As far as players we are looking to bring in are concerned, we are working hard to do that,” Moyes said.

”We are trying very hard to make some additions. … hopefully there will be some good news in the not too distant future.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Red Bull’s Vettel wins German Grand Prix

NURBURGRING — Sebastian Vettel finally won a race on his home soil on Sunday when he survived spells of intense pressure to steer his Red Bull to victory in the German Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old German, who also had never won a race in the month of July, came home narrowly ahead of fast-closing Finn Kimi Raikkonen and his Lotus team-mate Romain Grosjean of France.

Vettel’s win was his fourth this year and the 30th of his career and it lifted him 36 points clear of nearest rival, Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, in the drivers’ championship.

Alonso came home fourth ahead of Britons Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Jenson Button of McLaren with Australian Mark Webber seventh in the second Red Bull.

Mexican Sergio Perez finished eighth for McLaren ahead of Germans Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes and Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber.

Vettel became the first German to win a German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in the history of the Formula One world championship.

After the drama of four exploding tyre blowouts in last Sunday’s British Grand Prix, the race was run without similar incidents other than when an errant wheel flew off Webber’s car during a pit-stop and struck a TV cameraman in the back.

He was taken to the circuit medical center, but later said to be bruised and shocked, but not seriously injured.

source: sports.inquirer.net