South Sudan savor first-ever FIBA World Cup win

MANILA -- South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey said his team "played with fire" after stunning China to claim their first-ever win at the Basketball World Cup on Monday.

The world's number 62-ranked team scored 15 three-point shots on their way to an 89-69 victory in Manila, keeping their hopes of a second-round place alive in their World Cup debut.

South Sudan became an independent country in 2011 and played their first official international basketball game only six years ago.

But Ivey said their win over world number 27-ranked China was fully deserved, as his players "stuck to the game plan from the opening tip to the closing horn".

"They were resilient, persistent, they had laser-like focus, they followed the game plan and competed at the highest level," he said.

"They played with emotion, they played with fight, they played with fire. We competed all 40 minutes and we came out with the victory."

South Sudan led for most of their opening game at the tournament against Puerto Rico on Saturday before losing 101-96 in overtime.

They also made a strong start against China but they kept their noses in front this time, outscoring their opponents by 10 points in the final quarter.

Carlik Jones, who scored 35 points against Puerto Rico, had 21 against China to lead South Sudan in scoring.

Forward Nuni Omot said the win was "a dream come true".

"To be able to do this in front of our fans, people watching back at home, it's been a very emotional day for everyone, getting our first ever World Cup win," he said.

South Sudan can qualify for the next stage if they beat Serbia in their final group game on Wednesday.

Ivey said his team were "not satisfied" with only one win and vowed to give their all.

"My thing is: no pressure," he said.

"My guys play free, play together, they stay together whether we're up 20 or down 20, we don't flinch.

"We're going to come out there and give it our best shot."

Ivey also paid tribute to Luol Deng, the former NBA player who has masterminded South Sudan's rise in his role as president of the country's basketball federation.

"Luol Deng is the heart and soul of all of this," Ivey said of Deng, who played in the NBA for 15 years before retiring in 2019.

"Without Luol, I wouldn't be sitting here right now.

"He had a great vision, I entrusted in his vision and it all came together."

Agence France-Presse

Lakers down undermanned Clippers

The Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of the Los Angeles Clippers' injury woes as they claimed a 111-102 victory over their neighbors in the final game of the NBA's 2016 Christmas Day schedule.

With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin out due to various injuries, the Lakers were able to snap an 11-game losing streak against the Clippers and improve to 12-22 in the season. The win also ended their four-game slide.

All five starters scored in double digits for the Lakers, with Nick Young and Timofey Mozgov each tallying 19 points. Luol Deng had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Julius Randle flashed his all-around game with 13 points, seven boards, and eight assists.

After trailing by three points, 55-58, at the half, the Lakers used an 11-0 run to open the third quarter to seize control of the game. They wound up outscoring the Clippers, 34-16, in the frame to take an 89-74 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Clippers opened the fourth frame with 11 unanswered points of their own to come to within four, 85-89, with nine minutes left to play, but free throws by Deng and Lou Williams, as well as lay-up by Jordan Clarkson afforded the Lakers some breathing room.

The Lakers restored a double-digit lead when Williams got inside the paint for a lay-up with 3:40 left to make it 103-92, and the Lakers cruised from there.

JJ Redick led the Clippers with 22 points, making four of his seven triples, but had to sit out the final frame due to a sore left hamstring. Jamal Crawford also had 22 points off the bench, while DeAndre Jordan had seven points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.

The Clippers now have a 27-5 win-loss record.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Racist remark about Deng sparked Hawks sale: reports

ATLANTA - A racist comment about African-born British NBA standout Luol Deng made in a conference call reportedly triggered the chain of events that has forced the sale of the Atlanta Hawks.

A day after Hawks owner Bruce Levenson said he was selling the NBA club following racist remarks in an email he sent more than two years ago came to light, several US media outlets reported that a comment about Deng touched off the probe that uncovered the email.

Hawks chief executive Steve Koonin said that in a June conference call to ponder options for free agents to change the roster, general manager Danny Ferry read aloud a racist remark in an analysis of a player.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the player was Deng, who was born in what is now South Sudan.

Deng went on to sign with the Miami Heat as a playmaker to replace LeBron James after the superstar departed for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After the meeting, which took place less than two months after NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned then Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life for making racist remarks, a Hawks co-owner asked for an internal investigation and an Atlanta law firm undertook the task.

In reviewing more than 24,000 documents, the email sent by Levenson was discovered. In it, the Hawks owner makes remarks regarding racial issues about spectators.

In the email, Levenson says he believes "the black crowd scared away the whites and there are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a signficant season-ticket base."

The NBA was notified and began its own probe and Levenson, the team's majority owner since 2004, voluntarily decided to sell the Hawks rather than put the team through the legal wrangling and personal drama that stretched on for months when Sterling fought to keep the Clippers.

The Clippers were sold for $2 billion to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer.

"I couldn't believe it," Koonin told CNN of his reaction to the email. "I had an audible gasp. There's no words to describe... mortified and angry."

Koonin described walking into a Sunday night meeting with Hawks players as "like walking into a funeral. These are young men who wear our city's name and our logo on their chest.

"They are supposed to be supported by their ownership. Ownership failed in supporting them."

The Hawks, whose sale will be handled by the NBA, have reached the playoffs for the past seven seasons, the longest streak of any NBA team in the Eastern Conference.

But the Hawks had the NBA's third-worst attendance last season and also have a home-arena lease that expires in 2018.

They are expected to draw several rich offers, although more likely in the range of the Milwaukee Bucks, who sold earlier this year for $550 million.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls extend winning streak; Grizzlies beat Clippers

Bulls 86, Bobcats 81

Forward Luol Deng scored 21 points, including a clutch three-pointer with 27.1 seconds left, to help the Chicago Bulls hold off the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Bulls held a one-point lead when point guard Derrick Rose fired a cross-court pass to Deng, who drained a long shot near the top of the key to give Chicago an 85-81 lead.

Guard Jimmy Butler added 14 points for the Bulls (6-3), who won their fifth consecutive game.

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Grizzlies 106, Clippers 102

The Memphis Grizzlies hung on for a victory against rival Los Angeles Clippers in the first regular season meeting between the teams.

In a matchup of teams that have battled in the last two playoffs, forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol combined for 49 points and 24 rebounds, and the rugged Grizzlies forced the Clippers into 39.5 percent field-goal shooting.

Los Angeles twice crept within four points of the Grizzlies (6-5) over the final 30 seconds, but Randolph hit two free throws and then broke loose for an uncontested layup to keep the Clippers at arm's length.

Forward Blake Griffin had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers (7-4).

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Trail Blazers 108, Nets 98

The Portland Trail Blazers outscored the Brooklyn Nets 52-35 in the second half in order to overcome their host's best first half of basketball this season on their way to a victory on Monday night.

Despite missing missing center Brook Lopez and guard Deron Williams to injury, Brooklyn (3-7) scored 63 points in the first half on 22-of-44 shooting.

But Portland (9-2) fought back for their seventh straight win behind 27 points from LaMarcus Aldridge and 25 from Wesley Matthews.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls rout previously unbeaten Pacers

CHICAGO - Britain's Luol Deng scored 23 points and Derrick Rose added 20 in his return from injury Saturday to power the Chicago Bulls over previously unbeaten Indiana 110-94.

The Pacers, who fell to 9-1, had been the NBA's last undefeated team and the first club to win so many games to start a season since the Dallas Mavericks in 2002.

But a night after the Pacers ripped Milwaukee, the host Bulls outplayed Indiana from the start, seizing a 31-20 lead after the first quarter and a 60-35 half-time advantage.

Chicago's biggest lead of the night was 33 points before the Bulls, 5-3, benched their stars and left the reserves to finish off their fourth win in a row.

Bulls playmaker Rose, who had not practiced since injuring his right hamstring in a victory Monday over Cleveland, was named a starter shortly before the game and showed he was ready to return with a solid performance, hitting 6-of-11 shots from 3-point range and 7-of-16 overall in 31 minutes on the court.

Roy Hibbert had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pacers, who had seven double-figure scorers.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com