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Celtics spoil Raptors' In-Season Tournament debut with narrow victory – TSN

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TORONTO — It’s all a matter of putting together a complete 48 minutes of good basketball for the Toronto Raptors.

Jaylen Brown scored 23 points, Derrick White scored a late go-ahead three-pointer and the Boston Celtics spoiled Toronto’s In-Season Tournament opener with a 108-105 win on Friday night. The Raptors were outscored 39-17 in the second quarter after a solid first, forcing them to claw their way back in the second half.

“We won in the second half,” Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We did not do a great job, especially in that second quarter, allowing them 39 points. We’ve just got to put it together.

“We had moments playing really solid defence and really solid offence. You’re talking about one of, arguably, the best teams in the league right now and we were able to hold them down to 108 points. I thought our intentions and our focus was on a much higher level in the second half, especially the third quarter.”

Hampering Toronto even more was missing all-star forward Pascal Siakam for the entire second quarter due to foul trouble. Siakam had eight points in the first quarter but picked up three fouls.

“That was a tough, tough one,” Rajakovic said. “He picked up the two fouls early, we had a sub for him to get him out earlier in the first quarter so he could come back and play.

“With three fouls, it would be really, really hard, I was not willing to risk there and get him in a fourth foul … he was huge in the second half for us. I wish he played eight, nine more minutes for us tonight.”

Jayson Tatum contributed 17 points for Boston (10-2), which extended its winning streak to five games and improved to 2-0 in group play and sits atop East Group C.

“I felt like we did a good job tonight, but I thought it was one of our lesser performances,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We’re fortunate enough to come out with a win but we were able to learn a lot and feel a lot of the things that we haven’t felt yet as a team.”

Siakam and Dennis Schroder had 23 points apiece for Toronto (5-7), which donned its new gold and black city edition jerseys, with the court painted black and grey and the NBA Cup logo displayed in three different spots.

Schroder said the game had a post-season feel to it.

“We lost the game but at the end of the day, I think it’s a good thing for the league, for a special, kind of like a playoff game,” Schroder said. “Looking forward to the other ones.”

The Raptors were ahead 24-18 with 3:54 remaining in the first quarter when Siakam was called for a questionable third foul and a coach’s challenge was unsuccessful. However, Toronto closed the frame up 32-26.

Tatum put a bow on the Celtics’ 39-point frame with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Boston a 65-49 edge at halftime.

Jakob Poeltl‘s layup with 2:58 left put the Raptors ahead 77-76 in the third quarter. But the lead was short-lived as the Celtics ended the frame ahead 84-81.

Poeltl’s putback layup with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter gave the Raptors a 103-101 lead. But Kristaps Porzingis immediately tied it for Boston 18 seconds later.

White’s corner three with 26.8 seconds left put the Celtics ahead for good, as Scottie Barnes missed a tying three-point attempt with 11.1 seconds on the clock.

TOURNAMENT PLAY

Each conference is split into three groups of five teams, with each squad playing four games within its group — two at home and two on the road — for an opportunity to move on to the knockout rounds.

Group play began Nov. 3 and ends Nov. 28 across the NBA. Chicago, Brooklyn and Orlando are the other teams in East Group C along with Toronto and Boston.

Eight teams across the league, consisting of the six group leaders and two wild-card teams, will advance for a shot at the NBA Cup. The quarterfinals will be Dec. 4-5 in NBA team markets.

Las Vegas will host the semifinals on Dec. 7 and the championship on Dec. 9. Every game except the championship also counts in the regular-season standings.

UP NEXT

The Raptors close a four-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

The Celtics play the third of a four-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2023.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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