With the NBA Playoffs quickly approaching, the NBA restart continues with its busiest seeding game schedule on Sunday.
14 teams are in action with a seven-game slate that features a number of matchups that impact the postseason picture.
From the teams fighting for the West’s final playoff spot to the teams jockeying for position in the standings, here’s how each game has impacted the playoff picture.
Once again, do not count out Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs.
DeMar DeRozan finished with a team-high 27 points (on 10-for-16 shooting) in 33 minutes to lead the Spurs to yet another big win. Rudy Gay finished with 19 off the bench while Dejounte Murray (18), Derrick White (16) and Marco Belinelli (14) made contributions on the offensive end.
The 22-year streak isn’t out of the question just yet.
The Pelicans were led by 31 points off the bench from JJ Redick while Zion Williamson scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds (five offensive). All-Star Brandon Ingram finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists for New Orleans.
What it means: San Antonio moves within one game of the No. 8 seed and currently sits in 11th in the West.
Following the Blazers’ win over the 76ers later in the day, the Pelicans have been officially eliminated from playoff contention.
After a rough showing in a big loss to the Boston Celtics, the Raptors bounced back to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.
Pascal Siakam led the way with his best showing of the NBA restart, finishing with a game-high 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field and 4-for-9 from deep. Norman Powell also had an impressive game with 16 points off the bench.
Toronto has now won 50 games for five straight seasons.
The Grizzlies were led by 25 points from Dillon Brooks while Rookie of the Year finalist Ja Morant finished with a 17-point, 10-assist double-double. Memphis is now 1-5 during the NBA restart with two games remaining.
What it means: Toronto has clinched its sixth Atlantic Division title in seven years as well as the East’s No. 2 seed.
Memphis remains No. 8 in the West, for now, but now only has a one-game cushion over San Antonio and Portland with two games to play.
Without Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel, the Thunder led wire-to-wire as they earned their third win at the NBA’s restart.
Rookie Darius Bazley showed encouraging signs of promise, scoring a career-high 23 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes of action off the bench. Danilo Gallinari added 20 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds and Chris Paul added 13 points, nine assists and six boards of his own in an overall dominant performance from OKC.
It’s about development for the Wizards, who were led by second-year guard Jerome Robinson’s 19 points off the bench. Rookie Rui Hachimura added 11 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes.
What it means: OKC stays in fifth in the West. It holds a half-game over the Utah Jazz in sixth but remains one game behind the Houston Rockets, with their win later in the day.
The Wizards, who are now 0-5 in Orlando, have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
Big games from Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum propelled the Celtics to a narrow win over the Magic in overtime!
Hayward poured in 31 points on 12-for-18 shooting from the field, adding nine rebounds and six assists, while Tatum scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 26 points and 11 rebounds as they dropped their fourth-straight game.
What it means: The Celtics are now locked in the third seed, opening up a 4.0 game lead over the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, the Magic are locked into the eighth seed after the Nets clinched the seventh seed with a win later in the day.
He shot an efficient 16-of-28 from the field, 4-of-12 from the 3-point line and 15-of-16 at the free-throw line as the Blazers move to a 3-3 record in Orlando.
With Joel Embiid exiting the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury, Josh Richardson stepped up on the offensive end for Philly, scoring a season-high 34 points, adding six assists, and five rebounds.
What it means: The Blazers pull to within half a game of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed, in the process, eliminating the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans from playoff contention.
Meanwhile, the 76ers remain in the sixth seed in the East, 1.0 game back of the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat.
Austin Rivers delivered a monster game off the bench against the Kings, recording a career-high 41 points, adding six rebounds, and four assists. He shot the ball at an efficient clip, going 14-of-20 from the field and 6-of-11 from the 3-point line to help the Rockets tighten their grip on the no.4 seed.
James Harden added 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists as they improve to a 4-1 record in the bubble.
What it means: With the win, the Rockets secure the Southwest Division for the third consecutive season and now hold a 1.0 game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder and a 1.5 game lead over the Utah Jazz
The Blazers’ win over the 76ers ended the Kings’ slim playoff chances, extending their postseason drought to 14 years.
The Brooklyn Nets improve to 4-2 in the bubble after an upset win over the LA Clippers.
The Nets led by as many as 21 points, thanks to a huge first-quarter performance where they outscored the Clippers 45-24, led by Caris LeVert and Joe Harris.
LeVert poured in 27 points and 13 assists, while Harris added 25 points (23 in the first half) and Tyler Johnson 21 off the bench.
Kawhi Leonard recorded a game-high 39 points for the Clippers, who fall to a 3-3 record in Orlando, with two seeding games remaining.
What it means: The Nets have officially clinched the no.7 seed in the Eastern Conference, setting up a first-round series with the defending champion Toronto Raptors, while the no.2 seed Clippers now hold just a 1.0 game lead over the Denver Nuggets.
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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.”
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.
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.
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.
