Jamal Murray led the charge with some big buckets down the stretch as he finished with 28 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, while Nikola Jokic added 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Their star duo had it going from the jump, but it was the contributions from the supporting cast that made the difference, with Jerami Grant recording a playoff career-high 26 points!
LeBron James led the Lakers with his 26th playoff career triple-double – 30 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Davis added 27 points on the night.
If you missed any of the action we had you covered with live updates, highlights and more from this contest.
– The Nuggets hold off the Lakers’ comeback to get their first win of the series to make it 2-1. Jamal Murray scored 10 points in the fourth to seal the W, including the dagger from 3.
– Make that a 14-2 Laker run and it’s just an eight-point game. The Lakers are getting it done on the defensive end, forcing four quick turnovers. We’ve got a big finish coming up with 7:38 remaining in the game.
– Davis, James, and Kuzma power the Lakers to a 10-2 run as they cut the lead to 12 points with 8:43 remaining. Can they pull off the comeback?
– Jamal Murray is in his bag. He’s closing in on a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
– After the Lakers started the quarter in rhythm, the Nuggets absorbed the punches and hit back thanks to Murray and Jerami Grant to make it an 18-point lead heading into the fourth.
– Grant’s got a playoff career-high 21 points off 6-of-9 shooting with 12 coming in the third period alone.
– A late triple from Markieff Morris helps the Lakers cut the lead down to 10 points heading into the break, but the Nuggets are firing on all cylinders, winning the period 34-26.
– This is their first half-time lead in their last seven games!
– Anthony Davis leads the Lakers with a game-high 16 points, while LeBron is setting up another playoff triple-double with 10 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.
– Morris and Murray have 12 points apiece, while Jokic leads the way with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists, hitting some tough shots along the way.
– The Lakers have trimmed the deficit to 14 points, behind nine straight points from Anthony Davis. He’s 3-of-3 from the field in the quarter, while the rest of the Lakers are a combined 2-of-12.
– Monte Morris heads to the bench with 12 points after giving the Nuggets a huge spark alongside MPJ.
– Porter Jr. and Monte Morris are giving the Nuggets a huge boost of scoring off the bench, but the biggest difference-maker so far has been their work on the glass. They’re winning the rebounding battle 18-8. Jokic has 5 and MPJ 4 (5:19).
– Denver is piling up the points, extending the run to 15-2 to start the period, connecting on 11 of their last 13 field goals. Timeout Lakers (8:53).
They’re getting plenty of transition opportunities thanks to their defence forcing seven Laker turnovers which they’re converted into 12 points.
– The Nuggets race out on a 7-0 run early in the second with Michael Porter Jr, getting five quick points.
– A back and forth opening quarter to start Game 3 as the Nuggets take a two-point lead into the break.
– Denver has shot 60% from the field in the opening 12 minutes, led by 11 points from Jokic on 5-of-7 shooting. The Lakers aren’t far back, shooting 55% from the field. Anthony Davis leads the way with seven points and LeBron six.
– Nikola Jokic is catching the Lakers early in the shot clock. He’s started the game 4-of-6 from the field for his eight points and four rebounds (1:56)
– LeBron’s in attack mode, getting the left-hand finish at the rim to go. Lakers lead 16-14 (5:17)
– The Nuggets are moving the ball early and playing with a much faster pace as they look to work the Murray-Jokic high- pick-and-roll. Murray is doing a great job running off screens and getting free for 3-point attempts.
Grant gets the triple to go in the corner. He’s got five early points for Denver.
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.
