Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against Jarrett Culver during a game on Jan. 13, 2020, in Minneapolis.
Jim Mone/The Associated Press
Pascal Siakam knows how tough it is to grab 20 rebounds in a game.
And so, the Toronto Raptors forward has a ton of respect for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who recorded his first triple-double of his career on Monday with 20 points, 20 boards and 10 assists.
Siakam hauled down 18 boards against New Orleans in Toronto’s regular-season opener in November. And so, his confidence surging, he bet teammate Norman Powell that he could get 15 a game after that.
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“I was feeling myself,” Siakam said with a laugh. “I don’t even know if I got close to that. I stopped the bet, because I was getting two rebounds a game and it was bad.”
Siakam didn’t record double-digit rebounds until six games later, and still hasn’t got 15.
“I just know how hard it is to grab that many rebounds,” Siakam said. “It’s really impressive to be able to do that.”
The Raptors face Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The 21-year-old from Hamilton was the best player on the floor when the two teams met two weeks ago in Toronto, scoring 32 points in the Thunder’s 98-97 victory. It was the most points ever scored by a Canadian against the Raptors.
The 6-foot-5 guard wrote more history in his team’s 117-104 win over Minnesota on Monday. He became the youngest player in league history to record a 20-rebound triple double. He’s the second Canadian to record a triple-double (Steve Nash did it three times) and second Canadian to record a 20-point/20-rebound game behind Jamaal Magloire.
The only other guard to have a 20/20 triple-double in the past 30 seasons is former Thunder star Russell Westbrook. Only three other players registered 20/20 triple-doubles in their sophomore season: Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Oscar Robertson.
His Thunder teammates celebrated his big game. During his live TV postgame interview, teammate Dennis Schroder dumped two bottles of water over his head.
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Gilgeous-Alexander will be a handful for the Raptors on Wednesday, Adrian Griffin said. The young guard is fast, and plays with the versatility and savvy of a veteran.
“It’s very rare, a lot of times for younger guys coming into the NBA, that’s something that you learn [over time]. That’s the Kyle Lowry stuff, 10 to 15 years, and they know all the nuances,” Toronto’s lead assistant said. “He has great ball control, you really can’t speed him up. He plays at his pace and he knows how to slow-to-fast, fast-to-slow, how to use his size and his strength. He has great command of his game for such a young guy.”
The Raptors are expected to have Marc Gasol back on Wednesday. The Spanish big man has missed 12 games with a hamstring injury.
The 34-year-old also had kind words for the Thunder’s Canadian star, saying his growth between his first and second seasons has been remarkable. Part of it comes with greater responsibility. He’s averaging nine more minutes a night than his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“You see it in his body language, his poise. You see his defensive presence. Now you’re seeing his shooting a little bit, too. You get to see the growth,” Gasol said. “Because the player that he was last year, you saw flashes, you saw the potential.
“Now, they increased his usage by quite a lot and the responsibility, and you really see what kind of person you also have. Is he a worker? Does he continue to get better? Does he take it for granted? You start to see all those things being answered when you’re put in the position of responsibility like he is now.”
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Gilgeous-Alexander is one of a number of NBA players who are committed to playing for Canada in its last-chance Olympic qualifying tournament this summer in Victoria.
Gasol was a key member of the Spanish team that won gold at the World Cup last summer in China, and said at the time that he was surprised to see that Canada had just two NBAers – Cory Joseph and Khem Birch – in China.
“Hopefully you guys get them all to play on the international team,” Gasol said after practice on Tuesday. “That’s going to be the key. Because it’s one of the teams with the most potential worldwide. Outside of the U.S., as far as potential goes, I think Canada is right up there with anybody else. So, you’ve just got to get them to play.”
The Raptors are back home to play host to Washington on Friday.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
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.
