A driver lost control during a Texas drag racing event on an airport runway on Saturday, slamming into a crowd of spectators, killing two children and injuring eight other people, authorities said. A six-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy were killed in the crash at the Airport Race Wars Two event at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, police said in a news release. The organized event was attended by thousands and involved drivers speeding down a runway as they competed for cash. The driver “lost control and left the runway, crashing into parked vehicles and striking spectators who were observing the races,” Kerville police said. The injured victims were taken to hospital, including a 46-year-old woman who was listed in a critical condition. The majority of the other injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, although the condition of a 26-year-old man was unknown, the authorities said. A four-year-old boy and a three-month-old girl were taken to hospital for evaluations as a precaution. Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the two children who were killed at the event about 97km northwest of San Antonio. The Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Web site promoted the event as an “action packed, family-friendly day” in which spectators could watch the “fastest drag cars compete for over US$8000 in total prizes.” More than 3,500 people were in attendance, said Louis Amestoy, a freelance journalist who attended the event. The race was 0.2km long, and water-filled plastic barriers lined the course, but Amestoy said that they did not extend past the finish line, leaving no protection between spectators and cars as they were slowing down at the end of the race. The spectators could get within about 5m of the track and many watched the race from lawn chairs in the absence of stands. The driver was nearing the end of the strip when the car
New Zealand coach Ian Foster likes the improvement that he saw in the All Blacks in routing the US, but knows an upcoming four-week European tour is a much greater challenge. The All Blacks on Saturday humbled the Eagles 104-14 in Washington to begin a stretch of five matches in as many weeks that continues on Saturday at Wales, with stops to follow in Italy, Ireland and France. The Kiwis were coming off a loss to South Africa three weeks ago in Australia, which denied them an unbeaten run in the Rugby Championship. “We went into the game with some specific targets,” Foster said. “There were clearly one or two things we wanted to work on. I felt our handling, our support, some of our passing, went up a step from the Rugby Championship.” Foster said he was pleased with young talent that received a long look in the lopsided rout and, without naming names, indicated that three or four players had made a case for inclusion on the field in Europe. “There were some players who showed they wanted to play,” he said. Foster said he was unhappy at some of the high-risk passes that worked their way into the All Blacks attack as the score become more lopsided. “A brief looseness crept into our game,” Foster said. “Looks like we watched too much NBA this week.” “As the result got sorted early, we got the desire to express ourselves,” he said. “Overall, we showed enough composure. There were enough clips for the review to make it exciting.” All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie, who managed one of New Zealand’s 16 tries, said the victory would bring a boost, even though players realize tougher opposition awaits in Europe. “We showed some really great rugby over the 80 minutes,” he said. “Moving forward, we will be meeting some really tough opposition,” McKenzie
Ecuadoran Olympic sprinter Alex Quinonez was shot dead in the port city of Guayaquil, authorities have said, sparking an outpouring of grief in a country struggling to contain a surge in violence. Quinonez, 32, and another person were found dead close to midnight on Friday, police said. Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso promised to bring the sprinter’s killers to justice. “Those who take the lives of Ecuadoreans will not remain unpunished. We will act with force,” Lasso wrote on Twitter. The provincial governor likewise pledged accountability for the murders. “No one will rest until @PoliciaEcuador captures the culprits. We are facing a war against drug gangs that intend to subdue us,” Guayas Governor Pablo Arosemena said on Twitter. The country’s sports ministry confirmed Quinonez’s killing on Twitter, paying tribute to the “greatest sprinter this country produced.” “We have lost a great sportsman, someone who allowed us to dream, who moved us,” the ministry said. Quinonez held Ecuador’s record for 200m with a time of 19.87 seconds. He was a finalist in the 2012 London Games, achieving seventh place after competing in the semi-finals in the lane next to Usain Bolt, the fastest sprinter in history. The Ecuadoran Olympic Committee said that the death of Quinonez “leaves us with profound pain” and that his “legacy will forever stay in our hearts.” The sprinter’s body was due to return to his hometown of Esmeraldas on Saturday night. A tribute yesterday was to see the athlete’s coffin placed in a burning chapel in a soccer stadium in the town, the sports ministry said. Quinonez’s killing comes as violence has spiked dramatically in Ecuador in the past few months. From January to this month, the country registered almost 1,900 homicides, compared with about 1,400 in the whole of last year, the government said.
Disabled Brazilian skateboarders got together on Saturday at Brazil’s first Paraskate Tour event where, buoyed by the success of skateboarding at the Tokyo Games in July, they worked toward inclusion in the Paralympics as soon as possible. “Paraskate won’t be in Paris [in 2024]. We’re running to see if we can make it to Los Angeles [in 2028], but my hope is that Paraskate will be included in Australia in 2032,” said Eduardo Musa, president of the Brazilian Skateboarding Confederation. His hopes are backed by the disabled skateboarders who delighted virtual spectators with a range of daring maneuvers at the Corinthians Skate Park in Sao Paulo. “Skateboarding is a very fantastic sport because everyone can practice in their own way, everyone has their own style,” said Vinicius Sardi, a 24-year-old skater who was one of those behind Saturday’s event, the first of three that are to be held this year. “It doesn’t matter if the guy has one leg or no legs, he’s skating — and that’s skateboarding. Skateboarding is about having a good time,” Sardi added. The event was transmitted live, but without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but blind skater Fernando Araujo agreed. “Skateboarding, being on top of this board, for me, it’s everything,” Araujo said. “It’s my reason for living. Being an adapted skater, I forget all my problems, all the prejudices that I have to live with.” Skateboarding is hugely popular in Brazil and the South American nation has produced some of the sport’s greatest exponents. At the Tokyo Olympics, Brazilians won three silver medals, a tally better than all, except for Australia and host nation Japan.
Lisa Brennauer on Saturday snatched her maiden individual world title on the track when she beat Franziska Brausse in a German clean sweep of the individual pursuit in Roubaix. The riders had earlier last week joined forces to win the team pursuit title, having also secured the Olympic title in Tokyo. However, on Saturday, it was each woman for herself as Brennauer led from start to finish to clock 3 minutes, 18.258 seconds, prevailing by more than 4 seconds. Mieke Kroeger took the bronze medal by beating Italy’s Martina Alzini. On a great day for Germany, Lea Sophie Friedrich bagged her second title of the championships, as she kept her 500m time trial title. There was also some drama outside the velodrome as about 20 bikes — 15 of them track cycling bikes — were stolen from the Italian delegation overnight. Roberto Amadio, head of the Italian delegation, said: “It was the work of well-organized professionals.” “We knew the difficulty, from this point of view, of the trip and that’s why we chose to stay in a hotel with a private and controlled parking lot, but obviously it did not prevent the actions of these people,” Amadio added.
DOWNHILL SKIING Shiffrin lands 70th Cup win Mikaela Shiffrin on Saturday delivered a dazzling second run in the giant slalom to claim her 70th World Cup win in the season opener on the Soelden glacier in Austria. The American edged Swiss first-run leader Lara Gut-Behrami by 0.16 seconds, with Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova, the winner of the overall World Cup title last season, a distant third, 1.3 seconds back. Shiffrin was one of four US skiers to finish in the top 25 and said the strong competition within the team in an Olympic year was helping bring out the best in her. “My teammates are pushing the pace really high, so I’m pushing, too,” Shiffrin said. “It’s so cool. Like I said, the last two weeks we’ve all been pushing each other, and I see them skiing and think: ‘I have to keep raising my level too, because you’re here and you’re hungry ... and everybody’s hungry,’ and I feel that motivation,” she added. BASKETBALL Chicago Bulls off to 3-0 start An overwhelming defensive effort powered hosts the Chicago Bulls to their first 3-0 start in five years after a 97-82 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. The Bulls held the Pistons to just 15 points in the second quarter, then 11 in the third, to build a commanding lead despite enduring their own shooting woes. Chicago shot just 35 of 84 (41.7 percent) from the floor, including six of 18 from Zach LaVine on a 14-point night. Chicago compensated for the quiet night from its star scorer with a balanced performance. Six Bulls scored in the double figures, led by DeMar DeRozan’s game-high 21 points. Detroit compounded its turnover issues with a woeful 34 of 88 (38.6 percent) shooting performance from the field, including five of 28 from beyond the three-point arc. BASEBALL Braves reach World
BLANKED: The Red Sox were kept scoreless, their best shot at reaching home shut down in the seventh, despite having runners at first and third base with only one out
Two of the youngest Houston Astros stars on Friday helped one of the MLB’s oldest managers get another shot at a most elusive title, with rookie Luis Garcia showing the poise of an October ace and MVP Yordan Alvarez doing more damage at the plate as the Astros earned yet another trip to the World Series by beating the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Garcia and Alvarez, both 24 and ascending, and 72-year-old manager Dusty Baker are to open the World Series on Wednesday morning Taiwan time, either at Dodger Stadium or at home against Atlanta, with the Braves leading Los Angeles 3-2 in the National League Championship Series going into Game 6 this morning Taiwan time. “There’s four more wins on the board out there,” Baker said. “There’s four more wins you’ve got to get.” The Astros advanced to the World Series for the third time in five seasons. They won the championship in 2017, a crown tainted by the team’s sign-stealing scandal, before losing to the Washington Nationals in seven games in 2019. Garcia pitched no-hit ball into the sixth inning, leaving to a huge ovation with two outs after a triple by Kike Hernandez. It was an impressive bounce-back performance for Garcia, who started Game 2 and gave up a grand slam in the first inning before leaving with no outs in the second because of discomfort in his right knee. “I know I’m a rookie, but I know what I can do and that’s what I did tonight,” Garcia said. Alvarez continued his scorching streak, a year after watching at home after surgery to both knees as the Astros came one game shy of reaching the World Series. The slugging designated hitter went four for four, including a triple and two doubles. Alvarez hit an
A historic night for Chris Paul on Friday was marred by two incidents, one an altercation between Los Angeles Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard, during the visiting Phoenix Suns’ 115-105 triumph. Paul led Phoenix with 23 points and a game-high 14 assists. When he made a free throw in the second quarter, he scored his 20,000th point, the 47th player to do so, and he became the first in NBA history with 20,000 points and 10,000 assists. Late in the first half, Davis and Howard had a shoving match on the Lakers’ bench during a timeout. In the third quarter, Rajon Rondo had a run-in with a fan when the Lakers guard was pointing at the man following a soft drink having been thrown or spilled on the sidelines. The man slapped Rondo’s hand away, then was quickly escorted away by security guards. Phoenix’s Devin Booker backed Paul with 22 points, while Mikal Bridges added 21 and Jae Crowder 13. Deandre Ayton pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds to complement eight points. LeBron James finished with 25 points and Davis 22 to go with a team-high 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who trailed by as many as 32 points. WIZARDS 135, PACERS 134 (OT) Spencer Dinwiddie scored eight of his team-high 34 points in the final 2 minutes, 17 seconds of regulation to force overtime as hosts Washington went on an 11-2 run in the extra frame to power past Indiana. Washington gave up the first six points in overtime, but whittled away at the deficit to set up what ultimately gave the Wizards the lead for good. Davis Bertans hit a three-pointer off one of Dinwiddie’s nine assists with 35.2 seconds remaining, breaking a 131-131 tie. Bertans was one of three Wizards to score in double-figures coming off the bench with 17 points. Raul Neto scored 18
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter on Friday posted a new video denouncing China’s human rights record regarding Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. The video came two days after Kanter, who has a history of speaking out against Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of his native Turkey, condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s treatment of Tibet in a similar video, prompting a backlash in China. “Heartless Dictator of China, XI JINPING and the Communist Party of China. I am calling you out in front of the whole world. Close down the SLAVE labor camps and free the UYGHUR people!” Kanter wrote on Twitter. “Stop the GENOCIDE, now!” Chinese authorities have been accused of facilitating forced labor by detaining about 1 million Uighurs and other primarily Muslim minorities in camps since 2016. China denies wrongdoing, saying it has set up vocational training centers to “combat extremism.” “It’s so disappointing that the governments and leaders of Muslim majority countries are staying silent while my Muslim brothers and sisters are getting killed, raped and tortured,” Kanter said in a video accompanying the tweet, posted hours before the Celtics’ home opener against the Toronto Raptors, which they lost 83-115. Kanter, 29, was pilloried on Chinese social media and his name appeared to be blocked on the Sina Weibo messaging platform. Celtics highlights were absent from China’s Tencent Holdings sports platform on Thursday. The US on Friday voiced concern at China’s actions against the NBA following Kanter’s criticism of China’s treatment of Tibet. A US Department of State spokesperson said in an e-mail, referring to the People’s Republic of China: “The United States is deeply concerned by the PRC’s actions against the National Basketball Association for statements one player made regarding Tibet.” The Celtics and the NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan’s World No. 4 badminton ace and tournament fourth seed Chou Tien-chen on Friday fell to an upset defeat at the hands of unseeded Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the quarter-finals of the Denmark Open at the Odense Sports Park. The older and more experienced Chou was edged out in the final moments of the thrilling 1 hour, 18 minute duel by Lee in rubber sets 16-21, 21-19, 19-21 on court 1. The match started with Lee dictating the pace by grabbing a 5-0 lead, with Chou slow to find his range. Chou seemed to warm up during the second game and took the lead for the first time before finding game point 20-17. However, it was the superb variation and angle of attacks that led to Lee winning the final game, booking his first ever semi-final at a Super 1000 event, the top tier of the BWF World Tour. In the mixed doubles, Lee Jhe-huei and Hsu Ya-ching were ousted by Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the quarter-finals. The Taiwanese lost the first game 21-9 and were trailing 11-3 when they were forced to retire. ETtoday reported that Lee sustained a finger injury during the match.
At a stadium full of recent bad memories, Australia yesterday experienced moments of anxiety before beating Japan 32-23 to start their annual rugby tour to the northern hemisphere. The Showa Denko Dome, which hosted yesterday’s match, was where the Wallabies lost to England in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup. Flyhalves Quade Cooper for Australia and Rikaya Matsuda for Japan were influential figures as the teams struggled through an error-ridden match yesterday, deprived of continuity mainly by a high number of breakdown penalties. Cooper threw crucial passes in both of Australia’s first-half tries, then kicked a penalty to allow Australia to turn a one-point lead to a four point margin, 17-13, at halftime. Australia seemed on top when they scored two tries early in the second half, but Japan came back strongly, scoring a try while down to 14 men in the 55th minute to leave the Wallabies with a seven-point margin, which narrowed further with another Japan penalty. Replacement hooker Connal McInerney carried the ball in a well-executed lineout drive in the 78th minute to score a try on Test debut, which inflated Australia’s winning margin. TROPHY FOUND Reuters The original Women’s World Cup trophy has been found in the attic of a house belonging to an administrator’s parents after going missing for more than 15 years, England’s Rugby Football Union has said. The trophy had gone missing after England won the title in 1994 and a new trophy was made for subsequent editions. “It was a very special, treasured trophy and it went out on tour and on road shows after we won the World Cup,” said former England player Gill Burns, who was a part of the 1994 team. “It was in the [World Rugby] museum briefly before it went back out on tour.” “A few years later we started saying: ‘Does anyone know where the World
LIGUE 1 Fans delay game AS Saint-Etienne stayed winless and last in Ligue 1, but salvaged a point against visiting Angers with a late fightback in a match delayed for an hour by protests from angry home fans. After mid-table Angers proved the fans’ point by grabbing a two-goal lead, Saint-Etienne fought back with Mickael Nade scoring a late equalizer. He made the final score 2-2 five minutes into added time, or 65 minutes after the final whistle was originally scheduled to blow. The match had been held back by a pitch invasion during the player warm-up. Home supporters unfurled banners, let off a barrage of rockets and smoke bombs and ran onto the field, damaging the goals. The banners attacked coach Claude Puel, club leadership and the players. “We’ve had enough talk, you’re making us crack,” one visible through the smoke said. “Puel resign,” “management resign” and “we want a team worthy of its fans” the fans chanted. PREMIER LEAGUE Arsenal raise performance Arsenal on Friday delivered their best performance of the season to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the Premier League. Arsenal were completely dominant for most of the game and built a 3-0 lead before Jacob Ramsey pulled a late goal back for Villa, who then pressured for the final 10 minutes without coming closer. Thomas Partey opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with his first Arsenal goal before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled the lead just before halftime, converting the rebound after seeing his penalty saved. Midfielder Emile Smith Rowe capped an impressive display by adding the third in the 56th minute on a quick counterattack. SERIE A Torino hold off Genoa Torino on Friday held off a late comeback from Genoa to see out a 3-2 victory in Serie A for their first win in more than a month. Antonio Sanabria and
‘SURREAL FEELING’: Chris Taylor became the second Los Angeles Dodgers player with a three-homer game in the playoffs after Kike Hernandez also did it in 2017
For a guy who dislikes drama, Chris Taylor sure provided plenty of it. Taylor on Thursday hit three homers and drove in six runs, joining the likes of Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth in October baseball lore, as the Los Angeles Dodgers broke loose at the plate to beat Atlanta 11-2, cutting the Braves’ lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series. “It’s cool. It’s definitely a surreal feeling for me,” Taylor said. “I never thought I was going to hit three homers in a game, let alone a post-season game, and it just still hasn’t really sunk in.” A.J. Pollock had two home runs and four RBIs for defending champions the Dodgers, who have won seven straight post-season elimination games dating to last season. They also trailed 0-2 and 1-3 against Atlanta in the championship series last year before rallying to win three straight at a neutral venue in Texas. “We needed to make a statement,” the mild-mannered Taylor said. “They put it on us yesterday [Wednesday]. We had to respond.” Game 6 is today in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Braves get two more chances to clinch their first trip to the World Series since 1999. “I guess when our backs are against the wall we play our best and fight, but that’s just not an ideal spot to be in,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. After mustering only four hits during a 9-2 loss in Game 4 that pushed them to the brink of elimination, the desperate Dodgers rapped out eight hits by the third inning off Max Fried. They finished with 17, a club record for a post-season game, and also equaled a post-season franchise mark with five home runs. The Dodgers got to Fried with four consecutive hits in the second inning. Pollock hit a tying homer and Taylor drove the first pitch
Baker Mayfield had the best seat in the house to watch the Browns’ backups deliver. Case Keenum on Thursday stepped in for an injured Mayfield and made the most of his first start in two years and third-string back D’Ernest Johnson rushed for 146 yards as Cleveland overcame a short week and a long list of injuries to beat the Denver Broncos 17-14. Keenum did not put up impressive stats (21 of 33 for 199 yards), but threw a touchdown pass and did enough — as did Cleveland’s maligned defense — to get the Browns (4-3) a much-needed victory. They survived without Mayfield, who sat out with a shoulder injury and could miss more time. “Unfortunately, some people are going to get hurt,” Keenum said after his first win since 2019. “At the same time, you love other young guys getting chances.” Johnson, playing because stars Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were both out with calf injuries, had the best game of his young career. He scored on a four-yard run in the first half and picked up 52 yards on seven carries as the Browns chewed up the final 5 minutes, 17 seconds after the Broncos pulled within three. Once he reached the end zone, Johnson was not sure how to react. “It’s unexplainable,” he said. “I wanted to celebrate, but I didn’t know what to do. It’s been a long journey.” The Broncos could not stop Johnson and now they cannot stop losing, either. “The last drive was very frustrating,” Denver coach Vic Fangio said. “We loaded up against the run and we couldn’t stop them.” Afterward, Johnson, who worked on a fishing boat when he was not drafted, got doused with water by his teammates in a raucous celebration in the locker room. Johnson could not believe that NBA superstar LeBron James wrote about him on Twitter in the
West Ham United on Thursday took control of Group H in the UEFA Europa League thanks to a 3-0 home win over KRC Genk. Craig Dawson scored late in the first half, before Issa Diop and Jarrod Bowen helped the Irons to go six points clear. “The main thing is topping the group. The home games are vitally important. We want to win away, too,” Bowen told BT Sport. “If we can stay strong, keep the confidence, then I think teams will be fearing us. We could be the team to look out for. We’re only a few games away from a big cup run.” Elsewhere in Group H, Rapid Vienna defeated Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 to open their account in the competition. Olympique Lyonnais have also made a perfect start to the European campaign and came from behind to edge Sparta Prague 4-2. The French side, who finished the final quarter of an hour with 10 men after teenager Malo Gusto was sent off, trailed 2-0 early on. Cameroon’s Karl Toko Ekambi with a brace, France’s Houssem Aouar and Lucas Paqueta of Brazil then responded to claim the victory. “The first 20 minutes were very difficult,” Haouar told RMC Sport. “We have a lot of talent up front, so we knew how to score after. It proves all the quality we have.” Serie A leaders SSC Napoli secured their first European win of the season, overcoming the previously unbeaten Legia Warsaw 3-0. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen took his goal tally to nine for the campaign after Lorenzo Insigne had broken the deadlock for the Italian side. Italy midfielder Matteo Politano then rubbed salt into the Polish wounds with a third in stoppage-time. AS Monaco remain top of Group B after 21-year-old midfielder Sofiane Diop claimed an 89th-minute winner in the 2-1 success over PSV Eindhoven. Austria’s Sturm Graz remain pointless after three rounds
Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma on Thursday were humiliated 6-1 in the UEFA Europa Conference League at Bodo/Glimt, the Norwegian champions whose fans are famed for carrying giant yellow toothbrushes to games. “It’s my responsibility, I chose to use these players,” Mourinho was quoted as saying by Italian media. Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini described the defeat as an “embarrassment” and a “slap in the face.” Bodo/Glimt, who wereplaying their 11th European game of the season, stunned the Italian giants who struggled in temperatures of 2°C on an artificial pitch just inside the arctic circle. Erik Botheim scored a hat-trick for the Norwegians, with captain Patrick Berg, Ola Solbakken and Amahl Pellegrino piling on the misery for Mourinho. Bodo/Glimt won the Norwegian title for the first time in their 104-year history last season. Their fans have become great curiosities in the sport for their habit of waving giant, yellow toothbrushes in the stands. Carlos Perez scored a consolation goal for a much-changed Roma side, who had won their first two games in Group C, scoring eight goals and conceding just one. However, Mourinho would have had one eye on this weekend’s Serie A clash with SSC Napoli, who top the table in Italy with eight wins from eight games. “If I had played the first team, someone might get injured, then we would concede four or five goals against Napoli on Sunday and that decision would have been considered wrong, too,” Mourinho said. “The team that Bodo put out today had more quality than our second string.” Roma skipper Pellegrini told Sky Sport Italia there were lessons to be learned. “I can only apologize and get back on track stronger than before. We said what we needed to in the locker room and it remains there,” he said. “Sometimes you need a slap to learn and we got a slap in the face
Tyler Herro on Thursday scored a team-high 27 points as the Miami Heat set a club record for most points in a season-opening game by hammering reigning NBA champion the Milwaukee Bucks 137-95. Jimmy Butler delivered 21 points and Bam Adebayo had a game-high 13 rebounds for the Heat, who used a 26-2 first quarter run to bust the game open and never look back. “I mean, 137’s a lot. Hopefully, we can see that a lot this season,” Herro said. The previous team record for points in a season opener was 128 against Detroit in 1999 and the largest margin of victory was 26 points in 2000 over Orlando. Six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry made his debut for the Heat, but was held to just five points on one-of-eight shooting. The Bucks never led in the contest and went nine straight minutes without a field goal in the first quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Khris Middleton scored just 10 points in the loss. The banged-up Bucks were missing several key players, including Jrue Holiday (right heel), Brook Lopez (back) and Bobby Portis (left hamstring). “We’ll get some of the guys back and every team is going to deal with this at different points,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s a long journey and we’re just getting started.” The Heat shot 53.1 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent on three-point attempts, while the Bucks shot 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. In San Francisco, Stephen Curry drained two late three-pointers en route to a 45-point performance as the Golden State Warriors spoiled the Los Angeles Clippers’ season opener with a 115-113 win. Curry sank a three-pointer with 1 minute, 54 seconds left in the fourth to give the Warriors a one point lead. He hit another clutch three-pointer with 57 seconds left to erase a
Taiwanese badminton player Chou Tien-chen on Thursday progressed to the quarter-finals of the Denmark Open by sweeping his Chinese opponent in straight games in the men’s singles. Fourth seed Chou booked his slot in the quarter-finals after a 21-15, 21-18 victory over world No. 27 Lu Guangzu in just 39 minutes in his round-of-16 match at Odense Sports Park. At the start of the first game, Lu gained a 2-0 advantage before Chou found his form and reeled off eight consecutive points. The Taiwanese maintained that lead and won the game 21-15. At 14-14 in the second game, Chou lost the next three points. Adjusting his strategy, he then played at the net and created opportunities for powerful smashes to win the next six points and lead 20-17. A wayward serve gave away a point to his Chinese opponent, but Lu hit the next return long for Chou to win the game 21-18. Chou was due to face 25-year-old Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the quarter-finals. In the mixed doubles, Taiwanese duo Lee Jhe-huei and Hsu Ya-ching rallied from a game down to defeat England’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith 17-21, 21-19, 21-14 in 53 minutes. Lee and Hsu were due to face Thai second seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the quarter-finals.
OVERWORKED? Julio Urias and Max Scherzer have struggled in the National League Championship Series when starting two days after taking to the mound in relief
The Los Angeles Dodgers were asking the world of Julio Urias when he took the mound for the fourth time in 12 days on Wednesday and the result was a 2-9 loss against Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. Although Urias was the only 20-game winner in the major leagues this season, Los Angeles had used him in three roles in the past week alone. Urias and the Dodgers claimed that it was nothing he could not handle, but the left-hander was out of rhythm and away from his normal between-starts preparation when he took on the Braves. “I felt good physically,” Urias said after the game. “I just have to give them credit for what they did today,” he added. By the time Urias left the Dodger Stadium bump with a five-run deficit, it seemed clear that his team are asking for too much — or are not getting enough — from the top pitchers in their tumultuous rotation. The Dodgers’ front office is disregarding most traditional norms in an October attempt to get the most out of their pitching staff, but with his team on the brink of elimination, it is clear that those decisions have not worked out the way LA boss Andrew Friedman hoped. Urias and Max Scherzer struggled in the series when asked to start just two days after pitching in relief. Walker Buehler also did not match his usual standard when pitching on extra rest. And now the Dodgers are down to their last chance to get those decisions right against the Braves, who have a 3-1 series lead against LA for the second straight October and three opportunities to dethrone the defending World Series champions. After matching the best regular-season record in franchise history, the Dodgers face elimination for the fourth time already in these playoffs in Game
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