NBA eases schedule for weary stars
Draymond Green (left) of the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers fall to the floor during the first half in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017, in Oakland, California. AFPNEW YORK, United States — The NBA announced its full 1,230-game schedule for the upcoming season, complete with tweaks designed to reduce wear-and-tear on players through the grinding 26-week campaign.The 2017-18 season will be the first season in NBA history in which no team plays four games in five days. The number of back-to-back games has been reduced to 14.4 per team — down from 16.3 last year.ADVERTISEMENT The NBA had already revealed its five Christmas Day contests, which include a Warriors-Cavaliers rematch. The two teams, who have clashed in the last three championship series, will meet again on Martin Luther King Jr Day — January 15.Three-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, traded from the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans last season, makes his first return to Sacramento in week two.There could be fireworks on November 15, when Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Los Angeles Lakers and rookie Lonzo Ball — the second overall pick in June’s draft.Ball’s father LaVar Ball and Embiid traded barbs on social media during the off-season.Paul George, traded by the Indiana Pacers to Oklahoma City, returns with the Thunder and NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook to take on the Pacers on December 13.ADVERTISEMENT Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Read Next LOOK: Venues for 2019 SEA Games Gilas five needs pluck Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC MOST READ Man sworn in as lawyer by judge who sentenced him to prison as a teen 20 years ago Catriona Gray spends Thanksgiving by preparing meals for people with illnesses SEA Games in Calabarzon safe, secure – Solcom chief UPLB exempted from SEA Games class suspension LATEST STORIES Chris Paul will be back in Los Angeles to take on his old team the Clippers as a Houston Rocket on January 15.Jimmy Butler, dealt by the Bulls to the Minnesota Timberwolves in June, returns to Chicago with his new team on February 9.Gordon Hayward, who signed with the Celtics on March 28, returns to take on his old team the Utah Jazz on March 28.In international games already announced, the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets will play in Mexico City on December 9 and the 76ers and Celtics will meet in London on January 11. CBB WATCH: Streetboys show off slick dance moves in Vhong Navarro’s wedding Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles01:37Protesters burn down Iran consulate in Najaf01:47Panelo casts doubts on Robredo’s drug war ‘discoveries’01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games Flags of SEA Games countries raised at Athletes Village The issue of keeping teams fresh during a regular-season lasting more than six months gained urgency as coaches opted to rest stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry occasionally to be sure they’d be ready for deep playoff runs.The absence of marquee players was felt not only by fans who paid for tickets but also by national broadcasters. ABC and ESPN recently paid $24 billion for the right to air some of the league’s marquee games.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSSEA Games: Philippines picks up 1st win in men’s water poloSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutTo make it possible, the league shortened the pre-season, and added about a week to the regular season.The season that tips off on October 17 with the reigning champion Golden State Warriors taking on the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, bested by the Warriors in last season’s finals, taking on the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals. View comments
MOST READ QC cops nab robbery gang leader, cohort Japan ex-PM Nakasone who boosted ties with US dies at 101 Madrid thrashes APOEL 6-0 to make Champions League last 16 Stronger peso trims PH debt value to P7.9 trillion Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren reacts at the end of a Champions League group E soccer match between Sevilla and Liverpool, at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. Sevilla tied the game 3-3 in the last minute. (AP Photo/Miguel Morenatti)SEVILLE, Spain — With their team down 3-0 after only 30 minutes, some Sevilla fans started heading out of Sanchez Pizjuan-Stadium.They left too soon.ADVERTISEMENT The second goal came after Firmino redirected another Coutinho corner from the right side, and Mane made it to the far post to score with a diving header past Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico.Firmino scored his second on a breakaway spearheaded by Mane down the left side. Mane’s shot from inside the area was stopped by Rico but Firmino was in position to easily tap in the rebound.“We played a very good first half and we stopped playing football in the second half,” Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp said. “We didn’t play until we conceded the second goal. After that we improved and had a couple of chances, but they got the equalizer. You have to stay in the game and close the game out. That was our main mistake, we didn’t play football.”Yedder got on the board with a header in the 51st and a penalty kick in the 60th. His first attempt went in but the referee called it back because players entered the penalty area.Liverpool had its chances to put the game away as Sevilla pressed.“It’s really disappointing, but it’s still in our hands so we need to focus on the positives,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said.Liverpool is trying to return to the last 16 for the first time since 2008-09, when its run to the quarterfinals was stopped by Chelsea.The latest result extended Sevilla’s unbeaten streak at home to 26 matches in all competitions, with 17 wins and eight draws.Sevilla hasn’t lost at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in almost a year. LATEST STORIES Kammuri turning to super typhoon less likely but possible — Pagasa Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Sevilla recovered from Liverpool’s blitz start by salvaging a 3-3 draw with an injury-time equalizer in theChampions League on Tuesday.Roberto Firmino scored twice and set up Sadio Mane’s goal in the first half-hour. But the hosts rallied with a pair of goals by Wissam Ben Yedder in the second half. Guido Pizarro’s late equalizer came from inside the area after Liverpool’s defense failed to fully clear a corner kick.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSSEA Games: Philippines picks up 1st win in men’s water poloSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutout“Since I was a kid I’ve always dreamed of playing in an important match which was that dramatic and whichended so well,” Pizarro said.Liverpool could have secured its return to the knockout stage after an eight-year absence, but it heads home for the final round needing not to lose to Spartak Moscow, which was just three points behind. View comments Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles01:37Protesters burn down Iran consulate in Najaf01:47Panelo casts doubts on Robredo’s drug war ‘discoveries’01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC Kris Aquino ‘pretty chill about becoming irrelevant’ Spartak, held by last-place Maribor to 1-1 in Russia, remains with a chance of advancing.Sevilla plays its final Group E game at already eliminated Maribor on Dec. 6, when Liverpool hosts Spartak.“The first half scoreline was down to individual errors,” Sevilla coach Eduardo Berizzo said. “What we had to do was react and rely on our personal pride to turn things around. In the second half Liverpool barely crossed the halfway line.”A home win on Tuesday would have been enough for Sevilla to advance from the group stage for the second consecutive season, but Liverpool shot out of the gate.Only two minutes in, Philippe Coutinho made a corner cross into the near post, Georginio Wijnaldum deflected the ball toward the far post, and Firmino ran behind defenders to drive his shot home.ADVERTISEMENT Typhoon Kammuri accelerates, gains strength en route to PH CPP denies ‘Ka Diego’ arrest caused ‘mass panic’ among S. Tagalog NPA Read Next
BREAKING: Cop killed, 11 hurt in Misamis Oriental grenade blast Achie Iñigo. PBA IMAGESThis time, Achie Iñigo is taking the challenge of being the lead playmaker head on.Playing second fiddle to heralded teammate Mike Tolomia last season, the 5-foot-9 guard has been thrust to the spotlight as he is tasked to man the plays for Marinerong Pilipino in the 2017 PBA D-League Foundation Cup.ADVERTISEMENT He did better in setting up his teammates, as he racked up six assists and hauled down two rebounds in his 30 minutes on the floor.Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough as Marinerong Pilipino bowed in its conference-opener to Batangas, 92-82 on Tuesday.But Iñigo is confident his team can bounce back especially after what he thought were first game jitters.“It was our first game and we still haven’t known each other that well. We haven’t jelled the same way Batangas did because we’re just together for just two months, so it’s a given that we’ll have those lapses,” he said. “We still have a long way. It’s just our first game. We’ll figure things out soon.”ADVERTISEMENT BSP survey: PH banks see bright horizon amid dark global recession clouds Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Pagasa: Storm intensifies as it nears PAR “I’m just a back-up point guard to Mike before. Now, I’m starting to get my rhythm because I should be more of a court general. I need to be more offensive-minded, but I have to be decisive,” he said in Filipino.His time with Kaohsiung Truth in the ASEAN Basketball League did help him a lot in preparing himself to these bigger roles. FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hosting“I learned to be patient off the court. In our college days, you just run up the court and play. But there, you have to be deliberate because you have to be smart there,” said Iñigo.Iñigo struggled to get his shots going in his first game with the Seafarers, shooting 3-of-8 from the field to finish with 10 points. Lacson: SEA Games fund put in foundation like ‘Napoles case’ BREAKING: Cop killed, 11 hurt in Misamis Oriental grenade blast Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next
Palace: Duterte to hear out security execs on alleged China control of NGCP Lassiter shows he’s more than a sniper LATEST STORIES Cayetano dares Lacson, Drilon to take lie-detector test: Wala akong kinita sa SEA Games MOST READ Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games Every 18 seconds someone is diagnosed with HIV View comments
Palace: Duterte to hear out security execs on alleged China control of NGCP Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next PSC promises full support to SEAG bets Every 18 seconds someone is diagnosed with HIV View comments James Younghusband fired his third goal of the season as Meralco Manila blanked Davao Aguilas, 2-0, to keep its perfect record in the 2017 Philippines Football League at Rizal Memorial Stadium.The Sparks skipper pounced on scramble inside the box, poking home the insurance goal in the 70th minute as Meralco nailed its fourth straight victory for 12 points.ADVERTISEMENT LATEST STORIES BREAKING: Cop killed, 11 hurt in Misamis Oriental grenade blast MOST READ Curt Dizon, the league’s first ever scorer, gave Meralco the lead in the sixth minute with a close range strike off a cross from defender Joaco Cañas.The Sparks’ early goal roused the Aguilas into action with Gerald Layumas, Dylan De Bruycker, and Omar Khan all testing Ace Villanueva on the Meralco goal.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutOn the other end, Milan Nikolic and Tahj Minniecon kept Davao keeper Marko Trkulja busy with a couple of efforts just before halftime.Younghusband poked in Manila’s second goal after the Davao defense failed to clear inside the area, before the Sparks hung on to keep their second straight clean sheet.
The Sparks found themselves on top of the table regardless of the result of the Sunday matches heading into the international break.“Davao played well,” said Meralco coach Aris Caslib. “We were fortunate in the small moments of the game.”Davao coach Gary Phillips feels his side is still a work in progress.“We are missing that little quality,” said Phillips, after the Aguilas suffered a third straight defeat. “We have young players who are still learning the game but we need to learn more quickly.”ADVERTISEMENT BSP survey: PH banks see bright horizon amid dark global recession clouds Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Cayetano dares Lacson, Drilon to take lie-detector test: Wala akong kinita sa SEA Games BREAKING: Cop killed, 11 hurt in Misamis Oriental grenade blast Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games Pagasa: Storm intensifies as it nears PAR Lacson: SEA Games fund put in foundation like ‘Napoles case’
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced an award of Rs 10 lakh to Sushil Kumar, Assistant Commercial Manager with the Northern Railway, for winning Gold Medal in World Wrestling Championship in Moscow.Sushil defeated Russian Gogaev to win the 66 kg freestyle title on Sunday to become the first Indian to win a Gold Medal in World Wrestling Championship.Congratulating him, Mamata said it is the spirit, drive and dedication of Sushil that has lead to personal achievement and national glory.”His victory is a victory for the ‘Rail Parivar’ and dedicated to the nation,” she said.Sushil is the third Railwayman to brought laurels in World Wrestling Championship. Railway sportspersons Bishambar Singh and Ramesh Kumar had won a silver and a bronze in the World Wrestling Championships in 1967 and 2009 respectively.
The mess surrounding the Commonwealth Games seems to be getting worse with the 200-odd sports medicine doctors and nurses yet to be allowed entry into the Games Village to perform their assigned duties.With the news delays in completion of venues and athletes’ pull-out grabbing the headlines, the plight of the sports medicine doctors has been ignored.”The games could have been the ideal platform to launch sports medicine and allied sports sciences in a big way in India.But that is not to be. The responsibility of providing medical support to the athletes at the Games Village and at the stadia rests with the doctors of Delhi government hospitals who have no expertise or experience in sports medical cover,” Dr PSM Chandran, president of the Indian Federation of Sports Medicine said.”At the beginning itself, the OC failed to take the right step in ensuring quality sports medical cover for the Games when they arbitrarily appointed a couple of doctors who have no experience in organising medical cover to multidisciplinary events,” he said.Chandran blamed the indifference of the organisers for the current situation, where doctors and nurses are going on dharna . “No one is sure which agency is going to provide ambulances for the Games, medical personnel are paid nothing in return for their professional services, masseurs who are not trained in sports massage deployed for duties.” Chandran gave the example of the Wrestling Federation of India to underline his concern.”The wrestling team which is expected to win lots of medals at the CWG will be without the services of the team doctor and physiotherapist who were helping them in the training camps at Sonepat for over a year. They have to make way for the inclusion of a masseur, Rahul Sharma, who is the son of a senior official of the Wrestling Federation.Sharma is now checking into the Games Village to provide massage to the wrestlers with a broken arm. He has a fracture in his right forearm, which makes him unfit to participate in CWG.”advertisement
A Commonwealth Games (CWG) contractor, arrested recently by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the overlay contracts scam, has revealed to the investigators that the organising committee (OC) indulged in favouritism while allotting jobs.Binu Nanu, who was awarded contracts worth Rs 165 crore, was arrested on Tuesday. He had allegedly used unfair means to win the contract and provided equipment at astronomical rates in connivance with the top OC officials.According to sources, Nanu has told CBI sleuths that the OC officials granted overlays contracts only after getting hefty commissions.It has been alleged that Nanu, managing director of Meroform India Pvt Ltd and GL Events Pvt Ltd, paid Rs 25 crore as bribe to OC officials, including former director general V.K. Verma, to secure the contracts.The other firms which secured the overlay contracts have also been under the CBI scanner.
Former Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh says Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Canada could cause a few surprises at the Cricket World Cup beginning in two weeks.Marsh, the director of coaching at the International Cricket Council’s Global Academy in Dubai, has worked with players from the so-called Associate nations for the past two years in preparation for the tournament beginning Feb. 19 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.The 63-year-old Marsh – who played 96 tests for Australia – and his assistants, New Zealand bowler Dayle Hadlee and Pakistan batsman Mudassar Nazar, have warned established countries not to take the less-fancied nations too lightly.”I am not saying one of those teams will win the World Cup, but I am saying they will give a very good account of themselves,” Marsh told Australian Associated Press on Monday. “These guys have prepared probably better than most of the test nations, because they haven’t had all the other competitions and distractions.”Ireland made the Super Eight stages in 2007 and Marsh says it has the talent to repeat that achievement this year.”Ireland are always well prepared, they have experienced players, most are playing county cricket and they are in pretty good shape,” he said.”They actually think they can win the tournament and not just compete, which I think is fantastic.”Batsmen from the four countries have been using the futuristic “Pro Batter” and “Spin Bowla” machines in Dubai on wickets made from Pakistan soil as they look to give themselves the best possible chance of success.advertisement”We’ve strived to get them into a position where they know all about batting on the subcontinent,” Marsh said. “We identified that the biggest problem for these guys in the past was that they didn’t make enough runs.”There has been a heap of footage shown to them about how the top players bat on the subcontinent and Mudassar has been a diamond in talking to them about batting and also reverse swing. They cannot be any better prepared.”
Zaheer Khan at a training sessionI have been enjoying this mindless country vs club debate on 24-hour news channels. The discussion revolves around the fitness of star Indian cricketers who have decided to skip the West Indies tour because of injuries. There is nothing wrong if an injured player pulls,Zaheer Khan at a training sessionI have been enjoying this mindless country vs club debate on 24-hour news channels. The discussion revolves around the fitness of star Indian cricketers who have decided to skip the West Indies tour because of injuries. There is nothing wrong if an injured player pulls out of a series. But when some of these players continued playing for their Indian Premier League (IPL) teams despite knowing very well of their injuries, uncomfortable questions are raised.While Sachin Tendulkar excused himself from the entire tour to enjoy a well-deserved rest and spend some quality time with his family, Yuvraj Singh opted out because of a respiratory infection. Captain M.S. Dhoni and strike bowler Zaheer Khan will not play the odis. With Virender Sehwag nursing a shoulder injury, Gautam Gambhir was supposed to lead the Indian team. Now that Gambhir aggravated his shoulder injury during the ipl, Suresh Raina has been appointed captain by the selection board of the BCCI. Interestingly, all the players who have decided to give the Caribbean tour a miss citing injury or fatigue, played in the IPL.But no one wants to criticise a team that has just won the ICC World Cup. So, instead of asking those tough questions, people are beating around the bush. The channels will remain soft on these cricketers because cricket is their cash cow-crime and comedy being the other two. So let me play devil’s advocate. The issue here is not injury. It’s about priorities. Injuries are not new to Indian cricketers. Gambhir, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer have routinely walked into the side by declaring themselves fit, and returned home midway through the series due to injuries. No one asked the trainers any questions, nor did the coach answer any. The BCCI remained silent. Only the insurance companies sent fat cheques as under the bcci contract if a player gets injured while representing the nation, insurance cash is guaranteed.advertisementThe circus has been going on for long and will continue. Look at our World Cup-winning team. All of them were injured last year but got fit just before the Cup and carried on through the IPL 4. With the BCCI’s cash league over, all of them crashed like a pack of cards. The players definitely needed a break, but they chose to sweat it out for the IPL. Gambhir’s right shoulder injury could have healed and he could have played for India if he had abstained from leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But the most expensive IPL player this year at $2.4 million continued playing despite injuring his shoulder while taking a catch during the World Cup final against Sri Lanka in April. He aggravated it during KKR’s last league game against Mumbai Indians but went on to play in a knockout game three days later.Sehwag flew to London for his shoulder surgery the moment he realised that Delhi Daredevils would not make it to the last four of the IPL. Why did he wait? Why did not he go for the surgery immediately after the World Cup? Simply because he did not want to lose the IPL cash. Cheteshwar Pujara, a very promising player with an appetite for big scores and who excelled in South Africa last year, missed the Caribbean bus because of an injury sustained while playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers at IPL.The BCCI does not care, nor do the players. It reminds me of the board’s obstinate refusal to allow cricketers to go through the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) norms. What was even more unacceptable was the unbecoming conduct of players like Tendulkar and Dhoni who quietly acquiesced with BCCI’s petty case against the WADA. What’s the message? Indian cricketers are above Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal?The cash-rich Indian board will not answer as it believes it is above all. Once it argued in a court that it did not need to follow the Indian sporting rulebook because it did not depend on ministerial doles, only to be admonished by the judges and the sports minister.I played cricket in an era when we didn’t have choices. I admire Dhoni and his boys. My wife tells me they are a different breed. They bleed blue, not red.
Here’s another blow to transparency in the government. After exempting the CBI, the government has now pushed the National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) out of the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.Putting Natgrid in the list of organisations exempted from making disclosures under the RTI Act will certainly fuel concerns as a citizen would not be able to seek details on whether any of his databases have been accessed by the investigating agencies through Natgrid.With the inclusion of Natgrid, NIA and CBI in the second schedule to the RTI Act – a decision which was made official through a gazette notification on June 9 – there are now 25 ‘intelligence and security’ organisations which are exempted from providing any information under the RTI Act, except information pertaining to allegations on any corruption and human right violations.To start off in 2005, the second schedule had 18 organisations on its list, which grew to 22 in 2008 and to 25 presently.Most of the 11 agencies which can access the Natgrid for getting database information on a citizen are also already exempted from the RTI Act.A government source said Natgrid needed to be kept out of the RTI purview because most of the 11 agencies authorised to access databases through the Natgrid are already exempted from RTI. “So anyway if a citizen wants to know if the Intelligence Bureau (IB) asked for any information on his bank account database through the Natgrid, the information cannot be disclosed as IB is an exempt organisation. Natgrid is not an organisation but only a forwarding tool and like an extended server of these 11 agencies,” the source said.advertisementSupreme Court lawyer and cyber law expert, Pawan Duggal, however, said the decision to exempt Natgrid from the RTI Act only strengthened the ‘Big Brother’ concept. “Its a huge setback to transparency. It’s like a blackout. We agree that national sovereignty is paramount but that is not tantamount to removing all levels of transparency,” he said.For more news on India, click here.For more news on Business, click here.For more news on Movies, click here.For more news on Sports, click here.