Oklahoma City Thunder Are 2025 National Basketball Association (NBA) Champions!
In a Finals Game 7 classic that featured 11 lead changes and yet another late Indiana comeback, the Thunder got 29 points&12 assists from Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to hold off a relentless Pacers team, 103-91 (https://apo-opa.co/44cTtIy), and claim the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
The win marks the Thunder's first championship in the franchise's Oklahoma City era, as top-seeded OKC — the second-youngest Finals team in the shot-clock era — becomes the fourth team in NBA history to win 84 total games.
Playing most of the game without an injured Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana rallied from 22 down to cut OKC's lead to 10 in the 4th quarter, but never got closer.
Chet Holmgren recorded a Finals Game 7-record five blocks to go with 18 points and Jalen Williams dropped 20 as the Thunder won the turnover battle, 21-7.
Bennedict Mathurin had 24 off the bench for Indiana. Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) recorded 16 points and 4 rebounds.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
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The National
9 hours ago
- The National
Lionel Messi and Barca old boys face Club World Cup test against former coach Luis Enrique's PSG
For someone about to celebrate their birthday and whose team had just qualified for the knockout stages of the Fifa Club World Cup, it was a visibly frustrated Lionel Messi after the final whistle at Hard Rock Stadium. Inter Miami had been cruising at 2-0 up against Palmeiras with 10 minutes to go, only for the Brazilians to grab two late goals to snatch a point and deny the MLS side all three points. More importantly, it meant Miami had missed out on top spot in Group A, and that instead of taking on another Brazilian side in Botafogo in the last 16, it would be newly crowned Uefa Champions League winners – and Messi's former club – Paris Saint-Germain up next. It had been vintage Messi – who turned 38 on Tuesday - in their previous game when the World Cup winner, and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, had curled home a trademark free-kick to secure victory over Porto, after Miami opened the tournament with a disappointing goalless draw with Al Ahly. Beating the Portuguese outfit meant Miami had created history by becoming the first Concacaf team to defeat a European side in an official Fifa tournament, but repeating the trick against the might of PSG is a far trickier prospect. 'If we make these mistakes against PSG we will pay a heavy price,' admitted Luis Suarez, who scored a brilliant second goal against Palmeiras and won the player-of-the-match award. Messi joined Miami in the summer of 2023 after leaving Paris following a difficult spell which had ended with a fractured relationship between the player and PSG fans. The Argentine had scored 32 goals and assisted in a further 35 in 75 games, while also helping PSG win the Ligue 1 title in both his seasons spent in Paris between 2021 and 2023. But in a team of galactico signings – that also included the likes of Sergio Ramos, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe – PSG's failure to make it beyond the Champions League last 16 meant the Messi era was considered a failure. The fact that Messi was also suspended for two weeks by the club for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia – for which he later apologised – only added to the tensions. 'I went through two years which I didn't enjoy,' recalled Messi in an interview earlier this year. 'I wasn't happy on a daily basis, with the training, the matches. I had a hard time adapting to all that.' Miami coach Javier Mascherano is confident his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate can channel those memories into helping his current side produce what would be a major shock in the US. 'It's clear that it would better for us if he was angry, because he's one of those players who, when he has something in mind, gives a bit extra,' Mascherano told ESPN. 'In the end, what Leo wants is to win games, like the great player that he is,' added Miami teammate Jordi Alba. 'He was there for two years and only he knows what happened.' Adding to the intrigue of Sunday's game in Atlanta (kicking off 11pm UAE time) is the fact PSG are managed by former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. Barca boys turned Miami men Macherano, Alba, Messi, Suarez and Sergio Busquets were all part of Luis Enrique's 2015 team that secured the Catalan giants a memorable treble – a feat the Spaniard has just repeated with PSG. And the respect they have for their old manager is clear. 'I've said it infinite times: For me, he's the best – I think not just as a coach, but also how he manages the group,' said left-back Alba. 'He's a phenomenon. I'm excited to see him, as well as his entire staff. I'll give him a hug but when the ref blows the opening whistle, try to beat him.' 'He's a coach who influenced me greatly,' added striker Suarez. 'I already had a competitive DNA, but he injected even more into me.' Luis Enrique's stock has never been higher following their magnificent 5-0 demolition job over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, although there have been bumps in road as they hunt a quadruple. The Parisians started their Group B fixtures with a 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid only to then fall to a shock loss to Botafogo before defeating Seattle Sounders and clinching a last-16 clash with Miami. 'Our coach is incredible,' Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves told after the Seattle win. 'He gives us confidence, he gives us freedom, but with responsibility. Possession is what matters most. 'He wants us to have the ball and make the other team run. And when we don't have it, we have to get it back quickly. It doesn't matter who the opposing team is, it's always the same: it's eleven against eleven. We all attack, we all defend.' The exit of Mbappe last summer marked the end of an era at PSG, with Luis Enrique putting his faith in hungry young players rather than big-name signings. That is not to say PSG have stopped spending money, far from it, but they are now investing in younger talent. Arrivals over the past 12 months include Neves for €60 million, forward Desire Doue for €59m – both aged 20 – while €70m was forked out in January for 24-year-old winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. 'I've never said I don't want stars, I want a team full of good players,' insists Luis Enrique. 'We don't want players who come and act like they're doing us some kind of favour. 'It should be just the opposite: we want players who are hungry, who want to come to a one-of-a-kind club like PSG, to a one-of-a-kind city and a one-of-a-kind country, players who want to write their names in the club's history books.'
The National
a day ago
- The National
Al Hilal hit the right notes in Music City to set up Manchester City showdown
With keffiyahs replaced by cowboy hats and the smell of Arabic perfume mixing with that of smoked meats, Al Hilal enjoyed a Fifa Club World Cup night to remember at Geodis Park in Nashville. In the land of country music and Johnny Cash, Simone Inzaghi's men walked the line perfectly, beating Mexico's CF Pachuca 2-0 in their final Group H match and progressing to the round of 16. They will now face Manchester City on Monday in Orlando. Knowing only a win would do – and aware even three points might not be enough depending on the result between Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg – Inzaghi named an unchanged line-up for the third successive match. Defender Hassan Al Tambakti recovered from the fatigue that saw him limp off in Sunday's stalemate with Salzburg and immediately showed his importance with his pace and composure repeatedly denying Salomon Rondon a free-run at Yassine Bounou in the Al Hilal goal. Inzaghi had spoken of a need for 'greater efficiency inside the box' after only managing six shots on target and one goal – a penalty – from 31 attempts across their opening two matches. It looked like it would be more of the same for much of a first half that produced limited chances. Al Hilal's Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo headed over, compatriot Malcom fired wide, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic slotted the ball into an empty net long after the referee's whistle had stopped play for an earlier foul. But Salem Al Dawsari, so long the man for the big occasion, so long the man who comes up clutch, did it again. A few kilometres south of the famous Grand Ole Opry, Al Dawsari showed a two-step of his own in the 22nd minute: One touch to control Nasser Al Dawsari's lofted pass, another to lift the ball over the onrushing Sebastian Jurado and into the net. After the finish, the flourish – the Saudi Pro League's recently crowned player of the season celebrating his 27th goal of the year with his trademark somersault. 'In important moments, big players turn up,' Al Dawsari told The National post-match. 'Thanks to God, I have very good numbers this year, but what is most important is the team and the group. I have been breaking records and look forward to breaking more in the future. Today we will celebrate the win and tomorrow we will focus on the next game and the round of 16.' Peppered with delays and stoppages, Pachuca – already eliminated after losing their first two matches – tried to play further up the field as they sought solace. Yet other than drawing fouls and raising a few heart rates in Al Hilal's defence, the Mexican outfit never really tested Bounou. Who would have thought Bono would be quiet in the Music City? Inzaghi, aware of the fatal damage an equaliser would do to his side's hopes of progress, tightened things up by replacing Renan Lodi with Moteb Al Harbi before also removing captain Al Dawsari. Yet it was Al Hilal who should have scored again, Leonardo doing everything right as he ran across the back line to collected Malcom's through ball. His chipped finish though was weak and allowed a Pachuca defender to get back and clear. In the dying minutes, Pachuca finally started to ask more serious questions, the reigning Concacaf champions peppering Bono's box with crosses, but when Ilian Hernandez connected with a header, instead of an equaliser came a collective exhale among the 14,147 fans as it sailed narrowly wide. With whistles ringing out from everywhere except the referee's mouth, the pressure lifted not by the official, but with the ball finding itself in the back of Pachuca's net. Once more Leonardo, active yet unimpactful so far this month, rounded the keeper and finally opened his account. The fans erupted, Inzaghi was swarmed by his technical staff, the importance of the victory clear. Al Hilal are the only Asian side to progress through the group stages at this expanded 32-team competition. With Madrid beating Salzburg 3-0, the Riyadh club finish in second in Group H, lining up a last-16 tie with Manchester City. Al Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel told The National he is already looking forward to the match. 'The achievement we have done here at the Club World Cup is great,' said Bin Nafel. 'We always want to be a great ambassador for Saudi Arabia and we have achieved that goal. Now we want to reach the next step and, Inshallah, win against Manchester City. And we believe we can do it.' Evidently so do the fans. Celebrating jubilantly in the stadium's concourse long after the players had retreated to the dressing room, they flew flags, swung scarves, and recorded everything for posterity on their phones. All while chanting in perfect Nashville harmony: 'Hatto City'.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Dortmund through to Club World Cup last 16, Fluminense deny Sundowns
A solitary first-half goal by Daniel Svensson gave Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win against Ulsan HD on Wednesday as the Germans secured a place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup. Dortmund's second straight victory by a one-goal margin, following their 4-3 defeat of Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, was watched by only just over 8,000 spectators in Cincinnati, among them US Vice-President JD Vance and Fifa chief Gianni Infantino. It means Dortmund qualify for the last 16 as winners of Group F, while Fluminense go through behind them in second after holding off Sundowns in a goalless stalemate played at the same time in Miami. "We can be satisfied. I think our performance was better than in the first two matches," said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. He has spoken regularly at the tournament about the difficulties posed by the searing June heat in the United States, and this was another game played in sweltering mid-afternoon conditions. "We keep saying the same thing. What the boys are doing is incredible. Thirty-six degrees Celsius and 43 degrees in the stadium. This is incredible," Kovac said. "Even if you just stand around it can get very taxing but I think they are doing a great job. Now we have a day off and I hope the players recover for the next match." Kovac only made two changes to his starting line-up as Karim Adeyemi and Julian Ryerson came in, while Jobe Bellingham kept his place in the team. The Bundesliga giants should have won by a greater margin on another hot day in Cincinnati, but Serhou Guirassy was denied by a good Jo Hyeon-woo save on 27 minutes. Bellingham then fizzed a volley just over from an Adeyemi cross moments later, but the crucial goal arrived on 36 minutes — soft defending by Ulsan saw the Koreans lose possession on the edge of their own box before Bellingham teed up Svensson and the Swede fired in low on his left foot. Guirassy, who has had a prolific season, should have scored in first-half stoppage time with a header from close range which was straight at the goalkeeper. Sun sets on Mamelodi campaign Dortmund's Gregor Kobel was then called into action on the hour mark to deny Lee Jin-hyun, while Yan Couto came close to making it 2-0 late on. Kovac's team will now play their last-16 tie in Atlanta next Tuesday and will find out the identity of their opponents later on Wednesday when Group E concludes. "Now we have to leave everything on the pitch. The stakes are high. It is about prestige and money. I think we will see an increase in quality," said Kovac. Ulsan go home with three defeats from three games, while Fluminense are through, meaning all four Brazilian teams in the competition have progressed to the knockout phase. Conditions were also tough in Miami, where captain Jhon Arias flashed a shot across the face of goal and wide for Fluminense late in the first half. German Cano came close for the Rio de Janeiro side after the break, while Sundowns enjoyed more of the possession over the 90 minutes but could not get the win they needed to progress in front of a crowd of 14,312. Their exit means none of the four African clubs who came to the tournament will feature in the last 16, but Sundowns' performances mean they can go home with their heads held high. "We are not happy. We had a clear objective in this match, but I am very proud of the level the players performed at," said the South African champions' coach, Miguel Cardoso. "We leave and go home with our heads up because we are much stronger than we were when we came here."
