Category sport-news

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a gritty 111-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers that leveled the NBA Finals at two games apiece on Friday.

Frustrated for much of the game by Indiana’s relentless defense, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander found a way to fight through.

He followed a three-pointer with a pull-up jumper to give the Thunder their first lead since the first half with 2:23 remaining.

They wouldn’t trail again. Gilgeous-Alexander, who didn’t get to the free-throw line in the first half, added six free-throws in the final 44 seconds.

“It’s a dog fight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after another intense, physical battle between the two teams. “Every time you step on the floor, on both ends of the floor they make you work.”

Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 15 rebounds and Alex Caruso chipped in with 20 points off the bench for the Thunder.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points to lead Indiana, adding eight rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points, Obi Toppin added 17 off the bench and the Pacers led by 10 late in the third quarter.

But Oklahoma City — who dropped back-to-back games just twice this season and haven’t lost consecutive games in the playoffs — clamped down defensively in the fourth, determined not to fall in a 3-1 hole.

“We knew it when we woke up this morning — 3-1 is a lot different than 2-2 going back home,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We played with desperation to the end the game and that’s why we won.”

Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder must “maintain the same desperation” when they host game five on Monday.

The Thunder are seeking their first title since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, having won it all in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Pacers, chasing their first NBA title, struck first in another fast-paced opening quarter in front of their energised fans, making four of their first five shots and building a nine-point lead midway through the opening period.

Oklahoma hit back, putting together a 9-0 run to tie it, but the Pacers — with a strong defensive effort on Gilgeous-Alexander and four steals from Pascal Siakam — emerged from the first period with a 35-34 lead.

The back and forth battle continued in the second, when Oklahoma City led by as many as six but could never pull away and Haliburton converted a three-point play — driving through traffic for a layup and making the free throw, his first of the series — to put Indiana up 60-57 at halftime.

By then, tensions had already ratcheted up. Toppin was assessed a flagrant foul for a check that sent Alex Caruso sprawling under the basket.

Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein confronted Toppin and both received technical fouls.

‘Unreal’ Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort was later assessed a flagrant foul for swiping an arm over Toppin’s head.

Toppin gave Indiana the first double-digit lead of the game with a dunk that put them up 86-76 late in the third.

But the Thunder dug deep, tying it up four times in the fourth quarter before Gilgeous-Alexander came through.

“You’re up seven at home you’ve got to dig in and find a way and we were not able to do it tonight,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “But give them credit. They kept attacking, kept attacking, and their defense was great down the stretch.”

Oklahoma City closed the game on a 12-1 scoring run, and Gilgeous-Alexander was the driving force.

“He’s unreal,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, although Caruso said nothing Gilgeous-Alexander does surprises him anymore.

David Beckham’s knighthood is the culmination of years of tireless efforts to transcend football and turn himself into a global icon at the “intersection of sport, fashion and business.”

He had long dreamed of becoming a sir and King Charles III made it a reality when he announced his birthday’s honours list on Friday, marking the end of a decades-long journey travelled with his Spice Girl wife Victoria, creator of the eponymous fashion brand.

The honour, one of the highest bestowed by the UK state, “is a powerful symbolic marker”, Marie Agnes Parmentier, professor of marketing at the University of Montreal and author of several papers on “Posh and Becks”, explained to AFP.

It “reinforces his image as a respectable, committed, and, first and foremost, British man,” she added.

READ ALSO: Five Things To Look Out For As Club World Cup Kicks Off

The knighthood could present new opportunities for the 50-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, “particularly in diplomatic, charitable or political spheres”, said Parmentier.

The former free-kick ace, from a modest East London background, diversified his career after retiring from football in 2013, but success was the result of planning long before he hung up his boots.

“I knew my career was going to end at some point and I wanted to have a career after football,” he said in the documentary series “Beckham”, which aired on Netflix in 2023.

Pioneer

At the height of his football career, Beckham was signing deals with top clothing and beauty brands, building an audience that cut across gender, age and nationality — becoming the first England player to crack the US market.

The successful brand was built on his always immaculate appearance and nearly-always exemplary off-field behaviour, coupled with an unwavering drive to become a pioneer.

This required a certain amount of courage, given that English football in the 1990s was generally the preserve of no-nonsense lads more interested in the pub than the catwalk.

His appearance in a sarong during the 1998 World Cup, revelations that he used make-up, and his eccentric hairstyles were all feverishly gobbled up by the UK’s tabloid press.

Beckham is still capitalising on the fascination, almost 30 years later.

He unveiled his first collection for Hugo Boss in April, is the founder of the Inter Miami football club and the “Studio 99” production company, and has been a UNICEF ambassador for 20 years.

He is now best known not for football, “but for being Beckham, the brand”, said sociologist Ellis Cashmore.

It is a brand worth £500 million ($676 million), according to The Times newspaper’s 2025 ranking.

From Outcast to Hero

The Netflix show exposed the couple to an emerging younger audience, cementing their fame for the foreseeable future.

Beckham “embodies a celebrity at the intersection of sport, fashion, entertainment and business,” explained Parmentier.

The couple’s enduring visibility “is based on a sophisticated media strategy and an ability to embody universal values such as work, family and style,” she added.

But it has been a long and bumpy road, Cashmore pointed out.

In 1998, Beckham was called the most hated man in England after he petulantly kicked out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone during their World Cup round of 16 game.

Beckham was harshly sent off and England lost to their bitter rivals in a penalty shoot-out. Those who had bitten their tongue about his off-field flamboyance gave full vent to their feelings.

National headlines the next day included “10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy” (Daily Mirror) and “You’re Just A Joke Becks” (Daily Mail).

Months of “hell” followed, with death threats, spitting and boos accompanying Beckham wherever he went.

“Wherever I went I got abused, every single day,” he said.

“I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme. The whole country hated me.”

But the ordeal only sharpened Beckham’s focus.

A year later, he finished second in the Ballon d’Or as he helped Manchester United claim an unprecedented treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

It was often said that Beckham’s career seemed to be scripted by a movie writer, never more so than when the fallen idol took his revenge by scoring the winning goal against perennial rivals Argentina in the 2002 World Cup, redeeming his national hero status.

The royal family were quick to embrace him, inviting Beckham to the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.

Previous rumours of an impending knighthood came to nothing, but his star once again rose in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

While other celebrities came under fire for skipping the queue to view her coffin, Beckham lined up with members of the public for almost 12 hours to pay his respects.

Kevin De Bruyne has signed for Napoli as a free agent after being released by Manchester City, the Serie A champions’ president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed on Thursday.

Film mogul De Laurentiis posted a picture of himself shaking hands with De Bruyne on social media with the message “welcome Kevin!”

Belgium midfielder De Bruyne has reportedly signed a two-year deal with an option for a third at Napoli, where he will join up with international teammate Romelu Lukaku and former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

The 33-year-old left City at the end of this past season after a trophy-packed decade in Manchester, where under Pepe Guardiola he won six Premier League titles and in 2023 the Champions League.

READ ALSO: Man City Sign Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders From AC Milan

He has however suffered from a series of physical problems in recent seasons, with two hamstring injuries causing him to miss significant chunks of the last two campaigns.

Napoli have brought in one of Europe’s top midfielders as the Italians try to bolster a squad which next season will defend the Scudetto while also having the extra fixture pressure of the expanded Champions League.

Antonio Conte’s Napoli beat Inter Milan to the Serie A title on the final day of the season, their second league crown in three years.

But they had no European football clogging up their calendar, unlike Inter who got to the Champions League final only to be thumped 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain.

Brazil booked their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America on Tuesday with a lackluster 1-0 home victory over Paraguay, the first win of Carlo Ancelotti’s reign.

The five-time world champions punched their ticket to the finals in Canada, the United States and Mexico thanks to Vinicius Jr.

The Real Madrid star poked in from close range in the 44th minute in Sao Paulo after a cross from new Manchester United signing Matheus Cunha.

It was the perfect gift for the Italian Ancelotti on his 66th birthday, having seen his new side held 0-0 by Ecuador last week in his first game as coach.

Former Real Madrid boss Ancelotti praised his team’s “commitment” and “attitude”.

“It was a good match with a very good first half, although obviously we suffered a bit because Paraguay are very solid opponents and we slowed down a bit in the second,” he said.

Uruguay’s 2-0 win over Venezuela in Montevideo had raised the prospect of qualification for both Brazil and Paraguay at Corinthians Arena.

Paraguay needed only a point to qualify while Brazil knew they could advance with a win.

In the event it was Brazil who seized the opportunity presented by Venezuela’s loss with Vinicius scoring the only goal just before half-time.

Brazil had struggled to create many chances up until that point, with Cunha squandering a golden chance in the 35th minute after heading wide from point-blank range.

Cunha made up for it with a key part in the goal, capitalizing on good work from Raphinha to dart into the box and whip in a low cross for Vinicius, who stabbed home the finish.

The win lifted Brazil into third place in the South American standings with 25 points from 16 games, guaranteeing them a top-six finish and an automatic qualifying berth.

Looking ahead to next summer, Ancelotti said he had “a very long list” of 70 players in mind, including Neymar, who was missing with injury.

He added: “I really liked those who were with me in this squad for their commitment, their attitude, and the atmosphere.”

The defeat left Paraguay with 24 points, meaning they need one point to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2010.

Ecuador book place 

Surprise package Ecuador joined Brazil by sealing qualification with a point following a 0-0 draw with Peru in Lima.

In other games, Uruguay edged closer to qualification with their win over Venezuela while Chile were eliminated with defeat to Bolivia.

Goals from Rodrigo Aguirre and Giorgian de Arrascaeta secured all three points for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay to leave the two-time world champions firmly on course for a place in next year’s finals.

Like Paraguay, Uruguay need only a point from their final two games to qualify.

Venezuela, who are bidding to reach the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history, are seventh with 18 points from 16 games.

Argentina, who have already qualified, came from behind to frustrate Colombia with a 1-1 draw in Buenos Aires.

Liverpool star Luis Diaz fired Colombia into the lead with a superb 24th minute goal, and the Colombians were given a further boost midway through the second half when the world champions were reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez’s dismissal.

But Colombia’s hopes of a vital win were dashed nine minutes from time when Thiago Almada weaved into the box and found the target to level.

The top six finishers in South America qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed team advancing to an intercontinental playoff.

Bolivia defeated Chile 2-0 to end the former South American champions’ hopes of qualification.

It is the third straight World Cup that Chile have missed out on.

The loss continues a dramatic fall from grace for “La Roja”, who won back-to-back Copa Americas in 2015 and 2016.