LOS ANGELES, United States – The Boston Celtics crushed the Miami Heat 118-84 to complete an emphatic 4-1 series victory Wednesday and book their place in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The postseason top seeds – upset by Miami in last year’s Eastern Conference finals – avenged that loss in spectacular fashion with a one-sided wire-to-wire rout at the TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 25 points apiece to lead Boston, who barely noticed the absence of the injured Kristaps Porzingis.
The Celtics threw down the gauntlet in the first quarter, racking up a whopping 41 points to open up a commanding 18-point advantage.
They extended that lead to 22 points by half-time, and kept up the pressure in the third quarter to lead 98-66 heading into the final frame.
Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla could afford to rest his frontline players for the fourth with the game effectively won against an injury-hit Miami team missing Jimmy Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Mazzulla said meanwhile the Celtics had not been thinking about last year’s series loss to Miami in this season’s playoff showdown.
Boston will now face either the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers or fifth seeds Orlando in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Cleveland lead that series 3-2.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani speaks with reporters before a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Washington.
AP
11:10 JST, May 1, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s 450-foot home run on Tuesday night at Nationals Park was the hardest hit of his career.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star’s ninth-inning shot to the second deck in right field off Washington Nationals reliever Matt Barnes in the Dodgers 4-1 win left his bat at 118.7 mph.
“I thought I hit it really good,” Ohtani said Wednesday through his interpreter, Will Ireton. “I felt really good about it. Probably the best.”
It is the hardest-hit home run by a Dodger in the Statcast era, which began in 2015. The designated hitter leads the majors in batting average (.364), slugging percentage (.677) and OPS (1.107). He now has six home runs in his first 25 games with Los Angeles since signing a 10-year, $700 million contract.
Tuesday’s shot might have drawn more attention than most of Ohtani’s homers, but his typical contact stands out to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
“With Shohei, it’s not just the slug, it’s how hard he consistently hits the baseball,” Roberts said. “I can’t imagine a player hitting it that often, that hard consistently. That’s what’s remarkable to me. Even in years past, I would see him get some infield hits, but everything he hits, it seems like it’s 110 off the bat.”
Roberts said Ohtani was “in a class by himself” because of his ability to defend the strike zone from top to bottom and front to back while also slugging at a high rate.
“What he’s doing right now, I can’t say it’s never been done, but just the controlling of the strike zone, covering all the pitches, hitting to all the fields, versus left, versus right — and I get the best seat in the house every night,” Roberts said. “I have a tendency to put my fan hat on at times.”
Washington is the first stop in a three-city road trip for Los Angeles, which visits Toronto for a three-game series starting Friday.
It will be Ohtani’s first trip to the city since meeting with Blue Jays officials when he was a free agent during the offseason. Before he signed with the Dodgers, there were false reports about him being on a flight to Toronto.
“I was just following the news and I knew I wasn’t on that flight,” Ohtani said. “So I was curious, too.”
Neak Oknha Kith Meng and his wife donated $100,000 to Kantha Bopha Hospital through the humanitarian football match of Cambodia Football Super Stars led by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate, at the National Olympic Stadium on May 1, 2024.
As the head coach and team leader, Hun Sen will lead two humanitarian football matches at the National Olympic Stadium, one between Vloggers All Stars and S&E All Stars and another between CFSS and Kun Khmer All Stars. The game will be played under the theme, “Together for charity and against drugs” in order to raise funds for Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital.
With the announcement of the humanitarian football match, Mr. Hun Sen also called on the public to take part and come out in large numbers to promote the humanitarian movement and the fight against drugs.
He also called on philanthropists to contribute funds to help Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital, which is a large complex of hospitals in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap that specialise in the treatment of Cambodian children and infants.
The amount of $50.000 has been donated in advance by Mr. Hun Sen and his wife, Bun Rany.
South Korea lost to Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation(AFC) U-23 Asian Cup, failing to secure a ticket to the Paris Olympics.
Team Korea, led by head coach Hwang Sun-hong, fell to Indonesia 11-10 in a marathon penalty shootout after drawing 2-2 after 120 minutes in the match at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Thursday.
South Korea attempted to advance to the Olympic finals for the tenth consecutive time, but ended up achieving the feat only nine consecutive times.
It’s the first time in 40 years that the country failed to reach the Olympics since the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.
It’s also the first time that the country’s U-23 national team lost to Indonesia.
This tournament doubles as the AFC qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympics. The top three teams — the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match — will earn their spots in the Olympics, while the fourth-placed team will be decided in an intercontinental playoff match.
On April 16th, the Los Angeles Dodgers versus Washington Nationals game was held under the theme "HELLO KITTY NIGHT." On this day, Hello Kitty, the iconic character from Sanrio, donned a Dodgers uniform with the number 74 to throw the first pitch. The catcher was pitcher Yushin Yamamoto, and the event received a tremendous applause from the audience.
During the pre-game ceremony, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty, YOSHIKI, who composed the global theme song, performed the American national anthem on the piano. This event showcased a gathering of stars from Japan, transcending genres and vibrating with energy on the world's grandest stage.
នៅថ្ងៃទី១៦ ខែមេសា ការប្រកួតរវាងក្រុម Los Angeles Dodgers និង Washington Nationals ត្រូវបានរៀបចំក្រោមប្រធានបទ "HELLO KITTY NIGHT"។ នៅថ្ងៃនេះ Hello Kitty តួអង្គដ៏ល្បីរបស់ Sanrio បានពាក់ឯកសណ្ឋានក្រុម Dodgers ដែលមានលេខ៧៤ ហើយបានធ្វើការចាប់ផ្តើមការប្រកួត។ អ្នកចាប់បាល់គឺជាកីឡាករបោះបាល់ Yushin Yamamoto ហើយព្រឹត្តិការណ៍នេះបានទទួលការសរសើរយ៉ាងខ្លាំងពីទស្សនិកជន។
PHNOM PENH – Cambodian fighters are to show their skills and promote Khmer martial arts as the country hosts the Asian Mixed Martial Art Championship in July.
The 2nd Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship 2024 will take place from the 11th to the 13th, organized by the Cambodian Mixed Martial Arts Federation.
The tournament also serves as a qualification round for the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games 2021 hosted by Thailand at the end of the year. The games have been delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal secretary-general Chim Theara said most of the 45 Asian countries will take part.
“We know that this tournament will be attended by many countries because it is not only the Asian Championships but also the most important event to qualify for the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games 2021 at the end of 2024, which is a major Asian multi-sport and multi-disciplinary event with 45 participating countries,” he said.
He said the Mixed Martial Art Federation and Olympic Council of Asia acknowledged Cambodia’s potential to host such an international tournament along with the diversity of martial arts such as UNESCO-listed kun bokator and kun Khmer.
Hosting the championship is also an opportunity for Cambodian MMA to show the local potential of this sport while promoting Khmer martial arts to be include in the games.
“First of all, we aim to spread mixed martial arts to the Cambodian people. Secondly, we want to promote Khmer martial arts to the world, proving that our martial arts also have potential and techniques and can compete with other martial arts within the framework of international mixed martial arts,” he said.
Cambodian athletes bagged two bronze medals at the first championship in 2023 hosted by Thailand.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this article was translated by Torn Chanritheara for Cambodianess.
Louis Vuitton has unveiled specially crafted medal and torch trunks for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. For this pinnacle of global sports events, the brand has utilized traditional craftsmanship to design and produce two medal trunks and two torch trunks. These trunks will play a significant role in iconic moments of Paris 2024, accompanying the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays and displaying medals in the Champions Park.
The medal trunks are covered in Louis Vuitton's iconic Monogram canvas and finished with brass corner fittings and locks used in the brand’s trunks since the 1850s. The central section, inspired by the Malle Courrier design, features two hinged wings that open to reveal specially designed drawers capable of holding 468 medals.
The interior of the trunks is lined with black matte leather, also used for the drawer handles, and is subtly embossed with the logo, along with the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics logos applied through serigraphy. Louis Vuitton's initiative represents a fusion of tradition and innovation, showcasing the artistic craftsmanship of the brand.
Cambodia’s senior national football team fell 2-0 against Equatorial Guinea in the first of two FIFA Series matches on Saturday at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Cambodia, popularly referred to as “Kouprey”, faced Equatorial Guinea from Africa at 2am local time.
The Kouprey struggled to compete against a team ranked a hundred places higher, conceding two goals in the first half. Equatorial Guinea’s first goal came just nine minutes into the game, when left winger Joan Lopez made a brilliant solo move breezing by three Cambodian players – Yudai Ogawa, Chea Chandara and Sin Sophanat – before scoring with his left foot. Cambodia’s goalie Hul Kimhuy tried to save, but the ball was too quick.
Cambodia sought to make the most of their limited chances when Equatorial Guinea accidentally relinquished possession. Halfway through the first half midfielder Yudai sent a long ball to forward Mat Noron, who was well-positioned to receive it. Noron then skipped past an Equatorial Guinea player, but ran into Cosme Ebang, captain of Equatorial Guinea, who snagged the ball to clear it away.
Equatorial Guinea, nicknamed “National Thunder”, scored their second goal in the 35th minute.
Joan Lopez, who scored the opener, assisted from the left side. Lopez sent the ball into the box to find midfielder Basilio Socoliche who used his left foot to place the ball squarely into the net.
Second half play was no different than the first as the National Thunder continued to dominate the game, putting pressure on Kouprey. Equatorial Guinea produced more good opportunities with more shots on goal. However, they were all blocked by goalie Hul Kimhuy.
Cambodia’s first on-target attempt came in the 80th minute from replacement striker Phan Sophen. He used his left foot to fire a powerful shot but the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper caught it.
Even though Cambodia did not win, many Cambodian football supporters were pleased with the team, citing their improved performance. However, fans hope they can improve their scoring skill, which many say is still the biggest issue holding back the national team.
Cambodia is set to play one more encounter on Wednesday at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium against Guyana, a squad from FIFA’s North, Central America, and Caribbean zone. Guyana ranks 157th in FIFA’s world standings, above Cambodia at 179th.
FIFA said that its new Series was organised to provide more opportunities for international football clubs to meet outside regular regional tournaments and World Cup qualification schedule.
FIFA wants to promote competition between international teams to encourage more comprehensive development for football worldwide.
The inaugural edition of the new FIFA Series features twenty national football teams competing in four venues spanning three continents. Following the international match calendar, the FIFA Series is scheduled to run biennially during March of every even year.
Baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani's long-time interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers after allegations of theft connected to illegal gambling.
According to ESPN, at least $4.5m (£3.5m) was transferred from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaker. Ohtani is not accused of wrongdoing.
Mr Mizuhara spoke to the sports network about his gambling debts on Tuesday.
The team's senior communications director has told the BBC that they are gathering information and that they "can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated".
ESPN has said it reviewed bank information showing Ohtani's name on two $500,000 payments, one sent in September and the other in October, to a bookmaking operation run by Mathew Bowyer.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Bowyer was investigated by a prosecution team targeting a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting scheme but was not charged with a crime.
Sports betting is legal in 38 states in America but it remains illegal in California.
Major League Baseball has its own policy that bans "any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee" from betting on any baseball game and placing bets with illegal bookmakers.
It is not known whether any of Mr Mizuhara's sports gambling involved baseball games. No one has alleged that Ohtani placed any bets.
Mr Mizuhara reportedly said in his interview with ESPN that he had asked the baseball star for help with his gambling debts.
"Obviously, [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Mr Mizuhara reportedly said.
"I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."
A spokesman for Ohtani initially told ESPN that the former Los Angeles Angels star had transferred funds to cover his interpreter's gambling debts but he has since recanted this account.
Mr Mizuhara himself has reportedly changed his story, now saying that Ohtani did not know about the gambling debts and did not transfer the money.
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom – Bernardo Silva scored twice as Manchester City beat Newcastle 2-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, while Coventry struck twice in stoppage time to stun Wolves 3-2.
Holders City remain on course to repeat their treble triumph of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup last season as Pep Guardiola’s men stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 22 games.
Fortune favoured the English champions, though, as twice Silva’s shots took deflections to wrong-foot Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The Portuguese international opened the scoring on 13 minutes when his effort looped in off Dan Burn.
Silva’s second deflected off Sven Botman, but Dubravka should still have done better as the ball trickled underneath him.
At the other end, City’s number one goalkeeper Ederson was not missed as Stefan Ortega produced a brilliant save to deny Alexander Isak pulling a goal back for Newcastle.
Dubravka made amends for his earlier error with fine saves from Jeremy Doku either side of half-time to keep the score down.
But it was too little, too late for Newcastle’s hopes of silverware this season as the Magpies remain without a major trophy since 1969.
City are the first side to ever reach the FA Cup semi-finals in six consecutive seasons.
“I know we play to win the finals, but to win it, you have to win the earlier rounds,” said Guardiola.
“To run and play the way they did is incredible. Congratulations to the team, no one has done that before.”
By contrast, Coventry reached their first semi-final since they won the competition for the only time in 1987 in a five-goal thriller at Molineux.
The Sky Blues led early in the second half through Ellis Simms’ controversial opener after a VAR check for potential handball by the Coventry striker.
But the Championship side looked to have blown their chance to reach Wembley when Wolves themselves scored twice in the final seven minutes of the 90.
Rayan Ait-Nouri pounced on an error from Joel Latibeaudiere to smash home the equaliser and then set up his fellow left-back Hugo Bueno to fire into the bottom corner for his first senior goal.
However, Simms’ second goal of the match levelled in the 97th minute before he teed up American international Haji Wright to fire into the corner three minutes later.
The drama did not end there as Wolves boss Gary O’Neil labelled Coventry manager Mark Robins’ celebrations in the face of a teenage ball boy “disgusting”.
Robins apologised after being riled by the ball boy’s attempts to waste time late in the game.
A founder member of the Premier League, Coventry sank from the top down to the fourth tier of English football as recently as the 2017/18 season.
But they have achieved two promotions under Robins and narrowly missed out on a return to the Premier League last season, losing the Championship playoff final to Luton on penalties.
Wembley awaits once more in the last four, but Robins is realistic of his side’s chances of glory with the likes of City or Liverpool potentially waiting in the semis.
“We have got a small chance. We are going to Wembley and we are going to enjoy that game,” added Robins.
Liverpool travel to Manchester United in the pick of Sunday’s quarter-final ties, while Chelsea host Leicester.
