6 September 10, 2020 LeBron, Rondo Spark Lakers to Ronaldo Nets 100th International 112-102 Victory Over Rockets Goal to Join Iran’s Ali Daei STOCKHOLM (Dispatches) - Cristiano Ronaldo rattled home a superb first-half free kick to become only the second male player to score 100 international goals as Portugal outclassed 10-man Sweden 2-0 in their Nations League A Group 3 game on Tuesday. Portugal’s captain scored with a dipping set-piece effort just be- fore halftime to join Ali Daei, who netted 109 times for Iran, on a century of goals. The 35-year-old was a constant threat to Sweden’s back line in the early exchanges, hanging on the shoulder of the last defender before bursting forward to beat the offside trap, but Sweden goal- keeper Robin Olsen was equal to the task. Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (23) drives to the basket past Houston Rockets’ That all changed when Gustav Svensson received his second yel- Robert Covington (33) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff low card and was sent packing after a reckless challenge on Joao basketball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Moutinho on the edge of his own box just before halftime. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) -- ket during that stretch. Ronaldo stepped up and smashed a dipping effort beyond the de- LeBron James added another record to Anthony Davis had 26 points and his resume as he continues his chase for Kyle Kuzma added 14. James Harden spairing dive of Olsen and just under the crossbar before breaking a fourth career title. scored 33 points and Russell West- into a wide smile as he celebrated with his team mates. Nobody has played in as many NBA brook had 30 for the Rockets. playoff victories. Rockets forward Robert Covington James scored 36 points, Rajon Rondo was taken to the locker room after col- sparked a fourth-quarter rally and the liding with Davis in the fourth quarter. Osaka Beats Rogers to Reach U.S. Open Semis Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston The left side of Covington’s face hit Rockets 112-102 on Tuesday night to Davis’ right arm, while Covington’s and into the semi-finals of the beaten her and those memories take a 2-1 lead in their Western Confer- left elbow hit Davis’ right side. U.S. Open as the Japanese contin- are stuck in my head,” said the ence playoff series. Houston coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t ues her quest for a second title at 22-year-old Osaka, who last The triumph gave James his NBA- have an update on Covington after the Flushing Meadows. faced Rogers in 2017. record 162nd postseason victory, sur- game. Osaka, who was 0-3 lifetime Osaka once again had tape passing former Lakers guard Derek The game featured 16 lead changes against Rogers coming into the wrapped around her left thigh Fisher’s 161. and 15 ties, with neither team pulling James had seven rebounds, five as- ahead by more than six points until the match, broke at love to take a 5-3 but said it was just as a precau- sists and four blocks as he helped Lakers took control late. lead in the first set where Rogers tion. lead the Lakers’ second-half defensive Rondo assisted on a layup by James hit 16 unforced errors to Osaka’s Despite the loss Rogers will surge. The Rockets had 64 points at that put the Lakers ahead with about five and held serve to claim the hold her head high after the halftime but were held to 38 the rest 10 minutes remaining. Rondo then hit set. 27-year-old saved four match of the way. a 3-pointer to give the Lakers an 89- The fourth seeded Osaka broke points to defeat Petra Kvitova to James reached the milestone with 85 advantage, their largest lead to that again early in the second set for a reach her first U.S. Open quar- plenty of help from Rondo, who be- point. 2-1 lead and sealed the win when ter-final. came the first player to have at least After a Houston timeout, Westbrook 12 points and five assists in the fourth missed a shot and Rondo sank another Rogers dumped a forehand into Next up for Osaka is in-form quarter of a playoff game since James 3. Rondo then stole the ball from Hard- the net on match point for her American Jennifer Brady, who Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York for the Cleveland Cavaliers on April en and made a layup to cap the 10-0 28th unforced error. beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putint- 22, 2010, according to STATS. run. NEW YORK (Reuters) -Naomi rior return game helped her past “Honestly, I felt like she had seva in straight sets earlier in the Rondo finished with 21 points and LA controlled the final period for Osaka’s sharp serving and supe- American Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-4 the upper hand because I’d never day. nine assists. He scored eight straight the second straight game. The Lakers points during a 10-0 run early in the blew a 21-point lead in Game 2 but period that put the Lakers ahead for outscored Houston by 10 in the fourth Denmark Hold England in Goalless Stalemate good. Rondo assisted on the other bas- quarter to win 117-109. COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - England were held to a 0-0 draw by Denmark in an uninspiring Nations League match at the Parken Stadium on Tuesday as Bennett Claims First Tour de France Gareth Southgate’s side concluded a troubled international break. England were without Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden, who returned Stage Win, Roglic Retains Overall Lead home following Saturday’s win in Iceland after breaking COVID restric- tions. Southgate was already without centre-half Harry Maguire who was in- volved in a fracas on holiday in Greece before the squad gathered for the games. The only positives for England from these two games was the fact that they return home unbeaten, having given debuts to four more players on Tuesday. Defender Conor Coady of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips made their debuts from the start, while Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles came on for their first England appearances. But it was the hosts who had the best chances in the League A Group 2 England’s midfielder Eric Dier, left, passes the ball to England’s midfielder match with Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen involved on both oc- Phil Foden during the UEFA Nations League football match between Ice- Stage winner Team Deceuninck rider Ireland’s Sam Bennett cel- casions. land v England on Sept 5, 2020 in Reykjavik. ebrates as he crosses the finish line at the end of the 10th stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 170 km between Le Chateau d’Oleron and Saint Martin de Re, on Sept 8, 2020. Iran’s Aliakbari to Fight Russian Heavyweight in Singapore PARIS (Xinhua) -- Ireland’s Sam nett said after the race, during which TEHRAN (Dispatches) – The hands and dominant ground Bennet has edged out Australia’s Ca- the 29-year-old collected 65 sprint leb Ewan and Slovakia’s Peter Sagan points to clinch the green jersey Iranian mixed martial artist Amir game. in a sprint finish to claim his first from Slovakia’s Peter Sagan. Aliakbari is set to take on the Rus- The 32-year-old holds a profes- stage win on the Tour de France, as Slovenia’s Roglic arrived with the sian heavyweight Anatoly Malykh- sional MMA record of 10 wins Primoz Roglic defended his yellow leading group to remain 21 seconds in at the ONE Championship in and 0 loss. jersey after the 168.5 ride from Ile ahead of defending champion Egan Singapore on October 30. Before joining ONE Champi- d’Oleron Le Chatea-d’Oleron to Ile Bernal on the overall standings. Aliakbari, who joined ONE onship, the Iranian MMA fighter de Re Saint-Martin-de-Re. Only a couple of hours before the Championship’s heavyweight competed in Full Metal Dojo, Bennett became the sixth Irish- race started on Tuesday, the Tour division last month, will debut in Real Fight Championship, RIZIN man to win a stage at the Tour and organizers announced that all the ensured he now has stage wins at riders’ tests returned negative but the event at the end of October Fighting Federation and Absolute all three of cycling’s Grand Tours. race director Christian Prudhomme against Malykhin who has de- Championship Akhmat. He won three at the Giro d’Italia in tested positive along with four staff feated his 8 previous rivals. ONE Championship is a Sin- 2018 and two at the Vuelta a Espana members from four different teams. A former Iranian Greco-Roman gapore-based mixed martial arts, in 2019. All five infected people have been Wrestling World Champion, Muay Thai, and kickboxing pro- “You dream of it and never think dropped from the race bubble and Aliakbari is known for his heavy motion launched in 2011. it will happen,” an emotional Ben- been put in medical quarantine..