Socceroos striker Kusini Yengi is awaiting scan results after missing Portsmouth’s 2-2 draw with Swansea in the Championship with a knee injury.
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Portsmouth claim Yengi suffered the injury while on international duty with Australia over the last fortnight.
“He picked up an injury during the game when Australia played Bahrain,” Portsmouth manager John Mousinho said prior to his sides latest outing.
It’s unclear at this stage how bad the injury is or how long Yengi will be sidelined for.
The revelation comes as a slight shock given the 25-year-old played the entirety of the contest in Riffa and scored both goals, as it finished 2-2.
Mousinho said Yengi picked up the injury “just before half-time.”
“His knee was slightly swollen,” Mousinho added.
“He was scanned on Friday afternoon. So, we’re just awaiting the final scan results and for him to see a specialist.
“With knees, ankles and hips we’re always really wary.”
It has been a stop-start season for the forward.
He missed Pompey’s first two matches of the Championship campaign with a groin injury before being sidelined just two games into his comeback for a further five fixtures with the same complaint.
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Yengi had just come off a run of six games in four weeks prior to linking up with the Socceroos in Melbourne.
He came on as a late substitute in a scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia in the Victorian capital before the side flew out to Bahrain.
“Any injury is frustrating for us,” Mousinho said.
“People do pick up injuries on international breaks. It’s probably one of the reasons why certain players don’t necessarily want to go on international duty.
“We’re not one of those clubs. I want players to go away and play and represent their countries and I think it’s a really proud moment for anybody connected with Portsmouth when they do that.
“It does come with a slight risk and unfortunately (Kusini) has ended up picking up an injury.”
Any absence isn’t of immediate concern for the Socceroos.
Roar & Macarthur duel ends in 4-4 draw | 02:04
Tony Popovic’s side isn’t back in action until they face Indonesia and China in two must-win World Cup qualifiers in March.
While Yengi has made a bright start to life for the national team, scoring six goals in 11 games, the interrupted nature of his season has impacted his output for Portsmouth. He’s yet to find the back of the net in the Championship after scoring 13-goals in 31 appearances in all competitions last season, while they were in League One, following a move from the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League.
Injuries continue to trouble the Matildas ahead of their Paris Olympic Games opener against Germany in less than two weeks, with key forward Caitlin Foord a late withdrawal from Australia’s 2-1 loss in its warm-up clash against Canada.
Having already announced last week that captain Steph Catley and Kaitlyn Torpey would miss the game against the Canadians due to lower leg injuries, the Matildas suffered another blow pre-match when Arsenal star Foord withdrew from Sunday morning’s contest after experiencing tightness in her quad.
Others who weren’t considered for selection for the game played at the Matildas training base in Marbella, Spain were Brisbane Roar’s Tameka Yallop, who suffered what was described as a “minor impact” leg injury at training, and back-up goalkeeper Teagan Micah, who continues to recover from an ankle injury she suffered in May while on duty for her club Liverpool.
“You always want to have all your players fit and in form … (but) sometimes it’s a challenge,” Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said.
“I’ve also been around long enough to know that the only thing that we can focus on is what we can control.
“Caitlin felt something in the warm-up, and I said `let’s play it safe’.”
In the absence of Foord, Yallop’s Roar teammate Sharn Freier, who had originally been named among the substitutes, was called into the starting side, and made the most of her opportunity by scoring in the 24th minute to give the Matildas the lead after being fed by playmaker Mary Fowler.
Sharn Freier (right) scored Australia’s only goal in the Matildas’ 2-1 loss to Canada. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
However, it was a goal that came against the run of play, with the Canadians having been the better team in the first half.
Gustavsson wouldn’t have been happy with the Matildas’ sloppiness in possession particularly when faced with Canada’s pressing tactics.
It was also an error from Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold that gifted the Canadians an equaliser in the 41st minute.
Arnold fumbled a cross from Cloe Lacasse, with Nichelle Prince pouncing on the loose ball to level the scores.
The Matildas made a host of changes at the start of the second-half, with Charlotte Grant, Clare Polkinghorne, Emily van Egmond, Michelle Heyman and Courtney Nevin entering the contest.
The five players replaced were right-back Ellie Carpenter – who had worn the captain’s armband in the absence of Catley – central defender Alanna Kennedy, midfielder Katrina Gorry and attacking weapons Hayley Raso and Cortnee Vine.
Winonah Heatley also came on later in the half for centre-back Clare Hunt.
Despite the changes, the Canadians continued to assert their superiority, leading to the game’s winning goal in the 85th minute from substitute Evelyne Viens.
Gustavsson said his side’s error-ridden display was partly due to a heavy training load in camp.
He was more concerned about Australia’s creativity in attack.
“I don’t think we created enough. We normally create a lot of chances when we play,” Gustavsson said.
“I want to create more. I want to attack.”
The Matildas are set to relocate to France later this week ahead of the opening match of their Olympic Games campaign against Germany in Marseille on July 26 (AEST).
The Los Angeles Lakers have booked their spot in the NBA playoffs, setting up a Western Conference Finals rematch with the reigning champions Denver after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106 in the play-in tournament on Wednesday.
The Pelicans, who trailed 60-50 at halftime, had tied up the game late in the fourth quarter but suffered a heartbreaking setback when Zion Williamson went up the tunnel to the locker room with what was later reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania to be a left hamstring injury.
Coach Willie Green told reporters post-game that Williamson would get imaging done on Thursday.
Williamson, who had 40 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in the loss, did not return as the Lakers iced late free throws to book their ticket to the playoffs.
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All five of Los Angeles’ starters finished in double figures, with Anthony Davis (20 points, 15 rebounds) and LeBron James (23 points, nine assists) stepping up as always while D’Angelo Russell continues to produce after draining five 3-pointers (21 points) in the win.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, were held back by an off shooting night from CJ McCollum, who went 4-for-15 from the field and had just nine points.
Before Wednesday’s game, McCollum had not scored fewer than 10 points since early March, averaging 28.3 points in April.
Meanwhile, coach Green made a big call to leave Brandon Ingram, who also struggled to find his usual rhythm on the offensive end, on the bench late.
The Pelicans made a fast start, jumping out to a 34-26 lead after the first quarter off the back of a much more physical opening than the one they made against the Lakers in the final game of the regular season.
The Lakers won that game 124-108, with Williamson only scoring 12 points to go with eight rebounds in that loss.
Lakers book in series with Nuggets | 02:20
After the first quarter alone Williamson had 10 points and six rebounds, going 5-for-6 from the field when LeBron James sat late in the period as New Orleans went on a late 11-5 run.
The Pelicans were finding plenty of success in the paint early in Wednesday’s game but on the defensive side of things struggled to keep up with the Lakers’ ball movement as Los Angeles opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run.
That reduced New Orleans’ lead to 36-35 and the buffer quickly disappeared as the Pelicans went scoreless for four straight minutes at one point, going into halftime trailing 60-50.
That was despite Williamson putting up the first 20-point, eight-rebound half of his career.
The Pelicans went on a 19-8 run late in the third to close the deficit and enter the final quarter trailing just 83-76 and then were able to tie up the game in the fourth, setting up a thrilling final few minutes.
But New Orleans was dealt a hammer blow when a clearly frustrated Williamson headed up the tunnel.
It was a crushing setback for the oft-injured Williamson, who is yet to feature in the NBA playoffs in his career and may now be in doubt to play in the Pelicans’ must-win game against either Sacramento or Golden State.
The Lakers, meanwhile, will begin their playofs series against the Nuggets on Sunday (AEST).
GAME 1 NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE — Sunday 21 April (AEST):
Five goals, two debuts, and two players scoring their maiden goals for the Socceroos. The 5-0 win over Lebanon on Tuesday that booked Australia’s place in the next round of qualifying was enjoyable for many reasons – and not just because veteran Craig Goodwin delivered an individual performance for the ages.
Coach Graham Arnold was particularly pleased with the performance of a number of rookies, who saw out the game in style.
As the coach told Network 10: “I was very happy & proud of the young ones. They took ownership when they went on the park, and the future is bright.”
The captain and gloveman wasn’t often troubled in goals, so much so that he delivered a bizarre first-half moment when he took a throw-in! He snaffled a dangerous cross and never looked like dropping the ball in the couple of saves he made. He was, however, beaten by one thunderous long-range shot that rattled the crossbar. Nevertheless, it’s now four clean sheets from four World Cup qualifiers.
Kye Rowles: 7
Playing for the second game in succession at left-back instead of his usual centre-back position, Rowles didn’t manage to back up his maiden international goal from Thursday – but it was still a very, very solid performance. Capped things off by setting up a goal with a beautiful raking ball down the left sideline.
Cameron Burgess: 7
It was another calm and composed performance at the back from Burgess, who was excellent in defence and equally confident passing the ball forward to the midfielders and strikers even in narrow channels.
Harry Souttar: 7.5
Back in Canberra for the first time since his Socceroos debut five years ago, a 5-0 win over Nepal where he scored twice, Souttar came inches away from adding another goal to his tally when he headed the ball into the post late in the first half. For a man of such great heading ability, it was a disappointing miss – but that’s the only sour note on another fine performance. Untroubled at the back, dominant in the air, it was a typical no-fuss effort from the centre-back stalwart.
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 26: Harry Souttar of Australia attempts a header during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Lebanon at GIO Stadium on March 26, 2024 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Gethin Jones: 7
Making just his fifth cap, the former Wales junior international and Bolton Wanderers star certainly made a case that he – not Nathaniel Atkinson – should be the regular right-back.
Could have had an assist in the second half with a nice run down the right line and cross for Mitch Duke, but the striker sent it high.
MIDFIELD
Craig Goodwin: 10
He scored two and set up two more. But more than that: he could have had four assists on another day, such was the quality of his delivery with that magical left boot. Ajdin Hrustic missed one when Goodwin put the ball on a platter in the first half, as did Harry Souttar.
But it didn’t matter in the end, since Goodwin just kept creating chances – and taking them.
It’s hard to recall such a dominant individual performance from a Socceroo in recent times – Harry Souttar’s efforts against Tunisia in the 2022 World Cup come to mind.
The Socceroos sent everything down his left flank in the first half, and he was the only player to deliver a successful cross or pass into the box in the entire first period.
Having missed the first match against Lebanon with a virus picked up on the flight back home, this was a statement performance from the 32-year-old.
He joked to Network 10: “Maybe I’ll have to be sick more often!”
Ajdin Hrustic: 6.5
Hrustic copped plenty of attention from opposition players all night, regularly being harshly tackled – though not all of them were adjudged as fouls by a referee who missed far too many calls on the night. Hrustic showed flashes of brilliance, like his chipped ball to Goodwin for the third goal. But he was scythed down in a horror tackle in the 51st minute and could be set for another long stint on the sidelines, which is a massive blow given he only just returned to the Socceroos’ fold this camp.
Hrustic couldn’t put any weight on his left foot as he was carried from the field.Source: AFP
Jackson Irvine: 6
The midfield general had to play a deeper role in this game with his usual defensive-midfield pivot Keanu Baccus out with suspension, but Irvine was more than capable of running the show from further back. Playing right alongside his club teammate Metcalfe in the heart of midfield, the two formed a potent combination all night – distributing the ball quickly to the left for Goodwin to run riot. It wasn’t a game which Irvine grabbed by the scruff of the neck and took control in the midfield, but it was a typically solid effort.
Connor Metcalfe: 6
There’s a reason that Metcalfe has become one of the first names on the team sheet for Graham Arnold – in fact, he’s played every game since the 2022 World Cup, and started the vast majority. Metcalfe is coming along in leaps and bounds since moving to Germany to join Irvine at FC St Pauli, and he delivered another strong performance in Canberra. He tackled hard, battled tirelessly for the ball in the first half, and linked up well with his teammates. There were a few mistakes, but he’s becoming an increasingly important – and reliable – part of the Socceroos’ engine room.
STRIKERS
Kusini Yengi: 7
No Socceroos striker had scored in six-straight matches. Then Craig Goodwin set up his former Adelaide United teammate Yengi for the young gun’s maiden Socceroos goal.
The pair did Goodwin’s trademark celebration together in an emotional moment.
Kusini Yengi said to Network 10: “To score my first goal is amazing.
“Me and Goody have a great connection. We played together at Adelaide. He assisted my first professional goal at Adelaide and now assisted my first goal at the Socceroos. It’s an amazing moment for me and to have that moment with Goody as well is even more special.”
His penetration and running behind the lines was excellent all night, while his confidence was on full display.
In a stacked list of strikers in the squad, vying for contention, it was a statement that he is the man to take the number nine jersey in the long term.
“That position is up for grabs and I’m hoping to fill that position,” he said.
Mitchell Duke: 6.5
It was a relatively quiet night by his high standards, but Duke’s hard work in pressing was a key unseen factor in the Socceroos’ success. Also crucial to the Socceroos’ improvement compared to Thursday was the way Duke dropped back to receive possession, dragging defenders out of position and setting up his teammates.
SUBSTITUTES
Patrick Yazbek: 8
The 21-year-old midfielder looked completely at home on his debut – and against the other nation he was eligible to represent. Lebanon’s head coach had taken a dig at Yazbek in his pre-match press conference, saying the youngster would have been better being a ‘leader’ for Lebanon’s team rather than sitting on the bench for Australia. Well, when Yazbek came off the bench, he showed exactly why Lebanon tried so hard to convince him to represent them.
Yazbek told Network 10: “Honestly, I just can’t wish for a better debut … I’ve always wanted to be a Socceroo, I’ve got all these photos in my room, ever since I’ve been young. It’s a dream come true.”
Just minutes after entering the pitch, he set up Australia’s fourth goal with a neat cross from the left flank, and the rest of his work was near-flawless.
Yazbek said of the assist: “It’s something that I’ll definitely remember forever. I’ll probably watch it back a couple of times!”
Yazbek had a stellar debut.Source: Getty Images
John Iredale: 8
Iredale impressed on his debut on Thursday, and was even better this time around, scoring his maiden goal in the green and gold (or, as was the case on Tuesday, the blue and blue). The goal was set up by Yazbek just seconds after Iredale entered the pitch, and the young striker burst into tears as he embraced his teammates. Iredale then set up Goodwin for the final goal.
Josh Nisbet: 7
Socceroo number 642 has had to wait a while for his opportunity, and the diminutive midfielder never looked overawed by the occasion when it finally came. The Central Coast Mariners star, just 24, passed crisply and was often first to the loose ball in the closing stages. There’s plenty more to come.
Thomas Deng: N/A
He’s fallen down the centre-back pecking order a bit with Souttar, Burgess and Rowles locking up those spots. But Deng got a small run-out in the dying minutes and showed he’s still ready to fight for his place in the team.
Samuel Silvera: N/A
Didn’t have enough time to make an impact on the flank, but looked lively.
Brian Goorjian has revealed Ben Simmons was firming to finally suit up for the Boomers in Paris before the “horrific” injury news, which saw the Australian ruled out for the rest of the NBA season.
The Brooklyn Nets confirmed on Friday morning [AEDT] that Simmons had a successful microscopic partial discectomy to help address the nerve impingement in his lower back.
It comes after the team shut Simmons down, with the 26-year-old managing just 15 games for the Nets this season, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
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NBA Wrap: Davis unleashes for Lakers | 01:14
It was a crushing blow not just for the Nets but for the Boomers too, with Goorjian telling SEN 1170 Afternoons that he really felt that Simmons was “committed” to playing in Paris.
“I thought he looked really motivated,” Goorjian said.
“This is like a new day… everyone starts thinking, ‘Here goes Goorjian again’… because I’ve been positive about this the whole way through. This one coming up, Paris, he was really excited about.
“When I met him face to face… he looked me in the eye and he shook my hand and said, ‘I want to be a Boomer’.”
With Simmons’ future in the NBA now in doubt it is hard to know at this point if he will ever put on a Boomers jumper, with Goorjian confirming the recent injury has “put a lid” on the former No. 1 pick’s chances of representing his country this year.
“… Since I’ve been involved with the Boomers to now, he hasn’t played in the NBA. If he’s not playing in the NBA he’s not playing for the Boomers, nor do we want a guy that isn’t in a position to play, that’s not fair to the other players,” Goorjian said.
“As it sits now, he felt like he started the season, the back got irritated, he was on the mend coming back, get some momentum and come into the Boomers.
“But he needed to get on the floor and right now the news has been horrific, the back has blown up and he’s out for the rest of the year and I’d say that puts a lid on my time with Ben in Paris.”
NBA Wrap: Thunder beat Heat to lead West | 01:05
Simmons previously pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics to instead spend the NBA off-season working on his skills after Philadelphia crashed out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Atlanta.
While criticised for the move at the time Goorjian said on Thursday that he believed it was the right call for Simmons, telling SEN it was a “bad time” for him to join the national team.
“The international game is different, how they would’ve played Ben Simmons, every time he touched the ball they would’ve fouled him and put him on the foul line, they would’ve made life miserable and he was vulnerable then,” Goorjian said.
“Since then, he’s gone to New Jersey, I felt this one coming up [in] Paris, he was really excited about.”
The Sacramento Kings dominated the Los Angeles Lakers en route to a comfortable 120-107 win in northern California on Thursday AEDT.
The Lakers’ Austin Reaves reeled off seven three-pointers to finish with a game-high 28 points but Los Angeles were unable to staunch the flow of Sacramento scoring.
All five Kings starters finished in double figures, with Harrison Barnes leading the scoring with 23 points.
Sacramento swept the season series with Los Angeles 4-0, while Anthony Davis is yet to register a victory against Kings star Domantas Sabonis in ten games.
The Lakers are currently ninth on the Western Conference standings with 36 wins and 31 defeats.
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LUKA INJURY BLOW SNAPS WILD STREAK
Luka Doncic scored 21 points and Kyrie Irving 23 to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 109-99 victory over the short-handed Golden State Warriors, who were missing the injured Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
“We played well on the defensive end, and from the first tip of the basketball at the start of the game we had physicality,” Irving said.
“That was the big difference tonight.
“We knew they were kind of struggling and they’ve had a few tough games, and we wanted to make it tough for them tonight.”
The only sour note for Dallas was the departure of Doncic midway through the fourth quarter, ending the Slovenian star’s seven-game triple-double streak.
Doncic exited with tightness in his left hamstring and did not return
“He gave me the signal that his hammy was tight so we took him out,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
“We’ll have a better answer tomorrow.”
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
DENVER BACK ON TOP AS PORTER SHINES IN MIAMI WIN
Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points as reigning NBA champions the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 100-88 to reclaim top spot in the Western Conference.
In a low-scoring clash between last year’s NBA Finals rivals, Denver led for most of the first half before the Heat edged ahead with a third-quarter rally, only for the Nuggets to regain their advantage.
Denver pulled clear in the fourth quarter, with Reggie Jackson draining a 26-foot stepback three with just over three minutes remaining to put the Nuggets 10 points up at 94-84.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was restricted to 12 points after a disciplined Miami defensive effort, but that just allowed more space for Porter Jr., who drained five three-pointers in a 9-of-16 shooting display.
Porter Jr. said his impressive performance owed everything to his teammates engineering time and space for him to shoot freely.
“Did you see the shots I was getting? They were wide open threes, so it’s really my teammates, all credit to them,” Porter Jr. told ESPN.
“We’ve got a good, well-balanced team so when you take something away, there’s another option. That’s what it was tonight.”
Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets. Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Denver’s fourth straight victory saw them improve to 46-20, leaving them half a game clear of Oklahoma City at the top of the Western Conference.
It’s the first time Denver have led the standings since November, suggesting Michael Malone’s men are hitting form at the right time as they chase the top seeding for the playoffs.
“It feels good,” Porter Jr. said of reclaiming top spot.
“It feels like we’re back where we belong. We wanted the No. 1 seed and we’ve been playing well since the All-Star break.
“But we’ve got to hold on to it though, there’s a lot of good teams in the West, so we’ve got to come into every game knowing that people are coming for our spot.”
Porter Jr. received scoring support from Aaron Gordon with 16 points and Jamal Murray with 14.
Bam Adebayo led Miami’s scorers with 17 points. The Heat’s fourth consecutive defeat leaves them eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-30 record.
Chelsea eased the scrutiny on manager Mauricio Pochettino as a 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday propelled the Blues back into contention for European football next season.
Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk were on target for the home side at Stamford Bridge, with Palmer putting in another stunning man of the match performance.
Chelsea remain in 11th but close to within four points of West Ham in seventh, which should at least secure a place in the Europa Conference League.
Newcastle’s 12th defeat of the season leaves the Magpies just one point better off than Chelsea in 10th.
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The pressure is also rising on Eddie Howe as Saudi-backed Newcastle have failed to build on finishing fourth last season to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
Pochettino, though, was facing more open revolt from among his own support. Chelsea fans called for the Argentine’s dismissal during a 2-2 draw at Brentford last weekend.
The former Tottenham boss has suffered a difficult first season in charge, which included losing the League Cup final to a severely depleted Liverpool last month.
But there were promising signs for Pochettino as some of his much-criticised expensive young recruits showed glimpses of their potential.
Cole Palmer (L) and Enzo Fernandez celebrate.Source: Getty Images
Jackson is now up to 12 goals in his debut season as he cleverly flicked in Palmer’s shot after less than six minutes.
However, it was the story of Chelsea’s season that they failed to build on that flying start and allowed Newcastle to go onto control the rest of the first half.
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Cole Palmer added another man of the match performance to his incredible campaign.Source: Getty Images
The visitors were dealt an injury blow midway through the first period when Anthony Gordon was forced off.
But Alexander Isak produced a quality finish, fired low into the far corner, to bring Newcastle level two minutes before halftime.
The one new signing Chelsea have been able to rely on all season is Palmer and the England international restored his side’s lead in emphatic fashion just before the hour mark.
Palmer collected Enzo Fernandez’s pass, cut inside and unleashed a powerful effort for his 11th Premier League goal of the season.
Mudryk, by contrast, has been a constant frustration for a number of Chelsea managers since joining for £88 million ($113 million) just over a year ago.
City & Liverpool play out thrilling draw | 01:21
The Ukrainian had been on the pitch only five minutes when showed his blistering pace to burst through the heart of the Newcastle defence and turn in just his sixth goal in 46 Chelsea appearances.
Jacob Murphy’s rocket of a shot into the top corner set up a nervy finish for the hosts.
But it was too little, too late for the visitors in the latest disappointment of an underwhelming campaign.
The Los Angeles Clippers have suffered an injury setback, with guard Russell Westbrook set for a stint on the sidelines after fracturing his hand in their 140-115 blowout win over the Washington Wizards.
Westbrook, whose move to the bench helped the Clippers reverse an early losing skid after the trade for James Harden, appeared to injury his hard while defending Jordan Poole in the second quarter.
The Clippers were still easily able to breeze past Washington without Westrbook as their superstar trio of Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George all topped 20 points in the win.
Kyle Kuzma, meanwhile, led the way for the Wizards — who have now lost 14 games in a row — with 32 points.
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Curry leads Warriors road victory | 00:58
CELTICS CONTINUE DOMINANT CHARGE
Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics, fueled by 32 points from Jayson Tatum and 21 three-pointers, withstood a 37-point triple-double from Luka Doncic to beat the Dallas Mavericks 138-110 on Friday and push their NBA winning streak to 10 games.
Tatum took awhile to warm up, missing all four of his shots in the first quarter, but the All-Star forward scored 16 in the third quarter as the Celtics seized control.
Down by seven at halftime, the Mavs pulled within two points midway through the third.
But Jaylen Brown and Tatum connected on back-to-back three-pointers and the Celtics pulled relentlessly away.
Brown scored 25 points and Kristaps Porzingis, who carried the early offensive load, added 24 as seven Boston players scored in double figures.
They simply overwhelmed the Mavs, despite Doncic’s 12th triple-double of the season. Doncic added 12 rebounds and 11 assists and Kyrie Irving scored 19 points despite connecting on just nine of 23 shot attempts.
“In simple terms, we have a really good team,” Tatum said after the league-leading Celtics became the first team this season to win 10 straight.
“Every night is going to look a little bit different. As long as we continue to build good habits and win, it’s all going to work itself out.”
Lebron takes control in Lakers’ comeback | 01:41
WARRIORS TOO GOOD DESPITE TRAVEL NIGHTMARE
The Golden State Warriors shook off a travel nightmare to push their road winning streak to eight games with a 120-105 victory over the Raptors in Toronto.
Stephen Curry scored 25 points and Jonathan Kuminga added 24 for the Warriors, who found themselves delayed six hours at the airport after their victory over the New York Knicks on Friday.
Trailing by three at halftime, the Warriors pulled away after the break. Klay Thompson, back in the starting lineup, scored all 14 of his points in the second half.
“Fantastic win,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who had taken his team to task after watching them sleepwalk through the opening minutes.
“Last night was brutal — that’s the worst travel circumstances I’ve ever been involved in in the NBA,” Kerr added.
“I think we got in bed at eight o’clock this morning. The guys slept during the day, woke up and came to the game. So it was pretty rough. But I’m proud of the group for the way they competed, like I said after that slow start — which was understandable — we really locked in and did a good job.”
R.J. Barrett led Toronto’s scoring with 23 points. All-Star Scottie Barnes had 10 points and six rebounds before departing late in the first half with a left hand injury.
CAVS, SIXERS CLAIM IMPORTANT WINS
Cleveland guard Darius Garland drilled eight three-pointers, including six in an 18-point second quarter, to fuel the short-handed Cavaliers in a 110-100 victory over the Pistons in Detroit.
With Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert sidelined with injuries, Garland scored a game-high 29 points. Evan Mobley added 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Cavs, who led by 26 early in the fourth quarter.
That lead dwindled to just seven points before the Cavs sealed it at the free-throw line.
Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and handed out 10 assists for the Pistons, who endured their 50th defeat of the season.
In Philadelphia, Tobias Harris scored 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Tyree Maxey added 33 points to propel the 76ers to a 121-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
It was a much-needed win for the 76ers, who are trying to keep themselves in playoff position as they await the hoped-for return of reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, who had surgery in February on his injured left knee.
The Nets came into Saturday (all times US) wondering how to get Ben Simmons playing well alongside another non-shooter.
Now they’re just wondering how to keep him playing at all.
The oft-injured Simmons, the only All-Star on Brooklyn’s roster, went down again. This time he got forced out of their 101-86 loss to Minnesota before a sellout crowd of 18,024 at the Target Center with a leg injury.
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Simmons has played just 55 games for the Nets since being acquired at the 2022 Trade Deadline at the cost of former MVP James Harden. Most of that missed time is due to a herniated disc, and leg injuries brought on by those aforementioned back woes.
Now Brooklyn’s starting point guard has another issue, forced out of the game with left leg soreness with 8:04 left in the third quarter.
He was ruled out for the rest of the evening.
When Simmons left, Brooklyn was trailing 53-51, and promptly knotted the score on a Nic Claxton alley oop from his replacement, Dennis Schroder.
The Nets — who bounced back nicely from a dismal loss Thursday at Toronto in interim Kevin Ollie’s debut — led 72-70 on a short Cam Thomas jumper with 9:28 to play.
But that’s when Minnesota finally pulled away.
Brooklyn coughed up a 19-6 run, and never challenged after that.
New Jersey native Kyle Anderson put the Timberwolves ahead 89-78, and the game was essentially over.
There was some added spice with Schroder fouling Mike Conley on a 3-point attempt in the waning garbage time seconds, and getting pushed by Nickeil Alexander-Walker to prompt an altercation review.
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Four technical fouls got handed out. And none mattered.
Brioklyn fell to 21-35.
Karl Anthony-Towns, another New Jerseyan, had a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards added 26 points and eight boards for the Timberwolves, who played without centre Rudy Gobert.
Turns out they didn’t need their defensive shot-blocker.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with a modest 18 points and six rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Brooklyn shot just 34.0 per cent, and a staggeringly-bad 6-of-35 from 3-point range.
Coming in, putting Simmons on the floor with another non-shooter had been their concern. Now they have bigger problems.
The fired Jacque Vaughn never quite found the perfect way to compensate for Simmons’ lack of a jumper.
“Yeah, that’s what we’re trying to push him, and I think he is able to do it,” said Ollie. “And when we get in halfcourt situations, having him play with pace and having us have the right spacing around him is gonna be crucial. But when he sees that gap, he’s got to take it to the rim. I think he’ll do that.”
“Yeah, that’s what we’re trying to push him, and I think he is able to do it,” said Ollie. “And when we get in halfcourt situations, having him play with pace and having us have the right spacing around him is gonna be crucial. But when he sees that gap, he’s got to take it to the rim. I think he’ll do that.”
Paolo Banchero’s three-point play with 0.1 of a second remaining gave the Orlando Magic a 112-109 victory at Detroit. Banchero sank the game-winning jumper while being fouled and added the free throw for the dramatic triumph.
“It was important,” said a tearful Banchero of his final shot. “It was a hard game and I’ve been sick. I’ve been feeling terrible. I just give credit to my teammates. They lifted me up the whole game.
“I don’t know why I’m crying. It was a hard game. I’m proud of my team.” Banchero’s 15 points led eight double-figure scorers for
Orlando, which improved to 32-25, level with Indiana for sixth in the East.
The Pistons, led by Cade Cunningham’s 26 points, fell to an NBA-worst 8-48 with a fifth consecutive loss.
Franz Wagner’s free throw gave Orlando a 109-105 lead with 96 seconds remaining. Cunningham answered with a jumper and a layup for
Detroit, the latter pulling the Pistons level at 109-109 with 12 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Banchero’s heroics.
CELTICS DOWN KNICKS, EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO EIGHT
Jaylen Brown scored 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 22 as the Boston Celtics stretched their NBA win streak to eight games on Saturday by defeating New York 116-102.
The Celtics improved to NBA’s best record to 45-12 and boosted their win streak to a season high while stretching their Eastern Conference lead over second-place Cleveland to eight games.
Jayson Tatum added 19 points, six rebounds and six assists as Boston had six scorers in double figures.
“We’ve got so many good players on our team,” Tatum said. “We always talk about respecting each other’s space. It’s about understanding it’s a rhythm game. It’s going to come back to you eventually.”
Tatum says the players adopt a long-term approach, keeping in mind the overall goal is an NBA title in June.
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“We have a really good team and we understand the important goal, what we’re really trying to accomplish, so every single night we’re trying to share the love, play the right way and make sure we win more often than not,” Tatum said.
Jalen Brunson had game highs of 34 points and nine assists to lead the Knicks, who fell to 34-23.
Porzingis, who began his NBA career with the Knicks in 2015, sank two 3-pointers and Brown scored five points in a 17-5 third-quarter Boston run that gave the Celtics their biggest lead to that point at 84-71 on the way to a 97-84 lead after three quarters – the Celtics hitting 68% of their shots from the floor entering the fourth quarter.
Boston kept the Knicks scoreless for five minutes in the heart of the fourth quarter to help seal New York’s fate, the Celtics stretching the lead as high as 20 points.
Brentford defender Nathan Collins suffered one of the most miserable matches of his career, making three horrendous mistakes that gifted his former club Wolves a record-breaking 4-1 win.
Collins, who joined Brentford from Wolves for a club-record £23m in the off-season, was facing his old club for the first time since that transfer.
It could not have gone much worse. Besides costing his side three goals, he also missed a sitter at the other end.
Brentford fell behind from a Mario Lemina header in the 13th minute. But on the restart, Collins played an atrociously under-hit back-pass to kepeer Mark Flekken, which was easily picked off by Wolves attacker Hwang Hee-Chan. Hwang rounded Flekken and rolled the ball into the empty net – doubling Wolves’ lead just 12 seconds after the restart.
Wolves reduced the deficit shortly afterwards, before Collins’ second mistake – though this one was arguably less his fault.
In the 28th minute, Collins hit a long pass straight to Wolves’ defender Toti, who headed it back to Hwang in the Brentford penalty area – and catching Collins out of position. Hwang flicked the ball past defender Ethan Pinnock before calmly finishing to make it 3-1.
Collins then missed an unmarked header from inside the six-yard box late in the first half, spurning the chance to make amends for his earlier mistakes.
And late in the second half his humiliation was complete when Collins misplayed another pass deep in his own half, this time gifting the ball to Matheus Cunha, who fed substitute Jean-Ricner Bellegarde for a simple finish.
That made the final score 4-1 to Wolves, with three of those goals the direct result of intercepted Collins passes.
It was the first time that Wolves had ever scored four goals in an away Premier League win, condemning Brentford to a fourth straight defeat and a sixth in seven matches.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank was asked what he said to the defender after the game, saying: “I told him it will never be worse than this, it is impossible – with a smile on my face and being ironic.
“He has been a positive player for us, when he got injured in the international break he was on a really good run of form and performed so well for us. It happens.
“Today, it will be tough. Tonight he will be down but one thing for sure: tomorrow it’s a fact that the sun will rise again. A new day and opportunity and I have no doubt he will walk in to the training ground head high.
“That’s what you do, you can’t sit in the corner and feel sorry for yourself. Otherwise you get lost.
“He’s not that kind of character. He will be fine. It will be tough, he will never forget it! But he will come through.”
