Browsing Tag basketball

LeBron James was on fire to help Miami knock off visiting Chicago 105- 93 as the Lakers won their first game since losing Kobe Bryant.

LeBron James collected 24 points and seven rebounds and Dwyane Wade scored 22 as Miami knocked off visiting Chicago.

Mario Chalmers added 15 points and Chris Andersen had a season-high 15 off the bench for the Heat, who won their sixth straight.

Luol Deng had 19 points and Carlos Boozer recorded 16 and 20 boards as the Bulls dropped a game behind the Atlanta Hawks in the race for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

Miami took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and never let it slip lower than seven. Mike Miller’s 3-pointer with 1:16 left stretched it back out to 103-93 and put the game away.

James went 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line in the first half as Miami opened up a 15-point lead early in the second quarter. Nate Robinson struck fire for Chicago late in the half and had seven points during a 23-10 burst to end the second and cut it to 56-54 at the break.

Louisville won the 75th edition of the NCAA men’s basketball championship, beating Michigan 82-76 in a pulsating final in front of more than 74,000 fans at the Georgia Dome.

The Cardinals overcame a slow start, in which they twice trailed by 12 points in the first half, to outscore Michigan 45-38 in the second and capture their third national title after previous wins in 1980 and 1986.

Luke Hancock came off the bench and scored a career-best 22 points, including five three-pointers, while Peyton Siva added 18 points and Chane Behanan 15 for Louisville.

“We went into a war today against a great Michigan team,” said Hancock, who was named the outstanding player of the tournament. “We needed to rally and we have done it a couple of games.”

Trey Burke, the national player of the year, scored 24 points in a losing effort for the Wolverines while Spike Albrecht contributed 17 after coming off the bench, all in the first half.

“We fought for 40 minutes, there was never a time when we gave up,” said Burke. “Louisville was just a really solid team at the end of the game.”

Michigan made a flying start and built a double-digit lead before the Cardinals took control, matching the second biggest comeback in an NCAA final in the same massive building where the ‘Dream Team’ won Olympic gold in 1996.

Inspired by their team-mate Kevin Ware, who broke his leg earlier in the tournament in a horrific fall, Louisville’s players burst into celebration when the clock ran out and confetti rained down on the Georgia Dome court.

Louisville went into the championships as the number one seeds and stretched their winning streak to 16 games with Monday’s victory under the guidance of Rick Pitino, who became the first coach to win NCAA titles at different universities after steering Kentucky to the 1996 title.

“For a young basketball team, to play that well is absolutely fantastic,” Pitino said.

“These guys … they said if you win the national championship, ‘Coach, you are getting a tattoo’. I said, ‘Hell, yeah, I am getting a tattoo.’”

Michigan were making their first appearance in the final since 1993 when they were beaten by North Carolina after a bizarre ending to the game.

The Wolverines were trailing by two points with just 11 seconds to go when Michigan’s Chris Webber called a time-out even though his team did not have any left, resulting in a technical foul that effectively ended his team’s hopes of winning.

Michigan coach John Beilen thought his team did not perform the way they could have on Monday but paid tribute to the “terrific” Cardinals.

“We feel bad about it, we could have done some things better, every one of us,” said Beilen.

“At the same time, Louisville is a terrific basketball team. I have not seen that quickness anywhere, it’s incredible.”

Miami Heat forward LeBron James reacts after making a basket to give the Heat the lead late in the second half against the Bost

Miami, down by 13 points with eight minutes remaining, rode LeBron James to a dramatic 105-103 victory over the valiant Boston Celtics.

The result gave the Heat their 23rd consecutive victory, the second-longest winning

streak in NBA history.

Now only the 1971-72 Lakers and their 33-game streak are ahead of the Heat, who somehow managed to escape when it appeared the Celtics, playing without Kevin Garnett, were about to end the streak behind a career-best night by Jeff Green.

James, who tied the score with 1:23 left, scored 13 of his team’s final 22 points and hit a jumper with 10.5 seconds left to put the Heat ahead.

Miami’s Shane Battier then blocked a drive by Green out of bounds with seven seconds left. Boston’s Paul Pierce then missed a fall-away 3-pointer from the right corner.

Miami’s Dwyane Wade grabbed the rebound and the comeback was complete.

“It means a lot to what we’re trying to build,” James said. “A tough-minded team on the road, it’s a hostile environment. We grew again tonight and that’s big for our team.”

Talking about what James did down the stretch, Battier said, “It’s just LeBron being LeBron. I don’t really have any other words that you guys haven’t already used before. He’s the best.

“You never take that for granted. Shame on anybody that takes (James) for granted,because he’s a special talent.”

Exactly five years earlier, the Celtics ended Houston’s 22-game streak and they almost did the same thing to the Heat.

But they scored just seven points in the final 8:26. James, who has been on fire during this streak, finished with 37 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Mario Chalmers scored 21 points and Wade had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The win did away with Miami’s formality of clinching the Southeast Division. Green, getting his second straight start, this time with Garnett sick, delivered the best offensive game of his career, scoring 43 points but none in the final nine minutes. ”Jeff was terrific,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after TD Garden fans starting chanting Green’s name during the game.

“Yeah, I heard it,” Green said. “It’s a good feeling, but you just got to stay in the game. Think about the next play.”

Rivers wasn’t satisfied with the close loss, saying, “I believed we were going to win the game before the game. I thought we were going to win the game during the game. And I thought we should have won the game.”

Umutoza w’ikipe ya Espoir Basketball Club John Bahufite, aratangaza ko afite icyizere cyinshi cyo kuzegukana igikombe cya Play – off uyu mwaka, nyuma yo gutsinda APR BBC mu mikino ibiri ku busa mu mpera z’icyumweru  gishize.

Mu mukino wa mbere wabaye ku wa gatandatu tariki ya 9/3/2013, Espoir BBC yari yatsinze APR BBC amanota 89-63, maze ku mukino wa kabiri wabaye bucyeye bwaho ku cyumweru, Espoir BBC inyagira APR BBC amanota 106 kuri 54.

Kugirango ikipe itware igikombe cya Play Offs, igomba gutsinda imikino itatu. Kuba Espoir BBC yaramaze gutsinda imikino ibiri, ngo bibaha icyizere ntakuka ko n’igikombe bazacyegukana.

Bahufite yagize ati, “Urebye navuga ko twamaze kwizera gutwara igikombe, kuko APR BBC twamaze kuyitsinda mu mikino ibiri kandi tuyirusha, gusa ntitwakwirara tutarakina uwo mukino, tugomba kuwukinana imbaraga uko bisanzwe, kuko si byiza gutangira kwishima kandi hari umukino dusigaje”.

Bahufite warangije shampiyona y’umwaka ushize ikipe ye iri ku mwanya wa mbere kandi  idatsinzwe umukino n’umwe, avuga ko icyatumye barangiza shampiyona nta kipe n’imwe ibatsinze ndetse ubu bakaba baratsinze APR BBC biterwa  n’ubuyobozi bubaba hafi kandi nabo bagakinana ubwitange n’ishyaka.

“Ubundi nta banga ridasanzwe dukoresha kugirango dutsinda amakipe, uretse ikinyabupfura kiranga abakinnyi bacu. Bakina bashyize hamwe kandi n’Ubuyobozi bukatuba hafi muri byose. Ku bijyanye no gutsinda APR BBC byo, icyo twayishoboje ni ugufata umukinnyi witwa Lionel Hakizimana igenderaho, hanyuma tugakinana ubwisanzure”.

Espoir BBC ifitanye umukino wa gatatu na APR BBC ku wa gatandatu tariki ya 16/3/2013, maze Espoir BC yawutsinda igahita itwara igikombe.

N’ubwo Espoir BBC yamaze kwizera kugitwara, umutoza wa APR BBC Cliff Owour ukomoka muri Kenya avuga ko bazakomeza kwitoza neza ku buryo bashobora gutungura Espoir BBC.

“Nibyo koko Espoir BBC yaraturushije mu mikino ibiri yarangiye,  kuko mu by’ukuru yaturushije imbaraga kandi ifite abakinnyi bafite inararibonye, ariko ntabwo turatakaza icyizere, kuko tugiye gukora imyitozo ku buryo dushobora gutungura Espoir BBC mu mukino wa gatatu”.

Mu guhatanira umwanya wa gatatu, ikipe ye Kigali Basketball Club (KBC) yamaze kuwegukana, nyuma yo gutsinda Cercle Sportif de Kigali  (CSk), imikino ibiri ku busa. Umukino wa mbere KBC yawutsinze ku manota 72 kuri 62, naho umukino wa kabiri CSK yatewe mpaga y’amanota 20 ku busa nyuma yo kwanga kuza ku kibuga.

Local basketball powerhouse Espoir Basketball Club has claimed the title of best in the region, thumping next-door rival Urunani BBC of Burundi by a 51-point difference in the men’s final at the just concluded Zone 5 Club Championships held in Uganda.

The final score of 90-39 would understandably illicit doubts from the reader of whether it’s a typing error, but indeed the score stood firm at the end of hostilities, meaning a first regional title for the storied franchise, and the double satisfaction of smooth revenge exacted as Urunani had earlier defeated Espoir in pool play, 68-66.

The only Rwandan representative in the tourney, Espoir stated its intentions early with an opening-day win over tourney favorites Kyambogo Warrior of Uganda, 72-56, leading throughout. Next up was Tanzania’s Savio, which also succumbed to a 90-51 beat-down, before Espoir lost its only game of the tournament, the aforementioned loss to Urunani by just 2 points.

Instead of demoralizing Espoir, which is a French word meaning ‘hope,’ the loss served to galvanize the Rwandan flag-bearers. Having secured qualification for the knock-out round despite the Urunani loss, Espoir stampeded its way to the title in dominant fashion, knocking out reigning league champions of Uganda, Power 67-54 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score suggests, to set up a final clash with their bitter rivals from neighboring Burundi.

The final was anything but a contest however, as Espoir totally ran Urunani off the court, leading by 20 points by the half-time break, and extending that lead into official blow-out territory by the game’s final whistle.

Jubilation ensued as Espoir celebrated their coup, marking the first time a Rwandan side has taken the title since army-side APR triumphed in 2008, successfully defending the title they won in 2007 and 2002.

As icing on the cake, Espoir’s outstanding player Aristide Mugabe was named tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP), having pumped in 26 points in the final to help his side to victory, besides an equally impressive performance from longtime Espoir player Jean Louis Habineza’s 24 points.

In the Women’s Final, Eagle Wings emerged winners in an all-Kenyan affair, beating compatriots Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 77-54.
 

Rwanda men’s U-18 Basketball team endured another painful defeat against Ghana on Monday as the boys lost 43-48, to record their third successive defeat at the ongoing Afrobasket U-18 Men’s Championship in Maputo, Mozambique.

The loss brings the morale of the whole team down, having started brilliantly against hosts Mozambique by thrashing them 62-34 on the opening day of the championship. They then went on to lose against Tunisia 38-43 and Mali 33-46. The final fixture in the group will be against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The championships which kicked off August 16^th will run until 25^th the same month.

The Rwanda U-18 men’s basketball team went down 33-46 against Mali on Saturday to record their second successive defeat in the ongoing under-18 African Basketball Championship in Maputo, Mozambique. Prior to that defeat the Junior Hoops had lost against a strong Tunisia side the day before 43-38, to mark a frustrating anti-climax in group stage.

Day one of the championships had seen Rwanda beat hosts Mozambique 62-34 with better results predicted in the course of the campaign but the two consecutive losses have slowed down their momentum. Action continues on Monday as they take on Ghana. Their final fixture will be against DR Congo.

The competition ends on 25^th August with the winner qualifying to represent Africa at the U-19 world Youth championships to be held next year.

Los Angeles lakers Point Guard Steve Blake is in Rwanda for a nine-day state visit were he will have the opportunity of holding training clinics with local basketball players and coaches.

According to Rwanda basketball federation (Ferwaba), blake is in the country to look at some of the projects that he partners with New Life Ministries, an NGO that looks after orphans and also provides education to impoverished children, help hundreds of women and street children receive vocational training.

Blake will also play in two friendly matches against league champions KBC and a non-league Basketball club-Pebbles Basketball club.

Rwanda Basketball Federation Secretary General Richard Mutabazi said “He (Blake) will impart important skills to local players and coach and also inspire them.”

Africa New Life ministries currently provides nearly 1/2 million meals to those in need, manages two schools, three churches and six orphanage homes in Rwanda.

Britain won their first Olympic basketball game in 64 years and did so in style by thumping China 90-58 on Monday to the roars of the home crowd in their last contest of the London Games.

The only other Olympic victory for Britain came in the 1948 London Games when after finishing 0-5 in the group, they beat Ireland in a classification game that put them in 20th place.

The lopsided Group B victory came in a clash of winless teams, but it was an emotional triumph for Britain and veterans Robert Archibald and Nate Reinking who were playing their last game for their country.

“I’m extremely proud of the way they played today,” Britain coach Chris Finch told reporters. “They came out with fire in their belly to get a win and make a little bit of history.

“Certainly it is what we needed, what the basketball community in general needed.”

The victory for 43rd-ranked Britain over number eight China gave the hosts a 1-4 record in Group B and sent the Chinese home at 0-5.

The British team’s best known player, Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng, said getting the win for his longtime team mates meant more to him than anything.

“Seeing Rob crying at the end, it meant a lot to me,” said Deng.

Britain were in command from the start, using a 12-0 run to seize a 22-12 lead and never looked back.

Kieron Achara led the team with 16 points as everyone contributed. Reinking scored 12, Archibald had eight points and Deng registered six.

“Hopefully we showed everyone that we have potential,” Deng said. “I think the game will be more popular and there will be more attention to it.

“We’ve come a long way.”

Britain had gamely challenged two other strong teams earlier in the tournament, taking Brazil (ranked 13th) and Spain (second) to the wire.

Deng hoped that this taste of Olympic success might lead to more kids taking up the game.

“There’s a lot of kids out there spending a lot of time not doing anything,” he said. “You never know if by having more facilities and attention to the sport what kids you might interest.”

Above all, Deng said his lasting memory of the victory at the Olympic Basketball Arena would be tied to his team mates.

“For Rob and Nate we made history,” he said. “To have the last game at the Olympics and go out with a win, I’m extremely excited for those guys.”

Anthony Davis is living the dream, slamming down dunks at the London Olympics with the latest incarnation of the U.S. Dream Team as a 19-year-old player yet to play a National Basketball Association (NBA) game.

Davis was a late addition in place of injured forward Blake Griffin of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, and the U.S. college player of the year from national champions Kentucky has stepped up and won rave reviews from his illustrious team mates.

“He’s great. He’s going to be a great pro,” said LeBron James, the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals in June where he lead the Miami Heat to victory.

“He’s going to be a special player. You can definitely see that,’ added three-time NBA All-Star guard Deron Williams.

“He’s going to be a phenomenal player. He’s one of those guys who’s going to change a franchise for decades,” said three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant.

Davis treated fans at the Olympic Basketball Arena to a sneak preview of his future on Tuesday as the 6-foot-10 (2.08m) number one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets got his first extended court time in a 110-53 rout of Tunisia.

He managed 12 points, going 5-for-5 from the field on five thunderous slams off alley-oop passes, one blocked shot and three rebounds in 14 minutes of playing time.

“I didn’t know it was going to be this much fun,” Davis told Reuters before practice for the Tunisia game. “They’re treating me good, make me feel like I’m part of the team, make me feel like I’m a (veteran), unless they get too lazy and don’t want to do nothing and I become a rookie again.”