Former India president Mukherjee dies after developing lung infection

NEW DELHI - Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for Covid-19 this month, died on Monday after weeks in hospital. He was 84. New Delhi’s Army Hospital (Research And Referral) said earlier in the day that Mukherjee had gone into a septic shock after coming down with a lung infection. His medical condition had declined since Sunday, it added. A veteran politician who served as foreign and finance minister in previous administrations led by the now-opposition Congress party, Mukherjee had friends on both sides of the political divide. “He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, posting a picture of him touching Mukherjee’s feet in reverence. “A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society.” For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

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BBC NEWS : M&S food goes fully online with Ocado launch

The grocer is making its entire range available for delivery but experts are divided on the move.


September 01, 2020 at 05:10AM

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BBC NEWS : Child Trust Funds: Teenagers get first chance to access cash

Savings pots could now be worth more than £1,000 but many teenagers are unaware they exist.


September 01, 2020 at 05:10AM

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BBC NEWS : How this African restaurant adapted to the pandemic

Molly Malone's Restaurant in Johannesburg has converted its carpark into an outdoor 'roadhouse'.


September 01, 2020 at 04:53AM

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White House Calls on Russia to 'Respect Belarus' Sovereignty, Democracy

The Kremlin announced Monday that they were ruling out sending a Russian reserve unit into Belarus for now.

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Facebook threatens to remove news from platforms in Australia

Facebook is threatening to remove news from its platforms in Australia.

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Joe Biden needs to convince America he can run an economy

Even during the biggest economic crisis in living memory, Americans still back Donald Trump's captaining of the US economy. They aren't so sure about "Bidenomics".

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New on Sports Illustrated: Why Jacksonville Drafted Leonard Fournette Will Really Disappoint Jaguars Fans Now

With Leonard Fournette now on the waiver wire, let's revisit the decision to draft him fourth overall in 2017. Plus, which other running backs are watching Alvin Kamara's contract situation, Ja'Marr Chase opts out, Logan Ryan to the Giants and more.

So here we are, 10 days away from the regular season…

• The backstory of Leonard Fournette is relevant today, as the former fourth overall pick hits the waiver wire, and (fair warning) what I’ll write here is going to be painful for Jaguars fans to hear. After Gus Bradley was fired late in the 2016 season, the team started the process of finding a new coach—and a number of guys that interviewed for the job (Josh McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan were on the list) told the team in no uncertain terms that it needed to move on from 2014 first-rounder Blake Bortles. In fact, one reason Doug Marrone was able to win the promotion from interim coach was because he was pragmatic in his thought the process, and willing to try and get Bortles right. His plan to do it was interesting: Take the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. So that offseason, the Jags went about building a ball-control offense. And in the draft, there was a perfect back to play that style, in LSU’s Leonard Fournette. Jacksonville took him, with the decision made to run it back for another year with Bortles, eliminating the chance the team would take Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes. Again, in summary, the organization made the call to stick with Bortles, then did all it could to minimize his impact on games by taking a back that would fit the kind of offense that he would necessitate (rather than more-versatile Stanford star Christian McCaffrey). For a year, to Marrone’s credit, it worked. The Jags made the AFC title game. But the long-term fallout has been undeniable. Bortles wound up lasting two more years, and his failure necessitated overspending on Nick Foles, who lasted just one year. Meanwhile, while Fournette’s fit worked in the short-term, the price paid there was missing out on McCaffrey. Three years later, both Bortles and Fournette are without jobs, and Mahomes, Watson and McCaffrey are stars. And it can all trace back to the team sticking with Bortles for a season too long.

• As for Fournette’s future, he hits the wire Monday carrying a $4.17 million number for 2020, which is why he could go unclaimed—that’s a pretty decent chunk of money to be spending on a back less than two weeks before the opener. If he does clear, the idea of Pittsburgh makes sense to me, maybe because I remember what the similarly-old-school Jerome Bettis was before he went there, and how becoming a Steeler resurrected his career. And, for what it’s worth, Fournette’s got old offensive coordinators of his in Green Bay and Chicago. It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for him.

• Alvin Kamara’s run at a contract, presuming that’s what his absence from practice is, is interesting in a number of ways. One, there’s the fact that the Saints can report the absence as unexcused, which would cost Kamara an accrued season and make him a restricted (rather than unrestricted) free agent after the season. Two, there’s the choice to do this now, rather than at the beginning of camp, which actually could be solid strategically, in that the Saints need him present a lot more now than they would in late July or early August, when a holdout would typically be staged. Three, he’s a great player, and the team is in a win-now spot. They need him. So if this is the way to get a contract, and he’s confident it’s going to happen, Kamara doesn’t need to worry about accruing that season (even if does have an impact on his post-career benefits). Lots of push and pull on this one. Stay tuned.

• Also likely watching the Kamara situation: Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon and Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook. Both guys are going into contract years. How close Kamara gets to draft classmate Christian McCaffrey’s four-year, $64 million extension should at least clarify the landscape in negotiations for the other two. Kamara and McCaffrey, to be sure, are unique weapons not tied down to simply playing tailback. But Mixon and Cook have versatility too. And even if they aren’t what Kamara and McCaffrey are, if both Kamara and McCaffrey are over $15 million per year, it becomes clearer that the latter’s deal isn’t simply an outlier.

• Shout out to NFLPA president J.C. Tretter on asking the league, via a post on the union web site, for the continuation of daily testing into the season. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the success the league has had—just four of 2,600 players are on the COVID-19 list as of this writing—it’s the importance of constantly testing players. It’s pretty simple. If you don’t let COVID-19 into the building, then it can’t spread. And as well as it has worked, I think Tretter’s right. Continuing with the testing would be money well invested for the NFL.

• One thing that was interesting to hear while I was in Tampa: Fourth-year TE O.J. Howard was ecstatic to be working with Rob Gronkowski. In checking in with some people there, some concern did exist as the Gronkowski trade went down in April that Howard might not take the news well. Instead, the opposite happened—and Howard’s agent actually called the team soon thereafter to tell them that the former top-10 pick couldn’t be happier. So when I talked to Howard on Sunday, I made sure to ask him about that. “Rob is one of the greatest ever to play the position,” Howard told me. “It was an opportunity for me to go and learn, and just become a sponge and soak up a lot of knowledge. I’m always about learning more, putting more things in my toolbox, continuing to sharpen those tools and become a better player. So this is an opportunity for me to do that with him and Tom [Brady]. I couldn’t be put in a better situation at a young age, Year 4. This is only the beginning for me, it’s been a great opportunity for me to have a chance to have my career take off.” That, of course, is a great attitude to have, and it’s showing up in his play, too. Howard’s cleaned up his problem with drops, and been a star in making circus catches in contested situations all month.

• While we’re there, and just to accentuate the point I made in the MMQB column, here’s promising second-year receiver Scotty Miller on how positive Tom Brady’s been in camp: “That’s something I’ve noticed from him since the day I met him. Just extremely positive. I’d heard stuff about him, that in New England, he’d get on guys or whatever. But with us, he’s as humble as it gets. I mean, if he puts the ball on my chest and I drop the ball, he’ll be like, ‘My bad, I gotta give you a better ball,’ where it’s not his fault at all. That gives us all confidence, when we see our leader being humble and wanting to work on his game every single day. It tells us, if he’s doing that, we need to be doing the exact same thing, always willing to take the blame, and always doing your best on every single play.” And how have his teammates taken to following him? Well, I was told last week that among the veteran skill players—guys who worked with him over the spring and summer—the Bucs have seen zero (0!) soft-tissue injuries. That’s despite the adverse summer conditions in Tampa, and despite the COVID-affected camp schedule. I can’t say whether they all took up Brady’s training methods, but I do know the team thinks those guys watching and being around Brady over that time helped.

• Four weeks ago today, I gave you 12 non-quarterbacks who I believed had the sort of NFL standing to seriously consider opting out of the 2020 college season. LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase, on Monday, officially became the fourth guy on that list to do it. Those left: Clemson RB Travis Etienne, Oregon OT Penei Sewell, Alabama WR Devonta Smith, Alabama CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle, Ohio State CB Shaun Wade, Florida State DT Marvin Wilson, and Alabama LB Dylan Moses. LSU had another player opt out Monday as well—per our own Ross Dellenger, massive Tiger DT Tyler Shelvin won’t play this fall, and move his focus to getting ready for April’s draft. As it stands now, he’s probably a Day 2 pick, and so the decision to go is understandable. Also, the sudden exodus from LSU highlights something pretty interesting—the three programs that have the most sustained national success over the last decade (Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State) haven’t had a single opt-out yet.

• Good signing by the Giants, bringing Logan Ryan aboard at $7.5 million for this year. Before becoming a starting corner for the Patriots, Ryan was a core special-teamer for Joe Judge in Foxboro—Ryan was a gunner on the punt team as a rookie—so the two know each other exceedingly well. And just as Ryan was able to help Mike Vrabel establish some of those New England standards in Nashville the last two years, he should be able to do the same for Judge in Jersey the next four months. But really, this was about Ryan as a player. The Giants believe he’s still got plenty to give in that department.

• The Derwin James news is super disappointing, but another reminder that, many times, pre-draft concerns are warranted. I got asked a lot in 2018 how James slipped all the way to the 17th overall pick, where the Chargers snapped him up. Well, James was outstanding as a true freshman at Florida State, suffered a catastrophic knee injury as a sophomore, then came back and was less than 100% himself as a junior before declaring for the draft. The concern wasn’t over James’s ability to play. It was over his ability to stay healthy. Sadly, that concern’s proving warranted as a pro.

September 01, 2020 at 05:30AM
Why Jacksonville Drafted Leonard Fournette Will Really Disappoint Jaguars Fans Now

New on Sports Illustrated: Pelicans' Brandon Ingram Named NBA's Most Improved Player

Ingram received 42 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and earned 326 total points.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has been named the NBA’s most improved player in a season that saw him bounce back from a life-altering blood clot and a trade from the team that drafted him second-overall in 2016.

Ingram, who came to New Orleans as part of a block-buster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, averaged a team-leading and career-best 23.8 points per game while hitting 46.3% of his shots. He also became an NBA All-Star for the first time.

“It goes back to last March, me getting injured, and not being able to be back on the court until September,” Ingram said on a Zoom call Monday with TNT after being informed he had won the award by his parents. “That’s very little time to start preseason and to start the regular season, but I was ready for it. Since Day 1...I just wanted to put in my work every single day and just get the best out of it.”

Ingram credited former Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry for his success, saying the coach that was fired on Aug. 15 “gave me a great opportunity for me to go out there and do what I wanted to do.”

Ingram received 42 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and earned 326 total points. He edged Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo, who finished in second place with 295 points (38 first-place votes). Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic finished in third place with 101 points (12 first-place votes).

Ingram talked about his season earlier this month when he was a just a finalist for the award.

“It was a great year for me,” Ingram said. “People are seeing my work that I’ve put in, and it’s definitely shown on the basketball floor.”

The former Duke standout, who turns 23 on Wednesday, became a more dynamic scorer by significantly improving both his 3-point and free-throw shooting.

Ingram shot a career-best 39.1% from 3-point range, up from 33% from deep during his final season with the Lakers.

“First, it was me figuring out the mechanics and the right way to shoot the basketball ... shooting from my legs and stuff instead of my arms, just the consistency and how to shoot,” Ingram said. “Then it was the amount of attempts that I took, having the confidence to take those shots and continue to take those shots. I think that helped me with my confidence and continuing to make them.”

Ingram’s free-throw percentage rose from 67.5% last season to 85.1% this season.

Meanwhile, he remained largely healthy, playing and starting in all but 10 of New Orleans’ 72 games without experiencing a recurrence of the deep vein thrombosis in his right arm that sidelined him for his final 19 games with the Lakers.

The timing of his improved play–and the accompanying recognition–comes at a fortuitous time for Ingram, who is a restricted free agent this offseason. The Pelicans can either choose to offer him a maximum contract of about $167 million for the next five seasons or match any offer he agrees to with another team.

David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, has not yet detailed his plans for Ingram, but has been highly complimentary him as both a player and person.

For his part, Ingram has shown little interest in leaving New Orleans, where he has an opportunity to continue playing with another former Duke star, 2019 No.1 overall draft choice Zion Williamson.

“I’m enjoying where I’m at,” Ingram said.

September 01, 2020 at 04:58AM
Pelicans' Brandon Ingram Named NBA's Most Improved Player

New on Sports Illustrated: Raptors try to rebound vs. Celtics after ugly loss

The Toronto Raptors will look to rebound from a sluggish Game 1 loss when they take on the Boston Celtics in the second game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday evening near Orlando.

The Raptors easily were turned away 112-94 in the first contest of the series Sunday, never leading in the game after trailing by 19 in the first quarter. Toronto shot 36.9 percent as a team, 25.0 percent from 3-point range and didn't look close to the club that put up 150 points in finishing off a four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs' first round a week earlier.

"Tough day for us, right?" said Raptors coach Nick Nurse after the defeat. "Nothing was much fun out there today.

"They were great. We weren't very good. So we're going to have to bounce back."

Losing has been an unfamiliar feeling for Toronto in the NBA bubble -- the team had only dropped one game during seeding, a 122-100 setback against Boston. The Raptors had carried an eight-game winning streak into Sunday's contest.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have won five straight and nine of 10 overall as they flexed what many believed to be one of their weaknesses -- depth -- in dominating Game 1. Six Boston players scored in double figures, led by Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart with 21 points apiece, and Daniel Theis (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Kemba Walker (18 points, 10 assists) each had double-doubles. Backup center Robert Williams III added 10 points off the bench in forming a dynamic duo with Theis.

"Everybody's got a role to play, we've gotten great play from our centers all year because they complement our other guys extremely well," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens.

Despite it being a playoff game -- the first ever between the two Atlantic Division rivals -- basketball took a backseat during Sunday's contest. The game had been originally scheduled to be played Thursday before player protests related to the police shooting of Black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin the weekend prior pushed back the NBA schedule by three days. The emotional toll of the situation was still heavy on the mind of the players, as it figures to be throughout the remainder of the playoffs.

"There's no excuses, but we have an obligation right now to use our platform," said Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. "That's why we're still here."

Lowry had been questionable for Game 1 with a left ankle sprain. He led the Raptors with 17 points in the loss, while Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet struggled in combining to shoot 8-of-32 for 24 points.

The Celtics remain without starting forward Gordon Hayward, who is sidelined by a Grade 3 right ankle sprain. Hayward is expected to rejoin Boston in the bubble soon but won't be rushed back to the court, Stevens said Monday.

"I think he'll rejoin us in the bubble at some point soon, but he still will be some time away when he does do that," Stevens said.

--Field Level Media

September 01, 2020 at 04:09AM
Raptors try to rebound vs. Celtics after ugly loss

Victoria records 70 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths

There were five coronavirus-related deaths in Victoria in the past 24 hours. That follows on from yesterday when there were 41 deaths, a number inflated by delayed aged-care reporting

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
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Curtin University flags mass redundancies as it looks to slash $45 million in costs

Curtin University is flagging mass voluntary redundancies in a bid to slash $45 million after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a "highly challenging landscape for the Australian higher education sector".

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Uncommon symptom prompted COVID-positive nurse to get tested

A nurse working in a COVID-19 ward is among two new cases linked to a growing cluster that is spreading from Ipswich. 

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Three dead following explosions in Abu Dhabi, Dubai

ABU DHABI, UAE - Authorities in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, and the neighbouring emirate Dubai, say faulty gas connections have caused blasts which occurred Monday in the Emirates' cities, killing t

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Russian Academics Call in Open Letter for Release of Uyghur Professor

Dozens of eminent Russian scholars in the field of medicine have called on China in an open letter to free a well-known Uyghur professor from prison, where he has been confined on suspicion of sepa

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Melbourne takes national property market down

House values in Melbourne tumbled by 1.4 per cent in August, dragging down the national property market.

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Close contacts of Benoit Paire subject to extra US Open COVID protocols

Tennis players living and operating out of the US Open’s bio-security bubble in New York deemed close contacts of a fellow player who has tested positive to COVID-19 are being subject to even greater restrictions.

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Another Kremlin critic attacked as opposition leader Navalny recovers

Russian blogger Yegor Zhukov was beaten on the head and face by two people waiting near his apartment who escaped on scooters.

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Curtin University flags mass redundancies as it looks to slash $45 million in costs

Curtin University is flagging mass voluntary redundancies in a bid to slash $45 million after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a "highly challenging landscape for the Australian higher education sector".

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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Uncommon symptom prompted COVID-positive nurse to get tested

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Victoria records 70 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths

There were five coronavirus-related deaths in Victoria in the past 24 hours. That follows on from yesterday when there were 41 deaths, a number inflated by delayed aged-care reporting

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The Age photos of the week, August 30, 2020

The week in photos from our award winning photographers and regular contributing photographers at The Age.

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After nearly 4 tumultuous years, Trump still has millions of admirers

The last four years have been deeply traumatizing to millions of Americans as we have watched the nation in the stranglehold of a maniacal, dictatorial and compulsively deceptive president. But it

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Huawei quits as Canberra Raiders' main sponsor

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has quit its major sponsorship of rugby league club the Canberra Raiders, decrying the "continued negative business environment" towards the company in Australia.

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IOOF reaches $1.4b deal to buy NAB's wealth business

The deal, subject to approval, will cement the big four banks' exit from the super industry following a long list of scandals and mounting customer remediation bills.

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How Judy Bailey's six-month stay became 60 years

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Victoria records 73 new coronavirus cases, 41 more deaths

Victoria has recorded 73 cases of new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours as the number of deaths skyrocketed to 41, due to the delayed reporting of 22 deaths in aged care.

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The Age photos of the week, August 30, 2020

The week in photos from our award winning photographers and regular contributing photographers at The Age.

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French army officer charged with spying for Russia

The lieutenant-colonel was detained by France's General Directorate for Internal Security, as he was about to return to Italy after a holiday in France.

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Dumping ground: Big Oil's plan to flood Africa with plastic

Confronting a climate crisis that threatens the fossil fuel industry, oil companies are racing to make more plastic. But that creates a need to find somewhere to dump its waste.

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US Justice Department shielded Trump from Russia probe, ex-officials say

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The search engine boss who wants to help us all plant trees

Christian Kroll is the boss of Ecosia, which donates 80% of its profits to tree-planting projects.

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BBC NEWS - Norway bunker partygoers poisoned with carbon monoxide

More than 20 people were hospitalised after attending the party in the Norwegian capital Oslo.


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from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53969564

Dumping ground: Big Oil's plan to flood Africa with plastic

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New on Sports Illustrated: Jon Rahm Makes 66-Foot Putt in Playoff to Win BMW Championship

Jon Rahm outlasted Dustin Johnson with a thrilling playoff finish to take the BMW Championship title.

Jon Rahm clinched his BMW Championship victory with some flare on Sunday.

After standing tied at four-under with Dustin Johnson at the end of 72 holes, Rahm pulled ahead by draining a 66-foot putt in a playoff. The victory marks the 25-year-old's second win in his last five PGA Tour starts.

The impressive feat wrapped up a closely contested tournament that saw a crowded leaderboard heading into Sunday. Johnson found himself tied for the lead with Hideki Matsuyama entering the final round. Meanwhile, Rahm worked his way from being tied at 51st place in the standings after a five-over first round to completing a six-under fourth round and playoff for the victory. 

Rahm was not alone in making impressive putts down the stretch of the BMW Championship. Johnson made one himself to clinch a playoff with Rahm as he drained a birdie on the 18th hole. 

With his BMW Championship victory, Rahm moves back to No. 1 in the world golf rankings. Johnson overtook Rahm in the standings last week after recording a victory in The Northern Trust last week. 

Rahm's BMW Championship title marks his fifth PGA victory since joining the Tour in 2016. His latest Tour title came at the Memorial Tournament standings in July. 

The 2019-20 PGA Tour schedule concludes next week with the TOUR Championship in Atlanta, Ga. The U.S. Open will take place from Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., while the Masters will run from Nov. 12-15 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. 

August 31, 2020 at 05:38AM
Jon Rahm Makes 66-Foot Putt in Playoff to Win BMW Championship

New on Sports Illustrated: Eagles WR Jalen Reagor Out 3-4 Weeks With Shoulder Injury

The Eagles rookie WR is expected to miss a month after injuring his shoulder making a tackle in practice. SI Fantasy insider Ben Heisler discusses the fantasy ramifications.

Eagles rookie wide receiver Jalen Reagor is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after suffering a shoulder injury during practice on Sunday.

John McMullen of EagleMaven reports the injury was suffered as a result of trying to make a tackle after a pass was intercepted:

"Reagor was blanketed in coverage by Avonte Maddox and a pass-breakup hung in the air for Will Parks and the Philadelphia native intercepted it before being tackled by Reagor.

The TCU product seemed to be favoring his hand or wrist and was taken inside. Sources then confirmed that the injury was with the left shoulder."

Initial reports from Geoff Mosher were that Reagor suffered a left shoulder injury on the play, and that surgery will not be required. Mosher adds that Reagor may have a slight labrum tear.

From a fantasy standpoint, Reagor's ADP (average draft position) had continued to climb since making a noticeable first impression in Training Camp. With Marquise Goodwin opting out for 2020 due to COVID-19 and Alshon Jeffery rehabbing from Lisfranc surgery, Reagor was set to be the starting "X" receiver for Carson Wentz and the Eagles when they open the season against the Washington Football Team on Sunday, September 13th.

Reagor currently is ranked as the WR49 on the board according to SI Fantasy's Advanced ADP rankings. SI Fantasy expert Michael Fabiano is ahead of consensus on Reagor, ranking him as his WR42 in his latest up-to-date Top 200 PPR Rankings. 

Even with the injury, Reagor still remains my top sleeper for the 2020 season on my SI Preason Pro Breakdown. 

Check out SI Fantasy team's full list of Top Sleepers for 2020 here.

Unless Jeffery is able to start the season healthy, JJ Arcega-Whiteside would be the other starting outside WR alongside DeSean Jackson. Greg Ward would play in the slot.

Additionally, the injury to Reagor could also indicate a higher role for tight end Dallas Goedert if the Eagles choose to go to more two-TE sets. 

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For more SI Fantasy and Gambling:

• 2020 Fantasy Football Rankings

• Michael Fabiano’s Top Sleeper

• Michael Fabiano’s Top Bust

• Michael Fabiano’s Top 200

• World Series Odds

• NFC West Preview

• NFC East Preview

• NFC South Preview

• NFC North Preview

August 31, 2020 at 04:52AM
Eagles WR Jalen Reagor Out 3-4 Weeks With Shoulder Injury

New on Sports Illustrated: Thunder need offense in elimination game vs. Rockets

In addition to the series-saving performances from their celebrated trio of skilled guards, the Oklahoma City Thunder placed so much ballyhoo on the defensive effort of rookie Luguentz Dort that it was all but guaranteed the Houston Rockets would devise a suitable counterattack.

In Game 5 last Saturday, the Rockets proved much more deliberate in making sure Dort felt the body of a screener as he defended James Harden, and the result was favorable. Harden produced his most efficient showing of the series and the Rockets rolled to a 114-80 victory that secured a 3-2 series lead and an opportunity to close out Oklahoma City on Monday near Orlando.

Harden scored a game-high 31 points on just 15 shots while playing only 28 minutes. Harden recorded an effective field goal percentage of 86.7 percent and thrived by capitalizing on solid screens set against Dort and by exploiting alternate defenders when the Thunder allowed the switch.

"First thing Dort is a very good defender but his aggression sometimes gets the best of him, so we kind of exploited it a little bit," Rockets forward Robert Covington said. "The main thing is we've got to hit him and continue to get James open. Either they're going to force the switch or it's going to open up something else.

"James has been doing a great job of finding guys and making the right plays, so we've got to stay with the game plan and continue to be effective with that."

Complementary to the offensive game plan against Dort was a defensive strategy that allowed Dort uncontested perimeter looks. The Rockets harassed Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into 2-for-8 shooting and cleaved to forward Danilo Gallinari, who totaled a series-low one point on 0-for-5 shooting. Their aggressive rotations left Dort open by design, and he responded by missing 13 of 16 shots including an unsightly 0-for-9 display from deep.

"I think part of his growth is understanding when to shoot some, when to drive some and when to pass some," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of Dort, who is shooting 26.1 percent in the series. "He probably had a mix of a lot of those in the game. The other thing, too, is with the way that he has guarded James Harden in the series -- he's done a great job -- he just didn't have a very good offensive night.

"But those same shots were there in Game 4. He made a couple of them, and he also made some big plays. He's not going to be perfect, none of us are perfect. But you're going to get great effort from (Dort). He just didn't shoot the ball well. Our whole team didn't shoot the ball well."

Oklahoma City shot 31.5 percent in Game 5 and missed 39 of 46 3-pointers. The Thunder have made a habit of rebounding from deficits, with their victories in Games 3 and 4 serving as testimonies to their resilience. But the Rockets have averaged a 20.7-point margin of victory in their three series wins, serving notice that when things go well for Houston, they unfold especially well.

"I think we know what we have to do, and we've got to respond," Donovan said. "This group has always kind of done that."

--Field Level Media

August 31, 2020 at 04:36AM
Thunder need offense in elimination game vs. Rockets

Prison guard stabbed in back at Silverwater prison

It is understood the incident occurred in the mental health facility of the prison. 

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
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Prison guard stabbed in back at Silverwater prison

It is understood the incident occurred in the mental health facility of the prison. 

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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New unit to deal with health exemptions on Queensland's border

Queensland's Premier will set up a new unit this week to field medical exemption requests for New South Wales' residents needing treatment across the border. 

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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Chadwick Boseman embodied the Black heroes of our past and gave us one for the future

The actor seemingly obliterated the curse of so many never seeing themselves as a hero - the hero.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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Warner 'bullish' as Maxwell makes a statement with century

Glenn Maxwell has crunched a century in Australia's warm-up ODI clash in England, as David Warner shows no signs of slowing down.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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Seven to air The Voice, marking end to eight-year run on Nine

Seven Network will air popular singing program The Voice from next year.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2EH43PP
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New on Sports Illustrated: Islanders rally to beat Flyers 3-1 for 2-1 series lead

TORONTO (AP) Matt Martin and Leo Komaro scored in the second period as the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 on Saturday night, taking a 2-1 lead in their conference semifinal series.

Anders Lee also scored, and Semyon Varlamov had 26 saves to rebound after a rocky Game 3 that saw him benched in the first period.

The playoffs resumed after a two-day break to protest racial injustice, the latest twist in an unprecedented, pandemic-halted season. Game 4 is Sunday night.

Tyler Pitlick scored for the Flyers in the first period, and Carter Hart had 26 saves.

Pitlick's wrist shot from the top of the right circle flashed past the glove of a screened Varlamov glove to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead 5:42 into the game. The play was set up by a puck battle behind the net won by Scott Laughton, who was able to power his way out and drop the pass off to Pitlick.

New York surged in the second period.

After a couple near misses by Mathew Barzal early, the Islanders' center shoveled a pass out from the back boards to a wide-open Martin on the doorstep for the tying goal at the 7:12 mark.

Komarov gave the Islanders their first lead when his shot in heavy traffic trickled through Hart's pads and over the line with 6 seconds left in the middle period.

Lee put the Islanders up 3-1 on a power play early in the third when his shot in traffic bounced past Hart.

The Flyers pulled the goalie on a late power play but Varlamov held up to the 6-on-4 attack.

NOTES: The Islanders scratched F Ross Johnston and Derrick Brassard played in his place. ... The team that wins Game 3 after a series is tied 1-1 has a 67 percent chance of winning the series.

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

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August 30, 2020 at 07:23AM
Islanders rally to beat Flyers 3-1 for 2-1 series lead

Four new cases as missing link found in 'growing' Qld virus cluster

Queensland health authorities have found what they believe to be a link between two virus clusters in south-east Queensland, with four new cases recorded on Sunday.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
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Norway's Alexander Kristoff wins first stage of Tour de France

NICE, France - Norway's Alexander Kristoff won the opening stage of the Tour de France in slippery conditions Saturday in Nice.

Kristoff out-sprinted Danish world champion Mads Pedersen at t

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