Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets ready for important showdowns for NBA play-off spots
The Straits Times
They have back-to-back matchups on March 16 (March 17, Singapore time) and March 18 in Houston. Read more at straitstimes.com.
HOUSTON – With the stakes seemingly escalating with each game, the Los Angeles Lakers did not squander an opportunity against the Denver Nuggets to continue climbing the National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference standings.
Their 127-125 overtime win over the Nuggets on March 14 not only clinched the season series between the teams but also moved the Lakers ahead of the Houston Rockets for third place in the West, just in time for back-to-back matchups on March 16 (March 17, Singapore time) and March 18 hosted by the Rockets.
Los Angeles and Houston enter the two-game set tied in the loss column. They also have two fewer defeats than the Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers (42-25) have caught fire at the right time, winning eight of nine games to seize the pole position in a riveting four-team squabble.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (53-15) and San Antonio Spurs (49-18) have all but secured the top two seeds in the West, leaving the teams below them to battle it out for the two remaining home-court advantages in the opening round of the play-offs.
That ongoing skirmish has transformed the final four weeks of the regular season into a play-off-like environment.
March 15 - World number two Jannik Sinner said Daniil Medvedev had found his best form again ahead of Sunday's Indian Wells title clash between the duo, heaping praise on the Russian's serving and returns in a solid start to the season. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 15 - Toko Koga scored twice as Japan stayed on course for a third Women's Asian Cup title with a 7-0 win over the Philippines in Sydney on Sunday, setting up a semi-final against South Korea. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 15 - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reprimanded Pakistan batter Salman Agha for his reaction to a controversial run-out in the second One-Day International against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
INDIAN WELLS, California, March 15 - Daniil Medvedev said his Indian Wells semi-final win over Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday would prove nothing more than a temporary setback for the Spaniard, and that he and Jannik Sinner were playing at a totally different level from the rest of the tour. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS, March 15 - France head coach Fabien Galthie hailed Louis Bielle-Biarrey as a “lethal weapon” following in the footsteps of Antoine Dupont after the winger’s four-try masterclass helped secure a dramatic Six Nations title-clinching victory over England on Saturday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - All who wander up and down the leaderboard are not lost. Read more at straitstimes.com.
People feared for the safety of seven delegation members after they refused to sing Iran's national anthem. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The fourth-placed Lakers are currently on a four-game winning streak. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 14 - The U.S. and Israel's conflict with Iran has led to sporting events being postponed in the region, while competitions elsewhere have been hit by travel disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled in some of the world's busiest transit hubs. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The 52-year-old sits atop the leaderboard with Joaquin Niemann heading into the final round. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 14 - World number one Aryna Sabalenka said players must halt points straightaway to seek a video review for hindrance and not wait to decide, after Daniil Medvedev's dispute with Jack Draper sparked controversy at Indian Wells. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Victory also ensured their direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 13 - Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina moved into the Indian Wells final with straight-sets victories over Linda Noskova and Elina Svitolina on Friday, setting up a rematch of their Australian Open Grand Slam title clash. Read more at straitstimes.com.