Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 34 points as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their season-high NBA win streak to seven games with a 108-100 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Leonard shot 14 of 24 from the floor and finished with nine rebounds and eight assists while Ivica Zubac came off the bench to score 10 points and grab 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who beat Oklahoma City for the second time in three days.
Serge Ibaka tallied 17 points, Reggie Jackson finished with 14 and Paul George scored 11 for the Clippers, who matched the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the league at 13-4.
"On a night when we weren't making shots, it was a good, tough, grind-out win for us," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "Kawhi had it going so we played through him a lot, especially in the second half. We had to ride him pretty hard so we could keep the lead."
George spent two seasons with the Thunder before being traded to the Clippers prior to the 2019-20 season.
Nicolas Batum scored seven points in the win while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Thunder, who lost their third in a row after having last Sunday's game against Philadelphia postponed.
George Hill scored 22 points and Hamidou Diallo had 14 points for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder cut the Clippers lead to six points, 102-96, with just under two minutes left on a basket by Gilgeous-Alexander. But Leonard helped clinch the victory by scoring on a dunk with 42 seconds remaining.
The Clippers grabbed a big lead early just like they did in Friday's win over the Thunder. Los Angeles compiled a 17 point lead in the opening quarter before the Thunder reduced that to eight with just over four minutes left in the second. The Clippers regained control to take a 56-45 lead into the half.
Leonard, who scored 11 points in the third quarter, hit a jumper at the end of the third to give the Clippers a 85-73 lead.
"He did a great job of just getting us the lead," Jackson said of Leonard. "They were loading up on Kawhi and Paul. They did a great job of attacking."
The Clippers won despite struggling from three-point range, hitting just 14 of 46. The Thunder were even worse, making just seven of 35 from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles played without forward Marcus Morris, who sat out with an unspecified illness.
Spurs breeze past Wizards
Dejounte Murray had a triple double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Patty Mills scored a team high 21 as the San Antonio Spurs used a balanced and explosive offensive attack to breeze past the short-handed Washington Wizards 121-101.
It was the first game in 13 days for the Covid-19 ravaged Wizards after a half dozen players tested positive and three had to miss time because of contact tracing.
Lonnie Walker scored 16 points, LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 15, Devin Vassell notched 14 points, and Rudy Gay and Keldon Johnson each had 13 as seven players reached double figure scoring for the Spurs, who halted a two game losing skid.
The Spurs led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter and then used a 15-1 run down the stretch to cruise to victory.
Wizards top scorer Bradley Beal had 31 points and Jerome Robinson added 16, while Alex Len finished with 11 points.
Russell Westbrook, who missed the Wizards last two games with a quadriceps injury, was held to just nine points.
Celtics smash Cavs
In Boston, Jaylen Brown delivered one of the fastest scoring bursts in NBA history, scoring 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter as the Boston Celtics rolled over the Cleveland Cavaliers 141-103.
Brown became the first player in NBA history to score more than 30 points in less than 20 minutes as the Celtics halted a three-game losing streak.
Lillard guides Blazers past Knicks
Over in Portland, Damian Lillard recorded 39 points and eight assists to lead the Trail Blazers to a 116-113 victory over the visiting New York Knicks.
Lillard made six 3-pointers and was 11 of 17 from the field as he scored at least 35 points for the fourth time in the past five games.
He also made all 11 free-throw attempts to raise his consecutive streak to 66, breaking his own franchise mark of 64 set in March of 2018.
The victory was the sixth in the past eight games for Portland, which had games against Memphis on Wednesday and Friday postponed due to the Grizzlies' Covid-19 issues.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points to become the sixth player in franchise history to reach 11,000 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 129-115 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Results
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
SPECS
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
