Basketball
BAM! NIGERIAN-BORN AMERICAN BASKETBALLER, ‘BAM’ ADEBAYO HELPS MIAMI HEAT WIN OVER CELTICS
Miami Heat beat Celtics 117-114 Tuesday night; great thanks to Nigerian-born American player, Edrice Femi “Bam” Adebayo. What a dramatic ending. Jayson Tatum thought he had a dunk to tie the game.
Bam Adebayo had other ideas — and in the biggest moment of his young NBA career, Miami’s All-Star big man more than rose to the occasion.
Jimmy Butler’s three-point play with 12 seconds left put Miami ahead for good, Adebayo finished it off with a stunning rejection of Tatum at the rim on the ensuing Boston possession, and the Heat struck first in the Eastern Conference finals with a 117-114 win in Game 1 on Tuesday night.
“When you have great competition like this, you just have to make plays that you can’t even really explain,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And that was Bam tonight.”
The Heat were down by 13 in the opening minutes, down by 14 in the final quarter and felt like a bad call took the lead from them in the final seconds. They found a way in overtime, improving to an NBA-best 9-1 so far in these playoffs.
Goran Dragic scored 29 points, Jae Crowder scored 22, Butler had 20 and Adebayo had 18. But even after a night when Butler made a go-ahead 3-pointer late in regulation and had the go-ahead-for-good points again in overtime, he pointed at Adebayo for his favorite moment.
“Bam. That seals the game for us,” Butler said. “I love how he does any and everything that you ask him to do. I really do. You ask him to pass the ball, he does that. Score, he does that. Come up with a huge defensive stop, block, he does that. He’s a huge part to our winning. I’ve been saying it all year long and I’ll repeat it again.”
Kemba Walker’s basket with 23.2 seconds left in overtime put Boston up by one, before Butler muscled his way to the rim for a score while getting fouled by Tatum. The Celtics went to Tatum on the ensuing possession, only to watch him get denied by Adebayo.
“He made a great play,” Tatum said. “That’s all it is. … Can’t do anything about it.”
Tatum scored 30 points for the Celtics, Marcus Smart had 26 points, Walker had 19 and Jaylen Brown added 17. The Celtics had been 156-1 since the shot-clock era started 65 years ago — winners of 92 straight — when leading by 12 or more points going into the fourth quarter of a playoff game.
They’re 156-2 now.
“Got to make better decisions,” Walker said.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens tipped his cap to Adebayo afterward.
“He is a tremendous defender,” Stevens said. “We’re going to have to figure out, again, better ways to attack, especially late. I thought we really moved it at times, then we did get stagnant.”
Miami’s Tyler Herro was one assist shy of a triple-double — finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. He would have been the second-youngest player in the last 40 years to have a postseason triple-double, one day older than Magic Johnson was when he got his first.
Johnson weighed in postgame on Twitter, lauding Miami.
Boston led 85-71 early in the fourth and kept the lead for almost all of the final period — until Butler connected on a 3-pointer from the right corner with 22 seconds left for a 106-105 Miami edge.
The Celtics tied it before the clock even started again. Derrick Jones Jr. was called for an away-from-the-play foul while Miami defended the inbounds pass, a call where the Heat argued to no avail that he got shoved instead. Tatum went to the line, tied the game with the free throw, and Boston all of a sudden went from needing a score to being able to run out the clock.
Tatum’s 3-point try at the end of regulation was short, and to overtime they went.
“Made a hell of a block,” Adebayo said. “That doesn’t dictate the series, though. We’re only up 1-0.”
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami has gotten into early trouble in all three of its Game 1s in these playoffs — down eight to Indiana early in the first round, down 11 to Milwaukee in the opening quarter of the second round and down 13 to Boston in Tuesday’s first quarter. … Andre Iguodala, who played in zero conference-final games in his first 10 seasons, has now played in 22 since 2015.
Celtics: Boston’s record for consecutive Game 1 wins is 11, from 1985 through 1987. The Celtics won eight straight from 1959 through 1962. … Gordon Hayward (ankle) was inactive again, though the Celtics believe he can play in this series. … Brad Wanamaker had five steals for Boston.
MIAMI VS. BOSTON
Tuesday was the 141st meeting all-time between the Celtics and Heat. It also marked the 39th all-time matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins — but it was the first time those four clubs all faced off on the same date. The closest they previously came to colliding was 2012, when the Heat topped the Celtics in Game 7 of the East finals on June 9 and the Red Sox and Marlins opened a series two days later.
WELCOME, DEUCE
Tatum’s son young Deuce cleared quarantine and was reunited with his dad — and the rest of the Celtics — in the bubble on Tuesday. “Ultimately, it’s just nice for them to see their families,” Stevens said. “I walked down the hallway with Deuce today, which was the highlight of my 70 days here. I think that’s just really cool.”
-AP
The sixth edition of the annual women’s basketball championship organised in honour of the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr Daniel Olukoya, and his wife, Dr Shade Olukoya, will climax with the grand finale on Wednesday, July 15, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The championship forms part of activities marking the birthday celebration of the influential couple and has grown into one of the notable events on Nigeria’s women’s basketball calendar.
According to a press release signed by Godwin Enakhena, the Director of Sports, MFM, the tournament continues to serve as a platform for showcasing elite female basketball talent, attracting some of the best players from across Africa.
The competition has become a significant avenue for promoting women’s participation in sports while providing opportunities for players to display their skills at a high level.
Now in its sixth edition, the championship has steadily gained prominence, reflecting MFM’s longstanding commitment to sports development and youth empowerment.
Over the years, the church has played a pivotal role in nurturing talent through its various sporting programmes and clubs, particularly in basketball and athletics.
The 2026 edition is expected to culminate in a keenly contested final, bringing together top women’s teams from Nigeria in a celebration of sporting excellence and the enduring contributions of Dr Daniel Olukoya and Dr Shade Olukoya to both spiritual and community development.
The championship’s grand finale is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, with basketball enthusiasts expected to witness another memorable chapter in a competition that has become a fitting tribute to the Olukoyas’ impact on sports and society.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
SportyTV has secured a three-year agreement to broadcast NBA games free-to-air across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, in a move expected to widen access to basketball on the continent.
The deal will see SportyTV air selected NBA games and special events on its free television platform from next season through September 2028.
The partnership begins this Thursday with Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons. For the remainder of the current season, SportyTV will show eight playoff and NBA Finals games.
Beginning next season, the broadcaster will offer a wider package that includes weekly NBA Saturday games, NBA Christmas Day fixtures, NBA All-Star Weekend programming, selected Play-In Tournament games and extensive playoff coverage, including the NBA Finals.
Vice President of Media, Marketing and Business Development at Sporty Group, Elias Gallego, said the agreement was designed to make NBA content more accessible to African audiences.
“There’s a difference between content being available and it being accessible. This deal closes that gap with NBA games, across mobile, smart TVs, and digital platforms, built around how people actually watch today,” Gallego said.
Fans across the four countries will have the opportunity to watch some of the NBA’s biggest stars, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The coverage will also spotlight players with African roots and connections, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
Apart from live games, SportyTV will broadcast daily highlights, classic NBA content and historic matchups featuring legendary figures like Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo.
The addition of the NBA further strengthens SportyTV’s basketball portfolio, which already includes coverage of the Euroleague.
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
By Ugo Okeiyi, Enugu
The end-of-year Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational Tournament, tagged “Championing the Youth Through Sports, Education and Opportunity,” has taken off and will be concluded on Friday. The three-day event is taking place at the Indoor Sports Multipurpose Gymnasium, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The grassroots basketball competition is designed to serve as a platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent.
A total of 14 teams — eight male and six female sides drawn from across the country — are competing for honours in what promises to be an exciting three-day basketball spectacle.
The tournament is powered by the Anthony Ozubuekwe Foundation, in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry for Youth and Sports Development and the Enugu State Basketball Association.
Organisers say fans should expect high-quality action, with displays of skill, athleticism and tactical awareness from some of the most promising young players in the country.
According to the organisers, the initiative is structured to positively engage young people, steering them away from social vices and criminal tendencies, while using sports as a tool for education, personal development and opportunity creation.
They added that the tournament will also give coaches and team officials a valuable opportunity to assess the mental readiness, discipline and competitive mindset of the players, while providing a conducive environment for athletes to interact, bond and learn from one another.
The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with attractive prize money on offer. In the men’s category, the champions will receive ₦2 million and a giant trophy, while the runners-up will earn ₦1.5 million.
In the women’s category, the winning team will go home with ₦1.5 million, while the second-placed team will receive ₦750,000.
With its blend of competition, youth empowerment and community development, the Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational is expected to be one of the standout grassroots sports events of the year in Enugu State.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
World Public Summit Africa to Bring Global Leaders Together in Addis Ababa
CAF Hails Africa’s Historic FIFA World Cup 2026 Performance, Targets Greater Success in 2030
CAF Doubles WAFCON Winners’ Prize to $2 Million in Landmark Boost for Women’s Football
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
- World Cup1 week ago
Potential World Cup expansion to be discussed after 2026 edition Says Infantino
- World Cup1 day ago
How a 64-team World Cup could transform soccer’s economics
- World Cup3 days ago
Reuters: 10 Key Takeaways from the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- World Cup1 week ago
Norway turn World Cup heartbreak into celebration as huge crowds pack capital
- World Cup4 days ago
The economic goal that never came: World Cup falls short of boosting Mexico
- World Cup6 days ago
Argentina’s coach, Scaloni faces former tutor, Spain’s De la Fuente In World Cup final
- World Cup6 days ago
Spain’s Sanchez to attend World Cup final alongside Trump amid tensions
- World Cup2 days ago
FIFA Salutes Kunle Solaja as Historic World Cup 2026 Draws to a Close