Steph Curry continues to set the pace in the NBA, there was drama, controversy and recrimination on the final weekend of the NFL regular season and we have a new world darts champion. Here are five stories you might have missed over the past couple of days…
Curry scores career-high 62 points in Warriors win
NBA superstar Steph Curry outdid even himself on Sunday as he scored a career-high 62 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 137-122 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
In basketball’s first 50-point performance of the season, Curry bagged 21 points in the first quarter alone, as he made his intentions clear from the tip-off. After netting two free-throws to take him past his previous career mark of 54, the Warriors guard sank two stunning three-pointers to become the first NBA player to score 30 points in each half since February 1977.
Despite the win, the Warriors remain at the foot of the Pacific Division with three victories and three defeats from their first six games.
Giants eliminated after Eagles’ “sickening” controversial changes
While the Chicago Bears were busy sneaking into the playoffs despite a 35-16 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, there was huge drama elsewhere in the NFL as the New York Giants were left crying foul at Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
The Giants needed the Eagles to beat Washington if they were to win the NFC East, but it was Washington who came out with a narrow win after a number of controversial moves by Pederson. With little to play for other than pride after a disappointing season, the Eagles chief made some unorthodox in-game calls and also substituted quarterback Jalen Hurts for the fourth quarter in favour of backup Nate Sudfeld.
Sudfeld made a number of key errors as Washington went on to win 20-14, clinching the division ahead of the Giants and progressing to next week’s Wild Card round. Giants players were far from happy with Pederson though, flooding Twitter with questions over Pederson’s decision-making, with wide-receiver Darius Slayton claiming, “This is sickening”.
Boxing suspended, meaning Kelly-Avanesyan postponement
The continued rise in Covid-19 cases in the UK has led to the British Boxing Board of Control announcing a suspension of all boxing for the rest of January.
With much of the nation now under Tier 4 restrictions, the fight game’s governing body took the step to call a halt, explaining in a statement, “Following the increase in Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom and the effects such increases have on the NHS and the work of the Board Medical Officers, it has been decided that no tournaments under the jurisdiction of the British Boxing Board of Control will take place in January 2021.
“A further review by the Board’s Medical Panel and Stewards will take place later in January in relation to tournaments from February onwards.”
The suspension means that the European welterweight title fight between David Avanesyan and Josh Kelly has been postponed for a second time.
Gerwyn Price wins the world title
Darts has a new world champion after Gerwyn Price overcame Gary Anderson 7-3 in Sunday’s PDC final at Alexandra Palace.
Having come through a last-set showdown with Jamie Lewis and two sudden-death last-leg deciders to beat Brendan Dolan and Daryl Gurney on his way to the final, the Welshman made relatively light work of Anderson in the final to lift the World Championship trophy for the first time.
“I think it’s going to take a couple of days to sink in,” said Price afterwards as he came to terms with not only becoming world champion but also the new world number one. Price also became the fourth different PDC champ in the last four years.
Lions tour of South Africa in doubt due to Covid
A decision will be made by February regarding the viability of the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa, as rugby union officials come to terms with the latest Covid-19 developments.
With the UK government currently advising against any travel to South Africa due to new strains of the Coronavirus, Lions bosses have said they will look to take a “timely” call on whether July’s tour can go ahead.
“We are making plans on the latest information available to us,” Lions managing director Ben Calveley told the Guardian. “Given the uncertainty that continues to be caused by the pandemic in both South Africa as well as the UK and Ireland, we are very aware of the need to make a timely decision on the best way forward.”
Thousands of fans usually make the trip to support the best of British and Irish rugby, meaning the Lions board are looking to make a decision sooner rather than later to cause the least disruption possible for supporters.
