Photo by Al Bello/Getty ImagesThe San Antonio Spurs turned Game 4 against the New York Knicks into a first-half nightmare at Madison Square Garden, with one part of their performance reaching historic territory.The game is still going on, so nothing about the result is settled yet. But the opening half gave the Knicks a problem much bigger than the scoreboard, as San Antonios offense kept finding the same answer again and again.At the time of writing, the Spurs lead 76-49 at halftime and are threatening to even the NBA Finals at 2-2 if New York cannot produce a dramatic response.Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesSan Antonio Spurs set NBA Finals record with 14 first-half threes vs New York KnicksFanDuel noted the new Finals mark after the Spurs hit 14 three-pointers in the first half of Game 4.San Antonio reached the break shooting 14-of-26 from deep, good for 53.8 percent, a number that explains how quickly the game got away from the Knicks.The Spurs did not just get hot from one corner or one player. Their ball movement kept stretching New Yorks defense, and each make added pressure to a Knicks offense that could not keep pace in the first two quarters.That is what made the halftime score so alarming. A 76-49 deficit at home in the Finals is bad enough, but giving up a record-setting barrage from three made it feel even more damaging.Previous NBA Finals three-point record belonged to Cleveland CavaliersThe previous record for most three-pointers made in one half of an NBA Finals game was 13, set by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the 2017 Finals against the Golden State Warriors.Boston had also come close in recent years, with the Celtics making 12 threes in a half during Finals runs in 2022 and 2024. San Antonios 14 makes pushed the bar higher while Game 4 was still in progress.The timing matters because the Spurs entered the night trying to build on their Game 3 win at Madison Square Garden. After dropping the first two games at home, they needed another road response to fully change the tone of the series.They have not finished the job yet, but the first half has already changed the conversation. If the Knicks are going to stop this from becoming a tied series, they will have to recover from a shooting display that made Finals history before halftime.Read more:What Dave Portnoy finds insane as Spurs are now favored to win NBA title over KnicksKnicks superfan Ben Stiller vows to never wear stupid final shirt after wild reaction from his wifeKnicks fans accuse NBA refs of cheating after wild flagrant foul on Mitchell Robinson vs. Victor Wembanyama

A security plan released by the New York Police Department will bar fans from spontaneous gatherings around Madison Square Garden during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, upsetting Knicks owner James Dolan.

Michael Crawley has worked as an assistant coach at the Raiders, Knights and Cowboys as well as a coaching consultant with the Dragons.

The winger's remarks come as the planet's biggest football tournament is also shaping up to be its most polarising.

Victor Wembanyamas 32-point performance in San Antonios 115-111 win over the New York Knicks on Monday night was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 3 since 1998.The game averaged 23.8 million viewers and peaked at 26.3 million late in the fourth quarter, according to data released by Nielsen on Wednesday. Thats the largest television audience since Super Bowl 60 on Feb. 8.The finals are averaging 19.1 million, the second most-watched since ABC and ESPN took over the broadcast in 2003. That represents a 114% increase over last years series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.NBA Finals AllAccess with The Pat McAfee Show averaged 1.1 million on ESPN, making it the most-watched NBA alternate telecast on the network.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

By the time Braden Montgomery returned to Rate Field on Wednesday, the glow from his major league debut the night before was a long way from fading.Montgomery capped a 2-for-5 night with a game-ending, two-run homer in the 10th inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 win over Atlanta Braves. He became the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homer in his debut, joining Billy Parker (1971), Josh Bard (2002), Miguel Cabrera (2015) and Carlos Prez (2023).Montgomery was still buzzing hours after his 343-foot, opposite-field shot cleared the fence in left field.I don't know if I would be considered calmed down at this point, Montgomery said. Just been enjoying it, sharing it with my family.White Sox manager Will Venable said he isn't worried about the 23-year-old getting ahead of himself after one game.We haven't had anybody with a debut like that, but I think he's as grounded as they come, Venable said. This is a guy that has really high expectations of himself. I'm sure he envisioned himself doing this, what he did last night. To be honest, his idea of what he can do in this league is as high as anybody else's. It was exactly what he expected.Montgomery didn't slow down Wednesday night, hitting two doubles and scoring the first run in a 2-1 win over the Braves.He just goes up there with extreme confidence, putting really good swings on pitches, Venable said. I think his swing decisions have been great. He's a very talented hitter and for him to come up and be so comfortable and be locked in and show what he's able to do early has been awesome.Montgomery spent the start of his second day of his big league career responding to the text messages he continues to receive The number shrinks and grows as I answer them, but more come in, Montgomery said and spending time with his parents and family, who were sitting behind home plate Wednesday night.His mother, Gretchen Montgomery Willock, posted a video of the family celebration in the stands that went viral on social media. On Wednesday, she posted, Let me tell you about a dream I had last night.It's not really something you can imagine, Montgomery said. You just kind of go into it with your expectations and do whatever the game brings.One of the top prospects in the White Sox organization, acquired from the Red Sox in the December 2024 trade that sent Garrett Crochet to Boston, Montgomery was hitting .315 for Triple-A Charlotte. He became the 12th White Sox rookie to debut this season, the second-highest total before the All-Star break since the 1944 Cincinnati Reds had 13, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.The influx of youth has helped the White Sox go 29-18 since April 17, second only to the New York Yankees (30-17), despite injuries to Munetaka Murakami and Everson Pereira. among others. The White Sox are 5-4 since Murakami, a rookie from Japan who leads the team with 20 homers, injured his right hamstring on May 29.Colson Montgomery joined that list Tuesday. He is day to day with a sore back and was not in the lineup Wednesday. The second-year shortstop, a relative veteran of 135 MLB games, said his younger teammates are feeding off each other to pick up the slack.You get up here, and it's like, these are my boys, my teammates, this is nothing new, Colson Montgomery said. That's why a lot of our young rookie guys are coming up here and they're thriving because they're just being themselves and they know they can be themselves. ... We have a lot of guys in the minor leagues who are coming up and theyre ready to show their impact.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

A slew of councils have banned England flags from being hung on public property during the World Cup to protect "community cohesion". Bristol City Council (BCC), South Gloucestershire Council and Wiltshire Council's warning comes ahead of the start of the tournament in North America this evening - and just days before England's first match.BCC leader Tony Dyer has urged residents to avoid hoisting St George's Cross in any publicly-owned spaces. He said: "What people cannot do is fly flags on lampposts or railings or any public property.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour Say"Please do not attach anything to lampposts - it causes health and safety issues."The city council vowed to fast-track the removal of flags hung up in "sensitive locations" and said it would reassess its strategy on taking down those on council-owned properties. It also urged Bristolians to report any instances of flags being adorned on public property to the authorities. Mr Dyer said: "By celebrating responsibly and being mindful of others, we can ensure that Bristol remains welcoming, respectful and safe for everyone during the tournament."Bristol's Torrington Avenue was recognised as the most heavily-decorated street in the country during Euro 2016, with England flags seen hung from lamposts, houses and telephone poles as the Three Lions stuttered to a last-16 exit vs Iceland.South Gloucestershire Council issued a similar warning, telling locals to ensure flags were being flown "with consideration for others", and in a safe and lawful manner. A spokesman warned that flags or decorations "displayed without permission on public land or council property" would be taken down. They insisted the rules would ensure the area maintains "a welcoming and cohesive community feel". FLAG CONTROVERSY - READ THE LATEST:Council staff 'threatened, harassed and intimidated' while taking down Union flagsFlag-raisers offer to install free flagpoles on patriots' homes after activists rip banners downWoke backlash erupts against patriotic St George's Cross roundabout in 'multicultural town'South Gloucestershire Council insisted it welcomed the celebration of events like the World Cup, but measures are necessary to "protect public safety, prevent damage to public assets, ensure the highway remains safe and usable for everyone". Meanwhile, Martin Smith from Wiltshire Council said the authoritiy had a responsibility that roads remain "safe, clear and accessible at all times". The councillor said: "We are all willing the England team on to end 60 years of hurt and bring the trophy home."However, we would like to remind residents that placing items such as banners, bunting or flags on or near the public highway - including lampposts, road signs and roundabouts - without permission, can pose safety risks to road users and pedestrians. It can also obstruct visibility."Under the Highways Act 1980, it is illegal to attach anything to structures on the highway without the permission of its authority without a justifiable reason. The items can be removed by authorities under Section 132(2) of the legislation. The warning to West Country residents comes after it emerged that immigration officers were told that wearing England badges during the World Cup could intimidate detained migrants. Staff at detention centres across were warned in a Independent Monitoring Board report that wearing patriotic items may damage professional standards". The report said: On two occasions during the summer, staff at one short-term holding facility were observed wearing England flags affixed to their uniforms.The Board felt this risked perceptions of bias or even intimidation among detained people, especially in the light of recent anti-immigration protests in which flag displays were prominent."The Three Lions are set to start their World Cup campaign next week against Croatia.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

After England's game against Costa Rica was delayed by extreme weather, was that just a sign of things to come in the World Cup?

US-Prsident Donald Trump plant bereinstimmenden Medienberichten zufolge keinen persnlichen Besuch des WM-Erffnungsspiels der USA gegen Paraguay. [mehr]

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