Warriors edge Rockets; Celtics baffle Bucks in NBA conference semis

WASHINGTON – Kevin Durant scored 35 points to lead the defending champion Golden State Warriors over Houston, 104-100, Sunday (Monday Manila time) while Boston ripped Milwaukee in the openers of their NBA second-round playoff matchups.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, each playing despite right ankle injuries, scored 18 and 13 points, respectively, while Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green each added 14 as the Warriors jumped ahead in the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series.

James Harden led Houston with 35 points while Eric Gordon added 27 and Chris Paul contributed 17 in a losing cause, the Rockets hitting only 41.9 percent from the floor.

"We just made them shoot tough shots," Durant said. "I think our defense won this game."

At Milwaukee, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford sparked the Boston Celtics to a 112-90 victory. Irving had game highs of 26 points and 11 assists while Horford scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.

The Warriors had lost their two prior playoff home games to the Los Angeles Clippers before escaping the first round, but hung on down the stretch to halt that unwanted streak.

Curry sank a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a five-point lead with 25 seconds remaining, but Harden answered with a dunk with lift the Rockets within 103-100 with 21 seconds remaining.

Houston forced a turnover but Harden missed a 3-pointer and Paul got the rebound but then made a turnover and was ejected after a technical foul with four seconds remaining, Curry sinking a free throw to create the final victory margin.

"Just getting more opportunities," Durant said of his performance. "We've got to win every matchup. We'll bring the focus again Tuesday (for game two)."

Horford quiets Giannis

Boston's Horford led a solid Celtics defensive effort that shut down Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"We came out and made a statement," Irving said. "We guarded Giannis really tough. We stayed very physical with him. He's so good around the rim, that mid-range area, we had to keep him out of there. I think we did a great job."

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but much of his production came late when Milwaukee was already in a 20-point hole.

The Celtics, seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference against the club with the NBA's best record at 60-22, shot 54 percent against the league's toughest defensive squad.

Boston unleashed a 32-9 run in the third quarter, Horford scoring 11 in the spurt, to seize an 86-65 lead.

While the host Bucks made one unsuccessful run early in the fourth quarter, they never threatened to erase that lead as they had done with a 15-point deficit in the first half.

"Just coming out playing very aggressive, playing poised, understanding they are very tough to beat on their home floor," Irving said when asked about the key to Boston's success.

"It's our preparation, our focus and being there for one another. This is the time you show why you go through the ups and downs of the regular season."

The Bucks, the NBA's third-best scoring club, shot only 34.8 percent for the game.

Antetokounmpo went 7-for-21 from the floor but was denied inside position by Boston's varied defensive schemes.

The Greek star's teammates could not step up and offset his lost production when asked by the Celtics, who dropped two of three regular-season meetings with Milwaukee.

source: philstar.com

The ‘Mendgame’

Film review: Avengers: Endgame

MANILA, Philippines — After Infinity War left half the world in tatters, and half our Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superheroes presumed expired, we all knew that the stakes placed on the concluding installment Avengers: Endgame would be sky high. Endgame would be the film where superhero survivor grief would be addressed, mending would occur, and the final answer to Thanos would be addressed. It would be the culmination of all the interconnected MCU films since Iron Man in 2008, and would spell the future of the MCU. In truth, it would be both end and beginning; and we all held our breath, waiting in anticipation.

Now that Endgame has finally arrived, it’s being asked whether the 181-minute behemoth delivers on its promise, and sets a new standard for the superhero film genre. A standard that can carry the torch that Black Panther established earlier this year, as the first superhero film included among the Oscars Best Picture nominees. If you recall, the furor started back in 2008 when The Dark Knight was snubbed as Best Picture, even if it received eight nominations, which included the Best Supporting Actor that Heath Ledger won posthumously. It’s only with last year’s Black Panther that a superhero film finally made it to the Best Picture list.

So Endgame basically picks up from where Infinity War left us. And for the first hour, we’re really talking about stages of grief, the varying reactions of the surviving superheroes and how they cope — whether with on-the-surface success, or abject futility. This is as emotional a gut punch as we can get from any film, and at times, it does look like we’ve stumbled upon a drama about despair and sublimation, rather than a comic superhero film.

With Endgame led by the acting prowess of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America, we are fascinated, subscribing to this film loaded with “gravitas.” For the first hour, the only shafts of humor come from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and to a lesser degree, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd); and you’ll have to love the willingness of Hemsworth to continue to mine this comedic direction that really gave Ragnarok its special quality. He is hilarious here, and we’re thankful for the relief it provides amidst all the hand-wringing and furrowed foreheads.

After the 60-minute mark, there’s finally the semblance of an action plan for the surviving superheroes, and a wonderful plot device is set in motion; one that allows us to be treated to one cameo after another, a virtual gallery of all the major and minor characters we’ve encountered through the previous 21 MCU films. It’s nostalgia with a capital n, and you can audibly hear the exclamations of surprise and delight from the audience as this section unfolds. It’s an obvious salute to the moviegoers who count themselves among the MCU faithful and it’s great to see Marvel acknowledge this unabashedly.

At the 120-minute point, a galactic battle of epic proportions gets underway; and here, finally, is the justification for regarding this as an action film. If in the past there were films where the action bit was the letdown, here is the one that lives up to its billing. It’s been often said that Marvel films are primarily about character, plotting second, and action a close but definite third. This may still hold true for Endgame, but “coming in third” just got much stronger.

Marvel has always set its own path and direction with its films. And the really great surprise with Endgame is how it invests so much in character study and development. After all, we’ve been following some of these superheroes for a decade now, so it’s the narrative and the reactions that can catch us unaware, or bring forth a new facet of  personalities. This is as emo a superhero film as we’ll ever get, so while it may snag a Best Picture nomination in the 2020 Oscars, don’t be surprised if both Downey and Evans will also be part of the conversation when it comes to Best Actor.

Endgame is a MCU fan fantasy come true. And you’ll be left open-mouthed and in tears as mantles are passed, new storylines and partnerships established, and we’re treated to glimpses of where the MCU is headed for in the years to come.

source: philstar.com

‘Game of Thrones’ star breaks silence over controversial sexy scenes

MANILA, Philippines — Fans of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” fans were shocked after Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) had a steamy scene with Gendry Baratheon (Joe Dempsie).  

Social media erupted with discussions about the scene, with netizens saying they were not prepared for the young lady assassin having a love scene with her friend. 

#AryaStark #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/5nlk7OWHrq

— JoJo Donovan (@JoJoDonovan) April 25, 2019

— ????α???α. (@aleexa_gp) April 25, 2019

Maisie took to Twitter to address reactions from fans. 

“If u feel uncomfortable just know that my mother and my step dad and my 2 sisters and my 4 brothers have all probably watched this too ahahakillmeehehe,” Maisie wrote. 

if u feel uncomfortable just know that my mother and my step dad and my 2 sisters and my 4 brothers have all probably watched this too ahahakillmeehehe

— Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) April 23, 2019

Arya and Gendry have been friends since the earlier parts of the series. The two characters slept together before the Night King and his army of dead attack Winterfell. 

“I want to know what it feels like before I die,” Arya told Gendry before doing the deed. 

Maisie’s age was reportedly one of the most searched keywords in Google after the episode was released. 

Arya’s character is already 18 years old while Maisie is 22 years old. 

Ne ara büyüdü ????
#AryaStark #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/JYNf6yTqox

— The Geyik (@thegeyikcom) April 25, 2019

Sophie Turner, who plays Arya’s sister Sansa Stark in the series, took to Instagram to troll her friend about the scene. She posted a video of herself sipping wine. 

“In honor of Easter, I guess ‘Game of Thrones’ wanted to have a little storyline of a little Easter bunny hop, hop, hoppin’ into that pussaayyyyyy,” Sophie said about the video.

source: philstar.com

Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake rocks India

NEW DELHI, India — A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh early Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.

The epicenter of the shallow quake was about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Along, and 180 kilometres southwest of the state capital Itanagar.

It struck at 1:45 am (2015 GMT Tuesday).

Arunachal Pradesh is India's least densely populated state, but is still home to more than 1.2 million people, according to the state government's website.

China's official state news agency Xinhua said the quake was felt in Tibet, which neighbors the Indian state.

New Delhi and Beijing for decades have disputed control of Arunachal Pradesh -- a dispute that remains unresolved.

India considers Arunachal Pradesh one of its northeastern states, while China claims about 90,000 square kilometres (34,750 square miles) of the territory.

Arunachal Pradesh also borders Myanmar and Bhutan.

USGS estimated there was a "low likelihood" of casualties and damage from the quake.

source: philstar.com

Psei down in morning trade as investors digest Luzon quake aftermath

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine shares were in the red at the end of the morning trade Tuesday as investors digest the aftermath of a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck Luzon on Monday.

As of market recess Tuesday, the bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index was down 0.72% or 55.97 points to 7,776.46. The broader All Shares index was also in the negative territory, down 0.41% or 19.75 points to 4,814.93.

“Investors may remain on the sidelines as they gather more information regarding the aftermath of last night's earthquake. If there's any indication, Philippine iShares were slightly down -0.61% to 34.46,” Luis Limlingan of Regina Capital said in a market commentary.


Authorities say that as of mid-morning on Monday, 11 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of the earthquake.

The quake — which was tectonic in origin — hit Castillejos, Zambales at around 5:11 p.m. Monday. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology earlier recorded a magnitude 5.7 quake before revising it to magnitude 6.1.

A total of 447 aftershocks were recorded as of 10 a.m. Tuesday following the tremor that hit Luzon and swayed buildings in Metro Manila.

‘Cautious’

Stocks were generally lower in Asian trade on Tuesday as investors move cautiously ahead of a deluge of corporate results later in the week.

Tokyo stocks were trading down with profit-taking before 10 days of holidays in Japan weighing on the market.

With many markets opening after an extended Easter break, Hong Kong Shanghai, Taiwan, Singapore were all down, while Australia and Seoul were trading up.

"Some of the world's biggest technology companies are reporting earnings this week as well as a raft of the big European banks," Nick Twidale, chief operating officer at Rakuten Securities Australia, said in a note to clients.

"Investors will be hoping for some better-than-expected results from both groups to keep the topside momentum in global equities, however if the data starts to show a significant slowing across these key industries then expect both stocks and risk trades to start to come under some heavy pressure."

Major earnings releases expected this week include Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Exxon Mobil and auto maker Tesla.

Aerospace giant Boeing will report earnings on Wednesday for the first time since a deadly March 10 plane crash plunged the company into crisis-mode. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral with AFP

source: philstar.com

Jazz dismantle Rockets to stave off elimination

LOS ANGELES – Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter as the Utah Jazz staved off elimination in Game Four with a 107-91 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday (Tuesday Manila time).

"It's not over," Mitchell said. "We have another one, and another one, and another one."

Jae Crowder added 23 points, Ricky Rubio tallied 18 points and 11 assists and Derrick Favors finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for Utah, who trail three games to one.

Utah outscored Houston 31-12 in the fourth quarter to set up game five on Wednesday.

Mitchell said they now realize what they have been doing wrong and what it is going to take to win the series.

"We all been struggling with our shots all series," said Mitchell. "We didn't play hard at the beginning. The last two games we played harder.

"There is no way we were going to go out like that. We figured out what we have to do. The best thing for us is to continue to play team basketball."

source: philstar.com

Sri Lanka orders curfew after deadly blasts

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's defense ministry has ordered a night-time curfew after eight blasts targeting churches and hotels killed nearly 160 people across the country on Sunday.

The curfew will begin on Sunday night at 6:00pm local time (1230 GMT) and run until 6:00am local time (0030 GMT), the ministry said.

Police said an eighth blast hit the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, but there were no further details on what was targeted.

Nearly 160 people have been confirmed dead so far in the string of attacks targeting hotels and churches.

source: philstar.com

'Game Over': Trump again taps 'GoT,' this time in Russia saga

WASHINGTON, United States — President Donald Trump has used "Game of Thrones" imagery to push for his wall on the US-Mexico border and to hint at fresh sanctions on Iran.

Now, he has once again gone to the iconography of the widely acclaimed HBO fantasy series to declare himself the victor in his pitched battle with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

On Thursday, even before the release of Mueller's long-awaited report detailing his investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election, Trump was ready.

"GAME OVER," he declared in an unmistakably "Game of Thrones"-esque tweet. Trump was pictured from behind, wearing his trademark black overcoat, against a backdrop of mist or fog.


"NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION. For the haters and the radical left Democrats," it said.

Trump posted the image after Attorney General Bill Barr again declared there was no collusion between the president's campaign and Moscow -- but before the report was made public.

That report, the result of nearly two years of investigation, reveals that Mueller was "unable" to clear Trump of obstruction of justice.

Trump, nevertheless, pinned the tweet on his account.

But HBO was not thrilled.

"Though we can understand the enthusiasm for 'Game of Thrones' now that the final season has arrived, we still prefer our intellectual property not be used for political purposes," it said.

source: philstar.com

Juventus shares plunge after Champions League exit

MILAN – Shares in Italian club Juventus fell more than 17 percent in early trading on Wednesday after Cristiano Ronaldo's side were knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Ajax.

Juventus shares were down 17.7 percent at 1.39 euros at 0730 GMT after plunging nearly 21 percent when trading in Milan began.

Shares in the Turin-based club had risen sharply last year following the signing of Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

A young Ajax team stunned Juventus to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1997 as Matthijs de Ligt's second-half header secured a 2-1 second-leg victory in Italy on Tuesday.

The defeat halted Ronaldo's bid for a sixth Champions League title.

source: philstar.com

Tiger wins 15th major title with spectacular Masters victory

AUGUSTA – Tiger Woods completed an epic comeback from career-threatening injury and scandal by winning the 83rd Masters on Sunday (Monday Manila time), capturing his 15th major title to end an 11-year major drought.

The 43-year-old American superstar, who underwent spinal fusion surgery in 2017 due to chronic back pain, seized his first major title since the 2008 US Open.

"It's overwhelming just because of what has transpired," Woods said. "I could barely walk. Couldn't sleep. Couldn't walk. Couldn't do anything.

"To have the opportunity to come back, it's one of the biggest wins I've ever had for sure."

Winning a fifth Masters title, and his first since 2005, cemented a fairytale comeback to the pinnacle of golf for Woods, whose career imploded after a 2009 sex scandal and nagging knee and back injuries that required a total of seven surgeries.


"It's the best I've felt with a driver in years," Woods said. "I felt in control of my long game and it really paid off."

With fans chanting his name, an emotional Woods walked off the 18th green and hugged his mother Kultida, daughter Sam and son Charlie just as he had embraced his late father Earl there after his first major victory at the 1997 Masters.

"It has come full circle," Woods said. "This tournament has meant so much to me and to have everyone here means so much to me and my family.

"Now to be the champion -- 22 years between wins is a long time -- it's unreal for me to experience this. I just couldn't be more happy, more excited. I'm just kind of at a loss for words."

Racing to finish before an oncoming thunderstorm, players created their own electric atmosphere, spectators roaring repeatedly for sensational shotmaking on one of golf's iconic stages.

Woods fired a final-round two-under par 70 to finish on 13-under 275 for a one-shot victory to capture a $2.07 million (1.82 million euros) top prize and the green jacket symbolizing Masters supremacy.

An all-American trio of three-time major winner Brooks Koepka, world number two Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele shared second on 276.

Jack says 'Well done'

It was the fifth Masters title for Woods, his first since 2005, and it moved him three shy of the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus.

"A big well done from me to Tiger," Nicklaus tweeted. "I'm so happy for him and for the game of golf this is so fantastic."

Woods has won majors at Bethpage and Pebble Beach, where next month's PGA Championship and June's US Open will be played, but he's not chasing Nicklaus.

"I'm sure I will probably think about it going down the road. Right now it's a little soon. I'm just enjoying 15," Woods said.

"I don't know if he's worried or not. I'm sure he's home in West Palm (Beach, Florida) just chilling and watching."

The triumph was the first major victory for Woods when he did not lead after 54 holes, having started the day two adrift of reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari.

Woods served notice he had returned to form by contending last year at the British Open and PGA before snapping a five-year title drought by capturing the Tour Championship.

"It's the best I've felt with a driver in years," Woods said. "I felt in control of my long game and it really paid off."

Woods grabbed the lone lead on a jam-packed leaderboard with a tap-in birdie at the par-5 15th, a four-foot birdie putt following at the par-3 16th to double the advantage, allowing him to bogey the last and still win.

"I was as patient as I've been in a number of years out there," Woods said. "I was controlling my shot placement, especially seeing that board. It was a who's who.

"All these different scenarios keep flying around. It was an amazing buzz to follow what was going on and yet still focus on what I was trying to do out there. I liked it."

Woods parred 17 and walked up to the 18th green to crowds 20-people deep applauding with delight, but he kept a stoic visage until the job was complete, a tap-in for bogey followed by a fist pump and a scream of joy in celebration of one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.

"You couldn't have had more drama than we all had out there," Woods said. "Now I know why I'm balding. This stuff is hard."

One shy of Snead's mark

Woods, one shy of matching Nicklaus for the most career Masters wins, won his 81st career US PGA victory, leaving him one win short of the all-time record held by Sam Snead.

He became the second-oldest Masters winner, trailing only Nicklaus at 46 in 1986.

Woods also set a record for the longest gap between Masters triumphs, the 14-year spread one year longer than the old mark set by South African Gary Player from 1961 to 1974.

Augusta National moved the final round to Sunday morning due to expected afternoon storms.

source: philstar.com

Netflix chief Hastings to leave Facebook board

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Netflix chief Reed Hastings will depart Facebook's board of directors at the end of next month, according to a Friday filing with US regulators by the leading social network.

Neither Hastings nor businessman and political figure Erskine Bowles, who have been on the board since 2011, will be nominated for re-election at an annual shareholders meeting on May 30, Facebook said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Hastings' departure comes as the social network prioritizes services such as live streaming and on-demand video that compete with Netflix.


Facebook said it had nominated PayPal core markets senior vice president Peggy Alford to join its board, making the tech industry veteran the first African-American woman to join its ranks.

"Peggy is one of those rare people who's an expert across many different areas -- from business management to finance operations to product development," Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in the filing.


"I know she will have great ideas that help us address both the opportunities and challenges facing our company."

Facebook's board members include Zuckerberg, investor Marc Andreessen, chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, and Peter Thiel of the Founders Fund.

"What excites me about the opportunity to join Facebook's board is the company's drive and desire to face hard issues head-on while continuing to improve on the amazing connection experiences they have built over the years," Alford said in the filing.

Facebook has been grappling with questions over its handling of personal data of its more than two billion users and protects against -- as well as concerns the social network is used to spread misinformation and abuse.

source: philstar.com

UN rights experts condemn Assange arrest

GENEVA — UN human rights experts rallied to Julian Assange on Thursday, criticizing Ecuador and Britain over his arrest and warning of grave consequences should he be extradited to the United States.

British police, acting on behalf of Washington, arrested the WikiLeaks founder at Ecuador's embassy in London after Quito terminated the diplomatic protection he had held for nearly seven years.

The United Nations special rapporteur on arbitrary, summary or extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, told AFP that Ecuador's decision "has exposed Mr. Assange to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights."

She noted that those risks stemmed from the increased likelihood of Assange being extradited to the US, where he could be tried over the publication of classified US defence material.

Separately, the UN rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joe Cannataci, said he would not change his previously announced intention to meet Assange later this month or to investigate his claims that his privacy had been violated.


The arrest merely means that "instead of visiting Mr. Assange and speaking to him at the Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in London, I will visit him and speak to him in a police station or elsewhere in the UK where he may be held in custody," Cannataci said in a statement.

The rights expert said that if Assange is sent to the US, he will redirect his request for access to Washington.

Assange's supporters earlier this week accused Ecuador's authorities of gathering thousands of photographs and videos from inside his apartment at the embassy.

Cannataci said that prior to the arrest he was in contact with Assange's legal team concerning "significant new evidence of violations of Mr. Assange's privacy," and planned further investigations of any possible privacy breaches.

UN special rapporteurs are independent experts who not speak for the world body or UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, did not immediately respond when asked to comment on the arrest.

source: philstar.com

Actress faces new charge in college bribery scandal

NEW YORK — American actress Lori Loughlin was hit with a second charge on Tuesday stemming from a college admissions bribery scandal, increasing the likelihood that she could serve time in prison.

The actress, known for her role on "Full House," now faces the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering in addition to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, federal prosecutor Andrew Lelling said.

The second charge is punishable by up to 20 years in jail, bringing the total prison time she now potentially faces to 40 years.

Unlike actress Felicity Huffman, who was also among 33 parents charged in the case, Loughlin has so far chosen not to plead guilty -- a move that, in addition to avoiding trial, usually results in a reduced sentence.

In Huffman's case, the prosecutor's office on Monday recommended a sentence corresponding to the bottom end of the possible range, which provides for a minimum of four months in prison.

The sentencing judge is not however required to follow this recommendation.

Even if Loughlin decided to plead guilty later, the recommended sentence would probably be significantly higher due to the second charge as well as the amount of money involved.

Huffman pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to help her eldest daughter get better scores on the SAT college entrance exam, while Loughlin and her husband are accused of paying $500,000 so that their two daughters could gain entrance into the University of Southern California.

The ringleader behind the scam, William "Rick" Singer, who authorities say was paid about $25 million dollars to bribe coaches and university administrators, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities.

According to prosecutors, the accused parents paid a firm run by Singer to cheat on college entrance exams for their children or to bribe coaches to help non-athletic students get sports scholarships.

source: philstar.com

Warriors clinch top seed in West; Rockets set record for threes

LOS ANGELES – The Golden State Warriors clinched the Western Conference's top seed with a victory in their final regular-season contest at the Oracle Arena, beating the Los Angeles Clippers, 131-104, on Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Stephen Curry led the charge with 27 points and Kevin Durant added 16 as the Warriors won their fifth straight game.

They wore throwback "We Believe" jerseys in a move designed to honor the past at Oracle, which has been their home venue for 47 years.


The team is moving across the bay from Oakland to a facility in San Francisco where they will play next season.

"Let me just say that for 47 years, Warriors fans have stuck with us through thick and thin," Kerr told the crowd moments after the final buzzer. "Let's be honest, most of those years have been a little thin."


The win gives them home field advantage throughout the West playoffs.

The Warriors' first-round opponent, which will be the eighth seed in the West, is yet to be determined.

There is a chance it could be the Clippers when the playoffs begin next Saturday. They are battling Oklahoma City (47-33) and San Antonio (47-34) — both won on Sunday — for the sixth, seventh and eighth playoff spots in the West.



Elsewhere, the Houston Rockets continued their three-point assault on the NBA as they drained a record 27 from beyond the arc in a 149-113 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Rockets broke their own league single-game record with the help of 30 points from James Harden.

It came just five days after they tied the mark, initially set against the Los Angeles Lakers in January, with 26 against the Sacramento Kings. They now have four of the top 10 three-point games.

The Rockets made 27 of 57 threes and seven players hit at least two threes, including Eric Gordon who had a career-high eight, Harden who had five, and P.J. Tucker with four.

Austin Rivers broke the record with 69 seconds remaining after Gary Clark had tied it two minutes earlier.

Elsewhere, the Miami Heat edged closer to being eliminated from the playoffs for the second time in three seasons on Sunday after a 117-109 defeat to the Toronto Raptors.

Miami entered the game with their destiny still in their own hands, knowing that victories in their three final regular season fixtures would carry them into the postseason.

But an agonizing loss — they were leading by 13 at one point in the first half — means Miami were now sweating on results elsewhere to have any chance of progressing.

Sunday's loss left Miami with 38 wins and 42 defeats for the season.

Miami icon Dwyane Wade, who could grace an NBA court for the last time when the regular season draws to a close on Wednesday, finished with 21 points.

Westbrook soars

In Minnesota, Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 54 points and Dennis Schroder had 14 in the fourth quarter in Oklahoma City Thunder's 132-126 victory over the Timberwolves.

Westbrook added 10 rebounds and 15 assists for his 32nd triple-double of the season as the Thunder remained a half-game ahead of San Antonio for seventh place in the Western Conference.

"That's just what he does," said Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie, who was given the unenviable task of guarding Westbrook.

"He has great teammates around him that can make plays. He's a playmaker himself. He's aggressive, rebounds and can get to the rim."

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 35 points, while Andrew Wiggins scored 24 and Dario Saric added 23.

source: philstar.com

WATCH: Young chef wins France's Burger Cup

PARIS, France — More than 300 participants took part in the fourth edition of France's Burger Cup with the trophy going to the youngest contestant, 20-year-old Anthony Verset.

"You can make burgers with truffles, foie gras and all the most expensive products, but if the ingredients are not cooked properly, you will never have a good burger, so even with inexpensive ingredients, as long as you know how to work them and you know the burger codes, well, you can make an ingredient that will beat the truffles and all the most expensive products," he said.

source: philstar.com

British PM plots next move in Brexit stalemate

LONDON — The British cabinet was to gather on Tuesday seeking a way to leave the EU with a deal in 10 days' time, with torn MPs rejecting every possible path to Brexit.

Prime Minister Theresa May was to call in her cabinet to discuss the next steps after lawmakers failed to find a majority on any alternative to the divorce deal she struck with Brussels — an agreement they have also rejected three times already.

Brussels has set Britain an April 12 deadline to agree to the divorce deal, settle on an alternative or crash out of the European Union.

Backbenchers in parliament's lower House of Commons seized the initiative by holding a round of votes last week on eight alternative Brexit options, but failed to agree on any of them.

It refined them down into four choices on Monday but once again a majority voted no to them all, even with the cabinet abstaining.

The result was close for proposals to negotiate a permanent customs union with the EU.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay hinted the government could now bring its deal back for a fourth vote this week and avoid a longer delay to Brexit that would mean holding European Parliament elections in May.

"To secure any further extension, the government will have to put forward a credible proposition to the EU," he said.

"The only option is to find a way through which allows the UK to leave with a deal.

"The best course of action is to do so as soon as possible."

He said the cabinet would meet on Tuesday to consider the results of Monday's votes "and how we should proceed".

'Face the abyss': Verhofstadt

Following Monday's votes, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, said: "A hard Brexit becomes nearly inevitable".

When MPs meet again on Wednesday "the UK has a last chance to break the deadlock or face the abyss," he said.

The EU has called an emergency summit for April 10 and warned that without a plan, Britain risks abruptly ending ties with its largest trading partner two days later, causing huge economic disruption.

Anand Menon, professor of European politics at King's College London, told AFP that Tuesday's cabinet meeting would be "relatively upbeat".

"The cabinet can say 'OK, the ground is perhaps right to come back to parliament for a fourth time with Mrs May's deal' and say to parliament, 'look, we gave you two chances to come up with something, you've failed both times. Vote for this deal otherwise next week there is a real danger of no-deal'."

Britain voted by 52 percent to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, but the process has been mired in divisions over the terms of the divorce and what kind of future ties to seek.

The political chaos forced May to postpone Britain's exit from the original date of March 29.

Elusive majority

Monday's first motion, calling for the government to negotiate a permanent customs union with the EU, was defeated by 276 votes to 273.

The second option, dubbed "Common Market 2.0", would accept May's divorce terms but require her to negotiate a new EU customs arrangement and membership of the EU single market. It was beaten by 282 votes to 261.

A vote on plans for a second referendum went down by 292 to 280.

The final option, which would have instructed government to revoke the legislation to leave the EU a day before Britain is due to crash out, was rejected by 292 to 191.

Nick Boles, the MP who had proposed the Common Market 2.0 plan, quit May's Conservative Party after the vote.

"I have given everything to an attempt to find a compromise," an emotional Boles told parliament.

"I have failed chiefly because my party refuses to compromise. I regret therefore to announce I can no longer sit for this party," he said.

The Conservatives rely on backing from Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionists for a narrow majority, which shrunk even further with Boles' departure.

'Division and despair'

Tuesday's newspaper front pages raked over the continued impasse.

"Farce as Commons fails to agree any Brexit plan AGAIN," said the Daily Mail.

"We voted for Brexit, all you say is no," said the Daily Express.

The Daily Mirror called it "another night of division and despair".

The Guardian's analysis said May "still faces an intractable decision, a ticking clock, a mutinous party, an aghast British public and a frankly baffled EU."

source: philstar.com