Anthony Davis: Lakers can challenge for title
Anthony Davis said the Los Angeles Lakers will be capable of challenging for the NBA championship immediately next season as the six-time All-Star was formally unveiled by the organisation on Saturday.
The 26-year-old superstar is set to form a potent strikeforce alongside LeBron James after joining the Lakers following a blockbuster trade deal with the New Orleans Pelicans last month.
The Lakers, who missed the play-offs last season for a sixth straight year despite the arrival of LeBron James in 2018, will field a new-look line-up for the 2019 campaign which also includes new signings Danny Green and DeMarcus Cousins.
The Lakers are also starting the campaign with a new head coach in Frank Vogel. - AFP
Netballers lose to New Zealand
Singapore lost 89-21 to world No. 4 New Zealand in their final Group B match of the Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England, yesterday.
The Republic, who are ranked world No. 26, had earlier suffered two other defeats in their group.
They lost 69-34 to 11th-ranked Barbados and 87-38 to world no. 9 Malawi.
Singapore will now be placed in Group E, along with Group D's bottom team Samoa and the sides that finished last in Groups A and C.
They will then contest for the 13th to 16th spots.
The Republic finished 15th out of 16 teams in the last three editions of the quadrennial tournament.
Eric Dier to miss Spurs' pre-season tour of Asia
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier is out of the club's pre-season tour of Asia after undergoing a medical procedure.
On Saturday, the London club said on their website that the procedure was "successful", adding that it was taken to correct an issue detected during medical assessments on the first day of pre-season training.
The England international, 25, will have to stay in London for rehabilitation and will be omitted from the travelling squad.
Mauricio Pochettino's men face Juventus at Singapore's National Stadium on Sunday, a day after Manchester United meet Inter Milan at the same venue, as part of the International Champions Cup.
Spurs will then meet United in Shanghai on July 25, before taking part in the Audi Cup, a four-team tournament in Germany, which also includes hosts Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce.
They will wrap up their pre-season against Inter on Aug 4.
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