Timberwolves beat Lakers to end James’s latest NBA playoffs run

BARCELONA: Barcelona and Inter Milan shared a compelling 3-3 draw in a high-octane Champions League semifinal first leg clash on Wednesday.
The Italian side raced into a two-goal lead with superb strikes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, before the unstoppable Lamine Yamal pulled Barca back into it with a sublime solo effort.
Ferran Torres levelled for the five-time champions and although Inter nosed ahead through Dumfries again, a Yann Sommer own goal left the tie on a knife-edge at the halfway stage.
Inter were desperately hoping Thuram would be fit to play after a thigh injury and he showed precisely why, scoring the fastest ever Champions League semifinal goal after 30 seconds.
Barcelona’s Copa del Rey final winning goalscorer Jules Kounde hacked a poor clearance to the edge of the box, and Inter capitalized.
Dutch wide man Dumfries aimed a low cross toward Thuram and Inigo Martinez slipped at just the wrong time, allowing the France striker room to finish with an impudent back-heel flick.
Quadruple-chasing Barcelona seized control and pushed forward, roared on by a nervous 50,000 strong Olympic stadium crowd.
Yamal, on his 100th Barcelona appearance, appealed for a penalty after he was shoved by Alessandro Bastoni and then set up Torres, who fired wide.
The Spaniard, standing in for Barca’s injured top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, lashed a volley narrowly off target.
Against the run of play Inter, whose treble hopes crumbled after three consecutive domestic defeats prior, scored their second, with another fine finish.
Francesco Acerbi nodded on a corner and Dumfries reached the dropping ball first to score with a stunning acrobatic effort.
Barcelona teams over the past few years may have crumbled but Hansi Flick’s youthful side are not burdened by the series of European failures since they last won the competition in 2015.
Least of all teenage wizard Yamal, who pulled Barcelona back into the game just three minutes later with a wonderful individual goal that made him the youngest player ever to score in the semis.
On the eve of the game the Spaniard rejected comparisons to all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, but his goal was straight from the Argentine’s playbook.
Yamal shook off Thuram, floated inside from the right flank and past Henrikh Mkhitaryan into the box, drawing defenders toward him but before they could stop him, stroked an inch-perfect shot in off the left post.
Minutes later Yamal nearly repeated the trick. This time he darted outside, pausing to let Federico Dimarco lunge past him and off the pitch.
From a tight angle the youngster flashed a shot that Sommer tipped onto the crossbar.
High on confidence Yamal set up further chances for Torres and Dani Olmo that went begging, before Barca pulled level.
Pedri hooked a ball into the area for Raphinha to head across goal and Torres to convert from close range after 38 breathless minutes.
Kounde limped off before half-time in a blow for Barca, who also replaced the inexperienced Gerard Martin with Ronald Araujo at the break.
Dimarco hammered over early in the second half before Simone Inzaghi hooked him, after a torrid night up against the relentless Yamal.
Inter took the sting out of the game early in the second half and then sucker-punched Barca, scoring from another corner, with Dumfries’ header bouncing in off Olmo.
Barcelona equalized within two minutes, with Yamal stepping over a corner on the edge of the box, allowing it to run to Raphinha.
The Brazilian’s rasping effort smashed against the crossbar and then in, off the back of the unfortunate diving Sommer’s head.
Pau Cubarsi made a vital recovery tackle to stop Thuram after he got in behind Barcelona’s high line, and Mkhitaryan had a goal ruled out for an extremely tight offside.
Yamal looped a second strike onto the crossbar late on but the sides could not be separated.
The second leg takes place in Milan next Tuesday, with the winner to face Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal on May 31 in the Munich final.

BILBAO, Spain: Ruben Amorim on Wednesday admitted that even winning the Europa League would not salvage Manchester United’s miserable season.
The fallen English giants face Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals, with the first leg in Spain on Thursday.
But whatever the result at the San Mames, also the venue for May’s final, it will not disguise the fact that this has been United’s worst campaign of the Premier League era and one where bitter rivals Liverpool have equalled their record of 20 top-flight English titles.
United are currently a lowly 14th in the Premier League table, having accrued just 39 points with four matches remaining, meaning they will have to win the Europa League in order to qualify for the Champions League.
“Everybody knows that it’s really important for our season,” United manager Amorim said during a pre-match press conference.
“We know that nothing is going to save our season but this can be huge.
“Winning a trophy and also to get in the Champions League to have European games next year could change a lot of things in our club, even in the summer.”
United are bidding to win the competition for the second time after their success under Jose Mourinho in 2016/17.
“As the head coach said, this is not going to save the season,” said midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
“But the history of United is written with titles, so that’s why we’re focused very much on tomorrow and to be able to play in the Champions League next season, so it’s very important and altogether we’re going to try and win.”
Their European form has been the one saving grace for United in a difficult season where Amorim has struggled to make his presence felt domestically since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag in November.
“Europa League will not change anything in our problems — it’s going to help us to have Champions League next year, more money to spend — but the problems are still there,” said Amorim.
“We have to change the minds of our fans with consistency, good decisions, good recruitment, good academy. This is what we need to change to take this club back to the top.
“This is more of a shortcut to go to European games. Nothing more.”
Two-time runners-up Bilbao have the added incentive of trying to reach a European final at their home ground.
“They are really strong as a team, really intense, really aggressive — even for a Spanish team they are aggressive in every duel,” Amorim said.
“They have great players one v one. Nico Williams is a special player. They are the best defense in Spain in the league. We are not scoring too many goals, so it’s going to be a tough match for us.”
United will have Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt, out since February and the start of April respectively, available.
“To start, no,” Amorim said. “But they can be in the squad for the game.”