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Scotland booked their place at the Women’s T20 World Cup with a comfortable 41-run win over the United States in the final Super Six qualification game in Nepal.

With the top four going through, the Scots finished third to join Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands at the tournament which is being held in England from 12 June.

Opener Darcey Carter hit 52 as Scotland posted a 178-8 total, with Ailsa Lister adding 43 and Priyanaz Chatterji making 39.

Tara Norris took three wickets for the US, including a rare golden duck for Kathyrn Bryce.

The Scottish skipper shook off the disappointment by removing opener Disha Dhingra in the first over of the Americans’ reply.

Bryce later bowled out Isani Vaghela, with Chloe Abel also taking two wickets as Chatterji wrapped up the contest with a brace in the 19th over.

Leinster: Osborne; Kenny, Ioane, Mangan, Moloney; Tector, McGrath; Cahir, McKee, Sparrow; Snyman, Deeney; Deegan, Penny, Mangan.

Replacements: McCarthy, Usanov, Smyth, O’Tighearnaigh, Eriscon, Connors, Gunne, McLaughlin.

Edinburgh: Paterson; Satala, Goosen, Lang, Van der Merwe; Thompson, Vellacott; Venter, J. Blyth-Lafferty, Hill; Hunter-Hill, Young; Muncaster, Douglas, Bradbury.

Replacements: Morris, Jones, O. Blyth-Lafferty, Dodd, Boyle, Shiel, Scott, O’Conor.

DENVER — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 12 rebounds in his first game in a month, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 22 points, and the Denver Nuggets knocked off the Clippers 122-109 on Friday night.

Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, missed 16 games after injuring his left knee in a Dec. 29 loss at Miami. The Nuggets went 10-6 during that stretch, which also included extended absences from fellow starters Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun.

Jokic’s 29th double-double of the season came despite being on a minutes restriction imposed by coach David Adelman. The 30-year-old Serbian was limited to 25 minutes, his second-fewest this season.

James Harden had 25 points and nine assists for the Clippers (22-25), who had won 16 of their previous 19, the best win percentage in that NBA during that period.

Jokic scored 11 points over a stretch of 3:47 in the fourth quarter that extended Denver’s lead from five to 16. The Nuggets (33-16) improved to 7-3 in the second of back-to-back games.

Jamal Murray had 22 points, and Peyton Watson added 21 for Denver. Murray, who made four of five three-pointers and had a team-high nine assists, scored at least 20 points for the 35th time this season, matching a career high.

Up next for the Clippers: at Phoenix on Sunday night.

Pakistan thump Australia by 90 runs in Lahore in second T20 of tour to seal three-match T20 series 2-0.

Skipper Salman Ali Agha hit his highest score in the shortest format before Pakistan’s spinners routed Australia by 90 runs in the second Twenty20 International in Lahore on Saturday.

Agha hit a 40-ball 76 and Usman Khan smashed a 36-ball 53 as Pakistan made 198-5, their highest-ever T20I total against Australia.

This was enough for Pakistan’s spin quintet, who shared all 10 wickets between them with Abrar Ahmed returning the best figures of 3-14 and Shadab Khan finishing with 3-26.

Australia were routed for 108 in 15.4 overs, giving Pakistan their biggest T20I victory over Australia, eclipsing the 66-run win in Abu Dhabi in 2018.

“It has to be a perfect game,” said Agha. “We batted well and then were outstanding with the ball. Fielding was outstanding.”

The victory gives Pakistan an unbeatable 2-0 lead after they won the first match by 22 runs, also in Lahore, on Friday.

“We want to play in the same way, forget the 2-0 scoreline and come again with the same intensity and go to the World Cup with the same energy,” said Agha of the event starting in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

This is Pakistan’s first T20I series win over Australia since 2018. The final match is on Sunday, also in Lahore.

Despite skipper Mitchell Marsh coming back after resting on Friday, the visiting batters had little answer to Pakistan’s spin assault.

Ahmed dismissed Marsh for 18, Josh Inglis for five and Matthew Short for 27.

Cameron Green top-scored with a 20-ball 35 before spinner Usman Tariq dismissed him on his way to figures of 2-16.

Marsh admitted Pakistan were better.

“Pakistan outplayed us,” said Marsh. “Hopefully, we can improve and come back tomorrow. They put us under great pressure in batting; it was probably a 160-170 wicket so they scored a big total.”

Earlier, Agha and Usman led Pakistan to a fighting total after they won the toss and batted.

Agha built the innings with Saim Ayub (11-ball 23) during a second-wicket stand of 55 as Pakistan scored 72 runs in the power play.

Agha’s previous highest in all T20 cricket was 68 not out.

After Babar Azam failed with a five-ball two, Usman helped Agha add another quickfire 49 for the fourth wicket before Sean Abbott broke the stand.

Agha smashed four sixes and eight fours in his sixth Twenty20 half-century.

Pakistan added a good 61 runs in the last five overs with Usman knocking two sixes and four fours in his second T20I half-century, while Shadab’s knock had two sixes and a four.

The Usman-Shadab fifth-wicket stand yielded 63 runs off just 39 balls.

Shadab finished with an unbeaten 20-ball 28.

Pacer Xavier Bartlett and spinner Matthew Kuhnemann were expensive, conceding 92 runs between them in their eight overs.

WASHINGTON — The “competitive edge” Lakers coach JJ Redick requested from his players showed itself right away in the form of dominance from Luka Doncic, more outstanding play from LeBron James and an impressive outing from center Deandre Ayton.

By the time Doncic, James and Ayton completed their night, they had combined for 85 points and 27 rebounds in helping the Lakers build a 38-point lead en route to a 142-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday. The Lakers improved to 4-2 on their season-high eight-game trip.

And it centered around the brilliance of Doncic, his triple-double of 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds the catalyst for the Lakers winning for the fifth time in their last seven games. He was efficient too, shooting 13 for 21 from the field and six for 13 from three-point range.

Ayton was a tower of strength with 28 points on 12-for-14 shooting, 13 rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists.

James had the crowd engaged all game with his play that led to 20 points and six assists.

The left ankle soreness that had Doncic listed as questionable was not an issue for the All-Star guard, his first half showing that he was playing at another level with a triple-double of 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes against the overmatched Wizards.

LeBron James passes the ball around Wizards guard Bub Carrington during the first half.

(Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Doncic dazzled with no-look and lob passes along with three-pointers that seemed to impress even him, considering he looked over to the Lakers’ bench after several spectacular threes.

The 41-year-old James put on a show, throwing down lobs for dunks, drawing cheers and applause from the fans inside Capital One Arena.

There was the lob from Ayton that James threw down left-handed, making teammates leap off their seats and fans gasp and cheer. For added emphasis, James stared at his left hand as he made his way down the court, a knowing look on his face.

There was the lob from Marcus Smart that James threw down for a reverse dunk, again bringing fans and teammates out of their seats.

There was the moment James drove by Washington’s Alex Sarr and threw down another dunk, causing teammates to jump out of their seats again and fans to cheer even louder.

The Lakers (29-18) lost their previous game in Cleveland on Wednesday night by 30 points, an embarrassing effort that they wanted to rebound from against the Wizards.

In building a 77-48 lead at the half, the Lakers demonstrated that they were listening to Redick’s orders. It was the third time this season the Lakers scored 77 or more in a half.

“Yeah, I think playing with a competitive edge and playing together on both ends of the floor,” Redick said. “We’ve talked a lot recently just about doing your job. If you’re supposed to be the low man, be the low man. These guys all have shown they can do it and I think the theme of our season has been the ups and downs and sort of the consistency that we’re searching for on a night-to-night basis.”

Etc.

Though Austin Reaves (left calf strain) was upgraded to questionable for the game, the Lakers guard did not play. He has missed 18 straight games since suffering the injury on Christmas against the Houston Rockets.

Reaves has been working out as he progresses toward a return. The Lakers play again Sunday at the New York Knicks.

“He continues to progress. He hasn’t had any setbacks,” Redick said. “Yesterday was five weeks from the injury. He’s right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule. So it’s just him being fully confident in his body. And he continues to get great work on the court.”

Champions League pundits Stephen Warnock, Nedum Onuoha and Julien Lauren discuss Tottenham’s “clinical ability” to score goals away from home and Thomas Frank’s “great achievement” to handle the pressure.

MATCH REPORT: Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

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CHICAGO — Luka Doncic skipped, shimmied and shot. The Lakers dunked, hollered and won.

Doncic dazzled yet again with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers’ 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Lakers (28-17) notched their fourth win in five games. It was his third game in the last four with at least 10 assists — all wins.

The Lakers are less than two weeks removed from losing five of six games, a skid that prompted coach JJ Redick to challenge Doncic and LeBron James during a team meeting to look for their teammates more. The Lakers weren’t “trusting the pass” Redick said last week after the team’s loss to the Clippers.

Doncic has responded with 11 assists in back-to-back games since the loss to the Clippers and the Lakers have had 26 assists in each of their previous two wins. James, in addition to 24 points, had three assists Monday.

“They took it in a good way and that’s what they’ve been doing,” forward Rui Hachimura said of James’ and Doncic’s response to Redick’s message. “And then, we’re winning. And then everybody gets touches and everybody shares a ball. It’s fun. That’s how basketball should be.”

Hachimura was one of the main beneficiaries, scoring 23 points off the bench on nine-for-11 shooting with four three-pointers. Two weeks removed from a calf injury that kept him sidelined for six games, Hachimura has returned to his early season form, shooting 57.1% from the field in the last three games.

He hit consecutive threes to hold off a charge from the Bulls (23-23), who cut a 20-point Lakers lead to one with 6:42 left in the third quarter. Doncic played a role in both clutch shots, first whipping a one-handed pass behind his back across the court to Gabe Vincent, who shoveled the ball with one hand to Hachimura. Less than a minute later, Doncic drove into a crowd of three defenders in the paint, jumped and fired a two-handed pass to Hachimura on the wing. The Lakers were safely ahead by nine points again.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura shoots over Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry during the first half Monday.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Redick praised Doncic’s and James’ ability to make “simple” plays Monday, helping the team keep its turnovers to just eight. But when the Slovenian point guard is at his best, he’s also making the spectacular plays that fire up his teammates.

“He’s an engine that’s fully on,” Redick said. “And he likes to create out there, and that’s a part of what makes him a great player. … Not to say it doesn’t test your patience at times, but you have to be willing to live with some of the stuff that he tries, because more often than not, you’re going to get a great result.”

Doncic, who only took 25 shots, scored 29 points in the second half after dishing eight of his 11 assists in the first. He made six of 11 three-point attempts after halftime, growing in confidence each time he snapped another early shot-clock heat check through the net. In the third, he mimicked shooting pistols after he laced one three-pointer. After another, late in the fourth, he skipped backward on defense away from the Bulls’ bench.

Lakers star LeBron James dunks in front of Chicago Bulls guard Coby White in the first half Monday.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Doncic’s energy transferred to his teammates. James threw down two one-handed tomahawk dunks in the first half. Jaxson Hayes, not to be outdone by the 41-year-old, stole the ball and drove coast-to-coast for a between-the-legs dunk with 2:55 left to put a final exclamation point on the win.

The play left Doncic holding his hands together in front of his chest and exhaling in relief. Hachimura, trailing the play to Hayes’ right, was yelling, “Go Jax! Go Jax!”

But upon further review, teammates didn’t seem particularly impressed with Hayes’ dunk. Hachimura said he’s seen Hayes perform his signature dunk much higher. Even the 7-foot center said he was scared he was going to get stuck on the rim. Sitting at his locker after the game, Doncic attested he could pull it off when he was a teenager.

Just another one of his show-stopping tricks.