US sports compact
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Schröder convinces in the defeat of the Rockets
Dusseldorf While most Europeans are asleep, the North American professional leagues are buzzing. What Happened That Night in American Football, Basketball, and Ice Hockey.
Basketball: Schröder convinces in defeat
National basketball player Dennis Schröder narrowly missed out on a surprise win in the North American professional league NBA despite a strong showing. With his new team, the Houston Rockets, the 28-year-old lost 121-124 to the league leader, the Phoenix Suns. Schröder contributed 23 points for Houston, bottom of the table in the Western Conference, making him his team’s best pitcher.
For shooting star Franz Wagner, the negative run continued with the Orlando Magic. The bottom of the Eastern Conference lost against the Atlanta Hawks with 109:130 and conceded the fourth loss in a row. Wagner scored twelve points. His older brother Moritz missed again due to a bruised rib.
The defeat for national player Daniel Theis was much closer. With his new team, the Boston Celtics, Theis lost to the Detroit Pistons 111:112, the 29-year-old contributed four points. Theis and Schröder swapped teams last week.
Ice hockey: In 2026, the NHL wants more clarity about the stars’ participation in the Olympics
Before the next winter games, the World Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) wants clarity about whether professionals from the North American NHL league will take part in the Olympics. IIHF President Luc Tardif was disappointed in Beijing on Thursday that it was not possible to have players from the best league in the world due to the corona pandemic. After the cancellation from North America shortly before Christmas, it was a big challenge to organize the Olympic tournament in Beijing. “I don’t want to be in the same situation in Cortina in 2026,” said Tardif.
The aim for the next winter games in Italy is to have an agreement earlier. The Canadian-born Frenchman was optimistic that this would work out, but stressed that he did not want to put pressure on him. The NHL did not take a break during the Olympics four years ago to release players for the tournament in Pyeongchang, South Korea. A return was planned for the Winter Games in China, but the NHL then decided to continue playing during the Olympics and make up for many games that had been canceled due to the corona pandemic. The German team was missing star striker Leon Draisaitl, among others.
Despite the absence of players from the best leagues in the world, Tardif emphasized, “The gold medal will always have the same value.” On NHL President Gary Bettman’s suggestion of including hockey in the Summer Games, Tardif said, “I think it will not happen.” Ice hockey belongs in the winter.
The next talks with the NHL leadership are now about eliminating the frustration on both sides. “It was also frustrating for fans and players,” Tardif said. The 68-year-old, who was only elected IIHF President last year, explained that they didn’t want to wait until the last moment for an agreement, and that it shouldn’t come until a year before the Olympics. The strict corona regulations in China made organizing the tournament a major challenge, Tardif explained: “The Covid protocol was not made for team sports.”
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