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JEDDAH: Al-Hilal won 2-0 at Al-Ittihad on Friday to silence the reigning champions, reaffirm their title credentials and move into third place in the Saudi Pro League behind Al-Taawoun and early leaders Al-Nassr.

It was a night that pitted two former coaches of Milan’s great rivals against each other, with the visitors’ ex-Inter boss Simone Inzaghi crossing swords with the home side’s Sergio Conceicao, formerly of AC Milan.

It was a night of spectacle from the start at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, with every seat filled. Before kick-off, Al-Ittihad’s fans unfurled a huge tifo to greet their team. The noise was fierce, the tension palpable as for the first half-hour the two giants traded blows, each in search of an opening.

Karim Benzema came close for Al-Ittihad but the breakthrough did not come until five minutes before the interval, when Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves swung in a curling corner from the left, the ball dipping dangerously into a packed six-yard box. Amid the chaos, it was Mahamadou Doumbia who got the final touch — an unfortunate header that flew into his own net.

As Al-Ittihad battled to find a response after the break, Al-Hilal struck again in the 57th minute. Neves, again at the heart of everything, unleashed a fierce, long-range shot that goalkeeper Hamed Al-Shanqiti could only parry. Marcos Leonardo was quickest to react, slotting the rebound into the net from close range and turning the visitors’ control into comfort. The damage was done.

A few minutes from the end, Darwin Nunez once again had the ball in the Al-Ittihad net but the former Liverpool forward’s strike was ruled out for offside.

It didn’t matter. Al-Hilal’s composure, experience and precision were simply too much for the home side and the final whistle signaled a statement victory in a high-voltage rivalry that might yet define the course of the season ahead.

For now, though, Al-Hilal take the three points home to Riyadh, and at this early stage the title race is wide open.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his first public comments since the arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges, said Friday night that he was stunned by the indictments that have rocked the league.
“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said on Amazon Prime Video, during the streaming service’s first broadcast — Boston at New York. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”
Such was a sentiment shared by many around the league on Friday, one day after the indictments were unsealed and nearly three dozen people — most notably, Billups and Rozier — were arrested by federal officials.
Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.
Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.
The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.
“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said during the in-game interview.
The Rozier case has gone on since March 23, 2023. He was with the Charlotte Hornets at that time, and sportsbooks — legal ones — alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s “prop bets” that day. Rozier went on to play about 9 1/2 minutes, and those who bet that he would underperform the listed stat lines won those wagers. Federal officials said more than $200,000 was bet on those lines alone.
The NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier, Silver said.
“We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry at the time cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward.
“He still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating.”
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calls Billups his best friend and said the news was difficult to take. He said he spoke with Billups on Thursday night and was encouraged by what he heard.
“To go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters, it was a tough day,” Lue said. “You never want to see your friends go through anything like that.”
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers started in the NBA as a player more than 40 years ago. He’s seen plenty of good and bad. He thought he had heard it all. That is, until now.
“It’s really sad,” Rivers said Friday.
Along with Billups and Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones now faces charges because officials said he tipped off bettors about the health status of two Los Angeles Lakers players. The details in that indictment clearly show that Jones was discussing the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center Anthony Davis with bettors before their statuses for certain games was known publicly. There is no indication that James or Davis had any knowledge of what Jones was alleged to be doing.
“We see now what those things can turn into and how they can spread, just how valuable this information is,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s a difficult situation overall but once you introduce gambling that the sports world has now, there’s going to be some very dangerous situations out there for everybody — from a security standpoint, from this type of thing standpoint.”
All teams are required by the NBA to educate players, coaches and staff annually about what is allowed and not allowed when it comes to gambling. The Orlando Magic met recently about that very topic.
And then after the news Thursday, they met again.
“Yesterday was another reminder of what we have to do,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We had another conversation with the group. I think the more that is going on, the more we have to continue to talk to the group about what is happening.”
The league has at least 14 relationships with sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings. Some teams have their own deals as well. Silver has often spoken of how legal betting can be monitored and how unusual patterns can be flagged immediately, part of the reason why the league believes the integrity of games can be protected.
But some coaches and players still believe more can be done.
“The league, the game and the business of the league has evolved. And so we just have to be aware of how things evolve in this business, right?” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s very important for us to continue to just be educated and mindful of everything that has to do with our business. ... I believe in Adam Silver and the league, that they will do whatever is necessary to continue to grow the game in the right way.”
Another issue for players and coaches is how social media has given bettors ways to communicate with those inside the league. Those interactions, many have said, are not always friendly.
“The outside world, in my day, couldn’t get to us. They literally couldn’t get to us,” Rivers said Friday. “And now they can, with ease.”