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NBA Finals: Celtics’ Porzingis out of Game 3 due to rare tendon injury

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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 2 of the NBA Basketball Finals, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

DALLAS — Kristaps Porzingis did not play for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night because of a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg suffered in the previous game.

The Celtics announced about two hours before tipoff that Porzingis was out for that game against the Dallas Mavericks, but coach Joe Mazzulla later left open the possibility of the center being ready for Game 4.

“The medical team and the staff decided it wasn’t what was best for him,” Mazzulla said about Game 3. “It’ll just be a day-to-day thing, see how he is tomorrow and the next day. … He didn’t look right. That was it. I was not involved in it. It was out of his hands.”

READ: NBA Finals: Porzingis a big problem for Mavericks team that cast him off

The 28-year-old Porzingis had missed 10 consecutive playoff games because of a right calf strain before returning last week for the start of the NBA Finals, and helped the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead against his former team. He jump-started the Celtics with 11 points and two blocks in the first quarter of their Game 1 win, then had 12 points in the game in which he got hurt.

Porzingis has said he felt something after bumping knees Sunday night with Dallas center Dereck Lively II but kept playing. He left the game in the final minute of the third quarter and played only about 3 1/2 minutes in the fourth.

The 7-foot-2 Latvian has a tear in the tissue that holds tendons in place. The Celtics said it was unrelated to the calf strain he sustained in Game 4 of the first round against Miami on April 29.

Al Horford, who turned 38 last week, started at center against the Mavs, like he has since Game 5 against the Heat. He scored the first five points for the Celtics, on a short jumper and a 3-pointer.

READ: Porzingis returns, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

After the team announced the injury Tuesday, Porzingis said he was going through constant treatment and doing everything the medical staff told him. He said he would do whatever he could to play, but acknowledged that he “can’t trick them into allowing me to play.”

Mazzulla had said then that the team was taking that decision out of Porzingis’ hands.

“I’ve appreciated just his approach. Throughout the whole playoffs … He’s never missed any meeting, he’s always been out there, done everything he can to play,” Mazzulla said before Game 3. “Sometimes it’s an unfortunate situation. It’s nothing that he can do.”

With Porzingis missing Game 3, he still hasn’t played a game in Dallas since being traded by the Mavericks nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

Porzingis was the fourth overall pick by the New York Knicks in 2015, and was an All-Star before a torn ACL forced him to miss all of 2018-19. They traded him to Dallas in January 2019, a deal involving seven players and two first-round draft picks. Dallas traded Porzingis to Washington on Feb. 10, 2022, and the Wizards sent him to Boston in a three-team trade last summer.

When the Wizards played at Dallas in January 2023, Porzingis was inactive after playing in 12 of their previous 13 games. He also didn’t play for the Celtics this past January, when they visited American Airlines Center the night after he had 32 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots in Houston.

Venice training set for ‘thankful’ Catantan

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Philippines’ Samantha Catantan reacts after beating Singapore’s Maxine Jie Xin Wong in the women’s epee individual fencing final at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Hanoi on May 14, 2022. (Photo by TANG CHHIN SOTHY / AFP)

Sam Catantan embarks on a final push with a rigorous training camp in Venice, Italy, where world-class fencers could simulate the challenges that she will face in the Paris Olympics.

“I can’t wait to enter the camp. I know I could gain valuable lessons and experience in time for the Olympics,’’ Catantan told the Inquirer after being treated to a mini-sendoff by the Philippine Olympians Association at the College of Saint Benilde on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old from Frisco, Quezon City, is the first woman fencer in the Philippine team to the Olympics, but there are no great expectations in her debut at the global sports showpiece.

Final exam

“The best fencers in the world will be there, so the challenge to win a medal is really overwhelming,’’ said Catantan, who secured an Olympic berth after topping the field in the Asian Olympic Qualification in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, last month.

Since that victory, she hasn’t really plunged into an intensive workout for the Summer Games.

Catantan took her final examination as a graduating accounting major at Penn State University nearly three weeks ago, got a much-needed vacation with the family and attended several functions within the Philippine fencing community.

She will leave for Venice on Wednesday.

“I’m very thankful for these opportunities to train in Italy and France. It will definitely boost my confidence and make me better as I prepare for the Olympics,’’ said Catantan.

San Miguel veered away from brand of play in Game 3

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San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—There was nothing technical as to why San Miguel Beer lost to Meralco in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

“Coach (Jorge Gallent) told us that we didn’t play San Miguel basketball. We needed to make more extra passes. That’s what he pointed out,” said June Mar Fajardo in Filipino on Sunday after Game 3 slipped away from the Beermen’s fingertips.

True enough, San Miguel had as many turnovers as assists with 15. Those errors led to 20 turnover points for Meralco.

READ: PBA Finals: ‘Still underdogs’ Meralco Bolts keeping their guards up

The Bolts, on the other hand, played with much better flow on the offensive end with 22 assists and only 10 turnovers.

“They’ve been playing really well throughout this series. This is a long series. We’ll do everything to bounce back next game. It is what it is,” said Fajardo.

READ: PBA Finals: Rest vital for SMB heading into Game 4, says CJ Perez

Fajardo finished with a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds but the seven-time MVP only went 2-of-5 from the field and turned the ball over seven times. In Game 1 where the Beermen also lost, Fajardo committed six turnovers.

“They play good defense. They have a lot of bigs and they rotate so quickly that it gets tiring. We also missed shots that we should’ve made. They had a lot of offensive rebounds. We just really have to improve.”

Snubbed by first choice, Lakers resume coaching search

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Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka before an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers must continue their latest coaching search with the basketball world already knowing their first choice turned them down.

The Lakers have endured their share of embarrassments in recent years, but a snub by a college coach — even the best in the game — is among the roughest setbacks yet.

Dan Hurley met with the Lakers last week and then rejected their very public courtship Monday. The coach probably emerged from his dalliance with the leverage to finish a lucrative new contract at UConn.

READ: NBA: Dan Hurley turns down Lakers offer, will stay at UConn

But what’s next for the Lakers, a franchise with 17 NBA championships, a world-renowned brand, two of the sport’s top players and no head coach?

They must resume a search that has stretched well into its second month since Darvin Ham’s firing May 3 and has yet to produce a slam-dunk choice. Nearly every leaked discussion of the Lakers’ search included three top candidates — each of whom would have arrived on the West Coast with question marks.

Although Hurley is one of the most respected names in the sport after the Huskies’ success over the past two years, he’s never worked in the NBA. Former player J.J. Redick has never coached at all, and James Borrego has been an NBA head coach for 4 1/2 seasons without ever making the playoffs.

Redick and Borrego are still candidates to run the Lakers, which would seem to be one of the most desirable jobs in sports — but the charitable interpretation of this current search is that owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka are struggling to find the right fit for their vision.

READ: NBA: Lakers conduct public coaching search in hopes of pleasing LeBron

Many fans are wondering whether Buss and Pelinka have a vision at all, what with the Lakers’ years of roster upheaval and mediocre supporting casts around LeBron James. They’re also wondering whether each passing week increases the chance that the 39-year-old James will turn down his $51.4 million contract option later this month and become a free agent.

The Lakers last won a championship when James and Anthony Davis raised the trophy in the Florida bubble four years ago, and they’ve tried to maximize their chances in the remaining years of James’ career by changing coaches and/or jettisoning multiple players after nearly every failed season.

This hire might be their final chance to get the right coaching staff for James — and Hurley’s rejection clearly hurts.

Hiring Redick would be a major risk, albeit with a significant potential upside. It’s unclear whether Redick would even want to disrupt his burgeoning career in media for the stress of a head coaching job.

READ: A look at NBA head coaches on LeBron James-led teams

Borrego represents management experience and coaching pedigree, but he has yet to distinguish himself in a top job — and he’s also a candidate for Cleveland’s vacancy.

The Lakers are expected to talk to other candidates in the days ahead, perhaps widening their search to include names not even currently in the discussion. But they probably can’t even default to arguably the most experienced, most successful veteran NBA head coach currently on the free-agent market.

That’s because Frank Vogel won a ring with the Lakers in October 2020 and got fired exactly 18 months later.

Vogel wasn’t even the Lakers’ first choice in 2019: According to multiple reports, the Lakers nearly hired Tyronn Lue before the deal fell apart over money and the front office’s desire to have a say on his staff. Lue ended up with the Clippers, where he remains. That negotiation has remained an embarrassment for the Lakers even after their fallback choice won a championship.

After firing Vogel in 2022 when Pelinka’s veteran-laden, injury-plagued roster missed the playoffs with a humiliating 33-49 record, the Lakers went through another six-week search before settling on Ham. The once-and-future Milwaukee Bucks assistant clearly didn’t impress the front office or his players enough to keep his job even after two winning seasons, two playoff berths and a Western Conference finals appearance.

Dan Hurley turns down Lakers offer, will stay at UConn

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FILE – UConn head coach Dan Hurley calls towards his players during the first half of the Elite 8 college basketball game against Illinois in the men’s NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

LOS ANGELES–Dan Hurley has rejected a six-year offer reportedly worth a total of $70 million from the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and is remaining men’s basketball coach at the University of Connecticut, a statement said Monday.
The Lakers would have made the 51-year-old American, who guided the Huskies to US college crowns in 2023 and 2024, among the half dozen best-paid coaches in the NBA.
But Hurley turned down the deal after meeting on Friday with the Lakers.

READ: Lakers conduct public coaching search in hopes of pleasing LeBron

In a statement released by the University of Connecticut on Monday, Hurley said he would remain in college basketball.
“I am humbled by this entire experience,” Hurley said. “At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut.
“We met as a team before today’s workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships.”
Hurley is 141-58 over six seasons with Connecticut and has an overall college head-coaching record of 292-163. He signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with the Huskies last year.

READ: Lakers fire head coach Darvin Ham after NBA playoff ouster

The Lakers had a coaching vacancy after firing Darvin Ham last month.
Ham went 90-74 over two seasons in which the Lakers reached the playoffs. But after battling into the Western Conference finals last year before losing to eventual NBA champion Denver, the Lakers were ousted in the first round this time by Denver.
There was some success for the Lakers this past season as they won the first edition of the NBA In-Season Tournament, now called the NBA Cup.
The Lakers last won the NBA Finals in 2020 and hope to rebuild with Anthony Davis and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, who turns 40 in December.

Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday, now two wins away from NBA title

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Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday takes a shot over Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON — This moment is exactly why the Boston Celtics went out and got Jrue Holiday.

When president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and the rest of the front office sat down after last season to piece together their next steps following Boston’s NBA Eastern Conference finals loss to Miami, a question hovered over them.

How much were they willing to shake up the core of a team that had lost in the NBA Finals in 2022 and then came up a game short of returning the following season?

In the end they opted to swing big, trading longtime point guard Marcus Smart as part of the deal that netted 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis. Then, after Milwaukee traded Holiday to Portland to get Damian Lillard, the Celtics pounced, dealing former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and big man Robert Williams III to get Holiday.

The bold moves have proven to be exactly what the Celtics needed, helping produce a 64-win regular season, a romp through the first three rounds of the playoffs and a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics call Pritchard triple ‘play of the game’ in Game 2

For the defensive-minded Holiday, whose defense limited Kyrie Irving, combined with a 26-point,11-rebound effort helped Boston salvage its 105-98 Game 2 victory, it’s the latest example that Holiday is where he is meant to be.

“I think that this is what was supposed to happen. And I’m glad that I’m here and I’m glad that I’m in this moment,” Holiday said prior to the start of the Finals.

“(Celtics coach) Joe Mazzulla has talked about that a lot, especially this season is being in the moment, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”

Part of what’s made Holiday so effective for the Celtics is the 33-year-old’s willingness to adapt his game to fill whatever his team has needed this season.

A No. 3 scoring option in Milwaukee behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton during the Bucks’ 2020-21 championship season, Holiday has accepted being the fourth or fifth option in Boston. His 12.5 points per game average this regular season was the lowest since his rookie season.

READ: NBA Finals: Celtics hold off Mavericks for 2-0 lead

But there have been times, such as in Game 2, when Dallas doubled up on All-Star Jayson Tatum, put more pressure on Jaylen Brown or Porzingis struggled, when Holiday had to increase his output.

He’s done it, while maintaining intensity on the defensive end this season. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive second team. It was the sixth time he was picked for the first or second team in his career.

Holiday believes it’s a byproduct of the collective unity the team has been building throughout the season.

“I think when you sacrifice together and you do something together, it brings you closer,” he said. “I think being able to go through wins and losses and to build something, it means a lot. … From (roster spots) 1 to 15, somebody’s sacrificed something.”

Part of what’s helped ease Holiday’s transition to Boston has been the familiarity he already had with Tatum, with whom he played alongside on the 2020 U.S. Olympic basketball team that captured the gold medal during the Olympics in Tokyo.

READ: NBA: Jrue Holiday signs 4-year extension with Celtics

Tatum said that relationship made periodic check-ins he had at times this season with Holiday easier.

“I would just check in or always remind him to be yourself and, we’re going to need you in big moments, obviously like (Game 2),” Tatum said.

It’s allowed Holiday to play to his strengths, most notably his ability to bring a measure of calm to the court in Mazzulla’s controlled chaos.

Holiday’s also been able to provide stability in crunch time for a team that in recent playoff runs sometimes wilted in those moments, often trying to lean on one-on-one play or committing turnovers.

And while a player such as Smart was a dominant alpha on the court, Holiday knows what it’s like to play alongside a star such as Antetokounmpo, and coax the best out of them.

Asked to imagine what position the Celtics might be in without Holiday on the roster, Tatum didn’t want to entertain the thought.

“Good thing we don’t have to find out,” he said.

No matter what happens over the remainder of the Finals, this won’t be a one season-and-done stop for Holiday, who signed a four-year extension in April.

“From here on it’s like — I’m supposed to be here,” Holiday said. “And I’m supposed to be with my teammates. And we’re supposed to do this together.”

But there’s only one way he’ll feel as if his arrival in Boston can be deemed a success.

“It’s been great and the journey’s been awesome, but at the end of the day, the job is not done,” he said.

Top college coach Hurley turns down Lakers offer

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (AP Photo))

LOS ANGELES – Dan Hurley has rejected a six-year offer reportedly worth a total of $70 million from the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and is remaining men’s basketball coach at the University of Connecticut, a statement said Monday.
The Lakers would have made the 51-year-old American, who guided the Huskies to US college crowns in 2023 and 2024, among the half dozen best-paid coaches in the NBA.
But Hurley turned down the deal after meeting on Friday with the Lakers.
In a statement released by the University of Connecticut on Monday, Hurley said he would remain in college basketball.
“I am humbled by this entire experience,” Hurley said. “At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut.
“We met as a team before today’s workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships.”
Hurley is 141-58 over six seasons with Connecticut and has an overall college head-coaching record of 292-163. He signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with the Huskies last year.
The Lakers had a coaching vacancy after firing Darvin Ham last month.
Ham went 90-74 over two seasons in which the Lakers reached the playoffs. But after battling into the Western Conference finals last year before losing to eventual NBA champion Denver, the Lakers were ousted in the first round this time by Denver.
There was some success for the Lakers this past season as they won the first edition of the NBA In-Season Tournament, now called the NBA Cup.
The Lakers last won the NBA Finals in 2020 and hope to rebuild with Anthony Davis and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, who turns 40 in December.

PBA Finals: Shackled June Mar Fajardo key to Meralco success

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June Mar Fajardo–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

June Mar Fajardo found himself in a bind on Sunday night, his on-court struggles among the things that doomed San Miguel in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup’s championship series.

“That’s just the way it is,” he told reporters in Filipino on the heels of a 93-89 loss to the Meralco Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Credit to them, they’ve played great throughout this series.”

Easily the heart and soul of the vaunted club, Fajardo was shackled to just 12 points and was limited to his season-low five field-goal attempts.

The reigning MVP, who is on pace to win his 10th Best Player of the Conference award, also accounted for seven of the team’s 15 turnovers as the Beermen slid to a 2-1 hole.

“Their defense is great. They’ve got plenty of bigs, and they are quick with their rotations so it’s been tiring [for me],” Fajardo said of the opposition, who has the likes of Raymond Almazan, rookie Brandon Bates, Norbert Torres and even Kyle Pascual taking turns in defending the most dominant player in the league.

CJ Perez, the other steady presence for San Miguel in this All-Filipino derby, wasn’t too keen on pinning it all on his star teammate’s woes.

“It’s just the free throws,” he said in a separate chat. “Those were the most crucial. We missed seven in the last [minutes], and that was the story.”

Five of those muffed freebies, following a 75-all deadlock in the payoff frame, were from Perez. And those were just as critical in San Miguel’s defeat, the spitfire guard insists.

A closer examination of the Game 3 stats sheet, however, showed that San Miguel lost in both the rebounds and assists race. The Beermen only had 50 boards against the Bolts’ 57, and 15 assists versus Meralco’s 22.

‘Improve our energy’

Fajardo, Perez, and co. were also behind the challengers in points in the paint (36-32), second-chance points (22-11), and error conversions (20-13).

“We really need to improve our energy to beat Meralco. We’re losing in rebounds—offensive rebounds. And their hustle [plays],” said Perez.

The crafty guard, however, is confident that those issues can be addressed in the two-day lull heading into Wednesday’s Game 4 at the same venue.“It’s going to be crucial as we don’t want to be crushed (with a big deficit),” he said of the return match.

“The two days will be big for our rest. And of course, June Mar since he’s really having a hard time. He needs rest. And of course, we need to adjust whatever that is we need to adjust,” Perez added.

If anything, Perez and Fajardo can take comfort in the fact that San Miguel has yet to lose back-to-back games this tournament. The Beermen suffered that only once this season when they stumbled against NorthPort and then Magnolia in the previous Commissioner’s Cup which they eventually ruled.

It will be truly interesting to see how the decorated San Miguel side recoups against a Meralco crew hell-bent on making the most out of their first-ever Philippine Cup finals. INQ

Pacquiao set for exhibition, in talks for title bout vs Barrios

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Retired multiple world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo on June 10, 2024. It was announced on June 9 that he will fight Japanese mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki in a three-round boxing match on July 28 in Saitama, north of Tokyo. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

Boxing great Manny Pacquiao said Monday that he is in negotiations to make a comeback but cautioned that a potential world title fight against Mario Barrios was “far away.”

The 45-year-old multiple world champion from the Philippines quit the sport in 2021 and made a failed tilt at his country’s presidency.

He has signed up to fight a three-round exhibition bout against Japanese mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki next month in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

READ: Manny Pacquiao ‘ready to go’ for comeback fight possibly in Saudi

Pacquiao said he was in talks to face the American Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title but said the potential fight was still “far away”.

“We’re still in negotiations and we’re talking about that. The fight has not materialised yet,” Pacquiao, who has hinted at comebacks before, said in Tokyo.

“That negotiation is ongoing. It’s going to be by December — November or December.

“There’s still a lot of things to discuss and talk about.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFSG370oyy0

Pacquiao in February admitted defeat in his bid to fight at next month’s Paris Olympics when the International Olympic Committee rejected a special request for him to take part.

The IOC has an age limit of 40 for Olympic boxers.

READ: Pacquiao accepts his Olympic dream is over

Pacquiao retired weeks after losing to Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas in his final professional fight.

He ran for the Philippines presidency but lost the May 2022 election by a huge margin.

He returned to the ring for an exhibition in Seoul in December 2022 against a South Korean YouTuber.

He will fight Suzuki on July 28 in a 68kg boxing match of three rounds at three minutes each, with no judges’ decision.

Pacquiao insisted the bout was “not an exhibition, this is a fight”.

“We are looking for a knock-out for this fight,” he said.

“There’s going to be a lot of action in the ring and of course I’ll do my best to win by knock-out.”

Verstappen wins ‘crazy’ rain-hit Canadian Grand Prix

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Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen wins the 2024 Canada Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on June 9, 2024. (Photo by Shawn Thew / POOL / AFP)

Max Verstappen eased the pressure on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick of victories at the Canadian Grand Prix to consolidate his early-season lead in the drivers’ championship.

After being beaten in two of the previous three races, the series leader and three-time champion bounced back to his competitive best, with the aid of excellent calls from his team in a tactical race, to win by 3.879 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Mercedes’ George Russell, who started from pole position, finished third ahead of a fast, but frustrated teammate in seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

READ: F1: Sergio Perez stays at Red Bull with contract extension to 2026

Verstappen scored his third consecutive triumph at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the 60th win of his career, having started second on the grid and, at times, riding his luck in a dramatic contest featuring two Safety Car interventions.

“That was a pretty crazy race and a lot of things were happening,”said Verstappen. “We had to keep on top of our calls and as a team we did really well today. We remained calm and we pitted at the right time.”

With both Ferraris failing to finish – just two weeks after Charles Leclerc claimed an emotional win in his home Monaco Grand Prix – Verstappen’s success lifted him 56 points clear of the Monegasque driver in the title race.

“The safety cars worked out nicely for us this time,” he added, referring to the Miami Grand Prix where he lost his advantage, allowing Norris to claim his maiden win. “But even after that we were managing the gaps quite well.

“I loved it. It was a lot of fun. These kind of races you need to have once in a while. The most important thing is that we won. The suspension problem is not particularly an issue.”

READ: F1: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc wins Monaco GP from pole position

“We know what it is, so we just need to work on it. We still have room to improve.”

Hamilton, who was self-critical after the race, was passed by Russell in the closing laps, but finished ahead of fifth-placed Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren and two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.

‘It was wild. It was chaotic’

Local hope Lance Stroll was seventh in the second Aston Martin ahead of RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and the two Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

“A lot of fun,” said Norris, who, with Piastri, brought McLaren their first points in Canada since 2014 on the 56th anniversary of the team’s first win, with Bruce McLaren, at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.

“It was wild. It was chaotic. It was eventful. To be honest, I felt like I drove a good race, the whole time, from start to finish. These conditions are so stressful inside the car, but very enjoyable at the same time.”

Russell said: “That was an ugly race on my behalf and I am sorry for that. It feels like a big missed opportunity to be honest. We had a fast car this weekend.”

On a day of showers and sunshine, five cars — Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, both Ferraris and both Williams — failed to finish in front of a big enthusiastic crowd who revelled in the changing conditions and race positions.

Verstappen’s win carried him to 194 points in the drivers’ championship ahead of Leclerc on 138 and Norris on 131. In the constructors’ race Red Bull, in a troubled season by their standards, moved to 301 points ahead of Ferrari on 252.