National Basketball Association

Bank Pozitif has received an initial takeover approach from a potential investor, the Turkish bank's parent company Bank Hapoalim said on May 12.

Hapoalim, Israel's largest lender, said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that the unnamed investor has offered to buy all of Pozitif's outstanding shares, including the 70 percent stake held by Hapoalim.

LeBron James made a baseline jumper as time expired to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to an 86-84 win over the Chicago Bulls in game four of the NBA playoff quarter-finals on May 10.

Israel's Hapoalim Investment has plans to sell a majority stake in Turkish BankPozitif, amid political coolness between Israel and Turkey, according to sources. 

BankPozitif Chairman Hasan Akçayal?o?lu confirmed various talks for a possible sale are the case, but there has not been any official decision yet. 

The Houston Rockets, led by James Harden's 28 points, punched their NBA playoffs second-round ticket on April 28 with a 103-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Milwaukee's Michael Carter-Williams scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth quarter on April 27 as the Bucks again fended off elimination with a 94-88 NBA playoff win over the Chicago Bulls.

LeBron James tallied 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 99-91 April 21 to seize a 2-0 lead in their first round playoff series.

Turkish center Ömer A??k and his New Orleans Pelicans broke the San Antonio Spurs? 11-game winning streak on April 15, punching their playoff ticket on the last day of the regular season.

Anthony Davis scored 31 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead the Pelicans to a 108-103 win over the reigning NBA champions, who were storming into the post-season.

Russell Westbrook carried the Oklahoma City on his back again, finishing with 36 points and 11 rebounds as the Thunder toppled the Portland Trail Blazers 101-90 on April 13.

Westbrook's performance comes a day after he was slapped with his 16th technical foul of the season in a game in which he exploded for a career-high 54 points against the Indiana Pacers.

Six-time Euroleague winners CSKA Moscow secured home-court advantage in the playoffs as Anadolu Efes Istanbul stayed in the hunt for a knockout stage berth after hard-fought wins over their respective rivals on April 3.
   

By George Georgakopoulos

Olympiakos lost its hopes for a top-two finish in its Euroleague group, that would secure it home advantage in the play-offs, after going down 76-70 at CSKA Moscow on Friday. The Reds will now finish third and will likely face Barcelona in the quarterfinals.