Sports News Roundup: Ilya Sorokin, Isles shut out Rangers; Blazers fall to Heat, lose Damian Lillard to injury and more

The Asuncion-born artist is painting some two dozen sets of boots, balls and canvases, many inspired by the Middle Eastern nation and its capital Doha, which will host national teams from around the world next month to compete for the World Cup crown. NHL roundup: Ilya Sorokin, Isles shut out Rangers Kyle Palmieri scored twice and Ilya Sorokin stopped all 41 shots he faced for the New York Islanders, who beat the rival New York Rangers 3-0 on Wednesday in Elmont, N.Y. Josh Bailey scored in the third period for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Boxing-Ukraine's Lomachenko returns to ring after fighting for his country

Ukrainian boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko was preparing for a fight to regain his world lightweight championship belts in February when he heard that Russia had invaded his home country.

Instead of staying safely abroad, the two-time Olympic gold medallist known as "Loma" raced back to join the war effort.

Soccer-Liverpool boss Klopp fined for Man City outburst

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has been fined 30,000 pounds ($34,848.00) for clashing with the assistant referee during the 1-0 Premier League win against Manchester City earlier this month, the Football Association (FA) said on Thursday. Klopp was shown a red card for confronting the official after forward Mohamed Salah was denied a free kick late in the second half at Anfield on Oct. 16.

Paraguay artist who painted boots for Messi looks to bring color to World Cup

Lili Cantero, a 29-year-old Paraguayan artist famed for painting intricate and personal soccer boots for stars including Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, is preparing a new colorful show of her work to take to the World Cup in Qatar. The Asuncion-born artist is painting some two dozen sets of boots, balls and canvases, many inspired by the Middle Eastern nation and its capital Doha, which will host national teams from around the world next month to compete for the World Cup crown.

NHL roundup: Ilya Sorokin, Isles shut out Rangers

Kyle Palmieri scored twice and Ilya Sorokin stopped all 41 shots he faced for the New York Islanders, who beat the rival New York Rangers 3-0 on Wednesday in Elmont, N.Y. Josh Bailey scored in the third period for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak. The goals were the first of the season for both Palmieri and Bailey. Adam Pelech and Jean-Gabriel Pageau contributed two assists apiece.

Baseball-Astros juggernaut faces underdog Phillies in World Series

The powerhouse Astros enter Game One of the 118th World Series on Friday in Houston as heavy favorites to capture their second championship in six years but standing in their way is a red-hot Philadelphia team that continues to defy the odds. The defending American League champion Astros capped their 106-win season by sweeping both the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees and could become the first team to go undefeated in the postseason since the wild-card era began in 1995.

Soccer-Liverpool ensure Champions League progress with win at Ajax

Liverpool overcame a slow start to beat hosts Ajax Amsterdam 3-0 on Wednesday, ensuring a top-two finish in Group A and progress into the knockout stage of the Champions League. Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead against the run of play three minutes before halftime and they then took command after the break with two quick goals from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott to claim a convincing triumph.

Australian players call out Qatar's human rights record ahead of World Cup

Australia's national soccer team spoke out against World Cup host Qatar's record on human rights and same-sex relationships in a video released on Thursday, adding to criticism of the country in the weeks ahead of the tournament. Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international pressure for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws.

NBA roundup: Blazers fall to Heat, lose Damian Lillard to injury

Bam Adebayo recorded 18 points and eight rebounds on Wednesday as the Miami Heat handed host Portland its first loss of the season, 119-98, on a night when Blazers star Damian Lillard left the game injured. Kyle Lowry made five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points and Jimmy Butler also had 17 for the Heat, who were coming off splitting two games against the Toronto Raptors. Miami's Max Strus had 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Cycling-Gruelling mountain block makes for brutal 2023 Tour de France

The 2023 Tour de France riders are set for a gruelling final block of racing on a treacherous course that will go through all five mountain ranges. With a start from Bilbao, Spain, the peloton will quickly be in the Pyrenees with a mountaintop finish at the iconic Col du Tourmalet before heading to the Massif Central to end up at the top of the Puy de Dome for the first time since 1988.

Tennis-Tursunov opted against working with Raducanu due to 'red flags'

Dmitry Tursunov said he decided not to continue coaching Emma Raducanu at the end of a trial period with the former U.S. Open champion as they could not agree terms and there were "red flags" he could not ignore. Raducanu won the U.S. Open title in 2021 but has since fallen to 76th in the WTA rankings.

(With inputs from agencies.)