HOW AN 18-YEAR-OLD JUST BROKE A TEN-YEAR RECORD. THE SECRET TO LUKE LITTLER’S DOMINANCE
History made! 18-year-old Luke Littler thrashes Gian van Veen 7-1 to become back-to-back PDC World Champion. Read the full stats.
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Luke Littler just did it again! The teen sensation crushed Gian van Veen to grab his second World Darts Championship title in a row—the first time anyone's done that in ten years. Littler walked away with the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Despite falling behind early, Littler, who has now been in three Ally Pally finals straight, stormed back to beat Van Veen (the European and World Youth champ) 7-1. This win also earned Littler a cool £1 million, a new record for a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event.
The 18-year-old was on fire, averaging 106.02 with sixteen 180s and four finishes over 100. He even got a little emotional celebrating his latest big win. His girlfriend, Faith Millar, was spotted crying happy tears in the crowd. He missed a nine-dart finish after a near miss at T20 on his seventh dart, but it didn't matter much as he clinched the title. And get this—he's still only 18!
Van Veen, hoping to pull off an upset, started strong. The 23-year-old hadn't won a single match at the tournament before this year. Still, he took down former world champs Luke Humphries and Anderson on his way to the final.
The Giant, soon to be ranked third in the world, nailed a 116 checkout with 12 darts in the first leg and won the first set. But he did miss a couple of shots at D8 and one at D4. Littler also missed two of his own on his favourite D10 checkout.
Van Veen then broke Littler's throw with a 145 checkout at the start of the second set and followed it up with a 127 to win his fourth leg in a row. But the world's top player battled back, winning three legs straight to tie the score at one set each.
In the third set, Littler averaged a crazy 115.68, managing a 112 finish, an 11-dart leg, and a Big Fish to take a 2-1 lead. From there, the Warrington teen was unstoppable, winning all three legs of the fourth set.
Even the return of the Ally Pally wasp couldn't faze him. The insect buzzed around, amusing the London crowd and bugging Littler, but he kept his focus and blew Van Veen away, stretching his lead to 4-1 while averaging nearly 108 per visit.
Van Veen missed a chance to break early in the sixth set, wasting two darts on D20. And after accidentally cutting his hand, he left a speck of blood on the board. Littler then put on a show, outscoring and outfinishing his opponent to win all three legs again and make it 5-1.
The board was switched, which seemed to frustrate both players because of the blood. But Littler didn't lose his momentum. The Englishman won 14 of 15 legs to extend his lead. Van Veen threw six perfect darts to set up a nine-dart opportunity of his own before hitting T5 instead of T20, disappointing the fans. He then missed darts on D18 and D9, and the score went to 6-1 in favour of the world's best player.
Littler started the final set with a 180 and kept the pressure on, winning three of four legs. He sealed the match with a 147 checkout to secure another World Championship title.
Littler has had an amazing year since his first world title, racking up wins at the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, and Players Championship Finals in 2025.
He also won two World Series events and finished as runner-up in the Premier League. Defending his World Championship title was his biggest goal, and now that he's done it, he's the first person to win back-to-back titles since Gary Anderson a decade ago.
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
