Clément Noël wins a World Cup slalom at foggy Adelboden after Manuel Feller fails to finish

ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — Clément Noël skied through the fog to win a World Cup slalom race Saturday and deny Brazil a first-ever victory by just 0.02 seconds.

The 2022 Olympic champion rose from third place in the first run to get his third win this season and beat Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the Norway-born racer who now represents his mother’s home nation Brazil.

Henrik Kristoffersen, Braathen’s former teammate, placed third, trailing Noël by 0.14, and leads the slalom standings from his French rival.

First-run leader Manuel Feller had already lost his time advantage before skiing out on the steep final slope. The Austrian star has now failed to finish four slalom races this season in defense of his World Cup title.

Pinheiro Braathen matched Brazil’s best result in World Cup skiing after being runner-up last month in a giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Conditions were difficult all day on the Chuenisbaergli hill. Steady snowfall in the morning slowed the later starters, and racers could barely be seen in thick fog for parts of the second run in the afternoon.

The slalom typically scheduled on Sunday was moved forward one day because the weather and visibility risked forcing a giant slalom to be canceled.

The classic Adelboden giant slalom — a permanent fixture on the men’s World Cup circuit since the first week of racing in January 1967 — was pushed back to Sunday.

Marco Odermatt, who leads the World Cup overall and giant slalom standings but skips slalom, will be favored Sunday to win a fourth straight time in a race that is a signature sports event for his home country Switzerland.

Only one Swiss racer has won the Adelboden slalom since 2007 and Daniel Yule, the 2020 champion, was 12th Saturday, almost two seconds back. The best home racer was eighth-placed Tanguy Nef.

World Cup slalom standings leader Loïc Meillard, the home crowd favorite, failed to finish the first run by straddling a gate midway down.

The runner-up at Adelboden for the past two seasons, Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, also failed to finish in the morning when poised to set the fastest time.

Albert Popov, the winner Wednesday at Madonna di Campiglio giving Bulgaria its first men’s victory in 45 years, could not repeat that form and placed 16th, trailing 2.31 behind Noël.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

From left, second placed Brazil' Lucas Braathen, the winner France's Clement Noel and third placed Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen celebrate after an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Brazil' Lucas Braathen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Brazil' Lucas Braathen reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Clement Noel speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

France's Clement Noel reacts after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Loic Meillard speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Germany's Linus Strasser speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Austria's Manuel Feller speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

MIAMI (AP) — Anfernee Simons scored 18 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown added 27 and the Boston Celtics trailed most of the way before rallying to beat the Miami Heat 119-114 on Thursday night.

Sam Hauser added 17 points for the Celtics, who outscored Miami 36-21 in the fourth quarter and won after facing as much as a 19-point deficit. It was their second-biggest comeback win of the season, after coming from 20 down to beat Indiana on Dec. 22.

Simons had the second highest-scoring game for a reserve this season — Utah's Brice Sensabaugh had 43 on Wednesday night in a loss to Chicago — and became the fourth Celtics player in the last 50 years to score at least 39 off the bench. The others: Larry Bird, Todd Day and Payton Pritchard.

Norman Powell scored 26 points for Miami, which got 22 points apiece from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Andrew Wiggins added 16 for the Heat.

Simons had 11 consecutive Boston points in the fourth quarter to chip away at what was left of the Miami edge, and then Hauser got an open 3-pointer with 5:21 left to give the Celtics their first lead since the opening minute of the game.

The lead changed hands twice more, before Brown's 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining put Boston on top for good.

Miami started the game on a 28-9 run, putting the Celtics in a most unusual early position.

That 19-point margin — only about seven minutes into the game — matched the biggest first-quarter deficit the Celtics faced in a 304-game span since trailing Indiana by 20 early on in a game on Dec. 21, 2022. Boston also trailed Milwaukee by 19 in the first quarter on April 9, 2024.

The Heat played without starting point guard Davion Mitchell (left shoulder contusion) and sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left knee soreness).

Celtics: At Atlanta on Saturday night.

Heat: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, center, is defended by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) comes under pressure from Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) goes for the basket defended by Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware, obscured, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after making a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from courtside during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)