SPORTS MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2013 Photo of the day Young Mexican team takes hoop dreams to South California LOS ANGELES: Their Southern California itinerary is a 10- areas, where “it looks like they’re stuck in the 18th century,” year-old boy’s dream: Disneyland, a Lakers game and a said Sergio Zuniga, chief coach and founder of the visit to the Santa Monica beach. But most of the players Mexican Academy of Indigenous Basketball in the city of from a basketball academy in the mountains of southern Oaxaca. Mexico haven’t heard of Mickey Mouse. They grew up in “To see children who only have one meal a day, sharing isolated villages, and for them, basketball is a ticket to a a plate of beans and one tortilla between three people, better life. isn’t rare,” Zuniga said. Zuniga said his program uses bas- At home in Oaxaca, the youngsters are so poor that ketball to teach discipline and pride, to help the children they play without shoes. But they were all wearing sneak- graduate high school and perhaps even attend a universi- ers on Friday as they got to slap hands with Lakers players. ty. And after winning an international tournament in On their first US tour, the youngsters are playing teams Argentina, they’ve been dubbed the “barefoot giants of from Los Angeles-area Catholic schools, recreation leagues the mountains.” and even an ad-hoc team of reporters from Spanish-lan- “Despite having everything against them, these chil- guage news media. They arrived Tuesday and will leave dren have shown their strength on the basketball court after Christmas. The children are usually shorter than their and won,” said Gerardo Vasquez, president of a federation opponents. Zuniga and his team of coaches, teachers and of Oaxacan immigrant groups in Southern California. social workers can’t do anything about their genes, and “They’ve shown the world that despite their circum- even the 11-year-olds look years away from a teenage stances, they are a light of hope for Oaxacans and growth spurt. Mexicans.” On Wednesday night, while Zuniga shouted from the While many Mexicans are soccer fans, in the rugged sidelines in Spanish and Triqui, the boys played a scrappy hills of Oaxaca there are more ball courts than soccer game and kept the score tight against their taller rivals in fields. Some say that the modern game echoes the tradi- the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. They won. tional ceremonial game of “ulama,” which was played to Tobias de Jesus Bautista, 11, said he was undaunted by the death in stone courts that now stand in ruins. his opponents’ size. “We have to give double, triple the At home in southern Mexico, the 7- to 11-year-old team effort,” Bautista said. “But I think we can compensate for Kyle Strait competes during the finals of Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, UT, USA members live at a boarding school, study Spanish and our height by concentrating on our free throws, by being on October 13, 2013. — www.redbullcontentpool.com their native language of Triqui and attend daily three-hour in better physical condition and by being more sure of practices. The 17 players come from some of the poorest what we’re doing. We can reach our dreams.” — AP Warriors start slow, rout depleted Lakers 102-83 OAKLAND: David Lee had 19 points and 10 eight assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder Jazz beat the Charlotte Bobcats on the road. The rebounds, Andrew Bogut grabbed 20 rebounds to an emphatic road victory over the San Antonio Jazz, who entered the game with the worst and the Golden State Warriors shook off a slow Spurs. Westbrook was 13-of-22 from the field as record in the NBA, won for just the eighth time start to rout the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 102- the Thunder won their eighth in a row. Guard this season. Charlotte guards Kemba Walker and 83 Saturday night. Reggie Jackson added 21, and forward Kevin Gerald Henderson missed three-point attempts in Stephen Curry scored 18 points and Klay Durant chipped in with 17 as the Thunder (22-4) the final 10 seconds. Thompson added 17 points to help the Warriors captured their second win over San Antonio this pull away with a 26-8 spurt to start the third quar- season. Tony Parker, who missed the last two Bucks 116, 76ers 106 ter. Golden State went ahead 83-70 early in the games with a right shin contusion, led the Spurs Forward Khris Middleton scored 27 points as fourth to put the game out of reach. Pau Gasol sat (21-6) with 23 points. the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a five-game losing out with an upper respiratory infection for the streak with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Lakers, who already were missing Kobe Bryant Wizards 106, Celtics 99 Middleton did much of his damage in the second (fractured left knee), Steve Nash (nerve root irrita- The Washington Wizards erased an 18-point half when he scored 20 of his points on 8 of 10 BELGRADE: Brazil’s players pose with the trophy after beating Serbia in their 2013 tion in back), Steve Blake (torn ligament in right first-half deficit and rallied again in the fourth shooting. Women’s Handball World Championship final match in Kombank Arena in Belgrade elbow) and Jordan Farmar (torn left hamstring). quarter to defeat the Boston Celtics. Guard John yesterday. Brazil won 25-23. — AFP Nick Young scored 20 points, and Chris Kaman Wall and forward Trevor Ariza powered a 16-2 run Suns 123, Mavericks 108 had 17 rebounds and 10 points for the Lakers in a down the stretch that gave the Wizards their third Guard Eric Bledsoe scored a game-high 25 sloppy game by both teams. The Lakers commit- straight victory, all on the road, and ended their points and guard Gerald Green had 22 points as ted 24 turnovers, while the Warriors had 18. seven-game overall and four-game road losing the Phoenix Suns rang up their seventh win in Kelly Clark wins to make Golden State shot 38.8 percent and Los Angeles streaks against Boston. their last eight games with a home victory over shot 32.5 percent. the Dallas Mavericks.Phoenix set a season high fourth US Olympic team Even though the Lakers were undermanned, Grizzlies 95, Knicks 87 for points and margin of victory and followed the Warriors had failed to consistently take The Memphis Grizzlies halted a five-game los- Friday night’s rally from a 21-point deficit in COPPER MOUNTAIN: Kelly Clark made it scratch, it feels like. It feels real good to advantage of opportunities against short-handed ing streak when they beat the New York Knicks at Denver. from the couch to the Olympics, all in the have come out here and done this.” Gold’s teams lately. Golden State had lost three of its last Madison Square Garden. Power forward Zach span of a few hours. Hurting with a stom- brother, Taylor, won the men’s event. The four games, including Thursday night at home Randolph topped Memphis (11-15) with 25 Trail Blazers 110, Pelicans 107 ach bug that left her couch-bound most lowest-ranked qualifier, Gold went first in against a San Antonio team playing without Tim points and 15 rebounds as New York’s home woes Guard Damian Lillard scored 29 points as of the day, the snowboarder secured a the men’s contest and scored a 90.25; the Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The lone continued. The Knicks are 4-9 at Madison Square Portland eked out a home victory over the New spot on her fourth Olympics team mark held up over the next 31 runs, as win during that stretch was against New Orleans, Garden after going 31-10 at home last season. Orleans Pelicans. The Trail Blazers were down by Saturday night with a near-perfect run on none of the other 15 finalists could beat it which played without injured starters Anthony as many as 13 points in the first half but recov- the halfpipe at the US Grand Prix. in two tries. Davis and Tyreke Evans. Kings 105, Magic 100 ered as the Pelicans dropped their fourth straight “To be honest, it’s hard for me to com- “I wasn’t really expecting anything The Lakers have been decimated even more Recently acquired guard Rudy Gay scored 23 game. pute right now,” said the 2002 Olympic coming into the year,” Gold said. “I was by injuries. Los Angeles used its 12th different points, including nine in the fourth quarter, to champion and 2010 bronze medalist. “You just stoked to have enough tricks to be starting lineup this season: Xavier Henry, Jodie lead the Sacramento Kings to victory over the Clippers 112, Nuggets 91 plan, you dream, you train and it happens able to compete. This is unbelievable for Meeks, Wesley Johnson, Jordan Hill and Kaman. Orlando Magic. The Kings (8-18) won the final Guard Jamal Crawford scored 27 points and and you’re kind of in awe.” Clark had the me.” Gasol was the only player to start the first 26 game of a four-game road trip that included loss- forward Blake Griffin had 24 points and 16 contest wrapped up when nobody in the The victory puts him in good position games. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni was hoping es to Charlotte, Atlanta and Miami. rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers routed the second round could beat the score of 95 for an Olympic spot, as did the second- she had posted on her first trip down the place finish for Greg Bretz, who pairs that Gasol would be healthy enough to play Monday Denver Nuggets at home.