TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015 SPORTS Czech blank Canada Thunder roll past Clippers

OKLAHOMA CITY: scored 29 to advance in Fed Cup points to lead the Thunder to a 131-108 win Sunday over the , who QUEBEC CITY: Defending champions the were without All-Star . Czech Republic advanced to the Fed Cup semi-finals on Sunday, defeating hosts The Clippers announced before the game Canada 4-0 without dropping a set. that Griffin will be out indefinitely because of Karolina Pliskova defeated Gabriela a staph infection in his right elbow. Without Dabrowski 6-4, 6-2 to give the visitors an him, the Clippers fell to their most lopsided insurmountable 3-0 lead. loss of the season. The Czechs booked a spot against Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 11 France in April’s semi-finals, while rebounds and five assists, and rookie Mitch Germany, last year’s runners-up, will face McGary had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Russia. The Czechs were without fourth- the Thunder, who shot 52 percent and moved ranked Petra Kvitova and 15th-ranked back above the .500 mark. Jamal Crawford Lucie Safarova while the Canadians were scored 21 points and had 18 points without seventh-ranked Eugenie and 13 assists for the Clippers. Bouchard. “We are a great team without them and we did a great job here this GRIZZLIES 94, HAWKS 88 weekend,” Pliskova said. Pliskova needed Mike Conley had 21 points and six assists, only 72 minutes to capture the clincher, and Marc Gasol finished with 16 points and 10 smacking 28 winners against 27 unforced rebounds as Memphis beat Atlanta. errors. She fired four aces and won five of The game was tied at 86 after Mike Scott’s her eight break-point chances. 3-pointer with 3:24 left before Memphis The second reverse singles, by now a scored the next eight points to put away the dead rubber, went unplayed, while in the concluding doubles, the Czech duo of game. Zach Randolph had 11 points and 15 Denisa Allertova and Lucie Hradecka rebounds, while Kosta Koufos finished with 10 downed Francoise Abanda and Dabrowski points and seven rebounds as Memphis out- 6-1, 7-6 (7/2). In Saturday’s opening match- rebounded the Hawks 55-37. es, 22nd-ranked Pliskova made her Fed One of those rebounds provided the Cup debut with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over tiebreaking basket, with Tony Allen tipping in Canadian teenager Francoise Abanda QUEBEC CITY: Tereza Smitkova, of the Randolph’s miss to make it 88-86 with 2:28 while Dabrowski, ranked 185th, fell to Czech Republic, returns the ball to remaining. Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 22 Tereza Smitkova 6-1, 6-2. The Czechs Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski, Sunday, points, shooting 9 of 13, while Kent Bazemore Feb. 8, 2015, at the Fed Cup tennis OKLAHOMA CITY: Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) drives around Oklahoma improved to 6-0 in all-time Fed Cup ties added 14 points. Dennis Schroder and Scott City Thunder guard Dion Waiters (23) in the first quarter of an NBA game. — AP against Canada, but this was their first tournament. — AP finished with 11 apiece off the Atlanta bench meeting since 2002. The two 21-year-olds had only played and DeMarre Carroll scored 10. Meanwhile, Kristina Mladenovic and together once before, in a Fed Cup clash NBA results/standings Caroline Garcia stunned the world’s top with Kazakhstan two years ago, but CAVALIERS 120, LAKERS 105 doubles pairing to give France a shock Fed inspired their country to a dramatic come- Kevin Love scored a season-high 32 points Oklahoma City 131, LA Clippers 108; Cleveland 120, LA Lakers 105; Memphis 94, Atlanta 88; Cup win over Italy in Genoa on Sunday. back victory. and LeBron James flirted with a triple-double The French pair, ranked 20 and 30 France had started the day 2-0 down in Indiana 103, Charlotte 102; Minnesota 112, Detroit 101; Chicago 98, Orlando 97; Portland 109, as Cleveland quickly got back to winning. Houston 98; Toronto 87, San Antonio 82; Sacramento 85, Phoenix 83. respectively in doubles, defeated reigning the tie having never before recovered from The Cavs had their 12-game winning streak Wimbledon and Australian Open champi- such a deficit. And in front of them were snapped Friday, a run that started when they Eastern Conference Western Conference ons Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-2 Atlantic Division Northwest Division the 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013 Fed Cup beat the Lakers on Jan. 15. This time, Love to book a semi-final spot. W L PCT GB Portland 35 17 .673 - champions who had not lost on home soil made five 3-pointers in the second quarter “Beating the number one doubles pair since 2008. Toronto 35 17 .673 - Oklahoma City 26 25 .510 8.5 and two more in the third as Cleveland in the world 6-1, 6-2, I never thought that Mladenovic defeated Errani 6-4, 6-3 Brooklyn 21 29 .420 13 Denver 19 32 .373 15.5 one day we’d do that in the Fed Cup, not before Garcia beat Camila Giorgi 4-6, 6-0, opened a 26-point lead. James scored 22 with Boston 19 31 .380 15 Utah 18 33 .353 16.5 even in a dream,” said Garcia. 6-2 to set up a deciding rubber in the 10 rebounds and eight assists in three quar- Philadelphia 12 40 .231 23 Minnesota 11 40 .216 23.5 Mladenovic added: “It’s amazing, that’s quarter-final tie. But the coup de grace ters. All-Star guard added 28 NY Knicks 10 41 .196 24.5 Pacific Division the magic of the Fed Cup. France had nev- came in the doubles when five-time points and 10 assists. Rookie Central Division Golden State 40 9 .816 - Chicago 32 20 .615 - er clawed back a 2-0 deficit. “We live for Grand Slam winners Errani and Vinci, who scored a career-high 20 for the Lakers, who LA Clippers 33 19 .635 8.5 Cleveland 32 21 .604 0.5 this, to play for your country, soaking the have won all four Grand Slams, were put matched a franchise worst with their 10th Phoenix 29 24 .547 13 shirt (with sweat) and going to your limits.” to the sword. — AFP straight road loss. Los Angeles hasn’t won Milwaukee 28 23 .549 3.5 Detroit 20 32 .385 12 Sacramento 18 32 .360 22.5 away from Staples Center since Dec. 30 at LA Lakers 13 38 .255 28 Denver. The Lakers also lost 10 in a row on the Indiana 20 32 .385 12 Southeast Division Southwest Division road in 1957-58 and 1963-64. New Lotus F1 car a new Atlanta 42 10 .808 - Memphis 38 13 .745 - Washington 32 20 .615 10 Houston 35 16 .686 3 RAPTORS 87, SPURS 82 Charlotte 22 29 .431 19.5 Dallas 35 18 .660 4 ball game for Grosjean James Johnson scored a season-high 20 Miami 21 29 .420 20 San Antonio 32 19 .627 6 points in his return to the and Orlando 16 38 .296 27 New Orleans 27 24 .529 11 LONDON: Comparing this year’s Mercedes- right direction. DeMar DeRozan had 18 as Toronto denied powered Lotus Formula One car to the “It felt pretty good to be fair,” he said of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich his 1,000th Derrick Rose’s missed layup with 9.4 seconds onds left lifted Indiana to a come-from- team’s troublesome 2014 one is child’s play his first experience at the wheel of the new career victory. left as Chicago rallied to beat Orlando. Jimmy behind victory over Charlotte. CJ Watson had for Romain Grosjean. E23 car in testing in southern Spain last Amir Johnson added 15 points, Kyle Lowry Butler led the Bulls with 27 points, and Gasol 22 points and David West, Luis Scola and “I was playing with my son and he has week. Lotus completed 190 laps over the 12 and Jonas Valanciunas had a season-high finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Rodney Stuckey each had 15 as the Pacers got a rugby ball and a basketball,” the four days in Jerez, compared to a total of 16 rebounds as Toronto improved to 8-2 at French driver told Reuters in a telephone 111 in 2014 pre-season testing. Joakim Noah added 18 points and nine battled back from a 21-point, third-quarter home against Western Conference oppo- rebounds. deficit for their third straight win. Al Jefferson interview yesterday when explaining the nents. The Raptors snapped a seven-game different characteristics. BEST UNIT Chicago led by as many as 16 points, had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Brian losing streak against the Spurs and won for before finding itself in a six-point hole with Roberts added 19 points in the loss. “I was trying to bounce the rugby ball “We know Mercedes is the best power the first time in five home meetings. and it was going all over the place and the unit on the grid... our start with them has just over 2 minutes to play. The Magic had After Marvin Williams knocked down a 3- and Marco Belinelli each basketball was going straight.” There were been very smooth. Everything is working as two opportunities to win the game in the pointer with 14 seconds left to put the no prizes for guessing which car was the we would like so at least that is a question scored 12 points, Kawhi Leonard had 11 and closing seconds. But Nik Vucevic’s hook rolled Hornets up by one, Hill drove the right side of basketball. “This year at least when you get mark removed from the equation. “Last Tony Parker 10 as the Spurs shot 31 for 93 off the rim, and Tobias Harris overshot a the line. He got underneath the basket and into the corners the car feels stable, you year at this stage was difficult for us. We (.333), their worst performance of the season. potential game-winning tip-in as time turned around to find himself alone near the don’t have any bad surprises, it’s pre- missed Jerez and then went to Bahrain and San Antonio’s previous low was .344 at expired. Victor Oladipo led six Orlando players low . He converted the easy layup for the dictable and you can push harder,” said didn’t do a lap so it’s been a big difference.” Houston on Nov. 6 in a 98-81 defeat. in double figures with 18 points. Harris added go-ahead basket. Grosjean. “I had a big smile on my face as Maldonado, a winner with Williams in 15, and Vucevic 14. the car was nice to drive.” Lotus finished 2012, said recently that Lotus-champions in TRAIL BLAZERS 109, ROCKETS 98 TIMBERWOLVES 112, PISTONS 101 fourth overall in 2013, winning in Australia their former guise of Benetton and Renault- LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points and KINGS 85, SUNS 83 Nikola Pekovic scored 29 points and Kevin with Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen before he had all the tools to be competitive and win Damian Lillard added 23 to help Portland DeMarcus Cousins made a jumper as time Martin added 24 to lift Minnesota to its third departed to Ferrari, but slumped to eighth again but Grosjean refused to be drawn fight off a late charge from Houston. expired and finished with 28 points and 12 straight victory. Minnesota had not even won with 10 points in 2014 when a new V6 tur- into too much optimism. tied a season high with 45 rebounds, giving Sacramento a victory over back-to-back games this season until this bo hybrid power unit replaced the old V8s. “I think it’s too early to say,” said the 28- points for the Rockets, who are playing with- Phoenix. Cousins rescued the Kings from a modest streak. The team also had financial problems, year-old, who is still waiting for his break- out star center , out indefi- fourth straight loss. Sacramento squandered a The Timberwolves led throughout against with some key staff leaving along with through first win in Formula One after five nitely with knee swelling. 14-point lead in the final quarter when it was the Pistons despite the absence of guard sponsors, but are confident they are back third places and a second in 2013. The Trail Blazers led by 17 in the second on the right track after switching from “Realistically, we want to be very often outscored 24-12. Ricky Rubio, who is still recovering from a left half, but a big third quarter helped Houston But Cousins launched a 19-footer from the ankle injury. Andrew Wiggins scored 18 Renault power to Mercedes. in the top 10 and would like to be top five. to a slim lead early in the fourth quarter. Whether that can put Grosjean and Why not be back on the podium? I still key that hit the rim several times before set- points for Minnesota, and Thaddeus Young Portland scored seven straight points to break tling into the basket, setting of a huge cele- added 16. Venezuelan team mate Pastor Maldonado think there are teams which are a bit a tie and take a 92-85 lead midway through back on the podium remains to be seen, stronger than we are... but of course we are bration at midcourt by the struggling Kings. Andre Drummond had 17 points and 14 the period, with five points from Meyers with the Mercedes works team again going to do everything we can. Isaiah Thomas had 14 of his 26 points in rebounds for the Pistons, going 8 of 8 from expected to set the pace after a dominant “We do have stability from 2014 to 2015 Leonard in that stretch. Houston cut the lead the fourth quarter for the Suns, who have the field. Detroit trailed 74-55 in the third 2014 but the Frenchman was hopeful. that we didn’t have the previous year so to four points twice in the last 2 1/2 minutes, dropped four of five games. Goran Dragic quarter before fighting back to make a game Speaking after the announcement of an that’s a very good way to start the season. but Portland answered both times. added 13 points. of it. It was 83-79 early in the fourth, but a 3- extended partnership between Lotus F1 Everyone knows his job and everyone is pointer by Wiggins started an 18-6 run for and Denmark-based sponsor Saxo Bank, doing it properly and that’s going to cer- BULLS 98, MAGIC 97 PACERS 103, HORNETS 102 Minnesota. The Timberwolves have won 10 Grosjean said the team was moving in the tainly help us.” —Reuters Pau Gasol dunked in the of George Hill’s baseline layup with 4.9 sec- straight over the Pistons. — AP

QATAR: Norwegian Katusha rider Alexander The victory for Kristoff, who won two Kristoff won the second stage of the Tour of stages on last year’s Tour de France, gave QATAR : The pack rides during the Qatar yesterday, and also took the gold jer- him a one second lead over Belgian veteran second stage of the 2015 Tour of Kristoff takes sey as race leader, after a 187.5km ride from Tom Boonen (Quick Step), in the overall Qatar, from Al Wakra to Al Khor Al Wakra to Al Khor Corniche. The 27-year- standings, while Van Avermaet is three sec- Corniche (187,5 km). Slovakian old from Oslo won a bunch sprint, after a onds adrift. Today will feature a 10.9km indi- Peter Sagan won the pearl white jer- stage in Qatar high-tempo stage, as he held off Italian vidual time-trial around the Lusail Circuit as sey of best young rider as Norway Andrea Guardini of Astana and BMC rider the race follows a six stage route which fin- Alexander Kristoff won the stage Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium. ishes in Doha on Friday. — AFP and got the gold jersey. — AFP