26 Established 1961 Sports Sunday, April 7, 2019 Jeremy Lamb stuns Raptors again to keep Hornets alive

Nuggets back on track as they defeat Blazers

CHARLOTTE: Jeremy Lamb was the star again, and Hayward added 21 as Boston took over sole possession the Charlotte Hornets remained alive in the playoff race of fourth place in the East with a victory over Indiana with a thrilling 113-111 win over the visiting Toronto in Indianapolis. The result puts the Celtics on track for Raptors on Friday night. Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3.3 home-court advantage in the upcoming NBA playoffs. seconds remaining to give the Hornets the lead, and A first-round postseason series between the Celtics then Charlotte held on when Kawhi Leonard’s 3-point and Pacers is likely, though Boston moved within 1 1/2 attempt wedged between the rim and the backboard games of Philadelphia for the No. 3 seed. Kyrie Irving with one second remaining. This was the first meeting scored 17 points for the Celtics while Hayward was 9 of of the teams since the Hornets stunned the Raptors 115- 9 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. The 114 in Toronto on March 24, on Lamb’s miracle bank Pacers have lost eight of their last 11 games despite shot from behind the half-court line at the final buzzer. entering play Friday on a two-game win streak. The Hornets had lost three of their previous four and were in a total “must-win” mode Friday night. They still MAGIC 149, HAWKS 113 sit two games back of Detroit and Brooklyn, who are Orlando set an offensive season high in a rout of tied for the seventh spot in the East, and one game Atlanta in its final home game of the regular season, back of ninth-place Miami in the Eastern Conference. getting a key victory for playoff positioning. It was the third-highest point total in Orlando’s history. The SUNS 133, PELICANS 126 (OT) Magic’s scoring record is 155, set back in 1990. The Josh Jackson scored 35 points, including eight in over- Magic set a franchise record for points scored in a first time, as host Phoenix held off New Orleans. Jamal half with 81 and led by as much as 38 in the opening Crawford added 28 points and Ray Spalding had a half. The record-setting performance couldn’t have career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who come at a better time. Orlando moved up to sixth in the went 2-3 on a five-game homestand. Phoenix was without East with its victory, a half-game ahead of Brooklyn five key players, including Devin Booker, who sustained a and Detroit, though the Magic have one fewer game season-ending ankle injury on Wednesday. It was the sec- remaining than both. ond overtime win for Phoenix over New Orleans in three weeks. Jackson made a tying 3-pointer as the Suns scored TIMBERWOLVES 111, HEAT 109 PHOENIX: Julius Randle #30 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns at Talking five points in the final 2.2 seconds of the extra period in a Dario Saric and Gorgui Dieng scored 19 points each Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. — AFP 138-136 victory at New Orleans on March 16. to lead host Minnesota over Miami. The loss was the third in a row for the Heat, who must make up a one- THUNDER 123, PISTONS 110 game deficit in the playoff race with three games Western Conference playoffs, which start next week- points, Rodney Hood had 17 points and Al-Farouq Paul George scored 30 points, and Russell remaining. Dwyane Wade led Miami with 24 points, end. The Warriors swept the Cavaliers, then led by Aminu had 12 points and 14 rebounds for Portland. Westbrook sealed his third consecutive season averag- including a steal at midcourt and a layup with 10 sec- LeBron James, in last season’s Finals. In sweeping the Damian Lillard scored 14 points but missed all six of his ing a triple-double as Oklahoma City beat visiting onds left that cut the Heat’s deficit to 110-109. season series from the Cavaliers for the second consec- 3-point attempts. Detroit. The game was critical to both teams’ playoff Minnesota is out of playoff contention but played spoil- utive season, the Warriors led wire-to-wire but saw a positioning, and it was the Thunder who came out er. Karl-Anthony Towns struggled with 11 turnovers, 21-point lead shrink to 115-112 with 2:52 to play. ahead, winning for the second consecutive game and including four offensive fouls. He had an odd triple- ROCKETS 120, KNICKS 96 the fourth time in seven games. The Thunder remain in double along with his 13 points and 12 rebounds. NUGGETS 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 110 James Harden scored 26 points in 29 minutes as host seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game Nikola Jokic finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds Houston cruised to a wire-to-wire victory over league- ahead of the San Antonio Spurs with a game at hand. WARRIORS 120, CAVALIERS 114 and nine assists, Paul Millsap scored 25 points, and worst New York. The Rockets earned their fifth straight The Pistons lost for the third consecutive game and for Stephen Curry rebounded from his lowest-scoring Denver outlasted visiting Portland. Jamal Murray win and 19th in 22 games by seizing control early. They the sixth time in their past eight to fall into a tie with game of the season with one of his best, bombing in a scored 23 points to help the Nuggets clinch the led by double digits for the final 40:04, and by at least idle Brooklyn just above the East playoff cutline. game-high 40 points as Golden State outlasted Northwest Division and at least the No. 3 seed in the 20 points for the final 29:20. They went in front by as Cleveland at Oakland, Calif., in a rematch of the past Western Conference. Denver has a slim chance at the many as 42 points. Harden shot 8 of 21 and hit five of CELTICS 117, PACERS 97 four NBA Finals. The victory allowed the Warriors to top seed but leads Houston by 1 1/2 games for the sec- Houston’s 22 3-pointers. He added eight assists and Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, and Gordon move within one win of clinching the top seed in the ond seed with a game in hand. Enes Kanter had 24 eight rebounds. — Reuters

10th with just five wins from 14 matches. Arsenal hoping As well as Everton, Unai Emery’s men must travel to Watford, Wolves, Leicester and Burnley. The first four are all in the to cure travel mix for Europa League qualification and it China dreaming of is not inconceivable that the latter could sickness need points on the final day to stay up. Asian and WCup “We are thinking game by game and we know we have five of seven matches at Everton away - for us it’s a big challenge,” said double, says Du Emery on Friday. “We want to achieve the LIVERPOOL: Stellar home form has same good performances as when we play KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese Football Association propelled Arsenal into the Premier at Emirates Stadium. We have confidence acting president Du Zhaocai is hoping a successful League top four but their chances of stay- now but we know it’s very difficult. We attempt to host the Asian Cup in 2023 will lay the ing there now depend on improving know other clubs will take a lot of points.” ground work for a future World Cup bid as the patchy results away from the Emirates Arsenal have won just twice away from nation seeks to enhance its presence on the global Stadium. home since November - at League One football stage. The Gunners can climb above Blackpool in the FA Cup and already rele- Du was one of the six newly elected members of Tottenham into third place should they gated Huddersfield in the Premier League. the FIFA Council at the Asian Football avoid defeat at Everton today. However, That run has included defeats at Confederation’s congress yesterday and his associ- with five of their remaining seven league Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham and ation is now aiming to win the rights to host the LONDON: File photo shows Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil (C) is fouled during fixtures on the road, a trip to Goodison Manchester City in the league and embar- continental championship when the next host in the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Park will be a stern test of whether rassing Europa League losses to BATE determined in June. the Emirates Stadium in London on April 1, 2019. — AFP Arsenal can maintain a hot streak of 16 Borisov and Rennes. Even an encouraging “For China, the Asian Cup and the World Cup points from the last 18 available in the 1-1 draw at Tottenham last month could are our dreams and the Chinese football federation Premier League. have been better had Pierre-Emerick are getting better and being competitive drew against Liverpool in their last would like to host the Asian Cup and the World Arsenal have won their last eight Aubameyang not missed a last-minute at home. We want to be the same away matches at home.” Arsenal could also be Cup in the future,” he said. league games at the Emirates and have as penalty. “The last matches in the Premier but we know that the difficulty is that in without experienced trio of Laurent “We are just making a plan for the future. “In many home points as title-chasing League - Tottenham and Huddersfield - each match at home, they (the other team) Koscielny, Granit Xhaka and Aaron China the local government pays a lot of focus on Liverpool. A league table on away form we’ve had good performances and results, can feel better. Ramsey through injury, while Lucas developing football and the cities are planning to only, however, would place them down and were competitive,” Emery said. “We “Everton won against Chelsea and Torreira is suspended. — AFP host tournaments. “We are just preparing the bid and then we will apply.” China last hosted the Asian Cup finals in 2004 had not breached regulations regarding intermedi- and will go head-to-head in the hosting battle for Wolves and aries. And only four other Premier League clubs the 2023 tournament with South Korea. The deci- spent less on agents fees than the Midlands club in Stadium issues hamper sion will be made on June 4 in Paris. the past two transfer windows. China’s men’s senior team has struggled to make Watford face off Wolves this week made another powerful state- an impact since the early years of the millennium, ment of intent, breaking their club transfer record Oman’s WCup hopes with the country securing a place at their first - and to sign top-scorer Raul Jimenez, who had been on so far only - World Cup finals in 2002. in ‘best of the rest’ KUALA LUMPUR: Oman will face a race against time to build loan from Benfica, for a reported £30 million ($39 a stadium large enough to satisfy FIFA requirements if football’s Two years later, China progressed to the final million). Wing-back Matt Doherty said the rise of of the Asian Cup on home soil, only to lose to FA Cup semi governing body decides to expand the Qatar 2022 World Cup the club has been dizzying. finals and asks the Sultanate to co-host the enlarged tourna- Japan in the decider in Beijing. They have not “It’s been unbelievable,” said the Irishman, who reached the semi-finals of the tournament in four LONDRES: Wolves and Watford meet in the FA ment. Oman Football Association president Salem Said Salem Al was with the club when they were relegated to the Wahaibi told Reuters that FIFA president Gianni Infantino has attempts since. Cup semi-final today, seeking silverware to add third tier of English football in 2013. “You’ve got to Despite their struggles on the pitch, China lustre to a season in which they are both battling sounded out the country’s government over their ability to co- remember it’s been a short space of time where host the event should it be expanded from 32 to 48 teams. president Xi Jinping has set the country’s sights to be the “best of the rest” in the Premier League. this has all happened. It’s not that long ago that we on becoming a major player in global football and Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves nestle just below But with Muscat’s Sultan Qaboos Stadium falling short of were in League One. minimum capacity requirements for the World Cup, the Omanis has said he wants the nation to qualify for, host the top six after a second straight win against “Who would’ve thought we’d be in the semi- and win the World Cup. Manchester United this week, with Watford a would need to overhaul their biggest stadium to be considered a final of the FA Cup and seventh in the league-it’s viable host. “Mr Infantino visited us and he gave a proposal to As a result, Chinese companies have pumped point and a place below them in eighth spot. kind of a fairytale, so we’re all very happy with the huge sums into hiring world class coaches and lur- The clubs clash at Wembley for the right to the government and they are still thinking about it,” said Al situation at the moment.” Wolves are steeped in Wahaibi on the sidelines of the Asian Football Confederation’s ing foreign talent to the Chinese Super League, play either quadruple-chasing Manchester City or the history of their famous title-winning sides of but with mixed results. While Chinese clubs have Brighton in next month’s showpiece final. congress on Saturday. the 1950s and are four-time winners of the FA “They haven’t come to a decision yet, but it’s not a federation impressed in continental competition, with Ambitious Wolves, bankrolled by the Chinese Cup, even if their last success was in 1960. Guangzhou Evergrande twice winning the Asian Fosun International group, were promoted last decision. We have some issues. We don’t have a stadium for “Everybody knows what it could mean, but we 40,000, so if we take it we will be working against time. That is Champions League, the national team continues to year after six seasons out of the top flight but they have to play it just like another game, then make it struggle. have made a splash since their return, taking 13 the first enemy for us. There are so many issues and it won’t be special to make something happen, play the as easy as it looks. World Cup winner Marcello Lippi did not renew points off the big six. game,” said Nuno. Watford, who were losing final- his contract after his team was knocked out of the Their rise has not been without controversy-a “Our stadium, the maximum capacity we have is 29,000, so in ists in 1984, cannot boast the same historical pedi- two years can we get that? That’s the question for the govern- Asian Cup at the quarter-final stage by Iran in number of clubs last year urged the English gree but are punching above their weight in a cut- January while interim coach Fabio Cannavaro saw Football League (EFL) to investigate the influence ment, plus the other logistics. I’m optimistic but let’s see.” throat league. On Tuesday they beat Fulham to Qatar was awarded the rights to host a 32-team World Cup the team lose to both Thailand and Uzbekistan in at Molineux of Portuguese super-agent Jorge reach 46 points, breaking their record Premier the recent China Cup. Mendes, who looks after Jose Mourinho and in December 2010, but after becoming FIFA president in 2016 League tally and reaching their best mark in a top- Infantino has been open to the idea of expanding the tourna- The election of Du, who is also China’s deputy Cristiano Ronaldo. flight campaign since 1986-87 (63). Javi Gracia is sports minister, means China will continue to have a Mendes’s Gestifute agency, whose clients also ment to accommodate 16 additional teams. The 2026 edition is the 10th manager at the club since the Pozzo fami- already slated to feature 48 nations and Infantino is keen to voice in world football’s decision-making body as include the Wolves boss and players Ruben Neves, ly’s takeover of Watford in 2012, but the Spaniard he takes over the role from CFA vice president Diogo Jota and Ivan Cavaleiro, has flooded the bring forward the enlarged format by four years. “Sharing a few is the first since Gianfranco Zola six years ago to games with a few of the neighbouring countries is, of course, an Zhang Jian and he believes the country is moving in club with talent out of reach of competitors. last more than a season in charge and signed a the right direction. — Reuters But the EFL ruled that the club’s relationship option as well to make it a true World Cup for the world and for new deal until 2023 with the Vicarage Road club in the whole Gulf region,” he said yesterday. — Reuters with Mendes, who has no official title at the club, November. — AFP