ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 16 Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (3) celebrates with left wing Anthony Duclair (91) and center Carter Ver- haeghe (23) after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Monday, Feb 22, in Sunrise, Fla. Panthers beat Stars 3-1. (AP) – See Page 15 Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com

NBA Results/Standings

WASHINGTON, Feb 23, (AP): NBA results and standings on Monday. Jazz rout Hornets with Chicago 120 Houston 100 Miami 108 Oklahoma City 94 Dallas 102 Memphis 92 Utah 132 Charlotte 110 Phoenix 132 Portland 100 Washington 127 LA Lakers OT 124 Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlantic Division Southwest Division W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Philadelphia 20 11 .645 - San Antonio 16 11 .593 - Brooklyn 20 12 .625 -1/2 Dallas 14 15 .483 3 Toronto 16 15 .516 4 Memphis 13 14 .481 3 Boston 15 15 .500 4-1/2 New Orleans 13 17 .433 4-1/2 ‘barrage’ of 3-pointers New York 15 16 .484 5 Houston 11 18 .379 6 Southeast Division Northwest Division W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Charlotte 14 16 .467 - Utah 25 6 .806 - Miami 14 17 .452 -1/2 Portland 18 12 .600 6-1/2 Atlanta 13 17 .433 1 Denver 16 14 .533 8-1/2 Orlando 13 18 .419 1-1/2 Oklahoma City 12 19 .387 13 Washington 11 17 .393 2 Minnesota 7 24 .226 18 Central Division Pacific Division W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Milwaukee 18 13 .581 - LA Clippers 22 10 .688 - Indiana 15 14 .517 2 LA Lakers 22 10 .688 - Chicago 14 16 .467 3-1/2 Phoenix 20 10 .667 1 Cleveland 10 21 .323 8 Golden State 16 15 .516 5-1/2 Detroit 8 22 .267 9-1/2 Sacramento 12 18 .400 9

Up to 10,000 supporters could return England plans return of fans in time for EPL finale in May LONDON, Feb 23, (AP): Plans to ease England’s lockdown restric- tions will see up to 10,000 support- ers being allowed back into Pre- mier League stadiums for the fi nal day of the season in May ahead of Wembley hosting European Cham- pionship games. Some sports in England could see fans return even earlier in April, the government said, as part of pi- lots involving coronavirus testing to assess how events can take place without any social distancing from later in the year. English football authorities hope Crystal Palace’s Gary Cahill (left), two showpiece games at Wembley and Brighton’s Neal Maupay chal- - the League Cup fi nal on April 25 lenge for the ball during the Eng- and the FA Cup fi nal on May 15 - lish Premier League soccer match could be test events for the return between Brighton and Hove Albion of spectators. and Crystal Palace at the Falmer stadium in Brighton, England, Feb The government’s roadmap out 22. Palace won 2-1. (AP) – See of England’s third lockdown has Page 14 earmarked May 17 as the earliest ’ Deandre Ayton wins the tip-off against the ’ Enes Kanter during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, day for the implementation of stage Feb 22, in Phoenix. (AP) three that would see the widescale City’s Guardiola reopening of sports venues to spec- tators. The Premier League ends on Wizards hold off Lakers for 5th straight win downplays hype May 23. LONDON, Feb 23, (AP): It’s SALT LAKE CITY, Feb 3s in the first quarter as 72% of its shot Russell Westbrook scored six of his a decade since Pep Guardiola SOCCER attempts came from behind the arc dur- 32 points in overtime for the Wizards, won the Champions League. 23, (AP): Once again, Utah ing the period. who rallied from a 17-point deficit in If that already feels an ab- Stadiums with more than 40,000 overwhelmed Charlotte with Still, the Jazz fell behind in the sec- the second half. Washington then took surdly long time for someone seats, including the home of Pre- a barrage of 3-pointers. ond quarter and trailed much of the advantage of a missed free throw by widely feted as the greatest ac- third after getting lackadaisical on LeBron James late in regulation and tive soccer manager, consider mier League leader Manchester Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz defense and committing repeated turn- went on to its first win over the Lakers that Guardiola hasn’t even City, will be allowed up to 10,000 enjoyed another record-breaking overs on offense. Charlotte finished at Staples Center since March 2017. reached the fi nal across those fans spaced out. Smaller major performance from long range with 21 fast-break points, 14 by half- James had 31 points, 13 assists and 10 years despite leading the top venues will be permitted a quarter Monday night in a 132-110 vic- time. nine rebounds for the Lakers, who teams in Spain, Germany and capacity. tory against the Hornets. Utah set Charlotte built its first double- struggled in the second half of their England in that period. The release of plans for the re- a franchise mark for 3s with 28, in- digit lead early in the third when P.J. fourth loss in five games. So, can his latest iteration at opening of sports to fans is a boost cluding 19 off the bench – the most Washington’s Montrezl Harrell had a season-high Manchester City - a relentless, to England’s role in staging seven by any team’s backups in NBA steal and slam 26 points and nine rebounds for the record-shattering team closing games at the rescheduled Euro capped a 12-1 defending NBA champions, who have history, according to STATS. lost three straight for the first time this in on another English Premier 2020 across June and July, includ- The Jazz set their previous mark for run that put the League title - end the wait? Hornets ahead season – not coincidentally during ing the semifi nals and fi nal. 3s with 26 in the first meeting between three consecutive games without An- Guardiola, at least in public, “The turnstiles of our sports sta- the teams on Feb 5. 81-70. Charlotte is trying not to get caught up in forced six turn- thony Davis and Dennis Schröder. dia will once again rotate, subject Several of Utah’s outside shots this After carrying the Lakers back into the hype. time came during a 26-2 run that erased overs during the in all cases to capacity limits de- spurt and scored the game in the fourth quarter, James guard Donovan Mitchell “It’s nothing special, noth- pending on the size of the venue,” a double-digit lead for Charlotte and made a tying layup with 9.8 seconds (45) reacts after scoring against ing different,” Guardiola said put the Jazz (25-6) firmly in control four baskets off Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. those turnovers left in regulation, but missed the ensu- the in the sec- of the Champions League on after an uneven performance on both ond half during an NBA basketball “And we will pilot larger events us- – highlighted Booker ing free throw to put LA ahead. Tuesday, a day before City play ends through the first three quarters. The 36-year-old James played over game on Feb 22, in Salt Lake City. ing enhanced testing, with the am- Mitchell, who had 23 points and by 3-pointers on Borussia Moenchengladbach in three straight possessions from Ball, 43 minutes during the Lakers’ fourth (AP) the fi rst leg of the round of 16. bition of further easing of restric- eight assists, credited an uptick in de- tions in the next step.” Hayward and Washington. overtime game in 17 days, all of them fensive stops starting late in the third at home against teams with losing re- 25 points ended. The fi nal stage of the govern- quarter with breaking open the flood- Utah erased the deficit and went back ahead on back-to-back baskets cords. Two nights after falling behind by SOCCER ment plan, in which all legal lim- gates on offense. 31 at halftime in a 31-point loss to its on social conduct are removed Joe Ingles and Georges Niang led from Clarkson and Niang before the third quarter ended. Their buckets BASKETBALL Phoenix, the Grizzlies were down 23 Pushed repeatedly about the after 15 months of closure, is set the way from the perimeter, making in the second quarter after scoring a a career-high seven 3s apiece. Both sparked the team’s decisive 26-2 run. signifi cance of the Champions for June 21. That is a week before The Jazz opened the fourth with bas- season low for any quarter and trailing League - surely, for example, the scheduled start of Wimbledon, players finished with 21 points. Jordan Suns 132, Trail Blazers 100 26-13 after the first. Clarkson added 20. kets on five straight possessions. Con- In Phoenix, Devin Booker scored 34 it is bigger than the English which was canceled last year due to secutive 3-pointers from Mike Conley Ja Morant had 22 points and nine League Cup? - Guardiola used the pandemic. Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball points, Deandre Ayton added 19 and assists for Memphis. The NBA leaders each scored 21 points to lead the Hor- and Niang punctuated the run and gave Phoenix kept rolling with a lopsided the same old mantra, in a clear Other leading European coun- Utah a 111-92 lead. in field goal percentage coming in shot attempt to take the pressure off nets. Malik Monk added 20. Charlotte win over Portland. 39% and went 6 of 31 from 3-point tries, including France, Germany, (14-16) lost despite scoring 25 points Wizards 127, Lakers 124, OT It was the largest margin of victory both him and City. Italy and Spain, are yet to announce range (19%). “We’re going to play the off 21 Utah turnovers. In Los Angeles, Bradley Beal scored this season for the Suns, who have won plans for the return of spectators to The Jazz continuously attacked six of his 33 points on three consecu- nine of 10. Bulls 120, Rockets 100 game tomorrow like we played sports stadiums. Portland has lost two straight fol- In Houston, Coby White scored 24 the last games, and I would say from the perimeter starting from the tive possessions late in overtime, and Britain has had Europe’s dead- opening tip. They shot 29 3-pointers Washington extended its longest lowing a six-game winning streak. points and Chicago used a big third the whole season in all com- Booker had 17 points in the first quarter to pull away from short-handed petitions,” he said. “Nothing liest coronavirus outbreak, with before halftime – a club record for at- winning streak in three years to five more than 120,000 deaths, and the tempts in a half. straight with a victory over slumping quarter and 22 by halftime. He finished Houston. special. It’s a football game. It paid off at times. Utah made eight Los Angeles. 12 of 17 from the field and 8 for 8 at Zach LaVine scored 14 of Chica- Ninety minutes. government said the dates for the easing of lockdown could be post- the free throw line. go’s 46 third-quarter points, finishing “We’re going to do a good Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 21, and the Bulls outscored the game, to try to continue and poned if infections rise. with 24 points. Rockets by 20 in the period to break get a good result, and afterward But Britain has had Europe’s Mavericks 102, Grizzlies 92 open a tight game. think about West Ham (in the fastest inoculation campaign with David Nwaba had 22 points off the Premier League), Saturday, more than 17.5 million people, a In Dallas, Tim Hardaway Jr scored 20 of his 29 points while Dallas built bench to lead Houston, which has lost 12:30. That’s the target. The third of the country’s adult popula- eight straight. The Rockets had their same process mentally.” a big first-half lead without much help tion, already given the fi rst of two from Luka Doncic, and the Mavericks previous two games postponed be- It’s understandable why doses of vaccine. The government returned from a weather-induced break cause of a winter storm and subsequent Guardiola is trying to keep a aim is to give every adult a shot of with a 102-92 victory over the Mem- utility outages in the Houston area. lid on expectations, consider- vaccine by July 31. phis Grizzlies on Monday night. Wendell Carter Jr added 18 points ing the pain City have gone All venues were closed to spec- Dallas was playing for the first time with 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who through attempting to become tators as sports shut down at the in eight days after two postponements have won four of five. European champions for the start of the pandemic in March because of a wintry weather blast in Heat 108, Thunder 94 fi rst time after years of heavy Texas. Kristaps Porzingis didn’t play In Oklahoma City : Duncan Rob- spending under their Abu Dha- 2020. While it took three months for events to resume, it took longer after showing up on the injury report inson scored 22 points and made six bi ownership. Since the Span- the day of the game with back stiff- 3-pointers, leading the iard arrived in 2016, City have for stands to be even partly fi lled. Up to 2,000 fans were allowed ness. over Oklahoma City in the finale of been eliminated by Monaco in Doncic scored 14 of his 21 points their seven-game road trip. the last 16, Liverpool then Tot- back into some Premier League sta- after halftime in his first game since Kendrick Nunn added 20 points tenham in the quarterfi nals and diums in England in December but the soon-to-be 22-year-old became and nine assists, Bam Adebayo had then - perhaps most disappoint- all venues were shut again as coro- guard Bradley Beal, (center), shoots as Los Ange- the first Dallas player to be voted an 19 points and 13 rebounds, and they ingly - Lyon in a one-legged navirus restrictions were tightened les Lakers center Marc Gasol, (left), defends and forward LeBron James All-Star starter in consecutive seasons. hooked up on an alley-oop dunk dur- quarterfi nal last season. later in the month due to the spread watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb 22, The Slovenian star’s franchise record ing Miami’s 15-0 run to start the fourth of new variants of COVID-19. in Los Angeles. (AP) of 14 consecutive games with at least quarter.

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