ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021 16

Barcelona’s Jordi Alba, (left), vies for the ball with Huesca’s Rafa Mir during the Span- ish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Huesca at the Camp Nou Sta- dium in Barcelona, Spain on March 15. (AP) Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Messi ties Xavi’s record Barcelona increase pressure on Atlético MADRID, March 16, (AP): Lionel Antoine Griezmann and Óscar Min- we have momentum on our side.” league goals, three more than Atlé- Messi scored twice as he tied Xavi gueza also scored at the Camp Nou Barcelona, coming off elimination tico’s Luis Suárez at the top of the Hernández’s record of most appear- Stadium as the Catalan club won their by Paris Saint-Germain in the Cham- scoring list. ances for Barcelona putting them with- fourth straight league match to in- pions League last 16, were in control Barcelona kept pressing and nearly in four points of the Spanish league crease the pressure on leader Atlético from the start . added to the lead when Jordi Alba hit lead after beating last-placed Huesca Madrid. the crossbar in the 33rd, and a couple 4-1. Atlético, seeking their fi rst league of minutes later Griezmann added his For his 767th match, Messi was hon- title since 2014, had a comfortable lead SOCCER goal with a well-struck curling shot ored by Barcelona with a large image until recently, having won only two of into the top corner past Huesca goal- behind one of the goals showing him their last six league games. They were Messi scored in each half for his 130th keeper Álvaro Fernández. embracing Xavi as the players looked held to 0-0 at Getafe on Saturday. double in the league. He opened the scor- Huesca pulled one back through a forward and pointed upward. Diego Simeone’s team will visit ing with a shot into the top corner after penalty kick earned after a breakaway “It’s incredible,” Barcelona coach Barcelona in May. a nifty one-touch to clear a defender just in fi rst-half stoppage time, converted Ronald Koeman said. “His impact on “We always said we wouldn’t outside the area in the 13th minute, then by forward Rafa Mir. Liverpool’s Fabinho, (left), and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Adama Traore this team is enormous. It’s amazing give up,” Barcelona midfi elder Pedri closed the scoring with another shot from Then Mingueza scored his fi rst goal battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between what he has done for this club up until González said. “We have a good squad outside the area in the 90th. for Barcelona with a header off a cross Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux Stadium in Wolver- now.” that can keep fi ghting for this title and The Argentine playmaker has 21 by Messi in the 53rd. hampton, England, on March 15. (AP) Patricio OK Liverpool ‘edge’ Leonard, Clippers bounce back Wolverhampton WOLVERHAMPTON, England March 16, (AP):Diogo Jota scored the winner against his former club as Liverpool beat Wolverhampton 1-0 in an English Premier League match that ended with Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio being carried off with a head injury. Jota, who spent three years at Wolves before joining Liverpool in September, drove in a low, fi rst-time shot that squirmed into the corner in the second minute of fi rst-half stop- page time. Patricio got a hand to the ball but failed to keep it out at his near post. The goalkeeper didn’t fi nish the game after being struck on the head in the 87th minute by the knee of team- mate Conor Coady, who was running back into his area. SOCCER

Coady looked particularly con- cerned as medical staff attended to Patricio with caution for 10 minutes before he was taken off on a stretcher. Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo gave a positive update on Patri- cio’s condition after the game, saying: “He’s OK. He is conscious, he remem- bers what happened, he is aware. He is OK.” In November, Wolves striker Raul Jimenez fractured his skull in a clash of heads during a league match at Ar- senal. Jimenez was in the empty stands at Molineux , Monday. “Football becomes irrelevant when someone is down that long and the doctors have to come on,” Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson said of Patricio. “I know how it can affect the lads and that’s two (incidents) they’ve had this season. I hope to see him in front of the goals again soon because he’s a ’ Bruce Brown (1) drives past ’ Alec Burks during the first half of an NBA game on March 15, in New York. (AP) fantastic goalkeeper.” It was only Liverpool’s second win in their last eight league games of a Irving’s 34, Harden’s triple-double help Nets edge Knicks title defense that has imploded in the second half of the season. The Reds climbed two places to DALLAS, March 16, (AP): It was obvious from the emotion on had a triple-double with 22 points, 11 27 points, added 18 and the a triple-double with 10 points and 10 sixth, but were still fi ve points behind Kawhi Leonard scored 22 the court, where Julius Randle had to assists and 10 rebounds, leading the rolled to a 122-99 vic- assists. fourth-placed Chelsea with nine games be restrained by Knicks teammates injury-depleted tory over the . The start of the game was moved remaining in the race for Champions points, Marcus Morris Sr. after the buzzer following a call that past the 128-97. The Suns have won six of their past back an hour because the Pacers were League qualifi cation. added 14 in a rare start and went against him in the final seconds. backed up James’ seven games and bounced back em- unable to fly from Phoenix into Den- New York’s basketball rivalry was fourth triple-double of the season by phatically from a 122-111 loss to Indi- ver until Monday afternoon. A snow- the alive and heated Monday night. scoring 27 points off the bench on 11- ana on Saturday. They won the season storm that officially dropped 27 inches beat the Kyrie Irving scored 34 points and of-14 shooting as the Lakers clinched series against the Grizzlies two games at Denver International Airport closed NBA Results/Standings 109-99 on Monday night. Harden posted his 10th triple-double of the season series with Golden State. to one. the runways from late Sunday morn- the season, leading the Brooklyn Nets to Stephen Curry scored 27 points with Booker shot 10 of 19 from the field ing. Four runways were reopened mid- The Clippers answered a a 117-112 victory over the Knicks. four 3-pointers and became the War- and topped his season average of 25 afternoon Monday. 51-point loss to Dallas early in WASHINGTON, March 16, (AP): Harden finished with 21 points, 15 riors’ franchise assists leader a day despite sitting out the Spurs 109, Pistons 99 NBA results and standings on Mon- the season and a 20-point defeat rebounds and 15 assists in his first after his 33rd birthday and in his 12th fourth quarter. added day. In Detroit, had 19 Milwaukee 133 Washington 122 in New Orleans the night before game against the Knicks since arriv- NBA season. 15 points, nine rebounds and three points and 10 rebounds to lead a bal- Charlotte 122 Sacramento 116 while remaining the NBA’s only ing in Brooklyn two months ago and With a long list of injuries, the Lakers blocks, while Jae Crowder scored 14. anced attack as the San Antonio 109 Detroit 99 unbeaten team on the second night turning the Nets into one of the NBA’s got another scare when Harrell briefly Paul shot 9 of 11 from the field and beat the Detroit Pistons 109-99 . Brooklyn 117 New York 112 best teams. went down with 7:11 left in the first half. LA Clippers 109 Dallas 99 of back-to-backs. Los Angeles im- had seven assists. The Spurs had lost three of four, in- Phoenix 122 Memphis 99 proved to 7-0 and tied Phoenix (7- Randle had 33 points, 12 rebounds He took an elbow to the face from War- Bucks 133, Wizards 122 cluding a 35-point loss to the Philadel- Denver 121 Indiana 106 and six assists for the Knicks, before a riors rookie James Wiseman after LA Lakers 128 Golden State 97 1) for the most such victories. In Washington, Giannis Antetok- phia 76ers on Sunday. Eastern Conference number of his teammates had to get off his goaltend as he attempted to a ounmpo had 31 points, 15 rebounds Detroit’s leading scorer, Jeremi The second meeting - and first of two the bench to hold the All-Star forward shot and had his elbows high. After a re- Atlantic Division consecutive games in Dallas - since the and 10 assists for his third consecutive Grant, left the game in the third quar- W L Pct GB back as he tried to get near the referees play review to determine if it was “a hos- Philadelphia 27 12 .692 - Clippers beat the Mavericks in six games triple-double to lead the Milwaukee ter after falling hard on his hip while Brooklyn 27 13 .675 -1/2 at midcourt. tile act,” Wiseman received a technical Bucks past the trying to drive between Drew Eubanks in a first-round series in the playoff bub- He wouldn’t comment on his in- foul, not a flagrant. Boston 20 18 .526 6-1/2 133-122 for their fourth consecutive and . New York 20 20 .500 7-1/2 ble was a victory for LA’s depth over tentions, or the traveling call with the Harrell walked off the court on his the Mavericks’ star power. The Clippers victory. Jakob Poeltl had 14 points and 12 Toronto 17 22 .436 10 Knicks down three and 3.2 seconds own. airballed the tech- The Bucks pulled away late after rebounds for San Antonio, which had Southeast Division won for the second time in six games remaining. nical - so, what happened? W L Pct GB while Dallas lost for just the second time letting a 26-point, third-quarter lead six players in double figures. Rookie Miami 21 18 .538 - in its past seven. Lakers 128, Warriors 97 Suns 122, Grizzlies 99 slip to five midway through the fourth. guard finished with 13 Charlotte 20 18 .526 -1/2 In San Francisco, LeBron James In Phoenix, scored Atlanta 19 20 .487 2 Luka Doncic had 25 points, 16 as- When the Wizards got within seven points in 21 minutes in his third game Washington 14 24 .368 6-1/2 sists and 10 rebounds for Dallas, and in the final minutes, Antetokounmpo back from COVID-19. Orlando 13 26 .333 8 Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points. scored the next four points to make it a Central Division Hornets 122, Kings 116 W L Pct GB double-digit game again. In Charlotte, N.C., Gordon Hayward Milwaukee 25 14 .641 - BASKETBALL Antetokounmpo combined for 64 saw the athletic De’Aaron Fox closing Chicago 17 20 .459 7 points, 26 rebounds and 21 assists in in on him out of the corner of his eye Indiana 17 21 .447 7-1/2 the two-game series at Washington Cleveland 14 24 .368 10-1/2 while driving for a breakaway basket, Detroit 10 29 .256 15 Paul George scored 15 as seven that Milwaukee swept. The back-to- and he knew he had only one option: Western Conference Clippers finished in double figures. back NBA MVP also had 24 points, dunk it. Southwest Division Ivica Zubac had 15 points and 11 re- 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the first W L Pct GB So Hayward leaped high and deliv- San Antonio 20 16 .556 - bounds. Nicolas Batum, who sat while triple-double of this run against the ered a powerful two-handed dunk over Dallas 20 18 .526 1 Morris made his third start of the sea- New York Knicks last week. Fox’s outstretched arm, drawing a foul Memphis 17 19 .472 3 son, had a couple of big 3-pointers and New Orleans 17 22 .436 4-1/2 Nuggets 121, Pacers 106 on a play that proved pivotal in the Houston 11 26 .297 9-1/2 scored 14. Reggie Jackson and Patrick In Denver, Nikola Jokic notched his Charlotte Hornets’ fourth straight win. Northwest Division Patterson scored 12 apiece. 35th double-double with 32 points and scored 26 points, Hay- W L Pct GB The Clippers built leads early in 14 rebounds, leading the Denver Nug- ward added 25 and the Hornets over- Utah 28 10 .737 - both halves with better defense than Denver 23 16 .590 5-1/2 gets over the travel-weary Indiana Pac- came a 15-point deficit in the second Portland 22 16 .579 6 they displayed a night earlier against ers 121-106. half to beat the Oklahoma City 17 22 .436 11-1/2 the Pelicans, who shot the highest Michael Porter Jr. and Will Barton 122-116 after trailing almost the en- Minnesota 9 30 .231 19-1/2 percentage in the NBA this season at Pacific Division each scored 20 points for the Nuggets, tire game. W L Pct GB 65.4%. who used a big fourth quarter to get the Fox led the Kings with 29 points, Phoenix 26 12 .684 - Nets 117, Knicks 112 win. while had 17 points LA Lakers 26 13 .667 -1/2 LA Clippers 26 15 .634 1-1/2 In New York, it was clear from the Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) is pressured by Memphis Grizzlies Malcom Brogdon led Indiana with and 15 rebounds in a game in which Golden State 20 20 .500 7 noise in the seats, even with only about guard Dillon Brooks during the first half of an NBA basketball game on 24 and Justin Holiday had 19. Doman- Marvin Bagley III left early with a bro- Sacramento 15 24 .385 11-1/2 1,600 fans in attendance. March 15 in Phoenix. (AP) tas Sabonis finished a shy of ken left hand.

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