Friday 43 Sports Friday, January 18, 2019 Nets erase seven point deficit, shock Harden, Rockets in OT

HOUSTON: converted a five-game winning streak. Al Horford con- three-point play with 28 seconds remaining in tributed some big points down the stretch in a overtime, and the erased a 24-point game for the Celtics, and Gordon Hay- seven-point deficit in the extra session for a ward added 18. Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points 145-142 victory over the host Houston Rockets to top Toronto, which led by four in the middle on Wednesday. Dinwiddie scored 25 of his 33 of the fourth quarter and was tied 106-106 with points in the fourth period and overtime, includ- 2 1/2 minutes to go. Serge Ibaka added 22 ing three 3-pointers in the final 27 seconds of points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors. regulation, allowing Brooklyn to overcome a season-high 58 points from Houston’s James Spurs 105, Mavericks 101 Harden. Harden recorded his second consecu- San Antonio relied on its bench to rally from tive 50-point game, and he added 10 rebounds a 19-point deficit and win at Dallas. Marco Be- and six assists. The Rockets set an NBA record linelli led the bench charge in the second half, with 70 3-point attempts, with PJ Tucker hitting and he topped the Spurs in scoring with 17 a 3-pointer with 1:09 left in regulation to bypass points. Patty Mills had 14 and Davis Bertans the old mark of 61. Brooklyn’s Treveon Graham added 12 points, including a dagger 3-pointer added 21 points while Jarrett Allen piled up 20 with 1:42 to play. Rookie Luka Doncic led Dallas points and 24 rebounds. with 25 points, eight assists and eight rebounds.

Warriors 147, Pelicans 140 Bucks 111, Grizzlies 101 Stephen Curry led a comeback with seven 3- Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 27 points pointers in a 23-point third quarter as Golden and 11 rebounds as Milwaukee posted a victory HOUSTON: #12 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets on January 16, State rallied past New Orleans in Oakland, Calif. at Memphis. Eric Bledsoe added 16 points as 2019 at the Toyota Center. —AFP Curry finished with 41 points and the Bucks won for the 14th time in the past 17 scored 30 as the Warriors capped an impressive games. DJ Wilson scored a career-best 13 sweep of Denver on the road and New Orleans points for Milwaukee, which led by as many as 24 points apiece for the Magic, and Vucevic points and 10 rebounds, and Royce O’Neale at home on consecutive nights. Anthony Davis 31 points. Omri Casspi scored 17 points for pulled down 13 rebounds. contributed 10 points. Lou Williams scored 23 finished with 30 points, 18 rebounds and seven Memphis, which has dropped nine of its past points off the bench to lead the Clippers. assists, and Nikola Mirotic bombed in six 3- 10 games and 16 of 20. JaMychal Green had 14 Jazz 129, Clippers 109 pointers in a 29-point effort for the Pelicans. points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Gobert had 23 points and 22 rebounds Trail Blazers 129, Cavaliers 112 New Orleans lost to the Warriors for the 22nd to lead Utah to its season-high fifth consecu- Damian Lillard scored 33 points to lead time in their past 24 regular-season meetings. Pistons 120, Magic 115 tive win, a blowout at Los Angeles. The Clip- Portland past visiting Cleveland. CJ McCollum Blake Griffin scored 30 points, including the pers lost their fourth in a row to match their added 19 points and Jusuf Nurkic finished Celtics 117, Raptors 108 last seven in overtime, and host Detroit season-worst skid. Jazz guard Donovan with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Kyrie Irving made a go-ahead jumper and emerged with a win over Orlando. The Pistons Mitchell scored 28 points to surpass his season his first career triple-double for the Trail Blaz- added a 3-pointer during an 11-0 run late in the blew an 11-point lead in the fourth-quarter be- scoring average (21.5) for the seventh straight ers, who won their fifth straight home contest. fourth quarter as Boston defeated visiting fore pulling out the victory. Andre Drummond game. He is averaging 29.7 points in that came off the bench for 22 Toronto. Irving finished with 27 points and a ca- had 14 points and 22 rebounds, and Luke Ken- stretch. Utah also received 23 points from Jae points and Rodney Hood added 20 for the reer-best 18 assists as the Celtics ended a three- nard contributed 14 points off the Detroit Crowder and 19 from Kyle Korver, both players Cavaliers, who lost for the 13th time in 14 game losing streak and snapped Toronto’s bench. Terrence Ross and Nikola Vucevic had coming off the bench. Derrick Favors added 11 games. — Reuters

live for. It is not about . It is these kids Justice for all: and their journeys. “To teach them how to grow as individuals is the biggest thing.” Singh shows Justice, a former player, says it is moving to ings, and is now 77th following his victory be able to use basketball to give something to over Lin, who was the top seed at the youngsters who have had nothing. One such Rising tournament in Bangkok. He will have to NBA has ‘life case that especially moved the American is a 16- year-old Haitian named Chedlet (only one name Singapore finish far higher up the rankings to qualify used). “As you know Haiti is a rough place, but for a place at Tokyo 2020 — but he hopes changing’ role we ran a junior NBA program there in four lo- to make enough progress in the coming cations to select top players and bring them to badminton star year to do so. “My goal is to try to qualify LONDON: Troy Justice played a leading role in an elite program,” he said. “Up in a mountainous for the Olympics, and then of course try Satnam Singh becoming the first Indian to be region of northern Haiti where we had previ- eyes Olympics to win the Olympic medal,” said Loh. Loh drafted into the NBA, telling AFP it is such “life ously done nothing, we discovered a seven foot played down suggestions that he could changing” events that that make his job so re- boy who had no coach, no court, nothing, but he emulate the success of Joseph Schooling, warding. Justice, the NBA’s Associate Vice Pres- had natural raw athletic talent.” SINGAPORE: Rising Singapore bad- the Singapore swimmer who won the tiny ident, International Basketball Operations, came Justice says he will never forget Chedlet’s minton star Loh Kean Yew has his sights city-state’s first ever Olympic gold medal across Singh, who joined the reaction, having been selected to come to New set on a place at the Tokyo Olympics after at Rio in 2016. But he added: “Nothing is in 2015 — although he is currently in the Cana- York for more training, when he took him to an a stunning victory against Chinese great impossible, and I have always been trying dian League with St John’s Edge — when he NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Lin Dan in Thailand. The relatively un- to achieve that dream.” was based in India for the organization. . “He began to cry when known player beat two-time Olympic Justice, who features in the Netflix documen- For China’s Lin, 35, the loss was an- we entered the arena,” said Justice. “Then champion Lin 21-19, 21-18 to win the tary ‘One in a Billion’ which charts Singh’s remark- when we are sitting in the front row and he saw other crushing blow after a recent run of able journey from a remote Punjab village to the Steph Curry (NBA icon and three time cham- Thailand Masters at the weekend. “It is a poor form. The former world number one, Mavericks, says it is the human aspect that makes pion with Golden State), he began to shake. “I big breakthrough, I did not really expect who has earned every major prize in bad- him enjoy his job. “I am a heart guy,” he told AFP mean for him it was a special moment, being it,” the 21-year-old told AFP late Wednes- minton during a stellar career, suffered a ahead of the NBA game in London on Thursday from where he was from. He has gone in two day. “He’s an experienced player so it was string of first-round defeats last year and between the Washington Wizards and the New months from no one knowing who he is to sit- not easy to catch him off-guard.” is currently ranked 13th, below compatri- York Knicks. “To see lives change through sport ting in the Barclays Center. “He has been trans- Loh shot 48 places up the world rank- ots Shi Yuqi and Chen Long. —AFP are the most powerful moments.”They are what I formed by the game.” —AFP