14 Sports Monday, February 15, 2021 Nets dominate in Durant’s return to Golden State Jazz beat the Heat for seventh straight win

LOS ANGELES: Kevin Durant made a triumphant the field but just two of nine from three-point return to the San Francisco Bay Area Saturday, range. After six lead changes in a tight first quar- scoring 20 points to boost the Brooklyn Nets to a ter, the Nets took control, never trailing from the convincing 134-117 NBA victory over the Golden second period on. “We moved the ball, we had, State Warriors. Durant won titles with the Warriors what 35 assists, 13 turnovers? If we do that every in 2017 and 2018, earning NBA Finals MVP honors night we put ourselves in a good position to win.” each year before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in The Warriors played a video tribute to Durant the 2019 championship series and then departing in the first quarter, and said they’d do more to cel- Golden State for the Nets. ebrate his time with the club when he returns His return came in the new arena in San again with fans in the arena. “I think it does mean Francisco that the Warriors moved into last sea- something to him but he hasn’t shown it,” said son, where the lack of fans in the stadium made Nets coach Steve Nash, who acknowledged that his appearance a more muted affair. “It was good without fans and with nearly two years elapsed, to see everybody,” said Durant, who had hugs for Durant’s return was “a comeback game that is less former teammates Draymond Green and Stephen than what it may have been.” Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “Wish Klay (Thompson) was healthy, but it’s good to be back Booker shines for Suns in the Bay Area. I loved my time here, I loved In Phoenix, Devin Booker scored 36 points to playing for this team. But I’m glad we got a good pace the Suns in a 120-111 victory over the ‘W,’” Durant added. Durant was back on the floor Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia 76ers. after a week in quarantine because of NBA coron- Chris Paul added 18 points and 10 assists and avirus protocols. But the All-Star forward meshed the Phoenix bench delivered 56 points as the seamlessly with star teammates Kyrie Irving and Suns won their fifth straight and their eighth in James Harden, with the Nets not only delivering nine games. offensively but also shutting down the potentially The Suns shot 60.8 percent from the field, explosive Warriors offense. leaving Sixers coach Doc Rivers to bemoan his SAN FRANCISCO: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets look Irving scored 23 points to lead six Nets players team’s defensive breakdowns — especially when on during the game on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. — AFP in double figures. Harden added 19 with 16 assists the reserve unit was on the floor. “It’s funny, the and the Nets held the Warriors to 48.9 percent first eight minutes, I thought defensively, were In Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell scored 26 Mitchell scored eight points in a decisive third shooting — 26.5 percent from three-point range pretty good, and then right when we went to the points, Bojan Bogdanovic delivered 19 as the red- quarter as the Jazz turned a five-point halftime — in a comfortable win. Curry, coming off a 40- bench is when our defense struggled,” Rivers said. hot Utah Jazz defeated the Miami Heat 112-94 for lead into a 21-point cushion. Kendrick Nunn led point performance against the Orlando Magic, led Center Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 35 points. their seventh straight win. Rudy Gobert tallied 16 Miami with 23 points, while Jimmy Butler and Max the Warriors with 27 points, making 10 of 17 from Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris added 18 apiece. points, 12 rebounds and had three blocks while Strus each had 15 points in the loss. — AFP

player after Roger Federer to win 300 Djokovic defies Grand Slam matches. “But because it’s a Grand Slam, I want to give my best injury to reach alongside my team to try to recover and get on the court.” The defending champion will next Spezia teach Australian meet German sixth seed Alexander Zverev, who beat Serbia’s Dusan Milan ‘lesson’ Open last eight Lajovic 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 as he seeks his first Grand Slam title. Earlier, Japan’s MELBOURNE: Eight-time winner Osaka edged a thriller with fellow ahead of derby Novak Djokovic fought through what major-winner Garbine Muguruza, and ROME: AC Milan’s charge for a first league he had described as a tournament-end- Williams came through a physical test title in a decade took a big hit on Saturday ing injury to beat Milos Raonic and against Aryna Sabalenka to maintain after they were deservedly beaten at promoted reach the Australian Open quarter- her bid for a record-equaling 24th Spezia. Seven-time European champions Milan finals on yesterday. Naomi Osaka and Grand Slam title. had the chance to stretch their lead over Inter Serena Williams survived scares to go to five points ahead of the latter’s match through but US Open champion Osaka, Williams fight on against Lazio last night, and put 10 between Dominic Thiem was a major casualty In an empty Rod Laver Arena, with themselves and third-placed Juventus who lost when he fell to Bulgaria’s Grigor fans barred on the second day of a MELBOURNE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a return against Canada’s Milos Raonic 1-0 at Napoli earlier in the evening. But goals Dimitrov. Simona Halep avenged her five-day, state-wide coronavirus lock- during their men’s singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tourna- from and on a crushing French Open defeat by Polish down, Osaka was on the verge of elimi- ment in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP historic night for Spezia has put them in a teenager Iga Swiatek to set up a meet- nation at 3-5, 15-40 on her serve in the tough spot, with the Milan derby coming up ing with Williams, while Taiwan’s Hsieh third set. But the three-time major 2-6, 6-4. “I knew it wasn’t going to be seen a little bit of his matches, clearly next weekend. “It was beyond even my wildest Su-wei reached her first Slam quarter- champion rattled off four points in a easy, she was teeing off on every shot,” he’s a dangerous player.” dreams,” said Bastoni, whose spectacular final at the age of 35. row and then twice broke Muguruza’s said the American, who will play Halep Karatsev beat Felix Auger- strike was his first in . “If we carry on Djokovic, the world number one, had serve to prevail 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. “I felt like in the quarter-finals. Aliassime in five sets to become the playing like this, we can achieve great things.” raised the alarm over an abdominal I was intimidated because she was But a fatigued-looking Thiem, com- first player in 25 years to reach the Spezia, who had to restart from the fourth injury after his five-set battle with playing so well,” said Osaka, after her ing off a five-set win over Australia’s quarter-finals on his Grand Slam debut. tier in 2008 after going bankrupt, have Taylor Fritz, but he showed few out- first meeting with last year’s beaten Nick Kyrgios, slumped in straight sets The 27-year-old, a virtual unknown impressed in their first ever Serie A season and ward signs in his 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-1, 6- finalist. “On the stressful points, I had to to Dimitrov who took it 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 before the tournament started, battled move up to 14th, nine points away from the rel- 4 win. However, the 17-time Grand play within myself.” in just over two hours. Dimitrov’s vic- back from two sets down to upset the egation zone after another exciting perform- Slam winner said he had spent “every Osaka now faces an all-Asian quar- tory against Thiem, the third seed and Canadian 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Halep ance. ’s side showed why single hour” since Friday’s win trying to ter-final with Hsieh, who beat Marketa last year’s runner-up, sets up a quar- won just three games against Swiatek, observers in Italy back them to stay up, push- recover, and wasn’t sure he would play Vondrousova 6-4, 6-2 to reach her first ter-final with surprise package Aslan 19, at last year’s Roland Garros, but she ing Milan onto the back foot from the start and until he warmed up before the match. Slam quarter-final in 16 years of trying. Karatsev, who is into the last eight on turned the tables with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 not letting them have a single shot on target “If it was any other tournament than Williams, 39, was also meeting his Grand Slam debut. “Whether it’s a win. “I knew she would hit strong, but despite the presence of talisman Zlatan a Grand Slam I would retire from the Sabalenka for the first time and she had fairytale or not, it’s a match and you’ve after the first set I tried to make her Ibrahimovic. In fact it was Gianluigi tournament, that’s for sure,” said to weather an onslaught from the got to be ready,” Bulgaria’s Dimitrov run and she started to miss,” said the Donnarumma who kept the away side level Djokovic, who becomes just the second Belarusian to reach the last eight 6-4, said of the unheralded Russian. “I’ve Romanian. — AFP early on, making one fantastic save with 13 minutes gone to push ’s powerful effort out from under the bar. Windies sweep However the Italy stopper could do nothing in the 56th minute when after a sweeping passing move Maggiore found himself com- Bangladesh Test, pletely unmarked within spitting distance of the goal and slotted the home side ahead. India eye victory Bastoni doubled the hosts’ lead 11 minutes later with a screamer of a strike, meeting Nahuel DHAKA/CHENNAI: Rahkeem Cornwall took cen- Estevez’s pass from a free-kick to flash an tre stage as spinners picked up all 10 in the angled shot past Donnarumma’s despairing West Indies’s 17-run victory over Bangladesh in the dive. Substitute Mario Mandzukic’s weak second and final Test yesterday to complete a series header wide in stoppage time was a sign of whitewash. Cornwall took 4-105 while Kraigg how little resistance Milan had put up in a Brathwaite (3-25) and Jomel Warrican (3-47) dreadful display. “We need to react and we will grabbed the remaining wickets as Bangladesh were do,” said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. “It’s a bowled out for 213 on the fourth day. Mehidy Hasan valuable lesson; if we don’t perform to a cer- hit two sixes and three fours late in the day to add tain level, we will be embarrassed like this.” drama after the hosts lost their ninth but the West Indies kept their cool to deny them a come- Insigne sinks Juve from-behind win. The tourists, missing most of their Spezia’s win means that Juventus’ title bid is top stars who feared travelling during the coron- still just about on course despite Lorenzo avirus pandemic, jumped with joy after Cornwall DHAKA: West Indies’ players pose with the Test tournament trophy after winning the second Test match Insigne scoring his 100th Napoli goal in a 1-0 took a catch at slip off Warrican to dismiss Mehidy against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. —AFP win over the champions. Italy attacker Insigne’s for 31 and end the innings. 31st-minute penalty secured a big three points Set a target of 231 runs, opener Tamim Iqbal hit a in their second innings. Bangladesh took seven wick- leg before for 14 with his left-arm spin and the open- for Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso, whose job quickfire 50 and put on 59 with Soumya Sarkar (13). ets for 76 runs in little over a session on the fourth er walked back after an unsuccessful TV review. is widely reported to be under threat after a Brathwaite removed both openers before Cornwall day after the tourists resumed on 41-3. Cornwall won Ashwin had earlier claimed five wickets as England poor run of results. “We’re happy with the and Warrican put the West Indies in control. the man of the match award for his nine wickets while collapsed in response to India’s 329, conceding a result but most of all the display, because we Brathwaite broke through off his first delivery as Nkrumah Bonner was named player of the series. lead of 195. England assistant coach Graham Thorpe worked as a team and fought together... We’re Soumya departed with an edge ricocheting off the The West Indies won the first Test by three wickets. said it was one of the most difficult pitches he still a united team and we brought the win gloves of wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva before flying had seen. But Ashwin said batsmen have to adapt on home,” said Insigne, who had missed his previ- to Cornwall at slip. Tamim raced to a fifty off 43 balls Ashwin spins out England a spinners’ pitch like they do on tracks that favor fast ous three penalties against Juve. — including nine fours — before giving Shayne In Chennai, India built a commanding lead of 249 bowlers. It was the veteran off-spinner’s second suc- The 29-year-old scored the winner after Moseley a catch at short cover. Warrican claimed after spinner Ravichandran Ashwin helped skittle cessive five-wicket haul and his 29th in 76 Tests. Giorgio Chiellini had been caught by VAR offi- Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque (26) and England for 134 on day two of the second Test yes- Left-arm spinner Axar Patel and fast bowler Ishant cials striking Amir Rrahmani with his hand Mushfiqur Rahim (14), while Cornwall got rid of terday. The hosts were 54 for one at stumps with Sharma took two wickets each. England’s Foakes while challenging for the ball, a decision that Mohammad Mithun (10) and Liton Das (22). Rohit Sharma on 25 and Cheteshwar Pujara on seven. made an unbeaten on 42 off 107 balls. angered Juve coach Andrea Pirlo. The win puts The West Indies smelled a win once Cornwall dis- India are in sight of a victory that would level the England lost half their side for 52 when Ashwin Napoli fourth, level on 40 points with Roma missed Taijul for nine. Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan four-match series after their crushing defeat in the bowled Ben Stokes for 18. Foakes, taking the place of and Lazio and two behind Juve who stay seven defiantly put on 25 for the ninth wicket, reviving opening Test. Jos Buttler who returned home after the opening win, points behind Milan. Gattuso, already without home hopes. But Brathwaite removed Nayeem (14) in Sharma, who hit 161 in India’s first innings, sur- put on 35 with Ollie Pope. The pair batted for over 50 key players such as Dries Mertens, then lost the final over of scheduled play, forcing an extension. vived a stumping chance on 20 when England wick- minutes before pace bowler Mohammed Siraj struck goalkeeper David Ospina who injured himself Taijul earlier finished on 4-36 while Nayeem took 3- etkeeper Ben Foakes failed to gather the ball to his with his first ball of the Test, removing Pope for 22. in the warm-up. — AFP 34 as Bangladesh bowled out the West Indies for 117 left off Moeen Ali. Jack Leach trapped Shubman Gill Patel then dismissed Moeen Ali for six. — AFP