Kaymer survives Penske sweeps late nerves top three spots on to win17 Players slow18 day at Indy TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 Despite City’s title, United still the bigger club Page 19 LOS ANGELES: Blake Griffin No. 32 of the Los Angeles Clippers battles for position under the boards with Serge Ibaka No. 9 and Caron Butler No. 2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs. — AFP Clippers rally to silence Thunder LOS ANGELES: Darren Collison scored eight of Kevin Durant scored 40 points, hitting 15 of after halftime at Los Angeles, including making ter and appeared to be en route to levelling the huge hook shot with 1:02 left in the fourth to his 18 points in the final 2:58 as the Los Angeles 18 free throws, for the Thunder. Game 5 is today six of his franchise playoff-record-tying seven 3- best-of-seven NBA playoff series when the give the Pacers a 94-91 lead. Clippers came back to beat the Oklahoma City in Oklahoma City. It was the 14th comeback by pointers. wheels fell off in the second half. After a series of empty possessions, Wizards’ Thunder 101-99 on Sunday to level the Western the Clippers this season after trailing by double Roy Hibbert had 17 points and nine George tallied 28 second-half points for the Bradley Beal and Pacers’ Hill each made one of Conference semifinal series 2-2. digits. They rebounded from 12 points down in rebounds, continuing his recent surge after a Pacers, who lead the Eastern Conference series 3- two shots from the free-throw line. Hill’s miss In the day’s other playoff, Paul George scored the second quarter of Game 7 to oust Golden poor-as-can-be start to the series. He helped 1. “I was just in a rhythm and it carried out with six seconds remaining gave the Wizards one a career playoff-high 39 points and added 12 State in the first round. The Clippers had no Indiana overcome Washington’s 32-2 advantage through the whole game,” said George, who fin- chance to force overtime. But Washington failed rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers back from a answer for Durant and Westbrook until midway in bench scoring. ished with 39 points and 12 rebounds. “I was able to get a shot off as Trevor Ariza botched an 19-point deficit and past the Washington Wizards through the fourth quarter. That dynamic duo That was thanks mainly to 30-somethings Al to knock some shots down.” inbounds pass. 95-92 to move one victory away from returning drove the lane with abandon, drew fouls and Harrington, Drew Gooden and Andre Miller, who George Hill scored 15 and David West scored Beal helped pace the Wizard’s attack with 20 to the Eastern Conference finals. made free throws in leading the Thunder to an combined for 28 points, 13 rebounds and six 14 points for the Pacers in the Mother’s Day con- points. Ariza had 16 in the loss. The team made Russell Westbrook, who scored 27 points, early 22-point lead. assists. Wizards coach Randy Wittman likes to call test in front of a crowd of 20,356 at the Verizon half of their field goal attempts through the first missed a 3-pointer and Serge Ibaka’s tip attempt Durant’s three-point play early in the fourth that trio of not-yet-retired, best-days-behind- Center arena in the US capital. three quarters. But they shot just 29 percent was too late at the buzzer, allowing the Clippers extended the Thunder’s lead to 15 points, and them guys - Miller, 38; Harrington, 34; Gooden, “It is about us executing offensively because from the floor in the final quarter. to salvage a game they trailed until the final 1:23. they were still up by 10 with 7:44 to go. 32 - the “AARP group,” but they momentarily we have complete and absolute trust in our “I’m not blaming any of this on any youth or Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with 25 points, Paul willed his team back into the game, scor- turned the game Washington’s way with quite a defence,” West said. Hibbert appears to have dis- inexperience or who has been in the playoffs making 9 of 11 free throws, and Chris Paul had 23 ing six straight points to get the Clippers within second quarter and a key stretch of the fourth. covered his form after struggling early in the and who hasn’t,” said Wizards head coach Randy points and 10 assists. Jamal Crawford added 18 six. Griffin made three of four free throws before Meanwhile, Paul George and Roy Hibbert com- postseason. Wittman. “That’s just an excuse.” Game five is points. DeAndre Jordan had 14 rebounds, help- Collison sealed the win. bined for 43 second half points as the Indiana “He found himself,” George said of Hibbert. today in Indianapolis. George said game five is ing the Clippers win the boards, 45-43 - the first The Pacers lead the second-round series 3-1 Pacers put the Washington Wizards on the brink of “He has been winning games because he has going to be the toughest of the series. “We can’t time in 11 playoff games the Thunder were out- and can close it out Tuesday, hosting Game 5. elimination with a 95-92 win Sunday. been playing at a high level.” Hibbert finished expect it to be easy. We know it is going to be a rebounded. George played 46 minutes and scored 28 points The Wizards led by 19 points in the third quar- with 17 points and nine rebounds and made a crazy environment,” he said. — Agencies Cavendish wins Tour Nishikori pulls out as of California stage Federer opts to play ROME: In-form Japanese tennis player Kei said Dimitrov. “I was flat in the first set and LOS ANGELES: Britain’s Mark Cavendish outdu- opened out a gap of 45 seconds at one point on Nishikori withdrew as expected from the didn’t execute my chances. “I had to fight, eled John Degenkolb in the final stretch to win in the chasing pack. Rome Masters yesterday with the lower but in the third set I rose a level. My racquet a photo finish and capture the first stage of the Meanwhile, Irish police arrested a man after a back complaint which forced him to pull was slipping out of my hand at times, but I 2014 Tour of California on Sunday. huge car bomb was found in Dublin hours before out in the third set of Sunday’s Madrid final found a way around it.” Omega Pharma rider Cavendish finished the the city welcomed a stage of the Giro d’Italia with Rafael Nadal. The Bulgarian said that he asked repeat- However, in a boost to the organisers edly for a plain while towel which would 193.1 kilometer (120 mile) first stage, which start- cycling race at the weekend, police said yesterday. Roger Federer, who missed the majority of absorb sweat on his hands but only ineffi- ed and finished in the California state capital, in The bomb, reportedly containing 50 lb (22 the Madrid Masters after his wife gave birth cient new coloured ones were said to be four hours, 44 minutes and 17 seconds. kilos) of explosives made from fertiliser, was found to twin boys last Tuesday, decided to play available. He next plays Croatian Ivo Karlovic, Cavendish admitted the finish was so close in a Northern Ireland-registered vehicle in a hotel in the Masters event which he has never who beat Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno he wasn’t sure he had won. He grabbed the razor- car park on Saturday night, police said. won. Busta 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Nishikori, who won thin victory ahead of Germany’s Degenkolb, with On Sunday, Germany’s Marcel Kittel won his “Oh and btw ciao tutti, I just arrived in the Barcelona Open on clay last month, had Moreno Hofland of the Netherlands third. second successive Giro d’Italia stage win on the bella Italia! Looking forward to Rome,” the given Nadal a real scare in the Madrid final “I’ve won a sprint by 10 centimeters before and final day of the race in Ireland. There was no Swiss tweeted after a mid-day arrival in the before he finally had to call it quits at 2-6, 6-4, lost a sprint by three, and both of them I knew the immediate claim of responsibility but suspicion Italian capital. 3-0. He now has a fortnight to be ready for outcome,” Cavendish said. “This time, I really had fell on dissident republican groups opposed to Federer hit the practice courts to begin the French Open. no idea who won ... so I’m super-happy.” the peace process in Northern Ireland. preparations for a second-round match However, the 24-year-old is looking Slovakia’s Peter Sagan, who owns the record “The viable device was located in a car in the against French journeyman Jeremy Chardy, ahead with confidence to Paris after his for most stage wins in the race with 10, had to set- car park of the hotel at approximately 9.00 pm while Nadal also arrived to prepare his bid breakthrough win in terms of the clay sur- tle for fourth place. Kiel Reijnen was the sole sur- (2000 GMT) on May 10,” police said in a statement.