14 Established 1961 Sports Tuesday, April 13, 2021 Tatum shines as Celtics rally to cool off Nuggets, DeRozan hits winner

LOS ANGELES: Jayson Tatum tallied 28 points Elsewhere, DeMar DeRozan nailed the game- and 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics snapped winner with less than a second to go to lift the San the Denver Nuggets’ eight-game NBA winning Antonio Spurs to a 119-117 victory over the Dallas streak with a 105-87 come-from-behind victory Mavericks, ending a five game losing skid. on Sunday. The visiting Celtics were fuelled by a DeRozan finished with 33 points, Dejounte Murray 31-3 run that spanned parts of the third and chipped in 25 points and Lonnie Walker scored 13 fourth quarters after Denver led by 14 points late for the Spurs, who now travel to Florida to play in the third. Orlando on Monday. “I think we just picked up the intensity,” Tatum Kristaps Porzingis scored 31 points and said. “I think we communicated a lot better. We grabbed 15 rebounds, Luka Doncic added 29 started switching a little bit more. I think that points, Josh Richardson scored 16 and Jalen helped us out, too. “That was big,” he added. Brunson hit for 11 points for the Mavericks, who “Because we could have let it get away from us.” have lost two of their past three. Porzingis fouled Tatum’s 28 points came just two days after he out with just over 74 seconds left. Dallas tied the scored a career-best 53 against the Minnesota game 117-117 with 19 seconds left on a running Timberwolves. Both Tatum (illness) and Jaylen jump shot by Doncic. Brown (knee) were questionable leading up to the start of Sunday’s contest. Last-second winner Brown had 20 points and eight rebounds, But DeRozan’s precision shooting was on dis- Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker scored 14 each play all game long and especially in the fourth. and Robert Williams scored 10 points in the win. With just seconds to go, the Spurs called a play for Nikola Jokic had a triple-double of 17 points, 11 DeRozan. He dribbled the ball on the outside assists and 10 rebounds; Michael Porter had 22 before shifting to the right and shooting over Mavs points and 11 rebounds; Facundo Campazzo scored Dorian Finney-Smith to hit the game-winner. 14 and Will Barton had 13 for the Nuggets. In Cleveland, Zion Williamson scored 38 points, Romeo Langford hit two free throws to give the and the New Orleans Pelicans held on to beat the Celtics an 80-79 lead early in the fourth, their first Cleveland Cavaliers 116-109. Williamson made 16 lead of the contest. “We just needed something to of 22 from the floor and drained six free throws, DENVER: Jayson Tatum of Boston Celtics shoots the ball during the game against Denver Nuggets get us going,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. The Brandon Ingram added 27 points and rookie Naji on Sunday at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. —AFP Nuggets had five turnovers following a Campazzo Marshall scored a season-high 15 as the Pelicans three-pointer that put them up by 14, and Denver beat the Cavs for the sixth straight time. the Charlotte Hornets 105-101. Clint Capela had 20 standings. Lou Williams scored on a tiebreaking scored just eight points over the final 14 minutes of Also, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 32 points, points and 15 rebounds for the Hawks, who moved drive to put the under-manned Hawks ahead with the game, missing 22 of their last 25 shots. including eight threes, as the Atlanta Hawks edged ahead of Charlotte and into fourth place in the 58 seconds to go in the fourth. —AFP

Leafs bolster playoff Raja Casablanca crush push by adding Pyramids to reach CAF gritty forward Foligno Cup quarter-finals LOS ANGELES: The Toronto Maple Leafs gave their NHL playoff push a shot in the arm by adding longtime JOHANNESBURG: Congolese duo Fabrice Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno in a Ngoma and Ben Malango scored as Raja three-team trade Sunday that also involved the San Casablanca of Morocco crushed Pyramids Jose Sharks. of Egypt 3-0 in Cairo Sunday to become Columbus received Toronto’s first-round draft pick the first qualifiers for the CAF in 2021 and fourth-round pick in 2022. The Sharks also Confederation Cup quarter-finals. received a fourth-round pick in 2021 from the Maple They struck in the opening half and Leafs for forward Stefan Noesen. Foligno, who spent Moroccan star Soufiane Rahimi completed more than eight seasons with the Blue Jackets, provides the Leafs with the veteran grit they will need for a the rout with 13 minutes remaining of the Stanley Cup chase. The Maple Leafs are in first place in highly anticipated north African show- the all-Canadian North Division with 59 points. Since down. Pyramids had hoped to avenge a being drafted 28th overall in 2006 by the Ottawa two- defeat at Raja last weekend, but Senators, left winger Foligno scored 203 goals and 279 the only consolation after the hiding is that assists and 737 penalty minutes in 950 career games. In they are still favored to reach the last eight 42 games this season he has seven goals and 16 points. as Group D runners-up. “Nick Foligno has been everything you’d want in a Raja have a maximum 12 points from captain, in a representative of your team and ambas- four matchdays, Pyramids and Nkana of sador for your community. His contributions to the Zambia six each and eliminated Namungo Blue Jackets franchise and the impact he and his fami- of Tanzania none. Another Congolese, ly have had off the ice is immeasurable,” Blue Jackets Freddy Tshimenga, scored on 71 minutes in general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. American DETROIT: Nick Foligno #71 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Detroit Red Wings at Ndola to earn Nkana a tougher-than- Noesen has yet to score a point in five games for the Little Caesars Arena on March 28, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. —AFP Sharks this year. —AFP expected 1-0 win over Namungo. Which clubs will progress from the other three groups is less obvious with Coton when they went on to mount a run that saw them go 10 Sport of Cameroon the only table-toppers Simeone tells hobbling points clear with a game in hand at the start of going into the fourth round who won. February. Barcelona are third, a point further back on Coton trounced NAPSA Stars of Zambia 5- Atletico to ‘resist’ in 65 points. 1, but Enyimba of Nigeria crumbled 3-0 at Both goalkeepers played crucial roles in ensuring Entente Setif of Algeria and CS Sfaxien had Atletico and Betis shared the points on Sunday. Veteran to come from two goals behind to draw 2-2 title push keeper superbly kept out Saul Niguez’s with Etoile Sahel in a Tunisian derby. 14th-minute header and then saved from Angel Correa Leading scorer Lambert Araina trig- : Atletico Madrid moved back to the top of La in the last minute of the game. gered the Coton goal rush and they were Liga on Sunday after a 1-1 draw against At the other end, was just as reliable, five ahead before Doisy Soko got a stop- opened a one-point lead over city rivals Real. Despite denying Emerson and Diego Lainez. Despite returning page-time consolation for NAPSA. Coton missing 19-goal striker Luis Suarez, Atletico were in to the top of the table, Atletico coach top Group B with nine points, JS Kabylie front after just five minutes when Belgian international saw his team’s injury worries pile up. Joao Felix suf- scored into an empty net after a fered an ankle injury after a tackle from Betis defender of Algeria have six, title-holders SEVILLE: Atletico Madrid’s Argentine coach Diego goal-mouth scramble. Aissa Mandi. Renaissance Berkane of Morocco five and Simeone kisses Atletico Madrid’s Argentine forward Angel NAPSA one. However, Betis, who are in sixth place in the table England international picked up a back injury late in the game and was replaced by Sime Correa at the end of the Spanish League football match and chasing European football next season, levelled just between Real Betis and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Vrsaljko. “In the second half we suffered. But I have Enyimba flop again 15 minutes later. was on hand to score Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville on Sunday. —AFP footballers who give everything,” said Simeone who Berkane held Kabylie in Algeria and from just inside the box from a cross by Alex Moreno. was already without Luis Suarez, , should make the knockout stage if they win On Saturday, Real Madrid had taken top spot with a Moussa Dembele and . “We are appeals to me. Resist, like all of society in these diffi- away to NAPSA and at home to Coton later 2-1 Clasico win over Barcelona. That was the first time Atletico had been knocked off the top since December in a moment of resistance. Resist, that’s a word that cult times.” —AFP this month. Enyimba once again flopped outside Nigeria, losing a fourth consecutive CAF match to be replaced as Group A lead- ers by Orlando Pirates of South Africa, who Monaco, Lyon walloped Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya 3-0 in Soweto. After collecting just one point from a win to stay in possible nine in the first three rounds, it was win or bust for former African champi- title hunt ons Setif and they surged into a two-goal lead by half-time. Amir Karaoui and PARIS: Monaco defeated basement side Dijon 3-0 on Mohamed Amoura scored and Akram Sunday to stay in contention in a four-team title race in Djahnit converted a penalty after half-time Ligue 1, as Lyon kept alive their hopes with victory at home to complete an impressive victory which to Angers. Stevan Jovetic swept in the rebound after ’s penalty was saved by Dijon goalkeeper did not lift them off the bottom, however. Saturnin Allagbe early in the second half. Pirates were equally ruthless with Ben Yedder atoned for his missed spot-kick on 62 min- Ntsikelelo Nyauza, Tshegofatso Mabasa utes, clipping in Monaco’s second after Aleksandr Golovin and Kabelo Dlamini scoring as they main- intercepted a loose pass and slipped the ball through for the tained an unbeaten run in the section. The striker. Monaco lost Cesc Fabregas to injury in the South Africans, who were runners-up in closing stages, the Spanish clutching his ham- the 2015 Confederation Cup, lead with string as he was replaced having only come on as a half-time eight points, Enyimba have six and substitute. Benghazi and Setif four each. Ben Yedder made no mistake with a second penalty in Ayman Sfaxi scored, was yellow-carded the final minute, notching twice for the second game in suc- cession to take his tally for the season to 17 goals. Niko and created a goal for Wajdi Kechrida as Kovac’s side have hauled themselves back into contention Etoile built a two-goal half-time advantage MONACO: Monaco’s French forward Wissam Ben Yedder shoots a second penalty during the French L1 football following a run of 13 wins in 16 matches since the start of the match between AS Monaco and Dijon at “Louis II” stadium in Monaco on Sunday. —AFP in a top-of-the-table Group C clash in Sfax. calendar year. Azmi Ghouma halved the deficit on 69 min- They trail leaders Lille by four points with six games utes and Firas Chaouat held his nerve to remaining, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain a position to attack I will say so.” Dijon matched the worst Angers. Lyon, who will meet Monaco in the quarter-finals of convert a stoppage-time penalty and rescue one point above Monaco. “We don’t have our destiny in our run ever in France’s top flight after losing their 12th match in the French Cup later this month, took the lead on 21 minutes a point for record three-time Confederation hands to go looking for the title because we don’t play Paris a row and are all but certain to be relegated to . Lyon as Depay lashed in a rebound after Lucas Paqueta hit the Cup winners Sfaxien. —AFP or Lille at the end of the season. But we want to stay in the snapped a three-game winless league run as captain post from close range. Paqueta added a second late in the race,” said Kovac. “I’m sorry to be boring, but when we’re in scored two goals in a 3-0 victory over first half when he slotted in Karl Toko Ekambi’s cross. —AFP