TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 SPORTS

ToyotaGAZOO racing back on podium during final round World Endurance Championship in Bahrain

BAHRAIN: ToyotaGAZOO Racing returned to its sister car for third as all drivers took their turn President, said, “It was great to finally fight for a the podium in a thrilling six hours of Bahrain, fighting for a strong result to end the season. podium again. This was a nice way to finish a the final round of the 2015 World Endurance The two Toyotas established themselves in a difficult season and it gives us added motiva- Championship which was held recently at the clear third and fourth, closing out the final two tion for the winter. We want to be battling at Bahrain International Circuit. hours with consistent lap times and crossing the the front every race. That is the expectation for An emotional result saw Alex Wurz stand on line together, separated by only 1.177seconds. next year and everyone is already working hard the podium in his last-ever race, claiming third According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief to achieve this. This was a special race, as the place in the #2 TS040 Hybrid he shared with Representative, Middle East and North Africa last one for Alex before his retirement and I am StÈphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway. Representative Office, Toyota Motor happy he could end his career in a positive way. As well as being the team’s first podium Corporation, “It was a superb performance by According to Alex Wurz, “In my last race, I got since the opening round of the season at the team to earn a podium finish at Bahrain. I a bit unfortunate with some technical issues, Silverstone, the result also marked Alex’s 12th congratulate the team for their performance but otherwise we had a faultless day in our car podium for Toyota in 28 races, including five and their competitive spirit all throughout this and that brought us to third. We had a hard bat- victories. Another very reliable race for the season. This deep involvement in motorsports tle with the sister car which went down to the TS040 Hybrid saw the team profit in the Bahrain has helped Toyota tremendously and led to new wire in the end. It was nerve-wracking to watch. heat, whilst some of its rivals encountered insights in making ever better cars both on the I am very happy for the team, who got their problems, and the #1 of Anthony Davidson, track and off it, while putting the high perform- reward for always working very hard.” Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima finished ance capabilities of Toyota hybrid vehicles in a Toyota finished the year third in the manu- a strong fourth. more positive light. I would like to thank our facturers’ World Championship. Anthony and The race began in bright sunshine as fans for their encouragement and we look for- Sebastien placed fifth on exactly the same Sebastien established the #1 in fifth, while Alex, ward to their support during what promises to points as the #2 crew but ahead courtesy of taking the start in the #2 for his last-ever race, be an exciting season in 2016.” more fourth places. Kazuki was seventh having over two seasons, winning five times as part of for 2016 which will start testing early next year was sixth. Despite a busy track and plenty of missed the Spa race in Belgium due to injury. 14 podium finishes, most of which came during prior to its first public appearance during the incidents, both TS040 Hybrids kept up a strong DIFFICULT SEASON Today’s race brought the curtain down on its double World Championship-winning season Prologue test at France’s Paul Ricard circuit in pace, with the #1 putting increasing pressure on On this occasion, Toshio Sato, Team the TS040 Hybrid era. It competed in 16 races in 2014. It will be succeeded by an all-new car March. NHL Results/Standings Wade leads rally, Heat NY Islanders 4, New Jersey 0; Colorado 3, St. Louis 1; Chicago 4, Vancouver 0. Western Conference Detroit 16 8 6 78 77 38 Central Division Boston 16 9 3 91 77 35 WLOTLGFGAPTS Ottawa 15 10 5 92 90 35 beat Grizzlies 100-97 Dallas 22 6 2 102 79 46 Florida 14 12 4 76 74 32 Chicago 17 10 4 85 75 38 Tampa Bay 14 13 3 71 68 31 St. Louis 17 10 4 78 75 38 MIAMI: Dwyane Wade’s jumper with 21.9 seconds left gave Minnesota 15 7 6 73 66 36 Buffalo 12 15 3 72 83 27 Miami its first and only lead of the second half and the Nashville 15 10 5 80 79 35 Toronto 10 13 5 64 76 25 Heat rallied from 16 points down to beat the Memphis Winnipeg 14 14 2 82 91 30 Grizzlies 100-97 and end a three-game slide on Sunday Colorado 14 16 1 85 88 29 Washington 20 6 2 85 62 42 night. Chris Bosh scored 22 points, Gerald Green added 16 and Luol Deng scored 15 for Miami. Wade’s jumper put the Pacific Division NY Islanders 18 8 5 89 72 41 Heat up one, and Justise Winslow closed it out with two Los Angeles 19 8 2 75 61 40 NY Rangers 18 9 4 90 72 40 Arizona 14 14 2 81 95 30 free throws in the final second. Wade finished with 14 New Jersey 15 11 4 74 75 34 Vancouver 11 12 8 79 86 30 points. Jeff Green scored a season-high 26 points for Pittsburgh 15 10 3 67 67 33 San Jose 14 14 1 75 78 29 Memphis, while surprise starter Matt Barnes finished with Calgary 13 14 2 78 103 28 Philadelphia 12 12 6 62 83 30 13 points and 13 rebounds. Former Heat guard Mario Edmonton 13 15 2 82 90 28 Carolina 12 14 4 74 92 28 Chalmers had 12 for Memphis, which was outscored 11-0 Anaheim 11 13 5 56 73 27 Columbus 11 17 3 74 93 25 in the final 2:34. Eastern Conference Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point THUNDER 104, JAZZ 98, OT Atlantic Division in the standings and are not included in the loss Montreal 20 8 3 100 70 43 Kevin Durant scored 31 points - all but two after half- column (L). time - and Oklahoma City rallied from a 16-point deficit for a second win over Utah in a three-day span. Russell Westbrook added 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Thunder, who have won nine straight home games Blackhawks against Utah dating to the 2010-11 season. Oklahoma City extended its longest winning streak of the season to five games. Rodney Hood had 23 points, Gordon Hayward scored 22 and Alec Burks added 21 for the Jazz, who fell blank Canucks five games behind first-place Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division. Westbrook scored two baskets in the first 36 seconds of overtime to give the Thunder the lead, CHICAGO: Chicago’s Patrick Kane stretch and moved into second place in and Utah missed its first nine field-goal attempts in the extended his points streak to 26 games the Metropolitan Division - one point extra period. The Jazz avoided an OT shutout on Hayward’s as the Blackhawks beat the Vancouver ahead of the crosstown-rival Rangers. basket with 8.6 seconds left. Canucks 4-0 on Sunday to move into a The Islanders trailed the Rangers by 11 share of second place in the NHL Central points entering play on Nov. 25. The Division. Kane, the NHL’s leading scorer Islanders also improved to 11-4-2 at RAPTORS 96, 76ERS 76 MIAMI: Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) looks for an open teammate past with 46 points, had the second assist on home in their first season at Brooklyn’s DeMar DeRozan had 25 points, Luis Scola added 22 and Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball Duncan Keith’s power-play goal midway Barclays Center. Cory Schneider gave up Toronto beat Philadelphia for its fourth straight win. game, Sunday, in Miami. — AP through the first. He surpassed Sidney three goals on 18 shots before he was DeRozan came into the night averaging 21.7 points per Crosby’s 25-game streak, set in 2010-11, replaced by Keith Kincaid after Martin’s game, and this was his third straight outing with at least 20 points. Scola matched his season-high point total from a NBA Results/Standings for the longest in the league since 1992- goals 7 1/2 minutes into the second game in November. Toronto started slowly, trailing 16-8 at 93. The Blackhawks right wing has 16 period. Kincaid finished with 11 saves. the midpoint of the first quarter. But the Raptors then took Phoenix 108, Minnesota 101; Miami 100, Memphis 97; Toronto 96, Philadelphia 76; Oklahoma City 104, goals and 24 assists during his run, and a The Devils were again without Travis charge to hand the 76ers their sixth straight loss. Jahlil Utah 98 (OT). point in 29 of Chicago’s 31 games. Corey Zajac (upper body injury) and Adam Okafor led Philadelphia with 23 points and 14 rebounds Eastern Conference Western Conference Crawford made 30 saves while Dennis Henrique (lower body). while Robert Covington added 15 points and nine Atlantic Division Northwest Division Rasmussen, Andrew Shaw and Brandon rebounds. W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 16 8 .667 - Mashinter also scored for the AVALANCHE 3, BLUES 1 Toronto 16 9 .640 - Utah 10 12 .455 5 Blackhawks, who are level on points Jack Skille and John Mitchell scored in SUNS 108, TIMBERWOLVES 101 Boston 14 10 .583 1.5 Portland 10 15 .400 6.5 with St. Louis, eight points behind the first period and Brandon Knight rebounded from a one-point outing in NY Knicks 11 14 .440 5 Denver 9 14 .391 6.5 Brooklyn 7 16 .304 8 Central leader Dallas. Ryan Miller had 26 made a season-high 42 saves to lead his last game to make seven 3-pointers and score 25 Minnesota 9 14 .391 6.5 Philadelphia 1 24 .040 15 Pacific Division saves for the Canucks. Colorado to victory at St. Louis, Carl points, helping Phoenix beat Minnesota. Knight scored Central Division Golden State 24 1 .960 - Soderberg added an empty-net goal nine of his points in the fourth quarter, all on 3s. The Cleveland 15 7 .682 - LA Clippers 14 10 .583 9.5 with 22 seconds remaining to seal the Timberwolves committed 24 turnovers, including nine in Chicago 13 8 .619 1.5 Phoenix 11 14 .440 13 ISLANDERS 4, DEVILS 0 victory. Varlamov stopped the first 36 the third quarter, which helped the Suns get out in transi- Indiana 13 9 .591 2 Sacramento 9 15 .375 14.5 Marek Zidlicky scored twice and shots until Vladimir Tarasenko spoiled tion and take control of the game for good. Phoenix scored Detroit 14 11 .560 2.5 Milwaukee 10 15 .400 6.5 LA Lakers 3 21 .125 20.5 Thomas Greiss made 27 saves for his first his shutout bid with a power-play goal 43 points off turnovers for the game. Zach LaVine led the Southwest Division Wolves with 28 points and Kevin Martin added 19. The Southeast Division shutout of the season to help the with 7:05 remaining. It was Tarasenko’s Charlotte 14 9 .609 - San Antonio 20 5 .800 - Islanders extend their streak without a team-high 18th of the season. Jake Suns didn’t score for more than 4 minutes during the Miami 13 9 .591 0.5 Dallas 13 11 .542 6.5 regulation loss to 10 games. John Allen, who had 26 saves in a 3-0 shutout fourth quarter as Minnesota cut into a 19-point lead, but Atlanta 14 11 .560 1 Memphis 13 12 .520 7 Tavares and Matt Martin also scored for against Dallas on Saturday, stopped 15 P.J. Tucker’s 3-pointer at the 7:54 mark followed by Eric Orlando 12 11 .522 2 Houston 12 12 .500 7.5 the Islanders, who are on an 8-0-2 saves against Colorado. —AP Bledsoe’s steal and dunk gave Phoenix a 90-75 lead. —AP Washington 10 12 .455 3.5 New Orleans 6 17 .261 13