TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 SPORTS Power opens IndyCar season with victory

ST. PETERSBURG: For the fourth time in six races dating to last season, jumped from the top of his car to celebrate a win in Victory Lane. It was a strong opening salvo Sunday in St. Petersburg for Power, who struggled through most of last season until finally breaking out of his INDIANAPOLIS: NASCAR driver Kurt Busch drives down the front straightaway slump during the homestretch. He won three of in this file photo. —AP the final five races, including the last two of the season. Now he has opened 2014 with a win. Busch’s victory raises hope “Obviously, the perfect way to start,” the Australian driver said. Power passed pole-sitter after 83-race winless streak Takuma Sato for the lead with an outside move headed into the second turn on Lap 31, and was MARTINSVILLE: Kurt Busch couldn’t be more “I think the lack of security in our own car kept us never really challenged again. delighted with his move to Stewart-Haas Racing. Six from feeling more racy and putting a bumper to He had to beat Team Penske teammate Helio races into the marriage, he ended an 83-race winless someone or really getting inside someone aggres- Castroneves off pit lane during stops under cau- streak Sunday at Martinsville Speedway and said sively,” Johnson said of the rather gentlemanly finish. tion, and the only hiccup was on the first restart he’s learning that a better approach to being an Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third, followed by Joey of the race. He was the leader and was slow to actual participant in a team pays big dividends. Logano and Marcos Ambrose. restart the field with 28 laps remaining. It caused “I ran a lot of my early part of my career as an traffic to stack up behind him and led to a crash individual and I didn’t respect my team, my team Here are five other things to know involving rookie Jack Hawksworth and Marco owners,” Busch said, adding that working with co- after NASCAR’s sixth race of the season: Andretti. owner is helping him learn a better STILL NO REPEATS: Through six races, there Andretti got out of his car with a limp and was way. Busch won by passing Martinsville master have been six different pole-sitters and six different favoring his wrist following the accident. “It’s hard Jimmie Johnson for the lead with 10 laps to go and race-winners, a trend that is causing some winners to see because I was pretty far back, but Will just ST. PETERSBURG: Race winner Will Power (center) of Australia, poses with second- holding off the eight-time winner to win at the track to rethink their stance that with a win, they’re stopped. Once you go, you gotta go,” he said. “It place finisher Ryan Hunter-Reay (left) and third-place finisher Helio Castroneves for the first time since October 2002. It was his 25th essentially in the 16-driver playoffs for the final 10 looked like an accordion effect. I had a good (right) of Brazil, in Victory Circle after the IndyCar Grand Prix. —AP career Cup-level victory, and Busch seemed races of the season. Winning certainly gives each of restart going, but we were junk all day, so what enthralled that it came in the most unlikely of ven- them a leg up because of how much weight it car- are you going to do?” Power said he never braked recovered. things we have to do better. It’s going to be a lot ues. ries in determining the Chase field, but as long as and was confused because the field went green So it was important to the Andretti Autosport of work, but I am very excited.” “You’ve got to put life in perspective, and you new drivers keep doing burnouts after each race, earlier than it should. driver to start this year strong, which he did with a NEW FACE IN THE 10: The season-opener have to learn from your mistakes and you can’t just there’s no telling how many winners there will be. “They actually threw the green before I was second-place finish at St. Pete. marked a changing of the guard at Target/Chip sit there and try to muscle your way individually There are 26 races before the Chase. even in the (restart) zone, so it was confusing to NO REPEAT WINNER: James Hinchcliffe was the Ganassi Racing, where defending Indianapolis through certain situations,” he said about 450 laps THE DOUBTING MACHINE: Gene Haas was not me,” Power said. Castroneves didn’t buy Power’s breakout winner a year ago, but failed to find 500 winner Tony Kanaan is now driving the red after a pit road confrontation with Brad Keselowski, present for the first victory by the team he funds, version and said he was fooled by his teammate. much success in his return to the site of his first No. 10. He got the seat when good friend Dario whose on-track retaliation had Busch threatening to and admitted by telephone after Busch’s victory “Will and I know each other for a long time. He IndyCar victory. Franchitti was forced to retire because of injuries rearrange his face. “And so you rely on your experi- that he was resigned to Jimmie Johnson prevailing. knows my tricks,” Castroneves said. “I didn’t quite He ran in the back most of Sunday because of suffered in an October crash. ence level, you rely on your team, and this is a great “I was thinking that we would probably pull out know that trick from him, and he got me.” IndyCar an electrical issue and finished 19th. Qualifying It’s a tall order to replace Franchitti, the four- day for me to be able to lift the trophy in Victory in front of Jimmie Johnson and be there for a few said the restart in question was acceptable, but was also tough for the Canadian, who spun and time series champion and three-time Indy 500 Lane for Stewart-Haas Racing.” laps, but (Johnson) was better on the long run,” race control did review Power’s second restart hit the wall and failed to advance out of the first winner. Kanaan’s first time out of the gate ended Johnson, with eight wins in 25 career starts on Haas said. “I was kind of like going, ‘Well hey, at least and issued him a warning for going too early. He round. He started 19th in the 22-car field. with a sixth-place finish. He started second. the 0.526-mile oval, led 11 times for 296 laps. He we made a good show.’” Busch also told his new was not penalized, but IndyCar said he will be if JPM’S DEBUT: Juan Pablo Montoya finished CLOSE FINISH: Mike Conway finished 16th in seemed on his way to another victory when he took boss via text earlier in the week that Martinsville he does it again. 15th in his return to IndyCar for the first time his debut with Ed Carpenter Racing, but could the lead from Busch with 17 laps remaining. But was his worst track, and then was hardly able to since he left for Formula One following his have been on the podium if not for a communica- Busch stayed close, ducked underneath Johnson practice because all of Saturday’s activity was Five other developments from Indianapolis 500 win in 2000. He spent almost five tion issue. seven laps later and Johnson had no means to chal- rained out. “He doesn’t practice on Saturday and he Sunday’s season-opening race: seasons in F1 and seven in NASCAR before return- Conway did not hear a call to pit from his lenge again. wins,” Haas said. “We have a new formula here.” STRONG START: Ryan Hunter-Reay won two ing to open-wheel with Roger Penske. crew and stayed on the track during the first “That’s all I had,” Johnson said. “Man, I ran the POINTS RACE: Don’t look now, because it’s still races last season, but considered it a failure Although expectations are for Montoya to win caution, when everyone else pitted. So Conway rear tires off the car. I flipped every switch and knob really early, but Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sports’ most because he didn’t defend his 2012 series cham- immediately, he believes he needs several races pitted on the last lap of the caution period, but I could in there to get front brake and turn fans off popular driver, leads the points race and leads with pionship. His season began to unravel over a to get fully up to speed. “I think it went pretty passed the pace car to enter the pit area. He was and try to help bring my balance back.” four top-5 finishes in six races. Could this be the three-race stretch in July, when he tumbled from good,” he said. “We will learn and pass some peo- issued a penalty that cost him any shot at a Busch held on, his first top-10 finish at year that Dale Jr. finally has the year his fans have second to third in the standings and never ple and some people passed us. There are a few strong finish. —AP Martinsville in his last 17 starts there. The race fea- been waiting for? tured an event-record 33 lead changes, and Johnson FALLIBLE JIMMIE? Johnson led 11 times for 296 expected there would be one more when he retook laps on Sunday. When it was noted that Johnson the lead with 17 laps to go, but on a slippery day has had several instances in recent years where his Nets snare Timberwolves after a rainy weekend on the smallest circuit in dominance in a race hasn’t always led to a victory NASCAR’s premier series, the cars at the end weren’t like he’s accustomed to, he first joked about it, then conducive to typical short-track racing. agreed. —AP NEW YORK: Paul Pierce scored 22 points as the Brooklyn Nets moved to the brink of a playoff spot by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-99 on Sunday for their club record-equaling 13th straight home victory. Pierce scored 16 in the first quarter, two nights after putting up 17 in the period, and didn’t miss a shot in either. Joe Johnson added 19 points for the Nets, who would clinch a playoff spot if the New York Knicks lost to Golden State later Sunday. Brooklyn equaled the longest home winning streak in the NBA this season and the best in the history of the franchise. Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin each scored 21 for the Timberwolves, who had won two in row and were coming off the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, when they scored a franchise-record 143 points in a rout of the Lakers on Friday.

CAVALIERS 90, PACERS 76 Dion Waiters scored 19 points and Luol Deng added 15 as the Cleveland Cavaliers kept their playoff push going India XI cricket team with a 90-76 win over the Indiana Pacers, who are losing their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds as the Cavs snapped a nine-game losing streak against Indiana. Cleveland came in three games behind slumping, idle Atlanta for the con- ference’s final playoff spot. With seven games left - six against teams with losing records - the Cavs still have a NEW YORK: Brooklyn Nets’ Paul Pierce (right) protects the ball from Minnesota chance. The Pacers, meanwhile, are falling apart. They lost Timberwolves’ Corey Brewer during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game. —AP their fifth straight road game and now lead Miami by one game for the East’s top record and home-court advantage. outscored Golden State 34-12 in the second quarter to go Lakers shot 53 percent from the field, avoiding what would Paul George scored 15 and David West 14 for Indiana, ahead 56-44 at the half, and then held off a furious rally by have been Phoenix’s first season sweep over them since which fell behind by 21 in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the closing minutes. 2004-05. The Suns won the first three meetings by an aver- Curry scored 32 points, including a tying 3-pointer with age margin of 13.3 points, including a 117-90 rout on Dec. THUNDER 116, JAZZ 96 2:42 remaining. But he missed from long range in the final 23 at US Airways Center. The 25-48 Lakers, returning home Kevin Durant had 31 points and nine assists to help the minute and also had a pass stolen by Raymond Felton on from a 143-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Utah Jazz. Durant Golden State’s final possession. New York (31-43) is a game Friday, beat a team with a winning record for only the scored at least 25 points for the 38th consecutive game, behind fast-fading Atlanta, which has lost six straight, for eighth time all season. Gerald Green scored 22 points off the longest streak since Michael Jordan did it in 40 straight the final playoff seed in the weak Eastern Conference. the bench for the Suns. games for the Chicago Bulls during the 1986-87 season. Russell Westbrook scored 19 points, Serge Ibaka had 17 LAKERS 115, SUNS 99 TRAIL BLAZERS 105, GRIZZLIES 98 Pakistan XI cricket team points and Caron Butler added 15 for the Thunder, who LOS ANGELES (AP) - Chris Kaman had 28 points along LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points in his third game have won six of seven. Oklahoma City shot 55 percent with 17 rebounds while starting at center for the vertigo- back from injury as the Portland Trail Blazers extended from the field and made 11 of 18 3-pointers and 23 of 26 stricken Pau Gasol, helping the Los Angeles Lakers end the their winning streak to three games with a victory over the India, Pak clash for free throws. Enes Kanter had 18 points and 12 rebounds Phoenix Suns’ six-game winning streak. The undermanned Memphis Grizzlies. —AP Platinum Cup title for the Jazz, who have lost four in a row. RAPTORS 98, MAGIC 93 NBA results/standings KUWAIT: Cricket crazy fans of Kuwait will now Sri Lankan team highly pumped up to outwit DeMar DeRozan had 28 points, Jonas Valanciunas wait eagerly to watch the traditional clash of the the rivals played enterprising cricket and gave a added 20 points and nine rebounds, and the Toronto Oklahoma City 116, Utah 96; Cleveland 90, Indiana 76; Brooklyn 114, Minnesota 99; Toronto 98, titans match to be played between Pakistan XI & tough time to the Indian team as Yohan Raptors escaped with a victory over the Orlando Magic. Orlando 93; Chicago 107, Boston 102; NY Knicks 89, Golden State 84; Portland 105, Memphis 98; Indian XI on Friday, April 4, 2014 at 1:30 pm. Chandana led from the front to crack a solid 58 Trailing 96-93 with 8.9 seconds to play, the Magic had LA Lakers 115, Phoenix 99. In a keenly poised match played between runs with 4 sixes & 4 boundaries. Indika the hard the ball and an opportunity to tie the game. But coming Eastern Conference Western Conference Indian XI & Sri Lankan XI, the Indian XI held their hitting batsmen played a cameo knock of 28 runs out of a timeout they failed to inbound the ball, turning it nerves to notch a thrilling 23 runs victory over a in just 12 balls and till he was at the crease the Sri over on a 5-second violation. DeRozan was fouled and hit a Atlantic Division Northwest Division spirited fight back from the Sri Lankan team, right- Lankans were on the brink of victory but the pair of free throws to provide the final margin. The win was W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 54 19 .740 - ly known as Lions so as to advance to meet experienced Indian bowlers kept on applying the Raptors’ third in a row and seventh straight over the Toronto 42 31 .575 - Portland 48 27 .640 7 Magic. Toronto swept the season series 3-0. Nik Vucevic led Pakistan in the Finals. pressure and Sri Lankan team folded for 163 runs Brooklyn 39 33 .542 2.5 Minnesota 36 36 .500 17.5 Batting first, the Indian XI openers Usman Patel in 20 overs. the Magic with 22 points and 10 rebounds. NY Knicks 31 43 .419 11.5 & Alwyn D’souza played steadily and took the Roshan & Sajid Kalam took two wickets each Denver 32 41 .438 22 Boston 23 50 .315 19 score to 48 and as the pair was about to settle, a while Faisal, Nawaf & Nikhil bagged a wicket each. BULLS 107, CELTICS 102 Utah 23 51 .311 31.5 sudden rush of blood saw Alwyn caught at long Mohd Nisar was rightly judged Player of the DJ Augustin scored 15 of his career-high 33 points in Philadelphia 16 57 .219 26 on. Hansen Vaz, the talented one drop bat joined match for his marvelous batting display. the fourth quarter, helping the Chicago Bulls held off the Pacific Division Usman and the duo continued to play attacking The highly rated Pakistan XI notched an easy slumping Boston Celtics. Augustin was perfect from the Central Division LA Clippers 52 22 .703 - cricket and ran some quick singles to unsettle the victory over Bangladesh XI and will meet Indian XI foul line on 10 attempts and was 10-for-14 from the floor, Indiana 52 22 .703 - including a 3-pointer late in the period to break a 96-all tie Golden State 45 28 .616 6.5 Sri Lankan fielder. in the final to be played on April 4, 2014. Chicago 41 32 .562 10.5 Usman was at his very best driving and pulling Bangladesh batting first could score only 110 runs and give Chicago the lead for good. He followed that with Phoenix 44 30 .595 8 Cleveland 30 45 .400 22.5 with precise timing and Ansan thumped the cher- as Abdulla Khan the leg spinner bowled extreme- six straight free throws to help the Bulls close out the LA Lakers 25 48 .342 26.5 ry with great authority to score a valuable 23 runs ly well (4-0-9-3) to wreck the Bangladesh batting Celtics. Joakim Noah finished with 13 points, 13 assists and Detroit 26 47 .356 25.5 Sacramento 25 48 .342 26.5 before being run out. As the score read 105 for 2, order while Raheel & Ali Zaheer took 2 wickets eight rebounds for the Bulls, who will try for a three-game Milwaukee 14 59 .192 37.5 Mohammed Nizar along with Usman Patel thrilled each. season sweep against the Celtics on Monday night in the crowd with some lusty hitting to take the Toufique was the star batsman for Bangladesh Chicago. Rajon Rondo had 17 points and 11 assists for Southeast Division Southwest Division Boston, which has lost four straight and nine of 10. Indian XI total to 199 runs in 20 overs. Mohd. as he fought a lone battle to score 37 runs with 3 Miami 50 22 .694 - San Antonio 57 16 .781 - Nizar’s scintillating knock of 75 (not out) con- mighty sixes. Pakistan wrapped up 111 runs in just Houston 49 23 .681 7.5 tained 7 huge sixes and 2 fours and a beautifully 12 overs as Asghar & Yasser Butt flayed the KNICKS 89, WARRIORS 84 Washington 38 35 .521 12.5 timed on drive to the mid- wicket boundary was Bangladesh attack, dispatching eh ball to all cor- JR Smith scored 21 points and Carmelo Anthony added Charlotte 35 38 .479 15.5 Dallas 44 30 .595 13.5 the shot of the day. Usman ended up with a pol- ners of the ground. Asghar scored 47 (6x3) while 19 points and nine rebounds as the New York Knicks Atlanta 31 41 .431 19 Memphis 43 30 .589 14 ished 53 runs to his credit. Sasanka, Indika & Rifkas Yasser blasted a hurricane 42 in just 28 balls to moved within one game of the final playoff spot by beat- Orlando 21 53 .284 30 New Orleans 32 41 .438 25 got a wicket each. claim the Player of the match award. ing the undermanned Golden State Warriors. The Knicks