Sports Wednesday, April 3, 2019 17 Giannis returns to power Ferrari test felt like home, says Mick Bucks’ win; Raptors romp Schumacher afp Reuters New York MANAMA

Giannis Antetokounmpo re- Mick Schumacher, son of sev- turned from a right ankle sprain en-times world champion Mi- to score 28 points and grab 11 chael, made his Formula One rebounds Monday, powering test debut for Ferrari in Bahrain the Milwaukee Bucks to a 131- on Tuesday and lapped second 121 NBA victory at Brooklyn. fastest behind Red Bull’s Max The Greek star, who sat out Verstappen. a game due to the setback, lifted On a surprisingly wet day an injury-hit Milwaukee squad at the same track where his fa- within one game of clinching ther won the first grand prix in the best regular-season record the Middle East with Ferrari in the league and a home-court 15 years ago, Schumacher was edge throughout the NBA play- 0.597 seconds slower than the offs. 21-year-old Dutchman. “I thought it would be a re- His time of one minute ally good team but to be honest 29.976 seconds was set on the with you I didn’t think we would softest, and fastest, C5 tyres -- be the best team in the NBA,” softer than anyone else’s -- and Mick Schumacher walks out of Antetokounmpo said. he completed 56 laps on a day the garage after his first laps for Eric Bledsoe added 29 where track time was limited by Ferrari at the in-season test at points and reserve George Hill bad weather washing out much the Sakhir circuit in Manama on had 22 off the bench for the of the middle of the day. Tuesday. (AFP) Bucks, who lead the Eastern “I really enjoyed today. It Conference at 58-20 and can felt like home in the garage from Tuesday’s test was Mick’s clinch the best NBA mark with the very first moment with a lot first experience of a modern F1 a win Thursday at Philadelphia. of people that know me since I car, although he did drive his fa- “We know how important was very young,” he said. ther’s 1994 title-winning Benet- that is but we are just trying to The 20-year-old German, ton at the Spa-Francorchamps get better,” said Antetokounm- who made his Formula Two de- circuit before the 2017 Belgian po. “We could have played bet- but at the Sakhir circuit over the Grand Prix. ter tonight.” Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots the ball over Brooklyn Nets centre Jarrett Allen during the second half at Barclays weekend and finished eighth Michael Schumacher, who Antetokounmpo sparked Center in Brooklyn on Monday. (USA TODAY Sports) and sixth in the two races, had still holds the record of 91 grand the Bucks as they pulled away been top with five minutes re- prix wins, won five of his titles late, hitting a 3-pointer and lat- But I have to do what’s best for All five teams battling for Jazz. maining before Verstappen with Ferrari in a golden period er rebounding his own 3-point the team to win and if that’s rest the final three playoff spots in Boston’s Kyrie Irving scored went faster. It was still the first from 2000 to 2004. miss and driving in for a slam then I will take a break.” the Eastern Conference lost 25 points and Al Horford pro- time since 2012 that a Schu- He last raced for the team in dunk to help seal the Nets’ fate. Danny Green powered To- We know how important Monday, moving Detroit (39- duced his second career tri- macher had led an official For- 2006 before a comeback with “When a team plays zone ronto with 29 points and the that is but we are just trying 38), Brooklyn (39-39) and Mi- ple double with 19 points, 11 mula One time chart. Mercedes from 2010-12 and has the whole game it’s hard,” he Raptors stayed in the hunt for to get better. We could have ami (38-39) nearer the post- rebounds and 10 assists in “The SF90 is incredible be- not been seen in public since he said. “But we started moving the overall top spot with a 121- played better tonight. I was season with Orlando (39-40) the Celtics’ 110-105 home vic- cause of the power it has, but suffered severe head injuries in the ball well and knocking down 109 home victory over Orlando, trying to wait for the game and Charlotte still chasing and tory over Miami, which had 30 it is also smooth to drive, and a skiing accident in the French some shots.” improving to 55-23 with four hoping. Despite Kemba Walk- points from Goran Dragic in a that’s why I enjoyed myself so Alps in December 2013. Sitting out a loss against At- games remaining. to come to me. My er’s 47-point effort, Charlotte losing cause. much,” said Schumacher. Mick, who joined the Fer- lanta forced him to take some And the Raptors clinched teammates did a good job lost 111-102 at Utah and slid to Thaddeus Young and Bo- “I was impressed by the rari academy in January, was time early to regain a smooth no worse than second in the finding me. 35-42, staying three games be- jan Bogdanovic each scored 19 braking power an F1 car has. It the only debutant on track in a flow with teammates. East when Philadelphia lost hind Miami for the eighth and points to lead seven players in seemed to me you could brake rain-hit session that followed “Just trying to get back into 122-102 at Dallas, the 76ers fall- Giannis Antetokounmpo final playoff position. double figures for Indiana in a later and later and the car would Sunday’s second grand prix of the rhythm,” he said. “I was try- ing to 49-28. Donovan Mitchell led Utah 111-102 home victory over De- have made the turn anyway.” the season. ing to wait for the game to come Justin Jackson led the Mav- The Sixers, playing without with 25 points while Span- troit. Domantas Sabonis had 18 The reigning European F3 Double world champion to me. My teammates did a ericks with 24 points while Joel Embiid, got 26 points from ish guard Ricky Rubio had 20 points and 12 rebounds off the champion will also test with Fernando Alonso, who left good job finding me. Tunisian reserve center Salah J.J. Redick, 25 from Tobias points and 13 assists and French bench for the Pacers while An- the Ferrari-powered Alfa Ro- Formula One at the end of last “I want to play every game Mejri added 16 points and 14 Harris and 17 from Australian center Rudy Gobert added 18 dre Drummond had 18 points meo team (formerly Sauber) on season, was back in a McLaren -- rest is not in my dictionary. rebounds for Dallas. guard Ben Simmons in the loss. points and 18 rebounds for the and 17 rebounds for the Pistons. Wednesday. testing tyres for Pirelli.

Murray returns to court after hip surgery Quick read Bencic, Ostapenko ease into second round in Charleston reuters as he was now pain free after twice, but targeted a possi- london the surgery. ble return in doubles at this Charleston: Swiss ninth seed Belinda Bencic made a strong start to her claycourt season with a 6-3 The 31-year-old post- year’s tournament as it put 6-0 win over qualifier Destanee Aiava to reach the second round of the Charleston Open in South Carolina Andy Murray has returned ed a short video on Insta- less stress on his hip. on Monday. Bencic broke Aiava at love to open the match, one of the six break points she converted, and to a tennis court two months gram, where he was seen The three-times Grand was never really tested as the 18-year-old Australian made 24 unforced errors. Aiava did well to fight off after undergoing hip resur- hitting the ball in an outdoor Slam champion compared one match point but then double-faulted the next time the match was on the line to hand Bencic victory in facing surgery. court while rallying with a his situation to that of Amer- 56 minutes. Up next for the world number 21 at the green-clay event will be American Allie Kiick, who beat Murray, who has not wall with a caption, “It’s a ican doubles player Bob Bry- Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier 6-3 6-0. played competitively since start.” an who returned to the court Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, a runner-up here in 2017, dropped the opening game of his first round exit at the Murray had said he was 5-1/2 months after a similar her match but quickly righted the ship and dominated the rest of the way in a 6-1 6-4 win over Swede Johanna Australian Open in Janu- A file photo of Andy Murray dur- not sure he could play in the procedure. Larsson. Latvian Ostapenko had seven double faults in the match but rounded into form as the match wore on ary, said last month he could ing the Australian Open in Janu- singles draw at Wimbledon, This year’s Wimbledon before clinching the win by firing down an ace. She will next face American Shelby Rogers. (Reuters) possibly play at Wimbledon ary this year. (REUTERS) a tournament he has won begins on July 1.

Swapping Kalashnikovs for bat and pads: Afghan , the Taliban and peace Reuters ugee camps of cricket-loving chance against giants of the JALALABAD, Pakistan, where more than 3 game such as India, Australia million fled a Soviet invasion or England. During a lull in Afghani- and civil war in the 1980s and “We have a very strong stan’s never-ending war, 1990s, and has since made The sport is the only one most team and my dream is Af- before the fighting season huge strides in the country, of the fighters enjoy, ghanistan bring the World resumes once again in the particularly among ethnic commanders say, with Cup home,” said Hazrat Gul, a spring, Taliban fighters recall Pashtuns in the eastern border matches attracting hundreds young cricketer in the eastern laying down their Kalashnik- provinces. city of Jalalabad, as he pre- ovs and, for a brief moment, Taj Malook Khan, who of spectators from pared to play a friendly match enjoying a game of cricket. helped set up the Afghan Taliban-controlled villages against a team from neigh- The sport is the only one Cricket Club in Kacha Gari when there is no fighting. They bouring Kunar province. most of the fighters enjoy, refugee camp outside the Pa- are also fans of the As peace talks between commanders say, with match- kistani city of in increasingly successful the U.S. government and Tal- es attracting hundreds of spec- the 1980s, and a small group national team. iban officials continue and Af- tators from Taliban-controlled of players used to cross into ghanistan looks for a way out villages when there is no fight- Afghanistan during the 1990s of 40 years of conflict, excite- ing. They are also fans of the Taliban era to play and pro- A video clip he shot on his ment is building and officials increasingly successful nation- mote cricket. mobile phone shows dozens and government ministers al team. The Taliban had banned of Taliban, many with Kalash- lavish praise on the players, “I love cricket,” said Mul- games such as cricket and nikov automatic rifles slung whom President Ashraf Ghani lah Badruddin, a Taliban com- football in the early years of across their shoulders, dissect- has called national heroes. mander in Khogyani district of their austere rule because they ing the quality of the team. From the other side of the Nangarhar, on the border with believed they kept men away Afghan men play cricket in Kabul. “I like all the players but war, the feeling is similar. Sadiq Pakistan, where a tournament from prayers, according to for- my favourite is who has just returned to prac- organised by the militants at mer national cricketer Hasti Council in 2017, Afghanistan mier League (IPL), the razzle- sers, in line with traditional Arman,” says one fighter, re- tice after a long injury, aiming the start of last winter drew Gul, but later became more won its first five-day Test dazzle showcase of so-called dress codes. It also bears some ferring to the young spin bowl- to take part in the upcoming large crowds. tolerant of cricket. From there, match against Ireland last T20 cricket, the 12th season of resemblance to traditional Af- er who stars for the Afghan na- World Cup, said the Taliban “When Afghanistan play despite at least two attacks month after making steady which has just got under way. ghan children’s games involv- tional side and IPL’s Sunrisers usually send them congratula- against another team, we lis- in the past couple of years on progress in the lower levels of Despite the Taliban’s for- ing throwing and using sticks Hyderabad. “His bowling is tory messages through social ten to the radio with great in- cricket matches claimed by the international game. mer suspicion of organised to hit smaller sticks or balls. amazing.” media and on his cellphone terest and we also check for the ultra radical Islamic State However it is in the dy- sports and their opposition , a former when Afghanistan win. scores in social media and group, the game now rivals namic, shorter form of the to much of the transforma- batsman in the national team World Cup dream Such broad appeal has follow those in Facebook who football for popularity in a sport that Afghans have had tion in Afghanistan since their and an early pioneer of the With the approach of the seen the sport widely hailed give live updates,” he told Reu- country that has long been cut most impact. hardline Islamic regime was sport who visited some Tali- cricket World Cup in England as a unifying force in Afghani- ters by telephone. off from international sport. Players such as spin bowl- toppled in 2001, many of the ban-controlled areas in east- and Wales from May to July, stan, a patchwork of different First played in Afghani- er Rashid Khan or big hitting mainly Pashtun movement’s ern Afghanistan this year, said Afghanistan’s hopes of mak- languages and cultures, some- stan by British troops in the Star Names batsman fighters are fans. he was mobbed by fighters ing a dent in the tournament times at peace with each other 19th Century, the game was Admitted as a full member Esakhil have become undis- Unlike football, cricket is asking about the game and are higher than they have ever but increasingly in recent adopted by Afghans in the ref- of the International Cricket puted stars of the Indian Pre- played in long sleeves and trou- their favourite players. been, even if few give them a years in conflict.