Friday 37 Sports Friday, August 14, 2020 Pacers hold off Rockets despite Harden’s 45 points Clippers down Nuggets, seal West’s no. 2 seed MIAMI: and Justin Holiday scored notched seven before all were held out of the 18 points apiece as the withstood second half. Heat rookie Tyler Herro scored a a 45-point performance from Houston star season-high 30 points, but Oklahoma City’s James Harden Wednesday in a 108-104 NBA Mike Muscala drained a three-pointer with 5.2 victory over the Rockets. seconds as the Thunder erased a 22-point deficit The Pacers snapped a five-game losing to seize the win. streak against the Rockets — who announced Darius Bazley scored 21 points and Shai before the game that star guard Russell West- Gilgeous-Alexander added 18 for Oklahoma City, brook was nursing a quadriceps strain that could who out-scored the Heat 34-15 in the final quar- jeopardize his appearance in the playoffs. ter. The reigning champion Harden did what he could to fill the void, con- grabbed a 125-121 victory over the Philadelphia tributing 11 of 14 Rockets points in a late-game 76ers, with Stanley Johnson making the go-ahead surge that saw Houston cut a 104-90 deficit to basket with less than five seconds to play. Assis- 106-104 with 27 seconds remaining. Indiana tant coach Adrian Griffin, standing in for Raptors held on, Holiday draining two free throws to coach Nick Nurse, got the win as the Raptors im- close out the victory. proved to 6-1 in the NBA’s season restart in a Harden barely missed an impressive triple- quarantine “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. double with 45 points, 17 rebounds and 9 assists. Kyle Lowry and Chris Boucher scored 19 It was his 21st game in the pandemic-disrupted points each for the Raptors. Tobias Harris scored season with 40 or more points. The win for the 22 points to lead the 76ers, who got a scare shorthanded Pacers — who were without All- when star center Joel Embiid, back after missing Star forward , leading scorer a game with a left ankle injury, took a blow on T.J. Warren and starting point guard Malcolm his right wrist in the first quarter. Embiid didn’t Brogdon — means Indiana clinched a top-five return in the second half, but the Raptors said seed in the Eastern Conference. X-rays on his wrist were negative. LAKE BUENA VISTA: #5 of the Indiana Pacers drives for a layup against the They will face the when the first Houston Rockets in the third quarter at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports round of the playoffs begin in the NBA’s “bub- CLIPPERS RALLY PAST NUGGETS Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. — AFP ble” in Orlando, Florida. With their playoff Indiana’s victory meant the 76ers learned be- matchup confirmed before they took the court, fore tip-off that they will face the third-seeded the Heat gave starters plenty of rest in a 116-115 Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Murray and Michael Porter Jr. in the fourth pe- ting too excited about securing the second seed loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Los Angeles Clippers locked up the riod. Paul George led the Clippers with a game- in the West behind the Los Angeles Lakers. “That does create a little more of clarity of Western Conference second seed and a first- high 27 points, his sixth straight game of 20 or “It doesn’t mean a lot,” Rivers said. “With the how we’ll operate going forward,” Heat coach round playoff clash with Dallas with a 124-111 more. Kawhi Leonard added 26 — his 11th injuries that we’ve had this year and all the other Erik Spoelstra said. “We still want to work on victory over the . straight game with at least 20 points. Clippers stuff, for us being the two seed says we’re pretty getting ready for the playoffs.” The Clippers out-scored Denver 40-34 in the coach Doc Rivers, still waiting to learn if guards good. Everyone’s done a hell of a job to keep this Duncan Robinson scored 19 points in the first third quarter, powering past a Nuggets team Patrick Beverly and Landry Shamet will be back thing going. “Now let’s hope we can get healthy half, Bam Adebayo added six and Jimmy Butler who opted to rest starters Nikola Jokic, Jamal from injury when the playoffs begin, wasn’t get- and hopefully go from there.” — AFP

vere penalty. Players will bear a heavy respon- to prevent them getting bored. not been universal, even if the drivers who re- Premiership sibility both on and off the pitch. He has had a pool table and table tennis set mained standing expressed their solidarity in Should any players breach the strict virus installed on the two coaches used to ferry the combatting racism. measures and a match subsequently has to be players to and from away matches. Former England and British and Irish Lions resumes in new cancelled due to their actions they will incur the There have been 20 positive cases among wing Ugo Monye believes the Premiership will wrath of the authorities. players since Premiership clubs began testing on be more like Formula One than the Premier era of COVID-19 Their opponents will be awarded a 20-0 vic- July 6. Their nerves may be jangling after the League. The 37-year-old has been involved in a tory and five points as if it was a bonus point news that five Hull FC players who played players’ working group, containing a represen- win. The frenetic nature of the rescheduled sea- against Salford Red Devils last Sunday tested tative from each of the 12 Premiership clubs. LONDON: The English Premiership resumes son which includes midweek matches will not positive for coronavirus — this despite the de- “I don’t want people to jump to conclusions today when Sale Sharks play Harlequins, bringing allow for games to be postponed to a later date. cision to do away with scrums for the campaign. and assumptions that by people not taking the to an end a 159-day hiatus forced by the coron- Those games that are cancelled by the gov- Scrums are still part and parcel of the Pre- knee, that means they’re racist,” he told the BBC. avirus pandemic. Rugby is the last of the major ernment or authorities due to local lockdowns miership season. “Within the Premiership, there’s a lot of dif- sports to restart in England and will have the nine will be called a draw and each side will be As a reminder of the personal toll the virus ferent communities, cultures and different coun- rounds of games and play-offs — the top four awarded two points each. took there will be a minute’s silence before each tries represented within the 12 teams. qualify — crammed into a tight schedule with the The decision would be ratified by a Premier- match honouring the efforts of the doctors and “Everyone has a different personal relation- Premiership final slated for October 24. ship Rugby panel. “If a club is unavailable nurses of the National Health Service. ship with racism.” His assessment is reflected in Much has changed, and not only due to the through COVID then the opposition get a 20- the different approaches of the clubs. His former COVID-19 outbreak. Sportsmen have been tak- point win,” said Steve Diamond, Sharks’ director Hearts, knees, Vs — side Harlequins along with Bath and Leicester ing the knee to support the Black Lives Matter of rugby. Premiership unites against racism Tigers will take the knee. movement sparked by the death of unarmed “We are in Greater Manchester. If there was Taking the knee has been met with mixed re- Bristol Bears 23-man matchday squad will African-American George Floyd after a Min- a lockdown here and Exeter Chiefs were coming sults across sports due to concerns over some form the shape of a heart: “Love for our team- neapolis policeman kneeled on his neck. up the following week and they couldn’t play, of the political views expressed by the Black mates and love for our community”. Worcester AFP Sport looks at both issues ahead of the then the points are shared.” Diamond — whose Lives Matter Movement. Warriors and Gloucester will signal their support resumption: side lie second ahead of the final nine rounds — Premier League footballers and coaching in combatting racism by forming into a V-shape COVID-19 protocol breaches could carry se- has provided some entertainment for the players staff made the gesture but in Formula One it has before kick-off. — AFP