SATURDAY MAY 6 2017 SPORT 47 Tyson touts Joshua as boxing’s future

FLOYD Mayweather may be continue to boost the sport’s of the greatest heavyweight division. “If he continues to be “Floyd [Mayweather] is boxing’s richest man but his profile worldwide. fights in history. that way, his sky is the limit for making a lot of money and star power pales in comparison Joshua’s thrilling stoppage Former world champ Tyson him,” Tyson said of Joshua, we’ve got a lot of little guys to that of new heavyweight victory over Klitschko last became a household name who improved to 19-0 with the fighting, but what they want to champ Anthony Joshua. week attracted a crowd of during his reign and he be- 11th round stoppage of Klitsch- see is a heavyweight fight. That’s the opinion of icon 90,000 to Wembley Stadium lieves big-hitting champion ko. “The heavyweight that Mike Tyson (pictured), who in London, along with a huge Joshua can help make boxing “Just that one fight changed knows how to fight, like Josh- claims British star Joshua has worldwide televised audience mainstream news again after a boxing, that one fight, and ua, that’s what makes boxing “changed boxing” and can and many have labelled it one lean run in the heavyweight that’s what fighting needs. big.” Mills set Tempers to step up for flare as the Spurs OLGUN ULUC

THERE’S really no way to spin it: ’s injury isn’t a good thing for the . Wizards The French veteran will miss the remainder of the NBA playoffs with a ruptured left quadriceps tendon, which will see the Spurs without their sec- ond-leading scorer of this post- season. get win There is, however, one thing Spurs fans can find sol- ace in: has, at THE Wizards picked up a win least implicitly, been preparing over the Celtics in a game that for this moment for a while. featured an incredible eight has grown into a technical fouls and three ejec- point guard who’s capable of tions, while the Warriors con- taking Parker’s place and while tinued their undefeated NBA it’s yet to be announced playoff streak yesterday. whether the Australian will John Wall scored 24 points start, he is now the team’s pri- and Isaiah Thomas was held to mary point guard for the rest of 13 as Washington jumped out the Spurs’ postseason. to a hot start and rode it to a When you look at the num- 116-89 victory over Boston in bers, Mills has arguably been game three to cut its series the Spurs’ most effective point deficit to 2-1. guard this season. He’s shot the The Wizards used a 22-0 ball at a better clip from beyond first-quarter run to take a 34-12 the arc (41.4 per cent, com- lead as Thomas and the Celtics (pictured) added 25 points, 11 pared to Parker’s 33.3 per cent), kept missing shots and turning rebounds and seven assists, and has rebounded and distrib- the ball over. while had 23 uted the ball at a similar rate. The game was already a points, seven assists and played During the regular season, blowout in the second when smothering defence as Golden Mills had the highest on/off Washington’s Kelly Oubre Jr State stayed unblemished net rating with +12, and was a was ejected for charging and through six playoff games. part of one of the team’s most knocking over Kelly Olynyk Gordon Hayward overcame effective line-ups — one feat- after the Boston big man was a poor game one and slow start uring Mills, , called for an illegal screen. in this one to score 33 points, , LaMarcus Al- Otto Porter and Bojan Bog- while Rudy Gobert had 16 dridge and Pau Gasol — which danovic scored 19 points apiece points and 16 rebounds before posted a +24.1 net rating. for Washington, which im- fouling out for a Jazz team While it’s not just black and proved to 4-0 at home in the missing injured point guard white when comparing the playoffs. . He was ruled out statistics of a starter and a Washington’s 119 first-quar- earlier in the day because of a bench player, there’s enough ter points is an NBA record for sore left big toe. reason to believe the Spurs the first three games of a series. Aussie Danté Exum had won’t experience too signifi- Meanwhile, Draymond seven points and two assists in cant a drop-off with Mills in Green showed Quin Snyder his the Jazz’s loss, finishing with a Parker’s place, particularly on hot hand and range up close, team-high +4 plus-minus rat- the defensive end, where knocking down five three- ing, while countryman Joe In- they’re likely to experience a pointers and scoring 21 points gles posted three points, four boost with the -na- before a brief knee scare late in rebounds, and two steals in his tive in the line-up. the ’ 21 minutes of action. Mills has shown in previous 115-104 victory over the Utah Game three is tomorrow postseasons and at the Rio Jazz for a 2-0 lead in the West- morning (NT time) in Salt San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills celebrates sinking a basket against the during Olympics that he has the ability ern Conference semi-finals. Lake City. the first half of game two of their NBA playoff series Picture: ERIC GAY to step up on the biggest stage. Grieving Kyrgios home for funeral AOC vote a ‘sad soap opera’: Perkins NICK Kyrgios’ French Open Kyrgios, ranked 17 in the Madrid here we come,” Kyr- POOL legend Kieren Perkins years after gaining the support sad soap opera,’’ Perkins said. preparations will start in Mad- world, instead flew home to gios posted on the social media has branded today’s Olympic of Australia’s Athlete’s Com- “There should have been rid after taking a break from Canberra to attend his grand- site. Madrid will be his first voting shootout a “sad soap mission in the vote against dialogue and communication tennis due to the death of his father’s funeral. event on clay this year ahead opera’’ as frantic last-minute challenger Danni Roche. Book- to create a smooth transition ... grandfather. Ahead of the Madrid Open of the French Open starting on lobbying left a decision on a makers remain cautious about I just don’t support the way The Australian pulled out of next week, he posted on Insta- May 22. knife’s edge. the outcome, with William Hill this has occurred. Like him or the Millennium Open in Esto- gram a video of him doing a He reached the quarter-fi- John Coates has firmed having Coates a slight outsider hate him, I think he deserved ril, Portugal, where he was the ‘tweener’ shot at last year’s nals of the Spanish event last slightly in the market to retain and several other markets hav- more respect. The way it has top seed and a semi-finalist last event against Kei Nishikori. year where he was beaten by the Australian Olympic Coun- ing him a marginal favourite. been played out in the media year on clay. “Let’s see if we can get it going, Nishikori in three sets. cil presidency he has held for 27 “This whole thing is a very has not been good at all.’’

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