Established 1961 Sport

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

World number one Osaka in Joe Root’s century anchors Pochettino faces defining moment 25shock split with coach 26 rampant England assault 27 in bid for first trophy at Spurs

Westbrook sets triple-double mark Cavs hand Knicks club-record 17th straight loss

OKLAHOMA CITY: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. — AFP

OKLAHOMA CITY: Paul George had a 47- James Harden nearly had his streak of con- Kadeem Allen scored a career-high 25 points, and James Johnson scored 14 for Derrick Rose returned after missing the point triple-double, and Russell Westbrook secutive 30-point games end before com- points off the bench for the Knicks, who the Heat. past three games with an ankle injury and set an NBA record for consecutive triple- ing alive down the stretch as host Houston trailed wire to wire but had chances to tie scored 22 points off the bench. The doubles as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat defeated Dallas. Harden finished with a the score or take the lead in the final BUCKS 112, BULLS 99 Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins sat out the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on game-high 31 points on 9-for-23 shooting minute. Collin Sexton scored a team-high Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a due to an illness. Lou Williams scored a Monday night. George’s 3-pointer with 3:52 and rounded out his stat line with eight 20 points for the Cavaliers while Larry one-game rest to score a game-high 29 season-high 45 points off the bench, to play came on the 10th assist by rebounds, seven assists and five steals. The Nance Jr. registered 15 points and 16 points, leading Milwaukee to a victory at including 21 in the fourth quarter for the Westbrook, who clinched his 10th consecu- Rockets relied on a collective effort to rebounds. Chicago. Antetokounmpo produced his Clippers, who went 3-3 on their six-game tive triple-double. Westbrook finished with build a lead against Dallas, with four others fifth straight game with 29 or more points, road trip. 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Wilt scoring in double figures, including guard NUGGETS 103, HEAT 87 a stretch during which he has averaged Chamberlain had nine consecutive triple- Gerald Green, who poured in 19 points in Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 12 33.6 points per game. Eric Bledsoe (19 RAPTORS 127, NETS 125 doubles in 1968. George, who contributed 22 minutes off the bench. Luka Doncic rebounds, Malik Beasley got hot in the points) also helped the Bucks win their six Kawhi Leonard banked in the go-ahead 12 rebounds and 10 assists, has scored 92 posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight fourth quarter and finished with 23 points, straight on the road. Zach LaVine had 27 field goal with 4.2 seconds, and he fin- points over the last two games. The win was assists to pace the Mavericks. and host Denver beat Miami. Monte points for the Bulls, who lost their 11th con- ished with 30 points and eight assists to the fourth consecutive and 11th in 12 games Morris scored 17 points, and Paul Millsap secutive home game. help Toronto beat visiting Brooklyn. Marc for the Thunder. The Trail Blazers took their CAVALIERS 107, KNICKS 104 had nine points and 10 rebounds in his Gasol added 16 points — 11 in the fourth third loss in four games despite getting 31 New York saw its late comeback bid fall return to the lineup for the Nuggets, who TIMBERWOLVES 130, CLIPPERS 120 quarter-for the Raptors, who have won points from Damian Lillard. short at Cleveland and took its 17th straight ended a three-game losing streak. Millsap Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and five in a row. Toronto’s Serge Ibaka added defeat-the longest single-season losing played 20 minutes off the bench after 10 rebounds, and Minnesota ended a four- 18 points and 12 rebounds. D’Angelo ROCKETS 120, MAVERICKS 104 streak in franchise history. The Knicks lost missing the previous three games due to game losing streak with a win over Los Russell had 28 points and 14 assists for Hampered by a strained left shoulder, 16 straight during the 2014-15 season. ankle soreness. Justise Winslow had 15 Angeles in Minneapolis. Minnesota’s the Nets.— Reuters

Wembley, tweeted a fulsome tribute to his former was absolutely marvellous goalkeeper. He was a like- England World team-mate. “Very sad to hear the news that Gordon able man, and when it came to business, he was prob- has died. One of the very greatest,” tweeted 77-year- ably the best there has ever been.” old Hurst. Banks, whose club playing career revolved largely Cup-winning Banks, who played in every game of the 1966 cam- around Stoke and Leicester City, is the latest of the paign on home soil, is probably best known for a 1966 team to pass away. Captain , the wonder save he produced to deny Brazilian great Pele baby of the team Alan Ball and Ray Wilson preceded ‘keeper Gordon in the 1970 World Cup group match. “Once I got my him while several such as and Martin hand to it I hadn’t a clue where it was going,” he Peters suffer from Alzheimer’s. Banks’ dead modestly said afterwards. Another former Leicester and England legend Pele-who would go on to lift the trophy-admitted -albeit from a later generation-also later he had said ‘gol’, so sure was he that the ball was tweeted his appreciation of Banks, whose sole tro- : , England’s goalkeeper dur- heading into the net. Brazil still won the game 1-0. phies at club level were two League Cups, one piece ing their triumphant 1966 World Cup campaign, has However, Banks later recounted that he did not with Stoke and Leicester. “Oh no. Gordon Banks, an died aged 81, his former club Stoke City announced appreciate the remark made by one of his team- absolute hero of mine, and countless others, has yesterday. His family said the 73-times capped Banks, mates that day, Alan Mullery. died,” tweeted Lineker. “@England’s World Cup win- Gordon Banks who lost an eye in a car crash in 1972, had passed “I patted him on his head, and I said ‘why didn’t ner was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, away in his sleep. “It is with great sadness that we you catch it?’ and the abuse that came back was and such a lovely, lovely man. #RIPGordon.” announce that Gordon passed away peacefully unbelievable,” said Mullery. Mullery said Banks was Stoke City chairman Peter Coates said Banks-who “He made his home in Stoke, and was very much overnight,” his family said. “We are devastated to lose probably the best goalkeeper he had played with or played 250 times for The Potters after he joined from part of the fabric of the club. You don’t get too many him but we have so many happy memories and could against. Leicester in 1967 — had not been in good health for like him, and he was immensely modest for all talent. not have been more proud of him.” “He was the best at that time. We had some great several weeks. “We’ve been expecting his, he has “He told me when they walked out at Wembley for the , who scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 win goalkeepers in those days, and the only person I can been poorly for a number of weeks but it’s a very sad final, and he had goose-bumps, he had never seen over West Germany in the World Cup final at think came near was ,” said Mullery. “He day for us, we love him so much,” said Coates. anything like it.” —AFP