Established 1961 15 Sports Tuesday, January 12, 2021 First place Lakers thump Rockets, Clippers storm back to beat Bulls Celtics v Heat postponed due to COVID-19 safety measures

LOS ANGELES: Anthony Davis scored how we play defense. The coach came in beyond the arc. a game-high 27 points as the Los at halftime and said our defensive effort Asked how he has been able to stay Angeles Lakers delivered a dominating was off the charts.” focused long enough to reach 10,000 all-around performance on Sunday with With both James (ankle) and Davis career points, Leonard said, “Just hard a crushing 120-102 defeat of the Houston nursing nagging injuries, getting 54 work and dedication. I spend hours in Rockets in Texas. The Lakers finally hit points from their bench and holding the the gym. I pretty much grind it out every their stride in the new NBA season, run- Rockets to just 46 points in the first half day, and I have my mind set on a goal.” ning the Rockets ragged on offense and is good sign for the future. Davis also The Clippers were able to regroup bottling up their top scorers on defense, had three blocks. Sunday after a crushing 115-105 loss especially three-time league scoring “Our goal is to be the No. 1 defensive two days earlier to the Golden State champion James Harden, who was held team in the league,” said James. “We Warriors, when they surrendered a 20- to 20 points and committed seven came in with the mindset to get stops point lead. Paul George had 28 points, turnovers. and get out and do what we do on seven rebounds and nine assists and LeBron James scored 18 points as he offense. We able to those things on both Lou Williams came off the bench to and fellow all-star Davis had plenty of sides.” Christian Wood paced the score 21 points for the Clippers, who help from the bench. Talen Horton- Rockets with 23 points while Harden also averted their first three-game losing Tucker (17 points), Montrezl Harrell (16) had nine assists. Houston shot just 12 for streak of the season. and Kyle Kuzma (13) all came off the 41 from behind the arc. The Bulls hung in there, but suffered bench to reach double figures for the Elsewhere, Kawhi Leonard scored a another disappointing close loss. They Lakers, who are now a perfect 5-0 on team high 35 points and surpassed lost by two points to the Los Angeles the road to start the season. 10,000 career points as the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday and by four points to The defending NBA champions Clippers rallied to edge the Chicago the Sacramento Kings two days earlier. HOUSTON: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers puts up a layup during the scored a whopping 32 fast break points Bulls 130-127. Leonard earned the bulk Zach LaVine scored a season-high 45 second quarter of a game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Sunday in and 62 points in the paint, finally looking of his points during an explosive third points and he made 10 three-pointers Houston, Texas. —AFP like the juggernaut team that many had quarter in which he scored 21, a career for the Bulls, who lost their third con- envisioned at the start of the season. But high for one quarter. He finished with secutive game. Garrett Temple added where they really excelled Sunday was seven three-pointers in the game, includ- 18 points and Patrick Williams had 17 three point range and then George court, the contest postponed because of on defense, grabbing 39 defensive ing one in the third period that allowed points. LaVine’s finished just shy of his nailed two free throws to seal the victo- COVID-19 safety measures. Miami did rebounds and forcing 13 steals. him to reach the milestone. personal high of 49 points. ry. Elsewhere, Mike Conley had 22 points not have the required number of available “We’ve got to be a team who lead “We shot the ball well tonight and we The Clippers outscored the Bulls 42- and Rudy Gobert grabbed 20 rebounds players to play the game while the Celtics games with defense,” said Davis, who got stops at the end of the game,” said 35 in the third quarter to go into the as the Utah Jazz slipped past the Detroit were down to the NBA minimum of eight. returned to the lineup Sunday after sit- Leonard, who hit 14 of 22 shots. “I never fourth with the game tied 94-94. Nicolas Pistons 96-86. Also, Nikola Jokic posted another dou- ting out with a sore groin. “Tonight we make excuses.” The Clippers scored the Batum completed a four point play with ble-double by finishing with 22 points made shots, but there are going to be first basket of the game but did not lead 2:30 remaining in the fourth to give the Celtics v Heat postponed and 10 rebounds for the visiting Denver nights when we don’t make shots and we again until the third quarter when Clippers the lead for good. In the final The Boston Celtics’ home game Nuggets, who cruised to a 114-89 win can’t control that. What we can control is Leonard drained his seventh basket from seconds, LaVine put up an airball from against the Miami Heat didn’t even get on over the New York Knicks. — AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo completed the scoring deep McKennie to injury in the first half. Midfielder and who tested Juventus beat into injury time, rifling in his 15th league goal this McKennie pulled up after 18 minutes with a muscle positive for coronavirus. term. “It was a painful match, badly managed after problem and was replaced by Welsh international There was also a scare for forward Chiesa, who 10-man Sassuolo, our advantage, but the important thing was winning Ramsey. was left screaming in pain and clutching his left even if we were a little disorganised,” added Pirlo. Dybala was substituted three minutes before the ankle following Obiang’s tackle. But Alvaro Morata It was a bruising clash for the reigning champi- break after receiving treatment for a knock to his returned from injury, coming on for the final minutes move to fourth ons, who are chasing their 10th title in a row, as left knee, with Swede coming on of the game for his first outing in 2021. — AFP they lost forward and Weston in his place. Juve are already without , MILAN: Champions Juventus battled to a 3-1 vic- tory over 10-man Sassuolo to close the gap on the top three in on Sunday. ’s side Matches on TV won their third straight league match for the first time this season to move fourth, seven points behind (Local Timings) leaders AC Milan with a game in hand. “It was important to give continuity and win tonight, because otherwise the match played on Wednesday at San Siro was useless,” said Juventus ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE coach Andrea Pirlo whose side ended Milan’s 27- Sheffield United v Newcastle United 21:00 match unbeaten run midweek. beIN Sports HD 1 Sassuolo played the entire second half a man Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton 23:15 down after Pedro Obiang saw red for a dangerous beIN Sports HD 2 challenge on . Defender Danilo put Burnley v Manchester United 23:15 Juventus ahead in the 50th minute when he fired beIN Sports HD 1 home his first goal of the season. But seven minutes later Sassuolo pulled level with SPANISH LEAGUE Gregoire Defrel brilliantly finishing off a Hamed Granada CF v Osasuna 21:00 Junior Traore through ball. Substitute beIN Sports HD 3 gave Juventus the advantage again eight minutes TURIN: Juventus’ Portuguese forward runs with the ball during the Italian Serie A football Atletico de Madrid v Sevilla FC 23:30 from time when he tapped in a Gianluca Frabotta match Juventus vs Sassuolo on Sunday at the Juventus stadium in Turin. —AFP beIN Sports HD 3 cross to claim his first goal of the campaign.

Who is Matthew Hoppe? Meet new Bundesliga star BERLIN: Matthew Hoppe earned instant hero status at Schalke with his hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday that saved his club from matching the Bundesliga record for the most consecutive games without a win. So who exactly is this latest young American to break through in Germany? At Schalke the 19-year-old is fol- lowing in the footsteps of Texas-born Weston McKennie, who left the Gelsenkirchen club to join Juventus on loan at the start of this season. GELSENKIRCHEN: Schalke’s US forward Matthew Hoppe (C) shoots to score a goal past There was also Christian Pulisic at Hoffenheim’s German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (L) during the German first division Borussia Dortmund before he signed for KUWAIT: Jahra and Burgan players vie for the rebound during their Kuwait Bundesliga football match Schalke 04 v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Gelsenkirchen, western Chelsea, while Hoppe’s peers this season Basketball League playoff match Sunday night. Germany, on Saturday. — AFP include Gio Reyna at Dortmund, Josh Sargent at Werder Bremen, RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams and Chris Richards at Bayern and Wales forward Rabbi Matondo strug- three goals to become the third-youngest Jahra, Kuwait win in Munich. And then there is Pellegrino gled before being loaned to English second- player to score a Bundesliga hat-trick. Matarazzo, the New Jersey-born coach of tier side Stoke City last week. Promoted to Ironically, Schalke are in their 30th straight Basketball League playoffs VfB Stuttgart. The Bundesliga has been the first team in late November, Hoppe start- season in the Bundesliga. One of Germany’s good to American players in recent years ed on his Bundesliga debut, a 4-1 defeat at best-supported teams, Hoppe’s goals By Abdellatif Sharaa Rifae, but Jahra did not take long to and they have been good for Germany’s top Borussia Moenchengladbach. helped lift them off the bottom of the table, restore its dominance through play- flight, helping raise its profile across the Christian Gross, Schalke’s fourth coach although they remain in the relegation zone, KUWAIT: In an exciting match, ers Mohammad Ashkanani, Fahad Atlantic. Hoppe, though, will settle for being this season, arrived in late December and six points from outright safety after 15 Jahra basketball team won the first Khalid and Humaidi, and ended the revered in the blue half of the Ruhr region. has clearly spotted Hoppe’s talent. The for- games. “He will always remember this day in playoff game against Burgan 75-65 first half with the score of 47-34. mer Tottenham manager selected him for his his career,” Gross said of Hoppe. Sunday night. The second match Jahra continued scoring in the Chose Ruhr over San Diego first two games, including Saturday’s thrash- The veteran coach described a player saw Kuwait notch an easy win third quarter and led by 18 points, Hoppe is from southern California and ing as Schalke ended an astonishing run of who “doesn’t shy away from working against Qurain with the score of which made Burgan’s coach to take joined Schalke in 2019 after playing for the 30 games without a win, one shy of the all- extremely hard” in training and is “unbeliev- 107-58. Kuwait Basketball League time out to reorganize his defense Barcelona Residency Academy USA in time Bundesliga record of 31 set by ably ambitious, has tremendous commitment playoff rounds are of three matches and raise the pace of the match. Arizona. He scored 29 goals in 23 games in Tasmania Berlin in the 1960s. and only thinks about Schalke. “He wants to each, with the winners qualifying for Burgan were able to reduce the 2018/19 while playing for Barca’s USA do whatever it takes to get us out of this sit- the next round to start on Jan 24. point difference to 10 points, but academy and committed to San Diego State ‘Unbelievably ambitious’ uation. He’s still very young and still has lots Jahra saw themselves up 11-2 at Humaidi’s three-pointers ended the University before being offered a trial with “I have no words,” Hoppe said after to learn in order to become a top-rate fin- the start of the match through accu- third quarter at 65-52. The fourth Schalke. becoming the first American to score a isher, but we’re working on that.” rate shooting by Abdelaziz Al- quarter saw Jahra players tiring, After moving to Germany, he did enough Bundesliga hat-trick on what was just his His hat-trick instantly made Hoppe Humaidi. Burgan players were reck- which was an opportunity for to impress in Schalke’s reserves last season fifth appearance in the league. “The first Schalke’s top scorer this season. Bayern are less and allowed Jahra to go up 26- Burgan to reduce the difference to 5 despite scoring a single goal in 16 games. goal was the easiest as it was pure instinct,” due in Gelsenkirchen in a fortnight, but 12. The second quarter saw Burgan points through their fast-paced play, The first team’s dire form and lack of goals he said of his deft chip which put Schalke on Hoppe is not assured of his place with the organize their attack and they but the experience of Jahra players created a chance this season for Hoppe as the path to a first league win since January Royal Blue still on the lookout for another reduced the gap to 8 points through saved the day for them, as the match Schalke’s other strikers fell by the wayside. last year. “I hope the team can keep fighting, striker. “Nothing has changed. We’re work- Musaed Al-Otaibi and Saad Al- ended at 75-65. Vedad Ibisevic was sacked in November, stay confident and stay in the league.” ing hard to strengthen the squad - especial- Goncalo Paciencia picked up a knee injury Hoppe needed just 21 minutes for his ly up front,” Gross said. — AFP