ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 1-2, 2021 16

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach calls a play during a timeout in the second half of the team’s NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers in San Antonio, on Dec 30. (AP) Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Nets hand Hawks first loss of season Hammon takes over for Popovich, 1st women to direct NBA team SAN ANTONIO, Dec 31, (AP): Becky Hammon became the fi rst woman to direct an NBA team, taking over the after coach was ejected in a 121-107 loss to LeBron James and the Los An- geles Lakers on Wednesday night. Rattler shines as Oklahoma James celebrated his 36th birthday with 26 points, eight assists and fi ve rebounds in the Lakers’ third double- digit victory. The teams will compete the two-game set Friday night. Popovich was ejected by offi cial Tony Brown with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter. Popovich screamed at Brown and entered the court follow- routs Florida in Cotton Bowl ing a non-call on DeMar DeRozan’s attempted layup and a subsequent at- tempted by Drew Eubanks. Popovich was applauded as he exited the court by several of the team’s fam- ily members in attendance. Hammon took over the team’s hud- dles during timeouts and walked the sideline following Popovich’s ejec- tion. Hammon was the fi rst full-time female assistant coach in league his- tory. Tim Duncan took over last season when Popovich was ejected against Portland on Nov 16, 2019. The Hall of Famer opted not to return as assistant this season. A three-time All-American at Colo- rado State, Hammon played for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars in the WNBA as well as overseas before retiring to join Popovich’s staff in 2014.

BASKETBALL

Dennis Schroder had 21 points, An- thony Davis had 20 points and eight re- bounds for the Lakers. Dejounte Mur- ray had 29 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Spurs. Heat 119, Bucks 108 In Miami, the Miami Heat engi- neered a 58-point turnaround against the Milwaukee Bucks in 24 hours. And just like that, an embarrassing loss was avenged. Goran Dragic scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo fi nished with 22 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and the Heat beat the Bucks a day after Milwaukee made an NBA-record 29 3-pointers on the way to a 47-point romp on Miami’s home fl oor. Tyler Herro had 21 points and grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds for Miami, which trailed by 14 early in the second half and rallied to get a split of the two-game, two-night series against the team that fi nished with the NBA’s best record in each of the past two reg- ular seasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a tri- ple-double - 26 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists - for the Bucks. Wisconsin players hoist the trophy following victory over Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl NCAA college football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Dec 30. (AP) Clippers 128, Trail Blazers 105 In Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points in his return from a Wisconsin beats Wake Forest in Duke’s Mayo Bowl two-game absence, Paul George added 23 points, and Los Angeles breezed past Portland. ARLINGTON, Texas, Dec Major. They averaged 10.52 yards per tion by mid-October. It was the Clippers’ second straight 31, (AP): Spencer Rattler play overall, the most ever against a These Gators (8-4, No. 7 CFP) were blowout win to close out the year. Power 5 opponent in a bowl game, ac- much different than the team that just George had 10 rebounds, while he and threw three touchdown cording to STATS. 11 days earlier fell 52-46 to No. 1 Ala- Leonard had seven assists each. Six Clip- passes and ran for an- Rattler threw a 27-yard TD pass to bama in the SEC title game, and had pers scored in double fi gures. Lou Wil- other score, Rhamondre fellow freshman Marvin Mims on the averaged nearly 42 points a game. liams added 15 points off the bench. game’s opening drive, and Florida’s Trask played presumably his fi nal CJ McCollum scored 25 points, mak- Stevenson rushed for 186 fi rst possession ended with Tre Nor- college game, but didn’t have his top ing seven 3-pointers, to lead the Blazers, yards and No. 8 Oklaho- wood’s 45-yard interception return four pass-catchers, and didn’t play af- whose two-game winning streak ended. ma beat 10th-ranked SEC for a touchdown. That was the fi rst of ter the opening drive of the second half Damian Lillard made 14 of 15 free three picks thrown by Heisman Trophy when the Gators were already down throws to fi nish with 20 points after miss- runner-up Florida 55-20 fi nalist quarterback Kyle Trask in the 31-13. ing 11 of 14 shots from the fi eld. He was on Wednesday night in the fi rst quarter, after only fi ve all season. AP All-America tight end Kyle Pitts 0 of 8 from 3-point range. “We capitalized on a couple of and two others receivers opted out to Cotton Bowl. start preparing for their pro futures, Celtics 126, Grizzlies 107 mistakes that they made,” Riley said. Back in the same NFL stadium “A couple of times, we confused and sophomore receiver Jacob Cope- In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 18 their quarterback with coverage, and land tested positive for COVID-19. of his 42 points in the second quarter Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) scores past San Antonio where 11 days earlier they won their sixth consecutive Big 12 ti- he let go of a couple of throws that They were among 17 players that Flor- and Boston pulled away to its 10th Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan during the first half of an NBA basketball ida said were unavailable. tle, the Sooners (9-2, No. 6 CFP) weren’t as decisive as we usually see straight victory over Memphis. game in San Antonio on Dec 30. (AP) him make.” Brown matched his career best of jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the Oklahoma played in its sixth con- 34 points with three minutes left in the FOOTBALL first seven minutes. The 55 points secutive New Year’s Six bowl game, third and tied a career-high with seven were their most ever in a bowl 3-pointers made. Jayson Tatum scored NBA Results/Standings but the last three seasons had lost Col- game, while piling up a Cotton lege Football Playoffs semifi nal games Dual-threat sophomore QB Emory 16 points, and Marcus Smart had 14. Jones had a 1-yard keeper for Florida’s Hours after announcing they will Bowl-record 684 total yards. while giving up an average of 54 points “What a great night for Oklahoma to different SEC teams. fi rst touchdown midway through the be without leading scorer and reigning WASHINGTON, Dec 31, (AP): NBA results and standings on Wednesday. second quarter, capping a 16-play, Rookie of the Year Ja Morant for three to football,” coach Lincoln Riley said. The Sooners fi nished this season Boston 126 Memphis 107 LA Lakers 121 San Antonio 107 “We wanted to make a statement with with an eight-game winning streak. 88-yard drive when both he and Trask fi ve weeks because of a sprained ankle, Brooklyn 145 Atlanta 141 Charlotte 118 Dallas 99 took snaps. the Grizzlies lost for the third time in four Miami 119 Milwaukee 108 LA Clippers 128 Portland 105 the way we played.” They had started 0-2 in Big 12 play for The Sooners had 435 yards rushing, the fi rst time since 1998, effectively Trask fi nished 16 of 28 for 158 games. Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points Eastern Conference Western Conference yards, while Jones was 8 of 16 for Atlantic Division Southwest Division including 110 from freshman Marcus knocking them out of playoff conten- and 11 rebounds for Memphis. W L Pct GB W L Pct GB 86 yards – with 12 players catching Nets 135, Hawks141 Philadelphia 3 1 .750 - New Orleans 2 2 .500 - passes. Brooklyn 3 2 .600 0.5 San Antonio 2 2 .500 - “A lot of guys got some really good In New York, Kyrie Irving shook off Boston 3 2 .600 0.5 Dallas 1 3 .250 1 three rough quarters to score 17 of his New York 2 2 .500 1 Memphis 1 3 .250 1 experience out there for us tonight,” 25 points in the fourth, Kevin Durant Toronto 0 3 .000 2.5 Houston 0 2 .000 1 coach Dan Mullen said. “I think the had 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight Southeast Division Northwest Division future is really bright.” W L Pct GB W L Pct GB assists, and Brooklyn handed Atlanta Orlando 4 0 1.000 - Utah 2 1 .667 - Wisconsin 42, Wake Forest 28 its fi rst loss. Atlanta 3 1 .750 1 Minnesota 2 2 .500 0.5 In Charlotte, N.C., Graham Mertz In the opener of a two-game series Charlotte 2 2 .500 2 Portland 2 2 .500 0.5 Miami 2 2 .500 2 Oklahoma City 1 2 .333 1 accounted for three touchdowns and between the teams that was almost en- Washington 0 4 .000 4 Denver 1 3 .250 1.5 Wisconsin turned four second-half in- tirely about offense - the third game in Central Division Pacific Division terceptions into 21 points to beat Wake Nets franchise where both teams had W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Cleveland 3 1 .750 - LA Clippers 4 1 .800 - 100 points through three quarters - Ir- Indiana 3 1 .750 - Phoenix 3 1 .750 0.5 Mertz threw for 130 yards and ran ving couldn’t get into the act. He was Milwaukee 2 3 .400 1.5 Sacramento 3 1 .750 0.5 for two short touchdowns for Wis- just 3 for 16 from the fi eld and get- Chicago 1 3 .250 2 LA Lakers 3 2 .600 1 consin (4-3). The redshirt freshman ting badly outplayed by point guard Detroit 0 4 .000 3 Golden State 2 2 .500 1.5 dropped the football-shaped crystal counterpart Trae Young. But he made trophy while dancing around the lock- three 3-pointers in the fi nal period after Hornets 118, Mavericks 99 Hornets a 25-point lead coming off er room in celebration, leaving it shat- missing all seven through three as the In Dallas, LaMelo Ball scored 22 their fi rst win, over Kevin Durant, Ky- tered after it fell off its base. Nets rallied to win after dropping two With the game tied at 21 late in the straight following their 2-0 start. points, Miles Bridges had 20 points and rie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. third quarter, Noah Burks intercepted Young had 30 points, 11 assists and 16 rebounds and Charlotte blew out Dal- Charlotte silenced Luka Doncic and Sam Hartman’ pass and returned it 41 six rebounds, and John Collins had 30 las in the Mavericks’ home opener. the Mavericks, who are still without Florida defensive back Donovan Stiner (13) is unable to stop Oklahoma yards to set up a 14-yard scoring strike points and 10 rebounds. The Hawks Terry Rozier, who scored 18 points, European sidekick Kristaps Porzingis wide receiver Marvin Mims (17) from reaching the end zone on a touch- from Mertz to Mason Stokke. Hart- won their fi rst three for the fi rst time hit a pair of 3-pointers early in a 14-0 as the 7-foot-3 Latvian recovers from down reception during the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college foot- man’s passes were picked off on the since 2016. run to start the second half, giving the knee surgery. Doncic had 12 points. ball game in Arlington, Texas, Dec 30. (AP) next three possessions as well.

THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Published by: Arab Times Publishing House

Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office: Telephone: 24813566 & 24849144 Advertising: Tel: 55633481 Annual Subscriptions: Airport Road, Shuwaikh Fax: 24818267 Fax: 24911307 Individuals KD 45/- Companies and Offi cial Tel: 24849144 AHMED AL JARALLAH Departments KD 75 Airmail charges extra for Fax: 24839487 P.O. Box 2270, 13023 Safat, Kuwait E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] overseas