Established 1961 13 Sports Sunday, February 18, 2018 World trounces USA to jump start all-star weekend Simmons won the battle of two hottest rookies in the league LOS ANGELES: Team World attacked the rim and with two, Murray and Toronto’s Dillon Brooks. The dominated from three-point range as the internationals World led 78-59 at the half then stretched that to a kicked off the NBA 2018 All-Star Weekend festivities whopping 36 points at the end of the third quarter. with a 155-124 victory over Team USA on Friday. Their biggest lead was 39 points. Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 26 points and drained seven of 13 from beyond the arc and his WORLD BEATERS Sacramento Kings teammate Buddy Hield tallied a “It was the all-star game so it wasn’t like a really team-high 29 points in the Rising Stars Game at Staples competitive game,” said Hield, of the Bahamas. “But the Center arena. “I got hot first and then Bogie world is getting better. “I am proud to see a lot of guys (Bogdanovic) got hot and he continued to stay hot,” around the world from France, Australia, you have (Joel) said Hield, of the game which Embiid from Cameroon. The features 20 of the top first- world is showing progress and second-year NBA play- catching up to American bas- ers. “I think Bogie had 29 ketball.” and I had 26. So it was good The World dominated tonight for both of us. World is showing from three-point range hit- “We represented ting 41 percent (23 of 56) of Sacramento well and repre- progress catching their attempts compared to sented our countries well. just 27 percent for the The whole thing was to up to American Americans. “It seemed like come here and stay aggres- basketball somewhere in the late first sive and get the win.” quarter and early second Canada’s Jamal Murray, who quarter we just started plays for the Denver making a bunch of threes Nuggets, delivered 21 points and seven assists and and pulled away,” said World coach Rex Kalamian, Dario Saric, of Croatia, scored 18 and made four-of- who is an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors. seven three pointers.Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown led USA coach Roy Rogers said they tried to mix it up in LOS ANGELES: Jaylen Brown #7 of the USA Team goes up for the dunk against the World Team during the Mountain Team USA with a game high 35 points and 10 rebounds the second half but they just didn’t shoot well enough Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game during All-Star Friday Night as part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at the STAPLES while Los Angeles Lakers Kyle Kuzma scored 20 points to win. Center on Friday in Los Angeles, California. — AFP and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics had 15. “Even at halftime we talked about adjustments we Australia’s Ben Simmons won the battle of the two were trying to make. They tried. But unfortunately it Rogers said he even had to do some in-game coaching their competitive spirit.” Rogers said this rookie class is hottest rookies in the league this season, scoring 11 was just one of those nights where the shots didn’t go because he didn’t want it to turn into a slam-dunk con- helping re-define the style of play in the NBA. points and dishing out 13 assists for Team World com- down for us,” said Rogers, an assistant coach with the test at the end like several of these all-star games have “It is no longer a cookie-cutter league where big pared to Donovan Mitchell’s seven points and seven Houston Rockets. “What I told the guys afterwards is in the past. “The last two minutes I got on my guys guys just stay on the post,” he said. “This rookie class assists for the USA. Team Worlds 10 players came from every game is a learning experience. about not finishing the game the right way and they got symbolises where the NBA is headed-speed, athleti- nine different countries with Canada leading the way You choose what you want to learn from this game.” back on track,” he said. “Overall I was satisfied with cism and shooting ability.” — AFP

It’s not finished yet says ‘world Zealand posted a seemingly daunting NZ quick to 243, Australia caned the New Zealand best’ Kohli bowling to produce the highest run chase in Twenty20 history to win by bury T20 five . JOHANNESBURG: Indian , Ben Wheeler was severely put labelled the best batsman in the world by head debacle as away and had gone for 64 from 3.1 coach , wants his team to rise to overs when he was forced out of the one more challenge before they finish their attack for bowling two waist-high no gruelling South African tour. England loom balls. Senior bowlers Tim Southee and “The tour is not over,” said Kohli ahead of Trent Boult both went for more than a three-match Twenty20 series starting at the AUCKLAND: New Zealand wasted 40 but Guptill refused to blame the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on no time debating bowling woes after a attack for the dramatic defeat. Sunday. After leading India to a crushing 5-1 CENTURION: India batsman and captain Virat Kohli celebrates his half century during the sixth record Twenty20 loss to Australia as “I don’t think you can really say one-day international series victory to com- match between South Africa and India at the Super Sport Park in they regrouped yesterday ahead of that,” he said. “Australia came out and pensate for a 2-1 Test series defeat to the Centurion on Friday. — AFP their tri-series showdown against played extremely well and struck it South Africans, Kohli said India were still hun- England. well pretty much from ball one. “To gry for success. Martin Guptill described Friday put 240 on the board and to lose the “That is the frame of mind we are in and we out very soon by this game.” A key for South Africa will be to master night’s loss to Australia as “disheart- game, it’s a little bit disheartening, but are looking forward to the T20s now,” he said. Kohli said India had pledged not to take “a Indian wrist spinners and ening” but quickly added: “We haven’t we haven’t really got a lot of time to Kohli capped an exceptional personal per- backward step” after losing the first two Tests Yuzvendra Chahal, who took a combined 33 really got a lot of time to dwell on it.” dwell on it, because we’ve got another formance by hitting 129 in the sixth in South Africa. He said their win in the third wickets in the one-day games. When Guptill was flailingaway at the game in two days’ time, so it’s a quick one-day international in Centurion on Friday, and final Test had been a turning point. “We Squads: top of the New Zealand innings in turnaround, and get out there taking his aggregate to a world bilateral one- have created momentum which has lasted until South Africa: JP Duminy (captain), Farhaan Auckland, victory seemed certain, tonight.” day series record of 558 runs at an average of now. It’s with us and we have to make the Behardien, Junior Dala, AB de Villiers, Reeza which would have made Sunday’s New Zealand beat England by 12 186. Shastri lauded Kohli’s leadership and his most of it, even until the last day of the tour.” Hendricks, Christiaan Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen clash with England in Hamilton a mere runs when they met earlier in the week batting skills: “I’ve seen him batting across all Ten of the 13 Indian players who appeared (wkt), David Miller, Chris Morris, Dane training exercise before Wednesday’s setting up an all-or-nothing showdown conditions, all formats. It’s not just averages, in the one-day series are in the T20 squad, Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile final for which Australia had already today. Should England win the return it’s the way you get runs, when you get it and while eight of South Africa’s squad played in Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts. qualified. match, then the side with the superior then to back those runs up on what the team the one-day games. With a Test series against India: Virat Kohli (captain), But after the big-hitting opener overall run rate will progress to the does. “I would safely say he is the best bats- Australia starting on March 1, South Africa (vice-captain), , Yuzvendra smacked 105 off 54 balls as New final against Australia. —AFP man in the world.” have rested all their likely Test players with Chahal, , MS Dhoni (wkt), the exception of AB de Villiers. (wkt), Kuldeep Yadav, ‘NO BACKWARD STEPS’ De Villiers, who was once himself , Manish Pandey, Hardik Asked whether he considered himself the described by Kohli as the best batsman in the Pandya, , Lokesh Rahul, Suresh best, Kohli told journalists: “I am not compet- world, had a poor one-day series in compari- Raina, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat ing with anyone. I only look to help my team. son to his teammate, Fixtures: world”. “During his six-month ban, If you are thinking about the team special making only 62 runs in three innings and March 18, Johannesburg Iran protests Karimi Mashiani can take part in things happen. “If you are thinking about needs to find his best form ahead of the Tests March 21, Centurion domestic competitions and in the final being ahead of someone else, you’ll be found against Australia. March 24, Cape Town. — AFP stage of the national team selection. ban on wrestler “His ban will be over before the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and the World who threw bout Championship,” Khadem added. Karimi Mashiani threw his quarter- Kenya’s Simader final bout against Russian Alikhan to avoid Israel Zhabrayilov in the under-86 kilo- draws inspiration gramme freestyle contest. Footage TEHRAN: Iran’s wrestling federation shows him leading in the match until from super-G said late Friday it would protest a his coach starts shouting “Alireza, decision to ban one of its athletes and lose” from the sidelines. the national coach for deliberately Karimi Mashiani then repeatedly shock throwing a match to avoid fighting an rolled over to hand his opponent a Israeli opponent. Alireza Karimi dozen points and victory. He also Mashiani threw a match against his refused to take the mat against an PYEONGCHANG: Kenya’s Sabrina Simader Russian opponent in the under-23 Israeli opponent at the World said yesterday she would be inspired to sur- world championships in Poland in Championships in Hungary in 2013. prise a few people herself after watching November to avoid fighting Israel’s Uri The United World Wrestling Czech skier Ester Ledecka win one of the Kalashnikov in the next round. Disciplinary Chamber found that most astonishing Winter Olympic races of The Islamic republic does not Karimi Mashiani “on instruction of his all time. recognise the Jewish state, placing it coach Jamshidi, wilfully lost his quar- Simader, the first speed skier to race for in the same “Great Satan” category as ter finals match against Alikhan Kenya and only its second Winter Olympic the United States, and forbids its Zhabrayilov”. “Both wrestler and athlete, finished 38th out of 44 in the women’s sportsmen from competing against coach were found to have acted in super-G, in which Ledecka - better known as Israelis. direct violation of the International a snowboarder - came from nowhere to beat Wrestling Rules and the UWW PYEONGCHANG: Kenya’s Sabrina Simader reacts after competing in the Women’s Giant Slalom at On Friday, the United World defending champion Anna Veith of Austria by Wrestling Disciplinary Chamber Disciplinary Regulations,” it said in a a hundredth of a second. the Yongpyong Alpine Centre during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in statement. Pyeongchang. — AFP banned Karimi Mashiani from compe- “It was so cool and so emotional, also for tition for six months, and banned his Iran said it had fought for months to me, because I mean - a Czech girl wins the coach Hamidreza Jamshidi for two limit the impact of the decision and Olympics, and nobody expected that before,” on Thursday. the beginning, but afterwards.” years. “The federation will protest the reduce the proposed fine. A statement Simader told reporters. “I hope I can also It was the biggest milestone yet for the She remembered her first reaction: “Oh verdict,” Iran Wrestling Federation from the Iran Wrestling Federation on surprise some other people in the next race.” young woman, born in Kenya and raised in no, it’s too cold and I never saw snow and it president Rasoul Khadem said on its website said such situations were That won’t be at the Olympics, however, Austria, who hated skiing when she first was like, ‘Oh my gosh, no.’” Sixteen years state television. Khadem blamed the bound to recur and be even “more as the teenager has finished her programme tried it out as a little girl. “I learned it at on, she is still living in Austria, training with ban on pressure from the International serious and complicated” in future. in Pyeongchang - rebounding in the super- three years (old) from my stepfather in the Austrian team and hoping she can get Olympic Committee, which he said was “It is hoped that a solution is G from the disappointment of failing to Austria. He has his own ski lift, a small one, more funding to pursue her ambitions in the itself “under the influence of big politi- thought of by competent authorities complete the second run of the giant slalom so I learned it there and I fell in love - not at sport. — Reuters cal and economic powers of the for resolving this issue.” — AFP