ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021 16

Baylor forward Flo Thamba (0) fi ghts for a with Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) during the fi rst half of the championship game in the men’s Final Four NCAA college basketball tourna- ment at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (AP) Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Baylor wins historic national title Gonzaga’s pursuit of unbeaten season ends

INDIANAPOLIS, April 6, (AP): Baylor knew it would need to play to near-perfec- tion to end Gonzaga’s fl aw- less season. The Bears just about did. and their dynamic backcourt hit their fi rst fi ve 3-point- ers and never cooled off. Undersized big man delivered as many headaches as bruises. Their bench was superb, their rebound- ing exceptional, their game plan impeccable and the coaching of spot-on in the crowning moment of his long building job in Waco, Texas. The result was a stunning 86-70 rout of the overall No. 1 seed for the fi rst men’s basketball title in school history. Butler, the do-everything All- American, led the way with 22 points, outdueling Gonzaga fresh- man sensation Jalen Suggs in a matchup of premier point guards. Butler hit four 3-pointers, repeated- ly broke down the Bulldogs off the dribble and, when they managed to stop him, piled up seven assists by fi nding someone else wide open.

BASKETBALL

Often it was his backcourt bud- dies MaCio Teague (19 points) and (15 points). Or it was Vital, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound fullback in basketball shoes. He had three offensive re- bounds before the game was 3 min- utes old, fi nished with six points and 11 boards and made life miserable for Gonzaga star Drew Timme. The teams were supposed to play in December in Indianapolis, but an Baylor players and coaches celebrate after the championship game against Gonzaga in the men’s Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament at outbreak of COVID-19 within the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Baylor won 86-70. (AP) Gonzaga program forced the game to be called off. The two teams spent most of the regular season ranked Suns down Rockets for 6th straight win 1-2 in the AP poll, and they were anointed the co-favorites for a most unique NCAA Tournament played entirely in central Indiana. Despite only 8,000 fans in the Doncic’s 31 points pace Mavs over Jazz crowd, the vast majority of them wearing green and gold, there was a DALLAS, April 6, (AP): Luka Doncic had enough. nio Spurs 125-101 to snap a fi ve-game palpable excitement about the game scored 31 points and Dorian Finney- Irving wore down the Knicks’ de- skid. Collin Sexton added 22 points for - perhaps it was still lingering from Smith added a season-high 23 as the fense with his dazzling dribbling moves Cleveland. Isaiah Hartenstein scored a NBA Results/Standings Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz that freed up space for jumpers, includ- season-high 16, and Taurean Prince fi n- the Final Four, when Suggs hit a 111-103 on Monday night for their sea- ing a 3-pointer with 59 seconds left after ished with 14. buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime son-best fi fth straight win. New York had closed within two. San Antonio fi nished the longest Barcelona’s Pedri, heads the to beat UCLA in one of the most re- The NBA-leading Jazz had their The Knicks scored fi ve straight to tie homestand in franchise history at 2-7, WASHINGTON, April 6, (AP): NBA results ball during the Spanish La markable fi nishes in the history of and standings on Monday. Liga soccer match between nine-game winning streak halted. it at 112 on Alec Burks’ 3-pointer and dropping from seventh to ninth in the Dallas 111 Utah 103 the NCAA Tournament. Jalen Brunson scored 20 points, Josh forced the ball out of Irving’s hands on Western Conference. It marked the FC Barcelona and Valladolid Toronto 103 Washington 101 CF at the Camp Nou stadium In any case, the Bears roared to Richardson 17 and Tim Hardaway Jr 16 Brooklyn’s next trip. Joe Harris missed fourth time during the homestand that Cleveland 125 San Antonio 101 a 29-10 lead midway through the as Dallas won for the fi rst time in three a jumper, but Green got the rebound and an opponent beat the Spurs to snap a Detroit 132 Oklahoma City 108 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP) Minnesota 116 Sacramento 106 first half, the biggest deficit Gon- games versus Utah this season. Kristaps was fouled. losing streak. Brooklyn 114 New York 112 zaga had faced all year, and threat- Porzingis, Dallas’ No. 2 scorer and lead- Raptors 103, Wizards 101 DeMar DeRozan had 25 points for Phoenix 133 Houston 130 ened to turn that highly anticipated ing rebounder, sat out with a sprained San Antonio. Rudy Gay, Derrick White Eastern Conference Barcelona cut right wrist. In Tampa, Fla, Gary Trent Jr. beat and Keldon Johnson each had 13 points. Atlantic Division showdown into a nationally tel- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was the buzzer with a Cleveland entered the game as the W L Pct GB evised blowout. long 3-pointer and Brooklyn 35 16 .686 - Atlético ‘lead’ pleased to hold the NBA’s No. 3 scor- league’s lowest scoring team, averaging Philadelphia 34 16 .680 -1/2 The Bulldogs somehow got with- ing team, averaging 117.2 points going the Toronto Rap- just 102.7 points, but it had no trouble Boston 25 25 .500 9-1/2 MADRID, April 6, (AP): A late in 47-37 at halftime, and Suggs got in, to its lowest point total since Feb. 7 tors rallied from a New York 25 26 .490 10 winner by Ousmane Dembélé hot early in the second half, allow- after losing the previous two games in 19-point second- Toronto 20 30 .400 14-1/2 gave Barcelona control of their ing them to slowly chip away at their the season series at Utah in late January. half defi cit to beat Southeast Division own fate in the race for the the Washington BASKETBALL W L Pct GB defi cit. But that’s when the poise of Mike Conley scored 28 points to Atlanta 26 24 .520 - Spanish league title. lead the Jazz, who trailed by as many Wizards 103-101. Miami 26 24 .520 - Dembélé scored in the 90th a team long on experience - Baylor Pascal Siakam starts three juniors and two seniors as 18 points. Donovan Mitchell, Bojan scoring against a lethargic San Antonio Charlotte 25 24 .510 -1/2 minute as Barcelona defeated Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson scored led Toronto with defense. Washington 17 32 .347 8-1/2 10-man Valladolid 1-0 to move - provided the kind of emphatic an- 22 points, and Orlando 17 33 .340 9 within a point of league leaders swer that proved this so-called upset 16 each, and Rudy Gobert had 14 points Timberwolves 116, Kings 106 Central Division and 15 rebounds. DeAndre Bembry W L Pct GB Atlético Madrid. was no fl uke. Dallas beat Utah at its long-range and rookie Mala- Irving In Minneapolis, D’Angelo Russell Milwaukee 32 17 .653 - Dembélé scored with a left- Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard game. The Mavericks were 23 for 49 chi Flynn led a scored 25 points in his return from knee Indiana 22 26 .458 9-1/2 footed shot after meeting a cross fourth-quarter charge for the Raptors, surgery and Karl-Anthony Towns had Chicago 20 28 .417 11-1/2 had trimmed the defi cit to single dig- from behind the arc; their highs this sea- Cleveland 18 32 .360 14-1/2 into the area to make sure its with 14:22 when Vital answered son from behind the arc are 25 makes who won consecutive games for the fi rst 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Min- Detroit 15 35 .300 17-1/2 Barcelona can secure the title by at the other end. Butler added a cou- and 50 attempts. time since Feb 19-21. nesota Timberwolves in a 116-106 win Western Conference winning all its remaining games, Russell Westbrook had 23 points, 14 against the Sacramento Kings . Southwest Division ple free throws and, after a bucket by Suns 133, Rockets 130 as it hosts Atlético in one of the rebounds and 11 assists for the Wizards, Anthony Edwards scored 19 points for W L Pct GB final rounds in May. Timme, Teague scored a dazzling, In Houston, Devin Booker scored 18 who have lost four straight. Minnesota and started the Timberwolves’ Dallas 28 21 .571 - twirling layup, Vital swatted a shot Memphis 24 23 .511 3 “This is the result of our work. of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, Washington led 101-100 when push in the fourth after the teams went San Antonio 24 24 .500 3-1/2 We worked very hard in these last by Corey Kispert and backup Adam and the Phoenix Suns beat the Houston Siakam was called for a charge with 27 back and forth for three quarters. Russell New Orleans 22 27 .449 6 few months,” Barcelona defender Flagler (13 points) buried yet anoth- Rockets 133-130 for their sixth straight seconds left. Raul Neto missed a reverse continued Minnesota’s push ahead with a Houston 13 37 .260 15-1/2 Northwest Division er 3-pointer for the Bears. win. layup with 5.5 seconds left and Trent pair of 3-pointers in the fourth. He scored W L Pct GB In just over a minute, Baylor’s 58- Deandre Ayton matched a season got the rebound. 13 of his points in the fourth. Utah 38 12 .760 - SOCCER 49 lead swelled to 16 points again. It high with 27 points as Phoenix won Cavaliers 125, Spurs 101 Russell came off the bench in his fi rst Denver 31 18 .633 6-1/2 for the ninth time in 10 games overall. game since Feb. 8. He missed 26 games. Portland 30 19 .612 7-1/2 hit 20 a few minutes later. And the In San Antonio, Darius Garland Oklahoma City 20 30 .400 18 Bears merely had to coast through Mikal Bridges had 20 points, and Chris Pistons 132, Thunder 108 Minnesota 13 38 .255 25-1/2 Clément Lenglet said. “Things are Paul fi nished with 19 points and 11 as- scored a career-high 37 points, and the the fi nal 5 minutes to celebrate a na- Cleveland Cavaliers beat the San Anto- In Oklahoma City, Jerami Grant Pacifi c Division starting to go our way.” tional title nearly two decades in the sists. W L Pct GB Barcelona had been struggling Phoenix led 101-92 after three quar- Phoenix 35 14 .714 - to break through the tight defen- making. ters, but Houston opened the fourth with LA Clippers 33 18 .647 3 The program was mired in scan- LA Lakers 31 19 .620 4-1/2 sive scheme of Valladolid, which a 9-0 run. Houston trailed by nine again Golden State 23 27 .460 12-1/2 played a man down from the 80th dal when Drew arrived 18 years ago. with a minute left, but Jae’Sean Tate Sacramento 22 29 .431 14 after Óscar Plano was sent off for The murder of a player at the hands and Kelly Olynyk made back-to-back 3s a foul from behind to stop a dan- of a teammate was still fresh in fans’ for the Rockets. gerous run by Dembélé. Christian Wood made two free scored 21 points against his former minds, as was the attempted cover- team, and the Detroit Pistons beat the “It’s proof that this is a very up by Drew’s predecessor, Dave throws to cut the Suns’ lead to one with difficult league, you have to fight 3.5 seconds remaining. Booker hit two Oklahoma City Thunder 132-108 . Bliss, and NCAA sanctions that Grant played three seasons for the hard to win in every match,” turned the Baylor program into argu- free throws, and Houston’s inbounds Lenglet said. “We created many pass was defl ected to end the game. Thunder, and then was traded after the ably the biggest rebuilding job in the 2018-19 season. He looked at home dur- chances and scored the winner in history of the sport. Nets 114, Knicks 112 ing his return, making 7 of 15 shots and the end. We are happy but we Yet after a few lean years, Drew In New York, Kyrie Irving scored 40 adding fi ve rebounds and fi ve assists in have to keep working because this had built a Big 12 contender. The points, Jeff Green made two free throws just 23 minutes. is far from over.” with 3.7 seconds left and the Brooklyn Josh Jackson and Sekou Doumbouya Atlético lost 1-0 at Sevilla on Bears began to challenge Kansas and Sunday to see their once-comfort- other blueblood programs. And they Nets overcome the early loss of James scored 14 points apiece for Detroit, Harden to beat the New York Knicks which was coming off a 125-81 home able cushion vanish. Seeking their fi nally broke through with their fi rst 114-112 . loss to the New York Knicks on Satur- first league title sine 2014, Diego conference championship since 1950 Harden returned after missing two day – the franchise’s worst defeat since Simeone’s team have been gradu- earlier this season. That was one of games with right hamstring tightness a 44-point loss in 1994. ally losing ground at the top of the their goals. The other was to deliver but lasted just four minutes before hav- Pistons coach Dwane Casey won- standings. Thier lead over their fi rst national championship. ing to leave again with the same injury. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) goes up to shoot as Utah Jazz dered how his team would bounce back, Barcelona was more than 10 On Monday night, they reached But even short-handed and on the center Rudy Gobert defends in the fi rst half of an NBA basketball game in and he liked what he saw. Detroit shot points a few weeks ago. that one, too. second night of a back-to-back, the Nets Dallas. (AP) 52% from the fi eld.

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