Jones bags Dortmund pray Houston Open for Real miracle

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014 15 18 ‘Ronaldo of knees’: Surgeon saves football careers Page 18

PHOENIX: forward Kevin Durant () collides with forward PJ Tucker (17) during the firsthalf of an NBA game as Suns’ Eric Bledsoe watches on. —AP Heat survive Knicks barrage

MIAMI: LeBron James scored 38 points spot in the West and took the season ulation before using a 9-1 run, capped by with back spasms early in the first quar- and Mario Chalmers added 15 as the series from the Thunder 2-1. Eric Bledsoe a 3-pointer by Harden under heavy pres- ter. Miami Heat survived a 3- barrage added 18 points. Russell Westbrook had sure from , to tie it at 117 with The All-Star point guard took a hard Juventus restore from New York’s JR Smith on the way to 33 points and eight assists for Oklahoma 7.1 seconds remaining. Evan Fournier fall as he drove the lane, landing squarely dealing the Knicks’ playoff hopes a big City. scored 26 points and Aaron Brooks added on his back near the line after eight-point lead blow with a 102-91 victory on Sunday. 24 points and 15 assists against his for- being fouled by Memphis’ Mike Conley Chris Bosh added 14 points and Ray HAWKS 107, PACERS 88 mer team. with 7:38 left. Parker remained on the MILAN: A brace from Spanish striker Fernando Allen had 12 for the Heat, who are a full Jeff Teague scored 25 points in court for about a minute, but rose and Llorente gave Juventus a 2-0 win over Livorno to game ahead of Indiana and two up in the Atlanta’s rout of reeling Indiana, which GOLDEN STATE 130, JAZZ 102 continued playing before exiting with restore their eight-point lead over Roma and edge the loss column in the Eastern Conference was held to a franchise-low 23 points in Klay Thompson scored 33 points and 2:41 remaining in the first. champions closer to a third consecutive scudetto yes- race. the first half of an embarrassing perform- Stephen Curry added 31 points and 16 added 13 points for San terday. Smith made a Knicks-record 10 3- ance on its home floor. assists as Golden State rolled past Utah to Antonio, which bounced back after its Roma’s faint hopes of a first Serie A title since 2001 pointers, on an NBA-record 22 attempts, The Hawks have won three of four and keep pace in the Western Conference franchise-record, 19-game winning streak were given a boost by Juve’s shock 2-0 loss to Napoli and finished with 32 points. Raymond extended their lead over the Knicks for playoff race. was broken Wednesday in Oklahoma City. last week. But a day after a Mattia Destro hat-trick Felton scored 14 for New York and the final playoff spot in the Eastern The streaky shooting backcourt tan- James Johnson had 20 points and inspired a 3-1 win away to Cagliari and helped close managed only 13, on 4 Conference to two full games. dem helped the Warriors eclipse last sea- Conley added 18 points for Memphis, Roma’s deficit to five points, Antonio Conte’s men for 17 shooting. The Pacers have lost four of five and son’s win total with its 48th victory and which is chasing a playoff spot in the underlined their title credentials with a solid display in Anthony had two points after halftime, fell a full game behind Miami in their move 19 games over .500 for the first Western Conference. Turin which did little to boost Livorno’s survival hopes. while James had 22. The Knicks are two quest for the No. 1 seed in the East. Paul time in 20 years. Golden State remains Juve have now amassed 84 points and, with six games behind Atlanta in the race for the George scored 18 points and 11/2 games behind fifth-place Portland CLIPPERS 120, LAKERS 97 games remaining, remain on target to become the first final playoff spot, three in the loss col- had 17 on a night All-Star center Roy and 11/2 games ahead of seventh-place Blake Griffin and Chris Paul scored 23 team in Serie A to win the title with 100 points. umn. Hibbert did not play the final 30 minutes. Dallas in the crammed conference stand- points apiece as the Livorno, meanwhile, remain third from bottom, two Atlanta jumped to a 9-0 lead, extended ings. had 24 points and 15 hung another rout on the Lakers to take points adrift of the safety zone. Following Roma’s win TRAIL BLAZERS 100, PELICANS 94 the margin to 33-11 after one and 55-23 assists, and Alec Burks added 24 points three of four games this season from their in Sardinia, Llorente had posted a defiant Twitter mes- LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and at the half. and five assists in the latest lopsided loss beleaguered Staples Center co-tenants. sage which read: “We either have to win or win.” But 18 rebounds as Portland clinched its first for the Jazz, who are in last place in the It wasn’t quite the blowout of the despite a high-octane start the Bianconeri had to wait playoff appearance in three seasons with ROCKETS 130, NUGGETS 125 West. Clippers’ previous two wins - 48 points on 32 minutes before finally breaching the Livorno the win over New Orleans. James Harden had 32 points and March 6 and 36 points on Jan. 10 - but defence. added 21 points, Chandler Parsons scored eight points in SPURS 112, GRIZZLIES 92 they were easily in command as the des- Innocent Emeghara tested Gianluigi Buffon with a 20 and Nicolas Batum had overtime to lift Houston over Denver. Kawhi Leonard matched his career ignated home team. long-range drive after just two minutes while at the 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Denver led by one in overtime when high with 26 points and Manu Ginobili JJ Redick added 15 points and other end Carlos Tevez forced Francesco Bardi to Blazers, who are in fifth place in the Houston made three consecutive 3-point- had a season-high 26 as San Antonio DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 12 from close range before sending a header from the Western Conference with four games ers, two of them by Parsons, to make it eased past Memphis after losing Tony rebounds for the Pacific Division-winning astray. remaining. 130-122 with less than two minutes left. Parker to injury. Parker’s status is Clippers, who improved to 32-6 at home. Stephan Lichsteiner then glanced an effort wide Reserve Anthony Morrow had 17 for The Rockets trailed by eight late in reg- unknown after he was forced to leave The injury-plagued Lakers were down with the outside of his boot after Kwadwo Asamoah’s New Orleans and had 15 to just eight players after guard Kent delivery from the left after being set up by Andrea points on 6-of-18 shooting. Memphis’ loss Bazemore got hurt in the second quarter. Pirlo. to San Antonio earlier in the evening NBA results/standings Jordan Hill led them with 22 points and Juve were building momentum and Llorente finally cleared the way for Portland to clinch. It added 18 points. broke the deadlock in clinical fashion when he spun appeared the Trail Blazers might fumble Miami 102, NY Knicks 91; LA Clippers 120, LA Lakers 97; Dallas 93, Sacramento 91; Atlanta 107, Indiana on Tevez’s short pass from the left of the area to plant the chance when New Orleans took a 10- 88; Houston 130, Denver 125 (OT); San Antonio 112, Memphis 92; Golden State 130, Utah 102; Phoenix MAVERICKS 93, KINGS 91 the ball in the roof of Bardi’s net. point second quarter lead. But the Blazers 122, Oklahoma City 115; Portland 100, New Orleans 94. Monta Ellis scored eight of his 23 Three minutes later Llorente met Pirlo’s corner from blew past the Pelicans with a 25-6 third Eastern Conference Western Conference points in the fourth quarter as Dallas kept the right with a firm header which squirmed inside Atlantic Division Northwest Division quarter run and never trailed again. W L PCT GB its playoff position by beating Bardi’s near post. Oklahoma City 55 21 .724 - Moments before the interval a Pogba drive spun off Toronto 45 32 .584 - Portland 50 28 .641 6 Sacramento for its third straight win. SUNS 122, THUNDER 115 Brooklyn 42 34 .553 2.5 Minnesota 38 38 .500 17 The Mavericks won for the fourth time Lichsteiner, while at the other end Emeghara skipped Kevin Durant scored 38 points, his 41st NY Knicks 33 45 .423 12.5 Denver 33 44 .429 22.5 in five games to maintain seventh place past Martin Caceres and into the box before Leonardo Boston 23 54 .299 22 consecutive game of 25 or more, but Utah 24 53 .312 31.5 in the Western Conference. It was Dallas’ Bonucci came to the rescue. Philadelphia 17 60 .221 28 Phoenix got 26 points from Goran Dragic Pacific Division fifth straight road win. Juve countered after the resulting corner and Tevez Central Division and 24 from Gerald Green to beat Indiana 53 25 .679 - LA Clippers 55 23 .705 - had 32 points and tied a was given time to send a 25-metre drive curl just wide Oklahoma City. Chicago 45 32 .584 7.5 Golden State 48 29 .623 6.5 career high with eight assists for the of Bardi’s far post. Durant moved ahead of Michael Cleveland 31 47 .397 22 Phoenix 46 31 .597 8.5 Kings, and DeMarcus Cousins added 28 Llorente almost had his third 10 minutes after the Jordan with the third-longest such streak Detroit 28 49 .364 24.5 Sacramento 27 50 .351 27.5 points and 10 rebounds. restart but pushed Pogba’s through ball out of reach in NBA history and longest since Oscar Milwaukee 14 63 .182 38.5 LA Lakers 25 52 .325 29.5 The Kings played their sixth straight while to the right of goal. Robertson did it for 46 in a row in the Southeast Division Southwest Division game without starting point guard Isaiah Livorno were given a glimmer of hope by Ghanaian Miami 53 23 .697 - San Antonio 60 17 .779 - 1963-64 season. Washington 40 37 .519 13.5 Thomas (right quadriceps contusion), Alfred Duncan’s drive, which brought a spectacular Houston 51 25 .671 8.5 diving save from Buffon. But Domenico Di Carlo’s side PJ Tucker scored a career-high 22 Charlotte 39 38 .506 14.5 Dallas 47 31 .603 13.5 who is averaging 20.7 points and 6.4 points, including a career-best four 3- Atlanta 34 42 .447 19 Memphis 45 32 .584 15 assists. Vince Carter scored 17 points and were showing little threat of scoring, never mind caus- pointers, for the Suns, who pulled a game Orlando 22 55 .286 31.5 New Orleans 32 45 .416 28 Dirk Nowitzki had 15 points on 5-of 17 ing an upset. — AFP ahead of Memphis for the No. 8 playoff shooting for Dallas. — AP