SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014 Arabian Horse Nets beat short-handed Spurs Festival begins NEW YORK: Alan Anderson scored 22 points to lead the to a 103-89 NBA victory over the banged-up KUWAIT: Hundreds of enthusiastic equine lovers gath- San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. Deron ered at the Kuwaiti Hunting & Equestrian Club to enjoy the Williams finished with 16 points and incredible breath-taking beauty of horses partaking in the eight assists, Paul Pierce tallied 12 Third International Arabia Horse Festival - Kuwait 2014, points, and Andray Blatche added 10 for which kicked off Thursday. Due to the wide participation the Nets, who had lost their last six and very close scores, the competition was very fierce encounters with the Spurs. San Antonio, from day one in the Junior Horses class. who already were without Manu In the one-year yearning fillies class, Seden Al-Wawan, Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard, also had to Saja, Al Areeb Ashaqra, and Saffire qualified for the second make do without French point guard and final stage. In the two-year yearning fillies class, Zain Tony Parker, who left Wednesday’s dou- Al Sahaab, Muntaha Al-Sedeem, Farary Asayel, Ghizlan Al- ble-overtime victory over the Bayraq, Halah Bin Wasama and FS Leonora qualified for with tightness in the second and final stage. In the three-year yearning fil- his lower back. lies class, Moonirah, Noumea, A 1 Jatheba, Atlal Al Shaqab, Veteran Spurs star Tim Duncan, who Forelockís La Vita E Bella and Teeb Najd qualified for the scored 31 points as the Spurs rallied for final stage. In the one-year yearning colts class, Sfwan Al the win in Washington, was held out of Nawasi, Mahir Al Wawan, Wafy Najd N and Bader Al Jenan the contest to rest, and reserve forward qualified to the final stage. Boris Diaw missed the game with food In the two-year yearning colts class, Faris Al Hawajer, poisoning. Cory Joseph led San Antonio Zobair Al Asil, Galahad Juliver, and Saqer moved to final NEW YORK: Brooklyn Nets’ Shaun Livingston (14) and Kevin Garnett (2) defend with 18 points, while Danny Green net- stage. In the three-year yearning colts class, Sabea Al against a shot from San Antonio Spurs’ Cory Joseph (5) during the second half ted 17 points and Patty Mills registered Muawd and Magillian Apal qualified for the final stage. of an NBA game on Thursday, Feb 6, 2014. — AFP 16 points off the bench. The festival is held under the patronage of His Highness The Spurs saw their three-game win- the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the Kuwaiti ning streak snapped, and the defeat NBA results/standings Hunting & Equestrian Club. This 3rd international festival marked their first setback on their nine- is for purebred Arabian horses that are registered in any game Rodeo road-trip. They still have six Brooklyn 103, San Antonio 89; Golden State 102, Chicago 87. WAHO recognized studbook. It is governed by the rules games remaining before returning and regulations of the European Conference of Arab Horse Eastern Conference Western Conference home. Anderson scored the final nine Organizations - Blue Book 2013. — KUNA Atlantic Division Northwest Division points of the third quarter for Brooklyn, W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 40 11 .784 - helping the Nets take a 75-68 lead into Toronto 26 23 .531 - the final period. Anderson then opened Portland 35 14 .714 4 BASEBALL Brooklyn 22 25 .468 3 Denver 24 23 .511 14 the fourth-quarter scoring for Brooklyn NY Knicks 19 30 .388 7 after a pair of free throws from Joseph. Minnesota 24 25 .490 15 Boston 17 33 .340 9.5 Utah 16 32 .333 22.5 Cubans see crisis Andrei Kirilenko threw down a dunk to Philadelphia 15 35 .300 11.5 stretch Brooklyn’s lead to 84-74. The Pacific Division Central Division LA Clippers 34 18 .654 - HAVANA: Like a batter beaned by a wild pitch, baseball-mad Spurs, who led 24-17 after the first quar- Indiana 38 10 .792 - Golden State 30 20 .600 3 Cubans are trying to shake off the trauma of seeing their team ter, seemed to tire down the stretch and Chicago 24 25 .490 14.5 Phoenix 29 20 .592 3.5 eliminated in their historic return to a Caribbean tournament. Brooklyn pulled away. Detroit 19 29 .396 19 In official newspapers, social media and the street, Cubans Cleveland 16 33 .327 22.5 LA Lakers 17 32 .347 15.5 voiced discontent at what some billed as a baseball crisis in a WARRIORS 102, BULLS 87 Milwaukee 9 40 .184 29.5 Sacramento 17 32 .347 15.5 nation passionate about the sport, whose fan base includes Stephen Curry had 34 points and nine Southeast Division Southwest Division former president Fidel Castro. assists, Klay Thompson scored 22 points Miami 35 13 .729 - San Antonio 36 14 .720 - There were high hopes in Cuba’s grand return to the and the undermanned Warriors rallied Atlanta 25 23 .521 10 Houston 33 17 .660 3 Caribbean Series, with domestic league champions Villa Clara from 16 down in the first half to beat the Washington 24 24 .500 11 Dallas 29 21 .580 7 representing the country and promising to compete for the Bulls. With big men and Charlotte 22 28 .440 14 Memphis 26 22 .542 9 trophy. But Cuba struck out in its grand return to the tourna- sidelined with injuries, Golden Orlando 14 37 .275 22.5 New Orleans 21 27 .438 14 ment hosted by Venezuela, losing three out of four State’s streaky backcourt tandem found games.”Let’s not blame Villa Clara,” wrote blogger Reynaldo its shooting stroke after falling behind Cruz. “We lost because Cuban baseball is clearly inferior to 34-18 in the second quarter. Curry fin- Warriors’ raucous fans a reason to cheer 13 rebounds filling in for , that of its rivals. The crisis was confirmed.” ished 13-for-19 shooting, and Thompson after losing five of their previous seven and Kirk Hinrich scored 15 points for Cuba dominated the Caribbean Series before withdrawing shot 8 of 16 from the floor to give the at home. Taj Gibson had 26 points and Chicago. — Agencies 54 years ago, when Castro outlawed professional sports. It won seven of the first 12 tournaments between 1949 and 1960. Despite the end of professionalism, Cuba remained a giant in the sport, winning 25 international trophies as well as Wiggins opens 2014 three Olympic gold medals and second place in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. But it has failed to lift any international trophy in the past eight years. Cruz wrote that Cuban baseball has been hurt by the defection of its best players, who have season in Mallorca fled to the United States for lucrative contracts in Major League Baseball. “The desertions have been a very strong and defining fac- MADRID: Four-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 Tour de the 100th edition of the Tour in 2013. tor because they are increasing,” he said. “Those leaving the France winner Bradley Wiggins will get his 2014 season up and However, team principal Dave Brailsford is guarding against country are more and more the best ones.” The daily Juventud running as the four-day Challenge Mallorca series gets underway any sense of complacency amongst his riders. “There’s always a Rebelde said it was time for “a deep analysis of the current tomorrow. Rather than the usual accumulation of times, the four- danger (of complacency). The key thing is to remember that as state of Cuban baseball.” The government, which has imple- stage series on the Spanish island consists of four separate races we start now, everyone is back at square one,” he said. “Nobody mented a series of reforms since Castro’s brother Raul took allowing riders to be rotated across the four days of action. has an advantage because of what we did last year. No one gets over in 2006, reintroduced professional baseball last year, Wiggins is penciled in to ride on the final three days in the a 10-mile start or anything. We’re all absolutely back to zero and increased player salaries and gave them permission to play in Campos, Serra de Tramuntana and Alcudia trophies respectively. unless you’ve done the work then you’re going to suffer. There’s foreign leagues under certain conditions. But it did not help in The British rider is looking for a return to form in 2014 after hav- no hiding place in this sport. “If you haven’t done the work then the Caribbean Series. ing to pull out midway through the Giro d’Italia and subsequent- you’re not going to get away with it. You just can’t be compla- The final tally was three big defeats against Mexico (9-4), ly miss his defense of the Tour de France due to a chest infection cent. Otherwise you’re going to have a really nasty shock. Venezuela (8-5) and the Dominican Republic (9-2), and a close last year, whilst he was also bothered by a knee injury. “But I think there’s enough ambition in the team, and 2-1 victory against Puerto Rico scoring just 13 runs while “Missing the Tour last year it was the first time in 12 months young guys coming through, who want to push. That keeps allowing 27. The result left Cuba out of the semi-finals of the that I got the chance to reflect and maybe even soak up what everyone on their toes.” Colombian rider Sebastian Henao will series-Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and the Dominican happened to me in 2012,” he told the Team Sky website. “At make his bow in a Sky uniform alongside cousin Sergio Republic advanced to the final four. The team “defrauded” that point I went right back to the drawing board, started Henao, whilst Norwegian sprinter Edvald Boasson Hagen will their fans, said the Internet site Jit run by the Cuban Sports doing all the little things again that got me to that point and also ride alongside Wiggins on the final three days. Movistar’s Institute. “Let’s be brutally honest: The game meted out jus- I’ve had a straight run through. I had a good end to the season, Alejandro Valverde is the other big name taking part in tice,” said sports writer Michel Contreras on the official web- we are racing again next weekend and I’ll hopefully have Mallorca. The 2009 Tour of Spain winner is also likely to miss site Cubadebate. “It eliminated the worst, the beaten up another good year.” Sky have become the team to beat in the out on the first day, though, as he is racing in the first ever pitchers and the weak defense.” —AFP peloton as Chris Froome followed up Wiggins’ triumph to win Tour of Dubai until today. — AFP