THIS DAY IN SPORTS 1997 — A.C. Green breaks the NBA record for consecutive games — his 907th straight appearance in the Dallas Mavericks’ 101-97 Numbers Game loss to the Golden State Warriors. Antelope Valley Press, Friday, November 20, 2020 C3 NBA | Golden State Tennis | ATP Finals Thompson has torn Nadal ousts Tsitsipas from semis in three sets Associated Press the final game of the second set, urday. Thiem will face the winner qualified, in the back on my mind ACL, out for season when he double-faulted to hand between Novak Djokovic and Al- it was difficult to keep the intensity LONDON — Rafael Nadal the Greek a way back into the exander Zverev on Friday. alive.” By JANIE McCAULEY would endure this, and advanced to the semifinals at the match. Nadal beat Medvedev at least Rublev played like someone Associated Press offered some perspective ATP Finals for the first time in five “I think I was winning my serves year’s ATP Finals in a match where with nothing to lose, overwhelming SAN FRANCISCO that things could be far years and knocked out the defend- worse as they current- quite comfortably until that mo- the Russian led 5-1 in the third set, Thiem with his serve and fierce — Bob Myers called ing champion in the process, beat- ly are around the world ment,” Nadal said. “After that, ev- but neither advanced from the groundstrokes to take the Austrian’s Stephen Curry to break ing Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 the devastating news during this pandemic. erything changed.” group stage that time. Now Med- first two service games and clinch Thursday at the O2 Arena. that Klay Thompson Thompson’s passion Suddenly, neither player could vedev is in great form, having won the first set in less than 26 minutes. It is the sixth time in 10 appear- had torn his Achilles and for basketball is clear. hold serve as the third set started the Paris Masters and his opening He dropped only three points on ances that Nadal has reached the would miss another sea- Myers spoke to Cur- with three straight breaks, with Na- two matches in London. serve and had no unforced errors son. Silence on the other ry’s Splash Brother on last four of the season-ending tour- dal taking a 2-1 lead. The Spaniard “He’s playing great,” Nadal in that set. end. Thursday and mentioned nament, which is the biggest title finally held and broke again for a said. “I think last year he was very The second set was much clos- Myers, the Golden that very thing: telling he has yet to win in his illustrious 5-2 lead before the clinching the tired mentally at the end of the er, though Rublev was on top and State general manag- Thompson he senses careers. win on his second match point. season. I think this year is a differ- serving at 4-3 when he lost eight er, made the same call “basketball is for you air Tsitsipas won it on his first try “I don’t even know what I was ent story. He has plenty of confi- straight points to get back on serve. to Draymond Green. and water, you have to last year but exited after a second trying to do (in the third set), hon- dence.” Rublev regrouped, broke Again, only quiet. have it.” loss of the group stage, done in by a estly,” Tsitsipas said. “Trying to be The early match between Thiem after a long next game fea- Thompson tore his “Nobody deserves shaky serve in the third set when he way, way too much aggressive. I Thiem and Rublev was delayed af- turing some intense rallies, then right Achilles tendon this. Like I said, nobody was broken three times. was giving him free points without ter the lights went out unexpectedly served out the match for his first playing in a pickup game deserves anything like Earlier, the already eliminated really, himself doing much or hurt- at the O2 Arena. win in his debut at the season-end- Wednesday and had an this that befalls them,” Andrey Rublev beat U.S. Open ing me from the back. ... My serve Thiem was short of energy, too, ing tournament. MRI exam Thursday in Myers said. “But this is a champion Dominic Thiem 6-2, was not there when I needed it, when play eventually began. “It was not easy for Dommy,” Los Angeles that revealed guy that loves basketball, 7-5 in a contest that had little real and these guys, you just have to be “It was difficult to keep that said Rublev, who has won five the severity of the injury bleeds basketball.” consequence for either player. there. I wasn’t fully present. I wasn’t amazing intensity like I had in the events on the tour this year in a that typically requires sur- The injury is a huge Thiem was assured of winning the playing in the moment. Quite dis- first two matches,” Thiem said. “I breakthrough season. “I think he gery. Right after Thomp- blow for the Warriors, group after beating Tsitsipas and appointed with that. But that’s life.” wanted to win the match, 100%, (was) focused on the semis. I wish son worked himself back who were an NBA-worst Nadal in the first two rounds. Nadal, who improved to 6-1 but the first two matches were pret- him good luck — he deserves to be from knee surgery in ear- 15-50 last season as Nadal never looked threatened against Tsitsipas, will play Daniil ty tough, pretty long. where he is and he deserves to win ly July 2019, now this, an- they struggled without on his serve against Tsitsipas until Medvedev in the semifinals on Sat- “So with the fact I was already the title.” other year on the sideline. Thompson and at times The Warriors aren’t without Curry as he ready to say what the next nursed a broken left hand NBA MLS COLLEGE FOOTBALL NFL GOLF 2020 NBA Draft Selections Western Conference The AP Top 25 AMERICAN CONFERENCE PGA Tour RSM Classic Par steps are for Thompson that sidelined him for Wednesday W L T Pts GF GA The Top 25 teams in The Associated West FIRST ROUND x-Sporting KC 12 6 3 39 38 25 Press college football poll, with first-place W L T Pct PF PA Scores until they know more. more than four months. 1. Minnesota, Anthony Edwards, g, Kansas City 8 1 0 .889 286 183 Thursday x-Seattle 11 5 6 39 44 23 votes in parentheses, records through Nov. At Seaside Island Resort Georgia. x-Portland 11 6 6 39 46 35 14, total points based on 25 points for a Las Vegas 6 3 0 .667 255 241 “What hurts the most Thompson didn’t play Denver 3 6 0 .333 186 254 Seaside Island, Ga. 2. Golden State, James Wiseman, c, x-Minn. United 9 5 7 34 36 26 first-place vote through one point for a L.A. Chargers 2 7 0 .222 226 245 Purse: $6.6 million — and speaking on be- at all during the corona- Memphis. x-FC Dallas 9 6 7 34 28 24 25th-place vote, and previous ranking: 3. Charlotte, LaMelo Ball, g, Chino Hills, East Yardage: 7,005; Par: 70 virus-shortened season x-LAFC 9 8 5 32 47 39 Record Pts Pv First Round half of Klay, we will move Calif. 1. Alabama (60) 6-0 1548 1 W L T Pct PF PA 4. Chicago, Patrick Williams, f, Florida x-San Jose 8 9 6 30 35 51 Buffalo 7 3 0 .700 272 265 Matt Wallace ...................31-33—64 -6 on and we will be OK as he worked back from x-Colorado 8 6 4 28 32 28 2. Notre Dame (1) 8-0 1467 2 Camilo Villegas ...............33-31—64 -6 State. 3. Ohio St. (1) 3-0 1445 3 Miami 6 3 0 .667 251 182 and he will be OK — but surgery for a torn ACL in 5. Cleveland, Isaac Okoro, f, Auburn. Vancouver 9 14 0 27 27 44 New England 4 5 0 .444 189 211 Rory Sabbatini ................31-34—65 -5 4. Clemson 7-1 1355 4 Peter Malnati ..................32-33—65 -5 6. Atlanta, Onyeka Okongwu, c, USC. LA Galaxy 6 12 4 22 27 46 5. Texas A&M 5-1 1240 5 N.Y. Jets 0 9 0 .000 121 268 what hurts the most is the his left knee. He suffered 7. Detroit, Killian Hayes, g, Ratiopharm Real Salt Lake 5 10 7 22 25 35 South Cameron Tringale ...........35-32—67 -5 6. Florida 5-1 1222 6 Adam Long .....................36-31—67 -5 time we put into our jobs, that injury in the decid- Ulm (Germany). Houston 4 10 9 21 30 40 7. Cincinnati 7-0 1198 7 W L T Pct PF PA 8. New York, Obi Toppin, f, Dayton. Eastern Conference Indianapolis 6 3 0 .667 242 177 Patton Kizzire ..................34-31—65 -5 8. BYU 8-0 1094 8 Robert Streb ...................32-33—65 -5 the sacrifices we make ing Game 6 of the 2019 9. Washington, Deni Avdija, f, Maccabi Tel W L T Pts GF GA 9. Indiana 4-0 997 10 Tennessee 6 3 0 .667 249 235 Aviv U18 (Israel). Houston 2 7 0 .222 200 252 Keegan Bradley ..............33-34—67 -5 to do what we do and to NBA Finals against the x-Philadelphia 13 4 5 44 42 20 10.