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SPORTS Friday 10 January 2020

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid looks at his injured finger during
the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma
City Thunder, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020, in Philadelphia.
Associated Press
76ers center Joel

Embiid to have

surgery on finger

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phila- the point that it seemed he
delphia center Joel Embiid had his fingers crossed. He In this Aug. 14, 2019, file photo, Claressa Shields, left, stands with Ivana Habazin and promotor
will have surgery Friday for played most of the game Dmitriy Salita during a press conference in Detroit.
a torn ligament in a finger with his finger taped and Associated Press
Embiid has struggled with Gold medalist Shields goes
in his left hand and will be said he "couldn't go up
evaluated in one to two with two hands."
weeks.
of the 2014. He missed his for title in 3rd weight class
"All of a sudden, we're dif- injuries ever since he was
ferent," 76ers coach Brett drafted with the No. 3 pick
Brown said. "We're just dif-
ferent. I look at this as an first two seasons with various
opportunity. Nobody's cry- injuries and hasn't played By DAN GELSTON to me." boxing as a way to get out.
ing. This is not a 'woe is me' more than 64 games in any AP Sports Writer Shields (9-0, 2 KOs) won But the weigh-in went hay-
moment, not for me, at all. of the last three. He is aver- Claressa Shields will try for Olympic gold in 2012 in wire and 68-year-old trainer
And not for my players. aging 23.4 points and 12.3 a third time to win a world London and repeated the Bashir Ali was bloodied and
We'll take what we have, rebounds in 31 games this title in three divisions. feat four years later in Rio needed an ambulance af-
and what we have, I love." season. The first bout against Ivana de Janiero. All that's left for ter the attack. In the wake
Embiid injured the radial Al Horford, signed away Habazin was scratched Shields, who overcame a of the melee, Artis Mack
collateral ligament in the from the Celtics in the off- because Shields injured her childhood of poverty and was charged with assault
ring finger in the first half season with a four-year knee in training. The sec- abuse in Flint, Michigan, is and the fight was shelved
Monday night against deal, started at center ond attempt, wacky even to become the best of all for a second time.
Oklahoma City. Embiid's Thursday against the Bos- for the world of boxing time. "Everyone who was in Flint
overlapped his pinkie to ton Celtics.q weigh-ins, went off the rails: "When I win this fight, I'm and knows about the inci-
Habazin's trainer was struck just going to get a little dent that happened knows
Tebow will be at by Shields' brother and was bit louder with: She's the it's not something I have a
hospitalized the night be-
GWOAT, Greatest Women history of doing," Shield
Mets' spring training fore the bout, so the fight Of All Time," Shields said. said. "I don't do stuff out-
side the ring."
was postponed.
"Put it there. I claim it."
for 4th straight year Shields and Habazin have Shields, who hasn't lost Shields, who said she hasn't
kept the week leading up since 2012 as an ama-
eaten meat in more than
to Friday's 154-pound fight teur, already has won the three months to help move
NEW YORK (AP) — Tim the outfield. in Atlantic City, New Jersey, middleweight and super down to junior middle-
Tebow will be at spring Tebow hit .273 with six home free of drama or any other middleweight crowns and weight, could become
training with the New York runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs distractions that could can- beat Christina Hammer in the fastest fighter in box-
Mets for the fourth straight in 84 games for Double-A cel the bout yet again. her last fight in April in At- ing history — either male
year. Binghamton in 2018, when The fight is on, and history is lantic City. or female — to become a
The Mets said Thursday his season ended July 18 on deck for the 24-year-old Her layoff wasn't supposed three-division world cham-
the 2007 Heisman Trophy because of a broken bone Shields. to stretch into 2020, but her pion. Granted, women's
winner will report to major in his right hand. "I just try to keep carrying injury scratched the sched- boxing doesn't have the
league training camp next After a three-year stint at women's boxing the best uled August fight with depth of talent or years
month in Port St. Lucie, Flor- quarterback in the NFL, he way that I can," Shields Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs), who of title fights as men, but
ida. The 32-year-old out- joined the Mets organiza- said. "I'm regarded as a is from Croatia. The fight Shields could be a game-
fielder hit .163 in 77 games tion in late 2016. He hit .148 top-10 fighter in boxing al- was rescheduled for Oc- changer for the sport. She's
last season at Triple-A Syra- (4 for 27) with no extra-base ready with only nine fights. tober in Flint, a supposed even interested in pursuing
cuse in his second straight hits and eight strikeouts dur- When you have that kind triumphant homecoming an MMA career, trading
injury-shortened season. ing spring training in 2017; of pressure, you have to bout for Shields, who re- her skills inside the ropes for
He did not play after July .056 (1 for 18) in 2018 and go out and not be aver- fused to slip through the ones inside the cage.
21 because he cut his left .267 (4 for 15) with no extra- age. Skill wise, there's not a cracks in her hometown "I'm once-in-a-century kind
hand while fielding a ball in base hits last year.q woman that can compare and gravitated toward of athlete," she said.q