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SPORTS Saturday 28 November 2020
NBA releases shorter preseason schedule; games start Dec. 11

By TIM REYNOLDS York, Detroit, Houston, Chi-
AP Basketball Writer cago, Sacramento, Port-
The NBA released a con- land, Charlotte, Phoenix,
densed 49-game pre- Memphis, Cleveland and
season schedule Friday, the Lakers are all sched-
with teams playing be- uled to play four preseason
tween two and four games contests.
starting on Dec. 11. Minnesota, Golden State,
Preseason contests will Oklahoma City, San Anto-
continue through Dec. nio, Dallas, Milwaukee, To-
19. Teams begin training ronto, Denver, Washington,
camps next week. Utah, Indiana and the Clip-
The league plans to reveal pers have three preseason
the first half of the 72-game games apiece on their
regular season schedule schedules.
— that meaning games to Brooklyn, Boston, Philadel-
be played between Dec. phia, the Pelicans and the
22 and March 4 — in the Heat opted for two-game
coming days. Games for preseasons.
the season's second half, Brooklyn's preseason open-
scheduled as between er — and presumably the
March 11 and May 16, will first time that Kevin Durant,
be revealed around the who missed last season
midpoint of the season. while recovering from sur-
The defending NBA cham- gery to repair his Achilles
pion Los Angeles Lakers will tendon, plays for the Nets
play on the first night of the — is at home on Dec. 13
preseason, technically a In this Dec. 19, 2018 file photo, Washington Wizards guard John Wall walks off the court during a against Washington. That is
home game against the timeout during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets in Hous- also the Wizards' preseason
Los Angeles Clippers. The ton. opener, so it could be the
Lakers play the Clippers Associated Press first instance of Washington
twice in the preseason, guard John Wall playing in
then a home-and-home season games — at home first game at its temporary nonessential travel during an NBA game since Dec.
with Phoenix and new Suns Dec. 14 against New Or- home in Tampa, Florida. the coronavirus pandemic. 26, 2018; he missed much
guard Chris Paul as well. leans and new Pelicans The Raptors are going to That Dec. 18 game is To- of the 2018-19 season and
The Eastern Conference coach (and former Heat open this season in Tampa ronto's lone home game on all of last season following
champion Miami Heat are coach) Stan Van Gundy, because the U.S-Canada the preseason schedule. separate surgeries on his
scheduled for only two pre- then on Dec. 18 in Toronto's border remains closed to Orlando, Atlanta, New heel and Achilles tendon.q

U.S. women beat Netherlands 2-0 in World Cup rematch

BREDA, Netherlands (AP) — played this year. They're her 170th appearance with
Rose Lavelle scored against 11-0-0 under coach Vlatko the team.
the Netherlands again, Kris- Andonovski, who took over Morgan, currently playing
tie Mewis scored in her first after Jill Ellis stepped down for Tottenham, had not
appearance for the United last year. played for the United States
States in six years and the "A lot of things changed since the World Cup final
U.S. women won a rematch in 2020. But one thing that because she was preg-
of last year's World Cup fi- didn't change and one nant with and gave birth to
nal by the same score, 2-0, thing that will never change daughter Charlie.
on Friday.The older sister of with this team is the heart Netherlands coach Sarina
starter Sam Mewis came and the mind," Andonovski Wiegman was not with the
in as a second-half sub- said. "And I was so proud of team because of a per-
stitute and scored in the these players, the way they sonal matter that was not
70th minute. It was Kristie stepped up and handled related to COVID-19. Wieg-
Mewis' second goal for the the game, considering that man, a former Dutch mid-
team, after her first in 2013. some of them didn't have fielder who has coached United States Kristie Mewis, number 22, scores her side's second
goal during the international friendly women's soccer match
The 2,722 days between a chance to train properly the team since 2017, will between The Netherlands and the U.S. at the Rat Verlegh sta-
her goals was the longest before this camp." take over as England's na- dium in Breda, southern Netherlands, Friday Nov. 27, 2020.
stretch in team history. Lavelle also scored when tional team coach next Associated Press
"I just had to just re-watch the United States beat September, succeeding
it, actually, because I think the Netherlands in Lyon, Phil Neville. tion. for me," Kristie Mewis said.
I blacked out on what ac- France, last year for the Lavelle struck a left-footed "I was I was so nervous to "It kind of hasn't really sunk
tually happened," Kristie team's second straight goal on a break in the 41st shoot it, but I just wound up in yet."
Mewis said about her goal. World Cup title. minute. and gave it the best I could. Mewis played well in the
The United States hadn't Nine of the 11 U.S. start- Kristie Mewis subbed in to And then turning around National Women's Soc-
played in 261 days be- ers for the final were in the join her younger sister on and just realizing what had cer League's Challenge
cause of the coronavirus starting lineup on Friday. the field and scored nine just happened and seeing Cup and fall series with the
pandemic. The top-ranked Notably missing was Alex minutes later. Sam Mewis Sam and Alex running to- Houston Dash, earning her
Americans have won all Morgan, who came in as was among the first to em- wards me was so special. a call-up to the national
nine matches they've a second-half substitute for brace her sister in celebra- It's a very surreal moment team. q