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A16 SPORTS
Friday 10 February 2023
Irving, Durant trades bolster West teams before NBA deadline

By BRIAN MAHONEY “I just love the competition
AP Basketball Writer now that we can be in the
First it was Kyrie Irving to same conference,” Irving
Dallas. Then came Kevin said.
Durant to Phoenix. A day after LeBron James
The breakup in Brooklyn is broke the NBA’s career
rebuilding some contend- scoring record, the Lakers
ers in the West. moved to get him more
Trade deadline day in the help by acquiring Russell
NBA arrived Thursday with who began his career with
news of a blockbuster. The the franchise from Minne-
Nets had agreed overnight sota, and guard Malik Bea-
to deal Durant to the Suns sley and forward Jarred
for a package that in- Vanderbilt from the Jazz.
cluded Mikal Bridges, Cam The deal sent Westbrook
Johnson, Jae Crowder, four to Utah after the 2017 NBA
first-round picks and addi- MVP never thrived along-
tional draft compensation. side James and Anthony
Another big name was Davis. The Lakers made an-
moved a day earlier when other move Thursday, send-
the Lakers agreed to send ing center Thomas Bryant
Russell Westbrook to Utah Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden (13), forward Kevin Durant (7) and guard Kyrie Irving celebrate to Denver for Davon Reed
as part of a three-way deal during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, May 22, and three second-round
with Utah and Minnesota 2021, in New York. picks. San Antonio added
that brought D’Angelo Rus- Associated Press more assets to its rebuilding
sell back to Los Angeles. Beverley, said the person, injury that had sidelined and shared the fourth-best protect by trading center
“Just like that it’s a war in who spoke to AP on con- him since Christmas and record with Dallas entering Jakob Poeltl back to the
the West!” Sacramento dition anonymity because soon will add Durant to the its game Thursday night in Toronto Raptors for Khem
Kings guard Terence Davis the trade did not yet have lineup when he recovers Atlanta. Birch and a first-round pick
II tweeted. league approval. from a sprained knee liga- The Mavericks also may in the 2024 draft and a pair
The Lakers added another More moves figure to be ment. be stronger after acquir- of second-round selections.
big man later Thursday made before the 3 p.m. EST Those two, plus Chris Paul ing Irving to pair with Luka Poeltl was one of the most-
when they acquired Mo deadline, with the Nets per- and Deandre Ayton, could Doncic. Irving asked out of wanted centers on the
Bamba from the Orlando haps not done reshaping make this Phoenix team Brooklyn last week, frustrat- market in this trade season.
Magic for Patrick Bever- their roster. Those already more powerful than the ed with his negotiations for He’s averaged 12.1 points
ley, a second-round pick agreed to were confirmed one that won an NBA-best a contract extension, and and a team-high 9.0 re-
and cash considerations, to AP on condition of ano- 64 games in the 2021-22 he was headed West a few bounds for the Spurs, who
according to a person nymity because they were season, but then flamed days later. acquired Poeltl from the
with knowledge of those not yet official. out with a second-round Then it was Durant, who Raptors as part of the Kawhi
negotiations. The Magic The Suns just got Devin loss to Dallas. had gone to Brooklyn with Leonard-DeMar DeRozan
are not expected to keep Booker back from a groin Phoenix has won nine of 11 Irving in 2019. trade in 2018. q

Authorities seek 6-year doping ban for NCAA sprint champion

By EDDIE PELLS stances.Oduduru did not The AIU said Oduduru alleged to have supplied the Rodchenkov Act, a
AP National Writer immediately respond to was the sprinter labeled performance-enhancing law named after Grigory
Anti-doping authorities messages left on his social “Athlete 2” in a complaint drugs to athletes before Rodchenkov, the former
are seeking a six-year ban media accounts by The against “naturopathic” the Summer Olympics in Moscow anti-doping lab
against four-time NCAA Associated Press. therapist Eric Lira, who is 2021. director who blew the
champion Divine Oduduru “Athlete 1” has already whistle on Russia’s scheme
of Nigeria, whose alleged been identified as Nige- to help athletes get away
cheating was uncovered ria’s Blessing Okagbare, with cheating in advance
in the first case brought who is serving an 11-year of the 2014 Olympics in So-
by U.S. authorities under a ban. chi.
sweeping law designed to Federal investigators used The Rodchenkov Act is
combat widespread dop- hundreds of texts between not designed to go after
ing schemes across the Okagbare, Lira and others individual athletes, but evi-
globe. as evidence to charge the dence collected in wider
The Athletics Integrity Unit, therapist, who was based probes can then be used
which oversees anti-dop- in El Paso, Texas. They said by anti-doping authorities
ing in global track, an- Lira distributed drugs, in- to seek out violations.
nounced Thursday that cluding human growth Oduduru swept the 100
the 26-year-old sprinter, hormone and the blood- and 200-meter sprints at
who ran for Texas Tech, building hormone eryth- NCAA championships in
has been provisionally ropoietin “for the purpose 2019. He won the 200 me-
suspended for possession Divine Oduduru, of Nigeria, walks from the track after he was of corrupting” the Tokyo ters in 2018 and the 200 at
disqualified for a false start in his heat of the men’s 100-meters at
and use or attempted use the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 31, 2021, in Tokyo. Olympics. NCAA indoor champion-
of multiple prohibited sub- Associated Press They charged Lira under ships the same year. q