Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22
SPORTSFriday 5 January 2018
Rozier steals spotlight, leads Celtics past Cavaliers 102-88
By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Terry Rozier
scored 20 points in 20 min-
utes, stealing the spotlight
from LeBron James, Kyrie
Irving and Isaiah Thomas
in a rematch of the East-
ern Conference finals and
leading the Boston Celt-
ics to a 102-88 victory over
the Cleveland Cavaliers on
Wednesday night.
Rozier scored the last eight
Boston points of the first
quarter to give the Celt-
ics an 11-point lead, and
had another eight in a row
midway through the fourth
when they expanded the
lead to 21. Marcus Smart
and Jayson Tatum had 15
points apiece, and Irving
and Al Horford each had 11
points and nine rebounds
to help Boston to its fourth
straight win.
James had 19 points, seven
rebounds and six assists,
and Tristan Thompson had
10 points and 10 rebounds
for Cleveland, which lost
for the fourth time in five
games. Playing on back-
to-back nights — the Celt-
ics had been preparing for
them since New Year’s Eve
— Cleveland shot 34.8 per-
cent.
It was the first time the
teams had played since
the season opener, when
top Boston free agent Gor-
don Hayward broke his leg
in a gruesome injury that re-
shuffled the Eastern Confer-
ence playoff race.
WARRIORS 125, MAVERICKS
122
DALLAS (AP) — Stephen
Curry hit a long 3-pointer
with three seconds to play,
giving Golden State a hard-
MLS 2018 schedule includes 9-day break for World Cup
By ANNE M. PETERSON play in the World Cup, al-
AP Sports Writer
Major League Soccer’s up-
coming season includes a
nine-day break in June for
the World Cup in Russia.
The league’s hiatus for the
2014 World Cup in Brazil
was two weeks. But the
U.S. national team, which
played in 2014, did not
qualify for soccer’s premier
tournament this year.
More than two dozen MLS
players from other nation-
al teams are expected to
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) passes the ball as Boston Celtics guard Kyrie ROCKETS 116, MAGIC 98
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Ger-
Irving defends during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Wednesday, Jan. ald Green scored 27 points,
Clint Capela had 21 points
3, 2018. and eight rebounds and
Houston got by without
Associated Press NBA scoring leader James
Harden, routing Orlando.
fought victory over Dallas. and 12 assists in a suc- phia past San Antonio. Harden was sidelined by a
strained left hamstring.
Curry finished with 32 points cessful return home, and The 76ers snapped a 12- Green made his first five
3-point shots and finished 7
as Golden State’s “Big rookie Terrance Ferguson game losing streak to the for 10 from behind the arc
for the Rockets, who were
Four” combined for 100 — scored all 24 of his points in Spurs. They needed all 35 never behind and led by as
many as 28 late in the third
and the Warriors needed the second half of his first minutes from Embiid to quarter.
Eric Gordon added 17
every one of them against career start as Oklahoma knock off short-handed points and six assists to
help Houston tune up for its
a Mavericks team that had City handed Los Angeles its San Antonio. Embiid was in- Thursday night showdown
with Golden State.
won four straight. eighth consecutive defeat. jured in a hard fall Saturday Aaron Gordon led the
Magic with 16 points after
Kevin Durant and Klay Paul George also scored 24 against the Suns. Philadel- missing his first eight shots.
Elfrid Payton and Mario He-
Thompson had 25 points points and Carmelo Antho- phia’s leading scorer and zonja added 14 each dur-
ing Orlando’s 12th loss in 13
each, and Draymond ny added 21 to comple- rebounder sat at his locker games.
WIZARDS 121, KNICKS 103
Green added 18 to go with ment Westbrook, the reign- before the game and said WASHINGTON (AP) — Brad-
ley Beal scored 27 points,
10 rebounds. ing MVP who was born in his hand was swollen and John Wall added 25 with
nine assists and Washington
Wesley Matthews led the Long Beach and went to he couldn’t shoot. beat New York.
Playing for the first time
Mavericks with 22 points, college at UCLA. Embiid used a soft touch to since he was selected East-
ern Conference player of
including seven 3-pointers, The Lakers were led by rook- sink a couple of shots dur- the week, Beal followed
his 39-point outburst on
and Dwight Powell tied his ie Kyle Kuzma’s 18 points. ing pregame drills, and that Sunday by hitting 11 of his
14 field goal attempts for
career high with 21. They shot just 41.3 percent was enough to convince Washington, which was
won five of six.
Dallas, playing from behind from the field, while the the Sixers he could play. Marcin Gortat had a sea-
son-high 21 points, shooting
most of the game, erased a Thunder shot 60.2 percent. The Sixers blew a 16-point 9 of 10 from the field.
Michael Beasley had 20
12-point deficit with 4:32 to 76ERS 112, SPURS 106 lead and might have been points, including 16 in the
second half to lead the
play, tying the score at 120 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel thumped from the outset Knicks, who have lost six of
seven.q
on Harrison Barnes’ jumper Embiid shook off a sprained had the Spurs not sat five
with 39.9 seconds left. right hand that nearly kept players. Patty Mills led the
THUNDER 133, LAKERS 96 him out of the lineup to Spurs with 26 points and
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Russell score 21 points, grab 11 re- LaMarcus Aldridge had 24
Westbrook had 20 points bounds and lead Philadel- points and 14 rebounds.
ry match against the LA the Western Conference Whitecaps just twice, im-
though rosters have not Galaxy on March 31 at at 12 teams and the East- pacting the point system
been announced. StubHub Center in Carson, ern Conference at 11. for the rivalry’s annual tro-
The World Cup break will California. The East teams will play phy.
run from June 14-22, dur- LAFC was named as an ex- two league opponents The Timbers open the sea-
ing the group stage of the pansion team in late 2014 three times each, and the son with five matches on
tournament. shortly after Chivas USA rest twice, while the West the road because of the
The MLS season opens on folded. teams will play one league expansion of Providence
March 3 with Toronto host- The team’s ownership opponent three times and Park. Portland will play its
ing the Columbus Crew in group is led by venture the rest twice. home opener on April 14
an afternoon match. capitalist Henry Nguyen, The Sounders will play the against Minnesota United.
The league’s newest team, as well as Mandalay Enter- Portland Timbers three DC United will officially
Los Angeles FC, debuts on tainment CEO Peter Guber times in the Cascadia Cup open its new soccer-spe-
March 4 in Seattle against and former NBA executive rivalry. cific stadium, Audi Field,
the Sounders. Tom Penn. But those two teams will on July 14 when they host
LAFC will play its first rival- The addition of LAFC puts each play the Vancouver the Whitecaps.q