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SPORTS Wednesday 27 March 2019

Nurkic suffers severe

leg injury, Blazers

top Nets in 2 OTs

By The Associated Press tory over Phoenix, which
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Ju- got 59 points from Devin
suf Nurkic had 32 points Booker.
and 16 rebounds before Booker topped his previous
suffering a gruesome left season high of 55, set in De-
leg injury in the second cember in a triple-overtime
overtime, and the Portland loss to Washington. The
Trail Blazers outlasted the fourth-year guard made
Brooklyn Nets 148-144 on five 3-pointers and shot 19
Monday night. for 34 despite drawing sev-
Nurkic was hurt when his eral double-teams as the
leg bent awkwardly as he Jazz sought to prevent him
battled for an offensive from reaching 60 points.
rebound. His leg was im- He also made 16 of 17 free
mobilized and he was re- throws.
moved on a stretcher while Derrick Favors and Ricky
surrounded by members of Rubio each had 18 points
both teams. and Joe Ingles added 14
The Blazers pulled out the as the Jazz won for the sev-
game without him to clinch enth time in their last eight
a playoff berth, but the loss games.
of its starting center having MAGIC 119, 76ERS 98
his best season could be ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —
devastating for a Portland Nikola Vucevic had 28
team already playing with- points and 11 rebounds, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, center, dunks on Phoenix Suns' Deandre Ayton (22) and Troy Dan-
out injured guard CJ Mc- and Orlando held Philadel- iels (30) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 25, 2019, in Salt Lake
Collum. phia without a field goal for City.
Damian Lillard finished with a stretch of nearly 12 min- Associated Press
31 points and 12 assists for utes. chasing the eighth playoff ler Dorsey added 21 and slide.
Portland, while D'Angelo Evan Fournier scored 24 spot in the Eastern Confer- Memphis beat Oklahoma Paul George led the Thun-
Russell had 39 points, nine points for the Magic, who ence. They visit the Heat on City. der with 30 points and 12
rebounds and eight assists outscored the 76ers 30-5 Tuesday. Delon Wright finished with rebounds, while Dennis
for Brooklyn. over a second-half stretch Joel Embiid led the 76ers 18 points and a career-best Schroder added 25 points
JAZZ 125, SUNS 92 in which Philadelphia with 20 points and 10 re- 13 assists for the Grizzlies. on 9-of-14 shooting. Russell
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rudy missed 15 straight shots. bounds. Jonas Valanciunas added Westbrook finished with 16
Gobert scored a season- The Magic completed their GRIZZLIES 115, THUNDER 103 18 points and 14 rebounds. points and seven assists,
high 27 points and set the first 5-0 homestand in fran- MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — All five starters finished in but was just 6 of 20 from the
single-season NBA dunk re- chise history and moved a Bruno Caboclo scored a double figures as the Griz- field and missed five of his
cord to fuel Utah to a vic- half-game behind Miami in career-high 24 points, Ty- zlies ended a two-game six 3-point attempts.q

NFL owners vote down

potential onside kick change

By BARRY WILNER offense's 35-yard line to re- Currently, the format is a
AP Pro Football Writer place the onside kick, con- touchdown on the open-
PHOENIX (AP) — NFL own- sidered one of the game's ing possession of OT ends
ers voted down a proposal more dangerous plays. the game, but a field goal
to replace the onside kick The powerful competition allows the other team a
with one play from scrim- committee recommended series with the ball. If that
mage, and tabled a sug- the play by a vote of 7-1, team also kicks a field goal,
gestion to require each but the owners were not the game continues.
team to have one posses- swayed. Owners will next take up New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the
media during the NFC/AFC coaches breakfast during the an-
sion in overtime regardless The overtime change is the overtime topic at their nual NFL football owners meetings, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in
of what happened on the championed by several May meeting. Phoenix.
first series of the extra pe- clubs after the AFC cham- Approved on Tuesday, with Associated Press
riod. pionship game in Janu- the owners still meeting:
While the owners on Tues- ary — and the 2017 Super —Making permanent all block in an effort to ex- —Allowing teams to elect
day mulled enhancing the Bowl — ended with a Patri- kickoff rules implemented pand protection of a de- to enforce on an extra point
use of video replay in of- ots touchdown without the only for the 2018 season. fenseless player. It is now a kick or play an opponent's
ficiating, they vetoed the opponent getting the ball. Studies showed this player 15-yard penalty if a player personal or unsportsman-
idea of a one-year trial of a New England won the coin safety initiative worked. initiates a block in which he like conduct foul commit-
fourth-and-15 play from the toss both times. —Eliminating the blindside is moving. ted during a touchdown.q