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A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 7 May 2019
Nuggets even series with Blazers at 2 with 116-112 victory

ter Portland's epic 140-137 speaks to just how tough "It is disappointing. You go
quadruple-overtime victory we are." up 3-1 and you have a lot
to take a 2-1 lead in the se- Malone cited regular-sea- of momentum and obvi-
ries. It was only the second son statistics to back up his ously that would be a great
game in playoff history that claims: Denver was 12-1 in position to be in. But they're
went to four OTs. The other the second game of back- a good team, they came
was in 1953. to-backs, best in the NBA. out and played well," Blaz-
"I think it's not quitting. We The Nuggets were good in ers coach Terry Stotts said.
have a lot of competitive close games, too: 13-3 in "We had a bad third quar-
guys who don't want to games decided by three ter and that kind of made
lose. I think we don't want points or less, he said. the difference. We made a
to lose more than we like to "We just said to ourselves, 'If good comeback, but now
win — which is weird," Jokic we win today then the last it's a three-game series."
said. "We just didn't want to game doesn't really matter Jokic played 65 minutes in
have the excuse that we that much,'" Jokic said. "Yes the quadruple-overtime
lost because of four over- we played a four-overtime loss, the fourth-most min-
times, because we were game, it was exhausting, utes in NBA playoff history
tired." but we won tonight so the and just two short of the
Jamal Murray led all scorers last game doesn't really record. McCollum led the
with 34 points and made all matter." Blazers with 60 minutes.
11 free throws for the Nug- Denver outscored the Blaz- Fatigue was more of a
gets, who handed Portland ers 27-14 in the third quar- concern for the second-
its first postseason loss at ter to take an 84-77 lead seeded Nuggets, who had
home this season. The series into the fourth. Malik Beas- just one day off after their
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, shoots over Portland
Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu during the first half of now heads back to Denver ley kicked off the final pe- seven-game, first-round
Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sun- for Game 5. riod with a 3-pointer for the series against San Antonio.
day, May 5, 2019, in Portland, Ore. CJ McCollum had 29 points Nuggets. The Blazers dispatched of
Associated Press and Damian Lillard add- Rodney Hood's 3-pointer first-round opponent Okla-
ed 28 for the Blazers, who got the Blazers within 110- homa City in five games,
By ANNE M. PETERSON 12 rebounds and 11 as- missed out on taking a 3-1 107 with 52 seconds left clinching their first trip to
AP Sports Writer sists for his second straight lead in a conference semi- and Lillard's layup got the the conference semifinals
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — triple-double and fourth of finals for the first time since Blazers even closer at 112- since 2016 on Lillard's buzz-
The Denver Nuggets have the playoffs, and the Nug- 2000. 110 with 7.7 seconds to go. er-beating 3-pointer.
been good at bouncing gets evened their Western "Our guys are tough. We're But Murray's free throws Enes Kanter started for Port-
back all season. Conference semifinal series resilient," Nuggets coach gave Denver a four-point land despite ongoing con-
Not even a draining four- against the Portland Trail Michael Malone said. "I lead. McCollum hit a long cerns about his left shoul-
overtime defeat could Blazers at 2-2 with a 116-112 mean, to come in here and jumper that after a video der, which he injured in
keep this team down. victory Sunday. win this game 36 hours af- replay was ruled a 2 and Game 5 against the Thun-
Nikola Jokic had 21 points, It was less than 48 hours af- ter losing in four overtimes, Denver prevailed. der. q

Trump wants to restore waiver for service academy athletes

emy football team during op future officers," and that success in the NFL, most no-
a Rose Garden ceremony. graduates would serve as tably 1963 Heisman Trophy
The Army Black Knights "full-fledged military officers winner Roger Staubach, a
completed an 11-2 sea- carrying out the normal quarterback for the Mid-
son, including wins over the work and career expec- shipmen from 1962-64. Af-
Air Force and Navy. Army tations" of someone who ter serving a tour of duty in
earned the trophy for the received an education at Vietnam, he joined the Dal-
second consecutive year. the taxpayers' expense. las Cowboys in 1969 and
Trump said that, under the The Pentagon on Monday guided the team to a pair
plan he envisions, athletes was not aware of any im- of Super Bowl victories.
would "serve their time af- pending changes to the Another Heisman Trophy
ter they're finished with Mattis policy. winner, Glenn Davis of
professional sports." He said Under the current frame- Army in 1946, was a first-
that should make recruiting work, athletes have to round draft pick of the De-
a little easier for the military serve two years of active troit Lions but had to serve
academies. duty before applying for re- three years in the Army be-
President Donald Trump is presented a jersey during the presen- Trump's own Defense De- serve status to pursue a ca- fore making his NFL debut
tation of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy to the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point football team, in the Rose Garden of the partment rescinded a pol- reer in professional sports. with Detroit in 1950.
White House, Monday, May 6, 2019, in Washington. icy in 2017 that allowed the Trump paid tribute to the In addition, receiver Phil
Associated Press best athletes from the mili- Army football team, which McConkey played for
tary's service academies to has the nation's second- Navy from 1975-78, then
By KEVIN FREKING academies to play profes- go straight to the pros upon longest active winning served for five years before
Associated Press sional sports immediately graduation instead of hav- streak at nine games, be- the New York Giants made
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- upon graduation. ing to first serve in active hind Clemson University. him a 27-year-old rookie in
dent Donald Trump said Trump made the an- duty. Trump described the play- 1984. He caught a touch-
Monday he is looking into nouncement Monday Then-Defense Secretary ers as "star athletes and down pass in the Super
offering a waiver that while presenting the Com- Jim Mattis, in an April 2017 stars in every way." Bowl for New York and re-
would allow athletes at- mander-in-Chief's Trophy memo, said that the service Several Navy football play- mained in the NFL through
tending the nation's military to the U.S. Military Acad- academies "exist to devel- ers have gone on to have 1989.q