Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Friday 21 april 2017
NBA Playoffs

Rockets overcome Westbrook’s 51, take 2-0 lead over Thunder

The Associated Press the short-handed Warriors WASHINGTON (AP) — In a
HOUSTON (AP) — James beat Portland in Game 2 of rough-and-tumble, foul-
Harden scored 35 points their first-round playoff se- filled game, Bradley Beal
and the Houston Rock- ries without injured leading took over in the fourth
ets overcame 51 points scorer Kevin Durant. quarter with 16 of his 31
from Russell Westbrook in McGee shined on a night points, including a key late
the highest-scoring triple- none of the usual stars 3-pointer, helping Washing-
double in playoff history, found their consistent ton beat Atlanta for a 2-0
beating the Oklahoma shooting strokes. lead in their Eastern Confer-
City Thunder 115-111 on The backup big man made ence first-round series.
Wednesday night to take all seven of his field-goal at- John Wall earned chants of
a 2-0 lead in the first-round tempts and delivered sev- “M-V-P!” while finishing with
Western Conference play- eral more of his signature 32 points and nine assists,
off series. alley-oop dunks as Durant including the dish to Beal
Westbrook set a franchise watched with a strained for his shot from beyond
playoff scoring record and left calf he hurt in the play- the arc with 38 seconds
added 13 assists and 10 re- off opener Sunday. remaining that sealed the
bounds. Draymond Green had an- win for the hosts.
It was the sixth career play- other fantastic all-around Washington, which trailed
off triple-double for West- game, getting 12 re- 78-74 entering the final
brook, who had an NBA- bounds, 10 assists, six points period, won despite only
record 42 in the regular and three more blocked a combined seven points
season. shots after swatting five in from starting forwards Mar-
But he shot just 4 for 18 in Sunday’s win. kieff Morris and Otto Porter
the fourth quarter as the Curry went 6 for 18 and Jr., who were both in foul
Rockets clawed back from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives past also had six assists and six trouble early.
a double-digit deficit to Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon during the first half in Game rebounds. Klay Thompson The series now shifts to At-
surge ahead before hold- 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, was 6 of 17 with 16 points lanta for Game 3 on Satur-
ing on. April 19, 2017, in Houston. Associated Press and CJ McCollum and day.
Game 3 is Friday night in Damian Lillard were hardly Paul Millsap led the Hawks
Oklahoma City. ing. Westbrook had four ERS 81 were the dynamic scor- with 27 points and 10 re-
The game was tied before straight points to start a OAKLAND, California (AP) ing duo for Portland they’d bounds, and Dennis Sch-
Houston scored 10 straight 7-1 run after that, but the — Stephen Curry scored been combining for 75 roder scored 23 points.
points with 3-pointers from Thunder wouldn’t get any 19 points on an off night, points only three days ear- But Dwight Howard had
Harden, Patrick Beverley closer. JaVale McGee sparked lier. only seven rebounds, half
and Eric Gordon to make Golden State off the his Game 1 total, and six
it 114-104 with 1:22 remain- WARRIORS 110, TRAIL BLAZ- bench with 15 points, and WIZARDS 109, HAWKS 101 points.q

Continued from page 17 surgery, we hope, elimi- Guyer said the bottom of
nates the bad days.” the spine is the best place

But after a 2015 season in Questions about the 14- for single-level fusion to oc-
cur.
which he missed the cut in time major champion Woods’ first surgery in 2014
three majors, he had back have shifted from if he will was in Park City, Utah, by
surgery in September and win another major to if he neurosurgeon Charles
another one in October. will play another major. Rich, who also did the sec-
He went 15 months with- The statement on his web- ond operation. This is the
out competition before site said Woods’ bottom first time Woods has gone
returning in December at disc in his lower back has to the Texas Back Institute.
his Hero World Challenge severely narrowed, caus- Woods was to begin ther-
in the Bahamas, where ing sciatica and severe apy and treatment after
Woods made 24 birdies in pain in his back and legs. several weeks of rest.
72 holes and swung freely. Woods opted for a fourth He won his 79th PGA Tour
But then he missed the cut surgery when more con- Tiger Woods smiles during a press event for a new golf course event in August 2013 at the
at Torrey Pines in January, servative therapy, such as designed by Woods, in Hollister, Mo., Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Bridgestone Invitational.
and he withdrew from the rest and injections, failed Associated Press Three weeks later, he was
Dubai Desert Classic on to solve anything. in contention late in the
Feb. 3 after opening with a “He had consulted with the best option if Woods Disc Replacement, and in- final round at the Barclays
77, citing back spasms. a number of top people wanted an active lifestyle volved removing the dam- when he dropped to his
And now he’s gone that had recommended and was willing to sit out aged disc and lifting the knees after experienc-
through a fourth surgery. this was the way to go if the rest of the season. collapsed disc space to ing what he described as
“You see him in the Baha- he wanted a clear and fi- “He should be better than normal levels. back spasms.
mas, and he looked pretty nal path,” Steinberg said. he’s been in the past five “After he recovers from Woods is exempt for life
good,” said Mark Stein- “Everything he had done years,” Steinberg said. surgery, he will gradually at the Masters and PGA
berg, his agent at Excel in the past was a tempo- “He’s pretty encouraged.” begin his rehabilitation until Championship, and until
Sports Management. “And rary fix, so to speak. At that The surgery was described he is completely healed,” he is 60 at the British Open.
then you see him in Dubai. point, they thought there as “anterior lumbar inter- Guyer said on the web- He has a 10-year exemp-
It can happen any time. were other alternatives body fusion” at the L-5 and site. “Once that’s accom- tion for the U.S. Open from
You heard him say two than fusion.” S-1 of his spine. It was per- plished, his workouts will be his 2008 victory at Torrey
days ago, ‘I have good Steinberg said they were formed by Richard Guyer geared to allowing him to Pines, which was his 14th
days and bad days.’ This advised fusion surgery was of the institute’s Center for return to competitive golf.”
and last major. He had re-