The clubhouse celebration that awaited John Means on Wednesday was more than 50 years in the making for the Baltimore Orioles and more like a playoff berth being clinched than a regular-season win. Only a wild pitch in the dirt kept the Orioles from celebrating perfection. That is how dominant Means was in throwing the major leagues’ third no-hitter of the season in Baltimore’s 6-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. A franchise still in the middle of a rebuild with little to celebrate in the past few seasons was happy to put the spotlight on its tall lefty, who overmatched the Mariners with an array of unhittable fastballs, breaking pitches and a terrific changeup. “I never really thought I’d be here. I’d always write MLB player when I was a kid on the sheet when asked what you wanted to do when you’re older, but I never thought it was a reality,” Means said. “And now that it is, and now I’m able to throw this, it’s crazy and I don’t even know how to describe it.” This was not a fluke performance. Means has been one of the best pitchers in the American League at the start of this season. This was domination. Means (4-0) struck out 12 and walked none. Seattle’s only baserunner was Sam Haggerty after he raced to first after swinging at a curveball in the dirt for strike three with one out in the third inning. The 1-2 pitch bounced away from catcher Pedro Severino and ended up being the only blemish that separated Means from a perfect game. Haggerty was not on base long, getting thrown out attempting to steal second. It was Means’ first complete game in 44 career big-league starts. He said he could not care less that it was not a perfect game. Means pitched the first non-perfect no-hitter in which the
More than most people, South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe, now the toast of Toulouse, is used to avoiding trouble. On the field he is best known for using his quick feet to find a handkerchief of space before accelerating away to score, but off the field, as a kid, the Rugby World Cup winner needed that speed to stay out of harm’s way. The 170cm winger was brought up in Kraafontein, a northern suburb of Cape Town that also produced 2016 400m Olympic gold medalist Wayde van Niekerk, who is his cousin. “You have to grow up just playing in the streets and all of a sudden all you hear is gunshots, gang members fighting each other. That was the norm, each and every day,” the 27-year-old Kolbe told reporters this week. “After a while you get used to the way things happen around you. It’s scary to notice what I was faced with from a young age.” “It was a rough upbringing, but I definitely wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said. Kolbe said that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation at home considerably. “The feedback I get from friends is that it’s 10 times worse than what it was since we grew up,” Kolbe said. “People are vulnerable with COVID, losing their jobs, becoming more desperate to get food on the table, so they do whatever it takes. They will steal something from you, that they can sell for money, or to get food or to buy drugs to keep themselves going.” Kolbe’s father, Andrew, played local rugby in the town, which gave the young Cheslin Kolbe a role model and a routine. “It gave me the opportunity to go to training with him during the week and on weekends I would go and watch him,” Cheslin Kolbe said. “I always kept myself busy
Jordan Clarkson on Wednesday scored a team-high 30 points as the NBA-leading Utah Jazz won their third straight game with a 126-94 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Salt Lake City. Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 24 points for the Jazz, who cruised to victory despite being without their one-two guard punch of Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. The Jazz improved to 48-18 on the season and the win — combined with the Atlanta Hawks 135-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns — allowed them to reclaim first place in the NBA and top spot in the Western Conference. “Finding our rhythm, it’s great. Right now we are trying to figure out how to play without Donovan and Mike we are trying to run more. So it’s good for me to get my confidence back and be ready for the playoffs,” said Bogdanovic, who has averaged 25.8 points in his past five contests. Utah are a game ahead of Phoenix in the West standings with six games left in the regular season. Luka Samanic scored 15 points for the Spurs, who are in 10th spot in the West and trying to hold onto that last position for the play-in tournament. “You go through adversity sometimes,” Spurs player DeMar DeRozan said. “You can’t let it diminish your confidence. We still got six games left. Still six opportunities for us to be able to put ourselves in a position to keep playing.” Elsewhere, the Hawks bench scored a combined 74 points as Atlanta continued their domination over Phoenix with a 135-103 rout. At the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, while Austin Rivers scored 25 points as the Denver Nuggets beat the New York Knicks 113-97. In other games, it was: ‧ Bucks 135, Wizards 134 ‧ Rockets 115, 76ers 135 ‧ Magic 96, Celtics 132 ‧ Cavs 105,
YEARS OF WORK: Guardiola said he was ‘incredibly proud’ of his team making their first Champions League final, after their past four runs under him ended before the semis
Manager Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City’s first ever UEFA Champions League final had been five years in the making after Riyad Mahrez’s double on Tuesday saw off Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 2-0 to seal a 4-1 semi-final aggregate win. City are looking to set the seal on a third English Premier League title in four seasons in the coming days as they remain on course for a treble, having already lifted the EFL Cup. However, their previous four Champions League campaigns under Guardiola ended in anguish before the semi-final stage. Guardiola has won the competition twice before as a coach during his time at Barcelona. However, the Catalan has also endured a decade of disappointment in Europe’s premier club competition since. “It is for all of us and the club. I’m incredibly proud,” Guardiola said. “Getting to the final now makes sense of what we have done in the past four or five years. Every day these guys have been consistent and this is remarkable.” Mahrez’s goal also decided the first leg and the Algerian, who grew up in the Parisian suburbs, haunted his home town team again with two clinical finishes early in each half. The final in Istanbul on May 29 against Real Madrid or Chelsea is the culmination of City’s rise since an Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 transformed the club’s fortunes. Meanwhile, four years on from making Neymar and Kylian Mbappe the world’s two most expensive players, PSG’s wait for a first Champions League title goes on. Mbappe could only watch from the stands due to a calf injury as, just like in last week’s first leg, his side imploded after an excellent first-half performance. The visitors were left to rue huge missed chances by Marquinhos and Angel di Maria in between Mahrez’s strikes, before Di Maria lashed out at Fernandinho to leave PSG down to
Jose Mourinho and AS Roma seem like a good fit, after the Portuguese was surprisingly named as the club’s new coach on Tuesday, but it is unlikely to be an easy return to management for a man with a point to prove. “No break, I am always in football” was the short, sharp response Mourinho gave reporters after his sacking by underperforming English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur 15 days ago. However, few expected him to be back quite so soon. Several Italian newspapers on Tuesday carried stories on former Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri being lined up to replace the under pressure Paulo Fonseca, with no mention of Mourinho. Yet, hours after Roma confirmed that Fonseca would depart at the end of the season, Mourinho’s return to Italy was announced, with the 58-year-old to succeed his fellow countryman from the start of the 2021-2022 campaign. A return to Italy, on the face of it, seems to suit Mourinho. While his last three jobs in England saw him leave Chelsea when they were languishing in 16th place in December 2015, fail to revitalize Manchester United’s fortunes and not live up to the billing at Spurs, Mourinho has only known success in Italy. He steered Inter to an unprecedented treble in 2009-2010 before departing for Real Madrid, and is still held in high regard in Italy after having been so successful in the few seasons he coached in the country. Yet there will be no time for Mourinho to get reacquainted with Italian soccer. Roma fans expect results and quickly. “Roma is a difficult club [to coach],” former Roma manager Fabio Capello told La Presse. “It’s not enough to sign a great coach to win. You also need the players, but he [Mourinho] exceeds in difficult places. I hope for Roma fans that he does as well as he did at
Vulgar and direct, New York Yankees fans cranked up a baleful cacophony for the scandal-tainted Houston Astros — thunderous heckles that belied their COVID-19 pandemic-restricted numbers. “It sounded like a packed house,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. About the only thing louder? Maybe the ball coming off Giancarlo Stanton’s bat. Boos and bad words streamed from the seats in the Astros’ return to the Bronx, and Stanton had a homer and four hits to help New York sate those spiteful fans in a 7-3 victory on Tuesday night. In Houston’s first visit to New York since the Astros’ sign-stealing scam was exposed, an error by third baseman Alex Bregman in the sixth inning let New York blow the game open. “That was intense,” Stanton said. “I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of that. They brought something heavy.” A sellout crowd of 10,850 skipped subtle barbs for salty language, aimed especially at 2017 American League Most Valuable Player Jose Altuve. Several brought signs insulting the Astros, and security confiscated multiple inflatable trash cans. “That was playoff energy, even though we’re not at full capacity,” Stanton said. “That was fun. They brought the noise.” Bregman momentarily hushed the haters when he homered in the first inning off Domingo German, but Bregman’s miscue in the sixth with the game tied 3-3 doomed Houston. He barehanded D.J. LeMahieu’s bases-loaded slow roller, but skipped his throw past first baseman Yuli Gurriel. Three runs scored on the play, the last Rougned Odor, whose left knee slammed into catcher Martin Maldonado’s head as he reached the plate. Odor appeared to be trying to avoid LeMahieu’s bat, which was lying in the right-handed batter’s box. LeMahieu was credited with a single and an RBI, and one of the runs was unearned. Stanton made it 7-3 when he scored LeMahieu with a single. “Looking back
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, who has earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s fastest players, plans to test his speed against some of the US’ top sprinters on Sunday with a possible eye on the US Olympic trials. Metcalf is to run in the 100m at the USA Track & Field (USATF) Golden Games and Distance Open in Walnut, California. The Pro Bowler’s name appeared on the official entry list for the meet on Monday afternoon, when he appeared to confirm his participation with an enigmatic Twitter post. Others who have entered the race include 2016 Olympian Mike Rodgers and Ronnie Baker, who ranks second in the US this year at 9.94 seconds. The 1.9m, 104kg wide receiver’s flirtation with USATF began in October last year during a nationally televised prime time game against the Buffalo Bills. As Buffalo safety Budda Baker streaked toward an apparent touchdown after intercepting Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson inside the five-yard line, Metcalf sprinted the length of the field before dragging down Baker short of the goal line. Metcalf, who ran a 36.6-dash in 4.33 seconds at the 2019 NFL Combine, clocked a top speed of 36.44kph while covering 104.97m to catch Baker, the NFL’s Next Gen Stats platform showed. The next day, USATF sent a playful online message inviting Metcalf to test himself against “real speed” at the Olympic trials, scheduled for next month at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. That same week, Metcalf’s agent dialed USATF executive Adam Schmenk to inquire about what making the team for the Tokyo Olympics might entail. “DK’s agent told us that he really wants to try to make the Olympics and asked what steps he needs to take,” Schmenk told Yahoo Sports. “We walked him through what the auto qualifying time was that he would have to run in a sanctioned
Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday scored 36 points as the Milwaukee Bucks punched their playoff ticket with a 124-118 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The heavyweight showdown between the Eastern Conference rivals did not disappoint, with the two sides matching each other shot-for-shot, before the Bucks pulled away in the final quarter. Antetokounmpo led from the front for Milwaukee, with 12 rebounds, four assists and five turnovers to seal the Bucks’ win. Milwaukee improved to 41-24 with the win to remain in third place in the East, just behind second-placed Brooklyn, who dropped a third straight game to fall to 43-23. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton backed Antetokounmpo with 23 points apiece, while Bryn Forbes added 14 points off the bench. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combined for 70 points for Brooklyn, who were once again missing the injured James Harden. Irving finished with 38 points and Durant added 32, while Joe Harris (12), Jeff Green (10) and Mike James (10) also made double figures. Antetokounmpo downplayed the significance of the Bucks’ victory, which followed a win over the Nets on Sunday. “Great win, and I’m happy that we were able to put on a show for our fans and build good habits from those games, but that’s all,” Antetokounmpo said. “They don’t mean nothing. “Nobody’s going to remember these games when we’re in the playoffs.” Elsewhere on Tuesday, Devin Booker scored 31 points as the Phoenix Suns reclaimed top spot in the Western Conference playoff race with a 134-118 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Booker went 14-of-27 from the field and added six rebounds with five assists as the Suns, who had already clinched their playoff place, extended their winning streak to five games. Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors talisman Steph Curry rattled off another 30-point display, but it was not enough to stop the Dubs from sliding to a 108-103
MOTOR RACING Villas-Boas to enters WRC Andre Villas-Boas is to make his World Rally Championship (WRC) debut in Portugal this month, organizers said on Tuesday. “Some of the biggest intrigue in Portugal will be reserved for car 57, driven by Andre Villas-Boas. The former Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur soccer manager has been an avid rally fan for some time and will make his WRC debut,” the WRC said in a statement. Villas-Boas is to race in a Citroen C3 in the third-tier WRC3, which is reserved for privately entered crews. The 43-year-old has been away from soccer since his departure from Olympique de Marseille in February. In 2018, he took part in the Dakar Rally, having to retire with a back injury. The Portugal leg of the WRC is to be held from May 20 to 23. CRICKET MacGill allegedly kidnapped Former Australia Test cricketer Stuart MacGill was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and threatened with a firearm before being released in Sydney last month. New South Wales state police yesterday arrested and charged four men in relation to the incident, including one who is allegedly known to MacGill. Police say the 50-year-old MacGill was confronted by a man at Cremorne in Sydney’s north on April 14, before two other men arrived and helped force him into a vehicle and take him to the city’s southwest, where he was allegedly assaulted. He was reportedly held for about an hour before being driven to another location and released. Police believed the motive was financial although no ransom demands were made, Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Holton told a news conference. Police said MacGill sustained minor injuries, but did not need medical treatment. CYCLING Spreafico banned for doping Italian rider Matteo Spreafico has been banned for three years after failing two anti-doping tests during the Giro d’Italia in October last
WEEKEND MATCHES: Hang Yuan FC’s first game against CPC FC was a tense affair with no one scoring until the 80th minute, but after a flurry of goals Hang Yuan prevailed 2-1
Tainan TSG (Taiwan Steel Group) have had to postpone their trip to Hong Kong to play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup qualifiers. The AFC on Monday delayed the AFC Cup East Zone Group J qualifier matches in Hong Kong — which were to be held from Friday next week to May 20 — until June 23 to 29 due to international travel and quarantine challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As defending champions of the Taiwan Football Premier League (TFPL), Tainan TSG are representing Taiwan in Group J against Mongolia’s Athletic 220, and Hong Kong’s Eastern Long Lions and Lee Man. Tainan TSG players were originally to get vaccinated and travel to Hong Kong this week, and were given a bye for three rounds of the TFPL. However, as the situation has changed, league officials are meeting with other teams to schedule new games for them. Despite the disruption, Tainan TSG are still on top of the TFPL leaderboard with 16 points from five wins and one draw, with Taipower closely behind with 14 points from four wins and two draws. In Sunday’s three league matches, Hang Yuan FC played their first match against CPC FC this season. No one scored in the first half in Yilan City, although Chilean midfielder Matias Godoy came close twice for CPC. Godoy received a cross, firing a shot at close range in the 13th minute, but was denied by Hang Yuan goalkeeper Lai Po-lun. In the 25th minute, Godoy had Lai beaten, but the ball hit the post and bounced away. It was a tense affair until the 80th minute, when Haitian defender Judelin Aveska intercepted a high cross and headed the ball to striker Huang Yu-wei, who volleyed it home for Hang Yuan. The hosts doubled their lead six minutes later, when midfielder Fang Li-peng took a pass and
West Ham United on Monday maintained their surprise challenge for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, as Michail Antonio scored twice to beat Burnley 2-1. Chris Wood’s penalty opened the scoring for the Clarets, but Burnley failed to guarantee their English Premier League survival for another season as Antonio struck twice in eight minutes. The Hammers move into fifth, just three points adrift of Chelsea, who have to travel to runaway leaders Manchester City next weekend. West Ham, by contrast, have a favorable run in with Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton to come in their final four games of the campaign. “I’m hoping with four games to go, people still talk about us and the Champions League. We want to take it down to the final day and try to sneak in,” West Ham manager David Moyes told BBC Sport. “It will probably need us to win all four games. Europe would be an incredible achievement. I think I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get there now.” The return of Antonio from injury could prove the decisive factor for Moyes’ men, who were battling for survival at this stage last season. The Jamaican missed back-to-back defeats by Newcastle United and Chelsea that had rocked West Ham’s bid to finish in the top four. Another slow start saw them fall behind again when Wood was upended by Tomas Soucek and the New Zealander confidently stroked home the penalty. However, Burnley were guilty of uncharacteristic mistakes in defending crosses into their box. Antonio outmuscled Matt Lowton to head home Vladimir Coufal’s cross on 21 minutes. Moments later, he tapped in at the back post from Said Benrahma’s low-ball into the box. At the other end of the table, West Brom are set for a return to the EFL Championship after just one season back in the
The English Premier League (EPL) on Monday said it is drawing up a new owners’ charter designed to avoid future attempts to join a breakaway European Super League (ESL) as police launched an investigation into the protest that caused the postponement of Manchester United’s match against Liverpool. Fans on Sunday invaded Old Trafford and ran onto the pitch as part of a demonstration against United’s owners, the US-based Glazer family. Greater Manchester Police said six officers were injured after the protests turned “hostile” when demonstrators threw flares, bottles and barriers at police. One officer sustained a fractured eye socket, another was wounded on their face and a third was “dragged and kicked,” the force said. A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incidents. Anger toward the Glazers has been reignited by United’s part in the failed ESL project, which collapsed within 48 hours last month after a backlash from fans, players, governments and governing bodies. The ESL sought to guarantee top-level European soccer for 15 founder members every season without the need to qualify. There have been calls for all six English clubs involved in the formation of the ESL — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur — to face points penalties. The Premier League on Monday said it is “determined” to “hold those clubs accountable for their decisions and actions.” It also announced plans for a new charter, with all club owners signing up to a rule “committing them to the core principles” of the league, with breaches punished by “significant” sanctions. “The events of the last two weeks have challenged the foundations and resolve of English football,” the Premier League said. “These measures are designed to stop the threat of breakaway leagues in the future.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking during a campaign visit to the northeast English town of Hartlepool,
Mark Selby won a fourth world snooker title as he held off a stirring fightback from Shaun Murphy to win 18-15 in front of a capacity crowd at the Crucible. Selby punched the air after sinking the final black under immense pressure to join John Higgins as a four-time champion. The 37-year-old had endured a torrid time after winning his previous crown in 2017, crashing out in the first round as defending champion and surrendering his status as world No. 1 after going more than two-and-a-half years without a British-based ranking title. Selby strode out for the final session with a 14-11 advantage, but well aware of the danger posed by Murphy, who had roared into the final in the kind of free-flowing form that evoked memories of his charge to the title as a fresh-faced qualifier in 2005. After Selby moved to within one frame of victory, Murphy produced back-to-back centuries to set up a nervy finale. He came close to taking another after Selby broke down on a break of 38 in the next, but a difficult red down the cushion proved a step too far, and Selby duly cleared up. “Absolutely incredible. Every time you get to a world final you always try your hardest, because it’s such a tough tournament to get there and you never know if it’s going to be your last or not,” Selby said. “A few years ago I had some really, really dark days and times were tough, obviously all the family will understand what I’m going through, so this has been a special one,” he said. Selby’s win moved him back up to No. 2 in the world rankings. “My aim is to try and get back to number one,” he said. “You still have massive goals in your career, and I’m going in the right direction.” Murphy paid tribute
Steph Curry on Monday erupted for 41 points as the Golden State Warriors stayed on course for the post-season with a 123-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Curry’s 33rd 30-point game of the season helped the Warriors move to 33-32 to leave the team firmly in the hunt for a Western Conference play-in tournament place. However, the Warriors’ road victory all but extinguished New Orleans’ chances of reaching the playoffs. The defeat means the Pelicans are now languishing outside the play-in competition places with a 29-36 record, four games adrift of the San Antonio Spurs. Curry’s latest masterclass in a season that has seen him emerge as a front-runner for NBA Most Valuable Player honors was his ninth 40-point game of the season, and the 47th 40-point game of his career. “I’m just playing with confidence,” Curry said. “Every game I’m just trying to sustain the intensity, the effort and the focus.” “It’s been a fun year and a fun ride, but we’ve got a lot left to do. I’m glad I’m playing my part,” he said. The Warriors led from start to finish, rocking the Pelicans by sprinting to a 39-21 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretching into a 25-point lead midway through the second quarter. “For us to come out like we did tonight in the first quarter and impose our will — it helped us maintain momentum throughout the game offensively,” Curry told ESPN after the win. Curry said the Warriors would have to to improve to have a chance of progressing into the playoffs from the play-in tournament. “We understand that if we’re going to be in the play-in or the playoffs we’ve got to play more consistent basketball, night-in, night-out, and we haven’t done that. It was a nice test for us tonight,” he said. Elsewhere on Monday, the Denver Nuggets
TENNIS Alcaraz in ‘dream’ matchup It was not too long ago that Rafael Nadal was handing Carlos Alcaraz a PlayStation as a prize at a local tennis tournament in Spain. Now the Spanish great is about to play against the promising youngster in the second round of the Madrid Open. Seventeen-year-old Alcaraz on Monday defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-0 to set up the “dream” matchup against the 20-time grand slam champion. Alcaraz faces his idol on the Magic Box center court today, his birthday. “It will be a dream come through to play against Rafa here,” Alcaraz said. “I’ve wanted to play against him since I was a kid. There will be no better way than while celebrating my 18th birthday.” BOXING Verdejo charged with murder Puerto Rican former Olympic boxer Felix Verdejo was on Monday charged with killing his lover and their unborn fetus. The judge charged him with three counts of kidnapping and murdering Keishla Rodriguez, who was pregnant at the time. A federal complaint obtained by Agence France-Presse said that Verdejo, who is married and was also in a relationship with Rodriguez, allegedly kidnapped the victim on Thursday after she told him she was pregnant. Verdejo asked another person, whom the affidavit refers to as a “witness,” for help in terminating Rodriguez’s pregnancy. Verdejo — who has won 27 fights, 17 by knockout — “punched the victim in the face, and she was injected with a syringe filled with a substance,” stated the affidavit of the FBI agent who led the investigation. He and the witness then tied Rodriguez to a block, it said. Then they drove to a lagoon in San Juan, where she was “tossed off the side of the bridge and into the water,” the affidavit said, adding that Verdejo then shot Rodriguez. Verdejo represented Puerto Rico
FURIOUS FANS: The biggest game in English soccer was postponed amid chaotic scenes after about 200 protesters made their way onto the pitch and set off flares
Manchester United’s English Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday was postponed after furious United fans stormed Old Trafford in protest at the club’s owners, while Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Sheffield United 4-0. Manchester City would have been crowned champions for the third time in four seasons if second-placed United had lost to Liverpool, but Pep Guardiola’s side saw their hopes of a title party put on hold after the biggest game in English soccer was postponed amid chaotic scenes. The Glazer family, already unpopular for their leveraged buyout of the club 16 years ago that saddled United with huge debt repayments, were widely criticized for their leading role in the failed breakaway European Super League project. That prompted United fans to call for a demonstration before the Liverpool game and about 200 protesters made their way onto the pitch, where they waved anti-Glazer banners and set off green and yellow flares — the colors of original club Newton Heath. Supporters are hoping to pressure the Glazers into selling the club. Some supporters also blockaded the entrance to the Lowry Hotel, where the United players and staff were staying. A line of riot police, backed by horses, eventually pushed the crowds away from the stadium. The scheduled 4:30pm kickoff was delayed while Premier League chiefs discussed the situation, with United eventually announcing the postponement at 5:40pm. “Our fans are passionate about Manchester United, and we completely acknowledge the right to free expression and peaceful protest,” a United statement said. “However, we regret the disruption to the team and actions which put other fans, staff, and the police in danger.” “We understand and respect the strength of feeling but condemn all acts of violence, criminal damage and trespass, especially given the associated COVID-19 breaches,” a Premier League statement added. Liverpool said that they were in “full
Antonio Conte on Sunday hailed Inter’s first Serie A triumph since 2009-2010 as “one of the most important successes” of his career. Inter clinched their 19th scudetto after nearest rivals Atalanta BC drew 1-1 at US Sassuolo to leave the Nerazzurri 13 points clear with four games remaining. Conte lifted the Italian title on three occasions as Juventus coach and won the English Premier League as Chelsea boss in 2017-2018. “This is one of the most important successes of my career,” the 51-year-old told Italian TV station Rai. “Deciding to join Inter was not easy, just when the team was not equipped to win immediately. Furthermore, the opponent was Juventus, for whom I had worked for a long time, who had dominated for nine years. Today we can say that our sacrifices have paid off.” The former Italy coach pinpointed Inter’s humiliating UEFA Champions League group stage exit in December last year as paving the way for their success. Since then, they have stepped up a gear in the league and lost just one game. “The key moment of the season was when we came out of the Champions League, when we were inundated with a sea of criticism, all too excessive,” Conte said. “We were good at using those criticisms, transforming the negative into the positive, also because this group was not used to winning.” Inter have four games remaining, including a trip to Juventus, which could decide whether Conte’s former club qualify for the Champions League. “It will be an important match for them, we want to do our part until the end trying to get the most out of these last four days,” Conte said. “For me, going back to the Allianz Stadium is always a pleasure — before I entered it as a host, now I’m learning to do it as an opponent.” Conte
Giannis Antetokounmpo on Sunday scored a season-high 49 points on his return from injury as the Milwaukee Bucks overcame Kevin Durant’s 42-point performance to beat the Brooklyn Nets 117-114. Two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo, who had been dealing with a sprained right ankle, outdueled Durant in the Eastern Conference clash between the two highest-scoring teams in the league. Antetokounmpo finished just three points short of his career high, which he set two years ago against Philadelphia. “Tonight that picture I created, that’s who I want to be moving forward,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t matter if I score 49 points. I don’t care about that. What I care about is how I slowed down, how I was able to find my teammates. How if I missed one, missed a second one, missed a third one, and still be able to come down and shoot another one. This is what I believe I can be.” Antetokounmpo shot 21 of 36 from the floor and added eight rebounds, while Khris Middleton finished with a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds. Durant scored 42 and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets, who are trying to hang onto first place. Antetokounmpo said he did not want to get into a scoring duel with Durant and just tried to focus on his strengths. “K.D. is one of the greatest scorers ever to play the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “If you try to go back and forth with him, he’s going to score 70. I was able to slow down and get to my spots. I kept being aggressive.” Elsewhere, the Raptors overcame the struggling Lakers 121-114, the Trail Blazers tamed the Celtics 129-119, the 76ers edged the Spurs 113-111, the Knicks downed the Rockets 122-97, the Heat beat the Hornets 121-111, the Kings defeated the Mavericks 111-99 and the Suns
Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama yesterday claimed a match haul of 11 wickets in a fairy-tale debut as he bowled Sri Lanka to a 209-run victory, and a 1-0 series win, in the second Test against Bangladesh in Pallekele. The hosts took just over an hour to claim the final five Bangladesh wickets, with Jayawickrama claiming three of them for second-innings bowling figures of 5-86. Replying to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 493-7 declared, Bangladesh were all out for 251. Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 194-9, setting the tourists a daunting victory target of 437 and Bangladesh meekly folded for 227. “There was a bit of pressure ahead of the debut, but the captain and the senior players really helped me,” Jayawickrama, 22, said after being named man of the match. Home captain Dimuth Karunaratne heaped praise on Jayawickrama and young off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who claimed four wickets in the second innings. “Praveen was fantastic and Ramesh, too,” said Karunaratne, who won player of the series for his scores of 244, 118 and 66 in three innings. “I think they need to play Test matches regularly and build confidence, and if they do that they will fill the shoes of Dilruwan [Perera] and Rangana [Herath] for sure,” he said. Bangladesh captain Mominul Haq rued losing the toss on a flat wicket, which he felt determined “50 percent” of the outcome, but was also disappointed with his side’s batting. “We lost this Test in the first innings when we were bowled out for 250. We should have batted better,” he said.
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