DARTS
Teen makes world semis
Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler on Monday became the youngest player to ever reach the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship with a 5-1 win over Brendan Dolan at Alexandra Palace. Littler had a nervous start, losing the first two legs of the opening set, but the teenager soon found his stride to win that first set, and had little trouble in seeing off 50-year-old Dolan from Northern Ireland. “Wow. I’m in the semi-final on my debut,” Littler told Sky Sports. “If I keep it up, I’ve got a good chance. Now I am dreaming. I’m two games away. I’m definitely thinking about lifting the title.” The English teenager is to face 2018 winner Rob Cross, who made a remarkable comeback from 4-0 down to beat Chris Dobey 5-4 in their quarter-final.
CRICKET
Warner pleads for cap
Australian opener David Warner has made an impassioned appeal for the return of a rucksack containing his baggy green cap that went missing on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney for his final Test match this week. The 37-year-old is to bring down the curtain on his 12-year career in the longest format of the game in the third Test against Pakistan at his home Sydney Cricket Ground starting today. “This is my last resort, but my backpack, which contained my Baggy Green, has been taken from my luggage, which was transported to Melbourne airport and flown ... to Sydney a few days ago,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s sentimental to me, it’s something that I would love to have back, in my hands, walking out there come this week... You won’t get into trouble, just get in touch with Cricket Australia or me.” Australian internationals receive the baggy green cap, usually from a former player, on the morning of their test debut and wear it with pride even as it deteriorates over the length of their career.
BASKETBALL
Clarkson posts triple-double
Jordan Clarkson on Monday came off the bench to post the first regular-season triple-double by a Utah Jazz player since 2008, leading his team to a 127-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Clarkson had 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds — the first triple-double of his career — and the first for the Jazz in a regular-season game since Carlos Boozer had one on Feb. 13, 2008, a stretch of 1,256 games. Also, Clarkson’s triple-double was the first in more than 40 years for a Jazz player coming off the bench, dating to Feb. 5, 1983, when Mark Eaton had 12 points, 14 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. “It was a very cool little milestone to put on my list,” Clarkson said. Hehad several near-misses in the fourth quarter before grabbing his 10th, and final, rebound with 2 minutes, 28 seconds left. He wrapped up the ball, called timeout and then his teammates and Jazz fans erupted with cheers.
ATHLETICS
Arrests in Kiplagat murder
Two men were arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat, who was found with his throat cut in his brother’s car in Kenya on New Year’s Eve, police said on Monday. A knife suspected of being used in the killing of the 34-year-old Kiplagat was found on one of the suspects, Moiben sub county police commander Stephen Okal said. The motive for the killing appears to have been robbery, he said, because money and a cellphone had been taken from Kiplagat.
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
BACK-TO-BACK: The League One club, which is owned by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is sparing no expense to clinch promotion to the Championship Hollywood endings are pricey, even in England’s third division. In pursuit of their third straight promotion, Wrexham AFC splashed some cash at League One rival Reading to secure the services of striker Sam Smith. The Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney confirmed the signing of the 26-year-old Smith on Friday. He is one of the top scorers in the third division. The transfer fee was not disclosed, but British media widely reported it to be about ￡2 million (US$2.48 million) — not extravagant, but a hefty price at this level and it would be about the same figure that
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and pulled away late for the victory. “We just stayed solid,” said Curry, who entered the contest mired in a shooting slump and had just four points on one basket in the first half. “Just all-around effort.” The Thunder, fueled by 31 first-half points from Gilgeous-Alexander, led by as many as 14 in the
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