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Wednesday June 14, 2017

SPARKED by 39 points from Kevin Durant and 34 from Ste-phen Curry, the Golden State Warriors won their fi fth NBA title Monday, beating Cleveland 129-120 to capture the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons.

Golden State took the best-of-seven series 4-1, reclaiming the throne they lost to the Cavaliers a year ago. The Warriors com-pleted a 16-1 playoff run, the best post-season win percentage in NBA history.

It was the fi rst career NBA title for Durant, who left Oklahoma City last July to join the Warriors amid expectations he and Golden State would fi ll trophy cases.

“I couldn’t sleep for two days,” Durant admitted. “I was anxious. I was jittery. I just wanted to put it all out there.

“We battled. But we did it. We’re champions. And we’re celebrating on our home court.”

Durant, who was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, became the fi rst player with fi ve consecutive 30-point performances in the NBA Finals since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.

The Warriors also won titles in 1947 and 1956, when the team was based in Philadelphia, and took the crown in 1975 and 2015 after moving to the San Francisco Bay area, but had never clinched a title at home.

“These guys are so gifted and committed to each other and so unselfi sh,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s a combination of talent and an unselfi sh nature.”

LeBron James scored 41 points to lead the Cavaliers.

The Golden State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Five of the 2017 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship in Oakland, California, on Monday. SD-Agencies

Warriors beat Cavs for NBA title

He also had 13 rebounds and eight assists, giving him a triple-double average for the fi nals, an unprecedented feat.

But James, in his seventh consecutive playoff series and eighth overall, fell to 3-5 in the championship round.

Kyrie Irving added 26 points and J.R. Smith 25 in a losing cause.

“LeBron and Kyrie, I’ve never seen nothing like them,” Durant said. “LeBron was the only person I’ve looked at that could look me eye to eye.”

After dropping last year’s title to Cleveland making the greatest

comeback in NBA Finals history from a 3-1 defi cit, the Warriors vowed not to stumble again.

“We’ve learned from every-thing we’ve been through to bring (the trophy) back home,” Curry said. “I’m just proud to be part of something special and I just want to do it again.”

Excitement was high for the contest. Two courtside seats reportedly went for US$133,000 on the resale market while other confi rmed resale prices for pairs of seats were at US$82,000 and US$90,000.

James hit a layup to open the fourth quarter and pull Cleve-

land within 98-95, as close as the Cavs had been in the second half after trailing by 17 in the second quarter.

Golden State responded with a 10-3 run, Durant scoring fi ve as the Warriors stretched their margin back to 108-98.

Kyle Korver’s 3-pointer pulled the Cavaliers within 108-102 but dunks by Durant and Andre Iguodala boosted Golden State’s lead to 110-102 and the Warriors kept Cleveland at bay, a Durant driving layup stretching Golden State’s edge to 118-106 with fi ve minutes remaining.

(SD-Agencies)

SARDAR AZMOUN and Mehdi Taremi were on target as Iran confi rmed its spot in the 2018 World Cup fi nals with a 2-0 vic-tory over Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Monday.

It was Iran’s sixth win in eight matches in Group A which took the table-topper to 20 points, while South Korea is second with 13 ahead of its match against Qatar later.

Iran is still unbeaten in the third stage of qualifying and amazingly has not conceded a single goal during the campaign, thus underlining its credentials as one of Asia’s soccer giants.

On Monday, the side recorded its second win over Uzbekistan on the road to Russia, with Rostov forward Azmoun fi rst fi nding the net in the 23rd minute with a right-footed shot from the left of the box follow-ing a through ball from Alireza Jahanbaksh.

Iran was clearly the dominant side in front of its home fans and could have easily emerged winners with an even more impressive scoreline but for some lackluster fi nishing.

In the 48th minute Taremi drew a foul from Akmal Shora-khmedov, but Masoud Shojaei

fi red the resulting penalty high over the crossbar.

The Uzbeks struggled for momentum and failed to break down the famed Iranian defense, eventually conceding their second goal of the match in the 88th minute with Taremi fi nish-ing from Azmoun’s pass.

Iran has played in the World Cup fi nals four times in the past — in 1978, 1998, 2006 and 2014.

The side joins host Russia and fi ve-time champion Brazil in securing a place for the tour-nament, which runs from June 14 to July 15, 2018. (SD-Agencies)

Iranian players celebrate after their World Cup qualifying match against Uzbekistan at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, Iran, on Monday. SD-Agencies

Iran tips Uzbekistan, books ticket to Russia 2018

SOUTH KOREA’S new liberal president has offered to co-host the 2030 World Cup with rival North Korea and other Northeast Asian countries as part of efforts to promote peace in the region, his offi ce said Monday.

Moon Jae-in made the pro-posal during a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Moon’s offi ce said in a statement.

“If neighboring Northeast Asian

countries, including South and North Korea, can host the World Cup, I think that would contribute to peace between South and North Korea and in the Northeast Asian region,” Moon told Infantino, according to Moon’s offi ce. “I would like president Infantino to have interests on this matter.”

Infantino was quoted as saying he respects Moon’s idea and that he will talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping about it when the two meet later this week.

China and Japan reportedly want to host World Cup games individually.

Before taking offi ce last month, Moon had said he would try to reach out to North Korea and improve ties badly strained over the North’s nuclear and missile programs. Since Moon’s May 10 inauguration, however, North Korea has conducted several missile launches in a show of its resolve to continue its weapons development program to cope

with what it calls United States hostility.

The organizers of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, hope North Korea will take part in the Winter Games.

North Korea boycotted the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, both held in Seoul, but it has since attended other major international sports events held in the South. South Korea and Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup.

(SD-Agencies)

Moon suggests Asian nations co-host 2030 World Cup

Rafael Nadal

FRENCH Open champion Rafael Nadal moved up two spots to No. 2 in the ATP rank-ings Monday, his highest placing since October 2014.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, slid from No. 2 to No. 4 in the new rankings, his lowest status in 7-1/2 years. He lost in the quarterfi nals at Roland Garros, where he won the title a year ago to complete a career Grand Slam. That was also his fourth straight major championship, but he failed to defend any of those titles.

Andy Murray retained his No. 1 ranking after a semifi -nal exit in Paris, while Stan Wawrinka stayed at No. 3 after losing to Nadal 2-6, 3-6, 1-6 in Sunday’s fi nal.

Roger Federer is still No. 5 after missing the French Open for the second year in a row.

Nadal’s victory in Paris gave him a record 10th trophy at the claycourt tournament and ended his three-year drought without a Grand Slam title.

He now has 15 major titles, breaking a tie with Pete Sam-pras for second place among men on the all-time list behind Federer’s 18.

Nadal was asked Sunday whether getting back to No. 1 in the rankings is important to him. He has spent a total of 141 weeks there, most recently in July 2014.

“I am playing well. I am in a good position. I just won the most important event of the year for me, so that’s the only thing that matters today, no?” he said. “Winning these kind of titles, then you have chances to become any number in the ranking.”

(SD-Agencies)

Nadal up in ATP charts