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Tuesday December 19, 2017

James sparks Cavaliers to win over Wizards

Cao loses in Scottish Open fi nal

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots over Washington Wizards forward Mike Scott (30) during the fi rst half at Capital One Arena. SD-Agencies

Brazilian star Kaka in this undated fi le photo. SD-Agencies

FORMER Brazilian World Cup champion Kaka announced his retirement as a player Sunday, suggesting that a management career at his old club AC Milan could be on the cards.

“I am preparing to continue in football and to have a differ-ent role, but I will no longer be a professional player, an athlete,” the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner told Globo television.

Kaka, 35, started his storied career with Sao Paulo in Brazil, where his performances attracted the attention of Europe’s leading clubs and prompted a move to Milan in 2003.

It was while at Milan that Kaka picked up the Ballon d’Or, awarded annually to the world’s best player. He was the last player other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to receive the prize.

He also helped the Italian side to a Serie A title in 2003-04 and propelled Milan to 2007 Cham-pions League glory, scoring a competition-best 10 goals as the club was crowned king of Europe for the seventh time.

The hugely talented attacking midfi elder joined Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world record transfer worth 68 million euros (US$89 million), but Kaka struggled to consistently repro-duce his top form in the Spanish capital.

He won the Copa del Rey in 2011 and was part of Jose Mourinho’s team that won the league crown a year later, but he fell out of favor in Madrid and returned to Milan on a free transfer in September 2013.

Kaka was unveiled as the face of Major League Soccer’s expansion franchise Orlando City in 2014, heading home for a brief reunion with Sao Paulo ahead of the U.S. club’s debut season in 2015.

He scored the MLS team’s fi rst goal and was the North American league’s highest-paid player for three years running before leav-ing Orlando in October.

He scored 29 goals in 92 inter-national appearances for Brazil, although having been overlooked for the 2014 World Cup on home soil. He was also ruled out of last year’s Copa America Centenario by injury.

In November, media reports said he had been considering a move to Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng in the Chinese Super League. (SD-Agencies)

Brazilian star Kaka retires

CHINA’S Cao Yupeng was one frame away from winning his fi rst ranking title but saw Australia’s Neil Robertson took the fi nal fi ve frames in dramatic fashion for a 9-8 victory in the Scottish Open fi nal in Glasgow on Sunday.

Robertson, a former world number one, had never been ahead in the match until he secured the deciding frame, trailing 3-5 and 4-8.

“I’ve never experienced that before in my life in a match of that magnitude where I’m out, basically, and then somehow I get another chance,” the 35-year-old told the BBC.

“Especially with how well Yupeng was playing to be 8-4. He just completely out-played me. Up to that stage I

LEBRON JAMES posted his fourth triple-double in fi ve games with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists as the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Washington Wiz-ards 106-99 on Sunday.

Kevin Love scored a team-high 25 points, while Jeff Green had 15 points for the Cavaliers who have won 18 of 19, including their past five NBA games.

The Eastern Conference giants engaged in a hard-fought battle as the teams were tied at the end of the second and third quarters.

James’ three-pointer early in the fourth quarter put the Cavaliers in front for good and sparked an 8-0 run.

Green’s three-point play capped the surge as Cleveland led 95-89 with 6:55 remain-ing.

Bradley Beal scored 27 points for the Wizards, who had won two in a row.

John Wall had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Washington made 12 three-pointers but fi nished nine of 16 on free throws.

Elsewhere, the resurgent Detroit Pistons equaled a franchise record with 17 three-pointers en route to 114-110 win over the shorthanded Orlando Magic.

Forward Reggie Bullock scored a career-high 20 points for the Pistons who made 50 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc and won their third consecutive game after losing seven straight.

Playing the Magic seems to

bring out the best in 26-year-old American Bullock. His previous high also came against Orlando, when he scored 17 points last season.

Bullock made eight of 10 shots from the fl oor Sunday continuing to take advantage of his expanded role under coach Stan Van Gundy.

He was added to the starting lineup four games ago and his scoring boost has coincided with the Pistons’ latest win streak.

Tobias Harris, Reggie Jackson and Anthony Tolliver scored 17

points apiece for the Pistons.Andre Drummond contrib-

uted 12 points for Detroit, which led by 24 in the fourth quarter but gave up 19 unanswered points before holding on for the win.

Avery Bradley missed his second consecutive game due to a right adductor strain.

Forward Mario Hezonja scored a career-high 28 points for Orlando, which has dropped fi ve straight.

Nikola Vucevic supplied 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Jona-thon Simmons had 23 points.

Both of Orlando’s leading scorers missed the game. For-ward Aaron Gordon was side-lined because of a calf strain, while guard Evan Fournier sat out for the fi fth consecu-tive game with a right ankle sprain.

In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan led a balanced attack with 21 points as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Sacramento Kings 108-93.

The Raptors also beat the Kings last Sunday in Sacra-mento.

(SD-Agencies)

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard (L) celebrates scoring their second goal with Romelu Lukaku. SD-Agencies

thought it was one of the best performances ever against me.

“Some of the mistakes he made towards the end I was expecting at the start of the match. From 8-4 I was counting on some nerves or jitters from him and I started noticing he was not timing his cue action as well. I was super aggressive, all-out attack, to put him under pressure,” Robertson said.

Cao, ranked 67th in the world, was apparently heartbroken.

He said: “I don’t know how to say my feelings just now. I put too much pressure on myself. My heart needs to be stronger — that’s what I need to learn from Neil and the top 16 play-ers.”

The 27-year-old defeated world No. 3 Judd Trump in the semifi nal to avenge his loss in a semifi nal this season at the European Masters in Belgium. On that occasion the eight-time ranking event winner Trump stormed to a 6-1 victory.

Cao has already enjoyed a magical moment earlier last week in Glasgow, having fi red in a 147 maximum break in his 4-0 last 128 win over Andrew Higginson.

(Xinhua)Cao Yupeng in a game in this undated fi le photo. SD-Agencies

JESSE LINGARD insists Man-chester United’s second goal in its 2-1 away win over West Brom on Sunday should be awarded to him.

The in-form winger’s goal-bound effort was defl ected past Ben Foster by Baggies defender Ahmed Hegazi to double United’s advantage after 35 minutes.

Romelu Lukaku had earlier opened the scoring, while Gareth Barry set up a tense fi nale by prodding home from close range with 13 minutes remaining.

Lingard has been in fi ne form in recent weeks and if the goal is not taken away from him it will mean he has scored four times in his last six appearances.

“It was on target so I’m

claiming the goal,” he told Sky Sports.

“The fi rst half was very com-fortable and if we had added another goal it would have killed the game.”

The result means that United is 11 points behind leader Man-chester City after Pep Guardiola’s side won its 16th Premier League game in a row Saturday by thrashing Tottenham 4-1.

United has recovered from its damaging derby loss to Man-chester City last weekend with hard-fought, back-to-back wins to stay in second place.

United can now welcome back midfi eld fulcrum Paul Pogba to the team after his three-game suspension. (SD-Agencies)

Lingard claims 2nd goal in Man U’s win