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Monday January 15, 2018

AFTER a huge fi rst half, Stephen Curry and the Golden State War-riors had to hold on late to wrap up their eighth straight win over Toronto.

Curry returned from a two-game absence to score 24 points, Klay Thompson had 26 and the Warriors blew nearly all of a 27-point lead before beating the Raptors 127-125 Saturday night.

DeMar DeRozan scored 42 points for the Raptors, who made it a tight game after the Warriors rang up 81 points on 71.1 percent shooting in the fi rst half.

“We expected that and we took that punch,” Kevin Durant said of Toronto’s comeback. “I’m glad we got the ‘W,’ especially on the second night of a back-to-back.”

The Warriors won at Milwau-kee on Friday.

Durant scored 25 points and Draymond Green had 14 for the Warriors, who have won 12 straight on the road. Golden State’s 19 road wins are the most in the NBA.

OG Anunoby had 17 points and Serge Ibaka 14 for the Rap-tors, who rallied from a 19-point defi cit through three quarters to make it a one-point game in the fourth.

Fred VanVleet scored 13 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 as Toronto lost for the third time in 18 home games.

“We’re not really into moral victories around here so you’ve got to look and see what you could have done better,” Van-Vleet said.

Curry sat out Wednesday’s home loss to the Clippers and Friday’s win at Milwaukee because of a sore right ankle, the same injury that kept him out of 11 games in December.

“It’s sore but it felt good enough to play,” Curry said. “It’s probably exactly where I was the last time I came back. I don’t feel limited out there but you just feel it.”

Curry fi nished with a team-high nine assists. His six rebounds tied Durant for the team lead. (SD-Agencies)

REAL Madrid’s struggles in the Spanish league continued when it lost to Villarreal 1-0 Saturday, infuriating fans at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and increas-ing pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane.

Pablo Fornals netted Villarre-al’s winner in the 87th minute, prompting loud boos by the home crowd, which three days ago saw their team draw with second-division club Numancia 2-2 in the Copa del Rey.

“There is no explanation for this,” Zidane said. “We did every-thing we could, we had plenty of chances, but the ball just didn’t go in. It’s a diffi cult moment for us. It’s tough for the players, they gave their best. We didn’t deserve this result.”

Madrid also drew at Celta Vigo 2-2 a week ago, and lost to Bar-celona 3-0 at the Bernabeu in its last match last year. It has gone four matches without a win.

“We have endured negative results recently, but we know that we can change this situa-tion by winning again,” Zidane said. “We have to start winning, and winning convincingly, then things will change.”

The defending champion was 16 points behind league leader Barcelona at the competition’s halfway point.

Madrid, which has a game in hand, is only fourth in the standings, behind Valencia and Atletico Madrid.

Villarreal moved to fi fth place with the victory, its fi rst ever at the Bernabeu.

“We knew we could make history,” Villarreal coach Javier Calleja said. “We

Madrid crisis deepens after loss

Curry returns, Warriors beat Raptors

HARRY KANE produced yet another landmark display as his two goals in a 4-0 win over Everton at Wembley on Saturday saw him become Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League.

Saturday’s late kick-off saw England forward Kane score his 98th Premier League goal and surpass Teddy Sheringham’s previous club record of 97.

Son Heung-min broke the deadlock midway through the fi rst half and Kane made it 2-0 in the 47th minute after an excellent run and cross from Son, despite a suspicion of offside.

That goal saw Kane equal Sheringham’s tally and the Eng-land striker broke it 12 minutes later when he prodded the ball past Jordan Pickford from close range for his latest landmark display of the season.

Christian Eriksen completed the scoring nine minutes from time when he fi nished a sweep-ing move.

Kane’s latest record comes after a stellar 2017 that saw the 24-year-old set a new record of 39 Premier League goals scored in a calendar year, beating the 36 that Alan Shearer managed

Kane sets Spurs record as Chelsea stumbles

in 1995. Kane remains well adrift of Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves’s club tally of 220 goals in 321 First Division appearances — to the relief of manager Mau-ricio Pochettino.

“Harry Kane is such a talented player, so professional and I am very happy,” Pochettino told BT Sport.

“The good thing is Jimmy Greaves’ record is far (away) so not every week he is going to break something.”

By contrast, London rival

Chelsea did little to take the spotlight away from under-fi re manager Antonio Conte in a goalless draw with 10-man Leicester City.

Chelsea was unable to pierce Leicester’s defense even after visiting left-back Ben Chilwell was sent off for a second book-able offense midway through the second half.

The Stamford Bridge stale-mate left the third-placed Blues 15 points adrift of runaway leader Manchester City. (SD-Agencies)

MALAGA picked former player Jose Gonzalez on Saturday to replace fi red coach Michel G o n z a l e z , who was let go after the team’s fourth straight loss in the Spanish league.

The moves came a day after a 1-0 loss at Getafe that kept Malaga 19th in the 20-team standings.

Malaga has lost every game since early December, earning only 11 points from 19 league matches.

Jose Gonzalez helped Granada escape relegation in 2016 after taking over the team in last place with 13 rounds to go. He coached in Chinese soccer last season.

Michel Gonzalez had been in charge since last season, when he helped the club from south-ern Spain move away from the bottom of the standings and fi nish near mid-table.

Malaga’s next match is on Jan. 22 at Eibar. (SD-Agencies)

Malaga fi res Gonzalez

Michel Gonzalez

played a very smart match.”The host had most of the

chances under steady rain, but Villarreal also threatened a few times before Fornals found the net.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was also jeered, hit the crossbar from a free kick in the fi rst half after the ball defl ected off the wall.

Ronaldo nearly scored from close range just before halftime, but his shot was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Gareth Bale had a goal disal-lowed for offside early in the fi rst half.

Fornals’ goal came after a great save by Madrid goal-keeper Keylor Navas following a counterattack. Fornals picked up the loose ball just outside the area and chipped it over the goal-keeper for the stunning winner.

It was Madrid’s third home loss this season. It has won only half of its games at the Bernabeu.

Second-place Atletico Madrid overcame Diego Costa’s absence to beat Eibar 1-0 and move within six points of leader Barcelona.

Kevin Gameiro, Costa’s substi-tute, scored in the fi rst half and

Jan Oblak played solidly in goal for the rest of the match to secure Atletico its fourth straight win in all competitions.

“We played the type of match we needed,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

Costa was suspended because of a red card for celebrating too close to the fans in the previous game.

Kenyan forward Michael Olunga scored a hat trick to lead promoted Girona to a 6-0 trouncing of last-place Las Palmas.

(SD-Agencies)

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (top) shoots at goal as Villarreal’s Alvaro Gonzalez challenges during their match at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Saturday. SD-Agencies

Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valan-ciunas defends against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (L) during the fi rst half at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday. SD-Agencies

Everton’s Phil Jagielka attempts to block a shot from Tottenham’s Harry Kane (R) during their match at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday. SD-Agencies