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SPORTS SECTION E

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THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018

Ayton: ‘I’m the best competitor in this’ NBA Draft By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ollowing his pre-draft workout with the Phoenix Suns, Deandre Ayton is confident that he has shown the franchise enough to solidify his position as the top overall pick in this month’s NBA Draft. The Suns hosted Ayton’s first media availability of the draft process following his workout yesterday at the Al McCoy Media Center in Phoenix, Arizona. “I’m the best competitor in this draft. I’m not saying I’m the best player, I’m saying I’m the best competitor. This is my one and only workout. I know I’m going number one.” Nobody told me (I’ll go first),” Ayton said. “That’s just me. I think I deserve that. I’ve worked hard…I want to be the best two-way player coming into the league.” The Suns hold the No.1 pick in the draft, June 21 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Ayton finished his “The workout school years at Hillwas pretty intense, I crest Prep in Phoenix learned a lot. The big and went on to attend key out of it was versathe University of tility. Basically, a lot of Arizona for a single switches, you know in season. The opporthe league there’s a lot tunity to begin his of small ball play and professional career we did a lot of switches in the state led many guarding small guards pundits to believe the in one-on-one situaSuns will take advantions so I learned a lot AYTON tage and select Ayton. from that.” “I just want to hear Suns general manmy name called number one. I ager Ryan McDonough said the have a whole country on my back connection to the state serves as a that I’m representing and I just benefit in the evaluation process. want to fulfil that achievement,” “We had a phenomenal he said. “Most of my family is workout [with Deandre]…It’s already here in Phoenix and we everything we expected. It’s a big made this home since I came day for the franchise in terms of here for high school. This is like a having the number one pick and second home so we just feel wel- working out Deandre Ayton for comed and I would be blessed if I the number one pick,” he said. became the number one pick and “We take that obviously as a could stay here.” compliment, he has a lot of strong Ayton called his only pre- ties to this area. He’s been workdraft workout, after skipping ing out here, he’s been training last month’s combine, a learning here. The fact that he wants to be experience. here, that’s great.”

Ayton is considered a consensus top overall pick by every reputable scouting service in the projection business. The Phoenix Suns landed the number one pick and went into the lottery with the best percentage of doing so at 25 per cent. Ayton mentioned his excitement at pairing with Suns star guard Devin Booker and said he patterns his game after several NBA legends. “We can be Shaq and Kobe 2.0, we can really make something happen in Phoenix, have a spark and start a winning legacy here,” Ayton said. “[I pattern my game after] Kevin Garnett, his intensity on both ends of the floor how he changed the game…how he’s so vocal with his teammates. Hakeem Olajuwon, his footwork down low, I learned a lot of stuff from those guys.” The second overall pick went to the Sacramento Kings, who had just a 5.3 per cent chance of landing the top overall pick.

The Suns hired Igor Kokoskov as its head coach in the offseason, leading the speculation that the team could select 19-year old Slovenian wing Luka Doncic with the top overall pick. Kokoskov coached Doncic to a Eurobasket title with the Slovenian national team last summer. If the Suns draft Doncic, it would allow the possibility of the Kings to select Ayton at No.2 and pair him alongside Hield for the foreseeable future. During his lone season at Arizona, he averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game while shooting 61.6 per cent from the field, and was “Karl Malone Power Forward” of the year and Associated Press First Team All-American. He was also the First Team All-American from the NABC, USBWA and Sporting News, Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the conference tournament in the same season.

Warriors take 3-0 lead CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Durant pushed the Golden State Warriors to dynasty’s doorstep. LeBron James may be at the door. Durant scored 43 points, draining a long 3-pointer in the final minute to cap his magnificent performance, and the Golden State Warriors defeated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-102 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals last night to move within a victory of a sweep, their second straight title and third championship in four years. No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs. It might be time to order some champagne from Napa Valley. With the Cavs within 103-100, Durant stood motionless after dropping his 33-footer, which effectively ended the fourth straight finals matchup between two teams who have gotten to know each other well since 2015. “That was amazing what he did out there tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Some of those shots, I don’t think anybody in the world can hit those but him. He was incredible.” Golden State will now have four chances to wrap up its title starting with Game 4 on Friday night. James scored 33 points and Kevin Love added 20 for the Cavs, who have fallen into a hole in which no team has ever emerged. Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, but that was when Durant was in Oklahoma City and James had a different supporting cast. The Warriors won despite a 3-of16 shooting performance from Stephen Curry, who did come up big down the stretch as the Cavs were trying to salvage their season. Now Cleveland could be down to one final game with James. The three-time champion can opt out of his $35.6 million contract and test free agency this summer, and it may be time for the 33-year-old to find a team capable of beating the Warriors. Durant, who tilted this rivalry toward the West Coast when he signed with the Warriors as a free agent before last season, was brilliant from the start. He helped offset a rough night for Curry, who made a finals-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2, but was just 1 of 10 from behind the arc and didn’t score his second field goal until there were under three minutes left. Curry’s scoop shot put the Warriors up 98-97 and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala, who didn’t play in Games 1 or 2 because of a knee injury, came up with a steal under the basket. Curry finally buried a 3 and after James matched him with a long shot, Iguodala drove the lane for a thundering dunk. Moments later, Durant delivered his dagger to silence Cleveland’s crowd. “The shot clock was running down, I was pretty far out, I just

DURANT SCORES PLAYOFF CAREER-HIGH 43 POINTS

TIGERS SELECT FERNANDER IN 35TH ROUND OF MLB DRAFT By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune SPorts Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

GOLDEN State Warriors’ Kevin Durant dribbles in the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals last night in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) wanted to get a look,” Durant said. “I didn’t want to run there and shoot a bad shot, fall on the ground and they got numbers going the other way so I decided to pull up.” James made a layup to pull the Cavs within four, it was too little too late as the Warriors closed it out and beat Cleveland for the fourth straight time in finals games. With JaVale McGee getting three point-blank shots at the rim, the Warriors opened the third quarter with a 9-3 spurt and

it wasn’t long before they took their first lead on Curry’s two free throws. Durant scored 24 in the first half, when the Warriors attempted 13 free throws to zero for the Cavs, a disparity that induced further wrath on the officials from Cleveland fans still stinging from the now infamous reversed call in Game 1. The Cavs needed a strong start, and they got it helped by a playground move from James. Dribbling near the foul lane, he used a head fake on McGee before

stepping past the Warriors center. James then threw the ball off the backboard to himself and crushed a two-handed dunk — he pulled off a similar stunt in last year’s Finals — that sent Cleveland’s bench and fans into a frenzy. As coach Tyronn Lue had hoped, Cleveland was more physical and won several 50-50 balls while outrebounding and outworking the Warriors. Golden State spent much of the first half barking about the officiating.

FOR the second consecutive year, a pitcher was added to the list of Bahamian baseball talent selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Chavez Fernander was selected by the Detroit Tigers organisation yesterday, in the 35th round with the 1,035th overall pick. A right-handed pitcher at 6’3” and 205 pounds, he has been reported to have a 95mph fastball. Fernander, a Grand Bahama native, recently completed his sophomore season with the Polk Community College Eagles in the NJCAA. He was also the second Bahamian pitcher selected from the Eagles roster in as many years after the Colorado Rockies selected Shemiko Smith last year. In 17 appearances with nine starts, Fernander posted an 8-4 win-loss record with 63 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.09 in 58.1 innings. He earned a first team All-Conference honour in the Suncoast Conference of the FCSAA and was one of six Polk State players to have received 2018 Suncoast Conference recognition. Smith made his debut on January 26 to lead the Eagles to a 7-6 win over Lake-Sumter State College. He posted a season-high seven strikeouts on two occasions. The first was on February 21 in a 5-2 win over Webber International JV and again in a 16-0 win over Florida Southern College JV on February 28. His longest appearance of the season was April 11 against St Petersburg College when he recorded five strikeouts and pitched seven scoreless innings in a 10-0 win. Fernander’s wins were ranked sixth in the conference and he previously committed to join the Novas Southeastern Sharks following his stint with Polk State. For the season, Eagles pitchers led the FCSAA in strikeouts (479) and ranked third in innings pitched

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Thursday, June 7, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

SUMMER CAMP: The Stingers Youth Basketball Association’s 11th summer camp edition is all set for June 25 to July 13 at DW Davis Gymnasium.

STINGERS’ SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP BEGINS JUNE 25 By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Stingers Youth Basketball Association will collaborate once again with an elite training programme out of the United States as it prepares to host another edition of its summer basketball camp series. Tony Hobbs, head basketball instructor at Bridge Basketball Academy, will serve as a guest instructor in the 11th edition of the camp, to be hosted June 25 to July 13 at the DW Davis Gymnasium. “We want to make sure everyone comes out and has a good time. This will be our second year going down there, we’re super excited, can’t wait to get down there and work with the kids,” Hobbs said. “We want everyone to come out and let’s get better together.” Located in Duncanville, Texas, Bridge Basketball

Academy considers itself a “basketball specific playerdevelopment company founded in 2012 to serve the needs of individual basketball players by providing them access to great player development.” During his first visit, Hobbs said he seeks to bring those same principles to the Stingers organisation. “I started with two kids in the programme and we grew to 1,400 kids in a matter of four years by teaching basketball the right way. “We focus on five core principles - ball control, shot mechanics, quickness and agility, game intelligence and body balance,” Hobbs said. “Each one is a building block to the next stage. We bring a complete structure. Every day we will go through a curriculum and it’s a step-by-step process so we can really see what these kids have.”

He added that the speciality of Bridge Basketball is taking players from their current level of play and advancing them to the next level. Bridge trainees represent every advanced level of basketball NBA, overseas, Division I collegiate basketball Division II collegiate basketball, Division III collegiate basketball, Nike EYBL, Adidas grassroot along with other top tournaments around the nation as well as recreational play. Over 30 local AAU clubs have players that specifically develop their technical skills at Bridge Basketball Skills Academy. The Stingers programme is led by director Stephen Strachan and he is assisted by Jerome Lucas. The camp will again expect to facilitate dozens of boys and girls aged six to 18, 9am to 1pm Mondays to Fridays. “In the last few years, the growth has been fantastic. I was

TONY HOBBS pleasantly surprised on day one. We are becoming a household name and the brand is building. Parents and kids are recognising it,” Strachan said at last year’s camp. Strachan said that with an experienced staff of coaches and trainers, the coach-tostudent ratio is one of the major benefits of the camp. “The numbers are always manageable, our camper per instructor ratio works well. Here you will get a lot of reps, you will learn the skills and fundamentals of basketball and you will become a better player,” he said.

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Thursday, June 7, 2018, PAGE 3

FREEDOM FARM BASEBALL LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS

Sea Grapes, Scorpions and Rattlers emerge as divisional champions

CHAMPIONS: Freedom Farm Baseball League continued to crown divisional champions this week at the complex in Yamacraw. The Sea Grapes took the T-Ball division, the Scorpions were victors in the Coach Pitch division and the Rattlers won the title in the 11-12 division.

CHAVEZ FERNANDER

Tigers select Fernander in 35th round of MLB Draft FROM PAGE 1 (449.2), third in home runs allowed (20), and sixth in ERA (3.88). After winning four consecutive Suncoast Conference championships, the Eagles (29-23) finished third this season with a 16-14 record in conference play. At the high school level, Fernander attended Baseball Academy of Hope (formerly Faith Baptist Christian School), alongside several other Bahamian players including Smith, Chavez Young – currently in the Toronto Blue Jays organisation and Arthur Rolle – recently committed to Georgia State after two years at the JuCo level with Allen Community College.

PAGE 4, Thursday, June 7, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Lukaku, Hazard on target as Belgium beats Egypt 3-0 By MIKE CORDER Associated Press

BELGIUM’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during a friendly soccer match between Belgium and Egypt at the King Baudouin stadium yesterday. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium showed flashes of its attacking prowess yesterday, beating Egypt 3-0 in a World Cup warmup with the help of goals from Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard in a dominant first half. Substitute Marouane Fellaini swept home from close range in injury time to complete the scoring. Egypt, held goalless for the second time in three matches, showed how much it misses the injured Mohamed Salah. Driven forward by the speed and insight of Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium was up 2-0 at halftime before losing some fluency amid a flurry of substitutions after the break.

Salah, Egypt’s great scoring hope for the World Cup, is still recovering from a shoulder injury. He suffered the injury in the Champions League final as Liverpool lost 3-1 to Real Madrid. The Premier League’s top scorer has been named in Egypt’s squad for the tournament in Russia and coach Hector Cuper badly needs him. Egypt should have taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Mohamed Abdelshafy swung in an enticing cross from the left, but Marwan Mohsen, unmarked in the middle, headed wide a chance Salah likely would have scored. The move didn’t only highlight the Liverpool forward’s absence for Egypt; the space Mohsen found also underscored how

Belgium could miss centre back Vincent Kompany if he is not fit to play in Russia. Kompany injured his groin on Saturday during Belgium’s lacklustre 0-0 draw with Portugal. Coach Roberto Martinez named Los Angeles FC defender Laurent Ciman as a replacement if Kompany is not fit to play in Russia. If Lukaku and Hazard are in top form in Russia, Belgium might not miss Kompany too badly. Hazard drove a low shot in the 27th minute that Egypt goalkeeper Essam el-Hadary couldn’t hold and Lukaku pounced on the rebound to fire in from close range. Hazard added his name to the score sheet in the 38th minute, blasting a shot high and hard past

el-Hadary after Yannick Carrasco had cut back the ball from the left. Martinez rested Lukaku and Hazard for the second half, giving Michy Batshuayi and Adnan Januzaj a chance to play themselves into favor. Batshuayi set up Fellaini’s goal by beating an Egypt defender and cutting back the ball. The defeat was Egypt’s final warmup before Russia, while Belgium plays Costa Rica on Monday. One positive for coach Cuper was that Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny returned from injury and lasted the full 90 minutes. Egypt opens its World Cup campaign in Russia against Uruguay on June 15, Belgium’s first Group G match is against Panama on June 18.

CARRASCO STRIKES OUT 10 AS INDIANS BEAT BREWERS 3-1 By STEVE HERRICK Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Carrasco struck out 10 and allowed one run in seven innings, and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 yesterday. Carrasco (7-4) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and threw inning-ending double play balls in the fifth and seventh. The right-hander pumped his fist after Lorenzo Cain bounced into a double play on his 109th and final pitch. Carrasco stopped the Brewers for the second time this season. He struck out 14 and pitched a complete game in Milwaukee on May 9. Jose Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth when Cleveland scored three times. Travis Shaw’s RBI single put Milwaukee ahead in the third, but Michael Brantley’s fifth-inning single tied the game. Cody Allen got the final four outs for his 11th save and the Indians took both games of the brief series. Cleveland’s closer also saved Tuesday night’s 3-2 win. Chase Anderson (4-5) allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings. The Brewers have lost three straight for the first time since April 26-29,

INDIANS starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco delivers to Milwaukee Brewers’ Jonathan Cain in the first inning yesterday in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) when they dropped four in a row. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell was ejected by plate umpire Quinn Wolcott after Shaw was called out on strikes in the eighth. Carrasco struck out four of the first six hitters and then allowed hits to five of the next seven. Christian Yelich led off the third with

a double, took third on a groundout and scored on Shaw’s single. Milwaukee loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but Cain flied out. Shaw grounded into an inning-ending double play with two on in the fifth. Cleveland’s Lonnie Chisenhall flied out to deep center to begin the fifth, but

the next six hitters reached base. Rajai Davis singled and stole second. Francisco Lindor walked and Brantley singled through the left side with the runners going. The hit scored Davis and finished Anderson. Ramirez doubled into the right-field corner off Jeremy Jeffress, scoring Lindor. Edwin Encarnacion

Rendon has 4 hits, Nationals pound Rays 11-2 By HARVEY VALENTINE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Rendon had four hits and drove in three runs, Tanner Roark pitched six innings and the Washington Nationals routed the Tampa Bay Rays 11-2 yesterday to sweep the two-game series. Michael A. Taylor had three hits and three RBIs, while Trea Turner and Juan Soto had two hits each for Washington, which has won 11 of its last 15 games. Roark (3-6, 3.56 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits while enjoying a rare outpouring of support. The Nationals had scored 16 runs in the last seven games he started. C.J. Cron hit his 13th homer and Brad Miller had three hits for the Rays, who have lost six straight and have scored six runs in their last four. The Nationals reached starter Jonny Venters (1-1) for five runs in the first inning. A reliever being used to “open” the game — something the Rays have done eight times in their last 17 games — Venters was starting his first game in his 245 appearances. He lasted only six batters as Rendon doubled home two runs and scored on Taylor’s double. Roark capped the inning with a two-run single off Ryan Yarbrough.

Venters, who had given up one run in 14 games prior to Wednesday in his comeback season, became the first pitcher in major league history to start a game after three Tommy John surgeries. Washington pulled away with a four-run sixth off Yarbrough, who allowed five runs, four earned, in 5 1/3 innings. CROSSING OVER The Nationals are 5-0 in interleague play, while the Rays are 0-7. The only other team winless or undefeated in interleague play is the Texas Rangers, who have yet to play such a game. CALL TO ARMS Tampa Bay fell to 3-5 when using a reliever to open the game. Venters became the major-league leading 12th starting pitcher used by the Rays this season, their most through 60 games in franchise history. The Rays used eight starters all last season. TRAINER’S ROOM Rays: SS Daniel Robertson received a routine day off, his first time out of the starting lineup since May 15. Nationals: OF Adam Eaton (left ankle bone bruise) was scheduled to DH in a rehab game for Class-A Potomac on Wednesday night.

walked to load the bases and Jeffress walked Yonder Alonso to force in a run. Davis stole three bases for the 13th time in his career. TRAINER’S ROOM Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (right oblique) continues to make progress while playing catch,

according to Counsell. The 31-year-old was injured in a May 8 start against the Indians and has been on the 60-day disabled list since May 12. Indians: OF Brandon Guyer (strained neck) could come off the 10-day disabled list Friday when the Indians open a series in Detroit.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 7, 2018, PAGE 5

Ayton works out for Suns, says ‘I know I’m going No. 1’ By BOB BAUM AP Sports Writer PHOENIX (AP) — Deandre Ayton spent Wednesday with the Phoenix Suns with the feeling that this was the start of a beautiful relationship. The 7-foot-1, 250-pound centre went through what he said would be his only pre-draft workout and expressed supreme confidence that the Suns will use the No. 1 overall pick to select him. “I know I’m going No. 1,” he told reporters. Not that the Suns have assured him of that, he’s just that confident that the team won’t pass on his combination of size, strength, athleticism and shooting touch. “Nobody told me,” he said. “That’s just me. I think I deserve that. I’ve worked hard.” It would be a comfortable fit for Ayton, who was born in the Bahamas and moved to the Phoenix area during high school. He said most of his family now lives here. Ayton played his one year of college basketball a couple of hours down Interstate 10 at the University of Arizona. “Everybody knows us now,” he said. “This is our second home so we just feel welcome, and it would be a blessing if I become the No. 1 pick and stay here and make this home.” Ayton said teaming with young Suns star Devin Booker would be “Shaq and Kobe 2-point-0.” “We could really make something happen in Phoenix,” he said. “We could really have a spark and start a winning legacy.” There hasn’t been much winning in Phoenix lately. The Suns have missed the playoffs eight years in a row and had the NBA’s worst record last season at 21-61, second-worst in franchise history. But there is a young core of talent and most of those

players, including Booker and Josh Jackson, watched what Ayton described as “a pretty intense” individual workout. For nearly an hour, Suns coach Igor Kokoskov and his staff put Ayton through a series of game situations, as much as possible given the fact no other players were on the floor. “It was everything that we expected from Deandre,” general manager Ryan McDonough said. “Obviously we’ve watched him closely at Arizona and we’ve scouted him heavily in person in games, at practice and on film. He showed us what we expected to see.” McDonough said “it’s pretty rare” to find such a player. “I think this is my 16th draft in the NBA,” McDonough said, “and you can probably count on one hand the number of guys with his size, athleticism, footwork, balance, touch. It’s a unique package.” He was particularly impressed with Ayton’s outside shooting touch. “We knew he was big and strong and athletic and moved well at that size, had good length, had great hands,” McDonough said, “but to see him make shot after shot in a workout in different scenarios.” And he’s just 19 years old. The Suns plan other workouts with candidates for the No. 1 pick later this week. The group won’t include Luka Doncic, who is still playing in Europe. Phoenix is not tipping its hand, but Ayton will be hard to pass up. “The strength of our team right now are young perimeter players, led by Devin Booker, Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren,” McDonough said. “We’ve been looking for a centre to kind of anchor our team offensively and defensively. We think Deandre has that kind of potential. ... He’s certainly a unique player and a unique

NBA Draft prospect Deandre Ayton, who may be the Phoenix Suns’ choice with the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s NBA draft, walks to the media room after an individual workout with the Suns yesterday in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York) talent that I think would fit in great with the rest of our roster.” Ayton averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds in his one season at Arizona. He brushed aside questions about his defence.

OPTIMISM OVER IMPROVED DOLPHINS DEFENCE COMES WITH ASTERISK By STEVEN WINE AP Sports Writer DAVIE, Florida (AP) — Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke plans to go diving in Bora Bora on summer vacation, and when he returns he’ll really start trying to figure out who should play where this season. Burke and the rest of the defensive staff have been experimenting and evaluating during spring non-contact drills. But when asked yesterday how much he can tell before players don pads, he responded with a slight smile. “Nothing,” Burke said. Minicamp does offer a chance to assess agility and how well players are absorbing the system, he said. But it will be August before Burke and the Dolphins have a true sense regarding what kind of defence they’ll be in 2018. “Everything has an asterisk on it until we put pads on,” Burke said. Miami hopes and need to be much better on defence than last season, Burke’s first as a coordinator under coach Adam Gase. The Dolphins ranked 29th in points allowed at 24.6 per game, and then parted with their best defensive player, five-time Pro Bowl tackle Ndamukong Suh. On the plus side, they added veteran Robert Quinn at defensive end and first-round draft pick Minkah Fitzpatrick at safety. Raekwon McMillan, a 2017 second-round pick, returns to start at middle linebacker after missing his entire rookie season because of a knee

injury. And depth appears improved at end, linebacker and safety. “We don’t have any positions set in stone right now,” Burke said. “We’re rolling a lot of guys at a lot of positions.” Fitzpatrick, for example, is splitting his time among the free safety, strong safety and nickel back positions. “He’s probably about as advertised,” Burke said. “He’s really sharp. He’s thirsty for knowledge. We’re trying to overload him, and he keeps taking it. We are moving him around at some different spots and trying to get a feel for what his best fit is. He has responded well.” At defensive end, the rotation will include Quinn, Cameron Wake, Andre Branch, William Hayes and 2017 first-round pick Charles Harris. “Our plan would be to rotate different groups,” Burke said. “We feel we’ll

be better off having fresh guys, whether it’s for two, three or four snaps at a time, and then send the next group in. Building depth there was important to us. We want guys going full speed.” The Dolphins have four more practices scheduled next week and then break until training camp, allowing the 42-year-old Burke to embark on his latest exotic vacation in Bora Bora, a small island in the South Pacific. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, done charity work in Uganda, and taken a safari in three other African countries. Burke joked in the past about Gase calling him during vacation with football questions, and had a quick response when asked if the boss will be able to reach him this time. “Whether I have cellphone service or not,” Burke said, “the answer is no.”

“I don’t think that’s a weakness,” he said. “I haven’t had the opportunity to really guard any bigs in college. I was always on the perimeter with the guards.” Still, he pointed out, he averaged 2.3 blocked shots per game. On offence, Ayton said, “I can score inside and out.” “There will be a lot of mismatches because if I guard them they have to guard me at the end of the day,” he said. “I can score, I can pick and pop, I can pick and roll, I can put the ball on the ground, rebound, push the ball. It’s an open floor now. Nobody is really doubleteaming or triple-teaming,” said Ayton. He said there is no current player on which he patterns his game. But he mentioned two pretty good ones from the past. “Kevin Garnett, his intensity on both ends of the floor, how he changes the game, rebounding. From offence to defence, him starting the pick and roll, stuff like that,” Ayton said, “how he’s so vocal with his teammates. And Hakeem Olajuwon, with his footwork down low, I try to really pick up a lot of stuff with those guys.” Ayton called himself the most competitive player in the draft. He said there’s none of the laid-back attitude that’s a trademark of his homeland. “I left at age 12, so I got a little Americanised with the competitive level,” he said. Ayton planned to get together with Booker and other Suns players to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals last night.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 7, 2018, PAGE 7

French Open: Nadal drops set, but rain suspends quarter-final By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer PARIS (AP) — Just as Rafael Nadal was two points from pulling even at a set apiece in his surprisingly intriguing French Open quarter-final yesterday — just as he finally was playing like, well, Rafael Nadal — the match was suspended because of rain. So both Nadal, the 10-time champion at Roland Garros, and 11th-seeded Diego Schwartzman, attempting to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time, were given a night to rest before they are scheduled to resume today at Court Philippe Chatrier. When they return to the stadium, Nadal will be serving at 5-3, 30-15 in the second set. Schwartzman took the opener 6-4, ending Nadal’s streak of winning

37 consecutive completed sets at the clay-court major. During the ensuing changeover, the left-handed Nadal was treated by a trainer, who applied white tape to both of the No. 1-ranked Spaniard’s wrists. In the other remaining quarter-final, which will continue today at Court Suzanne Lenglen, No. 3 Marin Cilic and No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro were at 5-all in a first-set tiebreaker when the play-ending shower came. Both men’s matches already had been interrupted by rain once. For Nadal, that happened when he was down a break at 3-2 in the second set, and the delay of a little less than an hour seemed to help him begin to change course against Schwartzman, a 5-foot-7 (1.70-metre) Argentine who was putting nearly every shot right

where he wanted to in the early stages. Nadal was far from his usual impeccable self on red clay, too. He hit only four winners in the first set, none with his backhand, while Schwartzman produced 20 in that span. Nadal was broken five of the first eight times he served. This is a guy who entered the day 5-0 against Schwartzman, having won 12 of their sets. Looking at the bigger picture, Nadal hadn’t ceded a set in Paris since 2015, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. The following year, Nadal won a pair of straight-set matches before withdrawing with an injured tendon in his left wrist. And last year, he earned the trophy without dropping a set. The 37-set run was Nadal’s longest at the French Open, where the record of

41 was established by Bjorn Borg from 1978-81. More important than that, of course, is the match’s ultimate outcome, and a significant moment came with Schwartzman serving while up 3-2 in the second after the initial delay. Nadal hit a floater that was possibly headed wide, yet Schwartzman attempted a volley that missed. It gave Nadal a break point he converted when Schwartzman sailed a forehand long. Nadal pumped his fist and yelled: “Vamos! Vamos! Vamos!” (Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!) That was part of a 15-minute roll of three consecutive games for Nadal, a wave during which he collected 13 of 15 points to close in on that set. He was unable to finish the job before the weather made him wait.

SPAIN’s Rafael Nadal returns a shot against Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman during their quarter-final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium yesterday. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 70° F/21° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Intervals of clouds and sunshine

A couple of showers and a t‑storm

Partly sunny, a t‑storm in spots

High: 85°

Low: 78°

High: 85° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

85° F

96°-83° F

95°-84° F

94°-82° F

95°-85° F

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 74° F/23° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 70° F/21° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 73° F/23° C

4‑8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 78° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 73° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 80° F/27° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ............................................... 18.87” Normal year to date ..................................... 9.57”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

KEY WEST

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

ANDROS

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

2:35 a.m. 3:17 p.m.

2.4 2.3

9:04 a.m. 9:26 p.m.

Friday

3:28 a.m. 4:11 p.m.

2.4 2.5

9:53 a.m. 0.2 10:25 p.m. 0.5

Saturday

4:22 a.m. 5:03 p.m.

2.4 2.8

10:42 a.m. 0.0 11:23 p.m. 0.3

Sunday

5:16 a.m. 5:54 p.m.

2.5 3.0

11:31 a.m. ‑0.1 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Monday

6:08 a.m. 6:44 p.m.

2.5 3.2

12:17 a.m. 0.1 12:20 p.m. ‑0.4

Tuesday

7:01 a.m. 7:35 p.m.

2.6 3.4

1:11 a.m. ‑0.1 1:10 p.m. ‑0.6

Wednesday 7:53 a.m. 8:25 p.m.

2.7 3.6

2:03 a.m. ‑0.4 2:00 p.m. ‑0.7

0.4 0.7

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:19 a.m. 7:58 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

1:56 a.m. 1:56 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Jun. 13

Jun. 20

Jun. 28

Jul. 6

CAT ISLAND

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

7‑14 knots

6‑12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS S at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots W at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 78° F 78° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F

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