06112018 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2018

Miller-Uibo and Wilson in win column

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

STEVEN GARDINER STUMBLES IN 200

t was a double dose of victory for quarter-miler Shaunae Miller-Uibo and high jumper Jamal Wilson at the third annual JN Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday. But there was a scare for quarter-miler Steven Gardiner in the men’s 200m at the IAAF Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden, yesterday.

In the sixth stop on the Diamond League tour in Stockholm, Gardiner came off the curve in about third place and he stumbled, attempting to get into a groove on the home stretch. Playing it safe, he decided to ease up as he coasted through to the finish line in 23.35 for eighth place. It was his first half-lap race after dominating the one-lapper this year.

“I felt a twist so I didn’t want to hurt myself by running too hard,” said Gardiner of the slight injury to his left leg. “There’s no concern.

I’m fine. I had it iced up and everything, so I’m feeling good. I was just playing it safe. But I feel good.

I had some treatment on it and so it’s okay.”

With the Bahamas Association of Athletic Association’s National Championships all set for June 22-23 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, Gardiner said he’s still contemplating whether or not he will come home to compete.

If he doesn’t, he will get ready to run in Budapest, Hungary, in the 400m - his speciality - next week.

“I’m not sure yet if I will compete in the Nationals,” said Gardiner, who is still under

I

SHAUNAE Miller-Uibo in action.

investigation by the BAAA for not running in the preliminaries of the men’s 4 x 400m relay at the IAAF World Championships in London, England, last year.

As he faded to the finish line in Stockholm, the top three spots in the 200m went to Turkey’s Ramil Gulivey, who remained undefeated in 19.92 with Canadian Aaron Brown second in 20.07 and Republic of South Africa’s Luxolo Adams third in 20.36.

Meanwhile, over in Jamaica, Miller-Uibo lived up to all expectations by running away with the victory in the women’s 200m in 22.11. Jamaicans Shericka Jackson (22.62) and Sashalee Forbes (22.86), were second and third respectively.

Miller-Uibo’s time was the third fastest so far this year behind her second spot in 22.06. Only Nigeria’s

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NBA CHAMPIONS

French Open, Page 5

DAVIS CUP: TEAM BAHAMAS HONOURED

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IT was a congratulatory night for the men’s Davis Cup team as the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association honoured player/captain Marvin Rolle, No.2 seed Philip Major Jr and newcomer Jody Turnquest for their achievement last week in Costa Rica of pulling the Bahamas out of the American Zone III competition and back into Zone II. Missing from the celebrations on Saturday night at the National Tennis Centre, hosted by BLTA president Darnette Weir and her executives and attended by family members and friends, was top seed Baker Newman, who returned to the United States.

But Rolle said in Newman’s absence, the team members are grateful for the gesture.

“We are truly honoured because it’s always a pleasure to represent the country,” Rolle said.

“Thank you so much. We appreciate it.”

Joining Paragray, the two teams who advanced to zone II for 2019, Rolle said the Bahamas now has to prepare for the challenge ahead.

“We have to keep them out there, playing lots of tournaments and make sure that the guys stay training,” he pointed out.

“Our guys have a lot of abilities. Once they get

SEE PAGE 2

CHARLTON FINISHES 2ND, SEYMOUR 4TH IN HURDLES SHOWDOWN

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net GOLDEN State Warriors’ Kevin Durant, second from left, celebrates after the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to win the NBA championship on Friday night in Cleveland.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

towel draped over his head. He arrived at his postgame news conference with a large black brace on his right hand and explained the injury was “self-inflicted” following an overtime loss in Game 1, which included a reversed official’s call and teammate J.R. Smith dribbling out the clock to end regulation.

ALTHOUGH they had to run on the opposite side of the track due to the heavy rain, Purdue’s senior Devynne Charlton got out to a great start only to fade at the end for second place, while Texas’ senior Pedrya Seymour’s late comeback produced a fourth place finish in their epic showdown in the women’s 100 metre hurdles at the NCAA Division One Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

University of Kentucky’s junior Jasmine CamachoQuinn won Saturday’s race in 12.70 as she stormed back over the last two hurdles in lane five to regain the title she won two years ago after she got second last year on the final day of competition at the historic and rainy Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.

Charlton, who led from start in lane eight, was second in 12.77. Seymour, the national record holder at 12.64, rallied from a disappointing start in lane six to surge into fourth in 13.04 as she was nipped by Florida State’s sophomore Cortney Jones in the same time.

A pair of national record holders also participated along with a few other Bahamians in the meet, but neither got into the final round.

In the much anticipated women’s 100m hurdles final, competitors and fans in Eugene, Oregon, normally

SEE PAGE 3

SEE PAGE 2

Warriors sweep Cavaliers for second straight title

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — There were still a few seconds left on the clock when the Golden State Warriors stormed off their bench to begin a celebration that wasn’t guaranteed.

They couldn’t wait any longer.

They had reached their destination: dynasty.

Stephen Curry scored 37 points, Kevin Durant added a triple-double and another NBA Finals MVP trophy and the Warriors won their

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second straight title and third in four years Friday night, 108-85 over the Cleveland Cavaliers to complete a sweep and perhaps drive LeBron James from his home again to chase championships.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there is no denying them.

“That’s how you know we’re a great team, is when everybody’s coming after us,” Durant said.

“Whether it’s opponents, whether it’s different coaches panning for us, whether it’s the fans, the media that hate us, it feels good when you’re the team that everybody’s gunning for. It makes us better.”

No team is better.

Golden State. Golden standard.

Overcoming obstacles all season long, the Warriors won their fourth straight finals matchup against James and Cleveland with ease.

“Looking at this playoff journey, we knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as last year,” Curry said.

“Then the challenges that faced us.

In October we wanted to be back in this moment, and a lot went into it. It’s a great feeling to be back here.”

It was the first sweep in the NBA Finals since 2007, when James was dismissed by a powerful San Antonio team in his first one. His eighth straight appearance didn’t go well

BEN Del Fante crowd-surfs as Golden State Warriors fans celebrate outside the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, on Friday.

(AP Photo/Josh Edelson) either, and now there’s uncertainty where the superstar will play next.

James, who said he “pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand” after injuring himself in frustration following Game 1, finished with 23 points and spent the final minutes on the bench, contemplating what went wrong and maybe his next move.

Following the game, he sat quietly in his corner locker with a

PAGE 2, Monday, June 11, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Davis Cup: Team Bahamas honoured FROM PAGE 1 prepared and are ready, they can beat anybody.”

Evident of that was the performance of Major Jr. He went through the tournament undefeated, literally carrying the team on his back as he got the ball rolling in each of the five matches by winning the opening singles. While Newman didn’t play at his back, he stepped it up to continue the streak and Major or Turnquest either partnered with Rolle to complete the doubles.

“It was a pretty great feeling. I have a great support system around me with my dad (Philip Major Sr), Marvin (Rolle), Jody (Turnquest), Mr (Tim) Dames, just a few names to mention,” he stressed.

“I had doubts actually going into the Davis Cup, but they stayed by my side and allowed me to keep believing in myself and as time went on, I just want to thank God...It was just a great feeling.”

Major Jr said he’s going to continue playing, trying to get in better shape so that he can do the best he could when called upon to again be a part of the team.

When he got the call from Rolle to fill in for Spencer Newman and Kevin Major Jr, who both could not make the trip, Turnquest said he was willing to step in and help out. He did by winning a singles match and splitting two doubles with Rolle.

“It was a great experience. I learned a lot, especially having Marvin (Rolle), PJ and Baker on my side to guide me along,” Turnquest stated. “Marvin is experience, he has this

DAVIS Cup team members player/captain Marvin Rolle, No.2 seed Philip Major Jr and newcomer Jody Turnquest with family members and friends. The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association honoured the team for its achievement last week in Costa Rica of pulling the Bahamas out of the American Zone III competition and back into Zone II. Missing from the celebrations on Saturday night at the National Tennis Centre, hosted by BLTA president Darnette Weir and her executives, was top seed Baker Newman, who returned to the United States.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff experience in this field, so I was happy to have him there to help me to get through this tie. When I got the call I was very excited. I didn’t know that I was going to go. So I just had to pray that I would do good.”

Turnquest will be heading to Spain to train and compete in a few tournaments because he gained a lot of experience.

Bahamas Olympic Committee secretary general Derron Donaldson, a former president of the BLTA, said on behalf of

president Romel Knowles, they congratulate the team and will continue to support them moving forward. “We represent 24 different sporting federations so we have to split our focus and also split funding,” he pointed out. “Our goal is to have every federation make it to the highest point in sports and we would love to see tennis make it back into the Olympics.”

Once they get the approval from the International Olympic Committee, they hope that they can get

some tennis players on the Olympic Solidarity Funding where they can train and compete overseas to be able to compete at the next level.

“We’re going to do our part,” said Donaldson, who noted that they have heard the appeal from Weir and, in short order, they hope to make an announcement in that regard to what type of funding they can provide.

Another former president Steven Turnquest, the father of Jody Turnquest, said he looks forward too.“It’s very pleasing to see the success

that the team had in the tie and I’m sure that there was no question that they were going to give maximum effort in trying to allow us to move up,” he said. “We kept a programme going to allow these players to develop to the point where they put us in this position and we are looking forward to next year to moving forward.”

Edith Powell, another former president, said that while she wasn’t there to support the team, she was pleased that they were

able to play for the future players who were on the sidelines waiting for their chance to make an appearance at the competition in years to come. “I think they have done a wonderful job and we are looking forward to more Davis Cup victories and moving into zone one,” she said. “That is our goal to get to the top. Nothing can stop you on the way. I’m so glad that you won. My heart was with you, although I wasn’t there.”

Dames, one of the BLTA executives who trained with the team, said in Costa Rica, all of the English-speaking countries were cheering for the Bahamas.

“That was awesome,” he summed up. “After we ravished them, they all came and supported us. Everybody came and cheered for the Bahamas. Those teams we beat came because I think they recognised the awesomeness of this team.”

Weir, rating the performance of the team, said out of a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, they would get a 9-8. “They did a phenomenal job,” she said.

“We had some concerns after Spencer Newman couldn’t travel. But we brought Jody Turnquest on board, so we were a bit surprised. We know they could do the job, but we didn’t have our full team. Under the circumstances, they did very well.”

With the first round of zone II set for February, Weir said the BLTA and itsstakeholders have to get the ball rolling right away to get the players to do some intensive training and get a cohesiveness as a team so that they can avoid getting relegated to zone III again.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Jamal Wilson in win column FROM PAGE 1 Blessing Okagbare has gone faster, running a world’s best of 22.04. And Wilson, coming off a sweep of the top three spots for the Bahamas over Donald Thomas and Trevor Barry three weeks ago at the same stadium, returned to Jamaica to compete in his first Racers meet, clearing 2.24 metres or 7-feet, 4 1/4-inches to pick up another victory.

“It was a satisfying performance. I’m happy that I got the win,” Wilson said. “The atmosphere was good. There was actually more people in

the stadium than the last one in Jamaica, so it was pretty good.

“Overall, it was a good meet.

Even if you were just spectating, there were a lot of good times.

We had Shaunae Miller-Uibo run 22.11. That was good. I was on the sidelines to watch that. I was proud as a Bahamian. But overall, it was a good meet for me. I was pretty happy with it.”

The crowd was on hand to cheer on Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as she continues her return to compete in her second international race since giving birth in 2017.

She didn’t disappoint as she turned the tables on American Jenna Prandini to win in 11.10.

Prandini had to settle for second in 11.14 and Jamaican 16-year-old sensation Brianna Williams, in her first competition against seniors, finished third in 11.26.

Williams was the Austin Sealy winner of the CARIFTA Games in April at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Also, Grenada’s world champion Kirani James, in his first race in over a year, came back strong at the end of the men’s 400m to pull off the victory in 44.35 for a meet and stadium record as he overtook American Fred Kerley at the line. Kerley was second in 44.36.

JAMAL WILSON in action.

CHARLTON FINISHES 2ND, SEYMOUR 4TH IN 100M HURDLES SHOWDOWN FROM PAGE 1 known for its inclement weather, forced officials to switch the hurdles to start from the first exchange of the 4 x 100m relay to the 200m start. But it didn’t matter to the 22-year-old Charlton, a graduate of St Augustine’s College who is studying biological sciences with a major in marine biology.

“I felt it was one of the best executions I’ve had all season,” Charlton told The Tribune. “I would’ve liked a better time, but the conditions were a bit rough to run in although training in the midwest prepared me for the rain and cold.”

Charlton, closing out her collegiate career after she placed fifth last year, said she felt Camacho-Quinn, who was in the middle of the track. She decided to go for it, but the Puerto Rico Olympian was a little better at the end. Charlton, the national indoor record holder, said she was also delighted to finally get to compete against Seymour in an outdoor championship.

“I’m always good to run against Pedrya. I think we really push each other,” said Charlton, who embraced her local rival, whom she is expected to face in a rematch here at home when they come home to compete in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. “I’m really looking forward to

DEVYNNE Charlton with her award (above) and Pedrya Seymour in the women’s 100 metre hurdles at the NCAA Division One Outdoor Track and Field Championships. running in front of a home crowd in two weeks,” she summed up.

Unfortunately Seymour, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on May 29, has revealed that she won’t be home for the Nationals as her focus is on summer school as she pursues her masters degree in advertising and public relations.

Having transferred from Illinois last year, Seymour said she went out there and gave it her best shot in her final collegiate appearance.

“The race definitely wasn’t my best and the time reflects that. I didn’t get a good start, but I kept fighting to finish the race,” she told The Tribune. “I did not accomplish my goal at NCAAs, but I will keep my head up.”

On her showdown against Charlton, Seymour said her rival “did well. She executed a decent race under the horrible weather.”

Although this is going to be another transitional

period for the former high hurdler (100m), the St Anne’s graduate, who went on to finish sixth at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said she’s at peace with herself right now, knowing that she has done the best she could.

“I’ve worked extra hard this season and I’ve had great practices and I’ve ran amazing times in practice,” Seymour stated. “I told my coach my goal was to run 12.4 at NCAA and based on her feedback and timing, I was right where I needed to be, but it didn’t happen.

“Like I said, I’m at peace.

I did everything my coach asked and more and I made huge sacrifices this season, so I’m very proud of myself.

I’ve learnt a lot.”

Culmer 9th Despite the fact that he just missed the final cut to get into the final round of the men’s triple jump, Kaiwan Culmer closed out his collegiate career at the

University of Nebraska as a construction management major with a best of 16.09 metres or 52-feet, 91/2inches for ninth place.

He was denied the eighth spot for the All-American honours by Clayton Brown, a sophomore from the University of Florida with 16.10m (52-10). Tahar Triki, a sophomore at Texas A&M, won with 16.79m (55-1).

Brown 13th Serena Brown, who last year shattered veteran Lavern Eve’s national record in the women’s discus, had to settle for 13th place in the flat circular instrument with a toss of 50.48 metres or 165feet, 7-inches, but it wasn’t enough to get her into the top eight to earn an AllAmerican honours in her sophomore year for Texas

A&M where the 19-yearold St Augustine’s College graduate is studying construction science.

Maggie Ewen, a senior at Arizona State, won the event with 60.48m (198-5).

Her performance came two days after she captured the shot put with a heave of 19.17m (62-103/4).

Pratt 17th Denzel Pratt, the men’s national javelin record holder, was the first Bahamian to compete on Wednesday, tossing the men’s spear 65.19m (21310). The St Augustine’s College graduate, now in his junior year at Liberty University studying zoo and wildlife biology, also missed out of advancing to the final eight for an All-American honour.

In a meet record, Mississippi State’s freshman

Anderson Peters threw 82.82m (271-9) for the victory. Peters, 20, is a multiple CARIFTA medallist and 2016 Austin Sealy winner from Grenada. He won the bronze medal in April at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.

Bethel 16th twice Grand Bahamian Brianne Bethel, in her sophomore year at the University of Houston where she is studying biology and aspires to be a clinical geneticist, placed 16th in the preliminaries of the women’s 100m in 11.32.

The Sunland Baptist Academy graduate missed out on the top eight to get into the final. The twin sister to injured Brittni, duplicated the same finish in the 200m in 23.05 to also miss another bid to advance to the final.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 11, 2018, PAGE 3

With two NBA titles, Kevin Durant gets the last word

BACK-TO-BACK CROWNS, AND FINALS MVPS, FOR DURANT

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Durant went back-to-back, twice.

It’s now two straight NBA championships for the Golden State Warriors, and two consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards for the forward who played a huge role in getting them to those titles.

Durant scored 20 points in the Game 4 clincher Friday night, a 108-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers — but his series will be remembered most for what he did in Game 3. Durant scored 43 points in that game, including a 33-foot 3-pointer in the final minute to all but clinch the win for the Warriors.

Durant averaged 28.8 points in the series, along with 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists.

“It’s just about the journey, all season,” Durant said. “Getting up every day, going to work with these guys, it’s amazing. The environment is incredible. It’s good for you to be around guys like this. It helps you become a better basketball player and a better man.”

There were 11 voters for the MVP award; Durant got seven votes, Stephen Curry — who still doesn’t have a Finals MVP — got the other four.

“Does it matter? Does it?

Does it?” Durant asked. “We won two championships. We just won back-to-back. I don’t think anybody’s even worried about that type of stuff.”

Durant becomes the 11th player to win Finals MVP twice, joining six-time winner Michael Jordan, three-timers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James, and two-timers Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Willis Reed and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He’s also the sixth player to win it in consecutive years, with Jordan, O’Neal, James, Olajuwon and Bryant being the others.

Since 2009 the award has been named for Celtics legend Bill Russell, the 11-time champion who surely would have won the award several times if it existed in his long run of finals dominance. The Finals MVP was first handed out in 1969 — Russell’s final season with the Celtics.

Durant is one of 31 players to win the award.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Durant had a simple message for his critics: “Thanks.”

Durant’s move to the Golden State Warriors, booed by many around the NBA, has unquestionably paid off for both the player and his team. Two years, two NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs and almost certainly a new contract in the next few weeks after he and the Warriors decide on the best way to proceed.

He is often a man of few words, but Durant let his thoughts be known Friday night after the Warriors won their second consecutive title by finishing off a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There was a rare openness to Durant in his postgame remarks as he let his detractors know that whatever they said when he left Oklahoma City for Golden State didn’t mean much then and means even less now.

“Former players and players now that got a lot to say about what I did, they know how I play,” Durant said, his newest Finals MVP trophy standing just to his left. “They know exactly what I bring. They know. They know. They understand when they get on the court with me or if they check up with me, they know what it is. So I kind of try to just stand on that. But I know what I bring to the game.”

Here’s what he brings to the Warriors: 26.4 points per game in this regular season, 29 points per game in the playoffs, a 43-point explosion in Game 3 that will go into NBA Finals lore and a tripledouble in the series clincher to cap it all off.

But the criticism — which came from both current and former players when he joined the Warriors to form a superteam two summers ago — probably won’t stop, either.

Perhaps a coincidence, Durant’s former Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook posted a video of himself singing along with an Ice Cube rap on Saturday morning — the message of the track being that someone had lost his or her edge. “I saw it

WARRIORS SWEEP CAVALIERS, from PAGE 1

“I had emotions of you just don’t get an opportunity like this on the road versus Golden State to be able to get a Game 1, and I let the emotions get the best of me,” James said. “Pretty much

comin’; that’s why I went solo,” Cube rapped, as Westbrook mouthed the words. (Not long afterward, amid speculation that was directed to Durant, Westbrook added another post that said, “Stop reaching.”)

Not everyone has a negative thought on Durant and his choices. Cleveland star LeBron James, who denied Durant a title when Miami beat Oklahoma City in 2012, raves about Durant’s game.

“You knew he was built for greatness from the time that he was drafted,” James said.

The greatness can’t be questioned now. And if Durant going to Golden State hasn’t been great for league-wide parity, it has quite obviously been great for the Warriors.

They don’t really care about much else.

“K.D.’s been amazing these last two years, especially in the finals, and so deserving of back-to-back finals MVPs,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “I’m going to be his biggest fan in there with what he’s able to do. I think the biggest thing we appreciate in the locker room is, again, what everybody brings to the table and we kind of unlock the greatness out of each other.”

When it was all over Friday night, there was both an arrogance and a humility to Durant — both understandable.

The 29-year-old is on top of the basketball world, rich beyond his wildest expectations, with rings for both hands now and a hope that his game is only going to keep getting better.

Even in that moment, though, he remembered his roots.

Seat Pleasant, Maryland, is a little town just outside of Washington. It’s mostly black, mostly impoverished. There’s a lot of crime. There aren’t a lot of roads out of Seat Pleasant, unless you’re 6-foot-11 with an endless wingspan and an indefensible jump shot that’s as smooth as the golden basketball that sits atop the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“I just feel indebted to the game,” Durant said. “I feel like it saved my life. It changed my life. It took me out of an environment that I didn’t think I’d ever

played the last three games with a broken hand, so that’s what it is.”

Act IV between the Warriors and Cavs featured a drama-filled Game 1.

But from there on, Durant, Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and the rest of this California crew showed why they’re the game’s gold standard.

And they may stay that way.

Not wanting to give the Cavs or their fans any hope despite the

GOLDEN State Warriors’ Kevin Durant holds the NBA championship and MVP trophies after the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to win the NBA championship on Friday in Cleveland.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak) be out of, living in Maryland my whole life. I thought I was going to live in Maryland my whole life.

But to travel the world and meet different people, and go to different arenas and different cities and countries around the world, I’m just forever grateful for this opportunity.”

That’s why he feels vindication, overcoming that.

Disproving doubters, disproving critics, that’s just a bonus.

fact that no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs, the Warriors built a ninepoint halftime lead when Curry ignored a closeout by James and dropped a 3-pointer.

Then the league’s best team tightened the screws on Cleveland in the third quarter, outscoring the Cavs 25-13 and prompting Golden State fans to begin those drawn-out “War-eee-orrss” chants that provide a perfect musical

“We all want something that’s bigger than ourselves,” Durant said of the Warriors.

“I think we love to see each other succeed. We love to come together and figure stuff out on the basketball court. ... We finished it off with a championship.

We’ve got a bunch of guys in the locker room that don’t care about anything but just being better basketball players every day and winning.”

accompaniment to their 3-point barrages.

By the start of the fourth, the only question was whether Curry would win his first NBA Finals MVP or if it would go to Durant for the second year in a row.

And again, it was Durant, who added 12 rebounds and 10 assists — more satisfaction and validation for a player who couldn’t beat the Warriors so he joined them. After surviving a

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

rougher-than-usual regular season and beating top-seeded Houston in Game 7 on the road in the West finals, the Warriors pushed aside James and joined an elite group of teams to win multiple championships in a four-year span. Only Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics, the “Showtime” Lakers and the Los Angeles squad led by Kobe and Shaq, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls have been as dominant in such a short period of time.

HOME OR AWAY? LEBRON’S SUMMER OF SUSPENSE HAS STARTED

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Maybe it was poetic LeBron James had a supporting cast on his injured right hand.

He was missing one in the NBA Finals.

For the second time in a career still ascending after 15 years, James was on the wrong side of a sweep as the Golden State Warriors, a team with no apparent weaknesses and as many as four of the league’s 10 best players on its roster, transformed into a dynasty in Cleveland late Friday.

After what may have been his final game with the Cavaliers, James revealed he hurt himself in a fit of frustration following a Game 1 overtime loss.

He displayed a soft cast on his hand during his postgame news conference and then rounded up his children and some of their friends, and along with his wife, and the usual support group of handlers and security personnel, drove home to Akron.

His next stop is unknown.

Another suspenseful summer of “Where will LeBron go next?” is off and running.

In the next few weeks, James is expected to decline his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Cavaliers and become an unrestricted free agent

like he was in 2010 and 2014. Then the fun starts — well, officially and legally under NBA rules — and teams can begin courting King James to join them.

At the moment the list of suitors is limited, but it could grow before July as teams position themselves to acquire one of the game’s most transcendent forces.

There are obvious potential landing spots, but James, who averaged 34 points, 10 assists and 8.5 rebounds against the Warriors, made it clear that any team coveting him better be prepared to win — everything.

He’s still into hanging banners.

“I still want to be in championship mode,” the 33-year-old said following his eighth straight NBA Finals appearance. “I think I’ve shown this year why I will still continue to be in championship mode.”

Although James may have dropped to 3-6 in the finals, it hasn’t diminished his pursuit of winning a fourth title or slaying this Golden State goliath, a monster of a team he never imagined getting in his way when he made his Ohio homecoming after playing four years in Miami.

So, who has a legitimate shot at getting him?

The Philadelphia 76ers can entice James with young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, salary-cap space

CAVALIERS forward LeBron James speaks at a news conference following Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) to accommodate him and other pieces, and the luxury to stay in the Eastern Conference to avoid meeting up with the Warriors until the Larry O’Brien Trophy is up for grabs.

The Lakers’ sales pitch will include their current flexibility to sign another maximum contract player — maybe Paul George or Kawhi Leonard — and Hollywood’s celebrity-filled hills. James already owns two homes and a film production company in Los Angeles, where the star could become a supernova.

Don’t rule out the Houston Rockets, who pushed Golden State to a Game 7 in the postseason. In presumed MVP James Harden; Chris Paul, one of James’ closest friends; and bent-on-overthrowing-theWarriors general manager Daryl Morey, the Rockets have the building blocks to assemble an uber-team.

In the end, James may decide home is still the sweetest spot.

The Cavaliers, though, have a lot of work to do to convince him he should hang around. The team’s

decision to trade All-Star guard Kyrie Irving last summer to Boston sparked a sequence of events that led to a mid-season overhaul, soured James and sent him into the playoffs with a group he carried as far as humanly possible.

Cleveland can offer James more money — a five-year, $209 million contract — than anyone else, but the larger issue is what it can do to improve a roster that’s currently short on title-winning performance.

The Cavs have the No. 8 overall pick in this month’s draft as an asset to perhaps package with All-Star forward Kevin Love, who could finally be moved after being the subject of trade rumours for years.

And there’s also the delicate matter of James’ rocky relationship with team owner Dan Gilbert. The two have co-existed purely on business terms since patching things up after Gilbert eviscerated James when he bolted for Miami.

It’s unclear if they can move forward together.

On a podcast during the Finals, Gilbert said he views James as much more than a player. “Legally, he may be working for our organisation, but that’s not really the case,” Gilbert said. “He’s more of your partner, really.”

The comment was a concession of sorts from Gilbert, who understands

what James means to his franchise and what he represents to Northeast Ohio — hope.

James came home four years ago promising to win a championship and delivered within two seasons, ending a 52-year title drought in a city he has personally helped to revitalise.

The summer of 2016 was unforgettable, with a downtown parade that James has said overwhelmed him with emotion.

It may go down as his crowning achievement, or something he wants to feel again.

If so, there’s only one place where that can happen.

The last time James left Cleveland it was because he needed a team to help him achieve greatness.

He found it with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, and he came back a different man, ready to build his legacy. A father of three, his priorities have changed again, and this time the decision is more complicated.

There’s a tug-of-war going on between James’ brain and heart.

“When I decide what I’m going to do with my future, my family and the folks that have been with me for the last 20 years will have a say-so,” he said. “Then it ultimately will come down to me.”

It always does.

PAGE 4, Monday, June 11, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Lester, Cubs 1-hit Pirates for 11th win in 13 games CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester combined with two relievers on a one-hitter, and the Cubs took advantage of a first-inning slip by centre fielder Starling Marte in a 2-0 victory Saturday over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago’s 11th win in 13 games.

Lester (7-2) allowed a two-out triple in the third to Austin Meadows, then retired Starling Marte on a groundout. Lester struck out five and walked two in seven innings, improving to 5-1 in his past six starts.

Justin Wilson and Steve Cishek each pitched a perfect inning. Cishek got his second save as the Cubs remained a half-game behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee.

Nick Kingham (2-3) allowed both runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Pittsburgh lost for the sixth time in seven games and is 5-16 following a 26-17 start, losing seven straight series.

YANKEES 4, METS 3 NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning and the Yankees won a game of home run derby, beating the Mets for their sixth straight victory in the Subway Series.

Rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar also homered at Citi Field, ensuring the Empire State Building would sparkle in Yankees team colors for 10 minutes after the win. The Yanks have won four in a row overall and nine of 10.

The Mets built a 3-0 lead on first-inning homers by Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera, but still lost their eighth in a row.

The Mets have dropped 10 straight at Citi Field, their worst skid at home since losing a team-record 15 at Shea Stadium in 2002.

Judge grounded out with the bases loaded to end the fifth but later sent the first pitch from Anthony Swarzak (0-1) into the left-field seats.

David Robertson (5-2) pitched a scoreless seventh and Dellin Betances, the only player in this Subway Series born in New York, struck out the side in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman, who has been bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, worked around two walks

in the ninth for his 17th save in 18 chances.

BREWERS 12, PHILLIES 3 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ji-Man Choi hit a goahead, pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning, and Jesus Aguilar and Jonathan Villar also went deep in Milwaukee’s victory over Philadelphia.

Aguilar also doubled and drove in three runs and Christian Yelich had three hits for the Brewers, who won their second straight over the Phillies while outscoring Philadelphia 24-7 to keep hold of first place in the NL Central.

Choi’s homer made a winner out of Brent Suter (6-4), who allowed three runs on four hits in five innings with five strikeouts and one walk.

Rhys Hoskins returned from a nine-game absence because of a fractured jaw with a three-run homer for the slumping Phillies, who have lost four straight and 10 of 13.

Jake Arrieta (5-4) left with the bases loaded and a 3-2 lead but was tagged for the loss after Choi’s hit, charged with five runs — four earned — in 5 1/3 innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 12, ROCKIES 7 DENVER (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt had his second straight two-homer game and drove in four runs, and Arizona took advantage of a double error

by Brian Shaw to rally past Colorado.

Shaw (2-5) entered the game to protect a 7-6 lead and allowed six runs — only one of them earned — while getting just two outs before leaving to a chorus of boos and insults from the crowd of 43,000-plus.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 — his fourth straight game with at least three hits — and has 16 hits in eight games in June after collecting 14 hits in 27 games in May. He hit his 11th and 12th long balls this season, both off Rockies starter Chad Bettis.

The Diamondbacks won their seventh straight game at Coors Field, a streak that dates to last June 21. Colorado has lost six straight at home overall.

CHICAGO Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning of Saturday’s game in Chicago.

(AP Photo/David Banks) Silvino Bracho (2-0) picked up the win, throwing a pair of 1-2-3 innings and striking out four in relief of starter Matt Koch.

NATIONALS 7, GIANTS 5 WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper hit his National League-leading 19th homer, and Washington beat San Francisco.

Harper’s 437-foot blast to right-center came off reliever Ty Blach in the fourth inning.

Adam Eaton scored two runs in his return from the disabled list for Washington.

Giants catcher Nick Hundley hit a threerun homer into the San Francisco bullpen off Washington starter Gio Gonzalez in the third.

Justin Miller (3-0) retired all five batters he faced after replacing Gonzalez.

Sean Doolittle earned his 16th save in 17 chances.

Dereck Rodriguez (1-1) allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings.

CARDINALS 6, REDS 4 CINCINNATI (AP) — Yadier Molina doubled with the bases loaded, and Michael Wacha pitched two-run ball into the sixth inning, leading St. Louis to its 13th straight win over Cincinnati.

The Cardinals also homered three times as they extended their second-longest streak of domination in a rivalry that goes back to the 1800s. They beat them 18 times in a row in 1930-31.

St. Louis has also won 11 straight in Cincinnati, its longest such streak since it first visited the city in 1892.

Wacha (8-1) gave up Eugenio Suarez’s two-run homer in 5 2/3 innings for his 11th career win against the Reds.

Jordan Hicks gave up a single and fanned three in the ninth while getting his first career save in three chances.

Jose Martinez and Marcell Ozuna homered back-to-back in the first inning off Luis Castillo (4-7).

RED SOX 4, WHITE SOX 2 BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, David Price pitched six solid innings to win his fifth straight decision and Boston rebounded from a series-opening loss to beat Chicago.

Jackie Bradley Jr. added a solo shot for Boston, which avoided tying its season-high three-game losing streak.

Jose Abreu had an RBI double for the White Sox, who had won five of eight.

Price (7-4) held Chicago scoreless after allowing two runs in the first. He gave up five hits, struck out six and walked three, improving to 5-0 in his past six starts with a 2.89 ERA. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save.

ASTROS 4, RANGERS 3 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — George Springer hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning, and Houston overcame a wild start from Charlie Morton to beat Texas.

Morton tied an American League record with four hit batters and had a careerhigh six walks as the Astros allowed 10 walks, a season high. But the Rangers tied a club record with 17 runners left on base in a nine-inning game, most in the majors without extra innings this season.

Morton gave up two runs without allowing a hit in the second. The only hit he surrendered in 3 2/3 innings was a third-inning double from Ronald Guzman that didn’t factor in the scoring.

Tony Sipp (1-0) struck out the first three hitters he faced in the sixth and seventh, and Hector Rondon got pinch-hitter Adrian Beltre to bounce into a game-ending double play for his second save.

Springer’s go-ahead single landed just in front of a sprinting Joey Gallo in left field against Jose Leclerc (1-2) after Guzman’s RBI single had pulled Texas even in the fifth.

ROYALS 2, ATHLETICS 0 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Danny Duffy pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and Kansas City beat Oakland to snap a six-game skid.

Duffy (3-6) struck out a season-high 10 and walked three.

Chris Bassitt (0-1) also allowed three hits in seven innings in his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 6, 2016. He struck out six and walked one, allowing one run — on Paulo Orlando’s RBI single in the second inning.

The Royals scored again in the ninth on Alex Gordon’s home run.

Kevin McCarthy pitched the eighth and Kelvin Herrera worked a scoreless ninth to complete the fourhitter and earn his 14th save in 15 opportunities.

ANGELS 2, TWINS 1 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 623rd career homer and tied Stan Musial for seventh on the career RBI list with 1,951, helping Los Angeles beat Minnesota after a fourhour rain delay.

Pujols’ solo home run in the sixth proved to be the difference as Tyler Skaggs (5-4) allowed one run in seven innings and matched a season best with eight strikeouts.

Ian Kinsler had a solo home run for Los Angeles, his sixth in the past 11 games. Blake Parker recorded his seventh save for Los Angeles, which has won seven of its past eight games.

Kyle Gibson (1-4) allowed both home runs before completing seven innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out five. The rain delay was the second longest in Target Field history.

TIGERS 4, INDIANS 2 (12 INNINGS) DETROIT (AP) — Jeimer Candelario’s two-run homer in the 12th inning gave Detroit the victory over Cleveland.

Miguel Cabrera singled off Cody Allen (2-3) with two outs, and Candelario drove a 2-0 pitch deep into

the right-field stands for the first game-ending homer of his career.

Warwick Saupold (4-1) worked two scoreless innings of relief.

Tigers starter Mike Fiers allowed one run on five hits in seven innings, while Mike Clevinger gave up two runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings.

BRAVES 5, DODGERS 3 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman had three hits, Tyler Flowers drove in three runs and Atlanta beat Los Angeles.

Flowers had a two-run double in the third and an RBI single in the fifth that helped put Atlanta ahead 4-1 and chase starter Alex Wood (1-5).

Charlie Culberson added three hits for Atlanta against his former team, and the Braves racked up 14 hits total.

Atlanta starter Anibal Sanchez (2-0) allowed two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two. Arodys Vizcaino pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.

Max Muncy hit a solo home run to right field in the first inning for the Dodgers. It was Muncy’s 11th home run and second in two games.

RAYS 7, MARINERS 3 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Blake Snell overcame occasional wildness to go six effective innings, and Tampa Bay stopped an

eight-game losing streak by beating Felix Hernandez and Seattle.

Snell (8-3), who was born in Seattle, gave up two runs and seven hits. The left-hander walked two, recorded one strikeout, hit a batter and had two wild pitches.

Hernandez (6-5) allowed six runs and seven hits over three innings in his shortest start this season, a rematch of last Sunday’s matchup against Snell and the Rays in Seattle.

Nelson Cruz hit a fifthinning homer and Kyle Seager had a pair of RBI grounders for Seattle, which lost for just the fifth time in 21 games.

Chaz Roe, the second Rays reliever, went the final 1 1/3 innings for his first career save.

PADRES 5, MARLINS 4 MIAMI (AP) — Travis Jankowski hit a go-ahead bases-loaded single in the eighth inning to lift San Diego over Miami.

Jankowski hit a line drive with two outs off reliever Drew Rucinski (1-1) that scored Hunter Renfroe, who had reached on a twoout double and advanced following walks to Raffy Lopez and Matt Szczur.

Craig Stammen (4-0) allowed two inherited runners to score over 1 2/3 innings.

Kirby Yates got his second save with a scoreless ninth, locking down San Diego’s fifth win in six games.

The Marlins rallied from a 4-1 deficit with a threerun sixth that chased starter Tyson Ross.

BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 3 (10 INNINGS) TORONTO (AP) — Luke Maile drove in the winning run with a basesloaded walk in the 10th inning, and Toronto beat Baltimore.

Maile walked on four pitches from Baltimore’s Mychal Givens (0-2) to score Justin Smoak as the Blue Jays improved to 7-1 in extra innings.

Randal Grichuk homered and Yangervis Solarte had two hits and an RBI for Toronto, which is 5-1 against Baltimore this season.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 11, 2018, PAGE 5

Nadal wins 11th French Open title by beating Thiem in 3 sets

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer PARIS (AP) — As Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem warmed up before the French Open final, the booming voice of an announcer at Court Philippe Chatrier called out each player’s bona fides.

Nadal’s introduction included a year-by-year accounting of every time he’d already won the title at Roland Garros.

The crowd responded, initially offering polite applause, then adding their voices, rising into a fullthroated roar.

Go ahead and 2018 to the lengthy list. Nadal won his record-extending 11th championship at the French Open yesterday, overcoming a late problem with a finger on his racket-swinging hand and displaying his foe-rattling best for a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 7 seed Thiem, the only person to beat the Spaniard on clay over the past two seasons.

Up a break at 2-1 in the third set, Nadal stopped serving after a fault because he couldn’t straighten his left middle finger. At the following changeover, Nadal was given a salt pill by a doctor and had his left forearm massaged by a trainer.

“Tough moment in the third set when I got a little bit cramped on the hand,” Nadal said. “I was very scared.”

Nadal’s form never wavered, though, and soon enough he was celebrating his 17th Grand Slam title overall, second among men

only to Roger Federer’s 20.

The two stars have combined to win the past six majors.

The victory also allowed the 32-year-old Nadal to hold onto the No. 1 ranking, just ahead of Federer.

Nadal called it “not even a dream” to gather 11 titles in Paris, saying it was “impossible to think of something like this.”

Thiem, a 24-year-old from Austria, was appearing in a major final for the first time. Not much more of a daunting task than doing so against this particular opponent at the French Open, where Nadal is now 11-0 in finals and 86-2 overall. The only losses came against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals in 2015.

“What you did and what you are doing,” Thiem told Nadal during the trophy ceremony, “is one of the most outstanding things that any athlete is doing in any sport.”

If there were any reason for a bit of intrigue entering Sunday’s match, it was this: Thiem beat Nadal in two sets on red clay at Rome in May 2017 and again at Madrid last month.

“I am sure you will win here in the next couple of years,” Nadal told Thiem afterward.

Nadal is so dominant and so impervious on clay, in general, and at this tournament, especially, it made sense for Thiem to go for broke as much as possible, accepting that there would be risks along with the rewards. If standard play would likely lead to a loss,

SPAIN’s Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Austria’s Dominic Thiem in three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Michel Euler) why not try for the spectacular, instead?

So that’s what Thiem tried. He pounded huge serves, topping 135 mph (220 kph) — about 25 mph (40 kph) more than Nadal’s fastest — and that translated into seven aces, but also five double-faults.

He attempted drop shots; some worked, some didn’t.

And he took the biggest of big cuts on his groundstrokes, his feet leaving the ground as he threw his whole body into them, as if the very outcome of the match — not any individual point, but the whole shebang — depended on the

strength of that one whip of his white racket. That led to 34 winners (eight more than Nadal), but also 42 unforced errors (18 more than Nadal).

It worked. For a bit.

Thiem stayed with Nadal in the early going on a cloudy and steamy afternoon; the temperature was 77 degrees (24 Celsius), the humidity approached 70 percent.

Midway through the opening set, Nadal’s aqua T-shirt was so soaked with sweat it stuck to him, so he changed into a fresh one at a changeover, drawing catcalls from spectators.

From 4-all, 15-all in the opening set, Thiem faltered.

After Nadal held there for 5-4, Thiem basically handed over the next game — and the set — by making four mistakes in a row.

A volley into the net. A forehand wide. A forehand into the net. A forehand long.

Just like that, Nadal was off on a five-game run that put him up 3-0 in the second set.

Soon, Nadal was finding his spots. One down-theline forehand winner landed right at the baseline and Thiem’s shoulders sagged as he muttered to

himself. Another forehand winner from Nadal followed, and this time Thiem looked up toward his coach and yelled.

The conditions might have contributed to the cramping that affected Nadal about two hours into the final. His finger bent awkwardly and he pulled at it. He removed the taping from his left forearm, and maybe that let the blood flow better.

After guzzling water during his visit from the doctor, Nadal was back to playing his unmistakable brand of nearly unbeatable clay-court tennis.

4th time’s the charm: Halep tops Stephens to win title in Paris

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer PARIS (AP) — Maybe all of those losses in Grand Slam finals helped Simona Halep actually win one.

She’d gone 0-3 in matches with a major trophy on the line before facing Sloane Stephens for the French Open title Saturday, so there was plenty to remember: what it felt like to give a lead away, to make a key mistake, to walk away with regrets.

“All the experience from those three finals that I lost ... was a positive thing,” Halep said, “and gave me a little bit more power to believe.”

Halep added Grand Slam trophy No. 1 to her No. 1 ranking, coming back from a set and a break down to beat Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 and win the championship at Roland Garros in a match made up of long points and key momentum swings.

“That’s the most important thing — that I stay there focused,” said Halep, the first Romanian to collect a major title since her manager, Virginia Ruzici, at the 1978 French Open. “I believed. And I never gave up.”

The 26-year-old Halep was describing this particular match. She could have been speaking about her career.

Halep lost two previous finals at Roland Garros — against Maria Sharapova in 2014, then Jelena Ostapenko in 2017 despite leading by a set and 3-0 in the second. Her third runner-up finish came against Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open in January.

“Been kicked in the stomach a couple of times when she’s had chances,” said Halep’s coach, Darren Cahill.

“They say the destination is more beautiful if there’s a bit of a bumpy road and you eventually get there.

And that’s what happened to her today.”

On a muggy afternoon, Halep began slowly, unable to solve Stephens, the 10thseeded American who won her first Grand Slam title at last year’s US Open.

Both women are adept at defence, figuring out ways — via speed, strength, skill and instinct — to get nearly every ball back over the net. They’re also both able to switch to offence in a snap.

Those traits lent themselves to engaging exchanges of 10 strokes, 20 strokes or more, sometimes interrupted by spectators who would gasp or begin to clap, thinking that a point was over when it still was not.

The players were not trading looping shots, mind you, meant merely to keep the ball between the lines.

For the most part, they were violent smacks at the ball, delivered with the intention of ending a point.

It often seemed effortless for Stephens, who broke for a 3-1 edge when Halep put a forehand in the net.

When Halep ended a 14-stroke point by pushing a backhand wide, Stephens owned the first set. She wheeled toward her box, which included US national soccer team player Jozy Altidore, and shook a fist.

Not much after that, Stephens broke to begin the second set, then held for a 2-0 lead. It appeared she was on her way to improving to 7-0 in tournament finals.

And then, suddenly, everything changed. Stephens started missing. A doublefault here. A forehand into the net there. A backhand wide. Another long. Halep took 15 of 18 points and four games in a row.

Both Halep and Cahill thought Stephens looked a little gassed.

From 4-all in the second, Halep grabbed seven games in a row to take that set and build a 5-0 edge in third.

IN this image provided by the French Tennis Federation (FFT), Romania’s Simona Halep poses with her coach Darren Cahill in the Roland Garros stadium cloakroom with her cup after defeating Sloane Stephens, of the US, in the French Open final on Saturday. (AP)

One key: Halep began putting a little more air under the ball, being a little less aggressive, waiting for Stephens to make mistakes.

That worked. Stephens ended up with 39 unforced errors, 13 more than Halep.

Boisterous fans pushed Halep throughout, chanting “See-moe-nah! See-moenah!” When the match ended, Halep dropped her racket at the baseline and covered her face with her hands. Soon enough, she was climbing up into the stands to share a big hug with Cahill.

During the trophy ceremony, Stephens — more experienced in such matters, given her triumph in New York last September — noticed that Halep was casually holding her new silver trophy. Stephens indicated to Halep she should raise it proudly overhead.

“You have been waiting for this,” Stephens would say later. “So you better put it up in the air and show them what you got today.”

Halep listened. Now she will proudly display that bit of hardware at home.

She yearned for a Grand Slam title to go with her WTA ranking. Took some missteps along the way, but she has what she wanted.

“Her journey has been tough. And she had a heartbreak here last year and in Australia and all the things that have happened to her,” Stephens said.

“I mean, it’s a great story and just a great moment for her.”

ROMANIA’s Simona Halep climbs in the stands as she celebrates winning the final match of French Open tennis tournament against Sloane Stephens of the US in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 11, 2018, PAGE 7

NEYMAR SHINES AS BRAZIL BEATS AUSTRIA IN WORLD CUP WARMUP

By ERIC WILLEMSEN Associated Press VIENNA (AP) — Neymar scored his second goal in two matches since returning from injury yesterday, netting with a superb second-half strike as Brazil defeated Austria 3-0 in its final warmup game ahead of the World Cup. Set up by Willian in the 63rd minute, Neymar wrong-footed Austria defender Aleksandar Dragovic with a quick move and converted through the legs of goalkeeper Heinz Lindner for Brazil’s second goal.

Neymar celebrated by pulling his shirt back over his head and making the “V’’ sign with both hands.

Gabriel Jesus gave Brazil the lead after 36 minutes with a slick finish from a tight angle. He was unmarked on the left side of the area when Marcelo’s deflected shot came his way and he curled the ball past Lindner before it hit the far post and went in. Philippe Coutinho added a third after being sent deep by

Roberto Firmino 20 minutes from the end.

A week before Brazil’s World Cup opener against Switzerland, Neymar started for the first time since recovering from fracturing his right foot which kept him out for three months. He stayed on for almost the entire game, being replaced in the 84th

by Douglas Costa.

“I don’t know the limit of Neymar,” Brazil coach Tite said through an interpreter when asked if his main striker was back at full strength. “‘If (Austria) opens up in defence, go for it,’ I told him at the break. In the end I thought it might be getting too much for him so I took him off.”

A week ago, Neymar came on for the second half against Croatia in Liverpool and had an immediate impact as he opened the scoring after dribbling past two opponents to help Brazil win 2-0.

Against Austria, he had no attempt on goal in the opening hour but went down three times following

BRAZIL’s Neymar celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during a friendly soccer match between Austria and Brazil at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Ronald Zak) rough challenges by the home side.

The first scare came in the third minute following a late tackle from behind by midfielder Alessandro Schoepf.

Similar fouls were committed by Florian Grillitsch in the 35th and Sebatian Proedl in the 53rd.

Each time, Neymar remained sitting on the

pitch and holding his left ankle with a painful face, though he eventually got up and didn’t looked hampered during play.

And Neymar blossomed in the final half-hour — when Austria’s tight defence opened up — showing off his individual skills and crowning his performance with a fine finish that further cracked

Austria’s resistance. Costa’s return was also good news for Tite. The winger only started training with the squad last week after picking up a thigh injury during Juventus’ 2-1 win against Verona in the last round of the Serie A season.

Costa is expected to be a backup for Neymar during the World Cup. However, Tite had midfielder Fred

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 70° F/21° C

TAMPA

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Partly sunny with a thunderstorm

Partly cloudy

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sunshine

Times of clouds and sun

Nice with times of clouds and sun

High: 85°

Low: 77°

High: 85° Low: 78°

High: 86° Low: 78°

High: 86° Low: 78°

High: 87° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

94° F

85° F

94°-85° F

96°-87° F

94°-88° F

96°-87° F

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.

N

almanac

E

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ABACO

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High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

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High: 84° F/29° C Low: 71° F/22° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

4‑8 knots

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WEST PALM BEACH

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uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 86° F/30° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 87° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/34° C Last year’s low ................................... 76° F/24° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.03” Year to date ............................................... 19.67” Normal year to date ................................... 10.24”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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KEY WEST

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

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

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

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

Thursday

8:45 a.m.

9:17 p.m.

2.8 3.7

2:55 a.m. ‑0.5 2:52 p.m. ‑0.8

Friday

9:39 a.m.

10:09 p.m.

2.8 3.6

3:47 a.m. ‑0.6 3:45 p.m. ‑0.7

Saturday

10:34 a.m.

11:03 p.m.

2.8 3.5

4:40 a.m. ‑0.5 4:41 p.m. ‑0.6

Sunday

11:32 a.m.

11:58 p.m.

2.8 3.4

5:34 a.m. ‑0.5 5:39 p.m. ‑0.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:19 a.m.

8:00 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

4:32 a.m.

5:49 p.m.

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left off the team after he hurt his right ankle in training on Thursday.

Fred underwent further examinations in Vienna this weekend.

Without providing details of the injury, Tite said Fred’s situation was “improving” but didn’t hint whether the midfielder could be back for the team’s World Cup opener.

Tite said his team “can get a bit more effective but still have a week left to work on that.”

Brazil will travel from Vienna to its World Cup base in Sochi, though it won’t play any of its group matches near the Black Sea resort. After playing Switzerland in Rostov-on-Don on June 17, it faces Costa Rica in St Petersburg five days later, before wrapping up its Group E campaign against Serbia on June 27 in Moscow.

Austria failed to qualify for the World Cup. It saw a seven-match winning streak, including victories over World Cup host Russia and world champion Germany, come to an end.

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

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insurance management tracking map

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

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CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:

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

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

VISIBILITY 4 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 79° F 79° F 83° F 83° F 79° F 79° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 83° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F

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PAGE 8, Monday, June 11, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

FERRARI’S SEBASTIAN VETTEL WINS CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer

THE GOLDEN State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to win the title on Friday in Cleveland.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Get used to a Golden State world, NBA

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The NBA might have to get used to this.

Stephen Curry is under contract for basically the rest of his prime.

Kevin Durant says he isn’t going anywhere. Steve Kerr has more than proven himself as one of the game’s best coaches. Free agents will line up for the chance to move west even if that means taking some pay cuts. There’s even a new arena coming in a year or so for the Golden State Warriors to call home.

It’s their league now, without question.

For the third time in four years, the Warriors are champions of the NBA world. They’ve gone backto-back, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 on Friday night to finish off a sweep of these NBA Finals in the fourth consecutive meeting between those clubs.

The Cavs may very well be coming apart.

The Warriors look very much built to last, and no matter where LeBron James goes this summer it’ll probably be Golden State as the prohibitive favourites to win it all again next year.

“You don’t want to cheat the moment,” Curry said, the victory champagne still drying on his clothes and skin, wanting no part of any talk about dynasties or anything like that. “So we’ll have plenty of time over the summer to talk about what next year’s going to look like and what it’s going to take for us to get back to this stage next year.”

Houston probably isn’t going away and remember, the Rockets gave the Warriors all they wanted this season. Had Chris Paul not gotten hurt, who knows if the Warriors even win that Game 7 in Houston and take the West title.

The East might be a wild race, with Toronto, Philadelphia and Boston probably all likely to enter the year thinking they have NBA Finals potential — as will any team that has James on its roster next fall.

This much is clear: Golden State has no designs on giving up its throne.

“I’ve just got to keep getting better,” said Warriors star Kevin Durant, now a two-time champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP. “I think I’ve got a lot more to go. So I’m just trying to prove to myself that I could just stay in it for the long haul, and hopefully I continue to have some success. Just keep growing as a player. That’s my only concern.”

Durant was voted the best player in this series — and he wants to keep growing.

He can’t be guarded now — and he wants to keep growing.

Ask the 29 other NBA teams their reaction to that statement and they would likely say some form of “welp.”

“They move at such a pace, and they have five guys on the floor that can dribble, pass and shoot,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said Friday night, a few minutes after the season ended and a few minutes into the Warriors’ celebration down the hall. “They can make plays. So if you make a mistake, they’re going to make you pay.

That’s the beauty of their team.”

WARRIORS guard Stephen Curry speaks during a news conference on Saturday after the Warriors won the NBA championship over the Cavaliers.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) NBA Commissioner Adam Silver marvels at how the Warriors have put themselves in this position. They drafted well. They drafted lucky, too — Draymond Green as a second-rounder is an all-time bargain. They spend a ton of money, but they do it smartly.

They are built for the long haul.

And they are having more than their share of fun along the way.

“Klay just Googled himself and it says three-time champion already,” Green said as he sat next to Klay Thompson after Game 4, the Wikipedia world having already updated pages with the Warriors’ latest championship accomplishment.

“That’s dope.”

Every other team this summer will try to figure out how to beat Golden State. Some will try to do so in 2019. Others will wait for a more opportune time, a few years from now. Not many teams are in position to even think about

knocking the Warriors off their perch.

Plus, Golden State will get better. Durant has already challenged some of the Warriors’ young and promising players to raise their games. They will retool their roster this summer, change the look of the bench a bit. They will add pieces. “When you get on the podium and you realise all the hard work that you put into it and all that you’ve been through led to that moment, it never gets dull,” Curry said. “It never gets boring.

It’s always a freshness about that moment.”

This is why Curry does what he does. This is why he’ll be back in the gym in a couple weeks, restarting the process. Opening night is four months away, after all.

“I’ve got a big smile on my face right now,” Curry said. “I’m going to try to hold onto it for as long as I can.”

It might be there for years.

MONTREAL (AP) — Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has won the Canadian Grand Prix after leading the race from the pole to the checkered flag — and then some.

Vettel picked up his second career victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the first for Ferrari in Montreal since Michael Schumacher won three in a row from 2002-04. The only hiccup was that the checkered flag was waved prematurely, while Vettel was still on his last lap.

“Tell them not to wave the checkered flag when it’s not done yet,” he radioed back.

With the victory, Vettel took a one-point lead in the Formula One standings over Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who was fifth.

Valtteri Bottas was second in his Mercedes, about six seconds back.

Max Verstappen was third and the other Red Bull car, driven by Daniel Ricciardo, was fourth.

It’s Vettel’s 50th career win and his third of the season.

Starting cleanly and pulling away from the field, Vettel led all 70 laps at the 2.71-mile (4.36-km) track named for the Ferrari driver and Montreal native who earned his first Formula One victory on this track 40 years ago.

Vettel grabbed a Ferrari flag and waved it on his way to the podium.

“I feel very emotional,” the German said. “It’s just a day to remember the great Gilles Villeneuve.”

The day was less positive for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who was celebrating his 300th Formula One race. He retired to the garage after 43 laps — the eighth time he failed to finish at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Last year, Alonso was headed for a Top 10 finish before running into engine problems in the 66th lap.

He parked his car alongside the track and climbed into the stands to watch the end of the race — to the thrill of the Montreal fans.

It was also a short day for Brandon Hartley and hometown favourite Lance Stroll, who locked up heading into Turn 5 on the first lap. A year ago in Montreal, Stroll picked up the first Formula One points of his career.

Sergio Perez skidded onto the grass on the restart but managed to straighten himself out and rejoin the race in another early mishap.

JUSTIFIABLE! RACING GETS 13TH TRIPLE CROWN WITH JUSTIFY

By BETH HARRIS AP Racing Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Justify defied all the odds on his way to achieving Triple Crown immortality.

The late bloomer won the Belmont Stakes by 1¾ lengths on Saturday, giving the sport its 13th Triple Crown champion.

American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought in 2015 and now just four years later, racing is celebrating another sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

Justify began his racing career on February 18, a scant 77 days before the Derby. He won his first three races by a combined 19 lengths, making trainer Bob Baffert a believer.

The big chestnut colt with the appetite to match burst onto the national scene with a 2½-length victory on a sloppy track in the Derby. Two weeks later, he survived a challenge in the fog-shrouded Preakness, winning by a half-length, again in the slop to set up a Triple Crown try.

“The raw talent is there,” Baffert said. “He just came on there and broke every curse there was. It was meant to be.”

On a cloudy 80-degree day at Belmont Park, Justify proved a cool customer.

He didn’t flinch when greeted by 90,327 roaring fans as he walked onto the track. He stood so quietly in the starting gate that jockey Mike Smith wondered if he’d respond when it sprang open.

Did he ever.

Justify led all the way in achieving one of the sports world’s toughest feats 45 years to the day that Secretariat won the Belmont by a record 31 lengths. Baffert called Justify one of the alltime greats.

“I think he’s the greatest of all time,” Smith said. “I just won the Triple Crown, man. He’s my champion.”

Justify accomplished a lot in a very short time.

At 6-0, he joins Seattle Slew in 1977 as the only two undefeated Triple Crown winners; he’s the first to sweep the series without racing at age 2 (because of

JOCKEY MIKE SMITH, second from right, trainer Bob Baffert, right, and owners Kenny Trout, second from left, and Teo Ah Khing pose with the Triple Crown trophy after race horse Justify won the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race on Saturday. (AP) a pulled muscle); and he’s the only horse to beat nine rivals in the Belmont with a Triple try on the line. Slew also was a wire-to-wire Belmont winner.

Justify’s human handlers also made history.

Baffert became the second trainer to win the Triple Crown twice, having overseen American Pharoah. James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons guided Gallant Fox in 1930 and Omaha in 1935.

“It never gets old,” Baffert said. “American Pharoah, he’ll always be my first love.”

At 52, Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown. He celebrated by grabbing white carnations from the winner’s blanket and tossing them in the air.

“He just puts an old man out there to sit still, who stays out of the way and lets a good horse be a good horse,” Smith said,

crediting Baffert for using him.

Smith and Justify took a curtain call before entering the winner’s circle. Back in New York where he dominated in the 1990s, Smith took Justify on a walk past the packed grandstand, soaking in the cheers and giving the crowd a closer look at racing’s newest hero.

Justify’s victory gives racing its second Triple Crown winner of the

decade. The last time there were two Triple Crown champions in the same decade was the 1970s, which produced Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed.

Purchased for $500,000, Justify earned $800,000 for his Belmont win, giving him $3,798,000 in his brief career.

The powerful colt with the blaze running the length of his face showed no signs that the rigors of running a compressed schedule had gotten to him.

On a fast, dry track, Justify was just as good in his third race in five weeks at his third different track.

Sent off as the 4-5 favourite, Justify ran 1½ miles — the longest race of the series — in 2:28.18 and paid $3.60, $3.50 and $2.80.

“This horse ran a tremendous race, he’s so gifted,” Smith said.

“He’s sent from heaven.

I tell you, it’s just amazing,” he said.

Vino Rosso finished fourth, followed by Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen and Noble Indy.