10042017 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

BUDDY

New season, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Cartwright books ticket to main draw

BAHAMAS OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ELECTIONS ALL SET FOR NOVEMBER

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A

fter falling short in her first two tournaments in her return to the United States, Kerrie Cartwright booked her ticket to the main draw of the $15,000 Hilton Head Island in the first of three consecutive tournaments in South Carolina this month.

The only Bahamian female player competing on the pro circuit pulled off a 6-1, 6-2 win over Daniella Silva from Canada in the third and final round of the qualifying round yesterday to clinch her berth into the main draw that starts today.

Cartwright, who won her first round match 6-4, 6-3 over Ali Despain of the United States and 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 over Dagmar Zdrubecka of the Czech Republic in the second round, will now play American Ann Li in her first main draw appearance since returning from her tour of Europe.

She also had double duties yesterday as she teamed up with Kariann Pierre-Louis. The duo reunited after playing in

a tournament in Les Contamines-Montioie, France where they lost in the final.

Yesterday, they pulled off an identical 6-4, 6-4 win over the American pair of Najah Dawson and Alycia Parks.

Cartwright, 25, and Pierre-Louis, 18, will not be back on court again until Thursday when they face the No.2 seeded team of Paulina Czarnik of Poland and Laura Deigman of Great Britain in the quarter-final.

For now, Cartwright said she’s just enjoying the ride.

“It’s going really well,” Cartwright told The Tribune. “I felt pretty good. I played a few young girls, but they were really good.

They played really good, but I thought that if I would win, I need to stay

KERRIE CARTWRIGHT (file photos) has booked her ticket to the main draw of the $15,000 Hilton Head Island tennis tournament. on top of them and be more aggressive and just stay in the match the entire time. It went really well and I won the matches.”

With the way she played so far, Cartwright is confident that she can step it up to the challenge when she takes on the more experienced players in the main draw.

“I think I played pretty good, so I want to go out and continue to play that way,” she said.

“I just want to go into every day and every match with the same mentality to play my game and

stay aggressive and enjoy myself out there.”

At the beginning of September, Cartwright played in her first tournament in the USA in the $25,000 Redding Tournament in California where she got to the last round of qualifying in singles and in the first round in the main draw in doubles where she played alongside American Kat Facey.

She then played last week in the $25,000 Stillwater Tournament in Oklahoma where she again lost in the last round of qualifying in singles and

teamed up with Facey again in doubles where they got ousted in the first round by the top seeds and eventual champions.

“It’s good to be in the main draw,” said Cartwright about the way she has played in her previous tournaments in the United States.

She will move to the $25,000 Sumter Tournament that starts on Monday, October 9 and then follow that with an appearance at the $25,000 Florence Tournament that is scheduled to start on Monday, October 16.

THE PLAYERS Name

Country

Dustin Johnson (1) USA Jordan Spieth (2) USA Hideki Matsuyama (3) Japan Justin Thomas (4) USA Jason Day (7) Aust Rickie Fowler (8) USA Brooks Koepka (11) USA Matt Kuchar (12) USA Justin Rose (13) England Alex Noren (14) Sweden Marc Leishman (16) Aust T Fleetwood (17) England F Molinari (18) Italy Patrick Reed (20) USA Charley Hoffman (23) USA Kevin Kisner (24) USA Special Exemption (TBA) Special Exemption (TBA)

year’s field is, arguably, our strongest ever and we have an exciting week of golf and evening events planned.”

The Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods, annually invites its defending champion, the year’s current major winners, and top ranked golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking to Albany, Bahamas. Two special exemptions will be announced

UNITED States’ Dustin Johnson headlines a stacked field of top golfers in the world at the Hero World Challenge November 30 to December 3 at Albany in Nassau, Bahamas. (AP) at a later date to fill the exclusive 18-player field.

The field for the Hero World Challenge features the winners of eight major championships and 12 players who competed in last week’s Presidents Cup, and it includes many players who produced the biggest highlights of the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season.

Johnson ascended to the top of the world rankings for the first

time with his five-stroke victory at February’s Genesis Open, the first of three straight victories including two World Golf Championship trophies.

Despite missing more than a month with a back injury, he never relinquished the No. 1 spot and returned to the tune of three more top-10 finishes, including his fourth

SEE PAGE 3

SEE PAGE 3

NPSA PLAYOFFS RAINED OUT

Top golfers in world on par for the Hero World Challenge at Albany THE majority of the field is set for the 2017 Hero World Challenge, which is scheduled for November 30 to December 3 at Albany, Bahamas.

The invitation-only PGA TOUR event will once again feature the world’s top-ranked golfers competing for a $3.5 million prize purse.

Dustin Johnson, who has held the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Ranking since winning the Genesis Open in February, headlines a field that also includes three of 2017’s major championship winners.

They are US Open winner Brooks Koepka, The Open Championship winner Jordan Spieth and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, who also won the PGA TOUR’s 2017 FedExCup title following the conclusion of the TOUR Championship on September 24.

World No. 3 Hideki Matsuyama will aim to defend his title against a field that features 16 of the top 24 players in the world.

Tickets, pro-am and tournament information are available at HeroWorldChallenge.com .

“We’re looking forward to a special week at Albany for this year’s Hero World Challenge,” said Mike Antolini, vice president of championships for TGR Live. “This

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ON November 16, the Bahamas Olympic Committee will go to the polls to elect the next executive team to administrate the affairs of the top national sporting body in the country.

Incumbent Wellington Miller has not made a decision yet on whether or not he and his current executive team will be seeking another four-year term in office.

Miller, who promised to make his plans official by next week, said he’s had a very successful tenure in office after he took over from Sir Arlington Butler.

“We have been able to accomplish a lot of things, we’ve made a lot of connections and we’ve gotten a

THE opening matches in the New Providence Softball Association’s playoffs got rained out last night.

The league announced that weather permitting, the games will be played tonight.

The second place Platinum Pool Lady Sharks, who posted a 13-7 win-loss record, will take on the third place Sunshine Auto Lady Wildcats (17-8).

In the men’s feature contest, the pennant winning Warriors, who ended the year at 13-2, will face the fourth place Chances Mighty Mitts, who were 2-13.

The other half of the best-of-five series will begin on Thursday night when the pennant winning Lady Truckers (14-4) will be matched against the fourth place Lady Hitters (5-13).

Then in the feature men’s contest, the second place C&S Hitmen (8-7) will meet the third place Commando Security Truckers (7-8).

Miller on boxing: It isn’t that easy to turn over presidency

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WELLINGTON Miller has served as president of the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation since 2000. But while he’s ready to turn over the reigns to his

Preseason, Page 5

successor, he admits that the process is not that easy.

After revisiting their constitution two years ago as mandated by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Miller said there’s a new process by the governing body for the sport that they have to comply with.

“We are going through the process now to have the elections,” Miller said. “The problem is not too many people are coming through to put their names forward with a full slate.”

Within the next two months before the year is completed, Miller said they are hoping to have met the requirements by AIBA to hold the elections so that “the new person can take over and provide some new ideas to take the sport further.”

Having served since taking over from Alvin Sargent, Miller said he will not be seeking another four-year term in office and has expressed that to the BABF membership. He noted that he

MILLER

is also contemplating whether or not he will be seeking another term as president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee when they go to the polls next month.

In order to be eligible to run in the BABF elections, Miller said AIBA has insisted that the names are submitted to their office for approval before the elections are held. “It’s really a mess and I hold that they can change that,” said Miller of the rule stipulated by the AIBA. “A lot of people are complaining about it because they don’t know the people who are running, so how can they determine who should be eligible to run.

“They live internationally, so how can they determine who should be running locally. It’s a rule that they put into their constitution and there’s no way that we can get around it. We have to submit the names of the candidates to them for their approval.”

By now the BABF’s elections should have been held, but Miller

said AIBA had asked him to stay around to ensure that the boxing segment of the Youth Commonwealth Games here at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in July was a success.

“Now that it’s finished, I guess we can move on,” Miller said.

“I heard about some names of persons who wish to run for the presidency. I am encouraging them to submit their names with their slate so that it can be sent on to AIBA for their approval.”

Miller, however, declined to release the names of any persons who have expressed an interest to run. He said it’s unofficial, so until they make a formal request, he’s not at liberty to release any names.

With a new slate of officers in office, Miller is hoping that the BABF can and would increase its level of participation in the major events like the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Commonwealth Games, two events on the agenda for 2018.

PAGE 2, Wednesday, October 4, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Buddy scores 12 in Kings’ 106-100 win over Spurs (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points in 16 minutes of action in the San Antonio Spurs’ 106100 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the preseason opener for both teams on Monday night.

Skal Labissiere finished with 15 points, connecting on 7 of 10 shots.

Buddy Hield added 12 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes.

The Spurs (0-1) played their starters for two quarters, giving the Kings a chance to showcase their young second unit.

Rookie De’Aaron Fox shined in the extra playing time, scoring a game-high 16 on 7 of 8 shooting from the field.

The Kings (1-0) outscored the Spurs 23-16 in the fourth quarter.

Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Rudy Gay all sat out. Patty Mills finished with 11 points and three assists in 17 minutes off the bench.

TRAINING CAMP AFTER six days of an intense training camp, Hield and the Kings tipped off the NBA preseason as they continue to refine rotations and style of play for the upcoming 2017-18 campaign.

Prior to the Kings hosting the Spurs, Hield outlined his offseason preparation a position battle in training camp and the team’s outlook.

“Competition is what it’s all about. Everything will

work itself out. Just keep working,” he told Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. “You have to keep your body in shape, and I worked on that, and everything else this summer. My trainer was with me most of the time, in the Bahamas when I was there for my children’s camp and hurricane relief, and here for about three weeks. I still have to do a better job eating right (those conch fritters are lethal), but I’m more cut than I was. I feel stronger.

I think we’re going to have a good year. We shouldn’t talk about a championship because we are a few years away. But we should be thinking about the playoffs.”

Hield, seven-year veteran Garrett Temple, 20-year veteran Vince Carter and newcomer Bogdan Bogdanovic are all listed at the shooting guard spot.

Minutes at the position are also expected to be shared between second-year wing Malachi Richardson, rookie Justin Jackson and veteran combo guard George Hill.

Kings legend and current director of player personnel, Peja Stojakovic, said Hield and the highly touted Bogdanovic have the ability to coexist on the floor.

“Their games are different,” Stojakovic said.

“Buddy is a scorer, and he is getting better (off the dribble) and on defence.

“Bogdan is more versatile. He scores and makes plays, and he can really

SACRAMENTO Kings guard Buddy Hield, right, drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Davis Bertans during the second half of an NBA preseason game Monday night in Sacramento, California.

(AP Photos/Rich Pedroncelli) pass. When Dave (Joerger) lines compete your tail off goes small, you might see because by doing that you them. And they both really make the other guy better love the game.” and that’s very selfless After spending the bulk and that’s what we worry of the week at the practice about.” facility, Sunday’s session Following Monday night’s shifted to the Golden 1 game, the Kings travel to Center. face the Spurs once again “It’s good to get out in on the road on Friday night. front of the bright lights They get their first and the bigger stage and opportunity for a back-toget out of the practice facil- back when they face the ity and do different things Los Angeles Lakers and sometimes. It doesn’t have Portland Trailblazers on to be beautiful and aestheti- October 8-9 respectively. cally pleasing to the eye to Those games are followed be valuable. by a matchup with the Los “We’re just trying to lay Angeles Clippers on Octodown the foundation for ber 12 and the preseason how we want to play out of concludes on October some actions off the pass,” 13 against the defending Kings head coach Dave champion Golden State Joerger said.

Warriors.

“There’s some competiThe Kings open the regution for some spots, just go lar season on Wednesday, out compete and be great October 18, against the KINGS’ BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC, of Serbia, left, and Buddy Hield, walk off the court together during a timeout in the first quarter. teammates, between the Houston Rockets.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 4, 2017, PAGE 3

TOP GOLFERS IN WORLD ON PAR FOR HERO WORLD CHALLENGE AT ALBANY

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTAL SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION REGULAR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Police Interceptors rout RBDF Cannons 21-10 THE Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association continued its regular season action at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex over the weekend with the Police Interceptors men’s team highlighting the action, winning a pair of games.

On Saturday, the Interceptors routed the Defence Force Cannons 21-10 as Culbert ‘Buster’ Evans went 3-for-4 with three

home runs and six runs batted in (RBI).

Marc Taylor was also 3-for-4 with a RBI. Byron McClain was a perfect 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. And on Sunday, the Interceptors knocked off the BTC Ringers 10-7.

The league is scheduled to be back in action this weekend with another series of games on tap on Saturday and Sunday.

FROM PAGE 1 victory of the season in the opening event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs.

Koepka made his third professional victory a big one by winning the 2017 US Open, highlighting a stellar performance in the majors that saw him finish no lower than T-13 in the four tournaments.

Spieth collected his third major championship title at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 2017, battling Kuchar over the final 18 holes and moving to within one victory of the career grand slam.

Thomas, who set a US Open record with the lowest score in relation to par during the third round, was crowned a first-time major winner two months later at the PGA Championship. He is the only golfer to have won five times during the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season, totaling 12 top-10 finishes. He started 2017 by becoming the seventh player in history, and the youngest, to shoot 59 in a tournament round, and ended the season by being crowned the FedExCup champion.

Matsuyama was among the steadiest performers on tour during the 2016-17 season, winning four times and securing seven top-10 finishes.

Other tournament winners from the ‘16-’17 season in the field include Fowler, Kuchar, Kisner and Leishman, and the field accounted for 22 total victories last season.

Thomas, Noren, Leishman, Fleetwood, Molinari, Hoffman and Kisner will prepare to tee it up in their first Hero World Challenge.

The Hero World Challenge is a four-round, 72-hole stroke play event with a $3.5 million purse, a $1 million winner’s prize and Official World Golf Ranking points awarded.

It will be held at the challenging par-72, 7,302-yard Albany for the third consecutive year.

Live television coverage of the Hero World Challenge will be provided by Golf Channel during all four rounds and by NBC during the third and fourth rounds.

Good-any-day grounds tickets and a limited number of premium hospitality packages for the Hero World Challenge are available for purchase at HeroWorldChallenge.com.

The Tiger Woods Foundation is the event’s primary charitable beneficiary, along with the Tavistock Foundation and Bahamas Youth Foundation.

ON THE REPLAY: The Royal Bahamas Police Force Interceptors knocked off the BTC Ringers 10-7 on Sunday as the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association continued its regular season action at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

BAHAMAS OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ELECTIONS ALL SET FOR NOVEMBER 16 FROM PAGE 1 lot of coaches off to courses to benefit the sports both locally and internationally,” Miller said.

“Many of the coaches in the primary schools are learning the science of the sport, so you should find that coaching in the Bahamas should get better. We had about five or six sports involved in the primary schools where it will be very helpful.”

In July, Miller said the Bahamas was able to host 64 countries in the Commonwealth Youth Games, the biggest sporting event to be staged in the country.

He said it turned out to be a feather in the cap for their administration.

“When the Bahamas first accepted the responsibility to put on the games, other small Caribbean islands told us they don’t know if we should reconsider it because we might not be able

to pull it off,” Miller said. “But because of our success and the fact that we hosted it at such a high level, many of the countries in the Caribbean are now asking if they can host the games. In fact, what they are asking for is if they can get the opportunity even quicker by having it every two years instead of four years.”

With the majority of the events being staged at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre where there were various venues for both the competitors and spectators to walk to and from, Miller said the Bahamas is now being used as a template.

“You would be surprised to know the amount of congratulations that we get from our international friends who are here,” he pointed out. “I just got a call from Team England about how pleased they were in what happened here.

“I went to a meeting in Guyana last week and everybody was

congratulating us on how we were able to pull off these games with just 18 months of planning. Everybody was just thrilled about how we put on these games.”

While they wait for the elections to take place, Miller said his executives are already planning for the Commonwealth Games, scheduled for April 4-15 in the Gold Coast, Australia and the Central American and Caribbean Games, set for July 19-August 3 in Barranquilla, Colombia. “Next year is going to be another big year for us,” Miller said.

“The good thing is that the Commonwealth Games is for our more senior athletes and the CAC Games are designed for our more up and coming athletes.

“So it’s a good opportunity to see some of our senior athletes who are on their way out and the new people who are coming up to replace them. I think this will give us a good insight about where we are in sports.”

With the Commonwealth Games scheduled so early in the year, Miller said he’s heard that some athletes say they may not be ready to compete.

“We will see what happens down the road, but the Commonwealth Games will be the biggest meet for the senior athletes to compete in next year,” he said.

“So we are hoping that they will get themselves ready to compete.”

In addition to athletics (track and field), Miller said the Bahamas is expected to be represented in swimming.

There is a possibility that boxing and maybe cycling will also be included.

As for the CAC Games, the Bahamas Softball Federation men’s national team has already qualified to compete and Miller said they are anticipating that there will be a few more team sports represented.

“We are looking forward to the possibility of volleyball and

maybe even baseball participating,” Miller said.

“We have received an entry for fencing to be included for the first time.

“We are also looking for rowing to get to go because they have been to the Olympic Games, so we are looking to try and get as many sports as we can to get their feet wet at the CAC level.”

Miller said the federation is hoping that the Bahamas will have participation in athletics (track and field), swimming, softball, baseball, basketball, boxing, cycling, judo, karate, rugby sevens, sailing, softball, tennis, volleyball, fencing and rowing.

“We’re hoping that we can take our biggest team ever to compete in the individual and team sports,” he said.

“A lot of what we do will be decided once we have the elections. But we look forward to having a very big team compete at the games.”

PAGE 4, Wednesday, October 4, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Brazil is in, Argentina still fighting for a World Cup spot

By STEPHEN WADE AND RICARDO ZUNIGA Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil is in, and over the next week three more South American countries will join the five-time champions at the World Cup in Russia.

The fifth-place team from the region will also keep its chances alive, facing a playoff next month against New Zealand. That winner will also advance.

With two matches to play, Uruguay and Colombia are in the best shape to join Brazil at the World Cup. The biggest shock could be two-time champion Argentina, which will battle for a spot against Peru, Chile, Paraguay and Ecuador. Bolivia and Venezuela have been eliminated.

Argentina, the runner-up three years ago in Brazil, has not missed a World Cup since 1970.

• Here’s a look at the countries and matches set for Thursday and next Tuesday.

ARGENTINA Argentina and Peru play Thursday at Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera stadium, among the

world’s most hostile venues for visiting teams. It’s the first World Cup qualifier there in 20 years.

Both countries have 24 points, and a victory by either would be a giant step toward qualifying.

A slip, and Argentina will have to win the final match in Quito, Ecuador, where the altitude of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) is a burden for visiting teams.

Peru, coached by Argentine Ricardo Gareca, is at home to Colombia in its final game.

Argentina will be without Sergio Aguero for both matches after he fractured ribs in a car accident last week. New coach Jorge Sampaoli has been unable to lift the team, which has drawn its last two matches, against Uruguay (0-0) and Venezuela (1-1).

URUGUAY Uruguay is in great shape. It has 27 points and second place in the standings, 10 points behind Brazil.

The team finishes qualifying at Venezuela, and at home against Bolivia — the two countries that are already eliminated.

Depending on other results, a draw at Venezuela on Thursday might be enough to guarantee Uruguay a place in its third straight World Cup.

Chile has lost its last two matches, against Paraguay and Bolivia, an indication of the state of play.

PERU Peru has 24 points and has won three games straight to get back into contention. After the match in Buenos Aires, it finishes at home with Colombia.

“We’re going to arrive at that final game in great shape,” Argentina-born coach Ricardo Gareca said. “We’ve got this far with our determination.”

Peru last reached the World Cup in 1982 in Spain.

A MAN walks past a fence with graffiti depicting Argentina’s soccer legend Diego Maradona in the town of Volkhov, 130 km (80 miles) east of St.Petersburg, Russia, on Monday. (AP) COLOMBIA Colombia has 26 points and beating Paraguay in the coastal city of Barranquilla could be enough to secure a place at its second straight World Cup. That would also eliminate long-shot Paraguay.

“We’re fired up, but relaxed, knowing that this group can win the match and bring happiness to

Colombia,” defender Davinson Sanchez said.

CHILE The two-time defending Copa America champion has only 23 points and is teetering on the edge. Chile is home against Ecuador on Thursday, and then must beat Brazil next week in Sao Paulo.

KANSAS City Chiefs players celebrate with kicker Harrison Butker (7) after he kicked the go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game against the Washington Redskins in Kansas City. The Chiefs won 29-20.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

UNBEATEN CHIEFS UNANIMOUS NO. 1 IN AP PRO32 POLL

By SIMMI BUTTAR Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — With the regular season 25 per cent complete, there’s only one unbeaten team left: the Kansas City Chiefs.

So it’s not a huge surprise that Kansas City is the unanimous No. 1 team in the latest AP Pro32 poll, receiving all 12 first-place votes for 384 points Tuesday in balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Chiefs face another challenge on Sunday night when they travel to Houston to face the Texans, who scored a franchiserecord 57 points in a rout of the Tennessee Titans.

“The Chiefs are the best team in football right now, thanks to an explosive and creative offence led by Alex Smith, who’s playing the best football of his 13-year NFL career,” said Jenny Vrentas of The Monday Morning Quarterback.

The Green Bay Packers, who routed the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, moved up two spots to No. 2. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who dominated the rival Ravens in Baltimore, jumped six spots to No. 3.

“Bad news for Pittsburgh opponents: Le’Veon Bell has returned from a threeweek slumber ... and he’s hungry,” SB Nation Radio’s

Ira Kaufman said of the Steelers running back who gained 144 yards in the 26-9 victory.

The Atlanta Falcons dropped two places after losing to the Buffalo Bills and will enter their bye week at No. 4.

The Denver Broncos, who were tied with Detroit at No. 6 last week, inched ahead of the Lions for No. 5 while Detroit remained sixth. The NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles gained five spots to land at No. 7. The defending champion New England Patriots slid five places to No. 8 after losing to the Panthers 33-30 on Sunday.

The Patriots, a surprising 2-2, start off Week 5 as they head to Tampa Bay to take on Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers on Thursday night.

The Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, who were tied at No. 17 last week, rounded out the top 10 at Nos. 9 and 10.

Other teams that made big moves were the AFC East-leading Bills, who climbed eight spots to No. 11, and the Texans, who jumped nine places to No. 12. “Coaching matters. The Seans — McVay (Rams) and McDermott (Bills) — are in a runoff for coachof-the-year honours right now,” said Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.

BRAZIL Brazil is already in, and will surely test reserves in Thursday’s match in the thin air of La Paz. Look for the regulars to face Chile next week in Sao Paulo.

Brazil coach Tite is undefeated in 10 qualifying games, and has won nine of them.

THE REST Paraguay with 21 points, and Ecuador with 20, will need to win their final two matches and get help from others to have any chance. Bolivia and Venezuela are out.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 4, 2017, PAGE 5

NBA changes the All-Star Game format, captains will pick teams

By BRIAN MAHONEY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA is scrapping the East vs. West format for its All-Star Game and will have captains pick teams this season.

The league said yesterday the two starters with the highest fan vote totals from each conference will choose teams from the pool of players who were voted as starters and reserves.

The change will begin with this season’s game in Los Angeles on February 18.

Players and league officials have been eager to inject new interest in the often defence-absent game, and they decided to act after another dull affair last February in New Orleans.

“I’m thrilled with what the players and the league have done to improve the All-Star Game, which has been a priority for all of us,” National Basketball Players Association president Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets said in a statement.

“We’re looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in LA.” The sides worked closely — with Charlotte owner Michael Jordan, chairman of the league’s Labour Relations Committee, heavily involved in the conversations — and chose a format that has been used by the NFL and NHL for

IN this February 20, 2017, file pool photo, Eastern Conference small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, dunks as Western Conference guard Stephen Curry, bottom, of the Golden State Warriors, lies on the court during the first half of the NBA All-Star game in New Orleans. The NBA is scrapping the East against West format for its All-Star Game and will have captains pick teams this season. (AP) what will be the first NBA All-Star Game that doesn’t pit the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference.

The 10 starters will continue to be chosen by a combination of fan,

player and media balloting, with the coaches from each conference then selecting the 14 reserves.

The captains will then draft their teams at an undetermined time — making certain that those chosen

starters are split up so they remain starters.

The teams will play for charity.

They will select either a Los Angeles-area or national organisation for donations to go.

BALL MISSES PRACTICE WITH SPRAINED ANKLE EL SEGUNDO, Calif.

(AP) — Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball has missed practice after mildly spraining his left ankle in a preseason game.

Ball sat out of yesterday’s workout along with Brandon Ingram, who bumped his head during the same preseason game Monday against Denver.

Coach Luke Walton said Ball will be re-evaluated today before the Lakers determine whether the No. 2 overall pick will play against the Nuggets in Ontario, California, tonight.

Ingram met with a doctor on Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury.

Ball and Ingram played 21 minutes apiece Monday in a 113-107 loss to Denver.

Larry Nance Jr also didn’t practice due to a sprained index finger, but the forward did conditioning work.

Centre Brook Lopez participated in full-court drills during his steady return from back spasms.

ORLANDO Magic guard Jonathon Simmons slips off the rim after a dunk during the first half of Monday night’s preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis.

(AP Photo/ Brandon Dill)

IRVING, HAYWARD MAKE PRESEASON DEBUTS IN CELTICS’ WIN OVER HORNETS

By KYLE HIGHTOWER Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Boston fans have been patiently waiting to get their first glimpse of the new era of Celtics basketball.

They finally got it, and it revealed a team with a lot of upside.

Offseason trade acquisition Kyrie Irving had nine points, four rebounds and three assists, and free agent pickup Gordon Hayward added five points and five rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 94-82 Monday night in the preseason opener for both teams.

Rookie Jayson Tatum, the third overall pick in June’s draft, finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

Aron Baynes added 10 points and five rebounds and three assists for Boston. The Celtics also shot 11 of 31 from the 3-point line. “We’re building a foundation,” Irving said.

“We understand that a few other teams that we’re playing against, they’re starting from the bottom as well...For us, we gotta take advantage of games like this.”

Dwight Howard, who was traded by Atlanta to Charlotte

this summer, finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and six turnovers in his Hornets debut. Jeremy Lamb had 17 points.

Irving and Hayward, the jewel pieces of an offseason reconstruction that has left only Celtics intact from last year’s roster, sat out the second half.

In other games, the Washington Wizards beat the Guangzhou Long-Lions 126-96 in one of two exhibition games between NBA and international teams on Monday.

In addition, the Utah Jazz beat the National Basketball League’s Sydney Kings 108-83.

It is the first time an NBL team faced an NBA team on American soil.

15 points, followed by Mario Hezonja with 12.

GRIZZLIES 92, MAGIC 84 Mario Chalmers had 19 points in 20 minutes, Jarell Martin added 16 points and the Grizzlies defeated the Magic in both teams preseason opener.

Orlando led 65-64 late in the third quarter before the Grizzlies closed the period on an 8-0 run, which included six by Chalmers.

Memphis led by as many as 10 in the final period. Jonathan Isaac led the Magic with

MAVERICKS 106, BUCKS 104 Jonathan Motley hit a layup with 4.1 seconds left to lift the Mavericks to a win over the Bucks. Motley scored all nine of his points in a fourth quarter that saw the Mavericks outscore the Bucks 31-20.

Dallas’ starters were pulled after one quarter of action.

Harrison Barnes was 4 of 6 from the field and had nine points. Dirk Nowitzki had five points in 10 minutes of action.

Magic: Jonathon Simmons, Orlando’s biggest offseason pickup, had a couple of highlight-worthy dunks and scored nine points in his Magic preseason debut. ...Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier each played 15 minutes, scoring eight points apiece.

Grizzlies: With centre Marc Gasol (sprained ankle) and forward JaMychael Green both sitting, coach David Fizdale experimented with a smaller lineup of Brandan Wright at center, Chandler Parsons at power forward, and James Ennis at small forward along with Wayne Selden and Mike Conley at the guard spots.

Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 12 points, followed

by John Henson with 11 points and four rebounds.

Bucks: Rashad Vaughn finished with 20 points for Milwaukee and missed a 30-footer at the buzzer. ... Greg Monroe had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Mavericks: Nerlens Noel played 15 minutes off the bench and had five points and two steals.

NUGGETS 113, LAKERS 107 Garry Harris scored 25 points in 21 minutes, Nikola Jokic added 16 and the Nuggets (2-0) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Lakers (0-2) with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Lonzo Ball finished with eight points and four assists, but also had four turnovers in his second preseason game.

Nuggets: Paul Millsap finished with 11 points, two assists, two blocks and two steals.

Lakers: Julius Randall had a solid night with 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 4, 2017, PAGE 7

NADAL SAVES 2 MATCH POINTS, ADVANCES AT CHINA OPEN

BOLT MISSES OUT ON IAAF ATHLETE OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Rafael Nadal needed to save two match points before advancing to the second round at the China Open.

The top-ranked Spaniard, playing for the first time since winning the US Open title last month, rallied to beat Lucas Pouille 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5 yesterday.

Pouille held two match points while leading 6-4 in the secondset tiebreaker. But Nadal reeled off four straight points to take the set and turn the match around.

“Was a very tough first round, as I say the other day,” said Nadal, who lost to Pouille in five sets at the 2016 US Open.

“He played well, I think. Very aggressive. He’s serving well. For me was little bit difficult at the beginning. Then I started to play better, I think.

“But still, I didn’t have the control of the match for almost all the time.”

In the final set, Nadal broke Pouille’s serve to take a 6-5 lead and then served out the match.

Nadal is 57-9 this season and leads the tour with five ATP singles titles, including the French Open. He won the China Open

MONACO (AP) — Usain Bolt, who won the IAAF world athlete of the year award six times, has not been included in the 10-men shortlist for this year’s prize.

The only sprinter to capture the 100- and 200-metre track titles at three consecutive Olympics, Bolt retired after this year’s world championships in London. He holds the world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200.

Bolt’s farewell major meet didn’t go well. After a third-place finish in the 100, Bolt’s last race ended in the anguish of an injured hamstring while anchoring Jamaica’s 4x100-metre relay team.

The male nominees are Mutaz Essa Barshim, Pawel Fajdek, Mo Farah, Sam Kendricks, Elijah Manangoi, Luvo Manyonga, Omar McLeod, Christian Taylor, Wayde van Niekerk and Johannes Vetter.

The women’s list includes Almaz Ayana, Anita Wlodarczyk, Maria Lasitskene, Hellen Obiri, Sally Pearson, Sandra Perkovic, Brittney Reese, Caster Semenya, Ekaterini Stefanidi and Nafissatou Thiam.

The awards will be announced on November 24.

RAFAEL NADAL, of Spain looks at the umpire after falling on the court during his singles match against Lucas Pouille of France in the China Open yesterday.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong) title as a teenager in 2005 and has a 21-5 record in Beijing. He next plays Thursday against Karen Khachanov, who beat Chinese wild-card entry Wu Di. Earlier, Juan Martin del Potro advanced by beating Pablo Cuevas 7-6 (4), 6-4. “It was enough to win. I play good in important moments of the match, that’s the tiebreaks and the last game of the second set,” said the 2009 US Open champion, who returned to professional tennis last year after wrist surgery.

Third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, sixth-seeded John Isner,

eighth-seeded Nick Kyrgios and Leonardo Mayer also advanced.

In the women’s tournament, Maria Sharapova rallied to defeat Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. “She definitely picked it up in the second. But I felt like although she won that second set, I was really motivated to start the third,” Sharapova said. “I was questioning how I would feel physically, but I felt really good going into the third set.”

The former top-ranked Russian will next face second-seeded Simona Halep today. “We know each other’s games very well.

That’s no secret. They’ve always been very challenging, tough, competitive, emotional,” Sharapova said.

“Any time you’re able to face an opponent that’s done something and well, it’s great to see where you are and where your level is.”

Halep advanced after Magdalena Rybarikova retired from their match while trailing 6-1, 2-1.

Other winners include Karolina Pliskova, Elena Vesnina, Petra Kvitova, Daria Gavrilova, Sorana Cirstea, Darla Kasatkina and Barbora Strycova.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 72° F/22° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Cloudy and breezy with t‑storms

A couple of showers and a t‑storm

Cloudy with showers and a t‑storm

Cloudy and humid with a t‑storm

Mostly cloudy with a stray t‑storm

Cloudy, a stray thun‑ derstorm; humid

High: 86°

Low: 75°

High: 89° Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 79°

High: 91° Low: 78°

High: 90° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

91° F

76° F

99°-90° F

105°-90° F

105°-90° F

104°-89° F

High: 90° F/32° 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.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

15‑25 knots

S

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

15‑25 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 73° F/23° C

MIAMI

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

12‑25 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 75° F/24° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 1.17” Year to date ............................................... 29.38” Normal year to date ................................... 29.61”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W

8‑16 knots

S

8‑16 knots

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

7:16 a.m.

7:36 p.m.

3.3 3.4

1:11 a.m.

1:31 p.m.

0.5 0.4

Thursday

7:59 a.m.

8:19 p.m.

3.5 3.4

1:52 a.m.

2:16 p.m.

0.2 0.2

Friday

8:43 a.m.

9:02 p.m.

3.6 3.4

2:33 a.m.

3:02 p.m.

0.1 0.1

Saturday

9:28 a.m.

9:48 p.m.

3.7 3.3

3:15 a.m.

3:50 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Sunday

10:16 a.m.

10:36 p.m.

3.7 3.2

3:59 a.m.

4:40 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Monday

11:06 a.m.

11:28 p.m.

3.7 3.1

4:47 a.m.

5:33 p.m.

0.0 0.3

Tuesday

12:01 p.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.6 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:38 a.m.

6:31 p.m.

0.2 0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

7:03 a.m.

6:53 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

6:28 p.m.

5:47 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Oct. 5

Oct. 12

Oct. 19

Oct. 27

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 78° F/26° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map H

High Today

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

S

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

tiDes For nassau

CAT ISLAND

E

W

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

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 80° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

10‑20 knots

8‑16 knots

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

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS NE at 15‑25 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots S at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 15‑25 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 10‑20 Knots SSE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots

WAVES 10‑14 Feet 8‑12 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 5‑9 Feet 5‑9 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 6‑10 Feet 6‑10 Feet 6‑10 Feet 5‑9 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 6‑10 Feet 6‑10 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 83° F 83° F 86° F 86° F 83° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 82° F 82° F 84° F 84° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 88° F 88° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 82° F 82° F

PAGE 8, Wednesday, October 4, 2017

THE TRIBUNE