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Sports ❘ 07 CONTACT US AT: 8351-9190, [email protected] Tuesday January 9, 2018 THE Los Angeles Lakers snapped a nine-game NBA losing streak Sunday with a 132-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Brandon Ingram scored 20 points to lead the Lakers, who hadn’t won a game since a Dec. 20 victory over the Houston Rockets. The victory quieted some of the noise growing around the embattled young team, includ- ing comments by outspoken basketball patriarch LaVar Ball — father of Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball — who told ESPN that coach Luke Walton had lost the confi- dence of his players. “I would disagree with that,” Walton said at shootaround Sunday morning, telling report- ers that even as the defeats piled up his players were playing hard. The difference against the Hawks, Walton said after the much-needed win, was a defen- sive commitment that set up the Lakers’ transition offense. “I think it triggered every- thing for us tonight,” Walton said. “Once we got engaged and we were crashing back on the glass and able to get out and run ... it was good to see the guys get back to that mode where defense anchors what we do offensively.” Lonzo Ball, playing just his second game after missing six with a shoulder sprain, was under scrutiny after his father’s latest remarks. He scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while handing out six assists. When he departed the game with 2:53 remaining, along with Kyle Kuzma, Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle they were cheered by fans — a turnaround from the boos heard during a loss to Char- lotte on Friday. At 12-27 the Lakers remain at the bottom of the Western Con- ference. But they avoided match- ing the longest losing streak in franchise history. Walton, while encouraged, said he wasn’t expecting smooth sailing for his young players, but he insisted their growing pains wouldn’t tear them apart. (SD-Agencies) FA Cup holder Arsenal was sensationally dumped out of the competition by Nottingham- Forest on Sunday, joining Leeds United as big-name casualties on a day of shocks. The decision to rest stars backfired as a 4-2 collapse saw Arsenal knocked out in the third round, when Premier League teams enter, for the first time since Arsene Wenger took charge in 1996. “It hurts even more because it’s a competition we love,” said Wenger, who has lifted the FA Cup in three of the last four seasons and is the 145-year- old competition’s most suc- cessful manager with seven triumphs. While Wenger has endured a Premier League title drought since 2004, success in soccer’s oldest cup competition has helped the Frenchman to gain new contracts. The manner of the loss in Nottingham was mortifying for Wenger, who was forced to watch from the stands as he started a three-match touchline ban for misconduct toward a referee. “They were sharper than us,” Wenger said, “more incisive and more dominant in the chal- lenges.” Eric Lichaj was the match- winner with two goals for Forest, which is 14th in the League Championship and without a manager since firing Mark War- burton a week ago. After Lichaj headed in Kieran Dowell’s free kick in the 20th minute, Per Mertesacker quickly leveled but the American defender was on target again just before halftime. Rob Holding’s weak headed clearance fell straight to Lichaj, who brought the ball down with his chest and unleashed a dipping volley into the far corner of the net. “My wife told me that if I get a hat trick any time during the year, then I get a dog,” Lichaj said. “So I was trying to get the penalty.” There were two in the second half. Ben Brereton extended Forest’s lead in the 64th after Holding tripped Matthew Cash. Although Welbeck pulled one back — seizing on goalkeeper Jordan Smith’s losing his grip on the ball — Arsenal conceded a second penalty. Mathieu Debu- chy challenged former Gunners LIONEL MESSI and Luis Suarez scored first-half goals in a 3-0 win over Levante on Sunday, restoring Barcelona’s nine-point lead of the Spanish league while it awaits the arrival of Philippe Coutinho. Messi marked his 400th appearance in La Liga by giving Barcelona the early lead and taking his all-time record in the competition to 365 goals. Suarez doubled the advantage before halftime and Messi set up Paulinho to round off the win in stoppage time. Such an emphatic victory comes as Barcelona’s attacking threat is preparing for an addi- tional injection of creativity with the 25-year-old Coutinho. The Camp Nou is anticipating the incorporation of the Brazil midfielder, who flew to Barce- lona on Saturday. Barcelona said Coutinho has yet to meet with his new teammates and coach, although he did make an appearance at the stadium for a photo session after Sunday’s match. The win took Barcelona’s unbeaten streak to 27 straight matches. Real Madrid wasted a brace by Gareth Bale as it fell further behind the top three teams after drawing at Celta. Bale’s two goals in a three- minute span in the first half Arsenal dumped out of FA Cup TWO-TIME champion Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the Australian Open, with her wildcard entry to the season’s first major reallocated to Ajla Tomljanovic. Australian Open organizers announced Azarenka’s with- drawal in a social media post yesterday, a week before the tournament begins. “It’s unfortunate that (Aza- renka) is unable to travel to Australia this year,” organizers posted on Twitter, quoting tour- nament director Craig Tiley. The Australian Open, “is her favorite tournament and she’s looking forward to returning to Melbourne next year.” Azarenka, who won the Aus- tralian Open in 2012 and 2013, has been involved in a custody dispute involving her son Leo, who was born last Dec. 19. She hasn’t competed any- where since Wimbledon, where she lost to Simona Halep in the fourth round July 10. Former No. 1-ranked Azarenka played only six matches in 2017 and her year-ending ranking plummeted to No. 208. Australian Open organizers last month granted her a wild- card entry, with Tiley saying at the time, “Vika’s current situ- ation is obviously very difficult for her and we have reached out to offer any support we can.” Azarenka had initially been scheduled to make a return to competitive tennis in New Zea- land last week, but withdrew from that tournament as well. (SD-Agencies) Azarenka quits Aussie Open Victoria Azarenka Lakers snap nine-game skid with win over Hawks Barca wins; Madrid drops points overturned an opener by Celta’s Daniel Wass. But they weren’t enough for the win amid an uninspiring performance by Cristiano Ron- aldo, and poor defending by Marcelo and the rest of Madrid’s backline. Celta outplayed Madrid in the second half and its defenders left unmarked striker Maxi Gomez to head in a pass by Wass for an equalizer in the 82nd. Celta’s Iago Aspas went close to scoring twice, hitting the post early and having a penalty kick saved by Keylor Navas after the goalkeeper had fouled him in the 71st. The result left Madrid 16 points behind Barcelona, although with a match in hand. “I have to find out what the problem is,” coach Zinedine Zidane said. “Sometimes we play 90 minutes well, but it is true that recently we don’t do it regu- larly. We need to have more confidence in our chances, and recently we don’t have the confidence to play 90 minutes well.” (SD-Agencies) Nottingham Forest’s Eric Lichaj (2nd L) celebrates scoring their first goal against Arsenal with teammates in Nottingham on Sunday. SD-Agencies Barcelona’s Paulinho (2nd R) celebrates scoring their third goal against Levante with Lionel Messi (L) and teammates at Camp Nou in Barcelona on Sunday. SD-Agencies defender Armand Traore from behind and Kieran Dowell netted from the spot in the 85th. With a two-goal cushion it should have been a calm con- clusion for the hosts, but Joe Worrall was sent off three min- utes later for a sliding tackle on Chuba Akpom. (SD-Agencies)
