Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics over doping
LAUSANNE — Russia was banned Tuesday from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee over its stateorchestrated doping programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag.
The sanction was the toughest ever levelled by the IOC for drug cheating and
OKLAHOMA CITY— Russell Westbrook scored 34 points in his seventh triple-double of the season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 17 points down in the second half to defeat the Utah Jazz 100-94 on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) night.
Westbrook finished with 14 assists and 13 rebounds. Paul George scored 21 points, Steven Adams had 20 points and nine rebounds and Carmelo Anthony added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who won their third straight.
Rookie
Donovan came just 65 days ahead of the Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
In announcing the decision, IOC president Thomas Bach accused Russia of "perpetrating an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport".
An explosive report by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two Mitchell scored 31 points and Joe Ingles added 16 for the Jazz, who had won six straight and scored at least 106 points in each game.
The Jazz led 47-39 at halftime, and they opened things up even more early in the third quarter. A driving layup by Alec Burks put the subsequent IOC investigations have confirmed that Russian athletes took part in an elaborate drug cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Mounting evidence has indicated that the scheme involved senior government officials, including from the sports ministry, with help from secret state agents. Jazz up 72-55 as the Thunder continued to misfire on open shots.
Westbrook closed out the third quarter strong and helped the Thunder cut Utah's lead to 80-68 by the end of the period. He scored 11 points in the quarter.
The Thunder finally took the lead on a layup by Westbrook with about four minutes remaining.
WIZARDS 106, TRAIL
BLAZERS 92
Bradley Beal scored a careerhigh 51 points, and Washington bounced back from a demoralizing loss the night before
The IOC also banned Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko – who was sports minister during the Sochi Games – for life.
Mutko is currently the head of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup, which Russia is hosting.
Attention will quickly turn to see if football's world governing body FIFA allows to beat Portland.
Beal made 21 field goals, also a career high, and the Wizards led by as many as 23 points. He hit five 3pointers.
Damian Lillard finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for the Blazers, who have lost three straight at home after returning from a 4-1 trip.
RAPTORS 126,
SUNS 113
Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 10 assists, DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points and Toronto beat Phoenix, improving its NBA-best the scandal-tainted ally of President Vladimir Putin to retain his senior World Cup role.
In a statement, FIFA said it had "taken note" of the IOC decision but it had "no impact on the preparations" for Russia 2018.
The IOC also suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and its chief Alexander Zhukov. home record to 9-1.
Suns guard Devin Booker had to be carried off the floor by two teammates after suffering an apparent leg injury with 2:40 remaining and Phoenix trailing by 11. Booker froze in pain while playing defense and did not move as trainers came out to examine him. Booker, who shook off a 2for-11 start to score a seasonhigh 46 points Monday in a win at Philadelphia, shot 0 for 7 in the first half Tuesday. He finished 4-for-15 with 19 points, including 10 of 12 from the foul line.
Zhukov said he "apologised" to the IOC on Tuesday for the "antidoping violations" committed in his country in recent years.
The Winter Olympics' South Korean organisers said Wednesday they would prefer if Russians competed under their own flag, but accepted as "second-best" the IOC ruling.