World Cup in mind, Brazil obsesses over Neymar's injury
WASHINGTON —Aday after taking schoolkids to a museum instead of visiting President Donald Trump at the White House, the Golden State Warriors won for the seventh time in eight games by beating the Washington Wizards 109101 as Kevin Durant scored 32 points
Durant shot 12 for 20, Thompson scored 13, and Draymond Green contributed 11 points and 11 assists.
Otto Porter Jr. led Washington with 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 on 4-of-16 shooting. Beal came in averaging a team-leading 23.7 points but he missed his first nine shots and had zero points at halftime. His first basket came with under 5½ minutes left in the third quarter.
The Wizards were again without All-Star point guard John Wall, who sat out his 14th game in a row after surgery on his left knee, but they trailed only 58-56 after two quarters Wednesday. Golden State tends to dominate third quarters, though, and this evening was no exception: It opened that period with a 16-4 run that made it 74-60 and was in control from there.
ROCKETS 105, CLIPPERS 92
James Harden scored 17 of his 25 points in Houston’s dominant first quarter, and the Rockets rolled past the Los Angeles Clippers for their 14th consecutive victory.
The Rockets (48-13) matched their longest winning streak of the season and remained a half-game ahead of Golden State for the NBA’s best record.
Clint Capela and Eric Gordon each scored 22 points for the Rockets, who made 13 3-pointers.
Tobias Harris led the Clippers with 24 points, with Montrezl Harrell added 22. Lou Williams and Milos Teodosic each scored 13.
The Clippers played the previous night in Denver and looked it.
They missed 16 of their first 19 shots, had 11 turnovers and trailed by as many as 27 points in the first quarter. Harden faked Wesley Johnson so badly on one move that Johnson fell to the floor. Harden stared at him as Johnson got back up, then sunk a 3-pointer for a 31-7 lead.
PELICANS 121, SPURS 116
Anthony Davis had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and New Orleans rallied in the final two minutes to beat San Antonio, adding to the Spurs' misery after losing LaMarcus Aldridge to an injury in the first half.
New Orleans won its seventh straight after trailing by as many as 15 points.
San Antonio, which has been without superstar forward Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games this season, lost Aldridge to a sprained right ankle late in the first half. Aldridge landed awkwardly while defending a driving hook shot by Davis with three minutes left in the second quarter.
The injury would prove critical down the stretch for the Spurs, who've lost five of their past six. The team did not immediately disclose how long Aldridge will be out.
CELTICS 134, HORNETS 106
Kyrie Irving scored 34 points in the first three quarters, and then sat out the fourth with the rest of Boston's starters as the Celtics routed Charlotte.
Aron Baynes had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 15, including nine in the third quarter as the Celtics shot 60 percent and turned the game into a blowout. Terry Rozier and Greg Monroe scored 14 points apiece for the Celtics, who won their fourth straight and ended Charlotte's five-game winning streak.
Kemba Walker made his first eight shots and led Charlotte with 23 points. Dwight Howard had 21 points for the Hornets, who were coming off a victory over Chicago on Tuesday night and couldn't keep up with the Celtics after halftime.
RIO DE JANEIRO — In Brazil, the land where football is king, Neymar's foot injury has unleashed sharp emotions and concern, rumors and speculation about the star player upon whom so many hopes rest for World Cup victory in Russia.
"We just might have lost the World Cup last Sunday," one radio commentator, Milton Neves of Bandnews FM, said early Wednesday.
Sunday was the day when Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Marseille 3-0 -- but with Neymar suffering a hairline fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot as well as a twisted ankle.
That's an injury that could cost dearly when talking about the world's most expensive player, recruited by PSG for 222 million euros ($271 million) last August.
Brazilians care little about the impact on the Paris club. Their attention is entirely trained on the World Cup, where they have ambitions of walking away with a sixth championship.
Neymar's father said Tuesday his son would be out for at least six weeks.
If that holds, Neymar could still return to form for the World Cup, which starts midJune. But an operation could see him miss the end of the European season with PSG.
In his home country, images of the fateful duel between "Ney" and Marseille player Bouna Sarr were being shown incessantly on TV, often in slo-mo, before the 26-year-old was stretchered off. Newspapers featured close-up illustrations detailing Neymar's foot and ankle.
In both Brazil and France, medical orthopedic and trauma specialists were getting considerable airplay as they weighed in on what should happen. Most recommended surgery.
"I don't think we can really talk about fears of him not being at the World Cup. But there is a noticeable haste to find a solution so that Neymar will have recovered in time," an ESPN Brasil sports commentator, Mauro Cezar Pereira, told AFP.
It was to that channel that Neymar Senior said on Tuesday: "PSG know that they will not be able to count on Neymar for the upcoming matches: his treatment will last six to eight weeks, whether there is an operation or not."
The father said the decision on surgery was up to PSG, not Neymar. "I'm not a doctor, so we have to wait for the club's decision," he said.
According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, Neymar's contract has a clause saying he must follow the club's line regarding injuries. The news website UOL reported that those close to Neymar were believed to want him to have an operation in Brazil.
As the star's fate is being worked out, messages of support were flooding social networks.
Brazilian football legend Pele – whose mantle Neymar is seen inheriting – tweeted: "Hey Neymar, all of Brazil hopes you will recover as quickly as last time! We have a World Cup to win, so get better fast!"