SPORTS DIGEST
BASKETBALL
Dirk Nowitzki became only the sixth NBA player to reach 30,000 points as the Dallas Mavericks triumphed 122-111 over the Los Angeles Lakers. The 38-year-old German needed 20 points to reach the milestone but finished the game with 25 as Dallas picked up their second straight home win over the Lakers. The visitors were 31 points adrift at the end of the first half and, despite producing a late rally, they remain bottom of the Western Conference. Russell Westbrook racked up a careerhigh 58 points but the Oklahoma City Thunder still fell to a 126-121 defeat against the Portland Trail Blazers. Allen Crabbe top-scored for the Trail Blazers with 23 points as the visitors picked up their third straight victory. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 29 points as the Washington Wizards won 131-127 at the Phoenix Suns. Eric Bledsoe picked up 30 points for the Suns, who fought back from a 22-point deficit to level the game late on, but they still fell to their first defeat in four games. NBA: Dallas Mavericks 122 LA Lakers 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 121 Portland Trail Blazers 126, Phoenix Suns 127 Washington Wizards 131.
CRICKET
Samiullah Shenwari’s half-century saw Afghanistan beat Ireland by six wickets in the first Twenty20 international. Opener Stuart Thompson hit 56 from 35 balls as Ireland made 165 for five in their 20 overs at Greater Noida in India. Thompson and captain William Porterfield (39) put on 82 after the early loss of Paul Stirling, and wicketkeeper Gary Wilson gave the innings late impetus with 41 not out from 27 balls. Spinner George Dockrell then took the new ball but saw his first over go for 15, including a six off the first ball as Najeeb Tarakai muscled 27 from 15 balls. Mohammad Shahzad was run out three short of a half-century – in the process becoming the fifth-highest T20I runscorer of all time, passing JP Duminy, David Warner and Umar Akmal and moving to just six runs behind India captain Virat Kohli. Shenwari did make 50, matching Thompson’s score before falling to the latter’s bowling, and Asghar Stanikzai (20no) and Shafiqullah, who hit the only ball he faced for six, saw Afghanistan over the line with two overs to spare. 1st TEST (Galle) Sri Lanka 494 (BK G Mendis 194, DA S Gunaratne 85, DP D N Dickwella 75, MD K Perera 51, Mehedi Hasan 4-113) v Bangladesh 133-2 (Soumya Sarkar 66 no, Tamim Iqbal 57).
CYCLING
TIRRENO-ADRIATICO (Italy) Stage 1, (Lido di Camaiore - Lido di Camaiore (Team Time Trial) - 22.7km): 1 BMC 23mins 20secs, 2 Quick-step Floors 23:37, 3 Movistar 23:42, 4 FDJ 23:42, 5 Orica-scott 23:45, 6 Lottonl-jumbo 24:00, 7 Lotto Soudal 24:12, 8 Bahrain-merida 24:13, 9 Dimension Data 24:13, 10 Astana 24:15, 11 Sunweb 24:16, 12 Trek-segafredo 24:18, 13 AG2R La Mondiale 24:20, 14 UAE Team Emirates 24:29, 15 Bora-hansgrohe 24:31, 16 Cannondale-drapac 24:38, 17 Katusha-alpecin 24:56, 18 Team Sky 25:02, 19 Androni-giocattoli 25:05, 20 Bardiani-csf 25:41, 21 Nippovini Fantini 25:42, 22 Novo Nordisk 26:12.
ICE HOCKEY
Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron helped the St Louis Blues to a 2-1 victory over Eastern Conference leaders the Minnesota Wild. Perron opened the scoring in the first period and Tarasenko doubled the visitors’ lead midway through the third. Mikko Koivu grabbed a late consolation for the Wild, who remain second in the overall NHL standings. Sergei Bobrovsky completed his third consecutive shutout as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New Jersey Devils 2-0. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Cam Atkinson scored third-period goals as New Jersey slipped to their eighth straight loss. Henrik Lundqvist made 43 saves to help the New York Rangers see off the Florida Panthers 5-2 at the BB&T Center. Chris Kreider, Tanner Glass, Kevin Hayes, Nick Holden and Pavel Buchnevich were among the scorers for the Rangers. Aaron Ekblad and Thomas Vanek scored in vain for the Panthers as Lundqvist earned his 30th win of the season. The Montreal Canadiens were also celebrating after picking up their sixth straight victory with a 2-1 overtime success over the Vancouver Canucks. NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE: Anaheim Ducks 4 Nashville Predators 3 (SO), Buffalo Sabres 3 Philadelphia Flyers 6, Colorado Avalanche 3 Carolina Hurricanes 1, Columbus Blue Jackets 2 New Jersey Devils 0, Edmonton Oilers 1 New York Islanders 4, Florida Panthers 2 New York Rangers 5, Minnesota Wild 1 St Louis Blues 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 Detroit Red Wings 2, Vancouver Canucks 1 Montreal Canadiens 2 (OT).