Watson’s trick leads Preds past Ducks
NASHVILLE — Austin Watson recorded a hat trick and the Nashville Predators netted two power-play goals in a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night. Watson entered the game with just one goal this season but broke loose with scores in each period as Nashville won its sixth straight home game. Nick Bonino and Craig Smith also scored for the Predators, who entered the game tied for the best record in the NHL. Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne made 17 saves for the win, improving his career record to 17-6-1 against Anaheim. Adam Henrique and Ondrej Kase scored for the Ducks. Anaheim narrowed the gap to 3-2 late in the second period before the Predators stretched their advantage to two goals early in the third on Smith’s third goal. John Gibson stopped 28 shots for the Ducks, who had their two-game winning streak halted. Watson gave the Predators a 1-0 lead when he poked a rebound from the left side of the net over Gibson’s outstretched stick into the net at 11:04 of the first period. Watson deflected Roman Josi’s one-timer into the net from the left side of the crease on a power play, increasing the Predators lead to 3-1 with 1:24 left in the second period. Watson completed his hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:06 left.
BASKETBALL
› ATLANTA — John Collins scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked Kemba Walker’s runner as time expired, helping the Atlanta Hawks snap a 10-game losing streak with a 124-123 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. Walker, the NBA’s second-leading scorer, hit a jumper to put Charlotte up by one with 47.5 seconds remaining, but he committed a shot-clock turnover on the next possession and finished 7-for-23 from the field in a 22-point performance. Kent Bazemore scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead basket for Atlanta, taking an inbound pass and driving down the left side past Dwayne Bacon for a layup with 4.6 seconds to go. Malik Monk tied a career high with 26 points and Marvin Williams added a season-high 13 rebounds and chipped in 20 points for the Hornets.
GOLF
› MELBOURNE, Australia — Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters had a few anxious moments on the back nine but held on to shoot a 4-under-par 68 and post a threestroke win Sunday at the World Cup of Golf, despite a determined late run by Australia and Mexico. Detry and Pieters took a five-stroke lead into the final round of foursomes (alternate shot) at the Metropolitan Golf Club, and the lead was reduced by one when Detry missed a nervy three-footer on the par-3 second hole. But they had an eagle and two birdies on the rest of the front nine and made the turn with their fivestroke advantage intact. Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith pulled to within two strokes after that, thanks to holing out from the bunker for a birdie by Smith and a 12-foot par save on the next hole by Leishman. If there was any doubt, Pieters’ approach to four feet on the 18th set up a final birdie by Detry to give the Belgians a 23-under total of 265 in mostly sunny conditions after some early-morning drizzle. Leishman and Smith shot a 65. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz, playing in the last group with Belgium, shot a 66 and finished tied with the Australians for second. The United States’ Matt Kuchar and
Kyle Stanley (68) finished 9 under and tied for 16th in the 28-team field.
› HONG KONG — Aaron Rai won the Hong Kong Open on Sunday, securing his first European Tour victory in difficult conditions that included torrential rain for most of the afternoon. The 23-year-old Englishman who started the day with a six-stroke lead narrowly kept his nose in front as countryman
Matthew Fitzpatrick played a superb round, hitting seven birdies to narrow the gap to just one shot after 16 holes. A bogey by Fitzpatrick on the 17th hole, his first mistake of the day, gave Rai a two-stroke cushion as they headed into the final hole. Rai closed with a 1-under-par 69 to finish at 17-under 263, a shot ahead of runner-up Fitzpatrick (64). Victor Perez (67) and Jason Scrivener (68) tied for third at 11 under.