Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Cano’s 10th-inning homer lifts AL, 2-1
MIAMI » A new-look All-Star Game ended with an oldtime score.
Robinson Cano homered off Cubs closer Wade Davis leading off the 10th inning and the American League beat the National League 2-1 Tuesday night in an All-Star Game dominated by this era’s flame-throwers, rather than its standout sluggers.
Craig Kimbrel wiggled out of a jam in the ninth and right fielder Justin Upton made a lunging catch in the 10th to help the AL win its fifth in a row. And for the first time since 1964, the rivalry is all even — 43 wins apiece with two ties, and each side has scored exactly 361 runs.
Miguel Sano put the AL ahead in the fifth with a bloop RBI single off Alex Wood. Yadier Molina tied it in the sixth with a home run against Ervin Santana.
Molina had just entered behind the plate in the top half and snapped off an All-Star first — Nelson Cruz pulled a phone out of his uniform pants and asked the catcher to snap a photo of him with umpire Joe West.
Davis wasn’t with the Cubs last fall when they won the World Series for the first time in 108 years. He was acquired in a trade from Kansas City to fortify the bullpen, and was the only Cubs player in this showcase. Chicago has struggled this season, going into the break at 43-45.
Cano, the game’s MVP, sent a hanging curve off the back wall of the rightfield bullpen, then blew a bubble with his gum when rounding the bases.
Cano’s homer came exactly 50 years after the previous All-Star Game to end 2-1 in extra innings, when Tony Perez hit a tiebreaking 15th-inning homer off Catfish Hunter in the NL’s 2-1 win at Anaheim, California. Perez, now a Marlins executive, was among eight Latin-born Hall of Famers who threw out ceremonial first pitches.
Jabari Bird also had 15 points for the Celtics, going 7 of 10 from the field. Demetrius Jackson scored all of his 14 in the fourth quarter, while Ante Zizic had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown played just 13 minutes, scoring seven points before leaving with a bruised thigh.
Timothe LuwawuCabarrot had 16 points for the 76ers (1-2).
Felton, Patterson introduced
OKLAHOMA CITY » Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson have each played in the NBA long enough to appreciate the importance of playing for a team with legitimate title aspirations.
Both believe they found that in Oklahoma City, a point they made clear Tuesday as they were formally introduced by the Thunder.
“The best feeling ever is having a parade,” said Felton, a 12-year veteran from North Carolina. “I’ve never experienced that. I experienced (a title) at the college level but never here in the NBA. I definitely want to do that before I retire from this game.”
Oklahoma City is attempting to regain its status as a championship title contender after making a firstround playoff exit in its first season without Kevin Durant, who left for Golden State and helped the Warriors win their second title in three years.
The Thunder acquired forward Paul George from the Indiana Pacers in a blockbuster deal that provides an All-Star teammate for reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. Felton and Patterson bring a combined 19 seasons of NBA experience.
“These guys are veteran guys,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “They’ve played in a lot of games, and a lot of big games. I think them having a great, clear understanding of what goes into winning (and) the sacrifices ... I think that’s very, very important.”
The well-traveled Felton, who is 33, had 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a backup point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. Patterson, a 28-year-old forward, averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 65 games with Toronto.
Oklahoma City needs a big year as it attempts to persuade George to stay beyond this upcoming season. George’s reported interest in eventually playing for the Los Angeles Lakers led Indiana to trade him in the first place.
George told Sports Illustrated that Durant has told him Oklahoma City is a “first-class organization in every way.” George acknowledged that joining a hometown team would be a “dream come true” but added that his reported desire to play in Los Angeles has “definitely been overstated.”
“For me, it’s all about winning,” George told Sports Illustrated. “I want to be in a good system, a good team. I want a shot to win it. I’m not a stats guy. I’m playing this game to win and build a legacy of winning. I’ve yet to do that. I’m searching for it. If we get a killer season in Oklahoma, we make the conference finals or upset the Warriors or do something crazy, I’d be dumb to want to leave that.”