Nikola Jokic makes triple-double history as Nuggets blitz Bucks

NIKOLA Jokic recorded his 50th career triple-double with 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets cool off the Milwaukee Bucks 128-97 on Tuesday night.

For Jokic, it was his ninth triple-double of the season and it came one night after he finished with 39 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in a win against the Bulls. Denver secured its third win in a row to open a five-game road trip.

Jokic is the ninth player in NBA history with 50-plus triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (181), Russell Westbrook (156), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107), LeBron James (97), Wilt Chamberlain (78), Larry Bird (59) and James Harden (53).

The Nuggets improved to 41-9 when Jokic finished with a triple-double and were very effective on offence, shooting 55.8 percent (53-for-95) as they snapped the Bucks’ five- game winning streak despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 27 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Antetokounmpo also had his streak of four consecutive games scoring 35 or more points halted by a strong effort from the Nuggets’ frontcourt.

Jokic had 13 points and nine assists in the first half and teammate Jamal Murray scored 18 of his 24 points before halftime. Denver led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter but settled for a 64-50 edge at the break.

– REUTERS.

BEIJING. – Despite a raging pandemic and tough economic challenges, China clinched victory in eradicating absolute poverty last year, achieving the poverty reduction goal set by the United Nations (UN)’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a decade in advance.

The hard-won feat, which came after decades of unremitting efforts by the world’s most populous country, bears hope and inspiration for countries worldwide that are also searching for ways to eliminate destitution as well as promote equality and development.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said China’s poverty reduction experiences “can provide valuable lessons to other developing countries.” Here are the three major ones:

First and foremost, China’s struggle for poverty alleviation epitomizes the people- centered philosophy of the Chinese government.

Facing the numerous obstacles posed by Covid-19, the Chinese government did not push back its goal of lifting all rural residents out of poverty by 2020. Instead, it has managed to deliver its solemn promise to the Chinese people on time.

In 2020, all of China’s nearly 100 million impoverished rural residents living below the current poverty line cast off poverty after eight years’ efforts.

Moreover, people in 98 percent of poor villages in areas of extreme poverty now have broadband access, which has vastly narrowed the urban-rural digital gap.

At the same time, China has built 1, 290 innovation and entrepreneurial platforms in poor areas and sent 289, 800 sci-tech experts to rural areas since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

Over the years, many foreign scholars have been trying to decipher the “code” of poverty alleviation in China. Their views can be summarised as “5Ds”- Determined Leadership, Detailed Blueprint, Development Oriented, Data-based Governance and Decentralised Delivery, according to “Chinese Poverty Alleviation Studies: A Political Economy Perspective,” a report published by New China Research, a Chinese think tank.

– XINHUA.

ZAMBIA Under-17 national team coach George Chilufya has hailed the Football Association of Zambia for securing three international friendlies for his boys ahead of the Umder-17 Africa Cup of Nations slated for Morocco.

The young Chipolopolo are scheduled to play Nigeria, FUS Rabat under-17 and defending champions Cameroon before the tournament set to kick off on March 13.

And in an interview, Chilufya, who has named a 22-member squad for the youth AFCON said the three friendly games will give the technical bench the opportunity to assses the team before the tournament.

“It’s always important to play international friendlies before any major tournament and to us, the only thing we can say is thank the association for making sure that these friendly games are arranged because they will give us an insight of what we expect in the main tournament,” Chilufya said.

Joseph Sabobo Banda, the Under-17 midfielder is targeting a top scorer’s award at the tournament.

Banda, who had a sparkling year in 2020 in which he emerged top scorer at both the Under-15 Croatia

Invitational Tournament and the 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-17 championship in South Africa, shared his determination to score eight goals.

“Our target as a team is to win the trophy and personally, I want to win the top scorer’s award with eight goals since we will be playing a lot of games,” said Banda, who also emerged best player at the regional tournament in South Africa.

The soft-spoken midfielder said the intensive local training camp has put him and the other 21 players called in good shape for the international assignment in Morocco.

Zambia will compete in Group A with tournament hosts Morocco, Ivory Coast and Uganda.

The young Chipolopolo will kick off their campaign March 14 against Ivory Coast.