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Rattlers rule

CI Gibson 42nd Hugh Campbell Classic champions

Mario Rolle earns the Most Valuable Player award Kevin Johnson winningest coach in tourney history

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

THE CI Gibson Rattlers reclaimed the Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic title last night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, defeating the St. Georges Jaguars 75-53 to win the 42nd edition of the tournament and erase the sting of last year’s championship loss. After falling in overtime in the 41st final, coach Kevin “KJ” Johnson’s team returned focused and composed. This time there was no late collapse.

The Rattlers controlled the second half and closed with authority.

St. Georges led 19-13 after the first quarter and carried a slim 35-34 advantage into halftime.

CI Gibson stayed within striking distance despite early offensive struggles, then delivered the blow in the third quarter as their defence picked up with the full court press, starting the third with three straight steals and scores in transition.

The Rattlers outscored the Jaguars 23-9 in the third to take a 57-44 lead into the fourth.

Defensive pressure triggered the run as CI Gibson forced 22 turnovers in the game and converted them into 23 points.

In contrast, the St. George’s Jaguars managed just 11 points off CI Gibson’s 15 turnovers.

The Rattlers dominated the paint, scoring 46 points inside compared to 20 for St. George’s. They were also efficient at the free-throw line, converting 15-of-19 for 78.9 per cent.

Senior Mario Rolle, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, delivered when it mattered most.

Rolle finished with a monster double double - 24 points and 18 reboundsanchoring both ends during the championship stretch. His leadership and composure helped stabilise the team after halftime.

For earning MVP honours, Rolle received two free tickets from Bahamasair to travel and watch Bahamian standout Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe in action.

Senior Darius Hanna had 18 points, attacking downhill and setting the tone during the third-quarter surge.

He controlled tempo, finished through contact while also hitting key three pointers to advance the Rattlers’ lead in the home stretch.  Sidney Higgs added 18 points and was perfect at the line, going 7-of-7. The trio combined for 54 of CI Gibson’s 75 points and carried the offensive load once the Rattlers seized momentum.

CI Gibson led for 17 minutes and 11 seconds and built the advantage to as many as 22 points in the second half. St. George’s shot just 26.2 per cent from the field and 23.8 per cent from three-point range, unable to recover after the break.

Shanto Curry Jr paced the Jaguars with 15 points and Mikhal Nesbitt added 13, but the deficit proved too much once CI Gibson tightened defensively.

The victory also cemented history for Johnson's history.

With the win, he became the coach with the most Hugh Campbell championships in tournament history,

securing his seventh title and moving to the top of the all-time list as he already is considered by most to be the most winningest coach in high school basketball.

“We wanted to get the 50-50 balls. St. George's did a very good job in the first

half. Really, really good win. We just wanted to be more aggressive, and we did that on the defence tonight.

“We were successful tonight,” said an emotional Johnson.

“This means a lot for me, I've been working hard

the last two years, last year we failed but this year we accomplished it,” said MVP Mario Rolle.

“This championship means a lot to me. I didn't do it just for me, I did this for my father who passed away on Friday,” said Rolle.

One year after watching the trophy slip away, the Rattlers responded. This time, there was no doubt. The championship returned to Nassau, and the Rattlers walked off the floor with both redemption and history.

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor

bstbbs@tribunemedia.net

TALENTED pitcher

Alcott Forbes said it was more personal for him in winning the National Sports Authority's inaugural Edron 'Ed' Knowles Home Run Derby on Friday night.

Forbes electrified the crowd in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex in a dramatic comeback fashion in the final round to edge out Michael 'Vader' Ingraham 7-6.

"Edron Knowles was my best friend, so to see the NSA put on something like this for him, I took it personally," said Forbes, regarded as one of the best hitting pitchers in the country. "I know right now, he's happy with the results."

Forbes said it was important for him to get ahead of the field every round so

that he could be well rested by the time he got into the batter's box. It worked to his perfection as he watched the other competitors compete and he was able to hit just enough homers to surge out front. He collected $500 and five cases of beers.

After watching Forbes put together a solid effort to win, Ingraham said he was not disappointed in falling short. He earned $300 and three cases of beers.

"Edron was like a brother to many of us, so we really wanted to come out here and put on a show for him," Ingraham said. "The competition was stiff all the way.

"The championship came down to just one home run. Alcott really exploded in the tournament. I tried to hold him off, but he was just too

explosive, especially in the championship round." Keiron Sands was the other finalist, but he only managed two homers for third, pocketing $200 and two cases of beers.

"It started off pretty good for me in the first and second rounds, but in the final two rounds, it got harder and harder," Sands said. "Thank God I managed to push through and kept moving on until the final."

Sands said he will definitely be back next year and his aim is to win it all.

Norman Bastian had one of the best performances in the first two rounds, but could not put it together in the third when it counted the most to get into the final.

Martin 'Pork' Burrows said the event turned out to be a successful one with 20 competitors lining up in the

Amateur boxers go ‘All-Out’ with Hall of Fame induction

THE All-Out Boxing Club hosted a successful National Pride Amateur Boxing Championships that included a Hall of Fame induction ceremony over the weekend.

Friday’s boxing show was followed by a banquet on Saturday night.

Among those honoured were Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, former boxers Quincy “Thrill-A-Minute” Pratt, “Marvellous” Marvin Smith, Freeman “The Natural” Barr and Gary Lightbourne, as well as sponsor Nick Vikatos, owner of the Zorba’s Greek Restaurant.

Results from the night are as follows: Alex Gardener def. Aiden Monroe; Judah Gibson def. Lavordo Butler; Amiel Bullard def. Tyrese Knowles; Anthony Higgs def.  Michael Lightbourne; Zeke Lewis def. Jason Bethel; Dantea Anderson def. Rosco Boyd and Keano Cox def. Tishla Francios.

The main event saw Midewath Curry defeat

ORGANISER Jermaine Gibson with a few of the boxers.

Milano Knowles by a technical knockout one minute and 40 seconds into round three.

There were additional fights scheduled but they turned out to be walkovers for Macaden Higgs, Matthew Jones (10 years), Jiriaya François, Keanu Greene and Milano Knowles as there were no opponents for them to fight. Tournament organiser Jermaine Gibson said they anticipated some very keen fights and the fighters didn't disappoint the public as they got their money's worth.

"Tyrese Knowles and Amiel Bullard fought for the third time.

“They were extremely competitive, so it was good to see how they have grown over the years," Gibson said.

"From what they displayed in the ring, you would have thought you were watching a HBO fight for how well those two fighters displayed themselves. Unfortunately, Tyrese fell to Amiel."

From the show, Gibson said they will select a team to travel to Florida at the end of March.

Competitive surfing in Bahamas

‘under a brighter spotlight’

WITH the sport of surfing now a prominent Olympic sport – see Brazilian bronze medallist Gabriel Medina’s instantly viral shot from the 2024 Games held in Tahiti –competitive surfing in The Bahamas is under a brighter spotlight.

Developing junior surfers for national teams, and actually just finding and getting young Bahamians on surfboards in the water, is a challenge the newly reestablished Bahamas Surfing Association is facing.

After claiming the title in the Third Annual Garbonzo Masters surf contest on Elbow Cay, Abaco, February 14, said BSA co-president Joey Gale: “There’s not many junior surfers in Abaco unfortunately, and the interest in general is not very high.

“When our current competition team eventually ages out, we’d like to have someone else to pass the torch to, so we’re really trying to encourage the next generation to start now…,” added the 24-yearold, who represented The Bahamas at the last two International Surfing Association World Surfing Games - the main gateway to Olympic qualification.

“With much of our sports and culture being intertwined with the ocean, I think surfing should be a lot more popular in The Bahamas...” Abaco, especially Elbow Cay, was once a hotbed of Bahamian surfing talent and surfers there were the first to organise the BSA and attend international contests in the 1980s. Today, the scene is different.

“There are definitely less surfers in Abaco now than in the past. No beginners at all,” said Hope Town native Tim Albury, 61, who surfed for The Bahamas on those 1980s-era national teams.

“Partly due to other distractions and options like sailing which seems to have a good grassroots programme to offer incentive from learning all the way to inter-island and international events.

“Also partly to luck as in its the case usually it’s one or two kids get into it with an elder or parent who then attracts their buddies and we get a surge of interest.”

The Eleuthera Surf Club is one grassroots programme recruiting, teaching and holding regular surf sessions for youths on the country’s other wellknown surfing island.

Club members Alton Whylly, 16, D’Andro Thompson, 14, and Isaiah Thompson, 13, represented the club at the Garbonzo Masters, surfing waves somewhere other than

Barron ‘BJ’ Musgrove Jr claims NPCA’s King of the Hills title

BARRON “BJ” Musgrove Jr emerged as the winner of the New Providence Cycling Association's King of the Hills title at Fort Charlotte on Sunday morning.

Musgrove Jr clinched the title as he clocked one minute and 27.66 seconds. Drayton Knowles came in second in one minute 39.82, while Richard Horton was third in one minute 45.60 and Brian Strachan was fourth in one minute 49.60.

The ladies’ champion was Sienna Mackey in two minutes .01sec,74.In the other categories, Tristan Johnson took the junior boys' title in 1 minute. 37 secs. 90. Aaron Horton was second in 1 minute.40secs.60; Kendall Cargrill Jr came third in 2 minutes.56secs.22 and Nathaniel Adderley  was fourth in 2 minutes.30secs.84.The junior girls’ title was won by Blue Gray in two minutes.08secs.80.The cadet junior girls’ winner was Trenae Smith in three minutes.01sec and the cadet junior boys’ winner was Gabriel McPhee in 2minutes.59secs.25.

their native Eleuthera for the first time.

“The difference between surfing in Abaco and Eleuthera is it’s more waves breaking into the shore…it’s a lot of white water,” said Isaiah, whose 8.5 heat total was the top for the Eleuthera contingent, who were the only junior surfers entered. “I would rate my surfing contest a 10 out of 10.”

Eleuthera Surf Club fundraising helped cover trip expenses and local friends of the club hosted the boys and their coaches and provided transport and meals.

“There’s numerous challenges in building the sport of surfing in The Bahamas,” said club founder Tom Glucksmann, 54, a New Providence native who has lived in Eleuthera since 2005. “Getting the kids to

the beach, having them and their families see the value and potential in the sport, or just seeing the sport at all is a challenge. Expenses for equipment and travel to contests is all something we fundraise for pretty much all year round.”

“…when we formed the first association back in the 80s the government assured us there would be funding once it ever made it as an official Olympic sport,” added Albury.

Having the first group from Eleuthera to travel over to compete in Abaco is seen by all as a strong positive.

“My favourite part of the Garbonzo Masters was probably seeing the kids out surfing,” said competitor Ben Patterson, 30, a Hope Town native.

“Seeing the next generation come up, fantastic,”

added Patterson, who served as team support for the Bahamian 2024 World Surfing Games squad, the country’s first foray back into international competition since 2009.

“Definitely enjoyed having the Eleuthera contingent there, I definitely think we need to get some more inter-island travel going on…it’s good for publicity and morale for everyone to kind of talk to each other and mingle with each other instead of just seeing each other when we go on trips.”

• Next up on the BSA contest calendar is the Third Annual Surfer’s Beach Classic near Gregory Town, Eleuthera, April 4. • ISA World Junior Surfing Championships is September 4-13 in Surf City, El Salvador.

Bahamas boys get win against El Salvador in Jr Davis Cup

THE two Bahamas tennis teams saw action on day one of the Junior Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup and Junior Davis Cup prequalifying tournament in Guatemala City, Guatemala. There are 16 countries competing in the Jr Davis Cup and 13 countries in the Jr BJK Cup. The countries include Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, US Virgin Island and host nation Guatemala.The Bahamas Jr Davis Cup recorded a 2-1 win over the top seed in pool 2, El Salvador. Playing in Rubber #2, Synaj Watkins fought but lost to El Salvador 0-6, 1-6.

Patrick Mactaggart, playing in the #1, would tie it up with El Salvador in a two set straight victory 6-2, 6-3. The duo of Patrick and Noah Russell would play the deciding doubles.  At 6-3, 6-5 in the second set it would come down to the last game where Noah served it out and Bahamas finished 75. The team plays Panama today as round robin matches continue.On the Junior BJK side, our girls fought hard as Victoria Sandi-Aguilar and Caitlyn Pratt made their debut for the first time at this event. Victoria came out strong but fell to Jamaica 1-6, 3-6. Caitlyn Pratt went out in Rubber #1 falling 0-6, 0-6.  In doubles, Caitlyn and Victoria fought but lost 1-6, 2-6. Despiting falling to Jamaica 0-3 there was some good competition. The girls face Honduras today.The teams are captained by coach Danny Rigby (boys) and coach Sharon Greene (girls).

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) wishes the team continued strong performances as the competition continues until Friday.

CYCLISTS enjoy the New Providence Cycling Association’s King of the Hills event at Fort Charlotte on Sunday morning.

Local Sports Calendar

ATLANTIS

COLLEGIATE

BASEBALL

ATLANTIS will be branching out its athletic programme by introducing its Collegiate Baseball Series at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium from February 27 to March 1.

The series will be played between Indiana State Sycamores and the Penn State Nittany Lions, two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One programmes.

Tickets are currently on sale and will be 50% off for local residents using the code 242baseball at AtlantsBaseball.com. Kids

12-and-under will be admitted free.

TRACK RED-LINE FIELD AND RELAY CARNIVAL

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club, coming off

its successful hosting of the Sonja Knowles Track Classic, will now prepare for their third annual Field Events and Relay Carnival at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The Carnival is scheduled for February 28 from 10am to 6pm with the long jump, triple jump, pole vault, discus, javelin and shot put. And, on March 1 from 1-6pm with the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400, 4 x 800 metres and both the sprint and distance medley relays. The event is open to competitors from the under-7 to the open divisions. BBSF FAMILY FUN

RUN/WALK

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its Family Fun Run/Walk Race on Saturday, February 28, beginning at 6am at the Bahamas Baptist College,

Jean Street. The walk will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, turn onto Bernard Road and head west to Soldier Road, turn onto Soldier Road and head south to Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive and head east to Jean Street, turn onto Jean Street and back to the Bahamas Baptist College. The run will leave Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive and head east to Fox Hill Road, turn left onto Fox Hill Road and head south to Berard Road, turn onto Bernard Road and head west on Bernard Road and to Jean Street, turn left onto Jean Street and back to the Bahamas Baptist College.

The categories in both events are the under-15,

under-20, under-40, under60, 60-and-over and 70-and-over for men and ladies. There will also be a category for Pastors/Ministers combined. The cost is $10 per person. Trophies will be presented to the overall winners and medals distributed to the first three finishers in each category. There will also be a trophy for the church or organisation that brings the most participants. A free health screening will take place as well as there will be a special appearance by fitness guru Natasha ‘Downtown’ Brown and souse will also be on sale at a cost of $10 each.

GOLF SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP THE Bahamas Golf Federation will hold its School

Golf Championships March 2-6 at the Nine-Hole Driving Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The registration starts at 8am and the fee is $15 per golfer. Interested persons can log onto www.bahamasgolffederation.com for more information.

BAHAMAS TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP THE Bahamas Triathlon Association, which postponed its National Championships on February 1 due to the inclement weather, will host its new date on Sunday, March 15 at Jaws Beach, starting at 7am. The competition will have the Olympic competition including a 1.5 kilometre swim, 40K bike ride and 10k run, a sprint (750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run) and relay for teams of 2-3 people for all ages.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS AWARENESS

WALK SAVE the date of Saturday, March 28, for the Special Olympics Bahamas Awareness Walk. It’s scheduled to start at 9am from the Western Esplanade and end at the Legends Walk of Fame outside of the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. All groups/organisations are urged to contact Special Olympics Bahamas at 356-2433 to register to participate.

MARIO FORD BASEBALL CAMP THE Mario Ford Baseball Camp at Windsor Park, designed for boys and girls between the ages of 4-16 years, will be staged every Saturday from 9:30-11:30am until Saturday, April 18.

‘In

her darkest hours, Bonnie remained a bright, shining light that reflected and inspired human kindness’

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard, in a statement released by the political party, said the death of Bonnie Sands-Basden “is a sad blow for me personally, Grand Bahama, nationally, and her global connections.”

The statement said:

“While Bonnie Sands-Basden, legendary community activist, educator, basketball

coach, and sports youth leader, endured health challenges in recent years, I held every confidence of her full recovery.

“Ultimately, Bonnie and I relied on and was guided by God's divine will and direction.

“In the shadows of her Hall of Famer big brother, Basil "The Kid" Sands and the talents of her other siblings, Bonnie rose to Hall of

Fame sports stardom on her own merit.

“From her Freeport High School, now Bishop Michael Eldon High School stint, to Night League Grand Bahama Amateur Basketball Association play, Bonnie Basden was a superstar player... “Bonnie moved from being the basketball player to purpose beyond her own reach.

Bud Light delivers a Super Bowl to remember - From San Francisco to New Providence

“Purpose is the mark of her legacy. Bonnie used basketball to help and house young people to grow positively and become model citizens. Her House and Hoops and Dreams initiative saved countless young people through her heart loving and strategic ability to dare believe in the best of what we all can become with genuine guidance and trained support.

“I salute Bonnie's tremendous leadership efforts and commend her remarkable results: hundreds of disadvantaged boys received university scholarships, degrees, and highly qualified career paths now giving back to society.

“In her darkest hours, Bonnie remained a bright, shining light that reflected and inspired human kindness. I deem it an honour

to have been able to partner with Bonnie to create a better quality of life for so many.

“My work with and support for Bonnie's programmes over the years transcended partisan politics.

“The Sunland Baptist Academy family and all of us privileged to have known Bonnie Sands-Basden are richer because of her life.”

SUPER BOWL BUD LIGHT BAHAMIAN WINNERS: This year’s Bud Light Ultimate Super Bowl Experience, hosted by Bud Light and distributed locally by Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits, sent two lucky Bahamian winners and their guests to San Francisco for an all-expenses-paid weekend built around the biggest game in sports. Pictured are Wellington Seymour, executive sales and marketing manager at Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits, and the lucky winners with thier guests - Vincent Roberts, Tim Roberts, Brad Hanna and Ryan Hanna.

courtesy of JWS and Dynamic Studios for Barefoot Marketing

Sir Durward Knowles Junior Sailing Championship

SAILORS from across the country converged on Montagu Bay this weekend for the Sir Durward Knowles National Junior Sailing Championship, one of The Bahamas’ most established youth regattas.

The annual event, named in honour of the nation’s first Olympic gold medallist Sir Durward Knowles, continues to serve as a proving ground for the country’s top junior sailing talent.

Racing was held across multiple fleets, including ILCA 4 and 6, Optimist Green, Optimist Championship and Sunfish. Six races were completed in most divisions over three days of steady breeze and competitive fleets.

RESULTS

• Class E winner - Lady Kayla

- Captian Peg 2nd

- Sugar Loaf  3rd

• Laser champion Drake Knowles

• Sunfish champion Dai Major

• Optimist champion Traysean Mckenzie

Warriors beat Nuggets 128-117 despite Jokic triple-double

By The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

— Brandin Podziemski scored 12 of his 18 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and the Golden State Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 128117 on Sunday.

Podziemski shot 7 of 16 and added 15 rebounds and nine assists. Al Horford hit six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points and seven assists as the Warriors ended a two-game losing streak despite being without Stephen Curry (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (sick) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL). Draymond Green (back) was also a late scratch.

Moses Moody had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors. DeAnthony Melton added 20 points.

Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists for Denver. It’s Jokic’s fifth triple-double in seven games, 19th of the season and the 183rd of his career.

Jamal Murray scored 21 points for the Nuggets, who had won three of five. Christian Braun scored 18 and Bruce Brown added 12.

CELTICS 118, LAKERS 89

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Jaylen Brown had 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Boston swept the season series in the NBA’s most storied rivalry with a victory over Los Angeles.

Payton Pritchard scored 30 points with six 3-pointers and eight assists for the Celtics, who have won three straight and eight of nine as they attempt to close the gap on Detroit atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Brown and Pritchard scored 19 points apiece in the second half, and Pritchard wrapped up the win on a step-back 3-pointer with 3:24 to play, prompting the Lakers to

empty their bench amid scattered boos.

Luka Doncic had 25 points and LeBron James got the 43,000th point of his career while scoring 20 for the Lakers, who fell short at home against a probable NBA title contender for the third time in two weeks. Los Angeles was held to its second-lowest point total of the season.

THUNDER 121, CAVALIERS 113

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Isaiah Joe scored 22 points and Cason Wallace added 20 points and 10 assists to help the shorthanded Oklahoma City beat Cleveland.

Chet Holmgren had 17 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for Oklahoma City (44-14), which made 21 of 41 3-point attempts (51.2%), including six by Joe, and converted 17 turnovers into 31 points.

The Thunder played without injured starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring). and key contributors Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain) and Alex Caruso (sprained left ankle).

Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Sam Merrill each had 20 points for Cleveland (36-22), which lost for the first time in eight games. The Cavaliers, who made 13 of 39 3-pointers (33.3%), fell behind early but couldn’t complete the comeback against the hot-shooting Thunder.

RAPTORS 122, BUCKS 94

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Immanuel Quickley scored 32 points and Toronto snapped Milwaukee’s threegame win streak with a victory. Toronto’s Brandon Ingram had 22 points, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 19. Quickley was 5 of 11 on 3-point attempts and had nine assists and three rebounds. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. led the

Bucks with 21 points each. Cam Thomas scored 15 off the bench. Milwaukee lost for just the second time in its last eight games.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his 11th straight game since straining his right calf on Jan. 23. The Bucks are 15-15 with Antetokounmpo and 9-16 without him this season.

HAWKS 115, NETS 104

ATLANTA (AP) —

Jalen Johnson had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Atlanta rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Brooklyn for the Nets fourth straight loss.

CJ McCollum added 16 points and eight rebounds in his first start since joining the Hawks as part of a trade that sent Trae Young to the Wizards. Jock Landale had 17 points in 16 minutes off the bench, knocking down all three of his 3-point shots. Onyeka Okongwu threw down a thunderous slam over Nic Claxton in the third quarter and finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Claxton returned after missing three games with ankle and hip injuries to finish with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

MAVERICKS 134, PACERS 130

INDIANAPOLIS

(AP) — Khris Middleton scored 25 points and P.J. Washington added 23 to lead Dallas over Indiana, snapping a 10-game losing streak.Middleton also had seven rebounds and seven assists and was one of six Mavs players to score in double figures. Washington grabbed nine boards, and Marvin Bagley III had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Dallas ended its longest slide since skids of 10 and 15 games in 1997-98, and won for the first time since Jan. 22 against Golden State. All-Star forward

WARRIORS’ Gary Payton II (0) defends against Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic (15) during the first half Sunday in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Kelley Cox)

Pascal Siakam returned from a three-game absence and led the Pacers with 30 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Andrew Nembhard had 22 points and 11 assists. Jarace Walker added 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Kobe Brown scored a career-high 15 as Indiana fell to 0-3 since the All-Star break, losing its first home game since Feb. 3 — the longest stretch between home games in the franchise’s NBA history.

HORNETS 129, WIZARDS 112

WASHINGTON (AP) -- LaMelo Ball made a career-high 10 3-pointers and scored 37 points to help Charlotte rout Washington for a four-game season sweep.

Ball attempted 15 3-pointers. Kon Knueppel added 28 points, and Brandon Miller had 22. The Hornets made 12 of 14 3-pointers in the third quarter to blow open the game, and finished 25 of 46 from long range.

Bilal Coulibaly scored 15 of his 17 points in the first quarter for Washington. The Wizards dropped to 16-40, missing a chance for

their first three-game winning streak since February 2025.

Charlotte had lost three of four since a nine-game winning streak ended just before the All-Star break. The Hornets (27-31) are 10th in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Atlanta and 1 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee.

TRAIL BLAZERS 92, SUNS 77

PHOENIX (AP) -Donovan Clingan had 23 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead Portland past the shorthanded Phoenix.

Jerami Grant also scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. The Trail Blazers bounced back from an ugly 157-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday and have won five of their past seven.

Portland built a 20-point lead by late in the third quarter and settled for a 71-57 advantage heading into the fourth. Collin Gillespie hit two 3-pointers to cut it to 80-69 with 7:36 left but Grant responded with a 3 to turn back the rally.

Gillespie led Phoenix with 18 points, and Jalen Green had 13. Coming off a 113-110 double-overtime win over Orlando at home Saturday, the Suns shot just 36.9% from the field and the 77 points were a season low. It was a sloppy game for both teams — the Blazers had 21 turnovers and the Suns had 19.

KNICKS 105, BULLS 99

CHICAGO (AP) -Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 11 rebounds for his NBA-leading 39th double-double and New York outlasted the sliding Chicago for their second straight victory. Towns scored six straight points — on a 3-pointer, a layup and free throw — after Chicago took a 95-94 lead with 3:52 left in regulation on Matas Buzelis’ 3. Mikal Bridges hit another 3-pointer with 27 seconds left, and Jalen Brunson

iced it with two free throws. Brunson had 19 points and nine assists to help New York deal the Bulls a ninth straight loss, their longest skid since a 10-game slide in January 2019.

Landry Shamet added 16 points for the often cold-shooting Knicks, who shot 44.7% from the floor after overcoming an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Houston 108-106 in New York on Saturday.

Buzelis finished with 15 points for Chicago. Jalen Smith had 12 before leaving the in the third quarter with right calf tightness, and Isaac Okoro had 12. Guerschon Yabusele had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

MAGIC 111, CLIPPERS 109 INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as Orlando held on for a victory over Los Angeles.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Tristan da Silva scored 13 for the Magic, who improved to 5-2 since Feb. 5. Kawhi Leonard shrugged off an ankle injury to score 37 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Clippers, who are 4-5 since Feb. 2. Mathurin missed a 3-point attempt to win the game at the buzzer.

Jordan Miller had 14 points for the Clippers.

Leonard exited Friday’s loss against the Los Angeles Lakers with an ankle sprain. Mathurin was playing in his fifth game for the Clippers after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Indiana Pacers. Orlando won despite going 8 of 23 from 3-point range, two games after setting a franchise record with 27 3-pointers in a victory at Sacramento. Jalen Suggs missed his second consecutive game for the Magic with back spasms.

Supersub strikes again as Sesko gives Manchester United win at Everton

LIVERPOOL, Eng-

land (AP) — Manchester

United supersub Benjamin Sesko scored 13 minutes after entering the field to give his side a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League yesterday.

It was the third time in four games that Sesko has scored after coming off the bench and secured points for United.

“I believe in me and so do the other players as well,” Sesko told Sky Sports. “They know what they are going to get when I arrive in the game. It's up to me to deliver of course.”

His goal with 19 minutes remaining finished off the slickest move of an otherwise stodgy game.

Bryan Mbeumo controlled Matheus Cunha’s superb long ball and played a perfectly weighted pass to the feet of Sesko, who steered the ball past Jordan Pickford with aplomb. “It was a great finish," United interim coach Michael Carrick said. “It was a ruthless finish. I liked the way he put it away with real confidence. It was great play from Cunha and Mbeumo to set

it up and we are dangerous on the break.”

Until then defences had been on top and the lack of attacking fluency was not helped by a heavy pitch that appeared to slow down both teams.

The result took fourthplaced United three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool. United was three behind Aston Villa.

It also extended Carrick’s unbeaten run to six games since he replaced Ruben Amorim on January 13. The defeat was a blow to Everton’s hopes of a

place in next year’s European competitions and left it languishing in ninth, behind Brentford and Bournemouth and eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool.

David Moyes’ men have gone seven games without a win at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

“Generally we did very well in lots of bits," Moyes said. "We got done on the counterattack and they ran away and got the goal that was there. We put in a great effort to get the goal but lacked the quality to make it count.”

THE WEATHER REPORT

Alcott Forbes wins inaugural home run derby,

DERBY - from Page E1

first round with 10 outs each to determine the top 10 to advance to the second round. With seven outs each, five moved onto the third round with seven outs as well and then the final three advanced for the awards.

“I think it was good for the first one,” Burrows said. “This is going to be an annual event, we hope to make it bigger and bigger next year. We hope to get some of the hitters from Grand Bahama and the Family Islands to participate as well.”

Bahamas Softball Federation president Marvin ‘Togie’ Wood, who also participated in the first round, said the event showed the level of softball in the country.

“It was nice. It was a breath of fresh air,” Wood said. “Softball is the most played sport in The Bahamas. We play slowpitch, modified and fast-pitch.

“So it was good to see a combination of players from the New Providence Softball Association, the Government League, the Oldtimers and the Masters come out and participate in this one for Edron Knowles.”

Wood and the New Providence Oldtimers Softball Association presented a floating trophy that was presented to Forbes for his winning performance.

collects $500 and 5 cases of beers

Knowles’ mother Kathleen Minnis and her family provided some incentives for all of the players who participated, along with the event sponsor, Asure Win. Minnis expressed her gratitude to the NSA and all of the players, especially Knowles’ Hitmen team-mates, who came out and participated in the tournament. “We’re looking forward

to a bigger and better tournament next year,” she summed up.