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shushu
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19 Mar 2019 04:47 |
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GENEVA -- Former European Cup winners Porto and Celtic took big steps toward the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, as home teams struggled in their playoff round, first-leg matches. Two-time champion Porto won 1-0 in Lille, and Celtic took advantage of a reprieve from UEFA to play in the competition by drawing 1-1 at Maribor. Russian league leader Zenit St. Petersburgs 1-0 victory at Standard Liege helped ensure all five home teams failed to win. APOEL is favoured to advance next week in Cyprus after drawing 1-1 against Aalborg in Denmark. BATE Borisov took a 1-1 draw back to Belarus after Slovan Bratislava got an 80th-minute equalizer from veteran Slovakia forward Robert Vittek. Second-leg matches are played next Tuesday, two days before the 32-team group stage is drawn in Monaco. Each club is then guaranteed at last 8.6 million euros ($11.5 million) in prize money from UEFA. Porto and Lille both finished third in their national leagues last season, and it was Portugal which looked the classier act on this evidence. The only goal, in the 61st minute, had a World Cup flavour to it. Portos Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera pounced from close-range after Lilles Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama parried a header by Jackson Martinez, the Colombia forward. Lille rarely threatened, though defender Sebastien Corchia shot over from eight meters (yards) in the 45th after his first shot was blocked. Celtic, the 1967 champion, owed its appearance in the playoffs to UEFAs lawyers after losing home and away to previous opponent Legia Warsaw. Celtic advanced when the Polish champion was punished for fielding a suspended player. The Scottish side led in the sixth minute from a third goal in the competition by Callum McGregor, who seized on a loose ball after Jo Inge Bergets shot was saved. Maribor, seeking a first group-stage appearance for 15 years, levelled eight minutes with Damjan Bohars goal. Celtic would have retaken the lead but Stefan Johansen, standing on the goalline, inadvertently blocked teammate Virgil van Dijks header. After four straight wins in its national league, coach Andre Villas-Boas Zenit team also won in Belgium. Brazil forward Hulks pass across the penalty box set up Oleg Shatovs winning goal in the 16th minute. APOEL, a surprise quarterfinalist three seasons ago, made its first shot on target count in the 54th minute at Aalborg. Brazilian midfielder Vinicius finished a surging run into the penalty area with a rising shot into the net. The Danish champion Aalborg had dominated the first half and took the lead with Nicolaj Thomsens shot in the 16th from 15 metres (yards). BATE are well set to reach the group stage for the fourth time since 2008. It led with a 44th-minute own goal by Slovan defender Tomas Jablonsky. Vittek, whose four goals at the 2010 World Cup included two to eliminate defending champion Italy, came off the bench late to level the match with a left-foot shot from a tight angle. 17:22ET 20-08-14 Wholesale Adidas Australia . Browns advice worked. Irving scored 20 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 88-82 Saturday night. Irving made his first shot of the night on a layup a little over three minutes into the game. Cheap Adidas Shoes Wholesale . -- The Denver Broncos retired John Elways No. http://www.wholesaleshoesaustraliaadidas.com/ . Kalish got his first hit since Sept. 11, 2012, when he rapped an RBI triple in the first inning Sunday in the Chicago Cubs 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Adidas Wholesale Supplier Australia . No, really, his head. Late in the game, the St. Louis goalie craned his neck into the air to block a shot, taking a puck square in the mask. Adidas Shoes Online Sale Australia . -- Quarterback Josh Johnson has returned to the San Francisco 49ers and his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh.OKLAHOMA CITY -- Three games into his comeback from injury, Kobe Bryant remains a work in progress for the Los Angeles Lakers. While Kevin Durants Oklahoma City Thunder continued their early season roll Friday night. Durant had 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Russell Westbrook added 19 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds and the Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 122-97. Serge Ibaka added 19 points and 10 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season and Reggie Jackson also scored 19 for Oklahoma City, which has won five straight and 13 of its past 14 games. The Thunder are unbeaten in 11 home games this season and have won four straight at home over the Lakers. "We have a pretty good team," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "Thats been the case for a while now. One of the things that I tell the guys, every season has its own identity. "We started the season knowing that we wanted to ... just continue to build trust in each other and just focus on each other and not worry about anything else, but trying to make your teammates look good. Its early, but weve done a great job with that." Los Angeles has lost all three games since Bryants return from a torn Achilles tendon. Bryant had 13 assists -- just two shy of his career high -- but showed little of his trademark offensive ability, finishing with four points on 2-of-6 shooting. He played 23 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. "There is no secret formula that you can sprinkle out there," Los Angeles coach Mike DAntoni said. "Hell get more comfortable, then the guys will get more comfortable around him and then hell do a better job." Nick Young led the Lakers with 17 points. Xavier Henry, playing in his hometown, scored 15 points for Los Angeles while Pau Gasol had 14 points and seven rebounds. Oklahoma City made quick work of the Lakers, setting season highs with 38 points in the first quarter and 66 points in the first half. Oklahoma Citys lead was mostly in double digits from the three-minute mark of the first quarter on. The Thunder finished with a season-high 34 assists and outrebounded the Lakers 59-41. "Theyre a good team and they just beat us," DAntoni said. "Thats number one. Our defence is not keeping it in front of us right now and offensive rebounds, its been a problem for us for a while. We turn the ball over too much. Its a combination of them outrunning us and them getting to the boards." The Lakers played without three injured point guards -- Steve Nash, Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake -- forcing Bryant intto the position even as he works his way back from his injury.dddddddddddd Los Angeles committed 19 turnovers, including seven by Bryant. Los Angeles jumped to a quick 13-7 lead and briefly looked as if it might stay with the Thunder, but Durant exited a timeout with a dunk and a 16-foot jumper to ignite an 18-3 run that put Oklahoma City in control. A 10-0 run by the Lakers early in the second quarter pulled them within 44-38, but Oklahoma City answered with a 12-0 spurt and the lead remained in double digits the rest of the way. The Thunder led 66-51 at halftime and werent challenged after that. As good as theyve been playing, Durant said the Thunder still have room for improvement. "We just want to play our best brand of basketball at the right time," he said. "But we cant do that unless we focus on today. Today we did a good job of playing together and playing hard on the defensive end. We cant think about April. Weve got to get past these days. "We can be a lot better. There are a lot of things we need to work on -- transition defence, rebounding, passing. On offence weve got to flow a little better. But our chemistry is growing. Thats the most important thing." On the Lakers first two possessions, Bryant was tied up by Oklahoma City rookie Andre Roberson, then had the ball stolen by Westbrook. Bryant didnt take a shot until making a steal that led to a breakaway with 3:50 left in the first quarter, but he eschewed dunking the ball, instead laying it off the backboard. Bryant went 2 of 2 from the field in the first half and was a bit more aggressive after halftime, but missed all four of his shots. It was his second single-digit scoring outing since returning from his injury on Sunday. Westbrooks double-double was his fifth of the season. Durant finished 10 of 13 from the field while Ibaka went 8 of 13. Wesley Johnson added 13 points for Los Angeles. NOTES: After missing three games with back spasms, Lakers C Chris Kaman suited up Friday and entered the game at the start of the fourth quarter. He finished with nine points. ... Thunder G Thabo Sefolosha missed his third straight game with a sprained right knee. The team said he remains day to day. ... Young received a technical foul from official David Guthrie early in the second quarter after complaining following a 3-pointer by Oklahoma Citys Jeremy Lamb. ... Oklahoma City recorded its 99th straight regular-season sellout at Chesapeake Energy Arena. ... Jackson has hit at least one 3-pointer in 10 straight games for Oklahoma City. ... Lakers C Robert Sacre grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. ' ' '
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