Slingers split series with Alab after defeat
SINGAPORE • The Singapore Slingers struggled for pace and points in the second half as they let slip a 28-17 second-quarter lead to lose 69-82 to Alab Pilipinas at the OCBC Arena yesterday.
Slingers swingman Xavier Alexander had a game-high 32 points but found little scoring support from his team-mates. Alab had four players in double figures, led by former NBA forward Renaldo Balkman (21 points) as the teams split their four-game series 2-2, thanks to away wins. The Slingers (7-7) remain fifth in the nine-team Asean Basketball League, one spot behind Alab (8-4).
Palace fight back to draw with Newcastle
LONDON • Crystal Palace came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Newcastle in the Premier League yesterday.
Newcastle midfielder Mohamed Diame opened the scoring at Selhurst Park in the 22nd minute before Luka Milivojevic equalised with a 55th-minute penalty.
Sharma closes with a 62 for Maybank title
KUALA LUMPUR • India's Shubhankar Sharma fired 10 birdies to secure a two-shot win at the US$3 million (S$3.96 million) Maybank Championship in Malaysia yesterday.
He triumphed with a 10-under 62 on the final day of the tournament for a 21-under 267 total. It is his second Asian Tour and European Tour victory after clinching the Joburg Open just two months ago.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Brady is oldest NFL MVP winner
MINNEAPOLIS (Minnesota) • New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady became the oldest National Football League (NFL) player to win the Most Valuable Player award on Saturday, doing so at the age of 40.
Brady claimed 40 of the 50 votes from a national media panel, with the Los Angeles Rams' Todd Gurley garnering eight votes and Philadelphia's Carson Wentz getting two. The award is Brady's third MVP honour, tying him with Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas and Brett Favre for second-most. Peyton Manning holds the record with five.
REUTERS
Guardiola cites thin squad behind bench
LONDON • Pep Guardiola defended his decision to name only six substitutes for Manchester City's 1-1 Premier League draw at Burnley on Saturday, claiming that he did not have enough players to fill his bench despite boasting the Premier League's most expensive squad.
The City manager visited Turf Moor without seven injured players on Saturday, and Guardiola insisted that an elite development squad fixture on Friday was also a key factor behind his decision as he did not want to withdraw any of his youngsters from that game to travel with the first team.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
China's Su rewrites own Asian 60m mark
KARLSRUHE (Germany) • Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian broke the Asian record of 6.47sec for the men's 60m while winning the final of the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Tour in Karlsruhe, Germany on Saturday.
He sliced 0.03sec off the previous Asian record, which was held by himself and Qatar's Tosin Ogunode.
XINHUA
