BEIJING — The NBA and a Chinese partner say they plan to open a basketball center near Beijing.The partners say the facility in Tianjin, a port city east of the Chinese capital, will include NBA-style basketball courts, a fitness center, a restaurant and other features, according to NBA China and the Yatai Lanhai Investment Group.The announcement was made as the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers played NBA exhibition games in Beijing and Shanghai.The 12,000-square-meter NBA Center is to become part of a mixed-use development by Yatai Lanhai with housing for 150,000. The New York Times reported the entire complex will cost $1.5 billion.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Orioles beat Yanks in 13th, even series
NEW YORK — First flying bugs, now a flying bat.When it comes to the postseason, Joba Chamberlain is jinxed.The Yankees hope their season isn't, too.Chamberlain was knocked out of Game 4 of the AL Division Series on Thursday night when the barrel of Matt Wieters' broken bat hit him on the right elbow in the 12th inning. The Baltimore Orioles went on to a 2-1 victory that forced a decisive Game 5 on Friday night, getting the go-ahead run when Manny Machado doubled against David Phelps leading off the 13th and scored on J.J. Hardy's RBI double."I don't know if I would hang out with me very much. I might need a bubble," Chamberlain said.He might not be the only one.On another Bronx night filled with controversy, Alex Rodriguez was pinch hit for once again. Eric Chavez batted in place of slumping A-Rod and ended the game with a lineout to third off Jim Johnson."I just do what I'm told," Chavez said. "It's kind of crazy."Now it's up to CC Sabathia to show he's an ace, taking the mound Friday night against Jason Hammel in a rematch of Game 1 starters."It's time to go," Sabathia said. "This is a one-game playoff, and this is what we play for. We're here in the Bronx at home, and like I said, I'll be excited and ready to go."New York outlasted Baltimore for the AL East title last week. Now the Yankees will try to do it again and advance to the AL Championship Series against Detroit."It's the same game whether it's the first game of the season or the postseason," said Derek Jeter, who shifted to designated hitter because of a sore left foot. "We're going to try to have fun with it, enjoy it."New York had runners on base in each of the first eight innings, but the Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and dropped to 6-for-28 (.214) in the series.A-Rod, 2-for-16 (.125) with no RBIs and nine strikeouts, fanned against side-arming right-hander Darren O'Day with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth. Nick Swisher then flied out."It's obviously frustrating," Rodriguez said. "That was a situation that I could do some damage, and just couldn't get it done tonight."He's not the only slumping star. Curtis Granderson is 1-for-16 (.125) with nine Ks. Robinson Cano is 2-for-18 (.111) and hitless in his last 11 at-bats. Russell Martin is batting .214, Ichiro Suzuki .200 and Swisher .133."There's really good pitching," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "There's guys on the other side that are struggling, too. You're seeing some really good pitching in these four games."Girardi won't know until Friday whether his bullpen will include Chamberlain, who has had enough mound misfortunes to fill a horror film.Sabathia held off the Orioles in winning the opener 7-2, allowing two runs and eight hits in 8? innings.
Kenyan stars miffed by tax demands
NAIROBI — Olympic and world 800-meter record holder David Rudisha and world 10,000 and 5,000 champion Vivian Cheruiyot are among a group of Kenyan athletes protesting against tax demands on prize money earned abroad."This is very unfair. We have used much of our earnings to contribute to the Kenyan economy. We bring money home to put up investments, which are already heavily taxed by the government," said Cheruiyot.The athletes received letters from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) last week, which required them to pay tax from their race earnings abroad.
85 tragedy affected move: Del Piero
MILAN, Italy — Former Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero says he signed with Sydney FC rather than Liverpool out of respect for the Heysel Stadium disaster.Del Piero tells the Gazzetta dello Sport that when an offer from Liverpool came "the negotiations with Sydney were already at an advanced stage and then I also thought about what happened at Heysel. Juventus and Liverpool have been able to repair their relationship, but for a lot of people that tragedy is unforgettable."During the 1985 European Cup final at Heysel in Belgium, 39 people were killed — most of them Juventus supporters — when riots broke out and a wall separating Liverpool and Juve fans collapsed.The 37-year-old Del Piero made his A-League debut in Sydney's 2-0 loss at Wellington last weekend.
Nishioka anxious to return to ring
LOS ANGELES — Toshiaki Nishioka said Thursday that after a year without a fight, he is ready to rumble with Nonito Donaire this weekend in their super bantamweight title unification fight."I don't care if it's by decision or by knockout," Nishioka, the left-handed WBC champion said at a prefight news conference. "I'm going to win.""I've been able to study him more (because of my layoff). I'm more motivated. I'm even enjoying this more. I'm going to concentrate and execute my plan and never let up for even an instant."Filipino Donaire, the WBO champion, revealed that he had injured his left index finger playing basketball but that he would be in perfect fighting trim on Saturday.
Hiratsuka holds three-stroke lead in Japan Open
NAHA, Okinawa Pref. — Tetsuji Hiratsuka shot a 70 Friday to establish a three-shot advantage at the midway point of the Japan Open, the third major of the season on the JGTO Tour.Hiratsuka, one of only three players to go under par in the second round on another blustery day at the par-71 Naha Golf Club, made six birdies against five bogeys to close at 1-over 143.The 40-year-old Hiratsuka, who claimed his most recent victory at the 2011 Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, moved three clear of Komei Oda."I didn't play particularly well, but the shots that made the fairway led to the chances that just happened to go in the cup for me," said Hiratsuka, a six-time winner on the tour."It was still really windy around the halfway point. I thought it had died down after around three holes after the turn but the wind and the rain came. I am not used to the wind and I just took a very conservative approach and tried to avoid double bogeys."Oda picked up one shot through 10 holes but unraveled with three bogeys coming home and had a 2-over 73.Local favorite Yusaku Miyazato matched the day's low score of 69 and was tied with 57-year-old Tsuneyuki Nakajima (74), current money rankings leader Hiroyuki Fujita (73), Kenichi Kuboya (73) and overnight coleader Nobuhito Sato (75).China's Wu Ashun and Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines were tied for eighth at 6 over.Last week's Canon Open winner Yuta Ikeda shared 16th place at 8 over after a 72. Promising amateur Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa were at 11 and 12 over, respectively, but Shingo Katayama and old-timers Isao Aoki and Jumbo Ozaki missed the cut.
UCLA to unveil statue of Wooden
LOS ANGELES — UCLA will unveil a statue of the late basketball coach John Wooden outside newly renovated Pauley Pavilion on Oct. 26.Members of Wooden's family are expected to attend. The bronze statue was paid for by a donation from athletic boosters and was created by Blair Buswell, who has sculpted many busts of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees.The $136 million renovation of UCLA's basketball arena began in March 2011. The building will re-open at the end of the month.Wooden's UCLA teams won 10 national championships, including seven straight, during his 12 seasons as coach. He retired in 1975 with a record of 620-147 at UCLA. Wooden died in June 2010 at age 99. The court inside Pauley is named for him and his late wife Nell.
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