Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In Brief: Britain takes 2-0 Davis Cup lead over U.S.

Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, right, had his streak of 12 straight games with at least 30 points come to an end in win over Nets. (Associated Press)
From Staff And Wire Reports

Tennis: James Ward won 10 of the last 11 games to take a stunning five-set victory against Sam Querrey and give Britain a 2-0 lead against the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup on Friday at Petco Park in San Diego.

Ward was two games from losing the match when he began his rally that gave him a 1-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. With dusk approaching and the lights on at the downtown baseball park, Ward won the match with an overhand smash that brought his teammates to their feet in celebration.

Ward’s victory in 3 hours, 11 minutes, followed Wimbledon champion Andy Murray’s easy straight-sets victory against Donald Young on the temporary red clay court in left field at the home of the San Diego Padres.

Britain can clinch the match today if it wins the doubles match. Murray and Colin Fleming are scheduled to face Bob and Mike Bryan.

• Sharapova reaches Open GDF semis: Top-seeded Maria Sharapova thrashed eighth-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-2, 6-2 to set up an all-Russian semifinal against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Open Gaz de France in Paris.

Pavlyuchenkova upset fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Both had seven aces and also dropped serve four times each.

In today’s other semifinal, third-seeded Sara Errani of Italy will play France’s Alize Cornet.

Errani handled Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3, while Cornet needed three hours to get past Andrea Petkovic of Germany 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-3.

Leroux scores as U.S. women top Canada

Soccer: Sydney Leroux scored in the 78th minute and the U.S. women’s team earned a 1-0 victory over Canada.

Leroux, a Canadian-born U.S. citizen who also plays for the Seattle Reign, broke the deadlock with a left-footed finish 3 yards out after a Becky Sauerbrunn pass got through two defenders and goalie Erin McLeod inside the 6-yard box.

Hope Solo preserved the win in the 87th minute with a diving save of a Jonelle Filigno shot.

McIlroy maintains lead at Dubai

Golf: Rory McIlroy birdied his last hole to keep the lead to himself halfway through the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Desert Classic.

Meanwhile, playing partner Tiger Woods carded a 1-over 73 to drop into a tie for 44th.

While Woods was at 3 under, two above a cut line which removed Ernie Els, John Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal and Mark O’Meara, McIlroy was riding an adventurous round of five birdies against three bogeys to finish 11 under.

His lead was cut in half to one shot over European Tour-based American Brooks Koepka, who birdied his opening three holes in a 65 to move to 10 under.

• Mickelson survives: A week after withdrawing from Torrey Pines because of back pain, Phil Mickelson shot a 4-under 67 in his afternoon round at cool and breezy TPC Scottsdale (Ariz). The defending champion was eight strokes behind leaders Bubba Watson and Matt Jones.

Watson, the long-hitting left-hander, followed his opening 64 with a 66 to reach 12 under. Jones, the Australian who played at Arizona State and lives in Scottsdale, had his second straight 65.

Rolling Thunder win 10th straight game

NBA: Kevin Durant’s 30-point streak ended at 12 games when he scored 26 in just 30 minutes, but the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 10th in a row with a 120-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in New York.

Serge Ibaka made all 12 shots and added 25 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who were so good that Durant sat the entire fourth quarter.

The NBA’s leading scorer finished 10 of 12 from the field, though his scoring average during his sensational January dropped from 36.6 to 35.9.

• Raptors end drought in Denver: DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, former UW star Terrence Ross had 18 and the Toronto Raptors ended a decade-long drought in Denver by beating the short-handed Nuggets 100-90.

Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry added 13 points apiece for the Raptors, who snapped a nine-game losing streak in the Mile High City dating to 2003.

The Nuggets also announced that guard Nate Robinson had season-ending surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

• Curry carries Warriors past Jazz: Stephen Curry made eight 3-pointers in scoring a season-high 44 points, leading the Golden State Warriors past Utah 95-90 in Salt Lake City.

Curry had 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Mavericks handle Kings : A night after being named to his 12th All-Star game, Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 points to help the Dallas Mavericks hold off visiting Sacramento 107-103, the Kings sixth straight loss.

Red Wings survive Capitals in shootout

NHL: Alex Ovechkin had a game-tying goal with 7 seconds left in regulation, but Patrick Eaves scored in the seventh round of the shootout to give the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 home win over the Capitals.

Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, but the Red Wings couldn’t prevent the league’s goal-scoring leader from sending the game to overtime.

• Predators outlast Devils in OT: Shea Weber scored a pair of goals, including the difference-maker at 1:29 of overtime, and the Predators rallied late to beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in Nashville, Tenn.

David Legwand scored with 10.8 seconds left in regulation with goalie Carter Hutton on the bench, forcing overtime.

Arizona State holds off Oregon State

Women’s basketball: Adrianne Thomas scored 17 points and fueled the go-ahead run to lift the No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils (18-3, 7-2 Pac 12) to a 64-62 comeback win over the Oregon State Beavers (12-9, 4-5) in Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State rallied late in the second half, erasing a seven-point deficit with an 11-4 run that included a layup and four straight free throws from Thomas and tied the game at 62 with 32 seconds left. Promise Amukamara then put the Sun Devils ahead with a free throw, and Thomas added another.