Sports | Buckie Got It

International Sports, Sports

Sizzling Heat miss playoffs despite record rally

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-basketball-nba-playoffs-idUSKBN17F0FF #

Published 13 April 2017

The Miami Heat completed a stirring second half to the NBA regular season by setting a new milestone on Wednesday but their brilliance was not rewarded with a playoff berth as the growing trend of resting players took on extra significance.

The Heat were the victims this time, their season drawing to a close earlier than they would have preferred despite a 110-102 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Miami made an awful start to the campaign and were 11-30 at the halfway mark, but the Heat became the first team to rally from more than 12 games below .500 and avoid a losing record.

They finished 41-41 and needed either the Chicago Bulls or Indiana Pacers to lose their final games to reach the playoffs.

The Bulls, however, breezed to a 112-73 victory against a Brooklyn Nets team missing six players, while the Pacers cruised to a 104-86 win over the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks, who rested five players ahead of the post-season.

“The league has got to step in here, because this is a very big black eye for this league,” former NBA Coach of the Year Hubie Brown said during the Indiana-Atlanta game.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has expressed concern at the practice of resting so many players, but apart from promising to schedule teams to play less games on consecutive days, it has offered few other answers on how to solve the problem.

Boston clinched the top seed in the East, ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost their last four games, playing the final two without LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

In the Western Conference, there was nothing at stake on Wednesday except for home court advantage for the series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz.

The Clippers had to win their game against Sacramento to clinch the fourth seed ahead of Utah, and they did so easily, 115-95.

Match-ups for the first round of the playoffs.

Eastern Conference:

Boston (1) v Chicago (8)

Cleveland (2) v Indiana (7)

Toronto (3) v Milwaukee (6)

Washington (4) v Atlanta (5)

Western Conference:

Golden State (1) v Portland (8)

San Antonio (2) v Memphis (7)

Houston (3) v Oklahoma City (6)

Los Angeles Clippers (4) v Utah (5)

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury/John O’Brien)

Local Sports, Sports

Gulf Insurance Limited recognised for avid sponsorship of Nevis Primary Schools Championship

http://www.nia.gov.kn/index.php/news-4/news-articles-3/3017-gulf-insurance-limited-recognised-for-avid-sponsorship-of-nevis-primary-schools-championship #

Published 12 April 2017

Jamir Claxton, Director of Sports on Nevis and a member of the Nevis Primary Schools Championship’s organising committee presents a token of appreciation to Jason Clarke, Managing Director of Gulf Insurance Limited on April 06, 2017, at Long Point for the company’s avid support to the championships. (L-r) S. Nandpersad, Director of Assuria Group, Gulf’s parent company based in Suriname and John Barkely, Gulf Insurance Limited’s Operations/Claims ManagerNIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (APRIL 07, 2017) — Management of Gulf Insurance Limited, expressed thanks for recognition of the company’s 25th year of sponsorship to the Nevis Primary Schools Championship by the Departments of Education and Youth and Sports and the Meet Directorate.

Jamir Claxton, Director of Sports on Nevis and a member of the championship’s organising committee, presented a plaque as a token of appreciation to Jason Clarke, Managing Director of Gulf Insurance Limited on April 06, 2017, at the end of a site visit to the MUNDO track under construction at Long Point. The insurance representatives who were on Nevis to witness the 25 championship, left Nevis moments after the tour.

“On behalf of Gulf, I would like to say thank you for this recognition for our support over the last 25 years. We look forward to continuing to support the Nevis primary schools sports for another 25 years and further.

“We believe in the development of the youths. The youths are our future and Gulf is part of the development of the youths of Nevis,” he said.

Lester Blackett, Meet Director of the 25th Nevis Primary Schools ChampionshipS. Nandpersad, Director of Assuria Group, Gulf’s parent company based in Suriname, said supporting the youth and their involvement in sport is important to the company. He pledged continued support for the youths of Nevis in the coming years.

Meantime, he used the opportunity to speak of his impressions of the MUNDO track and his experience at the championships.

“I am very impressed. With all respect, you don’t expect a track like this. What I saw yesterday and still the kids do their utmost to present good times, I think, this will help them out also to go further in the profession in sports.

“I am very impressed and positively impressed. To all you guys who are behind this, keep doing the good job. This is very important, not only the youth but the support for you guys. Mr. Blackett, our efforts are behind you to keep this going up. It’s very important,” he said.

Management of Gulf Insurance Limited touring the MUNDO athletic track under construction at Long Point on April 06, 2017. (L-r) John Barkely, Gulf Insurance Limited’s Operations/Claims Manager, Project Manager Timothy Caines, S. Nandpersad, Director of Assuria Group, Gulf’s parent company based in Suriname and Jason Clarke, Managing Director of Gulf Insurance LimitedJohn Barkely, Gulf Insurance Limited’s Operations/Claims Manager who has been involved with the championships over the years, acknowledged the recognition and described the new athletic track as a dream come true.

He said the new state-of-the-art track would redound to the benefit of the youth of Nevis and they looked forward to future champions emanating from what he believes will be a great sporting facility.

Also present was Meet Director Lester Blackett and Project Manager of the MUNDO track project Timothy Caines.

Local Sports, Sports

Premier League Points Standing

Published 11 April 2017

POS Club	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD
SLH Horsfords St. Pauls United	23	16	2	5	51	13	38
FLOW 4G Cayon Rockets	23	15	4	4	40	17	23
H.E. Garden Hotspurs	23	14	5	4	53	25	28
RAMS Village Superstars	23	11	5	7	62	30	32
Winners Circle Newtown United	23	10	8	5	39	20	19
SOL Island Auto Conaree	23	10	7	6	37	24	13
ELCO LTD St. Peters	23	9	3	11	34	33	1
United Old Road Jets	23	5	2	16	14	36	-22
Fast Cash SPD United	23	4	4	15	19	40	-21

Local Sports, Sports

Teams Jockey for Positions in SKNFA competitions

http://sknfa.com/ #

Published 11 April 2017

The intense schedule of football competitions continue as teams vie to get into the SKNFA Easter Cup

The second round of the SKNFA Premier League was just completed, leaving four teams sitting well and most favoured to compete in the Easter Cup Finals.

Teams that have qualified, based on points accumulated in the second round only, are as follows:

SOL Island Auto Conaree – 20 points from 9 games

RAMS Village Superstars – 19 points from 9 games

HE Garden Hotspurs – 19 points from 9 games

FLOW 4G Cayon Rockets – 17 points from 9 games

These are the four Premier League teams that will compete in the SKNFA Easter Cup Competition from the 13th April. In this competition, No. 1 will play against No. 4, and No. 2 will play No. 3. to determine which teams enter the final of the Easter Cup.

Although Superstars and Hotspurs have the same number of points, Superstars with a better goal average secured the second position.

According to Dexter Tyrell, manager of the SKNFA Secretariat, attention is also being given to the third and final round of the Premier League. As of 14th March, all teams would have played their required matches. The push is now on for every team to get a berth in the Final 4.

“As it is, the teams that are out front would be HE Garden Hotspurs leading the pack with 42 points, followed closely by FLOW 4G Cayon Rockets, with 39 points, and S L Horsford St. Paul’s United now on 38 points,” Tyrell informed.

In the remainder of the points standing:

SOL Island Auto Conaree – 34 points

RAMS Village Superstars – 31

Winners Circle Newtown – 26

ELCO Limited St. Peter’s – 26

United Old Road Jets – 16

Fast Cash SPD United – 15

Delta Petroleum Sandy Point – 3

“The competition, for me, is wide open. It is still open for the first seven teams to have a chance to get into the Final 4. Teams have about eight games to go, and if any team wins all its games, they would accumulate an additional 24 points, but truthfully, it would be fair to say that team Sandy Point has already eliminated itself.”

“I do believe over the next couple of days, you will see some good football.”

Meanwhile, the stage has been reached for what is called ‘The Round of Sixteen” for the 2017 SKNFA – FA Cup Competition – a knock-out competition. Games are being played to get to through the next stages that lead to the SKNFA – FA Cup Finals.

The quarter finals of the FA Cup will be held on the 28th and the 30th of March.

Local Sports, Regional Sports, Sports

SHARE TWEET SHARE EMAIL GEORGETOWN, (CMC) – Pakistan defeated West Indies by 74 runs in the second One-Day International of the three-match series at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday.

http://sknpulse.com/pakistan-beat-west-indies-by-74-runs-2nd-odi/ #

Published 10 April 2017

GEORGETOWN, (CMC) – Pakistan defeated West Indies by 74 runs in the second One-Day International of the three-match series at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday.

Pakistan scored 282 for five off 50 overs (Babar Azam 125 not out, Imad Wasim 43 not out, Mohammed Hafeez 32, Sarfraz Ahmed 26; Shannon Gabriel 2-50)

Meanwhile West Indies scraped 208 off 44.5 overs (Jason Holder 68, Ashley Nurse 44; Hasan Ali 5-38, Mohammad Hafeez 2-23)

Babar Azam struck his fifth One-Day International hundred and fourth in five matches against West Indies as Pakistan set the hosts another imposing run chase in the second game of the three-match series yesterday.

Sent in, the visitors tallied 282 for five off their 50 overs, with the right-handed Babar stroking a career-best unbeaten 125 off 132 deliveries at the Guyana National Stadium.

Imad Wasim came at the end to lash an unbeaten 43 off 35 balls, combining with Azam to plunder 84 runs off the last seven overs – in an 89-run, unbroken sixth wicket stand which gave the innings much needed impetus.

Mohammed Hafeez got 32 and captain Sarfraz Ahmed, 26, while fast bowler Shannon Gabriel led the bowlers with two for 50.

Still inspired from their record run chase in Friday’s opener, West Indies started strongly when they removed dangerous openers Ahmed Shezad (5) and Kamran Akmal (21) to leave Pakistan 44 for two in the ninth over.

Gabriel claimed Shezad to a smart leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Shai Hope while Joseph accounted for Akmal in identical fashion.

READ STPS and EPPS emerge winners at 25th Gulf Insurance Primary Schools Championships on Nevis

Azam then paced the innings nicely with three vital partnerships. He put on 69 for the third wicket with Hafeez, added 55 for the fifth with Safraz before his belter at the end with Imad.

All told, Azam struck seven fours and three sixes while the left-handed Imad blasted a pair of four and sixes.

Sourced Information: CMC