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Edwards wins second NASCAR race in a row

LOS ANGELES: Carl Edwards won his second consecutive NASCAR race, taking advantage of a late restart at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr finished second followed by Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.

A wreck involving Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth with four laps remaining led to the restart. Edwards got away cleanly in his Ford and cruised to victory.

"I was just trying to keep Dale behind me," Edwards, who won Monday's rain-delayed race in Fontana, California, told reporters. "It has been an amazing couple of weeks."

Former tennis star Becker launches poker career

BERLIN: Former world No 1 tennis star Boris Becker has begun a career as a professional poker player, according to a report in Sunday's edition of German daily newspaper Die Welt.

"I have already been playing intensively since last year," said the 40-year-old, who won Wimbledon three times and has signed a sponsorship contract with an internet poker company.

"What fascinates me about poker is the psychology: what is my opponent thinking of me and what do I think of him," added Becker, who retired from tennis in June 1999.

Becker says he learned to play the card game while on the ATP circuit, especially at Wimbledon during the rain breaks.

And the German big-hitter says he is keen to recruit other former tennis stars to the poker table.

"I would like to know how people like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl or even Jimmy Connors, manage to keep their cool at poker," said Becker.

Cavaliers center Ilgauskas sidelined with back injury

NEW YORK: Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be out for at least a week because of a strained back.

Ilgauskas missed Cleveland's 95-86 victory over Chicago on Sunday because of the injury. The Cavaliers said he will be re-evaluated after a week and no timetable has been established for when the Lithuanian center will return.

Ilgauskas didn't practice Saturday and was examined by team doctors.

Before Sunday's game, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said, "More than anything else, it's a precautionary measure. He needs a rest."

Ilgauskas, one of the team's most consistent players, is averaging 13.5 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Raptors' Bosh to miss a week with ailing right knee

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: Chris Bosh, the Toronto Raptors All-Star forward, will be sidelined for a week with a tender right knee, the National Basketball Association team said.

Bosh departed Friday's 122-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers with the injury and sat out Sunday's 110-98 loss at the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Raptors have road games against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, before returning to Canada to face the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Bosh made his third straight appearance in the All-Star Game last month. He leads the Raptors this season with an average of 22.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in 51 games.

Bettini to make quick return despite second crash

BRUSSELS, Belgium: World champion Paulo Bettini suffered minor injuries on Sunday when he crashed out of a second race in as many days, but he is expected to make a quick return to training, his Quick Step team said in a statement.

The Olympic road race champion was involved in a collision with a number of other riders 15 km into the Kuurne-Brussels one-day race.

Bettini suffered minor abrasions on his left leg and on his left arm, and a bruise on his back, but he "will try to resume training immediately" on Monday, his team said.

"I was very scared," Bettini said in the statement released after the race won by his 34-year-old Dutch teammate Steven De Jongh.

"But fortunately I fared OK. I was able to hit the brakes and avoid the worst of it," he added.

(China Daily 03/04/2008 page22)