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6A — BAKER CITY HERALD THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020 Lillard ties career-high 61 Pac-12, Big 10: No fall football as Blazers nip Mavericks By Ralph D. Russo AP College Football Writer A crumbling college football season took a massive hit Tuesday when the Big Ten and Pac-12, two historic and powerful conferences, suc- cumbed to the pandemic and canceled their fall football seasons. Five months almost to the day after the fi rst spikes in coronavirus cases in the U.S. led to the cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournaments, the still raging pandemic is tearing down another American sports in- stitution: fall Saturdays fi lled with college football. “This was an extremely diffi cult and painful deci- sion that we know will have important impacts on our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and our fans,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “We know nothing will ease that.” Despite pleas from play- ers, coaches and President Donald Trump in recent days to play on, 40% of major college football teams have now decided to punt on a fall season, a decision that will cost schools tens of millions of dollars and upends traditions dating back a century. Both conferences cited the risk of trying to keep play- ers from contracting and spreading the coronavirus when the programs are not operating in a bubble like the NBA and NHL are doing. They also cited the broader state of the pandemic in the United States, which has had more than 5 million cases of COVID-19. “Every life is critical,” fi rst- year Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told the AP. “We wanted to make sure we continually, not only in our words but in our actions, do put the health and safety and wellness of our student- athletes fi rst.” Two smaller confer- ences, the Mid-American and Mountain West, had already announced the uncertain move to spring football. The decisions by the deep-pock- eted Big Ten and Pac-12, with hundred million-dollar televi- sion contracts and historic programs, shook the founda- tion of college sports. ■ Portland can clinch a berth in play-in series by beating Brooklyn LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Damian Lillard is simply willing the Portland Trail Blazers toward the postseason. The veteran guard tied a career high with 61 points, leading the Blazers to a 134-131 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night that moved his team into eighth place in the Western Confer- ence. “Ain’t nothing I want more,” Lillard said of the playoffs. “When I came here (to Disney World) I told them I’m not here to waste my time. Our work ain’t done yet but we’re fi ghting for it.” The Blazers will clinch a spot in the play-in series with a win Thursday against Brooklyn. “We have to come out with the same mentality,” Lillard said. “We control our own destiny. That’s the most important game of our lives.” Lillard joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only play- ers with three 60-point games in a season. Coach Terry Stotts said his guard has been extra focused since missing two late free throws in a loss to the Clippers on Saturday. “He’s showing a lot of resolve,” Stotts said. “No- body wanted to come into this bubble and make the playoffs more than Dame. We have one more game to go, but his leadership and his game speaks for itself. But he’s bringing the team along with him.” Kristaps Porzingis scored 36 points before fouling out late in the game and Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who will fi nish No. 7 in the West. Lillard made nine 3-pointers in his sixth 50-point game of the season. He’s the 12th player in NBA his- tory to score 50 points in back-to-back games after dropping 51 on the 76ers on Sunday. He scored in every way imaginable, from well beyond the 3-point line, on blow-by drives, short jumpers and at the foul line. Lillard fi nished 17 of 32 from the fl oor and 9 of 17 from beyond the arc while making all 18 free throw attempts. “Damian played incredible,” Porzingis said. “Made some unbelievable shots. Hats off to him.” Sean Meagher / The Oregonian/OregonLive The Oregon Ducks face the Oregon State Beavers in the 122nd Civil War at Reser Sta- dium in Corvallis in November 2018. The schools won’t play their annual rivalry game this fall, as the Pac-12 Conference announced Tuesday that fall sports were canceled. “We feel good about our decision.” — Michael Schill, president, University of Oregon expressing cautious opti- mism. The Big 12 was quiet, but a person familiar with the conference’s discussions told The Associated Press the league was continuing to work toward playing in the fall. The person spoke on condition of anonymity be- cause the conference was not planning to make its internal discussions public. Outside the Power Five conferences, the American Athletic Conference, Confer- ence USA and Sun Belt made no immediate moves. The Big Ten said it was postponing all fall sports and hoping to make them up in the second semester. An hour later, the Pac-12, the Big Ten’s Rose Bowl partner, said all sports would be paused until Jan. 1, including basketball. Players around the country were stunned. Many had recently taken to social media with the hashtag #WeWantto- Play. Ohio State star quar- terback Justin Fields was among those trying to present a unifi ed front and save their season. After the announcement, Fields simply posted to Twit- ter: “smh,” short for shaking my head. What’s next? “Our lives are changing The Southeastern Con- forever right before our eyes,” ference and Atlantic Coast Arizona offensive lineman Conference released statements Donovan Laie tweeted. Less than a week ago, the Big Ten — which includes perennial powers such as Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State — had released a revised conference-only football schedule it hoped would help it navigate a fall season fi lled with potential COVID-19 disruptions. Even after the Big Ten made its call, there were di- verging thoughts about how it should have proceeded. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said he would have liked to have pushed back the season from Sept. 5 to maybe early October. “Wish we could have had a little bit more time to evalu- ate, but we certainly under- stand this was the time we had to pull the plug,” Smith told the Big Ten network. A statement from Ne- braska’s president, athletic director and coach was more stern: “We are very disap- pointed in the decision by the Big Ten Conference to postpone the fall football season, as we have been and continue to be ready to play.” In the Pac-12, where Southern California, Oregon, Washington and Stanford have won championships in recent years, there seemed to more consensus. “We feel good about our decision,” Oregon President Michael Schill said. “We would have made this deci- sion independent of the Big Ten. We’re pleased they are joining us.” MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER Timbers win MLS crown By Mark Long AP Sports Writer LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Soaked in sweat and doused in water, the Portland Timbers hoisted the MLS is Back trophy at midfi eld and then headed toward a giant TV screen fi lled with fans cheering from afar. It was a huge Zoom party. It might just be the way to celebrate championships in 2020. Dario Zuparic’s fi rst goal of the season gave Portland a 2-1 victory against Orlando in Major League Soccer’s return tournament fi nale Tuesday night, capping a month-long event that showed sports can be played safely inside a bubble. “I always think the more diffi cult the fi ght is the more beautiful the victory is at the end,” said Portland’s Larrys Mabiala, who scored the game’s fi rst goal. Orlando was slow to react to Diego Valeri’s corner kick in the 66th minute, allowing Eryk Williamson to collect the ball, change direc- tion and take a shot that Jeremy Ebobisse defl ected to Zuparic’s feet. Zuparic didn’t have to do much to get it by Pedro “The Octopus” Gallese, who had made two fantastic saves in the lead-up to the corner kick. The goal started the celebration on Port- land’s sideline and sent Orlando into panic mode. The Lions had a chance in the closing minutes, but failed to get the equalizer. “It’s a group of players in a lot of pain right now,” Orlando coach Oscar Pareja said. “Things didn’t bounce our way. We made a couple of mistakes.” The Timbers, who spent 39 days in the MLS bubble and remained on West Coast time, hugged and danced after the fi nal whistle. They raised the silver trophy while hooting and hollering. But the lasting image will be players and coaches waving at a cam- era and reaching hundreds back home. It ended a wild month for the MLS, which managed to play 51 matches in 45 days at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World. No family. No friends. No fans. But it was by most accounts a rousing suc- cess, especially considering how it started. FC Dallas and Nashville were forced to withdraw days before the start because of positive coro- navirus tests. Players, coaches and support personnel were tested regularly inside the MLS bubble. The league reported just two positives out of nearly 35,000 tests following the initial set- backs that threatened to derail a tournament that came with a $1.1 million purse. “We just told ourselves we need to make it worth it,” Mabiala said, adding that his son has been calling, crying and clamoring for him to come home in recent days. Portland will get $328,000 in prize money to split. The Timbers also earned a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, their fi rst since 2016. The cost of losing football will be devastating to athletic departments. The Big Ten distributed more than $50 million to most of its mem- bers in 2018, but most of that came from media rights deals and a conference TV network powered by football. Maybe some can be recouped in the spring, but there are bills to pay now. Wisconsin of the Big Ten has estimated $100 million in losses with no football at all. Michigan said it could be in the red more than that. “We do have a reserve that will take us so far, but we’re going to have to have some layoffs,” Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said. Dream Home 8 2 3 1 4 6 5 7 Electrical By: E astern O regon E lectric, I nc. 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