Orlando, Florida (The Jakarta Herald/AFP) – Dwight Howard scored 31 points and pulled down 19 rebounds Saturday as Orlando downed Atlanta 104-86 to take over first place in the NBA`s Southeast division.

The Magic, who notched their third straight victory of this season over their division rivals the Hawks, had 17 points from Rashard Lewis and 16 from Ryan Anderson. J.J. Redick added eight points and a career-high seven assists.

Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford each scored 19 points for Atlanta, as the Hawks shot 39.5 percent for the game.

Al Horford, selected to back up Howard in the All-Star Game, had only four points and four rebounds against Howard.

Howard scored eight points in a 16-2 scoring spurt in the third quarter to stretch Orlando`s lead to 74-56.

Atlanta managed to reduce the deficit to single digits just once
thereafter, when Johnson`s three-pointer trimmed the gap to 81-72 with just under nine minutes to play.

Howard and Orlando`s reserves answered with a 14-5 scoring run.

Orlando have now beaten Atlanta six straight times.

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Benguela, Angola (The Jakarta Herald/AFP) – Nigeria pipped Algeria 1-0 to claim third place at the Africa Cup of Nations here on Saturday.

Obinna Nsofor scored the match winner in the 55th minute when he sprinted through a crowded Algerian defence before slotting past a diving goalkeeper Lamine Zemmamouche.

This was the Super Eagles` seventh third-place finish at the Nations Cup as they also finished third best in 1976, 78, `92, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Nigeria made several changes from the team that lost 1-0 to Ghana in the semi-finals with Portsmouth forward Nwankwo Kanu, Nsofor and Seyi Olofinjana among the players who started their first game of the tournament.

Algeria were missing three players suspended from their semi-final loss to Egypt.

Nigeria would have gone ahead after 10 minutes but Nsofor`s shot from inside the box was deflected by Algerian defender Slimane Raho for a corner.

Kanu also fired at the Algerian goal after 31 minutes but goalkeeper Zemmamouche held it first-time.

Algeria`s best chance at goal in the first half came two minutes from the interval, when Lazio midfielder Mourad Meghni hooked his shot over the bar from almost the top of the 18-yard box.

Just before the break, Nigeria again came close to going in front but Kalu Uche`s pass inside the area after a clever ball from Kanu rolled away from goal after Nsofor lost his footing at the crucial moment.

In the 50th minute, Algeria goalkeeper Zemmamouche failed to hold on to a powerful Taye Taiwo freekick from distance, the lively Nsofor got to the rebound only for his effort from eight yards out to crash against the crossbar.

Hassan Yebda was on target in the 72nd minute but Victor Enyeama in the Nigerian goal gathered the low shot as the Algerians now played with more urgency following Nsofor`s opener.

Nigeria then held on to their slender advantage to take some consolation out of Angola 2010 ahead of the World Cup.

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Semarang (The Jakarta Herald) – WBA featherweight world champion Chris John is Saturday (Jan 30) leaving for Australia for preparations in facing an American contender in a title fight in Bali early April 2010.

“Actually today or Thursday (Jan 28) I already leave for Australia but as his coach and manager Craig Christian was meeting the sponsors, my departure had been postponed to Saturday,” Chri John said when met in Semarang Thursday.

The boxer with a record of 43 wins (22 with KOs) said he will be leaving for Australia from Ngurah Rai, Bali.

He said he will undergo training sessions at Herry`s Gym in Perth for a month, later at the Mirah Boxing Camp (led by Zaenal Thayeb) in Banyuwangi, and afterwards head straight to Bali.

Speaking on his contender, he said he had yet to be informed by his promoter, Zaenal Thayeb.(*)

Melbourne (The Jakarta Herald/Reuters) – Roger Federer survived a scare against big-serving Igor Andreev in the first round of
the Australian Open on Tuesday, coming back from a set down to
beat the Russian 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, 6-0.

The Swiss world number one, bidding for his fourth title at
Melbourne Park, saved three set points to close out the third
set and break Andreev`s spirit, before breezing through the
fourth in 28 minutes.

Federer, who has never been eliminated in the first round
in 11 appearances at Melbourne Park, next plays the winner of the match between Chile`s Juan Ignacio Chela and Romania`s
Victor Hanescu.
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Madrid (The Jakarta Herald/Reuters) – Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 4-0 helped by a Lionel Messi double as they took full advantage of Real Madrid`s defeat at Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday.

Unbeaten Barca extended their lead to five points with just under half the season played after Real slumped to a 1-0 defeat at San Mames following a third-minute Fernando Llorente header.

Barcelona, ousted from the King`s Cup by Sevilla in midweek, have 46 points from 18 games ahead of Real on 41 with Valencia, who host local rivals Villarreal on Sunday, third on 35.

Barca exerted their usual dominance from the start at a rainy Nou Camp and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry and Messi all went close before Sevilla defender Julien Escude diverted a Rafael Marquez cross high into his own net in the 49th minute.

A perfectly weighted, defence-splitting pass from midfielder Xavi with 20 minutes left released substitute Pedro who lifted the ball over advancing Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop, before Messi finished from close range in the 85th.

The Argentina forward, who grabbed a hat-trick at promoted Tenerife last weekend, then raced on to an Eric Abidal pass in the first minute of added time to score his 14th goal of the campaign, two more than nearest rival David Villa of Valencia.

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Jakarta (The Jakarta Herald) – National Sports Council (KONI) Chairwoman Rita Subowo said Indonesia will fight for the inclusion of karate as a competition number in the international Olympics as it was known as a martial arts branch throughout the world.

“After Rio de Janeiro in 2016, we will strive to have Karate recognized as a number in the Olympics,” Subowo said after opening the 13th congress of the Indonesian Karate-Do Federation (PB Forki) at the KONI building here Saturday.

According to Subowo, Karate deserved to be a competition event in international sporting events like the Olympics because similar martial arts branches were also part of the Olympic Games.

“Taekwondo and Wushu are compettion events in the Olympic Games, why can`t Karate which is better known in the international arena enter the Olympics,” she said.

Subowo said Indonesia was keen on getting Karate included in the international event because Indonesia had made promising achievements in the Japanese martial arts branch.

“We believe the quality of Indonesian karate athletes can be better developed if they know that karate is a competition number in the Olympics,” she added.

Through continuous lobbying with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with the support of other countries with similar interest, Subowo said, she was optimistic Indonesia`s aspiration would eventually be fulfilled.((*)