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The NBA’s tournament quarterfinals are set, with Pacers, Bucks, Lakers and Kings set to host

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Khris Middleton had a thought pop into his head immediately after Milwaukee topped Miami to finish group play in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament with an unbeaten record.“We’re going to Vegas,” he said.Maybe. But not yet. Middleton didn’t know he’d skipped one important step — the quarterfinals.Hey, some people are evidently still learning the tournament format. It gets simple now, though, with the inaugural event down to its final eight teams. In the Eastern Conference, it’ll be Milwaukee hosting New York on Dec. 5 and Indiana playing host to Boston on Dec. 4; in the Western Conference, it’ll be the Los Angeles Lakers hosting Phoenix on Dec. 5 and Sacramento — thanks to a huge comeback over Golden State — playing host to New Orleans on Dec. 4.The winners go to Las Vegas for semifinal games on Dec. 7, and those winners play Dec. 9 to be the first team to hoist the NBA Cup and win $500,000 per player, $250,000 for those on two-way deals.“It’d ...

Monk’s late basket leads the Kings past the Warriors 124-123 to win In-Season Tournament group

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Malik Monk hit a fadeaway with 7 seconds left and the Sacramento Kings rallied late to beat the Golden State Warriors 124-123 on Tuesday night and advance to the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament. The Kings won their group with a 4-0 record and will host New Orleans next week in the quarterfinals. Sacramento needed a win or a loss by 11 points or fewer but ended up with the victory thanks to a furious comeback fueled by two late turnovers by the Warriors.Andrew Wiggins’ tip-in put Golden State up by five with 59 seconds left. But De’Aaron Fox hit a free throw and Monk hit a 3-pointer following a turnover by Stephen Curry.Draymond Green turned it over on the next possession, setting the stage for Monk’s go-ahead shot. The Warriors had no timeouts left and Curry missed a 3 at the buzzer to give Sacramento its first win in three tries against Golden State this season.Fox led the way with 29 points, with Monk and Kevin Huerter adding 21 apie...

Brock Boeser scores 2 goals as Vancouver Canucks beat Anaheim Ducks 3-1

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Brock Boeser scored twice to help the Vancouver Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Tuesday night.Elias Pettersson snapped a third-period tie as Vancouver improved to 3-4 in its last seven games. Thatcher Demko stopped 30 shots.Ryan Strome scored for Anaheim, and John Gibson made 24 saves. The Ducks dropped their seventh straight game.The Canucks jumped in front when Filip Hronek’s blocked shot was knocked home by Boeser 6:34 into the first period. It was Boeser’s NHL-high 16th goal this season.Strome tied it with his third goal 5:10 into the second. He scored from the right faceoff circle.Pettersson put Vancouver ahead to stay when he swept home a wraparound 32 seconds into the third. Boeser added an empty-netter with 48 seconds left.The Canucks were outshot 27-12 through the first two periods before an improved third-period performance.McTavish had a chance to tie the game with 2:17 left in the third but was denied by the goalpost.UP NEXT...

Hall’s big game helps unbeaten Clemson win 85-77 at No. 23 Alabama in ACC/SEC Challenge

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — PJ Hall had 21 points, eight rebounds and four blocks to lead Clemson past No. 23 Alabama 85-77 on Tuesday night.Joseph Girard III added 16 points, four assists and two steals for the Tigers (6-0) in a game that was part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Chase Hunter had 15 points and Ian Schieffelin scored nine to go with 14 rebounds.“We are a little different than a lot of teams in college basketball in that we post the ball,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “We play two big guys, we move our big guys in and out, high-low. That’s part of our style. When you do pressure like Alabama was pressuring us sometimes, we have more opportunities to throw it in sometimes.”RJ Godfrey contributed 11 points off the bench as the Tigers shot 53% from the field, including 11 for 21 from 3-point range. On the other end, Clemson held Alabama (5-2) to 34% shooting overall in its worst offensive performance of the season.Alabama coach Nate Oats attributed the offensive struggles to ...

Reed Sheppard leads hot-shooting No. 12 Kentucky past No. 8 Miami, 95-73

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Reed Sheppard scored 21 points, including 13 during a second half in which Kentucky shot 67%, and Antonio Reeves added 18 to propel 12th-ranked Wildcats to a 95-73 blowout of No. 8 Miami on Tuesday night in the ACC/SEC Challenge.Sheppard came off the bench, drained a 3 for his first basket and finished 5 of 9 from long range and 8 of 13 overall. Reeves was 7 of 12 from the field.Tre Mitchell had 14 points and seven assists, Rob Dillingham scored 14 points and Justin Edwards had 11 points for Kentucky (6-1).Norchad Omier scored 20 points and Wooga Poplar had 19 for the Hurricanes (5-1), who shot 44.1% from the field but were no match for Kentucky’s nearly flawless offensive performance.NO. 1 PURDUE 99, TEXAS SOUTHERN 67WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith had 19 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds while leading Purdue past Texas Southern.Zach Edey added 15 points and six rebounds as the Boilermakers (7-0) extended the nation’s longest regular-season winning...

Oregon State promotes defensive coordinator Trent Bray to head coach

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State promoted defensive coordinator Trent Bray to head coach on Tuesday night, quickly replacing Jonathan Smith after he left for Michigan State.Bray, who also played at Oregon State, had served as the Beavers’ defensive coordinator since midway through the 2021 season.“The connection and trust he has built with our student-athletes is unmatched,” Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “His energy and determination as head coach will be a catalyst for continued program success.”Smith was hired as Michigan State’s coach on Saturday, a day after the 21st-ranked Beavers lost to rival Oregon in their regular-season finale. Oregon State (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12) now awaits its bowl destination.The upheaval at the helm of Oregon State comes as the program faces an unsettled future. The Beavers are one of two teams, along with Washington State, remaining in the Pac-12 after realignment broke apart the conference. Oregon State and...

Sheriff's deputies sued for excessive force in 2022 shooting

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

SAN DIEGO --­ A man who was shot multiple times by two San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies in El Cajon is suing claiming the deputies knew he was not threat but fired anyway. Body-worn camera video from the night of Feb. 16, 2022 shows Eric Talavera shot multiple times by San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies David Lovejoy and Jonathon Young.“Mr. Talavera was surrendering to the deputies when they shot him, a Citizen Oversight Board found that he was complying with their commands to get on the ground when they opened fire," Talavera's attorney Marcus Bourassa said.Miraculously Talavera survived, however attorneys for Talavera have filed suit in federal court against the county for excessive force among other violations. An investigation by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office found the use of force was justified.  Suspect arrested after Ramona SWAT standoff The shooting happened during an auto theft sting operation. Talavera was towing a stolen open bed trailer when he wa...

Mediators look to extend truce in Gaza on its final day, with one more hostage swap planned

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — International mediators worked Wednesday to extend the truce in Gaza, hoping the territory’s Hamas rulers will keep freeing hostages in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further respite from Israel’s air and ground offensive. It will otherwise expire within a day.Israel has welcomed the release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives. But its other major goal — the annihilation of the armed group that has ruled Gaza for 16 years — could be slipping out of reach.Weeks of heavy aerial bombardment and a ground invasion have demolished vast swathes of northern Gaza and killed thousands of Palestinians. But it seems to have had little effect on Hamas’ rule, evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, enforce the cease-fire among other armed groups, and orchestrate the smooth release of hostages.Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar, and other com...

Myanmar and China conduct naval drills together as fighting surges in border area

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar and China are conducting naval drills together as the military government in the Southeast Asian nation loses ground in its northeast border region to a coalition of militias that also has strong ties to Beijing. State-run Myanma Alinn newspaper said Wednesday that three Chinese vessels were anchored in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, and that officials from both nations met Tuesday to discuss the maritime security exercises. The Chinese vessels – the destroyer Zibo, frigate Jing Zhou and supply ship Qian Dao Hu – carry about 700 sailors and arrived at the Myanmar port Monday. The report didn’t give more details on the drills. Myanmar’s military seized power from an elected government in 2021 and since has been in armed conflict with pro-democracy forces and ethnic militias. The visit of the Chinese vessels comes during an upsurge in violence on Myanmar’s border with China by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a group of militias that launched a coordinated...

Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall after Wall Street rallies

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:50:13 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly fell Wednesday although a strong report on U.S. consumer confidence and hopes the Federal Reserve is finished with its aggressive interest rate hikes sent shares higher on Wall Street. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 declined 0.3% to finish at 33,321.22. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.3% to 7,035.30. South Korea’s Kospi shed nearly 0.2% to 2,518.10. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.4% to 16,940.09, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5% to 3,022.08. Heavy selling of Chinese technology and property shares pulled benchmarks lower. Food delivery company Meituan’s Hong Kong-traded shares dropped 11% after it forecast its revenue will fall in the current quarter. Troubled property developer China Evergrande sank 9.2% following reports that its property services group was suing the parent company to recover deposit guarantees. Oil prices were little changed ahead of a meeting of OPEC members set for Thursday. “OPEC+ is strug...