Tag: Men's basketball

Today in History: November 3, Iran-Contra affair is revealed

Today in History

Today is Thursday, Nov. 3, the 307th day of 2022. There are 58 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Nov. 3, 1986, the Iran-Contra affair came to light as Ash-Shiraa, a pro-Syrian Lebanese magazine, first broke the story of U.S. arms sales to Iran.

On this date:

In 1839, the first Opium War between China and Britain broke out.

In 1908, Republican William Howard Taft was elected president, outpolling Democrat William Jennings Bryan.

In 1911, the Chevrolet Motor Car Co. was founded in Detroit by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. (The company was acquired by General Motors in 1918.)

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the U.S. Agency for International Development.

In 1970, Salvador Allende (ah-YEN’-day) was inaugurated as president of Chile.

In 1976, the horror movie “Carrie,” adapted from the Stephen King novel and starring Sissy Spacek, was released by United Artists.

In 1979, five Communist Workers Party members were killed in a clash with heavily armed Ku Klux Klansmen and neo-Nazis during an anti-Klan protest in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton was elected the 42nd president of the United States, defeating President George H.W. Bush. In Illinois, Democrat Carol Moseley-Braun became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

In 1994, Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, was arrested for drowning her two young sons, Michael and Alex, nine days after claiming the children had been abducted by a Black carjacker.

In 1997, the Supreme Court let stand California’s groundbreaking Proposition 209, which banned race and gender preference in hiring and school admissions.

In 2014, 13 years after the 9/11 terrorist attack, a new 1,776-foot skyscraper at the World Trade Center site opened for business, marking an emotional milestone for both New Yorkers and the nation.

In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden won the presidency in an election that saw more than 103 million Americans vote early, many by mail, amid a coronavirus pandemic that upended a campaign marked by fear and rancor, waged against a backdrop of protests over racial injustice. As vote counting continued in battleground states, Biden’s victory would not be known for more than three days; Republican President Donald Trump would refuse to concede, falsely claiming that he was a victim of widespread voter fraud. Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent to become vice president. Democrats clinched two more years of controlling the House but saw their majority shrink. Republicans emerged with a two-seat Senate majority that would be erased by Democratic wins in two runoffs in Georgia in January.

Ten years ago: The lights went back on in lower Manhattan to the relief of residents who’d been plunged into darkness for nearly five days by Superstorm Sandy, but there was deepening resentment in the city’s outer boroughs and suburbs over a continued lack of power and maddening gas shortages. New York’s newly relocated NBA team, the former New Jersey Nets, hosted the first regular-season game by a major sports team in Brooklyn since the Dodgers left in 1957; the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 107-100.

Five years ago: Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who walked away from his post in Afghanistan and triggered a search that left some of his comrades severely wounded, was spared a prison sentence by a military judge in North Carolina; President Donald Trump blasted the decision as a “complete and total disgrace.” Netflix said it was cutting all ties with Kevin Spacey after a series of allegations of sexual harassment and assault, and that it would not be a part of any further production of “House of Cards” that included him. A massive report from scientists inside and outside the government concluded that the evidence of global warming was stronger than ever. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky suffered five broken ribs in an attack by a longtime next-door neighbor as Paul did yard work at his home. (Rene Boucher pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.)

One year ago: After serving more than seven years in an Indonesian prison for killing her mother at a luxury resort on the island of Bali, Heather Mack of Chicago was indicted on murder conspiracy charges in the United States and taken into federal custody on her arrival at O’Hare International Airport. Police in western Australia used a battering ram to enter a locked house and rescue a 4-year-old girl, Cleo Smith, who’d been abducted from a camping tent more than two weeks earlier; the suspect in the kidnapping was arrested nearby. (Terence Kelly pleaded guilty to the abduction.) A government advisory committee recommended that all U.S. adults younger than 60 be vaccinated against hepatitis B. The Federal Reserve announced a plan to gradually reduce bond purchases, a first step in withdrawing emergency aid for the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Lois Smith is 92. Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis is 89. Actor Shadoe Stevens is 76. Singer Lulu is 74. “Vogue” editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is 73. Comedian-actor Roseanne Barr is 70. Actor Kate Capshaw is 69. Comedian Dennis Miller is 69. Actor Kathy Kinney is 69. Singer Adam Ant is 68. Sports commentator and former quarterback Phil Simms is 67. Director-screenwriter Gary Ross is 66. Actor Dolph Lundgren is 65. Rock musician C.J. Pierce (Drowning Pool) is 50. Actor Francois Battiste (TV: “Ten Days in the Valley”) is 46. Olympic gold medal figure skater Evgeni Plushenko is 40. Actor Julie Berman is 39. Actor Antonia Thomas (TV: “The Good Doctor”) is 36. Alternative rock singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett is 35. TV personality and model Kendall Jenner (TV: “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”) is 27.

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November 2, 2022
Nash out as Nets coach after poor start, more controversy

NEW YORK — Steve Nash is out as Brooklyn Nets coach after a disappointing start and more controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving.

The Nets announced Tuesday that they had parted ways with the Hall of Fame point guard, a day after they beat Indiana to improve to 2-5.

Nash made it to this season after Kevin Durant said he wanted him out this summer, but not much longer. The Nets have been another mess, with bad play on the court and bad headlines off it.

The biggest — again — was created by Irving, who posted a link to an antisemitic work on his Twitter page last week, drawing criticism from Nets owner Joe Tsai.

“Since becoming head coach, Steve was faced with a number of unprecedented challenges, and we are sincerely grateful for his leadership, patience and humility throughout his tenure,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement.

“Personally, this was an immensely difficult decision; however, after much deliberation and evaluation of how the season has begun, we agreed that a change is necessary at this time.”

The Nets may move quickly to replace Nash. A person with knowledge of the matter said the Nets were in discussions with suspended Boston coach Ime Udoka — a former Brooklyn assistant who is not with the Celtics this season because he was found to have violated team rules by having a relationship with a female staffer within the organization. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those talks were not revealed publicly.

ESPN first reported the talks between Udoka and the Nets. The Nets said a decision on the team’s next coach would be made in the near future.

Nash led the Nets to a 92-62 record and the playoffs in both full seasons, his first as an NBA coach. But they lost Irving and James Harden to injuries during their second-round loss to Milwaukee in 2021, then were a first-round flop last season after trading Harden during the middle of the season.

Much of the Nets’ problems during the latter season were caused by Irving being unavailable for most of their home games because he refused to get vaccinated for the coronavirus, as mandated at the time in New York City.

Nash handled it all as best as possible, but apparently not good enough for his best player. Durant said he wanted to be traded this summer if the Nets didn’t fire Marks and Nash, but Tsai stood by them and Durant eventually pulled back his request.

Nash downplayed that before this season began, saying he didn’t believe the reports were entirely true and that they had quickly talked through their issues.

But things started poorly this season and Nash gave some his hardest criticism of the team during his tenure after their loss to Indiana on Saturday night, calling their defensive effort a “disaster” and saying he didn’t see desire or will.

“We have to look deep, deep inside ourselves and what we want to do, what we want to accomplish,” Nash said. “Do we want to give up on this because it’s been difficult early, or do we want to stay the course and start to build something?”

Much of that was ignored because the focus was on Irving’s combative news conference defending his tweet, and the Nets beat the Pacers in the rematch Monday to end a four-game skid.

But Nash’s tenure ended anyway a day later, hours before Brooklyn is set to host Chicago. Jacque Vaughn will serve as acting head coach against the Bulls.

Tsai alluded to the constant turbulence around the team in his statement thanking Nash.

“My admiration and respect for him grew over time as he brought hard work and positive attitude to our organization every day, even in periods of exceptional storm surrounding the team,” Tsai said.

Nash thanked the Tsai family and Marks for giving him the opportunity, calling the job “an amazing experience with many challenges that I’m incredibly grateful for.”

Marks chose his former teammate as coach in 2020 despite no experience in the job, citing Nash’s ability to be a connector of personalities as a player. Nash was a two-time MVP with the Phoenix Suns who ended his 18-year career third on the NBA’s list with 10,335 assists.

But his schemes were criticized as the Nets struggled defensively throughout his tenure and often didn’t show the ball-moving style of play on offense that his Suns teams did, instead relying on Durant, Irving or Harden to isolate.

Beyond the player changes, Nash also had to adapt to changes on his bench. Mike D’Antoni, the two-time NBA Coach of the Year, stepped down as his assistant after one season, and Udoka left to become coach of the Celtics.

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this story.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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November 1, 2022
Clippers edge Rockets 95-93 on George’s clutch jumpers

LOS ANGELES — Paul George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points as the Los Angeles Clippers edged past the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who played without Kawhi Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.

K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.

George’s 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.

George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.

Gordon’s shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he’d been fouled.

George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George’s second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.

George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.

Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and Martin combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.

Martin had Houston’s first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.

The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season’s first four games. He’s day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.

Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. … Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.

LEONARD TO STAY HOME

Leonard won’t be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.

“He’s frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “Then not being on the floor, now you can’t travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it’s not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he’s going through.”

UP NEXT

The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 31, 2022
Bey, Cunningham lead Pistons past defending champ Warriors

DETROIT — Saddiq Bey scored 28 points, Cade Cunningham was an assist short of a triple-double and the Detroit Pistons beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors 128-114 on Sunday night to end a five-game losing streak.

“I’m overjoyed for our guys after the work they put in tonight,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “That’s what happens with a young, rebuilding team. There are going to be nights like this where people are going to say, ‘Whoa, where did that come from?’ That’s exciting.”

Cunningham had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help the Pistons win for the first time since their opening game. Isaiah Stewart added 24 points and 13 rebounds as Detroit’s starters scored 111 points.

“I think tonight we showed what Pistons basketball is going to be,” Stewart said. “We played defense the way we needed to play it every night, and on offense we were sharing the ball and making sure everyone got shots.”

Steph Curry had 32 points and Jordan Poole added 30 for Golden State, coming off a 120-113 overtime loss in Charlotte on Saturday. The Warriors played without Klay Thompson (rest).

“We can’t stop fouling, and something needs to click with our guys,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after his team put Detroit on the line 38 times. “We have to be near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency and that puts us in some bad spots offensively.”

Golden State led by 10 early in the second quarter, but the Pistons responded with a 29-9 run to take a 10-point lead of their own. Stewart had 15 points and seven rebounds in the first half, including a rare 3-pointer to put Detroit up 63-55 at halftime.

Curry was 3-for-8 on 3-pointers in a 15-point half, but the rest of the Warriors went 1-for-13 from behind the arc. Golden State had a 22-12 edge in points in the paint, but Detroit’s jump shooting gave it a decided edge.

“I think our offense is killing our defense, whether it is floor balance or whether the ball doesn’t move and guys are stagnant,” Draymond Green said. “The two ends aren’t connecting, and in order to be a great team, those two ends have to connect.”

The Pistons kept rolling in the third quarter, starting with an 11-2 run to go up by 17, 74-57.

Poole, though, scored 12 points in 52 seconds — a three-point play and three 3-pointers — to cut it to 79-72.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Poole and Curry outscored their teammates 62-52 in the first three quarters. Their fellow starters — Green, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins — combined for 19 points on 7-of-24 shooting.

Pistons: Detroit had more points in the first three quarters (100) than they averaged in four losses (96.3) to the Warriors over the last two seasons. … Rookie C Jalen Duran left in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury. Casey said he would know more on Monday morning.

UP NEXT

Warriors: At Miami on Tuesday night.

Pistons: At Milwaukee on Monday and Wednesday nights.

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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 31, 2022
Patriots’ Kraft, school statements denounce antisemitism

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other members of the sports world are condemning recent incidents of hate speech toward Jewish people — not just the antisemitic comments by the music mogul formerly known as Kanye West, but also outside of a college football game in Florida on Saturday night.

A day after the NBA and Brooklyn Nets issued disapproving statements in response to Kyrie Irving’s apparent support for an antisemitic film, other team executives and athletes are speaking out against hatred and intolerance, on and off the field.

At some point during the football game between Florida and Georgia on Saturday night, the phrase “Kanye is right about the jews” was projected on the outside of one of the end zones at the TIAA Bank Field stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a reference to recent antisemitic comments that Ye has made on social media and in interviews — comments that have led to him losing partnerships with Adidas and several other companies.

The University of Florida and University of Georgia issued a joint statement Sunday morning condemning the hate speech on the stadium and “the other anti-Semitic messages that have appeared in Jacksonville.” The schools also said they “together denounce these and all acts of anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred and intolerance. We are proud to be home to strong and thriving Jewish communities at UGA and UF, and we stand together against hate.”

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said on social media his northeast Florida city is “made better because of its diversity. Those who spread messages of hate, racism and antisemitism will not be able to change the heart of this city or her people. I condemn these cowards and their cowardly messages.”

And Shad Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who play in the TIAA Bank Field stadium, said on social media that he was “personally dismayed” by the rhetoric, calling it, “hurtful and wrong.”

“It has to stop. I’m asking everyone to make it their mission to end the ignorance and hate,” Khan said. “Let’s be better.”

Last year, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 2,717 incidents of harassment, vandalism or violence targeting Jews — the highest annual total since it began tracking these incidents in 1979. The recent antisemitic incidents come four years after the deadliest attack on American Jews, when 11 people were killed at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and just days before the contentious midterm elections throughout the U.S.

A nonprofit founded by Kraft took the extra step of planning to air an ad during the Patriots-New York Jets game on Sunday that condemned anti-Jewish hate speech and encouraged people who are not Jewish to speak up against antisemitism.

“Recently many of you have spoken up,” the 30-second ad from Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism said. “We hear you today. We must hear you tomorrow. There are less than 8 million Jewish people in this country. Fewer than are watching this ad. They need you to add your voice.”

The ad, which was scheduled to air during the first quarter of the game, ends with the hashtag: #StandUptoJewishHate.

“I have committed tremendous resources toward this effort and am vowing to do more,” Kraft said in a statement. “I encourage others to join in these efforts. My hope is this commercial will continue to enhance the national conversation about the need to speak out against hatred of all types, and particularly to stand up to Jewish hate.”

Also this week, Nets owner Joe Tsai said he was disappointed by Irving, a seven-time All-Star who appeared to support a film Tsai said was “based on a book full of antisemitic disinformation” when he posted a link for the film “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on Twitter on Thursday.

Nets coach Steve Nash said the organization had “spoken to Kyrie about it” but didn’t give specifics. The NBA also spoke up Saturday, saying that “hate speech of any kind is unacceptable.”

“We believe we all have a role to play in ensuring such words or ideas, including antisemitic ones, are challenged and refuted and we will continue working with all members of the NBA community to ensure that everyone understands the impact of their words and actions,” the league said.

Irving, however, responded in a postgame news conference Saturday, claiming to believe in all religions and saying he is “not a divisive person when it comes to religion.” He added he wouldn’t “stand down on anything I believe in.”

“Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody?” Irving said. “Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people?”

Texas A&M’s football team changed up how it entered the field Saturday night before its 31-28 loss to No. 15 Mississippi. After coming out to “Power” by Ye since 2012, the Aggies instead entered to an instrumental of “Bonfire” by Childish Gambino. Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork criticized West’s comments earlier this week.

The fallout around Ye’s comments also includes Donda Sports, a brand management agency he founded. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown terminated their associations with the agency, with Donald and his wife, Erica, denouncing the “displays of hate and antisemitism” by Ye.

The high-profile basketball team at Ye’s Donda Academy in California also has been affected, with the Los Angeles Times reporting Friday that it had confirmed four major tournaments had dropped the school.

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AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long, AP Pro Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney and AP Sports Writer Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 30, 2022
Kings outlast Heat 119-113, win first game of Mike Brown era

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kevin Huerter scored 27 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, to help the Sacramento Kings win their first game of the season with a 119-113 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday.

It’s the first win for Kings coach Mike Brown, who was hired this past offseason. The Los Angles Lakers are the last winless team in the NBA.

Kings rookie Keegan Murray scored a career-best 22 points.

With the Kings up four points, Huerter was fouled with 14.2 seconds left. He made both free throws to extend Sacramento’s lead to six and seal the win.

De’Aaron Fox had scored 27 points or more during the Kings’ first four games of the season. He finished with 17 points and added 13 rebounds, a career-high.

Domantas Sabonis picked up two early fouls in the third quarter and sat with five fouls until the early fourth. Sabonis finished with 18 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. He fouled out with 5:52 left.

Harrison Barnes scored 11 points. All five Sacramento starters scored in double-figures.

Tyler Herro led the Heat (2-5) with 34 points and knocked down five 3-pointers. Bam Adebayo added 23 points and Kyle Lowry had 15.

Jimmy Butler scored 13 points, his lowest scoring output of the season.

After Sacramento went up 42-33 with 7:28 in the second quarter, they ended the first half on a 29-13 run to stretch the lead to 22 at the break.

The Heat outscored Sacramento 33-19 in the third, which cut the Sacramento lead to six. Miami cut the lead to as close as one after a Herro And-1.

KENTUCKY REUNION

For the first time in an NBA regular season game, Malik Monk, Fox and Adebayo shared the court together The trio played together during the 2016-17 season at Kentucky. The Wildcats reached the regional final that year.

TIP-INS

Heat: F/C Dewayne Dedmon missed Saturday’s game with a non-COVID illness. Dedmon played 34 games with Sacramento during the 2019-20 season… Miami coming in had won three of four against Sacramento.

Kings: Brown successfully won a challenge in the first quarter when a foul was called on Sabonis. It was changed to an offensive foul on Adebayo… Sacramento coming in had committed the 5th most fouls in the NBA, averaging 23.8 per game. They had BLANK against Miami… Kings shot a season-low BLANK 3-pointers.

UP NEXT

Heat: Hosts Golden State on Tuesday.

Kings: Start a four-game road trip and play the Hornets Monday.

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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 29, 2022
Heat snap Blazers four-game winning streak with 119-98 win

PORTLAND, Ore. — Bam Adebayo scored 18 points and the Miami Heat snapped Portland’s four-game winning streak with a 119-98 victory on Wednesday night.

Damian Lillard had 22 points for Portland when he came up limping with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter and headed straight for the locker room. He did not return and the Blazers later announced he had a right calf strain.

Lillard, a six-time All-Star, said he felt tightness in his calf before the game. While he is not likely to play Friday when the Blazers host the Rockets, he does not expect to miss any more games.

“I mean honestly, if this was a playoff game I would have played,” Lillard said.

Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler each had 17 points for the Heat, who led by as many as 26 points. Six Miami players were in double figures.

“Before the game we were locked in,” Butler said. “That’s how we win, that’s the winning formula. It feels good.”

Rookie Shaedon Sharpe had 15 points and eight rebounds for Portland, which had won each of its first four games to open the season for the first time since 1999. The Blazers were the last remaining undefeated team in the Western Conference.

It was a close first half. Jerami Grant hit a 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 44-36 lead, but Tyler Herro answered with a 3 for Miami.

Herro made a running jumper then added a free throw to put Miami in front 52-51, and the Heat went on to lead 61-56 at the half. Herro finished with 14 points.

The Heat went up 81-70 on Butler’s dunk midway through the third quarter. Without Lillard, the Blazers struggled offensively the rest of the way.

“The turnovers at that time really killed us, and then they got out on the break and started getting a whole bunch of transition threes, and they opened up the lead at that point,” Blazers guard Anfernee Simons. “So I think it was just a little bit of us being careless with the basketball.”

Miami made a season-high 15 3-pointers in the game.

“We put it together on both ends,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ve been doing some better things. In the last two games you’ve seen our energy level go up.”

Portland was coming off a 135-110 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Anfernee Simons had 22 points, including six 3-pointers, in the third quarter to pull away, and Portland held Nikola Jokic to nine points.

TIP INS

Heat: Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic returned after a one-game suspension by the league for their roles in a scuffle with the Raptors on Saturday night. … It was the first of a three-game Western road trip for the Heat. The Heat were without Omer Yurtseven (ankle) and Victor Oladipo (knee), both of whom haven’t played this season.

Trail Blazers: Justise Winslow was available for the Blazers after sitting out of Monday’s game against the Nuggets with a sore ankle. … Simons finished with 14 points.

UP NEXT

Heat: Miami visits Golden State on Thursday.

Trail Blazers: Portland hosts Houston on Friday.

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More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 26, 2022
Suns beat Clips 112-95, Paul 3rd NBA player with 11K assists

LOS ANGELES — Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul became the third player in NBA history to reach 11,000 assists, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-95 on Sunday night.

The Suns didn’t waste any time getting started on the blowout. They raced to an 11-0 lead from the opening tip and led by 20 points at halftime and again in the third.

Marcus Morris scored 22 points, John Wall added 17 points and Paul George had 16 points in the Clippers’ home opener after winning their first two games on the road. Kawhi Leonard had 11 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench in his second game of the season.

Paul assisted on the Suns’ first basket of the game, a 3-pointer by Booker. Paul followed with an alley-oop pass to Deandre Ayton, who dunked, to give him 11,000 assists.

Paul joined John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players in NBA history with that many assists. Paul also became the first player in the league with 20,000 points and 11,000 assists.

Stockton had 15,806 assists and Kidd, now coach of the Dallas Mavericks, had 12,091.

Fittingly, Paul reached the mark against the Clippers, with whom he played for six seasons and is the franchise’s career assists leader.

Paul finished with seven points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Last season, the Clippers overcame deficits of at least 24 points four times.

Not this time.

The Clippers got no closer than 10 points on a 3-pointer by George late in the third. Booker and Cameron Payne scored to send the Suns into the fourth leading 86-72.

The Clippers were called for offensive fouls on Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac after getting within 12 early in the final quarter.

Cam Johnson, former Clipper Landry Shamet and Booker hit consecutive 3-pointers that stretched the Suns’ lead to 99-81, sending the crowd to the exits.

TIP-INS

Suns: Shamet (left hip strain) and Johnson (right hip contusion) both returned.

Clippers: Reggie Jackson remains limited by a groin injury. He was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting. … George and Leonard walked to center court to address the fans before the game, with George doing all the talking. He said the team’s slogan is Why Not Us. “Let’s go get it this year,” George said.

UP NEXT

Suns: Host defending NBA champion Golden State on Tuesday to open a six-game homestand.

Clippers: Play at Oklahoma City on Tuesday and Thursday in a two-game trip.

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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 23, 2022
Kawhi scores 14 in return, Clippers hold off Lakers 103-97

LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months, and the Los Angeles Clippers opened a season of sky-high expectations with a 103-97 victory over the Lakers on Thursday night.

Paul George scored 15 points and John Wall added 15 in his debut for the Clippers, who held on down the stretch to beat their more pedigreed Los Angeles rivals for the eighth consecutive time.

Leonard came off the bench for the first time since 2013 and played 21 minutes in his first game since he tore a ligament in his right knee in a playoff game in June 2021. The two-time NBA Finals MVP decided to ease back in a temporary reserve role after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery.

“My goal was to try to be great in my minutes,” Leonard said. “Have fun, obviously stay healthy and win the basketball game. We did that tonight. Just the first game, though. We’ve got a lot to go.”

The Clippers’ high hopes for their first championship rest largely on Leonard’s ability to return to elite form. Leonard and George are healthy now alongside five-time All-Star Wall, who provided an immediate spark in his first NBA game in 18 months after sitting out last season in Houston.

“I was turned up for sure,” Wall said of his return. “It felt great, I ain’t gonna lie. … We’ve got a new team, and it’s just going to take some time for us offensively with me (and Leonard) on a minutes restriction, but with due time, we’ll get there.”

Anthony Davis scored 25 points despite reduced mobility after a mid-game fall, while LeBron James had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 20th home opener of his career. Lonnie Walker scored 26 points in his Lakers home debut.

The Lakers dropped to 0-2, but still rallied from two large deficits and kept it close into the final minute despite nightmare shooting performances from Russell Westbrook (0 for 11) and fellow point guards Patrick Beverley (1 for 7) and Kendrick Nunn (0 for 7) in their Lakers home debuts. The Lakers went 9 for 45 on 3-pointers overall.

“We’re getting great looks, all our guys,” Davis said. “Continue to have confidence in yourself. Don’t let missed shots take away your confidence. Keep shooting. Be confident in your shot, and they’re going to fall.”

The oft-injured Davis gave fans a fright when he crashed to the floor after being undercut in the third quarter. He returned a few minutes later and played through back pain.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac scored 14 points apiece. Zubac added 17 rebounds, including six offensive boards.

Lakers: This injury-plagued franchise already has four players sidelined, including G Dennis Schröder (thumb surgery) and C Thomas Bryant (thumb surgery).

KAWHI BENCHED

Leonard suggested the idea of coming off the bench until he feels fully up to speed. Leonard had started 447 consecutive regular season games and 100 playoff contests since Nov. 10. 2013, when he came off the bench for the Spurs in New York.

Leonard indicated he’ll likely sit out one of the Clippers’ back-to-back games this weekend.

RUSS NOT BENCHED

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he briefly spoke to Westbrook about the guard’s claim that coming off the bench possibly contributed to his preseason hamstring injury because he didn’t know how to warm up properly for a reserve role after spending the previous 13 years as an NBA starter. Ham said he and the Lakers “would in no way, shape or form put a player in harm’s way.”

UP NEXT

Clippers: At Kings on Saturday.

Lakers: Host Trail Blazers on Sunday.

———

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October 20, 2022
Murray, Young lead Hawks past pesky Rockets 117-107

ATLANTA — Dejounte Murray and Trae Young hardly looked like they were playing their first game together.

Murray had 20 points, 11 assists and five steals in his Atlanta debut Wednesday night, teaming with Young for a tantalizing glimpse of what the Hawks can expect from their new backcourt tandem.

“My goal is for me and Trae to make this team better,” Murray said after a 117-107 victory over the pesky Houston Rockets.

On the opening night of the season in Atlanta, there were no complaints from the sellout crowd.

Murray, an All-Star acquired from San Antonio in the Hawks’ biggest move of the offseason, was a bit more critical of the team’s performance.

Even with four of Atlanta’s starters scoring at least 20 points, the Hawks struggled to put away a team that had the NBA’s worst record the last two years.

“I feel like the game was too close,” said Murray, who rated his performance “6 out of 10.”

Young had 23 points and 13 assists. For one night, at least, a pair of star point guards showed they can co-exist — and get their teammates involved, for good measure.

“The Atlanta Hawks are not me and Trae, but we set the tone,” Murray said. “We’re gonna get better.”

Murray became the first player since Spud Webb in 1985 to have a double-double in his Atlanta debut. But his biggest impact may have been at the defensive end, where he’s charged with helping the Hawks improve on one of their biggest problems a season ago.

The last of his steals came after he knocked down a three-pointer.

Murray swiped the ball from Jalen Green and dished off to Onyeka Okongwu for a lay-in that pushed the lead to 102-92 with less than 5 1/2 minutes to go.

“We’ve challenged Trae and all the guys to get better defensively,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “That’s the key to the season.”

The Rockets were led by Kevin Porter Jr, with 21 points, two days after he signed an $82.5 million, four-year contract extension to help lead Houston’s major rebuilding project.

John Collins, who was the subject of incessant trade speculation during the offseason, led the Hawks with 24 points. De’Andre Hunter, his future in Atlanta solidified by a $95 million, four-year extension, chipped in with 22 points.

The Hawks are hoping to recapture the form that carried them to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.

Atlanta slipped to ninth in the East a season ago and needed to win two play-in games just to qualify for the postseason. The Hawks didn’t last long in the playoffs, going down in five games to top seed Miami.

The Rockets, who had the NBA’s worst record the last two seasons, sent out a youthful lineup that included No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr.

The former Auburn star had 17 points and seven rebounds in a promising NBA debut.

“We were disjointed a little bit,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. ”But I loved our fight, I loved our competitiveness.”

YOUTHFUL ROCKETS

Of the 13 players who dressed for Houston, only two had more than three seasons of NBA experience.

It showed.

“There were multiple times where I sat down and told our assistants, ’Man we’re just so young,’” Silas said, managing a smile.

Most notably, the Rockets had 16 turnovers, which the Hawks turned into 28 points. Houston scored just 13 points off turnovers.

“It was the transition points that really hurt us the most,” Silas said. “I’m encouraged, even though we lost.”

TIP-INS

Rockets: Another first-round pick, Tari Eason, had eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes off the bench. … Houston outrebounded the Hawks 54-38. … Daishen Nix (sore back), Jae-Sean Tate (left ankle soreness) and rookie TyTy Washington (left knee sprain) were not available for the start of the regular season.

Hawks: The team’s two rookies — first-rounder AJ Griffin and second-rounder Tyrese Martin — did not play. … Atlanta had 30 assists and just nine turnovers. … G Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only Atlanta player who didn’t dress for the opener. He continues to recover from right knee surgery in June.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Return to Houston for their home opener Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Hawks: Host the Orlando Magic on Friday night in the second of three straight home games to begin the season.

———

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

———

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October 19, 2022
Take note: Utah Jazz may have lost their hashtag to Apple

SALT LAKE CITY — Take note: The Utah Jazz evidently need a new hashtag.

The team’s long-used hashtag — #TakeNote — was used by Apple CEO Tim Cook in a tweet on Tuesday, accompanied by an Apple logo emoji. It raises questions about how the phrase will be used in the team’s marketing plans going forward.

“That was weird. I saw that when you all did,” Jazz owner Ryan Smith said Tuesday at a Salt Lake City news conference unrelated to hashtag matters. “Got to look into it.”

Cook and Smith are friends; Cook has even sat courtside with Smith for at least one Jazz game.

Apple Inc. unveiled the latest innovations with its iPad and Apple TV products on Tuesday, and Cook’s early morning tweet with the hashtag and a short video that also made use of the “Take Note” phrase was basically the kickoff to his company’s announcements.

The Jazz have “#TakeNote” on multiple displays in their arena, plus they have used it on merchandise. The team started using the hashtag in 2016, got away from it briefly and began using it again in 2019.

And just last week, the Jazz announced a partnership with Utah-based company Chatbooks — including a promotion where Chatbooks would “display a collage of fans’ social media photos” on the video boards hanging over center court.

The plan was to tell fans to post photos on social media with the #TakeNote hashtag to have them considered for those collages.

———

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October 18, 2022
Paolo’s diary: Magic rookie getting set for his NBA debut

ORLANDO, Fla. — (EDITOR’S NOTE: Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, will do a periodic diary for The Associated Press to chronicle his first season in the league. Banchero plays his first regular season game Wednesday when Orlando visits Detroit.)

Everything counts now. The season is starting and it’s the real thing. Every win, every loss counts, so this is another level of seriousness that you’ve got to bring. You’ve got to focus while also embracing it and having fun.

It’s not like college, and in a good way. You have all day to focus on your job and your craft, your body and yourself. We’re here in the AdventHealth Training Center probably for three, four hours out of the day. Other guys have a wife and kids or other obligations, but myself, I don’t have anything else to do but this.

I’m spending that time getting a massage or stretching, making sure I get the right amount of sleep that I’m supposed to get, trying to do all the little things right. When I walk into the facility or walk into game day, I want to know I’m prepared and in the best possible state mentally and physically that I can be. That’s the best thing about being a professional. You’ve got all the time in the world to just be your best self. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.

We have goals. We want to compete in our conference, whether it’s for a play-in or playoff spot, just trying to get there and play meaningful games later on in the season. We want to grow as a team, be better than we were the game before and, hopefully, every step we take will be in the right direction this year. For myself, I want to play free, play instinctive and if I do that, everything else is going to take care of itself. I think that’s how it’s always been for me.

One of my goals is to be rookie of the year. That’s not THE goal. The goal is to get to the play-in, or playoffs. But obviously, I expect myself to play well. I feel like I’m the best rookie. Winning that award would mean a lot, but it’s not the end-all, be-all for me. It’s something I would like to win, for sure.

I like our team. I could go on about every player, but I feel like Franz Wagner just brings a certain level of seriousness to the team. He’s focused, smart, student of the game, very, very smart player. Him and his brother, Moritz. I picked up on that pretty early because I’m kind of the same way in terms of just being focused and having a serious approach and just trying to do whatever it takes to win. I think we align a lot mentality-wise and just the way we see the game or how much we want to win. Wendell Carter Jr., too. Really everyone, but I’d say Franz and Wendell are two guys who I immediately got that vibe from. We’re all forwards who can handle, pass and shoot. I think we have an understanding of what we all want to do and where we can get to with this team.

Orlando, the city, has been great so far. I wouldn’t say I go out a lot or even go out to eat a lot. But just driving around the city, being around the city, it’s a nice city to be in and I feel like people here are very welcoming. The city’s not too busy, but it’s also not boring. It’s not quiet and not packed with people. It’s got a nice vibe to it.

As far as like what I do, I’m really in my place, just chilling. I like to leave the balcony door open because it’s always got a nice breeze. Little stuff like that is what I like. I really don’t have anyone out here with me right now, even to do stuff with.

We’re all young. Everyone on this team kind of has something to prove. Whether it’s their own agendas or the team agenda, with the recent struggles around here, we want to just put the Orlando Magic back to where they should be, which is the playoffs and in contention for championships. I mean, it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to happen in a week. It’s a long process. It’s a marathon. I think we all embrace that.

And I think we’ll surprise people this year.

———

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October 18, 2022
Eagles improve to 6-0, Hurts key in 26-17 win over Cowboys

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles closed out another familiar outcome — their latest victory as they roll unbeaten into an off week — with a recognizable tune: “Dancing On My Own.” Yes, the Eagles borrowed the signature anthem for the Philadelphia Phillies that they’ve blasted in the clubhouse on their way toward a spot in the National League Championship Series.

It’s a great time for Philly sports fans.

Even better for the athletes who only know how to win around here of late.

“We up! Philly’s up right now,” cornerback Darius Slay said. “We’re going up. Up, up, up. We’re going up to that room.”

Maybe the Eagles will find a Lombardi Trophy once they get to Slay’s room.

Jalen Hurts threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns, C.J. Gardner-Johnson had two of Philadelphia’s three interceptions of Cooper Rush, and the Eagles stayed undefeated with a 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

The Eagles held on after their 20-0 lead shrank to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, improving to 6-0 for the first time since 2004 — when they won their first seven games and went to the Super Bowl.

“We know we’ve got to play a complete game,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “What’s exciting about being 6-0 and not having played a complete game is we know it’s coming.”

Philly put the game away with an efficient drive that took up more than half the fourth quarter. The Eagles converted three third downs and Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a 7-yard touchdown. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs ripped off his helmet and slammed it in anger after the score, one final blown opportunity to make a stop and wrest the NFC East lead away from the Eagles.

The Eagles failed on the 2-point conversion and led 26-17.

Hurts converted two of the third downs on rushing attempts and Philly needed the clutch runs after the Cowboys (4-2) powered their way back into the game. Ezekiel Elliott scored on a 14-yard run in the third that made it 20-10 and Rush, who mostly struggled, threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ferguson in the fourth for a 20-17 game.

Gardner-Johnson made a diving catch for his second interception to cut off one late drive, and Brett Maher missed a 59-yard field-goal attempt in a last-gasp effort to stay within striking distance.

“Read your keys and go get the ball,” Gardner-Johnson said. “It feels good to come out in into the field like a hawk and go get the ball.”

Rush had led Dallas to four straight victories in place of the injured Dak Prescott but was overmatched under the lights in front of a rowdy crowd — and an Eagles defense that ranks second in the NFL in points off turnovers. Rush threw two interceptions in the first half that led to 10 points for the Eagles and the ineffective QB finished the half with a 1.0 rating.

No wonder the Eagles stand as the NFL’s lone unbeaten team.

Prescott, out since he suffered a broken right thumb in the season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, said his was plan was to play next week.

The Eagles scored 20 points in the second quarter and have now outscored opponents 112-27 in that quarter this season.

The Eagles had converted 8 of 12 fourth-down attempts coming into the game and kept the gambles rolling on their first scoring drive. Hurts connected with A.J. Brown on fourth-and-3 for 11 yards. Then on fourth-and-4 from the 10, the Eagles snared Dallas in a neutral zone infraction for an automatic first down. Miles Sanders scored on a 5-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead.

Rush, solid but hardly lighting up the scoreboard as a starter, had a pass deflected and intercepted by Gardner-Johnson, who flapped his arms after the pick and had Eagles fans going wild. Philly sports fans haven’t had much chance to settle down this fall. The Eagles are perfect, the Phillies are in the NL Championship Series, the Union host a playoff game this week, and the 76ers open the season this week and play the home opener Thursday.

Hurts capitalized off the pick and hit Brown for a 15-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.

Jake Elliott, who missed last week’s game with a bad ankle, added field goals of 51 and 34 yards to make it 20-0. Elliott’s second field goal came after Slay intercepted Rush.

“We took some shots from them,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.

It’s what the Eagles do. It’s why they’re in first place.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Eagles T Lane Johnson left with a concussion.

FIRST LADY IN THE HOUSE

First lady Jill Biden attended the game as part of cancer awareness night. Biden met with cancer patients, cancer survivors and their families. She also chatted with 76ers center Joel Embiid and was at midfield for the coin toss.

SIX IN THE CITY

The Eagles started 7-0 in 2004 when they finished 13-3 in the regular season before falling in the Super Bowl to the Patriots, and began 6-0 in 1981 but dropped their first playoff game.

STAR REPORT

Embiid and several other Sixers were at the game. So was New Jersey native, Anaheim Angels slugger and Eagles fan Mike Trout. Slay gave the ball from an interception earlier this season to Sixers star James Harden. After his pick against Rush, Slay gave the ball to rapper Meek Mill. Questlove and Bradley Cooper, wearing an Allen Iverson T-shirt, were also at the game. Gardner-Johnson, who played with a left hand injury, has a tattoo in honor of Meek Mill on his right arm.

UP NEXT

The Cowboys return home next Sunday and play Detroit.

The Eagles are off next week and host the Steelers on Oct. 30.

———

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October 17, 2022
Westbrook injures hamstring in Lakers’ preseason finale

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Russell Westbrook left the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason finale because of an injured left hamstring after five scoreless minutes off the bench Friday night.

Coming off the bench for the first time since he was a rookie, Westbrook entered midway through the first quarter in the Lakers’ 133-86 loss to Sacramento. He missed two 3-pointers and had two turnovers.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 12 points, playing 20 minutes. Los Angeles also was without Anthony Davis, with the big man skipping the trip for precautionary reasons because of lower-back tightness.

The Lakers are set to open the regular season Tuesday night at defending champion Golden State.

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October 14, 2022
LaMelo Ball sprains left ankle in Hornets loss to Wizards

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of a preseason 116-107 loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday night when his foot was stepped on while he was driving to the basket.

Ball was driving the left side of the lane when Washington’s Anthony Gill inadvertently stepped on Ball’s foot, causing the third-year pro’s ankle to twist awkwardly.

Ball remained on the floor for several minutes before getting to his feet and gingerly walking to the free throw line. He shot two free throws, then immediately checked out of the game and headed straight to the locker room.

He is expected to undergo more tests on Tuesday.

“Fingers crossed that it is not something serious,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

Clifford said Ball and center Mason Plumlee, who sprained his left foot in the game and also left early, won’t play in Wednesday night’s preseason game at Philadelphia.

Ball is considered the centerpiece of the Hornets’ offense, averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game last season.

Ball had nine points and six rebounds before leaving the game.

Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points to lead the Wizards, who received some good news before the game that Bradley Beal cleared the league’s health and safety protocol, but was out with a non-COVID illness.

Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting, including making all but one of his four 3-pointers.

76ERS 113, CAVALIERS 97

Tyrese Maxey continued his sharp preseason play scoring 19 points to lead Philadelphia to a win in Cleveland.

Maxey, who surpassed 20 points in the Sixers first two games, was 6 of 14, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc. Tobias Harris had 12 points and seven rebounds. James Harden finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Harden, like Harris and Maxey, played 24 minutes as Philadelphia remained undefeated in three preseason games.

Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Garland added 17 points and seven assists in 31 minutes. Caris LeVert finished with 13 points, while Donovan Mitchell had 11 points and five rebounds in the latest look at Cleveland’s Garland-Mitchell backcourt.

While the game featured two teams with strong hopes for a postseason run in the Eastern Conference, neither was at full strength. Center Joel Embiid sat out the game for the Sixers, as did Montrezl Harrell, suffering from an intercostal strain.

Meanwhile, Evan Mobley continued to be out of action for the Cavaliers after suffering an ankle injury, and Kevin Love didn’t play because of a sore knee.

HEAT 118, ROCKETS 110

Max Strus scored 24 points as Miami rested a lot of its key players in a home win over Houston.

Jamal Cain, Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith all scored 15 points.

Duncan Robinson had 14 points for the Heat as Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were among those taking the night off.

Jalen Green led the Rockets with 25 points and five assists, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Tari Eason finished with 17 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. had 13.

NUGGETS 107, SUNS 105

Ish Smith scored 17 points, including the go-ahead 20-foot jumper with 8.9 seconds left as Denver beat visiting Phoenix.

Smith had tied the game at 105 converting an 18-footer with 39 seconds remining. Duane Washington Jr. of Phoenix had a chance for the win, but his 3-point attempt in the closing seconds was off the mark.

Bones Hyland had 16 points for Denver before leaving in the third quarter with a lower leg sprain. Bruce Brown finished with 12 points.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points, and Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, converting 9 of 12 shots.

Mikal Bridges had 14 for Phoenix.

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October 10, 2022
Adebayo, Cain lead Heat over Durant, Simmons and Nets

NEW YORK — Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and undrafted rookie Jamal Cain added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the Brooklyn Nets 109-80 on Thursday night.

Kevin Durant led Brooklyn with 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting in 26 minutes. Ben Simmons had four points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.

Miami star Jimmy Butler played for the first time in the preseason, scoring two points in the first half and then sitting in the second half. Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo didn’t play for the Heat.

The Nets were minus Joe Harris, who was resting an ankle that left him out most of last season, and Kyrie Irving, who had the night off after the birth of his child. Seven Heat players scored in double figures.

Kyle Lowry had 15 points and Dru Smith, Duncan Robinson and Jamaree Bouyea each added 12 for Miami. Cain signed with the Heat in July after playing for Marquette and Oakland University.

Cam Thomas scored 13 points and Markieff Morris 10 for the Nets.

Through the first half, the teams tried various combinations, mixing the starters with some key bench players. Both sides seemed to stretch their stars for some extra minutes in the shortened NBA preseason.

Durant played 19 minutes in the first half and scored 18 points, making six of seven shots. Simmons and backcourt mate Royce O’Neale each played 18 minutes.

MAGIC 102, SPURS 99

Paolo Banchero, the overall No. 1 pick in the June draft, had nine points and five rebounds as Orlando beat San Antonio.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. He shot 8 of 13 as most of the Orlando starters played between 20 and 23 minutes. Franz Wagner had 12 points and Moritz Wagner scored 10.

Doug McDermott led the Spurs with 14 points, and Keita Bates-Diop added 12.. Devin Vassell and Tre Jones scored 11 points each.

THUNDER 131, ADELAIDE 36ERs 98

Tre Mann scored 26 points, including hitting 8 of 10 on 3s, as Oklahoma City beat a team from the Australian National Basketball League.

Lindy Waters III scored 23 points and Eugene Omoruyi added 19 points for the Thunder.

Craig Randall II, who had 35 points in the 36ers’ 134-124 win over the Phoenix Suns earlier in the week, led Adelaide with 27 points. Robert Franks scored 20 points and Antonius Cleveland had 19 points.

Adelaide used torrid 3-point shooting, hitting 56% from beyond the arc, to defeat the Suns in the opening game of their preseason tour. But the accuracy was not the same against Oklahoma City as the 36ers went 11 of 36 from distance.

HAWKS 123, BUCKS 113

Dejounte Murray scored 25 points in his Atlanta debut and the Hawks beat Milwaukee in the NBA’s first game in the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Gulf.

The teams will play another preseason game on Saturday at Etihad Arena.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 19 points. Jevon Carter added 17.

Murray also had nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. He was acquired from San Antonio for three first-round picks in the Hawks’ biggest offseason move.

Hawks star Trae Young had 22 points. Young and Murray combined to make 13 of 16 free throws, all in the first half.

The game featured the NBA’s three Holiday brothers. Aaron Holiday had 16 points and Justin Holiday added nine for the Hawks. Jrue Holiday had 12 for the Bucks.

De’Andre Hunter had 17 points for Atlanta.

———

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October 6, 2022
Wembanyama’s 2-game Las Vegas exhibition stay ends with win

HENDERSON, Nev. — Victor Wembanyama blocked a shot Thursday afternoon, ran to the other end of the court, went airborne from just inside the foul line, corralled an alley-oop pass with one hand and slammed home a dunk.

The entire sequence lasted eight seconds.

It may have been the signature moment — and there were a lot of candidates — from Wembanyama’s two-game trip to the U.S., which ended Thursday with the French phenom’s Metropolitans 92 team rallying from 16 points down to top the G League Ignite 112-106. He led the way, of course, with 36 points and 11 rebounds.

“As a first impression of the American game, that was really great,” Wembanyama said.

So was he.

His final numbers from two exhibitions: 73 points on 22-for-44 shooting, nine 3-pointers, 15 rebounds and nine blocked shots. He flies back to France on Saturday, and the next time he plays in the U.S. there likely will be an NBA logo on his jersey, presumably after he becomes the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

“It’s very, very special for France,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet said. “Not only for France. He has huge potential. He’s a huge talent.”

The reviews are in from this two-game Vegas residency for Wembanyama, who stands 7-foot-3 in bare feet, and they were of the raving variety. The best of the bunch may have come from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who suggested that calling Wembanyama a unicorn might not fully indicate how unique he is.

Instead, James went with an out-of-this-world comparison.

“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien,” James said. “No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor … He’s, for sure, a generational talent.”

Sure enough, when Wembanyama’s around, a viral moment can happen at any time. It might be a dunk. It might be a block. It might be a fadeaway 3-pointer from the corner while his momentum has him drifting toward the baseline. It might be a 28-foot 3-pointer from the wing. It might be him kicking a ball into a monitor and narrowly missing fellow French center Rudy Gobert.

Yes, all those things happened.

The scene: Gobert and fellow Minnesota Timberwolves standout D’Angelo Russell, in town to play the Lakers in a preseason game later Thursday, decided to postpone their afternoon nap — a staple of the NBA gameday routine — and make the 20-minute ride from Las Vegas to watch the game, arriving at halftime.

Gobert made a quick appearance on the game’s televised broadcast. Wembanyama, standing nearby, stuck one of his massive feet into the path of a pass by Ignite center Eric Mika. The ball ricocheted into the monitor near Gobert’s seat, knocking it over.

Gobert laughed. Wembanyama raised his hand to apologize.

“Hey, he played soccer too,” Gobert said.

Gobert raves about Wembanyama, who almost certainly will be the first top-five draft pick from France. And he doesn’t think there’s any real comparison: Gobert said Wembanyama’s defensive instincts remind him of himself, while his ballhandling and shooting remind him of Kevin Durant.

“What strikes me the most about him is his maturity,” Gobert said. “Obviously, he’s a very unique talent and he has a very unique physique. But his maturity and his confidence … he’s very unique.”

Thursday’s game had a bit of a scare, and the other top NBA draft headliner in this showcase got the worst of that moment.

Scoot Henderson, the guard whose 28 points led the Ignite to a 122-115 victory on Tuesday night in the exhibition opener, left Thursday’s game after less than five minutes. The reason: He banged knees with Wembanyama.

Henderson switched onto Wembanyama, who was dribbling on the wing. Wembanyama made a move, collided into Henderson and tumbled to the court, looking initially like he got the worst of that exchange. But Henderson, who was called for a foul on the play, wound up limping off for evaluation and the Ignite quickly said he wouldn’t be returning.

“Scoot’s fine,” G League coach Jason Hart said. “It was precautionary.”

There are 31 games left on Metropolitans’ 34-game schedule in the French league, and the plan — as of now — is for Wembanyama to finish his season, which is slated to go through mid-May. The NBA Draft is June 22.

Bouna Ndiaye, one of Wembanyama’s agents, said some NBA teams might not understand why he’s playing. The reason, he says, is because nobody can get Wembanyama out of the gym.

“He wants to live on the court,” Ndiaye said.

What these two games showed, in many ways, was just that the tapes of Wembanyama that have been coming out of Europe over the last few years weren’t lying. He needs to get stronger. There’s much he can still polish. He is, by all accounts, exceptional already.

“Just before we came in last Saturday, we had a meeting with our doctor and we are going to prepare to plan the next two months to increase what he is doing, besides the court, to strengthen the body,” Collet said. “We’re always careful also with how much time he is practicing, not to go too far. … We plan so that we limit the risk.”

When Thursday was over, when the comeback was complete, Wembanyama briefly lifted his arms skyward in celebration, then shook a lot of hands, partook in a lot of hugs and posed for a lot of pictures.

With that, the draft hype continued on.

“I’m still excited and so happy about it,” Wembanyama said. “I know I’m so lucky to have this chance.”

———

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October 6, 2022
Rockies beat Dodgers 5-2 after Urias departs in last start

LOS ANGELES — Julio Urias made his final tune-up for the postseason and case for the Cy Young Award a solid one, though the Colorado Rockies went ahead after he left and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Urias pitched five innings and allowed two runs — both on solo homers. He will finish the season as the National League’s ERA leader at 2.16 with a 17-7 record.

“It’s incredible,” Urias said through an interpreter about winning the title. “Last year to win 20 games and this year to focus and win that ERA title, it’s something really special.”

Randal Grichuk hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, his 19th, off Andrew Heaney (4-4) in the seventh inning.

Clayton Kershaw pitches the final regular season game Wednesday. The Dodgers have a bye and will be off until the NLDS begins Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will play the winner of the New York Mets-San Diego Padres wild-card round.

A decision on whether Kershaw or Urias is starting Game 1 or 2 has not been made yet, according to manager Dave Roberts.

The Dodgers were held to just five hits and have lost three straight to the Rockies. The Dodgers clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs a while ago.

“I’m not worried,” Roberts said of the recent offensive struggles. “I don’t think it’s worrisome. I think there’s a part of some human nature where there’s a little edge that’s not there given the circumstances. Our guys, the ones that aren’t feeling well, there’s guys in the cage right now trying to work on some things. It’s not for lack of effort. We’ll be ready. We’ll be ready when it counts.”

The Rockies, who have 93 losses, earned at least a split in the six-game series.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 34th save.

“It’s bittersweet for a lot of teams who aren’t in the playoffs,” manager Bud Black said. “We had higher hopes this year for sure. It’s a little tougher for those teams that had expectations. I’ve been at this a long time. We have some young guys just starting. (Wednesday) will be emotional in a couple different ways. You learn to quickly turn to next year, turn to the offseason and start looking forward with a season of hope.”

Brendan Rodgers homered for the Rockies, hitting his 13th of the season to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. Sean Bouchard also homered off Urias, a solo shot in the third inning to make it 2-0. Bouchard has six hits over the last three games.

Joey Gallo hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the fifth to tie the game at 2. It was his 19th homer of the season.

Urias threw 83 pitches, including 22 to get out of the first, and held the Rockies to four hits.

Urias wouldn’t campaign for himself for the Cy Young Award, preferring to keep the focus on the team.

“Like I’ve said before, that’s out of my control,” Urias said. “My job is to go out there and do what I can to perform and to put the numbers that I put up. Whatever commentary is left over, that’s for everyone to pick and choose what they want to talk about. For me, it’s doing my job. I feel I’ve been doing my job every fifth day.

“The focus is now on the postseason and doing my job for the postseason and trying to get another championship for the city of L.A. and finish it off, especially with all the criticism that goes along with that 2020 season. We want to finish off strong.”

Ryan Feltner (4-9) earned the win after he pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits in his final start of the season. He struck out four and walked two.

OH, DRONE

The game was delayed for about 10 minutes because of a drone flying over the stadium. Players went to their respective dugouts when umpires cleared the field and play resumed without further delay. There was a delay during a game at Dodger Stadium in 2020 as well because of a drone.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: RHP Chad Kuhl (right triceps strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and RHP Noah Davis was recalled from the taxi squad.

Dodgers: OF Chris Taylor (neck) will start doing baseball activities on Wednesday. Dave Roberts said this weekend will be “pivotal” for him to see if he can be ready for the NLDS.

UP NEXT

Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (5-7, 5.62) will try to make his case to be back in the Rockies rotation again in 2023 after being demoted to the bullpen this season. In 10 2/3 innings in September, he allowed seven earned runs and struck out seven.

Dodgers: LHP Kershaw (11-3, 2.30 ERA) will make an abbreviated start in the regular season finale. Kershaw has won his last four starts and allowed just six earned runs over six starts in September.

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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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October 4, 2022
New this week: Lena Dunham, Mila Kunis and Charlie Puth

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

MOVIES

— Lena Dunham adapts Karen Cushman’s young-adult novel in “Catherine Called Birdy,” a spirited medieval coming-of-age tale about a 14-year-old girl named Birdy (Bella Ramsey) in medieval England. Her father (Andrew Scott) wants to marry her off for some much-needed money, but Birdy’s plans repeatedly foil him. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called the film “part ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ part Mel Brooks and all joy.” Though still playing in select theaters, “Catherine Called Birdy” begins streaming Friday on Prime Video.

— From some of the same producing team behind the hit Michael Jordan documentary series “The Last Dance” comes another look back on a basketball high point. “The Redeem Team,” debuting Friday on Netflix, follows the 2008 U.S. men’s basketball team as it seeks a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after the team’s disappointing bronze finish in 2004. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, both team members, are producers of the documentary, which digs into coach Mike Krzyzewski’s leadership and Kobe Bryant’s considerable impact on the team.

— Mila Kunis stars in the Netflix thriller “Luckiest Girl Alive,” based on Jessica Knoll’s 2015 best-selling debut novel. The film, streaming Friday, takes some of the mystery stylings of “Gone Girl” and “The Girl on the Train.” Kunis stars as a New York woman with a seemingly perfect life that unravels when a true-crime documentary starts looking into her dark high-school past.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

MUSIC

— For his third album, pop singer-songwriter Charlie Puth is going with a very simple title — “Charlie,” due out Friday. It’s his first full-length project since his 2018 Grammy-nominated LP “Voicenotes.” You’ve likely already heard at least one of the 12 tracks — the earworm “Left and Right” featuring Jung Kook of BTS. Some other singles are the brooding ballad “That’s Hilarious” and the slinky “Light Switch.” Still not sure? listen to the lovesick up-tempo “Smells Like Me.”

— Guitarist Billy Duffy and singer Ian Astbury rejoin for a new album from The Cult, with their signature mix of heavy metal, goth and rock. The eight-track “Under the Midnight Sun” has triggered two singles, “Give Me Mercy” and “A Cut Inside,” with Astbury singing: “No heathens in heaven/ No sweet surrender/ Outsiders forever/ Ghosts of our lives.” Astbury says he pulled in influences from Brian Jones, Brion Gysin, William Burroughs, Buddhism, the Beats and the Age of Aquarius.

— What do you get when two of the three rappers from Migos release an LP? We’ll find out Friday when Quavo and Takeoff give the world “Only Built for Infinity Links” without third member Offset. The lead single “Hotel Lobby” has a video inspired by ”Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and another club-ready single is “Us vs. Them,” with Gucci Mane. Then there’s the Birdman-featuring “Big Stunna” and the memorable lyrics: “I was sick before carona/ice cold like pneumonia.” The title of their joint record is a reference to Raekwon’s 1995 solo work “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.”

— Wasn’t super-producer Danger Mouse just celebrating an album release last month? Well, here’s another. Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) reconnects with The Shins’ James Mercer as Broken Bells for the album “Into the Blue.” Three singles with wildly different styles have preceded the album drop, including the spacy “We’re Not In Orbit Yet…” and the gorgeous “Love On the Run,” that has a sunny, ‘70s vibe leading to a Pink Floyd-ish guitar solo. Last month, Danger Mouse teamed up with The Roots’ Black Thought for the album “Cheat Codes.”

— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy

TELEVISION

— Lesley Manville, Joanne Froggatt and David Morrissey lead an ensemble cast in “ Sherwood,” a drama series inspired by a 1984 miners’ strike in Nottingham, England, that pitted the town against police and divided friends and relatives. Decades later, officers return in force to solve a pair of killings, with their presence rekindling past bitterness. James Graham (“Brexit — The Uncivil War”), who grew up in the real-life town of Nottinghamshire and witnessed the turmoil, wrote the series debuting Tuesday on the BritBox streaming service.

— “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show” returns Friday for its second season and none too soon. Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”) is the beaming center of the show that aims to help preschoolers appreciate the value of small acts of kindness. Shouldn’t the adults in this fractious world be watching, too? The Apple TV+ series, co-created by McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero (“Blue’s Clues,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”), will welcome guest stars including Tony Hale, Stephanie Beatriz, Kristen Schaal and Kumail Nanjiani.

— The iHeartRadio Music Festival, held in Las Vegas at the end of September, is getting a four-hour, two-night special on the CW network. Among the dozens of artists at the festival: Sam Smith and Kim Petras, who performed their new song “Unholy”; a set by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo that included “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker,” and Megan Thee Stallion closing out the festival with songs from her new album, “Traumazine,” and past hits. The special airs on Friday and Saturday.

— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Dwayne Wade’s name.

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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.

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October 3, 2022