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As inaugural In-Season Tournament draws to a close, Adam Silver looks ahead to possible tweaks

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver seemed more than satisfied by the way the inaugural In-Season Tournament went this season, though noted that it’s only natural to expect some tweaks to the format before next year.Silver, speaking Saturday before the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers met in the event’s first championship game, said new elements like the brightly painted courts and cash incentives for team success were generally a hit. “I want to thank all the players in the league, the coaches and of course the teams for embracing this new concept,” said Silver, who pushed for years to have such an event — similar to what’s done in many soccer leagues around the world — added to the NBA calendar. “I know it doesn’t come without challenges. There’s no doubt there’s some things that we’re learning this time through. Overall, we’re thrilled with the interest we’ve seen so far this season.”There’s nothing that is certain to change befo...

Mavs star Kyrie Irving will miss game in Memphis with right heel injury

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will miss a game in Memphis after returning to Dallas to have a right heel injury evaluated.Irving bruised the heel in Dallas’ 125-112 victory at Portland on Friday night. The Mavs visit the Grizzlies on Monday night before finishing a back-to-back at home on Tuesday against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.With just under four minutes left in the second quarter against the Trail Blazers, Irving was fouled under the basket by center Duop Reath. The guard fell to the floor, where teammate Dwight Powell inadvertently stepped on his foot, causing Irving to stay down for several minutes.Irving has been dealing with a left foot injury that contributed to him missing four games, although two of those were the second night of back-to-backs.Irving is second behind fellow All-Star Luka Doncic in scoring for the Mavericks. The 31-year-old is averaging 23 points. Doncic is second in the NBA at 31.9 points per game and has scored at least 3...

Leach scores 15 as Fairfield defeats Sacred Heart 67-57

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Jalen Leach scored 15 points as Fairfield beat cross-town rival Sacred Heart 67-57 on Saturday night.Leach was 4 of 10 shooting, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line for the Stags (4-6). Jasper Floyd scored 10 points while shooting 2 of 5 from the field and 5 for 6 from the line, and added seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Brycen Goodine had 10 points and was 3 of 6 shooting (2 for 4 from 3-point range).The Pioneers (4-7) were led in scoring by Raymond Espinal-Guzman, who finished with 11 points. Nico Galette added 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Sacred Heart. In addition, Alex Sobel finished with 10 points and two steals.NEXT UPUp next for Fairfield is a matchup Sunday with Wagner at home. Sacred Heart visits Providence on Saturday.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Red Wings’ Larkin face-down, motionless on ice for about a minute after cross-check from behind

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was face-down and motionless on the ice for about a minute after being cross-checked in the back of the head and neck by Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph on Saturday night.Larkin was eventually able to stand up, but was hunched over as he was assisted to the locker room. There was no immediate report on the injury.Standing near the Ottawa goal during a first-period power play, Larkin took the hit from Joseph and was pushed into the Senators’ Parker Kelly, who also hit Larkin as the Detroit player fell.Joseph and Kelly were assessed roughing penalties on the play with 6:10 left in the period. Detroit’s David Perron was given a match penalty for intent to injure for cross-checking Artem Zub as the Ottawa defenseman stood next to the prone Larkin.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlSource

Democrat John Whitmire elected Houston mayor, defeating congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston elected Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire as its next mayor on Saturday night, elevating a Texas lawmaker who has represented the city for 50 years by giving him a victory over U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a runoff.Whitmire, 74, who is one of Texas’ most powerful Democratic legislators, will now be at the helm of America’s fourth-largest city. His campaign focused on reducing crime, improving streets and bringing people together. He heavily outspent Jackson Lee, who was running to become Houston’s first Black female mayor. The congresswoman’s campaign also had to deal with fallout from the release in October of an unverified audio recording that purported to capture her profanely berating staff. Whitmire built an insurmountable lead among early voters, winning among those voters by 30 percentage points.Whitmire and Jackson Lee had made it to Saturday’s runoff after emerging from a crowded field of nearly 20 candidates in the Nov. 7 general election. Both ...

Dickinson scores 13 points, has 16 rebounds, helps lead No. 2 Kansas over rival Missouri 73-64

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 13 points and 16 rebounds, Kevin McCullar Jr. and KJ Adams had 17 points each and No. 2 Kansas beat rival Missouri 73-64 on Saturday.The Jayhawks closed out the first half on a 14-0 run started by a Elmarko Jackson’s 3-pointer to turn a 2-point deficit into a 41-29 halftime lead.“They were better than us to start the game, but that run was the difference in the game,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We made a lot of good basketball plays in the last six minutes of the first half.”McCullar Jr. had 14 points and six rebounds in the first half.Sean East II led Missouri with 21 points and Nick Honor scored 17, but the Tigers were without one of their guards, Caleb Grill. Grill injured his non-shooting wrist last Sunday and is expected to miss 5-7 weeks. He averages 8.4 points and nearly six rebounds per game.“We were creating for one another and we just wanted to use the ball screens effectively and I thought we did that well,” ...

Hinson’s 26 allows Pitt to pull away late, hold off Canisius, 82-71

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Blake Hinson scored 26 points and Pittsburgh pulled away late to post an 82-71 victory over Canisius on Saturday. Hinson, who came into the game leading the NCAA with 39 3-pointers made through his first 10 games, knocked down 3 of 4 from distance. Canisius led at the break, 41-40 and Siem Uijtendaal’s three-point play with 13:15 left gave Canisius a 54-47 lead, but Carlton Carrington, Jorge Diaz Graham and Hinson each hit from behind the arc to put Pitt in front, 56-54. Frank Mitchell’s layup with 8:11 left put the Golden Griffins back in front, 61-60, but Ishmael Leggett sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a layup by Federiko Federiko put Pitt in front, 68-61. Hinson scored six of the Panthers’ final nine points to close out the win. Hinson hit 8 of 13 from the floor and went 7-for-7 shooting from the line to lead Pitt (7-3). Carrington added 16 points and dished five assists and Leggett hit 3 of 5 from distance to add another 13 points. Uijt...

Bloody clash in Mexican hamlet kills 4 villagers and 10 gunmen, including drug cartel’s leader

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A clash between gunmen from a notoriously violent drug cartel and residents of a small farming community in central Mexico left 14 people dead, including the cartel’s leader, authorities said Saturday. Seven others were injured and still being treated for wounds. Dramatic video of the fight Friday posted on social media showed villagers in cowboy hats with sickles and hunting rifles chasing down suspected gang members amid bursts of automatic gunfire.Police in the State of Mexico, which abuts Mexico City, said the bloodshed occurred in the hamlet of Texcaltitlan, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of the capital. Officials said 10 of the dead were members of the violent Familia Michoacana drug cartel, including its leader, Rigoberto de la Sancha Santillán, known as “El Payaso” or “The Clown.” Four others killed were village residents. The cartel has been dominant in the area for many years. The video appeared to show the attackers wore military-style ...

Houston elects John Whitmire, a Texas lawmaker who has represented Houston for 50 years, as mayor

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston elects John Whitmire, a Texas lawmaker who has represented Houston for 50 years, as mayor.Source

Denver Jewish community says Hanukkah holds extra meaning this year

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:20 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Saturday marks the third night of Hanukkah, the annual Jewish celebration of lights. As the Israel-Hamas war continues, Denver rabbi Raphael Leban says this year's holiday holds extra meaning.  Israel presses on with its Gaza offensive after US veto derails Security Council efforts to halt war “It’s very important that we remain confident, courageous, and committed Jews," he said. "And we put our menorahs in the window now as much as ever.”It comes as a new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows antisemitic reports are up 300% in Colorado this year. “I think to our great dismay, there is a rising degree of concern about being openly Jewish in America,” Leban said. Leban said that's led some Jews to remove menorahs from the window and bring them further inside the home to places like the dining room table. He said the history of Hanukkah, which celebrates a war-time miracle when a single night of oil somehow burned for 8 nights, is something they're pulling f...