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Jimmy Butler scores 27, Miami beats Boston 111-105 to take 2-0 lead in East finals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, hitting a pair of buckets to give the Heat the lead after they erased a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit and Miami beat Boston 111-105 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.Bam Adebayo had 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, and Caleb Martin came off the bench to score 25 points for eighth-seeded Miami, which won twice in Boston to earn a chance to complete the sweep at home.Game 3 is Sunday.Jayson Tatum had 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Boston. But the Celtics star went 0 for 2 with two turnovers in the fourth quarter, when Boston blew an 89-77 lead en route to a second home loss in three nights. Jaylen Brown scored 16 points on 7-for-23 shooting; he went 1 for 5 with a turnover in the final quarter, when Miami outscored Boston 36-22.

Crews rescue 2 dogs from burning house in Fort Lauderdale

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

Crews came to the rescue of two dogs after a fire broke out inside a home in Fort Lauderdale.Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene of the blaze along the 1300 block of Northwest 19th Avenue, at around 7:30 p.m., Friday.Officials said firefighters were able to knock down the flames. They used thermal imaging to locate the two dogs that were trapped in the house, which is located near a fire station.Body camera video from a firefighter inside the smoke-filled residence captured the moment the first responder found a small black dog inside a cage.Pictures shared by FLFR captured a firefighter carrying the second canine out of the home.Officials believe the fire is related to a cooking situation.No one was injured.

Search underway for 40-year-old man reported missing in SW Miami-Dade

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

Police seek the public’s help in finding a 40-year-old man who was reported missing from Southwest Miami-Dade. According to Miami-Dade Police, Shelove Volmy was last seen in the area of the 16500 block of Southwest 107th Court, Friday evening. Volmy stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs around 175 pounds, has black eyes and is bald.He was last seen wearing a white polo shirt with a multi-color emblem in the front, as well as black and white sneakers. He was carrying coloring books at the time of his disappearance. Detectives said Volmy may also be in need of services. Officials urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact Miami-Dade Police at 305-471-8477.

Michael Kopech allows 1 hit in 8 brilliant innings as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

Michael Kopech’s talent was on full display Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field.The Chicago White Sox starter took a perfect game into the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals.Michael Massey collected the first hit for the Royals with a broken-bat single to right field with one out in the sixth.“I knew that it was in the works,” Kopech said. “I wasn’t really focused on it. I was able to go right back to work (after the hit) because I wasn’t focused on it. I missed my location and he got a hit. That’s part of the game. I wasn’t perfect and it showed.”He was pretty close.That single was all Kopech would give up in eight brilliant innings as the Sox beat the Royals 2-0 in front of 20,329. Kopech and reliever Kendall Graveman combined for a one-hitter while facing the minimum 27 batters.“(Friday) was Michael Kopech’s day,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “Pounding the strike zone, plus-plus stuff, 18 out of ...

Francisco Lindor hits walk-off single against former team to cap thriller against Cleveland Guardians in extras

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

Pete Alonso continues to put together an MVP campaign carrying the Mets as of late, but he needed some help from Francisco Lindor to secure the victory.Lindor came up huge in the bottom on the 10th inning, hitting a walk-off single to defeat his former team, 10-9. It was his first ever game against Cleveland.“Props to my teammates, they kept us in the game…Nimmo, Vientos, The Baby Mets. Without them, I don’t come up in the 10th,” Lindor said postgame.Guardians pinch-hitter Gabriel Arias almost got Cleveland the win. He hit a two-run homer off of reliever Drew Smith in the top of the 10th to go up 9-7. It was Smith’s first homer given up this season.Arias almost spoiled the night for the Alonso and the Mets. The slugger, with the Mets down four runs in the seventh inning, smoked a grand slam 400 feet to right-center field to tie the game and give hope to the home crowd. It was Alonso’s 17th homer of the season and the fourth in as many days.“...

Callahan: Celtics’ season-long problems coming back to haunt them against Miami

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

At this late stage of the season, a painful Celtics loss needs no explaining.They all follow the same script.Meandering mid-game offense. Crumbling down the stretch. A lack of urgency that reveals itself on defense and the glass.Fire away at Jayson Tatum for again failing to make a fourth-quarter field goal if you want. Or sling arrows at the shooters who couldn’t pull the Celtics into a series tie Friday night.But the blame, the shock, the pain of Friday night’s Game 2 loss in the Eastern Conference Finals to Miami fell on coaching.The playoffs are for problem-solving. Adjustments quarter to quarter and game to game. Boston’s late-game offense, save for occasional Tatum heroics, remains a mess. The Celtics have failed to solve their season-long problems, and now these flaws could be fatal.Gut-check time arrived Friday with 4:57 left, when Bam Adebayo canned two free throws to bring the Heat within four after a slog of a slugfest. Jaylen Brown traveled on the next ...

Breaking down the Chicago Cubs’ decisions to option Keegan Thompson to Triple A and designate Eric Hosmer for assignment

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

Keegan Thompson admitted the news caught him a little bit by surprise.When the right-hander arrived to Citizens Bank Park Friday afternoon, Thompson learned the Chicago Cubs were optioning him to Triple-A Iowa.“I think everyone’s kind of caught off guard a little bit when they get that news,” Thompson said. “But I’ve been inconsistent. … I’ve been struggling this year in the strike zone. I’ve been getting ahead of guys and then my offspeed stuff is just kind of not there.”Sending Thompson to Iowa was part of a busy day of transactions before the Cubs’ 10-1 road win against the Philadelphia Phillies ended a five-game losing streak.Cody Bellinger landed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee bruise. First baseman Eric Hosmer was designated for assignment to open a spot for outfielder Mike Tauchman. Edwin Ríos was recalled from Iowa. Nico Hoerner came off the IL to provide a spark, tallying three hits and four RBIs.B...

Celtics slip late in Game 2 loss to Jimmy Butler and Heat, now in 2-0 series hole

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

The Celtics, all during this playoff run, have counted on bouncing back when their backs are against the wall. For most of Friday night, they looked like they would again.But what’s that saying? When you mess around, you find out.The Celtics led by double digits in the fourth quarter of Game 2 but couldn’t close the deal this time. Their worst nightmares came true as a spirited Jimmy Butler led the relentless Heat down the stretch. The Celtics didn’t have an answer in crunch time. They lost, 111-105. And now they head back to Miami in a bad spot, a daunting challenge they haven’t faced yet, in a 2-0 series hole of these Eastern Conference Finals.“We got to win one at a time,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said when asked of his message to his team after this brutal loss.Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, but did most of his work in the first three quarters as Boston built a double-digit lead, only to see it slip away in crunch time.The Celtics d...

‘A day of joy’: Brittney Griner opens 1st WNBA season since detainment in Russia

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time since last season, Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard opened her pregame comments without announcing how many days Brittney Griner had been jailed in Russia.Griner has been free since December when she was part of a high-profile prisoner swap. She hit the court for warmups about 90 minutes before the Mercury’s WNBA season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night, and she was in the starting lineup, grabbing an early rebound and knocking down a jumper.“Until the day we got the news in the morning that she was on her way home, no one thought that it was going to happen,” Nygaard said. “We did our jobs probably with less joy than professional athletes do. It was heavy every day.”Not anymore.“Today is a day of joy,” Nygaard said. “An amazing, amazing thing has happened.”Griner and the Mercury were greeted with a standing ovation when they came on court for pregame warmups, although the biggest cheers were reserved for the Sparks.Griner...

Dudamel gets 7-minute ovation after 1st NY Philharmonic concert since music director decision

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:16 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic received a seven-minute standing ovation Friday night following his first performance with the orchestra since he agreed to become music director.Dudamel conducted a performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony at David Geffen Hall, a program he is scheduled to repeat on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.The 42-year-old Venezuelan has been music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009 and will leave at the end of the 2025-2026 season. He agreed in February to a five-year contract as New York’s artistic and music director starting in 2026-2027.Dudamel will remain music director of the Paris Opéra, a role he’s held since 2021.The Associated Press