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Nets get pummeled on glass again, lose 3rd in a row to Denver, 108-102

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

If the Nets hope to avoid the Play-In Tournament and retain their standing as an uncontested playoff team, they’re going to have to solve their rebounding issue.It’s the Achilles heel for a team still clinging to postseason aspirations in the aftermath of the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trades.The Nets can get stops and, at times, generate quality offense — but their lack of true depth at the five and true size in the front court leaves them susceptible to being outworked on the glass.They rank second to last in rebounding in all of basketball ahead of only the center-less Dallas Mavericks.“We have to accept it. It’s truth,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said postgame. “It’s staring us in the face. The scouting report says to try to go offensive rebound versus the Nets, and we have to understand that and really do a diligent job of trying to continue to do this together. We can’t do it with two people or three people.”Such was...

BU to face Western Michigan in NCAA tournament

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

Winning two post-season games in the TD Garden got Boston University a tournament upgrade to Manchester.The Hockey East regular season and tournament champion BU Terriers (27-10-0) drew the No. 2 seed and will make its 38th appearance in the NCAA tournament when they face No. 3 Western Michigan (23-14-1) in the Manchester (N.H.) Regional on Thursday (2 p.m.) at SNHU Arena. Defending national champion Denver (30-9-0) drew the No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 Cornell (20-10-2) in the other semifinal at 5:30.“We are excited and being in Manchester helps us,” said BU first-year coach Jay Pandolfo, the Hockey East Coach of the Year. “We do not know a lot about Western Michigan and we are going to start watching them and see how they look.“Hopefully it will be like a home game up there and I expect the BU band and the Dog Pound to be up there. They have been a huge part of our success so hopefully we can make it feel like a home game up there.”ECAC regular season champion Quinnipiac (34-4-3...

Timmy Ward’s OT goal lifts Norwell over Sandwich for state title

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

In overtime, with the first state championship in program history on the line, Norwell captain Timmy Ward grabbed the puck in the defensive zone. Seconds after it left his stick, the Clippers were Division 4 champions.The 75-point senior forward went coast to coast and utilized his edges to fly past the Sandwich defenders and fired the puck into the back of the net on a backhand deke to give Norwell the 4–3 overtime victory at the TD Garden.“You may call Timmy the best kid who has ever played in this program,” Norwell coach Jim Casagrande said. “When I saw Timmy go, I thought, ‘this is it, this is it.’ ”The Clippers came out of the gate flying, outshooting the Blue Knights 13–5 in the opening frame. Sandwich goaltender Mitchell Norkevicius made it difficult on the top-seeded Clippers (25-1), but they did break through after Quinn Simmons scored a back-door goal to give them a 1–0 lead.“It felt amazing,” Simmons said. “I was dreaming about putting in a goal last night.”Go...

Red Sox Notebook: Brayan Bello makes Grapefruit League debut

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

After a brief, but worrisome shutdown for forearm soreness delayed his preseason, Brayan Bello made his Grapefruit League debut in Clearwater on Sunday.Bello entered the game in the sixth inning of what turned out to be a 9-5 victory over the Phillies at their Florida home, BayCare Ballpark, and pitched two perfect innings.From his first pitch, which clocked in at 96.2 mph, the 23-year-old righty made it look easy. He faced the minimum and only needed 25 pitches (18 for strikes) to get through two frames. He struck out three and got the other three batters to ground out.“He acts like he belongs here,” Alex Cora told reporters. Bello said he feels excellent.Bello debuted on July 6 of last year and appeared in 13 games, including 11 starts, for the big-league club. After getting off to a bumpy start, the rookie was dominant down the stretch; over five starts in September, he posted a 1.65 ERA and struck out 27 batters in 27 1/3 innings. He then spent the offseason working with H...

Mets 26-man roster projection as spring training draws to a close, injuries mount

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

Things sure have changed for the Mets over the last two weeks.The Mets’ World Series hopes took a hit last week when closer Edwin Diaz underwent knee surgery following a World Baseball Classic injury and outfielder Brandon Nimmo suffered sprains to his right knee and ankle as the result of an awkward slide into second base. The bullpen has been beleaguered with injuries to left-hander Brooks Raley and right-handers Bryce Montes de Oca and Sam Coonrod.Further fueling the concerns of fans is the performances of Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso in the WBC. The duo is a combined 2-for-18 for Team USA. Despite the thrilling theatrics of the Americans’ quarterfinal victory over Venezuela on Saturday night, some fans are still calling for the event to end or at least be moved to another time of the year so it doesn’t affect the Major League season.But the WBC concerns are futile at best for the moment. The regular season is less than two weeks away and as of Sunday, we know Di...

Biden calls Netanyahu with judicial plan ‘concern’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

WILMINGTON, Del. — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express “concern” over his government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system that has sparked widespread protests across Israel and to encourage compromise.The White House said Biden reiterated U.S. concerns about the measure to roll back the judiciary’s insulation from the country’s political system, in a call a senior administration official described as “candid and constructive.” There was no immediate indication that Netanyahu was shying away from the action, after rejecting a compromise last week offered by the country’s figurehead president.The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the leaders’ private call, said that Biden spoke to Netanyahu “as a friend of Israel in the hopes that there can be a compromise formula found.”The White House in statement added that Biden “underscored...

Healey named as one of USA Today’s ‘Women of the Year’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

It’s maybe a bit of a layup for the newspaper, but USA Today has announced that the former point guard turned attorney general and now Gov. Maura Healey made the cut as one of their Women of the Year.“Healey, the first woman and openly LGBTQ person to be elected as Governor in Massachusetts history, is being recognized for being a trailblazing leader for LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights as well as for championing for justice and equality,” a spokesperson for the Gannett owned newspaper said with the announcement.After nomination by readers, USA Today staff and a panel of experts, the honor is presented to women “who have broken barriers, including the stratosphere, to make significant change in their communities and around the world,” according to the company.Healey’s selection for the honor comes alongside that of former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, actress and philanthropist Goldie Hawn and her foundation, the women...

Governor Newsom visits San Diego to talk mental health, fentanyl

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- California Governor Gavin Newsom is stopping in San Diego on Sunday as part of his four-city tour to address state issues.Newsom gave remarks shorty after 1:30 p.m. Sunday in San Diego. He discussed policy, including modernizing our behavioral health system. He also spoke about building more mental health housing facilities.The governor also stopped by a National Guard facility in National City at 4:30 p.m. to deliver remarks on the fentanyl and opioid crises in the state. Newsom to start California tour with homelessness proposal Ahead of his stop in America's Finest City, Newsom announced plans to address California's homelessness crisis in Sacramento on Thursday. The governor said the state will spend around $30 million to build 1,200 small homes across the state in 2023.County officials confirmed 150 of those tiny homes will be built in the San Diego region.Newsom also made a visit to the Bay Area Friday, where he announced plans to transform San Quentin State Pr...

2 skiers killed in large late-winter avalanches in Colorado

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

MARBLE, Colo. (AP) — A skier was killed in an avalanche on Sunday outside a Colorado ski resort boundary, just a day after authorities recovered the body of another avalanche victim, authorities said.Three skiers were caught in Sunday’s large avalanche in the Maroon bowl area outside of the Aspen Highlands resort near Aspen, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said.Two of the skiers managed to escape. Further details about the victim were not immediately available.On Saturday, Colorado authorities recovered the body of skier Joel Shute, 36, of Glenwood Springs, after he and two others were caught in a large backcountry avalanche southwest of Marble in western Colorado.Shute had been missing since Friday evening, when the avalanche swept 2,400 feet (730 meters) down a mountainside as the were backcountry touring.The avalanche was two to three feet (up to nearly 1 meter) deep where it began and up to 500 feet (150 meters) wide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said...

Cuban baseball team draws ire, support in Little Havana

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:22:00 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Jose Vilela fled Cuba for the United States when he was 14 years old after spending six months in a concentration camp. Like many of his compatriots, he settled in Miami’s Cuban neighborhood, Little Havana.Vilela, now 68, paced Sunday afternoon outside loanDepot Park, the Miami Marlins’ home stadium, where the Cuban national baseball team was set to face the United States for a spot in the World Baseball Classic hours later. For prideful expats eager to separate sports from politics, the country’s first ever baseball game in Miami was cause for celebration.But for Vilela and hundreds of others, it was reason to protest the political oppression they escaped. Vilela stalked the stadium Sunday, yelling outside for anyone associated with the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who embraced Soviet-style communism, to leave the community. That included many Cuban players who are technically government employees.“We don’t want them here,” Vilela said. ̶...