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Magic needing to become more consistent with the game’s ‘little situations’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

As cliche as it may sound, the message from Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has been consistent: nailing the little things throughout a game can be the difference between a win or loss.Thursday’s 116-113 road defeat to the Phoenix Suns was another example of the Magic learning this lesson the hard way.It’s easy to point to Josh Okogie blocking Paolo Banchero’s potential game-tying 3-point attempt with 3.1 seconds remaining to seal the win for Phoenix as the game-defining play.But it shouldn’t be viewed that way.“Coming up short, it’s not just about that one play,” Mosley said. “It’s not about that possession there. There’s fouling where we don’t need to foul. Fouling shooters. Little situations like that we have to keep understanding, those are the possessions that get you into end-of-game situations.”Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz fouling 3-point shooters at the end of the first and second quarters resu...

Malden Catholic tops Mansfield, repeats as state champs

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

LOWELL — Nick Martinez saved his finest performance for the season’s biggest stage.Martinez scored a game-high 28 points while Malden Catholic’s defense stifled what had been a prolific Mansfield offense as the No. 1 Lancers won their second consecutive Division 2 state title with a 72-54 win over the No. 2 Hornets on Friday night at the Tsongas Center.The win gives Malden Catholic (23-2) coach John Walsh his fifth career state championship with three coming at Danvers High School.“Mansfield’s offense is very difficult to defend. They’re a real tough team to stop, but our kids listened and paid attention to what we needed to do,” Walsh said. “I just love Malden Catholic and seeing the kids celebrate – it’s special.”Mansfield’s Caden Colby (3) fouls Malden Catholic’s Nicholas Martinez during the second half of the MIAA Div. 2 boys basketball championship. Malden Catholic captured the title. (Photo by Mark Stockwe...

Heat veteran Kyle Lowry adjusting to new role coming off bench

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry has been a steady presence in the starting lineup for nearly his entire career.The veteran had started 677 consecutive games that he was active for, dating back to his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors.But after returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 15 games, Lowry was forced to adjust to a new role: coming off the bench.“It’s different,” Lowry said Friday. “But right now I’m just trying to help my team win and they just want to kind of ease me back in. Whatever decisions coach makes long term, that’s going to be that. But right now it’s about staying healthy and getting myself in rhythm and in shape.”The 36-year-old Lowry played 36 minutes in his first game back from injury — an overtime loss to Orlando on March 11 — then played 19 and 20 minutes against Utah and Memphis on March 13th and March 15th, respectively. He has averaged 9.7 point, four assists and 2.3 rebounds ...

Lance Reddick of 'The Wire' dead at 60

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

(KTLA/NEXSTAR) — Actor Lance Reddick, perhaps best known for his role on "The Wire," has died at the age of 60, his representatives confirmed Friday."Acclaimed actor Lance Reddick passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes," his representatives confirmed to Nexstar. "He is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and children Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick... Lance will be greatly missed." Ford recalls 1.5 million vehicles to fix brake hoses, wiper arms Reddick had a long career in TV and film, but he will most likely be remembered as Lt. Cedric Daniels on "The Wire," one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time. He also appeared in the "John Wick" franchise and was set to appear as Zeus in next year's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" on Disney+.Tributes poured out for Reddick online after news of his death was made public, including from his "Wire" co-stars."A man of great strength and grace," said Wendell Pierce, who played Detective William "B...

Russia will extend Ukraine grain deal for 60 days – not 120

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief on Friday called its extension crucial to ensuring global food supplies and keeping prices from spiraling as they did after Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbor. Russia’s U.N. ambassador reiterated that Moscow is ready to extend the deal — but only for 60 days, just half the 120 days in the agreement.Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia’s briefing to the U.N. Security Council, reiterating what a Russian delegation told senior U.N. officials at a meeting in Geneva on Monday, reinforced the Kremlin’s insistence on reducing the duration of the deal to hold out for changes on how the package is working.The U.N. and Turkey brokered the deal between the warring countries last July that allows Ukraine — one of the world’s key breadbaskets — to ship food and fertilizer from three of its Black Sea ports. A separate memorandum of understanding between the United...

Tejano musician Fito Olivares dies in Houston at 75

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Tejano musician Fito Olivares, known for songs that were wedding and quinceanera mainstays including the hit “Juana La Cubana,” died Friday. He was 75.The noted saxophonist died in the morning at home in Houston, according to his wife, Griselda Olivares. She said he was diagnosed with cancer last year.Born Rodolfo Olivares in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas on April 19, 1947, Fito Olivares started playing professionally in his teens. In 1980, he and his brothers formed Olivares y su Grupo La Pura Sabrosura and moved to Houston.Other tunes he is known for include “Aguita de Melon,” “El Chicle” and “El Colesterol.” In addition to playing the saxophone, he also played accordion, wrote songs and occasionally sang, his wife said.Griselda Olivares said the family was seeing a lot of support from fans on social media. “They played the music all over the world,” she said.Among those posting tributes was Ed Gonzalez, the sheriff for Harris County, where Houston is locate...

Canada’s women’s soccer team suffers setback ahead of World Cup

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

Canada’s World Cup hopes took a body blow Friday with news that Janine Beckie has been sidelined by a torn anterior cruciate in her right knee.Beckie was taken off on a stretcher in the 19th minute of the Portland Thorns’ 4-1 home pre-season win Wednesday over the U.S. women’s under-23 team.“Heartbroken is an understatement,” Beckie wrote in a Twitter post Friday.“Having worked so hard during the off-season for what was set to be one of the biggest seasons of my career, defending the title for Portland Thorns and of course playing in the World Cup for Canada, being out for an extended period of time is a difficult pill to swallow.”The 28-year-old winger will have surgery in the coming weeks to repair the season-ending injury, the Thorns said in a statement.That rules Beckie out of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.Olympic champion Canada, ranked sixth in the world, is slated to kick off its World Cup campaign July 20 against Nigeria...

New Mexico opts for veto power on spent nuclear fuel debate

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An effort to keep spent nuclear fuel produced by commercial U.S. nuclear power plants from being shipped to New Mexico cleared its final legislative hurdle Friday, and Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham intends to sign the measure.The New Mexico House voted 35-28 in favor of the bill after a lengthy debate. Five Democrats joined Republicans in opposition, arguing that the bill would challenge longstanding federal authority over nuclear safety matters and lead to new court challenges.The bill from Democratic state Sen. Jeff Steinborn, of Las Cruces, would impact a proposed multibillion-dollar facility in southeastern New Mexico that would have the capacity to temporarily store up to 8,680 metric tons of used uranium fuel. Future expansion could make room for as many as 10,000 canisters of spent fuel over six decades.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may announce a decision soon on whether to grant a license for the project spearheaded by Holtec Internatio...

Officials are preparing security in case of Trump indictment

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement officials in New York are making security preparations for the possibility that former President Donald Trump could be indicted in the coming weeks and appear in a Manhattan courtroom in an investigation examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with him, four law enforcement officials said Friday.There has been no public announcement of any timeframe for the grand jury’s secret work, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president. The law enforcement officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said authorities are just preparing in case of an indictment. They described the conversations as preliminary and are considering security, planning and the practicalities of a potential court appearance by a former president. Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told The Associated Press that if Trump is indicted, “we will follow the normal proced...

SpaceX sets launch record with sunset liftoff from Canaveral

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:21:06 GMT

Richard Tribou | Orlando SentinelSpaceX sent up its 14th rocket from the Space Coast this year with a sunset launch Friday just hours after its sent up a Falcon 9 in California setting a record turnaround time for Elon Musk’s company.The second Falcon 9 launch carrying two satellites for Luxembourg-based communications company SES lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:38 p.m.Watch Falcon 9 launch @SES_Satellites’ SES-18 and SES-19 to orbit → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK https://t.co/wH9as8fIN6— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 17, 2023The SES 18 and SES 19 satellites built by Northrop Grumman will add to SES’s C-band television and data services for the United States. SES has been a common SpaceX customer including becoming its first commercial payload in 2013, and the first to fly on a reused booster in 2017.The first-stage booster for this mission flew for the sixth time and was recovered once again on the SpaceX drone ship Just Read the Instruc...