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Heat, Knicks start 2nd round Sunday in rivalry’s return

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Back when the New York Knicks and Miami Heat were meeting every year in the postseason, nobody had the kind of series Jimmy Butler just did.Get as hot as he was against Milwaukee and a player was going to get clobbered.They were foul-filled matchups at the end of the 1990s, better fit for brawlers than ballers, and beautiful to watch only for someone who loves ferocious competition like Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.“And it was on every play,” Thibodeau said. “And the style of play is a little bit different today than it was then.”The intensity might be about the same.The teams renew that rivalry beginning Sunday when the Knicks welcome the Heat back to Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.“We know how fierce it’s going to be at 1 o’clock in the Garden,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.The Knicks arrived here by winning a playoff series for the first time since 2013. They got to start it at home when the Heat stunned the top-seeded ...

Benzema hat trick in Real Madrid win but Vinicius injured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Karim Benzema’s first-half hat trick led Real Madrid to 4-2 over Almeria and the Spanish league win on Saturday might have cost them Vinícius Júnior.Vinícius Júnior asked to be substituted several minutes after he appeared to bang his knee following a knock with a defender. Fellow Brazil forward Rodrygo also ended the game on the bench with an ice pack on his left knee.Madrid is already worried about Luka Modric’s recovery from a thigh injury as their most important games of the season loom.Madrid has one more Liga game at Real Sociedad before it plays the Copa del Rey final next weekend against Osasuna in Seville. Three days later, Madrid starts its Champions League semifinal rematch from last season with Manchester City on May 9.At least their France striker is honing his scoring touch.The comfortable win over Almeria ensured Madrid remained in second place in La Liga but Barcelona was still eight points ahead before it hosted Real Betis late Sa...

Neighbors asked a man to stop firing a rifle outside. He then opened fire on them, killing 5, Texas sheriff says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

(CNN) — Five people were fatally shot, including an 8-year-old, in a Cleveland, Texas, home after a Friday night rampage that started with a noise complaint about gunfire, according to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office.The gunman, who remains at large, was apparently shooting a rifle in his yard when neighbors asked him to stop because a baby was trying to sleep, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. The suspect then opened fire on the neighbors, Capers said.Authorities found the victims Friday night after receiving a harassment report about 11:30 p.m. local time, the sheriff said.“The victims, they came over to the fence said, ‘Hey, could you mind not shooting out in the yard. We have a young baby that is trying to go sleep,'” Capers said.The suspect, who had been drinking, responded, “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard.”A doorbell camera at the home of the victims at some point captured the suspect approaching with ...

Erdoğan back on the campaign trail after falling ill earlier in week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan returned to the campaign trail on Saturday after falling sick during a live TV broadcast Tuesday night.Erdoğan had canceled public appearances for three days, after coming down with what Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said was gastroenteritis. But on Saturday, the Turkish president appeared at an Istanbul aviation festival, flanked by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, AFP reported.His illness came at an unfortunate time for Erdoğan, who’s facing a tough battle for re-election when Turkey heads to the polls on May 14. Erdoğan, who has been in power since 2003 as prime minister and president, is polling neck-and-neck with opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls.

Orioles’ DL Hall strikes out 7, throws 75 pitches after being called up as 27th man for doubleheader vs. Tigers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

Left-handed pitching prospect DL Hall didn’t break camp with the Orioles because they wanted him to continue to work as a starter. His first appearance with Baltimore this year came out of the bullpen, where he thrived down the stretch last season.The Orioles added Hall as their 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. Hall, 24, is the No. 2 pitching prospect in the organization behind right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who is scheduled to start the second game of the twin bill. After Dean Kremer pitched the first five innings of the opener, a 7-4 loss, Hall provided length out of the bullpen for an Orioles’ pitching staff that needed to cover two games’ worth of innings, striking out seven and allowing two runs over three frames.“You bring up DL Hall as your 27th man, that’s a good feeling,” manager Brandon Hyde said before the game. “He’s stretched out as a starter. He closed in Yankee Stadium last year. Th...

Oklahoma RB Eric Gray leads off Giants’ day 3 NFL Draft haul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

Giants GM Joe Schoen picked elusive, pass-catching Oklahoma running back Eric Gray on the final day of the NFL Draft to add another weapon to Brian Daboll’s offense.The Giants used their No. 172 overall pick in the fifth round on Gray to supplement a backfield that for now is missing Saquon Barkley.Barkley is unhappy with his contract situation, hasn’t signed his franchise tag tender and is staying away from the team facility.Gray, 23, a second-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior, is a shifty runner who often makes the first defender miss and an accomplished route-runner and pass catcher out of the backfield.His ability as a receiver is the X-factor addition to the Giants’ rotation that also includes Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and Jashaun Corbin.“One [it’s about] just having natural hands to catch, being able to route run,” Gray said. “Me personally, I have a good feel for knowing coverages coming out of the backfield, knowing if it̵...

NFL Draft 2023: Patriots draft electric LSU WR Kayshon Boutte in 6th round

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

Finally, a wide receiver.The Patriots drafted LSU’s Kayshon Boutte with the 187th overall pick in the sixth round of the draft Saturday. Boutte represents a worthy gamble by the Patriots considering his immense talent and roller-coaster college career. After earning freshman All-American honors in 2020, Boutte was considered a first-round talent. He caught nine touchdowns in six games the following year.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | NFL Draft 2023: Patriots add powerful UCLA O-lineman on Day 3 New England Patriots | NFL Draft 2023: Patriots add Eastern Michigan OL Sidy Sow in 4th round New England Patriots | NFL Draft 2023: Patriots select small-school O-lineman in fourth round New England Patriots | Bill Belichick ‘absolutely’ feels good about Patriots QB Mac Jones New England Patriots | 2023 NFL Draft | Who are the top players for Day 3? But off-field issues and effort concer...

Ticker: Frustration grows over wait on OxyContin maker’s settlement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

More than a year after the maker of OxyContin reached a tentative settlement over the toll of opioids, the money isn’t flowing yet.That’s because a federal court is still considering whether it’s lawful to give members of the Sackler family who own Purdue Pharma protection from civil lawsuits in exchange for their contribution to the settlement: the company itself and up to $6 billion in cash. Lawyers on multiple sides of the case have asked the court to issue an opinion — or at least a timeline.NYC transit agency stops Twitter service alertsThe transit authority that runs subways, commuter trains and buses in New York City is giving up on a system that sent automated alerts about service disruptions through Twitter, a platform the Metropolitan Transportation Authority decided to stop using on Tuesday.MTA officials say they balked at Twitter’s recent decision to start charging for certain functions. The authority also was concerned with technical problems tha...

Bruins notebook: B’s confident about Game 7 clash against Panthers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

BEDFORD – The Boston Bruins sounded overly excited about an opportunity they wanted to avoid.The Florida Panthers forced a deciding Game 7 in their opening round Stanley Cup playoff series with a 7-5 victory over the Bruins on Friday night at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The Bruins and Panthers take the ice for the final time on Sunday night (6:30) at the TD Garden.The only benefit the Bruins got from winning the Presidents Trophy while setting NHL single season records for wins (65) and points (135) is the “opportunity” to host Game 7 in a series they once led 3-1.“Opportunity, that’s the word that comes to my mind,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery following the team’s arrival on Saturday afternoon at Hanscom Field.“You are playing a Game 7 at home. We had the regular season we had. That is over and done with but it got us this Game 7 in front of our great fans. It’s an opportunity to go and seize the moment.”Bruins team captain Patrice Bergeron will be playing in the 14th Game...

Bernie Sanders praises shop workers, Ben and Jerry’s on union effort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

Workers seeking to unionize at a Ben & Jerry’s retail shop in Burlington, Vermont, the city where the ice cream brand was founded, announced Friday that the company has signed the fair election principles.U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, congratulated the Ben & Jerry’s workers at a press conference in his home city.“I’m very proud of the work that these workers have done in coming together to form a union and I’m very proud that we have here in Vermont a company like Ben & Jerry’s that has long stood for progressive principles, today saying they’re willing to sit down and negotiate a good contract with their workers,” Sanders said.Ben & Jerry’s said last week that it supported a plan to unionize by about 40 workers at the retail shop in downtown Burlington.It said in a statement that it shares “the goal of advancing justice, both inside and outside our company.” The ice cream manufacturer wa...