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Heat unable to sustain, wilt in 113-99 loss to weary Bulls

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

The good news for the Miami Heat is that to advance out of the play-in round, you only have to win one game in a row.Because anything extended at the moment appears to be out of the reach of Erik Spoelstra’s team.Failing for the second time in 10 days to produce the team’s first three-game winning streak in a month, the Heat instead fell 113-99 Saturday night to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.And in a season of bad losses in good spots, this one was right up there.Not only were the Heat coming off two days’ rest, idle since Wednesday night’s home blowout victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Bulls were coming off a double-overtime home victory a night earlier.“This is a disappointing loss for sure, without a doubt,” Spoelstra said. “We have to take the L. That’s 0-3 against this team. They have our number this year. I don’t like to do this, but we got to move on.”Until late, it was as if the Heat were the team...

Winderman’s view: As Heat stumble, is the Omer Yurtseven era flaming out?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 113-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls:– It’s almost as if Heat coach Erik Spoelstra merely is looking to buy time in the absence of sidelined center Cody Zeller, who is recovering from a procedure for the nasal fracture sustained last Saturday in Orlando.– This time, after three ineffective minutes in his initial stint, second-year Omer Yurtseven did not return in the first half, with Kevin Love instead shifted to center when Adebayo took his second break of the game.– Then, when starting center Bam Adebayo took his first break of the second half, it was Haywood Highsmith entering for the first time, instead of Yurtseven.– Even with Love also out of the game at the time.– In other words, Spoelstra was more willing to go with a front line of Highsmith, Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin than tempt the fates with Yurtseven.– With Zeller, there was immediate trust from Spoelstra from hi...

San Jose Sharks reassigning top prospect to AHL’s Barracuda

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

SAN JOSE – William Eklund is going to Loveland, Colorado next week, not Edmonton, Alberta.The San Jose Sharks are reassigning Eklund to the AHL, coach David Quinn said Saturday after his team’s 4-1 loss to New York Islanders at SAP Center.Just minutes after the game ended, and after player interviews had been completed inside the Sharks’ dressing room, Eklund was seen walking out of Quinn’s office, as he received the disappointing news, at least from his perspective, from Quinn and general manager Mike Grier.Eklund, considered the Sharks’ top prospect, was recalled from the Barracuda on March 3 and had two goals and an assist in eight games, as he played exclusively inside the Sharks’ top-six forward group.But the decision to reassign Eklund now prevents him from playing a 10th NHL game this season. Had that happened, the first year of his three-year entry-level contract would have kicked in, and expired after the 2024-25 season.Per the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agree...

Long-serving Montenegro president seeks re-election

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Voters in Montenegro are casting ballots Sunday in a presidential election marked by political turmoil and uncertainty over whether the small NATO member state in the Balkans will unblock its bid to join the European Union or seek to improve ties with Serbia and Russia.Analysts predict that Montenegro’s presidential election will not produce a clear winner and that incumbent Milo Djukanovic, 61, will face one of several challengers in a runoff vote in two weeks. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Montenegro, the ballot is seen as a key indicator of popular sentiments ahead of an early parliamentary election set for June 11.Djukanovic’s opponents include a leader of the staunchly pro-Serbia and pro-Russia Popular Front party, Andrija Mandic, economist Jakov Milatovic of the newly-formed Europe Now group and former parliament speaker Aleksa Becic.Observers say Milatovic, who served in the government elected after the 2020 parliamentary vo...

UCLA women roll to 67-45 win over Sacramento State

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kiki Rice had 15 points, Emily Bessoir added 14 and fourth-seeded UCLA rolled to a 67-45 victory over No. 13 seed Sacramento State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.Charisma Osborne had 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Bruins (26-9), who will face fifth-seeded Oklahoma on Monday with the winner advancing to the Greenville 1 Regional.Isnelle Natabou had 16 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento State (25-8). Kahlaijah Dean scored 11 points, but was 3 of 19 from the field.UCLA jumped out to a 16-2 lead midway through the first quarter on the strength of a 14-0 run. Rice had seven points in the first four minutes and 10 at the end of the first quarter, including a 3-pointer with 2:40 remaining that extended the Bruins’ advantage to 23-6.UCLA also had a 17-point lead at halftime and was up by as many as 24 late in the fourth quarter.Neither team shot well: UCLA was 29 of 70 while Sacramento State went 17 for 50. The Bru...

US Soccer again fails to make president position a paid job

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation failed for the second straight year to approve a by-law amendment that would have given its president a $125,000 annual salary instead of remaining an unpaid position.The proposal received 62.87% approval at this week’s USSF annual general meeting, falling short of the two-third vote necessary for adoption, the federation said Saturday.Last year, the proposal received 58.91% approval.Former women’s player Cindy Parlow Cone became president in 2020 and is starting the second year of a four-year term. JT Batson took over as CEO last September.___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Leerdam helps Galaxy earn 1-1 draw with Whitecaps

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Kelvin Leerdam scored in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time to help the Los Angeles Galaxy earn a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.Leerdam’s goal was unassisted for the Galaxy (0-1-2) and came after Tristan Blackmon took a pass from Julian Gressel and scored in the 14th minute to give the Whitecaps (0-2-2) an early lead.The Galaxy fall to 4-4-3 in their last 11 home matches against Vancouver. LA beat Vancouver seven straight times from 2011-14. The Galaxy came into the match with a 4-0-3 record in their last seven matches at home dating to last season. The loss ends the Galaxy’s longest unbeaten run at home since a nine-match streak in 2018.Vancouver snaps a streak of four straight losses on the road. The Whitecaps are 0-5-5 in their last 10 matches away from home. They have just four road wins since the 2021 season. That ties them with Houston and Toronto for fewest in the league.LA outshot Vancouver 20-12 with a 6...

Serbia, Kosovo reach pact on implementing peace plan, EU’s Borrell says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement Saturday on implementing an EU-backed deal to normalize relations, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. “We have a deal,” Borrell tweeted late Saturday after 12 hours of talks by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and EU officials in Ohrid, North Macedonia.“Kosovo and Serbia have agreed on the implementation annex of the agreement on the path to normalization of relations,” Borrell said. “The parties have fully committed to honor all articles of the agreement and implement their respective obligations expediently and in good faith.”The two leaders held separate meetings with Borrell before a three-way session. Both sides had agreed to the underlying deal in Brussels last month.Kosovo and Serbia have been in EU-backed talks for nearly a decade since Kosovo declared independence in 2008. Serbia still regards Kosovo as a breakaway state and flare-ups between the two have...

Macron’s leadership at risk amid tensions over pension plan

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

PARIS (AP) — A parody photo appearing on protest signs and online in France shows President Emmanuel Macron sitting on piles of garbage. The image references the trash going uncollected with sanitation workers on strike, but also what many French people think about their leader. Macron, 45, had hoped his push to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 would cement his legacy as the president who transformed France’s economy for the 21st century. Instead, he finds his leadership contested, both in parliament and on the streets of major cities.His brazen move to force a pension reform bill through without a vote has infuriated the political opposition and could hamper his government’s ability to pass legislation for the remaining four years of his term.Demonstrators hoisted the parody photo at protests after Macron chose at the last minute Thursday to invoke the government’s constitutional power to pass the bill without a vote at the National Assembly. He has remained silen...

Oklahoma State and Eastern Washington play in NIT

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:57:34 GMT

Eastern Washington Eagles (23-10, 16-2 Big Sky) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (19-15, 8-10 Big 12)Stillwater, Oklahoma; Sunday, 2 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Eastern Washington Eagles meet in the National Invitation Tournament.The Cowboys’ record in Big 12 play is 8-10, and their record is 11-5 against non-conference opponents. Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 in rebounding, averaging 34.0 boards. Moussa Cisse leads the Cowboys with 8.2 rebounds.The Eagles are 16-2 against Big Sky teams. Eastern Washington is 4-2 in games decided by less than 4 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Bryce Thompson is averaging 11.6 points for the Cowboys. Caleb Asberry is averaging 13.5 points over the last 10 games for Oklahoma State.Casey Jones is averaging 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Eagles. Steele Venters is averaging 16.7 points over the last 10 games for Eastern Washington.LAST 10 GAMES: Cowboys: 4-6, averaging 66.2 points, 34.3 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 4.4 steals and 4.0 block...