Erik Spoelstra calls Kyle Lowry the Heat’s ‘sixth starter’ as reserve role sticks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

Erik Spoelstra calls Kyle Lowry the Heat’s  ‘sixth starter’ as reserve role sticks The first move to the bench was planned; the Miami Heat wanted Kyle Lowry to ease his way back as a reserve after missing a month due to knee pain. What has followed has been player and coach in lockstep about maintaining continuity.So Sunday, when the Heat open the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, it will be Lowry again as reserve, as it has been since his March 11 return, as it had not been for the previous 10 seasons as nothing but starter.“That first decision to bring him off the bench was an easy one,” coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday at Kaseya Center. “We were fully all on the same page about it. This is what had to be done to be able to control the minutes.”From there, the rhythm with Gabe Vincent opening at starting point guard was one neither Lowry, 37, nor Spoelstra wanted to interrupt.“I think the plan was very well thought out and everybody was on the same page about it,”...

Bruins notebook: Hampus Lindholm trying to do whatever he can to win

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

Bruins notebook: Hampus Lindholm trying to do whatever he can to win SUNRISE, Fla.–Hampus Lindholm has been playing just fine in this first round playoff series. He and Brandon Carlo have combined to be a solid shut-down pairing against the Florida Panthers.But when you’ve had a season that’s been worthy of Norris Trophy consideration like Lindholm had, one expects to see a little more oomph in the offensive zone. While he was plus-2 going into Friday’s Game 6 – not a bad number considering how reliant the B’s have been on their power play – he had not hit the scoresheet in any of the first five games. He had 10-43-53 totals in 80 regular season games.Coach Jim Montgomery believes the offense will come if he keeps doing what he’s been doing in the defensive zone.“This is true for all of our defensemen, but especially Lindholm. His offense always comes from great defense or moving the puck and joining,” said Montgomery. “You look at the goals he scored or the great passes throughout the year, it’s come from th...

GATORS PODCAST: Anthony Richardson’s big night and his NFL future (Ep. 163)

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

GATORS PODCAST: Anthony Richardson’s big night and his NFL future (Ep. 163) The Indianapolis Colts selected the former Florida quarterback No. 4 overall in the NFL draft. Few were surprised someone was willing to bet on Richardson’s tremendous talent and upside. Most are mixed on whether he will fulfill his promise. Either way, it was a memorable and profitable night for the 20-year-old and a big one for Gainesville, where Richardson was a high school star. Some of his Gators teammates were sure to hear their names call, too, during a moment players work for their entire lives. Mark and Edgar opine on Richardson’s opportunity and plenty of football topics during the latest Swamp Things.Sun shining on Anthony Richardson (:37)Source of pride for Gainesville (5:05)He has tons of work ahead to prove he is worthy (9:24)Gator greats weigh in (13:05)Will team/fans be patient? (19:39)Does Billy Napier deserve praise? (24:29)Where will other Gators land? (29:14)Transfer portal (40:05)Clamping down on storming the field (45:04)Fastest shrinking fanbases (...

‘Ravens doing Ravens things again’: Baltimore earns high draft grades after pick of WR Zay Flowers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

‘Ravens doing Ravens things again’: Baltimore earns high draft grades after pick of WR Zay Flowers Just hours after agreeing Thursday to a five-year deal with Lamar Jackson, ending a difficult standoff with their star quarterback, the Ravens selected Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.The 5-foot-9, 182-pound Flowers, a South Florida native, comes to Baltimore after a very productive college career. He finished with 200 catches for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns in four seasons at Boston College, choosing to remain loyal to the program despite opportunities to transfer to a better team. Now he joins Jackson, fellow wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews in a passing attack that looks to take a significant step forward under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.“I can do whatever you need me to do,” Flowers said Thursday night. “I can run every route you give me; I can separate; I can make competitive catches. Whatever you have to do to play on the outsid...

10 of the best rooftop bars in San Diego

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

10 of the best rooftop bars in San Diego SAN DIEGO -- With weather that makes for great outdoor seating year-round, San Diego's rooftop bar scene is elevated in options.From views of city skyscapes to backdrops of ocean waves, there are several rooftop bars in the region that are worth visiting during happy hour and beyond. 5 brunch spots with a view in San Diego Here are 10 of the best rooftop bars in San Diego, according to Yelp recommendations. The platform says it determines these suggestions based on factors like ratings, user engagement data and reviews of businesses that are relevant to the searched query.#10 -- Above Ash Social Located atop the Carte Hotel in Little Italy, this rooftop bar offers up a stylish space to sip on handcrafted cocktails fireside while watching the sun set over the San Diego Bay. With distant views of Point Loma, this spot makes for a great place to enjoy some shareable bites with friends and family. Check out this view at Ash Social atop the Carte Hotel. (Photo released by Above Ash So...

Falling debris closes tracks between Irvine and San Diego

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

Falling debris closes tracks between Irvine and San Diego SAN DIEGO -- Pacific Surfliner service was suspended again Friday between Irvine and San Diego due to debris falling from a slope north of the San Clemente Pier, Amtrak officials said.The track closure, which took effect Thursday at 1:11 p.m., will reopen once the tracks have been deemed safe, according to Amtrak.On Friday morning, Pacific Surfliner said that service was again suspended between San Diego and Irvine due to the debris. Some limited train service was available to and from San Juan Capistrano."The location of the closure is near San Clemente’s Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, approximately two miles north of where the Orange County Transportation Authority is completing construction work. It is an unrelated issue," the train service stated on its website. Rules of the Road: Are tinted windows legal in California? A spokesperson with Amtrak released a statement, saying that they are assuring the passengers at Oceanside that no one will be left stranded and m...

Images released of youth murder suspect in Sudbury, teen wanted in Ontario

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

Images released of youth murder suspect in Sudbury, teen wanted in Ontario Police in Sudbury have released images of a youth wanted in a recent murder, warning the male teenager could be in southern Ontario.Authorities say the investigation is related to an April 21 homicide at Overtime Sports Bar in the Greater Sudbury region that took the life of a 22-year-old man.It’s reported that officers were dispatched to Overtime Sports Bar after multiple men were involved in a verbal altercation leading to one of the men shooting another man with a gun. One victim was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Sudbury police say a male youth under 18 is the primary suspect. While the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) prohibits a young person from being identified in crimes, local detectives applied for and were granted permission to release the images according to a judge’s order under Section 110, subsection 4, of the act.Images must be removed from publications on May 3, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. per the Ontario judge’s order.Toronto pol...

N. Carolina justices hand GOP big win with election rulings

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

N. Carolina justices hand GOP big win with election rulings RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — In massive victories for Republicans, the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased. The rulings likely give the GOP-controlled legislature the ability to rework the state’s congressional map for next year’s election to help Republicans gain seats in the narrowly divided U.S. House. Under the previous map, Democrats won seven of the state’s 14 congressional seats last November. The new edition of the court, which became a Republican majority this year following the election of two GOP justices, ruled after taking the unusual step of revisiting opinions made in December by the court’s previous iteration, when Democrats held a 4-3 seat advantage. The court held rehearings in March. Friday’s 5-2 rulings also mean that state lawmakers should have greater latitude in drawing General Assembly seat b...

Politicians tell Forest Service: Do more to fight wildfires

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

Politicians tell Forest Service: Do more to fight wildfires ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Lawmakers from several western states want the U.S. Forest Service to do more to address a wildfire crisis that they say will surely destroy more landscapes, communities and livelihoods as long-term drought persists around the West. They grilled Forest Service Chief Randy Moore during a congressional hearing this week, asking about the agency’s spending priorities and the backlog of national forest lands that need to be treated to reduce wildfire risks. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Wisconsin Republican and chair of the House Natural Resources Committee’s panel on federal lands, said the agency needs to usher in a new phase of accountability and transparency if it wants “reverse the tide against this historic crisis.”Tiffany pointed to a yearslong restoration project that has struggled to treat wide swaths of land spanning four national forests in northern Arizona, saying the agency has reported more acres being treated than what regional managers have subm...

Guards on famed yacht open fire off Yemen; 1 reported killed

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:41:18 GMT

Guards on famed yacht open fire off Yemen; 1 reported killed DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Armed private guards aboard a famous yacht once owned by the late Welsh actor Richard Burton fired on approaching ships on Friday in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, in an intense gunfight. The authorities said the guards mistakenly opened fire on Yemeni Coast Guard members but the ship’s manager insisted they shot at pirates.The shooting reportedly killed one Yemeni Coast Guard member and wounded another person in a hail of gunfire — the guards are said to have shot as many as 200 rounds of ammunition. It shows the danger faced by both shippers and security forces in the waters off the Arab world’s poorest country, even as it remains crucial for global commerce. Details of what happened to the Kalizma remain unclear and contested, hours after the incident. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported it as an attack with gunfire off Nishtun, in Yemen’s far east near the border with Oman.Bu...