This time, Heat seize upon Antetokounmpo absence, thrash Bucks 121-99 for 2-1 series lead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

This time, Heat seize upon Antetokounmpo absence, thrash Bucks 121-99 for 2-1 series lead There will be basketball at the Miami Heat’s arena beyond Monday night’s Game 4 of this best-of-seven opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.Saturday night’s 121-99 Jimmy Butler-powered victory assured as much.It might be a Game 6 on Friday night against the Bucks or it might be, as unfathomable as it previously might have sounded for the No. 8 seed Heat, a second-round game against either the New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers.For now, the unexpected reality for Erik Spoelstra’s team is a 2-1 lead series lead over top-seeded Milwaukee, which finds itself on shaky ground, with Giannis Antetokounmpo missing a second consecutive game with a lower-back bruise.“We stayed aggressive,” guard Kyle Lowry said, “and made sure we were the team firing on all cylinders.”Unable to take advantage of Antetokounmpo’s absence in their Wednesday night blowout loss at Fiserv Forum, the Heat this time seized ...

Biden says US embassy evacuation in Sudan has been completed

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

Biden says US embassy evacuation in Sudan has been completed WASHINGTON (AP) — American forces carried out a precarious evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel in Sudan, President Joe Biden said late Saturday, calling for the end to “unconscionable” violence there as two rival leaders battled for power in the African country.Biden thanked the U.S. troops who carried out the mission to extract American staffers in Sudan. With the last American embassy worker out, Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely. The U.S. said it had no current plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 other Americans remaining in Sudan, calling the situation too dangerous. Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining Americans in Sudan “to the extent possible.” The roughly 70 American staffers were airlifted from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the mission. U.S. troops carried out the operat...

Sudan rivals pledge evacuation help, US diplomats airlifted

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

Sudan rivals pledge evacuation help, US diplomats airlifted KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early Sunday, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africa’s third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for deescalation.The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudan’s capital undermined those claims.A senior Biden administration official said U.S. troops are carrying out the precarious evacuation of U.S. Embassy staffers. The troops who airlifted the staff out of Khartoum have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second U.S. official confirmed.The Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which has been battling the Sudanese army, said the U.S. rescue mission involved six aircraft and that it had coordinated evacuation efforts with the U.S.The RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamad Dagolo, said it is cooperating with all diplomatic missions and that it is committed to a three-day cease-fire that wa...

Rielly scores in OT, Leafs beat Bolts to grab 2-1 series lead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

Rielly scores in OT, Leafs beat Bolts to grab 2-1 series lead Morgan Rielly scored at 19:15 of overtime and Ilya Samsonov made 36 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs came back from a goal down late in the third period Saturday to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 and take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.The defenceman fired a shot from the side boards that floated past the ear of Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky before getting mobbed by teammates.Ryan O’Reilly, with a goal a late in regulation that forced OT to go along with two assists, Auston Matthews and Noel Acciari scored in regulation for Toronto. Marner added two assists.Brandon Hagel, with a goal and an assist, Anthony Cirelli and Darryn Raddysh replied for Tampa, which got 24 stops from Vasilevskiy.Game 4 of the best-of-seven matchup goes Monday back at Amalie Arena.Lighting defenceman Victor Hedman returned to the lineup after sitting out Game 2 with an undisclosed injury.Toronto fell to the Lightning in a tight, seven-game series last spring at the same stag...

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of Austin Metro

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of Austin Metro AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Isolated strong to severe storms continue to move through the Hill Country. These storms have produced up to tennis ball size hail northwest of our area as well as wind gusts to 75mph. These storms have struggled to get closer to I-35, but as the night goes on we'll see gradually increasing rain chances in the Austin Metro.A new Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Gillespie, Blanco, Hays and Caldwell Counties until 5 a.m. as the risk for large hail, damaging winds and an isolated tornado threat continues.Severe thunderstorm watch until 5amWhile storms start in the Hill Country, it'll possible they may drift closer to the Austin Metro after 8 or 9 p.m. Most of the Austin Metro is at a lower Marginal (1 out of 5) risk for severe weather.Severe risk overnight (SPC)Storms may produce heavy enough rain to cause localized flash flooding. The Austin Metro and most of the Hill Country are at a Slight (2 out of 4) flash flood risk.Slight risk (2 out of 4) for flash...

No. 14 Texas drops doubleheader with Oklahoma

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

No. 14 Texas drops doubleheader with Oklahoma AUSTIN (KXAN) — The No. 14 Texas Longhorns baseball team fell into a deep hole they couldn't dig itself out of in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader against Oklahoma and the second game did not produce a winning result either. Texas lost game one 9-6, and game two 6-4. The Sooners built an 8-0 lead after two innings before having to hang on to beat Texas in the first game. The threat of rain Sunday forced the teams into playing a double-dip Saturday. MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersStarting pitching was again an Achilles heel of the Longhorns as Travis Sthele lasted just an inning, allowing three runs on a hit with three walks. He faced seven hitters before Zane Morehouse took over. Morehouse also walked three Sooners in 1.2 innings of work, and he allowed five earned runs on two hits in 10 batters faced.Chase Lummus kept the Longhorns in it with five strong i...

RecruitNY takes place across New York state

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

RecruitNY takes place across New York state SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -April 22 marks the start of 14th Annual RecruitNY Open House program. The event runs statewide for the weekend in hopes to recruit volunteer firefighters. At the Schonowe Fire Department, firefighters gave the community a closer look at their station. From big rigs to fundraisers, there's a lot of ways to get involved with good causes. 75th annual tulip festival preparations Chief of the Schonowe Volunteer Fire Company, Chris Ganiga, says the fire department has lost a significant amount of volunteers in recent years. "As time goes on and people are getting older, it's hard to maintain the volunteers that we have today. Our numbers used to be about 65 to 70. Right now we are at 22," explained Ganiga.Fire departments across the state have seen a decline in volunteers. According to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, there is around 80,000 volunteers in the state compared to 120,000 from years past. Ganiga hopes to increase the size of ...

Teens lead deputies on stolen vehicle pursuit in Riverside County

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

Teens lead deputies on stolen vehicle pursuit in Riverside County Two teens were arrested following a stolen vehicle pursuit in Riverside County.The suspects were identified as Corey Summerville, 18, and an unidentified 17-year-old boy, by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.On Tuesday, deputies responded to reports of a stolen vehicle spotted near Pigeon Pass Road and Ironwood Avenue in Moreno Valley around 11:45 a.m.The driver, Summerville, refused to stop and led deputies on a pursuit, according to arrest documents. The chase continued on the 60 Freeway and eventually into Jurupa Valley. While on the freeway, deputies lost sight of Summerville and canceled the pursuit.California Highway Patrol later spotted the suspects’ car exiting the freeway at Rubidoux Boulevard where they were involved in a crash, officials said. Suspect wanted for slashing victim at McDonald’s in Rancho Cucamonga Summerville was taken into custody at the scene. The 17-year-old passenger fled the area on foot and was later found hiding in bushes on the side of the ...

Armed robbery: $100,000 in jewelry, including Rolex watch, stolen at gunpoint in Walnut Creek

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

Armed robbery: $100,000 in jewelry, including Rolex watch, stolen at gunpoint in Walnut Creek A person was struck in the face with a firearm and robbed of $100,000 in jewelry, including a Rolex watch, at a parking garage in Walnut Creek on Friday night, according to the Walnut Creek Police Department.The victim told police that they were held up by three adult men, all of whom carried rifles and wore dark clothing. The suspects allegedly fled the scene in a grey sedan before police arrived at 10:21 pm.The parking garage where the armed robbery took place is on the 1600 block of Mt. Diablo Blvd. The victim was treated for minor injuries.It’s not the first time that alleged robbers in Walnut Creek have targeted Rolex watches. Last June, three men allegedly used hammers to smash display cases and steal five Rolex watches from the Macy’s on Broadway Plaza. Earlier that month, two other people were robbed of their Rolex watches by armed men on the 1600 block of Locust Street.The Walnut Creek Police told residents to keep aware of their surroundings. Anyone with information ...

García hits 3 HRs for Texas, doubles twice with shot at 4th

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

García hits 3 HRs for Texas, doubles twice with shot at 4th ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García was in the on-deck circle with three home runs and one more good chance to try for a fourth while Josh Sborz was making a rare plate appearance for a Texas pitcher.“Yeah, he had orders not to swing the bat,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of the right-handed reliever.Sborz followed those orders, taking three strikes on four 55-plus mph sliders from Oakland infielder Jace Peterson with the Rangers on their way to an 18-3 victory Saturday night.Looking to match the major league record for home runs in a game, García’s second chance at his fourth of the night ended the same way as the first: a double. The first two-bagger — in the seventh inning — drove in two runs, just as all three homers had. The 30-year-old slugger from Cuba finished with a career-high eight RBIs to go with his first three-homer game. He has seven homers and 28 RBIs this season.García launched two-run shots in the first, third and fifth — all at least 400 feet — as the ...