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Lakers obliterate Grizzlies 125-85, advance to 2nd round

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis had 16 points and 14 rebounds while blocking five shots in a spectacular defensive performance, D’Angelo Russell scored a career playoff-high 31 points and the Los Angeles Lakers completed their first-round upset of the Memphis Grizzlies with a 125-85 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.LeBron James scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who emphatically clinched a playoff series in their own arena for the first time since 2012.The Lakers won all three of their home games in the series, and the final victory was a scary demonstration of their capabilities when James and Davis are both healthy. Davis’ imposing defensive presence largely shut down Memphis’ offense in Game 6, while Russell’s five 3-pointers highlighted an impressive offensive effort from a late-blooming team with championship aspirations.“We didn’t want to go back to Memphis, to say the least,” said Austin Reaves, who had 11 points, eight ass...

Capital Classic returns to DC for the first time since pandemic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

The Capital Classic High School All-Star game is one of the most legendary showcases for local and national talent in the nation.The game will be played on Saturday, April 29, at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southeast D.C. at 2 p.m.This year will mark the event’s 50th anniversary and first game since the COVID-19 pandemic put the games on pause in 2019.Unlike most High School All-American games, the format is two teams. One is the best talent representing the D.C. area against a team representing the best the nation has to offer.Pete Deoudos is the Chief Financial Officer and co-owner of the Capital Classic.“The Capital Classic High School American basketball game is the oldest, longest-running high school American game in the U.S.,” Deoudos said. “So it started in 1974, when Bob Geoghan, the founder of the Capitol Classic, decided to put on a game in the local D.C. area, pitting the best of the D.C. region against the best of the United States....

Betts and Muncy, both new dads, power Dodgers past Cards 7-3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — New fathers Mookie Betts and Max Muncy powered the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.Betts hit a leadoff homer and Muncy had a go-ahead double in the third inning as Los Angeles won the opener of a six-game homestand after losing consecutive games at Pittsburgh. Betts spent two days on the paternity list last week, and Muncy returned to the lineup Friday.Dodgers starter Dustin May (3-1) rebounded from a bumpy first inning to give up two runs on three hits over five innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Jason Heyward drove in two runs for Los Angeles, and rookie Miguel Vargas had a two-run homer.Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, allowed a season-high five runs over 4 2/3 innings while throwing 110 pitches — his most since 2019. He permitted seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.Flaherty (2-3) was staked to an early 2-0 lead as the Cardinals began the game with a...

Defending champ Avs force Game 7 with 4-1 win over Kraken

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — It took six games of these playoffs for the Colorado Avalanche to finally look the part of a defending Stanley Cup champion. Colorado’s reward? A trip back home for Game 7 and the chance to dispatch the pesky Seattle Kraken.Mikko Rantanen scored his seventh goal of the playoffs, Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, including an empty-net goal in the closing seconds, and the Avalanche beat the Kraken 4-1 on Friday night in their first-round playoff series. Rantanen scored in the final seconds of the first period, tying it at 1 after Seattle posted the first goal yet again. The Avalanche then dominated the final two periods, flashing some of what made them Stanley Cup champs a season ago. “I don’t think we’ve had a full 60 (minutes) yet, a full, good 60 and today we did. We played three good periods, even though they scored the first goal again, but we (stuck) with it and played to our identity,” Rantanen said. Erik Johnson scored his first of the playoffs on a deflected shot...

Sergio Garcia tied for 2nd-round lead at LIV Singapore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

SINGAPORE (AP) — Sergio Garcia shot a 7-under 64 at Sentosa Golf Club on Saturday to move into a share of the second-round lead with Talor Gooch at the LIV Singapore tournament.Garcia and Gooch, who birdied his last two holes for a 65, had 36-hole totals of 13-under 129.Gooch won last week’s LIV tournament at Adelaide, Australia and was the first-round leader by a stroke in Singapore after a 64.Brooks Koepka (65 Saturday) was in third place, a stroke behind Garcia and Gooch. British Open champion Cameron Smith was in a three-way tied for fourth place after a 66 and two behind the leaders. Phil Mickelson, who shot a second straight 66, was in seventh place and three strokes behind. Mickelson birdied four of his first five holes but had two late bogeys.Garcia, who began his round on the first hole with Gooch in the shotgun-start format, birdied three of his final four holes.Gooch opened with a pair of 10-under 62s while winning at The Grange last week at Adelaide. He continued h...

Courage defeat Dash 1-0 in weather-shortened match

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Lussi scored in the opening half to give the North Carolina Courage a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash in a weather-shortened match on Friday night.Lightning was spotted in the area in the 52nd minute and the game was stopped for more than three hours before officials ended it. At one point players returned to the field to warm up but moments later headed back to the locker room when more lightning was spotted. The National Women’s Soccer League issued a brief statement: “Due to adverse weather conditions, tonight’s match between the Houston Dash and the North Carolina Courage at Shell Energy Stadium has been abandoned. As the first half was played in its entirety, the match is considered complete and will not be rescheduled.”The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for North Carolina, which hadn’t won a match since the opener against the Kansas City Current. Lussi scored in the 33rd minute for North Carolina (2-3-0) off a cross from Emily Fox...

Kings force Warriors to Game 7, Lakers eliminate Grizzlies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Malik Monk scored 28 points, De’Aaron Fox added 26 points and 11 assists, and the Sacramento Kings staved off elimination in their first-round playoff series by beating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 118-99 on Friday night in Game 6.Now, a winner-takes-all Game 7 is back in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon.Rookie Keegan Murray scored 15 points with four 3-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first playoff double-double, and the No. 3-seeded Kings withstood every scoring surge the defending champions made on their home court and shined in nearly every facet of this one with their special season on the line.Kevin Huerter, struggling with his shot all series — 20 of 52 coming into the game — hit a 3 with 6:23 to go and another with 4:58 left as Sacramento gave the state capital one more chance to Light the Beam.Curry scored 29, Klay Thompson 22 and Kevon Looney pulled down 13 more rebounds to give him an NBA-leading 85 this postseason. He was coming ...

Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the confirmation of the death sentence against Jamshid Sharmahd by Iranian court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

The European Union strongly condemns the Iranian Supreme Court’s decision on 26 April 2023 to uphold the death sentence against German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd (pictured).The European Union calls upon Iran to refrain from executing the death penalty on Mr Sharmahd, repeal his sentence and ensure Mr Sharmahd be provided the basic rights to which he is entitled under International Law without delay.Mr Sharmahd has been detained since 2020. Throughout his time in detention, Mr Sharmahd has not had access to a lawyer of his choice. Also, Iranian authorities have denied consular access to Mr Sharmahd, despite his German nationality.The death penalty violates the inalienable right to life enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.The European Union calls on Iran to refrain from any executions, to pursue a consistent policy towards the abolition of capital punishment and to strictly abide by its international...

'Despicable attack against Omar Harfouch, we give solidarity and support'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

"Our friend Omar Harfouch, esteemed member of the Scientificcommittee of our Institute, leader of the Lebanese Third Republic party, man, liberal and moderate, and our guest a little over a month ago for a conference on the future of Lebanon at the Chamber of Deputies, announced today that he risks being arrested if he returned to Lebanon," said Alessandro Bertoldi, executive director of the Milton Friedman Institute.The political authorities in power in Lebanon are said to have issued an arrest warrant against him, without any charges being brought by the judicial authorities, but justifying this arbitrary act with the words "Collaboration with the enemy!!!", and this because Harfouch held a conference in the European Parliament in which - according to them - "Israelis" were presentOmar Harfouch's international campaign for peace, secularism, democracy, freedom and civil rights in Lebanon, as well as his fight against corruption, the sectarian political system and the extremists, h...

Fentanyl deaths skyrocket in Southern California prompting outcry for stricter laws

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

The number of fentanyl-related deaths in California has skyrocketed over the past six years.For comparison, around 230 fentanyl deaths were reported in 2016. Now that number has jumped to nearly 5,800 in 2021 — marking an increase of over 2,000 percent.That alarming number has local leaders and victims’ families speaking out and demanding more legislation, including extra safeguards on social media and stricter penalties for fentanyl dealers."As a mom, this scares the hell out of me,” said Irvine Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris. “As a legislator, I am determined to act."Petrie-Norris is pushing for stiffer penalties for fentanyl dealers caught selling the drug on social media. “The reality is that dealers don't need to lurk in dark street corners or remote parking lots,” said Petrie-Norris. “Now they are connecting with our kids on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.” Baby found dead in South El Monte park Irvine Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris speakin...