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CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson lead Pelicans past Grizzlies 111-104 in season opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 24 points, Zion Williamson added 23 points and seven rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-104 on Wednesday night in the season-opener for both teams.McCollum was 8 of 16 from the field including 6 of 11 from outside the arc. Williamson scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter to avoid any comeback by Memphis. Brandon Ingram finished with 19 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 12 points and 12 rebounds.Desmond Bane led Memphis with 31 points, while Marcus Smart had 17 points. Xavier Tillman matched Smart’s 17 points and added 12 rebounds.The game was the first of the 25-game suspension for Grizzles guard Ja Morant, the team’s leading scorer last season. He is scheduled to finish the suspension in December. His absence, along with several injuries across the Memphis frontline had the Grizzlies at a disadvantage.That left Memphis playing small-ball lineups in much of the game.Meanwhile, the Peli...

PJ Washington scores 25, rookie Brandon Miller provides spark as Hornets top Hawks 116-110 in opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama has commanded a lot of the headlines in the NBA offseason.But fellow rookie Brandon Miller proved in the season opener that he can play a little, too.P.J. Washington scored 25 points, Miller provided a huge spark with eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets held on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 116-110 on Wednesday night.Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft behind San Antonio’s Wembanyama, was the first man off the bench for the Hornets and knocked down a 3 from the left wing on his first shot attempt, drawing a roar from the home crowd. But the Alabama product picked up his third foul midway through the second quarter and had to sit most of the first half.He returned and started to heat up in the fourth quarter, converting a step-back 3-pointer from the corner and a reserve layup before burying another 3 from the top of the key to give the Hornets a 101-99 lead they never surrendered over the final 4...

Live updates | Israeli strikes leave neighborhoods in shambles; journalist’s family amond the dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

Palestinians rescue a survivor of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Nusseirat refugee camp, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Ali Mohmoud)(AP/Ali Mohmoud) Palestinians rescue a survivor of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Nusseirat refugee camp, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Ali Mohmoud)(AP/Ali Mohmoud) Israeli airstrikes are devastating parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighborhoods in shambles. A strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday killed several family members of one of Al Jazeera TV’s journalists, Wael Dahdouh. Strikes elsewhere destroyed homes and businesses and left many digging through the debris.The U.N. warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip...

Donovan Mitchell scores 27 points as Cavaliers top Nets 114-113 in season opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-113 on Wednesday night for the Cavaliers’ first road win in a season opener since 2000.Cleveland had six players score in double figures. Max Strus, who started in place of injured center Jarrett Allen, had 27 points and 12 rebounds. Isaac Okoro scored 18 points, and Darius Garland finished with 15. Cam Thomas scored 36 for Brooklyn, setting a league record for most points for a reserve in a season opener. Mikal Bridges scored 11 of his 20 in the fourth quarter. Cam Johnson had 12 points, and Ben Simmons finished with four points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.Brooklyn was built to be a defense-oriented team, but it struggled defensively in the preseason and it carried over to the home opener. Cleveland shot 46.8% from the field, including a 17-for-43 performance from 3-point range.The Cavaliers led 90-87 after three quarters, but the Nets opened the fourt...

Zion Webb and Ron Wiggins each rush for 2 touchdowns as Jacksonville State eases by FIU 41-16

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Quarterback Zion Webb and Ron Wiggins each rushed for two touchdowns and Jacksonville State beat Florida International 41-16 on Wednesday night.Jacksonville State (7-2, 5-1 Conference USA) had already reached bowl eligibility in its debut season in FBS. Due to transition guidelines, the Gamecocks can only be selected for a bowl if there are not enough eligible teams to fill the 41 games.Webb, who was coming off career-high 146 yards rushing and a touchdown in a come-from-behind 20-17 win over Western Kentucky, had 20 carries for 125 yards. Webb also completed 9-of-19 passes for 105 yards with one touchdown. Wiggins added nine rushes for 61 yards. Jacksonville State scored 21 straight points in the first quarter before FUI got on the board with a 50-yard field goal by Chase Gabriel midway through the second quarter. The Gamecocks defense held FIU to just four first downs in the first half and 32 yards. Grayson James had one passing touchdown and one rushing score for Flo...

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 points as Thunder beat Bulls 124-104 in season opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 124-104 in the season opener Wednesday night.With a promising young core, the Thunder have their sights set on the playoffs after getting knocked out in the play-in tournament last season. They’re off to a good start.Fourth in the NBA in scoring last season, Gilgeous-Alexander keyed a 12-0 run late in the third quarter that broke open a one-point game. Josh Giddey and Rookie of the Year runner-up Jalen Williams each scored 16 for Oklahoma City.Chet Holmgren had 11 points in his long-awaited NBA debut. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft missed last season because of a foot injury.Isaiah Joe led a strong effort by the bench with 14 points, and Oklahoma City’s reserves outscored Chicago’s 42-34.DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 20 points. Zach LaVine scored all of his 16 points in the second half. He was 0 for 5 with four turnovers and three fouls through the first two quar...

Bruce Brown boosts Pacers offense as Indiana routs Washington 143-120 in record-setting opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers signed Bruce Brown for his defense.His scoring punch Wednesday night was an added bonus.Brown scored 24 points, making a career-high six 3-pointers in his Pacers debut, and Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard each finished with double-doubles in a 143-120 rout over Washington, the highest-scoring season-opener in franchise history. The previous mark, 140, came in 2017 against Brooklyn.And Brown thinks more big scoring nights could be on the way.“We play fast, everybody’s running,” Brown said. “One time I got open for a 3 because Myles sealed his guy at the rim. Our offense is so random anybody can score the ball and tonight it was me.”Despite spending the offseason talking about defense, the Pacers started this season by treating NBA commissioner Adam Silver to an incredible offensive display.Haliburton finished with 20 points and 11 assists, Nembhard had 12 points and 10 assists, and the Pacers were 20 of 43 from 3-point range. Eight p...

Capitals score three in third to rally for 6-4 win over Devils

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Connor McMichael scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Hunter Shepard made 18 saves in his NHL debut as the Washington Capitals rallied for a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.McMichael scored his second goal of the season at 2:09 of the third to put Washington ahead 5-4 after Dylan Strome tied the contest at 4 just 18 seconds into the final period on the power-play.Alex Ovechkin added an empty net goal at 18:25, his second of the season and 824th of his NHL career.Washington scored three times in the first, then the Devils scored four goals in the second before the Capitals scored three more in the third.After the two quick goals to start the third, Washington held on for its second win in six games as the 27-year-old Shepard — MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs last spring after leading the Hershey Bears to the AHL championship — overcame a rough second period.Tyler Toffoli scored twice for New Jersey and Jack Hughes added th...

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens showed how dazzling they can be. Now they’ll try to make that the norm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens showed the rest of the NFL how high their ceiling could be.Now it’s on to the next challenge for the star quarterback, who has a chance for a special season if last weekend’s performance becomes the norm.“You’ve got to say it: He’s playing at an MVP level,” Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy said Wednesday. “It starts at practice for him, and the way he holds himself to a high standard, and then everybody else wants to be at that standard as well.”Talk of Jackson winning a second MVP award isn’t just football’s usual knee-jerk reaction to whatever happened the previous week. The Baltimore quarterback is now fourth in the MVP race according to the odds at FanDuel, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts. Jackson is third in the NFL in passer rating, third in yards per attempt and second in completion percentage.He’s also 17th in yards rushing. He might not reach 1...

At least 16 dead in Maine shooting and suspect at large: officials

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:22 GMT

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — A man opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, killing at least 16 people and engulfing the state's second-largest city in chaos. The suspect remained at large as authorities ordered residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets.Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press dozens of people also had been wounded. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Firearms instructor is person of interest in Maine shooting: cops The Lewiston Police Department identified Robert Card as a person of interest in a mass shooting at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 25, 2023. (The Lewiston Police Department)The man identified as a person of interest in the mass killing is a firearms instructor trained by the military and was recently committed to a mental health facility, according to a state pol...