Tom Thibodeau benches hot-shooting RJ Barrett in final 7 minutes of Knicks’ Game 2 win

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Tom Thibodeau benches hot-shooting RJ Barrett in final 7 minutes of Knicks’ Game 2 win For the second time in the last three games, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has benched a key starter in crunch time.In Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thibodeau benched All-Star forward Julius Randle the entire fourth quarter, riding a unit that gave the Knicks life to an 11-point series-clinching victory.And in Game 2 of his Knicks’ second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the head coach made an even bigger call.He subbed RJ Barrett out of the game late in the fourth quarter despite the fourth-year forward enjoying his hottest-shooting game of the entire season.Barrett hit four of his first six three-pointers on Tuesday and shot five-of-nine from downtown on the night. He finished with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and hit more threes than any Heat player, only out-done by six threes from his own teammate, Jalen Brunson.Thibodeau, however, still subbed Barrett out of the game at the 7:07 mark of the fourth qua...

Jalen Brunson’s clutch buckets narrowly lead Knicks past Heat to even series

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Jalen Brunson’s clutch buckets narrowly lead Knicks past Heat to even series It was a necessary win for the Knicks. And while it wasn’t pretty, they scraped by.Facing the Heat without Jimmy Butler, Tom Thibodeau’s squad played at a deficit for most of Game 2 but came alive in crunch time and walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 111-105 victory and an even series.The Knicks got 30 points from Jalen Brunson and 25 from Julius Randle. They trailed by three with five minutes remaining, but outscored Miami over the remainder, 18-9, picking up pivotal offensive rebounds and hustle plays from Isaiah Hartenstein and Josh Hart.All evening, the Heat thrived on 3-pointers while sending Knicks defenders into frantic rotations. The visitors led by six with seven minutes left, prompting audible angst from the sold-out Garden crowd. But Miami was ultimately too shorthanded and too saddled by a talent gap without its star, Butler, who sprained his ankle late in Game 1.“You knew that if he was out, it’d be a different type of game,” said T...

Sheriff: Suspected Texas gunman caught hiding under laundry

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Sheriff: Suspected Texas gunman caught hiding under laundry By JUAN LOZANO and NOMAAN MERCHANT (Associated Press)CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A four-day manhunt in Texas for a gunman accused of killing five neighbors ended Tuesday not far from the site of the shooting when authorities, acting on a tip, said they found the suspect hiding underneath a pile of laundry in the closet of a house.Francisco Oropeza, 38, was captured without incident near Houston and about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from his home in the rural town of Cleveland, where authorities say he went next door and shot his neighbors with an AR-style rifle after some of them had asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because it was keeping a baby awake. “They can rest easy now, because he is behind bars,” San Jacinto County Greg Capers said of the families of the victims. “He will live out his life behind bars for killing those five.”The arrest happened near Conroe, ending what had become a widening dragnet that had grown to more than 250 people from...

Yankees end 4-game skid after beating Guardians, 4-2

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Yankees end 4-game skid after beating Guardians, 4-2 The Yankees had not scored more than two runs in each of their previous four games, but a pair of solo shots helped them end that streak in Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Guardians at Yankee Stadium.Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but Anthony Volpe put the Yankees on the board in the sixth when he homered off fellow rookie Tanner Bibee. Gleyber Torres proceeded to knock Bibee out of the game before Anthony Rizzo tied things at two with an RBI single off New York native James Karinchak.An inning later, Willie Calhoun cranked a Karinchak curveball for his first home run as a Yankee. It was also his first longball since April 11 of last year.The Yankees added an insurance run in the eighth thanks to two stolen bases from Volpe and an RBI single from DJ LeMahieu. Volpe is now 10-for-10 on swipe attempts this season.While Bibee finished his first start at Yankee Stadium with two earned runs over 5.1 innings, Gerrit Cole delivered another strong start for the Yankees.Cole...

Suspected gunman in Texas mass shooting caught: What to know

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Suspected gunman in Texas mass shooting caught: What to know CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A man suspected of opening fire at his neighbor’s home and killing five people was arrested Tuesday after a four-day manhunt, authorities in Texas said.The hunt for 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza began Friday after he fled from the scene of the deadly shooting in the rural town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72.42 kilometer) north of Houston.The shooting happened after Oropeza’s neighbors asked him to stop firing off rounds in his yard because a baby was trying to sleep. The baby’s mother and 9-year-old brother were among the five people killed, who were all originally from Honduras. Here are some things to know about the case:WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE MANHUNT?An FBI agent acknowledged Monday that authorities had little to go on in the widening search for Oropeza.More than 250 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, took part in the manhunt, which had come up empty despite additional manpower, scent-tracking dogs...

3 imprisoned Iranian female journalists win top UN prize

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

3 imprisoned Iranian female journalists win top UN prize UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations announced Tuesday night that its premier prize for press freedom has been awarded to three imprisoned Iranian female journalists “for their commitment to truth and accountability.” The winners are Niloufar Hamedi who broke the news that 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died last September while being held by the morality police for wearing her headscarf too loosely, and Elaheh Mohammadi who wrote about her funeral. Amini’s death touched off months-long protests in dozens of cities across Iran. The demonstrations posed one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 2009 Green Movement protests drew millions to the streets.The third winner is Narges Mohammadi, who has worked for many years as a journalist and is one of Iran’s most prominent activists.The U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization World Press Freedom Prize is named for Guillermo Cano, a Colombian journalism who was assassinated in front of the offices of ...

3 people beaten, robbed outside food pantry in Little Village

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

3 people beaten, robbed outside food pantry in Little Village CHICAGO — Police are investigating after three people were robbed at gunpoint on Chicago’s Southwest Side.According to police, a 72-year-old man, a 60-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were in the 2700 block of South Lawndale around 5 a.m. Tuesday when a white car pulled up and four men exited the car.According to Rosario Dominguez, communications and marketing director for New Life Centers — a food pantry found in the 2700 block of South Lawndale — those three people were waiting for them to open so they could pick up food."A car came and robbed some of the people waiting," Dominguez said. FBI: Armored truck robbed in Homewood; bank robbed on North Side The group of men displayed two guns and demanded money.Police said the 72-year-old man was struck in the head. The 60-year-old man was struck in the head and robbed of money. The woman was robbed but not injured.The group of men then got in the car and left the scene.Police have not released any additional information.No one is...

Video shows Virginia officer evade crash during traffic stop

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Video shows Virginia officer evade crash during traffic stop FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A police officer remarkably escaped injury Monday when a car careened across a highway at 120 mph while he conducted a traffic stop.Dashcam video of the crash released Tuesday by Fairfax County Police shows a black BMW sedan driven by a teenager coming within inches of the officer, who had stepped out of his patrol car to pull over a gray BMW for speeding.In the seconds before the crash, the black BMW can be seen skidding across a median on the Fairfax County Parkway near Braddock Road. It then strikes the car that had been pulled over and ricochets into the patrol car. The officer falls to the ground for a second, then quickly pops up to radio for help and check on injuries.Miraculously, no major injuries were reported, even though the black BMW had two teenage passengers in addition to the driver. All three in the black BMW were wearing seatbelts, police said.The driver of the black BMW was charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor that can often r...

Police: Norridge man attacked in own backyard

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Police: Norridge man attacked in own backyard NORRIDGE, Ill. -- An elderly man was attacked at his Norridge home in broad daylight last week.According to the Norridge Police Department, officers responded to the 4800 block of North Chester Avenue on reports of a possible home invasion just after 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28.While a 78-year-old man was at his Norridge home, three male suspects were seen walking up to the rear door of the residence. Further investigation showed that the suspects saw the 78-year-old homeowner and then retreated to the rear of the residence. Body of missing MMA fighter found in Schaumburg The homeowner then followed the suspects and was attacked by a male who was in the backyard.The 78-year-old man was transported to a local hospital. His condition has not been released.No further information has been released at this time. No suspect have not been taken into custody at this time.Anyone with information regarding this incident are asked to contact the Norridge Police Department at 708-453-4770.

Benintendi stars as White Sox top Twins 3-2 in 10 innings

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:35 GMT

Benintendi stars as White Sox top Twins 3-2 in 10 innings CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Benintendi robbed Carlos Correa of a homer and hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, sending the Chicago White Sox over the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Tuesday night.Hanser Alberto opened the 10th on second as the automatic runner and advanced on Elvis Andrus' sacrifice. After Tim Anderson bounced to shortstop and Benintendi lined a clean single into left against Caleb Thielbar (0-1).Eloy Jiménez homered and Michael Kopech pitched six effective innings as the White Sox earned their second straight win after a 10-game losing streak. Kopech got some help from Benintendi, who made a leaping grab in left on Correa's drive in the first.Jimmy Lambert (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win, which came hours after the White Sox made 11 roster moves.Minnesota wasted another stellar performance by Joe Ryan, who pitched six scoreless innings. Nick Gordon hit his first homer of the season, and Trevor Larnach had a sacrifice fly.The AL Central-leading Twins had won si...