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The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his third season with the team mired in a five-game losing streak, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the firing hadn't been announced by the team. ESPN first reported the firing. Brown won NBA Coach of the Year in his first season in 2022-23, when he helped Sacramento end the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons. But Sacramento lost in the play-in tournament last year and was off to a 13-18 start this season, leading to the move to fire Brown about six months after he agreed to a contract extension through the 2026-27 season. The Kings have lost an NBA-worst nine games this season after leading in the fourth quarter with the worst one coming in Brown's final game as coach Thursday night against Detroit. Sacramento led by 10 points with less than three minutes to play only to collapse down the stretch. Jaden Ivey converted a four-point play with 3 seconds left when he made a 3-pointer in the right corner and was fouled by De’Aaron Fox. That gave the Pistons a 114-113 win, leaving the Kings in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Kings came into the season with hopes of finishing in the top six in the West and avoiding the play-in tournament after acquiring DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal over the summer to add to a core that featured Fox, Domanta Sabonis and Keegan Murray. Fox, who is in the second-to-last year of his five-year, $163 million contract, declined to sign an extension in the offseason. He said on a podcast with Draymond Green earlier this month that he wanted to be on a team that could “compete at a high level.” Sacramento has been far from that this season, thanks in large part to an NBA-worst 3-11 record in games decided by five points or fewer. Brown publicly criticized Fox for his role in the game-winning play Thursday night, saying he should have been closer to Ivey instead of committing a foul on a close out. "You should be hugged up to your man at the 3-point line,” Brown said. “Everybody should, and why there was a closeout by Fox, I’m not sure. I got to go back and watch the tape. But for sure 100% we told our guys, can’t give up a 3, can’t give up a 3, can’t give up a 3, stay on the high side, stay on the high side.” Brown has a 107-88 record in two-plus seasons in Sacramento with a winning record in both of his full seasons. Rick Adelman is the only other coach to post a winning record in a full season since the Kings moved to Sacramento Brown previously had two stints as coach in Cleveland and spent one-plus season as Lakers coach. He has a 455-304 record and has made the playoffs in seven of his nine full seasons. He won Coach of the Year twice, also getting the award in Cleveland in 2008-09. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBADecember 30 - Former Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson returns to San Francisco on Monday, leading the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers, owners of the NBA's best record, into a showdown with the host Warriors. Atkinson, in his first season at the helm for Cleveland, spent three seasons working alongside Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, including in the Warriors' 2021-22 championship-winning campaign. Atkinson introduced a high-tempo offensive approach in Cleveland akin to Golden State's signature style, and it has paid immediate dividends for the Cavaliers. They come into Golden State on a six-game winning streak and winners in 10 of 11 after opening a four-game, Western Conference road swing on Friday with a 149-135 win over the Denver Nuggets. The 149 points marked the season high for a Cleveland offense producing 122.7 points per game, second-most in the league. Friday's victory also showcased the Cavaliers' scoring balance, with Donovan Mitchell's 33 points leading four players who notched at least 22. Mitchell's 23.6 points per game lead Cleveland, Darius Garland is putting up 20.6 ppg, and Evan Mobley is averaging 18.8. A key to Cleveland's potent offense -- and a quality similar to that of the Golden State teams which Atkinson coached -- has been the Cavaliers' 3-point shooting. They hit 23 triples in Denver and head into Monday's contest making 16.3 attempts per game. "Don't leave me open. Don't leave nobody open on our team," Mobley told Cleveland.com. "(With) the depth of our team, everybody can shoot. Also, our shot quality is one of the tops so we're not just forcing 3s, we're taking the good ones night in and night out." That shot quality shows up in Cleveland averaging a league-leading 40.9 percent from beyond the arc. Golden State comes into Monday's contest not far behind Cleveland in 3-pointers made per game with 15, but the Warriors' percentage lingers around the middle of the NBA at 36.2. Two-time Most Valuable Player Steph Curry is shooting 40.6 percent from outside, but his 4.2 made per game are on pace to be his fewest in a full season since 2017-18. But with Curry averaging a team-leading 22.5 points per game, Golden State is seeking more scoring options to step up alongside him in the Warriors' push for the postseason. Following the Warriors' 109-105 win over Phoenix on Saturday that put them above .500 after a stretch losing six of seven, Draymond Green told reporters that Golden State is looking for more contributions from Buddy Hield in particular. "We need Buddy Hield to play great, we need Buddy Hield to make shots," Green said. "It's simple. We're 16-15. We don't love this. So do we just keep doing the same thing and sit back on our hands, 'Oh, it's going to change at some point.' Or do we make a change?" Hield went from Philadelphia to Golden State in an offseason trade and is scoring 12.9 points per game while shooting almost 40 percent from behind the arc. Jonathan Kuminga has provided offensive punch for Golden State in the last two outings, improving his season scoring average to 16.7 ppg with back-to-back 34-point efforts on Friday against the Clippers and in the win over Phoenix. "This is exactly what we're looking for, and it's fun to see him deliver," Kerr said of Kuminga. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 election , the vast majority of Colorado voters felt like they had more in common with their neighbors than not, according to a recent poll from the Colorado Polling Institute. The poll of 822 Colorado voters from Oct. 25 to Nov. 4 was conducted via calls and online. The margin of error of the survey is plus or minus 3.42%. “Coloradans may not agree on everything, but large majorities agree the state has a bright future and a common set of values that guide us,” said Kevin Ingham, principal of Aspect Strategic, according to a news release about the poll. About 77% of those interviewed said they believe that “Coloradans have more in common than what divides us,” compared to only 23% who disagree with that sentiment, according to the results. The poll found that half of all respondents believed the state is headed in the “right direction.” That’s a slightly higher share compared to the last time the question was asked in March. People who have lived in the state for over 20 years felt the least optimistic about the future of the state, with nearly half of that group saying they feel the state is “off on the wrong track.” Donald Trump voters in Colorado also felt significantly less positive about the future of the state compared to Kamala Harris voters. Responses also showed those who were polled have three top priorities for state lawmakers in the next state legislative session. Health care costs were the highest ranked issue with 48% of respondents saying it was their top priority. Illegal immigration was ranked second highest with 47% saying it was their highest concern. Affordable housing was the third highest with 46% marking it as their primary issue. More than nine in 10 respondents said the laws passed by the state legislature impact their lives either directly or indirectly. Gov. Jared Polis was ranked as very popular in the poll with 54% of respondents saying they have a favorable view of the governor. About 55% of voters said they feel the Democratic Party is out of touch with them, compared to 66% who said the same about the Republican Party. Three out of four Republican voters in the state said they are more of a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump than the traditional Republican Party. The poll honed in on voters unaffiliated with any political party, a group that is growing in the state. About a third of those unaffiliated voters said they feel both parties are out of touch with them. Seventy percent of the unaffiliated voters said it isn’t easy for them to find unbiased information about what is happening in politics.
A new candidate to enter the General Election race in the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency is exceeding expectation so far following the conclusion of tallies and leads a well known Kilkenny TD. First time candidate Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) is currently showing as having 4.7% of first preference votes in an impressive first showing in a General Election. Meanwhile, Malcolm Noonan, outgoing Green Party TD and Minister of State, is on 4.2%. Across the country there is a trend that Green Party candidates seem to be in trouble at the polls and here in Carlow-Kilkenny it looks no different, at this early stage. Patricia Stephenson is a fresh face in Kilkenny politics, hoping to secure a first-ever seat for the Social Democrats in Carlow-Kilkenny. FOR MORE GENERAL ELECTION NEWS, CLICK HERE The new candidate lives with her partner in Coollcullen, between Old Leighlin and Castlecomer, where the couple have renovated an old parish hall. Originally from Belfast, Ms Stephenson moved here a few years ago after six years working in East Africa in the aid/humanitarian sector, before her return to Ireland. Her aunt and uncle live close to ‘Comer, where she visited a lot as a child. She has been a member of the Social Democrats for about three and a half years, with a strong family pedigree in politics; her late father was a former councillor and chair of the SDLP. More to follow... FOLLOW OUR ELECTION BLOG HEREAustralian economy still limping along, data may show
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called the "silent killer" because it typically has no noticeable symptoms until it leads to severe health problems. It is a condition in which the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is consistently too high, putting a strain on the heart and blood vessels. Over time, untreated hypertension can damage the arteries, heart, brain, and kidneys, leading to a range of potentially life-threatening conditions.Market Trading Guide: LTIMindtree, Tata Motors are among 5 stock recommendations for Monday