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MIAMI — A 29-point loss in Minnesota on Monday. A 41-point loss in Miami on Wednesday. Add it up, and it's the worst two-game stretch in Los Angeles Lakers history. The Lakers lost to the Heat 134-93 on Wednesday, that loss coming two days after a 109-80 loss to the Timberwolves. The 70-point margin is an all-time, two-game low for the Lakers; they were outscored by 67 over two separate two-game spans of the 2016-17 season. “It sucks, for sure, to get your (butt) whooped like that twice in a row,” Lakers star LeBron James said. “For sure.” The Lakers ran off a six-game winning streak last month to get to 10-4. They're 2-6 since, four of those losses coming by 25 or more points. Wednesday was the low point; the 41-point loss was not only the worst of the season, but it marked only the 11th time in Lakers history — more than 6,800 games, including playoffs — that they've lost by more than 40. “I’m embarrassed,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “We’re all embarrassed.” Redick is now 12-10 in Year 1 as a coach, and this stretch has obviously been his toughest yet. He oscillated in his postgame remarks Wednesday between pointing the finger at himself — “I’ll take all the ownership in the world. This is my team and I lead it," he said — and saying the team is having trouble with the simplest parts of the game plan. Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxwell Lewis (20) and center Christian Koloko defend Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Miami. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier “There’s not a sense from me that we’re ‘together’ right now," Redick said. “And that’s what we say in the huddle. Doesn’t feel that way. Doesn’t feel that way. We're in a tough stretch and we're all trying to find it.” Miami outscored the Lakers 72-15 from 3-point range — that 57-point differential tying the fourth-largest in NBA history. “We're having trouble right now on both ends with like base-level gameplan stuff,” Redick said. “It's odd. It's very odd.” Anthony Davis had a season-low 12 points for the Lakers on Monday. He was four points worse on Wednesday on 3-for-14 shooting. Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) passes the ball to forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Miami. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier “Guys are doing their part. I’m not doing mine, which is just tough for our team," Davis said. “I just have to play better individually on both ends. I hold myself to a higher standard and I haven’t been doing what I needed to do — especially offensively for our team.” James said he agreed with everything Redick said, and Davis even echoed a word his coach used multiple times. “Embarrassing,” Davis said. James hopes the rest of the Lakers' locker room takes on that level of accountability. He insisted that 22 years in the league have taught him not to get too high when things are good or too low when things are bad. But back-to-back games like this represent something the likes of which he's never dealt with. The Lakers play at Atlanta on Friday, go home to face Portland on Sunday and then get a few days off — the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Dec. 10 and 11 are a built-in break for the teams that didn't advance to the knockout stage of that tournament — to practice and seek solutions. “When you’re individually (messing) up and you’re trying to rely on everybody else to cover for you, I think it starts with the individual first," James said. "All of us have to take accountability.”
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The COP29 climate negotiations currently underway at Baku, Azerbaijan, were supposed to have concluded on Friday, November 22 but, as COP meetings typically do, they have got extended to Saturday. As of Saturday afternoon IST, negotiations were stuck, seemingly intractably, as the positions of the developing and developed countries are, not surprisingly, irreconcilable. In essence, the developing countries want “$1.3 trillion” as the target for funds to be mobilised for financing climate action projects in developing countries—an annual target that will replace the current “$ 100 b” watermark and is to be achieved by 2035—under the head ‘New Collective Quantified Goal” (NCQG). But the farthest the developed countries are willing to go is $300 billion. Even this is after an earlier offer for $ 200 billion was derided by developing countries; the Bolivian negotiator, Diego Pacheco asked if it was “a joke”. Against this backdrop, some 335 civil society organisations (NGOs) have written two letters—one each to the developing and the developed countries. In the letter to the developing countries, represented by the G-77+China grouping, the NGOs have expressed their wholehearted support to them for rejecting the current negotiating text. A thought that is emerging among the developing countries is that no deal is better than a bad deal under NCQG. The letter supports this. “This text is absolutely unacceptable and gives the developed countries a complete exit from their obligations to provide climate finance for developing countries. We urge you to stand up for the people of the Global South and we insist: no deal in Baku is better than a bad deal, and this is a very, very bad deal because of the intransigence of developed countries. If nothing sufficiently strong is forthcoming at this COP we urge you to walk away from the table to fight another day, and we will fight the same fight,” the letter said. In the other letter, which handed over to Trigg Talley, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Director of Climate Negotiations and Programs, US Department of State, says that “The global civil society and the millions of members behind us are deeply outraged in your destructive role in creating an absolutely unacceptable NCQG draft negotiating text on this final day of COP29.” Here is the text of the letter: We understand that you will interpret this text as a complete exit from any legal obligations to provide climate finance for developing countries, as agreed in the UN Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement. You are blocking progress in Baku due to your demands that developing countries do more to reduce emissions while failing to deliver the finance and technology that are needed to reduce emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, meet the costs of Loss and Damage and a just and equitable transition to greener and fairer societies. You claim to champion a rules-based system, yet flout the rules when they don’t suit your interests, putting at risk billions of people and life on earth. We will not allow you to run away from your legal responsibilities but instead urge you to take the lead in transitioning from fossil fuels and providing public funding and technology to developing countries. You are required to fulfill your commitments under the Paris Agreement, and Climate Convention and we demand you deliver them fully here in Baku. If this COP ends with a weak or nonexistent outcome, you will be the ones to blame. And we will hold you responsible both here and when we go home.” CommentsNone
When the season began, Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the Big 12. The Sun Devils finished the regular season on top. Arizona State is No. 1 in the final Big 12 Power Rankings, receiving 15 of a possible 16 first-place votes from a panel of media who regularly cover the league. Iowa State was second, followed by Colorado (one first-place vote), BYU and Baylor. Arizona State and Iowa State meet Saturday in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas, with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line. 1. Arizona State Previous ranking: 1 Points: 255 (15 first-place votes) Record: 10-2 (7-2 Big 12) Last week: beat Arizona, 49-7 Up next: vs. No. 16 Iowa State in Big 12 championship game Comment: Cam Skattebo rushed for another 177 yards and three touchdowns, Jordyn Tyson caught seven passes for 137 yards and the Sun Devils cruised past their state rival for the sixth time in eight years. Did You know? This marks the first 10-win season for the school since 2014. It is the 10th 10-win season for the Sun Devils but just the fourth since 1975. — Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic 2. Iowa State Previous ranking: 2 Points: 237 Record: 10-2 (7-2 Big 12) Last week: beat No. 24 Kansas State, 29-21 Up next: vs. No. 15 Arizona State in Big 12 championship game Comment: Iowa State has scored 20 or more points in 14 consecutive games. Only one other Power Four team has a longer streak in that area — Miami, which has done it 16 straight times. The Cyclones have scored 29-plus points in four conference games in a row for the first time since 2005 and will play for a Big 12 title on Saturday for the second time in the past five seasons. Did you know? Iowa State wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both boast 1,000-plus receiving yards this season, the first Big 12 teammates to do so since Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2018. — Rob Gray, The Cedar Rapids Gazette 3. Colorado Previous ranking: 3 Points: 223 (one first-place vote) Record: 9-3 (7-2 Big 12) Last week: beat Oklahoma State, 52-0 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: CU buried the Cowboys early, turning two first-quarter turnovers into touchdowns and rolling to its most lopsided conference victory in 34 years. The Buffs pitched their first shutout since 2021 while quarterback Shedeur Sanders (438 yards, 5 TD) and receivers LaJohntay Wester (11 catches for 175 yards, 2 TD) and Travis Hunter (10 catches for 116 yards, 3 TD) were sensational. Did you know? The Buffs had a point differential of plus-144 in Big 12 play, nearly double the next-best team (BYU, plus-77). This was just the third time in program history that CU won four conference games by at least 25 points (also in 1989 and 1937). — Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera 4. BYU Previous ranking: 4 Points: 212 Record: 10-2 (7-2 Big 12) Last week: beat Houston, 30-18 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: BYU’s bid for a Big 12 title ended before taking a snap on Saturday. Iowa State beat Kansas State, officially knocking BYU out. Did you know? This is the third time Kalani Sitake has had a 10-win season. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune 5. Baylor Previous ranking: 6 Points: 190 Record: 8-4 (6-3 Big 12) Last week: beat Kansas, 45-17 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: The Baylor offense operated at peak efficiency against Kansas, finishing with two 100-yard receivers in a game for the first time since 2019 and two 100-yard rushers in a game since 2021. On the one-year anniversary of Jake Spavital becoming the offensive coordinator, the Bears put up more than 600 yards of total offense against a Big 12 team for the first time since 2016. With so many key pieces expected to come back next season, head coach Dave Aranda will use the extra month to keep the momentum going into next season. Did you know? Baylor won six straight games to end the regular season, the longest winning streak to end a regular season in program history. It’s also the Bears’ longest winning streak since it won nine games in a row to start the 2019 season. — Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald 6. Kansas State Previous ranking: 5 Points: 166 Record: 8-4 (5-4 Big 12) Last week: lost to No. 18 Iowa State, 29-21 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: Early turnovers led to easy points for Iowa State in Saturday’s game and the Wildcats couldn’t find a way to catch up, despite a strong defensive showing in the second half. K-State falls from one of the top teams in the Big 12 heading into October and now, after losing three of the last four games, the Wildcats end the regular season in a tie for eighth place, the worst finish standings-wise for K-State since 2015. Did you know? K-State has now lost four of the last five matchups against the Cyclones. — Tim Everson, The Manhattan Mercury 7. TCU Previous ranking: 7 Points: 157 Record: 8-4 (6-3 Big 12) Last week: beat Cincinnati, 20-13 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: The Frogs finish the regular season with exactly eight wins for the first time since 1984, having won five of their final six games of the season. TCU fans are simultaneously moderately pleased and a little disgruntled with ‘what could have been’ this season, had they beaten UCF and Houston. Did you know? TCU finishes tied for fifth in the Big 12 after being picked to finish 10th in the preseason. 8. Texas Tech Previous ranking: 9 Points: 156 Record: 8-4 (6-3 in Big 12) Last week: beat West Virginia, 52-15 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: Joey McGuire spent a chunk of his postgame presser lambasting the College Football Playoff committee’s dismissal of the Big 12. McGuire feels like he may have to fight that battle with Texas Tech soon enough, and had the Red Raiders not blown it against TCU they would’ve been headed to Arlington. Instead, they’ll try to fix an awful defense and move ahead. Did you know? Tahj Brooks became the first Texas Tech running back to rush for over 1,500 yards multiple times as a Red Raider. Josh Kelly became the first Tech receiver with 1,000 yards since 2018 and Behren Morton started all 12 games and passed for over 3,000 yards, the first Tech QB to do either since 2017. — Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal 9. Kansas Previous ranking: 8 Points: 122 Record: 5-7 (4-5 Big 12) Last week: lost to Baylor, 45-17 Up next: Season over Comment: The Jayhawks saved their worst performance of the season for the final week, giving up 603 yards to Baylor and turning the ball over three times, and in doing so ensured they would not reach a third straight bowl game. Did you know? Fifteen of KU’s 22 starters in the Baylor game — eight on offense, seven on defense — went through senior day this year, out of a total 38 senior-day participants. In short, the Jayhawks’ roster will look very different when KU takes the field at its newly renovated stadium on Aug. 23. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World 10. West Virginia Previous ranking: 10 Points: 120 Record: 6-6 (5-4 Big 12) Last week: lost to Texas Tech, 52-15 Up next: Bowl game TBA Comment: Despite a contract extension in January, Neal Brown was fired with three years left on his contract. He posted a 37-35 record in six seasons. Two notable names that have been mentioned in the Mountaineers’ search – Jimbo Fisher, the former Florida State and Texas A&M coach, and Rich Rodriguez, who coached West Virginia before leaving for Michigan. Did you know? Offensive coordinator Chad Scott will serve as the team’s interim head coach for the bowl game. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle 11. Cincinnati Previous ranking: 11 Points: 93 Record: 5-7 (3-6 Big 12) Last week: lost vs. TCU, 20-13 Up next: Season over Comment: The Bearcats allowed a potent TCU offense 10 points off turnovers in the first half and got behind 20-7 at halftime. In the second half, snow had arrived which helped slow down the Horned Frogs. They would only throw for 10 yards and not score, but the Bearcats had a costly interception in the end zone to stop one score and could only get as close as seven points with 5:42 remaining. Their last drive ended on the TCU 39-yard line with a prayer that was thrown out of the end zone to end the game. Did you know? Cincinnati went 0-5 in night games this season, falling at Texas Tech, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State and at home vs. TCU. Corey Kiner ran for 110 yards Saturday to finish with 1,153 for the season. Tight end Joe Royer caught seven passes to finish with 50 for the season, surpassing the previous single-season tight end record of 45 held by Travis Kelce, now with the Kansas City Chiefs. —Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer 12. Houston Previous ranking: T12 Points: 68 Record: 4-8 (3-6 Big 12) Last week: lost to No. 19 BYU, 30-18 Up next: Season over Comment: Coach Willie Fritz has a busy offseason ahead as he must replace both coordinator positions following the firing of offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood’s departure to Texas Tech. Fixing an offense that ranked next-to-last in FBS at 14 points per game is the top priority. “We want to find an offense where we don’t turn it over and we score a bunch of points,” Fritz said. Did you know? Houston will miss a bowl in consecutive years for the first time since a six-year drought from 1997-2002. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle 13. Utah Previous Ranking: 15 Points: 62 Record: 5-7 (2-7 Big 12) Last Week: beat UCF, 28-14 Up next: Season over Comment: Utah’s football season is officially over. Now, the Utes will shift their focus to hiring an offensive coordinator, the early signing period and the transfer portal. On top of Utah’s offseason list is awaiting the potential departures of Kyle Whittingham and Cam Rising, who have been an integral part of the Utes success the past few years. Did you know? After finishing the season 5-7, this is just the third losing season of Whittingham’s 20-year career. — Jason Batacao, The Salt Lake Tribune 14. UCF Previous ranking: T12 Points: 59 Record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12) Last week: lost to Utah, 28-14 Up next: Season over Comment: Running back RJ Harvey set the school’s all-time touchdown record with his 47th and 48th career touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough, as the Knights lost their third straight game to finish the season. Harvey rushed for 119 yards, giving him a career-high 1,577 yards on the season. Did you know? Coach Gus Malzahn resigned on Saturday to become the new offensive coordinator at Florida State. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel 15. Arizona Previous ranking: 14 Points: 40 Record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12) Last week: lost to No. 16 Arizona State, 49-7 Up next: Season over Comment: Arizona ended its tumultuous first season under Brent Brennan with a 42-point thumping by its rival Arizona State and now enters a rebuild year with the Wildcats likely losing wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea to the NFL Draft. Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois recently told the Arizona Daily Star that Brennan will remain the coach in 2025. Did you know? Arizona went from 10-3 in 2023 to 4-8 this season, the biggest drop-off in wins since the 1998 and ’99 seasons, when the Wildcats went from 12-1 to 6-6. — Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star 16. Oklahoma State Previous ranking: 16 Points: 16 Record: 3-9 (0-9 Big 12) Last week: lost to No. 25 Colorado, 52-0 Up next: Season over Comment: A wide-open quarterback battle will dominate headlines this spring, but the Cowboys must also replace at least four starting offensive linemen and two starting receivers. Then there’s running back Ollie Gordon, who seems likely to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Did you know? OSU receiver Brennan Presley finished his career with 315 receptions, which puts him 12th all-time at the FBS level and second among former Big 12 players. — Tyler Waldrep, Tulsa World.S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2024 Review Results
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Trae Young might be the NBA's biggest enigma. Young's fans can point to numbers and say he's an elite player. His detractors can point to numbers and say he's overrated. Both arguments have validity. To some, his cocky ways are endearing. To others, they're infuriating. This can't be argued: He's helping Atlanta author one of the season's surprise stories. The Hawks are in the NBA Cup semifinals, set to play Milwaukee on Saturday before the other semifinal between Oklahoma City and Houston. The title game is Tuesday night. “When we talk about Trae, the word I like to use is evolution,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “And every player evolves. They just evolve in different ways. He's been an important part of our young guys' growth and being able to elevate them.” The Hawks haven't had a ton of big moments in Young's seven seasons. But he has shown a propensity for rising to the occasion: ousting New York in the 2021 playoffs, ousting the Knicks from the quarterfinals of this tournament to get to Las Vegas — and now comes another chance on national TV on Saturday, facing the Bucks with a chance to play for a trophy. “I feel like this team has been embracing the challenge each and every night from the beginning of the season,” Young said. “We haven’t looked too far ahead in any moment. We’re just taking it day by day. Even though early on in the season we may have had some struggles and some bumps in the road and some guys out, we stuck with the process and focus on each day." Here's part of the pro-Young argument: He's averaging 21 points and 12 assists something that only Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas have done over a full season, and he's on pace to lead the league in assist average for the first time. Here's part of the anti-Young argument: Among the 220 players with at least 50 3-point attempts this season he ranks 189th at 30.8%, and of the 248 players with at least 100 field goal attempts this season he ranks 231st at 38.4%. Choose your side. They're both valid. But it's clear that Young — who made no secret that he was upset over not being picked for the team that won gold for USA Basketball at the Paris Olympics this past summer — is growing and maturing. “He’s doing a better job on both ends of the floor,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Defensively he’s figured out a way of keeping himself out of actions. I know that sounds easy. That’s hard to do, and he’s brilliant at it, he really is. ... He must be really studying the game on both ends of the floor, and you can see that in his play. And he’s earned the trust of his players. This team likes playing with him, that’s obvious. I couldn’t say that in the past, but now they love playing with him.” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson doesn't deny that point. “He’s so good, man,” Johnson said. "It’s crazy, like just seeing it in person and on TV prior to me playing with the Hawks and getting drafted by the Hawks, it was crazy just watching it. A guy that’s undersized, being able to score at will, being able to make any pass at will. And then next thing you know you’re his teammate and you’re on the receiving end of those passes. “Watching those clutch late game buckets, it’s a joy to watch. It’s a gift that he has that’s very special and not many people have had it at that elite of a level. It’s been great being his teammate. It’s been a blessing.” Saturday is an opportunity. The semifinals are the only games on the NBA calendar for that day; the title game Tuesday — which doesn't count in the standings — is the only game on the NBA slate that night as well. Young will have tons of eyeballs on him Saturday and would have tons more on him Tuesday if the Hawks find a way to win another big game against the Bucks. They're 3-1 against Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland and Boston already this season, 1-0 against Milwaukee. The potential is clear for the Hawks. The potential for Young has always been clear as well. Only now, it's starting to be realized. “The narrative about me not being able to do certain things or being too mad or frustrated about certain things is — I mean, just aren’t true,” Young said. "I think you’re just now being able to see like with the young team we have, just some of the different things we’ve been doing this year, I think just now you’re starting to kind of see it because the results are showing and we’re winning now. We’re here in this final four of the Cup, and it’s a big deal.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBATexas Instruments Inc. stock rises Thursday, still underperforms marketISTANBUL A top Syrian diplomat on Monday criticized the ousted Assad regime, saying it operated like a “corrupt mafia” that exploited the nation for personal gain. Once a staunch supporter of former leader Bashar Assad, Bashar Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador in Moscow, expressed his disillusionment in comments to the press. “I’m speaking about the Syrian state, not the regime,” he said. “You might be surprised to hear me say that there was never a real regime at any point. If there had been, it would have defended itself.” Jaafari’s remarks followed the fall of the Assad regime, which crumbled on Dec. 8 after opposition forces entered Damascus. “What existed was a corrupt mafia system that served its own interests. You’ve seen how quickly that system fell. This national dialogue is promising because the new political leadership is making attractive commitments to all sectors of Syrian society. Hopefully, these will be realized effectively, peacefully, and without violence.” During his diplomatic career, Jaafari held various positions within Syria’s Foreign Ministry and served in Syrian embassies worldwide. In 2006, he became Syria’s permanent representative to the UN. During his tenure, Jaafari strongly defended the Assad regime, repeatedly denying allegations of human rights abuses. He also tried to justify the regime’s actions on international platforms, often clashing with global officials. Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Trae Young might be the NBA's biggest enigma. Young's fans can point to numbers and say he's an elite player. His detractors can point to numbers and say he's overrated. Both arguments have validity. To some, his cocky ways are endearing. To others, they're infuriating. This can't be argued: He's helping Atlanta author one of the season's surprise stories. The Hawks are in the NBA Cup semifinals, set to play Milwaukee on Saturday before the other semifinal between Oklahoma City and Houston. The title game is Tuesday night. “When we talk about Trae, the word I like to use is evolution,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “And every player evolves. They just evolve in different ways. He's been an important part of our young guys' growth and being able to elevate them.” The Hawks haven't had a ton of big moments in Young's seven seasons. But he has shown a propensity for rising to the occasion: ousting New York in the 2021 playoffs, ousting the Knicks from the quarterfinals of this tournament to get to Las Vegas — and now comes another chance on national TV on Saturday, facing the Bucks with a chance to play for a trophy. “I feel like this team has been embracing the challenge each and every night from the beginning of the season,” Young said. “We haven’t looked too far ahead in any moment. We’re just taking it day by day. Even though early on in the season we may have had some struggles and some bumps in the road and some guys out, we stuck with the process and focus on each day." Here's part of the pro-Young argument: He's averaging 21 points and 12 assists something that only Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas have done over a full season, and he's on pace to lead the league in assist average for the first time. Here's part of the anti-Young argument: Among the 220 players with at least 50 3-point attempts this season he ranks 189th at 30.8%, and of the 248 players with at least 100 field goal attempts this season he ranks 231st at 38.4%. Choose your side. They're both valid. But it's clear that Young — who made no secret that he was upset over not being picked for the team that won gold for USA Basketball at the Paris Olympics this past summer — is growing and maturing. “He’s doing a better job on both ends of the floor,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Defensively he’s figured out a way of keeping himself out of actions. I know that sounds easy. That’s hard to do, and he’s brilliant at it, he really is. ... He must be really studying the game on both ends of the floor, and you can see that in his play. And he’s earned the trust of his players. This team likes playing with him, that’s obvious. I couldn’t say that in the past, but now they love playing with him.” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson doesn't deny that point. “He’s so good, man,” Johnson said. "It’s crazy, like just seeing it in person and on TV prior to me playing with the Hawks and getting drafted by the Hawks, it was crazy just watching it. A guy that’s undersized, being able to score at will, being able to make any pass at will. And then next thing you know you’re his teammate and you’re on the receiving end of those passes. “Watching those clutch late game buckets, it’s a joy to watch. It’s a gift that he has that’s very special and not many people have had it at that elite of a level. It’s been great being his teammate. It’s been a blessing.” Saturday is an opportunity. The semifinals are the only games on the NBA calendar for that day; the title game Tuesday — which doesn't count in the standings — is the only game on the NBA slate that night as well. Young will have tons of eyeballs on him Saturday and would have tons more on him Tuesday if the Hawks find a way to win another big game against the Bucks. They're 3-1 against Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland and Boston already this season, 1-0 against Milwaukee. The potential is clear for the Hawks. The potential for Young has always been clear as well. Only now, it's starting to be realized. “The narrative about me not being able to do certain things or being too mad or frustrated about certain things is — I mean, just aren’t true,” Young said. "I think you’re just now being able to see like with the young team we have, just some of the different things we’ve been doing this year, I think just now you’re starting to kind of see it because the results are showing and we’re winning now. We’re here in this final four of the Cup, and it’s a big deal.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBARuben Amorim says he’s close to knowing his best Manchester United line-up. Appointed following the sacking of Erik ten Hag in late October, the Portuguese tactician officially started work as United’s head coach on November 11, 2024 and has overseen four games across all competitions since. His debut game in the dugout ended in a 1-1 draw away at Ipswich Town which was followed up by back-to-back home wins over Bodo/Glimt - in the Europa League - and the 4-0 thrashing of Everton . More recently though, Amorim tasted defeat for the first time as Man United boss as his side were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal on Wednesday night . What was interesting about the game in North London, certainly before kick-off was the visitors’ starting line-up as Amorim continued his theme of heavy squad rotation as he looks to manage his players' workloads and hand minutes to those who have recently returned from injury. And after plenty of experimenting, the 39-year-old has revealed he is getting closer to knowing the ideal line-up for his 3-4-2-1 system. "More or less [I am close to knowing my best line-up], yes," he told reporters. "You have an idea, but then you have the problem of players returning without training and then you have to manage the load. So you also have the same problem. "But then you have to imagine and understand what kind of player you have. Bruno Fernandes, you feel it, against Arsenal, in the end, he was a little bit tired, but you know he is going to recover very well. “Manuel Ugarte, I've known for so long; I know that he needs sometimes a little bit more time. "So we are in that process, to know the players and trying to manage that, but we're getting closer to an idea, yes." Plenty of eyes will be on Amorim’s team selection for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest especially with Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo available again after suspension .Bills offense is 'Cooking,' with running game adding a powerful new dimension