Milwaukee, Denver wrap up No. 1 seeds in NBA playoffs

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Milwaukee, Denver wrap up No. 1 seeds in NBA playoffs The road to the NBA Finals now goes through Milwaukee. The road out of the Western Conference goes through Denver, for the first time ever.And the rest of the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket is now set as well.The Bucks will have the No. 1 overall seed and home-court advantage for the entirety of their time in the NBA playoffs, after defeating Chicago 105-92 on Wednesday night. Milwaukee is now 58-22 this season; no other team in the league can get to more than 57 wins.“It’s just a credit to the players,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “The players have really stepped up. I think they’ve embraced the challenge. Night in and night out in this league, it’s hard. There’s great opposition. … To have the best record, it is something that matters. It is important.”The No. 1 seed in the West was decided Wednesday night as well. The Nuggets will have home-court throughout the West playoffs, after New Orleans defeated Memphis in overtime — and took away the last ...

Mavs keep play-in hopes alive with 123-119 win over Kings

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Mavs keep play-in hopes alive with 123-119 win over Kings DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 25 of his 31 points during a second-half rally, and the Dallas Mavericks stayed in the race for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 123-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.Luka Doncic had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Mavericks (38-42) matched Oklahoma City’s record for the 10th seed in the West with two games remaining. The Thunder own the tiebreaker, so Dallas, which reached the West finals last year, needs at least one Oklahoma City loss to have a chance at another playoff run.Facing the brink of postseason elimination with a loss, the Mavericks rallied from 13 points down in the third quarter, when Irving started and finished a 12-0 run with 3-pointers for an 82-78 lead.Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 24 points, had the other two 3s on the run as Doncic and Irving won for the fifth time in 16 games together since the blockbuster trade that brought Irving from Brooklyn.Dallas ended a th...

Pelicans top Grizzlies 138-131 in OT, earn play-in spot

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Pelicans top Grizzlies 138-131 in OT, earn play-in spot NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Herbert Jones scored a career-high 35 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-131 in overtime Wednesday night and clinch a play-in spot.Jones’ fast-break dunk capped a decisive 10-0 run to open the extra period. The surge started with a pair of 3s by Trey Murphy III, who hit seven 3s in the game and finished with 30 points.The Pelicans combined to hit 21 3s, including five by Jones, who is known more as a defender than a scorer and was left wide open on several of his perimeter baskets.CJ McCullum hit six from deep and finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, while Brandon Ingram overcame a slow start and hit a slew of clutch shots to wind up with 24 points and 13 rebounds.The victory guarantees the Pelicans at least a top- 10 finish in the Western Conference, good enough to get into the play-in. The question is what seeding they’ll have after their final two games.Jaren Jackson ...

Denver mayoral race tightens as vote count continues

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Denver mayoral race tightens as vote count continues DENVER (KDVR) — If you thought the Denver mayoral race was over, think again. The Clerk and Recorder's office is still counting ballots and some candidates are telling city residents not to count them out.As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough are still leading in votes.Johnston is holding steady with around 25% of the votes, but Brough's numbers are shrinking a bit. What’s next for the Park Hill golf course? The developers weigh in At one point on election night, Brough had about 23% of the votes. Wednesday, that number is a little under 21%. Gaining in percentages as votes continue to be counted is Dr. Lisa Calderón, moving up from about 15% Tuesday night to over 17% Wednesday evening. There are also several city council races with candidates leading by razor-thin margins.55,000 ballots came in the last two hoursAn important note: the Clerk's Office still has more than 20,000 ballots to count.Calderón put out a statement on Twitter Wednesday saying she's confide...

Rockies roll out new eats on eve of home opener

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Rockies roll out new eats on eve of home opener DENVER (KDVR) — Wednesday, the Colorado Rockies gave fans a sneak peek at what’s at the concession stand in 2023. Members of the media were introduced to the new “Legacy Club,” which sits high above home plate. Prepare for Rockies home opener crowds The club’s executive chef introduced several items on the menu, including the barbecue chicken and macaroni and cheese sandwich and the “Mustache Pretzel.” The popular “Elvis Milkshake” is also back. Automated concessions, Amazon palm readersThe team also unveiled the “Chill Zone,” behind right-centerfield.It’s a technology-based concession stand that allows fans to walk up and select food and beverage, on their own, without a counter wait. It’s a simple swipe of a credit or debit card, and the system takes care of the rest. Everything you need to know for the Rockies home opener An Amazon kiosk also allows customers to scan the palm of their hand for even easier return visits. It’s enough reason for everybody to be optimistic in ...

Dave Burd, aka rapper Lil Dicky, chats about Season 3 of FXX series ‘Dave’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Dave Burd, aka rapper Lil Dicky, chats about Season 3 of FXX series ‘Dave’ Comedy is flying again: Dave Burd is back. The third season of his self-titled series kicked off Wednesday night on FXX. Deco caught up with the funnyman to find out what kind of craziness we can expect-ex-ex.In Season 3 of “Dave,” Dave Burd hits the road for the first time as a rap artist.GaTa (as himself): “It’s your first tour. You’re supposed to go hard.”Going hard isn’t really what he does best.Dave Burd (as himself): “I’m trying to briing back the old school flow, like, ‘My name’s Dave, and I’m here to say.'”Dave’s love of hip-hop is real. His rap name is Lil Dicky, and the video for his song “Ex-Boyfriend” has over million views.Dave Byrd (as Lil Dicky, singing): “And I ain’t usually the one to be the jealous type, but as I’m looking at this dude, I can’t believe my eyes.”So Dave’s definitely got game, but for the sake of the show, he ‘s se...

Trump’s tariff time-bomb threatens to blow up transatlantic trade

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Trump’s tariff time-bomb threatens to blow up transatlantic trade BRUSSELS — The next big transatlantic trade fight is primed to explode. Negotiators from Brussels and Washington are scrambling to solve a five-year dispute over steel and aluminum dating back to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on European imports. They have until October to get a deal but are still so far apart that European officials now fear the chances of an agreement are slim. Without a deal, both sides could reimpose billions of dollars worth of trade tariffs on each other’s goods — potentially spreading well beyond steel to hit products including French wines, U.S. rum, vodka and denim jeans.While U.S. negotiators are still hopeful that an agreement can be reached in time, the political fallout of failure for President Joe Biden would be serious, with U.S. exports facing a hit just ahead of his potential re-election battle in 2024. More broadly, another breakdown in trade relations between Europe and the United States would heap furthe...

Moore: Government must stop paying people not to work

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

Moore: Government must stop paying people not to work A policy question these days that has befuddled federal lawmakers is why so many millions of people have not returned to the workplace in the post-COVID-19 era. The labor force participation rate among employable adults is near a record low today. There are at least 2 million to 4 million employable adults who could and should be working but aren’t.Very few people with even minimal skills can credibly say they can’t find a job. Employers report some 10 million job openings. Small business owners say their biggest problem is finding competent workers.There are many explanations for why so many people aren’t working — fear of COVID-19, the skills mismatch, more people taking early retirement, and so on. But a major factor is that the federal government is back to doing what it did in the 1970s and 1980s. The welfare state today is paying people not to work — even a single hour.That problem went away in the 1990s after many states, such as Wisconsin and Michigan, bega...

April brings shower of fresh performances on Boston’s art scene

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

April brings shower of fresh performances on Boston’s art scene Apologies to T. S. Eliot but April is not the cruelest month. Eliot lived in Cambridge for plenty of Januarys. He should know better.April is actually pretty nice. Or it can be if you ignore the 50 degree days with rain and focus on the arts calendar. With an eye to spring-has-sprung type stuff, here’s your monthly guide to bright and blooming arts offerings.Our Journey, Apri 6-16, Opera HouseThe Boston Ballet continues to inject new art and energy into the form. This program features two new (or new-ish) works. “La Mer” is a huge piece – 33 dancers, eight singers, and 45 musicians combine for a 45-minute exploration of our romantic feelings toward the oceans. Choreographed by Nanine Linning using two compositions by Claude Debussy, this world premiere was created with help from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. “Everywhere We Go” should generate just as much excitement. It is the brainchild of Justin Peck, choreographer for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and indie rock ...

High school boys outdoor track preview: Shot, high jump a battle for second

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:52:28 GMT

High school boys outdoor track preview: Shot, high jump a battle for second Two of the most dominant athletes of the indoor season have their eyes on new personal bests this spring.Carver high jumper Cam Allain had an electrifying win at the Adidas Nationals when he soared to a personal best of 6 feet, 8 inches. With a national title in his back pocket, Allain now has his sights set on clearing 7-feet and he believes it is well within reach.In the shot put, Jacob Cookinham of Bishop Stang had the best throw in the country and thoroughly dominated New England competition. Breaking the 70-foot barrier is high on Cookinham’s list of goals outdoors.Cookinham is in a class by himself, but Allain could face some competition from Arlington’s Rowan McConkey, who had a breakthrough winter campaign after placing eighth in last June’s All-State meet. Zachary Traficante of North Andover, Stoughton’s Matt Singletary and Drew McStay could also be in the mix.The 400 should be a loaded event once again with a field of sub 50-second athletes that inc...