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Talented Pacific Division teams try to grab immediate impact role players at NBA draft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Thanks to their recent success, the five teams in the NBA’s Pacific Division weren’t necessarily trying to draft one of the next generation’s hardwood superstars Thursday night.Instead, finding a good role player or two would be just fine.The five teams in the Pacific — the Lakers, Warriors, Suns, Kings and Clippers — all made the playoffs and finished above .500 last season, meaning their draft slots weren’t particularly high. The Lakers were the first on the clock, taking Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 selection.Golden State was active Thursday even before taking Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski with the No. 19 selection, agreeing to add 12-time All-Star Chris Paul in a trade that sends Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. Podziemski’s arrival should give the Warriors another 3-point threat alongside All-Stars like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Clippers had the No. 30 overall selection, which was the fin...

Raptors grab shooter, Celtics collect future picks during mostly quiet night in Atlantic division

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

The Boston Celtics, coming off their fifth trip to the conference finals in the last seven seasons, entered Thursday night’s NBA draft having already started the process of retooling for another attempt at the franchise’s 18th title.They stayed on that path by amassing lots of future draft picks on a mostly quiet night elsewhere around the East’s Atlantic Division.Toronto had the highest selection of the night at No. 13, taking sharpshooter Gradey Dick out of Kansas.The Celtics made one of the league’s biggest predraft moves when they traded franchise mainstay Marcus Smart to Memphis in a deal that got them big man Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards. The three-team deal included Boston receiving the 25th overall draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies. But Boston traded it for Detroit’s second-round pick and two future second-round selections. The Celtics then traded down again, picking up the No. 34 and No. 39 picks in a deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Boston selec...

Overshadowed by Wembanyama and the Spurs, the Rockets get even younger in the NBA draft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — The young Houston Rockets are getting even younger with another pair of first-round picks.The Rockets added the first player drafted out of the Overtime Elite pro league to the NBA’s highest-ever G League selection of two years ago. Then they picked an 18-year-old for the second time in three years.All the rest of the draft moves from Southwest Division teams were going to be footnotes Thursday night after the San Antonio Spurs took French sensation Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall.Houston was up first, and left little question that Ime Udoka’s return to coaching will be with one of the youngest set of core players in the NBA.The Rockets took Amen Thompson of Overtime Elite fourth overall. It was the first choice for the Atlanta-based pro league (his 20-year-old twin brother Ausar went fifth to Detroit). Two years ago, Houston made Jalen Green the highest choice from G League Ignite at No. 2 overall.At No. 20, the Rockets ended the slide for Cam Whitmore, the 18-y...

Hawks acquire 2nd-round center Mouhamed Gueye of Washington State from Celtics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks acquired the draft rights to Washington State center Mouhamed Gueye from the Boston Celtics in exchange for a future second-round pick Thursday night during the NBA draft, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.The Celtics drafted the 6-foot-11 Gueye with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round before sending the rights to Gueye to Atlanta, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized and approved by the NBA.Gueye, from Senegal, moved to California when he was 16. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for Washington State as a sophomore last season.Because the trade was not official, Hawks general manager Landry Fields could not comment on Gueye when discussing Atlanta’s selections in the draft.The Hawks selected guard Kobe Bufkin of Michigan in the first round, at No. 15 overall. The Hawks selected wing player Seth Lundy from Penn State at No. 46 overall...

Los pasajeros del submarino Titán murieron tras una “implosión catastrófica”. ¿Cómo sigue la operación?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

(CNN) — Los cinco pasajeros del submarino Titán murieron en una “implosión catastrófica”, informaron las autoridades estadounidenses el jueves, en el marco de la extraordinaria operación internacional de búsqueda de cinco días cerca del lugar del naufragio más famoso del mundo.Un vehículo operado de manera remota halló el cono de cola y otros restos a cerca de 500 metros de la proa del Titanic, en las profundidades del Atlántico Norte.“Se trata de un entorno increíblemente implacable en el fondo del mar, y los restos son compatibles con una implosión catastrófica del buque”, declaró a la prensa el contralmirante John Mauger, comandante del Primer Distrito de Guardacostas.Los vehículos teledirigidos permanecerán en el lugar de los hechos y seguirán recabando información, dijo Mauger. Llevará tiempo determinar una cronología específica de los acontecimientos en el caso “increíblemente complejo” de la avería del Titán, agregó.Hasta ahora han ub...

Georgian president pardons jailed journalist after EU, US outcry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has pardoned a prominent opposition journalist who spent more than a year in jail, amid pressure from the EU, U.S. and international NGOs seeking to secure his release.In a statement issued Thursday evening, the president of the South Caucasus nation announced she had “signed the act pardoning Nikoloz Gvaramia,” a high-profile critic of the government who was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars in May 2022.Zourabichvili said she made the decision to intervene after the Supreme Court declined to hear Gvaramia’s appeal. “I am not going to give any explanation for this decision, it is my discretionary right and I am using it today,” she added.In a statement following Zourabichvili’s decision, European Council President Charles Michel welcomed the pardon “as an essential step towards depolarisation in Georgia.”Despite a publicly stated ambition to join the EU, Georgia’s application ...

POLITICO Pro Morning Energy and Climate UK: CBAM countdown — Net zero and tax — Où est Rishi?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

Presented by SSE By CHARLIE COOPER, ABBY WALLACE and RUSSELL HARGRAVE PRESENTED BY View in your browser or listen to audioSNEAK PEEK— The clock is ticking for the U.K. to decide whether it wants its own carbon border tax.— Does the tax system hold the key to net zero policy? One climate expert wants the Treasury to do more.— Why isn’t Rishi Sunak at the climate finance summit in Paris? Good question, say campaigners. A very warm welcome to Friday’s POLITICO Pro Morning Energy and Climate UK. Hay fever is letting up and Elton John is headlining Glastonbury — there can’t be a better way to ease into the weekend.If you are not already a Pro subscriber and would like a free trial of this newsletter, sign up here.DRIVING THE DAYCBAM COUNTDOWN: A government consultation on a potential U.K. carbon tax on imports is, as of midnight last night, closed — and the clock is ticking for the government to decide the way ahead.Recap: Ministers launched the co...

City Heights murder suspect to undergo mental competency evaluation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Facing a first-degree murder charge, 23-year-old Siliveinusi Hamala appeared in court Thursday.Hamala allegedly stabbed and killed 65-year-old Chi Cao in City Heights Monday morning.On Thursday, Hamala was expected to be arraigned, but he did not make a plea.“Rather than being arraigned and entering a plea of guilty or not guilty, his attorney immediately declared a doubt as to his mental competency and criminal proceedings were suspended," Deputy District Attorney Amelia Diedrich said.Police say Cao was exercising at the Central Avenue Mini Park near her home around 8:30 a.m. when, without warning, she was attacked and stabbed multiple times.About nine hours later, police found and arrested Hamala at a home a few blocks away on 39th Street. 2 arrested in San Diego drug bust Irene Peralta says she knew Cao for a long time and often took walks with her.“I feel so bad. I was praying -- I still pray for her every day because I can't believe what happened," Peralta said.H...

SDPD plan to activate smart street lights, license plate readers moves forward

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO—The debate over smart surveillance street lights and license plate readers in the city of San Diego is heating up again. The San Diego Privacy Advisory Board voted unanimously to push the plan forward to the city council. The plan would make San Diego the largest city to use street lights with license plate readers.But some are worried about privacy.“Put the cameras away. Who watches who?” said community members at the meeting.Community members expressed their opposition to more surveillance technology potentially hitting the streets of San Diego.“Our biggest concern is this money should be going to our communities not towards cameras and surveillance,” said Stacey Uy with Asian Solidarity Collective. “We all know it’s not cameras that keep us safe. It’s youth drop-in centers. It’s community health centers. It’s mental health services. We need so much more than just cameras.”Smart street lights have been installed throughout the city but are not currently in use. The ...

Exploding fire extinguisher kills student and injures 5 during Bangkok high school fire drill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:20:42 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A fire extinguisher exploded during a high school’s annual fire drill Friday in Thailand’s capital, killing one student and injuring five others, a rescuer said.The canister that exploded was a CO2-type fire extinguisher and may have become defective from sun or heat exposure, said Anyawut Phoampai of the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, one of Thailand’s biggest rescue organizations, who confirmed the death and injuries.The incident happened at Rajavinit Mathayom School in Bangkok’s Dusit district.The Associated Press