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How Gary Payton II can change the Warriors’ entire defense for the better

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

Gary Payton II’s imminent return could turn the Warriors back into a defensive juggernaut just in time for the playoff push.Can one player change an entire defense? In Payton’s case, yes.“We all know what GP is capable of on the defensive end,” Draymond Green said on his podcast last February. “Can plug GP right in, and he knows the system like the back of his hand.”The 30-year-old will practice Saturday and could make his Warriors debut this season for Sunday’s pivotal game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, his first action since Golden State conducted a complex four-team trade to acquire him from Portland at this year’s deadline. The trade nearly fell through as the Warriors training staff discovered during his physical that Payton was dealing with core soreness after an offseason surgery.But there’s a reason the Warriors opted to trade their No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman for Payton — a league misfit re-cast as an essentia...

49ers tap into Panthers pipeline for kicker to replace Robbie Gould

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

SANTA CLARA — And here’s the kicker: Zane Gonzalez, Robbie Gould’s apparent successor with the 49ers.The 49ers ushered out Gould’s six-year tenure Friday by trading for Gonzalez from the Carolina Panthers, a franchise that has offered them a pipeline of talent since last October.Preceding Gonzalez on the cross-country move: running back Christian McCaffrey in last October’s trade, new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in January, and quarterback Sam Darnold and cornerback Myles Hartsfield in free agency.Unlike the midseason trade for McCaffrey that cost the 49ers a haul of draft picks (including 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round spots), Gonzalez was acquired on the cheap, for a conditional swap of late-round pick in the 2025 draft, the 49ers announced.Gonzalez, who must still pass a physical to complete the trade, was deemed expendable once the Panthers signed Eddie Pineiro to a two-year deal Thursday.FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 19: Zan...

Major Danville thoroughfare closed for weeks; traffic delays expected

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

DANVILLE — A stretch of one of this town’s major thoroughfares closed Thursday and will remain blocked for several weeks as crews work to replace a damaged drainage culvert.The closure of Diablo Road, from Alameda Diablo to Avenida Diablo, is expected to cause significant disruption to daily commutes. Only school buses and emergency vehicles will be allowed on the road that connects Diablo and Blackhawk residents to Interstate 680.The Diablo Community Services District intends to close the intersection of Avenida Nueva at Diablo Road to replace the outdated drainage culvert just east of Alameda Diablo.Engineers inspected the culvert pipe in January and found it to be flattening, causing slope erosion and a dip on the surface of the road. The current culvert pipe has reached the end of its 60-year life expectancy and has been heavily damaged by winter storms, officials said.The project will involve digging up Diablo Road, constructing a new culvert onsite and installing it. Tha...

What’s with all this talk about firing squads?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

By Michael Tarm | Associated PressCHICAGO — The image of gunmen in a row firing in unison at a condemned prisoner may conjure up a bygone, less enlightened era.But the idea of using firing squads is making a comeback. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, which currently includes Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.Fresh interest comes as states scramble for alternatives to lethal injections after pharmaceutical companies barred the use of their drugs.Some, including a few Supreme Court justices, view firing squads as less cruel than lethal injections, despite the violence involved in riddling bodies with bullets. Others say it’s not so cut-and-dry, or that there are other factors to consider.A look at the status of firing squads in the United States:WHEN WAS THE LAST EXECUTION BY FIRING SQUAD?Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed at Utah State Prison on June 18, 2010, for killing an attorney durin...

Proposal to ban ghost guns to be introduced at Capitol

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Law enforcement sources confirmed with FOX31 a ghost gun was found near the body of Austin Lyle.Sources also confirmed a ghost rifle was found in his home by police when he was 16 years old. Lawmakers say they want to crack down on the so-called ghost guns so we don't see more incidents involving them.The bill has not been introduced yet, but it is something lawmakers have been working on for a while, hoping this lessens and helps trace crime.State lawmakers are getting ready to introduce a measure that would make creating and possessing ghost guns illegal."Ghost guns are un-serialized firearms. Basically, what that means is that you can print or buy a kit of a ghost gun without going to an official store that has the regulations associated with a gun," said state Senator Rhonda Fields. "This is real, this is relevant and we in the State of Colorado have an opportunity to address it." Hundreds of students, teachers gather outside state Capitol Fields, who is spons...

Miami beats No. 1 seed Houston; all four top NCAA seeds out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nijel Pack and Miami hit shots from near and far against the stingiest defense in the country to beat Houston 89-75 on Friday night in the Sweet 16, leaving the NCAA Tournament without a single No. 1 seed among its final eight teams for the first time since seeding began in 1979.Miami (28-7), only the fifth team this season to score at least 70 points against Houston (33-4), will play second-seeded Texas or No. 3 seed Xavier in the Midwest Region final for the chance to go to the Final Four.About 30 minutes before Houston’s loss, top overall seed San Diego State fell to Alabama in Louisville, Kentucky. Fellow No. 1 seeds Purdue and Kansas lost during the tournament’s first weekend.The fifth-seeded Hurricanes reached a regional final for the second straight year just a few hours after Miami’s ninth-seeded women’s team hung on to beat Villanova and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time. Miami and UConn are the only schools with teams remaini...

Nossa Omakase gives Miami spin to Japanese cuisine, offers Nigiri Night special on Tuesdays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

Sushi is yummy, but it can get pretty pricey, especially if you’re doing an omasake experience. Those don’t take coupons, you know, but thankfully, Deco did some digging, and we uncovered a deal that feels like a treasure.Dinner is served at Nossa Omakase in Miami Beach.Sebastian Labno: “We specialize in Japanese-Latin infusion. We concentrate on some of the most exclusive items that we bring from Japan and mix them together Miami style.”The restaurant is known for their luxurious omakase experience.Sebastian Labno: “It’s a concept that you don’t know what you’re going to have. You know you’re coming for dinner that has about, anywhere between 16 to 20 courses. It’s depending on what the chef decides to make for you.”Emphasis on the luxury.Sebastian Labno: “Our normal experience runs anywhere from $375 to $550.”But on Tuesdays, they’re serving up savings, thanks to the new weekly Nigiri Night.Sebastian Labno: &#...

Crews battling large fire involving multiple homes in Scituate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

Officials said at least five homes were involved in a large fire that burned in Scituate Friday night, sending smoke and flames into the sky before 9 p.m.Many of the flames had been knocked down around 9:30 p.m. Still, heavy smoke remained as firefighters from multiple area communities including Scituate, Hanover, Hull, Duxbury, Rockland and Hanson continued to work on scene on Glades Road near Minot Beach. Cell phone video from the area previously showed flames and the massive response at the scene creating a glow in the night sky Friday night.Smoke blanketing the area was also at one point heavy enough to register on radar.https://twitter.com/Michael7News/status/1639433763020066817Firefighters were seen dumping water on homes in the tightly packed neighborhood around the fire location, working to prevent the fire from growing. Officials on scene told 7NEWS there were no reported injuries as of 9:30 p.m.Neighbors said they heard the commotion as the fire broke out and as emergency ...

Jayson Tatum’s 34 points power Celtics in 120-95 blowout of Indiana

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

Hours before Friday night’s tip-off, a tailor-made trap game if there ever was one for the road weary Celtics, Joe Mazzulla pinpointed the single greatest danger in facing the lottery-bound Pacers.Tempo.A young and aggressive bunch, the Pacers lead the NBA in fast-break points. They push opponents through their speed and athleticism, traits best captured by all-star guard Tyrese Haliburton, whose return from injury coincided with the C’s return from a six-game road trip Friday.So before they let the Pacers rev their engines, the Celtics beat them at their own game.Jayson Tatum poured in 34 points and the Celtics doubled Indiana in fast-break points over a 120-95 win at TD Garden. Jaylen Brown added 27 points and seven rebounds, while Derrick White had 22 points and nine assists. Boston outscored the Pacers by 20 in the second half.Playing his first home game in three weeks, Rob Williams thwarted Indiana in the half-court with three blocks and three steals, both team high...

Orioles observations on Dean Kremer as No. 2 starter, defensive versatility on display and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:20 GMT

Two down, three to go.A few hours after the Orioles announced veteran Kyle Gibson as their opening day starter, manager Brandon Hyde on Friday said Dean Kremer will start the club’s second game of the season, slotting the right-hander as the club’s No. 2 starter to begin the year.“Dean’s had a really good spring training,” Hyde said earlier this week. “Loved how he was throwing the ball before he left. He came into camp really ready to go.”Kremer was perhaps the Orioles’ best starting pitcher in 2022, posting an 8-7 record and a 3.23 ERA in 125 1/3 innings. The breakout campaign was a stark contrast to his 2021 season, in which he had a 7.55 ERA in 53 2/3 innings.“Really impressed with the progress he’s made the last couple years,” Hyde said. “The second half he had last year was a huge improvement. Love where he is right now.“For him, it’s really been about confidence in the strike zone. For me, it&...