South Florida Local News

Today is Friday, April 25, the 115th day of 2025. There are 250 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On April 25, 1945, during World War II, delegates from 50 countries opened a conference in San Francisco to create the Charter of the United Nations.

Also on this date:

In 1507, a world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term “America,” in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci (veh-SPOO’-chee).

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In 1859, ground was broken in Egypt for construction of the Suez Canal.

In 1898, the United States Congress declared war against Spain. The 16-week Spanish-American War resulted in an American victory, after which the United States took possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.

In 1915, during World War I, Allied soldiers invaded the Gallipoli (guh-LIH’-puh-lee) Peninsula in an unsuccessful attempt to take the Ottoman Empire out of the war.

In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to commercial traffic, connecting all five Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in orbit from the space shuttle Discovery. (It was later discovered that the telescope’s primary mirror was flawed, requiring the installation of corrective components to achieve optimal focus.)

In 2014, city officials in Flint, Michigan, changed the source of its water supply to the Flint River in a cost-cutting move. The river water exposed Flint residents to dangerous levels of lead and bacteria, leading to a public health crisis that took five years to resolve.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Al Pacino is 85.
• Musician-producer Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA) is 80.
• Actor Talia Shire is 79.
• NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is 63.
• Actor Hank Azaria is 61.
• Sportscaster Joe Buck is 56.
• Actor Gina Torres is 56.
• Actor Renée Zellweger is 56.
• Actor Jason Lee is 55.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is 49.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Brian White and Sebastain Berhalter scored and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 2-0 on Thursday night in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.

The second leg is Wednesday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The series winner will advance to the final against either Cruz Azul or Tigres UNAL on June 1.

Many in the record crowd of 53,837 at BC Place Stadium came to watch Messi. They weren’t disappointed when the Argentine superstar started the game and played the entire match. Joining him in the star-studded kickoff was Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, forward Luis Suarez of Uruguay and defender Jordi Alba from Spain.

Despite Miami’s star power, it was White who produced one of the loudest roars from the crowd when he headed a pass from Pedro Vite past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari in the 25th minute. Berhalter made it 2-0 in the 84th.

___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Before an injury-plagued junior year American Heritage defensive back Mekhi Hicks entertained the notion to hang up his football cleats.

As he stood at the podium of the Brian Piccolo Chapter’s 50th Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet at the Bahia Mar on Thursday night, he compared himself to Piccolo as an “underdog.”

“My sophomore year, going into my junior year, the odds were stacked against me,” said Hicks, who was one of four overall winners recognized at the Brian Piccolo Chapter’s 50th Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet at the Bahia Mar on Thursday night.

“I was beaten out of a starting (defensive back) spot by my best friend (Jordan Rich),” said Hicks, who will attend Harvard in the fall. “I was battling injuries and it was a very dark point in my life. I actually thought about quitting but I put my head down and decided to grind. I made the most out of my situation and from that point on, I was just going hard after everything. This is something that shows the work I put in off the field too. I am glad all of those hours got me recognized today.”

Hicks was a team captain who spearheaded the state-champion Patriots’ defense with 90 tackles, including 25 assists, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and 10 passes defended. He was equally stellar in the classroom with a 4.9 GPA. Hicks is also a member of the school’s track and field team.

In addition to Hicks, other overall winners at the banquet included Deerfield Beach’s Jaxson Jewel, Stoneman Douglas’ Adam Shaikh and Pembroke Pines Charter’s Keidran Willis Jr., who were all recognized as the Orange Bowl Committee winners of the Scholar-Athlete Award.

The Brian Piccolo Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame program ceremony honored 41 senior football players from Broward County schools for their academic achievements and volunteer work in the community.

Jewel, a Navy commit, sparkled in the classroom as well with a 5.25 GPA, which ranks him 15th in a class of 436. He excelled in football, track and boys basketball.

“When they first told me I was getting this award, I was actually in class taking a calculus test,” said Jewel, who hopes to be a pilot. “They pulled me out of class and gave me the award and I was both shocked and honored. Being a scholar-athlete is something my parents strived for and I strive for. It’s more than about sports, it is about academics and having high character.”

Shaikh is dual-enrolled at Stoneman Douglas and FAU. He sports a weighted GPA of 5.42 and is his school’s Salutatorian in a class of 804. Shaikh, an outside linebacker for the Eagles, volunteered more than 300 hours for TOPSoccer and is going to study at UF.

“This is a very prestigious honor,” Shaikh said. “Being a scholar athlete means that you put in the work on the field and in the classroom. There were a lot of sleepless, tiring nights with a lot of stress and effort, but if you like what you do, and enjoy what you do, then it is all worth it.”

Willis Jr. held a 5.21 GPA and starred on the school’s football team, finishing with more than 1,600 all-purpose yards and 18 TDs. He also had 67 tackles and five forced fumbles, recovering four.

“I am very blessed and grateful for what this award signifies,” said Willis, who is headed to FSU. “For me, this is a representation of what it means to work hard. I want to be someone who takes care of my family and someone who leads and is a trailblazer for the next generation of my family. This shows I am on the right path to set myself up for the future.”

Andrew Indorf (St. Thomas Aquinas) was selected as the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital (U18) Sports Medicine Offensive Player of the Year. He signed with Towson State University.

Andrew Indorf (St. Thomas Aquinas), left, was selected as the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital (U18) Sports Medicine Offensive Player of the Year; Fort Lauderdale’s Hunter Pangia was named the BSN Sports Defensive Player of the Year, while Camden Hulse (Coral Springs) was honored by Cerra Enterprises as the Special Teams Player of the Year. All three were honored at the Brian Piccolo Chapter’s 50th Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet at the Bahia Mar on Thursday night. (Gary Curreri/Contributor)

Indorf, who was the Sun Sentinel’s Class 7A-6A Offensive Player of the Year, said his award had added significance because Piccolo meant so much to the Raiders program.

“(Brian) Piccolo was a St. Thomas grad, so to be mentioned in the same breath as him means so much,” said Indorf, a three-time state champion and the school’s all-time leader in passing yards with 5,675 yards and TDs with 66. “This gives me confidence to bring my abilities to the next level. It was nice for me to be able to put a little suit on, and my parents to get dressed up, and this was a luxury to be honored.”

Fort Lauderdale’s Hunter Pangia was named the BSN Sports Defensive Player of the Year, while Camden Hulse (Coral Springs) was honored by Cerra Enterprises as the Special Teams Player of the Year.

“It’s a great honor to be at this event,” said Pangia, who had a 5.3226 weighted GPA and scored 1350 on his SAT. He was selected captain at Fort Lauderdale in football and track and was captain of the BCAA All-Star football team. He is attending the UF where he will pursue wrestling. “It’s only the best of the best that could come here with exceptional people in the classroom and on the field.”

Hulse, who plays soccer, football, and lacrosse for the Colts, is also the school’s Valedictorian in a class of 509. The four-year letter winner in soccer had a weighted GPA of 5.4688 and accumulated 352 community service hours.

“I am glad to be in a room with my peers, who accomplished so much on the field and in the classroom,” Hulse said. “Being able to balance both was a challenge, but it was worth pushing through.”

Blanche Ely grad Henri Crockett, an FSU grad who went on to play seven seasons in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings was honored as the Distinguished American at the ceremony. Crockett, co-founder of the Crockett Foundation with his brother Zack, also a former NFL player, is the Orange Bowl Committee President.

Willie Roberts was recognized for his 55 years as a game official and former Cooper City Athletic Director Paul Megna was honored for his contribution to amateur athletics over 40 years.

Wake Forest head football coach Jake Dickert served as the keynote speaker.

Piccolo lost his battle with cancer in 1970 at the age of 26. He played high school football at St. Thomas Aquinas, collegiate football at Wake Forest University, and in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. The football stadium on the campus at St. Thomas Aquinas is named after him and he inspired the 1971 movie ‘Brian’s Song.’

The Miami Dolphins enter Friday with two picks on the second day of the three-day NFL draft — one in the second round (No. 48) and one in the third round (No. 98).

In recent years this is where the draft has fallen apart for the Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier.

Here are 20 players who could be available Friday night for Miami.

Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi

Amos (6 foot 1, 195 pounds), projected as a second-round pick, is a feisty player who has length, speed and quickness. He’s been best in zone coverage but has the ability to play man. He had 13 pass break ups partly because he uses his hands well.

Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame

Watts (6-0, 204) is a second- or third-round pick whose strength is his coverage skills and whose weakness is his tackling skills. Still, he posted 82 tackles while playing deep and in the box. He’s regarded as a very instinctive player.

Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

Morrison (6-0, 193) missed the final 10 games last season with a hip injury but he’s projected as a second-round pick largely due to his athleticism, nine career picks and blanket coverage. He’s not especially big or long-armed but he’s skilled.

Jonah Savaiinaea, G-OT, Arizona

Savaiinaea (6-4, 324) has played LT, RT and RG during his three-year career. He’s projected as a second- or third-round selection who is regarded as a better run blocker than pass blocker. He has more experience at the tackle positions than guard.

Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

Porter (6-3, 195), a third-round projection, has the length and size that teams desire. But he’s only been playing CB for three years after switching from WR. He had 3 INTs last year as a sixth-year senior. Has good instinct and coverage skills but his fundamentals need work.

Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State

Farmer (6-3, 305), projected as a third-round pick, is a thickly-built wide body who can stop the run effectively in any system. He doesn’t have head-turning stats (32 tackles, 4.0 sacks) but his 8 tackles for loss are impressive. His 9.0 sacks over the past two years is good, but not great.

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Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State

Thomas (6-2, 197), projected as a second- or third-round pick, specializes in press coverage. He has good length and aggression. He had 52 tackles but just one INT as his finishing skills could use some work.

Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia

Ratledge (6-7, 308), a second- or third-round prospect, is a top-level pass protector. He’s physical and tough. He’s not very athletic but displays good hands and feet, which he uses to maintain blocks. 

Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee

Norman-Lott (6-2, 291) didn’t make any starts for the Volunteers, and rather served as a rotation-based pass rusher totaling 18 tackles and 4.0 sacks. He’s projected as a third-round pick because he’s so effective at applying pressure. He’s fairly one-dimensional.

Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas

Mukuba (5-11, 186), projected as a third-round pick, specializes in getting to the ball as his five INTs and seven PBUs will attest. He’s a physical player but his fundamentals are lacking. He can also play the slot. 

C.J. West, DT, Indiana

West (6-1, 316), projected as a third- or fourth-round selection, is a run-stopping specialist who relies on athleticism and strength to get rid of blocks and make plays. He’s had 14.5 TFL in the past two seasons, with only 4.0 sacks, which shows he makes plays behind the line of scrimmage aside from sacks. 

Wyatt Milum, G-OT, West Virginia

Milum (6-7, 313), who figures to be drafted in the third or fourth rounds, is a brick wall when it comes to pass protection as he didn’t allow a sack in his final three seasons. He was a LT in college but is projected to move inside in the NFL.

Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky

Walker (6-7, 331) is a big man who is capable of being dominant if he maintains a low pad level. Walker, projected as a third-round pick, must answer questions about his motor and fundamentals. 

Jonas Sanker, S, Virginia

Sanker (6-0, 206), projected as a third- or fourth-round pick, had 98 tackles, including 8.5 TFL. Sanker has good size and fundamentals but he needs to sharpen his instincts. He has special teams value, which should earn him playing time as a rookie.

Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma

Bowman (5-10, 192), who figures to be drafted in the third or fourth rounds, totaled 54 tackles and two INTs last season. He doesn’t have ideal size or skills but he’s instinctive and versatile. 

Anthony Belton, OT, North Carolina State

Belton (6-6, 336), projected as a third- or fourth-round pick, is a LT by trade but he could play either side in the NFL. He’s got good strength and power but needs to utilize hands better.

Marcus Mbow, OT-G, Purdue

Mbow (6-4, 303), who figures to be selected in the third or fourth rounds, played RG and RT during his college career. He figures to play onside or outside in the NFL. He has good athleticism, quickness and physicality but not necessarily ideal bulk. 

Emery Jones, G, LSU

Jones (6-5, 315) is a long-armed RT who is projected to move inside in the NFL. He’s regarded as a third-round pick who is a better run blocker than pass protector. He’s got good hands but his footwork could use help.

Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

Riley (5-11, 194) totaled 2 INTs and 13 PBUs last season and is projected as a third- or fourth-round draft pick. Riley was inconsistent last season and his performance dipped but he’s regarded as a solid prospect.

Charles Grant, G, William & Mary

Grant (6-5, 311), projected as a third-round pick, has been a LT throughout college but projects to move inside. There’s a concern with him stepping up in competition level. He’s also considered to be a bit raw.

MIAMI GARDENS — I like the Miami Dolphins drafting Michigan nose tackle/defensive tackle Kenneth Grant in the first round of the draft on Thursday night.

I like Grant’s attitude and mentality.

Granted, I didn’t think he’d get selected at No. 13, which is where the Dolphins drafted him. I thought Grant would go in the first round, but in the late teens or 20s.

Whatever.

He’s a run-stopper who talks of playing with force and utilizing his bull-rush skills. He talks of eventually bringing more power to his pass rush.

He talks the talk, and it sounds good.

“I think this addition of me to the Miami Dolphins is going to be one for the books,” Grant said Thursday night on a Zoom conference call with South Florida media.

Grant (6 foot 4, 331 pounds) is a large man who gobbles up runners as easily as he gobbles up double teams.

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Grant is joining a team that’s been accused of playing a finesse brand of ball and folding in cold weather. He should break both molds. He says he knows the importance of playing in the trenches.

“You’ve just got to have a dawg mentality,” Grant said. “A ‘team over me’ type of mentality, kind of a head space. Just being able to be a guy that does all the dirty work, you know, let other teammates shine.”

Grant, with his attitude and skill level, is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise glum Dolphins offseason that’s included the departures of offensive tackle Terron Armstead, defensive tackle Calais Campbell, a trade situation with cornerback Jalen Ramsey and knucklehead behavior by wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Grant represents hope for a team that is coming off a disappointing and injury-filled 8-9 season.

General manager Chris Grier said the Dolphins were “very happy” to select Grant.

“He was one of the players that we had targeted,” Grier said, echoing the words and thoughts of every other NFL GM on Thursday.

“There are a number of players we had liked at that spot, and he was one of them.”

What you want from this draft pick is for Grant to be aggressive and physical, two traits the Dolphins lack, and two traits that Grant possessed in college.

Toughness should be a huge priority for the Dolphins in this draft.

At some point, the Dolphins must trade their finesse 7-on-7 mentality for a knock-you-on-your-butt tackle football mentality.

Understand a few things …

We know this draft pick won’t help with the Dolphins’ top two problems —  culture, and their Big 3 shrinking against top teams.

As for the culture, I’ve told you their priorities are mixed up, that some players care more about contract extensions, statistics and social media popularity than winning playoff games.

This first-round draft pick won’t help that.

As for the Big 3, I’ve told you that wide receivers Hill and Jaylen Waddle don’t have a 100-yard game against a playoff team in two years.

In that span quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions against playoff teams. And the Dolphins have a 2-10 record against playoff teams in the past two years.

So, as long as you understand that Grant won’t help Tyreek and Waddle get open against playoff teams, and he won’t help Tua throw more touchdowns and fewer interceptions against playoff teams, we’ll be OK moving forward.

Here’s something else to keep in mind — the Dolphins badly need to reinvent their thinking on trench play, meaning the offensive and defensive linemen.

Grier said the Dolphins would “invest” in the offensive line this offseason. They’ve made a small investment, signing guard James Daniels, who is recovering from an Achilles injury that limited him to four games with Pittsburgh last year, signing guard-tackle Larry Borom, a backup, and re-signing guard-center Liam Eichenberg, also a backup, and guard-tackle Jackson Carman, another backup.

On the defensive line the Dolphins re-signed little-used tackles Matt Dickerson and Benito Jones.

They’ll need more defensive line help later in the draft and also in free agency.

That could be an issue.

Grier has been in charge of the Dolphins’ drafts since 2016.

His best first-round picks — offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in 2016, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2018, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in 2019, Tua in 2020, right tackle Austin Jackson in 2020, Waddle and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips in 2021 — were really good players.

His second through seventh rounds are a bit shaky.

That’s irrelevant for now.

I like Grant.

I like his mentality and I like the selection.

Here’s hoping he brings physicality and aggression along with his run-stuffing skills, and I think that’ll happen. 

TAMPA — Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov left Thursday’s win over the Lightning after taking a big hit from Brandon Hagel, and he did not return before the end of the game.

Florida coach Paul Maurice did not provide an update on the star center’s status after the game.

Barkov played 15:41 in the victory and recorded an assist on Nate Schmidt’s goal in the first period.

Barkov suffered an upper-body injury earlier this month, which kept him out of a pair of games. He returned before the regular season ended.

Forward Sam Bennett offered an encouraging thought after the game.

“It’s tough to lose him,” Bennett said in a postgame TV interview. “He does everything for this squad. We care about him a lot. He’s a tough guy, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. But you hate to see that.”

Barkov, who anchors Florida’s top line, had 20 goals and 51 assists during the regular season. He has three assists in the postseason.

“He means everything (to the team),” Panthers center Anton Lundell said. “He’s our captain, our leader, you know, so obviously, we never want to have him out of the lineup. But at the same time, we’ve got to be able to step up. Everybody, not just me, the whole team. He’s been carrying us a lot during the whole season. So we all owe him that, to step up and make sure that a job is taken care of.”

Brandon Hagel has been given a 5-minute major for this hit on Aleksander Barkov pic.twitter.com/xn6RQcTqS2

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 25, 2025

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins took defensive tackle/nose tackle Kenneth Grant with their first-round draft pick, the No. 13 selection of the 2025 NFL draft.

Here are some things to know about Grant: 

Kenneth Grant

Pos./round: DT-NT/No. 13, 1st round (No. 13)

School: Michigan

Year: Junior

Ht: 6-4  Wt: 331

Hometown: Gary, Ind.

Comment: Grant is a wide body who plays the run effectively. He fills a need on the defensive front and should be a Day One starter and impactful player. …

Last season he played in 12 games and finished with 32 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss to go along with 5 pass break ups. …

Two years ago, the year Michigan won the national title. Grant started all 15 games and recorded 29 tackles, 3.5 sacks 5 TFL. …

Grant is regarded as a smart player but his pass rush skills need some work. …

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“You’re just going to see an athlete that’s a freak,” NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. “He’s not a polished rusher yet. I think that’s all in front of him. I think in the meantime, he’s someone who is going to dominate against the run. He’s going to eat blocks.”

Grant, who projects as a three-down player, can take on double teams and still make tackles against the run. …

An anonymous coach told The Athletic: “He was just as impactful in our game as (Mason) Graham (who was selected fifth overall by Cleveland). He’s a monster. He’s big and nasty and has some pass rush to him.”

“I thought he was just OK. I didn’t love him. I thought he took plays off. He’d jump around blocks. He didn’t always play through the blocks. He is very athletic, and you do see flashes of really good stuff.” . …

Sad general manager Chris Grier: “We were very excited to get him there … we think he’s a tremendous player. We think he’s going to be a potential impact player for us.”

Grier said Grant isn’t viewed as just a run stopper. …

Coach Mike McDaniel said “I think the most exciting part to adding him is you love players that are good players and make other people better players.”

An absolute UNIT.

Quick thoughts from South Florida Sun Sentinel staffers on the Miami Dolphins’ selection of Kenneth Grant at pick No. 13 in the first round of 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night:

Dave Hyde, Columnist

The Dolphins filled a big hole with a big, 330-pound defensive tackle. The question always was finding a player with a chance to be great at tackle, cornerback or maybe guard with the 13th pick. Grant has that chance.

Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist

I like the pick of defensive tackle/nose tackle Kenneth Grant (6 foot 4, 331 pounds) although I think he might be over-selected at No. 13. Still, he fills a need and he should be a good fit on the front. He’s a big-bodied run stuffer who should fit in well on the defensive front.

David Furones, Dolphins Writer

Once the two cornerbacks, Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron, were there, I thought it would be one of them. I would’ve preferred one of them, but I’m not mad at the pick, as Miami also needed to add a defensive tackle. Grant is a big run-stuffer and also moves well for his size, so he can complement Zach Sieler with some additional interior pass rush. There are also good cornerbacks that should stick around for Round 2 Friday night.

Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor

Grant is a massive man who should give the Dolphins a lively front four, assuming pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips return at full speed. The run defense gets a big boost. Grant has seen his weight fluctuate, so that will be something to pay attention to.

Michigan to Miami

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins selected a Michigan defender in the first round, but not the one everyone thought they would.

The Dolphins took Wolverines defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the No. 13 pick on Thursday night.

They needed an infusion of young defensive line help, and they addressed that hole in the first round of the draft after largely bypassing any significant move for a defensive tackle in the first wave of free agency over the past month.

But the Dolphins also have a similar need for a high-end cornerback in this draft after revealing last week they are set to trade Jalen Ramsey, and they selected Grant with Michigan teammate Will Johnson on the board, along with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. Barron went to the Denver Broncos with the 20th pick, but Johnson did not get picked in the first round.

“I was pretty surprised,” Grant said of receiving the call from the Dolphins, before proclaiming with a smile, “I’m in Miami!”

With the options Miami had, general manager Chris Grier said the team was actively working the phones looking to trade, both up and down in the first round.

But once the Dolphins were on the clock, they were happy to take Grant where they were.

“We were very excited to get him there,” Grier said. “He was one of the players that we had targeted. There were a number of players we liked at that spot. He was one of them. Very happy to get him.”

Grier even said, immediately after taking Grant, he received three text messages from other teams picking after Miami, saying he was their guy.

Grant is 6 foot 4 and 331 pounds, capable of stuffing run lanes as a big nose tackle.

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He also moves well at his size, possessing athleticism to provide an interior pass rush. Grant recorded 6 1/2 sacks between the past two seasons for Michigan.

“We don’t view him as just a run stopper,” Grier said. “We do think he has ability to generate (pressure). The ability to push the pocket, is a huge thing in the NFL now. I think he has tremendous work ethic and upside to do that.”

Added coach Mike McDaniel of Grant: “Affects the run game, affects the pass game, affects the pocket. You talk about some of the biggest impacts in the National Football League on pass downs is where the line of scrimmage is set, how much pocket push you can get.”

Further to McDaniel’s point, Grant also had 12 pass deflections at the line of scrimmage in his three college seasons.

For Grant, the power of his rush along with that above-average athleticism for his size are at the heart of what he can do in disrupting the passing game.

“My power and speed,” he said. “A lot of guys this size aren’t really as fast as me or can do finesse things like me. So I think, just working off that, but for me right now, it’s just all power, bull rushing and things like that.”

Miami is known to need defensive tackles around 2024 team MVP Zach Sieler, who turns 30 at the start of next season, while the roster also lost Calais Campbell and Da’Shawn Hand in free agency. The team also returns nose tackle Benito Jones and brought back reserve Matt Dickerson on the D-line.

McDaniel noted his defense can play light boxes with Grant’s big presence.

The only question in picking a defensive lineman was whether the Dolphins would take one of the ones not named Mason Graham, also out of Michigan, at 13. Many of the others were expected to last deep into the first round, while some other good ones should be available in the second round Friday.

After Grant was taken 13th by Miami, Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen went to the Arizona Cardinals at 16, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon went to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick and Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams was picked by the Detroit Lions at 28.

The selection of Grant is sure to make Dolphins owner Steve Ross happy. Ross is a Michigan alumnus, a major donor to the university and has the business school at Ann Arbor named after him.

Grier said Ross had the Michigan fight song playing at team headquarters.

Grant is the first Michigan player selected in the first round of a draft by Miami since offensive tackle Jake Long was the No. 1 pick in 2008.

The Dolphins made their choice while, along with the two strong cornerbacks, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel, were also among prospects remaining available at the time of the selection.

The Dolphins brass feels they can still find the secondary help they need either in Friday’s second round, picking at No. 48, or in later stages of free agency.

TAMPA — The Panthers played with fire Thursday night, but they escaped without getting burned.

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Florida surrendered five power plays to Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the first round, but the Panthers killed all five en route to a 2-0 win over the Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa. The win gives the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the series with the next two games in Sunrise.

“We put ourselves in a good position here,” Florida defenseman Seth Jones said. “We understand the series isn’t over. That’s a great team over there. They’re capable of putting up big numbers. So there’s no letdown in our game. We’re excited to get back in front of our fans and use some of that momentum.”

Nate Schmidt, who had five goals all season, continued his playoff offensive outburst early in the game. After the Panthers killed off an early penalty, Schmidt opened the scoring with his third goal of the series 4:15 into the first period on a one-timer from near the blue line.

Schmidt’s third goal tied the NHL record for most goals by a defenseman in the first two games of the postseason.

“He needs to keep shooting the puck, that’s for sure,” Jones said. “He’s got a great shot. He’s being aggressive right now, and it’s great to see.”

From that point on, the Panthers’ defense — combined with some luck — locked the Lightning down. Tampa Bay had opportunities to score with chances in front of Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, but their shots either went wide of the net or were stopped by the Panthers veteran.

Bobrovsky, who has starred during the Panthers’ two runs to the Stanley Cup Final, posted his first shutout of this year’s postseason. He had 19 saves in the win.

“I just stay with the moment and just get ready for what comes,” Bobrovsky said. “… (The team has) done a great job in front of me.”

The Panthers’ penalty-kill success continued through the third period. The last one ended when Lightning forward Brandon Hagel landed a big hit on Panthers center Aleksander Barkov and was charged with a five-minute major. Florida had more than four minutes of a power play but could not cash in.

More pressing was the pain Hagel’s hit inflicted on Barkov. The Panthers star did not return to the ice, and coach Paul Maurice did not have an update on his status after the game.

Florida fended off about two minutes of Tampa Bay playing with an extra attacker to end the game, holding off the Lightning to seal the win. Sam Bennett scored an empty-net goal in the final seconds to end the Lightning’s last hopes.

“It’s exactly what we wanted to do – come in here and win the first two,” Bennett said. “Obviously the games aren’t perfect. There was a couple mistakes by us tonight, but that’ll happen. And guys were helping each other out, bailing each other out. Bobby played unbelievable again, bailed us out a bunch. And sometimes you need just gutty efforts — tough, greasy games — and that’s what tonight was.”

Today is Thursday, April 24, the 114th day of 2025. There are 251 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On April 24, 1916, Irish republicans launched the Easter Rising, a rebellion against British rule in Ireland. Though the rebels surrendered to British forces six days later, the uprising set the stage for republican victories in the Irish general election of 1918 and the establishment of the Irish Free State via the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922.

Also on this date:

In 1915, in what is considered the start of the Armenian genocide, the Ottoman Empire began rounding up Armenian political and cultural leaders in Constantinople.

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In 1960, rioting erupted in Biloxi, Mississippi, after Black protesters staging a “wade-in” at a whites-only beach were attacked by a crowd of hostile white people.

In 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed when his Soyuz 1 spacecraft smashed into the Earth after his parachutes failed to deploy properly during reentry. He was the first human spaceflight fatality.

In 1980, the United States launched Operation Eagle Claw, an unsuccessful attempt to free 53 American hostages in Iran that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. service members.

In 1990, Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope.

In 1995, the final bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of the California Forestry Association, killing chief lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray. (Theodore Kaczynski was later sentenced to four lifetimes in prison for a series of bombings that killed three people and injured 23 others.)

In 2013, in Bangladesh, a shoddily constructed eight-story commercial building housing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

In 2018, former police officer Joseph DeAngelo was arrested at his home near Sacramento after DNA linked him to crimes attributed to the Golden State Killer; authorities believed he committed 13 murders and more than 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. (DeAngelo would plead guilty in 2020 to 13 counts of murder and be sentenced to life in prison without parole.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Shirley MacLaine is 91.
• Actor-singer-filmmaker Barbra Streisand is 83.
• Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier is 73.
• Actor Eric Bogosian is 72.
• Actor Michael O’Keefe is 70.
• Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 61.
• Actor Djimon Hounsou (JEYE’-mihn OHN’-soo) is 61.
• Actor Aidan Gillen is 57.
• Actor Rory McCann is 56.
• Latin pop singer Alejandro Fernandez is 54.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones is 53.
• Actor Derek Luke is 51.
• Singer-TV personality Kelly Clarkson is 43.
• Country singer Carly Pearce is 35.
• Actor-musician Joe Keery is 33.
• Actor Jack Quaid is 33.
• Actor Jordan Fisher is 31.
• Golfer Lydia Ko is 28.

Not all big-box retailers are downsizing.

Case in point: Development plans for a new Target department store are winding their way through Fort Lauderdale’s development review process and construction could begin sometime during the summer.

It’s one of six new Target stores planned in Florida, which is already home to 132 locations, and 44 new stores planned across the country. The tricounty region that includes Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties is home to 35 Targets, the company’s website shows.

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This new 121,633-square-foot store would be located in Cypress Creek Station shopping center at the intersection of West Cypress Creek Road and North Andrews Avenue, according to spokespersons for both the city and Target.

The expansion comes as other major retail chains, such as Macy’s, Big Lots, Family Dollar, Party City, Walgreens and Advance Auto Parts announced closures of hundreds of stores in 2024. Target has so far weathered the storm, closing just 20 stores in 2023 and 2024 while keeping 1,800 open.

Still, the company saw its net income decline by 1% in the year ending Feb. 1 compared to the previous year, and its stock price fell from $157 on Nov. 18 to $92 on Wednesday — a loss of 44.7%.

Site plans submitted to Fort Lauderdale’s Development Review Committee in December requested approval to demolish 96,000 square feet of structures that were once home to a Regal Cinema, an Office Depot and a hair salon to make room for the new Target. The Regal Cinema and Office Depot locations have already permanently closed.

The director of development for the project, Brandon Reynolds, did not immediately return an email and a phone message seeking more information about the project, including plans for the hair salon, which remains open.

The shopping center is also home to numerous other stores that are not slated for demolition, including Longhorn Steakhouse, Gyroville, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, LA Fitness, Just For Sports and Pearl White Dental Center.

The busy shopping center, located just off the Cypress Creek exit of Interstate 95, was built in 1997 and was most recently assessed at a market value of $28.5 million, according to the Broward County Property Appraiser. Its owner is identified as Cypress Creek Association Limited Partnership, with a mailing address in care of Kimco Realty Corp. in Jericho, New York.

To make room for the additional retail space that Target will require, the site plan proposal calls for eliminating 173 of the property’s 1,588 parking spaces. Seven disabled parking spaces would be added, for a total of 31.

Fort Lauderdale spokeswoman Christine Portela said the site plan is scheduled for review by the city’s Planning and Zoning Board on May 21. If approved, the City Commission has 30 days to review the application, although commission approval is not required.

That means demolition could not begin until late June, Portela said.

The project, and five others planned in other parts of the state, are listed in an “Upcoming Stores” section of Target’s website.

A spokeswoman contacted by email confirmed the project but offered no details about when construction could begin, and when the store might open.

“As we get closer to opening the store, we’ll have more specific details to share — including how the shopping experience will be tailored to serve local guests and the grand opening date,” the spokeswoman said.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071 or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

Q: We purchased our first home late last year. We have been getting notices in the mail telling us that our real estate taxes were not paid. We called the tax collector and were informed that we owed property taxes for the entire year, even though we only lived there for a few months. Is this legit? — Harold

A: Understanding real estate taxes can feel like navigating a maze, but with a bit of guidance, it becomes manageable.

When you purchase a home, real estate taxes are typically prorated at the closing because the tax collector expects an annual payment, not separate payments from the parties based on when the property was sold. This means that the closing agent will divide the taxes between the buyer and the seller based on the time each party owns the property during the tax year.

The purchase contract you signed should have a section addressing this issue to ensure a fair division of tax responsibilities.

On the closing statement, the seller provides a credit to the buyer for their portion of the year’s taxes. When the tax bill arrives, the buyer is responsible for paying the full amount.

Think of it like two friends sharing a meal: one leaves early, handing over their share of the bill, while the other stays to settle the entire check, including a generous tip for the diligent server.

Most contracts also include a clause stating that if the actual taxes differ from the estimated amount on the closing statement, the party who overpaid or underpaid can seek reimbursement from the other. It’s wise to review your contract and closing statement to confirm this provision. Fortunately, the estimated amount usually closely matches the actual tax bill.

However, even if you didn’t receive the correct credit, you are still responsible for paying the full tax bill as the homeowner. You can then pursue reimbursement from the seller if necessary.

Board-certified real estate lawyer Gary Singer writes about industry legal matters and the housing market. To ask him a question, email him at gary@garysingerlaw.com, or go to SunSentinel.com/askpro. 

The three-day NFL draft begins Thursday night and South Florida football fans have several reasons to watch.

The Miami Dolphins, who are coming off of a disappointing season in which they failed to make the playoffs, have plenty of needs to address and enter the draft with 10 picks — including the 13th selection overall in Thursday’s first round — to try and fill them.

Further complicating matters, the Dolphins and star Jalen Ramsey have agreed to explore trade options. This comes after Kendall Fuller, last season’s other starting cornerback, was released earlier in the offseason, making finding at least one starter at the position in this draft a high priority.

Miami also needs help on the defensive line, and could use another starting-caliber offensive guard.

Even with all these roster holes to fill, the Dolphins insist 2025 is not some sort of soft rebuild.

“No, the word has not been brought up at all,” general manager Chris Grier said during his pre-draft news conference. “We have a lot of really good football players on this roster still at some places that impact games. So, that word has not been used at all, and our goal is to win this year and keep winning for sustained success in the future.”

Will Ward be top pick?

After his lone record-setting season with the Miami Hurricanes, quarterback Cam Ward is expected to be the first player selected in the first round Thursday.

In addition to Ward, up to 20 Hurricanes could be select over the three days. The most likely to get drafted are tight end Elijah Arroyo, defensive lineman Tyler Baron, kicker Andres Borregales, running back Damien Martinez, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, wide receiver Xavier Restrepo and offensive lineman Jalen Rivers. …

— Numerous prospects who first made a name for themselves locally in high school could hear their name called during the draft.

Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (Miami Monsignor Pace) leads the way as a likely first-round pick. LSU tight end Mason Taylor (St. Thomas Aquinas), the son of Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor is also among at least 15 prospects who could be selected or get an opportunity with an NFL team in the offseason and during training camp as an undrafted rookie.

NFL draft schedule

THURSDAY

First round (teams have 10 minutes to make pick): 8 p.m.; TV: ESPN, NFL Network, ABC and ESPN Deportes

FRIDAY

Rounds 2 (7 minutes per pick) and 3 (5 minutes per pick): 7 p.m.; TV: ESPN2, NFL Network, ABC and ESPN Deportes

SATURDAY

Rounds 4 through 7 (5 minutes per pick, except last round which is 4): Noon; TV: ESPN, NFL Network, ABC and ESPN Deportes

Dolphins’ picks

First round: No. 13; second round: No. 48; third round: No. 98; fourth round: Nos. 116 and 135; fifth round: Nos. 150 and 155; seventh round: Nos. 224, 231 and 253

Dolphins Deep Dive: How does Ramsey’s status change draft strategy? | VIDEO

Get caught up before the draft

Chris Perkins: 10 first-round prospects who are good fits for Miami Dolphins

Likely No. 1 pick Cam Ward among several Hurricanes to be drafted; Restrepo’s stock falls?

Cornerback? O-line? D-line? Dolphins have holes to fill and also could trade Jalen Ramsey during draft

David Furones’ NFL mock draft 2.0: Does Jalen Ramsey trade factor into Dolphins’ plans?

Chris Perkins: My Dolphins’ draft plan is simple — defense, aggression lead the way

Sun Sentinel staff predictions for Miami Dolphins’ first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft

How Dolphins will address each position in the NFL draft

Chris Perkins’ final NFL mock draft: Dolphins make the obvious choice . . . right?

South Florida’s 2025 NFL draft prospects who could hear their names called this week

NFL draft analyst explains Dolphins don’t have to be married to a Round 1 CB pick

Dolphins Deep Dive: Grier & McDaniel era has been disappointing, how to save it? | VIDEO

Dolphins still have a glaring need for D-linemen around Zach Sieler going into draft

Toledo’s Darius Alexander, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant among Dolphins’ DT draft options

Dolphins have edge rushers, but draft offers mid- and late-round options

It’s a complete overhaul of Dolphins secondary this offseason after Jalen Ramsey development

Michigan’s Will Johnson among Dolphins’ defensive back options in 2025 NFL draft

Dolphins Deep Dive: Grier & McDaniel era has been disappointing, how to save it? | VIDEO

Dolphins Deep Dive: Hurricanes fans should be pumped for NFL draft | VIDEO

Dolphins Deep Dive: How does Ramsey’s status change draft strategy? | VIDEO

Dolphins Deep Dive: Jalen Ramsey situation business or personal? | VIDEO

With Jordyn Brooks and Co., Dolphins could have strong linebacker unit

Georgia’s Jalon Walker among Dolphins’ inside linebacker options in 2025 NFL draft

Chris Perkins: Dolphins fan gives GM Chris Grier a T-shirt with candid directive

Dolphins GM Chris Grier says team not in a rebuild despite looking to trade Ramsey

Could Dolphins still trade Tyreek Hill to revamp receiving corps this offseason?

Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan among Dolphins wide receiver options in draft

David Furones’ mock draft: Do Dolphins trade up for another first-round pick?

Dolphins had a Pro Bowl tight end last season, but can add to the group around Jonnu Smith

Strong tight end class has Loveland, Taylor and Arroyo among Dolphins draft options

After Dolphins found starter in free agency, they’re also likely to use high draft pick on O-line

Dolphins need a guard and Banks and Zabel could be available when they make their pick

Could Dolphins draft a mid-round running back for third straight season?

Miami Hurricanes’ Damien Martinez among Dolphins’ running back options in 2025 NFL draft

Dave Hyde: Ten April blunders tell why Dolphins don’t win in January

Dolphins’ McDaniel loves to develop talent, but did it cloud his judgment on backup QB decision?

Is there a late-round QB option for Dolphins in NFL draft?

Chris Perkins’ mock draft: Will Dolphins ‘invest’ in OL, or go defense in first round

Dave Hyde: Cam Ward shows why he’s No. 1 pick in NFL draft

Cam Ward highlights Hurricanes’ Pro Day, which Cristobal calls a ‘monster step’ for UM program

Here are the top stories for Thursday, April 24, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.

Heat fight to finish behind Herro’s 33 but fall to 0-2 series deficit with 121-112 loss in Cleveland

DeSantis questions Broward’s ‘massive’ budget increases. ‘What are they doing with that money?’

Florida had a $67 million settlement, then moved to help Hope Florida

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Florida Board of Education member advocates for arming college students

Higher speed limits dropped: Senate backs away from Florida proposal

Missing a Marco Rubio who no longer exists | Editorial

Chris Perkins: 10 first-round prospects who are good fits for Miami Dolphins

Boynton Beach man escaped Nazi Germany — with help from a future U.S. president

Miss Manners: I skipped a party for a colleague I don’t like. Should I have lied about why?

Achieving top-tier status as a research university. Ranking No. 103 among the nation’s top public universities by U.S. News & World Report. Posting record application, enrollment and graduation rates. Florida Atlantic University is rising fast, and the future has never been more exciting.

Since my first day as president at Florida Atlantic, I’ve been engaging with students, staff, faculty and community members to ensure the university’s next chapter is greater yet.

But if these first few weeks have proved anything, it’s that we’re just getting started.

Adam Hasner is president of Florida Atlantic University. (courtesy, FAU)

Successful universities must connect academic programs to career opportunities, turn cutting-edge research into real-world solutions, and serve as engines of economic development. Florida Atlantic is all these things and more, and I’ve seen the boundless potential that exists across our six campuses, stretching from Dania Beach to Fort Pierce.

From meeting with deans and researchers to attending basketball and softball games and participating on panel discussions about the future of the university, every experience has reinforced my belief that Florida Atlantic is ready to accelerate. With that in mind, I’d like to share some of this momentum with you.

What I’ve learned from our stakeholders has been more than insightful, it’s been inspiring. Visiting all six campuses during my first two weeks, I gained a deeper understanding of the powerful capabilities defining each location and the regional strengths they support.

At Florida Atlantic’s southernmost campus, SeaTech in Dania Beach, I explored the trailblazing research and technologies related to autonomous marine vehicles, robotics and renewable energy solutions — and the promise of Florida’s ocean economy for which the campus is known. At the Davie campus, home to Florida Atlantic’s Everglades research and restoration efforts, I sat down with university and local business leaders to discuss working together to align curricula with industry advancements and requirements.

Visiting the downtown Fort Lauderdale campus, I was captivated by the award-winning School of Architecture, where students are leading the nation in transforming structural design through AI and emerging technologies.

While my wife and I have lived in Boca Raton for more than 30 years, and I’m no stranger to Florida Atlantic’s flagship campus, I made it a priority to immerse myself in the academic hub that houses the majority of the university’s 170 degree programs, as well as our 19 NCAA Division I athletic teams. I also headed across campus to tour the A.D. Henderson and FAU High School facilities, learning more about the exceptional K-12 programs that have earned its status as a three-time National Blue Ribbon School.

Like anyone visiting the John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, I was astounded by the groundbreaking research being produced by students and faculty researchers alike at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. These world-class facilities are at the heart of an expansive life sciences enterprise on campus.

And at Florida Atlantic’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, I dove into world-class marine and defense research tied to our region’s environmental and economic well-being — and met a few manatees along the way.

While our campuses might span 110 miles of coastline, Florida Atlantic remains unified through ambition, innovation and a clear sense of purpose. We are committed to harnessing our unique geographic advantages and distinguishing ourselves through the qualities that differentiate us from other institutions.

Because of this, more students than ever before are excited to become Owls. We’ve already received more than 57,000 first-year applications for Fall 2025 — a record number — which speaks to Florida Atlantic’s growing reputation as a first-choice university for students in the state and across the nation. And since we are more selective than ever, our incoming class is expected to be the most academically competitive in university history.

But attracting top students and leading through innovation only scratch the surface of what comes next. Florida Atlantic is transforming the future by fueling discovery, driving social mobility, and creating new avenues for regional and economic growth.

This university’s story is still being written, and its pages are overflowing with opportunity. The next chapter will be shaped by bold ideas, a shared purpose and a commitment to student success. This is a university ready to lead — not just locally, but on a broader stage.

I’m only a few weeks in, but my focus is fixed on the university’s next 25 years. As Florida Atlantic ascends, I invite our local community to rise with us. It’s a great time to be an Owl!

Adam Hasner is president of Florida Atlantic University.

Reporter Lisa Huriash’s news article about a possible transfer of the Richard C. Sullivan Public Library of Wilton Manors, a small city library, to the county library system quotes Wilton Manors City Commissioner Chris Caputo as saying the size of the county’s collection dwarfs the smaller library’s offerings.

According to the commissioner, this differential will benefit the smaller city’s residents by giving them access to a larger network.

That is a misleading statement. Thanks to the county main library’s generous arrangements with smaller cities, Wilton Manors residents can already obtain free library cards to access the larger system’s services. Wilton Manors residents are already being served by the county.

By keeping the Wilton Manors library, which reflects a uniquely diverse population, commissioners help protect the city from anti-diversification measures that have become the hallmarks of current state and federal political climates.

Anne Bellissimo, Wilton Manors

Leave the ‘trinity’ alone

Re: Hypocrisy by Fort Lauderdale’s ‘holy trinity,’ Editorial, April 19 

Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet seems relentless toward Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioners Steve Glassman and Ben Sorensen for their rejection of two nominees to the city Planning and Zoning Board.

Yet we heard not a peep when Sun Sentinel staff writer Susannah Bryan reported on Commissioner John Herbst’s outside employment as the CFO of an apparel company owned by the city’s biggest development partner at the Bahia Mar resort.

Bousquet is a hypocrite. If the three city officials he continues to criticize were discovered to be on the developer’s payroll, he would have immediately asked for their resignations and tarred and feathered them.

Nothing personal, but because it involves Herbst and the political consultant Judy Stern, he shamefully remains silent. Let’s get off this bandwagon.

Richie Baptista, Fort Lauderdale

It’s not his father’s GOP

I thank my Dad for his honesty, patriotism and service in World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps. I remember his integrity, loyalty, intelligence and his intolerance of ignorance, stupidity, carelessness and sadism.

A good Republican, he was proud of President Eisenhower. He would not abide today’s Republican Party. He would be so tired of the B.S., gaslighting, cruelty, incompetence, stupidity, misogyny and racism. Fear and hate, and weakness instead of strength. MAGA mini-mind ministers and others voted in a king, or a dictator. This is misogynist stupidity at the lowest level, ignorant of our own history.

The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment inherited from Europe that birthed our nation has been replaced by the superstitious, putrid and perverse, self-loathing, medieval flagellations of the inquisition, and to magnify its ignorance, fear and hatred, it has been fed the steroids of money, media and power. The real Magnificat of the spirit and the soul, that yearns for truth and justice, has been turned upside down in the devil’s mockery.

Men such as Leonard Leo, Peter Thiel and Elon Musk could be the nails in America’s coffin. Let’s push back!

Steve Mento, Boca Raton

Save the planet

We’re privileged to live on Earth. The planet has everything: water, air, fire and soil, which sustain us with food. Earth has awesome beauty. But through the many changes by humans, we have caused environmental terror, which we are experiencing.

We need to take care of our environment and not just think of money. Stand up and fight for the right thing, and not make Earth worse.

Donna Rice, Boynton Beach

Please submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the online form below. Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters will be edited for clarity and length. 

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So this is what it came down to: Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell driving the lane with just over four minutes left, shooting over the rigid defense of Haywood Highsmith and …

Swish.

And Mitchell from the baseline with Heat guard Tyler Herro covering him close and …

Swish.

The later Game 2 of this playoff series went, the closer it got, the more you considered the Miami Heat charging within two points with 4:25 left, the easier it became to put this 121-112 loss in proper perspective.

This Heat team gives everything it has.

It just doesn’t have enough.

It certainly doesn’t have a player like Mitchell, who, after those two aforementioned shots with the night still in doubt, stepped back from the Heat’s Nikola Jovic for a 3-pointer and …

Swish.

Sometimes the story is on the other side. It certainly was again in Game 2. Mitchell was the closer for Cleveland that any great team has.

He had 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. He had 10 points in the final four minutes after the Heat closed Cleveland’s comfortable lead to two points.

“He made some tough shots, shots that we can’t really — nothing we can do about them,’’ Heat guard Davion Mitchell said. “The pull-up. A step-back, deep 3-pointer. Those are the kind of shots you can’t get to.

“I mean, he’s a superstar for a reason.”

Herro was everything the Heat could hope in scoring 33 points. Davion Mitchell’s 18 points and Highsmith’s 17 bolstered this offense. But Bam Adebayo had a down offensive nights, as he can, in scoring 11 points.

Points remain what the Heat needs against the NBA’s top-scoring team this season. Cleveland has scored 121 in each of these opening games that seemed to serve as closing games.

You saw what the Heat is up against again Wednesday. The Heat came out hard and took an early lead. But Cleveland made 11 3-point shots in the second quarter and took a double-digit lead they kept stretching.

That’s what the Heat are up against. They won’t collapse at home in Game 3 on Saturday. They’ll fight. The fabric of his team still has its roots in that soul-stealing Game 6 loss at home in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals before going to Boston to dominate Game 7.

“We have to get to Miami,’’ Spoelstra said to end his talk to media after Game 2. “We have to work.”

No surprise, the Heat will make Cleveland earn everything this series. Spoelstra will come up with some strategic wrinkles. The home crowd will help. But there’s no question who the better, deeper and more talented team is.

No question who the best player in this series is, too. Mitchell is the go-to player in Cleveland like Jimmy Butler was to be for the Heat again this season. Or maybe Butler would have become injured like he did in the playoffs last year and did again in crashing to the floor (pelvic contusion) Wednesday for the Golden State Warriors.

Maybe there’s not an appointment with destiny, just one with a reality check, for both sides of Butler’s trade. But we’re not there just yet.

Coming so close in Game 2 will no doubt sit in the Heat’s mind during the next couple of days. They showed they came to play Cleveland tight. But as much as getting a win, maybe two, this is about experience for some Heat players.

Jovic, for instance, wasn’t just in his first playoff but returning from injury. He had 11 points and played 24 minutes, which Spoelstra explained was, “like playing 45 minutes” in the regular season.

The Heat gave everything they had again. Cleveland gave the ball to Mitchell, though. He did the rest to the point even Jovic, in his first series, knows the score.

“We’ve got to win at home and come back (to Cleveland),’’ Jovic said.

 

 

CLEVELAND — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 121-112 NBA playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers:

– By the time Bam Adebayo launched his fifth 3-point attempt midway through the second period, it was clear the Heat would try to win this one over the top.

– But when it came to over-the-top 3-point shooting, there was no keeping up with the Cavaliers early on.

– Especially during the second-period barrage by Cleveland that afforded the Cavaliers needed breathing room.

– With an NBA-playoff record 11 3-plinters in that quarter.

– Eleven.

– As in 33 points alone from beyond the arc.

– It is one thing to have the desire to win it over the top.

– Adebayo had that, even as he fell to 1 of 5 from beyond the arc.

– All the while, old friend Max Strus was taking and making for the Cavaliers, opening 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

– With his teammates following that lead.

– To his credit, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra recognized desperate times called for desperate measures.

– So he had his team hoist early and often.

– Even if Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith were the only ones making them, each with three in the first half (and the rest of the Heat roster with only three more).

– To the Heat’s credit, shoulders never fully slumped.

– Mount a comeback and making this feisty at the finish.

– Still, back to the drawing board.

– Not that there is much that can be drawn up against a team that finished 27 games ahead in the standings.

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• Heat fight to finish behind Herro’s 33 but fall to 0-2 series deficit with 121-112 loss in Cleveland
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• Heat’s Rozier ruled out for Game 2 vs. Cavs: ‘I’m super frustrated’
• The PTSD could have been real, but Heat’s Dru Smith takes return to Cleveland in stride

– And shoots for an extended stretch like Wednesday night’s second quarter.

– For the Heat, the changes began at the outset.

– Spoelstra adjusted his lineup, with Davion Mitchell starting in place of Alec Burks, in a Game 2 lineup rounded out by Adebayo, Herro, Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins.

– Just 90 minutes before tipoff,Spoelstra downplayed the notion or need for major adjustments.

– “A lot of that is overrated,” he said. “But we’ll see. The bottom line is we need to be better than we were in Game 1.”

– Pelle Larsson and Haywood Highsmith entered together first off the Heat bench.

–  Duncan Robinson.

– And then even Nikola Jovic for the final nine minutes of the first half.

– Going in, Spoelstra said, “Look, you’re going to face good players. This isn’t supposed to be easy. So our task is to make it tough and we have to figure it out. You figure it out or you don’t.”

– Of Game 1, he said before Game 2, “We showed some grit and some toughness, but it’s going to require more than that.”

– Spoelstra further defined, “Some of it is adjustments, some of it we have to play harder and impose our will on the game. And then there’s the tactical or how you’re playing.”

– Wednesday was the Heat’s ninth consecutive day on the road, having to play through two rounds in the play-in.

– Asked if it felt like a regular-season extended trip, Spoelstra said, “No, this feels different. Much more intense. This is the way we like it.”

– Of the two-day break going in, Spoelstra said. “We tried to maximize it. Guys were able to get rest, treatment.”

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– But he added, “When you have the extra day, there’s a little bit too much talking about it.”

– Another two-day series break now follows before Saturday’s 1 p.m. game at Kaseya Center.

– The focus going in from Spoelstra, as could be expected from the Heat coach, also was one of meeting force with force.

– “We know what it looks and feels like, and that’s what it’s got to be. It’s got to jump off the screen, everybody on the bench has to recognize it,” he said at the morning shootaround. “We have all these habits and understanding Cleveland is going to bring it, too. So that’s what competition is all about, you have to impose your will against a team that’s trying to do the same, who can grapple and force it more consistently, and play well.”

– Of going against the inside length of Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, Herro said it is about “just making the right decisions once we get into the paint.”

– He added, “We can get into the paint, it’s just about making the right decisions once we get in the paint.”

– Adebayo’s fifth defensive rebound was the 500th of his playoff career.

– With his first 3-pointer, Robinson extended his franchise all-time postseason lead. He entered with 145. Second on the list is LeBron James at 123.

– With his 62nd postseason game in double figures, Adebayo moved into sole possession of third place on that list, behind only Dwyane Wade (166) and LeBron James (85).

– The double-double was the 32nd of Adebayo’s postseason career, breaking the tie for the all-team lead with James.

CLEVELAND — For weeks, as their play-in fate became as much of a reality as that of the Cavaliers being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, all the Miami Heat wanted was an opportunity to get to Cleveland.

Now the question is whether they can get back.

Far more competitive than in Sunday night’s opener of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference opening-round series, the Heat this time fought to the finish in a 121-112 loss Wednesday night to the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.

Still, the Heat only make it back to the shores of Lake Erie for a Game 5 next Wednesday if they win one of the next two games at Kaseya Center.

“Now we just have to figure out how to get it over the top,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s going to take more. It’s going to take us collectively digging deeper.”

With the Cavaliers setting an NBA record with 11 3-pointers in the second period and the Heat initially unable to get any offensive consistency beyond what would turn into the 33 points of Tyler Herro, it seemed like more of the same for  Spoelstra’s team as in Sunday night’s 121-100 series-opening loss.

But then the fight returned, just as it did during the play-in round.

This time, though, too little, too late.

The Heat also got 18 points from Davion Mitchell and 17 from Haywood Highsmith, but not nearly the needed offense from Bam Adebayo, who finished with 11 points, albeit also with 14 rebounds and nine assists.

For the Cavaliers, whose offense again was aided by Heat turnovers, there was ample scoring diversity, led by the 30 points of Donovan Mitchell.

Game 3 is 1 p.m. Saturday at Kaseya Center, with Game 4 on Monday night at Kaseya Center, at either 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., depending on if Grizzlies-Thunder is a sweep.

“We’ll get to work,” Spoelstra said. “We have a couple of days and we’ve just got to figure it out.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat raced to an early nine-point lead before the Cavaliers surged back to a 25-24 lead at the end of the opening period. From there, the Cavaliers converted a volley of 3-pointers to move to a 19-point second-period lead before going into halftime up 68-51.

The Cavaliers’ 43 points in the second quarter were their high for any quarter in a playoff game since scoring 49 against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter on June 9, 2017 in the NBA Finals, when LeBron James still was with the team.

The Cavaliers’ 11 second-quarter 3-pointers were an NBA record for 3-pointers in a playoff period.

“There were four of those that we defended really well and we closed out and we contested, and they made those,” Spoelstra said of those 11 3-pointers. “I think those last four, we were discouraged.

“This team, they can make shots.”

But from there, including down 19 late in the third, the Heat then closed within 93-80 going into the fourth.

2. Closing time:  A Highsmith 3-pointer then drew the Heat within 99-91 with 7:29 to play, similar to the Heat’s feistiness early in Sunday’s fourth quarter, with a Mitchell 3-pointer drawing the Heat within 101-97 with 5:47 left.

“We had more consecutive stops,” Spoelstra said, “and for us that creates momentum.”

Later, a Herro transition layup drew the Heat within 101-99 with 4:25 to play. The Heat then also got within two with 3:11 to play on a Herro jumper.

“It doesn’t ever matter how you get there,” Spoelstra said. “At the end of the day it’s a two-point game and we had our opportunities.”

But a Donovan Mitchell 3-pointer later put Cleveland up 110-103 with 1:52 to play, providing too much of a late hurdle.

“Just getting stops down the stretch that was the deciding factor,” Adebayo said of the Heat’s comeback. “That was what brought us getting close to almost getting this win.”

Andrew Wiggins, who endured a miserable 10-point, one-rebound game, did not play in the fourth quarter.

“I thought about it, actually put him at the scorers’ table to with six to go,” Spoelstra said, “and everybody in the group wanted to push on through.”

3. Doing his part: Herro was up to a game-high 15 points at halftime, a stage when no other Heat starter had more than five.

Herro then moved to 22 points with 8;04 left in the third period, when he converted his fourth 3-pointer, at a stage no teammate had more than nine points.

He stood with 27 points through three periods, with no other starter with more than Wiggins’ 10 at that stage.

“Tyler was really good,” Spoelstra said.

But Herro said still more is needed.

“We lost the game,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any moral victories. But you can take some positives from this and try to carry it over to Game 3.”

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4. New look: After downplaying potential major adjustments during his pregame media session, Spoelstra did just that with his lineup.

After starting Alec Burks in both play-in wins last week and Sunday’s opener of this series, Spoelstra this time turned to Mitchell in a starting lineup that also included Herro, Adebayo, Wiggins and Kel’el Ware, who was a non-factor, closing with seven points and four rebounds.

The Heat entered 2-6 with that lineup, one that saw action amid the Heat’s late-season 10-game losing streak.

“Wanted to be able to organize ourselves offensively a little bit better at the start, with Tyler off the ball,” Spoelstra said of starting Mitchell.

Rotation tinkering was almost immediately required, with Mitchell and Wiggins each called for two first-quarter fouls.

Mitchell then came alive late, just as he did in Sunday night’s fourth quarter.

He said he was not surprised by the start.

“He’s trusted me all season,” Mitchell said of Spoelstra. “Even if he didn’t start me, he played me starter’s minutes.”

5. Larsson, Jovic, too: Among those injected into the Heat rotation were rookie guard Pelle Larsson and third-year forward Nikola Jovic, their first postseason action of substance.

Larsson entered in the first Heat substitution in the first quarter. Jovic entered midway through the second period.

While Larsson was limited in his minutes and contribution, Jovic’s size and ballhandling proved unexpectedly effective.

Larsson had been out of the rotation since spraining his right ankle during a lifting session 90 minutes before the play-in opening victory over the Chicago Bulls last week.

Jovic had not played rotation minutes since breaking his right hand in the Feb. 23 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, with this his second game back.

Jovic closed with 11 points and eight rebounds, Larsson with two points and two rebounds.

“Niko gave us a real big boost offensively,” Spoelstra said. “We just look different when he’s on the floor.”