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Dolphins lose to Bills on Tua’s late interception, miss out on division title and travel to Kansas City in playoffs
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins missed out on a chance at their first AFC East title in 15 years and to be at home for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Dolphins offense came up empty in the second half against the Bills, and two fourth-quarter touchdowns led Buffalo to a 21-14 win Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami, which held a three-game lead in the division with five weeks remaining in the regular season, ends with an equal 11-6 record to the Bills. Since Buffalo swept the season series, it wins the tiebreaker.
The Bills won the division for the fourth consecutive season. They get the No. 2 seed in the AFC and host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins drop all the way to No. 6 in the conference, and that means a trip to frigid Kansas City for a date with the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs in the wild-card round. Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium will be at 8 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s very frustrating to all parties involved that care about the Dolphins, whether you’re a Dolphins player, support staff, coaches, fans,” coach Mike McDaniel said as Miami finished with three losses in its past five games. “But the season hasn’t ended. Right now, we’re 100 percent moving forward to the next game, which we did earn.”
The Dolphins are spending little time sulking, and they have little time before the playoffs. After Sunday night’s late finish, they prepare for a short week with travel to Kansas City leading them to a Saturday night wild-card game.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen showed his worst early and best late. He took over the game toward the end and finished 30 of 38 for 359 yards, two touchdowns and 69 huge rushing yards. His negative actions also kept Miami in the game, with two interceptions and a fumble lost.
Behind Allen and his knack for sustaining drives, Miami was outgained, 473-275, while losing time of possession, 38:07-21:53.
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“I think he made his money on keeping the offense out on the field and earning long drives with some third-down plays,” McDaniel said. “There are not many people that do some of the things he does. He played like he usually plays.”
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted by Bills safety Taylor Rapp on Miami’s final chance. It was one of two interceptions for him, as he finished 17 of 27 for 173 yards.
“Any time we lose it’s never a good feeling,” Tagovailoa said. “The stakes are high every time we play, so we understand what was at stake tonight and we just didn’t come through and it started with me.”
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, in a tumultuous week where his home caught fire, finished with seven receptions for 82 yards and caught Tagovailoa’s touchdown pass.
Running back De’Von Achane had a 25-yard rushing touchdown among his 56 rushing yards. He and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined for 101 rushing yards, but 94 of those came in the first half. The Bills devoted an extra defender in the box in the second half, and with the run game neutralized, Miami had three three-and-outs in the second half. The team finished 4 of 10 on third downs.
The Dolphins led by a score to start the fourth quarter, but punt returner Deonte Harty’s 96-yard touchdown after fielding a punt at his own 4-yard line turned momentum Buffalo’s way.
“That was a huge momentum swing that hurt us,” McDaniel said. “Points were at premium at that point in the game, so it was a gut punch for sure.”
As Miami went three-and-out on three of its first four drives of the second half with just one first down on those series, the Bills then scored again to take the lead. They went 74 yards in eight plays, capping the drive with a 5-yard touchdown from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox.
“Just weren’t able to get first downs and sustain drives to get more plays, more reps, more opportunities,” Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead said.
Protecting the 21-14 advantage deep into the fourth quarter, Bills coach Sean McDermott opted to sneak Allen up the middle to convert a fourth-and-1 from Buffalo’s own 35-yard line and run more clock. Allen then rumbled to scramble for a first down on third-and-13 to further extend the drive, but Miami got the ball back with 1:53 remaining at its own 37-yard line needing a touchdown as Tagovailoa threw the final interception looking for wide receiver Chase Claypool in double coverage.
“They played two-man. Tried to anticipate the throw and throw and that was the result,” Tagovailoa said.
Miami took the 14-7 lead with 1:43 left in the first half as Tagovailoa found Hill at the pylon, winning on a simple out move against Bills cornerback Christian Benford.
The Bills were driving to finish the first half, but like the way their 2022 visit to Hard Rock Stadium ended, they ran out of time with an Allen passing to running back Ty Johnson in the middle of the field. He was stopped cold by linebacker Jerome Baker at the 1-yard line, and Buffalo had no timeouts to stop the clock.
The Bills were on the move again later in the third quarter, but defensive tackle Christian Wilkins had an impressive strip-sack on Allen where he came up with the football in one motion.
Buffalo had drives of 6:45, 5:04 and 7:30 that came up empty Sunday, plus the missed attempt right before half.
The Dolphins struck first after a scoreless opening period. Achane took a pitch to the right, cut upfield off a seal block by tight end Durham Smythe and juked safety Jordan Poyer as Armstead was up the field for the last block he needed for a 25-yard touchdown.
The Bills answered later in the second quarter. An Allen pass that was tipped by the goal line by outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel ended up in the hands of Trent Sherfield, a Dolphin last season, in the back of the end zone.
The Bills’ first two drives ended in Allen interceptions in the end zone, although they were very different from one another.
His first interception spoiled a 12-play, 79-yard drive where there appeared to be a miscommunication on a route between he and wide receiver Gabe Davis. It resulted in Allen throwing a pass right to cornerback Eli Apple, who dove for it in the end zone and decided to take it out of the end zone when he had better field position accepting the touchback.
On Buffalo’s second series, Allen threw to the end zone on a fourth-and-2 at the Miami 35-yard line, and safety DeShon Elliott, playing through a calf injury sustained in pregame warmups intercepted it in the end zone. The Dolphins sacrificed field position there, too, 15 yards by not knocking down the fourth-down pass.
Miami’s first possession also resulted in an interception. Tagovailoa took a deep shot on third-and-7 near midfield, and Benford came over from the other side of the field to pick it off, working similar to a punt for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins, already thin on the edge, lost Van Ginkel during the game to a foot injury. Cameron Goode, another outside linebacker, exited on the Harty punt return touchdown to a knee injury.
That left Miami, with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips out for season, with Melvin Ingram and Emmanuel Ogbah as edge rushers for the remainder of the game. Ingram had a sack on Allen earlier in the game and split another sack with defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
Instant Analysis: Buffalo Bills 21, Miami Dolphins 14
Quick thoughts from South Florida Sun Sentinel staffers on the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium:
Chris Perkins, Dolphins ColumnistThe Dolphins offense didn’t show up again, producing just two touchdowns. But that’s no surprise. It rarely shows up in big games. The backbreaker on Sunday though was the 96-yard punt return touchdown. Now Miami goes to Kansas City, where it’ll have a tough time winning. Sheesh.
David Furones, Dolphins WriterOffense completely absent in second half with three three-and-outs while Bills built momentum. Punt return touchdown was the backbreaker. Dolphins also face a lot of injury concerns on the edge with Andrew Van Ginkel and Cameron Goode going down. It will be tough to win in cold Kansas City.
Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports EditorA huge special-teams breakdown and a bunch of questions about their quarterback leave the Dolphins, almost inconceivably, as the sixth seed, off to play in the coldest playoff game in franchise history.
Steve Svekis, Sports Senior Content EditorThe Dolphins, as spirited as they played Sunday night, still end up with another end-of-regular-season collapse, going 2-3 to close it out, and now go to Kansas City to play in near-zero night-time temperatures. Two straight 8-3 starts that have fallen apart.
(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1" , mediaId: "4f2c98a1-58ae-46da-884f-d1f990282631" }).render("e8162490c6794f39b1863baf3757f7b4"); }); (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1" , mediaId: "15dafd60-89f3-4633-b808-1ffc442bd746" }).render("11a75077fe47422cac665256dcf2c507"); });‘Oppenheimer’ dominates Golden Globes, ‘Poor Things’ upsets ‘Barbie’ in comedy
By Jake Coyle, Associated Press
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic “Oppenheimer” dominated the 81st Golden Globes, winning five awards including best drama, while Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein riff “Poor Things” pulled off an upset victor over “Barbie” to triumph in the best comedy or musical category.
If awards season has been building toward a second match-up of Barbenheimer, this round went to “Oppenheimer.” The film also won best director for Nolan, best drama actor for Cillian Murphy, best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. and for Ludwig Göransson’s score.
“I don’t think it was a no-brainer by any stretch of the imagination to make a three-hour talky movie — R-rated by the way — about one of the darkest developments in our history,” said producer Emma Thomas accepting the night’s final award and thanking Universal chief Donna Langley.
Along with best comedy or musical, “Poor Things” also won for Emma Stone’s performance as Bella, a Victorian woman experiencing a surreal life and sexual awakening.
“I see this as a rom-com,” said Stone. “But in the sense that Bella falls in love with life itself, rather than a person. She accepts the good and the bad in equal measure, and that really made me look at life differently.”
Tom Benitez / Orlando SentinelThis image released by CBS shows Emma Stone accepting the award for best female actor in a motion picture for her role in “Poor Things” during the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via AP)Lily Gladstone won best actress in a dramatic film for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone, who began her speech speaking the language of her native tribe, Blackfeet Nation, is the first Indigenous winner in the category.
“This is a historic win,” said Gladstone. “It doesn’t just belong to me.”
The Globes were in their 81st year but facing a new and uncertain chapter. After a tumultuous few years and heaps of scandals, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was dissolved, leaving a new Globes, on a new network (CBS), to try to regain its perch as the third biggest award show of the year, after the Oscars and Grammys. Even the menu (sushi from Nobu) was flipped.
“Golden Globes journalists, thank you for changing your game, therefore changing your name,” said Downey in his acceptance speech.
It got off to a rocky start. Host Jo Koy took the stage at the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, California . The Filipino American stand-up hit on some expected topics: Ozempic, Meryl Streep’s knack for winning awards and the long-running “Oppenheimer.” (“I needed another hour.”)
After one joke flubbed, Koy, who was named host after some bigger names reportedly passed, also noted how fast he was thrust into the job.
“Yo, I got the gig 10 days ago. You want a perfect monologue?” said Koy. “I wrote some of these and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.”
HI, BARBIEDowney’s win, his third Globe, denied one to Kenergy. Ryan Gosling had been seen as his stiffest competition, just one of the many head-to-head contests between “Oppenheimer” and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” The filmmakers faced each other in the best director category, where Nolan triumphed.
It was two hours before “Barbie,” the year’s biggest hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, won an award. Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” took best song, and swiftly after, “Barbie” took the Globes’ new honor for “cinematic and box office achievement.” Some thought that award might go to Taylor Swift, whose “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” also set box-office records.
Margot Robbie, star and producer of “Barbie,” accepted the award in a pink gown modeled after 1977’s Superstar Barbie.
“We’d like to dedicate this to every single person on the planet who dressed up and went to the greatest place on Earth: the movie theaters,” said Robbie.
“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” two blockbusters brought together by a common release date, also faced off in the best screenplay category. But in an upset, Justine Triet and Arthur Harari won for the script to the French courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall.” Later, Triet’s film picked up best international film, too.
Though the Globes have no direct correlation with the Academy Awards, they can boost campaigns at a crucial juncture. Oscar nomination voting starts Thursday, and the twin sensations of Barbenheimer remain frontrunners.
Other contenders loom, though, like “Poor Things” and “The Holdovers.”
Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph both won for Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers.” Giamatti, reuniting with Payne two decades after “Sideways,” won best actor and Randolph won for her supporting performance as a grieving woman in the 1970s-set boarding school drama.
“Oh, Mary you have changed my life,” Randolph said of her character. “You have made me feel seen in so many ways that I have never imagined.”
Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” won best animated film, an upset over “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”
‘SUCCESSION’ AND ‘THE BEAR’ LEAD TV WINNERSThe final season of “Succession” cleaned up on the television side. It won best drama series for the third time, a mark that ties a record set by “Mad Men” and “The X-Files.” Three stars from the HBO series also won: Matt Macfadyen, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin.
“It is bittersweet, but things like this make it rather sweeter,” said “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong.
Hulu’s “The Bear” also came away with a trio of awards, including best comedy series. Jeremy Allen White won for the second time, but this time he had company. Ayo Edebiri won her first Globe for her leading performance in the Hulu show’s second season. She thanked the assistants of her agents and managers.
“To the people who answer my emails, you’re the real ones,” said Edebiri.
Ted Fitzgerald / Associated PressAyo Edebiri poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a television series, musical or comedy for “The Bear” at the 81st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)“Beef” won three awards: best limited series as well as acting awards for Ali Wong and Steven Yeun.
The Globes also added a new stand-up special award. That went, surprisingly, to Ricky Gervais, who didn’t attend the show he so often hosted. Some expected Chris Rock to win for “Selective Outrage,” his stand-up response to the Will Smith slap.
THE GLOBES COMEBACKA few years ago, the Golden Globes were on the cusp of collapse. After The Los Angeles Times reported that the HFPA had no Black members, Hollywood boycotted the organization. The 2022 Globes were all but canceled and taken off TV. After reforms, the Globes returned to NBC last year in a one-year deal, but the show was booted to Tuesday evening. With Jerrod Carmichael hosting, the telecast attracted 6.3 million viewers, a new low on NBC and a far cry from the 20 million that once tuned in.
The Golden Globes were acquired by Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, which Penske Media owns, and turned into a for-profit venture. The HFPA (which typically numbered around 90 voters) was dissolved and a new group of some 300 entertainment journalists from around the world now vote for the awards.
Questions still remain about the Globes’ long-term future, but their value to Hollywood studios remains providing a marketing boost to awards contenders. (The Oscars won’t be held until March 10.) This year, because of the actors and writers strikes, the Globes are airing ahead of the Emmys, which were postponed to Jan. 15.
With movie ticket sales still 20% off the pre-pandemic pace and the industry facing a potentially perilous 2024 at the box office, Hollywood needed the Golden Globes as much as it ever has.
2024 Golden Globe Awards: List of winners
Here are the winners at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, presented Sunday, Jan. 7:
MOVIESMotion picture, drama: “Oppenheimer”
Motion picture, musical or comedy: “Poor Things”
Cinematic and box office achievement: “Barbie”
Motion picture, animated: “The Boy and the Heron”
Motion picture, non-English language: “Anatomy of a Fall”
Female actor, motion picture, drama: Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Male actor, motion picture, drama: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
Female actor, motion picture, TV or comedy: Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Male actor, motion picture, musical or comedy: Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
Female supporting actor, motion picture: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
Male supporting actor, motion picture: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”
Director, motion picture: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”
Screenplay, motion picture: Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Original score: Ludwig Göransson, “Oppenheimer”
Original song: “What Was I Made For?” Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, “Barbie”
TELEVISIONTV series, drama: “Succession”
TV series, musical or comedy: “The Bear”
Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television: “Beef”
Female actor, TV series, drama: Sarah Snook, “Succession”
Male actor, TV series, drama: Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
Female actor, TV series, musical or comedy: Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”
Male actor, TV series, musical or comedy: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Female supporting actor, television: Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”
Male supporting actor, television: Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”
Female actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television: Ali Wong, “Beef”
Male actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television: Steven Yeun, “Beef”
Performance in stand-up comedy on television: Ricky Gervais, “Armageddon”
UCF’s Big 12 hoops debut goes poorly at Kansas State
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Tylor Perry scored 25 points and Kansas State beat UCF 77-52 on Saturday night in the Knights’ inaugural game as a Big 12 Conference member.
Perry was 7 of 13 from the floor and made six 3-pointers and all five of his free throws. Arthur Kaluma added 14 points for Kansas State (11-3, 1-0), which has won eight of its last nine games. Cam Carter chipped in 12 points and blocked three shots. Perry and Carter combined for 11 of the Wildcats’ 18 assists. Will McNair Jr. scored 11 points.
Darius Johnson scored 10 points for UCF (9-4, 0-1), which shot 34% (22 of 65) from the floor and missed 16 of 21 3-point attempts.
Kansas State scored the first 10 points of the game and led 35-19 at the break. Kaluma scored 11 first-half points and Perry chipped in eight. Perry hit a pair of 3-pointers during a 13-0 run later in the second half that stretched the Wildcats’ lead to 60-25 with 12 minutes left. It was their largest of the game.
Kansas State plays at West Virginia on Tuesday.
UCF hosts second-ranked Kansas on Wednesday.
Primo Spears makes 2 FTs with 1.2 left as host FSU men’s basketball beats Virginia Tech
TALLAHASSEE — Jaylan Gainey scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, Primo Spears also scored 11, including two free throws with 1.2 seconds left, and Florida State beat Virginia Tech 77-74 Saturday.
Jamir Watkins and Darin Green Jr. each added 10 points for Florida State (8-6, 2-1 ACC).
“It was hard fought,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “It all came down to the wire. I thought we had our moments, but we showed how great we can make moments when it counts.”
Watkins made just 3 of 14 from the field but finished with eight rebounds and four assists. Baba Miller fouled out with 10 rebounds to go with eight points, five assists and three of the Seminoles’ eight steals.
“Our team has a lot of moving parts; we’re learning to play together,” Hamilton said. “Gainey is giving us help, Cam Corhen coming back, and Primo coming in and giving us a big lift with his speed and quickness.”
Watkins made a layup to give Florida State a 10-point lead with 2:19 to play but Tyler Nickel made two free throws eight seconds later and Bishop Moore alum Hunter Cattoor added two more.
Jalen Warley made 1 of 2 from the foul line to make it 74-67 with 1:27 to go but Sean Pedulla made a quick layup and, after a turnover by Spears, hit a 3-pointer with 59 seconds left. He made two free throws to make it 74-all with five seconds remaining. Spears hit the go-ahead free throws and the Seminoles held on.
Pedulla led Virginia Tech (9-5, 1-2) with 26 points. Cattoor made 5 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 19 points and MJ Collins scored 10.
Gainey converted a three-point play, Spears made a layup and Warley added a putback but missed the and-1 free throw.
Miller grabbed the offensive rebound and Watkins threw down a dunk with 9:38 to play to give the Seminoles a 50-48 lead, their first since midway through the first half. Miller stole the ball and was fouled as he scored but didn’t make the free throw. Corhen converted a three-point play to cap a 14-0 run and make it 55-48 with 8:33 to go.
Virginia Tech took its biggest lead when Cattoor hit a 3-pointer to make it 41-32 with 15:53 to play. The Hokies committed a turnover on each of their next three possessions and had seven in the next seven minutes as Florida State took control.
“This game is a step in the right direction,” Hamilton said. “We’re going to enjoy this for about 45 minutes before we start looking ahead and preparing for Wake Forest on Tuesday.”
Florida State will wrap up a string of home games against the Demon Deacons. Virginia Tech plays host to No. 16 Clemson on Wednesday.
General Daily Insight for January 07, 2024
General Daily Insight for January 07, 2024
We’re shedding dead weight. The heartfelt Moon is singing in harmony with dreamy Neptune, heightening our creativity and intuition. We’re able to pick up on things we’d usually miss. We’re also blessed by the Moon’s sextile to transformative Pluto, offering us an opportunity to shed negative habits and leave our past behind. Finally, the Moon moves into freedom-loving Sagittarius at 4:08 pm EST, bringing us out of dark mystery and adding a sense of optimism to our inner thoughts. Let’s elevate our hearts.
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
At any moment, your intuition may lead you to a change that you’ve been wanting to make for a while. You might have thought that this shift was too drastic or risky, but trust that your soul is guiding you down a path that is within your capabilities. It’s possible that you lost sight of the drive and ambition that you have deep down, potentially due to past disappointment or criticism, but it’s time to find it again. You can make it happen!
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
The deep emotions of others in your life could currently seem much more accessible. Perhaps they’re approaching you for comfort and advice, they may not have done so in the past, or they might finally feel ready to share their soul with you. This can feel like there’s a psychic link between you, and while it may feel odd being so in tune with their feelings, it’s best to be as understanding and accepting as you can. Be the confidant you’d want to have.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
You might be shaking up your routine. Where you were once unfocused and less driven, you’re presently picking up inspiration to make your routine more fun, efficient, or creative, in order to avoid feeling a little boxed in. As a mutable sign, you likely love making a change and elevating your life in measurable increments, adding a dash of comfort here, replacing a negative habit there. Before you know it, all the small changes will add up to a much happier you.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Your intuition can lead you to a more spiritual place. Today is likely to bring options like yoga classes, creative tutoring, or meditation in nature — whatever leads you to feel connected to your sensual and soulful side. You are more likely to choose form over function for the moment. While your day may not turn out to be the most efficient or organized, you’re likely to end it feeling refreshed and awakened. Let your spirit carry you where it may.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
You’re leaving the past in the past! There may be past events that have been plaguing your mind recently, certain arguments or disappointments from way back when that you’re unable to stop thinking about. It can be difficult to set this emotional baggage down, but this is the perfect time to make a conscious effort to leave that energy in ancient history. Try writing down what you feel on a piece of paper, burning it in a safe place, and letting the ashes scatter away.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Wisdom can be found through the people in your life. These are most likely to be siblings, cousins, and others who have supported you in the past. You should already be able to trust their intentions, so new people in your life are unlikely to be the ones providing you with this information. Communicating your feelings, the highs and the lows, to this trusted group can lead to healing in these areas, as what they tell you may spark a revelation within you.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
You’re ready to create more for yourself. You may have been relying on others lately — it’s time to make sure that you know what you want instead of letting them direct every move. If you’re solely planting the seeds that outside influences are giving you without knowing what you want to grow, you might end up disappointed by the fruit you receive. You have a mind of your own, and tapping into its power will bring you to a much more satisfying future.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Self-reflection encourages healing at this time. You’re possibly projecting onto others or pointing the finger at those who have disappointed you in order to make your struggles make sense to you. It might be time to look in the mirror and see what you can begin doing to elevate your life. Ask yourself if you’re spending too much mental energy on the people who have wronged you in the past. See if you can find a way to replace any overly negative thoughts.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Your intuition might be the best guide that you have today. Following your heart takes on renewed importance, as you may only have your gut feeling to lead you through a negative situation or to guide you into a positive one. The advice of others or even traditional logic can push you away from what is really meant for you. It could be that you feel the odds are against you, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be that one in a million success.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Friendship revelations could be around every corner! It might be that someone shares information about themselves that you never once suspected, and this may change the way that you think about them. This exchange could also encourage you to be vulnerable and grow closer with your friend or multiple pals. This could take place while you’re all together for a period of time without interruption, allowing everyone time to communicate with care. Be a safe place for them to share.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Elders in your life have valuable wisdom to share at this time. It could be that your grandparents or other older folk you know don’t normally share this much with you, but the stars are aligning to free their stories from the past, along with the lessons they’ve learned. While you may feel like you don’t need to listen to their advice, think again! Whether they’re trying to teach you something or not, you can always learn from those who’ve been around longer than you!
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
It may be time to break out on your own. You might not realize how much you’ve been holding back until you see someone else putting out creative projects or taking on challenges that you’ve wanted to handle, but you’ve potentially been hesitating for one reason or another. You could have been telling yourself that they’re capable of things that you’re not, but it’s time to stand tall! It’s never too late to start, and you’re more likely to regret it if you don’t try.
Torrid Sam Reinhart gets hat trick as streaking Florida Panthers rout host Colorado Avalanche
By MICHAEL KELLY (Associated Press)
DENVER — Sam Reinhart scored three times for his seventh career hat trick, and the surging Florida Panthers beat the Colorado Avalanche 8-4 on Saturday for their seventh straight win.
Reinhart has 10 goals during Florida’s win streak, including three multigoal games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for his sixth straight win during the streak.
For the first time on a road trip in franchise history, the Panthers have won three consecutive games by at least three goals, having walloped the Arizona Coyotes and defending Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights by 4-1 each heading into the Colorado game.
Additionally, Florida topped the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the game before the road trip started.
Aleksander Barkov had four assists in his 700th NHL game for Florida. Carter Verhaeghe had two goals and an assist, and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and two assists. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kevin Stenlund also scored.
The Panthers led 3-0 and 4-3, but Colorado rallied each time. Jonathan Drouin tied it at 4 with his ninth of the season 3:31 into the third.
Ross Colton then took a double minor for high sticking, Logan O’Connor went off for delay of game 25 seconds later, and Reinhart completed his hat trick when he scored his 28th of the season at 5:59.
Stenlund made it 6-4 with his seventh 8:59 into the final period.
Colorado rallied from multigoal deficits to win in overtime in the previous two games, but it couldn’t pull off the same feat against Florida. Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Josh Manson also scored and Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his home point streak to 21 games to start the season.
Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev had 12 saves in relief of Ivan Prosvetov.
The Panthers scored three times on four shots against Prosvetov in the first 7:41 of the first period. Verhaeghe scored his 21st just 1:10 into the game, and Reinhart had two goals 4:39 apart.
Makar and Manson responded for Colorado in the first 52 seconds of the second. Nichushkin tied it at 3 when deflected Makar’s shot from the point at 4:35.
Ekman-Larsson put Florida back in front with his eighth goal of the season at 8:50 of the second. That ended Prosvetov’s day after he allowed four goals on 13 shots.
The Avalanche played without defenseman Bowen Byram because of a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Wrap up a four-game road trip at St. Louis on Tuesday night.
Patterson’s free throws with 1.7 seconds left lift Charlotte past No. 17 Florida Atlantic
By STEVE REED (AP Sports Writer)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — This was the type of situation Lu’Cye Patterson has dreamed about: Game on the line. Against a ranked opponent. Ball in his hands.
Patterson drew a foul on a jumper with 1.7 seconds left and made both free throws as Charlotte defeated No. 17 Florida Atlantic 70-68 on Saturday for its first home win against an AP Top 25 opponent in 14 years.
“He gets that fire in his eyes, that real competitive look like, ‘I ain’t losing this … thing,” said Charlotte coach Aaron Fearne. “Not everyone is built like that, and that’s ok. Some guys want the ball and some guys don’t. Lu’Cye definitely wants it in his hands.”
Patterson said he learned that playing for his father and being put in that type of situation time and time again growing up as a point guard.
“You have to have some ball in you and I feel like I do,” Patterson said.
Patterson scored 16 points and Igor Milicic Jr. added 13 points — including a towering one-handed dunk in the final two minutes — for the 49ers, who squandered a 17-point second-half lead before surging ahead late.
After Patterson’s free throws, Florida Atlantic nearly pulled off a miracle as a full-court pass ended up in Nick Boyd’s hands, but his 3-point attempt from the corner barely rimmed out as time expired.
“Last year we were able to win all of the one-possession games,” said FAU coach Dusty May. “The numbers say you are probably going to win half of them, so if we are going to be in one-possession games it is probably going to go back and forth.”
Johnell Davis had 20 points and Boyd had 19 for Florida Atlantic (11-4, 1-1 American Athletic Conference), which has lost two of its last three.
Charlotte (7-7, 1-1) bolted to a 9-0 start and led by 15 at halftime.
FAU missed its first eight shots from the field and didn’t score until nearly six minutes into the game. Charlotte built on the momentum and extended its lead to 41-26 at the break after shooting 55% from the field and outrebounding the Owls 18-12 in the first half.
“It’s becoming a theme where we are just not on our toes, we aren’t the aggressor early in the game and then we have to fight back,” May said.
The momentum of the game changed with 10:20 left when Patterson rolled his ankle and had to briefly leave the game with the 49ers leading by eight.
Boyd followed with a 3, getting the ball to bounce over the front of the rim and in to trim the lead to five. A limping Patterson would return, but the Owls kept attacking and Boyd tied the game with 6:28 left with a driving left-handed, drawing a foul and converting the 3-point play.
Alijah Martin would give the Owls their first lead of the game with four minutes to go on a tip in.
But it didn’t last.
Charlotte battled back to take the lead with 1:18 when Patterson coolly buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 3-point lead. Davis answered with his own clutch 3 with 14.3 left, setting up Patterson’s winning free throws.
BIG PICTURE
Florida Atlantic: This is the type of loss that could knock the Owls out of the top 25. Another slow start did them in. May said he and his staff are evaluating potential changes in everything from pre-game routines to the starting lineup. “We have to get our edge back,” May said.
Charlotte: A tremendous win for the 49ers, who have struggled all season to find their footing on offense. “This is a confidence boost for the guys and it always helps a coach that they start to believe that we are doing is paying off,” Fearne said.
UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic: At Tulane on Thursday night.
Charlotte: Host Tulsa on Wednesday night.
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Tornado touches down in Fort Lauderdale near Las Olas, officials say
A tornado touched down in Fort Lauderdale just west of where Las Olas Boulevard crosses the Intracoastal Waterway Saturday evening, officials say, damaging boats, homes and power lines before moving into the ocean. No injuries have been reported.
Videos shared by residents on social media show the large tornado moving close to the downtown area, sparks and flames in its wake.
The tornado formed over land just before 6 p.m. according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Garrett Pingol. As it gained strength, it “made contact with some structures, power lines and marine vessels in that immediate area” before moving east until it hit the ocean.
(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1" , mediaId: "61603276-80cd-4159-b895-43847ad13835" }).render("09348ee50ac344e9929c565ad34642c8"); });Fire Rescue responded to calls about a damaged boat on Las Olas Circle and a home with roof damage on Southeast 10th Street, Pingol said. First responders checked boats within the Las Olas basin and determined that no one had been injured.
They then performed “an extensive area assessment” from Bahia Mar up to Sunrise Boulevard to find that, as of 7:30 p.m., no one was injured or displaced, and there was no significant property damage, though some boats had minor damage.
A damaged sail boat is shown south of the Las Olas bridge in Fort Lauderdale after reports of a possible tornado in the area on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)According to Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman, the tornado touched down close to Fire Station 49, and moved north along State Road A1A, forcing people nearby to shelter at the station.
By about 6:30 p.m., the storm had dissipated, he said. The power was on, and residents were outside of their homes.
The National Weather Service confirmed reports and radar indicating that a possible tornado moved near Federal Highway and Las Olas, though it announced that it would not make an official determination on the tornado until Sunday, when investigators perform an assessment.
The weather service issued a tornado warning about 5:45 p.m. due to rotation on the radar, and the reports starting coming in after that, according to meteorologist Chris Fisher.
Tornado from Ft Luaderdale @NWSMiami pic.twitter.com/kH80npwNTR
— Ben Yanowitz (@Yano729) January 6, 2024
Jeff Turk was on his boat at Bahia Mar Marina when they got the warnings to seek cover. But they didn’t have anywhere to go.
He and his wife watched the tornado move by, apparently over the Intracoastal, then west of the Swimming Hall of Fame, as something exploded, sparks and debris flying everywhere. They think the explosion was a transformer.
Determining that the tornado wasn’t going to hit him and his wife “head on,” Turk decided to film and watch instead.
“The funniest part is, you get a warning saying ‘seek shelter, head to a basement,’ you know, and we’re sitting here on a boat and there’s no basements in Florida, or a boat,” he said.
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“Where are they going to go for shelter?” he asked.
Craig Setzer, a local weatherman, shared a video on X of the tornado hurtling by, east of downtown Fort Lauderdale.
“Was watching the signature on the radar and it looked like it would be close,” he wrote. “Boy was it.”
After first-half struggles, Aaron Bradshaw comes alive as Kentucky beats Florida in SEC opener
GAINESVILLE — For all the trials and tribulations, the struggles and shortcomings, that Kentucky men’s basketball exhibited Saturday afternoon inside the Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, the end result will take paramount importance.
As will the player who played a large part in delivering it.
Freshman center Aaron Bradshaw hit a dead-eye 3 from the top of the key with 1:27 to go and a game that was tied at 76-all to lift John Calipari’s No. 6-ranked Wildcats to an eventual 87-85 win over Florida in both teams’ SEC opener.
Bradshaw — who managed only one rebound as his only counting statistic of note in 10 minutes of action in the first half — came alive following the halftime break.
The freshman big had 10 points and six rebounds in 15 second-half minutes, with no moment bigger than the 3-pointer with less than 90 seconds left that spurred “C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats” and “Go Big Blue” chants throughout a lively O’Dome that had been filled with fans clad in orange T-shirts.
That Kentucky was still within a stone’s throw of a quality Florida team after the Cats had six assists against nine turnovers for the game was one thing. But that the Cats won the game anyway given these marks, along with plenty of turbulence along the way from its young team, was another.
And don’t forget the fact that for Bradshaw’s result-changing shot, the quintet of UK players on the floor were four freshmen and fifth-year Antonio Reeves.
As alluded to above, Kentucky (11-2, 1-0) didn’t exactly come out ready to play to begin its SEC schedule.
With all due respect to December’s rivalry matchup at Louisville, Saturday afternoon was the first true road contest of the season for these Cats. And while the O’Dome wasn’t filled to the brim, it was plenty loud enough as Kentucky struggled, and consequently trailed, for the vast majority of the way.
Along with Bradshaw, plenty of his freshman teammates also had issues.
Freshman guard Rob Dillingham (1-for-4 shooting, four turnovers, zero assists) didn’t put his best foot forward in the opening 20 minutes.
Neither did Justin Edwards with just four points and one rebound after 20 minutes. D.J. Wagner had two points and one rebound in the first half. Even the ever-steady presence of Reed Sheppard (five points, four rebounds, two assists, one turnover) was somewhat muted during the opening half.
This was coupled with an energetic performance from the host Gators (10-4, 0-1), who shot 8 for 20 (40%) from 3-point range in the opening half while Kentucky was ice-cold from distance, making just one of its 10 first-half attempts from 3-point range.
The only reason the Wildcats remained within striking distance at halftime (Florida led 45-37) was thanks to the two most-experienced players on the roster: Fifth-years Tre Mitchell (12 points, eight rebounds) and Reeves (nine points) were effective enough.
Mitchell in particular was, as he often has been this season, a hub of offensive activity for the Cats, even while playing through plenty of physical contact and at one point even sporting some cotton cloth in his nostrils after a hit to the face.
Mitchell was far less effective in the second half, and limped off the court with an apparent lower-body injury with 1:38 to play with, right before Bradshaw’s heroics took place.
Still, the day’s work for the former UMass, Texas and West Virginia big man totaled a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. He also did his part in riling up the Florida student section with several “too small” gestures toward Gator bigs in the first half.
Part of UK’s first-half shortcomings included failing to properly take advantage of Florida sophomore guard Riley Kugel (11 first-half points) getting into foul trouble: Kugel picked up his third foul with 11:18 to go in the first half, before checking back into the game with 6:15 to go and adding four more points and a rebound without picking up what would have been a costly fourth foul.
Wagner, along with several of his freshman teammates, woke up in the second half though, and helped power UK back to take a brief lead with 15:22 to go in the game.
A more-than three-minute scoring drought then followed, which was more than enough for Florida to reestablish a lead that grew to as many as seven points.
Both teams also became mired in foul trouble as the second half progressed, but continued scoring from Wagner and Reeves helped lift Kentucky back into the game.
And the Cats hung around long enough for Bradshaw to take advantage of his big moment.
Another big reason why Kentucky found itself within striking distance down the stretch centered around shooting variance:
Florida went 8 for 20 (40%) on 3-pointers in the first half, and 1 for 11 (9.1%) on 3-pointers in the second half.
Kentucky went 1 for 10 (10%) on 3-pointers in the first half, and 4 for 10 (40%) on 3-pointers in the second half.
While neither team had a banner day from the foul line Saturday, the Cats via Ugonna Onyenso, Bradshaw and especially Sheppard made enough to get to the buzzer and begin the pursuit of a 50th SEC regular-season title with a win.
It also ended up being a historically good comeback win by the Wildcats.
The last time UK rallied from a halftime deficit of eight points or more on the road was on March 7, 2020, also at Florida. Down 40-30 at the half in that game, Kentucky won 71-70 on an EJ Montgomery tip-in.
In fact, since that contest, UK had been 2-13 across all games in which the Wildcats were down at least eight points at halftime.
Big Z back with UK, while Thiero misses second straight gameKentucky opened SEC play shorthanded on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.
Sophomore Adou Thiero missed the Cats’ SEC opener with “general soreness,” according to the program. Calipari announced that Thiero wouldn’t play during UK’s pregame radio show.
Thiero is considered day-to-day with the injury. This was the same listed injury and injury return status Kentucky announced when Thiero was held out of Kentucky’s Dec. 29 home win over Illinois State.
This marked the third time this season that Thiero has been kept out of a game.
Thiero also missed UK’s second game of the season against Texas A&M-Commerce while in concussion protocol.
Thiero has averaged 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for UK, statistics which include a 16-point, 13-rebound effort against then-No. 1 Kansas in the Champions Classic and a four-block outing against then-No. 9 North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic.
Saturday also saw freshman center Zvonomir Ivisic back with the Kentucky team after an extended holiday break to return home to Europe. While Ivisic was back on the UK bench, he is still awaiting an NCAA ruling regarding his eligibility to play.
UK freshman Jordan Burks walked into the O’Dome on Saturday wearing a “FREE BIG Z” shirt, and several members of the UK team posed for photos with the shirt during pregame warmups.
©2024 Lexington Herald-Leader. Visit kentucky.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Miller’s career-high 27 lift Wake Forest past Miami 86-82 in OT
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Miller hit a 3-pointer to give Wake Forest the lead in overtime, then sealed the victory with a pair of free throws as the Demon Deacons held off Miami 86-82 in their Atlantic Coast Conference home opener on Saturday.
Wake Forest (11-3, 3-0) is now 9-0 on its home court and its nine-game win streak is the program’s longest since 2008-09, when the Deacons won 16 straight games. Fresh off a 95-82 victory over No. 16 Clemson, the Hurricanes (11-3, 2-1) saw their four-game win streak end.
With the game tied at 78-78, Andrew Carr missed a jumper for Wake Forest, but Efton Reid III batted the offensive rebound toward the top of the key. Miller stretched high to snare the pass, settled and stroked the deep 3-pointer for the lead with 1:38 left. Norchad Omier hit a pair of free throws to get the Hurricanes within a point, but Hunter Sallis knocked down a 3 with :25 remaining to push the lead to four, 84-80. Omier scored at the basket, but Miller drew a foul and hit both free throws to set the final margin.
Miller hit 10 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 3 from long range, to score a career-high 27 points. Cameron Hildreth, who hit four 3-pointers in the first half to spark the Deacons to a 44-37 lead at the break, finished with 23 points, hitting 5 of 8 from deep and going 8-for-8 shooting from the line. Sallis had 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Read pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked five shots.
Freshman Kyshawn George had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead Miami. Omier had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three steals. Matthew Cleveland had 17 points and Nijel Pack added 15 points and four assists.
Wake Forest plays at Florida State Tuesday. Miami hosts Louisville Wednesday.
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UF stumbles down stretch, squanders chance to beat No. 6 Kentucky
GAINESVILLE — Florida rarely beats Kentucky in men’s basketball, especially lately, but the Gators’ Todd Golden liked his team’s chances this time against the Wildcats.
“This was a game I expected to win,” UF’s second-year coach said.
Las Vegas oddsmakers agreed, making the Gators 3.5-point favorites Saturday at a sold-out O’Connell Center.
UF’s 87-85 loss instead extended a five-game skid in the series and marked the 10th loss in 11 meetings.
“It’s very tough losing at home and not protecting our home floor,” guard Walter Clayton Jr. said.
The Gators’ hopes for a win ended with a fluke for Kentucky and in a game-ending offensive funk as the chance for a statement win to open SEC play and the first Top 25 ranking in three seasons slipped away.
“I thought it was a missed opportunity,” Golden said. “This game came down to a possession here and a possession there. Disappointing.”
Kentucky (11-2, 1-0 SEC) led just 5:25 of the game’s 40 minutes, including the game’s final 1:27 when 7-foot-1 true freshman Aaron Bradshaw broke a 76-76 tie and gave the Wildcats the lead for good on an unexpected 3-pointer — just his third on four tries this season.
“The kid had the courage to make it,” Hall of Fame Kentucky coach John Calipari said.
Florida coach Todd Golden fell to 0-3 against Kentucky with the Gators’ 87-85 loss to the No. 6 Wildcats Jan. 6 at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)Golden could live with Bradshaw’s dagger.
“He beat us with that shot,” he said. “I don’t think we beat ourselves with that shot.”
The 38-year-old struggled to process other aspects of the defeat.
Florida’s 3-point shooting was an ice-cold 1 of 11 during the final 20 minutes after the Gators (10-4, 0-1) staked a 45-37 halftime lead by hitting 8 of 20 3-point tries. Veteran guard Will Richard entered Saturday with 5 3s in back-to-back games but ended 0 of 7 beyond the arc.
“We had some wide-open catch-and-shoot 3s we got to make if you want to win a game like that,” Golden said. “Maybe tightened up a little bit.”
The Gators could not buy a basket when they needed one most. UF failed to score a point for a span of 2:40 after a pair of free throws by Clayton gave Florida its final lead at 76-74 with 3:10 to go.
Meanwhile, the Gators suffered too many defensive breakdowns as Kentucky scored 50 second-half points.
“We had them on their heels a little bit,” point guard Zyon Pullin said. “They just made a few more plays than us at the end of the day. We just had to dig deep a little more and get stops.”
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr., right, collides with Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard during the Gators’ 87-85 loss to Kentucky Jan. 6 in Gainesville. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)Pullin and Co. could only watch as Kentucky’s clutch free-throw shooting sealed the win. The Wildcats made 12 of their final 13 after missing consecutive one-and-ones with the Gators leading 58-53.
First-year freshman Reed Sheppard iced the game with 6 free throws in the final 19 seconds.
“They’re dogs,” Calipari said of freshmen. “They have a will to win. I don’t care if they’re young.”
UF’s explosiveness, size and depth had Calipari’s attention entering Saturday’s matchup.
“They can really shoot. They play as fast as we play, maybe faster, and they rebound,” he said. “They’re going to win a lot of games. They’re good.”
Transfer guards Pullin and Clayton each scored 23 points, had 3 assists and combined for just 1 turnover to lead the Gators. Sophomore star Riley Kugel was effective early in his new role as sixth man and scored 11 of his 15 points during the first half.
In addition to Richard’s no-show, 6-foot-10 Seton Hall transfer Tyrese Samuel struggled against Kentucky’s length and bounce. Samuel entered with six double-doubles but finished with 3 points and 7 rebounds, shooting just 1 of 6 from the field.
Kentucky’s 7-foot-1 freshman Aaron Bradshaw blocks a shot by Florida’s 6-foot-11 freshman Alex Condon during the Gators’ 87-85 loss Jan. 6 at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)Kentucky fifth-year senior guard Antonio Reeves led the way with 19 points, matching his team-leading season average, while West Virginia graduate transfer Tre Mitchell had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sheppard and fellow true freshman D.J. Wagner had 14 points.
The Wildcats’ talent is given and difficult to overcome. Golden, though, felt the game begin to turn when the Gators came out flat following intermission.
Kentucky cut an eight-point deficit to three by the first media timeout.
“Just didn’t come out the right way in the second half,” he said. “We gave them a little confidence. Against a really good team like that you can’t give them any life.”
UF maintained its lead but never could regain control.
Gone in a flash the opportunity for a fast start in SEC play against the league’s standard-bearer, the Gators now turn their attention to Wednesday night’s visit to resurgent Ole Miss and new coach Chris Beard.
“Every win in this league is so valuable,” Golden said. “Our guys have the mental toughness to understand that we can’t sulk and feel bad for ourselves about this game because we’ve got a lot of season left.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
‘They had nowhere to escape’: Cyclists remain in critical condition after A1A crash as hundreds ride for safer roads
Just as the sun began to rise Saturday morning, hundreds of South Florida bicyclists rode to a stretch of A1A in Gulf Stream and stopped.
Their gathering was brief, but their presence was hard to miss as they lined the dirt on the side of the road in neon cycling kits. Others riding by had no idea why they were there at first, then stopped to join them. They spoke to one another for a few minutes about what happened, and what to do next. Then they were off.
Cyclists ride on the crowded roadway after gathering early in the morning on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 just south of Golfview Dr. on A1A, in Gulfstream to raise awareness for safer roads. They gathered at the site where a group of cyclists were involved in an accident and struck by an SUV earlier in the week.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)Eight cyclists were struck on that stretch of A1A, which has no bike lane, during a morning ride on Thursday when an SUV veered over the center line of the road, officials say. At least six were hospitalized.
Two remained in critical condition and one in serious condition Saturday according to Andrew Lofholm, a spokesperson for Delray Medical Center.
Related Articles- Crime and Public Safety | 2 cyclists in critical condition, 1 in serious condition day after crash on A1A
“We just wanted to get the cycling community together,” said Felipe Costa, who heads the Brazilian cycling group Galera do Pedal in South Florida, as he emerged from the hospital Saturday afternoon on another visit. As one of the organizers of the early-morning ride, he hadn’t eaten all day.
“That was pretty much our goal today, kind of spread the word out as a community that we came together.”
Attendees estimate that between 300 and 500 cyclists attended.
Costa said he knew six of the riders in the group that was struck, who are also Brazilian. A husband and wife are among the three in the most serious condition, he said. When the SUV came towards them, “they had nowhere to escape.”
The woman was taken out of an induced coma and woke up for the first time on Saturday, but the man remains in a coma, Costa said. He was able to see her, but so many cyclists have visited the hospital each day and tried to check on the husband that doctors and family members have had to ask them not to go in the room. The third victim suffered several broken bones but had a successful surgery.
Two others with more minor injuries are still “very much in shock,” Costa said.
That shock has resounded through South Florida’s tight-knit cycling community in which everyone knows each other and many have ridden down the same stretch of road. Even though incidents happen somewhat frequently in South Florida, people who ride often forget the dangers.
“A lot of us are riding three four times a week, and you sometimes just sort of become immune to the unsafe conditions that we have,” said Cameron Oster, a cyclist from Boca Raton who owns the event production company 3R Cycling Experience. “But then this happens and it kind of pulls you back in really quick to remember these things are happening because of the unsafe conditions that we just sort of live with.”
The latest tragedy has “reignited” the conversation. Oster said he and others like Costa have made a commitment to advocate harder and meet with local officials to try to get something to change.
Related Articles- Crime and Public Safety | 2 cyclists in critical condition, 1 in serious condition day after crash on A1A
- Crime and Public Safety | Driver crossed center lane on A1A, hit 8 bicyclists in Palm Beach County, FHP says
Already, Oster has begun looking into why A1A is one of the only major roads in South Florida to have no bike lane, even though it is also one of the most popular among cyclists.
When most roads in South Florida are repaved, they are required to follow updated Department of Transportation codes that require bike lanes, Oster said. But when it comes to A1A, local municipalities are able to dispute that. Often, those leaders are influenced by the interests of homeowners and other private groups.
Recently, residents of Palm Beach urged their town council to fight a state plan to widen a bike lane along their stretch of A1A, claiming it would present safety concerns for cyclists, according to local news reports, though critics said that their real concern was aesthetics.
South Florida cyclists have few choices, advocates say. Despite the lack of a bike lane, they often prefer A1A because it is not a commuter road like some of the busier roads that do have bike lanes, Oster said. The speed limit is supposed to be around 35 miles per hour.
Cyclists ride on the crowded roadway after gathering early in the morning on Saturday, January 6, 2024 just south of Golfview Dr. on A1A, in Gulfstream to raise awareness for safer roads. They gathered at the site where a group of cyclists were involved in an accident and struck by an SUV earlier in the week.(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)In the immediate future, cyclists want better signage like “sharrows” that indicate drivers must share the road. Long-term, however, they want to try to improve the relationship between cyclists and drivers, and unravel the series of obstacles standing in the way of a bike lane.
“We just have to figure out how to start the right conversations with the right people, that really know the inner workings of where the roadblock is,” Oster said, “so we can try to develop that mutually beneficial plan.”
Some have argued that a bike lane would not have saved the group of bicyclists struck on Thursday because of how the crash happened. It remains unclear why the driver swerved into the wrong side of the road in the first place; Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Related Articles- Crime and Public Safety | 2 cyclists in critical condition, 1 in serious condition day after crash on A1A
- Crime and Public Safety | Driver crossed center lane on A1A, hit 8 bicyclists in Palm Beach County, FHP says
- Crime and Public Safety | Two cyclists killed after being hit on Miami’s Rickenbacker Causeway
But cycling advocates strongly disagreed. The area where the cyclists were hit has no paved shoulder, and the edges of the road are “crumbling and deteriorating,” said Mark Hassell, an accident investigator for Bill Bone Bike Law. ” … in that stretch of road, there’s really nowhere to turn.”
If the cyclists were in a bike lane, the car would still have driven onto the wrong side of the road, Oster said, but there’s a good chance it would have not hit them, or perhaps hit one of them instead of an entire group.
“It really worries me that people are even suggesting that in this specific incident, a bike lane wouldn’t have mattered,” he said. “Because it would have mattered.”
How to Make the Most of a Home Inspection - The New York Times
How to Make the Most of a Home Inspection The New York Times
How to Make the Most of a Home Inspection - The New York Times
How to Make the Most of a Home Inspection The New York Times
Winderman’s view: Heat center-ed, but that’s about it in loss in Phoenix
PHOENIX — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 113-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns:
– Plenty of the little things went wrong for the Heat on Friday night.
– That much is undeniable.
– Starting again with the defense.
– Which seemingly always is the case for Erik Spoelstra’s team in defeat.
– But 2-3 hardly was a devastating outcome on this trip.
– With a respectable 20-15 record heading into the four-game home stand after two days.
– So instead consider the big thing.
– Or big things.
– Bam Adebayo could have punted on the night after missing his first five shots.
– Instead he turned it around to keep the Heat afloat as long as possible.
– And Kevin Love in relief was just as proficient.
– No, the Heat never will overwhelm with size.
– But the rotation at center appears to be in a good place.
– In such a good place that Orlando Robinson was afforded the opportunity to get some Friday seasoning in the G League.
– Robinson responded with 41 points and 13 rebounds in a Sioux Falls Skyforce victory.
– With Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin again out for the Heat, Spoelstra opened with the same lineup as in Wednesday night’s victory over the Lakers.
– That had Nikola Jovic in the first five for the fourth time this season, opening again with Adebayo, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry.
– With that alignment, the Heat again went to their zone defense early.
– With the Suns promptly beating them over the top with 3-pointers.
– Cole Swider was with the Heat on Friday night, but will now move on to the G League for a Sunday game in South Dakota with the Skyforce.
– The Suns opened with a lineup of Grayson Allen, Chimezie Metu, Jusuf Nurkić, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
– Love and Duncan Robinson entered together in the Heat’s first substitution.
— Followed by Josh Richardson, which is as deep as the Heat went in the opening two periods.
– Similar to the eight-man rotation utilized Wednesday night against the Lakers.
– But with Jovic struggling, Spoelstra then turned to Jamal Cain late in the third period.
– Even with his team’s ongoing injury absences, Suns coach Frank Vogel said pregame he still views his team with ultimate upside.
– “I want to be the best team in the league and I think we can be the best team in the league, and we have not been able to get there,” he said. “The injuries hold you back some, but it doesn’t change the confidence that I have on who we are going to be and it doesn’t change the mindset from the standpoint that I have of.”
– The Suns on Friday night were without Kevin Durant, Eric Gordon and Nassir Little
– Vogel added, “I embrace challenges.”
– The Heat practiced Friday morning at Arizona State expecting Durant to play.
– “We went through the shootaround preparing that he would play,” Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t make it more complex. It still becomes about your habits and trying to get more consistent with it.”
– Of questions of Beal being a limited defender, Vogel offered otherwise.
– “I think he has exceeded my expectations for what he is doing on that side of the ball,” Vogel said. “Containment, toughness, strips, charges, all those types of things and he’s finding his way offensively as well, all the ways to get familiar with his teammates and our system.”
– Asked pregame of Booker moving to point guard to accommodate the acquisition of Beal, Spoelstra offered a comparison to Dwyane Wade’s Heat rookie season in 2003-04.
– “I think it says a lot about him that he is willing to do whatever to try to make it work. That is what winning players do,” Spoelstra said. “It reminds me, different context totally, but when Dwyane played point guard for us in his first year. He had never played point guard before. He was a combo player that had a lot of ball handling skills. But he was a rookie, and he was trying to break out in the scene and get playing time.”
Heat lack needed legs, fall 113-97 to Suns to close out 2-3 trip
PHOENIX — What does the last leg of a five-game, 10-day trip look like? Like the Miami Heat’s legs during Friday night’s 113-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center.
Already lacking legs in their rotation, with Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith again sidelined, the Heat melted in the second half against a Suns roster lacking sidelined Kevin Durant.
With the exception of the contributions of big men Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love there was precious little for Erik Spoelstra’s team, which closed the trip 2-3 and returns home 20-15.
Adebayo closed with 28 points and 11 rebounds, with Love scoring 20.
But against the wing-driven offense of the Suns, the Heat were unable to compete on the perimeter.
Grayson Allen led the Suns with 31 points, shooting 9 of 14 on 3-pointers. The nine 3-pointers were a career high and tied the Suns record. Phoenix also got 25 points, nine assists and eight rebounds from Bradley Beal and 20 points from Devin Booker.
“It’s a dangerous game to play with that team, with the firepower they have,” Spoelstra said of trying to match the Suns’ offense, even with Durant and Eric Gordon out for Phoenix. “We were never really able to control the game defensively.”
From the Heat, there were just nine points on 4-of-17 shooting from Tyler Herro.
“We never really found ourselves with solid footing on the offensive end,” Love said.
Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:
1. Game flow: The Suns led 33-29 at the end of the opening period and 62-55 at halftime, ending the first half on an 8-0 run.
The Suns continued their roll from there, with an 11–0 run in the third period pushing their lead to 18.
“I feel like it slipped away because we didn’t make shots,” Adebayo said.
From there, the Suns went into the fourth up 94-75.
“At the start of the third when you’re not knocking down shots, now you’re dealing with a team with great confidence,” Spoelstra said.
The Heat closed within 13 with 4:46 to play on a Duncan Robinson 3-pointer, with the Suns quickly reestablishing control and pushing their lead into the 20s.
“There’s so much firepower over there,” Love said.
2. One more time: With Butler (toe), Martin (ankle) and Highsmith (concussion) again out for the Heat, second-year forward Nikola Jovic made his second consecutive start, his fourth of the season.
The Heat opened with the same lineup as in Wednesday night’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, a first five rounded out by Adebayo, Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Lowry.
The Heat entered 1-1 with that first five.
Jovic was scoreless until converting a 3-pointer early in the third period, later removed in favor of Jamal Cain, with those Jovic’s only points.
It was mostly a rough night all around.
“We’ve been on the road for a long time,” Adebayo said.
3. Big start: Adebayo was forced to exit with his second foul with 5:45 left in the opening period. He opened 0 for 5 from the field, with the Suns playing off him on his jumper.
He was replaced by Love, who promptly scored 15 points in his first five minutes on 5-of-5 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Adebayo then returned to make his next four shots, as part of his 15-point second period.
“I was staying confident in myself, kept going,” Adebayo said.
Love had 16 points at the intermission,
Adebayo closed with his sixth double-double in his last seven games.
“Bam, he was great tonight in every aspect,” Spoelstra said.
4. The Allen element: Allen was up to 23 points by halftime, one point shy of his career high for a half, at 7 of 10 on 3-pointers through the two periods.
Allen and the Suns essentially were making the shots against the Heat zone that the Lakers missed when they went 4 of 30 on 3-pointers against the Heat on Wednesday night.
Allen was acquired by the Suns from the Bucks in the offseason as part of the trade math that allowed Milwaukee to acquire Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers.
5. Next up: The Heat next return for a four-game homestand, playing at Kaseya Center every other night, starting Monday against the Houston Rockets and continuing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets.
“Hopefully,” Spoelstra said, “this disappointing game will propel us into a good homestand.”
Love said that has to be the case.
“That homestand,” he said, “is going to be huge for us.”
General Daily Insight for January 06, 2024
General Daily Insight for January 06, 2024
Staying grounded is easier said than done today. The confident Sun squares sore Chiron at 3:35 am EST, making us particularly nervous and sensitive, as we’re more likely to feel out of our depth. The sensitive Moon then disagrees with Chiron in a less intense way, but still invoking disappointment or emotional discomfort. Finally, Luna faces off with Uranus, creating the desire to both run away and cling to others. It can feel like a rollercoaster — we’d better hang on!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Authority figures may cause you to doubt yourself. You could notice your superiors flourishing in their career fields in a way that you hope you will be doing someday, but at present, just seeing them can make you wonder if you’ll ever reach that point. On top of this, you might receive some disappointing news that further fractures your hopes for such a bright future. Remember — they’ve probably had difficult times in their lives as well. They didn’t give up, and neither should you!
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Your nervous energy might surge at any moment. It’ll be difficult to calm any strained nerves when you’re faced with uncertain situations and people who won’t communicate or connect with you. You might feel awkward or out of your league throughout the day, like you’re not quite in alignment with the people around you. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll never get along with your friends or loved ones again. Do your best to remember that they have no good reason to judge you.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
You may feel like a small fish in a big pond. Previously, you likely felt confident in yourself and your skills, but once you step out into the big time or begin being held to higher standards, finding your voice may be difficult. You might worry about being relegated to background roles — while this won’t be true forever, today might be the type of day to stand back and observe. There’s currently more to learn by watching than there is by striking out.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Resisting authority probably isn’t productive at the moment. Someone may give you instructions that you don’t feel are efficient, and you’re probably used to doing things your way in your domain or being given more freedom by other authority figures. The extra items that are getting piled onto your to-do list might frustrate you, especially if you feel that they’re unnecessary, but not doing them could cause excessive trouble for you later on. Odds are, it’s not worth causing a fuss over.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Current discomfort may actually be a good sign. Even if you already have a routine or certain style that you like to adhere to, today the universe is challenging you to step out of your usual mode and try something unique and unfamiliar. Your goal could be as simple as laughing at yourself or being silly with others, which aren’t always easy things to do. Ultimately, it’s healthy to joke about yourself a bit — it shows that you aren’t too self-important.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Worries and risks are walking hand in hand. You may feel a familiar FOMO, and to eliminate it, you might be tempted to splurge on expensive frivolities that seem as though they’ll prove that you’re with the in-crowd. It’s best to take a step back before you commit to any purchases. Consider your motivations — do you really want whatever you’re eyeing, or do you just want to make sure others aren’t having fun without you? Don’t pay out to impress others.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Your relationships could hurt your feelings with ongoing demands. This doesn’t have to be a romantic relationship. It can apply to friends, coworkers, or family — anyone that you spend time with, but especially relatives or those who live with you. No matter how much you want to keep the peace, it will probably be nigh impossible to avoid it when others are already rocking the boat without your agreement. Be true to yourself and know that you don’t have to fall in line.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
You might feel lost today. Especially when it comes to those who don’t understand you or are even actively working against you, it’s important to play your cards close to the chest. Otherwise, you could trigger an uproar from these people, who will try to convince you of their opposing beliefs or insist that what you want to do with your life is wrong. They don’t know your heart, so don’t pay them any mind! Just smile and nod, then continue on your way.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Present events probably feel more dramatic than they actually are. You might experience drama more intensely than those around you, as the statements and actions could hit home with you in a way that they don’t with others. Be wary of exaggerating your experiences, since others are more likely to listen to your concerns when you present a grounded and realistic view of what took place. Keep your facts straight, or you may lose your credibility when your story is blown out of proportion.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Heightened emotions might end up ruling your day. You’re at risk of intense mood swings, where you’ll be having the time of your life one moment, and the next, feel like you’re plunging down faster than a roller coaster drop. You might not understand why this is taking place, but you can mitigate it by getting more sleep and eating right, so that your blood sugar and energy levels aren’t working against you. Take charge of your emotions, then take charge of the day.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Your support system might need your support. You may normally rely on these people to have your back, but when they’re calling out for help, you could be asked to put other obligations on hold in order to return the favor. They have likely done similar things for you in the past, but it’s understandable if their expectations unexpectedly weigh you down. Still, if they were really there for you in the past, show them the same kindness that they afforded you.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Any stable ground likely feels like a blessing in life’s current uncertainty. Unfortunately, this may lead you to pursue a truth that isn’t quite true, in order to find some confirmation. While firm beliefs probably feel good in the moment, they potentially aren’t as steady as they advertise — living with the vagueness of reality could actually end up being a better idea in the long run. You’d be wise to sit with a truthful lack of knowledge rather than letting yourself be deceived.
Defense Secretary Austin has been hospitalized since Jan. 1, but Pentagon kept the news quiet
By LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday, due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said Friday. It was the department’s first acknowledgement that Austin had been admitted — five days earlier — to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Ryder said Friday that it’s not clear when Austin will be released from the hospital, but said the secretary is “recovering well,” adding that he expected “to resume his full duties” Friday.
The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization is counter to normal practice with other senior U.S. and Cabinet officials, including the president. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents media members who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the assistant defense secretary for public affairs.
“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage,” the PPA said in its letter. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”
Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly launched drones, missiles and rockets at bases where U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq and Syria, prompting the Biden administration to strike back on a number of occasions. Those strikes often involve sensitive, top-level discussions and decisions by Austin and other key military leaders.
The U.S. is also the chief organizer behind a new international maritime coalition using ships and other assets to patrol the southern Red Sea to deter persistent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militants in Yemen.
In addition, the Biden administration — particularly Austin — has been at the forefront of the effort to supply weapons and training to Ukraine, and he’s also been communicating frequently with the Israelis on their war against Hamas.
Ryder said this has been an “evolving situation,” and due to privacy and medical issues the department did not make Austin’s absence public. He declined to provide any other details about Austin’s medical procedure or health.
In a statement, Ryder said that at all times, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks “was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary, if required.”
Austin, 70, spent 41 years in the military, retiring as a four-star Army general in 2016.
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