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Published 4:49 pm Friday, November 22, 2024 By Data Skrive The Notre Dame Fighting Irish versus the USC Trojans is one of three games on Saturday’s college basketball schedule that includes a ranked team in action. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards could move up as the lead back for Los Angeles as J.K Dobbins (knee) is expected to miss the game . Edwards was activated from injured reserve earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Dobbins appeared to injure his right knee in the first half of the loss to the Ravens, though coach Jim Harbaugh did not provide details. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. They will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The disciplinary inspection and supervisory commission's findings uncovered a web of bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power within Wu Yingjie's circle of influence. The investigation revealed a pattern of illicit transactions, kickbacks, and nepotism that had enabled Wu to consolidate his power and amass wealth at the expense of public welfare.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' response to the meeting emphasized China's commitment to upholding international nuclear agreements, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The spokesperson also highlighted China's support for initiatives that promote transparency and accountability in nuclear activities, as well as efforts to strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

No. 9 seed Tennessee will make its first visit to No. 8 Ohio State on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), but Volunteers safety Andre Turrentine will be in a familiar setting at Ohio Stadium for the first-round matchup of the College Football Playoff. He played in four games for the Buckeyes (10-2) as a freshman in 2021 before the Nashville native joined the Vols. "I know a lot of guys on that team, so just having that brotherhood and camaraderie from being a freshman there is going to be big in this game and big for me personally," said Turrentine, a redshirt junior. He has 35 tackles and one interception in starting all 12 games for the Vols (10-2) this season. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles feels prepared for Tennessee's fast-paced offense, which averages 74.6 plays per game to rank 11th nationally. "Our defense is built for tempo," he said. --No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1) quarterback Riley Leonard loves the idea of playing for a national championship, but as he told Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports, the matchup with the No. 10 Hoosiers (11-1) on Friday in South Bend, Ind., (8 p.m., ABC/ESPN) is also about regional pride. "It's huge for the state of Indiana. We've been talking about it becoming a football state," he said. "It's notorious for basketball, for obvious reasons." Indiana coach Curt Cignetti on how the game will play out: "I think we're plus-15 on turnover ratio, and they're plus-16. So, ball security for us and them is going to be really important -- winning the turnover battle." --Even though No. 6 Penn State (11-2) lost to No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Nittany Lions were buoyed by running for 292 yards. Now, they host No. 11 SMU (11-2), which is ranked fourth nationally at 93.4 rushing yards allowed per game. "Our expectation is that that's what we're supposed to do every single game," Penn State center Nick Dawkins said. "I don't think it matters the opponent that we played against." SMU coach Rhett Lashlee on the perceived advantage Penn State will have with a forecast high of 28 degrees: "They have to play in it just like we do and I don't think they've played a game at home on Dec. 21, either. I don't think the weather is a big deal." --No. 5 Texas coach Steve Sarkisian expects big things from quarterback Quinn Ewers when the Longhorns (11-2) host No. 12 Clemson on Saturday (4 p.m., TNT/MAX). "We've all got to take our game to another level, and he's no different, right?" Sarkisian said. "He's got to do it." Actor Matthew McConaughey is a Longhorns super fan but that doesn't mean much to defensive lineman T.J. Parker of Clemson (10-3). "I don't know who that is," the sophomore said on Tuesday. "I may know his face, but not by name. I don't know him." --Field Level Media

NoneLooking ahead, the release of Version 2.5 signals YueLingXi AI's ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI technology and unlocking new opportunities for its users. With a dedicated team of researchers and engineers constantly pushing the limits of what is possible, the company shows no signs of slowing down in its quest to revolutionize the field of artificial intelligence. As businesses and industries increasingly turn to AI to drive competitive advantage and fuel innovation, YueLingXi AI stands at the forefront of the AI revolution, leading the way with its cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking approach.New York Giants (2-9) at Dallas (4-7) Thursday, 4:30 p.m. EST, Fox BetMGM NFL Odds: Cowboys by 4. Against the spread: Giants 3-8; Cowboys 3-8. Series record: Cowboys lead 76-47-2. Last meeting: Cowboys beat Giants 20-15 on Sept. 26, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Last week: Giants lost to Buccaneers 30-7; Cowboys beat Commanders 34-26. Giants offense: overall (24), rush (19), pass (28), scoring (32) Giants defense: overall (19), rush (30), pass (7), scoring (17) Cowboys offense: overall (21), rush (31), pass (8), scoring (T22) Cowboys defense: overall (27), rush (31), pass (21), scoring (31) Turnover differential: Giants minus-6; Cowboys minus-9. WR Malik Nabers. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft had a team-high six receptions for 64 yards despite not being targeted in the first half as the Giants fell behind the Bucs 23-0. Coach Brian Daboll said he is not going to let that happen again. Against Dallas in Week 4, Nabers had a season-high 12 catches for 115 yards, with a long of 39 yards. He was targeted 15 times by Daniel Jones. He sustained a concussion on the last attempt and missed the next two games. RB Rico Dowdle just had his second game of at least 85 yards, finishing with 86 on the road against the Commanders. The undrafted fifth-year player who has taken over as the lead back is looking to sustain momentum for the first time. After finishing with 87 yards in a victory at Pittsburgh, Dowdle came home and was held to a season-low 25 yards in a 47-9 loss to Detroit. Dallas' 31st-ranked run game has been marked by that kind of inconsistency, or worse, all season. Giants DL Dexter Lawrence vs. Cowboys OL. Lawrence is tied for sixth in the NFL with a career-high nine sacks, and the Dallas offensive front has been in flux most of the season. Injuries and youth have kept the Cowboys from establishing a rushing attack in most games. Dallas is coming off an effective showing on the ground and Cooper Rush's best performance in three starts filling in for injured star QB Dak Prescott. Lawrence will test the Cowboys' ability to get the run game going and protect Rush. Giants QB Tommy DeVito emerged with a sore throwing arm from his first start replacing the benched and subsequently released Jones. Daboll said it was uncertain whether DeVito would play and that Drew Lock would get extra reps in practice just in case. ... OLB Azeez Ojulari, who has six sacks and 10 QB hits, was placed on injured reserve with a toe injury. ... LT Jermaine Eluemunor, who started the first 11 games, was ruled out with a quad injury. ... DL Armon Watts won't play because of a shoulder issue. ... The Cowboys will be without perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin for a second consecutive game with ankle and shoulder injuries. ... CB Trevon Diggs, a 2021 All-Pro, is questionable with groin and knee issues after also missing the Washington game. ... LG Tyler Smith, who injured an ankle about the same time Martin did late in the game against Houston on Nov. 18, says he will play after sitting against the Commanders. ... TE Jake Ferguson has been ruled out with a concussion for the second week in a row. ... WR Brandin Cooks was activated off IR. He hasn't played since the first meeting with the Giants because of a knee issue. The Cowboys have won 14 of the past 15 meetings with the Giants. Matching seven-game winning streaks for Dallas are separated by a New York victory in the 2020 season finale. ... This is the second Thanksgiving meeting in three seasons for the NFC East rivals. There had been just one before that, a 30-3 Dallas victory in 1992. The Cowboys won 28-20 two years ago. The Giants are 0-4 on the holiday since a 13-6 win at Detroit in 1982. The 16 combined losses for New York and Dallas are the most going into a Cowboys Thanksgiving game, according to Sportradar. The previous high was 14 three times, most recently in 2020 when Washington beat Dallas 41-16 in a matchup of seven-loss teams. Washington made the playoffs that season as the NFC East champ at 7-9. ... The first Dallas-New York meeting also was on Thursday. That happened last season with Green Bay and Detroit. The previous — and only other — time was 1923 with the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals. ... The Giants' six-game losing streak is their longest since a nine-game skid, the franchise record, in 2019. ... The Cowboys ended a five-game losing streak with the victory at Washington but are 0-5 at home. It’s the worst home start since Dallas lost all eight games at old Texas Stadium while finishing 1-15 in 1989, the year owner Jerry Jones bought the team. The home losing streak is six going back to a wild-card loss to Green Bay in January. Before losing to the Packers, the Cowboys had won 16 in a row at AT&T Stadium. ... DeVito was 21 of 31 for 189 yards in his first action this season against the Buccaneers. He was sacked four times. ... WR Wan’Dale Robinson has 61 catches, surpassing his career high of 60 in 2023. ... Nabers has 67 catches, the most by a player in his first nine games. Puka Nacua of the Rams set the record of 64 last season. ... WR Darius Slayton had his streak of catching a pass snapped at 26 games against Tampa Bay. ... New York has gone 11 consecutive games without a positive turnover differential, extending the longest single-season streak in franchise history. ... The Giants have not intercepted a pass in 10 consecutive games, tying the NFL record held by the 1976-77 San Francisco 49ers and the 2017 Oakland Raiders. ... New York has one sack in the past three games after getting an NFL-high 35 through the first eight games. ... The Giants have the fewest points in the league (163) and they have played seven games without scoring a first-half touchdown. ... Rookie S Tyler Nubin has led New York with 12 tackles each of the past two games. ... Rush had his highest passer rating as the Dallas starter at 117.6 against the Commanders. He threw for two touchdowns with no interceptions. Rush beat the Giants for one of his victories when he went 4-1 filling in for Prescott early in 2022. He had a TD with no picks in a 23-16 win. ... WR CeeDee Lamb leads the NFL with 77 catches. He and Jarvis Landry are the only players in league history with at least 70 catches in each of their first five seasons. Lamb led the NFL last season with a career-high 135 grabs. ... Star pass rusher Micah Parsons had two sacks against the Commanders and has a sack in each of his three Thanksgiving games. ... WR/KR KaVontae Turpin, who returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Washington, is the fifth player since the 1970 merger to have TDs on punt and kickoff returns along with a scoring catch of at least 60 yards. The most recent was Chicago's Devin Hester in 2007. Lamb has averaged 91 yards receiving per game against the Giants in his career, but without a bunch of touchdowns (four). While the Giants lag in most team statistical categories, they do have the seventh-best pass defense in the NFL. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

As the situation escalated, a group of concerned bystanders quickly intervened to prevent the sedan driver from leaving the scene. One of the bystanders, a mother with her child in tow, witnessed the accident and wasted no time in rushing to the aid of the electric scooter rider. Amidst the commotion, she managed to approach the sedan driver and engage him in a conversation to understand the circumstances leading to the accident.Recently, the internet has been buzzing with rumors about a collaboration between Black Myth Wukong, the highly anticipated upcoming video game, and Pepsi, the popular beverage company. Netizens are calling for the production of limited-edition Pepsi cans featuring characters from the game, sparking a frenzy of excitement among fans. The hashtag #BlackMythPepsiChallenge has been trending on social media platforms, with many expressing their desire to see this unique partnership come to fruition.VanderSa: Everything is Connected, Unfortunately the Outcome Achieved by Tenghag is Less than Ideal

Hardwicks Kyneton is to cease facilitating smaller beef and sheep kills in the new year, leaving many of Victoria's small producers without a processor. or signup to continue reading In a letter sent to clients last week, the company announced that it would no longer be able to accommodate service kill requests that do not meet the minimum volumes of 15 for beef and 50 for lamb. The change would come into effect from January 1, 2025. However, as the company's final service kill day will be on December 14, producers were effectively given two weeks of notice. vice president of primary sales Murray Jeffrey urged clients to keep the announcement confidential. "After a detailed review of our existing arrangements, we have revised our service kill arrangements, regrettably to include updated minimum volumes for the foreseeable future," he said. "We appreciate your understanding and acknowledge that this may impact how you may do business with us." Jono Hurst and Natalie Hardy, Blampied, had been supplying cattle to Hardwicks at Kyneton since 2016 and were now left with few processor options. "The timing was just awful," Ms Hardy said. "Give us some time to at least get something together." The couple typically killed two cattle a month from their , supplying to local markets and restaurants. They recently signed a lease on a further 100 acres of agistment and purchased 10 new pedigree heifers, hoping to increase their output and kill four steers or heifers a month in 2025. The Hardwicks announcement had thrown a complete spanner in the works. Fortunately, as it had for many similar producers, the Meat Crew team at Colac had agreed to take some of Ms Hardy's cattle for slaughter at Geelong. However, she insisted this was far from ideal. "It's not ideal for what we do because of the distance but we have no choice," she said. The 1.5 hour round trip to Kyneton would become a five-hour round trip to Colac every month and she said the extra distance would have an impact on animal and farmer welfare. The couple planned their finishing program 12 months in advance and the short notice from Hardwicks now had them forced to re-evaluate. "Meat Crew are helping out at the moment where they can but they can only do so much," Ms Hardy said. The Hardwicks announcement came just days after the publication of a Victorian parliamentary report which recommended that processing facilities be made more readily available for local and small-scale livestock producers. The parliament's Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee said government should define 'micro-abattoir' in the Meat Industry Act, and make micro-abattoirs a section one use in the Farming Zone, Rural Activity Zone, Green Wedge Zone and Green Wedge. The move would enable improved planning application processes for those looking to invest in micro-abattoirs within farming communities. The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance welcomed the recommendation but upon hearing of the Hardwicks decision, just 48 hours later, the organisation wrote an urgent letter to the government. The alliance's president Tammi Jonas called on Agriculture Minister Ros Spence to act. Ms Jonas said the committee report recommended that the "Victorian government take immediate steps to negotiate ongoing access for smaller producers in impacted communities and pursue long-term reform to reduce smaller producers' reliance on larger commercial abattoirs". "We rejoiced at this and other very positive recommendations in the report," she said. "Today, however, we received notice that Hardwicks - the largest, most central abattoir that has conducted service kills for its entire 50-year history - is ceasing service kills of less than 15 cattle or 50 sheep effective January 1." She warned the change would "impact thousands of small and medium scale farmers". "In particular, every farm who sells their meat directly to their community will no longer have access to slaughter," she said. "The other potential abattoirs such as Benalla and Wangaratta do not have capacity to absorb all the displaced farmers, and for most, this option would substantially increase travel times with obvious major negative impacts on animal welfare." Ms Jonas called for an urgent meeting with the Minister and her officials to address the issue. "Not only are farmers affected, of course, local butcher shops and restaurants will also lose access to local meat, with cascading effects on the resilience and viability of rural communities," she said. Morwell MP Martin Cameron was a member of the parliamentary committee which recommended for greater for Victorian producers. "It's like anything, the little fella gets forgotten about," he said. "There is an actual need now for the micro-abattoirs." He urged the government to consider the committee's recommendation. Barry is a journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. He previously worked in agricultural media in his native Ireland and hails from a small beef and sheep farm in the country's south-east. Email Barry at barry.murphy@stockandland.com.au. Barry is a journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. He previously worked in agricultural media in his native Ireland and hails from a small beef and sheep farm in the country's south-east. Email Barry at barry.murphy@stockandland.com.au. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. 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High school scores for Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024Former players have been experiencing cognitive decline, memory loss, and other debilitating symptoms associated with brain diseases at a disproportionately higher rate than the average population. The BBC's investigation has shed light on the significant impact that playing football at a professional level can have on the long-term brain health of athletes.

In a pivotal moment of the match, a controversial decision by the referee sparked a dramatic confrontation between the players of both teams. Tempers flared, words were exchanged, and for a brief moment, it seemed like the situation would spiral out of control. However, the timely intervention of the team captains and the coaching staff helped diffuse the tension, restoring order on the field.To successfully defeat the Oribura Dragon and claim victory, hunters must be well-prepared with top-tier gear, potent potions, and a solid strategy. Crafting powerful weapons and armor from the materials gathered in the Crimson Forest will give hunters an edge in battle, while mastering the art of dodging, blocking, and countering the Oribura Dragon's attacks is essential for survival. Teamwork and coordination among hunters will be crucial in overcoming the challenges posed by this legendary creature.

As a result of the settlement agreement reached between Epic and the FTC, the company has committed to providing refunds to affected players and implementing better safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future. This proactive approach to addressing consumer harm is a positive development that reinforces the importance of transparency and accountability in the digital marketplace.

As the season enters its decisive phase, Manchester United will need all hands on deck to compete on multiple fronts and achieve their goals. The potential return of Lindelof, coupled with the expected recoveries of Evans and Shaw, will provide Solskjaer with much-needed options and depth in his squad as they look to finish the season on a high note.

BSPK and Luxury Institute Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Luxury Retail and Client EngagementOver the last year, I’ve come to believe there is a platonic ideal for an NBA tank job. It’s courtesy of the newest mechanism in the league: the NBA Cup, an in-season tournament that transforms four regular season games into a group stage, then offers teams a chance to fly to Las Vegas to battle for a whole lot of money and a trophy that, allegedly, fans and players will begin to truly care about in the near future. As a longtime soccer fan, the concept of interrupting the regular season for a tournament with a funky name is neither unfamiliar nor unwelcome. And this year, it feels like the tournament is hitting its stride, producing some genuinely competitive games in a stretch of the season typically occupied by snoozers. This is why the NBA Cup provides the most fun option for a team like the Chicago Bulls attempting to nosedive its way to a lottery pick without fully losing morale. This year, the obvious stakes of a stacked draft highlighted by Duke standout Cooper Flagg have sent most middling teams in the league scrambling for a lower rung in the standings. And it’s in that context that I present the most amusing way to tank a season: win the NBA Cup and lose everything else. This is, of course, a bit of an absurd idea. No team bad enough to be tanking is also good enough to compete in a major tournament. But the general formula — go hard for the NBA Cup, don’t worry about anything else — is a sound one. It allows a team to provide a good product for fans early in the season, maybe even compete for a little hardware, and then pack it in to protect their picks. The Bulls have somewhat followed this pattern in the early weeks of the season, winning consecutive NBA Cup group stage games to position themselves to advance to Las Vegas with either a win on Friday over the Boston Celtics (unlikely) or a loss that preserves enough of a point differential to earn a wild card spot (much more likely). This is exciting, even if fans still aren’t completely on board with the tournament. Outside of play-in games, this team hasn’t competed for much over the past five (make that 10?) seasons. And with a new high-scoring system and revitalized veterans like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, the Bulls are better poised than ever to pull off an upset. Coby White of the Chicago Bulls dribbles in front of Carlton Carrington of the Washington Wizards during the first half of an NBA Cup game on Nov. 26, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) So yes, Las Vegas is still a long shot, but it’s in the cards — and that would be a nice boost for beleaguered Bulls fans who miss watching their team play in meaningful games. The problem is the Bulls aren’t exactly following the second half of the program. Nineteen games into the season, the Bulls don’t seem to be tanking. In fact, tanking seems to be a foreign concept to coach Billy Donovan and the entire roster, who have been piecing together competitive games even as their defense fumbles its way through 140-point messes. On paper, that’s not a bad thing. Teams obviously can’t express an outright desire to follow this road map. Deliberate tanking is strongly discouraged by the NBA and teams like the Dallas Mavericks have been hit with significant fines for purposeful losses. It’s up to front office leaders like executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas to thread the needle of creating a realistic road map to lose enough games to compete for a pick. Still, it’s hard to understand how the Bulls have allowed themselves to teeter on the edge of losing their draft pick even at this early juncture of the season. The stakes here are simple. The Bulls have a top-10 protected lottery pick in one of the most influential NBA drafts in recent memory. If they finish among the worst 10 teams in the league, they keep that pick. If they make the play-in tournament (or, worse, the playoffs) they send that pick to the San Antonio Spurs. But nearly a quarter of the way into the season, the Bulls are still 10th in the Eastern Conference. The only thing currently separating them from losing that lottery pick is a single loss by the Sacramento Kings. And this dangerously thin margin is enough to ask a demoralizing question after every win: what are they doing? Tanking is harder than ever in a season plagued by the disparity between the two conferences and an unfettered competition for the bottom rung. This year, an Eastern Conference team will need to lose well over 50 games to guarantee they miss the playoffs. At this rate, the Wizards might not win more than 12 games — and they’ll be thrilled about it. Related Articles Chicago Bulls | Chicago basketball report: Bulls reportedly ‘open-minded’ to Patrick Williams trade — and Sky submit protected list for expansion draft Chicago Bulls | 4 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ 2nd straight NBA Cup win, including a big night from the bench Chicago Bulls | Column: In the NBA Cup era, Chicago Bulls and other teams are encouraged to run up the score — like it or not Chicago Bulls | Column: Chicago Bulls preach patience as they adjust to new style — but are fans already losing interest? Chicago Bulls | Column: Ready or not, Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis needs to step up in Patrick Williams’ absence It would be on brand for the Bulls to waste a potentially roster-defining building block in order to chase the perceived competitiveness of winning a few play-in tournament games. But this is not a season in which the Bulls can afford to gamble for the sake of “competitiveness.” They already spent two years treading water after the loss of Lonzo Ball functionally ended all dreams of the DeMar DeRozan-led roster creating any playoff success. This year, the Bulls are positioned to accomplish multiple seasons’ worth of progress in one fell swoop — offload multiple veteran contracts, load up on draft value and begin to plan for the future. But if that’s the strategy for Karnišovas, it’s not evident at this point in the season. And every time the Bulls beat a team with a lower rank, they mire themselves deeper in this miserable catch-22 of showing marginal gains with their current roster while ruining their ability to improve the roster through the draft. It’s still early. The front office has time to adjust. But when this tournament comes to an end, the Bulls either have to change course or risk wrecking their plans completely. Ultimately, this season will force Karnišovas to answer a question that will define his executive career. Is a little glory — in the NBA Cup or the in-season tournament — really worth the long-term viability of a franchise? That question will be answered in the next month — and maybe even in Las Vegas.

A suspected tornado has brought down more than 20 trees and forced a number of roads to be closed in part of Staffordshire. The Met Office reported high winds of more than 40mph (64kmph) on Thursday evening for Kidsgrove and the surrounding county. It issued a yellow warning ahead of the approach of Storm Darragh until 03:00 GMT on Friday, covering the West Midlands among other areas, while Staffordshire County Council said it was expecting strong winds and heavy rain. People on social media reported branches in Kidsgrove hitting buildings including a church and some described what they had seen as a "loud tornado". Others said they had seen big trees blown down along with fences and roof tiles. Staffordshire Police said it had reports of 25 trees having been blown down. The Met Office said there were typically about 30 tornadoes a year reported in the UK. They are usually small and short-lived "but can cause structural damage if they pass over built-up areas", a spokesperson said. Paul Phillips, from Kidsgrove, said one of the trees which was brought down by the wind was in his garden. He told the BBC: "I was sat in the back room mending a Christmas decoration and I thought 'what the hell is that noise?' "It was pretty loud and then someone knocked on the door and said you'd better come out the front." He said he planted the tree 30 years ago and was glad it had not injured anyone when it came down. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds , Facebook , X and Instagram .