Antetokounmpo's dunk in closing seconds gives Bucks 122-121 win over Hornets

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpodunked on a lobfrom Kevin Porter Jr. with 4.7 seconds remaining to give the Milwaukee Bucks a 122-121 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for his NBA-leading 158th game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Antetokounmpo overtook Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who each accomplished that feat 157 times.

The lead changed hands three times in the last 10 1/2 seconds.

Milwaukee's Kyle Kuzma sank a 3-pointer to put the Bucks ahead 120-118 with 10.3 seconds left.

After Charlotte called a timeout, Sion James inbounded the ball to Miles Bridges, who was heading toward the basket. Bridges laid the ball in while drawing Kuzma's sixth foul with 8.8 seconds left. Bridges then hit the ensuing free throw to complete a 3-point play that put Charlotte back ahead.

Milwaukee called a timeout, then Porter threw an inbounds pass to Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo passed to Porter and then headed toward the basket and caught the lob to dunk home the winning basket.

Charlotte still had one more timeout. LaMelo Ball inbounded to Brandon Miller, whose contested driving layup attempt bounced off the backboard and didn't go through as the buzzer sounded.

Kon Knueppel scored 26 points, Bridges 25, Miller 19 and Collin Sexton 16 for Charlotte. Ryan Rollins had 29 points and eight assists for Milwaukee, while Bobby Portis scored 20 points.

Milwaukee's dramatic victory came two nights after the Bucks lost 114-113 to the Washington Wizards on a last-second jumper from CJ McCollum.

The Bucks and Hornets were facing off for the second time in five days, as theBucks won 123-113at Charlotte on Monday.

Milwaukee was playing its final home game before starting a four-game trip west.

Hornets: At Chicago on Saturday.

Bucks: At Sacramento on Sunday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

byAdministrator

in

January 02, 2026

Antetokounmpo's dunk in closing seconds gives Bucks 122-121 win over Hornets

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpodunked on a lobfrom Kevin Porter Jr. with 4.7 seconds remaining to give the Milwau...

Read More

Buzelis scores 21 points, Huerter adds 20 as Bulls beat Magic 121-114 for 2nd straight win

CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, Kevin Huerter added 20 points, and the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Orlando Magic 121-114 on Friday night for their second straight win.

Buzelis hit a pair of free throws with 22.8 seconds left to make 119-114, then pulled in his ninth rebound to send in Isaac Okoro for a game-sealing dunk with 4 seconds remaining. Buzelis also finished with a season-high seven assists.

Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Ayo Dosumnu had 17 points as Chicago outscored Orlando 30-19 in the fourth quarter to climb back to .500. (17-17).

Paolo Banchero scored 31 points and Anthony Black added 18 for the Magic in a game with 19 lead changes.

Jalen Suggs had 11 points for Orlando in his second game back after missing seven with a hip injury, but left this one after landing hard on his right knee late in the third quarter. Desmond Bane added 14 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Six Chicago players reached double figures as the Bulls played a second game without its top two scorers in Josh Giddey and Coby White, who wereinjured in a loss to Minnesotaon Monday night.

The Magic have been without leading scorer Franz Wagner (22.7 point per game) since he suffered a high ankle sprain on Dec. 7.

Orlando led 95-91 heading into the fourth quarter, but Bulls took a 105-102 lead on Buzelis' 3-pointer 4:44 into the quarter.

The Bulls pulled into 59-all tie at halftime on Huerter's cutting layup after falling behind by 10 early and trailing by as much as 13 in the first quarter after the Magic went on a 14-0 run.

Banchero hit his first four shots and five of six to score 11 of his 13 first-half points in just over the opening 7:16.

Magic: Host Indiana on Sunday

Bulls: Host Charlotte on Saturday.

AP NBA:https://www.apnews.com/nba

byAdministrator

in

January 02, 2026

Buzelis scores 21 points, Huerter adds 20 as Bulls beat Magic 121-114 for 2nd straight win

CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, Kevin Huerter added 20 points, and the Chica...

Read More

Diane Crump, the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby, dies at 77

WASHINGTON (AP) — Diane Crump, who in 1969 became the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race and a year later became the first female jockey in the Kentucky Derby, has died. She was 77.

Crump was diagnosed in October with an aggressive form of brain cancer and died Thursday night in hospice care in Winchester, Virginia, her daughter, Della Payne, told The Associated Press.

Crump went on towin 228 racesbefore riding her last race in 1998, a month shy of her 50th birthday and nearly 30 years after her trailblazing ride at Hialeah Park in Florida on Feb. 7, 1969.

Crump was among several women to fight successfully at the time to be granted a jockey license, but they still needed a trainer willing to put them in a race and then for the race to run. Others were thwarted when male jockeys boycotted or threatened to boycott if a woman was riding.

Photographs of Crump's walk to the saddling area at Hialeah show her protected by security guards as a crowd pressed in on all sides. Six of the original 12 jockeys in the race had refused to ride, Mark Shrager wrote in his biography, "Diane Crump: A Horse Racing Pioneer's Life in the Saddle." Among them were future legends Angel Cordero Jr., Jorge Velasquez and Ron Turcotte, who four years later would ride Secretariat to win the Triple Crown.

But other jockeys stepped up, and as the 12 horses made their way onto the track, the bugler skipped the traditional call to the post and instead played "Smile for Me, My Diane." Crump, on a 50-1 longshot called Bridle 'n Bit, finished 10th, but the barrier had been broken. A month later, Bridle 'n Bit gave Crump her first victory at Gulfstream Park.

She again made history in 1970 by becoming the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She won the first race that day at Churchill Downs, but again her mount for the history-making race was outclassed. She finished 15th out of 17 on Fathom.

It would be 14 more years before another female jockey would ride in the Derby, with only four more to follow in the decades since.

The president of Churchill Downs Racetrack, Mike Anderson, said in a statement on Friday that Crump "will be forever respected and fondly remembered in horse racing lore."

He noted that Crump, who had been riding since age 5 and galloping young Thoroughbreds since she was a teenager, "was an iconic trailblazer who admirably fulfilled her childhood dreams."

Chris Goodlett, of the Kentucky Derby Museum, said "Diane Crump's name stands for courage, grit, and progress." He added: "Her determination in the face of overwhelming odds opened doors for generations of female jockeys and inspired countless others far beyond racing."

After retiring from racing, Crump settled in Virginia and started a business helping people buy and sell horses.

In later years, she took her therapy dogs, all Dachshunds, to visit patients in hospitals and other medical clinics. Some with chronic illnesses she visited regularly for years.

Payne said when her mother went into assisted living a month ago, she was already "quasi-famous" in the medical center because of how much time she had spent there, and a "steady stream" of doctors and nurses came to see her. One of the last people to visit her was the man who mowed her lawn.

Her daughter said Crump would never take "no" for an answer, whether it was becoming a jockey or helping someone in need.

"I wouldn't say she was as competitive as she was stubborn," Payne said. "If someone was counting on her, she could never let someone down."

Late in life, Crump's mottos were literally tattooed on her forearms: "Kindness" on the left, "Compassion" on the right.

Crump will be cremated and her ashes interred between her parents in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Front Royal, Virginia.

byAdministrator

in

January 02, 2026

Diane Crump, the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby, dies at 77

WASHINGTON (AP) — Diane Crump, who in 1969 became the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race and a year late...

Read More

Eagles to rest some starters in finale with No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs at stake

Washington (4-12) at Philadelphia (11-5)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 3 1/2.

Against the Spread: Commanders 6-10; Eagles 10-6

Series record: Commanders lead 89-85-5

Last meeting: Saquon Barkley ran for 132 yards and a touchdown, Jalen Hurts passed for 185 yards and two scores and the Eagles clinched the NFC East with a 29-18 win at Washington on Dec. 20.

Last week: Commanders lost Cowboys 30-23; Eagles beat 13-12.

Commanders offense: overall (21), rush (4), pass (24), scoring (24).

Commanders defense: overall (31), rush (31), pass (28), scoring (27).

Eagles offense: overall (24), rush (18), pass (23), scoring (19).

Eagles defense: overall (13), rush (T-20), pass (9), scoring (3).

Turnover differential: Commanders minus-12; Eagles plus-5.

Commanders players to watch

QB Josh Johnson. The 39-year-old third-stringer will start for the Commanders, who are eliminated from the playoffs. The veteran has played for 14 NFL teams but will be making just his 11th career start on Sunday. He replaced injured Marcus Mariota in the first meeting between the teams and completed 5 of 9 passes for 43 yards with a key interception. With Mariota sidelined, Johnson started in the Commanders' 30-23 loss to Dallas on Christmas and went 15 for 23 for 198 yards. Jayden Daniels was shut down by Washington after a series of injuries.

Eagles player to watch

QB Tanner McKee. With Philadelphia set on resting many starters while looking ahead to the playoffs, McKee likely will be under center in place of Jalen Hurts. A sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Stanford, McKee has thrown for 356 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in limited action in his two-year career.

Key matchup

Washington coach Dan Quinn vs. the Eagles

Quinn was not happy following the first meeting between the teams after the Eagles converted a 2-point conversion with 4:26 remaining to take a 29-10 lead. "If that's how they want to get down, all good," Quinn said when asked whether Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's choice to try to add on those two points instead of kicking for one was disrespectful. "We'll play them again in two weeks." The game got chippy after Philadelphia's conversion, with three players getting ejected following a brawl. Sirianni has downplayed any retribution when asked this week about the situation, mentioning the respect he has for Quinn and the Commanders.

Key injuries

Commanders: Mariota (quad) and LT Laremy Tunsil (oblique) are out.

Eagles: LB Nakobe Dean (hamstring) did not play in Sunday's 13-12 win at Buffalo and is out. Also out are defensive lineman Jalen Carter, tight end Dallas Goedert and offensive lineman Lane Johnson.

Series notes

The teams met last season in the NFC championship game, with Barkley rushing for 118 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' 55-23 win in Philadelphia.

Stats and stuff

Commanders: Mariota has made eight starts and 11 appearances this season because of injuries to starting QB Jayden Daniels and has thrown for 1,695 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels, the AP's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, started just seven games but left three early and was shut down for the final four games of the season. … Washington has lost 10 of its past 11 games, including five by at least 20 points. … Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries against Dallas last week, upping his team-leading rushing totals to 776 yards and eight touchdowns. … Deebo Samuel tops Washington's receivers, with 707 yards and five TDs, with Terry McLaurin just behind at 525 yards and three scores. … CB Mike Sainristill had a team-best four interceptions and Von Miller a team-leading eight sacks. DT Jer'Zhan Newton sacked the Cowboys' Dak Prescott three times last week, bringing the second-year player's total to five sacks on the season.

Eagles: Philadelphia could get the No. 2 seed with a win and a Bears loss to Detroit on Sunday, which would result in the Eagles hosting Green Bay in the wild-card round. The Eagles can finish no worse than the No. 3 seed, via either a loss to the Commanders or a Chicago victory over the Lions, in which case they would host either the Rams or 49ers. … Philadelphia will be making its fifth straight postseason appearance, tying the club record set between 2000–04. … Philadelphia is tied for sixth in the league in turnover margin (plus-5) and is 42-2 under Sirianni, including 8-0 this season, when winning the turnover battle. … Philadelphia's defense has been strong of late and leads the NFL in both opponent passing completion rate (56.5 percent) and opponent passing touchdowns (13). … LB Zack Baun has a team-best 123 tackles, along with 3 1/2 sacks and three takeaways. … OLB Jalyx Hunt has a team-best 6 1/2 sacks, with DT Moro Ojomo just behind at six sacks. … After slow starts, Barkley has rushed for 1,140 yards and WR A.J. Brown has 1,003 receiving yards. Brown is the only player in club history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in four consecutive seasons. … Dallas Goedert set a club record for tight ends last week against the Bills when he made his 11th touchdown reception of the season. … WR DeVonta Smith has 956 receiving yards and four touchdowns. … Philadelphia's offense leads the league in red zone touchdown rate at 70.7 percent. … Hurts most likely will be watching from the sideline after a regular season in which he passed for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns. His 33 total touchdowns rank fifth in the NFL.

Fantasy tip

McKee has shown to be an adequate backup when given opportunities, and the Eagles' backups likely will be hungry to show they belong in the NFL, especially with a chance to earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byAdministrator

in

January 02, 2026

Eagles to rest some starters in finale with No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs at stake

Washington (4-12) at Philadelphia (11-5) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 3 1/2. Agains...

Read More

Parachutist Has Rough Landing After Seemingly Getting Caught by a Wire During Armed Forces Bowl Pre-Game

NEED TO KNOW

• The Armed Forces Bowl between Rice University and Texas State took place on Friday, Jan. 2

• During the preshow, there was a mishap involving the parachuting team called the All Veteran Group (AVG)

• The AVG said everyone was okay following the incident

Spectators at the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Friday, Jan. 2, were expecting to see a game between Rice University and Texas State. The game did take place, but after a shocking incident involving a parachutist.

According to avideo posted on Xby Keff Ciardello of theSan Antonio Express-News, a pre-show involving five parachutists ended with one landing outside the stadium while another, as captured in the clip, landed behind the end zone and onto the portion of the field that separates the stands from the field.

The person's parachute seemed to be caught by a wire, which ultimately left them suspended in the air for about a half-second before falling, theAustin American-StatesmanandCleveland.comreported, citing officials at the game.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

A spokesperson for the Armed Forces Bowl toldUSA TODAY Sportsthat "the parachutist immediately got up and off the field on his own power and no one on the ground was injured."

Information about the parachuter, including their name and age, was not immediately available, Drew Harris, the media director for the bowl game, told theAustin American-Statesman.

No injuries were reported among the fans or players on the ground, and the game started without a delay, Cleveland.com reported.

The parachutists were part of the All Veteran Group (AVG), which has been operating since 2011, according to itswebsite.

Mike Elliott, the AVG's team president, filmed a video onFacebookexplaining what happened, noting that "today the winds were a little tricky and one of the jumpers kind of got behind the power curve."

"He did the best that he could do," said Elliott. "He did not land in the crowd. He did land behind the goal post, but without a scratch, he walked away."

Elliott said that he wanted to let everyone know that the All Veteran Group is "100% no injuries and were just happy to be here supporting the Armed Forces Bowl."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The team reiterated the same sentiments in the caption of the post, writing, "If you haven't seen it yet, one of our jumpers had a hard landing today. He is ok. Hard as nails. And he did NOT land in the crowd. No one was hurt."

PEOPLE has reached out to a representative of the Armed Forces Bowl for comment.

Read the original article onPeople

byAdministrator

in

January 02, 2026

Parachutist Has Rough Landing After Seemingly Getting Caught by a Wire During Armed Forces Bowl Pre-Game

NEED TO KNOW The Armed Forces Bowl between Rice University and Texas State took place on Friday, Jan. 2 During the preshow, there was a m...

Read More