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The Pelicans are coming off a narrow loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, whereas the Lakers lost to the Grizzlies on Monday. Let’s take an in-depth look at the teams ahead of the clash tonight. The New Orleans Pelicans’ perspective The New Orlean Pelicans have split their last four games and look to play a party spoiler for the Lakers by spoiling their chances to qualify for the playoffs. As a team, they are shooting 47....

A big issue players have when playing in the playground is that they get dominated by a squad that is a perfect fit together, while they’re coming in with too many guards or no big man. Here we will go through the three archetypes you want to put together to make the deadliest triple threat combo to take to your next visit to the playground. #1 Shooting Guard: Pure sharpshooter Player Creation: Height - 6'6, Weight - 198 Pounds, Wingspan - 88 inches...

For full clarity, NBA 2K21 players can immediately access the game’s Jump Shot Creator by opening the MyPLAYER Appearance tab once in the Neighborhood. This is not exactly how things worked in NBA 2K20, where players needed to unlock the ability to create custom jumpshots by completing drills at the Team Practice Facility, and fans that are coming directly from that title may be happy to know that the Jump Shot Creator becomes available even more quickly this time around....

Now, there are 15 triggers for replay, the latest being a minor tweak that allows officials to check whether a team had five players on the court. And because replay has grown, so has the time spent waiting for refs to scroll through available replays before rendering their judgments — at least, until now. On Thursday, the NBA unveiled for the first time its new replay center, giving a tour of the facility to a small group of journalists here at the league’s entertainment office....

Each evening was undoubtedly entertaining for the United Center crowds, and the atmosphere was consistently electric in the “Windy City.” However, a few people definitely didn’t leave the league’s annual showcase with All-Star smiles on their faces. Before NBA teams return to normal regular season schedules, let’s break down the biggest winners and losers from All-Star weekend. MORE: Best highlights from 2020 All-Star Game NBA All-Star weekend winners New All-Star Game format There was some initial pushback — Math is for nerds!...

The rule for off-the-ball fouls that was previously applicable only to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and the last two minutes of any overtime will be extended to the last two minutes of each period, Silver told reporters Tuesday at the Las Vegas Summer League. MORE: Shaq’s SN magazine covers Players who are fouled in such situations are given one free throw, and their teams retain possession....

The league will now allow a coach’s challenge and give replay centers the ability to prompt instant replay. Coaches will now be able to challenge personal fouls charged to their respective team, a called out-of-bounds violation as well as goaltending and basket-interference violations, the NBA announced Tuesday. While the replay center, along with the refs calling the game, can ask for instant replays involving whether a shot is a 2- or 3-point field goal, and if it was made before or after the shot clock expired....

Chicago (30-19 SU, 22-27 ATS) is in the middle of a road trip through the west, during which they upset the Warriors in overtime, lost outright to the Lakers in OT, and lost but covered as a 7-point underdog at the Suns. Tonight, the Bulls are short dogs at the Rockets (33-15 SU, 27-21 ATS). Line: Rockets -3, Total: 204 (Check our odds page for updated point spreads and totals)...

NBA champion Stephen Jackson said much about his longtime friend, George Floyd, during a six-minute interview Thursday morning on NBC’s “Today” show, successfully fighting back tears at one point during his conversation with co-host Craig Melvin. His most salient message, though, was the hopeful declaration that Floyd’s death at the hands of police will be the last of these cases that have turned men such as Rodney King, Eric Garner, Philando Castile and now, George Floyd, into household names not for what they did, but what was done to them....

The thing that makes this Warriors team different from previous editions, however, is their ability to complement an up-tempo, high-octane offense (107.1 PPG, third in the NBA) with an athletic, elite-level defense. While Golden State is seventh in the league in points allowed per game (96.2), it leads the league in defensive efficiency, giving up just 1.11 points per possession. The Warriors’ ascent up the futures board has been steady, and their two-way approach may eventually have them alongside the likes of the Spurs and Cavs, who are each currently drawing a 3-to-1 price....

Sunday’s recap Los Angeles Lakers 86-108 Minnesota TimberwolvesBrooklyn Nets 117-100 Chicago BullsOrlando Magic 96-106 Los Angeles ClippersMiami Heat 82-106 Atlanta HawksWashington Wizards 116-98 Oklahoma City ThunderIndiana Pacers 105-121 Toronto RaptorsCharlotte Hornets 119-113 Phoenix Suns Highlights Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder): 22 points, 9-23 FG, 15 rebounds, 13 assists, 1 block and 8 TOs. Norman Powell (Toronto Raptors): 23 points, 10-12 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 0 TOs....

Kombucha has become popular in recent years, despite it being so controversial. While some people love the tartness, others think it tastes like vinegar. The confusing taste of kombucha is perhaps best depicted in the “kombucha girl meme” where a woman trying kombucha first likens its smell to a “public restroom” before appearing undecided about its taste. Who invented kombucha? Where is kombucha from? Kombucha originated in northeast China around 220 B....

“This is one of those times I really pray people will read beyond the headlines,” Scott Berkowitz, executive director of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), told the Associated Press. Allegations that Cosby repeatedly drugged and raped women throughout his career made him a central adversary of the #MeToo movement. His conviction in one case was a validating moment for survivors of sexual violence and their advocates, who had hoped a new era of accountability for abusers would be ushered in....

Most of the top recruits in the 2017 recruiting class have already committed to schools, but there several future star players who haven’t decided yet. Sporting News averaged out the rankings among 247Sports.com, Scout.com and Rivals.com to find the top 10 prospects still on the board. MORE: Everything you need to know about National Signing Day Here are the commitments to watch heading into National Signing Day: 1. Marvin Wilson, DT Houston, Texas (Episcopal) Rankings: Rivals (2), 247 Sports (6), Scout (10) Average Rank: 6 Top schools: LSU, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma 2....

In a Short Range Forecast up to December 29, the NWS said that the “unrelenting troughing pattern,” which has seen inches of snowfall in Northern California and Oregon, will move east. “This results in an increasingly active storm track in the East as storm systems originating out West track through the eastern half of the Lower 48 this week.” Forecasters said that a storm is unfolding in Upper Midwest on Monday morning that could bring a “shield of precipitation” stretching from northern Minnesota to the northern mid-Atlantic, with as much as six inches of snow possible in the Minnesota Arrowhead....

Scherzer awarded team personnel with bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch that featured the words “Finished the Fight,” which referred to the Nationals’ strong finish to the year despite a difficult path. He praised his teammates and the team’s staff for their contributions to Washington’s championship run. “There isn’t a better group of players out there to become the first team to win the championship title for the Nationals,” Scherzer told reporters....

These states on the very edges of NATO’s defensive alliance are grappling with what they call a new strain of Russian-Belarusian hybrid warfare as Moscow and Minsk weaponize some of the most vulnerable people in Europe. Since August, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland have faced a surge in new arrivals—notably from Iraq, Afghanistan, and sub-Saharan Africa—at their borders, which they say Belarus is facilitating with the support of its ally Russia....

Ramos left Monday’s game with an injury that manager Dusty Baker said afterward “doesn’t look too good tonight.” Tuesday’s MRI confirmed his fears. MORE: 50 Most Influential People in Sports | Ortiz leads second-chance stars “I feel badly because you know how we all feel about Wilson, but it’s part of the game,“ Baker told reporters after Monday’s game (via the Washington Post). “You hate it to happen this late, right before the playoffs, but our next step is try to figure out a way to play without Wilson....

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper had a scary incident in Monday's game against the Mets in the second inning after getting kicked in the head by New York second baseman Eric Young Jr. Having drawn a leadoff walk, Harper went in hard at second base to break up a double play on Ian Desmond's grounder to third base. In that regard, Harper was successful, as Desmond beat Young's relay throw, but Harper stayed down for nearly a minute and went back to the dugout slowly with a trainer....