LaMelo Ball's career-high leads Hornets past Bucks, and the way he dominated might seriously raise his ceiling - CBS Sports

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LaMelo Ball turned in his best NBA game on Saturday, scoring a career-high 27 points to go along with nine assists, five rebounds and four steals to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 126-114 upset victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The numbers are one thing -- Ball has proven early in his career that he's capable of putting up a triple-double on any given night -- but the way that Ball dominated the paint in the clutch exhibited a tantalizing ceiling as a scorer in addition to his playmaking ability.

Ball was aggressive from the start, but in a different way than we're accustomed to. Normally Ball uses his otherworldly vision and passing to get others involved, operating as more of a passer and spot-up shooter in the half-court. On Saturday, however, Ball made it his mission to get to the rim, demonstrating an ability to both finish and draw fouls. He went 6-for-7 from 2-point range, and knocked down all of his career-high nine free throw attempts. For example, instead of settling for a contested pull-up 3-pointer when facing a mismatch against Brook Lopez, he took the slow-footed center to the rim, and finished with a pretty left-handed finger roll.

More importantly, Ball kept that same energy and game plan in the clutch, as he continually attacked the Bucks defense just as it looked like Milwaukee was starting to pull away. Ball re-entered the game with his team trailing 111-110 about midway through the fourth quarter, and sparked a 16-3 run to close out the game. Ball scored seven of the 16 points, including five free throws, and picked up two key steals down the stretch. He even pulled out some James Harden chicanery by extending his arms to draw a foul in the paint.

Ball also made a pivotal and-one layup to give the Hornets all the momentum they needed to finish the game out. We've seen Ball's finesse game around the rim, but this one was particularly encouraging since he went up strong and finished through contact against Khris Middleton.

Ball is averaging just one point per possession around the basket, which is in the 25th percentile according to Synergy Sports Technology, and he entered Saturday night averaging just two free throw attempts per game. If he's able to maintain the aggressiveness he showed against the Bucks, it will only open up lanes for his game-changing passing. Case in point: After the and-one, Ball used quick hands to pick up a steal, drew two defenders in the lane, and found Devonte' Graham for a wide-open dagger 3-pointer.

Just 19 years old with a slight, 180-pound frame, nobody expects Ball to plow his way to the rim every single possession. But the attacking mindset -- getting into the lane to score, not just to pass -- could prove instrumental for Ball's eventual success. It's just one game, but if LaMelo is able to consistently get into the lane and finish around the rim, his potential as an NBA point guard goes through the roof.

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First on CNN: Five of Trump's impeachment defense attorneys leave team less than two weeks before trial - CNN

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It was a dramatic development in the second impeachment trial for Trump, who has struggled to find lawyers willing to take his case. And now, with legal briefs due next week and a trial set to begin only days later, Trump is clinging to his election fraud charade and suddenly finds himself without legal representation.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, who were expected to be two of the lead attorneys, are no longer on the team. A source familiar with the changes said it was a mutual decision for both to leave the legal team. As the lead attorney, Bowers assembled the team.

Josh Howard, a North Carolina attorney who was recently added to the team, has also left, according to another source familiar with the changes. Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris, also from South Carolina, are no longer involved with the case, either.

A person familiar with the departures told CNN that Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and that the election was stolen from him rather than focus on the legality of convicting a president after he's left office. Trump was not receptive to the discussions about how they should proceed in that regard.

The attorneys had not yet been paid any advance fees and a letter of intent was never signed.

CNN has reached out to the attorneys for comment.

"The Democrats' efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country. In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional. We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly," former Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN.

Bowers, a respected lawyer from Columbia, South Carolina, once worked in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush.

Barbier, a South Carolina litigator, worked closely on several high-profile cases and was a former federal prosecutor for 15 years in the state before opening up her own boutique criminal defense firm.

Gasser and Harris are both former federal prosecutors. Gasser served as the interim US attorney for South Carolina earlier in his career. Both have worked closely with Barbier on the defense side.

Howard worked as an associate independent counsel on the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky investigations during the Clinton presidency and spent a decade in the Justice Department where he worked on the confirmations of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. Howard once served as the chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, leaving the post at the beginning of 2016.

This story has been updated to include reporting on the additional departures from Trump's team.

CNN's Kara Scannell and Manu Raju contributed to this report.

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WATCH: Patrick Reed explains why he picked up his ball from the rough in controversial use of 'embedded' rule - CBS Sports

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Patrick Reed, who never seems short on controversy, found it once again on Saturday during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open on the par-4 10th hole when he removed his ball from an embedded lie and took a free drop. The 10th was part of a roller coaster 18 in which Reed shot 70 and is tied for the lead going into Sunday's final round.

After his second shot on the par-4 10th hole bounded off to the left side of the hole in the thick rough, Reed walked toward it, bent over and picked it up. He claimed that it was embedded even though video evidence shows that it took a bounce after it first landed and jumped no more than 3 feet back up in the air. For it to be embedded, the ground would have had to been insanely wet. 

Reed said after his round that nobody in his group nor the volunteer standing near the ball saw it bounce so he was checking to see if it had "broken the plane" of the ground.

After moving it, Reed called a rules official over and had him stick his fingers in the pitch mark. The official, clearly surprised Reed had already moved the ball, confirmed that there was indeed a lip where Reed's ball first came to rest and deemed that Reed was correct to remove the embedded ball. From there, Reed went on to get a drop and got up and down for par.

Reed was shocked that the post-round video showed that the ball had bounced and confirmed that it's "almost impossible" for a ball to plug (or embed) if it bounces at all. That begs a lot of questions, not the least of which is what lip he and the rules official were feeling if it's "almost impossible" for the ball to plug when it bounces.

Reed confirmed that the rules official told him that everything was done "perfectly" and it was a "textbook" handling of a wonky situation. He also seemed to pass off blame onto the volunteer who never saw the ball bounce as well as the rules official who confirmed the embed. If it was an attempt to see how much leeway the rules official would give him (he wouldn't be the first one to do this), it was a successful one.

"If you had 100 people around there, bunch of fans out there and one fan said they saw it bounce, I never would have had to put a tee down and even check to see if it was embedded," Reed said."You go by best judgment as well as that's why you always call a rules official, because at the end of the day they're going to have the best judgment over everybody. If they believe that it's embedded as well, that's then when you go by what they say."

Reed said he would not have done anything differently and in fact, holds himself as a model for what players on the PGA Tour should do in situations like these.

"It is an unfortunate thing that happened today, but at the same time it's exactly what I would have done every time, exactly what every player should do," Reed said. "You should ask your playing opponents if they've seen whether it's a ball bounce or whether it crosses a hazard line, you always ask them first and then you ask the volunteer, and then from there you check to see and at that point, you call a rules official. 

"It's unfortunate, but at the same time when you have the rules officials and everybody come up and said that you did it textbook and did it exactly how you're supposed to do, then that's all you can do. I mean, when we're out there and we're playing, we can't see everything. That's why you rely on the other players, other opponents, you rely on the volunteers as well as rely on the rules officials. When they all say what we've done is the right thing, then you move on and you go on."

The whole thing was questionable for somebody who's never had a run-in with the rules. For Reed? It borders on the indefensible, and the more he talked after the round, the worse it seemed to get. Following the brouhaha at the 10th, Reed made four bogeys in his next six holes before a birdie at the last got him in at 10 under and tied for the lead going into Sunday.

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Five in Double Figures as Duke Handles Clemson, 79-53 - Duke University - GoDuke.com

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Next Game:

at Miami

2/1/2021 | 7 P.M.

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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke shot out to a 19-point halftime lead and five players finished in double figures as the Blue Devils took down Clemson, 79-53, Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The 26-point margin of victory marks Duke's largest of the season. The Blue Devils (7-5, 5-3 ACC) never trailed in the game and at one point held a 35-point advantage. Duke limited the Tigers to .351 shooting from the field while allowing the fewest points by an opponent this year.

The Blue Devils were fueled by a balanced scoring effort led by 13 points from sophomore Matthew Hurt. Hurt went 4-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line while also grabbing four rebounds. Freshman Jalen Johnson went for nine points, including a thunderous dunk in the first half, to go along with eight boards and five assists. Senior Jordan Goldwire also dished out five helpers while recording six rebounds and four points.

Aamir Simms netted 19 points for Clemson (10-5, 4-5 ACC), which dropped its third consecutive road game.

Duke held a 34-22 advantage with 2:34 left in the first half before going on an 18-0 run over the next five minutes of game time to increase its lead to 30 points. The Blue Devils led by 35 with 10:56 remaining, marking their largest lead in any game this season.

Freshman Mark Williams had his first career double-digit performance, going for 11 points with three dunks. Williams also finished with five rebounds.

UP NEXT

Duke heads to Coral Gables, Fla., for a Monday night matchup at Miami. The game tips at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Clemson hosts North Carolina on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

#GoDuke
 

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Five Questions with Pounding the Rock - Grizzly Bear Blues

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With the first month of the 2020-21 NBA season in the rearview mirror, the Memphis Grizzlies have played the fewest games of any club at 13. The dreaded covid-19 virus has kept Memphis sidelined for nearly a fortnight. Let’s not forget the Grizzlies were on a roll before the hiatus — they are winners of their last five and hold a 7-6 record. Memphis is in for an arduous test in their long-awaited return to action, as they are taking on the surging San Antonio Spurs, who boast recent victories against the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers.

Seeking a black and silver perspective, I reached out to Noah Magaro-George of Pounding the Rock, SB Nation’s Spurs blog. He fills you in on all you need to know about Memphis’ adversary.

DeMar DeRozan, a player with a score-first reputation, is dishing out a career-high in assists per game this season with a better than 3:1 assist to turnover ratio. Is DeRozan the Spurs’ finest playmaker?

Honestly, DeMar DeRozan has probably been their best playmaker since he arrived in San Antonio as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade. He’s led the Spurs in assists per game every season, and this year he’s setting the table at a career-high rate. Coach Popovich started emphasized small-ball lineups and getting the young guys more involved during their stint in the NBA bubble, and DeMar has thrived in his new role. He helps teammates get into a good rhythm early on, and the four-time All-Star is still San Antonio’s best go-to option in the clutch. Though he may not be the ideal engine of a championship offense, his leadership will probably prove instrumental to this organization’s future success, even if he isn’t there to see it come to fruition.

LaMarcus Aldridge’s counting stats have sunk to levels not witnessed since his rookie campaign. How plausible is it that San Antonio explores shipping him off before the trade deadline?

LaMarcus Aldridge hasn’t been a net-positive for San Antonio this season. That said, it’s hard to be disappointed in a soon-to-be 36-year-old a few months removed from season-ending shoulder surgery. I think the Spurs should explore trading him to a desperate fringe-contender for whatever assets they can squeeze out of them. However, PATFO values continuity more than just about anything I can think of, so I doubt they pull the trigger unless they feel they’re improving this squad enough to improve their playoff chances.

The Spurs are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff hunt thus far. Is a postseason appearance for this group (as currently constructed) realistic?

Coming into the season, I said the Spurs were lottery-bound. While San Antonio had undoubtedly improved over the offseason, I felt the Western Conference was too deep for them to hope for anything more than a shot at the play-in game barring any movement around the league. There’s been a ton of variability with COVID and the James Harden blockbuster, and one could argue San Antonio has been one of the teams least impacted by the safety protocols thus far. If the Spurs can keep a clean bill of health and continue building chemistry once Derrick White returns, a playoff appearance isn’t out of the question.

Which head-to-head matchup are you most looking forward to?

Ja Morant versus Dejounte Murray. Morant tore up San Antonio and kept a shorthanded Grizzlies group within striking distance in the first meeting, and I expect him to put on another show. Murray is trending in the right direction, and I think these two could have some classic head-to-head battles for years to come. Their frames are nearly identical, yet they play almost nothing alike. I’m excited to see how this matchup pans out.

What are your general thoughts on the Grizzlies’ 2020-21 season?

With all the injuries, the Grizzlies have exceeded my expectations. Once they bring Jaren Jackson Jr. back into the mix, I think Memphis could be a darkhorse candidate for a deep playoff run. Head coach Taylor Jenkins had his young core playing some phenomenal basketball before the NBA Restart. And their rookie additions of Xabier Tillman and Desmond Bane were two guys who sat relatively high on my Big Board on draft night. Killian Tillie is another guy who could end up being an undrafted steal, and I love what Memphis has going for them right now.

Follow Noah (@N_Magaro) and Pounding the Rock (@poundingtherock) on Twitter for top-tier Spurs content!

For more Grizzlies talk, subscribe to the Grizzly Bear Blues podcast network on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and IHeart. Follow Grizzly Bear Blues on Twitter and Instagram.

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Fab Five from ‘Queer Eye’ are returning to Texas - KSAT San Antonio

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“Queer Eye” fans, get excited because the Fab Five is returning to the Lone Star State!

Bobby Berk, one of the Fab Five, confirmed the show is returning to Texas on Saturday on social media. He said the show is looking for its next “hero” and applications are now open.

If you’re interested in making it on “Queer Eye,” just send an email to QECASTING@ITV.COM with your name, photos, and stories, according to Bobby’s post.

If you have a friend you want to nominate, feel free to send in their information as well.

The group first announced it was coming to Texas in March of 2020 to film season 6 of the hit show. It wasn’t specified at the time which city they would be filming in and with the COVID-19 pandemic happening around the same time, it’s unclear if it was pushed back.

All five seasons of “Queer Eye” are currently available on Netflix. It’s unknown when season 6 will make its debut as of yet.

“Queer Eye” stars the Fab Five, known as Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, and Karamo Brown. It’s an LGBTQ hit-show on Netflix that features emotionally-charged episodes of the Fab Five making over a person’s lifestyle, including their wardrobes and their homes.

Read also:

‘Queer Eye’ star Jonathan Van Ness stops by Buc-ee’s before San Antonio show

Fab Five from ‘Queer Eye’ arrives in Texas to film season six

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Five Below looks to heat up shopping options in Geneseo - The Daily News Online

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GENESEO – Behind the tarp in the Genesee Valley Plaza of Lakeville Road a new Five Below store is taking shape.

“We are under construction on the build out now. It is about 10,000 square feet,” said Associate Real Estate Broker Scott Burdett.

Five Below is a specialty discount store that sells products that cost up to $5, plus a small assortment of products from $6 to $10. The company, which is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., has about 1,000 stores across the United States, including in Batavia’s Town Center on Veterans Memorial Drive.

“We are combining several store fronts to get to that square footage. It is a fairly typical size for Five Below,” said Burdett.

The average Five Below store size is 8,000 square feet. The one in Geneseo will not only be a little bit larger but also help to fill some empty spaces in the plaza.

“Three store fronts are being used and it will be a half way decent Five Below store,” said Town of Geneseo Code Enforcement Officer Shawn Grasby.

Burdett said the store will fill a significant vacancy in the plaza, leaving only one or two spaces vacant.

The new Five Below store will be near TJ Maxx. Burdett said that was a major reason why the retail store even considered Geneseo for this space.

“We brought TJ Maxx to the shopping center a little over a year ago and they have been tremendously successful. That was certainly an important consideration for getting Five Below interested in coming into the center,” said Burdett.

Another reason why some consider Five Below is a good fit, is the college population.

“They are a growing retailer. They bring good traffic to the shopping center,” Burdett said. “They are a discount retailer, so I think they cater to a conscience. I think that certainly includes college kids.”

It is not known how many jobs the new store will bring into the area. In a statement to The Livingston County News, Five Below would only say that it planned to open sometime this spring.

April 2021 is the target date, according to the statement from the Five Below Public Relations Team.

Despite being located close to other discount stores in the Plaza such as Dollar Tree, Burdett said he does not think it will impact either company’s bottom line.

“They co-exist in hundreds of centers across the county. I do not think there will be any issues and they will both benefit from each other,” said Burdett.

It will be the first Five Below store to open in Livingston County. With the stores development, Burdett said he is hoping other retails will consider moving into the area.

“I think if they are successful in Geneseo, it will continue to reinforce this as a strong retail market,” Burdett said. “I think success breeds success.”

Helping to not only breath new life into the plaza but give people across Livingston County one more place to shop.

“Five Below is going to fill a signifigant vacancy in the plaza and it will be leave us with only one or two spaces that are vacant,” said Burdett.

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