gstar288 login CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter had 26 points in Middle Tennessee's 95-88 win over South Florida on Friday. Porter shot 9 for 12 (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Blue Raiders (5-1). Essam Mostafa scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds. Kamari Lands shot 6 for 12, including 4 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points. The Bulls (3-3) were led in scoring by Jayden Reid, who finished with 18 points, four assists and three steals. Jamille Reynolds added 17 points and nine rebounds for South Florida. Kasen Jennings finished with 13 points. Middle Tennessee led 51-33 at halftime, with Porter racking up 14 points. Mostafa led the way with a team-high 14 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .‘Twas the night before for Christmas Eve (Christmas Adam, if you will), and all through the league, everyone was chasing the elusive big three. The NFL regular season is nearing its end and teams are setting themselves up for a Super Bowl run. After Week 15, the Buffalo Bills were at the top of the Super Bowl odds following their win over the Detroit Lions . The two teams have flipped after Week 16. The Lions are the favorites again at +400, followed closely by the Bills and two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs , who are both +450. The Philadelphia Eagles (+600) and Baltimore Ravens (+750) close out the top five spots in the odds. Seeding for the postseason is not settled yet, but the big three of Detroit, Buffalo and KC are all in the mix to win the Super Bowl. 2025 Super Bowl odds Lions back at it Week 15’s loss to Buffalo was a setback for Detroit, but the Lions took care of business this week by knocking off the Chicago Bears to get to 13-2. Detroit’s offense was sensational, racking up 475 total yards, and Jared Goff shouldered more of the load with 336 passing yards and three scores. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta contributed as usual, but Goff’s top target was Jameson Williams , whose breakout 2024 campaign is littered with plays like his 82-yard touchdown catch against the Bears. He finished with a career-high 143 receiving yards. The Lions may have lost Knuckles indefinitely with David Montgomery ’s MCL injury, but Sonic is still a great solo act. Jahmyr Gibbs took his expanded responsibilities in the backfield and ran with them, as he totaled 154 yards from scrimmage (109 rushing, 45 receiving) and added a rushing touchdown. The second-year back has 15 total scores on the season, with 12 coming on the ground. What may have been most impressive for the Lions, though, was holding off Chicago’s offense after battling through a multitude of injuries within their defensive unit. Caleb Williams was able to rack up on the yardage throughout, but he played a hand in one of the Bears’ two fumbles that held them back from keeping pace with the Lions. Detroit has now held 10 opponents to 20 points or less this season. The Lions can nearly feel the NFC North title in their hands, but first they will need to match up with the San Francisco 49ers and close out the regular season in what could be a winner-takes-all division title game with the Minnesota Vikings (+1100 to win the Super Bowl), who are also 13-2. Bills survive a close call Sometimes, a major win like Buffalo had against Detroit leads to a letdown game the next week. The Bills looked like they were asleep at the wheel for much of the day against the lowly New England Patriots . But they made just enough plays to get to 12-3. The game didn’t have much to boost Josh Allen ’s case for MVP, but James Cook came to play. Cook totaled 126 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving). The biggest play of the day from the Bills offense was Cook’s 46-yard touchdown tote in the second quarter. Allen’s down day (184 total yards, one touchdown pass, one interception) did not hold the Bills back. He also avoided major injury to his throwing hand , which will be something to monitor. The Bills are still holding out hope of securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but they will need some help from the Chiefs to get there. Buffalo plays the New York Jets and has a rematch with the Pats left on the schedule. Chiefs keep rolling with a bit less drama The 2024 season has not always looked pretty for the two-time defending champions. But like the DJ Khaled song, all they do is win no matter what. The Chiefs now sit at 14-1 after knocking off the Houston Texans . KC has won 19 of its last 20 games and is one step closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC. You know the formula: The Chiefs showed well defensively, Patrick Mahomes made a few plays and the team made enough plays down the stretch to get the win. This marked the 11th one-score win this year for KC. Mahomes continued his stellar play as of late, going 28-of-41 with 260 passing yards and a touchdown pass. But the play that caught everyone’s eyes was his 15-yard touchdown scamper, notably after he came into the game nursing a high-ankle sprain. This is the part of the season Mahomes has thrived in throughout his career. He’s heating up again. Over the last five games, Mahomes has thrown eight touchdowns against zero picks with 240.8 passing yards per game and a 63.8 QBR. The medley of weapons expanding around him has helped. Xavier Worthy continues to develop in his rookie campaign, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce continue to be reliable veteran targets, and Isiah Pacheco and Hollywood Brown have returned to the field in recent weeks. But it all starts with the Chiefs defense, which picked off second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud twice in the win and held an opponent to 20 points or less for the 11th time this year. KC will now turn its attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. All the Chiefs need to do is win one more time to clinch the No. 1 seed and take home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Eagles losing in more ways than one Philly’s loss to the Washington Commanders may not be the biggest deal when all is said and done. Now 12-3, the Eagles are still atop the NFC East and still have a chance to usurp the Lions as the conference’s No. 1 seed. But the biggest news from the loss may be the fact that star QB Jalen Hurts left the action with a concussion. Former first-round pick Kenny Pickett stepped in and had a solid showing, but was unable to help Philly secure the win. The loss came despite a masterclass performance from Saquon Barkley , who finished with 150 rushing yards and two scores. He’s now up to 1,838 rushing yards, 268 yards away from topping Eric Dickerson’s single-season record from 1984. The other big story from that game was the play of Rookie of the Year favorite Jayden Daniels , who fried the Eagles’ top-ranked defense for 339 total yards (258 passing, 81 rushing) and a career-high five TD passes. Not only were the 36 points the most the Eagles have allowed all season, but it was only the fifth time a team has totaled over 350 yards of offense against them this year. Philly will need its defense in order to lock up the NFC East title as they finish the season out against the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants . Ravens retaking the North The Ravens have finally slayed the dragon. After losing eight of nine to Pittsburgh, Lamar Jackson and Baltimore beat the Steelers to get to 10-5 and move into a tie for the AFC North lead. Baltimore’s high-paced offense did it again, led by Jackson’s three touchdown passes, Derrick Henry ’s 189 total yards and Zay Flowers’ fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season. This year’s Ravens feel different than past years because of all the weapons around Jackson, who is now up to a career-high 37 touchdown passes against a mere four interceptions. Flowers has emerged with more than 1,000 yards in his sophomore campaign, but that’s in addition to Mark Andrews , Rashod Bateman , and Isaiah Likely all playing vital roles as well. But this offense is still powered by Henry, who is now up to 1,636 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns on the year. The Ravens D was much maligned earlier in the season, but has found a new form in the back half of the year. Since Week 11, they have allowed 278.2 yards and 19.2 points per game, as opposed to 367.9 yards and 25.3 points per game allowed through the first 10 games. Baltimore forced two pivotal Russell Wilson turnovers in the game to limit the Pittsburgh offense, with the second being a game-sealing pick-six from Marlon Humphrey in the fourth quarter. The Ravens close the season again the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns , while the Steelers play the Chiefs and the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals . This article originally appeared in The Athletic .

I paid $1,500 for a three-night stay at a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA. My king suite with an ocean view was super comfortable and I loved the 24-hour room service. I left the resort feeling better than I did when I arrived, so I'd say it was worth the money. Advertisement For me, traveling is the ultimate act of self-care. So, when I came across a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA, on Hotels.com 's Perfect Somewheres list — which highlights some of the top 1% of hotels on the company's app — I booked a trip . I'd seen some of my favorite influencers raving about their stays at the all-inclusive resort located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, so I had high hopes for my trip to the wellness spot. Advertisement As a Hotels.com Platinum One Key member, I got a 36% discount when I booked my trip and paid about $1,500 for a three-night stay. Here's what my experience was like.

Shohei Ohtani wins 3rd AP Male Athlete of the Year award, tying Michael Jordan for 1 shy of record LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has been named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time. That ties the two-way superstar with Michael Jordan, an athlete Ohtani followed while growing up in Japan. He trails only Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James, who each won the award four times. Ohtani received 48 votes in balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members. He earned his third National League Most Valuable Player award after helping the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title. Ohtani hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases as the first player with a 50-50 season. His dog, Decoy, became a celebrity, too, helping Ohtani deliver a ceremonial first pitch at a game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.Moment drunk rioter is hit in head and groin by flying bricks after sinking 10 pints and taunting cops as he’s jailed

Skip Bayless's Harsh Criticism of LeBron James "Such a Baby"

OTTAWA—When U.S. president-elect Donald Trump rattled global markets with a new threat of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican products and additional tariffs on China, it jolted the Canadian dollar and nerves at all government levels, led to predictions of a recession in 2025, and kicked off bitter partisan shots on Parliament Hill. The early days of a new Trump era suddenly look a lot like the old days, only worse. The Liberal government did not rule out retaliation — possibly a tariff war — if Trump goes ahead with his threat, just as Ottawa reciprocal dollar-for-dollar tariffs against the U.S. in 2018 during the bitter NAFTA renegotiation talks — a trade counter-punch that Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday worked. Freeland, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and other cabinet ministers said Canada “shares” Trump’s concerns about border security and is intent on beefing it up where necessary, but insisted the overall Canada-U.S. relationship is “balanced and mutually beneficial.” “The fact is, we need them and they also need us,” Freeland told reporters. She pointed to Canadian exports of oil, hydroelectricity, critical minerals and metals the U.S. relies on, all of which could face a sudden 25 per cent price hike for American consumers and businesses. Some economists suggested Canadian oil exports could eventually find new markets, but automotive, manufacturing, and other business leaders said Tuesday a 25 per cent surcharge would be devastating for most other Canadian export sectors. University of Calgary Prof. Trevor Tombe updated a he wrote for the Chamber of Commerce with a more dire prediction on “X” that 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs would hammer the Canadian economy, cause a recession, and lead to a loss of $2,000 in real annual income for people. For months, the Trudeau government has told Canadians it was getting ready for the prospect of an incoming Trump administration. It knew he’d campaigned on a 10 per cent tariff on all on global imports. It was braced for surprises. Yet on Monday night, Trump’s vow to exact a “big price” on Canada and Mexico and his lumping of Canada together with Mexico as a source of fentanyl and illegal immigration to the U.S. still landed like a bombshell, sources admitted. Trump, in his on his Truth Social platform, claimed “thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before.” On his first day in office, he now says he would levy and keep a 25 per cent tariff in place “until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!” Trump’s aggressive move sent the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso into a fall in overnight markets. Premier , who chairs the Council of the Federation, said it was “unfair” and “insulting” for Trump to compare Canada to Mexico. “It’s like a family member stabbing you right in the heart.” Asked if Canada should respond in kind if Trump slaps a 25 per cent tariff on goods shipped into the U.S., Ford said: “Hopefully we won’t come to that. But if it does, there is no choice. We have to retaliate.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau immediately called Trump’s team Monday night, but the call resulted in no pullback by Trump, or dialing down of the threat. Trudeau told the Commons they talked about “how important it was for us to work together to solve some of the challenges we are facing as a continent and as countries, but also work to grow our economy and protect our workers on both sides of the border.” The prime minister essentially argued Canada is not the same problem Mexico is — rather it’s a solution to American concerns about border integrity. A senior government official told the Star the call lasted about 10 minutes, with the first few minutes spent on niceties and catching up, and was not confrontational. Still, at the end of it, Trudeau and his inner circle recognized Trump’s threat must be taken seriously, that Trump has set a deadline at his swearing-in date, and so the government must spend the next two months to avoid that. The sense of urgency pervaded Parliament Hill Tuesday. The Commons was to hold an emergency debate Tuesday night, and said he has convened a first ministers’ meeting Wednesday night, at 5 p.m. to hash out how to handle the incoming , and the potential crisis posed by his . It remains unclear if Trump is staking out a tough initial negotiating position, or trying to scare foreign investment capital away from Canada and Mexico. The renegotiated North American trade pact is up for review in 2026 and Trump has boasted since his re-election that he fixed it in his first term. Known here as the Canada-U.S.-Mexican-Agreement or CUSMA, that deal protects duty-free trade among the three countries, and mostly prevents the use of tariffs on each other. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a tariff war would put “our common businesses at risk,” Associated Press reported. “It is unacceptable and would cause inflation and job losses in Mexico and the United States,” Sheinbaum said. Inside and outside the Commons, the prime minister issued a call for Canadian political leaders to set partisanship aside and show a united front in a “Team Canada approach” to Trump. However, Trudeau’s call didn’t bridge the deep partisan divide on Parliament Hill. Outside the Commons, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trudeau and Freeland were surprised by Trump’s threat because they are “weak,” and that “if necessary” he would be willing to retaliate against any Trump tariffs, although he did not specify in what manner . Inside the chamber, Poilievre erroneously said Trump made the threat after Trudeau had called him, lambasting Trudeau for having no real plan other than a “Zoom call.” “Where is the plan to stop the drugs and keep our border open to trade?” Poilievre demanded. Trudeau retorted Poilievre “is just making stuff up” — Trump’s threat preceded and prompted their call — and resorting to slogans and fear-mongering. “We are going to continue to work constructively with the incoming administration to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian growth and to take the responsible approach that is not steeped in partisanship,” the prime minister said. New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh said, “The only thing a bully responds to is strength. Where is our plan to fight back? Where is the war room? Where is a concrete plan to bring our issue before CUSMA? Why is the prime minister not fighting like hell for Canadian jobs?” Trudeau said the “idea of going to war with the United States” is not what anybody wants, and his government would not react by “freaking out the way the leader of the NDP seems to be.” Two premiers — Alberta’s Danielle Smith and Quebec’s François Legault — backed Trump, with Smith posting that he “has valid concerns related to illegal activities at our shared border.” “I think that the concerns expressed by Donald Trump are legitimate,” said Legault, speaking in Quebec City. “I understand that the problem is far worse on the Mexican border, but the fact remains that when you look at what’s happening on the Canadian border, especially in recent years, there’s been a significant increase in the number of illegal immigrants going through Canada to arrive in the United States. So Mr. Trudeau, more than ever, now must present a plan, a plan to properly protect the border on both sides.” NDP Premier Wab Kinew of Manitoba said Canada could more quickly invest in defence and border security to allay Trump’s concerns.

NonePorter's 26 lead Middle Tennessee over South Florida 95-88