Around Town — Swinging For The Fences

General Daily Insight for November 19, 2024 Understanding this present moment is key to maximizing its benefits. Insightful Mercury trines wise Chiron, expanding our vision to include the bigger picture. Our findings won’t necessarily protect our sensitivities as the watery Cancer Moon squares Chiron. Plus, one set of challenges will probably be replaced by another when regenerative Pluto makes its final pass this cycle from grounded Capricorn into intellectual Aquarius at 3:29 pm EST.

As UCF prepares to face West Virginia this weekend, the Knights face a critical 2-game stretch that could determine their postseason future. UCF (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) must win out if the team hopes to be bowl-eligible for the ninth straight season. “We’re so far into the season that we’re just talking about this one game,” said coach Gus Malzahn.

Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 106-89 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers: – Interesting. – Perhaps just the right mix of shooting and defense. – So Duncan Robinson into the starting lineup alongside Tyler Herro. – And then Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo for the defense. – Granted, Erik Spoelstra had the freedom for the move with Terry Rozier sidelined with a foot issue. – But it also meant removing Kevin Love from the first five. – Granted, the starting lineup is only part of the process. – And this one has an undersized team even more undersized. – But the Heat, as configured, are a team designed to win in the margins. – With defense. – And shooting. – So two-fifths shooting and three-fifths defense. – Spoelstra just might have hit on the right cocktail. – Eventually needing a buy-in from Rozier when Rozier is able to return. – From the outset, the goal was lineup stability. – Therefore the long look at Nikola Jovic over the season’s first eight games. – With mixed results. – Then Rozier’s balky right foot opened the door for something different. – And potentially better. – Enduring? – Wait and see. – With the Heat now idle until Sunday’s visit by the Mavericks. – Going small Monday night was an option with the 76ers opening with former Heat forward Caleb Martin at power forward. – That shifted Love to the reserve rotation. – Love had started each of his previous four appearances. – Love and Pelle Larsson played as the Heat’s first two reserves. – Larsson, who had fallen out of the rotation, got the call with Jaime Jaquez Jr.

MIAMI — The Miami Heat easily could have tapped out in this one, suffocated into an early 19-point deficit, exhausted by a schedule that had them playing on the second night of a back-to-back set the day after concluding a six-game trip, against a team coming off of two days of rest. But sparked by the return of Jimmy Butler after a four-game absence, Erik Spoelstra’s team dug deeper, got unexpected contributions from unexpected contributors and pushed past the Philadelphia 76ers 106-89 Monday night at Kaseya Center. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t have any excuses,” Spoelstra said. None needed. Playing in the injury absences of Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Heat went from shaky legs early to something seemingly inspired by the Blood Red Culture jerseys donned for the first time. So what had been a 19-point deficit in the second quarter turned into a 16-point lead in the third, as the defense remained stifling and the shooting came around when needed. Butler led the Heat with a 30-point effort that included a 13-of-13 performance from the line. “I think I did what I’m supposed to do at a decent level tonight,” Butler said. He was supported by 18 points from Tyler Herro and 13 from Duncan Robinson. The 76ers got 20 points from rookie Jared McCain and 18 from Paul George, but just 12 from center Joel Embiid, who started but had been listed as doubtful earlier in the day due to illness. The victory lifted the Heat to 6-7, with the reeling 76ers falling to 2-11. The Heat now finally get to catch their breath, idle until Sunday’s game against the visiting Dallas Mavericks. “I think it’s much needed,” Herro said of the break. Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game: 1.

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By BETH HARPAZ NEW YORK (AP) — Arthur Frommer, whose “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day” guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, has died. He was 95. Frommer died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Pauline Frommer said Monday. “My father opened up the world to so many people,” she said.