Garden Column: Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

MIAMI — Moments after the Miami Heat said Saturday that coach Erik Spoelstra would not comment on the seven-game team suspension issued Friday to forward Jimmy Butler, Spoelstra on Saturday commented on the situation prior to his team’s game against the Utah Jazz at Kaseya Center. “I know there’s been a lot over the last 48 hours that has happened,” Spoelstra opened.

It’s over, Georgia. It’s over, Alabama. Your dominant, dynastic days of ruling the SEC and reigning over college football are a relic of days gone by. No longer can you stockpile talent with the confidence that your second- and third-string five-stars will wait patiently for their turn. The transfer portal has enabled “lesser” programs to shatter your glass ceiling, and NIL payments have further redistributed the wealth. Sure, you’ll still be good — great, even.

Mylyjael Poteat scored a career-high 25 points and his three-point play with 2.7 seconds left carried Virginia Tech past Miami 86-85 on Saturday. Poteat gathered a pass in the lane from Ben Hammond and drew a foul on Brandon Johnson on the game-tying layup before sinking the foul shot for the win.

LEXINGTON — Koby Brea scored 23 points and hit seven 3-pointers off the bench to lead No. 10 Kentucky over No. 6 Florida 106-100 on Saturday, handing the Gators their first loss of the season. The Gators (13-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) had cut an 80-69 Kentucky lead to 89-87 on Walter Clayton Jr.’s free throws with 4:40 remaining, but Lamont Butler hit a 3 as the shot clock wound down and added two free throws to help the Wildcats (12-2, 1-0) hang on. Clayton scored 33 points, 12 of those in Florida’s 18-9 run before Butler’s 3 with 3:42 left.

MIAMI — Complete closure will not come until Jimmy Butler is traded. But hours after the Miami Heat suspended the six-time All-Star and began soliciting outside offers, it is evident the team has moved on. “You go through this league with purity. And then for us, it’s taking it one game at a time,” center Bam Adebayo said ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Utah Jazz at Kaseya Center.

A child and an adult were hospitalized after a dog attack in Deerfield Beach Friday evening. A little before 6:30 p.m., Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of an animal bite near the 400 block of Southwest 13th Place, the Sheriff’s Office said in an email. A child and an adult were taken to local hospitals with injuries from dog bites.