Joice (joy) Baker Smith

Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 123-118 double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings: – Erik Spoelstra went back to the expected on Monday night. – Jaime Jaquez Jr. responded with a bit of everything. – After some creative, albeit unproductive, lineup tinkering by the Heat’s coach in the first game of Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension in Saturday night’s blowout loss to the Jazz, Spoelstra went with Jaquez as a starter Monday night. – Jaquez responded with one of his best performances of the season. – And certainly his most compete. – No, not a dynamic scorer. – No, not Jimmy Buckets 2.0. – But mature beyond his NBA experience. – And able to fill the boxscore. – So rebounds when needed Monday. – Assists when needed. – Enough points to join in the scoring. – And a mix of blocks and steals, to boot. – The finals numbers: 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals. – Yes, a couple of costly missed free throws. – But also the aggression to go for that critical late rebound. – If this is the Jaime Jaquez Jr.

The Miami Heat flew Delta to Sacramento on Sunday. Flying on Southwest would have been more apropos. Because Wanna Get Away assuredly had to be the theme for this six-game western swing, with Erik Spoelstra’s team coming off consecutive lopsided losses and dealing with the seven-game team suspension of Jimmy Butler for conduct detrimental to the team. As it is, there was no escape, just a 123-118 double-overtime loss to the Kings at Golden 1 Center despite holding a 17-point fourth-quarter lead. And, so, the misery continues, despite a triple-double from Jaime Jaquez Jr., a double-double from Bam Adebayo and 26 points from Tyler Herro. Unable to get the win at the end of regulation when Herro was off with a jumper, and unable to close it out in overtime, when Jaquez missed a pair of free throws, the Heat fell back to .500, at 17-17, done in by long-time nemesis DeMar DeRozan, who seized control in overtime to close out his 30-point night. And now, no rest for the weary, with the Heat off to San Francisco, for a Tuesday night game against the Golden State Warriors, 0-2 in these first two games of Butler’s suspension. Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game: 1.

General Daily Insight for January 07, 2025 Sometimes, what’s most obvious is what’s missing. As the emotional Moon trines communicative Mercury, we’re probably eager to share with others, connect with loved ones, and express our feelings in passionate ways. As the Moon proceeds from fiery Aries into grounded Taurus, what was said thoughtlessly in the moment may feel too dramatic or blunt.

By PAT GRAHAM DENVER — Devon Toews scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 11:06 remaining, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Monday night. Mikko Rantanen added a late empty-net goal to help the Avalanche wrap up a four-game homestand at 3-0-1. Rantanen’s score allowed him to extend his points streak to 14 games. Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 25 saves as he continues to shine in net since being acquired in a deal with San Jose last month.

Markenzy Lapointe announced Monday evening his resignation as the U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Lapointe, nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U. S. Senate in 2022, in a prepared statement said his resignation will take effect at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 17. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration will be Jan.

A self-described struggling artist from Missouri, Jacob Burmood says he could have used the $3,500 offered by the city of Sunrise to exhibit one of his abstract metal sculptures. But his heart “just sank” when he learned the city contract prohibited him from “engaging in a boycott of Israel.” Burmood turned down the offer, saying he couldn’t sign in good faith “because that would normalize this type of language in contracts.