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fc fb777 Aston Villa manager Unai Emery believes their last-gasp disallowed goal against Juventus was ‘harsh’ even though he acknowledges this is Champions League officiating. The Premier League side thanked goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for his remarkable one-handed save on the line to deny Francisco Conceicao in “I am very happy because we won a point. We played a very competitive match. We were dominating the match to try to get three points,” However, the hosts also had huge chances, above all the Lucas Digne free kick that bounced off the top of the crossbar and a last-gasp disallowed Morgan Rogers goal. He had turned the loose ball into the net after Diego Carlos caught Michele Di Gregorio in the ribs, as While this was really not in doubt for the Italian interpretation of officiating, in the Premier League they are far less protective of the goalkeepers. “The last action is clear. It’s the interpretation of the referee. We know in England, it’s 80% not a foul, but in Europe, maybe not. For me it was harsh. In England, I know it’s not a foul usually, because it was a very soft contact. But in Europe, it could be foul,” noted Emery. “I think the referee, in the beginning, he was giving it as goal. We have to accept his decision.” The call was made by VAR without the need for the referee to view it himself on the On-Field Review monitor. “We played a serious match. We played trying to avoid the mistakes we made from the last matches. We were playing better and I think we more or less deserved to win the match than them,” added Emery. Juventus came to Birmingham with only 14 outfield players and had to use Timothy Weah as a makeshift False 9 in the absence of any centre-forwards. “We analysed their play, they are building a team and are in the process. They are very competitive and very difficult to beat. They’ve only lost one match. “But we wanted to play too. We were dominating them. We were getting into their box better and we had chances to score. They had the chance in the second half with that Emiliano Martinez save. “I think it was very tight match for both teams. But I’m happy with the overall result. Three wins, one draw and one defeat is very good. We still have the possibility to get into the top eight.” Unai Emery has his say after the referee ruled out Morgan Rogers’ late goal 💬 📺 & | 🎙 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt)

NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GenNx360 Capital Partners ("GenNx360"), a New York -based private equity firm, is pleased to announce the final sale of its portfolio company, ITsavvy LLC ("ITsavvy" or "the Company"), a provider of end-to-end IT infrastructure solutions, to Xerox Holdings Corporation ("Xerox") for $400 million . This transaction marks a significant milestone for GenNx360, as its first investment in the technology services sector. ITsavvy is an Oak Brook, Illinois -based technology solutions and services provider that delivers frictionless IT experiences by designing, developing and delivering technology infrastructure solutions and services that accelerate business outcomes on behalf of its clients. During GenNx360's investment, the Company experienced impressive organic growth, completed an acquisition of a highly strategic AIOps-enabled managed services provider ("MSP") and significantly increased overall profitability through several well-executed margin enhancement initiatives. A committed focus to the Company's services strategy further fueled organic growth and strengthened the Company's overall value proposition. Through the support of GenNx360, the Company also successfully launched an AI and Intelligent Automation strategy. This strategy included commercializing an AI offering to better serve the Company's clients, as well as optimizing the Company's internal operations. "The completion of this transaction marks a significant milestone for ITsavvy and for GenNx360. Over the past two years, ITsavvy has undergone exceptional growth and transformation under the leadership of Munu Gandhi and his team. Their dedication and collaboration with our firm have been critical to the company's success. We are proud of ITsavvy's achievements and confident it will continue to thrive as part of Xerox," said Ron Blaylock , GenNx360 Founder and Managing Partner, and Chairman of the ITsavvy Board of Directors. "We appreciate GenNx360's support and strategic insights over the past two years. They have been an outstanding partner to work with to enhance and evolve our platform," said ITsavvy CEO, Munu Gandhi. "We are excited to join forces with a longstanding company in Xerox, one of the great global brands, and we look forward to supporting their next stage of growth." "As part of our Reinvention, we have created a greater organizational focus on our emerging IT Services capabilities," said John Bruno , President and Chief Operating Officer at Xerox. "ITsavvy's complementary offerings, combined with our reputation, position us to accelerate growth across key markets and unlock new opportunities to help clients transform the way they work." "It has been a privilege to work with Munu and the ITsavvy team over the past two years. We are incredibly proud of the Company's growth and look forward to following their success in the future," said Peter White , Principal at GenNx360 and ITsavvy Board Member. This transaction underscores GenNx360's focus on driving operational excellence and delivering strong outcomes for our investors. Loeb & Loeb and Greenberg Traurig served as legal advisors to ITsavvy and GenNx360. About ITsavvy LLC ITsavvy is an industry-leading IT infrastructure solutions provider with comprehensive value added resell capabilities. Founded in 2004 in suburban Chicago , ITsavvy provides frictionless client experiences through the deployment of holistic solutions that deliver client business outcomes. For more information on ITsavvy, please visit www.itsavvy.com . About GenNx360 Capital Partners GenNx360 Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on acquiring middle market business services and industrial companies. GenNx360 partners with companies having proven and sustainable business models in expanding industries with the objective of implementing and supporting value-enhancing organic and inorganic initiatives to accelerate growth, deliver cost efficiencies, and generate strong financial returns. GenNx360 was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New York City . For more information on GenNx360, please visit www.gennx360.com . For media inquiries about this press release, please contact: Alicia Francis , Head of Investor Communications investorrelations@gennx360.com Phone: 929.287.6107 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gennx360-capital-partners-finalizes-the-sale-of-itsavvy-to-xerox-holdings-corporation-302314576.html SOURCE GenNx360 Capital PartnersWhat to know about a Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled to Eastern Europe

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 but they may not be content with their roster. They could look to sign Rōki Sasaki and bring another international star to Los Angeles. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he expects Sasaki to sign in the 2025 signing period, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo . While listing top landing spots for Sasaki, FanSided's Christopher Kline named the Dodgers as one of the top suitors for the 23-year-old Chiba Lotte Marines star. With Sasaki signing in the 2025 window, it gives the Dodgers an even better chance to sign him. "The Dodgers may have the upper hand due to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two major international stars who immediately elevated the Dodgers to must-watch status in Sasaki's native Japan," wrote Kline. "There is a certain undeniable popularity that comes with playing for the reigning champs and pitching behind Ohtani and Yamamoto." Money won't matter too much in landing Sasaki. He won't be able to sign a huge deal like Yoshinobu Yamamoto did last winter. Teams can only use the money from their international signing bonus pool allotment. The 2024 period ends on December 15 and the Dodgers have $2.5 million remaining . However, when the 2025 window opens on January 15, the Dodgers will have $5.1 million at their disposal . With the news that Sasaki will sign in the 2025 window, the Dodgers will have all $5.1 million at their disposal. Sasaki had 129 strikeouts in 18 games in Nippon Professional Baseball in 2024. He is a two-time NPB All-Star. He was electric in the World Baseball Classic when his fastball was on full display. Sasaki has the potential to be a No. 1 starter and the Dodgers could get him without spending huge like they did to add Yamamoto last offseason. More MLB: Dodgers predicted to poach $2.4 million All-Star from Mets in free agencyDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad , but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. “You will see there are skills" among the rebels, al-Sharaa said in a video shared on a rebel messaging channel. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Assad , a decision made by President Vladimir Putin . Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons , security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. “Don’t be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!” In southern Turkey , Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. “I haven’t seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he’s alive.” Prime minister says government is operational, but UN official says it's paralyzed Jalali, the prime minister, has sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a U.N. official said some government services had been paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” Britain, U.S. considering removing insurgent group from terror list Britain and the U.S. are both considering whether to remove the main anti-Assad rebel group from their lists of designated terrorist organizations. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham began as an offshoot of al-Qaida but cut ties with the group years ago and has worked to present a more moderate image. The group's leader, al-Sharaa, “is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about respecting people’s rights,” British Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said, adding that a change would be considered “quite quickly.” But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking later during a visit to Saudi Arabia, said it was "far too early” to make that decision. In Washington, a Biden administration official noted that HTS will be an “important component” in Syria's future and that the U.S. needs to “engage with them appropriately.” Another administration official said the U.S. remains in a “wait and see” mode on whether to remove the designation. Both officials requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing internal deliberations. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that such designations are constantly under review. Even while it is in place, the designation does not bar U.S. officials from speaking with members or leaders of the group, he said. The U.S. also announced it was sending its special envoy for hostage affairs to Beirut to seek information about the whereabouts of Austin Tice, a journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago and who President Joe Biden has said is believed to be alive. Israel confirms it struck suspected chemical weapons and rockets Israelis welcomed the fall of Assad, who was a key ally of Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, while expressing concern over what comes next. Israel says its forces temporarily seized a buffer zone inside Syria dating back to a 1974 agreement after Syrian troops withdrew in the chaos. “The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters Monday. Saar did not provide details about the targets, but the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they included weapons warehouses, research centers, air defense systems and aircraft squadrons. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria in recent years, targeting what it says are military sites related to Iran and Hezbollah . Israeli officials rarely comment on individual strikes. Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpile in 2013, after the government was accused of launching an attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people . But it is widely believed to have kept some of the weapons and was accused of using them again in subsequent years. Turkey says its allies have taken northern town Officials in Turkey, which is the main supporter of the Syrian opposition to Assad, say its allies have taken full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij from a U.S.-supported and Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. The SDF said a Turkish drone struck in the village of al-Mistriha in eastern Syria, killing 12 civilians, including six children. Turkey views the SDF, which is primarily composed of a Syrian Kurdish militia, as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey. The SDF has also been a key ally of the United States in the war against the Islamic State group. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday warned against allowing Islamic State or Kurdish fighters to take advantage of the situation, saying Turkey will prevent Syria from turning into a “haven for terrorism.” ___ Mroue reported from Beirut and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Mehmet Guzel at the Oncupinar border crossing in Turkey, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the AP's Syria coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/syria Sarah El Deeb, Bassem Mroue And Tia Goldenberg, The Associated Press

Snap: 25 Million Reasons To LoveFour senators have filed the Enable IC Partnerships Act, a bipartisan bill that would promote in the adoption of advanced technologies and development of technical talents. One of the bill’s proponents, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Az., said the U.S. intelligence community grows stronger once equipped with the tools necessary to tackle foreseen threats to national security. “This bipartisan effort will make it easier for our intelligence agencies to leverage partnerships to secure state-of-the-art technology and talent, ensuring the U.S. maintains an edge over adversaries,” Kelly remarked. Kelly’s co-authors in the measure are Sens. John Cornyn, R-Tx.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; and James Lankford, R-Ok. Who Are the Potential IC Partners? A statement from Kelly’s office issued on Friday noted that the intelligence community’s acquisition officials must be able to access public and private capital for the acquisition of technologies suited to address global threats to national security. The office also said the lenders that could be explored for potential partnerships under the bill include the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital, as well as private financial institutions. “Through IC partnerships with federal lending agencies like DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital and fostering greater IC public-private partnerships, we can better equip collectors and analysts with the tools to meet workforce demand and strengthen our national security,” Cornyn said. Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted that U.S. intelligence operations must meet the rapid rise of the technological capabilities of U.S. adversaries, stating, “This legislation would help give the IC the support, funding and flexibility needed to better protect our national security.” Kelly, Warner, Cornyn and Lankford are also co-authors of the proposed Enabling New Agile Buying-power and Leveraging Enhancements in Intelligence Community Acquisitions Act, which seeks to streamline .

How you can give

It’s the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which means you’re either laying the groundwork for how best to avoid awkward conversations tomorrow or prepping your Black Friday shopping list. Or both. My advice for blocking out those cringe-worthy chats is to bury your face in the sweet potatoes and never look up. My advice for shopping for gadgets on Black Friday is a little more helpful. Here are my tips for how to shop for tech products this year, whether you’re prowling the aisles of your favorite store or perusing an app from your couch. Video games, game consoles, and game accessories are an easy score on any Black Friday. You’ll find deals on consoles including Sony’s ( SONY ) PlayStation 5, Microsoft’s ( MSFT ) X Box Series X, and Nintendo’s ( NTDOY ) Switch, not to mention a solid amount off on controllers, which are mighty pricey when not on sale. I’m hoping my wife opts for a new PlayStation 5 controller at $20 off , since ours are always dying. Discounted gaming gift cards are also a great option for Black Friday shopping. Sony , Microsoft , Nintendo , Valve’s Steam , Roblox , and others offer gift cards for in-game purchases or to pay for a few months of access to their respective online services. Whether you’re looking for over-the-ear headphones or in-ear earbuds, you can score some exceptional deals during Black Friday. Be on the lookout for Apple’s ( AAPL ) AirPods and AirPods Pro if you’re an Apple fan, or check out the various offerings from Beats , JBL , Bose , and Sony that will be on sale at different retailers. It’s important to remember that some people are exceedingly particular when it comes to their earbuds. Some prefer those with silicon tips and others can’t stand them. You should also take into account whether you want active noise cancellation (ANC) or not. ANC, as its name implies, actively cancels out background noise while you're listening to music, podcasts, shows, whatever you’re into. You’ll usually only find ANC on more expensive headphones and earbuds. So, if you can find a pair with the technology at a good price, like the Bose QuietComfort for $199 at Amazon , go for it. In the market for a laptop this Black Friday? You’re in luck. Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , and others are offering up sales on everything from Apple’s MacBooks to ASUS gaming rigs and Microsoft’s Surface laptop . Not every laptop you see on sale is worth buying, though. My advice is to look for a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM. That’s more or less the norm for modern laptops, but lower-cost models often only provide 8GB, which can translate to slower overall performance. Generally, when you’re shopping for a laptop, or desktop for that matter, you want to purchase the most expensive model you can comfortably afford. That’s because pricer models tend to have the latest and greatest chips and more RAM and storage, which means they’ll last longer than more modestly priced computers. TVs are some of the most sought-after Black Friday items. But don’t just settle for the first TV you see at a suspiciously low price. When it comes to TVs, your best bet is to get an OLED model , thanks to their brilliant colors and inky blacks. Unfortunately, OLED TVs are pretty expensive, with most coming in at $1,000 or more. QLED TVs are a great alternative , though you’re not going to get the same kind of color performance as an OLED set. If there’s one thing to remember when buying a TV, though, it’s that you get what you pay for. In other words, if you opt for a $400, 55-inch model, don’t expect it to provide the best picture quality. But if you’re looking for the kind of TV that turns your friends green with envy, like LG’s C3 , expect to splash out $1,300. If you’re looking for smartphone and tablet deals on Black Friday, you’re in for a mixed bag. In the market for a new iPhone? Then you’ll generally need to search for trade-in options or sign up for a new mobile plan. Android phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, however, are on sale at places like Best Buy . Tablets, on the other hand, are great buys during Black Friday, whether they’re from Apple , Samsung , or Amazon . You can often find slates for hundreds of dollars off with a quick online search. Amazon, Roku ( ROKU ), and Google ( GOOG , GOOGL ) tend to go all out when it comes to Black Friday sales on their smart speakers and streaming boxes, and this year is no different. Amazon’s Echo Show 8 is $70 off at Best Buy, Roku’s Streaming Stick is $20 off at Amazon, and Google’s Nest Audio speaker is $50 off on the Google Store site. I’ve been holding off on buying a new Roku for my bedroom until Black Friday specifically because the sales are too good to pass up. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley . Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Order a Turducken on Goldbelly for Thanksgiving. You Won't Regret ItStrictly Come Dancing viewers call out judges for ‘unfair’ scoring

TORONTO, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northland Power Inc. (TSX: NPI ) (“ Northland ” or the “ Company ”) announced today that Christine Healy will officially assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer and be appointed as a director of the Company on January 20, 2025, following an update to the timelines previously shared at the time of her appointment. “We are thrilled that Christine was able to arrange her affairs to join us earlier than expected. We are looking forward to welcoming her to Northland on January 20, 2025,” said John Brace, Interim President & CEO and Board Chair. ABOUT NORTHLAND POWER Northland Power is a global power producer dedicated to helping the clean energy transition by producing electricity from clean renewable resources. Founded in 1987, Northland has a long history of developing, building, owning and operating clean and green power infrastructure assets and is a global leader in offshore wind. In addition, Northland owns and manages a diversified generation mix including onshore renewables, natural gas energy, as well as supplying energy through a regulated utility. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with global offices in eight countries, Northland owns or has an economic interest in approximately 3.2GW (net 2.8GW) of operating capacity. The Company also has a significant inventory of projects in construction and in various stages of development encompassing approximately 12GW of potential capacity. Publicly traded since 1997, Northland's common shares, Series 1 and Series 2 preferred shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NPI, NPI.PR.A and NPI.PR.B, respectively. For further information, please contact : Dario Neimarlija, Vice President, FP&A and Investor Relations 647-288-1019 investorrelations@northlandpower.com Victor Gravili, Head of Global Brand & Integrated Communications 647-288-1105 communications@northlandpower.com‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 10, followed by ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’

NEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Get local news delivered to your inbox!MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner won matches in singles and doubles to lead defending champion Italy to a 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina on Thursday, earning a return trip to the Davis Cup semifinals. “I’m here trying to do the best I can in the singles,” Sinner said. “If they put me on the court in doubles, I’ll also try my best.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Sam Hines Jr. scored 17 points as SE Louisiana beat North Dakota 76-60 on Wednesday. Hines also had five rebounds for the Lions (3-4). Brody Rowbury added 13 points while going 3 of 9 and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line while they also had eight rebounds. Jakevion Buckley shot 4 of 8 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points. The Fightin' Hawks (3-4) were led by Amar Kuljuhovic, who posted 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Treysen Eaglestaff added 13 points for North Dakota. Dariyus Woodson also recorded 11 points and two blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .

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