#NBA

#NBA

They've been buddies forever, but this was the first time Jokić paid attention to how his friend makes a living. Pavkov was in constant motion, going from his phone to his customers in the front of his shop to the back, where he oversaw a paint job for one of Jokić's sulkies, the two-wheeled, chariot-like vehicles that attach to Jokić's horses as they race around his track down the street.

During the first half of Wednesday night's 122-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Miami Heat were dealt a massive blow with Bam Adebayo exiting the game with a left foot injury. Adebayo was injured after taking a step during a pitch back to guard Norman Powell in transition. He hobbled off the court and headed to the locker room and did not return. Adebayo played just eight minutes, finishing with two points and one rebound, making one of his five shot attempts.

While the Toronto Blue Jays were busy handling business against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a whopper of a World Series Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, the Toronto Raptors were getting their business handed to them nearly 1,400 miles away at Frost Bank Center against the San Antonio Spurs, falling 121-103 on Monday night. By the way, both the Raptors and Blue Jays games started at 8:00 pm ET.

Singler was charged Tuesday in Haskell County with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery in the presence of a child. Singler's girlfriend told a sheriff's deputy that Singler grabbed her by the head and shoved her to the ground, according to an arrest affidavit. Deputy Mitch Dobbs also reported that he could observe finger outlines on the woman's face and marks on her arm.

"Well, it shouldn't be needed, first and foremost," Jordan said. "You know, I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. It was something that I felt like the fans are there that watch me play. I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his [butt] off to get a ticket or to get money to buy the ticket."

Last year, he took it to another level, dressing as No-Face, a character from the Academy Award-winning animated film "Spirited Away." Wembanyama wore an all-black one-piece fit and covered his face with the trademark mask. The costume preceded a 25-point, 9-rebound, 7-assist performance plus 5 steals and blocks each against the Utah Jazz -- the second time in his career he put up at least five each in five stat categories.

Miami had chances to capitalize after a 17-1 run rewarded them with an 89-88 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But a late 16-5 Spurs surge - led by Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Harrison Barnes - all but put the game out of reach. The story was the Heat's inability to secure long rebounds and close possessions. San Antonio scored six second-chance points - both resulting in made 3-pointers from Devin Vassell and Barnes - over the final 5:30, the difference in the game.

However much grumping you might do at the water cooler-about the stupid idiot coach and his refusal to trust the rookie, or about the big brick-handed lummox mucking up the offensive spacing, or about the sleazy executive with his hands on the purse strings-when it comes to games and scores and outcomes, you have to root for your guys. That's your end of the deal.

Players are trying their best to win; the games are on the level. If you lose that, if the games are fixed or the players are motivated by something other than the competition, the whole thing collapses. (This is why sports gambling was banned for nearly 100 years after the Black Sox scandal; it was understood by everyone involved, until very recently, that players and coaches gambling on their own games was sports' third rail.) There's no reason to watch a game you can't believe

The operation carried out October 23 by the FBI, involving NBA players and several mafia families, could well have been lifted from this acclaimed piece of film making. In total, the FBI has arrested 37 individuals connected to the fraud ring. With the alleged involvement of three La Cosa Nostra crime families, an NBA head coach and Hall of Famer, as well as other current and former professional athletes, the investigative work that culminated with this morning's operation are reminiscent of a Hollywood movie.