Mexico investigates soccer field attack that killed at least 11 people

SALAMANCA, Mexico (AP) — Beer cans, candles and blood-stained clothing littered a soccer field in central Mexico on Monday, a day after gunmen killed 11 people and injured 12 others during a gathering after an amateur match.

While authorities investigate the killings, Guanajuato state Gov. Libia Dennise García said Monday that “security in the region has been reinforced” with state and federal forces. She said on social media that the state “will act decisively to protect families, restore peace to the community, and bring those responsible to justice.”

The massacre took place in the municipality of Salamanca, in the state with the highest number of homicides in the country. The region has been wracked by intense violence linked to the territorial dispute between the local Santa Rosa de Lima cartel — a violent group primarily dedicated to fuel theft and trafficking — and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, CJNG.

Salamanca Mayor César Prieto — the only official to provide early details on Sunday — described the massacre as part of a “wave of violence” and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help.

It also comes a few months before the start of the FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with Canada and the United States, and as the government seeks to highlight its progress in security.

Sheinbaum didn’t address the events in Salamanca during her news briefing on Monday, deferring to the local prosecutor’s office, which has only confirmed an ongoing investigation.

Authorities have not offered any hypotheses regarding the possible motive for the attack.

Security analyst David Saucedo, who was based in Guanajuato for many years, suggests the attack was likely an “indiscriminate” act by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

According to Saucedo, the group may have targeted the public specifically to provoke a federal military surge into territory currently held by its rivals, the Jalisco Cartel — a move he says “undermines the image of security Mexico hopes to project on the eve of the World Cup.”

The Jalisco cartel is the fastest-growing criminal organization in Mexico. It was declared a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, which also targeted the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Jonathan David finding his form at Juventus with home World Cup in Canada approaching

ROME (AP) — Canada standout Jonathan David is rediscovering his form with a home World Cup approaching.

David scored his third goal in four matches and Juventus beat defending champion Napoli 3-0 in Serie A on Sunday.

The result meant that Luciano Spalletti got the better of Antonio Conte with both coaches meeting former squads.

Midway through the first half, David chested down a pass over the top from Manuel Locatelli and pushed it in.

Three minutes earlier, Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram had hit the post, and three minutes after the goal the Turin club had another chance when Francisco Conceicao’s shot was cleared off the line by Napoli defender Alessandro Buongiorno.

Kenan Yildiz and Filip Kostic added second-half goals for host Juventus.

Napoli remained third, three points behind AC Milan, which visited Roma later Sunday. Juventus moved level on points with fourth-place Roma.

Spalletti coached Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, while Conte led Juventus to three straight Italian league titles after also playing for the club.

David scored in his Serie A debut for Juventus in August but then had a long drought before rediscovering his form this month with a goal and an assist against Sassuolo and another goal against Cremonese. He also had an assist in Juve’s victory over Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday.

David’s season has also had to weather a coaching change, with Spalletti replacing the fired Igor Tudor in October.

Canada is co-hosting this year’s World Cup with the United States and Mexico.

Canada is in a group with Qatar, Switzerland and another team still to be determined by European playoffs that include four-time champion Italy.

Lukaku makes season debut for Napoli

The only good news for Napoli was that Romelu Lukaku came on in the second half for his first action since getting injured during a preseason friendly.

Lukaku wasted his only chance after a nice setup from Rasmus Hojlund.

Also, seventh-place Atalanta routed Parma 4-0 with Giacomo Raspadori scoring in his first start for the Bergamo club after transferring from Atletico Madrid.

Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa came back from two goals down to beat 10-man Bologna 3-2 with an injury-time winner from Junior Messias; and Sassuolo beat Cremonese 1-0.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Raptors vs Thunder Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

The suddenly mortal Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t looked like a juggernaut lately, and they’ll be shorthanded again tonight as they host the upstart Toronto Raptors.

After a 24-1 start, OKC is just 13-8 in its last 21 games. My Raptors vs. Thunder predictions expect the hosts to lean heavily on Chet Holmgren here in what should be a tighter battle than the line suggests.

Take a closer look at my NBA picks for this January 25 clash.

Raptors vs Thunder prediction

Raptors vs Thunder best bet: Chet Holmgren Over 28.5 points + rebounds (-112)

Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder held the fort without Chet Holmgren, who only logged 32 games in an injury-hit regular season. This year, they’d be lost without him – and his role should only expand with OKC’s growing injury list. 

The hosts will be without Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell tonight against the Toronto Raptors. That’s a lot of firepower in street clothes, and Holmgren is the likeliest candidate to step up to relieve the burden on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Chet delivered a 25-point, 13-rebound effort on Friday against the Pacers, and this is the time for a serious uptick in his 11.5 FGA per game. We’ve seen that in two of his past three outings, and I’m banking on 15+ shots here.

January has been a strong month on the boards for Holmgren. He’s averaging 10 RPG, and that spells trouble for a Toronto team that’s missing Jakob Poeltl and possibly rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, too. Look for the visitors to lean into small-ball lineups, giving Chet a major edge on the glass.

While this O/U line is a little higher than Holmgren’s season averages, he’s walking into the type of volume that an All-Star candidate should thrive on.

Raptors vs Thunder same-game parlay

The Raptors have put together a 3-1 West Coast road trip so far, and they’ve posted a solid 15-9 mark on their travels this year. Meanwhile, the Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games, so I’m taking the points here with a double-digit spread, especially given OKC’s injury list.

Even so, it’s hard to see Toronto staying close without a top-tier effort from Scottie Barnes, so I’m adding his points prop Over for this SGP. He’s averaging 22.8 PPG across his past eight contests, despite some miserable 3-point shooting, and he went past this number in his last visit to OKC.

Raptors vs Thunder SGP

• Chet Holmgren Over 28.5 points + rebounds
• Raptors +11
• Scottie Barnes Over 18.5 points

Our “from downtown” SGP: Cason keeps rolling along

Cason Wallace is going to see extra opportunities tonight, with the Thunder’s backcourt injuries, and he drilled three 3-pointers against the Pacers on Friday. He’s 11-for-22 from downtown across his last six games, and he’ll get open looks when SGA draws a crowd.

Raptors vs Thunder SGP

• Chet Holmgren Over 28.5 points + rebounds
• Raptors +11
• Scottie Barnes Over 18.5 points
• Cason Wallace Over 1.5 3-pointers

Raptors vs Thunder odds

• Spread: Raptors +11 | Thunder -11
• Moneyline: Raptors +390 | Thunder -510
• Over/Under: Over 224.5 | Under 224.5

Raptors vs Thunder betting trend to know

The Raptors are 6-3 ATS in their last nine contests. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Thunder.

How to watch Raptors vs Thunder

Raptors vs Thunder latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

NBA postponed Sunday's Denver at Memphis game due to 'inclement weather in Memphis area'

Mavericks vs Bucks Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

The Dallas Mavericks will look to get back in the win column after breaking a four-game winning streak as they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.

Dallas has been playing good basketball over the past couple of weeks, and I’m taking them to beat a struggling Milwaukee squad in my Mavericks vs. Bucks predictions below.

Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup in my free NBA picks for Sunday, January 25.

Mavericks vs Bucks prediction

Mavericks vs Bucks best bet: Mavericks moneyline (+120)

Tonight’s game will likely see both teams without their star players on the court. And while the Dallas Mavericks will miss rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, the Milwaukee Bucks are truly in for a tough time with out superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will be out for several weeks with a calf injury.

That’s an especially tough pill for Milwaukee to swallow considering how much the team has been struggling even with Giannis in the lineup. The Bucks have lost five of their last six games overall, including each of their last three at home. 

Contrast that with Dallas, which seems to be coming into its own as a competitive NBA team, if one that’s still a year or more away from being a true playoff contender. And it’s not all about Flagg, as players like Max Christie (13.3 ppg) have come up big in recent weeks to show that this team has a wealth of young talent to draw on.

Without Antetokounmpo, it’s hard to see Milwaukee getting many wins against competent teams, and the Mavericks are losing far less without Flagg in the lineup than the Bucks are by losing their iconic MVP candidate. I’m taking Dallas to get the win outright on the road tonight.

Mavericks vs Bucks same-game parlay

Along with taking the Mavs to win outright tonight, I’m also going to place a bet on the Over, as this number is just too low for two teams that play around league-average pace and have generally gone above tonight’s number.

I’m also taking Max Christie to hit his scoring total of 17.5 points, as he’s gone Over this total in four straight games, and should get even more usage if Flagg isn’t in the lineup.

Mavericks vs Bucks SGP

• Mavericks moneyline
• Over 218.5
• Max Christie Over 17.5 points

Our “from downtown” SGP: Max effort

Christie has dished out at least two assists in 13 straight games, and has hit 3+ in two of his last four outings. 

Mavericks vs Bucks SGP

• Mavericks moneyline
• Over 218.5
• Max Christie Over 17.5 points
• Max Christie Over 2.5 assists

Mavericks vs Bucks odds

• Spread: Mavericks +2.5 | Bucks -2.5
• Moneyline: Mavericks +120 | Bucks -140
• Over/Under: Over 218.5 | Under 218.5

Mavericks vs Bucks betting trend to know

Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last five games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Bucks.

How to watch Mavericks vs Bucks

Mavericks vs Bucks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

NBA game in Minneapolis between Warriors and Timberwolves postponed after ICE shooting

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed on Saturday afternoon following another fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.

The league announced the decision was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed in a confrontation with officers on a street in a commercial district less than two miles from Target Center, the downtown arena where the Timberwolves play.

The game was moved back by 24 hours, rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Timberwolves and Warriors are also scheduled to play on Monday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

LeBron brushes off Buss report: ‘Don’t really care’

LeBron James said he wasn’t bothered by an ESPN story this week that detailed his allegedly strained relationship with Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, saying, “I don’t care about how somebody feels about me.”

Former Miami Heat security officer gets 3 years in prison for selling stolen memorabilia

MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami Heat security officer has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million in restitution for stealing hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other valuable sports memorabilia while working for the team.

Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, was sentenced earlier this month, according to court records. He pleaded guilty last August to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.

The 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.

“This defendant was a former police officer who betrayed the public trust and exploited his access to our beloved hometown team for personal gain,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement. “The Miami Heat represent excellence built through hard work and discipline in South Florida — and this conduct was the opposite.”

According to federal prosecutors and the FBI, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room and sold items through various online marketplaces. He had access because he worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center. He was one of a few employees with access to a secured equipment room that stored memorabilia the Heat organization planned to display in a future team museum.

Over a three-year period, authorities say Perez sold more than 100 stolen items for approximately $1.9 million and shipped them across state lines, often at bargain prices. They say he sold a Miami Heat jersey LeBron James wore during the NBA Finals for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home last April and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, officials said. The Miami Heat confirmed the items had been stolen from their facility.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Cooper Flagg's impressive rookie season has put him in elite company — and given Mavs fans hope again

The first time the Dallas Mavericks played the Miami Heat this season, Cooper Flagg started out slowly: just six points through three quarters, making only three of the nine shots he took, with three turnovers in 24 minutes. And then, with the Mavs down by seven and about nine and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick checked back in … and, suddenly, he was damn near everywhere.

Dallas’ comeback effort came up short, but the then-18-year-old’s closing kick — six points, four boards, two assists, a steal and relentless activity in those final nine-and-a-half minutes — made an impression.

“He’s not scared of the moment,” star Heat center Bam Adebayo told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “A lot of guys would move to the corner when there’s two minutes left in a close ball game … he was going to get the ball. He’s growing up faster than people think.”

Including, maybe, the Heat. When the two teams played again a week and a half later, Flagg scored a team-high 22 on 9-for-13 shooting in a 10-point Mavericks win.

This, as much as anything, has been the story of Flagg’s rookie season, which passed the halfway mark this week as he played key roles in wins over the slumping Knicks and injury-rocked Warriors. The campaign continues Saturday with what ought to be a pretty interesting nationally televised home game against the Los Angeles Lakers — nearly one year removed from the gobsmacking dead-of-night deal that shipped Luka Dončić to L.A.

Trading Luka for Anthony Davis removed the cornerstone on which the Mavericks franchise was built, precipitating Dallas’ downfall as a putative championship contender and beginning Nico Harrison’s slow march to the exit at the American Airlines Center. It also created a need for a new cornerstone — one better positioned for the task than Davis or Kyrie Irving, both on the wrong side of 30 and often (andcurrently) on the wrong side of the injury report.

That vacuum has been filled, thanks to a staggering amount of draft-lottery luck, by Flagg: one of the most highly touted prospects in a generation, one of the most productive teenagers the NBA has ever seen, and a preternatural talent that, as Adebayo put it, is growing up a hell of a lot faster than it would’ve seemed reasonable to expect.

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Flagg’s arrival can only do so much to abate and ameliorate the pain and trauma of the Dončić deal for a number of reasons, not least of which is the basic point that it’s really hard to replace an All-Star starter without downgrading. But even as the Mavs scuffle below .500 and near the bottom of the NBA in offensive efficiency, the presence of Flagg — rising up to the top of the rookie class, jousting with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel and 76ers ace VJ Edgecombe in consideration for Rookie of the Year honors at the season’s midway point — gives Dallas fans something to grab hold of, a reason to believe that better days are ahead, sooner rather than later.

Flagg enters Saturday’s tilt against the Lakers averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, with a true shooting percentage (which factors in 2-point, 3-point and free-throw accuracy) of .554. Here is the list of rookies to average 18-6-4 on .550 TS% in NBA history:

• Oscar Robertson

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

• Magic Johnson

• Michael Jordan

I am not saying that Flagg is guaranteed to be one of the 10 best players in NBA history. I am just saying that what he has done so far puts him on a pretty cool friggin’ list. (And, for whatever it’s worth: None of those guys was doing that as a teenager.)

The only rookies this century to score as much, as efficiently and with as high a usage rate as Flagg has this season were Karl-Anthony Towns a decade ago and Victor Wembanyama two years back. The last two to do it before them: Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal.

Landing among such all-time elite offensive company would be impressive enough. Reaching that level on a team nearly denuded of high-level complementary offensive talent capable of deflecting defensive attention away from you is downright exceptional. (Not you, Naji Marshall. I think you’re high-level complementary offensive talent, and I always have.)

With Davis once again sidelined, still no timeline for Irving’s return, third-year center Dereck Lively II lost for the season and plenty of other contributors missing time, leaving the Mavericks as one of the most injury-ravaged teams in the NBA, Flagg — the youngest player in the NBA — has gotten a crash course in doing damn near everything there is to do on the basketball court. His introduction to the pro game saw him suddenly tasked with masquerading as a point guard; that, um, didn’t go so hot. Being thrown into the fire, though, gave the über-prospect an up-close-and-personal brush with failure the likes of which he never experienced — an encounter that Flagg says has paid dividends as he works his way through his maiden voyage through the senior circuit.

“I don’t know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat,” he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I tried my best, and I mean, that’s not to say I can’t go back to it and can’t work on it and get better, but I think it’s just worked out where it’s been better to have somebody else helping out, relieving pressure. … It wasn’t perfect, but I think I learned a lot through that.”

Playing more frequently with fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard or reserve ball-handler Brandon Williams, Flagg has blossomed on the other side of the experiment, averaging more than 20 points and nearly 4.5 assists per game over the last 30 games while making 55% of his 2-point shots. The list of players doing that over the course of the full season looks like an All-NBA ballot.

And while shifting from the point back to the wing reduces his responsibility for bringing the ball up the floor and initiating offensive sets, it hasn’t exactly meant the kid’s suddenly getting spoon-fed. Flagg’s still shouldering a massive burden when it comes to generating his own scoring chances; according to NBA Advanced Stats, 56% of his baskets this season have been unassisted. Only 30 players in the NBA (minimum 20 games played and 20 minutes per game) are creating for themselves that often — a list that, when you filter for high-minute players like Flagg, is almost exclusively populated by All-Star-level lead guards and No. 1 offensive options. 

Flagg generates those looks for himself the hard way: by doing the engine-room work of lowering his head and his shoulder and bulldozing his way to the basket.

As The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry recently noted, Flagg leads all rookies in drives to the rim. In fact, he’s tied for 35th in the entire league, averaging as many forays to the cup per game as Edwards, and 19th in points scored per game off those drives, right behind Pascal Siakam and Donovan Mitchell. My colleague Steve Jones Jr. recently highlighted the right-handed Flagg’s adeptness at driving to his left, and the numbers bear that out: Flagg opts for his non-dominant hand on nearly 63% of his drives, according to Synergy Sports, producing more than one point per possession and shooting 51.1% on those left-hand attacks.

While Flagg’s ability to steamroll downhill to create for himself is impressive enough, one area of growth as he moves through the early stages of his career is getting more comfortable facilitating while handling the ball in the two-man game. Including possessions where he passes to a teammate who shoots, Flagg’s pick-and-rolls are producing 0.951 points per possession, according to Synergy. That’s not a particularly exceptional number in and of itself — about league average overall, and 68th out of 93 players finishing at least five plays per game out of the pick-and-roll.

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On the other hand, though — and it’s really worth hammering this point home — “about league average at generating points out of the pick-and-roll” is pretty damn good for a just-turned-19-year-old stepping immediately into a primary shot creation role that he’d never played before. And it’s also worth noting that, as with so much else about his game, Flagg seems to be getting better at it as the season goes along.

Over the past month, Dallas has scored 1.063 points per possession out of Flagg’s pick-and-rolls — a mark that would rank between what Mitchell and Jaylen Brown are generating out of the two-man game this season. The reads and passes are rarely breathtaking, but the court vision that he flashed in his fits-and-starts point guard days continues to produce good looks — either for himself after keeping a defender in jail and probing the paint, or for a teammate after the help leans too far in his direction — for an offense that desperately needs them:

Due in part to the relative lack of offensive threats around him, especially with Davis back on the shelf and Irving still in street clothes, teams have been sending more defensive attention at Flagg — loading the coverage toward him, trapping him as he comes off a ball screen, trying to heat him up and force the ball out of his hands. Learning how to patiently play through that kind of pressure takes time and repetition, with today’s pain bringing the promise of more efficient production tomorrow.

“He’s going each and every night,” Davis said last month, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Each possession. They are trying to put their toughest defender on him every night. Try to take away his ability to put the ball on the floor and score. But he’s handling it very well. Making plays out of the double teams. It’s our job to capitalize when he makes the right play.”

The Mavs haven’t done that often enough this season, shooting just 39.7% off his passes, including a dismal 30.6% on 3-point looks, according to NBA Advanced Stats — in keeping with the sour overall flavor of an attack that ranks 25th or worse in 3-point attempts, makes and percentage, 28th in points per half-court possession, and 27th in overall offensive efficiency. It’s easy to imagine future Dallas rosters built around Flagg prioritizing perimeter shooting, looking to leverage the way that his size and skill enables him to penetrate into the teeth of the defense by flanking him with marksmen capable of cashing out after he drives, reads and kicks.

“The biggest thing that stands out to me is his athleticism,” a Western Conference scout recently told MacMahon of ESPN. “If I’m the GM here, I’m adding as much shooting as possible and building around him for a long time.”

Flank Flagg with floor-spacers and give him the green light to get downhill, and it seems like you’ve got the recipe for a damn good offense. The only fly in the ointment is Flagg’s own jumper: just 33.5% outside the paint and 28.3% from 3-point land, including a surprising 24.2% on supposedly easier catch-and-shoot triple tries. If he can’t iron out the wrinkles in his J, defenses will be able to duck under ball screens, sag off him and crowd the paint, clogging up driving lanes and making it more difficult for him to create for himself and others.

For what it’s worth, though, at least one pretty reliable source when it comes to shooting the ball isn’t too worried about the kid’s overall outlook …

… which seems smart, considering Flagg’s up to 36% from deep on nearly four attempts per game over the past month — yet another area in which he just continues to improve, night after night, game after game.

Just like his rebounding. Kidd recently challenged Flagg to be more active and aggressive on the glass.

“That’s one area we believe he can get better at,” Kidd said, according to Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “With time, he’ll figure that out.”

Flagg pulled down a season-high 11 boards in Thursday’s win over the Warriors. You don’t need that much time when you’re growing up faster than people think.