SPORTS
Minister opens 50-metre swimming pool at Champion Spirit Country Club
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THEY didn't make a splash in it, but Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg opened the newest 50-metre swimming pool at the Champion Spirit Country Club.
The brief opening ceremony was held yesterday at the resort that Bowleg called a "one stop shop" that features a series of world-class facilities designed by founder Abdoulaye Fadiga and operated by Bahamian Olympian Andretti Bain.
Prime Minister Philip 'Brave' Davis was expected to attend but didn't make it due to a prior engagement. But Bowleg, in his remarks, said he's finally glad to open the second 50-metre pool in The Bahamas.
Bowleg noted that the pool comes at a time when the country is still celebrating the seventh straight victory by Team Bahamas at the 2025 CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Trinidad & Tabago over the Easter holiday weekend. He noted that the facility will
only encourage more young swimmers to get involved in the sport and compete at the next level like some of the former swimmers who were in attendance, including Nikia Deveaux-Christie, who made it to the Olympics.
Bowleg also revealed that when the men's national basketball team assembles next week for the FIBA World Cup Qualifier against Canada, he intends to invite them out to train in the facility, which caters to a number of sporting disciplines in a world-class setting.
Fadiga, a former Thai boxing world champion, said he was delighted to finally get the pool completed up to 90 per cent.
He said the other 10 per cent should be done by January when the pool will be in full operation. "It's a good feeling to know that it is finally completed," said Fadiga, who is now residing in The Bahamas. "We hope to ensure that we can provide a truly world-class experience for everybody who attends the facility."
He noted that the facility is a dream come true and
he's just excited to see it come to a reality.
Bain thanked Fadiga for coming up with the initiative to provide the facility that they hope to make accessible to as any Bahamians as possible. He said he was hoping that Fadiga would have taken the first dip into the pool. Once
he does, he said he will follow him.
Deveaux-Christie said looking at the pool brought back so many memories and she's considering whether or not she will contemplate making a comeback, but she seriously doubts it.
"I'm really excited that we have another 50 (metre)
pool in the country and I hope that it is opened to the younger swimmers in the country," she said. "Our swimmers are doing extremely well and hopefully this will encourage more of them to attain the highest level of competition at the Olympics." Having been there and
done it, Deveaux-Christie said she was pleased to see the Bahamas Government recognise her for her achievement by placing her as one of the last five persons who had their images placed on the Walk of Fame on the outside of the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium earlier this month.
"It's a great feeling especially knowing that after all these years to be recognised," Deveaux-Christie aaid. "It brings the feeling back all over again and it's even encouraging to my son who didn't think that was a great athlete."
As one of the youngest competitors in attendance, Menzies said the pool will enable more of the younger swimmers, especially on the national team, in the country to train in a new facility.
"I think it will be good for the national team to have another 50m pool to train in because it's so much different from a 25m pool," Menzies said. "So it's good to see this pool in this world-class facility."
The brief ceremony concluded with a junkanoo rush-out.
Rhema and Denika making their presence felt at FIU
By BRENT STUBBS
Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamian connection of Rhema Collins and Denika Lightbourne are making their presence felt for the Florida International University Panthers ladies’ basketball team.
The Lady Panthers, coached by Jesyka BurksWiley, are off to a 1-2 win-loss record, having lost their latest game to the University of Central Florida 79-61 as Collins was FIU's second leading scorer with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Lightbourne had a rebound and an assist.
In their three games combined, Collins is currently sixth in scoring in CUSA (15.5 ppg), eighth in both rebounding (8.5 rpg), and FG% (47.6%) and fifth in blocks (1.5 bpg). Lightbourne, a transfer from Dayton, had a best showing as a Panther with 21 points in their season opening 81-56 loss to the University of South Florida on Monday, November 3, in Tampa, Florida.
When contacted, Collins said she's just thrilled to be on the court.
She transferred from Ole Miss where she played sparingly under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin in her first two collegiate seasons.
"Overall, it felt great to be on the floor," said Collins, who is in the Panthers' starting line-up.
"I'm very proud of my teammates and how we are coming together as a team."
Collins said it's just great to be able to contribute to the team's performance.
"Things are going great. We're continuously learning, growing and always learning new things about each other on and off the court."
And from one Bahamian connection with her and McPhee-McCuin at Ole Miss to her and Lightbourne at FIU, Collins said she is very content with her new environment.
"No complaints from me.
Denika is a great teammate," Collins stressed. "As expected, when you see one, you see the other. She's a joy to be around."
BAHAMIAN CONNECTION: Rhema Collins, far right, and Denika Lightbourne in action for the Florida International University Panthers ladies’ basketball team.
FIU is slated to be back in action on Saturday when they head to Jacksonville, Florida, to play Jacksonville at 2pm on
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture hosted a formal induction ceremony yesterday at the Sandals resort ballroom to honour 14 former athletes, coaches and referees named to the Bahamas 2025 National Sports Hall of Fame. The hall-of-fame jackets and plaques were presented to the honourees by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg. The 2025 class included the following: Arnold Bain - longtime athletics official and starter who served the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials, remembered locally for decades
ESPN. "The expectation is obviously to win, but also to learn," Collins summed up. "Definitely, we have a lot of things to work on.
of service to track and field events. Ernest (Ernie) Barr - a prominent Bahamian professional/light-heavyweight boxer from the 1970s who fought internationally and remains a noted name in Bahamian boxing history.
Rex Burnside - influential in strength sports and powerlifting administration in The Bahamas and recognised in cycling/powerlifting circles for long service to those federations. Don Cornish - sport administrator and former president of the Bahamas Volleyball Federation with long involvement in sports governance and cultural institutions. Foster Dorsettlong-serving athletics administrator who has held leadership roles with
“I don't think anytime soon I'll be satisfied with my game." Next week, the Panthers are scheduled to be at the
Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida, where they will play in their FIU Thanksgiving Classic November 28-30.
various Bahamian athletics organisations. Norbert Elliott - former Bahamian Olympic triple-jumper who went on to a successful coaching career in the US collegiate system. Rev Philip McPhee - noted for using sport in community and faithbased youth development, involved with the Bahamas Baptist sports initiatives. Steven (Steve) Pinder - a respected basketball coach and mentor in Bain and Grants Town whose long coaching career has shaped generations of players. Alvin Sargent - internationally certified amateur boxing referee and longtime official who has represented The Bahamas on the global ringside stage. Sydney Sinclair - represented The Bahamas in
volleyball programmes and played collegiately, contributed to development pathways for Bahamian players.
Laverne Nancy Symonette - recognised for her excellence and contributions to volleyball. Kim Thompson - celebrated locally for excellence in cycling/drumming/arts in the sporting-culture space. Marcian Peters (Father Marcian Peters) - founder of the Father Marcian Peters Invitational basketball tournament, an institution that has developed Bahamian youth basketball for decades. Joseph “Joe Billy” Rollelongstanding contributor to Bahamian sport as a player/ coach/administrator, widely recognised in local sports circles.
GRAND OPENING: Shown, from left to right, Julien Bethel, Anthia Butler, Minister Mario Bowleg, Olympian Nikia Deveaux-Christie and Ashley Butler.
Common hand injuries in athletes:
Don’t overlook the
By Dr KENT L BAZARD Sports Medicine Physician
IN sports, the hands are often taken for granted — until something goes wrong. While much attention is placed on knees, hamstrings, and shoulders, the hands quietly do the work in nearly every sport, whether it’s gripping a tennis racket, shooting a basketball, tackling an opponent, or making a diving save.
An injury to the hand can be more than painful — it can stop an athlete in their tracks, limit their training, and, if not properly treated, become a long-term problem.
Yet hand and wrist injuries are still routinely downplayed.
Phrases like “just jammed my finger” or “it’s just a sprain” delay proper care and often result in complications that could have been avoided.
The reality is that hand injuries require a specific approach — one that starts with early recognition and is followed by sport-specific rehabilitation.
A Complex Structure Under Constant Strain
The human hand is one of the most intricate and finely tuned structures in the body. It contains 27 bones, over 30 muscles and tendons, and numerous ligaments and joints — all working together for strength, dexterity, and precision.
In athletics, the hands endure repeated impact, strain, and force. Every time an athlete braces a fall, absorbs contact, or grips
under pressure, the hand’s structures are tested.
Wrist positioning also plays a significant role. Poor wrist control during lifting, throwing, or striking can place excessive tension on small ligaments and tendons.
Over time, these repeated microtraumas may lead to tendinitis or more serious overuse injuries.
Sports such as volleyball, basketball, tennis, football, martial arts, gymnastics, and weightlifting all carry high exposure to hand trauma — but even sports like baseball, track and field, and golf demand fine control and grip strength, leaving athletes vulnerable in ways that are less obvious.
Injuries That Disrupt More Than the Game
Some of the most common hand and wrist injuries in athletes include dislocations, fractures, ligament sprains, and tendon ruptures. Each of these comes with unique risks - especially when left untreated or underestimated. Finger dislocations and ligament sprains are often brushed off as simple “jams,” but without proper immobilisation and rehab, they can result in chronic stiffness, instability, or joint deformity. Athletes who ignore this may find it difficult to fully extend or bend their fingers, even years later.
Fractures are equally serious. Metacarpal fractures, including the common boxer’s fracture (involving the fifth metacarpal), often occur in punching sports or during awkward landings.
These require X-rays and sometimes surgical fixation. Scaphoid fractures, typically resulting from falls onto an outstretched hand, are especially troublesome due to their poor blood supply. Undiagnosed or untreated, they may lead to nonunion or wrist arthritis - outcomes that threaten long-term function.
Tendon injuries such as mallet finger (drooping fingertip due to extensor tendon rupture) or jersey finger (inability to flex the fingertip due to a flexor tendon rupture) require early diagnosis and in many cases surgical repair. A delay in treatment can mean permanent loss of motion.
Overuse injuries also play a major role. Carpal tunnel syndrome can affect throwing athletes, cyclists, or those using equipment that vibrates or compresses the wrist.
Similarly, tendinopathy of the wrist flexors or
Local Sports Calendar
SWIM MEETS
Aquatics has a pair of swim meets on its calendar for the rest of the year in New Providence and Grand Bahama.
Nassau at Betty Kelly
Kenning Swim Complex
November 21-22 - Lightning Aquatics Meet
December 5-6 - BEAST
Aquatics Meet Grand Bahama
November 15 - Mako
Aquatics Club Meet
November 22 - Alpha Aquatics Swim Meet
December 6 - Freeport
Aquatics Club Meet
BASKETBALL
GOOMBAY DIVISION
THE Goombay Division of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo is slated to run from November 24-28 at the Convention Center at Baha Mar. It will feature teams from Ohio State, Belmont, West Virginia and McNeese.
BASKETBALL
JUNKANOO DIVISION
THE Junkanoo Division of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championships will run from November 24-26 at the Convention Center at Baha Mar. Teams from Minnesota, University of South Florida, Alabama and Harvard will be competing.
BASKETBALL
NASSAU
CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE Goombay Division of the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship will take place at the Convention Center at Baha Mar from November 28-30. Teams from Kent State, Tulsa, Houston and Arkansas State will be participating.
BASKETBALL
JUNKANOO DIVISION THE Junkanoo Division of the Baha Mar Hoops
will be played at the Convention Center at Baha Mar from November 28-30.
The teams participating are Clemson, WCU, Michigan State and Temple University.
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
THE Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Men's Tournament will run from November 27-29 at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. Teams competing are Louisville, Indiana, West Virginia, Gonzanga, Oklahoma, Providence, Davidson and Arizona.
BASKETBALL
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
THE Battle 4 Atlantis is scheduled to take place from November 26-28 at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.
Teams participating are Western Kentucky, Vandebilt, VCU, South Florida, Colorado State, Virginia
smallest tools
extensors may stem from improper grip mechanics, excessive loading, or poor technique in lifting.
Even injuries to the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), which stabilises the ulnar side of the wrist, can result from repetitive twisting motions — common in racquet sports and gymnastics — and can take months to heal if not identified early.
Knowing When to Pay Attention
Too often, athletes try to “shake it off” when they experience hand pain. Swelling, stiffness, and bruising are dismissed as part of the game. But these symptoms can be early signs of significant structural damage. Any pain that limits function, affects grip, or causes locking or catching during motion should not be ignored.
In particular, young athletes should be evaluated promptly. The growth plates in their fingers and wrists are more susceptible to stress injuries. What might look like a sprain could be an epiphyseal injury requiring specific care.
Coaches, parents, and teammates also play a role. An athlete who begins avoiding certain drills, struggles with their equipment, or compensates with poor mechanics may be hiding an injury that deserves attention.
What Proper Recovery Looks Like
Hand injuries are deceptively easy to mismanage. Resting alone is rarely enough.
Tech, Wichita State and St Mary’s.
ROAD RACE
ANDROS HEATS
THE sixth annual Andros Heats Road Race will be held on Saturday, December 6 on Morgan’s Bluff, Andros, starting at 8:30am.
The registration fee is $6 per athlete. Trophies will be presented to the first three finishers in each age division, while fourth place finishers will get medals.
Interested persons are urged to contact 242-8238801 for more information.
ROAD RACE
MACEDONIA
AS a part of its 60th anniversary, Macedonia Baptist Church will hold a Family Fun Run/Walk race that is open to the general public on January 24.
The dual event is scheduled to start at 6am at the church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill.
Immobilisation is often required — sometimes with splints or braces — but this must be balanced with controlled mobility to prevent stiffness. Recovery should include hand- specific physical therapy, focusing on regaining grip strength, fine motor control, and dexterity.
Athletes should be guided through progressive return-to-play protocols, including light functional training that mimics sport demands. For example, a volleyball player recovering from a thumb sprain must regain the ability to absorb impact through the joint before returning to full contact.
Rehabilitation also includes retraining the nervous system. Pain avoidance can lead to compensatory patterns in the shoulder, elbow, or torso. Reintegrating hand function into whole-body movement ensures the athlete returns not just pain-free, but performance-ready.
Protecting the Hands Before Injury Happens
Preventative care is often overlooked in the hands. While most athletes do wrist curls and forearm work as accessory lifts, few incorporate specific drills to strengthen grip endurance, finger coordination, and wrist stability. These should be standard — especially in sports with high hand demands. Proper warm-ups, wrist mobility work, and sport-specific taping can go a long way in reducing risk. Combat athletes should be taught proper punch mechanics and given time to
The registration fee is $10 per athlete and the categories include male and female 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and over-60 with awards presented to the first three finishers. The walk will leave the church and head west on Bernard Road to the junction at Wulff and Soldier Roads.
The competitors will turn around and head east back to the church. The run will also leave the church and head west on Bernard Road onto Soldier Road, head south to Prince Charles Drive, head east to Fox Hill Road, head north to Bernard Road and head west back to the church.
Interested persons can call 426-7265 or 324-1583 for more details.
LEGENDS TRACK
THE Legends Track and Field’s Devynne Charlton
develop tendon tolerance. Lifters must learn to stack the wrist properly during presses and overhead movements. Equipment also matters. Gloves, wrist wraps, grips, and even correct shoe choice (to prevent falls) all contribute to hand protection.
The Role of
Medical Evaluation
Not every sore hand needs imaging, but it’s critical to know when to seek help. Any injury that results in visible deformity, persistent swelling, loss of range of motion, numbness, or reduced strength should be assessed by a sports medicine physician or hand specialist. X- rays, musculoskeletal ultrasound, or MRI may be needed for accurate diagnosis.
Early intervention often means the difference between full recovery and long-term limitation. In elite sport, no detail is too small — and hand injuries are never minor when they interfere with performance.
The Takeaway The hands are a powerful yet vulnerable part of the athlete’s body. They drive performance, absorb impact, and influence every movement across almost every sport.
Ignoring hand pain or rushing recovery doesn’t build toughness — it builds dysfunction.
Athletes deserve more than quick taping and guesswork. With accurate assessment, structured rehab, and long-term injury prevention, we can protect the hands that help shape champions.
Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, February 7 at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The meet, to be held in honour of world indoor 60m hurdles record holder and two-time champion Devynne Charlton, will have her younger sister Anthaya Charlton as one of the special guests. Powered by Speed Capital, it will feature athletes competing from the ages of seven to the open categories for boys and girls.
T-BIRD FLYERS
THE T-Bird Flyers will hold its 2026 Track Classic, held in memory of the late Gregory Clarke, on Friday, January 9, starting at 6pm and Saturday, January 10 at noon at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Interested persons are urged to contact Foster Dorsett at 427-3883 for more details.
KENT BAZARD
Rookie VJ Edgecombe Jr’s double double helps 76ers
outlast Bucks 123-114 in OT
By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP)
— Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 54 points and tied the game by hitting two free throws with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers' 123-114 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks last night.
Maxey's previous career high was a 52-point performance in a 133-126, double-overtime victory over San Antonio on April 7, 2024. He also had nine assists and played over 46 1/2 minutes.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe Jr posted a double double - 12 points and 10 rebounds - with three assists and Paul George added 21 points for Philadelphia.
Maxey, who entered Thursday averaging a league-high
40.3 minutes, had played 39 minutes one night earlier in a 121-112 home loss to the Toronto
Tyrese Maxey scores career-high 54 points
Raptors. Milwaukee's Ryan Rollins scored 32 points to match a career high and also had a career-best 14 assists. The Bucks have lost four of their last five games. Neither team had its former league MVP available.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, the MVP in 2019 and 2020, got hurt Monday at Cleveland and is expected to miss about two weeks. The Bucks labeled it a left groin strain Monday but have since specified that it’s a left adductor strain.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who won the award in 2023, missed a sixth straight game due to an issue with his right knee. The 76ers scored the first five points in overtime on a 3-pointer from Justin Edwards – who scored just two points in regulation –and a basket from Maxey.
Milwaukee got the margin down to 113-112 on a driving layup from Rollins with 1:43 remaining, but Quentin Grimes hit a 3-pointer 20 seconds later and Philadelphia stayed ahead by at least two the rest of the way.
Milwaukee trailed 94-87 midway through the fourth quarter but rallied to take the lead on Myles Turner’s 3-pointer with 14.8 seconds remaining.
Philadelphia tied the game with seven seconds left when Maxey drove into the lane, drew a foul hit his free throws. Rollins missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Bobby Portis had 19 and Kyle Kuzma 17 for Milwaukee.
Up next
76ers: Host the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Bucks: Host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Catholic Diocesan Primary School basketball playoffs jump off today
THE Catholic Diocesan Primary Schools completed their basketball regular season last week Friday at Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road. The playoffs are all set for today.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr/Tribune Staff
76ERS’ VJ Edgecombe and Bucks’ Ryan Rollins go after a loose ball during the second half last night in Milwaukee.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Italy has to beat Northern Ireland then Wales or Bosnia to return to World Cup
By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer
ZURICH (AP) — Italy was stopped by Sweden from getting to the 2018 World Cup. It was North Macedonia in 2022. Now it is Northern Ireland's turn.
Four-time World Cup winner Italy is back in the qualifying playoffs for a third straight time and the draw by FIFA yesterday plots a tricky path toward ending a remarkable 12-year wait to play on soccer's biggest stage.
Italy first hosts Northern Ireland in a single elimination game on March 26 with the winner having to travel to face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina. At stake is a place at the first 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Northern Irish shape as a similar test to North Macedonia, which resisted waves of attacks in Palermo in March 2022 before stunning Italy with a single goal in stoppage time.
“There will be immense pressure on Italy, they have obviously missed the last two World Cups,” Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill told The Associated Press. "We have everything to gain in this situation.”
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, whose team was beaten 4-1 by group winner Norway in Milan on Sunday, declined to speak with the AP. European playoff brackets
Among three other European playoff brackets, Ukraine will host Sweden
with the winner then at home to Poland or Albania.
Ukraine played its qualifying group home games in three different Polish cities while the country is under military invasion by Russia, and could end up hosting Poland in Poland.
First, Ukraine must get by Sweden which finished last in its qualifying group won by Switzerland but earned a playoffs place by winning a Nations League group last year.
“We are playing a proud, strong football nation,” new Sweden coach Graham Potter said of Ukraine.
"Everyone wants to play for their nation. Emotion will be a part of the game that we have to manage, and manage well.”
In 2022, Ukraine won a playoff semifinal in Scotland that was postponed for more than two months because of the war, then lost the decisive qualifying game at Wales.
Kosovo's debut?
Kosovo’s path to a first ever World Cup as Europe’s newest soccer nation is away to Slovakia followed by hosting Turkey or Romania.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, was accepted as a member of UEFA and FIFA eight years later at the same time as Gibraltar.
Ireland’s reward for remarkable back-to-back wins over Portugal and Hungary — with all five goals scored by Troy Parrott — is a playoff semifinal at the Czech Republic with the winner then hosting Denmark or North Macedonia.
Denmark dropped into the playoffs after losing 4-2 to Scotland's stunning stoppage-time rally on Tuesday that even topped Ireland's late drama in Budapest.
“I saw the reaction from Scotland after the win," Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson told the AP. "This is what this beautiful game gives us. Long may that continue and we can keep the momentum.”
Intercontinental playoffs
FIFA also made the draw for the six-nation intercontinental playoffs that do not involve Europe.
(Claudio Thoma/Keystone via AP)
Iraq, which was seeded in the draw, will have to beat Bolivia or Suriname in a one-game playoff next March to qualify for the finals tournament.
Congo was seeded in the other intercontinental playoffs bracket and will play the winner of a single-game semifinal between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
The six intercontinental playoff games will be staged in Mexico from March 23-31 at stadiums in Guadalajara and Monterrey, which each will host four World Cup games next June.
A penalty scored by Iraq in the 17th minute of stoppage time against the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday sent coach Graham Arnold’s team through to the global playoffs. Iraq’s 2-1 win in Basra sealed a 3-2 victory in the two-leg Asian playoff. “It was crazy scenes, and it was incredible results, and now we're here,” Arnold told the AP. Iraq’s only World Cup appearance was in 1986, and Arnold coached his home nation Australia at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, reaching the round of 16.
New Caledonia is the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, at No. 149 of the 211 FIFA member countries.
New Caledonia effectively advanced to the playoffs by beating Tahiti 3-0 in March, before losing the Oceania qualifying final against New Zealand. Coach Johann Sidaner’s team has played just one game since, beating Gibraltar in a friendly last month.
World Cup draw A total of six teams will advance from the two sets of playoffs in March to complete the first 48-nation lineup.
The other 42 teams were confirmed this week when qualifying groups and playoff games were completed on four continents.
The World Cup draw is on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. There, the six unconfirmed playoffs teams will be drawn as placeholders and should come out of the pot of lowest-ranked teams in the seeded draw.
MARCO Materazzi draws Italy during the FIFA World Cup 2026 playoff draw in Zurich, Switzerland, yesterday.
THE FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026 playoff draw in Zurich, Switzerland, (Claudio Thoma/ Keystone via AP)
‘Buddy’ scores 18 but short-handed Warriors suffer 110-96 loss to
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
MIAMI (AP) — Norman Powell scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo returned to score 20 and the Miami Heat pulled away late to top the extremely short-handed Golden State Warriors 110-96 on Wednesday night.
Former Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins scored 17 and Kel'el Ware grabbed 16 rebounds for Miami, which outscored Golden State 38-22 in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors, at the end of a six-game, nine-day trip, were without their four highest-paid players: Stephen Curry (ankle), former Heat forward Jimmy Butler (back), Draymond Green (illness) and Jonathan Kuminga (knee), a group making about $162 million this season. Al Horford, who isn’t playing backto-backs and appeared in Golden State’s loss at Orlando on Tuesday, also sat out.
Brandin Podziemski scored 20 for Golden State, which got 19 from Quinten Post and 18 from Buddy Hield. The Warriors gave up 23 turnovers that Miami
turned into 34 points — 20 more than Golden State scored off Miami's 14 giveaways. The teams combined to shoot 38.4%, the second-worst shooting game in the NBA so far this season. Toronto and Atlanta combined to shoot 37.4% in the Raptors' 109-97 win on Nov. 7.
Adebayo missed Miami's six previous games with a toe injury. The Heat are still without guard Tyler Herro, though he could make his season debut in the coming days after offseason ankle surgery.
The Warriors got into a 20-4 hole, their largest first-quarter deficit of the season. But Miami scored only 19 points in the next 12 minutes and Golden State chipped away, taking its first lead at 60-59 on a basket by Post midway through the third. Then it was Golden State's turn to cool. The Warriors led 74-69 late in the third, before Miami went on a 21-4 run to pull away.
Up next
Warriors: Host Portland tonight. Heat: Visit Chicago tonight.
Heat
Lakers fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss from front office positions after ownership change
By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joey Buss and Jesse Buss are no longer working in the Los Angeles Lakers' front office after the franchise's recent ownership change, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press yesterday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Lakers didn't publicly announce the firings of the two children of longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who died in 2013. The Lakers are also overhauling the scouting staff that worked with the brothers. The Buss brothers confirmed their departure in a statement issued to ESPN, although both will retain their inherited minority ownership stakes under new controlling owner Mark Walter. Jesse Buss was an assistant general manager, while
Joey Buss was the Lakers' alternate governor and vice president of research and development.
“We are extremely honoured to have been part of this organisation for the last 20 seasons,” Joey and Jesse Buss said in their statement. “Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all.”
Jerry Buss had at least seven children, and six of them worked for the Lakers at some point during his ownership.
Jeanie Buss became the Lakers’ governor when their father died. Jim Buss was the Lakers' executive vice president of basketball operations until Jeanie ousted her brother in 2017, also firing general manager Mitch Kupchak and turning over the basketball side of
the business to Magic Johnson and current general manager Rob Pelinka.
Walter finalised his purchase of a controlling stake in the Lakers three weeks ago in a sale initially announced in June and conducted with a $10 billion franchise valuation.
Jeanie Buss will remain the Lakers' governor for the foreseeable future, but the Lakers are now primarily owned by Walter, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Joey and Jesse Buss have been involved in the Lakers' scouting and player development operations for many years, and they've been praised for their roles in the Lakers' successful drafts and free-agent signings.
Perhaps sensing the upcoming changes in the Lakers' leadership structure following the decision to sell the team, the brothers launched an investment firm in September dubbed Buss Sports Capital.
HEAT guard Norman Powell (24) shoots as Warriors’ guard Buddy Hield, right, defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Slad-
HEAT forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., left, defends Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in Miami.
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Thunder extend win streak to seven with 113-99 win over Kings
By The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY
(AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their seventh straight game to improve to 15-1, beating the Sacramento Kings 113-99 on Wednesday night.
Chet Holmgren had 21 points and Lu Dort scored all 14 of his points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter for the defending champion Thunder. They have won all three matchups with the Kings.
Dennis Schroder scored 21 points and DeMar DeRozan added 17 for the Kings, who lost their seventh straight. Kings big man Domantas Sabonis sat out because of soreness in his left knee.
The Thunder started the season with a pair of double-overtime wins and had some close calls before finally losing to Portland. Since the loss, they have won every game — with an average margin of 20.3 points. All have been by double digits. Included in the run is a 24-point victory over Golden State and a 29-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on backto-back nights last week at home.
Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook, as usual, got a warm reception from the Oklahoma City crowd during starter introductions. He was the league MVP in 2017 and a two-time scoring champion with the Thunder. He had another solid game in the familiar surroundings, posting seven points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Sacramento’s Zach LaVine made a shot from beyond halfcourt as the first half expired, but it was ruled that he shot it after the buzzer, and the Thunder maintained a 58-50 lead at the break.
Gilgeous-Alexander worked some magic late in the third quarter. He banked in a mid-range jumper from near the right side of the free throw line and was fouled and made the free throw to put the Thunder up 83-67. Oklahoma City took an 83-69 advantage into the fourth.
ROCKETS 114, CAVALIERS 104
CLEVELAND (AP )
— Alperen Sengun had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 20 points, and Houston extended its winning streak to five with a victory over Cleveland.
Aaron Holiday scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for Houston, which is 10-1 since starting the season with two losses.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 14 and Amen Thompson had 12 points, nine boards and five steals.
De’Andre Hunter scored 25 points to pace the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell added 21 points, 19 in the final period when they got as close as 77-76 before the Rockets answered with back-to-back hoops by Sengun and Thompson.
Evan Mobley had 18 points, but missed six of his 10 free throw attempts for Cleveland, which fell to 2-2 on a six-game homestand, its longest of the season. Jarrett Allen added eight points and seven rebounds. Houston extended its lead to 69-47 midway through the third on Smith’s
jumper, but the Cavaliers ended the quarter on a 23-5 run to pull within 74-70. Mobley had eight points and Lonzo Ball added seven during the surge. Durant had 13 points and Sengun had 10 points and six rebounds, powering the Rockets to a 57-40 advantage at halftime. Houston led by 14 in the opening quarter and by 20 in the second.
Smith and Hunter were both called for flagrant fouls and technicals in the first half, while Cleveland’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin picked up a technical.
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (left great toe) and swingman Jaylon Tyson (concussion) both missed their fifth straight games, while shooting guard Sam Merrill (right hand sprain) was hurt Monday against Milwaukee. Tyson could return Friday.
RAPTORS 121, 76ERS 112
PHILADELPHIA (AP)
— Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each scored 22 points and Toronto won its fifth straight game, surging in the third quarter to beat Philadelphia.
Jakob Poeltl scored 19 points, and Immanuel Quickley had 18 — hitting two 3-pointers in the final two minutes — to help the Raptors win for the ninth time in 10 games. Scottie Barnes added 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 24 points. VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes had 21 points each.
The 76ers led 56-53 at halftime behind 15 points from Maxey. Toronto took the lead with an 18-7 run to start the third quarter, powered by seven points from Ingram. The Raptors outscored the 76ers 44-28 in the period.
Toronto shot 2 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half, then went 5 for 6 from deep in the third quarter. Toronto is 7-3 on the road and 9-2 against Eastern Conference opposition.
Sixers center Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) missed a fourth straight game and his ninth out of 14 this season. Paul George, who made his season debut Monday, was held out as part of management of his left knee injury. The 76ers announced before the game that Kelly Oubre Jr. will miss at least two weeks with a sprained LCL in his left knee.
Raptors rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles missed the game because of right knee soreness.
PACERS 127, HORNETS 118 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bennedict Mathurin scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Indiana snapped an eightgame losing streak with a victory over Charlotte. The Pacers, off to their worst start in franchise history with 12 losses in 13 previous games, pulled away in the second quarter as Mathurin scored nine of his team’s last 11 points for a 70-54 halftime lead. Indiana has been without as many as seven players due to injuries, including Mathurin, who returned Monday after missing 10 games with a toe injury.
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and backup center Jay Huff scored 20 as the
Pacers had six players in double digits.
Indiana hit 16 of 38 from beyond the arc while the Hornets were 13 of 45.
Rookie guard Kon Knueppel led the Hornets with 28 points, including five 3s. Miles Bridges scored 25.
The Hornets (4-11) are 1-7 on the road.
NUGGETS 125, PELICANS 118
NEW ORLEANS (AP)
— Nikola Jokic had 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, and Denver defeated New Orleans.
Peyton Watson scored a career-high 32 points as Denver won for the eighth time in nine games. Jamal Murray had 14 points, including a pair of free throws with 31 seconds left.
Zion Williamson scored 14 points for New Orleans in 29 minutes in his return from a left hamstring injury that had sidelined him for eight games.
Rookie Derik Queen, who started opposite Jokic at center, scored a season-high 30 points to go with nine rebounds, and Trey Murphy III added 23 points for the Pelicans, who lost their seventh straight and fell to 0-3 under interim coach James Borrego.
After trailing by as many as 19, New Orleans reduced its deficit to single digits in the final minutes, but former Pelican Jonas Valanciunas, who scored 14 points, hit a pair of clutch jumpers for the Nuggets.
Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears scored 16, giving the guard 11 or more points in all but one of New Orleans’ 15 games this season.
Watson scored 11 of his points in the first six minutes of the second half, when the Nuggets widened their lead from 62-58 at halftime to 81-70.
That’s when Jokic started to take over, hitting a putback layup, a 7-foot pull-up jumper and a 3 that made it 93-76.
With Williamson back in the starting lineup, the Pelicans raced to a 13-point lead
when Herb Jones’ 3 made it 23-10 in the first quarter. But Denver steadily erased its deficit and took the lead for good when Watson’s 3 made it 51-49 with 3:02 left in the second quarter.
TIMBERWOLVES 120, WIZARDS 109
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)
— Julius Randle had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Minnesota held off a late rally by Washington to secure the victory.
The Timberwolves, who have won six of their last seven games, were without forward Jaden McDaniels, who has a sprained left wrist and missed his first game in nearly two years. Naz Reid had 28 points off the bench.
Kyshawn George had 23 points for the Wizards, who have lost 12 straight.
The Timberwolves led by as many as 27 points, but the Wizards closed the gap in the fourth quarter when George’s 3-pointer made it 98-93 with 7:06 to go.
Randle’s dunk pulled Minnesota away 105-96 with 5:51 left but Khris Middleton’s jumper got the Wizards within 106-101. The Timberwolves never surrendered the lead and put the game away on Donte DiVincenzo’s 3-pointer that made it 116-106 with 1:29 to go.
The reeling Wizards have won just one game this season and there is talk that coach Brian Keefe could be on the hot seat. The only NBA coach dismissed so far this season has been Willie Green, fired Saturday by the New Orleans Pelicans after a 2-10 start.
Randle’s driving layup put Minnesota up 32-24 late in the first quarter. The Timberwolves pulled away in the second quarter, taking a 50-29 lead on Reid’s corner 3-pointer from a no-look pass from Rudy Gobert. Randle’s emphatic dunk made it 61-37 and Minnesota led 71-46 at halftime.
The Wizards opened the half on a 10-2 run then closed the gap to 78-67 on
Marvin Bagley III’s short jumper midway through the third quarter as they mounted their rally.
McDaniels was averaging a career-best 17.5 points per game when he left Monday’s 120-96 win over Dallas on Monday late in the third quarter.
BULLS 122, TRAIL BLAZERS 121
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and Chicago held off a furious comeback attempt by Portland Trail Blazers for a victory.
Vucevic finished with 27 points and Coby White had 25 off the bench for the Bulls, who led by 21 points in the fourth quarter. Deni Avdija’s 3-pointer tied it for the Blazers at 116 and Donovan Clingan’s layup put the Blazers in front with 47 seconds left. Clingan added a free throw to cap a 31-7 run and give Portland a 119-116 lead.
White’s 3-pointer with 9.1 seconds pulled the Bulls within 120-119. After Jerami Grant hit the second of two free throws, White popped the ball out to Vucevic on the perimeter for the game-winner.
Grant finished with 33 points for the slumping Blazers, who have lost four straight and six of the last seven.
The Bulls were coming off a 130-127 victory over the Nuggets that ended a five-game losing streak. White sat out that game after returning the night before against Utah from a calf injury that had kept him out the first 11 games of the season.
The Blazers were playing the second of a back-toback after falling 127-110 to the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
Jrue Holiday missed a third straight game with a calf injury and the Blazers were also without Shaedon Sharpe because of right calf soreness. Grant, who missed Tuesday’s game with an illness, started.
The Blazers led for most of the first quarter before the Bulls pulled in front 33-31 early in the second on White’s 26-foot running jumper. Chicago led 62-58 at the break.
KNICKS 113, MAVERICKS 111
DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson had a game-high 28 points in his return from a two-game absence, Landry Shamet scored a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:02 and drew a crucial charging foul in the final second, and New York beat Dallas.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 14 rebounds while Josh Hart had 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who won for the first time in five road games.
Brunson, who had a grade 1 ankle sprain, hit a free throw with 3.8 seconds left for a two-point lead. Dallas’ P.J. Washington inbounded to Brandon Williams at midcourt, Williams drove to the basket and scored with 0.7 seconds left but was called for charging into Shamet.
D’Angelo Russell and Naji Marshall scored 23 points each off the bench for the Mavericks, who have lost five of their last six games. Brunson’s free throw ended a string of five straight Knicks misses from the line in the final 22 seconds. They shot 19 for 35 (54.3%) on free throws overall.
The Knicks were 12 for 42 from 3-point range after hitting 3 of 22 during the first half. The Mavericks, who were last in the NBA averaging 10.5 3-pointers per game, hit 13 through the first three quarters but were 3 for 11 in the fourth.
Dallas tied a season high with 64 points from its bench to New York’s 39, but Mavericks starters scored only 47 points. The Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg, the top pick in this year’s draft, missed his first NBA game on Wednesday night with an illness.
THUNDER guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates a basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.
(AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Bahamian point guard Valerie Nesitt selected as one of the All-Star Five FIBA Caribbean Basketball Women’s Championship
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
AT the completion of the FIBA Caribbean Basketball Women's Championship 2025 in Georgetown, Guyana, Bahamian point guard
Valerie Nesitt was selected as one of the All-Star Five.
Nesbitt, who along with forward Lashann Higgs led The Bahamas to the bronze medal, was selected along with US Virgin Island's Anisha George, Jamaica's Tiffany Reynolds and Guyana's Amisha Ramlall and Joy Brown.
"I'm very grateful to be named an All-Star in the whole tournament," said Nesbitt, who is now coaching at a private school. "There was a lot of talent out there. So to be named an All-Star, I'm super grateful and I just thank God."
In her contribution to The Bahamas' 2-2 win-loss record, Nesbitt, 27, was the tournament’s second-leading scorer at 25 points per game and led all players in assists with 8.3, while also adding 5.8 rebounds.
George was named
Most Valuable Player of the FIBA CBC Women’s Championship 2025 after leading the Virgin Islands to the gold medal.
The 27-year-old forward, who plays professionally in Puerto Rico for the Pollitas de Isabela, averaged 19.0 points per game and finished as the tournament’s second-best rebounder with 9.3.
Reynolds, Jamaica’s point guard who plays professionally for Port Macquarie Basketball in Australia, was one of the tournament’s
brightest performers despite her team missing out on the podium.
The 27-year-old averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Ramlall, one of three sisters, was one of the most impactful players for the host nation. The 17-yearold guard posted averages of 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
And Brown, a shooting guard for Guyana, was the tournament’s leading rebounder with 12.8 boards per game. She also contributed 16.8 points and 6.5 assists.
With her performance, Nesbitt helped The Bahamas in making their return to international competition with another medal-winning performance.
"Putting together a team in that short time and going over there and just getting a medal is something that I was proud of," said Nesbitt. She noted that it was a double threat for The Bahamas having Higgs on the team.
"I felt great having Lashann beside me.
Although this was her first time playing for The Bahamas team, I was super confident in having her beside me leading the team," Nesbitt said.
"She played professionally, so I wasn't worried about her performance or anything in that area. I was happy and grateful that she was able to win a medal in her first year playing for The Bahamas."
Although she didn't make the top five, Lashann Higgs also had a sensational tournament for Team Bahamas. The Harbour Island native led the team
in scoring with 29.5 points with 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
"I was just grateful that I was able to continue to play at that level," said Higgs, who previously played professionally in Europe.
"I just thank God for giving me the opportunity to do it. I just thank God for playing as long as I could."
As for the team, Higgs said they played very well collectively, especially after losing the disappointing opener to Guyana. She said she was just thrilled to make her presence felt.
"It's still a lot to work on, but I was proud of what we accomplished in such a short period of time," said Higgs on her debut with the national team.
"Overall, I was proud of the performances that we gave."
Higgs said once the team can come together and practice a little more as a team, they should be able to play much better than they did in Guyana.
The team, coached by Donillo 'Donnie' Culmer, Jaraun 'Kino' Burrows, Diasti Delancy
and Anthony Swaby, joined champions US Virgin Islands and runners-up Guyana in qualifying for the FIBA Centrobasket Women's Championship 2026. The date and venue for the event is yet to be disclosed.
The other members of Team Bahamas were Mikayah Tucker, Kayla Bien, Valicia Demeritte, Latoya Rolle, Judy Forbes, La'Tavia Braynen, Michell Butler, Taronya Wildgoose, Tatyana Lockhart and Sha-Londa Neely. With this being the return of the
women's programme to the international scene, Nesbitt said she was delighted to continue to play since she made her debut as a junior at the age of 13-14. The Bahamas last played in 2022 in Cuba where the team returned home with a bronze as well. As they prepare for next year, Nesbitt said she hopes the Bahamas Basketball Federation can keep the momentum going in the tournament to get tuned and ready for the FIBA Centrobasket Women's Championships.
USVI’s Anisha George, Jamaica’s Tiffany Reynolds, Bahamian Valerie Nesbitt, and Guyana’s Amisha Ramlall and Joy Brown pose above with their individual awards.
Let’s Swim Bahamas donates two new record boards
LET’S Swim Bahamas has donated two new record boards to the National Sports Authority (NSA) to benefit the swimming community of The Bahamas. The donation was made on Saturday, November 8, at the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre.
Andy Knowles, Let’s Swim Bahamas co-founder and director, broefly shared the vision and motivation that inspired Let’s Swim Bahamas to make this donation. He encouraged all in attendance, especially the cadre of young swimmers. “If you look on the boards, both the long course and the short course, you’re going to see a lot of names that go way back. A lot of swimmers here have their
names on the board and there have been a lot of swimmers over these last almost 100 years that have helped bring us to this point.”
The brief ceremony was officially opened by Moses Johnson Jr, general manager of the National Sports Authority. During his welcome address, Mr Johnson said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome you all to this
proud moment, not just because of these new record boards, but because of what they represent - teamwork, progress and the continued growth of swimming in The Bahamas. “On behalf of the National Sports Authority, I want to sincerely thank Let’s Swim Bahamas for this generous donation and for your ongoing commitment to our athletes and the wider swim community. Your dedication and passion continue to make a lasting difference.”
“These record boards will serve as daily motivation –reminders of what can be achieved through hard work, discipline and belief. They’ll inspire our swimmers to keep striving for their best and take pride in every milestone along the way.”
OLYMPIC swimmers with Andy Knowles during the record board donation ceremony.
OLYMPIAN Lamar Taylor points to his swim record on new record board. SWIMMING officials with Let’s Swim Bahamas members during the record board donation ceremony.
’S Swim executive committee members enjoy the record board donation at the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre on Saturday, November 8.