Le Journal

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Harden scored 36 points, and when he finally missed a couple big free throws in the final seconds, the ball came right back to him as the Los Angeles Clippers edged the Washington Wizards 110-106 on Monday for their sixth straight victory. Harden made two free throws with 36.9 seconds left to give the Clippers a 108-106 lead, and after the teams traded scoreless possessions, Kyshawn George missed a 3-pointer for Washington. Harden was fouled with 5.9 seconds left. At that point, he was 16 for 16 from the line, but he missed both free throws. The Wizards couldn’t secure the rebound, and the ball bounced back to Harden, who was fouled again. This time he made both shots to seal the win. Washington has lost seven straight. Although the two teams have been headed in opposite directions of late, this game was close basically the whole way. Harden’s layup put the Clippers up by three, but Khris Middleton was fouled while shooting a 3 with 57.6 seconds left, and he made all three free throws to tie it at 106. The Clippers were without the injured Kawhi Leonard for a second straight game. Trae Young (knee, quad) still hasn’t played since being traded to Washington from Atlanta. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 28 points. George had 18 points, six assists and six rebounds, but he missed a trio of key shots in the last couple minutes for Washington. The Clippers won despite shooting 5 of 28 from beyond the arc. They were 33 of 38 on free throws and outscored the Wizards 60-38 in the paint. Up next Clippers: At Chicago on Tuesday night. Wizards: Host Denver on Thursday night. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Source

Revenue from the proposed Sphere entertainment venue at National Harbor in Maryland would far exceed that generated from the Washington Commanders and Six Flags combined, according to the Prince George’s County executive. Sphere Entertainment Co. is working with Maryland, Prince George’s County and Peterson Companies to bring a smaller Sphere next to the MGM complex. The proposed venue would be the second of its kind in the U.S., after the Las Vegas Sphere opened in 2023. County Executive Aisha Braveboy said the smaller Sphere, with about 6,000 seats, could be built and fully operational in four years, providing an economic boost to the county after the departures of the Commanders and Six Flags. Meeting with reporters Monday after the announcement Sunday night, Braveboy told WTOP Sphere chose the National Harbor site over several municipalities that were seeking to attract the project. “My team did an amazing job of putting together a deal that protected the people of Prince George’s County, but also incentivized a major company to move such an iconic venue here to Prince George’s County,” she said. “Let’s just say our neighbors were in the mix, and other states across the country.” Along with private investment, the plan would use tax incremental financing, Braveboy said, diverting future tax revenues from the venture to help subsidize the development of the $200 million project. Exact financial terms of the deal, which is still pending several approvals, are not yet available. The project would create 2,500 construction jobs and 4,750 jobs once the venue opens, which could happen as soon as 2030, according to Braveboy. “That’s really exciting for people who are looking for work,” she said. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Braveboy say the total economic impact of the project will be $1 billion annually for the state. “Maryland has a long history of providing world-class entertainment and we could not be more excited to work with Sphere Entertainment to bring this cutting-edge project to life,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a release. That’s welcome news for the county, which has experienced some economic challenges of late. Thousands of high-paying federal jobs have been lost because of President Donald Trump and his administration’s stated efforts to slash government spending. The county and Maryland are now in an extended battle with the Trump administration over its decision to keep the FBI headquarters in D.C., even though Congress appropriated funds toward an approved project in Greenbelt. That’s not to mention the loss of the Washington Commanders, who are moving back to D.C. in 2030 with a new stadium, and the shuttering of Six Flags in Bowie last year. Braveboy said this project won’t just compensate for those losses. “The amount of revenues that we will generate from the Sphere will really dwarf what we currently receive from the Commanders and Six Flags combined,” she said. “The estimates that we’re looking at yearly will more than triple what we’re currently getting.” The proposed venue is still being negotiated and awaiting approvals from Sphere, Prince George’s County and the state of Maryland. WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report. Source

TOWSON, Md. (AP) — Tyler Tejada scored 14 points to lead Towson and Jack Doumbia made two free throws with eight seconds left as the Tigers defeated Drexel 59-58 on Monday. Tejada also contributed five rebounds for the Tigers (11-9, 3-4 Coastal Athletic Association). Dylan Williamson scored 12 points and added five assists. Jaquan Womack shot 2 of 10 from the field, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line to finish with 10 points. Shane Blakeney led the way for the Dragons (9-11, 3-4) with 16 points. Drexel also got 11 points and two steals from Kevon Vanderhorst. Victor Panov also had 10 points. Womack scored seven points in the first half and Towson went into the break trailing 32-20. Williamson scored a team-high 12 points in the second half. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Source

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) — Jah’likai King scored 21 points to help UMBC defeat Binghamton 78-60 on Monday. King shot 8 for 15 for the Retrievers (10-7, 3-1 America East Conference). Caden Diggs scored 14 points while going 6 of 11. Anthony Valentine went 6 of 8 from the field to finish with 13 points. The Bearcats (4-16, 0-5) were led by Wes Peterson and Zyier Beverly, who each scored 18 points. Jackson Benigni had 11 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Source

With quarterbacks Arch Manning and Dante Moore returning to Austin and Eugene, respectively, the forecast is bright.