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Denver visits Orlando following Jokic’s 56-point outing

By The Associated Press

Denver Nuggets (22-8, third in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (17-14, sixth in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Nuggets -5; over/under is 235.5

BOTTOM LINE: Denver visits the Orlando Magic after Nikola Jokic scored 56 points in the Nuggets’ 142-138 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Magic are 10-6 in home games. Orlando is third in the NBA with 18.2 fast break points per game led by Franz Wagner averaging 4.2.

The Nuggets are 12-3 on the road. Denver ranks second in the Western Conference with 29.8 assists per game led by Jokic averaging 11.0.

The Magic average 11.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 fewer makes per game than the Nuggets give up (13.1). The Nuggets are shooting 51.3% from the field, 3.5% higher than the 47.8% the Magic’s opponents have shot this season.

The two teams play for the second time this season. The Nuggets defeated the Magic 126-115 in their last meeting on Dec. 19. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 32 points, and Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 26 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Desmond Bane is averaging 19 points and 4.5 assists for the Magic. Anthony Black is averaging 24 points, four assists and two steals over the past 10 games.

Jokic is averaging 29.8 points, 12.1 rebounds and 11 assists for the Nuggets. Murray is averaging 35.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 4-6, averaging 111.0 points, 45.0 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.4 points per game.

Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 128.2 points, 40.8 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 8.0 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.0 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: day to day (leg), Goga Bitadze: day to day (knee), Moritz Wagner: day to day (knee), Jalen Suggs: day to day (hip).

Nuggets: Cameron Johnson: out (knee), Christian Braun: out (ankle), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Tamar Bates: out (foot).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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