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New Orleans plays Phoenix, aims for 5th straight home win

By The Associated Press

Phoenix Suns (16-13, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8-23, 14th in the Western Conference)

New Orleans; Friday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans will try to keep its four-game home win streak intact when the Pelicans play Phoenix.

The Pelicans are 4-19 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans is 6-12 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 13.5 turnovers per game.

The Suns have gone 15-12 against Western Conference opponents. Phoenix ranks fifth in the Western Conference with 12.3 offensive rebounds per game led by Mark Williams averaging 3.0.

The Pelicans average 10.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.0 fewer makes per game than the Suns give up (12.8). The Suns average 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 fewer makes per game than the Pelicans give up.

The teams play for the second time this season. In the last meeting on Nov. 11 the Suns won 121-98 led by 42 points from Grayson Allen, while Trey Murphy III scored 21 points for the Pelicans.

TOP PERFORMERS: Saddiq Bey is scoring 14.8 points per game and averaging 6.0 rebounds for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson is averaging 26.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Devin Booker is averaging 25.4 points and 6.6 assists for the Suns. Royce O’Neale is averaging 4.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 124.6 points, 44.8 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.3 points per game.

Suns: 4-6, averaging 111.2 points, 38.8 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 11.5 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.2 points.

INJURIES: Pelicans: Herbert Jones: day to day (ankle), Dejounte Murray: out (leg), Jordan Poole: day to day (ankle).

Suns: Grayson Allen: out (injury management), Jalen Green: out (hamstring).

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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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