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Wembanyama returns to starting lineup for Spurs against Jazz but Fox out with hip injury

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will return to the starting lineup Saturday night against the Utah Jazz, but point guard De’Aaron Fox will miss the game after experiencing tightness in his left adductor.

Wembanyama has come off the bench in seven straight games since returning from a strained left calf that kept him out for 12 games. San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson opted to bring Wembanyama off the bench due to a minutes restriction as the 7-foot-4 star worked to regain his strength and conditioning.

Fox was downgraded to questionable on Friday afternoon and ruled out Saturday.

Fox missed the first eight games of the season after straining his right hamstring during the offseason. He is averaging 21.9 points, 6.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 22 games this season for surging San Antonio.

The Spurs have won eight straight, including three straight victories over Oklahoma City in a two-week span.

Julian Champagnie will make his 18th start of the season with Fox out.

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

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ 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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