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Banchero and the Magic take on Sengun and the Rockets

By The Associated Press

Houston Rockets (36-21, third in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (31-26, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rockets -2; over/under is 215.5

BOTTOM LINE: Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic host Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets in non-conference play.

The Magic are 18-10 on their home court. Orlando ranks sixth in the NBA with 51.8 points in the paint led by Franz Wagner averaging 10.9.

The Rockets are 16-14 on the road. Houston averages 14.5 turnovers per game and is 15-5 when winning the turnover battle.

The 115.1 points per game the Magic average are 6.0 more points than the Rockets allow (109.1). The Rockets average 114.7 points per game, 0.1 more than the 114.6 the Magic allow to opponents.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Rockets won the last matchup 117-113 in overtime on Nov. 17, with Kevin Durant scoring 35 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is averaging 21.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and five assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 24.2 points over the last 10 games.

Sengun is averaging 20.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists for the Rockets. Durant is averaging 21.7 points and 3.9 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 6-4, averaging 112.1 points, 41.0 rebounds, 26.4 assists, 10.4 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.5 points per game.

Rockets: 6-4, averaging 109.0 points, 44.4 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 9.2 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.4 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Jalen Suggs: day to day (back), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate: out (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Dorian Finney-Smith: out (injury management), Amen Thompson: day to day (quad), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

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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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