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San Antonio and Charlotte square off in non-conference matchup

Charlotte Hornets (34-33, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (48-18, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs host the Charlotte Hornets in non-conference play.

The Spurs have gone 25-7 at home. San Antonio averages 118.9 points and has outscored opponents by 7.0 points per game.

The Hornets are 20-16 in road games. Charlotte is 3-6 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Spurs are shooting 48.0% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point higher than the 47.0% the Hornets allow to opponents. The Hornets are shooting 45.9% from the field, 0.7% higher than the 45.2% the Spurs’ opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Hornets won 111-106 in the last matchup on Jan. 31.

TOP PERFORMERS: Keldon Johnson is scoring 12.8 points per game and averaging 5.5 rebounds for the Spurs. De’Aaron Fox is averaging 18.2 points and 3.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 21.5 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 8-2, averaging 120.8 points, 44.9 rebounds, 30.9 assists, 7.5 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.5 points per game.

Hornets: 8-2, averaging 117.6 points, 47.4 rebounds, 27.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.1 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Victor Wembanyama: day to day (ankle).

Hornets: Liam McNeeley: day to day (ankle), Grant Williams: day to day (knee), Ryan Kalkbrenner: day to day (illness), Tidjane Salaun: day to day (knee).

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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

▶ 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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