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The Milwaukee Bucks enter the Emirates NBA Cup knockout rounds as the Eastern Conference’s top seed, boasting a perfect 4-0 record in group play. Their group-stage dominance, beating the Toronto Raptors , Indiana Pacers , Miami Heat , and Detroit Pistons , highlighted not only the star power of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard but also the depth and versatility that solidify this team as a legitimate title contender. Why Winning the NBA Cup Matters for the Milwaukee Bucks Key Numbers for the Bucks During the Emirates NBA Cup Group Play The Bucks averaged 115.5 points on 49% shooting from the field and 43.8% from three-point range. Milwaukee’s supporting cast played a crucial role, with Taurean Prince leading the league in three-point percentage at 54.2% ( 75% in group play matches), and Gary Trent Jr. rediscovering his defensive and offensive rhythm. Brook Lopez , a vital anchor for the defense, is currently third in the NBA in blocks per game at 2.2 ( 2.5 in group play matches), further solidifying the Bucks’ interior presence. Giannis and Lillard combined for 58.6 points per game in the group play, showcasing their growing synergy as one of the league’s most dangerous duos. But this cup run is about more than just stats—it’s about making a statement. Why the NBA Cup Matters for the Bucks Momentum and Redemption The Bucks started the season with a disappointing 2-8 record, leading to questions about their chemistry under Doc Rivers . Winning the Emirates NBA Cup would symbolize their resurgence and send a message that Milwaukee is not only back but ready to dominate on the biggest stages. It’s also a chance to build confidence and cohesion in high-stakes, single-elimination games. Team Identity and Depth The Emirates NBA Cup has showcased Milwaukee’s depth and versatility. Players like Prince and Trent Jr. have stepped up, providing elite shooting and defense, while Lopez continues to anchor the paint with his shot-blocking prowess. AJ Green has emerged as a reliable 3-and-D contributor, and Andre Jackson Jr.’s energy and defensive instincts have been game-changers. Khris Middleton’s return further strengthens the rotation , giving the Bucks a proven scorer and playmaker. These contributions make the Bucks one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. Setting the Tone For Giannis and Lillard, the Emirates NBA Cup is an opportunity to cement their partnership in high-pressure moments. It’s also a chance for the Bucks to establish a winning culture early in the season, setting the tone for a deep playoff run. Winning this Cup could serve as a catalyst, boosting team confidence and morale as they pursue another NBA championship. A Legacy in the Making The Bucks have never shied away from lofty expectations, and the Emirates NBA Cup is the perfect stage to demonstrate why they remain among the league’s elite. A victory here would not only add a historic accolade to their resume but also solidify their standing as serious contenders this season. Now, the Bucks find themselves three wins away from the trophy. First, they face the Orlando Magic in the quarterfinals. Should they prevail, a potential semifinal clash against the winner of the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks awaits. The road to Las Vegas won’t be easy, but for a team built to thrive under pressure, the Bucks are ready to prove they belong at the top. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.Oklahoma State hired Todd Grantham as its new defensive coordinator, first reported by Pokes Report. The 2025 will mark Grantham's 35th season in coaching and his 16th as a defensive coordinator, having previously called plays for the Cleveland Browns (2005-2007), Georgia (2010-2013), Louisville (2014-2016), Mississippi State (2017) and Florida (2018-2021). Grantham spent the past two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, where he served as the defensive line coach. He was moved to a senior adviser role in early November when Dennis Allen was fired and Darren Rizzi was named interim head coach. He has also coached the defensive line at his alma mater Virginia Tech, Michigan State under Nick Saban, the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys. During his most recent stint as defensive coordinator, the Florida Gators' defense quickly improved in his first season. In his second season, it finished top 10 in scoring defense (15.5 points per game) and total defense (306.6 yards per game). But the unit took a turn for the worse in his last two seasons. The Gators gave up 30.8 points per game in 2020 – their worst mark in 103 years. Grantham was fired in the middle of the 2021 following a three-game losing streak in which Florida allowed 454 yards to LSU (321 yards rushing), 354 yards to Georgia and 459 yards to South Carolina. Still, he brings a wealth of NFL and high-level Division I experience to a Cowboys defense that ranked 125th in scoring defense and 132nd in total defense under Bryan Nardo.OUTDOORS: Different ways to handle camp cooking
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Brayden Point scored twice and added two assists, and the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Sunday. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two helpers for the Lightning (14-9-3), while Jake Guentzel put away the game winner on a power play late in the third period. Captain Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood found the back of the net for the Canucks (14-8-4), who fell to 4-6-3 at home. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced and Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver. OH CAPTAIN❗️ MY CAPTAIN❗️ Canucks: Hughes took a stick to the face 55 seconds into the game, missed more than 11 minutes, then returned to open the scoring 16:08 into the first period. It was the 50th goal of the defenceman’s career and extended his points streak to seven games with three goals and 10 assists across the stretch. Lightning: Kucherov, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two games with a lower-body injury, added another potent piece to Tampa’s red-hot power play. The Lightning were 2-for-4 with the man advantage and scored a power-play goal for the sixth straight game. Tampa took the lead 6:29 into the second when Kucherov sliced a pass to Point at the bottom of the faceoff circle and the Lightning winger blasted it in past Lankinen for his 17th of the season. Kucherov put the visitors on the board just a minute and 49 seconds earlier. Point scored his league-leading 10th power-play goal of the season. He’s one away from becoming the third player to score 100 power-play goals for the Lightning Canucks: Continue a six-game homestand Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. Lightning: Visit the Oilers in Edmonton on Tuesday.
With the 47th Parliament now in its final sitting week of 2024, the government is aiming to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 - laws core to Australian democracy, as they regulate House and Senate elections and call for members of Parliament to be "directly chosen by the people". or signup to continue reading Following the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters' inquiry into the 2022 election, the government chose to focus on some of the Committee's recommendations - including introducing gift caps, expedited disclosure of gifts and reducing the 'disclosure threshold' to $1000. While on their face these measures improve some aspects of our democracy, they also happen to further strengthen the major parties' advantage over the smaller parties and independents in running election campaigns. This is because of potential loopholes, including exemptions for what constitutes a gift, the $90 million major party expenditure limit, the $11 million expenditure cap for associated entities like the ACTU or Advance, and the $30,000 administration fund for each MP. ACT Senator David Pocock has queried these loopholes and the haste in which the government is attempting to rush them through Parliament without further scrutiny. Bolstering the major parties with initiatives of this sort is part of why many electors are cynical about the party system producing good policy. The need for electoral reform is clear but the government has prioritised maintaining structures that embed major party domination in Australia's Parliament rather than ensuring fair processes for all candidates. It is not that the major party system is inherently problematic - it's the way the major parties exercise power that is causing concern - and may indeed be one of the reasons why, as Bill Shorten noted in his valedictory speech last week, that young people currently feel that politics disenfranchises, disengages and dismisses them. It's not only young people. At a November 15 press conference, Don Farrell, Minister of State responsible for the Electoral Act amendments said: "What these changes will do is take big money out of Australian politics. It will strengthen our democracy. The Westminster system has served Australia federally very well for the last 125 years." But has the Westminster system served well over the last 125 years? If we look at the composition of the 47th Parliament, we still do not have equal numbers of women and there are many other spheres in which our Parliament is far from representative. Importantly, the demands of parliamentary life, its pressure-cooker existence and lengthy sittings in Canberra, mostly away from those near and dear, is not conducive to representatives leading healthy balanced lives or to a healthy democracy. There is little evidence that the culture of Parliament has improved. In the first Parliamentary Workplace Support Service there were 339 complaints between October 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 with 30 of them of serious wrongdoing, including rape, sexual assault and harassment. One way, and not the only way, to improve the quality of our democracy and the quality of Parliament as a workplace, is to embrace the initiative of Lucy Bradlow and Bronwen Bock who are running as a job-share Senate candidate for Victoria at the next federal election. A job-share candidature enables people who would not otherwise consider running for politics because of its full-time demands to share the role with another person of similar skills and capacity and with whom they share similar values and work style. In Lucy and Bronwen's case, two highly capable women, one a finance professional, governance expert and gender equality consultant and mother of three, the other a lawyer and communications specialist who has worked in Parliament House, propose to share the role by working one week on, one week off, but other job sharers could determine completely different arrangements. Their trail-blazing initiative has the potential to model a new form of representation and thus diversify the range of people present in Parliament and help to regenerate our democracy. It would help to take ego out of representation and would provide a working example of teaming together to provide the best outcome for those represented. For the job sharers, it would allow them to be both a representative and also to tend to their other commitments of family, health and wellbeing, and living a more rounded, balanced life. It would thus strengthen our democracy. While the Electoral Commission has publicly announced it does not see such a nomination as valid, the ACT Women's Legal Service and I will be acting on the job-sharing candidate's behalf, to argue that it is currently allowed under the Electoral Act and that it would be unconstitutional to not allow "the people" to choose to vote for them. Ultimately, the job-sharing candidate must convince the voters they are the best candidate as their single candidate, exercising only one vote, and sharing the power as a single representative in Parliament. Indeed, perhaps someone like Gavin Pearce, retiring Braddon Liberal MHR from Tasmania, may have considered not retiring at the end of this 47th Parliament if he had been able to find someone with whom he could job-share, and convince his voters that together, each of them part-time, could best represent the electorate. It could also have been an excellent way for Gavin to mentor a colleague in the process. For Gavin Pearce is . That is the reason he is quitting politics, so he can spend more time with his family. It's time now, to enable those who have initiatives to improve the quality of our democracy, to take job-sharing representation to the people - for their choice - and to ensure that the Westminster system benefits all the people, not just the present incumbents of major parties continuing to do things their way and only their way. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. 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