jili golden empire demo

jili golden empire demo His former co-star, DeMar DeRozan, is gone . The bottom fell out of the defense with the departure of Alex Caruso . The best way to build up his trade value is to stockpile stat sheets to convince other teams of his viability on a contender. And in a Chicago Bulls season already written off as a must-lose for better draft positioning, it wouldn’t have been surprising — or even upsetting — if LaVine had chosen to soak up as much of the spotlight as possible. But that isn’t the case. LaVine is back to his old-school heroics, slinging 3-pointers and throwing down splashy dunks over the heads of his defenders. And he’s doing it more efficiently — and with less frustration — than ever. “I can be a star in whatever situation I’m in,” LaVine told the Tribune. “I’m still super effective — and I’m going to keep it that way. I understand what I have to do for the team. I’ve tried to really embrace and accept that role, whether that’s taking the challenge defensively, being a facilitator or even fitting into a role, helping guys out and then asserting myself when I need to.” For most of his tenure, the Bulls often fell back on LaVine out of desperation. When the offense ground to a halt or the 3-pointers weren’t falling, the Bulls looked to their star — or, as LaVine described it, “OK, why don’t we just let Zach shoot it 28 times?” This season is different. LaVine is averaging the lowest usage (24.2%) of his eight-year tenure with the Bulls (excluding last season, when he played only 25 games due to injury). This means that for the first time since his second season in the league, LaVine is not ending a play — either by taking a shot, drawing a foul or turning the ball over — for more than 75% of the time he is on the court. His teammates are quick to reassure that it’s not from a lack of belief in LaVine. “Everybody knows Zach LaVine can go out there and get you 30 points whenever he wants,” guard Coby White said. But in a higher-paced offense that values 3-point shots above all else, LaVine has more flexibility to spread the ball. He’s taking 15.5 shots per game, a notable decline from his average of 18 in the 2022-23 season and his career high of 20 in 2019-20. Despite the decline in volume, the Bulls average 11.7 more points per 100 minutes with LaVine on the court. “I’m picking my spots better this year,” Lavine said. “You want to have everybody have a rhythm. If I need to come out aggressive, I should do that, but you don’t want to have guys not touch the ball until the third quarter when it really matters.” Monday’s win over the Detroit Pistons encapsulated LaVine’s new approach. At the start, he was just looking to get teammates involved, logging five assists and only eight shots in the first half. But once his first 3-pointer dropped in the fourth, a switch flipped. LaVine sank a trio of 3s in 61 seconds, ripping off 18 of his 25 points in the quarter. White described that win as a “perfect” game for LaVine in Year 11. And for teammates such as fourth-year guard Ayo Dosunmu aiming to make a major leap in their progress, the balance LaVine is striking has provided a significant confidence boost. “Him being that big bro, that big vet, he’s really allowing everyone to come out and contribute and thrive and play at their best,” Dosunmu said. “And he’s still Zach LaVine. He’s still able to take over any game. But I think it’s making him harder to guard because he’s not so ball dominant, but he’s still so effective. That’s just a credit to him. Ultimately, whenever we need him, he’s always there.” LaVine wasn’t happy last season. That much was obvious. Nothing was going right for the Bulls. So LaVine let himself get angry. Over the criticism from fans sparked by reports of his attempt to push a trade out of Chicago. Over the complicated fracture in his right foot that hindered every step on the court. Over the losses — and sometimes even after the wins. But something shifted after the birth of his second son, Elijah, in March. Fatherhood already had a reframing effect on LaVine when his elder son, Saint, was born in 2022 . But raising two boys was a new challenge — a joyful one — that shook him out of the funk that plagued him for the 2023-24 season. At that point, he had been away from the Bulls for a full month, rehabbing from foot surgery in California while preparing for Elijah’s birth with his wife, Hunter. And as he juggled parenthood with recovery and preparation to return to Chicago, LaVine said he realized there simply wasn’t enough time in the day to linger in his frustration. “When you’re upset or mad about things, you don’t have a clear train of thought,” LaVine said. “As a parent now of two, I can’t be someone that’s not clear-headed. That’s where I took a step back. I was like, ‘I’ve got to be someone that’s calm for everybody else, even in situations where it’s hectic.’ And I asked myself, like, ‘OK, how do you calm yourself down?’ That’s helped me a lot.” It’s almost impossible for professional athletes to escape the inherent negativity of the job. Even players who prefer to log off social media struggle to avoid online discourse — friends or family members will send them screenshots of posts, teammates will huddle to argue over a hot take on TV in the locker room. LaVine doesn’t try to avoid the chatter. He keeps an eye on social media, reads and watches analysts and fans alike. He never wants to be caught off guard, always trying to understand the outside world’s perception of him. But LaVine wants to stop worrying about changing that perception. It’s a constant source of conversation with Hunter and his father, Paul. And it’s not easy or perfect. Still, the result has been visible to teammates, even as the Bulls struggle through a 6-10 start . “He’s in a great space and I’m actually proud of him for that,” Dosunmu told the Tribune. “We see it and you can just tell it by watching him. He’s playing great, he’s shooting the ball great, he’s being a great teammate. I’m happy for him.” Some of this is just about growing up. This is the first year LaVine is really beginning to feel his age. Not too much. He turns 30 on March 10. There’s still a buoyant spring in the way he launches toward the rim for a dunk. But it means something to be in Year 11. LaVine is the undisputed veteran leader of the young roster. And sure, he can’t help but laugh when rookie Matas Buzelis — “that bastard,” he joked — calls him an OG, but he also knows it’s a sign of respect that he has worked for years to earn. And for LaVine, only the main difference matters when comparing this year to last: He’s happy. He feels like himself on the court. His family is thriving off it. And whatever comes next — wins, losses, a trade, another season in Chicago — LaVine feels more in control than ever. “I can’t make everybody happy,” LaVine said. “I can’t control if people are wrong or right about their own opinions. I can just go out here and try to continue to do the best I can for myself, my family, my team. I’m being true to myself. That’s a peace in itself.”

Farage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbersLincoln businesses, shoppers feel pressure with shorter holiday buying season

Snowfall records broken as Calgary transit detours remain in effect

The Eagles are looking to clinch the NFC East title while completing a rare sweep of the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Philadelphia. The Eagles (12-3) will have to play without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who sustained a concussion during last weekend's 36-33 loss at Washington that snapped their team-record 10-game winning streak. He was ruled out on Friday after missing practice all week. Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered a rib injury against the Commanders, but he was a full participant at Thursday's practice and was limited on Friday. Pickett is expected to start, with Tanner McKee his backup on Sunday as Philadelphia tries to sweep Dallas for the first time since 2011. Meanwhile, the Cowboys (7-8) are clicking with their own QB2 at the controls. Cooper Rush has guided Dallas to wins in four of the last five games, throwing nine touchdown passes and just one interception in that span. The Cowboys are in the unfamiliar position of playing spoiler, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Two more wins would give Dallas its fourth straight winning season under fifth-year coach Mike McCarthy. "It's hard to win games in this league. It's definitely an end goal just to have a winning season," Cowboys right guard Brock Hoffman said. "... But definitely where we've been at on this journey, take it week by week, win these last two games, have a winning season, and it's definitely a big boost going into next season." The Eagles cruised to a 34-6 win over the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, in the first meeting in Week 10, with Hurts throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for two scores. Rush finished with just 45 yards on 13-of-23 passing. Pickett replaced a woozy Hurts in the first quarter against Washington and finished the drive with a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. "I thought it was so cool for our guys to have the confidence in (Pickett) to just hop in there and handle a third down, handle another completion, throw a third-down touchdown in the red zone," Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said Tuesday. "I thought that was a really cool moment." A sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, McKee has yet to appear in a regular-season game. "I feel like I've always been preparing to be the starter and preparing to play, and so my preparation is going to stay the same," McKee said Tuesday. "And you know, I'm obviously excited for any opportunity that I do get, but we're going to take it day by day for those guys." No matter who plays QB, the Eagles likely will lean heavily on Saquon Barkley. With a league-leading 1,838 rushing yards, he needs 268 in the last two games to break Eric Dickerson's 1984 NFL single-season record of 2,105. Philadelphia's injury report Friday also included the team ruling out wide receiver Britain Covey (neck), who also returns punts, and running back Will Shipley (concussion), a contributor on kickoff return duty. Linebacker Nakobe Dean (abdomen) is doubtful after limited participation on Friday, while defensive end Bryce Huff (wrist) was a full participant and listed as questionable. He would need to be activated from injured reserve to play on Sunday. The Cowboys have shut down star wideout CeeDee Lamb for the rest of the season because of a sprained right shoulder. Also ruled out for Sunday are cornerbacks Kemon Hall (hamstring) and Amani Oruwariye (foot). Guard TJ Bass (thigh) is doubtful, while those with questionable status are wide receivers Jalen Brooks (knee) and Jalen Tolbert (finger), offensive tackles Chuma Edoga (toe) and Asim Richards (ankle), linebackers Eric Kendricks (calf) and Nick Vigil (foot), and safety Donovan Wilson (knee). --Field Level MediaTikTok has announced the removal of 2.1 million videos posted by Nigerian users in the third quarter of 2024, citing violations of its content policies. The disclosure was made in the company’s Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which also revealed that 147.8 million videos were taken down globally during the same period. Nigeria ranked among the top 50 countries contributing to these violations, collectively accounting for 90 percent of all content removals across the platform. The removed videos were found to have breached TikTok’s guidelines, which focus on areas such as Integrity and Authenticity, Privacy and Security, Mental and Behavioural Health, Safety, and Civility. In addition to video removals, TikTok took significant actions against fake or underage accounts. The platform reported removing 214.8 million accounts, a move it described as essential to maintaining the integrity of its ecosystem. “We remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement,” TikTok stated. “These threats persistently probe and attack our systems, leading to occasional fluctuations in the reported metrics. Despite this, we are steadfast in our commitment to promptly identify and remove any accounts, content, or activities that seek to artificially boost popularity on our platform.” Further metrics from the report indicated the removal of 1.3 billion comments, 1.1 billion likes, and the suspension of 12.2 million live sessions. The platform also removed 57.2 million fake followers, which were discovered to have originated from automated or inauthentic mechanisms. TikTok noted a reduction in the volume of advertisements removed during the quarter for violations of its advertising policies and account-level actions. “Advertiser accounts and ad content must comply with our Community Guidelines, Advertising Policies, and Terms of Service,” the company emphasised. “We are continually reviewing and strengthening our systems to identify new patterns and quickly and accurately remove ads that violate our policies.”Germany's Merkel recalls Putin's 'power games' and contrasting US presidents in her memoirsIt’s official: Dodgers sign Blake Snell for 5 years, $182 million