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Philadelphia's Joel Embiid scored 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in his return after missing seven games to spark the 76ers on Sunday in a 108-100 NBA victory at Chicago. Embiid had been sidelined by a left knee injury and personal reasons since a November 20 loss to Memphis, the Sixers going 4-3 in his absence. The 30-year-old Cameroonian-born big man, who wore a left knee brace, also added four assists and two blocked shots in 33 minutes in only his fifth game of the season. "He caught fire there," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid. "Certainly he gave us a lot of confidence." Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey contributed his first career NBA triple-double with 25 points and career highs of 14 assists and 11 rebounds. "It was good," Maxey said. "The offense flowed really well. Pick and roll was really good. I was able to get everybody involved, get Joel going and get myself going too." "He turned on the jets and got to the rim at some pretty opportune times," Nurse said of Maxey. Embiid was a welcome court presence for the 76ers. "He creates so much space for us on the floor, gets the attention," said Maxey. "I didn't see one pick and roll double team for the first time in a long time." Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points. At New York, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Bucks over the Brooklyn Nets 118-113. Damian Lillard added 15 points and 11 assists while reserve Bobby Portis contributed 23 points and Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 off the Milwaukee bench. Germany's Dennis Schroder led the Nets with 34 points. js/mlmOut-of-form New Zealand opener Devon Conway will miss the third test against England in Hamilton to remain at home for the birth of his first child this week, the team said on Monday. Conway, who scored just 21 runs over four innings as the Black Caps suffered heavy losses in the first two tests, will be replaced in the squad by uncapped all-rounder Mark Chapman. "Family comes first in this environment and we're all really excited for Dev and his wife Kim to welcome their first child," said coach Gary Stead. "Mark was with the test squad in India recently and returned to the Plunket Shield by scoring an impressive 276 - so it's a good time for him to be joining us." The absence of Conway might also give the ultra-loyal Stead the opportunity to bring Will Young into the batting line-up for the final test of the series, which starts at Seddon Park on Saturday. Young scored 244 runs and was named Player of the Series when New Zealand stunned the cricketing world by sweeping India 3-0 in late October and early November but was dropped for Kane Williamson for the England series. Conway's wife Kim went public on social media after suffering a miscarriage at the start of the year, saying she did not want to feel ashamed or embarrassed about it. "We will have our miracle one day and we will love them with everything," she wrote in a post on Instagram.

In a world where people convert shipping containers into homes, the idea seems to be emerging that bigger isn’t always better. The same thing could be said of SUVs. Consider the 2025 Mini Countryman. It’s smaller than a Toyota Corolla Cross or a Chevrolet Trax. Yet compared with Mini’s other models, it’s positively huge. Offered in S ALL4 or JCW ALL4 trim, the 2025 Mini Countryman gains a total makeover for the new model year that lessens its resemblance to a Mini Cooper that’s taken on too much water weight. It’s more its own animal, looking far more contemporary, serious and, well, less cute. That probably makes it more palatable if you have Y-Chromosomes. Open the door of the 2025 Mini Countryman and you’ll find the interior feels more modern thanks to the use of sustainable materials, including the fabric on the dash that’s actually recycled plastic. But it retains its trademark circular 9.4-inch OLED infotainment touchscreen and, like the Mini Cooper, controls have been simplified. It’s also noticeably roomier, as the Countryman shares its vehicle architecture with the BMW X1. This explains why the Countryman is 5 inches longer, nearly an inch wider, and almost 4 inches taller for 2025. It’s noticeably larger, and it’s fair to think of it as a maxi Mini, or perhaps a Morris Major. Its driver’s perch is noticeably higher than any Mini should feel, although SUV buyers not accustomed to the Countryman’s smaller stablemates won’t notice. And while larger, the second row is best used for two adults; three is an imposition. The tester had the $3,200 Iconic trim option, which brings with it a Harman/Kardon surround sound audio system, wireless smartphone charger, augmented reality navigation system and niceties such as auto-dimming mirrors and privacy glass. Thoughtfully, Mini provides the infotainment display with different visual presentations, allowing for a bit of lightheartedness for which the brand is known. Still, as brand DNA goes, it’s lacking a bit, even though most will welcome the extra interior space and more modern exterior appearance. Yet some character remains, even if it seems somewhat less impish than its diminutive sibling. It still possesses some of the persona that’s distinctly Mini. That comes mostly under the hood, where a turbocharged, intercooled 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic funnels 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels in S ALL4 trim. JCM models get the same powerplant with an additional 71 horsepower. Torque remains unchanged. That extra juice delivers a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds according to Mini, one second quicker than the S ALL4 test drive model. The 2025 Mini Countryman S ALL4 test drive occurred during the ninth Mini Takes the States, or MTTS for short. Mini owners are invited to join the biennial expedition, which started in Albuquerque in July. Drivers then continued north through Grand Junction and Durango, Colorado, before going on to Salt Lake City, Bozeman and Missoula, Montana, and Spokane and Yakima, Washington, before arriving in Seattle nine days later. With 1,921 aficionados traveling from as far afield as Australia, more than 900 Minis participated in the rally, which covered more than 1,600 miles. For those who say the United States is a bitterly divided partisan nation, they’ve never run MTTS. It’s one big happy family, albeit one with a Mini fixation — not a political one. Thank goodness. As you might expect, the Countryman performs like a Mini Cooper, although not quite as quickly or with as much communication as its smaller sibling. The ride is more yielding as well, with more suspension travel to allow for the occasional off-road foray. That said, this is no hard-core boulder basher. It’s more the foul-weather friend, one that drives entertainingly enough to prevent boredom during long stretches behind the wheel. And of course it has decent cargo space, 25 cubic feet in fact, expanding to 56 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. And let’s face it, frisky performance, modern good looks and a fair amount of space for you and your stuff is all we really need from any SUV. But the character and built-in brother- and sisterhood that comes with owning a Mini adds another level of satisfaction that few automakers offer. That makes this Mini one that delivers a maximum of fun and functionality that’s hard to resist. Base price: $38,900/$46,900 Engine: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder Horsepower/Torque: 241/295 pound-feet EPA rating (combined city/highway): 27 mpg Fuel required: 91 Octane Length/Width/Height: 175/73/65 inches Ground clearance: 8 inches Payload: 1,100 pounds Cargo capacity: 25-56 cubic feet Towing capacity: (unbraked) 750 pounds ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLCThe Marketing Alliance Announces Financial Results for Quarter Ended September 30, 2024NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the center's reliance on fossil fuels — and whether the plans for new natural gas power to support it could lead to higher energy bills in the future for Louisiana residents. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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