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Duterte calls officials to meeting on Ukraine

PHOTO of a destroyed Russian T-90 tank. — REDDIT

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday night said he would hold a special meeting with Cabinet and security officials to discuss the local implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Some businessmen and civilians would also join the meeting, he told a taped Cabinet meeting.

“We will discuss about what is evolving, what is happening in Europe,” the tough-talking leader said. “I want you to listen to how important it is for you to know what is happening now.”

“The invitation is for all so that we can have an exchange of ideas between the military and police on one hand, and businessmen, so we can come up with a sensible front of how to handle this thing,” he added.

Russia has launched a devastating attack by air, land and sea on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people, and its forces were on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv. President Vladimir Putin denied for months he would invade his neighbor, but then tore up a peace deal and sent forces across borders in Ukraine’s north, east and south.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday night said the Philippines had voted yes to a United Nations General Assembly resolution and expressed “explicit condemnation” of the Russian attack on Ukraine. It sought an end to the fighting and appealed for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“We strongly urge the cessation of hostilities; but while an offense can be stopped at will, the defense cannot rest until the offense stops,” it said.

“Our plea in the plenary would really be to join the call for restraint and to deescalate the violence there,” Mr. Duterte said.

Mr. Duterte has appointed Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles as the sole spokesman to discuss what will happen at the meeting.

Mr. Nograles told a news briefing on Tuesday they had not decided whether to air the meeting live on television because it’s a sensitive topic. The presidential palace was also concerned about its national security implications.

“At the end of the meeting, we will issue a statement to apprise the people,” he said. “What’s important is the president’s instruction to make sure all Filipinos are aware of the situation, what’s happening in Europe, particularly Ukraine, and its implication to the country, Filipinos and the economy,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

Meanwhile, Senator Aquilino “Koko” L. Pimentel III, who heads the foreign relations committee, said he agrees with the government condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but said the Philippines should stay neutral on the Eastern European nation’s application for membership at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“For the sake of the children, women and elderly, I agree that military operations must immediately be stopped by Russia and all others involved,” he told reporters in a Viber message.

“But on the main issue itself, like Ukraine’s application for NATO membership and Russia’s response to it, we should in the meantime be neutral pending deeper study of the issue and the root causes of Russia-Ukraine disputes by our experts in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month pleaded that his country be admitted to NATO so that the 30-member intergovernmental alliance, which consists of 28 European and two North American countries, could provide military assistance.

NATO on Monday said it would provide Ukraine with air defense missiles and anti-tank weapons after NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg held another call with Mr. Zelensky. The alliance and the United States earlier said they would not send forces to fight alongside Ukraine.

DFA on Monday echoed the appeal of the UN secretary-general to respect humanitarian principles. “Safe access to humanitarian assistance must be assured by the most effective means.”

All states enjoy the right to full sovereignty in all their areas of jurisdiction, the Philippines said, citing the UN Charter.

“We especially condemn the use of separatism and secession as a weapon of diplomacy for inviting and inflicting terrible cruelties and indiscriminate killings far in excess of that of any other kind of conflict,” the Philippines said, alluding to Russia’s deployment of troops in two breakaway regions in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, presidential aspirant and Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, Sr., who had argued against neutrality, said he expected the Philippines’ official condemnation of the Russian invasion.

“I knew it was forthcoming because it was the right thing to do and the UN Charter says it,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

“I was surprised the others in the CNN debate didn’t see it that way,” he added, referring three presidential bets who agreed the Philippines should stay neutral.

During the CNN Philippines debate, Mr. Lacson said the country has an obligation to condemn a foreign aggressor and renounce war as a UN member.

He also saluted the Ukrainian president whom he called a “living hero” for standing with his soldiers amid a war, ready to die for his people. “That is the real leader.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Philippines probing 250 more cases of drug war killings

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINES would ask government agents to investigate 250 more cases of what could have been wrongful deaths in the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign, the country’s Justice chief told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday. 

Philippine prosecutors have filed charges in court against law enforcers in four of 52 cases where suspected drug pushers died in President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s war on drugs, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said in his UN statement, a copy of which was given to reporters on Tuesday. 

He represented the Philippines virtually during a high-level segment of the 49th regular session of the UN council in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 250 cases could cover police raids from July 2016 to June 2020, Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar told reporters in a Viber message.

An inter-agency committee formed 15 teams last year that probed extralegal killings and human rights violations, Mr. Guevarra said.

The Philippines has also invited two representatives from the United Nations to discuss human rights issues and ways to make violators accountable, he said.

“The Philippines will remain positively engaged with the international community and all human rights mechanisms on all issues concerning rule of law and institutions in the country,” he said. “But we will draw the line between parties that engage in good faith, and those that abuse and exploit these mechanisms to make demands of accountability with little or no factual basis.”

Justice Undersecretary Adrian S. Sugay last year said the International Criminal Court (ICC) might use the Department of Justice’s findings in the 52 cases in its own investigation.

The ICC, which investigates and prosecutes people charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression in November said it would ask the Philippine government to provide proof that it had investigated its war on drugs that has killed thousands, days after the tribunal suspended an initial probe.

The ICC was also set to probe vigilante-style killings in Davao City when Mr. Duterte was still its vice mayor and mayor.

“Never mind about the ICC, I don’t care about that,” Mr. Duterte said in mixed English and Filipino in a televised speech on Tuesday night. “I just hope that somebody, maybe not even the next president, would find the resolve to just continue with the drive against drugs because I said it will destroy our country.”

The Philippines would continue to cooperate with the UN on human rights under the next government, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a separate statement, citing Mr. Guevarra’s speech at the UN meeting.

Philippines’ “commitment to human rights will remain unaffected by the passing incumbency of administrations, rooted as it is in our long history of engagement with this council and reflected in policies that protect and promote the fundamental rights and freedoms of our people,” Mr. Guevarra said.

Filipino lawyers have been calling on the ICC to resume its probe of Mr. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, saying the Philippine Justice department was only looking into 52 deaths out of the tens of thousands killed.

The government has taken an increasingly large role in targeting civilians, “no longer trying to create distance by ‘outsourcing’ the majority of violence to vigilantes,” US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said in a report on Nov. 18.

After analyzing data and information from at least 40 sources, the group said in a report the Philippine government had been undercounting civilian deaths in the drug war.

At least 1,100 deaths in the bloody campaign have not been counted by the government. “We now estimate at least 7,742 civilians have been killed in the drug war since 2016.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

DoH to stop daily COVID-19 tallies starting March 7

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) on Tuesday said it would stop reporting daily coronavirus infections starting March 7.

The agency would issue weekly bulletins instead, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire told a televised news briefing.

“We will be issuing a revised bulletin where we will focus on severe and critical cases and the utilization of our intensive care units,” she said. “It’s going to be once a week compared with before when we would release case bulletins daily.”

She said the agency would keep the COVID-19 tracker on its website, but it would eventually be updated weekly.

“As to the case numbers, if it’s mild, we treat it like it’s part of our lives,” Ms. Vergeire said. “We live with the virus; we focus on the critical.”

DoH reported 1,067 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 3.66 million. Recoveries increased by 1,652 to 3.56 million, it said.

It did not report any deaths, which stood at 56,451. The country had 4.3% COVID-19 positivity rate, the lowest this year.

Of 51,592 active cases, 489 did not show symptoms, 46,609 were mild, 2,779 were moderate, 1,417 were severe and 298 were critical.

DoH said 61% of new cases occurred on Feb. 16 to March 1. The top regions with cases in the past two weeks were Metro Manila with 144, Calabarzon with 92 and Central Luzon with 72 infections.

Five duplicates were removed from the tally, three of which were recoveries. Nine laboratories failed to submit data on Feb. 27.

The capital region and 38 other areas are now under Alert Level 1 amid decreasing infections.

The country had overcome the threat of the highly mutated Omicron variant, Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., chief enforcer of the country’s pandemic plan, told a taped Cabinet meeting on Monday night.

He said areas under the lowest virus alert would begin the roadmap to the new normal starting March 1 or exactly a year after the country started its vaccination program.

The country had fully vaccinated 63.22 million as of Feb. 28, while 68.81 million people have received their first, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles told a televised news briefing on Tuesday. The government has injected 10.21 million booster shots.

The Philippines, which was among the hardest hit by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Southeast Asia, endured one of the longest lockdowns in the world.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte locked down the main island of Luzon in mid-March of 2020 to contain the virus that was first detected in Wuhan, China. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Financial institutions, regulators vow to tighten watch vs digital vote buying

REGULATORS, financial institutions and other stakeholders vowed to tighten monitoring and reporting of digital transactions that could be related to vote buying even as they assured that mechanisms are in place to avert illegal practices.

“We can only imagine how creative they (vote buyers and sellers) can be in the forthcoming election,” Socorro B. Inting, Commission on Elections acting chairperson, said in a virtual gathering entitled “Advocacy Campaign on the Responsible Use of Digital Payment Platforms” held on Tuesday.

“What we can do is embrace (innovation) wholeheartedly, study it meticulously, and calibrate our approaches in order to deal with it,” she said. 

Vote buying and selling, an illegal practice under Philippine law, involves an exchange of money or other forms of valuable goods for guaranteed support to a candidate or candidates on election day.

“Stories are aplenty of election operators sourcing payments to vote sellers via money transfers or through GCash,” Ms. Inting said.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno acknowledged that digital payment channels that have made transactions easier during the pandemic are at risk of being abused by digital vote buyers. 

He said the central bank has directed its supervised financial institutions to enhance surveillance and monitoring in light of possible election-related activities.

In a statement released following the digital event, FintechAlliance.Ph and the eMoney Association of the Philippines committed to proactively report unfair practices that could compromise a free and fair elections. 

They also assured they have control mechanisms against vote buying, including a stringent onboarding process, which includes a one-is-to-one account registration and account verification. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Senate files resolution calling for suspension of online cockfighting

PAGCOR.PH

THE SENATE filed a resolution, with 23 of the 24-member chamber signing, on Monday calling on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to suspend the operation of online cockfighting establishments until the cases of the disappearance of gamblers is resolved. 

Senator Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa, who introduced Senate Resolution 996, said the President had indicated support to the proposal during a conversation in a recent social gathering.

“I got the impression that he supports the Senate resolution urging PAGCOR to suspend the license to operate of ‘e-sabong’ operators,” the chairman of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs committee said in a statement.

Sabong is the Filipino word for cockfighting.

The palace on Tuesday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte will have to wait for a recommendation from PAGCOR, following the Senate resolution, before issuing a related order. 

In a televised news briefing, Palace spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said there’s no document yet that would formalize the suspension of online cockfighting permits in the country.

Senator Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan, who is running for vice president, expressed shock and frustration over the matter, and called on both the police and the National Bureau of Investigation to hasten the resolution of the alleged abductions of at least 31 gamblers. 

“Let’s not wait for this concern of missing people due to gambling to become a national crisis,” he said. 

During a previous committee hearing, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III had proposed the suspension of the licenses issued to seven online gambling operators.  

The Senate body’s next hearing is scheduled on Friday. Expected attendees include representatives of licensed online cockfighting companies and alleged witnesses to the abductions. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

Robredo supporters ask SC to stop Comelec’s campaign vs oversized posters; Domagoso to push for farm-loan penalty condonation

A GROUP of supporters of presidential candidate Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from removing oversized campaign posters in private properties. 

In a 52-page petition dated Feb. 28, the group represented by lawyer Ray Paolo J. Santiago said the poll body has no authority and legal basis to regulate the sizes and posting of election materials by private citizens within their properties.

“Respondents cite the Constitution, laws, and jurisprudence to support their position that they had the power to regulate the tarpaulin. However, all of these provisions pertain to candidates and political parties,” the group said citing jurisprudence from 2015.

“Comelec does not have the authority to regulate the enjoyment of the preferred right to freedom of expression exercised by a non-candidate in this case.” 

The petitioners said the country’s Highest Court had previously ruled that the election body’s “supervisory power does not extend to the very freedom of an individual to express his preference of candidates in an election by placing election campaign materials on his private property.”  

The group asked the Supreme Court to treat the petition with “extreme urgency and without delay,” along with the issuance of a temporary restraining order against Comelec while the case is pending. 

Last week, election lawyer Romulo B. Macalintal asked Comelec to temporarily suspend the policy in question, also citing that it has no authority to regulate private citizens’ freedom of expression. 

Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez, in a press briefing on Monday, said the poll body will abide by a restraining order should there be one issued by the Supreme Court. 

Domagoso
Meanwhile, Manila Mayor and presidential aspirant Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso on Tuesday said he will provide fuel subsidies for drivers and push for the passage of a bill that will condone the loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK). 

“On gasoline, the reduction of its price or its tax will be a huge help to drivers,” he said in Filipino in a live-streamed interview held in Malabon.

“Then, I also mentioned that the lands will be given to farmers. This will be condoned by the government amounting to P75 billion. So that they will have their own land because they are beneficiaries of CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program).”

A related measure on the condonation of all unpaid amortizations, interests, and surcharges on loans secured under CARP — Senate Bill 268 authored by Senator Ralph G. Recto — was filed in July 2019. 

Mr. Domagoso said he also plans to give drivers and ARBs cash aid using tax collections from the Marcos estate based on a 1997 Supreme Court decision in favor of the Philippine government. 

He was referring to the Supreme Court decision marked GR No. 120880 dated June 5, 1997.

“The question is, where will we (the government) get the cash aid? There is a decision… wherein our country won the case, and we could collect tax from a certain family,” he said. “At that time, 1997, I think it’s P23 billion. But now, because of penalties, surcharges, and interests, it reached about P208 billion.” 

“If this will be collected by the next administration, with God’s mercy, and with your help, we will get this P200 billion and distribute it to drivers, farmers and people who lost their jobs,” he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan

Makati to resume full vehicle number coding scheme by March 16

MAKATI CITY is reimposing by March 16 the full number coding scheme, wherein a vehicle is banned from roads once a week based on the license plate’s last number. 

The city government made the announcement through its verified social media pages on Tuesday, ahead of a decision by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which covers the entire capital region. 

Makati, a business and commercial hub, has maintained a modified coding scheme over the last two years despite the suspension of the policy in the rest of Metro Manila while mobility restrictions were in effect due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

MMDA, governed by the 17 mayors of the National Capital Region, announced earlier this week that it is assessing when to fully reimplement the coding scheme as the metro returns to the most relaxed lockdown level starting March 1. 

The coding scheme, intended to address traffic congestion by reducing the number of vehicles allowed on roads, was reimposed Dec. 1 last year but only from 5 to 8 p.m. for private vehicles and 5-9 p.m. for light trucks along EDSA between Magallanes and North Avenue. 

Under the full coding program, the ban on specific vehicles is in effect from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, with some exceptions during certain hours as decided by local governments. — MSJ

P9.18-M solar powered irrigation project handed over to Nueva Ecija farmers

THE NATIONAL Irrigation Administration (NIA) has turned over a P9.18-million solar-powered pump irrigation project to farmers in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija, which covers 50 hectares of agricultural land.

The project sources water from the Pantabangan Dam and has been operational since the previous cropping season.

The irrigation facility has high density polyethylene pipes, a 45-kilowatt hybrid system, and 96 solar panels with 38,400 watts of system capacity. 

“We remain committed to its mandate of providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable irrigation service to the Filipino farmers while making a strategic contribution to the development of the country’s agricultural sector,” NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya said in a statement. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Villanueva named SC court administrator

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE SUPREME Court (SC) on Tuesday appointed Deputy Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva as its new court administrator.

“According to Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, the Court En Banc during their session this morning, appointed Deputy Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva as the new Court Administrator,” court spokesman Brian Keith F. Hosaka told reporters in a Viber message. 

Mr. Ong will replace Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, who was appointed to the High Court in November last year.

The new court administrator of the high tribunal was previously designated as officer-in-charge of the Office of the Court Administrator, following the vacancy left by Mr. Marquez. 

Duties of the administrator of the country’s Highest Court include administrative interventions in case management of lower courts, overseeing halls of justice and court houses, issuing court circulars and memoranda, and providing public assistance and information.

The Supreme Court held their first in-person en banc session on Tuesday since the start of the pandemic. All 15 members, including newly appointed Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr., were present. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

FIFA, UEFA ban Russia’s national teams and clubs from international football

THE International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and UEFA have suspended Russia’s national teams and clubs from international football until further notice due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The move makes it likely that Russia will be excluded from this year’s World Cup and the women’s Euro 2020 tournament.

“FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” UEFA said in a statement.

“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters,” they added.

Russia was scheduled to host Poland in a World Cup qualifying playoff on March 24 and if they remain suspended at that time, they would be out of the World Cup and unable to progress to the finals in Qatar in November.

The Polish FA had said that they will refuse to play against the Russian team and the Czech Republic and Sweden, who are in the same playoff ‘path,’ had also ruled out facing Russia.

The only way Russia could still feature in the playoffs would be a sudden improvement in the situation in Ukraine leading to a lifting of the suspension.

“Both Presidents (of the soccer bodies) hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people,” UEFA said.

The organization said a further decision would be made at a later date about the impact on the women’s Euro 2022 tournament in England in July which Russia have qualified for.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauded the stance taken by FIFA and UEFA.

“This is a powerful message from the international sporting community that we will not tolerate (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s abhorrent assaults on freedom and liberty. Well done, FIFA and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations),” he said.

The decision means that Spartak Moscow will not play their Europa League match against club RB Leipzig and so the German club will advance to the quarterfinals.

In a statement, The Russian Football Federation said it “categorically disagreed” with the decision of FIFA and UEFA and that it was contrary to the “spirit of sports.”

“It has an obvious discriminatory character and harms a huge number of athletes, coaches, employees of clubs and national teams, and most importantly, millions of Russian and foreign fans, whose interests international sports organizations must protect in the first place,” it said.

It said it reserved the right to challenge the decision in accordance with international sports law.

Earlier on Monday, the International Olympic Committee’s executive board recommended sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing in events.

FIFA had been criticized on Sunday after a statement that Russia could continue to play matches albeit in neutral venues and only under the name “Football Union of Russia.”

Although FIFA had warned the country could be excluded from competitions if the situation in Ukraine did not improve, the statement was widely criticized with the Polish FA saying the stance was “totally unacceptable.”

England’s Football Association then said that they would not play against Russia, a view that was backed up by a number of European federations.

Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018 with the final held in Moscow and attended by Putin. — Reuters

Zach Johnson officially named US Ryder Cup captain

TWO-TIME major winner Zach Johnson was named the 2023 United States Ryder Cup captain on Monday.

Johnson, 46, competed in five Ryder Cups and served as a vice-captain for the US squad for the last two.

He is the 30th US captain since the 1927 inception of the biennial competition against Team Europe.

The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place from Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023, at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

“I am confident that Zach’s appointment will be wildly popular with the players as well as throughout American golf circles,” PGA of America president Jim Richerson said. “But more than that, Zach is the caliber of individual that the PGA of America wants representing the United States and our 28,000-plus PGA Professionals on the global stage. He has performed on the biggest stages as a player, a teammate and as a Vice-Captain. He checks every conceivable leadership box and we anticipate that the US Team in Italy will reflect the hard work, grit and selfless determination that have long defined his stellar playing career.”

Johnson, winner of the Masters in 2007 and The Open Championship in 2015, compiled a 8-7-2 overall record in Ryder Cup competition with championships as a player in 2016 and as a vice-captain in 2020.

“To accept this Captaincy, to lead this United States Ryder Cup Team abroad — after what we accomplished last year at Whistling Straits — is simply the greatest honor of my professional career,” Johnson said. “I want to thank the PGA of America Ryder Cup Committee for this special opportunity. As exciting as this is for both my family and me, it is equally sobering to understand the scope of our challenge in Rome, as we have not won on the road in three decades. To win, we will have to outplay a European Team that will have both ample talent and motivation on their side. I am anxious to dig in and begin the process of putting our team in the best possible position to succeed.”

In his first appointment as Ryder Cup captain, Johnson named Steve Stricker as a vice-captain. Stricker served as the captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup, which the US won, 19-9. Stricker previously served as a vice captain three times.

Team Europe has yet to announce its captain. — Reuters

Wolves end Cavaliers’ eight-game home win streak

D’ANGELO Russell fired in a team-high 25 points on Monday as the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped the Cleveland Cavaliers’ eight-game home winning streak with a 127-122 victory.

Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 12.4 seconds left that snapped a 122-122 tie. Towns won the league’s 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels each added 17 points and Patrick Beverley had 11 for the Timberwolves, who shot a sizzing 54.7% from the field.

Kevin Love led all scorers with 26 points for the Cavaliers, who hadn’t dropped a home game since Jan. 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Cedi Osman and Jarrett Allen each had 21 for Cleveland. Brandon Goodwin had his first career double-double with 17 points and 12 assists, and Evan Mobley added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Minnesota won for the second time in three games while Cleveland fell for the fourth time in five games.

The Cavaliers trailed by 23 points in the third quarter but came all the way back to tie it at 122 on Osman’s 3-pointer with 33.8 seconds left.

Osman missed an off-balanced 3-point attempt that would have tied the score with five seconds remaining. Russell sealed the outcome by sinking two foul shots with 3.2 seconds left.

Russell’s 3-pointer with 4:06 to go in the third extended the Timberwolves’ lead to 93-70.

The third quarter started with a 10-0 run by Minnesota for a 74-61 lead.

The Cavaliers scored 10 unanswered points late in the third and cut the deficit to 101-88 heading into the frantic final period.

The Timberwolves shot 55.8% from the field in the first half, as they led 64-61 at half time. Minnesota outscored Cleveland 38-24 in the second quarter.

McDaniels paced the Timberwolves with 14 first-half points. He was 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the first two quarters.

Goodwin had 15 points and seven assists in the first half for the Cavaliers, who shot 55% from the field before the break.

Allen had 10 points in the opening quarter for Cleveland, which led 37-26 after 12 minutes. — Reuters

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