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Omicron less severe than Delta but still poses danger for unvaccinated — WHO

THE HIGHLY infectious Omicron coronavirus variant causes less severe disease than the Delta strain but it remains a “dangerous virus”, particularly for those who are unvaccinated, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a news briefing, director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 90 countries were yet to meet the target of vaccinating 40% of their populations and more than 85% of people in Africa were yet to receive a single dose.

“We mustn’t allow this virus a free ride or wave the white flag, especially when so many people around the globe remain unvaccinated,” he said.

In its weekly epidemiological report on Tuesday, the WHO said cases increased by 55%, or 15 million, in the week to Jan. 9 from a week earlier — by far the most cases reported in a single week.

“This huge spike in infections is being driven by the Omicron variant, which is rapidly replacing Delta in almost all countries,” Mr. Tedros said.

He said the majority of people hospitalized around the world with COVID-19 were unvaccinated and that if transmission was not curtailed there was greater risk of another variant emerging that could be even more transmissible, and more deadly, than Omicron. — Reuters

Quebec tax on unvaccinated may be lawful but sets risky precedent

A PERSON stands in front of a Canadian flag in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Sept. 20, 2022. — REUTERS

TORONTO — A proposal by Quebec to tax unvaccinated people may be lawful but may also go against the spirit of Canada’s universal public health system, rights and medical experts said on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s surprise announcement by the province’s premier, Francois Legault, came with few details.

While his government would not say Wednesday how the tax would be levied, when or against whom, Canada’s Civil Liberties Association said it could violate Canadians’ fundamental rights, while health advocates expressed concern about its broader implications.

“I’ve not seen anything like this in Canada before. I’m worried about the precedent it would set,” said Danyaal Raza, a doctor with Unity Health in Toronto and former chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare.

Quebec, Canada’s second-most populous province, is struggling with surging COVID-19 hospitalizations, and Mr. Legault noted that the province’s relatively small unvaccinated population was represented disproportionately among the hospitalized.

Facing a provincial election in October, his government’s response to the pandemic thus far has met with approval from 65% of Quebeckers surveyed, according to a Leger poll released this week.

But the province’s public health director stepped down earlier this week, prior to the tax plan announcement, citing an “erosion” of public trust in anti-pandemic measures.

Asked on Wednesday about the plan, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he “received that proposal with interest” but would not weigh in on it, saying he needed more details.

Canada’s public health system is underpinned by the Canada Health Act, meant to guarantee universality and accessibility, among other things. It precludes user fees for insured services.

Quebec’s tax could be framed as a “sin tax” similar to that placed on alcohol and cigarettes or as a tax on a health risk factor like private insurers charge, Mr. Raza said.

As such, it might not violate Canada’s Health Act but that did not mean it was a good idea, he said.

Cara Zwibel, acting general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said it might however violate Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms if viewed as “a way of compelling people to get vaccinated.”

It was not clear if the tax’s goal is to convince more people to get vaccinated or to finance health care, she said.

McGill University biomedical ethicist Phoebe Friesen was concerned the logic of taxing unvaccinated people could be extrapolated to other behaviors seen as driving health spending — obesity, for example — but that are tied to marginalization.

“If you want to be consistent and logical, you should charge all sorts of people for their hospitalization if it’s based on behavior that they’re ‘responsible’ for,” she said “… And it’s incredibly tricky to figure out what that looks like.” — Reuters

Prince Andrew must face sex abuse accuser’s lawsuit — judge

WIKIPEDIA

NEW YORK — Britain’s Prince Andrew failed to persuade a US judge to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.

In a decision made public on Wednesday, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Ms. Giuffre, 38, could pursue claims that Prince Andrew battered her and intentionally caused her emotional distress while the late financier Jeffrey Epstein was trafficking her.

The Manhattan judge said it was premature to assess Andrew’s efforts to “cast doubt” on those claims, though the 61-year-old prince could do so at a trial.

Mr. Kaplan said it was also too soon to decide whether Ms. Giuffre’s 2009 civil settlement with Mr. Epstein “clearly and unambiguously” shielded Andrew from her lawsuit.

The judge did not address the merits of Ms. Giuffre’s claims.

Lawyers for Andrew did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

David Boies, a lawyer for Ms. Giuffre, in a statement said his client was pleased, and “looks forward to a judicial determination” of the merits of her claims.

Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth, has denied Ms. Giuffre’s accusations that he forced her to have sex more than two decades ago at a London home of former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and abused her at two Epstein properties.

Mr. Kaplan’s decision keeps the case on track for a trial that he has said could begin between September and Dec. 2022 if no settlement were reached.

URGENCY TO SETTLE
Sarah Krissoff, a partner at Day Pitney and a former federal prosecutor, said the decision made it more likely Andrew would pursue an out-of-court settlement.

“I can’t imagine that Prince Andrew wants every detailed allegation to come out in the public realm,” she said. “If I were on Prince Andrew’s team, I most certainly would be having a discussion with him right now about resolving this case.”

In the 2009 settlement, Mr. Epstein paid Giuffre $500,000, without admitting liability, to end her Florida lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was underage.

Ms. Giuffre’s claims against Andrew have not been proven, and the prince is not accused of criminal wrongdoing.

The case and Andrew’s ties to Mr. Epstein have nevertheless damaged the prince’s reputation and cost him many royal duties.

Andrew’s troubles grew after critics said he failed in a 2019 BBC interview to appear sympathetic toward Mr. Epstein’s abuse victims.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Mr. Kaplan’s decision.

Mr. Epstein killed himself at age 66 in a Manhattan jail cell in Aug. 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Ms. Maxwell, 60, was convicted on Dec. 29 of recruiting and grooming girls for Mr. Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004.

She is seeking a new trial after one juror told media, including Reuters, that during jury deliberations he had discussed being a victim of sexual abuse.

‘MUDDLED’ SETTLEMENT
In his 44-page decision, Mr. Kaplan said the “muddled” language in Ms. Giuffre’s and Mr. Epstein’s settlement agreement suggested they may have reached “something of a middle ground.”

The settlement included language to “forever discharge” various people who “could have been included as a potential defendant” in Ms. Giuffre’s lawsuit against Mr. Epstein.

“We do not know what, if anything, went through the parties’ minds” when drafting the settlement, Mr. Kaplan wrote.

Ms. Giuffre and Andrew “have articulated at least two reasonable interpretations of the critical language,” the judge continued. “The agreement therefore is ambiguous.”

Settlement agreements can restrict plaintiffs like Ms. Giuffre from pursuing further litigation, even against third parties.

Mr. Kaplan also rejected Andrew’s claim that letting Ms. Giuffre sue violated his due process rights under New York’s constitution.

Ms. Giuffre sued Andrew last August, less than a week before the expiration of a state law giving accusers a two-year window to sue over alleged child abuse occurring long ago.

Mr. Kaplan called that window, which was extended by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, “a reasonable measure for remedying injustice to victims” of child sex abuse. — Reuters

Shipping congestion grows at world’s biggest port

CRANES AND CONTAINERS are seen at the Yantian port in Shenzhen, China. — REUTERS

SHIPS looking to avoid COVID-induced delays in China are making a beeline for Shanghai, causing growing congestion at the world’s biggest container port.

Shipping firms are making the switch to avoid delays at nearby Ningbo, which suspended some trucking services near that port after an outbreak of COVID-19, according to freight forwarders and experts. Ships are also re-routing to Xiamen in the south, Bloomberg shipping data showed.

Those diversions are adding to the new wave of congestion facing China’s ports as an increasing number of cities deal with COVID outbreaks. The strict testing of workers and truckers ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of this month is further stressing already strained supply chains as the pandemic heads into its third year.

In the country’s technology hub of Shenzhen in the south, testing of residents and truckers to contain an outbreak means a queue of ships has formed at the port. That’s caused the Shekou terminal to start restricting the acceptance of goods, meaning that from Friday full containers can only be trucked in three days before vessels are due to arrive, the terminal operator said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the northern Chinese city of Tianjin ordered workers to take a half-day break for Covid testing as officials try to contain the Omicron variant. Trucking capacity is estimated to be half of normal levels, and drivers are required to be tested daily before entering the port, said Alex Hersham, CEO of digital freight-forwarder Zencargo. 

That outbreak has now spread to the port city of Dalian, with two people who traveled there from Tianjin confirmed to have the Omicron variant.

The influx of ships into Shanghai has delayed sailing schedules for container ships by about a week, said freight forwarders. Those delays may then ripple outward to already back-logged gateways in US and Europe, they said.

“The port congestion issue will continue to impact restocking cycles this quarter, alongside the Omicron breakout and the impending Chinese New Year closures in China,” said Josh Brazil, vice president of supply chain insights at logistics intelligence firm project44. — Bloomberg

Tennis world no. 1 Djokovic included in Aussie Open draw; visa decision looms

TENNIS world No. 1 Novak Djokovic — REUTERS

MELBOURNE — Tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was included in the Australian Open official draw on Thursday, although uncertainty remained about whether the government will cancel the top seed’s visa for a second time.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is weighing exercising his discretionary power to revoke Djokovic’s visa over concern about the star’s medical exemption from Australia’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination requirements.

The 34-year-old defending champion, who was out practicing at the Rod Laver Arena earlier on Thursday, drew unseeded fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanović for his opening round match, expected to be played on Monday or Tuesday.

Organizer Tennis Australia had delayed the official draw for more than an hour, without saying why.

The controversy has assumed an importance that goes beyond tennis: it has intensified a global debate over the rights of the unvaccinated and become a tricky political issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he campaigns for re-election.

Australia is due to hold an election by May, and while Morrison’s government has won support at home for its tough stance on border security before and during the pandemic, it has not escaped criticism over the botched handling of Djokovic’s visa.

Morrison declined to comment on Djokovic’s visa on Thursday.

Djokovic, a vaccine skeptic, fueled widespread anger in Australia last week when he announced he was heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open with a medical exemption from requirements for visitors to be inoculated against COVID-19.

On his arrival, Australian Border Force officials decided his exemption was invalid and he was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel for several days.

A court on Monday allowed him to stay on the grounds that officials had been “unreasonable” in the way they handled his interview in a seven-hour process in the middle of the night.

The government must now decide whether to let Djokovic remain and bid for a record 21st major title.

MISTAKES MADE
Djokovic’s cause was not helped by a mistake in his entry declaration, on which a box stating he had not traveled abroad in the two weeks prior to leaving for Australia was ticked.

In fact, he had gone to Spain from Serbia.

Djokovic, 34, attributed the error to his agent and acknowledged he also should have rescheduled an interview and photoshoot for a French newspaper on Dec. 18 while infected with COVID-19.

Fans, including many Serbian Australians, gave him noisy support when he was detained. Anti-vaxxers have hailed him as a hero and his family have portrayed him as a champion of individual rights.

But Djokovic may face hostility from the crowd if and when he walks out on court.

There is widespread anger over the saga among Australians, who have a 90% vaccination rate among adults after enduring some of the world’s longest lockdowns aimed at curbing the pandemic.

Crowds at the Open’s main arenas will be capped at 50% capacity and masks will be mandatory for all spectators under updated COVID-19 restrictions announced on Thursday as authorities battle a surge of cases caused by the Omicron variant.

“I don’t like his arrogance,” Teyhan Ismain, a Melbourne resident, said on Wednesday. “It does seem that he’s been telling a few fibs too. So I think he should just probably go back.”

There may also be resentment in the dressing room, where all but three of the top 100 men are inoculated.

Tennis great Martina Navratilova told Australian television Djokovic should “suck it up” and return home. — Reuters

Ben Simmons, Philadelphia Sixers meet anew, but status unchanged

REPRESENTATIVES for Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers had a brief sitdown on Wednesday but there was no change in position on either side, ESPN reported.

The All-Star guard demanded a trade during the offseason, but the 76ers (23-16) are holding firm that any deal shipping Simmons out of Philly must bring an equal caliber player in return.

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand huddled with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, ESPN reported, with the NBA trade deadline one month away. Sources told ESPN the meeting took place at a Philadelphia restaurant and Morey informed Paul any trade must improve the 76ers. ESPN reported the asking price for Simmons has increased. — Reuters

Chelsea eases past Tottenham into League Cup final

LONDON — Chelsea beats London rival Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 thanks to Antonio Rudiger’s first-half goal to complete an emphatic 3-0 aggregate triumph in the League Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

Leading 2-0 from last week’s one-sided first leg at Stamford Bridge, defender Rudiger gave Tottenham a mountain to climb when he bundled home from Mason Mount’s corner in the 18th minute.

Tottenham battled hard in search of a route back into the tie but it was not to be their night as two penalties awarded either side of half time by Andre Marriner were both overturned after video assistant referee (VAR) interventions.

To rub salt into their wounds Harry Kane also had a goal ruled out for offside after yet another VAR check.

Chelsea, who faces Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, eased off in the second half but was comfortable enough in the end and will try to claim the League Cup for a sixth time in the final against Liverpool or Arsenal.

Liverpool hosts Arsenal in the first leg of their semifinal on Thursday.

“We’re happy with the result. In the first half, we were the better team and we deserved to be up,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “We lost concentration and lost focus in the last 15 minutes of the first half and again in the second half.

“We were almost punished for lack of focus.”

Tottenham’s fans were in full voice early on, believing in a repeat of the night 20 years ago when their team crushed Chelsea (5-1) in the League Cup semifinal second leg having lost the opener 2-1.

There was to be no repeat though as Tuchel’s Chelsea are far more robust than Claudio Ranieri’s version and after settling into their rhythm the gulf in class acknowledged by Spurs manager Antonio Conte last week was evident again.

They were too quick for Tottenham and Romelu Lukaku forced a fine save from Spurs keeper Pierluigi Gollini after chesting down a long pass before Malang Sarr then had a shot blocked by a sliding Giovani Lo Celso.

Chelsea did not have to wait long to take complete control.

A corner was swung in by Mount and Gollini, surprisingly selected instead of Hugo Lloris, got nowhere near it, and the ball went into the back of the net off Rudiger.

Tottenham barely got a kick for the next 20 minutes but did finish the half strongly with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg having a shot deflected wide before Tottenham thought they had been awarded a penalty as Rudiger chopped down Hojbjerg.

Even that potential lifeline was snatched away though as referee Marriner was over-ruled by VAR, with the offense having taken place just outside the area.

Incredibly Marriner awarded Tottenham another penalty in the 54th minute when Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga came out to block Lucas Moura who had been played through by Kane.

This time, after checking a pitchside monitor, he changed his mind as Arrizabalaga had clearly won the ball first before Moura tumbled over his leg.

To their credit, Tottenham showed more passion in the second half with Chelsea becoming a little sloppy and Arrizabalaga made a flying save to claw away Emerson Royal’s header.

Tottenham realized the game was up though when Kane lashed home in the 63rd minute but once again VAR rescued Chelsea with the England striker adjudged marginally offside. — Reuters

Sanchez scores at the death as Inter beats Juventus in Super Cup

ROME — Inter Milan striker Alexis Sanchez scored in the final minute of extra time to clinch a 2-1 win against Juventus in the Italian Super Cup at San Siro on Wednesday, marking the Nerazzurri’s first victory in the competition for 11 years.

The home crowd, reduced to 50% capacity due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions, exploded with joy when the Chilean substitute profited from a defensive mix-up to strike in the 120th minute and decide the “Derby of Italy” clash between two historic rivals.

“The more a champion plays, the better he is, and he does things nobody else can do,” Sanchez told Mediaset after starting the game on the bench.

“Today, it was like that. I thought I would start because I was in form, I respect the coach but I was hungry to win… I felt like a caged lion.”

Weston McKennie had headed the Turin club ahead before Lautaro Martinez equalized from the penalty spot in a breathless first half, but the game became a more cagey affair after the break.

Inter dominated possession and attempts on goal, but penalties looked inevitable with the clock counting down until Sanchez struck to give Inter their sixth Super Cup triumph and their first since 2010.

The trophy, awarded annually to the winner of a one-off clash between the reigning Serie A and Italian Cup champions, presented a chance for both coaches to make their mark.

Simone Inzaghi was seeking his first silverware as Inter coach, while Massimiliano Allegri targeted the first trophy of a hitherto disappointing second spell at Juve, who are fifth in Serie A, 11 points behind leader Inter.

Inter, coming off eight consecutive league victories, started on the front foot as Stefan de Vrij and Martinez failed to hit the target from good positions.

But Juventus soon settled and struck in the 25th minute when McKennie headed home from six yards.

The lead lasted only 10 minutes, as Mattia De Sciglio tripped Edin Dzeko in the area to give Martinez the chance to bury a spot kick.

Denzel Dumfries went closest after the break when his header was palmed onto the post by Mattia Perin, but it soon became the first Italian Super Cup to go to extra time since 2016.

A penalty shootout appeared to be the likeliest outcome as the two tiring sides struggled to create chances.

But a moment of hesitation cost Juve, as Alex Sandro tried to chest a cross back to Perin, allowing Matteo Darmian to pounce on the weak pass to set up Sanchez. — Reuters

Eagles focused on stopping Brady in playoff battle with Buccaneers

IF the Philadelphia Eagles hope to upset the reigning Super Bowl champs on Sunday in Tampa, FL, their defense must apprehend a “trained killer.”

That’s how Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon referred to veteran Tampa Bay quarterback (QB) Tom Brady this week as the Eagles (9-8) prepare to battle the Buccaneers (13-4) in an National Football Conference (NFC) wild card game.

It’s a rematch of a Week 6 game in Philly where Brady passed for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 28-22 win. The Eagles intercepted him once but recorded no sacks and only three QB hits.

“This guy, he’s a trained killer,” Gannon said. “He knows how to play good offense and what he needs to do to keep his offense on track, so it’s going to be a big-time challenge.”

Gannon’s defense forced four three-and-outs in the first meeting, but Brady led two 75-yard touchdown drives to open the game and added two more long drives (72 and 79 yards) that ended in Leonard Fournette touchdown runs.

“Get him out of his comfort zone a little bit,” Gannon said when asked how to beat Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion. “He typically has success versus most people, but I do think that we’ve got to be able to get him a little bit out of rhythm with the different tools that we have to do that.”

Brady, who led the National Football League (NFL) in passing yards — with a career-high 5,316 yards — for the fourth time and in passing scores (43) for the fifth time, won’t have wide receivers Antonio Brown (released) or Chris Godwin (injured) this time. They combined for 14 catches, 136 yards and a touchdown in the Oct. 14 win in Philly.

However, Brady will have trusty tight end Rob Gronkowski, who missed four games in October with fractured ribs.

The overwhelming edge in experience for Sunday afternoon’s game belongs to the Bucs. It’s the playoff debut for first-year Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, while Brady has nearly twice as many career playoff wins — 34, an NFL record — as Hurts has NFL starts (19).

Tampa Bay held Hurts to 115 yards on 12 of 26 passing in Week 6, with one touchdown and one interception, but he did score two second-half rushing touchdowns to make it close.

The Eagles have the NFL’s top rushing attack at 159.7 yards per game, led by Hurts, who has totaled 784 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground in his second pro season. Running back Miles Sanders is just behind him with 754 yards. Sanders (broken hand) and backup Jordan Howard (COVID-19 list) both missed last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but Sirianni said he is hopeful both will play Sunday.

Philadelphia fell to 2-5 after losses to Tampa Bay and the Las Vegas Raiders in Weeks 6 and 7, but turned things around with a 6-1 stretch from Weeks 10 to 17.

“We’re playing a team that’s very talented and made it to this point for a reason,” Brady said. “… This is a football team that has been playing really well, good on offense, they have a very good defense, good front, very healthy. It’s going to be a very tough game.”

The Buccaneers are 7-1 at home this season, while the Eagles are 6-3 on the road.

The last time they met in the playoffs was the 2002 NFC Championship, the final football game played at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium. Tampa Bay won 27-10 and went on to win the franchise’s first title in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Brady guided the Buccaneers to their second championship last season, while the Eagles are back in the playoffs for the first time since a wild card loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 5, 2020. — Reuters

Australian Open draw delayed as Djokovic visa decision awaited

MELBOURNE — The Australian Open tennis draw has been postponed until further notice, organizers said on Thursday, amid uncertainty about whether the government will cancel top seed Novak Djokovic’s visa for a second time.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is weighing exercising his discretionary powers to revoke Djokovic’s visa which could scuttle his bid for a record 21st major tennis title at the Open.

The official draw was due to start at 3 p.m. local time (0400 GMT), but after a short delay, a tournament staffer told reporters outside the media conference room it would not go ahead.

Djokovic, a vaccine sceptic, fueled widespread anger in Australia last week when he announced he was heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open with a medical exemption to requirements for visitors to be inoculated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

When Djokovic arrived, Australian Border Force officials decided his exemption was invalid and he was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel for several days.

A court on Monday allowed him to stay on the grounds that officials had been “unreasonable” in the way they handled his interview in a seven-hour process in the middle of the night.

The 34-year-old world number one was out practicing on Rod Laver Arena earlier on Thursday.

The Australian government, which has won strong support at home for its tough stance on border security before and during the pandemic, must now decide whether to let Djokovic remain and bid for a 10th Australian Open title.

MISTAKES MADE
Djokovic’s cause was not helped by a mistake in his entry declaration, where the box stating he had not traveled abroad in the two weeks prior to leaving for Australia was ticked.

In fact, he had gone to Spain from Serbia.

Djokovic attributed the error to his agent and acknowledged he also should have rescheduled an interview and photoshoot for a French newspaper on Dec. 18 while infected with COVID-19.

Fans, including many Serbian Australians, gave him noisy support when he was detained, anti-vaxxers have hailed him as a hero and his family have portrayed him as a champion for individual rights.

But Djokovic may face hostility from the crowd when he walks out on court.

There is widespread anger over the saga among Australians, who have a 90% vaccination rate among adults and are battling a wave of the Omicron variant after enduring some of the world’s longest lockdowns aimed at curbing the pandemic.

“I don’t like his arrogance,” Teyhan Ismain, a Melbourne resident, said on Wednesday. “It does seem that he’s been telling a few fibs too. So I think he should just probably go back.”

There may also be resentment in the dressing room, where all but three of the top 100 men are inoculated. — Reuters

Nets shut down Bulls in battle between East leaders

KEVIN DURANT scored a game-high 27 points and James Harden notched a double-double of 25 points and 16 assists to lift the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 138-112 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

A 22-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters shifted the advantage to Brooklyn, which avenged a 23-point defeat in Chicago on Nov. 8 and a four-point home loss to the Bulls on Dec. 4.

The Nets’ torrid third quarter established the tone in a game they led by as many as 38. Brooklyn shot 12-for-18 and committed just no turnovers in the third while closing the quarter on a 30-8 run after a Nikola Vučević layup tied the game at 71 at the 8:43 mark.

Durant had nine assists to go with his 12th straight game of at least 25 points. Patty Mills (21 points) and Day’Ron Sharpe (20) also finished in double figures. Kyrie Irving added nine points in his third game this season.

Seeking their first regular-season sweep of the Nets since 1997-98, the Bulls still claimed their first season series against Brooklyn in five years.

Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 22 points. DeMar DeRozan followed with 19, while Coby White (16) and Vučević (14) followed. Chicago committed 17 turnovers while allowing a season high in points.

Brooklyn finished at 56.3% from the floor, including 17-for-32 accuracy from long range. Chicago shot 46.9%.

Sharpe and Harden snagged seven rebounds apiece to help the Nets win the battle along the boards 41-35. Lonzo Ball had seven assists for Chicago, which lost for the second time in 12 games.

Chicago trailed by nine points in the second quarter but charged back behind LaVine, whose seven points in the final 2:18 of the second quarter helped the Bulls pull within 62-60 at the break.

Chicago’s Derrick Jones, Jr. left the game after just 36 seconds with a right knee injury. Jones, Jr. appeared to land awkwardly while jumping for the ball and was helped to the locker room by team training staff. Nic Claxton missed the game for Brooklyn with left hamstring tightness. — Reuters

Hero or heel

The Novak Djokovic saga continues, and not just because Australian Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke continues to have the discretion to exercise his “personal power of cancelation” of the visa issued to the tennis player. As things stand, it hangs like a Damocles sword over the head of the latter, who seems to have been given extraordinary leeway by Tennis Australia officials in the processing of his medical exemption. Moreover, latest developments raise questions about the information on which said exemption is predicated.

Through it all, Djokovic is hellbent on competing in the Australian Open. On one hand, his determination reflects the foundation of his competitiveness on the court; even with the crowd almost always against him in the grandest stages of the sport, and even as circumstances seem to place him at a disadvantage, he manages to time and again snatch victories from the throes of disappointment. On the other, it also underscores his seeming detachment from reality; he’s an anti-vaxxer who appears to lend credence to conspiracy theories, overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.

If there’s anything Djokovic’s insistence on staying where he isn’t welcome shows, it’s that he has blinders on perennially. And wears these proudly. He cares a lot about public adulation, but wants it on his terms. And if things don’t go his way, he actually wonders why; the reasons, however valid, are lost on him. Which is to say the foundation of his greatness likewise informs his public intransigence. He’s not one without the other — a hero to some, a heel to others.

There can be no questioning the accomplishments Djokovic has carved with a racket in his hands. At the same time, it’s fair to wonder if his other actions wipe the luster off his resume. He’s not merely a player, but a citizen of the world. In fact, he bears even more responsibility to be aware of his influence given his status, and use it for the greater good. The end never justifies the means, and it’s not too late for him to understand why.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

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