Comanche, defending champion LawConnect lead early in Sydney to Hobart yacht race

SYDNEY (AP) — Comanche took an eight nautical-mile lead over defending line honors champion and fellow 100-foot super maxi LawConnect early in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Thursday.

LawConnect, which led the 104-yacht fleet out of Sydney harbor, gave up the lead when a furling line malfunctioned, but managed to recover, having suffered a similar problem early in last year’s race.

Reigning overall handicap winner Alive became the first yacht to retire from the 628-nautical mile (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) race. The 66-footer quit off Wollongong in New South Wales state with engine and electrical issues.

The fleet was expected to make a fast start down the New South Wales state coast in a northeasterly breeze before a wind change hits Bass Strait overnight, bringing strong winds and possible showers.

The race takes the yachts across Bass Strait and to the island state of Tasmania, ending in the state capital Hobart after sailing the last portion of the race on the Derwent River.

The first all-Filipino crew of 15 sailors is entered in the race. With veteran sailor Ernesto Echauz at the helm, Centennial 7 is one of six international entrants and includes sailors from the Philippines’ national team and the Philippines navy.

The Filipino entry was in 13th place about four hours into the race, trailing Comanche by about 30 nautical miles.

:Last year, LawConnect won line honors after holding off defending champion Comanche by less than a minute in an exciting finish between the super maxis. LawConnect, which was runner-up in the last three editions of the race, finished in 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds. Comanche’s time was 1 day, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds — a margin of just 51 seconds.

It was the second-closest finish in Sydney to Hobart history after Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo by seven seconds in 1982.

Comanche holds the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds, set when it won in 2017.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Master Lock Comanche sails out of the heads soon after the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney Harbour, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP).

In this photo provided by Rolex, competitors sail towards the heads as they leave Sydney Harbour at the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex via AP)

In this photo provided by Salty Dingo, Philippines entry Centennial sails towards the heads after the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (Salty Dingo via AP)

Skipper of Philippines entry Centennial, Ernesto Echauz, center, gestures with his crew ahead of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (Salty Dingo via AP)

Master Lock Comanche, left, and LawConnect sail out of the heads following the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (Mark Evans/AAP Image via AP).

Competitors sail out of the heads following the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (Mark Evans/AAP Image via AP).

LawConnect competes at the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney Harbour, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (Mark Evans/AAP Image via AP).

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 41 points, and the New York Knicks overcame 42 from Victor Wembanyama in a monster Christmas debut to edge the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 on Wednesday.

Wembanyama set a Spurs’ record for points on the holiday and added 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. The reigning Western Conference player of the week made six 3-pointers.

But Bridges shot 17 for 25 from the field, 6 for 9 behind the arc, to make sure the Knicks had just enough offense to win their fifth in a row and improve to 20-10.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Brunson scored 20 points. Josh Hart finished with 12 points, 12 boards and six assists.

Jeremy Sochan had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs.

TIMBERWOLVES 105, MAVERICKS 99

DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and Minnesota held on for a Christmas Day victory over Dallas after superstar Luka Doncic left the game with a strained left calf.

A rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals won by Dallas fell flat when Doncic pulled up lame while running a play late in the second quarter Wednesday. Then it got wild when the Mavs erased almost all of a 28-point deficit in the second half.

The five-time All-Star never made it back to the defensive end and limped off the court after Dallas called timeout. It was Doncic’s second game back after missing two with a left heel contusion.

Kyrie Irving scored 39 points but was short on a 3-pointer that would have put the Mavs ahead in the final minute after they trailed by 28 late in the third quarter. Doncic scored 14 points.

Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

76ERS 118, CELTICS 114

BOSTON (AP) — Joel Embiid popped up from a pregame fall and scored 27 points with nine rebounds, making 4 of 5 from 3-point range and sinking a pair of free throws with 3 seconds left to turn back Boston’s final rally and lead the Philadelphia to a victory.

Tyrese Maxey had 33 points and 12 assists. He scored 13 in the fourth quarter, including a quick-trigger layup to open a seven-point lead with about a minute left after the Sixers inbounded the ball with 1.1 seconds on the shot clock. Caleb Martin scored 23, hitting 7 of 9 from 3-point range.

Jayson Tatum scored 32 with 15 rebounds for Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 23 and Derrick White had 21. Boston wore red socks and leggings with their green jerseys for an extra dose of Christmas spirit.

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed all but nine games this season with injuries, did not return for the second half. The team said he had an ankle injury.

LAKERS 115, WARRIORS 113

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Austin Reaves scored the winning layup with one second left after Stephen Curry tied it on a 31-foot 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining, LeBron James had 31 points and 10 assists playing in his NBA-record 19th Christmas Day game, and Los Angeles held off Golden State.

Curry scored 38 with eight 3s, hitting one under pressure from the baseline with 12 seconds left and another with 2:49 remaining only for James to answer from long range on the other end.

Reaves recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, who lost big man Anthony Davis to a sprained left ankle late in the first quarter.

SUNS 110, NUGGETS 100

PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal each scored 27 points and Phoenix beat Denver in the nightcap to the NBA’s Christmas slate of games.

The Nuggets blew out Phoenix 117-90 on Monday night in Denver, but the Suns put up much more of a fight despite playing without Devin Booker (groin) and Grayson Allen (concussion protocol).

Phoenix led by seven after three quarters and stretched it to 99-81 by the midpoint of the fourth quarter. The Suns pushed the lead to 15 and held off the Nuggets down the stretch to end a three-game losing streak.

Nikola Jokic had 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. added 22 and Russell Westbrook had 17.

Jamal Murray had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists after missing the game Monday game with a sprained ankle.

New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges (25), left, drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in New York. The Knicks defeated the Spurs 117-114. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)