THE BULLETIN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 A7 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL DEAR ABBY Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Dear Abby: I came to this country 30 years ago, at 16. My parents were very abusive and neglectful, so my uncle in the U.S. took me in. I have worked with therapists, and my mind is clear about my past. I now have a 14-year-old daughter. I do not speak to her in my native language. It is not very good at express- ing love and caring, and has more emphasis on strict hier- archy and obedience. There are many things I cannot convey in my native language. One must under- stand the huge cultural dif- ference between my native country and the U.S. In ad- dition, I do not want to force my daughter to learn some- thing because someone other than her insisted. I prefer to spend my resources helping her learn something she is in- terested in. If she says she wants to learn my native language, I’ll teach her. So far, she has shown no interest. My friends criticize me for not teaching it to her. I’m bothered by their in- sistence that I’m robbing my daughter of the oppor- tunity to learn it. How do I tell them it is none of their business? — Reader in Hawaii Dear Reader: Your daugh- ter may not have asked to learn your native language because it hasn’t occurred to her that it might one day be a valuable asset. I do think you should offer to teach it to her if she’s interested in knowing more about the culture that shaped her mother, because her answer might surprise you. That said, because your friends’ comments bother you, tell them that because you don’t tell them how to raise their children, you pre- fer they not tell you how to raise yours. Dear Abby: I have a unique problem, and if it isn’t re- solved, I’m afraid my mar- riage is going to end in di- vorce. Ten years ago, at my broth- er-in-law’s wedding, I was left in charge of the bar. I got drunk and made a fool of myself. This included overtly flirt- ing with one of the brides- maids. I’m incredibly sorry about the embarrassment it caused my wife. Fast-forward to today: My wife has accused me of inap- propriate behavior and hun- dreds of affairs that never happened. I have been faith- ful to her since we started dating. She goes through my busi- ness phone and accuses me and my professional contacts of sexual behavior. I have offered to take a polygraph exam, but she continues to accuse me of infidelity. I’m at my wits’ end, and marriage counseling isn’t an option. — Not Fooling Around in Maine Dear Not Fooling: Mar- riage counseling may not be an option for you and your wife, but YOU should defi- nitely consult a licensed psy- chotherapist. Something is not right with your wife. Is it possible that the wedding incident so severely unbal- anced her that she has never recovered? What you have described is a miserable existence for both of you. That it has gone unre- solved for a decade is tragic. Where you need to go from here I cannot decide for you, but a therapist may be able to guide you. YOUR HOROSCOPE By Madalyn Aslan Stars show the kind of day you’ll have õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 2021: Unusual, sensitive and ironic, you have a piercing insight that you use to tremendous success this year. You see much that escapes others and your idiosyncratic approach assures a project’s longevity. If single, expect interesting turns, twists and revelations. You meet your mate in September. If attached, you should have a stable love life, shared with one who appreciates your unique imagination. LEO inspires you to new interests and adventures. ARIES (March 21-April 19) õõõõõ It is going to be a mysterious day, emphasizing the need to be dis- creet and to do research. A touch of secrecy at the right time assures success. There’s a new intensity to your desires and feelings. Tonight: Read or watch a romantic drama. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) õõõõ Others shower you with attention and involve you in their future plans. Express enthusiasm and team spirit to assure success. Legal matters will work in your favor. Tell your partner how much he or she means to you. Tonight: Keep it light and funny. Can Oregon earn its first win at Colorado? Next up BY JAMES CREPEA The Oregonian EUGENE — Oregon returns to its least welcoming road venue Thursday afternoon to take on a Colorado team it simply can’t beat on the road. The No. 17 Ducks (8-1, 3-0 Pac-12) have never won at the CU Events Center in seven trips since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 and in nine trips to Boulder all-time. Colorado (7-3, 1-2) usually has one of the best home court advantages in college basket- ball and while it still holds true this season, the 11,064-seat arena will be empty Thursday (2 p.m., FS1) and take a typi- cally raucous crowd out of the equation. “Let’s put it this way, it can’t hurt us,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “We’re 0 for 7 try- ing it with a crowd, let’s try it without.” Regardless of circumstance, Oregon has struggled at Col- orado. Two seasons ago, the Ducks had a horrific shooting perfor- mance. Last season, then-No. 4 UO lost 74-65 as Payton Pritchard was called upon to do it all for a lineup that was No. 17 Oregon at Colorado When: 2 p.m. Thursday TV: FS1 Andy Nelson/AP Oregon guard Chris Duarte (5) shoots a 3-pointer against Stanford Saturday in Eugene. Duarte will square off with star Buffaloes guard McKinley Wright IV on Thursday. the healthiest it had been all season yet was ineffective. The same has been true when Colorado visits Eugene, where it’s 1-6. “We’ve had some battles,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “I remember Nate Tom- linson, his first year in the league (2011-12) he had to make a runner at the buzzer that was kind of a controver- sial call. I remember Dana not being too happy with it. That was a one-possession game, could’ve gone either way. We’ve had some battles in Eugene as well like that. But for the most part they’ve man-handled us in Eugene, we’ve done the same way here. I don’t know why.” Thursday’s game will fea- ture two of the better individ- ual matchups the Pac-12 will offer this season as Colora- do’s McKinley Wright IV and Oregon’s Chris Duarte will be head-to-head at guard and Eu- gene Omoruyi and Evan Battey should be a physical duel in the “We want to do things to help make change, be on the right side of the fight, continue to fight, not be in any way, shape or form distracted or slowed or moved in the wrong direction.” Protest Continued from A5 The joint Heat-Celtics state- ment said, in part: “2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed. We play tonight’s game with a heavy heart after yesterday’s decision in Keno- sha, and knowing that protest- ers in our nation’s capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on.” The Celtics discussed the Blake decision earlier in the day, before the events from the Capitol unfolded. The Celtics then met again as a team after arriving at the arena in Miami, where many televisions in the locker room areas — normally on sports channels — were on the news. “They’ve operated in a win- at-all-costs attitude,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Trump’s administration. “I don’t know, our sports world is a lot less important, obviously. But I’ve always thought if you operated with a win-at-all-costs attitude, it’s going to be a pretty unfulfilling ending. And in this situation, a disgraceful ending. So, I’m looking forward to two weeks from now, as I know a lot of other people are, too.” Biden will be inaugurated two weeks from Wednesday, on Jan. 20. The Bucks won the opening tap of their game, and instead posts. Wright (15.5 points, 5.2 as- sists, 4.5 rebounds) is one of the best players in the Pac-12 and a mainstay in the series who is well aware of the home team’s dominance. Oregon’s roster is over- whelmingly newer players to the program, who haven’t nec- essarily been on the losing end of the hallway in Boulder mul- tiple times. “The guys that are in the Oregon uniforms, they prob- ably know it because Coach Altman’s probably told them about it and challenged them with it, but they don’t really care what’s happened three, four, five or six years ago,” Boyle said. “Quite frankly, our guys know about it, but it has no bearing on this year’s game I can tell you that. Because who- ever plays the best on Thursday … is going to win. Whoever battles and executes and does the things it takes to win.” — Mike Budenholzer, coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of running a play two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo simply held the ball as all players knelt. That resulted in a turnover, as did the ensuing Detroit posses- sion when Blake Griffin held the ball and players took a knee again. “We want to do things to help make change, be on the right side of the fight, continue to fight, not be in any way, shape or form distracted or slowed or moved in the wrong direction,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We need to keep moving forward in all ways, shapes and forms.” Meanwhile, a men’s college basketball game scheduled to be played in Washington on Wednesday night was post- poned after a city curfew was imposed in response to the mob’s actions at the Capitol. The Atlantic 10 Conference game between George Wash- ington and UMass will be re- scheduled by the league. There were 11 games on Wednesday’s NBA schedule. “It feels a little odd to play a game tonight, to be honest,” Charlotte coach James Borrego said before his club played in Atlanta. Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers, who is Black, spoke of the stark difference between rallies across America last summer that often included violent skirmishes between protesters and police and what he watched at the Capitol on Wednesday. “The symbolism of storm- ing the Capitol without force done to them, if you’re a Black American, it definitely touches you in a different way,” Rivers said. “This is not a Black thing. This is an American thing.” I expect Portland will still win games in spurts this sea- son. The Blazers won’t be bor- ing, but also they aren’t a true threat to win big. Any good GM might consider shaking up the roster with a shape-shifting trade, but that would mean Ol- shey admitting he was wrong about some of his prized draft picks and off-season signings. Any other coach wouldn’t first point a finger at the locker room, but that’s what Stotts es- sentially did. Allen bought the Blazers in 1988 and stuck with coach Mike Dunleavy through 296 games. He gave Maurice Cheeks 301 before firing him. Nate McMillan got 535 games to try to win. Stotts is now on game No. 648 — and counting. Stotts’ playoff record in Port- land: 20-36. Same record for Olshey. I’d like to see some- thing else soon enough. Maybe it’s just me but I left Tuesday night’s game thinking, “What would Paul do?” Because his old basketball franchise has gone stale and that starts with the coach and GM. Marta Lavandier/AP The Boston Celtics team kneels during the playing of the national an- them before Wednesday night’s game against the Miami Heat in Miami. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) õõõ You might find that a nagging worry was just a false alarm. New faces appear and long-time associates are ready to move on. Be cautious with changes in health care and your fitness regime. Allow yourself plenty of rest. Tonight: Taking it easy. Blazers CANCER (June 21-July 22) Continued from A5 õõõõ An important involvement reaches a turning point today. There He desperately wants to be known as a draft-day guru. He hit a home run on Lillard, who the franchise had already scouted and identified before Olshey was even hired. But his marginal picks and misfires of- ten get too much patience, too many minutes, and too much money. Olshey’s vanity has hamstrung the overall effort. Team president Chris McGowan is a keeper. He’s shrewd, smart and respected. That he’s been promoted to CEO of Vulcan Sports came as no surprise to anyone who has worked closely with him. But the business side of the Blaz- ers has better energy and ideas than the basketball side. Where is the Blazers’ fran- chise going? That’s become a fair question for fans to raise. Lillard turns 31 this summer. His salary jumps from $31.6 million this season to $43.8 million next season. McCollum will make $30.8 million next season. There’s a hefty bill coming due and just qualifying for the playoffs isn’t good enough anymore. When Olshey ran back Enes Kanter, Jusuf Nurkic and Car- melo Anthony this season, it felt as if it was stuck on repeat. Stotts has a good offensive mind, but the Blazers allowed the Bulls to score 66 points in the second half on Tues- day. Worst of all, nobody was shocked by it. could be an upbeat, whirlwind quality to romance. A cherished bond grows and matures. An old love is rekindled, but for good or ill the same patterns repeat in a relationship. Tonight: Pondering. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) õõõõõ Your family life and residence are a focus. Examine options and make final decisions today about your home and living arrangements. You will be aware of how family life has evolved over the past year. Tonight: A childhood trauma is put to rest. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) õõõõõ Today generates marvelous growth. You will be able to analyze your surroundings and improve your life in practical ways. Casual conversa- tions or news stories could be a catalyst for a new opportunity. You sense a time of rebirth and renewal. Tonight: React quickly to assure success. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) õõ You’ll want to resolve your monies and complete financial planning. It is not a good time to encourage communion with the spirit world. Ignore ghost stories. Dwell on the tangible. Tonight: Relax with a good book, by the fire if you can. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) õõõõõ You are dynamic and at the center of activity. Winter sports and innovations in your approach to work will be in focus. Success comes your way if you combine a friendly charm with professional expertise. Tonight: The personal touch carries you a long way. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) õõõõ Your day opens with an elusive and enchanting mood. Psychic sensi- tivities are opening. A creative outlet is healthy. Honesty is a must. It’s a good day to investigate myths and magic. You might find something profitable for yourself. Tonight: Early beddie-byes. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) õõõõõ You feel drawn into community life and service organizations. Your world widens, promising tremendous growth. Reflect upon the developing potential. Pursue future travel opportunities for when it is safe to travel. To- night: You will bask in your joyful accomplishments. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) õõ Today brings changing dynamics regarding professional aspirations. A touch of humor and tolerance helps you make the best of complex situ- ations. Diplomacy is a must in coping with complex social situations. This softens tensions and dissolves a problem. Tonight: Relax. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) õõõõõ Today accents awareness of how the world situation impacts you personally. Analyze how shifting economic trends and social issues can best be adapted to your own priorities. You clarify goals and attract associates who are catalysts for advancement. Tonight: Celebrate.