BEIJING (AP) — China on Thursday dismissed the decision by Canada and the United Kingdom to join Washington’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games as a “farce.”

China is also unconcerned the officials’ absence would spark a chain reaction, while numerous heads of state, government leaders and members of royal families have registered to attend, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a daily briefing.

The three countries have said they won’t send government dignitaries to the Games that run Feb. 4-20 to protest human rights abuses in China, while New Zealand said it informed Beijing earlier that it wouldn’t be sending any officials due to pandemic travel restrictions but had also communicated its human rights concerns.

Under the diplomatic boycott, the countries will still send their athletes to compete.

Wang said China had not extended invitations to the U.S., Canada or the U.K. and that it “doesn’t matter if their officials come or not, they will see the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics.”

“Sports has nothing to do with politics,” Wang said. “It is they who have written, directed and performed this farce.”

China is not only confident there will be no chain reaction, but perceives overwhelming global support for the Games, he said.

“As of now, numerous heads of state, leaders of government and royal family members have registered to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, and we welcome them,” Wang said. “China is committed to making greater contributions to the international Olympic cause and will offer up a streamlined, safe and exciting Olympics to the world.”

China has vowed to respond to the U.S. with “firm countermeasures” over the boycott, but has given no details on how it plans to retaliate.

Rights groups have called for a total boycott of the Beijing Winter Games, citing Chinese human rights abuses against its Uyghur minority in the northwest Xinjiang region, which some have called genocide. They also point to Beijing’s suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong and a sweeping crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous territory.

Canada‘s move came as little surprise in the context of the sharp deterioration in bilateral ties since China arrested two Canadians in Dec. 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies’ chief financial officer and the daughter of the company’s founder, on a U.S. extradition request.

Canada and others condemned what they called “hostage politics,” while China described the charges against Huawei and Meng as a politically motivated attempt to hold back China’s economic and technological development.

China, the U.S. and Canada completed what was essentially a high-stakes prisoner swap earlier this year, but the Chinese government’s reputation has been severely tarnished in Canada.

DETROIT — Kyle Kuzma hit a 3 with 0.6 seconds left in overtime and the Washington Wizards handed the Detroit Pistons their 10th straight loss, 119-116 Wednesday night.

Kuzma scored 26 points and Bradley Beal added 25 for the Wizards, who blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“This is a good win for us,” Beal said. “It wasn’t pretty, but we did what we needed to do to win the game. That’s always the goal.”

Jeremi Grant scored 28 points for the Pistons, who haven’t won since beating the Indiana Pacers 97-89 on Nov. 17. The 10-game skid matches Detroit’s longest since a 13-game slide from Nov. 15-Dec. 9, 2014. They also lost 10 straight from Feb. 24-March 14, 2015.

Rookie Cade Cunningham added 21 points, including eight of Detroit‘s 10 points in overtime.

“In the NBA, you are going to get teams’ best defense at the end of games,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “That means you have to have players who can create their own shots, and Cade and Jeremi are both able to do that for us.”

Washington led by 13 with 7:14 left, but Frank Jackson’s 3-pointer pulled the Pistons within 104-102 with 1:46 to play.

“They were playing with more desperation than we were,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “We let our guard down in a situation where we need to be finding a way to put the game away.”

After both teams missed, Beal hit a floater with 31 seconds left to make it 106-102.

Isaiah Stewart scored to make it a two-point game, and Beal was called for a backcourt violation with 12.9 seconds left before Spencer Dinwiddie fouled Grant with 2.3 seconds remaining.

He hit both shots, and Beal’s jumper hit the side of the backboard as time expired.

“They made some tough shots, but we’ve got to stop turning over the ball,” Beal said. “That’s more on my (butt) than anyone else.”

Cunningham’s fourth layup of overtime made it 116-116 with 23 seconds left, but Kuzma hit the winner.

“I love Cade, but he makes me feel old,” Beal said. “I’ve been a fan of his since high school – I probably knew he was going to be a pro before he did. He’s going to be a problem for this league for a long time.”

Caldwell-Pope added 13 points for the Wizards, who outscored Detroit 52-38 in the paint and finished with a 13-7 edge on the offensive glass.

Daniel Gafford had seven points, nine rebounds and six blocks.

“They kicked our butts in the paint,” Casey said. “They broke our backs with the extra possessions and the points at the rim.”

The usually offensively challenged Pistons put up 60 points in the first half, good enough for an eight-point lead, but Caldwell-Pope scored 10 points in the first two minutes of the third quarter as the Wizards made it 62-62.

“We weren’t ready to play at the start of the second half,” Casey said. “That’s unacceptable.”

Grant kept the Pistons in the game with 12 points in the period, but Washington led 89-86 going into the fourth quarter.

For the second quarter in a row, the Wizards caught Detroit flat-footed, starting with an 8-2 run. Casey called timeout after Kuzma‘s 3-pointer made it 97-88 with 9:34 to play.

“The Pistons aren’t a team that are going to give up,” Unseld said. “They are struggling, but they have kept fighting all year.”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Caldwell-Pope (2013) and Dinwiddie (2014) were drafted by the Pistons in back-to-back seasons and played two years together before Dinwiddie was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

Pistons: Cunningham picked up the first technical of his career for arguing a second-quarter call.

UP NEXT

Wizards: Host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Pistons: Visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Ashley Owusu scored eight of her 20 points in the fourth quarter to push No. 8 Maryland to an 86-71 victory over Purdue on Wednesday night.

Owusu added nine rebounds and five assists for the Terrapins (9-2, 2-0 Big Ten), who trailed by four at halftime in their final tune-up before playing at No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday.

Katie Benzan and and Angel Reese each had 15 points for Maryland, which scored 34 points off 23 Purdue turnovers in its third consecutive victory. Mimi Collins and Chloe Bibby each added 12 points.

Brooke Moore scored a season-high 22 points and hit six 3-pointers to lead the Boilermakers (6-4, 0-2), who suffered consecutive losses for the first time this season. Purdue fell to then-No. 18 Ohio State on Sunday in its Big Ten opener.

Five of Moore’s six 3s came before halftime as Purdue went 8 for 13 from beyond the arc. But the Boilermakers went cold after the break and finished 12 of 32 (37.5%).

Cassidy Hardin added 15 points for the Boilermakers, who fell to 2-2 against ranked opposition.

Maryland opened the second half on a 7-0 run. Reese scored the first four points before the Terps took a 43-40 lead on Benzan’s 3-pointer from the right wing with 7:15 left in the third quarter.

Owusu’s driving layup made it 47-45 a few possessions later, a lead Maryland never gave back.

It grew as large as eight briefly in the third. But it was only four before a 13-2 run in the fourth, with Owusu and Collins each hitting two baskets as the Terrapins stretched their lead to 74-59.

BIG PICTURE

Purdue: The Boilermakers finished a stretch of five straight games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25 with a 2-3 record.

Maryland: The Terrapins avoided their first loss to an unranked opponent since falling to Texas in the NCAA regional semifinals last March.

UP NEXT

Purdue: Hosts Denver on Sunday

Maryland: Visits No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday.

Figure skaters are trained to wear smiles while on the ice competing or performing. When it comes to Jason Brown, the smile is authentic, and it rarely leaves his face.

Among the times Brown beams most are when he‘s interacting with children and families from Ronald McDonald House Charities. Indeed, those are gold medal times for the one-time Olympian who has a strong shot at making the U.S. team for February’s Winter Games.

“It is truly incredible,” Brown says. “To be honest, I got involved with this organization to give back to the communities in which I skated. Family is such an important value, and kids, of course, and I really wanted to do something and give back to a charity that fulfilled those two things. And at the same time, it could be a charity that I could get whatever fans in that city or country and get them involved and have them feel they are making a contribution in their community.

“I fell in love with this organization and it made me see the world in a different way and made me appreciate health in a different way than I had before. And they are so inspiring; everyone I have met throughout the organization is so inspiring.”

Brown has traveled the globe as a skater, and at nearly every stop he has appeared at events for RMHC. A nonprofit corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families, RMHC has an international network of more than 260 Chapters in 62 countries and regions. It enables, facilitates and supports family centered care through its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. RMHC programs help families with ill or injured children stay together and near leading hospitals and health care services worldwide.

Since 2014, when he made the Olympic squad, Brown has partnered with RMHC. Back then, at a Skate America competition in Illinois, he announced that all the stuffed animals thrown onto the ice after he performed — a tradition in the sport — would be given to a local chapter. Brown even personally delivered the gifts and spent time with RMHC children and families in Chicago.

That has continued around the world.

“One of the coolest things is that those communities each have a specific house, while under the big tent (of the organization),” Brown explains. “Each individual house is its own entity and it is really incredible to visit houses from all over the world and take part in or help raise money for, or donate very specific things to what that house and people need.

“Each experience is so special and unique and rewarding. I think what makes it so special, I do travel a lot and when my family is able to come with me on a trip and I have that piece of home traveling with me, well, that is something so important to the healing process. These kids are going through situations no kids should have to go through, and then imagine having to go through it alone. Or the parent struggling to get from a sibling to their kid in the hospital. Whatever it is, it is a weight off for them to have (RMHC facilities).

“And they are also around other families going through similar experiences. They can lean on and talk to and they can relate to one another in a way so many people that don’t have those same shared experiences aren’t able to really know what each other is going through.”

Brown has visited Ronald McDonald House programs ranging from Sapporo, Japan, to Grenoble, France, to Montreal and Vancouver to U.S. stops in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Las Vegas, Detroit, and southern California. He spends time with RMHC children and their families, continues to fulfill those families’ wish lists, helps with sponsor meals and raises money for the organization.

“Just making sure I continue to echo and support the Ronald McDonald House and their mission through the holiday season, and kind of raise that awareness,” he says.

You can be sure Brown was smiling when he said it.