Jaguars hire Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson
February 4, 2022 GMTJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Doug Pederson as their head coach Thursday night, ending a wild and winding search that ended up where it started more than a month ago.
Pederson, who led Philadelphia to its lone Super Bowl title, was Jacksonville’s first candidate interviewed when he met with owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke on Dec.
Goodell pressured by Congress to release Washington report
February 4, 2022 GMTFormer Washington Commanders employees and members of Congress pressured the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday to release a report about the team's history of sexual harassment and its sexist, hostile workplace culture.
Young has 43 points, Hawks end Suns’ 11-game winning streak
February 4, 2022 GMTATLANTA (AP) — There was no way a sore shoulder was going to prevent Trae Young from playing.
Jackson’s layup propels Clippers to 111-110 win over Lakers
February 4, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Reggie Jackson isn't fazed by Los Angeles Clippers games coming down to the wire, especially against their arena co-tenants.
“We just want to give the fans their money’s worth,” he said.
EXPLAINER: Biathlon combines physical demands, mental calm
February 4, 2022 GMTZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — One analogy often used to describe how it feels to compete in a biathlon race goes like this: “Run up 20 flights of stairs as fast as you can and then try to thread a needle.”
Elway, Ross, Giants deny claims in Brian Flores lawsuit
February 3, 2022 GMTENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Elway is refuting Brian Flores' claim in a lawsuit that his interview with the Denver Broncos in 2019 was a sham and only conducted to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule.
“While I was not planning to respond publicly to the false and defamatory claims by Brian Flores, I could not be silent any longer with my character, integrity and professionalism being attacked,” the Denver Broncos president of football operations said in a statement released by the team Thursday.
Rams’ Stafford hopes to follow in friend Kershaw’s footsteps
February 4, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Stafford got a call this week from a childhood friend who knows a little something about waiting a long time to win his first championship.
Clayton Kershaw is hoping to be at SoFi Stadium next Sunday when Stafford leads the Los Angeles Rams (15-5) in search of the same long-sought title that Kershaw finally won with the Dodgers in 2020.
Gorgeous day at Pebble and Tom Hoge has a scorecard to match
February 4, 2022 GMTPEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Tom Hoge enjoys being at Pebble Beach even in a frigid wind and relentless rain. He loved it even more Thursday in brilliant sunshine, especially with nine birdies on his card.
Suns’ Booker, Paul picked as NBA All-Star reserves
February 4, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Devin Booker and Chris Paul were chosen Thursday as reserves for the NBA All-Star Game, giving the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns two selections.
The Utah Jazz also got a pair with Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, but the Cleveland Cavaliers had to settle for one player in the game they will host Feb.
DENVER (AP) — Caleb Martin was undrafted coming out of college. He entered the NBA with almost no guarantees. He had to play in the G League. Charlotte let him go after two seasons.
Desperate for a second chance, he joined the Miami Heat on a two-way contract to basically start from scratch again.
PARIS (AP) — To hear tennis star Coco Gauff tell it, basketball star Jimmy Butler assured her his Miami Heat would make it to the NBA Finals before they were guaranteed of so much as participating in the playoffs.
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics began their season in chaos. They ended it confronted with a decision that could shape the franchise for years to come.
Pain, disbelief and uncertainty hung with the Celtics as they walked off the court following their Eastern Conference finals Game 7 loss to Miami, ending their attempt to return to the NBA Finals.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bob Myers is departing as president and general manager of the Golden State Warriors after building a championship team that captured four titles in an eight-year span and reached five straight NBA Finals from 2015-19.
Cancel that flight plan, Denver. Turns out, the NBA Finals are starting in the Mile High City after all.
And Jimmy Butler was proven right.
Finally, we have a title-series matchup: The Miami Heat, champions of the Eastern Conference even after getting in as only the No.
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets don't brawl with other teams or bicker among themselves. It's been almost a decade since they fired a coach. Their most spectacular highlights often involve sublime skip passes across the court — or a backward, half-court shot from their mascot, Rocky, during a break in the action.
76ers hire former Raptors coach Nick Nurse, AP source says
May 30, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid and the 76ers battled in yet another playoff game with the Raptors, this time in 2022, when the All-Star center barked at Toronto coach Nick Nurse — in a quite PG-13 fashion — to stop whining about foul calls.
Fever snap record 20-game losing streak with win over Dream
May 29, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — NaLyssa Smith scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever end a WNBA record-tying 20-game losing streak with a 90-87 win over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
The Fever (1-2) had lost 20 in a row dating back to last season to tie the Tulsa Shock for the most consecutive losses all-time.
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson is frequently scoring goals again for the Dallas Stars, Jake Oettinger is stopping shots and captain Jamie Benn is about to return from a two-game suspension.
The Western Conference Final isn't over yet, and suddenly feels much different.
NBA Finals berth at stake as Heat, Celtics prepare for Game 7
May 28, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Moments after Boston's dramatic win at Miami on Saturday night, Jaylen Brown began thinking about the future. He raised his hands, put up seven fingers and began yelling, “Game 7! Game 7!”
Bucks finalizing deal to make Raptors’ Adrian Griffin their head coach, AP source says
May 27, 2023 GMTMILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are finalizing a deal to make Adrian Griffin their head coach after he spent the last five seasons as a Toronto Raptors assistant, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Ogunbowale scores 26, Sabally has 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as Wings beat Storm 95-91
May 27, 2023 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale had 26 points and six assists, Satou Sabally added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and the Dallas Wings beat the Seattle Storm 95-91 Friday night.
Dallas is 2-0 for the first time since 2007, when the franchise was known as the Detroit Shock — two relocations ago (the organization moved to Tulsa from 2010-15).
Delle Donne hits late go-ahead 3-pointer, Mystics beat Sky 71-69
May 27, 2023 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Elena Delle Donne scored 25 points, Shakira Austin had 15 points and 11 rebounds and the Washington Mystics beat the Chicago Sky 71-69 on Friday night.
Ariel Atkins rebounded her own miss and found Delle Donne open for a go-ahead 3-pointer with 22.4 to play.
MIAMI (AP) — Maybe Kevin Garnett was right. Maybe, as he screamed in celebration of Boston’s 2008 NBA championship, anything truly is possible.
NBA Playoffs: Celtics’ starters come up with a bit of history in Game 5 win over Heat
May 26, 2023 GMTThe Boston Celtics aren't done yet.
The Celtics — once down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference finals — are now within 3-2, after leading the whole way and topping the Miami Heat 110-97 on Thursday night.
PHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury earned their first win of the WNBA season with a 90-81 victory against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night.
Diana Taurasi had 23 points and 10 assists, while Griner added 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Brittney Griner, Phoenix earn 1st win of WNBA season 90-81; make 13 3-pointers vs Lynx
May 26, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury earned their first win of the WNBA season with a 90-81 victory against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night.
Diana Taurasi had 23 points and 10 assists, while Griner added 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat insist they are as confident as ever, even after missing two chances to eliminate the Boston Celtics.
They will get the next one, Jimmy Butler said.
“It’s going to be all smiles,” Butler said after the Celtics won 110-97 on Thursday night to cut the Heat’s lead in the series to 3-2.
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have looked elimination in the face four times this postseason and still haven't blinked.
Derrick White had 24 points, including six 3-pointers, and the Celtics dominated the Miami Heat 110-97 on Thursday night in Game 5 to extend the Eastern Conference finals.
BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat will start Kyle Lowry at point guard against the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Thursday after starter Gabe Vincent was ruled out with a sprained left ankle.
BEIJING (AP) — Former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming has stepped down as head of China’s struggling national basketball league.
An eight-time NBA All-Star, Yao had been leading efforts to commercialize the top-tier 20-team Chinese Basketball Association Management Company since his appointment in 2017.
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics’ season didn’t end in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Miami Heat, and now there is a flicker of hope.
Whether Boston’s 116-99 victory on Tuesday night was the start of a miraculous revival or simply a momentary reprieve from what NBA history suggests is still inevitable remains to be determined.
Ja Morant is ‘fine,’ taking a social media break, police say after welfare check due to cryptic post
May 24, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Police in Tennessee conducted a welfare check Wednesday on suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and say “he is fine” after cryptic messages appeared on his Instagram account and were later deleted.
DENVER (AP) — It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world.
Thomas helps Sun top Mystics for second straight game
May 24, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Alyssa Thomas had 22 points and 10 rebounds while DeWanna Bonner added 15 points to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 88-81 on Tuesday night.
Connecticut created some separation midway through the fourth quarter by going on a 10-2 run, capped by a three-point play by Brionna Jones for a 75-67 lead.
Gray, McDonald rally Dream past Lynx 83-77
May 24, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Allisha Gray scored 26 points, Aari McDonald gave Atlanta it's first lead of the game in the final minute and the Dream scored the last 11 points of the game to rally past the Minnesota Lynx 83-77 on Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s Transactions
May 24, 2023 GMTBASEBALL
Thomas’ double-double leads Sun past Mystics 88-81
May 24, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Alyssa Thomas had 22 points and 10 rebounds while DeWanna Bonner added 15 points to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 88-81 on Tuesday night.
Connecticut created some separation midway through the fourth quarter by going on a 10-2 run, capped by a three-point play by Brionna Jones for a 75-67 lead.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers hope LeBron James will decide to continue his career after he recovers from the difficult end to their season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James questioned retirement after his Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets despite the highest-scoring postseason half of James' matchless NBA career.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Denver Nuggets played with disruption on their minds in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Everybody on that tight-knit bench Monday night seemed to know their team had never reached the NBA Finals, had never swept a playoff opponent and had never beaten the Los Angeles Lakers in a postseason series.
Celtics look to pull off the impossible, as Heat stand on brink of making NBA Finals
May 23, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Blown out in Game 3, facing elimination in Game 4, tasked with engineering the sort of comeback that no team in their league has ever pulled off before.
Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA, after 19-year career, NCAA title, 3 Olympic gold medals
May 22, 2023 GMTCarmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.
Brittney Griner gets rousing welcome in Phoenix home game after release from Russian prison
May 22, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner won the opening tip and ran to her familiar spot in the low post.
There was nowhere else the ball was going on the Phoenix Mercury's opening possession of the season — not after what Griner had gone through to get here.
MIAMI (AP) — Joe Mazzulla’s roller-coaster season is at its lowest. And with the Boston Celtics now on the brink of elimination, the first-year coach is blaming himself.
Sky spoil Griner’s home debut with 75-69 win
May 21, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Kahleah Copper scored 15 points and the Chicago Sky spoiled Brittney Griner’s regular-season home debut, holding on down the stretch for a 75-69 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
PHOENIX (AP) — Kahleah Copper scored 15 points and the Chicago Sky spoiled Brittney Griner's regular-season home debut, holding on down the stretch for a 75-69 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — When the Denver Nuggets faced the most crucial stretch of the biggest road game in franchise history, Nikola Jokic took over both on the floor and in the huddle.
The two-time MVP decided he would run a two-man, pick-and-roll offense with Jamal Murray late in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night, and Jokic came through with a 15-point fourth quarter.
Stewart scores New York record 45 points to send Indiana to WNBA record tying 20th straight loss
May 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — After a disappointing debut with the New York Liberty, Breanna Stewart just wanted to play better.
She did more than that, scoring a franchise record 45 points, and New York beat Indiana 90-73 on Sunday, handing the Fever a 20th consecutive loss that matched the WNBA record for futility.
Bonner scores 21, Thomas and Jones have double-doubles to help new-look Sun beat Mystics 80-74
May 21, 2023 GMTUNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — DeWanna Bonner scored 21 points, Alyssa Thomas had 14 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals to help the Connecticut Sun rally from a 12-point deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 80-74 Sunday.
Jim Brown Appreciation: Remembering Hall of Fame running back’s lasting impact on and off field
May 20, 2023 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Brown was both extraordinary and extraordinarily complicated.
One man. Many versions.
His greatness on the football field is beyond reproach. For generations, Brown, who died Thursday night peacefully at his home in Los Angeles, has long been the standard of excellence for running backs, a freakish blend of brute power and blazing speed who in many ways changed the NFL forever.
MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler is Miami’s leader this postseason in points, minutes, assists and steals per game. He’s the sommelier at team dinners. He’s the barista when it’s time for coffee.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike scored 17 points, rookie Zia Cooke added 14 and the Los Angeles Sparks defeated Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury 94-71 on Friday night in Griner’s first WNBA game since being jailed in Russia.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although the Los Angeles Lakers’ late-season transformation is one of this NBA season’s best stories, LeBron James and his teammates finally appear to be running out of steam in the Western Conference finals.
Murray’s big fourth quarter propels Nuggets past Lakers 108-103 for 2-0 lead in West finals
May 19, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — After Nikola Jokic's monster game in the opener, his pick-and-roll partner Jamal Murray took the spotlight in the Western Conference finals Thursday night.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead in the series.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx tried a stopgap approach to filling the void from the disassembly of their four-championship dynasty, a patchwork process that worked all right until a collapse last season left them out of the playoffs and produced the worst record in 13 seasons under head coach Cheryl Reeve.
BOSTON (AP) — The latest Eastern Conference finals pairing between the Heat and Celtics will be a matchup that ultimately turns on the play stars like Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum.
But Miami’s 123-116 Game 1 victory also showed how the tactical battle between rookie coach Joe Mazzulla and veteran counterpart Erik Spoelstra will also play a big factor.