AP National Sports

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are counting on P.J. Tucker to bring them needed toughness. Sixers star Joel Embiid campaigned for the team to sign a player like Tucker after they lost to the Heat in the playoffs. Tucker played a key role in helping the Heat

PARIS (AP) — A banana has been thrown at Brazilian players celebrating a goal in a friendly against Tunisia in Paris. Forward Richarlison had just scored the team’s second goal in a 5-1 win at Parc des Princes when the banana was hurdled toward him and the other Brazilians celebrating near one of the corner

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets placed left tackle George Fant on injured reserve with a knee injury. It’s the latest injury to hit a reshuffled offensive line. Fant was replaced by Conor McDermott early in the second half of the Jets’ 27-12 loss

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has docked William Byron 25 points and fined him $50,000 for deliberately spinning championship rival Denny Hamlin in a retaliatory move missed by scoring officials. The penalty dropped Byron to eight points below the cutline heading into Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway in

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Spain needed an 88th-minute goal to end its winless streak against Portugal and advance in the Nations League to complete the Final Four lineup. The late goal by Álvaro Morata secured a 1-0 victory that allowed Spain to overtake Portugal in Group A2 to join Croatia,

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The Guardians might as well keep umbrellas in their bat rack. Cleveland was forced to postpone a celebration and flag-raising ceremony to honor its AL Central title before the opener of a three-game series against Tampa Bay due to a rainy weather forecast. The pregame pageantry

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson’s defense spent the offseason saying there’d be little drop=off after longtime leader Brent Venables left to take Oklahoma’s head coaching job. The fifth-ranked Tigers’ defensive front even had a hokey movie moniker in “The Avengers” to keep focused and on pace for another big

By TRAVIS JOHNSON Associated Press STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is getting creative with a deep unit that’s built to create game-changing plays. So far, nearly 30 players have rotated in and out of a unit that’s fourth nationally in turnover margin at plus-8. Diaz’s defense has recovered five

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics have taken their first step toward regaining a sense of normalcy by holding their first practice of the preseason in the aftermath of the year-long suspension of Ime Udoka. Interim coach Joe Mazzulla says he saw a team eager to get back to basketball

By JOHN RABY AP Sports Writer An eye-opening win by Kansas State over Oklahoma and strong starts by Kansas and other Big 12 teams on the road have thrown the early conference standings into an unfamiliar heap. Perennial basement dweller Kansas is 4-0 and on the cusp of its first ranking in 13 years. And

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech is starting over with its football program and its athletic department overall. The school fired coach Geoff Collins after fewer than four seasons and a 10-28 record. It also got rid of athletic director Todd Stansbury. Georgia Tech plans to hire a new AD

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash says he never thought that Kevin Durant’s demand to be traded or for Nash to be canned was quite right. Nash says that there are “a lot of things behind the scenes” and that he, Durant, the general manager and

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Gulfstream Park announced the schedule for the 2022-23 Championship Meet, highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 28. Also on Pegasus day: The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, as well as the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Gulfstream’s top Kentucky Derby

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland lost 34-27 to No. 4 Michigan. But there was a lot of progress in that defeat for a program that’s been average at best by Big Ten standards. This was against a team the Terrapins lost to by 41 points last year. This

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears receiver Byron Pringle will miss at least four games because of a calf injury after the team placed him on injured reserve on Tuesday. Pringle left in the first quarter of Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans, after catching one pass for 11 yards. He has two receptions

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer Northwestern was feeling pretty good about itself. Then, September rolled around. The Wildcats are reeling with three straight nonconference losses after opening with a win over Nebraska in Ireland. At least they’re not the Cornhuskers. Nebraska fired coach Scott Frost just over two weeks ago in the wake of

PARMA, Italy (AP) — Sara Sorribes Tormo beat second-seeded Martina Trevisan 7-5, 6-0 in the opening round of the Parma Ladies Open. It marks the third consecutive first-round loss for this year’s French Open semifinalist. Third-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu advanced when Viktoriya Tomova retired with Begu leading 7-5, 5-1. Danka Kovinic beat Oceane Dodin 6-1, 3-6,

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Sports Writer The Pac-12 appeared headed toward another College Football Playoff miss when Oregon got throttled by top-ranked Georgia and Utah lost at Florida. Flash forward three weeks and it seems the Pac-12 might be in good shape after all. The Ducks and Utes bounced back with big wins and the

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State is in the Top 25 after its win at Oklahoma on Saturday night. Kansas is the first team left out of the rankings but are one of 21 Football Bowl Subdivision teams who haven’t lost yet this season. Only five states have multiple