Sports

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden will not play for the Philadelphia 76ers in games Friday and Saturday night. The three-time scoring champion will not make his debut until he’s evaluated by the team’s performance staff. The earliest Harden could play for the 76ers is at home Tuesday against Boston.

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ryan Fox has shot 3-under 69 to open a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic. The 211th-ranked New Zealander mixed six birdies with three bogeys for a 36-hole total of 12-under 132 at Al Hamra Golf Club in the latest stop on

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — A Ukrainian skeleton athlete flashed a small sign that read “No War in Ukraine” to the cameras as he finished a run at the Beijing Olympics. Vladyslav Heraskevych said after his race Friday that he only wanted peace for his country. The gesture came as Russia

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — When it comes to the Super Bowl fans can bet on just about anything, including which quarterback will throw more yards, whether the MVP will be a quarterback or from another position or how many yards will Cooper Kupp gain receiving. There are even

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR’s stars have formed an official Drivers Advisory Council to create a collective voice for discussions with NASCAR. The drivers loosely formed a council in 2014, and while it did grow and created positive influence, it eventually disbanded. The council announced Friday has a

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — Germany has its first Olympic skeleton champion, and the country is simply sliding away from all challengers so far at the Beijing Olympics. Christopher Grotheer was a runaway winner in the men’s skeleton event that ended Friday night, the first German to win gold in the

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Olympic snowboarding judges are coming under scrutiny for their scoring of Canadian slopestyler Max Parrot’s gold-medal run. Parrot appeared to grab his knee instead of his board during one of his tricks. That an error likely would have cost him enough points to fall short

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer Who is your favorite celebrity? Chances are, they’re in a Super Bowl ad this year. While Super Bowl ads usually feature a bevy of big names, this year advertisers have gone even further. “The vast majority of ads are including big star power, from athletes to actors to chefs,”

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer No. 5 Kentucky rides a five-game winning streak into a home game with Florida to highlight weekend action in the Southeastern Conference. The Gators have won four straight. The Wildcats are only a game behind No. 1 Auburn in the SEC standings with the Tigers’ 80-76 overtime loss at

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — A Ukrainian skeleton athlete ended his third run at the Beijing Olympics by revealing a small sign to the cameras urging peace in his homeland. The message from Vladyslav Heraskevych read: “No War in Ukraine.” The sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper. Those

LONDON (AP) — Yorkshire cricket club can resume hosting international matches after its suspension was lifted in recognition of the club’s “good progress” on addressing problems of racism and bullying. Yorkshire’s Headingley Stadium will now host England’s third test against New Zealand in June and a one-day international against South Africa in July. The England

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Sadio Mané has returned to Liverpool after celebrating Senegal’s title in the African Cup of Nations and is set to be in contention for the Premier League match at Burnley on Sunday. Mané led Senegal to its first African Cup championship by converting the decisive penalty in a shootout win over

BEIJING (AP) — A Ukrainian skeleton athlete ended his third run at the Beijing Olympics by revealing a small sign to the cameras urging peace in his homeland. The message from Vladyslav Heraskevych read: “No War in Ukraine.” The sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper. Those are the colors of Ukraine’s flag.

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands successfully defended her title in 1,000-meter short track speedskating. She set the world and Olympic records of 1 minute, 26.514 seconds in the quarterfinals. She wasn’t as fast in the final, finishing in 1:28.391. Choi Minjeong of South Korea took silver.

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Usher preached togetherness during “tumultuous times” while performing a series of his hits at an exclusive star-studded afterparty following the NFL Honors. The eight-time Grammy winner spoke about the importance of unity during the Chairman’s Party on Thursday night inside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood,