Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants first baseman and home run leader Brandon Belt has a broken left thumb and his availability for the final week of the regular season and playoffs is unclear. The Giants said an X-ray showed the broken bone and Belt will “continue to meet with doctors over the next couple of

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen has been removed from the COVID-19 protocol list. The 26-year-old Lankinen is coming off a solid rookie season, going 17-14-5 with 3.01 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. He is expected to back up Marc-Andre Fleury this year.

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer Alabama and Georgia, the top-ranked teams in the country and the favorites to win their Southeastern Conference divisions, are preparing to face the league’s biggest early season surprises. The matchups Saturday weren’t necessarily penciled in as quite such big games leading up to the season. Now there all kinds

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves are familiar with change. They’re undergoing plenty of it with training camp about to start. The biggest shakeup came last week when president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas was fired. Star center Karl-Anthony Towns says he had just joked the day before the

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he feels fine as he prepares for the Milwaukee Bucks’ title defense but will be careful with the left knee that he hyperextended during the championship run. Antetokounmpo missed the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals after hurting his knee but

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer The St. Louis Cardinals are proving to be a lot more than their biggest stars. The soaring Cardinals have won 16 in a row heading into Tuesday night’s game against NL Central champion Milwaukee. It’s the majors’ longest streak since Cleveland took 22 in a row in 2017, and

By JOHN COON Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Jazz are hungry to show they can take another step this season and contend for an NBA title. Guard Donovan Mitchell says the team has to play with hunger and an edge. Other players echoed Mitchell’s sentiment as the Jazz held their media

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — According to several former players and some of their parents, ex-Florida women’s basketball coach Cam Newbauer verbally abused players, assistants and staff members. They say he created a toxic environment that athletic department officials failed to fix for years. The Alligator, a student-run paper that’s

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer Bryan Harsin isn’t tipping his hand on No. 22 Auburn’s starting quarterback against LSU.T.J. Finley is a former LSU starter who transferred after the spring. Finley staked his claim on the job when he came off the bench to replace third-year starter Bo Nix and ultimately throw for the

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Investigators have made no arrests but say they have several promising leads in the shooting death of University of Utah football player Aaron Lowe. Salt Lake City police Chief Mike Brown said Monday they have received several tips in the house-party slaying that also left a woman injured. Meanwhile, family

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are missing players because of COVID-19 protocols for the third consecutive game to start the season. Linebacker Keanu Neal and defensive end Bradlee Anae are sidelined for the home opener against Philadelphia on Monday night. Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor is inactive after being listed as questionable with a

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich says a Cougars wide receiver was in stable condition in a hospital Monday after being shot during the weekend. Rolovich says he was awakened early Saturday with news that 22-year-old Brandon Gray had been wounded near the campus

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Trayce Jackson-Davis made up his mind about Mike Woodson after one, 10-minute meeting last spring. He couldn’t wait to play for Indiana’s new coach. Race Thompson and two other players who considered leaving the program, needed a little more time before reaching the same conclusion.

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Damian Lillard says he’s got faith the Portland Trail Blazers are headed in the right direction. The Blazers dismissed longtime coach Terry Stotts in the offseason and hired Chauncey Billups to take over. The team also added players including forward Larry Nance Jr., center Cody Zeller and Ben

CHICAGO (AP) — Kim Clijsters lost in her latest return to the WTA Tour, dropping a three-setter against Hsieh Su-wei in the first round of the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic. It was Clijsters’ first match since a first-round loss at the 2020 U.S. Open a little more than a year ago. That was part of

By The Associated Press Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson know it will be a while before they can get back onto the court. Zion Williamson wants to do it on opening night. The New Orleans Pelicans forward had offseason surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot but said he has been working

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Simon Pagenaud is leaving Team Penske and will drive next season for Meyer Shank Racing.  Pagenaud is the second driver this season to voluntarily choose to leave Penske. Brad Keselowski is leaving the NASCAR branch at the end of the year. For Pagenaud,

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Forward Michael Porter Jr. has agreed to a five-year maximum extension with the Denver Nuggets that could be worth up to $207 million. His agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the deal to The Associated Press.  Porter’s agreement would be worth at least $173 million over five years

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Lowry posed for pictures. He chatted up some new teammates for the first time. And he struggled a bit trying to remember the names of various people he was meeting, a task that proved challenging since most were wearing masks. The first day at his

By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas district attorney has rejected a felony sexual assault charge filed earlier this year by Austin police against the son of former cyclist Lance Armstrong. Luke Armstrong was charged in April related to an incident in 2018. A woman told police she was assaulted