Sports

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Auto Racing Writer Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was so far ahead last season that catching the Formula One champion may feel like scaling a mountain.So that’s exactly what Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc did to get himself ready for the challenge, which starts next Sunday at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. The

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The celebration surrounding Damian Lillard’s record-breaking performance was short-lived. Lillard set franchise and career marks with 71 points — tied for the most in the NBA this season — and 13 3-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 131 -114 victory over the Houston Rockets

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The celebration surrounding Damian Lillard’s record-breaking performance was short-lived. Lillard set franchise and career marks with 71 points — tied for the most in the NBA this season — and 13 3-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 131 -114 victory over the Houston Rockets

By CRAIG MEYER Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 40 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 134-124 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Clippers in a matchup of Western Conference contenders. Paul George nearly won it for the Clippers with an incredible shot at the end

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the Rio Open tournament last year as a little-known player, but this year he was welcomed as a global star. The 19-year-old has signed autographs for hours, become the youngest men’s No. 1 in history, and lifted the U.S Open

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard set franchise and career highs with 71 points — tied for the most in the NBA this season — and 13 3-pointers and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game skid with a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

By JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writer The slumping Tampa Bay Lightning added an element of grit into their lineup to punch up their late-season playoff push by acquiring forward Tanner Jeannot in a trade with the Nashville Predators. And the Lightning paid a high price in doing so by trading away third-year defenseman Cal Foote,

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer FONTANA, Calif. (AP) — John Hunter Nemechek held off Sam Mayer and earned his third career Xfinity Series victory in a rare Sunday night race on the final NASCAR weekend at Fontana. Nemechek reclaimed the lead shortly after a restart with 12 laps to go and held on in

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 32 points, including a key 3-pointer with 2:05 to play, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104 in a matchup of undermanned teams. Donte DiVincenzo put Golden State ahead for good on a 3 with 3:02 left and

CARSON, California (AP) — Brady Rush scored with seconds remaining to seal New Zealand’s victory over Argentina in the Los Angeles Sevens final and avenge a loss on home soil a month ago. New Zealand opened a 17-0 lead with two tries from Leroy Carter and one from Moses Leo before Argentina hit back to

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Jordan Morris scored a pair of goals via header, Cristian Roldan also scored on a header and the Seattle Sounders overwhelmed the Colorado Rapids in a dominating 4-0 win in the MLS season opener for both teams. Roldan scored in the 25th minute by finishing off

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer The New Jersey Devils have acquired Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks in a blockbuster trade days before the NHL trade deadline. New Jersey sent a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 first-rounder, forward Andreas Johnsson and prospects Shakir Mukhamadullin, Fabian Zetterlund and Nikita Okhotiuk. In return, they

By DAN SCIFO Associated Press PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby started a second-period surge and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3. Crosby’s power-play goal with 4 1/2 minutes left in the period broke a 2-2 tie and started a sequence in which Pittsburgh scored five goals in 4:27, the second-fastest five goals

By MARK MOSCHETTI Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Auston Matthews had two goals and Mark Giordano scored in his first game back in Seattle since being traded to Toronto last season as the Maple Leafs beat the Kraken 5-1. Timothy Liljegren had a goal and an assist for Toronto, and John Tavares also scored. Mitchel

By JACK THOMPSON Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Roman Josi scored two goals Sunday night and the Nashville Predators won their third in a row, beating the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Josi scored on a wrist shot early in the second period, and the Predators captain made it 5-2 with a power-play goal six minutes

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — De’Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists to help the Sacramento Kings defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115. Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings. Sacramento won its third straight. Sacramento defeated

By The Associated Press HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Led by Nigel Hawkins’ 21 points, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks defeated the Cal Baptist Lancers 80-58. The Lumberjacks are now 19-10 on the season, while the Lancers moved to 15-14.

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer FONTANA, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Busch sent Fontana off in style. The veteran stormed up from the back after an early penalty and earned his first victory for Richard Childress Racing while winning on this Southern California track for the fifth time. Busch held off Chase Elliott and Ross

By BRIAN DULIK Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Mitchell made eight 3-pointers, one shy of his career high, and had six rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes as