Cam Skattebo runs for 3 TDs and Jaxson Dart shines as the Giants beat the Eagles 34-17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Cam Skattebo ran for three touchdowns as he and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart led the New York Giants to a 34-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Dart had a 20-yard touchdown run and a 35-yard passing TD to Wan’Dale Robinson. The Giants, now 2-4, also sacked Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts three times and intercepted him once. Hurts threw his first interception of the season, contributing to the Eagles’ second consecutive loss.
LeBron James will miss opening night of his record 23rd NBA season due to sciatica
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James will miss opening night of his record 23rd NBA season due to sciatica that will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks. The Los Angeles Lakers announced James’ condition on Thursday. The 40-year-old superstar will be sidelined at least until the end of October. Sciatica is pain originating in the nerves running from the buttocks and down the legs. James has the issue on his right side. James has yet to participate in a full practice since the Lakers opened training camp. An hour later, the Lakers announced James is likely to miss at least their first five or six games, and possibly several more.
Bill Belichick’s 1st season at North Carolina has run into problems on and off the field
Bill Belichick’s first season at North Carolina has run into problems both on and off the field. The Tar Heels are 2-3 but have lost in lopsided fashion in all three of their games against power-conference opponents. UNC announced the suspension of an assistant coach for rules violations on Thursday. The school said it is also investigating further into more potential concerns. UNC is off this week and next plays at California on Oct. 17. Belichick issued a terse statement late Wednesday saying he was “fully committed” to building the UNC program.
Dominance of the Las Vegas Aces threatens to make short work of WNBA’s expanded finals
PHOENIX (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces are in position to make short work of the WNBA’s expanded playoff schedule. A’ja Wilson’s turnaround jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining lifted the Aces over the Phoenix Mercury for a thrilling 90-88 win on Wednesday night. It also gave Las Vegas a 3-0 lead in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history. The Aces would already be celebrating their third championship in four seasons in the previous best-of-five format. In 2025, there’s more work to do. Game 4 is on Friday night in Phoenix.
Mike Greenwell, longtime Red Sox outfielder who finished second in 1988 MVP voting, dies at 62
BOSTON (AP) — Mike Greenwell, an outfielder who played 12 seasons with the Boston Red Sox and finished second in the 1988 American League MVP voting, has died. He was 62. Greenwell’s wife, Tracy, says he died Thursday morning in Boston. Greenwell was a county commissioner in Lee County, Florida, and the county manager also announced his death. Known as “the Gator,” Greenwell played his entire career for Boston. He won the 1988 Silver Slugger Award and finishing second in that year’s MVP voting to Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco. After Canseco later acknowledged using steroids that season, Greenwell asked, “Where’s my MVP?”
Former NBA player Paul Pierce found asleep in car, arrested for alleged DUI
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former NBA player Paul Pierce has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on a Los Angeles highway after he was found asleep behind the wheel. California state police arrested Pierce on Tuesday night after responding to an unrelated car crash on U.S. Highway 101. They saw a Range Rover SUV stopped in the road south of the crash and found Pierce asleep at the wheel. Officers conducted a DUI investigation and arrested him on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Pierce did not immediately respond to an Instagram message for comment.
NBA GMs overwhelmingly pick Thunder to repeat as champions, Jokic for MVP
NEW YORK (AP) — NBA general managers overwhelmingly expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to be the league’s first repeat champion in nearly a decade. Denver’s Nikola Jokic is their pick to reclaim the MVP award, and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is once again the pick as best coach. Those were among the findings of the league’s annual preseason polling of general managers, the results of which were released Thursday. The Thunder got 80% of the vote in response to the question of which team would win this season’s title. No team has gone back-to-back since Golden State in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
LISTEN: Bijan Robinson appreciates respect from his peers, praises Michael Penix Jr.’s poise
Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson says he appreciates praise from peers like Saquon Barkley and wants to be the best he can be for his teammates and fans. Robinson is impressed with quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s poise and has high praise for veteran backup Kirk Cousins.
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra top pick to coach US men’s basketball team at 2028 Olympics, AP sources say
Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team for the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Sources say USA Basketball is closing in on an announcement that could be finalized in the coming days. Spoelstra would replace Steve Kerr, who led the team to a gold medal at the Paris Games. Spoelstra is entering his 18th season as coach of the Heat. He’s won two NBA titles as head coach and was part of USA Basketball’s coaching staff under Kerr.