By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Tennis Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Maria Sharapova smacked a forehand winner — the sort she's hit so many times, at so many key moments, over the years — to take control against defending champion Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open. Sharapova balled ...
By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The men's tennis tour picked four "sleepers" to watch at the Australian Open. One of them has reached the fourth round at the Australian Open as many times — 11 — as Stefan Edberg, who won two titles in five finals here. He also ...
By CLIFF BRUNT, AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The young Los Angeles Lakers matured on Thursday night. With four-time MVP LeBron James still sidelined by a left groin strain, Kyle Kuzma scored 32 points to help the Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 138-128 in overtime. James ...
By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — While shying away from high-priced free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, the New York Yankees are boosting their bullpen. Reliever Adam Ottavino and the Yankees agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the ...
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Demetrius Andrade is just a few months from winning a middleweight title but perhaps still far away from fights with the division's biggest names. Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs are the headliners at 160 pounds, and ...
By The Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and the Brooklyn Nets spoiled James Harden's 58-point night with a 145-142 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Harden had his second straight season high after ...
By ROB MAADDI, AP Pro Football Writer Offense wins championships in the new NFL. For the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, none of the teams playing in the conference title game have a defense ranked in the top 10 in total yards. Only New England is among the top 10 in ...
By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer A look at the upcoming week around the Big Ten Conference: GAME OF THE WEEKEND: No. 2 Michigan at Wisconsin. The Wolverines (17-0, 6-0) go into Madison on Saturday off six straight wins by at least 10 points. The Badgers (11-6, 3-3), who erased a 21-point ...
By LUKE MEREDITH, AP Sports Writer A look at the upcoming week around the Big 12 Conference. GAME OF THE WEEKEND: TCU at Kansas State. The Wildcats got preseason player of the year Dean Wade back on Saturday, and he helped K-State stun Iowa State 58-57. TCU followed up a two-point loss at ...
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry stepped back time and again and released the ball from way back. Most of the time with at least one defender in his face, too. "It's insane what he does," coach Steve Kerr said. Curry scored 41 points with nine ...
By The Associated Press LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Marial Shayok scored 20 points, Michael Jacobson had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Iowa State beat No. 8 Texas Tech 68-64 on Wednesday night to hand the Red Raiders their first Big 12 loss. The Cyclones (13-4, 3-2 Big 12) stopped a two-game ...
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Tennis Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Frances Tiafoe rolled up his white shirt's right sleeve, flexed his biceps and slapped the muscle five times. Then he pounded his chest and yelled, "Yeah! Let's go! Let's go! Come on!" Forgive the young American's exuberance. ...
By The Associated Press NBA teams piled up the points like they hadn't done in 35 years. Three teams scored 140 points Tuesday night, with the Golden State Warriors setting an NBA record by pouring in 51 during the first quarter of their victory over Denver. The Warriors went on to a 142-111 ...
By JOE REEDY, AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers were angry after the NBA's worst team broke a long losing streak on their home floor. They weren't about to let the league's second-worst team do the same thing on Tuesday night. Ball scored 13 of his 19 ...
By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Tomas Hertl needed just three games to get his first NHL hat trick. It was more than a five-year wait for the second one, which came while he's playing perhaps the best hockey of his career. Hertl knocked down Evgeni Malkin with his ...
By The Associated Press Quarterback Tate Martell says he is transferring from Ohio State to Miami. Martell announced on Twitter early Wednesday: "I'm a Hurricane." Martell had entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal last week and was free to be approached by schools about a potential ...
By STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Hockey Writer When John Tortorella compares Brooks Orpik to a creature that went extinct 65 million years ago, he means it affectionately. "He's a little bit of a dinosaur because he hits, and there isn't a lot of hitting in this game," Tortorella said. Yet there's still ...
By KYLE HIGHTOWER, AP Sports Writer FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England tight end Rob Gronkowski said the Patriots would take the night to enjoy it. Safety Devin McCourty said it would be closer to just a few hours of celebration. However long the Patriots players planned to relax after ...
By BRETT MARTEL, AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Coach Sean Payton the New Orleans Saints are anything but risk averse. After all, Payton's Saints won a Super Bowl with the help of a surprise onside kick nine years ago, and now New Orleans is one home victory away from its first Super ...
By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal has missed a lot of tennis since last September. He hasn't missed a beat. The No. 2-seeded Nadal had a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 win over Australian wild-card entry James Duckworth on Monday in the first round of the Australian ...