SEATTLE (AP) — Caleb Williams threw a touchdown pass on the opening drive and Jeffery Simmons delivered just what Chicago needed on defense as the Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks 34-17. Williams was extremely efficient for the Bears against one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses, committing no turnovers, taking just one sack and throwing for 247 yards while completing 71% of his passes. Williams’ play helped set up three short touchdown runs by D’Andre Swift and that proved to be more than enough against Sam Darnold and the Seahawks, thanks to the impact Simmons had on the defense.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Luka Doncic is in his ninth NBA season as one of the sport’s most dynamic scorers, he has rarely been better than this. Two weeks into the Los Angeles Lakers’ first season following LeBron James’ departure, Doncic is scorching opponents with one brilliant offensive performance after another. He even did it back-to-back over the past two days, putting up 45 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Toronto on Sunday night before dropping 42 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds in another comfortable victory over Miami on Monday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — At 41 years old and still playing at an elite level, some might say LeBron James is aging like a fine wine.Well, maybe having some wine during Monday’s contest helped his game, too.After coming up empty on a fastbreak, James crashed into a 76ers fan behind the basket and took a a sip of the fan’s wine during Philadelphia’s 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
ROME (AP) — Rafael Nadal discusses fatherhood and an upcoming exhibition in Las Vegas during an interview with The Associated Press. The February event in Vegas will mark Nadal’s first time playing in the U.S. since retiring two years ago. Might the next step be an exhibition with his former rival Roger Federer? Nadal says “I am open (to it) and I had long conversations with Roger." He adds that “we are in almost weekly contact.” Nadal also discussed how playing so many matches on hard courts resulted in physical issues and suggested revising tennis' ranking system. He's not interested in coaching for now.
DENVER (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs faced a tough loss against the Denver Broncos, 28-24, in Week 8. A crucial false start penalty on Chiefs' right tackle Jaylon Moore nullified Patrick Mahomes' winning touchdown pass as time expired. The penalty pushed back the Chiefs, leading to a sack on the next play. The Broncos, now 6-2, sit atop the AFC West, just ahead of the Chiefs. Broncos coach Sean Payton credited the crowd's noise for causing the penalty. The game featured other controversial officiating decisions, adding to the drama of the Broncos' comeback victory.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals left tackle Jayden Williams is among a growing number of NFL players who have worn Guardian Caps during games. These soft helmet covers are believed to help reduce head injuries. Williams says he wants extra protection, asking, "Why not have it?" However, Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation, warns the NFL might be overstating the cap's benefits. He says it hasn't been proven to reduce concussions significantly. The NFL's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, says the cap is just one tool to combat head injuries. Some players, like Saints receiver Chris Olave, choose to wear it for added safety.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors center Draymond Green was ejected two minutes into the third quarter against Phoenix for consecutive technical fouls. Khaman Maluach had pushed Green to the ground in the paint moments earlier and the Golden State star jumped up from beneath and wrapped his arms around the Suns center threw him to the floor. Dillon Brooks immediately sprinted in to enter the fray and approached Green, and they pushed and shoved. Green put his hand on Brooks’ neck, and both received technicals.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup by almost a year because of the conflict in the Middle East and recent deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The AFC issued a statement Tuesday saying after extensive consultations with Saudi organizers it had decided to push the tournament kickoff back from January to December next year. The AFC says the local organizing committee “approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions.”
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The college basketball season tips off with many players unexpectedly gaining an extra year of eligibility. They have received injunctions from courts in various states after the NCAA adopted a new five-year eligibility model that did not apply to them as they wrapped up their playing careers last season. As of last week, the NCAA reported about 200 lawsuits involving 850 athletes. So far, most of the courts — though not all — have sided with athletes seeking another year of eligibility. But nothing has been definitively decided as the season gets underway, leaving coaches to wonder whether their players will remain eligible through March.
MADRID (AP) — The Madrid Bravos were riding the wave of excitement about American football in Spain a year ago as the country hosted its first regular-season NFL game. The franchise had just completed its second season in the European League of Football and was looking forward to capitalizing on growing interest in the sport across Europe. But ahead of the second NFL game in Madrid next weekend between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons, the landscape of European American football looks a lot different — and the Bravos are no longer playing.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Detroit 5 Florida 3
Final SO Boston 3 Vegas 2
Final Colorado 5 Chicago 2
Final Calgary 2 San Jose 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Chicago 34 Seattle 17
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Florida 77 (14)Miami (FL) 67
Final (2)Duke 84 Army 50
Final (3)Illinois 120 Fairleigh Dickinson 45
Final (4)UConn 86 Gardner-Webb 46
Final (22)UCLA 84 (5)Arizona 75
Final (6)Michigan State 96 Quinnipiac 59
Final (7)Texas 109 Chicago State 59
Final (10)Houston 94 La Salle 55
Final (11)Louisville 84 Chattanooga 70
Final (13)St. John's 78 Monmouth 63
Final (15)Gonzaga 78 Purdue 72
Final (16)Michigan 84 Oakland 68
Final (17)Kansas 95 Fordham 65
Final Memphis 80 (18)Iowa State 76
Final (19)Texas Tech 76 Jackson State 42
Final (21)USC 95 Milwaukee 63
Final (24)Vanderbilt 93 Bellarmine 47
Final (25)BYU 94 Ohio State 83