FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to New England on Sunday with the hopes of avoiding some more travel in the NFL playoffs. Kansas City is holding onto an unexpectedly slim one-game lead over red-hot Denver in the AFC West. Even if the Chiefs manage to win the division for the eighth straight time, the NFL's postseason format could force them to play a road playoff game for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. The defending Super Bowl champions have lost two straight games. The good news for them is that they play three losing teams in their last four games.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Four days after losing 3-0, the Las Vegas Raiders set a franchise scoring record with a 63-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders scored 42 points by halftime. They didn’t let the Chargers cross midfield until the third quarter. It was the most points for the Raiders, beating out their 59-14 victory at Denver in 2010. The Raiders led 42-0 at halftime, just three points shy of the NFL record for halftime margin that was set in 2009 when the New England led Tennessee 45-0. The halftime deficit was the biggest in Chargers history.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Joe Flacco’s officially signed and sealed with Cleveland. Flacco got a one-year, $4.05 million contract from the Browns, who brought in the veteran quarterback last month while in emergency mode after losing starter Deshaun Watson for the season with a right shoulder injury. Flacco’s deal means the 38-year-old moves from the practice squad to the active roster. And while it was more procedural than anything, it assures he’ll be with the Browns as they try to clinch a playoff spot. The team elevated Flacco from the practice squad in each of the past two weeks for starts.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-handed pitcher Taylor Clarke from the Kansas City Royals for minor league pitcher Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney. Clarke went 3-6 with a 5.95 ERA last season in 58 appearances. The 30-year-old Clarke struck out 65 and walked 24 in 59 innings. He has a career record of 15-15 with a 5.03 ERA in 183 games. He pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2019-21 before spending the last two years with the Royals.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery. He says: “It was a procedure. I’m not sure what it was called.” Speaking to media for the first time since Aug. 9, he also refused to say what other teams he negotiated with before the agreement last weekend on a record $700 million, 10-year contract. Ohtani wore a navy business suit with a white shirt and blue tie, took off the jacket and put on a Dodgers home jersey with No. 17.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A person familiar with the agreement tells The Associated Press the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a tentative trade with the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot for pitcher Ryan Pepiot and outfield prospect Jonny Deluca. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade is subject to the Dodgers and Glasnow agreeing to a new contract. The teams have until 11 a.m. EST on Sunday to complete the trade under a window granted by the commissioner’s office. Glasnow went 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA for the Rays last season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw said he is recovering well after recent shoulder surgery and has yet to decide where and when to sign his next contract. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is a free agent after signing one-year contracts each of the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 35-year-old left-hander is still in the process of deciding his next move. Kershaw calls new Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani “a unique, unique talent” and says he's eager to see the two-time AL MVP resume pitching in 2025.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Madison Skinner had 18 kills and a Final Four record six aces to lead defending champion Texas to a 3-1 win over Wisconsin in the semifinals of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament. The Longhorns face Nebraska in Sunday’s championship. Skinner had three aces in an 11-0 run in the third set that broke the match open. Texas won 25-22, 20-25, 25-13, 25-16. The Longhorns had a season-high 11 aces, while the Badgers, a No. 1 regional seed, had 11 service errors. Asjia O’Neal had 11 kills without an error and hit .688. Sarah Franklin and Anna Smrek both had 13 kills for the Badgers.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Harper Murray had 13 kills, Bekka Alllick had 10 blocks and Nebraska continued its relentless march to an NCAA volleyball championship with a 3-0 sweep of Pittsburgh in the semifinals. Nebraska advanced to its 11th championship match and will go for its sixth title on Sunday. The Huskers won 25-20, 25-23 and 25-7. Pitt, which had 22 attacking errors, lost the first set on an attack error, lost the second with a service error and the third on a net violation. Pitt’s only leads were 1-0, 3-2 and 4-2 in the first set. The Cornhuskers set the tone with eight blocks in the first set and hit .407 in the third to improved to 15-0 against Pitt. The last meeting was in the 2021 semifinals, won by Nebraska 3-1. Olivia Babcock had 12 kills and Torrey Stafford had 10 for Pitt.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Golden State Warriors believe Draymond Green needs help to curb his long history of rough play. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is hopeful an indefinite suspension provides enough time for their star forward to make real progress. Dunleavy says the team is satisfied with the NBA’s latest punishment for Green, the four-time NBA champion who was banned indefinitely Wednesday after hitting Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The suspension was the sixth of Green’s career and his fourth in 2023. Dunleavy repeatedly said the Warriors will “help” Green during his absence, but didn’t provide specifics.
THURSDAY SCORES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Las Vegas 63 L.A. Chargers 21
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (7)Marquette 84 St. Thomas (MN) 79
Final (23)Wisconsin 75 Jacksonville St. 60
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Boston 116 Cleveland 107
Final Chicago 124 Miami 116
Final Minnesota 119 Dallas 101
Final Denver 124 Brooklyn 101
Final Utah 122 Portland 114
Final Sacramento 128 Oklahoma City 123
Final L.A. Clippers 121 Golden State 113
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final OT Columbus 6 Toronto 5
Final SO Philadelphia 4 Washington 3
Final Carolina 2 Detroit 1
Final St. Louis 4 Ottawa 2
Final SO Minnesota 3 Calgary 2
Final Tampa Bay 7 Edmonton 4
Final Seattle 7 Chicago 1