France and Kylian Mbappé are headed back to the World Cup final for a much-anticipated matchup with Lionel Messi and Argentina after ending Morocco’s historic run at soccer’s biggest tournament. France beat Africa’s first ever semifinalist 2-0 with Mbappé playing a part in goals by Theo Hernandez in the fifth minute and then substitute Randal Kolo Muani in the 79th. France will head into Sunday’s title match against Argentina looking to become the first team to retain the World Cup title since Brazil in 1962. Mbappé has the chance to cement his status as soccer’s new superstar when he comes up against the 35-year-old Messi.
NBA
CHICAGO (AP) — Julius Randle scored 31 points and Jalen Brunson added a season-high 30 as the New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 128-120 in overtime. Brunson's 3-pointer with less than a minute left in OT helped put the game away. The Knicks have won five straight. Randle missed a chance to win the game in regulation when his step-back shot from the baseline resulted in an air ball and shot-clock violation with 0.7 seconds left. DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points and Zach LaVine had 25 for the Bulls, who fell in overtime for the second consecutive game.
Eight-time All-Star and two-time MVP Stephen Curry is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday after injuring his left shoulder in a 125-119 loss at Indiana. Coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game that the trainers informed midway through the fourth quarter that Curry could not return to the game. Curry did not take questions afterward and isn't expected to speak again until Friday. But Kerr acknowledged that any potential absence of the league's career leader in 3-pointers would make an already challenging stretch even more difficult.
NHL
Ottawa beat Montreal 3-2
Minnesota defeated Detroit 4-1
NFL
On Thursday night football, the San Francisco 49ers are in Seattle to face the Seahawks at 8:15.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay says he isn’t ready to oust Daniel Snyder as owner of the Washington Commanders and wants to discuss the possibility with other NFL owners. Irsay has said he believes there is merit for Snyder's removal amid several scandals and investigations into workplace misconduct with the Washington franchise. The league has been investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety. Commissioner Roger Goodell says he hasn't given the lead investigator any timeline on completing the investigation. Goodell defended the NFL after a House Committee on Oversight and Reform report that sharply criticized the team and the league's handling of its issues.
MLB
A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a deal. It's worth $13 million for one year. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agreement hasn't been announced. The 30-year-old right-hander split time last season between the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Syndergaard has struggled with injuries and had Tommy John surgery in March 2020. He enjoyed his greatest success with the New York Mets, where he was an All-Star in 2016.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Jaylen Clark scored 19 points, and No. 16 UCLA raced out to a 30-point lead in the first half before cruising to an 87-60 victory over No. 20 Maryland. On the same day the University of California Board of Regents voted to affirm UCLA’s move to the Big Ten, the Bruins had a chance to size up a future conference foe. It wasn’t much of a contest. Maryland committed the game’s first six turnovers while falling behind 19-5, and a 3-pointer by David Singleton made it 26-7. The Terps used three of their timeouts in the first 15 minutes, and nothing seemed to help.
Former Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller escaped sanctions when a report from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process largely accepted the program’s self-imposed penalties stemming from a NCAA rules violations case that dates back to 2017. Arizona’s athletics program was put on three years of probation through 2025. The school announced a one-year postseason ban in December 2020, which took effect for the 2020-21 season. The IARP report said former assistant coach Emanuel Richardson was given a 10-year show cause penalty after he “solicited and accepted $20,000 in cash bribes and paid $40,000 for a fraudulent academic transcript.” Miller emerged largely unscathed from the report. He is now the head coach at Xavier.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
UCLA has cleared a major hurdle toward joining the Big Ten Conference in 2024, getting approval for the move from the University of California Board of Regents. The regents voted 11-5 to affirm the Bruins’ move during a special meeting on the university’s Westwood campus. A simple majority was needed to pass. The regents imposed conditions to mitigate the impact of the move on athletes, including UCLA investing an additional $12 million in nutritional support, mental health services, academic support while traveling and charter flights to reduce travel time. UCLA will also have to pay the University of California at Berkeley between $2 million and $10 million.
WOMAN’S SOCCER
An investigation commissioned by the National Women’s Soccer League and its players union found “widespread misconduct” directed at players dating back to the beginnings nearly a decade ago of the top U.S. women’s professional league. A report detailing the results of the year-long investigation was published a little over two months after the release of U.S. Soccer’s own report on a separate investigation. Both investigations found instances of sexual abuse and manipulation within the league.
