NBA
The defending champion Boston Celtics will open the new NBA season at home at 7:30 tonight against the New York Knicks. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Celtics are the overwhelming favorite to capture the 2025 championship. The Celtics-Knicks matchup starts an opening night doubleheader, followed by Minnesota at the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. in L.A. That game will see LeBron James tie Vince Carter by playing in a 22nd NBA season. It could be the first official game in which a father and son are teammates, with Bronny James entering his rookie season.
If LeBron James and his son, Bronny, make NBA history Tuesday night by playing in the same game for the Los Angeles Lakers, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. will be there to witness it. The first father-son duo to play in Major League Baseball plans to be in attendance at the Lakers’ season opener in their downtown arena, where the entire crowd will hoping to see the James family accomplish the same rare sporting feat for the NBA. The Griffeys’ presence is exciting to Bronny James, the 20-year-old rookie picked in the second round by the Lakers.
The Denver Nuggets secured another one of their core players by agreeing with forward Aaron Gordon on a four-year, $133 million contract extension Monday night. The deal was confirmed through his representatives Calvin Andrews and Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, along with Elise Gordon, the older sister of the 29-year-old power forward who helped the Nuggets win their first NBA title in 2022-23.
NFL
Lamar Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Baltimore Ravens overcome an early double-digit deficit and extend their winning streak to five games with a 41-31 victory Monday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs lost their top two receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, to injuries. Jackson improved to 23-1 against NFC teams, the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history. He's 3-0 against the Bucs, who faded after taking a 10-0 lead. Godwin suffered an ankle injury that appeared to be severe in the final minutes with the game out of reach.
Kyler Murray ran for a 44-yard touchdown and led the Cardinals on a drive that set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Arizona rallied for a 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals for the Chargers, and his 40-yarder gave the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 left. But the Cardinals quickly moved into field goal range, aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty. James Conner's 33-yard run eventually set up Ryland's short field goal. The Chargers gained 395 yards but couldn't find the end zone.
Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year. Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. His collapse triggered some Browns fans to cheer as he laid on the ground. The team says an MRI confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and that he is expected to make a full recovery. It’s his second significant injury in two seasons. He broke a bone in his throwing shoulder last year. The Browns signed Watson to a $230 million contract in 2022 as he dealt with accusations of sexual assault brought by two dozen women in Texas.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could return this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals after medical experts cleared him to return to practice following his latest concussion. Coach Mike McDaniel says Tagovailoa will practice on Wednesday, and if that goes well, the plan is for him to start at home on Sunday. Tagovailoa got hurt in a Week 2 game against Buffalo when he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.
San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk will miss the rest of the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee. Coach Kyle Shanahan said tests confirmed the initial diagnosis that Aiyuk tore his ACL and would need major reconstructive surgery after getting hit on the knee while making a catch in the red zone late in the second quarter of a 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Shanahan said Aiyuk also tore his MCL.
NHL
William Nylander had two goals and an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Monday night. Auston Matthews, Max Pacioretty and Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz made 32 saves. Mitch Marner had two assists. Nick Paul and Brayden Point replied for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 14 shots before getting the hook midway through the second period. Jonas Johansson made 14 saves in relief. Victor Hedman had two assists.
WNBA
The WNBA players union has decided to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, two years before its expiration. The league and players union had the option to do so before Nov. 1. The early opt-out marks a crucial juncture for the league. The WNBA signed a historic 11-year media rights deal worth $200 million a year. The league had record attendance and viewership this year that culminated in the WNBA Finals that saw New York beat Minnesota in a decisive fifth game on Sunday. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike says “this is a defining moment not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress.”
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Alabama's Mark Sears and North Carolina's RJ Davis headline The Associated Press preseason All-America men's basketball team. Sears received all but one vote from a 55-person panel and Davis was right behind him with 51. They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team.
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