The Pittsburgh Steelers are the latest team to hang an “L” on the Miami Dolphins. James Conner ran for 145 yards and a touchdown, and Mason Rudolph overcame a shaky start to guide the Steelers’ offense to a 27-14 victory over the winless Dolphins.
Rudolph completed 20 of 36 passes for 251 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown to rookie Diontae Johnson late in the second quarter and a 26-yard strike to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the third. Former Dolphin Minkah Fitzpatrick picked off Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick twice and the 3-4 Steelers forced four turnovers in all to avoid an embarrassing loss. The Dolphins failed to score after building a 14-point lead in the first quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 190 yards with two touchdowns and two picks for Miami, which is 0-7 for the first time in eight years.
In NFL news, a person with direct knowledge of the deal says the Jets have traded defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Giants for a third-round draft pick next year and a fifth-rounder in 2021. The sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft has 17 career sacks and none in seven games this season.
Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco will miss Sunday’s game against the Browns because of a herniated disk in his neck. Flacco has been sacked 26 times already this season for a league-leading 194 yards after being sacked 16 times in nine games with the Ravens last season. The injury was announced one day after Flacco ripped Denver's coaches for their play-calling in their last-minute loss at Indianapolis. Coach Vic Fangio said backup Brandon Allen will start versus Cleveland.
The Cardinals have acquired running back Kenyan Drake from the Dolphins for a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2020. The 25-year-old Drake gives the Cardinals some depth at the position while starter David Johnson and backup Chase Edmonds deal with injuries.
The Browns have agreed to trade linebacker Genard Avery to the Eagles for an undisclosed 2021 draft pick. Avery was taken by Cleveland in the 2018 draft and started five of his 16 games during his rookie season, but he’s been active for just two games this year.
The Chargers fired offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt following a 3-5 start to the season. Whisenhunt had been the Chargers' offensive coordinator since 2016, their last season in San Diego. Coach Anthony Lynn did not name an interim coordinator, but he did run Buffalo's offense during most of the 2016 season.
NBA
The 76ers pulled out a 105-103 win over the Hawks behind Joel Embiid, who capped his 36-point performance by hitting the go-ahead free throws with 5.3 seconds left. Tobias Harris had eight of his 13 points in the final quarter as the 76ers outscored the Hawks 15-5 over the final five minutes. Philadelphia is off to a 3-0 start after handing Atlanta its first loss in three games.
Bobby Portis scored a season-high 28 points against his former team, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:47 remaining to carry the Knicks to their first win of the season, 105-98 over the Bulls. The reserve shot 10 of 14 overall and 4 of 4 from 3-point range while grabbing 11 rebounds. Rookie RJ Barrett added 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who had dropped their first three games and trailed by 18 after the first quarter of this one.
The defending NBA champs are off to a 3-1 start. Kyle Lowry scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help the Raptors stave off an Orlando rally in a 104-95 win over the Magic. Pascal Siakam finished with 24 points for Toronto, which blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead before rallying. Jonathan Isaac scored a career-high 24 points, Evan Fournier had 18 and Markelle Fultz 13 in the Magic’s second consecutive loss.
The Warriors have their first win in three games this season after Stephen Curry delivered 26 points and 11 assists in a 134-123 decision over the Pelicans. Draymond Green had 16 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for Golden State, which dropped its first two games by 19 or more points. D'Angelo Russell added 24 points and Damion Lee finished with 23 in helping the Warriors lead from wire to wire.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 29 minutes as the Bucks dumped the Cavaliers, 129-112. Seven Milwaukee players scored in double figures, led by Khris Middleton’s 21 points and George Hill’s 19. Middleton had 10 points during a 28-12 run that pushed the Bucks' lead to 124-103 with less than four minutes remaining.
James Harden shot 21-for-22 from the line while pouring in 40 points to send the Rockets past the Thunder, 116-112. Russell Westbrook fell one assist shy of a triple-double against the team that traded him over the summer, contributing 21 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Paul had 15 points, four assists and five rebounds in his first game in Houston since being traded for Westbrook.
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and the Spurs completed a season-opening, 3-0 homestand by topping the Trail Blazers, 113-110. Derrick White scored 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 for San Antonio, which led comfortably until Portland went on an 18-2 run midway through the fourth quarter. Blazers guard Damian Lillard scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the final period.
Derrick Rose made a driving layup with 28.3 seconds left to give the Pistons the lead in a 96-94 triumph over the winless Pacers. Detroit center Andre Drummond had 18 points and 18 rebounds while teammate Christian Wood had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Indiana, which trailed by nine in the final period and surged ahead by four before falling.
In NBA news, LeBron James is among evacuees from a fire that erupted early Monday in Southern California. The Los Angeles Lakers forward tweeted just before 4 a.m. that he was trying to find rooms for his family after having to "emergency evacuate" his house, calling the fires "no joke." He later tweeted that he found accommodation, said he was praying for those affected and advised people to get to safety.
NHL
The Buffalo Sabres picked up a point for the 11th time in their first 13 games of the NHL season, but they had to settle for a shootout loss after wasting an early 2-0 lead. Nick Schmaltz scored the lone shootout goal while Darcy Kuemper was stopping Buffalo’s three attempts to give the Coyotes a 3-2 victory. Conor Garland began the Arizona comeback late in the first period and Carl Soderberg tied it with a power-play goal 16:32 into the second. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist to help Buffalo go ahead by two less than 11 ½ minutes into the contest. Jack Eichel also scored for the Sabres, who fell to 9-2-2. The Coyotes are 7-3-1.
In NHL news, former New York Rangers forward and “Miracle on Ice” member Mark Pavelich has been found incompetent to stand trial on charges he beat a neighbor with a metal pole. Authorities allege Pavelich attacked his friend after the two returned from fishing in August. A Minnesota judge told the 61-year-old Pavelich a psychologist's report indicates Pavelich "needs some assistance" to understand the proceedings. The Star Tribune reports the case against Pavelich was suspended as authorities petitioned to have him committed.
St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko is slated for left shoulder surgery and is expected to be out at least five months. Tarasenko left last Thursday's 5-2 win over Los Angeles after getting tangled up with Kings defenseman Sean Walker with late in the first period. The right wing was off to a good start this season, collecting three goals and 10 points in 10 games. He has scored at least 33 goals each of the last five seasons and provided 11 goals and 17 points during the Blues’ Stanley Cup run last spring.
Jets forward Adam Lowry has received a two-game suspension from the NHL for boarding Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington. The infraction came with two seconds left in the second period of the Jets’ 2-1 overtime win over the Flames in Saturday's outdoor game in Regina, Saskatchewan. Lowry is considered a repeat offender under the labor agreement will lose about $71,000 in salary.
The Red Wings have acquired forward Brendan Perlini from the Blackhawks for blueline prospect Alec Regula. The 23-year-old Perlini has been a healthy scratch for most of this season, appearing in just one game. But he has 45 goals and 27 assists in 200 career appearances with Chicago and Arizona since being taken by the Coyotes with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft.
The Blue Jackets will spend a few weeks without rookie forward Alexandre Texier and defenseman Ryan Murray due to injuries suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Flyers. Both have been placed on injured reserve.
MLB
New York Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild has been fired after nine seasons. Rothschild replaced Dave Eiland in November 2011 to work for then-Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who had been a catcher for the Cubs during Rothschild's first season as Chicago's pitching coach. Rothschild stayed on when Aaron Boone replaced Girardi ahead of the 2018 season. Now 65, Rothschild was Tampa Bay's first manager from 1998 to April 2001.
The Boston Red Sox have introduced Chaim Bloom as their chief baseball officer. The former Tampa Bay Rays executive says it is an honor to run Boston's baseball operations department. Bloom is a 36-year-old Yale graduate who worked for 15 years in the Rays organization. He will take over a franchise that won it all in 2018 but missed the playoffs this season despite the biggest payroll in baseball.
The Washington Nationals remain unsure about the health of pitcher Max Scherzer and catcher Kurt Suzuki heading into Tuesday night’s Game 6 of the World Series against Houston. Scherzer was scratched from his Game 5 start Sunday night because of nerve irritation near his neck and had a cortisone shot. Scherzer won the opener and hopes to be able to pitch in a Game 7 if the Nationals get that far. Suzuki missed the last two games after injuring his right hip flexor on Friday. Houston won three in a row at Washington to take a 3-2 World Series lead. Stephen Strasburg starts for the Nationals and Justin Verlander for the Astros in Game 6.
The White House is downplaying the boos and chants President Donald Trump drew during Sunday’s appearance at Game 5. Fans at Nats Park booed when Trump and the first lady were shown on the screen stadium. Spokesman Hogan Gidley says some people were cheering as well and that Washington D.C. is “a pretty liberal town.”
The two women who flashed their breasts from behind the backstop during Game 5 of the World Series have been indefinitely banned from major league ballparks. Julia Rose and Lauren Summer identified themselves on social media. They lifted their tops and exposed themselves as Houston starter Gerrit Cole was set to pitch to Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman in the seventh inning at Nationals Park.
GYMNASTICS
A judge has ordered former Michigan State University President Lou Ann Simon to stand trial on charges that she lied to police about her knowledge of a sexual misconduct complaint against now-imprisoned sports doctor Larry Nassar. The ruling came the same day the school revealed that a trustee resigned Saturday. The trustee stepped down over the governing board's decision last month to drop an independent review of Nassar's assaults, despite having unanimously voted for the probe in June.
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