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Nick Nurse on Siakam, Watanabe, small-ball lineup
The Toronto Raptors head coach was excited to see the real Pascal Siakam against the Suns and discusses the benefits of using his small-ball lineup of his Lowry, Siakam, Powell, VanVleet and Anunoby.
The Toronto Raptors head coach was excited to see the real Pascal Siakam against the Suns and discusses the benefits of using his small-ball lineup of his Lowry, Siakam, Powell, VanVleet and Anunoby.
The Maple Leafs avoided a brilliant career ended on a paper transaction Monday with Jason Spezza clearing waivers.
Stephen Jackson pledged to take care of Floyd's daughter and has help from others.
On MLK Day, Bill Russell urged his followers to call on Congress to hold Donald Trump accountable after the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The New Jersey Devils claimed Dell a day after the Maple Leafs put the goaltender on waivers, along with veteran forward Jason Spezza.
Patrick Mahomes will have to clear the five steps of the NFL's return-to-play protocol before he can resume normal football activities.
There will be no workouts in Indianapolis, a key part of the NFL's offseason.
We're 12 games into the season and the Toronto Raptors are still searching for an eight-man rotation that works.
Deshaun Watson doesn't want fans marching during a pandemic.
Most tennis players are finding ways to cope as shown by their social media feeds.
Some big names have gotten off to sluggish starts in fantasy hockey. Here's how we feel about all 31 starting goalies based on what we've seen so far.
How is it possible that a fourth-year franchise like the Vegas Golden Knights are cap-strapped to the point that they can't field a normal lineup? Justin Cuthbert and Julian McKenzie discuss.
Magny is a nightmare matchup for most UFC welterweights.
PORTLAND, Ore. — LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points, DeMar DeRozan had 20 points and 11 assists as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 125-104 on Monday. Rudy Gay and Patty Mills came off the bench for 21 points apiece as the Spurs reserves outscored Portland backups 59-24. Reserve centre Jakob Poeltl added 11 points and seven rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass. Damian Lillard led Portland with 35 points. Carmelo Anthony's basket with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter gave the Trail Blazers an 80-78 lead. The Spurs took over from there, later using an 11-0 run for a 95-82 lead early in the fourth period. Rodney Hood's 3-pointer on the next Blazers possession after a timeout stopped that burst, but San Antonio kept pulling away. With his bench playing so well and extending the lead, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich elected stick with a bench-heavy unit to close out the victory. TIP-INS Spurs: The game was played on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — the NBA celebrates the holiday with a big slate of games every year. Popovich, who is often outspoken about matters outside of the game, called the civil rights leader a "modern founding father” and the “conscience” of the country. Blazers: After leaving Saturday night’s game against Atlanta with a sprained foot, guard CJ McCollum will be out at least another week, coach Terry Stotts said. McCollum will be re-evaluated next week after MRIs showed the sprain. McCollum was averaging a career-high 26.7 points and five assists per game prior to the injury. Hood got the start in McCollum’s place, with Stotts citing his preference to bring Gary Trent Jr.’s scoring off the bench. Hood had a season-high 21 points in his first start since suffering a torn Achilles on Dec. 6, 2019. UP NEXT Blazers: The Memphis Grizzlies come to Portland on Wednesday for the first of a two-game set. Spurs: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Erik GarcíA Gundersen, The Associated Press
Coach Mike Boynton shocked Dee Mitchell in the middle of his Walmart shift on Saturday with the news.
The long wait to learn who will represent Alberta at the national curling championships is over. The decision provided some clarity on the wild-card front too. Reigning Alberta champions Laura Walker and Brendan Bottcher will wear provincial colours once again, Curling Alberta announced Monday, 10 days after cancelling its playdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker, ranked seventh in Canada, was expected to get the nod for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. However, the selection of the fourth-ranked Bottcher for the Tim Hortons Brier was tougher to predict. Sixth-ranked Kevin Koe and 15th-ranked Jeremy Harty also had a case. Koe didn't play in the last Alberta playdowns since he had a Brier entry as Team Canada, while Harty is the provincial standings leader. "This was an extremely difficult decision for Curling Alberta’s board of directors,” Curling Alberta president Steven Young said in a release. "As a province, we were faced with a unique set of circumstances in unprecedented times. "No one could predict that we would be forced to make a decision like this, which we tried to avoid by pushing hard to host our championships." Koe will instead get one of the two wild-card spots based on the final 2019-20 domestic rankings. Fifth-ranked Mike McEwen of Manitoba gets the other. "My disappointment level really isn't that high," said Team Koe lead Ben Hebert. "If we knew that this was the make-or-break (decision) of whether or not we were going to be in (the Brier), obviously my tune would change. "I'm pretty grateful that we still get to compete regardless and that Curling Canada is putting on this bubble for us." Harty could still be considered for the third wild-card spot in the 18-team Brier field. The national federation will make that decision once all member associations either complete playdowns or name representatives. The Feb. 19-28 Scotties will kick off a run of six straight competitions in a so-called bubble at Calgary's Markin MacPhail Centre. "We're excited to wear the Alberta colours and the Alberta jackets," Walker said. "It's obviously not the same as when we won the honour to go but we definitely feel honoured to have been asked." Also Monday, the New Brunswick Curling Association cancelled its women's playdowns. Reigning champion Andrea Crawford has been invited to represent the province again. The New Brunswick men's tankard, meanwhile, is still on the schedule for Feb. 10-14. Bottcher, the Canadian No. 4, reached the Brier final last year but lost to Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador. The 2021 Brier is set for March 5-14. Ninth-ranked Glenn Howard of Ontario appears to be a good bet for the final wild-card spot, although other teams may be considered. On the women's side, two Alberta skips — No. 5 Chelsea Carey and No. 6 Kelsey Rocque — are ahead of Walker in the women's rankings. But Carey is a free agent and Rocque only has two returning players from last season's team, one short of the required minimum. Manitoba's Tracy Fleury is a wild-card lock at No. 2. The other two women's berths will be filled over the coming weeks. Suzanne Birt is a heavy favourite to win the two-team Prince Edward Island championship at the end of the month, but a loss would move her into a wild-card spot at No. 9. World junior champion Mackenzie Zacharias is in the mix at No. 11 along with fellow Manitoban Beth Peterson at No. 12. It's possible that Rocque and 10th-ranked Robyn Silvernagle of Saskatchewan - who also has two returning members - could be in play for the third wild-card spot. A Curling Canada spokesman said the 3-of-4 rule applies to the first two wild-card teams in each gender, but added that qualifying criteria for the third wild-card team won't be finalized until after all member associations have declared teams. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2021. Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter. Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
Perhaps the saddest part of everything that’s happened at Tennessee is that it was completely predictable, as it tried to microwave the school’s glory years by bringing back Fulmer.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Quarterback Josh Allen spent the regular season leading the Bills to a franchise-record matching 13 wins and their first AFC East title in 25 years. Buffalo’s defence has done its part the past two weeks in getting the team to its first conference championship game appearance since 1994. Both units will need to be much sharper than in a 26-17 loss to Kansas City in Week 6 if the second-seeded Bills (15-3) stand a chance of upending the top-seeded and defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (15-2) in the AFC championship game on Sunday. The outcome three months ago left Bills coach Sean McDermott taking a sobering approach to correcting what went wrong. “Two good opponents, I know. But the minute losing gets easy, that’s not a good deal,” McDermott said following the loss, which came on the heels of a 42-16 defeat at Tennessee. “We take it hard. There’s no moral victories,” he added. “We’ve got to really take a good look at our football team and be truthful with ourselves and say, `What do we have to get corrected?’” Buffalo’s offence finished with a season-low 206 yards, with Allen managing 122 yards passing — the third-year player’s second-lowest total in a game he starts and finishes. As for the defence, Buffalo successfully limited Patrick Mahomes to 225 yards passing, his third-lowest total of the season, and two touchdowns. The Bills were instead trampled by rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who finished with a season-best 161 yards rushing. McDermott defended his team’s defensive approach by calling it a “pick your poison” choice between selling out to stop Mahomes or Edwards-Helaire. He might have to make the same choice this weekend with the running back expected to return after missing three games with an ankle injury. Mahomes’ status, however, remains uncertain after he sustained a concussion in a 22-17 win over the Browns on Sunday. If there is a bright side, the Bills have grown progressively better, particularly on defence, in having won 11 of 12 since the loss and eight straight to match the team’s longest run since 1990. Though Allen led the way with a three-touchdown outing in a playoff-opening 27-24 win over Indianapolis, the defence was the star in a 17-3 win over Baltimore on Saturday. Aside from holding the Ravens to their lowest scoring output in 12 years, including playoffs, the Bills sealed the victory on cornerback Taron Johnson’s NFL playoff-record matching 101-yard interception return in the final minute of the third quarter. Most important, the Ravens' dynamic QB Lamar Jackson was held in check, going 14 of 24 for 162 yards with just 34 yards rushing before being knocked out of the game with a concussion on the final play of the third quarter. The outing continued a trend: Buffalo’s defence peaking over the final stretch of the season. After allowing 273 points through a 32-30 loss at Arizona in Week 10, Buffalo has given up just 137 over the past eight games. Johnson’s touchdown was the fifth scored on a return in Buffalo’s past six games. The Bills' defence might have finished 14th in the NFL in yards allowed, after ranking among the top three the previous two seasons, but it remains a prideful unit. Defensive end Jerry Hughes was thankful Buffalo had the late playoff game on Saturday. That way, he got an opportunity to spend the early afternoon hearing TV analysts dismiss Buffalo’s chances of containing Jackson and the Ravens’ NFL-best running attack. “We took it as a challenge,” said Hughes, who sacked Jackson twice. “When we see the guys on TV talking about how they don’t play defence in Buffalo, we’re going to give up 30 points ... I think we went out there and we played like we had something to prove.” Bring on the Chiefs. WHAT’S WORKING The Bills' red-zone defence has clamped down, allowing just four touchdowns and three field goals in opponents’ last 11 trips inside Buffalo’s 20 over the past three outings. WHAT NEEDS HELP Any semblance of a running attack after Buffalo called one running play in the first half against Baltimore and finished with one first down rushing. Buffalo's 32 yards rushing were the fewest in a win since gaining 31 in a 45-39 OT victory at Minnesota on Sept. 15, 2002. STOCK UP Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown was his second in five weeks, after his 51-yard return put Buffalo ahead for good in a 26-15 win against Pittsburgh. Allen referred to Johnson’s TD on Saturday as being “a potentially franchise-altering play.” STOCK DOWN RB T.J. Yeldon had two carries for 4 yards rushing in replacing injured backup Zack Moss. INJURED None reported. KEY NUMBER 4-0 — Buffalo’s record in the AFC championship game during its run of making — and losing — four straight Super Bowl appearances from 1991-94. NEXT STEPS McDermott faces his former Philadelphia Eagles boss, Chiefs coach Andy Reid, for a third time since taking over in Buffalo in 2017. McDermott is 1-1 against Reid following a 16-10 win at Kansas City on Nov. 26, 2017. ___ More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL John Wawrow, The Associated Press
MONTREAL — CF Montreal sacrificed offence for defence Monday, trading Argentine forward Maxi Urruti to the Houston Dynamo for centre back Kiki Struna. Montreal also got an international roster spot for the 2021 season in the deal while Houston received a second-round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. The 30-year-old Struna played 46 MLS games, including 45 starts, for Houston over the last two seasons. He joined the Texas club in December 2018 from Italy's Palermo FC. The six-foot-two 185-pounder has won 21 caps for the Slovenian national team. "We are pleased to add a tall centre back to our defensive core," CF Montreal sporting director Olivier Renard said in a statement. "He has experience in MLS and on the international scene, and he's played several years in Italy." Montreal ranked 23rd in goals allowed last season, averaging 1.87 a game. Houston was 15th in goal-scoring, averaging 1.30 a game. Struna will serve as veteran help for 19-year-old Louis Binks, whose loan deal with Bologna has been extended through December 2021. The contracts for Montreal defenders Rod Fanni, Jukka Raitala and Jorge Corrales expired at the end of December. Montreal has already added Canadian international defenders Kamal Miller and Zorhan Bassong during the off-season. CF Montreal was known as the Montreal Impact until last week when the team rebranded. Houston will retain a percentage of any sell-on fee if Struna is transferred outside of Major League Soccer. The 29-year-old Urruti has scored 53 goals and added 33 assists in nine MLS seasons with Toronto, Portland, FC Dallas and Montreal. He collected nine goals and eight assists in two seasons with Montreal. He has won the MLS Cup with Portland, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield with Dallas and the Canadian Championship with Montreal. “Maxi knows first-hand what it takes to be a champion in MLS and has consistently scored goals since he arrived in the league,” Dynamo head coach Tab Ramos said. “He brings quality, speed and a tremendous work ethic.” Urruti is a product of the Club Atletico Newell's Old Boys academy, making his pro debut in 2011. Urruti holds a Green Card as a permanent U.S. resident and will not occupy an international roster slot. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18. 2021 The Canadian Press
Justin Fields is widely expected to be a first-round pick, potentially the No. 2 quarterback chosen behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks have re-signed linebacker Jerod Fernandez, wide receiver Jalen Saunders and running back Timothy Flanders. Fernandez joined the Redblacks during the 2019 season after spending time with Washington in the NFL. He had 53 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in 11 games and was named the Redblacks' most outstanding rookie. Saunders originally signed with the Redblacks last April. but didn't get to suit up for Ottawa after the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He had 1,170 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a CFL rookie with Hamilton in 2017. He had 739 yards and two touchdowns in nine games in 2018 with the Tiger-Cats before his season was cut short due to a knee injury. Flanders had 96 carries 541 yards over the past three seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He signed with Ottawa in December 2019. Ottawa also announced it has added three Americans: linebacker D'Juan Hines, receiver Terry Williams and offensive lineman Joshua Dunlop. STAMPEDERS RE-SIGN METCHIE, KASITATI CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders have re-signed Canadian defensive back Royce Metchie and American offensive lineman Nila Kasitati. Metchie, a University of Guelph product, recorded 48 defensive tackles in 2019 including four tackles for loss. He had three interceptions — including his first career pick, which came in the Labour Day Classic against Edmonton — and added seven special-teams tackles and one knockdown. Metchie recorded three defensive tackles in Calgary's West Division semifinal loss to Winnipeg.. A third-round draft selection by Calgary in 2018, Metchie has played 24 regular-season games over two seasons with the Stampeders. Kasitati started 16 games at right tackle in 2019, his second season with the Stampeders. He was part of an offensive line that allowed 34 sacks, the second-lowest total in the CFL. Kasitati also started at right tackle in the Western semifinal. Kasitati has played 20 career regular-season games for Calgary, making 18 starts at right tackle and two at centre. ROUGHRIDERS INK FIRST-ROUND PICK, EXTEND MCCRAY REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed Canadian offensive lineman Mattland Riley and inked defensive back L.J. McCray to a one-year extension. Riley, a six-foot-three, 300-pound native of Melfort, Sask., was selected seventh overall by the Riders at the 2020 CFL draft. Riley, a two-time Canada West All-Star and a U Sports first-team all-Canadian, spent four seasons at the University of Saskatchewan, appearing in 31 games for the Huskies. In 2019, Riley was part of the offensive line that helped running back Adam Machart pile up 1,610 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries. McCray made 47 defensive tackles and three interceptions over 13 games in 2019 with the Riders in his first CFL season. He also suited up in Saskatchewan's loss to Winnipeg on the West final. ARGOS SIGN RICHARDS, EXTEND BUTLER, AKINS AND ALLEN TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts have signed American defensive back Jeff Richards and extended the contracts of defensive back Crezdon Butler, linebacker Curtis Akins and offensive lineman Jatitus Allen. Richards played 13 games over two seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks (2015-16), recording 16 defensive tackles and six special-teams tackles. He had an interception in Ottawa's win over Calgary in the 2016 Grey Cup. The 30-year-old Richards most recently spent time in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. Butler, 33, played 12 games for the B.C. Lions in 2019, recording 25 defensive tackles, one interception and one forced fumble. Akins, 25, was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in May of 2019 and played in four preseason games for the NFL team, making one tackle. Allen, 24, played four games for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football in 2019 before the league ceased operations. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2021. The Canadian Press