NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Philadelphia 76ers 129, Detroit Pistons 111
Milwaukee Bucks 140, Indiana Pacers 126
Sixers 129, Pistons 111 – Joel Embiid scores 41 points, 76ers hand Pistons 21st straight loss
Joel Embiid scored 30 of his 41 points in the first half and the Philadelphia 76ers handed the Detroit Pistons their 21st straight loss, 129-111 on Wednesday night to open a home-and-home series. Detroit matched the longest streak in franchise history, set at the end of the 1979-80 season and start of 1980-81. It is the sixth-longest single-season losing streak in the NBA. Only the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 76ers (both lost 26 straight), along with the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies, the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets and the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats (all lost 23 in a row) have lost more games in a row in a season. Philadelphia holds the overall mark of 28, set at the end of 2014-15 and start of 2015-16.
Bucks 140, Pacers 126 – Giannis Antetokounmpo scores franchise-record 64 points, Bucks beat Pacers 140-126
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks outscore the Indiana Pacers 140-126 on Wednesday night. Antetokounmpo broke the team record of 57 set by Michael Redd in 2006 in a 113-111 loss to the Utah Jazz. Antetokounmpo’s previous career high was 55 in a 123-113 victory over Washington in January 2023. He had 54 at Indiana on Nov. 9. Antetokounmpo was 20 of 28 from the field, made 24 of 32 free throws and had 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard added 21 points for the Bucks.Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner had 22 points apiece for the Pacers, who beat the Bucks 128-119 in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament on Thursday night.
Tonight
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.
NBA – Bucks, Pacers square off in dispute over game ball after Giannis’ record night
Giannis Antetokounmpo exchanged heated words with members of the Indiana staff and raced toward the Pacers’ locker room Wednesday night as the teams squared off in a hallway in a dispute over the game ball following the Milwaukee star’s franchise-record 64-point performance. After the Bucks’ 140-126 victory, Antetokounmpo had an animated discussion with Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton and other Pacers before rushing from the court toward the Indiana locker room in search of the ball. The Bucks wanted the game ball for Antetokounmpo, who set a franchise record with 64 points. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said the Pacers took the ball for Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first official NBA point. That led to a confrontation between members of the teams in the arena hallway.
NBA – Warriors star Draymond Green suspended indefinitely by NBA
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he hit Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face and received a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection. The league said the penalty handed down by operations chief Joe Dumars begins immediately. This is already Green’s second suspension this season. The NBA said: “He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.” The NBA noted that “this outcome takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
NFL – National Football League – Week 15
Tonight
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m.
NFL – NFL approves regular-season game for Brazil in 2024 in more international play
The NFL will play a regular-season game in Brazil in 2024. It’s the latest expansion in the league’s rapidly growing international plan. The league says the game will be played at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo. The stadium has a capacity of nearly 50,000 and was a World Cup venue in 2014. The NFL played its first two regular-season games in Frankfurt, Germany, this year, with three more in London. There will be games in both those countries again in 2024.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken, 10:00 p.m.
NCAA – College athletes who transfer twice can play, for now, after a judge’s ruling
College athletes who were denied the chance to play immediately after transferring a second time can return to competition, for now. A federal judge in West Virginia issued a 14-day temporary restraining order Wednesday against the NCAA. The order comes after seven states filed a lawsuit contending the NCAA’s transfer rule violates federal antitrust law. The NCAA said in a statement it would comply with the order. NCAA rules allow underclassmen to transfer once without having to sit out. But an additional transfer as an undergraduate generally requires the NCAA to grant a waiver to play immediately. A hearing on the restraining order is scheduled for Dec. 27.
NCAA – NCAA survey shows mental health concerns have lessened post-pandemic
An NCAA survey of student-athletes suggests they are experiencing fewer mental health concerns than they did at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some demographics have shown more improvement than others. More than 23,000 student-athletes participated in the NCAA Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Study between September 2022 and June 2023. The data shows that mental health concerns have decreased in all three NCAA divisions. The study found that feelings of being overwhelmed or mentally exhausted are less prevalent, and that academics-related concerns are more prevalent.
MLB – Ohtani can opt out of Dodgers deal if execs Walter, Friedman lose roles with team,
Shohei Ohtani can opt out of his $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers if either of two key executives is no longer in place, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. Ohtani, who will be formally introduced by the Dodgers at a news conference Thursday, would be allowed to terminate his deal if Mark Walter no longer is controlling owner or president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman no longer is with the team, the person said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced. Ohtani’s deal, announced Monday, provides that 97% of the money be deferred without interest and not fully paid until 2043.
MLB – White Sox finalize $15 million, 2-year deal with right-hander Erick Fedde
The Chicago White Sox finalized a $15 million, two-year contract with former Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde and opened a roster spot by designating right-hander Yohan Ramírez for assignment. Fedde, who agreed to the deal last week, will get $7.5 million in each of the next two seasons. He was selected by Washington in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft. He made his big league debut in 2017 and pitched for the Nationals for six seasons, going 21-33 with a 5.41 ERA in 88 starts and 14 relief appearances.
Wizards, Capitals would move to Virginia in tentative deal, Mystics would stay in DC
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has a tentative agreement with the parent company of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to move those teams out of D.C. to northern Virginia. Youngkin, a Republican, says the plan calls for a $2 billion sports and entertainment complex in Alexandria, across the Potomac from the nation’s capital. Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis appeared with Youngkin at a Wednesday news conference and endorsed the proposal. Monumental also owns the WNBA’s Mystics. Leonsis says Capital One Arena, where the Wizards and Capitals currently play, could host women’s sports and other events. District officials have made a counterproposal aimed at keeping the men’s teams.
AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Texas Stars 2, Grand Rapids Griffins 0
MCCAA – Michigan Community College Athletic Association
Tonight
Women’s Basketball
Andrews University at Lake Michigan College, Cancelled
Women’s Basketball
Andrews University at Lake Michigan College, Cancelled
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Basketball
Coloma 35, Bangor 19
Bronson 46, Schoolcraft 39
Kalamazoo Homeschool 47, Bloomingdale 23
Reading 62, White Pigeon 39
Wrestling
St. Joseph, Lakeshore, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Kalamazoo Central
St. Joseph 72, Kalamazoo Central 5
St. Joseph 53, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 21
Lakeshore 67, Kalamazoo Central 12
Lakeshore 67, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 12
Dowagiac 60, Niles 24
Tonight
Boys Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m.
BC Lakeview at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Loy Norrix, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeland
Benton Harbor at Dowagiac, 7:15 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM
BCS
Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 6:30 p.m.
Wolverine
Edwardsburg at Otsego, 7:15 p.m.
Southwest 10
White Pigeon at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Bangor at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
Lawrence at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Lakeland
Benton Harbor at Dowagiac, 5:30 p.m.
BCS
Our Lady of the Lake at Eau Claire, 5:00 p.m.
Wolverine
Edwardsburg at Otsego, 6:00 p.m.
SAC
Allegan at Bridgman, 7:00 p.m.
Boys Swimming at Diving
St. Joe at Kalamazoo Central, 6:00 p.m.
