NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Miami Heat 103, Detroit Pistons 102
Oklahoma City Thunder 124, Chicago Bulls 104
Indiana Pacers 143, Washington Wizards 120
Heat 103, Pistons 102 – Heat waste almost all of 19-point lead, scramble to hold off Pistons 103-102
Bam Adebayo scored 22 points, Jimmy Butler finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Miami Heat held off the Detroit Pistons 103-102 in the season-opener for both clubs. Tyler Herro scored 16 points, Duncan Robinson added 15 and Kevin Love had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat. Miami led by 19 with 9:07 left, wasted almost all of it and went scoreless in the final 2:57. Cade Cunningham had 30 points and nine assists for the Pistons. Jalen Duren had 17 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks for Detroit. Detroit had four shots in the final 64 seconds for the lead. All missed, and Miami escaped.
Thunder 124, Bulls 104 – Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 points as Thunder beat Bulls 124-104 in season opener
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 124-104 in their season opener. With a promising young core, the Thunder have their sights set on the playoffs after getting knocked out in the play-in tournament last season. They’re off to a good start. Fourth in the NBA in scoring last season, Gilgeous-Alexander keyed a 12-0 run late in the third quarter that broke open a one-point game. Rookie of the Year runner-up Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey each scored 16. Chet Holmgren had 11 points in his long-awaited debut. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft missed last season because of a foot injury.
Pacers 143, Wizards 120 – Bruce Brown boosts Pacers offense as Indiana routs Washington 143-120 in opener
Bruce Brown scored 24 points and made a career-high six 3-pointers in his Pacers debut, leading revamped Indiana to a record-breaking 143-120 victory over Washington. The scoring total was the most in a season opener in team history. The previous mark was 140 against Brooklyn in 2017. They fell two points short of matching their highest scoring total in a home game. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points and 11 assists on a night when eight Pacers scored in double figures. It was an ugly start to Washington’s post-Bradley Beal era. Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 25 points.
NBA – NBA All-Star Game will ditch the gimmicks and return to classic East/West format
This season’s NBA All-Star Game is going back to its roots with an Eastern Conference-Western Conference format. Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement Wednesday in Indianapolis, which is hosting the Feb. 18 game. The live drafts will no longer be held, although the top vote-getters in each conference will serve as captains. Also gone are target scores. Silver said the game will end after four 12-minute quarters. The moves come after last year’s television viewership tanked and players complained about the effort put forth.
NFL – National Football League – Week 8
Tonight
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m.
NFL – Bears QB Tyson Bagent ready to test his arm strength more against the Chargers
Some may question Tyson Bagent’s arm strength after the undrafted rookie threw only short passes against the Las Vegas Raiders in his starting debut, but the Chicago Bears think Justin Fields’ replacement can execute a more expansive game plan this week against the Los Angeles Chargers. The longest pass he completed was 17 yards last week against the Raiders, but he said he’s ready to throw downfield if required. Bagent remains unaffected by all the attention he’s gained in a week and that he’s getting with a prime-time game coming Sunday night.
NFL – NFL is getting a hybrid field for its two games in Germany next month
The NFL is getting a hybrid field for its two games in Frankfurt next month, a year after players complained about slipping on the natural grass at Allianz Arena in Munich. The hybrid surface was installed last weekend at Deutsche Bank Park ahead of the Nov. 5 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. The New England Patriots will then play the Indianapolis Colts at the same stadium a week later. Hybrid surfaces are widely used across Europe in soccer stadiums. Systems vary but the fields are generally 90% or more of natural grass with synthetic fibers woven into them as reinforcement.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Winnipeg Jets at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.
NCAAFB – Outside firm gave NCAA evidence of U of M’s sign-stealing to trigger probe
The Washington Post is reporting that the NCAA’s inquiry into a sign-stealing scheme by Michigan’s football program was triggered by an outside firm’s investigation. The firm turned up videos of and documented plans and budgets for impermissible scouting of the Wolverines’ opponents. The Post, citing two people familiar with the matter who were not identified, reported the firm obtained computer drives maintained and accessed by multiple Michigan coaches. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press that an outside firm provided the NCAA with evidence that initiated the association’s investigation. The person spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
NCAAFB – MSU hearing officer rules Mel Tucker sexually harassed Brenda Tracy
A Michigan State University hearing officer has determined that former Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker sexually harassed and sexually exploited rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy, according to her attorney. The hearing officer ruled Tucker was in violation of several terms of his contract, a person familiar with the ruling told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the investigation. Tucker was fired nearly a month ago after initially being suspended. He has 10 days to file an appeal.
NCAAFB – Notre Dame faces more tough challenges after a grueling eight-game stretch
Notre Dame embarked on a grueling eight-game schedule to start the season. The Fighting Irish now embark on a testy four-game stretch to close out the season with plenty to prove. Notre Dame’s season started with a trip to Dublin and ended with four consecutive night contests against ranked opponents. The Irish are 6-2 after dropping two of their last four and looking emotionally spent in back-to-back road contests at No. 17 Duke and No. 25 Louisville. Notre Dame finally received its first of two bye weekends following a 48-20 victory over No. 10 USC on Oct. 14. Now, the 14th-ranked Irish are well rested heading into a home game against Pitt (2-5) this weekend.
MLB – Dusty Baker tells newspaper he is retiring as manager of the Houston Astros
Dusty Baker has retired as manager of the Houston Astros, ending an illustrious 26-year career as a big league skipper highlighted by a World Series win last season. Baker broke the news in an interview with USA Today. Baker told the newspaper that he’d like to move into an advisory role in baseball, either with the Astros or a team closer to his Northern California home. He stepped down after his fourth season with the Astros, who came one win shy of reaching the World Series for a third straight year with a loss to the Rangers on Monday night.
MLB – Eovaldi gets 1st career World Series start for Texas; Gallen for Diamondbacks
Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 1 of the World Series for the Rangers against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Texas manager Bruce Bochy made the announcement Wednesday. It will be the first career World Series start for Eovaldi, a Texas native who signed with the Rangers last offseason. The veteran right-hander made three relief appearances for the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 World Series. Eovaldi is 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in his four starts this postseason. He won the AL Wild Card Series and AL Division Series clinchers for Texas, and the must-win Game 6 in the ALCS against Houston on Sunday night. The Diamondbacks had Wednesday off, a day after clinching the NL pennant. They will start 17-game winner Zac Gallen in Game 1.
MLB – Long Shot World Series: Diamondbacks vs Rangers is a Fall Classic few saw coming
The Arizona Diamondbacks meet the Texas Rangers in a long shot World Series, a matchup that had 1,750 to 1 odds when wagering opened last fall. But in an era when 12 teams make the playoffs, sustained excellence over the six-month regular season has become a boarding pass, not the journey. The World Series opens Friday night at Globe Life Field. Major League Baseball has its third all-wild card meeting, a Grand Canyon vs. Lone Star finale of second-place teams played in air-conditioned ballparks under retractable roofs — potentially the first all-indoor World Series.
NCAAMBB – ACC’s coaching titans have retired, league must adjust with a changed look
The Atlantic Coast Conference has a very different look this year. The league doesn’t have a Naismith Hall of Fame coach on the sideline for the first time since 2001. That comes after retirements of North Carolina’s Roy Williams in 2021, followed by Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski a year later. Earlier this year, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim joined that group. The league also lost longtime Notre Dame coach Mike Brey. That leaves Virginia’s Tony Bennett as the only coach to win an NCAA title. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips says the league remains strong with coaches trained by top mentors.
NCAAMBB – ACC Commish uncertain all 18 teams would play in league tournament in 24-25
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is uncertain all 18 teams in the supersized league should play in the men’s or women’s basketball tournament come March 2025. The ACC adds Cal, SMU and Stanford to its membership starting next season. Fitting all teams into the postseason tournament is not something Phillips wants to see. Phillips said at ACC Tipoff on Wednesday he would like a reduced postseason field where teams down in the standings miss out. Phillips has made his opinions known to the members. But he stressed the league would ultimately do what membership thought best.
ECHL – ECHL Hockey League
Last Night
Kalamazoo Wings 5, Indy Fuel 4
AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Iowa Wild 1, Chicago Wolves 0
MCCAA – Michigan Community College Athletic Association
Tonight
Women’s Volleyball
Lansing Community College at Lake Michigan College, 6:30 p.m.
Muskegon Community College at Southwestern Michigan College, 6:30 p.m.
Glen Oaks Community College at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 6:30 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Tonight
Volleyball
Lawrence at Eau Claire, 6:00 p.m.
Howardsville Christian at River Valley, 6:00 p.m.
Three Rivers at Dowagiac, 6:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Edwardsburg, 6:00 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Constantine, 5:30 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Hartford, 6:00 p.m.
Allegan at Hopkins, 7:00 p.m.
Comstock at Kalamazoo Hackett, 6:30 p.m.
South Haven, GR Covenant Christian at Saugatuck, 4:30 p.m.
Decatur, Lawton at Paw Paw, 5:00 p.m.
Boys Soccer – Regional Semifinals
Division 1 at GR Forest Hills Northern
Portage Central vs. Rockford, 6:00 p.m.
Division 2 at Gull Lake
Plainwell vs. Holland Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Division 4 at Lansing Christian
Kalamazoo Hackett vs. Lansing Christian, 6:00 p.m.
