AP Sports

Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s season ended by ruptured Achilles tendon, team said he’ll have surgery

CLEVELAND (AP) — 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 said imaging tests 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 controversial $230 million contract in 2022 as he dealt with off-field accusations of sexual assault brought by two dozen women in Texas.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg makes preseason AP All-America team as ACC, Big 12, SEC each place 2 players

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.

The NBA season set to begin with the Celtics seeking a 19th title and several challengers looming

The defending champion Boston Celtics will open the new NBA season at home on Tuesday night 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. That game will see LeBron James tie Vince Carter by playing in a 22nd NBA season. It could be the first official game where a father and son are teammates, with Bronny James entering his rookie season.

Yankees and Dodgers meet in World Series for 12th time in matchup of Broadway and Hollywood

NEW YORK (AP) — New York neighbors who became cross-country rivals, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are renewing their starry struggle in the World Series for the first time in 43 years. It will be Broadway vs. Hollywood. Subway vs. Freeway. Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani. New York is 8-3 against the Dodgers in the most frequent World Series matchup, including 6-1 against Brooklyn and 2-2 versus LA. Mickey Owen, Al Gionfriddo, Cookie Lavagetto, Sandy Amoros, Johnny Podres, Don Larsen, Sandy Koufax and Reggie Jackson created indelible images in the matchup.

New York Liberty win first WNBA championship, more could be on the horizon

NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart joined the New York Liberty two years ago with one goal in mind: to bring the long-suffering franchise it’s first championship. WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones soon joined her and the pair helped the Liberty accomplish their mission, a year after they suffered a disappointing loss in the Finals to Las Vegas. Now with the core group mostly intact, winning more championships might be in the future for Stewart and the Liberty after Sunday’s 67-62 overtime victory against the Minnesota Lynx in the deciding Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.

Ohtani heads to World Series for first time, achieving goal he had when signing with Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani got what he came for when he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers: a trip to the World Series. Ohtani hit .364 with two homers, six RBIs, nine walks and a 1.184 OPS in the six-game NL Championship Series win over the New York Mets. He’s batting .286 with three homers and 10 RBIs over 11 games in his first postseason heading into the World Series starting Friday against the New York Yankees. When he signed his record $700 million, 10-year contract last winter, he agreed to defer $68 million annually to give the team payroll flexibility.

Spanish and German soccer royalty collide in third round of Champions League games

It’s the best in Spain against German soccer royalty in the latest round of games in the Champions League. A rematch of last season’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund is the headliner on Tuesday. Barcelona hosts Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the next chapter of what has been a fairly one-sided rivalry in Europe’s top club competition. All four teams have been European champions inside the last 30 years and they’ve made mixed starts to this season’s revamped format. Borussia Dortmund is the early league leader after two big wins, while Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern have all lost one of their games. Manchester City is looking to set the record for for consecutive games unbeaten in the history of the competition, at 26.

Alex Bowman’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week capped by Logano making NASCAR’s title race

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Few people in motorsports had as crummy a week as Alex Bowman. Two weeks ago, he left Charlotte Motor Speedway celebrating Hendrick Motorsports claiming four spots in NASCAR’s semifinals. Then he was disqualified when his car failed to meet minimum weight guidelines. The final spot in the playoff field then went to two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who left Charlotte thinking he’d been eliminated from a shot at a third title. At Las Vegas, Bowman finished a respectable fifth but the final insult was still to come: Logano won the race.

AP Top 25 Extra Points: As 4th team to reach No. 1 this season, Oregon’s rise is sign of the times

This college football season is delivering when it comes to unpredictability and entertainment value. It’s reflected week by week in The Associated Press Top 25. Oregon became the fourth team to hold the No. 1 spot. Three of the top five teams have a loss entering Week 9 for the first time since 2007. Player movement through the transfer portal and promises of NIL riches in recruiting have helped spread talent across the country. Expansion in the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference created three top-five matchups before November for the first time since 1996.

On Football: Crafty Chiefs keep winning despite Mahomes’ struggles and others’ injuries

Patrick Mahomes is having his worst season statistically and the Chiefs keep losing playmakers to injuries. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions are 6-0 anyway. Kansas City is the NFL’s only unbeaten team following an ugly 28-18 victory over San Francisco in a Super Bowl rematch that looked more like a preseason game. Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP, threw two picks and posted a career-worst 44.4 passer rating against the 49ers but he made enough plays, including a nifty 33-yard run, to lead the Chiefs to their 12th straight win, dating to last year.