AP Sports

Update on the latest sports

NFL-RAMS/CARDINALS
Rams pull within game of Cardinals
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – The NFC West is a little tighter after the second-place Rams earned a 30-23 victory at Arizona.
Matthew Stafford threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Cooper Kupp 13 times for 123 yards and a score. Kupp has had eight 100-yard receiving games this season.
Van Jefferson caught a 52-yard scoring strike early in the third quarter to put the Rams ahead to stay. Odell Beckham Jr. also had a TD catch.
Kyler Murray’s two interceptions led to Los Angeles touchdowns as the Cardinals failed to clinch their first playoff berth since 2015.
The Rams are within one game of the Cardinals for the division lead.

NFL-NEWS
Ravens’ Jackson does not have high sprain
UNDATED (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens are breathing a little easier after learning more about Lamar Jackson’s injury.
Head coach John Harbaugh said his star quarterback did not have a high ankle sprain. Harbaugh said he’s planning for Jackson to play this week, but it’s too early to tell for sure.
Jackson missed most of Sunday’s loss at Cleveland after spraining his ankle.

Also around the NFL:
– The Rams didn’t have defensive back Jalen Ramsey or tight end Tyler Higbee on the field for Monday night’s game against the Cardinals after both players were put on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Ramsey leads Los Angeles with three interceptions and also has 59 tackles. Higbee has 44 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns.

– Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke is expected to play Sunday despite a left knee injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to Dallas. The team is down several key players, either due to injuries or COVID-19 protocol.

– The Packers’ offense is a little more banged up after Sunday’s win over the Bears. Right tackle Billy Turner suffered a knee injury in the game, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers said afterward that his fractured pinky toe started feeling worse during Green Bay’s 45-30 victory over Chicago.

– The Dolphins now have four players on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list after adding safety Jevon Holland and running back Phillip Lindsay there on Monday. Those moves come after running backs Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed were put on the list last week.

– The NFL is requiring coaches and other team personnel to receive a COVID-19 booster by Dec. 27. The league’s requirement extends to all Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals who have previously received the vaccine.

– Former NFL player Josh Bellamy has been sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Bellamy pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

NBA-SCHEDULE
Curry one shy of trey record
UNDATED (AP) – Steph Curry is on the verge of becoming the NBA’s all-time leading 3-point shooter.
Curry was 5-for-15 from behind the arc as the Golden State Warriors earned a 102-100 win at Indiana, He’s one off Ray Allen’s mark for made 3-pointers.
The Golden State guard finished with a team-high 26 points and helped his team improve to 22-5.
Kevon (keh-VAHN’) Looney scored on a putback in the final minute for the winning margin. Looney had 14 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green provided 15 points apiece.
Domantas Sabonis (doh-MAHN’-tahs sah-BOH’-nihs) had 30 points and 11 boards for the Pacers.

Checking out Monday’s other NBA action:
– The Clippers won a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals as Marcus Morris delivered season highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 111-95 rout of the Suns. Reggie Jackson chipped in 19 points and Terance Mann had 17 with nine rebounds to help Los Angeles win its fourth in a row. Cam Johnson led Phoenix with 17 points off the bench as both teams played without several key stars.

– Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 117-103 win against the Bucks. Jaylen Brown returned to the lineup after missing five games with a tight right hamstring, furnishing 19 points in 30 minutes for Boston. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) scored 20 points with eight rebounds and three assists as Milwaukee lost for just the third time in 15 games.

– Kevin Love scored all 23 of his points in the second half, making five 3-pointers and finishing with nine rebounds in the Cavaliers’ 105-94 victory over the Heat. Jarrett Allen scored 17 points without missing a shot and had eight rebounds for Cleveland, which has won four straight and eight of 10. P.J. Tucker had a season-high 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Kyle Lowry scored 22 points in Miami’s first loss in three games.

– The Grizzlies stayed hot by firing at a 53% clip in a 126-91 pounding of the 76ers. Dillon Brooks dropped in 23 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 as Memphis won for the eighth time in nine games, all after Ja (jah) Morant went down with an injury. Tyrese Maxey had a team-high 23 points for the Sixers, who shot 4-for-22 from 3-point range and played without Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) due to rib soreness.

– Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS’-tahps pohr-ZIHN’-his) had 24 points and 13 rebounds while matching a season best with five blocks as the Mavericks stormed past the Hornets, 120-96. Dallas hit a season-high 19 3-pointers to sweep a back-to-back without all-star guard Luka Doncic (DAHN’-chihch). Trey Burke scored a season-high 22 and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 19 points off the bench for Dallas.

– Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH’-lah YOH’-kihch) came within one assist of a triple-double, finishing with 29 points and 18 rebounds in the Nuggets’ 113-107 victory against the Wizards. Jokic tied his season high for rebounds but missed out on his sixth triple-double when he was ejected midway through the fourth quarter. Monte Morris added 22 points for Denver, while Bradley Beal had 19 points and 10 assists for Washington.

– The Rockets won for the eighth time in 10 games as Eric Gordon scored 32 points and D.J. Augustin added 22 in their 132-126 victory in Atlanta. The Rockets trailed much of the game and were down 101-88 heading to the final quarter. The Hawks suffered their fifth straight home loss despite Trae Young’s 41 points and nine assists.

– The Raptors used a 70-point first half to rout the Kings, 124-101. Chris Boucher matched his season high with 17 points and Yuta Watanabe had a season-best 12 points and 10 rebounds. Pascal Siakam (see-A’-kam) and Scottie Barnes each scored 16 points to help Toronto withstand De’Aaron Fox’s 29 points for Sacramento.

NBA-COVID-19
COVID-19 leads to Bulls postponements
CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Bulls’ COVID-19 situation has led to the postponement of their next two games.
The NBA made the call with 10 Bulls players in health and safety protocol, a group that includes stars Zach LaVine (lah-veen’) and DeMar Derozan. The Bulls were scheduled to host the Pistons on Tuesday and visit the Raptors on Thursday.
No makeup dates were announced.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-POLL
Baylor climbs to top of poll
UNDATED (AP) – The defending champs are the new No. 1 team in the latest Associated Press men’s basketball poll.
Baylor is the fourth team in as many weeks to take the top spot, moving up a spot after previous No. 1 Purdue fell to Rutgers last Thursday. The Bears earned every vote from a 61-member national media panel Monday to reach the top spot in the poll for the first time since a four-week run ended on Feb. 17, 2020.

Second-ranked Duke is followed by Purdue, UCLA and Gonzaga. Alabama, Kansas, Arizona, Villanova and Southern Cal round out the top 10.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-ALL-AMERICANS
Alabama lands 3 on First Team
UNDATED (AP) – Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and Alabama teammates Will Anderson Jr. and Jameson Williams have been selected All-Americans by The Associated Press.
The Crimson Tide lead all schools with three players on the First Team. Tide tackle Evan Neal made the second team and safety Jordan Battle was a third-team selection.
Heisman Trophy finalist and Michigan defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson is a First-Teamer. Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett landed on the Second Team, and Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud is on the Third Team. Pickett and Stroud were Heisman finalists.

NHL-COVID-19
Flames COVID breakout leads to three postponements
UNDATED (AP) – The NHL has postponed the Calgary Flames’ next three games, including tonight’s contest in Chicago.
Six Flames players and a staff member entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol over a 24-hour period. The team announced Monday that forwards Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane (man-zhuh-PAN’-ee), Brad Richardson and Adam Ruzicka (roo-ZEETS’-kah) were in protocol, along with defensemen Chris Tanev (TAN’-ehv) and Nikita Zadorov (zah-DOHR’-ahv).
Also postponed are Tuesday’s game at Nashville and Wednesday’s home game versus Toronto.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes announced star center Sebastian Aho (AH’-hoh), rookie center Seth Jarvis and a member of the training staff have entered the COVID-19 protocol. The team said all three would remain in Vancouver, where Carolina absorbed a 2-1 loss on Sunday.

MLB-OBIT-HEMOND
Rollie Hemond dies at 92
UNDATED (AP) – Longtime major league executive Roland Hemond (HEE’-muhnd) has died at age 92.
His 70-year career in baseball included three Executive of the Year awards as general manager of the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. Hemond was Chicago’s GM from 1970-85 and served in the same role for Baltimore from 1988-95.
Hemond is considered the architect of the Arizona Fall League, and he helped found the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation to provide assistance to longtime scouts needing special support.

USA-GYMNASTICS-NASSAR-SETTLEMENT
USA Gymnastics, USOPC reach $380M settlement with victims
UNDATED (AP) – USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee have reached a $380 million settlement with hundreds of victims of sexual abuse.
The settlement conditionally approved in federal bankruptcy court also includes some nonmonetary provisions dedicated to making the victims stakeholders in USA Gymnastics going forward. The vast majority of the 500-plus victims voted in favor of the settlement.
Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to detail sexual abuse at the hands of former USA team doctor Larry Nassar, says the lawsuit wasn’t about the money but the hope of effecting change within the organization.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TENNIS-RADUCANU
Raducanu positive for COVID; US Open champ out of exhibition
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu has tested positive for COVID-19 and has pulled out of an exhibition tennis event in the United Arab Emirates.
Organizers of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship said the British teenager is isolating and following protocols.
Raducanu won the U.S. Open in September to become the first qualifier to claim a Grand Slam singles title.