Sports

Lions add running back Isiah Pacheco as the new backup to Jahmyr Gibbs, AP source says

A person with knowledge of the agreement says Detroit is adding running back Isiah Pacheco to replace David Montgomery after the Lions traded Jahmyr Gibbs’ backup before free agency started. Pacheco spent his first four seasons in the running back rotation with Kansas City. The Chiefs agreed to a $45 million, three-year deal with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in the opening hours of free agency. Green Bay is doing some shuffling at cornerback by adding Benjamin St-Juste while informing Nate Hobbs of a plan to release him a year after signing him to the $48 million, four-year contract.

Inside the numbers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ties Wilt Chamberlain’s 20-point streak record

Wilt Chamberlain has some NBA records that might never get touched, like the 100-point game, 4,000 points in a season and a 50-point-per-game scoring average. And that means that when he does get caught — in any category — it’s a big deal. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has now done just that, matching Chamberlain’s NBA record of 126 consecutive games of 20 or more points. Gilgeous-Alexander got there Monday night, scoring 35 points (with a career-high 15 assists, too) in the Thunder’s 129-126 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories

WASHINGTON (AP) — Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu have turned the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics into a debate about identity and loyalty for Chinese Americans. Both athletes grew up in California with Chinese roots and single parents. Gu competes for China. Liu competes for the United States. In China, many fans celebrate Gu as a symbol of China’s rise and its pull on global talent. Others question Gu’s citizenship. Liu draws praise in China as a “free spirit.” In the U.S., some politicians attack Gu’s choice. One U.S. lawmaker even proposes punishing athletes who represent China.

Arozarena unloads vulgar rant about Seattle teammate Cal Raleigh after WBC handshake snub

HOUSTON (AP) — Randy Arozarena had vulgar words for Seattle teammate Cal Raleigh after he was left hanging at the World Baseball Classic. Arozarena, a two-time All-Star outfielder, seemingly lashed out at Raleigh after the Team USA catcher did not accept a handshake before an at-bat in the United States’ 5-3 win over Mexico. Speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, Arozarena said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and said he recently hugged them during a friendly greeting at the team hotel. He then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh .

NIL enforcement czar: Influx of third-party deals is not what many school leaders expected

The head of the College Sports Commission says the onset of $30 million football rosters funded mostly by companies providing third-party payments to players is within the rules but not the system some of its founders intended. Bryan Seeley delivered an update on the CSC’s progress over the last two months. He says he’s bullish about the new agency’s ability to analyze deals quickly but that the influx of third-party deals that help schools blow past the $20.5 million salary cap they’re allowed to pay players directly has led to increased review times. All those third-party payments, he says, are within the rules, but his conversations with some leaders makes him think this isn’t what they intended.

The Players Championship as a major is an old topic at a time when the PGA Tour is looking ahead

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The PGA Tour is moving ahead with big changes. So it was odd for promoters to go back in time to push for the tired topic of The Players Championship being a major. The notion seemingly was put to rest some 20 years ago with a series of comments explaining that The Players performs like a major without being one. Perhaps one reason for this topic to be renewed is the private equity involved that are looking for a return on their investment. The PGA Tour doesn’t own any of the four biggest events in golf. Those are the majors.

UConn and UCLA pretty much set as top 2 seeds in NCAAs, but Bruins push for the No. 1 overall spot

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — There’s little doubt that UConn and UCLA will be the top two seeds in the women’s NCAA Tournament when the bracket is revealed Sunday. The two were 1-2 in both of the selection committees top 16 reveals over the last month with the Huskies No. 1 both times. Both have been dominant since the last reveal on March 1, winning their conference tournaments convincingly. Still there’s an argument to be made that UCLA should be in the conversation for the top overall seed, especially after an eye-popping 51-point win over Iowa in the Big Ten championship game Sunday. The Bruins picked up three first-place votes in the AP Top 25 poll Monday, ending UConn’s eight-week run as the unanimous No. 1 team.

Galatasaray beats Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League round of 16

First Juventus then Liverpool. Galatasaray is cutting a swath through European soccer’s giants in the Champions League. A 1-0 first leg win in Istanbul gave the Turkish champion the advantage in this round round of 16 tie. Mario Lemina’s seventh minute header secured the win for Galatasaray, which stunned Juventus with a 7-5 aggregate victory in the playoffs. The second leg is at Anfield next Wednesday.

Reds’ ace Hunter Greene could miss up to 4 months following right elbow surgery

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Cincinnati Reds’ ace Hunter Greene is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday on his right elbow and could miss up to the first four months of the season. The Reds said Greene was diagnosed with bone chips and loose bodies in his elbow. Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA last year. He helped Cincinnati earn an NL wild card for its first playoff appearance since 2020.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi grounded in Qatar amid intensifying Iran war

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been left stranded in Qatar amid the war in the Middle East. Al-Khelaifi has not been able to fly out of Doha for more than a week, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Flights in and out of the Middle East have been impacted by the Iran war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. Al-Khelaifi has been trying to return to Paris ahead of PSG’s Champions League round of 16 match against Chelsea on Wednesday.