NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Indiana Pacers 115, Detroit Pistons 109
New Orleans Pelicans 123, Chicago Bulls 111
Pacers 115, Pistons 109 – Turner scores 20, Pacers rally to beat Pistons 115-109, spoil Bickerstaff’s debut
Myles Turner scored 20 points, Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin had 19 each and the Indiana Pacers rallied to beat Detroit 115-109 on Wednesday night, spoiling coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s Pistons debut. Detroit led by 12 points and was ahead after each of the first three quarters in a closely contested game with 13 lead changes and four ties, but couldn’t hang on for the win. The Pacers overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Pistons 33-19 in the quarter in the season-opening game for both teams. Cade Cunningham scored 22 of his 28 points in the second half for the Pistons.
Pelicans 123, Bulls 111 – Ingram scores 33, and the Pelicans beat the Bulls 123-111 without Zion Williamson
Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, icing the game with a baseline turnaround jumper with 1:46 to go. The New Orleans Pelicans overcame Zion Williamson’s absence to defeat the Chicago Bulls 123-111 in the regular season opener for both clubs. Newly-acquired point guard Dejounte Murray had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Pelicans, but injured his left hand in the fourth quarter. CJ McCollum scored 23 for New Orleans. Williamson was ruled out shortly before the game because of an illness. Zach LaVine scored 27 points, and Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls.
NBA – Embiid drawing criticism for sitting out 76ers’ opener
Joel Embiid’s absence from the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opener against Milwaukee is simply part of the team’s plan to keep the two-time NBA scoring champion on track for a healthy season. The 76ers hope Embiid will make it the playoffs healthy for the first time in his career. Embiid was ruled out against Milwaukee as part of what the Sixers call left knee management. The 2023 NBA MVP seems poised to sit out road games Friday at Toronto and Sunday at Indiana. Embiid was received plenty of criticism for sitting out opening night.
NFL – National Football League – Week 8
Tonight
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m.
NFL – Lions say they’re prepared to play without WR Jameson Williams
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell says the team is prepared to play without receiver Jameson Williams, four days before hosting the Tennessee Titans. Williams is facing a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy, ESPN reported on Monday. The Lions travel to play division-rival Green Bay on Nov. 3. Williams has had a breakout season, a year after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
NFL – Struggling Titans dive into rebuilding by trading 2 starters for draft picks
The Tennessee Titans got a jump on the NFL trade deadline by starting to stock up Wednesday on draft picks with a pair of trades. More moves are likely for a franchise mired in a 1-5 start that is the Titans’ worst since 2015 that cost Ken Whisenhunt his job after going 1-6 to open his second season. Tennessee could reach 1-6 Sunday after a game at Detroit (5-1). Coach Brian Callahan couldn’t address the moves when he talked with reporters midday. He called such moves the reality of the NFL. He also made clear the Titans didn’t expect this after being among the biggest spenders in free agency.
NFL – Bears’ Williams says he’s not caught up in potential matchup with Jayden Daniels
Caleb Williams wasn’t getting caught up in any hype over a potential matchup with Jayden Daniels or playing in his hometown. The No. 1 overall draft pick comes out of Chicago’s bye looking to build on a string of dominant performances when the Bears visit the Washington Commanders on Sunday. He says his job is to “go win games on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays.” The matchup between quarterbacks drafted with the first two picks this year is no sure thing after Daniels suffered a rib injury in a 40-7 rout of the Carolina Panthers. He missed practice Wednesday. Williams grew up in Maryland and Washington. He hopes Daniels is able to play. Either way, he figures they’ll see plenty of each other in the coming years.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.
MLB – At Aaron Judge’s urging, the Yankees have minted a new vibe
These Yankees have minted a new vibe going into their first World Series since 2009. Baseball’s most tradition-bound team, with a grandiose granite-and-limestone stadium and pinstriped home uniforms that have hardly changed since 1936, has added a flamboyant flash to its accessories: Statue of Liberty green. It’s on cleats, chest protectors, batting gloves, wrist and elbow guards. This is one team happy to be told it looks like statues — at least sartorially. Judge is the Yankees’ ultimate influencer and if he goes green, the rest of the team follows.
NCAAFB – NC State’s Grayson McCall gives up football after latest head injury
North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall has announced his retirement from football less than three weeks after a vicious hit knocked him out of a game for the second time this season. McCall was a sixth-year player who was a graduate transfer following five seasons at Coastal Carolina, where he threw for more than 10,000 yards and 88 touchdowns, but also had concussion issues. McCall was knocked out of the Sept. 14 game against Louisiana Tech and in his first game back left on a cart after taking a helmet-jarring hit in the first quarter against Wake Forest on Oct. 5.
NCAAWBB – UConn again picked to win Big East led by Player of Year Paige Bueckers
UConn is the clear choice to win the women’s title in the Big East Conference. Geno Auriemma’s team has been picked every year as the preseason No. 1 in the conference since the Huskies rejoined the Big East in 2020. The Huskies received all 10 possible first-place votes Wednesday from the league’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own teams. UConn, which is No. 2 in the preseason AP poll, returns Paige Bueckers, who was the conference’s Player of the Year last season. She is predicted to win it again. The Huskies also have the top freshman in Sarah Strong.
NASCAR – ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ star Frankie Muniz lands full-time 2025 NASCAR ride
Former “Malcolm in the Middle” star Frankie Muniz is set to continue his NASCAR career with a full-time ride in the Truck Series for 2025. Muniz will make the jump from part-time racer to a full slate in No. 33 Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing. He made two starts for Reaume Brothers this season in the Truck Series. The 38-year-old actor-turned-race car driver is scheduled to compete in the Truck Series race Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He competed twice this season in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series, including the opener at Daytona International Speedway.
MCCAA – Michigan Community College Athletic Association
Tonight
Women’s Volleyball
Lake Michigan College at Lansing Community College, 6:30 p.m.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Last Night
Boys Soccer (Regional Semifinals)
Division 2 at St. Joseph
Grand Rapids Christian 4, Sturgis 0
Allendale 3, Coldwater 0
Girls Volleyball
St. Joseph 3, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 0
Lakeshore 3, Battle Creek Central 0
Kalamazoo Central 3, Portage Central 2
Portage Northern 3, Gull Lake 0
Mattawan 3, Battle Creek Lakeview 0
Edwardsburg 3, Brandywine 0
SAC Tri at Gobles
-Fennville 2, Gobles 0
-Lawton 2, Gobles 0
-Lawton 2, Fennville 0
Tonight
Boys Soccer (Regional Finals)
Division 1 at Grandville
Portage Central vs. Byron Center, 6:00 p.m.
Division 3 at Grand Rapids West Catholic
Hartford vs. Fennville, 7:00 p.m.
Division 4 at Portage Northern
Calvin Christian vs. Kalamazoo Hackett, 6:30 p.m.
Girls Volleyball
Niles at Paw Paw, 6:00 p.m.
Sturgis at Edwardsburg, 6:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Plainwell, 6:00 p.m.
Otsego at Three Rivers, 6:00 p.m.
Allegan at Hopkins, 7:00 p.m.
Saguatuck at Kalamazoo Hackett, 6:30 p.m.