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NBA-SCHEDULE
Raptors rout Cavaliers
UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Raptors are within one game of first place in the NBA’s Atlantic Division after thumping the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pascal Siakam (see-A’-kam) dropped in 33 points and Kyle Lowry registered his 110th double-double for the Raptors in a 133-113 rout of the Cavaliers. Lowry had 20 points and 11 assists to tie Antonio Davis for the third-most double-doubles in team history.
Norman Powell finished with 26 points for the Raptors, who have won two straight at home since dropping three in a row in Toronto.
Collin Sexton had 25 points for the Cavaliers in their 16th loss in 18 games.
Checking out Monday’s other NBA action:
— Bradley Beal scored 15 of his 35 points while the Wizards were shooting a blistering 81% in the first quarter of a 133-119 victory at Detroit. Isaiah Thomas returned from a calf injury and scored 23 points for Washington, while Davis Bertans added 17. Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris each scored 22 points for Detroit, which played without injured stars Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.
NBA NEWS
NBA hosts prison pickup games in social justice effort
FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) — The NBA is sending players and coaches into prisons to host pickup games with inmates as part of a new effort designed to lessen the stigmas around those behind bars.
The Sacramento Kings kicked off the first in a nationwide series of contests at Folsom State Prison. Team members and coaches first held a discussion with inmates and representatives of the Represent Justice Campaign who are themselves formerly incarcerated.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas Tech hangs on to beat Southern Miss
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech was the only top-25 men’s basketball team in action, playing hours after entering the AP poll.
The 24th-ranked Red Raiders almost made it a short stint in the rankings before rallying in the second half to beat Southern Miss, 71-65.
Terrence Shannon scored 18 points for Texas Tech, which trailed by two with three minutes remaining before improving to 7-3. Davide Moretti scored 17 points and hit a punctuating 3-pointer that helped the Red Raiders extend the nation's second-longest active home nonconference winning streak to 52 games.
Texas Tech was back in the poll after knocking off previous No. 1 Louisville last Tuesday.
T25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL-POLL
Kansas becomes latest No. 1
NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas has become the fifth team to occupy the top of The Associated Press men’s basketball poll already this season.
The Jayhawks picked up 47 of 65 first-place votes to move up one spot on the rankings. They unseated Louisville, which dropped to third following last Tuesday’s 70-57 loss to Texas Tech.
Gonzaga claimed 15 first-place votes to climb from sixth to second.
Former No. 1 Duke moved up three spots to fourth, just ahead of Ohio State. Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia and Baylor round out the top 10.
No. 23 Penn State is ranked for the first time in 23 years. The poll doesn’t include North Carolina, which had been ranked since February 2014.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-AP ALL-AMERICA TEAM
AP All-America teams dominated by LSU, Ohio State
UNDATED (AP) — The Associated Press has released its All-America team and it is full of players from LSU and Ohio State.
Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow of LSU highlights the first-team offense. Defensive end Chase Young of Ohio State leads the defense.
The top-ranked Tigers also placed receiver Ja'Marr Chase and cornerback Derek Stingley on the first team. Young was joined on the first team by Ohio State by teammates Wyatt Davis, a guard, and Jeff Okudah, a cornerback.
Ohio State led all teams with seven players selected to the three All-America teams, including second team quarterback Justin Fields
Across all three AP All-America teams, the SEC had 18 players in all. The Big Ten had 17. The Pac-12 had 13 players, the Big 12 had 10 and the ACC had eight.
ATHLETE COMPENSATION
Senator: College athletes getting inadequate health care
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy has released a report calling on NCAA schools to do more to provide health care to their student athletes.
The report is the last of three from the Connecticut Democrat dealing with issues surrounding players and the money generated by college athletics.
Murphy co-chairs a bipartisan congressional working group on athlete compensation with Utah Republican Mitt Romney. The Connecticut Senator also announced they would meet Tuesday with NCAA President Mark Emmert to discuss developing national policies for paying athletes.
His latest report recommends the NCAA require full health coverage for athletes and allow players to see doctors who are not associated with their athletic program or school. Murphy also wants schools to guarantee four-year scholarships for athletes, including those who become injured, and allow players to transfer immediately from programs if they believe their health is at risk.
NFL-NEWS
Josh Gordon suspended again
UNDATED (AP) — Josh Gordon has received yet another indefinitely suspension from the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver has been punished for violating league policies on performance enhancers and substances of abuse. Gordon was reinstated by the NFL in August after having been suspended indefinitely in December 2018, missing the final three games of last season for violations of the league's substance abuse policy.
This is the eighth time in his career Gordon has been suspended either by the league or his team.
In other NFL news:
— The Falcons will play their final two games without Takk McKinley after the third-year defensive end hurt his shoulder in an upset victory at San Francisco. McKinley left the game midway through the first quarter and did not return.
— The Jaguars tried to fine former defensive end Dante Fowler more than $700,000 for missing “mandatory” appointments with a team trainer or physician. An arbitrator recently ruled in favor of the NFLPA and negated the fines levied against Fowler and other Jaguars players in 2018. The arbitrator affirmed that under the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement teams cannot require rehabilitation or medical appointments at team facilities during the offseason.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Jackets top Caps again
UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals may own the NHL’s best record, but they are suddenly having trouble beating the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Joonas Korpisalo (YOH’-nuhs kohr-pih-SAH’-loh) notched his third career shutout with 30 saves as the Jackets beat the Caps for the second time in a week, 3-0. Eric Robinson put Columbus on the board midway through the first period.
The win was just the second in eight games for the Blue Jackets, with both coming against Washington.
The Capitals still have 53 points, five more than Boston for the NHL’s overall lead and seven points ahead of the Islanders.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Roman Josi (YOH’-see) had two goals and an assist in the Predators’ third win in five games, 5-2 over the Rangers. Rocco Grimaldi, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis also scored to back Juuse Saros (YOO’-see SAH’-rohs), who stopped 39 shots. Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin (ahr-TEH’-mee pah-NAH’-rihn) tallied for New York.
— Noel Acciari (ah-CHAH’-ree) registered his first career hat trick and the Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak by trouncing the Senators, 6-1. Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO’-bur-doh) had four assists, giving him 400 career points in his 500 NHL game. Aleksander Barkov, Mike Matheson and Dominic Toninato also scored and Sergei Bobrovsky (boh-BRAHF’-skee) stopped 29 shots while making his sixth straight start.
NHL NEWS
Coyotes get Hall from Devils
UNDATED (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes have added a former MVP to their lineup as they try to capture their first division title and playoff berth since 2012.
The Coyotes have acquired high-scoring winger Taylor Hall from the Devils for three prospects and two draft picks. Arizona also gets forward Blake Speers and sends forwards Nick Merkley and Nate Schnarr and defenseman Kevin Bahl to New Jersey, along with a 2020 first-round pick and a conditional third-rounder in 2021.
Rumors of Hall’s departure began to percolate when he was a health scratch for back-to-back games. He has scored six goals and 25 points in 30 games this season and averaged nearly one point a game in his three-plus seasons with New Jersey.
Hall won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s top player after producing 39 goals and 93 points for the 2017-18 Devils.
Also around the NHL:
— The Kings have placed veteran forward Ilya Kovalchuk (KOH’-vul-chook) on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. The 36-year-old Kovalchuk had three goals and nine points in 17 games for Los Angeles and hasn’t played since Nov. 9. The 11-time All-Star has scored 436 goals and 859 points in 897 NHL games.
— The Blackhawks have determined that assistant coach Marc Crawford will remain suspended until Jan. 2 following an investigation into his behavior in previous jobs. Several former players accused Crawford of physical and verbal abuse in recent weeks. Crawford on Monday apologized to four players who spoke publicly about the coach's actions.
MLB NEWS
Porcello, Mets finalize contract
UNDATED (AP) — Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets finalized a $10 million, one-year contract.
Porcello is a right-hander who turns 31 on Dec. 27. He joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz. He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year in his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young.
In other major league news:
— The Rays and Japanese outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo have finalized a two-year contract worth about $12 million. Tsutsugo batted .272 this year with 29 homers and 79 RBIs. He has a .285 average with 205 homers and 613 RBIs during 10 seasons with Yokohama, including 44 homers and 110 RBIs in 2016.
— The Pirates have acquired catching help by signing Luke Maile (MAY’-lee) to a one-year deal. Maile is considered an above average defensive catcher but has struggled at the plate throughout his career, batting .198 with two homers and 60 RBIs in 215 games with Toronto and Tampa Bay.
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