AP Sports Digest

Fri, Jan 22, 2021
AP Sports

The highlights of the AP Sports report. An up-to-the minute listing of all stories planned, including games and events, is available in Coverage Plan on AP Newsroom, http://newsroom.ap.org/coverageplan You can also find a link to Coverage Plan on the left navigation of the Newsroom home page, http://newsroom.ap.org

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TOP STORIES

BKN--LAKERS-BUCKS

MILWAUKEE -- LeBron James says the results of last season's NBA awards voting didn't provide extra motivation as his Los Angeles Lakers prepared to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. He had more important things on his mind. SENT: 620 words.

FBN--AFC CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ten years after firing Sean McDermott as his defensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid will stare across the field inside Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday and see his protégé trying to spoil his hopes of a Super Bowl repeat. By Dave Skretta. SENT: 970 words, photos. With capsule (sent), FBN--Bills-Shades Of 88 (sent).

FBN--NFC CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Tampa Bay's Tom Brady and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers rarely have faced each other during their respective Hall of Fame-caliber careers. Never have they met with so much at stake. By Steve Megargee. SENT: 870 words, photos. With capsule (sent).

BKN--VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBA

Contact tracing is the method of figuring out who may have possibly been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. It has been a major factor in the NBA's decisions to postpone 20 games so far this season, including the latest three Memphis Grizzlies' games that the league decided Thursday to push back. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 850 words, photos. With BKN--Virus Outbreak-NBA-Wizards (sent).

OLY-TOKYO-FUTURE

TOKYO - IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers are pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled and will not open in six months on July 23. By Stephen Wade. SENT: 670 words, photos.

COMMENTARY

FBN--TIM DAHLBERG-NFL HIRES

It's become something of an annual rite, sandwiched between NFL playoff games. Teams hire to replace their fired coaches, and again the successful candidates don't reflect the players they're leading. By Sports Columnist Tim Dahlberg. SENT: 770 words, photos.

NOTABLE

FBN-ELITE RECEIVERS

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Stefon Diggs joins the NFL's elite receiving company after a breakthrough first season in Buffalo. Diggs thrived in the Bills' No. 1 role in leading the league in catches and yards receiving after spending his first five seasons in Minnesota. By John Wawrow. UPCOMING: 960 words, photos by 3 a.m.

FBN-BUCCANEERS-LEFTWICH

TAMPA, Fla. - Byron Leftwich remembers traveling to Lambeau Field as a young quarterback in his second NFL season in 2004, walking into the legendary stadium for the first time and soaking up the atmosphere. He returns this weekend as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. By Fred Goodall. UPCOMING: 630 words, photos by 3 a.m.

FBN-EAGLES-SIRIANNI

PHILADELPHIA - Nick Sirianni's success working with various quarterbacks with different styles comes in handy in his new job. The Philadelphia Eagles are nearing a deal to hire Sirianni to be their head coach, according to two people familiar with the decision. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. SENT 490 words, photos. With FBN--Lions-Campbell, FBN-Chargers-Staley, FBN--Jets-Saleh (sent).

BKN--YOUNG THUNDER

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Some Thunder fans believe tanking is the way back to contention. Apparently, the team disagrees. Oklahoma City was expected by experts to be one of the NBA's worst teams this season -- just like last season, when they shocked the league and made the playoffs. By Cliff Brunt. SENT: 620 words, photos.

HKN--STARS-DELAYED OPENER

DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars are finally set to play their season opener. It comes more than 10 months after playing their last home game, nearly four months after losing the deciding Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final and a week after the rest of the NHL teams got back on the ice. By Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 630 words, photos.

BKW--T25-UCONN-TENNESSEE

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- It couldn't have been a better script for Evina Westbrook's return to Rocky Top. UConn's redshirt junior guard, who transferred from Tennessee two years ago, connected on back to back fourth-quarter 3-pointers to spark the No. 3 Huskies to a 67-61 victory over the No. 25 Lady Volunteers. SENT: 730 words, photos.

GLF--THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Brandon Hagy didn't find out he was in the field at The American Express until three days before it started. The Californian then left no doubt he belonged. By Greg Beacham. SENT: 510 words, photos. With GLF-Abu Dhabi Championship, GLF-LPGA Tour (sent).

RAC--PEGASUS-STRONACH

Racing fans return to Gulfstream Park on Saturday for the first time in nearly a year for Pegasus World Cup Day. And that, the CEO of The Stronach Group tells the AP, means this year's Pegasus can already be declared a success. By Tim Reynolds. SENT: 600 words.

OLY--RETIRING AMID COVID

Four-time Irish boxing champion Dean Gardiner is the latest athlete to pass on another Olympic run. The super heavyweight says the grind of traveling and training for an extra year is too much. He needs to get on with his life. By Ken Maguire. SENT: 650 words, photos.

SOC--SUPER LEAGUE

Plans by Europe's richest soccer clubs to launch a new competition worth nearly $5 billion annually jolted FIFA and Champions League organizer UEFA into warning players on Thursday that they would be banned from the World Cup if they take part in such a breakaway league. By Rob Harris and Graham Dunbar. SENT: 650 words, photos.

SOC--MLS-SUPERDRAFT-EXPANSION

The newest MLS franchise went with talented Virginia Tech midfielder Daniel Pereira with the top pick in the league's SuperDraft. The Venezuela-born 20-year-old is the first-ever pick by Austin FC. By Tim Booth. SENT: 560 words, photos.

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Friday Time Schedule (EST)

NBA

Chicago at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Houston at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Orlando at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Brooklyn at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

Boston at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Dallas at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Denver at Phoenix, 10 p.m.

Oklahoma at LA Clippers, 10 p.m.

New York at Sacramento, 10 p.m.

NHL

Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Toronto, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Chicago, 8 p.m.

San Jose at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Nashville at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Vegas at Arizona, 9 p.m.

Colorado at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

College Basketball (Top 25)

Men

No. 7 Michigan at Purdue, 7 p.m.

Women

No. 5 Stanford vs. No. 6 UCLA at 10 p.m.

No. 10 Arizona vs. Utah, 6 p.m.

No. 13 Oregon vs. Washington St., 8 p.m.