Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs insisted Wednesday that their preparation for the Packers this weekend would not change upon learning that league MVP Aaron Rodgers had tested positive for COVID-19. But that doesn't mean there weren't a few relieved smiles from their much-maligned defense behind closed doors. Rather than face one of the game's best quarterbacks Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs likely will get second-year pro Jordan Love making his NFL starting debut. He's thrown just seven regular-season passes in his NFL career.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in the NFL's COVID-19 protocol and will miss Sunday's game at Kansas City. Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Rodgers was in the protocol but would not say if Rodgers had tested positive. The reigning NFL MVP is the latest Packers player to deal with the coronavirus. Wide receivers Davante Adams, a 2020 All-Pro, and Allen Lazard missed last week's victory at Arizona because of COVID-19 protocols. Green Bay's backup quarterback is 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love, who has thrown seven passes in his short career.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Arthur Kaliyev scored in the fourth round of a shootout and the Los Angeles Kings extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Both teams scored twice in the first three rounds of the tiebreaker. Adrian Kempe and Alex Iafallo also converted for the Kings. David Perron and Jordan Kyrou made their shots for the Blues. Kempe and Kaliyev scored third-period goals for Los Angeles, which trailed 1-0 after two. Torey Krug had a goal and an assist, Brayden Schenn scored a power-play goal and Vladimir Tarasenko extended his point streak to seven games with a pair of assists for the Blues.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Sebastian Driussi scored on a wide-open header 30 seconds into the game and Austin went on to beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 on Wednesday night. Jared Stroud assisted on the first goal and scored the third as expansion Austin (9-20-4) kept Kansas City (17-9-7) from controlling its own destiny in the battle for the top seed in the Western Conference. Seattle has a one-point lead heading into Sunday's season-ending games. Julio Cascante scored on a header in the 22nd minute to put Austin on top and Stroud scored his first MSL goal in the 60th minute. Johnny Russell converted a header for Kanas City in the 65th minute, extending his points streak to 10 games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have announced a series of front-office moves. They include the addition of longtime first base coach Rusty Kuntz as a special assistant to team president Dayton Moore and the general manager of quality control. The moves came after Moore was promoted from general manager to a more wide-ranging role within the organization late in the season, and longtime assistant GM J.J. Picollo was promoted to fill his day-to-day role. The Royals finished 74-88 and fourth in the AL Central.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis is getting another big tournament. The PGA Tour says the Presidents Cup is headed to Bellerive in 2030. It will be the seventh American course to host the matches between Americans and international players from outside Europe. Bellerive most recently hosted the 2018 PGA Championship that Brooks Koepka won. It also has held a U.S. Open in 1965, the BMW Championship in 2008 and a World Golf Championship in 2001 that was canceled by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The next Presidents Cup is in 2022 at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.
UNDATED (AP) — Will Rogers has quickly developed into the type of quarterback Mike Leach envisioned to run his pass-heavy Air Raid scheme at Mississippi State. In a league that had six quarterbacks drafted over the past two NFL drafts the Southeastern Conference has reloaded at the position pretty quickly. Matt Corral of No. 15 Ole Miss could be the next SEC quarterback drafted in the top 10 next April. Freshman Bryce Young is Alabama's next Heisman Trophy candidate at the position. They all have plenty of company around the league with other quarterbacks showing they can sling the ball pretty well too.
NFL-NEWS
Rodgers in COVID-19 protocol, won't play Sunday
UNDATED (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in the NFL's COVID-19 protocol and will miss Sunday's game at Kansas City.
Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Rodgers is in the protocol but would not say if he had tested positive. LaFleur said 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love is the starter against the Chiefs. Love has thrown just seven NFL passes.
The reigning NFL MVP is the latest Green Bay player to deal with the coronavirus. Wide receivers Davante Adams, a 2020 All-Pro, and Allen Lazard missed last week's victory at Arizona because of COVID-19 protocols.
With Rodgers out and third-stringer Kurt Benkert on the COVID-19 list, the Packers have signed QB Blake Bortles to the practice squad.
In other NFL news:
— Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was excused from practice a day after his father caused a stir by sharing a video of quarterback Baker Mayfield not throwing passes to his wide-open son. Beckham may be down to his final hours with the Browns, who met with the star's representatives to work out a resolution. The team is now deciding whether to cut ties with the polarizing wide receiver or see if he and Mayfield can move forward together.
— Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was limited during Wednesday's practice because of a right hand injury suffered late in last Sunday's loss to the Patriots. Herbert banged his throwing hand on the helmet of a Patriots player during the final drive, which ended with his scoring pass to Joshua Palmer.
— Dolphins general manager Chris Grier says Miami considered making a trade with Houston for quarterback Deshaun Watson before Tuesday's deadline. Greier added that he did not ask Watson's accusers to sign nondisclosure agreements in the hopes of resolving the sexual assault and misconduct cases against the embattled quarterback. Watson has not been charged with a crime and has denied all wrongdoing.
— Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Sam Darnold showed up for practice Wednesday in full pads. However, their status for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots remains very much up in the air. McCaffrey was designated for return from injured reserve and the team has 21 days to decide whether to activate him on the 53-man roster. Darnold remains in the NFL's concussion protocol.
— Saints receiver Michael Thomas says he won't play this season because of complications related to offseason ankle surgery. Saints coach Sean Payton says Thomas will need an additional procedure and the setback has nothing to do with the receiver's work ethic or approach to his recovery.
— Giants injured star running back Saquon (SAY'-kwahn) Barkley and two other starters did not practice Wednesday after being placed in the COVID-19 protocol along with assistant coach Burton Burns. Safety Xavier McKinney and left guard Matt Skura also did not practice because of the virus.
— Prosecutors in Las Vegas say former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was speeding at 156 mph with a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada's legal limit before his sports car slammed into another vehicle, killing a 23-year-old woman. Ruggs made his initial court appearance Wednesday on felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving. The team released Ruggs just hours after the fiery crash.
— Versatile Colts running back Tom Matte (MA'-tee) has died at 82. Matte spent his entire 12 years in the NFL with the Colts. During the 1965 season, in a memorable three-game stint, he filled in at quarterback. After scoring three touchdowns to carry Baltimore past Cleveland in the 1968 NFL title game, Matte became the first player to top 100 yards rushing in a Super Bowl, totaling 116 in a huge upset loss to Joe Namath and the New York Jets.
NBA-SCHEDULE
76ers continue to win without 3 starters
UNDATED (AP) — The short-handed Philadelphia 76ers were able to cool off the Chicago Bulls.
Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his return to the lineup, guiding the Sixers to a 103-98 victory over the Bulls. Seth Curry scored 22 points and hit a crucial jumper late after Chicago erased a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit.
Georges Niang (nee-ANG') added 18 points for the 76ers, who have won four in a row despite playing without Tobias Harris, Danny Green and Ben Simmons.
The Bulls fell to 6-2 despite DeMar DeRozan's game-high 37 points.
Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:
— Kevin Durant had 13 points in a 20-4 run that ended the third quarter and gave the Nets a 117-108 victory over the Hawks. Durant contributed 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists as Brooklyn won its third in a row since a 2-3 start. Joe Harris made six of the Nets' 3-pointers and furnished 18 points, while Atlanta's De'Andre Hunter made all six 3-pointers in scoring 26 points.
— The Raptors have a five-game winning streak after Fred VanVleet poured in a season-high 33 points in their 109-100 decision over the Wizards. Svi Mykhailiuk (svee mih-KAY'-luhk) and Gary Trent Jr. each added 15 points for Toronto, which spent the final 34 minutes with a lead that reached 16 in the third quarter. Bradley Beal scored 25 points in Washington's second straight loss since a 5-1 start.
— Myles Turner scored the first eight points to put the Pacers ahead to stay in a 111-98 win against the Knicks. Turner hit 7 of 10 3-pointers and finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Caris LeVert added 21 points to help Indiana overcome R.J. Barrett's 23 points.
— Jaren Jackson Jr. furnished 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while kickstarting a fourth quarter burst in the Grizlies' 108-106 verdict over the Nuggets. Ja (jah) Morant added 18 points, six rebounds and six assists for Memphis, which held Denver to 8-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc. Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) led the Nuggets with 34 points and 11 rebounds.
— Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) each had double-doubles as the Mavericks rallied past the Spurs, 109-108. Brunson had 31 points and 10 rebounds, Doncic provided 23 points and 12 boards and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 points. Brunson gave Dallas a 101-96 lead with 3 minutes remaining by scoring five points in 32 seconds.
— Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and the Celtics ended a three-game losing streak by defeating the Magic, 94-79. Boston trailed, 46-44 before opening the second half on an 18-1 run. Al Horford added 12 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to help the Celts win despite shooting 42% from the floor.
— Paul George scored 32 points on 11 of 18 shooting and had eight assists as the Clippers knocked off the Timberwolves, 126-115. Reggie Jackson scored a season-high 29 and Los Angeles shot 60% from the field while nailing a season-high 21 3-pointers on 36 attempts. Anthony Edwards scored 29 points for Minnesota, which has lost four of five.
— Jordan Poole scored a season-best 31 points and the Warriors used one of their big third quarters of old to pull away before holding off the Hornets, 114-92. Poole shot 11 for 21, hit a career-high seven 3-pointers and helped Golden State outscore Charlotte, 27-15 in the third period. Miles Bridges scored 21 of his 32 points by halftime and finished with five 3-pointers for the Hornets.
— Tyrese Haliburton provided seven of his 20 points while the Kings scored 14 straight in the fourth quarter to pull away in a 112-99 win against the Pelicans. Harrison Barnes added 23 points and eight rebounds to help the Kings snap a two-game losing streak and drop New Orleans to 1-8. De'Aaron Fox had 19 points and five assists in the victory.
— The Cavaliers were 107-104 winners over the Trail Blazers behind Jarrett Allen's 24 points and 17 rebounds. Rookie Evan Mobley added 11 points and 11 rebounds in his fourth double-double, helping Cleveland win for the fourth time in its last six games. Damian Lillard had a game-high 26 points and eight assists but missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt with two seconds remaining.
NBA-CAVALIERS-MARKKANEN
Markkanen in league health and safety protocols
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen has joined teammate Kevin Love and entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Markkanen missed Wednesday's game against Portland and the team says his status will be updated "at the appropriate time."
The 7-foot Markkanen is in his first season with Cleveland after being acquired in a trade from Chicago. He's averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in eight games.
MLB-GIANTS-POSEY
Posey to announce retirement
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey plans to announce his retirement today. That's according to a person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Posey had yet to make his decision public.
The 34-year-old Posey just helped the Giants win a team-record 107 games this past season, batting .304 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs.
The Giants said last month that they would exercise Posey's $22 million club option for the 2022 season as long as the veteran catcher wanted to keep playing after a stellar year. He is three years removed from major hip surgery.
MLB-NEWS
Soler, Freeman, Correa among 160 free agents who hit market
UNDATED (AP) — Freddie Freeman, World Series MVP Jorge Soler (HOHR'-hay soh-LEHR') and Eddie Rosario of the champion Atlanta Braves are among 160 players who became free agents Wednesday as an uncertain offseason started with a lockout threat looming.
The Braves had hoped to lock up Freeman to a long-term deal before they got to the end of the season, but the two sides have yet to agree on terms.
Houston shortstop Carlos Correa and Astros pitcher Justin Verlander also became free agents.
Other stars who hit the market include Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kevin Gausman. About 50 additional players are potentially eligible, pending decisions on options in their contracts for 2022.
Free agents can negotiate contracts with any team starting Sunday evening.
In other MLB news:
— The Reds have traded Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Tigers for infield prospect Nick Quintana. The two-time All-Star batted .247 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs in 348 at-bats last season.
— Lefty starter Yusei Kikuchi (YOO'-say kih-KOO'-chee) is a free agent after he and the Mariners declined to exercise their options for 2022. Kikuchi was Seattle's lone All-Star representative this season after opening 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA, but he slumped badly in the second half.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MINNESOTA-FLECK
Fleck gets extension
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck has agreed to a new seven-year contract that lasts through the 2028 season.
The Golden Gophers landed at No. 20 in the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings this week after beating Northwestern 41-14 for its fourth straight win and sixth in eight games this season. The Gophers are alone atop the Big Ten West, with Illinois due in town on Saturday.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Hurricanes still perfect
UNDATED (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes are one away from tying the NHL record for most consecutive wins to start a season.
The Canes are 9-0 after Jesper Fast and Martin Necas (mah-TEEN' NAY'-chas) scored 3:09 apart in the third period of a 4-3 win at Chicago. Derek Stepan (STEH'-pahn) had a goal and an assist as Carolina matched a franchise record with its ninth straight victory. Seth Jarvis added his first career goal, and Frederik Andersen made 27 saves in the opener of a challenging three-game trip.
The Blackhawks led 3-2 after two before falling to 1-8-2.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) had two goals and an assist in the Oilers' 5-2 verdict over the Predators. Draisaitl leads the league with 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists in just nine games. McDavid assisted on both of Draisaitl's goals as Edmonton moved to 8-1-0.
— The Blue Jackets coughed up a two-goal lead before Jake Bean scored 72 seconds into overtime to complete a 5-4 victory at Colorado. Bean and Cole Sillinger each finished with two goals as Columbus improved to 4-0 in games that go past regulation. Colorado got a goal from J.T. Compher with 3:26 remaining in the third period and tied it up on Bowen Byram's second goal of the game with 52 seconds left in regulation.
— Arthur Kaliyev scored in the fourth round of a shootout to send the Kings to their third consecutive win, 3-2 versus the Blues. Adrian Kempe (KEHM'-pah) and Kaliyev scored third-period goals before adding shootout scores. St. Louis forced overtime on Torey Krug's (kroogz) short-handed goal with 7.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
NHL-NEWS
Crosby, Dumoulin on COVID-19 list
UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star center Sidney Crosby and defenseman Brian Dumoulin (DOO'-muh-lihn) in the COVID-19 protocol after both tested positive.
Coach Mike Sullivan says Crosby is dealing with mild symptoms while Dumoulin remains asymptomatic. They are the seventh and eighth members of the Penguins to test positive for COVID-19 since training camp opened in September.
In other NHL news:
— Devils defenseman P.K. Subban (SOO'-ban) has been fined $15,000 by the NHL for his second tripping offense in eight days. The former Norris Trophy winner was fined for tripping Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras in the first period Tuesday night in a 4-0 win by the Ducks.
— The Hockey Hall of Fame has covered the name of an assistant coach engraved on the Stanley Cup after the assistant was accused of sexually assaulting a player during the Blackhawks' run to the 2010 championship. The Hall says Brad Aldrich's name was covered with X's on Sunday, the same day that the names of the 2020-21 champion Lightning were added to the Cup.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA-OKLAHOMA STATE
NCAA denies Oklahoma St appeal
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA has upheld a one-year postseason ban and other penalties against the Oklahoma State men's basketball program.
An NCAA infractions committee panel hit the Cowboys with numerous penalties last year related to findings that former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepted up to $22,000 in bribes so he could help steer athletes to certain financial advisers.
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