Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ā Patrick Mahomes threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran through the rain for 138 yards and another score, and the Kansas City Chiefs began defense of their first championship in 50 years by beating the Houston Texans 34-20 on Thursday night. The first game of the NFL season was played before a socially distanced crowd of about 17,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It also came after a series of videos and demonstrations by both teams designed to raise awareness of social justice initiatives.
CLEVELAND (AP) ā Kansas City rookie Brady Singer allowed just one hit, a two-out single through an infield shift in the eighth inning and flirted with baseball history while leading the Royals to a 11-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. Making just his ninth career start, the 24-year-old Singer (2-4) was four outs from becoming the 36th rookie to throw a no-hitter when Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges, who came in batting .148, bounced a single through a wide-open right side. The hit came on a full-count and Singer's 116th pitch. Maikel Franco and Adalberto Mondesi each hit three-run homers for the Royals.
UNDATED (AP) ā For a day, Bobby Petrino will return to the big stage. He will open his first season as Missouri State's coach at No. 5 Oklahoma on Saturday. Petrino, known as a program builder, looks forward to helping the Bears bounce back from a 1-10 finish last season. He has a 119-56 career record in 14 seasons at Louisville, Arkansas and Western Kentucky. Oklahoma will start redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler at quarterback. He was the consensus No. 1 quarterback nationally in the 2019 recruiting class and is the Big 12's Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
UNDATED (AP) ā Iowa State will open against an opponent from the Football Bowl Subdivision for the first time since 2012. The Cyclones originally were set to ease into the season against South Dakota from the Championship Subdivision. The coronavirus pandemic caused postponements and cancellations across college football, and the Cyclones had to scramble to line up Louisiana-Lafayette for Saturday. ISU coach Matt Campbell hopes the Cyclones don't get more than they bargained for in a game that will net the Ragin' Cajuns $350,000. Lafayette is coming off an 11-win season that ranks as its best in program history.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) ā Kansas State coach Chris Klieman was visibly relieved Tuesday when he settled down in front of a camera to discuss with reporters the Wildcats' season opener against Arkansas State this weekend. His team has had multiple players test positive for COVID-19, and at least one player who was expected to be a big part in the defense opted out. There also was the uncertainty of whether the Big 12 would even play this season, then the challenge in finding a single non-conference opponent to prepare for the start of conference play. But game week is finally here for the Wildcats, while Arkansas State will be trying to rebound from a loss to Memphis.
UNDATED (AP) ā No. 23 Iowa State faces a challenging opener against Louisiana-Lafayette of the Sun Belt Conference. The Cyclones are led by record-setting quarterback Brock Purdy and a defense that returns 10 players with starting experience. The Ragin' Cajuns come to Ames after winning a second straight Sun Belt West title and recording a school-record 11 victories. Iowa State is an 11 1/2-point favorite. Louisiana-Lafayette is looking for its first road win against a Top 25 opponent.
UNDATED (AP) ā For a day, Bobby Petrino will return to the big stage. He will open his first season as Missouri State's coach at No. 5 Oklahoma. Petrino, known as a program builder, looks forward to helping the Bears bounce back from a 1-10 finish last season. He has a 119-56 career record in 14 seasons at Louisville, Arkansas and Western Kentucky. Oklahoma will start freshman Spencer Rattler at quarterback. He was the consensus No. 1 quarterback nationally in the 2019 recruiting class and is the Big 12's Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
Update on the latest sports
NFL-SEASON OPENER
Chiefs host Texans in NFL opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ā The NFL opens its season Thursday night in Kansas City, where the Super Bowl champion Chiefs host the Houston Texans.
The game features two teams intimately familiar with each other, and each led by dynamic, young quarterbacks in the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes (mah-HOHMZ') and the Texans' Deshaun Watson. The Chiefs rallied from a 24-0 hole to beat Houston in the divisional round of the playoffs, but both teams have changed plenty in the eight months since that January day.
The coronavirus pandemic effectively canceled the entire NFL offseason along with all four preseason games. That means their rematch at Arrowhead Stadium will be the first game for anybody since February. It also means the crowd at what is historically one of the toughest road venues in the league will be limited to about 17,000 fans, who must adhere to coronavirus restrictions requiring masks and social distancing.
This year, fans won't be permitted to wear headdresses or face paint, traditions deemed offensive to Native Americans. The team also announced recently that it's discussing the future of its tomahawk chop celebration.
TENNIS-US OPEN
Women's semis feature Williams vs Azarenka, Osaka vs. Brady
NEW YORK (AP) ā Women's semifinals are on tap Thursday at the U.S. Open. Serena Williams will play Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of the 2012 and 2013 U.S Open finals won by Williams.
Williams is closing in on what would be her seventh U.S. Open championship and record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title overall. She has made it to the semifinals in each of her past 11 appearances in New York. Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion on a 10-match winning streak and back in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in seven years. Williams leads Azarenka 18-4 head-to-head.
Williams, who turns 39 later this month, is coming off two three-set comeback victories in a row and hit 20 aces in her win against Tsvetana Pironkova in the quarterfinals. Williams was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows each of the past two years; she lost to Naomi Osaka in the 2018 final. That was one of Osaka's two Grand Slam titles.
Osaka faces Jennifer Brady in Thursday's other semifinal. Brady is a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania who helped UCLA win a college championship. This is the farthest she has advanced at any major tournament until this week. She and Osaka have played twice, each winning once by a 6-4, 6-4 score, although Brady's victory came six years ago.
Also on the schedule Thursday is the men's doubles final, with Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic playing Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares.
NBA PLAYOFFS
Rockets face Lakers in Game 4
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) ā There is one NBA playoff game on the Thursday schedule. The Los Angeles Lakers take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Houston Rockets.
The superstar game of 2-on-2 in Game 3 on Tuesday night was a draw. James Harden and Russell Westbrook had 63 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists for the Rockets; LeBron James and Anthony Davis had 62 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists for the Lakers. The difference was the supporting casts, and Rajon Rondo's 21 points and nine assists were enormous for the Lakers. That was just the second time in Lakers playoff history someone had those numbers off the bench; Michael Cooper had exactly 21 and 9 in Game 2 of the 1987 NBA Finals.
James now has been part of more postseason game victories than any player in NBA history, a record he's earned over his 14 appearances in the playoffs.
NHL-STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
Dallas and Vegas resume their chess match in Game 3
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) ā The Dallas Stars take on the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference final. Dallas and Vegas showed each team's best in Games 1 and 2, so it's no coincidence the series is tied.
After the Stars won the opener 1-0, Vegas got its offense back in Game 2 to tie things up. Now it's up to Dallas' best players to do the same. Tyler Seguin and Corey Perry have each gone six games without a point.
Since scoring on their first shot of Game 1, the Stars have had 19 attempts blocked by a Vegas defender, 48 stopped by a goalie and missed the net 14 times. The Golden Knights have 57 shots on goal so far and chased Anton Khudobin with three second-period goals Tuesday.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Braves look to keep their bats rolling
UNDATED (AP) ā One night after setting a National League scoring record in their 29-9 romp over Miami, the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves look to keep their bats rolling when they visit last-place Washington in the opener of a four-game series.
Adam Duvall drove in nine runs with three homers Wednesday night, including a grand slam. Freddie Freeman had six RBIs and the Braves totaled 23 hits, including seven homers, to score the most runs in franchise history. They topped the old record by six runs. The outburst came a day after Atlanta was shut out by the Marlins on four hits.
Elsewhere in the majors:
ā Yankees star Gerrit Cole tries to end his three-game losing streak when he starts at home against Baltimore. He had won 20 straight regular-season decisions before this week. Cole, who turned 30 this week, is in the first season of a $324 million, nine-year contract. In his last three starts, he's allowed 14 runs on 17 hits and eight walks in 16 innings.
ā Mike Yastrzemski (yah-STREM'-skee) and the San Francisco Giants go for their sixth straight victory when they open a four-game series at NL West rival San Diego, which has won four in a row. Chris Paddock pitches for the Padres. Both teams have taken eight of their last 10.
ā Madison Bumgarner is still looking for his first win with the Diamondbacks. The left-hander makes his second start since returning from a mid-back strain when skidding Arizona hosts the major league-leading Dodgers again. Bumgarner yielded two runs over four innings against the Giants, his former team, in his first start off the injured list. The struggling Diamondbacks have dropped 18 of 20.
BOXING-OBIT-MINTER
British boxing great Alan Minter dies at age 69
LONDON (AP) ā Alan Minter, a British boxing great who followed up a bronze medal at the Olympics by becoming a world champion in the middleweight division in 1980, has died. He was 69.
The British Boxing Board of Control confirmed Minter's death on Thursday, without giving more details. He had been battling cancer.
Minter won bronze in the light-middleweight category at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and immediately turned professional, capturing British and European titles at middleweight within five years.
Minter became world champion by beating Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas and defended the title in a rematch. In his second defense, Minter was beaten in three rounds by Marvin Hagler at Wembley Stadium in September 1980.
Minter retired a year later.