Timberwolves Add LaMelo Ball in Bid to Crash NBA Parity Era
MINNEAPOLIS — The NBA has crowned a different champion in each of the last eight seasons, and the Minnesota Timberwolves enter 2026-27 convinced they are next in line. The streak runs from Toronto in 2019 through the Lakers, Milwaukee, Golden State, Denver, Boston and Oklahoma City to New York, which ended a 53-year wait for
Sean Payton Kiss on Charissa Thompson Sparks Fan Buzz
SEATTLE — A pregame chat between Denver coach Sean Payton and a familiar face from his television days became one of the most talked-about moments of Thursday night, and it had nothing to do with football. As Charissa Thompson, the studio host for the Thursday night streaming broadcast, wrapped up her interview with Payton before
NBA GMs Tab Spurs as Title Pick, Wembanyama for MVP
NEW YORK — The people who build NBA rosters see the 2026-27 season running through San Antonio. In the league's 25th annual survey of general managers, released Thursday, half of the voters picked the Spurs to win the championship. Oklahoma City, the choice of 80% a year ago, drew 43%, and the Knicks and 76ers
Porzingis Still Sidelined With Unspecified Health Issue
SAN FRANCISCO — Kristaps Porzingis remains unavailable for Golden State with no return date after missing camp and the entire exhibition slate, then resurfacing at the team building this week. Club officials said Wednesday the 7-foot-3 big man is still dealing with the same undisclosed health situation and will stay around the roster while he
NBA Tightens Flopping Calls for New Season
NEW YORK — League referees are putting flopping at the top of the 2026-27 enforcement list, and a preseason whistle on Knicks guard Jalen Brunson showed how quickly the standard can bite. During a Madison Square Garden exhibition on Oct. 12 against Minnesota, Brunson took a shove in the back from Rudy Gobert, stumbled, braced
SNU Safety Tyler Ulrich Dies After On-Field Injury
BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene University announced Thursday the death of Crimson Storm safety Tyler Ulrich, a week after he left an away game on a stretcher, and scrubbed this weekend trip to Southwestern Oklahoma State. Ulrich was 21. He went down Saturday in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, while Southern Nazarene fell 49-14 to Ouachita Baptist. Officials
Brewers Sweep Dodgers, Reach World Series
LOS ANGELES — Milwaukee finished off Los Angeles, the two-time reigning World Series champs, on Thursday night, taking National League Championship Series Game 4 by a 6-4 score at Dodger Stadium and completing a four-game sweep that sends the franchise back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982. Los Angeles jumped ahead
Broncos Edge Seahawks 17-14 in Overtime
DENVER — Wil Lutz drilled a 53-yard kick in overtime Thursday night, and the Denver Broncos escaped with a 17-14 result against Seattle at Mile High Stadium after JaQuan McMillian picked off Sam Darnold on the first sudden-death drive. Seattle opened overtime and faced third-and-7 from its own 28. Darnold forced a sideline throw into
Medved Blasts NCAA Over Fifth-Year Eligibility Chaos
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota coach Niko Medved spent more than seven minutes after the Thursday exhibition ripping the NCAA for how it rolled out a five-seasons-in-five-years eligibility model, saying the timing and legal fallout have left hundreds of players and coaches in limbo. Medved said he backed the broader five-for-five idea when it passed in June
IMF Sees 3.1% Global Growth but Warns Economic Buffers
BANGKOK — The International Monetary Fund says the world economy has held up better than expected against war, an energy shock and trade fights, but it is warning finance ministers gathered in Bangkok this week that the cushions behind that resilience are wearing thin. In its latest World Economic Outlook, released at the annual meetings