ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen had a message to the few thousands fans — and perhaps the en...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen had a message to the few thousands fans — and perhaps the entire NFL, for that matter — who left the stadium early to beat the traffic on Sunday night.Maybe they should’ve stuck around.“Our team didn’t quit,” Allen said, his voice almost hoarse after rallying the Bills from a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes to a thrilling season-opening 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens. “I think there’s people who left the stadium. That’s OK. We’ll be fine. But have some faith next time.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Allen refused to let up in scoring two touchdowns and throwing another — with <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1964890766662361514">Keon Coleman catching a tipped pass in the end zone</a> — in a frantic fourth quarter alone. The NFL’s reigning MVP then capped the win by overseeing a nine-play, 66-yard drive over the final 86 seconds in setting up <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1964896050432590263">Matt Prater’s 32-yard field goal</a> as time expired.“Josh, he’s always been like that though. He wants the ball in key moments of the game,” coach Sean McDermott said. “That’s what the great ones, that’s their mindset. That’s what they want, that's what they do. And he’s never out of it in his mind.”Allen finished going 33 of 46 for 394 yards and two touchdowns and earned his 77th win, tying Joe Ferguson for second on the Bills list.The Bills' defense bent but didn’t break in an outing it was being trampled by Derrick Henry, who finished with 169 yards rushing and scored twice. Meantime, Lamar Jackson combined for three touchdowns, including two passing, in steering an offense that scored on seven of its first eight possessions.Henry, however, contributed to the loss <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1964891538628231364">by losing a fumble with 3:06 left,</a> which opened the door for Buffalo’s comeback.Allen scored on a 1-yard run two minutes later in cutting the lead to 40-38. And the Bills then got the ball back after the defense forced a three-and-out on what became Baltimore’s final possession.“The biggest thing I saw when we got down early, no one blinked,” Prater said. The 41-year-old made his Bills debut, replacing Tyler Bass, who’s on injured reserve with hip and groin issues.Buffalo overcame a fourth-quarter 15-point deficit for just the fourth time in team history. Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to lose when scoring 40 or more points and rushing for 235 yards or more.“You just got to finish the game,” Jackson said. “It’s not over until there is zero, zero, zero on the clock. And we found that out tonight.”Henry blamed himself for the fumble, which was forced by Ed Oliver and recovered by Terrel Bernard at Baltimore’s 30.“I told my teammates after the game, put the loss on me. I own it like a man,” Henry said. “Got lackadaisical and they made a play. ... If I take care of the ball, I feel like it would be a different situation.”The game appeared over when Henry <a href="https://x.com/Ravens/status/1964885118746501375">scored on a 46-yard run</a> to put Baltimore ahead 40-25 with 11:42 remaining.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BuffaloBills</a> win probability was as low as 1.1% with 8:37 remaining in the fourth quarter trailing 40-25. This was the most improbable comeback by the Bills with Josh Allen at QB, and the 13th-most improbable comeback by any team over the last decade. Powered by <a href="https://twitter.com/awscloud?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@awscloud</a> <a href="https://t.co/cn4UXnYxB3">pic.twitter.com/cn4UXnYxB3</a>— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1964898872939217298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>This prime-time matchup lived up to the preseason hype as a rematch of Buffalo’s 27-25 win over Baltimore the divisional round of last season’s AFC playoffs.Buffalo finished with 497 yards of offense. The teams combined for 929.The fans even got involved, with Jackson shoving back at a man in the end zone while celebrating DeAndre Hopkins’ 29-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter. The man struck Hopkins in the helmet, and attempted to do so to Jackson, who responded by shoving the man back into his seat.“I seen him slap D-Hop, then he slapped me, and he was talking and I just forgot where I was for a little bit,” Jackson said, noting he should have let security officials handle the fans. “I just let my emotions get the best of me there. I’ll handle it better next time.”The atmosphere was electric on a night the Bills marked their 53rd and final home opener at Highmark Stadium, affectionally called “The Ralph.” Next season, the team is set to move into a $2.1 billion facility being constructed across the street.Allen oversaw last-minute scoring drives to close each half, with Prater hitting a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.Ravens rookie Tyler Loop made two field goals in his debut but missed an extra point that proved costly. Loop was a sixth-round draft pick and replaced Justin Tucker, who was released in the offseason after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists.Baltimore’s Zay Flowers had seven catches for a career-high 143 yards and a touchdown.Henry passed Jim Brown to move into sixth on the career rushing TD list with 108. And he matched Brown’s record by posting his 13th game with at least 150 yards rushing and two scores.Up nextRavens: Host AFC North rival Cleveland next Sunday.Bills: At the AFC East rival New York Jets next Sunday.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Matt Prater #15 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates with teammates after kicking the game winning field goal against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.

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DENVER (AP) — Denver's ferocious defense has no bigger fan than Bo Nix.  “It's the best feeling w...

DENVER (AP) — Denver's ferocious defense has no bigger fan than Bo Nix.“It's the best feeling when you've got a great defense,” the second-year quarterback said Sunday after the defense bailed him out and spoiled top overall draft pick <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-titans-cam-ward-773c1ce93688e3be7d37c4cbcc427775">Cam Ward's debut</a> in a 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans.Nix had an off-day, throwing a pair of interceptions to go with his one touchdown toss and losing a fumble for the first time since 2021 when he was at Auburn.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Nix's defense had his back again and again, piling up a half-dozen sacks and holding the Titans to a measly 2.4 yards per play.“I mean, just over and over they got us out of a jam,” Nix said.Ward was held to 12-of-28 passing for 112 yards with no touchdowns. He didn’t have an interception, but fumbled the ball away in the final minute on his sixth sack.The Titans went 2 for 14 on third down and their 133 yards of total offense was almost entirely wiped out by their 131 yards on 13 accepted penalties.“The one that really sticks out is they get the ball down 1 and we get two sacks and get them out of field goal range," Nix said. "That'll change the game in a hurry and changes the environment ... It was awesome to see different players making big plays.”Because of that deep defense, the Titans managed just six points on their four takeaways.“Incredibly frustrating,” Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said. “Those are opportunities to score points and put the game away and we didn’t do it.”Last season, teams that had four or more turnovers won just three of 18 games.“We had a dominant performance,” said reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II. “Starting the season off like that should allow us to separate ourselves.”The Broncos befuddled Ward, forcing five punts and a turnover on Tennessee's final six possessions after the Titans had gone ahead 12-10 on Joey Slye's fourth field goal in the third quarter.Quarterbacks taken at No. 1 overall are now 4-15-1 in the common draft era starting a season opener. Since 2000, the last 17 quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall are <a href="https://x.com/JoshDubowAP/status/1962538360297406629">1-15-1</a>.“The only way," Ward said, “is up.”Fruitless fourth quarterTennessee had three chances to tie it in the final five minutes but came up empty each time.After holding Nix to no gain on fourth-and-inches at the Denver 46 with 5:07 remaining, Tennessee went three-and-out and punted for the eighth time.The Titans stuffed Marvin Mims Jr. well short of the line to gain with under 3 minutes to go, but star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he knocked Mims to the ground after the whistle. Earlier, Simmons was responsible for Nix's first lost fumble as a pro.That flag extended the drive, which ended on an incompletion on fourth-and-8 from the Tennessee 36 with 1:05 remaining. That gave Ward &amp; Co. one last shot but after three incompletions, Ward was strip-sacked by Ja'Quan McMillian on fourth down and Broncos first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron recovered.Hectic halfThe teams combined to score 10 points in the final 16 seconds of the first half.Nix threw a <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1964804003440849009">22-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton</a> that gave Denver its first lead at 10-6, but instead of blasting the ball through the end zone for a touchback, Wil Lutz kicked off to the 5 and Chimere Dike returned it 71 yards to the Denver 24. Slye nailed a 42-yard field goal to pull Tennessee to 10-9 at the break.Lutz restored Denver's lead with a 33-yard field goal and rookie R.J. Harvey's 50-yard scamper set up J.K. Dobbins' 19-yard TD burst.Mims, a two-time All-Pro punt returner, muffed a punt early in the fourth quarter, giving Tennessee possession at the Denver 24. Consecutive sacks by Jonah Ellis and Zach Allen pushed the Titans out of field goal range, however.“Can’t take a sack in those situations," Callahan said. “It’s a learning moment for him. This is a really tough test out the gate, his first start against his defense in this stadium. There’s plenty of things he’s going to learn.”InjuriesTitans: RB Kalel Mullings sustained an ankle injury in the first half. ... T JC Latham suffered a hip injury and CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. got hurt in the second half.Broncos: TE Evan Engram suffered a calf injury in the second half, stayed in the game and then limped off in the fourth quarter and tossed his helmet.Up nextTitans: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.Broncos: At the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/nfl</a>

DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 07: Cam Ward #1 of the Tennessee Titans walks off the field after a loss to the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

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MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Denny Hamlin won from the pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway, pl...

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Denny Hamlin won from the pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway, playing the strategy perfectly to lead the final 25 laps in his series-high fifth victory this season.With his 59th career win, Hamlin advanced to the second round of the Cup Series playoffs and joined Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who finished second after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-cup-darlington-playoffs-chase-briscoe-a1f13b30ef978e3f02a92a6ed7729c69">winning last week’s opener at Darlington Raceway</a>.The No. 11 Toyota team called Hamlin to the pits for his final stop with 44 laps remaining, and he cycled to the front on a caution 15 laps later. The Virginia native seized the lead from Brad Keselowski on the restart, delivering the 200th win in NASCAR’s premier series for Toyota.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Chase Elliott finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano as playoff drivers swept the top five spots at the 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis that is commonly referred to as Gateway.Other playoff drivers in the top 10 were Christopher Bell (seventh) and Bubba Wallace (eighth), who led 73 of 240 laps and won the race’s second stage.The Cup Series now will head to Bristol Motor Speedway for the first-round cutoff race that will trim the playoff field from 16 to 12 drivers. After Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry are outside the top 12 points positions that will advance to the second round.Rough startBerry will need a win at Bristol to advance to the next round after opening his Cup playoff debut with consecutive last-place finishes. The Wood Brothers Racing driver was tapped in the left rear by Elliott, sending Berry’s No. 21 Ford spinning into the Turn 2 wall on the 36th lap.“Chase and that team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that was on purpose,” said Berry, who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-cup-darlington-playoffs-chase-briscoe-a1f13b30ef978e3f02a92a6ed7729c69">crashed on the first lap of the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway</a>. “Just wrong place, wrong time for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll just go to Bristol and try to do the best we can and put ourselves in position to race for a win, and that’s really all we can do at this point.”Former team owner diesNASCAR <a href="https://x.com/NASCAR_Comms/status/1964753091732869252">announced the death of Bill Davis</a>, whose teams won 40 races in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series from 1993-2008. Davis had all five of his Cup victories with driver Ward Burton, including the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500. The Arkansas native, who was 74, also fielded cars for Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte before they won Cup championships with other teams.“A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Davis made a lasting mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the people around him,” NASCAR said in a statement. “His teams celebrated some of NASCAR’s most prestigious victories. ... Bill was more than a competitor — he was a friend to all in the garage, respected for his kindness, generosity, and genuine love for racing."Up nextThe first round of the Cup playoffs will conclude next Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Defending race winner Kyle Larson <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-cup-bristol-kyle-larson-edwards-c7ebe7e5a9c7f48c047aee5761b03902">has won consecutive races at Bristol</a>, leading 872 of the past 1,000 laps on the 0.533-mile oval in Tennessee.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

MADISON, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 07: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on September 07, 2025 in Madison, Illinois.

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SEATTLE (AP) — San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the sec...

SEATTLE (AP) — San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and did not return to the game.Coach Kyle Shanahan said after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/49ers-seahawks-score-3c5348ddfd5796cbe83a0b2de8fc63e9">San Francisco's 17-13 win over Seattle</a> that Kittle would have an MRI on Monday.Kittle scored on a 5-yard pass from Brock Purdy midway through the first quarter to give the 49ers a 7-0 lead. He finished with four catches for 25 yards.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Kittle had one of his most productive seasons as a receiver in 2024, with 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight TDs for an injury-riddled San Francisco offense. He has earned first- or second-team All-Pro honors in five of the past seven seasons.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/nfl</a>

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 07: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass against Coby Bryant #8 of the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter during the game at Lumen Field on September 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over Jannik Sinner with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1...

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over Jannik Sinner with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory Sunday in the U.S. Open final — the third Grand Slam tournament in a row where these elite, young rivals met to decide the champion — for his second trophy at Flushing Meadows and sixth overall at a major.President Donald Trump sat in a sponsor’s suite in Arthur Ashe Stadium and received a mix of cheers and boos when he offered a wave beforehand and again when he was shown on videoboards after the first set. The match’s start was delayed by about a half-hour because thousands of fans were still outside in line, trying to get through the extra security measures in place because of the presence of a sitting president at the tournament for the first time since Bill Clinton in 2000.Perhaps the extra wait got the No. 1-seeded Sinner, who was the defending champion. Right from the beginning under a closed roof because of rain earlier in the day, No. 2 Alcaraz was better as he sought to reverse the result from when they met at the All England Club less than two months ago.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>He did just that, putting his leads over Sinner at 10-5 in their head-to-head series, 6-4 in major trophies, and 2-1 in U.S. Open championships. Plus, this win allowed Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, to take away the No. 1 ranking from Sinner, a 24-year-old from Italy.These two guys are so, so much better than the rest of men’s tennis at the moment.They have combined to collect the past eight Slam trophies in a row, and 10 of 13. Novak Djokovic, whom Alcaraz eliminated in Friday’s semifinals, took the other three in that span.Sunday’s showdown represented the first time in tennis history that the same two men played each other in three consecutive Slam finals within a single season.This hard-court matchup followed Alcaraz’s victory over Sinner after erasing a trio of match points on the French Open’s red clay in June, and Sinner’s victory over Alcaraz on Wimbledon’s grass in July.Both Sinner, who had won his past 27 hard-court matches at majors, and Alcaraz offered glimpses of why they are so good, although it was rare that both were at their best simultaneously on this occasion.Alcaraz was elite in the first, third and fourth sets, Sinner’s top efforts arrived in the second.In sum, Alcaraz was better and for longer, ending up with twice as many winners, 42-21.Since the start of the 2024 U.S. Open, Sinner had won 33 of 34 matches at the majors and Sunday was his fifth straight final at those events. The loss? To Alcaraz at Roland-Garros.Indeed, over the last two seasons, Sinner is now 1-7 against Alcaraz and 109-4 against everyone else.Alcaraz, meanwhile, has won 37 of 38 contests since May. The loss? To Sinner at the All England Club — also Alcaraz’s lone defeat in a Slam final.In 2025, Alcaraz now has more tournament titles (a tour-leading seven) than losses (his record is 61-6, also the best in men’s tennis).During his defeat in Wimbledon’s final, Alcaraz was caught by a camera telling his team about Sinner in Spanish: “From the back of the court, he’s much better than me.”So perhaps that’s why Alcaraz was aggressive Sunday with his sledgehammer of a forehand — and on-target, too. Whenever even the smallest opening presented itself, Alcaraz tried to barge on through with that shot, going big early in points, which worked, either for an outright winner or forcing mistakes from Sinner.Sinner had dropped a total of just one service game in his three matches leading into the final, but he did deal with an abdominal muscle issue in his semifinal Friday. Sinner and his coach said it was nothing serious, which might be right, but Alcaraz broke right away Sunday and five times in all.To counteract the forehand effectiveness, Sinner made a tactical switch, going increasingly after Alcaraz’s backhand when possible. That both limited Alcaraz’s opportunities to strike a point-ending forehand and drew additional mistakes off the other wing.Paid off for Sinner. Briefly.In the first set and third, Alcaraz’s ratios were 11 winners to two unforced errors. Truly remarkable. In the second, those numbers swung the other way: five winners, 11 unforced errors.An hour and 20 minutes in, it was a set apiece, after Alcaraz ceded one for the first time all tournament, allowing Neale Fraser to retain his distinction as the most recent man to win every set he played at the event — all the way back in 1960.As Sinner worked his way into things, he would celebrate just about every point he gathered by looking at the corner of the stands where his two coaches and others, including Olympic champion ski racer Lindsey Vonn, were seated and pumped his right fist.Ah, but it was Alcaraz who seemed to have more of the ticket-buyers on his side.___Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain poses with his trophy after defeating Jannik Sinner of Italy during their Men's Singles Final match on Day Fifteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2025 in New York City.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers walked off the field a winner in his Pittsburgh Steele...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers walked off the field a winner in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut. And a villain to the New York Jets fans who had cheered him during his failed two-year stint in the Big Apple.After throwing four touchdown passes to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/steelers-jets-score-rodgers-b1d1f0f22c45d7be8b89a9f4a009f574">help the Steelers win 34-32</a> on Sunday, Rodgers smiled as he shook hands with coach Mike Tomlin and new teammate Cam Heyward and then mockingly put his right hand up to his ear as the Jets fans jeered at him.He wasn’t trying to hear any of that.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>A smirking Rodgers kept walking until he spotted a large group of Steelers fans, waving their yellow “Terrible Towels,” and he raised his right fist to acknowledge them.“It was nice to win, especially after hearing some of the catcalls,” Rodgers acknowledged after the game. “I’m not sensitive about that. I expected that.“There were people in the (Jets) organization that didn’t think I could play anymore, so it was nice to remind those people that I still can.”It’s tough to argue with him now.While he doesn’t have the mobility he once did as a four-time NFL MVP while with the Packers during his 18 years in Green Bay, Rodgers still has an arm and instincts plenty good enough against a Jets team that gave him and the Steelers fits.Rodgers downplayed the revenge angle all week, as did the Jets. But it was only natural he would be extra motivated to beat the team that released him in the offseason when new coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey decided to go in a different direction.Rodgers publicly balked at the way the Jets, particularly Glenn, handled his departure in what he described as a lack of “ample respect” in their face-to-face meeting in February.“I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” Rodgers said when asked if he was happy to beat Glenn. “I gave as much as I could to the team. I didn’t have any hard feelings about it not working out.“I didn’t maybe appreciate the way it went down in the end, but that’s in the past. And we’re 1-and-0.”Rodgers, who signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers, got things started quickly by throwing <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1964740497836273820">a TD pass on his first drive</a> that came after he was greeted by a chorus of boos from Jets fans and was then sacked on the first play by Quinnen Williams.But Rodgers then went to work on an efficient drive, capping it by finding a wide-open Ben Skowronek for a 22-yard touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 7-3 lead with 3:38 left in the opening quarter.Rodgers jogged to the end zone with the rest of the Steelers players to celebrate the score — his first in black and gold.With the Steelers trailing 19-10, Rodgers got his second TD pass of the game on Pittsburgh’s fourth series on a <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1964755367495397424">jet sweep toss to Jonnu Smith</a> for a 3-yard score with 32 seconds left in the second quarter.He threw two more TD passes in a 50-second span in the fourth quarter — a 5-yard pass to Jaylen Warren and, after the Steelers recovered a fumbled kickoff, a go-ahead 18-yard score to Calvin Austin III.Rodgers finished 22 of 30 for 244 yards and the four scores.During warmups two hours before kickoff, Rodgers — wearing a black cap and a black-and-gold Steelers hoodie — was <a href="https://x.com/snyjets/status/1964706745130823911">greeted by several of his former teammates</a> and got big hugs from Williams, running back Breece Hall, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, among others.Rodgers was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/steelers-jets-rodgers-preview-capsule-ee4ecd02f0acf143c8bafd3f83ccec91">the headliner in the season-opening matchup</a>, and for good reason. After all, his trade to the Jets during the offseason in 2023 made them instant championship contenders and a constant topic of conversation.But four snaps into his debut in New York — moments after he carried the American field onto the field in pregame introductions — Rodgers went down with a torn left Achilles tendon and the Jets’ Super Bowl dreams immediately fizzled.Rodgers made it back last season and threw 28 touchdown passes with 3,897 yards passing — both rank third for a single season in franchise history. But he lacked some mobility early in his return and then dealt with a few additional leg injuries, including a significant hamstring ailment.The Jets’ offense with Rodgers struggled to produce, the defense was a shell of its formerly dominant self and it cost both general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh their jobs in the middle of a 5-12 season.In what turned out to be his final appearance with New York, Rodgers threw a season-high four touchdown passes in a win over Miami on Jan. 5 at MetLife Stadium. He became the fifth player in NFL history to reach 500 regular-season touchdown passes.In his very next game there, in a new uniform with a new team, he reached 507 — one behind Brett Favre for fourth all-time. And it came in a victory against familiar opponents.“I love beating everybody,” Rodgers said. “It doesn’t matter who it is.”___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/NFL</a>

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 07: Aaron Rodgers #8 and head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers react after beating the New York Jets 34-32 during the game at MetLife Stadium on September 07, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — With his team leading by 10 points and facing a long third down late in ...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — With his team leading by 10 points and facing a long third down late in the fourth, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was calm.Find a way to pick up a first down and eat some clock, and the Patriots would be left in desperation mode. But a three-and-out could give New England new life.“Those situations, game on the line, I love the ball in my hands. That’s what I live for,” Smith said.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>He showed why, tossing a 36-yard pass to Dont’e Thornton that helped the Raiders run the clock under two minutes and put the game away.Smith finished with 362 yards and a touchdown in his Raiders debut while rookie Ashton Jeanty rushed for his <a href="https://x.com/Raiders/status/1964765386509099021">first TD</a> and Las Vegas rallied to beat the Patriots 20-13 in their season-opener Sunday.Tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 103 yards before leaving with a knee injury. Jakobi Meyers added eight catches for 97 yards. Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce also added sacks to help give Pete Carroll his first victory as the Raiders’ coach.“Geno had a regular game today,” Carroll said. “I don’t think it was a big statement game or anything like that. I just think it was what he does.”Smith had nine pass plays that went for 20 or more yards, tied for the most in his career. It also was the most in a single game by a Raiders quarterback since at least 1991.Las Vegas outscored the Patriots 13-3 in the second half. New England got within seven points on a 44-yard field goal by rookie Andy Borregales, but its ensuing onside kick rolled out of bounds.New England was just 4 of 14 on third down in coach Mike Vrabel’s debut. The Patriots rushed 18 times for only 60 yards.Drake Maye was 30 of 46 for 287 yards and a <a href="https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1964745630602944525">touchdown</a> but also had an interception that led to the Raiders’ go-ahead score. Kayshon Boutte finished with six catches for 103 yards. Jaylinn Hawkins had an interception and a sack.Vrabel said avoiding late deficits must start with getting more overall production offensively.“We have to be more balanced,” Vrabel said.Las Vegas trailed 10-7 early in the third when Maye threw an errant pass that was picked off by Isaiah Pola-Mao.The Raiders opened their ensuing drive with back to-back passes to Meyers for 23 and 19 yards. The second grab by Meyers was augmented by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call on Jaylinn Hawkins that set Las Vegas up on the New England 14.Jeanty scored two plays later from 3 yards out to put the Raiders in front 14-10.InjuriesRaiders: Bowers left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. LB Elandon Roberts exited with a left elbow injury following a collision late in the first quarter and didn’t return.Patriots: Boutte was helped off late in the first quarter after taking a hard hit from Devin White following a 24-yard catch. Boutte returned in the second quarter.Early actionThe Raiders opened the game with a 23-yard pass by Smith to Bowers. They needed just three more plays to get inside the Patriots 25. Then, following a holding penalty, Smith capped the drive with a 26-yard TD pass to Tre Tucker to put Las Vegas in front 7-0.A quick Patriots three-and-out gave it back to the Raiders and they continued to gash New England’s secondary with long receptions to Meyers and Jack Bech.The Patriots defense finally found some traction when Carlton Davis III tipped a pass intended for Bowers that was pulled in by Jaylinn Hawkins for an interception.It set up a 12-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard TD pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas.New England took a 10-7 lead on a 35-yard field goal by Borregales.Up nextRaiders: Host Chargers on Sept. 15.Patriots: At Miami next Sunday.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/NFL</a>

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 07: Geno Smith #7 of the Las Vegas Raiders throws the ball during the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Cincinnati’s defense came up with two second-half turnovers, including DJ Turner...

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cincinnati’s defense came up with two second-half turnovers, including DJ Turner’s interception with 1:24 remaining, and the Bengals held on for a 17-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.The Bengals — playing their first game under new defensive coordinator Al Golden — got the huge plays on a day when the offense sputtered in the second half.Cincinnati, which won an opener for the first time since 2021, also benefitted from new Cleveland kicker Andre Szmyt missing a pair of second-half kicks.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Szmyt, won the kicking competition from Dustin Hopkins in the preseason, was wide right on an extra point after Cedric Tillman’s 5-yard TD reception midway through the third quarter put Cleveland up 16-14.Szmyt was wide right again on a potential go-ahead 36-yard attempt with 2:25 remaining in the game.Joe Burrow completed 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown while Ja’Marr Chase had only two receptions for 26 yards. Noah Fant had four catches for 26 yards, including a 1-yard TD catch with 4:18 remaining in the first half.The Browns outgained the Bengals 327-141 and had the ball for nearly 36 minutes, but it wasn’t enough.Cleveland’s Joe Flacco was 31 of 45 for 290 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.Both of the picks were the result though of the ball going off the hands off Browns receivers and the Bengals’ defensive backs making great plays.Evan McPherson’s 35-yard field goal off the right hashmark with 2:48 remaining in the third quarter put the Bengals up 17-16. It was set up after Jordan Battle intercepted Flacco’s pass at the Browns 36.The ball went off Jerry Jeudy’s hands and knees while he was on ground, but Battle dove, came up with the ball and returned it 2 yards.Cleveland got the ball at its 33 with 1:50 remaining, but Cedric Tillman had a pass go off his hands and into the arms of Turner at the Browns 47 and returned 7 yards.Long time comingChase Brown’s 5-yard score marked the first time since 2015 that the Bengals had a touchdown on its first possession of the season. Brown had seven carries for 29 yards on the first drive and finished with 43 yards on 21 carries.Raheim Sanders gave the Browns only their third touchdown on its season-opening possession since their return in 1999 with a 1-yard dive off right tackle to tie it at 7-7 early in the second quarter.InjuriesBengals: Guard Lucas Patrick left with a calf injury in the second quarter and did not return, LB Logan Wilson was evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter but came back in the fourth.Browns: OT Jack Conklin suffered an eye injury in the second quarter and did not return.Up nextBengals host Jacksonville next Sunday.Browns are at Baltimore next Sunday.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/nfl</a>

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 07: The Cincinnati Bengals players celebrate after a interception during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns during the game at Huntington Bank Field on September 07, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The game between Carolina and Jacksonville was delayed roughly 75 minut...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The game between Carolina and Jacksonville was delayed roughly 75 minutes because of severe weather and lightning in the area.Players and coaches headed to locker rooms with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter and with the Jaguars leading 10-3. Fans in open areas were asked to move to “protected areas” as a thunderstorm storm hovered northeast of EverBank Stadium.Teams returned to the field around 2:55 p.m. EDT, with the game scheduled to resume following a 15-minute warmup period.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The game was the debut of first-time Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, whose team took the lead on Trevor Lawrence's 6-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Long. The drive came after Carolina's Bryce Young threw an interception.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/nfl</a>

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 07: A weather alert is displayed after lighting delayed the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida.

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Ohio State, Penn State and LSU remained the top three teams in The Associated Press Top 25 colleg...

Ohio State, Penn State and LSU remained the top three teams in <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press Top 25</a> college football poll Sunday, Oregon is back in the top five and South Florida is ranked for the first time in seven years.There was some movement inside the top 10, but the <a href="https://apnews.com/live/top-25-college-football-poll-9-7-2025?#00000199-2502-dba2-a5f9-e76a09490000">biggest changes came from Nos. 11 to 25.</a>Ohio State, whose <a href="https://apnews.com/article/grambling-ohio-state-football-score-96b9a6e7e8bb3dfabe25477cf6431d4c">70-0 win over Grambling</a> was among a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-blowouts-0c47d31f2102ab2ab03f97af9da9e23d">bevy of weekend blowouts</a>, received 57 of the 65 first-place votes from the media panel. Penn State got five first-place votes and LSU two.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>No. 4 Oregon, which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-oregon-score-0ff94fe3dc18d47d9fb006abaa79ef73">thrashed Oklahoma State</a>, received the other first place-vote and flip-flopped with Georgia. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-peay-georgia-football-score-6488a2d750744d8aa5e826876c36be7e">Bulldogs' uninspired win over FCS foe Austin Peay</a> caused them to slip to No. 6 behind Miami.Texas, Notre Dame, Illinois and Florida State round out the top 10, with the latter two teams in the top 10 for the first time this season.Oklahoma earned a five-rung promotion to No. 13, its highest ranking in two years, after its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-oklahoma-football-score-205174dd4457f58e604c72adb0d8c767">win over Michigan.</a> The Wolverines dropped to No. 23. Tennessee jumped seven spots to No. 15, and No. 16 Texas A&amp;M and No. 17 each moved up three. The biggest upward mover was No. 18 South Florida, which was eight spots out of the Top 25 last week. The Bulls pulled the upset of the day with their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-florida-florida-score-e3fd8638afa93e11f72225d5c9d0aeaf">18-16 win over then-No. 13 Florida.</a> That followed their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/boise-state-usf-college-football-score-ef603421c931da0212499fac6a307fed">34-7 home win over then-No. 25 Boise State.</a>In and outNo. 24 Auburn and No. 25 Missouri cracked the rankings along with USF.Auburn followed a two-touchdown win at Baylor with an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ball-state-auburn-score-9fe86dc8498fed144c4591dbbc3982f1">easy victory over Ball State</a> and are in the Top 25 for the first time under third-year coach Hugh Freeze.Missouri, which appeared in all but two polls last season, is back in after a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-missouri-tigers-score-35377af3619d71c2b31ce253c6a7708a">win over Border War rival Kansas.</a>Arizona State (12), Florida (13) and SMU (17) are out.The Sun Devils erased a 17-point deficit and led in the final minute before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-mississippi-state-score-867c1da1d4d9d9467b4d865768dd2f31">losing at Mississippi State.</a> Florida's loss <a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-billy-napier-scott-stricklin-e3489c1cc482136e954a269d822bb481">put heat back on coach Billy Napier.</a> SMU also blew a lead in the last minute and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/smu-baylor-score-t25-6fe87aff4f9731097d2be93c8521c6ee">lost to Baylor in two overtimes.</a><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Team</th>
<th>Record</th>
<th>Previous Rank</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Ohio State</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Penn State</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>LSU</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Miami</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Georgia</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Texas</td>
<td> 1-1</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Notre Dame</td>
<td>0-1</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Illinois</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Florida State</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>South Carolina</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Clemson</td>
<td> 1-1</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Iowa State</td>
<td> 3-0</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>Tennessee</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>Ole Miss</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>South Florida</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>Alabama</td>
<td> 1-1</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>Utah</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td>Texas Tech</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td>Indiana</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td>Michigan</td>
<td> 1-1</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td>Auburn</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td>Missouri</td>
<td> 2-0</td>
<td>NR</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Poll points— The Bulls’ ascent under third-year coach Alex Golesh is more of a revival than breakthrough. They have their first ranking since 2018 under Charlie Strong. Jim Leavitt had the 2008 team as high as No. 10, and his 2007 team spent three straight weeks in the top 10 and was No. 2 after a 6-0 start.— No. 10 Florida State, up four spots, has its highest ranking since it was No. 10 in the 2024 preseason poll.— No. 9 Illinois has its first top-10 ranking since it was No. 7 in December 2001.— Clemson, which trailed Troy 16-0 midway through the second quarter before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/troy-clemson-football-score-522fb30f9c288bbf0a5ef08002f5866f">winning 27-16,</a> slipped from No. 8 to No. 12.— Until Sunday, Alabama and Auburn had not appeared in the Top 25 at the same time since November 2021.— The 18-team Southeastern Conference is the first league to have 11 teams in the Top 25.Conference callSEC — 11 ranked teams (Nos. 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 24, 25).Big Ten — 6 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 9, 22, 23).ACC — 3 (Nos. 5, 10, 12).Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 14, 20, 21).American — 1 (No. 18).Independent — 1 (No. 8). Ranked vs. rankedNo. 18 South Florida at No. 5 Miami: Bulls will try to become the fifth team, and first since Miami in 1987, to open a season with three wins over ranked opponents.No. 6 Georgia at No. 15 Tennessee: First big test for Volunteers QB Joey Aguilar. Bulldogs go for ninth straight win in the series.No. 16 Texas A&amp;M at No. 8 Notre Dame: Irish out to avoid second 0-2 start in four years. Jeremiyah Love scored late tie-breaking touchdown for Notre Dame in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/botre-dame-texas-am-score-17cbfd7639784c6359cac0e8a35373f6">last year's season-opening meeting in College Station.</a>___AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college football: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>

EUGENE, OREGON - SEPTEMBER 6: Teitum Tuioti #44 celebrates with Bryce Boettcher #28 of the Oregon Ducks fter a play during the first half of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Autzen Stadium on September 6, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Fans enduring a lengthy wait to get into the U.S. Open final booed and chanted “L...

NEW YORK (AP) — Fans enduring a lengthy wait to get into the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-open-trump-final-alcaraz-sinner-3852812d92685c24cb56b1db9e83adec?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">U.S. Open final</a> booed and chanted “Let us in! Let us in!” when the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner began Sunday after a delay.With extra security measures in place because <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-us-open-sporting-events-boos-5a80b02c78403f1f2f87a30852ffb0f5?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">President Donald Trump was watching</a> the match from a suite inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match a half-hour from its original 2 p.m. EDT time.But thousands of fans were still far from the entrance to the arena when play eventually began.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Some said they were never informed there would be a lengthy wait to get in after they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Once they went through security to enter the grounds, as usual, there was then another stop to be checked in front of the steps into Ashe, which has nearly 24,000 seats.“We recognize that enhanced security for the President’s visit to the US Open may have contributed to delays for attendees,” the Secret Service said in a statement. “We sincerely thank every fan for their patience and understanding. Protecting the President required a comprehensive effort, and we are grateful to the US Tennis community and our New York public safety partners for their essential collaboration and support.”A sign on the video board above the entrance to Ashe told fans that the match was being pushed back to 2:30 because of the “security measures in place,” but some said that was the first they were aware of it.“On an airplane when you have a delay, you get notifications,” said Diana Diaz, who traveled from Florida with fiance Derrick Cutler and also attended the women's final Saturday, when there was no wait in front of Ashe.They ate ice cream while in line to pass the time while fans asked what was causing such a delay.“This is not a delay. This is something else,” Diaz said.USTA spokesman Brendan McIntyre said emails were sent to ticket holders Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and a push message was sent to the U.S. Open app at 9 a.m. Sunday.But many fans never saw it, with thousands still stuck in a line that snaked all the way to the practice courts near an entrance as play was set to begin. As a shot of the crowds was shown during ABC's coverage, broadcaster Chris Fowler noted that it appeared fans were “not adequately told to be prepared for this.”In fact, some early arriving ones, as usual, went to the shops and concession stands around the grounds after getting to Flushing Meadows. One fan said she would have bypassed that and gotten right into the line for Ashe had she known how long it would take.The match was shown on one of the big screens above the entrance so fans could watch while they waited, while another showed some of the match stats.___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives in the Rolex suite prior to the Men's Singles Final match between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain on Day Fifteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2025 in New York City.

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RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Georgia advanced to the quarterfinals at the EuroBasket tournament for the fi...

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Georgia advanced to the quarterfinals at the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eurobasket-2025-jokic-doncic-antetokounmpo-51c8927f54492896677dc58eb5c5064d">EuroBasket</a> tournament for the first time with a dominant 80-70 win against France on Sunday.France was runner-up to Spain in the 2022 final but both teams failed to reach the quarterfinal stage this time. Georgia will face Finland, which knocked out <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eurobasket-turkey-serbia-jokic-germany-0e199510d28517051234c78b75fd4df5">Nikola Jokic’s Serbia</a> side on Saturday.Georgia’s players sprinted off the bench at the end of the round-of-16 match, hugging and jumping up and down as their fans banged drums and danced in the crowd in Riga, Latvia.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“Unbelievable. I’m really happy, congrats to my teammates, everyone, all our fans in Georgia and here,” Georgia veteran Giorgi Shermadini said. “France are amazing, but today we played better in defense and offense.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-france-usa-basketball-11c95e9b6dfdb25f77c122cd1abe58e5">Olympic silver medalist France</a> made only six of its 36 3-pointer attempts for a paltry average of 17% while Georgia scored from over half of its 3-pointers and punished France for frequently fouling by scoring 20 of 24 free throws.Georgia led by one point at halftime and by nine early into the fourth quarter, with Barcelona forward Tornike Shengelia’s blend of athleticism and raw power pressuring France’s inexperienced defense.France’s scrappy offense failed to get Guerschon Yabusele — who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eurobasket-france-spain-israel-avdija-ea42938d4ce0d6cc3d3b7f39954afae4">scored 36 points</a> against Poland during the group stage — into enough open play and he was too often pushed out wide.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2024-french-basketball-paris-olympics-5340a58694850c2ec6772efc3c377a7d">Zaccharie Risacher</a>, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2024-picks-d0c2138bbf0477d1349775cb697750d7">No. 1 NBA draft pick</a> last year, found some form as France dragged itself back into the game and, with three minutes left, the score was 68-68.But France’s wastefulness from 3-pointers ultimately proved costly as Les Bleus could not get on a run.Shengelia was inspirational for Georgia with 24 points and eight rebounds, while American-born Kamar Baldwin also scored 24 for Georgia, which <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-eurobasket-2025/games/122994-GEO-ESP">beat Spain</a> during the group stage.“We never stopped fighting, believing,” Shengelia said. “I want to thank the people who came this far to Riga to support us, we felt the extra energy.”Point guard Sylvain Francisco top-scored with 14 points for France. Yabusele was restricted to 12 points and Risacher mustered only seven.France coach Frédéric Fauthoux was without NBA star Victor Wembanyama — who has been dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder — and key veterans like Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier.Ultimately, Wembanyama’s absence combined with a new coach and new players proved too much.Prolific DoncicLos Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić scored 42 points and had 10 rebounds as Slovenia held off a fourth-quarter surge from Italy to win 84-77 and set up a quarterfinal match against World Cup winner Germany.Slovenia led 29-11 at the end of the first quarter and Dončić reached 30 points by halftime — the fourth time this tournament that the star has scored at least 30 points in a game.But Italy staged a stunning comeback and moved within one point of Slovenia with just under two minutes left.Typically, the ice-cool Dončić then twice made both of his free throws to pass 40 points and keep Italy out of reach.Poland advancesShooting guard Jordan Loyd scored 28 points and forward Mateusz Ponitka had 19 points and 11 rebounds as Poland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 80-72 to set up a quarterfinal against Turkey.Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić again led Bosnia and Herzegovina with 20 points and seven rebounds.In the last round-of-16 match later Sunday, Greece — which <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eurobasket-france-spain-italy-c6d53772954b11b1df7ca58beee02941">eliminated Spain</a> in the group stage — took on Israel, with the winner playing three-time champion Lithuania.The quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.The final is next Sunday. ___AP sports: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports">https://apnews.com/hub/sports</a>

RIGA, LATVIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Tornike Shengelia of Georgia, Alexander Mamukelashvili of Georgia , Beka Burjanadze of Georgia after the Round of 16 FIBA Eurobasket 2025 game between France and Georgia at Arena Riga on September 07, 2025 in Riga, Latvia.

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EuroBasket roundup: Georgia stuns France to reach quarters, Luka drops 42 vs. Italy

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain has written to the French soccer federation demanding a better w...

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain has written to the French soccer federation demanding a better working relationship between club and country, after its star players Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele were injured on international duty.Both were injured during Friday's World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine on Friday.Dembele, who is a strong candidate to win the men's Ballon d'Or after inspiring PSG to a first Champion League title, will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury. Doue is out for around four weeks with a calf strain.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Paris Saint-Germain has sent a letter to the French Football Federation urgently calling for a new, more transparent and collaborative medical coordination protocol between clubs and the national team," PSG wrote in a statement. "To make players' health and medical support a top priority."PSG added that the French national team was provided with medical information concerning workloads and the injury risk to its players, and that France coach Didier Deschamps and his staff seemingly overlooked the advice."The club deplores the fact that these medical recommendations were not taken into account by the French national team's medical staff, as well as the total lack of consultation with its medical teams," PSG wrote. "The recent events, serious and preventable, must give rise to swift and immediate corrective measures."PSG begins its Champions League defense against Atalanta on Sept. 17 and goes to Barcelona on Oct. 1, with both key players set to miss those matches.Deschamps said he sympathised and understood PSG's frustration but insists that he took no undue risks."We have always done things seriously and professionally," Deschamps said Sunday on television show "Telefoot." "If you leave players on the bench, you're not taking any risks. As long as there are players on the pitch, there's no such thing as zero risk."Deschamps insists that both players were fully consulted before being allowed to take part in Friday's game."The protocol stipulates that they must come and register their injury on Monday morning. We observe and we see how things progress," Deschamps said. "In the week leading up to this, we took this seriously by asking how the player felt before each (training) session."However, it could be that the responsibility lies elsewhere.<h3>Players pushed too far?</h3>At the end of June, France's union of professional soccer players launched a scathing attack on the Club World Cup, saying it is "urgent to stop this massacre" amid ongoing concerns about extreme player workloads.Days before the start of the month-long Club World Cup, soccer chiefs faced renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout. The UNFP also accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of living "in an Ivory Tower" by ignoring the impact congested calendars have on players.PSG began its Ligue 1 campaign on Aug. 16 last year and effectively finished its season on July 13 with the Club World Cup final against Chelsea, with Doue and Dembele both starting that match.Just one month later, PSG played in the UEFA Super Cup against Europa League winner Tottenham, with some PSG players having had barely three weeks of rest, and then began its Ligue 1 title defense on Aug. 16.Both players were involved in those two games.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

France's forward #07 Ousmane Dembele reacts after an injury during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers Europe zone group D football match between Ukraine and France, in Wroclaw, Poland, on September 5, 2025. The forward of the French national team and Paris Saint-Germain, Ousmane Dembélé, will be out "six to eight weeks" due to a muscle injury in his right thigh, AFP learned on September 6, 2025, from a source close to the player.

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PSG complain to French federation after Dembele, Doue injuries

MONZA, Italy (AP) — Max Verstappen claimed a dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday...

MONZA, Italy (AP) — Max Verstappen claimed a dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of title contenders and McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.It was a first win since May for Verstappen – and only his third of the season — and capped a wonderful weekend at Monza for the four-time world champion, who had posted the fastest lap in Formula 1 history at the track on Saturday to claim pole position."That was unbelievable guys! Well done everyone," Verstappen said on team radio. "We executed that really well. What an unbelievable weekend. We can be really proud of that."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Norris was second, nearly 20 seconds behind Verstappen, to trim the gap to Piastri in the title race to 31 points. He had started the day 34 points behind the Australian driver, who was not happy after he was ordered to let his teammate past towards the end of the race.The switch came after Norris had a slow pit stop, which appeared to put his title chances further in jeopardy when he came out behind his teammate but McLaren ordered Piastri to let the British driver past, which he did despite grumbling about the decision on team radio.Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had solid performances at the team's home race. Cheered on by the passionate, red-clad tifosi, Leclerc finished fourth while Hamilton surged through the field at the start to cross the line in sixth — after starting from 10th following a five-place grid penalty.Norris was desperate to rebound from a disastrous Dutch GP where he retired with a rare engine problem. Starting from second at Monza, he tussled with Verstappen from the start and was forced off into the grass at the first corner."I always know it is going to be a good fight with Max and it was," Norris said. "One of those weekends where we are a bit slower but a good fight and I enjoyed it."Verstappen was told to give the place back and duly did so but the Red Bull driver reclaimed the lead at the start of lap four, diving past Norris into turn one.From there, it was almost a procession to victory for Verstappen. He briefly found himself behind the McLarens after pitting on lap 38 but retook the lead when Piastri was brought in on lap 46, followed by Norris a lap later.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 07: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on arrival in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 07, 2025 in Monza, Italy.

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Verstappen cruises to victory in Monza ahead of Norris, Piastri

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — John Mateer ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, and No. 18 Oklaho...

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — John Mateer ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, and No. 18 Oklahoma defeated No. 15 Michigan 24-13 on Saturday night.Mateer, a transfer from Washington State playing in his first marquee game for the Sooners, passed for 270 yards and ran for 74.Deion Burks caught seven passes for 101 yards and Jaren Kanak added five catches for 69 yards for the Sooners (2-0), who got a much-needed signature win for coach Brent Venables. Oklahoma held the Wolverines to 288 total yards.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Justice Haynes ran for 125 yards for the Wolverines (1-1). Bryce Underwood, Michigan’s highly touted freshman quarterback, played in a hostile environment for the first time and struggled. He completed 9 of 24 passes for 142 yards.It was the second meeting between the blue-blood programs. Michigan is the Football Bowl Subdivision leader in wins, while Oklahoma has the most victories since World War II.Mateer’s 2-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left in the first half put the Sooners up 14-0. Haynes broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 14-7, but the Wolverines got no closer.<h3>The takeaway</h3>Michigan: The Wolverines didn’t seem to trust Underwood. When he did pass, he was under duress and never seemed comfortable.Oklahoma: The Sooners weren’t great running the ball for much of the game, but they controlled the clock late in the fourth quarter. A 16-play, 78-yard drive led to a short field goal by Tate Sandell. The Sooners should move up in the next AP Top 25 poll.<h3>Up next</h3>Michigan hosts Central Michigan on Saturday.Oklahoma visits Temple on Saturday.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college football: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA - SEPTEMBER 06: John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners rushes for a touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half of a game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Norman, Oklahoma.

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Mateer shines as Oklahoma tops Michigan

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Son Heung-min scored in the 18th minute and set up Lee Dong-gyeong’s goal i...

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Son Heung-min scored in the 18th minute and set up Lee Dong-gyeong’s goal in the 43rd to lead South Korea over the United States 2-0 on Saturday in a pre-World Cup friendly, another American home game where the crowd overwhelmingly supported the visitors.Playing against a team coached by his former Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, Son scored his 52nd international goal to move within six of Cha Bum-kun’s South Korean record.The U.S. dropped to 10-7 under Pochettino and has just seven friendlies left before players are selected for his pre-World Cup training camp.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The 15th-ranked Americans are winless in seven games against top 25 teams — losing six — since beating Mexico in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League final. They were outscored 11-2 in the first half of those games.Preparing to co-host next year’s World Cup, the Americans play Japan on Tuesday at Columbus, Ohio. South Korea faces Mexico on Tuesday at Nashville, Tennessee.The U.S. again encountered a crowd that made it seem like a road game, with most of the 26,500 fans rooting for South Korea at the home of Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls. Pochettino praised the fervor of opposition fans last summer at CONCACAF Gold Cup games against Guatemala in St. Louis and Mexico in Houston.No. 23 South Korea, which has qualified for its 11th straight World Cup, went ahead when Lee Jae-sung fed a through ball as Son broke past defender Tristan Blackmon and beat goalkeeper Matt Freese to the far post. South Korea doubled the lead when Son ran onto Lee Jae-sung’s flick and tumbled over Freese. The ball rolled to Lee Dong-gyeong, who put the ball into the empty net with a backheel.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sergino-dest-acl-red-card-fcc666baf9c20d2c356f9ec4b85ed246">American right back Sergiño Dest</a> made his first appearance since March 2024 after recovering from a torn right ACL and Blackmon, a 29-year-old defender, made his international debut and was partnered with 37-year-old Tim Ream.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sargent-us-norwich-efc6232df3781d5e02c044164db62b3a">Josh Sargent started at forward</a> and remained without a goal in 17 international games since 2019. He was replaced in the 62nd minute by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/balogun-us-friendlies-south-korea-japan-1453ff6314b8bf18136a233262a15e67">Falorin Balogun</a>, who had not played under Pochettino. Balogun was stopped twice by Jo Hyeon-woo in stoppage time.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roldan-us-roster-060baf52b4045320c5d5fc5f701b8e05">Cristian Roldan also entered in the 62nd</a>, his first appearance since the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

HARRISON, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 06: Son Heung-Min #7 of the Korea Republic celebrates scoring a goal during the first half of an International Friendly between the United States and Korea Republic at Sports Illustrated Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Harrison, New Jersey.

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South Korea wins friendly vs. USMNT with overwhelming fan support

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Denny Hamlin remained perfect in qualifying during the NASCAR Cup Series pla...

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Denny Hamlin remained perfect in qualifying during the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, capturing the pole position Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway.It's the 46th career pole and third this season for the Joe Gibbs Racing star, who also qualified first for last week's playoff opener at Darlington Raceway."We made some great adjustments from where we were in practice," said Hamlin, who turned a 139.190 mph lap in his No. 11 Toyota. "That's what they did so well last week for qualifying. Now we've got great track position and just got to maintain it, and we'll be in good shape."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Kyle Larson will start second alongside Hamlin, earning his first top-10 qualifying effort on the 1.25-mile oval east of St. Louis.Chase Briscoe qualified third, followed by Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Austin Cindric as playoff drivers took the top nine starting spots for Sunday's 300-mile race at the track known as Gateway.It was a notable departure from how the playoffs began at Darlington. Only four championship-eligible drivers finished in the top 10 of the Southern 500, a record low for a playoff opener.Among the disappointments was Larson, whose 19th at Darlington continued a five-race drought without a top-five finish."I think our team needs it more than anything," the 2021 Cup champion said. "We haven't been able to celebrate a whole lot, so we will definitely celebrate a front row starting spot at Gateway. It's been a rough, inconsistent couple of months, so even just qualifying good feels really nice."Alex Bowman, who has finished no higher than 13th at Gateway, qualified 25th as the only playoff driver who will start outside the top 20. Bowman is tied with Josh Berry (who qualified 12th) for last in the points standings among the 16 playoff drivers.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

MADISON, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 06: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on September 06, 2025 in Madison, Illinois.

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Hamlin captures 2nd consecutive pole to open NASCAR playoffs

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Dante Moore threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, freshman Dakorien Moore...

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Dante Moore threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, freshman Dakorien Moore ran for a score and caught a touchdown pass, and No. 6 Oregon routed Oklahoma State 69-3 on Saturday.The loss was the biggest loss for the Cowboys (1-1) in Mike Gundy’s 20-year tenure as coach, and the biggest losing margin for Oklahoma State in more than a century. The Cowboys have won just one of their last 11 games dating to last season.Nine players scored for Oregon (2-0), which had 631 yards in total offense. The Ducks had two interception returns for touchdowns in the third quarter.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“I get excited when we play to the level we’re capable of playing,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “And you may not realize it looking at it, but there’s still some moments that I certainly want back. We had five penalties in the first half. In the second half we had one — that’s our standard. But it’s fun to win, right?”On Oregon’s second play of the game, Noah Whittington took off for a 59-yard TD run to give the Ducks a 7-0 lead. It was the longest run of his career.Dakorien Moore caught a deep 65-yard pass from Dante Moore on the Ducks’ second drive. Dierre Hill Jr. added a 19-yard touchdown run before Logan Ward kicked a 23-yard field goal for the Cowboys’ only points.Dante Moore hit Malik Benson with a 42-yard pass, Dakorien Moore rushed 25 yards for another score, and Jayden Limar added a 5-yard TD run to make it 41-3 at halftime.Gary Bryant Jr. caught an 11 yard touchdown pass and Jordon Davison ran a yard for another score to put the Ducks up 55-3.Oregon had back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns in the third quarter: Jerry Mixon scored on a 26-yard return and Peyton Woodyard scored on a 30-yard return.“It’s amazing when you look to your left and you see your brother and look to your right and see your brother, who helped push through the workouts with you and made sure that when it comes to game time that you execute,” Dante Moore said. “So love seeing points on the board, but I feel like the best thing is seeing is seeing everybody smile on the field.”Oklahoma State starting quarterback Hauss Hejny broke a bone in his foot in the team’s opener, so Zane Flores, a third-year freshman, made his first career start against Oregon. Flores finished 7 of 19 for 67 yards and two interceptions.“We have to be better and fundamentally sound and execute,” Gundy said. “That’s really what it comes down to. And then, sometimes you’re going to play people that have the ability to run away from you. We’ve got to look at that and see where we’re at.”<h3>Takeaways</h3>With a 59-13 victory over Montana State in the opener, Oregon has outscored its opponents 128-16.The last time Oklahoma State lost this bad was at Colorado last season, a 52-0 rout. The 66-point margin of defeat was the largest for Oklahoma State since a 67-0 loss to Oklahoma in 1907.<h3>Getting Comfortable</h3>Dante Moore says he’s adjusting to his role as Oregon’s starter. Moore was backup to Dillon Gabriel last season after transferring to Eugene from UCLA.More pointed to Ducks quarterbacks coach Will Stein.“He’s a players’ coach, and as a quarterback you love those types of coaches. He makes sure I’m comfortable out there,” Moore said. “Overall the repetition we get in practice, the way we just do so many plays, and make sure we get extra reps, helps us go out there on game day and execute.”<h3>Up next</h3>Oklahoma State: Hosts Tulsa on Sept. 19.Oregon: At Northwestern next Saturday.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college football: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>

EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 06: Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) scores on a 25-yard touchdown run against Oklahoma State Cowboys corner back JK Johnson (1) in the second quarter during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks on September 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

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Oregon hands Oklahoma State biggest loss since 1907

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Elias Valtonen scored eight points in the final two minutes to help Finland s...

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Elias Valtonen scored eight points in the final two minutes to help Finland stun Serbia and Nikola Jokic 92-86 Saturday in the round of 16 at the EuroBasket tournament.Jokic finished with a game-high 33 points but it was Finland that came up with the big shots late to spring the biggest upset of the tournament so far.Serbia scored six unanswered points to take a 77-75 lead in the fourth quarter, but Valtonen’s 3-pointer with two minutes left put the Finns up 82-78. He then added a tip-in and another trey to help Finland pull away.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Jokic’s 3-pointer from way out with 16 seconds left pulled Serbia within five, but Finland easily saw out the win.“They played a great game. From the start we didn’t come ready,” said Jokic, whose team trailed 11-1 early. “I just wasn’t ready from the jump.”It was Finland’s first win over Serbia since 2009. The Serbs came into the tournament as one of the favorites, but exits in the round of 16 for the second straight time.Finland finished with 20 offensive rebounds, which Jokic called “just unacceptable.”“We knew what they were doing, we prepared well, we watched film, still they managed to just better and more physical than us,” the Denver Nuggets star said.Lauri Markkanen led Finland with 29 points and Valtonen finished with 13. In the quarterfinals, Finland will face either Olympic silver medalist France or Georgia, who play on Sunday.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lauri Markkanen shines, Finland advances to the EuroBasket quarterfinals! 💥 29 PTS 💥 8 REB 💥 4 STL 💥 3 AST Watch all the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroBasket</a> action live on <a href="https://twitter.com/courtside1891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@courtside1891</a>: <a href="https://t.co/fPC0xWqtRn">https://t.co/fPC0xWqtRn</a><a href="https://t.co/PeUfuWP7Mw">pic.twitter.com/PeUfuWP7Mw</a>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1964445696461025491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Earlier Saturday, Turkey, Germany and Lithuania also advanced.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-nba-wembanyama-14c1e4950ba53aaa36637aad1cb290a9">NBA All-Star</a> Alperen Sengun scored 24 points as Turkey held off Sweden to win 85-79. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-world-cup-serbia-germany-final-05c2c8ed8c0478283d1cec3213002204">World Cup winner Germany</a> struggled early against Portugal before pulling away for an 85-58 victory while Lithuania withstood a late comeback attempt to beat tournament co-host Latvia 88-79 in Riga. Arnas Velicka led three-time champion Lithuania with 21 points and 12 assists.Sengun, a forward with the Houston Rockets, added 16 rebounds and six assists in a stellar performance against Sweden, which drew level at 76-76 thanks to Ludvig Hakanson’s 3-pointer with just under three minutes left.Hakanson led the Swedes with 16 points, while Panathinaikos forward Cedi Osman chipped in with 17 points for Turkey.<h3>Germany overcomes shooting struggles</h3>Portugal led 32-31 at halftime and only trailed by one point after three quarters before Germany limited them to just seven points the rest of the way.The Germans struggled to deal with Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds.Germany captain Dennis Schröder, who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eurobasket-racism-schroder-germany-lithuania-ec0dc3c22355c237eb4c6cb38436ab2c">faced racial abuse</a> during a game against Lithuania a week ago, and Franz Wagner both scored 16 points despite shooting a combined 0 for 11 from 3-point range. In the first half, Germany made only 1 of 18 attempts from beyond the arc.A moment’s silence was held before tipoff in memory of the victims of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisbon-portugal-streetcar-funicular-accident-a12688b21b2059d18cab6c2117a376af">Lisbon streetcar accident</a> in Portugal.<h3>What’s coming up next?</h3>Turkey will play either Poland or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a spot in the semifinals, while Germany will take on either Italy or Slovenia, which boasts the in-form <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/luka-doncic">Luka Dončić</a>, and Lithuania faces Greece or Israel.The remaining last-16 matches are on Sunday.Defending champion <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eurobasket-france-spain-italy-c6d53772954b11b1df7ca58beee02941">Spain was eliminated</a> Thursday in the group stage by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece.The quarterfinals begin Tuesday.___AP sports: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sports">https://apnews.com/hub/sports</a>

RIGA, LATVIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Lauri Markkanen of Finland hangs on the rim in celebration after a thunderous dunk during the Round of 16 FIBA Eurobasket 2025 game between Serbia and Finland at Arena Riga on September 06, 2025 in Riga, Latvia.

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EuroBasket roundup: Finland stuns Jokic, Serbia to reach quarterfinals

NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka did not make many mistakes — well, until near the end — despite n...

NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka did not make many mistakes — well, until near the end — despite not sacrificing any power, and outplayed Amanda Anisimova for a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in the U.S. Open final Saturday, making her the first woman to win the tournament in consecutive years since Serena Williams more than a decade ago.The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka picked up the fourth Grand Slam title of her career, all on hard courts. This was not all smooth sailing, though.Sabalenka twice led by a break in the second set, and served for the win at 5-4. But at 30-all, so close to the trophy, she had a chance to hit an overhead and get to match point. Instead, while backpedaling, Sabalenka put the ball into the net, giving Anisimova a break chance.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>After that excruciating miss, Sabalenka dropped her racket on the blue court and smiled a rueful smile. A moment later, Anisimova — a 24-year-old American — converted the break to get to 5-all and shook her left fist while 24,000 or so of her closest friends in Arthur Ashe Stadium rose to applaud and shout.Ah, but 15 minutes after the flub, Sabalenka was kneeling on the court and covering her face with both hands, coming through on her third match point.She avoided becoming the first woman to lose three major finals in a single season since Justine Henin in 2006.Sabalenka, a 27-year-old from Belarus, was the runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January and to Coco Gauff at the French Open. Then, at Wimbledon in July, Sabalenka was eliminated by Anisimova.That put Anisimova into her first major final, which she lost 6-0, 6-0 to Iga Swiatek.But Anisimova put that shutout behind her immediately, well enough to win a rematch against Swiatek in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.When Anisimova trailed Sabalenka 2-0, 30-love as Saturday’s match began, some fans might have wondered: There’s no way there’s going to be a repeat of the final at the All England Club, right?Right.Anisimova grabbed the next four points to break back, capping the game with a backhand winner and a forehand winner. That got the partisan fans up on their feet, shouting, and Anisimova exhaled as she walked to the sideline and wiped sweat from her forehead.Soon, she led 3-2. But Sabalenka took the next four games and that set.It began pouring before the match, so Ashe’s artificial lights were on, and its retractable roof was shut. That appeared to be a distraction at times to Anisimova, who motioned to her team in the stands that something was bothering her during ball tosses for serves.The setup also created windless conditions, ideal for two ball-strikers who really can bring the power with good contact. And that’s what they both did from the start, striking speedy serves and deep groundstrokes with so much pace that responding was never simple.Some exchanges were breathtaking — to them, certainly, and to spectators who gasped at the power during longer points.Both are aggressive during back-and-forths and rarely are risk-averse. The rewards can be huge, as can the mistakes, and Anisimova was seeking the lines with full cuts off both sides.Of Sabalenka’s first 13 points, which helped her claim the initial two games, just one came via her own winner. The other dozen arrived thanks to Anisimova’s six unforced errors and six forced errors.___Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Aryna Sabalenka poses with her trophy after defeating Amanda Anisimova of the United States during their Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2025 in New York City.

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Sabalenka beats Anisimova to defend US Open title and win 4th major

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