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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." ~ Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist

Trending: Cubs squeak by in World Series nail-biter, live to fight another day. (See the Cubs section for team news and World Series updates).

Trending: Corey Crawford, Blackhawks blank Kings. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

Trending: Bears again seek to end slide vs. Vikings as Jay Cutler returns. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).

Trending: Preview: Bulls at Nets. Bulls to go for third win of the season tonight. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

Trending: The official schedule for the 2016 World Series

Series record: Cleveland Indians 3 - Chicago Cubs 2

Game 1: (Cleveland) Tuesday, Oct. 25, Chicago Cubs 0 (L), Cleveland Indians 6

Game 2: (Cleveland) Wednesday, Oct. 26, Chicago Cubs 5 (W), Cleveland Indians 1

Game 3: (Chicago) Friday, Oct. 28, Cleveland Indians 1, Chicago Cubs 0 (L) 

Game 4: (Chicago) Saturday, Oct. 29, Cleveland Indians 7, Chicago Cubs 2 (L)

Game 5*: (Chicago) Sunday, Oct. 30, Cleveland Indians (2), Chicago Cubs 3 (W)

Game 6*: (Cleveland) Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. Chicago Cubs Vs. Cleveland Indians

Game 7*: (Cleveland) Wednesday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m. Chicago Cubs Vs. Cleveland Indians

*If necessary

NFL SCORES, Sunday 10/23/2016.

Jacksonville Jaguars 22

Tennessee Titans 36

Washington Redskins 27

Cincinnati Bengals 27

Kansas City Chiefs 30

Indianapolis Colts 14

Oakland Raiders 30

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24

Seattle Seahawks 20

New Orleans Saints 25

Detroit Lions 13

Houston Texans 20

New York Jets 31

Cleveland Browns 28

New England Patriots 41

Buffalo Bills 25

Arizona Cardinals 20

Carolina Panthers 30

San Diego Chargers 19

Denver Broncos 27

Green Bay Packers 32

Atlanta Falcons 33

Philadelphia Eagles 23

Dallas Cowboys 29

Minnesota Vikings     Monday Night Game

Chicago Bears           10/31/2016

Cubs squeak by in World Series nail-biter, live to fight another day.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Wrigley Field has now seen a Cubs World Series victory in the last seven decades.

On a momentous weekend, the holiday-esque atmosphere around Wrigley Field had the air taken out of it with a pair of losses to the Cleveland Indians on Friday and Saturday nights.

But the Cubs rallied back, keeping the series alive for at least one more game after a 3-2 victory over the Indians in front of 41,711 fans at Wrigley Field Sunday night.

The formula that led to 111 victories entering this weekend once again showed itself after a two-game absence.

The Cubs played stellar defense, rekindled their offensive approach and executed on the mound, getting another strong start from ace Jon Lester.

Kris Bryant had been having a rough World Series, but led off the fourth inning with a homer that jumpstarted the Cubs offense.

Anthony Rizzo followed with a double and, after a Ben Zobrist single, scored on Addison Russell's infield chopper. 

Javy Baez laid down a perfect bunt base hit and David Ross - playing in his final home game of his career - worked a professional at-bat to drive home the third run with a sacrifice fly.

That was all the offense the Cubs could muster up, however, as the Indians bullpen once again held them in check. But it was enough.

The Indians scored in the second on a Jose Ramirez homer and two-out single from Francisco Lindor in the sixth.

But that was all Lester allowed, once again showing his postseason grit in six innings.

Carl Edwards Jr. came out for the seventh, but was only able to get one out before Joe Maddon called on closer Aroldis Chapman early.

Chapman got out of jams in the seventh and eighth and even had an at bat, striking out in the eighth with Jason Heyward on third base.

Chapman - whose season high in pitches was 36 - tossed 42 pitches to keep the Cubs' hopes alive.

The Cubs now send Jake Arrieta to the mound for Game 6 in Cleveland Tuesday night against Josh Tomlin working on short rest.

Kyle Schwarber will also return to the lineup as the designated hitter.

Once again, Joe Maddon’s Cubs respond to the win-or-else pressure.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs are going to need a bigger target. Just imagine the circus atmosphere and suffocating expectations when Joe Maddon’s team reports to spring training next year in Arizona – either as the defending World Series champs or after coming agonizingly close without winning the franchise’s first title in 108 years.
     
Both of those possibilities are still in play after a gutsy 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Oct. 30 – the latest the Cubs have ever played a game at Wrigley Field in franchise history. The Cubs went into Game 5 with one primary thought in mind: Just get back to Cleveland.    

Maddon managed with a sense of urgency, pulling big-game pitcher Jon Lester after 90 pitches, trusting rookie reliever Carl Edwards Jr. for two batters in the seventh inning and using superstar closer Aroldis Chapman to get the last eight outs.  

With last year’s Cy Young Award winner (Jake Arrieta) lined up to start Tuesday night on extra rest, this season’s ERA leader (Kyle Hendricks) positioned to start a Game 7 if necessary and Kyle Schwarber ready to change the entire complexion of this lineup as the designated hitter at Progressive Field, the Cubs are set up for either an epic comeback or a massive disappointment.

“Again, it doesn’t matter,” Maddon said. “It really doesn’t matter. From Day 1, we’ve been engulfed, surrounded, inundated with these thoughts. And my guys have handled it great. You cannot handle it any better, I don’t think, than our guys have handled it.

“I don’t think there’s any Cub fan throughout the universe actually that would not be happy with where we’re at – at this particular moment – based on what’s occurred over the last century and over the last several years.”

The last time the Cubs faced an elimination game, Maddon invited Simon the Magician to perform in the Wrigley Field clubhouse. That idea sounded more like a manager running out of ideas with his team down 3-0 in last year’s National League Championship Series.

Except for the Chapman move, Maddon didn’t pull anything out of his bag of tricks with the Cubs down 3-1 in the World Series, knowing that the New York Mets and all their power pitchers posed different problems than a Cleveland team built around a No. 1 starter (Corey Kluber) and a deep, versatile bullpen that has covered up so many holes in the roster.

Plus, the 2016 team is a year older and a year wiser, with so much more across-the-board talent and a $155 million ace on the mound. The Cubs (obviously) made batting practice optional and instructed their players to be dressed by 5:30 p.m. for a 7:17 first pitch.

“No magicians,” Maddon said. “The guys have been fine all year. I don’t want to confuse things out there right now. There were moments last year where I thought it was necessary. Right now, I think they’re able to stand on their own without all the diversions.

“Bill Murray was walking around here yesterday before the game though.”

The Cubs brought some of this upon themselves, from Maddon’s look-at-us stunts to John Lackey’s “didn’t come here for a haircut” act to Lester reminding everyone at various points in the season that this team hasn’t done anything yet.

But if the young Cubs looked like they were trying too hard in Games 3 and 4 – and feeling the enormity of Wrigley Field’s first World Series events in 71 years – then they settled down to win a tense Game 5.

“I really anticipate that we’re going to be able to finish this off,” Maddon said. “You still look at the steppingstones, the building blocks to get to this point. You can’t tell me last year wasn’t successful just getting to the (NLCS).

“You can’t tell me this year wasn’t successful getting to the World Series. I just don’t buy that kind of logic. You get to this moment and there are so many micro pockets that can occur. Like right now, we’re having a hard time with their pitching staff in a seven-game series. Over the course of 162, you can absorb those moments and move on and get to the next team and right yourself.

“I’m not of that mindset at all that the winner-take-all is the successful one and the one that doesn’t is not.”

This might be remembered as the defining momentum swing, the Cubs starting to look like that 103-win team again. The heart of the order pieced together the big inning the Cubs needed in the fourth against Trevor Bauer, scoring three runs with a mixture of Bryzzo power (Kris Bryant homered into the left-center field bleachers before Anthony Rizzo settled for a double when his ball didn’t go over the right-field wall) and small-ball creativity (Ben Zobrist’s line-drive single, Addison Russell’s infield single, Javier Baez’s bunt, David Ross’ sacrifice fly).

Now some of that pressure the Cubs felt will shift onto the Indians. Two wins from baseball immortality? The Cubs would have taken that when the mimes and zoo animals showed up in spring training.

“Of course, the goal is to win it all,” Maddon said. “But there’s also the building component, the culture component, all the different things that permit you to be excellent on an annual basis that are now in place. All those things matter.”

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Corey Crawford, Blackhawks blank Kings.

By Tracey Myers

Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks have done some good things and have gotten points in this early season. The complete game, however, has eluded them.

They got as close as they have all year to that on Sunday night.

Corey Crawford stopped all 32 shots he saw for his first shutout of the season and Jonathan Toews scored his first goal of the season as the Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 at the United Center.

Marian Hossa, who was honored prior to the game for his 500th career goal, recorded a goal and an assist. Toews added an assist. Artem Anisimov scored his sixth goal of the season and is now on a career-best, seven-game point streak. The Blackhawks have now won three of their last four games, and Sunday got the familiar parts of their game working again. Puck possession, a successful penalty kill (2-for-2) and more balance on the lines, it was all there.

“This was, so far, more complete in what we gave up in all areas of our game were solid,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We had a really good rotation of our lines, our [defense] moving and skating and the puck way more. Much better, more representative of how we need to play.”

Toews’ goal, a power-play effort which proved to be the game-winner, was a weight off the captain’s shoulders.

“Oh, for sure,” he said. “You know the No. 1 thing too was getting the chances. It felt like we had a lot of shots. Nothing to show for 5-on-5 with [Patrick Kane] and Panik, Richard. We’re playing better there and you know it’s only improving. I think it’s just about the chances. It’s nice to feel comfortable shooting that puck finally, getting through traffic, seeing one go in and hopefully we’ll keep going and getting that confidence that comes with it.”

Crawford, who has played rather well all season, recorded the 20th shutout of his career. He was busier at the end, stopping 13 third-period shots from the Kings.

“I felt great,” Crawford said. “I thought that was our best game defensively. We didn’t give up too many chances inside, for scoring chances. Our [defensemen] were awesome moving the puck, getting in the play. Our PK was solid. That was nice to see we were getting some confidence on that, so that was a good game for us.”

Indeed, the Blackhawks’ confidence may have been as shaken as their puck possession game and penalty kill. There were glimpses in their game against New Jersey on Friday that they were starting to find their way, and they built off that tonight against the Kings. Sure, it’s one game, a small sample size. But for 60 minutes on Sunday the Blackhawks looked like the Blackhawks.

“It was important for us in tonight’s game, in a lot of ways, knowing the conference and the standings,” Quenneville said. “Every day [the standings] are so bunched up that you have to take advantage of home ice and take advantage of a team that played a game the night before.”

Five Things from Blackhawks-Kings: Corey Crawford stellar again.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks entered Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings feeling better about themselves, thanks to a victory in New Jersey on Friday.

Building off victories or good things done in games, however, hasn’t been so easy this season. But on Sunday, the Blackhawks were looking like their old selves. Is this the start of a trend in the right direction? As coach Joel Quenneville often says, “we’ll see.” Until then, let’s look at the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 3-0 victory over the Kings.

1. The Blackhawks’ penalty kill had an unblemished night. Yes, the Blackhawks just had to kill off two penalties but they did it – they’ve had three other games in which they took just two penalties and couldn’t get through both. You could tell Quenneville didn’t want to jinx the kill’s recent success – when asked about it following the game, he simply knocked on the lectern and left it at that. Marian Hossa said more about it. “We were showing better signs the last couple of games in the penalty kill and I think it’s great for the confidence for the whole team, for our goalies, and feels definitely good we didn’t get scored on,” he said.

2. Marian Hossa honored. One game after scoring his 501st career regular-season goal, Hossa was honored for his 500th in a pregame ceremony. His youngest daughter stole the show, grabbing her father’s nose to the delight of the United Center crowd and GIF makers. After receiving a gold stick – to go with the silver one he received for playing in his 1,000th regular-season game – Hossa continued to find some solid chemistry with second-line mates Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin.

3. Jonathan Toews gets his first of the season. You could tell from the captain’s reaction he was thrilled – perhaps even a little relieved – to get that first goal of the season. The Blackhawks have said a few times that Toews’ overall play was how they judged him, and that the goals would come at some point. Toews usually does take a few games to get going scoring-wise, so it wasn’t alarming. But a two-point night that included that first goal was nevertheless a good sign.

4. Anisimov continues to score. Yes, the second-line center knows his faceoffs need to improve – he and Yanic Perreault did some work on those earlier this week. But as far as his offensive production, Anisimov is doing just fine. His second-period goal, off the pass from Hossa, ties him with Richard Panik with a team-high six goals. His seven-game point streak is a career best.

5. Corey Crawford collects career shutout No. 20. Crawford had a rather laid-back reaction to finding out he recorded that 20th shutout – “uh, it’s nice,” he said with a smile. Crawford’s taken his lumps with the rest of the Blackhawks’ penalty kill but overall he’s played well. He’s now stopped 62 of the 64 shots he’s seen in his last two games, including all 32 he saw against the Kings on Sunday.

Blackhawks rally to beat Devils in overtime. (Friday night's game, 10/28/2016). 

Associated Press

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Artem Anisimov scored on a rebound at 1:15 of overtime and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied to beat New Jersey 3-2 on Friday night, handing the Devils their first home loss.

Marian Hossa tied the game with a power-play goal with 2:11 left in regulation after the Blackhawks pulled goaltender Corey Crawford for a sixth skater.

Artemi Panarin, who took the shot on Anisimov's game winner, also scored for Chicago. Crawford was outstanding in making 30 saves.

PA Parenteau and John Moore scored for New Jersey, which was 3-0 at home. Keith Kinkaid made 26 saves in his first start of the season.

Five takeaways from Blackhawks' overtime win over Devils.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

Here are five takeaways from the Blackhawks' 3-2 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night:

1. Corey Crawford continues to shine.

If it weren't for Crawford and his timely saves, the score and outcome may have been completely different. He's clearly been the MVP of the team so far this season and showed why again after stopping 30 of 32 shots — 28 of those in the first two periods — in Friday's overtime win over the Devils. Crawford has allowed 17 goals this season, but 13 of them have come on the power play. His even strength save percentage improved to .971, which ranks No. 1 among all starting goaltenders.

2. Patrick Kane getting hot.

Kane is on a quiet little three-game point streak, and has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his last six games. It was Game 6 last year when he started a streak of registering at least a point in 26 consecutive games, a franchise record. His three-game point streak began on the sixth game this year, too. Could we see another lengthy one coming? Probably not, but it's worth watching how this plays out.

3. Artem Anisimov extends point streak, improves at faceoff circle.

Anisimov extended his point streak to a career-best six games, and scored his second game-winning goal of the season. He now has five goals and five assists during that streak, in which the Blackhawks are 4-1-1, on top of a plus-8 rating and an astonishing 45.5 shooting percentage.

He's also gotten a slow start at the dot this year, but fared much better against the Devils, winning eight of 16 draws. Entering Friday, he won only 35 of 100 faceoffs.

4. Special teams come up big.

The Blackhawks' penalty kill allowed another goal, but it moved above 50 percent on the season and killed off a crucial penalty towards the latter stages of the third period while trailing 2-1. After killing off a Patrick Kane slashing penalty, the Blackhawks went on a four-minute power play thanks to a Vernon Fiddler double-minor high-sticking penalty and they capitalized.

With 2:11 left and Crawford pulled for the extra attacker, Marian Hossa potted the game-tying goal that essentially forced overtime. It was the second power-play goal of the game for the Blackhawks, who finished 2-for-5 on the man advantage and went 3-for-4 on the penalty kill. Progress.

5. Top dogs get heavy minutes.

After relying heavily on his top guys in a 5-4 shootout win over Toronto last Saturday, coach Joel Quenneville said he wants to balance out the lines more and distribute the minutes more evenly throughout the roster.

The top two lines absorbed the majority of the ice time on Friday, led by Patrick Kane (23:34) and Jonathan Toews (22:48), but it was justified this time around considering a chunk of that time was spent either on the power play or penalty kill.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears again seek to end slide vs. Vikings as Jay Cutler returns.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The specific questions swirling around and through the Bears are the simple ones: Jay Cutler’s effectiveness after five missed weeks? Pernell McPhee’s knee? Running-back carries distribution.? That sort of thing.

The broader one is less simple if only because it’s not quantifiable, although it most definitely is performance-based. That concerns the collective state of mind within a team that had very high expectations, even if outsiders did not, and has seen those crumble in a prolonged slide that started when the Bears stood 5-6 and Robbie Gould was lining up a 36-yard field goal to get the Bears to .500.

Since then the Bears have gone 2-10, a two-year span worse than the worst stretch under Marc Trestman (2-8 over final 10 in 2014). The comparison isn’t the point; the risk of a return to the negative culture that John Fox was hired to eradicate.

“They’re pros,” Fox has said. “I think you remind yourself that it’s a long season. We’re not even halfway through. You bring up examples. You know, a team a year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs, started 1-5 and they made the playoffs. So all of those things are possible but if you lay down your sword not so much.”

But at some point human nature can creep in and believing gets more difficult. That is when team leaders earn that designation, except that this year, the co-captains elected on offense – Cutler, Alshon Jeffery – have uncertain Chicago futures. Not that it compromises effort but energy ebbs and flows, and right now it is ebbing, if only based on performance.

The solution does lie within reach, at least in players’ minds.

“I think that the key for us is to put those 60 minutes together,” said defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. “ I think that we’ve had a great 30 minutes of football, 35 minutes of football, shoot, even 40 minutes of football. The Jaguars game where we’re shutting them out the entire first half, we come out and we’re making plays at the beginning.

“But we let it go at the end. And I think that’s something that we acknowledge and need to get better at.”

That football-character flaw is deadly and not new. Indeed, it may trace its origins to the first Minnesota Vikings game last year, also in Soldier Field, like next Monday’s.

The Bears allowed the Vikings 10 points in the final 1:49 of play to lose in the final seconds while themselves failing to hold onto the football for more than 49 seconds in their last possession, allowing the Vikings one more possession for the win.

The Bears won three of their next four after that game, the kind of resilience they are desperately in search of now.

“You just got to keep fighting through it,” Cutler said. “Nothing lasts forever. And I think everyone in the locker room knows that. There’s some talent in the locker room. There’s a lot of guys banged up that hopefully we get back soon. You just got to keep playing football. That’s all we can do.” 

And the winner is...

“View from the Moon” posited early this offseason that the Bears would lose both games to the Vikings this year. That was before the Bears’ struggles with significant injuries to key players, which they have not been able to overcome, and before the Vikings’ struggles with significant injuries to key plays, which they have been able to overcome.

The offense may ramp up ever so slightly with Jay Cutler making it more of a threat to the end zone than it was under Brian Hoyer. But Cutler had just one TD pass on 46 attempts, less than half his career rate, and his interceptions were creeping up. The Vikings have shown the kind of pass rush that has unhinged Cutler too often through his career.

Vikings 24, Bears 14             

For Bears, a healthier Pernell McPhee for recovering defense.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

He is still showing up on the injury report as limited but the muscles of his surgically repaired left leg are almost the same size as his right one, a telling indicator of how his comeback from early offseason knee surgery is really proceeding.

That and the familiar attitude.

“I’m back to normal,” Pernell McPhee said this week, with perceptible enthusiasm that was understandable, even after the loss against the Green Bay Packers, from a Bears linebacker and co-captain who had missed as many games this season (six) as in his previous five NFL seasons combined. “Getting the rust off.”

The rust had been there in Green Bay, both physical and mental. McPhee had gotten his weight down below 270 from a career-norm in the 280 range, but other than a handful of his 19 snaps, he was not the disrupter he and the Bears expected when he was brought in as the first major personnel addition of the Ryan Pace administration.

A player among the most instinctive on the roster wasn’t.

“I wouldn’t say I was thinking too much,” McPhee said. “I just didn’t know what to expect. I felt better but now I know what to expect.”

For a defense that has suffered the absences of McPhee, nose tackle Eddie Goldman, outside linebacker Lamarr Houston, linebacker Danny Trevathan and others through less than a half-season, that was a spot of promise.

Five of the Bears’ seven opponents have scored 23 or more points and the defense ranks 20th in points allowed — exactly where the unit finished in 2015.

The plan for the Packers game, his first since the season finale against the Detroit Lions last January, was for spot duty. He did not register on the stat sheet but was involved in several forces of plays, including a goal-line stop in the first quarter.

“I thought considering where he was, the guy hadn’t played football since whenever he played last season and never even had a practice with pads on, [he] went out there and did OK,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “I think if you’re saying ‘pleased’ or ‘unpleased,’ I’d say ‘pleased.’

“Was it great or to the level he was at? No. But I think the best thing you can say is there’s hope there.”

McPhee and the Bears have a dual objective: working him into an expanded role in the defense while simultaneously avoiding a step backwards that would put him back on the sidelines.

“I think he’s going to get better and better,” Fangio said. “I think the key for him is will he have a setback? We’ll see.”

For now, no setbacks. Just the opposite, in fact.

“In full pads, going full speed,” McPhee said, shaking his head with a smile. “I don’t think about [the knee] at all.”

Hall of Fame to honor Butkus, Dent, Hampton, Sayers at Bears-Vikings game.

By #BearsTalk

It will be a special evening for a handful of legendary Bears on Monday night.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will honor Dick Butkus, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Gale Sayers with a Ring of Excellence in a halftime presentation during the Bears-Vikings game at Soldier Field.

The Ring of Excellence is one of three symbols that represents Pro Football Hall of Fame status. The Gold Jacket, the Bronzed Bust and the Ring of Excellence will all be on display during the presentation.

Each former Bear will wear their Gold Jacket and the four Bronzed Busts will be temporarily removed from the Hall of Fame for the ceremony.

Monday marks the second of three seasons in which the Ring of Excellence will be presented to the Hall of Famers.

Check out photos (provided by the Chicago Bears) of each ring below:

  

Dick Butkus

Richard Dent

 

Dan Hampton

Gale Sayers

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Preview: Bulls at Nets.

SportsDirect Inc. staff 

The Chicago Bulls are not taking as long as expected to come together, but a stretch of 11 road games in the next 14 looms to test the chemistry between Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Jimmy Butler and company. The Bulls will kick off that stretch by visiting the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

The Bulls already knocked off two teams with plans to contend with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown in the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers to kick off the season, and all the new players seem to be buying into the team-first concept so far.

"Offensively we moved the ball exceptionally well," Wade told reporters after a 118-101 win over the Pacers on Saturday. "It's good to see this early in the season. We have the format to how we need to play." The Nets have a home win over the Pacers on their resume as well but dropped two games on the road already. Brooklyn thought it had forced overtime in Milwaukee on Saturday before a last-second tip left it with a 110-108 loss.

TV: Monday, October 31, 2016, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, CSN Chicago, YES (New York)

ABOUT THE BULLS (2-0): Chicago was able to fly under the radar a bit in its own city during the first week of the regular season thanks to the Cubs being in the World Series for the first time since 1945, but the fans that stayed on the south side of town and went to the Bulls game on Saturday night saw a team filled with high-priced stars that let reserve forward Doug McDermott take the most shots. McDermott, who had his fourth-year contract option picked up by the team on Friday, buried 5-of-6 from 3-point range en route to a team-high 23 points in the win over Indiana. The strong effort from the bench allowed the starters to rest a bit more, with Butler's 26 minutes ranking as the most among the starting five.

ABOUT THE NETS (1-2): Brooklyn gave one of its key players a little extra rest on Saturday as well by not even taking center Brook Lopez on the trip for the second night of the back-to-back. The decision was an organizational one aimed at keeping Lopez healthy throughout the season, and the Nets plan to give several players planned days off throughout the season. "We just take kind of a holistic approach to each player and their development and playing time," coach Kenny Atkinson told Newsday. "I'm sure in the future you will have questions about some other guys on our team. We're all on board. Again, we want peak performance for the long-term.

"BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nets G Greivis Vasquez (ankle) left Saturday's game and is day-to-day.

2. Rondo is 3-of-14 from the field in the first two games but totaled 22 assists.

3. Chicago took five of the last seven in the series, including its last three trips to Brooklyn.

PREDICTION: Bulls 101, Nets 99

Bulls run Pacers out of Chicago for second win. (Saturday night's game, 10/29/2016).

By Vincent Goodwill 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A streaking Jimmy Butler was on a fly pattern with Rajon Rondo measuring his wide receivers’ speed past Paul George and the two connected for an easy pitch, catch and dunk — a scene that hasn’t been witnessed in quite awhile.

The inherent message from Rondo was clear as he compiled his 11th assist of the first half in the Bulls’ impressive 118-101 win over the Indiana Pacers Saturday night at the United Center: Run and you’ll get the ball.

Run and I’ll find you.

Just run.

“Who doesn’t want the ball? Everybody wants the ball, everybody wants to score,” Rondo said. “We’ve been doing a great job of cleaning up the glass. Our wings are getting out wide and running. We’ve been practicing about 30 days straight. The chemistry is coming along (but) it’s early.”

Fred Hoiberg could only dream of this type of pace and speed to his offense last year, and even though his big guns are more deliberate players, they know a good thing when they see it as the Bulls improved to 2-0 on the year.

One wouldn’t have to hit Hoiberg with truth serum for him to proclaim it was the best performance he’s witnessed as coach, as the Bulls committed just 11 turnovers, shot 52 percent, made 19 of 21 free throws and tallied a whopping 30 fast break points.

“I talked to them and told them if we commit to playing with that type of unselfishness and ball movement, we have a chance to have a good year,” Hoiberg said.

“I loved our intensity out the gate. Our pace the other way was as good as I’ve seen, and our ball movement was off the charts.”

It began with Rondo and trickled down to the rest of the roster, as a definitive tone has been set — a surprising one for a team so new and not used to playing with one another.

Dwyane Wade dashed to the rim, Michael Carter-Williams forced the action on both ends, Taj Gibson filled the lanes and Rondo maestro’d like very few can in this league.

“He talks in every huddle, ‘run with me, I’ll throw it ahead’,” Hoiberg said of Rondo. “It’s something we work on and stress, getting up."

Rondo was the only starter not in double figures but had 13 assists in 25 minutes, setting the tone and tempo for his teammates to follow. Wade scored 14 on just seven shots in 21 minutes, while Butler scored 16 on nine shots in 26 minutes.

The value of a good point guard cannot be overstated, comparing Rondo to new Pacers point guard Jeff Teague, who struggled for the second straight night.

Teague had eight assists but went scoreless on his seven attempts and was generally frustrated by his lack of flow. He helped Paul George to a degree get his 20 points on just 12 shots, but the Pacers didn’t have any of the rhythm they were advertised to have, as many expected them to challenge for a top spot in the East.

Instead, it’s the Bulls who have surprised in the early going, with impressive wins over two teams they’ll have to beat if they hope to claim a playoff spot in April.

If Saturday was any indication, some good things could be in store.

And they got it while the getting was good, as the Bulls essentially closed the evening relatively early with a 23-4 run in the second quarter, smothering the Pacers defensively as they took advantage of the Pacers trying to play a little too fast after made baskets or in the set offense as a whole.

The turnovers led to a track meet, as the unselfishness was contagious, led by the second unit. Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic were going end to end for forays, spot-up threes and easy layups.

“I thought our bench was great tonight, you look across the board,” said Hoiberg, mentioning Carter-Williams and Isaiah Canaan, whose ball pressure ignited fast breaks.

“Carter-Williams I can tell is starting to get more comfortable. He got into the paint and hit a couple floaters for us.”

It led to a 23-point lead after 23 minutes and the Bulls’ 21-point lead at halftime was the largest halftime lead in three seasons.

It continued in the second half as McDermott got going in the way people expect him — as a marksman behind the 3-point line. A recipient of unselfish play across the board as the Bulls tallied 34 assists on 44 field goals, McDermott hit five triples on his way to a game-high 23, almost all on the drive-and-kick or swing-swing variety.

“He was great,” Wade said. “He did what Doug does, he stepped in and just shot his shots. He’s going to have nights like that. He’ll have nights where the defense isn’t going to leave him and he’ll need to be the one to make the extra pass.”

The lead ballooned to 29 before the Pacers scored plenty in garbage time, but the Bulls sent a resounding message of sorts in the opening days of the season.

Even if you run, we’ll find you.

Adjusting to bench role, Nikola Mirotic made big defensive play to seal Bulls win.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Anytime Nikola Mirotic is on an island defensively in a crucial moment of a game, there’s a general sense of nervousness and doubt that’s palpable inside the United Center.

So imagine everyone’s surprise when Mirotic defended Boston Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown well enough to force a travel in the final minute of the Bulls’ 105-99 win Thursday night.

With the Celtics down two, Brown started his drive from the top of the key and pivoted back to his right. When he rose up for a jumper or pass, Mirotic was right in his face and Brown, a talented rookie playing in his second NBA game, didn’t know where to go.

He came back down with the ball still in his hands for a traveling violation, and the stage was set for Dwyane Wade’s closing heroics.

Wade, the closer was set up by Mirotic, the stopper—well, let’s not go that far just yet.

“I tried just to play good defense, to make him drive the ball because we want him to shoot a contested shot,” Mirotic said. “It was big-time defense. We needed that one. After that, Dwyane Wade has huge stop and made that 3. It’s a team job, team defense. I was just trying to be a part of that. I’m very happy about the game.”

In all fairness, Brown is a rookie and the Bulls would rather not see Mirotic in a one-on-one situation late in games defensively. But it appears as if Fred Hoiberg will give him the opportunities to close games so Mirotic will find himself in instances where he’ll have to make plays on both ends.

Hoiberg called it the defensive play of the game, and agreed with the assessment of Mirotic being an underrated defensive rebounder despite his struggles on that end of the floor.

“It just goes to show you even when your shot isn’t falling, you can still have a positive impact,” Hoiberg said. “I loved his attack. He was getting in the paint and got some offensive rebound tip-ins as well so just overall solid game.”

Although Hoiberg had to make the decision to insert Taj Gibson as a starter at power forward over Mirotic, it’s not hard to see scenarios like Thursday where both are together to close games—Mirotic will be needed to spread the floor for Wade and Jimmy Butler to create shots in one-on-one situations.

Mirotic missed five of his six 3-point shots but was flawless inside the line, scoring 15 with nine rebounds.

“To be honest, I didn’t feel very comfortable with my 3-point shot,” said Mirotic, although Hoiberg said Mirotic’s attempts were good looks. “I tried to find a way to score, make an impact on the game---rebound the ball, play unselfish. My goal was to play good defense because I know that’s the next step.”

Getting over the idea of losing a starting job many believed would’ve been his given the composition of the roster seems to be behind Mirotic, who was a starter last season before acute appendicitis forced him out of action before the All-Star break.

“It doesn’t feel right to be honest. But no disappointment. It is what it is,” Mirotic said. “I want to not think and be focused and play my game. Now that I come from the bench, it’s like, ‘All right, figure out how you’re going to do that, how you’re going to help your team and play well.’”

Gibson and Mirotic were the only Bulls to shoot over 50 percent, as Gibson’s strong preseason play carried over to the opener. Make no mistake, if the Bulls are to exceed modest expectations, Mirotic will have to step up, as his production is no longer a luxury.

“It’s going to be a long season. But I told Fred it’s no problem,” Mirotic said. “I respect your decision. Taj is an amazing player. He’s playing so good. He’s in great shape. He deserves to be the starter. He has played a lot of years here. So I respect that. I’m cool with that. What I want to do is play my game, improve this year, make my team win more games. That's all I can do.”

White Sox claim former top outfield prospect Rymer Liriano off waivers.

By #WhiteSoxTalk

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox announced on Friday they have claimed outfielder Rymer Liriano off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Liriano, a former Top 50 prospect by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, missed the entire 2016 season after suffering multiple facial fractures when he was hit in the face by a pitch during a spring a spring training game on March 20.

The 25-year-old Liriano had a brief stint in the majors with the San Diego Padres in 2014 in which he had a .220/.289/.266 slash line with one homer, six RBI and four stolen bases in 38 games.

Liriano has a career minor-league slash line of .277/.350/.435 with 68 home runs, 378 RBI and 190 stolen bases in seven seasons. Liriano was named the Midwest League Most Valuable Player in 2011 and earned midseason All-Star honors in 2011, 2012 and 2014.

With the move, the White Sox 40-man roster now stands at 40.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Matsuyama cruises to WGC-HSBC Champions win.

By Jason Crook

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Hideki Matsuyama kept his foot on the gas pedal on Sunday at the WGC-HSBC Champions, cruising to a seven-shot victory. Here’s how the final round shook out at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China:

Leaderboard: Matsuyama (-23), Henrik Stenson (-16), Daniel Berger (-16), Rory McIlroy (-15), Bill Haas (-15), Ross Fischer (-14), Rickie Fowler (-14), Francesco Molinari (-14)

What it means: Matsuyama, 24, collected his third PGA Tour win and became the first Asian-born player to win a WGC title, lapping a world-class field by seven shots. He joins McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott as the only players from outside the U.S. to win three times on the PGA Tour before the age of 25 in the last 30 years and could move as high as No. 6 in the new world rankings.

Round of the day: There were a couple scorecards turned in Sunday that topped Matsuyama’s, but this honor has to go to the tournament winner, who didn’t let the big stage get to him. After sleeping on the 54-hole lead, the emerging star came out and fired a blistering 6-under 66. He made a remarkable 29 birdies on the week and didn’t make a bogey after his ninth hole … on Friday. Matsuyama made three birdies on his front nine Sunday, and then to erase all doubt as to who was taking home the trophy, he carded three more circles on 13, 14 and 15. He did find the water on the par-5 finishing hole, but was able to get up and down after taking a drop to save par and start the celebration.

Best of the rest: Finishing well behind Matsuyama but T-2 on the scoreboard was Stenson, who tied with Berger at 16 under. The reigning Open Championship winner shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and took over the lead in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in the process.

McIlroy, adjusting to new TaylorMade equipment, also made a late push up the leaderboard with a final-round 66 to get into a tie for fourth with Haas.

Biggest disappointment: Defending champion Russell Knox entered Sunday three shots off Matsuyama’s pace, but his plan to be “super aggressive” didn’t exactly pan out how he hoped it would as he tumbled down the leaderboard with a final-round 74. Knox started out well with a birdie on his second hole, but he sealed his fate with four straight bogeys on Nos. 8 through 11.

Shot of the day: Matsuyama was essentially perfect on Sunday, but even when he was just a little bit off, he was quick to correct the problem. Case in point – this approach on No. 15 out of the thick stuff that he hit to near tap-in range. Matsuyama would go on to make the birdie putt, his third straight.

Quote of the day: "I’m really, really happy." – Matsuyama, through a translator, on the biggest victory of his career.

Gribble fires 65 to win first PGA Tour title.

By Associated Press

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Cody Gribble and his caddie talked a ton during the final nine holes of his impressive run to a Sanderson Farms Championship victory. Very little was about golf.

They talked about Gribble's Texas Longhorns and their big win in football over Baylor on Saturday. They talked about the Chicago Cubs and the World Series. They discussed their upcoming trip to Las Vegas.

Anything to keep Gribble's mind off the incredible run he was making.

''I knew I was in a good spot and I knew I was playing well,'' Gribble said. ''It's hard not to sit there and look at the scoreboard, look where you're at and how you're doing.''

The small talk worked. Gribble finished with a 7-under 65 - which included five birdies on a spectacular back nine - to turn a tight fight into a four-stroke victory and his PGA Tour title.

The 26-year-old rookie started the day a stroke behind playing partners Chris Kirk and Luke List.

Gribble had two birdies on the front nine to stay in contention, then ran off birdies on Nos. 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17. He finished at 20-under 268.

Gribble looked as if he might have trouble just making the cut at the Country Club of Jackson after an opening 73. He bounced back with a 63 in the second round to jump into contention - one shy of the course record - and followed it up with a 67 on Saturday.

On Sunday, Gribble started slowly, but picked up steam on an unseasonably hot day in Jackson where the temperature pushed 90 degrees. He made a short birdie putt on 11 and then hit a difficult downhill 18-foot putt for birdie on 13.

Then he was rolling, making three more birdies on 15, 16 and 17 to pull away.

Kirk and List each shot 70 to tie for second with England's Greg Owen (68).

''Cody played unbelievable,'' List said. ''He definitely deserved to win. I was happy to scramble around and get a couple under out of it.''

Kirk won the tournament in 2011, back when it was called the Viking Classic and played at nearby Annandale Golf Club. He was in contention again at the Country Club of Jackson after shooting a 65 in the third round, but nobody was able to keep up with Gribble's torrid pace on Sunday.

''It was definitely impressive watching Cody play that back nine,'' Kirk said. ''I wish that I could have given him a little better run. I was just a little bit off, I guess.''

Gribble played in college at Texas and is the second member of the school's 2012 national championship team to win a PGA Tour event. The other is Jordan Spieth.

Gribble obviously has a way to go to match the accomplishments of Spieth, who is among the world's best players, but the Sanderson Farms win is certainly a good start. He earned $756,000, 300 FedExCup points and exempt status on tour through the 2018-19 season.

The four-stroke win was the second largest in tournament history, trailing Frank Conner's five-stroke win in 1988.

No surprise in Jenny Money's Sime Darby win.

By Randall Mell

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Shanshan Feng doesn’t bruise easily.

Emotionally, that is.

“Jenny Money,” as they call her in the LPGA ranks, can take a punch, so to speak. With golf so much more about losing than it is winning, it might be Feng’s greatest asset. As temperamentally even-keeled as she is good humored, Feng is built for the emotional rigors of tour life.

That’s what her longtime coach has come to admire about her.

“She is so mentally strong,” said Gary Gilchrist, who has taught Feng for 10 years, since she first came to his golf academy as a 17-year-old junior. “Absolutely, she’s one of the mentally strongest players in the game.”

Since claiming the Olympic bronze medal in August, Feng is also one of the hottest players in the game.

With a 4-under-par 67 Sunday, Feng won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at TPC Kuala Lumpur. At 17 under overall, she finished three shots ahead of Suzann Pettersen (66) and five ahead of Amy Yang (69). It’s the fifth LPGA title of her career and will vault her back among the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.

Rolex world No. 1 Lydia Ko made a hard run Sunday to get within two of the lead before falling back with a double bogey and bogey over the final four holes to finish tied for 12^th. World No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (72) tied for 43^rd and No. 3 Brooke Henderson (70) tied for 63^rd.

Feng has finished fourth or better in her last six worldwide starts, dating back to the Olympics.

That third-place finish in Rio de Janeiro gained Feng more acclaim in her China homeland than any victory has, including the LPGA Championship she won in 2012, which was the first major championship won by a Chinese man or woman.

“Shanshan is going to be the Se Ri Pak of China, for sure,” Gilchrist said.

Winning Olympic bronze elevated Feng from a niche sport standout in China to a star.

“Shanshan is a household name in China now,” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said.

Feng received a sport hero’s welcome upon returning from Rio.

“I always tell the media that I don't think I'm a pioneer,” Feng said. “I think I'm a guinea pig.

“Before me, there was nobody [from China] on the LPGA and actually experiencing tour life. So, I do think that I'm a guinea pig, but I'm kind of a successful guinea pig. At least I'm still alive.”

After winning the LPGA Championship, Feng said she could go out in public back in her home, Guangzhou, without being recognized. That’s changed with the Olympics.

“Before, golf was only on special channels, like Golf Channels, but during the Olympics, the golf event was showing on all the main channels in China,” Feng said. “So even though people didn't play golf, they were like, `Golf is on, and the Chinese player is competing, so why don't I just watch it.’ And, a lot of people said, `Oh, it's actually quite interesting.’ They knew nothing about golf, but after watching the Olympic Games, they started to feel interested in it. So, I'm pretty sure that it will bring more people into golf.”

While this has meant more pressure on Feng, it doesn’t surprise Gilchrist how she is handling it. He watched her make it through LPGA Q-School in her first try, caddying for her during second stage. He also saw how well she handled pressure within China when Taiwan’s Yani Tseng rose to power as world No. 1. There were nationalistic pressures on Feng to match Tseng.

“The hard part coming up was that Shanshan was always compared to Yani, with Yani going through that spell of winning so many events,” Gilchrist said. “I kept telling Shanshan, `You are about three years behind Yani, but you are going to catch up because of your consistency.’ Shanshan just kept plodding and persevering, and it’s made her one of the best in the world.”

Gilchrist also came to admire how Feng handled the disappointments the game dished out.

“Shanshan doesn’t allow herself to be pulled down,” Gilchrist said. “When she hits a poor shot, she’s unbelievable about letting it go and bouncing back. Also, if she has a bad tournament, she doesn’t hold on to it and allow it to take away her confidence. She really believes, `Next tournament, if I just hole a few more putts, stay patient, I can play well.’ She’s very consistent, and her consistency builds her confidence.”

When Gilchrist took Feng under his wing at the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, S.C., 10 years ago, she was the first Chinese junior he met who was playing golf. When she won the LPGA Championship, she was the only Chinese player in the LPGA ranks. Today, there are six, with a lot more on the way. Two years ago, China didn’t come close to qualifying for the UL International Crown team event. They were among the top eight countries making it this year.

“There are a bunch of girls from China training in Orlando now,” Gilchrist said. “There are so many more Chinese girls playing the game. Definitely, China is going to become one of the top five nations in the world in women’s golf. It has to happen.”

Gilchrist said Feng is a great “model” for young Chinese players because of the mental, emotional examples she sets.

“The culture there is about hitting millions and millions of balls,” Gilchrist said. “What I love about Shanshan is she shows you can balance your life and enjoy your life without killing yourself by hitting millions of balls. She’s totally about quality over quantity.”

Gilchrist said Feng rarely practices after a round.

“When she has a great performance on the course, she knows that’s the best mental medicine you can get,” Gilchrist said. “It’s no use being great on the range when you struggle on the course. She knows what she needs to do, and she keeps it very simple.”

Feng, with her “Jenny Money” persona, her popular “spotted cow” pants and good humor, also keeps the game fun.

McIlroy pulls out of Turkey over 'obvious' concerns.

By Doug Ferguson

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Rory McIlroy pulled out of the Turkish Airlines Open next week, leaving him a long shot to capture the Race to Dubai on the European Tour.

McIlroy presumably withdrew over security concerns. A car explosion in the parking lot of the Antalya Trade and Industry Chamber on Tuesday slightly injured about a dozen people. The tournament will be held at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort in Antalya.

Turkey has been rocked by a wave of deadly bomb attacks in the past 18 months blamed on Kurdish rebels or Islamic State group militants.

''I think it's obvious,'' was all McIlroy said Sunday when asked why he chose to withdraw.

The Turkish Airlines Open is the first of three tournaments in the Final Series to the Race to Dubai. McIlroy is No. 3 in the standings, trailing by a wide margin Masters champion Danny Willett and British Open champion Henrik Stenson.

McIlroy closed with a 66 at the HSBC Champions, well behind Hideki Matsuyama and one shot behind Stenson. Willett finished at the bottom of the pack.

Willett and Stenson are playing in Turkey.

''I guess it's out of my hands,'' McIlroy said. ''I took the decision not to go to Turkey next week. Those boys can battle it out. If I have somewhat of a chance going into Dubai, that's great. If not, they've had big wins over the course of the season. They've played well - two major championships. I'm OK with that.''

McIlroy said he contemplated playing the Turkish Airlines Open all week and said he ''slept much better'' after deciding not to go.

It also helps that he already has won the Race to Dubai three times in the previous four years. He has won the PGA Tour money list twice, and this year he won the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour for the first time.

''The fact I've won the FedEx Cup this year, won the Race to Dubai before, made the decision a little easier,'' McIlroy said.

This is the second time this year the 27-year-old McIlroy withdrew from a big event. He also was among those who pulled out of the Olympics in Rio over Zika concerns.

The Nedbank Challenge follows the Turkish Airlines Open, with the European Tour season wrapping up with the DP Tour Championship in Dubai.

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson runs away with Martinsville win, advancing to championship race.

By Daniel McFadin

Jimmie Johnson last won a title in 2013. (Photo/Getty)

Jimmie Johnson led the final 92 laps of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 to capture his ninth career win at Martinsville Speedway, his 79th career win, and clinched one of the four spots in the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Johnson took the lead on Lap 409 from Denny Hamlin and wasn’t challenged afterward.

The No. 48 was followed by Brad Keselowski, Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano and AJ Allmendinger.

“Anything you want in life you have to work for it,” Johnson told NBCSN. “It isn’t going to come easy and we knew that coming into this race and there’s so many challenges at this racetrack.”

Johnson’s victory, his fourth of the year, came after he accidently shut off his car during the final caution period, which lasted 29 laps amid confusion over the restart order after the caution came out during green-flag stops.

“This is the right time to start winning races.,” said Johnson, who last won at Martinsville in 2013. “I’ve been trying to ignore this conversation about seven (championships), and now I can’t. We’re locked in.”

This is the first time that Johnson, who has six Sprint Cup titles, has advanced to the championship race in the elimination format.

Johnson’s win ensures that Joe Gibbs Racing won’t put all four of its cars in the Chase championship in Miami.

WHO HAD A GOOD DAY: Jeff Gordon finished sixth in likely his last Sprint Cup start. Gordon earned top 10s in his last two starts at Martinsville and Dover … Brad Keselowski earned his first top five in five races … Pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. led 147 laps before finishing seventh … Kyle Busch earned his fourth top five in the last six races … AJ Allmendinger finished 10th for his third straight top 10 and his eighth of the season.

WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Carl Edwards brought out a caution during green flag stops on Lap 356 after losing a tire and hitting the Turn 1 wall. Edwards finished 36th … NASCAR timing and scoring had a bad day at the office. The Edwards caution came during green-flag stops and confusion over the restart order and free passes caused the caution  to last 29 laps … Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished last after wrecking on his own in Turn 3 on Lap 21 … Stewart-Haas Racing had an uncommon race with all four of its cars finishing off the lead lap. Kevin Harvick was the team’s highest finisher in 20th, two laps down.

NOTABLE: Gray Gaulding finished 39th, 140 laps down in his first Sprint Cup start … Hendrick Motorsports’ 24 wins at Martinsville is the all-time record for an organization at one track.

Quote of the Day: “We worked so good together we gave the win to the 48 today. That’s how good JGR is.” – Kyle Busch after Joe Gibbs Racing placed three of its cars in the top five.

Next: AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway at 2 p.m. ET on Nov. 6 on NBC.

Results from Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

By Kelly Crandall

(Photo/Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson earned his ninth Martinsville Speedway win Sunday in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

Johnson drove away from the field after taking the lead on Lap 409. It is Johnson’s fourth win of the season.

Brad Keselowski, a non-Chase driver, finished second. Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers round out the top five with Denny Hamlin finishing third, Matt Kenseth finishing fourth, and Kyle Busch finishing fifth.

Carl Edwards was the worst finishing Chase driver after hitting the wall on Lap 357. Edwards finished 36th.

Click here to see the complete results from the Goody’s Fast Relief 500

Jimmie Johnson takes Sprint Cup point lead after Martinsville.

By Kelly Crandall

(Photo/Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson took the point lead in the Sprint Cup Series after his ninth Martinsville win Sunday.

Johnson now leads three of the four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, with Denny Hamlin sitting second. Johnson is now the first driver advancing to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is the first time Johnson has advanced to the championship round in the elimination era of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Eight drivers in the top 20 in points changed positions following the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

Click here to see the point standings after Martinsville

SOCCER: Everton 2-0 West Ham: Lukaku shreds Hammers again.

By Kyle Bonn

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Every team has its boogey opponent, and for West Ham, it’s Everton and Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku scored against the Hammers for the seventh straight match, and he set one up for Ross Barkley as well, as Everton got back to winning ways at Goodison Park.

West Ham owned the first dangerous moments of the match, with Pedro Obiang rifling over from near the penalty spot under pressure in the 11th minute, while Dimitri Payet had an attempt pushed wide by Joel Robles moments later.

The Hammers carved up Everton in midfield early on, causing Ronald Koeman to pace nervously on the sidelines while offering some agitated thoughts to his players. Everton had a moment of danger down the other end as Romelu Lukaku led a break down the left. His pull-back fell to no one, but the ball wasn’t cleared before Gareth Barry nearly curled in a stunner, just firing over the crossbar from distance. Replays showed a shot from Yannick Bolasie struck the arm of a sliding Mark Noble, but no penalty was given.

As Everton collected themselves at the back and built forward, Lukaku had a big chance on 21 minutes, in on goal on a ball threaded through the box, but he couldn’t collect with his right foot and the chance was lost. An even better chance was spurned on 25 minutes as Ross Barkley collected on the spot from Bryan Oviedo, and a touch right opened things up, but Adrian produced a stunner of a save to keep Barkley out on the deflection.

The rest of the first half was uneventful, but Everton struck first after the break through the main man Lukaku. A poor clearance saw the ball fall to Seamus Coleman in the box. His shot was blocked and sent off to the right, but Yannick Bolasie crashed the rebound and poked it to Lukaku standing all alone directly in front of net who nodded home with his head for his 50th league goal for Everton.

Andre Ayew came on past the hour mark in place of the booked Obiang for his first appearance since the season opener when he injured his hamstring. West Ham nearly had an equalizer with 20 minutes left on a beautiful curler from Noble, but Robles kept it out with an acrobatic leaping save.

Everton doubled the lead with 15 minutes to go and effectively ended the game. Lukaku was again involved, holding the ball on the end line to the right, and as Barkley snuck in at the far post, Lukaku effortlessly flicked the ball over the defensive line at the feet of Barkley, and the 22-year-old blasted the ball into the back of the net on the volley.

The win for Everton is its first since September 17th and moves the Toffees up to 18 points, one point back of Chelsea in fifth with the Blues set to play later Sunday. For West Ham, Slaven Bilic and company remain on 10 points, stuck in 16th position.

Southampton 0-2 Chelsea: Hazard, Costa pull Blues one off the top.

Kyle Bonn

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Southampton came into Sunday’s matchup at St. Mary’s in good form, but even Claude Puel was powerless to stop the Chelsea machine that is whirring at full tilt.

A first-half poke from Eden Hazard put the Blues up, and an absolute wonder strike from Diego Costa before the hour mark sent Chelsea on its way, just a point off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over the Saints who saw a six-match unbeaten streak halted.

Chelsea started things off with a bang as Eden Hazard got the ball on a one-two with Victor Moses, and his touch to the left beat Steven Davis. That opened things up for a shot from a tight angle, and it beat Fraser Forster from point blank.

The Blues, despite the early goal, were slightly on the back foot in the opening 20 minutes. Southampton looked to pump balls into the box for Charlie Austin, but his heading was off target.

The game became a physical midfield battle, but the Blues had one more opportunity before the break to double their lead. Jordy Clasie was dispossessed by Nemanja Matic in the Southampton half, and he fed Diego Costa on the break, but the Spanish international’s shot was blocked off by a charging Fraser Forster.

Immediately following the break, Chelsea had another massive chance as a cross from Marco Alonso on the break sliced across the penalty area headed for the path of Hazard, but Jose Fonte charge back to cut the cross out at the last possible moment.

The Blues continued to be incisive up front, and Costa’s moment of magic sealed the scoreline. A touch to his right outside the box gave him the space, and a clean strike on the ball sent it curling past a helpless Forster and in for Chelsea’s second.

Cesar Azpilicueta proved dangerous down the right with gobs of defensive work and plenty of incisive passes in the Southampton half. The Blues should have had a third, but a mad scramble in front of Forster’s net on 63 minutes somehow dissolved without a goal as Moses, Costa, and Pedro all fail to smash the chance home.

Southampton had a chance to pull one back with 15 minutes left but a looping header by Davis just caught the top of the crossbar. Charlie Austin put one in the back of the net with five minutes to go, but was correctly flagged for being offside. Ultimately, the hosts failed to score as Chelsea kept its fourth straight clean sheet in league play, a streak of 410 minutes dating back to Mesut Ozil’s final strike in the 3-0 loss to Arsenal in late September.

The win for Chelsea moves them to just a point off the top of the table, below Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool who all sit on 23 points. Southampton, meanwhile, has its six-match unbeaten streak snapped as they sit on 13 points in ninth.

PL Saturday roundup: Top three win convincingly, United held to draw.

By Matt Reed

(Photo/Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

No mistakes were made by the league’s top three sides on Saturday, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all putting up four-goal performances.

However, not everyone had it so easy as Jose Mourinho and Manchester United were tripped up against Burnley.

Here, we take a look back at Saturday’s action from around England’s top flight.

Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal — RECAP

Braces from Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez helped pace the Gunners on Saturday to help the side keep chase with the rest of the PL’s elite clubs. Arsene Wenger‘s group are arguably the hottest side in England at the moment, having gone unbeaten in their last 14 matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Sunderland continues to sit bottom of the table and David Moyes and co. are still in search of their first win of 2016/17.

Manchester United 0-0 Burnley — RECAP

It certainly wasn’t how Jose Mourinho drew it up, and two more dropped points is the story of the day for United, who now sit eight points off the pace set by rivals Manchester City. Despite an overwhelming amount of chances in the Burnley half, a combination of the Red Devils struggling to score and Tom Heaton‘s brilliance in net for the Clarets prevented United from breaking the deadlock. Heaton finished with an astonishing 11 saves on the day.

Middlesbrough 2-0 Bournemouth — RECAP

Gaston Ramirez was the star for the Boro, notching one of the best individual goals you’ll see. After picking the ball up well in his own half of the field, Ramirez decided to take on the entire Bournemouth team before finishing in the 39th minute. Stewart Downing doubled the lead for the hosts after halftime, temporarily halting the momentum for the Cherries.

West Brom 0-4 Manchester City — RECAP

Sergio Aguero took care of business prior to halftime and then it was Ilkay Gundogan‘s chance to finish things off for the Citizens. Pep Guardiola and City remain atop the PL on 23 points, however, Saturday’s win served as a bigger confidence boost as it ended the team’s six-match winless streak in all competitions. Meanwhile, West Brom has now extended its winless streak to five straight games, leaving Tony Pulis‘ team three points out of the relegation zone.

Tottenham 1-1 Leicester City — RECAP

Spurs will be a bit disappointed not to have come away with a victory on Saturday but a point against the reigning champions is nothing to admonish. Mauricio Pochettino‘s men remain the only unbeaten side left in the PL through 10 matches, however, Tottenham currently sits three points out of first place. The Foxes continue to hover around mid table, but the team has now gone unbeaten in its last three matches across all competitions. Possibly a sign of positive things to come.

Watford 1-0 Hull City — RECAP

Hull continues to plummet in its first season back in England’s top flight, and Michael Dawson‘s late own goal certainly won’t help the spirits around the club. While Watford goes up to seventh place with Saturday’s result, the Tigers sit just above Swansea and Sunderland, giving Mike Phelan and co. very little room for error or else things could completely spiral out of control.

Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool — RECAP

There were goals galore at Selhurst Park; six to be precise. Liverpool continues to impress under second-year manager Jurgen Klopp, putting the Reds in the thick of things at the top along with City and Arsenal. Despite James McArthur‘s strong start for Palace, the Reds put together an equally impressive response to keep Palace winless in its last four games.

La Liga roundup: Villarreal fall from Spain’s unbeaten ranks.

By Associated Press

(Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)

Complacency cost Villarreal its unbeaten record in the Spanish league on Sunday after it conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at Eibar.

Eibar fought back by scoring twice in the final 11 minutes to deal the visitors their first loss in La Liga this season.

Villarreal’s only defeat in 10 rounds left leader Real Madrid as the only undefeated team remaining in Spain’s top flight.

The setback also scuttled Villarreal’s opportunity to rise into the top four.

Villarreal had overcome a bumpy start to this campaign when it lost striker Roberto Soldado to a long-term knee injury, unexpectedly parted ways with coach Marcelino Garcia, and lost a Champions League playoff.

But once the team settled in under new coach Fran Escriba, it won five matches and drew four in the league, including a 1-1 tie at Madrid.

“It’s a bad day, but we have to accept that this is part of competition,” Escriba said after the Eibar loss. “It bothers us, but we have to turn the page. The best thing we can do is think about winning the next match.”

Bruno Soriano gave Villarreal the 41st-minute lead when he converted a penalty following a foul on Nicola Sansone committed by Florian Lejeune in the area.

Villarreal didn’t press for a second goal, apparently confident it could protect the advantage.

But Eibar defender Ivan Ramis controlled a pass by Lejeune with his chest before firing it past goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo to make it 1-1 in the 80th.

Pedro Leon then finished off a counterattack from a pass by Sergi Enrich to complete the comeback with three minutes left.

Villarreal fell into fifth place, two points behind Sevilla in fourth.

An acrobatic goal by Kevin-Prince Boateng capped Las Palmas’ second-half comeback from three goals down to split the points in an entertaining draw with 10-man Celta Vigo.

The former AC Milan player charged forward, extended his right leg and used the outside of his boot to score off Michel Macedo’s cross in the 68th.

Celta roared to a 3-0 lead on two goals by Iago Aspas after Daniel Wass struck from a free kick.

Aspas’ first goal was set up by an excellent pass by Pione Sisto, who pushed the ball behind two defenders for Aspas to chip over on-rushing goalkeeper Raul Lizoain from a tight angle.

Aspas added another goal in the 21st from an assist by Fabian Orellana, who left shortly after due to injury.

Pedro Bigas started Las Palmas’ rally with a header after halftime.

Jonathan Viera converted a penalty following a foul by Sergi Gomez that earned the Celta defender a sending-off with a second booking.

Athletic Bilbao was left to rue the faulty finishing in its 1-1 draw with Osasuna at San Mames Stadium.

Raul Garcia headed in Bilbao’s equalizer in the 28th to cancel out an opening goal by Oriol Riera. But Mikel Rico and Inaki Williams missed opportunities in the final minutes to break the stalemate.

“We leveled quickly, which was the hard part,” Rico said. “And we had some clear chances, but the ball just didn’t want to go in.”

Goalkeeper Diego Lopez made a superb reflex save to ensure Espanyol earned its second win of the season and moved away from the relegation zone.

Lopez stretched to push German Pezzella’s powerful pointblank header onto the bar deep in stoppage time as Espanyol beat Real Betis 1-0.

Defender Diego Reyes headed in Espanyol’s goal in the 63rd.

La Liga roundup: Ronaldo nets hat-trick, Atletico cruises past Malaga.

By Matt Reed

(Photo/Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

It was a dream start for Alaves, but after that Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show.

Real Madrid earned a 4-1 victory over Alaves on Saturday behind Ronaldo’s hat-trick. The Portuguese fired twice in the opening half, before again finding the back of the net two minutes from time. Alvaro Morata also found the scoresheet for the Madridistas in the 84th minute, after brilliantly latching onto a long ball from Marcelo and lobbing his effort over goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco.

There was no shortage of goals, or red cards for that matter, when Atletico Madrid captured a 4-2 win over Malaga. Braces from Yannick Carrasco and Kevin Gameiro helped Atleti earn the victory following dismissals from both sides. The hosts were the first to be disciplined in the 60th minute when Stefan Savic was sent packing, while Chory Castro earned his marching orders two minutes from time.

Rafinha’s second-half finish gave Barcelona a narrow 1-0 win over Granada at the Camp Nou, despite a wealth of opportunities from the home side. The Blaugrana move up to second place with the victory, solely trailing Real by a point.

Sevilla’s positive fortunes were halted on Saturday as the side drew Sporting Gijon, 1-1, at El Molinon. Despite Luciano Vietto’s strike just four minutes into the match, the hosts pulled back an equalizer prior to halftime through Moises Gomez to take a share of the points.

Serie A roundup: Juventus edges Napoli, Fiorentina defeats Bologna.

By Matt Reed

(Photo/Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

While only two matches presented themselves on the Serie A docket on Saturday, a vital clash between top half sides stirred up some drama.

Juventus earned a 2-1 win over Napoli to remain atop Italy’s top flight after Gonzalo Higuain netted the winner for the Bianconeri with 20 minutes remaining in regulation.

Most of the action came in the second stanza, with Juventus pulling in front in the 50th minute by way of Leonardo Bonucci. The defender converted a fantastic volley just five minutes after halftime to give the hosts the advantage, however, it was Napoli that provided a quick response.

Jose Callejon bagged his seventh goal of the season four minutes after Bonucci to level the match at 1-1, but Higuain had the final say in the game.

The victory leaves Juventus in first in Serie A on 27 points, while Napoli now trails by seven points, sitting in third place.

Elsewhere, Fiorentina defeated Bologna, 1-0, courtesy of Nikola Kalinic’s first-half penalty kick finish.

The Viola were granted a gift around the half hour mark when Kalinic was taken down by defender Daniele Gastaldello. The Bologna player was shown a straight red card for his challenge, while Kalinic converted the ensuing attempt.

Josip Ilicic managed one of the game’s few chances when his free kick struck the crossbar in the 26th minute

NCAAFB: 2016 NCAA Associated Press Football Rankings, 10/30/2016.

AP

RANK	SCHOOL	POINTS	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	Alabama (60)	1524	8-0	1
2	Michigan (1)	1435	8-0	2
3	Clemson	1401	8-0	3
4	Washington	1369	8-0	4
5	Louisville	1262	7-1	5
6	Ohio State	1207	7-1	6
7	Texas A&M	1150	7-1	9
8	Wisconsin	1122	6-2	11
9	Nebraska	951	7-1	7
10	Florida	929	6-1	14
11	Auburn	927	6-2	15
12	Oklahoma	835	6-2	16
13	Baylor	693	6-1	8
14	West Virginia	620	6-1	10
15	LSU	586	5-2	19
16	Utah	506	7-2	17
17	Western Michigan	481	8-0	20
18	North Carolina	423	6-2	21
19	Florida State	409	5-3	12
20	Penn State	390	6-2	24
21	Colorado	375	6-2	23
22	Oklahoma State	355	6-2	NR
23	Virginia Tech	345	6-2	25
24	Boise State	203	7-1	13
25	Washington State	139	6-2	NR

Others receiving votes: Houston 65, Southern California 40, San Diego State 21, Troy 20, Tennessee 17, South Florida 10, Arkansas 7, Wyoming 5, Tulsa 3.

No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes avoid upset against Northwestern Wildcats.

By Doug Bean

Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson drops back to pass against Ohio State during the first half of a college football game Saturday, October 29, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LePrete) 

Just when it looked like sixth-ranked Ohio State might be in danger of a second straight loss, the Buckeyes' offense and defense came through with the game -- and possibly the season -- teetering on the brink of doom.

Curtis Samuel scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run with 9:43 left, the defense made a stand inside the 5-yard line to hold Northwestern to a field goal with 3:31 to go, and the offense then ran out the clock to give the Buckeyes a hard-fought 24-20 win on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

"We're kind of a dogfight team, I guess," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "That's fine. It builds a little character, I guess. Ages your coach, builds character for your players."

Coming off a loss the previous week at Penn State, Ohio State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) avoided a second straight upset with just enough offense and defense to repel Northwestern. The Buckeyes remained one game behind front-running Michigan in the Big Ten East Division with a game looming next week at home against No. 7 Nebraska.

Northwestern (4-4, 3-2) came back after Samuel's touchdown, which was set up by a 34-yard pass from J.T. Barrett to K.J. Hill, with a 16-play, 60-yard drive but couldn't get the ball into the end zone against Ohio State's defense. The Wildcats opted to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Jack Mitchell with 3:31 left.

"It was a long fourth-and-goal," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "But I had three options, either I go for it and don't get it, kick a field goal, or go for it and score a touchdown. I chose the decision in the middle."

Barrett put the game away from there with two big third-down conversions on what proved to be the final drive -- a 16-yard pass to Noah Brown on third-and-8 and a 35-yard run on third-and-10 with 1:57 left to put the ball at the Northwestern 22-yard line. From there, the Buckeyes ran out the clock.

"We had two chances to get stops on long third downs and we didn't get it done," Fitzgerald said. "That's on us as a coaching staff."

Barrett made big plays when Ohio State needed them, especially in the fourth quarter. He ended the game with 71 yards rushing on 13 carries and completed 21 of 32 passes for 223 yards.

Mike Weber rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, and the Buckeyes finished with 431 yards and no turnovers after a sluggish offensive performance last week in the 24-21 loss at Penn State.

"We try to be a 500-yard offense or close to that. We're getting closer to doing that," Barrett said. "If we're close to doing that, I don't think there's a lot of regress."

The Wildcats had tied the score at 17 with 3:49 left in the third quarter on a 2-yard
touchdown pass from Clayton Thorson to Garrett Dickerson. Northwestern converted a fourth-and-2 from the Ohio State 46-yard line to keep the drive alive and Thorson connected with Austin Carr on a 35-yard pass for a first-and-goal at the 5.

Thorson completed 22 of 42 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score to help Northwestern's offense accumulate 406 total yards. Carr, the Big Ten's leading receiver, had eight catches for 158 yards.

"Well, we would have liked to win obviously," Thorson said, "but there are no moral victories. We felt like we should have won, but we didn't make one play here and there. ... No one cares how close you come to winning."

Ohio State scored a touchdown on its first possession for the first time this season, marching 94 yards in nine plays. Weber capped the long drive with a 1-yard plunge to give the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead.

Northwestern gave the ball right back to Ohio State when Thorson's pass was tipped by linebacker Raekwon McMillan and intercepted by cornerback Damon Arnette at the Buckeyes' 49-yard line.

Ohio State's short drive stalled and Tyler Durbin kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 6:36 left in the opening quarter.

"I like the fact we started fast," Meyer said.

NOTES: S Malik Hooker led the Buckeyes with a career-high 14 tackles. ... Ohio State WR Parris Campbell left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. ... Ohio State's defense gave up only its third rushing touchdown of the season, a 1-yard run by Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson in the second quarter. ... Northwestern last won in Columbus in 1971, a 14-10 victory. The Wildcats' only win in the series since then came in 2004 in Evanston, Ill., a 33-27 victory in overtime.

Group of Five Power Ranking: Western Michigan could be rowing their boat to a New Years Six Bowl.

By Kevin McGuire

(Photo/David Banks/Getty Images)

With Wyoming stunning Boise State late Saturday night with a game-winning safety and Navy being sunk by South Florida this past weekend, it is time to give the Group of Five a fresh start. That’s terrific news for Western Michigan, who has been laying in the weeds the past few weeks just waiting for something to happen to Boise State and in the American Athletic Conference. It’s all coming together now for the best team in the MAC.

PJ Fleck and his Western Michigan Broncos are now well on their way to playing in a New Years Six bowl game, but they still probably have to run the table in order to do so. San Diego State is suddenly right on their heels after a bit of a shakeup in the Group of Five pecking order this week. And maybe we should throw Wyoming into the conversation, while admitting they are a bit of a longshot as we get ready to hit November.

Western Michigan is the last remaining undefeated Group of Five team, so it would be easy to label them the favorite without giving it much thought, but Western Michigan is not here by default. They have earned the top spot with a smashing offense and a stifling defense.

The College Football Playoff selection committee will reserve one guaranteed spot in the New Years Six bowl line-up to the highest-ranked conference champion from the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West Conference or the Sun Belt Conference. Independents like BYU and Army are not eligible for this automatic qualifier, so they are not in the running. Based on results and standings to date, here is how I would rank the current Group of Five contenders for the New Years Six:

1. Western Michigan (8-0)

At this point, nobody is going to pass Western Michigan unless the Broncos lose a game. Lose once, and Western Michigan may be cooked. The big game will be the final game of the regular season against Toledo (6-2), which should still decide the MAC West Division. Before then, Western Michigan takes on three teams with a combined record of 9-16. Western Michigan has outscored its opponents 355-154.Row… row… row…

2. San Diego State (7-1)

Having Donnell Pumphrey generating some possible Heisman buzz is nice, but the Aztecs are now suddenly in line to host the Mountain West Conference championship game after winning four straight conference games by double digits. Keep an eye on November 19 with San Diego State making a road trip to Wyoming. The Aztecs have allowed just 26 point sin conference play.

3. Temple (6-3)

Don’t look now, but the Temple Owls are gaining the inside track to hosting the American Athletic Conference championship game. Temple already owns a head-to-head tiebreaker with South Florida and Matt Rhule’s offense is playing well now with PJ Walker at quarterback and Jahad Thomas heating up on the ground. Temple also has the most favorable schedule on paper in the final month compared to South Florida and Navy and Tulsa.

4. South Florida (7-2)

South Florida suddenly has the best record among AAC teams, tied with Houston at 7-2, but the road loss to Temple means USF must hope the Owls lose once down the stretch while managing to keep their foot on the gas on the road against Memphis and SMU and at home against an improving UCF. The Bulls are scoring 44.1 ppg with Quinton Flowers leading the way through the air and on the ground.

5. Wyoming (6-2)

I’ll entertain the idea of having Wyoming ranked higher here after knocking off a well-respected Boise State program Saturday night. Of all the Group of Five contenders, Wyoming probably has the most challenging hurdle the rest for the way with San Diego State (perhaps twice!), but Craig Bohl deserves all kinds of credit for what is being done with the Wyoming program. Wyoming now is the only undefeated team in the Mountain Division of the MWC and holds a decisive tiebreaker with Boise State to reach the conference title game (a road game at New Mexico is not to be overlooked in the final week of the regular season).

On The Radar: Navy, Tulsa, Toledo, Boise State, Troy, Appalachian State

NCAABKB: Abdul-Jabbar visits Harvard, tells players to stay in school.

By Jimmy Golen

(Photo/ngngsports.com)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't mention either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton by name, but the presidential election was on his mind when he came to Harvard on Saturday to talk to the players on the Crimson basketball team.

Nor did the Basketball Hall of Famer need to cite Colin Kaepernick by name when he said current sports stars were ''getting their baptism'' in social movements.

''I'm glad to see that the younger athletes are concerned and saying something about it. That's how we solve things,'' Abdul-Jabbar told reporters before meeting with the players.

''The Founding Fathers gave us a great method. But it requires us to listen, and to inform others of our ideas in a polite and understanding way. They have a ways to go.''

Wearing a Harvard cap and sweatshirt, Abdul-Jabbar ducked his head to get through the door of the conference room overlooking the school's 113-year-old football stadium. Soon he would be joined by the players - all of them born long after he scored the last of his NBA record 38,387 points.

Settling into a chair in front of a fireplace, his latest book on the table in front of him, Abdul-Jabbar said he felt compelled to speak out about a political climate with ''an emphasis on anger and division.''

''There's a certain feeling of alarm among segments of our population because the skin color of the country has gotten a little bit darker over the past 20 or 30 years. And that has caused alarm for some people,'' he said. ''People of color are patriotic Americans in the same way that white people are.''

Abdul-Jabbar said it will be difficult to make progress on the country's issues when the two sides aren't listening to each other. ''A battle like this is not being waged with facts. That bothers me,'' he said. ''We should be able to agree on what the facts are.''

A student at UCLA in the late 1960s, Abdul-Jabbar lived through the Civil Rights movement and said he tried to follow the example set by Muhammad Ali, who was stripped of his title for refusing induction into the Vietnam War. Abdul-Jabbar refused to play on the 1968 Olympic basketball team, saying the country didn't represent him.

Kaepernick made similar comments when he refused to stand for the national anthem before NFL games, a protest that renewed the debate on race.

''It's not easy, trying to motivate people, especially on something as politically volatile as these issues are. People being shot in the street; it's a very emotional and a very intense subject,'' Abdul-Jabbar said. ''I'm sure he's finding that out. But the fact that he's persisting with it, I've got to give him credit for it.''

Abdul-Jabbar also answered questions about his latest book, ''Writings on the Wall; Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White,'' a series of political essays from the perspective of an athlete, African-American and Muslim. He spoke about the current NBA, which has moved away from centers who played the position like him in favor of 3-point-shooting big men.

''The three-point shot isn't the answer to everything,'' he said. ''Everybody thought that small ball was going to dominate. You saw what happened to Golden State when they lost Andrew Bogut: They couldn't compete. So big guys still have a prominence in the game, and a place in the game that has not been totally eliminated.''

Abdul-Jabbar said he never regretted finishing college; nor was he tempted by a reported $1 million offer to join the Harlem Globetrotters. He encouraged college athletes - not just at Harvard, but even at more traditional basketball powers - to spend more time in school so they could learn the game.

''The longer that they stay here, the better that they will play,'' he said. ''If they stay in college for four years, that's the best way to achieve all that they want to achieve as basketball players. To try to jump to the NBA is not the way to go.''

It wasn't Abdul-Jabbar's first trip to the Ivy League school on the Charles River: In 1972, already an NBA champion, he attended Harvard summer school to learn Arabic so he could learn more about his Muslim faith.

''It was a tough semester for me, but I learned it,'' he said, reporting that he got an A.

With former Celtics Satch Sanders and M.L. Carr sitting in the back of the room, Abdul-Jabbar said the highlight of his career was beating the Celtics in Boston in the 1985 NBA Finals. At the time, the Lakers had never beaten the Celtics for the championship.

Asked where he would rank his performance in the movie ''Airplane!'' among his accomplishments, Abdul-Jabbar's competitive spirit emerged.

'''Airplane!' has done better than any movie that Shaquille (O'Neal) has made,'' he said. ''I'll leave it at that.''

A look at the best races in this weekend's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

By John Cherwa

California Chrome with jockey Victor Espinoza race to victory in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1. (Benoit Photo)

Bob Baffert’s sustained success as a trainer has earned him the unwanted position of being the sport’s most recognizable ambassador. But if you are looking for lock-it-down predictions, laced with a bit of friendly bombast, you’ve got the wrong guy.

So when he went all effusive to a group turf writers last week, it raised the idea that maybe next weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita really is something special. Sure, there are the usual ridiculously high numbers of 13 races running for $28 million in purses, but there are some matchups that will tantalize spectators and confound bettors.

“You look over the field and this is probably one of the strongest Breeders’ Cup years I’ve ever seen,” Baffert said.

“We’ve got the Filly and Mare Distaff. You’ve got the Classic, the Sprint, Turf. I’ve never seen so much talent. … This is the year to buy a ticket. I’m telling you to be there. … There is going to be incredible racing.”

Baffert has seven horses entered in five of the races, including a colt, Arrogate, that may be both the most talented and the biggest question mark and another horse that looks to be a can’t-miss winner. The name of that horse is just one of the five storylines to watch at Friday and Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup. 

The Classic: California Chrome is the most popular horse in the world, has won more money than any other in North American history, and he’s likely two races from  the end of his racing career. What’s not to love? 

Baffert’s lightly raced 3-year-old Arrogate dropped more than a few jaws with his record-setting time and 13½-length win in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. 

“I know Bob has been high on time for a long time,” said Jerry Bailey, hall of fame jockey and NBC Sports horse racing analyst. “If he can reproduce that race, there will be no drama.

“The key might be that the middle fractions are a lot faster than the Travers. Who would I ride? I’d pick Chrome.”

The Distaff: This race, Friday’s centerpiece, is probably better than the Classic. There is undefeated 3-year-old  Songbird, whose career has been so spectacular she has never been tested. That’s the problem, she’s never been tested.

There’s Beholder, a 6-year-old mare who has won  17 of 25 races and was considered a chief rival to American Pharoah in last year’s Classic until scratching because of illness.
And Stellar Wind, a gritty campaigner as a 4-year-old, she’s won seven of 11 races including some recent wins over Beholder. It’s age versus youth. Anyone can win.

The Juvenile:  This is where you get a look at the early favorites for next year’s Kentucky Derby. Last year’s winner was Nyquist. The West Coast has been dominating the Derby lately but this year could signal a change.

Not This Time, for Dale Romans, and Classic Empire, for Mark Casse, seem strong from the East Coast. Gormley, for John Shirreffs, won the recent FrontRunner at Santa Anita over a disappointing performance for Klimt, running for Baffert. But the race is considered suspect for talent. Time will answer that question. 

 “I’m not being cocky, but I think Classic Empire is the horse to beat,” said Casse.

The Turf: The traditional U.S. versus Europe race is looking to be a tough one to handicap. Flintshire, a British horse that finished second in this race last year, has been racing in the U.S. since June, winning three of four. If he runs his race, he’ll be tough to beat.

But Aiden O’Brien has four Irish horses entered. One has to be good, right?

Ashleyluvssugar, for Peter Eurton, is the top West Coast grass horse.

The Dirt Mile: Looks like a competitive field with horses such as Gun Runner, third in the Kentucky Derby and Accelerate, winner of three of four against lesser competition. And, then there is Dortmund, for Baffert.

“Dortmund looks like he has these horses over a barrel,” Bailey said, revealing what could be the lock of the Breeders’ Cup.

“This is a really nice horse. Last year he spent chasing American Pharoah, and this year he’s been chasing California Chrome. He’s a really good horse that should lay over this field in the mile.”

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, October 31, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1950 - Earl Lloyd (Washington Capitols) became the first African-American to play in an NBA game.

1968 - The Milwaukee Bucks won their first game. They beat Detroit 138-118.

1995 - The NHL's New Jersey Devils announced that they would stay in New Jersey.

1999 - Bryan White sang the National Anthem at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville prior to the game between the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams. Following the game, White gave his second annual Howl-O-Ween concert at the north end of the coliseum. 

2001 - In Miami Beach, FL, Jose Canseco was involved in a nightclub brawl. Canseco later violated his probation and was sentenced to two years of house arrest and three years probation. 2010 - For the first time in major league history, two former presidents attended the same World Series Game. George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush both attended Game 4 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX.

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