The NBA will have nationally televised games every day of the week

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🏀 NBA SCHEDULE RELEASE

The NBA released its full schedule for the upcoming season on Thursday, and it is no shock which groups you may be seeing most frequently once you flip in your TV.

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• The defending champion Thunder have 34 games on nationwide TV (or streaming), tied with the Lakers, Warriors and Knicks for the most in the league.

• The Timberwolves and Rockets aren’t too far behind, at 28 every, adopted by the Nuggets (26), Celtics (25), Cavaliers (24) and Mavericks (23) to spherical out the prime 10.

No love for Indy: The Pacers, a 12 months after reaching the NBA Finals, have simply 9 nationwide games. Rude. (I do know, I do know… Tyrese Haliburton is out for the 12 months. Still.)

How to look at: The greatest change this season is that the league’s large new 11-year, $76 billion media deal kicks in, which may take some getting used to for followers conditioned to watching totally on ESPN and TNT. Here’s where you’ll watch:

• NBC/Peacock: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday … The NBA returns to NBC for the first time in 24 years. Most importantly, which means “Roundball Rock” is returning!

• ESPN/ABC: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday … No change right here. ESPN nonetheless will get Wednesday and Friday nights, whereas ABC will get Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

• Prime: Thursday, Friday and Saturday … Doubleheaders on Friday all season and on Thursday beginning in January, plus choose Saturday afternoon games.

Big image: Yes, that is loads of completely different locations to look at one league. But the greatest takeaway is that this: Almost all season lengthy, there will be at the very least one nationally-televised (or streamed) recreation every. single. day.

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Let the countdown start: The season opens with an NBC doubleheader on Oct. 21, when the Thunder host the Rockets in Kevin Durant’s Houston debut and the Lakers host the Warriors in the newest chapter of LeBron vs. Steph. Just 67 days away. Can’t wait.

Go deeper: Schedule release highlights (Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports)

📺 WEEKEND WATCHLIST

⚽️ Premier League | Fri-Sun, USA/NBC/Peacock

‌The Premier League marketing campaign kicks off at present with defending champion Liverpool — favored to run it again for his or her third title since 2020 (+175 at BetMGM) — opening the season at house in opposition to Bournemouth. But lurking, as all the time, are final 12 months’s runner-up Arsenal (+250), perennial contender Manchester City (+350) and reigning Club World Cup champion Chelsea (+800).‌

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Matchday 1:

• Liverpool vs. Bournemouth (Fri. 3pm ET, USA)

• Aston Villa vs. Newcastle (Sat. 7:30am, USA)

• Brighton vs. Fulham (Sat. 10am, USA)

• Sunderland vs. West Ham (Sat. 10am, Peacock)

• Tottenham vs. Burnley (Sat. 10am, Peacock)

• Wolves vs. Manchester City (Sat. 12:30pm, NBC)

• Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace (Sun. 9am, USA)

• Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford (Sun. 9am, Peacock)

• Manchester United vs. Arsenal (Sun. 11:30am, NBC)

Go deeper: Team-by-team mega-preview (ESPN)

⚾️ Little League Classic | Sun. 7:10pm ET, ESPN

The Mets and Mariners face off on Sunday in the eighth annual Little League Classic at Williamsport’s Historic Bowman Field. In what’s change into a very fantastic new custom, the large leaguers will spend the day attending Little League World Series games and embracing their inner kid earlier than enjoying in entrance of a crowd of principally little leaguers and their households that night time.

Plus… The biggest series of the weekend is in Los Angeles, the place the Dodgers and Padres meet for 3 games as they jockey for place atop the NL West. San Diego — which has received 5 straight and 14 of 17 — now has a one-game lead over L.A., marking the newest in a season they’ve held sole possession of first place since 2010.

⛳️ BMW Championship | Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Peacock/Golf/NBC

Robert MacIntyre, have a day. The Scottish lefty went nuclear on the back nine on Thursday, birdieing his remaining six holes and making almost 200 toes price of putts for a career-best spherical of 62. At 8-under par, he holds a three-stroke lead over Tommy Fleetwood coming into the second spherical.

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⛳️ U.S. Amateur | Fri-Sun, Golf/Peacock

Just eight golfers remain at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, and none is extra shocking than Jimmy Abdo, a sophomore from D-III Gustavus Adolphus College who sits at No. 4,292 in the world newbie rankings. The quarterfinals tee off at present at 4:30pm, the semis are tomorrow and the 36-hole championship match is on Sunday.

🎾 Cincinnati Open | Fri-Sun, Tennis

It’s a uncommon Monday end in Cincy, in order that they’re nonetheless in the quarterfinals coming into play at present.

Men: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 9 Andrey Rublev (3pm) and No. 3 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 5 Ben Shelton (7pm). The winners will be a part of No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Terence Atmane in the semifinals.

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Women: No. 3 Iga Świątek vs. No. 28 Anna Kalinskaya (11am); No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 9 Elena Rybakina (12:10pm); Varvara Gracheva vs. Veronika Kudermetova (4:30pm); No. 2 Coco Gauff vs. No. 7 Jasmine Paolini (8:30pm).

🏀 Storm vs. Dream | Fri. 10pm, ION

It’s taken 29 seasons, however the WNBA is lastly enjoying its first regular-season game in Canada when the surging Dream (21-11, six straight wins) and struggling Storm (16-17, six straight losses) meet at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. And it isn’t a second too quickly as the league’s first Canadian group, the Toronto Tempo, start play subsequent season.

Other games to look at: The Lynx host the Liberty (Sat. 2pm, CBS) for his or her third Finals rematch in the previous two weeks; A’ja Wilson and the Aces host Paige Bueckers and the Wings in Vegas (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC).

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More to look at:

• NFL Preseason: Chiefs at Seahawks (Fri. 10pm, NFL); Browns at Eagles (Sat. 1pm, NFL); Bills at Bears (Sun. 8pm, Fox) … Full Week 2 slate.

• Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas vs. The Firefighters (Fri. 8pm, ESPN2; Sat. 8pm, truTV) … At Rate Field, house of the White Sox.

• NWSL: KC Current vs. Orlando Pride (Sat. 4pm, CBS) … First-place KC places its undefeated house report on the line in opposition to second-place Orlando.

• MLS: NY Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union (Sat. 7:30pm, Apple) … First-place Philly takes on New York simply three days after beating the Red Bulls to reach the U.S. Open cup semis.

• UFC 319: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev (Sat. 10pm, ESPN+ PPV) … Middleweight title struggle at Chicago’s United Center.

• LIV: Indianapolis (Fri-Sun, FS1/Fox) … The penultimate occasion of the season.

• NASCAR: Richmond Raceway (Sat. 7:30pm, USA) … Here’s where things stand heading into the penultimate race earlier than the playoffs.

Full weekend slate →

🏀 WNBA AWARDS WATCH

With one month till the playoffs start, listed below are our picks for the WNBA’s three main end-of-season awards, courtesy of Yahoo Sports’ Maggie Hendricks.

MVP

Napheesa Collier, Lynx: Yes, she’s lacking a while proper now with a sprained ankle; no, that should not penalize her contemplating how absolutely she and her group dominated earlier than the harm. Minnesota (27-5) has already clinched the playoffs and Collier leads the league in scoring with 23.5 factors per recreation to associate with 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks.

Contender and darkish horse: Dream guard Allisha Gray is averaging career-highs in factors (19.0), rebounds (5.6) and assists (3.8); Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is prime 5 in scoring (19.3) and prime 10 in assists (5.4).

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Defensive Player of the Year

A’ja Wilson, Aces: The three-time MVP might but discover herself in that race, too. But the two-time DPOY is already operating away with this one as she leads the league in blocks (2.1), is second in rebounds (9.8) and seventh in steals (1.7). And, lest we neglect, she trails solely Collier in scoring (22.0).

Contender and darkish horse: The Mercury’s triple-double queen, Alyssa Thomas, is third in rebounding (8.7) whereas enjoying suffocating protection; Storm ahead Gabby Williams leads the league in steals by a large margin (2.5).

Rookie of the Year

Paige Bueckers, Wings: The UConn legend is seventh in scoring (18.4), eighth in assists (5.4) and fourth in steals (1.8). That’s not simply amongst rookies, however throughout the complete league. Safe to say she’s met her sky-high expectations.

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Contender and darkish horse: The Mystics duo of Kiki Iriafen (12.5 pts, 8.3 reb) and Sonia Citron (14.8 pts, 4.5 reb) — each of whom, like Bueckers, had been All-Stars this 12 months — have Washington on the fringes of the playoff race.

📚 GOOD READS

Ross Dellenger: What’s the next ‘arms race’ in college sports?

As the NCAA enters its revenue-sharing period, colleges are busy discovering methods to legally exceed the annual cap to extend the worth of their rosters. Tennessee’s new $100 million model take care of Adidas, which features a profitable NIL part, could possibly be the mannequin shifting ahead.

Jake Mintz: Pete Alonso assumes his rightful place as Mets’ Home Run King

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Peter Alonso, as he was usually referred to as again then, entered skilled baseball as a relative afterthought. The hulking slugger drafted sixty fourth general out of Florida had expertise, of course, but in addition query marks as a middling athlete with a excessive offensive bar to clear. Consider it cleared.

Elliot Worsell: The difficulty of containing and feeding Moses Itauma

The 20-year-old British heavyweight takes the ring on Saturday for simply his thirteenth professional struggle. And after profitable his first 12 in dominant trend, he already appears to be like like a future celebrity. “I know what he’s capable of,” says his supervisor. “He is a Messi, he is a LeBron, he is a Phelps, he is a Tiger. He is a once-in-a-generation talent who will be a cultural sporting icon.”

🏀 NBA TRIVIA

The Lakers will unveil a statue of former head coach Pat Riley exterior Crypto.com Arena in February, making him the eighth determine to be honored by the franchise in that manner.

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Question: Can you title the different seven Lakers figures with such a statue?

Hint: Three guards, two facilities a ahead and an announcer.

Answer at the backside.

⚾️ THE WIN STREAK THAT’S FEEDING A CITY

Nothing brings a metropolis collectively fairly like a group on a scorching streak. Add in some free meals, and it is truthful to say the vibes in Milwaukee have by no means been greater.

Free burgers: The Brewers’ twelfth consecutive win on Wednesday triggered a free hamburger promotion from native restaurant chain George Webb for simply the third time in almost 80 years.

• Webb, who opened his first lunch counter in 1948, promised to offer away free burgers if the Milwaukee Brewers — then a Triple-A group — received 17 straight games. When MLB’s Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, he lowered the requisite streak to 12.

• The Braves got here and went with out hitting the mark, however the Brewers — an growth group that performed one 12 months as the Seattle Pilots earlier than shifting to Milwaukee in 1970 — did so in 1987 and 2018, incomes followers greater than 300,000 free burgers.

• This coming Wednesday it is all occurring once more, as followers will have 4 hours to claim their free sandwich at any of the 23 places throughout Wisconsin. Or, for individuals who cannot make giveaway day, vouchers will be out there for pickup beginning at present.

The final phrase: “I was nervous,” said Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff, who acquired the nod with the streak on the line. “There was a little bit more at stake today. I wanted to win those burgers bad. Who doesn’t want a free burger?” Who certainly, Brandon. Who certainly.

Trivia reply: Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Elgin Baylor and Chick Hearn

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