Irving leads rout of Celtics in return to Boston GardenBy The Associated PressKyrie Irving circled the Boston Garden parquet floor performing an apparent spiritual ritual waving a burning substance in his hands before tipoff, then proceeded to torch his...

AP Hockey WriterNHL, players reach tentative deal for 56-game seasonBy STEPHEN WHYNOThe National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold a 56-game season in 2021 beginning Jan. 13, pending the approval of each side's executive...

AP Hockey WriterNHL, players reach tentative deal for 56-game seasonBy STEPHEN WHYNODrop the puck in mid-January? The National Hockey League is well on the way to making that happen.The NHL and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold...

AP Sports WriterKyrie Irving cleanses court in return to BostonBy JIMMY GOLENBOSTON (AP) Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving performed a Native American ritual to ''cleanse the energy'' at the TD Garden on Friday night before taking the court...

AP Sports WriterAngels' Maddon: Adell likely to minors, can still be starBy DAVID BRANDTAngels manager Joe Maddon won't be surprised if Jo Adell starts the upcoming season in the minors after a rough 38-game introduction to the big leagues...

Braves bring back largely same coaching staff for 2021ATLANTA (AP) The three-time NL East champion Atlanta Braves will bring back largely the same coaching staff in 2021.Manager Brian Snitker will again be assisted by bench coach Walt Weiss...

Hammond scores 22 to lead Monmouth past Saint Peter's 78-76WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) Deion Hammond had 22 points as Monmouth narrowly defeated Saint Peter's 78-76 on Friday.George Papas had 17 points for Monmouth (1-1, 1-0 Metro Atlantic...

Jays' Montoyo says free agents asking about Toronto statusTORONTO (AP) Each time Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo has made a pitch to free agents this offseason, there's one topic he's known will come up.''The number one question is...

Chris Flexen, Mariners agree to $4.75M, 2-year contractSEATTLE (AP) Right-hander Chris Flexen and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a $4.75 million, two-year contract on Friday.The 26-year-old gets a $600,000 signing bonus, a $1.4 million salary next season and...

White Sox-Angels open ESPN Sunday night slate on April 4By The Associated PressESPN will open its ''Sunday Night Baseball'' schedule on April 4 when the Los Angeles Angels host the Chicago White Sox.The game will feature the last two...