WAMC Sports Report 10/22/24: The NBA season begins and Boston is aiming for its 19th title

N.B.A

The defending champion Boston Celtics will open the new NBA season tonight at home against the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Celtics are the overwhelming favorite to win the 2025 championship. The Celtics-Knicks matchup begins on opening night, followed by Minnesota at the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. in LA. In this game, LeBron James faces Vince Carter, playing in his 22nd NBA season. It could be the first official game in which a father and son are teammates, and Bronny James is beginning his rookie season.

When LeBron James and his son Bronny make NBA history by playing in the same game for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. will be there to witness it. The first father-son duo to play in Major League Baseball plans to attend the Lakers’ season opener at their downtown arena, where the entire crowd is hoping to see the James family achieve the same rare sporting feat for the NBA accomplished. The Griffeys’ presence is exciting for Bronny James, the 20-year-old rookie selected in the second round by the Lakers.

The Denver Nuggets secured another of their starters on Monday night by agreeing to a four-year, $133 million contract extension with forward Aaron Gordon. The deal was confirmed by his representatives Calvin Andrews and Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, as well as Elise Gordon, the older sister of the 29-year-old power forward who helped the Nuggets win their first NBA title in 2022-23.

NFL

Lamar Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Baltimore Ravens overcome an early double-digit deficit and extend their winning streak to five games with a 41-31 win Monday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs lost their top two receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, to injuries. Jackson improved to 23-1 against NFC teams, the best record by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history. He is 3-0 against the Bucs, who faded after a 10-0 lead. Godwin suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury in the final minutes with the game out of reach.

Kyler Murray ran for a 44-yard touchdown, leading the Cardinals on a drive that set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Arizona rallied for a 17-15 win over the Cardinals Los Angeles Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals for the Chargers and his 40-yarder gave the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 left. But the Cardinals quickly moved within field goal range, aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty. James Conner’s 33-yard run ultimately set up Ryland’s short field goal. The Chargers gained 395 yards but could not reach the end zone.

Deshaun Watson will not finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight season. Watson tore his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. His collapse drew cheers from some Browns fans as he lay on the ground. The team says an MRI confirmed the fracture. The Browns said Watson will undergo surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. It is his second serious injury in two seasons. Last year he broke a bone in his throwing shoulder. The Browns signed Watson to a $230 million contract in 2022 as he addressed sexual assault allegations made by two dozen women in Texas.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could return this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals after medical experts cleared him to return to practice following his recent concussion. Coach Mike McDaniel says Tagovailoa will practice on Wednesday and if that goes well, the plan is for him to start at home on Sunday. Tagovailoa was injured in a Week 2 game against Buffalo when he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa ran for the first down and then initiated contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.

San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk will miss the remainder of the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee. Coach Kyle Shanahan said tests confirmed the initial diagnosis that Aiyuk had suffered a torn ACL and would require major reconstructive surgery after he injured himself on a catch in the red zone late in the second quarter of a 28-18 loss to Kansas City Chiefs suffered a blow to his knee on Sunday. Shanahan said Aiyuk also tore his ACL.

NHL

William Nylander scored two goals and an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Monday night. Auston Matthews, Max Pacioretty and Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz made 32 saves. Mitch Marner had two assists. Nick Paul and Brayden Point responded for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 14 shots before scoring the catch midway through the second period. Jonas Johansson made 14 saves in relief. Victor Hedman had two assists.

WNBA

The WNBA players’ union has decided to leave two years before the current collective bargaining agreement expires. The league and players’ union had the opportunity to do so before November 1st. The early cancellation marks a crucial time for the league. The WNBA signed a historic 11-year media rights deal worth $200 million per year. The league had record attendance and viewership this year, culminating in the WNBA Finals, where New York defeated Minnesota in a decisive fifth game on Sunday. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike said: “This is a defining moment not only for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis headline the Associated Press All-America men’s basketball team. Sears received all but one vote from a 55-member panel, and Davis was right behind him with 51. They were joined by Kansas great Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for last place, forming a six-man team.

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