NBA NEWS
The Boston Celtics have picked up their ninth straight victory since an 0-2 start, but they were challenged by a team that knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers the previous night.
Kyrie Irving poured in a season-high 35 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining that put the Celtics ahead to stay in a 110-107 victory over the Hawks. Jayson Tatum added 21 points in a game that featured 25 lead changes before Boston improved to an NBA-best 9-2.
Al Horford came within one assist of a triple-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against his former team.
The Celtics' winning streak is their longest in seven years.
Dennis Schroder had 23 points for the 2-9 Hawks.
NFL-LIONS/PACKERS
The Green Bay Packers continue to struggle on offense since Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone that ended his season.
The Detroit Lions ended a three-game skid by keeping the Packers out of the end zone until the fourth quarter of a 30-17 victory at Green Bay. The Packers got their first TD on Brett Hundley's one-yard sneak with 9:52 remaining, but the Lions regained a 17-point lead less than two minutes later as Matthew Stafford hit Marvin Jones for an 11-yard touchdown.
Stafford was 26 of 33 for 361 yards and two TDs as the Lions evened their record at 4-4. Jones had both scoring receptions while catching seven passes for 107 yards.
Hundley completed 26 of his 38 passes for 245 yards and no interceptions, but the 4-4 Packers had the ball for just over 23 minutes in suffering their third straight loss.
NFL-NEWS
The Dallas Cowboys will spend yet a few more days awaiting the fate of Ezekiel Elliott as the NFL and the players union continue what has now become a three-month court battle over his suspension.
A federal appeals court has scheduled a Thursday hearing as attorneys for the Dallas Cowboys running back seek a longer-lasting injunction to stop his six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations.
Elliott was ordered in August to serve the suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy, but he has received three reprieves through the legal system since then. The latest allowed Elliott to play Sunday against Kansas City as he ran for 93 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.
It is possible, if not likely, that the three-judge panel could rule as early as Thursday, following oral arguments, on whether Elliott can play Sunday in Atlanta.
Also in the NFL:
— Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has received a one-game suspension for his actions during Sunday's game against New Orleans, but Bengals receiver A.J. Green has escaped a suspension for his fight with Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Evans was punished for leveling Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore from behind during a skirmish. Green still faces a fine for grabbing Ramsey around the neck, throwing him to the ground and punching him in the helmet late in the first half.
— Jets wide receiver and punt-returner Jeremy Kerley has received a four-game suspension without pay from the league for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing substances. He will be eligible to return to the Jets' active roster on Dec. 11, the day after New York plays at Denver. Kerley said in a statement released by his representatives that he was "shocked" to test positive for Turinabol, adding that he has never used steroids and intends to investigate what caused the positive test.
— Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has told GQ that he used drugs or alcohol before every game of his career, adding that "a bunch of guys smoke weed before the game." Gordon was reinstated on a conditional basis last week by Commissioner Roger Goodell and has missed 51 games since 2014 due to suspensions. Gordon can begin practicing with the Browns on Nov. 20 as long as he fulfills requirements.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Checking out the Monday's other NBA action:
— Kevin Durant's 21 points and eight boards helped the cold-shooting Warriors win for the seventh time in eight games, 97-80 against Miami. The defending NBA champs shot 29 percent in the first quarter and 37 percent for the game, missing 21 of their 32 three-point attempts. Draymond Green scored 18 points with a season-high four 3s to help the Warriors win for just the third time in their last 14 games when held under 100 points.
— D'Angelo Russell scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and finished with nine assists to help the Nets take a 98-92 decision over the Suns at Phoenix. Joe Harris provided a season-high 18 points for Brooklyn, which blew a 15-point lead before sending the Suns to their third straight loss.
MLB-NEWS
Baseball's free-agent market continues to take shape as general managers tender qualifying offers while management and players decide on contract options.
Three Royals were among nine players to receive $17.4 million qualifying offers. Kansas City made the offers to first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and outfielder Lorenzo Cain as the team tries to gain draft pick compensation should the players leave via free agency.
Cubs pitchers Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis also received the offers, as did Rays hurler Alex Cobb, Rockies closer Greg Holland, Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn and Indians first baseman Carlos Santana.
Holland was given his qualifying offer after declining to exercise his $15 million player option. Holland tied a club record with 41 saves last season.
Players have until Nov. 16 to accept qualifying offers or become free agents.
In other major league news:
— The Dodgers have declined outfielder Andre Ethier's $17.5 million club option, making the longest-tenured player on the team a free agent. The 35-year-old Ethier missed most of the last two seasons because of a broken right leg in 2016 and a herniated disk this past season.
— Madison Bumgarner's $12 million option for the 2018 season has been exercised by the Giants, who also picked up their $7 million option on lefty Matt Moore. Bumgarner missed nearly three months this past season following a dirt bike accident during an off day in Colorado on April 20.
— The Indians have declined their $7 million option on reliever Boone Logan, who pitched in 38 games before a strained back muscle ended his season in July.
— The Rays have exercised a $2 million club option for next season on pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. The right-hander missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery in August 2016, when he was with the New York Yankees.
— The Rangers declined their 2018 club options for slugger Mike Napoli and reliever Tony Barnette, but they picked up the option on 13-game winner Martin Perez. Texas also announced that it won't make a $17.4 million qualifying offer to free agent pitcher Andrew Cashner.
— Orioles catcher Welington Castillo has declined a $7 million player option for the 2018 season after batting .282 with 20 home runs and 53 RBIs in 96 games.
— Nationals catcher Matt Wieters is exercising his $10.5 million contract option for next season.
— Injury-plagued left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has notified the Marlins he will keep his contract with the team rather than exercise an opt-out clause.
— The Diamondbacks have exercised a $2 million club option on infielder Daniel Descalso. The utilityman hit .233 with a career-high 10 home runs and 51 RBIs while playing six different positions last season.
— Jose Bautista's $17.5 million option has been declined by the Blue Jays, who will pay a $500,000 buyout. Bautista became a free agent Sunday after the team turned down its half of the mutual option on the 36-year-old right fielder.
— The Cardinals have released veteran right-hander Trevor Rosenthal, who could miss all of next season following Tommy John surgery in July.
— Alex Cora was introduced as the new manager of the Red Sox and says he's ready to take on the challenge of leading one of its most storied franchises. He served as bench coach for A.J. Hinch as the Astros won the World Series.
— Houston first base coach Rich Dauer is recovering after surgery on a blood clot in his brain. The 65-year-old Dauer was rushed to a hospital Friday immediately after Houston's parade to celebrate its first World Series title.
— Former Twins coach Rick Stelmaszek has died at age 69 of complications from pancreatic cancer. Stelmaszek spent 32 seasons as a Twins coach from 1981-2012, earning World Series rings in 1987 and '91.
MLB-YANKEES-CASHMAN
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was concerned with Joe Girardi's "connectivity and communication level" with players in deciding to replace him as New York's manager.
Cashman said Monday he decided it was time for a "new voice" and a "fresh voice" in the job and said there may be a "shelf life" to a manager's tenure with a team.
NHL-SCHEDULE
The Vegas Golden Knights are now 1-3-1 on their six-game road trip following their first-ever shootout loss.
The Knights erased a 3-1 deficit before Mitchell Marner scored the lone shootout goal in the Maple Leafs' 4-3 win in Toronto. Nazem Kadri's second goal of the night put the Leafs ahead by a pair, but Reilly Smith scored in the second period and Deryk Engelland tied it with 13:44 left in regulation.
James van Riemsdyk also had a first-period goal and Frederik Andersen stopped 25 shots as Toronto stopped a two-game skid.
The Knights fell to 9-4-1, the best 14-game start by an expansion team in NHL history.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— The Capitals pulled out a 3-2 win over Arizona on John Carlson's goal 4:14 into overtime. Clayton Keller notched his rookie-best 11th goal of the season for the Coyotes, who scored on their first two shots before Washington rallied for its season-high third straight win.
— The Bruins finally solved Devan Dubnyk as Jake DeBrusk and Frank Vatrano scored 2:19 apart in the first period to put Boston ahead to stay in a 5-3 win over the Wild. Sean Kuraly and Torey Krug added second-period goals against Dubnyk, who shut out the Bruins in each of their two meetings last season.
— The Rangers picked up their fourth straight win by scoring four times in the third period of a 5-3 verdict over the Blue Jackets. Michael Grabner scored twice for the Rangers, while teammates Kevin Shattenkirk and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist.
— The Red Wings made it four wins in their last five games by getting a goal from Tomas Tatar with 74 seconds left in a 3-2 victory at Vancouver. Tatar's game-winner came after Daniel Sedin and Michael Del Zotto scored 2:14 apart in the third period to wipe out Detroit's 2-0 lead.
— Mark Scheifele opened and closed the scoring as the Jets handled the Stars 4-1 in Dallas. Blake Wheeler had four assists for Winnipeg, which is 8-1-3 in its last 12 games.
UMASS NEWS
University of Massachusetts Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford announced Monday that Ed Matz's employment contract, scheduled to end in January, will not be renewed. Matz, the fifth head coach in UMass women's soccer history, just completed his eighth season at the helm of the program. He compiled a record of 59-72-21 (.457) with a 30-38-12 (.450) mark in Atlantic 10 matches.
"We thank Ed for his eight years of service to the University of Massachusetts and our women’s soccer program," Bamford stated. "We wish Ed all the best in his future endeavors."
UMass Athletics will now commence a national search for the next head coach.
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