Memphis Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey exited during the second half of Sunday's win over the visiting Denver Nuggets with a left ankle injury.

Edey, the ninth overall pick of June's NBA draft, initially injured his ankle during the first half before aggravating it after halftime. He left with Memphis up 80-62 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter and did not return.

Edey finished with seven points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 14 minutes off the bench as the Grizzlies went on to win 105-90.

The former Purdue standout is averaging 11.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 20.1 minutes across 14 games (nine starts) for Memphis.

The severity of Edey's injury was not yet known. Edey, who stands 7-foot-4, previously battled ankle issues during NBA Summer League play.

Memphis is already playing without star guard Ja Morant, who remains out with a hip injury he sustained Nov. 6. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant will be re-evaluated Monday.

Memphis hosts Denver again Tuesday.

CLEVELAND -- Darius Garland scored 25 points, Ty Jerome matched his career high with 24 in place of Donovan Mitchell, and the Cleveland Cavaliers stayed unbeaten with a 128-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.

The Cavs are the fourth team to start 15-0 and are tied for the second-best start to a season in NBA history, trailing only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (24-0). The Warriors set the league record by winning their first 24 games on the way to a 73-9 season.

The 2015-16 Warriors, 1993-94 Houston Rockets (started 15-0) and 1948-49 Washington Capitols (15-0) all made the NBA Finals.

Evan Mobley had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland, marking the second time the Cavaliers have had four 20-point scorers in consecutive games in franchise history, and the first time since 1972.

Although they wanted to keep their winning streak alive, the Cavs felt getting Mitchell rest was more important. It's a long season with bigger games ahead, and first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, who has yet to lose with Cleveland, said sticking to the plan with Mitchell was a priority.

The Cavaliers barely missed a beat without Mitchell, who was coming off a season-high 37-point performance. One of the many pluses during the winning streak is that it's allowing Atkinson to further develop his bench.

Cleveland shot 67% (26-of-39) in the first half. Jerome tied a career best with eight assists.

LaMelo Ball had 31 points and 12 assists, and Miles Bridges scored 19 for the Hornets.

The Cavaliers will look to move to 16-0 on Tuesday against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. This is the fourth time in NBA history a team on a win streak of 15-plus games faces off against the defending NBA champion, and the first time since the Chicago Bulls faced the Rockets in 1996. One of these instances came in 1972, when the Los Angeles Lakers saw their NBA-record 33-game win streak come to an end against the Milwaukee Bucks.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves has been suspended five games for an illegal check to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.

The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced its ruling Sunday following a hearing with Reaves earlier in the day. This is Reaves' fourth career suspension and the third attached to a hit he delivered. Reaves will forfeit $35,156.25 in salary and is eligible to return for Toronto on Dec. 4 against Nashville.

The play in question happened during the second period of Saturday's game between the Leafs and Oilers. Nurse was carrying the puck behind his own net when Reaves delivered a thundering shoulder hit to Nurse's head. Edmonton's bloodied blueliner immediately fell to the ice and had to be helped to the dressing room by training staff and a teammate. Nurse did not return. Reaves received a five-minute major and match penalty.

"Reaves closes in on Nurse and delivers a high, hard check that cuts across the front of Nurse's body, missing his core and picking his head, making it the main point of contact on his body where such head contact was avoidable," the department said a video released Sunday. " ... While we understand Nurse is in the process of playing the puck, Nurse does not materially change the position of his head and body just prior to contact that makes his head the main point of contact."

The department said the five-game ban was determined because the play satisfied both elements of an illegal check -- the head being the main point of contact and such contact being avoidable by Reaves -- and caused an injury to Nurse, coupled with Reaves' history of prior suspensions.

Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch provided no update on Nurse's health status after Edmonton' 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto.

Losing Nurse for any extended period would be a blow to Edmonton's defensive depth. Nurse has two goals and nine points in 18 games this season while averaging nearly 21 minutes per game on the Oilers' blue line (third most among defensemen). He has been a stalwart second-pairing skater who plays in all situations. That production won't be easy for the Oilers replace from a mix of potential candidates, including larger roles for Travis Dermott, Brett Kulak or Ty Emberson.

Reaves has been in and out of the Leafs' lineup this season, averaging a team-low 7:51 minutes per game with one assist in 16 appearances.

"It's a dangerous play," Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said Saturday. "[Reaves] has got to know that Nursey doesn't see him coming and choose the right path there, and he doesn't. It's tough to see one of your teammates on the ice like that."

ST. LOUIS -- United States manager Mauricio Pochettino said that American players who play in MLS will have the chance to play for him on the USMNT.

Pochettino was speaking to reporters ahead of Monday's second leg, quarterfinal clash with Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League. The U.S. currently holds a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

When asked if he treats players differently if they aren't playing for their club, Pochettino said that he just wants his players playing, and that includes MLS. He also wanted to send a message to those MLS players that will participate in the January training camp that he is keeping an eye on them.

"For me I am going to be happy to have most of them playing here in the MLS because I think after [getting] to know the MLS, it is not easy to play here, it's very physical," Pochettino said.

The former Tottenham Hotspur coach added that MLS is "very competitive. They have very good discipline, they train very well and why not? For me they're going to have the same possibility playing in MLS than if they played in the Premier League or in LaLiga or in Belgium, in France.

"That is important that they need to know in private but also, they need to know in public. But also the players that will be involved in January [camp], they need to know that if they perform and they convince us and they show the quality, they are going to have the possibility to join us on the national team."

Pochettino was later asked if, when evaluating players, he put more weight on performances in a competitive fixture as opposed to a friendly. The Argentine responded in the affirmative, and added that after being in the U.S. job for the last two months, he's aware that the expectations are to win, and that is part of the sports culture in the U.S.

That fits with Pochettino's desire to raise the level of competitiveness in games, something that the U.S. showed more of in the first leg against Jamaica.

"I think we need to build that expectation. I think we need to increase the expectation," he said. "I think we need to increase the pressure over us because I think that it's going to be important because I think we are the USA and we need to perform and we need to win games. That is our culture."

The Orlando Pride advanced to their first NWSL championship with a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Current in Sunday's semifinal at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando.

Pride forward Barbra Banda scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute before 38-year-old captain Marta scored an iconic game-winning goal, making four Kansas City players fall to the ground as she dribbled through them and tapped the ball into the net.

"It's just such a Marta goal," Orlando defender Emily Sams said. "She's the GOAT [greatest of all-time] and she proved it tonight."

The top-seeded Pride will face the No. 2-seeded Washington Spirit in the NWSL championship on Saturday at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.

Orlando's victory marks the first time since 2019 the Shield winners advanced to the final.

Kansas City forward Debinha opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, redirecting a low cross from Michelle Cooper at the back post. The Current appeared to drop off their defensive pressure after taking the lead -- and they quickly paid for it.

Orlando equalized eight minutes later, when forward Ally Watt managed to get isolated one-on-one with Current fullback Ellie Wheeler. Watt hit a low cross toward an unmarked Haley McCutcheon for the finish at the 6-yard box.

Watt's assist was her third of the playoffs after tallying a pair in the Pride's 4-1 quarterfinal win over the Chicago Red Stars. She joins 2013 NWSL MVP Lauren Holiday as the only other player with three assists in a single postseason, per ESPN Research.

Current captain Lo'eau LaBonta, who entered the match listed as questionable with a leg injury and wore a sleeve on her right leg, left the game at halftime. She was replaced by forward Nichelle Prince, which pushed Brazilian playmaker Debinha back into the No. 10 role.

"It's no secret that Lo'eau is the force that drives us not just tactically, but mentally, too," Kansas City head coach Vlatko Andonovski said.

"I have to be taken off in order to not finish out a game," LaBonta said. "I wanted to give everything for this team, and I did. I gave my whole right leg and whatever I could do."

Kansas City played with mid-block pressure once again, just like in the scoreless draw between the teams in Orlando in September, but this time the Pride managed to break down the Current.

Orlando center back Kylie Strom had plenty of time on the ball in the 53rd minute and picked out Banda with a simple entry ball. Banda used her strength and positioning to spin Kansas City defender Kayla Sharples before hammering the ball into the back of the net.

Current goalkeeper Almuth Schult barely moved in reaction to the pace of the shot.

"There's not many players that can do that," Orlando head coach Seb Hines said. "She's worked so hard for this point, and it's just incredible to see [her] continue to show her class, and quality all this year."

The Current pushed for an equalizer but got caught in transition late. Banda poked the ball away from Sharples in Kansas City's defensive half before Marta began her magical dribble.

The Pride captain ran at Current defender Alana Cook and faked a shot that sent both Cook and Sharples to the ground inside Kansas City's box. Marta then dribbled around Schult and evaded a recovering Hailie Mace to slot the ball into the net, leaving all four players on the ground.

Current midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo converted a penalty kick in the 13th minute of second-half stoppage time after a VAR check led to a handball call in the box. The goal cut the deficit to one and gave the Current hope of forcing extra time.

NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga hustled to poke the ball free in Orlando's box in the 16th minute of stoppage time and crossed the ball toward Sharples, who had an empty net but was off balance as she stretched to reach the ball that was just beyond her reach.

Sharples' header went over the bar and Orlando held on after 19 minutes of stoppage time.

The Pride are now in search of its first NWSL Championship title on Saturday in the first final between the top two seeds since 2019. The Shield was the team's first trophy since the franchise launched in 2016.

Washington defeated defending champions NJ/NY Gotham FC in a penalty shootout on Saturday to advance to the final.

"Honestly, I'm still soaking it in right now, so we'll probably just enjoy this moment right now and start thinking about Washington [tomorrow]," Hines said. "It's the top two teams in the league, which doesn't happen often in the championship game, and I think both teams deserve to be in this championship game because it's the most consistent teams throughout the season."

The 2024 final will also be the first time the game for the NWSL Championship is played between two teams that didn't even make the playoffs in the previous season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The sharp suit Anthony Richardson donned for his arrival at MetLife Stadium on Sunday suggested he meant business.

But when the Indianapolis Colts quarterback engineered two fourth-quarter touchdown drives -- including the game winner with 46 seconds remaining -- to beat the New York Jets and simultaneously justify his reinstatement as the team's starter, Richardson left no doubt he'd come here with a purpose.

Richardson, the No. 4 draft pick in 2023, had perhaps the best day of his young career while leading the Colts to a 28-27 win that kept their postseason hopes alive and reversed a concerning downward trend on offense -- not to mention ended a three-game losing streak.

The past two games, during which Richardson was benched and served as a backup to veteran Joe Flacco, were a wake-up call for the young player.

"It kind of just let me relax a little bit," Richardson said. "It just allowed me to take a step back and just clean up some things that I had to clean up. And that was really my focus, making sure when I did get the opportunity again, making sure I was at the best of my ability and I was doing the right thing for the team."

Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen said last week he wanted to see Richardson be more focused on the details involved in game preparation.

Richardson's coach and teammates said they had seen a renewed level of concentration from him ahead of Sunday's game, his 11th pro start. He'd been arriving to work earlier in the morning, spending more time meeting with assistant coaches, and taking more ownership of the game plan, they said.

"He was putting in the work," Steichen said. "He was ready to roll today."

Results followed. Richardson completed 20 of 30 attempts for a career-high 272 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). He was especially brilliant in the fourth quarter, completing 8 of 10 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown.

Richardson and the Colts drove 70 yards on eight plays in a possession capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to receiver Josh Downs with 10:11 remaining. A failed 2-point conversion left the Colts still down 24-22.

The Indianapolis defense gave up a field goal on the ensuing drive, with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets chewing up 7:30 of clock in the process and extending their lead to 27-22.

That's when Richardson's moment arrived. The Colts took the ball with 2:41 remaining and, two plays later, Richardson produced the Colts' biggest play of the day. Receiver Alec Pierce found a gap in the Jets' zone coverage, and Richardson hit him with a perfectly placed hole shot for 39 yards. Richardson found Downs for 17 yards on the next play, and the Colts were at the Jets' 10-yard line, poised to win the game.

On third-and-goal from the 4, Steichen didn't overthink it: He put the ball in his massive quarterback's hands, with the 6-foot-4, 244-pound Richardson executing a power run off the left side and finding the end zone.

The score touched off a wild celebration on the Colts' sideline.

"Emotions were at an all-time high," Richardson said. "I was so geeked up that we scored."

Calling a quarterback run in that situation was an extension of Steichen's modified offensive approach throughout the day. He implemented more throws on the run and designed quarterback runs for Richardson, the decision playing to the quarterback's strengths.

Richardson didn't have big rushing numbers -- 32 yards on 10 carries -- but he has previously said carrying the ball allows him to get into the flow of the game. And Richardson's ability to run in short yardage was critical, evidenced by the game-winning touchdown run and his earlier score on which he flattened safety Jalen Mills en route to the end zone, then proceeded to do a TikTok dance in celebration.

"I think it helps our offense get in rhythm," Richardson said.

Most important, though, was Richardson showing he was worthy of the faith placed in him this week. He had his job taken away and saw that faith restored. But he still had to demonstrate he could do his part.

"I definitely just appreciate them for trusting me and just believing in me throughout the whole process, regardless of what was going on," Richardson said.

The Detroit Lions vaulted past the Kansas City Chiefs as Super Bowl favorites on Sunday.

The Lions, at +375 on ESPN BET, overtook the Chiefs (+450) following Detroit's dismantling of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. Meanwhile, the Chiefs were handed their first defeat of the season, a 30-21 road loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Detroit entered Sunday's contest against Jacksonville as a 14-point favorite and rolled to a 52-6 home victory to improve to 8-2 against the spread, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the best against-the-spread record across the league. The Lions had the most lopsided action of the day, with BetMGM reporting 94% of money backing them to cover.

Favorites of over nine points are now 6-0 against the spread this season, with the Lions accounting for two of those wins after they easily covered -12.5 against the Tennessee Titans in Week 8; it's the first time since 1996 that Detroit has been a double-digit favorite twice in one season.

The Lions' immense betting popularity also extends to player props. According to bet tracking tool Pikkit, running back Jahmyr Gibbs was the most-bet player across all props markets, attracting $815,000 in wagers tracked by the app. Gibbs was also the second-most-bet pick to score a touchdown on Sunday, which he did with a 1-yard run in the second quarter.

Detroit entered the campaign at +1000 to win the Super Bowl and was a public darling from the get-go, attracting the second-most tickets and handle behind only the two-time defending champion Chiefs at several national sportsbooks.

CHICAGO -- Bears coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision to not run one final play at the end of Chicago's Week 11 loss to the Green Bay Packers to get kicker Cairo Santos closer to the south end zone at Soldier Field.

With Chicago trailing by one point, Santos attempted a 46-yard winning field goal as time expired, which was blocked by Packers defensive tackle Karl Brooks. Chicago's 20-19 loss marked eleven straight to Green Bay, a streak that dates back to the 2018 season.

"We felt good in terms of where the kick line was," Eberflus said. "The wind was not a factor today, and Cairo has made a bunch of those kicks inside of that range. We feel confident in Cairo and confident in our operation there."

The Bears' final drive began with 2:59 remaining from their own 30-yard line. Quarterback Caleb Williams got Chicago into Green Bay territory by connecting with fellow rookie Rome Odunze for a 16-yard reception on third-and-19 and finding Odunze again to convert on fourth-and-3 to move past midfield.

Chicago picked up an additional first down and then ran the ball with Roschon Johnson, who picked up 2 yards on a play that began with 35 seconds remaining from the Packers' 30-yard line. The Bears let the clock run down to three seconds before using their final timeout and sending Santos and the kicking team onto the field. Green Bay had no timeouts remaining.

Santos attempted a line-drive kick that was blocked. The Packers sideline erupted in celebration as Green Bay (7-3, 1-2) secured its first division win of the season.

This is the second time in franchise history that the Packers have blocked a potential winning or tying field goal on the final play of the game. The other instance came back on Nov. 26, 1939, against the Cleveland Rams.

"They were loading the box there," Eberflus said. "You could say you could do that for sure, maybe get a couple more yards, but you're also going to risk fumbling and different things there. We felt where we were, if we're at the 36 or 35, you definitely want to do that because you want to get it inside there. I felt very confident where we were at that time with the wind and where we were on the field."

In Week 7, Santos had a 43-yard field goal attempt blocked in Chicago's 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it came with tight end Cole Kmet snapping the ball in relief of injured long snapper Scott Daly.

"That was a comfortable range there," Santos said. "Left hash in that left or right wind, everything felt great and it looked like the line that the ball was going was right down the middle. I hit it solid on my foot. Operation was good, snap, hold. They just made a good play with the penetration there."

One of the last things Packers players heard on the eve of the game was a message from special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia in the team meeting.

"I will say this: Rich said to our team last night, 'I will not understand if we come out of this game without a block, whether field goal or PAT,'" Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. "So great job from our special teams coaches."

It stemmed from a vulnerability Bisaccia and his staff saw on film from the Bears' blocking unit. It just took until the Bears' final kick to figure out the best way to exploit it.

"We saw that through the middle [that] we could get a good push through the middle," said Packers safety Xavier McKinney, who lined up on the edge to Santos' blind side. "And we believed that the guys that we have were going to play big and be stronger up front and we were able to get that push that we needed and we got it when we needed it at a big-time situation and we got the block. We saw it just studying the film throughout the week and we were able to get it."

Brooks said he could pinpoint exactly where he got the ball. It was with his left middle finger.

"At first when I touched it, I didn't think I got enough of it," said Brooks, who also blocked a field goal against the Vikings last season as a rookie. "And it fell short, and that's when I really celebrated, so it was fun, though, for sure. It was cool. It was a good experience."

He received an assist from Lukas Van Ness, who did his own version of the tush push.

"I was on the same side with Karl, and I knew that he was going to pressure that inside A gap, so I just got behind him and I pushed him as hard as I could," Van Ness said. "Before I knew it, I saw his hand go up and I heard, 'THUNK,' and I heard everybody screaming. Super exciting. I was happy to be out there and do what I could to help this team win."

Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper said the team noticed on film that Santos kicks with a low trajectory compared to other kickers, and they saw it earlier in the game, on Santos' first field goal, a 53-yarder in the first quarter.

"We've been emphasizing it so much this week," Cooper said. "We just saw how low he was kicking the ball, so we knew we had a real good chance of blocking it."

Cooper and fellow linebacker Quay Walker were both surprised that Chicago didn't run another play when it had time to do so to get in shorter field goal range.

"At least one more play," Walker said. "At least run the ball trying to get closer to the field goal."

Sunday was the second time since Week 8 that the Bears lost a game on the final play in confounding fashion. Against Washington, Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown caught a Hail Mary pass that was tipped into his hands as he stood unguarded in the end zone. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson faced intense scrutiny and temporarily lost his spot in the starting lineup after his decision to jaw back and forth with fans caused him to miss his defensive assignment.

"It's almost comical," Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said of the nature of the Bears' recent losses. "The luck of the damn draw at this point. We've got to figure it out, how to be better."

DETROIT -- Doug Pederson doesn't know if Sunday's embarrassing 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions will be his last as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he's going to continue to operate as normal as the team heads into its bye week.

"I can't control that," Pederson said. "I've been around this league a long time, and if it's going to happen, it's going to happen, obviously, but at the same time I still have a job to do and that's to get ready for a good division opponent [the Houston Texans] in two weeks."

The Jaguars are now 2-9 and have lost 14 of their past 17 games under Pederson after an 8-3 start to the 2023 season. This comes after owner Shad Khan told the team the night before training camp began that this was the best Jaguars team ever assembled and he expected it to reach the playoffs. If Khan chooses to fire Pederson (and potentially general manager Trent Baalke as well) before the season ends, this would be the logical week to do it.

The Jaguars are scheduled to be in the facility through the middle of the week before the players are given the rest of the week off.

Multiple players expressed support after the game for Pederson, who led the team to an AFC South title in 2022 after a 3-7 start to the season.

"I love playing for Doug," tight end Evan Engram said. "Doug and this team have been through so much over the last three years. And like I said, I told him, 'We're going to ride together. We're going to die together.'

"That's out of my control, but I'm going to keep fighting for Doug as much as I can. I know the team will and we're going to keep pushing."

Safety Andre Cisco said he was hoping Khan doesn't fire Pederson.

"I love Doug," he said. "Doug's been great to me, and so I think he's a leader that we need, especially for the rest of this year. I think with four division games coming up, I don't see change being the best option, but I understand it's a business."

Said defensive end Josh Hines-Allen: "We love Doug. We fight for him, but I have no comment for that [Sunday potentially being Pederson's final game]."

Even if Khan decides not to make a move with Pederson this week, there could still be a smaller shake-up. Pederson said he would contemplate potential staff changes after Sunday's 46-point loss, which was the largest in the franchise's 30-year history (eclipsing the 44-0 loss the team had in Detroit to the Lions in its inaugural season in 1995). The Jaguars gave up 645 yards, which is the second-most allowed in a single game in franchise history.

The offense, with backup quarterback Mac Jones starting in place of Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) for the second week in a row, managed just 170 yards a week after putting up 143 in a loss to Minnesota, which was the fifth-lowest single-game total in franchise history.

"It's hard to put it all on one person," Pederson said. "I think coaches have to look at themselves. I have to start there, look at myself and obviously the staff and what are we doing, how are we preparing our players? And then same way with the players, right? They have to look at themselves and be critical of themselves and then make the changes, make the corrections that we need to get better.

"So, I'll process a few things, but I'm glad that we have the bye right now, though."

Pederson is 20-25 in his two-plus seasons with the Jaguars. He led the team to 9-8 regular-season records in 2022 and 2023, the first time the franchise has had back-to-back winning seasons since 2004-05. Sunday's loss eliminates the chance for the Jaguars to post three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the franchise did it four years in a row from 1996 to 1999.

"At the end of the day, it's the reality of this business," linebacker Devin Lloyd said. "Obviously [Pederson getting fired] is not something anybody wishes for. You've got so much love for everybody in this locker room and on this team. It's not something you wish for, but it's the reality. We're not winning, and so it is what it is."