Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni couldn’t help but taking a shot back at Golden State’s Draymond Green over defensive criticisms.Green said Monday that he didn’t know “how serious [the Rockets] take defense” on Monday ahead of the season-opening clash between the two teams, but it was the Rockets who had the last laugh, coming back to win 122-121 on the road in Tuesday’s game.D’Antoni couldn’t help but get the last laugh at Green after the win. This is cold, but D’Antoni is entitled to get back at Green after those comments. Of course, the Warriors forward would likely note that he wasn’t around to help for the end of the fourth quarter.

The Chicago Bulls came down hard on forward Bobby Portis for injuring teammate Nikola Mirotic in a fight during practice on Tuesday.The Bulls announced Wednesday that Portis has been suspended eight games by the team for his actions, which sent Mirotic to the hospital with a concussion and facial injuries. Bulls general manager John Paxson said both players had acted inappropriately leading up to the fight, but Portis was the only one who threw a punch. Mirotic is expected to miss a few weeks with the injuries he sustained in the fight. He will still likely end up missing more time than Portis, who would be eligible to return on Nov. 7 against the Toronto Raptors.

A statue of Ken Griffey Jr. that was recently unveiled outside Safeco Field in Seattle was vandalized on Tuesday evening, and police believe they have caught the man responsible for defacing it.The statue, which depicts Griffey’s iconic swing, had the bat stolen from it sometime around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. After several witnesses called police to report that the statue was being vandalized, officers arrived and were able to locate a male suspect. Here are the details from the Seattle Police Department blotter: The suspect, an adult male, had managed to break loose the baseball bat from the statue. Officers arrived and located the suspect a short distance away. The suspect was taken into custody without incident, and the bat was recovered near the statue. Officers returned the bat to Safeco security personnel. The suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for investigation of malicious mischief, a felony. Detectives will handle the follow up investigation. Griffey hit 630 home runs during his 22-year ML

Teddy Bridgewater is returning to practice this week with the Minnesota Vikings for the first time since he suffered a devastating knee injury well over a year ago, and it sounds like he has been given the full green light from doctors and trainers.Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the Vikings will limit Bridgewater’s reps to start, but the quarterback has “no physical limitations.” Bridgewater has been participating in individual drills for several months now, so returning to practice is a huge step for the 24-year-old. While he will likely need several weeks of practice to get back to game speed, there’s a decent chance he could start again this season.Case Keenum is set to start again for the Vikings this weekend, and the latest reports we have heard about Sam Bradford’s knee do not sound encouraging. If all goes well for Bridgewater in practice over the next two or three weeks, he could have his starting job back for the stretch run.

Teddy Bridgewater is returning to practice this week with the Minnesota Vikings for the first time since he suffered a devastating knee injury well over a year ago, and it sounds like he has been given the full green light from doctors and trainers.Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the Vikings will limit Bridgewater’s reps to start, but the quarterback has “no physical limitations.” Bridgewater has been participating in individual drills for several months now, so returning to practice is a huge step for the 24-year-old. While he will likely need several weeks of practice to get back to game speed, there’s a decent chance he could start again this season.Case Keenum is set to start again for the Vikings this weekend, and the latest reports we have heard about Sam Bradford’s knee do not sound encouraging. If all goes well for Bridgewater in practice over the next two or three weeks, he could have his starting job back for the stretch run.

Gordon Hayward suffered one of the most gruesome injuries you will ever see during the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, but the star forward’s family is confident he will come back stronger than ever.On Wednesday morning, Hayward’s wife Robyn wrote on Instagram that Gordon is “wired differently” and will use the ankle injury as motivation. Hayward’s father, Gordon Scott Hayward, also provided an update. He expressed gratitude for all the messages of concern the Hayward family has received and said his son “will be fine.” Hayward suffered a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia on a freak play. Unless you have a strong stomach, you should probably avoid watching the video of the injury.It’s unclear how long Hayward will be out, as he will need to undergo surgery. The Celtics signed him to a four-year, $127 million contract as part of an offseason that was one of the most exciting in franchise history.

DeShone Kizer was benched for his team’s Week 6 game against the Houston Texans, but the rookie has already gotten his job back.On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns announced that Kizer will start Sunday when they take on the Tennessee Titans.Browns head coach Hue Jackson hinted on Monday that Kizer could be inserted back into the starting lineup, noting that he believes the former Notre Dame star “learned a lot of things” while watching from the sidelines last weekend. However, the decision to go back to Kizer probably has more to do with how poorly Kevin Hogan played.Hogan threw for just for just 140 yards, three interceptions and one touchdown in a 33-17 loss to the Texans.Jackson has made it clear that he still has a ton of confidence in Kizer, but the Browns have to be careful about stunting the rookie’s growth. They’re already in the middle of another lost season, so ruining Kizer’s confidence isn’t worth it. That said, Jackson could be coaching for his job. He can’t keep sending Hogan out if the results

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson apparently felt that rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer just needed a break in Week 6.On Monday, Jackson said he felt Kizer “learned a lot of things” by standing on the sidelines for Cleveland’s loss against the Houston Texans. The coach also hinted that Kizer could get his starting job back after being benched, and Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot expects that to happen as early as Wednesday. Of course, Kizer would likely still be holding a clipboard in Week 7 if Kevin Hogan wasn’t so awful on Sunday. The second-year QB threw for just 140 yards, three interceptions and one touchdown. Kizer may have a long way to go, but he is capable of being much better than that.Jackson has made it clear that he still has a ton of confidence in Kizer, but the Browns have to be careful about stunting the rookie’s growth. They’re already in the middle of another lost season, so ruining Kizer’s confidence isn’t worth it. That said, Jackson could be coaching for his job. He can’t keep sendin

The Golden State Warriors were forced to play without their best defensive player in the final minutes of Tuesday night’s loss to the Houston Rockets, but Draymond Green insists the injury he suffered is nothing serious.Green, who exited the game in the fourth quarter with what the team called a knee strain, told NBA.com’s David Aldridge he will be “fine.” Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that Green received treatment on the knee, but the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year was not wearing a brace or walking with a limp.On a night where we saw Gordon Hayward suffer a gruesome knee injury and Chris Paul miss some time because his knee was also bothering him, it’s good to hear that Green’s ailment is not a long-term concern.

The Houston Rockets got their season off to an outstanding start Tuesday night by defeating the defending champion Golden State Warriors on the road, but the health of Chris Paul may be something to watch going forward.Paul, who has had surgery on his knee in the past, was not on the court for the stretch run of his team’s dramatic 122-121 victory. After the game, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said he had to get Paul out of the game because the point guard appeared to be in pain. The good news is Paul was seen enthusiastically cheering on his teammates from the bench, though he said he’s unsure if he will play Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings. Warriors forward Draymond Green also sat late in the game with a knee injury. Fortunately, neither Paul nor Green appears to be dealing with anything serious. There’s simply no reason to risk pushing it in the first game of an 82-game season. The Boston Celtics wish they could say the same about one of their star players.

Gordon Hayward’s Boston Celtics career got off to the worst start imaginable.The forward suffered a broken leg six minutes into his Celtics debut.Hayward was going up for an alley-oop and collided with two Cleveland Cavaliers defenders in the first quarter of the opening game of the NBA season. He landed with his leg snapping behind him.You can see video here, but be warned: it is graphic. TNT announcer Kevin Harlan immediately said Hayward had suffered a broken leg.Celtics players huddled up and prayed for their player as things got quiet on the court. Hayward, who chose to sign with the Celtics as a free agent over the summer, was carted away on a stretcher.

Gordon Hayward’s Boston Celtics career got off to the worst start imaginable.The forward suffered a broken leg six minutes into his Celtics debut.Hayward was going up for an alley-oop and collided with two Cleveland Cavaliers defenders in the first quarter of the opening game of the NBA season. He landed with his leg snapping behind him.You can see video here, but be warned: it is graphic. TNT announcer Kevin Harlan immediately said Hayward had suffered a broken leg.Celtics players huddled up and prayed for their player as things got quiet on the court. Hayward, who chose to sign with the Celtics as a free agent over the summer, was carted away on a stretcher.

It wasn’t too long ago that the New York Yankees were in trouble against the Astros in the ALCS. Now some of them feel like the tables have turned.The Yankees dropped the first two games of the ALCS by 2-1 scores in Houston. They took Game 3 at home 8-1, and then they came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 6-4 in Game 4, tying the series.After rallying for the Game 4 win, third baseman Todd Frazier says the pressure is back on the Astros.“You hear the fans — it’s unbelievable. These guys come to play. I tell everybody it’s like 1-0 already. [The fans] get going, it’s unbelievable. All of a sudden the pressure is back on the other team. This is the best place to play and the loudest place to play, no doubt about it,” Frazier said in an interview with FS1’s Tom Verducci after Game 4.Houston easily could have gotten the momentum back on their side, but blowing the 4-0 lead swung things in favor of the Yankees. Dallas Keuchel and Masahiro Tanaka will face off in Game 5 on Wednesday.

It wasn’t too long ago that the New York Yankees were in trouble against the Astros in the ALCS. Now some of them feel like the tables have turned.The Yankees dropped the first two games of the ALCS by 2-1 scores in Houston. They took Game 3 at home 8-1, and then they came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 6-4 in Game 4, tying the series.After rallying for the Game 4 win, third baseman Todd Frazier says the pressure is back on the Astros.“You hear the fans — it’s unbelievable. These guys come to play. I tell everybody it’s like 1-0 already. [The fans] get going, it’s unbelievable. All of a sudden the pressure is back on the other team. This is the best place to play and the loudest place to play, no doubt about it,” Frazier said in an interview with FS1’s Tom Verducci after Game 4.Houston easily could have gotten the momentum back on their side, but blowing the 4-0 lead swung things in favor of the Yankees. Dallas Keuchel and Masahiro Tanaka will face off in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Gordon Hayward’s Boston Celtics career got off to the worst start imaginable.The forward suffered a broken leg six minutes into his Celtics debut.Hayward was going up for an alley-oop and collided with two Cleveland Cavaliers defenders in the first quarter of the opening game of the NBA season. He landed with his leg snapping behind him.You can see video here, but be warned: it is graphic. TNT announcer Kevin Harlan immediately said Hayward had suffered a broken leg.Celtics players huddled up and prayed for their player as things got quiet on the court. Hayward, who chose to sign with the Celtics as a free agent over the summer, was carted away on a stretcher.

This isn’t right. There’s absolutely nothing right with what happened early in the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers season opener on Tuesday. Making his debut with Boston, star forward Gordon Hayward suffered what is an obviously serious leg injury.We’re not going to show the injury here, because it really was that ugly.Here’s a link to the video for those of you not enjoying some food or don’t have a sensitive stomach.Hayward just signed a four-year, $127.8 million contract with Boston during the summer. He was expected to be a main cog with fellow new Celtics star Kyrie Irving. Based on the severity of this injury, that possibility will have to wait some time.Just a brutal blow for Hayward and the Celtics early in the 2017-18 NBA season.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will now likely play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.A New York Southern District Court ruled Tuesday in favor of a temporary restraining order filed by Elliott and the NFLPA to stay the six-game suspension the Cowboys’ running back received from the NFL for his alleged involvement in multiple domestic violence incidents. The ruling itself doesn’t end what promises to be a drawn-out legal battle between the NFL and NFLPA. Instead, it grants Elliott an ability to play over the short term until further arguments are heard.This came mere hours after the Fifth Circuit Court ruled in the NFL’s favor, leading to a separate legal battle in New York later in the day.We’ll obviously have further information on this story as it becomes available. But for now, Zeke will suit up Sunday in Santa Clara.

Nikola Mirotic is in the hospital and out indefinitely after getting into a practice fight with his Chicago Bulls teammate Bobby Portis, according to a report.The Vertical’s Shams Charania shared the news on Twitter Tuesday. Charania says the altercation between the two players ended with a cheap shot to Mirotic’s face. Mirotic is undergoing testing.Mirotic, 26, has been with the Bulls the past three seasons. He has been dealing with an ankle sprain over the past week. Portis, 22, is in his third season as a reserve forward for the Bulls.

While Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned, he apparently had a chance to stay with the San Francisco 49ers — just not at what he was being paid.Team CEO and principal owner Jed York said on Tuesday that the team would not pay Kaepernick the north of $20 million that his contract said he was owed for the 2017 season.At that point, Kaepernick requested a release. This is certainly something that will be brought up in his case that the NFL is colluding against him.While Kaepernick himself has remained fairly quiet, a common narrative has been that he’d be willing to take a reduced salary. If York’s claim is indeed true, that does become a harder argument to make.With that said, arguments involving Kaepernick are rarely as simple as they seem. Expect to hear responses to this one.

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid told reporters on Monday that he was frustrated with the team’s decision to put him on a minutes restriction to start the season, and it appears he did not cool off at all after sleeping on it.On Tuesday, Embiid was even more animated with reporters when asked about the restriction.“That’s f—ing bulls—, I wish I was playing more minutes,” Embiid said, via Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice. “I think I’m ready for more than, I don’t know whatever number they have. I don’t know, I wish I was playing more, but we’re going to see how it goes.”Embiid was asked if he thinks he can get the Sixers’ brass to change their mind, and he didn’t rule it out.“I always think I have a voice, so I’m sure they’re listening to what I have to say too, but they’re making a decision based on what they think,” he said. “But I think that’s bulls—.“I think they’re talking about it right now. I think the number is going to be 16 [minutes] or something like that. I played about that in the preseason and