Update on the latest sports

NHL-SCHEDULE/DEVILS-SABRES

Eichel scores in shootout, Sabres beat Devils 4-3

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jack Eichel scored in a shootout, Linus Ullmark made 31 saves, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Saturday.

Victor Olofsson, Tobias Rieder and Eric Staal also scored as the Sabres improved to 3-0-1 in their past four games.

Janne Kuokkanen, Ty Smith and Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey in former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s first trip to Buffalo since taking over the Devils this offseason. Scott Wedgewood stopped 28 shots.

Eichel returned to the game in the third period after taking a puck to the mouth and briefly leaving for the dressing room. The teams meet again in Buffalo on Sunday.

NHL-NEWS

Blackhawks cancel practice because of COVID-19 concern

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have canceled practice out of concern about potential exposure to COVID-19. The workout was supposed to be held at the team’s practice facility. The Blackhawks say the move was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

Chicago lost 2-1 to Columbus on Friday night. The Blackhawks are scheduled to host the Blue Jackets again on Sunday night.

The Blackhawks have three players on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. The are defenseman Adam Boqvist and forwards Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Wallmark.

NBA-NEWS

Hawks’ Hunter to miss game against Lakers with knee injury

ATLANTA (AP) — De’Andre Hunter, who has emerged as Atlanta’s second-leading scorer in his second season, will miss at least one game with a knee injury. The Hawks say Hunter will not play in Monday’s home game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Hunter had a non-surgical procedure on Monday to address articular wear and tear in his right knee.

He left Friday night’s 116-100 win at Washington after hurting the knee. His status will be reviewed next week.

Hunter is averaging 17.2 points and 5.4 rebounds as a complement to Atlanta’s top scorer, point guard Trae Young.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

Big 12/SEC Challenge highlights play this weekend

UNDATED (AP) — De’Vion Harmon scored 18 points to help No. 24 Oklahoma defeat No. 9 Alabama 66-61 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Oklahoma became the second team in the past 25 years to beat three top 10 teams in a row.

Oklahoma played without leading scorer Austin Reaves and starting guard Alondes Williams because of COVID-19 protocols. Elijah Harkless scored 14 points and Brady Manek added 12 for the Sooners.

Alex Reese scored 15 points and Jaden Shackelford added 14 for Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s win streak ended at 10 games.

MLB-NEWS

AP source: Phillies, SS Didi Gregorius agree on 2-year deal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies and shortstop Didi Gregorius (DEE’-dee greh-GOHR’-ee-uhs) have agreed on a two-year, $28 million contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the deal is pending Gregorius passing a physical.

Gregorius, who turns 31 next month, batted .284 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 60 games in his first season with the Phillies.

He hit .274 and averaged 20 homers and 75 RBIs over four seasons with the Yankees between 2015-18. He hit 16 homers and drove in 61 runs in 82 games in 2019 after Tommy John surgery on Oct. 17, 2018, to repair a torn elbow ligament.

The Phillies signed two-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a five-year, $115.5 million deal earlier in the week.

Philadelphia hasn’t reached the postseason since 2011, the last year it had a winning record. The Phillies finished 28-32 in a pandemic-shortenened 2020 season, missing a wild-card berth by one game in the expanded playoff format.

In other MLB news:

— Infielder Marcus Semien and the Toronto Blue Jays completed their $18 million, one-year contract. The 30-year-old had agreed to the deal Tuesday, subject to a successful physical. He joins a Blue Jays team that has been one of baseball’s few big spenders during the pandemic. Toronto previously added All-Star outfielder George Springer for $150 million over six seasons and right-handers Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood, and re-signed left-hander Robbie Ray. Semien hit .223 with seven homers, 23 RBIs and .679 OPS in 53 games last season, his sixth with Oakland. He finished third in AL MVP voting in 2019.

— The Oakland Athletics have acquired left-hander Cole Irvin from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash. Irvin was 0-1 with a 17.18 ERA in three relief appearances last season. Irvin made his big league debut with the Phillies in 2019, going 2-1 with a 5.83 ERA. He pitched 16 games, including three starts. Irvin turns 27 on Sunday.

— Left-hander Aaron Loup has finalized a $3 million, one-year contract with the New York Mets. Loup can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched as part of the deal: $50,000 each of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60. The 33-year-old reliever was 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings over 24 games for AL champion Tampa Bay last season, allowing 17 hits while striking out 22 and walking four. Once considered a lefty specialist, he held right-handed batters to a .192 average with three home runs in 58 plate appearances.

— The owner of the New York Mets is dropping off Twitter after his family got threats apparently related to his hedge fund’s activity. Steve Cohen is a billionaire who also owns the Point72 hedge fund. In a statement issued by the Mets Saturday Cohen says he enjoys chatting with Mets fans on Twitter. But he says that because of “misinformation unrelated to the Mets,” his family got personal threats, so he has deactivated his Twitter account. Hedge funds like Cohen’s have become wrapped up in recent stock market turmoil. They made bets against stocks such as GameStop. A band of small investors have inflicted heavy losses on the hedge funds by bidding up the shares of GameStop and other companies.

NFL-NEWS

Falcons hire former backup QB Yates as passing specialist

UNDATED (AP) — T.J. Yates is returning to the Atlanta Falcons as a coach.

The native of suburban Atlanta who spent the 2014 season backing up Matt Ryan has been hired as the passing game specialist for new head coach Arthur Smith. The 33-year-old Yates joins the Falcons staff after spending the last two seasons working with the Houston Texans. In 2020, he was assistant quarterbacks coach as Deshaun Watson earned his third Pro Bowl nod.

The Falcons also hired Lanier Goethie as a defensive assistant and Nick Perry as the assistant defensive backs coach.

In other NFL news:

— Green Bay defensive coordinator Mike Pettine (PET’-ihn) won’t return to the team and special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga was fired after the Packers’ second straight NFC championship game loss last Sunday. The Packers said in an announcement of the moves late Friday that Pettine would not be back next season. ESPN reported that Pettine’s contract expired at the end of this season. The team also announced Mennenga had been dismissed. Pettine had been the Packers’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. Pettine took over one year before Matt LaFleur’s arrival. Mennenga had been special teams coordinator for each of LaFleur’s two seasons as head coach.