Huffman Sports Wire News Break · ALL · Reporting · Published · Huffman Sports Wire News Desk
NBA: Cut day set the rosters, and Tuesday finally brings games that count
Saturday was cut day across the league, and the waiver wire did more work than any starting five. Oklahoma City waived Buddy Boeheim, Nate Johnson, Lamar Wilkerson and Christoph Tilly to get down to 17 players, with 14 on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. The Thunder are keeping one standard spot open into opening night, a little flexibility tucked under the second tax apron. Indiana waived veteran forward James Johnson along with big men Keba Keita and Rienk Mast, a move driven by math as much as basketball, because the Pacers do not have room below their first-apron hard cap to carry a 15th standard player. Johnson has been a valued locker room presence in Indiana, and a return later in the season stays possible if the cap picture changes.
The trimming ran coast to coast. Toronto waived five players, forwards Tyson Degenhart and Jamarion Sharp and guards Nimari Burnett, Jalen Celestine and Tyreke Key, and converted center Nate Bittle to a two-way contract ahead of a Wednesday home opener against Chicago. Minnesota waived five players of its own, including forward KJ Martin and big man Drew Timme, while the Clippers waived guard Blake Wesley, center Nathan Mensah and wings Miye Oni and Jahmyl Telfort to lock in 15 standard contracts and three two-way deals. Utah handed forward Harrison Ingram a two-way contract and waived center Jonas Aidoo and guard Tamar Bates.
One roster question is bigger than all the math. Washington still has no clearance to announce on top overall pick AJ Dybantsa, whose regular season debut remains uncertain after a minor left ankle sprain in the preseason finale against New Orleans on Friday. Head coach Brian Keefe said Dybantsa needs further evaluation, and the Wizards open at home against Milwaukee on Wednesday at 7 ET with their prized rookie in wait-and-see mode. The wait for real basketball ends Tuesday, October 20, with an opening night tripleheader on NBC and Peacock: Boston visits Detroit at 3 ET, Philadelphia visits the defending champion New York Knicks at 7 ET, and Oklahoma City visits San Antonio at 9:30 ET. Golden State then opens at the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at 10 ET on ESPN.
Cut day is the league handing out pink slips and plane tickets on the same afternoon, and Tuesday cannot get here fast enough.
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MLB: One dry night in Cleveland, and the pennant sits one win closer
The American League Championship Series finally gets its Game 4 tonight at Progressive Field, with first pitch at 8:08 ET on TBS after rain washed out Friday night. Cleveland leads Tampa Bay 2-1 in the series, and both clubs kept the lineups they announced before the postponement. Steven Kwan leads off for Cleveland, followed by third baseman José Ramírez, right fielder Chase DeLauter and designated hitter Jo Adell, with Game 3 hero Petey Halpin starting in center field and batting eighth. Halpin hit the two-run home run that carried Cleveland to a 3-2 win in Game 3 on Thursday, and the Guardians announced on Saturday that Game 4 is sold out.
The pitching plan tells the story of the series. Shawn Armstrong opens a bullpen game for Cleveland, and the veteran reliever has allowed one hit and no runs this postseason while striking out five. Nick Martinez starts for Tampa Bay after going 15-6 with a 3.10 earned run average in the regular season, and he held Cleveland scoreless across 13 innings in two regular season starts. Tampa Bay needs its big bats to wake up against that bullpen chain, because Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero have combined to go 5-for-34 in the series, with Aranda hitless in 10 at-bats. Ramírez, meanwhile, is 6-for-12 in the series, and DeLauter has three extra-base hits in 10 at-bats.
The schedule no longer has any slack in it. Game 5 follows on Sunday at 5 ET in Cleveland, and Milwaukee waits on the other side with home-field advantage for a World Series that opens Friday, October 23 at 8 ET on Fox. Cleveland can move within one win of the pennant tonight, and Tampa Bay gets one clear night to keep its season from slipping to the edge.
The rain gave everybody a day off, and October does not hand out many of those for free.
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NFL: Philadelphia made it official, and the Saturday transaction wire reshaped Sunday
The biggest reversal of the weekend landed in Philadelphia, where the Eagles officially placed quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve on Saturday because of the superficial blood clot in his calf. The move came hours after reports earlier Saturday said the club had no plan for an injured reserve stint, and it followed consultations with doctors and experts that ran into Saturday. Hurts will miss at least four games, a stretch covering Carolina on Sunday and division games against Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants, and he cannot return before Week 11 against Pittsburgh after the Week 10 bye. Tanner McKee starts Sunday against Carolina in the third start of his career, and Philadelphia used the open roster spot to sign running back Jaydon Blue from its practice squad.
Help arrived elsewhere on Saturday. New England activated wide receiver A.J. Brown from injured reserve, and Brown is set to play Sunday at home against the New York Jets in his first game since a high-ankle sprain in the Week 1 loss to Seattle cost him four games. Baltimore activated rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane from injured reserve as well, and Lane is expected to be available Sunday against Cleveland, giving backup quarterback Tyler Huntley another target with Lamar Jackson ruled out because of an ankle injury. Chicago gets its starter back too, as Caleb Williams is set to start Sunday against Atlanta after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
The late injury report edits mattered just as much. Pittsburgh removed DK Metcalf from the injury report after an illness, clearing him to play Sunday at Tampa Bay, and then added tight end Pat Freiermuth with a calf injury that leaves him questionable. Indianapolis activated tight end Will Mallory from injured reserve on Saturday while starter Tyler Warren sits as questionable after a groin injury in Friday practice, with the Colts hosting winless Tennessee on Sunday. Monday night has its own list, as San Francisco ruled out defensive end Nick Bosa, receiver Deebo Samuel, safety Marques Sigle and linebacker Garret Wallow for the home game against Washington, while receiver Mike Evans and receiver Christian Kirk are both questionable. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk and defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. return for the 49ers with no injury designation.
Saturday did not move a single kickoff, and it still changed half the games on the Sunday board.
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NCAAF: A foot in Bloomington ended the longest streak in America
Fourth-ranked Ohio State walked into Bloomington and beat fifth-ranked Indiana 19-15 on Saturday, snapping the 22-game winning streak that stood as the longest in the country. The loss also ended a 19-game home winning streak and a 15-game Big Ten winning streak for Indiana, and it came down to one foot. Trailing by four with 1:02 to play, Indiana faced fourth-and-4 from the Ohio State 27, and Josh Hoover found Nick Marsh in the end zone for an apparent go-ahead touchdown, only for the catch to be ruled incomplete because Marsh got his left foot down out of bounds. Ohio State took over on downs, knelt out the clock, and improved to 6-1 overall with a 4-0 mark in the Big Ten, while Indiana fell to 6-1 overall with a 3-1 league mark.
The win came at a real cost for the Buckeyes. Julian Sayin completed 15 of 29 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns before leaving late with an arm injury, and he finished the game on the sideline with his arm in a sling while freshman Luke Fahey closed it out. Head coach Ryan Day said after the game that he expects Sayin to miss several weeks, and the Buckeyes travel to USC next. Jeremiah Smith caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and Bo Jackson ran 18 times for 56 yards while catching a two-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with eight seconds left in the first half. Hoover finished 20 of 40 for 296 yards and a touchdown for Indiana, a strong afternoon that ended one foot short.
The rest of the early window delivered its own chaos. Florida scored 24 unanswered points and stunned seventh-ranked Texas 27-24 in Austin, handing the Longhorns a second straight loss. Tramell Jones Jr. won his first career start at quarterback for Florida with Aaron Philo out, the Gators sacked Arch Manning five times, and Manning finished 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown before a strip-sack in the final two minutes ended the rally. Texas also lost pass rusher Colin Simmons, who was carted off in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury. LSU blanked Mississippi State 31-0 in Baton Rouge, with the Bulldogs playing without quarterback Kamario Taylor, and Kansas State beat Kansas 35-24 in Manhattan for an 18th straight win in the Sunflower Showdown. Texas A&M rounded out the finals with a 41-0 win over The Citadel.
The afternoon window was still in progress at press time, and the night window closes a marathon Saturday. Florida State visits third-ranked Miami at 7 ET on ESPN, second-ranked Notre Dame visits eighth-ranked BYU at 7:30 ET on ABC, Kentucky visits Oklahoma at 7:30 ET on the SEC Network, Arkansas visits Vanderbilt at 7 ET on ESPN2, and Nebraska visits Oregon at 11 ET on FOX.
Indiana kept its streak alive for 22 games and lost it by the width of a cleat, which is the most college football sentence ever written.
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CBB: Exhibition season produced real box scores and one loud gym in Providence
Exhibition season kept rolling on Saturday, and a few gyms treated October like March. Providence beat Pitt 87-64 at home, riding 15 made three-pointers and a game-high 17 points from Miles Byrd. Pitt transfer Jonathan Powell led the Panthers with 15 points in his first game with the program, and transfer Baye Ndongo added 13 points and seven rebounds, while the Friars turned 16 Pitt turnovers into 23 points and won the rebounding battle 42-26. Pitt opens the regular season at home against Rider on Monday, November 2.
Out west, TCU beat Wyoming 89-76 in an exhibition played in Midland, Texas, pulling away from a 43-29 halftime lead. Wyoming guard Nasir Meyer led all scorers with 24 points, and Gavin Sykes paced TCU with 17 points off the bench. Defending national champion Michigan had to work for its exhibition win in Ann Arbor, holding off Oregon State 98-93, and Beavers guard Deshawn Gory scored 20 points in the loss. The best second half of the weekend may have come Friday night in Provo, where BYU beat Nebraska 72-61 behind a game-high 19 points from Collin Chandler. The Cougars shot 3-for-19 from three-point range in the first half, then hit five three-pointers in the first five and a half minutes of the second half to take a lead they never gave back.
None of these games count in the standings, and every rotation decision in every gym says the coaches are counting them anyway.
That is the Evening Edition. Five sports, zero filler. See you tomorrow.
Sources: - [Yardbarker](https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/thunder_waive_four_bring_roster_to_17/s1_17038_44440675) - [Hoops Rumors](https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2026/10/pacers-waive-james-johnson-two-others.html) - [TSN](https://www.tsn.ca/nba/article/raptors-waive-five-players-convert-bittles-deal-to-two-way-contract/) - [Minnesota Sports Fan](https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/waived-players-roster-cuts-freeman-martin-timme-reeves-omier/) - [Hoops Rumors](https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2026/10/clippers-cut-blake-wesley-three-others.html) - [Yardbarker](https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/jazz_make_multiple_roster_moves/s1_17038_44440457) - [Hoops Rumors](https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2026/10/top-pick-dybantsa-rolls-ankle-in-preseason-finale.html) - [LeBron Wire](https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2026/08/11/lakers-season-opener-christmas-day-matchups-have-been-revealed/91256822007/) - [Warriors Wire](https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/warriors/2026/08/11/warriors-to-open-2026-27-season-against-luka-doncic-lakers/91253821007/) - [Akron Beacon Journal](https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/mlb/cleveland-guardians/2026/10/17/guardians-game-live-score-rays-channel-watch-stats-lineups/92300906007/) - [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/playoffs/2026/10/16/guardians-rays-score-highlights-alcs-game-4--live/92271174007/) - [Camden Chat](https://www.camdenchat.com/general/71487/alcs-game-4-open-chat) - [NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/baseball/player-news/2026-10-17/guardians-sticking-with-same-lineup-for-game-4) - [Philadelphia Eagles](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/eagles-place-jalen-hurts-on-injured-reserve-sign-jaydon-blue-to-the-active-roster-2026-nfl-week-6-panthers) - [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2026/10/17/jalen-hurts-superficial-blood-clot-injury-explained-experts-eagles/92306394007/) - [NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/patriots-activate-a-j-brown) - [NFL Trade Rumors](https://nfltraderumors.co/category/colts-rumors/nfl-transactions/) - [Steelers Depot](https://steelersdepot.com/2026/10/steelers-clear-dk-metcalf-add-pat-freiermuth-to-injury-report-saturday/) - [Athlon Sports](https://athlonsports.com/nfl/trending/colts-te-move-will-mallory-tyler-warren-news-titans-game) - [NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/football/player-news/2026-10-17/caleb-williams-cleared-to-return-in-week-6) - [Niners Wire](https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/niners/2026/10/17/49ers-news-injury-report-mike-evans-nick-bosa-commanders/92307549007/) - [Ohio State Buckeyes](https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com:443/news/2026/10/17/football-no-4-ohio-state-powers-past-no-5-indiana-on-the-road-earn-second-ranked-road-win-of-season) - [NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/news/indiana-vs-ohio-state-recap-results-buckeyes-win-it-by-a-foot-on-wild-fourth-down-incompletion-in-end-zone) - [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2026/10/17/indiana-football-win-streak-ohio-state-big-ten-home-record/92306932007/) - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/10/17/sports/julian-sayin-to-miss-multiple-weeks-after-suffering-injury-in-ohio-state-crusher/) - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/10/17/sports/arch-mannings-late-fumble-caps-second-straight-brutal-outing-as-texas-rally-fails-in-loss/) - [Gators Wire](https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/gators/football/2026/10/17/florida-football-texas-longhorns-key-takeaways-week-7/92305507007/) - [Sooners Wire](https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/sooners/football/2026/10/17/oklahoma-kentucky-time-tv-channel-score-live-updates--live/92293093007/) - [Topeka Capital-Journal](https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/cat-zone/2026/10/17/kansas-state-kansas-football-live-updates-score-highlights-stats--live/91465742007/) - [Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/schedules/college-football-today-week-7-scores-top-25-games-watch-now) - [Pitt Panthers](https://pittsburghpanthers.com:443/news/2026/10/17/mens-basketball-pitt-opens-2026-27-season-with-exhibition-game-at-providence) - [Wyoming Athletics](https://gowyo.com/news/2026/10/17/mens-basketball-cowboys-fall-to-horned-frogs-in-exhibition-game-89-76.aspx) - [On3](https://www.on3.com/teams/oregon-state-beavers/news/oregon-state-mens-basketball-falls-to-defending-champion-michigan-exhibition/) - [BYU Cougars](https://byucougars.com/news/2026/10/17/big-second-half-lifts-byu-over-nebraska-in-exhibition)
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