Jesse & Joey Buss fired from Lakers scouting

Jesse Buss addressed the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to fire him and his brother, Joey, from their positions in the front office, saying he wasn't caught off guard by the move.

The Lakers also dismissed most of their scouting staff Thursday, following a decade in which the Buss brothers served as team scouts.

Jesse revealed that there had been a disconnection between himself and the Lakers' primary stakeholders, his sister and longtime owner Jeanie Buss, and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka.

What’s the deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

It turns out that Mitch Marner wasn't the problem.

During most of the Toronto Maple Leafs' recent history, over what could be called the Auston Matthews era, there has been a lingering question about what was to blame for the team's repeated playoff failures.

With the Leafs said to be lacking goaltending, a superstar top-pair defender, or the heart and guile required in the postseason, many theories emerged about their problems. Yet, the one inescapable explanation was that the club had a clutch of highly paid forwards who tended to come up short in big games.

All the money Toronto spent on the Core Four meant it couldn't allocate enough elsewhere in a salary-cap world. What would the roster look like if it weren't quite so top-heavy?

After Marner left for Las Vegas as part of a sign-and-trade deal, there's an answer to that question: So far, it looks bad.

Connor Hellebuyck out 4-6 weeks

Winnipeg Jets star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will undergo a minor arthroscopic knee procedure and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Hellebuyck has been dealing with the knee issue for a while, and both he and the Jets feel it's best to address the injury now rather than letting it continue to linger, adds Dreger.

Hellebuyck owns a .913 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average in 14 games this season. He's claimed back-to-back Vezina Trophies and is the reigning Hart Trophy winner.

Bedard frustrated with Burakovsky hit

Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard is irked with the hit that injured linemate Andre Burakovsky during Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken.

"It's back-to-back games guys going right to the head," Bedard told reporters postgame. "Nothing really happens. I think that sucks, he's a great player. It's bullshit."

Ovechkin surpasses Sakic for 10th all time

Alex Ovechkin surpassed the legendary Joe Sakic for sole possession of 10th place on the NHL's all-time points list Thursday.

The Washington Capitals captain achieved the accomplishment with his second goal and third point during an 8-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Texans dismantle Josh Allen

Buffalo's Josh Allen was harassed by Houston's defense all night Thursday and it was no different on his last play of the game.

"Our d-line was getting to him and made him make that bad decision at the end and he threw the ball right to me," Houston safety Calen Bullock said.

Houston sacked Allen eight times, and Bullock forced three turnovers, with his second interception sealing the Texans' 23-19 victory.

Anthony Stolarz injury gets worse

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube doesn't have a clear idea of when goaltender Anthony Stolarz might return from the upper-body injury that's sidelined him for three games so far.

"Worse than we thought," Berube said Thursday, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "He's not ready to get on the ice yet and do the things he has needed to do. Hopefully it's soon. I really don't have a timetable for him. Maybe tomorrow he'll be on the ice. I'm not sure."

Stolarz was hurt Nov. 11 against the Boston Bruins. Berube said following the loss that the injury wasn't serious.

Cowboys bench Pickens and Lamb

The Dallas Cowboys benched wideouts CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens for the first offensive series of Monday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders after the tandem missed curfew, Lamb said Thursday, according to The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins.

The wide receivers had dinner and drinks at the Red Rock Casino, Lamb added. He denied a rumor circulating on social media that he was throwing up at the casino, saying he knows how to hold his liquor.

Lamb and Pickens were sidelined for the first drive of the game, which resulted in a three-and-out. Receivers Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, and Jalen Tolbert started the game for Dallas.

Domantas Sabonis out 3-4 weeks

Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis will miss at least three-to-four weeks after suffering a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

When Sabonis sustained the injury is unclear. He sat out Wednesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sabonis has battled multiple injuries early in the campaign. The three-time All-Star injured his hamstring during the preseason and missed two games earlier in November with a rib cage contusion.

Joe Mixon not expected to play this season

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon isn't expected to return to action this season due to a foot injury he suffered during the offseason, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Mixon is likely to remain on the reserve list for the rest of the season. He was placed on the non-football injury list at the beginning of training camp in July.

The 29-year-old was projected to have a key role after earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first season with the Texans last year. He rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 scores in 2024. He also caught 39 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown.