ANFERNEE Simons kissed good-bye the competition in the NBA Slam Dunk competition Sunday night, nearly locking lips with the rim on a grand finale that was deemed good enough to edge Obi Toppin for the 2021 crown as the league’s top dunker during the annual All-Star festivities in Atlanta.

LOS ANGELES -- Mike Foltynewicz pitched a no-hitter into the seventh as the Atlanta Braves clinched their first division title in five years with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.

NYON, SWITZERLAND -- Having lifted the World Cup in 2014, Philipp Lahm now hopes to bring Euro 2024 finals to Germany on Thursday when UEFA announce the hosts for the European Championships.

LIVERPOOL’S six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table “means nothing” at the halfway stage of the season ahead of tough tests against Arsenal and defending champion Manchester City in the next week, manager Juergen Klopp said.

ATLANTA -- Whether it is heads of state, endangered species or Fort Knox there are few things in this world better protected than New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

When Paul George opted to stay with the Thunder in the offseason, not a few quarters found cause to shake their heads. It wasn’t simply because he backed out of a plan to move to the hometown Lakers at the earliest possible opportunity. More importantly, it was because his decision meant he would continue his far-from-perfect partnership with far-from-perfect Russell Westbrook. He had just come off a campaign in which the Thunder failed to advance past the first round, with the Jazz, headlined by a rookie, showing in no uncertain terms their propensity to underwhelm when the going got tough.

Even before tip-off yesterday, head coach Alvin Gentry received pushback from members of the media for the Pelicans’ decision to sit All-Star Anthony Davis in their homestand against the Lakers. The questions had to be asked, of course; given the future Hall of Famer’s thinly veiled bid to exchange his navy blues for purples prior to the trade deadline, there was the not indelicate matter of his motivations coming to the fore during the set-to, and of the perception that his employers were better served not to deal with it altogether.

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Matt Breida set the tone with a long run as part of his 114-yard night, and the San Francisco 49ers dominated the visiting Cleveland Browns in a 31-3 victory Monday in Santa Clara, California.

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball made official its rule changes for the 2020 season on Wednesday, implementing a three-batter minimum for any pitcher and an expanded regular-season roster.

NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka’s sharp serving and superior return game helped her past American Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-4 and into the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday as the Japanese continues her quest for a second title at Flushing Meadows.

ROME — Top seed Simona Halep overcame Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 6-3 4-6 6-4 on Sunday to reach the Italian Open final and stay on course for her third straight WTA title.

PARIS — Serena Williams says she has been working on reducing her mental stress and making herself understand that she cannot possibly win every point on court as her chase of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title continues at the French Open.