Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NHL roundup: Oilers win, but Connor McDavid's assist streak ends

Leon Draisaitl ​scored twice for the second consecutive game, leading the host Edmonton Oilers to ​a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Monday night. ‌Connor ​McDavid had a goal to extend his season-opening points streak to 19 games. However, his 18-game assist streak -- tied for the second longest in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky's 23-game run in 1990-91 -- ended. McDavid leads the league in assists (37) and points (48).

NBA ‌roundup: Cooper Flagg becomes second teen with 40-10-5 game

Cooper Flagg scored 30 of his season-high 43 points in the second half and Kyrie Irving added 35 as the Dallas Mavericks overturned a 13-point deficit to post a 125-122 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Monday. Flagg hit 16 of 25 from the floor and compiled 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals, while ‌Irving drilled 7 of 10 3-point attempts.

CFP, ESPN sign deal to expand to 24-team playoff with 2027 season

The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams for ‌the 2027 season, with ESPN signing a five-year rights deal worth nearly $1.7 billion on Monday. That money is in addition to the six-year, $7.8 billion contract the two sides signed in March 2024 that cemented ESPN as the lone media rights holder through the 2031 season. The new agreement will see ESPN pay an extra $345 million annually.

Report: Mauricio Pochettino favored to be next Man U manager

United States men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino is ⁠the top ​candidate to be the next Manchester United manager, ESPN ⁠reported on Monday. Manchester United reportedly are considering firing manager Michael Carrick after the squad has slipped to 18th in the Premier League table with a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Soccer-Saputo initiates sales process ⁠for MLS club CF Montreal

CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo on Monday initiated a sales process for the Major League Soccer club but said he is committed to ensuring the team stay in the Canadian ​city. The move marks the end of the Saputo family’s long-time involvement in the club, who the Canadian businessman founded in 1992. Formerly known as Montreal Impact, the ⁠team joined MLS in 2012.

UCLA surges into top 10 of men's basketball poll

UCLA leaped 13 spots to No. 9 in the first weekly update of the Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball poll on Monday after a season-opening ⁠84-75 ​win over then-No. 5 Arizona. The Bruins (2-0) hold their highest ranking since the final poll of the 2022-23 season, when they were seventh. Arizona (1-1) fell seven spots to 12th.

Warriors crush Pelicans, make NBA history with 8th win after 0-3 start

Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg combined for 73 points and the Golden State Warriors completed a 6-0 homestand ⁠with a 138-87 shellacking of the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The win was Golden State's eighth in a row overall, making the Warriors the first team ⁠in NBA history to start a season 0-3 ⁠and then run off eight wins in succession.

Tennis-PTPA presses player fatigue concerns after Rybakina's WTA Finals withdrawal

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) reiterated its criticism of the tennis schedule on Monday, saying world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew from the season-ending WTA Finals as "her body had nothing left ‌to give".

Defending champion Rybakina ‌said on Saturday she was not physically ready to compete at the tournament, with organizers citing ​a viral illness for the Kazakh's withdrawal.