Sports News Roundup: Federer breezes into semis; Chiefs-Rams take center stage

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

More U.S. states could swarm into legal sports betting next year

At least a dozen more U.S. states could legalize sports betting in the coming year, and up to eight could have operational sports books ready to take wagers before the start of the 2019 football season, industry experts said at a conference on Thursday. In addition to the five states where legal sports wagering is up and running, another four to eight will "probably be accepting bets by the coming football season," Jake Williams, Sportradar Group's vice president of legal and regulatory affairs, told Reuters in an interview after a conference co-sponsored by the sports data provider.

La Liga takes case for regular-season game in U.S. to fans

In the face of growing opposition, La Liga pleaded its case to stage a regular-season match in the United States to the fans on Thursday, wrapping the front page of the Miami Herald with a full-page advertisement declaring "Bring Us The Game". Miami is poised to host on Jan. 26 the first La Liga regular season game held outside Spain with Barcelona taking on Girona at Hard Rock Stadium, home of NFL team the Miami Dolphins.

Normal service resumed as Federer breezes into semis

A few days after it appeared as though a Roger Federer impersonator had gatecrashed the 02 Arena, the Swiss great resumed normal service to outplay Kevin Anderson and reach the last four of the ATP Finals on Thursday. Federer walked out into a jam-packed O2 Arena knowing any repeat of his insipid performance on Sunday against Japan's Kei Nishikori could have resulted in an ignominious early exit.

Green: Warriors not going to 'crumble' over Durant dust-up

Addressing the confrontation with teammate Kevin Durant that earned him a one-game team suspension, Golden State forward Draymond Green said the Warriors are not "going to crumble off of an argument." A late-game exchange between the two All-Stars reportedly carried over into the locker room after Monday night's 121-116 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rooney says farewell as England beat United States

There was no farewell goal but plenty of pride and appreciation as Wayne Rooney made his 120th and final appearance for England in a 3-0 win over the United States in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday. England's all-time top scorer Rooney came on as a 58th-minute substitute, to roars from the crowd, with the team 2-0 up thanks to excellent first-half strikes from Jesse Lingard and Trent Alexander-Arnold with his first goal for his country.

MLB Commissioner Manfred gets five-year contract extension

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred received a five-year contract extension that will run through the 2024 regular season, the league announced Thursday. Cardinals chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt, who chairs the league's finance committee, made the announcement at the conclusion of the Owners Meetings in Atlanta. Manfred needed 16 votes from the 30 MLB owners, though they voted to unanimously approve the extension.

Penguins captain Crosby out with upper-body injury

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby will miss the Penguins' Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an upper-body injury. Crosby missed practice Wednesday and could be sidelined for a week, coach Mike Sullivan said.

Pair of women among five new full-time NBA referees

The NBA on Thursday promoted five referees to full-time status, including the fourth and fifth women in league history to achieve full-time status. The new officials, all of whom have been working in the G League, are Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, Mousa Dagher, Matt Myers and Phenizee Ransom.

Take 5: Chiefs-Rams take center stage

Monday night's battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams is a doozy, as just the fifth matchup since 1970 featuring two teams without multiple losses after Week 10. The victor might just be whoever has the ball last, but each offense has issues to address.

NBA: King James rules over Chamberlain, set to conquer Jordan next

LeBron James took another milestone in his stride as he passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the fifth most prolific scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history on Wednesday. James blew past Chamberlain by scoring 44 points for the Los Angeles Lakers in a 126-117 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

(With inputs from Reuters)