Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NBA-Cavs forward Thompson suspended for 25 games after positive drug test

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson has been suspended without pay for 25 games for violating the National Basketball Association's (NBA) anti-drug program, the league said on Tuesday. Thompson, who is averaging 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 36 games this season, tested positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033, according to a league statement.

Golf-McIlroy, Homa join LPGA's Thompson and Zhang in The Match

The next installment of The Match will be a mixed event featuring Rory McIlroy and Max Homa of the PGA Tour as well as the LPGA's Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang, it was announced on Tuesday. The 12-hole event, to be played on Feb. 26 under the lights at The Park in West Palm Beach, Florida, will feature a first-ever mixed skins format with each hole worth a specified amount for charity, according to a report on the PGA Tour's website.

NFL-Veteran referee Vinovich to lead Super Bowl officiating crew

In a season where officiating has once again been a hot-button issue, the National Football League (NFL) announced on Tuesday that veteran referee Bill Vinovich will lead the officiating crew for this year's Super Bowl. This will mark the third time Vinovich, who has been an official in the NFL since 2001, has served as the referee for the championship game.

Sean McDermott: Bills 'disappointed but not broken'

Bills head coach Sean McDermott wants the offseason to begin with an appreciation of how Buffalo became a consistent winner. "It's not a tear it down (offseason)," McDemott said Tuesday, reflecting on a third consecutive divisional playoff loss. "I'm extremely proud of what we've accomplished but in no way satisfied. We're disappointed, yes, but not broken."

Bucks fire coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games

Adrian Griffin's tenure as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks is over after 43 games. Griffin, 49, was fired Tuesday despite guiding Milwaukee to a 30-13 record, second-best in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics (34-10) entering the day.

Olympics-James and Curry headline USA Basketball player pool

LeBron James and Stephen Curry headlined the 41-player pool revealed by USA Basketball on Tuesday in the first step toward assembling the team that will seek the gold medal in the men's basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The pool, from which a 12-member team will be selected, includes 28 players who have represented the United States at an Olympics and/or the FIBA Basketball World Cup and who together have collected 23 Olympic or World Cup gold medals.

Report: Chargers in 'striking distance' with Jim Harbaugh

The Los Angeles Chargers are within "striking distance" of a deal to make Jim Harbaugh their new head coach, NFL Network reported Tuesday. Harbaugh, fresh off a national championship at Michigan, is meeting with the Chargers for a second time Tuesday. He also has interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons.

Young Venezuelan players get ready for US Major League Baseball

Two young Venezuelans this month signed contracts with million dollar-bonuses for major league baseball teams in the United States, becoming the highest-priced prospects from the South American country in years. Jose Perdomo and Yovany Rodriguez, both 17 years old, received million-dollar bonuses from the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, respectively, after signing their professional baseball contracts.

Reports: Dodgers, LHP James Paxton agree to $11M deal

Add another potential starter to the Los Angeles Dodgers' spendy offseason. ESPN reported left-hander James Paxton agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal pending a physical, an important footnote considering he has a total of 25 starts since the 2020 season due to back and elbow surgeries.

Divisional games average record 40 million viewers

The NFL's divisional round drew an average of 40 million viewers, highlighted by the Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills matchup on CBS that was the most watched divisional or wild-card game on record at 50.4 million. The average viewership for the divisional round was the highest since 1988 and increased by 7 percent over last year.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)