Sports briefs 11/13
NFL
The Los Angeles Rams placed receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve, officially sidelining their All-Pro receiver for at least the next month.
Nacua injured ligaments in his knee and toe on the final offensive snap of last week’s win at Washington.
Nacua will miss at least the next four games for the Rams (5-4), who will be without their top two receivers for at least the next two games.
Davante Adams will miss his fourth straight game with a hamstring injury when the Rams visit the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but he hopes to return for a home game against Kansas City on Dec. 3.
• The Denver Broncos have backed out of their proposed trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for inside linebacker Daiyan Henley.
The deal agreed to before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday would have sent a 2027 fourth-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder to the Chargers for Henley, a fourth-year player with 51 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception in eight games this season.
The Broncos did not disclose the reason for canceling the deal. The trade, per standard league practice, was subject to Henley passing a physical. ESPN reported that the Broncos raised concern about Henley’s knee.
Baseball
The Atlanta Braves signed relief pitcher Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract Thursday, bringing the right-hander back to his original team after a promising return from Tommy John surgery for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With closer Raisel Iglesias a free agent, the Braves were in the market for late-inning reinforcements. Phillips appeared in 31 games for the Dodgers in 2026, posting a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings with 33 strikeouts.
Soccer
Mauricio Pochettino, coach of the United States men’s national team, was closing in on a deal to be the manager of Manchester United in England’s Premier League, according to multiple reports. The news came two days before the U.S. was set to open CONCACAF Nations League play Saturday against Haiti.
NBA
Stephen Curry will have to work his way back from injury yet again.
The Golden State Warriors star is set to miss at least two weeks because of a torn oblique muscle, a frustrating interruption for the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader who is on pace for another special season.
An MRI exam revealed the injury, which sometimes can take longer than two weeks to heal.
N Marcus Smart of the Houston Rockets has been suspended for three games for throwing a punch at Charles Bassey of the Golden State Warriors.
Smart was ejected with 21 seconds left in the third quarter of the Rockets-Warriors game Wednesday night after his punch at Bassey was declared a Flagrant 2 foul.
N Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson will be sidelined for four to six weeks because of a broken right hand. The 6-10 forward was selected by Chicago with the No. 4 pick in the draft. He started the team’s first 10 games, averaging 18.9 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Tennis
Coco Gauff rallied to win the final six games of the match and beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5 in her round-robin group at the WTA Finals on Thursday.
Then came more suspense.
Gauff’s eventual fate depended on the outcome of fellow American Jessica Pegula’s match against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova later. A victory by Pegula would knock Gauff, her former doubles partner, out and advance Pegula to the semifinals of the season-ending championships. Gauff beat Pegula in three sets in their opening Group 1 match.