N.F.L. Week 4 Predictions: Our Picks Against the Spread

By BY BENJAMIN HOFFMAN from NYT Sports Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs face New England, the Bears try to continue their improbable start and the whole league waits to see what will happen with Tennessee and Pittsburgh.https://nyti.ms/2EO6hxj

2020 French Open: What to Watch on Thursday

By BY MAX GENDLER from NYT Sports Novak Djokovic, Sofia Kenin and Karolina Pliskova will be featured on Court Philippe-Chatrier as the second round wraps up.https://nyti.ms/36nJnZ8

N.B.A. Finals Live Updates: Game 1 Lakers vs. Heat

By BY SOPAN DEB AND MARC STEIN from NYT Sports LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are up against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat for the championship.https://nyti.ms/3iiSCMm

M.L.B. Will Allow Fans at World Series and N.L. Championship Series

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports About 11,500 tickets will be available for games at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. M.L.B. did not get approval to sell tickets to the A.L.C.S., which will be in California.https://nyti.ms/3l4z146

At the French Open, Success in New York Is Taking a Toll

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports The unusually fast turnaround between the United States Open and the French is causing problems for players who made deep runs in New York.https://nyti.ms/3l2zCmW

N.B.A. Finals Preview: Lakers (Expected) vs. Heat (Surprise!)

By BY SCOTT CACCIOLA from NYT Sports The Miami Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, would be one of the lowest-seeded teams to win the championship. All they have to do is … beat LeBron James.https://nyti.ms/3kZvaFF

M.L.B. Playoffs 2020: Twins Trying to Avoid Elimination vs. Astros

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN AND TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports The expanded postseason format for 2020 produced an unprecedented schedule of games on Wednesday: Eight games, four of them with a team in danger of elimination.https://nyti.ms/30lZqTa

On Empty Stages, the Premier League Is Selling Soccer Again

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports A frenzy of goals in the season’s opening three weeks is sustaining a league missing its usual spectacle.https://nyti.ms/2HBATTA

N.F.L. Postpones Steelers-Titans Game After New Covid-19 Positive

By BY BEN SHPIGEL from NYT Sports The league announced it would move the game, scheduled for Sunday, to Monday or Tuesday to allow for more daily testing of team personnel.https://nyti.ms/2HKIJKQ

Henrik Lundqvist’s Future Is Unknown After Rangers Buy Out His Contract

By BY ALLAN KREDA from NYT Sports If he chooses to continue playing after 15 years in New York, Lundqvist, 38, will join a crowded goaltender market during this free agency period.https://nyti.ms/3kYtZpZ

M.L.B. Playoffs 2020: Wild-Card Marathon Set to Begin

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN AND TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports The expanded postseason format for 2020 produced an unprecedented schedule of games on Wednesday: Eight games, four of them with a team in danger of elimination.https://nyti.ms/34bt5j9

Yankees Pummel Shane Bieber and Take Advantage Over Cleveland

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports Bieber, the best starter in baseball by far this year, struggled with the Yankees’ lineup and lasted just four and two-thirds innings, while Gerrit Cole stifled the Indians’ batters.https://nyti.ms/3n7w0lo

Serena Williams Withdraws From French Open With Injury

By BY KAREN CROUSE from NYT Sports Williams, citing an Achilles’ tendon injury, said she thought she needed “four to six weeks of sitting and doing nothing.”https://nyti.ms/3iamScg

Timeline: A Year That Changed the N.B.A.

By BY SOPAN DEB AND SHAUNTEL LOWE from NYT Sports Major trades and a chaotic free agency period shifted the N.B.A.’s hierarchy.https://nyti.ms/34efI1s

N.B.A. Season Like No Other: ‘One of the Worst, Strangest Years’

By BY SCOTT CACCIOLA from NYT Sports Coronavirus and conflict, protest and mourning: Five people tell what they learned about basketball, and themselves, in a turbulent season that changed the N.B.A.https://nyti.ms/2Sb7l19

One of the Lightning’s Cornerstones Was Out. The Other Stepped Up.

By BY CAROL SCHRAM from NYT Sports With Steven Stamkos injured for much of the postseason, Victor Hedman scored 10 goals to help Tampa Bay win its first Stanley Cup in the pair’s 11 seasons together.https://nyti.ms/3cLd1Z7

N.B.A. Finals Preview: Lakers (Expected) vs. Heat (Surprise!)

By BY SCOTT CACCIOLA from NYT Sports The Miami Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, would be the lowest-seeded team to win the championship. All they have to do is … beat LeBron James.https://nyti.ms/30klPR4

With His Star Fading, Aaron Rodgers Flips the Script

By BY MIKE TANIER from NYT Sports The quarterback wasn’t happy when Green Bay drafted Jordan Love, his potential replacement, in April. Instead of going full diva, he has posted magnificent performances.https://nyti.ms/3cJFhvj

Baseball’s September Madness: 8 Postseason Games in One ‘Crazy’ Day

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports “It’s going to be mad,” Astros Manager Dusty Baker said of an unprecedented playoff marathon on Wednesday.https://nyti.ms/3ihoeC6

A Hotel Shows the French Open Is Another Sports Bubble That Isn’t

By BY KAREN CROUSE from NYT Sports Restrictions limit the players’ access to Parisian cafes and even their own homes. But members of the public can rent rooms at the hotel near the Eiffel Tower where players are staying.https://nyti.ms/3imEKAU

2020 French Open: What to Watch on Wednesday

By BY MAX GENDLER from NYT Sports Serena Williams, Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal headline a day of second-round tennis, while several players attempt to return to their prime performances.https://nyti.ms/33cEqQM

For Serena Williams, the French Open Has Delivered Telling Highs and Lows

By BY CHRISTOPHER CLAREY from NYT Sports The greatness of Williams has been largely defined by her success at Wimbledon, the United States Open and the Australian Open. But her history in Paris is a clear illustration of her resilience.https://nyti.ms/30hA74A

Draymond Green Doesn’t Mind Missing the N.B.A. Finals. This Year.

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports In this newsletter, Marc Stein talks to Green about the Golden State Warriors’ down year, analyzes the many coaching vacancies, and looks ahead to the Lakers-Heat finals.https://nyti.ms/3kVmPTt

Bad Call Sends Kristina Mladenovic Spiraling Again

By BY BEN ROTHENBERG from NYT Sports The chair umpire made a bad call that cost Mladenovic a set point at the French Open. Then Mladenovic blew six more set points and ultimately lost.https://nyti.ms/2G3aa29

Twins’ Playoff Misery Continues, Courtesy of the Depleted Astros

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports The stage seemed set for Minnesota to break its streak of postseason losses. But sure enough, a late collapse delivered a 17th consecutive playoff defeat.https://nyti.ms/3kYUtI2

Jay Johnstone, Major League Outfielder and Prankster, Dies at 74

By BY RICHARD GOLDSTEIN from NYT Sports He played in the World Series with the 1978 Yankees and the 1981 Dodgers, but he was best known for his imaginative stunts. He died of Covid-19 complications.https://nyti.ms/2EPtHT2

FIFA Plans to Order Release of Players Over Clubs’ Objections

By BY TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports Coronavirus fears, rising infection rates and quarantine rules are raising serious practical concerns before the first round of World Cup qualifiers in South America.https://nyti.ms/36hFNzF

Titans Suspend Activities After Positive Covid-19 Tests

By BY BEN SHPIGEL from NYT Sports The Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings are the N.F.L.’s first teams to halt operations after eight members of the Titans received positive tests.https://nyti.ms/2Sc3Vvk

Breanna Stewart Is Ready for the W.N.B.A. Finals, and the Election

By BY TALYA MINSBERG AND OCTAVIO JONES from NYT Sports Stewart and her W.N.B.A. peers are playing through the postseason while also continuing their social justice advocacy in the wake of the Breonna Taylor grand jury decision.https://nyti.ms/3ie2pDa

Meet the Biggest Prankster in Baseball: Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports Bogus trades. Fake lottery tickets. Electric pen assaults. No one at Yankee Stadium is safe from the longtime general manager’s high jinks.https://nyti.ms/3jd4WyN

The Celtics Have a Bright Future — and a Low Ceiling?

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Boston has several young stars and a trio of first-round draft picks, but strong competition may blunt their hopes of bouncing back next season from this year’s disappointment.https://nyti.ms/3ie8gIX

Patrick Mahomes Flexes Chiefs’ Muscle to Beat the Ravens

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports In a showdown of two of the N.F.L.’s best quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes again bested Lamar Jackson. The Kansas City quarterback showed off an efficient and varied offense in Baltimore.https://nyti.ms/33b2bbI

2020 French Open: What to Watch on Tuesday

By BY MAX GENDLER from NYT Sports Novak Djokovic starts his campaign for a second French Open title against Mikael Ymer, while Aryna Sabalenka tries to live up to her potential on the Grand Slam stage.https://nyti.ms/3mWQL3k

Tampa Bay Lightning Win Stanley Cup in Pandemic ‘Bubble’

By BY CAROL SCHRAM from NYT Sports The Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars, four games to two, to win their second championship, in a season upended by the coronavirus pandemic.https://nyti.ms/3jhpUg8

With No Last-Set Tiebreaker, French Open Match Lasts More Than Six Hours

By BY BEN ROTHENBERG from NYT Sports Lorenzo Giustino defeated Corentin Moutet in a match that helped push the French Open slate to a post-midnight completion.https://nyti.ms/36eGCcl

Doc Rivers Is Out as Los Angeles Clippers Coach

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports The Clippers were expected to contend for a championship this season, but they were upset in the second round of the playoffs as their big-name stars struggled.https://nyti.ms/3mYvnL9

Gómez and Korda in French Open Decades After Their Fathers Played it, Too

By BY CHRISTOPHER CLAREY from NYT Sports Emilio Gómez won his way into the tournament 30 years after his father, Andrés, won the men’s singles title there.https://nyti.ms/2G6gYf6

Now Pitching for the Yankees … These 13 Guys

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports A quirk in Major League Baseball’s modified postseason format could lead to an unusual assortment of pitchers getting innings aside from the usual starters and relievers.https://nyti.ms/30bta5h

Jackson-Mahomes III:‘The Whole WorldIs Watching’

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports They’re under 26, have won M.V.P.s and they can seemingly do anything. On Monday night, the N.F.L. gets a boost from the latest installment of its best current rivalry.https://nyti.ms/2S7ftzL

Derek Jeter Is Back in the Postseason With a Whole New Perspective

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Jeter played 158 playoff games as a Yankee. This week, he’ll experience his first as the Marlins’ chief executive: “It’s completely different, because you have no control whatsoever.”https://nyti.ms/338mIxO

Are the Bears That Good or Are the Falcons That Bad?

By BY VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports The Chicago Bears have a quarterback controversy and a 3-0 record. The Atlanta Falcons (0-3) have personnel stability and a penchant for blowing leads.https://nyti.ms/3icDFey

M.L.B.’s 60-Game Leaderboard, Annotated and Adjusted

By BY BENJAMIN HOFFMAN from NYT Sports A pitching triple crown, a potentially cursed batting feat and a 59*-homer season were among the highlights of a season that will stand out like a sore thumb in record books.https://nyti.ms/2GkbGMJ

Cal Athletic Director: Football Will Help School Balance Sports Budget

By BY JOHN BRANCH from NYT Sports California has been considering how to adjust with a $55 million budget shortfall. An influx of TV money by staging a football season will help.https://nyti.ms/2G5qxeq

At the French Open, Cold Weather and a Ball That Will Not Behave

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports Paris in the fall is far different than Paris in the spring. The damp chill is forcing more changes than just the clothing.https://nyti.ms/30gV9QZ

Hockey Needs Viewers. It Should Not Glorify Pain and Violence to Get Them.

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports A promotional video posted by the N.H.L. that glorified pain showed a disturbing embrace of violence by the league. The post has since been deleted.https://nyti.ms/3jd6rNM

Jackson-Mahomes III: ‘The Whole World Is Watching’

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports They’re under 26, have won M.V.P.s and they can seemingly do anything. On Monday night, the N.F.L. gets a boost from the latest installment of its best current rivalry.https://nyti.ms/33ae5CE

The Best 60-Game Stretch in a Century Belongs to Ichiro Suzuki

By BY BRAD LEFTON from NYT Sports No one managed to hit .400 this year despite excited speculation about the possibility in a truncated season, underscoring how impressive Suzuki’s late-season stretch in 2004 was.https://nyti.ms/3cE1T0j

2020 French Open: What to Watch on Monday

By BY MAX GENDLER from NYT Sports Serena Williams sets off on her quest for a 24th Grand Slam title and Dominic Thiem looks to capitalize on his momentum after winning the United States Open.https://nyti.ms/3mZG4x5

Miami Heat Advance to the N.B.A. Finals

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports The Heat beat the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday and will face the Los Angeles Lakers for the championship.https://nyti.ms/346CWXo

After a Halt, Then a Sprint, the Cardinals Land in the Playoffs Again

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports After a Covid-19 outbreak, the Cardinals crammed 53 games into the season’s final 44 days. On Sunday, they emerged from a chaotic National League field with a postseason spot.https://nyti.ms/3kQHgkn