MANNING IN UNIFORM
ENGLEWOOD (AP) – Peyton Manning is back on the practice field for the Denver Broncos as they prepare for an AFC West showdown against Kansas City.
The Denver quarterback missed Wednesday’s practice while his sore right ankle heals, but he was out with his teammates and in uniform Thursday. Manning had an MRI on Monday that revealed no further damage to the ankle. Broncos interim coach Jack Del Rio said Manning will play for certain Sunday night when Denver (8-1) meets Kansas City (9-0) with first place in the division on the line. Manning said sitting out of practice was not his preference but something he had to do in the best interest of the team.
NEW CHIEFS PLAYER HOPES TO PLAY VS. BRONCOS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Wide receiver Kyle Williams says that he hopes to be able to contribute to the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver this weekend, even though he only joined the team on Wednesday. Williams was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers a day earlier, and didn’t arrive in Kansas City until after midnight. He spent his first day in the practice facility trying to get up to speed in time for Sunday night’s showdown against the Broncos. It’s possible that he’ll be able to play on special teams, but Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said it would be unfair to expect Williams to contribute on that side of the ball. Williams said he’s willing to help out where the Chiefs need him.
NUGGETS BEAT LAKERS
DENVER (AP) – Timofey Mozgov matched his career high with 23 points, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-99 on Wednesday night to win consecutive games for the first time this season. First-year Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, who was part of five championship teams with the Lakers as a player and assistant coach, beat Los Angeles in his first matchup against his former team.
BUFFS EDGE WYOMING
BOULDER (AP) – Spencer Dinwiddie scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half, including four free throws down the stretch, and Askia Booker added 14, helping Colorado hold off Wyoming 63-58 on Wednesday night to halt a six-game skid against the Cowboys.
SPORTS ON TAP TONIGHT
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Indianapolis at Tennessee 8:25 p.m.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Houston at New York 8:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Golden State 10:30 p.m.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Columbus at Boston 7:00 p.m.
Los Angeles at N-Y Islanders 7:00 p.m.
Anaheim at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at St. Louis 8:00 p.m.
Phoenix at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Dallas at Calgary 9:00 p.m.
San Jose at Vancouver 10:00 p.m.
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Georgia Tech at ( 8) Clemson 7:30 p.m.
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
( 6) Arizona at San Diego St. 10:05 p.m.
Austin Peay at (13) Memphis 8:00 p.m.
William & Mary at (16) Wichita St. 8:00 p.m.
Detroit at (19) UConn 7:00 p.m.
TOP-25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SC-Upstate at ( 2) Duke 6:30 p.m.
Chattanooga at ( 4) Tennessee 7:00 p.m.
(14) LSU at ( 5) Louisville 7:00 p.m.
Nicholls St. at ( 9) Baylor 8:00 p.m.
(25) Gonzaga at (11) Oklahoma 8:00 p.m.
Canisius at (19) Michigan St. 7:00 p.m.
Coll. of Charleston at (21) South Carolina 8:00 p.m.
Mercer at (24) Georgia 7:00 p.m.