Dec 27, 2017 3 min read

Giants suspend Apple

A day after Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins referred to him as a cancer, cornerback Eli Apple was suspended Wednesday by the New York Giants for the season finale against the Washington Redskins.

The Giants announced the suspension hours after Apple had participated in the practice. Interim general manager Kevin Abrams and interim coach Steve Spagnuolo informed him of the suspension.

“We have suspended Eli for a pattern of behavior that is conduct detrimental to the team,” Abrams said.

Collins never referred to Apple, the Giants’ first-round draft pick in 2016, by name in a radio interview on Tuesday. However, he said only one cornerback on the team needed to grow up and later added, “But that first pick … he’s a cancer.”

Collins apologized for the comments on Wednesday. He and Apple met separately with Spagnuolo and then all three talked.

Collins was not in the locker room after practice. Apple declined to speak with the media.

In the NHL

Riley Nash scored two goals, Kevan Miller got his first of the season and the surging Boston Bruins beat the Ottawa Senators 5-1 Wednesday night for their 14th win in 18 games.

Tuukka Rask stopped 25 shots for the Bruins, improving to 9-0-1 in his past 10 games. Rask was selected the NHL’s first star for last week.

• Sebastian Aho scored two goals in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Aho’s power-play goal midway through the third put Carolina in front, and he later added an empty-netter. Teuvo Teravainen scored Carolina’s other goal, while Alex Galchenyuk tallied for Montreal.

• Top overall draft pick Nico Hischier scored two goals in the first period and the New Jersey Devils extended their season-high winning streak to five games with a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

Taylor Hall had two assists, Cory Schneider made 31 saves and the Devils killed off all five Red Wings’ power plays in extending Detroit’s losing streak to three games. Sami Vatanen scored into an empty net with 23 seconds to play for the final margin.

In college basketball

Mikal Bridges scored 20 points, Phil Booth added 17 points and six assists, and No. 1 Villanova made it look easy, beating DePaul 103-85 Wednesday in the Big East opener for both teams.

The Wildcats (1-0 Big East, 13-0 overall) closed in on last year’s program-record 14-0 start and gave coach Jay Wright his 399th victory in 17 seasons at Villanova.

Bridges and Booth each made four 3-pointers, and the Wildcats nailed 15 of 31 from long range.

Chicago-area product Jalen Brunson had 16 points and five assists. Eric Paschall scored 16, and Villanova hit the 100-point mark for the third time this season.

In the NBA

Dirk Nowitzki scored 15 points, Harrison Barnes made the tiebreaking free throw with 37.7 seconds left and the Dallas Mavericks snapped an eight-game road losing streak with a 98-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night.

Nowitzki, the franchise’s career leading scorer in his 20th season, scored six points in the final quarter to help the Mavericks rally for their third win in 17 road games.