Markelle Fultz made his long-awaited return to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night following a shoulder injury, and he scored ten points for his team to lead them to a win.

Markelle Fultz Sixers return news

The 2017 top overall pick was 5-of-13 in shooting from the floor and also had eight assists and four rebounds. Fultz — who played 14 minutes in the Sixers’ 123-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets — received a standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd upon entering the game.

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The fans at Wells Fargo Center were chanting “Fultz! Fultz! Fultz!”, although 19-year-old Fultz heard something entirely different at first.

“I thought they were saying ‘Nick Foles,‘” Fultz said of the Super Bowl MVP for the champion Philadelphia Eagles. “Then I realized it, and it was pretty dope. These fans are great, and I love them.”

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The Sixers (43-30, fourth in Eastern Conference) have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2012.

Fultz — who only played the first four games of the season — ignored questions about his shoulder after Monday’s game.

“He looked confident,” coach Brett Brown said. “I thought it was a real, sort of bold, gutsy effort that he made given where he was, now where he is.”

Fultz said his teammates meant the world to him.

“I’m just trying to be the best teammate I can possibly be,” the 6-foot-4 former Washington guard said.

Joel Embiid added 20 points and 13 rebounds — including a big one-handed dunk over Paul Millsap — and Ben Simmons had 11 assists for the Sixers.

Will Barton led the Nuggets with 25 points.

The Sixers next host the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

One person who believed it was absurd for Fultz to avoid answering any injury-related questions directly was ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith: 

Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving missed out on Thursday’s 89-80 home loss to the Joel Embiid-led Philadelphia 76ers with a sore left shoulder.

Kyrie Irving Injury News

However, the five-time All-Star said an MRI revealed no structural damage.

Irving, 25, said he could return to the court for Sunday’s home contest against Orlando.

Marcus Smart started in Irving’s place Thursday against Philadelphia.

“Just precautionary stuff and just making sure everything is all right from a strength perspective,” Irving said before Thursday’s game. “Obviously a few days will definitely put me where I need to be, and we’ll just see what goes on for Sunday’s game. It’s nothing too crazy. It was just giving me a little discomfort over the past few weeks, and I’ve just been playing through it, in terms of preparing best for every single game, and I just felt it best to get a few tests and make sure everything’s all right.”

Coach Brad Stevens said before Thursday’s matchup said he didn’t expect fourth-year guard Smart — or nearly anyone else — to match Irving’s prowess.

“You have to play a little bit differently when Kyrie’s not available,” Stevens stated. “But we can’t try to be Kyrie. We have to be better at what we do ourselves rather than be someone we’re not.”

Embiid led the Sixers with 26 points, 16 rebounds (a career-high) and six assists. Dario Saric added 16 points for Philadelphia, which won for the sixth time in seven games and forced 19 turnovers Thus. T.J. McConnell scored all 15 of his points in the second half.

After winning seven straight, the Celtics (34-12) have lost two in a row, but remain atop the Eastern Conference. Al Horford and Marcus Morris had 14 points each.

The Sixers (21-20, eighth in Eastern Conference) next host Milwaukee on Saturday night.

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 2: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics dribbles against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half at TD Garden on October 2, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Martellus Bennett was released by the Green Bay Packers on Thursday and claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots, but he’ll be sidelined for a while.

Martellus Bennett Injury News

The veteran tight end — who reportedly failed to disclose a physical condition — has been playing with a shoulder injury: a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum.

Bennett attended Patriots practice on Friday.

During Green Bay’s bye week — week 8 — Bennett said on social media that he was “pretty sure” he would retire after this season, but then sustained the shoulder injury following the first practice after the bye.

Packers (4-4, 3rd in NFL North) coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that surgery was being discussed before the Packers released Bennett.

“I’m not going to get into the Patriots claiming Marty, I’ll just reiterate what I said yesterday: I just know what the facts are and how the timeline came about,” McCarthy said. “I talked to him Tuesday [following the bye week] after practice and he [had] a shoulder concern injury. I advised him to get the second opinions. He did that and he went to a number of them. The last medical conversation I was involved with in regards to Marty, they were talking about scheduling surgery. After that, then you have the termination and then the claim. I really don’t have any comments on that. I’ve answered the question for the last time, respectfully.”

Bennett played for the Patriots in 2016. He had 55 catches for 701 yards and 7 touchdowns for the team that campaign, which ended with a historic, comeback overtime Super Bowl victory.

The 30-year-old tight end has also played for the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears.

Instead of re-signing Bennett as a free agent this offseason, the Patriots (6-2) chose to trade for Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, who has not recorded a catch in eight games this season.

In claiming Bennett, the Patriots inherit the three-year, $21 million contract that he had signed with the Packers. If the Patriots don’t pick up a $2 million bonus early in the 2018 league year, Bennett would become a free agent again.

Caption:SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 09: Martellus Bennett #83 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 9, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia has been diagnosed with an arterial clot in his right shoulder and may need season-ending surgery, the team announced Thursday.

Mets’ Jeurys Familia to have surgery on shoulder for arterial clot

The 27-year-old Dominican blew a save on Wednesday by allowing four runs (thee earned) on four hits in the top of the ninth inning of a 6-5 home loss to the San Francisco Giants, his third straight appearance and the finale of a three-game series.

Familia started this season with a 15-game suspension, which Major League Baseball handed him for a domestic violence incident with his wife last October. A judge dropped the charges in December.

The right-hander recorded a career-high 51 saves last season, and is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA and three saves this campaign. He will be treated by Dr. Robert Thompson, an expert in circulation issues including Thoracic Outlet Syndrome who diagnosed and performed surgery on Matt Harvey last summer, and also performed surgery on former Mets pitcher Dillon Gee in 2012. Gee was similarly diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder and missed the remainder of that season.

Familia is the second Mets pitcher to suffer a severe injury this year. Starter Noah Syndergaard is on the 60-day disabled list and isn’t expected to return until at least the All-Star break due to a torn muscle behind his right arm.

Manager Terry Collins defended using Familia in Tuesday’s win over the Giants. The closer played even though the Mets held a five-run lead.

The Mets (16-17), who are second in the National League East, next visit the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night for the opener of a three-game series.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – AUGUST 21: Jeurys Familia #27 of the New York Mets pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at AT&T Park on August 21, 2016 in San Francisco, California. The New York Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-0. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Jay Cutler’s season could be over.

Bears QB Jay Cutler Expected To Miss Rest Of Season

The Chicago Bears quarterback is believed to have a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday. Cutler is seeking a second opinion, and hopes for different results.

If the initial diagnosis is confirmed, the veteran starter would miss the remainder of the season, and could possibly end his career in Chicago.

Cutler, 33, was completing just 59.1 percent of his passes this season, his worst since 2012 when Mike Tice led the offense. After denying the turnovers last year under Adam Gase’s mentorship, Cutler will finish the season with a 4-to-5 touchdown-interception ratio in five starts.

Unfortunately, the Bears’ front office doesn’t currently have a young QB being groomed who could help lead the team to victory during this season, which has seen them go 2-8 to stand at fourth place in the NFC North. Weak-armed Matt Barkley is set to take over the starting duties.

Garafolo reported that the Bears have also signed QB David Fales off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.

With Alshon Jeffery out three more games due to a suspension for a PED violation, guard Kyle Long on IR and Cutler gone, Chicago’s offense will surely continue to suffer even more. Linebacker Jerrell Freeman has also been suspended for a PED violation. Cutler’s last pass was picked off by Landon Collins in Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants for a game-sealing interception.

Nevertheless, the Bears are in line to earn a high draft pick, which they could potentially utilized to try to solve their quarterback issue.

The Bears will next host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tepWXInsQ04

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 31: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears throws a pass during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on October 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Jacoby Brissett, the New England Patriots’ third-string rookie quarterback, was thrust into action Sunday after Jimmy Garoppolo left his team’s 31-24 home victory over the Miami Dolphins with a right shoulder injury in the second quarter.

Jacoby Brissett Leads Patriots To 31-24 Win Over Dolphins

It was the Patriots’ (2-0) eighth consecutive home victory over the Dolphins (0-2). New England suffered another blow at quarterback with Tom Brady serving his four-game “Deflate-gate” suspension.

Garoppolo’s injury came incredibly quickly. On third down with under five minutes remaining in the first half, he was chased out of the pocket and got a completion to Malcolm Mitchell. Garoppolo was taken down by his shoulder by Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso. The quarterback finished with three, first-half touchdown passes.

Garoppolo initially got up before going down to one knee and being attended to by the training staff. The Boston Herald reported his injury as a sprained AC joint. Garoppolo finished his day 18 of 27 for 234 yards and the three scores.

Coach Bill Belichick, unsurprisingly, was reluctant to give details about the injury during the post-game press conference, saying just as little about Brissett’s performance.

“He’s been working for this for a long time,” Belichik said when asked about Brissett. “He did a good job in a pressure situation.”

With New England up 21-0 at the start of the second half, Brissett led the Patriots to a touchdown on their first possession of the third quarter. The 23-year-old rookie– a third-round 2016 Draft pick out of North Carolina State– was 6 of 9 for 92 yards. LeGarrette Blount rushed 29 times for 123 total yards and a touchdown. Martellus Bennett also had five catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.

The Dolphins, who defeated the Patriots in Miami in last season’s finale, struggled to figure out New England’s offense, especially early on, and trailed 24-0 as they were stymied by three turnovers.

Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill cut a 31-3 deficit to 31-24 with 6:06 remaining in the game.

Tannehill didn’t complete a pass until the second quarter as New England’s defensive line pressured him into quick throws. He was intercepted by linebacker Jamie Collins late in the first half, and then again in the end zone by Duron Harmon in the last few seconds of the game.

The New England offense only managed one field goal.

The Patriots will next host the Houston Texans on Thursday, and will surely need to make decisions quickly before then. When asked what the team would do, Belichick merely said: “we’ll do whatever we think is best for the team.”

The team may thus be forced to sign a veteran backup even if Garoppolo can recover in time to play. The Patriots’ lack of depth at the position led to wide receiver Julian Edelman serving as the backup to Brissett in the second half. A former Kent State quarterback, Edelman has only attempted one pass as a professional, which went for a 51-yard touchdown by Danny Amendola in the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens two years ago.

Edelman starred at quarterback for three years at Kent State, and was the team’s leading passer and rusher during his senior year. He finished his college career just shy of 5,000 passing yards.

Shortly after Garoppolo exited Sunday’s game, former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi tweeted that Edelman would be the next man up.

The Dolphins will next host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday for Week 3.

FOXBORO, MA – SEPTEMBER 18: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the New England Patriots communicates before a play against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)