TMZ Sports - Page 29

Blood was shed during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday ... but we're not talking about any Timberwolves or Thunder players -- it was referee Scott Foster who was left worse for wear!!

The accident happened just over a minute into the contest -- during a jump ball between Lu Dort and Julius Randle. The former's arm came down and hit Foster right in the nose ... and he started oozing.

The longtime official -- who also appeared to take a bit of a kick to the gut from Randle -- rushed over to the scorers booth for a towel ... and got his nostril plugged up.

Those taking the PCH to catch Friday's SLS better be prepared for Machine Gun Kelly -- Nyjah Huston tells TMZ Sports he's expecting MGK to roll through the Street League Skateboarding event!!

The competition officially kicks off at the Santa Monica Pier in just a few hours -- at 1:30 PM PT, to be exact -- and while most fans will come to watch Huston and other skaters throw down tricks ... the Olympic bronze medalist told us MGK is gonna get in on the fun, too.

Huston was super careful about what the "my ex's best friend" crooner will do at the event ... but said it'll be "special."

Doc Rivers says he's in constant communication with Giannis Antetokounmpo ... telling TMZ Sports the two sides talk "all the time" amid speculation the Milwaukee Bucks superstar could be interested in taking his talents elsewhere.

The current Bucks coach was asked a handful of questions about his best player after dining at Avra in Beverly Hills on Thursday ... and while he wouldn't get into specifics on Giannis' current status with the organization, he made it clear he's not getting ghosted.

"Guys, I'm not doing all that," he told the cameras. "I talk to him all the time. You can move on now, thank you."

Tyrese Haliburton and his girlfriend are two peas in a pod ... 'cause fresh off the Indiana Pacers star making the choking gesture amid the New York Knicks' Game 1 collapse, Jade Jones had a savage reaction to the action, too!!

The hooper's stunning longtime partner went to Instagram to share her favorite snaps from Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden ... and she had quite the caption to go along with the post.

"Finally got to see the ball drop in NYC 😏" Jones said ... clearly making a reference to Haliburton's clutch jumper that sent the game to overtime and paved the way for the Pacers' 138-135 victory.

Georgia O'Connor -- an undefeated British boxer -- has died at the age of 25 ... months after revealing her cancer diagnosis and just three weeks after getting married.

O'Connor's promoter -- Boxxer -- announced her passing in a statement on Thursday ... calling her a "True warrior inside and outside the ring."

"The boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon."

Wholesome moment alert -- New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt was tasked with catching the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Thursday's game ... and as it turns out, he knew the honorary hurler VERY well!!

According to the broadcast, the team kept its plans for the toss under wraps right until the throw. While he was shaking hands with some active-duty servicemen, they moved to reveal his dad, Dwight, was in town.

Clarke had a huge smile on his face as the two embraced ... and then Dwight hit the mound with the rest of the Marines on the field to handle business. While Dwight's throw was out of the strike zone, we'll cut Dad some slack here.

Nicole Brown Simpson's sister is making a bunch of comparisons between the trials of O.J. Simpson and Diddy ... and she sees a lot of similarities between her sister and Cassie.

Tanya Brown says the Diddy trial feels a lot like O.J.'s "Trial of the Century" ... mainly because of abuse allegations and the power dynamics of both couples.

Cassie gave four days of intense testimony last week in Diddy's federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial in NYC, and Tanya says folks following the case should not be quick to judge Cassie because they haven't walked in her shoes.

Eli Manning apparently ain't the only one with Tom Brady's number ... Morgan Wallen just proved he, too, can slay the G.O.A.T. -- beating him in a round of golf earlier this month.

Brady said Thursday the loss to the country music superstar went down last week ... after he challenged the "Last Night" crooner to nine holes at the Troubadour Golf and Field Club in Tennessee.

Brady documented the guys' round for a video on his YouTube channel -- and while TB12's swing looked crisp, Wallen's was clearly far more efficient.

Nikki Bella broke her silence on the big bucks she has to shell out to her ex-husband Artem Chigvintsev in wake of their divorce ... and she makes clear that cheering haters need to be educated.

TMZ broke the news ... the WWE wrestler and her pro dancer ex reached an agreement for Nikki to pay $3,500 each month for the care of their young son Matteo. She's also forking over a six-figure lump sum to him -- $100K now, and another $100K before the end of this year.

Nikki addressed the situation on her latest "Nikki & Brie Show" podcast episode ... and she said despite having to turn over her "hard-earned money" to Artem, she essentially got a steal on the deal ... and underscores it's vital Matteo has an equal quality of life at both homes -- which is the point of child support!

Aaron Rodgers has never been one to shy away from tossing around conspiracy theories in a public forum ... and that continued during his sit-down with Joe Rogan this week -- when he hinted the set of Ellen DeGeneres' old talk show looked a bit too much like Epstein Island for his liking.

Rodgers made the remark amid his lengthy appearance on Wednesday's episode of the "Joe Rogan Experience" ... which naturally turned to the subject of Jeffrey Epstein and a building on Little Saint James.

Once producer Jamie pulled up an image on screen, Rodgers quickly said it reminded him of the "set of a famous talk show that's now not on anymore."

Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks says he and his wife have received an onslaught of death threats following his brutal outing against the Mets on Wednesday ... and now, he's pleading with fans to stop the hurtful messages ASAP.

Hendriks took to his Instagram page Thursday morning to explain the situation ... revealing that since he gave up three earned runs in just one-third of an inning in Boston's 5-1 loss to New York, people have been bombarding him and his family with hate.

He said in addition to the threats on his and Kristi Hendriks' lives, people have left "comments telling me to commit suicide" as well as ones wishing he "died from cancer."

Tributes have been pouring in following the shocking death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay ... with plenty of former players, coaches and loved ones taking time to remember the 65-year-old -- including the team's Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Peyton Manning.

The 49-year-old took to his Instagram to speak on Irsay's passing ... calling him an "incredibly generous and passionate owner, and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL."

"His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten."

Hayden Hopkins is looking stunning after welcoming a baby with MLB player Joey Gallo late last year ... putting her incredible figure on display in a sexy social media post.

The professional dancer and current free agent became parents to an adorable bundle of joy, Capulet Lilac Gallo, back in October ... with mama calling her "Heaven on earth."

Hopkins -- who documented her pregnancy journey on her Instagram -- decided to share her progress to her 231,000 followers ... rocking the same bikini she wore during her second trimester to show her current state six months later.

The only thing Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson seem to be sweating these days is the spice level of their wings ... despite all the recent negative attention they've received, the two enjoyed what appeared to be a blissful chicken dinner date Wednesday.

Check out some video Hudson shared of the duo's Hump Day supper, the 24-year-old and her 73-year-old UNC football head coach boo could be seen wolfing down some buffalo wings by a body of water ... all while a peaceful sunset surrounded them.

If the serene scene wasn't enough proof they haven't been shaken by the drama they've been entrapped in lately, Hudson's witty caption provided some further evidence.

The Knicks had an extra hand in their thrilling Game 1 matchup with the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday ... but unfortunately for the home team, Jon Hamm's assist couldn't help them to victory.

The "Mad Men" actor had courtside seats for the contest at Madison Square Garden ... but Hamm apparently wasn't satisfied with sitting back and observing -- 'cause in the second quarter, he took matters into his own hands when the rock came flying in his direction.

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton seemingly felt like he could've saved the ball to keep it in play ... and rushed to Hamm's section in hopes of deflecting it back onto the court.

The "tush push" isn't goin' anywhere anytime soon ... and legendary offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth tells TMZ Sports he has no issue with the controversial play!

"If everybody was good at it, everybody would be doing it," Andrew said at LAX ... just moments after a measure to ban the play fell short by just a couple votes at league meetings.

AW doesn't believe the play provides an unfair advantage ... pointing out that the Eagles are just damn good at it -- and others need to get on their level.