Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for Sept. 7, 2026, puzzle No. 714

September 7, 2026 - 05:09

If you are stuck on today's sports-themed word puzzle, you have come to the right place. The game challenges you to sort sixteen terms into four hidden groups of four. Sometimes the categories are obvious, like team names or player positions. Other times they are trickier, mixing slang, retired athletes, or obscure rules.

For puzzle No. 714, the board includes a mix of current stars, old-school nicknames, and a few terms that could fit in more than one group. One group is built around a type of scoring play. Another involves famous stadiums that share a nickname. A third group is all about equipment that players often argue over. The last group might trip you up because it uses words that sound like something else in everyday life.

Before you scroll down, try to sort out the easy pairs first. Look for words that clearly belong together, then see what is left. If you are still stuck after a few minutes, here are some hints. The first group is about a way to win without extra time. The second group has four cities that host a major annual race. The third group includes terms for a specific kind of pass. The fourth group is a set of retired jersey numbers that all belong to the same franchise.

Still need the full answer? The groups are: walk-off, buzzer-beater, sudden death, and shootout. Then you have Boston, Chicago, New York, and London for marathon majors. The pass terms are screen, slant, bomb, and shovel. Finally, the retired numbers are 23, 24, 33, and 45, all from the Chicago Bulls. That last one is a nod to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and others.

Come back tomorrow for another set of clues. And if you solved it cleanly, share your time in the comments. No spoilers for future puzzles, though.