Sports Headlines
Green ties career high with 42 points as Rockets rally for 120-118 victory over Grizzlies
HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points, capped by a layup that gave Houston the lead late, and the Rockets rallied for a 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The Grizzlies were down by four before Jaylen Wells made a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup from Brandon Clarke that put them up 115-114 with just under a minute left. Green’s layup put the Rockets on top 116-115 before a turnover by Ja Morant gave Houston the ball back. Amen Thompson was fouled and made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to make it 118-115. Morant missed two free throws after that and Fred VanVleet added two free throws for ... Read MoreLakers lose to Spurs 126-102 in their 1st game back after wildfire postponements
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 23 points and eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Lakers 126-102 on Monday night in Los Angeles' first game back from two postponements due to the wildfires devastating the area. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James added 18 points and eight assists for the Lakers in their first home game since catastrophic wildfires killed at least 24 and burned thousands of structures. The Lakers have lost three straight, but their previous two scheduled games were postponed, and they hadn't played since last Tuesday in Dallas. Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle scored 23 points ... Read MoreChris Martin guaranteed $5.5 million in 1-year deal with Rangers, can earn $500,000 bonuses
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Reliever Chris Martin is guaranteed $5.5 million in his one-year contract with the Texas Rangers and can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses. Martin gets a $1 million signing bonus as part of the agreement announced Jan. 6 and a $4.5 million salary. He would earn $150,000 each for 45 and 50 innings, and $200,000 for 55. Martin went 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA in 45 relief appearances for Boston last season, when he struck out 50 batters in 44 1/3 innings and his three walks were the fewest by qualified major league relievers. The right-hander had a 2.16 ERA in 100 games for the Red Sox the past two years. The 38-year-old is 16-18 ... Read MoreJustin Verlander eager to prove he can still pitch at highest level after injury-plagued 2024 season
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — For the first time in nearly two decades as a major league pitcher, Justin Verlander didn't take an offseason break from throwing. He needed to keep a baseball in his hand so his shoulder would cooperate. He needed the routine, to maintain a rhythm. “I've always been somebody who, I set down the ball, I don't pick it up again for a few months and then I've always been very lucky that I just pick it up and start throwing,” Verlander said Monday. “Well, at 41, that caught up with me. So that was an adjustment that I've made that I feel is paying big dividends already.” The star right-hander finalized a $15 million, one-year contract ... Read MoreSaints GM Mickey Loomis says he isn’t close to stepping down and he envisions a quick turnaround
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is showing no interest in stepping down and no lack of confidence in his ability to find the right coach to hasten the end of New Orleans' four-year playoff drought. “You can’t ignore the results. But you also have to look beyond the results sometimes and understand the reasons behind the symptoms,” Loomis said during a media briefing at Saints headquarters on Monday. “Some are in our control. Some aren’t.” Plagued by significant injuries to prominent starters — including quarterback Derek Carr, versatile tight end Taysom Hill, top receiver Chris Olave, top running back Alvin Kamara, center Erik McCoy and starting cornerback Paulson Adebo — the Saints went 5-12 this season. ... Read MoreRams overwhelm Vikings 27-9 in wild-card playoff game moved to Arizona because of LA wildfires
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Darnold tried to step up in the pocket to find a receiver but there was nowhere to go. The blue and yellow wall that was the Los Angeles Rams' defense closed too fast. Akhello Witherspoon got there first, knocking the Minnesota quarterback to the ground as the ball popped loose. Jared Verse scooped it up and the Rams faithful roared their approval in their adopted home of State Farm Stadium as the rookie ran untouched for a 57-yard touchdown. Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was right there with them. “Our defense,” he said, “just went crazy.” Los Angeles — the football team, but especially the city — has had a tough week as wildfires have ... Read MoreMike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones says
DALLAS (AP) — Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who are going on three decades since their last Super Bowl title, owner Jerry Jones said in a statement Monday. Jones said the organization and McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways. The team’s search for its next coach begins immediately, he says. “I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure," Jones said. McCarthy’s contract expired following a 7-10 season. Dallas was 12-5 each of the three years before that under him, but still hasn’t been past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs since its last Super Bowl at the end of ... Read More
Merilainen makes 24 saves, Senators end Stars’ winning streak at 7 with 3-2 victory
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves in his Ottawa home debut and the Senators ended the Dallas Stars’ seven-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Sunday night. Merilainen was coming off his first NHL shutout Saturday in a 5-0 victory in Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old Finn's five previous starts this season were on the road. Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle and Matthew Highmore scored for Ottawa. Evgenii Dadonov and Jason Robertson scored for Dallas. Casey DeSmith made 25 saves. The Stars also played Saturday, winning 2-1 in a shootout in Montreal. Takeaways Senators: Ottawa rebounded after giving up the first goal. Stars: Dallas faded in the second period and was unable to match Ottawa’s energy. Key moment The Stars ... Read MoreWestbrook and Jokic help Nuggets erase double-digit deficit in 112-101 win over Mavericks
DALLAS (AP) — Russell Westbrook had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Nikola Jokic added 19 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Denver Nuggets rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-101 on Sunday. The Nuggets trailed by 19 points late in the third period and by 12 early in the fourth. They outscored the Mavericks in the fourth period 33-12. After hitting only four of 25 3-pointers through three quarters, Denver shot 3 for 7 down the stretch while the Mavs missed all 11 3-point tries in the fourth. The Nuggets won for the 12th time in 17 games. Klay Thompson scored 25 points to lead the Mavericks, who are 2-5 playing ... Read MoreCeltics withstand return of Zion Williamson and beat Pelicans 120-119
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 38 points with 11 rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points and 11 boards on Sunday as the Boston Celtics overcame the return of Zion Williamson to the New Orleans lineup and beat the Pelicans 120-119. Trey Murphy III scored 30 points and Williamson scored 16 in his return from a one-game suspension for being late to team activities. The 2019 draft lottery prize also had seven rebounds in 28 minutes. New Orleans led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, taking advantage when the Celtics made just one of their first 11 3-point attempts. Boston finished 13 for 44 from long distance and shot just 43.6% overall from the floor. ... Read MoreGilgeous-Alexander overcomes a poor shooting performance and leads Thunder past Wizards 136-95
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 of his 27 points from the foul line to overcome his worst shooting performance of the season and help the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 136-95 rout of the Washington Wizards on Sunday night. Gilgeous-Alexander shot only 29.4% (5 of 17) from the floor over 30 minutes, well below his previous worst of 35% against San Antonio on Oct. 30. But Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to draw fouls, combined with another strong showing by the NBA's best defense, lifted Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City to its largest margin of victory and sent NBA-worst Washington to its most lopsided defeat. Aaron Wiggins added 23 points, Jalen Williams scored 17, and Isaiah Hartenstein had 10 points and 12 ... Read MoreDuring the NFL playoffs, NBC offers a reminder: The NBA is coming back to its platforms next season
NBC offered up a reminder of sorts during the NFL playoffs on Sunday night: The NBA is on its way back to its platforms next season. NBC Sports debuted a promotional spot for its upcoming NBA coverage during halftime of the Washington-Tampa Bay wild-card game. The spot — featuring Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Boston's Jayson Tatum — is NBC's first with original content including NBA players since the league's new series of TV deals were announced last July. “As the calendar turns to 2025, our strategy is to drive awareness and excitement for the NBA returning to NBC and debuting on Peacock this fall," said Jenny Storms, chief marketing officer of Entertainment and Sports for NBCUniversal. ... Read MoreCBS’ Jim Nantz will reach a rare broadcasting milestone when he calls his 500th NFL game Sunday
Jim Nantz has called many signature events during his nearly 40 years at CBS Sports. He'll reach a milestone on Sunday, though, that only a few NFL announcers have accomplished. Nantz will call his 500th NFL game when the Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos in an AFC wild-card round game. According to CBS records, Nantz is the first person in CBS’ storied NFL history to work 500 games as a play-by-play announcer. Pat Summerall did more than 500 games at CBS, but started as an analyst in 1962 after retiring from playing. He moved to play-by-play midway through the 1974 season. “That’s a lot of games. It’s just staggering,” Nantz said. “With the historic relationship between the league and ... Read MoreNew England hires former Patriots Super Bowl champ Mike Vrabel as coach
The New England Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel as their head coach. The team announced the hiring Sunday morning, a week after Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo following the team’s season-ending victory over the Buffalo Bills. Mayo finished 4-13 in his lone season. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also interviewed for the job. But Vrabel, a fan favorite during eight seasons as a player in New England where he was a member of its first three Super Bowl winners and an inductee into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2023, was the preferred candidate because of his long association with the ... Read MoreLamar Jackson and Josh Allen will face off for a berth in the AFC championship game
Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen won’t decide the NFL MVP next week. The stakes are higher with a spot in the AFC championship game on the line. Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (13-5) will visit Allen and the Buffalo Bills (14-4) in the divisional round while Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) will host C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (11-7). The winners face off on Jan. 26 for a berth in the Super Bowl. The Bills advanced with a 31-7 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday after the Ravens moved on with a 28-14 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. The Texans beat the Chargers 32-12 in the opening ... Read MoreChargers linebacker Khalil Mack will consider retirement during the offseason
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Khalil Mack is set to become a free agent for the first time in his 11-year career. Whether the Los Angeles Chargers linebacker decides to test the waters, though, is not the first thought on his mind. Mack said Sunday that he is considering retirement but will take his time before making a final decision. “It’s a lot of different thoughts in my head right now. I can’t really speak on a definitive decision on what I’m going to do,” Mack said as the Chargers cleaned out their lockers after a 32-12 loss to Houston in an AFC wild-card round game. “I have to talk to my wife, spend some time with my kids and ... Read MoreA bloody face didn’t stop Jayden Daniels from leading the Commanders to a comeback win
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jayden Daniels doesn’t get fazed, even when a crunching hit leaves his face bloodied. The rookie quarterback played with poise all season to lead the Washington Commanders to a dramatic eight-win improvement from 2023 and he wasn’t going to let a little blood bother him in his biggest game yet. He kept running around, making plays and did whatever was needed to lead Washington to the franchise’s first playoff since he was 5 years old. With blood dripping down his face beneath his right eye, Daniels tossed a 10-yard TD pass to Dyami Brown for a 7-3 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the second quarter of a 23-20 victory Sunday night in an ... Read MoreTop of page
