Sports Headlines

Mavs brace for another Doncic absence

DALLAS (AP) — While the Dallas Mavericks wait to see how long they'll be without Luka Doncic because of his latest left calf injury, they have another example of how to stay afloat until the superstar's return. Doncic exited late in the second quarter of a 105-99 Christmas Day loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, and the deflated Mavs found themselves down 28 points late in the third. Yet, Kyrie Irving had a 3-point attempt in the final minute that would have put Dallas in front. His shot was short, as was the rally. “It’s kind of deflating,” said Klay Thompson, who passed Reggie Miller for fifth on the career 3-point list during the spirited Dallas rally. “We have such a   ... Read More

Lamar Jackson breaks NFL QB rushing record in Ravens’ 31-2 romp over Texans

HOUSTON (AP) — Lamar Jackson broke the NFL career rushing record for quarterbacks in the Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the Houston Texans on Wednesday. A highlight came when Jackson dashed 48 yards for a touchdown on a run where he reached a career-best top speed of 21.25 mph. “I was jogging,” Jackson said. “I didn’t have to do anything.” It was that kind of day for Jackson, who led the Ravens to the 31-2 victory that bolstered his case for MVP as the Ravens moved closer to the AFC North title. “It’s just another phenomenal performance,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards (for a quarterback) in pro football. That kind of speaks for   ... Read More

Victor Wembanyama scores 42 in a memorable Christmas debut but Spurs fall short against the Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama nearly obliterated the Spurs' Christmas record book in his first time playing on the holiday. Nearly won the game, too. His 42 points and 18 rebounds could only get San Antonio close before falling short, with the New York Knicks pulling out a 117-114 victory Wednesday. Wembanyama left Madison Square Garden with one of the greatest Christmas debuts in NBA history but without the thing he coveted most. “I'm thinking about the game right now,” he said after a long pause, “and just thinking that we were close but we lack some attributes at times.” Wembanyama stared at the box score on the table in front of him as he spoke, and his line   ... Read More

Edwards scores 26, Wolves hold on to beat Mavs 105-99 after Doncic injury

DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 105-99 Christmas Day victory over Dallas after Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic left the game with a strained left calf. A rematch of last season's Western Conference finals won by Dallas fell flat when Doncic pulled up lame while running a play late in the second quarter Wednesday. Then it got wild when the Mavs erased almost all of a 28-point deficit in the second half. The five-time All-Star never made it back to the defensive end and limped off the court after Dallas called timeout. It was Doncic's second game back after missing two with a left heel contusion. Kyrie Irving scored 39 points   ... Read More

Players have mixed feelings about being on the road on Christmas as NFL adds more holiday games

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Asked if there was any special meaning to playing on Christmas for a second straight season, Lamar Jackson paused for several seconds before answering. That said it all. “I mean, it is,” he finally replied, trying to be diplomatic. “That means we're good, but at the same time, I do want to celebrate at home sometimes with my family now. I don't want to be playing on Christmas all the time — not all the time.” That sentiment seemed common among the Baltimore Ravens players this week as they prepared for their second consecutive Christmas road game. Jackson and his teammates will face the Houston Texans on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Kansas City   ... Read More

1,000-yard rushers are keeping pace with 1,000-yard receivers for a change in the NFL

Inside the Numbers dives into NFL statistics, streaks and trends each week. For more Inside the Numbers, head here. ___ Led by free-agent bargains Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, the number of big-play running backs is rivaling the number of high-production wide receivers for a change. With two weeks remaining in the season, there are 11 players who have reached the 1,000-yard milestone in both rushing and receiving, a far cry from the pattern in recent seasons. The last time there were as many 1,000-yard rushers as receivers in an entire season came in 2010 when there were 17 of each. While that might not happen this season, with more pass catchers nearing the mark than runners, it does figure   ... Read More

Chiefs clinch AFC’s No. 1 seed by riding defense to victory over Steelers

Oh, how much has changed in a year. And oh, how much hasn’t. A year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs spent their Christmas Day delivering a gift-wrapped win to an interim-coached Las Vegas Raiders team. The Chiefs fell to 9-6 with the loss, their playoff berth still intact but their road to the Super Bowl fully on the road. A year later? A Chiefs team that seemed to be playing with fire during narrow early-season wins secured its 15th victory in 16 tries in a resounding 29-10 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City celebrated Christmas this year by locking up the AFC’s top playoff seed, once again earning a bye and home-field advantage through the conference championship on the   ... Read More

Zion Williamson (hamstring) eyeing return to practice next week

NEW ORLEANS (AP) —Zion Williamson has begun the conditioning phase of his rehab from a left hamstring strain and is expected to return to full practice next week, while Brandon Ingram remains early in his recovery from a left ankle sprain, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Tuesday. Williamson has been out since Nov. 6 because of the injury and has been limited to six games this season, averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He is considered week-to-week, according to the Pelicans. Ingram has been out since Dec. 7 after suffering a high-grade low left ankle sprain. The Pelicans said he is early in his rehab process and will be reexamined in about two weeks. The team has been   ... Read More

Cowboys’ Jones says discussions with McCarthy are about future

FRISCO (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy have discussions about the future -- just not necessarily about McCarthy's future with the organization. "It's implied every conversation we have about a position, about a player," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday. "Most of the time when you're discussing a situation on this football team, you're talking about the future. Now the future might be the next game, or it could be next month but it's always not so much dwelling on what happened last Sunday or what happened two weeks ago, not so much there. That's a reference point and that's what you've got to make a decision   ... Read More

HEARTS Act, backed by Bills S Damar Hamlin, signed into law

BUFFALO (AP) — The holiday week brought early good news for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, with President Joe Biden signing into law a bill that aims to improve access to resources for heart health around the country. Hamlin, 26, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a "Monday Night Football" game on Jan. 2. 2023, advocated for the bill and worked on it with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The NFL's Smart Hearts Coalition and others supported the effort. The Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, and Research, and AED Training in the Schools Act of 2024 (HEARTS Act) was officially signed by the president on Monday after the United States Senate voted unanimously to pass the bill on Dec. 10. The House   ... Read More

Sources: Heat’s Jimmy Butler prefers trade out of Miami

MIAMI (AP) —Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, league sources told ESPN. ESPN reported in the Inside Pass on Dec. 10 that the Heat are willing to listen to trade offers for Butler, and that Butler wants a win-now contender in any deal. Butler has not formally requested a trade, sources said, but is believed to be ready for his exit. Butler has $49 million on his contract with the Heat for this season and a $52 million player option for 2025-26 after the two sides failed to reach an extension last summer. Both sides appear ready to move on from this Butler-led era as the Heat lean into   ... Read More

Sources: Ex-Seahawks coach Pete Carroll interested in Bears job

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Seahawks Super-Bowl winning coach Pete Carroll has expressed interest in the Chicago Bears' head coaching job and would like to return to the sideline next season, league sources told ESPN. Carroll is one of four head coaches to have led teams to both a national championship and the Super Bowl. The others are Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Jim Harbaugh. Three teams -- the Bears, Jets and Saints -- are in the market for a head coach who can help reset their culture. Few coaches have been more effective than Carroll at doing just that. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29, one day after a 23-20 loss to the Lions that ended with the   ... Read More

Leaving Thunder, Bucks off the NBA’s Christmas game list has those teams feeling snubbed

(AP) — Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference and has a MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Milwaukee has the NBA's leading scorer in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were the teams that made their way to the NBA Cup final. By any measure, they're both very good teams. And neither will play on Christmas Day this year. Bah, humbug. In its defense, the NBA faces the same challenge every summer, figuring out which 10 teams will get the honor — and it is an honor — of playing on Christmas Day. The Knicks and Lakers almost always find their way onto the slate, which makes sense given the size of the New York and Los Angeles media markets. The teams coming off   ... Read More

Eight new WNBA coaches now in place for 2025

(AP) —The WNBA now has all of its head coaching spots filled after there were eight open positions this offseason. Dallas named Chris Koclanes as its head coach on Monday and then an hour later Washington hired Sydney Johnson as its new head, rounding out the seven hirings. There's no common thread among the seven hires; three are former college head coaches (Karl Smesko, Lynne Roberts and Johnson), three were WNBA assistants (Koclanes, Johnson and Tyler Marsh) and one is an international coach (Rachid Meziane). Stephanie White is the only former WNBA head coach to get one of the positions as she moved from Connecticut and returns to Indiana. With the addition of Golden State next season, which hired Natalie   ... Read More

Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger killed in avalanche

Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger killed in avalancheMillo Moravski/agence Zoom/Getty Images(LONDON) -- Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger was tragically killed in an avalanche on Monday, according to the Swiss-Ski federation.Hediger, 26, got caught in an avalanche at the mountain resort of Arosa in eastern Switzerland, the federation said."We are stunned and our thoughts are with Sophie's family, to whom we express our deepest condolences," Walter Reusser, the CEO of Swiss-Ski's sports division, said in a statement on Tuesday.The snowboarder and another companion were on a closed black diamond slope Monday afternoon, according to local police. She got struck by the avalanche after leaving the closed slope, police said. Her companion notified rescue services, and she was located about two hours later buried in the avalanche field, police   ... Read More

Kansas City Chiefs 2024 schedule

Week 1: Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs, Sept. 5 at 7:20 p.m. Week 2: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, Sept. 15 at 3:25 p.m. Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons, Sept. 22 at 7:20 p.m. Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Charges, Sept. 29 at 3:25 p.m. Week 5: New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs, Oct. 7 at 7:15 p.m. Week 6: BYE Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers, Oct. 20 at 3:25 p.m. Week 8: Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders, Oct. 27 at 3:25 p.m. Week 9: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs, Nov. 4 at 7:15 p.m. Week 10: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs,   ... Read More

2024 Dallas Cowboys schedule

Dallas Cowboys 2024 NFL Schedule: Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns, Sept. 8 at 3:25 p.m. Week 2: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys, Sept. 15 at 12 p.m. Week 3: Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, Sept. 22 at 3:25 p.m. Week 4: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, Sept. 26 at 7:15 p.m. Week 5: Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers, Oct. 6, 7:20 p.m. Week 6: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions, Oct. 13, at 3:25 p.m. Week 7: TBD Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers, Oct. 27 at 7:20 p.m. Week 9: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons, Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, Nov. 10 at 3:25 p.m. Week 11:   ... Read More

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