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SAN FRANCISCO -- After becoming the NBA's all-time leader in Christmas Day victories -- earning his 11th in his 19th appearance in the Los Angeles Lakers' 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors --  LeBron James was asked what still makes the league special in today's sports landscape. "LeBron and  Steph [Curry]," James said with a smile. Indeed, nearly a decade after the pair met for the first of four straight showdowns in the NBA Finals, and less than a week before James' 40th birthday, the duo looked as dominant as ever Wednesday. James led L.A. with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting and tallied 10 assists with only one turnover. Curry scored 17 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter, tying the score with a 31-foot 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left after Golden State had trailed by as many as 10 in the final period. James' performance was needed for L.A. after Lakers big man Anthony Davis sprained his left ankle with...

HOUSTON -- On a day when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn't feel like he was running at top speed -- even though he was clocked at over 21 mph -- the reigning NFL MVP added another title: the all-time leading rushing quarterback. In running away with a 31-2 Christmas Day victory over the Houston Texans, Jackson ran just enough to surpass Michael Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history. With 87 yards Wednesday, Jackson now has 6,110 career rushing yards, which is one more than Vick's total. Jackson broke the record with a 6-yard scramble in the third quarter that set up his 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews. "It feels unreal, to be honest with you," Jackson said. "I'm grateful because that's a record that's been there for a long time. Michael Vick is one of my favorite players. That's just dope." Vick held the record for 13 years after he eclipsed Randall Cunningham for the most rushing...

BOSTON -- A month ago, the Philadelphia 76ers seemed like a team headed for infamy. Having come into the season with championship aspirations, the 76ers instead saw themselves sitting at an unfathomable 3-14 on Thanksgiving Day, with daily questions about whether they would be better off trying to keep their draft pick as opposed to attempting to reach the postseason. But after Wednesday's 118-114 Christmas Day victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics, Philadelphia has now ripped off wins in eight of its past 11 games, has climbed out of the basement in the Eastern Conference and has renewed the team's hopes of a deep postseason run. "We got a high ceiling," said Joel Embiid, who twisted his ankle when he stepped on a security guard's foot during warmups but finished with 27 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes for Philadelphia (11-17). "It's all about us putting it together. "I don't think that was close to our best basketball, but we...

DALLAS -- After losing Luka Doncic to a strained left calf, an injury that sources told ESPN could sideline the superstar for an extended period of time, the  Dallas Mavericks' bid for a Christmas miracle comeback fell just short. The Minnesota Timberwolves escaped American Airlines Center with a 105-99 win Wednesday after the Mavs whittled a 28-point second-half deficit to a one-possession margin in the final minute. That was no consolation for a Dallas squad that is bracing for its perennial MVP candidate to miss several games. Doncic is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of his calf strain, sources said. "It stings for sure for all of us," said Mavs co-star Kyrie Irving, who scored a game-high 39 points to give the Mavs a chance to win without Doncic. "Praying for Luka just to have a speedy recovery. However long the timetable is, we're going to have to adjust. It's just the nature of the business. Hopefully,...

PITTSBURGH -- Mike Tomlin and his team didn't mince words in the aftermath of the  Steelers' third straight loss. "That sucked, to be blunt," the coach said after Pittsburgh's  29-10 Christmas Day loss to the  Kansas City Chiefs. "Not the type of ball we want to play and really kind of eerily similar to our last performance in that we're not doing the fundamental things well enough." In losing to the Chiefs, the Steelers (10-6) not only failed to compete with another one of the league's top teams, they also lost the ability to control their destiny in the race for the AFC North title and a coveted home playoff game. Though they once led the division by two games, the Steelers now have to beat the  Cincinnati Bengals in the regular-season finale and have the Baltimore Ravens lose their Week 18 game to the Cleveland Browns to capture the crown. "It's got to be a want-to," linebacker  Alex Highsmith said of how to right the...

PITTSBURGH -- The Kansas City Chiefs have received a first-round playoff bye before, but Patrick Mahomes said they've never needed it quite like this season. The Chiefs clinched the AFC's top playoff seed -- which means they'll get a first-round bye and have home-field advantage throughout the postseason -- by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 on Wednesday to reach 15-1. "It's just going to be nice getting guys healthy,'' said Mahomes, who was 29-of-38 for 320 yards and three touchdowns. "I think this was the earliest [regular-season] bye I've ever had just in general. To kind of have this grind of whatever it is -- I think we had our bye Week 6 -- so it's like almost 10 weeks of just football and grinding and then this short schedule at the very end of the year. "We have some guys banged up, and to get them back healthy now and we'll see how Week 18 goes and who plays and who doesn't play. That's up to Coach [Andy Reid]. But even getting this...

NEW YORK -- High on the Madison Square Garden scoreboard, a video montage played of blocked shots from New York Knicks of yesteryear as DMX's "Party Up" blared over the public address system. Down on the court, though, no Knick could leap high enough Wednesday to swat a shot launched by Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 owner of a standing reach of nearly 10 feet. Making his Christmas Day debut, the Frenchman blistered the Knicks for a game-high 42 points -- the most by a visitor on Christmas at Madison Square Garden -- to go with 18 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in a 117-114 San Antonio Spurs loss delivered through a 41-point effort from Mikal Bridges. Wembanyama let out a deep sigh and paused for five seconds to ponder his performance in a game the Spurs had a chance to tie in the final minute. "I don't even know really the history of the best Christmas games," Wembanyama said. "I'm thinking about the game right now and just thinking we...

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic exited the team's Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the second quarter because of a left calf strain. Doncic was ruled out for the remainder of the game during halftime, and the Mavs went on to lose 105-99. Doncic, who recently missed two games because of a left heel contusion, grimaced in pain when he planted that foot after picking up his dribble. He immediately looked toward the Mavs' bench and indicated he was injured. Doncic wasn't able to get back on defense on the ensuing possession and hobbled straight to the locker room to be evaluated after Dallas called a timeout with 2:31 remaining in the half. Doncic scored 14 points in 16 minutes against Minnesota. He entered the game averaging 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. Doncic has a history of injuries to that calf. Most recently, he missed all of this year's training camp and preseason because of a...

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic exited the team's Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the second quarter because of a left calf strain. Doncic was ruled out for the remainder of the game during halftime. Doncic, who recently missed two games because of a left heel contusion, grimaced in pain when he planted that foot after picking up his dribble. He immediately looked toward the Mavs' bench and indicated he was injured. Doncic wasn't able to get back on defense on the ensuing possession and hobbled straight to the locker room to be evaluated after Dallas called a timeout with 2:31 remaining in the half. Doncic scored 14 points in 16 minutes against Minnesota. He entered the game averaging 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. Doncic has a history of injuries to that calf. Most recently, he missed all of this year's training camp and preseason because of a left calf contusion. This is the third time...

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic exited the Christmas game against the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the second quarter. Doncic, who recently missed two games due to a left heel contusion, grimaced in pain when he planted that foot after picking up his dribble. He immediately looked toward the Mavs' bench and indicated he was injured. Doncic wasn't able to get back on defense on the ensuing possession and hobbled straight to the locker room to be evaluated after Dallas called a timeout with 2:31 remaining in the half. Doncic scored 14 points in 16 minutes against Minnesota. He entered the game averaging 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game.

Legendary Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey has died after a three-year cancer battle. He was 79. Bergey's son, Jake, announced the five-time Pro Bowl selection's passing in a post on social media Christmas morning. After 68 games in five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (1969-1973), Bergey played in 91 games in seven seasons with the Eagles (1974-1980). He collected 27 career interceptions and 21 fumble recoveries. His final game was Philadelphia's 27-10 loss against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV on Jan. 25, 1981, in New Orleans. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 1974 and 1975 and was runner-up to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene in the 1974 NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting. Bergey was inducted into the Eagles' Roll of Honor in 1988 and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Miami Heat guard Dru Smith has suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. He suffered the injury during Monday's victory against the Brooklyn Nets. As Smith dribbled during a possession early in the second quarter, he lost the ball on a turnover and immediately fell to the court grimacing in pain. Smith was escorted off the court to the locker room. The injury, which requires surgery and months of rehabilitation, is devastating after the two-way guard made a tremendous recovery from a torn ACL just over a year ago to the Heat's rotation and was on the cusp of a standard NBA contract. Smith also saw his 2021-22 season with Miami's Sioux Falls affiliate in the G League cut short by a knee injury. "We have incredible deep respect for his journey and what he has to overcome," coach Erik Spoelstra said after Monday's game. "I've been in the building all those times last year when nobody else was here and he was doing all the...

One day after enjoying a laugh at the expense of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, quarterback Aaron Rodgers offered an unusually curt response Tuesday when asked about Johnson -- boosting the perception of a rift between them. Rodgers, discussing his future, said he must be "in the plans of multiple people, starting with the ownership" for the Jets to retain him in 2025. The future Hall of Famer sidestepped a question on whether he believes Johnson wants him back. "You should ask Woody," Rodgers said tersely. Has he had any conversations with Johnson about his future? "No." Rodgers, 41, is preparing for what likely will be the final two games of his Jets career -- and perhaps his NFL career. Despite an MCL injury to his left knee, Rodgers said he is planning to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, insisting, "There is no way I'm not playing." Earlier Tuesday, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich was noncommittal. With the Jets (4-11) closing out their most...

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has been ruled out of Wednesday's Christmas night home game against the Denver Nuggets because of a groin strain. It would be the third straight game Booker has missed after suffering the injury in the third quarter of a defeat last week to the visiting  Indiana Pacers. The Suns lost both games he missed.   Several other stars are listed as questionable for Christmas Day, including Los Angeles Lakers stars Anthony Davis (shoulder) and LeBron James (injury management). Davis and James both played in Monday night's home loss to the Detroit Pistons. Jamal Murray, who missed the Nuggets' home win over the Suns on Monday, is listed as questionable for Wednesday's rematch due to an ankle injury. Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable for the Boston Celtics' game against the visiting  Philadelphia 76ers with an illness that also kept him out of a loss Monday at the ...

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 a rising core of All-Star center Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro (in the midst of a career season), and Butler's player option for next season has given the parties their own vantage point of leverage. Teams have been informed that Butler intends to decline his 2025-26 player option and become a free agent in July, sources...

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 Bears' furious comeback attempt falling short thanks to clock mismanagement. Thomas Brown, who had recently been named Chicago's interim offensive coordinator, assumed Chicago's interim head coaching duties. Carroll helped shape USC into a national champion and then went to Seattle and, over a run...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- 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 of Representatives passed it in September. "It's super dope, man. Shoutout to Senator Schumer. Shoutout to the Smart Hearts Coalition. Shoutout to the American Heart Association and to my Chasing M's foundation," Hamlin told ESPN when the Senate passed...

The athlete died on Monday at the age of 26, the Swiss-Ski federation said.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had to be helped off the ice and taken to the locker room in the first period after a collision with Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov during Monday night's 4-0 loss. Tkachuk returned in the second period and received a standing ovation. He joined the Panthers' power-play unit in his first shift back. "We wouldn't let him back in the game if we didn't think he was OK," Florida coach Paul Maurice said in his in-game interview on Scripps Sports. "But he's tough." Kucherov crashed full speed into Tkachuk's right leg late in the first period, causing Tkachuk to fall and grab his knee. He remained down for a couple of minutes until a team trainer helped him off. He didn't appear to put any weight on the leg. After the teams exchanged words following the hit, Kucherov was assessed a five-minute major penalty. Ultimately, after an officials' review, a game misconduct was issued for the infraction. "It's...

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors on Monday approved a blanket waiver granting an additional year of eligibility to former junior college transfers in similar positions to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, opening the door for a wave of college athletes across all sports to spend one more year in college athletics. According to an NCAA memo, the waiver extends an extra year of eligibility in 2025-26 to athletes who previously "competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years" and otherwise would have exhausted their NCAA eligibility following the 2024-25 season. The decision from the NCAA comes five days after a federal judge in Tennessee granted an injunction to allow Pavia, a former junior college transfer who played his first season at Vanderbilt in 2024, to pursue an additional year of college eligibility next fall. In its memo announcing the waiver, the NCAA also announced that it has filed a notice of appeal to the ruling in Pavia's...

PHILADELPHIA -- The 76ers rallied to beat the Spurs 111-106 despite a chaotic opening half that included  Joel Embiid getting ejected after drawing two quick technical fouls for arguing a charge call -- and another ejection for teammate Andre Drummond that was later rescinded in a bizarre scene Monday night. Driving to the basket in transition as San Antonio's  Victor Wembanyama attempted to defend, Embiid plowed into the 20-year-old French phenom, knocking him to the floor. Embiid was whistled for a charging foul with 2:59 left in the first half. Embiid stood up immediately and vehemently argued the call, leading to a technical foul from referee Jenna Schroeder as the center headed toward the Philadelphia bench. Once near the bench area, a furious Embiid charged toward the officials and was restrained by teammate  Kyle Lowry, coach Nick Nurse and several assistants as Schroeder issued another technical foul, leading to...

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck underwent successful surgery Monday on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), school officials announced, and he will not be available for the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff. Beck is expected to make a full recovery, according to the school's release, and he will resume throwing in the spring. The surgery was performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Beck and his parents had been consulting with different doctors and specialists to determine the best course of treatment after he was injured on the final play of the first half in second-ranked Georgia's 22-19 overtime win against Texas in the SEC championship game Dec. 7. Beck has not practiced with the team since that game. ESPN reported last week that Georgia has been preparing to play without Beck in the playoff since resuming practice after the SEC championship game. Redshirt sophomore ...

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- On a night when they authored the first shutout of the NFL season and clinched a playoff berth for the second straight year, about the only problem the Green Bay Packers encountered was a knee injury to wide receiver  Christian Watson. The injury occurred at the end of a 14-yard gain on an end around in the second quarter of Monday Night's 34-0 win over the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field. Two New Orleans defensive backs -- Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry -- landed on Watson's left knee as he went out of bounds at the Saints' 6-yard line. "There's some concern there, certainly," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said after Monday's game. "We're going to get some more testing done tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have an answer for you tomorrow." Watson returned to play seven more snaps, including four in the third quarter, before he left the game for good. He remained on the Packers' sideline for the rest of the game. "It...

The Houston Texans, in need of receiving help after  Tank Dell's season-ending knee injury, claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers Monday. Earlier Monday, the team announced that Dell suffered a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in the Texans' 27-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. The Los Angeles Chargers were the only other team to place a waiver claim on Johnson, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. The Ravens waived Johnson on Friday, ending his drama-filled seven weeks with the team. The Ravens suspended him for one game after he refused to play in a Dec. 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles and then he was excused from team activities last week. Baltimore had acquired Johnson in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29, but he played only 39 snaps for the team, catching one pass for 6 yards. The Ravens, meanwhile, claimed wide receiver/kick returner Steven Sims off waivers from...

The NBA fined Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards $75,000 on Monday for criticizing the referees of Saturday's game between Minnesota and the visiting Golden State Warriors. In a news release, the league said Edwards used "inappropriate and profane language" during a postgame media session after the Timberwolves' 113-103 loss. It marks the second time in two weeks that Edwards' postgame comments have cost him cash. The 23-year-old was fined $25,000 on Dec. 9 for using profane language during an interview after Minnesota won at Golden State 107-90 three days earlier. A two-time All-Star, Edwards leads the Timberwolves (14-13) with 25.6 points per game this season to go with 5.4 rebounds and four assists per contest.

Former Purdue tight end Max Klare has committed to Ohio State, he told ESPN. He's the No. 1 tight end in the NCAA transfer portal in ESPN's rankings. Klare is a redshirt sophomore who will have two years of eligibility remaining. He emerged as one of the country's most productive tight ends in 2024, hauling in 51 passes for 685 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Each of those numbers led the Boilermakers. He pointed to coach Ryan Day's history of developing players and the plan laid out to him by offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey as playing a big role in his decision. "Really, when it came down to making the decision, Coach Day's ability to develop players and send them off to the NFL, the developmental process for me was huge," Klare told ESPN. He added that the program's annual high ceiling also played into the decision. "Just an opportunity to win a national championship and develop into a better player and...

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose football future remains a mystery, suggested Monday that he could be released at the end of the season. He also joked about the possibility of being released by the owner's teenage son -- an obvious poke at owner Woody Johnson and the latest controversy surrounding the organization. "Being released would be a first; being released by a teenager, that would also be a first," Rodgers said with a laugh during his weekly spot on "The Pat McAfee Show." "So, hey, I'm open to everything and I find the comedy in all of it. If that happens, hey, it's a great story." It was a reference to a story last week by The Athletic, which reported that Johnson, 77, takes advice from his teenage sons, Brick and Jack. Rodgers, 41, has said the Jets are his "first option" if he decides to return for a 21st season. The Jets are in the process of a regime change, as they fired coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the...

The Houston Texans claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers Monday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move comes on the same day the team announced wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in Saturday's 27-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens waived Johnson on Friday, ending his drama-filled seven weeks with the team. The Ravens suspended him for one game after he refused to play in a Dec. 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles and then he was excused from team activities last week. Baltimore had acquired Johnson in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29, but he played only 39 snaps for the team, catching one pass for 6 yards. The Texans host the Ravens on Christmas Day. The Texans were thin at receiver beyond star wideout  Nico Collins after also losing Stefon Diggs to a torn ACL earlier this season. John Metchie III, Robert Woods and ...

Once again, Bevo will not be making the trip to Atlanta, as the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl announced Monday that there is not enough room on the sideline in Mercedes Benz-Stadium for the Texas Longhorns mascot. Earlier this month, Bevo was not allowed to travel to the SEC championship game, at the same venue, for the same reason. Texas faces Arizona State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal Jan. 1. The Peach Bowl said in a statement, "We love all of the great traditions of college football and no doubt, Bevo is one of the best, but the unfortunate reality is there is simply not enough room on the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. "With the constraints of the stadium and prioritizing the safety of Bevo, the players, all the network cameras, support staff, cheerleaders, and photographers, we unfortunately will not be able to have Bevo on the field." The 1,700-pound Bevo XV, with a horn span of 58 inches, would need a significantly sized enclosure to fit...

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose football future remains a mystery, suggested Monday he could be released at the end of the season. He also joked about the possibility of being released by the owner's teenaged son -- an obvious poke at owner Woody Johnson and the latest controversy surrounding the organization. "Being released would be a first; being released by a teenager, that would also be a first," Rodgers said with a laugh during his weekly spot on "The Pat McAfee Show." "So, hey, I'm open to everything and I find the comedy in all of it. If that happens, hey, it's a great story." It was a reference to a story last week by The Athletic, which reported that Johnson, 77, takes advice from his teenaged sons, Brick and Jack. Rodgers, 41, has said the Jets are his "first option" if he decides to return for a 21st season. The Jets are in the process of a regime change, as they fired coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the season...

A Notre Dame defense that has overcome key injuries all season must do so again as standout defensive lineman Rylie Mills will miss the remainder of the College Football Playoff with a right knee injury. Coach Marcus Freeman on Monday confirmed the outlook for Mills, who was injured while sacking Indiana's Kurtis Rourke early in the second half of Friday's 27-17 first-round win at Notre Dame Stadium. Mills, a senior and a captain, leads Notre Dame in both sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (8.5). Following the game, Freeman told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt that Mills' injury did not appear to be season-ending and that there was "optimism" Notre Dame could regain him for the CFP quarterfinal against No. 2 seed Georgia on Jan. 1 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Mills' absence stings a Fighting Irish defense that already has lost All-America cornerback Benjamin Morrison and rush ends Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore. The defensive...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Patrick Mahomes said his injured ankle "should be in a better place" heading into the Kansas City Chiefs' Christmas Day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. "We haven't done a ton as far as getting out there on the practice field,'' Mahomes said before Monday's practice, the most intense of the short workweek. "We've done a walk-through, actually two walk-throughs now, and I feel like I can move around and do what I need to do and now we'll get to get to a little bit faster-paced practice and see where I'm truly at. But I thought, all in all, I came out pretty well. "Obviously the body's going to be sore just with a short week and everything like that, but I think the ankle should be in a better place. We'll see in practice [Monday], but as far as how I felt after this game compared to the one before, I'm definitely in a lot better place.'' Six days after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Cleveland Browns, Mahomes...

Chris Koclanes, a former WNBA and current USC assistant coach, has been hired as the new head coach of the Dallas Wings, the team announced Monday. With Koclanes at the helm, the Wings -- who boast the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft -- will look to return to the playoffs after finishing second-to-last in the standings in 2024. They previously fired Latricia Trammell after the team went 9-31 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Koclanes takes over the role after spending eight seasons in the league working under Wings general manager Curt Miller, who previously coached the Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun. Known for his defensive focus, Koclanes served as defensive coordinator under Miller in both Connecticut and Los Angeles and is also well-regarded for his work in player development. Miller has previously called Koclanes "one of the elite assistant coaches" and "best and brightest" in the WNBA. "We are thrilled to...

HOUSTON --  Texans wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in Saturday's 27-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. Ryans also said there are "other things" Dell will need to get repaired when he undergoes surgery. After Dell suffered the injury, he was admitted overnight to University of Kansas Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center about 12 miles from Arrowhead Stadium. He flew back to Houston on Sunday and met with doctors for further evaluation. Dell's injury occurred on a touchdown catch from quarterback C.J. Stroud on the Texans' first possession of the second half when Texans wideout Jared Wayne collided with his knee. It was his seventh reception for 98 yards and cut Kansas City's lead to 17-16. This is Dell's second major leg injury after his rookie season was cut short due to a broken leg in an early-December game against the Denver Broncos. He also was shot in late April,...

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce does not care one bit about his quarterback-needy team's slot in the 2025 NFL draft slipping from No. 2 to No. 6 with its 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Even as Raiders fans howled loudly and negatively about the possibility of Las Vegas falling out of contention for the first overall pick and potentially selecting either Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders or Miami QB Cam Ward. "We don't do this to lose," Pierce said Monday. "We don't do this for anybody's fantasy football team. We don't do this for anybody's draft projections. None of that s--- matters to us. The only thing that matters is winning, and that's all we want to do." The Raiders (3-12) snapped a 10-game losing streak, their longest such skid since 2014, with the win over the Jaguars, who fell to 3-12. Las Vegas also has wins over the Cleveland Browns (3-12) and Baltimore...

Right-hander Walker Buehler and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $21.05 million contract, sources told ESPN, sending the pitcher who secured the final out of the World Series this year to a team loading up on starting pitching as it pivots toward contention. The deal, first reported by Yahoo Sports, includes an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses, sources said. Buehler, a 30-year-old two-time All-Star who was among the game's best starters from 2018 to 2021, was one of the most fascinating free agents this winter. After undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in 2022, Buehler returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers and allowed a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts. He remained in the Dodgers' postseason rotation and reinforced his previously established big-game bona fides, throwing four shutout innings in a National League Championship Series win, providing five more shutout innings in a World Series win and then returning on one day's rest to...

SMU quarterback Preston Stone is set to transfer to Northwestern for the 2025 season, sources told ESPN. Stone, who opened the last two seasons as SMU's starter, entered the transfer portal earlier this month but said he would remain with the team through the College Football Playoff. He was with the 11th-seeded Mustangs for Saturday's 38-10 loss at No. 6 Penn State but did not play, even though starter Kevin Jennings threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for Penn State touchdowns. Northwestern is looking for an established starter after dropping to 110th nationally in passing offense with only seven passing touchdowns during a 4-8 season. Jack Lausch started the team's final 10 games, although both he and Mike Wright are set to return in 2025. Stone, a 6-foot-1, 214-pound junior, started SMU's first 12 games last season and passed for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions, as the team reached the AAC champions game. He broke his leg in the...

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. --  Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns and Penn State toyed with mistake-prone SMU in a 38-10 victory on Saturday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (12-2) advanced to face fourth-seeded Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve by hounding Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings into three turnovers, including a pair of ill-thrown floaters in the first half DeLuca and Rojas converted into Pick-6s that sent the white-out crowd at wintry Beaver Stadium into a frenzy and SMU (11-3) into a funk from which it never recovered. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen ran for scores for the Nittany Lions. Drew Allar completed 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards while playing every meaningful snap after backup Beau Pribula - who occasionally and effectively spelled Allar throughout the year - entered the transfer portal earlier...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The injuries are piling up for the Houston Texans as wideout Tank Dell was carted off with a left leg injury after catching a touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud in the third quarter of Saturday's 27-19 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. Dell was taken to University of Kansas Hospital, 12 miles from stadium, and is being treated at a level 1 trauma center. On the Texans' first possession of the second half, Stroud threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Dell in the end zone to make the score 17-16. But on the reception, wideout Jared Wayne collided with Dell's lower leg and the second-year wideout out of Houston immediately grabbed his leg and barely moved. The Texans hovered around Dell as a few players broke out into tears before his leg was placed in an air cast and he was lifted into the back of the cart. Dell was playing a major role on the day as he had a team-high 98 yards on seven catches with a touchdown. This is...

Florida State transfer defensive end Patrick Payton has committed to LSU, sources told ESPN on Saturday, adding to a star-studded transfer portal recruiting class for the Tigers. Payton is the No. 1 defensive end and No. 12 overall player in ESPN's transfer rankings. He has one more season of eligibility. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound pass rusher was viewed as a potential early-round draft pick if he put together a strong junior season, but he is now looking to stay in school for one more year. The 2022 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year recorded 80 pressures, 31.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and 13 pass breakups over the past three seasons for the Seminoles. LSU has now signed four of the top 12 players in ESPN's transfer rankings, with Payton joining former Kentucky wide receiver Barion Brown (No. 7), Virginia Tech cornerback Mansoor Delane (No. 9) and Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson (No. 11). The Tigers also picked up...

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a one-year, $12.5 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN, pairing the 2022 National League MVP and seven-time All-Star with the American League champions in the midst of a significant overhaul. Goldschmidt, 37, has been among the most consistent hitters of his generation. He combines power and patience, hitting .289/.381/.510 with 362 home runs over a 14-year career. His four Gold Gloves were earned through a deftness at first, and in his time in Arizona and St. Louis, Goldschmidt was a beloved figure. In his first foray into free agency, Goldschmidt chose to join a Yankees team that is redoubling its championship efforts after losing star right fielder Juan Soto to the New York Mets. The Yankees started by signing left-hander Max Fried, followed with trades for closer Devin Williams and outfielder Cody Bellinger, and dipped back...

Phoenix Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker has been ruled out for the next two games because of left groin soreness, the team announced Saturday. Booker will miss Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons and Monday's game at the Denver Nuggets. The team said he will be reevaluated early next week. Booker, 28, sat out practice Friday, one day after sustaining the injury in the third quarter of a 120-111 loss to the visiting Indiana Pacers. He departed with 5:18 left in the third quarter and was examined in the locker room before being ruled out. He had 17 points and six assists in 25 minutes and made 5 of 10 shots. "Hopefully, it's nothing serious," Suns big man Jusuf Nurkic said of Booker's injury. "For me, it's a part of the game. We've got to figure it out." Saturday will mark Booker's first missed game of the season. He is averaging 25.1 points, 6.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Information from Field Level Media was used in this report. ...

President Joe Biden is abandoning his efforts to provide some protections for transgender student-athletes and cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans, the first steps in an administration-wide plan to jettison pending regulations to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from retooling them to achieve his own aims. The White House expects to pull back unfinished rules across several agencies if there isn't enough time to finalize them before Trump takes office. If the proposed regulations were left in their current state, the next administration would be able to rewrite them and advance its agenda more quickly. As the pending Biden regulations are withdrawn, nothing prevents Trump from pursuing his own regulations on the same issues when he returns to the White House, but he would have to start from scratch in a process that can take months or even years. For the regulation on transgender students, the Education Department said it was withdrawing the proposal...

The New York Yankees traded catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for right-hander Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson, the teams announced Friday. The move represents a passing of the torch behind the plate for the Yankees. Trevino, 32, arrived in New York via trade with the Texas Rangers before the start of the 2022 season to start at catcher. He excelled with his bat in the first half of that season, making his first and only All-Star team. He also won a Gold Glove and the American League Platinum Glove after leading all catchers with 21 defensive runs saved. He finished the season batting .248 with 11 home runs and a .671 OPS. Injuries limited Trevino to 55 games in 2023. He began the 2024 campaign as the Yankees' starting catcher until he landed on the injured list because of a quadriceps injury in July. Austin Wells, a rookie, replaced Trevino and didn't surrender the starting job for the remainder of the season....

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Oleksandr Usyk's team requested the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission at Friday's rules meeting to mandate that Tyson Fury trim his burly beard ahead of Saturday's unified heavyweight championship rematch, sources told ESPN. Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) was clean-shaven in May when he was floored in Round 9 and lost a split decision to Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Riyadh. Throughout fight week, the 36-year-old has sported an unruly beard. The WBC, WBA and WBO titles are on the line. WBC championship fight rules state that "a boxer may spouse a trimmed beard ... as long as, in the direction of the commission and the supervisor, the facial hair thickness does not: 1) cushion or in any way affect the impact or trajectory of punches; or 2) cut cuts or abrasions to his rival." Fury will not trim the beard, his manager, Spencer Brown of Goldstar, told ESPN. "Tyson Fury has boxed with a beard on many occasions as do other...

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame players and coaches linked arms in the northeast corner of the field late Friday, waiting to sing the alma mater for the final time at home in 2024. After a slight delay, coach Marcus Freeman bounded into the group, pumping his first toward the student section before the band began to play. No. 7 Notre Dame had beaten No. 10  Indiana  27-17, using a familiar formula of stifling defense, big-play runs and relentless physicality to overwhelm a lesser opponent, just like the Fighting Irish had done for most of the season. But Friday's win and setting was different. A Notre Dame program steeped in history became the first to win a campus College Football Playoff game. The Irish, who had not won a CFP contest before, played their first Friday home game since 1900 before a full-throated crowd, many of whom came to campus on a snowy morning and celebrated throughout the day and night. Freeman, fresh off a new contract in his third...

A week full of wild swings for the Washington Commanders' pursuit of a stadium in the District of Columbia ended with another twist -- and what one person involved called a Hail Mary -- that elevates the likelihood of the team returning to the city. Early Saturday morning, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill by unanimous consent that would allow the federal government to lease more than 170 acres of land to the district at the site where RFK Stadium resides. It greatly increases the chances of the Commanders building a new stadium at the site, although more hurdles remain before that's a reality. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has said the district plans to build more housing and a recreation center on the grounds. She has been aggressive in her pursuit of the Commanders, who have been looking for a new stadium site for several years. "This is a win for DC, for our region, and for America," Bowser posted on X. "Everybody loves a good comeback story - and that's DC's...

Kirk Cousins' divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the NFL fully expecting Atlanta to release him by then. The split between Cousins and the Falcons is inevitable at this point, according to multiple sources. Front office executives observing the situation have pointed out that, due to the no-trade clause in Cousins' contract, he now has all the leverage. And nobody believes he will do any favors for a Falcons team that surprised him on draft night by selecting another quarterback,  Michael Penix Jr., in the first round, then benched him this week in favor of the rookie. Thus there now is a widespread expectation across the league that the Falcons will not be able to trade Cousins and will have to release him before March 17, when his $10 million roster bonus for the 2026 season comes due. There is no need for the Falcons to absorb any more costs for a quarterback whom they...

BEREA, Ohio -- Despite enduring another season of double-digit losses, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett wants to continue his career in Cleveland. But the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year wants to know definitively that the Browns have a plan to place him on a winning team soon. Garrett said Friday that he has no desire for a rebuild and wants to speak to the organization's decision-makers about its offseason plans, including at quarterback. "I'm not trying to rebuild," he said. "I'm trying to win right now. And I want that to be apparent when the season is over and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate, illustrate that for me so that can be something I can see in the near future. Because that's all we want to do. "I want to stay loyal to a team that showed loyalty to me and faith in me by drafting me. But we have to do, at the end of the day, what's best for us. So, if we have that alignment where this is something that is...

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and RB Leipzig counterpart Marco Rose struggled to discuss Bayern's 5-1 victory on Friday and a planned Christmas ceremony at the Allianz Arena was cut short after a car drove into crowds at a market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. Authorities described the incident as a deliberate attack. It occurred approximately one hour before the start of the  Bundesliga match, leaving at least two people killed and 60 others injured. "It's almost impossible to talk about football tonight. Right now the people in Magdeburg are in our thoughts," Kompany said. "Hopefully, at some point there will be peace, not only in Germany but everywhere. We won today, but I hope next year there will be more wins for peace." The two people confirmed dead were an adult and a toddler, but officials said additional deaths couldn't be ruled out because 15 people had been seriously injured. "I've heard the news from Magdeburg, it makes all...