Christmas schedule: Cavs-Knicks, Spurs-Thunder, Mavs-Warriors, Rockets-Lakers, Wolves-Nuggets
Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to play the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day. This marks the Thunder's first appearance in the NBA's Christmas Day games since feeling overlooked last year. The holiday lineup includes five games, starting with Cleveland at New York and ending with Minnesota at Denver. LeBron James is expected to play his 20th Christmas game, extending his records in various categories. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant will play for his fifth team on Christmas. Some teams, like Sacramento and Indiana, continue to wait for their chance to play on this special day.
Hawaii stuns Cal in 35-31 in Hawaii Bowl on backup QB Drew Weaver's last-minute TD pass
HONOLULU (AP) — Backup quarterback Drew Weaver threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left, and Hawaii rallied for a 35-31 victory over California in the Hawaii Bowl. Weaver entered the game after Micah Alejado took a hard hit on the previous play. With the Rainbow Warriors in range for a tying field goal, Cenacle got between two defensive backs and made the contested catch. Coach Timmy Chang led Hawaii to its first nine-win season since 2019. Alejado finished 32 of 46 for 274 yards and three touchdowns, helping Hawaii rally from an early 21-0 deficit. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele finished with 343 yards passing for Cal.
Steelers LB TJ Watt returns to practice two weeks after surgery to repair collapsed lung
PITTSBURGH (AP) — T.J. Watt has returned to practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks after surgery for a partially collapsed lung. Watt was a partial participant on Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin says he hopes Watt can play this weekend against the Cleveland Browns but his availability remains uncertain. Watt's presence on the field is a positive sign for the Steelers, who aim to have him back for the playoffs if they qualify. Watt, recently named to his eighth Pro Bowl, has seven sacks this season. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says Watt's presence on the practice field is good for the team.
Commanders turn to 39-year-old Josh Johnson on Christmas with Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota hurt
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — With Jayden Daniels shut down for the regular season because of an elbow injury and backup Marcus Mariota sidelined, the Washington Commanders will start Josh Johnson against the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas. The 39-year-old Johnson is the NFL record holder with 14 teams played for over his career. His first start since 2021 comes in Washington's rematch against its longtime NFC East rival.
Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson avoids major knee injury but will miss a few games, AP source says
DENVER (AP) — A person with knowledge of the medical tests tells The Associated Press that the Denver Nuggets have received positive news about forward Cameron Johnson. An MRI revealed Johnson has only a bone bruise on his right knee, not any ligament or structural damage. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the results of Johnson's MRI. Johnson was injured during the fourth quarter of Denver's 131-130 loss at Dallas on Tuesday night. There's no timetable for his return, but he's expected to miss a few games. The Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas night.
Spurs celebrate big win over Thunder, but matchup with reigning champs not a rivalry yet
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs are the hottest team in the NBA just a year removed from two of the worst seasons in franchise history. So players and fans can be excused for celebrating a win in December like it’s 1999 and their first NBA championship. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 130-110 on Tuesday night, handing the Thunder their worst defeat of the season and their second loss to the Spurs in 11 days. It was the Spurs’ seventh straight victory, the league’s longest active streak. Just don’t call the matchup between the teams a rivalry yet.
Bears, Patriots, Jaguars clinch playoff berths in stunning first-year coaching turnarounds
Chicago, New England and Jacksonville have clinched playoff spots this week after disappointing 2024 seasons. New coaches Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel and Liam Coen have led impressive turnarounds. According to Sportradar, this marks the 20th straight season with at least one first-year coach making the playoffs. Meanwhile, Kansas City has been eliminated, and Detroit needs help to make it. The NFL's new overtime rules allowed Seattle to win with a walk-off 2-point conversion. New Orleans' Taysom Hill has become the first player in the Super Bowl era to reach 1,000 yards in passing, rushing and receiving.
College Football Playoff ratings drop 7% as NFL competition impacts viewership
The College Football Playoff's first round averaged 9.9 million viewers across multiple networks, marking a 7% drop from last year. A key factor was the final game between James Madison and Oregon airing on TNT, TBS, and truTV instead of ABC and ESPN. It also faced competition from an NFL game. The Chicago Bears' victory over the Green Bay Packers drew 21.3 million viewers, overshadowing Oregon's win, which attracted 4.4 million. Alabama's comeback victory over Oklahoma was the most-watched CFP game, averaging 14.9 million viewers. ESPN sublicenses some CFP games to other networks, impacting viewership.
Pro Picks: Bills will edge Eagles and 49ers will beat the Bears
There are 10 teams in the playoffs. Eight more are battling for the final four spots. The playoff picture will become more clear in Week 17. The Eagles-Bills matchup is a potential Super Bowl preview. Texans-Chargers, Bears-49ers and Seahawks-Panthers could end up playing again in the playoffs. Pro Picks aims to continue a hot streak. We're taking the Bills, Chargers, 49ers and Seahawks to win the marquee matchups.
Matt Patricia's first season at Ohio State exceeds expectations going into College Football Playoff
Matt Patricia is getting ready for the College Football Playoff as Ohio State's defensive coordinator. Patricia, who previously worked with the New England Patriots, acknowledges the preparation is different than the NFL. The second-seeded Buckeyes face Miami in a CFP quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31. Ohio State had a two-week break after the Big Ten championship game. Patricia's first season has exceeded expectations, with the Buckeyes leading in several national categories. Players and coaches praise his ability to connect with the team. Patricia is a finalist for the Broyles Award, recognizing top assistant coaches.
