AP Sports Summary for December 29th, 2024:
Ahkello Witherspoon makes last-minute interception to preserve Rams' 13-9 win over Arizona
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ahkello Witherspoon made a diving interception on a deflected pass in the end zone with 37 seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Rams barely maintained command of the NFC West race with a 13-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Puka Nacua had 129 yards receiving and Kyren Williams scored the only touchdown for the Rams (10-6), who grinded through a difficult offensive night and survived a hair-raising fourth quarter for their fifth consecutive victory. The Rams host Seattle (9-7) in their regular-season finale next weekend, but they could already have coach Sean McVay's fourth division title clinched before then. The Rams narrowly avoided a winner-take-all finale against Seattle by holding off the Cardinals.
Burrow throws 3-yard TD pass to Higgins in OT as the Bengals beat the Broncos 30-24
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos. Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, then went back to the lanky receiver for the game-ending play. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards. Cade York had a chance to win it for the Bengals with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Cincinnati.
Herbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh's five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with tAshe San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home.
Snoop's game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his name
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State's sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name.
Hunter and Sanders close successful chapter at Colorado despite blowout loss to BYU in Alamo Bowl
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — On the scoreboard, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders went out with a whimper at Colorado. But their lasting impact in Boulder — both on the field and off — was probably immeasurable. With two dynamic stars playing their final college game, the 20th-ranked Buffaloes were blown out 36-14 by No. 17 BYU in the Alamo Bowl. Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and two-way sensation, caught four passes for a game-high 106 yards and a touchdown. The lockdown cornerback also made four solo tackles. Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, was 16-of-23 passing for 208 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are both expected to be picked high in the NFL draft next spring.
Brawl mars end of Miltary Bowl as in-state rivals East Carolina and NC State square off
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — East Carolina and NC State began brawling near the end of ECU's 26-21 victory in the Military Bowl. And the teams won't have to wait long to see each other again. They face off to open next season. Emotions were understandably high for this matchup. NC State and East Carolina are about 80 miles apart. They don't play every season, but they've been on each other's schedule plenty over the years. An interception gave East Carolina the ball with 44 seconds left, needing only to run out the clock. After a run up the middle, the fight broke out around the hash marks closer to the ECU sideline.
Bryson Daily leads No. 19 Army to 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Bryson Daily broke the FBS record for touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with 32, running for three scores in No. 19 Army's 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on Saturday night. Daily ran for 127 yards on 27 carries and was 2-of-9 passing for 65 yards to help Army set a program victory record at 12-2. Hayden Reed added 114 yards rushing and a TD on 20 carries. Army entered the game with a nation-best 298.9 yards rushing per game and punished the Bulldogs (5-8), a late replacement for Sun Belt champion Marshall.
Djokovic says players have 'been kept in the dark' on Sinner, Swiatek doping breaches
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — On the eve of his return to the court, Novak Djokovic has weighed in on the tennis' high profile doping cases and criticized what he perceives as double standards in the sport. The former world No.1, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title at next month's Australian Open, expressed his frustration at being "kept in the dark" regarding top-ranked Jannik Sinner's doping case. The Serbian also criticized the lack of transparency from tennis authorities around doping breaches.
Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl.
Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Atlanta 120 Miami 110
Final Oklahoma City 106 Charlotte 94
Final OT New York 136 Washington 132
Final Chicago 116 Milwaukee 111
Final Golden State 109 Phoenix 105
Final Denver 134 Detroit 121
Final Philadelphia 114 Utah 111
Final Portland 126 Dallas 122
Final L.A. Lakers 132 Sacramento 122
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Montreal 4 Florida 0
Final OT Seattle 5 Vancouver 4
Final Philadelphia 3 Anaheim 1
Final OT Los Angeles 4 Edmonton 3
Final Boston 4 Columbus 0
Final Winnipeg 4 Ottawa 2
Final Washington 5 Toronto 2
Final Carolina 5 New Jersey 2
Final Tampa Bay 6 N-Y Rangers 2
Final N-Y Islanders 6 Pittsburgh 3
Final Calgary 3 San Jose 1
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final L.A. Chargers 40 New England 7
Final OT Cincinnati 30 Denver 24
Final L.A. Rams 13 Arizona 9
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (18)Iowa St. 42 (15)Miami 41
Final (17)BYU 36 (20)Colorado 14
Final (19)Army 27 Louisiana Tech 6
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (13)Texas A&M 92 Abilene Christian 54
Final (22)UCLA 65 (14)Gonzaga 62
Final Memphis 87 (16)Mississippi 70
Final Utah St. 67 (20)San Diego St. 66
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Brooklyn at Orlando 3:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Toronto 6 p.m.
Indiana at Boston 6 p.m.
Memphis at Oklahoma City 7 p.m.
Miami at Houston 7 p.m.
San Antonio at Minnesota 8 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo at St. Louis 3 p.m.
Edmonton at Anaheim 4 p.m.
Montreal at Tampa Bay 5 p.m.
Washington at Detroit 5 p.m.
N-Y Islanders at Pittsburgh 5:30 p.m.
Calgary at Vegas 8 p.m.
Ottawa at Minnesota 8 p.m.
Dallas at Chicago 8:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Los Angeles 9 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Carolina at Tampa Bay 1 p.m.
Dallas at Philadelphia 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at N-Y Giants 1 p.m.
Las Vegas at New Orleans 1 p.m.
N-Y Jets at Buffalo 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Jacksonville 1 p.m.
Miami at Cleveland 4:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Minnesota 4:25 p.m.
Atlanta at Washington 8:20 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
S. Dakota St. at (5)Alabama 3 p.m.
Stetson at (6)Florida 1 p.m.
Weber St. at (9)Oregon 5 p.m.
Prairie View at (12)Oklahoma 2 p.m.
Toledo at (21)Purdue 6 p.m.
Chicago St. at (24)Illinois 2 p.m.
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