MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Keyontae Johnson scored 24 points, including the go-ahead alley-oop dunk with 25 seconds left in overtime, and No. 13 Kansas State beat second-ranked Kansas 83-82 on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game series skid. Desi Sills also scored 24 points, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin had 15 points and 10 boards, as the Wildcats hung tough after blowing a 14-point first-half lead and then squandering a chance to win the game in regulation. Jalen Wilson scored a career-best 38 points for Kansas, though he missed a crucial 3-pointer late in overtime.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs returned from their week off for having the No. 1 seed in the AFC and everyone was on the practice field but wide receiver Mecole Hardman on Tuesday. The Chiefs play the Jaguars in the divisional round Saturday. In fact, the Chiefs are so healthy these days that even running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and tight end Jody Fortson, who had been on injured reserve, were back on the practice field. Neither is likely to play against Jacksonville, but their return opens up the possibility that they could contribute later in the playoffs should Kansas City advance.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence has a near-decade-long winning streak in Saturday games. Lawrence improved to 37-0 as a starting quarterback on that day when the Jacksonville Jaguars rallied from 27 points down to stun the Los Angeles Chargers 31-30 in an AFC wild-card game last weekend. Lawrence’s undefeated stretch spans high school, college and the past two Saturday nights in Jacksonville. He can make it 38 in a row when the Jaguars play at Kansas City in the divisional round Saturday.
ATLANTA (AP) — The NFL has directed the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills to begin selling tickets for a possible AFC championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 29. The game would be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium if both teams win at home in the divisional round this weekend. If either loses, the game would be hosted by the higher-seeded team. The top-seeded Chiefs are hosting Jacksonville, while the No. 2 seed Bills are facing Cincinnati. The NFL revised its playoff format after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, leaving the Chiefs with one more game than the Bills.
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Brandon Staley will be back for a third season as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach. The same can not be said for some of his offensive staff. The team on Tuesday announced that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks coach Shane Day have been fired after two years. Criticism about Lombardi’s play-calling increased throughout the season. The Chargers were ranked ninth in total offense, but 20th in scrimmage yards per play along with the third-worst rushing attack in the league.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers believes he can still produce at an MVP level in the right situation if he opts to play next season. Rodgers discussed the uncertainty of his future plans Tuesday during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube. The four-time MVP hasn’t decided whether to return to the Packers, retire or request a trade. Rodgers said he didn't know whether Green Bay would represent the ideal situation for him and expressed hope the Packers would keep several of their veteran free agents.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NCAA hopes a federal appeals court will soon block a lawsuit that seeks to treat athletes as employees who are paid for their time. It is the latest test of amateurism in college sports. The Division I athletes who filed the suit being argued next month want hourly wages similar to those earned in work-study programs. They say the nation’s colleges are violating fair labor practices by failing to pay them for the time they put into their sports. Baylor University President Linda Livingston, chairperson of the NCAA's Board of Governors, says the idea would have a "potentially catastrophic impact on college sports.”
UNDATED (AP) — Police say Georgia football player Devin Willock wasn't wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle in a weekend crash that killed him and a recruiting staff member. Athens-Clarke County police list excessive speed on a road with a 40 mph limit as a primary cause of the crash early Sunday. The wreck occurred in Athens a few hours after a parade and ceremony honoring the team's second straight national championship. The 20-year-old Willock, an offensive lineman from New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle, 24-year-old recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy, died shortly after at a hospital.
TUESDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Houston 80 Tulane 60
Final (13)Kansas St. 83 (2)Kansas 82
Final (4)Alabama 78 Vanderbilt 66
Final (12)Iowa St. 78 (7)Texas 67
Final (9)Tennessee 70 Mississippi St. 59
Final Wake Forest 87 (19)Clemson 77
Final (21)Baylor 81 Texas Tech 74
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Milwaukee 130 Toronto 122
Final San Antonio 106 Brooklyn 98
Final Denver 122 Portland 113
Final Philadelphia 120 L.A. Clippers 110
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 4 Washington 2
Final Montreal 4 Winnipeg 1
Final Philadelphia 5 Anaheim 2
Final OT Toronto 5 Florida 4
Final Nashville 2 Columbus 1
Final OT Chicago 4 Buffalo 3
Final Edmonton 5 Seattle 2
Final SO Arizona 4 Detroit 3