AP Sports Summary for January 20th, 2025:
Josh Allen scores 2 TDs, Bills force 3 turnovers to beat Ravens 27-25 and reach AFC title game
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns, Buffalo's defense forced three turnovers and the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game with a 27-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. The Bills hung on when a wide-open Mark Andrews dropped a 2-point conversion pass from Lamar Jackson, allowing the ball to bounce off his chest with 1:33 left. Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a chance to tie it. The Bills advanced to the AFC championship game next Sunday against the conference's top seed, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Barkley runs for 78- and 62-yard TDs in the snow and Eagles top Rams 28-22 to head to NFC title game
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley dashed through the snow for touchdown runs of 78 and 62 yards and finished with 205 yards rushing, Jalen Hurts had a 44-yard scoring run and the Philadelphia Eagles held on against the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC championship game for the second time in three seasons. Barkley ran for a 62-yard score in the first half and stretched the lead in the fourth when he blew through a hole and ran about untouched 78 yards for the touchdown. The Eagles will host the NFC championship game Sunday against Washington.
Bills will face Chiefs in AFC title game; Eagles will host the Commanders in NFC championship game
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would've tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It'll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.
Powell and the Clippers beat James and the Lakers 116-102 in Lakers' first visit to Intuit Dome
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 22 points, James Harden had a double-double and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 116-102. It was the Lakers' first visit to the new Intuit Dome. Harden added 21 points and 12 assists. James led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 assists. Rui Hachimura had 19 points and Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a one-game absence.
Buckeyes, Irish used humbling losses as springboards to their national championship game showdown
ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet in the College Football Playoff championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night. Both teams survived embarrassing regular-season losses to make it to the game that will end the longest season in history. Ohio State will be playing for its first championship since 2014 and Notre Dame for its first since 1988. Since losing to Michigan, Ohio State has playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. Notre Dame has won 13 straight since losing to Northern Illinois. The Irish have beaten Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the playoff.
At Notre Dame, the first 'America's Team,' they wake the echoes on a run to another national title
ATLANTA (AP) — Between Touchdown Jesus, "Win One for the Gipper," Rudy, and, yes, even the forward pass, there are those who believe football wouldn't quite be football without Notre Dame. With the Fighting Irish waking up the echoes and playing for a title again after a generation-long retreat from the limelight, now might be the perfect time to admit it — maybe they were right. Ever since 1913, when an end named Knute Rockne helped a small Catholic school based in South Bend, Indiana, pull off a stunner by beating Army, Notre Dame has stood as one of the main shapers of college football.
On eve of CFP title game, some college players ask, What would it look like to be employees?
ATLANTA (AP) — About 50 players in a fledgling college athletes union are meeting this weekend in Atlanta, across town from where the national title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame will be held. They want a bigger say in decisions that will define their industry for years to come. High-profile members of the group called athletes.org include Grant House and Sedona Prince. House is the swimmer whose name is attached to the "House settlement" that will dictate terms of NIL payments, roster limits and other issues. Prince is the basketball player whose viral video of the sparse weight room at women's March Madness in 2020 shined a light on what ails college sports.
Iga Swiatek's drug-case ruling will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iga Swiatek's one-month suspension for failing a drug test will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA says Swiatek's explanation for her sample's contamination is plausible. WADA released its decision shortly after Swiatek sealed a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Eva Lys to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. The resolution of Swiatek's case was made public by the International Tennis Integrity Agency in late November. WADA has appealed the exoneration of Jannik Sinner and a hearing will be held in April at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Austria's Sepp Straka cruises to a 2-shot victory over Justin Thomas at The American Express
LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Sepp Straka won The American Express by two shots over Justin Thomas. The 31-year-old Austrian finished his third career PGA Tour victory at 25-under 263 with a final-round 70. Straka comfortably marched to victory after taking a four-shot lead into the final round at the venerable Coachella Valley tournament. He didn't have a bogey in the four-day event until making two in the final three holes, but his competitors couldn't mount a charge to make it uncomfortable.
Jannik Sinner gets past Holger Rune at the Australian Open in a match with net and medical delays
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Jannik Sinner has moved into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open after beating Holger Rune in a match slowed down by medical timeouts for each player and a delay because the net got knocked loose. The No. 1-ranked Sinner beat No. 13 Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. That stretched Sinner's winning streak to 18 tour-level matches dating back to last season. Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro and Elina Svitolina reached the women's quarterfinals, while Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Sonego joined Sinner in the men's final eight.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Miami 128 San Antonio 107
Final Denver 113 Orlando 100
Final Oklahoma City 127 Brooklyn 101
Final Milwaukee 123 Philadelphia 109
Final L.A. Clippers 116 L.A. Lakers 102
Final Sacramento 123 Washington 100
Final Portland 113 Chicago 102
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Ottawa 2 New Jersey 1
Final OT Montreal 5 N-Y Rangers 4
Final Dallas 4 Detroit 1
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Philadelphia 28 L.A. Rams 22
Final Buffalo 27 Baltimore 25
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (12)Michigan St. 80 (19)Illinois 78
Final (18)Memphis 77 Charlotte 68
Final (20)Michigan 80 Northwestern 76
Final TCU 74 (25)Baylor 71
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Dallas at Charlotte 12 p.m.
Detroit at Houston 2 p.m.
Minnesota at Memphis 2:30 p.m.
Atlanta at New York 3 p.m.
Phoenix at Cleveland 3:30 p.m.
Boston at Golden State 5 p.m.
Utah at New Orleans 8 p.m.
Chicago at L.A. Clippers 10:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
San Jose at Boston 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado 3 p.m.
Buffalo at Seattle 4 p.m.
St. Louis at Vegas 6 p.m.
Columbus at N-Y Islanders 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Carolina at Chicago 8:30 p.m.
Winnipeg at Utah 9:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(6)Ohio St. at (3)Notre Dame 7:30 p.m.
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