01/04/18 SCORES RECAP
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Golden State 124 Houston 114
Final Oklahoma City 127 L.A. Clippers 117
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Carolina 4 Pittsburgh 0
Final SO Toronto 3 San Jose 2
Final Philadelphia 6 N-Y Islanders 4
Final SO Montreal 2 Tampa Bay 1
Final Minnesota 6 Buffalo 2
Final St. Louis 2 Vegas 1
Final Dallas 4 New Jersey 3
Final Calgary 4 L.A. Kings 3
Final SO Edmonton 2 Anaheim 1
Final Colorado 2 Columbus 0
Final OT Arizona 3 Nashville 2
Florida at Boston 7:00 p.m., postponed
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1) Michigan St. 91 Maryland 61
Final OT Colorado 90 (4) Arizona St. 81
Final (9) Wichita St. 81 Houston 63
Final (14) Arizona 94 Utah 82
Final (19) Cincinnati 55 Temple 53
Final (20) Gonzaga 89 Pepperdine 59
NFL=
Jon Gruden will return to coach the Raiders in 2018, and the deal
is a doozy. Oakland will give Gruden a 10-year contract – the
longest coaching deal in NFL history – that’s likely to be worth
around $100 million, according to ESPN. The Raiders will introduce
Gruden at a news conference on Tuesday, three days after he calls
the Titans-Chiefs wild-card game for ESPN – his final game for the
network after nine years in the booth. Gruden went 38-26 as the
Raiders’ coach from 1998-2001 before being traded to Tampa Bay,
where he led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl in 2002 before going
just 45-51 in his final six years on the job.
ESPN published a story detailing tension between Patriots owner
Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady that’s
permeated the organization throughout the 2017, but New England’s
powerful trio says it remains united. “For the past 18 years, the
three of us have enjoyed a very good and productive working
relationship,” the Patriots said in a statement. “In recent days,
there have been multiple media reports that have speculated
theories that are unsubstantiated, highly exaggerated or flat out
inaccurate. The three of us share a common goal. We look forward to
the enormous challenge of competing in the postseason and the
opportunity to work together in the future, just as we have for the
past 18 years. It is unfortunate that there is even a need for us
to respond to these fallacies. As our actions have shown, we stand
united.”
Antonio Brown was the lone player to be named a unanimous AP
All-Pro, getting all 50 votes as he joined Patriots tight end Rob
Gronkowski, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and Rams punter Johnny
Hekker as four-time members of the prestigious squad. Brown was one
of four Steelers – joining running back Le’Veon Bell, defensive
lineman Cam Heyward and right guard David DeCastro – on the team,
while the Rams led the way with six players: defensive tackle Aaron
Donald, who was one vote shy of being unanimous, running back Todd
Gurley and left tackle Andrew Whitworth, and special teamers
Hekker, kicker Greg Zuerlein and kick returner Pharoh Cooper.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made his third All-Pro team, earning
47 votes.
The Bears seem to have their eyes keenly on a pair of Vikings
assistants as candidates to be their next head coach. Minnesota
offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is interviewing for the Chicago
job one day after Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards was
also brought in. Chicago also interviewed defensive coordinator Vic
Fangio on Wednesday as it looks to replace John Fox. Shurmur was
9-23 as the Browns’ coach from 2011-12, then served a second stint
as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator from 2013-15 before landing
in Minnesota and eventually running the offense full-time in 2017.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL=
Lamar Jackson is headed to the NFL. The Louisville quarterback and
2016 Heisman Trophy winner tweeted that he talked with his family
before announcing the decision, which was confirmed by the school.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Jackson, who finished third in the Heisman
voting this season, is a dynamic player but it’s uncertain how high
he’ll be drafted this spring. Despite accounting for 5,261
offensive yards and 45 touchdowns – his second consecutive season
in which he surpassed 1,500 yards rushing and 3,500 passing –
questions remain about his accuracy and size.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL=
Minnesota center Reggie Lynch faces suspension over an alleged
violation of the school’s sexual misconduct policy after a second
woman accused him of assault, according to reports from the
Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. An
investigative report by the school’s Equal Opportunity and
Affirmative Action Office that said the 23-year-old Lynch – last
year’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year – is suspended until
2020 unless he appeals. The most recent accusation came last fall
from a woman who said Lynch had assaulted her in his dorm room on
April 28, 2016. He was previously arrested on suspicion of sexually
assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a campus apartment building on
May 8, 2016, but wasn’t charged and was cleared following an
investigation by the university. Lynch is playing his final year of
college eligibility, averaging 10 points, eight rebounds and four
blocks.