01/03/18 SPORTS SCORES RECAP
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Washington 121, N-Y Knicks 103
Houston 116, Orlando 98
Philadelphia 112, San Antonio 106
Brooklyn 98, Minnesota 97
Miami 111, Detroit 104
Boston 102, Cleveland 88
Milwaukee 122, Indiana 101
Toronto 124, Chicago 115
Golden State 125, Dallas 122
New Orleans 108, Utah 98
Denver 134, Phoenix 111
Oklahoma City 133, L.A. Lakers 96
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Detroit 2, Ottawa 1 (Overtime)
Chicago 5, N-Y Rangers 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#7 Oklahoma 109, Oklahoma St. 89
#8 Virginia 78, Virginia Tech 52
#24 Florida St. 81, #12 North Carolina 80
#13 Purdue 82, Rutgers 51
Georgia Tech 64, #15 Miami 54
#17 Kentucky 74, LSU 71
#25 Clemson 74, Boston College 70
01/04/18 TOP SPORTS HEADLINES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL=
Some 25 minutes apart, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen and USC
counterpart Sam Darnold announced that they will declare for the
NFL draft. Both declared their intentions on social media as Rosen
offered a written statement on Twitter and Darnold used video on
Instagram. The question now is which one will go higher in the
draft? Both are considered candidates for the No. 1 overall pick.
Rosen, though, still hasn’t backed off from his comment: “I’d
rather be a lower pick at the right team than a higher at the wrong
team,” leading many to believe he doesn’t want to play for the
Browns, who hold that top pick. Darnold, meanwhile, stated last
month that he’ll play for any team. The Giants hold the No. 2 pick.
Others declaring themselves eligible for this year’s draft included
Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis, a second-team AP All-American,
along with Tiger teammates running back Kamryn Pettway and
defensive end Jeff Holland. Also declaring is Washington State
defensive tackle Hercules Mata’afa, an All-America selection who
led the Pac-12 in sacks.
Alabama will be without one of the defensive stars from its victory
over Clemson as it goes after another national title. Linebacker
Anfernee Jennings won’t play in the championship game against
Georgia after undergoing surgery as a result of a knee injury he
suffered in the fourth quarter in Monday’s Sugar Bowl. Jennings,
who started all 11 games he played this season, had five tackles
against Clemson.
LSU has retained defensive coordinator Dave Aranda with a four-year
contract worth $10 million, making him the first assistant at the
college level to earn more than $2 million annually. Aranda, whose
Tiger defenses have ranked among the top 12 nationally in each of
his two seasons in Baton Rouge, was already the highest paid
assistant at $1.8 million per year.
NFL=
The Packers are making changes to their coaching staff, but head
coach Mike McCarthy says that doesn’t yet include the dismissal of
offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett. Defensive coordinator Dom
Capers, defensive line coach Mike Trgovac and inside linebacker
Scott McCurley were let go Wednesday, and reports suggested that
Bennett and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt are the latest to be
out. McCarthy confirmed Van Pelt’s departure as a contractual
personal choice in an interview on WTMJ, but says the situation
with Bennett remains fluid. Green Bay is also looking for a new
general manager after Ted Thompson moved to an advisory role.
In an interview with ESPN Radio, Jon Gruden said he believes
there’s a “good chance” he’ll return for a second coaching stint
with the Raiders. After leading Oakland to 8-8 records his first
two years, Gruden helped the team reach the AFC title game
following the 2000 season and got the Raiders back into the
playoffs the following year. Gruden, however, has been out of
coaching the past nine years while serving as an ESPN analyst. He
is scheduled to work the network’s playoff game Saturday between
the Chiefs and Titans and could come back to the Raiders as soon as
next week.
Bills coach Sean McDermott says running back LeSean McCoy is “day
to day” with a sprained ankle. McDermott offered little else on
McCoy as the Bills prepare to play the franchise’s first playoff
game since 1999 on Sunday against the Jaguars. McCoy didn’t
practice after being carted off the field following a tackle in
Sunday’s win over the Dolphins. The veteran back rushed for 1,138
yards and six touchdowns this season.
The Giants have begun the interview process for their next head
coach, and interim coach Steve Spagnuolo was the first to sit down
with new general manager Dave Gettleman, co-owner John Mara and
assistant general manager Kevin Abrams. New York went 1-3 under
Spagnuolo, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after Ben
McAdoo was fired early last month. Spagnuolo was also head coach of
the Rams from 2009-11.
Titans running back DeMarco Murray has been ruled out of Saturday’s
wild-card game at Kansas City due to a slight tear in his MCL
suffered in a loss to the Rams on Christmas Eve. Murray finished
with a career-low 659 rushing yards for Tennessee, which will rely
heavily on second-year back Derrick Henry. Henry, who led the team
with 744 yards rushing, made his second start of the season in last
weekend’s finale against Jacksonville and managed only 51 yards on
28 carries, but did score on a 65-yard screen pass.
The Packers continue to make significant changes to their coaching
staff. Offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and quarterbacks coach
Alex Van Pelt are the latest to go, with Van Pelt opting to exit on
his own to pursue other opportunities and Bennett exiting his role
but potentially staying on in another capacity. Defensive
coordinator Dom Capers, defensive line coach Mike Trgovac and
inside linebacker Scott McCurley were let go Wednesday. Green Bay
is also looking for a new general manager after Ted Thompson moved
to an advisory role.
Marty Mornhinweg is returning as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator
for 2018. The Ravens’ offense struggled during Mornhinweg’s first
season at the helm, finishing 27th overall and 29th in passing,
though, it did improve down the stretch. Baltimore averaged an
AFC-best 29.4 points since Week 8, with only the Rams at 29.5
putting up more in that span.
NBA=
The Celtics did not need an extraordinary effort from Kyrie Irving
in the latest matchup against his former club, as Boston rolled to
a 102-88 win over the visiting Cavaliers. Irving finished with just
11 points but added nine rebounds and six assists for the Celtics,
who dominated defensively by holding the Cavs to their fewest
points of the season and 34.8 percent shooting from the field.
LeBron James scored 19 for Cleveland, which lost for the fourth
time in five games while resting Isaiah Thomas rather than have him
face his former team. Thomas scored 17 points in 19 minutes in his
long-awaited Cavaliers debut Tuesday.
The Rockets will be without James Harden for their showdown with
the Warriors, and Golden State won’t have Kevin Durant. The former
MVP will miss the game between the Western Conference’s top two
teams with a strained right calf he suffered in Wednesday’s 125-122
win at Dallas. Durant suffered the injury in the first quarter and
played through it, scoring 25 points in 38 minutes, but coach Steve
Kerr won’t take any chances. Andre Iguodala, who didn’t play
against the Mavericks, is not listed on the injury report and
should play.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL=
Despite not making a field goal in the final 2:57, No. 24 Florida
State held on to beat 12th-ranked North Carolina 81-80 in
Tallahassee. Braian Angola scored 20 for the Seminoles, who also
missed four free throws in the final 30 seconds but still managed
to end a seven-game losing streak against the Tar Heels. Joel Berry
led North Carolina with 28 points.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL=
Security is expected to be especially tight for Monday’s CFP
championship game between Alabama and Georgia with President Trump
in attendance. Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be secured by
legions of undercover and uniformed officers, overhead air traffic
including drones will be prohibited and the police chief implored
more than 100,000 participants in events related to the big game to
leave their guns at home.
Two more potential high first-round picks have declared for the NFL
draft. LSU edge rusher Arden Key and Oklahoma left tackle Orlando
Brown each have announced they will forego their final year of
eligibility, and they’re both projected to be taken within the
first 32 picks. Key did have a somewhat disappointing 2017, though.
Among other things, he took a leave of absence in February for
personal reasons, underwent shoulder surgery, then showed up out of
shape. Brown was a unanimous All-American protecting Heisman Trophy
winner Baker Mayfield’s blind side.
TENNIS=
The upcoming Australian Open will be without one of its men’s
stars, while another is still unsure as to whether he’ll compete in
the season’s first major. Five-time finalist Andy Murray has
withdrawn from the event due to a lingering hip injury that’s
sidelined him since Wimbledon, while Novak Djokovic says he’s yet
to make a decision on whether he’ll play. Djokovic, who has won six
of his 12 major championships at Melbourne, is still bothered by
pain in his right elbow and was forced to withdraw from this week’s
Qatar Open.