SPORTS HEADLINES

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.

Naomi Osaka says she won’t “hang around” in tennis if the results don’t come

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka says she won’t “hang around” in tennis if her results fail to match her high expectations. The 27-year-old Japanese player will play her first match since she suffered a back injury in the China Open in October at the ASB tennis classic in Auckland. Osaka told a pre-tournament news conference in Auckland she was “humbled” by her form in 2024 in which she picked up her professional career after an almost 15 month break for the birth of her first child. She ended the season ranked 58.

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.

Jalen Brunson scores season-high 55 points in Knicks’ 136-132 overtime win vs Wizards

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored nine of his season-high 55 points in overtime and Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 14 rebounds as the New York Knicks extended their season-long winning streak to seven games in a 136-132 win over the Washington Wizards. It was the first overtime game for both teams, and New York outscored Washington 17-13 in the extra period. Brunson, who scored 42 points after halftime, had two jump shots and hit five free throws in overtime. Justin Champagnie scored a career-high 31 points with 10 rebounds and Malcolm Brogdon added 22 as the Wizards failed to win their second straight game after beating the Hornets 113-110.

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.

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.

Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Click here to read the full article