The World of Sports

New on Sports Illustrated: Sugar Bowl Preview: Will Clemson-Ohio State Rematch Have a Familiar Ending?

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/2020/12/31/clemson-vs-ohio-state-preview-playoff-semifinal">
<p class="subtitle">Breaking down the semifinal battle between the Buckeyes and Tigers.</p>
<p>NEW ORLEANS — Who would have guessed that</p>
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/">Ohio State</a> and <a href="https://www.si.com/college/clemson/">Clemson</a> would meet in a College Football Playoff semifinal? They’ve only done that three times in the last five seasons. It hasn’t worked out for the Buckeyes, who <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2019/12/29/clemson-beats-ohio-state-fiesta-bowl-trevor-lawrence">lost last year’s meeting 29–23</a> after blowing an early 16–0 lead and dropped a 31–0 rout to the Tigers in the 2016 semifinal.
<p>In fact, Clemson has won all four meetings with Ohio State in the series history, winning the Orange Bowl, 40–35, in 2013 and claiming a two-point Gator Bowl win in 1978. The Tiger is squarely on the Buckeyes’ backs. And to get it off, they will need a whale of a game from QB Justin Fields and an electric performance from twin tailbacks Trey Sermon and Master Teague. They’re a one-two punch that could give Clemson DC Brent Venables fits in the same way that Fields and RB J.K. Dobbins did last season (Ohio State had 516 yards, outgaining Clemson by 99 yards).</p>
<p>It doesn’t get much more glamorous than the quarterback–running back matchup of Fields and Teague vs. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne. Good luck to the defenses!</p>
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc3ODg0NTEyODU4OTQxMDM3/clemson-vs-ohio-state-2020-preview.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
<h2>Storyline you’re already tired of</h2>
<p>Ohio State shouldn’t be here. If you haven’t heard (you have), the Buckeyes only played six games this season, leapfrogged a 10–1 Notre Dame in the seeding and coasted into the playoff in front of squads like 8–1 Texas A&M and 9–0 Cincinnati. Oh, and Dabo Swinney, a voter in the coaches poll, <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2020/12/21/dabo-swinney-ranks-ohio-state-11-coaches-poll">ranked the Buckeyes No. 11 in his most recent top 25</a>. The nerve!</p>
<p>If there’s a more tired story surrounding the College Football Playoff, we haven’t noticed. That’s not saying it shouldn’t be a story. But we’re at the end of our rope—it’s time to move on.</p>
<h2>Key matchup to watch</h2>
<p>Lawrence, Etienne and Amari Rodgers vs. an Ohio State secondary that is giving up gobs of yards. The Buckeyes allowed 491 yards passing to Indiana, 281 to Penn State and 224 to a Northwestern team that isn’t known for the longball. They rank 104th nationally as a pass defense, and through six games, the unit has allowed 21 competitions of 20 yards or more—or roughly four a game.</p>
<p>That sound you heard is Lawrence & Co. sharpening their knives.</p>
<h2>Underrated X-factor</h2>
<p>Tony Elliott’s absence. In his sixth year as Clemson’s offensive coordinator and play-caller, <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2020/12/30/clemson-offensive-coordinator-tony-elliott-will-not-coach-in-sugar-bowl-due-to-covid-19-protocols">Elliott will miss the Sugar Bowl</a> after registering a positive COVID-19 test this week. The Tigers are likely to lean on quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator Brandon Streeter to call plays, and don’t forget that head coach Dabo Swinney is an offensive-minded guy who has a big hand in the unit. </p>
<h2>Clemson wins if it...</h2>
<p>Can corral Ohio State’s rushing attack, something it failed to do a year ago (Dobbins had 174 yards) despite eeking out a comeback win. The Buckeyes’ duo of Teague and Sermon, running behind an elite offensive line, are averaging 275 yards a game on the ground. That’s not even the most impressive stat. They’re at six yards a carry—third in the nation.</p>
<h2>Ohio State wins if it…</h2>
<p>Doesn’t allow more than 250 yards passing to Lawrence. Easier said than done, right? Lawrence has broken that passing mark in six of nine games this season. The Tigers have lots of ways to beat you, but Lawrence is the straw that stirs their drink. A less-than-prolific day for him bodes well for the Buckeyes, which can score in bunches on the offensive side.</p>
<h2>What we think happens</h2>
<p>Ohio State isn’t catching the Tigers at the best time. They recently dismantled the playoff No. 4 seed, Notre Dame, the only team to beat Clemson this season. Remember, the Tigers are undefeated with Lawrence at QB. They’ll remain that way, en route to another dance with Alabama in Miami Gardens.</p>
<p><strong>Clemson 37, Ohio State 24</strong></p>
<h3>More Sugar Bowl Coverage From SI.com:</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.si.com/college/clemson/football/5-storylines-for-clemson-ohio-state-sugar-bowl">Five Storylines for Clemson vs. Ohio State</a><br />
<a href="https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/football/ohio-state-football-most-pressing-questions-ahead-of-college-football-playoff">Most Pressing Questions as Ohio State Prepares for Playoff</a><br />
<a href="https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/football/ohio-state-football-acutely-aware-of-clemson-stealing-signs">Ohio State Keenly Aware of Clemson's Sign-Stealing History</a></p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Sugar Bowl Preview: Will Clemson-Ohio State Rematch Have a Familiar Ending?

Breaking down the semifinal battle between the Buckeyes and Tigers. NEW ORLEANS — Who would have guessed that Ohio State and Clemson wo...

New on Sports Illustrated: Hot Clicks 100: The Best Stories, Tweets and Videos of 2020

<a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/12/31/hot-clicks-top-100-2020">
<p class="subtitle">100 moments, big and small, that helped define the year in sports.</p>
<p>Of all the jobs to have in 2020, sportswriter was a relatively easy one. It’s far from what anyone could reasonably consider essential, and it comes with the luxury of being able to choose a desk, a couch or a bed as the day’s office. Inexplicably, even during the dark days of the spring and early summer when there were no major sports happening in North America, writing a daily sports column managed to not be impossible. </p>
<p>I spent the last few weeks of the year going back through every Hot Clicks of 2020 to pick out my 100 favorite items. (Boy, was it weird to relive the pandemic that way.) Though this was undoubtedly the worst year to be online, I still had no trouble finding a long list of things to feature here. Whittling it down to 100 proved difficult. </p>
<p>This will always be remembered as the year a pandemic threw the world off its axis, but there were so many other things that made it memorable. It was the year LeBron won his first title in Los Angeles (well, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.). It was when an ESPN documentary became the biggest television event of the year. It was also when a cricket batsman hit himself in the nuts. Below are the 100 things that I most enjoyed sharing with our readers. (They’re not listed in any particular order, but they are numbered to prove there are actually 100.)</p>
<h3>100. Robbie Anderson was very confused about his new team’s mascot</h3>
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<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3>99. The Mavs turned their balconies into a club during their initial quarantine period in the NBA bubble</h3>
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbgKU0FNjT/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<h3>98. The Bucks’ G League coach went on an epic rant after his team <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/02/24/bucks-g-league-chase-buford-referee-rant-video">blew a 28-point lead in the final quarter</a></h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/ryanrodig/status/1231757897648033802"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>97. A Canadian <em>Family Feud</em> contestant answered a question very confidently but very wrongly</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/mikesbloggity/status/1215468184611934208"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>96. A guy announcing a Minnesota high school basketball game made a joke <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/01/09/minnesota-high-school-basketball-dead-dog-dunk-video">about his broadcast partner’s dead dog</a></h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Ross_homan1/status/1215143386660864000"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>95. Joey Votto explained why the shirt gifted to him by the Reds’ clubhouse attendants is one of his most prized possessions</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Reds/status/1308043806172999682"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>94. Dr. Dre helped produce an amazing video tribute to Kobe Bryant before the All-Star Game</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KbSDDDe2iJA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>93. Daniel Jones broke a huge run but tripped over his own feet</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1319464628468867073"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>92. Alex Trebek announced the Senators’ first-round draft pick</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Senators/status/1313624721158799360"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>91. A Dutch train that derailed was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/02/all-cetaceans-go-whale-sculpture-stops-dutch-train-crashing-into-water">saved from plummeting 30 feet by a statue of a whale’s tail</a></h3>
<h3>90. A Hungarian hockey player leapt into the glass to celebrate a goal and crashed through it</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/77e28QHqWpc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<p>(<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHD-8VFpZzT/">A photographer was fortunately stationed in the right place and got some amazing photos</a>.)</p>
<h3>89. Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. made an absurd one-handed interception</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/accnetwork/status/1312577296268693506"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>88. Wildfires in California <a href="http://si.com/extra-mustard/2020/09/10/giants-athletics-wildfires-orange-skies-photos">made for a spooky backdrop to baseball games in the Bay Area</a></h3>
<h3>87. Joe Kelly broke a window during a backyard bullpen session</h3>
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DRqWdAsv-/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<h3>86. A news reporter got a little too up close and personal with a bison</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/DeionBroxton/status/1242910540105576450"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>85. Bobby Ryan scored a hat trick in his first game back after seeking help for substance use</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kPfAgldDSmQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>84. A bunch of New Yorkers came together to lift up a car that ran over a woman</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/colbydroscher/status/1221560070632329222"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>83. After Kobe Bryant died, this video recirculated of Kobe's reuniting with his high school point guard</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_nV2cf0z4Aw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>82. The day after the NBA season suspension, the Big East tournament got canceled in the middle of a game</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1238150650342629378"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p>Mike Watts, the PA announcer who notified the crowd of the decision (and whom I spent many a long van ride with on trips to Patriot League football games), was back at MSG nine months later as the Big East resumed play. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/MikeWattsOnAir/status/1339451340561498112"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>81. Michael Jordan looking at an iPad became one of the year’s most popular memes</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1259678450606104576"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>80. Reddit users shared <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/04/09/baseball-reddit-weird-baseball-fields-photos">photos of the strangest baseball fields in the world</a></h3>
<h3>79. This guy wouldn’t let a pandemic get in the way of his casino trip or a mask get in the way of his cigarette</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BunkiePerkins/status/1270325652445704193"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>78. Two men hired to break into a house with machetes and fulfill a man’s sexual fantasy of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-52843846">being tied up in his underwear and “stroked with a broom” broke into the wrong house</a></h3>
<h3>77. This guy in Michigan did a ridiculous number of flips all in a row</h3>
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAqK_FiFwmF/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<h3>76. Hulking soccer player Adebayo Akinfenwa gave a delightful interview after winning the biggest game of his life</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/geFU0y6f-y0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>75. Somebody called hotel security <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/07/15/heat-jimmy-butler-nba-bubble-hotel-security">in the NBA bubble to complain that Jimmy Butler was dribbling a ball in his room</a></h3>
<h3>74. Hartford Athletic scored one of the strangest goals you’ll ever see</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/NJEMurray/status/1311478214951305216"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>73. Katie Ledecky swam a lap without spilling any milk from a glass on her head</h3>
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDbzlwrlHfK/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<h3>72. A man in Malaysia lost his phone and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-54157459">discovered a bunch of selfies of a monkey when he found it again</a></h3>
<h3>71. Derrick Henry destroyed Josh Norman with a viscous stiff arm</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Titans/status/1316168490752118785"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>70. A Scottish soccer team’s broadcast technology was outsmarted by a bald guy’s head</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/seagull81/status/1320132156774023168"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>69. A Rice field goal attempt doinked off both uprights and the crossbar, twice</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/AtTheRoost/status/1320142414296895488"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>68. Todd Gurley lost a game for the Falcons by scoring when he shouldn’t have</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1320460707096309764"></a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1320526552896065536"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>67. A federal government <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/10/30/wwe-ronda-rousey-arrest-trump-administration">document listed Ronda Rousey’s WWE arrest as real</a></h3>
<h3>66. A California woman survived a close encounter with a whale</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/melnewmantv/status/1323439770043777024"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>65. Maya Moore married the man she left the WNBA to help free from prison</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1306214856283090945"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>64. Tacko Fall started taking swimming lessons</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/nicolecyang/status/1234190397221560320"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>63. Two guys in Vegas did a “jersey swap” after a night of clubbing</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/shanepedroza/status/1226750734630191104"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>62. Tom Brady inadvertently <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/04/23/tom-brady-tampa-bay-byron-leftwich-neighbor-house">broke into a guy’s house thinking it was his new offensive coordinator’s</a></h3>
<h3>61. A Phillies rookie who grew up a Yankees fan was overjoyed to be playing in the Bronx</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/HannahRKeyser/status/1285379707140288519"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>60. Boban Marjanović was so cute in this interview on <em>Inside the NBA</em></h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rov4aA_iSB8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>59. Then Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/08/28/mets-brodie-van-wagenen-leaked-video">got caught on a video that leaked under hilarious circumstances ripping Rob Manfred</a>.</h3>
<h3>58. Sue Bird added to her enormous trophy collection</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds/status/1313642038831788032"></a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds/status/1313642053054668801"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>57. Khalil Mack made a lineman 60 pounds heavier than him look like a child</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1314390118791143425"></a></blockquote>
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<h3>56. Paul Rudd gave cookies to voters in Brooklyn</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Bowl_of_Worcel/status/1321825998262980609"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>55. ESPN’s Joe Tessitore got to call a trick play executed by his son</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1322597020280918016"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/JoeTessESPN/status/1322639116610293760"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>54. A government official in Milwaukee apologized after using the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion song “WAP” <a href="https://www.stereogum.com/2104590/wap-weatherization-assistance-program-milwaukee/news/">to promote an energy efficiency effort called the Weatherization Assistance Program</a></h3>
<h3>53. Jerry Jeudy fooled a DB with a simple hand gesture</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/FBallAnalysis/status/1325539834308550656"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>52. A helicopter delivering a heart to be transplanted crashed on the hospital’s helipad, but the surgery was still successful</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/35kUs5B9yr0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>51. Jon Rahm won a tournament in a playoff with a 66-foot putt and later made a hole-in-one by skipping the ball across a pond in Masters practice</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/GOLF_com/status/1300214059376218112"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheMasters/status/1326232433373704194"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>50. A high school football coach in Maryland <a href="https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/schools/private/st_johns_catholic_prep/despite-a-53-0-loss-st-johns-coach-gets-the-win-by-surviving-an-in/article_2aacfffc-f57b-5803-b41a-30e9b76d2771.html">had a heart attack at halftime but coached the rest of the game, a 53–0 loss</a></h3>
<h3>49. CeeDee Lamb made a ridiculous touchdown catch</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1330639305048469504"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>48. This carpet bowling shot might have been the sports highlight of the year</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e4ohG2I0NA8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>47. Knicks fans finally got fed up enough to chant “Sell the team” en masse</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/MikeVorkunov/status/1222716433190346752"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>46. The pandemic forced priests to get creative with the holy water</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/bethbourdon/status/1264702232227971072"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>45. A six-year-old boy in <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/boy-fishes-stolen-safe-out-of-whitney-lake-helps-solve-8-year-old-mystery">South Carolina found a stolen safe in a lake with a magnet</a>.</h3>
<h3>44. A hockey player went to extreme lengths to fake his stats</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/eliteprospects/status/1267062801975201794"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>43. Protests against racial injustice <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/08/27/nba-protests-jacob-blake-knicks-statement">brought the sports world to a halt</a>.</h3>
<h3>42. Cody Bellinger dislocated his shoulder celebrating a home run</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1318030723811577856"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>41. Mark Melancon caught home run balls off the bat of Ozzie Albies on back-to-back nights</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y8cGjQrToYc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>40. The streaming service Quibi, which featured offerings such as a truly deranged show about a woman with a golden arm, crashed and burned spectacularly</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/zachraffio/status/1250273191810875392"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BenMullin/status/1319079025839656960"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/anafabregagood/status/1319057036857036800"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>39. Tom Brady miscounted the downs and gave us a hilarious meme</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1314409734917611522"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>38. A high school football team <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/12/03/alabama-high-school-football-thompson-auburn-finish-video">in Alabama scored 10 points in 18 seconds to win a state title</a>.</h3>
<h3>37. This fighter got dropped in the blink of an eye</h3>
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHlUXfIHp9g/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<h3>36. A Danish soccer player scored one of the most impressive goals you’ll ever see</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9D6QMif9mxQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>35. A high school football game <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/11/12/remsen-st-marys-tops-montezuma-108-94-record-breaking-iowa-8-player-game/6265698002/">in Iowa ended with a final score of 108–94</a>.</h3>
<h3>34. D.K. Metcalf showed he’s as fast as is he strong</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1320536529748504576"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1321155578085986306"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>33. Cowboys defensive coordinator <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/10/27/cowboys-mike-nolan-hot-sauce-video">Mike Nolan had to stop his press conference after getting hot sauce in his eye</a></h3>
<h3>32. The world was introduced to the horror of the “Wigan kebab”</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N_oIys5KS4A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>31. A naked man in Berlin <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53692475">was photographed chasing a wild boar that stole his laptop</a></h3>
<h3>30. Alex Killorn marked the resumption of the NHL season by making a <em>Mighty Ducks</em> parody video</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Akillorn19/status/1266038471476404225"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>29. Ashley Sanchez of the Washington Spirit had a ridiculous assist on a corner kick</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/WashSpirit/status/1279990967639126016"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/JBlock49/status/1279985121085382656"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>28. A soccer player declared dead <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/11546529/footballer-killed-car-crash-alive-wife-fraud-insurance/">after a 2016 car crash was reportedly found alive and well in Germany</a></h3>
<h3>27. Johnny Boychuk took a skate blade to the face and got 90 stitches</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K1_EvzezHGY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>26. This tweet from Demi Adejuyigbe had me cracking up</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/electrolemon/status/1232137286868856833"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>25. A British man ran an <a href="https://www.sportbible.com/other/news-community-take-a-bow-man-runs-26-mile-marathon-in-his-back-garden-to-raise-money-for-nhs-20200401">entire marathon in his tiny backyard and livestreamed the whole thing on YouTube</a></h3>
<h3>24. An Olympic skier built an impressive obstacle course in his house</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSports/status/1244017671324094465"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>23. A high school football game in Alabama ended with a ridiculous number of laterals</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/ByCasagrande/status/1304648503398862849"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>22. Nobody wants to <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/04/17/michael-jordan-house-for-sale-chicago-video">buy Michael Jordan’s house</a></h3>
<h3>21. NFL draft prospect Ben Bartch <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/02/27/nfl-draft-ben-bartch-protein-shake-weight-gain">revealed the nasty protein shake he would choke down to pack on weight</a></h3>
<h3>20. Team manager <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/03/03/jackson-state-basketball-manager-snacks-video">Thomas “Snacks” Lee</a> provided the highlight of Jackson State’s basketball season</h3>
<iframe height="354" width="630" src="https://streamable.com/s/i9w2z/nbvfsr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<h3>19. Deontay Wilder lost the first fight of his career <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/02/25/deontay-wilder-tyson-fury-fight-costume-excuse">and blamed it on the elaborate costume he wore for his entrance</a></h3>
<h3>18. 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres was called upon in emergency backup duty for the Hurricanes and beat the Maple Leafs</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gZgvsCSDecc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>17. Getty Images photographer <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/02/08/lakers-photographer-lebron-james-iconic-dunk">Andrew D. Bernstein</a> captured perhaps the most iconic image of LeBron’s career</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Buccigross/status/1225672013219368964"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>16. Serge Ibaka hilariously explained his fashion choices: “I don’t dress, I do art”</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/SNFaizalKhamisa/status/1224467875609661440"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>15. A Venezuelan baseball player attacked the opposing catcher with his bat</h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/HoraH19/status/1215089871431389191"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>14. Jimmy Butler hit T.J. Warren <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/01/09/heat-pacers-jimmy-butler-tj-warren-video">with some really vicious trash talk</a></h3>
<h3>13. Marshawn Lynch had some great advice for young players after his final game</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/MrKeithJenkins/status/1216570543647924224"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>12. An F1 driver walked away from a terrifying crash</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZQ7_En2xEm4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>11. A young Canadian had a very slick assist</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/HC_WJC/status/1329106044287594497"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>10. Tiger Woods completely imploded on a par-3 at the Masters</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/dhm/status/1328032545498411017"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>9. Oregon State and Washington had this total mess of a play</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/max_olson/status/1327827582293774336"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>8. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins combined for an incredible Hail Mary</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1328133325383471104"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/AZSports/status/1328141754105618434"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>7. The Lightning’s Brayden Point <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/08/12/lightning-blue-jackets-five-overtimes-brayden-point-video">ended a five-OT game, and the broadcast calls were amazing</a></h3>
<h3>6. A Swiss hockey player showed some ridiculous skill with this shootout goal</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/srfsport/status/1228077575978803206"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>5. Bam Adebayo won a playoff game with a sick block</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xJxSfxbE47c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>4. A guy celebrating Joe Biden’s election win crashed a French news broadcast</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/pierre_lt/status/1325160903784816640"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>3. A Utah man came forward to claim he was the guy who made and delivered <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/05/19/michael-jordan-last-dance-pizza-delivery-craig-fite">the pizza Michael Jordan ate before the famous “flu game”</a></h3>
<h3>2. Mike Trout obliterated a golf ball</h3>
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9N59S-gA_m/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<h3>1. A cricket player took multiple nut shots, and the announcers couldn’t control themselves</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BBL/status/1214489627752452096"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BBL/status/1214491415503179776"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

New on Sports Illustrated: Hot Clicks 100: The Best Stories, Tweets and Videos of 2020

100 moments, big and small, that helped define the year in sports. Of all the jobs to have in 2020, sportswriter was a relatively easy one...

New on Sports Illustrated: Gregg Popovich Ejected vs. Lakers as Becky Hammon Takes Over

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/12/31/gregg-popovich-spurs-ejected-becky-hammon-acting-head-coach">
<p class="subtitle">Hammon assumed acting head coach duties after Popovich received two technical fouls for arguing a non-call with the officials.</p>
<p>Late in the second quarter of Wednesday's game against the Lakers, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ejected after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with officials. The ejection occurred after Popovich thought DeMar DeRozan was fouled driving to the basket for a layup, but there was no foul called.</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"></blockquote>
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</a>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Popovich left with the Spurs trailing the Lakers, 52-41. He was <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1344470466518417409">replaced by assistant coach Becky Hammon</a>, who took over head coaching duties for the rest of the game.</p>
<p>Hammon, 43, is in her seventh season as a Spurs assistant after an accomplished 16-year career in the WNBA. Last season, Popovich was ejected from a game in November and <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2019/11/17/spurs-lose-with-tim-duncan-coaching-after-gregg-popovich-ejection">replaced as acting head coach by a committee</a> that included Hammon, though then-assistant Tim Duncan was charged with calling plays.</p>
<p>Hammon has previously served as head coach for the Spurs during the NBA Summer League. This is the first time Popovich has been ejected this season.</p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Gregg Popovich Ejected vs. Lakers as Becky Hammon Takes Over

Hammon assumed acting head coach duties after Popovich received two technical fouls for arguing a non-call with the officials. Late in the...

New on Sports Illustrated: Tatum helps Celtics rally to beat Pacers 116-111

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292192">
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens suspected history was repeating itself for the second time in three nights in his hometown.</p>
<p>His team was ''knocked all over the place'' by the physical Indiana Pacers in a one-sided third quarter. But much to the satisfaction of Stevens, who played high school basketball in the Indianapolis suburb of Zionsville and coached Butler University to back-to-back NCAA championship games, his Celtics regrouped in a hurry to erase a 17-point deficit for a 116-111 road win on Tuesday.</p>
<p>''We're not where we want to be,'' Stevens said, ''but sometimes you've got to find a way to win. We've got a long way to go to get to as good as we need to be.''</p>
<p>What changed? More defensive aggression, for starters. And Jayson Tatum stepped up with 14 of his 27 points in the final quarter, when the Celtics had a 33-18 advantage.</p>
<p>''We knew we had to pick up the intensity,'' Tatum said. ''And we knew we had to get some defensive stops. We got on a roll and kept on going.''</p>
<p>Tatum atoned for missing a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining that could have provided the Celtics with a win over the Pacers two nights ago on the same floor. In that game, the Pacers also had a huge third quarter before the Celtics rallied to take the lead. However, the Pacers won 108-107 on Domantas Sabonis' layup with 8.4 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>''We felt like we let the last game get away,'' Jaylen Brown said. ''We didn't want this one to get away, too.''</p>
<p>Victor Oladipo, who sat out the previous game after scoring 22 points in each of his other starts, had 20 of his 24 through three quarters for the Pacers. T.J. Warren scored 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter.</p>
<p>''Every game isn't going to be perfect,'' Oladipo said. ''We're still trying to figure things out. But the ceiling for this team is very scary. We can be a very good team.''</p>
<p>The Celtics had four scorers with nine or more points for a 58-57 halftime lead.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Celtics: Reserve guard Jeff Teague sank a 3-pointer in the second quarter to snap a streak of 15 consecutive missed shots dating back to the season opener. The Indianapolis native played one season for his hometown Pacers in 2016-17.</p>
<p>Pacers: The last time this team started 4-0 was in 2013-14, when Indiana opened 9-0. ... Sabonis was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 1 after he averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in three victories.</p>
<p>THEY SAID IT</p>
<p>''He won't be back any time soon, certainly, you know we're hopeful to get him back as soon as possible, but we want to make sure when we do it's for good,'' Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of the timetable for Kemba Walker to make his season debut as he recovers from a knee injury that required a stem cell injection in October.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Celtics: After two games in three days in Indianapolis, Boston returns home to host Memphis on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Pacers: Host Cleveland on Thursday.</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Tatum helps Celtics rally to beat Pacers 116-111

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens suspected history was repeating itself for the second time in three nights in his homet...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Embiid shakes off injury, rallies 76ers past winless Raptors

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292398">
<p>PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joel Embiid had all of Philadelphia holding its breath when he grabbed the back of his right leg and needed a trip to the locker room.</p>
<p>Coach Doc Rivers did not check on the 76ers big man because usually the health update is ''bad news.''</p>
<p>The bad news did, indeed, come - for Toronto once Embiid returned to the game. Embiid shook off the injury scare to score 29 points, grab 16 rebounds and lead Philadelphia past the winless Toronto Raptors 100-93 on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>''He was terrific, dominant,'' Rivers said.</p>
<p>Embiid, who missed Sunday's loss against Cleveland with back stiffness, walked gingerly to the locker room early in the third quarter with the leg injury. Team president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand hopped up from their courtside seats and immediately hit the locker room to check on their All-Star center. Rivers, in his first season as coach, remained outwardly calm as he waited out Embiid.</p>
<p>Embiid checked back into the game several minutes later with the Sixers down 11. He sank 14 of 16 free throws - as many makes as Toronto shot (12 of 14) to keep the Sixers in this one.</p>
<p>Embiid dismissed the injury and smiled as he said ''everything's fine'' without elaboration.</p>
<p>''I just did my job,'' Embiid said.</p>
<p>Tobias Harris had 26 points and 11 rebounds to help Embiid on a night the Sixers shot only 38% from the floor.</p>
<p>Kyle Lowry scored 24 points for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby each had 20.</p>
<p>''We've got to stretch out our good moments,'' coach Nick Nurse said. ''We've played some great moments in all the games.''</p>
<p>Lowry, the Philly native and former Villanova standout, had said the Raptors ''gotta figure this out'' after an 0-2 start, and a 14-point lead in the second half should have been enough to solve their early woes.</p>
<p>Instead, they lost the lead in one of the weirdest ways possible. Aron Baynes appeared to hit a pump-fake 3 with the shot clock about to expire for a 90-87 lead. Embiid missed a free throw when officials stopped the game and ruled the shot clock had, in fact, expired and Baynes' points were wiped off the board. Embiid made a second free throw and the Sixers suddenly led by one.</p>
<p>Seth Curry swished a 3 from the top of the arc that pushed the 76ers' lead to 96-91 and helped them move to 3-1.</p>
<p>''We didn't play well for long stretches of the game but we stuck it out,'' Curry said.</p>
<p>Ben Simmons, who had 11 points and 13 rebounds, joked before the restart last season that he hoped boos would get piped into the bubble if the Sixers played poorly to truly reflect the Philly atmosphere.</p>
<p>Simmons and the Sixers would have been booed off the court had fans been allowed to watch a disaster of the first half. Simmons and Embiid were awful from the floor, a combined 2 of 11 start that let Toronto grab an 11-point lead. Embiid had made all nine free throws to at least keep Philly competitive.</p>
<p>The Sixers are loaded with one-dimensional players who struggle to get their own bucket. In year three, Simmons continues to infuriate the faithful with his massive talent overshadowed by his desire to shoot beyond 15 feet. Simmons has been floated in trade rumors - Morey has said Simmons is off the table - but another dominant shooter would surely help the 76ers.</p>
<p>''We can't do it without our teammates,'' Embiid said. ''Everybody that plays, we all come in with the same purpose, we all have the same goal.''</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Raptors: Nurse said the hardest part of adjusting to life in Tampa, Florida, is finding ''where the snacks are'' inside the arena. But so far, so good for the Toronto-turned-Tampa Raptors. ''There's a lot of bright side,'' Nurse said. ''Everybody loves the weather. That seems to put a smile on everyone's faces around the organization.'' ... C Chris Boucher scored 22 points, had 10 rebounds and seven blocked shots Saturday against San Antonio. He played 5 minutes against the Sixers.</p>
<p>76ers: Shake Milton missed five of his six 3-point attempts. ... Curry finished with 17 points. ... The bench had just 10 points.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Raptors: Host the Knicks on Thursday.</p>
<p>76ers: Play Thursday at Orlando.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Embiid shakes off injury, rallies 76ers past winless Raptors

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joel Embiid had all of Philadelphia holding its breath when he grabbed the back of his right leg and needed a trip to the...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Big run in 4th quarter lifts Warriors over Pistons 116-106

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292139">
<p>DETROIT (AP) Stephen Curry scored 31 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 to lift the Golden State Warriors to a 116-106 victory over the winless Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>The injury-plagued Warriors have won two in a row after dropping their first two games by a combined 65 points. The decisive stretch Tuesday came with Curry on the bench. Rookie big man James Wiseman had a dunk and Wiggins followed with a 3-pointer to cap a 12-0 run that put Golden State up 98-89 in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>''Just a great feeling to turn what was a mess of a road trip into a really good one,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.</p>
<p>Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 27 points.</p>
<p>The Warriors are without stars Klay Thompson (right Achilles tendon) and Draymond Green (right foot), but now Detroit has injury problems of its own. Blake Griffin ended up in the concussion protocol and did not play in the second half, and rookie guard Killian Hayes left with a sprained right ankle.</p>
<p>The Pistons led 89-86 in the fourth before a 3-pointer by Wiggins tied it. Wiseman's dunk came after the 7-footer blocked a shot at the other end and dribbled most of the length of the court. That put the Warriors up by six and sent several Golden State players spilling from the bench area in excitement. Curry tossed a towel in the air after Wiggins' 3 moments later.</p>
<p>The Pistons, who led by as many as 12 points in the first half, were up 51-48 after two quarters. Golden State went on a 17-3 run early in the third, but Detroit stayed close well into the fourth.</p>
<p>Wiggins scored 17 points in the final quarter, and three of his five 3-pointers came in the fourth.</p>
<p>''He was phenomenal,'' Kerr said. ''He just took over the game, knocking down 3s, getting to the rim, getting to the foul line. Andrew was fantastic, just that whole fourth quarter.''</p>
<p>Wiggins has shot better the past two games after going 10 of 34 from the field to open the season against Brooklyn and Milwaukee.</p>
<p>''Just keep shooting, it's going to fall,'' he said. ''You've just got to believe in yourself.''</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Warriors: Announced after the game they exercised the third-year contract option for next season on G Jordan Poole. ... Golden State improved to 9-22 in regular-season games without both Green and Thompson in the lineup since 2012-13.</p>
<p>Pistons: Griffin did not play in Monday night's loss at Atlanta because of left knee issues. He finished with eight points Tuesday. Derrick Rose, who did not play either on Monday, had 15 points against the Warriors.</p>
<p>TOUGH START</p>
<p>The Pistons have lost all four of their games, although none by more than 10 points.</p>
<p>''We're playing excellent basketball through stretches, but now that next step is to continue to close the deal,'' coach Dwane Casey said. ''Some good things, but again, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.''</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Warriors: Friday night they host Portland. That will be Golden State's home opener after the Warriors opened with four games on the road.</p>
<p>Pistons: Friday night they host Boston. Detroit went 1-1 against the Celtics last season. Both games were on the road.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Big run in 4th quarter lifts Warriors over Pistons 116-106

DETROIT (AP) Stephen Curry scored 31 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 to lift the Golden State Warriors to a 116-106 victory over the win...

New on Sports Illustrated: First-round pick Tyrese Haliburton leads Kings past Nuggets

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292500">
<p>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Tyrese Haliburton scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Sacramento Kings pulled away to beat Denver 125-115 on Tuesday, spoiling a record-setting night for Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.</p>
<p>The 12th pick in this year's draft, Haliburton made several sleek plays and gave the Kings a needed lift down the stretch. Sacramento's rookie guard hit two of his three 3-pointers in the final 9 1/2 minutes and added a steal and fast-break layup during an 11-0 run that put the Kings ahead 120-108.</p>
<p>''Tyrese continues to impress,'' Kings coach Luke Walton said. ''He hit some big shots. He had some big-time playmaking for us. He was a plus-20 on the night. He's one of those players, you feel confident when the ball's in his hand.''</p>
<p>Haliburton played the entire fourth quarter, when he also had five of his six assists.</p>
<p>''I was just proud of our team being a young team playing against a team like that with experience,'' Haliburton said. ''We could easily have folded after a bad third quarter like that. We got a little complacent. We thought we were really going to open it up in the second half.''</p>
<p>De'Aaron Fox had 24 points and 10 assists for Sacramento. Richaun Holmes scored 20 and Buddy Hield added 12 points and seven rebounds.</p>
<p>Jokic had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to set a Nuggets record with his 44th career triple-double. The NBA leader in assists going into the game, Jokic broke the previous mark he shared with Fat Lever while logging 38 minutes.</p>
<p>As good as Jokic was offensively, he also was charged with 10 of Denver's 20 turnovers. Essentially, the Denver 7-footer had a quadruple-double.</p>
<p>''Twenty turnovers on the road for 37 points,'' Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. ''Nikola had 10. Unacceptable. He can't have 10 turnovers in a game.''</p>
<p>Jokic thought the Nuggets' offense got too stagnant.</p>
<p>''We kind of made ourselves easy to guard,'' he said. ''Collectively we need to move our bodies better, then move the ball. We helped them a lot, just standing and not moving around.''</p>
<p>Monte Morris had a career-high 24 points starting in place of Jamal Murray for Denver. Michael Porter Jr. finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds.</p>
<p>Murray was held out of the game one day after the Nuggets guard bruised his head when he collided with Jae'Sean Tate of the Rockets in the third quarter. Murray held his hand to his head for a couple of minutes but got up and walked under his own power to the locker room for further examination. He was back on the bench midway through the fourth but did not re-enter.</p>
<p>The Kings beat the Nuggets in Denver on Buddy Hield's buzzer-beating tip-in in overtime in the season opener for both teams last Wednesday.</p>
<p>QUOTABLE</p>
<p>''I would say good teams don't beat themselves, but that would be giving (us) a compliment we don't deserve.'' - Malone on the Nuggets.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Nuggets: Porter had three 3s in the third quarter. . The game marked the 1,000th of Paul Millsap's 14-year career. Millsap previously played for Utah and Atlanta. . Malone was whistled for a technical in the first quarter moments after Jokic's dunk put Denver up 18-16.</p>
<p>Kings: Hield has made at least one 3-pointer in 70 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NBA. . Harrison Barnes dished out a career-high eight assists. . The Kings were charged with a technical after Fox yelled at officials from the bench in the third quarter.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Nuggets: Host the Suns on New Year's Day. Denver has won five straight against Phoenix.</p>
<p>Kings: Visit the Rockets for the first of back-to-back games against Houston. The teams play again on Saturday.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: First-round pick Tyrese Haliburton leads Kings past Nuggets

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Tyrese Haliburton scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Sacramento Kings pulled away to beat D...

New on Sports Illustrated: Crowder scores season-high 21, Suns blow out Pelicans 111-86

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292416">
<p>PHOENIX (AP) Chris Paul played OK. Devin Booker had one of his least productive games in recent memory. The Suns' best two players didn't really do much in an intriguing matchup between two of the league's rising teams.</p>
<p>And Phoenix still won by 25 points.</p>
<p>Jae Crowder scored a season-high 21 points, Cameron Johnson added 18 and the Suns showed off their newfound depth by rolling to a 111-86 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>''It's a team game, it's not 1 v 1,'' Suns forward Mikal Bridges said. ''It's five guys. We're getting better every day.''</p>
<p>The Suns broke the game open by outscoring the Pelicans 35-15 in the second quarter to take a 66-44 advantage into the break. Second-year coach Monty Williams said his team's stellar defense sparked the avalanche of points that buried New Orleans by halftime.</p>
<p>''They missed shots tonight once we started playing with force on the defensive end,'' Williams said.</p>
<p>Phoenix turned its high-energy defense into a high-scoring offense. Even when the Suns weren't getting good looks the shots were falling.</p>
<p>Crowder - in his first year with the Suns after helping the Heat to the NBA Finals last season - rattled home his fifth 3-pointer as the shot clock expired midway through the third quarter to push the Suns ahead 79-47. A frustrated coach Stan Van Gundy quickly called timeout for the Pelicans but the damage was already done.</p>
<p>''The middle two quarters, I don't even know what to tell you,'' Van Gundy said. ''There was nothing. Nothing good, it wasn't one thing. We couldn't contain them on the dribble, we couldn't handle the ball, their pressure really got us, the pace got us. They had a much higher energy level.''</p>
<p>Six Suns scored in double figures as they improved their record to 3-1. Deandre Ayton had 13 points and 12 rebounds, Bridges and Cameron Payne also added 13 points and Dario Saric scored 10.</p>
<p>''If you can win a game like that and only play Booker and Chris no more than 25 minutes, it gives the other guys confidence,'' Williams said. ''But we know who are two best players are. There's no mistaking that.''</p>
<p>New Orleans fell to 2-2 this season. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 20 points and 9 of 13 shooting from the field. Brandon Ingram had 13 points and Steven Adams added 11.</p>
<p>New Orleans shot just 3 of 24 from 3-point range. Phoenix made 19 3s.</p>
<p>Johnson was credited with two points after Williamson was called for goal-tending at the third quarter buzzer, which put the Suns ahead 100-61. Both teams played mostly reserves in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Phoenix earned its big halftime lead despite the backcourt of Paul and Booker combining for just seven points. Paul finished with nine points and nine assists while Booker had eight points.</p>
<p>Crowder made all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half and led the Suns with 15 points. Bridges and Ayton both had 11.</p>
<p>The Pelicans shot nearly 53 percent from the field in the first half but were just 1 of 11 on 3s. The Suns made nine 3s before the break.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Pelicans: Williamson shot 6 of 7 from the field in the first half and had 14 points.</p>
<p>Suns: Forward Dario Saric played in his first game this season. He missed the first three with right quad soreness. ... Rookie forward Jalen Smith missed the game because of a sprained left ankle. ... The Suns debuted their new uniforms that show `The Valley' on the front and feature a bright desert sunset over a skyline on a black jersey.</p>
<p>''I'm not going to lie, I wish we could wear these jerseys the whole season,'' Ayton said.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>The Pelicans travel to face Oklahoma City on Thursday.</p>
<p>The Suns travel to face Utah on Thursday.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Crowder scores season-high 21, Suns blow out Pelicans 111-86

PHOENIX (AP) Chris Paul played OK. Devin Booker had one of his least productive games in recent memory. The Suns' best two players didn...

New on Sports Illustrated: Vucevic has double-double as Magic beat Thunder 118-107

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292362">
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Nikola Vucevic had a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-107 Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Orlando, 4-0 for the first time in the franchise's 31-season history, is one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the NBA, along with Atlanta. The Magic started 3-0 only three previous times before this season.</p>
<p>''We're happy where we are, to start the season 4-0, but we also at the same time are aware that there are so many things we can do better, especially on the defensive end,'' Vucevic said. ''The positive is knowing that we were able to win, so now we can work on those things and get better and take a step forward.''</p>
<p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Oklahoma City, which lost its second home game in two nights after winning its opener at Charlotte. The Thunder had won their last five games (and 15 of their last 18) against the Magic and now are 10-3 at home all-time against Orlando.</p>
<p>Dwayne Bacon went 9 of 10 from the field and scored 18 points to go with eight rebounds for Orlando, which surpassed the 110-point mark for the fourth straight game. After the Thunder tied the score at 87-87 early in the fourth, Bacon scored six points in a 10-4 spurt that gave Orlando the lead for good.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City made only 4 of 13 free throws in the fourth, thwarting the Thunder's hopes to rally. Isaiah Roby, who hadn't scored a point in a NBA game before Tuesday, had 19 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma City, while Luguentz Dort added 15 and Mike Muscala had 14.</p>
<p>''I thought we scrapped pretty hard tonight,'' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. ''I thought our competitiveness and engagement, in the first three quarters especially, was pretty good. There were a couple of times where the game could have gotten away from us and we made a play or made a stop. Obviously, (we) just didn't get enough in the fourth, or throughout the game.''</p>
<p>Orlando led 36-27 early in the second quarter before a 12-2 run - fueled by nine points from Hamidou Diallo - put the Thunder back ahead 39-38. The Magic again pushed its lead out, this time to 53-43, but Oklahoma City pulled within 60-56 by halftime. The Thunder briefly pulled even at 80-80 on a 3-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander but Orlando led 87-85 entering the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>TIP-INS:</p>
<p>Magic: Vucevic became Orlando's franchise leader in field goals by making 12 against the Thunder. He now has 4,083 with the Magic, passing Nick Anderson (4,075) in that statistical category . Aaron Gordon started but coach Steve Clifford said Gordon remains on a minutes restriction as the player recovers from a hamstring injury he suffered last season. He scored 12 points in 22 minutes.</p>
<p>Thunder: Center Al Horford didn't play, resting on the second day of a back-to-back, while veteran guard George Hill missed the game with neck spasms . Roby and Justin Jackson both started for the first time this season for Oklahoma City. It was Roby's first career start and he scored nine first-quarter points . The shooting woes continued for first-round draft pick Aleksej Pokusevski, who went 1 of 8 from the field, although he did score his first career points in the third quarter of his third NBA game.</p>
<p>QUOTABLE:</p>
<p>Clifford, on Vucevic setting the franchise's record for field goals: ''He's such a professional and such a committed, conscientious player. . He gives me a lot of credit for him playing well since I got here. There's no guy here that I've done less to help than him. The way he works, the amount of time he puts in, two years ago he was an All-Star and last year he was our best player. He is in a great place right now and he's ready to have a terrific, terrific year.''</p>
<p>UP NEXT:</p>
<p>Magic: Begin a four-game homestand against Philadelphia on Thursday before hosting Oklahoma City on Saturday.</p>
<p>Thunder: Host New Orleans on Thursday before starting a five-game road stretch on Saturday in Orlando.</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Vucevic has double-double as Magic beat Thunder 118-107

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Nikola Vucevic had a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-107...

New on Sports Illustrated: Randle's triple-double powers Knicks to 95-86 win over Cavs

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292082">
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) Julius Randle had 28 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double in two years, leading the New York Knicks to a 95-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Randle, who scored 18 in the first half as New York built a 16-point lead, completed his seventh career triple-double with an assist on Elfrid Payton's 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>It was the power forward's first triple-double since Nov. 19, 2018, with New Orleans.</p>
<p>''I just tried to take what the defense gave me while playing the game the right way,'' Randle said. ''We've got great spacing and when the defense collapses, I know I can make the right play. When you get wide-open shots, it makes it easier for everybody.''</p>
<p>Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and Payton had 14 points, eight boards and seven assists for the Knicks (2-2), who won their second in a row and earned their first road victory of the season.</p>
<p>New York made 14 of 25 3-pointers, increasing its NBA-best percentage to .459, with Randle making all four of his tries. The Knicks never allowed Cleveland to get closer than seven points in the fourth.</p>
<p>''Julius came into camp in great shape, which is the biggest thing,'' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''He's playing really well and he now knows his teammates' strengths, which makes everyone better.''</p>
<p>Andre Drummond notched his fourth double-double for the Cavaliers (3-1) with 18 points, 17 rebounds and a season-high six blocked shots. Cleveland started the season 3-0 for the first time since winning six in a row to begin 2016-17.</p>
<p>The Cavaliers, who finished with the second-worst record in the NBA at 19-46 last season, missed their first 10 3-pointers and finished 7 of 32. Collin Sexton scored 20 points and Darius Garland had 17, but the starting guards were 12 of 35 from the field.</p>
<p>''There were moments when guys tried to take it on themselves, individually,'' Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ''I felt like we were desperate and tried to make the home run play, instead of just playing good defense.''</p>
<p>Randle had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the first half, powering New York to a 53-46 advantage. Bullock made four of the Knicks' 10 3-pointers, including a 31-footer at the buzzer in the second quarter.</p>
<p>New York built a 29-15 lead in the first when Randle made all five of his shots in racking up 14 points, six boards and five assists.</p>
<p>''I think we've got the right people in place from top to bottom in this organization now,'' Randle said. ''They challenged me going into the offseason and I challenged myself, as well, to come back a better player.''</p>
<p>Larry Nance Jr. added nine points for the Cavaliers, who will be without Kevin Love (right calf strain) for at least three weeks. The five-time All-Star aggravated the lingering injury Sunday against Philadelphia.</p>
<p>WHERE IS THE LOVE</p>
<p>Love, who sat out the opener with the same calf strain, will not be re-evaluated until late January. He has missed 116 regular-season games since helping the Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA championship. ''Predicting injuries is hard to do, but I feel bad for Kevin,'' Bickerstaff said. ''He's been working his tail off, trying to get right for this season.''</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Knicks: G Alec Burks (left ankle sprain) did not play after being injured Sunday against Milwaukee. Thibodeau said Burks is day-to-day . G Dennis Smith Jr. (left quadriceps) could rejoin the team during its ongoing four-game trip. . Rookie F Obi Toppin (right calf) and G Immanuel Quickley (left hip) were inactive, along with G Austin Rivers (groin) and F Omari Spellman (right knee).</p>
<p>Cavaliers: Rookie forwards Isaac Okoro (left foot sprain) and Dylan Windler (left hand fracture), G Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) and G Kevin Porter Jr. (personal) were not in uniform. . The Ohio Department of Health will allow 1,944 fans at upcoming home games, which is 10% of arena capacity. The Cavaliers have been limited to 300 spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Knicks: Play Toronto in its temporary home of Tampa, Florida. The Raptors have won eight straight over New York, whose last victory in the series occurred on Nov. 22, 2017.</p>
<p>Cavaliers: Visit Indiana on Thursday. Cleveland begins a six-game road trip - its longest of the season - and won't return to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse until hosting Memphis on Jan. 22.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Randle's triple-double powers Knicks to 95-86 win over Cavs

CLEVELAND (AP) Julius Randle had 28 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double in two years, leading the New York Knick...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Kispert, Ayayi lead No. 1 Gonzaga over Dixie State 112-67

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-basketball/game/2289059">
<p>SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) For the second night in a row, Joel Ayayi put up a double-double as top-ranked Gonzaga beat an overmatched foe.</p>
<p>Ayayi had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Corey Kispert scored 25 points and the Bulldogs beat short-handed Dixie State 112-67 on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Gonzaga coach Mark Few said it took some prodding to help Ayayi break out of a recent scoring slump, and that is paying off.</p>
<p>''He's hunting his shot better,'' Few said. ''He has a knack for tracking the ball down and knowing where it's going.''</p>
<p>Ayayi had 17 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's win over Northern Arizona.</p>
<p>''I'm amazed he's had back-to-back double doubles,'' Few said of the slightly-built Ayayi, a junior who is 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds. ''Who'd had thought that with the body he has?''</p>
<p>Ayayi added six assists and was 8-of-9 shooting from the floor.</p>
<p>''He's too good to be held down for long,'' Kispert said of Ayayi.</p>
<p>Kispert, who leads the team in scoring, made 10 of his 16 shots.</p>
<p>Oumar Ballo added 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting for Gonzaga (9-0), which has won 43 consecutive home games, the longest streak in the nation.</p>
<p>Cameron Gooden scored 20 points, Jacob Nicholds had 11 and Jacob Greene 10 for Dixie State (4-2), which is in the first year of its transition to Division I basketball. The Trailblazers were down to nine players because of COVID-19 protocols and injuries.</p>
<p>''When you play a team like this you have to play the best game of your life to beat them, and it wasn't ours tonight,'' Dixie State coach Jon Judkins said. ''You can learn from wins and you can learn from losses, and tonight we hope that we can watch the film and get better.''</p>
<p>Gonzaga was playing for the second consecutive night and the sixth time in 10 days.</p>
<p>Star Gonzaga freshman Jalen Suggs missed a second consecutive game with a right leg injury suffered last weekend in a win over Virginia.</p>
<p>''We decided to give him another day of rest,'' Few said. ''Hopefully he'll be ready to roll against San Francisco.''</p>
<p>Dixie State tried to run with the Zags in the first half but could not sustain the pace. Ayayi scored 10 points as Gonzaga jumped to a 30-18 lead in the opening eight minutes, and the Bulldogs shot 70% to lead 36-24 after 12 minutes.</p>
<p>Kispert hit a pair of 3-pointers and Ayayi added one during a 13-2 run that lifted Gonzaga to a 49-26 lead late in the first half. The Bulldogs led 63-38 at the break after shooting 66.7%. Ayayi had 19 points in the first and Kispert had 12. Dixie State shot 48.5% in the first.</p>
<p>Gonzaga extended its lead to 30 points early in the second half and the Trailblazers faded.</p>
<p>STATS</p>
<p>Gonzaga had 72 points in the paint compared to 40 for Dixie State. The Zags also shot 60% in the game, compared to 42.9% for Dixie State.</p>
<p>TURNOVERS MATTER</p>
<p>Dixie State committed 20 turnovers, which the Zags converted into 30 points. The Zags had just seven turnovers in the game.</p>
<p>POLL IMPLICATIONS</p>
<p>Gonzaga should remain atop the Top 25 for an eighth week if it beats San Francisco on Saturday.</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>Dixie State: The Trailblazers, based in St. George, Utah, spent the past decade as an NCAA Division II power. The Western Athletic Conference team has four returning starters and came in averaging better than 80 points per game.</p>
<p>Gonzaga: The Bulldogs, coming off a 30-point win over Northern Arizona on Monday, are second in the nation with an average of 94.3 points per game and third in shooting at 55%. Kispert (20.6) and Drew Timme (20.6) lead the West Coast Conference in scoring. The Bulldogs have won 30 of their past 31 games.</p>
<p>UP NEXT.</p>
<p>Dixie State hosts Sagu American Indian College on Saturday.</p>
<p>Gonzaga hosts San Francisco in its WCC opener on Saturday. Few admitted that he hasn't paid much attention to the league yet. ''San Francisco is somebody that plays really tough,'' Few said. ''We have to be ready to go every night out.''</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Kispert, Ayayi lead No. 1 Gonzaga over Dixie State 112-67

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) For the second night in a row, Joel Ayayi put up a double-double as top-ranked Gonzaga beat an overmatched foe. Ayayi ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Army rushes to step in, will face West Virginia in Liberty Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2298823">
<p>When West Virginia coach Neil Brown gathered his coaches and players for practice on Dec. 21, they were preparing for a Liberty Bowl matchup with Tennessee on New Year's Eve in Memphis.</p>
<p>Then 2020 intervened.</p>
<p>"We started the day preparing for one opponent and will end it preparing for another, but that's how crazy 2020 has been," Brown said.</p>
<p>Tennessee pulled out of the bowl game after coach Jeremy Pruitt and multiple players tested positive for COVID-19. Luckily enough for the Liberty Bowl, it had a better team ready to step in.</p>
<p>Army went from being an outrageous snub to being an attractive catch at 9-2. The Commander-in-Chief trophy winners after a 10-7 defeat of Air Force on Dec. 19, the Black Knights were originally ticketed for the Independence Bowl after winning their sixth game on Oct. 24.</p>
<p>But when the Shreveport-based bowl had to cancel because so many prospective opponents opted out, it left Army in a lurch not of its own making.</p>
<p>Coach Jeff Monken made it clear that he thought his team was getting the short end of the stick, and aside from a handful of ESPN talking heads who had no trouble lugging the Power 5 conferences' water while leaving Group of 5 schools parched, Monken was preaching to the choir.</p>
<p>As the old saying goes, better late than never. The Knights have their bowl bid, and West Virginia (5-4) has a new, more formidable opponent.</p>
<p>"I have great respect for the Army football tradition and the sacrifice the cadets make daily for our country," Brown said. "Coach Monken and his staff have done a great job at West Point."</p>
<p>The Knights own 43 wins in the last five years under Monken, a disciple of former Navy and Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson.</p>
<p>Much like Johnson, Monken believes in triple-option football, a staple at the military academies for most of the last 30 years.</p>
<p>Army finished fourth in the nation this year in rushing, averaging 281.3 yards per game despite having only one player rush for more than 500 yards. But it had four players between 401 and 502 yards, a testament to the balance it possesses.</p>
<p>Most importantly, the Knights played excellent defense, permitting just 14 points per game. Nearly a fourth of their allowance came in a 38-12 loss last month at Tulane. Their other loss was to Cincinnati, 24-10, in September. Cincinnati is now 9-0 and ranked No. 8 in the CFP poll.</p>
<p>"This is going to be a tremendous challenge for us to have any opportunity to win the game," Monken said. "It's exciting for our players. They came here to play big-time football against top-level opponents, and I'm glad they have the opportunity to play one in West Virginia."</p>
<p>The Mountaineers could have easily been 7-2 were it not for one-possession losses at Texas Tech (34-27) and Texas (17-13) in a three-week span. Their final regular-season game with Oklahoma was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.</p>
<p>West Virginia's offense is led by Jarret Doege (2,428 yards, 13 TD passes) and Leddie Brown (945 rushing yards, nine TDs).</p>
<p>This will mark the first time the programs have met in 59 years. Army leads the series 2-1.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Army rushes to step in, will face West Virginia in Liberty Bowl

When West Virginia coach Neil Brown gathered his coaches and players for practice on Dec. 21, they were preparing for a Liberty Bowl matchu...

New on Sports Illustrated: Streaking TCU meets 3-7 Arkansas in Texas Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289219">
<p>Arkansas brings an unsightly 3-7 record and a four-game losing skid into the Texas Bowl to face TCU on New Year's Eve in Houston.</p>
<p>Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman isn't making any apologies.</p>
<p>"We'll always have folks who will say we were 3-7 and things of that nature. If you look at our schedule and look - obviously we played 10 SEC games, certainly played four I think of the top nine teams in the country," said Pittman, whose three wins were against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.</p>
<p>Teams did not need a winning record or a minimum number of victories this season to be eligible for a bowl due to the uncertainty of COVID-19.</p>
<p>The Horned Frogs (6-4), winners of three straight and five of their last six games, last faced the Razorbacks when they split a home-and-home series from 2016-17. TCU's winning streak includes a 29-22 victory over then-No. 15 Oklahoma State on Dec. 5.</p>
<p>The Texas Bowl will mark the Frogs' ninth game out of 11 played in Texas this season.</p>
<p>"Most of our kids are very excited, even the Louisiana kids because this is going to be an opportunity for their families to come watch them play," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "If it would have been somewhere out of state, going west or really further east, it would have been harder for them to do that."</p>
<p>Former Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks is a big reason why Arkansas won its three games this season and lost three others -- to Auburn, LSU and Missouri - by a combined seven points.</p>
<p>Franks has revived his career at Arkansas after suffering a gruesome ankle injury with the Gators in the third game of last season.</p>
<p>"A game here and there, we were in every game and we were competing and we did a good job with that," said Franks, who was the 2018 Peach Bowl MVP with Florida. "I think the program is turned around and definitely headed in the right direction with Coach Pittman and all of the staff and everybody did a great job of getting the program going in the right direction."</p>
<p>He has thrown for 2,107 yards at a 68.5 percent completion rate with 17 touchdowns and only four interceptions.</p>
<p>While other NFL prospects are opting out of bowls, Franks said he will play in the Texas Bowl.</p>
<p>"I feel like it's just my duty," he said. "Not necessarily my duty, but for me, I want to stay and I want to finish the season out. I want to finish what I started."</p>
<p>TCU's running game dictates its performances.</p>
<p>It leads the Big 12 at 216.0 rushing yards per game. The Horned Frogs are 6-0 when running for at least 200 yards. They have averaged 275.0 yards per game rushing in their six wins and 124.3 in the four losses.</p>
<p>Quarterback Max Duggan leads TCU in rushing with 526 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has completed 146 of 240 passes for 1,795 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Streaking TCU meets 3-7 Arkansas in Texas Bowl

Arkansas brings an unsightly 3-7 record and a four-game losing skid into the Texas Bowl to face TCU on New Year's Eve in Houston. Razo...

New on Sports Illustrated: Mississippi State brings losing mark into bowl battle with No. 24 Tulsa

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289190">
<p>At Mississippi State, bowl appearances are an annual occurrence.</p>
<p>No. 24 Tulsa, meanwhile, is set to end a brief postseason hiatus.</p>
<p>The Bulldogs (3-7) will make a school-record 11th consecutive bowl appearance, while the Golden Hurricane (6-2) will play in their first bowl since 2016 when they meet on New Year's Eve in the Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas.</p>
<p>Tulsa beat Central Michigan 55-10 in the Miami Beach Bowl in 2016. Then the Golden Hurricane went 2-10, 3-9 and 4-8 before having a breakout season this year.</p>
<p>"Throughout this time I've seen a lot of ups and downs," senior running back Corey Taylor II said. "It's been a blessing to see how a championship team is created, and I believe this Tulsa team is definitely a championship team."</p>
<p>Tulsa isn't an official championship team, but it did go 6-0 in American Athletic Conference regular-season play to reach the conference title game against undefeated Cincinnati on Dec. 19. The Bearcats escaped with a 27-24 victory on a field goal as time expired.</p>
<p>"It has been a magical year for this group," Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery said. "Now we get an opportunity to continue to play one more game."</p>
<p>The Golden Hurricane had four games canceled because of COVID-19 issues, including a contest at Houston. Tulsa has 62 Texans on its roster who get a chance to play in their home state after all.</p>
<p>"Generally we're playing at least one game a year down there whether that's an SMU or a Houston," Montgomery said. "For the guys (from Texas), it will be special to play this game in Fort Worth."</p>
<p>Any location would be special for the Bulldogs, who usually have a winning record going into their bowl game.</p>
<p>Mississippi State played the two best games of coach Mike Leach's first season in the first and last games of the season. The Bulldogs opened with a 44-34 road victory against defending national champion LSU, then lost seven of eight before finishing Dec. 19 with a 51-32 home victory against Missouri.</p>
<p>"We have been competitive all year," said Leach, who has led 17 of his 19 teams as a head coach to bowl games. "We practice hard and play hard, we just do it incongruently. We just do it in spurts and kind of segmented."</p>
<p>In between the first and last wins came a victory came against Vanderbilt. None of the Bulldogs' triumphs came against a team that currently sports a winning record.</p>
<p>Mississippi State gained 446 total yards in the finale, including its first 100-yard rushing game of the season (151).</p>
<p>"It's been a gradual process," Leach said. "We're not there yet, but we took a step (against Missouri)."</p>
<p>The season began with KJ Costello, a graduate transfer from Stanford, passing for a Southeastern Conference-record 623 yards against LSU, but gradually Leach transitioned to a youth movement.</p>
<p>Freshman Will Rogers took over the starting position at midseason, and he has passed for 1,828 yards. The Bulldogs' true freshmen have combined for 146 receptions, the most among any team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Mississippi State brings losing mark into bowl battle with No. 24 Tulsa

At Mississippi State, bowl appearances are an annual occurrence. No. 24 Tulsa, meanwhile, is set to end a brief postseason hiatus. The Bu...

New on Sports Illustrated: No. 22 San Jose State, Ball State embrace trip to Arizonna Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289193">
<p>San Jose State coach Brent Brennan and Ball State coach Mike Neu have never coached against each other because they have primarily operated in two different regions of the country throughout their coaching careers.</p>
<p>They have achieved similar success, however, with programs that will take part in the Arizona Bowl on New Year's Eve at Tucson.</p>
<p>"I've been following him since he took over there," Brennan said of Neu, who was hired by Ball State, his alma mater, in 2016. "And there's a really similar path to ours. I think this is a really fascinating matchup, if you look to where he was in 2017 and '18. There's some real similarities there. What they've been able to do this year has been awesome."</p>
<p>The 22nd-ranked Spartans (7-0) were 3-22 in Brennan's first two seasons in 2017 and 2018. After going 5-7 last season, his team is unbeaten and Mountain West champions for the first time in program history.</p>
<p>Brennan is becoming a noted coaching candidate, specifically at Arizona, where he was a graduate assistant in 2000. He is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson national coach of the year award.</p>
<p>Neu did not have more than four wins his first three seasons, but last year, the Cardinals went 5-7 and they are 6-1 this season with a Mid-American Conference title for the first time since 1996.</p>
<p>"(Playing in the Arizona Bowl) is a tremendous opportunity for our program," Neu said. "A lot of hard work has to be done between now and then facing a great opponent in San Jose State. We're really looking forward to it. A lot a lot of good preparation lies ahead here for the next several days before we get a chance to leave."</p>
<p>Neu said that preparation includes becoming hydrated to better handle Tucson's warmer weather than Muncie, Ind., this time of year. The last time Boise State has traveled this far west was in 1993 to play in the Las Vegas Bowl — when Neu was the starting quarterback.</p>
<p>"The first thing when we found out (when the bowl matchup was announced) we saw that it was 76 degrees in Tucson," Neu said from Muncie, where the high was 44 with precipitation. "The first thing we have to communicate with our young men is hydration. That starts now."</p>
<p>San Jose State features quarterback Nick Starkel, who completed 32 of 52 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns in the Mountain West title win over Boise State. He broke former Fresno State star Derek Carr's championship record of 404 yards passing set in 2013 in win against Utah State.</p>
<p>"Nick has put up a huge year," said Neu, who was a quarterback coach with the New Orleans Saints before his hire at Ball State. "We'll have a lot of tape here to study and put a great game plan together and go take on that challenge."</p>
<p>Ball State quarterback Drew Plitt has also had a productive season passing for 1,937 yards while completing 152 out of 232 pass attempts in only seven games. He has 16 touchdown passes and six interceptions.</p>
<p>-–Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: No. 22 San Jose State, Ball State embrace trip to Arizonna Bowl

San Jose State coach Brent Brennan and Ball State coach Mike Neu have never coached against each other because they have primarily operated...

New on Sports Illustrated: Bills earn 1st sweep of Patriots since '99 with 38-9 win

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/game/2239233">
<p>FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) The Buffalo Bills put a cherry atop the changing of the guard in the AFC East.</p>
<p>A week after unseating the Patriots as division champions, Buffalo became the first AFC East team in two decades to sweep New England in a season series with a 38-9 victory Monday night.</p>
<p>Josh Allen passed for four touchdowns to help the Bills stay in the mix for the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.</p>
<p>The Bills (12-3) last swept the Patriots in 1999. The last division opponents to sweep the Patriots were the Jets and Dolphins in 2000. The Patriots' 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent was an NFL record. New England (6-9) will finish with its first losing record since coach Bill Belichick's first season in 2000.</p>
<p>Allen was 27 of 36 for 320 yards. He now has 34 touchdown passes, surpassing Jim Kelly to set a franchise single-season record. With his eighth 300-yard game, he also surpassed Drew Bledsoe's single-season team record of seven.</p>
<p>''We've got one game left. And all that, it's cool, the records, this and that,'' Allen said. ''But the plan is to get to 13-3 and give ourselves a chance in the playoffs. It doesn't mean much if we can't get it done.''</p>
<p>Stefon Diggs had nine catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns, setting a Bills single-season record for receiving yards.</p>
<p>''I'm new to this team so I'm basking in (the) ambience of everybody,'' Diggs said. ''I've got a young quarterback who's balling.''</p>
<p>The Patriots struggled to move the ball for most of the night with running back Damien Harris out for the second straight game with an ankle injury. Cam Newton had a touchdown run but was just 5 of 10 for 34 yards passing before being pulled in the third quarter for backup Jarrett Stidham.</p>
<p>Newton's 34 yards passing are the fewest by a Patriots starting quarterback since 1993.</p>
<p>He said the season has been frustrating because the work he has put in hasn't translated into wins.</p>
<p>''I've sacrificed so much this year, and it hurts when you have an outing that you have tonight,'' he said.</p>
<p>Belichick said he hasn't made any decisions about who will start the Patriots' finale Sunday against the New York Jets.</p>
<p>''It was the opportunity to give him a chance to play,'' Belichick said of inserting Stidham. ''Cam did a good job for us. I mean, that wasn't the problem. We were just not very competitive in the beginning.''</p>
<p>The Bills had no trouble moving the ball against a depleted Patriots defense that was missing linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley and defensive tackle Lawrence Guy due to shoulder injuries.</p>
<p>Their absences were most glaring in the passing game. New England struggled to put pressure on Allen, allowing him time to find open receivers. The Patriots allowed a season-worst 474 yards overall.</p>
<p>''They outplayed us across the board, outplayed us and out-coached us,'' Belichick said.</p>
<p>The Patriots closed to 10-9 on Newton's 9-yard TD run in the second quarter, but Nick Folk missed the extra point and the Bills pulled away from there.</p>
<p>Buffalo used its passing game to march down the field on the ensuing drive. Allen completed 5 of 7 throws for 59 yards and a 4-yard TD to Lee Smith.</p>
<p>After a quick three-and-out by New England, the Bills went right back to work.</p>
<p>Allen misfired on his first pass of the drive, and then connected with Diggs for 17 yards to get the ball to midfield. Diggs got free again on the next play, slipping behind J.C. Jackson on a slant and sprinting the final 32 yards for the touchdown to make it 24-9.</p>
<p>The Allen-Diggs connection worked again on the opening drive of the second half. Allen found Diggs three times during an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard TD play by the star receiver.</p>
<p>INJURIES</p>
<p>Bills: S Jordan Poyer was helped off field late in second quarter to be evaluated for a head injury.</p>
<p>Patriots: DE Tashawn Bower left in the first quarter with a neck injury. . LB Josh Uche exited in second quarter with a foot injury. . LB Terez Hall left in the third quarter with an ankle injury. . S Devin McCourty exited in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. . C David Andrews left in the third quarter with a calf injury. . RG Shaq Mason exited in the third quarter with a foot injury. ... LB Anfernee Jennings left in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury.</p>
<p>MILESTONE</p>
<p>Diggs became the third player in the 51-year history of the AFC East to top 110 receptions and 1,400 yards receiving in a season. The other two are Wes Welker (New England, 2011) and Marvin Harrison (Indianapolis, 1999).</p>
<p>MOVING ON UP</p>
<p>With his TD run in the second quarter, his 12th of 2020, Newton tied Steve Grogan for the franchise single-season record for rushing TDs by a quarterback. It also marked Newton's 70th career rushing TD, extending his NFL record.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Bills: Host the Dolphins on Sunday.</p>
<p>Patriots: Host the Jets on Sunday.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Bills earn 1st sweep of Patriots since '99 with 38-9 win

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) The Buffalo Bills put a cherry atop the changing of the guard in the AFC East. A week after unseating the Patriots ...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Nets look to get back on track against Grizzlies

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292063">
<p>Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving put together another dynamic scoring display, but for the first time in the young NBA season, it did not result in a win for the Brooklyn Nets.</p>
<p>The Nets will attempt to bounce back from their first loss Monday night when they host the Memphis Grizzlies in the back end of their first back-to-back games.</p>
<p>Brooklyn began the Durant and Irving era by posting consecutive blowout wins over the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics, becoming the first team since the 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers to win its first two games by at least 20 points.</p>
<p>On Sunday, the Nets got another big night from the duo but wound up taking their first loss when their comeback from a 16-point deficit fell short in a 106-104 loss at Charlotte. Durant scored 29 but missed a game-tying fadeaway with seven seconds remaining while Irving finished with 25.</p>
<p>"It's a long season and a long process, less than 30 days in here," Nets coach Steve Nash said. "We're still trying to find ourselves and figure out who we are. They've been exceptional thus far with their effort, their engagement. They've been exceptional with their effort, and tonight was a little bit of a letdown, but that's going to happen. When you're playing basketball, almost every time you can't be perfect every time."</p>
<p>Durant and Irving are the first duo in franchise history to score at least 20 points in each of the team's first three games. It is possible Durant or Irving could sit out Monday due to the back-to-back and the fact that both are coming off injuries, but any decisions likely will be made Monday.</p>
<p>Whatever lineup the Nets use, Spencer Dinwiddie won't be in it on Monday. Dinwiddie injured his right knee early in the third quarter on Sunday making a pass to Durant and did not return. He reportedly suffered a partially torn ACL.</p>
<p>One area the Nets hope to correct is controlling the paint. After allowing under 40 percent shooting in its first two games, Brooklyn was outscored 64-26 in the paint against Charlotte.</p>
<p>Memphis heads to Brooklyn after allowing 126.5 points in double-digit home losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks. The Grizzlies hope to avoid their first 0-3 start since dropping the first four games of the 2004-05 season.</p>
<p>The Grizzlies are winless despite two big games from Ja Morant, who is averaging 36 points. He scored 44 in Wednesday's 131-119 loss to San Antonio and followed it with 28 in Saturday's 122-112 loss to Atlanta, when the Grizzlies were outscored 19-9 in the final 5:03.</p>
<p>Although Morant is off to a strong start offensively, he is getting frustrated by a lack of calls from officials. His frustration earned him a technical foul in the fourth quarter Saturday during a game in which he took four free throws.</p>
<p>"It's my second year," Morant said. "I let a lot of stuff slide, but I'm not going for that no more. Everybody who knows me, knows I'm always smiling, laughing, and when somebody gets fed up, that's what happens."</p>
<p>Memphis swept the series from the Nets last season, getting a 134-133 overtime home win on Oct. 27, 2019, and a 118-79 rout in Brooklyn on March 4.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Nets look to get back on track against Grizzlies

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving put together another dynamic scoring display, but for the first time in the young NBA season, it did not resu...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Penn State, Indiana aim for first Big Ten win

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-basketball/game/2286992">
<p>Indiana and Penn State are two teams looking to not fall far behind in the competitive Big Ten.</p>
<p>That makes the matchup between the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-2 Big Ten) and Hoosiers (5-4, 0-2) on Wednesday night crucial, as both teams are still seeking their first conference wins of the season.</p>
<p>"We've got to get in the race," Indiana coach Archie Miller said on his radio show Monday night. "The gun took off and everyone took off running, and we're holding in the blocks right now, and you don't want to get too far behind because there's some fast teams.</p>
<p>"I think just in general our resolve, our togetherness, our resolve early here in the conference season is going to be tested here on Wednesday night."</p>
<p>Indiana is returning home after a 69-60 loss at then-No. 18 Illinois in a game in which the Hoosiers led by five points in the middle of the second half but couldn't make big shots and big plays down the stretch.</p>
<p>"We were good enough to win the game," Miller said. "We had our opportunities in terms of execution late, being able to hit a couple of shots."</p>
<p>Armaan Franklin (13.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds) has sparked the Hooisers of late, averaging 19.5 points and shooting 65.4 percent from 3-point range (17 of 26) over Indiana's past four games. But the team is looking to get more from preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is coming off a 3-for-13 shooting day in the loss to Illinois.</p>
<p>"In this league, your best players, your most experienced players that you are counting on, have to be able to deliver for you in a way that gives you a chance," Miller said.</p>
<p>Penn State is still searching for its identity after losing front-court starters Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins from last season's 21-10 team. The Nittany Lions also are coming off a loss to Illinois, 98-81 on Dec. 23. Penn State jumped to an early 19-4 lead but couldn't sustain that high level of play for 40 minutes.</p>
<p>"Just staying with the grind," Penn State interim coach Jim Ferry said. "Just focusing on addressing some of our weaknesses and strengthening our strengths. Talk about having a Big Ten mentality and a Big Ten mental toughness, and we've said this multiple times -- it's the best league in the country, and you've gotta have really tough skin and focus on yourselves and focus on the next one that's in front of you."</p>
<p>Four Penn State players are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Izaiah Brockington, who is at 15.2 points and 5.2 rebounds a game.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Penn State, Indiana aim for first Big Ten win

Indiana and Penn State are two teams looking to not fall far behind in the competitive Big Ten. That makes the matchup between the Nittany...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Wisconsin, Wake Forest meet for first time in Duke's Mayo Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289185">
<p>There could be plenty of energy and fresh bodies when Wake Forest and Wisconsin meet in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N.C.</p>
<p>Both schools figure to have unfinished business to tend to in what probably feels like an incomplete season for each squad. This is the first-ever meeting between the programs.</p>
<p>Wisconsin (3-3), which looked to be a contender in the Big Ten Conference when the season began, is in a bowl for the 19th consecutive season -- the third-longest active streak in the country.</p>
<p>"We have said throughout this season that all we want is a chance to play," Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. "With all that has gone on and especially after (defeating Minnesota), our guys are excited for one more opportunity."</p>
<p>Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said his team is enthused about the chance to finish the season with a victory after back-to-back losses -- albeit almost a month apart -- to close the regular season.</p>
<p>"We didn't do all this work to play eight games. We don't want our last game to be Louisville," he said, referring to a 45-21 loss to the Cardinals on Dec. 12.</p>
<p>Wake Forest (4-4) is playing in a school-record fifth consecutive bowl. The Demon Deacons won the first three of those -- including in 2017 against Texas A&M in Charlotte (then called the Belk Bowl) -- before losing last season to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl.</p>
<p>"When we played Texas A&M, that was a big deal," Clawson said. "To get a team like Wisconsin that we have great respect for and we know is a traditional power, that's a big deal to our players."</p>
<p>The Badgers were much busier than Wake Forest recently, playing five games in the last six weeks. They lost three in a row before pulling out a 20-17 overtime win against Minnesota on Dec. 19.</p>
<p>Senior Garrett Groshek rushed for 161 yards and his first touchdown of the season against the Golden Gophers.</p>
<p>"It shows you that he cares about this team," Chryst said, hoping that type of spirit carries over to the bowl game.</p>
<p>Quarterback Graham Mertz took a hit and didn't finish the Minnesota game. Chryst speculated that he would be OK, though Chase Wolf took snaps during the crucial final minutes. Mertz has thrown for eight touchdowns.</p>
<p>Wake Forest has played only once since Nov. 14 and played the fewest games of any Atlantic Coast Conference team this season. This will be the Demon Deacons' seventh game in their home state this year.</p>
<p>Among games canceled for Wake Forest were matchups with Notre Dame, Miami, Duke and Florida State. The Seminoles weren't on the original schedule, but added for Dec. 19 amid the ACC's late-season scheduling revisions, and then called off because FSU's coronavirus protocols.</p>
<p>Wisconsin leads the nation in time of possession, playing at a more deliberate pace than Wake Forest prefers.</p>
<p>"They have a style of football in a way that works for them," Clawson said. "We have a style of football that has worked for us."</p>
<p>Wake Forest defensive end Carlos Basham has opted not to play in the bowl game. He had 23 consecutive games with a tackle for loss until the Louisville game, a mark that had been the longest active string in the country.</p>
<p>Team scoring leader Kenneth Walker III, a sophomore running back with 13 touchdowns in seven games, also has chosen not to compete any more this year. He sat out the Louisville game as well.</p>
<p>This is the first year of this bowl's tie-in with the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers are 4-1 in bowls against current ACC members.</p>
<p>Initially, a crowd limited to fewer than 6,000 fans was anticipated per state guidelines amid the pandemic. On Dec. 22, bowl officials announced that only family and friends of team members and bowl sponsors will be permitted to attend.</p>
<p>--Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Wisconsin, Wake Forest meet for first time in Duke's Mayo Bowl

There could be plenty of energy and fresh bodies when Wake Forest and Wisconsin meet in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N...

New on Sports Illustrated: Passers in spotlight as OU, UF collide in Cotton Bowl

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-football/game/2289188">
<p>The only other time Florida and Oklahoma have played, in the BCS Championship following the 2008 season, the focus was largely on the quarterbacks.</p>
<p>This time around, with the Gators' Kyle Trask and Sooners' Spencer Rattler, the position is once again front and center when the teams meet in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30 in Arlington, Texas.</p>
<p>That first meeting featured a pair of Heisman winners in Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford.</p>
<p>While Rattler isn't a Heisman contender, yet at least, and Trask's chances to win the award probably disappeared with Florida's recent two-game winning streak, both have been critical in their team's success.</p>
<p>They've also taken wildly different routes to stardom.</p>
<p>Rattler was a five-star phenom in the Phoenix area who had his pick of schools before choosing to sign with Oklahoma.</p>
<p>He was among the Heisman favorites by oddsmakers entering this season even though he had never started in college.</p>
<p>The redshirt freshman put together a strong season, throwing for nearly 280 yards per game, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 68.0 percent of his passes.</p>
<p>"(Rattler) can run around, extend plays, scramble, and make things happen with his feet as well as having a really live arm," Florida coach Dan Mullen said.</p>
<p>Trask had none of the hype.</p>
<p>He wasn't even the starting quarterback at his high school, instead serving as the backup to D'Eriq King, now Miami's quarterback.</p>
<p>But Trask stuck with the team and eventually drew the attention of Florida coaches, who offered him a scholarship.</p>
<p>Trask, now a senior, didn't get a serious opportunity to start for the Gators until last year when Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending injury.</p>
<p>Trask's numbers last season during his eight games as a starter are nearly identical to Rattler's – 277.5 passing yards per game, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Their team's 8-2 records in those games are even identical.</p>
<p>But Trask has emerged as a star this season, throwing for 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns – 11 more than any other FBS quarterback – with just five interceptions.</p>
<p>"He's done a really good job of using the weapons," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "They've got a tremendous scheme that really features what he does well. But you can see, having watched him a little bit more last year, you can see obviously the improvement he's made."</p>
<p>Trask will be without one of his top targets for the game. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the favorite for the Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football, announced he was opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.</p>
<p>While Oklahoma's offense has garnered plenty of attention since Riley arrived, the Sooners (8-2) have their best defense in recent years. The defense is keyed by their front, which is averaging 3.8 sacks per game, sixth-best in FBS, while allowing just 90.6 yards per game on the ground, No. 3 nationally.</p>
<p>Florida (8-3) has struggled defensively in spots this season, including recently, allowing an average of 511.5 yards and 44.5 points per game in losses to LSU and Alabama.</p>
<p>–Field Level Media</p>
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Passers in spotlight as OU, UF collide in Cotton Bowl

The only other time Florida and Oklahoma have played, in the BCS Championship following the 2008 season, the focus was largely on the quart...