NFL
HOUSTON (AP) — Lovie Smith was fired as coach of the Houston Texans on Sunday evening after only one season during which the group went Three-13-1.
It is the second straight season the Texans have fired a coach after only one yr. They parted methods with David Culley final January after he went Four-13 in his solely season.
Smith was requested about his future after Sunday’s recreation in Indianapolis and appeared assured he’ll be again subsequent season. A couple of hours later, he was out of a job.
The Texans have had the worst file within the league for many of the season, however have gained two of their final three video games, capped by Sunday’s win over the Colts that price the group the No. 1 choose in subsequent yr’s draft. The 32-31 win over Indianapolis gave Chicago the highest choose and left Houston with the second choose in April’s draft.
Smith, 64, was one of many few black coaches within the NFL together with Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Miami’s Mike McDaniel, who’s biracial. It’s the third time for the reason that merger that a group has fired its head coach in consecutive years after only one season.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Nyheim Hines ignited an emotional environment by celebrating injured Payments security Damar Hamlin by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns as Buffalo clinched its second straight playoff seed on Sunday of the AFC with a 35-23 victory over the New England Patriots.
The loss, together with Miami beating the New York Jets, eradicated the Patriots (Eight-9) from the playoffs for the second time in three years and simply the fourth time in 23 seasons throughout Invoice Belichick’s tenure as coach. Buffalo will now host their division rival Dolphins within the wild-card spherical subsequent weekend.
With the sport in hand, Payments gamers held up three fingers in honor of Hamlin’s quantity, with the gang chanting “Hamlin! Hamlin!”
The Payments (13-Three) ended their season by successful their final seven video games and overcame an emotional week during which the group was devastated to observe Hamlin collapse after he went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the sector in Cincinnati on Monday within the night. .
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was intercepted by Kerby Joseph on the ultimate move of what might be his closing recreation, and the Inexperienced Bay Packers misplaced 20-16 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday evening to overlook the playoffs the
After successful 4 straight video games and getting loads of assist from different groups, the Packers had been in charge of their postseason future heading into the ultimate recreation of the NFL common season. However they had been no match for the Lions, who had been eradicated from the playoffs earlier Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 in extra time.
Seattle (9-Eight) as an alternative clinched the NFC’s closing playoff spot and can play at San Francisco (13-Four) within the opening spherical. The Packers (Eight-9) missed the playoffs for the primary time in Matt LaFleur’s 4 seasons as coach.
Rodgers went 17-of-27 for 205 yards with a landing in what might be the ultimate look at Lambeau Subject for the four-time MVP. Though he’s underneath contract for subsequent season, Rodgers, 39, stated he didn’t know if he would proceed to play.
In the course of the recreation, Rodgers grew to become the eighth NFL participant to have at the least 5,000 profession completions.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago will choose No. 1 for the primary time since 1947 after shedding 29-13 to the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday’s season finale. It was the 10th straight loss for the Bears (Three-14), extending a franchise file, and the 14 losses total additionally tied for probably the most in group historical past.
Even with all that mess, the Bears headed to the No. 1 choose. 2 earlier than Lovie Smith coached Houston to a wild 32-31 win at Indianapolis. Davis Mills handed for 3 touchdowns because the Texans (Three-13-1) rallied for his or her second win in three video games.
It was Smith’s final recreation with Houston. He was fired by the Texans on Sunday evening.
ATLANTA (AP) — Tom Brady broke his personal NFL file for many completions in a season, shortly incomes the 9 wanted touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s recreation in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Brady had a file 485 completions with the Buccaneers in 2021. Brady, 45, entered Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Falcons with 477 completions, leaving him simply 9 shy of a brand new file.
Brady hit a 5-yard completion to former Falcons large receiver Russell Gage early within the second quarter. The sideline move gave Brady 9 completions in his first 12 makes an attempt and 486 for the season.
Brady accomplished 13 of 17 passes for 84 yards with a landing, giving him 490 completions for the season. He was changed by Blaine Gabbert late within the first half.
NBA
MIAMI (AP) — Royce O’Neale’s layup with Three.2 seconds left stored Brooklyn going and the Nets beat the Miami Warmth 102-101 on Sunday evening in a recreation during which Kevin Durant left early, injured proper knee.
Kyrie Irving scored 29 to steer the Nets, who’ve now gained 18 of their final 20 – after successful simply 9 of their first 20 video games. Durant had 17 earlier than leaving and Seth Curry scored 14 for Brooklyn.
Nic Claxton had 13 factors and 11 rebounds for the Nets.
Jimmy Butler scored 26 for Miami, which acquired 24 from Tyler Herro. Butler missed a contested shot on the rim on the ultimate play of the sport, and Herro was additionally rocked earlier than going limp — replays displaying he may need slipped.
PHOENIX (AP) — Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell each scored 22 factors and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied late to beat the struggling Phoenix Suns 112-98 on Sunday evening.
The Cavaliers gained for the fourth time in 5 video games. It is the second time this week that the Cavs have overtaken the Suns for first place after beating them 90-88 on Wednesday.
The struggling Phoenix — taking part in with out the All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker — have dropped six in a row and 9 of 10. The Suns at the moment are 20-21, the primary time they’ve fallen under .500 all season . season.
The offensively challenged Suns did not high 100 factors for a fourth straight recreation.
GOLF
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Jon Rahm started the PGA Tour’s daring new yr by coming from seven photographs behind to win the Sentry Match of Champions on Sunday, with loads of assist from Collin Morikawa, who had a spectacular sweep even by Maui requirements. .
Rahm was six photographs behind on the 13th gap at Kapalua when he ran off with three straight birdies and a 12-foot eagle putt, and his closing birdie gave him a 10-under 63.
Morikawa was two teams behind him. He had bogey-free 67 holes on the Plantation Course when all the things fell aside together with his wedges and putter, the 2 areas that had taken him to a six-shot lead earlier within the day.
Morikawa seemed to be in shock as he walked the 17th fairway, main by seven photographs throughout the closing spherical and all of a sudden falling two photographs behind and hopeless. He ended up tying a PGA Tour file for shedding the longest 54-hole lead by six photographs. Eight different gamers have executed it, most just lately Scottie Scheffler finally yr’s Tour Championship.
Rahm completed at 27-under 265 to win by two photographs over Morikawa, who birdied the 18th gap – his first birdie since No. 6 – to complete with a 72.
BASE-BALL
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox nearer Liam Hendricks says he has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Hendriks introduced on Instagram on Sunday that he had been identified in latest days. The three-time All-Star was scheduled to start remedy on Monday.
Hendriks stated he’s “assured” he’ll “make a full restoration and be again on the mound as quickly as attainable.”
The five-year survival fee for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 73.Eight %, in response to the Nationwide Most cancers Institute. Some varieties are aggressive whereas others are sluggish rising.
Normal supervisor Rick Hahn stated in a press release that the White Sox don’t anticipate to have an replace on Hendriks’ standing earlier than Opening Day.