Olympic champion Sara Hector is leading a tight women’s World Cup giant slalom after the opening run.

LaMelo Ball had 22 points and seven rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Orlando Magic 120-105 after losing rookie forward Kon Knueppel to a right ankle injury in the first half.

Supermaxis Master Lock Comanche and defending champion LawConnect have continued their close duel on the second day of the 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Austin Reaves could miss at least a month with a strained left calf, a damaging blow for the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.

A lawyer for Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia and 26 other football players has cited the NCAA’s decision to allow an NBA draft pick to return to college basketball as a reason that a federal judge should let his clients play in 2026 and 2027.

Jalen Smith scored his second touchdown a diving 12-yard catch in the first overtime and Minnesota extended its postseason winning streak to nine straight games with a 20-17 win over New Mexico in Rate Bowl.

Michigan has hired Kyle Whittingham as its football coach, giving the former Utah coach a five-year contract to replace the fired and disgraced Sherrone Moore.

The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to bench defensive end Maxx Crosby for Sunday’s home game against the New York Giants in a matchup of teams with the NFL’s worst records.

Patrick Dorgu's first goal for Manchester United has given the club a 1-0 win over Newcastle in a pulsating Premier League match at Old Trafford.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love won’t play Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens a week after leaving a game with a concussion.

Nikola Jokic set an NBA record with 18 points in overtime.

Influencer Jordyn Woods and New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns are engaged.

Nikola Jokic set an NBA record with 18 points in overtime, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 142-138 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas night.

Travis Kelce tried to make Thursday night a memorable one if it is his last game at Arrowhead Stadium.

The San Antonio Spurs have emerged as a serious threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA dominance.

The television adaptation of Rachel Reid’s novel “Heated Rivalry” is making waves with hockey romance fans.

The Lions are staying home for the playoffs, the Packers are in the postseason and only one spot remains open in the NFC.

Bo Nix ran for a touchdown and threw a go-ahead pass to R.

Master Lock Comanche was leading defending champion LawConnect in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race late on the first day of the 80th running of the ocean race to the island state of Tasmania.

Jordan Addison took a jet sweep handoff 65 yards for the game-sealing touchdown with 3:43 left after the Minnesota Vikings forced six turnovers and eliminated the Detroit Lions from contention for the playoffs with a 23-10 victory.

Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions have gifted the division rival Green Bay Packers a spot in the playoffs.

Stephen Curry scored 23 points and knocked down a key 3-pointer with 3:45 left to help seal it, Jimmy Butler added 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-116.

Dallas Mavericks center Anthony Davis suffered an apparent groin injury in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors.

Tyler Kolek sprinted back to chase down Donovan Mitchell and had enough energy left to gloat about his defensive stop afterward.

Dak Prescott threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns, and the Dallas Cowboys blew most of an 18-point lead before squeezing past the Washington Commanders 30-23.

Jalen Brunson scored 34 points, reserve Jordan Clarkson had 25 and the New York Knicks came from 17 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124 on Thursday and win on Christmas Day for the third straight year.

A person familiar with the injury says Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis will have season-ending foot surgery.

John Robertson, a former Scotland winger who won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest and scored the only goal in the 1980 final, has died.

Mikaela Shiffrin has plenty to celebrate this Christmas.

Backup quarterback Luke Weaver threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left, and Hawaii rallied for a 35-31 victory over California in the Hawaii Bowl.

A person with knowledge of the medical tests tells The Associated Press that the Denver Nuggets have received positive news about forward Cameron Johnson.

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The San Antonio Spurs are the hottest team in the NBA just a year removed from two of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Eleven teams are in the NFL playoffs.

The College Football Playoff's first round averaged 9.9 million viewers across multiple networks, marking a 7% drop from last year.

With Jayden Daniels shut down for the regular season because of an elbow injury and backup Marcus Mariota sidelined, the Washington Commanders will start Josh Johnson against the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas.

The president of Turkish sports club Fenerbahce has been taken into custody in Istanbul as part of a drug investigation involving entertainment and media figures.

Ivory Coast has got its Africa Cup of Nations title defense off to a winning start and France great Zinedine Zidane has watched his goalkeeper son’s safe hands as Algeria also started its campaign with a win.

Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos has dropped his appeal for another year of college eligibility and declared for the NFL draft.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim appears optimistic about the injuries to Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo though he confirmed both midfielders will miss Friday’s game against Newcastle.

United States defender Chris Richards says it “won’t be long” until he’s back for Crystal Palace.

Chicago, New England and Jacksonville have clinched playoff spots this week after disappointing 2024 seasons.

Jumbo Ozaki has died after a battle with colon cancer.

Lawyers for Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are asking a judge to throw out sports gambling charges that have kept him off the court this season, arguing that the government overreached by turning a private dispute over bettors’ use of non-public information into a federal case.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is done with LIV Golf.

Arsenal will face Chelsea in the English League Cup semifinals after beating Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Martha Stewart has joined pal Snoop Dogg as a minority owner of Welsh soccer team Swansea.

The National Women’s Soccer League has created a rule to give clubs flexibility to sign star players to contracts over the salary cap.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen says he's planning to play against Philadelphia this weekend after missing a walk-through practice because of a sore right foot on Tuesday.

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Missouri pass rusher Damon Wilson II claims Georgia's athletic department is trying to illegally punish him for entering the transfer portal.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a two-year deal with All-Star Ryan O'Hearn to boost their struggling offense.

Ohio State and Miami are set to meet in the Cotton Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, on New Year's Eve.

Travis Kelce has played 96 regular-season home games for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are married.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has thrown his support behind wide receiver DK Metcalf.

The evolution of the Christmas Day sports calendar in the U.S. has given fans a respite if they need a break from family gatherings or just some entertainment while they sip on eggnog.

Al Michaels has reached a remarkable milestone in his broadcasting career, marking 40 years as the play-by-play announcer for the NFL’s primetime games.

Nicolas Jackson has scored twice and Senegal has started its Africa Cup of Nations title bid with a 3-0 win over Botswana.

The Chiefs are moving to a new $3 billion stadium in Kansas, leaving their Missouri home.

Since his breakthrough performance in 2017’s “Call Me By Your Name,” Timothée Chalamet has been on an ever-ascending path that seemed to reach a culmination when he declared that he’s “in pursuit of greatness” while accepting the best actor award from the Screen Actors Guild for his performance as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.

Afghanistan’s annual buzkashi tournament has concluded, with Sar-e-Pul defeating Badakhshan 7-0 in the final.

Warriors forward Draymond Green had a heated exchange with coach Steve Kerr in the huddle during a third-quarter timeout and then went to the locker room on his own to cool down.

Quarterback Philip Rivers came out of retirement to lead the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs.

England’s managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key says he will investigate the drinking habits of the England team following reports that their mid-Ashes beach break involved over-indulging of alcohol.

The Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers have qualified for the AFC playoffs with the Indianapolis Colts’ 48-27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Six Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks were selected for the Pro Bowl Games.

Brock Purdy threw a career-high five touchdown passes and Dee Winters returned an interception 74 yards for a score to lead the San Francisco 49ers to a 48-27 victory at Indianapolis.

AJ Dybantsa had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead No. 10 BYU to a 109-81 victory over Eastern Washington.

Zion Williamson scored 24 points, including 10 straight in a decisive two-minute span of the fourth quarter, to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 119-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, extending the Pelicans’ season-long winning streak to five games.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava is returning for another season instead of declaring for the NFL draft.

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle will be stepping down as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association at the end of the month and Detroit coach J.

Nick Saban knows his strengths with seven national championships as a college football coach.

A Raul Jimenez penalty has given Fulham a 1-0 win at home over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still control their playoff hopes despite losing for the sixth time in seven games.

Mito Pereira is retiring from golf and going home to Chile.

The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for two games following an altercation with a fan during the team’s victory over Detroit.

Notre Dame and Southern California's iconic college football rivalry is on hold.

Napoli has been crowned Italian Super Cup champion after beating Bologna 2-0 in Riyadh.

Biff Poggi tapped on a lectern as he closed a news conference and made his case to be Michigan’s football coach beyond its bowl game.

Ryan Day will call the offensive plays for Ohio State during the College Football Playoff.

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz calls Munetaka Murakami “one of the most prolific power hitters on the planet” and expects the 25-year-old Japanese slugger to make an immediate impact on his rebuilding team next season.

Sports were turned upside down 50 years ago Tuesday by a man who never threw or kicked a ball.

Arizona remains No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, but Michigan is closing the gap.

Jacob Rodriguez was sleeping on the floor of his brother’s apartment when he first got to Texas Tech as a walk-on in the spring of 2022.

UConn, Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA remain at the top of The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll.

The NBA and FIBA have announced plans to engage with teams and owners about a new European league.

Spain will end 2025 as the top men’s team in the FIFA rankings after there were limited changes in the new standings.

Italy’s four flag bearers for its upcoming home Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have been honored in a handover ceremony at the presidential palace.

Central Florida Miracle League has played at Trotter’s Park for about 20 years. Earlier this year, the field had deteriorated so badly it had become unplayable, putting the future of the league at risk.

U.S.-born Atle Lie McGrath has edged out Olympic champion Clément Noël to claim victory in a World Cup slalom at Alta Badia in Italy.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced they will leave their longtime home at Arrowhead Stadium for a new, domed stadium that will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and be ready for the start of the 2031 season.

Drake Maye guided New England to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, rallying his team from an 11-point deficit to a 28-24 victory over Baltimore that clinched a postseason spot for the Patriots and dealt a devastating blow to the Ravens’ playoff hopes.

Jared Goff and Dan Campbell have refused to blame the officials after the Detroit Lions were penalized two times in the final 22 seconds of a 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers — with each flag negating a go-ahead touchdown.

Lamar Jackson’s injury-plagued season has thrust Baltimore’s star quarterback to the sideline again.

Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s franchise scoring record with a goal and an assist in the first period of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have pushed the Detroit Lions to the brink of elimination from the playoffs thanks to a wild finish.

Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 34-20 win over the Denver Broncos.

Matas Buzelis scored 28 points to lead nine Chicago players in double figures and the Bulls outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 152-150 on Sunday in the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season.

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has declined to address his future with the team after another embarrassing loss.