The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills put on an instant classic in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday evening, but once again, Patrick Mahomes topped Josh Allen in the playoffs. Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce in the corner of the end zone in overtime, giving the Chiefs a wild 42-36 win on their home field. The two teams gave us the wildest final two minutes of regulation you will ever see, combining for 25 points over the final 1:54 of the fourth quarter. That included Josh Allen connecting with Gabriel Davis for two go-ahead touchdowns, while Harrison Butker forced overtime with a 48-yard field goal as time expired. Mahomes drove the Chiefs in to field goal range with just 18 seconds on the clock for that game-tying kick, and finished with 378 yards and three touchdowns, including a 68-yard strike to Tyreek Hill during the wild final minutes. Allen did everything he could to finally advance his Bills, throwing for 329 yards, with his top target being Davis, who had eight catches for 201 yards and a playoff record four touchdowns. The loss for Buffalo was their ninth straight playoff loss on the road, including last year in Kansas City. The Chiefs are once again one win away from the Super Bowl, and will play host to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams were dominating on the road Sunday afternoon, looking to cruise to the NFC Championship Game, but then Tom Brady started doing Tom Brady-type things late. After the Bucs rallied from a 27-3 deficit, Matt Stafford powered the Rams on a quick drive down the field, setting up Matt Gay for the game-winning 30-yard field goal for a 30-27 road win, advancing to host the NFC Championship Game next Sunday. Stafford threw for 366 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Cooper Kupp for a clutch 44-yard reception, setting up Gay to win the game. That big throw overcame the Bucs tying the game on Leonard Fournette's nine-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds remaining, this after the Bucs forced the fourth fumble of the day from the road team. Stafford and Kupp connected for a big 70-yard touchdown earlier in the game, and the QB also found Kendall Blanton for a score one week after getting the first playoff win of his 13-year NFL career. Brady, who is reportedly set to consider retirement this off-season, threw for 329 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while getting sacked three times and losing one fumble. The Rams get their third win against the Bucs over the past two seasons, and prevent them from becoming the first repeat Super Bowl Champions since the New England Patriots in 2004. They return back out west to the home of the Super Bowl, hosting their NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers for the NFC Title Game next Sunday.

The Golden State Warriors earned themselves a much-needed quality victory after a rough stretch as of late, holding off the Utah Jazz at home, 94-92, on Sunday night. Jordan Poole led the way with 20 points, helping the Warriors overcome another rough shooting night for Steph Curry. The two-time NBA MVP finished with just 13 points, going 1-for-13 from three-point range and 5-for-20 overall. Damion Lee also stepped up with 12 points off the bench, including four clutch three-pointers. The Warriors scored just 11 points in the final 12 minutes, but held the Jazz to 17 in that frame, as the road team shot 37.8% on the night. Poole had a big night while starting in place of Klay Thompson, who was a late scratch with soreness in the surgically repaired left knee. 

Jayson Tatum reminded the NBA world that despite his Boston Celtics hovering around .500, he is still a major scoring threat in the league. The forward went off for 51 points, including 48 in the first three quarters alone, as the Celtics blew past the Washington Wizards, 116-87, on Sunday. Tatum connected on nine shots from three-point range and finished 18-of-28 from the floor overall. That helped him reach 31 points by halftime, and it was a driving layup with 4:30 left in the game that got him to 50. The Wizards never led in a game that saw head coach Wes Unseld Jr. return to the sidelines from his COVID protocol break, but Bradley Beal had just 19 points to lead the way for the home team. The Wizards have now dropped three in a row, falling a game under .500 on the season, while the Celtics moved back to the .500 mark with the road victory. 

Other key scores saw Luka Doncic post 37 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds in the Dallas Mavericks' 104-91 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Duncan Robinson scored 25 points as the Miami Heat held off the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-107. Anthony Edwards' 25 points powered the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Brooklyn Nets, 136-125. Trae Young put up 30 points in the Atlanta Hawks' 113-91 rout of the Charlotte Hornets. R.J. Barrett had a double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds in the New York Knicks' 110-102 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers. And C.J. McCollum had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers got past the Toronto Raptors, 114-105.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be without Grayson Allen for one game, as the forward was suspended by the league for his hard flagrant foul against Alex Caruso on Friday night. The incident sent Caruso to the sidelines for six to weight weeks, as the fractured wrist will require surgery. Allen was ejected from Friday's 94-90 Bucks' win over the Chicago Bulls after a flagrant 2 foul that sent Caruso hard to the ground in the second quarter. The Bucks said they "disagree" with the suspension, while Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was not happy with the play, and Caruso was upset with Allen not even checking on him. The Bucks' tough player will serve the suspension on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and will be set to return on Friday night against the New York Knicks. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins needed a rally on their home ice, but they got just that on Sunday afternoon to get past the Winnipeg Jets in a shootout for a 3-2 victory. Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Carter scored nine seconds apart in the third period, helping the home team erase a two-goal deficit to force overtime. Sidney Crosby went on to score the only shootout goal, helping the Penguins to their fifth straight victory. Their All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry made 27 saves on the night, and the Penguins moved past the Washington Capitals and in to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 26 victories and 57 points on the season.

Other key scores saw Carl Grundstrom score the tiebreaking goal in the Los Angeles Kings' 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Justin Faulk had a goal and an assist in the St. Louis Blues' 3-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks. And the Seattle Kraken scored twice in the third period to upset the Florida Panthers at home, 5-3.

The Marquette Golden Eagles earned themselves a ranked upset win on Saturday afternoon, topping the 20th-ranked Xavier Musketeers, 75-64, on their home floor. Justin Lewis stayed hot, leading the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, as they held off a late comeback attempt from the road team for their 14th win of the season. Darryl Morsell added 19 points and Kam Jones chipped in 12, as the Golden Eagles earned their sixth straight win, moving to 6-3 in conference play. They shot 53% from the floor in the second half, which is where Xavier struggled. The Musketeers hit their first six shots of the second half, and then went 5-of-26 from the floor the rest of the way. The road team dropped to 4-3 in conference play despite Paul Scruggs' 13 points, while Colby Jones added 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the loss.

Other ranked scores saw the third-ranked Arizona Wildcats rout California, 96-71, behind Christian Koloko's 19 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. The fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers bounced back with an 80-60 rout of the Northwestern Wildcats, as Sasha Stefanovic had 22 points. And the 21st-ranked Providence Friars got 18 points from Nate Watson to hold off the Butler Bulldogs, 69-62.

Wide receiver Jermaine Burton is making an interesting call in the transfer portal, deciding to stay in the SEC Conference by transferring from the Georgia Bulldogs to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Burton made this announcement on Sunday, almost two weeks since the Bulldogs topped the Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Burton was second on the Bulldogs this past season with 497 receiving yards, and tied for second with five receiving touchdowns. He initially chose Georgia over the likes of LSU, Alabama, Arizona State, and Oregon as the No. 99 recruit in 2020, but he is now one of eight players transferring from Georgia. Despite this loss, the Bulldogs will be returning four of the six top players in receiving yards, along with quarterback Stetson Bennett next season.

The Cincinnati Bengals continue to make franchise history this season with their run behind quarterback Joe Burrow, as they walked off to the AFC Championship Game on Saturday afternoon with a 19-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. Rookie Evan McPherson made his fourth field goal of the game, a 52-yarder as time expired, this after allegedly calling his shot to Burrow before doing so. A Ryan Tannehill interception with under 30 seconds left in regulation set up the fourth game-winner of the year for McPherson, giving the Bengals their first road playoff win in franchise history. They were 0-7 away from home in the postseason before this, and this comes one week after snapping a 31-year playoff victory drought against the Las Vegas Raiders. Tannehill threw three interceptions on the day, setting up two McPherson field goals, and Ja'Marr Chase's 19-yard reception from Burrow set up the final and most important one. Chase had 109 yards receiving on the day, while Joe Mixon ran in for the Bengals' only touchdown in the third quarter. Derrick Henry made his return from a broken foot for the Titans, scoring on a wildcat play and had 66 yards on the ground. The Titans have now dropped three straight playoff games on their home field, failing to get a home playoff win since January 2003. Burrow had 348 yards passing and an interception becoming just the second quarterback to win a playoff game despite getting sacked nine times. Cincinnati will now visit the winner of the Buffalo Bills-Kansas City Chiefs showdown on Sunday night.

​The Green Bay Packers did not wait until the NFC Championship Game to fall short of a Super Bowl run as a top seed, as the San Francisco 49ers played spoiler on the road Saturday night. Robbie Gould connected on a 45-yard field goal as time expired, sending the Niners to their second straight playoff win and the NFC Title Game with a 13-10 victory at Lambeau Field. Gould has made all of his 20 career field goal attempts in the playoffs, and this one was huge, setting up the 17th Conference Championship in franchise history, the most by any team since 1970. The big win was set up by a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 10-apiece. This may have very well been the final game for Aaron Rodgers with Green Bay, as they haven't made it to the Super Bowl since winning it all in 2010. Rodgers has admitted to keeping all options open, and if this was the last time, he finished by going 20-of-29 for 225 yards and fell to 0-4 against the Niners in the playoffs. San Francisco will visit the winner of Sunday's Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Los Angeles Rams contest in the NFC Title Game on January 30th.

The second-ranked Auburn Tigers continued their program record run to start the season on Saturday afternoon, winning their 15th straight game by taking out the 12th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, 80-71. Walker Kessler led the way with 19 points, while K.D. Johnson added 17 points for the Tigers, who are 18-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in SEC conference play. Auburn trailed by as many as 10 on their home floor, but they continued to fight and hand the Wildcats their fourth loss. This is a team, led by coach Bruce Pearl, who is sitting in their highest ranking in program history, and they took advantage of the road team's second-leading scorer TyTy Washington leaving after just eight minutes and four points due to an ankle injury. Jabari Smith was also big for the Tigers with 14 points and seven rebounds, and they sealed the victory once jumping back ahead by making their first 15 free throws of the second half. The Wildcats were led by Oscar Tshiebwe's 16 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocked shots, but they dropped to 5-2 in SEC play.

The 24th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers got back at the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers on their home floor Saturday night, pulling away for a 64-50 win. The win helps avenge a 12-point loss to the Tigers from two weeks ago, as Santiago Vescovi led the way with 16 points to power the Vols to their 13th win and fourth in conference play. Tennessee used a 14-0 run to pull away in the first half, and then an 8-2 spurt in the second half to build on a five-point halftime lead. Vescovi shot four of seven from beyond the arc in the first half and added six rebounds, while Uros Plavsic added 12 points and six rebounds down low. The loss for the Tigers is their third in a row, dropping them under .500 at 3-4 in conference play. Tari Eason had 16 points in the loss, while Brandon Murray added 15, as LSU dropped to 15-4 overall on the season.

Other key scores around the country saw the seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks rally from a 17-point deficit to top the Kansas State Wildcats, 78-75. Adam Flagler had 16 points as the fifth-ranked Baylor Bears topped the Oklahoma Sooners, 65-51. Johnny Juzang finished with 23 points as the ninth-ranked UCLA Bruins held off the Colorado Buffaloes, 71-65. A.J. Griffin went five of nine from three-point range in the sixth-ranked Duke Blue Devils' 79-59 rout of the Syracuse Orange. And a couple upsets saw TCU take out 15th-ranked Iowa State, 59-44, while Missouri State bested 22nd-ranked Loyola Chicago, 79-69.

The Phoenix Suns pulled away late on Saturday night, slowing down the upset-minded Indiana Pacers with a 113-103 home win. Mikal Bridges tied a season-high with 23 points, while Bismack Biyombo got a career-high tying 21 points to go with 13 rebounds, as the Suns got their sixth straight win. Chris Paul chipped in a double-double of 18 points and 16 assists, and the Suns moved to an NBA-leading 36-9, tying their best start through 45 games, which they have done on three separate occasions, most recently during the 2006-2007 season.

The Milwaukee Bucks held off the Sacramento Kings on their home floor for a 133-127 victory, their 30th of the season. Khris Middleton led the charge with 34  points on a night where Giannis Antetokounmpo got some rest. With the Greek Freak out, the entire team stepped up, with four starters finishing in double figures, and six players overall. Donte Divincienzo came off the bench with 20 points, while Jrue Holiday posted 26 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The Bucks' win moves them one game out of the top spot in the East, but they still have three teams in front of them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers rode the big nights from Darius Garland and Evan Mobley to hold off the Oklahoma City Thunder, 94-87, at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Garland had 23 points and 11 assists, while Mobley posted 15 points with a season-high 17 rebounds for a Cavs team that led by as many as 17 points. Jarrett Allen also posted a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds in the paint, helping Cleveland to their sixth over the past seven games. The Thunder were once again led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, but they fell to 14-32, just a half game out of the last place spot in the West.

The Chicago Bulls' injury list got a little bit longer on Friday night, which was confirmed on Saturday afternoon, as guard Alex Caruso is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a  fractured wrist. Caruso will undergo surgery for the injury, which was suffered following a hard flagrant foul from Grasyon Allen during Friday's 94-90 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Allen was ejected from the game for the hard hit, as it resulted in a flagrant two foul. The former Los Angeles Laker attempted to play through the pain, but his wrist continued to bother him, which led to a 1-for-6 finish from the floor. The Bulls were not happy with the hard foul from Allen, and on top of that, Caruso confirmed that the Bucks forward did not come to check on him after the play. The guard is in his first season with the Bulls, averaging 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, but he now joins Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball on the sidelines. 

The Colorado Avalanche needed overtime on Saturday night, but they still got the job done once again on their home ice with a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Gabriel Landeskog scored 1:16 in to overtime, giving the Avs their 15th straight home win, becoming the first team with such a home win streak since the Washington Capitals in 2017. They have also won six straight games overall, with the previous two home wins coming in a shootout, and now this one in overtime on Landeskog's 15th goal of the season. The Avs moved to 28-8-3 on the season, good for first place in the Central Division, while the Habs continue to struggle, with four overtime losses on this 10-game road trip. They sit at just 8-25-7 on the season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning dominated the ice out west with a 7-1 blowout of the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. Ross Colton scored twice to lead the charge, while Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos chipped in a goal and an assist apiece. The Lightning also got goals from Brayden Point, Joseph Mathieu, and Corey Perry, and have now won seven of their past nine games. This victory helped them move past a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, as they moved in to a tie atop the Atlantic Division in points with the Florida Panthers, but they trail the first-place Panthers by two in the regulation loss column.

Other key scores saw the New York Rangers move back in to first place in the Metropolitan Division, as Chris Kredier's hat trick powered a 7-3 rout of the Arizona Coyotes. They were helped out by the New Jersey Devils taking down the Carolina Hurricanes, 7-4, behind Jesper Bratt's late goal. Alex Ovechkin rallied the Washington Capitals with two third period goals, and then Nicklas Backstrom won it in overtime for a 3-2 victory against the Ottawa Senators. And Morgan Rielly had a goal and an assist in the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 road win over the New York Islanders.

The USC Trojans gained a huge spark in their backfield through the transfer portal as Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye announced that he is transferring out west to join the Pac-12 team. This news come one week after he entered the transfer portal and now he will be a graduate transfer for them in the 2022 season. Dye is coming off a season that saw him run for 1,271 and 16 touchdowns for the Ducks, along with 46 receptions, which led the team. He got a larger role in the Oregon offense after C.J. Verdell went down with an injury in October. Dye ended his Ducks run with 153 yards and a touchdown in the Ducks' loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Alamo Bowl. During his run with the Ducks, he finished with 3,111 rushing yards, 869 receiving yards, and 29 touchdowns over three seasons, and the Trojans may not be done. Quarterback Caleb Williams is reportedly choosing between USC and LSU in the transfer portal, and most recently played for USC head coach Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma. 

The Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors announced on Saturday that they are bringing in Timmy Chang to be their next head football coach, bringing him back to the program he played for. The 40-year-old was most recently a wide receivers coach with Colorado State, but played at quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors. He replaces former coach Todd Graham, who resigned earlier this month following allegations that he mistreated players. Chang has had plenty of coaching experience since his playing days, also working as a position coach with Nevada from 2017 to 2021. He is from Oahu and played high school football at Saint Louis High School in Honolulu. He did not disappoint while playing for Hawai'i, ranking second on the NCAA career passing list with 17,072 yards, only trailing Houston's Case Keenum, and he will now look for the same type of success on the sidelines. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped up on primetime Friday night, helping his Milwaukee Bucks knock the Chicago Bulls out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 94-90 home victory. The Greek Freak had 30 points and 12 rebounds, as his team was able to move past a Grayson Allen ejection in a defensive battle. Both teams shot below 40% on the night and each had their worst three-point shooting percentage of the season. The Bulls shot just 18.4% from beyond the arc, while the Bucks were not much better at 19.4% from downtown. DeMar DeRozan added to that by missing a potential go-ahead three-pointer with 23 seconds left, but he did finish with 35 points in the loss for the road team. Khris Middleton sealed the win with two free throws with 15.8 seconds left on a night that saw the Bulls playing without Lonzo Ball or Zach LaVine for a fourth straight game. 

The Memphis Grizzlies keep proving that they know how to win games this season just as well as anyone else in the West, as they earned a solid road win, 122-118, over the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Ja Morant led the way with 38 points to help the Grizzlies overcome Nikola Jokic's fourth straight triple-double of 26 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. The Grizzlies' star fell six points shy of his career high and added six rebounds and six assists in Memphis's 32nd victory of the season, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 points, including a clutch three-pointer with 41 seconds left that put them up by four. De'Anthony Melton also stepped up with 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench in the win, as the Grizzlies moved to 2-2 since their 11-game winning streak came to an end. Will Barton contributed 27 points and eight assists for the home team, who could not make it two in a row after a thrilling overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this week.

Other key scores saw Steph Curry nail his first-career game-winning shot at the buzzer to help the Golden State Warriors avoid another upset at home with a 105-103 win over the Houston Rockets. Fred VanVleet's late three-pointer lifted the Toronto Raptors over the Washington Wizards, 109-105. The Los Angeles Clippers rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to edge the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-101. And James Harden's triple-double powered the Brooklyn Nets past the San Antonio Spurs, 117-102, and in to first place in the East.

The Denver Nuggets are bringing on some veteran presence for at least the short term, signing center DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract on Friday morning. The two sides had been in conversations for two weeks, and this 10-day deal will feature six games for him, starting Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 31-year-old was recently on a short deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds over 17 games. He most recently played on January 6th, posting 15 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals, but the Bucks would not give him a deal for the rest of the year. The four-time All-Star will be looking for that guaranteed deal from another playoff contender in the Nuggets, and he does bring some solid productivity, averaging 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game over his 13-year NBA career.

The 14th-ranked Michigan State Spartans overcame last week's home upset against Northwestern by going on the road Friday night and taking out the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers, 86-74. Malik Hall scored 14 points to lead the way for the Spartans, who put an end to the Badgers' seven-game winning streak. Max Christie, Tyson Walker, and A.J. Hoggard all added 12 points apiece for a Spartans team that shot 53% from the floor, making 29 of their 55 shots on the night. It was their first game since falling to the Wildcats at home six days ago, and they moved in to first place in the Big Ten at 6-2 in conference play and 15-3 overall. Johnny Davis led the Badgers with 25 points, while Brad Davison added 22 in the loss, as they were held to just 26 first half points and trailed by 16 through 20 minutes. 

Staying in the Big Ten Conference, the Maryland Terrapins took advantage of the 17th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini not having Kofi Cockburn to earn an 81-65 upset victory at home. Donta Scott stepped up with a career-high 25 points, as the Terrapins took advantage of the big man being out by outscoring the Illini in the paint, 40-16, as well as in the free throw department, 21-8. Cockburn missed this game due to a concussion and his team dropped their second straight contest since a six-game winning streak, falling to 6-2 in Big Ten play. Alfonso Plummer led the way in a losing effort with 18 points, this after he had a big effort despite a double overtime loss to Purdue last Monday afternoon. Illinois has not won at Maryland since 2011, and the Terrapins improved to 4-0 against Illinois since joining the Big Ten Conference. Despite this win, Maryland still sits at just 2-6 in conference play, but did get over .500 overall at 10-9. 

The Anaheim Ducks shifted themselves in to second place in the Pacific Division on Friday night, blowing past the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-1, on their home ice. Derek Grant scored twice, while John Gibson made 32 saves in net, helping the home team snap a four-game losing streak. Kevin Shattenkirk and Vinni Lettieri both added a goal and an assist, while Nicolas Deslaurier had a short-handed empty-netter with 7:37 to play, putting the final nail in the coffin. Ross Colton was the only Tampa Bay player to find the back of the net, as Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves, but the Lightning saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. This was the first meeting between these two teams since January 31st, 2020, and the Ducks were able to overcome consecutive shutout losses, but they have won just three games over their past 12.

Tony DeAngelo led the offensive charge for the red hot Carolina Hurricanes, posting a goal and two assists against his former team in their 6-3 home win over the New York Rangers. DeAngelo spent four seasons with the Rangers before signing with the Hurricanes this past off-season, this after New York moved on from him after he had a confrontation with goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Sebastian Aho added a goal and two assist of his own, while Vincent Trocheck, Seth Jarvis, and Nino Niederreiter all scored as well in the first meeting of the season between these two teams. They came in to play as the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division, and they leave that way, but this time with the Hurricanes sitting in first place. Frederik Andersen made 20 saves in net for the 'Canes, who won their third straight. Georgiev did get the start for the Rangers and made 29 saves in his first game in over a week. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider each scored on the power play in the Rangers' 11th regulation loss, and they sure are missing DeAngelo, who has seven goals and 24 assists, good for 31 points, which is the most points through the first 30 games in Carolina's franchise history.

Other key scores saw Sidney Crosby complete the hat trick in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ryan Hartman scored twice to lead the Minnesota Wild over the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-1. And Aleksander Barkov netted the game-winner in the shootout to lift the Florida Panthers past the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1. 

The Dallas Cowboys announced on Friday morning that defensive end Randy Gregory will undergo surgery on his left knee on Friday. This news comes after Gregory played in all 13 of the 18 games, including the playoffs, this season, but this was an injury that was bothering him throughout the year. He did miss one game due to COVID-19 and then four when he was placed on injured reserve with a calf strain, but none because of this ailment. The defensive star is on pace to be an unrestricted free agent come March, and is expected to be cleared in time for the off-season program. 2021 was also the first year since 2015 that he did not deal with any suspensions, and Gregory finished second on the team with six sacks and third with 30 pressures. He also added 16 tackles, three forced fumbles, and an interception, this after re-singing with the Cowboys last off-season.

The unranked Indiana Hoosiers relied on the career night for Rob Phinisee on Thursday night to pull off a huge upset in the Big Ten Conference, taking down the fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers, 68-65, on their home floor. Phinisee had a career-high 20 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 16.5 seconds left, helping the junior to his first win over his hometown school since joining Indiana. Phinisee had 17 of his points in the first half, making his first six shot attempts from the floor, including three three-pointers, as he set a season-high in points in the first half alone. Xavier Johnson added 18 points and Trey Galloway had eight for a Hoosiers team that was mostly without Trayce Jackson-Davis, who played just 11 minutes due to foul trouble. Jaden Ivey kept Purdue close in an attempt to avoid the upset, scoring 19 of his 21 points in the second half, but he missed a potential go-ahead shot with seven seconds left. The Boilermakers dropped their third game of the season, all of which have come in conference play, and fell for the first time in their last six trips to Assembly Hall.

Other key ranked scores saw the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs pull away from San Francisco at home, 78-62, behind Drew Timme's 23 points. Oumar Ballo scored a career-high 21 points in the third-ranked Arizona Wildcats' 85-57 rout of the Stanford Cardinal. And Johnny Juzang's 28 points helped the ninth-ranked UCLA Bruins past the Utah Utes, 63-58. 

The Phoenix Suns may have needed a rally in the final game of their five-game road trip, but the NBA's best team did just that to sweep away the trip with a 109-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Devin Booker had 28 points, while Chris Paul added 20 points, 11 assists, and no turnovers in their 35th victory of the season. The Suns not only swept their five-game road trip, but they've now won eight games in a row and nine straight over the Mavs. Luka Doncic had 28 points and Jalen Brunson added 19 in the loss for the Mavericks, who had won four in a row and 10 of their past 11 games. The Suns used a dominant fourth quarter to pull this one off, outscoring the home team, 35-19, in the final 12 minutes, where Paul had 10 of his points.

The Indiana Pacers secured their second straight upset out west on Thursday night, getting past the Golden State Warriors in overtime, 121-117. Keifer Sykes had the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:41 left in overtime, while Chris Duarte led the way with 27 points for the shorthanded 17-29 Pacers team. Klay Thompson could not get a shot off in the final possession with 6.4 seconds to play, and Steph Curry went scoreless in the extra period to seal the loss. Curry did finish with 39 points, but missed a potential tying three-pointer with 16.5 seconds to play, helping the Pacers to this win 24 hours after taking out the Los Angeles Lakers. And the road team pulled this off despite playing without Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and Domantas Sabonis due to injuries.  

The only other game saw Jonas Valanciunas post a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the New Orleans Pelicans' 102-91 win over the New York Knicks.

The Chicago Bulls announced on Thursday that guard Lonzo Ball has opted to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. The procedure will repair a torn meniscus and will take place in California in the coming days. The guard was weighing out options with doctors, but the slight tear in the meniscus made this necessary. Ball has missed the past three games with the injury, which was initially called a bone bruise. He was already ruled out for their upcoming three-game road trip as well, but now he is not expected back until well after the All-Star break. This is the second time he has suffered an injury to this knee, as he suffered a similar tear in the same knee in July 2018 while with the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball is in his first season with the Bulls, averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists over 35 games.

The Colorado Avalanche overcame a slow start on the road Thursday night to stay red hot, earning a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kiefer Sherwood scored his first goal in almost three years, helping the Avs extend their point streak to 11 games. They have gone 10-0-1 during that span, including a five-game win streak, and they've won on consecutive nights after blanking the Anaheim Ducks, 2-0. Darcy Keumper remained solid in net with 40 saves, while Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Devon Toews also scored. The Kings are going the opposite direction as of late, losing three in a row, despite 23 saves from Jonathan Quick on this night. The run for the Avalanche has moved them atop the Central Division with a 27-8-3 record, good for 57 points.

The Boston Bruins used some thrilling heroics late in the game Thursday night to earn a quality home win over the Washington Capitals, 4-3 at the TD Garden. Charlie McAvoy scored the go-ahead goal on the power play with 45 seconds left in the third period, leading the Bruins to their 23rd win of the season. David Pastrnak added two goals and Jake DeBrusk also found the back of the net for a Bruins team that rallied from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2. Nic Dowd was called for the costly tripping penalty with 2:34 left in regulation, which led to McAvoy's go-ahead tally, helping the Bruins bounce back from a 7-1 blowout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, which snapped a five-game winning streak. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Lars Eller, and Nicklas Backstrom all scored in the loss to the Caps, with Kuznetsov extending his point streak to six games.

Other key scores saw Ryan Johansen post a goal and an assist in the Nashville Predators' 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both scored as the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Ottawa Senators, 6-4. And Aleksander Barkov scored twice in the Florida Panthers' 6-0 shutout of the struggling Edmonton Oilers. 

Joel Embiid took one of the hottest runs in his career to a whole different level on Wednesday night, tying a career-high with 50 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' 123-110 win over the Orlando Magic. The Sixers' star got that total in just 27 minutes, the quickest 50-point game in the shot clock era, while adding 12 rebounds and three blocks. He shot 17-of-23 from the floor and 15-of-17 from the free throw line, and the superstar was not even needed in the fourth quarter. He played just 58 seconds of the final frame, this after the home team outscored the Magic, 47-23, in the third quarter. Embiid joins Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in franchise history with multiple 50-point games. Tobias Harris added 21 points for the Sixers, who have won nine of their past 11 games. This big night for Embiid spoiled a career night for Mo Bamba, who had a career-high 32 points, including seven three-pointers, for Orlando, who has dropped 13 of their past 14.

The Milwaukee Bucks turned to the Greek Freak to power them to a quality home victory at the Fiserv Forum, as they got past the Memphis Grizzlies, 126-114. Giannis Antetkounmpo had 33 points and 15 rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 27 in the Bucks' 28th victory. That moves them back in to fourth in the East, as they top a Grizzlies team that had won 12 of their past 13, but were playing without Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane, who dealt with an ankle injury and COVID protocols respectively. With that in play, Ja Morant had a big night with 33 points and 14 assists and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 29, but Memphis dropped the first game of their four-game road trip. They shot just 9-of-40 from beyond the arc, and you can blame the absence of Bane, who ranks sixth in the league with 131 three-pointers. The Bucks continue to show off the depth that got them a title last season, as Bobby Portis and George Hill scored 14 points apiece, helping the defending champs overcome their recent struggles with them dropping six of their past eight games.

Other key scores saw DeMar DeRozan post 30 points and seven assists to lead his shorthanded Chicago Bulls over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 117-104. Kyrie Irving had 30 points as the Brooklyn Nets held off the Washington Wizards' rally for a 119-118 win. Aaron Gordon's late three-pointer gave the Denver Nuggets a thrilling 130-127 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. LaMelo Ball's triple-double of 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists powered the Charlotte Hornets on the road in a 111-102 win against the Boston Celtics. The Houston rockets rallied behind Garrison Mathews' 23 points to stun the Utah Jazz, 116-111. And Luka Doncic's season-high 41 points sent the Dallas Mavericks past the Toronto Raptors, 102-98.

The 11th-ranked Villanova Wildcats dropped a tough Big East matchup on their home floor Wednesday night, as Justin Lewis' late three-pointer gave the Marquette Golden Eagles a 57-54 road victory. The game-winner was his fifth three-point make of the night, coming with 11.5 seconds to play, all to snap the Wildcats' 29-game home winning streak. The hero of the night finished with 21 points, while Greg Elliott added 14 points, including four three-pointers of his own in the win. The Golden Eagles out-shot the Wildcats from three-point range overall with 13 makes from beyond the arc in their 13th victory. Eric Dixon led the Wildcats with 15 points and Justin Moore chipped in 13, but Nova dropped their fifth game of the season and are now 6-2 in Big East play. 

The unranked Alabama Crimson Tide are looking to fight their way back in to the AP Polls following a 70-67 upset of the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers Wednesday night. Keon Ellis came up clutch with two big free throws with five seconds left, putting an end to the Tide's three-game losing streak. The Tigers rallied to make this thing close late, as they trailed by eight with just 1:07 to play, taking advantage of four missed free throws from Bama. Tari Eason led the rally for LSU and finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandon Murray had a big three-pointer late that was just not enough. Jaden Shackelford led the Crimson Tide with 26 points, four rebounds, and four steals, while Jahvon Quinerly added 17 points in their 12th victory. Murray finished with 19 points for the Tigers, who have now dropped two games in a row, and were playing without Xavier Pinson coming in to the game, as well as Darius Day, who left after playing 12 minutes.

Other key matchups saw the second-ranked Auburn Tigers finish with six players in double figures in an 83-60 rout of the Georgia Bulldogs. The 12th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats overcame shooting just 36.3% to hold off the Texas A&M Aggies, 64-58, on the road. And Jack Nunge scored 23 points as the 20th-ranked Xavier Musketeers held off DePaul, 68-67.

The New York Rangers were powered by Ryan Reaves ending his own scoring drought with two goals, his first two since signing with the Rangers in the off-season, as they doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-3, at home. Adam Fox added two goals of his own with an assist and the Rangers used a three-goal third period to earn this win at Madison Square Garden. Chris Kreider added his 25th goal of the season, while Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist, and Jacob Trouba and Artemi Panarin added two assists of their own. All of that offense helped the Rangers overcome an early two-goal deficit for their seventh win in the past nine games, moving in to first place in the Metropolitan Division for this night. Igor Shesterkin wasn't as sharp as usual, but still had 35 saves, including 27 over the final two periods. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist, while Ilya Mikheyev and Michael Bunting each added a goal in the loss.

The Colorado Avalanche stayed hot with their point streak, proving that they can get it done away from home as well with a 2-0 shutout of the Anaheim Ducks. Pavel Francouz led the charge in net with 34 saves, earning his second-career shutout, both of which have come against the Ducks. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who extended their point streak to 10 straight games. Francouz has overcome a delayed start to his season after missing two months with an ankle injury, going 5-1 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .922 save percentage this year. The win also marks the second straight road shutout for the first-place Avalanche, who blanked the Arizona Coyotes, 5-0, on January 15th behind Darcy Kuemper's 20 saves.

The only other game on the NHL schedule saw the Arizona Coyotes top the New Jersey Devils, 4-1, behind Lawson Crouse's goal and assist, as well as Karel Vejmelka's 35 saves.

The Washington Capitals will be without defenseman Dmitry Orlov for a couple games, as he was suspended two games by the league on Wednesday for a kneeing infraction. This call comes after he was seen kneeing Winnipeg Jets forward, Nikolaj Ehlers, during their overtime win on Tuesday night. Orlov was not penalized for the incident during the game, but a hearing was held on Wednesday regarding it. Ehlers was injured on the play and is considered to be out indefinitely because of it, and Orlov went on to assist the game-winning goal in overtime just minutes later. He will miss games against the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators on Thursday and Saturday respectively, and the defenseman will forfeit $51,000 in salary. It is his second career suspension and first since 2014, when he was banned two games for boarding. The Capital blue-liner is averaging 21:01 of ice time over 38 games this season with five goals and 14 assists for 19 points.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have come away with an easy rout of the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round last weekend, but it did not come without a little bit of controversy. That controversy was addressed on Wednesday afternoon when head coach Bruce Arians was fined $50,000 for striking safety Andrew Adams. This incident took place during a scuffle between the two teams, and Arians was attempting to move Adams from the pile. The safety was attempting to pull another player from the pile following a muffed punt from Jalen Reagor, but Reid was seen slapping Adams' helmet with an open hand and then elbowing him. The coach claimed that he did not regret what he did, but the league described it as "conduct directed towards your players that fell below standards expected of an NFL head coach." 

Following a College Football Playoff National Championship just over a week ago, Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett announced on Wednesday that he is returning for one final season at the school. This move comes after Bennett took over for J.T. Daniels as the starter this past season, leading them past Michigan and Alabama in the Playoff to get their first National Championship since 1980. He did not have eye-popping stats, but did more than enough with 29 touchdowns and 2,862 yards passing, including 224 yards and two scores in the National Title victory. With this news, Daniels announced that he will be transferring away from the program. This will be the second time that Daniels has transferred, originally coming over from USC, where he started just three games due to an oblique injury. He took over for Bennett in 2020 due to a knee injury and threw for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the team to a Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati. 

The Florida State Seminoles continued their overtime success all the way to an upset win on Tuesday night, taking down the sixth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, 79-78, at home. RayQuan Evans made two free throws with with 12 seconds on the clock, followed by John Butler's block on Wendell Moore Jr. with two seconds left. to seal the win The Seminoles led by as many as nine in the second half and moved to 5-2 in ACC play with their 13th straight overtime victory. They also sent the Blue Devils to their fourth straight overtime loss with the Seminoles' first win over a ranked Blue Devils team since January 2017. Caleb Mills got hot late with 16 of his 18 points in the second half, including the go-ahead three-pointer, while the freshman Butler had a career-high 14 points. Paolo Banchero did stay hot for Duke, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth straight 20-point game. Two of the three Blue Devils losses have come in ACC play, and they will host the Syracuse Orange Saturday afternoon. Florida State will look to stay hot in conference play with a road contest against Miami this Saturday.

The 18th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders used a strong second half to pull away for a quality 72-60 victory against the 15th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones. This win avenged a loss at Iowa State two weeks ago where the Red Raiders only had seven healthy players on the floor. Kevin Obanor led the way with 15 points, including 13 in the second half, along with eight rebounds, as the Red Raiders posted 46 points after halftime. That was in part thanks to 25 of their 29 made free throws coming in the final 20 minutes. Bryson Williams led the way with 16 points for the home team, who improved to a perfect 11-0 at home, and used a 16-3 run to lead by as many as 20 late in this one. Caleb Grill had a team-leading 17 points, including four makes from three-point range, in the Cyclones' fourth loss, with both teams moving to 14-4 on the year. 

Other key scores saw the fifth-ranked Baylor Bears bounce back from consecutive losses with a 77-68 victory against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Mark Smith posted 22 points as the Kansas State Wildcats upset the 23rd-ranked Texas Longhorns, 66-65, on the road. And the seventh-ranked Kansas Jayhawks got past the Oklahoma Sooners, 67-64, thanks to Jalen Wilson's 16 points.

Karl-Anthony Towns came up big for the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, getting a big three-point play with 29 seconds left for a 112-110 win over the New York Knicks. Towns was playing near his hometown of New Jersey, remember his late mom that could not be in attendance to watch him on this night, and spoiling a big night from Kemba Walker in the road win. Walker returned from a nine-game absence due to a knee injury and had 19 points, including 17 in the second half and clutch shots in the fourth quarter to give the Knicks the lead. But the T'Wolves were too much, getting back to .500 behind Anthony Edwards' 21 points, while Towns finished with 20, as the road team won for the sixth time in eight games. D'Angelo Russell added 17 points and Alec Burks missed a three-pointer at the buzzer to secure the victory. Evan Fournier led the Knicks with 27 points for New York, while Julius Randle added 21, but they lost for a second straight day to fall below .500.

And the Golden State Warriors enjoyed their first real night of the Splash Brothers performing like they're use to on Tuesday night as the took care of the Detroit Pistons at home, 102-86. Klay Thompson had his best game since his return with 21 points, while Steph Curry added 18 points after returning from an night off. Curry shot 6-of-11 from the floor with four three-pointers and eight assists, but left in the second half for precautionary measures after tweaking the right hand that he injured last Friday against the Chicago Bulls. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points in the Warriors' first home game back following a seven-game road trip that saw them drop five games. Isaiah Stewart had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in the Pistons' second straight blowout loss following a 135-108 loss at the hands of the Phoenix Suns last Sunday afternoon.

The Denver Nuggets are adding a sharp-shooting guard to their rotation after Tuesday, as they are set to acquire Bryn Fobes from the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team trade that also includes the Boston Celtics. Denver will deal Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier to the Celtics, with the Spurs getting Juancho Hernangomez from Boston and a 2028 second-round draft pick from Denver. Forbes gives the Nuggets another threat from long distance, ranking third in three-point field goal percentage over the past four seasons, trailing only Joe Harris and Seth Curry. The Celtics are saving $4.3 million in the deal, getting Dozier, who is done for the season with a torn ACL, and Bol, who underwent surgery on his foot last Tuesday, which voided a trade that would've sent him to the Detroit Pistons. Dozier is an unrestricted free agent this summer and Bol will be a restricted free agent after the season. The 26-year-old Hernangomez has averaged just 1.1 points in five minutes per game since joining the Celtics.

The Carolina Hurricanes were able to slow down the Boston Bruins with ease on Tuesday night at the TD Garden, as they earned a 7-1 blowout victory. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice during a five-goal first period for the road team, while Jaccob Slavin added a goal and two assists in his return from a two-game absence on the COVID-19 list. Teuvo Teravainen, Seth Jarivs, Derek Stepan, and Andrei Svechnikov all score for the Hurricanes, who put a rough end to the Bruins' five-game winning streak. The 'Canes on the other hand have won two in a row and seven of their past nine games, as Frederik Anderson's 31 saves led the way as well in their first road game in 17 days. The six-goal loss for the Bruins was their worst of the season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning found their way back in to first place in the Atlantic Division with a 6-4 victory out west against the Los Angeles Kings. Victor Hedman scored twice and added an assist, being one of just four Lightning defenseman that were dressed, as three were scratched due to injuries. Because of that, Hedman saw 32:37 of ice time, his most in a regular season game that did not go to overtime. He got his first goal since December 16th, while Nikita Kucherov stayed hot with a power play goal and an assist, as he now has 11 points with four goals and seven assists in the six games since returning from a 32-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Mathieu Joseph and Steven Stamkos both added a goal and an assist as well, and the Lightning extended their winning streak against the Kings to 10 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves to help Tampa Bay move two points ahead of the Florida Panthers atop the division.

Other key scores saw Tom Wilson slam home the game-winner as the Washington Capitals got past the Winnipeg Jets, 4-3, in overtime. Sean Monahan scored twice to help the Calgary Flames skate past the Florida Panthers, 5-1. And Thatcher Demko made 31 saves to power the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 upset of the Nashville Predators.

The Cleveland Browns' off-season is not off to a great start, as defensive tackle Malik McDowell was arrested on Monday in Florida on charges of battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and public exposure. The police report states that McDowell beat up a deputy with a "violent attack," which caused an injury to his right eye. He is being held on $27,000 bond, this after a call to the cops about a naked man walking near a school, which was a children's learning center. Once cops confronted McDowell, he reportedly charged them with a closed fist, spearing one officer down and punching him in the eye and head. He then fled, before a taser helped the rest of the cops capture and handcuff him. McDowell was a second-round pick out of Michigan State in 2017 by the Seattle Seahawks, but never played a down with them due to a head injury. This is not his first run-in with the law, as he was also charged in Michigan for driving while impaired, obstructing justice, and assaulting a police officer in 2019. The Browns decided to give him another chance, and he was making the most of it, winning the starting job and finishing with 33 tackles and three sacks this past season.

Matthew Stafford's 13-year NFL career finally includes a playoff win, that's because he threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the Los Angeles Rams' 34-11 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card Round on Monday night. The win was his first in the postseason in four career tries, as he connected with Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. in the NFC West Champions' home win. The Rams' defense surrounded Kyler Murray the entire night, including David Long returning an interception three yards after Murray tossed the ball up wildly while almost getting sacked in the end zone. Stafford threw a season-low 17 pass attempts, but completed 13 of them, and also ran in for his first playoff rushing touchdown since January 2012. The Rams now move on to the road for a matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom the Rams beat in SoFi Stadium earlier this season. Los Angeles is looking to become the second straight team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, following the footsteps of the Bucs from last season.

The Brooklyn Nets played their first game without Kevin Durant on Monday afternoon and it did not go to plan, as they fell on the road, 114-107, to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Darius Garland remained red hot with 22 points and 12 assists, while Isaac Okoro added 15 points and Jarrett Allen had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. The win moves the Cavs in to fourth place in the East, as they won their fifth straight contest, this after going 5-1 on their recent six-game road trip. The Nets were without Durant for the first time since he suffered a knee injury in Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, as Kyrie Irving and James Harden were unable to hold down the fort on this day. Irving had 27 points to lead Brooklyn, while Harden added 22 points, as they were playing without Durant for the first time for what is expected to be about four to six weeks.

​Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies took advantage of a shorthanded Chicago Bulls team, as they cruised on their home floor for a 119-106 victory. Desmond Bane and Ja Morant had 25 points apiece, while Brandon Clarke added 15 points and seven rebounds, as they have now won 12 of their past 13 games. The win helps overcome the loss to the Dallas Mavericks over the weekend, which snapped their 11-game winning streak. The Bulls were led by DeMar DeRozan's 24 points and five assists, as they continue to struggle following blowout losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors. They were playing without Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso on this day, but still hang on to a half-game lead atop the East.

Other key scores saw Kyle Kuzma post another double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds as the Washington Wizards blew past the Philadelphia 76ers, 117-98. Jimmy Butler posted his second triple-double of the year in the Miami Heat's 104-99 victory against the Toronto Raptors. Miles Bridges' 38 points powered the Charlotte Hornets over the New York Knicks, 97-87. Trae Young's 30 points helped the Atlanta Hawks get past the Milwaukee Bucks, 121-114. And the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 101-95 win over the Utah Jazz behind LeBron James' 25 points.

The Golden State Warriors' recent inconsistent play could be caused by the shorthandedness with Draymond Green sidelined, and that will be the case for at least two more weeks. Green is expected to miss that amount of time more as he undergoes more evaluations for the soreness in his left calf, which the team says is in connection with a "disc in his lower back." The news was announced before their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, this after Green left last Sunday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers with the sore calf. He underwent an MRI that night and has been evaluated by multiple specialists, as they seek the severity of this injury. The 31-year-old is averaging 7.9 points, 7.6  rebounds, and 7.4 assists, while shooting a career-high 53.7% from the field, making him that much more important for a Warriors team that is right back in the title picture.

The Purdue Boilermakers found themselves back in the top four of the AP Polls after some upsets last week, but they also found themselves in a tough road contest on MLK Day. It was Sasha Stefanovic that stepped up with 22 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer as the Boilermakers got past the 17th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, 96-88, in double overtime on Monday afternoon. The Boilermakers made four straight shots in the final minute of double overtime to seal the game, holding off the home team, who forced both overtime periods with late shots in regulation and the first overtime period. Stefanovic was able to respond with clutch shots of his own, going 5-for-8 from three-point range and adding eight rebounds. The loss for Illinois was their first in seven conference games this season, as Alfonso Plummer led the way with 24 points in their fourth loss. Andre Curbelo added 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists after missing 11 games for the Illini, but that was not enough against a 15-2 Purdue team that was once the top-ranked team in the country this season.

Timo Meier spent MLK Day on Monday afternoon setting franchise records in the San Jose Sharks' 6-2 rout of the Los Angeles Kings. Meier set a team record with five goals in the game, and added another record of the fastest hat trick in team history in the first period. The first-time All-Star this season added a fourth tally two minutes in to the second period, and got his fifth with just 27 seconds left in the second. The historic day falls short of the NHL record held by Joe Malone, who got seven goals in 1920 for the Quebec Bulldogs. Seven players have reached six goals in a single contest, and Meier was the first player since Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers in March of 2020 to score five in a game. The hat trick in the opening 20 minutes was the 11th single period hat trick in team history, as Tomas Hertl added four assists for a team that scored just one goal over the past two games combined.

​Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche added to their home win streak by getting past the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, in a shootout. Pavel Fracouz made 25 saves in regulation and then added all three stops in the shootout, helping the Avs to their 14th straight home win after taking over for an injured Darcy Kuemper. Kuemper went down in the second period after Wild forward Jordan Greenway ran in to him in the crease. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the Avs, as well as the only goal in the shootout, while Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the first place team. The Wild's 47 points has them hanging on to a Wild Card playoff spot in the West.

Other key scores saw Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev score two goals apiece in the St. Louis Blues' 5-3 home win over the Nashville Predators. The Pittsburgh Penguins used five unanswered goals to rally past the Las Vegas Golden Knights, 5-3. And Dylan Larkin tied the game in the third and then won it in overtime for a 3-2 Detroit Red Wings victory against the Buffalo Sabres.

This genuinely felt like, even for people outside of Dallas, that this would be the year the Dallas Cowboys would compete for a Super Bowl spot out of the NFC. Although, a questionable play call in the final seconds cut a comeback attempt short Sunday night, as the San Francisco 49ers hung on for a 23-17 win in the Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium, Dak Prescott ran the ball up the middle with 14 seconds left and no timeouts, but the team could not spike the ball in time, allowing the clock to run out. Deebo Samuel continued to be a solid weapon for the Niners, running in for the game-sealing touchdown in the second half, as they led by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys set a franchise playoff record with 14 penalties, this after leading the league in penalties during the regular season, and that helped the Niners earn their first playoff win over the Cowboys in franchise history. This rough loss leaves the Cowboys without a Conference Championship appearance for yet another year, making it 27 years since that has happened, as Prescott has gotten to the playoffs twice in three years, but has still fallen short. The Niners move on to focus on a trip to Lambeau Field for a showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round next week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have won the Super Bowl in their home stadium last season, but Sunday afternoon was the franchise's first official home playoff game since 2007. Tom Brady and the Bucs did not disappoint on that stage, cruising past the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-15, in the Wild Card Round. The Bucs built a 17-0 lead by halftime, as Brady found Rob Gronkowski and Mike Evans for scores, extending his playoff record for touchdown passes to 85. Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard both ran in for scores, as the Bucs moved to 5-0 in the postseason since bringing on Tom Brady, and they are looking to become the first team to repeat as champions since Brady did it in 2003 and 2004 with the New England Patriots. The Eagles got a touchdown run from Boston Scott and a Jalen Hurts TD pass to Kenneth Gainwell, but it took a 15-point four quarter to make it as close as the final score indicated. The Bucs move on to play host to the winner of the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams Monday night game next week. 

And the Kansas City Chiefs pulled away after a slow start for the type of game that many people expected, blowing past the Pittsburgh Steelers, 42-21, in the Wild Card Round, Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yards and five touchdowns, sending Ben Roethlisberger in to retirement. Byron Pringle caught two touchdown passes, one from Mahomes and one from Travis Kelce, while Kelce, Jerick McKinnon, and Tyreek Hill all found the end zone. The Chiefs scored on six straight possessions after being held scoreless in the first quarter, as they inch closer to their third straight AFC Title. The Steelers actually struck first in the second on T.J. Watt's fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, but Pittsburgh could not hang with the high-powered Chiefs offense. Roethlisberger threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns in his final game, while the Chiefs move on to host the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.

Former Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley announced on Sunday that he is officially transferring to play for the Texas Longhorns. The move will bring him back with head coach Steve Sarkisian, who was the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator in 2020 with Billingsley. The tight end is also reunited with his former position coach, Jeff Banks, who is an assistant coach at Texas. Billingsley was named to the preseason All-SEC team in August but struggled and started just one game in the regular season, which led to his transfer decision. The Chicago native played in 15 games for the Crimson Tide and had 17 catches for 256 yards and three touchdowns. And of course, the Texas Longhorns will play host to the Crimson Tide on September 10th.

The Utah Jazz were able to pull away on the road Sunday night, earning a 125-102 win over the Denver Nuggets, who were playing the second night of a back to back. Rudy Gobert returned to the lineup with a double-double of 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell led the way with 31 points. Gobert had missed the previous five games after testing positive for COVID-19, and the Jazz went 1-4 without him, with that one win coming against the Nuggets. Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 points to help the Jazz snap their four-game losing streak and move to 15-6 away from home. Despite the tough loss, Nikola Jokic did post his second straight triple-double and ninth of the season with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists. He is now tied with Russell Westbrook for the most in the NBA this season and now sits with 66 in his career. 

And the Minnesota Timberwolves earned themselves a statement win over a Golden State Warriors team that has been inconsistent as of late, pulling away for a 119-99 blowout. Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds, helping his team take care of a shorthanded Warriors team that was without Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Jaylen Nowell added 17 points, while Malik Beasley added 16 points, including five three-pointers in the second half. This was the final game of a road trip for the Warriors and they looked tired near the end of this one, getting outscored, 40-19, over the final 16 minutes. Jordan Poole led the way with the stars out, finishing with 20 points, while Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points in their 12th loss. Golden State has now dropped five of their past seven games and were so cold on Sunday night, that they even missed 16 straight shot attempts at one point in the second half.

Only two other final scores on Sunday included Devin Booker's 30 points powering the Phoenix Suns' 135-108 rout of the Detroit Pistons. And Christian Wood's late three-pointer sent the Houston Rockets past the Sacramento Kings, 118-112. 

The Brooklyn Nets came away with a home win on Saturday, but they went down the most important piece to their offense, and that is star Kevin Durant. The team announced on Sunday morning that Durant will miss four to six weeks after getting diagnosed with a sprained MCL in left knee. Imaging on Sunday morning revealed the injury that was suffered during Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and he is now expected to return following the All-Star break, which takes place from February 18th to February 23rd. The injury occurred in the second quarter on Saturday when teammate Bruce Brown landed on his knee, but the Nets are hoping they will be able to hold the fort down while KD sits. 11 of their next 14 game are on the road, which means both Kyrie Irving and James Harden will be able to play, as the Nets went 16-3 last season when they only had Irving and Harden. Durant is having another MVP-caliber season, averaging 29.3 points per game, which leads the league, along with 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists, and the Nets sit a half game behind the Chicago Bulls for the top spot in the East.

The 16th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes held on for a home Big Ten win Sunday afternoon, getting past the Penn State Nittany Lions for a 61-56 victory. E.J. Liddell  had 19 points to lead the way, while Kyle Young got a clutch steal late and sank two free throws to seal the game with just over a minute to play. Zed Key chipped in 10 points for the Buckeyes, who moved to 11-4 on the year and 5-2 in Big Ten play, as they led by double digits for most of the afternoon. The Nittany Lions chipped in to the Buckeyes 10-point deficit on two separate occasions, even without leading scorer Seth Lundy, who missed his first game of the season for an unknown reason. Sam Sessoms led the way with 15 points while Jalen Pickett added 11 points of his own, but they fell to 8-7 on the year.

Meanwhile, the 14th-ranked Villanova Wildcats cruised on their home floor for an 82-42 blowout of the Butler Bulldogs. Collin Gillespie finished with 17 points, including five makes from three-point range, while Justin Moore added 15 points in the Wildcats' sixth straight win. They moved to 13-4 on the season and are now 6-1 in Big East play after dropping their conference opener. Nova used a 13-2 first half run to build a 16-point lead by halftime, and then added another 43 points in the final 20 minutes, while holding Butler to just 19 points after the break.

The Vancouver Canucks pulled off a tough challenge on the road Sunday afternoon to snap their recent skid, taking down the Washington Capitals, 4-2, in the nation's capital. Elias Pettersson scored twice, with both of those goals coming in the opening five minutes of the second period, as he helped his team snap a three-game losing streak. Before Sunday, Pettersson hadn't scored over the past seven games, which dated back to December 14th against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He snapped that with two goals just 4:15 apart, while Bo Horvat also scored on the power play, which went 2-for-2 on this day after going 0-for-12 during the three game skid. Alex Ovechkin did find the back of the net, tying Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in points with 54 of them. The tally was his 26th of the season and the 756th of his career, as he continues his chase to Wayne Getzky's record. 

The Cincinnati Bengals put an end to the longest active playoff win drought in the league on Saturday evening, holding off the Las Vegas Raiders at home for a 26-19 win in the AFC Wild Card round. The team continues their bounce back year after going from worst to first in the AFC North, as quarterback Joe Burrow led his team on six scoring drives, and a stop on fourth and goal by the defense sealed the win. Burrow threw for 244 yards on 24-of-34 throwing with two touchdowns, one to C.J. Uzomah and one to Tyler Boyd. The latter touchdown for the Bengals came with controversy, as an errant whistle was blown during the play, but the refs never blew the play dead like they should've. Despite that drama, the Bengals got their first playoff win in 31 years, leaving the Detroit Lions at 29 years with the longest playoff win drought in the league. Their next opponent will depend on the result of the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers contest on Sunday night. And the Buffalo Bills put two close contests with the New England Patriots behind them on Saturday night, blowing out the Patriots on their home field with a 47-17 rout in the Wild Card Round. Josh Allen set a franchise record with five touchdown passes, including two to Dawson Knox, while Devin Singletary found the end zone twice on the ground. It was the second win over the Patriots in three weeks, as they handed them their largest margin of defeat in a playoff game under Bill Belichick, which dates back to 2000. Allen had 308 yards through the air on 21 of 25 throwing, as they became the first team to score on each of its seven possessions of a playoff game. The Bills will either host the Bengals next week, or visit the Chiefs, if they were to beat the Steelers on Sunday night.

The top-ranked Baylor Bears are set to drop a decent amount in next week's AP Polls as they dropped their second home game of the week Saturday night, 61-54, against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Bryce Thompson got hot late to lead his team, scoring the game's final six points, and finished with 19 for the game, as his team moved to 9-7 on the year. The win was their third conference road game in five days, causing over 3,200 miles of travel, but that was not enough to add to the pressure of facing the defending national champions. The first two games of the road trip did not go to plan with losses to West Virginia and Texas Tech, but they were able to hand the Bears consecutive losses for the first time since the end of the 2015-2016 season. The defending champs trailed by as many as 17 points and could not bounce back from their loss to the Red Raiders earlier this week. And the fifth-ranked USC Trojans fell for the second time on their home floor this week as well, as the Oregon Ducks got their second straight top five win, 79-69, out west. The Ducks were coming off an overtime win over the third-ranked UCLA Bruins earlier this week, and have now won five consecutive games. Will Richardson led the way with 28 points in a rematch of last season's Sweet 16 matchup, as the road team held the Trojans to just 41% shooting. The Ducks were also able to control the pace with 15 fast break points and jumped out to the 10-point lead in the first half, leading for a majority of the night. Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Mobley had 18 points apiece, with Mobley adding nine rebounds, but the Trojans are sure to fall out of the top 10 in the polls next week, with the Ducks on pace to enter the top 25.

Other key scores, including some top 15 upsets, saw the unranked Northwestern Wildcats snap the 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans' nine-game winning streak with a 64-62 win. The Arkansas Razorbacks ended the game on a 17-2 run to take down the 12th-ranked LSU Tigers, 65-58, on the road. Tyty Washington Jr. had 28 points as the 18th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats crushed the 22nd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, 107-78. Gabe Kalscheeur had 22 points to lead the 15th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones past the 21st-ranked Texas Longhorns, 79-70. And the Kansas State Wildcats pulled away in the final minute to complete the 62-51 upset of the 19th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

Joel Embiid is back healthy and is driving his Philadelphia 76ers back near the top of the Eastern Conference after a 109-98 win over the Miami Heat Saturday night. Embiid posted 32 points, including 25 in the second half, as he overcame some elbow soreness to lead his team to a strong finish. It was his ninth 30-point game in his past 10 contests, and his strong second half helped the Sixers outscore the Heat, 66-48, over the final 24 minutes. Tobias Harris added 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, which was much needed after his recent struggles, while Seth Curry had 21 points in the win. The road team erased a 12-point deficit in the third quarter, earning their ninth win in 10 games. Heat rookie center Omer Yurtseven had a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, earning his 14th straight double digit rebound game, but the Heat dropped to third in the East. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors earned their second road win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the past couple weeks, getting the best of the defending champs, 103-96. The win helped overcome consecutive losses, including an upset to the Detroit Pistons Friday night, as Pascal Siakam posted a triple-double of 30 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. The performance was his second career triple-double, as the Raptors rallied from an early 15-point deficit and took advantage of a Bucks team that shot just 33% from the floor. OG Annunoby added 24 points to help the Raptors improve to a perfect 3-0 against the Bucks this season, and they have now won five straight in the overall series. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 30 points, making all of 17 free throws, as this was his first game against the Raptors this year, but it was still not enough.

Other key scores saw Nikola Jokic post his eighth triple-double in the Denver Nuggets 133-96 blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers. Robert Williams' late free throws helped complete the Boston Celtics' rally for a 114-112 victory against the Chicago Bulls. Anfernee Simons posted 31 points with a career-high 11 assists in the Portland Trail Blazers;' 115-110 win over the Washington Wizards. And the Brooklyn Nets lost Kevin Durant to a sprained knee in a 120-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. 

The Chicago Bulls have not had a good week with home blowout losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors, and now they're depth is being affected due to injury. The team announced that forward Derrick Jones Jr. will miss two to four weeks after an MRI revealed a significant bone bruise in his right knee. The injury occurred when he hyperextended it during Wednesday's loss against the Nets just 36 seconds in to the game. He landed awkwardly on his leg and was helped to the locker room, did not return, and then missed Friday's loss to the Warriors. There was no serious ligament damage, but this one hurts for Chicago, as they had relied on Jones shifting in to the starting lineup over the past six games. That is because of Alex Caruso, Javonte Green, and Tyler Cook being sidelined for a variety of reasons. Jones is averaging 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds over 31 games and eight starts this season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues gave us every bit of the show that we would hope from those two teams, as Ilya Mikheyev scored the go-ahead goal with 3:15 to play for a 6-5 Leafs win. Timothy Liljegren, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthdws, John Tavares, and Michael Bunting also scored for the Leafs, backing up Jack Campbell's rough night. The goaltender gave up five goals on 25 shots, but still improved to 19-5-3 on the year. Jordan Binnington faced a lot more pressure and had 34 saves, but suffered his first regulation loss at home since November 16th, as he went 12-0-1 during that span. Ryan O'Reilly scored twice, while Niko Mikkola, Robert Thomas, and Brandon Saad all scored in the Blues 11th loss of the year. The Leafs keep pace with the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division, staying six points back of both. And the Boston Bruins stayed hot on Saturday afternoon, as Taylor Hall slammed home a rebound in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. The game-winner came 1:41 in to overtime, as the Bruins won their fifth straight game and are now 8-1 since New Year's Day. Brad Marchand, Craig Smith, and Mike Reilly all scored for the Bruins, while Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in the win. Ullmark allowed goals to Colton Sissons, Luke Kunin, and Ramon Josi, but the Predators dropped just their third game in regulation over the past 18 contests. They have gone 13-3-2 during that span, but Juuse Saros' 40 saves was not enough, although, the Preds did escape the TD Garden with a point.

Other key scores saw Jake Guentzel score just 37 seconds in to overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins over the San Jose Sharks, 2-1. The Florida Panthers used a four-goal first period to get going, and then remained red hot with a 9-2 blowout of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ross Colton's late goal helped the Tampa Bay Lightning hand the Dallas Stars their seventh straight road loss, 3-1. And Chris Kreider's third-period goal gave the New York Rangers a 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Golden State Warriors successfully bounced back from an embarrassing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night by getting their largest win of the season, 138-96, on the road against the first place Chicago Bulls. Rookie Jonathan Kuminga led the way with 25 points, while Jordan Poole added 20 of his own in the Warriors' most lopsided win of the year. Andrew Wiggins finished with 21 points and Steph Curry had 19 of his own, helping Golden State hand the Bulls their second straight blowout loss after they were trounced by the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night. The home team also lost Zach LaVine to a left knee injury in the opening minutes, which took away any and all of their momentum, as they trailed by 33 points by halftime and suffered their largest loss of the year. Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead Chicago, but the Warriors' sharp shooting was too much to handle, even without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies saw their winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, 112-85, in Memphis. Luka Doncic posted his 40th career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, as the Mavs used a powerful second half to end the Grizzlies' streak at 11 straight games. Dallas held the home team to just 30 points in the second half, including just 12 in the final 12 minutes, while Doncic had 18 points himself in the second half on 8-of-10 shooting. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 16 points, while Jalen Brunson and Marquese Chriss had 15 points apiece. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 19 points, but Memphis lost their first game since December 23rd, dropping to 30-15 on the year. 

Other key scores saw the Miami Heat rally behind Tyler Herro's 24 points for a 124-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks, moving a game within first in the East. Joel Embiid's 25 points and 13 rebounds powered the Philadelphia 76ers over the Boston Celtics, 111-99. Devin Booker led the way with 35 points as the Phoenix Suns blew past the Indiana Pacers, 112-94. And Darius Garland's 32 points helped the Cleveland Cavaliers to another road win, 114-109, against the San Antonio Spurs.

Two Big Ten contests saw the ranked team take care of home floor Friday night, including the 25th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini topping the Michigan Wolverines, 68-53. Kofi Cockburn scored 21 points with 10 rebounds to lead the way, as the home team used a better second half to pull away after a choppy first half from both sides. The opening 20 minutes were haunted by foul trouble, while both teams struggled from three-point range, going a combined 2-for-20. Trent Frazier found a rhythm offensively after halftime, scoring 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting in the final 20 minutes. At one point, he scored 11 in a row, and finished with 18 points and seven assists, as his team moved to a perfect 6-0 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines were without center Hunter Dickinson due to an undisclosed medical issue, but they have now dropped three of four in conference play, with Devante Jones being the lone bright spot with 17 points. And the seventh-ranked Purdue Boilermakers dominated in the only other matchup for a ranked team on Friday night, getting a 92-65 blowout of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on their home floor. The home team opened the game on a 23-4 run and never trailed, as Zach Edey had 22 points to lead the way, while Jaden Ivey added 17. The Boilermakers moved to 14-2 on the season, winners of two in a row and six of their past seven, but they are just 3-2 in Big Ten Play. Head coach Matt Painter got his 183rd career conference victory, which broke a tie with former Michigan State head coach Jud Heathcote for seventh in career conference victories. Nebraska was led by Keisei Tominaga's 11 points, but they dropped to 0-7 in conference play and have dropped five in a row, 10 of their past 11, and all four of their matchups against ranked teams.

The Minnesota Wild got red hot in the third period Friday night, skating to an impressive 7-3 rout of the Anaheim Ducks on their home ice. Matt Boldy and Matz Zuccarello scored just four seconds apart in the final 20 minutes, with Zuccarello scoring twice with an assist in the win. Boldy and Ryan Hartman each added a goal, while Kirill Kaprizov returned to the lineup with two assists. That all led to four goals in the final period, all to support Kaapo Kahkonen, who had 39 saves in net, as the Wild looked well rested after having six days off. The win was their 10th in a row against the Ducks, which is the longest win streak against any one opponent in franchise history. And the Florida Panthers cruised on their home ice, earning a 7-1 blowout of the Dallas Stars. Jonathan Huberdeau extended his point streak to seven straight games with a goal and three assists, while Sam Bennett completed the hat trick in the Panthers' 25th win of the season. They move past the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division, as both teams sit with 25 wins and 55 points, but the Panthers have two less losses. Anthony Duclair added a goal and two assists and the line of Huberdeau, Bennett, and Duclair finished with 11 points on the night. Roope Hintz scored the lone goal for the Stars, who dropped to 18-14-2 and had won five of their past six. The Panthers continue to dominate on their home ice, leading the league with 20 home wins this season.

One other game on the NHL schedule Friday night included the Colorado Avalanche getting their 13th straight home win in a shootout, 4-3, against the Arizona Coyotes.

The New York Islanders are preparing to be without forward Ross Johnston for the next week or so, as he was suspended three games by the league without pay for an illegal check. The incident took place in the first period of their 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils Thursday night, as he was assessed a minor penalty for a check to the head of forward A.J. Greer. This suspension will cost him $15,000 as he will miss their game against the Washington Capitals, and two against the Philadelphia Flyers. Johnston sits with two assists over nine games played this season. 

Switch-hitting outfielder Melky Cabrera has officially retired from the majors, making the announcement on Friday. The switch-hitter spent 15 seasons in the league after getting signed by the New York Yankees out of the Dominican Republic in 2001. The 37-year-old played from 2005 to 2019 for the likes of the Yankees, Royals, Braves, Giants, Blue Jays, Pirates and Indians. He won the World Series with New York in 2009, where he hit .391 with two doubles in the ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels. Cabrera turned in to an MVP candidate with the Giants, making the All-Star team in 2012 and won the All-Star Game MVP after going 2-for-3 in the NL's 8-0 win. Although, he was suspended 50 games for violating the league's Drug Prevention Program. After that, he remained solid at the plate for the remainder of his career, but he never got back to the MVP form that we saw out west, most recently hitting .280 with seven home runs over 133 games with the Pirates.

And Travis Snider officially announced on Instagram that he is retiring from the game of baseball, this after eight major league seasons. Snider has not played in the majors since 2015, spending the past six years in the minor leagues. The 33-year-old was with the Pittsburgh Pirates the last time he played in the majors, but was in the Atlanta Braves organization most recently. He played for their Triple-A affiliate last season and hit .174 with four home runs and 15 RBIs over 138 at-bats. He was the 14th overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006 and over his career, the outfielder compiled a .244 average with 54 home runs and 212 RBIs with the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Orioles.