NFL PLAYOFFS:
The Kansas City Chiefs have moved on in the AFC playoffs while spoiling what’s expected to be the final game of a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
The Chiefs’ offense was at full throttle as Patrick Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 404 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-21 dismantling of the Steelers. Travis Kelce also threw a short TD pass and had five receptions for 108 yards and a score. Byron Pringle grabbed Kelce’s touchdown pass after snaring one from Mahomes.
The Chiefs scored on six straight possessions during the middle part of the game and earned a meeting with the Buffalo Bills in Kansas City next weekend.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a forgettable performance. The 39-year-old was 29 of 44 for 215 yards with two meaningless TD passes late in the game, providing the coda to a career that includes six Pro Bowl trips.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers have advanced to the NFC divisional round.
Tom Brady threw for 271 yards while the Buccaneers were building a 31-0 lead in a 31-15 rout of the Eagles in the NFC wild-card round. The seven-time Super Bowl winner finished off the Eagles with TD passes of 2 yards to Rob Gronkowski and 36 yards to Mike Evans, improving his dazzling playoff record to 35-11 in a record 46 postseason starts.
Brady was 29 of 37 for 271 yards without an interception.
Evans had nine receptions for 117 yards for the defending Super Bowl champs, capping his TD with a somersault in the end zone.
Philadelphia didn’t score until Boston Scott’s 34-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Jalen Hurts threw for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Eagles.
The Bucs will host the winner of Monday’s game between the Rams and Cardinals.
The 49ers have advanced to the NFC divisional round by holding off the Cowboys, 23-17 near Dallas.
Receiver Deebo Samuel ran 26 yards for a touchdown that put the Niners ahead, 23-7 in the third quarter, one play after Dak Prescott was intercepted. Eli Mitchell carried 27 times for 96 yards, including a four-yard TD.
Prescott threw for 254 yards and a TD. He also ran for a score and later got Dallas to the San Francisco 24, but the clock ran out before the Cowboys could get off a snap.
Next up for the 49ers is a trip to Green Bay to face the top-seeded Packers.
NBA:
The Phoenix Suns have begun the second half of their schedule in the same manner they played the first half.
Devin Booker scored 30 points and the Suns improved to a league-best 33-9 by blowing out the Pistons, 135-108. JaVale McGee finished with 20 points on 9 of 10 shooting, taking over after Suns starting center DeAndre Ayton left in the first quarter because of a sprained ankle. Cameron Payne also had 20 points for Phoenix, which also has the best road record at 16-4.
Checking out Sunday’s other NBA action:
Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 19 rebounds in his return to Utah’s lineup, helping the Jazz post a 125-102 romp over the Nuggets. Gobert had missed the previous five games after testing positive for COVID-19. Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 21 points as the Jazz ended a four-game skid.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves to a 119-99 romp over the worn-out Warriors, who played without star Steph Curry. Jaylen Nowell scored 17 points and Malik Beasley pitched in 16 points on five second-half 3-pointers. Jordan Poole scored 20 points and Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points for the Warriors, who played again without Draymond Green and lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Eric Gordon made a clutch bucket with 12.5 seconds remaining as the Rockets held off the Kings, 118-112. Christian Wood had 23 points and 14 rebounds for Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr. added 23 points and seven assists. Buddy Hield scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter for Sacramento.
The Brooklyn Nets have given no timetable for the return of forward Kevin Durant, who sprained the MCL in his left knee during Saturday’s win over the Pelicans. The injury occurred when teammate Bruce Brown was knocked backward and fell into his knee. The NBA’s leading scorer had an MRI exam Sunday that confirmed the injury.
Brooklyn starts a four-game road trip Monday in Cleveland.
NHL:
The Washington Capitals failed to cut into the New York Rangers’ lead in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals are 1-3-2 in their last six games following a 4-2 loss to the Canucks. Elias Pettersson scored twice in the first five minutes of the second period, ending his seven-game goal drought dating to Dec. 14. Thatcher Demko turned back 31 shots to help the Canucks end a three-game skid.
Bo Horvat scored a power-play goal and JT Miller had an empty-netter for Vancouver.
Alex Ovechkin notched his 26th goal of the season and 756th in his career. He’s tied with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (DRY’-sy-tul) for the league lead this season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
Villanova and Ohio State were the winners in Sunday’s two-game slate of top-25 men’s basketball teams.
Collin Gillespie drained five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points as the 14th-ranked Wildcats clobbered Butler, 82-42. Justin Moore delivered 15 points, while Eric Dixon and Jermaine Samuels each scored 14 points in Villanova’s sixth straight win.
The Wildcats shot 71% in the first half and opened the second on an 11-0 run.
The 16-ranked Buckeyes pulled out a 61-56 win over Penn State behind E.J. Liddell’s 19 points. Kyle Young forced a steal with 1:25 remaining and sank a pair of free throws 20 seconds later to hold off the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State won despite shooting just under 39% overall and going the final five minutes without a basket.
In men’s college basketball, Iona beat Niagara 78-55 and Marist topped Monmouth, 84-48.
TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN:
The Australian Open has begun in Melbourne.
Rafael Nadal has renewed his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam singles title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over American Marcos Giron.
Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are tied with 20 major singles titles each. Djokovic is gone from the tournament after his visa was pulled for being unvaccinated for COVID-19.
Naomi Osaka started her title defense by winning the first five games on the way to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Camila Osorio.
Fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari beat Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-6 in the first match completed on the main show court in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3, and 15th-seeded Elina Svitolina got past Fiona Ferro 6-1, 7-6.
Bencic will next meet Amanda Anisimova, who beat qualifier Arianne Hartono 2-6, 6-4, 6—3.
A back injury has forced ninth seed Ons Jabeur to withdraw from the Australian Open before her scheduled first-round singles match.
PGA:
Hideki Matsuyama made up a five-shot deficit on the back nine and then won the Sony Open in a playoff with one of the best shots he never saw.
Matsuyama hit a 3-wood into the sun to 3 feet for an eagle to beat Russell Henley and earn his eighth career PGA Tour victory, tying him with K.J. Choi for most tour victories by an Asian-born player.
Matsuyama hammered a driver on the par-5 18th in regulation to set up a two-putt birdie for a 7-under 63. He got into a playoff when Henley missed a 10-foot birdie putt and closed with 65.
IOWA-RACIAL BIAS:
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz has disbanded an alumni advisory committee that was created after a 2020 investigation found evidence of racial bias against Black players in his program and bullying behavior by some of his assistants.
The Gazette reports that Ferentz’ decision to end the committee came shortly after its leader, former offensive lineman David Porter, suggested it was time for Iowa to part ways with Ferentz.
But Ferentz said he had decided to overhaul the committee last fall before Porter made his comment to other committee members in a text message.
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