Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of soccer, has died. He was 82. Since 2021, he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer discovered during a routine medical exam. Pelé was one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century. He won a record three World Cups with Brazil and was the standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” with the national team and his club Santos. His exuberance and mesmerizing moves transfixed generations of fans around the globe. His flair personified his country’s samba-style elegance. Late in his career, he helped popularize soccer in North America by joining the New York Cosmos. Brazilian soccer club Santos says Pelé’s coffin will be placed in the center circle of the field. Visitation will start Monday at 10 a.m. and finish the next day at the same time.
NFL
Prescott has 2 TD passes, Cowboys top banged-up Titans 27-13
Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz as the Dallas Cowboys beat the banged-up and resting Tennessee Titans 27-13 for their sixth win in seven games. The Cowboys posted their first back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas won its last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles. Fans were chanting “Let’s go Cowboys!” throughout the game. The Titans lost their sixth straight hours after placing quarterback Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve. They gave Joshua Dobbs his first NFL start after signing him Dec. 21 off Detroit's practice squad.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated Syracuse 28-20 in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday
NBA
San Antonio beat The New York Knicks 122-115.
The Boston Celtics defeated The L.A. Clippers 116-110.
Detroit guard Killian Hayes and Orlando’s Moritz Wagner were each given multi-game suspensions for their roles in a scuffle, while the NBA suspended eight Magic players one game apiece for leaving the bench area during an altercation. Hayes, who struck Wagner in the back of the head, was given a three-game suspension without pay. Wagner was banned two games and the Pistons’ Hamidou Diallo was suspended one game by NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars — the former Pistons star player and executive. The fallout from the game in Detroit on Wednesday night was so large that the suspensions of the Magic players will be staggered so they have enough available players to play their next game.
Indiana’s Buddy Hield made the fastest 3-pointer on record when he hit just three seconds into the Pacers’ game against Cleveland. The opening tipoff was batted to Hield, who caught it behind the arc, turned and shot. The ball went through with 11:57 remaining in the first quarter, with Pacers center Myles Turner being credited with an assist. ESPN Stats & Info said the previous fastest 3-pointer in an NBA game was by Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who made one four seconds into a game against Golden State on March 5, 2000. Play-by-play has been recorded in the NBA since the 1996-97 season.
NHL
Kyle Okposo scored three times, Casey Mittelstadt had two goals and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 for their fifth straight victory. Jeff Skinner also scored for Buffalo, and Owen Power, Zemgus Girgensons and JJ Peterka each had two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves and won his third straight start. The Sabres had not practiced for a week. The Buffalo-area is recovering from a blizzard that killed at least 40 people. Dominik Kubalik scored two goals for Detroit, which lost for the seventh time in nine games.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 45 saves through overtime, Alex Killorn scored the winner in the sixth round of the shootout, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 2-1. Tampa Bay won the shootout 2-1. Brayden Point scored in regulation and during the shootout for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov got his 38th assist on Point’s goal. Igor Shesterkin stopped 39 shots in regulation and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers. Shesterkin is 4-0-1 in five games against Tampa Bay.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mathew Barzal scored in the second period, and the New York Islanders beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Ilya Sorokin finished with 20 saves as the Islanders won their third straight game. The Blue Jackets dropped their seventh straight game and lost for the 10th time in 12 games overall. Emil Bemstrom scored the lone Columbus goal and Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves.
Elsewhere, Philadelphia downed San Jose in overtime 4-3.
Florida crushed Montreal 7-2.
Siena College WOMAN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Jay-ber
Jim Jabir has stepped aside as head coach of the Siena College women’s basketball team amid a school investigation into an accusation that he made racially insensitive and misogynistic comments. The college says Jabir does not want to be a distraction to the student athletes. Assistant Coach Terry Primm will lead the program in the interim. Jabir returned to the private college in Loudonville after coaching Siena from 1987 to 1990.
SKIING
Mikaela Shiffrin led Paula Moltzan for an American 1-2 finish in a night slalom to become the first ski racer with 50 World Cup wins in a single discipline. No other skier has won an event more than 46 times in the 56-year World Cup history. The result also marked Shiffrin’s 80th World Cup win overall which is two short of Lindsey Vonn’s women’s record. It was the first time since 1971 that the U.S. ski team went 1-2 in a women’s World Cup slalom. Shiffrin says “Paula had a ripping run. It’s so special to share a podium with her. I don’t have much to say about 80."
