Kentucky turned up the defensive pressure and took control, ripping off a 14-0 run and holding the Red Storm without a field goal for nearly nine minutes.
Fewest points in a CFP game? Texas A&M-Miami make ignominious history
Points were hard to come by in the CFP first round game between Miami and Texas A&M, and it resulted in some playoff history.
Miami throws Texas A&M into the fire, in a CFP game made for sickos
This one's for the sickos, this 10-3 Miami upset of Texas A&M. A mess of offense, a masterpiece of defense, a game filled with gaffes.
What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler burn Suns in Warriors' clutch win
What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler burn Suns in Warriors' clutch win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Jimmy Butler made a clutch three-point play with 54.6 seconds remaining, and the Warriors bounced back from their heartbreaking loss in Phoenix two days ago and beat the Suns 119-116 on Saturday at Chase Center.
Butler scored 25 points, while Stephen Curry went deep into his bag of tricks with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Will Richard added 20 points and Brandin Podziemski scored 11 for the Warriors, who ended their three-game losing streak with their third win in their previous eight games.
Butler’s basket had the Chase Center crowd rocking but the Warriors still had to sweat out the final minute. Collin Gillespie’s desperation heave from just behind the arc pulled the Suns within 117-116 with 9.8 seconds left.
After Curry scored on a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds remaining, the Suns had one final chance but couldn’t get a clean look off.
It was a much more enjoyable end to the evening for Dub Nation, 48 hours after the Warriors fell one point short, losing 99-98 in Phoenix on a late, controversial foul call.
This time around, the Warriors (14-15) made sure the game wasn’t decided in the final minutes nor did it come down to a foul call.
It wasn’t a complete beauty of a game but it was just enough to bring the positive vibes back to Chase Center.
This one had a little of everything. Curry making his patented step-back 3-pointer, Draymond Green earning two technical fouls and an ejection, and Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks continuing to prove himself to be the biggest antagonist in the NBA.
The two teams came out firing and combined for 76 points in the first quarter. The Warriors had respectable shooting numbers (13-for-23) while the Suns knocked down shots at a clip of nearly 71 percent.
Curry had 12 of his points in the second quarter as Golden State chipped away at the lead and got within 67-64 at the half.
The game flipped in the third quarter when Butler got aggressive and scored 12 points to give the Warriors a 93-87 edge heading into the final 12 minutes.
Here are the takeaways from the Warriors’ skid-busting win:
Richard pushes for more time
For a guy who hadn’t played in nearly two weeks, Richard looked fresh and crisp in his return to the rotation while providing a needed spark off the bench.
Richard made his first six shots, including a clutch putback off DeAnthony Melton’s missed free throw in the final seconds of the first half and a heat-check 3-pointer in the third quarter,
Richards had been a healthy DNP in the Warriors’ previous three games but was active all night and played like a man looking to earn a spot in the rotation against the Suns, snatching five rebounds in 19 minutes.
Richards’ extended minutes came at the expense of Buddy Hield, who was held out and did not play for the first time this season.
Bullying the bully
Brooks certainly won’t be getting any Christmas cards this year from the Warriors, and it’s not just because of the cheap shot he took on Curry a few days ago in Phoenix.
The NBA super-villian was booed heartily by the Chase Center crowd whenever he touched the ball, then early in the first quarter, the Warriors gave Brooks a little taste of his own medicine when Butler grabbed the ball during a timeout and purposely shoved it into Brooks’ chest.
A referee was standing nearby but declined to call an infraction on Butler, and Brooks tried to plead his case to deaf ears while the crowd chuckled.
In the third quarter, Trayce Jackson-Davis set a hard screen that sent Brooks sprawling onto the court as the crowd again cheered, though TJD was called for an offensive foul.
While Golden State won that part of the battle, Brooks gave the Warriors’ defense trouble all night. He went 5-for-5 shooting in the first quarter and finished with 22 points and five rebounds.
Doing without Draymond
The Warriors had to play the final 34 minutes without their best defender when Green was slapped with a pair of technicals and ejected for the first time this season.
Green had blocked a shot by Gillespie, then bumped into Gillespie hard from behind as the two jogged to the other end of the court. The two men exchanged words and Green was hit with the first T.
Surprised by the call, Green continued to argue with an official, which ultimately got him the second tech and ejection. His final stat line of four points and three assists didn’t factor much into the final outcome but he’s the Warriors’ enforcer whose energy in many ways provides the heartbeat for this club.
No. 22 St. John’s collapses in second half of 78-66 loss to Kentucky
Otega Oweh scored 20 points, Jayden Quaintance made a big first impression and Kentucky stifled No. 22 St. John’s in the second half, beating former coach Rick Pitino 78-66 in the opening game of a college basketball doubleheader Saturday.
GAME DAY: Senators Go For Third Straight Win Saturday, Hosting Bedard-less Blackhawks
The Ottawa Senators hope to continue climbing their way back toward playoff contention on Saturday afternoon as they host the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sens are coming off nice victories over the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-0) and Winnipeg Jets (3-2 OT).
The Hawks have lost four games in a row and will, again, be without centre Connor Bedard, who reportedly has a separated shoulder. The last time Bedard faced the Sens in October, he scored his first career NHL hat trick.
The injury news is better on the Senators' side as defenseman Thomas Chabot returns from an upper-body injury.
Chabot was injured on November 11 in a game against the Dallas Stars, attempted a return 11 days later, and re-injured himself against the San Jose Sharks. His return will allow the Sens' blue line some relief, giving Jake Sanderson a little more time to catch his breath, slotting players in appropriate spots, and with Nikolas Matinpalo a healthy scratch, no defender has to play his wrong side.
Here are the Senators' projected line combinations on Saturday.
Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio -- Ridly Greig -- Claude Giroux
Olle Lycksell -- Stephen Halliday -- Nick Cousins
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence
Leevi Merilainen
Injured: Shane Pinto (lower body), Lars Eller (broken foot)
Liverpool cling on to win chaotic clash against nine-man Spurs but Isak injured
Who were the big winners here? Certainly not Tottenham, even if they ended the game bellowing, blustering and battering at the door with nine men. The fact they went down fighting in those circumstances, clawing back into contention after controversially going two goals behind, will buoy up the embattled Thomas Frank but that would be to overlook elements of a performance whose discipline deteriorated to their cost.
It may not have been a moment of lift-off for Liverpool, either, although they did eventually wobble to three points. The scales had tipped in their favour when Xavi Simons, with one of those very modern and exasperating video review red cards, was dismissed in the 33rd minute but they looked blunt until the half-time substitute Alexander Isak sent them on their way. As soon as he had done so, the striker departed with a nasty-looking injury. The legacy could be costly regardless of the fact that, almost undetected, Arne Slot’s side have edged themselves back up to fifth, at least until Manchester United visit Aston Villa on Sunday.
Continue reading...What The Danault Trade Means For Alex Turcotte's Future In Los Angeles
For a few years now, Alex Turcotte has never been close enough to see opportunity, never close enough to grab it with significant playing time on ice. Buried on the fourth line and seeing pretty inconsistent playing time on ice for years, the former No. 5 overall pick hasn't gotten what he expected.
But that will all change now with Phillip Danault's departure. It's no longer about patience with Turcotte; it's now about whether all the waiting was worth it and whether he will now be a great player with an elevated role.
Ken Holland's Latest Move May Force Him Into AnotherAfter Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland sent Phillip Danault back to the Montreal Canadiens, there will be a gaping hole down the middle when next season rolls aroundThe Door was never open
Even though people will say that Turcotte should have gotten more minutes and a bigger role because he was a top 5 draft pick back in 2019, the Kings still went with consistency and reliability over potential and projection.
The Kings were deep down the middle for a few years now since before even drafting Turcotte and that's what they went with for the most part. Danault just had to be patient and ready for when his time will come and now the Kings are trusting him in this new role.
Fourth-line minutes that only had him playing about 10 to 11 minutes a game on ice, and even this season saw a decrease in his minutes, with nine on the ice. Danault averaged the best numbers of his career last season with nine goals, 16 assists, and 25 points, but this year he's off to a slow start with a diminished role to start the season.
Breaching the Surface: Alex Turcotte and the Phillip Danault DilemmaTAMPA BAY, FL – In a place that has been a house of horrors for the Los Angeles Kings, the team was able to squeeze out a 2-1 win in sixty minutes of play, no more, no less, at Amalie Arena. For anyone following closely, that was the 23rd game this season for the Kings in which the game was decided by just one goal. Scaling down, it was also the fourth consecutive game the Kings were without defensive linchpin Phillip Danault, who has been battling the flu. In those four games, the Kings have been outscored at even strength 8-4.
Playing about nine minutes on ice this season, Turcotte only has two goals and six points in 30 games. Now, to be fair to Turcotte, he obviously hasn't given a fair shot at a big role on the ice, so it's hard to expect someone to be an elite player when they're playing just under 10 minutes a game on ice.
But now the question is: will his numbers and play jump with a bigger role all of a sudden, coming in the middle of the season when the Kings are fighting for a playoff spot? Those questions can't be postponed anymore; they have to be answered, and they will when we see Turcotte playing on the third line with Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar.
Alex Turcotte gave his thoughts on now moving up to the third line,
"Great opportunity for me.....I'll be ready for it. I'm confident in myself," Turcotte said. "Just going to go out there, work as hard as I can, do the best that I can, hopefully produce more and show them what I've got."-
The Uncomfortable truth, he still might not be ready
Despite everything said, with Turcotte having solid numbers playing limited minutes, it's still unknown whether he will truly live up to playing significant minutes for a team looking to compete for the Stanley Cup.
By moving Danault, the Kings are now also thin at center, and if Turcotte doesn't play up to his potential, that will become a problem. If that happens, the Kings will have to make another deal before the deadline to strengthen their depth at the center position for a player who can help them right away.
Now, this doesn't mean the Kings shouldn't give Turcotte a try; he should still be given this opportunity before any significant moves are made. The biggest gamble the Kings are making right now is betting that Turcotte's development can replace veteran dependability. Still, if that bet doesn't pay off quickly, they may be forced back into the market.
A team that's looking to contend in the playoffs, especially this being Kopitar's final season in Los Angeles, they can't afford any weakness down the middle, particularly in a tough Western Conference where depth and matchups often decide playoff series.
No more waiting
The 24-year-old has spent long enough playing in the shadows with a limited role; this is the moment every top prospect dreams of, works towards, and fears. And now, Turcotte has to decide what he's going to do with it in a big market playing for a franchise that's starving for a Stanley Cup on the biggest stage.
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Canucks Forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki Has Been On A Heater In The AHL
Jonathan Lekkerimäki is on a heater down in the AHL. The Vancouver Canucks forward has goals in five straight and has multi-point efforts in each of his last two outings. Overall, this year, Lekkerimäki has points in seven of his eight games, totalling 10 on the season.
While Lekkerimäki's point totals are impressive, so is the number of shots he is getting on goal per game with the Abbotsford Canucks. Over his eight games, he has 38 shots, which averages out to 4.75 per game. Lekkerimäki has at least six shots in four games this year and recorded nine on December 14 against the Calgary Wranglers.
One positive to note about Lekkerimäki is that his goals are not restricted to just the power play. He has only two power play goals so far this season, which shows that he can generate chances at even strength. At this point, it appears that Lekkerimäki is rounding out his game and looks more confident when the puck is on his stick than he did last year.
Lekkerimäki is projected to play a significant role for Vancouver in the near future. The 21-year-old has a dynamic shot and has shown he can be a goal-scoring machine at the AHL level. The question now is whether Lekkerimäki can translate his success to the NHL, where he has just eight points in 32 games.
One factor that could help Lekkerimäki once he is called up again is reuniting with Liam Öhgren. The duo played together both in Djurgårdens IF youth program and for Sweden internationally. If the two can continue to build their chemistry in the NHL, they could become a dynamic duo for the foreseeable future.
As for Lekkerimäki's immediate future, he will most likely spend more time in the AHL. This is not a reflection of his recent play, but more due to the current construction of Vancouver's roster. If the Canucks start moving some unrestricted free agents and get picks and prospects back instead of roster players, it may open up a spot for Lekkerimäki to finish the year in the NHL.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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No. 11 Louisville rebounds from loss with 94-54 romp over Montana
Sananda Fru scored a season-high 18 points to lead five players in double figures as No. Louisville beat 94-54 Montana on Saturday. Just like Tuesday, when they lost 83-62 at No.
NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-12-21 22:13:19
No. 9 Michigan State beats Oakland 79-70 as Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe don custom holiday sweaters
Coen Carr scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half to help No. 9 Michigan State hold off Oakland for a 79-80 win on Saturday. The Spartans (11-1) have won three straight since losing their only game this season, a six-point setback to No. 3 Duke. The Golden Grizzlies (6-7) led for much of the first half and were ahead by as much as seven points before trailing the entire second half.
No. 16 Louisville’s winning streak continues with a dominant victory over No. 17 Tennessee
Jeff Walz and his Louisville Cardinals are heading into a holiday break on a roll. The 16th-ranked Cardinals have won six straight games, including an 89-65 rout of No. 17 Tennessee on Saturday at the Women's Champions Classic. This was the Cardinals' fourth consecutive win over Tennessee, with the previous one coming in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Coen Carr sets career high in Michigan State’s 79-70 win vs Oakland
Michigan State basketball score today: The Spartans beat Oakland, 79-70, at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Dec. 20.
Mavericks not rushing new GM hire, reportedly will keep interim co-GMs through deadline
The Dallas Mavericks need to nail the hiring of their next general manager. Firing Nico Harrison was a fait accompli the moment he traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and while that played well with Dallas fans, the next GM hire needs to be someone who wins back their trust. More importantly, they have a franchise cornerstone in Cooper Flagg and can't blow that opportunity.
Which is why the Mavericks are taking their time and will not have a new full-time general manager in place before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, reports Christian Clark of The Athletic, adding that it will likely be "several" months before a hire is made.
That means Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will continue as the Mavs' co-interim GMs and make any big moves at the deadline. The Mavericks reportedly are listening to trade offers for Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and center Daniel Gafford (the most likely of the group to be traded before the deadline), as well as others.
Both Finley and Riccardi are in the mix for the job full-time, but Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont is looking for someone with experience as the lead executive of a team, reports Clark. That group likely includes former Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey (now with the Pistons), someone backed by former owner Mark Cuban, but Dallas has cast a much wider net than that, seeking the right fit. Whoever is hired needs time before the June draft and the offseason to establish themselves and prepare for a big sumer for the team.