Wales back returned to UK without playing NFL game
Pat Lam: ‘It’s made him a more rounded player’
The Bristol director of rugby, Pat Lam, has said Louis Rees-Zammit’s recent NFL tilt made him a stronger and more dangerous player.
The Wales back joined the NFL’s international pathway programme in January 2024, and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs before a spell at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He returned to rugby after 18 months without playing an NFL match, signing for Bristol in July. Lam said that since signing for the Bears, the 24-year-old has been working to reach match fitness, but that his increased power has made it harder for opponents to stop him.
The Los Angeles Lakers have won 20 of their 31 games this season [Getty Images]
LeBron James' 41st birthday was spoiled by the Detroit Pistons, who claimed a 128-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Cade Cunningham scored 27 points for the Pistons, who remain top of the Eastern Conference with 25 wins from 33 games after avoiding a season-worst three-game losing streak.
Luka Doncic registered 30 points and 11 assists for the Lakers, with NBA all-time leading scorer James adding 17 points.
James became just the 12th player in NBA history to compete at age 41 or older.
He has now played 1,577 career games - second only to Robert Parish's 1,611 - as he contests his record 23rd NBA season.
The Lakers end 2025 having lost four of their past five games and sit fifth in the Western Conference.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe scored with 1.7 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Philadelphia 76ers victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 20-year-old contributed 25 points - including his clutch three-pointer - as the 76ers earned a 139-136 victory on the road.
Team-mates Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid led their side with 34 points apiece as the 76ers ended a three-game losing streak.
Ja Morant responded with 40 points for the Grizzlies, while rookie Cedric Coward added a career-high 28 points, but the hosts fell to back-to-back defeats.
There were also wins for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
The Clippers claimed a fifth straight victory with a dominant 131-90 win over the Sacramento Kings, while the Celtics beat the Utah Jazz 129-119.
Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed scores on a reverse layup in front of Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and center Jaxson Hayes, right, in the Lakers' 128-106 loss at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James strolled to the scorer’s table Tuesday night and went through his pregame routine of throwing chalk up in the air, an iconic moment in his NBA-record 23rd season and on his 41st birthday.
James still marvels with his abilities to be a force at this stage of his career, leaving teammates and opponents in awe.
But the Lakers were unable to give James the celebration he wanted, losing 128-106 to the Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers, who had 20 turnovers, have lost four of their last five games, and their 11 losses this season have been by at least 10 points.
Lakers star LeBron James is fouled by Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) in the first half Tuesday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
James finished with 17 points and Luka Doncic had 30 points and 11 assists but they took a seat on the bench for good with four minutes and 9 seconds left when the Lakers were down 122-96.
The Lakers (20-11) were better defensively in the third quarter after struggling in the first half. After giving up 36 points in the first quarter, 34 in the second, the Lakers gave up 26 in the third and were down 96-88.
But the Lakers fell apart in the fourth, getting run over by an 18-6 Pistons run that put the Lakers in a 20-point hole midway through the quarter. Detroit went on to outscore the Lakers 32-18 in the quarter.
Lakers coach JJ Redick called a timeout with six minutes remaining, but that didn't stop the Pistons (25-8), who got 27 points and 11 assists from Cade Cunningham.
Before the game, Redick said he's had conversations with James about what it takes to play at such a high level for so long.
“He talked about, you had to sacrifice loved ones,” Redick said. “I think there's an external cost that comes with caring, and I think there's also an internal cost, and that can be exhaustion, could be burnout, could be mental fatigue, physical fatigue.
"That's why you don't see many — I don't know about in other industries — but you don't see many great athletes that can sustain it for as long as he sustained it."
Detroit also showed its ability to sustain a level of greatness, scoring 70 points in the first 24 minutes and making 67.5% of their shots and 57.1% of their threes. They had 19 fast-break points in the first half.
Doncic had 24 points in the first half, making eight of 10 free throws.
James had 15 at the half, going five of 10 from the field and three of six from three-point range.
Etc.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura missed the game with right calf soreness and is expected to be out for about a week.
NORTH CAROLINA 79, FLORIDA STATE 66 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson had 22 points in North Carolina's win over Florida State. Wilson also had 16 rebounds and six assists for the Tar Heels (13-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Seth Trimble scored 20 points while shooting 6 of 13 from the field and 8 for 11 from the line and added seven rebounds and four steals.
Jalen Warley had 22 points and 14 rebounds as No. 7 Gonzaga held off a late charge to beat San Diego 99-93 on Tuesday night for its 20th straight win against the Toreros. Gonzaga (14-1, 2-0 WCC) was making its final trip to San Diego as a member of the West Coast Conference. Tyon Grant-Foster scored 18 points while Mario Saint-Supery and Braden Huff had 14 apiece for Gonzaga, which won its seventh straight game since its only defeat, a 101-61 loss to then-No. 7 Michigan in the championship game of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks took on the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. This was their first look at the 2025 first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, as he came to town for his only visit this season.
After their last game, the 7-3 debacle against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, the team was looking for a rebound. Another game without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar didn't make anything easier.
Early in the game, it looked like it was going to be more of the same for Chicago. They allowed a goal to Calum Ritchie at 2:56 of the first period. Another multi-goal loss felt probable. Just under 10 minutes of game clock later, Bo Horvat added to that feeling with his 21st of the season to make it 2-0.
A lot of time went on from there without any scoring. There were a handful of good chances and goalposts, but nothing went in for a while. That is, until 15:31 of the second period when Teuvo Teravainen scored to cut the Islanders' lead in half. Artyom Levshunov and Oliver Moore made a great passing play to Teravainen, who shot the puck into the net.
The Blackhawks were awarded a power play opportunity late in the second period, which gave them some life to end the middle frame. With 2.2 seconds remaining, Nick Lardis blasted a perfect pass from Oliver Moore into the net to tie the game. That set up a very interesting third period.
There was no scoring in the third period, so each team earned a standings point by going to overtime. With 2:17 remaining in the extra period, Artyom Levshunov handed the Islanders a power play with a tripping penalty.
With nothing going for New York with the man-advantage, the game went to a shootout. Bo Horvat scored the only goal that the Islanders needed as the Blackhawks went 0-3. The final score of 3-2 ends the calendar year with a loss for Chicago.
In the loss, the Blackhawks lost Jason Dickinson to an injury. He didn't come out to start the second period and never returned. After the game ended, head coach Jeff Blashill said that he was day-to-day. He could miss Thursday's game, but he is not ruled out either.
Without Dickinson, the Blackhawks are down their top three centers. It is not an easy issue to navigate, but other players must step up when these things happen.
The Blackhawks are back in action on Thursday night. Their first game of 2026 is against the Dallas Stars at the United Center. After dropping a decision to the Blackhawks last week in Dallas, the Stars are going to come out ready to play.
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Sophomore Adrian Wooley scored a season-high 21 points and No. 16 Louisville beat California 90-70 on Tuesday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. Ryan Conwell made six 3-pointers and had 26 points, and all five Louisville starters scored in double figures. Sanandra Fru added 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Isaac McNeely and J’Vonne Hadley each scored 11.
Caleb Wilson had 22 points, 16 rebounds and six assists to help No. 12 North Carolina beat Florida State 79-66 on Tuesday night to open Atlantic Coast Conference play.
CHICAGO (AP) — Bo Horvat scored in regulation and the shootout, helping the New York Islanders beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Horvat had the only successful attempt in the tiebreaker, beating Spencer Knight on the goaltender’s stick side.
Calum Ritchie also scored for New York in regulation. David Rittich made 17 saves before denying Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato in the shootout.
The Islanders won for the third time in four games.
Teravainen and Nick Lardis scored for Chicago, and Knight stopped 19 shots through overtime. The Blackhawks dropped to 3-9-2 in their last 14 games.
Chicago had a chance to win in regulation, but Nick Foligno shot the puck off a post on a prime scoring opportunity in the final seconds. New York came up empty on a power play in overtime.
Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson did not play after the first period. The team did not announce an injury when it said he wouldn’t return to the game.
The Blackhawks were already playing without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar because of injuries.
New York made the most of a slow start for Chicago, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first.
Following a turnover by Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, Ritchie beat Knight from the slot for his fifth goal at 2:56. Horvat added his 21st goal at 12:08, scoring for the second straight game by converting a one-timer on a power play.
Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, recorded his 16th assist on Horvat’s goal. The 18-year-old Schaefer became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 25 career points.
The Blackhawks rallied with two goals late in the second. Oliver Moore picked up primary assists on Teravainen’s seventh of the season at 15:31 and Lardis’ second career goal in the final seconds of the period.
Up next
Both teams play at home Thursday. The Islanders face the Utah Mammoth, and the Blackhawks take on the Dallas Stars.
Pryce Sandfort scored 19 points and No. 13 Nebraska shook off a second straight slow start to beat New Hampshire 86-55 on Tuesday night and go undefeated in nonconference play for the first time since 1928-29. The Cornhuskers (13-0) extended the best start in program history but not before the Wildcats (4-9) of America East, like North Dakota of the Summit League nine days earlier, caused some anxious moments. The Huskers led by just three at halftime but were much sharper on both ends after that and will ride momentum into Friday night's Big Ten home game against ninth-ranked Michigan State.
After blowing a 2-0 lead, the New York Islanders recovered to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout. David Rittich, in his fifth straight start, denied all three shots he faced in the shootout, with Bo Horvat scoring the shootout winner:
After serving as a healthy scratch on Sunday, Calum Ritchie got off to a hot start. He scored the fifth goal of the season at 2:56 of the first period after a strong feed from Simon Holmstrom:
Holmstrom has eight points (four goals, four assists) over his last nine games.
Horvat doubled the Islanders' lead at 12:08 of the second, on the power play, after he rifled a Mathew Barzal feed from the bumper spot for his 21st of the season:
On the goal, Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer recorded the secondary assist, becoming the youngest defensman in NHL history to reach that milestone at 18 years and 116 days:
But, then the Blackhawks came back to tie it.
First, it was Teuvo Teravainen who beat Rittich short side off an offensive zone face-off win at 15:31 of the second:
Then, with three seconds to play in the second, Nick Lardis scores while the Islanders were trying to kill off a double-minor high-sticking penalty to Bo Horvat:
The Montreal Canadiens picked up a big 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 30. With it, the Canadiens now have a 21-12-6 record and are three points ahead of the Panthers in the Atlantic Division standings.
Noah Dobson certainly played a role in the Canadiens' win over the Panthers, as he had a strong night. The 25-year-old blueliner picked up two assists in the contest, with one coming from Nick Suzuki's overtime goal.
This is just the latest strong game from Dobson, as he has been on fire as of late. Over his last four games, the right-shot defenseman has recorded two goals and eight points. With this, there is no question that he has been playing some great hockey for the Canadiens.
Due to his hot stretch of play, Dobson now has seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points in 39 games so far this season with the Canadiens. With this, it is very clear that the 2018 first-round pick has been making a major impact for the Habs this season. Furthermore, the Canadiens' decision to acquire Dobson is only continuing to look better because of how well he is playing.
The Canadiens needed a highly impactful right-shot defenseman, and Dobson has been just that for them. It will be fascinating to see how he builds on his strong season from here, but the Canadiens clearly made the right call acquiring him from the New York Islanders this summer.
Former Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner had a tough start to his Pittsburgh Penguins tenure. The 27-year-old netminder lost each of his first three games with the Penguins and had a below .870 save percentage in each of them.
While Skinner did not have the hottest of starts with the Penguins, it is fair to say that the former Oilers goalie has officially broken the ice with Pittsburgh.
During the Penguins' Dec. 30 contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, Skinner stepped up in a major way. The Edmonton, Alberta native stopped 27 out of 28 shots he faced against the Hurricanes, which equates to a .964 save percentage. With this strong performance, Skinner also picked up his first win as a member of the Penguins.
Due to his excellent play between the pipes against the Hurricanes, Skinner was named the First Star of the Game. It is understandable, as he undoubtedly played a major role in the Penguins picking up two points against a very good Hurricanes club.
With his strong game against the Hurricanes, Skinner now has a 1-3-0 record, a .869 save percentage, and a 3.36 goals-against average in four games with the Penguins since being traded by the Oilers.
In 197 games over six seasons with the Oilers, Skinner posted a 109-62-18 record, a .904 save percentage, and a 2.74 goals-against average.
Dec 30, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) scores against Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) during overtime at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sam Navarro/Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nick Suzuki got a power-play goal 3:24 into overtime, and the Montreal Canadiens rallied from a two-goal deficit in the final five minutes of regulation to stun the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Suzuki also scored late in regulation to tie the game for the Canadiens, who improved to 6-1-3 in their last 10 games. Cole Caufield also scored for Montreal.
Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart scored for Florida, but Marchand was called for roughing 1:27 into overtime — giving Montreal a 4-on-3 advantage.
The Panthers paid tribute to Marchand’s 1,000th career point in a pregame ceremony. Marchand got the milestone point in mid-November, but chose this game — against Montreal, one of his longtime rivals when he was with Boston and a team coached by one of his idols, Martin St. Louis — for the formal celebration.
The game was scoreless after two periods, just the 11th such game in the NHL this season and the first for both the Panthers and the Canadiens. And it was the first time a Florida-Montreal matchup saw no goals in the first 40 minutes of action since Feb. 14, 2013 — a contest that ended up as a 1-0 road win for the Canadiens.
But the final 10 minutes were wild.
Marchand opened the scoring at 10:18 and Reinhart connected with 4:59 left to put Florida up 2-0. Back came Montreal, with Caufield scoring 32 seconds after Reinhart’s goal and then Suzuki tying it up with 1:22 remaining.
It was the final game of 2025 for both teams. Montreal’s 21 wins going into New Year’s Day are its most since having 21 wins at this point during the 2018-19 season. And Florida — which has played in each of the last three Stanley Cup Finals, winning the last two titles — played its 106th game of the year, the third straight year in which the Panthers have topped 100 games.
Up next
Canadiens: Visit Carolina on Thursday.
Panthers: Host the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic at Miami on Friday.
