Hawks agree to trade high-scoring guard Trae Young to Wizards, AP source says
Trae Young’s time with the Atlanta Hawks is over. A person with knowledge of the move says the Hawks have agreed to trade Young to the Washington Wizards for a package including veteran CJ McCollum. Corey Kispert is also heading from Washington to Atlanta. The person who confirmed the deal spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not received the required league approval as of Wednesday night. The Wizards held McCollum and Kispert out of their loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Young was on the bench in street clothes for the Hawks’ game against visiting New Orleans.
No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon turn CFP Peach Bowl semifinal into celebration of Big Ten’s supremacy
ATLANTA (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl is a celebration of the Big Ten’s strength with No. 1-seed Indiana facing No. 5-seed Oregon. The game is a rematch. Indiana won at Oregon 30-20 on October 11 to hand the Ducks their only loss. Indiana is undefeated. Each team is coming off dominant wins. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl as Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw three touchdown passes. The Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl. Brandon Finney Jr. had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Jerry Jones wants to be the owner with the most Super Bowls, but the Cowboys have a long way to go
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Jerry Jones’ lofty Super Bowl goal sounds like more than his Dallas Cowboys can handle. Jones wants to be the owner with the most NFL championships despite New England’s Robert Kraft having twice as many as his three. The Cowboys haven’t even sniffed an NFL championship in the past 30 of 37 years under Jones. Dallas is coming off consecutive losing seasons, and Jones is 83. Even he acknowledges he might not have many NFL drafts left. And this one will be huge to try to fix one of the NFL’s worst defenses.
Steve Kerr’s mom not happy with him for outburst leading to ejection
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Steve Kerr upset his mother. Ann Kerr was mortified by the behavior of her 60-year-old son, for the first time in quite a while. She didn’t approve of Kerr’s ejection in the fourth quarter of a one-point loss to the Clippers on Monday night, when the Warriors coach was held back from the officials by Gary Payton II, Gui Santos and assistant Terry Stotts. Kerr received back-to-back technical fouls and his fifth career ejection after becoming angry with official John Collins over a missed goaltending call.
Figure skater Alisa Efimova’s Olympic dream hinges on last-minute U.S. citizenship approval
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alisa Efimova hopes to represent the United States at the Milan Cortina Olympics, but she needs to become a citizen first. She and her pairs partner, Misha Mitrofanov, delivered a stellar performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday. Efimova is from Finland. She and Mitrofanov were married in February 2024, and she received a green card in July of that year. She is seeking a waiver of the required three-year waiting period for citizenship. The finalized U.S. squad for the Winter Games will be announced on Sunday, and Mitrofanov says they are hoping for “a last-minute miracle.”
They’re back! NHL players return to Winter Olympics for first time since ’14, here is what to know
Hockey is set to be a highlight at the Winter Olympics, with NHL players returning for the first time since 2014 and top women’s players competing for the eighth time. The main arena will feature smaller ice than NHL players are used to. North American teams are the ones to beat, with stars like Sidney Crosby and Hilary Knight aiming for gold. Russia is barred from hockey due to the war in Ukraine, sidelining top players like Alex Ovechkin.
Teen triplets pursue dream of representing Jamaica in ski racing at Winter Olympics
BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — The teenage ski-racing triplets Helaina, Henri IV, and Henniyah Rivers are on a mission to represent their mother’s country of Jamaica at the Winter Games. On top of that, they hope to open more doors for Black athletes in a predominantly white sport. It’s a dream launched when their father found a pair of skis as a kid. Henri has already qualified for the slalom event, while his sisters are close. The triplets have traveled globally to chase races in an effort to qualify. Their story is often compared to the Disney movie, “Cool Runnings,” about the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team.
Johnson and Wembanyama fuel Spurs to win over Lakers 107-91, despite Doncic’s 38 points
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson had 27 points, Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists from Luka Doncic to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91 on Wednesday night. San Antonio captured the battle for second place in the Western Conference despite shooting 4 for 24 on 3-pointers. LeBron James did not play. Jake LaRavia, with 16, and Jaxson Hayes, with 10, were the only other Lakers to score in double figures against the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander scores 46 points as Thunder halt rare skid with OT win over Jazz
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 46 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 129-125 in overtime Wednesday night to snap a two-game losing skid. Gilgeous-Alexander calmly made a shot from near the free-throw line at the regulation buzzer to force overtime, then scored nine points in the extra period. The reigning MVP increased his streak of games with at least 20 points to 109, the second-longest run in NBA history. Chet Holmgren had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Williams scored 17 points and Ajay Mitchell added 16 for defending champion Oklahoma City. Lauri Markkanen had 29 points and 13 rebounds for Utah. Keyonte George added 25 points and 11 assists.
Glenn Hall, whose NHL goalie starts streak may never be broken, dies at age 94
Glenn Hall, a Hockey Hall of Famer whose streak of 502 consecutive starts as a goaltender remains an NHL record, has died at age 94. A spokesperson for the Chicago Blackhawks confirmed the team was informed of Hall’s death from his family. A league historian in touch with Hall’s son, Pat, said Hall died at a hospital in Stony Plain, Alberta, on Wednesday. A pioneer of the butterfly style of goaltending of dropping to his knees, Hall backstopped Chicago to the Stanley Cup in 1961. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs in 1968 with St. Louis when the Blues reached the final before losing to Montreal.