NBA Playoffs: Blazers Advance To Face Spurs; Hornets End Heat's Season

 I don't care what the NBA thinks----those play-in games are still playoff games.

With that said, the National Basketball Association Playoffs opened with two games on Tuesday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At the Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina:

LaMelo Ball (30 points, 10 assists), Miles Bridges (28 points), and Brandon Miller (23 points) led the Charlotte Hornets to a 127-126 overtime victory over the visiting Miami Heat.

Davion Mitchell (28 points), Andrew Wiggins (27), and Tyler Hero (23 points) for Miami as the Heat's season ended with the defeat.

The Hornets will next play the loser of Wednesday' s Orlando-Philadelphia game for the right to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona:

Deni Avdija scored 41 points and dished out 12 assists as the Portland Trail Blazers upended the host Phoenix Suns 114-110.  Jrue Holiday added 23 points for the Blazers.

Jalen Green topped the Suns with 35 points while Devin Booker added 22 and Dillon Brooks with 20.

The Blazers will open their Western Conference quarterfinal best-of-seven series with the San Antonio Spurs on the road this coming Saturday.

The Suns will play the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Los Angeles Clippers game for the right to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

UCLA, MICHIGAN WIN NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona:

Gabriela Jaquez scored 21 points on Sunday as the UCLA Bruins won their first women's national championship by winning the NCAA Division I Women's Tournament title game by defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51.

The Bruins' Lauren Betts, who scored 14 points, was named the tournament' s Most Outstanding Player.

Tessa Johnson led the Gamecocks with 14 points.

At Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis:

Elliot Candeau, named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, scored 19 points on Monday as the Michigan Wolverines outdistanced the Connecticut Huskies 69-63 to win  their first NCAA Division I Men's Tournament championship since 1989.

Alex Karaban paced the Huskies with 17 points.

 

WOW! HOW ABOUT THAT?

 At Milan-Cortina, Italy:

Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal at 1:41 of sudden-death overtime on Sunday as the United States defeated Canada 2-1 to win their first men's hockey Gold Medal since 1980 (their third overall; the Yanks also won the Gold Medal at Squaw Valley, California in 1960)

The American women also took home the Gold Medal by defeating Canada 2-1 in OT.

SEAHAWKS OVERPOWER PATRIOTS FOR SECOND SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP; KENNETH WALKER III NAMED GAME MVP

At Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California: 

Quarterback Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to A.J. Barner while running back Kenneth Walker III, named Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player, ran for 135 yards, while linebacker Uchenna Nwosu ran back an interception 45 yards for a defensive touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday for their second Super Bowl Championship.  

The Seahawks' Jason Myers kicked a Super Bowl-record five field goals.  

The NFC has now (including the pre-merger NFL) won 31 Super Bowls while the AFC (including the pre-merger AFL) has won 29.

Next year's Super Bowl will be played at Inglewood, California's SoFi Stadium on Valentine's Day and will be telecast on ABC and ESPN.

Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald Among Quintet Elected To Pro Football Hall Of Fame

San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald were elected on Thursday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on their first years of eligibility.

Mr. Brees was a key reason the New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV while Mr. Fitzgerald played a rule in the Cardinals' lone Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLIII).

The other electees included San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig (he played on two of the 49ers' Super Bowl Championship teams), New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri (who kicked the game-winning field goal in a couple of the Patriots' Super Bowl title teams), and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, who played for the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.  

John Brodie, 49ers Legend, 1970 NFL MVP, R.I.P.

 John Brodie, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who was the National Football League's Most Valuable Player in 1970, who went on to become a successful Senior Golfer in later years, passes away this past Friday at age 90.

Mr. Brodie played 17 seasons with the 49ers (1957-73) after a successful college career at Stanford.

John twice was elected to the NFL Pro Bowl (1965, 1970), was twice named an NFL All-Pro (second team, 1965; first team, 1970)  his number 12 jersey was retired.

NFL Conference Championship Games: It's Patriots and Seahawks For the Marbles

Both National Football League conference championship games were played on Sunday. 

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE: 

At Empower Field at Mile High, Denver:

The New England Patriots qualified for their 12th Super Bowl by winning the AFC Championship Game on the road 10-7 over the Denver Broncos.

Quarterback Drake Maye ran for the Pats' only touchdown in the second quarter while Andy Borregales make a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter for what proved to be the game-winning points.

The teams combined for four misses or blocked field goal attempts.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Lumen Field, Seattle:

Quarterback Sam Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the visiting Los Angeles Rams 31-27 for the NFC Championship in a battle of NFC West Division rivals.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford completed 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns.

Los Angeles punt returner Xavier Smith fumbled a punt return and the Seahawks took advantage by scoring a TD soon after.

SUPER BOWL LX:

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will battle it out in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8 at 3:30 PM PST (NBC/Peacock) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The two clubs battled each other in Super Bowl XLIX, with the Patriots winning 28-24 as New England defensive back Malcolm Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass in the game's final seconds just short of the Pats' end zone.

HOOSIERS HOLD OFF HURRICANES TO CAP OFF PERFECT SEASON WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL TITLE

At Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida: Quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards and rushed 12 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter as the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers (16-0) held off the game tenth-seeded Miami Hurricanes (13-3) 27-21 to win their first national collegiate championship winning the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

The Hoosiers became the first team in college football's top level since Yale (in 1894) to go 16-0.

NFL Playoffs: Broncos, Seahawks (Who Bury Niners), Pats, Rams Advance To Conference Championship Games

The divisional round of the National Football League Playoffs was played this past Saturday and Sunday.  

Saturday's Games:

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Empower Field at Mile High, Denver: Quarterback Bo Nix, before suffering a season-ending broken ankle, completed 26 of 46 passes for 279 yards and three touchdown, and Will Lutz kicked the game-winning field goal (he converted four such kicks overall) as the Denver Broncos defeated the visiting Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Lumen Field, Seattle:

Running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns while quarterback Sam Darnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and another TD as the Seattle Seahawks dismantled the visiting San Francisco 49ers 41-6.

Rashid Shaheed got the ball rolling for the Seahawks as he opened the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Sunday's Games:

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts:

Quarterback Drake Maye completed 16 of 27 passes for three touchdowns as the New England Patriots outlasted the visiting Houston Texans 28-16 in their divisional playoff.

The Texans remain the only team in the league to have never played in a conference championship game.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Soldier Field, Chicago:

Running back Kyler Williams rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns while Harrison Mevis kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime as the Los Angeles Rams fought off the homestanding Chicago Bears 20-17.

This coming Sunday, the New England Patriots will visit the Denver Broncos for the AFC Championship Game (12:00 PM PST, CBS/Paramount Plus) while the Los Angeles Rams will visit the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game (3:30 PM PST, FOX)