NFL-CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Seahawks rally to win NFC title
UNDATED (AP) β It will be the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 49 in Arizona. The Seahawks advanced by pulling off the greatest halftime comeback in conference championship history. The Patriots did it with an old-fashioned blowout.
Russell Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown at 3:19 of overtime to complete the Seahawks’ 28-22 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game. The Seahawks managed to shake off five turnovers and a 16-0 halftime deficit to reach the Super Bowl for the second straight year.
The Packers led 16-0 until punter and holder Jon Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter. Ryan’s toss sparked a comeback that topped the 15-point deficit the Colts overcame in defeating the Patriots in the 2006 AFC championship game.
Seattle continued to trail with just over two minutes remaining in regulation before scoring two touchdowns in a 44 seconds span. Wilson scored on a 1-yard run with 2:09 left, and the Seahawks regained possession at midfield following an onside kick. Marshawn Lynch gave Seattle its first lead on a 24-yard touchdown run that was followed by Wilson’s heave to Luke Willson for the two-point conversion, making it 22-19 with 1:25 to play.
Aaron Rodgers engineered a game-tying drive that was capped by Mason Crosby’s fifth field goal of the day, a 48-yard kick that forced overtime. Rodgers and the Packers never touched the ball again as Wilson drove the Seahawks downfield for a TD on the first possession of overtime.
Green Bay’s secondary was the difference for the first 56 minutes. Free safety Ha Ha Clinton Dix had two interceptions, both coming in the first half. Safety Morgan Burnett recorded two sacks, one interception and a fumble recovery
Wilson shook off an otherwise nightmarish afternoon in which he was just 14 of 29 for 209 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.
Lynch torched the Packers’ defense for 157 rushing yards, 120 of which came after halftime.
Green Bay had 307 yards against the tough Seattle defense but never reached the end zone after Reggie Cobb grabbed a 13-yard scoring pass from Rodgers on the final play of the first quarter. Rodgers was 19 of 34 for 178 yards, one TD and two interceptions.
The Patriots won the AFC championship as Tom Brady and LaGarrette Blount led their offense in a 45-7 romp over Indianapolis. Brady was 23 of 35 for 226 yards and three touchdowns in reaching the Super Bowl for the sixth time. He hit James Develin, Rob Gronkowski and Nate Solder for TDs before Blount provided the Patriots’ last two touchdowns. Blount ran for three scores while amassing 148 yards on 30 carries.
New England added to a 10-point lead by scoring touchdowns on its first four second-half possessions. Brady threw for TDs on the first two possessions before Blount rumbled into the end zone on the last two.
The Colts had just 209 yards of total offense and committed three turnovers in their first conference title game since Andrew Luck joined the team three years ago. Luck was just 12 of 33 for 126 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Pats played shutout ball after Zurlon Tipton’s one-yard scoring run late in the first half.
With his sixth Super Bowl berth, Brady surpassed John Elway for the most by a quarterback and tied defensive lineman Mike Lodish for most by any player. Belichick’s sixth visit tied him with Don Shula’s for most by a coach.
It was the second-most lopsided AFC championship victory ever, topped only by Buffalo’s 51-3 laugher against Oakland in 1991.
NFL-MANNING
Quarterback to miss Pro Bowl
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) β Peyton Manning will have to skip the Pro Bowl because his right thigh injury hasn’t gotten much better in the week since the Denver Broncos were bounced from the playoffs. Manning was injured late in the first half of a game at San Diego on Dec. 14 and missed a handful of snaps before returning to play the entire second half. He didn’t miss any more time with the injury.
NFL-PAYTON AWARD
Finalists named
NEW YORK (AP) β Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, San Francisco wide receiver Anquan Boldin and Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis have been selected as finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
The award, named after the late Hall of Fame running back, recognizes a player’s off-field community service as well as his playing excellence.
The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors awards special in Arizona on Jan. 31, the night before the Super Bowl.
NFL-THURSDAY GAMES
More games on Thursdays
NEW YORK (AP) β The NFL and CBS have extended their Thursday night football package for the 2015 season. The agreement carries an additional year at the NFL’s option. CBS will broadcast the first eight Thursday night games, which also will be simulcast on NFL Network. NFL Network also will exclusively show the final eight games. The games will include 14 on Thursday nights and two late-season games on Saturdays.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Pelicans edge slumping Toronto
UNDATED (AP) β The Toronto Raptors led the NBA’s Eastern Conference by 1 Β½ games over Atlanta following a victory on Dec. 28. Nine games and seven losses later, the Raptors are 6 Β½ games behind the Hawks.
The slump continued against New Orleans as Tyreke (ty-REEK’) Evans hit a driving layup with less than two seconds left to give the Pelicans a 95-93 triumph over the Raptors. Toronto led by 12 with 6:30 left before the Pelicans scored nine straight points to get back in the game.
Evans finished with 26 points, and Alexis Ajinca had 22 to help the Pelicans win without injured starters Anthony Davis and Jrue (juh-ROO’) Holiday.
In other NBA action:
β The San Antonio Spurs never trailed while holding Utah to a season-low scoring total in an 89-69 victory over the Jazz. Tiago (tee-AH’-goh) Splitter scored 14 points and Kawhi Leonard had 12 and nine rebounds in the Spurs’ third straight win.
β Oklahoma City crushed Orlando 127-99, with Kevin Durant providing 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Russell Westbrook added 17 points and six assists for the Thunder, who shot 57 percent and led by as many as 38 on their way to snapping a four-game road losing streak.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Rangers dump Pens
UNDATED (AP) β The New York Rangers are within five points of the NHL’s Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders after beating the Penguins for the third time in four tries this season.
Rick Nash has a league-leading 28 goals after netting two more in the Rangers’ 5-2 triumph in Pittsburgh. Nash put New York ahead to stay just 26 seconds into the game.
Derek Stepan (STEP’-ahn) also scored twice and Derick Brassard added a goal and an assist to help the Blueshirts win their second straight since a two-game skid. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32 shots in the Rangers’ 15th victory in their last 18 games.
The Pens remain three points off the Metropolitan Division lead after falling to 4-6-2 in their last 12 games.
Also on ice:
β Henrik Zetterberg recorded his sixth career hat trick by scoring three times in the third period of Detroit’s 6-4 downing of Buffalo. The Red Wings carried a 3-0 deficit into the second period before scoring five straight goals in their fourth straight win.
β Bryan Little scored once in regulation and provided the lone shootout tally in Winnipeg’s fourth consecutive victory, 4-3 over Arizona. Dustin Byfuglien (BUF’-lihn) and Michael Frolik also scored for the Jets, who enjoyed a 3-1 lead until the Coyotes scored twice in the final 6:39 of regulation.
β Third-period goals by Cody Eakin, Erik Cole and Shawn Horcoff sent Dallas to a 6-3 victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago. Eakin scored twice and had an assist, while Jamie Benn set up three goals for the Stars.
NHL-RANGERS
New deal for Staal
PITTSBURGH (AP) β The New York Rangers and Marc Staal have agreed on a contract extension, keeping the defenseman off the free agent market this summer. The 28-year-old has two goals and six assists in 43 games for the Rangers this season.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL
UNC, Northern Iowa wins
UNDATED (AP) β Fifteenth-ranked North Carolina and No. 23 Northern Iowa won Sunday’s top-25 men’s basketball games.
Brice Johnson and Justin Jackson led the Tar Heels past Virginia Tech 68-53. Johnson finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Jackson had a game-high 16 points in the Tar Heels’ fourth straight win.
Northern Iowa has a five-game winning streak after Seth Tuttle scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 60-46 victory against Missouri State. Deon Mitchell had 11 points for the 16-2 Panthers, who moved into a tie for second place in the Missouri Valley Conference with Indiana State.
TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN
First round play begins
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) β Seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard’s quest to match her stellar 2014 record in Grand Slam tournaments started on a positive note she beat Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-2, 6-4 Monday in the first round of the Australian Open. Last year, Bouchard advanced to the semifinals at three majors and lost in the Wimbledon final.
Second-seeded and 17-time major champion Roger Federer defeated Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 in a first-round match. Federer won his 74th match in 85 starts, a record that has seen him win four Australian Open titles. Also advancing on the men’s side are third seed Rafael Nadal, two-time Grand Slam champion and 6th seed Andy Murray, seventh seed Tomas Berdych and No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov (dih-MEE’-trahv).
It also didn’t take long for the upsets to begin.
Fifth seed Ana Ivanovic (ee-VAH’-noh-vihch) had 10 double-faults and made 30 unforced errors in a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka (rah-DEHCH’-kuh). In all, eight of the seeded players in the women’s draw tumbled out on day one.
No. 3 Simona Halep (HAH’-lep) was the first seed to advance on the women’s side, losing five games in a straight-sets win.
GOLF-SONY OPEN
Walker wins
HONOLULU (AP) β Jimmy Walker has won the PGA’s Sony Open for the second straight year, closing with a 7-under-par 63 for a 23-under total.
Walker is the tournament’s first repeat winner since Ernie Els in 2004. He did it with a 15-under total over the final two rounds, one week after losing in a playoff on Maui.
Walker set a tournament record with a nine-stroke victory.
Scott Piercy closed with a 66 to finish alone in second.
GOLF-ABU DHABI CHAMPIONSHIP
Stal rallies to win after Kaymer stumbles
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) β Third round leader Martin Kaymer (KY’-mur) skied to a 75 in the final round to finish third in the Abu Dhabi (AH’-boo DAH’-bee) Championship. The winner at 18-under-par was France’s Gary Stal while world No. 1 Rory McIlroy shot a final round 66 to finish in second, one shot back. Kaymer wound up just two shots back of the winner.
ALPINE SKIING-VONN
American becomes all-time winner
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) β Lindsay Vonn is now tied for the most World Cup wins in women’s Alpine skiing history. She has tied Annemarie Moser-Proell’s (MOH’-shur prehls) 35-year-old record of 62 career wins by winning a downhill in Italy.
