NFL

HOUSTON (AP) — Lovie Smith was fired as coach of the Houston Texans on Sunday night time after only one season through which the group went 3-13-1.

It’s the second straight season through which the Texans have fired a coach after only one 12 months. They parted methods with David Culley final January after he went 4-13 in his solely season.

Smith was requested about his future after Sunday’s sport at Indianapolis and appeared assured that he’d return subsequent season. Hours later, he was out of a job.

The Texans had the league’s worst report for a lot of the season, however received two of their final three video games, capped by Sunday’s win over the Colts that price the group the No. 1 general choose in subsequent 12 months’s draft. The 32-31 victory over Indianapolis gave Chicago the highest choose and left Houston to decide on second in April’s draft.

The 64-year-old Smith was one of many few Black coaches within the NFL together with Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Miami’s Mike McDaniel, who’s biracial. It is the third time because the merger {that a} group has fired its head coach in consecutive years after only one season.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Nyheim Hines ignited an emotionally charged environment celebrating injured Bills security Damar Hamlin by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, and Buffalo clinched the AFC’s second playoff seed with a 35-23 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The loss, coupled with Miami beating the New York Jets, eradicated the Patriots (8-9) from the playoffs for the second time in three years, and simply the fourth time in 23 seasons throughout Bill Belichick’s teaching tenure. Buffalo will now host their division rival Dolphins within the wild-card spherical subsequent weekend.

With the sport in hand, Bills gamers held up three fingers in honor of Hamlin’s quantity with the group chanting “Hamlin! Hamlin!”

The Bills (13-3) closed their season by successful their last seven video games and overcame an emotional week through which the group was left devastated in watching Hamlin collapse after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the sphere in Cincinnati on Monday night time.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was intercepted by Kerby Joseph on the ultimate go of what is perhaps his final sport, and the Green Bay Packers misplaced 20-16 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night time to overlook the playoffs.

After successful 4 straight video games and receiving loads of assist from different groups, the Packers had management of their postseason destiny heading into the ultimate sport of the NFL common season. But they fell quick in opposition to the Lions, who had been eradicated from the playoffs earlier Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 in extra time.

Seattle (9-8) as an alternative earned the NFC’s final playoff spot and can play at San Francisco (13-4) within the opening spherical. The Packers (8-9) missed the playoffs for the primary time in Matt LaFleur’s 4 seasons as coach.

Rodgers went 17 of 27 for 205 yards with one landing in what could be the last look at Lambeau Field for the four-time MVP. Although he’s below contract for subsequent season, the 39-year-old Rodgers has stated he doesn’t know whether or not he’ll proceed taking part in.

During the sport, Rodgers turned the eighth NFL participant to have at the least 5,000 profession completions.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago will choose No. 1 for the primary time since 1947 after it misplaced 29-13 to the Minnesota Vikings in its season finale on Sunday. It was the tenth straight loss for the Bears (3-14), extending a franchise report, and the 14 losses general additionally marked essentially the most in group historical past.

Even with all that distress, the Bears have been headed for the No. 2 choice earlier than Lovie Smith coached Houston to a wild 32-31 victory at Indianapolis. Davis Mills handed for 3 touchdowns because the Texans (3-13-1) rallied for his or her second win in three video games.

It was Smith’s final sport with Houston. He was fired by the Texans on Sunday night time.

ATLANTA (AP) — Tom Brady broke his personal NFL report for many completions in a season, rapidly gaining the wanted 9 connections in Tampa Bay’s sport in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Brady had a report 485 completions with the Buccaneers in 2021. The 45-year-old Brady entered Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Falcons with 477 completions, leaving him solely 9 away from a brand new report.

Brady set the mark on a 5-yard completion to Russell Gage, the previous Falcons receiver, early within the second quarter. The sideline go gave Brady 9 completions on his first 12 makes an attempt and 486 for the season.

Brady accomplished 13 of 17 passes for 84 yards with a landing, giving him 490 completions for the season. He was changed by Blaine Gabbert late within the first half.

NBA

MIAMI (AP) — Royce O’Neale’s putback with 3.2 seconds left put Brooklyn to remain, and the Nets beat the Miami Heat 102-101 on Sunday night time in a sport the place Kevin Durant left early with a proper knee harm.

Kyrie Irving scored 29 to guide the Nets, who’ve now received 18 of their final 20 — after successful solely 9 of their first 20 video games. Durant had 17 earlier than departing and Seth Curry scored 14 for Brooklyn.

Nic Claxton had 13 factors and 11 rebounds for the Nets.

Jimmy Butler scored 26 for Miami, which bought 24 from Tyler Herro. Butler missed a contested shot on the rim on the sport’s last play, and Herro was shaken up on it as effectively earlier than limping off — replays exhibiting he could have slipped.

PHOENIX (AP) — Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell each scored 22 factors and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late to beat the banged-up Phoenix Suns 112-98 on Sunday night time.

The Cavaliers received for the fourth time in 5 video games. It’s the second time this week the Cavs have topped the Suns after beating them 90-88 on Wednesday.

Struggling Phoenix — taking part in with out their All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker — has dropped six in a row and 9 of 10. The Suns now have a 20-21 report, which is the primary time they’ve been below .500 all season.

The offensively challenged Suns didn’t prime 100 factors for a fourth straight sport.

GOLF

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Jon Rahm started the daring new 12 months on the PGA Tour by coming from seven photographs behind to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Sunday with loads of assist from Collin Morikawa, who had a spectacular wipeout even by Maui requirements.

Rahm was six photographs behind on the thirteenth gap at Kapalua when he ran off three straight birdies and a 12-foot eagle putt, and his last birdie gave him a 10-under 63.

Morikawa was two teams behind him. He had gone bogey-free over 67 holes on the Plantation Course when all of it fell aside along with his wedges and his putter, the 2 areas that had carried him to a six-shot lead at the beginning of the day.

Morikawa appeared to be in a state of shock as he walked down the seventeenth fairway, main by as many as seven photographs through the last spherical and instantly discovering himself two photographs behind and operating out of hope. He wound up tying a PGA Tour report for dropping the most important 54-hole lead at six photographs. Eight different gamers have executed that, most lately Scottie Scheffler on the Tour Championship final 12 months.

Rahm completed at 27-under 265 to win by two photographs over Morikawa, who birdied the 18th gap — his first birdie since No. 6 — to shut with a 72.

BASEBALL

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox nearer Liam Hendriks says he has non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hendriks introduced Sunday on Instagram that he was identified in latest days. The three-time All-Star was scheduled to start therapy on Monday.

Hendriks stated he’s “confident” he’ll “make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible.”

The five-year survival charge for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 73.8%, in line with the National Cancer Institute. Some types are aggressive whereas others are sluggish rising.

General supervisor Rick Hahn stated in a press release the White Sox don’t count on to have an replace on Hendriks’ standing previous to opening day.