Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić left the team’s 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat early on Monday night with a left knee injury. 

Jokić stepped awkwardly and his left knee buckled while standing in the paint in the final seconds of the first half at the Kesaya Center on Monday. Teammate Spencer Jones stepped back on Jokić’s foot as he was trying to guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., and that’s when Jokić’s knee buckled.

He instantly fell to the ground after the bad step and started rolling around in pain while grabbing his left knee as Kel’el Ware made an easy layup, which tied the game at the break. Jokić eventually stood up and walked to the locker room on his own, but he was limping significantly and barely put any weight on his left leg as he did so.

Jokić did not start the game in the second half, and the team initially said he was questionable to return with a left knee injury. He did not return. He is expected to undergo testing on his knee Tuesday. Further specifics of his injury are not yet known.

“Anybody that gets hurt in this game, it’s kind of gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “So we, we’ll find out more tomorrow and we’ll move on as a team.”

Jokić finished the night with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds. He shot 9-of-14 from the field in the first half, too. The three-time league MVP entered the contest averaging 29.2 points per game while leading the league with both 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists per contest.

Without Jokić around, the Heat took off in the second half to grab the easy 24-point win. They jumped up by 11 points after the third quarter, and then opened the final period on a 32-17 run. Their 147 points marked the most they’ve scored in a game this season.

Norman Powell led the Heat with 25 points, and Nikola Jovic added 22 points off the bench after shooting 5-of-8 from behind the arc. Jaquez finished with 20 points and 11 assists. The Heat shot 54% from the field and made 22 3-pointers. The win was their third straight, and got them to 18-15 this season.

Jamal Murray had 20 points and 11 assists for the Nuggets. Both Jones and Tim Hardaway added 16 points each, too. The Nuggets have now lost four of their last six games and fell to 22-10 on the season. The game marked the second of a seven-game road trip.

Jose Alvarado and Mark Williams threw punches in a very heated altercation on the court Saturday night in New Orleans.

Now, both players are facing a suspension.

The NBA suspended Alvarado for two games on Sunday night, and hit Williams with a one-game suspension, after their fight during the Phoenix Suns’ 123-114 win over the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Saturday.

Alvarado and Williams got into it late in the third quarter of the contest after Alvarado tried to get around a screen Williams set on him at the 3-point line. Alvarado shoved Williams — who is a good 13 inches taller than him — with both hands to try and get through it, but he was called for a foul.

Alvarado started to complain to the official, but he suddenly turned to then confront Williams. Almost instantly, things escalated to a fistfight. Several punches were thrown by both players, and Alvarado looked like he hit Williams directly in the face before the two were eventually separated.

Both players were ejected from the game.

Williams had 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench when he was ejected. The 24-year-old, who is in his first season with the Suns, entered the game averaging 13.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Alvarado had seven points and three assists for the Pelicans. He’s in his fifth season with New Orleans, and just signed a two-year, $9 million extension with the team that kicked in before this season.

Though the Pelicans got within a possession late, the Suns led for the entire second half and held on to grab the nine-point win. 

Things got chippy again after the final buzzer sounded. Royce O’Neal appeared to confront Zion Williamson near half-court, though that fizzled out quickly. 

Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points in the win, which pushed them to 18-13 on the season. They’ve won four of their last five now, including back-to-back wins over the Pelicans in New Orleans. Dillon Brooks added 18 points, and Collin Gillespie finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 24 points after he went 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Williamson added 22 points off the bench, and Derik Queen finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. New Orleans has lost three straight and sits at 8-25 on the year. 

Alvarado will be eligible to return on Friday night when the Pelicans host the Portland Trail Blazers. Williams will miss Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards, and will be able to return on Wednesday when the teak takes on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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There could be a new face patrolling the sidelines as head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026.

When recently discussing aspects of the franchise’s future, NFL.com and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport shared his thoughts on whether veteran head coach Pete Carroll would be back at the helm next season, and it was not encouraging for Carroll’s job security.

“We’ll see if Pete Carroll is there for it, I doubt it, but we’ll see,” Rapoport said when talking about the Raiders potentially drafting Fernando Mendoza as their future franchise quarterback.

𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: Ian Rapoport says it’s “doubtful” that Pete Carroll will be back with the Raiders in 2026.

Could be a one-and-done in Vegas, who will likely have the #1 overall pick. pic.twitter.com/3sKTaDx6pr

— JPA (@jasrifootball) December 29, 2025

The Raiders have limped to a 2-14 record this season, and Carroll has already fired his offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator midseason, with little change. It is just Carroll’s fourth losing season over a 28-year head coaching career that has spanned both the NFL and NCAA levels.

It is Carroll’s first year on the job for the Raiders, as he was brought in after the Raiders followed Antonio Pierce two days after the conclusion of the 2024 season. The franchise, which has three Super Bowl Championships to its name, is looking to get the franchise back on solid footing after just two playoff appearances in the past 20 years. Carroll was meant to provide that stability as a veteran coach with winning experience, but now it appears likely it could be a one-and-done scenario in Las Vegas for the coaching legend.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: NFL insider thinks Pete Carroll return to Raiders could be in question

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin and Carson Beck have already been part of national championship teams. Both quarterbacks are now trying to win a title of their own as a starter.

“Obviously to be a part of a championship team and then lead a championship team are two totally different things,” said Beck, the Miami quarterback who spent the previous five seasons with Georgia. “It’s everything that I’ve ever worked for.”

Beck’s chance to do that in his final college season is with the No. 10 Hurricanes (11-2, CFP No. 10 seed) after they made the College Football Playoff for the first time.

Their quarterfinal game in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve is against Ohio State. Sayin is the starter for the third-ranked Buckeyes (12-1, CFP No. 2 seed) after being a freshman backup behind Will Howard for their national title last season.

“Growing up, I always wanted to play on the biggest stage,” Sayin said. “So it’s been awesome … just developing and gaining confidence throughout each week and just building that into the next week.”

Beck with the Bulldogs

Georgia won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 when Stetson Bennett was the starting QB. Beck’s only snaps in those playoff games came late in the 65-7 win over TCU in the second one.

The Bulldogs then went undefeated in the 2023 regular season after Beck became the starter, but lost the SEC championship game to Alabama and were left out of the last four-team playoff. They got back to the SEC championship game and won last year, but Beck suffered an elbow injury before halftime that required surgery. He missed their playoff game and transferred to Miami, where he couldn’t throw in spring practice.

“It’s been an unreal journey, honestly, and nobody knows half the story of the things that I’ve had to go through and the adversities I’ve had to face and push through,” he said. “But for this full-circle moment and be in this position, and with this team and these guys and these coaches, it’s meant the world to me.”

Beck is 35-5 as an FBS starter, an .875 winning percentage that is the best for any active player with at least five games. He won his first CFP start in Miami’s first-round win at Texas A&M on Dec. 20.

“He’s just amazing as a quarterback, not only as a quarterback, but as a friend in the locker room, too,” Miami’s AP All-America tackle Francis Mauigoa said.

Sayin to Smith

Sayin originally signed with Alabama in December 2023, and the five-star prospect had started classes on the Tuscaloosa campus the following month before entering the transfer portal and going to Ohio State and through that spring with the Buckeyes.

“A special, special quarterback, best in the country to me,” Ohio State All-America sophomore receiver Jeremiah Smith said. “Can make any and every throw, just is precise with everything. Probably the smartest person I’ve ever been around. … I always knew that he was going to be the starter here with the way he practiced, the way he did everything.”

Sayin just kept working and learning last season from Howard.

“Seeing (Howard), the way he prepared last year in the playoffs, and was able to play his best football when it mattered the most,” Sayin said. “As a quarterback, and as coach (Ryan) Day says, the best players are their best in the biggest games.”

The Cotton Bowl will be Sayin’s first CFP game, and will be about 3 1/2 weeks after his only loss as a starter, to No. 1 Indiana in a Big Ten championship game matchup of undefeated teams. Sayin completed 21 of 29 passes for 258 yards with a TD and interception in that game.

Accurate passers

Sayin and Beck are the most accurate FBS passers this season.

Sayin has completed 78.4% of his passes (279 of 356) while throwing for 3,323 yards with 31 TDs and six interceptions. Beck has completed 74.5% of his passes (277 of 372), on pace to easily shatter Miami’s single-season record, for 3,175 yards, 26 TDs and 10 picks.

The single-season NCAA record is 77.45% by Bo Nix for Oregon in 2023.

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The final game of Week 17 will be a Monday Night Football matchup featuring the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) on the road against the Atlanta Falcons (6-9).

The Rams lead the all-time regular season series between these teams, 49-28-2, and have won their two most-recent meetings. They last faced off back in 2022, with the Rams winning at home in Los Angeles, 31-27.

The Falcons are already officially eliminated from the playoffs, and the Rams are hoping to be the third team from the NFC West in the postseason. The Rams currently sit behind the Seahawks and 49ers in the division, but all three are looking to extend their seasons.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons

TV Schedule

Game time: 8:15 PM EST

Channel: ESPN

Date: Monday, December 29, 2025

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, GA

Online Streaming

ESPN | FuboTV

Odds courtesy of Fanduel

Los Angeles Rams: -7.5 (-360)

Atlanta Falcons: +7.5 (+290)

Over/under: 49.5 points

SB Nation Blogs

Rams: www.TurfShowTimes.com

Falcons: www.TheFalcoholic.com

Open thread: Discuss Monday night’s game in the comments below.

After J’Mari Taylor and Sage Ennis both announced their decisions to enter the upcoming NFL Draft, starting defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter announced he will be doing the same, per a social media announcement late Monday afternoon.

A six-year contributor, Carter remained a mainstay along the defensive line throughout his career. Since joining the ‘Hoos in 2020, Carter racked up 165 total tackles and 2.5 sacks, consistently impacting the game in the trenches and remaining one of the most reliable defensive players in the program with 58 career starts.

Carter was named a team captain in the back-half of the 2025 season, amassing 31 total tackles as one of a handful of impactful players at the tackle spot. But for as great as he was on the field, his impact on this historic season stretched much further than when practices first began this past spring and summer.

When it comes to players staying loyal to their school and buying into the message of a new coach, you would be hard-pressed to find a more glowing example of that than Carter. Remaining as one of a handful of players who have been a part of the program for all four of Tony Elliott’s head coaching seasons, the Baltimore native fully bought into Elliott’s vision, electing to remain at UVA when it would have been easy to transfer away. Amid so much adversity, both on and off the field for Virginia as a program, Carter’s remained consistent when this Cavalier team needed it most.

Carter made the decision last offseason to come back to UVA for his final year of eligibility here in 2025, a decision that wasn’t lost on Elliott and the rest of the team, as evidenced by this locker room video after the Gator Bowl win:

A big thank you and good luck to Jahmeer as he enters the draft process. In the meantime, we’ll continue to keep you updated here at STL as the offseason continues to ramp up!

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Soderstrom and the Athletics finalized an $86 million, seven-year contract on Monday.

The deal includes a club option for an eighth season and bonus provisions that could raise its value to $131 million.

Soderstrom batted .276 with 25 home runs, 93 RBIs and an .820 OPS this year, his first full season in the majors. He made 100 of his 145 starts in left field, with 44 coming at first base and one at designated hitter.

Soderstrom made his big league debut in 2023, batting .160 with three homers in 45 games. He hit .233 with nine home runs and a .743 OPS over 61 games in 2024.

Drafted 26th overall by the A’s in 2020, the 24-year-old Soderstrom locked in a long-term contract to stay close to where he grew up in Turlock, California. He was on track to become eligible for arbitration after the 2026 season and for free agency after the 2029 season.

Planning to move to Las Vegas for 2028, the A’s last offseason agreed to a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. The team is entering the second of three planned seasons at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb