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Eagles-Bills final score: Philadelphia narrowly escapes Buffalo with a win

The Philadelphia Eagles are 11-5 after beating the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday evening. Final score: 13 to 12.

It was the narrowest of wins for the Eagles, who were in position to blow a 13 to 0 lead with Buffalo opting to go for a two-point conversion after their touchdown with five seconds remaining in regulation. The Birds greatly benefited from Josh Allen missing a wide open target in the end zone to hang on for the win.

The Eagles’ defense, which mostly played a pretty awesome game, deserved that break. They came up with a takeaway and forced six punts while going up against one of the best quarterbacks and offenses in the NFL. Jalen Carter also came up with a huge blocked extra point right after the Bills’ first touchdown.

The Eagles’ offense did NOT deserve that break. They absolutely stunk in the second half, running 18 plays for just 16 yards for five punts against a Bills defense that ranks 25th in DVOA. Nick Sirianni’s all too conservative approach almost cost the Eagles a win in this spot. It’s been a common theme this season and it’s a very big concern entering the playoffs.

Speaking of the postseason, though, the Eagles are still currently alive for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture with this win. Now they need the San Francisco 49ers to beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday night to remain in the running for that No. 2 spot entering the final week of the regular season. If the Bears pull off the upset, the Eagles are locked into the No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 seed in the Wild Card round.

Next up for the Eagles: a Week 18 home game against the Washington Commanders. It remains to be seen if the Eagles will be resting starters or not. Dan Quinn will apparently be out to avenge Washington’s Week 16 loss either way.

Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage.

FIRST QUARTER

  • The Bills won the coin toss and deferred to put the Eagles on offense first. The Eagles got called for illegal formation on the opening kickoff return, which made them start at their own 28-yard line. Good to see them looking sharp from the jump! Jalen Hurts slightly overthrew Jahan Dotson downfield on the first play from scrimmage. Facing 3rd-and-10, Hurts completed a pass to A.J. Brown just shy of the marker. Three-and-out. Zero rushing attempts despite the Bills being one of the NFL’s worst run defenses.
  • The Bills took over at their own 10-yard line after a Braden Mann bounced for a total of 54 yards. Josh Allen hit Dawson Knox over the middle for a first down and more. Then James Cook ran for a first down. Facing 3rd-and-4 a little shy of midfield, Zack Baun sacked Allen but the stop was wiped out by a defensive holding penalty on Marcus Epps. Tacky call but Epps shouldn’t have given the ref any reason to throw that flag. Facing 3rd-and-7, a stunting Jalyx Hunt got to Allen for a sack! Nice effort to buckle down and force a punt after giving Buffalo a free first down.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 13-yard line. Saquon Barkley took his first carry for three yards. His second carry resulted in a first down. Facing 3rd-and-8 after Dallas Goedert couldn’t catch a ball away from his body in the heavy rain, Nick Sirianni brought the coward’s draw with Will Shipley back! How exciting to surrender. Shipley picked up four yards and the Eagles punted the ball. Disgusting lack of ambition.
  • The Bills took over at their own 26-yard line. Brandin Cooks got wide open downfield with Epps and Cooper DeJean trailing for a 50-yard completion. Then Allen scrambled and the ball popped out with Jaelan Phillips in his face for a Jihaad Campbell recovery (really good effort by the rookie to get possession)! There was some thought it was a pass and not a fumble … but the replay confirmed the call!
  • The Eagles took over at the plus 45-yard line. Hurts hit Darius Cooper (!) for a short gain and then Brown for a 27-yard gain into the red zone. Facing 3rd-and-1 after Hurts hit Brown on a bubble screen, Barkley took a carry up the gut for a first down at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Hurts went under-center play-action and found an open Goedert in the end zone. Strong 7-play, 45-yard touchdown drive to take advantage of good field position after the takeaway. EAGLES 7, BILLS 0.
  • The Bills took over at their own 20-yard line after Jake Elliott’s kickoff bounced in the landing zone and into the end zone.

SECOND QUARTER

  • Facing 3rd-and-3, Allen took off running for a 17-yard gain. Good effort by Jalyx Hunt to make the shoestring tackle to prevent even more damage. The Bills picked up another first down with a Cook run but the Bills got called for holding (Dion Dawkins on Jalyx Hunt) to knock their offense back. Allen made up for it with a first down completion over the middle to Josh Palmer. Quinyon Mitchell was beat downfield by Brandin Cooks but Allen threw to the wide receiver’s wrong shoulder for an incompletion. Facing 3rd-and-8, Allen broke out of a Zack Baun sack and threw to Palmer for a would-be first down but Adoree’ Jackson helped to break it up. Jaelan Phillips was injured after the third down stop.
  • A Bills player tripped over Sydney Brown and into Britain Covey for a 15-yard fair catch inference penalty to have the Eagles take over at their own 23-yard line. Covey took a big hit to the leg and was hurt on the play. Hurts threw too short of an open DeVonta Smith to bring up third down. Facing 3rd-and-4, Sirianni called a timeout to talk over the third down play. Facing 3rd-and-4 for real, Hurts ripped a pass to DeVonta in a tight window for a first down. Great throw. Barkley took a carry for a loss and got banged up. Facing 3rd-and-10, Hurts danced away from pressure and hit Brown for a first down. Wowza. Another really good third down throw. The Eagles went with a Will Shipley run (why not Tank Bigbsy?!) for a loss. Then Hurts was pressured into a throwaway. Facing 3rd-and-12, Hurts took off running and took a shot along the sideline but there no was flag for that hit. How?! Happened right in front of the refs. There was a flag on the Bills for defensive holding to give the Eagles a first down. Brown dropped a one-handed catch attempt on a dime by Hurts … Brown couldn’t get his second hand on the ball due to pass interference that wasn’t called. Facing 3rd-and-9, Hurts checked down to Goedert. The Eagles brought Jake Elliott in for the 47-yard field goal attempt … and Elliott drilled it. Nice bounce back kick to take a two-possession lead. Bills fortunate they got away with some big penalties on that drive. EAGLES 10, BILLS 0.
  • The Bills took over at their own 32-yard line with 4:57 on the clock. Epps flew in for a big tackle where it looked like Cook originally fumbled for a DeJean recovery but it was ruled that his forearm was down. Jalen Carter destroyed the Bills’ right guard to put a big hit on Allen for a sack. Facing 3rd-and-19, Reed Blankenship put a big hit on the checkdown option to bring up a Bills punt. Bunch of heat-seeking missles out there! Great stand by Vic Fangio’s defense. Three plays, -2 yards, punt.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 29-yard line with 2:49 on the clock. They picked up a first down into Bills territory with two Barkley runs to reach the two-minute warning at 1:58. Hurts got hit as he threw but still managed to complete a pass to Brown for another first down. Hurts hit DeVonta for another first down to the 15-yard line. The Eagles called their second timeout with 0:23 left. The Bills then took their first timeout with the play clock running down on the Eagles. Facing 3rd-and-8, the Eagles went with a bubble screen to Goedert instead of trying to throw into the end zone. This end of second quarter drive was better than a lot of Sirianni’s give up attempts but still would’ve liked a better effort of getting into the end zone at the end. Elliott made the 28-yard field goal attempt to cap off a 10-play, 61-yard drive that took 2:41 off the clock. EAGLES 13, BILLS 0.
  • Sydney Brown got flagged in off-setting unnecessary roughness penalties as the Bills took over at their own 25-yard line and Allen took a knee to end the first half.

THIRD QUARTER

  • The Bills took over at their own 20-yard line after a 37-yard kick return was wiped out by a special teams holding penalty drawn by Cameron Latu. Facing 3rd-and-1, Khalil Shakir dropped a would-be first down on a bubble screen. Sean McDermott sent out the punt team instead of going for it on his own 29-yard line. Sirianni called a timeout to prevent a 12-men on the field penalty. The Bills ended up punting and not faking. Excluding the Bills’ end of half kneel, three straight Buffalo punts forced by Fangio’s defense.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 22-yard line. Barkley ran twice for a first down. A Hurts throw to the sideline was put into harm’s way but not caught by Bills linebacker Matt Milano. Facing 3rd-and-12 after Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens got beat for a Barkley TFL, Hurts was pressured into a throwaway. Five-and-out.
  • The Bills almost had to take over at their 1-yard line but Latu touched the ball as he stepped onto the goal line for a touchback instead. Brutal mistake. No need to even touch the motionless ball! The Bills instead took over at their own 20-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-9 after picking up two first downs, Allen hit Knox right ahead of the marker for a third first down with Blankenship trailing. Moro Ojomo got to Allen in a collapsed pocket for a sack of 8 yards. Allen was shown wincing after the play but he remained in the game. Facing 3rd-and-15, Nolan Smith helped to pressure Allen into an incompletion. Fourth straight punt for the Bills.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 16-yard line. DeVonta made an awesome leaping catch on a ball thrown behind him in the rain. DeVonta got banged up after landing on the ball and the Bills challenged the catch, which DeVonta bobbled but replay did not show conclusive evidence that it was incomplete. And yet the ruling on the field was overturned. Absolute garbage. Facing 3rd-and-10, Hurts threw the ball away. Three-and-out after some bullshit officiating.
  • The Bills took over at their own 32-yard line after Mann’s 62-yard punt was returned for 10 yards. Facing 3rd-and-10 after Campbell helped to break up a second down pass, Allen aired it out to Palmer incomplete … but Quinyon Mitchell was flagged for DPI. Wasn’t nearly as egregious as what Tre’Davious White got away with on A.J. Brown earlier in the game. Tyrell Shavers made an insane leaping and bobbling catch against tight coverage by Mitchell for 32 yards into the goal-to-go. Looked like it may have not been a catch but Sirianni didn’t get a challenge flag in as the Bills hurried up to run another play. Facing 3rd-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Epps flew in for a TFL on Cook. Great run fit there. Facing 4th-and-goal, Allen took off running and came up JUST short of the goal line for a turnover on downs. WOW. Incredible stop by the defense. Credit to Baun for helping to get Allen down.
  • The Eagles took over at their 1-yard line and went Tush Push to gain some breathing room. Then Barkley ran for a short gain. Facing 3rd-and-6, Hurts avoided taking a sack for a safety and ran for a loss. Three-and-out. Would’ve liked trying to actually pick up the first down.
  • The Bills took over at the Eagles’ 42-yard line. Allen completed a short pass to end the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

  • Facing 3rd-and-8 after Baun was in good position to prevent an Allen completion to Cook on the wheel route, Allen was coverage sacked by Jalyx Hunt for a 19-yard loss (!) out of field goal range after trying to scramble around. Ended up being a five play drive for the Bills that resulted in -5 yards and a punt! Fangio is so good.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 20-yard line. Two Barkley runs set up third down. Facing 3rd-and-6, Hurts scrambled away from a sack and threw the ball away. Third straight three-and-out. Fourth straight punt.
  • The Bills took over at their own 46-yard line. They slowly but surely moved into field goal range. Then into the red zone. Then down to the 3-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-1, the Bills went Tush Push for the touchdown. Reminder that coward Sean McDermott tried to ban the Tush Push last offseason. Hypocrite. Carter got up high to block the Bills’ extra point attempt to limit the Bills to just six points! Big block to keep it a seven-point game. EAGLES 13, BILLS 6.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 30-yard line. Barkley was tackled for a loss. Barkley gained a yard. Facing 3rd-and-12, Hurts threw downfield to DeVonta and the ball went right through the receiver’s hands. Not an easy catch to make but he has to make it. The throw is there. Yet another three-and-out.
  • The Bills took at their own 17-yard line with 3:21 on the clock. Facing 3rd-and-9, Cooper DeJean blew up a bubble screen. He didn’t make the tackle but he disrupted the play to allow the rest of the defense to rally for the TFL. Facing 4th-and-10, Allen completed a pas s short of the sticks and the Bills went hook-and-ladder for a first down into Eagles territory. Great play-call and execution by Buffalo. Cooks somewhat recreated the David Tyree helmet catch to move the Bills to goal-to-go. Two plays later, Allen hit Knox for the touchdown. Or not! Replay showed Knox’s forearm was down with the ball just short of the goal line. The Bills took their final timeout at 0:08. The Bills went Tush Push again for the touchdown. Then the Bills lined up for the two-point conversion to try to win the game … and Allen’s pass was INCOMPLETE. Wide of his wide open target. Insane miss with the game on the line. Eagles so fortunate to get that break.
  • The Bills went with an onside kick that was easily recovered by Goedert. Victory formation to win the game.

FINAL SCORE: EAGLES 13, BILLS 12

EAGLES LINEUP NOTES

  • Will Shipley was on kickoff return duty despite his struggles in Week 16.

EAGLES INJURY NEWS

  • Jaelan Phillips got banged up early in the second quarter. He limped off the field and into the medical tent. Phillips exited the tent with his helmet in hand. He returned to the game.
  • Britain Covey got banged up early in the second quarter. He returned to the game in time for the Eagles’ next punt return.
  • Saquon Barkley got banged up midway through the second quarter. He returned to the field on the same drive.
  • Fred Johnson got banged up early in the third quarter. He got his ankled taped on the sideline.
  • Jalyx Hunt was being evaluated for trainers near the middle of the third quarter.
  • DeVonta Smith got banged up after landing on the ball in the third quarter.
  • Jalen Carter visited the medical tent in the fourth quarter. He returned to the game.
  • Cooper DeJean appeared a little banged up (holding his groin) later in the fourth quarter.

NFL teams to clinch playoff spot: Updated 2025 playoff bracket after Packers punch ticket to postseason in Week 17

NFL teams to clinch playoff spot: Updated 2025 playoff bracket after Packers punch ticket to postseason in Week 17 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The 2025 regular season is coming to a close. Week 17 is here, with teams only having two games left to try to make a bid for postseason contention.

Entering the week, 10 of the 14 total playoff spots up for grabs across the AFC and NFC were clinched. That list grew larger on Christmas, with the Packers landing a spot in the postseason after the Lions were eliminated following their shock defeat to the Vikings. The Houston Texans also beat the Los Angeles Chargers which clinched a playoff berth for the Texans and eliminated the Indianapolis Colts. 

The top four seeds in each conference go to the division winners, regardless of their record compared to non-division winners. The overall No. 1 seed in both the AFC and NFC will earn a first-round bye in the playoffs and will not play until the Divisional round. That team will also hold home-field advantage until the Super Bowl, assuming it does not lose before then.

Division winners will also host a wild-card game, which can provide a significant advantage over a road team forced to travel. While it may feel like only one or two major games remain, there is enough variability in the seeding that nearly every game in Week 17 played a role in a team’s clinching scenario.

Here is more on the teams that have clinched a playoff berth inWeek 17.

MORE: Updated AFC, NFC playoff standings going into Week 17

NFL teams to clinch a playoff spot

  • Denver Broncos
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Chicago Bears
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • New England Patriots
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans

Heading into Week 17, 10 of the 14 playoff spots across both conferences had been clinched, and each conference was in the exact same scenario. The Houston Texans were the second team to clinch during Week 17, punching their ticket with a win over the Chargers on Saturday. 

The Packers booked their trip to the playoffs despite a Week 17 defeat at the hands of Baltimore, benefiting from Detroit’s Christmas Day loss to Minnesota.

Both the Carolina Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers had the chance to clinch in Week 17, but both teams lost and will be playing for the division in Week 18. 

There are also other playoff implications in play, with some teams able to clinch their division and lock in a top-four seed.

Projected NFL playoff bracket 2025

Below is a look at the NFL’s projected playoff bracket as it stands in Week 17. 

AFC

1. Denver Broncos (BYE)
2. New England Patriots vs. 7. Buffalo Bills
3. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers
4. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. 5. Houston Texans

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks (BYE)
2. Chicago Bears vs. 7. Green Bay Packers
3. Philadelphia Eagles vs. 6. Los Angeles Rams 
4. Carolina Panthers vs. 5. San Francisco 49ers

Updated NFL playoff picture

Here’s how the standings in both conferences break down in Week 17, along with the other teams that are still in the playoff hunt. 

  • AFC

Rank Team Record Clinched
1 Broncos 13-3 Playoff berth
2 Patriots 13-3 Playoff berth
3 Jaguars 12-4 Playoff berth
4 Steelers 9-7 N/a
5 Texans 11-5 Playoff berth
6 Chargers 11-5  Playoff berth
7 Bills 11-5 Playoff berth

In the hunt: Ravens (8-8)

  • NFC

Rank Team Record Clinched
1 Seahawks 13-3 Playoff berth
2 Bears 11-4 Playoff berth
3 Eagles 11-5 NFC East title
4 Panthers 8-8 N/a
5 49ers 11-4 Playoff berth
6 Rams 11-4 Playoff berth
7 Packers 9-6-1 Playoff berth

In the hunt: Buccaneers (7-8)

‘Love the environment:’ Hurricanes arrive in Texas for Cotton Bowl

GRAPEVINE, Texas — The Hurricanes are back in Texas.

Eight days after upsetting Texas A&M at Kyle Field, Miami returned to Texas in advance of Wednesday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup with Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” safety Jakobe Thomas said. “Love the environment, but, you know, here to be 1-0 taking everything day by day and just ready to go out.”

Said offensive lineman Anez Cooper: “We’re excited. … We’re looking at it as a playoff game. We’re not really like focused on being a bowl game, but we’re prepared. We’re excited. We’re ready to compete.”

Miami arrived at its team hotel on Sunday evening after spending the last week preparing for the Buckeyes, who feature several of the nation’s top players.

They’re definitely a talented group,” said Thomas, who played Ohio State in the playoffs last year when he was with Tennessee. “I’m excited. The opportunity to play them again. They’ve got a lot of talent from depth —starters, guys that on bench — all through the depth.”

Miami has two practices before Wednesday night’s game where they will have a chance to get accustomed to AT&T Field, which is the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the intense atmosphere and NFL environment, Thomas said the Hurricanes have not prepared any differently this week.

“It’s been the same,” Thomas said. “We’re the same team every week, no matter who we play, where we playing, and we’re going to prepare the same way and be the same team we’ve been all year.”

Raptors star Scottie Barnes records historic triple-double in overtime comeback win over Warriors

Scottie Barnes went off for the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon.

Barnes dropped a monster triple-double to lead the Raptors to a 141-127 overtime win against the Golden State Warriors at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. He had the triple-double secured before overtime began, and had a career-high 25 rebounds in the win — which is the most recorded by a player in a single game anywhere in the league so far this season. It also matched the Raptors’ franchise record set by Bismack Biyombo in 2016.

Barnes had 23 points and 10 assists to go with his rebounds. It marked the seventh triple-double of his career, and the first ever 20-20 triple-double in Raptors history. Barnes is now just the second player since 1980 to record a 20-25-10 game anywhere in the league, along with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.

The Warriors seemed well on pace to grab the win in Canada on Sunday afternoon, and held a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter. But Toronto ended regulation on a 9-2 burst and forced overtime after Barnes tipped in a rebound to tie the game up with about 23 seconds left. Brandon Ingram had a look to win it at the end, but he was off the mark.

By then, the Warriors were done. The Raptors opened the extra period on a 10-0 run and ended up out-scoring Golden State 19-5 in overtime to cruise to the 14-point win.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 39 points, 14 of which came in the third quarter alone. He didn’t score once in overtime, however, and went 4-of-11 from behind the arc. Draymond Green added 21 points and seven assists, and Jimmy Butler finished with 19 points.

The loss snapped a three-game win streak for Golden State, which now sits at 16-16 on the season. They’ll take on the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Monday night in the second game of a three-game road trip.

Immanuel Quickley had 27 points and seven assists to go with Barnes’ triple-double. Brandon Ingram added 26 points. They shot 51% from the field as a team and scored 35 points off of the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.

Barnes and the Raptors now hold a 19-14 record after the win, which was their second in their last three games. They’ll host the Orlando Magic next on Monday night.

Raptors star Scottie Barnes records historic triple-double in overtime comeback win over Warriors

Scottie Barnes went off for the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon.

Barnes dropped a monster triple-double to lead the Raptors to a 141-127 overtime win against the Golden State Warriors at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. He had the triple-double secured before overtime began, and had a career-high 25 rebounds in the win — which is the most recorded by a player in a single game anywhere in the league so far this season. It also matched the Raptors’ franchise record set by Bismack Biyombo in 2016.

Barnes had 23 points and 10 assists to go with his rebounds. It marked the seventh triple-double of his career, and the first ever 20-20 triple-double in Raptors history. Barnes is now just the second player since 1980 to record a 20-25-10 game anywhere in the league, along with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.

The Warriors seemed well on pace to grab the win in Canada on Sunday afternoon, and held a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter. But Toronto ended regulation on a 9-2 burst and forced overtime after Barnes tipped in a rebound to tie the game up with about 23 seconds left. Brandon Ingram had a look to win it at the end, but he was off the mark.

By then, the Warriors were done. The Raptors opened the extra period on a 10-0 run and ended up out-scoring Golden State 19-5 in overtime to cruise to the 14-point win.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 39 points, 14 of which came in the third quarter alone. He didn’t score once in overtime, however, and went 4-of-11 from behind the arc. Draymond Green added 21 points and seven assists, and Jimmy Butler finished with 19 points.

The loss snapped a three-game win streak for Golden State, which now sits at 16-16 on the season. They’ll take on the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Monday night in the second game of a three-game road trip.

Immanuel Quickley had 27 points and seven assists to go with Barnes’ triple-double. Brandon Ingram added 26 points. They shot 51% from the field as a team and scored 35 points off of the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.

Barnes and the Raptors now hold a 19-14 record after the win, which was their second in their last three games. They’ll host the Orlando Magic next on Monday night.

Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half

Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers could not put together two competitive halves Sunday afternoon against the defending champions.

The Thunder pulled away at Paycom Center to earn a 129-104 win and improve to 27-5 on the season. The Sixers fell to 16-14.

Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and five assists. 

OKC’s leading scorers were Chet Holmgren with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 27. 

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain). 

The third stop on the Sixers’ five-game road trip is Memphis, where they’ll play the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Thunder:

Thunder scorching from the start 

Oklahoma City made its first nine field goals.

The Sixers’ defense was not at its finest and the Thunder’s offensive execution was razor-sharp after two straight losses to the Spurs. Jalen Williams beat Paul George on a backdoor cut and laid the ball in. Holmgren scored twice over Dominick Barlow in the post and jammed in an unguarded fast-break dunk. 

In his first career game against the Thunder, VJ Edgecombe defended the reigning MVP. He had a solid start against Gilgeous-Alexander, ceding no cheap fouls, but OKC’s superstar guard is essentially impossible to shut down. Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored over 20 points in 103 consecutive games. The longest streak in NBA history is Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight games.

OKC did commit seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Sixers avoided any immediate blowout concerns. A Quentin Grimes three-pointer late in the first gave the Sixers their first lead at 25-24. 

Maxey back on his A-game in first half

Maxey scored nine points in the first few minutes, including a soft scoop shot and a deep jumper. 

He never cooled off in the first half and continued to drive effectively into the heart of the Thunder’s defense. Maxey began 6 for for 6 from the floor and posted 15 of the Sixers’ 29 points in the opening period. He only missed two field goals in the first half on his way to 23 points. 

While there was nothing lucky about Maxey’s shotmaking in Oklahoma City, he was also due for some kind bounces. He’d had subpar shooting nights in the Sixers’ losses to the Nets and Bulls, going 31.6 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range over those two games. 

The Sixers’ offense relied on Maxey, although the team’s bench did provide much better production than in Friday’s defeat to Chicago. 

Adem Bona had eight points, two blocks and two rebounds in an extended first stint. Justin Edwards knocked down a three as soon as he touched the ball. Jared McCain leaked out ahead of the pack for a layup and Edwards then sunk his third triple of the second quarter to put the Sixers up 58-57. They trailed by two points at intermission.

Best vs. worst in third quarter

OKC’s defense focused more on bothering Maxey after halftime and he didn’t score in the second half until a technical free throw with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Unsurprisingly, Maxey’s lack of scoring coincided with the Thunder’s lead growing. Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving layup capped an 11-0 run and built OKC’s advantage to 86-73.

Neither Edgecombe (10 points on 3-for-16 shooting) nor George (12 points on 4-for-11 shooting) had the sort of efficient performances necessary to pick up Maxey’s slack after halftime.

The Sixers moved to a zone defense late in the third quarter. They weren’t able to stick with it for long, since the Thunder dissected the zone very well. OKC passed 100 points before the end of the third and the NBA’s worst third-quarter team thus far (minus-21.4 net rating entering Sunday) lost the frame by 14 points.

It just so happens that Oklahoma City is the league’s best third-quarter team. For the Sixers, Sunday’s fourth quarter was soon a hopeless cause.

Steve Kerr drops humorous one-liner about Steph Curry for advice to younger self

Steve Kerr drops humorous one-liner about Steph Curry for advice to younger self originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr knows what advice he’d give his younger self when starting his Warriors coaching career in 2014.

The 60-year-old shared his hilarious answer with reporters on Sunday before Golden State’s 141-127 overtime loss against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

“Just coach Steph Curry if you get a chance,” Kerr said. “Stay with that guy. I followed my own advice on that one.”

There isn’t any better guidance than that.

Kerr has spent his entire 12-year coaching career with Curry and the Warriors, and has enjoyed working with the sharpshooter to form the team’s iconic dynasty, which won four NBA championships and reached six finals between 2014-15 and 2021-22. 

The coach-guard duo also has dominated internationally, winning gold together at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics for an iconic Team USA men’s basketball squad.

Kerr is grateful to have won a lot alongside Curry. He, too, has enjoyed shaping Golden State’s offensive identity around the 11-time NBA All-Star’s 3-point shooting prowess.

“It’s a good question,” Kerr said. “It’s funny because I came in that year (2014-15), and we played a little differently than a lot of teams and everybody said we were really innovative. 

“It didn’t feel innovative to me because it was things I already learned with Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich. If anything, some of the stuff we were doing, I went back 30, 20 years to bring back. Today, we are sort of doing the opposite. We’re following other trends around the league.”

As he implied, Kerr carries several lessons he learned as a player who won five NBA titles over 15 seasons alongside other basketball legends into his coaching efforts with the Warriors.

While Kerr wisely would tell his younger self to stay attached to Curry — as he already has — the coach also would suggest being as adaptable as possible.

“I think what I’ve learned is that the league is constantly changing,” Kerr said. “And as a coach, you have to constantly be aware of what’s happening. Best example of that is two years ago, you wouldn’t have ever been able to convince me that we should crash on offensive rebounds. Now I know differently. It took our younger coaches to bring that suggestion to me. It took watching film. It took experimenting.

“So even having that conversation, 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have entertained it. So what I’ve learned 10 years into my coaching career, having been a part of championship teams, great teams, I’m learning something I never knew before. I think that’s just the case forever. Life’s always changing. Things are always changing. The game is always changing. You have to be a lifelong learner and you have to embrace everything that’s happening.”

Kerr’s journey with Curry isn’t over yet.

But even before knowing how the story ends, Kerr would tell his younger self to stay with the game’s greatest shooter of all time for the long haul.

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What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in collapse to Raptors in overtime

What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in collapse to Raptors in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

With a chance at having their first four-game win streak of the season, the Warriors on Sunday gifted the Toronto Raptors a 141-127 overtime win three days after Christmas.

Steph Curry’s latest breathtaking show again couldn’t end in a Warriors win. Curry scored 39 points, giving himself 10 games of 30-plus points this season. The Warriors now are 4-6 when he scores at least 30 points this season.

The rest of the Warriors’ Big Three also did their part. Jimmy Butler tallied 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Draymond Green gave them 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists. 

But the Raptors had three players who finished with more than 20 points, and seven in double figures, including their entire starting five.

A handful of issues undid the Warriors in a frustrating loss. The Warriors were outrebounded 55 to 42, and forward Scottie Barnes came down with 25 rebounds by himself. The Raptors scored 29 points off 18 offensive rebounds. 

More than anything, though, the Warriors were bitten by their constant penchant for turnovers. In the end, the Warriors lost the turnover battle 21-15, turning into 35 points for the Raptors. The Warriors now are 4-13 when they have more turnovers than their opponent, while being 12-3 when having fewer or equal turnovers.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ three-game losing streak coming to an end.

Year 17 In The 6

There were two road games Curry circled before last season: Charlotte and Toronto. Curry matched how many seasons in the NBA his father, Dell, played last year and the two cities hold sentimental value for different family reasons. Charlotte is home to Curry, where Dell spent 10 of his 16 seasons in the league. But his final three, which Steph remembers best, were north of the border with the Raptors. 

Now that Curry officially has passed his father’s time spent in the NBA, he gets to play two of his final three games of 2025 in those two special road arenas, starting with Sunday’s (loss or win) in Toronto. And Curry right away added to a never-ending highlight reel in the first quarter. 

Curry’s shot-making ability and gravitational pull brought him to 15 points at halftime while going a perfect 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. The Warriors’ first points of the second half then came from a four-point play by Curry, putting them from down one to ahead by three.

The second half was more reason for all of North America to always watch Curry. After 15 first-half points, Curry exploded for 24 points in the second half – 14 in the third and 10 in the second. He made all 11 of his free throws on the night for his second game of 10 or more free throw attempts this season.

Draymond Brings The Boom Back

Through the first month of the season, Green gave Golden State another threat behind the 3-point line. He was shooting 35.7 percent on threes over 16 games, a number the Warriors will gladly take. Green even made multiple threes in half the games he played (eight) over that month’s long stretch. 

But then his accuracy from deep began abandoning him. Green in his last month of nine games played came into Sunday having shot just 26.3 percent (10 of 38) beyond the arc, with teams begging him to let it fly. The Raptors used the same strategy, constantly sagging off him, and Green finally made them pay. He made two threes in the first half to bring him to 10 points, which gave Green just his third double-digit scoring game this month.

Another two threes in the third quarter brought Green up to four threes, his most in a game since making five on Nov. 7.

Green’s aggressiveness offensively was a major plus for the Warriors. He reached 20 points for the first time this season. But Green also was one of seven Warriors with multiple turnovers.

Troubled By Turnovers

Same story, different day. Another clutch game for the Warriors full of inexcusable turnovers. 

The Warriors had a 12-point lead in the final minute of the third quarter when the Raptors then reeled off an 8-0 run behind two free throws and scoring off three straight Warriors turnovers. Right when the Warriors could have put the game away, they let the Raptors off the hook and paid severely for it. 

In their final home game of the calendar year, the Warriors had a lowly 11 turnovers for six points against the Dallas Mavericks. Those same fortunes didn’t happen against the Raptors. The Warriors were completely undone by being careless with the ball. 

Going into halftime, they were winning the turnover battle by one, six to seven, in which the Raptors had scored 10 points off turnovers. The second half was another story. The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times, six more than Toronto’s seven, and the Raptors took advantage by scoring 23 points off them. 

For the 17th time this season, the Warriors found themselves in a clutch game. They’re now 6-11 in such games. The Warriors turned the ball over five times in the clutch of the fourth quarter, and another two more in overtime. The Raptors in that time period didn’t have any turnovers while scoring 11 points off the Warriors’ seven turnovers.

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Lakers regroup with team meeting, lengthy practice after JJ Redick ripped team’s effort: ‘The truth is uncomfortable’

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick promised an “uncomfortable” practice Saturday after his team lost in embarrassing fashion on Christmas. Following a team meeting and a long practice Saturday, the Lakers appear to be back on the same page after a three-game losing streak. 

Redick, in particular, was far more calm and collected, taking some blame for calling out his players following the team’s loss to the Houston Rockets, per ESPN.

“Myself, I’m always going to look in the mirror first,” said Redick, who is in his second season as Lakers coach. “And I think it’s easy as a player, as a coach to say, ‘It’s this guy’s fault,’ or, ‘We’re not doing this because X, Y, and Z.'”

Was it uncomfortable?

“The truth is uncomfortable,” Redick said, “and so you have to put everything out there, that’s all it is.”

While Redick’s note about the truth being uncomfortable suggests it was a contentious meeting, it doesn’t appear that was the case. The coach later classified it as a day of “recalibration and reconnection.” He noted the team’s staff had a “great meeting” and said speaking to players was “very positive.”

A few Lakers players seemed to agree with that sentiment. Both Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton expressed optimism the team would bounce back following the meeting. 

That was quite the shift from Thursday, when Redick called out the team’s effort and motivation following a 119-96 loss to the Rockets. 

“We don’t care enough right now. That’s the part that bothers me a lot. We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be professional.

It’s a matter of making the choice, and too often we have guys that don’t want to make that choice. It’s pretty consistent who those guys are. Saturday’s practice, I told the guys, it’s going to be uncomfortable. Meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I’m not doing another 53 games like this.”

[Get more Lakers news: L.A. team feed]

In particular, Redick hasn’t been pleased with the team’s defensive performance in recent games. On Tuesday, he ripped the team’s defensive effort after a loss to the Phoenix Suns. 

Those struggles continued on Christmas, as the Lakers were outrebounded 48-25. That, seemingly, was one of the main reasons for Redick’s rant. 

Ayton, who leads the team in rebounds, said Saturday he would hold players accountable during games moving forward. Ayton had just two rebounds against the Rockets on Thursday. He blamed that on a lack of focus. 

After getting out to a hot start, the Lakers have faded somewhat in recent weeks. The team sits at 19-10, good for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, though the team’s task will be harder following an injury to Austin Reaves.

The Lakers will look to get back on track Sunday, when the team takes on the Sacramento Kings. At 8-23, the Kings are one of the worst teams in the league. A dominant win by the Lakers on Sunday would go a long way toward proving the team has moved on following Redick’s angry rant Thursday.

Lakers regroup with team meeting, lengthy practice after JJ Redick ripped team’s effort: ‘The truth is uncomfortable’

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick promised an “uncomfortable” practice Saturday after his team lost in embarrassing fashion on Christmas. Following a team meeting and a long practice Saturday, the Lakers appear to be back on the same page after a three-game losing streak. 

Redick, in particular, was far more calm and collected, taking some blame for calling out his players following the team’s loss to the Houston Rockets, per ESPN.

“Myself, I’m always going to look in the mirror first,” said Redick, who is in his second season as Lakers coach. “And I think it’s easy as a player, as a coach to say, ‘It’s this guy’s fault,’ or, ‘We’re not doing this because X, Y, and Z.'”

Was it uncomfortable?

“The truth is uncomfortable,” Redick said, “and so you have to put everything out there, that’s all it is.”

While Redick’s note about the truth being uncomfortable suggests it was a contentious meeting, it doesn’t appear that was the case. The coach later classified it as a day of “recalibration and reconnection.” He noted the team’s staff had a “great meeting” and said speaking to players was “very positive.”

A few Lakers players seemed to agree with that sentiment. Both Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton expressed optimism the team would bounce back following the meeting. 

That was quite the shift from Thursday, when Redick called out the team’s effort and motivation following a 119-96 loss to the Rockets. 

“We don’t care enough right now. That’s the part that bothers me a lot. We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be professional.

It’s a matter of making the choice, and too often we have guys that don’t want to make that choice. It’s pretty consistent who those guys are. Saturday’s practice, I told the guys, it’s going to be uncomfortable. Meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I’m not doing another 53 games like this.”

[Get more Lakers news: L.A. team feed]

In particular, Redick hasn’t been pleased with the team’s defensive performance in recent games. On Tuesday, he ripped the team’s defensive effort after a loss to the Phoenix Suns. 

Those struggles continued on Christmas, as the Lakers were outrebounded 48-25. That, seemingly, was one of the main reasons for Redick’s rant. 

Ayton, who leads the team in rebounds, said Saturday he would hold players accountable during games moving forward. Ayton had just two rebounds against the Rockets on Thursday. He blamed that on a lack of focus. 

After getting out to a hot start, the Lakers have faded somewhat in recent weeks. The team sits at 19-10, good for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, though the team’s task will be harder following an injury to Austin Reaves.

The Lakers will look to get back on track Sunday, when the team takes on the Sacramento Kings. At 8-23, the Kings are one of the worst teams in the league. A dominant win by the Lakers on Sunday would go a long way toward proving the team has moved on following Redick’s angry rant Thursday.