Baker Mayfield called it a "pretty damn good story" after he produced a stunning fourth-quarter comeback against the Las Vegas Raiders to win 17-16 in his Los Angeles Rams debut on Thursday.

Having been cut by the Carolina Panthers on Monday following news he was no longer the starter or the backup, he was claimed by the Rams on Tuesday, and just two days later he was thrust into the action.

John Wolford started the game at quarterback for the Rams, but after two quick Raiders scores, Mayfield trotted out in the first quarter trailing 10-0 and began to figure things out.

His very first play went for a 21-yard completion, and his first drive ended in a field goal, but the Rams were unable to score again until the final minutes of the game.

Trailing 16-3 to begin the fourth quarter, Mayfield put together a 17-play, 75-yard drive, with Cam Akers' short-range touchdown cutting the margin to six points, and he got the ball back with 98 yards to go and just 1:45 on the clock.

He went on to produce the longest go-ahead drive beginning in the final two minutes in the past 45 seasons, culminating in his first touchdown pass as a Ram, a 23-yard dime down the left sideline to Van Jefferson as the Raiders opted to play man coverage with no safety help over the top.

Speaking to the media after the fairytale result, Mayfield reflected on the long, winding journey to Los Angeles.

"I don't know if you can write it any better than that," he said. "Obviously, we'd like to be a little bit more stress-free, but it's a pretty damn good story, I'll be honest with you. It's special.

"It feels really good right now, but there's a lot to get fixed, that's for sure. Throughout my career so far there's been a lot of ups and downs, so this is one I'm going to enjoy right now, but there's a lot of things to get ironed out and learn from.

"I'm extremely thankful. It's been a tough year, to be honest with you, and this has been a good way to kick-start this journey here. It's wild."

Joining the Amazon Prime coverage immediately after the win, the former number one overall draft pick was asked where this ranks out of the moments in his career.

"This is up there, to be honest with you," he said. "I didn't think it was going to play out like this, but I'm sure happy [the coaches and I] covered the two-minute operation, my goodness.

"It's been a wild year, I'm not going to say otherwise. From being in limbo at the beginning, not knowing where it's going to go, to the last 48 hours here.

"I'm thankful to the guys back in Carolina, to be honest with you, I love those guys, and it sucks I had to leave. But when it works out like this, it's for the best, and I think they understand that."

Mayfield added that he has history with Jefferson, and that him coming down with the winning touchdown catch makes up for any past indiscretions.

"Van and I go back, I'm not very happy with Van until now," he said in jest. "I was trying to get him to come to Oklahoma, but he wouldn't text or call back. He owes me one, and he got me right there.

"I was truly shocked they pressed him up with 15 seconds left, knowing we had no timeouts left. He did a great job winning off the line of scrimmage, and I just put it up for him to go make a play."

The 27-year-old will likely start the remainder of the season with starting quarterback Matthew Stafford out injured, and with Stafford's future up in the air, the Rams' low-cost gamble could end up producing their new number one.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo did not attempt a single shot from outside the key on his way to a dominant 31-point performance in Thursday's 115-110 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Adebayo also added 10 rebounds (four offensive) and four assists, shooting 14-of-21 from the field in a tremendously efficient outing as the Clippers' interior defense had no answers.

After failing to reach the 30-point mark in each of his first 13 games this season, Adebayo has now eclipsed the figure in four of his past 11 fixtures, raising his season average to a career-high 20.7 points per game.

He was supported in style by Jimmy Butler, who hit 10 of his 12 field goal attempts for a terrific game in his own right, posting 26 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.

Paul George led the way for the Clippers, and was the only reason they were able to keep things close on the road while Kawhi Leonard was out for a scheduled rest day, scoring a team-high 29 points (10-of-20 shooting) with eight rebounds and seven assists.

The victory for the Heat snaps a two-game losing streak and pulls their record back to 12-14, leaving them 10th in the Eastern Conference, while the Clippers are ninth in the West at 14-13.

Johnson and the Spurs win all-Texas showdown

The San Antonio Spurs received standout performances from Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones to defeat in-state rivals the Houston Rockets 118-109.

Johnson finished one point off his season-high with 32 on 14-of-21 shooting, hitting half of his six three-point attempts, while Jones' 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting was a new career-high.

Despite the loss, it was a strong outing from this year's third overall pick in the NBA Draft, with Jabari Smith Jr scoring a career-high 23 points on nine-of-13 shooting. The six-foot-11, smooth-moving wing showed off his special shooting stroke, hitting four-of-seven from deep.

'Dame Time' not enough against the Nuggets

Damian Lillard scored 15 of his game-high 40 points in the final six minutes, but Jamal Murray had the last laugh as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers 121-120.

Lillard, in his second game back from injury, looked back to his best late in the fourth quarter, hitting a contested step-back three with nine seconds on the clock to go up by two. He ended up shooting 12-of-22 for his 40 points and 12 assists, hitting at least nine three-pointers for the 10th time in his career.

But Murray would hit his own step-back game-winner with less than a second remaining, putting a bow on his 21-point, eight-assist showing, while reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic was a force with 33 points (14-of-25), 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Baker Mayfield led two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter of his Los Angeles Rams debut to stun the Las Vegas Raiders 17-16 on Thursday.

Mayfield, who was only signed by the team on Tuesday after being released by the Carolina Panthers on Monday, did not start the game, but was summoned for the Rams' second drive while trailing 10-0 in the opening quarter.

His very first play as a Ram resulted in a 21-yard completion to Van Jefferson, and it was a sign of good things to come for the former number-one draft pick by the Cleveland Browns.

A Josh Jacobs one-yard touchdown run from the Raiders' first drive of the game gave the impression it was going to be one-way traffic for the road team, but that would be their only touchdown of the contest.

Trailing 13-3 at half-time and 16-3 early in the fourth quarter, the Rams mustered a 17-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard Cam Akers touchdown plunge to give the home side some life.

Mayfield got the ball back for one final drive from his own two-yard line and 1:45 remaining in the game, and he produced a stunning 98-yard march down the field in eight plays.

With 15 seconds left and only time for a couple shots at the endzone from the 23-yard line, Mayfield connected down the sideline to Van Jefferson on the first try, tying the game, before Matt Gay's extra point gave the Rams the unlikely lead and the win.

Mayfield completed 22 of his 35 passes for 230 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers, while Ben Skowronek was his top receiver with seven catches for 89 yards.

The win does not change much for the Rams' season, now 4-9 and no real chance to make the playoffs, but it was a crushing blow for the Raiders, who could have remained in the hunt with a win, but instead fell to 5-8.

Center-fielder Brandon Nimmo is staying with the New York Mets after agreeing to an eight-year, $162million contract extension.

After the New York Yankees retained American League home run champion Aaron Judge, Nimmo had been widely considered the best remaining outfielder in free agency.

Nimmo, 29, has become a staple in the Mets' outfield, starting 148 games in center field last season while batting .274 with 16 home runs, 30 doubles and seven triples.

His 159 hits, 102 runs scored and 64 RBI in 2022 were all personal bests, while he sports a career average of .269 with an .827 OPS.

Coming off a 101-win season, the Mets have already had an offseason full of blockbuster deals.

Ace Jacob deGrom left the Mets to join the Texas Rangers on a deal that could be up to six years and $222m, while Taijuan Walker is headed to the rival Philadelphia Phillies for $72m over four years.

The Mets responded by filling those holes in the rotation with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana on two-year deals.

In the bullpen, the Mets retained star closer Edwin Diaz on a five-year, $102m contract, and reliever David Robertson will return on a one-year, $10m deal.

Baker Mayfield was only picked up off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday, but he was called upon to enter the game in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.

Mayfield was cut by the Carolina Panthers on Monday in what was called a "mutual agreement" by the team after it was established he would no longer be the starter or backup now that P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold are both healthy.

John Wolford started for the Rams against the Raiders, but after a three-and-out to open the game – with Wolford attempting no passes on the drive – he was pulled.

Trailing 10-0 in the first quarter, Mayfield entered the game, and with his first play he delivered a 21-yard play-action strike to Van Jefferson. His first drive ultimately ended with a field goal, and he remained in the game for the Rams' next drive in the second quarter.

Jacob deGrom has not tallied more than 15 starts in any of his past three seasons for the New York Mets, but the new Texas Rangers signing is aiming for double that figure in his first campaign down south.

DeGrom, 34, won back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019, starting 32 games in each season, but a string of injuries have restricted the former Rookie of the Year to a combined 38 starts since the beginning of 2020.

He did not make his debut this year until after the All-Star break, but looked like his dominant self once again, striking out 14.3 batters per nine innings. DeGrom did not reach enough innings to qualify for the league-leaders, but his figure was well clear of Carlos Rodon's league-leading 12.0.

While his health was at the centre of the Mets' reluctance to match the Rangers' five-year, $185million offer, deGrom told reporters on Thursday during his first interview with his new team that he is not planning on easing into things.

"The goal is to make 30-plus starts, and I truly believe that I will be able to do that," he said.

"Last year's was a weird injury, but finished the year strong, and the goal's to go out there and take the ball every fifth day for the Texas Rangers."

He also talked about how he appreciated the Rangers' approach to his free agency.

"The Rangers did a great job with constant communication and making me feel like they really wanted me here," he said. "The vision was the same: build something great, and win year in and year out.

"They showed a ton of interest right at the start, and the feelings were mutual. I want to play this game for a long time, and I want to win."

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was thrilled to land the top starter on the free agent market, while further rebuilding his rotation with former Dodgers left-hander Andrew Heaney.

"I'm ecstatic," he said. "To win in our game, you need pitching.

"We couldn't have a better guy to head up this rotation. We've added to the rotation. So don't tell me we can't win... we're a much better club right now than just a few weeks ago."

The Rangers' heavy investment in their pitching staff comes a year after they handed shortstop Corey Seager a 10-year, $325m free agent contract, pairing him with second-baseman Marcus Semien on a seven-year, $175m deal.

Atlanta Hawks All-Star Dejounte Murray will spend the next two weeks on the sideline after the extent of his injury was revealed on Thursday.

Murray could only make it through four minutes of the Hawks' 113-89 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday, leaving in the first quarter after tweaking his left ankle. 

After an MRI on Thursday, the team announced he has been diagnosed with an ankle sprain and is dealing with the associated swelling, and his status will be updated when his condition improves.

Murray became a first-time All-Star this past season with the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game to carry his side to the play-in tournament.

His emergence, combined with the Spurs going into rebuild mode, resulted in the Hawks swooping in with an offer centred on three future first-round draft picks, and Murray has shown his breakout was no fluke.

Despite playing alongside All-NBA point guard Trae Young, Murray's production has remained strong, as he is second on the Hawks for points (20.8) and assists (6.2), while leading the team in steals (1.8 per game).

His absence adds to a growing injury list for Atlanta, which now includes three starters as John Collins (ankle sprain) and De'Andre Hunter (hip flexor strain) remain out.

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will "look at the options" with Gabriel Jesus reportedly sidelined for three months after undergoing surgery on his knee.

The Brazil forward was ruled out for the remainder of the World Cup after sustaining the injury during the Selecao's Group G clash with Cameroon.

According to unconfirmed reports in Brazil, Jesus will be absent for three months, while Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday confirmed he has started his rehabilitation programme.

The 25-year-old has played a key role in the Gunners' impressive start to the season, which sees them five points clear at the summit after 14 games.

Jesus' tally of five goals is only bettered for Arsenal by Martin Odegaard (six), while only Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (nine) and team-mate Bukayo Saka (six) have registered more assists in the English top flight than his five.

With the January transfer window approaching, Arteta revealed the club are exploring possibilities on how to deal with the setback in the most constructive manner.

"What it affects is who we are as a team because he gives us so much," the Spaniard said. "So what we can do after that, when we know the timescale [of his recovery] and when we can have him back, we will look at the options and try to make the right decision.

"I feel like my squad is really good. Unfortunately, we've had injuries, and we will try to see what we can do to be strong. We have players, we have a lot of accompanying players.

"[The question is] do we have the players that can give us the performances and the consistency that we need to maintain and improve from where we are?"

Arsenal resume their title tilt with a home clash against West Ham on December 26, having won six from six at Emirates Stadium in the league this term. 

Cristiano Ronaldo's acrimonious Manchester United exit "won't affect" his legacy at Old Trafford, former team-mate Diego Forlan told Stats Perform.

United announced earlier this month they had reached a mutual agreement with Ronaldo to terminate his contract with immediate effect, following a controversial interview prior to the World Cup.

The Portugal captain, who scored 145 goals in 346 appearances for the club, did not hold back with his array of criticisms, including ones directed towards manager Erik ten Hag, and it became apparent he was on borrowed time at Old Trafford.

Forlan played alongside Ronaldo during the latter's debut season with the Red Devils in 2003-04, and the ex-Uruguay forward was disappointed at the nature of his former team-mate's departure.

"It won't affect [his legacy], but obviously it wasn't the best [exit]," he said. "The truth is that it was a pity, because we are talking about one of the best players in history, a great professional and a club that is an example.

"The fact that it's broken, it is a real shame. Because he, like other great footballers that were players at the club, were ambassadors of the club itself.

"In general, these kind of players have the chance to play where they want, but maybe not where they would prefer now, because of their age.

"Some clubs would love to have them, but today it is more difficult because clubs look more at numbers and age, and the teams start taking other decisions. But will have to see what motivates him, what he likes and which options of different clubs will be available for him." 

Controversy has followed Ronaldo to the World Cup, where Portugal were forced to deny reports he had quit the squad after being dropped to the bench for the thumping 6-1 win over Switzerland in the last 16.

That came after head coach Fernando Santos criticised his reaction to being substituted against South Korea, and it remains to be seen if Ronaldo will feature in their quarter-final showdown with Morocco on Saturday.

This is likely to be the 37-year-old's swansong at the finals, while the same can be said of long-time rival Lionel Messi, with Argentina set to face the Netherlands in the last eight.

Should this be the last stand for both players on the world's biggest stage, Forlan believes seeing either of them lift the trophy would provide a fitting ending to their international careers.

"It is what they are looking for," he added. "They have so many titles, many of them repeated many times, that it would be the grand finale, to end with a World Cup."

The former Uruguay captain, who was the joint-top scorer as La Celeste reached the 2010 semi-finals, is backing leading scorer Kylian Mbappe to go on and land the Golden Boot.

 "[The Golden Boot race] will depend on the team, how far it goes," he said. "If France has the chance to reach the final, I think that Mbappe has enough goals to be able to win the Golden Boot." 

Spain have made further changes to their coaching set-up by replacing Jose Molina with Albert Luque as their new sporting director.

La Roja announced head coach Luis Enrique's departure earlier on Thursday, two days after losing to Morocco on penalties in the World Cup last 16.

Luis de la Fuente, who has had success at Under-19 and Under-21 level, as well as winning a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics last year, is set to take over next week.

Molina is the latest high-profile figure to leave his role, with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirming he will not be renewing his contract in January 2023.

Luque will take up the position of sports director, while Francis Hernandez will work alongside the former Spain international.

Spain twice reached the Nations League Finals and the semi-finals of Euro 2020 during Molina's four years in the job.

The 2010 world champions are next in action at the end of March with opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland.

Tiger Woods will use a cart to help him cope with a foot injury when he partners Rory McIlroy in The Match charity event this weekend.

The 15-time major winner has not played competitively since missing the cut at The Open in July, having struggled with plantar fasciitis in his right foot – pain in the heel caused by tissue inflation.

However, Woods, who was also absent from last week's Hero World Golf Challenge, will be aided by a cart when he teams up with world number one McIlroy in Florida for Hurricane Ian relief.

The pair will compete against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the 12-hole competition at Pelican Golf Club.

"I can hit golf balls. It's just hard getting from point A to point B, so [the cart] will certainly help a lot," he said.

"Being in a cart is a totally different deal. That's something I've done at home quite a bit. When I was trying to gear up and be able to play in the Hero and see if I could actually do it, the walking part was the challenge, it wasn't actually swinging.

"I've got to get this plantar to heal and that just takes time. It's not something that happens overnight. It's going to take a lot of rest and healing and unfortunately, treatment. It's a tough road."

Later this month, Woods will play in the PNC Championship alongside 13-year-old son Charlie, who he advised to copy McIlroy's swing – a compliment that means a lot to the four-time major winner.

"[Tiger is] probably the best iron player that's ever lived, probably the best golfer that's ever lived. Period," McIlroy added.

"I think if he can just get it out in the fairway, and get some looks in the fairway, I think we're going to have a really good chance.

"It's flattering that, in my opinion, the best player ever is telling his son to swing like me. My dad taught me how to play the game growing up, and his thing was to always hold your finish, and I think that's what Tiger's dad taught him back in the day.

"Tiger's picked up on that and tried to instil that in Charlie. Charlie is a great kid, and he is a great young player. We are all excited to follow his progress and see how far he can go."

Jurrien Timber is not shaking at the prospect of facing Lionel Messi but says it will be a "great challenge".

Netherlands defender Timber will be tasked with trying to stop arguably the best footballer in the world on Friday when Louis van Gaal's side take on Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Messi has scored three goals at Qatar 2022 and gave a virtuoso display as Argentina edged out Australia 2-1 on Saturday.

Keeping the Paris Saint-Germain star quiet will be key to the Netherlands' chances of progressing to the semi-finals but Timber is up for the challenge.

Sitting alongside fellow defender Nathan Ake, he said: "Am I getting the shakes [at the prospect of facing him]? Fortunately not.

"It’s a great challenge to play against him. Messi is a fantastic footballer, but we aren't just playing against Messi and we don't have to solve it with the two of us.

"We're going to do that with the team."

Ake added: "It's very difficult to stop him. He's probably the best player in the world but we have to be wary of several players."

Another key man in the Dutch defence is captain Virgil van Dijk and he also felt it would be foolhardy to train all their focus on Messi.

He said: "They have a good team with many players that can decide the match.

"But it's not the Netherlands against Messi, it's the Netherlands against Argentina. I have a lot of respect for Messi, who, like Cristiano Ronaldo, has been among the best in football for so long. He deserves special attention but they also have Julian Alvarez, he has a bright future ahead of him at Manchester City and Argentina. But hopefully not in two days, here in Qatar."

The main question for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is whether to start again with a 4-3-3 formation or switch to the 3-5-2 they finished with against Australia.

If it's the former, it may see a return to the starting line-up for Angel Di Maria, if he can prove his fitness. If Scaloni opts for a three-man defence, then Lisandro Martinez will be included at the expense of Papu Gomez.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Netherlands – Memphis Depay

Depay has been the Netherlands' creative hub, not just in Qatar, but for many months.

The Barcelona attacker has been involved in 34 goals in his last 30 appearances for Netherlands in all competitions, scoring 24 and assisting 10.

Argentina – Julian Alvarez

Having started the tournament behind Lautaro Martinez, Alvarez has emerged as the main foil for Lionel Messi.

Alvarez has scored in each of his two World Cup starts. Only three Argentina players have scored in their first three; Guillermo Stabile in 1930, Oreste Corbatta in 1958 and Hernan Crespo in 2006. If he starts and scores in this match, at 22 years and 312 days of age, he'd be the youngest to score in his first three World Cup starts since Peru's Teofilo Cubillas in 1970 (21y 94d).

PREDICTION

Argentina are a 44.2 per cent chance to emerge victorious and progress to the semi-finals, according to Stats Perform's AI computer.

The Netherlands are rated at 27.1 per cent chance with a draw coming in at 28.7 per cent.

Cristiano Ronaldo must understand "time passes for everyone" and accept he may no longer be a regular pick for Portugal, former Brazil defender Junior has told Stats Perform.

Free agent Ronaldo has fallen out of favour at club and now international level, having been named among the substitutes for Portugal's 6-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is also currently without a club after his contract with Manchester United, where he struggled for playing time, was terminated by mutual consent.

Ronaldo's replacement, Benfica youngster Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick against Switzerland and is now set to keep his place for Saturday's quarter-final tie with Morocco.

Junior, who earned 74 caps for Brazil and appeared at two World Cups, believes Portugal boss Fernando Santos deserves praise for his huge selection call.

"You need to have the courage to put Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and the coach did," Junior said.

"And there was the answer he got - it was Goncalo Ramos scoring three goals. It's not just for the goals, but for his collective behaviour, I'm talking about the game as a whole.

"Time passes for everyone. Naturally, Cristiano will understand this in the best way so that he can continue to have the great respect that the group has for him. 

"He is the main player of the Portuguese national team for the last 10 years. Just look at everything the Portuguese team did before and after. But time passes for everyone."

Portugal are joined in the last eight of Qatar 2022 by next opponents Morocco, Argentina, the Netherlands, Brazil, Croatia, France and England.

Record five-time champions Brazil, who beat South Korea 4-1 in the last 16, remain the favourites of many to end their 20-year drought and lift the trophy once again.

Richarlison has arguably been Brazil's best player so far in Qatar, the Tottenham man's three goals placing him joint-second in the goalscoring charts behind Kylian Mbappe.

He has led the line in three of Brazil's four games, the exception being the loss to Cameroon when Tite heavily rotated, and Junior has been impressed by the versatile forward.

"Richarlison rebuilt himself within the national team because he was a player who had much more visibility playing on the wings previously," Junior said. 

"When we see him playing the role of centre-forward, we see that he has recovered and is now in the starting line-up. 

"On the sides of the pitch, it'd be difficult for him with Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Neymar who also play there. So, he started to evolve exactly in that centre-forward position. 

"The goal he scored with a volley in the first game is from a player who has great capacity and great resources when a situation like that presents itself."

Tite has made full use of his squad, so much so that he has already used all 26 members of his group – the most ever fielded by a team at a single World Cup.

The Brazil head coach brought on third-choice goalkeeper Weverton against South Korea to complete the set, which Junior says offers an insight into Tite's character.

"As happened in 2006 with Rogerio Ceni, Tite has done the same with Weverton. He's made sure he not only travels to the World Cup but is also on the pitch.

"This type of attitude strengths the group a lot. It's one of Tite's most important qualities: valuing the whole squad, including the third keeper, who rarely plays at a World Cup."