LeBron James' ability to take care of himself allows the Los Angeles Lakers to still rely on the 38-year-old, says coach Darvin Ham.
Having managed 47 points in Friday's win at the Atlanta Hawks, James scored 43 in the Lakers' 121-115 victory against the Charlotte Hornets, becoming the first player beyond the age of 38 to score 40 or more in consecutive games since Michael Jordan.
James, who also recorded 11 rebounds and six assists at Spectrum Center in almost 40 minutes on court, turned 38 on Friday.
"I just want to ride him," Ham said after the win. "And he allows you to do that because he takes such great care of himself. So, it's a great luxury to have."
James has been in impressive form of late, averaging 34.5 points from his last 11 games. He insisted his consistency is unrelated to carrying more pressure following the recent injury to Anthony Davis, though his form also improved last season when Davis was sidelined.
"Last year is last year," James said when it was put to him. "Obviously, I found a good groove last year. But this year is this year, as well. I feel really good in every facet of my game."
Austin Reaves, who scored 15 points with six rebounds and seven assists in just over 22 minutes of action, also paid tribute to James' conditioning.
"It's incredible," Reaves said. "To see him at his age... the stuff that he does, the way that he moves, the contact that he endures in a full game and just the way that his body has held up this whole time, it's super impressive.
"But it's a testament to what he does on a daily basis. He's always the first one in the training room, the first one taking care of his body and also getting the work in as well. So, to say the least, I'm happy to be on his team."
The Buffalo Bills announced 24-year-old safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It occurred in the first quarter after Hamlin made a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, and after briefly returning to his feet, he collapsed.
Hamlin remained down for over 10 minutes as he was administered CPR on the field, before being loaded into a waiting ambulance and rushed to a nearby hospital.
The Bills' statement read: "Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals.
"His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition."
The game was suspended while the Bengals were leading 7-3 with 5:58 remaining in the first period.
Donovan Mitchell said he feels "humbled" after becoming the seventh player in NBA history to eclipse 70 points in a single game after dropping 71 in the Cleveland Cavaliers' win on Monday.
The Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime, with Mitchell scoring a career-high and franchise record 71 points on 22-of-34 shooting, hitting seven-of-15 from long range and 20 of his 25 free throws.
In doing so, he beat his own personal best by 14 points after he scored 57 in a playoff loss with the Utah Jazz in 2020, and it was 25 points better than his previous regular season high of 46.
He also overtook the Cavaliers' franchise record, which was previously set at 57 by both Kyrie Irving in 2015 and LeBron James in 2017.
Mitchell added 11 assists and eight rebounds to his stat line, meaning he scored or assisted on 99 of his side's 145 points – the second-most ever, trailing only the legendary 100-point game from Wilt Chamberlain back in 1962 when he was responsible for 104 points.
Adding to his heroics, he single-handedly forced overtime when he intentionally missed a free throw with three seconds remaining in regulation, before getting his own rebound and putting it back in to tie the contest.
Mitchell went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, putting the finishing touches on his unforgettable night.
Speaking after the game, Mitchell said he has never scored that many points at any level, except for in video games.
"Never – except [NBA] 2K, in 2K for sure," he said. "When I first got into the league I played as the Jazz and was shooting it every time.
"I don't think I did it this efficiently in 2K, but no I never have [scored 71 at any level]. The closest I think I got was in the bubble with 57 – but that was in a loss, so this feels a lot better."
When asked how it feels to join Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point mark, Mitchell was initially lost for words.
"It's humbling," he said. "I'm speechless, to be honest with you.
"For me, not only did I do that, but I did it in an effort when we came back and won – and it was how we won. That's really what, for me, was like 'man, this is nuts'.
"I'm extremely blessed, I'm humbled that I'm in that company, in that group. I've always believed I can be one of the best players in this league, but I've got to keep working.
"This is a big milestone, but at the end of the day those guys have all won at the highest level, and that's my ultimate goal, but to be there in the record books with them is truly incredible."
Team-mate Kevin Love was in Cleveland for their tremendous run of four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals with James and Irving, but he declared this as the best performance he has ever witnessed in person.
"In my 15 years, that's the best performance I've ever seen, ever been a part of," he said.
"I've seen some special ones, I was talking about Kyrie here against Portland when he had 55, LeBron in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals, 57 for Kyrie in San Antonio – but this one takes the cake."
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff echoed that admiration for Mitchell's display.
"We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game," he said. "Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary.
"Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way."
The win improves the Cavaliers' record to 24-14 to occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, while they boast the fourth-best home record in the league at 17-4.
Donovan Mitchell shattered the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise record with 71 points in his side's 145-134 home victory against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
The Cavaliers' previous record for most points in one game belongs to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who both had a 57-point game in a Cleveland uniform in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Mitchell also came through in a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter to force overtime after being fouled with three seconds remaining, trailing by three. He made the first free throw, before missing the second and getting his own offensive rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.
He went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, finishing 22-of-34 from the field, seven-of-15 from deep and 20-of-25 from the free throw line while adding 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Mitchell blew his own career-highs out of the water, having never previously scored more than 46 points in a regular season game, although he had games of 57 and 51 in the Utah Jazz's 2020 playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.
He scored or assisted on 99 of the Cavaliers' 145 points – the second most all-time, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance in 1962 where he contributed to 104 points.
Mitchell joins Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point figure.
It overshadowed a terrific performance from Chicago's DeMar DeRozan, who scored a team-high 44 points on 16-of-32 shooting with four assists and four steals.
LeBron carries the Lakers in vintage display
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James willed his side to a 121-115 road win against the Charlotte Hornets with his second consecutive 40-point game.
After putting up a season-high 47 points his last time out against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, James almost matched it against Charlotte, scoring a game-high 43 points on 16-of-26 shooting with 11 rebounds and six assists.
He was the only Lakers player to score more than 18 points, as Thomas Bryant played strong supporting role with 18 points (nine-of-17 shooting) and 15 rebounds.
The Lakers have now won three of their past four to improve to 16-21 – four games behind the Sacramento Kings (19-16) in the Western Conference's sixth seed.
Nets make it 12 in a row
The Brooklyn Nets own this season's longest winning streak after rattling off their 12th in a row with a 139-103 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs.
Brooklyn's two offensive centrepieces were both at the top of their game. Kevin Durant scored 25 points on wildly efficient 10-of-14 shooting with 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving scored his game-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting.
The highlight of the game came when Irving crashed the offensive rebounds on a Yuta Watanabe miss, rising up for a surprising put-back dunk that sent the Barclays Center crowd into raptures.
Brooklyn are now 25-12 after beginning the season 1-5, and trail the Boston Celtics (26-11) by one game in the race for the league's best record.
Donovan Mitchell shattered the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise record with 71 points in his side's 145-134 home victory against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
The Cavaliers' previous record for most points in one game belongs to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who both had a 57-point game in a Cleveland uniform in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Mitchell also came through in a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter to force overtime after being fouled with three seconds remaining, trailing by three. He made the first free throw, before missing the second and getting his own offensive rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.
He went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, finishing 22-of-34 from the field, seven-of-15 from deep and 20-of-25 from the free throw line while adding 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Mitchell blew his own career-highs out of the water, having never previously scored more than 46 points in a regular season game, although he had games of 57 and 51 in the Utah Jazz's 2020 playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.
He scored or assisted on 99 of the Cavaliers' 145 points – the second most all-time, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance in 1962 where he contributed to 104 points.
Mitchell joins Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point figure.
It overshadowed a terrific performance from Chicago's DeMar DeRozan, who scored a team-high 44 points on 16-of-32 shooting with four assists and four steals.
LeBron carries the Lakers in vintage display
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James willed his side to a 121-115 road win against the Charlotte Hornets with his second consecutive 40-point game.
After putting up a season-high 47 points his last time out against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, James almost matched it against Charlotte, scoring a game-high 43 points on 16-of-26 shooting with 11 rebounds and six assists.
He was the only Lakers player to score more than 18 points, as Thomas Bryant played strong supporting role with 18 points (nine-of-17 shooting) and 15 rebounds.
The Lakers have now won three of their past four to improve to 16-21 – four games behind the Sacramento Kings (19-16) in the Western Conference's sixth seed.
Nets make it 12 in a row
The Brooklyn Nets own this season's longest winning streak after rattling off their 12th in a row with a 139-103 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs.
Brooklyn's two offensive centrepieces were both at the top of their game. Kevin Durant scored 25 points on wildly efficient 10-of-14 shooting with 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving scored his game-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting.
The highlight of the game came when Irving crashed the offensive rebounds on a Yuta Watanabe miss, rising up for a surprising put-back dunk that sent the Barclays Center crowd into raptures.
Brooklyn are now 25-12 after beginning the season 1-5, and trail the Boston Celtics (26-11) by one game in the race for the league's best record.
The New Orleans Pelicans will likely be without franchise player Zion Williamson for at least the next week after suffering a hamstring injury in Monday's 120-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was late in the third quarter when the injury occurred, with the Pelicans trailing 84-81, as Williamson pushed the ball in transition before sharply pulling up, holding his right hamstring.
He had 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting, adding seven assists and six rebounds in his 28 minutes before the incident, with the 76ers taking the fourth period 36-30 following his departure.
Speaking after the game, Pelicans head coach Willie Green confirmed the injury as a right hamstring strain.
"It was right at a pivotal moment in the game," he said. "We'll get some imaging and look at him and hopefully he's okay. It was a tough loss for us."
Williamson has played in 28 of the Pelicans' 37 games up to this point after missing the entire 2021-22 season, and had rediscovered his best form in December.
He averaged 29.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 61.3 per cent from the field during his 12 games in December, picking up the slack while team-mate Brandon Ingram has been sidelined.
Joel Embiid ended up as the star of the 76ers' win, scoring a game-high 42 points with 11 rebounds and five assists.
Monday's fixture between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals has been officially suspended after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and was taken away in an ambulance.
Hamlin, 24, had made a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, and after briefly returning to his feet, he collapsed.
He remained down for over 10 minutes, and was seen receiving CPR before being loaded into an ambulance and taken to a local hospital.
All players and team personnel returned to the locker room and over an hour passed before the NFL decided to officially call off the rest of the night's proceedings.
A statement from the league confirmed Hamlin is in "critical condition".
It read: "Tonight’s Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game has been postponed after Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin collapsed, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced.
"Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition.
"Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
"The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game."
The game was called off halfway through the first quarter with the Bengals leading 7-3.
Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals has been temporarily suspended after a scary situation unfolded as safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and was taken off the field in an ambulance.
The incident occurred during the first quarter, after Hamlin made a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. He briefly returned to his feet, before collapsing.
He remained down for over 10 minutes as ESPN's broadcast reported he was receiving emergency CPR before being loaded onto a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance.
The game was temporarily suspended with the Bengals leading 7-3, with both teams heading back to the locker room as they anxiously await an update on Hamlin's health.
New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle believes his side are figuring things out defensively after smothering the Phoenix Suns 102-83 on Monday.
The Knicks began the season shaky on the defensive end, posting the seventh-worst defensive rating in the league during their 16 games in November, giving up 115.1 points per 100 possessions.
They were a different team in December, limiting teams to 108.2 points per 100 possessions for the third-best defense, and that included a five-game losing streak at the end of the month where they conceded at least 113 points in each defeat.
But after getting back on the right track with a 108-88 victory against the Houston Rockets on New Year's Eve, the Knicks held their second consecutive opponent under 90 points for the second time this season, illustrating how imposing they can be on that end of the floor when they are switched on.
Their back-to-back defensive masterclasses have boosted the Knicks to the eighth-ranked defense for the season, with every team ahead of them essentially already pencilled into the playoffs.
Against the Suns, Randle received MVP chants from the Madison Square Garden crowd as he led the way with a game-high 28 points (seven-of-18 shooting), a game-high 16 rebounds and an equal team-high six assists.
It was a great way to start January after he put up terrific figures of 28.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 47.8 per cent shooting in December, rediscovering the form that made him an All-Star in the 2020-21 season.
Speaking to the media after the game, the man who has endured his fair share of criticism from Knicks fans said "it's good to be on the good side of The Garden", before breaking down what has been behind their strong form.
"Defensively, we had to get back to our ways," Randle said. "When we won eight in a row, the defensive end was big for us. We feel that rhythm and chemistry coming back on that end."
Randle also spoke about how the addition of point guard Jalen Brunson in the offseason has helped his game.
"Honestly, it’s a lot easier [to score this season]," he said. "I attributed a lot of that to Jalen [Brunson], obviously.
"Also [Immanuel Quickley], and our guards… I’m not having to work as hard to get buckets or score. So, the game is a lot easier on my body."
When asked if he has put any thought into a potential return to All-Star Weekend, Randle said he is hoping to get another chance to share that experience with his loved ones.
"Obviously, you work hard to put yourself in a position to do that," he said. "So it would be amazing [to play in the All-Star Game].
"I love it. Not necessarily for me, obviously it is great, but I love it to be able to experience it with my family because they’re the ones that really make the true sacrifice, and have led me to dedicate myself to the game the way I’ve been able to do in the summers, and night-in, night-out.
"So I love to be able to let them enjoy it and see the rewards of it and stuff like that, that’s why it’s important. But for me, whatever the team needs night-in and night-out – whatever it is – I just want to help the team."
The Los Angeles Clippers must wait on the status of franchise player Kawhi Leonard after he was a late addition to the injury report for Monday's home game against the Miami Heat.
Leonard, who has only played in 16 of the Clippers' 38 games this season, has been listed as questionable due to a non-COVID illness after suiting up for each of his side's past three outings.
After missing the entire 2021-22 season following an ACL tear in the 2021 playoffs, Leonard has slowly been recapturing the form that has earned him five NBA All-Star selections and seven NBA All-Defensive honours.
He averaged 10 points per game across his five games played in October and November, but looked back to his old self in December, posting 20.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his 11 games played in the month.
Leonard also has fond memories of his time competing against the Heat, announcing his arrival as a star when he won the NBA Finals MVP in 2014, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the LeBron James led 'Heatles' in their quest for a three-peat.
It is one of two Finals MVP trophies in Leonard's possession after also carrying the Toronto Raptors to an improbable championship in 2019, joining James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to win the award with two teams.
The Heat may also be undermanned for Monday's fixture, with Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson all questionable due to various injuries.
Jake DeBrusk did not want to see the Winter Classic end as he enjoyed a dream outing at Fenway Park, guiding the Boston Bruins past the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Bruins replicated their 2010 feat – when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in the previous Winter Classic to be held at Fenway – by downing the Penguins by the same score on Monday.
DeBrusk was the hero with two third-period goals after Kasperi Kapanen gave the Penguins the lead in front of 39,243 fans in the NHL's annual outdoors game.
Speaking to TNT after the game – which the NHL-best Bruins have now won a record three times in four appearances – DeBrusk expressed his gratitude for the chance to play at Fenway.
"I've been lucky enough to play in three of these now, and just look around. I mean, this is Fenway Park all pretty much in yellow," DeBrusk said.
"It's one of those things where you almost don't want it to end."
DeBrusk expected team-mate Taylor Hall to make the decisive contribution after he tied things up by beating replacement goaltender Casey DeSmith just six seconds after a Pittsburgh penalty expired.
While DeBrusk ultimately proved the game-winner by knocking in a rebound with two minutes and 24 seconds left, the goal owed much to Hall's fine work.
"I actually thought it was going to be him [who scored]," DeBrusk said. "I was talking to him on the bench, saying, 'Hey Hallsy, it wouldn't be bad to score your first one at Fenway'."
The defeat leaves the Penguins in fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a 19-12-6 record for the season.
Head coach Mike Sullivan lamented fine margins, including an early injury to goaltender Tristan Jarry.
"There's a fine line between winning and losing", Sullivan said. "It comes down to subtle details. There were momentum swings on both sides in all periods.
"I don't have any update on Tristan. Obviously he is being evaluated for a lower body injury. It's tough to lose a guy that early in the game."
Martina Navratilova said she is "not done yet" after it was confirmed she had been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.
Navratilova is one of the most decorated tennis players of all time, having won 18 grand slam singles titles between 1978 and 1990.
She successfully underwent treatment for breast cancer in 2010, but it has been revealed she is once again battling the illness.
A representative described Navratilova's prognosis as "good", and the 66-year-old said the disease was "serious but still fixable".
Navratilova has pledged to fight, posting on Twitter: "Needless to say my phone and Twitter are both blowing up.
"I will say again – thank you all for your support and I am not done yet."
The Czech also received support from Billie Jean King, who tweeted: "Martina is as brave as she is strong. She has fought this battle before, and she is in our thoughts and prayers."
Scott Stallings has revealed his invitation to this year's Masters Tournament was delivered to the wrong person in a case of mistaken identity.
The three-time PGA Tour winner had been expecting official confirmation of his inclusion for the year's first major at Augusta in April.
However, his package was instead sent to another man who shares his name, as well as having an identically named wife and residing in Georgia.
Taking to social media, Stallings posted a message he received from his namesake, who offered to forward the invite to its rightful recipient.
"Literally had been checking the mailbox five times a day and then I got this random [direct message] yesterday," Stallings tweeted.
The original recipient reached out on New Year's Day, writing: "My name is Scott Stallings as well and I'm from [Georgia]. My wife's name is Jennifer too.
"I received a FedEx today from the Masters inviting me to play in the Masters Tournament April 6-9, 2023. I'm [100 per cent] sure this is NOT for me. I play but wow! Nowhere near your level.
"It's a very nice package complete with everything needed to attend. I think we have some confusion because of our names, our wives' names and geographical location."
Stallings' previous best display at the Masters came when he claimed a share of 27th place in 2012, while his last PGA title came at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2014.
The major will be the first of the 2023 season, with players from both the PGA Tour and the breakaway LIV Golf circuit expected to feature at Augusta.
Tom Brady will not be rested for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' final regular season game, with Todd Bowles vowing to field his starters.
Tampa Bay locked up the NFC South with a Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Raymond Jones Stadium, securing a top-four berth for the playoffs.
With nothing but a winning record to play for in Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons, however, there had been questions as to whether the Bucs would choose to protect key players in an effective dead rubber.
Brady stated after victory he wanted to play against Atlanta, and now Bowles has revealed he intends to put his strongest line-up out rather than go the safe route.
"We can get better at a lot of things, so right now I'm planning on playing them," he said on Monday. "We'll see as the week goes forward.
"But we can get better at a lot of things that we need to work on, and we don't need to take our foot off the gas.
"You've got to weigh the pluses and minuses to that. So we'll see how the week goes, and we'll try to make some arrangements or corrections if we need to make them, and we'll go from there."
An 8-8 record this season means that a win against the Falcons can help the Bucs avoid the ignominy of a losing campaign heading into the postseason.
Bowles – who celebrated a second division title in a row with milk and cookies – is aware a third straight win will help the Bucs peak at the right time
"It'll boost morale," he added. "Winning helps, period, whether it's playoffs or regular season. You want to win every game you play.
"Obviously we had some tough ones we lost, we had some tough ones we won.
"But winning the last two the way we did, obviously that builds morale more, and you want to go in on a high note."
Art McNally, the first NFL official to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 97.
McNally spent 23 years as the NFL's director of officiating and was responsible for introducing the instant replay review process and formal training for officials.
He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year and known as "the father of modern officiating", died of natural causes on Sunday, his family confirmed.
"Art McNally was an extraordinary man, the epitome of integrity and class," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
"Fittingly, he was the first game official enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
"But more importantly, he was a Hall of Fame person in absolutely every way."
The list of things that have not gone entirely to plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is pretty extensive.
From offensive line injuries to an inconsistent pass rush and the questionable decision-making of head coach Todd Bowles in his first year in the job, the Buccaneers have had to deal with both misfortune and a host of self-inflicted problems.
Yet the most bemusing issue in what can at best be described as an up-and-down season for Tom Brady following his about-face on his initial offseason decision to retire has been his lack of a rapport with Mike Evans.
Sideline frustration between Brady and Evans has been a common theme for Tampa Bay in 2022, with the latter's struggles seeing him go 11 games without scoring a receiving touchdown.
That frustration was alleviated emphatically on Sunday as Evans exploded for a hat-trick of touchdowns in helping the Buccaneers overturn a 21-10 deficit against the Carolina Panthers and clinch the NFC South with a 30-24 victory at Raymond James Stadium.
Evans caught deep shots of 63, 57 and 30 yards from Brady as he destroyed an injury-hit Panthers secondary.
He created a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, on eight of his 12 targets in a performance that saw him rack up 207 receiving yards. Evans averaged 17.25 burn yards per target, trailing only Christian Watson and Davante Adams among wideouts with at least five targets in Week 17 as of Sunday.
It was belated reward for a season in which Evans, despite consistently appearing out of sync with Brady, he has excelled at getting open. Indeed, heading into Week 17, Evans led the NFL in combined open percentage (56.47) in matchups against man and zone coverage (min. 100 matchups).
His first deep touchdown reception saw Evans surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the season. It is his ninth successive 1,000-yard campaign, tying Tim Brown for the second-longest such streak in NFL history. Only San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice (11) can claim to have more consecutive four-figure receiving seasons.
Evans' own record for the most successive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start a career was also extended, but more important than his individual milestones is the confidence his treble could give both him and Brady as they prepare for the postseason.
The Buccaneers have had precious little on which to rely on the offensive side of the ball, save for their performance when going no-huddle and Brady's ability to lead comebacks in the fourth quarter.
Brady has a career-high five game-winning drives this season and four fourth-quarter comebacks, a tally that is one shy of his career-high in that respect.
But the rekindling of Brady's connection with Evans gives Tampa Bay something to lean on, a route to explosive plays that will be all the more critical in the postseason.
A narrow win over the Panthers won't do much to change perceptions that the Bucs are a team well short of being able to compete for a Super Bowl. However, Brady and Evans connecting consistently downfield improves the odds of them at least doing damage in the playoffs, especially in a possible first-round matchup with a volatile and vulnerable Dallas Cowboys secondary.
It's likely to be the final year of the Brady-Evans partnership in Tampa, one that has resulted in 32 touchdowns since the quarterback left the New England Patriots to head to the Buccaneers.
Though it remains a long shot that Brady's expected swansong with the Bucs will result in a second title in three seasons, his farewell may be extended a few weeks longer than many anticipated if he and Evans can deliver a few more demonstrations of the rapport that had previously made this offense so devastating.
Billie Jean King insists Martina Navratilova is "as brave as she is strong" after the latter was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.
Navratilova is one of the most decorated players of all time, having won 18 grand slam titles during a glittering career.
The 66-year-old underwent successful treatment for breast cancer in 2010, but it has now been confirmed she is battling the illness again.
Navratilova said the diagnosis is "serious but still fixable," while a representative confirmed she will start treatment later this month and subsequently not attend the Australian Open.
King, a 12-time major winner, offered her support.
"Martina is as brave as she is strong," the 79-year-old tweeted.
"She has fought this battle before, and she is in our thoughts and prayers."
In preparation for their biggest game of the season, the Tennessee Titans are once again turning to a player who has not even been on the team for two weeks to run the offense.
The Titans are staying with Joshua Dobbs at quarterback for Saturday's clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that will determine the winner of the AFC South.
Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel made the decision on Monday, four days after Dobbs made his first career start in a 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
“I think he’s ready for the opportunity and looking forward to it,” Vrabel said.
Thursday’s defeat to the Cowboys marked the sixth straight loss for the Titans, dropping them to 7-9 and just behind the 8-8 Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South. The winner of Saturday’s matchup in Jacksonville will secure the division title and fourth seed in the AFC.
Dobbs didn’t do much to impress against the Cowboys, completing 20-of-39 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and interception. However, he had just been signed off the Detroit Lions' practice squad eight days earlier, so the Titans considered it a good starting point.
"I think that there will be some things that we'll try to add or maybe things that we practiced last week that we didn't run,” Vrabel said. "I think it's just going to be good to have a full week and be able to have first and second down, third down, red zone emphasis — that's probably where him not having been here as much, I think we need to dive into his knowledge of the overall red zone and everything that's going on down there."
Dobbs, a fourth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, also showed more promise than rookie Malik Willis, who had taken over at quarterback after Ryan Tannehill was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
Willis is 1-2 as a starter while throwing three interceptions without a TD pass. His 234 passing yards in his three starts are two more than Dobbs threw on Thursday.
Willis also had the luxury of playing alongside Derrick Henry in the backfield, while Dobbs played last Thursday without the two-time league rushing leader as he was inactive in Week 17 because of a hip injury.
Henry is slated to return for the winner-take-all matchup with the Jaguars.
A trio of Alabama superstars revealed they will be continuing their football careers in the NFL, as quarterback Bryce Young, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and running back Jahmyr Gibbs all announced on Monday they will forego their senior seasons and enter the draft.
Both Young and Anderson could be the number one pick, while Gibbs is considered one of the top running backs in the draft class and is projected to be selected in the first round.
The three made the decision to turn pro two days after Alabama cruised to a 45-20 win over Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl to cap an 11-2 season.
Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, threw for 321 yards and five touchdowns – an Alabama bowl record – in Saturday's rout to finish his career as one of the most prolific passers in school history.
In three years with the Crimson Tide, Young passed for 8,356 yards – second only to AJ McCarron's 9,019 yards – and 80 touchdowns – to trail only Tua Tagovailoa's school record of 87.
Anderson is a two-time unanimous All-American, a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded to the best defensive player in college football. He leaves Alabama with 34.5 sacks and 62 tackles for loss – second only to Derrick Thomas for the most in school history.
Gibbs played one season at Alabama after transferring from Georgia Tech and was named a second-team All-SEC performer in 2022 after rushing for 926 yards and seven touchdowns while adding another 444 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions.
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