Nick Sirianni has seen Jalen Hurts deliver some remarkable performances in victory, but the Philadelphia Eagles coach believes there has been no more impressive display than the one the quarterback produced in their heartbreaking Super Bowl LVII loss.
Hurts and the Eagles fell victim to a vintage comeback from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium, seeing a 24-14 lead slip away.
The Chiefs fought back to prevail 38-35 in an Arizona thriller, despite an MVP-calibre performance from Hurts.
Hurts broke the Super Bowl record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback (70) and also tied records for the most points scored by a single player (20) and the most touchdowns from scrimmage (three).
He did, by contrast, also lose a second-quarter fumble that was recovered by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and returned for a touchdown.
But to lay the blame at the feet of Hurts would be grossly unfair, with Sirianni perhaps more worthy of criticism for settling for a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter at the end of a 17-play drive.
That drive saw Hurts connect with Dallas Goedert on two outstanding throws, and Sirianni highlighted such high-difficulty completions as he lauded his signal-caller's efforts.
"To me, Jalen played the best game I've seen him play in the two years that we've been together," Siranni said.
"He was outstanding. I really thought he was in complete control. He did things with his legs in the run game. He did things with his arm in the pass game, made some unbelievable throws, unbelievable reads.
"I thought he played outstanding. And you know you really look at the game and that was good for the NFL in the sense that the two best quarterbacks in the NFL played against each other on the biggest stage in the biggest lights. And Jalen played great."
Asked what he said to Hurts after the game, Sirianni added: "I know he's hurt and he's hurting. I just said, 'We'll work our butts off every day.'
"I know he's going to get better from this, and he played really good. That's why I keep saying I don't think we know what Jalen's ceiling is because he is just going to continue to get better.
"But I said I was happy for him that he played his butt off. He left it all out there, played good in the run game, played good in the pass game, was in complete control of our offense. He led us to 35 points.
"I just told him I was happy for him. It just wasn't this year. I told him I thought it was his best game that he's played. It wasn't just this game. It was this entire season that he's shown to be a special leader, a special player. I'm sure glad he's our quarterback."
Kansas City Chiefs tackle Chris Jones said Patrick Mahomes simply has to be appreciated as he hailed the "once in a generation" talent setting the standards for another Super Bowl triumph.
Mahomes once again got the better of his ankle issue to propel the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl championship in the space of four seasons in Arizona on Sunday.
The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 at State Farm Stadium, as Mahomes – who took a blow late in the second quarter, having already had to deal with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Divisional round – went on to become the first NFL MVP since Kurt Warner in 1999 to win the Super Bowl in the same season.
Mahomes threw three passing touchdowns and was not intercepted or sacked, leaving Jones in awe of his team-mate's excellence.
"He is a dog, next year y'all, we will be like 'is this his flu game?'," Jones said in a post-game press conference.
"I appreciate it, Pat is a once and generational lifetime type of player and sometimes he does things so special that it becomes normality for him.
"We've got to just appreciate Pat."
Asked what he thought when Mahomes was hobbling, Jones cited the standards set by coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs' QB as the reasoning behind the organisation's sustained success.
He said: "I knew there was blood in the water, because Pat is the type of competitor where if he's hurt or he's sick, he wants to come back and show everybody that he's even better now.
"That trickles down from coach Reid, he's the type of coach you'll never see hurt, never see sick. Even if he is sick, you wouldn't even know it.
"I think one time he had to get taken to the hospital after the game and no one knew. And he was at work the next day, he was handing schedules out the next day. It just trickles down the type of coach Reid is, the type of player Pat is, the type of organisation we have here."
Jones, who said he would be celebrating with a bottle of Yamazaki Japanese whiskey, added: "Coach Reid is legendary.
"I'm just very fortunate honestly, heck of guy, better person. He makes us all look good."
When it was put to Jones that he was now part of a dynasty, the 28-year-old said: "Do you think so? Well then there it goes, I don't have to speak about it.
"I told y'all this after our first Super Bowl, we going back-to-back, everybody laughed, everybody just thought I was talking out the side of my neck. We've been very fortunate, the core here, Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Bud [Harrison Butker], Tommy [Townsend], Frank Clark.
"Clark came here his first year and won a Super Bowl, the core here is special. It's a special group of guys, that I was fortunate enough to play with this year in the D-line room. Got my fingers crossed that we can bring everybody back but I still want them to get paid and be successful.
"This is the bittersweet part about it, because you have a special room and you guys win it and you know the room is always changing, always evolving, players always coming in and out. I just want to say here on record that I am super, super grateful for the D-line this year.
"This is probably the most unselfish group that I've been a part of. Starting with Frank Clark, number three in all-time in sacks in the playoffs.
"I'm so grateful just to be in the Chiefs organisation, to be in this position, Just a kid from Houston, Mississippi coming out of Mississippi State. I didn't think I had a chance of going to Kansas City [inaudible] coming to visit me.
"Seven years later, two Super Bowl rings, four to five AFC championships and we're still going. This team has a lot of fight in them, I definitely feel we can be in position to compete again for another one. This is a special team, we keep this core together, keep Frank Clark, keep killing it, keep me and him together, I think we can be very, very special."
You can find many things on the field after a Super Bowl. Confetti is dotted around everywhere, along with fans, media and friends and family of the victorious all taking their time to dance around on it.
The other thing that was also extremely noticeable when strolling along the State Farm Stadium turf after a captivating Super Bowl LVII was divots.
Every blade of grass at the home of Arizona Cardinals in Glendale came in for severe scrutiny as players often struggled to keep their feet on the biggest stage. Yet no area of the field was more significant than the 26 yards Patrick Mahomes covered with his incredible fourth-quarter scramble, which set the Chiefs up for a field goal that sealed a thrilling 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes had already taken an awestruck crowd on a remarkable journey prior to that rush. His Super Bowl looked like it might be done when he injured his ankle on a second-quarter run, coming up limping heavily and striking fear into the hearts of Chiefs fans that they may have to overturn a 24-14 deficit with Chad Henne at quarterback.
That was not to be. Mahomes returned for the second half and returned to execute a tremendous Andy Reid gameplan that confounded the defense of his head coach's former team, Reid masterfully manipulating the Eagles with a combination of outside and inside runs, using the latter to set up passes to wide open receivers in the flat, Reid's use of motion proving devastating as he continually schemed his receivers into open space.
Indeed, both Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore were able to stroll in untouched for the scores that gave Kansas City a 35-27 fourth-quarter lead.
But, having seen Jalen Hurts answer in lightning quick fashion in this bewitching battle of the first black quarterbacks to face off in the Super Bowl, Mahomes did not rely on Reid's easy buttons to deliver the defining play of one of the finest Super Bowls of the modern era, he put the team on his back, and an injured ankle.
Mahomes gained speed belying his physical status as he scampered to the Philadelphia 17-yard line on a play that will stand alongside his third-and-15 connection with Tyreek Hill in Super Bowl LIV as the most magical in a career of a player who possesses endless reserves of wizardry.
Three plays later, James Bradberry was called for holding on third down, giving Kansas City a new set of downs and allowing the Chiefs to milk the clock before Harrison Butker sent his decisive kick sailing through the uprights with eight seconds left. Hurts' subsequent Hail Mary fell short, leaving an ecstatic Chiefs sideline to pour onto the field following another miraculous finish from Mahomes.
"Toughest son of gun you ever met man," tight end Travis Kelce said. "That Texas gunslinger ain’t going to let nothing get in the way."
Obstacles have been plenty for Mahomes throughout a postseason that looked as if it might come to an end in the Divisional round when he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But Mahomes has what Muhammad Ali once defined as the pivotal combination that fosters champions, the skill and the will, and it is that blend that has elevated the Chiefs back to the top of the NFL mountain, with Reid crediting his formative years spent around baseball locker rooms with father Pat Mahomes for his apparently limitless drive.
“He grew up in a locker room. He’s seen the greats and he strives to be the greatest," said Reid. "Without saying anything, that's the way he works. He wants to be the greatest player ever. That's what he wants to do, and that's the way he goes about his business. He does it humbly. There's no bragging.
"He could stand up here and give you these stats that are incredible that he's had, but he is never go doing to that. That's just not him, and we appreciate that.
"Then when it's time for the guys around him to raise their game, he helps them with that. The great quarterbacks make everybody around him better, including the head coach, so he's done a heck of a job."
The first quarterback to win the Super Bowl and MVP in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999, Mahomes is rapidly ascending up the ranks of the greatest to play the game.
Still only 27, he has a long time in which to continue his climb.
There are those who will argue he is already at the summit after appearing in three Super Bowls and winning two in his first five seasons as the starter.
Some will remain unconvinced whether that is the case, but this is a week in which Mahomes has removed all doubt as to his status as the NFL's current gold standard.
He collected 48 of the 50 ballots for MVP, which he won at Thursday's NFL Honors ceremony. After this incredible show of grit, it is fair to wonder how the vote was not unanimous.
But that will be of no concern to Mahomes. There will be more potentially unanimous MVPs and there will almost certainly be more Super Bowls.
Mahomes has not yet met a piece of adversity he cannot overcome and, still arguably shy of his prime, there is no ceiling to what he can achieve.
"He's special," offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. "He's very special and the sky's the limit for him.
"Each and every year he takes his game to another level. The kid is special."
No argument here.
Jalen Hurts took little solace in some extremely complimentary words from Patrick Mahomes in the wake of the Philadelphia Eagles' agonising Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hurts seemingly had the Eagles in position to win the Lombardi Trophy when they led the Chiefs 24-14 at half-time.
But the Chiefs produced an offensive masterclass in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 24-11 across the final two quarters in a bewitching contest at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.
The turning point seemed to come in the third quarter, when the Eagles, still leading 24-21, went on a 17-play drive that lasted seven minutes and 45 seconds but ended in a Jake Elliott field goal.
Kansas City scored on their next two possessions, sandwiched by a three-and-out for the Eagles, to give the Chiefs a 35-27 advantage.
A 45-yard connection from Hurts to DeVonta Smith followed by a Hurts touchdown run and a two-point conversation tied the game, only for a 26-yard scramble from Mahomes, followed by a key holding penalty on Eagles corner James Bradberry, to put the Chiefs in position to bleed the clock and kick the decisive field goal.
It means Hurts' stunning second season as a starting quarterback ends in heartbreak despite a performance that would have netted him the MVP had Philadelphia prevailed.
Though Hurts had a fumble returned for a touchdown by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton in the second quarter, he broke the Super Bowl record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback (70). He also tied records for the most points scored by a single player (20) and the most touchdowns from scrimmage (3).
Mahomes and Hurts were the first two black starting quarterbacks to face off in Super Bowl history, and also had the youngest combined age of two starting Super Bowl quarterbacks at 51 years and 337 days.
And Mahomes lavished praise on his counterpart, saying of Hurts: "If there was any doubters left, there shouldn't be now.
"That was a special performance, I don't want it to get lost in the loss that they had. It was a special performance by him man, you make sure you appreciate that when you look back at this game."
But that provided no comfort for Hurts.
Asked about Mahomes' comments, he replied: "I have a lot of respect for him. I always have. He's done some really great things, thus far. For me, we lost.
"He came away with the win. We came up short, so it's something that I know will motivate me. I've been here before, and that's the beautiful thing about it, so I'll figure it out.
"You either win or you learn, that's how I feel. You either win or you learn. Win, lose, I always reflect on the things I could have done better, anything you could have done better to try and take that next step. That'll be the same process I always have going on.
"It is a tough feeling to come up short. It's a very tough feeling, but I know the direction is to rise and that will be the M.O. going forward, that will be the mentality going forward. That is the mentality. Obviously, credit to them for the game they played and very competitive football game and very competitive football team and coach Reid. We'll sit back, reflect on it and learn from it."
Pressed on the lesson he will take from this defeat, Hurts added: "You want to cherish these moments with the people that you've come so far with, your family, your loved ones, your team-mates, your peers, everyone that you do it with and do it for.
"I'm so proud of this team. I would say I'm so proud of this team for everything that we’ve been able to overcome. Obviously, we had a big-time goal that we wanted to accomplish and we came up short. I think the beautiful part about it is everyone experiences different pains, everyone experiences different agonies of life, but you decide if you want to learn from it. You decide if you want that to be a teachable moment. I know I do."
The Golden State Warriors will approve the four-team trade they agreed to at the deadline, but not before filing a complaint to the NBA about Gary Payton II's injury not being disclosed.
Payton, who was a member of the Warriors' championship-winning team in 2022, left the franchise to sign a free agent deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason.
He had been battling a number of injuries that kept him out of action until the new year, but he has managed 15 appearances since January 2.
Payton's return to action had the Warriors believing his injury problems were behind him, and they were given no indication during negotiations that he was still struggling.
However, their medical examination of him revealed a core muscle injury that the Warriors' medical staff believe will take months to heal.
It meant the Warriors had the ability to void the deal – which was a complicated four-team trade that also sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons, while the Atlanta Hawks received Saddiq Bey – but with the deadline already passed, Golden State would not be able to make any further moves.
That is a crucial point because while the acquisition of Payton was important, the Warriors were just as interested in parting ways with Wiseman.
The Athletic reported that because of Golden State's status as a luxury tax repeater, the franchise were going to have to pay over $50million for Wiseman's $9m salary this season, and over $80m for his $12m salary in 2023-24.
With how little the former number two draft pick has proven, the Warriors decided his time with the team had run out, and they would prefer the playoff-proven Payton on a cheaper contract.
While they are still going through with the trade, the Warriors filed a complaint to the league about the Trail Blazers providing misleading information about Payton's injury status, prompting the league to launch a review.
It is also being reported that Payton was being pushed by Portland's training staff to play through his injury with the help of pain relief medication.
Andy Reid made it clear retirement is not on his agenda after his coaching masterclass helped the Kansas City Chiefs prevail in Super Bowl LVII.
The Chiefs trailed 24-14 to the Philadelphia Eagles at half-time at State Farm Stadium and appeared to be in some what desperate straits when Patrick Mahomes came up limping after a scramble late in the second quarter.
But Reid produced a masterful gameplan in the second half, tormenting the Eagles’ defense with a varied run-game approach and intelligent use of motion to give Mahomes easy completions.
Those easy completions propelled the Chiefs to a 38-35 win, sealed with a Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds remaining after a drive on which a remarkable 26-yard scramble from Mahomes put Kansas City in position to complete the comeback.
Reid had faced questions about potential retirement prior to the game and was again asked on the podium as he collected the Vince Lombardi Trophy, saying simply that he was going to "enjoy this one".
He declared his intentions more definitively in his post-game press conference, indicating he will back for a run at a third Super Bowl with Kansas City.
Travis Kelce remembers everyone who picked his Kansas City Chiefs to lose in Super Bowl LVII, and he told the doubters to "look at us now" after proving them wrong.
Kelce caught the Chiefs' opening touchdown in their 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, going on to finish with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown from his six targets.
It meant he finished with at least six catches, 78 yards and a touchdown in each of the Chiefs' three playoff games this season, having led all tight ends with 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.
The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer now has two titles to go with his seven All-Pro selections, and although the Chiefs are viewed as a dynasty in the making, Kelce still felt his team were being discounted ahead of the big game.
"Not a single one of y'all said the Chiefs were gonna take it home this year," he told FOX Sports. "Feel that s***. Feel it, and on top of it, next time the Chiefs say something, put some respect on our name."
During the celebrations, Patrick Mahomes called Kelce "the greatest ever" at his position, while Kelce also had some kind words for his quarterback.
"Pat Mahomes, M-V-Pat," he said. "You can't say nothing about what this guy means to Kansas City and this team."
When asked why he always seems to be able to get open, Kelce again pointed to the infrastructure around him.
"Come on, baby. I've got Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes," he said. "I have a great team, we had a great run, and, man, it feels good. Not one of y'all said the Chiefs were going to win it, and look at us now."
The Chiefs trailed by 10 at half-time, and Kelce indicated the weight of the moment may have been getting to some, but everything flipped after the break.
"That first half – it was a big moment, a big game – a lot of guys playing a little uncharacteristic," he said. "We were able to regroup at half-time and figure it out – in that second half, man, we were flying around.
"[Coach Reid] just told everybody to be yourselves. We were a little uncharacteristic in the beginning, but everyone had that determination, that look in their eye, coming out here in the second half.
"They were going to pour everything out on that field. That's what you saw. You saw everybody pour everything out on the field for the second half, and the Chiefs came away with the victory, baby."
LeBron James was one of a number of NFL fans upset by a decisive holding call in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII, but James Bradberry, the man penalised, accepted it was the right decision.
Bradberry's Philadelphia Eagles agonisingly lost 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday.
The Eagles had led by 10 points at half-time, before Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs' rally to tie the game going into the closing stages.
But the prospect of a dramatic finish in keeping with the rest of a thrilling game was taken away by the penalty against Bradberry for holding JuJu Smith-Schuster.
That soft call allowed Mahomes to run down the clock before Harrison Butker came out to kick a game-winning field goal.
The finale upset many watching at home, including NBA great James, who posted on Twitter: "Sorry but I don’t like that call! Not for the Super Bowl man!
"His hand on his back had no effect on his route! This game was too damn good for that call to dictate the outcome at the end. Damn!
"By the way I have no horse in the race. Just my professional opinion."
However, Bradberry was asked about the incident in the locker room afterwards and did not share the frustrations of others.
"It was a holding," the cornerback said. "I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide."
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid dismissed the idea he might retire after winning his third Super Bowl on Sunday.
Reid was an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI and has now twice celebrated success while in the top job in Kansas City.
His latest triumph, in Super Bowl LVII, came against the Philadelphia Eagles, a franchise he coached for 13 years.
Between his stints with the Eagles and the Chiefs, Reid has been a head coach for 24 years.
Now 64, he was asked during the Chiefs' Super Bowl celebrations if he might be ready to quit the sport, but his focus was on the party that lay ahead.
"No, I'm going to enjoy this one right here," Reid replied. "Let me tell you, this is unbelievable.
"Philadelphia, you did a great job, it was a great game. But how about those Chiefs?"
Reid had been introduced on the podium by Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt as "one of the best coaches in the history of the National Football League".
"We couldn't have done it without [him]," Hunt said, although Reid was keen to share the praise around.
In his FOX Sports interview, Reid said of the Chiefs' second-half rally in a 38-35 victory: "I'll give the credit to the big O-line and Pat Mahomes and all those guys around him. [Offensive coordinator] Eric Bieniemy was phenomenal also."
Of Mahomes, who has been playing with a high ankle sprain, Reid added: "He's the MVP. That's all that needs to be said, right? He's the MVP, and you saw it tonight."
Patrick Mahomes says the Kansas City Chiefs "are not done" after securing their second Super Bowl title in Sunday's 38-35 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes was named Super Bowl LVII MVP after throwing three touchdown passes as the Chiefs rallied from 24-14 down at half-time, scoring with every second-half possession.
That marked Mahomes' second Super Bowl MVP award, having also claimed the gong in 2019 when the Chiefs triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers.
The Chiefs' triumph came after they were Super Bowl runners-up in 2020 and lost the AFC Championship Game in 2021, but Mahomes insisted it was not a dynasty yet.
"I'm not going say dynasty yet. We're not done, so I'm not going to say dynasty yet," Mahomes said during the post-game on-field presentation.
The Chiefs QB, who completed 21-of-27 attempts for 182 yards, became the first player to win the NFL MVP and Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999.
That ended a run of nine straight NFL MVPs to lose the decider, but he was eager to deflect the praise.
"It's everybody. It didn’t come from one person," Mahomes said.
"Everybody said we've got to step our game up. Our defense played their ass off in that second half and our offense found a way. I just want to thank everybody."
The 27-year-old quarterback appeared hampered by an ankle injury which has troubled him throughout the playoffs, but played on valiantly.
"I told you all this week there's nothing that'll keep me off this football field," Mahomes added. "I just want to shout out to my teammates. We challenged each other. It took everybody to win this football game. We're Super Bowl champs, let's go."
Patrick Mahomes again got the better of his injured ankle as his Kansas City Chiefs won an epic shoot-out with Jalen Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
A 38-35 Chiefs victory on Sunday added to Mahomes' now undeniable legacy, even if the result was harsh on Hurts, who went toe-to-toe with what is now the first league MVP since Kurt Warner in 1999 to go on and win it all.
Hurts, who scored three rushing touchdowns, and the Eagles would have been deserving champions had they faced anyone other Mahomes.
The Chiefs' hopes of winning the title had appeared remote when their quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But a hobbling Mahomes saw off the Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals and then, in Glendale, Arizona, the Eagles, taking a hit late in the second quarter but recovering to finish with three passing touchdowns and another title.
A clinical opening drive from the Eagles ended with a quarterback sneak from Hurts for the opening score.
Neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles had trailed in the playoffs to that point, but Mahomes had an instant reply with a TD pass to Travis Kelce.
The response was not initially so impressive in the second quarter, which began with a 45-yard Hurts bomb to A.J. Brown, yet the Chiefs were back level again when the Philly QB's fumble was recovered by Nick Bolton for a defensive TD.
Hurts quickly regained his composure and ran straight up the middle for his second rushing TD, before the Chiefs' next drive saw Mahomes limp away from a tackle, facing a 10-point deficit by the time he returned for the second half.
Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field for Isiah Pacheco to run in, and Kansas City had their first lead after the QB found Kadarius Toney wide open after some tricky pre-snap motion to walk into the endzone.
Momentum was now firmly with the Chiefs, and Toney's 65-yard punt return – the longest in Super Bowl history – put Mahomes in position for another straightforward TD pass to Skyy Moore.
Hurts was not done as a 46-yard pass to DeVonta Smith teed the QB up for another short TD run, followed by a successful two-point conversion.
That tied the game, yet Mahomes managed the clock to allow Harrison Butker to kick the decisive field goal and leave only eight seconds before the celebrations could start.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown says he is "day to day" in his recovery from a facial fracture and has not ruled himself out of next weekend's All-Star Game.
Brown suffered the injury when he collided with the elbow of team-mate Jayson Tatum during last Wednesday's 106-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The two-time All-Star was ruled out indefinitely by the Celtics, but Brown offered an update on his status prior to Sunday's 119-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
"I'm taking it day to day right now," Brown said. "I'm just letting the swelling go down, letting the pain subside, and then I'll kind of go from there. I can't make any determinations long-term because I'm just taking it day to day."
Brown, who was voted into the upcoming All-Star Game as a reserve by the league's coaches, confirmed he had avoided surgery and was on the mend.
"Feeling a lot better for sure," Brown said. "Still having a little bit of pain but feeling better from the first couple days.
"Had to get a couple scans, see a bunch of specialists and different doctors to get all the info. But they came to the determination I don't have to have surgery, so that's the good thing.
"I'm just happy that I don't have to go through that process because I probably would have missed a lot more games. I don't think it'll be too long. I figure I'll be fine."
Brown is enjoying an outstanding season, with career-high averages for points (26.5), rebounds (7.0) and field goal percentage (48.7 per cent).
Argentina's Sebastian Baez tasted success in his home country on Sunday as he defeated Federico Coria 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the Cordoba Open final.
In the fourth ATP Tour final of his career, Baez secured his second title, showing a slight edge both in his service game and with his returns.
He rattled through the first set in just 31 minutes, winning 17 of his 20 total service points (85 per cent), while Coria could only convert at a 48 per cent rate (11 of 23).
Coria tightened things up in the second set and turned the tide, winning 81 per cent of points on his serve while Baez plummeted to 61 per cent, not allowing a single break point opportunity.
Each player created two break point chances in the deciding set, and while Coria failed to convert either, Baez got the job done at the first attempt, jumping out to an early lead and serving it out the rest of the way.
Coria shot himself in the foot with five of the six total double faults, while Baez served the only ace of the match.
The 22-year-old Baez, who entered the contest ranked 47th in the world, will now climb into the top 40 as he edges closer to his career-best ranking of 31st.
The Golden State Warriors will approve the four-team trade they agreed to at the deadline, but not before filing a complaint to the NBA about Gary Payton II's injury not being disclosed.
Payton, who was a member of the Warriors' championship-winning team in 2022, left the franchise to sign a free agent deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason.
He had been battling a number of injuries that kept him out of action until the new year began, but he has since managed 15 appearances since January 2.
Payton's return to action had the Warriors believing his injury problems were behind him, and they were given no indication during negotiations that he was still struggling.
However, their medical examination of him revealed a core muscle injury that the Warriors' medical staff believe will take months to heal.
It meant the Warriors had the ability to void the deal – which was a complicated four-team trade that also sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons, while the Atlanta Hawks received Saddiq Bey – but with the deadline already passed, Golden State would not be able to make any further moves.
That is a crucial point because while the acquisition of Payton was important, the Warriors were just as interested in parting ways with Wiseman.
The Athletic reported that because of Golden State's status as a luxury tax repeater, the franchise were going to have to pay over $50million for Wiseman's $9m salary this season, and over $80m for his $12m salary in 2023-24.
With how little the former number two draft pick has proven, the Warriors decided his time with the team had run out, and they would prefer the playoff-proven Payton on a cheaper contract.
While they are still going through with the trade, the Warriors filed a complaint to the league about the Trail Blazers providing misleading information about Payton's injury status, prompting the league to launch a review.
It is also being reported that Payton was being pushed by Portland's training staff to play through his injury with the help of pain relief medication.
The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to release quarterback Derek Carr after he informed the team he would not accept a trade to the New Orleans Saints.
Carr's refusal to join the Saints, in a trade deal that had already been agreed between the teams, was reported on Sunday by ESPN and NFL Network.
Reports earlier in the week had detailed Carr's plan to visit the Saints after he was given permission to speak to the team.
However, it is said the contract on offer in New Orleans would require Carr to take a pay cut.
That was not something the QB was willing to do, refusing to waive his no-trade clause, and with only the Saints approaching the Raiders about a trade, the obvious alternative was for the player to be released.
The Raiders would have to cut Carr by Wednesday to avoid paying his full salary in 2023 and instead allow him to enter free agency.
Carr has been with the Raiders since he was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, but he said goodbye to fans in an emotional social media post in January.
Las Vegas had hoped for a big season in 2022 but finished third in the AFC West as Carr struggled for form.
Scottie Scheffler reclaimed the world number one ranking after successfully defending his Waste Management Phoenix Open title with a two-stroke victory on Sunday.
Scheffler – after posting rounds of 68, 64 and 68 – closed in style with a six-under 65 to finish at 19-under overall.
He went bogey-free in his final round with four birdies and an eagle, showing his affinity for the TPC Scottsdale course after winning his first PGA Tour event at this tournament last season.
Scheffler's lead was down to only one stroke heading into the famous 16th hole, and while he could only muster a par, that proved to be enough as second-placed Nick Taylor made bogey, and Scheffler extended the lead to three strokes for a comfortable finish with a birdie on 17.
Speaking to CBS after stepping off the final green, Scheffler said he was proud of the way he battled through some average shots.
"I'm just proud of how I fought today," he said. "I didn't have my best stuff, so I grinded it out today. I wasn't hitting it good off the tee, my irons didn't feel sharp, but I played a great round of golf today."
Taylor birdied the 18th to finish alone in second at 17 under for his best result since winning the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The red-hot Jon Rahm ended up in sole possession of third at 14 under, fellow major champion Justin Thomas finished fourth at 13 under, and former world number one Jason Day continued his return to relevance with a fifth-place result at 12 under.
The highlight of the day came from Rickie Fowler, punctuating his T10 finish with an ace on the par-three seventh hole.
The Boston Celtics received terrific performances from Derrick White and Robert Williams III to defeat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 119-109 on Sunday.
With Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown out of action due to a broken bone in his face, and Jayson Tatum struggling on his way to a three-of-16 shooting performance, it was up to the role players to step up in what was a playoff-quality matchup.
After his best game of the season on Friday – scoring a season-high 33 points with 10 assists – White followed it up with another terrific showing. He led the Celtics with 23 points on eight-of-20 shooting and a game-high 10 assists.
Meanwhile, Williams – who set a season-high with 16 rebounds on Friday – matched that figure again, including five on the offensive end, while the Grizzlies only grabbed three offensive rebounds as a team.
Tatum ended up salvaging a respectable stat line of 20 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks, but he was nowhere to be found in a close fourth quarter.
Instead, it was Al Horford providing the game-winning scoring burst, with 11 of his 16 points coming in the final five minutes to repel any late Grizzlies charge.
Ja Morant led the visitors with 25 points (nine-of-18 shooting), seven assists and six rebounds.
With the win, the Celtics improved their league-leading record to 41-16, while the Grizzlies sit second in the Western Conference at 34-22.
VanVleet and Siakam lead Raptors to victory
The combination of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam provided the scoring punch in the Toronto Raptors' 119-118 home win against the Detroit Pistons, but a new addition held things together defensively.
VanVleet led all scorers with 35 points (12-of-26 shooting) and eight assists, while Siakam put together a strong performance with 28 points (10-of-19 shooting), six assists and two blocks.
On the defensive end, it was trade acquisition Jakob Poeltl showing exactly why the Raptors traded a first-round pick for him at the deadline, leading the game in both blocks (three) and steals (two) before fouling out in 25 minutes. Toronto were plus 11 with him on the court, and minus 10 while he was on the bench.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is inactive for Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs running back unable to make his return from a high ankle sprain.
Edwards-Helaire was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's showpiece at State Farm Stadium, having been sidelined since Week 11 because of the injury.
But the former first-round pick will not feature in Glendale, Arizona, meaning Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon will shoulder the bulk of the workload in the backfield.
Rookie Pacheco has enjoyed an outstanding season, rushing for 830 yards and five touchdowns.
He has done an excellent job of creating yards even when the opposing defense creates disruption in the backfield. Pacheco has averaged 3.68 yards per carry on runs where there was a disruption, the third most among backs with at least 100 carries.
McKinnon's impact has been primarily been as a receiver, catching nine touchdowns in the regular season.
One player who will return from an ankle injury to play in the Super Bowl is the Eagles' Australian punter Arryn Siposs, who was confirmed as active for the game having been out since December. He will reassume the punting duties from Brett Kern.
Wu Yibing triumphed in an extraordinary final against local hero John Isner at the Dallas Open to become China's first winner of a singles title at ATP tour level in the Open Era.
Isner served 44 aces but still lost, with the 37-year-old going down 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (14-12) in a match that saw neither player break serve at any point, climaxing in a marathon tie-break.
Former world number eight Isner was chasing a 17th singles title, and a first at an indoor tournament, and he saw a match point slide by at 6-5 in the second set.
Wu resisted one of the best serves in tennis history and took the match all the way. The first 22 points of the third-set tie-break went with serve, before Wu hit a super backhand winner to interrupt the sequence. Incredibly, Isner won the next rally to bring it back on serve, but the match then got away from him, and a stray forehand from the American gave Wu the title.
Dallas resident Isner, famed for his 11 hours and five minutes win over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, featuring a 70-68 final set, said of this loss: "That kind of stunk for me."
Wu said: "It's a very tough match today. I'm not even moving when he serves. I made history here for my country. I'm very proud of myself."
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