Sports Desk

Rams players enjoyed the day off they got for Christmas, perhaps no one more than Puka Nacua.

The previous week, the star receiver was fined $25,000 by the NFL after he made critical comments about officials during a livestream and then again in a social media post immediately after the Rams’ crushing 38-37 overtime defeat by the Seattle Seahawks.

The fine capped a week during which Nacua also apologized for making an antisemitic gesture during the livestream — an incident that caused the Rams and the NFL also to issue statements.

So Nacua said Friday that he was happy to enjoy Christmas before continuing to prepare for Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

“It’s been nice to celebrate and rejoice and get ready for what’s ahead of us,” he said after practice at SoFi Stadium.

Nacua said the fine “definitely hurt” but was not unexpected.

“An experience to learn from and, man, never let it happen again,” he said. “There’s going to be moments of frustration later on in the career … so just being able to manage those emotions and be able to send that energy in the right direction.”

Nacua understands that he has opportunities to convey positive messages, quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

“He’s obviously never going to be perfect, nobody is,” said Stafford, a 17th-year pro. “We’ve all had things that we wish we had maybe handled a little bit differently, but he’s still our brother.

“We love him and we’ll continue to support him and try to help him out as best we can.”

Nacua, a third-year pro, was voted to the Pro Bowl for the second time while producing another stellar season that could put him in the conversation for NFL offensive player of the year.

He leads the NFL with 114 catches. His 1,592 yards receiving ranks second, and he has caught eight touchdown passes.

Former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was the 2021 offensive player of the year when he claimed the so-called triple crown of receiving by leading the league with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches.

Nacua and Stafford, who also was voted to the Pro Bowl, have been especially in sync the last three games.

In a Dec. 7 rout of the Cardinals, Nacua caught seven passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The next week, he caught nine passes for 181 yards in a victory over the Detroit Lions.

Four days later, with fellow star receiver Davante Adams sidelined because of a hamstring injury, he caught 12 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat by the Seahawks.

Nacua has been notably effective on critical third- and fourth-down plays.

“It’s been fun to have those pressure moments, because that’s what you play sports for,” he said. “You live for the third-down the fourth-down conversions, and you’re finding whatever way to convert.

“It makes it fun when those opportunities come up.”

During the three-game stretch, Nacua did “the same thing he’s done all season,” Stafford said, noting that the Rams have had more snaps the last few games.

“He runs great routes,” Stafford said, “and plays really tough with and without the football.”

The Rams (11-4) have clinched a playoff spot and are currently seeded sixth in the NFC. They play the Falcons (6-9), and then finish the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

Nacua aims to continue the recent streak of amplified success, which stems from the connection he has with Stafford and the “excitement” that permeates the Rams’ locker room.

“There’s just an excitement to continue to go out there and prove ourselves,” he said, “and so it makes it fun when you get the reward you want.”

Etc.

After practicing at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday and Friday, the Rams will return to their Woodland Hills facility for practice on Saturday. … Adams, left tackle Alaric Jackson (knee), right guard Kevin Dotson (ankle) and defensive back Josh Wallace (ankle) did not practice, according to the Rams’ injury report.

Bill Plaschke writes, “If the Trojans truly want to return to greatness, being selected for the CFP is the goal. Not beating Notre Dame. Not even beating UCLA.” That’s 100% wrong.

As a USC alum (1965) and longtime fan, those are the only things that do matter. I have often said that if USC beats UCLA or Notre Dame, the coach deserves another season. To give up this grand tradition in pursuit of the arguably artificial and profit-driven CFP would be an unforgivable sin.

Noel Park
Rancho Palos Verdes

A USC national football championship without playing Notre Dame rings hollow — an asterisked title, a meal that never satisfies, a taste you can’t quite wash away. It may shine in the record books, but it will always feel unfinished to those who know what real college football tradition demands. Earth to Lincoln Riley: an undefeated season is still a loss without playing the Fighting Irish. What’s next? If UCLA becomes competitive, then there will be no crosstown game?

Jeff Black
Los Angeles

So the Fighting Irish own a series edge of 53-37, have won 3 in a row, 7 of the last 8, and 11 of the last 15 games. Yet Bill Plaschke now claims that Notre Dame is running away from the series and is afraid of “Ole SC.” To paraphrase the late, great Jim Healy, Plaschke is on the Leonard Tose highway!

Jerome M. Jackson
El Segundo

Notre Dame is the Burger King of college football — always having it their way. From backdoor deals with the corrupt [CFP] guaranteeing a playoff spot if they finish ranked in the top 12 to refusing to join a conference so that they can pocket all bowl game money, the Irish are treated like college football royalty. Glad USC told the Irish toddlers they can’t have ice cream for breakfast!

Mark S. Roth
Playa Vista

“USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans …” A joint statement by the athletic directors of the two schools. Really? Fake news!

Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos

No USC-Notre Dame football game! Who’s next to be cut from the Notre Dame football schedule, Navy? Oh wait, the Irish can’t afford to drop Navy. That might hurt their chance$ at a playoff berth.

Ted Bartscherer
Pasadena

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood is set for a further spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.

The New Zealand striker has been out since mid-October with a knee problem and is yet to feature under Sean Dyche since he replaced Ange Postecogolou as manager.

The 34-year-old excelled at the City Ground last term, scoring 20 times in 40 appearances as they qualified for Europe.

His playing time has been more limited this campaign, with Wood having managed two goals in nine appearances.

Wood did not specify the nature of his surgery, but he has been seen wearing a knee brace while watching recent Forest matches.

“The Christmas I didn’t expect, you can never know what football throws at you,” Wood wrote on Instagram.

“From the highs of last season to now the battles and the lows personally of this season. You have to be ready for anything.

“Truly gutting and frustrating that I’ll be on the sideline for another period of time. It’s what’s needed to come back stronger and better to help my team-mates do the job needed in the Premier League and in Europe.”

Wood’s last appearance came in Postecoglou’s final game in charge, the 3-0 defeat by Chelsea on 18 October.

Cardiff and Llanelli played host to derbies on 26 December and the action will be in Newport and Bridgend on New Year’s Day.

The Arms Park was packed before Christmas to see Scarlets edge out the hosts, and this time a packed house saw the Blue and Blacks sneak victory.

A sold-out figure of 12,125 tickets issued was announced by Cardiff, with Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia lauding the atmosphere.

“The crowd was amazing, for Cardiff and the Dragons,” said Tiatia, an Ospreys legend from his playing days. “It became a singing contest at the end.

“It was pleasing to see where the game is at with local derbies and fans coming out to support their teams.

“That’s what we want for derbies – that they are competitive, grounds are sold out and the game is growing. It’s all around the tribalism of the regions.”

There were more than 12,000 at Parc y Scarlets as well, with victorious Ospreys head coach Jones hoping there are more occasions like this as the WRU looks to cut a men’s professional side.

“You could tell it was a west Wales derby and long may they continue,” said Jones.

“These occasions are massive. Just at the end of the game, to see your players and coaches going over to meet their families over in the terrace over the far side.

“With so many of them and fans turning up when they could be doing all sorts at this time of the year, but they choose to come down and support their team.

“It is amazing. We talked about the emotional side of the game in the derby and how you have to use the emotion.

“I thought the boys used the emotion incredibly well and the Scarlets did the same. I thought their care for their shirt was equally good.”

Prior to the Test, stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith described the pitch as “furry and green” and said “batters would have to be on their game”.

Speaking after his side were beaten, Smith said he was “not sure” why MCG head groundsman Matthew Page had opted to leave so much grass on the pitch for the Boxing Day Test – a marquee event in the Australian sporting calendar. Page will talk to the media on Sunday.

“We let them judge it and do what they see fit,” said Smith.

“I said before the game it looked like it was going to offer a fair amount and it probably did more than we thought it was going to.

“It’s tough as a groundsman, always looking for the right balance. Maybe if he took it from 10mm to eight it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even. Groundsmen are always learning and maybe he’ll take something from that.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan had criticised the MCG pitch after day one and said it had “done too much” and the result was an “unfair” contest between bat and ball.

Pitches and outfields that have hosted international matches are given a rating by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Following the 2017 Ashes Test on this ground, the MCG pitch was given a “poor” rating for being too friendly for batting. Only 24 wickets fell across the entire Test and England’s Alastair Cook made an unbeaten 244.

On this occasion, England batter Joe Root, who also played in 2017, said this pitch was “challenging” to bat on.

“The argument is was it too one-sided – bat v ball? People are more qualified to judge that,” said Root. “It was certainly challenging from my point of view.

“You have a world-class attack and the ball is moving a considerable amount. Your job is to get on the right side of the result.”

The day after Christmas is for more than seeking bargain Christmas sales or making returns on gifts. It’s also the first chance for high school basketball players who had to sit out the first half of the season after transferring to make their debuts.

At the Classic at Damien, Loyola got an immediate lift in a 67-51 win over Bakersfield Christian on Friday. Its two leading scorers were sit-out period players. Deuce Newt, a transfer from Campbell Hall, scored 24 points and Omari Cuffe, a transfer from St. Pius X-St. Matthias, had 17 points.

No team has waited more patiently than Corona Centennial’s girls’ basketball team. Knowing its top transfer students wouldn’t be eligible until Dec. 26, the Huskies didn’t play any games until Friday’s 90-31 win over Camarillo. Perhaps this is the trend of the future. Centennial is 1-0 and expected to be a Southern Section Open Division playoff team.

Can you say built for the playoffs?

Boys’ basketball

Crean Lutheran 62, Meridian (Id.) Owyhee 59: The Saints knocked off a team that beat Harvard-Westlake last week in Hawaii. Hunter Caplan scored 20 points.

Crespi 73, Layton (Utah) Christian 70 (OT): The Celts won in overtime. Isaiah Barnes had 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Redondo Union 110, Fresno Clovis North 56: SJ Madison had 30 points for the Sea Hawks.

St. John Bosco 56, Utah American Fork 39: Christian Collins led the Braves with 27 points.

Arcadia 64, Mayfair 59: Owen Eteuati-Edwards had 22 points for Arcadia, setting up a Saturday showdown with San Gabriel Academy.

San Gabriel Academy 66, Palisades 57: Freshman Zach Arnold contributed 14 points for San Gabriel Academy.

Moorpark 57, Fairfax 47: Sophomore Logan Stotts had 16 points for Moorpark.

Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee 65, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 64: Freshman Darrellreon Morris had 21 points in a buzzer-beater loss.

Milken 65, Bishop Alemany 55: Grayson Coleman scored 24 points for 7-7 Milken. Sophomore Ethan Frank, a transfer from Crespi, made his season debut for Milken, scoring nine points and getting seven rounds.

Etiwanda 53, San Joaquin Memorial 50: Armaun Pollock’s 14 points helpd the Eagles (15-0) stay unbeaten.

Mira Costa 55, La Costa Canyon 44: The Mustangs improved to 14-1 with a win in Carlsbad. Jayden Kainsinger scored 20 points.

La Habra 63, Washington Prep 48: Acen Jimenez finished with 27 points for La Habra.

St. Francis 68, Burroughs 23: Luke Paulus had 23 points for St. Francis.

Bishop Montgomery 73, Sylmar 41: Twins Terron and Tarron Williams combined for 30 points and 18 rebounds.

Harvard-Westlake 70, Germany Urspring 44: Joe Sterling made seven threes and finished with 31 points.

Brentwood 62, Taft 52: Ethan Hill finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Mater Dei 98, Otay Ranch 50: Zain Majeed, a transfer from IMG Academy, had 20 points in his debut for Mater Dei.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 55, Idaho Lake City 45: Josiah Nance, back from injury, had nine points for the Knights as they slowly get him back into shape. NaVorro Bowman led the way with 17 points.

Thousand Oaks 68, Davis Sr. 61: The Lancers stayed unbeaten behind Dylan McCord, who made seven threes and had 36 points.

Viewpoint 67, Washington Roosevelt 43: Solomon Clanton Jr. had 21 points.

Rolling Hills Prep 51, California 50: Carter Fulton had 27 points for 11-2 Rolling Hills Prep.

Calabasas 85, Eastside 58: Tristan Cordero had 28 points and Calvin Goetz 27 points for the Coyotes.

JSerra 68, Democracy Prep 64: Early Bryson scored 23 points and Jaden Bailes 22 points in San Diego.

St. Bernard 65, Washington Mount Si 64: Brandon Granger had 34 points for St. Bernard.

Girls’ basketball

Troy 57, King/Drew 46: Mei-Ling Perry led the way with 24 points for 10-3 Troy.

Sierra Canyon 82, Rancho Cucamonga 36: Sophomores Rosie Oladokum and Cherri Hatter each scored 18 points for the Trailblazers.

England captain Ben Stokes says he is proud of the way his players “held firm” to win the fourth Ashes Test after a wave of criticism during the build-up to the match.

A failure to capitalise on good positions after they surrendered the Ashes inside only 11 days of cricket, questions over their preparation and attitude, plus off-the-field issues related to drinking are among the headlines to have blighted the tour.

But a pulsating four-wicket victory in the space of two days in Melbourne, in front of jubilant travelling supporters, meant England avoided the prospect of an Ashes clean sweep.

Stokes said he was “very proud” of the way his side reacted to secure victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ending an 18-match winless streak in Australia.

“On the back of everything we had to deal with in this game, I couldn’t be prouder of the way we held firm as a group and as individuals as well,” Stokes told Test Match Special.

“You get tested as leaders within sporting teams and organisations in different ways.

“That was a test of character, a test of qualities of leadership. The way we went about it, not only in public, in terms of all the media and all that sort of stuff.”

Stokes said there was no sense from his players they had been distracted by the extra scrutiny following their controversial mid-series break in Noosa.

He said: “Behind the scenes, it was important that everyone’s focus was on the cricket.

“It would have been so easy to put our focus and attention on all that stuff outside the dressing room. At the end of the day, the most important thing is what we need to do out there.

“I thought the way we bowled this week was exceptional, the way we went about that run-chase was exceptional.”

Stokes said his side are now determined to end the series with another victory in the fifth and final Test in Sydney, which starts on 3 January [23:30 GMT, 2 January].

“It is a very proud moment knowing how tough this tour has been and how everything has gone before this tour coming here,” Stokes added.

“So to get that win in over a long period of time we have been waiting for is pretty pleasing.

“We still have one more to go, and the focus has not moved away from that. We had two games, and we want to get two results go our way.”

PORTLAND, Ore. — James Harden had 34 points, Brook Lopez scored 31 points, including a career-high nine three-pointers, and the Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-103 on Friday night for their third straight win.

Kawhi Leonard pitched in 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists, including 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Deni Avdija led Portland with 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

The Clippers outscored the Blazers 63-41 in the second half, including a 19-1 run in the third quarter to take control.

A free throw by Donovan Clingan made it 71-59 Blazers with 8:16 left in the third quarter, matching Portland’s biggest lead of the game. After a drought for both teams, the Clippers took over.

After Lopez’s seventh three-pointer made it 72-67, acting Blazers coach Tiago Splitter was called for a technical foul. Leonard made the free throw to make it 72-68.

Harden hit two free throws and then scored on a driving layup to tie the game at 72.

The Clippers took their first lead at 75-72 with 3:23 left in the third quarter on Lopez’s eighth three. Lopez connected on his ninth to make it 78-72.

Harden’s four-point play with 1:06 left in the third quarter pushed the lead to 85-77.

Leonard had a ferocious dunk on Clingan to make it 95-86.

After a basket by Avdija cut the L.A.’s lead to seven, the Clippers had a six-point possession to push their lead to 101-88 with 8:19 left.

After the Clippers cut Portland’s first-half lead to 52-50, the Blazers went on a 9-0 run, capped by a fast break dunk from Shaedon Sharpe to make it 61-50, forcing a Clippers timeout.

After the timeout, a three-point play from Harden and a three-pointer from Kobe Sanders helped cut the Portland lead to 62-56 at halftime.

Up next for the Clippers: vs. the Detroit Pistons at Intuit Dome on Sunday night.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves will miss at least a month with a grade 2 strain in his left calf, the team announced Friday, one day after he left the game against the Houston Rockets at halftime.

Reaves, averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2), had already missed three games with what the team called a “mild” calf strain. He returned off the bench while playing on a minutes restriction against Phoenix on Dec. 23 and reprised his starting role on Christmas Day in a loss to the Rockets. But after scoring 12 points in 15 minutes in the first half, he was ruled out for the second half with “left calf soreness.”

Calf injuries have been major concerns across the NBA since three stars — Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum — suffered Achilles tears during last year’s playoffs. Haliburton and Lillard have previously dealt with calf injuries.

Lakers star guard Luka Doncic suffered a calf injury on Christmas Day last year while with the Dallas Mavericks and missed two months, during which he was traded to the Lakers.

“I know how it is to go to a calf injury. It’s not fun at all,” Doncic said Thursday after the game. “[I’ll] just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous so take your time.”

The Lakers (19-10) are losing their second-leading scorer at a critical time of the season. They have lost three consecutive games, their only losing streak of the season, and their defense in the last 15 games has been among the worst in the league.

After the third consecutive blowout loss, coach JJ Redick questioned how much his players cared. He promised an “uncomfortable” film session and team meeting at practice on Saturday before the Lakers face Sacramento at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

After a difficult stretch of the schedule that included eight out of 10 games against teams with winning records, the Lakers have four of their next five against teams in the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Outside of a home game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, the Lakers play the Sacramento Kings, the Memphis Grizzlies (on Jan. 2 and 4) and at New Orleans on Jan. 6.

Reaves’ absence could extend until the beginning of the Lakers’ Grammy road trip that begins on Jan. 20 against Denver.

Brydon Carse takes two wickets in three deliveries, as Michael Neser and Mitchell Starc are both dismissed for a duck to leave Australia 121-9 on day two of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes fourth Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Gus Atkinson added to England’s injury problems when he left the field on the second morning of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia.

Pace bowler Atkinson felt his left hamstring after the final ball of the fourth over he bowled on Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

England said the 27-year-old felt some “soreness” and would spend time off the field in order to be assessed “over the next few hours”.

The final Test of the series in Sydney begins on Sunday, 4 January (23:30 GMT on 3 January).

England have already lost fast bowlers Mark Wood to a knee injury and Jofra Archer to a side strain on this Ashes tour.

Matthew Fisher was called up as cover for Wood. Fisher and Matthew Potts are the two England seamers yet to feature in the series.

Atkinson struggled in the opening two Tests of the tour, managing only three wickets.

He was left out of the third Test in Adelaide, then recalled for the Boxing Day match in Melbourne as Archer’s replacement.

Surrey’s Atkinson improved at the MCG, taking two wickets in Australia’s first innings, then making 28 with the bat as one of just three England players to reach double figures.

After bowling one over in Australia’s second innings at the end of the first day, he returned on Saturday morning and had nightwatchman Scott Boland caught behind.

However, at the end of the fifth over of his spell, he bowled a slower ball to Travis Head and immediately felt for his hamstring.

Atkinson left the field and was replaced by substitute Ollie Pope.

Travis Head gets a higher pitched Brydon Carse delivery wrong as the Australian batter is bowled for 46 runs to leave his side 82-4, with a lead of 124, on day two of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes fourth Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Ben Stokes punishes Jake Weatherald’s decision not to play his delivery, as the ball nips back inside before hitting the off stump as Australia fall to 40-2 on day two of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes fourth Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Manchester United considering move for James Garner, Chelsea want to offload Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi and Sandro Tonali targets for Juventus.

Manchester United are considering a surprise January move for their former England Under-21s midfielder James Garner, 24, whose contract at Everton expires next summer. (Mail, external)

Chelsea are monitoring Rennes’ French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, 20, and Saint-Etienne‘s French forward Djylian N’Guessan, 17, but their priority is offloading players including France defender Axel Disasi, 27, and English wingers Raheem Sterling, 31, and Tyrique George, 19. (Athletic – subscription required, external)

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is a target for Juventus with the 25-year-old Italy international open to a return to Serie A, while they are also interested in Tottenham and Romania defender Radu Dragusin, who is also wanted by Roma. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian, external)

Fulham and Crystal Palace are keeping tabs on Manchester City‘s Oscar Bobb, 22, if the club allow him to leave in January – but clubs outside England, including Sevilla, are also interested in the Norway midfielder. (Talksport, external)

Sporting have overtaken Portuguese rivals Porto in the race for West Ham winger Luis Guilherme, and are close to agreeing a deal for the permanent transfer of the 19-year-old Brazilian. (ESPN Brazil – in Portuguese, external)

Tottenham want to tie 24-year-old Netherlands defender Micky van de Ven to a new, improved long-term deal. (Athletic – subscription required, external)

Liverpool might explore a six-month loan move for Paris St-Germain and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos, 24, as a short-term solution for the absence of injured Sweden forward Alexander Isak, 26. (Caught Offside, external)

Wolves are eyeing a deal for former Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest player Sam Surridge, the 27-year-old English striker who scored 24 goals for Nashville during the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. (Talksport, external)

Liverpool are yet to decide whether to allow 18-year-old England Under-20s midfielder Trey Nyoni to leave the club during the January transfer window, but are holding talks with Premier League and Championship clubs. (Teamtalk, external)

Sevilla, Real Oviedo and former club Getafe are interested in bringing back 28-year-old Bournemouth and Turkey forward Enes Unal to Spain. (Fichajes – in Spanish, external)

Lakers coach JJ Redick points and direct his team during the fourth quarter of a loss to the Rockets on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

When the Lakers were climbing up the Western Conference standings, improbably winning games with LeBron James and Doncic injured and celebrating Austin Reaves’ 51-point performance and ascent into stardom, the vibes were high. Players jumped off the bench to cheer for each other. They championed team bonding exercises such as slideshow presentations that introduced themselves to each other and a field trip to a Porsche driving experience. It all felt surprisingly easy, especially for a team that had several new additions.

“We had it,” Redick said wistfully Thursday. “We had it. I always say this about culture, I always say this about a good team being a functioning organism.”

Redick snapped his fingers.

“It can change like that,” he continued. “We don’t have it right now.”

All three of the Lakers’ most recent losses have been blowouts. With an average margin of defeat of 20.7 points, their total point differential has dropped to minus-15 on the season, which ranks 16th in the NBA.

Forward Jake LaRavia said in the locker room that there felt like a “disconnect” on the team, but couldn’t verbalize more about how things had turned so suddenly. The team’s seven-game winning streak at the end of November feels like a distant memory, although it should serve as a constant reminder of how a team shouldn’t let its guard down, especially when it was collecting wins off teams with losing records.

“This [has] kind of been the trending thing even when we were winning,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “Obviously wins kinda shadow a lot of stuff. But it’s been the same pretty much all year of how we finished games, lose games: transition defense, rebounding and stuff like that. It’s been a trend all year.”

LeBron James, who played in his 13th game this season after missing the first 14 because of sciatica, had 18 points and five assists but declined to speak with reporters after the game, along with Marcus Smart (six points, two rebounds) and Rui Hachimura (zero points, two assists).

To further exasperate the lingering injury bug, Reaves left the game after the first half because of left calf soreness. It was the same calf that sidelined him for three games last week.

While the swirl of chatter around Travis Kelce on Christmas Day was on whether he plans to retire at the end of the season, the 11-time Pro Bowl tight end quietly moved up to No. 9 on the NFL all-time receiving list.

Kelce’s fifth and last catch in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos was No. 1,077, pushing him past Anquan Boldin. With two more receptions in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale, Kelce will surpass Terrell Owens in the No. 8 spot.

Statistics were seemingly the last thing on Kelce’s mind as he walked off the Arrowhead Stadium field on Thursday, perhaps for the last time. The Chiefs finish the season on the road next week against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kelce’s recent years are inextricably linked to his fiance Taylor Swift. Was this the last time the music megastar would grace the Kelce family luxury suite to watch her beau rack up the receptions? (If so, let the record show that Swift wore a red bomber jacket from the Frankie Shop.)

Kelce, 36, admitted he was feeling reflective afterward.

“A whole lot of emotions,” he told reporters. “You’ve got everybody in the world watching you. You get to go out there with the young guys on prime-time television. Young guys getting an opportunity to taste what this NFL life is like.”

For Kelce, the NFL life has been fulfilling. He’s won three Super Bowls and is all but certain to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And he’s played his entire 13-year career with the Chiefs.

So while he sorted through emotions and memories after the game, he basked in the adulation beforehand.

“You only get a few of those where you get to stand there and appreciate 70,000 Chiefs fans cheering for you,” he explained. “I always embrace that moment.

“You feel the generations of happiness and the love [the fans] have. It’s a beautiful thing, man.”

For a decade, Kelce was a regional sports figure, revered in the Midwest as a hard-nosed, consistent producer on the field. His profile began to change ahead of the 2022 season when he and his brother, Jason, launched an immediately popular podcast, “New Heights.”

Kelce and Swift began dating ahead of the 2023 season, and a year later, the Kelce brothers signed a three-year, $100-million podcast deal with Amazon’s Wondery. Then in August, Kelce and Swift announced their engagement.

Tight ends, with their three-point stances and proximity to tackles and guards, traditionally don’t seek or attract attention. But Kelce is now a full-fledged national celebrity.

Just don’t allow that to obscure his numbers. Kelce has 73 catches for 839 yards in 2025, putting him alongside Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history to eclipse the 800‐yards receiving mark in 12 consecutive seasons. Kelce also is the only tight end to exceed 90 catches for seven seasons in a row, a streak that will end this year.

Rice, the former San Francisco 49ers great, is the NFL‘s all-time leading receiver with 1,549 catches. Larry Fitzgerald is next with 1,432. Then come the only tight ends with more catches than Kelce: Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228).

Should Kelce decide to play another season, he almost certainly would climb to No. 5, passing Marvin Harrison (1,102), Cris Carter (1,101) and Tim Brown (1,094) in addition to Owens.

Kelce may have already decided whether this is the right time to retire. He just isn’t ready to say so, indicating he will let the Chiefs know soon after the season ends.

“I’ll let that be a decision I’ll make with my family, friends and the Chiefs organization when the time comes,” he said.

Motherwell have arguably been the best team to watch in the Premiership this season and are unquestionably the team punching most above their weight in Scotland’s top flight.

Manager Jens Berthel Askou has implemented an eye-catching possession-based style since joining in the summer, a feat several coaches have failed to do with far bigger budgets.

Elliot Watt has been a revelation in midfield, Elijah Just has slotted in seamlessly having worked under Askou previously at Danish club Horsens, while only Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland has scored more goals in the Premiership than Tawanda Maswanhise this season.

It is at the back though that perhaps the most impressive aspect of Askou’s set-up has been.

Motherwell are unbeaten in their past 10 league outings and haven’t conceded in over a month with six straight clean sheets.

They have shipped just 15 goals in the league all season, a record bettered only by Celtic and Hearts (both 14).

Research from my learned colleague Nick McPheat shows Motherwell are averaging their best defensive record in a top-flight campaign – 0.83 goals conceded per match – since the 1931–32 season, when they won the title.

Attacks win matches, but defences win titles. A festive omen of cheer for the Steelmen and Askou before they face Rangers at Ibrox.

Given Rangers’ struggles in attacking areas this term, don’t be surprised if Motherwell’s superb run continues into 2026.

Before the race, Redknapp said “we’ve come into the Champions League today”, and the victory is worth £142,375 to the 78-year-old.

Redknapp, who retired from management after leaving Birmingham City in 2017, was trembling as he spoke to ITV Racing moments after his winner was confirmed.

“It is a dream, to have a horse that good is unbelievable,” he said. “I love the game that much.

“To come here on King George day and just run made me so proud, but to have the winner is special. I am so lucky.”

Joint-favourite Jango Baie was a length back going into the final fence and was closing on the lead trio right up to the line.

“When they came to him, I thought he was beat and would finish fourth,” said Redknapp. “But he’s come again and the guts the horse has shown is just amazing.

“Everyone was jumping on me at the end and I didn’t know I had won.

“But we had a lot of support here today and I love the racing, I love the game, I love the people in it, so to have a winner on the big stage is fantastic.”