lastsecond

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The loose ball tumbled through the end zone, slipping through one set of fingertips, then another, blue-and-orange bodies clawing desperately aside cardinal-and-gold ones. So much had gone wrong for USC all afternoon, from its struggling secondary to its stifled pass rush to its inconsistent quarterback, but at the most critical moment in its season thus far, here was a particularly fortunate twist of fate, as linebacker Eric Gentry punched out a fumble and, somehow, some way, Christian Pierce had recovered it.

After a seamless 4-0 start to its season, the deck had seemed stacked against the Trojans all afternoon. Their starting left tackle was out. Their starting center soon joined him. Their top red-zone target was limited, and their defensive leader, Kamari Ramsey, was up all night puking.

For a while, that seemed to be the least of the problems facing USC on Saturday. The rushing attack couldn’t find room. Both lines were being blown off the ball, and the secondary was struggling to stop the bleeding. Then there were the self-inflicted mistakes, the very same ones that had marred the season to date.

All that, however, would be washed away with that loose ball in the end zone, the second fumble Illinois had coughed up that close to the end zone. A sliver of hope immediately turned to ecstasy as quarterback Jayden Maiava launched a rope to the corner of the end zone that found Makai Lemon for a go-ahead score with under less than two minutes remaining in the game.

But that hope was erased just as quickly, fading once again into the frustration, as Illinois drove the field for a game-winning field goal as time expired, beating USC, 34-32.

Illinois (4-1, 1-1 in Big Ten) gave the Trojans (4-1, 2-1) opportunities to take over the game. It fumbled on the goal line the first time just before halftime, and struggled to move the ball to start the third quarter.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) rushes for a touchdown during the first half in a win over USC.

(Craig Pessman / Associated Press)

But back-breaking mistakes continued to mar the Trojans on both sides of the ball. Driving with a chance to tie the score in the third quarter, Maiava threw an ill-advised pass over the middle that was intercepted.

USC’s defense forced a rare three-and-out on the next drive, only for its own offense to go three-and-out in response.

Illinois wouldn’t waste its opportunity after that, as Kaedin Feagin caught a swing pass, shook one USC defender, turned the corner and saw nothing but open field in front of him. His 66-yard touchdown would secure Illinois’ lead until that late fumble gave USC life.

The Trojans might have been in better shape before that if it weren’t for their defense, which struggled mightily throughout Saturday. USC gave up 502 yards and was generally picked apart by Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer, who had 331 passing yards and two touchdowns.

The Trojans also struggled again with penalties, committing eight for 69 yards. The most crucial came on the final drive when cornerback DJ Harvey was called for a critical pass interference penalty.

USC’s quarterback was not exactly at his best on Saturday. Under more pressure than he’d faced all season, Maiava sailed several passes and missed multiple open receivers. He also threw his first interception of the season.

But he did make his share of eye-popping passes downfield, including hitting Lemon in the corner of the end zone for that 19-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown. Maiava finished with 364 yards and two touchdowns.

Lemon did his best to carry USC on his own, especially with Ja’Kobi Lane out because of an injury. He caught 11 passes for 151 yards.

From the start, it was a difficult day for the Trojans.

Just as USC started to find its stride early, Waymond Jordan burst through a hole on second down and lost control of the ball. The fumble, his second on an opening drive in three weeks, bounced right into the arms of Illinois defensive back Jaheim Clarke, and the Illini mounted a 10-play touchdown drive from there, striking with a 10-yard touchdown run from Altmyer.

In spite of the fumble, USC went right back on the ensuing possession to the rushing attack and Jordan, who punched in a one-yard score. But Illinois punched back with an even longer drive, capped by a trick-play touchdown from Altmyer.

USC pulled out a trick play of its own a few minutes later, as Jordan, running toward the sideline, tossed the ball to Maiava for a perimeter flea flicker. He immediately launched a pass downfield to Lemon, who juked two defenders out of their shoes on his way into the end zone.

But the 75-yard score was ultimately called back on account of backup center J’Onre Reed being too far downfield.

The penalty was nearly a devastating one. USC’s 13-play drive stalled just past midfield, as Maiava threw three consecutive incompletions, and the Trojans turned the ball over on downs. Illinois proceeded to march down the field, all the way to the USC two-yard line.

In desperate need of a break just before halftime, USC got a gift at the goal line. As Feagin tried to force his way through traffic, the ball came loose, and USC recovered.

The sequence was significant. Without enough evidence to overturn the call, the Trojans charged down the field in time to secure a field goal. What perhaps should have been a two-score lead for the Illini coming out of the half was instead just four.

Still, it proved too much for USC to overcome.

NEW YORK — Rickea Jackson‘s layup at the buzzer lifted the Sparks to a 101-99 win over the New York Liberty on Saturday night.

The Liberty also lost star Breanna Stewart to a lower leg injury three minutes into the game. Stewart had three points and a rebound before she left and went to the locker room. New York was playing the second game on back-to-back nights. The Liberty rallied to beat Phoenix on Friday night.

Sabrina Ionescu, who scored 30 points, tied the score at 99 with an elbow jumper with 23.1 seconds left. Los Angeles worked the clock down before Stephanie Talbot fouled Kelsey Plum with 5.9 seconds left. The Liberty still had a foul to give, so the Sparks got the ball on the side.

After a timeout, Jackson got the ball in the post and threw a shot up over her head just before time expired. She finished with 24 points and Plum added 20 for the Sparks, who have won five straight.

The Liberty (17-7), who had a five-game winning streak stopped, were down 15 points early in the third quarter before rallying. Ionescu’s three-point play with 2:18 left in the game tied it at 95. After the teams exchanged baskets, Azurá Stevens hit a layup with 1:03 left to give the Sparks a 99-97 advantage.

Los Angeles (11-14) led by 15 early in the third quarter before New York rallied. The Liberty got to 65-61 and then Ionescu hit a three-pointer that was waved off because off an illegal screen on Jonquel Jones. Ionescu vehemently disagreed with the call, telling the official to “tech me.” The referee obliged, giving the star guard a technical foul.

Sparks forward Azurá Stevens drives down the lane past Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich during their game Saturday.

(Catalina Fragoso / NBAE via Getty Images)

New York trailed 74-69 heading into the fourth quarter before coming back behind Natasha Cloud and Ionescu. Cloud had 10 of her 22 points in the final 10 minutes.

Los Angeles came out hot, making 13 of its 19 shots in the first quarter, including seven three-pointers. Jackson had 17 points in the opening quarter as the Sparks led 35-20. The team kept it going in the second quarter and was up 58-45 at the half, making 10 of its 18 shots from behind the arc.

There was never a doubt in Tyrese Haliburton’s mind.

The Indiana Pacers star has done it too often – especially in the 2025 playoffs – to not have confidence in the closing seconds.

Haliburton hit a 20-foot pull-up jumper in the final second on Thursday as the Pacers completed a stunning comeback for a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

It was the 25-year-old’s fourth big-time shot in the closing seconds during this year’s playoffs.

The Pacers hadn’t led in Thursday’s finals opener until Halliburton drained his latest clutch hoop with 0.3 seconds remaining.

“Ultimate confidence in himself,” Indiana’s Myles Turner said of Haliburton. “Some players will say they have it, but there are other players that show it … He wants to be the one to hit that shot. He doesn’t shy away from that moment.”

In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, Haliburton cut through the lane to hit a driving layup with 1.3 seconds left in overtime, giving the Pacers a win and ending the series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

In Game 2 of the second round, he hit a step-back 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining to put Indiana up one and put the Cleveland Cavaliers into a 2-0 hole.

Then in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton hit another step-back shot that appeared to be the game-winner initially but was changed to a two that forced overtime against the New York Knicks. Indiana eventually won.

The Thursday shot merely continued the pattern.

Indiana trailed by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, and though the Pacers cut the deficit to one in the closing seconds, the Thunder had the ball in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands with a chance to put the Pacers away.

However, Andrew Nembhard guarded the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) tenaciously, helping to force a missed fadeaway from Gilgeous-Alexander that opened the door for Haliburton’s heroics.

With 11 seconds left, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle trusted his team and didn’t take a timeout.

Haliburton worked his way down the court against Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace, driving just inside the 3-point arc before pulling up for a shot that briefly rattled around the rim before dropping through.

“I had a pretty good idea,” Haliburton said when asked whether he knew the shot was good.

Indiana won despite turning the ball over 25 times in Game 1.

“It’s not the recipe to win,” Haliburton said. “We can’t turn the ball over that much … (but) come May and June, it doesn’t matter how you get ’em, just get ’em.”

The best-of-seven series resumes with Game 2 on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

Thunder to try level series in Game 2

“The series isn’t first to one, it’s first to four,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So we have four more games to get. They have three, and that’s just where we are.”

Game 1 was a gut punch for the Thunder, who led from the start and got 38 points from Gilgeous-Alexander.

Oklahoma City managed just 11 points off the Pacers’ giveaways, including just nine off Indiana’s 20 first-half turnovers.

The Pacers trailed by 15 early in the fourth quarter before chipping away at the deficit. Nembhard and Myles Turner each scored eight points in the period.

Indiana cut the deficit to one with 48.6 seconds remaining on Pascal Siakam’s putback following a missed 3-point attempt by Nembhard.

Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points and added 10 rebounds. Obi Toppin had 17 points off the bench, Turner scored 15 and Nembhard had 14. Haliburton finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

For Oklahoma City, Jalen Williams contributed 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting while Chet Holmgren was just 2 of 9 for six points.

The Thunder led 94-79 with 9:42 remaining, but Indiana wasn’t about to go away.

The Pacers ripped off a 15-4 run to stay within striking distance, and then they surged ahead late.

Oklahoma City hit just one field goal in the final four minutes, giving the Pacers the opening to come back.

“We played like we were trying to keep the lead instead of trying to extend it or be aggressive,” Williams said.