🏈 It's Complicated

The rumors are true, it’s Friday. Nikola Jokic didn’t call bank. He called game. Usually, it’s Two-Face who likes to leave things up to chance, but the Joker was the lucky one on Thursday and gave Stephen Curry a dose of his “night, night” ThreeQuil with a preposterous 40-foot game-winner at the buzzer. Things also got wild on the ice, as the B’s and P’s put up a whole lotta G’s, while the Cats swept the defending champs in a Stanley Cup rematch (hang the banner, Florida!). Finally, Week 18 in the NFL is only one day away, and the playoff picture is as complicated as my first marriage. So, we’ve listed out every postseason scenario for the teams still going strong before they have to admit “it’s over.” Let’s go!

WTF Stat: In 15 games this season, Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark has:

• 450+ points

• 100+ rebounds

• 100+ assists

• .900+ win percentage

In the last 25 years, the only other NBA, WNBA or Division I men's or women's player to put up those numbers over any 15-game span is LeBron James - James had such a span in April-May of 2009 and again in January-February of 2010.

🏈 Ravens signed RB Dalvin Cook to their practice squad after he went unclaimed on waivers following his release by the Jets on Tuesday - the former Pro Bowler only had 67 carries for 214 yards with New York this season

🏈 Former Kansas State QB Will Howard announced that he is transferring to Ohio State - Howard, who will be a fifth-year senior next fall, started 27 games for the Wildcats and threw for 4,276 yards and 39 touchdowns over the past two seasons

🏒 NHL revealed the first 32 players named to the 2024 All-Star Game, headlined by Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard becoming the youngest selection in league history at 18 years and 171 days old - there will be a fan vote to determine the final 12 All-Stars

⛳️ Jersey Jerry made a hole-in-one yesterday after 2,627 consecutive swings on a golf simulator - both Tom Brady and Pebble Beach congratulated Jerry on his incredible achievement

NBA - All Games

• Denver Nuggets 130, Golden State Warriors 127: Holy Jokic. Stephen Curry (30 PTS, 5-12 3 PT, 6 AST) and the Warriors led by 18 with 6:51 remaining, but the Nuggets surged back, and after tying the game with 27 seconds remaining, Nikola Jokic (34 PTS, 9 REB, 10 AST) banked in a prayer from half court at the buzzer to stun Golden State on their home floor - Curry turned it over on the Warriors’ final possession, setting the stage for Jokic’s winner, and the Nuggets have won 11 of 13 and six straight on the road

• Milwaukee Bucks 125, San Antonio Spurs 121: Victor Wembanyama (27 PTS, 9 REB) celebrated his 20th birthday with 27 points and hit a game-tying three with one minute remaining, but Giannis Antetokounmpo (44 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST) responded with a clutch and-1 to help the Deer outlast the Spurs in San Antonio

See the full box scores here and the current NBA standings here.

College Basketball - Top Games

• NCAAW | #3 NC State 88, #22 Florida State 80 (OT): Taniya Latson (30 PTS, 6 REB) and the Lady Noles erased a 12-point 4th-quarter deficit to force overtime, but River Baldwin (21 PTS, 8 REB) and the Wolfpack outscored Florida State 14-6 in the extra frame, improving to 14-0 on the season

• NCAAW | #1 South Carolina 89, Florida 66: The Death Star of women’s hoops continues to roll and had no regard for the Gators last night as Leilana Correa (28 PTS, 4-7 3PT) and company led 32-15 after one quarter and went on to wallop Florida in both teams’ SEC opener - South Carolina is 13-0

• NCAAM | #19 James Madison 68, Louisiana 61: Ladies and gentlemen, the James Madison Dukes are now a perfect 14-0! After trailing 23-22 at the break, Terrence Edwards Jr. (19 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST) and JMU dropped 46 in the second half to stave off an upset by Kentrell Garnett (17 PTS) and the Ragin’ Cajuns - a brief scuffle broke out postgame between the two sides, but luckily it did not escalate

See the full men’s scoreboard here and the full women’s scoreboard here.

NHL - Top Games

• Pittsburgh Penguins 6, Boston Bruins 5: Bruins goal. Penguins goal. Penguins goal. Bruins goal. Penguins goal. Penguins goal. And that was just the 1st period! In a downright belligerent game, the Pens entered the first intermission up 4-2, only for Brad Marchand (2 G) to tie the game at five early into the 3rd period. However, Sidney Crosby (1 G, 2 A) buried on the power play to reclaim the lead, and Pittsburgh hung on for an impressive dub in Boston

• Florida Panthers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 1: The Knights got the gentleman’s sweep when it mattered most, but the Cats got the series sweep this season. In a Stanley Cup Finals rematch, Sam Reinhart (1 G, 1 A) celebrated his first All-Star selection with a pair of points, while Matthew Tkachuck (1 G, 1 A) and Carter Vergaeghe (1 G, 1 A) followed along, and the Panthers grabbed their sixth straight W by beating Vegas for the second time this season

• Colorado Avalanche 5, Dallas Stars 4 (OT): Tyler Seguin’s (2 G) second gino of the night gave the Stars a 4-2 lead in the 3rd period, but Jonathan Drouin (2 G) cut Colorado’s deficit back to one 38 seconds later, and Mikko Rantanen (1 G) evened the score with 1:09 remaining, leading to Nathan MacKinnon’s (2 G, 1 A) OT-winner as the Avs came back to stun the Stars in Dallas

• New York Rangers 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1: Artemi Panarin (1 G, 1 A) netted the opener for his team-best 24th goal, Chris Kreider (1 G) also lit the lamp, and Vincent Trocheck (3 A) dished out three apples as the Rangers rolled Colin Blackwell (1 G) and the Blackhawks at the Garden - New York has won six of their last seven meetings with Chicago and is 12-3-1 against Western Conference opponents

See the full NHL scoreboard here and the current standings here.

PGA Tour - Sentry Tournament of Champions (Kapalua, HI)

Day 1 Leaderboard:

• 1. Sahith Theegala (-9)

• T2. Collin Morikawa (-8)

• T2. Viktor Hovland (-8)

• T2. Jason Day (-8)

• T2. Sungjae Im (-8)

• T2. Camilo Villegas(-8)

• T7. Scottie Scheffler (-7)

• T7. Jordan Spieth (-7)

• T7. Xander Schaffele (-7)

• T7. Patrick Cantlay (-7)

• T7. Emiliano Grillo (-7)

See the entire current leaderboard here.

🏈 It’s Complicated

NFL Week 18 Preview

You know what’s better than 17 weeks of regular-season football? 18 weeks of regular-season football. The NFL’s second-ever Week 18 will kick off this Saturday with playoff berths, seeding, and draft orders all on the line. As Meryl “Hoge” Streep once said, “It’s complicated.” So today, we’re breaking out of our traditional format to break down every possible playoff scenario. Regarding the draft order… well, you have Google, right? Oh, also, for Top Games: Bills (-2.5), Colts (+1.5), and Bears (+3). Thank me later.

PS: If you want to kill 10 minutes at work, check out ESPN’s NFL Playoff Machine.

AFC Playoff Picture

Note: Teams in bold have clinched a playoff berth

• 1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) - clinched AFC North and No. 1 seed

• 2. Miami Dolphins (11-5) - clinched playoff berth

• 3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) - clinched AFC West, locked into No. 3 seed

• 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)

• 5. Cleveland Browns (11-5) - locked into No. 5 seed

• 6. Buffalo Bills (10-6)

• 7. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)

In the Hunt

• 8. Houston Texans (9-7)

• 9. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

AFC Scenarios

• MIAMI can clinch the AFC East division title with:
  1. MIA win or tie

• JACKSONVILLE can clinch the AFC South division title with:
  1. JAX WIN
  2. JAX tie + IND-HOU tie

• JACKSONVILLE can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. JAX tie + PIT loss or tie
  2. PIT loss + DEN loss or tie + HOU-IND doesn’t end in a tie

• BUFFALO can clinch the AFC East division title with:
  1. BUF win

• BUFFALO can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. BUF tie
  2. PIT loss or tie
  3. JAX loss or tie
  4. HOU-IND tie

• INDIANAPOLIS can clinch the AFC South division title with:
  1. IND win + JAX loss or tie
  2. IND tie + JAX loss

• INDIANAPOLIS can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. IND win
  2. IND tie + PIT loss or tie

• HOUSTON can clinch the AFC South division title with:
  1. HOU win + JAX loss or tie

• HOUSTON can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. HOU win + JAX loss + PIT loss or tie

• PITTSBURGH can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. PIT win + BUF loss
  2. PIT win + JAX loss or tie
  3. PIT win + HOU-IND tie
  4. PIT tie + JAX loss + HOU-IND doesn’t end in a tie
  5. JAX loss + DEN win + HOU-IND doesn’t end in a tie

NFC Playoff Picture

Note: Teams in bold have clinched a playoff berth

• 1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4) - clinched NFC West and No. 1 seed

• 2. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

• 3. Detroit Lions (11-5) - clinched NFC North

• 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)

• 5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

• 6. Los Angeles Rams (9-7)

• 7. Green Bay Packers (8-8)

In the Hunt

• 8. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)

• 9. New Orleans Saints (8-8)

• 10. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

• 11. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

NFC Scenarios

• DALLAS can clinch the NFC East division title with:
  1. DAL win
  2. DAL tie + PHI tie
  3. PHI loss

• TAMPA BAY can clinch the NFC South division title with:
  1. TB win
  2. TB tie + NO loss or tie

• TAMPA BAY can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. TB tie + SEA loss + GB loss or tie

• PHILADELPHIA can clinch the NFC East division title with:
  1. PHI win + DAL loss or tie
  2. PHI tie + DAL loss

• GREEN BAY can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. GB win
  2. GB tie + SEA loss or tie + NO loss or tie
  3. GB tie + SEA loss + TB loss
  4. GB tie + SEA tie + TB loss or tie
  5. MIN loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss
  6. MIN loss or tie + SEA loss + NO loss

• SEATTLE can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. SEA win + GB loss or tie
  2. SEA tie + GB loss + TB loss or tie
  3. SEA tie + GB loss + NO loss or tie

• NEW ORLEANS can clinch the NFC South division title with:
  1. NO win + TB loss or tie
  2. NO tie + TB loss

• NEW ORLEANS can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. NO win + SEA loss or tie + GB loss or tie
  2. NO tie + SEA loss + GB loss

• MINNESOTA can clinch a playoff berth with:
  1. MIN win + GB loss + SEA loss + TB loss
  2. MIN win + GB loss + SEA loss + NO loss

• ATLANTA can clinch the NFC South division title with:
  1. ATL win + TB loss

Week 18 Schedule

Saturday

• Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens 4:30pm ET, ESPN

• Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts 8:15pm ET, ESPN

Sunday

• Atlanta Falcons (7-9) @ New Orleans Saints (8-8) 1:00pm ET, CBS

• Cleveland Browns (11-5) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) 1:00pm ET, CBS

• Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) @ Tennessee Titans (5-11) 1:00pm ET, CBS

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) @ Carolina Panthers (2-14) 1:00pm ET, FOX

• Chicago Bears (7-9) @ Green Bay Packers (8-8) 4:25pm ET, CBS

• Dallas Cowboys (11-5) @ Washington Commanders (4-12) 4:25pm ET, FOX

• Denver Broncos (8-8) @ Las Vegas Raiders (7-9) 4:25pm ET, FOX

• Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) @ Los Angeles Chargers (5-11) 4:25pm ET

• Los Angeles Rams (9-7) @ San Francisco 49ers (12-4) 4:25pm ET, FOX

• Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) @ New York Giants (5-11) 4:25pm ET, CBS

• Seattle Seahawks (8-8) @ Arizona Cardinals (4-12) 4:25pm ET, FOX

• Buffalo Bills (10-6) @ Miami Dolphins (11-5) 8:20pm ET, NBC

2023 NFL “Top Games” Record: 25-13-1. Blitz Prime Record: 16-7-1

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Before Connor Bedard was selected yesterday, who was the youngest player in NHL history to be named an All-Star?

A. Mike Bossy

B. Teemu Selanne

C. Sidney Crosby

D. Jeff Skinner

On January 5, 1957, Dodgers infielder Jackie Robinson chose to retire from baseball instead of accepting a trade to the New York Giants. The Brooklyn Dodgers were coming off their sixth NL pennant in Robinson's ten years with the club, many of which were spent battling against the Giants, their fierce crosstown rivals. But following the 1956 season, the Dodgers traded Robinson to the Giants in exchange for pitcher Dick Littlefield and $30,000. However, within hours of hearing the news, Robinson decided to retire rather than accept the trade. He later wrote an official letter to Giants owner Horace Stoneham, informing him (on Chock Full o' Nuts stationery) that he would be going to work for the coffee maker instead of playing for his rivals, ending his big league career. No. 42 was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954 and won the NL MVP in 1949, becoming the first black player to do so. In 1997, the MLB retired his number throughout the entire league; he was the first professional athlete in any sport to receive such an honor - legend!

Friday

• NBA: New York Knicks @ Philadelphia 76ers 7:30pm ET, ESPN

• NBA: Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Lakers 10:00pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAM: #4 UConn @ Butler 6:30pm ET, FS1

• NCAAW: Oregon @ #2 UCLA 10:00pm ET, Pac-12

• NHL: Chicago Blackhawks @ New Jersey Devils 7:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

• NHL: Winnipeg Jets @ Anaheim Ducks 10:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

Saturday

• NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens 4:30pm ET, ESPN

• NFL: Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts 8:15pm ET, ESPN

• NBA: Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers 7:00pm ET, Local

• NCAAM: #8 North Carolina @ #16 Clemson 12:00pm ET, ESPN2

• NCAAM: #6 Kentucky @ Florida 12:30pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAM: #22 Ole Miss @ #5 Tennessee 6:00pm ET, SECN

• NCAAM: Full Schedule

• NCAAW: #10 Texas @ #24 West Virginia 2:00pm ET, Big 12 / ESPN+

• NHL: Calgary Flames @ Philadelphia Flyers 1:00pm ET, NHL Net

• NHL: New York Rangers @ Montreal Canadiens 7:00pm ET, NHL Net

Sunday

• NFL: Full Schedule

• FA Cup: Liverpool @ Arsenal 11:30am ET, ESPN+

• NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks 7:30pm ET, Local

• NCAAM: SMU @ #15 Memphis 5:00pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAW: #3 NC State @ #13 Virginia Tech 12:00pm ET, ACCN

• NCAAW: Mississippi State @ #1 South Carolina 1:00pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAW: Full Schedule

• NHL: Los Angeles Kings @ Washington Capitals 3:00pm ET, NHL Net

Grab $20 off tickets to your favorite games, concerts and events using code TORCH20 at Vivid Seats - Promo is for first-time buyers and orders over $200!

Trivia Time Answer

D. Jeff Skinner. In 2011, the current Sabres forward (who was then a rookie for the Carolina Hurricanes) became the youngest All-Star of all time at 18 years and 259 days old. The 2024 All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 3, when Connor Bedard is 18 years and 203 days old, narrowly edging out Skinner’s record.

Prime Lock of the Day

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Deuces.