Love comes through as Packers beat Bears 17-9 to clinch a playoff berth
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love threw for 316 yards and connected with Dontayvion Wicks on a pair of touchdowns to send the Green Bay Packers to the playoffs with a 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Packers (9-8) needed a win to earn an NFC wild-card berth. Green Bay delivered by winning their third straight overall and beating the Bears (7-10) for a 10th consecutive time.
The Packers were in a similar situation for their regular-season finale last year, but lost 20-16 at the Detroit Lions in four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ last game with Green Bay. The Packers traded Rodgers to the New York Jets less than four months later.
Love now has the Packers reaching the postseason in his first year as a starter. The Packers are the NFC's No. 7 seed and will visit the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round.
He went 27 of 32 as Green Bay never punted all day. Love threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Wicks that put Green Bay ahead for good midway through the second quarter and found the rookie fifth-round pick in the end zone again for a 12-yard score in the third.
Green Bay's Jayden Reed caught four passes for 112 yards, the rookie second-round pick's first career 100-yard game. Aaron Jones rushed for 111 yards on 22 carries, his third straight 100-yard performance.
Chicago now heads into the offseason facing a major question about its quarterback situation.
The Bears have the top overall pick in the upcoming draft by virtue of a trade they made last year with the Carolina Panthers, who own the NFL’s worst record. They now must decide whether to keep Justin Fields as quarterback or select his potential replacement with that No. 1 selection.
Fields went 11 of 16 for 148 yards, but couldn't get the Bears into the end zone. He was sacked five times and had eight carries for 27 yards.
The Bears reached Packers territory on each of their first six series, but had only nine points to show for it.
Cairo Santos capped the game’s first series with a 50-yard field goal that bounced off the left upright before going through. Santos also had a 39-yarder late in the second quarter and a 35-yarder early in the fourth.
The Bears got inside Green Bay's 35 midway through the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty and a sack caused the drive to stall and forced a punt. Green Bay took over at its own 6 with 6:08 left and held the ball the rest of the game.
INJURIES
Bears RG Nate Davis hurt his foot and Packers WR Romeo Doubs injured his chest in the first half. ... Bears DB Terell Smith hurt his quadriceps and Bears TE Cole Kmet injured his forearm in the second half.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Rockets overcome Antetokounmpo's 48 points, beat slumping Bucks 112-108
even assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Story Body
HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun scored 21 points and the Houston Rockets overcame 48 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-108 on Saturday night.
Antetokounmpo shot 16 of 25 from the field and added 17 rebounds in his seventh straight double-double. But the Bucks lost for the third time in four games to start 2024 after going 11-2 in December.
Jalen Green scored 16 points for Houston. Fred VanVleet had 14 points and seven assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Rockets entered the fourth quarter with an 89-73 lead.
Damian Lillard had 18 points and nine assists in a poor-shooting night. He missed a season-high three free throws, on 10 attempts, and went 5 for 16 from the field, including 1 for 8 from 3.
Khris Middleton added 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting for the Bucks.
Veteran Rockets reserve Jeff Green had a season-high 16 points. Cam Whitmore added 12 off the bench and Aaron Holiday had 11. The Rockets’ bench outscored Milwaukee’s 43-22.
Houston closed the first quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 29-16 lead.
The Rockets outscored Milwaukee 15-6 in the last four minutes of the second quarter to enter halftime with a 63-43 lead. Houston led by as many as 21 points in the game.
Rockets forward Dillon Brooks remained sidelined for a sixth straight game with a right abdominal oblique strain.
The Rockets wrapped up a seven-game homestand in which they went 3-4 to improve to 18-16. Their next six games will be on the road against Eastern Conference opponents.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host the Jazz on Monday night.
Rockets: Visit Miami on Monday night.
PODCAST: All or Nothing
Bucks-Spurs (0:00)
Professional Sports Bettor Dave Essler (10:57)
Madison Mallards Softball Announcement (23:46)
Packers-Bears (42:28)
Giannis scores 44 in 125-121 win in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 44 points and 14 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame an electric performance by Victor Wembanyama on his 20th birthday to beat the San Antonio Spurs 125-121 on Thursday night. Wembanyama had 27 points, and Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 34. Wembanyama’s first meeting with Antetokounmpo was delayed by the French rookie’s sprained ankle Dec. 19 in Milwaukee, but it proved to be worth the wait. Antetokounmpo drew a charge on Wembanyama after hitting a 3-pointer to it at 118 with three minutes remaining. The Greek star hit his second 3-pointer of the game 34 seconds later to give the Bucks a 121-118 lead.Wembanyama responded by blocking Damian Lillard’s layup and making a 3-pointer to tie it with 53 second left.
Story Body
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The first battle between Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama exceeded the hype.
Antetokounmpo had 44 points and 14 rebounds and Milwaukee overcame an electric performance by Wembanyama on his 20th birthday to beat San Antonio 125-121 on Thursday night.
Wembanyama had 27 points, and Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 34.
“That was a fun game,” Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin said. “That was a fun game to coach, a fun game to watch. Two of the most unique, talented big men. I use that (big-man term) loosely because they are very versatile players. Man, that was fun. I thought Wemby was great, I thought Giannis was phenomenal.”
Wembanyama’s first meeting with Antetokounmpo was delayed by the French rookie’s sprained ankle Dec. 19 in Milwaukee, but it proved to be worth the wait.
“He’s an unbelievable talent,” Antetokounmpo said. “Can score any time he wants. Plays the right way. Plays to win. It was great playing against him.”
The 7-footers dueled in the final minutes with both hitting clutch 3-pointers and making critical plays defensively.
Antetokounmpo drew a charge on Wembanyama after hitting a 3-pointer for a tie at 118 with three minutes remaining. The Greek star hit his second 3-pointer of the game 34 seconds later to give the Bucks a 121-118 lead.
Wembanyama responded by blocking Damian Lillard’s layup and making a 3-pointer to tie it with 53 seconds left.
“I love to see that from young guys,” Milwaukee Khris Middleton said. “To be competing, not scared of the moment. Not scared of taking the shot and making a move or making a pass or just taking a chance in a close game, especially late in the game. You can tell that he’s not scared of the moment. He loves the challenge. That’s going to be big for him going forward.”
Wembanyama blocked an attempted dunk by Antetokounmpo to set up a potential tying shot. Wembanyama passed up a contested 3-pointer to give the ball to Tre Jones, but the guard missed a 3-pointer from the right corner.
Lillard finished with 25 points and 10 assists.
Wembanyama said Antetokounmpo is one of the players he has studied the most because the 7-footer from Greece is aggressive and “scary for his opponents.”
“I’m a competitor, so I want to go at everyone and be the bad guy on the court,” Wembanyama said. “It was a great matchup.”
Wembanyama dispensed his own dread to the Bucks.
Wembanyama had nine rebounds, five blocks, altered numerous shots and was 10 from 18 from the field.
Wembanyama electrified the crowd by throwing the ball off the backboard to himself for a two-handed dunk early in the second quarter. A few minutes later, he recovered defensively to block Portis’ short jumper after forcing Antetokounmpo to give up the ball near the rim.
In the opening minutes of the third quarter, Wembanyama picked up a loose ball, drove to the rim, passed the ball around his back to avoid Lillard and threw down a one-handed dunk over Brook Lopez.
His energy spread to his teammates, who put together their most complete game in what has been a dismal season.
“Just the fact we can compete with a championship level team like this, it’s promising,” Wembanyama said.
UP NEXT
Bucks: At Houston on Saturday night.
Spurs: At Cleveland on Sunday.
___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Winners Take: NFL Week 18 & CFB Bowls 4 Free Picks
Nelson "Rowdy" Raisbeck and professional sports bettor, Dave Essler, breakdown NFL and NCAA games for the upcoming football weekend. They specifically look at the FCS and FBS National Championship games to end college bowl season. They also look at a number of big NFL games such as Saturday and Sunday Night Football. Additionally, the guys run through the market and other games that have caught their eye.
PODCAST: Loaded
NFL Playoff Scenarios (0:00)
Lorin Cox of Locked on Bears (12:34)
Rob Reischel of Forbes.com on the Packers (38:01)
Milwaukee Brewers Trade (58:00)
Returning after 1-game suspension, Jaire Alexander says he wants to remain with Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jaire Alexander said Wednesday he’s “very grateful” to be part of the Green Bay Packers and he won't repeat the conduct that led the team to suspend him for one game.
The 26-year-old cornerback also said he wants to remain with the Packers beyond this season. Alexander was hopeful the conversations he had with team officials in the wake of the suspension should improve that relationship.
“There’s definitely things that I could have improved upon during that week to help with communication,” Alexander said. “Moving forward, that won’t happen again.”
Alexander has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the last two months but was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur wouldn’t go into details about what role Alexander might have Sunday as the Packers (8-8) seek to clinch a playoff berth by beating the Chicago Bears (7-9).
“I’m not going to get into too many of the specifics — you guys will find out later in the week — but I will say that it was great to have him back,” LaFleur said. “We had a great conversation on Monday, and I think he’s ready to go.”
Alexander served a one-game suspension after appointing himself captain for the Packers’ Christmas Eve victory over the Carolina Panthers in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
When the Packers won the coin toss, Alexander said the defense wanted to be on the field first rather than saying the Packers would defer the option to the second half. The Packers got a break when referee Alex Kemp asked Alexander to clarify. LaFleur had told the officiating crew beforehand what he wanted to do if the Packers won the toss.
Alexander acknowledged he wasn’t expecting a punishment of this magnitude.
“Yeah, I was surprised by the suspension," he said. “I thought maybe I’d get fined.”
The suspension prevented Alexander from getting to match up with Pro Bowl receiver Justin Jefferson on Sunday at Minnesota, though Green Bay’s defense thrived without him in a 33-10 blowout of the Vikings.
“Initially I was very upset, but when my guys went out there and did what they did, I can’t be too mad,” Alexander said. “I was pretty happy.”
Alexander said he didn’t believe there would be too many obvious changes in the way he goes about his business from now on, but added that “my interviews might be a little more serious.” The guy who wore a comically oversized hat to one postgame news conference last year and had sunglasses on while discussing the coin-toss incident after the Carolina game didn’t have any accessories with him for Wednesday's session with reporters.
Alexander is one of the Packers’ best overall players when healthy. He received a four-year, $84 million contract extension with a $30 million signing bonus in May 2022.
But he has played in just six of the Packers’ 16 games this season.
He missed three games during the first two months of the season with a back injury. He later missed six games with a shoulder problem before returning for the Carolina game. Then he served the one-game suspension.
Alexander was asked Wednesday if the shoulder issue was impacting how physically he can play when he’s on the field.
“I can try to,” he replied. “It’s a mindset. Some plays are better than others.”
Alexander expressed optimism that his shoulder would be healthy enough for him to play against the Bears. He also was hopeful the suspension led to conversations that should aid his dealings with LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst.
“It was good for both parties to hear both sides," Alexander said. “We got down to the nitty-gritty.”
Alexander conceded he could do a better job of communicating with team officials.
“It’s easy to talk to my guys, but talking to anybody else would be a little bit of a challenge,” Alexander said. “I’ve got to be better at that.”
NOTES: WRs Christian Watson (hamstring), Dontayvion Wicks (chest) and Jayden Reed (chest) were all limited participants in Wednesday’s practice. Watson has missed four straight games. Wicks didn’t play against the Vikings, and Reed left the Vikings game early after scoring two touchdowns. … LB Isaiah McDuffie (concussion/neck), OLB Preston Smith (ankle), RB AJ Dillon (thumb), S Rudy Ford (hamstring) and LG Elgton Jenkins (knee/ankle) didn’t practice.
PODCAST: New Year
Wisconsin-LSU (0:00)
Packers-Vikings (20:56)
Badgers & Bowl Season (35:42)
Sharing the Wealth (47:47)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (58:48)
Haliburton gets help from Indiana's reserves as Pacers win 122-113, end Bucks' home win streak
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton says the best thing about the Indiana Pacers is their depth.
That certainly was the case Monday night as Indiana's reserves sparked the Pacers to a 122-113 victory over Milwaukee that provided a happy homecoming for Haliburton and stopped the Bucks' 15-game Fiserv Forum win streak.
Haliburton had 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to help Indiana overcome Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double. The Pacers outscored the Bucks 70-16 in bench points.
“We've got a lot of guys who can contribute,” said Haliburton, who grew up about 90 miles north of Milwaukee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “That's the best part about our team. Some nights, the starting lineup's got it going. Nights like tonight, where we come out slow, our bench has to come in and kind of wake the game up.”
Bennedict Mathurin added 25 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for Indiana, and Isaiah Jackson had 18 points and nine rebounds. T.J. McConnell, another reserve, had 16 points and nine assists.
They helped the Pacers win on a night when they shot just 5 of 35 from 3-point range.
“I think we kind of hang our hat on getting a lot of 3's up,” McConnell said. “When we make a lot of them, we're pretty tough to beat. But when we don't make them, it's typically hard for us to win. I tip our cap to this group. We just found a way and adjusted to our cold-shooting night and got it done.”
Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists for his 38th career triple-double, and third this season. The two-time MVP is averaging 46.3 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in four meetings with Indiana this season, but the Bucks are 1-3 in those games.
They'll face off again Wednesday in Indiana.
“We've got to figure it out,” Antetokounmpo said. “You just never know. You might see them in the playoffs. We're definitely going to see them again in two days. At the end of the day, this makes us better. It makes us better. We've got to go watch the tapes, figure out what they do well against us and try to stop it. And if we cannot stop it, we'll probably lose again.”
Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton each scored 21 points for the Bucks. Damian Lillard had 13 points while shooting 3 of 16 overall and 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
The Pacers trailed by 15 in the third quarter before rallying to take a 90-89 lead with 10:12 left on a Jackson basket that capped a 19-5 run. The game went back and forth from there before McConnell scored six points during an 8-0 spurt that gave Indiana a 109-101 edge with 3:59 remaining.
After Middleton hit a 3-pointer to end the run, Haliburton responded with two straight jumpers to make it 113-104. The Bucks scored five straight to cut the lead to 113-109, but Haliburton drove into the lane for a three-point play with 1:20 left.
That enabled Indiana to keep the upper hand in this series, though Haliburton isn't ready to label it a rivalry.
“That's a team that's competed for a championship for multiple years,” Haliburton said. “We're on the up-and-up, but we haven't been there yet. A lot of respect for them as a group. I don't think I can really call it a rivalry yet. But we're going to compete no matter who it's against, and we play these guys a lot during the year. We're ready when we see them.”
After the Pacers won their first two meetings with the Bucks — including an In-Season Tournament semifinal triumph — Antetokounmpo set a franchise single-game record by scoring 64 points in a 140-125 win over Indiana on Dec. 13.
The teams had a skirmish in a hallway leading to the Pacers’ locker room after that Dec. 13 game in a dispute over the game ball.
“This is a game that everybody was prepared for and everybody was ready for,” Haliburton said. “I think again their words were we weren't ready for them physically (after the last matchup). I think we were ready today.”
Indiana was missing Bruce Brown for a fifth straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee, and Andrew Nembhard played just eight minutes before leaving with a sore back. The Bucks were without MarJon Beauchamp due to a non-COVID-19 illness.
UP NEXT
The Bucks and Pacers meet again Wednesday at Indiana.
