Sports

Texans, Patriots, 49ers, Bills, Bears and Rams advance to NFL’s divisional round

Houston’s stingy defense knocked Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the NFL playoffs, sending the Texans to the divisional round to complete wild-card weekend. The Texans sacked Rodgers four times, scored two defensive touchdowns and held Pittsburgh to 175 yards in a 30-6 victory on Monday night. It was Houston’s 10th straight win and the franchise’s first on the road in the playoffs. Houston will face New England on the road next Sunday. Buffalo will play at Denver in the other AFC divisional game. In the NFC, Seattle hosts San Francisco and Chicago hosts the Los Angeles Rams.

Texans stifle Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers 30-6 for franchise’s 1st road playoff win

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Houston Texans have secured their first road playoff win in franchise history, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6. The Texans held Pittsburgh to 175 yards of offense and scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Houston stretched its winning streak to 10 games and advances to play New England in the division round. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud endured a shaky night, turning it over three times, though he did throw a touchdown pass to Christian Kirk. Aaron Rodgers passed for 146 yards and threw a pick-6 on what could be the final throw of his 21-year career.

How will climate change reshape the Winter Olympics? The list of possible host sites is shrinking

Belgian biathlete Maya Cloetens is concerned about the future of winter sports in a warming world. Training in Grenoble, France, in the hopes of competing in next month’s Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, she’s noticed shorter, milder winters with less consistent heavy snow. She’s not alone. This raises questions about which locations can host winter sports as Earth warms. Grenoble, once a Winter Games site, is no longer considered “climate reliable” by experts. The International Olympic Committee is considering rotating the Games among locations with sufficient snow and infrastructure. The reliance on manufactured snow is increasing, but it has limits. The IOC is planning sustainable practices to protect winter sports for future generations.

What to know about Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour after 4 years with LIV Golf

HONOLULU (AP) — Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour five weeks after leaving LIV Golf. He’s agreed to a $5 million charitable donation. He also will have no access to the PGA Tour’s equity program for five years and cannot get FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. The tour puts that value at upward of $50 million depending on Koepka’s performance. Koepka plans to return at Torrey Pines in two weeks. Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith could also return the way Koepka did. PGA Tour chief Brian Rolapp says this isn’t a precedent and might not be available again.

Trump travel ban leaves Senegal, Ivory Coast fans in limbo for World Cup

TANGIER, Morocco (AP) — Senegal and Ivory Coast fans who want to support their teams at the World Cup this summer have had their plans upended because of a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration. The two west African countries were added in December to the list of countries with “partial restrictions” on entry to tournament co-host United States, barring those on tourist visas as the supporters would be if they were to follow their teams. Some fans suggested the U.S. – which is hosting the 48-team event with Canada and Mexico – should be stripped of the tournament if it doesn’t allow all participating teams their supporters. Ivory Coast coach Emerse Faé is optimistic a solution will be found.

Supreme Court takes up culture war battle over transgender athletes in school sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams. The culture war cases being argued Tuesday come from Idaho and West Virginia, among the first of the more than two dozen Republican-led states that have banned transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s teams. The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states. Lower courts ruled for the transgender athletes who challenged the state bans, but the conservative-dominated Supreme Court might not follow suit.

It’s been a predictably tough year for Indiana, even with Pascal Siakam playing like an All-Star

Indiana’s Pascal Siakam shines in a thrilling 98-96 victory over Boston. His game-winning shot on Monday night adds to the Pacers’ three-game winning streak, though their record remains the worst in the Eastern Conference. Siakam’s performance bolsters his case for another All-Star selection. Despite the team’s struggles, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle praises Siakam’s leadership and impact. The Pacers have faced challenges, including losing key players, but Siakam remains focused on daily progress. He acknowledges the emotional toll of the season but remains committed to winning and improving.

Clippers star James Harden passes Shaquille O’Neal for 9th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden has passed Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The Los Angeles Clippers guard made a 3-pointer early in the third quarter on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets. That pushed his career total to 28,598 points in his 1,187th regular season game. O’Neal had 28,596 points in 1,207 games over 19 years. Harden, who began the night 14 points behind O’Neal, finished with 32 points in the Clippers’ 117-109 win against the Hornets. He increased his scoring total to 28,614. Harden entered the night averaging 25.6 points per game for his highest average since the 2019-20 season when he won the last of three straight league scoring titles. Wilt Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points in 1,045 games over 14 years.

Jim Hartung, who helped lead U.S. men’s gymnastics team to 1984 Olympic gold, dies at 65

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Jim Hartung, a two-time U.S. Olympian who helped lead the Americans to their first and only gold medal in the men’s sport in 1984, has died. He was 65. The University of Nebraska announced Hartung died Saturday night. No cause of death was given. Hartung had been a Cornhuskers assistant coach for 19 years. Hartung was a member of the 1980 Olympic team but did not compete because of the boycott of the Moscow Games. In 1984 in Los Angeles he teamed with Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, Scott Johnson and Peter Vidmar to win gold.

Columbus Blue Jackets fire coach Dean Evason, hire Rick Bowness to replace him

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired coach Dean Evason and named Rick Bowness as his replacement. Evason is the first NHL coach fired this season. General manager Don Waddell announced the abrupt change Monday with his team sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference 45 games in. Bowness turns 71 on Jan. 25. Evason was just past the midway point of his second season in charge of the Blue Jackets. Waddell’s first order of business upon becoming GM was to fire then-coach Pascal Vincent and put Evason behind the bench.