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The past and future met at the Royal Rumble, providing WWE with a very compelling present. The past and future met at the Royal Rumble, providing WWE with a very compelling present. Bianca Belair won the women’s Royal Rumble, shining on her brightest stage yet as a WWE performer, while Edge captured the men’s Royal Rumble, marking the first time he has won since 2010. WWE also eschewed a time-honored Rumble tradition of frustrating its audience, instead choosing predominantly popular choices as winners of the show’s signature matches. The path now appears clear for Bianca Belair, as a match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks can headline WrestleMania 37 in April. The future is slightly less clear for Edge, who would work a compelling program with either WWE Champion Drew McIntyre or Universal Champion Roman Reigns. One issue with the show was the lack of a crowd, which was more noticeable throughout the Rumble matches. Historically, the Royal Rumble is a show carried

Stafford and McVay celebrated Saturday's trade during a dinner with their wives in Los Cabos, Mexico, per The MMQB's Albert Breer. The Rams completed a trade with the Lions to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford on Saturday, and it didn't exactly take long for Stafford to get acquainted with Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay.  Stafford and McVay reportedly had dinner together shortly after the trade was agreed to on Saturday, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer . As the NFL world reacted to a true blockbuster deal , the new Rams' duo reportedly enjoyed dinner with Stafford’s wife Kelly and McVay’s fiancée Veronika in Los Cabos, Mexico. It's likely Stafford and McVay will dive into some film together in the coming weeks, but on Saturday, more important matters awaited. "Once the deal was agreed to, some 1,100 miles south of L.A., McVay and Stafford were sitting down for dinner to celebrate a fresh start of their own," Breer wrote on Sunday night

Beal and Westbrook hit a pair of threes within the game's final 10 seconds as Washington earned a 147-146 win to beat Brooklyn. The Wizards appeared to be headed for their eighth loss in the last nine games on Sunday night as they faced the Nets, trailing Brooklyn 146-141 with 12 seconds remaining. But Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook had other ideas. Beal raced up the floor and hit a three from the top of the key, cutting Brooklyn's lead to two points with just over eight seconds left. Nets guard Joe Harris then tossed the inbounds pass to Washington guard Garrison Matthews, who quickly gave the ball to Westbrook. The 2016-17 MVP let a triple of his own fly, draining the three to put Washington up 147-146 with less than five seconds remaining.  Beal and Westbrook's heroics were almost for naught as Brooklyn had a chance to steal the win with 4.3 seconds remaining. Nets forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had a wide-open look at the rim as time expired, but his layu

Alex Ovechkin is back. After sitting out four games to follow the NHL's COVID-19 protocols, Ovechkin scored the game-winner in the first minute of overtime on Saturday night as the Washington Capitals notched a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Now, Ovechkin will try it again when Washington hosts Boston on Monday night in the second game of the back-to-back series. Dmitry Orlov also was cleared to play but the Caps made him a healthy scratch Saturday. Evgeny Kuznetsov and goalie Ilya Samsonov remain on the list and their status uncertain. Ovechkin had not skated since Jan. 19 and Washington coach Peter Laviolette wanted to be careful with his star. He limited Ovechkin to just under 15 minutes on Saturday. "He hasn't skated in 10 days," Laviolette said before the most recent game. "He's been trying to get a workout at his house, but it's not the same as being on the ice. It's certainly not the same as the competition that you have to play out ther

Jacob Markstrom's 37-save shutout performance in a 2-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday is exactly what the Calgary Flames were looking for when they signed him via free agency. The Flames, who snapped a three-game losing skid with the win, are looking for more of the same when they visit the Winnipeg Jets on Monday in the first of three meetings in four nights in Winnipeg. The Flames have struggled to find a true No. 1 goalie since Miikka Kiprusoff's scintillating performances before he retired after the 2012-13 season, and that's why Markstrom was lured with a six-year, $36-million contract. He rewarded them with a brilliant performance in Montreal. "When your goalie plays like that, you're not going to lose. Ever," said captain Mark Giordano. "Obviously, we've been on a little bit of a slide here. Guys were blocking shots and we were invested emotionally, and he was our backbone out there. We'll take those goaltending perform

Gilbert came to LSU as the nation's No. 1 tight end recruit in the class of 2020. Former LSU tight end Arik Gilbert announced his decision to transfer to Florida on Sunday.  Gilbert  entered the transfer portal on Jan. 2 after just one season with the Tigers . "After careful consideration I have decided to commit to the University of Florida," Gilbert tweeted on Sunday. "This is the best situation for me and I’m excited to join the family." Gilbert came to LSU as the No. 1 tight end recruit in the class of 2020, per the 247Sports composite rankings . He caught 35 passes for 368 yards as a freshman, adding a pair of touchdowns as the Tigers finished 5–5.  Florida will add Gilbert for the 2021 season as it looks to replace significant production from its tight ends. Junior Kyle Pitts tallied 43 catches and 12 touchdowns last season, while redshirt junior Kemore Gamble and sophomore Keon Zipperer added an additional five scores. Pitts declared for the

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be without starters Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley for a third straight game when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday night. Leonard and George are sidelined because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and Beverley is out due to right knee soreness. None of the players accompanied the team at the start of the current six-game road trip, which began with a 108-99 loss at the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, snapping the Clippers' seven-game win streak. The trek took a turn for the better when Los Angeles earned a 109-105 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday. The Clippers trailed by 18 in the first quarter against Miami before outscoring the Heat 29-17 in the second and 40-19 in the third. Los Angeles made nine 3-pointers in the third quarter but had to hold off a late surge from the Heat. "We missed three big key players the last two games," Clippers forward Nicolas Batum said. "The (Atlanta) game, we had

The Brooklyn Nets are still working through the process of bringing James Harden along, two weeks after the trade that brought the All-Star from Houston. But that process has taken significant steps forward in recent days as the Nets enter Friday night's game at the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I think 'encouraging' is the word," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. "I don't want to force him. He knows what he's doing. He knows where his body's at and where this process of assimilating to a new group is. We want him to be aggressive." Harden is coming off a 31-point, 15-assist, eight-rebound performance in Wednesday's overtime win at Atlanta. With Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, there were questions about how the trio of stars would be able to share the ball. So far, the results have been positive, with the Nets going 5-2 since Harden came aboard. Brooklyn carries a three-game winning streak into Friday's game. "We just want

The Atlanta Hawks get a short break from the heavyweight portion of their schedule when they visit the struggling Washington Wizards on Friday night. The Hawks have lost two of their last three games, but likely aren't discouraged after having been beaten on the road by Milwaukee before defeating the Los Angeles Clippers and taking Brooklyn to overtime in a home loss Wednesday. Atlanta returns home after a one-night jaunt to Washington, only to have the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas, Utah and Toronto lined up on a powerful homestand. The Hawks almost made it two straight wins, but eventually got overpowered by Brooklyn's Kevin Durant (32 points), James Harden (31) and Kyrie Irving (26) in the 132-128 loss. One reason the Hawks were able to keep pace was the return of Cam Reddish from a sore right Achilles. He had a season-high 24 points, complementing Trae Young's 28. "We needed what he brought tonight," Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce noted afterward of Reddish. &quo

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton each scored 24 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' victory Wednesday night, while Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson each scored 32 points in the New Orleans Pelicans' victory on the same night. All four standout players will be on the court when the Bucks visit the Pelicans on Friday night. Antetokounmpo added 18 rebounds and nine assists and Middleton had 10 rebounds and seven assists in Milwaukee's 115-108 victory against Toronto in Tampa on Wednesday. The Bucks clamped down on their defense in the second quarter, holding the Raptors to 21 points. Toronto made 6 of 12 3-pointers in the first quarter, then just 5 of their next 16 before halftime. "I think the defense in the second quarter was maybe the difference in the game," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. "It just felt like we were competing, everybody was together. "They're going to shoot a bunch of 3s, you've just got to make it tough on th

The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to snap out of their doldrums in the second half Wednesday night. The New York Knicks are hoping a return home after a long road trip leads to a similar awakening Friday night, when they are scheduled to host the Cavaliers in the third meeting of the season between Eastern Conference rivals. The Cavaliers snapped a two-game losing streak when they pulled away in the second half of a 122-107 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons. The Knicks ended a four-game road trip with their third straight loss Tuesday, when they squandered a 13-point halftime lead and fell to the Utah Jazz, 108-94. On Wednesday, the Cavaliers initially looked as if they were still feeling the effects of playing and losing to a pair of elite teams on back-to-back days. Cleveland fell to the Boston Celtics by 38 points on Sunday before returning home and losing to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, 115-108, on Monday night. The Cavaliers led 38-30 early in the second p

There's no telling where the Charlotte Hornets might start their list of concerns when facing the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have so many options, with numerous of those already on display this week. The teams meet Friday night in Charlotte, N.C., just two nights after Indiana picked apart the Hornets in several ways to win 116-106. "I love this challenge to see the same group on Friday night," Charlotte coach James Borrego said. "Can our young team step up and play better?" Domantas Sabonis provided a triple-double for the Pacers on Wednesday night, but Doug McDermott (28 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (25) had the team's top point totals in the game. Sabonis seems in fine form after sitting out the end of the previous game for what turned out to be a bruised knee. "I can play," Sabonis said after his sterling effort. "I would have felt worse if I didn't play." Charlotte might not have an ideal matchup in dealing with Sabonis.

Following a thrilling victory against the defending champions, the Philadelphia 76ers now must try and avoid a letdown when they visit one of the worst teams on Friday. Tobias Harris' 12-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds left gave the Sixers a 107-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. The Sixers will attempt to maintain that positive momentum when they go on the road to face the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis. Joel Embiid fell hard on his back in the third quarter after a flagrant 1 foul by LeBron James but stayed in the game to post 28 points. Harris added 24 and Ben Simmons recorded his 31st career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Embiid's status is unclear for Friday. The Sixers are 0-4 this season when he doesn't play. "You look at games like tonight, I thought I didn't play well at all and we still got the win," Embiid said. "I felt like I could have done much more, but we've been playing wel

The visiting Sacramento Kings have lost their past seven games against the Toronto Raptors and they will try to change that Friday night in Tampa. The Raptors already have a win over the Kings this season, 144-123, on Jan. 8 at Sacramento with Fred VanVleet scoring 34 points. The Kings last defeated the Raptors on Nov. 20, 2016. They are coming into Friday having won two in a row while the Raptors have lost their past two. Sacramento will have the more rested team. After defeating the New York Knicks on Friday, their next two games were postponed because the Memphis Grizzlies have had COVID-19 issues. The Kings then defeated the host Orlando Magic 121-107 on Wednesday while the Raptors lost to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 115-108. Before beating the Knicks at home, the Kings had lost six of seven that included poor defensive efforts in allowing 144 points to Toronto, 132 to the Portland Trail Blazers, 138 to the Los Angeles Clippers and 128 to the New Orleans Pelicans. "I b

It was high season for season-high totals Wednesday in Utah. Without two of their best players -- Donovan Mitchell (concussion protocol) and Derrick Favors (back) -- the Jazz relied on the best scoring performances of the season from Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles to continue their NBA-best win streak. Gobert had season-highs in points (29) and rebounds (20), while Clarkson (31 points) and Ingles (21 points on seven 3-pointers) helped boost the short-handed Jazz to their 10th consecutive victory, 116-104 over the Dallas Mavericks. The teams meet again Friday at Utah. "We want to be unselfish, help each other on both ends of the floor," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "I think we're covering for each other, our communication defensively. The game can be simple if you let it be." Along with the season-high performances, the Jazz got another solid performance from Mike Conley. The point guard, who's making a case to be an All-Star, had 17 points

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Even when No. 3 Villanova went up by 16 points in the second half, Jay Wright never felt comfortable against Seton Hall. The two longtime Big East rivals have played nothing but close games lately and the Wildcats coach had a feeling the Pirates had a run in them. It was one of the few things he was wrong about this season. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 23 points in a foul-plagued 21 minutes and Villanova rolled to ninth straight victory with an unexpectedly easy 80-72 decision over Seton Hall on Saturday. ''I didn't think of this one as not being one of the close ones because I know how good they are and I know they can always make a run at us,'' Wright said. ''So the history of this rivalry is such that you just you never, ever feel comfortable, you know? And I definitely felt that way tonight.'' Jermaine Samuels added 17 points and Justin Moore had 16, while Collin Gillespie had 11 points and a career-high 11 assists. The W

Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last during the 2019-20 season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. In need of players to fill vacant roster spots following the James Harden trade, the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly signing veteran wing Iman Shumpert, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic . Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He'll join a guard group that includes Harden, Joe Harris, Landry Shamet, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Bruce Brown. Shumpert has played for five teams during his 10-year career, most notably spending parts of four seasons each with the Knicks and Cavaliers. He won a championship with Cleveland in 2016, appearing in all 21 postseason games while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts in 17.5 minutes per game. He's a 33.8% career shooter from three-point range and has a reputation as a strong perimeter defender. After dropping two straight games t

Mond threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the loss Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond was named the Reese's Senior Bowl MVP after his final performance of his collegiate career on Saturday. Mond, who was playing for the American team, was 13-for-25 and threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-24 losing effort against the National team.  Mond also converted on a two-point conversion in the midst of the American team's comeback attempt when down 13-0 in the second quarter. The team would go on to take a 16-13 lead but never regained it after the National team answered with a touchdown to end the third quarter.  "It's a huge sign of everything I've worked for," Mond said. "Obviously I've had some ups and downs during my career, but to finally come out here on a huge stage and perform the way I wanted to and execute, it was definitely huge." Mond is a record-breaking quarterback that Texas A&M will surely miss in 2021. T

Saturday's top-versus-bottom clash in the Premier League between Manchester City and Sheffield United threatens to be more competitive than billed, says Pep Guardiola. Chris Wilder's United claimed only their second top-flight win of the season on Wednesday, stunning Manchester United 2-1. The result ensured City took first place heading into this round of fixtures and, temporarily at least, they will move four points clear of United should they beat the Blades. Guardiola, though, sees plenty of cause for concern. "Sheffield United is a team that is alive," said Guardiola. "It is not easy with the results they have got this season and that speaks incredibly well about Chris, his staff and the players. "The result against United speaks for itself. Everybody knows how difficult it is to win at Old Trafford. "I think the reason why they are still a team and they are alive is because they are together for a long time with the same manager and they be

Crystal Palace's latest addition Jean-Philippe Mateta is ready and available for selection, says Roy Hodgson, who is thrilled with how the striker has settled since his move from Mainz. Mateta could not feature in either of Palace's last two games but is in line to be available for an Eagles debut when they host Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday. The 23-year-old netted 10 times in all competitions this season for Mainz before his switch to south London, and Hodgson is delighted to have the forward available. "He's been good," Hodgson said. "Unfortunately at the moment the training sessions you do with so many games tend to be fairly condensed and you don't do a lot of work over big areas, it's often much more small area work. It will be nice to see him when he can stretch his legs and play in a more 11-a-side area. "He's settled in very well, he seems like a very bright player and a bright person. We believe in him and believe tha

Aston Villa dominated for much of their clash with Burnley on Wednesday, only for the Clarets to snatch a 3-2 win, but Dean Smith is staying positive. Two of the season's surprise packages meet on Saturday, as 10th-placed Villa travel to Southampton. Both sides have struggled to maintain their form in recent weeks, with Villa winning just one of their last five Premier League matches, while Southampton have just one win in seven - albeit that came against defending champions Liverpool. "We're closer to the top four than the bottom four. We've added quality and started the season well. We're still disappointed with results that have gone against us," said Villa boss Smith. "We stayed up last season with the run that we had, then we've added quality and I think we've started the season well. "We're disappointed with some of the games we've been beaten in. We've had some referee's decisions that have gone against us - Manch

Martin Odegaard was always fighting a "lost battle" with comparisons to Lionel Messi but has the characteristics needed to flourish at Arsenal, says Mikel Arteta, whose side face Manchester United on Saturday. Arsenal completed a deal to take Norway international Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid until the end of the season on Wednesday. Odegaard was signed by Los Blancos from Stromsgodset as a prodigious teenager and was highly impressive in a temporary stint with Real Sociedad last term, creating 62 chance in 31 LaLiga appearances. Arteta is excited by Odegaard's qualities but did urge caution, saying comparisons to Barcelona great Messi are unhelpful. "I wouldn't even get close to that name you just mentioned (Messi) because it's a lost battle in my opinion. Martin is Martin," Arteta said. "In the last few seasons he's progressed and developed in the right way. I follow him very closely because he played for Real Sociedad, which is my ho

Jordan Pickford made another major error as Everton drew with Leicester City, and Carlo Ancelotti is undecided as to whether the England goalkeeper will play against Newcastle United. After a run of dreadful mistakes earlier in the season, Pickford had gone several matches without an error as Everton corrected their form to put themselves in contention for a Champions League place. However, he failed to keep out a rather tame Youri Tielemans strike as in-form Leicester fought back to cancel out James Rodriguez's stunner on Wednesday. Next up for Everton are Newcastle – a side which boyhood Sunderland fan Pickford has previously made errors against. Pickford was dropped for Robin Olsen for Everton's defeat at St James' Park earlier in the campaign, and Ancelotti is willing to rotate his goalkeepers again. "Pickford didn't play last time against Newcastle because of normal rotation, which I am used to doing in this period because we have a lot of games," h

The Philadelphia Flyers will be looking for their third consecutive victory when they host the New York Islanders on Saturday. The Flyers swept a pair of games on the road against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and Thursday. Philadelphia's 3-1 win on Thursday had to be especially satisfying with arguably its best defensive effort of the season and stellar goaltending by Carter Hart. Hart struggled mightily in his previous start, a 6-1 setback against the Boston Bruins. Soon after that game ended, a visibly shaken Hart shattered his stick into hundreds of pieces on the goal before leaving the ice. "When you face the puck early, it definitely helps you get into the game," said Hart, who made 33 saves against the Devils. "The first two periods were probably our worst and he kept us in the game," captain Claude Giroux said of Hart. "In the third, I think we played better, but he saved our game in the first and second." The short-handed Flyers cont

Heading into Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres, coach David Quinn believed his New York Rangers were better than their early-season record. On Saturday night, the Rangers hope to find out if their path has been redirected thanks to a milestone goal by their player with the brightest future when New York hosts Pittsburgh in a battle of longtime rivals. Both teams were off Friday following eventful road games Thursday. The Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion when rookie Alexis Lafreniere made his first NHL goal a memorable one by scoring in overtime to lift New York to a 3-2 win over the Sabres. The Rangers outplayed the Sabres for most of the first 60 minutes Thursday night but were in danger of suffering their fifth straight one-goal loss before Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in October's draft, teamed up with Colin Blackwell for a 2-on-1 that began with Blackwell stealing the puck from Jack Eichel and passing to Lafreniere, who fired a

The New Jersey Devils have hit a bit of a rough patch following a solid start to the season. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, are starting to consistently give themselves an opportunity to win games. Looking to avoid a third straight defeat, the visiting Devils will try to keep the Sabres from extending their point streak to five games on Saturday afternoon. New Jersey opened the season with a 3-1-1 record before sustaining back-to-back home losses to the Philadelphia Flyers this week. After falling 5-3 on Tuesday, the Devils went 0-for-4 on the power play during Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Flyers. It marked the fifth time already this season that New Jersey was held to two or fewer goals. The Devils also are a paltry 2-for-18 on the power play through their first seven games. "We need to be a little more focused on our shots and get some bodies in front of (the net)," said forward Jesper Bratt, who made his season debut Thursday after being in COVID-19 protocol. &quo

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be going for a four-game Western Canada sweep Saturday night when they complete a two-game set against the host Edmonton Oilers. The Maple Leafs, who defeated the Oilers 4-3 Thursday night, also will be trying to stretch their overall winning streak to five games. After defeating the Oilers in Toronto on Jan. 22, the Maple Leafs won twice over the Flames in Calgary. "I like the way that we've found ways to come out on the positive side of it when it counts the most," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Whether it's how many games now we've had a really big penalty kill very late in the game with the game on the line, we find our way through those. We gave up the lead and then we bounce right back and get it and then make sure we finish the job. That's been a theme. I like that. "I think the thing I like most of all, for the most part, we've defended really well as a team, not perfect, but we've defended --

Boston's Brad Marchand has made a career out of pestering opponents. But expect him to be on his best behavior Saturday when the Bruins travel to Washington to face longtime teammate Zdeno Chara for the first time. "You don't want to poke the bear," Marchand said. "He's the guy that when you're on the ice with him, you're an opponent. ... It'll be weird to see him in a different uniform." Chara, 43, spent 14 seasons patrolling the Boston blue line and wearing the "C" on his jersey as the team captain, guiding the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Finals and a championship in 2011 as well as the Presidents' Trophy last season as the team with the most regular-season points. But with his role in Boston diminishing and his contract up, he decided to sign a one-year deal with the Capitals in the offseason. "I think he'll come out and we'll see his best," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after a 4-1 victory against v

For the first time since the trade that sent seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden to Brooklyn, the Houston Rockets on Tuesday featured both John Wall and Victor Oladipo in their backcourt. The early results, as to be expected, were uneven. But down the stretch, Wall and Oladipo teamed to lead Houston to a 107-88 victory over the Washington Wizards that extended the Rockets' winning streak to a season-best three games. The Rockets will be seeking more of the same from Wall and Oladipo -- who combined for 44 points, seven rebounds and six assists -- on Thursday at Toyota Center when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. Their first foray together showcased plenty of reasons for optimism. With Houston clinging to a four-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Wizards, Wall and Oladipo combined to spearhead a 10-0 run that enabled the Rockets to finally seize control. "It takes guys a minute to learn how to play together," said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who used