The Jimmy Butler trade rumors have gotten to the point where Miami Heat president Pat Riley needed to step in to say what the organization will be doing. 

From his words, Butler isn’t going anywhere. 

"We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches," Riley said in a Heat statement. "Therefore, we will make it clear – we are not trading Jimmy Butler."

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What sparked the rumors was an ESPN report that stated the veteran wanted to leave Miami amid his sixth season with the organization. 

The report added that the Heat were willing to listen to trade offers ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. 

Then, the Miami Herald reported that Butler had the desire to leave, because the team wasn’t publicly shooting down the rumors. 

2024-25 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS: CELTICS, THUNDER FAVORED

Well, all that changed with Riley’s statement on the matter, as the Heat want their star guard/forward to stay put. 

Butler is currently averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists over 20 games so far this season. 

Looking ahead to next season, Butler isn’t expected to activate his $52.4 million player option. The Miami Herald also reported the Heat being unwilling to extend him through the 2026-27 season, so there’s a good chance that Butler, who would be 36 years old next season, would be looking for a new squad next season. 

Before becoming a force on the Heat, Butler spent his first six NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls, starting in the 2011-12 campaign after being drafted 30th overall out of Marquette. 

He was a three-time All-Star in the Windy City, while winning Most Improved Player for his performance in the 2014-15 season. 

Butler would end up going to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017, but it didn’t last long as he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the 2018-19 season. 

The versatile two-way star has been a cornerstone of the Heat locker room since joining the squad in 2019, getting two All-Star nods over the past six seasons. 

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was singled out by NFL legend Terrell Owens after the Steelers dropped three straight games, including a lopsided loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Christmas Day. 

Returning from a three-game absence after a hamstring injury, Pickens was expected to have an impact against the defending champions. 

But after just three receptions for 50 yards, the third-year wideout faced scrutiny for his lack of production. Among those calling him out was Hall of Famer Terrell Owens.

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Responding to a social media post about Cam Hayward’s postgame comments in which he said, "When 10 guys do their job and one guy doesn’t, we are screwed," Owens agreed there was a similar issue on offense. 

"Same on offense as well when you got #14 not running his routes causing [interceptions,]" Owens said in a post on X. 

STEELERS' GEORGE PICKENS RAISES EYEBROWS OVER POSTGAME HANDSHAKES WITH CHIEFS STARS

Owens seemed to be referencing a play at the end of the first quarter. With the Chiefs leading 13-0, veteran quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception in the end zone. While taking ownership for the mistake, Wilson acknowledged Pickens was supposed to run another route. 

"Yeah, you know, I think he was going to go vertical. But, at the end of the day, it can't happen. It’s on me," Wilson said, via FOX 8. "I was trying to give Pat [Freiermuth] a chance. He's done a good job for us down in the red zone, and they made a good play."

The Steelers have lost three games in 11 days.

"The bottom line is the junior varsity is not good enough. We've got to own that," head coach Mike Tomlin said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Teddy Bridgewater is looking to win two championships in a two-month span.

Bridgewater spent the fall coaching at his high school alma mater, leading Miami Northwestern High to the Florida Class 3A state title earlier this month. But now, it's on to another championship.

He is back with the Detroit Lions as a veteran backup for their playoff run.

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The Lions have clinched a playoff spot and can earn the top seed in the NFC with two more wins, but just in case Jared Goff goes down, they wanted to go with somebody with experience; Hendon Hooker had been serving as Goff's backup throughout the season.

Bridgewater served as a backup for the Lions last year.

Bridgewater was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and has started 65 games over his NFL career. He also spent two seasons in New Orleans when Dan Campbell was an assistant with the Saints.

Campbell raved about his relationship with Bridgewater during his media availability on Thursday.

"I've been in contact with Teddy for a while, and it was something that was always a potential possibility. And we all know what Teddy's been doing down there and giving back to his community, and they won a championship down there, so his debut coaching worked out pretty dang good," Campbell said. 

"To be able to add somebody back here that's got experience, he's staying in shape, he's been throwing, just get him worked back in here a little bit. It just brings a level of professionalism, veteran presence, somebody that's great for our team."

The Lions control their own destiny in forcing the NFC playoffs to run through their own home turf.

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Tennis legend Martina Navratilova only needed one acronym in response to Olympic boxing gold medalist Imane Khelif receiving votes for the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award.

Khelif was in a firestorm throughout the Olympics after it was learned the Algerian fighter failed a gender test in the run-up to the Paris Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) maintained that Khelif met all the requirements to compete and eventually won the gold medal.

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Khelif finished third in the voting, receiving four votes. Caitlin Clark won the award and Simone Biles was second.

Navratilova, who has been a staunch advocate for protecting women’s sports, reacted in a post on X.

"Wtaf???" she wrote, which means "what the actual f---."

Khelif qualified for the Paris Olympics, but Khelif's gender was called into question following a disqualification from the 2023 championships before a gold medal bout over gender eligibility issues.

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA 'MAD' THAT REPUBLICANS ARE MORE OUTSPOKEN THAN DEMS ABOUT TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS SPORTS

International Boxing Association president Umar Kremlev said the boxer had "XY chromosomes," which are associated with biological males.

One boxer, Angela Carini, forfeited her bout against Khelif in Paris, saying "one punch hurt too much."

Khelif won gold in Paris and wasn't the only boxer to win a women's gold who has been disqualified for failing gender eligibility tests. Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting also won gold in another women's weight class in Paris, prompting similar outrage. 

The IOC defended Khelif and Yu-ting's inclusion in the women's events.

Khelif was the most Googled athlete of the year, largely due to the controversy.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders laid down the rules for his team as they arrived at their hotel in preparation for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

Sanders was seen in a video telling his players there was no smoking allowed.

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"If I smell smoke on any floor or if I get someone that tells me somebody is smoking on that floor, that will be your last puff," Sanders said.

Colorado players started laughing, but Coach Prime made clear he was serious.

"I’m just trying to tell you — it will be your last puff. That’ll be your last puff. I hope it was good because that’s gonna be your last one," he said. "I promise you, if I smell smoke on your clothes at practice in the morning, at breakfast, at anything, that’s gonna be your last time."

Sanders is taking his first Football Bowl Subdivision bowl game very seriously.

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The Buffaloes will enter their first bowl game since the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the football program hasn’t won a bowl game since 2004, when Gary Barnett was still roaming the sidelines as head coach.

Colorado has two players who are certain to go in the top five in the upcoming NFL Draft in Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Because of that, Colorado took out disability insurance in case the players get hurt in the Alamo Bowl and mess up their draft stock.

"We have a multitude of players that are draftable, that they received a draft grade. They’ve disability (insurance) all season long. We want to make sure that if something were to happen, they would cover it," Sanders said Monday.

"We happen to have two players that are probably going to be the first two picks of the NFL Draft. I think we all know who those two are, and they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. It far exceeds anyone that has ever played this game of college football. So, we’re happy and excited."

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Baltimore Ravens stars Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry put on a show Wednesday night as the team trounced the Houston Texans, 31-2.

Jackson had two touchdown passes and broke Michael Vick’s career rushing record for a quarterback as he scampered for 87 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run. Henry added 147 yards on the ground and a touchdown for himself.

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Jackson and Henry were interviewed by Jamie Erdahl after the game, and had an opportunity to eat a Netflix cake. But they didn’t appear to be interested.

"Red velvet?" Jackson asked.

Erdahl asked Jackson if he wanted to try it and the quarterback said, "Nah."

Henry tried to get him to eat it, but the star quarterback wasn’t having any of it. Instead, Erdahl had a bite of the cake. She said it was "delicious" and tried to get the two players to join her.

"I’m good," Henry said.

PATRICK MAHOMES REVEALS CRUCIAL PROMISE THAT WAS FULFILLED AS CHIEFS GRAB NO. 1 SEED IN PLAYOFFS

"I need to eat real food, then dessert," Jackson added.

The win appeared to just be an appetizer for the two NFL greats.

Baltimore took control of the AFC North division with the win over the Texans. They held a one-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers after their rival lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game that was broadcast on Netflix earlier in the day.

Jackson now has 6,110 rushing yards – one more than Vick.

"It’s just another phenomenal performance," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after the game. "He set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards (for a quarterback) in pro football. That kind of speaks for itself. It’s just kind of what he does every week."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Patrick Mahomes kept the promise he made to his wife, Brittany, as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday afternoon, 29-10.

Brittany Mahomes is pregnant with the couple’s third child and is due very soon. The star quarterback said he told her the Chiefs would get the top seed in the playoffs so she could have the baby with him being there instead of on the football field.

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"I told my wife, my pregnant wife, I was gonna get the No. 1 seed so we can go have that baby," he told Netflix’s Stacey Dales. "We got the one seed."

Brittany Mahomes was watching the game with her children and other family members. She responded to her husband’s comments on her Instagram Stories.

"Always keeping his promises," she wrote in a post.

RAVENS ROUT TEXANS ON CHRISTMAS, INCH CLOSER TO DIVISION TITLE

Kansas City moved to 15-1 on the season. They have one more game on Jan. 5, and it doesn’t appear the team will put their starters out there for the whole game.

The wild-card portion of the playoffs begin Jan. 11 with the divisional round. In theory, Mahomes could have a lot of time off to be with his wife as she gets ready for their next child to be born.

The Chiefs have had a wild season filled with injuries and some off-field turmoil. The team has only scored 30 points once in a game and yet still have only one loss.

A chance for three straight Super Bowls is alive and well.

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Don’t mess with Carmela Soprano.

Edie Falco, the actress who played the wife of Tony Soprano on the acclaimed HBO series "The Sopranos," revealed in an interview with New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart that she was really upset with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the playoffs.

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Falco said she was about to go after Embiid after the big man elbowed Brunson in the first round of the playoffs last season.

"Joel Embiid, he’s mean," Falco said in the latest episode of  the "Roommates Show." "He like elbowed you in a game last year and I was going to go after him. I mean that’s how bad it was. And then I think I’ve seen you guys play since then and you guys are all like cool with each other. I’m like, ‘You don’t hold a grudge?’"

KNICKS' MIKAL BRIDGES OUTDUELS SPURS' VICTOR WEMBANYAMA; KNICKS HOLD ON FOR NARROW VICTORY

Brunson said he’s known Embiid since they came into the league and made clear that it wasn’t cool of him to throw the elbow, but whatever ill will there was between them at the time of the heated moment was gone.

The Knicks got the last laugh anyway, as they defeated the 76ers in the first round and eventually lost to the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.

Falco is long removed from her "Sopranos" days. She’s set for a "Nurse Jackie" sequel on Amazon Prime Video.

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President-elect Trump floated NHL legend Wayne Gretzky as a potential candidate to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister in a social media post on Wednesday.

And it appeared Janet Gretzky — Wayne’s wife — got the message.

Janet shared Trump’s Truth Social post on her Instagram Stories and posted the link.

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"I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada – You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,’" Trump wrote. 

"He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!"

Trump’s post came as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced pressure to step down. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from Trudeau's cabinet. At the same time, opposition leader Jagmeet Singh called on Trudeau to resign.

The main opposition Conservatives have demanded an election.

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Trump also weighed in after Freeland resigned.

"The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau," Trump posted to his Truth Social, trolling Trudeau, after previously suggesting Canada should become the 51st state in the U.S.

"Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!"

Trump has also teased Canadians about adding the country as the 51st U.S. state.

Gretzky appeared to support Trump amid his election win over Vice President Kamala Harris.

He was seen last month at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, after Trump’s presidential election win, wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had a message for the NFL following the team’s close win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

James scored 31 points and dished out 10 assists as Austin Reaves’ go-ahead bucket gave the Lakers a 115-113 win. But with the NFL creeping up on what was the NBA’s most exciting day of the regular season, James sent a warning shot to the league.

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"I love the NFL. I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day," he declared.

Last year, the NFL scheduled three games on Christmas Day as it fell on a Monday. This year, two games were scheduled on Christmas. In 2022, regular season games fell on Christmas Day.

NFL officials said last year the league wouldn’t schedule any games on Christmas if it fell outside of a normally scheduled day.

KNICKS' MIKAL BRIDGES OUTDUELS SPURS' VICTOR WEMBANYAMA; KNICKS HOLD ON FOR NARROW VICTORY

"We’ve seen the opportunity with Thanksgiving and some of the audience that we’ve continued to build there," NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder told The Wall Street Journal at the time. "We think there’s an opportunity when the calendar allows it on Christmas now, too, when we know our fans are going to be together."

It was only four months later when the league did an about-face.

"The fans clearly spoke," Schroeder told The Wall Street Journal in March. "There’s a big demand."

The report noted that the NFL would usually give the day away to the NBA and other programming and even moved the old NFL championship off of Christmas if it fell on that day.

This year, the NFL’s games were seen on Netflix. When the ratings come out, everyone will get to see whether James is right.

The NFL dispatched the first round of the College Football Playoff last week in their rare head-to-head matchup.

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Choose your Most Memorable Sports Moment of 2024. 

Choose between the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl, the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, or LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani becoming the first MLB player ever with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

Then see how your choice ranks and share the results with your friends.

Check back each day this week to pick your Most Memorable Moments of 2024. 

Thanks for playing!

The Baltimore Ravens took the AFC North lead with a 31-2 blowout victory against the Houston Texans Wednesday night and a Pittsburgh Steelers loss earlier in the day.

Lamar Jackson was the star of the show.

The quarterback and league MVP candidate broke off a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach for the Texans. He followed up with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews with 5:50 remaining in the quarter.

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Jackson also had a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with 1:51 left in the first half.

Jackson finished with 168 passing yards and 87 rushing yards in the win. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers. No receiver had more than two catches.

Andrews had two catches for 68 yards.

Derrick Henry played a supporting role in the win. He got the game started with a touchdown run from the goal line in the first quarter and finished with 147 rushing yards on 27 carries.

STEELERS' GEORGE PICKENS RAISES EYEBROWS OVER POSTGAME HANDSHAKES WITH CHIEFS STARS

The Texans’ lone score came from a safety in the second quarter with a tackle on Henry.

C.J. Stroud was 17 of 31 for 185 passing yards and an interception. He was sacked five times.

Houston played without wide receiver Tank Dell, who sustained a serious knee injury in last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The team was already dealt an injury blow when it lost Stefon Diggs earlier in the season.

Nico Collins had three catches for 59 yards to lead the team. John Metchie III had five catches for 48 yards. But the offense just wasn’t there.

Houston converted only 10 first downs on 11 drives, and Baltimore outgained Houston 432-211.

The Ravens moved to 11-5 and into first place in the AFC North. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs and fell to 10-6.

Houston fell to 9-7 on the season.

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Beyoncé stole the show Wednesday when she performed at halftime of the evening Christmas Day game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens.

The "Texas Hold ‘Em" singer entered Houston's NRG Stadium on a horse and performed songs from her most recent album, "Cowboy Carter." 

She was joined on the field at one point by Shaboozey and Post Malone.

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As Beyoncé started to wrap up, she stood on a scaffold and was raised high above the field. She then made a finger-gun gesture with her hands as a big "Bang" banner unfurled behind her.

Fans in the stadium cheered, and the reviews were mostly positive on social media. But NFL fans started to poke fun at the finger-gun gesture because of the league’s crackdown this season.

STEELERS' GEORGE PICKENS RAISES EYEBROWS OVER POSTGAME HANDSHAKES WITH CHIEFS STARS

Several NFL stars have shown finger guns after touchdowns or to signal a first down. Game officials have thrown flags after those celebrations as the league has cracked down on demonstrations that include gestures of violence.

NFL executive Troy Vincent addressed the issue at a league meeting in October, according to NFL Network.

"There’s no place in professional football for that," Vincent said of the gestures. "Think about where we are as a society. … I don’t think that’s where we are and what we’re trying to represent. We have a responsibility as professional athletes."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also talked about the issue.

"It's a long-standing policy, and we are going to enforce that," he said. "Troy had a direct conversation with the union, I think, just last week about it. We're going to continue on that focus. We don't think it's appropriate in those circumstances and sends the wrong messages. So, we'll continue to do that."

A high-ranking NFL employee told The Athletic last week that players are warned about the gestures each year and that they could result in penalties.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens raised eyebrows Wednesday when he congratulated Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes and Kelce joined Netflix’s Stacey Dales to talk about the team’s 29-10 win. 

Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown and reached the 1,000-career reception mark during the game.

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As the two star players were talking, Pickens interrupted the interview to give his respect.

The move sparked a debate among fans. Some praised Pickens for good sportsmanship, while others cynically suggested it was the wide receiver attempting to influence a future trade.

CHIEFS CLINCH NO. 1 SEED, FIRST-ROUND BYE IN PLAYOFFS WITH DOMINANT WIN OVER STEELERS

Pickens had three catches on seven targets for 50 yards.

The wide receiver has been a source of consternation this season. He got into a fight with a Cleveland Browns player on one of the last plays of a game in a matchup last month. He was then flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Pickens’ antics earlier this month.

"I’m not going to give you any detail about what goes on behind the scenes in terms of his growth and development," Tomlin said. "That’s my style, and I’m going to be really consistent in it. Being transparent with you guys doesn’t necessarily help or accelerate the growth process, and that’s my agenda, not necessarily feeding the beast."

Wednesday’s game was Pickens’ first after missing three with injuries.

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President-elect Trump threw his support behind NHL legend Wayne Gretzky as a potential candidate for Canadian prime minister in a post on social media on Wednesday.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Canadians should follow.

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"I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada - You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,’" Trump wrote. 

"He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!"

Trump’s post came as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced pressure to step down. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from Trudeau's cabinet. At the same time, opposition leader Jagmeet Singh called on Trudeau to resign.

OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER SOPHIE HEDIGER, 26, DIES IN AVALANCHE IN SWITZERLAND

Trump also weighed in after Freeland resigned.

"The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau," Trump posted to his Truth Social, trolling Trudeau, after previously suggesting Canada should become the 51st state in the USA.

"Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!"

Gretzky was seen last month at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, after Trump’s presidential election win wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap.

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The Kansas City Chiefs gave their fans a gift on Christmas with a win that clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs. 

The Chiefs rolled over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-10, clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Christmas Day.

Kansas City started out fast and never looked back, going up 13-0 after scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions. 

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It looked like the Steelers were going to respond immediately when running back Jaylen Warren had an 8-yard rushing touchdown, but it was called back due to a holding penalty.

On the play after the penalty, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception in the end zone, and the Steelers missed out on a chance to cut into the lead. 

Despite getting stopped in the red zone, Wilson had success on the next drive.

The Steelers quarterback scrambled for a 1-yard rushing touchdown, capping an 11-play, 72-yard drive to make the score 13-7. 

NETFLIX'S NFL CHRISTMAS DAY COVERAGE EXPERIENCES MISCUES

After halftime, the teams traded field goals to make it 16-10, and then the Chiefs pulled away. 

Patrick Mahomes engineered an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Kareem Hunt 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it 22-10 after the Chiefs' two-point conversion was unsuccessful. 

On the ensuing drive, Steelers’ tight end Pat Freiermuth fumbled on the Steelers 34-yard line, setting up the Chiefs with great field position. 

Mahomes capitalized on the fumble, finding a wide open Travis Kelce for a touchdown to make it 29-10. 

Kelce’s touchdown reception was the 77th of his career, passing Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown receptions in Chiefs franchise history. 

CHIEFS' XAVIER WORTHY HIT WITH PENALTY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, SPARKS FAN FRENZY

Mahomes completed 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns. 

Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, while rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy had eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' win. 

The loss for the Steelers is critical for their AFC North title chances. If the Baltimore Ravens win over the Houston Texans in the second half of the NFL’s Christmas Day doubleheader, the Ravens would have the inside track over the Steelers for the AFC North title. 

Wilson threw for 205 yards and an interception and ran the ball six times for 55 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Steelers wide receiver George Pickens had three catches for 50 yards in his return after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury. 

Both teams were playing their third game in 11 days. 

The Chiefs’ final regular-season game will not matter since they have already clinched the No. 1 seed, but it may matter to their opponent. The division rival Denver Broncos might be fighting for their playoff lives, depending on Week 17’s outcome. 

The Steelers host the surging Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. 

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New York Knicks’ shooting guard Mikal Bridges and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama matched up in a Christmas Day duel in the Knicks' 117-114 win Wednesday.

Bridges scored 41 points, the most he has scored since the Knicks acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason. 

With star center Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble, Bridges stepped up, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter alone. 

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Bridges shot 17-for-25 from the field, while shooting 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Wembanyama, 20, was sensational in the loss. The Spurs' young star scored 42 points while grabbing 18 rebounds with four assists and four blocks. He also nailed six 3-pointers.

Wembanyama’s performance continued a string of strong games after he was named the Western Conference player of the week. 

Knicks forward Josh Hart finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but his last two rebounds were his most important. 

NBA REF'S 3-WORD EXPLICIT MESSAGE TO 76ERS HEAD COACH AFTER PLAYER WAS MISTAKENLY EJECTED FROM GAME

The Knicks were up three points with 39 seconds left, and the Spurs opted not to foul. Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson missed a 15-foot jump shot, but Hart snagged the rebound. 

Then, with four seconds left, Knicks forward OG Anunoby missed a 3-pointer, but Hart again hustled for the offensive rebound, and the Knicks ran out the clock.

Towns scored 21 points with nine rebounds, while Brunson added 20 points in the win. 

With the win, the Knicks won their fifth straight game and improved to 20-10.

The Knicks next face the Orlando Magic Friday.

With the loss, the Spurs fell to 15-15, and their next game is Friday against the Nets. 

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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry remains one of the most recognizable figures in the NBA.

While Curry continues to perform at a high level on the basketball court, he is also 36, and next spring will mark the end of his 16th season in the league. Although the four-time NBA champion has acknowledged he is much closer to the end of his career than he is to its start, Curry said he is able to enjoy living in the moment.

"More than I probably have before," he said during a sit-down with ESPN as he discussed his NBA future. "I think, you know, it's okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near, whatever point. But only because it allows you to enjoy what's happening right now. But I think the more you talk about it, the more you acknowledge it, it levels up just the sense of urgency of the moment now."

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While Curry did not attach a specific figure to the number of seasons he has left, he made it clear that his drive to win remains strong.

DENNIS SCHRÖDER SAYS HIS SON APPROVED OF HIS TRADE TO THE WARRIORS: 'NOW IT'S A GOOD TEAM'

"It is a matter of acknowledging like, okay, me and [Warriors teammate] Draymond [Green] are in our prime. We're, you know, in a situation where you have to kind of think about the game a little differently. But if you're not winning, the answer is, like, 'How do we make this happen for me?' I only have a certain amount of years left, and I want to win desperately. And what helps me, helps us. So, yeah, it's a funny term, because it's people saying, and what is the actual answer? We're trying to figure it out," he said.

Curry was a key part of the Warriors' recent run to three NBA titles in four seasons. Golden State won its fourth NBA Finals with Curry in 2022. He has also earned two league MVP trophies and is a 10-time NBA All-Star.

The Warriors' 2024-25 campaign got off to a strong start, as the team jumped out to a 12-3 record. But Golden State enters their Christmas Day matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 15-13 record and currently sit in the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

The Warriors failed to qualify for the playoffs last season after they were defeated in the NBA Play-In tournament. Curry and his teammates are looking to avoid a repeat of that this season, and the February trade deadline could prove critical for their 2024-25 hopes. 

The Christmas Day game between the Warriors and the Lakers is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET.

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The NFL has not been shy about its pursuit of making its product as widely available as possible. Earlier this year, the league took another step toward its goal by striking a three-year deal with streaming giant Netflix. 

There was plenty of excitement leading up to the NFL's Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix, but there were also some concerns. The streamer was facing pressure to ensure that issues that popped up during the livestream of last month's bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul did not resurface on Wednesday.

While the streaming quality did not appear to falter leading up to kickoff and at least through the first half of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers, there were some minor hiccups during the pregame coverage.

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Pregame co-host Kay Adams' microphone appeared to be off for a few seconds at the start of the show. At a later point, ESPN personality Mina Kimes was interrupted by a seemingly unscheduled advertisement for the upcoming season two premiere of Netflix's popular show "Squid Games."

Cameras did eventually cut back to the pregame show after the ad.

Pregame coverage began a couple of hours before the Chiefs and Steelers kicked off at 1 p.m. ET.

Once the action got underway, another noticeable miscue surfaced. The scorebug listed just two remaining timeouts for the Steelers, despite Pittsburgh being in the midst of its opening drive. The error was corrected a short time later.

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The defending Super Bowl champions held a 13-7 lead over Pittsburgh at halftime.

Netflix earned the rights to stream at least one holiday game in 2025 and 2026, according to the terms of the multiyear deal with the NFL.

"Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more," Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in a news release in May shortly after the Christmas Day package of games was announced.

"There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix."

Music superstar and Houston native Beyoncé is scheduled to perform at halftime of the Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens game at NRG Stadium later on Wednesday.

Netflix paid an estimated $150 million for the rights to the games, per Bloomberg. The streamer and the NFL have had an ongoing relationship over the past couple of years.

The docuseries "Quarterback" was released on Netflix in 2023, and "Receiver" premiered on the streaming platform last month. While the former focused on three different signal-callers at different points of their careers, the pass-catching series follows four wideouts and one tight end.

In keeping with previous deals, the agreement with Netflix allows games to be shown on broadcast television in the competing teams' home markets. The league-owned NFL+ streaming service will allow fans in the U.S. to watch the games via their mobile devices.

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The Kansas City Chiefs got the scoring started early in their Christmas Day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday afternoon.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs went up 6-0. 

Worthy appeared to do a Christmas-themed celebration with his teammates, then lifted up his shirt.

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NFL officials penalized Worthy for the play. But fans were confused as to why the flag was thrown. Some suggested Worthy may have been pretending to have a gun on him. Gun-themed celebrations have been a point of contention with players.

Mahomes threw his second touchdown pass of the game, an 11-yarder to wide receiver Justin Watson, later in the first quarter.

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The Chiefs have had struggles all season but still had a 14-1 record entering the Week 17 matchup against the Steelers. 

Worthy has been a bright spot for a receiving corps that’s been decimated by injuries. He has 51 catches for 559 yards and five touchdown catches this season. He also has three rushing touchdowns.

Last week, Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown catch against the Houston Texans. It was the second straight week he received double-digit targets. Before the game against the Cleveland Browns, he hadn’t had more than eight targets in a single game.

Kansas City will lock up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win on Wednesday.

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