01222026 SPORTS

half against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A Vásquez)

‘Buddy’ scores season high 25

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net

THE Golden State Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors 145-127 on Tuesday night in San Francisco. The game marked the Warriors’ first game since star forward Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn right ACL in the previous night’s win over the Miami Heat.

Albury reaches 1,000 career points milestone in Division-I

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

DEYTON Albury crossed a milestone this month when he scored his 1,000th career Division-I point, a marker that caps a steady, upward climb from junior college to the Mountain West. Albury, 23, reached the milestone during New Mexico’s recent stretch of games. He stands at 1,004 Division-I points and 1,515

total collegiate points when Chipola (JUCO) totals are included.

Albury’s path has been traditional for a rising international guard starting with two seasons at Chipola College (freshman 2021-22 and sophomore 2022-23), one standout year at Queens University of Charlotte (2023-24), a season at Utah State (2024-25), and then a transfer to New Mexico (2025-26).

At Chipola he developed as a complementary scorer and rebounder — averaging

4.4 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman and growing to 10.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 2022-23.

The move to Queens in 2023-24 produced the biggest statistical leaps, averaging 17.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists while starting 28 of 32 games, earning ASUN Newcomer of the Year and third-team all-conference honours. That season included a 29-point, 11-rebound game at North

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Butler exited that game midway through the third quarter and was later ruled out for the season. His absence loomed over Tuesday’s game and shifted the offensive load for players like Chavano “Buddy” Hield.  Hield, the 33-year-old veteran sharpshooter, delivered the Warriors’ top performance finishing with 25 points on what was a season high for him, making six 3-pointers and accounting for a significant share of Golden State’s scoring against Toronto’s defence. Hield shot 6-for-9 from beyond the arc and finished with a field goal percentage near 50 per cent (6-for-13 from the floor) - a strong efficiency night for Buddy whose scoring opportunities

Ayton leaves game with eye injury

By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Luka

Doncic had 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 115-107 on Tuesday night.

LeBron James, who was not voted an All-Star starter for the first time since his

rookie season, scored 19 points for Los Angeles, which played the second half without centre Deandre Ayton due to a left eye injury - he contributed four points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes.

Jamal Murray scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half for Denver and added 11 assists, but shot just 1 for 5 in the second half.

With Denver

cornerback

II

the short-handed Nuggets led by 16 in the third quarter despite missing four rotation players, including Nikola Jokic, who has missed the last 12 games with a hyperextended left knee.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe scores 25 in 76ers’ 116-110 loss to Suns

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Devin Booker scored 27 points and Jalen Green added 12 points in his return to the lineup as the Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 116-110 on Tuesday night.

It was a matchup of teams playing the second game of a back to back.

Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin scored 16 points apiece and Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro each added 12 as the Suns won their third

straight game and for the 12th time in 16 games. Rookie VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 25 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21 points and Tyrese Maxey added 20. Andre Drummond finished with 15 rebounds and eight points for the Sixers, who lost for the fourth time in six games. Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid (right ankle injury management) and Paul George (left knee injury management).

Green played in just his third game of the season, and his first since November 8, because of a right hamstring injury. He is in his first season with the Suns, arriving in the offseason as part of the trade in which Kevin Durant was sent to the Houston Rockets. Green came off the bench to score seven points in nine minutes of the first half, and went on to shoot 4 for 11 from the field, including 2 for 4 from

Local Sports Calendar

6

OZZIE ‘The Insider’ Simmons Top 10

OZZIE ‘The Insider’ Simmons has released his first national ranking for senior boys high school basketball teams in the Bahamas. The top 10 ranking is as follows:

1 - St Georges JaguarsGrand Bahama

2 - RM Bailey PacersNew Providence

3 - CI Gibson RattlersNew Providence

4 - Sunland StingersGrand Bahama

5 - Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves - New Providence.

THE Star Trackers Track Club will hold its Star Performers Track Classic on Saturday, January 24 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The event will begin at 9am and will feature competition for men and women in all age groups. Interested persons can contact Laura Charlton at 357-3109 for more information.

SWIMMING BA KICK

OFF MEET

THE Bahamas Aquatics will begin the new year with its New Year Kick Off Meet over the weekend of January 23-24 at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. The event will begin on Friday at 6pm and continue on Saturday at 9am.

distance, in 20 minutes, with three assists and two rebounds.

The Suns, coming off a win over Brooklyn on Monday, got 13 points from Booker, 10 from Ighodaro and were perfect on 13 shots from the line on the way to a 57-53 lead at the break.

The Sixers, who beat Indiana on Monday, opened the second half with a 13-2 run for a 66-59 lead. The Suns tied it at 68 and built a 97-84 lead by

BAHAMAS TRIATHLON THE Bahamas Triathlon Association will hold an Olympic, sprint and relay triathlon on Sunday, February 1 at Jaws Beach starting at 7am. The Olympic course will feature a 1.5 kilometre swim, a 40K bike run and a 10K run; the sprint will have a 750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run and the relay will comprise teams of two or three people competing together in both the Olympic and sprint courses. Interested persons can contact the BTA for more details.

Lakers’ Deandre Ayton leaves game with left eye injury

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Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson scored 18 apiece for the Nuggets.

A close game added to the budding rivalry that began in the 2023 Western Conference finals, when Denver swept the Lakers on its way to the NBA title. It appeared the Nuggets would cruise to another win after jumping out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter and had a strong end to the second quarter.

Murray finished the first half with a 35-second flurry to give Denver a 71-57 lead. He fed Gordon for a lob dunk, assisted on Watson’s 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds left and then drained a 56-foot heave at the horn.

the end of the third period. Phoenix extended its lead to 103-86 with 9:37 left in the fourth after Sixers coach Nick Nurse received a technical foul for contesting a call.

Philadelphia chipped away down the stretch, but never really threatened.

Up next Suns: Complete six-game trip at Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

76ers: Host Houston tonight in the fifth game of a six-game homestand.

EDRON KNOWLES

TOURNEY

THE National Sports Authority will pay special tribute to the late Edron ‘Ed’ Knowles with a Home Run Hitting Showcase at the Bankers Field on February 20.

The top 20 home run hitters in the country will compete for $500 cash plus five cases of beers for first place, $300 and three cases of beers for second and $200 and two cases of beers for third.

The event is being sponsored by GBall and A Sure Win.

CYCLING

RIDE FOR EXUMA

THE Bahamas Cycling Federation will kick off its calendar year with the Ride for Exuma on January 24, starting at 8am in Georgetown.

The event will enable competitors to view the turquoise waters and breathtaking landscapes of Exuma.

ROAD RACE

MACEDONIA 60TH ANNIVERSARY RACE

AS a part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, Macedonia Baptist Church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill, will stage a Family Fun Run/Walk Race, which is open to the general public.

The dual event will take place on Saturday, January 24, starting at 6am.

The walk race will leave the church and head west on Bernard Road to Village Road, turn around and head back east on Bernard Road to the church.

The run will leave the church and head west on Bernard Road to Village Road, turn onto Soldier Road, head to Prince Charles Drive, onto Fox Hill Road and west on Bernard Road back to the church.

The registration fee is $10 for the men and women 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under, 60-and-over and Ministers/Pastors.

Interested persons can whatsapp or call Brent Stubbs at 426-7265 or call the church at 324-1583 for more information.

6th RED-LINE

SONJA KNOWLES

CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club’s sixth annual Sonja Knowles Track Classic will be held over the

Murray missed both of his shots in the third quarter when Los Angeles outscored the Nuggets 29-17 to close within 88-86.

The Lakers tied it early in the fourth and took their first lead on two free throws by Doncic with 6:42 left during a 16-0 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 108-96 lead.

Up next

Lakers: Head back to Los Angeles for a road game at the Clippers tonight.

Nuggets: Begin a three-game road trip at Washington tonight.

weekend of January 31 to February 1 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Classic.

The event will begin at 10am on Saturday, January 31 and continue on Sunday, February 1 at 1pm.

The categories for men and women will begin from under-7 to the masters.

Interested persons can contact coach Tito Moss at 425-4262 for more information.

BBSF FAMILY

FUN

RUN/WALK

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its annual Family Fun Run/ Walk Race on Saturday, February 26, starting at 6am from the Bahamas Baptist College on Jean Street.  The run will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, turn left onto Bernard Road and head to Village Road, turn left onto Soldier Road, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Fox Hill Road and turn left onto Bernard Road, heading back to the church.  The registration fee is $10 per person in both the men and women 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and 60-and-over as well as the Ministers/Pastors.

Interested persons can call Brent Stubbs at 4267265 for more information.

BASEBALL MARIO

FORD

CAMP

THE annual Mario Ford Baseball Camp at Windsor Park, designed for boys and girls between the ages of 4-16 years, will be staged every Saturday between the hours of 9:30-11:30am until Saturday, April 18. Interested persons are urged to contact camp director Mario Bowleg at 556-0993.

BAHAMAS

LAWN TENNIS

ASSOCIATION

SEASON OPENER THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association will begin the new year with an under-14 and under-16 tournament at the National Tennis Centre over the weekend of January 23-24.

The event

Deyton Albury reaches the 1,000 career points milestone in Division-I Basketball

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Alabama and an 11-assist, 20-point game at Winthrop. Albury took an intermediate step to Division I at Utah State in 2024-25. He appeared in all 34 games (23 starts), averaged 7.8 points and 2.5 rebounds, and shot efficiently (54.8% FG, 43.3% 3PFG).

His season highlights there included an 18-point outing against San Diego State and a 12-point, seven-rebound show in the NCAA Tournament versus UCLA.

Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun praised the signing and Albury’s all-around game when the Aggies added him. “Deyton is a multi-dimensional talent that was a stat-stuffer for

Queens University. His ability to score, pass, rebound and defend will provide great value for us.”

Now at New Mexico, Albury is a clear rotation piece and the player who reached the DI 1,000-point club. His season averages at the time of the milestone are 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists, with a 48.8 per cent field goal percentage. The Albuquerque Journal tallied his DI scoring breakdown as 544 points at Queens (2023-24), 265 at Utah State (2024-25) and 195 for New Mexico (2025-26).

Albury’s season at New Mexico has a few standouts that defined his role, a 13-point, efficient performance at Air Force, an 11-point scoring night in

the home win over Grand Canyon where he shot over 50 per cent from the floor and the nine points that pushed him past the 1,000point DI mark in the loss at San Diego State. New Mexico coach Eric Olen, reacting to the 1,000point milestone, praised the accomplishment and the work behind it.

“Not a lot of guys score 1,000 points in their college basketball career, so congratulations to Deyton for that. Anytime they accomplish milestones we certainly want to recognise them and congratulate them.”

Hitting 1,000 Division-I points is both a personal benchmark and a practical indicator of elevation for Albury.

Hield scores season high 25 in loss to Raptors

have fluctuated this season. Hield also contributed by pulling down several rebounds and helped push the pace in transition when the Warriors attempted to stay competitive. His scoring kept Golden State ahead for portions of the second quarter, but a blistering shooting night from Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley, who scored 40 points on nearly perfect efficiency, put the game out of reach early.  Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke after

the loss about Hield’s role growing in the aftermath of Butler’s injury.

“With Jimmy out, Buddy’s going to have to be one of our go-to guys offensively,” Kerr said in his postgame press availability, referencing the shift in responsibilities.

“He’s a veteran, he’s a killer shooter, and guys are going to look for him to make big shots for us,” said Kerr. Kerr also noted before the game that this period would require adjustments from all role players: “We’re going to lean on our vets and our shooters more.

Buddy’s one of those guys we expect to step up.” Hield, known across the league as one of the better perimeter shooters, also weighed in on his mentality entering this period for the Warriors.

In a brief media session after the game, he said: “I’m just trying to stay ready and be consistent. We need all the spacing and scoring we can get. I’m going to keep shooting my shot and give everything I’ve got for this team.”

Through the first part of the 2025-26 season, Buddy is averaging roughly 8.1 points per game with a

Record crowds witness Gauff, Sabalenka, Alcaraz and Zverev advance at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Another day, another record crowd. Topranked Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz advanced in straight sets yesterday and the No. 3 seeds — Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev — also progressed to the third round of the Australian Open.

The combined numbers for day and night sessions, 103,720 fans, set a full-day record for the third time in four days of the main draw at the season-opening major, which has become a festival of tennis.

Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka opened Day 4 with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Bai Zhouxuan on Rod Laver Arena, and Gauff beat left-hander Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena.

Alcaraz fended off Yannick Hanfmann 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2 in an afternoon encounter on the centre court, and then reflected on his own performance and on his golf outing with Roger Federer.

“I didn’t see myself playing that good but then talking to my team, I

realised that I played better than I thought,” he said of his tough outing against the free-hitting Hanfmann. “I'm still getting used to the conditions, getting used to playing better.”

Alcaraz, 22, is trying to win his first title at Melbourne Park to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Zverev, who lost last year's final here to Jannik Sinner, had to wait through a half-hour rain delay and concern over a sore left ankle before beating Alexandre Muller 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

He was leading the fourth set 2-1 and serving at 15-0 when he had to halt the match and sit in a courtside chair for treatment.

“I took a painkiller. It was fine after that,” he said. “I was a bit scared because it was toward the Achilles tendon. I just wanted the physio to check it out. After the medical timeout I was moving fine, playing fine.”

He was playing a night match on John Cain Arena, the third of Melbourne Park's arenas with a retractable roof, where

only ground pass tickets are needed for entry. So on a day with a massive crowd, it was still full late.

“The atmosphere is insane. The crowd is wild,” he said. “I love playing here.”

Local hope Alex de Minaur beat Hamad Medjedovic 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena around the same time.

“I weathered the storm.

He was hitting the ball really big and deep,” said de Minaur, who is aiming to end a long drought for Aussie men at the home Grand Slam event. “I’m super happy to battle my way through.”

He next faces No. 29

Frances Tiafoe, who beat Francisco Comesana 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Women's draw Sabalenka won the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and was the runner-up a year ago against Madison Keys. She is after her fifth Grand Slam title and has two trophies at the U.S. Open. She raced to a 5-0 lead but then needed seven set points to take the first

44.6 per cent field goal percentage.

Jimmy Butler’s injury has forced the Warriors to rethink rotations and the hierarchy of scoring options.

Butler was averaging around 20.0 points per game and had been Golden State’s second-leading offensive option behind Stephen Curry.

His absence leaves a vacuum in on-ball scoring, defensive versatility, and late-game playmaking that the Warriors will need to replace through collective effort or a potential trade. In addition to his

comments about Hield’s expected offensive impact, Kerr also explained that he valued veteran leadership and would be relying more on that as the season progresses.

“Veteran guys like Hield, they know how to handle moments when things get tough,” Kerr said. “This team is going to need that.” That type of statement frames Hield not just as a scorer but as a stabilising presence.  Looking ahead, Hield’s role in the Warriors’ rotation could expand further and with defences scheming to take away Stephen Curry,

Hield’s ability to hit from distance could become a central part of Golden State’s offence. The Raptors game was a clear example. The Warriors are now 25-20 sitting at eighth place in the Western Conference. Buddy Hield’s offensive outburst in a tough loss stands as one of the brighter notes for the Warriors during a transitional phase of the season. With his sharpshooting and veteran presence, he may be a key piece for Golden State as they adjust to life without Jimmy Butler for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

set against the defensive-minded Bai, who used clever drop shots to help her stay in the match.

Sabalenka will next face Anastasia Potapova, who ousted former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Teenagers Mirra Andreeva (No. 8), Victoria Mboko (17) and Iva Jovic (29) advanced to the third round.

The 12th-seeded Elina Svitolina defeated Linda Klimovicova 7-5, 6-1 a day after her husband, Gael Monfils, said goodbye at Melbourne Park in his retirement year.

Zeynep Sönmez of Turkey, who was highly praised during her firstround match Sunday for

assisting an ill ballkid, advanced 6-2, 6-4 over Anna Bondar.

“I really appreciated there were many Turkish people, and I felt like I was at home,” she said. “At first I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts. It was very, very loud.”

Men's draw

Former U.S. Open winner and 11th-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Quentin Halys 6-7 (9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, 13th-seeded Andrey Rublev beat Jaime Faria 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 and 19th-seeded Tommy Paul defeated Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. No. 10 Alexander Bublik, No. 25 Learner Tien and No. 26 Cameron Norrie progressed along with No.

14 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who won the first two sets but then had to struggle to beat big-serving American Reilly Opelka 6-3, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 4-6, 6-4. Day 5

Two days after winning for the 100th time at Melbourne Park, 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic has an afternoon second-rounder against Francesco Maestrelli. The prime time night slot on Rod Laver Arena goes to two-time defending champion Sinner against Australia's James Duckworth.

Naomi Osaka, who made quite the fashion statement in her tournament opener, has another night match against Sorana Cirstea.

Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea make Champs League charge, Bayern advances and Barcelona wins

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Premier League teams are powering ahead in the Champions League with five of England's top flight clubs in position to advance to the round of 16. Arsenal tops the standings and has already secured its place in the next round, while wins for Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea on Wednesday saw them move into the top eight automatic qualifying positions with one game of the league phase to go. Tottenham is fifth, with Manchester City the only English team in the playoff positions going into next week's matches.

"Let’s make sure we’re in the top eight. We’ve put ourselves in a good position, but that’s for next week,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said. Liverpool is fourth after a 3-0 win at Marseille. Newcastle beat PSV Eindhoven by the same score and Chelsea won 1-0 against Pafos. Bayern Munich is second and joined Arsenal in advancing to the round of 16 with Harry Kane scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise.

Barcelona is in ninth place after a 4-2 win at Slavia Prague and risks having to to go through the playoffs to advance. But there is much to play for in the final round of league phase games with

just three points separating third place Real Madrid and Juventus in 15th.

The top eight qualify directly to the round of 16. Teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-legged playoff to advance.

Final day drama Prepare for a dramatic final round of games before the knockouts. While the remaining six automatic qualification spots are still up for grabs, just two points separate the last of the playoff places and Ajax, which is 32nd in the standings.

One standout game sees Italian champion Napoli host Chelsea. Napoli is 25th — one place below the playoffs. It also means a reunion for Napoli coach Antonio

Conte and his former club Chelsea. "It’s a massive game. For Napoli as well. They need to win to stay in the competition; we need to win to be in the top eight," Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said. “It’s going to be a great game against a massive club, with a great manager.”

Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain hosts Newcastle and dropped points for either team could see them fall into the playoffs. Man City’s home game against Galatasaray also has much riding on it if the 2023 European champion is to avoid the danger of the playoffs.

Jose Mourinho needs a win at his former club

Madrid to give Benfica any chance of making the playoffs. Premier League power Liverpool topped the league phase last year — only to be eliminated by PSG in the round of 16. Arne Slot's team has made harder work of it this time around, but victory in Marseille leaves the Premier League champion in a strong position going into its final game at home to Qarabag. Dominik Szoboszlai's free kick put Liverpool ahead in the first half. A Geronimo Rulli own goal doubled the advantage and Cody Gakpo sealed the win that also saw Hugo Ekitike hit the bar and Mohamed Salah miss a golden chance.

Newcastle cruised past PSV at St James' Park, with Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes on the score sheet, while it took a Moises Caicedo header to see Chelsea break down a stubborn Pafos.

Kane again Kane scored goals number 35 and 36 in a remarkable season for the Bayern striker — but he was left to rue missing out on a fourth hat trick of the season when his second-half penalty struck the crossbar. The England captain scored twice in the space of three minutes in the second half against Union Saint-Gilloise — first with a near-post header and then winning and converting from the penalty spot.

Pro Picks: Patriots will top Broncos and Rams will edge Seahawks to reach the Super Bowl

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

THE NFL’s conference championship games feature both No. 1 seeds, two division rivals and a backup quarterback making his first start of the season.

The Denver Broncos (15-3) host the New England Patriots (16-3) in the AFC title game on Sunday. It was Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady the previous time they met in the playoffs 10 years ago.

Now, it’s backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the Broncos against second-year standout Drake Maye. Then it’s a showdown between NFC West foes when All-Pro quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams (14-5) visit Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks (15-3) in the their third matchup of the season.

Pro Picks examines both games: NEW ENGLAND (16-3) at DENVER (15-3) Line: Patriots minus 5 1/2

The Patriots are road favourites on BetMGM Sportsbook because the Broncos lost quarterback Bo Nix to an ankle injury in a 33-30 overtime win against Buffalo in the divisional round.

Stidham, who was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft to back up Brady, is making his fifth career start. He hasn’t thrown a pass in a game since 2023. Maye threw three touchdown passes in the rain and snow last week and New England’s defence intercepted four passes, including a pick-6, in a 28-16 win against Houston. Maye lost two of his four fumbles in the nasty conditions but the Patriots are in the conference

championship game for the 16th time in franchise history and first since going to eight in a row with Brady and coach Bill Belichick from 2011-18.

New England is seeking its 12th trip to the Super Bowl and seventh Lombardi Trophy. Coach Mike Vrabel earned three championship rings as a player with the Patriots in the 2000s.

The No. 1 seed Broncos are here for the first time since Manning and a dominant defence beat Brady and the Patriots 20-18 on the way to a victory over Carolina in the Super Bowl. Denver is 8-2 in AFC title games.

The Patriots had the league’s No. 3 offence in total yards behind Maye, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte.

Denver’s defence led by All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen, edge rusher Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II was second best in yards and third in points, allowing just 18.3 per game.

New England’s defence was right behind, giving up only 18.8.

Broncos coach Sean Payton has valued Stidham as a backup and now he has to build a game plan around him in the biggest game of the season.

The Patriots are 13-5-1 against the spread while Denver is 8-9-1.

PATRIOTS: 20-16

LOS ANGELES RAMS (14-5) at SEATTLE (15-3)

Line: Seahawks minus 2 1/2

The Rams are seeking their third straight road win after eliminating Carolina in the wild-card round and beating Chicago 20-17 in overtime last week. Stafford

and coach Sean McVay led them to a Super Bowl title four years ago and this will be the team's 12th NFC championship game.

The No. 1 seed Seahawks routed the 49ers 41-6 to advance to their fifth conference title game and first in 11 years.

Darnold has struggled against the Rams. Los Angeles sacked Darnold nine times and intercepted him once in a 27-9 wild-card victory last season when he was with Minnesota.

In Week 11, Darnold threw four picks in a 21-19 loss to the Rams. He nearly rallied the Seahawks to victory but Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal at the end.

On December 18, Darnold tossed two interceptions and was sacked four times as Seattle fell behind Los Angeles by 16 points in the fourth quarter. But the Seahawks stormed

back to tie it up, including a wacky 2-point conversion, and won 38-37 in overtime when Darnold connected with Eric Saubert on another 2-pointer.

The Rams had allowed 30 points per game over a fivegame stretch before holding Caleb Williams and the Bears to 17.

With Stafford, All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua and star wideout Davante Adams, the Rams led the league in yards and scoring at 30.5 points per game.

The Seahawks were third in scoring (28.4) and their defence featuring defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon gave up the fewest points (17.2 per game).

The Rams are 12-7 ATS while the Seahawks are 13-5.

UPSET SPECIAL: RAMS: 27-26