Sports News Roundup: Zverev wins ATP Finals title; Logano wins race, NASCAR season title

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Howell defeats Rodgers in playoff for first win in 11 years

Charles Howell III birdied the second playoff hole to defeat fellow American Patrick Rodgers and win the RSM Classic in Georgia on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory in 11 years. Both players had finished 18 holes at 19-under 263 and recorded pars on the first playoff hole, the 18th.

Zverev stuns Djokovic to claim ATP Finals title

Twenty four hours after being booed for having the audacity to take down a tennis great, Alexander Zverev returned to topple another one as he stunned Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals title on Sunday. Zverev, billed as the player most likely to lead the sport into a new golden era once the holy trinity of Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have hung up their rackets, took full advantage of an off-key Serb to win 6-4 6-3.

NBA roundup: LeBron, Lakers hammer Heat

LeBron James scored a season-high 51 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host Miami Heat 113-97 on Sunday night. James, who won four Eastern Conference titles and two NBA championships in four years with Miami, made 19 of 31 shots from the floor, including 6 of 8 3-point attempts. He added eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block while making 7 of 10 free throws. He set the record for most points scored by a Lakers player against Miami.

Top 25 roundup: No. 16 VT edges No. 23 Purdue

Three players scored more than 20 points for No. 16 Virginia Tech on Sunday night as the Hokies made up a double-digit deficit to beat No. 23 Purdue 89-83 for the Charleston (S.C.) Classic championship. Nickeil Alexander-Walker pumped in 25 points while playing the full 40 minutes for the Hokies (4-0). Justin Robinson and Ahmed Hill each added 23, and Kerry Blackshear contributed 13 points, including a driving layup just before the shot clock expired for an 87-81 lead with 39.8 seconds left.

Bryan and Sock claim ATP Finals doubles title

Mike Bryan claimed his fifth ATP Finals title, but the first without his twin brother Bob, as he and Jack Sock beat French pair Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in a thrilling doubles final at the 02 Arena on Sunday. The American duo won 5-7 6-1 13-11 as they added the season-ending crown to the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles.

NHL roundup: Avs beat OT buzzer and Ducks

Gabriel Landeskog scored the tying goal in the third period, and Mikko Rantanen delivered the game-winner with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime Sunday to give the visiting Colorado Avalanche a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Avalanche had a three-on-two advantage over the final 15 seconds after the Ducks' Pontus Aberg was called for slashing. Rantanen's slap shot from the slot got past Ducks goalie Ryan Miller just before a shootout was needed.

NFL roundup: Saints pummel Eagles

Drew Brees threw for 363 yards and four touchdowns as the New Orleans Saints rolled up 546 yards in total offense and 28 first downs to rout the visiting Philadelphia Eagles 48-7 Sunday. The Saints (9-1) took a three-game lead in the NFC South over the second-place Carolina Panthers while handing the Eagles the largest margin of defeat ever sustained by a defending Super Bowl champion.

NASCAR notebook: Truex falls just short in title defence

On an emotional night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. fell one place short in his bid for a second straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship and his attempt to deliver a sterling going-away present to Furniture Row Racing. Truex had the lead with 12 laps left Sunday in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at the 1.5-mile track, but his No. 78 Toyota was no match for Logano's No. 22 Team Penske Ford over the short run. Logano blew past Truex through Turn 1 on Lap 256 of 267 and beat the defending champ to the finish line by 1.725 seconds.

NFL: Redskins face tough road after gruesome Smith injury

The Washington Redskins season took a precarious turn on Sunday when starting quarterback Alex Smith suffered a gruesome broken leg, an injury that reverberated around the National Football League. Smith’s season-ending broken right tibia and fibula in a 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans was a painful image that left the Redskins with much to digest.

Logano wins race, NASCAR season title

In the lead-up to Sunday's season-ending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, driver Joey Logano referred to the four remaining championship contenders as, "The big three and me." In the darkness of the South Florida swamps, it was a tear-soaked "me" hoisting the big, silver championship trophy in victory lane at the 1.5-mile oval following the Ford EcoBoost 400.

(With inputs from Reuters)

(With inputs from agencies.)