Sports News Roundup: NFL Playoff capsules: Saturday wild-card games; Bobby Portis, Bucks blast Celtics and more

After Josh Green hit a 3-pointer on Dallas' next possession, the Mavericks sealed the win at the free-throw line. NFL Playoff capsules: Saturday wild-card games Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans: Rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud led the Texans to the AFC South title as Houston returns to the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NFL-Patriots hire Mayo to replace Belichick - reports

Less than a day after parting ways with Bill Belichick the New England Patriots on Friday hired 37-year-old Jerod Mayo as their head coach, according to reports on NFL.com. Belichick, one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, and team owner Robert Kraft announced on Thursday they had agreed the coach would leave after 24 seasons in which New England won six Super Bowls.

Yegor Sharangovich's hat trick fans Flames' win over Coyotes

Blake Coleman collected one goal in a three-point first period and Yegor Sharangovich netted his first hat trick of the season as the Calgary Flames claimed a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday in Tempe, Ariz. Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson also scored for the Flames, who have won two straight games. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 32 saves, while MacKenzie Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm all collected two assists.

Braves extend GM Alex Anthopoulos through 2031

The Atlanta Braves extended the contract of president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos through the 2031 season on Friday. He was promoted to his current role in February 2020 after joining the Braves as executive vice president and GM in November 2017.

Kyrie Irving scores 44 as Mavs hold off Knicks

Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 44 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. tied his season high with 32 as the Dallas Mavericks withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat the visiting New York Knicks 128-124 on Thursday. New York rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit and pulled within 121-120 with 1:08 remaining in the game after Donte DiVincenzo's 3-pointer capped a 27-8 run. After Josh Green hit a 3-pointer on Dallas' next possession, the Mavericks sealed the win at the free-throw line.

NFL Playoff capsules: Saturday wild-card games

Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans: Rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud led the Texans to the AFC South title as Houston returns to the postseason for the first time since 2019. They are on home turf for a rematch of their 36-22 Christmas Eve loss to the Browns, who rode a December surge on the arm of revived QB Joe Flacco to an 11-win season and wild-card berth. Stroud didn't play in the first meeting and makes his postseason debut against Flacco. Flacco isn't just seasoned. He's tied with Tom Brady as the most successful quarterback in playoff road games with seven wins, a mark he can break Saturday. Flacco is starting in the playoffs for the 17th time and will be the same age as Ryans when he turns 39 next week. Cleveland gets significant juice from its defense under first-year coordinator Jim Schwartz. A crucial matchup on the edge pits Browns DE Myles Garrett against Texans LT Laremy Tunsil, one of three players remaining on the roster from the 2019 postseason. A matchup Ryans is fretting is Browns WR Amari Cooper against Houston's hyperaggressive secondary. Cooper caught 11 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns and was subbed out midway through the fourth quarter in the teams' December meeting. Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs: Frigid temps await the Dolphins in Kansas City with the possibility of a dangerous a real-feel mercury reading near 30-below, according to the Weather Channel. That's a stark contrast to the 75-degree temperatures the Dolphins experienced for their outdoor practice to start the week. But Chiefs head coach Andy Reid warns not to assume weather is an advantage for anyone, quipping "we aren't having a snowball fight." The Chiefs beat the Dolphins 21-14 in their International Series game in Germany on Nov. 5 and feature the No. 2 defense in the NFL. Miami is No. 1 in total offense, but throwing the ball in gusting winds and wintry conditions might require modification from head coach Mike McDaniel. Including the Miami win, the Chiefs surrendered 20 points or fewer in 13 of 17 games this season. The Dolphins aren't certain what they'll get from RB Raheem Mostert, who shared the NFL lead with Christian McCaffrey with 21 total touchdowns this season. Mostert has an ankle injury, and WR Tyreek Hill is also hobbled in his first game in Kansas City since he was traded to the Dolphins prior to the 2022 season. Miami beat Kansas City in three previous playoff matchups in 1994, 1991 and 1971. The win in '71 has held up as the longest game in NFL history, a double-overtime game in the divisional round.

NBA roundup: Bobby Portis, Bucks blast Celtics

Bobby Portis came off the bench to score a game-high 28 points and grab 12 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks avoided a third consecutive loss by routing the visiting Boston Celtics 135-102 on Thursday. Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes. He made 10 of 13 shots. The Bucks also received a 21-point performance from Damian Lillard.

Alex Pietrangelo, Knights hand Bruins another OT loss

Alex Pietrangelo scored 46 seconds into overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night in Las Vegas. Pietrangelo finished an odd-man rush with an easy tip-in into a wide-open right side of the net off a crossing pass by Mark Stone. It was his second goal of the season and first since Nov. 10 against the San Jose Sharks, a span of 27 games.

Bradley Beal scores 37 as Suns roll past Lakers

Bradley Beal scored a season-high 37 points, Devin Booker added 31 and the visiting Phoenix Suns used a fast start to earn a 127-109 victory Thursday over the Los Angeles Lakers. Kevin Durant scored 18 points and Jusuf Nurkic added nine points and 12 rebounds as the Suns defeated the Lakers for the first time in four tries this season. The teams will play one more time, Feb. 25 at Phoenix.

Jordan Kyrou's hat trick carries Blues past Rangers

Jordan Kyrou scored a hat trick and Jordan Binnington made 41 saves to lead the St. Louis Blues past the visiting New York Rangers 5-2 on Thursday. Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who won for the third time in their last four games. Brandon Saad also scored for St. Louis, and Robert Thomas had two assists.

Top 25 roundup: Santa Clara ends 13-year skid vs. No. 23 Zags

Adama-Alpha Bal converted the decisive layup with 4.6 seconds left and host Santa Clara ended a 26-game losing streak against No. 23 Gonzaga with a 77-76 victory over the Bulldogs on Thursday night. Bal scored 17 points as Santa Clara defeated Gonzaga for the first time since Jan. 20, 2011. The Broncos (12-6, 3-0 West Coast Conference) are undefeated in league play after three games for the first time since the 2003-04 season.