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Thursday, February 5, 2026

Jon Hamm comes full circle, hosting NFL Honors 15 years after attending inaugural ceremony

February 05, 2026
Jon Hamm comes full circle, hosting NFL Honors 15 years after attending inaugural ceremony

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — WhenJon Hammfirst attended theNFL Honors,the league's annual awards show was still finding its footing. It was a relatively new addition to Super Bowl week that had yet to fully define what it would become.

Now, the Emmy-winning actor will take the stage as host as the NFL Honors mark their 15th anniversary on Thursday night in San Francisco. The show, airing on NBC and NFL Network, will serve as a capstone to the season just days before theSuper Bowl.

"They didn't really know what it was going to be, but it was fun," Hamm said Wednesday after rehearsals at the Palace of Fine Arts. The actor said he enjoyed watching Alec Baldwin host the first-ever ceremony in 2012.

Hamm brings an extensive hosting experience to the role, having previously led shows ranging fromSaturday Night Liveto the ESPYs. But he said the NFL Honors require a specific approach.

"We're not trying to break new ground in comedy or make anything that's going to offend anybody," said Hamm, who won a 2015 Primetime Emmy for his portrayal of Don Draper on AMC's "Mad Men." He's also appeared in projects including "30 Rock," "The Morning Show" and now the Apple TV Plus series "Your Friends & Neighbors."

"We're here to celebrate the players and their season and then push everybody into a good mood ... I think it's going to be a pretty good Super Bowl," he said.

Hamm said the NFL Honors have grown into something meaningful for players across the league, especially those whose accomplishments are not always tied to postseason success. He pointed to standout individual achievements that still deserve recognition.

"You got guys like Myles Garrett breaking the sack record," Hamm said. "He ain't sniffing the Super Bowl, but it's still something to be celebrated, right?"

The NFL Honors have evolved into a night players anticipate, Hamm said, in part because of the rare opportunity it gives them to gather in one place.

"They're in a room with their peers. Everybody knows everybody," he said. "They only play 17, 18 games. … It's nice for them to get celebrated the way they should."

A lifelong football fan, Hamm grew up in St. Louis following the Cardinals and Rams before later rooting for theKansas City Chiefs. Hosting the ceremony, he said, means stepping back from team allegiances.

"It's not about one team," Hamm said. "It's about honoring the season."

Beyond football, Hamm said Super Bowl week reflects a larger cultural moment, including the rise of global music stars such asBad Bunny,who is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show after coming off a major Grammys night — where his project"Debí Tirar Más Fotos"wonalbum of year. It's thefirst time an all Spanish-language albumhas taken home the top prize.

"I was happy to see his success at the Grammys," said Hamm, who attended Bad Bunny's historic residency in 2025. He and the Puerto Rican superstar have become friends and even share the same birthday.

"He was beautifully eloquent. … He's a very intelligent guy. He's a wonderful artist, number one streamed artist in the world for a reason," he said. "He's smart enough to realize that engagement is the key. So I applaud him as an artist and as a fellow Pisces and a fellow March 10 birthday man. He's a good dude."

As the NFL Honors celebrate their milestone year, Hamm said the night is ultimately about bringing people together before the Super Bowl matchup between theSeattle SeahawksandNew England Patriots.He said the ceremony is a gathering point during the week.

"The appetizer," he said. "That's what it is."

For more on the Super Bowl, visithttps://apnews.com/hub/nfl.

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No. 6 Gonzaga goes down as winning streak ends with surprising loss to Portland

February 05, 2026
No. 6 Gonzaga goes down as winning streak ends with surprising loss to Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — There wasn't one specific thing coach Mark Few could point to in trying to explain Gonzaga's struggles against Portland.

It all went wrong.

"Just outplayed us, outexecuted us, outshot us," Few said. "When they got open shots, they made them. And we didn't. Literally every phase of the game."

Sixth-ranked Gonzagalost 87-80 to the Pilotson Wednesday night, snapping a 15-game winning streak.

Favored by 21 1/2 points according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Bulldogs (22-2, 10-1 West Coast Conference) had won 20 straight against Portland — and 19 of those were by double digits. The Pilots' previous victory over the Zags came on Jan. 9, 2014, an 82-73 win in Portland. Gonzaga was ranked No. 18 in that game.

The Pilots had never defeated a team in the top 10. That win over the Bulldogs in 2014 was their last victory against a ranked opponent.

Portland led by as many as 15 points, but Gonzaga closed the gap in the final two minutes, coming as close as 84-80 with 30 seconds left. Portland, riding both its own momentum and the cheers of its home crowd, held on for the win and the fans rushed the court.

"I think when you have a program like ours, and we're having a season like we're having, I think you always feel like you've got to respond — but then you've got to respond. You can't be talking about it," Few said about the expectation that Gonzaga would eventually pull out the win. "You've got to bear down and get stops on defense."

Graham Ike had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Zags. The 6-foot-9 forward was coming off a 30-point performance in a win against rival Saint Mary's at home on Saturday and had earned his fourth WCC player of the week award. Before that, he missed three games with a sore right ankle.

"They had more effort, more energy than us tonight," Ike said. "Kudos to them, but we've got to flush it. ... Got to be better."

The Bulldogs are still without forward Braden Huff because of a knee injury.

Gonzaga's only other loss this season came in December to then-No. 7 Michigan, 101-61, at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.

The Pilots (11-14, 4-8) were coming off a 104-74 loss at Washington State and a 74-51 loss at Pacific before that. So it's no wonder they were heavy underdogs to Gonzaga.

"Everything has to happen right in a game like that," Portland coach Shantay Legans said. "They have to miss some key shots and some key free throws. And our guys played with a lot of confidence and kept their cool and kept their composure. And I think it helped playing at home. We've been pretty good at home. But every game we've been in, we've had a turnover here, or something like that. Tonight, it all came together."

Joel Foxwell led Portland with 27 points and eight assists. The Pilots hit 59% of their shots from the field, compared to 40% for the Zags.

Gonzaga will look to rebound Saturday against Oregon State, a team the Bulldogs will join next season in the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference.

Said Ike: "I can promise it won't happen again."

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP mobile app). AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Report: Warriors trade Jonathan Kuminga to Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis

February 05, 2026
Report: Warriors trade Jonathan Kuminga to Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis

Jonathan Kuminga reportedly is on his way out of Golden State, and the Warriors hope his departure brings them an inside presence he could never consistently provide.

The Warriors sent Kuminga and guard Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for center Kristaps Porzingis, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday night.

Golden State also reportedly is sending center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a 2026 second-round draft pick that originally belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Kuminga trade signifies that the Warriors are out of the running in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes -- if such a sweepstakes exists. Golden State reportedly made several offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for their star big man but came away with the impression the Bucks are not trading Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline on Thursday.

Kuminga, 23, was selected seventh overall by the Warriors in 2021. After averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 70 games (12 starts) as a rookie, Kuminga improved those numbers to 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in his second season, then to 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds the following campaign.

Then his career flattened out as he struggled with inconsistency and injuries. In the 2024-25 season, his averages dipped to 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds as he played in only 47 games with 10 starts, leading to a strange offseason in which the restricted free agent wasn't sure the team still wanted him. The sides agreed on a two-year extension in late September.

He played in 20 games this season (13 starts), averaging 12.1 points though his 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game would be career bests.

Hield, 33, is playing in his 10th season. In 44 games this season, he is averaging 8.0 points and shotting 34.4% from behind the 3-point arc. Drafted sixth overall out of Oklahoma by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016, Hield is a career 39.5% shooter from long distance and an 85.5% free-throw shooter.

Carrying a career 14.6 points-per-game average, Hield has played at least 80 games in seven seasons.

Porzingis is playing on an expiring $30.7 million contract as he goes through another season battling injuries. After playing in only 42 games for Boston last season, the 30-year-old Latvian has played in only 17 of the Hawks' 52 games this season.

He is averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 24.3 minutes this season. The Warriors will hope Porzingis will be healthy enough to provide rim protection paired with the ability to stretch out opposing defenses with his 3-point shooting. Golden State, which had been gauging the trade market for Draymond Green, are expected to keep Green and hope Porzingis' presence can open some space inside for their veteran forward.

Porzingis, who hasn't played since Jan. 7 because of first Achilles tendinitis and more recently an illness, came to Atlanta in a three-team trade between the Hawks, Celtics and Brooklyn Nets last July.

The Warriors will be Porzingis' sixth club in his 10-year career. He spent his first four seasons (2015-19) with the New York Knicks after they selected him fourth overall in 2015 (though he missed the 2018-19 season because of injury). Every time he has changed teams has been the result of a trade.

Along with the Knicks, he spent time with the Dallas Mavericks (2019-22), Washington Wizards (2022-23), Boston (2023-25) and Atlanta (2025-26). He has career averages of 19.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 518 career games (512 starts).

He finished runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting in 2016, was named an All-Star in 2017-18 and won a championship with the Celtics in 2023-24.

Last month, the Hawks traded star guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards.

--Field Level Media

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Wednesday, February 4, 2026

No. 20 Clemson nips Stanford to extend ACC road win streak

February 04, 2026
No. 20 Clemson nips Stanford to extend ACC road win streak

Nick Davidson scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds as No. 20 Clemson extended its Atlantic Coast Conference road winning streak to 13 games with a 66-64 victory over Stanford on Wednesday night.

Field Level Media

Davidson made two free throws to put Clemson (19-4, 9-1 ACC) ahead 64-62 with 23 seconds left. The Tigers maintained the lead after the Cardinal's Ebuka Okorie missed a 3-point try with 7.1 seconds remaining.

Ace Buckner added two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to help Clemson win for the 12th time in the past 13 games. Okorie scored at the buzzer for the final margin.

Buckner finished with 11 points and Chase Thompson added a career-high 10 for the Tigers, who won despite not making a field goal in the final four minutes.

Aidan Cammann led Stanford (14-9, 3-7) with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Okorie added 18 points, and Oskar Giltay had 11 rebounds.

The Cardinal have lost five straight since beginning the season 14-4.

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Clemson led 26-19 with 5:23 left in the first half before Okorie made two 3-pointers during a 13-4 run to help Stanford move ahead 32-30 entering halftime.

Okorie led all scorers with 12 points in the first half, while eight players scored for Clemson.

The Tigers, who were held to one field goal in the final 5:23 the opening half, fell behind 41-35 on Okorie's dunk with 14:19 left in the contest.

After Clemson moved ahead 56-50 on Davidson's 3-pointer, Stanford answered with an 8-2 run to tie the game at 58-all with 5:36 remaining on a hoop from Jeremy Dent-Smith.

Okorie, who entered the game ranked 10th in the country in scoring at 21.8 points per game, made two free throws to tie the game at 62-all with 3:08 left. The star freshman hit 6 of 11 shots from the field and dished three assists.

RJ Godfrey scored nine points and Jestin Porter added eight for Clemson, which shot 45.7% from the field and 41.2% (7 of 17) from 3-point range. Carter Welling pulled down eight rebounds.

--Field Level Media

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Who are the top remaining free agents after Artemi Panarin deal?

February 04, 2026
Who are the top remaining free agents after Artemi Panarin deal?

Forward Artemi Panarin is off the trade market and the free agent market.

TheNew York Rangers traded Panarinon Wednesday. Feb. 4 to theLos Angeles Kings, who signed the high-scoring winger to a two-year contract extension averaging $11 million a year. The Rangers received prospect forward Liam Greentree and conditional third- (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.

Panarin, 34, was the latest player to come off a list of what had been an impressive unrestricted free agent class.Kirill Kaprizov signed a record extensionand has been joined byConnor McDavid,Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor,Martin NecasandAdrian Kempe.

Here are some of the top remaining pending unrestricted free agents:

<p style=Dec. 12: The Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Dec. 12: The Edmonton Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oct. 24: The Vancouver Canucks acquire forward Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26

Dec. 12: The Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.

Top remaining free agents

10. Anders Lee, New York Islanders

He has been the Islanders' captain since 2018 and is good for 20-plus goals. He had 29 last season.Current cap hit:$7 million.

9. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

TheNHL's all-time leading goal scoreris 40. He'll either re-sign with Washington or retire. He hasn't indicated his plans.Current cap hit:$9 million.

8. Kiefer Sherwood,San Jose Sharks

He was the runaway leader in hits last season and is in second place this season. He also has 17 goals and was traded by the Canucks this season.Current cap hit:$1.5 million

7. John Carlson, Washington Capitals

Carlson is the Capitals' all-time leader in scoring among defensemen and is a key to their power play. He's the one who sets up Ovechkin's one-timers.Current cap hit:$8 million.

6. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

The goalie has won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles and two Vezina Trophies. He'll be 38 next season.Current cap hit:$10 million.

5. Evgeni Malkin,Pittsburgh Penguins

The 39-year-old has expressed an interest in playing more and he's making a case with 43 points in his first 40 games. He missed some time with an injury but has won three Stanley Cup titles in his storied career.Current cap hit:$6.1 million.

4. Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning

The defenseman is having a breakout season with 17 goals and 51 points while filling in during Victor Hedman's two injuries.Current cap hit:$975,000.

3. Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights

The defenseman was traded to the Golden Knights this season by the Flames. He can provide offense with a 50- and a 49-point season.Current cap hit:$4.55 million.

2. Nick Schmaltz, Utah Mammoth

The forward keeps improving every year. The winger usually gets 20-plus goals and 60-plus points, and he's already at 22 goals and 51 points this season.Current cap hit:$5.85 million.

1. Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres

The forward can score (two 36-goal seasons) and also kills penalties. He wants to stay in Buffalo and new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen wants to keep him.Current cap hit:$4.75 million.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Artemi Panarin signs: Who are top remaining free agents?

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Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler ready to embrace the chaos at the wild Phoenix Open

February 04, 2026
Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler ready to embrace the chaos at the wild Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brooks Koepka felt comfortable in his return to the PGA Tour at Torrey Pineslast week, despite his putter not always cooperating.

Associated Press Brooks Koepka tees off on the eighth hole while playing the North Course at Torrey Pines during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Scottie Scheffler smiles after winning the American Express golf event on the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Farmers Insurance Open Golf

The five-time major champion's second start should be even cozier, even as up to 200,000 fans cram onto TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course.

Success at the wet (as in booze-soaked) and wild Phoenix Open takes a certain mindset and Koepka has embraced the pandemonium, winning it twice.

"I enjoy the chaos," Koepka said. "It's fun. It can kind of get you in between shots, gives you something to either kind of laugh at or whatever's going on. There's always something to see, but it's a fun week."

Scottie Scheffler thinks so, too.

When Scheffler arrived at the TPC Scottsdale in 2022, he had yet to win on the PGA Tour despite several near-misses.

Since he beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff that year, Scheffler hasn't stopped winning, raising the trophy in a staggering 27% of his starts the past four years.

The world's No. 1 player arrives at the Phoenix Open with a chance to become the first PGA Tour player to win three straight starts since Dustin Johnson in 2017. Scheffler closed his 2025 season with a win at the pre-Ryder Cup Procore Championship in Napa, California, and opened this year up with a win atThe American Expressin Palm Desert, California — his 20th PGA Tour victory.

After taking last week off, Scheffler returns to a familiar place (and sounds). He backed up his 2022 Phoenix Open win by defending his title and has four top-10s in his past six starts at the Stadium Course.

"Lots of good memories," Scheffler said. "It's nice to come back to this tournament. This tournament is a lot of fun for me to play in and it's fun to be able to play in front of this crowd."

Last year was a rare exception.

Scheffler's start to the 2025 season was delayed after he sliced his hand trying to cut ravioli with a wine glass on Christmas. The Phoenix Open was his second start and he never found a groove, tying for 25th — his worst finish of the year and 15 shots behind champion Thomas Detry, who's now playing in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.

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Scheffler didn't take long to find his form, winning two majors among his six victories and a fourth straight Player of the Year Award to match Tiger Woods' record.

With time to prepare for the 2026 season, Scheffler looked like nothing had changed in his first tournament, erasing an early two-shot deficit in the final round to win by four shots at PGA West two weeks ago.

"Did a bit less cooking in the offseason this year — stuck to plastic silverware instead of metal stuff," Scheffler joked. "I'm only kidding. It's nice to get off to that kind of start. It's nice to feel very prepared going into the season."

Koepka had a different type of preparation his first non-major PGA Tour event since 2022.

Unsure of how he'd be received after beingfreed from his LIV contract, Koepka wasadmittedly nervousat last week'sFarmers Insurance Open. He didn't notch his first birdie of the opening round until the 18th hole, but rallied to make the cut and finished tied for 56th.

The best part of the week was the support Koepka received, nearly all of it positive.

That could change this week.

Vitriol can be part of the game at the Phoenix Open, particularly late in the day when the booze and sun take their toll, but Koepka is ready to embrace it all.

"I'm just focused on myself," Koepka said. "I'm focused on how I can go play the best golf over the next four days. I'm not focused on anybody else."

Tuning out the cacophony is the key to success at the Phoenix Open — as Koepka and Scheffler have both shown.

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Miguel Andujar and San Diego Padres agree to $4 million, 1-year contract, AP source says

February 04, 2026
Miguel Andujar and San Diego Padres agree to $4 million, 1-year contract, AP source says

Miguel Andujar and the San Diego Padres agreed Wednesday to a $4 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Associated Press

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical.

Andujar can earn more than $2 million in performance bonuses. The outfielder had a $3 million salary last year.

Andujar, who turns 30 on March 2, hit .318 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs last year for the Athletics and Cincinnati, which acquired him on July 31 for minor league right-hander Kenya Huggins.

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A nine-year major league veteran, Andujar has a .282 batting average with 53 homers and 223 RBIs for the New York Yankees (2017-22), Pittsburgh (2022-23), the Athletics (2024-25) and Reds.

Andujar, who also plays third base, hit .297 with 27 homers and 92 RBIs in 2018, finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB

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