Update on the latest sports

NFL-NEWS

AFC champion Chiefs arrive in Tampa day before Super Bowl

UNDATED (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have touched down at the Super Bowl. The AFC champions arrived in Tampa on Saturday, flying into town a day before they defend their title against the hometown Buccaneers.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL had teams delay traveling into the host city until Friday at the earliest as a safety and health precaution measure. The Chiefs instead chose to come on Saturday, repeating their itinerary from earlier in the season when they beat Tom Brady and the Bucs 27-24 on Nov. 29.

In other NFL news:

— Drew Brees has agreed to renegotiate his salary down to the NFL minimum in 2021. Under the agreement, the 42-year-old New Orleans Saints quarterback would wait until June to retire, at which point his guaranteed money would be effectively split between 2021 and 2022. If he chose to retire now, his previous contract would have counted more than $22 million against the salary cap next season.

— Longtime San Francisco 49ers star Charlie Krueger has died. The defensive tackle spent his 16-year NFL career with the 49ers, from 1958 to 1973, and was one of the longest tenured players in team history.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Payton, Randle help power Knicks past Lillard, Blazers

NEW YORK (AP) — Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle scored 22 points apiece to power the New York Knicks to a 110-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Six players scored in double figures for New York, which has won two straight and improved to 11-13. RJ Barrett scored 18 points, Alec Burks added 16 and fellow reserve Immanuel Quickley had 12.

Damian Lillard scored 29 points in his return to the lineup but Portland had its two-game winning streak end. Lillard, who missed Portland’s 121-105 victory at Philadelphia on Thursday with a strained abdomen, started and played 38 minutes.

NBA-NEWS

Leonard on All-Star Game: ‘It’s money on the line’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard is suggesting the NBA is prioritizing money over the health of its players in planning to stage the All-Star Game in March. Leonard was MVP of last year’s All-Star Game before the coronavirus pandemic shut down most of the sports world.

Leonard says the exhibition scheduled for Atlanta is “money on the line, it’s an opportunity to make more money. Just putting money over health right now, pretty much.”

The league has not said when players would have to report and how testing will work in Atlanta, or if fans will be part of the game.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

Oklahoma State beats Texas in double OT

UNDATED (AP) — — Cade Cunningham scored five of his 19 points in the second overtime, including a contested 3-pointer with 1:33 left, to help No. 24 Oklahoma State beat sixth-ranked Texas 75-67. Keylan Boone led OSU with 22 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, including two in the second overtime after Cunningham had staked the Cowboys to a 74-67 lead with the 3-pointer and two free throws.

In other top 25 action:

— Dru Smith and No. 18 Missouri built a 22-point lead in the second half, then held off a frantic rally by No. 10 Alabama for a 68-65 victory. Herb Jones had two chances to give Alabama the lead in the final 20 seconds, but he missed a layup and had another try blocked by Mitchell Smith. Missouri is 13-3. Alabama lost for the first time in SEC play and fell to 15-5 overall.

— Cameron Tyson made a school-record 10 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 32 points, and No. 5 Houston rolled to a 112-46 victory over the NAIA’s Our Lady of the Lake. Coming off an 82-73 loss to East Carolina on Wednesday, the Cougars left little doubt against the overmatched Saints, jumping out to a big lead by halftime.

— Elijah Harkless scored a season-high 19 points to help No. 9 Oklahoma hold off Iowa State 79-72 for the Cyclones’ seventh straight loss. Austin Reaves had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Brady Manek had nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds and Umoja Gibson added 18 points for Oklahoma. Rasir Bolton scored 21 points and surpassed 1,000 career points for the Cyclones.

— Sam Hauser scored 10 of his 23 points during a key second-half stretch, and No. 14 Virginia pulled away from Pittsburgh for a 73-65 victory. Hauser, Jay Huff and Tomas Woldetensae all hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 23-9 surge that turned a 36-all game into a 59-45 lead for the Cavaliers. Virginia has won nine of its last 10, all against ACC competition.

— Nahiem Alleyne hit a go-ahead jumper with 25 seconds remaining in overtime and No. 16 Virginia Tech defeated Miami 80-76. Hunter Cattoor’s two late free throws secured the win for the Hokies. Cattoor forced the overtime with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 74.

— Kofi Cockburn scored 23 points, Ayo Dosunmu added 21 and No. 12 Illinois beat No. 19 Wisconsin 75-60 in a key Big Ten Conference matchup. Dosunmu also had 12 rebounds and 12 assists for only the third triple-double in school history. The Illini shot 54% from the field to Wisconsin’s 41%.

— Miles McBride scored a career-high 29 points, Taz Sherman had a career-best 25 and No. 17 West Virginia beat No. 23 Kansas 91-79. The Mountaineers are off to a good start in a challenging stretch where they will play six straight opponents that are currently ranked. West Virginia improved to 13-5. The Jayhawks fell to 12-7.

— ShanQuan Hemphill scored 18 points, including a dunk that jump started a late 11-0 run, as No. 25 Drake held off Valparaiso 80-77. The Bulldogs, who trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half, are one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the country.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Chychrun scores twice as Coyotes beat Blues 3-1

UNDATED (AP) — Jakob Chychrun scored twice and Clayton Keller added a power-play goal, helping the Arizona Coyotes beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Keller, a St. Louis native, rushed by Oskar Sundqvist and beat rookie Ville Husso through the goaltender’s legs 10:44 into the second period. Chychrun added an empty-netter in the final minute.

Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 shots to improve to 3-5-1.

Robert Thomas scored for St. Louis. Husso made 16 stops in his third start.

In other ice action:

– Jake Allen made 34 saves and Josh Anderson broke a tie early in the third period to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jeff Petry also scored as Montreal gave coach Claude Julien his 200th win with the franchise. Anderson scored the game-winner 1:35 into the final period, knocking in a rebound for his fourth goal in three games.

MLB-ASTROS-CORREA

Ozuna, Braves reach $65 million deal

UNDATED (AP) — There were plenty of smiles as the Atlanta Braves held a Zoom call to welcome Marcell Ozuna back to the fold. With spring training right around the corner, the Braves reached a four-year, $65 million deal with the slugger, who just missed out on the National League’s Triple Crown during the abbreviated 2020 season.

The return of Ozuna ensures the Braves will remain one of the top championship contenders heading into a new season. They came up one win short of the World Series a year ago, losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Shortstop Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros have settled their arbitration case, reaching a deal on a one-year contract for $11.7 million. Correa hit .264 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 58 games last year, then excelled in the postseason. He hit .362 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 13 playoff games as Houston came within one win of reaching the World Series. Correa led major league shortstops with a .995 fielding percentage.

— Elvis is leaving Texas. The Rangers have traded veteran infielder Elvis Andrus to the Oakland Athletics. Texas is sending Andrus, catcher Aramis Garcia and $13.5 million to the A’s for designated hitter Khris Davis, along with catcher Jonah Heim and right-hander Dane Acker. The A’s recently lost shortstop Marcus Semien to Toronto in free agency.

NFL-HALL OF FAME

Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson top Hall of Fame candidates

UNDATED (AP) — More than two decades ago Charles Woodson beat out Peyton Manning for the Heisman Trophy. On Saturday, they likely will share an even more impressive football honor: entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Manning and Woodson are two of the most dominant players at their positions in the NFL from 1998 until their retirements in early 2016. They are among four first-year-eligible finalists that also includes former Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, and sack master Jared Allen.

Other finalists include defensive backs John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Leroy Butler; wideouts Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; defensive lineman Richard Seymour; linebackers Zack Thomas, Clay Matthews and the late Sam Mills; and offensive linemen Alan Faneca and Tony Boselli. Three previously announced candidates are coach Tom Flores, contributor Bill Nunn and senior Drew Pearson.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS

NBA tells teams to exercise caution when watching Super Bowl

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA doesn’t want the Super Bowl to turn into a superspreader.

Mindful of the potential of virus-related issues that can come from attending even small gatherings, the NBA issued guidance Saturday telling players, coaches and other employees that they may not go to a Super Bowl party outside their own home. And if they do watch with others, keep the invite list basically to family only.

According to the memo obtained by The Associated Press, teams spending Super Sunday on the road will not be permitted to leave their hotel to watch the title game between Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

In other virus-related sports news:

— Michigan’s men’s basketball game Thursday against Illinois has been postponed after several positive tests for a new COVID-19 variant that transmits at a higher rate. That will be the fifth straight game the fourth-ranked Wolverines will miss. Michigan says it expects to resume the men’s basketball season on Valentine’s Day at Wisconsin.

— The Boston College women’s basketball team is going back into a COVID shutdown for the second time in a month. The Atlantic Coast Conference has postponed BC’s next two games after a positive test and contact tracing within the program. The Eagles already had four games postponed.

GOLF-PHOENIX OPEN

Jordan Spieth shoots 61, raises volume at Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jordan Spieth (speeth) matched his career best with a 10-under 61 on Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Xander Schauffele (ZAN’-dur SHAWF’-lee) in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Winless since the 2017 British Open, Spieth is trying recapture the form that carried him to 11 PGA Tour victories — three of them majors — in his first five seasons on the tour.

The 27-year-old Texan raised the volume considerably at TPC Scottsdale, drawing the biggest roar of the week on the par-3 16th when he curled in a 36-footer for birdie and the outright lead. He followed with a fan-thrilling 30-footer for birdie on 17.

The fourth-ranked Schauffele shot a 65 to match Spieth at 18-under 196.

TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN-TUNEUP TOURNAMENTS

Williams, Osaka and Azarenka withdraw from Australian Open tune up events

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A run of withdrawals has taken star players out of tune up events on the weekend before the Australian Open is due to begin. Former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka pulled out of women’s tournaments a day after Serena Williams withdrew, all citing soreness or niggling injuries but all vowing they’ll be fine for the year’s first major.

Alexander Zverev hurt his back while playing for Germany in the ATP Cup but still took it the distance before falling to Daniil Medvedev in a result that ensured Russia’s spot in the final.

The Australian Open starts Monday.