Sports
Clippers' five-game winning streak ends in loss to NBA-leading Thunder
Facing the NBA’s top team and one of the league’s elite players, the Clippers needed to be at their best Sunday if they were to extend their winning streak to six games.
But they failed to deliver in the final seconds against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, losing 103-101 in a tense battle at the Intuit Dome.
“A lot of turnovers. Even at the end of the fourth, we had two or three turnovers at the end,” Kawhi Leonard said. “Yeah, we fought hard. We was in the game the whole game. Just calls could have gone either way. But salute to them. They’ve been the best team in the league.”
The Clippers missed an opportunity to tie the game when Derrick Jones Jr. made only one of two free throws with 1:22 left, leaving the Clippers down 101-100 before things really started to unravel.
Two costly turnovers, including one by Ivica Zubac after he fumbled the ball out of bounds with 1:01 left, ended one chance to take the lead. Then, with 21 seconds left, Norman Powell missed a shot, and after Zubac got the offensive rebound, Kawhi Leonard missed a shot with four seconds remaining.
The loss dropped the Clippers (40-31) to eighth in an increasingly tight Western Conference postseason race. They are one game out of sixth place for the final automatic playoff berth with 11 games left.
“I already played in the play-in and I ain’t trying to do that again,” said Powell, who finished with nine points. “So, you’re watching closely on positioning, wanting teams to lose, want to keep the way we’re playing going. Bounce back on this road trip. But, yeah, definitely, everybody is trying to avoid that play-in right now.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, held to seven-for-29 shooting from the floor, finished with 26 points. He made all 11 of his free-throw attempts, including two in the final seconds.
Leonard had 25 points and 10 rebounds. James Harden, who finished with 17 points, moved past Moses Malone for 11th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Zubac had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
After the game, Harden limped around the locker room. He had been kneed in the left thigh by Thunder guard Luguentz Dort in the third quarter. Harden said he rolled his foot during the play.
The Thunder, who swept the season series against the Clippers, have the NBA’s best record at 59-12 and the league’s leading scorer and most valuable player candidate in Gilgeous-Alexander (32.9 points per game).
It wasn’t all bad news for the Clippers — coach Tyronn Lue was back on the sideline. He missed five of the previous seven games because of back pain, with the Clippers going 6-1 over that stretch with assistant coach Brian Shaw at the helm.
Lue thanked his coaching staff for keeping the team in good shape.
“I feel a lot better,” Lue said. “I’m just going to take it day by day, game by game. … The pain from my shoulder and back kind of went down my leg a little bit. … I feel really good as far as my back and shoulder. Now, it’s just trying to get the leg part better, but I do feel better from that regard. That’s what was giving me the most problems.”
Sports
Vikings dismiss GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons following latest playoff miss
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For the second time in four years, the Minnesota Vikings failed to advance to the NFL playoffs. While a 9-8 record in 2025 brought no immediate changes, Vikings ownership announced a major move Friday.
In a statement, Vikings co-owners and brothers Zygi and Mark Wilf said the organization decided to part ways with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
“Following our annual end-of-season organizational meetings over the last several weeks and after careful consideration, we have decided it is in the best interest of the team to move forward with new leadership of our football operations. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for Kwesi’s contributions and commitment to the organization over the past four years and wish him and his family the best in the future.”
Then-Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 24, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Matt Krohn/Imagn Images)
The Wilfs also announced that Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ executive vice president of football operations, would be in charge of the front office through April’s NFL Draft. Shortly after the draft, the franchise will launch its search for its next full-time general manager.
2026 NFL OFFSEASON BUZZ, RUMORS: FALCONS REPORTEDLY RELEASING QB KIRK COUSINS
Adofo-Mensah spoke with the media for an end-of-season press conference on Jan. 13. He was seen carrying out routine general managerial duties this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Just seven months earlier, the Vikings announced a multiyear contract extension for Adofo-Mensah.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo‐Mensah during the NFL combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
While he was credited with building a roster that finished with winning records in three of his four seasons as general manager, Adofo-Mensah’s draft results have faced scrutiny at times. The selection of quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft drew particular scrutiny as injuries and uneven play limited his availability and production.
The Vikings failed to draft a player who developed into a Pro Bowler at any point from 2022–25, one of only 11 NFL teams to do so.
Minnesota Vikings co-owner Zygi Wilf, left, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talk on the sideline prior to an NFL football game on Nov. 27, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Adofo-Mensah replaced Rick Spielman, who was dismissed in 2022. Spielman first joined the Vikings in 2006 as the team’s vice president of player personnel before his promotion to general manager in 2012.
Adofo-Mensah played basketball as a student at Princeton. He brought an analytics-focused approach to Minnesota, having worked in an analytics role with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. Prior to taking the job with the Vikings, Adofo-Mensah was the Cleveland Browns’ vice president of football operations.
The Vikings hold the No. 18 pick in this year’s draft.
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Sports
Lindsey Vonn injures knee in downhill crash a week before Games: ‘My Olympic dream is not over’
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn says her “Olympic dream is not over” after crashing and injuring her knee during a downhill race that was meant to be her final warmup before the start of the Milan Cortina Games next week.
“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” the 41-year-old former Olympic gold medalist posted Friday on her Instagram Story. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams.
“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback.
“My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you all for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. … It’s not over until it’s over.”
Taking part in a World Cup race in Crans Montana, Vonn lost control while attempting to land a jump on the upper portion of the course and slid into the safety netting. After receiving medical attention for about five minutes, Vonn slowly skied to the finish line, using her poles to support herself and stopping twice to clutch her knee.
She smiled and waved to the crowd after crossing the finish line and received a long embrace from teammate Jacqueline Wiles before entering the medical tent. She was later airlifted off the slope for further evaluation.
Vonn was the third skier to crash during the race, which was being held in difficult conditions with low visibility. The event was canceled after Vonn’s fall.
After nearly six years away from ski racing, Vonn made a comeback last year and has two victories and three additional podium finishes in five downhill races this season — all with a partial titanium implant in her right knee.
At the 2010 Vancouver Games, Vonn became the only U.S. woman to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing. She also won bronze medals in the super-G 2010 and downhill in 2018. On Dec. 23, Vonn announced on Instagram she had qualified for “my 5th and final Olympics!”
“When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me,” she wrote. “Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.”
The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games is Feb. 6. Vonn’s first scheduled event is the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. She had also planned to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
California sheriff refuses to support ICE operations around Super Bowl LX
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to have a presence at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, next month, but the county sheriff made clear he won’t have the agency’s back.
Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen said Thursday that while authorities are there for the residents and tourists who will be coming into town for the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, the department will not be working to support ICE agents in any immigration enforcement operations.
Demonstrators protest at Federal Building in response to a second shooting death by I.C.E. and immigration agents in Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“So, I urge our federal partners, if there’s something that you’re planning to do in our community, please, please be transparent and reach out to your local officials so we can work as best we can,” Jonsen said at a news conference.
“It was mentioned we are not going to change our policies or protocols. We will not be working or supporting ICE Immigration Enforcement, but I want you, again, remember, if you see us out there, we’re there to help you and we will be there. Don’t hesitate to contact someone wearing a uniform as these events unfold if they’re walking around trying to engage and make sure you remain safe.”
In the same breath, Jonsen said local law enforcement will be on hand to keep residents safe.
“We are going to be here for you, side-by-side. So, as you’re getting off those trains, you’re getting off those buses, yeah, high probability you’re going to see somebody in uniform. But if they’re not masked, if they’re wearing tan and green or blue and black, trust me, they’re there for your protection. They’re there for your protection.
ICE OFFICIALS TO PLAY SECURITY ROLE AT MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS
Footballs with the Super Bowl LX logo are pictured at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
“If they’re masked and they’re trying to hide their identity, then somebody hasn’t communicated with us because we’ve made it very clear to our officers, our workforce is to be open and transparent and engaged in this community for the next few weeks and that is also our goal each and everyday. We’ve spent decades building this community, building that trust. I’ve had conversations with many … over the past year trying to give you as much information as we can about what we know is gonna happen and when it’s gonna happen and if it’s gonna happen but without that communication we can’t.”
Fox News Digital reached out to ICE for comment.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin Yoho told TMZ earlier this week there will be agents conducting enforcement operations.
“DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup,” she said. “Our mission remains unchanged.”
DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski said back in October that enforcement is a “directive from the president,” and will not be paused for the Super Bowl.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said on “The Benny Show” podcast. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find and deport you. That is a very real situation.”
Federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Jack Califano/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump has said he will not be at the Super Bowl this year after being the first sitting president to attend one last year.
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