Sports
49ers head to Super Bowl LVIII after thrilling second-half comeback beats Lions
The San Francisco 49ers are heading to Super Bowl LVIII after winning an absolute thriller in the NFC Championship Game, 34-31, on Sunday night.
The Niners will meet the Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11.
This game didn’t look like much after the first half, where the Lions completely dominated a 49ers team that looked like a shell of itself.
Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
On the very first drive, quarterback Jared Goff executed a trick play Detroit as ran often, as he faked a handoff to his running back before flipping it to speedy wide receiver Jameson Williams. He made a few 49ers defenders miss and shook another tackle before running into the end zone from 42 yards out.
The Lions only needed four plays to get seven points on the board, setting the tone head coach Dan Campbell certainly wanted on the road.
San Fran would miss a field goal on their first drive, and Goff used that momentum to get another one on the board. This time, David Montgomery busted into the end zone from one yard out to quickly make it 14-0 in the first quarter.
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The 49ers would respond, though, and who else but Christian McCaffrey scoring from two yards out to get on the board.
But momentum shifted back to Detroit again when Brock Purdy threw an interception in his own territory to set the Lions up perfectly for their third rushing touchdown of the half. It was rookie Jahmyr Gibbs maneuvering his way 15 yards across the goal line.
The Lions finished the first half with 148 rush yards as a team with all three of their touchdowns coming on the ground.
But the second half brought trouble to the team that was up 24-7 when they went to the locker room. A turnover on downs, a fluke deep ball completion and a fumble all led to San Fran scores that eventually tied this game.
Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Purdy found the rhythm head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted in the second half, even if it didn’t result in a touchdown. A field goal from Jake Moody that went through the uprights this time made it 24-10.
But the Lions wanted to keep things going on the ensuing drive when Campbell gave Goff the nod to go for it on fourth-and-2 from San Francisco’s 28 instead of kicking their own field goal.
The result? A dropped pass by Josh Reynolds that forced the turnover on downs.
Two plays later, with the 49ers now having the ball, Purdy took a shot to Brandon Aiyuk down the field, but the ball appeared to be overthrown just a bit. Lions defender Kindle Vildor was tracking the ball along with Aiyuk and looked to have the right angle as it was coming down.
But when Vildor put his hands out, it went right through and hit him in the helmet, popping the ball in the air. Aiyuk had the awareness to stick his hands out and make the catch, landing at the five-yard line.
A couple plays later, Aiyuk caught a bullet from Purdy for the touchdown to get the game within seven points, 24-17.
The San Fran crowd was raucous, as they felt their team finally clicking on all cylinders. And when Detroit took the field, more momentum shifted to the 49ers.
Gibbs and Goff weren’t on the same page on the very first play, as they almost ran into each other on a handoff. Tashaun Gipson Sr. got his hands in Gibbs’ arm and ripped the ball out of his hands, and San Fran recovered.
Four plays later, McCaffrey cracked into the end zone one more time, tying the game and sending the Levi’s Stadium crowd into a frenzy.
Amon-Ra St. Brown #14 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
San Fran would finally take the lead with 9:52 left in the fourth quarter when Moody kicked a 33-yard field goal to make it 27-24. Yet, the Lions could’ve gone for a field goal again to match Moody on the ensuing drive, but Campbell refused to do so again.
The attempt was futile, as Goff was forced out of the pocket and threw the ball into empty space to turn it over again.
Like it did earlier in the half, the turnover led to 49ers points. The run game was used for this drive, as Purdy and McCaffrey rushed their way downfield. But it was Elijah Mitchell, subbing in for McCaffrey who was gassed, finding his way into the end zone to give his team a 10-point lead.
It was the score the 49ers needed because Goff ended up finding Jameson Williams on fourth-and-goal to keep the game alive.
Detroit needed to try an onside kick to give themselves a miracle chance to keep this game going. But
Purdy started slow but finished 20-of-31 for 267 yards with one touchdown pass, and Deebo Samuel was his top target with eight catches for 89 yards. Aiyuk also had 68 yards on three catches, while McCaffrey had 132 total yards from scrimmage (90 rushing, 42 receiving).
Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
For the Lions, Goff was 25-for-41 for 273 yards with one touchdown pass, while Sam LaPorta led the way with 97 receiving yards on nine receptions. Amon-Ra St. Brown had seven catches for 87 yards.
Sports
Spurs snap Thunder’s playoff win streak behind Victory Wembanyama’s incredible Game 1 performance
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The Oklahoma City Thunder came into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals having not lost an NBA Playoffs game since Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year.
But they hadn’t faced Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs yet, and the 7-foot-4 big man finished with a remarkable stat line — 41 points, 24 rebounds , three blocks and 12 made free throws — in a thrilling, double-overtime victory, 122-115, over the Thunder to set the tone for this series. FOX Sports listed Wembanyama with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the final score of the period confirmed the 122-115 double-overtime result.
Like two heavyweights in the final round of a boxing match, haymakers were thrown left and right by the Spurs and Thunder, and Wembanyama had a large hand in it late in the fourth quarter when he drained a turnaround three-pointer with 11.5 seconds left on the clock to give San Antonio a 101-99 lead.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player before the start of the series, came through in the clutch on the opposite end. With 3.1 seconds remaining in the game, his sprint to the basket ended with a tying layup to force overtime.
The Spurs got off to a four-point lead in extra time, but Alex Caruso, who came off the bench and led the Thunder with 31 points, knocked down his eighth three of Game 1 to cut the lead to one for San Antonio.
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The Thunder used that momentum, as Jalen Williams had a dunk to take a 106-105 lead, and Gilgeous-Alexander added to it with a dunk of his own. “Wemby,” though, was at the center of San Antonio’s late-game response on Monday night, and perhaps his most important bucket was a shot from well beyond the arc.
Wembanyama took the ball from Stephon Castle and added to the guard’s assist total with a 27-foot three near the Oklahoma City logo to tie the game at 108 apiece with 27 seconds left. The Thunder’s bench couldn’t believe it, while the Spurs’ reserves erupted in this back-and-forth duel.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter of Game One in the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Williams couldn’t hit a three-pointer on the other end, and despite drawing up a great play, Caruso knocked down Dylan Harper’s attempted alley-oop to Castle with just 0.7 seconds remaining in overtime to keep the score where it was.
Needing one more extra period, Wembanyama took the game into his hands. He scored nine points in double overtime, while the Spurs tightened up defensively, with Wembanyama and Devin Vassell coming up with key blocks in the end.
Castle finished with 11 assists to lead the Spurs in that category, while rookie guard Dylan Harper made vital contributions with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a game-high seven steals in the win. The Spurs were doing all this without veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, who they hope will be back for Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter of Game One in the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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Williams had 26 points for Oklahoma City, while Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points on 7-of-23 shooting with 12 assists and five steals.
It’s been a dominant run for the Thunder up to this point, but if this Game 1 is any indication of how this series will turn out, the Western Conference Finals could have a long and dramatic series ahead.
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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS
MONDAY’S RESULTS
First Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter 16, #17 Middle College 6
#20 Cleveland 20, #13 Dorsey 2
#10 North Hollywood 12, #14 USC-MAE 0
#18 Taft 13, #15 Central City Value 0
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys 19, #17 Alliance Bloomfield 2
#20 East Valley 14, #13 Community Charter 3
#14 VAAS 18, #19 Angelou 0
#15 Reseda 24, #18 Stella 0
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn 44, #17 West Adams 33
#20 Hawkins 28, #13 LAAAE 7
#14 Franklin 19, #19 Mendez 7
#18 Diego Rivera 24, #15 Discovery 8
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
First Round
DIVISION I
#16 Sherman Oaks CES at #1 Venice
#9 San Fernando at #8 Bravo
#12 Lincoln at #5 Chavez
#13 Animo Venice at #4 Chatsworth
#14 LA University at #3 Port of LA
#11 Harbor Teacher at #6 Eagle Rock
#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Garfield
#15 LA Hamilton at #2 Marquez
Second Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter at #1 LA Marshall
#9 Northridge Academy at #8 Rancho Dominguez
#12 Fremont at #5 Symar
#20 Cleveland at #4 Narbonne
#19 North Hollywood at #3 Roosevelt
#11 Orthopaedic at #5 Arleta
#10 Sun Valley Poly at #7 South Gate
#18 Taft at #2 LA Wilson
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys at #1 Bell
#9 Palisades at #8 Hollywood
#12 Lakeview Charter at #5 South East
#20 East Valley at #4 Maywood Academy
#14 VAAS at #3 Maywood CES
#11 Westchester at #6 Torres
#10 Animo Robinson at #7 LACES
#15 Reseda at #2 Sun Valley Magnet
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn at #1 Jefferson
#9 Smidt Tech at #8 Alliance Levine
#12 Downtown Magnets at #5 University Prep Value
#20 Hawkins at #4 Huntington Park
#14 Franklin at #3 Santee
#11 Bernstein at #6 Camino Nuevo
#10 Rise Kohyang at #7 CALS Early College
#18 Diego Rivera at #2 LA Jordan
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
Quarterfinals
OPEN DIVISION
#8 Granada Hills Kennedy at #1 Granada Hills
#5 El Camino Real at #4 San Pedro
#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Birmingham
#7 Legacy at #2 Carson
Note: Division I-IV quarterfinals May 22 at higher seeds; Semifinals all divisions May 27 at higher seeds; Finals all divisions May 29-30 at TBD.
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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.
He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.
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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.
“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”
Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.
Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.
Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.
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