Akers runs wild, Newton benched as Rams rout Pats
Cam Akers rushed for 171 yards in a breakout performance, Kenny Young returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown and the Los Angeles Rams clinched their fourth straight winning season with a 24- 3 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday night.
Jared Goff rushed for a touchdown and threw a TD pass to Cooper Kupp as the Rams (9- 4) rolled to a onesided victory in a rematch of their 13- 3 Super Bowl loss in February 2019.
Cam Newton passed for 119 yards before getting replaced by Jarrett Stidham in the fourth quarter of another dismal offensive game for New England (67). Five days after the Patriots scored 45 points at SoFi Stadium against the Chargers, New England endangered its push for a 12th straight playoff berth with only its second loss in six games.
NBA
GEORGE GETS EXTENSION TO STAY WITH CLIPPERS » Paul George wants to retire with the Los Angeles Clippers, and he took a step in that direction by signing a multiyear contract extension.
The six- time All- Star could have become a free agent after the upcoming season. Instead, the team locked down his services, ensuring George will remain not far from where he grew up in Palmdale. LEBRON NAMED TIME MAGAZINE’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR » Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James just added another accomplishment to his lofty resume. James was named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year.
James, 35, is coming off his fourth NBA title after defeating the Miami Heat in October in a six-game series. James was named the Most Valuable Player in the series, his fourth career Finals MVP.
NBA REPORTS 8 MORE POSITIVE TESTS » The NBA says eight more players have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total so far this season to 56. Of those, the first 48 tested positive in the league’s initial return-to-market testing phase that went from Nov. 24 through Dec. 1. Those tests showed a leaguewide positivity rate of about 9%.
Preseason games across the NBA begin today and the regular season is scheduled to begin with two games on Dec. 22.
MAVS RELEASE BAREA » The Dallas Mavericks released J. J. Barea, turning loose the last piece of the franchise’s 2011 championship team to give the veteran guard a chance to continue his playing career. Barea said he had heard from other organizations since news of his release broke, but declined to be specific.
Baseball
GIANTS TAKE MINOR LEAGUER FROM METS » The San Francisco Giants chose a player in the Rule 5 draft for the fourth consecutive year, drafting right-handed pitcher Dedniel Núñez out of the New York Mets organization.
Núñez, the 24-year- old Dominican Republic native, has never pitched above Aball, but showed promise as a starter in 2019 as he struck out 94 batters in 80 innings across two levels.
Olympics
U. S. ATHLETES WON’T BE PUNISHED FOR OLYMPIC PROTESTS » The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee heeded calls from American athletes by announcing that it won’t sanction them for raising their fists or kneeling on the medals stand at next year’s Tokyo Games and beyond.
The decision is a response to a set of recommendations from a USOPC athlete group that seeks changes to the much-maligned Rule 50 of the IOC Olympic Charter, which prohibits inside-the-lines protests at the games.
It was this rule that most famously led to the ouster of U. S. medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City after the sprinters raised their fists on the medals stand to protest racial inequality in the United States.
Motor sports
HAMILTON FIT TO RACE AFTER COVID-19 RECOVERY » Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has recovered from the coronavirus and will race at the season- ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, the Mercedes team said.
The seven- time world champion tested positive for COVID-19 the day after winning the Bahrain GP on Nov. 29 and missed last weekend’s Sakhir GP in Bahrain as he self-isolated for 10 days.
College football
STANFORD LOSES MORE PLAYERS BUT NOT BECAUSE OF COVID-19 ISSUES » Stanford will be without four starters because of injuries — and not COVID-19 issues — when it plays Oregon State this weekend, coach David Shaw said Thursday.
Shaw added that the game Saturday night in Corvallis, Oregon, is not in doubt because of any concerns related to the novel coronavirus.
Sophomore cornerback Salim Turner- Muhammed and fifth- year outside linebacker Jordan Fox have been ruled out against the Beavers (2- 3), Shaw said.
WASHINGTON- OREGON FOOTBALL GAME CANCELED » Washington’s football game at Oregon on Saturday has been canceled because of COVID-19 cases in the Huskies’ program.
The Pac-12 announced the game would be declared a no contest. The conference said Washington did not have enough scholarship players available under Pac-12 protocols. The conference says 53 scholarship players need to be available.