The deal has an annual average value of $115 million, which more than triples the amount ESPN paid on average each year to the association under the previous 14-year agreement, the NCAA said.

The agreement deepens ESPN’s commitment to college sports, which have been part of the network’s DNA since its launch in 1979. The new NCAA deal includes domestic rights to 21 women’s and 19 men’s championship events, including the high-profile women’s basketball championship game, which last year drew 9.9 million viewers. It adds coverage of Division I men’s and women’s tennis team championships and the collegiate men’s gymnastic championship.

In total, the deal encompasses 24,000 college games spanning more than 20 conferences – enough to provide content across a portfolio of media properties, including the ABC network, ESPN and the ESPN+ streaming service.

Live sports have proven a resilient audience draw, even at a time when television audiences are shrinking. In October, ESPN clinched the U.S. broadcast rights for TGL – a new prime-time golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

The new NCAA agreement expands ESPN’s digital rights, setting the stage for the network’s eventual transition to streaming. Disney has said it is seeking minority partners, as the marquee sports network makes its digital leap.

“The NCAA has worked in earnest over the past year to ensure that this new broadcast agreement provides the best possible outcome for all NCAA championships, and in particular women’s championships,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker.

With the increase in value of the agreement, the association will explore revenue distribution units for the women’s basketball tournament, the NCAA said.

The tie-up between the association and ESPN began in 1979, the year of ESPN’s original network launch. – Reuters

This time, the 26-year-old Army woman from Legazpi City is seeking to become the first woman to win a national men’s championship crown and claim a spot to the men’s national team seeing action in the World Chess Olympiad.

And she’s getting closer to achieving one of two or both as she zoomed to joint second midway through the 13-round Philippine National Chess Championships at the Marikina Community Convention Center Wednesday night.

Ms. Frayna’s last victim was Olympiad veteran International Master (IM) Barlo Nadera — a 68-move, seventh-round triumph of a Torre Attack — that catapulted her to a share of No. 2 with IM Jem Garcia, who split the point with GM John Paul Gomez in 29 moves of an English Opening, with five points each.

They were a full point behind IM Daniel Quizon, who used the King’s Indian Defense to send WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego to a 52-move submission to remain unflappable at the helm with six points going into the last six rounds of this meet presented by Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro and Congresswoman Maan Teodoro.

The champion here pockets P120,000 courtesy of Marikina City, NCFP Chairman President Prospero Pichay, Jr., POC President Abraham Tolentino, PSC Chair Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation and Pan de Amerikana’s Jundio Salvador while the top three finishers makes the squad bound for the biennial event slated in September in Budapest, Hungary.

Ms. Frayna, who was battling Vince Angelo Medina and IM Paulo Bersamina in the eighth and ninth round, respectively, at press time, is hoping to accomplish one or both. — Joey Villar

Joining forces for Strong Group Athletics, Mr. Tiu as head coach and Mr. Goorjian as consultant will steer the ship for the Philippine representative in a bid to win the 33^rd Dubai International Basketball Championship slated on January 19 to 28.

“I can’t wait to work with my good friend Brian Goorjian. It’s been a long time coming. It’s a great chance for me to learn from him. He’s a legend,” said Mr. Tiu, also the College of St. Benilde mentor in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Mr. Tiu steered Strong Group to a quarterfinal finish last year and the Mighty Sports Philippines to a historic title in 2020 to become the first non-Middle Eastern champion in Dubai.

This time for the same team owned by Frank and Jacob Lao, he will have an illustrious wing in Mr. Goorjian, best known for anchoring the first-ever bronze medal of the Australia men’s national team in the Tokyo Olympics.

But this isn’t the first time Mr. Goorjian, also six-time NBL champion and six-time NBL Coach of the Year, will be stamping his class here.

The seasoned coach, who also had stints in the Chinese Basketball Association, guided guest team Bay Area to a runner-up finish in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last year.

Mr. Goorjian and his Hong Kong-based team dominated the elimination rounds and the playoffs before falling short against Barangay Ginebra in Game 7 of the epic finale witnessed by a record-shattering crowd of 54,589 fans at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

His resume speaks for itself, providing a massive boost for Strong Group’s redemption bid in Dubai with a bevy of equally distinguished reinforcements led by NBA champion and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard.

“With his unparalleled coaching acumen and a wealth of experience, Brian brings an invaluable perspective to all of us,” said team owner Frank Lao.

Strong Group, which will also feature UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao and other collegiate stalwarts, is scheduled to open training camp this weekend with the arrival of Howard and other aces in Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche, Andre Roberson and McKenzie Moore. — John Bryan Ulanday

EVEN with a campaign marked by alternating streaks of two wins, two losses, three wins and two losses, NorthPort (5-4) is within range of its primary target — the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.

So the best thing to do for coach Bonnie Tan and his youthful crew is to make the most of this opportunity and ensure their hassle-free Last-8 entry with the playoffs race about to get hotter than ever after the New Year’s Day festivities.

The Batang Pier can attain that with victory No. 6 in today’s resumption of play against also-ran Blackwater (1-8) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Take care of business in the 4 p.m. gig and the Batang Pier can get rid of a possible complication in the bare knuckle fight for the three remaining quarters berths involving them, TNT (4-5), Rain or Shine (4-5), NLEX (3-7) and even Terrafirma (2-7).

Mr. Tan needs to draw the best from import Venky Jois, ace gunner Arvin Tolentino, former top pick Joshua Munzon and promising freshmen Fran Yu, Cade Flores and Brent Paraiso to get it done right away and avoid a “take-two” in a harsher, high-pressure environment against twice-to-beat-hunting Ginebra (6-3) on Sunday.

But in the Bossing they expect to find a tough customer. Though out of the running with still two games left, Jeff Cariaso’s team is bent on going out swinging and getting something to build on for the next conference.

Equally vital is the faceoff between Tropang Giga and the Elasto Painters at 8 p.m., where the winner moves to five Ws and a step closer to the “magic number” of six.

The Tropang Giga debut Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson in place of his younger brother Rondae, who suffered a neck injury in their East Asia Super League campaign last month. TNT, the Season 47 Governors’ Cup titlists, is out to pump life back into its bid after losing its last two outings, including a 78-86 Christmas Day setback to Ginebra with an all-Filipino lineup.

On the other side stand the Elasto Painters, currently the league’s hottest team.

Yeng Guiao’s team, led by the rebounding machine Tree Treadwell, has won its last four games and carries intense desire to continue its rise and salvage a quarters trip coming off a woeful 1-5 start. — Olmin Leyba

Shifting to higher gears a month before the net wars, the Lady Spikers scored a big win against decorated Thailand club Supreme Voleyball Club (VC) in a friendly match.

De La Salle won four out of five sets in an open tune-up, 25-23, 25-15, 25-22, 20-25, 15-10, to kickstart its Thailand training camp in flying colors. Supreme VC was a former three-time Thai league champion and Asian Volleyball Club Championship titlist.

UAAP Season 85 Rookie-MVP Angel Canino, Best Middle Blocker Thea Gagate and Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals MVP Shevana Laput led the way as the Lady Spikers ushered in a new era.

De La Salle, still with young, capable guns, will deal with the graduation of Best Outside Spiker Jolina dela Cruz, Best Setter Mars Alba, middle blocker Fifi Sharma and ace libero Justine Jazareno entering this season.

The Lady Spikers dominated UAAP Season 85 with only a single defeat through their entire campaign, including a 2-0 sweep of former champion National University for a fitting revenge after losing in Season 84.

After the UAAP, the wards of coach Ramil de Jesus braved on and swept the SSL National Invitationals before trooping to Thailand this time around to complete their preparations. — John Bryan Ulanday

Mr. Lin, the biggest draw in the well-attended Group B match, lived up to expectations and delivered a 23-point 10-rebound, four-assist performance in leading the Kings to their third straight victory in basketball-crazy Philippines.

In front of a good-sized audience led by PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas and Mr. Lin’s friend and former NBA teammate Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of TNT, the Taiwanese star knocked down two booming triples to spark an 11-0 salvo that keyed New Taipei’s breakaway in the third.

The Kings went on to outscore the undermanned Meralco Bolts in the penultimate period, 24-11, to set the tone to the convincing follow up to their 97-92 win at home last Nov. 29. “Our coaches put a big emphasis on playing on both ends and my team did a great job,” said Mr. Lin, who was backstopped by Chin-min Yang (13), Kenny Manigault (12), brother Joseph Lin (11) and Kai-Yan Lee (11).

The former NBA star was met by adoring fans excitedly asking for selfies or autographs then reciprocated the love by giving his game-worn shoes to one lucky fan in blue “Lin” shirt after the game.

“I came out here, I think it’s 2013, I played one preseason (NBA) game…People asked me how the experience was. And honestly, it was pretty crazy. The fanbase here is unreal,” he said.

Cliff Hodge led the defensive effort put up against Mr. Lin by the Bolts, who missed ailing stalwarts Chris Newsome and Aaron Black and absorbed their fourth loss in five games.

“It is physical. They played physical like Cliff Hodge is a great example,” Mr. Lin said.

“He’s playing the four-man position, he’s 6-foot-4 but I can see why. He’s very physical, he’s smart, and he does his job really, really well. He makes everything difficult for you. He plays hard, he plays physical and that’s the best type of basketball you would want to play.”

Zach Lofton, bucking an injured wrist, fired 20 for the Meralco Bolts. — Olmin Leyba

The Scores:

New Taipei Kings 89 — Lin 23, Yang 13, Manigault 12, Joseph Lin 11, Lee 11, Blankley 7, Anigwe 6, Su 4, Davis 2, Chien 0, Wang 0, Hung 0.

Meralco Bolts 77 — Lofton 20, Maliksi 12, Banchero 10, Hodge 8, Quinto 8, Ibeh 7, Almazan 5, Rios 4, Dario 3, Pascual 0, Bates 0.

Quarterscores: 21-21; 42-47; 66-58; 89-77.

Mr. Mbappe said last year he would not renew his contract at PSG, which expires at the end of the 2023-24 season when he could leave Paris for free.

The France captain, who has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, is now free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a new club.

“First of all, I’m very, very, very motivated for this year. It’s very important,” Mr. Mbappe told reporters after PSG’s 2-0 win over Toulouse in the French Super Cup final on Wednesday.

“As I said, we’ve got titles to go after and we’ve already won one, so that’s already done. After that, no, I haven’t made up my mind yet.

“But in any case, with the agreement I made with the chairman (Nasser Al-Khelaifi) this summer, it doesn’t matter what I decide.

“We managed to protect all parties and preserve the club’s serenity for the challenges ahead, which remains the most important thing. So we’ll say it’s secondary.”

Media reports in September said Mr. Mbappe had agreed to forego loyalty bonuses worth up to €100 million ($109.17 million) if he left PSG on a free transfer.

In 2022, Mr. Mbappe waited until May to announce a contract extension at PSG, just weeks before the transfer window opened. The 25-year-old said he may not leave it so late this time around.

“I think it was the end of May in 2022 because I didn’t know until May,” he added. “If I know what I want to do, why drag it out? It just doesn’t make sense.” — Reuters

Kyrie Irving added 29 points for the Mavericks, who rebounded from a season-worst 37-point loss to the host Utah Jazz on Monday. Tim Hardaway Jr. netted 14 and Jaden Hardy chipped in 11 points as Dallas never trailed en route to its third win in as many tries against Portland this season.

Shaedon Sharpe paced the Trail Blazers scoring with 16 points, and Anfernee Simons followed with 15. Matisse Thybulle scored 12 points for Portland, which has dropped the first two contests of its seven-game road trip. Jerami Grant and Toumani Camara each finished with 10 points.

The Mavericks started the game on a 9-0 run, beginning the onslaught they inflicted all night. Dallas used a 38-15 second quarter run to match its largest first-half lead at 75-44.

Doncic then completed an and-one opportunity to give him 30 first-half points on 9-for-14 shooting from the field, and gave Dallas its 31-point halftime advantage at 78-47. Irving complemented Doncic’s scoring with 22 points in the half, as Dallas shot 26-for-42 (61.9 percent) from the field.

Portland, which struggled to find a rhythm throughout, made just 16-of-41 shots (39 percent) from the field and committed 14 turnovers in the first half. Sharpe and Simons led the Trail Blazers scoring with 11 points apiece.

The Trail Blazers were more competitive after the break, outscoring Dallas 27-24 in the third quarter, but they entered the fourth quarter trailing 102-74.

A pair of free throws from Mavericks rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper gave Dallas its largest lead of the game, 118-80, with 5:56 left in the game.

Simons returned to the Trail Blazers lineup after a three-game absence due to an illness. The sixth-year shooting guard entered Wednesday averaging a team-high 27.1 points per game.

Wednesday was the front half of a two-game series in Dallas, with the teams to meet again on Friday. — Reuters

World number one Scheffler, who successfully defended his Phoenix Open title and won The Players Championship during the 2022-23 season, beat Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm in a vote by players for the Jack Nicklaus Award.

The PGA Tour said Scheffler received 38% of the vote.

The 27-year-old American joins Fred Couples (1991, 1992), Nick Price (1993, 1994) and Woods (1999-2003, 2005-2007), as the only players to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

“Anything that you receive voted on by your peers is very special to me and being able to go home with this trophy two years in a row now is very special,” Scheffler said ahead of this week’s season-opening event at Kapalua in Hawaii.

“I think the body of work I put in last year with the consistency and finishing top most of the weeks that I played I was very proud of that consistency, and so yeah, I’m very appreciative of the award.”

In 23 starts, Scheffler had 13 top-fives and 17 top-10s, both high marks for any player in a single season on the PGA Tour since 2005, when Vijay Singh and Woods each had 13 top-fives and Singh had 18 top-10s.

Scheffler also set the PGA Tour record for most official money earned in a season at $21 million, breaking the record of $14 million he set last season, and claimed the Byron Nelson Award for recording the lowest scoring average (68.63) on Tour.

American Eric Cole received the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year after a season in which he was the lone rookie to qualify for the BMW Championship.

The 35-year-old Cole, who beat Ludvig Aberg and Vincent Norrman of Sweden and Colombian Nico Echavarria for the award, is the second-oldest player to win Rookie of the Year honors.

“It’s an award in golf where you only get one chance to win it, which is a little bit unique,” said Cole. “To win that and be voted by my peers is pretty incredible, and it’s just a huge honor.” — Reuters

The win moved Real up to 48 points, three ahead of surprise package Girona, who host third-placed Atletico Madrid later on Wednesday.

Centre back Rudiger broke the deadlock in the 78th minute as he capitalized on some sloppy defending from Luka Modric’s corner to power a header into the top corner and score his first goal of the season.

“Great cross by Luka, great block by (Dani) Carvajal and luckily it went in,” Rudiger told reporters.

“I’m happy because it was an important goal and three important points for us. This team has something special, a good mix of young and old talent.”

Mallorca had mounted a resilient defensive display and came close to shocking Real with two efforts that hit the woodwork.

Vinicius Jr also went close to scoring on his return to action after being sidelined with an injury but Mallorca keeper Predrag Rajkovic made a superb save to deny the Brazilian in the first half.

“It’s always a difficult game when you come back from holidays,” Real defender Carvajal told Real Madrid TV.

“Mallorca played a tactically very good game, very aggressive in defense. The set piece gave us the victory.”

“We close the first half of the season as possible leaders, 48 points is a lot. In the second half we’ll be looking to surpass them.”

Real next visit fifth-tier Arandina in the first round of the Spanish Cup before taking on Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. — Reuters

The Lakers would hang on until the final minutes of the match, no small feat given their continued poor shooting and ball protection. Nonetheless, they competed like weary travelers in the desert, seemingly near water and then finding out that what they saw was a mirage. They had lead feet on both ends of the court, and, outside of Anthony Davis, no one came close to potential. Even LeBron James, supposedly a picture of consistency through his 21-year career, appeared mentally checked out; he wound up with an anemic 12 points off a six-of-18 clip and a game-worst minus-20 net rating.

True, the outcome isn’t all on James. In fact, there is ample reason to point fingers elsewhere for the Lakers’ pathetic showing. Head coach Darvin Ham had no answer for the Heat’s zone defense, and his substitution patterns had even diehard fans looking at each other in askance. Taurean Prince produced as much as Gabe Vincent in 29 minutes of action, which says a lot since the latter is on the injury list. Cam Reddish likewise laid a big fat egg after burning rubber for 19 minutes. And nothing exemplified the woes of the purple and gold more than the stat line of rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino: zero markers on zero-of-six shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Jaime Jacques, Jr., the hometown hero drafted right after him by the Heat, put up a heady 16 (on 50% shooting), eight, one, and one, as well as a match-best plus-24 in 39 minutes.

It’s fair to argue that the Lakers have been handicapped by the absence of vital cogs for much of their 2023-24 campaign. That said, it’s also a testament to their inability to harbor a next-man-up mentality — like, say, the Heat, who didn’t have Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin in uniform yesterday and still won pulling away. Clearly, they lack the identity that enables bona fide contenders to deal with unforeseen adversity. In their case, even long-standing issues remain unsolved.

In large measure, it’s because of their illogical stubbornness. They’re keen on doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, one that won’t be reflected anytime soon.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

NBA veteran Dwight Howard is Philippines-bound.

The decorated big man will reinforce country representative Strong Group in the Dubai International Basketball Championship slated on Jan. 19 to 28 in the United Arab Emirates.

No less than head coach Charles Tiu confirmed the news first reported by NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic.

“He should be here this weekend,” Tiu on Wednesday told The STAR, expecting Mr. Howard’s hulking presence to spell the difference for the Philippine team.

“I expect him to still be dominant, especially defensively. We got him because we intend to win and we think he would give us the best chance (to accomplish it).”

Mr. Howard, the No. 1 pick of the Orlando Magic in 2004, indeed boasts a stacked resume in the NBA that should be handy for Strong Group’s Dubai bid.

He’s an NBA champion, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-NBA First Team and eight-time All-Star with stints in the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mr. Howard, 38, also served as a vital cog for Team USA’s Redeem Team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the powerhouse squad featuring legendary cagers Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, reclaimed the gold medal. Recently, Mr. Howard played for Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan’s T1 League, where he won Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Imports and All-Star Game MVP, before trooping to another Asian squad in Strong Group.

Aside from Mr. Howard, Strong Group also scooped up the services of Australia national team mentor and former Bay Area coach Brian Goorjian as part of Tiu’s coaching staff. Mr. Goorjian steered Bay Area to a runner-up finish in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup as a guest team.

UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao of La Salle and ace point guard JD Cagulangan of the University of the Philippines are among the notable players to headline the squad alongside the NBA legend, according to Mr. Tiu.

The full roster, including the additional imports, will be released soon as Strong Group seeks redemption after a quarterfinal exit last year led by fellow ex-NBAers in Renaldo Balkman, Shabazz Muhammad, Nick Young Messrs. Quiambao and Cagulangan were also part of last year’s squad with MPBL MVP Justine Baltazar,Fil-American sensation Sedrick Barefield, Jerom Lastimosa, Will Gozum, Migz Oczon and Francis Lopez.

Strong Group is eyeing to bring the Dubai crown back to the Philippines after the feat of Mighty Sport, also mentored by Mr. Tiu, in 2020 as the first non-Middle Eastern champion team. — John Bryan Ulanday

NorthPort (5-4), TNT (4-5), Rain or Shine (4-5), NLEX (3-6) and a still-alive Terrafirma (2-7) hope to get the job done in their two remaining eliminations assignments to catch the quarterfinals bus.

Five seats in the Last-8 are already accounted for with Magnolia (9-1) assured of Top 4 and twice-to-beat advantage no matter what happens in its eliminations closeout game.

Phoenix (7-2), Meralco (6-2), San Miguel Beer (6-3) and holder Ginebra (6-3) are disputing the three other win-once bonuses, making their post-holidays assignments equally high-value.

Carrying identical 1-8 cards, Blackwater and Converge are out of it all but will surely aim for a graceful exit in the import-flavored Season 48 opener.

With five wins, sixth-running NorthPort enjoys the upperhand among the five quarterfinal aspirants.

The Batang Pier can formally clinch a quarterfinal ticket with win No. 6 tomorrow against the also-ran Bossing; if not, versus the Gin Kings on Sunday.

Governors’ Cup kingpin Tropang Giga and the rejuvenated Elasto Painters can advance without complications if they sweep their last two, which include their faceoff tomorrow and succeeding duel with the Fuel Masters and the FiberXers, respectively

If they can hurdle both Converge and Barangay Ginebra, the Road Warriors can reach as many as five victories, which might get them an outright entry or at least a rubbermatch, depending on the final records of the other camps.

For their part, the Dyip can get to a maximum of four Ws if successful against SMB and Meralco, but they have to pray it would be enough to still send them to a KO for the quarters. — Olmin Leyba

NEW YORK — US prosecutors in Manhattan unveiled criminal charges against a Nigerian fintech businessman who recently bid unsuccessfully for an English Premier League soccer team, saying he lied to investors about his companies’ finances.

Odogwu Banye Mmobuosi, 45, the former co-chief executive officer of Tingo Group, was charged with securities fraud, making false US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and conspiracy in an indictment made public on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said the defendant, known as Dozy Mmobuosi, falsely represented that his Tingo Mobile cellular business and Tingo Foods agriculture business were profitable, generating hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.

Mr. Mmobuosi sold both businesses to Tingo Group and Agri-Fintech Holdings, caused them to falsely portray the businesses as “cash-rich, revenue-generating companies,” and looted millions of dollars by misappropriating cash and selling stock at inflated prices, the indictment said.

The alleged scheme occurred from 2019 to 2023, prosecutors said. Mr. Mmobuosi is at large. A lawyer for him could not immediately be identified.

Tingo Group, based in Montvale, New Jersey, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Mmobuosi temporarily stepped down as Tingo Group’s co-chief executive officer (CEO) on Dec. 20, two days after the SEC filed civil charges accusing him of orchestrating a “staggering” fraud.

The SEC said Mr. Mmobuosi siphoned at least $16 million from Tingo Group. It said he used the money to buy luxury cars and travel on private jets, and to try to buy the Sheffield United soccer team when it was in the lower Championship league.

According to the SEC complaint, Tingo Mobile purports to supply mobile handsets and related services to farmers in Nigeria, while Tingo Foods is a purported food processor.

Tingo Group is a defendant in the SEC case, and has said it intended to vigorously defend itself.

The indictment was made public nearly seven months after the short-seller Hindenburg Research accused Tingo Group of having “fabricated” its financials, and challenged Mr. Mmobuosi’s claim to have developed Nigeria’s first mobile payment app.

The case is US v. Mmobuosi, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 23-cr-00601. — Reuters

THE BALTIMORE Ravens have locked up the No. 1 seed in the American Football Conference (AFC) playoff bracket, so why play their starters in Week 18?

Coach John Harbaugh and company are pondering that question ahead of Saturday’s season finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, whose own playoff dreams will be on the line.

The Ravens (13-3) thrashed the Miami Dolphins 56-19 last Sunday for their sixth straight victory, clinching the AFC North and a first-round playoff bye in the process. Lamar Jackson threw more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (three) as public support grew for the quarterback to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player award.

Mr. Harbaugh said Monday that the Ravens had yet to decide how much — if at all — to play Mr. Jackson and other starters in the regular-season finale. The coach said they’d know by Wednesday and would not “keep it a secret.”

One possible factor at play is the age-old “rest vs rust” debate. When the Ravens secured a first-round bye in 2019, they held out starters against Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale, but after a long gulf between games, they came out flat in a divisional-round loss to Tennessee.

In Mr. Harbaugh’s view, there’s no comparison worth drawing. “I remember the experience and the choices we made (in 2019), but the decisions we made, we made for certain reasons,” Mr. Harbaugh said. “We thought they were the right decisions. What impacted how in terms of us not playing our best football that day, it’s really hard to say what the cause and effect was.”

The Steelers (9-7) surely would love to face Baltimore’s backups in Week 18. After staying in the AFC wild-card hunt with Sunday’s 30-23 win at Seattle, they have five paths to earn a playoff berth.

Three of the scenarios require Pittsburgh to win while getting help elsewhere in the conference. Pittsburgh could also get in with a tie, a Jacksonville loss and the Houston-Indianapolis game not ending in a tie. If the Steelers lose, but Jacksonville loses, Denver beats Las Vegas and Houston and Indianapolis don’t tie, Pittsburgh would sneak in, too.

The Steelers will continue to place their hopes on the shoulders of Mason Rudolph, their third starting quarterback this season. In two starts, both Pittsburgh wins, Rudolph has completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 564 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Kenny Pickett was inactive against Seattle while recovering from an ankle injury, but he is now healthy and will be Mr. Rudolph’s backup Sunday. Mr. Pickett refuted a rumor that he refused to dress against Seattle if the starting job wasn’t returned to him.

“One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity,” Mr. Pickett said Tuesday. “Mason played well when he got in there. I have a ton of respect for Mason and everything that he’s done and what our team has been doing. My job now that I’m back healthy is to be the backup.”

“There’s never been an awkward air. Those guys are dear friends and always professional,” Mr. Rudolph said of his fellow quarterbacks.

Pittsburgh star T.J. Watt is tied for the league lead with 17 sacks. He recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble when the host Steelers defeated the Ravens 17-10 in October.

Pittsburgh has won six of its past seven games against Baltimore dating back to the 2020 season — all seven decided by seven points or fewer.

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and linebacker Elandon Roberts (pectoral) did not participate in Pittsburgh’s walkthrough Tuesday. Running back Najee Harris (knee) — who had season highs of 27 carries, 122 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle — was limited along with guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder), defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (groin) and safety Trenton Thompson (neck). Pickett was a full participant.

Baltimore’s estimated injury report listed leading receiver Zay Flowers (calf), linebacker Malik Harrison (groin), cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) and cornerback Daryl Worley (shoulder/ankle) as non-participants. Star safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) and linebacker Patrick Queen (shoulder) were among seven Ravens listed as limited. — Reuters

Miles Bridges added 27 points for Charlotte, which concluded the game with 10 consecutive points to win for the first time since Dec. 8. P.J. Washington added 17 points off the bench for the Hornets, who shot 75 percent from the field (12 of 16) during a 36-point final quarter.

De’Aaron Fox recorded 30 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of their past five games. Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 19 rebounds but also committed a career-worst 11 turnovers.

Chris Duarte added 12 points and Keegan Murray scored 10 for the Kings, who committed 21 turnovers.

Cody Martin had 10 points for Charlotte, which played without rookie Brandon Miller (hip), the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Charlotte took a 105-104 lead on Washington’s dunk with 51.5 seconds to play. Fox turned it over on the Kings’ next possession and Mr. Martin’s layup gave the Hornets a three-point advantage with 42.1 seconds to play.

Mr. Bridges added four free throws over the final 32.9 seconds as the Hornets closed out the victory and improved to 4-13 on the road.

The Hornets made 51.2 percent of their field-goal attempts and were 12 of 34 (35.3 percent) from behind the arc.

Sacramento shot 43.5 percent from the field, including 14 of 36 (38.9 percent) from 3-point range. The Kings held a 48-35 rebounding advantage. A 3-pointer by Washington knotted the score at 81 with 10:03 left in the game.

The Kings scored 13 of the next 20 points to hold a 94-88 lead after Davion Mitchell’s 3-pointer with 6:28 remaining.

Charlotte scored the last five points of the third quarter, including a dunk by Washington with 1:03 left, to trail 78-75 entering the final stanza. — Reuters

BRISBANE — Karolina Pliskova gave Naomi Osaka a reality check on her return to tournament tennis by rallying for a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 victory in a high quality second-round clash at the Brisbane International on Wednesday.

Ms. Osaka had eased through her first tour match in 15 months on Monday after taking time out of the game to have a child but former world number one Ms. Pliskova proved an altogether tougher prospect.

The contest started well for four-times Grand Slam champion Ms. Osaka after she banged down five aces to lock up the opening set in 37 minutes against her rusty-looking opponent, who had received a bye through the first round.

Ms. Pliskova found her rhythm in the second set, however, and although Ms. Osaka’s rock solid serve repeatedly got her out of trouble until the tiebreak, she was unable to prevent the Czech from leveling up the contest.

An early break allowed Ms. Pliskova to get her nose in front in the deciding set and she saved three break points in the next game to retain her advantage over her 26-year-old rival.

That was as close as Ms. Osaka got and Ms. Pliskova showed the quality of her own serve to ease into the third round and a clash with Camila Giorgi or third seed Jelena Ostapenko. “I’m happy to start with a win, the start of the season is always important, I thought I played quite well,” Ms. Pliskova, who won the Brisbane title in 2017, 2019 and 2020, said in an on-court interview. “I thought my focus (was the difference), you can practice for as long as you like but a match is always a bit different.”

Ms. Osaka will take plenty of positives out of the contest, not least the 14 aces she pounded down, as she looks ahead to her return to the Grand Slam arena at the Australian Open, a tournament she won in 2019 and 2021. — Reuters

FROM disbanded F2 Logistics, Ara Galang and Aby Maraño have crossed over to Cherry Tiggo.

The arrival of Mmess. Galang and Maraño should add two lethal weapons and veteran presence to the youth-laden Crossovers seeking a place in the sun in the Premier Volleyball League as it opens its 2024 on Feb. 17.

The team made the announcements in its social media page yesterday.

For the 28-year-old former De La Salle University star, she’s thrilled for a new beginning.

“The Chery family is thrilled to be part of your newest adventure. Welcome to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, Ara Galang,” the team announced yesterday through its social media page.

In Chery Tiggo, Mmess. Galang and Maraño joined a franchise loaded with firepower that included a bevy of young talents that included Eya Laure, Princess Robles, Imee Hernandez, Jennifer Nierva and Joyme Cagande.

And Ms. Galang vowed to pour it all on. Ms. Galang was the third player from F2 that recently found a team after Dawn Macandili-Catindig to Cignal and Ivy Lacsina to Nxled.

Expect more to follow suit. — Joey Villar

ALEX Eala is off to a good start.

The Filipina tennis sensation entered the New Year with a new career-best ranking ahead of her first big competition next week.

From No. 190 to end 2023, Eala soared to No. 185 for the opening rankings of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) days before her much-awaited return in the Australian Open.

The mark surpassed her previous career-high placing at No. 189 last October after two straight pro titles in Europe.

“Starting the year with a new career-high,” said Ms. Eala, a graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy.

Out to pounce on the morale-boosting jump in the women’s pro circuit, Ms. Eala is in the thick of her preparations with a scheduled participation in Canberra International before the Australian Open in Melbourne starting on Monday. The 18-year-old ace earned a ticket in the qualifying draw last week with hopes of barging into the main competition after an early exit last year.

Ms. Eala, then a debutant in the Australian Open women’s singles after previously winning a juniors doubles title in 2020 with Indonesian pal Priska Madelyn Nugroho, bowed to Japan’s Misaki Doi in the opening round of the qualifiers.

At stake for Ms. Eala is a chance to slug it out against the likes of world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, world No. 2 and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, who headline the main draw slated on Jan. 14 to 28. Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, meanwhile is also in the qualifying draw. — John Bryan Ulanday

MERALCO aims to ring in the New Year with an all-important victory in the East Asia Super League (EASL) today against Jeremy Lin and New Taipei at the PhilSports Arena.

At 1-3, the Meralco Bolts lurk at the bottom of the standings in Group B but still within sight of a semifinal berth provided they sweep their last two assignments in pool play.

First order of business is beating “Linsanity” and the unbeaten Kings at 7 p.m. to stay alive. Do that and the Bolts will have much to play in their elims windup duel with Korea’s Seoul SK Knights on the road on Feb. 7.

The unbeaten Taiwanese club paces Group B with 2-0 with Korea’s Seoul SK Knights (2-2) and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings (2-2) ahead of fighting-for-life Meralco.

Aside from survival, Luigi Trillo’s charges will be driven by desire to get back at New Taipei after giving them a 97-92 loss on the road last month as well as picking up a first win on Philippine soil.

The Bolts fell short in their first home gig, 80-81 at the hands of the Knights last Wednesday in the same venue in Pasig. Their previous EASL breakthrough was posted in a home-away-from-home outing in Macau, 97-88 over Ryukyu in overtime last Dec. 13.

Imports Zach Lofton and Prince Ibeh and local aces Chris Newsome, Allein Maliksim Chris Banchero and Cliff Hodge are expected to anchor the Bolts’ home stand.

Apart from former NBA star Mr. Lin, who fired 25 points to go with seven assists the first time against Meralco, the Kings bank on import Kenny Manigault, who had 19-11-6 in the Taipei game, and Hayden Blankley, who chipped in 15 spiked by three triples.

Mr. Blankley is marking his Manila comeback after suiting up for the Bay Area Dragons that finished runner-up to Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup. The Australian sniper was best remembered for scoring 47 highlighted by 10 treys plus 10 boards in the Dragons’ 126-96 romp over Rain or Shine in the elims. — Olmin Leyba

Juergen Klopp’s team, who began the day level with Aston Villa on points, now have 45 from 20 games. Villa have 42 points while Manchester City, who have played one fewer game, are third on 40. Newcastle are ninth on 29.

“It was a sensational game from my team,” Mr. Klopp told BBC. “We started extremely lively. Super game. I loved so many aspects of the game bar the goals we conceded.

“Unbelievable atmosphere. Counter-pressing wise it was for football schools,” he added. “They have to watch that, take it and keep it. It was everything good.”

The 31-year-old Mr. Salah, who has 151 Premier League goals for Liverpool, changed his boots at halftime and the switch paid off handsomely. His two goals moved him even with City’s Erling Haaland as joint top scorers with 14 goals. He is the joint top on assists, level with Villa’s Ollie Watkins on eight.

Liverpool dominated the game, and Mr. Salah, who had fired a first-half penalty straight at goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, finally broke the deadlock in the 49^th minute when Darwin Nunez cut the ball across to the Egyptian for a close-range finish.

Alexander Isak scored against the run of play with Newcastle’s second shot of the game in the 54^th minute when he ran onto a through ball from Anthony Gordon and knocked it past keeper Alisson into the far corner.

However, Curtis Jones put the home side back in front in the 74^th minute with a tap-in after a pass across goal from Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo scored four minutes later.

Sven Botman pulled one back for Newcastle in the 81^st before Salah, who was playing his last game before departing for the African Cup of Nations, struck from the penalty spot after Jota had been fouled by Dubravka to seal the win in the 86^th.

“Crazy match. Both sides created chances,” Dubravka, 34, told Sky Sports. “I was there to try to help my team mates. Unfortunately they created so many chances and were clinical.”

Liverpool were on the front foot against Newcastle virtually from kickoff, and a superb display by keeper Dubravka kept the visitors in the game.

The hosts had 18 shots in the first half to Newcastle’s one, their most in the first half of a Premier League game since April 2016 against Everton.

Liverpool’s early chances were met by groans from the Anfield crowd, including Trent Alexander-Arnold’s strike following Salah’s missed penalty that he launched well over the crossbar.

Alexander-Arnold also had a long shot at a tight angle hit the far post.

But they finally found the net after the break and the floodgates opened.

“It’s a great result for us. The game was very intense and we managed to pick up three points and now we are top of the table. We need to stay calm and win every game,” Mr. Salah told Sky Sports.

“The players spoke in the dressing room (at halftime). ‘We have to stay calm’. I missed the pen. I didn’t want to leave for the national team with that performance.”

Newcastle have now lost four of their last five league matches and face champions Manchester City on Jan. 13 after their FA Cup third round meeting with fierce rivals Sunderland on Saturday.

“A lot happened. Action packed game. We’re disappointed with the way we defended,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.

Mr. Howe argued Mr. Salah’s second penalty, awarded when Dubravka dove in to stop Jota and the Liverpool player appeared to take two steps before stumbling, should not have stood.

“It shouldn’t be given. Martin has pulled his hand away. He’s had two steps before going down. For me it’s not a penalty,” Mr. Howe said. “We feel hard done by.” — Reuters

WITH one week remaining in the regular season, the Atlanta Falcons are down to a wing and a prayer when it comes to miniscule hopes for the playoffs.

And in what has become a recurring theme, the Falcons may need to switch quarterbacks when they visit the New Orleans Saints in Week 18.

The Falcons (7-9) suffered a 37-17 loss at the Chicago Bears on New Year’s Eve to fall into third place in the NFC South. Late in the game, starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke injured his left ankle and was replaced by Desmond Ridder.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith told reporters Monday that the team should “have a good idea by Friday” whether Mr. Heinicke will be able to play in the critical game at New Orleans.

“Obviously, he’s going to do everything he can to play,” Mr. Smith said of Mr. Heinicke. “We’ll have to monitor that. … I know Taylor. He’s going to put everything he can into trying to go.”

Mr. Ridder and Mr. Heinicke have swapped spots on the depth chart three times this season due to both injury and ineffectiveness. Mr. Heinicke is the more experienced of the two, but he tossed three interceptions and just one touchdown on 10-of-29 passing Sunday against the Bears.

Mr. Ridder completed three passes and threw one pick in relief of Heinicke. He has been turnover-prone all season, with 11 interceptions and six lost fumbles. Mr. Heinicke hurt his ankle in a Week 16 win over the Indianapolis Colts and was limited in practice throughout last week, meaning Mr. Ridder took plenty of reps in his place.

Mr. Smith, who has faced questions about his job security toward the end of his third season in Atlanta, has been dealt plenty of adversity at the most important position in football.

“It’s like a lot of things in life. What you can control and how you react to things and having plans is part of your job,” Mr. Smith said. “Obviously what you’re doing at that position, that’s why you always got to make sure everybody’s ready to go, because it’s real.”

With that in mind, the Falcons turn to their final division game of the season. They have only one path to reach the playoffs following Week 17 results.

Only if the Falcons beat the Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the cellar-dwelling Carolina Panthers could Atlanta sneak into the postseason. In that scenario, a three-way tie atop the division at 8-9 favors Atlanta. The Falcons have the tiebreaker by virtue of having the best head-to-head record against the other two clubs (3-1).

The Saints (8-8) have won three of their last four games, including a big 23-13 win at Tampa Bay last Sunday to keep their division hopes alive. Derek Carr threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-32 passing.

Ridder was the Falcons’ quarterback when they beat the Saints 24-15 on Nov. 26 in Atlanta. He threw for a touchdown and two interceptions, while Bijan Robinson had 91 rushing yards, 32 receiving yards and two scores in that one.

“Any time we play New Orleans, it’s a big deal,” Mr. Smith said. “Certainly this game’s got a lot on the line. I know that some of it’s out of our control, but again, that’s our own doing, right? To not control your own (destiny). But we gotta get ready to go and put everything we got and go beat New Orleans.” — Reuters

The Pacers and Bucks met yesterday for the first time since the Ballgate incident last month, and it was clear from the outset that they weren’t treating their fourth of five encounters for the season as simply any other game. True, claiming the series was on the minds of the blue and gold. And, true, staying near the top of East standings was paramount for the green and cream. That there was no love lost between them, however, ultimately made the set-to one of bragging rights — the best kind of motivation for players who have seen just about everything on the court.

When the battlesmoke cleared, Tyrese Haliburton deserved the game ball for yet another masterful performance that gave the Pacers the victory, and in front of a hostile crowd of 17,922 at the Fiserv Forum no less. Bent on making one last statement, though, he saw fit to hand the rock to referee Nick Buchert at the end of the match; never mind that teammates Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner seemed to want to take it with them. And he’s right; the rivalry needs to grow as a result of live-action developments, not of seeming pettiness.

If there’s anything the match showed, it’s that the Pacers may go only so far as Haliburton will take them, but he’s making sure they all do their part along the way. Six of them scored in double figures, the 19th time in their 2023-24 campaign that they managed the feat. And it’s no coincidence that they’re a heady 15-4 in the outings. Meanwhile, their much-maligned defense limited the vaunted Bucks to 44.1% shooting from the field. Damian Lillard proved particularly atrocious, making only three of 16 attempts.

The Bucks can still have the last laugh. They’re going up against the Pacers anew tomorrow in the second leg of a home-and-home affair. Unless they can replicate their effort last month, though, they will be hard-pressed to keep up with their high-octane opponents. They certainly cannot have their bench outscored 70 to 16, as it was yesterday. Else, the pressure to make up for the disparity would be too much for even Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard to bear.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

SAN MIGUEL BEER (SMB) coach Jorge Gallent said seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo will miss just one more game before his reactivation at the close of the elims and in time for the playoffs push.

“June Mar is coming back when we play Blackwater on Jan. 12,” Gallent said on CNN Philippines’ Sports Desk.

Mr. Fajardo has been out of commission since sustaining a metacarpal fracture in SMB’s 115-110 victory over Rain or Shine om Nov. 29. The injury, didn’t require surgery and the Cebuano just needed time for his left hand to heal.

With the 6-foot-10 Mr. Fajardo in sick bay, the Beermen lost two games then bounced back with three straight victories en route to a 6-3 win-loss card and a legit shot at a Top 4 position and the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

Mr. Fajardo will continue to sit out when SMB resumes its PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign Sunday against also-ran Terrafirma. His return five days later will be a big boost with the playoffs race heating up.

Mr. Gallent said the team expects Mr. Fajardo to have little problem getting back in form.

“When he got injured, he was always lifting weights so that he didn’t get out of shape, which is very good news for us,” he said.

Mr. Fajardo averaged 19.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3 assists in four outings prior to his sidelining. — Olmin Leyba

JAMES CONNER rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 32 seconds to play and the Arizona Cardinals stunned the host Philadelphia Eagles 35-31 to leave the National Football Conference (NFC) playoff picture in disarray.

Needing a stop to halt their December slide, the Eagles’ defense fell flat, allowing touchdowns on all four possessions with 29 second-half points and dropping out of first place in the NFC East.

With the Philadelphia (11-5) loss, the Cowboys (11-5) are in the driver’s seat in the division and the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Mr. Murray was rarely pressured after a first-half interception and completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards and three TDs.

James Conner had 26 carries for 128 yards and Greg Dortch caught a game-high seven passes for 82 yards. Murray hit Dortch for a 36-yard gain to the Eagles’ 5 and a first-and-goal with 41 ticks left.

If Dallas beats the Washington Commanders next week, the Cowboys win the division and host a playoff game in the first round. That result would send the Eagles on the road for a wild-card game.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles had only 275 total yards to Arizona’s 449. The Cardinals dominated time of possession behind Mr. Conner (39:39 to 20:21).

Mr. Hurts set the Eagles up for a go-ahead field goal with a short completion to Kenneth Gainwell to the Arizona 25. The Cardinals called timeout prior to Jake Elliott’s 43-yarder sailing through with 2:33 on the clock.

Mr. Murray had the Cardinals at the Arizona 43 at the two-minute warning and at Philadelphia’s 41 just 34 seconds later. Murray’s third touchdown pass of the second half, a 5-yard connection with Michael Wilson, tied the game at 28 with 5:26 remaining.

Arizona’s furious second-half comeback from a 21-6 deficit began with Mr. Murray’s 6-yard toss to running back Michael Carter before Mr. Murray and running back James Conner hooked up from 5 yards out just over six minutes later.

Mr. Wilson snagged the two-point pass from Mr. Murray to tie the game at 21. A sprint right away by Hurst from pressure on 3^rd-and-4 with 9:55 left in the game allowed tight end Dallas Goedert time to shake loose two steps into the endzone and a 28-21 Eagles’ lead.

Mr. Murray overthrew everyone in the Arizona route pattern with the Eagles ahead 7-3 in the second quarter.

Eagles safety Sydney Brown caught the third-down floater at the 1 and returned it 99 yards for a pick-6 and 14-3 Philadelphia lead.

Wide receiver Julio Jones caught the opening score from Mr. Hurts and tacked on another to give Philadelphia its 21-6 lead when he caught a dart from Hurts at the 6 and plowed through three closing defensive backs. It was Mr. Jones’ 14^th career two-TD game and first since October 2020. — Field Level Media

ZION WILLIAMSON and Brandon Ingram scored 26 points apiece to lead six double-figures scorers and the host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 129-109.

Mr. Ingram added eight assists, three steals and two blocked shots, and CJ McCollum collected 22 points and nine assists. Jonas Valanciunas and Herbert Jones had 13 points each, with Valanciunas chipping in eight boards, and Larry Nance Jr. had 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

LeBron James, completing a back-to-back the day after his 39^th birthday, scored a game-high 34 points with eight assists, Anthony Davis added 20 points and 10 rebounds, Austin Reaves scored 20 points and Taurean Prince had 15 points for the Lakers, who lost for the eighth time in 11 games since winning the in-season tournament.

The Lakers scored the first five points of the third quarter and Mr. James added a 3-pointer and another jumper to pull them within 78-67. Los Angeles got within 11 points three more times in the quarter before Jose Alvarado and Dyson Daniels each made a 3-pointer as New Orleans held a 104-89 lead at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Lakers again crept to within 11 points before Ingram made a jumper and a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 115-99. Los Angeles got within 12 points with 3:40 remaining, but the Pelicans scored the next 10 points to regain command.

In the first quarter, Mr. McCollum scored 15 points on five 3-pointers and added four assists as the Pelicans, who lost to the Lakers 133-89 in the in-season tournament semifinals on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas, raced to a 42-33 lead.

Mr. Williamson scored six points and New Orleans expanded the lead to 16 points early in the second quarter.

Mr. James converted a three-point play and made consecutive 3-pointers as Los Angeles closed within nine points.

The Pelicans increased the lead to as much as 19 points before finishing the half with a 74-57 lead. — Field Level Media

“Only once in a century does one host Olympic and Paralympic Games, only once in a millennium does one rebuild a cathedral,” Mr. Macron said. “2024, a year of determination, choices, recovery, pride. In fact, a year of hope.”

He spoke in a televised address ahead of New Year celebrations during which around 90,000 police and 5,000 soldiers will be deployed to ensure security and address what the government called a “very high” terrorist threat.

France will continue to “re-arm” itself when it comes to security matters, but also boost public education and social cohesion, Mr. Macron said.

He sought to cheer up the French after a year marked by wars and crises abroad as well as protests over an unpopular pension reform and street violence following the police killing of a teenager at a Paris traffic stop.

According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, over 800,000 people took to the Champs Elysees boulevard to greet the new year in a mass party with an Olympics theme.

They watched a stunning video show on the Arc de Triomphe celebrating France’s current and past sports stars ahead of midnight fireworks that lasted 10 minutes. Some 69 people have been arrested countrywide, around 40 of which were in Paris as authorities so far only reported minor security-related incidents. — Reuters

LAMAR JACKSON passed for 321 yards and matched his career high of five touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the American Football Conference (AFC) with a 56-19 dismantling of the visiting Miami Dolphins.

Isaiah Likely caught two touchdowns and Zay Flowers (106 receiving yards), Justice Hill, Patrick Ricard and Charlie Kolar each had one scoring catch for the Ravens (13-3).

Gus Edwards and Melvin Gordon III each rushed for a score for Baltimore, which has won six straight games and 10 of 11.

Roquan Smith and Geno Stone had interceptions for the Ravens, who have won eight games by 14 or more points this season.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 22 of 38 passes for 237 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Miami (11-5) but sustained an injury to his left (throwing) shoulder.

He was injured while sliding during a scramble with 7:55 left and missed the rest of the contest.

De’Von Achane rushed 107 yards and caught a touchdown pass for the Dolphins. Cedrick Wilson Jr. also had a touchdown grab and Tyreek Hill had six receptions for 76 yards.

Miami star linebacker Bradley Chubb was carted off with a potentially serious knee injury with 3:05 remaining. The Dolphins played without running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) and wideout Jaylen Waddle (ankle).

Standout safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) sat out for the Ravens.

Mr. Jackson passed for 255 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as the Ravens built a 28-13 advantage.

Miami had struck first on Mr. Tagovailoa’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Wilson four minutes into the contest.

Baltimore answered on Mr. Jackson’s 20-yard scoring toss to Justice Hill with 6:39 left in the opening quarter.

The Dolphins had to settle for Jason Sanders’ 27-yard field goal three minutes later when a wide-open Hill failed to haul in a pass in the end zone.

Baltimore took the lead for good on a 1-yard run by Edwards with 6:56 left in the first half. Mr. Sanders hit a 38-yard field goal to bring Miami within 14-13 with 3:10 left in the half.

The Ravens scored on the next offensive play as Flowers went in motion to the right and wasn’t covered. He caught the ball around the Miami 35-yard line and broke two tackles while completing a 75-yard touchdown play. Later in the half, Likely made a one-handed grab of a fourth-down Mr. Jackson pass and turned it into a 35-yard touchdown with 1:24 left for the 15-point halftime advantage.

Early in the third quarter, Likely caught a 7-yard scoring pass to boost the Ravens’ lead to 35-13 with 13:29 left in the period. Miami moved within 16 on Tagovailoa’s 1-yard scoring pass to Achane with 13:57 left in the game.

Mr. Jackson threw TD pass No. 5 with 9:38 remaining in the game, hitting Ricard on a 3-yarder, to make it 42-19 and Baltimore finished off the rout. — Field Level Media

BRISBANE, Jan 1 — Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka looked solid on her return to elite tennis after 15 months out as she beat Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-3 7-6(9) in the first round of the Brisbane International.

The 26-year-old from Japan last competed on tour at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2022 and had her first child, daughter Shai, in July before stepping up her preparations for the Jan. 14-28 Australian Open.

Ms. Osaka displayed no signs of rust to break Ms. Korpatsch to love in her first game back and the former world number one turned up the heat again towards the end of the opening set to close it out in 38 minutes with a sizzling forehand winner.

Twice Melbourne Park champion Ms. Osaka dropped serve for a second time late in the next set to squander her advantage but continued her clean ball-striking in the fiercely contested tiebreak to secure the victory.

Up next for Ms. Osaka is a clash with former world number one Karolina Pliskova, who received a bye into the second round. — Reuters

KEVIN DURANT recorded 31 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals to help the Phoenix Suns post a 112-107 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic.

Bradley Beal scored a season-best 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting as Phoenix won its third straight game. Devin Booker had 21 points and three steals, Jusuf Nurkic added 19 points and 13 rebounds and Grayson Allen tallied 10 points for the Suns.

It was just the fourth occasion that the Suns’ big three of Mr. Booker, Mr. Durant and Mr. Beal all played in the same game this season. They combined for 77 points.

Paolo Banchero registered 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Orlando, which lost the opener of a four-game road trip. Franz Wagner had 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Wendell Carter, Jr. scored a season-high 17 points and Cole Anthony had 13 points for the Magic.

After Mr. Wagner hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 99 with 7:55 left in the game, Orlando scored just three points over the next 6:45.

Phoenix shot 50 percent from the field, including 8 of 27 from 3-point range. The Suns committed just six turnovers.

Orlando connected on 46.7% of its field-goal attempts and made 12 of 37 shots from behind the arc.

The Magic inched ahead at 96-95 on a 3-pointer by Gary Harris with 9:26 left before the Suns put the game away with a 17-6 run.

Mr. Durant’s 3-pointer with 5:54 left started a string of nine straight Phoenix points that made it 112-102.

Mr. Nurkic capped the run with an inside basket with 1:56 to play.

Earlier, Booker drained a 3-pointer to cap a 12-2 burst and give the Suns a 79-64 lead with 8:35 left in the third quarter.

Orlando responded by scoring 23 of the next 31 points and tied the game at 87 on Mr. Banchero’s layup with 14.8 seconds left. Mr. Beal buried a buzzer-beating jumper to give Phoenix an 89-87 edge entering the final stanza.

Mr. Booker scored 16 first-half points as the Suns held a 67-58 lead at the break. Banchero had 13 in the half for Orlando.

Phoenix led by as many as 16 points in the opening quarter before taking a 37-24 advantage into the second. Mr. Carter scored 12 points in the second quarter as Orlando cut into the Suns’ lead. — Field Level Media