>The Latest on the NFL’s 15th Sunday of the regular season (all times Eastern):11:55 p.m.Dallas kept its playoff hopes alive by the slimmest of margins after Dak Prescott converted a fourth-down sneak by the width of an index card in a 20-17 win over the Oakland Raiders.The fourth-down conversion set up Dan Bailey’s go-ahead 19-yard field goal. Dallas then held on when Derek Carr fumbled the ball inches from the goal line Odell Beckham Jr Giants Jersey , giving the Cowboys a game-clinching touchback with 31 seconds left.On Prescott’s fourth-down sneak, referee Gene Steratore called for the chains to come out, but even that wasn’t enough. He then tried to slide what appeared to be an index card between the tip of the ball and the end of the chain. When the card didn’t slide through, Steratore gave Dallas (8-6) a first down.The Raiders fell to 6-8, all but ending their playoff hopes.8:30 p.m.Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat during the national anthem before Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, as he has done routinely this season.That brought to 18 the number of NFL players The Associated Press observed protesting during the anthem this week. The players who protested Sunday have been doing so for most of the season.Ten Seattle Seahawks players either knelt or sat for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Three San Francisco 49ers also knelt ahead of their home game with Tennessee.Three players protested during early games.Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began sitting and later kneeling during the national anthem last season to protest racial injustice.7:23 p.m.New England rallied to beat Pittsburgh 27-24 on the road in a thrilling matchup of the AFC’s top two teams, while the Los Angeles Rams throttled Seattle 42-7 to take control of the NFC West.Tom Brady drove the Patriots 77 yards in just five plays, and Dion Lewis scored from eight yards out to put New England ahead with just 56 seconds left. The Steelers reached the Patriots 7-yard line before Duron Harmon’s interception sealed the win for New England .The Patriots can now clinch home-field advantage by winning their last two games.The Rams had much less drama with Seattle, racing out to a 34-0 halftime lead and cruising to a five-touchdown win.6:02 p.m.The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to protect their lead over the New England Patriots without wide receiver Antonio Brown.The NFL’s leading receiver left in the second quarter with a left calf injury. The team says Brown was taken to the hospital for further evaluation and will not return.Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to Eli Rogers and Martavis Bryant as the Steelers took their first lead over the Patriots since 2011.Pittsburgh held the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the first half, keeping Tom Brady and the New England offense on the sideline for long stretches.鈥擶ill Graves reporting from Pittsburgh5:40 p.m.The Los Angeles Rams are dethroning the Seattle Seahawks from the top of the NFC West in emphatic fashion.The Rams lead 34-0 at halftime after a thoroughly dominating the Seahawks in the first half. Todd Gurley has rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, including a 57-yard run on third-and-20 in the final minute of the first half as scored completely untouched .The Seahawks left the field at halftime to the sound of boos after the ugliest first half in Pete Carroll’s tenure.The 34 points were the most allowed in a first half by a Carroll-coached Seattle team. It’s also the biggest home deficit for the Seahawks since Carroll’s first season in 2010 www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/saquon-barkley-jersey , when they trailed the Giants 35-0 at halftime on their way to a 41-7 loss.The Rams can’t clinch the division with a victory. But they would have a two-game lead with two games remaining.鈥?Tim Booth reporting from Seattle.5:25 p.m.The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to find out what they can do without wide receiver Antonio Brown.The NFL’s leading receiver left their showdown with New England in the second quarter with a left leg injury. Brown was attempting to haul in a pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the end zone when the leg got caught between two New England defenders. Brown didn’t put any weight on the leg leaving the field and went to the locker room for further evaluation with the game tied at 10-all.鈥擶ill Graves reporting from Pittsburgh4:40 p.m.Nick Foles threw for four touchdowns to help the Eagles beat the Giants 34-29 and remain one game ahead of the Vikings, who throttled Cincinnati 34-7 to win the NFC North, in the battle for home-field advantage.Cam Newton threw four TD passes and Carolina beat Green Bay 31-24 in Aaron Rodgers’ return. Rodgers had three touchdown passes but three interceptions.The Saints held off the Jets 31-19 to keep pace with the Panthers in the NFC South.The Jacksonville Jaguars are returning to the playoffs for the first time in a decade thanks to a 45-7 drubbing of rival Houston.The Redskins, Bills and Ravens also won on Sunday. Baltimore beat Cleveland 27-10, leaving the woeful Browns just two losses away from a 0-16 season.4:30 p.m.Ten Seattle Seahawks players knelt or sat for the national anthem before their home game against the Rams, among 17 players protesting this week.Defensive players Michael Bennett, Dion Jordan, Sheldon Richardson, Marcus Smith, Quinton Jefferson, Jarran Reed Josh Allen Jersey , Frank Clark, Paul Dawson and Branden Jackson sat during the anthem, while offensive tackle Duane Brown knelt. No Rams players sat or knelt, but defensive end Robert Quinn had his fist raised during the anthem.San Francisco safety Eric Reid, linebacker Eli Harold and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin knelt for the anthem ahead of their home game with Tennessee.Three players protested during the early games.鈥?Tim Booth reporting from Seattle and Janie McCauley reporting from Santa Clara, California3:35 p.m.Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has taken the field in a game for the fi
A week from now, the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic will be in the early stages of reviewing how their seasons turned south.
On Friday, the teams will get together trying to get a win when Charlotte visits Orlando.
Charlotte (34-45) is concluding its second consecutive losing season since winning 48 games in 2015-16. The Hornets must win out to surpass last season’s win total.
Inconsistency has plagued the Hornets for most of the season. They are on a four-game losing streak after winning their previous four. It is their fifth losing streak of at least four games this season.
The Hornets will likely get a new general manager in the coming days. Rich Cho was fired Feb. 20 when the team was 24-33 and the team is working on an agreement with former Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, who holds four championships and like owner Michael Jordan played collegiately at North Carolina.
One thing any new GM will enjoy is Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker’s production, though the guard is struggling recently.
Howard owns the team record previously held by Larry Johnson in 1992-93 after posting his 50th double-double with 23 points and 17 rebounds in Tuesday’s 120-114 loss at Chicago. He has seven straight double-doubles and the Hornets are 25-25 when Howard gets double figures in points and rebounds.
“I do think — and he knows this — he’s still got a lot left,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford told the team’s website last month. “You can see it physically. For him to get the respect that he wants and deserves Michael Gallup Jersey , he’s going to have to be on a team that plays well.
“Ultimately, it comes down to that. I know that he wants to go out on a high note and there’s a lot of things for players that are outside of what they can be accountable for. I think for him, that’s what everybody’s looking for.”
Walker scored nine points Tuesday, marking a season-high third straight game with fewer than 20 points. Since his 46-point game on March 22 against Memphis, Walker is averaging 17 points, shooting 43.4 percent and making 28.9 percent of 3-pointers.
Orlando (24-54) is concluding a fifth 50-loss season in the last six years since trading Howard in 2012. The Magic are 16-50 since opening the season with eight wins in 12 games.
Orlando is attempting to get a season-high three straight wins for the third time. The Magic also won three straight Oct. 21-27 and Feb. 5-8.
Orlando completed a successful back-to-back set by posting a 105-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. After rolling to a 97-73 win in New York, the Magic did enough to win despite shooting 27.6 percent from 3-point range.
Orlando is among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. Since making 18 in a win over Milwaukee on March 14, the Magic are shooting 28.5 percent (82 of 287) from long range in their last nine games.
Aaron Gordon rebounded from a 3-of-15 showing by scoring 20 points on 8 of 16 from the field Wednesday. Before then, he was shooting 30.6 percent in his previous four games.
“It was an important night for him because he’s had a tough couple of games lately and we’ve been talking one-on-one about getting him going, taking the right shots and playing within himself more and letting the game come to him rather than forcing,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “He did a great job with that tonight and as a result Tony Romo Cowboys Jersey , shot a high percentage.”
The story for Orlando on Wednesday was how some players who were in the G League performed.
Jamel Artis scored 18 points after getting 16 in New York. Along with Khem Birch and Rodney Purvis, the trio scored 16 of Orlando’s 28 points in the fourth.
They will likely see more time, especially if Nikola Vucevic rests like he did Wednesday.
“We do have a lot of chemistry because we’ve all been playing in the G League together,” Artis told reporters. “Down in crunch time, we know what each other’s tendencies are, and we like to play together. We’re not selfish and we’re all unselfish. We ended out the game and I think that (unselfishness) helped us get the win.”
Charlotte has won the last 10 meetings since Dec. 16, 2015.
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