Alabama's national championship hopes came down to fourth-and-31 with a loss and some less dramatic close calls along the way. The Georgia Bulldogs, two-time defending champs, are still No. 1 and had a much less treacherous path to the Southeastern Conference Championship Game meeting of powerhouses Saturday in Atlanta despite some key injuries.

ATLANTA (AP) — The New Orleans Saints spent time during their bye week working on their red zone offense. That work did not pay off Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints managed to get inside the Falcons 40 on eight possessions, but those resulted in just five field goals, two turnovers and a missed field goal during a 24-15 loss.

ATLANTA (AP) — Kendall Milton ran for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns and No. 1 Georgia held off Georgia Tech 31-23 on Saturday night to cap its third consecutive undefeated regular season with its sixth straight victory in the state rivalry.

BOONE, N.C. (AP) — Joey Aguilar threw four touchdown passes and Appalachian State blew past Georgia Southern 55-27 on Saturday, clinching a berth in the Sun Belt Championship in the process.

MACON, Ga. (AP) — Quarterback Carter Peevy ran for two touchdowns in the second quarter and the Mercer defense made that stand up for a 17-7 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday in the Bears' first-ever game in the FCS playoffs.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Grant Wilson ran three yards for the go-ahead touchdown as time expired to cap a furious, 12—0 rally in the final four minutes as Old Dominion edged Georgia State 25-24 on Saturday afternoon.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trae Young had 26 points and 10 assists and the Atlanta Hawks handed the Washington Wizards their ninth consecutive loss, 136-108 on Saturday night.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Noah Thomasson had 24 points, Justin Hill scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half and Georgia beat Winthrop 78-69 on Friday night. Georgia led 55-41 with 12:39 remaining after a 3-pointer by Hill, but Winthrop scored 12 of the next 14 points to get within four points.

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored a season-high 43 points, including 14 in overtime, and the Atlanta Hawks outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 147-145 on Wednesday in their second shootout in two nights.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Toneari Lane scored 23 points as Georgia State beat Little Rock 93-90 in overtime on Wednesday. Lane added seven rebounds for the Panthers (3-2). Jay'Den Turner scored 16 points and added eight rebounds. Lucas Taylor had 13 points and shot 5 for 18, including 1 for 6 from beyond the arc.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Viktor Lakhin scored 15 points and John Newman III scored 12 points and Cincinnati routed Georgia Tech 89-54 on Wednesday night.

No. 1 Georgia will be playing to wrap up its third consecutive unbeaten regular season when it plays rival Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs will try to extend their school-record, 28-game winning streak …

ATLANTA (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 37 points, Buddy Hield hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute and the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 on Tuesday night to clinch a spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Bobby Pettiford Jr. knocked down a half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer to give East Carolina an 85-84 victory over Kennesaw State on Tuesday night. Pettiford dribbled the floor and then heaved the game winner from near the logo.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Quentin Diboundje scored 27 points as East Carolina beat Georgia Southern 82-64 on Monday night at the TowneBank Holiday Classic hosted by the Pirates. RJ Felton scored 19 points and added eight rebounds for the Pirates (3-2).

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Demond Robinson hit the game-winning jumper in the final second and Terrell Burden scored 24 points as Kennesaw State beat Northeastern 79-77 on Monday at the Townebank Holiday Classic hosted by East Carolina. Robinson scored 15 points and added eight rebounds for the Owls (4-1). RJ Johnson finished with 12 points.

ATLANTA (AP) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was awarded the 2024 Copa América opener and South Florida's Hard Rock Stadium will host the final of the tournament, held outside of its home continent for only the second time. A joint announcement was made Monday by soccer's governing bodies of South America and of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Other sites and the schedule for the 16-team tournament were not revealed.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons returned from their bye facing a must-win game against NFC South rival New Orleans. Coach Arthur Smith says Desmond Ridder gives the Falcons their best chance to win on Sunday and for the remainder of the season.

ATLANTA (AP) — While keeping up their search for starting pitching, the Atlanta Braves added another reliever to their bullpen Monday by agreeing to $30 million, three-year contract with right-hander Reynaldo López. The deal calls for López to make $4 million in 2024 and $11 million in the next two seasons. There is an $8 million club option for 2027, with a $4 million buyout.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Frankquon Sherman's 21 points helped Kennesaw State defeat Georgia Southern 96-92 on Sunday night at the Pirate Classic. Sherman had five rebounds for the Owls (3-1). Simeon Cottle scored 17 points and added five steals.

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Devin Carter and Josh Oduro scored 19 points each and Providence defeated Georgia 71-64 on Sunday at the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship. The Friars led for most of the second half, but the lead was only two points when Georgia's Noah Thomasson went to the line with 48 seconds remaining. He missed the first and made the second, then Providence sealed the win by going 4-for-4 from the line.

ATLANTA (AP) — Toneari Lane had 23 points in Georgia State's 88-77 victory over Little Rock on Sunday. Lane was 7 of 18 shooting, including 6 for 16 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line for the Panthers (2-2).

Haynes King threw two touchdown passes and added a 19-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter as Georgia Tech stopped Syracuse’s comeback to beat the Orange 31-22 on Saturday night and become bowl-eligible for the first time in five years.

Carson Beck threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 1 Georgia to a 38-10 win over No. 21 Tennessee on Saturday night.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves acquired left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer in a multiplayer trade with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night. The Braves sent pitchers Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster and Riley Gowens, along with infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake, to the White Sox. The move creates some room on Atlanta's 40-man roster early in the offseason.