INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — John Collins tipped in a missed shot with less than a second left to give the Atlanta Hawks a 113-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Two Georgia players, tight end Darnell Washington and defensive back Kelee Ringo, are headed to the NFL draft after helping the Bulldogs win their second straight national title. Both made the expected announcements on their Instagram accounts. Washington is a massive tight end (6-foot-7, 270 pounds) who teamed with Brock Bowers to give Georgia a dominant 1-2 punch at the often-overlooked position.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Jimmye Laycock’s first thought during those initial chilling moments went to Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who collapsed on the field in Cincinnati last week. The former William & Mary coach’s second thought, upon seeing teary-eyed players’ reactions, then turned to Sean McDermott, the Bills coach and his former player. If anyone was capable of navigating a team through the rough, emotional waters, Laycock knew it was McDermott.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic received a warm and enthusiastic welcome in his return to Melbourne during an exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios on Friday. Djokovic was deported ahead of last year's Australian Open because of a visa issue relating to his refusal to say whether he had been vaccinated for COVID-19. But the nine-time Australian Open champion was allowed to return for this year's tournament beginning Monday because vaccination requirements have been dropped by the Australian government.

BOONE, N.C (AP) — Jalen Finch made a layup at the buzzer, Andrei Savrasov scored 21 points and Georgia Southern defeated Appalachian State 67-65 on Thursday night. Finch had the ball at the top of the arc, split two defenders and swooped in for a long layup off the glass as time expired. Savrasov also added 11 rebounds for the Eagles (11-7, 4-1 Sun Belt Conference). Finch scored 14 points while shooting 6 for 13, including 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. Tyren Moore recorded 14 points and shot 4 for 11 (3 for 9 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free throw line.

ATLANTA (AP) — Kieffer Punter had 16 points in Troy's 65-53 win over Georgia State on Thursday night. Punter was 6 of 13 shooting (3 for 6 from distance) for the Trojans (12-6, 4-1 Sun Belt Conference). Zay Williams added 12 points while finishing 6 of 8 from the floor, and he also had five rebounds and three blocks. Darius McNeill was 3 of 7 shooting and 4 of 4 from the free throw line to finish with 10 points.

KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Terrell Burden scored 20 points to help Kennesaw State defeat Jacksonville 81-68 on Thursday night. Burden shot 6 for 9 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free throw line for the Owls (12-6, 4-1 Atlantic Sun Conference). Chris Youngblood scored 17 points, shooting 6 for 7, including 5 for 6 from beyond the arc. Demond Robinson recorded 15 points and shot 6 of 10 from the field and 3 for 5 from the line.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Harvick received the same answer nearly every time he asked another athlete how they decided to retire: Harvick would just know it was time. The driver thrust onto the global stage when he was named Dale Earnhardt's replacement just days after Earnhardt's fatal 2001 crash will make this 23rd season his last in NASCAR. The 2014 Cup champion heads into his final year tied for ninth on NASCAR's all-time wins list with 60 career victories, 13 consecutive playoff appearances and he's one of the final active drivers from the sport's halcyon days.

ATLANTA (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored 27 points, Brook Lopez had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Atlanta Hawks 114-105 on Wednesday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo added seven points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, and Bobby Portis II had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Milwaukee has won four of five. “We’re resilient," Holiday said. “We don’t like to lose. I think close games like that — not that we enjoy those moments — but we do think they’re teaching moments where can kind of close out games and use all that and everything we did tonight in the future.''

MACON, Ga. (AP) — Marcus Foster scored 25 points as Furman beat Mercer 84-66 on Wednesday night. Foster had seven rebounds for the Paladins (13-5, 4-1 Southern Conference). Mike Bothwell scored 17 points while shooting 7 of 12 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line. Jalen Slawson recorded 15 points and was 6 of 9 shooting and 2 of 3 from the free throw line.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Terry Roberts scored 16 points, Braelen Bridges had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Georgia beat Mississippi State 58-50 on Wednesday night to extend its home winning streak to 10 games. Georgia (12-4, 2-1 SEC) has doubled its Southeastern Conference win total from last season when the Bulldogs lost 17 games in conference. Georgia guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim secured a key rebound after Mississippi State nearly tied it at 48-all on a 3-pointer with 1:30 to play. Abdur-Rahim was fouled on the rebound and made two free throws to extend Georgia’s lead to 50-45.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills safety Damar Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday, more than a week after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati, after his doctors said they completed a series of tests. A news release from the Bills quoted Dr. Jamie Nadler as saying: “We have completed a series of tests and evaluation and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged.” Nadler said Hamlin will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Dane Goodwin scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Nate Laszewski made a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left in overtime to get Notre Dame past Georgia Tech 73-72 on Tuesday night. Kyle Sturdivant scored five points in the extra period for Georgia Tech, but he missed a 3 and Javon Franklin a jumper inside in the final five seconds. Goodwin and Trey Wertz each made 3-pointers for the Fighting Irish in the extra period.

Kirby Smart has spent the past 16 years coaching at the top two powerhouses of this era in college football, so he already knew the question on everybody's mind the morning after his Georgia Bulldogs won their second straight College Football Playoff championship game. “I really don’t want to talk about three,” Smart said Tuesday in a Los Angeles hotel ballroom shortly before the Bulldogs flew home.

Stetson Bennett has a new world of doubters to disprove. After winning a second consecutive national championship at Georgia, the 25-year-old quarterback is now facing questions about his NFL draft qualifications. Bennett (5-11, 190) is seen as undersized and lacking elite arm strength —the same questions he faced when he walked on at Georgia in 2017. After leaving for junior college and returning to win back-to-back titles, including Monday night's 65-7 rout of Texas Christian University, Bennett is being excluded from the list of top quarterback prospects in the April NFL draft.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — When Georgia cornerback Javon Bullard left Texas Christian University wide receiver Derius Davis all alone for a 60-yard catch in the first quarter, it seemed as if the Bulldogs’ secondary was in for another long night. Instead, led by Bullard’s standout performance that earned him defensive most valuable player honors, the defensive backs for Georgia smothered quarterback Max Duggan, wide receiver Quentin Johnston and the Horned Frog's high-octane passing game on Monday night.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Georgia was No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, becoming the 12th back-to-back national champion in the history of the rankings after routing Texas Christian University on Monday night. The Horned Frogs were No. 2, their best final rankings since the 2010 season. Michigan was No. 3, followed by Ohio State and Alabama. Georgia received all 63 first-place votes in the poll.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stetson Bennett flashed a wry grin as he walked off the field, stopping to hug coach Kirby Smart as the crowd roared. It was all standing ovations and sideline snacks in the fourth quarter of college football’s most lopsided title game.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Texas Christian University's dream run turned into a nightmare Monday night. All of the strengths that helped carry Texas Christian to the College Football Playoff championship game were quickly taken away by Georgia in a 65-7 loss in Inglewood, Calif. Quarterback Max Duggan was under pressure most of the night, the defense was unable to keep the Bulldogs out of the end zone in the first half and three first-half turnovers contributed to Georgia opening a 38-7 lead at halftime.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills safety Damar Hamlin said he returned to Buffalo on Monday “with a lot of love on my heart” to continue his recovery in a hospital there, a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati. Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to western New York. He was listed in stable condition at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute. “I can confirm that he is doing well. And this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery,” said Dr. William Knight, one of his doctors in Cincinnati.

ATLANTA (AP) — Arthur Smith saw a glimpse of the Atlanta Falcons' future, with an offense featuring rookies Desmond Ridder, Tyler Allgeier and Drake London. That vision gave Smith, the Falcons' second-year coach, confidence that this year's 7-10 finish provides far more hope than his debut season, when Atlanta finished with the same record. “It's a much different year,” Smith said after Sunday's 30-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees announced his retirement on Monday, one day after completing his second season with the team. Pees, 73, is ending a 50-year career in football. He previously coached 16 years in the National Football League, including a combined 12 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee (2018-19), Baltimore (2012-17) and New England (2006-09).

ATLANTA (AP) — Greg Beadles was named Atlanta Falcons president Monday as part of several changes in team owner Arthur Blank's family business management team. Longtime Falcons executive Rich McKay, who was hired by Blank as general manager in 2004 and was named team president in 2011, has been named CEO of the Falcons and Blank's Sports and Entertainment portfolio, which also includes the MLS' Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The NFL's Week 18 saved its best drama for the final game of the weekend. The Detroit Lions — eliminated from playoff contention earlier Sunday when the Seahawks beat the Rams — pushed past their disappointment and played the role of a spoiler, rallying to beat Green Bay 20-16 on Sunday night. The win denied quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers a spot in the postseason. Instead of Green Bay, it's the Seahawks who will be the No. 7 seed in the NFC. They'll travel to face division rival San Francisco in next weekend's wild-card round.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trae Young scored 30 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Clippers 112-108 on Sunday night, sending reeling Los Angeles to its season-worst sixth-straight loss. De’Andre Hunter added 20 points for the Hawks, who blew a 17-point, first-half lead before rallying from 11 points down in the fourth to pull out the win. “We just got to keep building on it. We can't take no steps back,” Hunter said.