The Sportsletter - 🏀 Mid-Week Ball: 50-Feet & 30 Points

BY JEFF YODER

JAN. 8, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

It’s the final day before five straight nights (eight total games) of playoff football in college and the NFL. It was only fitting that basketball stole today’s edition. Pure chaos on hardwoods across America last night. A 50-foot game-winner (NBA) and a No. 1 upset (college) are the top stories. There were multiple submissions for dunk of the year, too.

Plus, we got our first look at the TGL, and a sixth NFL head coaching job just opened. Stay tuned for the CFP Final Four kickoff tomorrow.

Letter Rip!

NBA

🧊 Ice Trae... From 50 Feet! 🤯

Photo: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images

Hawks’ Trae Young Caps 20-20 Game With Unbelievable Half-Court Game-Winner

They call him “Ice Trae” for a reason, but this thing was liquid... Splash! Atlanta Hawks’ guard Trae Young notched the shot of the year in the NBA last night. Young buried a ridiculous half-court buzzer-beater to beat the Jazz (124-121) and steal the show in a busy night of NBA action. He finished the night with 24 points and 20 assists. That’s the fourth 20-20 game of Young's career, good for the sixth-most all-time in NBA history. Russell Westbrook (7) is the only active player with more 20-20 (assist) games. If you watch one highlight today, look no further. Nothing but net, too.

🚨 Watch: Trae Young Hits 50-Foot Game-Winner

NBA Notes & Highlights

Hornets def. Suns (115-104)

LaMelo Ball (32-10-7), CHA Snaps 10-Gm Skid

Celtics def. Nuggets (118-106)

Porzingis (25-11-3-2-1) Overpowers DEN

Mavericks def. Lakers (118-97)

DAL Dominates Without Luka or Kyrie

T-Wolves def. Pelicans (104-97)

ANT (32 pts) Spoils Zion’s Return (22 pts)

🎥 Bonus Highlights

LeBron's Crazy Left-Handed Dunk

Zion Williamson’s 360 Jam

🗓️ Must-See Battle of Win Streaks (Tonight)

Thunder at Cavaliers (7:00 pm ET, ESPN)

The top two teams in the NBA face off tonight when the Thunder (30-5) take on the Cavaliers (31-4). It’s the first time in 25 years two teams with double-digit win streaks go head-to-head. Oklahoma City has won 15 straight. Cleveland has won 10 in a row.

NCAA

Chomp Romp in the Swamp 🐊

Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images

No. 8 Florida Thrashes No. 1 Tennessee… BY 30 POINTS! (73-43)

We all know the "Rocky Top" song, but sometimes it gets rocky at the top. No. 1 teams get upset all the time, but this? I’m not even sure what you call this. Sports seemingly entered a parallel universe in 2025. Just one week after college football’s No. 1 and last undefeated team (Oregon) was smoked by 20 points, the No. 1 team in college basketball suffered the same fate. Tennessee went into Gainesville last night and got absolutely thrashed by No. 8 Florida (73-43). The Gators clamped down early and never let up, holding the Vols to an abysmal 14 percent 3-point shooting night. Alijah Martin led Florida with 18 points, and I don't think any team could survive the swamp right now.

Volun-Tears: Despite being No. 1 in the land, Tuesday’s result marked Tennessee’s largest loss in over 20 years (2004).

Watch: #8 Florida Obliterates #1 Tennessee (73-43)

Top-10 Men's NCAA Highlights

#2 Auburn def. Texas (87-82)

#3 Iowa State def. Utah (82-59)

#4 Duke def. Pittsburgh (76-47)

🚨 Georgia Upsets #6 Kentucky (82-69)

#7 Marquette def. Georgetown (74-66)

Bonus: Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg’s Poster Dunk

NFL

Desert Storm: Vegas Folds on AP

Photo: Ian Maule / Getty Images

Raiders Fire Head Coach Antonio Pierce After 1.5 Seasons (26 Games)

Antonio Pierce felt like the embodiment of the Raiders franchise. He was a gritty, resilient former linebacker who grew up a fan of the black and silver. He was part of the franchise's family, but he never had a quarterback. The Raiders fired Pierce on Tuesday after a 4-13 season, opening the sixth head coaching vacancy in the NFL. Pierce took over as the interim head coach in the middle of the 2023 season. He finished 9-17 overall. His record was an even .500 (7-7) before the team’s recent 10-game losing streak (Oct. 6-Dec. 16).

Desert Storm: The Raiders will now search for their fifth head coach since relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020 (Gruden, Bisaccia, McDaniels and Pierce). New minority owner Tom Brady is now fully involved in the organization’s search for its next boss, and likely a quarterback, too.

Sporting News: 6 Best Raiders Coaching Candidates to Replace Antonio Pierce

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

⚽️ EFL Cup (Semifinal)

Newcastle def. Arsenal (2-0)

Gunners Out-Shoot Newcastle 23-7 & Still Lose 1st Leg

⛳️ TGL

The Bay def. New York (9-2)

Ludvig Aberg Birdies, Shane Lowry Closes to Win 1st Ever TGL Match

🏒 NHL

Oilers def. Bruins (4-0)

Stars def. Rangers (5-4, OT)

Lightning def. Hurricanes (3-2)

Maple Leafs def. Flyers (3-2)

Wild def. Blues (6-4)

Golden Knights def. Sharks (4-2)

🏒 Full NHL Scoreboard

STORYLINES

🏈 10 Must-See Plays of the NFL Season

The 2024 NFL season featured many jaw-dropping moments. There was a field goal not seen in 50 years, a Hail Mary walk-off touchdown, and a backwards hurdle so unique it was implemented in Madden. (FOX Sports)

⚾️ 2025 MLB Franchise Temperatures

Is your favorite MLB franchise getting hotter or colder? Or is it stuck in the tepid middle? Assigning a temperature to each club serves as a state-of-the-organization snapshot. How hot or cold is your team? (ESPN+)

🏒 New Year NHL Power Rankings

Every team has something it can work on in 2025 as we reach the midway point of the regular season. Here are New Year’s resolutions for each team as the Golden Knights take over the top spot. (CBS Sports)

NEWS 📰

🏈 Titans Fire GM Ran Carthon, Brian Callahan to Remain Head Coach (ESPN)

🏈 Bears to Interview Mike Vrabel for Head Coaching Job on Wednesday (NBC Sports)

🏀 Heat Receiving Underwhelming Offers for Jimmy Butler Trade (CBS Sports)

⚽️ Neymar Teases Possible Reunion With Lionel Messi at Inter Miami (SI)

🏀 UConn Star Paige Bueckers to Miss Time With Sprained Knee (B/R)

🏈 Lions Expect to Have RB David Montgomery Back for Playoff Game (Yahoo! Sports)

⚽️ Emma Hayes Names 26-Player USWNT Roster for January Camp (CBS Sports)

SCHEDULE 🗓️

Tonight's Must-Watch List

🏀 NBA

Thunder at Cavaliers (7:00 pm ET, ESPN)