Smith Plays Hungry, Feasts On Receptions

Jared Bednar knows his bank account is going to take a hit in the coming days and, in his words, he does not care. Bednar went off after Colorado’s incredible 6-5 comeback win Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres at Ball Arena. His ire was directed at a Buffalo goal that was allowed despite Avs goalie Scott Wedgewood writhing in pain inside his net as it was scored early in the third period. Sabres forward Zach Benson was pushed into the Colorado net, and Wedgewood fell backward onto him.

Devon Toews scored 48 seconds into overtime Thursday night to complete another crazy Avalanche win over the Buffalo Sabres. Jason Zucker scored his third goal of the night to give the Sabres a two-goal lead at Ball Arena, but Cale Makar had his second of the evening with 2:28 left and Jonathan Drouin sent it to overtime with 6.8 seconds remaining on Nathan MacKinnon’s third assist of the contest. Toews then scored on a breakaway less than a minute into the extra frame to send the Avs to an improbable 6-5 victory inside Ball Arena. It marked the team’s second multi-goal comeback against the Sabres this season after Colorado rallied back from a 4-0 deficit in Buffalo last month. The Avs, like they have so many times this season, do have an injury concern that may outweigh the result.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene as the calendar flips to 2025 with a Denver rout of Atlanta. Among the topics discussed: Jamal Murray’s annual slow start to the season appears to finally be in the rearview mirror.

Rick George saved CU football by hiring Deion Sanders. Now comes the hard part: keeping him. Sanders made CU relevant over the past two seasons, turning a one-win team into one of the most-watched programs in college football. The Buffs finished 9-4 this season and were tied atop the Big 12 standings until BYU skunked them in the Alamo Bowl.

By BRETT MARTEL NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish found the right balance of family and football to produce a memorable performance under unprecedented, emotionally trying circumstances. Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame’s defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No.

Perhaps more than any player in the NBA today, Michael Porter Jr. is the actualization of positional size, a basketball principle that drives front offices such as Denver’s. He’s a “small forward” only in title, towering over most wings with a 6-foot-10 stature that doubles the potency of his 3-pointer. There is no such thing as a contested shot for Porter, who’s 42% from the perimeter this season. Atlanta’s Trae Young represents the polar opposite of positional size.