All Tony Romo had to do was put the ball down and let Martin Gramatica make an easy kick -- just 19 yards, even closer than an extra point. That's where it all slipped away from the Dallas Cowboys. The Pro Bowl quarterback who saved their season ended it, too. Romo's bobble on the field-goal try with 1:19 left led to a scramble that ended 2 yards shy of the end zone and a yard short of a first down,...

Peyton Manning knows all about falling apart in the playoffs. Though he struggled early Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts' stunningly stingy defense came to the rescue. Manning and the Colts beat the inept Kansas City Chiefs 23-8 Saturday, and while the star quarterback's numbers were good -- 30-of-38 for 268 yards -- his performance was mediocre.

Darrent Williams came home Saturday to the tough streets he embraced and escaped, where he first flashed his awesome athletic skills and infectious smile. Thousands of friends, family members, teammates and fans attended the funeral for the charismatic Denver Broncos cornerback who was killed in a drive-by shooting on New Year's Day.

No matter the point spread, records or opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles consider themselves an underdog every week. The New York Giants seem to have embraced that role. It's no surprise these division rivals can't even agree on the simplest point. "Don't pick us," Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown said.

Eric Mangini spent quite a few late nights at the office helping Bill Belichick draw up championship-winning game plans during six years as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots. The rookie head coach is running his own bleary-eyed meetings these days with the New York Jets, but Belichick's influence is clear.

Ben Wallace did his best, then relented for the first time all night. He had just helped the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 106-89 on Saturday night, and he had to admit this wasn't just another regular-season game. There were too many memories, too many good times. "It felt a little strange," he said.

The only Hall of Fame coach the Philadelphia 76ers have is going to spend his days in the front office instead of on the bench. Larry Brown was rehired by Philadelphia as an executive vice president on Saturday, a return to the organization he coached to its last NBA finals. The move stoked speculation that he'll eventually replace coach Maurice Cheeks.

The Cavaliers are hitting the road packed with confidence. LeBron James scored 19 points and added a season-high 13 rebounds as Cleveland finished off its most successful week in nearly 14 years with a 96-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night. By beating San Antonio, Boston, Milwaukee and New Jersey since Tuesday, the Cavaliers have won four games in five nights for the first time...

Deron Williams kept reminding teammate Carlos Boozer to "hang in there." Denver's zone was keeping such a close eye on Boozer -- Utah's leading scorer and rebounder -- that he had no operating room. "It was hard to get him the ball," Williams said. So Williams did something about it, hitting four 3-pointers and tying a career high with 28 points to lead the Jazz over the Nuggets 96-84 Saturday...

The Indiana Pacers are still a long way from where Jermaine O'Neal wants them to go. At least they are headed in the right direction. O'Neal was a big part of it, making two key layups to help the Pacers to a 100-93 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday night in his first game since issuing a challenge to his Indiana teammates.

Rookie Brandon Roy sent the game into overtime and veteran Zach Randolph delivered in the extra period for the Portland Trail Blazers. Roy's shot at the buzzer saved Portland from another loss and Randolph scored six of his 32 points in overtime to lift the Blazers to a 110-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.

Don Nelson tried almost every trick he had to slow down Ray Allen. Big man, little man. Single coverage, double team. No matter what combination the Golden State Warriors tried, Allen had an answer. Until the final seconds. Matt Barnes made a tiebreaking layup with 1:05 to go, extended the lead on a goaltending call and distracted Allen enough on a potential game-tying 3-pointer to preserve the...

Eight straight losses are bad enough, but dropping six in a row at home was even more painful for the struggling Atlanta Hawks. Thanks to one of their top defensive performances, both streaks ended with the Hawks' 86-74 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. Joe Johnson scored 27 points and Zaza Pachulia added 22 as Atlanta won for the first time since a Dec.

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks won a game that Manu Ginobili said the Spurs needed but "just couldn't take." San Antonio is getting used to that feeling when Dallas comes to town. Nowitzki scored a season-high 36 points to lead the Mavs to their 13th straight victory, 90-85 over the Spurs on Friday night.

The New York Rangers were well aware of how many sick players the Montreal Canadiens had, and used that knowledge to their benefit. Matt Cullen scored his second goal of the game 13:55 into the third period and the Rangers extended their winning streak to four with a 4-3 victory over the flu-ridden Canadiens on Saturday.

Martin Brodeur acknowledged the New Jersey Devils were looking to get even for an embarrassing loss in their last trip to Ottawa. Brian Gionta scored twice and the Devils got strong goaltending from Martin Brodeur in a 3-2 victory over the Senators on Saturday. The Devils lost 8-1 at Scotiabank Place in the teams' first meeting on Oct.

The St. Louis Blues give the Nashville Predators a fight every time they play. Now, if they could only hand them a loss. The Blues lost 3-2 to their Central Division rivals on Saturday night. It was the 13th straight win for the Predators over the Blues and the fifth time this season the game was decided by one goal.

The Boston Bruins held a rare team meeting after an embarrassing loss and responded with a strong effort despite missing their best defensive player. Marc Savard had two goals and assisted on two others Saturday, helping the Bruins avoid their longest losing streak of the season with a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Buffalo Sabres ended their rare losing skid and regained the top spot in the NHL. Daniel Briere, Ales Kotalik and Chris Drury had a goal and assist each, and Sabres held on for a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Dmitri Kalinin also scored for the Sabres, who avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season.

One part of the scoresheet showed five power-play goals for the San Jose Sharks. Another part showed only four, thanks to a still-unresolved officiating error that had Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock steaming. Whether the final number turns out to be jaw-dropping or just plain impressive, the Sharks' potent power play was much too good for yet another opponent.

Dustin Boyd and Byron Ritchie made Jarome Iginla's absence hurt a little less. Ritchie scored twice and Boyd netted his first NHL goal with 2:17 left Saturday night, snapping a tie and carrying the Calgary Flames to a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Andrew Ference's slap shot from the blue line missed the net but caromed off the boards and out the other side where Boyd sent the puck in from a sharp...

Close in the standings all season, division rivals Colorado and Minnesota staged another close game. The Avalanche pulled out a valuable victory over the Wild in a crowded Western Conference race that all but promises to come down to the end. Milan Hejduk scored the shootout winner, lifting goalie Peter Budaj and Colorado to a third straight victory -- 2-1 over Minnesota on Saturday night.

All the Carolina Hurricanes needed to break out of their scoring slump were a few power plays on home ice against the New York Islanders. Erik Cole scored two goals and Carolina scored twice on the power play in a 4-2 victory over the Islanders on Saturday night. "The way they kill works out best for our power play or for our personnel," Cole said.