AP Sports SummaryBrief at 11:25 p.m. EST

By The Associated Press

The Lions beat the 49ers 40-34 in a tuneup for Week 18 division showdown

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34. Goff threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the final minute of the third quarter following the first of Kerby Joseph’s two second-half interceptions against Brock Purdy in a rematch of last season’s NFC title game won by San Francisco. That proved to be enough for the Lions to extend their franchise record for wins in a season as they beat the 49ers on the road for the first time since 1975.

Giants beat the Colts but lost the coveted No. 1 draft pick

The New York Giants lost by winning. A rare victory — 45-33 over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday — knocked the Giants out of control for the coveted No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. So much for Shedeur Sanders’ Giants-themed cleats unless New York trades up to get the Colorado quarterback. The Giants dropped from first to fourth in the draft order, with the Patriots moving up to No. 1. Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward won’t be around if New York has to settle for the fourth pick. That’s why Giants fans were angry after witnessing the team’s first win at MetLife Stadium this season.

NFC’s No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18

The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final game of the regular season when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser becomes the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Lions hold the tiebreaker if the teams enter with identical records and play to a tie. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18.

A jet carrying the Gonzaga men’s basketball team ordered to stop to avoid collision at LAX

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation after a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team nearly crossed a runway as another flight was taking off at Los Angeles International Airport. The plane operated by Key Lime Air was ordered by air traffic controllers to stop as a Delta aircraft took off Friday. No one was injured. Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for its game against UCLA on Saturday. Key Lime Air did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Los Angeles World Airports referred a media inquiry to the FAA, and a Delta spokesperson said there were no problems for its aircraft.

On his 40th, LeBron James says he could play “another 5 or 7 years.” He won’t stay around that long

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday by saying he could still play at an elite NBA level for another five to seven years if he wanted. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar also said Monday he has no intention of staying in basketball that long. James has always vowed to leave the game before his skills declined, but they’ve shown no signs of doing so as he joins the small group of NBA players to suit up past 40. James also said it’s “kind of laughable, really,” when he thinks about how he has lasted for a record-tying 22 seasons.

Dismal Man United loses again at home as Ipswich upsets Chelsea in Premier League

LONDON (AP) — Manchester United has lost 2-0 to Newcastle in the Premier League on another chastening night for new coach Ruben Amorim. Alexander Isak scored for the sixth game in a row and Joelinton made it two as Newcastle overwhelmed a ragged United. Chelsea remains one place and three points above fifth-place Newcastle even after a 2-0 defeat at lowly Ipswich. The Blues had much of the play but could not find their range as Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson gave Ipswich its first home win of the season. A late goal from Tariq Lamptey gave Brighton a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa. Villa is in ninth place and Brighton is 10th.

College Football Playoff picks: Broncos and Sun Devils embrace their underdog roles in quarterfinals

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals are here and six of the eight teams are no strangers to the big stage. Boise State and Arizona State are out to show they belong. They’re top-four seeds as conference champions and both are double-digit underdogs. The Broncos arrived for Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl wearing T-shirts saying “Please Count Us Out” in capital letters. Penn State is an 11-point favorite. Texas is a 12 1/2-point favorite against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday. Other New Year’s playoff games are Ohio State-Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame-Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Six former Florida State players sue coach Leonard Hamilton over failed NIL payments

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Six former Florida State basketball players are suing Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton and alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation. Darin Green Jr., De’Ante Green, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jalen Warley filed suit Monday in Leon County Circuit Court. The former players allege Hamilton promised them the money from his “business partners.” The lawsuit says they walked out of a practice last season over the missed payments and intended to boycott a game against Duke. The suit says they ended up playing amid a guarantee they would be paid but never were. The university says it’s still investigating but knows of “no unfulfilled commitments by FSU.”

No. 8 Boise State and No. 5 Penn State look for next step in College Football Playoff quarterfinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Boise State has taken that long-awaited next step, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time, 17 years after a program-shifting win. Awaiting the No. 8 Broncos in the desert is another team that made a breakthrough. No. 5 Penn State also is in its first CFP playoff, shaking its can’t-win-the-big-game reputation with a victory over SMU. The prize in Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl: a trip to the CFP semifinals. Boise got here behind Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. The Nittany Lions earned their spot behind a stout defense and one of the nation’s best tight ends in Tyler Warren.

FBI issues warning to leagues about organized crime groups targeting pro athletes

The FBI is warning sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes. This comes following a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent NFL and NBA players. ABC News obtained an FBI report outlining how homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash. The NFL and NBA already had issued security alerts to their players after the break-ins, some of which have come when players were with their teams for road games. Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete to fall victim.