5 Games to Watch This Weekend

By BY VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports Finals in the N.W.S.L. and collegiate field hockey, Mikaela Shiffrin in World Cup skiing and an intriguing N.F.L. matchup.https://nyti.ms/3kPkP1c

What to Know About the N.F.L.’s Longest Season

By BY BEN SHPIGEL from NYT Sports With 18 weeks in the regular season and fewer teams earning byes in the playoffs, it’s a long journey to the Super Bowl.https://nyti.ms/3Fp8dpC

Could Cincinnati Shake Up the College Football Playoff Field?

By BY VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports The Bearcats are No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and appear to be in good position to make the playoff. That’s if they win out and find favor among those who select the semifinalists.https://nyti.ms/3n2Nnog

Could Cincinnati Shake Up the College Football Playoff Field?

By BY VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports The Bearcats are No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and appear to be in good position to make the playoff. That’s if they win out and find favor among those who select the semifinalists.https://nyti.ms/3DZmgSe

A 12-Team Playoff Isn’t a Done Deal. Math and History Suggest a ‘Yes’ Looms.

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports If the College Football Playoff field triples, the competition will most likely become more lucrative than the Division I men’s basketball tournament.https://nyti.ms/3F43drg

The Milwaukee Bucks Win the N.B.A. Championship

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports The Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in the N.B.A. finals in six games for their first title in 50 years. It’s the first championship for Giannis Antetokounmpo.https://nyti.ms/3xXkRZz

For the Bucks, the Jrue Holiday Gamble Yielded a Jackpot

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports When Milwaukee traded for Holiday, it wasn’t clear that he could fill gaps that had kept the team out of the N.B.A. finals and that threatened the franchise’s future with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now, both problems are solved.https://nyti.ms/3dIXjzE

Bucks Beat Hawks and Advance to the N.B.A. Finals

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Milwaukee was playing without its injured star, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks will face the Phoenix Suns in the finals.https://nyti.ms/3dJ6pfF

Kevin Durant Was Unstoppable. Here’s Why.

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports Body control, footwork, passing, shooting … he had it all on Tuesday night in the Nets’ playoff win over the Milwaukee Bucks.https://nyti.ms/3zxqSx9

It’s a New Series as the Injury Bug Returns to Bite the Nets

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports The Bucks tied their playoff series with the Nets, 2-2, as Kyrie Irving left with an injured ankle, joining James Harden on the Brooklyn sideline.https://nyti.ms/3zrj8Nf

It’s a New Series as the Injury Bug Returns to Bite the Nets

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports The Bucks tied their playoff series with the Nets, 2-2, as Kyrie Irving left with an injured ankle, joining James Harden on the Brooklyn sideline.https://nyti.ms/3cGKGV9

Bucks Slow Down Nets to Trim Series Lead to 2-1

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports A grinding game of defense allowed Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton to shine in a 86-83 win over the Nets.https://nyti.ms/3zmC7sa

College Football Playoff’s Size Could Triple in Coming Years

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports Answering sustained pressure for a system that shuts out fewer teams, a powerful group of executives recommended that the field expand from four to 12 teams. Other officials will consider the proposal in the coming weeks.https://nyti.ms/3zhuAeq

Facing Elimination, the Knicks Must Find Another Gear

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports The key players who played heavy regular-season minutes have underwhelmed, diluting the effects of any adjustments by Coach Tom Thibodeau.https://nyti.ms/3yRCdbl

Rowdy, Rude and Really Loud: New York N.B.A. Fans Let Loose

By BY SARA NAOMI LEWKOWICZ AND SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports The Knicks and Nets are in the playoffs together for the first time since 2013. Fans came out in droves to sports bars and arenas to celebrate.https://nyti.ms/34eEu28

No Longer an Afterthought, the Knicks Are a Playoff Threat

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports When it comes to the playoffs, many Knicks fans are just happy to be here. But they can hope for more — like a first-round series win — because of Julius Randle.https://nyti.ms/3oymWaH

Even the Celtics Think the Nets Will Probably Win

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS from NYT Sports The Nets would be heavily favored in the first-round playoff matchup even without Boston’s injury woes. “As a fan of the N.B.A., it’s hard to see those guys losing,” Celtics Coach Brad Stevens said.https://nyti.ms/3bFrbM5

The N.B.A.’s Play-In Tournament Isn’t the Problem

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports Though stars like LeBron James and Luka Doncic have complained about the pre-playoff hurdle, the stress of the play-in matters less than injuries and the compressed season.https://nyti.ms/33dAG0D

What to Watch for in Saturday’s N.F.L. Wild-Card Games

By BY BEN SHPIGEL from NYT Sports The first day of the expanded postseason kicks off with the Bills facing a franchise hero and the Colts, an N.F.C. West grudge match and the Washington rookie Chase Young getting his date with Tom Brady.https://nyti.ms/3npIynr

College Football Playoff to Release First Rankings of a Chaotic Season

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports The final rankings will not come until at least Dec. 20. But on Tuesday night, the Playoff’s selection committee will give a sense of how it is approaching the pandemic-upended year.https://nyti.ms/361sUJf