5 reasons Alabama football will beat the Ohio State Buckeyes: Has a real Crimson Tide defense awoken?

NEW ORLEANS -- Five reasons the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) will beat the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1) on Thursday in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

1. Is this a real Alabama defense? What's the standard for defense at Alabama? Since Nick Saban got the Tide rolling in his second year in 2008, Alabama has ranked seventh, second, third, first, first, fourth and now, this season, third in the nation in points allowed.

"The standard for us is to force turnovers, stop the run and not give up big plays," Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said. "We haven't always done that. We want to hold teams to 13 points or less, which is a really tough goal in this day and age of college football. With the numbers going up, we never changed what our standard is. We hold every defense to the same standard we held the best defense to."

And Alabama has often had the best defense. That's a high bar in an age of offensive explosions.

• 5 reasons Ohio State will win

"That doesn't mean we change," Smart said. "You've got to leave your goals where they are, or you're sacrificing things we don't think you should sacrifice."

This season was seen as a step back for Bama's defensive ways. Alabama shut out Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M, and held Southern Miss, Arkansas, LSU, West Carolina and Missouri to under 20 points. Overall, Alabama allowed 16.6 points per game, compared to 21.2 points for Ohio State's defense.

This game hinges on the Alabama defense. If it plays like one of the best Alabama defenses, the Tide may roll. If not, the Buckeyes' offense, averaging 45.2 points per game and ranked fifth in the country, could take over.

The biggest questions for Alabama arise from what happened in its 55-44 win over Auburn a month ago, the offense most like what the Buckeyes do. Quarterback Nick Marshall threw for more than 400 yards and beat the Tide deep more than once, while also keeping plays alive with his feet.

"I think it woke our kids up," Smart said. "They realize they got exposed."

If Alabama plays like that, the Buckeyes may go crazy. If Alabama plays like an Alabama defense, Alabama should win.2. Up tempo helps both sides: In years past, Saban complained about up-tempo offenses. And going fast wasn't part of the Alabama package.

If that was still the case this year, Ohio State's no-huddle, often up-tempo attack could have been a huge problem for the Tide. And it still may be.

But they are used to it now, because first-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin uses a "fastball" package that works well for quarterback Blake Sims and also gives the Alabama defense a regular look against first-string offensive talent moving quickly in practice.

Kiffin said he gets the credit for the faster look, but really it was Saban who wanted to push the pace when he was interviewing for a new coordinator.

"He kept saying, 'I want to play faster, I want to give defenses more issues,'' Kiffin said. "He has seen the issues it has caused him on defense. That's a total credit to him for adjusting."

So now Alabama will go first-team offense vs. first-team defense in practice and run eight straight plays with only five seconds between them, or run four straight quick ones to simulate a series.

"If you don't go fast on offense, the only way to simulate it for your defense is the scout team," Kiffin said. "But we'll go against them as fast as we can with different stuff, so they have to adjust vs. good players and vs. speed, which they say helps."

Smart said Alabama always had some up-tempo looks to help the defense in practice, the offense just never used it in games. But there was a difference this year. And that helped Smart emphasize to his players they have to get lined up quickly.

"Not all defensive players have a sense of urgency to them," Smart said. "You've got to get back quick and you've got to emphasize that. If you get lined up, you've got a fighting chance. Ohio State, we have no question they are going to go up-tempo. Every team has done it. It has been our Achilles heel, our kryptonite. But we have tried to answer that by practicing it more."

Expect Sims and the Alabama offense to hit Ohio State with some fastball offense. And expect the Crimson Tide defense to be more prepared for an attack like Ohio State's than it used to be.

3. The big guys on the D line: One specific aspect of the Alabama defense to watch is the rotation on the defensive line. Several Buckeyes said what stood out most was the Crimson Tide's size and depth up front. That could be an issue for running back Ezekiel Elliott and an OSU offensive line that has been playing well.

"They are big up front, I mean really big," OSU offensive coordinator Tom Herman said. "And they don't just have one group of them. They play nine or 10 defensive linemen. That stood out to me, not only the size of them, but they fact they had backups that were just as big and as good, and backups to the backups that were just as good and as big."

Smart said size doesn't do any good when offenses attack with perimeter runs and bubble screens, which is exactly what Ohio State could do. The Buckeyes may really work the jet sweep with Jalin Marshall and maybe Dontre Wilson. But the Tide big guys are pretty athletic, too.

"What does that big behemoth matter? That's the tough thing," Smart said. "You've got to be able to run. I wouldn't trade our guys for anybody in the country, but they've got to play well, they've to be in shape and we've got to play a lot of them."

It's good they have a lot of them, beginning with starters Jonathan Allen (6-foot-3, 272 pounds), A'Shawn Robinson (6-4, 320) and Jarran Reed (6-4, 315).

How did the Tide get so many of them?

Said Smart: "You recruit. You recruit hard. And you keep recruiting."

4. T.J. Yeldon and run game helped by balance: Saban said Wednesday that his junior running back, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry and 78 yards per game this season, will be  game-time decision with an ankle injury. But Yeldon expects to play, and figure that he's right.

With Yeldon, sophomore Derrick Henry (5.6 yards per carry and 69 yards per game) and freshman Tyren Jones (6.2 yards per carry in a limited role) the Tide expects to run on Ohio State, even though the Buckeyes stuffed Wisconsin and Melvin Gordon, the nation's best back, in the Big Ten Championship.

"Melvin Gordon is a great back, but he didn't really have too much help outside," Yeldon said, before ticking off the list of Alabama receiving talent that starts with Amari Cooper, the best pass catcher in the country. "They can't just pack the box with us, because they have to worry about the guys outside.

"If a team is one dimensional, anybody can stop them just by stacking the box."

Yeldon, a 6-foot-2, 221-pounder with speed and vision, is a dangerous cutback runner, so if the Buckeyes have to protect against the pass game, he could make individual defenders in pursuit pay the price. And while the Buckeyes faced great backs like Gordon and Indiana's Tevin Coleman this year, those teams had virtually no quarterback threat. Alabama's Blake Sims is sixth in the nation in passer rating, and Yeldon said Kiffin as the offensive coordinator is great at bouncing between run, pass and play-action pass calls.

5. An edge in the punt game: For the first time this season, Ohio State may not have the better punter. And for two coaches who pound home the importance of special teams, a final swing based on field position or a big play in the return game wouldn't be a shock.

Alabama averages 47 yards per punt, which ranks second in the nation. Ohio State averages 45.1 yards, which ranks sixth.

Crimson Tide freshman JK Scott has pinned opponents inside the 20-yardline 54 percent of the time, on 26 of 48 punts, while Johnston has done it 22 times in 39 punts, or 56 percent of the time.

"A punter can influence a game tremendously," Scott said. "Just one punt inside the 5-yardline can change the momentum completely. If you can control field position, you can give your team an advantage."

The Buckeyes know that. They have the best field position differential in the nation, maybe the key stat of their season. But Scott and the Bama special teams should negate that.

Johnston has been a force for the Buckeyes and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter.

"I've seen some film on him," Scott said. "He's a good punter. He can hit them."

But Scott was on of three Guy finalists.

"I feel like I've done my job to the best of my ability," Scott said. "(Saban) does appreciate a good punter who can flip the field."

He helped change Alabama's 25-20 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 15, when he pinned a punt inside the 5 and the Crimson Tide got a safety on the next play for the first points of the game.

One more edge for Alabama. Johnston is from Australia, while Scott, a Denver native, said his maternal grandparents, Bob and Deb Shuler, live in the Cleveland area.

"So shoutout to my grandparents," Scott said.

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NFL Week 17 Grades: Cowboys look like a team with Super Bowl potential

You're not going to believe this, but Jerry Jones said something this week that actually made sense.

Before the Cowboys played the Redskins on Sunday, Jones was asked if Dallas would be resting any starters this week. The answer was an unequivocal no.

"I feel strongly about going all out against the Redskins," Jones told KRLD-FM, via theDallas Morning News.

Jones' reasoning for playing his starters was even better.

"There's several reasons, but No. 1, I think there's a bigger concern about losing your edge than there is ever about some of those other issues that are involved," Jones said. "We need that win. We could really need it. It could really make a difference. And, so, that's that."

The Cowboys went with Jones' strategy and not only did it work, but Dallas now arguably looks like the top team in the NFC.

The team that beat Washington on Sunday was a team on a mission. Despite the fact thatTony Romo has a sore back and DeMarco Murray has a broken left hand, coach Jason Garrett didn't limit reps for anyone.

Murray was on the field doing spin moves off of defenders using only his broken left hand for leverage.

Romo was still dropping back to pass in the fourth quarter even though the Cowboys had a two touchdown lead.

Then there was Dez Bryant, who wanted every pass thrown his way -- OK, that's normal for Bryant, but the point is that this team looks hungry. Not only that, but Cowboys are starting to take on Jones' brash attitude. This is a team that walks on the field and knows that they're better than you.

December is usually the month where America can count on a Cowboys collapse, but that didn't happen this year. As a matter of fact, the opposite happened: The Cowboys crushed everyone they played.

Dallas held at least a 21-point lead in all four games they played in December and that includes wins over the 10-6 Eagles and the 11-5 Colts. Not only that, but three of the Cowboys four December wins came on the road -- and that's what makes them so dangerous.

If Dallas has to go on the road in the playoffs, they can do it. Thanks to the win over Washington, the Cowboys finished the season 8-0 on the road.

Since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978, there have only been six teams -- including the Cowboys -- to finish undefeated on the road. Of the prior five teams to go 8-0 on the road, four of them went to the Super Bowl (two won) and the one that didn't made it to the NFC title game (49ers in 1990).

The most dangerous place to play in the postseason is definitely Seattle, but the Cowboys have 'been there, done that.' In Week 6, Dallas beat the Seahawks 30-23 in Seattle.

Every playoff team has holes, but right now the Cowboys look like they've patched up most of theirs.

The Cowboys have won four in a row and all of the sudden are on a roll that might take them all the way to Glendale, Arizona.

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Images: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings 13-9 at the TCF Bank Stadium in Minnesota on Sunday ending their season with a miserable 5 wins and 11 losses.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler finished the game with a 75.2 quarterback rating who threw for 23/36 and 172 yards and no touchdowns. For the season, Cutler committed 27 turnovers with 9 fumbles and 18 interceptions.

One bright spot of the season was running back Matt Forte who finished with 1038 yards rushing for the season and setting an NFL record for running back receptions with 102 catches.

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NFC North CHAMPIONS! In dramatic game, Packers defeat rival Lions, 30-20

GREEN BAY (WITI) — The Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions Sunday, December 28th to become NFC North CHAMPIONS (for the fourth consecutive time)! The Packers have also claimed the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Packers have earned a “bye” in the first week of the playoffs. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was carted to the locker room in the second quarter, following a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb. Rodgers was seen on the field, clutching his left leg. The Packers initially said his return was questionable, but he was able to return to the field and finish the game.

The game began with the Packers winning the coin toss and electing to defer their choice. The Packers defense forced a Lions three-and-out when Clay Matthews sacked Matt Stafford on third down. The Packers took possession at their 37-yard line, with Aaron Rodgers under center amid reports his calf injury of a week ago was still an issue.

Eddie Lacy plowed for 22 yards on the Packers’ first play. Against the same six-in-the-box scheme the Lions used to beat the Packers in Week 3, Lacy gained 35 yards on three carries and the Packers had a first down at the Lions 28. James Starks replaced Lacy on the fourth play of the game and Starks ran for 21 yards to the 7.

Starks gained 2 to the 5, and then Lacy gained 3 to the 2. The Lions were flagged for pass interference on third down and the Packers were first and goal at the 1. That’s where the drive ended, as the Lions defense stuffed Lacy on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Micah Hyde erased the Packers’ goal-line failure with a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown with 4:49 to play, and the Packers led, 7-0.

The quarter ended with the Lions at the Packers 36-yard line, first down.

The Packers defense began the second quarter with a strong stop. The Lions had driven to the Green Bay 36-yard line, on the edge of field-goal range, but went no further. Packers S Morgan Burnett broke up a deep pass for TE Eric Ebron on first down, the run defense stopped RB Joique Bell for a 1-yard loss on second down, and LB Julius Peppers and DT Mike Daniels pressured Lions QB Matthew Stafford into an incompletion on third down, forcing a punt.

Taking over on their own 6, the Packers responded with a promising drive but turned the ball over. Two completions apiece to TE Richard Rodgers and WR Jordy Nelson moved the Packers to the Detroit 26, but at the end of an 8-yard run, RB Eddie Lacy had the ball poked out by S James Ihedigbo. Lions DE George Johnson recovered with 10:00 left in the half.

The Lions answered with a strong running game. A 14-yard run by RB Reggie Bush started the drive, and then Bell carried four times for 38 yards to get the ball to the Green Bay 31. On fourth-and-10, the Lions passed on a 49-yard FG try and went for it, but Stafford’s pass wasn’t close to an intended receiver, and the Packers took over on downs.

The offense got moving again, with Lacy carrying three times for 18 yards and QB Aaron Rodgers scrambling for 13 to convert a third-and-8. The rushing yards put the Packers over 100 on the ground for the game, making them just the second team all season to rush for more than 100 yards against the Lions. Rodgers then hit WR Randall Cobb over the middle for a 34-yard catch-and-run, making it first-and-goal on the 9. After a defensive penalty put the ball on the 4, Rodgers hit Cobb for a TD, but just before throwing the ball, Rodgers pulled up lame. He went down to the ground, holding his injured calf, and he was helped off the field to chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” from the Lambeau faithful.

The score put the Packers ahead 14-0 with 2:24 left in the half.

On the Lions final drive of the half, a 10-yard pass to Bush converted a third-and-10, and then consecutive completions to Ebron and WR Golden Tate picked up 16 and 19 yards, respectively. A tackle for loss by CB Casey Hayward on a swing pass to RB Theo Riddick made it third-and-13 from the Green Bay 35, and Packers LB Brad Jones was called for roughing the passer for hitting Stafford in the helmet with his hand. That made it first down on the Green Bay 20 instead of fourth down, and on the very next play, Stafford hit WR Calvin Johnson for a TD to make it 14-7 with 24 seconds left in the half.

Aaron Rodgers returned to the game in the third quarter, pitched a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb and left the Packers with a 21-14 lead over the Lions heading into the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.

Matt Flynn was at quarterback to start the second half; Rodgers remained in the locker room, attempting to recover from the calf injury that forced him out of the game following a second-quarter touchdown pass to Cobb. Flynn was sacked on third down to end the Packers’ first possession of the second half, as Rodgers walked out of the tunnel toward the Packers sideline to cheers. Rodgers began throwing along the sideline.

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Holiday Bowl brings familiar territory for USC

It didn't end well for the Trojans. Arizona State converted and USC was stunned. That was in October.

Saturday night at the Holiday Bowl, USC found itself in a similar situation in a 45-42 win over Nebraska. 

"We always try to make it exciting," USC head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "We make it entertaining for everybody."

As opposed to a lesson learned, consider it familiar territory.

As Tommy Armstrong Jr. revved up for a final pass, with one second left on the clock there was just one thing on their collective minds.

"ASU game," running back Buck Allen said matter of fact. "That went through my head for a quick second." 

Cornerback Kevon Seymour added: "We didn't want a repeat of the ArizonaState game."

This time would be different, however. The pass was incomplete. There was no miscommunication. Everyone, to a man, knew their assignment and the Nebraska fail ended up in success for the Trojans.

"We got box out guys and then we got guys that (are) jumpers (on Hail Mary's)," Seymour said. "We've been working on that all through the season since (the) Arizona State (game)." 

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Preview: Knicks at Kings

Two teams in downward spirals will try to change directions when the Sacramento Kings host the New York Knicks on Saturday night. The Kings lost for the seventh time in the last eight games Friday against the Phoenix Suns, one day after the Knicks lost their sixth consecutive contest and 16th out of 17 in front of a national Christmas Day audience against the Washington Wizards. At least the Knicks are getting away from Madison Square Garden, where they’ve lost eight in a row.

When these teams last met in March in Sacramento, fans were at least treated to a prime showdown between New York forward Carmelo Anthony, who scored 36 points in the Knicks' victory, and Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. But that’s not even a guarantee this time around. Cousins missed Friday’s game with an illness unrelated to the one that kept him out 10 games earlier this season.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, MSG (New York), CSN California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE KNICKS (5-26): Tim Hardaway Jr.’s scoring binge is slowing down as he has finished below his 10.6 average the past two games after surpassing that mark in the previous six. Management surely enjoys the scoring output but likely wants to see more efficiency, as he has made at least half his shots from the floor once in the last 11 games. His 39.1 field-goal percentage is the lowest among those who average at least 10 minutes for New York.

ABOUT THE KINGS (12-17): Ben McLemore was taken 17 spots in front of Hardaway in the 2013 NBA Draft, and the No. 7 overall pick is showing why he’s the more attractive shooting guard. McLemore came into Friday’s game averaging 12.4 points and shooting 48.3 from the floor, a big improvement over his 37.6 percentage as a rookie last season. McLemore also generated some style points Friday night, nearly clipping his head on the rim as he dunked an ally-oop pass from Rudy Gay.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks reserve SF Quincy Acy is suspended for the game for his involvement in an altercation with John Wall of the Wizards on Thursday.

2. New York C Amar’e Stoudemire, who played his first eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns, reportedly watched the Suns play the Kings on Friday night from a baseline front row seat.

3. Sacramento are 2-9 without Cousins in the lineup this season.

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College basketball results, Dec. 27

        There were moments Saturday when top-ranked Kentucky could have blinked against No. 4 Louisville with its veterans battling second-half foul trouble and shooting woes.

The Wildcats didn’t because freshman guard Tyler Ulis stepped up with a 14-point performance made more impressive by the fact he achieved it despite a bandaged right eye that made blinking difficult.

“I was more excited than nervous because it was my first away game,” said Ulis, who shook off a bloody cut to score 12 second-half points and lead the Wildcats to a 58-50 victory over the Cardinals.

“Being a freshman, I just wanted to see what the atmosphere felt like.”

Ulis received three stitches above the eye after the inadvertent elbow from Louisville’s Chris Jones in the first half. He returned with an effort that not only helped Kentucky claim Bluegrass State bragging rights, but possibly clear its biggest hurdle toward an unbeaten season.

“We’re not going to think about it,” center Dakari Johnson said. “We’re just going to take one game at a time.”

Karl-Anthony Towns had 10 points and nine rebounds and Devin Booker added nine points for Kentucky (13-0), which held Louisville (11-1) to 26 percent shooting in a game defined by defense until Kentucky’s freshmen started making their shots.

They ended up scoring 39 points, with the 5-foot-9 UIis setting the second-half tone with two big three-pointers to give the Wildcats a cushion.

Terry Rozier scored 15 points and Jones had 13 for Louisville, which led just once at 13-12 and couldn’t seem to make the shot it needed every time it got close.

“We’re a little offensively challenged, especially from the three-point line,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. “We knew that we could play good defense. It was a question of whether we could score, and the answer was we didn’t.”

#8 Gonzaga 87, BYU 80: Kyle Wiltjer scored 24 points and Kevin Pangos had 21 points and seven assists as the Bulldogs (12-1) beat the host Cougars (10-4) in a WCC opener. ... Tyler Haws and Anson Winder each scored 17 points for BYU.

#15 Maryland 72, Oakland 56: Jake Layman had 15 points and 12 rebounds to help the host Terrapins (12-1) extend their winning streak to five games with a victory over the Golden Grizzlies (4-10).

#20 North Carolina 89, Alabama-Birmingham 58: Marcus Paige scored 16 points to lead the host Tar Heels (9-3) past the Blazers (4-9).

#21 Ohio State 100, Wright State 55: D’Angelo Russell scored 24 points and Amir Williams added 21 as the host Buckeyes (11-2) beat the Raiders (8-6).

#24 Colorado State 58, New Mexico State 57: J.J. Avila, who scored 19 points, hit a layup with 31 seconds left in overtime to give the Rams (13-0) a victory over the host Aggies (5-9).

USF 77, Pacific 71: Mark Tollefsen, who scored 24 points, drained a three-pointer with 2:48 left to snap a 63-63 tie and spark a game-ending 14-8 run as the Dons (7-6) defeated the host Tigers (8-5) in a WCC opener. ... T.J. Wallace scored 26 points for Pacific.

Portland 61, San Diego 58: Alec Wintering hit a three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to cap the Pilots’ game-ending 9-0 run as Portland (9-3) beat the host Toreros (7-5) in a WCC opener. ... Volodymyr Gerun and D'Marques Tyson scored 13 points apiece for the Pilots. San Diego’s Christopher Anderson had 14 points.

IUPUI 55, Pepperdine 53: DavRon Williams had 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Jaguars (4-9), who held off the Waves (7-4) in Malibu. ... Shawn Olden had 15 points to lead Pepperdine.

Women

#2 UConn 96, SMU 45: Moriah Jefferson had 24 points as the No. 2 Huskies (9-1) routed the Mustangs (4-8) in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams in Hartford, Conn. ... Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored 19 points, Kia Nurse had 13 points and seven assists and Morgan Tuck added 12 points for UConn, which hosts No. 10 Duke on Monday night.

St. Mary’s 62, Santa Clara 61: In a WCC opener for both teams, Lauren Nicholson scored 21 points and Hayley Hendricksen added seven points — including one on a crucial free throw with two seconds left — and 11 rebounds as the Gaels (8-4) beat the host Broncos (5-5), who were paced by Nici Gilday’s 31 points.

Pacific 92, USF 54: Kendall Kenyon had 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Tigers (9-3) overwhelmed the host Dons (9-3) in the WCC opener for both teams. ... Zhane Dikes and Taylor Proctor scored 13 points apiece for USF.

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Gasol, Mirotic show what Bulls got by losing Boozer

More boos than ‘‘Booze’’ could be heard Thursday at the United Center as fans expressed their disdain for Carlos Boozer.

The former Bulls forward, now a reserve with the Los Angeles Lakers, visited on Christmas Day for the first time since the Bulls used the amnesty provision on him in July.

But the game — a 113-93 Bulls win — was less about the often-criticized Boozer and more a showcase of the new arrivals — Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic — the Bulls signed after ridding themselves of Boozer’s horrendous contract.

Gasol, who left the Lakers to join the Bulls, led them with 23 points and 13 rebounds Thursday. Mirotic, whose 2011 draft rights were exercised last summer in a buyout from Real Madrid, added 13 points.

The past and present playing across from each other for the first time was evidence as to how much better the Bulls have become.

‘‘I came here with really a positive mindset, just ready to do whatever it took, and worked my butt off,” Gasol said. ‘‘My game complements our style of play really well and keeps me, for the most part, in positions where I’m very effective.’’

Gasol, Mirotic and Taj Gibson have given the Bulls a clear upgrade at power forward. Boozer was maligned for his defense after the Bulls signed him in 2010 and was little more than a jump shooter as he disappointed offensively.

Mirotic and Gasol have flashed an offensive repertoire Boozer never brought. Gasol has superior moves around the rim and more reliable jump shooting, while Mirotic has the ability to put the ball on the floor and beat slower four-men off the dribble.

Boozer was exploited by the latter in the second quarter. The Bulls led by three after one quarter, but by halftime they led 58-47 after getting 10 points as a result of poor defense from Boozer during a stretch of 5:05. In one instance, Mirotic head-faked Boozer and blew right past him. Gibson scored on an easy dunk after Mirotic made a simple bounce pass.

Gibson, a reserve who split time with Boozer last year but finished games, scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Boozer was at least efficient offensively, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds. Wesley Johnson led the Lakers with 19 points and nine rebounds while Kobe Bryant got the night off to rest.

Jimmy Butler scored 21 and Derrick Rose 20 for the Bulls, whose bench was outstanding, accounting for 39 points.

‘‘There’s a lot of different characters on this team, a lot of stubborn characters on this team, and I think it’s a good thing, but it’s also a bad thing,’’ center Joakim Noah said. ‘‘So we all have to come together, find ways to improve, and I think that we can.’’

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Knicks drop 6th straight on Christmas day

NEW YORK — John Wall is fast and flashy, a showman who practices 360-degree layups and then pulls them off in games.

And when he gets pushed, he pushes back.

Wall had 24 points and 11 assists, eluding the Knicks all day until getting knocked to the floor by a flagrant foul that sparked an altercation, and the Washington Wizards beat New York 102-91 yesterday.

Wall toyed with the Knicks for 3 1/2 quarters, highlighted by his spinning layup, before Quincy Acy knocked him down with a forearm shove with 5:31 to play. Wall got up and pushed Acy, who responded with what appeared to be a punch that hit Wall behind the neck. Acy was ejected in the Christmas Day dust-up, and Wall received a technical foul.

"I'm just a feisty guy that likes to compete," Wall said. "And I want to win games."

Washington won this one easily, leading by as many as 22 and never trailing. Bradley Beal added 17 points for the Wizards, who had their top five of Wall, Beal, Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat in the starting lineup for the first time this season.

"We came out with a lot of energy, ready to go from the start," Beal said, "and it's just going to continue to get better and better as the season goes on."

Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points for the Knicks, who fell to 5-26 and have the most losses in the NBA. They have dropped six straight and 16 of 17.

"The fans are dying. We're dying. We're out there not producing," Anthony said.

Wall was dazzling in what could be a warmup for a trip to Madison Square Garden for the February All-Star game. He was the leading vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards when the first returns of fan balloting were released yesterday.

He might expand that lead after a national TV audience got to see him make 10 of 17 shots, the prettiest his layup where he spun completely around in the air before scooping it in.

Acy found a way to slow him down, though he denied he threw a punch or did much else to warrant punishment.

"I mean, it's just a foul and he got up and reacted," Acy said.

Wall largely shrugged it off after the game.

"Like we always say: If you don't like physicality, go play golf," Pierce said.

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Niners QB Colin Kaepernick weighs changes in offseason

Colin Kaepernick is in the process of considering how he might go about his offseason regimen to bounce back from a disappointing year, and employing a mechanics coach or quarterback guru as Tom Brady and other stars have done is being discussed.

''That's still in the works,'' Kaepernick said. ''Just working on possibilities right now.''

San Francisco (7-8) looks to avoid a losing record when it ends the season Sunday at home against Arizona (11-4), which still has a shot at winning the NFC West.

Kaepernick, rewarded with a hefty new contract in June before training camp, has shined under former NFL quarterback and coach Jim Harbaugh until this up-and-down year. He has cost the team games, and San Francisco heads into the season finale on a four-game losing streak -- the first under fourth-year coach Harbaugh, who is likely on his way out.

Kaepernick is 274 for 452 for 3,165 yards and 17 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and 43 sacks. Perhaps the most glaring flaw has been San Francisco's failure to score second-half points, including only 37 in the last nine games.

The Niners blew a 28-7 halftime lead in a 38-35 overtime loss to San Diego last Saturday.

He said once the season ends he will go back through each game film and begin the self-evaluation process, something that can be difficult to do during the season amid the challenge of game-planning from week to week.

''You still watch mechanics, what you can do better, but it's more of a week-to-week basis. It's hard to break habits in season. You don't want to completely try to change something because it can throw off everything else you're doing,'' Kaepernick said. ''I'll be able to figure those things out, what I need to get better at.''

One of the NFL's most dynamic young playcallers coming into the year, Kaepernick received a $126 million, six-year contract extension through the 2020 season. Both the 49ers and their star wanted to strike a deal before training camp.

Harbaugh is all for quarterbacks receiving some outside help during the offseason to improve themselves, as New England star Brady, New Orleans' Drew Brees and Denver's QB Peyton Manning do.

''Yeah, there's value there. Quarterbacks are always trying to improve their play and find something,'' Harbaugh said. ''Find one thing or find two things to help them, to get better. Colin's always been that type of player that is looking for improvement for those two months that are after the season. He likes to, the way they don't come into the facility, but his car is in the lot the next day. He's very shortly plotting out his offseason regiment. He takes no time off and gets right to work. So, it's expected he would find anything, even one or two things to try to improve his play. That's the kind of guy he is.''

Harbaugh recommended former pitching coach Tom House to then-49ers QB Alex Smith -- now leading Kansas City -- at one point and Smith spent time with House during the spring of 2012 refining his mechanics.

''Yeah, that's something we set up, facilitated, and thought it had good results,'' Harbaugh said, noting how much things have changed since his playing days. ''I think the principle's the same. You're always seeking out ways to improve -- do anything, willing to do anything to get better, to improve.''

NOTES: The 49ers took the day off completely Thursday for Christmas after playing a Saturday game last week against San Diego, with plans to reunite Friday for final preparations ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale.

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