NFL PLAYOFFS-LATEST SCORES

Falcons hold off Seahawks...Pats have Gronk ready for Texans

UNDATED (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons were up, down, but in the end are going to the NFC championship.

After losing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Falcons escaped a furious Seattle rally on Matt Bryant's 49-yard field goal with eight seconds left in their 30-28 win over the upset-minded Seahawks.

The Falcons appeared ready to allow the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history when Marshawn Lynch scored on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left.

But Matt Ryan completed two long passes after the kickoff, setting up Bryant's winning kick. Ryan finished 24 of 35 for 250 yards. He tossed three TD passes and two interceptions.

Rookie Ryan Wilson passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, but it wasn't enough for the Seahawks

The Falcons move on to host San Francisco in the NFC Championship next Sunday. The 49ers eliminated Green Bay 45-31 Saturday night.

In Foxborough, it's Houston visiting New England in the AFC divisional semifinal. The second-seeded Pats are coming off a bye week while the Texans beat Cincinnati 19-13 last weekend.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is active for the game. The record-setting pass-catcher missed five games with a broken left forearm before returning in the regular-season finale.

The Texans lost three of their last four regular-season games, starting against Patriots when Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes on Dec. 10. In that game, the Pats scored the first 28 points in their 42-14 win over Houston.

The winner advances to play Baltimore in next Sunday's AFC Championship. The Ravens outlasted Denver 38-35 in double overtime Saturday.

T25-LATEST SCORES

Wolverines fall to Buckeyes

UNDATED (AP) — And then there were none. The nation's last remaining undefeated Division 1 men's basketball team has lost.

Second-ranked Michigan fell 56-53 at No. 15 Ohio State. Deshaun Thomas had 20 points and scored the first and last baskets in a 16-0 first-half spurt. The loss will likely deny the Wolverines their first No. 1 ranking in more than 20 years. Michigan is 16-1.

Trey Burke led the Wolverines with 15 points.

NBA-LATEST SCORES

Knicks win matinee in New York

UNDATED (AP) — Carmelo Anthony snapped out of a slow start by scoring 18 of his 27 points in the second quarter, and the New York Knicks ended their season-high, three-game losing streak with a 100-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in a Madison Square Garden matinee.

Anthony missed seven of eight shots and scored two points in the first quarter of the noon start he dislikes. He then outscored the Hornets by himself in the second period as the Knicks took the lead for good.

Eric Gordon scored 22 points as the Hornets had their four-game winning streak end.

In other NBA action:

— Brandon Jennings had 19 points and 10 assists, rookie John Henson scored 19 and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 20-point first quarter deficit to beat Toronto 107-96. That's the Bucks' eighth straight victory over the Raptors.

This evening, Indiana is at Brooklyn. The Nets are riding a five-game winning streak since P.J. Carlesimo (kar-LIHS'-ih-moh) replaced Avery Johnson as Brooklyn's coach.

Also tonight, Minnesota is at San Antonio, Denver hosts Golden State, Oklahoma State is at Portland and the L.A. Lakers try to end their six-game slide when they host Cleveland.

NHL-NEWS

Hurricanes making moves...Habs cut ties with Gomez

UNDATED (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes are making some moves the day after the official end of the NHL lockout.

The Hurricanes traded goaltender Brian Boucher (boo-SHAY') and defenseman Mark Alt to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for center Luke Pither (PIH'-tuhr). Carolina also acquired forward Kevin Westgarth from Los Angeles for forward Anthony Stewart and two draft picks.

The 36-year-old Boucher has spent most of his 14-year NHL career as a backup. He started eight games last season, losing all but one of them. Alt was drafted by the Hurricanes in 2010. The 21-year-old defenseman had five goals and 17 assists for the Minnesota Golden Gophers last season.

Carolina says Pither will be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League.

In other NHL news:

— The Montreal Canadiens are cutting their losses with Scott Gomez, who's been a major disappointment the past two seasons General manager Marc Bergevin (BERZH'-eh-vihn) says the Canadiens will buy out the center's contract next summer to remove his team-high $7.3 million salary cap hit from the books. Under the new collective bargaining agreement signed Saturday, the cap is to plunge by about $10 million next season, but teams will be allowed two "amnesty" buyouts to help reach the cap.

PGA-SONY

Rookies tied at the top

HONOLULU (AP) — Tour rookies Russell Henley and Scott Langley start final round play at the Sony Open tied for the lead at 17 under par. This is the first full-field event of the PGA Tour season.

South Africa's Tim Clark starts the day three shots off the lead.

CYCLING-ARMSTRONG

Armstrong ready to speak "candidly" to Oprah

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong is "ready to speak candidly" as he prepares to discuss doping allegations against him in his upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Armstrong was out for a morning run today when he spoke briefly with The Associated Press. The man who once ruled cycling would not divulge what he will tell say in Monday's interview from his home that is to be broadcast Thursday on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Armstrong says he's "calm, I'm at ease and ready to speak candidly."

A person with knowledge of the situation has told the AP that Armstrong will give a limited confession and apologize. That would be his first public response to a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report accusing him of using banned drugs to win the Tour de France.

WINTER SPORTS ROUNDUP

Marcel Hirscher wins World Cup slalom... Maze wins super-G, completes WCup discipline sweep

ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — Marcel Hirscher got a scintillating second run to win a World Cup slalom, after being eighth-fastest in the opening leg. Hirscher, the overall World Cup leader, won by 0.83 seconds in the afternoon to build a 0.30 winning margin over Austrian teammate Mario Matt.

ST. ANTON, Austria (AP) — Tina Maze (MAH'-zeh) of Slovenia won a super-G and became the sixth female skier to win a World Cup race in all five Alpine disciplines.

HINTERZARTEN, Germany (AP) — Sara Takanashi of Japan won her fourth women's ski jump event of the season to extend her lead in the World Cup standings.

Defending overall World Cup champion Sarah Hendrickson of the United States, who won Saturday's event, was second.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

First Grand Slam of 2013 starts Down Under

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak YOH'-koh-vihch) starts his quest for a third straight Australian Open title when the first Grand Slam event of the year begins tonight (7 p.m. Eastern).

The No. 1-ranked Djokovic opens against Paul-Henri Mathieu (awn-REE mat-YOO') in the first of seven matches this month at the venue where he's had the most success in Grand Slam tennis.

No man has won three successive Australian titles in the Open era, which dates back to 1968 — Jack Crawford (1931-33) and Roy Emerson (1963-67) did it before then. Nine players have won back-to-back titles in the meantime, but were unable to complete the hat trick.

On the women's side, Serena Williams also has three on her mind, as in three majors in a row. The No. 3-ranked Williams is a hot favorite to win her sixth Australian Open title after a run of 35 wins in her last 36 matches.