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Monday, December 7, 2020 SECTION B Paul Farmer . Sports Editor . 427.6926

Carr-to-Ruggs miracle delivers Raiders win over Jets

Jerry MCDonAlD

ThE MErCury NEWS

The raiders saved their season Sunday when Derek Carr hit henry ruggs III for a 46-yard touchdown pass with five seconds to play for a 31-28 win over the New york Jets.

The Jets came in with an 0-11 record and had overcome a 24-13 deficit to lead 28-24.

The raiders are 7-5, while the Jets fall to 0-12.

The raiders scored on touchdown passes of 9 and 38 yards from Carr to Darren Waller, a 2-yard run by Carr and a 48-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson.

Darnold threw 3 and 6-yard touchdown passes to Jamison Crowder and ran for a 4-yard run. Ty Johnson’s 1-yard run put the Jets up 28-24 with 5:34 to play.

Waller caught 13 passes for 200 yards and the two touchdowns.

The raiders got the ball back one last time with 35 seconds to play but Carr missed Nelson Agholor on a deep throw with 19 seconds left on a potential 54-yard score. highs, lows and all you need to know:

Smash-mouth Jets: The Jets basically ran the ball down the raiders throats enroute to a 96-yard, nine-play drive that resulted in Darnold’s 4-yard run over Jeff heath. A twopoint conversion pass from Darnold to Mims cut the score to 24-21 with 10:22 left.

The two-point pass came after an incompletion was erased by a Nick Morrow pass interference call in the end zone.

At the conclusion of the drive, the Jets had 190 yards rushing. ruggs’ big fumble: rookie wide receiver henry ruggs III coughed up a first-down completion from Carr to set up the Jets for the lead score.

The recovery gave the Jets an opportunity for a short-field drive, and they drove 44 yards in six plays to score on Johnson’s 1-yard run.

Re-introducing the run: After an eight-run, 26 pass first half, the raiders opened the second half with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included nine running plays and concluded with Carr’s 2-yard scramble around right end for a 24-13 lead.

The raiders ran the ball nine times for 38 yards – one more run than in the first 20 minutes. Booker had 31 yards on six carries – including a 14-yard run on the opening play of the drive.

Sad sacks: With the raiders in position to score again before halftime with their third takeaway, Carr was sacked on consecutive plays to end the half with a 17-13 lead.

Clelin Ferrell’s second strip sack, this one recovered by Maxx Crosby, gave the raiders the ball at the 40-yard line.

After an 18-yard pass to hunter renfrow and an incomplete pass to Nelson Agholor, linebacker Neville hewitt and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams sacked Carr on backto-back plays.

Mullen island: Trayvon

See Raiders, Page B8

2 Kings test positive for Covid-19

Team prepares to play Trail Blazers on Friday

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Kings coach Luke Walton said two of his players tested positive for Covid-19 before training camp Tuesday began with individual workouts at the team’s Golden 1 Center practice facility.

“When we came back before we got back in the facility and we were going through the NBA protocol as far as the safety stuff is concerned, we had a couple positive tests,” Walton said. “So before we opened up, those guys were put in quarantine.”

Walton said he did not have a full roster as group workouts began Sunday, but he declined to specify which players missed practice and for what reasons. walton

“I’m not going to just because some of it has to do with Covid and, again, there are so many rules right now that I’m still learning all of them, and I don’t want to get my foot stuck in my mouth,” Walton said. “So I’m just going to stay away from who missed (practice) for what reasons and everything else, but we’re looking forward to getting guys back as they either get healthy or graduate through all the protocols that are out there.”

Earlier Sunday, the Portland Trail Blazers closed their practice facility after three members of the organization tested positive for Covid-19. The Kings and Blazers are scheduled to play their preseason opener Friday at Moda Center in Portland.

Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey issued a statement Sunday morning, saying the facility will be closed for deep cleaning after three people in the organization tested positive over the past few days. Teams started conducting daily testing before individual workouts began Tuesday.

“Over the past four days, we have had three positive Covid test results within our organization,” Olshey said. “Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests”

The Kings are scheduled to play the Blazers in their preseason opener Friday, a game that will be televised by ESPN. The Kings and Blazers are also scheduled to play a second preseason game in Portland two days later.

The NBA will determine whether the preseason games in Portland will be canceled, postponed or played as scheduled. The league had not determined how those games would be impacted as of early Sunday afternoon.

The Kings are scheduled to conclude their four-game preseason schedule with two home games against the Golden State Warriors Dec. 15 and Dec. 17 at Golden 1 Center. They will visit the Denver Nuggets in their season opener Dec. 23. The Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (2) dunks against the Golden State Warriors’ Alen Smailagic (6) and Eric Paschall (7) in

Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/TNS file the first half at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Jan. 10. Paschall has to prove he can become a franchise building block.

How will Warriors’ Paschall follow up rookie season?

rusTy siMMons

SAN FrANCISCO ChrONICLE

Eric Paschall doesn’t know exactly what his statistics will look like in his sophomore season, but the Warriors forward is certain about how he wants to follow up on his All-rookie Team selection.

The 24-year-old wants to win.

The Warriors’ 15-50, cellardwelling record last season was completely unfamiliar to Paschall, and quite frankly, it was completely unacceptable to the do-it-all competitor.

“I was blessed to be part of the All-rookie Team, but I want to win,” Paschall said this week as the Warriors reported to training camp. “you’ve got to look at it both ways. Individually, obviously I’m happy and blessed that people voted for me. But, it’s a new season. I can’t dwell on the past, and I’m ready to take those next steps.”

Paschall was drafted No. 41 overall after a four-year collegiate career in which he averaged 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds and showed a proclivity for game-winning plays. That was especially true in his three seasons at Villanova after a transfer from Fordham.

At Villanova, he went 94-18 (.839) and won the 2018 NCAA championship.

Paschall’s skills translated immediately to the NBA, and he became a revelation among the league’s best rookies. The 6-foot-6 255-pounder came in built like an experienced pro and put up comparable numbers.

With point guard Stephen Curry playing only five games, and shooting guard Klay Thompson sidelined for the season, Paschall was often the Warriors’ go-to scoring option in averaging 14.0 points on 49.7% shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Paschall joined Memphis’ Brandon Clarke and Ja Morant, Miami’s Kendrick Nunn and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson on the first team, marking the first time the Warriors’ had a first-team selection since harrison Barnes in 2013. he was among the top 10 rookies in scoring, field goal percentage, rebounds and assists. The Warriors’ lone representative at AllStar Weekend, Paschall scored 23 points in the rising Stars Challenge and narrowly missed MVP honors, which went to Charlotte’s Miles Bridges.

The next step for Paschall: Prove he can expand his game again and go from key contributor to franchise building block.

To do that, Paschall worked on conditioning, playmaking and his 3-point shot in the offseason. he hit just 28.7% from 3-point range last season, but he believes that limiting his jump on his shot and adding arc will improve his consistency.

After rising to the top of opponents’ scouting reports and drawing more attention, Paschall adjusted his game late in the season. he became a better playmaker, averaging 6.4 assists in the final five games, and opened up shots for himself later in possessions. he averaged 18.0 points on 54.1% shooting in the span.

“I feel like I could have done that a lot earlier in the year, and it would have made

See Warriors, Page B8

Excellence, ineptitude: The 49ers, Saints and one of NFL’s greatest comebacks

eriC brAnCh

SAN FrANCISCO ChrONICLE

One team was about to start one of the NFL’s great dynasties.

The other was about to finish one of the most godawful seasons in league history.

It was 40 years ago Monday – Dec. 7, 1980 – when unproven Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and the 5-8 49ers hosted the 0-13 Saints in a game between goingnowhere teams that went down in history.

The 49ers rallied from a 28-point halftime deficit in their 38-35 overtime win at Candlestick Park, which remains the NFL’s biggest regularseason comeback.

Beyond landing in the record book, the game – which attracted just 37,949 fans and inspired 9,915 no-shows – has added significance. The rally featured the first of Montana’s 28 game-winning drives and foreshadowed one of the NFL’s most clutch careers.

Montana, then 24 and making his sixth career start, planted the first seeds that grew into an unwavering belief: The 49ers, who were coming off consecutive 2-14 seasons, would