Kings stun Warriors for wild ending to NBA's In-Season Tournament group play; Why Ohio State has a chance

Malik Monk wins it late for Sacramento as Golden State fails to qualify

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🏀 Good morning to everyone but especially ...

THE NBA TEAMS ADVANCING IN THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

Whether you loved it, hated it, were ambivalent about it or still didn't really understand it (in which case we can help) entering Tuesday, you should love the NBA In-Season Tournament now. Malik Monk banked in a heavily contested go-ahead jumper as the Kings rallied past the Warriors, 124-123, to win their group and advance to the knockout stage. Golden State, which needed to win by at least 12 points to advance on tiebreakers, had led by 24 at one point and is now out of the tournament entirely.

As such, here are the knockout stage matchups:

WEST

• Suns (wild card) at Lakers (Group A winner)
• Pelicans (Group B winner) at Kings (Group C winner)

EAST

• Knicks (wild card) at Bucks (Group B winner)
• Celtics (Group C winner) at Pacers (Group A winner)

All four teams that went 4-0 in the group stage are hosting quarterfinal games. The Celtics, meanwhile, smartly used the "Hack-A-Drummond" strategy to ensure they would advance in the closely contested group that came down to point differential between them, the Magic and the Nets.

Here are our takeaways from a wild, unprecedented night, and here's what's next.

😃 Honorable mentions

• Kevin Garnett plans to "dedicate" a son to Kobe Bryant.
• Bobby Petrino is finalizing a deal to return to Arkansas, this time as offensive coordinator.
• Braelon Allen entered the NFL Draft.
• Syracuse hired Georgia defensive backs coach (and master recruiter) Fran Brown.
• Oregon State, Washington State and the Mountain West are nearing a schedule agreement for next season.
• Liam Hendriks and Cody Bellinger won MLB Comeback Player of the Year.
• Mark Cuban is selling a majority stake in the Mavericks to Miriam Adelson while retaining basketball control.
• Melissa Etheridge has a new song: "I Loved The Chiefs Before They Were Cool."

🤕 And not such a good morning for ...

JONATHAN TAYLOR AND THE COLTS

Sunday night, the Colts were riding high off a third straight win that propelled them into the seventh and final spot in the AFC playoff picture. Tuesday, they got some tough news to dampen those spirits: Jonathan Taylor will have thumb surgery today and will miss the next two-to-three weeks.

• Taylor, who already missed the first four weeks while on the PUP list and amid contract/trade request drama, signed a three-year, $42 million extension in early October.
• While it was slow going at first, Taylor has taken over the backfield and has a touchdown in five of his last six games, including a two-touchdown performance Sunday against the Buccaneers.
• Chris Towers has the Fantasy implications of the injury, but there's no question who you should add if you can: Zack Moss. Chris says "Moss immediately enters the top-12 RB conversation for that time."

😔 Not so honorable mentions

• LaMelo Ball (ankle sprain) will miss extended time.
• When will the Pistons win again?

👀 College Football Playoff Rankings: Ohio State slides to No. 6

Claire Komarek, CBS Sports

The biggest question ahead of this week's College Football Playoff Rankings was how far Ohio State would slide after losing to Michigan. Tuesday, we got our answer. Here's the new top eight:

1. Georgia (previous: 1)
2. Michigan (3)
3. Washington (4)
4. Florida State (5)
5. Oregon (6)
6. Ohio State (2)
7. Texas (7)
8. Alabama (8)

And yes, that still means Ohio State has hope. Barrett Sallee outlines how the Buckeyes could still make the CFP.

• "No. 4 Florida State has to lose to No. 14 Louisville in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday."
  
• "No. 3 Washington has to take care of No. 5 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday."
  
• "No. 7 Texas needs to get out of the way as well, and No. 18 Oklahoma State would be happy to oblige in the Big 12 Championship Game in what will be the Longhorns' last conference game before jumping to the SEC next season."
  
• "Finally, No. 8 Alabama has to fall to No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game for Ohio State's path to the CFP to be complete."
  

So you're saying there's a chance?!

🏈 NFL Power Rankings: Broncos' rise continues

Admit it: When the Broncos fell to 0-3 after a 70-20 beatdown at the hands (fins?) of the Dolphins, you didn't think Sean Payton could turn things around in the Mile High -- certainly not with Russell Wilson as his quarterback.

Yet here we are. The Broncos have won five straight and are 6-5. Their historically bad defense is no longer historically bad. Their historically disappointing quarterback is no longer historically disappointing. Payton deserves enormous credit, writes Pete Prisco.

• Prisco: "The five consecutive victories is the longest streak in the league. The defense that gave up 70 in a game has given up 80 the past five. They have 15 takeaways in the past four contests and average a league-best 2.0 takeaways per game. ... Wilson has improved from last season in a big way. He's taking care of the football and his 20 touchdown-four-interception ratio is the best in the NFL. There are times he looks like Wilson of old, yet there is more of a measured way about him, a way that Payton certainly has coached into his game."
  

As such, the Broncos are up five spots in Pete's latest NFL Power Rankings, tied for the second-largest jump of any team this week behind the Falcons, who jumped six spots. Here's the top five:

1. Eagles (previous: 1)
2. Cowboys (3)
3. Chiefs (4)
4. 49ers (5)
5. Dolphins (6)

Last week's No. 2 -- the Lions -- fell six spots. Only the Browns, dropping from seventh to 16th after a loss to Denver, fell further.

As for yet another AFC playoff contender, the Jaguars are back on track thanks to their star quarterback, Jeff Kerr writes in his "One thing we learned about every team."

• Kerr: "Trevor Lawrence shows up in a big moment: Franchise quarterbacks tend to play their best in big games, especially in division showdowns for first place. Lawrence had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 364 yards and a touchdown and rushing for a touchdown. ... He has four completions of 40+ yards, the most by a Jaguars quarterback since Mark Brunell in 1996. The Jaguars showed the Texans they're the best team in the division, thanks to Lawrence."

Jacksonville moved from ninth to seventh in Pete's rankings.

⚽ UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 roundup, previews

Half of UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 is in the books, and while "Never underestimate the heart of a champion" was first used in the NBA, it carries over to soccer, too. Manchester City rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit against RB Leipzig for a 3-2 win behind goals from Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Julian Álvarez, whose 87th-minute winner was a wonder to watch. Pep Guardiola still has questions to answer, but it's a lot easier to answer them after moving into the knockout rounds, writes James Benge.

• Benge: "That Manchester City have done all that while being so far from their best ... tends to feel like a shot across the bows for their rivals at home and abroad. If we can do this on our off nights, imagine what we will be like when we hit our groove. ... It is a frightening prospect. So, at least for Pep Guardiola, should be a first half that saw them slide into a two goal-deficit as Lois Openda carved through a defense engaged in its worst habits."

As for managers facing questions under more dire circumstances, Luis Enrique has plenty after PSG's 1-1 draw -- controversial and perhaps lucky -- against Newcastle, writes Jonathan Johnson. Still, that's not as bad as AC Milan's 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund that has Francesco Porzio wondering if Stefano Pioli's time is up.

Here are the scores and our takeaways from Tuesday.

Looking at today's action, we have eight more matches on CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+.

• Galatasaray vs. Manchester United, 12:45 p.m. (preview)
  
• Sevilla vs. PSV, 12:45 p.m.
  
• Bayern Munich vs. Copenhagen, 3 p.m. (preview)
• Real Madrid vs. Napoli, 3 p.m. (preview)
  
• Real Sociedad vs. RB Salzburg, 3 p.m.
  
• Braga vs. Union Berlin, 3 p.m.
  
• Arsenal vs. Lens, 3 p.m. (preview)
  
• Benfica vs. Inter, 3 p.m.
  

Here are expert picks and updated clinching scenarios.

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚽ UEFA Champions League on CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+
🏀 No. 18 Notre Dame at No. 20 Tennessee, 5 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 14 Texas A&M at Virginia, 7:15 p.m. on ESPN2
🏒 Red Wings at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 10 Tennessee at No. 17 North Carolina, 7:15 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 7 Duke at Arkansas, 9:15 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 22 Louisville at No. 19 Ole Miss, 9:15 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Clippers at Kings, 10 p.m. on NBA TV