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See also: Other events in December 2004

December 31, 2004

• Cricket: Many of the world's leading cricket teams have pledged money for the humanitarian effort in South-East Asia:
  • The English cricket team have personally pledged £15,000, with the Professional Cricketers Association adding a further £5,000
  • The Australian cricket team donated their prize money from the Melbourne test match
  • South Africa's cricket board, Cricket South Africa will make a donation, together with the sponsors of their test series against England
  • The Board of Control for Cricket in India has agreed to give Rs10million (£120,000), with the Indian cricket team donating their fees from their next One Day International
  • Bangladesh have agreed to donate the gate receipts from their forthcoming series at home against Zimbabwe, estimated to be US$10,000
  • The Federation of International Cricketers' Associations has proposed a one-day match on 11 or 12 January to raise more funds. All teams have supported the proposal, although English, South African, Bangladeshi and Zimabwean players are likely to be unavailable because of ongoing tour commitments. The ICC is likely to endorse any such game. [1] [2] [3] (Cricinfo)
• In the UK's New Year's Honours, Matthew Pinsent is knighted; Kelly Holmes and Tanni Grey-Thompson become Dames. Other Olympians and sportspeople are also recognised. (BBC)
• College football bowl games:
  • The Minnesota Golden Gophers defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide 20-16 in the Music City Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Arizona State Sun Devils defeat the Purdue Boilermakers 27-23 in a back-and-forth matchup in the Sun Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Louisville Cardinals defeat the Boise State Broncos 44-40 in the Liberty Bowl, ending the Broncos' 22-game winning streak. (ESPN)
  • The Miami Hurricanes defeat the Florida Gators 27-10 in the Peach Bowl. (ESPN)

December 30, 2004

• Cricket: South Africa hold out in the final day of the second Test against England to secure a draw, bringing to an end England's eight-game winning streak. The final score: England 139 & 570-9 dec, South Africa 332 & 290-8; bad light stops play with 15 overs remaining. England are the only team to remain unbeaten at test cricket throughout 2004 - winning 11 times, drawing twice. (BBC)
• College football bowl games:
  • The Boston College Eagles defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 37-24, in the Continental Tire Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Navy Midshipmen complete their first 10-win season since 1905 by defeating the New Mexico Lobos 34-19 in the Emerald Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Texas Tech Red Raiders upset the Cal Golden Bears 45-31 in the Holiday Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Northern Illinois Huskies defeat the Troy Trojans 34-21 in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. (ESPN)
• NBA:
  • The Seattle SuperSonics defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 94-79, in Atlanta. (NBA)
  • The New Jersey Nets play the Indiana Pacers, in New Jersey.
  • The Detroit Pistons play the Miami Heat, in Detroit.
  • The San Antonio Spurs play the Portland Trail Blazers, in Portland.
• Football (soccer):
  • Real Madrid announce that former Brazil coach Wanderley Luxemburgo will be their new coach, replacing Mariano Garcia Remon. Luxemburgo will be Real's third coach this season. He leaves Santos, which he recently led to the Brazilian championship. (BBC)
  • Manchester United's 19 year old star Wayne Rooney has been given a three-match ban by the Football Association for violent behaviour after TV images showed him shoving Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim in the face. Haim has also been criticised for poor behaviour, as he was judged to exaggerate the episode. Alex Ferguson has criticised the FA for their handling of the case. (BBC)

December 29, 2004

• Cricket:
  • Australia (379 and 127 for 1) beat Pakistan (341 and 163) by 9 wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia to lead the 3 test series 2-0. Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, later suggests that Shoaib Akhtar did not bowl as well as he should have done. (Cricinfo)
  • Sri Lanka postpone their tour of New Zealand to return home. The decision is taken after a tsunami struck the eastern Sri Lankan coast, killing tens of thousands. The New Zealand Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council support the move. Muttiah Muralitharan, the second highest wicket-taker in test match history, avoided the tsunami striking Galle by minutes. The test match ground in Galle has been devastated. (Cricinfo) (ICC)
  • Zimbabwe's arrival in Bangladesh has been postponed by two days as a result of disruption to flight schedules from India into Bangladesh caused by a tsunami striking the region. (Cricinfo)
• College football bowl games:
  • The Colorado Buffaloes defeat the UTEP Miners 33-28 in the Houston Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys 33-7 in the Alamo Bowl. (ESPN)

December 28, 2004

• College football bowl games:
  • The Iowa State Cyclones defeat the Miami RedHawks 17-13 in the Independence Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Oregon State Beavers defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 38-21 in the Insight Bowl. (ESPN)
• NBA:
  • Chauncey Billups scores the game-winning fade-away shot with 0.7 seconds remaining as the Detroit Pistons rally from a 17-point halftime deficit to defeat the Washington Wizards, 107-105, in the District of Columbia. (NBA)
  • The Indiana Pacers defeat the Charlotte Bobcats, 74-71, in Charlotte. Rookie Emeka Okafor records yet another double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, but is outplayed by Indiana's recently reinstated Jermaine O'Neal, who scores 24 and 17. (NBA)
  • The Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Orlando Magic, 111-105, in Orlando. (NBA)
  • The Houston Rockets defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 98-87, in Cleveland. (NBA)
  • The New York Knicks defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 100-87, in New York City. (NBA)
  • The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Boston Celtics, 117-109, in Memphis. (NBA)
  • The Phoenix Suns defeat the New Orleans Hornets, 107-96, in New Orleans. Quentin Richardson completes a franchise-record 9 of 16 3-point shots, and leads the Suns in points, with 31, and rebounds, with 11. The Hornets' record falls to a league-low 2-26. (NBA)
  • The Los Angeles Clippers defeat the Utah Jazz, 101-90, in Los Angeles. (NBA)
  • The Golden State Warriors defeat the Toronto Raptors, 111-105, in Oakland. (NBA)

December 27, 2004

• NFL
  • The St. Louis Rams beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20-7 in St. Louis. The top performers for the Rams were Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson and Issac Bruce while on the Eagles side, the top performers were Jeff Blake, Freddie Mitchell and Dorsey Levens. (NFL)
• Cricket:
  • India (348 for 5) beat Bangladesh (257 for 9) by 91 runs in Dhaka, Bangladesh to win the third and final One Day International of the series. India win the series 2-1. (Cricinfo)
  • New Zealand's one-day cricket international against Sri Lanka scheduled on December 29 is postponed to January 11. (Jamaica Observer) (New Zealand Herald)
• Fox-hunting: Approximately 250 hunts are meeting in England and Wales for what could be the last-ever traditional Boxing Day meets. Hunting with hounds is set to become illegal in England and Wales in February. (BBC)
• College football:
  • In the MPC Computers Bowl, the Fresno State Bulldogs upset the Virginia Cavaliers 37-34 in overtime. (ESPN)
  • The UConn Huskies, making their first-ever bowl appearance, defeat the Toledo Rockets 39-10 in the Motor City Bowl. (ESPN)
• NBA:
  • The Washington Wizards defeat the Charlotte Bobcats, 106-87, in the District of Columbia. Charlotte's Emeka Okafor records his 16th consecutive double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, the longest such streak by a rookie in 12 years. (NBA)
  • The New York Knicks defeat the Orlando Magic, 119-111, in Orlando. (NBA)
  • The Indiana Pacers defeat the New Orleans Hornets, 100-82, in Indianapolis. The Hornets have lost 25 of 27 games so far this season. (NBA)
  • The Miami Heat defeats the Atlanta Hawks, 116-102, in Miami. (NBA)
  • The Detroit Pistons defeat the New Jersey Nets in overtime, 100-90, in Detroit. Vince Carter plays 42 minutes off the bench in his first game since being traded to the Nets, but leaves the game in progress because of a leg cramp. (NBA)
  • The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 96-76, in Memphis. (NBA)
  • The Seattle Sonics defeat the Utah Jazz, 98-88, in Salt Lake City. (NBA)
  • The Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, 111-104, in Portland. (NBA)
  • The Golden State Warriors defeat the Denver Nuggets, 104-101, in Oakland. (NBA)

December 26, 2004

• NFL:
  • Reggie White, who was regarded as the dominant defensive lineman in the NFL in the 1990s as a player for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, dies of a heart attack at age 43. (Yahoo!)
  • Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts breaks Dan Marino's 20-year record for most touchdown passes in one season with 49. Brandon Stokley catches the record-breaking and game-tying touchdown with 56 seconds left in regulation, and Mike Vanderjagt kicks a 30-yard field goal in overtime. The Colts overcome a 15-point deficit to beat the San Diego Chargers 34-31 in Indianapolis. The Colts clinch the 3rd seed in the AFC, while the Chargers will be the 4th seed. (Yahoo!)
  • The Pittsburgh Steelers clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 20-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh. (Yahoo!)
  • The New England Patriots clinch the second seed in the AFC playoffs with a 23-7 win over the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Yahoo!)
  • The Seattle Seahawks guarantee themselves a playoff spot by beating the Arizona Cardinals 24-21 in Tempe, Arizona. (Yahoo!)
  • Houston Texans running back Domanick Davis runs for 150 yards and Antwan Peek returns a fumble for a touchdown in a 21-0 upset over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville. The loss severely limits the Jaguars' playoff hopes. (Yahoo!)
  • The Buffalo Bills crush the San Francisco 49ers 41-7 behind Willis McGahee's two touchdown runs in San Francisco. The Bills, who started the season 0-4, can clinch a playoff spot next week with a win and a loss by either the Jets or Broncos. (Yahoo!)
  • The presumed game-winning touchdown pass by the Chicago Bears' Chad Hutchinson to Bernard Berrian is ruled incomplete with 1:26 left in the 4th quarter, causing the Detroit Lions to win 19-13 in Detroit. (Yahoo!)
  • With the Atlanta Falcons, already locked into the second seed in the NFC playoffs, resting injured quarterback Michael Vick, the New Orleans Saints win 26-13 in New Orleans to push themselves into playoff contention. (Yahoo!)
  • Chad Johnson catches the game-winning touchdown with 44 seconds left as the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the New York Giants 23-22 in Cincinnati. (Yahoo!)
  • Jake Delhomme throws for four touchdowns as the Carolina Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-20 in Tampa. (Yahoo!)
  • Vinny Testaverde throws a 39-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton with 30 seconds left, to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 13-10 win over the Washington Redskins in Irving, Texas. (Yahoo!)
• Cricket:
  • New Zealand (144 for 3) beat Sri Lanka (141 all out) by 7 wickets in the first One Day International at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand to lead the 5-match series 1-0. (Cricinfo)
  • Bangladesh (229 for 9) beat India (214 all out) by 15 runs in the second One Day International at Dhaka, Bangladesh to level the three match series 1-1. This is the first time Bangladesh have won a top-level international cricket game at home. (India Times)

December 25, 2004

• NFL:
  • The Denver Broncos keep their playoff hopes alive with a 37-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. (ESPN)
  • The Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Oakland Raiders 31-30 in Kansas City on a last second field goal by Lawrence Tynes. (Yahoo!)
  • Nick Saban, who coached the LSU Tigers to a national championship in 2003, announces he will become the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins effective im 2005. (Yahoo!)
• NBA:
  • In their first game since the brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Detroit Pistons defeat the Indiana Pacers, 98-93, in Indianapolis. (ESPN)
  • In their first matchup since the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat at least in part because of animosity with Kobe Bryant, O'Neal and the Heat defeated Bryant and the Lakers, 104-102 in overtime in Los Angeles. The Heat also extended their winning streak to 11 games, equaling a franchise record. (ESPN)

December 24, 2004

• National Football League: The Green Bay Packers rally to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 34-31, in Minneapolis to clinch the NFC North division. (ESPN)
• College football: The Hawaii Warriors defeat the UAB Blazers 59-40 in the Hawaii Bowl. (ESPN)

December 23, 2004

• College football:
  • The Wyoming Cowboys upset the UCLA Bruins, 24-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl. (ESPN)
  • The Cincinnati Bearcats defeat the Marshall Thundering Herd 32-14 in the Fort Worth Bowl. (ESPN)
  • Dave Wannstedt, who resigned his job with the Miami Dolphins in November, is named head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers. (SI)
• Rugby union: The Rugby Football Union disqualify Zurich Premiership champions London Wasps from the Powergen Cup for fielding an ineligible player, hooker Jonny Barrett.

December 22, 2004

• The IAAF has provisionally suspended the Greek sprinters Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou for missing all three doping tests prior to the 2004 Summer Olympics. They could face a ban of up to two years if found guilty. (MSNBC)

December 21, 2004

• Football: Dutch public broadcasting sees its rights to all major league Dutch football sold to a still to be founded commercial channel, causing a minor uproar among fans. (NOS, in Dutch)
• College football
  • The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeat the Syracuse Orange 51-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida. (ESPN)
  • The Associated Press sends a cease-and-desist letter to the Bowl Championship Series, requesting the removal of the AP Top 25 poll from the BCS ranking formula. (AP)
• Baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers pull out of a proposed three-way deal that would have sent Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees. (ESPN)
• International basketball: Boca Juniors beats Ben Hur, 82-81, to win the 2004-2005 Argentine Top 4 Cup (Sextohombre, in Spanish)
• NBA:
  • The New Jersey Nets defeat the Charlotte Bobcats, 94-91, in Charlotte. Richard Jefferson had 28 points, 17 of which were scored in the fourth quarter.(NBA)
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 107-97, in Cleveland. LeBron James had 26 points and 12 assists. (NBA)
  • The Dallas Mavericks defeat the New York Knicks, 123-94, in New York. (NBA)
  • The Miami Heat defeat the Boston Celtics, 108-100, in Miami. Shaquille O'Neal did not play because of a bruised left calf. The Heat are off to their best start in team history, with a 20-7 record. (NBA)
  • The Washington Wizards lose to the Sacramento Kings, 104-98, during Chris Webber's return to the Kings, in Sacramento. (NBA)
  • The New Orleans Hornets lose in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers, 100-91, in L.A. (NBA)
• Cricket: England win their eighth successive Test, the best ever run in English cricketing history, by beating South Africa by seven wickets. (BBC)

December 20, 2004

• National Football League:
  • In a stunning upset, the Miami Dolphins all but take away the New England Patriots' chance at home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 29-28 win in Miami on Monday Night Football. (ESPN)
  • Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens is out for the season and the NFC playoffs with a broken leg suffered in Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys. He may be back in time for the Super Bowl if the Eagles make it that far. (ESPN)
• NBA:
  • Despite 51 points from Allen Iverson, the Utah Jazz defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, 103-101, in Philadelphia. Kyle Korver, with 16, is the only other Sixer to score in double digits. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur lead the Jazz, with a combined 48 points and 19 rebounds; Okur's free throws with 4 seconds remaining lifted the Jazz to victory. (NBA)
  • The Chicago Bulls defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, 92-87, in Chicago. Ben Gordon scores 23 points with the legendary Michael Jordan in attendance. (NBA)
  • The Houston Rockets defeat the Toronto Raptors, 114-102, in Houston. Yao Ming scores a season-high 40 points; Yao and fellow Houston superstar Tracy McGrady combine for 74 points and 22 rebounds. (NBA)
  • The Phoenix Suns defeat the Denver Nuggets, 107-105, in Denver. A Quentin Richardson tip shot at the buzzer averts overtime, and improves the Suns' record to 22-3. (NBA)
  • The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 82-72, in L.A.. (NBA)
  • The Washington Wizards defeat the Golden State Warriors, 103-101, in Oakland. Gilbert Arenas won the game by making a layup shot. (NBA)
• Cricket:
  • The Turbanator, India's Harbhajan Singh, is reported by the umpires for throwing when delivering his doosra in the second test at Chittagong, Bangladesh. Reports suggest his arm bends up to 22 degrees, well outside the International Cricket Council's tolerance level. (Cricinfo)
  • India (540) beat Bangladesh (333 and 124) by an innings and 83 runs in the second test at Chittagong, Bangladesh to win the 2 match series 2-0. Man of the match is Bangladeshi Mohammad Ashraful for his 158 not out in the first innings. (Cricinfo)
• NCAA basketball:
  • A few days after accepting the position, Rick Majerus resigns as head men's basketball coach at the University of Southern California. (ESPN)
  • John Chaney coaches his 1,000th game as the Temple Owls defeat the Princeton Tigers 48-44. (ESPN)

December 19, 2004

• National Football League, Week 15:
  • Peyton Manning comes within one touchdown of Dan Marino's single-season record as the Indianapolis Colts defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 20-10, in Indianapolis. (ESPN)
  • The Oakland Raiders defeat the Tennessee Titans, 40-35, in Oakland. (ESPN)
  • The Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Green Bay Packers, 28-25, in Green Bay. (ESPN)
  • The Arizona Cardinals upset the St. Louis Rams, 31-7, in Tempe, Arizona. (ESPN)
  • The New Orleans Saints defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-17, in Tampa. (ESPN)
  • In a driving snow, the San Diego Chargers clinch the AFC West division championship by shutting out the Cleveland Browns, 21-0, in Cleveland. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 111 yards on 26 carries.(ESPN)
  • The Philadelphia Eagles eliminate the Dallas Cowboys from playoff contention in the NFC with a 12-7 win in Philadelphia. Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens left the game with a swollen ankle (ESPN). The Eagles win, along with losses by the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and the Carolina Panthers gave the Green Bay Packers a playoff berth even before their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars began. (ESPN)
  • The Houston Texans allow the fewest points in their brief history and defeat the Chicago Bears, 24-5, in Chicago. (ESPN)
  • Despite being outscored 14-7 in the fourth quarter, the Minnesota Vikings defeat the Detroit Lions, 28-27, in Detroit. The Lions botched an extra point attempt after Joey Harrington threw a touchdown to Roy Williams late in the game. (ESPN)
  • The Buffalo Bills defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 33-17, in Cincinnati. (ESPN)
  • Chad Pennington throws for 253 yards and three touchdowns as the New York Jets defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 37-14, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (ESPN)
  • The Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Denver Broncos, 45-17, in Kansas City. (ESPN)
• Cricket: Australia (381 and 361-5d) beat Pakistan (179 and 72) by 491 runs in the first test at the WACA in Perth, Western Australia to lead the 3 match series 1-0. Justin Langer (Aus) is made man of the match for his 191 and 97. Glenn McGrath (Aus) took a career best 8 for 24 in the second innings. (Cricinfo)
• Handball: Norway defeats Denmark, 27-25, to win the 2004 European Women's Handball Championship. (EURO 2004)

December 18, 2004

• Boxing:
  • Glencoffe Johnson, former IBF world Light-Heavyweight champion, causes a mild upset by defeating the former WBC world champion, Antonio Tarver, by a twelve round split decision in Temecula, California. Both boxers had been stripped of their world titles by the respective organizations prior to the fight, for different reasons. The fight is HBO Boxing's last telecast of 2004(AOL)
• NBA:
  • The Charlotte Bobcats defeat the Houston Rockets in overtime, 101-100, in Charlotte. (NBA)
  • The Orlando Magic defeat the Denver Nuggets, 117-95, in Orlando. (NBA)
  • The Portland Trail Blazers defeat the Detroit Pistons, 75-74, in Detroit, as Darius Miles makes a free throw half a second left. (NBA)
  • The Boston Celtics defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 114-107, in Cleveland. (NBA)
  • The Chicago Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers, 85-71, in Chicago. (NBA)
  • Allen Iverson scores a season-high 54 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, 116-97, in Milwaukee. (NBA)
  • The Dallas Mavericks defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 90-68, in Dallas. (NBA)
  • The San Antonio Spurs defeat the Golden State Warriors, 104-85, in San Antonio. (NBA)
  • The Phoenix Suns defeat the Washington Wizards, 110-96, in Phoenix. (NBA)
• MLB: The Oakland Athletics trade Mark Mulder to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Kiko Calero, Danny Haren, and a minor league catcher. (ESPN).
• National Football League, Week 15
  • Jay Feely boots a 38-yard field goal to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 34-31 overtime win over the Carolina Panthers in Atlanta. (ESPN)
  • The Washington Redskins defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 26-16, in San Francisco. (ESPN)
  • The Pittsburgh Steelers and rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger win their 12th consecutive game by defeating the New York Giants, 33-30, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Roethlisberger threw for a career-best 316 yards while completing 18 of 28 passes. (ESPN)
• NCAA:
  • The Linfield Wildcats defeat the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders 28-21 to win the NCAA Division III national football championship. (ESPN)
  • The Stanford Cardinal defeat the Minnesota Lady Gophers 3 games to 1 (30-23, 30-27, 30-21) to win the NCAA Division I women's national volleyball championship. (Stanford Athletics) {ESPN)

December 17, 2004

• College football: The James Madison Dukes defeat the Montana Grizzlies, 31-21, to win the NCAA Division I-AA national football championship. (ESPN).
• Boxing: Ebo Elder recovers from heavy injuries sustained around his eyes, and knocks out Courtney Burton in round twelve, to retain a regional Lightweight belt, in Santa Ynez, California. The fight is the last Showtime network boxing telecast for 2004.(AOL)
  • An arrest warrant is issued against multiple times world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., for failing to appear in court during a trial.(AOL)
• Ice hockey: The London Knights' Canadian Hockey League-record 31 game unbeaten streak ends following a 5-2 loss to the Sudbury Wolves. (TSN)
• NBA:
  • The New York Knicks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime, 113-107, in Philadelphia. (NBA)
  • The Indiana Pacers defeat the Toronto Raptors, 89-86, in Indiana. (NBA)
  • The Boston Celtics defeat the Utah Jazz, 114-106, in Boston. (NBA)
  • The Portland Trailblazers defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 100-84, in Atlanta. (NBA)
  • The Miami Heat defeats the Denver Nuggets, 107-100, in Miami. (NBA)
  • The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the New Jersey Nets, 89-84, in Memphis. (NBA)
  • The San Antonio Spurs defeat the New Orleans Hornets, 83-67, in New Orleans. (NBA)
  • The Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 113-86, in Minnesota. (NBA)
  • The Houston Rockets defeat the Golden State Warriors, 100-83, in Houston. (NBA)
  • The Washington Wizards defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime, 120-116, in L.A.. (NBA)
  • The Phoenix Suns defeat the Seattle Sonics, 112-110, in Seattle. The Sonics and Suns have the best records in the NBA. (NBA)
  • The Toronto Raptors trade Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Alvin Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round draft picks. (ESPN)
• UEFA Cup: In Nyon, Switzerland, UEFA conducts the draws for the knock-out round of 16 for the UEFA Champions League, and for the knock-out rounds of 32 and 16 for the UEFA Cup:
• UEFA Champions League, Knock-out Group of 16
  • Real Madrid – Juventus
  • Porto – Inter Milan
  • Barcelona – Chelsea
  • Werder Bremen – Olympique Lyonnais
  • Liverpool – Bayer Leverkusen
  • PSV – AS Monaco
  • Manchester United – AC Milan
  • Bayern Munich – Arsenal
    • Games will take place over two legs, on 22-23 February 2005, and 8-9 March 2005.

• UEFA Cup, knock-out group of 32:

1. Grazer AK – Middlesbrough
2. Heerenveen – Newcastle United
3. FC Basel – Lille
4. Parma – VfB Stuttgart
5. Sporting Lisbon – Feyenoord
6. Alemannia – AZ Alkmaar
7. Austria Vienna – Athletic Bilbao
8. Partizan Belgrade – Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
9. Valencia – Steaua Bucharest
10. Ajax – Auxerre
11. CSKA Moscow – Benfica
12. Fenerbahçe – Real Zaragoza
13. Panathinaikos – Sevilla
14. Shakhtar Donetsk – Schalke 04
15. Olympiacos – Sochaux
16. Dynamo Kyiv – Villarreal

• Games will take place over two legs, on 16-17 February and 24 February 2005.

• UEFA Cup, knock-out group of 16:

1. Winner game 1 – Winner game 5
2. Winner game 13 – Winner game 4
3. Winner game 9 – Winner game 16
4. Winner game 3 – Winner game 10
5. Winner game 15 – Winner game 2
6. Winner game 14 – Winner game 6
7. Winner game 8 – Winner game 11
8. Winner game 7 – Winner game 12

• Games will take place over two legs, on 10 March and 16-17 March 2005. (UEFA)

December 16, 2004

• NBA:
  • The Detroit Pistons rally from a 10 point halftime deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 81-69 at Detroit. Detroit allows a franchise-record low 6 points in the 3rd quarter, and Cleveland star LeBron James scores a season low of only 11 points in the game. Detroit's Larry Brown records his 945th win as an NBA coach, surpassing Bill Fitch for fourth-most in history. (NBA)
  • The Chicago Bulls defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, 85-77, in Chicago. (NBA)
  • The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Sacramento Kings, 115-99, in Sacramento. (NBA)
• Baseball:
  • The Oakland Athletics trade Tim Hudson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for another pitcher and two outfielders. (ESPN)
  • Adrián Beltré signs a five-year US$64 million deal with the Seattle Mariners. (ESPN)
• Football (soccer): UEFA Cup Group Stage, Matchday 5
  • Group A: Hearts 0 – 1 Ferencváros
  • Group A: FC Basel 1 – 0 Feyenoord
  • Group B: Standard Liège 1 – 7 Athletic Bilbao
  • Group B: Parma 3 – 2 Beşiktaş
  • Group C: Club Brugge 1 – 1 Real Zaragoza
  • Group C: FC Utrecht 1 – 2 Austria Vienna
  • Group D: Newcastle United 1 – 1 Sporting Lisbon
  • Group D: Sochaux 1 – 0 Panionios
  • Teams in bold qualify for the knock-out round (3 from each group). In Group A Schalke 04 have already qualified. In Group B Steaua Bucharest have already qualified. In Group C Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk have already qualified. The draw for the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League will take place on 17 December. (UEFA.com)
• 2004 Tiger Cup, First Round
  • Myanmar 3 – 1 Timor Leste
  • Thailand 3 – 1 Philippines

December 15, 2004

• NBA:
  • Carmelo Anthony makes a shot with 3.6 seconds left in the game, and Paul Pierce misses a subsequent three point shot attempt, as the Denver Nuggets defeat the Boston Celtics, 100-99. Andre Miller of the Nuggets made a shot from the opponent's free throw line as time expired during the first quarter, but the shot was discounted because it was apparently taken after time had expired in that quarter(NBA)
  • The defending champion Detroit Pistons defeat the New York Knicks, 94-93, at New York, when Chauncey Billups makes two free throws with less than three seconds to go. The Pistons were down by 16 points, 56-40, at halftime. Pistons coach Larry Brown records his 944th win as a coach, tieing Bill Fitch for 4th in NBA history. (NBA)
  • Dan Dickau makes a three point shot as the third quarter was winding down and gets fouled, making the free throw for a four point play in what would eventually be the New Orleans Hornets' first home victory of the season, a 98-89 defeat of the Golden State Warriors. The Hornets also snap an eleven game losing streak. (NBA)
  • Steve Francis misses a three point shot as time runs off, and the San Antonio Spurs hold on for a 94-91 win over the Orlando Magic. (NBA)
  • Jeff McInnis and Drew Gooden complete an unlikely five point play with time running down in the third quarter (McInnis made a three point shot, followed by a steal and a basket by Gooden) as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Portland Trailblazers, 112-88. The Cavaliers extend their home winning streak to nine games, their longest home winning streak since 1993. (NBA)
• Boxing: Oscar de la Hoya announces plans to return to the Welterweight division, where he was the WBC world champion from 1997 to 1999 and in 2000. (AOL)
• Tennis: Rumors spread that former tennis star Anna Kournikova has secretly married her long time boyfriend, Enrique Iglesias.(AOL)
• Biathlon: The men's 10 km Sprint at WC 3 in Östersund, Sweden, ends with Stian Eckhoff (NOR) getting his first World Cup race victory, and with the runner-up, teammate Frode Andresen, making his best result this season, using 10 seconds more than Eckhoff. Sergei Rozhkov (Сергей Рожков) of Russia gets the third place, 1 second after Andresen. (IBU/EBU Results)
• Cross-country skiing: In the World Cup 6×1.2 km classical technique Team Sprint event in Asiago, Italy, the ladies' race results in an all-Nordic podium, as it is won by Norway I, (Marit Bjørgen, Ella Gjømle), one second before Finland I (Aino Kaisa Saarinen, Virpi Kuitunen), while Sweden I (Elin Ek, Anna Dahlberg) finishes third. (FIS-Ski Results) The men's race is won by Norway I (Tor Arne Hetland, Jens Arne Svartedal), finishing roughly 3 seconds before Russia I (Nikolai Pankratov, Vassili Rotchev) (Николай Панкратов, Вассили Ротчев), who comes in 3 seconds in front of Norway II (Trond Iversen, Børre Næss). (FIS-Ski Results)
• Cricket: The England and Wales Cricket Board announces new broadcasting deals with BSkyB, Five, the BBC and TalkSPORT. From 2006 to 2009, all England home test matches<