Consider some gifts for kids that will keep on giving long after the blocks, action figures and game systems get relegated to the back of a closet or attic.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Zach Edey had 15 of his 19 points in the first half and Fletcher Loyer finished with 17 points to help No. 1 Purdue hold off Michigan 75-70 on Thursday night.

Billy Packer, an Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS, has died at 82. Packer's son, Mark, told The Associated Press on Thursday night that his father had been hospitalized for the past three weeks and had several medical issues, and ultimately succumbed to kidney failure. 

LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA career scoring record. And now, he has caught Abdul-Jabbar on another page of the All-Star record book. James was announced Thursday as an NBA All-Star for the 19th time, the Los Angeles Lakers' star tying Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history. James was the leading overall vote-getter and will be the captain of one of the teams for the Feb. 19 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. Eastern Conference voting leader Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will captain the other side.

The NFC championship game pits the San Francisco 49ers against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers have won 12 straight games. Seven of those have come since rookie Brock Purdy, a seventh-round draft pick, took over at quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo was injured. The Eagles are 15-1 overall when quarterback Jalen Hurts starts a game. The Niners are making a record 18th appearance in the NFC title game, their second in a row and third in four years. The Eagles are trying to win their second Super Bowl in six seasons.

The Bengals are headed back to Kansas City for the second straight year for the AFC championship game, hoping to replicate the success they've had over the past 13 months against the Chiefs. 

The Oakland A's have been negotiating for a stadium in Oakland or Las Vegas. Oakland officials want to keep the A's, but they have been careful about spending public money. Las Vegas officials aren't likely to provide public funding. The A's also could explore other cities.

Coach Kyle Shanahan's success in San Francisco overseeing productive offenses without elite quarterback play is a reason why so many teams each January are seeking the next trendy, play-calling offensive coach to take over their team. All four head coaches in the conference championship games come from an offensive background with Kansas City's Andy Reid and Cincinnati's Zac Taylor also calling plays like Shanahan, while Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni delegated that duty during his first season.

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey missed his second straight practice with a calf injury but said he will be available for the NFC title game.

Starting players around the NBA are sacrificing their minutes with the first team to better the backups.

The Philadelphia Eagles are heading to the NFC championship game on the strength of wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Brown had 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, while Smith finished his second NFL season with 95 catches, which are the most by a wide receiver in team history.

Today is Thursday, Jan. 26, the 26th day of 2022. There are 339 days left in the year.