Kicker, punter come up big for Seahawks in a Super Bowl devoid of early touchdowns

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — During a defensive struggle in the first half, the Seattle Seahawks got the consistency and cushion they needed — from their kicker.

Jason Myers connected on a Super Bowl-record five field goals, scoring the first 12 points of the game to help the Seahawks pull away for a 29-13 Super Bowl 60 victory on Sunday.

Myers connected on kicks of 33, 39, two from 41 and 26 yards. His 17 total points on five field goals and two extra points were also the most by a kicker in Super Bowl history.

“He’s elite,” holder and punter Michael Dickson said. “The attention that goes into the detail with him, it’s really cool to see, and it pays off. And he’s cool to be around. ... He’s got that mentality, and it’s really cool to share this experience with him.”

The 34-year-old Myers, in his 11th NFL season and seventh with Seattle, became the first player to score 200 points in a season, playoffs included. He finished with 206 points, breaking LaDainian Tomlinson's record of 198 set in 2006.

Dickson said there should have at least been some discussion about Myers winning the Super Bowl MVP award, a honor that has never been bestowed upon a kicker. Running back Kenneth Walker III, who ran for 135 yards and added 26 receiving, was selected the game's MVP.

“We need multiple MVPs because K9, he went off," Dickson said of Walker. "He’s incredible.”

The 30-year-old, Australian-born Dickson also helped put the Seahawks' defense in an advantageous position, dropping three punts inside the 6-yard line.

With Seattle hanging on to a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter, Dickson had a 55-yard punt that was downed at the Patriots 4. New England's final drive of the game started at its 6 when Dickson booted a 52-yarder that went out of bounds.

“I mean, this week was no different to any other week in the year," said Dickson, in his eighth NFL season with the Seahawks. "So, you know, I always want to give my defense the best field position, and it’s cool, you know, hitting it inside a few times, and getting the boys around me was special.”

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Seattle Seahawks' Michael Dickson (4) and place-kicker Jason Myers (5) celebrate Myers' field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Seattle Seahawks placekicker Jason Myers, top right, scores on a field goal against the New England Patriots in the second quarter of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers makes a 26-yard field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) celebrates with fullback Brady Russell (38) after making a field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Seattle Seahawks place-kicker Jason Myers, right, makes a field goal during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic will miss the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers' regular season with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, the team announced Friday.

Doncic is the NBA's top scorer and the driving force behind the Lakers' surge into the third spot in the Western Conference standings, but he injured his leg during Los Angeles' blowout loss in Oklahoma City on Thursday. An MRI exam revealed the severity of the strain.

The Pacific Division champion Lakers (50-27) have just five games left before the postseason, starting Sunday at Dallas.

Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require several weeks of recovery, but Doncic also has prior experience with hamstring issues. He missed four games right before the All-Star break with another left hamstring strain, but returned to the lineup after the break.

Doncic is putting up spectacular numbers in his first full season with the Lakers, who acquired the Slovenian superstar from the Mavericks last season. He is averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game for Los Angeles, and he was named the NBA's Western Conference player of the month for March after racking up 13 consecutive 30-point performances, including seven 40-point games, a 51-point barrage against Chicago and a 60-point masterclass in Miami.

Doncic scored a whopping 600 points in March, becoming only the 10th player in NBA history to hit that mark in one month. While LeBron James and Austin Reaves have also played well down the stretch, the Lakers thoroughly depend on Doncic, who either scored or assisted on 58% of the their total points in March.

Doncic is all but certain to win his second NBA scoring title — but he has played in only 64 games this season, which means he will finish one game shy of the 65-game threshold to be eligible for the NBA's biggest postseason awards.

He was a lock to be an All-NBA selection, and he had even been making a late run at consideration for the MVP award with his outstanding play down the stretch.

Along with his two absences caused by hamstring injuries and a handful of additional absences for minor medical maintenance early in the season, Doncic missed two games last December while flying to Slovenia for the birth of his second child. He also missed one game last week under suspension for accumulating 16 technical fouls.

Since he sits just shy of the 65-game threshold, Doncic theoretically could challenge the rule by citing the extraordinary circumstances of his daughter's birth in Europe through the grievance process created for these collectively bargained rules. It's wholly unclear whether that appeal would have any chance of success.

If Doncic wins the scoring title but doesn't make the All-NBA teams, he would be only the third scoring champ in league history to fail to do so. Elvin Hayes wasn't selected when he won the crown as a rookie in 1969, and Bob McAdoo wasn't chosen for the teams in 1976.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Doncic was injured in the first half against the Thunder, but was cleared to return to the game while his team was getting plastered by the defending NBA champion Thunder. Doncic lasted only about four minutes before he spun, stopped and went down on the court in pain, leading to his departure.

The loss was only the Lakers' third in 19 games since Feb. 26, but Doncic's absence casts a cloud of uncertainty over the rest of their year. Los Angeles only leads fourth-place Denver (49-28) by one game, while sixth-place Minnesota (46-30) is 3 1/2 games back with a game in hand.

The Lakers’ regular-season finale is next Sunday, April 12, at home against Utah. Their first-round playoff series is expected to start the following weekend.

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Dončić (77) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April. 2, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) gestures after a three-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is fouled by Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) as Magic forward Tristan da Silva, right, helps defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)