It may be flying under the radar with casual fans, but Rudy Gobert is having another Defensive Player of the Year-level season, anchoring the Timberwolves' top-10 defense.
However, the Timberwolves will have to get by without him on Tuesday night against the Bucks because Gobert will be serving a one-game suspension for racking up six flagrant foul points this season, the league announced Monday.
Gobert picked up a flagrant foul on Sunday when contesting a Victor Wembanyama and not giving him room to land — this was a clear flagrant, it's not up for debate — and he picked up a technical on the play for bumping the referee.
Rudy Gobert picks up a flagrant foul penalty one for not giving Wemby a landing space here.
It's his fifth flagrant this season, so he will be suspended for Tuesday's game in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Wemby drills four free throws to put the Spurs back up 10.
This gave Gobert five flagrant fouls on the season, and because one of them was a flagrant two, he had six points and earned the suspension. He will have to serve a game suspension for every future flagrant foul this season as well (Gobert reached that limit in 40 games, there is half a season to go).
The Florida Panthers were looking to build some momentum after a strong win in Ottawa over the weekend.
Florida went into the barn of the hottest team in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres, and picked up a gutty 4-2 victory.
The Panthers got things started early, thanks to an interference penalty on Josh Doan that was drawn by rookie Sandis Vilmanis.
Carrying the puck along the Sabres blue line, Uvis Balinskis sent a flat wrist shot toward the net that was deflected by Sam Reinhart on its way past Colten Ellis just 2:35 into the game.
Buffalo tied the score about midway through the period on a long shot by Jacob Bryson that got past a screened Sergei Bobrovsky, give some life to the fans inside KeyBank Center.
The excitement didn’t last long though thanks to A.J. Greer.
On a rush that started in Florida’s zone, Greer and Sam Bennett played the give-and-go game while going up the ice, with Greer eventually firing a long wrister from the top of the right circle that got past Ellis’ glove to send Florida into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.
The advantage held for Florida until late in the second period.
Tage Thompson sent a hard shot on Bobrovsky from a sharp angle that was stopped by the goaltender, but Zach Benson was able to outwrestle Aaron Ekbald to the loose puck in the crease and slide it over the goal line with 2:03 left in the middle frame.
Florida earned their third lead of the game just past the midway point of the third period.
Anton Lundell fired a backhand shot that Ellis stopped, but he couldn’t control the rebound and Eetu Luostarinen was able to push the puck back to Lundell at the side of the net.
He swept the puck into the net, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead with 8:53 to go.
An empty-net goal by Greer, his second of the game and ninth of the season, cemented the victory for Florida, their second straight, despite a goal by Buffalo with 12.1 to go.
Photo caption: Jan 12, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
The San Jose Sharks suffered an ugly 7-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 11. Former Sharks forward Tomas Hertl was a major reason for the Golden Knights' blowout win.
Hertl put together a monster game for the Golden Knights against the Sharks, as he recorded two goals, three assists, and five points during the contest. With this, there is no question that Hertl was on fire against his former club.
Yet, this was only the latest big performance by Hertl, as he has been on a major hot streak as of late. Due to this, he was recently rewarded for it by the NHL.
The NHL has announced that Hertl is the league's First Star of the Week from Jan. 5 to Jan. 11. When looking at how well the former Sharks star performed, it is very easy to understand why.
Hertl simply dominated during this past week for the Golden Knights, as he recorded three goals, six assists, and nine points in just four games. With numbers like these, it is clear that the former Shark is playing some fantastic hockey right now.
With his ongoing hot streak, Hertl now has 18 goals, 21 assists, and 39 points in 44 games so far this season with the Golden Knights.
NEW YORK — The NHL and NHL Players’ Association said in a joint statement Monday they are pleased that test events at the new hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Olympics were “a good trial run and provided important insight into the current status” of construction.
League and union officials were present at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena over the weekend, as organizers put on games to test the ice surface while the process of finishing locker rooms and other facilities continues. Play is set to begin on the women’s side Feb. 5 and the men’s side Feb. 11.
“While challenges are inherent with new ice and a still-under-construction venue, we expect that the work necessary to address all remaining issues will continue around the clock,” they said in a statement said. “The NHL and NHLPA will continue to monitor the situation, standing ready to consult and advise on the work being done to ensure that the local organizing committee, the IOC, and the IIHF deliver a tournament and playing conditions befitting the world’s best players.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the the test events went OK, from the reports he received, while acknowledging there is still more to be finished.
“There are still challenges because the building is still under construction and the ice is new,” Bettman said in Buffalo, New York, where he was to announce the Sabres are hosting the draft there in June. “We’ve been assured that, or we expect, that everything that needs to be done on a timely basis will get done. But, as you know, it’s not our event. We’re invited guests. But we’ve offered to help and consult and advise as they feel they need and would be appropriate because we do have a little bit of expertise in that area.”
Bettman believes he’ll have a better idea of where things stand in Milan once he arrives.
“It’s always been important for our players to play best on best at the Olympics,” Bettman said. “That’s why we agreed to take the break and have them go. In the final analysis, that question has to get answered by the IOC and the IIHF.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets and GM Don Waddell made a surprise decision to fire head coach Dean Evason on Monday.
Even though Columbus is about 2,000 miles away from Los Angeles, that doesn't mean Los Angeles Kings coach Jim Hiller can't be affected by the changes within the Blue Jackets organization.
Kings fans have been asking for a Hiller dismissal for months now, and Evason's sacking will only increase the pressure on Hiller's job security.
In their respective conferences, the Kings and Jackets are not in the same place.
Los Angeles is currently in a playoff position, the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. In the meantime, Columbus is last in the Eastern Conference, seven points out of a playoff berth.
While they seem far apart, they're really not when you look at each team's record and points total so far this season.
Going into their clash with the Dallas Stars, the Kings have a 19-15-10 record with 48 points. In contrast, the worst team in the East has a 19-19-7 record and 45 points.
Just three points separate the two teams - the Kings with playoff hopes, and the Blue Jackets with lottery hopes.
If the Blue Jackets believed it was time to make a change behind the bench for performance reasons, how far away are the Kings from thinking the same way?
Jim Hiller (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
In addition to the Blue Jackets' position not being far off from the Kings, there's now another NHL bench boss at home waiting to pounce on another opportunity to coach in the league.
Throughout the season, there have been several conversations and rumors about Pete DeBoer filling in if Hiller were ever to get fired.
DeBoer has been a successful coach wherever he's gone. He led the Stars to three straight Western Conference finals, as well as another two in tenures with the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights.
Now, Evason, a solid NHL coach, is also available if Los Angeles' brass were interested in making a coaching change.
Not to mention another coach who has had plenty of playoff success and even a Stanley Cup to his name, Peter Laviolette.
The hot seat under Hiller has just got hotter.
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Jun 1966; Unknown location, USA; FILE PHOTO; Houston Astros pitcher Dave Giusti in action during the 1966 season. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
PITTSBURGH — Dave Giusti, a reliable reliever who spent 15 years in the majors and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1971 World Series title, has died. He was 86.
The club, citing Giusti’s family, said he died on Sunday.
The right-hander went 100-93 with a 3.60 ERA in 668 career appearances for five clubs from 1962-77. He began his career as a starter in Houston but had his greatest success with the Pirates, who acquired him from St. Louis in October 1969 and then moved him to the bullpen full-time.
Giusti led the National League with 30 saves in 1971, then added 10 2/3 scoreless innings in the playoffs as the Pirates beat the Giants in the NLCS and then the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in the World Series.
Giusti made his lone All-Star appearance in 1973. He played seven seasons for Pittsburgh, registering 133 saves, which ranks third in franchise history. He split time between Oakland and the Chicago Cubs in 1977 before retiring.
A native of Seneca Falls, New York, Giusti played collegiately at Syracuse before being signed by Houston, then an expansion team known as the Colt .45s, as an amateur free agent. He appeared in 22 games as a rookie in 1962, spent all of 1963 in the minors before returning to the majors for good after being called up during the 1964 season.
Giusti is survived by his wife, two daughters and four grandchildren.
The Mets announced on their Player Development X account on Monday that top prospect Elian Peña has been added to the Domestic Reserve List.
Peña is officially in line to make his stateside debut during the 2026 season.
The 18-year-old infielder signed with the Mets for a franchise-record $5 million last January.
He started his career in a brutal 0-for-26 stretch, but finally was able to find his footing and finished the season hitting a strong .292 with 24 extra base-hits and a .949 OPS over 55 DSL games.
Peña also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts and had as many walks as strikeouts (36).
DeMayo writes: “From a tools standpoint, Peña possesses strong bat-to-ball skills with a compact, quick swing and an advanced knowledge of the zone. This dates to prior to him turning pro at either showcases or in BP, where he would refuse to swing at pitches he deemed outside the zone as not to make a habit out of it.
“From a power perspective, scouts project him to be above-average with a chance for more as he physically matures. There have been public comparisons to multi-time All-Star Rafael Devers.”
It wouldn't surprise anyone to see Peña skyrocket up prospect rankings with a successful season.
MLB Pipeline released their updated Top 10 right-handed pitching prospects heading into the 2026 season on Monday, and unsurprisingly two of the Mets’ young arms made the cut.
Nolan McLean topped the list, and Jonah Tong came in at No. 7.
Both youngsters are coming off tremendous seasons in which they cruised through the minors and found themselves pitching in big games at the big-league level down the stretch.
McLean enjoyed a bit more success in the majors than Tong, though.
The Oklahoma State product finished 11th in NL Rookie of the Year voting after pitching to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 57 strikeouts over his first eight career outings.
He’s in line to play a huge role in the Mets’ rotation out of the gate this season.
Tong, on the other hand, was more of a mixed bag.
The 22-year-old showed flashes of the potential that helped him secure Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but ultimately struggled to a 7.71 ERA over his five outings.
It’ll be interesting to see how things play out for Tong to begin this season.
The righty certainly could use more time in the minors, but whether or not that’ll be with the Mets remains to be seen, as he is said to be “highly coveted” in trade talks this winter.
While they are listening, New York reportedly values Tong highly, so they likely wouldn't actually move him unless they are receiving a top-tier talent in return.
If he sticks around, he could play a role in the majors at some point this season.
Allen wins five frames in a row against Mark Williams
Zhao Xintong cruises to 6-2 win over Gary Wilson
Mark Allen shrugged off a bout of food poisoning to beat Mark Williams 6-2, winning five successive frames, and book a quarter-final with Judd Trump or Ding Junhui, who play on Wednesday.
Speaking to the BBC, Allen, the 2018 champion, said: “I prepare properly for these events, but I couldn’t prepare for this at all as I’ve been lying in bed all week with food poisoning. I just thought: ‘Go out there and give my best.’ I wouldn’t have had much left if it had got much closer.”
The slippery court that forced the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls to postpone their game last Thursday has slid both into a tough stretch of the schedule.
The league announced that the postponed game been rescheduled for Jan. 29. Additionally, the Chicago at Miami game, previously scheduled for Jan. 30, has been rescheduled to Jan. 31.
What that means in practice is that both the Bulls and Heat will now have to play four games in five days and play each other three times in that stretch.
This all came to pass because of condensation on the court that made it unsafe to play the teams' scheduled Jan. 8 game. The combination of a Blackhawks game the night before (so there was ice under the floor) with an unseasonably warm and humid day in Chicago led to condensation forming on the court. While there were extensive efforts to mop up and towel off the court, the water would just come back because of the conditions.
It was unsafe, and ultimately, both coaches — along with league representatives and the referees — chose to postpone the game rather than risk players' health.
Brown said he was "irate" after the Celtics lost to the Spurs on Saturday in a game where Brown scored 27 points, took 28 shots, and didn't get to the free throw line once. For the game, Boston shot four free throws to San Antonio's 20. After the game, Brown ranted about the officials and put up an NSFW social media post along the same lines.
"I hope somebody can pull up the clips," Brown said, via the Associated Press. "It's the same s*** every time we play a good team. It's like they refuse to make the calls and they call touch calls on the other end. That's just extremely frustrating...
"Somebody please pull it up. Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy. ... I'm irate at how they officiated the game today."
While this is not the first time Brown has criticized the officiating of Celtics games this season, it is his first fine.
It hasn’t been an easy 2025-26 NBA season so far for the Kings, and the same can be said for Malik Monk.
But Sacramento has put together two consecutive wins after their dominant 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at Golden 1 Center, and the veteran point guard has battled through adversity to make an impact in both. Staying ready hasn’t been easy, but taking up a mentorship role has helped Monk focus on the task at hand: contributing no matter what his situation is.
“Man, come in here, whether I’m playing or not — come on, man, watch out,” Monk told Morgan Ragan and Kyle Draper on “Kings Postgame Live” as rookie centers Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud interrupted the interview. “Just dealing what I was dealing with, coming in and not hanging my head, talking to my rooks right here that just came up, just trying to teach them the game and keep my mind off of the stuff I can’t control. So that’s how I just stay ready.
“Kept getting shots up, staying with my work and playing the game like this, man. Playing the game like this. Happy about it.”
Malik Monk shares how he has stayed ready to make an impact … with a surprise guest appearance 😅 pic.twitter.com/ao0idRtrBm
Monk has dealt with trade rumors and DNPs in recent weeks, sitting three straight games from Jan. 2-6 after two DNPs in December, but helping the rookies has allowed him to keep a clear head and contribute off the bench. He scored 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 7 of 9 from deep with a game-high-tying eight assists against the Lakers, one night after contributing 15 points in Sacramento’s home win over the Houston Rockets.
While Monk said after Monday’s game he wasn’t given a specific adjustment he needed to make in order to return to the Kings’ rotation, coach Doug Christie told reporters the point guard has played to Sacramento’s “standard” over the last two games with Dennis Schröder suspended.
“… Everything about his focus. He’s talented as hell, man,” Christie said after the win. “So defensive intensity, coverages, communicating with his teammates. Everything about him has been top-notch. So, he deserves everything. He was the player of the game for us. The 26 points, as I told him, fantastic. It was the eight assists that was really impressive for me, actually, because he has the capabilities to do all those things.”
“Not surprising to me,” Westbrook told reporters postgame. “‘Lik can hoop, can put the ball in the hole. Give [him] an opportunity, he’ll produce some shape or form. If it’s not scoring, generating off — he [does] good job of making the best play for somebody else as well, too. So, I never worry about Malik one bit.”
Nothing is certain — in life, or in the NBA. But ensuring he’s prepared to make an impact helped Monk contribute to the Kings’ 10th win of the season and just their second winning streak of the campaign, on a back-to-back, no less.
When Sacramento plays former Kings coach Mike Brown and the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center, Monk no doubt will look to do the same as the team seeks it’s first three-game streak of the season.
“Definitely trying to come in and make an immediate impact so I can stay on the court,” Monk said. “So yeah … I do that, I’ll be out there.”
And in the meantime, he’ll continue to teach Sacramento’s promising group of youngsters.
The Sixers rode a dream first half to a bounce-back win Monday night in Toronto.
They earned a split in their back-to-back against the Raptors with a 115-102 victory.
Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points. Joel Embiid had 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The 22-16 Sixers had a full-strength squad. The 24-17 Raptors’ RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Ja’Kobe Walter were out with injuries.
The Sixers will host the Cavs on both Wednesday and Friday nights. Here are observations on their win over the Raptors:
Maxey shows off three-level skills
Paul George scored the Sixers’ first five points on two free throws and a pull-up three-pointer. VJ Edgecombe and Embiid also canned early long-distance jumpers.
Maxey wasted no time in displaying his three-level scoring prowess. He sped past defenders, hit mid-range jumpers, fired away well beyond the arc and appeared to pose a legitimate threat from almost anywhere.
The 25-year-old tallied 18 points in the first quarter on 6-for-7 shooting. Through 36 games, Maxey’s averaged 30.9 points. It’s remarkable that, if Maxey finishes the season with at least 30 points per game, the Sixers will have had four such years in the past five. Embiid did it three straight times between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 campaigns and won two scoring titles in the process. Maxey currently leads the Eastern Conference in scoring and sits third in the NBA.
As a team, the Sixers shot 14 for 17 from the floor in the first quarter (7 for 8 from three-point range). The Sixers’ star trio had 37 of the team’s 45 first-period points.
Embiid above the rim
Unfortunately for the Raptors, a new quarter did not mean the Sixers’ offense drastically cooled off.
Embiid jammed in his most powerful dunk of the season in the second quarter. He accepted an Edgecombe pass, took a hard dribble through the lane and elevated for a one-hand slam that the Sixers’ bench enjoyed. Beyond the entertaining two points, it’s clearly an excellent indicator with Embiid’s health that he’s willing and able to score in that fashion above the rim.
Embiid’s now just three points away from the milestone of 13,000 career points. He’s seventh on the Sixers’ all-time scoring list.
Toronto remained unable to handle the Maxey-Embiid two-man game. Maxey sunk yet another three off of an Embiid dribble handoff to stretch the Sixers’ advantage to 73–44. They led by as many as 31 points late in the second quarter.
Edgecombe was a significant part of the much-improved shooting effort. The rookie posted 15 points (5 for 7 from the field, 5 for 6 from three-point range) and eight assists.
Toronto finally gathered some momentum late in the third quarter, making a run and cutting the Sixers’ lead to 18 points on a Gradey Dick layup.
The Raptors hung around in the fourth, though never to a degree that truly alarmed the Sixers. For several minutes, the main lingering question was whether all the fans asking for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse to sub in Kyle Lowry would get their wish.
Much to everyone’s delight, Lowry checked in at the 1:57 mark. The six-time All-Star and Raptors legend basked in the moment and thanked the crowd.
The 39-year-old tried three jumpers and came up empty. That didn’t diminish the cheers at the final buzzer. Lowry held the ball as the clock expired and raised his arm to acknowledge the love again.
The Columbus Blue Jackets officially announced Monday that veteran coach Rick Bowness has been named their new head coach following the firing of Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy. Evason was relieved of his duties after the Blue Jackets failed to meet expectations this season, leaving the club after going 19-19-7 for the worst record in the East.
Bowness, 70, comes out of retirement to take on the challenge in Columbus, bringing nearly four decades of NHL coaching experience and a reputation for steady leadership. Prior to stepping away from the bench in May 2024, he concluded a highly successful two-year stint with the Winnipeg Jets, where he posted a 98-57-9 record and led the club to consecutive playoff appearances.
Bowness’s time in Winnipeg revitalized the Jets’ identity, implementing a structured style of play that became the foundation for future success. During the 2023-24 season, under his guidance Winnipeg tied a franchise record with 52 wins, set marks for road victories and defensive consistency, and earned recognition that saw him named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach.
His coaching roots run deep in Winnipeg history as Bowness began his NHL coaching career with the original Jets franchise in the 1980s, first as an assistant before serving 28 games as head coach during the 1988-89 season.
Beyond his time in Winnipeg, Bowness’s coaching résumé is one of the most extensive in NHL history. He has held head coaching positions with the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars, among others, and has served as an assistant coach with several teams including the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning. His tenure with the Stars included guiding Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final in the pandemic-altered 2020 season.
Over his 38-year career, Bowness coached more NHL games than anyone else in league history and became one of only three coaches to lead teams in five different decades.
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