DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy believes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have grown “too far apart” to form an alliance and bring a splintered sport back together.
“I just don’t see a world where it can happen at this point,” McIlroy said Wednesday at the Dubai Desert Classic on the European tour.
Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour from LIV has brought into sharper focus the fading hopes of any form of deal being struck by top officials on the two circuits.
Even U.S. President Donald Trump has gotten involved in negotiations at one point, but there’s no sign of a commercial partnership that was first mooted in 2023 when the tours announced a framework agreement.
To McIlroy, who was once one of the most outspoken critics of LIV before distancing himself from talks, it looks as far away as ever.
“Just I don’t see a world where the two or three sides or whoever it is will give up enough,” he said, in a reference to the involvement of the European tour in talks. “Like for reunification to happen, every side is going to feel like they will have lost, where you really want every side to feel like they have won.
“I think they are just too far apart for that to happen.”
Message to Rahm, Hatton
Among the top players still with LIV are Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who were McIlroy's teammates in Europe's Ryder Cup win at Bethpage Black last year.
Rahm and Hatton are currently going through an appeal process after being sanctioned with fines by the European tour for playing the LIV Golf circuit. They are still allowed into European tour events while the process plays out.
McIlroy said paying the fines would be a sign of their commitment to the Europe's Ryder Cup team ahead of the 2027 matches in Ireland.
“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups,” McIlroy said. “There’s two guys that can prove it.”
McIlroy's goals
McIlroy will be playing on the European tour for a second straight week, having finished tied for third at the Dubai Invitational on Sunday. He shared the lead at one stage in the final round but wound up two strokes back from winner Nacho Elvira.
The No. 2-ranked McIlroy said he is constantly shifting his expectations and goals after completing the career Grand Slam last year.
For the Northern Irishman, it’s mostly about “finding joy in the process.”
“I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time,” he said. “So playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play. Not feeling like I’m at a tournament because I’m obligated or have to be there but because I want to be there.”
Asked what he still wanted to achieve in golf, McIlroy said: “Olympic medal. (British) Open at St. Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses — whether it’s Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, (or) Merion.
“I would have told you two years ago,” he added, “if I won the Masters, it would have been great and I could have retired or whatever. But when you keep doing things, the goal posts keep moving, and you just keep finding new things that you want to do.”
The men’s season is in full swing as conference play is underway, and there has been plenty to discuss — from sensational freshmen, national title favorites and disappointments. The season is more than halfway done, and Selection Sunday is just 54 days away before one of the most exciting months in sports tips off.
So what’s happened in the first two months, and what should be paid attention to as we approach the NCAA tournament? Here are the top storylines in college hoops:
The Wildcats have running through every opponents ever since the season opening win over defending champion Florida, with a blend of young (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and experience (Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas) paving the way. They average 90 points a game, win by an average margin of 21 points and have done it against talented teams with a 7-0 Quad 1 record.
Arizona has been a regular-season power under Tommy Lloyd, but he may finally have the right recipe to break the long Final Four drought in Tucson.
Plenty of national championship contenders exist
While Arizona is at the top, other teams lurking in the water. It sounds odd, but there's parity — it's just at the top level, as you can easily make the case for several teams to win it all.
Michigan, Connecticut, Purdue, Duke have proven to be formidable teams that are on a straight path to March. You also can't forget Houston, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska (more on the Cornhuskers soon). It's making for a very compelling race for the top seeds in the bracket.
Last season was the second time and first since 2008 with all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four. There's a solid chance that could happen again in 2006.
Can Florida repeat?
What's harder than winning a national championship? Doing it again, and Florida is learning how challenging it is to repeat.
The Gators lost so much from last season's title team, but Todd Golden restocked it to give optimism they could contend. It was a rough beginning with a season opening loss to Arizona and a 5-4 start, falling to marquee opponents in close contests. However, Florida has found a rhythm since then, winning eight of its past nine with some notable ranked wins during the stretch. While it has five losses, they've all been by at least six points.
It feels like Florida has mostly been written off from defending its crown, but don't count out the Gators just yet. They have found an identity and can be a top-four seed in a bracket.
Historic runs for Nebraska, BYU
Two programs are chasing unprecedented highs, one expected and one out of nowhere.
Let's start with Brigham Young, which brought in talented freshman AJ Dybantsa to take the Cougars to the next level after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. BYU is on track, eyeing those signature wins that will solidify what could lead to their first Final Four in program history.
In Lincoln, it's a dream. Nebraska remains undefeated, rallying the campus around a sport that hasn't had much significance. The Cornhuskers have proven they aren't a fluke and not only are in position to finally get their first NCAA tournament win, but there could be much more in store.
Fantastic freshmen
This may be the best freshmen class in some time, with the new kids on the block taking over and having NBA teams drooling of them turning pro.
Dybantsa has not disappointed from BYU, showcasing No. 1 pick potential with 22.5 points per game. Duke's Cameron Boozer is a certified bucket-getter for the Blue Devils, and Kansas' Darryn Peterson has commanded the floor, even though injuries have limited him. An emerging star has been North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson.
You also can't forget Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston guard Kingston Fleming, Peat and Burries at Arizona, as well as several other talented freshmen. They'll all be fun to watch in the tournament and could make up most of the lottery picks in the 2026 NBA draft.
Braden Smith chases assist record
Preseason national player of the year favorite Braden Smith is still in great position to win the award, with the Purdue guard closing in on the all-time assists record while leading a Boilermakers team still chasing that first national title.
Smith leads the country with 9.4 assists per game, and with 927 career dimes, is 149 more away from Bobby Hurley's record of 1,076. With that average, Smith can break the 36-year-old record by the time the NCAA tournament begins, cementing himself among the best point guards to play the game. The Boilermakers are hoping there are more opportunities for him to go up the leaderboard deep in March.
Big 12, Big Ten powers
The toughest conference is really a tie between the Big 12 and Big Ten, making it a gauntlet for any team to survive. Combined the conferences make up 10 of the top 13 spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with five each.
Both leagues dominated the nonconference schedules, winning more than 80% of such contests and the only two to have a winning percentage over 50% against other Power conference teams. It's going to be entertaining to watch these conference races and who ends up at the top, and there's a great chance the national champion emerges from the Big 12 or Big Ten.
ACC is back
After sending just four teams to the NCAA tournament last season, the ACC has responded emphatically and looks like it can prove its worth against other Power conferences.
It's no surprise Duke, North Carolina and Louisville have done well, but there's been some surprises like Virginia, surging under Ryan Odom, and Clemson not skipping a beat. There's also been NCAA tournament-worthy starts from Miami, NC State and SMU, with squads like Virginia Tech, Stanford and California lurking. It's been a fun league to watch again. There's a good chance the ACC can double its amount of bids in March, and not just have Duke be the only one advancing.
Who steps up in SEC?
The SEC was the class of college basketball last season with a record 14 teams in March Madness, two of whom made the Final Four. The conference isn't as strong as it was, but it remains as open of a race to who can emerge.
There's no real power team, with Vanderbilt leaking after its 16-0 start. Florida has been mentioned, and other squads in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M have shown potential but aren't just complete. Kentucky and Tennessee have mostly disappointed and are hard to trust. The SEC will likely send at least eight teams, but you can't confidently say who those eight will be and if they will be able to replicate any success.
Transfer portal frustration
A major talking point has been the new players coming to college basketball, and whether they should be allowed to play. There's been some controversy about allowing former professional basketball players to play college basketball, whether they were in the G League or actual NBA draft picks.
They've been ruled eligible to play, drawing the ire of the most prominent coaches in the country from Tom Izzo to John Calipari as the NCAA watches. Will the trend continue, or will there be changes made after so much disapproval?
Following another playoff-like matchup against the Eastern Conference–leading Detroit Pistons, head coach Joe Mazzulla praised the defensive strides second-year wing Baylor Scheierman has made, even in defeat.
When asked about Scheierman’s growth as a decision-maker on both ends of the floor, Mazzulla pointed to a different area of development. “To me, his growth is more about his defensive versatility,” he said.
That versatility has not gone unnoticed by those who regularly watch the Celtics. Scheierman exceeded expectations defensively as a rookie, particularly as a playmaker on that end, but seeing him take on such varied assignments — “sometimes he’ll guard the best player, sometimes he’ll guard the big,” as Mazzulla noted — stood out enough to warrant a deeper look into his defensive impact.
Last year, albeit in low minutes, we didn’t see much of Scheierman guarding many different positions or quite frankly, the ability to, and the numbers show it per Bball Index.
A portion of this is definitely attributed to the fact that more of his playing time last season came in garbage minutes, but even as he began to crack the rotation toward the end of the year, he was typically matched up against low-usage players on opposing teams.
This year, things look much different.
Scheierman has dramatically flipped several metrics that have proven important to the Celtics this season, including matchup difficulty, defensive positional versatility, and the percentage of time spent guarding stars and starters. Among those, the spike in matchup difficulty stands out most.
His defensive impact is impressive on its own, but it becomes even more striking when considering that he’s gone from guarding the least threatening players to consistently taking on the league’s top scorers.
Last season, he ranked at the very bottom of the league, just the 3rd percentile, in matchup difficulty. This year, he has catapulted to the 70th percentile, a shift that has been a major factor in boosting his overall defensive positional versatility grade from the 58th percentile to an elite 98th percentile, placing him among the league’s best.
Mazzulla highlighted Scheierman’s versatility in Monday’s game, saying, “There’s a couple possessions where he’s on [Isaiah] Stewart, a couple possessions where he’s on [Cade] Cunningham.” The Stewart matchup, in particular, may have flown under the radar.
The Celtics’ bigs ran into serious foul trouble in the first half. Neemias Queta picked up two fouls, while Luka Garza accumulated four in just three minutes and 15 seconds of play. Xavier Tillman saw some time, but for the final three minutes of the second quarter, Scheierman, who hadn’t played in the opening frame, was tasked with playing center on defense.
Here, he hits an important three stopping a Pistons run then goes down and matches up with Stewart. As Cade drives, he’s right there to stop the drive forcing a shot over the top which allows Derrick White to swat it.
In the third quarter, Sam Hauser picked up his fourth foul just three minutes in, which led to Scheierman logging the remaining nine minutes of the period. During that stretch, he matched up with Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, and Tobias Harris on multiple possessions.
He also shined in the team’s only win over the Pistons this season, logging a season-high 30 minutes, scoring 13 points, and delivering strong defensive play.
But when we talk about versatility, there’s one clip that sums it all up.
Mazzulla closed his remarks on Scheierman by saying, “I think just his continued growth in defensive physicality and understanding of the system is kind of where he’s made the most growth to where you build a level of trust.”
When your coach is willing to ask you to guard superstars as different as Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama, it’s safe to say that trust has been earned.
Good morning, it’s Wednesday, January 21st. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 24-20 and play the Charlotte Hornets tonight on the road.
Cleveland is 1-1 against the Hornets this season. They dropped their first meeting in a disappointing overtime loss, then bounced back a week later to beat the Hornets 139-132 in Rocket Arena. The Cavs were 4-0 against the Hornets last season.
Today’s Game of the Day
Oklahoma City Thunder at Milwaukee Bucks – 9:30 PM, ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network
Even if these two teams aren’t in the same stratosphere, I can’t pass up a chance to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo try to work his way around this elite Thunder defense. It’s like watching an immovable object take on an unstoppable force. Few teams in the league can give Giannis a greater challenge than the Thunder.
OKC has won three of its last four matchups with the Bucks. Their last loss was in the 2024 NBA Cup Final, when Milwaukee took home the trophy. I’m not sure if anyone remembers that, so I figured I’d remind you, just in case.
After 16 consecutive DNP-CDs, Jonathan Kuminga returned to the court Tuesday night and put up 20 points. The out-of-favor Buddy Hield made all six of his three-pointers on his way to 25 points. But the Golden State Warriors starters didn’t play any defense and the Toronto Raptors shot 21-for-34 on three-pointers in a 145-127 win.
The starting lineup seemed to be reeling without Jimmy Butler, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Brandin Podziemski joined the starters in Butler’s place, and the team replaced Quinten Post with Gui Santos to start the second half. Steph Curry missed his first five three-pointers. In the first quarter, the starters missed all seven of their threes and shot 6-for-17 overall while Toronto ran out to a 26-10 lead.
That lead would grow to 30 points midway through the third quarter, before Kuminga and Buddy Hield helped cut the lead to 108-94 with 12 minutes to play. Hield’s fifth three-pointer got the lead to single digits with five minutes to go, but the Raptors answered with back-to-back threes from Brandon Ingram (22 points 4-for-6 from deep) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (14 points, 4-for-4 on threes) that shut down the comeback.
Hield was +10 in 19 minutes, meaning the Warriors were -28 in the 29 minutes when he sat. Will Richard was +7 in his 23 minutes and Kuminga was +3, but the team simply couldn’t stop the Raptors scorching shooting. The Raptors scored 70 points in the first half, the highest total the Warriors have given up all season, then scored 75 in the second half.
The main culprit was Immanuel Quickley, who tied a career high with 40 points and made nearly every shot he took. Quickley was 11-for-13 from the field, 7-for-8 on three-pointers, and a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line — all while dishing out 10 assists. Five of those dimes turned into three-pointers, meaning Quickley was involved in 12 of Toronto’s 21 threes — and three more turned into layups or dunks. He had three turnovers, but got two steals. It may have been one of the most efficient 40-point games in NBA history.
Out West, Immanuel Quickley was putting on a SHOW!
😤 40 PTS 😤 10 AST 😤 7-8 3PM 😤 11-13 FGM 😤 TOR W
He's the first player in NBA history to record 40+ PTS, 10+ AST, and 5+ 3PM while shooting over 80% from the floor! pic.twitter.com/scRvWk0tUd
Scottie Barnes was nearly as efficient, shooting 12-for-18 and handing out 11 assists, while also making both his free throws. And Mamukelashvili, one of the best free agent bargains of the summer, finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, along with four assists, two steals, and a block. He also showed off a sweet shot fake when the Warriors over-committed to stopping him behind the arc.
The loss ended the Warriors’ four-game win streak and a stretch where they went 12-4 in 16 games. But it also reignited the years-long debate about Jonathan Kuminga, who is either a victim of Steve Kerr, a victim of his agent, a future All-Star, an untradeable player, a waste of Steph Curry’s prime, or the player who’s about to spark the Warriors’ run to a Cinderella play-in tournament run.
Hield and Kuminga are the most common Warriors to see in trade rumors and they both demonstrated their usefulness. They could easily end up back in the starting lineup or back out of the rotation when the Warriors go on the road again, though Kerr called Hield “one of the most professional players I’ve ever coached.”
Kerr on Buddy Hield: “One of the most professional players I’ve ever coached. Just the energy, the spirit, whether he’s playing or not, what he brings to the gym is amazing.”
It’s hard to blame the team for coming out flat after the emotional devastation of the Butler injury. It’s impressive that Kuminga responded so well after his month on the bench and it’s somewhat stunning that Kerr managed to play 13 guys significant minutes and even got LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons some run.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens leading into the trade deadline and when the Warriors go on the road for the first time in two weeks. They have to hope it includes more three-point defense.
Adding players off the waiver wire can help fantasy basketball managers navigate injuries to their squad. However, for those who need more of a long-term solution, a trade might be the best way to increase their chances of winning a championship. Here are some players to consider buying low on, selling high on or who are worth holding onto in fantasy at this time.
Buy
De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are 5-4 over their last nine games. Despite their winning record, Fox has underwhelmed with averages of 15.7 points and 1.4 3-pointers. One of the biggest reasons for his decline was him shooting 27.1% from three during that span. For the season, he has shot 34.3% from deep.
The good news is that Fox still averaged 5.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals during that nine-game span. His usage rate won't match his tenure with the Kings because of all the talent around him on the Spurs, but he is an efficient scorer, shooting 47.0% from the field for his career. His recent shooting woes might have created a rare buy-low opportunity for him in fantasy.
Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
Since returning from injury, Zubac has averaged 12.1 points and 9.9 rebounds over his last nine games. In four of those games, he played fewer than 28 minutes. However, he has logged at least 30 minutes in three of his last five games as he continues to be further removed from his ailment.
Zubac hasn't been able to replicate his production from his breakout campaign last season, but he hasn't exactly been a disappointment by providing 14.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He is also shooting 60.5% from the field and 72.2% from the charity stripe. His slow start in his return from injury makes him someone to try to acquire at a discount.
Sell
Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
There is nothing about Porter's stats that indicates he should be someone to sell in fantasy. He is having the best season of his career, averaging 25.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 3-pointers. After never averaging more than 13.6 shots per game for a season in his career, he has jacked up an average of 18.8 shots a night with his new team.
The reason to consider selling high on Porter is that he has sat out two of the last six games for the Nets. As they build up losses, they are looking for excuses to rest Porter, not play him more. If Porter isn't dealt by the trade deadline, we could see plenty of rest days for him down the stretch. Now might be the time to capitalize on his excellent first half.
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Trading Ball right now isn't exactly moving him at his peak value. He has seen his role decline this season, averaging the fewest minutes of his career. He has even come off the bench in two of the last six games. In his last two games, he played a total of 40 minutes. With his reduced role, Ball has averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.7 3-pointers over his last 10 games.
The Hornets have not won many games during Ball's tenure with the franchise. With Kon Knueppel emerging in his rookie campaign and Brandon Miller finally healthy, Ball may continue to see fewer minutes during the second half of the season. His production hasn't completely torpedoed, and he has a lot of name value, so see if you can still trade him for a valuable return. Rest days could also come into play for Ball down the stretch, with the Hornets likely to miss out on the playoffs again.
Hold
Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic
Jalen Suggs (knee) remains out for the Magic, but their depth chart has improved lately with Franz Wagner returning from injury. He played limited minutes in both of his first two games back, yet the initial results were not encouraging for Bane. In Wagner's first game back, Bane scored 13 points on 13 shot attempts. In the second game, he produced 11 points over 12 shot attempts.
Wagner's return from injury hurting Bane's usage rate is worrisome because Bane is already having the least efficient season of his career. He is shooting 44.8% from the field and just 33.2% from behind the arc. Across his last 12 games, he has shot 24.1% from deep. Even with all of that in the fold, it's difficult to complain too much with Bane averaging 18.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 three-pointers for the season. Wagner's return doesn't help his fantasy value, but also don't panic and trade Bane away at a discount.
Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
Bridge has hit a rough patch. Over the last seven games, he has only averaged 14.0 points. That's despite him shooting 50.7% from the field and 44.1% from 3 during that span. For the season, he shoots 44.6% from the field and 33.7% from behind the arc.
Part of the reason for Bridges' recent decline in scoring is that the Hornets have been involved in some blowouts. Four of their last seven games were decided by at least 20 points. In two of those games, he logged 22 and 23 minutes. He averages 33 minutes per game for the season, so as the Hornets are involved in closer games, Bridges should play a lot. Don't read too much into his recent disappointing stat lines.
In back-to-back games, the Lakers have rallied in the second half to pull out wins. On Sunday against the Raptors, they trailed by three entering the fourth before coming out on top.
Then, on Tuesday in Denver, they were down by 14 entering the third quarter and shut down the Nuggets’ offense, holding them to just 36 points the rest of the way.
Winning games while trailing for most of them isn’t a recipe for success, but it was encouraging to see the Lakers fight back in both games and get victories against a pair of winning teams.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
This was a complete game from LeBron. He attacked the paint all night long and was integral in LA’s comeback. His emphatic dunk in the fourth put an exclamation point on the game and killed any hopes the Nuggets had of winning.
LaRavia disappeared in this game. He didn’t bring much offense, the defense was poor and the rebounding was non-existent. If he is going to remain a starter, he has to be more consistent.
Considering Ayton was ruled out for the second half, grading him feels a bit unfair. Overall, he was cleaning up the glass well and started a bit slow offensively. Hopefully, his eye injury isn’t too serious, and he can return soon.
Smart was a second-half superstar for the purple and gold. All of his 15 points came after halftime. Not only did he score for LA, but he did his typical Smart things. He was hustling and flying around the court, being a ball of energy. The Lakers took that momentum and used it to change the trajectory of the game.
This was Luka’s first game since being named an All-Star as a Laker. He demonstrated why he was the NBA’s top vote-getter with his performance against the Nuggets.
In the first quarter, he was a perfect 6-6 from the field. As the game progressed, his rebounding and assists increased and he dismantled Denver.
This was a superstar performance from Dončić and a reminder that regardless of their current position in the league, the Lakers have a very bright future with Luka entering his prime.
With Ayton out, Hayes had to step up and he was fantastic. He did what he always does, and that’s score near the rim, be explosive and be a willing defender.
This was the most Hachimura has played since returning from his calf injury. His scoring was efficient, but he looked much better and had a good rebounding game.
If he continues to play this well and no other Lakers step up, don’t be surprised if he’s back in the starting lineup during this road trip.
While Vanderbilt’s strongest qualities are on the defensive side of the ball, he needs to provide some offense as well. In this game, he scored no points and missed both shot attempts. The defense was good, and he gave the Lakers some size, but he needs to do more.
Timme has been taking advantage of his opportunities. He had a great game against the Raptors, and the moment he checked in, he hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key.
He brought some offensive production and positive defensive energy to this game, helping LA earn a rare win in Denver.
Grade: B+
JJ Redick
Redick adjusted well to losing his starting center. He gave Timme more time, and he also made some other good moves, like increasing Hachimura’s minutes.
While Redick played 10 guys, he still ran a tight rotation, with everyone who played logging at least 10 minutes.
Grade: A
Tuesday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James
Tuesday’s inactives: Austin Reaves, Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon
Three-point shooting has been a major need for the Toronto Raptors this season, who are shooting the worst percentage in the league. But that was not nearly the case tonight.
The Raptors’s offense erupted in Chase Center Tuesday night, fuelled by a red-hot 21/34 shooting night from beyond the arc and crisp ball movement that resulted in a season-high 42 assists on 51 made field goals. Leading the charge was Immanuel Quickley, who tied his career-high 40 points along with 10 assists on 11/13 shooting. Scottie Barnes also had a great performance, putting up 26 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists on 12/18 shooting.
The Raptors finished with a season-high in points, beating the Golden State Warriors 145-127, and are now 1-1 to start their five-game Western Conference road trip.
The game was a true wire-to-wire win, with the Raptors jumping out to an early 10-0 lead and holding a double-digit advantage nearly the entire game. The impressive effort came despite yet another short-handed effort: Toronto was without two of its starters in RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, and two of its rotation players in Ja’Kobe Walter and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles.
As a result, head coach Darko Rajakovic went with a new starting lineup for the eighth consecutive game, this time with Gradey Dick getting his first start of the season.
The Warriors, meanwhile, had injury woes of their own. While they entered the game on a four-game winning streak, this was their first contest since Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn ACL that has dramatically altered their hopes of making noise in the postseason.
Indeed, the Warriors started the game looking like a team that had just gotten bad news. The Raptors were not simply hitting their shots, but they were also out-running and out-passing the Warriors out of the gate. The Warriors’ defensive rotations were slow in the halfcourt, and they offered little resistance in fastbreak and even semi-transition defense.
Meanwhile, Butler’s absence allowed the Raptors to hone in on Stephen Curry, who generally had one of Jamal Shead or Ochai Agbaji glued to him throughout the game. Curry is averaging 27 points per game this season, but managed just 16 points and three assists against the Raptors. (Butler’s absence also meant that Warriors coach Steve Kerr freed Jonathan Kuminga from purgatory; Kuminga, who hadn’t played since December 18, put up 20 points and five rebounds.)
Quickley’s career night got off to a quick start, going 3/3 on threes halfway through the first quarter.
Jamison Battle played some solid minutes off the bench. Barnes did an excellent job playing off the attention Battle commands off-ball as a shooter. On one play, Barnes drew a defender’s attention by looking at Battle on the perimeter – then fired a no-look pass to Agbaji under the basket for two easy points.
The Raptors finished the first quarter with a 41-28 lead.
That lead was blown open as the second quarter wore on and the Warriors looked even slower, their helpside defense even more absent. Sandro Mamukelashvili hit back-to-back threes, AJ Lawson and Jonathan Mogbo found easy buckets in transition, and Quickley hit his fourth three (on as many attempts) to extend the lead to 59-31. The Raptors were not only getting easy looks by pushing the ball off turnovers and misses, but even off of made baskets.
The Warriors brought the lead down to 20 heading into halftime. But Toronto grabbed the momentum right back, playing some of their strongest basketball of the game to start the third quarter and taking a 30-point lead.
That stretch included another pair of threes for Quickley, who made his first six threes of the game. Quickley was dangerous as a catch-and-shoot threat – a threat which we’ve seen be further unlocked when Quickley plays alongside Jamal Shead, who scored 10 points and eight assists. Quickley also had a nice lefty and-one layup off a dribble hand-off from Barnes – and the team followed that possession by forcing the Warriors into a 24-second shot clock violation.
Meanwhile, the Raptors’ best sequence of the game came on a 2014 Spurs-esque possession in which all five Raptors touched the ball, ending in a Brandon Ingram three in the corner.
Ingram provided his usual injection of necessary shot-making, scoring on a mix of catch-and-shoot threes and tougher mid-range looks that helped supplement the offense, albeit during a rare game that had practically no dry spells. He finished with 22 points, four boards and five assists.
But with Curry on the bench, the Warriors finally displayed some energy and fought back, going on a 29-13 run that brought the Raptors’ lead to 104-90. The same defensive breakdowns that had plagued the Warriors were now hitting the Raptors, who allowed easy transition buckets, plus a Kuminga layup to end the quarter after he ran the full length of the court right past the defense.
The Warriors managed to tighten the lead to just nine points about halfway through the fourth quarter. But the Raptors were able to survive the onslaught of Buddy Hield threes thanks to timely shot-making by Barnes in the mid-range, and clutch three-pointers by Ingram and Mamu that put them up by 15.
Mamukaleshvili finished the game with 14 points and 12 rebounds, including a couple of offensive rebounds that helped extend key possessions in the fourth.
Dick, in his first start of the season, shot ⅖ from beyond the arc, which was a promising return to form in a season where he’s shooting just 30% from three.
While Dick’s shooting night was a promising return to form, the team’s offensive performance as a whole would be more aptly described as a remarkable display of shot-making and togetherness. Sure, the 62% three-point shooting is an unsustainable clip. So was their 22/22 night from the free throw line. But the buzzing ball movement, which contorted the defense and led to assists on four in every five buckets? That’s something this team can keep up.
The Raptors and Warriors entered the game with identical 25-19 records. This was the first night of a back-to-back for the Raptors, who are now 26-19, and are set to take on the 12-32 Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
The Golden State Warriors began the post-Jimmy Butler III era on Tuesday and … well … it didn’t exactly go very well, as the Dubs were crushed by the Toronto Raptors 145-127. It perhaps wasn’t as bad as the score suggests though, as it was kind of a case of “one of those games.” The Raptors are the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA, yet shot 21-for-34 (61.8%) from deep, easily their best shooting performance of the season. They were led by a career game from Immanuel Quickley, who shot 11-for-13 from the field, 7-for-8 from deep, and 11-for-11 on free throws for 40 points, setting the NBA record for highest true shooting percentage (112.1%) on a game with 40 or more points. Painfully, while it was just the 18th time in NBA history that a player scored 40+ on 100% or better true shooting, it was the second time this season … with both instances coming at the expense of Golden State’s defense (Aaron Gordon, as you probably could guess, was the other).
So it wasn’t so much a case of the Warriors playing horribly, and more a case of them playing mediocrely, while running into the hottest shooting performance imaginable. My grades will reflect that (I’m also giving everyone a little bit of a pass given that they were only 19 hours removed from finding out that their second-best player is out for the season), and thus probably be a little bit better than you expect for a blowout loss. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each individual player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Tuesday’s games, league average TS was 58.1%.
Moody has been red hot from three-point range lately, though that didn’t carry over into this game. Instead, he heated up from inside the arc, which was nice to see. He’s a quality player as a good three-point shooter, but being able to get easy shots at the rim is one of the secrets to taking his game to the next level. Watching him shoot a perfect 5-for-5 on twos was a delight.
It wasn’t his best defensive performance, but it was more a case of “good offense beats good defense” than bad defense.
Green returned after a one-game absence to nurse a sprained ankle. He did a lot of good things in this game, though it wasn’t nearly enough given the quality of Toronto’s offense.
Grade: C+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists, worst plus/minus on the team.
I think I speak for everyone when I say it was great seeing Post have such a strong rebounding game. Seven boards in 18 minutes! That’s more like what we all want to see out of a center.
He also played well on offense. Quite well, I thought. He didn’t get a lot of minutes, and he was removed from the starting lineup in the second half, but that was more due to the way the Raptors were beating the Warriors up and down the court than anything he did.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
Podz has been playing some inspired ball lately, but this game wasn’t really it. I liked a lot of what he did on defense, though his lack of speed was exposed on a few occasions. On offense, he tried to do a little bit too much and it came back to bite him.
This game just goes to show you that anything can happen on any given night in the NBA. The worst-shooting three-point team in the league had one of the best shooting performances we’ve seen in the NBA this year, while the greatest shooter in the history of the sport couldn’t buy a bucket. Curry missed more free throws than the entire Toronto team, and that basically sums up the entire night.
GPII was a little bit out of control on a few occasions, and he didn’t provide the rebounding boost that we’ve grown accustomed to, but he was an absolute spark plug on offense, and was probably the closest thing the Warriors had to shutting down Toronto’s offense.
Very nice to see Santos out there after missing two games with an ankle injury. The Warriors are going to need him in a post-Butler world: not just because they’re missing their best forward, but because high-energy players are critical for keeping a team afloat when they lose a leader. And one thing we know is that Santos will always bring the energy.
I’m very curious to see what happens with Melton’s minutes in the aftermath of Butler’s injury. He’s really been finding his rhythm and game lately, and I think it’s pretty clear that he’s — at worst — the third-best player on the team now. He’s also the player who makes the most sense to slide into Butler’s role of running the offense when Curry is sidelined. He obviously isn’t the scorer that Butler is, but he can still get buckets, and he’s a tremendous passer and facilitator. Keep an eye on his role and his minutes.
He really helped the Warriors in this game, even though the stats were ugly. Five turnovers is brutal — and the most he’d had in a game since November, 2022 — and he didn’t shoot the ball well. But the offense just clicked when he was on the court. Like Curry with his gravity and wizardry, you could see why Melton helps the Warriors so much, even though he gets a poor grade.
Grade: C- Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
TJD is settling back into a rotational rhythm where he plays 10-20 minutes when Al Horford sits, and is mostly out of the rotation when Horford plays. He did some nice things on defense in this game, but the Warriors can’t have a non-scoring center play 12 minutes without grabbing a rebound. He just really didn’t do much at all.
After two straight games in the starting lineup, Richard returned to the bench for this game and … well … it didn’t go particularly well. He continues to play with far more control and poise and intelligence than a rookie should have, but his game was entirely devoid of impact plays.
Hield shot the ball so well that you would have sworn he was wearing a Raptors jersey. If you didn’t watch the game, let me just tell you: he played every bit as well as that stat line would suggest. Maybe he was inspired by his close friend Butler. Maybe, being the lovable professional that he is, he just knew exactly what the team needed. Either way, Hield caught a Klay-esque heater and it was an absolute joy to watch. It also got the team back in the game late in the third quarter, when he had an outrageous sequence in the closing minute: he was fouled on a three, made all of the free throws and, nine seconds later, following a Melton steal, drained another three, pulling the Warriors to within 14 points when they had trailed by 30 earlier in the quarter.
He had been out of the rotation for a while, but with Butler out for the season, the Warriors are going to need Buddy’s offense.
Grade: A++ Post-game bonus: Led the team in points, best plus/minus on the team.
Hield may have been the best player for the Warriors on Tuesday, but Kuminga was the best story. Earlier in the day I opined that it was time for the Warriors to play Kuminga again. And shortly before tip-off, Mike Dunleavy Jr. held a press conference in which he plainly laid out reality, saying that while Kuminga did demand a trade, there still needs to be market demand for a trade to work.
And then the game came and Kuminga played for the first time in 33 days, and played double-digit minutes for the first time in 45 days. And if it weren’t for Hield’s all-world shooting performance, Kuminga would have been the best player on the Warriors.
He made his entrance to start the second quarter, and looked out of sorts — pretty understandable given the situation. He was a little unsure of where to be, and moved tentatively, something that anyone who played sporadic minutes during their playing days can relate to. He badly missed a pair of free throws.
That short stint in the second quarter was all he needed to shake off the rust, apparently. He returned in the third quarter and didn’t take a seat again until the white towel was waved. His offense was nothing short of ferocious: he punished Toronto’s defenders, and muscled his way to the hoop. Kuminga’s isolation offense may not be the Platonic ideal of a player in Steve Kerr’s system, but with Butler out, the Warriors need someone who can get a bucket by himself, moving downhill. Kuminga is that person.
He may be unhappy with the Warriors, but that didn’t show in his energy, effort, or selflessness. He made good passes. He played with a smile on his face and high-fived his teammates. And he gave it his all, especially on a sensational play to end the third quarter, when he rushed down the court for a buzzer-beating transition layup.
Kuminga didn’t look like a player who had spent the last six weeks accumulating rust, other than in the first few minutes. He looked like a player who spent the last six weeks determined to come back stronger than ever. Maybe his play will make another team excited to trade for him; but if not, he has to be a big part of the rotation going forward. He just has to.
That’s one hell of a stat line there, Pat. My word! Nine points on perfect shooting, and five assists in nine minutes? The Warriors may have lost a one-sided game, but their bench positively showed out.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
LJ Cryer
2 minutes, 0 points, 1 foul, -3
Cryer made his NBA debut on Monday, but I wasn’t working and thus didn’t do grades. So I missed the chance to congratulate him, so we’ll do that today, instead.
Grade: A+++ for a lifetime of hard work resulting in a dream accomplished
Leons also made his season debut last night, but it wasn’t his NBA debut, as he briefly appeared in six games for the Oklahoma City Thunder last year. So he gets spared the sentiments — still fun to see him out there, though.
Grade: Incomplete
Tuesday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Seth Curry, Al Horford
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass each had a goal and an assist and the New Jersey Devils held on to beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Tuesday night.
The Devils, who improved to 17-0-0 when leading after two periods, have won four of their last five outings, including a 2-1 overtime victory on Monday against the host Calgary Flames.
Matthew Savoie scored for the Oilers, who had a two-game winning streak halted — the ninth time this season they have failed to extend a winning streak to three games.
Jake Allen survived a barrage in the third and recorded 21 saves to earn the win in net for New Jersey, while Tristan Jarry made 15 stops in his Oilers’ home debut.
Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who was a healthy scratch against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 10, picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games, during which he has collected seven points.
The Oilers' Curtis Lazar skated in his 600th career NHL game against his former team, where he spent portions of three seasons from 2022-25. He has played for seven NHL squads and has 50 goals and 80 assists.
The Devils regained the lead a minute-and-a-half after Edmonton tied the game 1-1 as they caught the Oilers on a bad change and Glass beat Jarry cleanly to the stick side for his 11th goal of the season.
Connor McDavid came into the game with at least one point in all 17 of his career games against the Devils (7 goals, 24 assists), which stood as the second-longest active point streak by a player against a single opponent. However, he was held pointless on the night and the streak came to an end.
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga finally was called off the bench and into action during a 145-127 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center on Tuesday night.
On the second night of a back-to-back — with the Warriors now having to go forward without Jimmy Butler, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear Monday night — head coach Steve Kerr said he would look more toward his bench depth, including Kuminga who hadn't played in 16 games due to a coach's decision.
Kuminga received a roar from the Chase Center crowd when he subbed into the game to start the second quarter of the contest.
He finished with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 21 minutes. He added five rebounds and two assists. Teammate Buddy Hield led the team in scoring with 25 points off then bench, including a perfect 6-of-6 from deep, in 19 minutes of play.
“JK [Kuminga] been a factor in here," head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "Really pleased with the way he’s stayed ready and stayed prepared, and he got his opportunity and played really well.”
With Butler out, Kerr said that he would tinker with different lineups on various "trial and error" runs. Kerr told USA TODAY that it's possible Kuminga could even jolt into the starting role.
"Everything’s a possibility right now," Kerr said. “When you have an injury to, not only one of your best players but one of the best players in the league, it just changes everything. The puzzle completely changes. So we will definitely experiment with some different lineups and combinations. One guy effects the other four and so it will be under consideration, for sure.”
How did Jonathan Kuminga play?
The Warriors were down 41-28 after the first quarter before Kuminga was subbed into the game to start the second period.
In his first stint, a little under five minutes, Kuminga missed his only shot attempt: An alley-oop tip-in on a pass from Draymond Green. He was fouled but missed both free throws. He managed to grab two rebounds in his limited action.
His plus/minus was a minus-10 in four minutes and 39 seconds of playing time.
Golden State is looking for a spark from their bench depth after Butler was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
Kerr said after the Warriors' win over the Miami Heat that Kuminga could see the floor following Butler's devastating injury.
"Sure, absolutely," Kerr said responding to a question about Kuminga playing against Toronto.
Warriors trailed 91-63 when Kuminga returned to the game at the 6:12 mark of the third quarter.
He scored 12 points in the period, throwing down a ferocious two-handed slam off an alley-oop pass from Green, a couple of mid-range shots through contact and going the length of the court to make a buzzer-beating layup to end the third.
Golden State trailed 108-94 at the end of three quarters. Kuminga played the remainder of the quarter since subbing in at the 6:12 mark and was a plus-4 after the period.
Kuminga played the entire fourth quarter as his play continued to help the Warriors to cut into that huge double-digit deficit. It was cut to as low as 11 points.
However, the Raptors ran the score back up late and held on to win the game.
The Raptors were led by Immanuel Quickley tied a career-high 40 points to lead all scorers in the game. He shot 11-of-13 from the field, including 7-of-8 from 3-pointers and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line.
Jonathan Kuminga's future with Warriors
With the NBA trade deadline looming on Feb. 5, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke to reporters before Monday night's game, expressing disappointment in losing Butler to injury.
"He was having a great year and obviously that's over now. So we're disappointed as a team, as an organization but most especially individually for Jimmy," Dunleavy said. "He's been so much to this organization since he got here. It's hard to believe he hasn't even been here a year. He's fit in so well, we hate it for him. But the beat goes on, we have to keep going."
There are questions about whether Kuminga can become a focal point of the team's rotation or is still a key trade component. Kuminga reportedly requested for a trade from Golden State last week.
"I think as far as the demand, I'm aware of that," Dunleavy said. "I think in terms of demands, for you to make a demand there needs to be a demand in the market. So we'll see where that goes."
He added: "Always with these guys I tell them I'm willing to work with them. I want to help people out, whether that's JK [Kuminga] or any player on our roster. I'm good with [it], if that's his wishes, trying to figure that out but we have to do what's best for our organization and that's as far as it goes."
However, Dunleavy said with the deadline coming up, he will take the time to evaluate the team.
"I felt pretty good with where we're at ending last night's game in terms of what we need to do. Thought our team was playing well, heading in the right direction," Dunleavy said. "Obviously things have changed so I wanna take a couple weeks here to watch these games and see our team and what we can do better."
Dunleavy still holds Kuminga in high regard and believes he can be an asset as a member of the Warriors, and not just a trade piece.
"He's available every night. I think there's a path and a way for him to help us win games," Dunleavy said. "He knows what that is. If he can do those things, there's no doubt if he can help us."
He added: "Disappointed it hasn't worked out better, but it is what it is. But there's still time left here. He's still on our roster. The trade's been requested but nothing's imminent. Things in this league change in a heartbeat as they did [against Miami]."
Jonathan Kuminga 2025-26 regular-season stats
Here are Kuminga's average statistics so far though the 2025-26 regular season, prior to Tuesday's game against the Raptors:
Games played: 18
Minutes: 24.8
Points: 11.8
Rebounds: 6.2
Assists: 2.6
Steals: 0.3
Blocks: 0.3
Field goal %: .431
3-point field goal %: .320
Free throw %: .741
Jonathan Kuminga career stats
These are Kuminga's career averages through five seasons in the NBA, prior to Tuesday's game against the Raptors:
SEATTLE (AP) — Lexie Adzija scored Seattle's first short-handed goal of the season in the third period to take the lead for good, and the Torrent beat the Toronto Sceptres 6-4 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
The expansion Torrent set the franchise's single-game record for goals (six) and tied for the most in the PWHL this season. The 10 combined goals were the most in a PWHL game this season. Minnesota and Seattle combined for eight goals — the previous high — in the Frost's 6-2 win Jan. 11.
Jessie Eldridge had a goal and two assists and Hannah Bilka added a goal and an assist for Seattle (4-1-2-5). Hilary Knight. Julia Gosling, and Megan Carter, who played 19 games for Toronto as a rookie last season, also scored for the Torrent. Carter’s goal — the first of her career and the first by a Seattle defender this season— made it 5-3 with 14:34 left in the game. Corinne Schroeder had 31 saves.
Blayre Turnbull, Jesse Compher, Kali Flanagan and Natalie Spooner each scored a goal for Toronto (4-1-3-6), which beat Vancouver 2-1 in overtime Saturday at home to snap a four-game losing streak. Raygan Kirk had 27 saves.
Turnbull opened the scoring 78 seconds into the game and Compher added a goal to give Toronto a 2-0 lead less than three minutes in.
Flanagan scored her first goal of the season with 9:30 remaining in the second period to make it 3-3.
Up next
Toronto: The Sceptres visit Vancouver on Thursday.
Seattle: The Torrent play Vancouver at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.
This might be the best Rockets win of the season. It’s certainly my favorite win.
There’s been a lot of negativity around here (looks at self) regarding aspects of this year’s Rockets team, a good bit of it deserved. This is all positivity, though. That’s because this victory carried two great signs that we can all hope continue. The first is a return of the determination, fight, and intensity of last year’s Rockets team. A team that sometimes simply enforced their collective will on opponents, despite not necessarily playing better than that opponent. The second is a victory of awareness, of recognition of problems and some positive responses to those problems. Long may it continue.
If you watched the first half of this game, you may be forgiven for finding something better to do with your life in the second half. This game was mostly a reward for Rockets degenerates, and a just punishment for those Spurs fans who think their team plays ethical basketball.
The first quarter was all Spurs, almost to the point of absurdity. It wasn’t that the Rockets came out flat, or didn’t score the ball. After a good 15-20 minutes levelling a rim with a big ladder and a fine German level, to repair Stephon Castle’s vandalism, the Rockets started with plenty of fire. It was more a case of absurdly hot Spurs being even more fiery from three, and Udokan Math not mathing. That is, trading threes for twos, constantly. The Spurs attempted 27 shots for the quarter. 13 of those shots were three pointers, of which they made 8. They went 4-14 around the basket, and in the paint, and 1-1 on a longer two point attempt. The Rockets? They had 21 FGA, and made 11-16 twos, and 2-5 threes. The Rockets also missed several free throws, while San Antonio didn’t.
There can be fewer clearer demonstrations of “three is more than two” and “quantity has a quality all its own” than this first quarter. Certainly there were Rocket defensive mistakes, mainly Alperen Sengun helping away from Julian Champanie, a 36% three point shooter on the season, who went 4 for 5 from three in the first. (He’s shooting a robust 16-29 from three against the Rockets overall this season, so maybe don’t leave him?). In any case, the quarter ended 39-28 Spurs.
The second seemed much like the first, only the Spurs cooled off, from 70% to 45% on threes, and the Rockets made a few more shots. The Rockets defense was much better, and they started fixing defensive mistakes. Still a quarter ending 32-31 in favor of the Rockets wasn’t going to do much to close the gap established in the first quarter. But the quarter began all Spurs, like the first, and slowly the impetus changed to the Rockets. Hard to spot, but the Rockets were now showing a more energy and determination, perhaps.
The Rockets would definitely display their 2024-25 season fire in the third quarter, where it seemed the Rockets were defending very well, and if the Rockets were going to go down, they’d drag the Spurs to hell with them. The quarter ended in a tie, with only 22 points scored by either side.
This defensive display by the Rockets was matched by an offense that couldn’t gain any ground in the third. This, perhaps, is at the heart of some of the criticism of Ime Udoka and his black clad cult member coaching staff. It’s very hard to solely defend your way to victory in the NBA. Holding the Spurs to 22 points is a great accomplishment. Scoring 22? Not so much. The Spurs maintained their 10 lead going into the 4th.
Then it happened. Something many of us have been waiting for all season. Perhaps it was genius, perhaps it was madness, perhaps it was pure desperation, but Reed Sheppard was turned loose on the Spurs. Not only did he pass and shoot well, he defended well, too. He almost single handedly sparked a comeback, swinging the game to the Rockets. With confidence the other Rockets played well, and got timely passes, too. The defense, very good in the third quarter, got even better. The offense, moribund in the third, came to life with a triple threat point guard leading the way. The Rockets won this quarter 29-14, and not so coincidentally, the game.
Alperen Sengun, after a not especially great first half, was dominant on both ends in the second. He finished with 20pts/13rbs/9ast. All of KD, Jabari and Amen had good games, too. KD didn’t shoot it as much, but he was 7 of 12, with 18pts/4rbs/7ast/1stl/1blk and an unfortunate 4 TO. Jabari was Dr Jaswishy, he went 7-13, and 3-5 from three, for 17pts/4rbs/1ast/1blk. Amen also had a very good game – 16pts/10rbs/6ast/1stl/2blk.
Then there was Reed, who as much as I have appreciated all that Josh Okogie brings to the table, should be starting. At point guard. He went for 21pts on 8-17 shooting, 4-10 from three, with 1rb/4ast/1stl/1blk and no turnovers in 29 minutes. He played good defense, after a fairly shaky first half. There’s no comeback without Reed. More Josh Okogie minutes won’t get the Rockets there.
Dorian Finney-Smith also looked like the players the Rockets signed. He kept Victor Wembanyama away from his spots in the second half. The Rockets overall defense really told in the second half. Here are the final shooting stats for the key Spurs. Wemby 5-21. Fox 6-15. Castle 5-19. Barnes 2-6. Champagnie, well, 8-17. Keldon Johnson drove right. Teams aren’t going to win many games in which they shoot 22 fewer shots than their opponents, but the Rocket can with the kind of defense they played in the second half of this game. The Spurs average 117 points per game, tonight they were held to 11 below that average.
This is the best win I can remember this season. I hope we see more of what we saw in that glorious fourth quarter going forward. We’re halfway through the season, with everything still to play for.
Luka Doncic is fouled by Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones in the first half. (Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)
The first time chants of “Let’s go, La-kers” rang out in Ball Arena, Denver’s rowdy home crowd booed the unwelcome slogan into silence. Minutes later when the game ended, there weren’t enough home fans left to quiet the purple and gold faithful.
The Lakers overcame a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to notch one of their most significant wins of the season, taking down the Denver Nuggets 115-107 on Tuesday. Luka Doncic recorded his fifth triple-double of the season with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while LeBron James had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Despite losing center Deandre Ayton to a left eye injury in the second quarter, the Lakers still held the Nuggets to 36 points in the second half. Marcus Smart, the team’s perimeter defensive stalwart, sparked a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to put the game away, scoring 11 of his 15 points during the six-and-a-half-minute streak.
“Just contributions from everybody,” coach JJ Redick said, noting the second-half performance from Jaxson Hayes (nine points, five rebounds) after Ayton's injury, nine points from Drew Timme off the bench and defensive energy from Jarred Vanderbilt. “It was a great team win.
Redick is hopeful that Ayton was just poked in the eye and he will be back by the time the Lakers play the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Thursday.
The Lakers (26-16) slowly are returning to full health as guard Austin Reaves’ calf injury is “progressing well,” coach JJ Redick said before the game, and they hope he could play on the eight-game trip that will stretch until Feb. 3. Reaves is approaching the four-week point after aggravating his calf injury on Christmas Day.
For the first time since the injury, Reaves went on a trip with the team. He blended seamlessly into the bench group, wearing head-to-toe black next to the coaches.
On the other bench, Denver’s injured superstar was dressed in a forest green suit. Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ three-time most valuable player, has been sidelined because of a knee injury since Dec. 30.
Three members of the Nuggets’ season-opening starting rotation were sidelined Tuesday. Starting guard Christian Braun has been out since injuring an ankle Nov. 12 and Cameron Johnson has missed 15 games because of a knee injury. Backup center JonasValanciunas, who has missed the last 11 games with a calf injury, sat next to Jokic.
Denver (29-15) still had no problem controlling the first half, finishing the second quarter on a 14-3 run to claim a 14-point lead. Jamal Murray drained a three-pointer from almost three-quarters court at the buzzer to punctuate a chaotic final 35 seconds that was preceded by Doncic’s 13th technical foul of the season and featured an 8-0 run for the Nuggets.
For a team that had lost five of its last seven games and was beginning a difficult eight-game road trip with the NBA trade deadline looming in two weeks, the moment could have broken the Lakers.
Instead, Doncic showed why he led the league in All-Star fan voting. After scoring 16 points on six-of-six shooting in the first quarter, Doncic started distributing to his teammates. He had nine points and four assists in the third quarter as the Lakers trimmed a 16-point deficit to two entering the fourth. Doncic scored or assisted on 11 unanswered Lakers points.
“It showed the character of our team,” Doncic said of how the Lakers responded to the end of the first half. “… We just stayed together.”
The Lakers could have wilted when the Nuggets hit nine three-pointers in the first quarter too, Doncic said. But they calmly locked back in on defense and committed to the plan to blitz Murray, who scored 26 in the first half. Then Doncic continued his take over.
“Luka, you can't turn the engine halfway with him,” Redick said. “Once the engine's on, like he's in kill mode. And it's on me as a coach to make sure that everybody else is involved, and it's on him too, on the court to make sure that. And truthfully, I think he's done a phenomenal job of that the last couple weeks.”
After Doncic’s third-quarter domination, James tagged in and scored five consecutive points to end the quarter. He assisted on a basket by Drew Timme on the Lakers’ opening possession of the fourth quarter that tied the score 88-88. The Lakers outscored the Nuggets by 20 points when James was on the floor in the second half after he was held to just seven points with four turnovers in the first.
While Doncic will return to the All-Star stage next month at Intuit Dome, James was not named a starter for the first time in 22 years. He will have to wait for a vote from coaches or a special selection from NBA commissioner Adam Silver to earn his 22nd All-Star honor.
“Given the missed games early, wasn't surprised,” Redick said, referring to James missing the first 14 games because of sciatica. “I believe he'll be in the All-Star game.”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 25 points, Norman Powell added 22 and the Miami Heat cruised to a 130-117 road win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
The Heat have won three of their last five and led by double digits the entire fourth quarter. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, while Pelle Larsson had 16 points and a team-high nine assists.
Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points off the bench on five 3-pointers. Miami shot 50% from 3-point range, hitting 21 of 42.
Miami guard Tyler Herro (ribs) and center Kel’el Ware (hamstring) missed the game, leaving the Heat without two key rotation players. Ware — who is averaging a team-high 9.8 rebounds — missed his first game of the season.
Sacramento has dropped two straight games after winning a season-high four in a row. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points, while Russell Westbrook added 22 on 9-of 14 shooting.
Malik Monk scored 18 points, while Dylan Cardwell added 12 rebounds.
The Heat took a 77-64 lead at halftime on the strength of a 45-point second quarter that included nine 3-pointers. Miami made 15 of 24 shots (62.5%) from behind the arc before the break.
Miami snapped a streak of four straight road losses that all came by at least 12 points.
