Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Los Angeles Lakers’ extended road trip moves east with a stop in the Windy City to battle the Chicago Bulls tonight.

Deandre Ayton hopes a two-day break can bust his current funk. He’s struggled on both ends of the floor, which has led to him being benched in each of the past two games.

However, Chicago’s soft interior defense could be just what Ayton needs to get back on track. His scoring output is the focus of my Lakers vs. Bulls predictions and NBA picks below.

Lakers vs Bulls prediction

Lakers vs Bulls best bet: Deandre Ayton Over 11.5 points (-120)

Deandre Ayton’s recent struggles have ignited a firestorm of criticism from NBA analysts and basketball fans, but this game against the Chicago Bulls could help get things on track. The Bulls are among the softer defenses in the league, especially when it comes to protecting the interior.

Chicago allows the fifth most points in the paint (53.3) and the seventh-highest points per game to the center position (25.7). The Bulls are undersized around the hoop, topping out with 6-foot-9 center Nikola Vucevic, who has lost a step defensively.

The 7-foot Ayton had scored 12+ points in four straight games and six of his last eight before this current three-game backslide, and averages almost 14 points on the season.
 
NBA player projections for Monday have Ayton ranging from 11.1 to 15.5, with the majority of models sitting closer to 13 points. My number, given Ayton plays his normal 29 minutes, comes out to 13.6 points against Chicago. That should have the Over 11.5 priced around -170.

Lakers vs Bulls same-game parlay

The Lakers and Bulls aren’t the stingiest teams in the NBA, and Chicago’s up-tempo style will see a faster pace for this game.

LeBron James continues to impact games besides points. He’s dished out 7+ dimes in seven of his last 12 outings.

Lakers vs Bulls SGP

• Over 237.5 
• Deandre Ayton Over 11.5 points
• LeBron James Over 6.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Running with the Bulls

Rui Hachimura has started to find his stroke from deep after missing time with injury, including 2+ triples in three of his last four outings.

Lakers vs Bulls SGP

• Over 237.5 
• Deandre Ayton Over 11.5 points
• LeBron James Over 6.5 assists
• Rui Hachimura Over 1.5 threes

Lakers vs Bulls odds

• Spread: Lakers -1.5 (-108) | Bulls +1.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Lakers -115 | Bulls -105
• Over/Under: Over 237.5 | Under 237.5

Lakers vs Bulls betting trend to know

The Lakers are 7-5 Over/Under in non-conference games while the Bulls are 9-6 O/U against Western Conference foes this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Bulls.

How to watch Lakers vs Bulls

Lakers vs Bulls latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Basketball was played in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan. 25, but the atmosphere surrounding Golden State's 111-85 victory over Minnesota was unlike any game those in attendance ever experienced.

Originally scheduled to be nationally televised on Saturday, it was postponed for 24 hours after federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti earlier that morning not far from the Timberwolves' home arena.

"I thought the vibe in the stands was one of the most bizarre, sad games I've ever been a part of," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said afterward. "Their team ... We could tell they were struggling with everything that's been going on and what the city has been through. It was very sad. It was a sad night."

Steve Kerr called the arena atmosphere in Minneapolis today one of the most “bizarre, sad” vibes he’s experienced at a game

Warriors blew out the Timberwolves.

“Honestly what I felt was that their group was suffering.” pic.twitter.com/K1EsR6Fr8j

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 26, 2026

Before the game, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch fought through tears as he reflected on the city's second deadly interaction between agents and residents this month.

"As an organization, we are heartbroken for what we are having to witness and endure and watch," Finch said. "We just want to extend our thoughts, prayers and concern for Mr. Pretti, (his) family, all the loved ones and everyone involved in such an unconscionable situation in a community that we really love, full of people who are, by nature, peaceful and prideful. We just stand in support of our great community here."

Both Finch and Kerr said they discussed the situation with their players and everyone agreed with the decision to postpone the game on Saturday.

Emotions were still raw throughout the community as thousands of sign-carrying protesters marched in freezing conditions outside Target Center before the game shouting "ICE out! ICE out!"

And inside, several members of the trampoline dunk team wore shirts that also said "ICE OUT" in block capital letters.

"I know there’s a lot of heavy hearts," said Warriors star guard Stephen Curry, who scored 26 points in the win and moved into 20th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

"A lot of things – especially (for) this Minneapolis community (Saturday) – was rough. It’s been rough. … You can kind of feel it when we got here two days ago. The protests that were going on downtown, it was amazing to watch the turnout, and peaceful protests, the unified voice that was here. You feel like that would kind of turn the tide to a more positive direction, and then, you wake up in the morning, and you see what happened."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Kerr, Chris Finch, Steph Curry address unrest in Minneapolis

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their second straight game against the Orlando Magic. They won their previous game in Orlando 119-105.

Repeating success

Beating the same team twice in a row isn’t easy. There’s added motivation for the other team to get their revenge, and what worked in the first matchup isn’t guaranteed to work the second time. This, combined with a wild winter storm that can throw a curveball into everyone’s pre-game preparation, is something to keep in mind.

The Cavs took it to Orlando in their first matchup. It was an encouraging, feel-good win led by the best game of Donovan Mitchell’s season. Or at least, one of his most impressive performances. The Cavs have taken some great steps forward during this month. Let’s try to avoid stumbling after winning three in a row.

A win tomorrow would match the Cavaliers’ longest streak of the season.

Donovan Mitchell

We might have seen Mitchell’s best game of the season in Orlando. It was definitely one of his more entertaining. The array of floaters and over-the-head swim moves he used was nothing short of incredible.

Mitchell has had to carry a heavy load with Darius Garland on the sidelines. He hasn’t always balanced his responsibilities as a playmaker and scorer. But when he’s at his best, this team is tough to beat. Cleveland’s recent win puts them at 10-1 this season when Mitchell scores 35 or more points.

Taking care of the ball

One of the only things holding this team back from truly taking off in the standings has been their turnovers. Even in their recent success, the team is turning it over at an unsustainable rate.

Cleveland had 17 turnovers in their first meeting with the Magic. This is more than you’d like, but it was actually an improvement from the way they had been carelessly turning it over in the games before. The Cavs are 26th in turnover percentage for the month of January.

That will have to be better for them to continue trending in the right direction.

When you are a gunslinger, you show up to the dusty road at high noon. You lock eyes with the opponent. Somewhere, a stereotypical tumbleweed drifts through the silence. The moment arrives. You reach for the holster. You take your shot.

That is what the Suns tried to do against the Miami Heat on Sunday night. They showed up. They stood in the street. But when it was time to fire, there was not enough ammunition to finish the job.

And they did not help themselves. I don’t know if they knew where they left their bullets.

The shooting was rough. 37% from the field. 7-0f-35 from deep. That is not surviving a duel, that is misfiring before the bell rings. The rebounding was no better. 15 chance points allowed in the first half, extra bullets handed right back to the opponent. Ball movement never found a rhythm either. 14 assists on 37 made shots, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4, possessions ending without purpose.

Miami plays at the fastest pace in the league, and on this night they were quicker to everything. Quicker to loose balls. Quicker to decisions. Quicker on the draw. Phoenix finished with 6 steals, never able to flip the script or tilt the floor.

It did not matter that Miami was on the second night of a back-to-back. It did not matter that they did not get into Sky Harbor until 4:30am after being stuck on the tarmac in Utah. None of it mattered. They had more ammunition. They were sharper with their shots. And when the dust settled, that was the difference.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Kudos to Devin Booker for the effort against the Atlanta Hawks. He picked up his 12th Bright Side Baller of the season, though I am sure he would trade every one of them for a healthy ankle without a second thought.

“I’m too sad” got plenty of votes, which felt appropriate given the night, but the rightful winner still earned it.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 46 against the Heat. Here are your nominees:

Dillon Brooks
26 points (11-of-23, 2-of-5 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, -7 +/-

Grayson Allen
18 points (4-of-18, 1-of-11 3PT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 fouls drawn, 1 turnover, -4 +/-

Mark Williams
11 points (4-of-6), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, +10 +/-

Collin Gillespie
11 points (4-of-12, 3-of-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, -9 +/-

Isaiah Livers
9 points (4-of-4, 1-of-1 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, -5 +/-

Royce O’Neale
8 points (2-of-10, 0-of-7 3PT), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, -10 +/-

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Vote here:

On Sunday night, the Spurs hosted the New Orleans Pelicans. Before the game, interim head coach James Borrego spoke with the media.

If his name sounds familiar it is because he served as assistant coach to Gregg Popovich twice. The first time was from 2003-2010 where he started as assistant video coordinator before working his way up to assistant. He rejoined the Spurs from 2015 to 2018.

Since 2023, Borrego has served as associate head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. Last November, after a 2-10 start, the Pelicans fired Willie Green and named Borrego interim.

During his pregame presser, he was asked about Herb Jones. Jones, who recently returned to action after being sidelined with an ankle sprain, is considered an elite defender. In his first game back last Friday, he failed to score but impacted the game defensively, leading to a win for the Pelicans.

Considering his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Borrego’s response was telling:

“He impacts winning at the highest level…he raises everybody’s standard — their level, their energy, their focus…he’s gotta own that defense, hold his group accountable…hye’s an example guy. And, I think, the greatest to do it here, Tim Duncan same thing. He led by example. Over time though, [Duncan] found a voice to lead. There’s a leadership quality through his words as well. When Tim Duncan spoke up everybody listened. When Herb Jones speaks up, everybody listens.”

Borrego stressed that when a player takes ownership, the team as a whole elevates. And he knows. He witnessed two championships here in San Antonio. The former Spurs assistant understands the value of leadership required to make a team compete.

And he wasn’t wrong.

The Pelicans, who had the second-worst defensive rating without Jones, handled the Spurs last night despite coming in to San Antonio with an 11-36 record. While Jones contributed only 9 points, it was his +/- of 21 and his disruptive defense that kept the Spurs at arms length for a majority of the night.

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Over halfway into the season, the Boston Celtics find themselves sitting at second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 28-17. They’ve set high standards for themselves by consistently sitting at or near the top over the past decade, but this year is different. Prior to the start of the season, the basketball world was debating whether they would be tanking for a top pick, or if they would somehow find themselves fighting for a play-in spot.

There’s still a lot of season left, so Boston may not be able to maintain their position throughout. There’s no doubt that tanking has always been out of the question for a team with championship DNA, though. The Celtics play to win, plain and simple. Soon enough they may also be getting a top-5 player in the league back on the court, which should make winning a little easier.

That doesn’t mean we should lose sight of the people who have carried them this far. There is plenty of praise and credit to go around, from Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff who have prepared the players, to Jaylen Brown who has shouldered a lot of the load during an MVP-level season, to the young guns who are making the most of every opportunity, and everyone in between.

Of course, there are two guys who may be getting slightly overlooked at the moment: Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. Fans were expecting a huge jump from both in terms of offensive production, but the stats haven’t exactly backed that up so far. That being said, they provide a whole lot more than the numbers could never capture.

Let’s start with the bad. Derrick only saw an increase of 1.2 points per game (PPG) while his efficiency took a big hit, 38.8% on field goals (FG%) and 32.1% on threes (3P%). The FG% is a career low for Derrick, and a steep drop-off from the 44.2% he was shooting last year. Similarly, the 3P% is the second lowest of his career, and another big drop from last year’s 38.4% from range.

Payton has been more efficient than Derrick, but he’s been having some struggles of his own. His FG% sits at 45% at this point in the season, which isn’t bad, but is his lowest mark of the past three years, down from his 47.2% from last year. The real struggles are coming from behind the arc for Pritchard, 34.4% from three, a career low, and far below his 40.7% from last year.

And as far as the bad goes, well, that’s just about it. Once you look past the efficiency, Derrick White is averaging career highs in every major statistical category: 17.6 PPG, 5.4 assists per game (APG), 4.6 rebounds per game (RPG), 1.3 steals per game (SPG), and 1.5 blocks per game (BPG). Payton is averaging career highs in points (16.7 PPG), rebounds (4.4 RPG), and assists (5.4 APG), while being just 0.1 steals per game and 0.1 blocks per game off of career highs in those categories as well, though neither have ever been his strong suit, 0.8 SPG and 0.1 BPG this season.

Per our Riser/Fallers tool, these 5 players have risen most over the past 3 seasons in our Offensive Talent metric:

Up +4.18: Deni Avdija
+3.14: Austin Reaves
+2.60: Anthony Edwards
+2.52: Shai-Gilgeous Alexander
+2.31: Payton Pritchard

These players are seeing the largest… pic.twitter.com/tGq4eBGIOb

— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) January 22, 2026

If we listen to Joe Mazzulla and take a step further out, things look even better. After a solid win against the Pacers, Joe had this to say about the two of them: “Those are always two guys that – they’re not defined by shot making… It’s not just the stats with them. They’re always doing the intangibles, and they always give us a chance to win.”

Joe couldn’t be more right. With how young the Celtics are this year, strong leadership makes a world of a difference. When you see Derrick taking charges, opening himself up to poster opportunities, challenging guards and centers alike at the rim, and giving his all on every possession no matter which side of the ball he’s on, how could you not be inspired? So much of this team’s identity is their grit, which the young guys embody night in and night out – but it always starts with Derrick.

As for Payton, he currently ranks as the most efficient isolation scorer in the NBA, yet the ball never sticks with him. He does a masterful job of controlling the pace of the offense, whether that’s creating opportunities for himself or others. He increased his APG average by nearly 1.9, and is currently tied with Derrick in leading Boston in that category. Pritchard has always been an undersized guard as well, but still does a great job holding his own on defense, and is tied for fourth on the team in rebounds per game despite being the shortest one on the court more often than not.

Most efficient Isolation scorer in the league this season? Payton Pritchard pic.twitter.com/9PdrpFgIG2

— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) January 21, 2026

Boston’s starting backcourt plays with incredible poise, averaging less than 3 turnovers combined. Pritchard even has the highest assist to turnover ratio in the league, 4.74, and set the franchise record this season for most 20+ point games without a turnover at 13. They are one of the big reasons why Jaylen can play as great as he has this season, and why the Celtics are as competitive as they are.

Going back to the Pacers game, Derrick earned a lot of praise that day. Joe added on to his previous comments, saying this about White: “He’s not defined by shooting efficiency. I think, to me, that’s a bonus… I just think it’s hard to recognize all the other stuff and it’s easy just to notice the shooting.”

Before the game even started, Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Pacers, started off his presser by saying that White should be an All-Star before he was even asked a question. Jaylen Brown had a lengthy answer after the game echoing the sentiment, and added on that Derrick should be a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year as well. Neemias Queta got in on the love circle by calling White a “Swiss Army Knife.”

Like Joe said, it’s easy to get caught up in the shooting numbers, but the impact Derrick and Payton make on a game is immeasurable. It’s clear that their teammates feel the effects. Stats may not lie, but they don’t tell the whole story. At the end of the day, Boston can always like their chances when those two are on the court.

Good morning, it’s Monday, January 26th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 27-20 and play the Orlando Magic at home tonight at 7 PM. We wish you warmth and a clear driveway today.

Donovan Mitchell scored 36 points in the Cavaliers’ win over the Magic in Orlando on Saturday. Cleveland has now won 10 of their last 14 games and is back in the mix for the second seed of the Eastern Conference.

Today’s Game of the Day

• Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics – 8 PM, Peacock

Let’s switch it up and talk about some different teams.

The Trail Blazers (23-23) and Celtics (28-17) are each having better-than-expected seasons. Portland has been led by the breakout of Deni Avdija (who is listed as questionable for this matchup) while the Celtics have proven that sticking to a strong identity can lead to positive results, no matter who is in the rotation. This should be a fun one.

The Rest of the NBA Slate

• Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks – 1:30 PM
• Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets – 3 PM
• Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7 PM
• Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls – 8 PM
• Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets – 8 PM
• Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves – 9:30 PM

There are plenty of games to choose from today if you’re able to stay home and avoid the snow. The NBA has you covered.

Cavs links of the day

• Teams have been trying to trade for important Cavs’ forward – Fear the Sword
• Cavs receive much-needed good news from latest injury report – Fear the Sword
• Donovan Mitchell shows resilience among Cavs struggles, speaks on mindset – Cavs on SI

NBA links

• NBA Postpones Nuggets-Grizzlies, Mavericks-Bucks due to winter storms – Yahoo Sports
• NBA Moves up Pacers-Hawks due to winter storm – Peachtree Hoops
• Pistons’ JB Bickerstaff named head coach for Eastern Conference All-Star Game – NBA.com

With this winter storm crushing half the country and NBA travel either delayed or cancelled this weekend, the Celtics return home for what could be another regular season-defining stretch of games. Here’s play-by-play announcer Sean Grande with the details:

I don't know if the energy is about to shift…but the schedule sure is….

BOSTON CELTICS ROAD GAMES
Last 29 days: 11
Next 25 days: 2

BOSTON CELTICS HOME GAMES
Last 33 days: 5
Next 18 days: 7

— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) January 25, 2026

With the NBA trade deadline (February 8th) and All-Star Weekend (February 13-15th) on the horizon, the Celtics will play seven of their next nine games at TD Garden:

• 1/26: Portland Trail Blazers
• 1/28: Atlanta Hawks
• 1/30: Sacramento Kings
• 2/1: Milwaukee Bucks
• 2/3: at Dallas Mavericks
• 2/4: at Houston Rockets
• 2/6: Miami Heat
• 2/8: New York Knicks
• 2/11: Chicago Bulls

Not exactly a murderer’s row with the road back-to-back, but nothing can be taken for granted. It’s not as if Boston has exactly taken care of business recently. In what was supposed to be the easiest month of the Celtics’ schedule, they’re a respectable 8-5 so far, but it sure feels like they’ve left some games on the table.

They’ve been playing .500 ball over their last ten with the losses to the Nuggets, Spurs, Pistons, Detroit, and Chicago totaling just 15 points. Boston could easily be knocking on Detroit’s door for #1 and now, only five games separate the Celtics from the #2 seed and the Play-In Tournament.

With that in mind — at least narrative-wise — an 8-1 or 7-2 run could go a long way in solidifying this roster as true contenders. Most likely though, Brad Stevens knows what they have and no record will change how he approaches the trade deadline or Jayson Tatum’s return.

And as CelticsBlog’s Bobby Manning expounds, they owes it to this squad to compete for a championship:

Still, decisions loom about setting the Celtics up best for the long term, Boston is still relatively high above the tax, and the team could use another consistent rotation player especially if Tatum can’t return this season. Brad Stevens, Bill Chisholm and company at least owe it to this group to stand pat and allow this team to play out the year.

There will always be trade rumors, especially for teams at the top of the conference, so expect to hear more about the Celtics trying to cut more salary and reduce their tax burden, finding front court help, using Anfernee Simons $27 million expiring contract as a trade chip, etc. This is the NBA nonetheless and the NBA loves rumor season.

The reality is the Celtics could enter All-Star Weekend with Jaylen Brown repping the team as a starter and Jayson Tatum nearing a return. And regardless of how they finish their next nine games, their last forty-five have proof positive that Joe Mazzulla is one of the league’s best coaches and his staff, the front office has a keen eye for finding players that fit their culture and system, and to a man, each of them has grabbed this opportunity and ran with it.

It’s been a great time for sports at Texas Tech.

Football went to the College Football Playoff, softball nearly won the Women’s College World Series and the track and field teams owned the Big 12. 

The Red Raiders aren’t done yet, with men’s basketball (16-4) and women's basketball (20-2) on course to continue the run of success. Texas Tech's men racked up another big win Saturday, Jan. 24, beating Houston to prove it is a national title contender.

It was one of the most impressive performances of the season. Houston is reliably spectacular on defense, yet it didn’t look like it in Lubbock. The Red Raiders outmuscled the Cougars, drew fouls and forced Kelvin Sampson’s team to play their way. They scored 55 points in the first half, the most Houston has allowed under Sampson’s 12 seasons at the helm.

Despite 42 points from Houston freshman Kingston Flemings, Texas Tech didn’t crack with a late run to put it away.

Tech has won nine of its past 10 games , the only loss a four-point defeat at Houston a few weeks prior. During that stretch, the Red Raiders have beaten Duke, BYU and Houston, one of the best collections of wins you can find in the country.

It all starts with an offense that’s on fire. The 3-point shooting is relentless, making more than 11 a game — and if they aren’t making it from deep, they have JT Toppin continuing to dominate inside. He had 31 points and 12 rebounds against Houston, his eighth double-double in the past nine games. 

Simply put, if Houston can’t stop this offense, then who can? The Big 12 is loaded with title contenders, and Texas Tech put itself in the conversation to keep the fun times in Lubbock and lead the top storylines of the weekend in college hoops.

How long until undefeated teams lose?

We enter the final week of January with three undefeated teams: No. 1 Arizona, No. 7 Nebraska and Miami (Ohio), all 20-0. It’s rare to have multiple undefeated teams at this point of the season, so it’s worth asking how long can this go?

Arizona hasn’t really been tested to start the Big 12 slate. That will change with a trip to BYU on Monday, Jan. 26. The Cornhuskers will have their biggest week yet, at Michigan for a top 10-ranked matchup followed by a visit from Illinois.

That leaves the mighty RedHawks. They beat Kent State in a thriller, as the Golden Flashes were the best chance to beat Miami (Ohio). Now it faces UMass next, a team that was expected to contend in the MAC but hasn’t looked the part.

Keaton Wagler cooks Purdue, Boilermakers in trouble?

Have yourself a day, Keaton Wagler. The Illinois freshman set a Mackey Arena opponent record by dropping 46 points to lead his team to a 88-82 road win against Purdue.

The Fighting Illini have been on fire with nine consecutive wins, really looking like the team much of the country envisioned coming into the season. While Illinois deserves its flowers for this win, it brings up questions surrounding the Boilermakers (17-3). Two straight losses wouldn't normally be concerning, but Matt Painter's team hasn't been playing well recently.

It was uninspiring in wins against Penn State, Iowa and Southern California. Braden Smith hasn't been the problem, but Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn have been very inconsistent, an overarching theme for the rest of the offense. Wagler's performance also highlighted Purdue hasn't been able to keep opponents from taking over the game.

Purdue is still a title contender, but cracks are starting to show for preseason No. 1, and they better get patched up before the panic alarm sets off.

Freshman light up scoreboards

Wagler and Flemings weren't the only first-year players with big days as Jan. 24 belonged to the freshmen. Look at these numbers from around the country:

• Wagler, Illinois: 43 points
• AJ Dybantsa, BYU: 43 points
• Flemings, Houston: 42 points
• Cameron Boozer, Duke: 32 points
• Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas: 31 points.

The youngsters are balling.

North Carolina gets swagger back

Back-to-back road losses to Cal and Stanford were so bad for North Carolina, it needed a big win to avoid people from yelling the sky is falling. Luckily for the Tar Heels, they picked up a Quad 1 win at Virginia on Jan. 24

North Carolina fell by 16 points in the first half and the Cavaliers looked like they'd run away with this ranked matchup. Whatever was said at halftime resonated, as the Tar Heels looked completely different in the second half. The offense was flowing, led by Jarin Stevenson scoring all of 17 points in the final 20 minutes, knocking in some big momentum buckets. He was able to take the pressure off Caleb Wilson and Seth Trimble, who had to pick up from the struggles of Henri Veesaar.

You can't overstate how badly North Carolina (16-4, 4-3) needed this win. It was the first road ACC win of the season, and prevented problems from snowballing. This could be the victory that turns everything around.

Rick Pitino makes history, St. John's finding momentum

Rick Pitino added another accolade to his hall of fame career, but it's not the biggest story out of St. John's: The Red Storm are finding a rhythm.

St. John's had a second-half comeback and fought off a Xavier rally to beat the Musketeers. Pitino got the best of the Musketeers and son, Richard, for win No. 900, the fourth Division I men's basketball coach to reach the mark. With the win, the Red Storm have won six straight — four on the road — to get back near the top of the Big East, where many expected them to be this season.

It's redeeming the 7-4 start St. John's had, which can't be completely ridiculed since it was a tough schedule. The Johnnies are building toward another strong campaign, and have a chance to run the Big East once again en route to March.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top college basketball storylines: Texas Tech confirms contender status

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his team won a "bizarre, sad" game at the Minnesota Timberwolves in a "sombre atmosphere" after the fatal shooting of an intensive care nurse by immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti on Saturday was the second time in less than a month an American citizen has been killed by federal agents in the city, and has sparked angry protests both locally and in other parts of the US.

The Timberwolves held a minute's silence for Pretti before Sunday's game, which was punctuated by anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chants from fans.

An ICE operation in Minnesota ordered by President Donald Trump's administration has been going on for more than six weeks. ICE agents have the power to stop, detain and arrest people they suspect of being in the US illegally.

Renee Good, another Minnesota resident, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on 7 January.

"Honestly, what I felt was that [the Timberwolves'] group was suffering," said Kerr after the Warriors' 111-85 win.

"It was one of the most bizarre, sad games I've ever been a part of. You could feel the sombre atmosphere.

"Their team, we could tell they were struggling with everything that's been going on. And what the city has been through. So it was a very sad night."

Warriors forward Moses Moody, who scored 19 points with eight rebounds and two blocked shots, said you could "feel the weight of the city" during the match, which had been postponed for 24 hours after Pretti's death.

"I couldn't imagine too many different times where that large amount of people are together in the midst of a situation like this, so you definitely felt that," said Moody.

Stephen Curry led the scoring for the Warriors with 26 points to climb level with Paul Pierce at 19th on the all-time scoring list - finishing the game with 26,397.

Anthony Edwards scored 32 points and recorded 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who lost a fifth-straight match.

The Nets suffered a one-sided 126-89 thrashing by the Clippers on Sunday night in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t for lack of effort from Nic Claxton.

The starting center gutted through a finger injury suffered in Friday’s loss to the Celtics, playing with a bandage on his right pinky. He was slated to have imaging on the finger Saturday morning, but the results weren’t available yet.

“Yeah, I think it’s his right hand. I know that he’s going to play. He’s got some discomfort, but I really give him credit,” coach Jordi Fernández said of Claxton, who finished with six points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.

“He finished [Friday’s] game, and then he’s willing to be out there. Obviously, we care about his health, and everything is fine. Everything’s fine. So, credit to him for wanting to play [and] compete with his teammates.”

Midway through the third quarter, Claxton was raked across the hand by Kawhi Leonard, going up for a shot that was blocked with 6:52 in the period. He grimaced in pain and was clutching his hand for several moments afterward, but stayed in the game.

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With Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney sidelined by a sore back, Terance Mann started against his old Clippers team. And the veteran not only got a first-quarter tribute video, but an ovation from the L.A. crowd for which he’d played five-plus seasons.

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Mann – who had eight points and three rebounds in 19 minutes – had been a second-round draft pick by the Clippers in 2019 and started in the 2021 Western Conference Finals before being traded to Atlanta midway through last season.

“Yeah, I mean, The Wall, I love The Wall. You know, I was the one that introduced The Wall to the world,” said Mann. “So, I feel like I’ve got a special bond with those guys up there and everybody up there. Yeah, man, you know I love the fans, they love me. Some part of me will always be a Clipper.”

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Rookie Nolan Traore was out against the Clippers with an illness after a career-best 21 point effort Friday.

Cam Thomas sat out with a sprained left ankle.

“He’s sore. He’ll be out [Sunday] and we hope that he’ll be back soon. We don’t know exactly when,” Fernández said of Thomas. “So, going through the proper work and making him feel better and then have him back on the court when we can.”

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With the Nets shorthanded in the backcourt, rookie Ben Saraf was recalled from Long Island and made his first NBA appearance since Dec. 6. The point guard finished with six points in 17 minutes off the bench.

“Improvement. All our guys that have played under Mfon [Udofia, Long Island Nets head coach], they’ve done a great job getting better every game competing,” Fernández said. “And it’s not just about them; it’s about playing within a system and making the group competitive. So, happy with what we’re seeing.”

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The Nets play Tuesday in Phoenix. Suns star Devin Booker is out with a right ankle sprain.

There is losing. And then there’s playing like losers.

Sunday night Brooklyn looked like the latter.

For the second time in three games, the Nets embarrassed themselves, this one a 126-89 beating at the hands of the Clippers before 17,927 at the Intuit Dome.

It marked Brooklyn’s fifth straight defeat, and their tenth in the last 11 games. For a tanking team, losing the game isn’t a concern. But losing their competitiveness – becoming losers – is a grave one.

“We won the third quarter; we were competitive from those six minutes of the second. And outside of that, the other 30 minutes, we played like a losing team,” said Jordi Fernandez. “You can lose; and you can be a loser. So for 18 minutes, we lost and we were competitive. And for 30, we were losers. So we have to decide what we want to be and who we want to be.”

Brooklyn showed little fight, a horrid way to start a five-game road swing. But these problems started before their delayed cross-country flight.

While the worst defeat in team history – a 59-point caning – had actually come last Jan. 15 in this same building, the second-worst was Wednesday’s 54-point loss to the Knicks. After a brief bounceback Friday vs. Boston, the Nets backslid.

Brooklyn was flat from the start, down 38-14 after the lowest-scoring first quarter of the season. They fell behind by 40 and never fought back.

“It’s part of life and part of learning and part of finding the next Nets…we’re obviously going to need the right pieces on the floor that play and compete to a certain standard,” said Fernandez. “And right now, out of three games, one out of three as far as being competitive is not good enough. We should be 3-for-3 competitive, whether you win or lose.”

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The tanking Nets have decisions to make, both by the Feb. 5 Trade Deadline and in the offseason. Players will be asked to acquit themselves and required to compete. None covered themselves in glory Sunday, about as ice-cold as the blizzard back home.

Michael Porter Jr. got held to single-digits with just nine points on uncharacteristic 3-of-11 shooting, and 0-of-4 from 3-point range. He has been dealing with a sprained MCL, and was off his game. Rookie Danny Wolf led the Nets with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench, all team-highs. Egor Demin added a dozen points, but was 3-of-11 overall and 3-of-10 from deep.

The Nets had lost 121-105 to the Clippers on Jan 9, but this was far worse.

“They were just the better team. It wasn’t much to it. They just dominated us last game and dominated us (Sunday),” said Porter. “We’ve got to get back to competing every night. So from players to the guys on the bench to the coaches, we all just got to get back to competing. I could’ve definitely done a better job. Our starting unit could’ve done a better job. It was just an-all around bad effort.”

Brooklyn shot just 33.7 percent and 9-of-43 from deep. And they got torn to shreds on the other end by Kawhi Leonard (28 points) and ex-Net James Harden (22 points, eight assists and six rebounds).

The Nets trailed by 24 after one, and coughed up 18 unanswered points in the second.

Brooklyn was down 64-26 with 3:13 left in the half after a bucket by Jordan Miller.

The next play was even more embarrassing. Brooklyn ended up with a 5-on-4 possession, after Kris Dunn came up gimping. But the Nets missed four shots on the possession, before Dunn hobbled back into the play and grabbed the rebound.

The rest was garbage time, and that garbage stunk.

Brooklyn (12-32) is fifth in the lottery standings, 1 ½ games behind fourth-place Sacramento and just two out of the coveted Top 3 spots.

“They just played better than us,” said Porter. “They were obviously the better team tonight so that’s pretty much it. They were better than us.”

Let’s not beat around the bush: The Lakers aren’t NBA title contenders.

At least, not yet.

And don’t kid yourself either, because you already knew they weren’t, despite having flashes of being the type of team that could play deeper into the NBA calendar.

Yes, the Lakers — with a 27–17 record after Saturday’s road win over the Dallas Mavericks for their third victory in four games — are jumbled up with a few other Western Conference teams in the standings, and aren’t too far behind the No. 2 spot.

Yes, they’ve had significant injury misfortune: LeBron James sidelined for training camp, the preseason, and the first 14 regular-season games due to sciatica; and Austin Reaves playing just two games since mid-December because of calf injuries.

Because of their misfortunes in player availability, the Lakers have had their three best players in Reaves, James and Luka Dončić for the same game just eight times out of the 44 they’ve played so far.  

Speaking of Dončić, the Lakers also have an MVP-quality player, which is historically necessary for championship contenders.

And yet, as of right now, they aren’t contenders.

Not like the Thunder. Or the Nuggets. Or the Spurs. Or the Eastern Conference team of your choice, since that conference does have to be represented in the NBA Finals.

The Lakers’ defense? Not good enough, ranking No. 25 across the league — which is an improvement on that end of the floor after they picked up their play over the last week.

Their offense? Very good, ranking No. 9, but not great like it needs to be to compensate for their poor perimeter defense, and far from the heights expected of them with Dončić, James and Reaves on the roster.

The roster? Not balanced enough with players consistently effective on both ends of the floor, or that complement one another.

Their effort and execution? Not consistent enough, which is why 15 of their 17 losses have been by double digits, and they have a negative point differential on the season, which can often be a better indicator of the quality of a team instead of their record.

Do you know what true contenders are? Consistent.  

The Lakers are still figuring out who they are on a nightly basis.

“For the group as a whole, the effort and execution piece is probably the biggest two things,” Lakers Coach JJ Redick said Saturday. “I’ve used the word ‘consistency’ a lot. We’re just looking for that. Because again, we’ve shown that we can execute on both ends. And we’ve shown that we can have effort on both ends. It’s just a matter of consistency.”

The good news for the Lakers is that despite their obvious flaws, many of which were evident before they even played their first game, they’re closer to being contenders than it often feels.

Here’s what needs to happen to help them go from pretenders to contenders:

First, when Reaves makes his return to the floor, which appears to be imminent and could be during the Grammy road trip, do NOT go back to the starting lineup of Dončić, Reaves, James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton.

Although it only played a small sample of minutes (85), that unit was responsible for the team’s slow starts to games from mid-November through mid-December. It performed poorly on both ends of the floor, leading to a minus-19.9 net rating.

The Lakers’ current starting lineup, with Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in place of Reaves and Hachimura, hasn’t been great (minus-1.6 net rating), but it’s been good enough because it has balance. And the players are slotted into roles they’re better suited for defensively. When fully healthy, Smart, who’s been the team’s best defender this season, should start in place of Hachimura, who can still be valuable in a reserve role.

It’s a shame the Dončić-Reaves-Smart-James-Ayton lineup has only played three minutes.

The Lakers also need to be elite offensively. Very good or borderline great isn’t good enough for a team that’ll have its defensive struggles, even if Smart is in the first unit and more balanced lineups are used throughout the game.

The team can get closer to reaching its offensive ceiling if the players are more consistent with being organized offensively, which includes running plays/sets. It’s proven to be when the Lakers are at their best.

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As for the roster?

It’s obvious that a trade for a two-way wing/guard is needed. A player better than Smart who could guard bigger wings while also being a reliable 3-point threat.

The Lakers aren’t as far from being contenders as some might think. But if they don’t fix their obvious issues, we’ll be back here in early May talking about their season in the past tense for the third consecutive year.  

The Memphis Grizzlies were supposed to play a game yesterday against the Denver Nuggets. However, due to bad weather that is sweeping across the United States, the game was postponed. Now, the Grizzlies will travel to Houston and be relatively rested if a bit disheveled.

The Rockets and Grizzlies are both around tenth in adjusted defensive efficiency, which means both give up about 114 points per 100 possessions. The difference between the teams is on offense, where Houston is fifth and Memphis is twenty-fifth.

Memphis’s best player, by efficiency, is Cam Spencer. I doubt anyone had that on their Bingo cards, but here we are. He’s got a true shooting percentage of 66.9% and assists on 33% of Memphis’s made shots while he’s on the floor. Jock Landale, freed from Houston’s “Go grab rebounds” play style, has flourished as well. Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaylen Wells, rookie Cedric Coward, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will get the majority of the rest of the minutes.

Memphis is dealing with plenty of injuries (see below) and seem headed for a future as sellers at the trade deadline.

Tip-off

7pm CT on January 26, 2026

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Grizzlies

Ja Morant: OUT

Ty Jerome: OUT

Santi Aldama: OUT

Scotty Pippin Jr.: OUT

Zach Edey: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -10.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Wednesday night at home against the San Antonio Spurs

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Clippers built a 38-point lead in the second quarter and beat the Brooklyn Nets 126-89 on Sunday.

James Harden scored 19 points, John Collins added 18, and Jordan Miller had 16. Ivica Zubac finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Clippers, who were coming off a victory over the Lakers on Thursday, won for the eighth time in nine games.

Danny Wolf scored 14 points and Egor Demin had 12 for the Nets, who shot 28 percent in the first half and 34 percent (29 for 86) overall, including 21 percent (9 for 43) from 3-point range. Brooklyn lost its fourth straight and has dropped 10 of its last 11 games and 13 of 15.

The Nets were coming off a double-overtime loss on Friday to the Boston Celtics, who are in second place in the Eastern Conference. Two days earlier, Brooklyn was beaten 120-66 by the New York Knicks.

The Clippers charged to a 24-point lead in the first quarter and extended their advantage to 38 points in the second, carrying a 68-37 lead into the break. Los Angeles maintained its lopsided advantage in the third quarter and was ahead 96-66 headed into the fourth.

It was another lopsided win for the Clippers over the Nets in Los Angeles. When the teams met in LA on Jan. 15, 2025, the Clippers won 126-67, and the 59-point margin of victory is the only 50-point win for the Clippers.

Up next

Nets: At the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the second game of a five-game trip.

Clippers: At the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.