The Washington Wizards lost to the Sacramento Kings 128-115 on Friday in a battle between bottom feeders at Golden 1 Center.
The Wizards had to fight their way out of a huge hole they dug themselves in during the opening period. A three-pointer from Bub Carrington gave the Wizards a 7-6 advantage at the 9:33 mark of the first quarter. Washington held that lead for all of 17 seconds before Sacramento took it back for good. The Kings went on a 19-0 run to close out the first quarter, as the Wizards went scoreless for nearly five minutes.
Washington battled back in the second quarter. Alex Sarr led the way with his 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first half. One of his buckets came off a sweet dime from Tre Johnson.
Jamir Watkins also flashed more of his defensive potential on a strip and slam off DeMar DeRozan. He helped the Wizards trim the halftime deficit to 67-61.
The Wizards got the game to within three in the opening minutes of the second half. But the Kings once again closed the quarter strong, thanks to our old friend Russell Westbrook. The lead ballooned to 17 heading into the final period.
A Carrington triple and a pair of Tre Johnson treys to open the fourth quarter helped get the Wizards within single digits. The Kings managed to stifle any moment for a run, holding on for a 13-point win.
Johnson finished with 18 points and 4 assists, while Sarrâs quiet second half left him at 19 points. Justin Champagnie and Kyshawn George each tacked on 15.
While Washington lost the battle, it won the tank war as the Kings went a full game ahead of the Wizards in the standings. The Wizards close out their road trip against the Nuggets in Denver.
Sometimes it just takes one statement victory to get things back on track. The San Antonio Spurs burst out of a rough 10-game stretch after Christmas with a blowout victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. All of a sudden, it feels like the team can once again conquer the Western Conference. But one game overreactions are a foolâs errand. Saturday nightâs contest is a chance to prove the team is back on track against a team that is biting at their heels in the standings.
The Spurs will host the Minnesota Timberwolves after losing a heartbreaker to them in Minneapolis last Sunday. San Antonio will have the rest advantage, as the Wolves are coming off a late-night 110-105 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Minnesota has been without its superstar, Anthony Edwards, for two straight games due to a foot injury, but his status for Saturdayâs game is unknown.
The Wolves present a tough matchup for the Spurs, with their size, strength, athleticism, and shooting ability. San Antonio has collapsed late in both losses to Minnesota this season. A strong performance on both the offensive and defensive ends, as they had against Milwaukee, would help them earn their first win against the Wolves this season and create some separation in the standings.
Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle â Questionable (illness), Harrison Ingram â Out (G League), Stanley Umude â Out (G League), David Jones-Garcia â Out (G League), Devin Vassell â Out (adductor)
Timberwolves Injuries: Not posted until 1 pm CT
What to watch for:
Julius Randle on Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama experienced offensive success against a fellow Frenchman, Rudy Gobert, in San Antonioâs last game against the Wolves. That success stopped when Randle became his primary defender. Randle was able to play physical and get underneath Wembanyama, forcing him off of his spot and making it nearly impossible for him to make a move toward the rim. If the Wolves decide to give Randle the Wemby assignment again, and they probably should, San Antonio will have to find a way to get Wembanyama open for good looks. Watch for the Spurs to use flex screens or even fade screens on the perimeter to open up some space for Wembanyama against a physical defense.
Three-point defense
The Spurs found out the Wolves can get hot in a hurry in both of their losses to Minnesota this year. The Wolves do a great job of spreading the ball out with their bigs, as Randle and Naz Reid are both threats from deep. Donte DiVincenzo is a flamethrower, and if role players like Bones Hyland and Jaden McDaniels get hot, the game can get out of hand quickly. San Antonio will need to close out to shooters and force tough shots to keep the Wolves down and out of the game.
Guard play
San Antonioâs guards looked great against the Bucks on Thursday. Stephon Castle was efficient, DeâAaron Fox looked comfortable with the ball in his hands, and Dylan Harper provided a spark off the bench. The Spurs have a ball-handling advantage if the trio plays up to its usual standards. Minnesota has long, tough perimeter defenders capable of making their lives difficult. San Antonio will need the most from their guard trio to secure a victory on Saturday.
That was a fun one, just wish it had started a little bit earlier.
Late Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves took on the Houston Rockets. It was the second straight game for the Wolves without Anthony Edwards as he recovers from an infection in his toe. Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch said he is still day-to-day with the injury.
Without their best player, it was always going to be an uphill climb for the Wolves, but they came out of the gates strong, taking a double-digit lead early in the second quarter. The defense was limiting Houstonâs quality shots, the ball movement on offense was great, and they did a good job getting out in transition, scoring 16 fast break points in the first half.
The Rockets eventually whittled the Wolvesâ lead down to two going into the halftime break. The slim margin would hold until the early parts of the fourth quarter when Houston scored seven straight points to give them an eight-point lead, their largest lead of the game to that point.
Without their best player on the floor, the Wolves could not find enough effective offense down the stretch of the game, turning the ball over eight times in the fourth quarter while making only a single 3-pointer on just three fourth-quarter attempts. Minnesota fell by a final score of 110-105.
Julius Randle and Kevin Durant were each the offensive engines for their team, each scoring 39 points. Randleâs scoring is now up to 27.7 points per game in the ten games Edwards has missed this season. Durant, like he always does, shot the ball incredibly well, going 11-18 from the field, 6-8 from beyond the arc, and 11-14 from the free-throw line.
Naz Reid was the other standout for the Timberwolves in the game, scoring 25 points as he made 8 of his 11 shots, including 5 makes from deep. After getting his first taste of rotation minutes on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, Joan Beringer kept his spot in the rotation, playing a total of six minutes as the Wolves experimented with a three-big lineup with Beringer, Randle, and Reid sharing the court together.
The centers for each team struggled mightily from the free-throw line as Rudy Gobert went 2-10 and Alperen ĆengĂŒn shot 3-9. The two teams combined to go 40-69 from the free-throw line, both leaving a good number of points available that could have swung the balance of the game.
While any close loss is a missed opportunity for a team like the Wolves with lofty goals, this game will not come with a ton of baggage for the Wolves. Not having Edwards available made getting a win tough against a solid and potentially desperate Houston team, which had just gotten shellacked by the Oklahoma City Thunder a night ago.
Itâs also easy to wonder how the game may have gone differently if Edwards had been able to suit up. Not having him available made it tough offensively for the Wolves against Houstonâs ninth-rated defense.
Some losses make it feel like the sky is falling. Other losses, like tonight, you can shrug your shoulders and just try to get the next one.
Up Next
The Timberwolves donât get much time to rest, as they have less than 20 hours to prepare for their next game, a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at 7:00 PM CT. It is a quick turnaround between games, as you will see in the NBA, making it a real test as Minnesota takes on the team with the second-best record in the West. Fans can watch tomorrowâs game on FanDuel Sports Network.
Durant, who is in his first season with Houston, powered the Rockets with a season-high scoring effort.
He finished the first half of play with 18 points after making 7-of-11 shots from the field and helped the Rockets close the gap only trailing Minnesota by two points after a 3-pointer with just a second remaining in the second quarter.
For the game, Durant made six of his eight shots from long range.
Hereâs Durantâs full stat line from Friday night:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) â Domantas Sabonis scored 13 points in his return from a knee injury, Russell Westbrook had 26 and the Sacramento Kings beat the Washington Wizards 128-115 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.
Sabonis returned after missing 27 games because of a partially torn meniscus in his left knee. The three-time All-Star forward/center came off the bench, entering with 5:11 left in the first quarter.
Sabonis also had seven rebounds and five assists in a little over 21 minutes. He was 5 of 6 from field, with the miss coming from 3 -point range.
Dennis Schroder also was back for the Kings after serving a three-game suspension for confronting Lakers star Luka Doncic after a game in Los Angeles. Schroder had 15 points and five assists.
Westbrook was 9 of 14 from the field, hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers, and had six assists. DeMar DeRozan scored 17 points, and Precious Achiuwa and Zach LaVine each had 16.
The Kings have won the first three games of a seven-game homestand to improve to 12-30. They opened the run against Houston, then beat the Lakers and New York.
Alex Sarr led Washington with 19 points, and Tre Johnson had 18. The Wizards dropped to 10-30 with their fifth straight loss.
Washington newcomer Trae Young â acquired from Atlanta in a deal that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Hawks â is sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries. He will be re-evaluated in mid-February.
Sacramento led 67-61 at the half after scoring 41 points in the first quarter and giving up 39 in the second. The Kings had a 34-23 edge in the third.
Jaylon Tysonâs career-high 39 points led Cleveland to the win. Tyson couldnât miss as he went 13-17 from the field. He was the only Cavalier to score over 20 points.
Tyson connected on 7-9 from threes. He is now hitting 45.8% of his threes on 4.1 attempts per game. This is up from shooting 34.5% from distance last season.
Tyson finished the game with a 97.1 effective field goal percentage and a 99.3 true shooting percentage. That seems pretty good, yeah?
All 13 of Tysonâs field-goal makes were assisted. Tysonâs ability to play within the offense has stood out this season. Heâs done an excellent job of moving off the ball and attacking whenever he gets an opening to do so. Tyson did that brilliantly on Friday. Everything was within the flow of the offense, he wasnât forcing anything, and he continually made the right offensive play, as evidenced by his game-winning assist to Mobley.
Donovan Mitchellâs 13 points are his second-fewest in a game this season. He struggled to get into a scoring rhythm with the Sixersâ doubling him every chance they could. Mitchell finished the game shooting 4-13 from the field. This included going 0-4 on looks in the paint and not attempting a shot in the restricted area.
The Cavs are now 2-7 when Mitchell scores 21 or fewer points. The Cavaliers have typically gone as Mitchell has from a scoring perspective. Thatâs why theyâre 9-1 when he scores 35 or more. This game was a rare exception.
Mitchell chipped in a season-high 12 assists. However, this was accompanied by six turnovers, which is the second most heâs had this season.
Five of Donovan Mitchellâs 12 assists went to Tyson. The Sixers were blitzing Mitchell whenever they could, especially when they brought a screen his way. Mitchell used this to his advantage by getting Tyson involved. Tyson was able to make them pay as a scorer in the short roll and as a shooter out of these actions.
Cleveland turned it over 18 times. This was eight more giveaways than the Sixers. This led to the Sixers winning the points off turnovers battle 32-15.
The Cavs had three players with four or more turnovers: Mitchell (6), Evan Mobley (4), and Jaylon Tyson (4).
The Cavs are now 6-1 when they turn it over 18 or more times. This stat is a good reminder that correlation does not always equal causation.
Joel Embiid scored 16 of his 33 points off long midrange jumpers. Jarrett Allen did a great job of keeping Embiid out of the paint on Wednesday. Instead of trying to get back there, Embiid took the midrange shots that Allen was giving him, going 8-15 on long twos. Allen couldâve been stronger with contesting those jumpers, but youâd rather limit him to taking a shot he makes 47% of the time instead of one he makes 64% of the time.
The Cavs went 17-34 (50%) from three. This was the second time theyâve shot 50% or better from three in a game. Theyâre now 7-2 when they connect on more than 42% of their triples.
Clevelandâs 34 three-point attempts were their fifth-fewest in a game this season. Theyâre also 7-2 when they take 35 or fewer threes.
The Cavs held the Sixers to just 61.5% shooting at the rim (30th percentile). This wasnât a great defensive game from Cleveland, but being able to defend the rim this well is a good sign that their defense was probably a little better than it seemed. The number of easy baskets off turnovers made it difficult to judge the Cavs on that end.
Mobley had four blocks for the second straight game. The Cavs are 5-2 when he records four or more rejections in a game.
Craig Porter Jr. tied a career high with 11 assists. He performed well filling in for Darius Garland in the starting lineup, who missed the game with a toe injury on his other foot. Porter turned it over only once and wasnât part of the teamâs problems with holding onto the ball.
DeâAndre Hunter and Porter led the team in plus/minus (+12). The Cavs played some of their best basketball with Hunter on the court. He provided 16 points and four assists on 7-13 shooting. This was Hunterâs second strong outing in a row.
Six Cavaliers had double-digit points: Tyson (39), Hunter (16), Mobley (15), Mitchell (13), Tyrese Proctor (13), and Allen (10).
The Cavs closed the game on a 13-4 run. They played their best basketball in the clutch, which allowed them to rally back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit. With the win, the Cavs are 9-14 in clutch situations (games that are within five points in the final five minutes).
With all due respect to the paying customers of Scotiabank Arena, the NBAâs best players continue missing games in Toronto.
Kawhi Leonard joined the growing list of stars to not suit up against the Raptors, including Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, and Jaylen Brown.
Lucky for Los Angeles, they still have another All-Star who can both entertain and frustrate the oppositionâs fans, James Harden.
The Bearded One overcame a slow first half to lead the visiting Clippers to a thrilling overtime win over the short-handed Raptors. Harden finished with 31 points and 10 assists. He received help up and down the roster as three other starters and two bench players each scored in double figures. Ivica Zubac had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. In addition to being a pest all night on defense, Kris Dunn finished with 15 points and 4 steals. Jordan Miller led all reserves with 19 points and 6 assists, to go along with a game-high +20.
For most of the game, Toronto was led by Jamal Shead, who ended up with 15 points and a career-high 13 assists. Scottie Barnes took over in the overtime period, ultimately leading the Raptors with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Heading into this matchup, the Clippers had rebounded from a 6-21 start, winning 11 of its previous 13 games (now 12 of 14). In addition to Kawhiâs absence (knee), Los Angeles was also Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Derrick Jones Jr. (knee), Patrick Baldwin Jr. (hip), and Chris Paul (uuhhhh).
The injury report remained long for the Raptors as they were without Jakob Poeltl (back), RJ Barrett (ankle), Immanuel Quickley (back spasms), JaâKobe Walter (hip pointer), Jamison Battle (ankle), and Chucky Hepburn (knee).
With Kawhi out, LAâs offense was clearly going to be very Harden-heavy. Darko Rajakovic held no punches and started the game with Scottie Barnes guarding the . On one of the first possessions, Harden called for a screen from Ivica Zubac, who was being guarded by Collin Murray-Boyles. Suffice to say, the possession ended with the Clippers not scoring.
Scottie Barnes + Collin Murray-Boyles have the BEST 2-man duo Defensive Rating in the league the last 7 games.
Brandon Ingram has played well against the Clippers, mainly with his time on the Pelicans. On one sequence, he patiently waited for Harden to finish his dribble-shimmy-dance routine and blocked a stepback three attempt. Before Harden could complain for a foul call, Brandon was already sprinting out for an eventual fastbreak layup.
Halfway through the first quarter, Toronto had 10 fastbreak points, forced 3 turnovers, and had jumped out to an 18-4 lead.
With Quickley out for a second consecutive game, Jamal Shead took the proverbial bull by the horns. The Houston Cougar alum took advantage of the attention given to Ingram and Barnes to torch the Clippers with 10 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds in the first quarter alone!
Just like in Indiana, Toronto grabbed an early lead and didnât let up. The Raptors ended the first quarter with a 32-24 lead, holding Los Angeles to 43% shooting and 20% from three, including 0-5 from Harden.
While the first 12 minutes were highlighted by Torontoâs ability to get out in transition, the offense slowed down in the second quarter when Ingram and Barnes took turns resting. Instead the relied on its defense to stem the Clipper tide. At the center of that defense â as has been the growing case since Poeltlâs injury â was Murray-Boyles.
CMB and Barnes surprised Zubac with a well-timed double-team, causing Big Z into a traveling violation. Shortly after, CMB doubled the ballhandler, then somehow recovered in time to block the three-point attempt. On a nightly basis, Collin has at least one defensive highlight that makes your jaw drop. If nothing else happens, Murray-Boyles has injected a similar kind of excitement that Barnes once garnered.
Torontoâs offense went through a bit of a lull in the second quarter as Los Angeles slowly crept back into the game. By the time Rajakovic called a timeout with 3:52 remaining in the second quarter, the Clippers had whittled the deficit down to 46-43.
CMB doing it on both ends: â Accurate kickout to the corner for 3 â Emphatic block at the rim â Smart move to create room to score pic.twitter.com/tvZ2WmOYEK
Torontoâs on-ball defense on Harden was excellent throughout the first half. Whether it was Barnes, Murray-Boyles, or even Gradey Dick guarding him, Harden simply could not generate enough separation for a clean shot. Not long after airballing a three-pointer â his sixth straight miss from beyond the arc to start the game â Harden was finally able knock down a three.
Three was actually the magic number for the Clippers in the first half. Kobe Sanders, Cam Christie, Kris Dunn, Jordan Miller, Zubac, and Harden each scored three field goals apiece! While it took the rest of them between 3 to 5 attempts to get there, Harden needed 13 attempts.
Toronto carried a 61-52 lead into halftime.
Clippers came out of halftime scorching hot and focused, scoring 16 of the first 18 points of the third quarter and grabbing (and extending) its first lead of the game, 68-63.
After leading wire-to-wire against the Pacers, Toronto took it to heart after seeing themselves trailing. An Ingram triple was followed by a Mamu run! Sandro Mamukelashvili almost single-handedly snapped the Raptors out of its funk, scoring the next 7 Toronto points and pushing the Raps back into the lead, 73-72.
Cue Gradey Dickâs music! The reigning Raptors Chain recipient hit back-to-back threes to bring the crowd to their feet. Then, to top it off, dove for a loose ball and threw an outlet to fellow Jayhawk, Ochai Agbaji, for a breakaway opportunity. Agbaji was fouled, but drained the ensuring free throws to raise the lead to nine.
The Raptors ended up closing the quarter on an 8-1 run to enter the final quarter with an 89-78 lead.
Similar to the second and third quarters, Ty Lue and his group of ragtag Clippers clawed their way back into the game. A contested triple by Brook Lopez (remember him?) cut the lead to 89-87. After a Darko timeout, a layup by Christie completed an 11-0 run by Los Angeles to tie the game.
Both teams got contributions up and down the roster. After CMB scored an and-1 layup to put the Raptors up 109-101 lead with 3:35 remaining, 13 different players were in double-figures â yet not a single player had reached 20 points.
From there, it was the James Harden show. After being kept in check for most of the game, Harden scored the gameâs next 8 points while the Clippers defense kept Toronto from scoring. Both teams were unable to score in each of their last two possessions, including a potential game-winning, buzzer-beater, which Harden missed.
In the extra session, Harden grifted his way to charity stripe on consecutive possessions, giving the Clippers a 4-point edge. Both foul calls were touchy at best, but when youâre a veteran like Harden, you know how to work the referees.
Do the math on the previous 3 paragraphs and the tally reads: Harden â 12; Raptors â 0, spanning five minutes of game play between the fourth quarter and overtime. Barnes took the early deficit in overtime as a sign to take over. All in all, Scottie and James went back and forth throughout the extra period, scoring 8 points each. Ultimately, the Raptors couldnât get a single point to end regulation and put the game away, or find ways to stop Harden in overtime to regain momentum.
The Clippers may have won because of Hardenâs heroics, but he wouldnât have had that opportunity if it wasnât for the help of his teammates. Cam Christie chipped in with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting off the bench. Kobe Sanders amassed 13 points and 3 steals, stepping into the starting lineup for the ailing Leonard.
For the Raptors, Gradey Dick had a second consecutive positive game, finishing with 15 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. Ingram (19 points), Mamukelashvili (13 points), Murray-Boyles (11 points), and Ochai Agbaji (15 points) also scored in double-figures. Sheadâs 8 first-half assists tied a season-high for any half this season.
Toronto heads out for a five-game road trip, starting in Los Angeles (the Lakers, this time) on Sunday. With the trade deadline less than 3 weeks away and the Raptors seemingly in every single rumour, the teamâs resolve will be tested as they cling to the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Tyson, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, set a new career high for a single game, topping the 31 points he scored in a double-overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on April 13, 2025. But the 23-year-old only needed four quarters Friday night to establish a new personal best.
Tyson tallied 12 points in the first quarter and seven more in the second to give him 19 points at halftime. He came out of the break with 12 points in the third and closed the game with eight in the fourth quarter. In all he made 13 of 17 shots, including 7-for-9 on 3-pointers, and made all six of his free throws.
And, while he didnât hit the game winner, he did have the game-winning assist â his fourth of the night â on Evan Mobleyâs dunk with 4.8 seconds remaining. Tyson also added five rebounds as the Cavaliers (24-19) rallied from seven points down after three quarters, outscoring the Sixers (22-18) by 11 points in the final frame.
JAYLON TYSON FINDS EVAN MOBLEY FOR THE GAME-WINNER đš
It marked the second consecutive win for Cleveland in Philadelphia this week. The Cavaliers routed the 76ers 133-107 on Wednesday, Jan. 14; Tyson scored 12 in that contest.
Tyson has started 23 of 38 games this season as the Cavaliers have dealt with multiple injuries, including to point guard Darius Garland, who was injured in Wednesday's game. But Tysonâs big night against a conference rival could indicate that he is ready to assume an even bigger role as Cleveland makes a push to take a run at the top teams in the East.
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings: Tyrese Maxey â 17 VJ Edgecombe â 5 Paul George â 5 Joel Embiid â 3 Andre Drummond â 2 Dominick Barlow â 1 Adem Bona â 1 Justin Edwards â 1 Quentin Grimes â 1 Jared McCain â 1 Kelly Oubre Jr. â 1 Trendon Watford â 1 15th roster spot â 1
The Sixers dropped their second game in a row to the Cavaliers on Friday, blowing an 11-point fourth quarter lead.
It was a second consecutive difficult night for the starting backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, combining for only 32 points. Clevelandâs second-year wing Jaylon Tyson put up a career-high 39 points, missing only four shots on 17 attempts.
This caused the Sixers to play through Embiid for most of the game offensively, which had some consequential side-effects in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliersâ relentless rim pressure in the final frame displayed Embiidâs physical shortcomings, and surged them back into the game with the chance to win the game in the final seconds.
Lonzo Ball inbounded the ball with eight seconds remaining, gave it to the on-fire Tyson who drove baseline and dropped off a beautiful wrap-around pass to Evan Mobley for an easy layup. With no timeouts remaining and just a few seconds remaining, the Sixers were forced into a last-second heave from Maxey, which missed wide right.
JAYLON TYSON FINDS EVAN MOBLEY FOR THE GAME-WINNER đš
Embiid was the sole source of offense for the Sixers on Friday, as the Cavs continued to enforce strong defense against the Sixers guards. He got into a groove early on after making his first couple shots, and began mixing up his offensive attack.
His free-throw line jumper and appears to be in pristine condition as he continues to find his touch in the midrange. He had a couple possessions taking Mobley on with power dribbles, getting to his fade and the rim with ease.
Big fella with the corner three and he's got a game-high 28. Sixers up 73-64. pic.twitter.com/Fleir3sSkL
He was persistently drawing fouls no matter if it was Mobley or Jarrett Allen on him, slowing the game down to fit his style of play. He came out strong offensively in the second half, accounting for most of the teams points in the third. It would begin to trickle off in the fourth, as more was being asked of him on the defensive end. He had an insane chase down block on Hunter, but other than that, was largely getting picked on late with consistent rim attacks.
Adem Bona: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks
There are two moments to highlight from Bonaâs performance. The first came in the second quarter where in a span of 30 seconds, Bona threw down a cutting dunk, defended Mobley on the perimeter, blocked Tysonâs layup, and blocked a Tyrese Proctor layup on the next possession.
What a sequence from Adem Bona!
A big-time slam followed by TWO incredible blocks đ„đ«đ«
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) â Third-seeded Mirra Andreeva trailed 3-0 but came back to win nine games in a row and 12 of the last 13 to beat Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-1 in the Adelaide International final on Saturday.
The match featured the only players aged under 20 inside the top 20 on the WTA Tour. Andreeva is 18 and Mboko 19.
The Canadian took a 3-0 lead in the first set before Andreeva evened the match, winning 13 consecutive points and dominating the rest of the set and match.
Trailing 3-0 in the second set, Mboko took a medical timeout when her blood pressure and pulse was taken. She returned to win her first game of the second set but Andreeva closed out the match three games later.
It was Andreeva's fourth WTA title.
âIâve been practicing a lot,â Andreeva said. Iâve been working, sweating . . . "
Mboko has rapidly established herself near the top of the rankings and has two career titles: the WTA 1000 Canadian Open at Montreal last year and the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open.
She will rise to a career-high No. 16 ahead of her Australian Open debut on Monday, where sheâll face another teen in Australiaâs Emerson Jones.
âSorry I couldnât be 100%, but I want to give a huge congrats to Mirra for playing incredible tennis today and her team, of course, too," Mboko said.
Andreeva will also open her Australian Open campaign on Monday, facing Donna Vekic. Andreeva has reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park the past two years.
In the later menâs final at Adelaide, Tomas Machac beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) â Third-seeded Jakub Mensik served 18 aces Saturday on his way to a 6-3, 7-6 (7) win over Sebastien Baez in the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Auckland.
The 20-year-old from the Czech Republic, ranked 18th, saved three set points in the second-set tiebreak to claim his second ATP Tour title.
He now heads to the Australian Open in which he will play Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta in the first round. Baez, who beat top-seeded American Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals in Auckland, will play Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round in Melbourne,
Mensik breezed through the first set in 31 minutes with 11 aces and served for the second set at 6-5. But Baez broke him for the first time in the match and led 6-3 in the tiebreak before Mensik won three straight points.
Mensik gained his second match point with his 18th ace, then took the final point off Baez's serve to seal the match.
âI would say it has been a great start of the year,â Mensik said. âObviously, I'm super happy after the preparation and pre-season. Seb is a great fighter. It's difficult to hit a winner against him."
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) â Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis returned Friday night against Washington after missing 27 games because of a partially torn meniscus in his left knee.
The three-time All-Star forward/center came off the bench, entering with 5:11 left in the first quarter in the Kings' 128-115 victory.
Sabonis scored 13 points and had seven rebounds and five assists in a little over 21 minutes. He was 5 of 6 from field, with the miss coming from 3-point range.
Dennis Schroder also was back for the Kings after serving a three-game suspension for confronting Lakers star Luka Doncic after a game in Los Angeles. Schroder had 15 points and five assists.
The Kings have won the first three games of a seven-game homestand to improve to 12-30. They opened the run against Houston, then beat the Lakers and New York.
It was neither perfect nor pretty, but it was enough to snap the longest losing skid in the NBA.
Barely.
The Nets threw away a 20-point fourth-quarter cushion and needed a last-ditch score by Michael Porter Jr. to pull out a 112-109 escape against Chicago before a sellout crowd of 17,548 at Barclays Center.
Michael Porter looks to keep the ball away from Jalen Smith during the second quarter of the Netsâ 112-109 win over the Bulls on Jan. 16, 2025 at Barclays Center. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Porter had a game-high 26 points, including a go-ahead layup with 5.4 seconds left.
Then the Nets needed a late steal by rookie Drake Powell to turn Porterâs bucket into the winner, having turned what should have been a laugher into a nail-biter.
âThe lesson is that thereâs no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back,â coach Jordi FernĂĄndez said. âGive them credit. But at the end of the day, responding is important because when things go against you and then the other team takes the lead, it may seem like a big mountain in front of you. And the guys kept composure, scored when we needed to. Mike with a big bucket and then the stop.â
The Nets (12-27) came in having dropped a league-worst five straight and eight of nine.
They had been swept on a three-game road swing against teams that were a combined 39-70.
But after building a 92-72 cushion in the fourth quarter after rookie Nolan Traore (game-high seven assists) found Cam Thomas for a 3-pointer, and a 108-102 edge with a minute left, they had allowed seven unanswered points and coughed up the lead.
A bad Porter pass led to a Jalen Smith 3-pointer, and a bad Traore pass gave Isaac Okoro a breakaway dunk.
When Powell getting blocked by Nikola Vucevic (19 points, six assists, six rebounds), led to Tre Jonesâ go-ahead layup with 11.4 seconds left, the Netsâ lead was gone.
Noah Clowney drives past Matas Buzelis during the first quarter of the Netsâ win over the Bulls. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
That was until Porter took it back. It was only the second time he had ever hit a go-ahead bucket with under 10 seconds left, after a 14-foot jumper for Denver with six seconds to play in a 122-120 win over Dallas on Nov. 10, 2024.
âI just need him to catch the ball. After that, he knows what heâs doing,â FernĂĄndez said. âHe caught it close to the elbow. It was easy enough for him to use his size and finish. Very proud of him for how he executed. He was responsible. He played like the player that he is. We would have not won this game without Michael.â
Added Porter: âIt was a play to give me that side on the pin down and give me the ball and try to make a play. I felt like I let the team down a little bit last game and, honestly, tonight with a late turnover. So I was pretty determined to try to get a good look off. This is how a losing team becomes a winning team.â
With shots like Porterâs. And plays like Powellâs.
With starting point guard Josh Giddey out injured, the Bulls were going to inbound but called a timeout.
The Netsâ defense forced another timeout on an inbound attempt when the Bulls changed their intended play.
Powell stole Jonesâ bad pass, and after a Chicago foul, Noah Clowney (23 points, 11 rebounds) sealed it at the free throw line.
âIâm just glad we finished out. It was good, but it shouldnât have been that close, especially with the lead we had going into half, even the third quarter,â Clowney said.
âWhen shots stopped falling, we stopped getting what we wanted. We stopped getting back, and they were capitalizing every time. Just get back, play defense, regardless of shots falling or not.â
With the Nets having struggled on the glass, Nic Claxton had seven points, 14 rebounds and five assists while DayâRon Sharpe added 14 points and six boards.
The Nets are now 1 œ games behind fourth-place Sacramento in the lottery standings. They travel to Chicago on Sunday.
âWe had to just stick with it,â Claxton said. âReally, we shouldnât have been that close down the stretch. We got to be better, but at the end of the day, we got the win, thatâs what matters.â
The Lakers (24-15) will travel to Portland this weekend, where they will take on the Blazers (20-22). This is the third and final meeting between the two teams.
Just when the Lakers put together one of their best performances of the season in a win against the Atlanta Hawks, they followed it up with an ugly loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Their defense was once again exposed, reminding everyone how inconsistent this team has been all season.
With exactly 39 games in the books, itâs now fair to conclude that LAâs defense is bad. Los Angeles has way too many one-way players who are unequipped on the defensive side of the ball.
While likely only a trade can significantly upgrade the Lakersâ defense, which now ranks 26th in the NBA, no such deal will happen in time for this upcoming matchup against the Blazers.
So, the question is, who will step up and bring the physicality and energy on defense? Can Marcus Smart do it? Will Jake LaRavia have a big game? Or will everything fall on LeBron James with Luka DonÄiÄ out and other key Lakers listed as questionable?
Entering this contest, the Blazers have won seven of their last 10 games.
Theyâve defeated the Houston Rockets twice in the last two weeks, as well as the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. Theyâre also very unpredictable to gauge because a few of their players, like Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, are listed as either doubtful or questionable on their injury report.
Hopefully, the Lakers team that shows up on Saturday is the one that plays very well on the road (13-7). The one that plays like theyâre tired of their inconsistent ways and the one thatâs aggressive and controls the pace from start to finish.
Theyâve done it in the past, so thereâs no excuse for them not to do so on Saturday.
Notes and Updates
The Lakers are now 5-8 in their last 13 games, their worst stretch of the season so far.
The Blazers rank 29th in the league in 3-point shooting, so donât expect them to convert lots of shots from beyond the arc unless theyâre having an outlier type of night, which is possible given the Lakersâ perimeter defense.
As for the injury report, the Lakers list Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) as questionable.
Luka DonÄiÄ (left groin soreness), Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are out.
The Blazers have Deni Avdija (lower back strain) listed as doubtful. Scoot Henderson (left hamstring tear), Damian Lillard (Achilles recovery), Kris Murray (lumbar strain), Matisse Thybulle (right knee tendinopathy) and Blake Wesley (right foot fracture) are out.
Jerami Grant (Achilles injury) and Jrue Holiday (right calf injury) are questionable.
The Brooklyn Nets returned home to face the Chicago Bulls on Friday night after completing a miraculous 3-game road trip. Miraculously, the Nets lost all games to teams with a combined 39-70 record. Perhaps itâs a sign that this yearâs attempt at tanking is blessed by the basketball gods, but thatâs no consolation to Head Coach Jordi FernĂĄndez.
âI donât think I really move on [from tough losses],â said Jordi with half a smile pregame. âItâs what I tell the players, but me personally, itâs a different story.â
The trip began with the Nets blowing a late eight-point lead to the Memphis Grizzlies as the hosts closed on a 13-0 run; it ended with Saddiq Bey hitting a 30-foot prayer and the New Orleans Pelicans winning a contest they only led for five minutes. But while those losses featured late-game heartbreak, their loss to the Dallas Mavericks may have been the most improbable. Dallas, the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, shot 44% from deep compared to just 24% for the Nets. It still came down to clutch time.
The Chicago Bulls have survived Josh Giddeyâs absence, a respectable 4-4 since their leader injured his hamstring, but they would need similar luck to hand Brooklyn their sixth straight loss. Early on, they didnât get it. Six different Brooklyn Nets hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter, then Danny Wolf opened up the second quarter by going glass at the end of the shot-clockâŠ
Danny Wolf uses the glass to connect from deep and beat the shot clock đ
It seemed like it was just one of those nights. For both teams. Ten Nets played, ten Nets scored, and the team as a whole shot 19-of-40 from deep. Conversely, the Bulls committed just eight turnovers and shot 58.8% inside the arc, playing a respectable offensive game without Giddey ⊠aside from the fact that they couldnât throw a seashell in the ocean, shooting 5-of-23 from deep through three quarters.
As such, the Nets were in cruise control, beginning with a dominant second quarter. Wolfâs bank shot certainly helped, but he had a solid night overall. After entering the night shooting under 38% from the floor in the new year, Wolf put up 13/4/4 on 5-of-8 shooting. Crucially, he didnât turn it over onceâŠ
.@Daniel_Wolf6 did just about everything in the final 2:41 of the third:
3-pointer then Steal then Assist then Block then Rebound then Layup then Rebound then Rebound then Layup pic.twitter.com/xjsoffP1Ec
The rookies in the starting lineup, Egor DĂ«min and Drake Powell, werenât as impactful, combining for eight points on 2-of-11 shooting. However, Nolan Traore picked up the slack off the bench, hitting a couple 3-pointers and dishing six assistsâŠ
As a reward, Nolan closed the game over DĂ«min, and somehow, the pressure was on. What had been a comfortable game for two hours turned sweaty in the fourth quarter as the Bulls finally woke up from three, with four makes from Jalen Smith. That uneasy feeling swept through Barclays Center with the Nets looking down the barrel of another excruciating loss, missing layup after layup and turning it over anytime Chicago needed a boostâŠ
FernĂĄndezâs nightmare quickly turned reality; suddenly, the Nets were inbounding, trailing by one. He didnât draw up anything too complex â a simple pin down for Michael Porter Jr. â but the Bulls were confused nonetheless. Coby White switched onto the much taller MPJ, who curled the screen, bounced off Whiteâs hip downhill, and finished a layup with 5.4 seconds left.
Did Jordi draw it up exactly like that, down to the last detail? Not exactly: âNo, I just need him to catch the ball after that. He knows what heâs doing.â
Michael Porter Jr., likely All-Star, was a worthy hero as any. Noah Clowney got off the schneid, hitting four threes to notch a 23-and-11 double-double while Nic Claxton put up 7/14/5, his season-high in rebounds. Still, it was MPJ who led all scorers with 26, scoring 12 of Brooklynâs 23 fourth-quarter points.
But the Nets did need one final stop, and it was here the Drake Powell erased any concern about his quiet offensive night. Tre Jones attempted to enter it to Nikola VuÄeviÄ, who led them in scoring with 19, at the top of the key. It appeared the visitors were setting up a handoff with White, simply trying to put their two most dynamic threats in an action together, but they never got thereâŠ
Powell pogoâd, reached out, deflected the pass, and secured the loose ball. Clowney then made his free-throws, while Vooch missed a desperation heave as the buzzer sounded. To Drake, it seemed simple: âJust trying to have active hands, high activity on the ball, and just do my best to make a tough entry pass. That was the main thing.â
The Nets did juuuust enough, buoyed by a couple heroic plays from a vet and a rookie. The Nets mercifully won a close game, and Jordi FernĂĄndez could exhale: âThe lesson is that thereâs no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back and obviously, give them credit ⊠but itâs way better to learn that winning than losing, right?â
Michael Porter Jr.âs game-winning layup with 5.4 seconds remaining tonight was his second career go-ahead field goal with under ten seconds remaining.
This was Clowneyâs 10th career game with 20 points and his sixth of the season, his 11 rebounds were also a career-high. This was his second career double-double.
The win didnât move the Nets up in the Tankathon rankings. They remain in fifth but now two games behind Washington and Utah who are tied for third and fourth. So not big deal.
Next Up
<p>Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images</p><br>
This was the first half of a home-and-home, so next up for the Brooklyn Nets is the Chicago Bulls over at their place. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday evening.
