Victoria is “working through” discussions with star seamer Fergus O’Neill after a report he is entertaining a bombshell move to NSW.
Maccelli scores 2 as Maple Leafs beat Oilers 5-2, head into Olympic break with 3 straight wins
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Matias Maccelli scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Matthew Knies added a goal and an assist for Toronto (27-21-9). John Tavares scored his 20th of the season and Bobby McMann added an empty-netter.
Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced for the Maple Leafs, including a diving stop on Leon Draisaitl that prevent the Edmonton from getting back into the game in the final minutes of the third period.
Jake Walman and Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Oilers (28-20-9), who have lost two straight. Connor Ingram made 22 saves.
Toronto was coming off a 4-2 victory over the Flames in Calgary on Monday, and heads into the Olympic break with a three-game winning streak.
Kapanen tied the score at 2 early in the third period, but a pair of penalties proved to be Edmonton’s undoing. Rookie winger Matthew Savoie was sent off for interference, and Mattias Janmark joined him seconds later on a high-sticking infraction. Maccelli scored just under a minute into Toronto’s 5-on-3 advantage and Tavares swiped a shot in from the side of the net on the power play to give Toronto a 3-2 lead at the 7:42 mark of the third period.
Toronto went 2 for 2 on the power play, while Edmonton failed to score on its only man-advantage chance of the game.
Up nextMaple Leafs: Off for the Olympic break and at Tampa Bay on Feb. 25.
Oilers: At Calgary on Wednesday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Sam Lewis, Thijs De Ridder lead No. 18 Virginia to 67-47 win over Pitt
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Sam Lewis scored 15 points, Thijs De Ridder had 10 points and 12 rebounds and No. 18 Virginia beat Pittsburgh 67-47 on Tuesday night while scoring its fewest points this season.
De Ridder, the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, had his third double-double of the season. Chance Mallory scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting for the Cavaliers (19-3, 8-2 ACC), and Malik Thomas had 10 points.
Virginia has won three straight and eight of nine, with its only loss in that stretch coming to now-No. 14 North Carolina.
The Cavaliers' previous scoring low was 70 points in a win over Stanford on Jan. 10. A low-scoring, defense-first squad under Tony Bennett, Virginia came in averaging 84 points per game this season under first-year coach Ryan Odom.
Cameron Corhen and Nojus Indrusaitis scored 11 points apiece for the Panthers (9-14, 2-8), who have lost eight of 10.
Pitt took an early 7-3 lead in the opening minutes before the Cavaliers went on a 12-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish. Both teams struggled with turnovers, with the Panthers committing 17 to the Cavaliers’ 10. But Virginia capitalized with 23 points off turnovers to just nine by Pitt.
The Panthers' most recent victory over a ranked opponent came at Virginia, a 74-63 win on Feb. 13, 2024.
Up nextPitt: Hosts SMU on Saturday.
Virginia: Hosts Syracuse on Saturday.
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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Winners, Losers from Jaren Jackson Jr. trade to Utah
The Memphis Grizzlies realized that the Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. era had run its course — well short of the hopes and dreams they had for it just a few years ago — and it was time to start over. The Utah Jazz had reached the point in their rebuild that it was time to stop being patient and do something bold.
The result was the most unexpected deal of the NBA trade deadline: Former Defensive Player of the Year Jackson going to the Jazz in an eight-player trade.
So who are the winners here? Let's break it down, but first let's look at the details of the trade:
Memphis receives: Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton Jr., Georges Niang three first-round picks (best of Jazz 2027 picks, Lakers 2027 pick, Suns 2031 pick).
Utah receives: Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale, Vince Williams Jr.
Winner: Utah Jazz
NBC Sports' own Grant Liffman summed it up perfectly: He liked this "aggressive trade" and wished more teams would take chances like this.
The reality is, Utah was not going to get a player as good as Jackson in free agency, so they used their cap space and picks to go get one. Utah, at the urging of owner Ryan Smith, also knew this season needed to be the end of their bottoming out as they rebuilt. The fans were getting restless. The owner was getting restless. Yet the fans and the organization still carry a scar from how the NBA Draft Lottery treated them last year (when they had the worst record and still picked fifth). Danny and Austin Ainge decided not to trust their rebuild to luck anymore, they took a big swing.
I say they connected.
Utah now has an interesting — not finished, not polished, but loaded with potential — core going forward. They can pair Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen along the front line, a long, athletic duo who can score inside and out. They plan to re-sign Walker Kessler this summer and slot him in at the five to cover the rebounding and toughness deficiencies of Jackson and Markkanen, according to Tony Jones of the Athletic.
Utah also has Keyshawn George playing at an All-Star level at a guard spot and last year's No. 5 pick Ace Bailey on the wing, who has started to find his footing in the NBA of late.
However, there are caveats to loving this trade for the Jazz.
First, they have to continue tanking this season — they need another shot at the lottery in a deep draft to supplement what they already have.
The other is that Jaren Jackson Jr. gets healthy and consistently plays back at his peak, closer to his Defensive Player of the Year level. Utah is locked in to JJJ for at least three more seasons at an average of more than $50 million a season — in today's NBA, you can't miss on max contracts and contend.
Winner: Memphis Grizzlies
I get it, not every Grizzlies fan likes this trade — this is a total teardown when fans can look at the roster and think all they needed were tweaks. It's fair to be frustrated that the promise of this roster from 2021 and 2022 — which is not that long ago — has disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The reality is that Ja Morant did not continue on his upward trajectory and — as much as he is beloved in the city and by the fan base — he is not the guy who got his feet in the paint every time he drove, which was the engine of this offense. It would be a shock if Morant is still a member of the Grizzlies next season.
This rebuild really started when Memphis got four Orlando first-round picks for Desmond Bane. Combine that with the haul from this trade and their own picks, and the Grizzlies have a dozen first-round picks in the next seven years. It's a solid foundation for a rebuild.
Memphis needs to nail those picks. They need to better develop young players. They need to get a little lucky. But it was time for a reset, and this is the right long-term move for the franchise.
Losers: Adam Silver, anyone who hates tanking
The story of the end of this NBA season will be tanking.
This trade and these two teams embody it.
Memphis entered today as the No. 11 seed in the West, 3.5 games out of the play-in, ground it could make up if it got healthy and pushed for it. Instead, the Grizzlies surveyed the situation, looked at a deep draft, and went the other direction — they traded not just their best player on both ends right now, but also other role players who were playing hard.
Utah has been in tank mode for a while, even if the Ainges tell you how much they hate to tank and won't lose just to lose. The Jazz owe their first-round pick to the Thunder, but it is top-eight protected, and Utah wants to keep that pick, so we're not seeing a lot of Lauri Markkanen right now. We're not going to see a lot of Jackson either is my bet. The Jazz entered today with the sixth-worst record in the league and a 96% chance of retaining their pick. Jackson can help them win games now, so the real question is how much we will see of him through the end of the season.
Don't blame these teams, the NBA set up the rules, the Jazz and Grizzlies are just playing the game when the name of the game is "acquire the most talent you can."
Winners: Ja Morant trade suitors
This is really simple: Memphis is going to trade him, maybe before the deadline or maybe this summer, but they are going to trade him — and the price just went down.
Teams interested in Morant were doing so with some caution, this was more taking a chance you can get him healthy and back closer to his All-Star form than trading for a star, but at a lower price this becomes a better deal for someone.
Purple Row After Dark: How would you rank the Rockies’ offseason talent acquisitions?
Tonight, I’d be curious about your thoughts on a ranking published by Bleacher Report over the weekend. Joel Reuter asked this question: “Which MLB team has added the most talent this offseason?” (It kind of follows up some of the discussion we had today in the Rockpile comments.)
He then goes on to rank all 30 teams. (The Rockies come in 23rd.)
Watching a team truly rebuild is a bit disorienting since none of the familiar metrics apply. What constitutes a successful season for the Rockies won’t apply to most MLB teams.
So with that in mind, I’d like to pose Reuter’s question to the Purple Row Night Owls: How would you rank the Rockies’ offseason talent acquisition given that they are in the midst of a rebuild?
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
Guentzel's goal in the final seconds of OT gives the Lightning a 4-3 win over the Sabres
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jake Guentzel scored with 14 seconds remaining in overtime after teammate Darren Raddysh forced the extra session by scoring with 26 seconds left in regulation as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Guentzel took a long pass from Nikita Kucherov just outside the blue line of the Sabres' zone, skated in and beat Colten Ellis with a low shot to extend the Lightning's winning streak to four games.
Kucherov had a four-point game with a goal and three assists. Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored and Raddysh finished with a goal and an assist. Guentzel also assisted on Kucherov's goal in the first period. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves.
Mattias Samuelsson scored twice and Josh Doan added a goal for Buffalo, which was coming off a win over Florida on Monday night and has won six of its last eight games. Ellis made 31 saves.
The teams traded goals in the first period and, after a scoreless second, each scored twice in the third.
After goals by Samuelsson and Bjorkstrand early in the third, Doan appeared to give Buffalo the edge, scoring a power-play goal with just over five minutes remaining. But, Tampa Bay took advantage of an extra skater and struck in the final seconds as Raddysh scored with 26 seconds remaining to force the extra session.
The Atlantic Division-leading Lightning were coming off a 6-5 win over Boston in an NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. Tampa Bay rallied from a four-goal deficit and won that game in a shootout.
Tampa Bay was without centers Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) and Brayden Point (lower body) and winger Nick Paul (undisclosed). Lightning coach Jon Cooper said before the game that Cirelli and Paul would also miss Thursday’s game against Florida. Cirelli was replaced on Canada’s Olympic roster.
Buffalo was without Zach Benson (upper body), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) and Jordan Greenway (abdomen). Luukkonen’s injury will keep him off Finland’s roster for the upcoming Milan Cortina Games.
Up nextSabres: Host Pittsburgh on Thursday.
Lightning: Host Florida on Thursday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Cubs BCB After Dark: Who is the dark horse in the NL Central?
It’s Tuesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs friends abroad. Come on in and relax for a while. Get out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. There are still a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night, I asked you if you’d be open to trading Matt Shaw to the Red Sox for a top 100 pitching prospect. When you add up the three “Yes” answers, 52 percent of you would make that deal with 32 percent of you willing to accept either Connelly Early or Payton Tolle in return. Another 48 percent of you would refuse to deal Shaw for such a package. So it was a close vote.
I don’t normally do movies on Tuesdays, but you still have time to vote in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes. But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Tonight I’m featuring South African saxophonist Sisonke Xonti’s tribute to a city that I worked in for four years, “Minneapolis.” (I lived across the river in St. Paul.) This is from 2020.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.
Fangraphs is up with their first standings and playoff predictions and to no one’s surprise, they have the Cubs winning the National League Central with 86 wins.
But the Cubs have only a 44 percent chance of winning the division. As you might expect, the Brewers are given the second-best chance at 24 percent. After all they’re the three-time defending division champs and they’ve won the division four of the past five seasons. The Brew Crew certainly seem to have taken a step backwards with the trades of Freddy Peralta and Isaac Collins, but the Brewers have made trades like that before and not lost a step. So it makes sense that the Brewers would be given the second-best chances of winning the division.
We’d assume that the Reds would have the third-best chance. After all, the Reds finished in third last season and made the Wild Card round. They’ve just signed third baseman Eugenio Suárez, and that’s going to be worth a win or two against the Cubs alone, I would guess. The Reds have four excellent young starters in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer and Andrew Abbott. And while they weren’t able to sign Elly De La Cruz to an extension, he still plays for the Reds in 2026.
But according to the Steamer projections, the Reds are not the team threatening to come up from the outside. Instead, they give the Pirates to finish with 82 wins and a 20 percent chance to win the division. The Reds, on the other hand, are projected for 76 wins and only a nine percent chance at the division crown.
The Cardinals are going into a rebuilding phase and are predicted for just 75 wins. I think that’s generous. I think it was also calculated before the Brendan Donovan trade.
So are the Pirates a team to worry about? Of course, they have the chance to beat you everytime Paul Skenes takes the mound. But that was true last year as well. The Pirates only won 71 games with Skenes in 2025 and he went 10-10. Maybe we don’t put much stock in W-L records for pitchers anymore, but that does indicate that Pittsburgh doesn’t win every time Skenes takes the mound.
So why is the projection so bullish on the Pirates that they have them increasing their win total by 11 and being a legitimate threat to win the division? For one, the Pirates have attempted to improve their anemic offense, which was worst in the majors by run scored, by bringing in three new starters to the lineup. Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia was acquired in a trade with the Red Sox. Second baseman Brandon Lowe came over from the Rays in a three-way deal. And the Pirates added first baseman Ryan O’Hearn in a free agent deal.
On top of that, the Pirates have two really, really good prospects who may be ready to play this year. Right-handed starter Bubba Chandler has already made his major league debut and he was quite solid over four starts. The ZiPS projection system has Chandler being an above-average starter this year.
Then there’s shortstop Konnor Griffin, who is the number-one prospect in all of baseball. Some are calling him the best prospect since Mike Trout. Keith Law of The Athletic was calling him “Willie Mays except he plays shortstop.” I think Law was being a bit hyperbolic there, but the point is that Griffin could be a superstar as early as this year. He’s only played 21 games at the Double-A level so he’ll probably start the season in the minors, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Griffin is playing in the majors by May.
Is that enough to make up a 12 game difference from last year over the Reds? I’m not sure. As good as he’s likely to be, Griffin isn’t a 12-win player. Garcia, Lowe and O’Hearn are certainly upgrades on what the Pirates ran out there last year, but none of those three players are what I’d call a star. Garcia is a rookie who played just five games last year. Lowe and O’Hearn had a bWAR last year of 1.9 and 2.4 respectively. Solid everyday starters, but not stars.
So between the Reds and the Pirates, which team is the “dark horse” to watch out for in the NL Central?
Thanks for stopping by tonight. We always enjoy it when you stop by. Please get home safely. Stay warm. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.
Penguins/Islanders Recap: NYI makes comeback, wins in OT
Pregame
The Penguins happily welcome the return of Bryan Rust from his suspension and get Stuart Skinner in net.
First period
Good start for the Penguins, they get an early power play after Scott Mayfield hooks Egor Chinakhov. Smart penalty to take being as Chinakhov was in a similar position to his goal last night, catching a centering feed from Tommy Novak this time and about ready to fire before getting impeded. The Islanders kill the penalty, though Sidney Crosby almost has a highlight reel goal skating by Matthew Schaefer and getting a nice shot away.
Game goes back and forth for a little, the big guys come through. Justin Brazeau dishes to Anthony Mantha who uses his reach to manipulate just how he can lift the puck to the far-side of Ilya Sorokin. 1-0 Pittsburgh.
The period turns sour for the Penguins as the Islanders score two goals in the final 1:19.
The first goal is mostly bad luck compounding, Skinner leaves a rebound off his glove, then Ryan Shea can’t clear the puck out of danger. The opposite happens with it ricocheting off bodies and right back to Bo Horvat. Horvat reaches to it before Shea can recover. 1-1.
As the period nears its end, a delayed penalty call is coming up on Pittsburgh. It never gets called, a long stretch of puck control tires the Pens out and Schaefer is there to hammer one from deep. 2-1 NYI.
Not a good last minute or so for the visitors to see their lead turn into a 2-1 deficit after 20.
Second period
The Pens find a goal to tie the game. Slick setup from Tommy Novak coming from behind the net. Who else but Egor Chinakhov is there to somehow get just far enough away from the reach of Ryan Pulock and still stay in a prime scoring position. Then again, with his release speed and shot velo, almost everywhere in a prime scoring position. 2-2.
Rust gets back on the scoreboard in his first game back from suspension, sneaking a bad angle shot off Sorokin and in. Fittingly the sequence starts with Rust out-working Schaefer to keep a puck alive in the zone, a few seconds later it comes back around behind the net and Rust puts some mustard on a Crosby-esque bank shot that leaks through. 3-2.
Chinakhov and Novak nearly combine for another highlight-reel goal but toss around one too many passes (gahh). Chinakhov does draw his second power play of the game, again for getting impeded as he slipped behind the defense and cut into the net. The power play doesn’t score and the second period wraps up.
Great response period for the Pens, who outshoot NYI 12-5 in the second period and outscore them 2-1 to regain the lead.
Third period
More good work in the early going, it takes until the 13:59 to go mark before NYI gets their first shot of the period, an outside shot that Skinner easily corrals. By then the Pens had four shots, including Malkin nearly scoring from just in front of the net.
Which makes it more frustrating when the Islanders find a tying goal with 11:23 to go. Crosby and Ilya Solovyov bump into each other in front of Skinner with no Islanders around them. Mat Barzal shoots from long range, there’s no one in the lanes to block it. Not sure if that puck deflected off Rakell or Solovyov there, it hits the back of the net. 3-3 game.
The crowd comes to life with something to cheer about and the Pens quiet them with a big answer. Brett Kulak does well to win a puck off the wall and quickly fire it to the net. Justin Brazeau makes a brilliant deflection back across where Sorokin thinks it’s going. 4-3 game, Pittsburgh back in front with 9:20 to go.
Crosby gets the gate for a tripping call and the NYI power play gets a crack at it, they’re unable to generate a shot.
Crosby gets high-sticked, no penalty since it was Karlsson’s stick. The Islanders get back to work, Barzal’s pass clicks off Malkin and right to Pulock. Pulock measures up and beats Skinner cleanly. 4-4 game, 4:36 to go.
The Pens get a close call for a goal, which would have been controversial on Ben Kindel’s part by sticking his leg into Sorokin as Brazeau followed up on a chance.
Pittsburgh takes their timeout, the plans they draw up don’t work out.
Frantic third period leads to extra time.
Overtime
Crosby-Rust-Karlsson start things out, Crosby wins the draw and the Pens get the all-important possession though only for the first 20 seconds. The Pens get it back but Kulak mis-hits the puck and Horvat goes the other way on a breakaway. He makes no mistakes beating Skinner and ending the game.
Some thoughts
- It seemed like the Islanders were either lazy/fatigued in their gap control or perhaps surprised by how fast the Penguins looked when they allowed them to slip behind them and then play catch up on rushes up the wall. These teams haven’t seen each other since the early days of the season. These Pens with players like Chinakhov, Novak and even the deceptively fast Mantha aren’t really the Pittsburgh teams of the past few years. Not that these Penguins are excessively fast across the board but it probably caught their opponent off guard that this team isn’t quite as familiar as they might have remembered.
- Speaking of growth and changes from the beginning of the season, how amazing is that Schaefer huh? Hard to believe the last time he played the Penguins it was his first night in the NHL. He’s had plenty of highlight moments since then, just seeing how comfortable and much more in control he is out there from where he was in Game 1 in October to now is really remarkable. Schaefer’s already one of the best and most dynamic players out there, scary to think what he’s going to look like in another 1-2-3 years as he gains even more experience.
- There’s an old trope that when the second line wingers get too productive they soon find themselves playing on Crosby’s line. That turned out to finally benefit Evgeni Malkin now that *he* has become the productive second line winger. The Pens tried a Chinakhov-Crosby-Malkin line for an o-zone draw. They got too cute with the passing and then someone took a penalty (negated by the Schaefer goal). Humble beginnings, maybe it’ll work out next time.
- Sorokin’s been arguably the best goalie in the league by far this season, which might make it all the more surprising he just looked average tonight. Everyone has their off days (see also, the Penguins last night), how she goes sometimes. Probably aren’t too many times when he’s just straight up getting beat (Mantha, Chinakhov shots) or giving up a weak, leaky goal from no angle that he definitely would want back (Rust). It wasn’t like it was bad luck on bounces or instances where traffic was making his life difficult, just maybe a “C” type of game for what’s been an A goalie.
- Then again, Skinner had a few he would want back too. That fourth goal, by Pulock, is one that has to be a save. The earlier goal in the third period was a team breakdown, it was also the type of stop Skinner was making when he was in a groove a few weeks ago. Now, not so much. Olympic break suddenly is coming at a good time for him.
- Chinakhov has scored a goal in five of his last seven games. Sometimes you see a guy pop a high shooting percentage or maybe string a couple of two-goal games together or hit an empty net or two and can see the inevitable fall coming a mile away. In this case it looks like Chinakhov is still getting started, he’s just scratching the surface of what he could lie ahead. If he (and, to be fair, his linemates) didn’t over-pass the puck so much, there would be even more. They’re generating so many potential looks and his shot is so good that it’s going to find success as long as they keep it going.
- The Bob Grove stat of the night is a good one: Pittsburgh recorded their 15,000th regular season goal tonight as a franchise. Only the Original 6 teams have more.
- Getting one point on the road is something, based on the first 40 minutes it was a night where the Pens were the better team for the majority of the night, so not getting that second point hurts in that regard.
This has been a crazy stretch of games (five in eight nights) and it’s nearly over. One more to go on Thursday night in Buffalo and then the NHL takes an Olympic pause.
Cavs are reportedly looking to make an additional trade
The Cleveland Cavaliers have made two trades in the last week. The most recent being the seismic move that sent James Harden to Cleveland and Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers. From the looks of things, the Cavs could be looking to make more moves.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Cavaliers are still looking to move backup point guard Lonzo Ball.
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Trading Ball would only help decrease the salary for this season. His non-guaranteed contract for next season could be waived in the summer at no cost. Moving him would only be necessary if you’re trying to duck under the second apron this season. And even at that, trading Ball alone wouldn’t get them under. They would be roughly $3.8 million above the second apron.
Additionally, the Cavs only have two movable second-round picks that they could move to get off of Ball’s salary. They sent one out to Los Angeles in the Harden trade. They may have a difficult time finding a suitor for Ball with their remaining second-rounders.
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It’d be unwise to rule out the possibility that the Cavs have another larger deal that they’re trying to work through. If so, moving Ball would be necessary to facilitate something like that. As reported earlier today by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Cavs have made calls to the Milwaukee Bucks about Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Dallas Mavericks about Anthony Davis.
Trading Ball makes sense regardless of what else the team has planned for the rest of the season. The Cavs have until the Feb. 5 deadline to find a trade partner for Ball.
Lakers blow out Nets to close road trip on high
The Lakers closed their road trip in style, dominating the Nets from start to finish on Tuesday en route to a 125-109 win.
The Lakers scored 45 points in the first quarter, 69 in the first half and built up a 39-point lead before the break. Predictably, the second half was little more than conditioning for the two sides with Brooklyn making the score look much more respectable.
The game began with four of LA’s starters scoring early. Egor Dëmin drained a 3-pointer for the Nets. Brooklyn called a timeout after Deandre Ayton scored on a layup, putting the Lakers up by three. Out of the break, Michael Porter Jr. was fouled from behind the arc and converted on two of his freebies.
Los Angeles missed their first shot of the quarter at the 7:02 mark after starting the game going 7-7 from the field. Jake LaRavia was having a strong first period with six points.
LA extended their scoring run to 18-4 for an 11-point lead. As usual, Luka Dončić was the first Lakers in double figures with 10 points.
Day’Ron Sharpe scored a quick four points off the bench for Brooklyn. Jaxson Hayes had a million dunks, resulting in a quick nine points for Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves returned to action and was in his usual form, drawing a foul and converting on his free throws. At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by 22.
The second period began with LeBron converting on a layup. Reaves then connected with LeBron for an insane alley-oop that had everyone buzzing.
The Lakers were in complete control of the game as the Nets looked awful. LeBron threw down yet another dunk, dazzling the large group of Laker fans who filled Barclays Center.
LA’s only fault was free throws as they were shooting 61% from the charity stripe.
Reaves was now up to nine points as LA built a 38-point lead. Los Angeles started to play a little sloppy and allowed Brooklyn to score seven in a row as the half was winding down. Still, the Lakers were up by 29 at halftime.
The third period started with LeBron scoring on a layup, forcing a timeout by the Nets. Out of the break, Brooklyn turned the ball over and it led to yet another dunk on the other end by LeBron. Reaves knocked down his first 3-pointer after five attempts.
Brooklyn started making more of their shots, knocking down four triples and shooting 58% from the field. Luka converted on four shots for nine points in the quarter. Brooklyn outscored LA 34 to 31 in the third.
Going into the fourth period, the Lakers were up by 26.
The fourth quarter happened.
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes. LeBron scored 25 points with three rebounds, seven assists and three steals. In Reaves’ return, he ended with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes.
Hayes had nine points with two assists. LaRavia pitched in with 18 points and five rebounds. Ayton notched seven points and eight rebounds.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday at 7:00 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
Carolina 4 Ottawa 3: Senators' Brutal Line Change In Dying Minutes Proves Costly
The Senators' four game winning streak is over.
Jordan Staal's breakaway goal with under five minutes to play gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory, squandering the Sens comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The effect of playing back to back games probably played a role as Staal took advantage of a brutal Sens line change for a free pass to the Ottawa net.
Seth Jarvis scored twice while Sebastian Aho had three points. Jake Sanderson and Dylan Cozens each had two points.
The Senators started fast in this one, with Stephen Halliday scoring the fourth goal of his season and career less than three minutes into the first. Jordan Spence took a shot from the left point that Halliday tipped past Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi to give Ottawa a 1–0 lead.
That lead held until under three minutes remaining in the opening period, when Aho tied the game. Carolina won the draw back to the point, and James Reimer stopped both the initial shot and the rebound, but Aho knocked in a bouncing puck to make it 1–1.
It certainly looked like a play that could have been challenged for goalie interference. Jarvis clearly made contact with Reimer (see banner photo) before he reached back to try and grab the puck as it trickled toward the goal line.
Jarvis wasn't done making life miserable for Reimer, scoring twice in a span of just over three minutes in the second period.
The first came immediately after a rare “playing with a broken stick” call on Halliday. The Senators’ penalty kill has been solid lately, but Jarvis was left completely unaccounted for, walking in and picking his spot over Reimer’s left shoulder to make it 2–1 Carolina.
Jarvis struck again shortly after, beating Jake Sanderson wide, cutting to the net, and backhanding it past Reimer for a 3–1 Hurricanes lead.
Ottawa responded late in the period. With just over three minutes left, William Carrier was called for interference on Claude Giroux. On the ensuing power play, Tim Stützle blasted a one-timer from the top of the circle to cut the deficit to 3–2 after 40 minutes.
The Sens power play went to work again early in the third when Sanderson blasted a point shot home, with Stutzle serving as a perfect screen. That tied the game at 3 before the Sens got their foot-shooting guns out.
With just over five minutes to play, with the puck innocently tied up on the boards at centre ice, the Sens made a wholesale line change. The far side D always has to be conservative on a full line change, but Jordan Spence went off with everyone else.
The puck squirted out to Nikolaj Ehlers who quickly hit Staal and there was no Senator right defenseman there to oppose him. He walked in for an easy breakaway and ripped one home, high glove side on Reimer to give the Canes the lead. That stood up as the winner.
The Sens outshot the Canes 25-18 and did a good job of limiting Carolina's chances, but Reimer allowed four goals on those 18 shots.
The Senators will be back at it on Thursday at Philadelphia, their final game before the Olympic break.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
The Downbeat: Utah trades for Jaren Jackson Jr, a history
They did it. The Utah Jazz front office pooled its expansive war chest of assets and took aim at a game-changing, contribute-today type of player. From my home in Japan, I woke up to a vibrating hailstorm of NBA alerts, which made my 7:00 alarm entirely obsolete. Much better to be awoken by good news than just another typical day of work, eh?
Jaren Jackson Jr, a versatile and acclaimed 6-foot-10 forward, had spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Memphis. Snagged with the fourth overall pick out of Michigan State back in 2018, JJJ is the second pillar of the Grizzlies’ core to fall, following Desmond Bane, who was jettisoned to Orlando in the offseason.
By dealing Jackson, the Grizzlies have enacted a rebuilding policy upon themselves, discarding the original game plan to start anew. No bear tracks in the freshly laid powder snow.
The bear is in Utah. He is called the Jazz Bear. And his arrival indicates a change in pace for the slow-building Utah Jazz, who marked the path for self-destruction and new beginnings back in 2022, when they sent their once-championship-contending core of Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and company across the National Basketball Association (but mostly to Minnesota, eventually) in the hopes of sprouting new hope from the rubble.
That torch is now carried by the Grizzlies. From this exchange, Memphis adds experimental pieces of Utah’s young core ripe for in-house development, and some draft picks for good measure. Utah, exporting some of their filler youngsters in favor of more experienced and proven imports, has shifted up a gear by adding Jackson. His arrival carries a promise that the Jazz have little intention of losing in the future.
This trade includes eight players and three draft picks, and I’ll break down each piece of the deal right here, right now.
To Utah, From Memphis:
Jaren Jackson Jr | 6’10” 242 lbs | Forward/Center
Here’s the big one. The king of the pond. The great fish from which fishing tales are orated. Jaren Jackson Jr is the headliner of the trade, and for good reason. The 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time All-Star, two-time block champion, and three-time All-Defense team member, Jackson is a defensive stalwart who just as naturally spaces the floor on the offensive end, shooting 35% from distance in his career.
Pairing alongside Walker Kessler (assuming Utah doesn’t fumble in restricted free agency), Jackson and Kessler would be the best rim-protecting frontcourt in basketball by a galaxy’s length, ranking second and third for opponent field goal percentage within the restricted area over the past five seasons, both at 52.3%. That’s just ahead of Rudy Gobert, 52.4%.
…the Utah Jazz have recreated Gobert in the aggregate, and tacked on some offensive firepower in the process.
Speaking of Gobert, time is finally unveiling what came of his blockbuster trade back in 2022, as the assets gathered in that exchange have now actualized into Walker Kessler, Keyonte George, and Jaren Jackson Jr. It’s Billy Beane’s dream — the Utah Jazz have recreated Gobert in the aggregate, and tacked on some offensive firepower in the process.
For the Jazz, who might be the worst defense in the entire NBA, adding a legitimate all-world level defender with actual offensive ability is a major net positive. All that, plus the fact that Jackson is just 26 years old, should have the atmosphere buzzing in SLC (but try not to think too long about his $50 million price tag in a few seasons).
John Konchar | 6’5” 210 lbs | Guard
The pride of Purdue University Fort Wayne, John Konchar quickly became a fan-favorite in Memphis after being snagged in undrafted free agency in 2019. And how could anyone not love Konchar? His number 46 jersey, his hustle-first, think later mindset, and positional versatility are all reasons why Memphis fell in love with Konchar, though his production and involvement in the Grizzlies’ lineup have taken a bit of a dip in recent years.
With the Jazz, Konchar’s role will likely be similar to that in Memphis: the glue-guy, energizer off the bench who lives to light a fire on the floor and under the feet of his teammates.
Vince Williams Jr. | 6’4” 205 lbs | Guard
Williams was taken out of VCU in the second round back in 2022 as a versatile, switchable defender who can space the floor on offense and hit the occasional three-pointer. In practice, he’s a bit more of a defensive specialist. Horribly inefficient in his fourth NBA season with 35% field goal shooting and 30% from distance, what Williams lacks in reliable shooting, he adds in defensive know-how. For a team like Utah, which has been without competent perimeter defense for far too long (not you, Cody, you’re doing great), Vince Williams’ role is set before him.
Jock Landale | 6’11” 255 lbs | Center
Landale is another product of the Randy Bennett Aussie pipeline out of Saint Mary’s College. He’s a lifetime bench big who saw his career take an upward turn after joining the Memphis Grizzlies. This season, Landale’s averages have doubled in nearly every category since his inclusion in the starting lineup (courtesy of Zach Edey’s crumbling body).
Landale began his professional career as an artist, playing in the paint. With a wide array of hookshots and old-man-style footwork in the paint, he carved out a niche in the NBA. But in recent years, he’s made a Brook Lopez-esque improvement as a three-point shooter, knocking through 38% of his attempts beyond the arc, of which he’s shot nearly three per game this season. Challenging the 40% threshold is a remarkable improvement, considering the first three years of his career were much closer to 25%. He also shows promise as an offensive rebounder, nearly matching his count of rebounds on the defensive end. Still, that means he collects just six boards per night.
The Utah Jazz are stuffed to capacity at the center position, unfortunately, so the 30-going-on-31 Landale will have to fight for minutes among established giants like Kessler, Nurkic, and now Jaren Jackson Jr.
To Memphis, From Utah:
Three First-Round Draft Picks
These are what the Grizzlies were really after. Dumping your core of three former All-Stars (unless they can’t part with Morant) is a questionable decision without a plan for the future, and Memphis collected some promising future draft picks from a team looking for ways to lighten their load. From Utah’s collection of draft picks, the Grizzlies come away with optimism for the future.
These are the draft picks heading to Memphis:
2027 first-round pick via Utah or Minnesota or Cleveland (most favorable)
2027 first-round pick via Los Angeles Lakers (top-four protected)
2031 first-round pick via Phoenix
The Jazz gave away the most favorable of their many draft picks next year, so it’s official: there is no reason to tank in ‘26-’27. The Utah Jazz have returned to the straight and narrow way of ethical basketball. The social media tanking police can finally stand at ease; Utah is trying to win basketball games again.
This trade is a trailhead for two exciting transitions.
Utah is far from pushing all its chips into the center for this one, however, much like they did the last time they ushered an Earth-shaking trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, giving up a large portion of their future for Mike Conley Jr. back in 2019. They still hold at least one first-round pick in every draft from 2026, with fingers crossed that this year’s pick falls below the eighth pick, keeping it out of Oklahoma City’s white-gloved grip.
Utah obtained the Lakers’ 2027 first-rounder before divine intervention delivered Luka Doncic on a silver platter in Tinseltown. It was with zero tears that this pick was dealt.
It’s with similar dissociation that the Jazz parted with Phoenix’s 2031 first-rounder they worked so hard for last season. Prior to Phoenix’s resurgence this season, Matt Ishbia’s reign seemed self-destructive, with the core of Beal, Booker, and Durant imploding with very little to show for it. But credit to the Suns, they dug themselves out of that hole and managed to acquire Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green from Houston for a 37-year-old Kevin Durant. Phoenix no longer appears destined to scrape the bottom of the standings, and Utah sees more value in JJJ today than they project in a first-round pick five years from now.
This trade is a trailhead for two exciting transitions. For Memphis, a clean slate and all the patience in the world to obtain a franchise cornerstone through the draft. For Utah, the pendulum swings toward competitive basketball. Finally, the Jazz will be gunning for a playoff position again, and a saving light has appeared above the heinous concourses of basketball hell.
Walter Clayton Jr | 6’4” 195 lbs | Guard
Of all the players given up in this deal, Utah will miss Clayton the most. A player they traded up to grab in this year’s draft, the former national champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player entered Utah in hopes of developing quickly and fighting for minutes at point guard.
He has yet to break through as an NBA player, though, buried beneath the supernova of Keyonte George and the steady playmaking of Isaiah Collier. Clayton flashed passing upside in his first 45 games as a pro, but his trademark three-pointer has struggled to catch up, coming in at just 30.8%.
The book is not closed on Clayton as a pro, of course, and with a more straightforward backcourt in Memphis, Walt could see more consistent burn and find his rhythm with the Grizzlies.
Taylor Hendricks | 6’9” 215 lbs | Forward
The Taylor Hendricks experience did not go according to plan in Utah.
Selected ninth overall in 2022, Hendricks was the first draft pick of the Jazz reconstruction. Injuries and inconsistent play plagued Hendricks since entering the NBA, unfortunately, and he never really found his place with the Jazz.
It’s never fair to judge a player’s career when injuries occupy so many chapters, and Taylor Hendricks was a victim of horrific luck in his first two and a half seasons of pro basketball. His broken leg suffered as a sophomore sidelined Hendricks until 2025, and he never quite found his place in Will Hardy’s lineups. The letters DNP have been stamped on Hendricks’ box score a discouraging number of times this season, especially recently. He’s appeared in just 33 games this season.
Given time and patience, Hendricks could develop into a serviceable rotation-level player in the NBA. That potential never materialized with the Jazz.
Kyle Anderson | 6’8” 230 lbs | Forward
Slo Mo is an NBA journeyman who, hilariously enough, enjoyed the best years of his career with Memphis back in ‘18-‘24. Anderson joined the Jazz through a trade with Miami that posted the forward in a veteran role, and he played the part very well for the youth movement in Utah, however briefly.
Anderson, now 32 (going on 50), will likely fill a similar role in Memphis that he did in Utah. He does a bit of everything — scoring, passing, rebounding, defending — despite potentially being the slowest professional athlete on the face of the Earth.
Georges Niang | 6’6” 230 lbs | Forward
Few things have been more disappointing this season than the fact that we never got to witness Georges Niang back in a Utah Jazz jersey after all these years. I wrote a tear-jerking reunion story (historical fiction) before the season about Niang’s return to the Salt Lake Valley, and it brings me great despair that Niang never set foot on the floor.
After being drafted to Indiana in 2016, Niang spent the first five seasons of his career in the Beehive State before bouncing from Philadelphia to Cleveland to Atlanta and back to Utah before, of course, now being dealt to Memphis. Now 32 years old, Niang lands with the Grizzlies as a three-point specialist, who will be ready to plug-and-play in the near future, as his most recent injury update posted Niang as week-to-week.
Player Retained in Utah
Perhaps the most important wrinkle for Utah’s end of the trade is the players they were able to retain while adding Jackson. Truth be told, though the Jazz were hopeful that Clayton and Hendricks would pan out, Utah gave away very little from a personnel standpoint.
The Jazz still have Keyonte George in a breakout season, Ace Bailey, who is seen by many as a foundational piece in Utah’s future, former All-Star Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler, currently out with injury and pending restricted free agency.
But the Jazz didn’t even have to part ways with their most promising youngsters outside the starting lineup, either. Cody Williams, who is finally showing signs of life in his sophomore season, will remain in Utah. As will Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, all of whom are gradually developing into rotational players in Will Hardy’s depth chart.
2026 marks the end of the line for Utah’s tank, and that is worth celebrating.
Jackson’s addition to the starting lineup makes Utah’s roster one of the most fascinating in the league. A starting five of Keyonte George (6’4”), Ace Bailey (6’9”), Lauri Markkanen (7’1”), Jaren Jackson Jr (6’10”), and Walker Kessler (7’2”) is gargantuan and could be formidable with a few years to mesh.
2026 marks the end of the line for Utah’s tank, and that is worth celebrating. In this deal, the Jazz lost three first-round picks, while maintaining a spot in every single first round moving forward. They gave away two non-foundational youth who still have a long journey of growth before they’re ready to contribute at a high level. Utah will not suffer from the loss of Anderson, and couldn’t possibly miss a player who never even suited up to play.
Whether this version of the Jazz will be competitive in the coming years is yet to be determined, but few can deny that this is a franchise finally moving in the right direction.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
Texas beats South Carolina behind Swain's 22 points, 10 rebounds
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Dailyn Swain scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Texas pulled ahead midway through the second half to beat South Carolina 84-75 on Tuesday night.
Tramon Mark added 18 points for Texas (14-9, 5-5 Southeastern Conference). Camden Heide and Matas Vokietaitis chipped in with 12 points apiece. Texas finished 29-of-36 shooting from the line (81%), with Swain hitting all nine of his free-throw attempts. Heide made three of the Longhorns' seven 3-pointers.
Heide made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Longhorns the lead for good, 56-50, with 10:37 to play. The Gamecocks later used a 5-0 spurt to cut the deficit to 70-68 with 3:23 to go. Swain answered with a jumper and dunk.
Mark sank a jumper from the free-throw line with 38.2 seconds left for an 80-71 lead.
Meechie Johnson scored a career-best 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting to lead South Carolina. He also made 10 of 14 free throws. Elijah Strong added 12 points for the Gamecocks (11-12, 2-8), who have four straight and seven of eight.
South Carolina opened on a 16-7 run and didn't trail until Texas closed the first half on 7-3 surge for a 35-31 lead at the break. Vokietaitis scored eight points and Swain added seven. Johnson scored 15 first-half points for the Gamecocks.
Up nextSouth Carolina: Hosts Missouri on Saturday.
Texas: At home against Mississippi on Saturday.
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Knicks 132, Wizards 101: “Good stuff, no drama stress free team win.”
One day coach Brian Keefe will bring a football to practice and the Wizards will discover they’ve been playing the wrong sport all along. Until then, Washington (13-36) will continue to play their unique brand of NBA hoops. Tonight, they hosted the Knicks (32*-18), and there was so much orange and blue in the crowd that this was essentially a home game for New York. The third-quarter MVP chant for Jalen Brunson shook the shingles on Capital One Arena, and when the Knicks finished with a 132-101 win—their seventh straight—more than half of those in attendance left satisfied.
New York had the game in their grip from the tip, ripping off seven straight points before Washington noticed the game was underway. Josh Hart should be called Elmer because the dude is all glue. He rebounded, pushed the pace, and created clean looks for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and himself. In a game cut short by injury, Josh recorded just four points, but his seven boards, seven dimes, and endless energy powered him to a +34.
Meanwhile, Brunson sputtered from deep (21 points, 7-16 FG, 1-6 3PT) but delivered on the other end, like when he stepped in front of Sarr to draw a league-leading 14th charge. The Wiz, meanwhile, shot 11-of-31 from deep tonight and mostly survived on midrange jumpers and whatever they could scrounge up in the paint. That old pro Middleton was the only reliable ‘Zard, finishing with 12 points. Bub Carrington scored a very low-calorie 14.
Bridges set the tone on both ends. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-10 from the field, 3-of-4 from deep and two blocks—one at the rim on Coulibaly, another chasing down Carrington on the perimeter. Add Anunoby’s three three-pointers and a 7-of-13 team mark from deep, and the first quarter closed with New York up 38–22.
Second frame, the results were the same. With Tyler Kolek handling point guard duties, the Knicks continued to methodically make their shots and apply defensive screws. Towns was the anchor, scoring at the rim, stepping out for a three, cleaning the glass, and even jumping a passing lane for a steal. He would finish the game with a league-leading 33rd double-double, scoring 19 points, 15 boards, three assists, and two steals in 26 minutes. Not a bad night of work for the All-Star who got piggy-back rides from Sarr all night.
Midway through the second quarter, the floodgates opened. In a 95-second stretch, the Knicks scored 14 unanswered points to go ahead by 29. Washington was doomed. Middleton tried his best, and Sarr showed occasional flashes, but undercut them with turnovers and fouls. But Washington was doomed.
By the break, New York was ahead 72-45, with their biggest halftime lead of the season. They had outshot the home team from the field, 55% to 39%, and from deep, 50% to 33%. New York had assists on 16 of their 24 made field goals, won the boards (27-20), and blocked five shots. In the first half, Towns led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Middleton had seven points for the hosts.
The Knicks brought the same dominance to Q3. OG (19 points, 6-of-11 FG) and Mikal scored on cuts and floaters while Brunson mixed drives, free throws, and a pull-up three to keep the lead in the 20s. Washington found a smattering of offense from Carrington and Middleton, but they could never gain ground. Nor did they have an answer for KAT, who scored at will in the paint, scrubbed the boards, and cleaned up at the free-throw line. The lead reached 32. Even when the Knicks fell into a shooting lull, Washington couldn’t get their act together. The only bummer of the period was when Josh Hart left the game, limping to the locker room. Otherwise, the sailing was smooth. Knicks up 102-71 going into the fourth.
Washington continued to take their lumps in the final frame. The lead ballooned to 41, so Coach Brown fielded a bench crew of Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Dillon Jones, Trey Jemison, and Ariel Hukporti. Kolek had a rough shooting night (3 points, 1-0f-7 FG), but logged six assists and two turnovers in his 21 minutes. The rest of the bench contributed meaningfully, too. Huk protected the rim plus scored 12 points, nine boards, and a three-pointer (!); Mohamed Diawara scored five points and facilitated two dimes in four minutes before an ankle injury cut short a promising performance; and Landry Shamet chipped in 14 points, making 4-of-6 from range.
Up Next
Quoth Jaybugkit, “Good stuff, no drama stress free team win.” Now our heroes zip back to NYC for a tilt with the Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets tomorrow. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
* Should be one more, but the NBA Cup Final doesn’t count.
Recap: Wizards lose to Knicks, 132-101 on Tuesday night
Oh boy. This was not a good game at all. The Washington Wizards lost to the New York Knicks, 132-101 on Tuesday night at Capital One Arena.
Washington never led in this game and were behind by as many as 41 points at one point in the fourth quarter. That tells you all you need to know about how this game went.
Mikal Bridges scored 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the game. For Washington, Will Riley led with 17 points. The biggest statistical disparity here was that the Knicks dished a total of 34 assist while the Wizards only nasty 19 assists themselves. Even if the Wizards evened up the assist margin, they probablty would have still lost, but it wouldn’t have been so lopsided.
I’m just not in a good mood right now, so less is more with this recap.
The Wizards’ next game is on Thursday when they head on the road to play the Detroit Pistons. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.