Category: NBA

The Dallas Mavericks will look to snap a three-game home skid when the Boston Celtics visit American Airlines Center tonight.

Jaylen Brown has consistently been cleaning the glass, and my Celtics vs Mavericks predictions expect another productive performance as a rebounder.

Here are my best free NBA picks for this cross-conference tilt on Tuesday, February 3.

Celtics vs Mavericks prediction

Celtics vs Mavericks best bet: Jaylen Brown Over 7.5 rebounds (-105)

Jaylen Brown’s 6.9 rebounds per game tie a career-high mark, and he’s the Boston Celtics' second-leading rebounder. His work on the glass has been even more prolific over the last two weeks.

Boston’s superstar has pulled down 9.6 boards across his last seven games, reaching 8+ six times in that span, including three straight on the road.

The Dallas Mavericks have allowed the fourth-most rebounds per game this season at 46.9 and the second-most offensive rebounds at 12.4. Leading rebounder Anthony Davis (11.1) remains out, and second-leading rebounder P.J. Washington (7.3) will be sidelined tonight.

An already-favorable matchup gets a boost with Washington out, and I expect Brown to crash the glass with authority.

Celtics vs Mavericks same-game parlay

The Mavs have lost three straight at home, but have covered the spread in seven of 10, and are 12-5 ATS as the home underdog. The Celtics are 9-7 ATS as the road favorite, but Boston has failed to cover in two straight road games.

The Mavs are 5-5 to the Under across their last 10, and the Celtics are 2-8 in that span. Dallas is 13-15 to the Under at home, and Boston is 10-15 on the road. Boston has hit the Under in five straight, and Dallas has done so in three of its last four.

Celtics vs Mavericks SGP

• Jaylen Brown Over 7.5 rebounds
• Mavericks +7.5
• Under 222

Our "from downtown" SGP: Plant Your Flagg

Cooper Flagg is averaging just below 20 points per game, scoring 22+ in 17 of 45 appearances. He's on a major heater, however, having scored 34 and a historic 49 across his last two games. Since December 23, he's averaged 21.8 points and hit the Over on this scoring line in seven of 16 outings.

Celtics vs Mavericks SGP

• Jaylen Brown Over 7.5 rebounds
• Mavericks +7.5
• Under 222
• Cooper Flagg Over 21.5 points

Celtics vs Mavericks odds

• Spread: Celtics -7 (-110) | Mavericks +7 (-110)
• Moneyline: Celtics -270 | Mavericks +220
• Over/Under: Over 222 (-110) | Under 222 (-110)

Celtics vs Mavericks betting trend to know

The Dallas Mavericks have covered the 2H Spread in 32 of their last 50 games (+11.43 Units / 20% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Mavericks.

How to watch Celtics vs Mavericks

Celtics vs Mavericks latest injuries

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

NEW YORK (AP) — Speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca have been chosen as the U.S. flagbearers for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.

Jackson, 33, is the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Games. Del Duca, a 34-year-old Army sergeant, is the first bobsledder in 70 years to carry the flag into an opening ceremony.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced the names on Tuesday. It's the third Olympics for Jackson, the second for Del Duca.

“Being chosen to represent the United States on the world stage is a tremendous honor,” Jackson said. “It’s a moment that reflects far more than one individual — it represents my family, my teammates, my hometown, and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport. The Olympics remind us of the power of sport to connect and inspire, and I’m proud to carry that forward on the Olympic stage.”

Del Duca, with deep Italian roots, finds the opportunity especially meaningful as the games are in Italy. The opening ceremony will be unique, with events spread across several Italian cities.

U.S. bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor was picked to carry the American flag into the opening ceremony at the 2022 Beijing Olympics but tested positive for COVID-19 — forcing the postponement of her flag-carrying chance until the closing ceremony of those Winter Games. She was replaced at the Beijing opening by speedskater Brittany Bowe, and this time, it’s Jackson’s turn to have that moment.

AIROLO, Switzerland (AP) — Australian freestyle skier Laura Peel hurt her knee in a training camp ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, raising doubts about her participation in a fourth Games.

The 36-year-old Peel is a two-time world champion and one of the favorites to win the women's aerials.

She sustained the injury in Switzerland on Monday, the Australian team said in a statement, and had a scan at a sports specialist clinic.

“She has returned to the training camp in Airolo, Switzerland where she’ll be treated by the team physio to determine next steps,” the team said Tuesday.

The women’s aerials qualification starts on Feb. 17.

Peel has never won an Olympic medal. She was one of the favorites in aerials in Beijing in 2022 but finished in fifth place, and was also at Pyeongchang in 2018 and Sochi in 2014.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

The Indiana Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten) close out their two-game West Coast road trip with a visit to Galen Center to take on the USC Trojans (16-6, 5-6) on Tuesday night.

The Trojans have struggled in conference play, but are coming off a 78-75 win over Rutgers on Saturday. While the Hoosiers outlasted the UCLA Bruins in a 98-97 double overtime thriller for a much-needed win to stay on the bubble for March Madness.

The two teams are just one game apart in the Big Ten standings; Indiana currently sits in ninth place while USC is just outside the top ten at 11th place.

Here is everything you need to know about how to watch Tuesday night's matchup between the Trojans and Hoosiers:

How to watch USC vs. Indiana: TV channel, live stream

The USC Trojans will host the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET) on Peacock. The game will be played at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.

• Start time: 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET)
• Location: Galen Center (Los Angeles, California)
• TV Channel: Not available
• Radio: ESPN 710LA, The Varsity Network
• Live Stream: Peacock

USC Trojans 2025-26 season stats leaders

Here are the USC statistical leaders through Feb. 2.

• Points: Rodney Rice, 20.3
• Rebounds: Jacob Cofie, 7.4
• Assists: Chad Baker-Mazara, 3.0
• Field Goal Percentage: Gabe Dynes, 83.7%
• Blocks: Jacob Cofie, 1.7
• Steals: Kam Woods, 1.7

Indiana Hoosiers 2025-26 season stats leaders

Here are the Indiana Hoosiers statistical leaders through Feb. 2.

• Points: Lamar Wilkerson, 19.6
• Rebounds: Tucker DeVries, 5.5
• Assists: Conor Enright, 4.4
• Field Goal Percentage: Sam Alexis, 65.2%
• Blocks: Sam Alexis, 1.1
• Steals: Tayton Conerway, 1.4

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USC Trojans host Indiana Hoosiers preview, how to watch, tv, stream

The Houston Rockets played Monday night’s game without Kevin Durant. Add in the already missing Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, and you have practically half of your rotation in street clothes. While Durant sat with an ankle sprain, it allowed NBA All-Star snub Alperen Sengun to state his case, as he went off for 39 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Rockets to a 118-114 road win over the Indiana Pacers.

Sengun also shot 13-for-25 from the field and helped the Rockets on a late 12-2 run in the fourth quarter that helped put the game away for Houston.

In addition, the Rockets also got 19 points and 4 rebounds from Jabari Smith Jr. He also added a steal and a block and shot 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Amen Thompson finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 6-for-15 shooting from the field, and Reed Sheppard, who drew the start with KD out and played 25 minutes, had 11 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block, but he only shot 1-for-7 from deep.

As for the Pacers, they were led by Pascal Siakam, who finished with 27 points, and Benedict Mathurin, who finished with 25 points.

The Rockets move to 31-17 with the victory and move to an over .500 record (14-13) on the road. They still sit in fourth-place in the NBA’s Western Conference, one game behind the third-place Denver Nuggets, and 1.5 games ahead of the fifth-place Minnesota Timberwolves. The second-place San Antonio Spurs are just 1.5 games in front of the Rockets.

The Rockets are currently on a 52-win pace, which would give them the exact same record that they had last year. And while that looks like a successful season on paper, I don’t think anyone was hoping trading for KD would just be a linear move. Injuries have really depleted this team, including Tari Eason missing a bunch of games as well, but the Rockets seem to have also lost some of their identity from last year, and I think that’s probably the biggest issue with this year’s team. Last year, they were young, fast, and high-effort defenders. What is Houston’s strength this season? They still have a high defensive rating and good offensive one as well, but their strengths seem a little more nebulous this year. Tell us in the comments what you think is the Rockets identity in 2025-2026.

The Rockets will be back in action on Wednesday versus the Boston Celtics.

Defending national champion Florida and runner-up Houston are climbing in USA TODAY Sports’ latest men’s basketball bracketology update.

After a sluggish start that included non-conference losses to Arizona, TCU, Duke and Connecticut, the Gators have moved to a No. 3 seed and within a half-game of first place in the SEC.

Florida has lost just twice in nearly two months and now has a combined 10 Quad 1 and 2 wins. On Sunday, the Gators shot 51.3% from the field and had a plus-16 turnover margin in a 100-77 win against Alabama.

Meanwhile, Houston steps up to the No. 2 line after rebounding from a road loss to Texas Tech with wins against TCU and Cincinnati.

After playing just four true away games to date, the Cougars are set to face a daunting Big 12 road slate down the stretch, including dates at Brigham Young, Iowa State and Kansas.

Notable fallers in the bracket include No. 3 seed Nebraska, which has recently lost high-profile conference games against Michigan and Illinois, and No. 6 seed Arkansas, which drops a line after losing at home to Kentucky.

March Madness bracketology projection for NCAA Tournament

March Madness Last four in

UCLA, New Mexico, Ohio State, Santa Clara.

March Madness First four out

Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Missouri.

NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (11), SEC (10), ACC (7) Big 12 (7), Big East (3), Mountain West (3), West Coast (3).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracketology: Houston, Florida top tournament projection

Though a team from outside of men’s college basketball’s five biggest conferences hasn’t won a national championship since UConn in 2014 — and even that feels like a bit of a technicality for a school that was one year removed from being in the Big East — several teams from those leagues have made their presence felt nationally this season.

As has been the case for much of this century, Gonzaga’s in the middle of the discussion in the sport, with a 22-1 record and a No. 5 ranking in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.  No. 20 Saint Louis has been equally impressive, with only a one-point loss to Stanford in late November separating coach Josh Schertz’s team from perfection. No. 24 Miami (Ohio) is one of only two undefeated teams remaining at the Division I level, along with No. 1 Arizona,

They’re hardly alone, either. In a sport that longs for Cinderellas, there are plenty of viable contenders outside the five largest conferences as the sport’s calendar turns to February.

REQUIRED READING: How Miami Ohio became college basketball's most unlikely undefeated team

How do these teams measure up?

Here’s a look at the latest power rankings of men’s basketball teams from outside the sport’s five majors leagues (the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and SEC):

College basketball mid-major power rankings

1. Gonzaga (22-1)

In the latest installment of one of the sport’s best rivalries, the Bulldogs knocked off visiting Saint Mary’s 73-65 on January 30 behind 30 points from Graham Ike. The two sides will meet again on February 28 in Moraga, California. With Gonzaga off to the Pac-12 next season, let’s hope it finds a way to match up against the Gaels sooner rather than later.

Graham Ike for Gonzaga Basketball is taking over this game pic.twitter.com/7s3ZlXfqqe

— The cfb lliason (@realfbllliason) February 1, 2026

2. Saint Louis (21-1)

The Billikens needed a 3-pointer from Robbie Avila with three seconds remaining to get past George Washington, but they looked much sharper in a 102-71 drubbing of Dayton three nights later. After the win, Schertz was at a campus bar serving and knocking back blue-colored shots with a bunch of patrons soaking in Saint Louis’ best season in at least a decade.

Josh Schertz’ Friday night:

1. Best Dayton

2. Rip shots at the bar

Legend. pic.twitter.com/mjY1DQxhzv

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 31, 2026

3. Miami-Ohio (22-0)

Coach Travis Steele’s team keeps on winning, with a narrow victory over UMass followed up by a 24-point rout of Northern Illinois. The win against the Huskies was played in front of 10,640 fans, the largest crowd ever at 57-year-old Millett Hall, the RedHawks’ home arena.

4. Utah State (18-3)

Since dropping back-to-back games to UNLV and Grand Canyon, the Aggies have won three in a row. The last of those victories came last Saturday against San Diego State, with forward Karson Templin coming off the bench for 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

5. Santa Clara (19-5)

The Broncos have won 10 of their past 11 after a 9-4 start to the season, a run punctuated last Saturday with a 104-73 victory at Loyola Marymount. Senior guard Brenton Knapper had 22 points and five steals in the victory.

6. Saint Mary’s (19-4)

Even in a heated rivalry, there’s no shame in losing on the road to Gonzaga, especially for a Gaels team that has the chance to stack up some wins over the next few weeks before wrapping up the regular season with home games against Gonzaga and Santa Clara.

REQUIRED READING: Mid-major basketball coaches who could be next in line for big-time jobs

7. New Mexico (18-4)

In a college basketball season dominated by superstar freshmen, the Lobos have a talented newcomer of their own. Freshman big man Tomislav Buljan has recorded a double-double in each of his team’s past five games, a stretch in which he’s averaging 15.6 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting 58.5% from the field.

8. San Diego State (15-6)

The Aztecs have dropped two of their past four games after starting the season 13-4. It should only be so much of a cause for concern. The losses both came on the road and were decided by a combined six points against two of the Mountain West’s best teams (Utah State and Grand Canyon).

9. George Mason (20-2)

Guard Kory Mincy has been on fire of late for the Patriots, averaging 20 points per game over his team’s past three contests. In those games, he has made 10 of his 21 3-point attempts (47.6%).

George Mason guard Kory Mincy (@KoryMincy3) had himself a strong game in a win over St Bonaventure finishing with 22 points on 9-15 FG. Has led the Patriots to a 20-2 season so far 👀 pic.twitter.com/r9oeWcIQNl

— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) February 1, 2026

10. Akron (18-4)

The Zips got within two wins of their fifth-straight 20-win season in style. In a 17-point victory against rival Kent State, Akron got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Tavari Johnson while the Golden Flashes misfired on all but one of their 23 attempts from 3.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball Mid-major top teams Gonzaga, Saint Louis, Miami Ohio

Zion Williamson is back in form, which is great. His year at Duke remains iconic, but injuries have plagued his NBA career. When he’s healthy though, no one can stop him.

We got a good glimpse of his game Monday night against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets.

At 6-6 and 284, and with immense power and verticality, Williamson’s offensive game is pretty simple: he’s usually going to take you as close to basket as he can get. You’re welcome to try to stop him, but good luck with that. He’s like a runaway freight when he gets going.

In this game, he finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.

For the Hornets, fellow Brotherhood member Kon Knueppel finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists, while Sion James had 3 points and 5 rebounds.

The Hornets got the win and are on a 7-game win streak and as hot as any team in the league.

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The record doesn’t exactly show it, but Boston has been improving all year. After starting 11-9 through October and November, they steamrolled through December at 9-3, and slogged through a road-heavy January 10-6.

Despite the travel, last month was supposed to be the soft part of the schedule with nine games against teams under .500. Nailbiting losses to the Pacers and Bulls notwithstanding, the Celtics have been fairly consistent and to the chagrin of the haters, actually been getting better.

Without the three-point differential to count on, that’s meant gaining an advantage in possessions and more so, quality possessions.

After the Celtics talked so much about playing fast in training camp and during the preseason, they stormed out of the gates as, well, the slowest playing team in the league. As the season went along, it was more about re-defining the term “pace.” It wasn’t necessarily about getting out in transition. As I wrote after boat-racing the Clippers in early January:

Paradoxically for the Celtics, the slower “pace” is a matter of utilizing their speed and athleticism. They grind teams in the halfcourt with ball and player movement and constantly putting teams in jeopardy and making them make decisions with every screen, cut, and misdirection.

After averaging 97.13 possessions per game in December, they cut that done even further to 94.89 in January. Against the Bucks on Sunday, they beat Milwaukee by 28 points in 86.5 possessions. What Mazzulla has been able to do is condense the game in order to limit mistakes in a perfect 48-minute game.

We’ve seen improvements across the board. The genesis of this article was Sports Illustrated’s John Karalis tweeting this out Monday morning about the Celtics rebounding:

Celtics month-by-month defensive rebounding (league rank in parentheses)

OCT 64.7% (28)
NOV 67% (26)
DEC 68.3% (18)
JAN 71.7% (9)

— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) February 2, 2026

They’ve turned one of the biggest perceived weaknesses to a strength at Game #50. Part of that is inserting Luka Garza into the rotation. Jaylen Brown has also made it a priority for him to hit the glass, too. Defensive rebounding and closing out possessions has played a large part in Boston knocking on the door of a top-10 defense.

Boston has also benefitted on the league-wide trend of allowing defenses to play a little more physical. Opponent free throws have trended down since the start of the regular season: 28.7 in October to 26.1 to 20.8 to 18.8 in January.

It’s not as if they’re generating more turnovers and easier buckets on fast breaks. Instead, the trend is further allowing them to grind teams in the halfcourt. Roughly half of NBA shots are taken with 15-7 seconds on the shot clock and Boston allows the fifth-lowest eFG% (52.3%).

Offensively, Mazzulla has found ways to win the margins, too. the Celtics turnover rate has remained fairly consistent at around 12.2% or just under twelve TO’s a game. However, what’s been improving has been their assists. They averaged two more assists in January than they did in October and much of that has been from the bench. The Celtics second unit has the second highest true shooting percentage (59.2%) in the NBA; Anfernee Simons, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, and Luka Garza all shoot about 39% from behind the arc with Hugo Gonzalez trailing behind at a respectable 36.8%.

Here’s the scary thing: we can assume that anything that happens ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline will only improve the team and, oh yeah, there’s the impending return of Jayson Tatum.

Florida coach Todd Golden could barely control his amusement as he read the stats aloud after his team’s 100-77 rout of Alabama.

“We beat them on the glass. We scored 72 points in the paint,” Golden said. “Our bigs were really, really good.”

Alabama’s big, by comparison, is just a guy. A guy with professional experience, sure, but still just a guy.

Charles Bediako played three seasons in the NBA G League. He’d be a bench player at Florida. That’s the brass tacks.

You say Alabama winning just once and losing twice after adding a G League player is a show of karma’s muscle. I say it’s proof Alabama needed to go bigger. Coach Nate Oats rocked the boat for a guy who scored six points, before fouling out against the Gators.

Charles Bediako to Alabama stunk of desperation

Oats’ grab of Bediako reeked of desperation. Turns out, a 23-year-old center who was averaging four points in the G League won’t cure all that ailed Alabama. He’s no threat to snatch away the Wooden Award.

Go big or go home, I say.

Is there no 31-year-old Serbian dominating in Europe who could be lured onto a college campus with a mega-millions NIL deal?

If you’re willing to challenge NCAA rules, why stop at Bediako? For a more transformative roster move, try Oscar Tshiebwe. A former Kentucky star who left UK with a year of eligibility remaining, the 26-year-old Tshiebwe leads the G League in rebounding.

NCAA rules prohibit Tshiebwe from playing again in college. NCAA rules also stood in the way of Bediako. So, Bediako got a lawyer.

“Wait a minute, are people allowed to go back to school?” Tshiebwe wrote on social media last month.

As with many eligibility questions in college sports, the courts will answer that.

Never mind Gen Ed coursework, having a lawyer on speed dial is the first thing college athletes must learn nowadays. Second thing you learn: Hope you draw a judge who supports the home team.

Bediako hadn’t played college hoops in nearly three years before an Alabama judge who's listed as a Crimson Tide athletics donor awarded him the green light to suit up.

Bediako is scheduled for another hearing this week in front of a different judge, as his lawsuit against the NCAA proceeds.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the initial Bediako court ruling, former NBA player Amari Bailey hired a lawyer as he explores returning to college basketball.

NCAA rules prohibit eligibility for former college players with NBA experience, but you know the thing about NCAA rules? They’re ripe for a legal challenge.

Nate Oats follows four-step plan, while NCAA suffers

Four of Oats’ previous five teams advanced to at least the Sweet 16. This team, though, encountered persistent frontcourt deficiencies and struggled on defense. It lost two of its first three SEC games.

That helps explain why Oats looked to the G League for answers, shortly after he got on a soapbox about college teams adding international players with overseas pro experience.

In Bediako, Oats added a new page to the desperate coaches playbook: Bring back a college player who declared for the NBA draft nearly three years ago.

In doing so, Oats adhered to the four-step plan running wild and free within Division I coaching.

• Step 1: Tsk, tsk the state of college sports.
• Step 2: Find a way to further circumvent the rules. Usually, this step involves a lawyer.
• Step 3: Say something like, “Hey, don’t blame me. Blame the system.”
• Step 4: Bemoan the lack of enforceable rules and pretend you wish there were stronger guardrails.

On cue, Oats deployed Step 4 after the Florida game, when asked whether he’s concerned about the slippery slope of pro players playing for college teams.

“They need to come up with a set of rules that everybody agrees on and we follow,” said Oats, who added the NCAA needs rules that can withstand legal challenges.

Fact-check: The NCAA has rules to which its membership agrees. Then, members continually look to sidestep or legally challenge NCAA rules, when convenient.

As Oats points out, numerous college rosters feature international players with pro experience in foreign leagues. The NCAA permits this. Bediako is also not the first college player with G League experience.

Baylor, earlier this season, added Nigerian-born James Nnaji, a former NBA draft pick who played professionally in Europe. He’s averaging a whopping 1.2 points for Baylor.

Bediako, according to Oats, is a dual citizen in America and Canada.

Oats’ logic: If expats who played professionally in international leagues can suit up in college, then why can’t an American who played in the G League return to Alabama?

“Some people would argue that Charles has a better case to be eligible than some other guys playing in college basketball,” Oats said.

Not sure that argument holds up, upon scrutiny. Bediako left Alabama for the pros knowing NCAA rules dictate he'd surrender his remaining college basketball eligibility.

When, three years into his pro career, he decided he wanted to rejoin Alabama’s team, he sued the NCAA.

Bediako might win in court, but the Gators served him humble pie.

Six points. Five fouls. From a pro player. Alabama lost again and dropped from the polls.

That’s not karma. That’s proof that, even after desperately adding a "G League dropout," the team Oats built remains insufficient and incomplete.

Blake Toppmeyer is a sports columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama basketball tried desperate move with Charles Bediako. It failed

Minnesota Timberwolves (31-20, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (30-21, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Toronto; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Toronto Raptors in non-conference play.

The Raptors are 14-11 on their home court. Toronto is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference shooting 34.0% from 3-point range.

The Timberwolves have gone 14-12 away from home. Minnesota ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 44.9 rebounds per game led by Rudy Gobert averaging 11.3.

The Raptors average 113.6 points per game, 0.9 fewer points than the 114.5 the Timberwolves allow. The Timberwolves average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Raptors give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Ingram is averaging 21.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes is averaging 19.6 points over the last 10 games.

Gobert is shooting 70.3% and averaging 10.7 points for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Raptors: 6-4, averaging 112.4 points, 43.2 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.6 points per game.

Timberwolves: 4-6, averaging 115.8 points, 45.6 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 9.3 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.4 points.

INJURIES: Raptors: Jakob Poeltl: day to day (back).

Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: day to day (foot).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Utah Jazz (15-35, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (13-37, 15th in the Eastern Conference)

Indianapolis; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -3.5; over/under is 236.5

BOTTOM LINE: Utah aims to stop its six-game skid with a victory over Indiana.

The Pacers are 10-17 in home games. Indiana is 9-18 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.6 turnovers per game.

The Jazz have gone 5-18 away from home. Utah gives up 127.0 points to opponents and has been outscored by 9.0 points per game.

The Pacers average 110.7 points per game, 16.3 fewer points than the 127.0 the Jazz allow. The Jazz average 118.0 points per game, 0.4 fewer than the 118.4 the Pacers give up.

The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz defeated the Pacers 152-128 in their last meeting on Nov. 12. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 35 points, and Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 27 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Siakam is averaging 23.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists for the Pacers. Andrew Nembhard is averaging 15.1 points over the last 10 games.

Markkanen is averaging 27.4 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 43.9 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.5 points per game.

Jazz: 1-9, averaging 113.0 points, 41.1 rebounds, 30.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.1 points.

INJURIES: Pacers: Obi Toppin: out (foot), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

Jazz: Keyonte George: out (ankle), Georges Niang: out (foot), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out (rest).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Memphis Grizzlies (19-29, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (12-39, 15th in the Western Conference)

Sacramento, California; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento aims to break its nine-game skid when the Kings play Memphis.

The Kings are 8-25 against Western Conference opponents. Sacramento is 3-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Grizzlies have gone 15-17 against Western Conference opponents. Memphis is seventh in the Western Conference with 14.4 fast break points per game led by Ja Morant averaging 2.7.

The Kings score 110.2 points per game, 6.6 fewer points than the 116.8 the Grizzlies allow. The Grizzlies' 45.5% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.6 percentage points lower than the Kings have given up to their opponents (49.1%).

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Grizzlies won 115-107 in the last matchup on Dec. 1. Zach Edey led the Grizzlies with 32 points, and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: DeRozan is averaging 19.2 points and 3.9 assists for the Kings. Zach LaVine is averaging 15 points over the past 10 games.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the Grizzlies. Cedric Coward is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 1-9, averaging 110.1 points, 42.9 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.0 points per game.

Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 114.2 points, 43.8 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.5 points.

INJURIES: Kings: Russell Westbrook: day to day (foot), Keegan Murray: out (ankle), Domantas Sabonis: out (back).

Grizzlies: John Konchar: day to day (neck), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out (toe), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Santi Aldama: day to day (knee), Zach Edey: out (ankle), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz completed a career Grand Slam of singles victories with his Australian Open title, but there was some solace for the man he defeated, 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic.

While Alcaraz maintained his No. 1 ranking on the ATP tour ahead of Jannik Sinner, Djokovic, who beat Sinner in the semifinals at Melbourne Park, moved up one place to No. 3. It is the first time the 38-year-old Djokovic has been inside the top three since August 2024.

On the WTA Tour, Aryna Sabalenka maintained her top ranking despite her loss in the final to Elena Rybakina, Rybakina moved up two places to third in the rankings, with Iga Swiatek in between at No. 2.

Three Americans followed in the WTA rankings — No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff and Australian Open semifinalist Jessica Pegula. Elina Svitolina moved up two places to No. 10 after her semifinal loss to Sabalenka at Melbourne Park.

American Learner Tien was one of the biggest improvers on either tour by moving up five places on the ATP Tour to No. 24, a career high. The 20-year-old Tien, who lost to now No. 4-ranked Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, became the youngest American man to reach the final eight of a major since 2002.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis