DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored two goals, Justin Hryckowian had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars ended a three-game skid while snapping the Boston Bruins' six-game winning streak, 6-2 on Tuesday night.
Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who had just three goals in their previous three games. Miro Heiskanen had three assists and Jake Oettinger had 16 saves.
The Bruins trailed 6-0 when Morgan Geekie scored on the power play to end Oettinger's shutout bid with 7:49 to play. Geekie ended a personal 12-game goal-scoring drought when he tipped in David Pastrnak's shot.
Fraser Minten also scored for Boston while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves before he was lifted in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who had three stops.
The Stars played without leading scorer Mikko Rantanen (19 goals, 44 assists), who was out with an illness.
Johnston's goal with 3:52 left in the first was his NHL-leading 16th power-play goal this season. Bourque's first-period goal also came on the power play.
Johnston has six goals and six assists over the past 12 games.
Robertson scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season early in the third period.
The Bruins had allowed two goals or less per game during their six-game winning streak.
The Stars outshot the Bruins 37-18 and won 65% of the faceoffs.
Up next
Bruins: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
Stars: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Miami (Ohio) basketball made MAC history on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and is on track to be among the top non-Power Four contenders come March Madness time.
The RedHawks (20-0, 8-0), who received 19 votes in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, improved to 20-0 with their 107-101 overtime win over Kent State behind a near-triple double performance by Peter Suder, who scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists in the win.
The win marks the best start ever by a MAC program, as Miami is now 8-0 in conference play. The RedHawks have a long way to go before the NCAA tournament starts and are currently ranked No. 52 in the NCAA's Net Rankings, but an at-large bid could potentially be in their sights if they keep at its current pace.
20-0!
Miami (OH) wins an OT thriller at Kent State to remain one of the nation’s three unbeatens 🤯 pic.twitter.com/sSEjqgaaUr
Kent State took a 92-88 lead on a 29-foot 3-point shot by Cian Medley with 57 seconds left in the second half. Suder then responded with a layup before Luke Skaljac tied the game at 92-92 with six seconds remaining. The RedHawks then outscored the Golden Flashes 15-9 in the first overtime to secure the win.
Fourth-year coach Travis Steele could be one of the hottest potential names in the coaching carousel after the regular season ends, given Miami's strong start to the season and his previous experience at Xavier, a solid Big East program.
His team plays an exciting style on offense, as well. Miami (Ohio) ranks first nationally in 3-point percentage (41.92%) and ranks second in scoring offense (93.9 points per game), both of which could bode well come March.
Miami (Ohio) is looking to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season, when it was a 14 seed despite finishing the season with an 18-15 record under former coach Charlie Coles. Steele went 12-20 in his first season and 15-17 in his second, but improved to 25-9 in 2024-25 and already has 20 wins this season.
There are only three unbeatens remaining in college basketball, as Miami (Ohio) is joined by No. 1 Arizona (18-0) and No. No. 7 Nebraska (18-0). The RedHawks are a team to watch in the final half of the college basketball regular season.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — David Punch had a double-double and scored the go-ahead basket with 6.3 seconds remaining to give TCU a 68-65 comeback win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday and end the Horned Frogs four game losing streak.
Punch had 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, pairing it with 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The Horned Frogs (12-7, 2-4 Big 12) used a 10-0 run starting at the 4:13 mark to turn a seven-point deficit into a three-point advantage, with Punch driving the lane to finish a layup and take the lead with 6.3 seconds remaining.
Xavier Edmonds also had a double-double, with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Liutauras Lelevicius had 10 points and six rebounds, and tied the game with a 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining.
Isaiah Coleman had 14 points to go with six rebounds for the Cowboys (14-5, 2-4), who have now lost eight consecutive games at Schollmaier Arena. Anthony Roy scored 13 and had three steals. Kanye Clary added 11 points, six assists and two steals.
The Cowboys stacked up a 41-37 lead at the half after falling behind 9-0 to open the game. They used a 15-4 run with back-to-back 3s from Roy to flip a seven-point deficit into a four-point lead. Vyctorius Millers' 3 less than two minutes into the second half sparked a 10-3 run to build as much as a nine-point lead.
Up next
Oklahoma State will host a meeting with No. 9 Iowa State on Saturday.
TCU will travel to face Baylor on the road on Saturday.
Tyrese Maxey – 18 VJ Edgecombe – 5 Paul George – 5 Joel Embiid – 4 Andre Drummond – 2 Dominick Barlow – 1 Adem Bona – 1 Justin Edwards – 1 Quentin Grimes – 1 Jared McCain – 1 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
Hello, darkness third quarter struggles, my old friend.
On Tuesday night, we got to watch a classic Philadelphia 76ers episode: the team getting their doors blown off in the third quarter. Going into halftime down by four, the Sixers actually had a nice couple minutes to open the second half and take the lead, but were then outscored, 38-18, by the Phoenix Suns to close the third quarter. The Sixers were completely out of sorts defensively, and it was a curious move by Nick Nurse to play a bigger lineup against a Suns group that features a lot of guard/wing types who are very capable outside shooters. Philadelphia went small in the fourth quarter and did make it a two-possession game late, but it was not an especially encouraging performance in the 116-110 loss.
Now losers of four of their last six contest, the Sixers have two games remaining on this homestand, with Houston next up on Thursday night. Tonight, though, let’s talk Bell Ringer.
The rookie looked to have somewhat fresher legs than most on the second night of the back-to-back. Edgecombe helped the Sixers get off to a good start with 10 points in the first quarter, hitting a handful of tough middies that are a continued evolution to his game. All night long, he was everywhere on the court, tracking down loose balls and corralling offensive rebounds. Edgecombe’s transition block of Jalen Green in the waning seconds of the first half was the ultimate combination of hustle and athleticism. He missed a couple more threes than you’d like, and had a few “learning on the job” turnovers as a primary ball handler, but overall, it was an outstanding 37-minute run from Edgecombe. I missed the headband, however.
Facing his former club, Oubre assumed more offensive responsibility with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined. He generated some points as a driver, and also knocked down open looks when defenses paid extra attention to Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe. Kelly’s five made three-pointers were his most in a game since March 2024. He also was the Sixers’ primary wing defender with George unavailable, and put forth a tough, spirited effort on that end of the court. After this outing and his 18 points on Monday night, it looks like Kelly might now be back in the swing of things following the sprained LCL injury.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.
Caufield took a pass from Nick Suzuki and fired a shot from the top of the right circle for his 25th of the season.
Phillip Danault — with his first of the season — Alexandre Carrier and Lane Hutson also scored for Montreal.
Rookie winger Ivan Demidov provided two assists and Jakub Dobes made 16 saves.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Brock Faber also scored for Minnesota, which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots.
Tarasenko opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:44 of the first period, beating Dobes on Minnesota’s second shot with a one-timer.
Danault jammed in a rebound to break his goal drought and tie the game at 15:22.
Carrier doubled the lead with 52 seconds remaining in the opening period, redirecting Mike Matheson’s point shot after carrying the puck into Minnesota’s zone.
Faber equalized with a wrist shot from the point that trickled under Dobes’ left pad at 10:16 in the second, but Montreal regained the lead when Hutson hammered home a Demidov pass from a sharp angle at 12:35.
Penalties to Hutson and Matheson put the Wild on a 5-on-3 power play with 8:11 remaining in regulation, and Tarasenko converted his second of the game moments after Hutson exited the box to make it a 5-on-4.
Canadiens forward Kirby Dach returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his foot from blocking a shot on Nov. 15. Winger Alexandre Texier missed the game with a lower-body injury.
The Wild played without forwards Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy, and defensemen Jonas Brodin and Zach Bogosian.
The Golden State Warriors need to do right by Steph Curry.
That’s what they did last season when they pulled off a big swing at the Feb. trade deadline, acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami in an attempt to breathe new life into the league’s flailing modern day dynasty.
It worked.
Ayehsa Curry and Steph Curry watch the match of Jannik Sinner of Italy against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Men’s Final of the US Open Tennis Championship. Annie Wermiel/NY Post
The first night that Butler was around the Warriors — during a game in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Feb. 6 — Draymond Green told me that acquiring Butler “1,000 percent” put them in contention to compete for a championship. Butler told me: “We’re going to bring hell to a lot of people.”
Those hopes were dashed Monday when Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a game against Miami. Butler needs surgery and will miss the rest of the season, a major blow for a team that had won 12 of their last 16 games.
Now, the Warriors’ future remains incredibly fuzzy.
Do they tank in an attempt to get a high draft pick? Do they keep Jonathan Kuminga, who requested a trade as soon as he became trade eligible Jan. 15?
Stephen Curry arrives to the arena before the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 20, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
No and no.
As long as Curry is on the Warriors, they need to have a win-now mindset.
He’s 37. He’s healthy.
The four-time NBA champion, who’s the oldest All-Star starter by six years, is averaging a stunning 31 points on 47 percent shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists a game.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is fouled by San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. AP
The Warriors need to figure out a way to give Curry another fighting chance.
They’re in eighth place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-19, but they’re only 2 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Minnesota Timberwolves and 1 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Lakers. They’re still very much in the playoff hunt at the midway point in the season.
The one silver lining of Butler’s awful injury is that it happened just over two weeks ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
The Warriors still have time to prevent this season from swirling the drain. They can get their ducks in a row to give Curry another shot at a fifth title, even though it’s unlikely with young powerhouses like Oklahoma City and San Antonio lying in wait.
But Curry deserves a shot.
Stephen Curry plays against the LAkers. Brian Prahl / SplashNews.com
And if he’s healthy in the playoffs, the Warriors have one. They can’t wait until he’s a year older, which, at this point in his career, should be calculated with a similar equivalency to dog years.
As for Kuminga, they must trade him. He wants to leave. His relationship with Warriors coach Steve Kerr has long soured, with him not having played since Dec. 18, missing the team’s last 16 games.
Jonathan Kuminga looks on during the game against the Miami Heat on January 19, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Kerr said “sure, absolutely” when asked if Kuminga could re-enter the rotation in Butler’s absence. And in the short-term, Kuminga should absolutely start playing again, which could benefit both him and the Warriors by raising his trade value. But ultimately, he just can’t be on the roster past Feb. 5. The trust between him and Kerr has eroded too much to try to put a bandaid on that wound.
Curry deserves to share the court with a player who really wants to be here. And Kuminga deserves the opportunity to turn into the star he believes he can become elsewhere. The fit wasn’t right. And even though Kuminga shined at times, his inconsistency ultimately became his greatest consistent.
So, what do the Warriors do now?
Do they use some combination of their three tradable future first-round picks, gambling with their future? Do they try to bolster their roster with the likes of Trey Murphy III, Michael Porter Jr. or Lauri Markkanen, the latter of whom they were linked to two summers ago before he signed his four-year, $196 million extension with Utah.
Do they trade Butler, who has a $56.8 million expiring contract next season? Do they attempt to go after another star like Ja Morant?
Jimmy Butler III holds his right knee as he goes down with an injury during the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Chase Center. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
This much is for sure: They have to do something.
Franchises always have to weigh whether it’s smarter to gamble on the now or play the long game, an equation which is especially tricky given Curry’s current skills combined with his short runway.
But here’s the thing. Curry is still Curry. He’s still the player who’s capable of erupting with jaw-dropping scoring sprees. Green is still a defensive wiz. De’Anthony Melton is starring in his role. Al Horford is capable of swinging things on any given night.
Losing Butler was a huge blow, but the Warriors still have a chance to make things right. And they must go all in, trading some combination of their first-round picks alongside Kuminga…or even Butler to give it a shot.
The Warriors may be a fading dynasty, as Kerr recently called the team. But Kerr knows better than anyone how quickly a gerund can transform into the past tense after witnessing it first-hand with the Chicago Bulls.
The Warriors aren’t necessarily there yet.
For Curry’s sake, they need to put one last great effort into tweaking the ship’s direction before it’s forever lost at sea.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Meechie Johnson scored 20 points and Kobe Knox scored 18 points and South Carolina beat Oklahoma 85-76 on Tuesday night and ended its three-game losing streak.
Johnson made 13 of 15 from the foul line and Knox went 7 of 11 from the floor. Elijah Strong scored 17 points, Miles Stute 10 and Mike Sharavjamts 10 for South Carolina (11-8, 2-4), which saw all five starters reach double figures in scoring.
Xzayvier Brown scored 22 points, Tae Davis scored 20 points and Derrion Reed 13 for Oklahoma (11-8, 1-5), which has dropped five straight.
The Gamecocks built an 11-0 lead and never trailed. Stute made a pair of foul shots with 7:26 before halftime and the Gamecocks doubled-up Oklahoma 28-14.
Oklahoma recovered and proceeded to outscore South Carolina 22-11 for the rest of the half to get within 39-36 at intermission. Mohamed Wague made 1 of 2 foul shots 59 seconds in to get Oklahoma within 51-47 but the Sooners never got closer.
Up Next
The Sooners will travel from one Columbia to another when they face Missouri on Saturday.
South Carolina travels to play Texas A&M on Saturday.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sarah Wozniewicz scored a goal in overtime and Ottawa blew a three-goal lead before the Charge beat the New York Sirens 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Gabbie Hughes, Rebecca Leslie and Brianne Jenner each had a goal and an assist for Ottawa (3-5-0-6), which had a six-game win streak snapped last time out by a 2-1 loss at Montreal. Gwyneth Philips had 31 saves.
New York (7-0-2-5), which beat the Charge 4-0 in the season opener for both teams, has a seven-game point streak.
Jaime Bourbonnais, Kristin O’Neill and Anne Cherkowski each scored a goal for the Sirens and Sarah Fillier had two assists. Callie Shanahan stopped 17 shots.
Hughes opened the scoring about 8 1/2 minutes into the game, Leslie added a first-period goal and Jenner scored 6:38 into the second to give the Charge a 3-0 lead.
Bourbonnais got New York on the scoreboard about six minutes later. O'Neill made it a one-goal game with 8:05 left in regulation and Cherowski tied it less than two minutes later.
Per the report, Brunson challenged his teammates to uncover solutions for their poor play, rather than to wait and defer to the coaching staff.
This came after the Knicks were booed at home Monday night, down by as many as 30 points. New York would lose 114-97, and it was the offense that once again let the Knicks down. Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 44 points, but the rest of New York’s starters (Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges) contributed only 24 points.
“I mean, I’d be booing us, too,” Brunson told reporters after the game. “Straight up.”
The Knicks began the year with promise, jumping to the No. 2 seed and winning the NBA Cup in mid-December. Once the new year began, however, the team has struggled to find consistent offense, with the ball stagnating; in January, the Knicks have scored 109.4 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 26th in the NBA.
“We’ve got to lock in,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Monday night after the loss. “We’ve got to do our job for 48 minutes. They scored 75 points in the first half. And at halftime, we usually (show) the clips and talk about technical Xs and Os and crap that coaches do and teams do. There was nothing to be said at halftime, except ‘Lock in and do your (expletive) job,’ excuse me on that.”
Brown pointed out how the Mavericks scored 39 points in the second half, compared to 44 in just the second quarter.
“It’s within our guys,” Brown said. “But we all have to do our job for 48 minutes.”
The Knicks (25-18) are still third in the Eastern Conference, and they have the chance to course correct against crosstown rivals, the Brooklyn Nets (12-29) on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
CHICAGO (AP) — Guard Josh Giddey is just about ready to return to the Chicago Bulls’ lineup after being sidelined the past three weeks because of a strained left hamstring, coach Billy Donovan said Tuesday.
Donovan said prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers that Giddey could return at Minnesota on Thursday. The Australian missed his 11th game in a row.
“Feels pretty good,” Donovan said. “I think it’s just waiting to hear from the medical of what they want to do and how Josh feels. But everything that I’ve gotten from Josh in medical is that there were no setbacks and he’s doing well.”
Giddey has not played since a loss to New Orleans on Dec. 31. He walked off the court gingerly in the first minute of the second half in that game.
Giddey has performed at an All-Star level in his second season in Chicago since a trade from Oklahoma City. He is averaging a team-high 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 9 assists, and has seven triple-doubles.
“I don’t know what the cutoff point is in terms of missed games and things like that, but before he got hurt, I think you could certainly make the argument he was playing at that level for strong consideration,” Donovan said.
The Bulls were ninth in the Eastern Conference at 20-22 entering Tuesday's game. Forward Patrick Williams sat out because of a sprained right ankle and is day to day. ___
The Hornets come into this game with the fourth-best net rating over the past two weeks. That’s partially juiced by a 55-point win over the Utah Jazz. But it’s also a reflection of how good they’re playing right now. The offense has been good all season, but they’ve taken another step forward with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Kneuppel.
The Cavs’ defense will have its hands full trying to slow down Charlotte’s dynamic offense.
Cavs injury report: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)
Hornets injury report: PJ Hall – OUT (G League), Liam McNeeley – OUT (G League), Mason Plumlee – OUT (groin), Antoni Reeves – OUT (G League), Tidjane Salaun – PROBABLE (achilles), KJ Simpson – OUT (hip)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Hornets expected starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate
Just a month ago, the Knicks were 18-7 and celebrating winning the NBA Cup (but not by putting up a banner). A couple of weeks ago, Knicks owner James Dolan was proclaiming, "We want to get to the Finals. And we should win the Finals" on New York radio. The team improved to 23-9 at one point.
That seems like a lifetime ago.
New York has gone 2-9 since that high-water mark, having lost four straight and getting booed by its own fans on Monday when shorthanded Dallas blew them out at home. The Knicks have looked like a team searching for an identity.
The NBA Showtime crew discuss what the Knicks have to do to get back on track. pic.twitter.com/fFCzq9FbnL
That led newly-minted All-Star starter and team captain Jalen Brunson to call a team-only meeting, reports Ramona Shelburn at ESPN. Brunson's message was "that the Knicks needed to find answers for their poor play in January among themselves, rather than look to the coaching staff for solutions."
Players haven't fully bought into their roles under head coach Mike Brown. Those reasons are cited often when you talk to people about the Knicks' flaws. Now, these issues aren't unique to this year's team. They existed to a degree in the locker room last season. But the Knicks coaching change hasn't rooted them out.
The firing of Tom Thibodeau and hiring of Brown was never going to cure all that ailed the Knicks. But the move definitely raised the stakes for New York.
Brown has opened up the offense, and it's a little better this season, but the defense has been a little worse, and with that, these Knicks are worse than a year ago. Not connecting with his players is partially on Brown, but there is plenty of blame to go around for how this team looks lost, both for the players and the front office.
For example, Karl-Anthony Towns isn't playing poorly — 21 points and 11.6 rebounds a game, he should still be an All-Star reserve — but his counting stats and, more importantly, his efficiency are well off from last season. His true shooting percentage fell from 63 a season ago to 59.9 this season, and his efficiency across the board is down. Is that on Towns, Brown for pushing Towns out of his comfort zone, or both?
The front office went out looking for depth this summer and added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, neither of whom has added all that much to the team.
Brown, however, is the key variable. ESPN’s Shelburne was on NBA Today and discussed how Brown's recent postgame hug of Draymond Green, who had picked up a technical foul for tripping Towns that night, did not sit well with players.
"From what I understand, that did not land well with a lot of folks there in New York, in that locker room or even in the organization. While you can understand why he might have a bond with Draymond Green, I don't think that landed well, especially in the middle of a losing streak."
Brown spent six seasons as Steve Kerr's right-hand man in Golden State, so he has a relationship with Green forged over multiple title runs. Still, life can be about timing and perception, and Brown missed on both in this case.
While Knicks fans will point to the upcoming NBA trade deadline as a chance to shake things up, the team is hard-capped at the second apron and just $148,353 below that number — they have limited flexibility to really shake things up. Unless the Knicks want to shake up their core, the moves will be on the fringes.
Which means Brunson is right — the answers need to come from inside the locker room. And the Knicks need to come up with that answer fast, as New York has slipped to fourth in the East and is just 1.5 games above the play-in. This is a team that reached the Easter Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last season, but they fired coach Tom Thibodeau, believing a new voice (and someone who would trust and develop the bench) could deliver more. There were logical reasons to make the move. That said, whatever you think of Thibodeau, his teams had a clear identity.
SALFORD, England (AP) — Salford City set up a meeting with Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup by beating Swindon Town 3-2 on Tuesday.
Luke Garbutt curled in a 68th-minute free kick for the winner for the fourth-tier club owned by a consortium containing former Manchester United players David Beckham and Gary Neville.
Salford advanced from the third round for the first time and the reward is another trip to Etihad Stadium on Feb. 14.
City beat Salford 8-0 in the third round last season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder brought some order to the wild west on Sunday with a convincing 121-111 win over the surging Denver Nuggets.
It was just the second victory in five games for OKC, but the fact it came against the Nuggets should put bettors minds at ease. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander set the pace with a game-high 34 points and the Thunder led by as many as 18 points before taking their foot off the gas late in the fourth quarter.
The win improved Oklahoma City's record to 39-11 and the club continues to be on pace to establish the highest net rating in league history. In fact, OKC is considered to be such a prohibitive favorite that bet365 is now offering a Thunder (+115) vs. the Field (-145) market.
Let's dive into the latest odds as the new year gets underway.
The Thunder's odds have moved from +230 before the season began to +115 today. Rounding out the Top 5 are the Denver Nuggets (+500), New York Knicks (+1400), Boston Celtics (+1500), and San Antonio Spurs (+1500).
📈 2026 NBA Finals odds over time
Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship has odds evolved since June 2025.
We turned to the enormous computing power of ChatGPT to find out who the large language model believes will be the last team standing this season. Not surprisingly, it stuck with the defending champs.
Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.
Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.
Expect a rotation stacked with plus length, shooting, and decision-making around the core; enough to outlast the West’s heavyweights and finish the job in the Finals.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The Golden State Warriors close out their eight-game homestand Tuesday night with a matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State is coming off its fourth straight win after a 135–112 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night. However, the win came at a significant cost, as Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in the third quarter that abruptly shifted the mood inside Chase Center.
Jimmy Butler had to be helped to the locker room after appearing to injury his knee pic.twitter.com/sOSpAxbbAP
The Warriors responded with resilience. Immediately after Butler went down, Golden State rattled off a 12–0 run to regain control of the game. In the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry picked up his fifth foul, leaving the Warriors without their two leading scorers, yet they still outscored Miami 31–19 to close the night. Brandin Podziemski played a major role in that stretch, finishing with 24 points and knocking down several timely shots to keep the Heat at bay.
Brandin Podziemski is all for opposing teams trying to get under his skin to get his aggression going like the Heat did tonight but since he's been in the league "not many people have said much" to him. pic.twitter.com/0Armv5rvcM
Despite the blowout victory, the Warriors now face a harsh new reality. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed that Butler suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
Breaking: Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler has suffered a season-ending torn right ACL, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WIbPQqubfJ
From a basketball standpoint, Golden State will need its offense to remain red-hot to help offset Butler’s absence on both sides of the floor. The Warriors shot 51.6 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range, knocking down 24 threes in Monday night’s win. It marked their fourth straight game with at least 20 made threes — a level of shooting efficiency they’ll need to sustain as they regroup and adjust in the short term without Butler.
HISTORY FOR GOLDEN STATE FROM DEEP!
The Warriors have knocked down 20+ triples in four straight games, becoming just the third team in NBA history to accomplish the feat!
Oklahoma City Thunder
Denver Nuggets
New York Knicks
Boston Celtics
San Antonio Spurs
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Minnesota Timberwolves
Los Angeles Lakers