Category: NBA

New Orleans Pelicans (11-36, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (31-14, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio will try to keep its four-game home win streak alive when the Spurs play New Orleans.

The Spurs are 18-12 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio averages 117.9 points while outscoring opponents by 5.3 points per game.

The Pelicans are 4-7 against the rest of their division. New Orleans gives up 122.1 points to opponents while being outscored by 7.0 points per game.

The Spurs average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 fewer makes per game than the Pelicans allow (14.9). The Pelicans are shooting 46.4% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 46.0% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Spurs won 135-132 in the last matchup on Dec. 9.

TOP PERFORMERS: Stephon Castle is scoring 16.9 points per game and averaging 5.0 rebounds for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama is averaging 24.7 points and 9.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Trey Murphy III is averaging 22.3 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals for the Pelicans. Jordan Poole is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 6-4, averaging 111.3 points, 46.1 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.

Pelicans: 3-7, averaging 114.7 points, 44.1 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.3 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: Luke Kornet: day to day (adductor), Devin Vassell: out (thigh).

Pelicans: Jose Alvarado: out (oblique), Dejounte Murray: out (leg).

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

Toronto Raptors (28-19, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-9, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City takes on the Toronto Raptors after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 117-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Thunder are 20-4 on their home court. Oklahoma City ranks ninth in the NBA with 52.5 points in the paint led by Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 13.0.

The Raptors are 15-9 in road games. Toronto is third in the Eastern Conference with 29.6 assists per game led by Immanuel Quickley averaging 6.3.

The Thunder's 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.6 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Raptors give up. The Raptors score 6.3 more points per game (114.3) than the Thunder give up (108.0).

TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.3 points and 6.2 assists for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren is averaging 15.7 points over the last 10 games.

Scottie Barnes is averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Raptors. Quickley is averaging 16.3 points and 5.4 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 118.9 points, 42.0 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 9.5 steals and 7.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.1 points per game.

Raptors: 6-4, averaging 113.4 points, 41.7 rebounds, 30.5 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (hip), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Alex Caruso: out (adductor), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Aaron Wiggins: out (groin), Isaiah Hartenstein: out (calf).

Raptors: Jakob Poeltl: out (back), Collin Murray-Boyles: out (thumb), Ja'Kobe Walter: out (hip).

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

Brooklyn Nets (12-31, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (20-24, 10th in the Western Conference)

Inglewood, California; Sunday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn will attempt to break its six-game road slide when the Nets face Los Angeles.

The Clippers are 12-9 on their home court. Los Angeles allows 113.5 points to opponents and has been outscored by 1.2 points per game.

The Nets are 6-14 in road games. Brooklyn is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference scoring 42.4 points per game in the paint.

The Clippers are shooting 47.4% from the field this season, 1.4 percentage points lower than the 48.8% the Nets allow to opponents. The Nets' 44.5% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.5 percentage points lower than the Clippers have allowed to their opponents (47.0%).

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Clippers won 121-105 in the last meeting on Jan. 10. James Harden led the Clippers with 31 points, and Egor Demin led the Nets with 19 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Harden is averaging 25.8 points and 8.1 assists for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard is averaging 19.3 points and 1.6 steals over the last 10 games.

Michael Porter Jr. is scoring 25.4 points per game and averaging 7.4 rebounds for the Nets. Demin is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Clippers: 8-2, averaging 112.2 points, 40.8 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points per game.

Nets: 1-9, averaging 104.7 points, 41.0 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 6.9 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.6 points.

INJURIES: Clippers: Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), Derrick Jones Jr.: out (knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic: day to day (hamstring).

Nets: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee).

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

The Long Island Nets returned to their home court on Friday night, January 23, for a showdown with the 10-2 Toronto Raptors 905, the G League’s best team. Long Island featured the three Brooklyn two-ways – E.J. Liddell, Tyson Etienne and Chaney Johnson – as well as Brooklyn’s rookie assignee, Ben Saraf but 7-footer Grant Nelson, who is not under contract with the big club, would play hero in this one, contributing to the big Long Island win in a number of ways.

100 career points for Grant Nelson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hnJswyYEnI

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) January 24, 2026

Nelson finished this game with 20 points in less than 19 minutes on the court. The 20 points led the team, despite the 23-year-old playing the fewest minutes among the starters. The effort also marked the Alabama product’s second career game with at least 20 points for Long Island. Nelson shot the ball more than effectively, draining seven of his eight shot attempts. He didn’t take any shots from deep, but he went perfect from the foul stripe, hitting all four of his shots. Nelson also played a very physical game and has looked great in his five starts since a seven-week layoff due to an ankle injury…

Grant Nelson on his strong performances, his injury scare tonight, and a potential two way deal.@NetsDaily#StrongIsland#NetsWorldpic.twitter.com/eUoiMxuFk1

— Scott Mitchell (@Scott44Mitchell) January 24, 2026

Following the game, NetsDaily had a chance to speak with Nelson about his mindset on how well he’s been performing in these games.

“I’m really just grateful to be back on the court,” Nelson says. “Tonight I think my teammates did a good job at moving the ball and getting off of it early, because the first two times we played them we gave up 40 points off our turnovers and 23 in the other. We lost by like 20-something in one and like seven in the other. I think tonight we just did a lot better, followed their scouting report, and just came out with the win.”

He picked up multiple tough lay-ups, even converting on a couple of and-ones. More impressively, Nelson even found Ben Saraf with the ball and boxed out two of Toronto’s players at the same time, leading to a wide-open lay-up for the Brooklyn rookie. His physical style can lead to scary moments, like in the first half when he went up for a tough lay-up in the first quarter and came down awkwardly.

Nelson was out for most of the first quarter, but re-entered the game as soon as the second quarter came around after he worked with the Long Island trainer on the sideline. After the game, Nelson told ND, “I just tweaked my ankle a little bit. Nothing too bad. It was obviously good enough to keep playing.” Nelson also reached 100 career points in the win and recorded a game-best plus-minus of +26.

Over his five starts, Nelson is averaging 30.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per 36 minutes and 75%.

With more performances like this, Nelson will become a player to watch for a two-way spot, should a spot open up. Following his impressive performance, Nelson was asked if he could see himself getting a two-way deal with Brooklyn and if that’s a goal of his. “Yeah, for sure,” Nelson told ND. “That’s been a goal of mine since the summer like right after the draft, to get that two-way spot with Brooklyn. I’m still competing for it and still playing for it, so hopefully soon.”

Teams traditionally review two-way contracts at the trade deadline which is now 12 days away. In the past, the Nets have both moved players up from two-ways to standard NBA deals or waived players from their two-way contracts while retaining their G League rights.

Brooklyn rookie Ben Saraf saw a bit of an improvement in this one. Last time on the court, Saraf connected on just two of his 12 shots and went one-for-five from deep. Friday nigh, he finished with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, missing all five of his 3-point attempts. When asked about this performance of late and his mindset coming out of it, Saraf had this to say:

“I think nothing changed for me,” Saraf says. “I have to keep shooting the ball with confidence is what the team wants me to do. Same for today, I didn’t hit the threes. 0-for-5, but I think I have to keep shooting the ball.”

Ben Saraf on his brutal shooting performance last game, his performance tonight, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 56 point loss to the New York Knicks.@NetsDaily#StrongIsland#NetsWorldpic.twitter.com/qwesdFuWZ7

— Scott Mitchell (@Scott44Mitchell) January 24, 2026

Despite how slight it may have been, any improvement at this point is a good improvement.

“I feel like for me just sticking to the simple things,” Saraf says. “I think that’s what the team wants me to do. It starts with the defense. First of all, it’s a defense for us. Today was a better game for me on the defensive side. Offensively, it’s just keep practicing, keep shooting the ball, and it’ll fall in.”

Saraf was on Long Island during Brooklyn’s historically ugly loss against the Knicks. and offered some advice to his teammates at Barclays Center. “Stick to the basics,” Saraf told ND. “For Jordi, the most important thing is to play hard. So, I’m sure we’ll fix it.”

We saw a very uncharacteristic game from E.J. Liddell in this one. He connected on just one of his 12 shots, including missing all seven of his tries from deep. However, where Liddell did damage to Toronto was on the foul line. Liddell connected on four of his five tries from the foul stripe. He finished with eight points.

Liddell shone in the rebounding department. Liddell hauled in 11 rebounds and had one assist to his credit. Liddell’s 11 rebounds led not only the team, but the game. Despite an ugly performance shooting the ball, Liddell remains one of the top shooters.

Brooklyn two-way player Chaney Johnson was second on the team in scoring with 16 points. He shot the ball very well, connecting on five of his six shots, including hitting both of his shots from deep. Johnson also went two-for-three from the foul stripe. He finished with four rebounds and three assists. In another characteristic performance, the Nets’ third two-way player, Tyson Etienne, took only five shots, connecting on two of them.

Long Island guard Malachi Smith added 14 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals in 31 minutes as he set his Long Island high for rebounds and matched his career-high assist total. Smith shot 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from the field and 50 percent (2-for-4) from deep and finished without any turnovers in the game.

To round out the starters, Nate Williams tallied 15 points, as well as six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks. Williams’ four blocks led the game, having more than the entire Toronto team combined. Meanwhile, Alex Schumacher, a 6’3” 24-year-old shooting guard signed out of the Suns organization, made his debut for Long Island in this one, and did well. He finished with 12 points and shot the ball very effectively, hitting 4-of-5.

The loss pushed the Raptors out of the top spot in the G League. They’re now tied with the Greensboro Swarm at 10-3, while the Nets are now 8-6.

Next Up

The Long Island Nets (8-6) return to the court on Monday night, January 26th, for a showdown with the Motor City Cruise. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on the NBA G League site, as well as on the YES Network.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 109, Raptors 905 93– G League
• Game Highlights: Long Island Nets 109, Raptors 905 93 (Video) – G League

The Dallas Mavericks (19-26) host the Los Angeles Lakers (26-17) on a potentially snowy Saturday night at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are arguably playing their best team basketball of the regular season to date and are currently riding a four-game win streak against a wide variety of opponents. The Lakers visit Dallas after stumbling against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Each team has had at least one day of rest in what should be an outstanding primetime game on ESPN.

Here’s three things you should think about before tip-off.

For the love of basketball Mavs fans, no one trash talk Luka, okay?

Luka Doncic returning to Dallas will be weird until the end of his career. There’s no way around that. But one thing everyone can do is not poke the bear. The middle of the season for Luka has always been hard to give a shit about. You know exactly what I mean by that too. Some games, Doncic just isn’t all that focused and he seeks out things to piss him off. Everyone be very, very nice to him. Shout out about how good he is and remind him that stepback threes are a better shot for him than drives at the rim. No Luka Magic tonight (there will be Luka Magic).

The center minutes for both teams

On the Dallas side of things, Daniel Gafford should be coming back from injury, Dwight Powell is always and forever, and Moussa Cisse is a bit underripe in terms of experience. And Luka Doncic loves to hunt a center that cannot defend in space (or is his friend in Dwight Powell). While I don’t think Dallas should send doubles at Doncic like last game, how these centers hold up in the mismatches may well determine the game.

For the Lakers, DeAndre Ayton has hit his expiration date for caring and Jaxson Hayes is limited. If neither bigman pulls their weight on the boards, Dallas is going to eat the Lakers up on the glass on both ends of the floor and that may well determine the game.

For either team the center managing to hold might help pull their team across the finish line.

How long can the Mavericks keep this up?

The Mavericks won five of six games starting in late November. They’ve now won five of six again, starting with that win at home over the Brooklyn Nets on January 12th. The Lakers are not an easy opponent, but I see no reason why Dallas can’t beat them outright on Friday night. The special sauce to winning the drudgery games of January and February is playing hard, and head coach Jason Kidd has the Mavericks playing above their place in the Western Conference. Granted, part of why they’re winning is the red-hot three-point shooting (42.5% in these five wins), but the schedule is shaping up in a way the Mavericks could take advantage of. A win against the Lakers would mean five wins, and they play the Milwaukee Bucks on a short turnaround, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is now out for at least a month with a calf strain, and the Timberwolves have down night,s and then there’s the Spurs… ok, well maybe a seven-game win streak is the length this goes. But a guy can believe, yes?

How to Watch

This one will be on ESPN starting at 7:30 pm.

The NBA trade deadline potentially got an unexpected twist on Friday night.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo exited Friday night’s 102-100 loss to the Nuggets and told reporters after the game that he has a right calf or soleus strain.

He said he expects to miss four to six weeks and will undergo an MRI exam, adding that he believes that testing will show he “popped something” in his calf.

Head coach Doc Rivers said after the game that he thought Antetokounmpo was “favoring” his calf for a good chunk of the second half.

“I didn’t like what my eyes were seeing, personally,” Rivers said, according to CBS Sports. Giannis was defiant about staying in. On that one, play you could see him trying to run down the floor, I had had enough. I didn’t ask, just took him out. He actually wanted to go back in. That was a no for me.

“He knew he should have been out. There was no disagreement or anything like that.”

Antetokounmpo didn’t exit until 34.2 seconds left in the game with the Bucks down five. As for what’s next, Rivers wasn’t sure but he expressed concerned.

“I don’t know yet, honestly. He was in the med room. I don’t think it looks great, personally. This calf keeps coming up and it’s concerning. I’m not a doctor, but I’m smart enough to know that his calf keeps bothering him and there’s something that is there and it keeps happening, and that’s troublesome for all of us.”

Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists before exiting.

The nine-time All-Star has been part of all sorts of trade buzz this season, but with an injury that could sideline him into March, this could throw a wrench into any potential deal.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have won nine of their last 13 games, and still aren’t close to playing up to their full potential. That’s both encouraging and frustrating. Friday’s ugly 123-118 win against the Sacramento Kings showed why.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson has made some crazy comparisons during his two seasons in Cleveland. After Evan Mobley’s 29-point, 13-rebound, and seven-assist performance, he compared him to Shaquille O’Neal.

“Man, I don’t know about that,” Mobley said.

Mobley wasn’t Shaq, but he completely controlled the paint on both sides of the floor.

Before the game, Kings head coach Doug Christie said his team needed to push Mobley off of his spots. That didn’t happen.

Mobley went 6-8 on shots in the restricted area and 12-18 on overall shots in the paint. He was able to get to the basket on repeat, and when he was cut off, the hook shot and turnaround jumper were falling. Mobley is at his best when he’s playing aggressively and making quick and strong decisions. That — combined with going against a weaker Sacramento frontcourt — led to his scoring success.

“That’s what we like to see,” Donovan Mitchell said of Mobley’s mindset. “A lot of times, he just has to go up and be aggressive, and that’s what he was for 48 minutes tonight. He was like, ‘I’m going to attack and make good decisions.’ … Not so much necessarily us continuing to get it to him, but him being like, ‘I’m getting downhill. They can’t stop me. I’m getting to the paint.’”

The offensive showcase extended to his playmaking as well. Mobley has become more comfortable finding the open man when extra defenders have come his way. This is the area he’s grown the most since the beginning of the season, when he had a difficult time handling double teams.

Mobley was more impressive defensively.

He registered four blocks and was a large reason why the Kings converted just 62.5% of their shots at the rim (32nd percentile).

Mobley was able to make what was an overall bad performance from his teammates look passable. It’s why the Cavs had a solid 108.7 defensive rating with Mobley on the floor on a night they had a 121.6 defensive rating as a team.

“It was one of the most dominant games we’ve ever seen from him,” Atkinson said.

These types of games are in there. The problem is figuring out how to recreate these performances more consistently.

“Sometimes these things happen when you have guys out,” Atkinson said. “We have Sam [Merrill], Max [Strus], and DG (Darius Garland), our playmakers, guys that create advantages. We got him out there with units, especially when we separate those two (Mobley and Donovan Mitchell). Now, no Don, he’s got to kind of do it. I’m sure we’re doing more things for him, but I think he’s just taking the burden. I think it’s a lot of its circumstances.”

Atkinson has been splitting up Mitchell and Mobley more with bench lineups. That wasn’t what Atkinson did most of the last regular season, when the duo was in the 94th percentile in point differential. It hasn’t had the same success this year, and more importantly, lineups without either haven’t worked with Darius Garland not at 100%.

“I get to be the guy that creates offense for us,” Mobley said. “I feel like I’ve been doing a good job this past few days, and I feel like I just got to keep stacking days and figure out where I can keep getting better.”

The consistency isn’t quite there for the Cavs yet either.

They took meaningful steps forward in this game. Instead of turning it over 21 times, as they did in their previous two outings, they gave it away just six times (97th percentile).

That said, they didn’t improve in all the areas they would’ve liked to. Their defensive integrity at the point of attack remains a concern. It’s part of the reason they allowed the Kings to shoot 39.4% from beyond the arc, which is well above their season-long average of 35.2%.

Still, the Cavs need all the wins they can get at this point of the season, given who’s out of the lineup. They’ve done a better job of taking care of their matchups against opponents that they should beat, even if they aren’t exactly peaking at this time.

“It’s not always going to be pretty,” Mitchell said. “It’s at the point now where I don’t really care how we do it as long as we continue to win games. … I think we’ve done a great job of believing as a collective.

“Last year was last year. It’s a different year, different season. This is who we are. We’re going to continue to build and find ways to win.”

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Cody Glass had two goals and an assist, Lenni Hameenaho scored his first NHL goal and the New Jersey Devils beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Friday night to extend their Western Canada winning streak to three.

Nico Hischier and Connor Brown also scored for New Jersey. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.

Linus Karlsson, Teddy Blueger, Zeev Buium and Brock Boeser scored for Vancouver, and Kevin Lankinen stopped 19 shots.

New Jersey went 2 for 3 on the power play. The Canucks were 0 for 2 and have gone four games without a power-play goal.

Hameenaho scored on a goalmouth tap-in at 1:41 of the first.

In the second, Hischier and Glass made it 3-0 with goals 40 seconds apart. Six minutes later, Karlsson put the Canucks on the board.

Then with Conor Garland serving a double-minor for high-sticking Hischier, Blueger scored short-handed before Brown replied.

With 1:48 left in the second, Buium pulled the puck out of a crowd and found the net to cut it to 4-3.

In the third, Glass added his second of the night. Boeser scored with 1:12 remaining and Lankinen off for an extra attacker.

Up next

Devils: At Seattle on Sunday.

Canucks: Host Pittsburgh on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

SEATTLE (AP) — Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Lukas Dostal made 21 saves and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory following a nine-game losing streak.

Ryan Poehling scored short-handed, Chris Kreider added a power-play goal and Pavel Mintyukov banked in a long empty-netter. The Ducks have three games left on a five-game trip they opened with a 2-1 shootout victory at NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night.

Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle in the third game of a six-game homestand. Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots, highlighted by a successful poke-check on Jansen Harkins’ penalty shot midway through the second.

Gauthier and Poehling gave Anaheim a 2-0 lead in the first period, with the Ducks outshooting the Kraken 13-2 in the opening 20 minutes.

Gauthier scored at 1:02. He broke down the right side, cut inside and beat Grubauer with a wrist shot.

Poehling connected with the Ducks a man down with 4:36 left. He raced down the left side and avoided Grubauer's poke-check.

McCann got one back for Seattle at 1:55 of the second. Kreider countered on a power play 2:05 later, scoring off a rebound for his 16th of the season.

Schwartz cut it to 3-2 at 1:54 of the third, getting behind the defense to tip in Shane Wright's feed.

Up next

Ducks: Have an Alberta back-to-back, playing at Calgary on Sunday night and Edmonton on Monday night.

Kraken: Host New Jersey on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Bucks couldn’t find a way to beat the Nuggets—even without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun—for the second time this season, losing 102-100. It’s Milwaukee’s second straight loss and sixth in their last eight games. Giannis had 22 points to lead the Bucks again, going 14/16 from the line, while Rollins added 21 points. Julian Strawther led Denver with 20 points.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks’ first-quarter turnover issues hurt them once again tonight. After turning the ball over eight times against OKC, they proceeded to turn it over five times in the first 8:36 of the frame. Those turnovers led to a 6-0 Nuggets run to break a 12-12 tie, forcing a timeout from Doc Rivers. Milwaukee finally stopped turning the ball over and got back into the game. Cole Anthony checked in and sort of looked like he did in the first week of the season, scoring the final seven points for the Bucks to tie the game heading into the second quarter at 21 apiece.

With the Bucks trailing in the early goings of the second quarter, they turned to their veterans, Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, to get them back on track. Kuzma scored a quick three points, and Bobby kept up his hot shooting with a three to put Milwaukee up by two. The Bucks were able to extend their edge to five points, but both teams seemingly had a lid on the basket from there on out. Milwaukee went scoreless for nearly five minutes, allowing the Nuggets to take a five-point lead of their own. Myles Turner and Giannis fought back, helping to tie the game back up for the Bucks, but the offense went cold again after that. Denver went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter, sending Milwaukee to the locker room at the break down 48-42.

The Nuggets have received significant contributions from their bench all season, which they needed because Aaron Gordon would play no further part after the first half. Ergo, it was Julian Strawther who picked up the slack for Denver, scoring 13 of their first 16 points. Milwaukee was able to match Denver’s scoring in the early going, but after they got it within one point, the Nuggets went on a 14-2 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game—Bucks timeout. Things did not improve much for Milwaukee, though, with the Nuggets outscoring them 10-8 to end the quarter. That sent the Bucks into the fourth quarter trailing by double figures for the fourth time in their last five, down 78-63.

Denver kept adding insult to injury to start the fourth, ballooning their lead to 23 points just a minute and a half in. The Bucks did trim it down to 15 points with just over eight minutes to go, but the Nuggets responded with a 7-4 burst to go back up by 18 with just over five minutes left. However, the Bucks showed signs of life from that point, chipping away brick by brick to go on a 20-4 run; they got all the way back within two points with 29 seconds left! Tim Hardaway Jr. broke the drought, though, getting fouled on a mid-range jumper and drilling both free throws with 10.4 seconds on the clock, putting the Nuggets back up by four. Rollins played hero again, drilling a step-back three to bring them back within one. Jalen Pickett went to the line with 4.5 seconds left and hit the first, but then missed the second. With no timeouts, the Bucks had to move; Kuzma got off a half-court heave that narrowly missed.

Stat That Stood Out

21-8. That was the difference in fast-break points between the Nuggets and the Bucks, despite Milwaukee possessing one of the best fast-break players of all time in Giannis. The Bucks don’t run in transition much, and when they did tonight, they either missed shots or turned the ball over.

The Toronto Raptors continued their West Coast road trip tonight against the Portland Trailblazers. Leaving the Moda Center with the win, the Raptors have now won three in a row and have successfully swept the Blazers in the season series with a final score of 110-98.

The Trailblazers have been playing well so far in the calendar year, going 9-2 prior to this matchup. They weren’t necessarily an easy target, but a myriad of injuries benching Williams III, Avdija, Reath, Murray, Thybullle, and Henderson have had a cumulative effect. The Blazers were held to a season-low 12 points in the first quarter, and struggled offensively all night as a result. 

Despite the loss, Canadian Shaedon Sharpe continues to have a career season for the Blazers. The combination of his speed, strength, and shiftiness allowed him to get basically anything he wanted on the offensive end. He finished with 21-7-4. Toumani Camara helped along the way, one of the few Blazers who were able to consistently connect from 3-point territory tonight. Clingan helped protect the boards and chipped in with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

The Raptors took a little while to settle in and had their own difficulties offensively tonight, but were able to overcome tight defence and shooting struggles by dictating the pace of the game. They navigated the Blazers’ size easily, getting out in transition and screening cutters to allow them to get shots inside. Despite missing CMB, Walter, and Poeltl, they held their own.

RJ Barrett returned to the lineup, doing a decent job in his first game back with 10 points. Ingram had a slow start but thrived in the second half to finish with 20-7-3. Quickley had another solid game as well with 20-8-7. Mamu shone in his tenth start of the season, leading the Raptors with 22-6-4. This is his second 20-point-performance in a row for the first time in his career. While not as big of a box score contribution, Gradey and Ochai both had solid 10 point performances and did a lot of the little things defensively.

NONE OF THAT 🚫 pic.twitter.com/OjZsECOLOn

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 24, 2026

In the first quarter, both teams struggled offensively. Toronto’s ball movement was good, allowing them to get lots of open shots, but the majority of them were left at the rim, starting 6-16. At the same time, they were giving up a lot of second chance opportunities, but Portland wasn’t able to capitalize, shooting 2-20 from the field and committing 4 turnovers early on. 

Quickley didn’t let Clingan’s foreboding 7’2” presence on the inside deter him. He used his speed and shiftiness to create space and cashed in on floaters. He scored 9 of the Raptors’ first 12 points. Mamu was able to cash in a couple of long-range shots in the frame as well. 

The last two minutes of the quarter were broken up by fouls, with neither team able to gain any momentum and ending with the Raptors up 19-12. 

The defence holding Portland to 2-20 from the field to start 👀 pic.twitter.com/agkul6UYtq

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 24, 2026

Portland was able to smooth out their offense within a few minutes of the second quarter starting, forcing the Raptors into a timeout and some lineup changes. Scottie wasn’t getting calls and two early fouls found him on the bench. Quickley and Mamu continued to carry the scoring load, looking for someone else to contribute. 

Ingram was finally able to break through the tight Blazer defence and find the bottom of the basket, but couldn’t get much else going. Meanwhile Sharpe, Clingan, and Camara came alive, carrying the offense for Portland and bringing them within a single possession of Toronto.

Toronto answered with an 8 point run. Gradey carved his way into the paint to lay the ball up and then cashed in a long range shot on the next possession. A putback by Barrett to close the frame had them up by 7.

Touggggh lay from @gradey_dick 💥 pic.twitter.com/p6YSVk6qdc

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 24, 2026

Halftime proved to be beneficial for both teams. The Blazers showed a zone defense and were able to get some two-man action going with Clingan. For Toronto, Ingram started to get going, finding his shots early from all over the floor. 

Unlike the first half, the Raptors and Blazers scored easily. Portland tied things up and scoring went back and forth for most of the third quarter. Ingram made shots and found his way to the line while Love and Camara highlighted. Despite holding a brief lead, the Trailblazers couldn’t maintain it. 

Ochai and Gradey quietly contributed at both ends in the third quarter as well, topped off by a fun lob pass from Gradey to Ochai for the finish, allowing the Raptors to hold a one-possession lead.

OCHAI UP THERE SOMEWHERE 😤 pic.twitter.com/4FNQ1GCW7s

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 24, 2026

Toronto came out with force in the final frame, cleaning up some of the sloppy perimeter defence that had been plaguing them throughout the game and getting the ball moving offensively to get easy shots.

Jrue Holiday was the answer for Portland, making shots from all over the floor to try and keep Portland alive, but each time he made a basket, Toronto was able to keep pushing ahead. An 8-0 run early, followed by a 7-0 around the midway point of the quarter kept them afloat. Scottie’s decision making late in the frame was excellent, finding cutters, the open shooter, or even finding his own shots when he liked his matchup. Defensively he was great as well, with 6 total blocks, including 2 in the final seconds.

Portland fought to the end, but the tandem of Barnes and Ingram down the stretch gave Toronto the win.

Next, Toronto completes their road trip on Sunday against another team led by a Canadian in the Oklahoma City Thunder with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Tune into TSN at 7pm ET to catch all the action.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Hendrix Lapierre ended a 90-game goal drought, Alex Ovechkin had an empty-netter and the Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Friday night to end a four-game losing streak.

Aliaksei Protas also scored and Logan Thompson made 25 saves against his hometown town.

Morgan Frost scored for Calgary, and Devin Cooley stopped 35 shots. In the third, Cooley denied defenseman Jacob Chychrun's lacrosse-style wraparound attempt on a power play.

Protas broke a tie at 7:35 of the third. When Cooley slid to his left to defend against Tom Wilson, a rebound squirted out to the Belarusian, who fired the puck into an open net.

Lapierre tied it at 1 at 6:33 of the second. John Carlson's shot deflected off the leg of Yan Kuznetsov and onto Lapierre’s stick for the 23-year-old’s first goal since March 18, 2024, which also happened to be against Calgary. He has 10 career goals,

Calgary countered a Washington short-handed, odd-man rush with a power-play goal on the Flames’ next trip down the ice. Frost bear Thompson with a wrist shot below the goalie’s outstretched stick at 6:09 of the first.

Up next

Capitals: At Edmonton on Saturday night.

Flames: Host Anaheim on Sunday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Giannis Antetokounmpo's future is the conversation that is dominating the NBA. But his immediate health is now also a concern for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Antetokounmpo could not finish out Friday night's game against the Denver Nuggets as his team was mounting a frantic comeback that ultimately fell just short.

The injury appeared to occur as Antetokounmpo was heading back up the court in the final minute.

Giannis non contact injury.

He was running down the floor and didn’t seem okay at all, he has been struggling all night 💔 pic.twitter.com/Z4FmoARNWr

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) January 24, 2026

He initially headed off to the locker room before returning to watch the finish on the bench. He briefly walked onto the court during a delay in the action but did not play the final 34.2 seconds.

pic.twitter.com/qyd3GH6miY

— Follow @AyyEnaz (@EnazVideos) January 24, 2026

Milwaukee had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Kyle Kuzma's 3-point heave clanked off the rim. The shorthanded Nuggets hung on for a 102-100 win.

Antetokounmpo did not appear to be 100% physically even before he was forced from the game. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo walked up the court during a possession that ended with a Ryan Rollins 3-pointer. Denver called timeout after the make with 8:06 to go. Antetokounmpo remained in the game, though, when play restarted.

The two-time MVP and 2021 Finals MVP had made an earlier (brief) trip to the locker room during play in the first quarter. And, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, Antetokounmpo played just 6 minutes in the third quarter.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo consoling his brother Giannis while he's injured on the bench ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zkO9TsrJOp

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) January 24, 2026

Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo has a calf injury.

"I thought he was favoring it for most of the second half, personally," Rivers said. "I asked our team five different times ... I didn't like what my eyes were seeing, personally. Giannis was defiant about staying in.

"On that one play, you can see him trying to run down the floor, to me, I had had enough. I didn't ask, I just took him out. He actually wanted to go back in, it just ... that was a no from me."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update, what we know

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Andrew Nembhard had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Jarace Walker added a career-high 26 for the Indiana Pacers, who withstood a late rally to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-114 on Friday night in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals.

Walker, whose previous high was 21 points, sank four free throws in the final 10 seconds to lift injury-riddled Indiana (11-35), which snapped a three-game skid. Pascal Siakam added 21 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points for the NBA-best Thunder, who were also depleted by injuries with Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso among those sidelined. Chet Holmgren added 25 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.

It was the second and final meeting this season between the Pacers and Thunder, whose fortunes have diverged since Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton tore an Achilles tendon early in Game 7 of last season’s NBA finals. Oklahoma City went on to win its first title and has the league’s best record (37-9), although the Thunder have slowed after a 24-1 start.

Oklahoma City trailed 113-103 with 2:35 remaining but pulled within 115-114 on a pair of free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander with 7.8 seconds left. After two free throws by Walker, the Thunder’s Isaiah Joe missed a 3-pointer with 3 seconds remaining.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, made 17 of 28 field goals and all 12 free throws, and he scored nine points in the final 2 minutes.

ROCKETS 111, PISTONS 104

DETROIT (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 32 points as Houston ended the Detroit's four-game winning streak with a victory.

Durant averages 30.6 points in 32 career games against the Pistons - his highest average against any other team. He added seven rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes without a turnover.

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Reed Shepherd added 18 points for the Rockets, who have won four of five. Amen Thompson had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Houston, which had lost five straight on the road.

Jalen Duren led Detroit with 18 points and seven rebounds, but Detroit’s other four starters combined for 37 points on 13-of-35 shooting (37.1%).

Houston outscored Detroit 34-20 in the third quarter to turn a tie game into an 86-72 lead. Durant and Sheppard combined for 18 points in the quarter on 7-for-8 shooting.

Detroit got within 87-80 with a four-point possession early in the fourth. Cade Cunningham missed, but Jae’Sean Tate was called for a flagrant foul when he undercut Ron Holland II as he went for the rebound. Holland made both free throws and Duren dunked off a Cunningham lob.

HAWKS 110, PHOENIX 103

ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson scored 23 points and tied a career high with 18 rebounds for his NBA-leading 30th double-double, and Atlanta rallied to beat Phoenix after the Suns lost Devin Booker to a right ankle injury.

Onyeka Okungwu had 25 points for the Hawks, who trailed 91-84 late in the third quarter but gained momentum after Booker went down. The Suns star scored a team-high 31 points and added four rebounds and three assists before leaving.

CJ McCollum extended his double-digit scoring streak to 34 games, scoring 21 points off the bench and adding four rebounds. McCollum and Corey Kispert were acquired in a trade with Washington in exchange for Trae Young in early January.

The Hawks, who outscored the Suns 26-12 in the fourth quarter, were 43 of 81 from the field overall, including 13 of 26 from 3-point range.

It was the second and final meeting between the teams this season. Atlanta beat Phoenix 124-122 earlier this season in mid-November.

CAVALIERS 123, KINGS 118

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Evan Mobley matched a season high with 29 and Cleveland showed some more encouraging signs in a win over Sacramento.

The Cavs, who have been streaky through much of this season, won for the fourth time in five games. They also improved to 16-5 against teams with losing records.

Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson has been hoping to get more consistency from his team, which can look like title contenders one night and dismal the next. That trend continued against the Kings, who rallied from an 11-point deficit to take a 114-113 lead with four minutes left.

But Mitchell, who has carried the Cavs through several rough patches, dropped a big 3-pointer with 2:29 remaining to put Cleveland up 118-114.

The Kings had several chances to get closer, but they missed three straight 3-pointers in the last minute and Cavs guard Jaylon Tyson put them away by making a floater with 25.6 seconds to go.

Mobley added 13 rebounds and seven assists in one of the defensive-minded forward’s best all-around games.

PELICANS 133, GRIZZLIES 127

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 19 of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter and New Orleans erased a double-digit second-half deficit to defeat Memphis.

Trey Murphy III scored 32 points for New Orleans, while Zion Williamson finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Pelicans snapped a three-game losing streak.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Jock Landale added 24 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer had 21 for Memphis, shooting 7 of 9, including 4 of 6 from outside the arc.

The Pelicans, who had lost six straight to Memphis, trailed 123-122 after Jackson scored inside. But Williams scored on a three-point play and Bey added a 3-pointer to preserve New Orleans’ victory.

The Pelicans are anchoring last place in the Western Conference, while Memphis — which has lost five of seven — sits just outside 10th place.

Memphis built a 13-point lead with accurate shooting in the third quarter, but New Orleans whittled into the advantage as Williamson used his bulk in getting to the rim against a smaller Grizzlies defender in the fourth. Between Williamson and Bey, the Pelicans overtook the Grizzlies.

CELTICS 130, NETS 126, 2OT

NEW YORK (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown had 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and Boston outlasted lottery-bound Brooklyn in double overtime.

Hugo González forced the second OT on a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the first extra period. Baylor Scheierman found the 19-year-old Spanish rookie with a no-look pass and González buried the wide-open shot from the corner.

The Celtics, who have won four of five, never trailed in the second OT. Anfernee Simmons put Boston ahead for good with a three-point play, and Sam Hauser’s 3-pointer made it 128-124 with 1:51 left.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points and Nolan Traore added a career-high 21 for the Nets, who nearly knocked off the second-place team in the Eastern Conference two days after they were beaten 120-66 by the crosstown New York Knicks.

Nic Claxton forced overtime with a putback dunk with 1.9 seconds left and finished with 19 points for the Nets, who have lost nine of 10.

Brooklyn led 117-112 with 7.9 seconds left in the first OT. Pritchard hit a 3-pointer for Boston, then fouled Traore, who made 1 of 2 free throws to set up González’s tying 3.

Brown had three rebounds in the second overtime to complete his fifth career triple-double.