Category: NBA

The Dallas Mavericks (19-27) crumbled in the fourth quarter on Saturday, in Luka Dončić’s second trip to American Airlines Center in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, wilting in the face of a late 23-5 run behind two clutch 3-pointers from Rui Hachimura in the 116-110 loss. The Lakers (27-17) got a game-high 33 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists from Dončić in the comeback win.

LeBron James, who had scored just six points through the game’s first three quarters, poured in 11 of his 17 points down the stretch as the Mavericks’ four-game winning streak, their longest of the 2025-26 season, came to an abrupt halt.

Max Christie led the Mavericks with 24 points on four made 3-pointers in the loss, while Naji Marshall added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon Williams contributed 20 off the bench in the loss as well.

Luka on the hunt

Dončić missed his first 3-point attempt of the game, then pulled his patented step-back out of his bag while being defended by Naji Marshall with 5:30 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 16-16. Three possessions later he hit another vintage step-back 3-ball from the left wing to give the Lakers a 21-18 advantage. Dončić led Los Angeles with 12 points on 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range and four assists in the first quarter as the Lakers led 37-28 after one.

Dončić snuck into the lane and scored a cheap one over Marshall for his first bucket of the second quarter to put the Lakers up 50-38 midway through the frame. He came into the game leading the league in free-throw attempts this year and made nine of his 10 attempts from the stripe in the first half on his way to a game-high 17 points to go along with seven assists and six boards.

Dončić absorbed the contact in the lane for a driving bucket through Daniel Gafford, his first of the third, to pull LA to within 72-71, before canning his third 3-ball of the night a minute later to pull the Lakers back in front, 74-72, still early in the third quarter.

Hunting Luka

Cooper pulls up OVER Luka and DRILLS the Jumper! pic.twitter.com/L1MqBmK40y

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) January 25, 2026

Dončić’s hot start on offense didn’t stop the Mavericks from hunting him on the defensive end, though.

Flagg drove and dished after getting Luka Dončić switched onto him early in the first, finding Christie open for a 3-pointer out on the right wing to put the Mavericks up 9-7. Flagg rose up over Dončić two possessions later for a mid-range pull-up jumper to extend the early lead to 11-7. The Lakers settled into a two-three zone after the Mavs’ early success hunting Luka on the offensive end, which seemed to stall the Mavs’ momentum a little. All five of Dallas’ first-quarter turnovers came in the frame’s last 5:40, after the Lakers switched to the zone defense.

The Mavs turned the ball over four more times in the first 6:20 of the second quarter, further disrupting the offensive rhythm Dallas established early on by hunting matchups against Dončić. Dončić had trouble keeping Mavericks attackers in front of him throughout the third quarter as well, as Dallas stormed back with a 16-4 run to start the second half.

Coop and Christie

So much of this season has been searching out which of Flagg’s teammates complement the rookie sensation’s game. Saturday’s game gave us further proof that Christie is absolutely one of those guys. They just play off one another well.

Christie was the Mavericks’ saving grace in the second quarter, as he pump-faked and shuffled to his right for his third 3-pointer of the game to pull Dallas to within 46-38 with 7:46 left before the half. He bailed the Mavs out late in the shot clock with a jumper over James midway through the second to keep Dallas connected, down 50-40. He sprinted out in transition along the right wing and finished the break with a dunk assisted by Flagg to give him 13 points to that point. Flagg found him wide open under the basket as Dončić lost Christie on defense the next time down to give him a team-high 15 and pull the Mavs to within 10, down 57-47 with 3:40 left in the first half. Dallas trailed 65-52 at the half.

Christie came into the game scoring better than 17 points per game this January and continued his tear in the second half.

After a silent second quarter, Flagg was more decisive in the third, even if his shot wasn’t falling. He drove through the teeth of the Los Angeles defense for his first score since late in the first quarter on the Mavs’ second possession of the third. Christie found Flagg for a corner 3-pointer with 8:30 left in the third to bring Dallas to within 69-63, before Flagg sucked the LA defense in and found Christie alone in the opposite corner the next time down for Christie’s fourth 3-pointer of the game. The Lakers called a timeout, up 69-66, with 7:56 left in the third.

Flagg got one to go in the lane to see-saw the Mavs back in front, 70-69, before taking a steal the next time down and finding Caleb Martin for a transition score midway through the third to give Dallas a 72-69 advantage. Christie got past James for his first score of the fourth quarter with 8:15 left in the game to put the Mavs ahead 99-85 and give Christie 20 or more points in his fourth-straight game.

Birthday boy

Marshall came into the matchup with the Lakers off one of his best nights in a Mavericks’ uniform in Thursday’s 123-115 win over the Golden State Warriors, when he scored 30 points on 10-of-12 shooting and dished nine dimes in the impressive win. His performance on his 28th birthday on Saturday may have been comparatively muted, but he still pulled more than his weight against LA.

Marshall scored 10 of his 21 points in the first half and pulled down 11 rebounds in the loss. He has been one of the most consistent Mavericks this season and is no doubt one of the team’s most intriguing players as the trade deadline looms, less than two weeks away. He added two more buckets early in the third as the Mavs continued to search for offensive rhythm.

Marshall’s third driving score of the third came as part of a 16-4 run to open the second half and pulled Dallas to within one, 69-68, with 7:30 left in the frame.

B-Will makes waves late

BWill looking like Kyrie to beat the 3Q buzzer pic.twitter.com/6NJXJh4DKr

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) January 25, 2026

Brandon Williams scored all eight of his third-quarter points in the frame’s final 2:40 to add some fuel to the Mavericks’ third-quarter about-face. He fended off the much bigger Vanderbilt for a banking score with three seconds left in the third to extend the Dallas lead to eight, up 87-79 going into the fourth.

Williams shot 4-of-6 in the third after the Lakers moved back in front, 74-72, on Dončić’s 3-pointer earlier in the frame. The diminutive guard score a three-point play on the Mavericks’ first possession of the fourth, this time over Lakers’ big man Deandre Ayton, to give Williams 20 points on the night.

BWill automatic AND1!! pic.twitter.com/dlCoFuQivK

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) January 25, 2026

The next time down, Williams found Martin in the corner for his fourth assist and Martin’s second 3-pointer of the game to extend the Dallas lead to 14, up 93-79, and force a Laker timeout with 10:49 left to play. Martin was also solid for the Mavericks in the win over the Lakers, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

Collapse

But the Lakers had one more late run left in the tank behind Dončić, James and Hachimura, who nailed two 3-pointers in the game’s final three minutes, including a four-play with 2:15 left to play when P.J. Washington swiped at Hachimura while running under the shot. Hachimura’s second came two possessions later and gave the Lakers back a 108-06 lead, as part of a 23-5 run in the game’s final 7:30.

After the Mavericks dominated the Lakers so thoroughly in the third, LA had something for them down the stretch, as Flagg and Dallas’ scrappy gang of role players ran out of juice. Flagg shot just 7-of-20 from the field in the loss, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Lakers led by as many as 14 and trailed by as many as 15 before coming from behind down the stretch to beat the Mavs, 116-110.

The Lakers used a strong first half to hold a comfortable lead for much of the second half. All of that disappeared in the third quarter as LA was thoroughly outplayed, losing the period 35-14. Dallas scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to make it a prolonged 41-14 run.

After eventually settling the ship, the Lakers mounted a comeback led by Marcus Smart, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. A pair of huge 3-pointers from Rui gave the Lakers a lead in the fourth that they would not relinquish as they closed out the win.

The game began with LeBron James and Cooper Flagg exchanging baskets. Former Laker Max Christie knocked down two 3-pointers. Deandre Ayton was off to a good start for LA, scoring four points. Quite a few fouls were called, resulting in eight free throws between the teams. 

At the five-minute mark, the game was tied.

Luka Dončić was the first player in double figures with 10. He also drained two out of his three attempts from behind the arc. Rui Hachimura scored a quick five points off the bench. Jarred Vanderbilt once again provided excellent energy and hustle. He also scored five points, three of which came from a corner triple. 

At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by nine. 

Vando once again creating havoc. His frenetic energy play creating transition opportunities.

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) January 25, 2026

The second period started with a 3-pointer by Marcus Smart. Caleb Martin responded on the other end with a triple of his own. Los Angeles was putting in a good effort defensively, holding the Mavericks to 40% shooting, allowing the Lakers to extend their lead to double digits.

At the 5:16 mark, LA was up by 14.

Los Angeles was having a pretty good half from behind the arc, shooting 50% compared to Dallas’ 41%. Christie continued to light up his former team, pushing his point total to 13. Hachimura was a bright spot offensively off the bench for LA with 10 points. 

At halftime, Los Angeles was up by 13. 

The Lakers take a 65-52 lead into the half. Luka Doncic has 17 pts, 7 ast, 6 reb and got some "MVP! MVP!" chants from the Dallas crowd in the 2nd Q.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 25, 2026

Naji Marshall opened the third period by scoring in the paint. LeBron responded with a midrange jumper on the other end. The teams exchanged two more baskets until shots stopped falling for the purple and gold, while Dallas scored four in a row. 

The scoring run grew to 10-0 for the Mavericks, making it a three-point game. The Lakers were forced to call a timeout to regroup. Out of the break, Marshall scored on a layup.

Dallas jumped ahead by one thanks to a runner in the paint by Flagg. 

Luka stopped some of the bleeding with five points for LA, giving them the lead back. Both teams also exchanged triples, keeping the game tied. Brandon Williams was having a great game off the bench for the Mavericks with 17 points. 

Los Angeles shot an atrocious 31% from the field in the third. They allowed Dallas to score 35 points to their disastrous 14 points. Going into the fourth period, the Lakers were down by eight. 

Leading by 13 at halftime, the Lakers managed only 14 3rd quarter points, while allowing 35, and find themselves down 87-79 with 12 minutes to play.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 25, 2026

The final frame began with Drew Timme airballing a 3-pointer, which was a great example of how terrible this game became for LA. Williams then continued his strong performance, converting on a three-point play. Los Angeles called a timeout again after Martin drained a 3-pointer.

Dallas’ lead was now at 14. 

Martin pushed his point total to 17 points, draining his third triple of the game. LeBron started taking over offensively, trying to will his team to a comeback, scoring seven points to cut the deficit to single digits.

At the 5:06 mark, LA was down by eight.

LaRavia then knocked down a triple after Smart stole the ball from Flagg. With just over three minutes remaining, the Mavs led by five after a pair of Christie freebies. 

A layup by Luka made it a three-point game, once more. 

Christie was sent to the line again and converted on both free throws.

Hachimura drained a 3-pointer and drew the foul, completing the four-point play with 2:44 remaining. Hachimura then knocked down another 3-pointer on the next possession, giving the Lakers the lead.

Flagg converted on a free throw after he was fouled to make it a one-point game. Smart then scored two on a putback layup off a missed three by Hachimura, putting LA up three with 1:40 left. LeBron extended the lead to five with a layup. 

Two big 3's from Rui Hachimura, a Marcus Smart put-back layup, and a LeBron tipped-in layup have combined to put the Lakers up 112-107. LA has the ball with 1:17 to play.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 25, 2026

Luka added the finishing touches on an impressive 27-9 scoring run with four points of his own and while drawing a charge to seal the win. 

Key Player Stats

Dončić finished the game with 33 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. LeBron ended with 17 points after coming alive in the fourth to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Jake LaRavia pitched in with 13 points.

Smart scored 13 points with seven rebounds and three assists. Hachimura notched 17 points with eight rebounds off the bench. Ayton struggled mightily, scoring nine points on 4-16 shooting. Vanderbilt pitched in with eight points, four rebounds and two assists. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Chicago Bulls on Monday at 5:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

PHILADELPHIA — Mikal Bridges could build a house in his native city with the many bricks he put up there.

The Philadelphia product and Villanova alumnus shot a brutal 3-for-16 from the field and 1-for-9 from 3-point range in the Knicks’ 112-109 win over the 76ers on Saturday afternoon.

He also sat the last 5:24.

Instead, coach Mike Brown decided to roll with Landry Shamet and Miles McBride down the stretch over the struggling Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, who had fouled out earlier in the quarter. It was a small lineup — with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby primarily on the floor with Shamet and McBride.

That meant Anunoby had to guard Joel Embiid.

“We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG,” Brown said. “OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. So, we were able to do it.”

Shamet and McBride — and Mitchell Robinson — filled in admirably for Bridges and Towns. The Knicks had a 17-point advantage in points off the bench.

---

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

---

“Some nights, that [bench scoring] is going to have a huge onus on it,” Shamet said. “Some nights it’s not. Some nights it’s just going to change. I’ve been saying that the entire time I’ve been here because we have that group, it’s a carousel. Some nights, it’s going to be a heavy bench night where we come in and pick it up. Other nights, our first five have it going and the ball doesn’t find us as much. That’s the beauty of our team. We’re built that way. We’ve got to be adaptable and find ways to win games as difficulties and challenges within the game are presented to us.”

Towns managed to foul out in just 16 minutes on the floor and was minus-6. The Knicks were actually better when he was on the bench.

“We gotta just have other guys step up,” Brown said. “We can’t control the fouls called, so if somebody is in foul trouble, hopefully the next guy can step up and play the right way to help us get a win.”

KA’UPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — Stewart Cink won the PGA Tour Champions' season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Saturday, closing with an 8-under 63 for a three-stroke victory.

The 52-year-old Cink finished at 23-under 193 at Hualalai. He won his second straight event after closing last season with a victory in Phoenix in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He has five senior titles.

Ángel Cabrera was second after a 66. Retief Goosen shot a 64 to finish third at 18 under, and Ernie Els (67), Thomas Bjorn (66) and Freddie Jacobson (70) were 17 under. Sixty-six-year-old Fred Couples was 15 under after a 70.

___

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

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — John Camden his season high with 25 points and set a new season high with 10 rebounds on Saturday night to help California overcome a 16-point deficit to beat Stanford 78-66 and snap a five-game skid in the series.

Camden made 8 of 13 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. Justin Pippen scored 18 points and added six assists. Dai Dai Ames added 11, including nine in the second half, to go with six rebounds. Chris Bell had 10 and three blocks for Cal (15-5, 3-4 ACC).

Jeremy Dent-Smith led Stanford (14-6, 3-4) with 20 points and Ryan Agarwal had 12 points and nine rebounds. Ebuka Okorie, who went in scoring 22.1 per game (No. 8 nationally), had 14 points on 1-of-16 shooting, 0 of 9 from 3-point range, while making 12 of 14 from the free-throw line.

The Cardinal scored 10 consecutive points to make it 60-all with 6:38 to play, but Bell answered 14 seconds later with a 3-pointer before Pippen hit two free throws and added a 3 to spark a 17-2 run that made it 77-62 with 55 seconds left.

The Bears lead the series, which dates to the 1911-12 season, 155-134.

Dent-Smith scored 11 points, which included three 3-pointers, in a 21-4 run that gave the Cardinal a 16-point lead with 7:08 left in the first half.

The Cardinal made nine of their first 21 field-goal attempts, but hit 9 of 45 from there and finished shooting 27% (18 of 66) overall.

Stanford announced Wednesday that Chisom Okpara, the team's second-leading scorer (13.9 per game), will miss the rest of the season. The 6-foot-8 senior suffered a lower-body injury in a 70-55 loss Jan. 10 at No. 14 Virginia.

Up next

Cal: Plays Wednesday at Florida State.

Stanford: Visits Miami on Wednesday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

A near wire-to-wire victory for a Cleveland Cavaliers team that is slowly, and quietly, playing their best basketball of the season. Here is who won and lost the game.

Winner – Donovan Mitchell’s Second Half

There is a Disney joke in here somewhere, but pun or not, the Cavs got a superstar effort from their best player in a game that held a little more meaning than usual. Mitchell’s 36 points, 27 of which came in the second half, are even more impressive given that he was only 2-8 from deep and attempted five free throws the whole night. Mitchell methodically and surgically picked apart Orlando’s defense, like here, where he did his patented high carry to lose the defender.

😮‍💨 This was TOO NICE, Don. @spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/PJQIpM6XJ4

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 25, 2026

With the Cavs missing four rotation players and playing on the second end of a back-to-back, a sterling performance from Mitchell is exactly what they needed. The NBA’s leading second-half scorer lived up to that title, and it led the Cavs to an impressive road win.

Winner – Team Defense

The Cavs won this game on the defensive end, treating the Magic as they should be – the worst three-point shooting team in the Eastern Conference. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen patrolled the paint and stonewalled any attempts at the rim, forcing Orlando to work from the outside in. That, predictably, went quite poorly.

Desmond Bane is not having a great three-point shooting season, seemingly becoming stricken with whatever has plagued Orlando’s shooters over the last few years. Paulo Banchero is not a good shooter from deep, yet tied for the team lead in makes with three. Anthony Black has been good, but he isn’t striking fear into anyone. Orlando’s bench went 1-12 from deep, the lone make coming from Moe Wagner.

This game felt like the Cavs had a plan in mind and executed it perfectly, which has not appeared to be the case as much as one would expect. Cleveland’s team defenders all played well and pressured the Magic in all the ways they should.

Loser – De’Andre Hunter’s knee

Hunter was a relatively late scratch with knee soreness, something to monitor given his injury history. The tumultuous season for Hunter has, somehow, not involved any extended injury issues. It’s just been ineffectiveness, lineup shifts, and the odd trade rumor. Surely the Cavs will be cautious with Hunter as the All-Star break approaches.

Winner – The Backup Point Guards

Craig Porter Jr. has his place in Cavs’ fans’ hearts, and has stepped up this season as well, but tonight was about the other two point guards on Cleveland’s roster.

Lonzo Ball has been a disappointment for the Cavs, but he has the capability of putting together enough plays to make an impact. He had a stretch in the second quarter where he poked the ball free from Wagner, dove for possession, and immediately ran up the floor and got back on offense for an eventual bucket. If the shot isn’t falling, and it hasn’t for Ball this season, then those types of things are where he can make an impact.

Another quality draft find for the Cavs’ front office is Tyrese Proctor, who now has double-digit minutes in four of his last five games. Proctor had 12 points on 4-4 shooting, staying ready given the constantly changing rotations. With Darius Garland out, Proctor may get the occasional spurt of minutes to provide a little shooting, but his size also gives an additional wrinkle. Once Garland returns, Proctor’s minutes will surely decline, if not disappear. But he has some juice for a rookie second-round draft pick.

On a night when the Bulls franchise honored Derrick Rose and raised his #1 to the United Center rafters, the home team beat Boston 114-111 with a last second triple from Kevin Huerter. For the Celtics, they split the back-to-back nailbiters after winning in double OT last night in Brooklyn, but fall to 10-14 in clutch games.

Back in early January, the Celtics cruised to a 115-101 win over the Bulls back at TD Garden. They led by as many as 23 points and Boston buried Chicago under an avalanche of threes with Anfernee Simons hitting 8-of-14 from behind the arc for 27 points.

On a chilly night in the Windy City, it was the Bulls that got hot and hit nearly half their triples (21-of-45), including Huerter’s game-winner from the corner.

Since promoting Joe Mazzulla to head coach, the Celtics have the best record on back-to-backs at 35-13 (h/t Dan Greenberg). Coming off a double overtime win in Brooklyn on Friday night, the Celtics offense looked a little tired and hey couldn’t overcome their poor shooting; they made just 15 of their 47 threes.

Jaylen Brown finished with another 30-plus game with 33 points (14-0f-28 from the field), eight rebounds, and five assists. Anfernee Simons chipped in 21 and Derrick White’s shooting slump (5-of-18) continued in the loss. Seven Bulls players finished in double figures.

Amari with the flush 😤 pic.twitter.com/0BvmxVoWGd

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 25, 2026

As CelticsBlog’s Nate Moskowitz noted in his Question Marks heading into the game, Williams getting more minutes was a distinct possibility:

Mazzulla has consistently rewarded young players who impact games, and Williams may have earned himself a longer look. While his development is primarily happening in Maine, there’s value in giving him NBA reps — something he’s handled well each time so far.

Williams in fact started in place of Neemias Queta. He didn’t get the lion’s share at center as a starter normally does, but he did look solid in his ten minutes of playing time.

The team now heads home for seven of nine at TD Garden with the trade deadline (February 5th) and All-Star Weekend on the horizon. They host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at 5 pm.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Jalen Warley scored 19 points and Davis Fogle added 15 points and a last-second rebound as No. 8 Gonzaga edged San Francisco 68-66 on Saturday night for its 14th consecutive victory of the season and 34th win in a row over the Dons.

Tyon Grant-Foster added 15 points for Gonzaga (21-1, 9-0 West Coast Conference), which was without its two leading scorers for the third straight game. Forward Braden Huff (17.8 points per game) is out for several weeks with a knee injury. Forward Graham Ike (18 ppg) is expected back soon from an ankle injury.

Legend Smiley scored 18 points and Ryan Beasley 14 for San Francisco (13-9, 5-4), which has not beaten Gonzaga since 2012. The Dons' last win in Spokane was in 1989.

San Francisco sank 14 of 28 3-point attempts to nearly end its long victory drought at Gonzaga.

Junjie Wang had a basket and two free throws to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 60-57 with five minutes left. But the Dons went cold after that and Grant-Foster’s basket and a late 3-pointer with two minutes left lifted the Zags to a 67-57 lead.

Vukasin Masic hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Dons to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 68-66 with 30 seconds left.

The Dons played for the final shot and Wang launched a long 3-pointer that clanged off the rim. Fogle rebounded for Gonzaga and time expired.

The Zags opened the game with a 12-0 run. San Francisco missed its first eight field goal attempts and didn't score until Tyrone Riley's 3-pointer with 12:40 left in the first.

But the Dons hit four more 3-pointers in the first to close within 26-21. Gonzaga then went on a 10-4 run to build a 36-25 lead at halftime.

San Francisco made six 3-pointers early in the second half, including three by Smiley, to cut Gonzaga's lead to 53-47.

Up next

San Francisco: Plays at Santa Clara on Wednesday.

Gonzaga: Hosts rival Saint Mary's next Saturday.

—

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Flory Bidunga had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Elmarko Jackson added 19 points, and No. 19 Kansas overcame the absence of standout guard Darryn Peterson with a big finishing kick for an 86-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday night.

Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points and Bryson Tiller had 16 for the Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who ended the game on a 27-7 run in the return to the sideline for coach Bill Self, who had missed their previous game because of a health-related issue.

Peterson, one of the nation's best freshmen, had been on a tear after finally overcoming a series of cramping issues. But the Jayhawks' high-scoring guard was sidelined against Kansas State after spraining his ankle in Tuesday night's win over Colorado.

P.J. Haggerty had 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6). Andrej Kostic added 12 points.

Kansas State was short-handed, too. Khamari McGriff and fellow forward Mobi Ikegwuruka have been out with injuries, while starting guard Abdi Bashir remains sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot.

Kostic was among those pressed into more minutes. And the freshman from Serbia delivered right away, hitting four 3-pointers in a span of about four minutes in the first half, helping to keep the Wildcats within 37-35 at the break.

Kansas was still clinging to a 59-55 lead after Haggerty's 3-pointer with 7:50 to go, but Bidunga proceeded to score seven points during a 15-3 run. It was highlighted by a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk by Bidunga that helped to put the game away.

The Jayhawks won their fourth straight game while snapping a three-game skid against Kansas State in Manhattan. They also have won 16 of the past 20 overall in the second-longest active rivalry played in Division I men's basketball.

Up next

Kansas plays No. 13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday.

Kansas State heads to West Virginia on Tuesday night.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a solid all-around game as they picked up a stress-free 119-105 win over the Orlando Magic.

Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” represents an average performance for that player.

Donovan Mitchell

36 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Mitchell struggled to get going early. He had just nine points on 4-12 shooting at the break, and he very much looked like someone playing their second game in as many nights.

But it’s often not about how you start, but how you finish.

Mitchell was spectacular in the closing two quarters. He poured in 27 points in the second half on 11-18 shooting. Orlando didn’t have an answer as Mitchell continually got inside the paint whenever he wanted to.

The Cavs didn’t necessarily need a 36-point outing to win this game, this was a solid performance up and down the roster. However, the incredible scoring in the second half allowed this to be the double-digit victory that it was.

Grade: A

Jaylon Tyson

17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

The most encouraging part about Tyson’s offensive impact this season has been how he’s been able to find his spots within the flow of the offense. There isn’t any over-dribbling or indecision. He either goes up quickly with the shot or keeps the ball moving to find the open man.

It helps that Tyson has been one of the most efficient off-ball shooters in the league. Tyson came into this game shooting 46.3% on 4.3 catch-and-shoot threes. That’s in the top ten for players who’ve attempted more than to catch-and-shoot threes per game. That number is going to go up as he went 3-5 from beyond the arc in the win.

Additionally, the two-man game between him and Mitchell continues to grow. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has credited their development together to how much time they spend discussing and practicing those actions. That came in useful again here.

Overall, it was another good performance from someone who’s far exceeded expectations this season.

Grade: A

Evan Mobley

14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists

The offensive process was solid. Mobley tried to get to his spots on the court and was aggressive with his moves. The issue was that his shots weren’t going as he went 4-14 from the floor. That’s not too surprising given it was the second night of a back-to-back and the Magic front court is much more physical than the Sacramento Kings’.

The Cavs’ interior defense was impressive. He, Jarrett Allen, and Dean Wade deserve credit for that.

Grade: C+

Tyrese Proctor

12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

Proctor’s game has often looked better than the results. He has a good understanding of where he should be on the court, takes shots within the flow of the offense, and competes on the defensive end. And when the shot is falling, like it did in Orlando, he can provide a much-needed boost off the bench.

Grade: A

Craig Porter Jr.

4 points, 1 assist, 0 rebounds

This was a relatively quiet night for Porter. He didn’t play bad by any stretch. He just didn’t have a large impact on the outcome.

Grade: C

Lonzo Ball

6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Ball does a lot of things well on the court. Those come through more in games that don’t turn into three-point shooting contests.

It’s easy to point out a player’s flaw when it’s something as obvious as struggling with the outside shot. Those struggles shouldn’t overshadow how good a rebounder, facilitator, and all-around basketball player he can be on nights like this.

Grade: A-

Jarrett Allen

8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist

Allen didn’t make much of an impact as a scorer, but he did show up on the defensive end by contributing three steals and two blocks.

Grade: C

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

9 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists

Three-point shooting has been an issue for Tomlin this season. It wasn’t on Saturday as he went 2-4 on outside shots.

Tomlin’s energy, offensive rebounding, and finishing inside have been much needed. It’s easier to get him on the court to showcase those skills if the three-ball is an asset, as it was here.

Grade: B+

Thomas Bryant

4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

The Cavs needed extra energy on the second night of a back-to-back. Bryant provided that in the limited time he was on the court, while also hitting a momentum-saving three at the end of the third quarter to make it a double-digit lead heading into the fourth.

He did his job.

Grade: B+

Dean Wade

10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Wade’s defense is incredibly valuable for this starting unit to the point that anything he provides on the offensive end feels like a bonus. He didn’t have a scoring outburst against Orlando, but the baskets he made either turned the momentum or kept the momentum going. That included an impressive layup from nearly behind the backboard after a three-quarter court pass from Mitchell.

How in the world did Wade finish that? pic.twitter.com/N9Iyyt1Dz0

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) January 25, 2026

Grade: A-

Coming off the best game of his rookie season, Nolan Traore will have to wait to make his next impact. 

Both Traore (illness) and Cam Thomas (sprained left ankle) were ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. 

Traore’s fellow rookie Egor Dëmin showed signs earlier in the season of growing into the player the team hoped when they drafted him eighth overall out of BYU, Traore has stepped into the spotlight more recently.

In Friday’s double-overtime loss to the Celtics, the 19-year-old Traore, the No. 19 pick in last year’s draft, set career highs in minutes (36:51) and points (21).

Traore was also on the floor again late in the game instead of Dëmin.

“I think as a 19-year-old, Nolan played very meaningful minutes and he did a great job,’’ Jordi Fernández said. 

The coach noted Traore’s “ability to touch the paint and how slippery he is” as the reason he used him late and believes he will develop into having a greater role.

“There [are] some mistakes and we need him to be the floor general and talk and use his voice,’’ Fernández said. “But he’s going to grow that voice and I’m going to trust him.”

---

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND NETS STATS

---

Traore managed to impress some of his veteran teammates with his latest performance.

“He got to the paint, he finished well [and] he steadied the team in the clutch moments,’’ Michael Porter Jr. said. “He made some really big layups. And he used his speed to his advantage. So I thought it was a really good [game] for him to get that experience in the fourth quarter and overtimes. Egor’s been in those moments now a few times and it was good that Nolan got to be in those moments, as well.”

Nic Claxton said it was “big” for Traore to be on the court down the stretch.

“You can show him that he belongs here,’’ Claxton said. “I remember when I first started getting those clutch-time minutes. It is a good feeling and being able to impact the game.”

Claxton added Traore “did a lot of good things for us: Getting downhill and getting in the paint, spraying it out, making some good plays… Going forward, we’re definitely going to need that level of play from him.”

Thomas’ latest absence comes in what’s been a rough season, with his future with the Nets in doubt as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches. 

Ben Saraf will be available in Traore’s absence.

---

Claxton was not listed on the injury report Saturday. He was due to get imaging on his right pinky finger on after injuring it during Friday’s game.

He initially left the game due to the injury, but later returned and was able to finish the game.

If Claxton is unavailable Sunday in Los Angeles, Day’Ron Sharpe could make his fourth start of the season. Noah Clowney was listed as doubtful with back soreness.

It looked as if the Knicks had Saturday's game against the 76ers in hand when they were up by 16 points heading into the fourth quarter, but a furious comeback by Philadelphia almost spelled disaster for New York, if it weren't for the efforts of OG Anunoby.

The Knicks forward finished with 23 points, second to Jalen Brunson's 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the team's eventual 112-109 win. But Anunoby did much more than what was shown on the stat sheet. As has often been the case, Anunoby's high-effort plays and defense were the difference between a Knicks win or loss. 

"OG obviously changed the game defensively," head coach Mike Brown said after the game. "His quick decisions with the basketball, it was beautiful to watch. Defensively, guard Paul George, guard their power forward and then guard Joel Embiid. He was phenomenal defensively." 

That last part was especially crucial for the Knicks. With Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out and Mitchell Robinson in foul trouble of his own, Brown went with a smaller lineup in the final minutes of the game, and giving Anunoby the tall task of guarding Embiid as the five. 

While it wasn't perfect, Anunoby did his job keeping the former MVP from completely taking over the game. Embiid -- who finished with a game-high 38 points -- scored just four points in the final five minutes. 

"We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG," Brown said of going with the smaller lineup. "OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. So, we were able to do it."

Anunoby's offensive contributions were also huge. With the Sixers cutting the Knicks' lead to just three points and under two minutes remaining, Anunoby had a putback dunk that seemed to settle down the team. Anunoby followed with a three-pointer in the next offensive possession before assisting on a Landry Shamet three to give the Knicks a much-needed eight-point lead. 

The Knicks would need every point of that lead, as Philadelphia cut the lead back down to three, but Anunoby came up with a steal of Embiid's pass to ice the game. 

Brown was asked his thoughts on Anunoby guarding Embiid and the first-year Knicks coach said, "It was good." 

"He’s trying to do his work early," he added. "Try to make it hard for him to catch, guys on the perimeter get up on your guys so they can’t sit there and measure a pass and throw it over the top."

The Knicks, now winners of back-to-back games after a 2-9 stretch, will look to extend their winning streak to three when they host the Kings on Tuesday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business for the second night in a row. They comfortably defeated the Orlando Magic 119-105 thanks to a solid defensive effort and strong contributions from their entire rotation. Cleveland has now won six of their last eight games and 10 of their last 14.

This was an ugly game in the first half. The Cavs very much looked like a team on the second leg of a back-to-back as they struggled to establish any offensive momentum. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, combining to go 7-22 from the field in the first two quarters, played a large role in that happening.

Mitchell turning it around in the second half led to this being the stress-free win that it was. He provided 10 points in the third quarter to push what was a seven-point advantage at the break into a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Then, Mitchell put the game away in the fourth by supplying 17 points and three assists in that frame to keep Orlando at arm’s length. In total, 27 of his 36 points came in the second half. He finished the game shooting 15-30 from the field to go along with nine assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Cleveland won this game on the defensive end. The Magic are statistically the worst three-point shooting team in the East. The Cavs played them as such. Cleveland packed the paint and dared Orlando’s shooters to beat them from outside. They didn’t, as the Magic went just 11-40 (27.5%) from distance.

The Cavs, on the other hand, were able to knock down their outside shots. They connected on 44.1% of their triples to outscore the Magic by 12 points from beyond the arc.

Cleveland also controlled the paint on both ends. They did a good job of walling off the basket defensively, forcing the Magic to take tough in-between shots. This led to the Cavs having 10 more points in the paint.

You’re going to win most games when you hit more threes and score more points in the paint than your opponent.

Mobley wasn’t able to replicate his Shaq-like performance from Friday’s win over the Sacramento Kings. He was aggressive on the offensive end, but wasn’t able to get those shots to fall as he went just 4-14 from the field, leading to 13 points. Mobley was once again effective on the defensive end and was a large reason why the Cavs were able to keep Orlando’s attack in check.

Cleveland received positive contributions from everyone who played.

Jaylon Tyson continues to make the most of his scoring chances as he provided 17 points on 5-9 shooting. Tyrese Proctor supplied an impressive 12 points on 4-4 shooting in under 10 minutes of play. Dean Wade had a positive contribution as a scorer, as he went 4-4 from the field with 10 points to go along with three steals and two blocks.

The Magic were led by Paolo Banchero’s 27 points on 7-14 shooting. Desmond Bane had 20 points and four rebounds in the loss.

The Cavs will take on the Magic again on Monday. This time, it’ll be in Cleveland. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Snudda Collins scored 28 points off the bench, and the No. 19 Texas Tech women rolled past Utah 77-49 on Saturday night.

Collins had 20 points by halftime, going 4 for 4 from behind the arc in the first half as the Lady Raiders built a commanding 39-20 lead. Texas Tech shot 52% from the field and 45% from 3-point range while holding Utah to 33% shooting and just 3 of 16 from deep.

Texas Tech put the game away in the third quarter, outscoring the Utes 25-12 to push the margin past 30. The Lady Raiders led 64-32 entering the fourth and never allowed Utah to threaten.

Bailey Maupin added 15 points for Texas Tech (20-2, 7-2 Big 12), and Jada Malone scored 11 off the bench. Gemma Nuñez pulled down nine rebounds and dished out five assists as the Lady Raiders forced 18 turnovers and finished with 12 steals.

Reese Ross led Utah (14-6, 5-3) with 13 points and nine rebounds. Lani White scored 10 points.

The win snapped a two-game skid for Texas Tech.

Up Next

Texas Tech faces Iowa State on Wednesday.

Utah hosts No. 22 West Virginia this Tuesday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

WACO, Texas (AP) — Jayden Pierre scored a career-high 25 points, Xavier Edmonds added 23, and TCU defeated Baylor 97-90 on Saturday night.

The Horned Frogs (13-7, 3-4 Big 12) rode a strong second half to the win, outscoring Baylor 59-52 after heading to halftime tied at 38. Pierre scored 14 in the second half, reaching 1,000 career points in the process.

Edmonds scored five points during a 7-0 TCU run that stretched the lead to 17, their largest of the night, with seven minutes remaining. Baylor cut the lead to single-digits late but couldn't complete the comeback, as Edmonds hit six straight free throws with under a minute remaining.

TCU shot 52% from the floor and 46% from 3-point range, and hit 26 of 32 free throws. The Horned Frogs scored 44 points in the paint and led for 25:09, taking the lead for good with 15:14 remaining in the second half during a 9-0 run.

The Bears (11-8, 1-6) were paced by Isaac Williams and Tounde Yessoufou, who each scored 21 points before fouling out. Cameron Carr added 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Sophomore forward David Punch was a late scratch for TCU due to illness. He leads the team with averages of 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Up next

TCU hosts Houston on Wednesday.

Baylor visits Cincinnati on Wednesday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball