Category: NBA

The Lakers (24-15) will travel to Portland this weekend, where they will take on the Blazers (20-22). This is the third and final meeting between the two teams.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

When: 7 p.m. PT, Jan. 17

Where: Moda Center

Watch: NBA TV, Spectrum Sportsnet

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Just when the Lakers put together one of their best performances of the season in a win against the Atlanta Hawks, they followed it up with an ugly loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Their defense was once again exposed, reminding everyone how inconsistent this team has been all season.

With exactly 39 games in the books, it’s now fair to conclude that LA’s defense is bad. Los Angeles has way too many one-way players who are unequipped on the defensive side of the ball.

While likely only a trade can significantly upgrade the Lakers’ defense, which now ranks 26th in the NBA, no such deal will happen in time for this upcoming matchup against the Blazers.

So, the question is, who will step up and bring the physicality and energy on defense? Can Marcus Smart do it? Will Jake LaRavia have a big game? Or will everything fall on LeBron James with Luka Dončić out and other key Lakers listed as questionable?

Entering this contest, the Blazers have won seven of their last 10 games.

They’ve defeated the Houston Rockets twice in the last two weeks, as well as the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. They’re also very unpredictable to gauge because a few of their players, like Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, are listed as either doubtful or questionable on their injury report.

Hopefully, the Lakers team that shows up on Saturday is the one that plays very well on the road (13-7). The one that plays like they’re tired of their inconsistent ways and the one that’s aggressive and controls the pace from start to finish.

They’ve done it in the past, so there’s no excuse for them not to do so on Saturday.

Notes and Updates

• The Lakers are now 5-8 in their last 13 games, their worst stretch of the season so far.

• The Blazers rank 29th in the league in 3-point shooting, so don’t expect them to convert lots of shots from beyond the arc unless they’re having an outlier type of night, which is possible given the Lakers’ perimeter defense.
• As for the injury report, the Lakers list Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) as questionable.
• Luka Dončić (left groin soreness), Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are out.
• The Blazers have Deni Avdija (lower back strain) listed as doubtful. Scoot Henderson (left hamstring tear), Damian Lillard (Achilles recovery), Kris Murray (lumbar strain), Matisse Thybulle (right knee tendinopathy) and Blake Wesley (right foot fracture) are out.
• Jerami Grant (Achilles injury) and Jrue Holiday (right calf injury) are questionable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

The Brooklyn Nets returned home to face the Chicago Bulls on Friday night after completing a miraculous 3-game road trip. Miraculously, the Nets lost all games to teams with a combined 39-70 record. Perhaps it’s a sign that this year’s attempt at tanking is blessed by the basketball gods, but that’s no consolation to Head Coach Jordi Fernández.

“I don’t think I really move on [from tough losses],” said Jordi with half a smile pregame. “It’s what I tell the players, but me personally, it’s a different story.”

The trip began with the Nets blowing a late eight-point lead to the Memphis Grizzlies as the hosts closed on a 13-0 run; it ended with Saddiq Bey hitting a 30-foot prayer and the New Orleans Pelicans winning a contest they only led for five minutes. But while those losses featured late-game heartbreak, their loss to the Dallas Mavericks may have been the most improbable. Dallas, the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, shot 44% from deep compared to just 24% for the Nets. It still came down to clutch time.

The Chicago Bulls have survived Josh Giddey’s absence, a respectable 4-4 since their leader injured his hamstring, but they would need similar luck to hand Brooklyn their sixth straight loss. Early on, they didn’t get it. Six different Brooklyn Nets hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter, then Danny Wolf opened up the second quarter by going glass at the end of the shot-clock…

Danny Wolf uses the glass to connect from deep and beat the shot clock 👌

Nets leading the Bulls in the 2Q on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/ewviUbb9qw

— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2026

It seemed like it was just one of those nights. For both teams. Ten Nets played, ten Nets scored, and the team as a whole shot 19-of-40 from deep. Conversely, the Bulls committed just eight turnovers and shot 58.8% inside the arc, playing a respectable offensive game without Giddey … aside from the fact that they couldn’t throw a seashell in the ocean, shooting 5-of-23 from deep through three quarters.

As such, the Nets were in cruise control, beginning with a dominant second quarter. Wolf’s bank shot certainly helped, but he had a solid night overall. After entering the night shooting under 38% from the floor in the new year, Wolf put up 13/4/4 on 5-of-8 shooting. Crucially, he didn’t turn it over once…

.@Daniel_Wolf6 did just about everything in the final 2:41 of the third:

3-pointer then
Steal then
Assist then
Block then
Rebound then
Layup then
Rebound then
Rebound then
Layup pic.twitter.com/xjsoffP1Ec

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 17, 2026

The rookies in the starting lineup, Egor Dëmin and Drake Powell, weren’t as impactful, combining for eight points on 2-of-11 shooting. However, Nolan Traore picked up the slack off the bench, hitting a couple 3-pointers and dishing six assists…

Nolan skip passes. pic.twitter.com/Jt9L6UrOAh

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) January 17, 2026

As a reward, Nolan closed the game over Dëmin, and somehow, the pressure was on. What had been a comfortable game for two hours turned sweaty in the fourth quarter as the Bulls finally woke up from three, with four makes from Jalen Smith. That uneasy feeling swept through Barclays Center with the Nets looking down the barrel of another excruciating loss, missing layup after layup and turning it over anytime Chicago needed a boost…

TRE FOR THE LEAD.@Tre3Jones | @CHSN__pic.twitter.com/kS2389oXdB

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 17, 2026

Fernández’s nightmare quickly turned reality; suddenly, the Nets were inbounding, trailing by one. He didn’t draw up anything too complex — a simple pin down for Michael Porter Jr. — but the Bulls were confused nonetheless. Coby White switched onto the much taller MPJ, who curled the screen, bounced off White’s hip downhill, and finished a layup with 5.4 seconds left.

Did Jordi draw it up exactly like that, down to the last detail? Not exactly: “No, I just need him to catch the ball after that. He knows what he’s doing.”

Michael Porter Jr., likely All-Star, was a worthy hero as any. Noah Clowney got off the schneid, hitting four threes to notch a 23-and-11 double-double while Nic Claxton put up 7/14/5, his season-high in rebounds. Still, it was MPJ who led all scorers with 26, scoring 12 of Brooklyn’s 23 fourth-quarter points.

But the Nets did need one final stop, and it was here the Drake Powell erased any concern about his quiet offensive night. Tre Jones attempted to enter it to Nikola Vučević, who led them in scoring with 19, at the top of the key. It appeared the visitors were setting up a handoff with White, simply trying to put their two most dynamic threats in an action together, but they never got there…

STOLEN by Drake Powell❕ pic.twitter.com/AZvVwYyDoz

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 17, 2026

Powell pogo’d, reached out, deflected the pass, and secured the loose ball. Clowney then made his free-throws, while Vooch missed a desperation heave as the buzzer sounded. To Drake, it seemed simple: “Just trying to have active hands, high activity on the ball, and just do my best to make a tough entry pass. That was the main thing.”

The Nets did juuuust enough, buoyed by a couple heroic plays from a vet and a rookie. The Nets mercifully won a close game, and Jordi Fernández could exhale: “The lesson is that there’s no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back and obviously, give them credit … but it’s way better to learn that winning than losing, right?”

“It was a little bit of déjà vu, just seeing the game kind of slipped away, but it’s nice figuring out ways to win those games as opposed to figuring out ways to lose them.” — Nic Claxton

Final Score: Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109

Milestone Watch

• Michael Porter Jr.’s game-winning layup with 5.4 seconds remaining tonight was his second career go-ahead field goal with under ten seconds remaining.
• This was Clowney’s 10th career game with 20 points and his sixth of the season, his 11 rebounds were also a career-high. This was his second career double-double.

The win didn’t move the Nets up in the Tankathon rankings. They remain in fifth but now two games behind Washington and Utah who are tied for third and fourth. So not big deal.

Next Up

This was the first half of a home-and-home, so next up for the Brooklyn Nets is the Chicago Bulls over at their place. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday evening.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109 (Video) – NBA
• Final 4:47 Crazy Ending (Video) – NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers won a thrilling game against the Philadelphia 76ers. They couldn’t have done it without Jaylon Tyson.

Let’s see who won and lost the night.

WINNER – Jaylon Tyson

I gave Tyson a rare A+++ in my player grades. If that tells you anything about the game he just played.

It was the type of game that’s almost hard to talk about. He was perfect, in every single way. What else is there to say?

Tyson had a career-high 39 points. It only took him 17 shots to get there, as he missed just 4 attempts all night. He was a flamethrower from behind the arch (7-9 three-point shooting) and just as impressive attacking the basket.

He capped it off with an aggressive drive and dump-off pass to Evan Mobley for the game-winning bucket.

Tonight was Jaylon Tyson's SIXTH game of 19+ points on above 70% FG this season

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) January 17, 2026

Tyson has shown no fear this season. And, he’s starting to show that his ceiling might be higher than anyone could have predicted. This was already the sixth time this season that Tyson has scored 19+ points on 70% or better shooting from the floor. That type of efficiency from a second-year player who is also a plus defender is almost unheard of.

LOSER – Ball Security

You can rarely blame an entire loss on one single factor. But hey, if the Cavs had lost tonight, they would have only had one thing to blame.

Turnovers were a serious problem in this game. That’s to be expected when Darius Garland isn’t there to run the offense. Still, 12 turnovers at halftime had the Cavs trailing a game they should have been winning. The 76ers finished with 32 points off Cleveland’s turnovers, a stat that should have been a backbreaker.

It takes some serious grit and determination to win a game when you’re spotting the other team that many points. Granted, Philly deserves credit for the swarming defense that they played. But also, the Cavs had plenty of unforced errors in this one, as well.

Winning can cure everything. Though I don’t think the Cavs should expect to get away with this many turnovers again.

LOSER – Evan Mobley’s Usage

This might sound harsh, because I loved the 17 points that Mobley scored on Wednesday, but now I’m complaining about his 15 points tonight. The thing is, Mobley should have gotten more opportunities with Cleveland’s injuries, not fewer.

I understand that Philly loaded up against Mobley. They know as well as we do that the Cavs needed him to score tonight with DG and Sam Merrill on the sidelines. Mobley has done a great job of reading the defense and making the correct pass this season.

Still, it should be easy to replicate the actions that Mobley excels at running. Those side pick-and-rolls that lead into jump hooks should be available at any given time. Yet, for some reason, the Cavs consistently struggle to keep Mobley involved offensively.

Putting more on Mobley’s plate shouldn’t be complicated. He doesn’t have to be a Giannis-prototype or an elite floor spacer. Can he just get a few extra possessions scoring in the short-roll? That’s all I want.

I’m glad he got the rock with the game on the line. Even if it was a simple drive and dump-off pass. That’s the type of action that Mobley can dominate. You just have to get to the basket and find him, because you can trust that he’s always lurking.

WINNER – Nae’Qwan Tomlin Dunks

Tomlin dunks every ball like he’s trying to rip the rim straight off the backboard. Had he played 40 years ago, he’d likely be responsible for several game stoppages and hoop repairs.

We love the intensity that Tomlin brings to the game. His ferocious dunks are instant highlights. And, because he goes so hard in the paint, defenders are learning to get out of his way. Joel Embiid side-stepped an opportunity to contest Tomlin on one of his violent attacks in the second half.

There isn’t much else to say about this. I just had to give him a nod.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting, Flory Bidunga had 23 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, and Kansas beat Baylor 80-62 on Friday night.

Kansas led by 15 points after opening the game on a 19-4 run, but the Bears rallied behind an 8-0 run to take their first lead at 37-36. The Jayhawks scored the final seven points of the half, capped by a stepback jumper by Peterson, who had 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Bidunga threw down an alley-oop dunk while being fouled and he made the free throw to cap Kansas’ 15-3 run to begin the second half for a 58-40 lead. Baylor began the second half by making just 1 for 6 shots — after missing its final four field goals of the first half.

Kansas led by at least 14 points the rest of the way.

Peterson, averaging a team-high 21.8 points per game, has six games of 20 or more points for Kansas (13-5, 3-2 Big 12), which was coming off an 84-63 win against No. 2 Iowa State on Tuesday. The Jayhawks have shot above 50% from the field the past two games.

Cameron Carr led Baylor (11-6, 1-4) with 24 points and five 3-pointers. Tounde Yessoufou added three of Baylor's 11 3-pointers and 20 points.

It marked the first time since Dec. 10, 1966, that the two teams met while both were unranked in the AP poll.

The Jayhawks lead the all-time series with Baylor, 37-11, including 21-1 at Allen Fieldhouse

Up next

Baylor: Returns home to play No. 15 Texas Tech on Tuesday.

Kansas: Goes on the road to face Colorado on Tuesday.

___ 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

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. made a go-ahead layup with 5.4 seconds remaining after Brooklyn had blown a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, and the Nets beat the Chicago Bulls 112-109 on Friday night.

Porter scored 26 points and Noah Clowney had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Day’Ron Sharpe scored 14 points and rookie Danny Wolf had 13.

Nikola Vucevic scored 19 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 18 for the Bulls in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez thought the Nets could’ve won all three games on their just-completed road trip, but it appeared they wouldn’t need to worry about another close finish after a 15-0 run in the second quarter helped them take a 17-point halftime lead, their second-largest of the season.

Cam Thomas’ three-pointer to open the fourth quarter made it 92-72 before the Bulls scored the next 11 points. Thomas hit another three to stop that surge, and the Nets still led by six with under a minute remaining.

The Bulls then scored seven straight points to go ahead 109-108 on Tre Jones’ layup with 11.4 seconds remaining. The Nets ran a play to get Porter the ball near the basket, and he put the Nets back on top. Rookie Drake Powell then stole Chicago’s pass in from the sideline and Clowney’s two free throws made it 112-109 before Vucevic missed a rushed three-pointer.

Brooklyn had a 42-38 lead with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the second quarter that should’ve been cut to two, but Matas Buzelis missed a fast-break dunk attempt with nobody around. Clowney then converted a pair of three-point plays during a personal run of seven straight points, and after Porter made a three-pointer, Clowney hit one to extend the lead to 17 before Egor Demin made two free throws to end the run and make it 57-38.

Up next

The teams play Sunday in Chicago.

If Kansas basketball's win over Baylor on Friday, Jan. 16 proved anything, it was that Darryn Peterson is in fact one of the best players in men's college basketball.

The freshman star guard took over in the Jayhawks' 80-62 win over the Bears at Allen Fieldhouse with 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field with two rebounds and three assists.

His 26-point outing gives him his fourth game of at least 20 points in Kansas' last five games. It's the sixth game this season that Peterson, who has missed some time with a hamstring injury, has reached that mark, as well.

And he could have had more: Peterson made his last basket with 16:41 to go and didn't play at all in the final 8:01.

Here's a deeper look into Peterson's night against the Bears, including a look at his full box score:

Darryn Peterson stats vs Baylor

Here's a look at Paterson's stats from Friday's game against Baylor:

• Points: 26
• Shooting: 11-for-13
• 3-point shooting: 2-for-4
• Free throw shooting: 2-for-4
• Rebounds: 2
• Assists: 3
• Steals: 1
• Turnovers: 0
• Minutes: 23

Darryn Peterson highlights

Here's a look at a few highlights from Peterson's night against the Bears:

"Haha! Ball. Player." Darryn Peterson putting on a show @KUHoopspic.twitter.com/sqPW5CCExL

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 17, 2026

BACK-TO-BACK THREES 🫡

13 PTS for the freshman pic.twitter.com/dwYaTz2eRV

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 17, 2026

Darryn Peterson is on a HEATER 🔥

He has 13 of @KUHoops' 19 points so far tonight! pic.twitter.com/kDtczu5xqg

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 17, 2026

Did Kansas basketball win today?

Yes, led by Peterson's 26 points, Kansas picked up its third Big 12 win of the season with an 80-62 victory over Baylor on Jan. 16. The Jayhawks improved to 13-5 (3-2 in Big 12 play) on the season with the win.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Darryn Peterson points today: Kansas freshman dominates vs Baylor

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Kendall Coyne Schofield scored in overtime off a nice assist by Taylor Heise and the Minnesota Frost beat the New York Sirens 3-2 on Friday night.

Heise faked a shot and sent it across the goal on a breakaway for Coyne Schofield's redirection. Coyne Schofield increased her point total to 14 this season and Heise recorded her 10th assist, four coming in the last two games.

It was the first of five regular-season meetings between Minnesota (5-2-2-3) and New York (6-0-1-5). Last season, the Sirens went 3-2-1-0 against Minnesota.

Heise's first assist to Britta Curl-Salemme opened the scoring with 11:05 left in the first period after a misplay by the Sirens goaltender. It was Curl-Salemme's fifth goal of the season and league-leading 14th point. Curl-Salemme has points in 10 of 12 games this season.

Kelly Pannek gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead just 35 seconds into the second on a hard shot in close for her fifth goal of the season. Coyne Schofield picked up the assist.

Casey O’Brien, with a jailbreak goal, tied it at 1-all for New York with 2:49 left in the first.

Taylor Girard set a career high in goals with her fifth to tie it at 2-all at 4:04 of the second.

Up next

Minnesota: Returns home to play Montreal on Wednesday.

New York: Plays Montreal in a Takeover Tour game at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a stunner in Philly. This one was equally stressful and rewarding.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

13 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 6 turnovers

Mitchell was quiet for most of this game. He only attempted five shots in the first half as Philly focused most of their defensive attention on him. Mitchell did a great job of countering this by being a playmaker rather than pressing the issue. He eventually found a small rhythym in the second half, giving the Cavs just enough to pull off a win.

I would have given Mitchell an extra letter grade had he taken better care of the ball. Six turnovers are a bit much.

Grade: B

Jaylon Tyson

39 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds

Tyson was phenomenal tonight. A career-high in points on absurd efficiency (13-17 shooting). This is the type of performance that Tyson has replicated multiple times this season, to lesser degrees. The more he proves he can score at this rate, the more valuable Tyson becomes as a prospect. This might be a future All-Star caliber player.

EVAN MOBLEY GAME WINNER. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/nUiJpKdMjO

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 17, 2026

If his red-hot shooting wasn’t enough, Tyson also dished the game-winning assist. A cool, calm, and collected approach from a player who has shown no fear through his sophomore season.

Grade: A+++

Evan Mobley

15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal

I wish we could have seen more from Mobley, considering the injuries to Darius Garland and Sam Merrill. But Philly did a good job of keeping Mobley away from the paint. That is, until the very final possession, where Mobley caught a pass and dunked it home for the win.

Grade: B–

Tyrese Proctor

13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 11 minutes

Proctor took advantage of his opportunity today. He was an efficient 5-8 from the floor and arguably should be playing ahead of Lonzo Ball, at this point.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter Jr.

2 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds

Porter might not be a threat to shoot the ball, but he keeps finding ways to be effective anyway. He matched his career-high with 11 assists and grabbed 2 offensive rebounds.

Grade: B+

De’Andre Hunter

16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Hunter is starting to trend in the right direction. He’s been more efficient recently (7-13 tonight) and threw down a monster dunk in the fourth quarter. It took him a minute, but this is what we expected to see from Hunter this season.

Grade: A-

Jarrett Allen

10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Allen was fairly timid tonight. At least, compared to how he played in his previous matchup with Philly. He still did a fine job of keeping Embiid away from the glass, but he could have been more assertive on offense.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

9 points, 5 rebounds

Tomlin is an energizer. You know this by now. He threw down a couple of thunderous dunks tonight and gave Cleveland a surge of momentum when they needed it most.

Grade: A–

Lonzo Ball

0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

I don’t know, man.

It’s hard to see Ball turning his season around at this point. He just doesn’t seem to have any juice as a shot creator anymore. I don’t think he’s played well enough to stay ahead of any other guard on the roster right now.

Grade: D-

Jaylon Tyson’s career-high 39 points helped the Cleveland Cavaliers overcome an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-115. Despite the impressive scoring, Tyson won the game by finding Evan Mobley for an easy dunk with five seconds left for the game-winning basket.

Cleveland was once again shorthanded without the services of Darius Garland (toe), Sam Merrill (hand), Dean Wade (knee), and Max Strus (foot). This led to head coach Kenny Atkinson going with his 23rd starting lineup of the season that featured Craig Porter Jr. at point guard in place of Garland.

The Cavs played like a team that lacked their starting point guard. They turned it over 12 times in the first half, which directly led to 21 points for Philadelphia. This allowed the Sixers to take a seven-point lead into the break.

Neither team could gain traction in the third quarter, but the Sixers’ strong start to the fourth pushed their lead to 11.

The Cavs fought back then. They played some of their best basketball of the night in a four-minute stretch in the fourth that saw them tie the game after a 10-0 run.

Cleveland had all the momentum with five minutes to play in a time game, but then they threw it all away. They turned it over on three straight possessions in a stretch that felt eerily similar to the start of the game. The Sixers scored on each of the giveaways as what was a tie game quickly turned into a seven-point advantage for Philadelphia.

The Cavs once again battled back with a 10-2 run to take a one-point lead with two minutes left in the fourth. Both teams exchanged baskets for the last two minutes.

A Tyrese Maxey floater tied the game at 115 with eight seconds left.

Atkinson called a timeout and drew a play up for Mitchell. When Lonzo Ball wasn’t able to get it inbounded to Mitchell, he instead turned to the high scorer of the night. Tyson immediately beat his man off the catch, drove baseline, waited until the help defense came, and then made a beautiful drop-off pass to Mobley, who put the game away with a dunk.

The GAME-SEALING dunk! @evanmobley | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/dvKfLOHyqZ

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 17, 2026

Maxey had a chance to win the game with a desperation jumper from just inside halfcourt, but he wasn’t able to get it to go.

Tyson was Cleveland’s best player on Friday. He seemingly couldn’t miss from deep as he went 7-9 from beyond the arc, which opened up the rest of his offensive game. Overall, Tyson connected on 13 of his 17 attempts from the field. This led to a career-high 39 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

The Cavs needed that kind of performance with Donovan Mitchell struggling. The Sixers double-teamed him and forced the ball out of his hands anytime they had a chance to do so. This resulted in him finishing with just 13 points on 13 shot attempts with 12 assists and six turnovers.

De’Andre Hunter had another strong performance. He provided 16 points off the bench, with seven of them coming during the fourth-quarter comeback.

Mobley scored 15 points, including three in the final 30 seconds, to secure the victory.

Tyrese Proctor also made a positive contribution as he added 13 points on 5-8 shooting in 11 minutes of action. Porter provided 11 assists and two points in the win.

The Sixers were led by 33 points and five rebounds from Joel Embiid. Maxey had 22 points on 9-23 shooting with nine assists.

This wasn’t the prettiest game, particularly in the first half, but the Cavs found a way to dig deep and secure a hard-fought road victory. They’ve now won three out of their last four and seven of their last 10.

The Cavs will be back in action on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as they host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip-off will be at 2:30 PM.

If Ja Morant does get traded by the Grizzlies, it’s now becoming clearer what Memphis might get in return — or at least want.

The controversial two-time NBA All-Star has seen his game, availability and value plummet over the last couple of seasons. Now, in trade rumors, Morant — who is in the third year of a five-year, $197 million deal — could be in for a Trae Young-like fate and be on the move.

On Sirius XM’s “Deals and Dunks,” longtime NBA insider Marc Stein said Memphis is looking to receive a first-round pick and a younger player in return for Morant.

“It’s hard to pinpoint clear-cut suitors. Miami, we know, is interested,” he said. “There has been some dialogue between the teams. How far it’s actually gone, I imagine the Heat would just try to steal him for expiring.

“I don’t know how far the Heat would be willing to go as far as draft capital and young players to put into an offer — We do know with Miami, whenever there’s a star player available, they will at the very least investigate it.”

Young, despite his individual accolades, was dealt by the Hawks to the Wizards last week for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Although Travis Schlenk — the Hawks general manager when Young was there — is the current Wizards vice president of player personnel, making Washington an obvious landing spot once Young’s time in Atlanta soured.

Young, unlike Morant, can opt into free agency this summer.

Morant is making $39.4 million this season and is set to take $42.1 million and $44.9 million in each of the next two seasons, respectively.

The Heat have contracts that are tradable in the $26-to-$31 million range, like guard Tyler Herro, swingman Andrew Wiggins, and the expiring deal of guard Terry Rozier, who has been on leave all season due to an ongoing betting scandal.

Rozier pleaded not guilty in early December, and the next hearing is scheduled for March 3.

The Heat could use Rozier as a trade chip ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, as ESPN reported this week.

Other teams rumored to be interested in Morant now include the Pelicans, according to a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, adding them to a list that reportedly includes the Kings, Raptors and Bucks.

Morant, who has never played 70 games in a season, has been limited to just 212 games — regular season and playoffs — since the 2021-22 season, missing 178 games and counting in the process due to injuries and suspensions.

This year, he’s averaging 19 points and 7.6 assists, shooting a career-worst 40.1 percent from the floor, and just 20.8 percent on 3-pointers, also a career-low.

A fitting loss to cap off a terrible Philly sports week

The Sixers blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, falling 117-115 at the last second to the Cleveland Cavaliers, completing the sweep of the season series.

Joel Embiid had a classic Joel Embiid performance, leading all Sixers with 33 points shooting 10-of-22 from the floor. Tyrese Maxey at least looked better than he did Wednesday, putting up 22 points on 9-of-23 shooting, hitting a game-tying floater but not a potential half-court heave to win it.

VJ Edgecombe was again derailed by foul trouble, finishing with 10 points going 4-of-5. Paul George quietly steadied the second unit, having 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting along with five assists.

Jaylon Tyson led all scorers with 39.

Somehow Dominick Barlow was not only available, but back in the starting lineup after suffering a nasty looking back contusion Wednesday, leaving every Sixer available. The Cavs were down Darius Garland, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and Max Strus.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• Yet another game with a fast offensive start as the teams combined to make 11 of their first 14 field goal attempts. Embiid got dunked on by Evan Mobley to open up the game’s scoring, but had comfortably settled in to his midrange by the nail on the other end. The Sixers were the first team to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor. Dominick Barlow didn’t seem too hampered, blocking a shot and ripping the ball away from Donovan Mitchell on two early plays while Maxey snagged an early steal as well.

pic.twitter.com/CWMDLFUugk

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) January 17, 2026

• That aggression, and some miscommunication, got the Sixers in a bit of trouble. Multiple times early two Sixers would follow the same Cavalier, leaving another wide open, but they were meeting even less resistance on the other end. Embiid and Maxey went to their actions frequently and got a good look just about every time, including a beautiful one-handed layup by Maxey after Embiid’s bounce pass led him perfectly to the spot.
• Embiid wouldn’t stay as efficient from the field but he continued to control things, getting a couple trips to the line to round out a 13-point quarter. The offense did miss him when he checked out, going scoreless after he buried a three at the 3:13 mark. Cleveland buried a couple threes in the final minute to knot the game at 31 after one.

Second Quarter

• Maxey came off the floor but with George and Edgecombe returning it once again gave the offense some structure — the latter got himself a really nice layup cutting around the former. The Sixers also had their best stretch of protecting the basket to this point, thanks in large part to two blocks from Adem Bona.

What a sequence from Adem Bona!

A big-time slam followed by TWO incredible blocks 💥🚫🚫

Tap to watch on ESPN: https://t.co/cMTBYNvzNmpic.twitter.com/WDR3yMsEc5

— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2026

• Thanks to seven steals in the first while only giving it away once themselves, the Sixers were thoroughly dominating the turnover battle. Just after extending their lead to double digits, two turnovers of their own gave that momentum right back to Cleveland. Edgecombe had the ball taken away from him way too easily while Kelly Oubre Jr. threw a pass that was way too easy to pick off. Those were big reasons for the 8-0 run the Cavs ripped off, but Craig Porter Jr. missing a pair of free throws settled things down for the moment.
• Maxey was able to spring free for an open three off the catch as well as a steal-and-slam, but this was another half in which he was struggling to create. The length Cleveland was throwing at him might have bothered him, but he just seemed to be having a harder time holding on to the ball. The Cavs were only able to load up on him more when Edgecombe had to sit the end of the half with foul trouble. Quentin Grimes replaced him and looked rough missing his first three shots of the night, but buried two threes to give the Sixers a seven-point lead at the half.

Third Quarter

• Both Embiid and Tyson started the second half with the same rhythm they started the game with. While Embiid continued to enjoy open midranges off pick-and-pops, something just seemed slightly off with his two-man game with Maxey. For example, he threw the between-the-legs way drop pass way too early and dumped it into Jarrett Allen’s lap.
• A strong take with his left hand was just the type of basket Maxey needed, though that didn’t seem to get him going in any way. Another silly mistake, this time Oubre needlessly fouling Nae’Qwan Tomlin on a dunk again, gave the Cavs momentum to cut into the lead the Sixers threatened to push to double digits.

Rese to the hoop! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QSNXBj67wh

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 17, 2026

• Oubre did his best to make up for it though — he put back a missed Embiid layup, created a fast break layup for himself by running out after a miss, and knocked down a three. The Cavs took advantage of yet another sloppy turnover, but Maxey answered with a contested three to beat the shot clock and keep the lead at seven as the third expired.

Fourth Quarter

• Sitting a good chunk of the game in foul trouble, Edgecombe hadn’t scored since his perfect 3-of-3 start to the night. Naturally, he opened the scoring for the Sixers in the fourth, matching a Mitchell three with one of his own. His second-unit running mate helped him lead the way as George knocked down a couple of baseline jumpers.

3J! 👌 pic.twitter.com/uJNsoM9Odw

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 17, 2026

• The Sixers’ offense went cold enough after that for the Cavs to rip off a 10-0 run to tie the game. It wasn’t due to getting bogged down either. They pushed up a possession to get Maxey a wide open three in the corner that he missed, Grimes beat his man off the dribble for a wide open layup but just smoked it. The Sixers answered with a 7-0 run, for once it was them taking advantage of silly mistakes. Tyson messed up taking the inbound and turned it over after another Maxey fast break layup, and Mobley stepped out of bounds trying to drive from the corner on the following possession.
• Once again, the Sixers ran bland offense down the stretch, and it again cost them. The first was a play that took way too long to develop after Maxey got doubled, Embiid couldn’t feel the defenders coming as the slow lob pass came to him and it was stolen. Maxey then went nowhere on a drive and had his runner blocked by Mobley. Embiid tried to post up Allen, got stonewalled and threw up an airball. Cleveland stormed back with another Tyson three giving them a one-point lead with less than two minutes to go.
• Maxey had a lot more space on his next drive and got fouled, retaking the lead at the line. They forced a miss on the following possession, but swinging to an open Oubre resulted in a missed three and De’Andre Hunter put Cleveland back in front. George was able to shake his defender but his turnaround jumper in the paint was no good.
• George and Oubre both played tough defense on Mobley who missed as well, but Oubre got enough forearm to be whistled for a foul — a challenge couldn’t overturn it. Mobley split his pair, giving the Sixers a chance to tie or go in front with 22.2 to go. Maxey and Embiid spent most of that time exchanging the ball, giving Maxey runway to tie the game with a floater with 8.1 seconds remaining. Cleveland went to their hot hand, Tyson got the ball on the baseline, spun, beat his defender, and drew to the help to get Mobley an open dunk with four seconds to go. Now of timeouts the Sixers could only get up a half court heave that didn’t fall.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Center Jay Huff had a career-best 29 points and nine rebounds and led five players in double figures as the Indiana Pacers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 127-119 on Friday night.

The 7-foot-1 Huff, who entered Friday averaging 8.4 points, shot 13 for 17 from the field and 3 for 6 from 3-point distance. The center's previous high was 22 points, achieved last year while with the Memphis Grizzlies in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. Huff was acquired by Indiana in a trade with Memphis during the offseason.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half, and Andrew Nembhard added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who won for the fourth time in five games. Aaron Nesmith and Quenton Jackson scored 12 points apiece as Indiana closed out a 3-1 homestand and improved to 8-16 at home.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 27 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field and 7-for-10 shooting from the line. Williamson was 8 for 8 from the field in the first half, when he scored 21 points.

Trey Murphy III scored 22 points, Saddiq Bey added 20, Jeremiah Fears finished with 16, Derik Queen had 14 and Jordan Poole 11 for the Pelicans, who are 3-16 in road games. Queen also had 12 rebounds.

The Pacers trailed by two points after one quarter and raced to a 10-point lead in the second quarter for a 73-66 edge at the break. The 73 points is the Pacers' highest-scoring first half of the season. Indiana led 102-93 after three periods.

Up next

Pelicans: At the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Pacers: At the Detroit Pistons on Saturday in the opener of a five-game trip.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

On the latest Kevin O’Connor show, O’Connor mentioned that the Utah Jazz “are going to be a team with big interest” in Austin Reaves.

Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will draw significant interest leaguewide. So, regardless of whether this is actual intel on the Jazz or just an assumption from O’Connor, it makes sense. For O’Connor to call out the Utah Jazz specifically is interesting. Perhaps this was why the Utah Jazz unfollowed O’Connor on Twitter recently?

👀 Utah Jazz (utahjazz) is no longer following @KevinOConnor

— NBA Alerts (@theNBAalert) January 15, 2026

Regardless, this is definitely interesting. It also makes sense with Utah’s trajectory. Utah has filled its books with expiring contracts this season, so it has room to make deals this upcoming offseason. Austin Reaves would be a great target with that money. Then, if they are able to bring him over, they can also sign Walker Kessler afterwards and go over the cap. It’s a plan that makes a ton of sense and could lead the Jazz to be major players next season.

On top of this is whether Utah wins this upcoming lottery. If Utah can add a top-tier prospect and a high-level prospect like Austin Reaves, it could be a massive run for the team.

Also, would there be anything better than getting a player from the Lakers to join the Utah Jazz? This would become maybe the best offseason in team history if this all played out.

Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss Saturday's game in Portland because of left groin soreness, the team announced Friday.

Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer averaging 33.6 points per game, appeared to struggle with a groin injury during a loss against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. But he didn’t miss games on Tuesday and Thursday as the Lakers (24-15) traversed a particularly difficult week of five games in seven days.

Doncic led the Lakers to a win against Atlanta, and he played a team-high 35 minutes and 43 seconds in Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 39 points with four assists in the loss, which was the Lakers’ fourth in the last five games.

The Lakers, who finish a back-to-back set on Sunday at home against the Toronto Raptors, could also be without both centers against Portland. Starter Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and backup Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) are both questionable. Ayton is averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds. Hayes has missed the last two games because of the injury but coach JJ Redick said Thursday the 7-foot center could be back this weekend.

Forward Adou Thiero remains out with a right medial collateral ligament sprain and guard Austin Reaves is closing in on the final week of the initial four-week timetable provided for his left calf strain. After aggravating the injury on Christmas Day, Reaves was ruled out for at least a month before he would be reevaluated.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

UPDATE: Well, as if the week wasn’t going poorly enough already, the Lakers are severely depleted in the front court against the Blazers on Saturday evening.

Over the course of the day, both Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton were ruled out for the Lakers.

Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes are both out tonight for the Lakers, who will also be Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 18, 2026

Each was listed as questionable coming into the game. Ayton was dealing with left knee soreness and Hayes has been out the last two games with left hamstring tendinopathy.

With this being the first game of a back-to-back, the Lakers could be playing it cautiously. But given the state of the team currently, having to punt a game due to injuries is a brutal blow.

Original story follows.

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If the Lakers are going to beat the Blazers, it’s going to be without their superstar Luka Dončić.

The Lakers have ruled Luka out for their game against Portland due to left groin soreness. Unfortunately, not only will LA’s backcourt depth be weakened, but their frontcourt options might be in even worse condition.

Starting center Deandre Ayton and backup big Jaxson Hayes are both listed as questionable.

The Lakers will play without Luka Dončić against the Blazers. Also, both Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes are listed as questionable. Winning won’t be easy for LA in Portland. pic.twitter.com/f8PiqOxI2c

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) January 17, 2026

Luka was listed as questionable for LA’s game against Atlanta. He was able to play, but the injury clearly remains an issue as he will miss the first leg of this weekend’s back-to-back because of it.

Dončić is leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 33.6 points per game, so making up for his absence will be a massive challenge for Los Angeles.

With Luka ruled out, LeBron James better pack his Superman cape for this trip to the Pacific Northwest. The NBA’s leading scorer will have to put up big numbers if the Lakers are going to pull out this road victory shorthanded.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that he hoped Hayes would play this weekend. He’s missed the last two games due to his left hamstring tendinopathy. Hayes getting upgraded to questionable is a positive sign for the backup center, but we’ll have to wait and see if he’ll actually play in Portland.

Hayes has played well for the Lakers and has even closed out games over Ayton in LA’s most recent tightly contested matchups.

While Hayes has been good, Ayton remains the Lakers’ starting center. Ayton has been relatively healthy this season, missing just four games. He missed a November game against the Heat with back spasms and another against the Clippers due to a right knee contusion.

Then, in December, Ayton missed a pair of games with left elbow soreness.

Hopefully, one or both of LA’s bigs are available for this game in Portland. If not, LA will have to rely on either Maxi Kleber, two-way center Drew Timme, or they’ll utilize Jarred Vanderbilt as a small-ball five.

While those options are possible, ideally, they can play their two best bigs instead.

But that might not be an option, so if necessary, the Lakers will be ready to play a bit shorthanded as they try to get back in the win column.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.