I’m still shell-shocked. As I type this, I’m still trying to process what Friday night actually was. What it was supposed to be was simple. The end of a road trip. The last stop before coming home for five games, a chance for the home crowd to applaud the effort, the grit, the survival of a long six-game slog away from Phoenix. What it was supposed to be was an exorcism in Atlanta. Instead, the demons won.
Jalen Green, injured. Devin Booker, injured, leaving the building on crutches. Sit with that for a second. What the fuck just happened?
Injuries have been everywhere across the NBA this season, like a creeping fog that eventually finds everyone. For the most part, the Suns had avoided it. They ducked. They weaved. They stayed upright. Then Friday night arrived, and the bullet did not miss. It caught them square in the chest, center mass, no warning.
Now comes the waiting. Waiting for updates. Waiting for timelines. Waiting to understand what the next phase of this season even looks like, and how long these guys might be gone. Waiting while wondering why there always seems to be a tax for loving a team that dons purple and orange.
The irony stings. I spent most of the night before the game writing about my favorite Suns teams I’ve ever watched. A love letter, really. A piece I’ll probably publish later today once I finish sanding down the edges. And like every Suns story I’ve ever told, there’s a familiar thread running through it. No matter how bright the vibes feel in the moment, no matter how hopeful the setup, it always bends toward disappointment. Not immediately. Not gently. Eventually, and violently.
So yeah, I’m sitting in the doom tonight. I’m swimming in frustration. I’m carrying that heavy, familiar depression that only comes with the very specific experience of being a Phoenix Suns fan. None of this is their fault. Nobody asked for this. And yet somehow, every time, we’re the ones left paying for it in emotional damage.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
You ain’t stopping J Good! His energy is infectious, and it infected the second team unit in the Suns’ win over the 76ers. Make it 4 BSB’s for the Dogg.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 45 against the Hawks. Here are your nominees:
Before the big snowstorm of 2026 hits us here on the East Coast, the Sixers will look to turn up the heat at Xfinity Mobile Arena as they host the New York Knicks. While the Knickerbockers have generally had Philadelphia’s number in recent years, the Sixers have turned the tide this season, securing a pair of wins at the Garden in December and earlier this month. With the great Bo Bichette debacle this baseball offseason, Philadelphia sports fans will take our wins over New Yorkers where we can get them.
Head coach Nick Nurse may have his full complement of players to work with, as only Joel Embiid and Paul George were on the injury report, both probable to play. On the opposing sideline, New York just has Karl-Anthony Towns lists as questionable (back).
Despite their third-place position in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have been in something of a freefall lately. Prior to their comical 120-66 win over the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week (winning by 54 points is good, so credit where it’s due there), New York had lost nine of 11 games. It seems like Towns is being scapegoated here, with all sorts of media and blogosphere types coming up with trade proposals in recent weeks to ship him out of the Big Apple. Sourced reporting has indicated, though, that the Knicks have no plans to trade him before the deadline in February. I would agree that the Jalen Brunson-Towns pairing is not viable defensively, something the Sixers have greatly taken advantage of in the meetings this season. Brunson is certainly more of the favored son in NYC, so moving Towns makes sense from that perspective.
The Sixers will have their own decisions to make at the trade deadline, but for now, they’ll hope to see what sort of team they have with everyone available. Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star starter for the first time. Joel Embiid just played 46 minutes and put up a 32-point triple double. VJ Edgecombe will be in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Paul George is having an excellent defensive campaign and settling in as a third or fourth offensive option. Kelly Oubre Jr. is playing the best ball of his career. Dominick Barlow will be getting a well-deserved standard contract any week now. The East is a strange kettle of fish, and this Sixers group deserves to see where they fall in the pecking order.
Zooming back into this afternoon, my main focus will be on VJ Edgecombe vs. Jalen Brunson Chapter III. The rookie did an outstanding job slowing down the All-Star guard in the first two meetings, and I’m eager to see how Brunson responds without the “we were on a back-to-back” excuse Knicks fans threw out after the games in New York. The Joel Embiid vs. Mitchell Robinson matchup is also interesting given the history of that feud(?) and how Robinson’s relentless attacking of the glass falls under a weaker area of Joel’s game.
Make sure you have your groceries stocked up and settle in for what should be a fun afternoon of basketball before the skies open up and blanket us in a foot-plus of powder.
Game Details
When: Saturday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Watch: ABC Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
The Houston Rockets were struggling on the road and on the second night of a back-to-back, but they went into Detroit and beat one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference anyway, downing the Pistons 111-104 behind a total team effort.
Kevin Durant once again led the way, scoring 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5-for-11 from deep. He also pitched in 7 boards. 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He also played pretty good defense all night, and the middie game was working.
Alperen Sengun had 19 points and 5 assists on 6-for-11 shooting. He had a lovely poster dunk, but he also doesn’t look completely healthy, which he has been open about. Reed Sheppard had 18 off of the bench, and though his three-ball wasn’t there, going just 1-for-7, he contributed down the stretch, hitting Cade Cunningham with a nasty hesi to take him to the cup for a bucket.
Reed Sheppard hesi. KD middy.
Rockets playmakers came up big down the stretch to secure the win in Detroit 😤 pic.twitter.com/TCXWKipZx7
He also played 25 minutes, and Ime Udoka must finally be listening to us, as Reed closed the game and was an essential component of the victory.
Amen Thompson pitched in 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block, while Jabari Smith Jr. had 11 points, 10 boards, 2 steals and a block and played the Dillon Brooks role by picking fights and being the emotional backbone on the court. He was also 5-for-9 shooting, the kind of side role we need to see from Jabari every night. Again, the man is just 22, one of the youngest on the team. High-end role player is still the ceiling with some more consistency.
Clint Capela had 5 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks as the backup center, and these type of performances will be needed to weather the storm with Steven Adams potentially out all year now.
This was one of the best team wins we’ve seen in a while, and especially with Houston’s road struggles, it meant much more. The Rockets move to 27-16 and are on roughly a 52-win pace, the same as last season. They currently sit in the four-seed and will be back in action Monday versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hope you’re all staying warm out there. Here in Pennsylvania, it’s current -7 degrees outside, and we’re waiting on a storm later today that’s dropping 12-16 inches of snow. A total of 45 states are currently under weather emergencies this weekend. Wherever you are, we hope you’re staying safe.
I am going to try my hardest to remain calm during this. To keep things relaxed, I’ll start with a simple list of things that happened during that Celtics win:
Late substitution, choreographed Hugo Gonzalez game tying three with .4 seconds left in overtime… ok? All that after a comeback to take a big lead before blowing said lead and almost losing however not losing and reversing a dead-to-rights situation because of two of the nastiest plays you’ve ever seen to get two clutch threes and of course only winning in double OT because of massive AMARI WILLIAMS minutes in BOTH OVERTIMES because both Luka Garza and Neemias Queta fouled out?!
We also had Ron Harper Jr. minutes? Baylor Scheierman second on the team in rebounds? Did I mention Hugo Gonzalez had a few plays where he looked like LeBron? And Payton Pritchard had a few where he looked like Curry? Do we have Steph and LeBron at home? Am I freaking out?
More conventionally, we had a Jaylen Brown triple-double (sure), 32 from Pritchard (yep), and the Celtics have played a quadrillion combined minutes without Derrick White on the first night of a back-to-back during a home game against the Brooklyn Nets. Of course, it was in Brooklyn, but it was a home game. Jaylen was getting MVP chants in OT, it was sick.
Yes, the Celtics were playing the Nets, not exactly your idea of a monstrous juggernaut. But come on man… no Tatum, no DWhite, both centers fouled out, not much from Simons, Jaylen Brown is just John Snow standing there alone drawing his sword against charging horses in that one Game of Thrones scene… and we get it done? I mean that’s just a ridiculous win. Ridiculous!
Look, I don’t have any profound thoughts about this other than what I’ve already said about this team: I don’t really understand it, parts of me refuse to accept it, and yet it clearly, unmistakably works. It is the ultimate example of how, in sports, you really just have to judge the results because we really can’t understand what’s up and what’s down. I had no idea any of these guys were going to be playable, let alone half as good as they actually are.
So, in judging the results, we need to decide if the lunacy that just won us that game is a glorious flash in the pan or if there’s real stuff to build on. For Amari Williams, his performance in a position of dire need is the stuff of Greek myths, like both centers foul out and he has to come in and make some ad-hoc home run touch pass to Pritchard while standing on deaths door? And the game-sealing and-one into the block in OT? Though he obviously has a long way to go, that will stick in my head for a while.
And Hugo, my goodness gracious, I do not know what to think of this man. His effort level is breaking the scale; he’s not actually scoring that much, and every game, it feels like he has 20 more points than he actually does. But it’s all well and good because his play is completely additive. Not sure I’d want him playing 30 mins in a playoff series, but he’s like a hot potato to throw at the other team and force them to juggle it for 10-20 minutes per contest. He creates situations to capitalize on.
He also has one “so that might be something” play per night. He had a step-through in transition that, I kid you not, kind of looked like LeBron. He used his physicality to create space in a way that is generally the bag of much more mature players. I’m not saying he’s going to be LeBron, but I’m officially not not saying that. Deal with it.
This might be bad for tomorrow’s result, given that Jaylen Brown just played 46 minutes and now they have to fly to Chicago where it’s like -652 degrees outside. If the snow storm/extreme cold forces the NBA to move the game from 8 p.m. to noon like they did for the Hornets game tomorrow… well then, just pack it up we’ll get ‘em next time. I imagine they would have already announced that, but I just wanted to mark it in case it was still possible.
I know the Celtics are on a serious Boston fan backburner this week with the Patriots playing in the AFC Championship, but I hope you all spent your Friday night watching that absurdity. It was well worth our time.
After leaving Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks early with an injury to his knee and ankle, Jonathan Kuminga will miss Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with knee soreness. That will halt his consecutive games streak at two.
Kuminga came back from 16 straight DNP-CDs with 30 points in 30 minutes of play Tuesday and Thursday. Jimmy Butler’s injury opened up a spot for Kuminga in Steve Kerr’s very expansive rotation, and the 23-year-old forward took advantage by providing instant and ample offense off the bench.
It would have been exciting to see Jimmy Butler play against his old team in a nationally-televised game Saturday afternoon. Failing that, it would have been interesting to see if Kuminga could continue his scoring binge, after averaging 24.3 points in the last four game’s of last spring’s playoff series with the Wolves. Now, America will get to watch Gui Santos and Will Richard try to slow down Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards.
Kuminga mildly hyperextended his knee Thursday, so the team is holding him out. It does not sound like his twisted ankle was serious. There’s an immediate rematch with the T-Wolves Monday, so the Warriors could see Kuminga back on the floor, if only to feature him for their rumored acquisition of Andrew Wiggins.
The fear is that Kuminga aggravates his knee issue and is once again injured at the trade deadline, happening Feb. 5. And then we have to keep writing about Kuminga trade rumors for eight more months. Perish the thought.
The 7-foot center's return to the Crimson Tide is one of the biggest storylines in college basketball, as he was recently granted a temporary restraining order to return to Nate Oats' program after playing in the G-League after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.
He's the latest player to re-enter college basketball after being in the NBA draft and playing in the G-League, a growing laundry list of players that started with Thierry Darlan and London Johnson committing to Santa Clara and Louisville, respectively.
Here's what to know about Bediako and his situation at Alabama ahead of the 17th-ranked Crimson Tide's SEC clash against Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET inside Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama:
Yes, the expectation is that Bediako will play for the Crimson Tide on Saturday against Tennessee. Alabama added Bediako to its official roster on Friday, Jan. 23, and he will wear No. 14.
"First of all, the system is clearly broken and I'm all for figuring out a way to fix it, but since the NCAA has already allowed professionals to play virtually every team we've played this year or will play as a former professional player on their roster, you tell me how I'm supposed to tell Charles and the team that we're not going to support them when he's been deemed legally eligible to play. So Charles is still within his five-year window. He's 23 years old. He's pursuing his degree here at Alabama," Alabama coach Nate Oats said on Jan. 23 during a media availability.
"We've got our roster spot open so this is not taking any opportunities away from a high school recruit or anybody else. Charles shouldn't be punished for choosing to go the academic route out of high school rather than the professional route like the international players did. So again, my personal opinion on all this is we need a uniform and transparent system that doesn't punish the Americans, that takes the hypocrisy out of it, that gives equal treatment to Americans and international players both, while also allowing high school players the opportunities they need coming out of school.
"So someone should be able to come up with a system that checks all those boxes, but for now we're going to continue to support Charles, our team, and we're working closely with our administration, our compliance department on all of this. So that's what I've got on that. Now for the Tennessee game, listen, and I know Charles will draw a lot of attention for this game, but yeah, we are planning to play him. He's eligible to play. We're going to follow the court orders."
The Crimson Tide forward declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide in 2023 but was not selected by one of the NBA's 30 franchises. A veteran G-League player, Bediako most recently was playing for the Detroit Pistons' G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. He had four points and three rebounds in the Cruise's 127-103 win against the Birmingham Squadron on Jan. 17.
As noted by the Tuscaloosa News — part of the USA TODAY Network — the NCAA denied Alabama's initial request to restore the 23-year-old's eligibility to return to the Crimson Tide. In a countermove, Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA with the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court on Tuesday, Jan. 20 to use the remainder of his eligibility. He's enrolled in classes at Alabama as well.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Judge James Roberts Jr. granted Bediako a temporary restraining order to return to the Crimson Tide as a collegiate student-athlete until his next injunction hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The NCAA shared its displeasure with the judge's decision in a statement on Jan. 21.
"These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students," the NCAA said in a statement. "A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules."
An added layer to the headlines that this situation has created is that Judge Roberts is a frequent guest lecturer at Alabama and is listed by the Crimson Tide Foundation as an active "Circle" level donor in the Lifetime Giving Society.
In a statement shared on Jan. 23, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt spoke on the pre- and -post NBA Draft eligibility rules that the NCAA has and the NCAA's withdrawal deadline.
"If these rules surrounding the NCAA pre- and post-draft rules cannot be enforced, it would create an unstable environment for the student-athletes, schools building a roster for the following season and the NBA," Gavitt wrote. "The NCAA membership has a set of rules in place regarding the pre- and post-NBA draft eligibility that have clearly been in place and supported by all parties until these recent court challenges."
Statement from NCAA senior vice president of Basketball Dan Gavitt about collegiate eligibility. pic.twitter.com/x559XtzI3p
Since leaving Alabama, Bediako appeared in 82 G League games across three seasons with the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold and Motor City Cruise.
Here’s a look at his stats from his professional career:
2023-24 (Austin): 5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 14.6 minutes per game
2024-25 (Grand Rapids): 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game
2025-26 (Motor City): 4.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game
Charles Bediako college stats
In two seasons at Alabama, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.3% from the field and 48.8% from the free-throw line.
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Bediako's stats at Alabama:
2021-2022: 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 0.7 assists per game while shooting 69.2% from the field
2022-2023: 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 0.6 assists per game while shooting 65.9% from the field
How old is Charles Bediako?
Born on March 10, 2002, Bediako is 23 years old.
Charles Bediako draft
Bediako entered the 2023 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Alabama, but went undrafted. He instead signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and joined their G League affiliate in Austin, Texas.
The history of college basketball matchups of fathers and sons coaching against one another has been heavily tilted toward the fathers in recent history.
This will be the fifth time the Pitinos have faced off against one another. Rick has a 3-1 record against his son, including the Red Storm's 85-71 win over Richard's New Mexico on Nov. 17, 2024.
Here's what you need to know about fathers and sons coaching against each other in college basketball:
Father-son matchups in college basketball history
Overall, father-son coaching matchups have occurred 22 times before Saturday, with fathers posting a 19-3 record in that time.
Western Kentucky coach Ed Diddle faced off against his son, Middle Tennessee coach Ed Diddle Jr., 12 times between 1957 and 1962. Diddle Sr. got the better of Jr. in 11 of those 12 matches.
Outside of the Pitinos, the only other father-son coaching matchup since 2014 happened between Tubby Smith and G.G. Smith. The father and son faced off in 2014 and 2017, with Tubby earning wins with Texas Tech and Memphis over Loyola-Maryland.
Jan. 30, 1957: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 79-72
Feb. 20, 1957: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 86-82
Jan. 23, 1958: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 69-67
Feb. 18, 1958: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Middle Tennessee 81-75
Jan. 19, 1959: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 89-65
Feb. 28, 1959: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 110-85
Feb. 6, 1960: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 109-89
Feb. 27, 1960: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 109-80
Dec. 1, 1960: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 70-67
Feb. 25, 1961: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 84-73
Jan. 20, 1962: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 89-69
Feb. 10, 1962: E.A. Diddle (Western Kentucky) vs. Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee) | Western Kentucky 87-81
Dec. 1, 1981: Ray Meyer (DePaul) vs. Tom Meyer (Illinois-Chicago) | DePaul 78-53
Jan. 6, 1994: Butch van Breda Kolff (Cornell) vs. Jan van Breda Kolff (Hofstra) | Hofstra 70-56
Anytime that Rick Pitino and Richard Pitino go head-to-head against each other as father and son, it's a national storyline.
That's once again the case on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET inside the Cintas Center, when No. 25 St. John's travels to Xavier. But there's an extra layer to it this time around, as the elder Pitino is chasing career win No. 900 against his son, a feat that would put him in sole possession of fourth place among Division I men's basketball coaches for all-time wins.
"I think he will do everything humanly possible to stop it," Rick Pitino said following the Red Storm's 65-60 win over Seton Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 20. "... This is going to be a lot of fun. Great game. If we lose, I'll leave my team in Cincinnati."
Saturday's game marks the first time the father-son duo will go head-to-head against each other in the Big East, after Richard Pitino was hired to lead the Musketeers this past offseason following Sean Miller leaving for Texas and the SEC. It's the fifth overall time in their careers that they will go head-to-head.
In true father-son fashion, Richard Pitino had some fun on X (formerly Twitter) with his dad's milestone ahead of his media availability on Friday, Jan. 23.
"Can’t believe I’m going for my 258th win vs. my dad. What are the odds???" Richard Pitino wrote on X on Jan. 23.
Here's what to know about Rick Pitino's coaching career, and the head-to-head history of the father-son duo:
Where is Rick Pitino coaching now?
Rick Pitino is in his third season at St. John's, "New York's basketball team." He was hired by the Johnnies in March 2023 following a three-year stint at Iona, which served as his unofficial reinsertion into college basketball after a brief stint away from it following his exit at Louisville.
Last season, Pitino led St. John's to one of the program's best seasons since the Lou Carnesecca era in Queens, as the Red Storm finished with a 31-5 overall record, won their first Big East tournament title since 2000 and grabbed a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Rick Pitino coaching career
Here's a stop-by-stop breakdown of Rick Pitino's coaching career, which includes multiple college basketball programs and NBA organizations:
Head coach position unless noted otherwise
1974-1976: Hawaii (assistant)
1976-1978: Syracuse (assistant)
1978-1983: Boston University
1983-1985: New York Knicks (assistant coach) *
1985-1987: Providence
1987-1989: New York Knicks *
1989-1997: Kentucky
1997-2001: Boston Celtics *
2001-2017: Louisville
2018-2020: Panathinaikos **
2020-2023: Iona
2023-Present: St. John's
* Denotes NBA job
** Denotes EuroLeague job
Rich Pitino coaching record
Career record: 889-316
NCAA Tournament record: 55-22
Final Four appearances: 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2012*, 2013*
National championships: 1996, 2013*
* Denotes vacated by NCAA
Rick Pitino holds an 899-316 overall record across his 38 seasons as a Division I men's basketball head coach, including a 65-23 record in three seasons at St. John's.
The 73-year-old coach made history last season when St. John's earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament, as he became the first Division I men's basketball coach to take six different schools — the others being Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona — to March Madness.
He's won two NCAA Tournaments in his coaching career, though his second one at Louisville was vacated by the NCAA. His first national championship came in 1996 at Kentucky.
Pitino's 2013 NCAA Tournament ring being vacated is a major reason why he's coaching at St. John's today. The ex-Louisville head coach was fired for cause by the Cardinals after an FBI investigation was prompted by Adidas paying recruits to go to Louisville. Pitino, who in 2020 said he deserved to be fired at Louisville after years of saying the opposite, was charged by the NCAA with a Level II violation in 2020, citing him for "failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance" during his tenure at the University of Louisville.
What is Rick Pitino's record vs. son Richard Pitino?
Saturday's matchup between Xavier and St. John's will be the fifth iteration of the Pitino rivalry, with Rick holding a 3-1 lead in the all-time series.
The first head-to-head matchup between the father-son duo came in 2012, when Rick was at Louisville and Richard was at Florida International University, in which the elder Pitino's fifth-ranked Cardinals won 79-55. The two then met two years later in 2014 during Richard's second season at Minnesota; that game also went to Louisville.
Richard Pitino's lone win against his father came in Rick's final season at Iona in 2022, when New Mexico defeated the Gaels 82-77 down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at The Pit.
The most recent Pitino clash came last season at Madison Square Garden. St. John's RJ Luis Jr. led the Red Storm to an 85-71 win at "The World's Most Famous Arena" over Richard's Lobos, scoring 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds.
"It is what it is. It comes with the territory," Richard Pitino said during his Jan. 23 media availability. "There's a lot of amazing things that come with being his son, and there's every now-and-then 2% is a little bit annoying, but the other 98% is phenomenal."
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of the Pitino vs. Pitino rivarly:
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla threw rookie Hugo González into a critical spot in Friday night’s 130-126 win over the Brooklyn Nets in double overtime — quite literally.
It was a contrasting moment for González as earlier, in the first quarter, Mazzulla yanked the 19-year-old with visible frustration after a mental mistake led to a Michael Porter Jr. 3-pointer. González took it in stride and admitted that Mazzulla’s call was the right call.
“He was right,” González told reporters, per CLNS Media. “You can be mad if you think that you did the right thing and he subs you out, but he was right. What I did was some bull****.”
For many rookies, getting subbed out and being met with disappointment on the sideline could rattle confidence. González, however, isn’t like most rookies. He took his seat on the bench, patiently waited, and when the final 2.5 seconds of the team’s first of two overtime periods arrived, it became redemption time.
Mazzulla used his left arm to push González onto the court, replacing Boston’s only active center at the time, Amari Williams. Immediately, González was thrust into a crucial moment in crunch time. He caught the inbound pass from Baylor Scheierman and decided to keep things simple.
“Just basically try to make a play, try to catch it, and try to find somebody,” González recalled.
Instead, the play demanded much, much more from González. He cut from the right elbow to the left corner, causing defensive miscommunication as Porter and Noah Clowney focused on Brown. Scheierman fed him, and with space to fire away, González drilled a clutch game-tying 3-pointer, sending the Celtics and Nets into a second overtime, tied 118-118.
He maintained the very mindset Mazzulla makes an effort to reward. González stayed poised and prepared enough to provide the Celtics with whatever the game called for. It just so happened that this time, it called for González to be the hero.
“You gotta be ready to play in any position, especially when you’re not (a veteran),” González told reporters. “You’re gonna need to be ready to play in any single (spot), and if you need to play center, you’ve got to play center and do whatever the team needs and try to help teammates like (Jaylen Brown), Payton (Pritchard), and Sam (Hauser) to make plays — just try to make them better.”
As much as González wants to make a difference, none of his impact is forced. It goes unnoticed sometimes, but it’s all authentically Hugo. He’ll turn up the jets like his legs are powered with NOS from The Fast and the Furious. He’ll challenge anyone at the rim, dive for any loose ball, and go the extra mile, no matter what that requires. Teammates and coaches noticed the signs during Summer League, and the fact that González can provide that version of himself — whether he’s playing extended minutes or limited minutes — has kept him from any G-League trips down to Maine ever since Opening Night back in October.
None of what González has experienced in Year 1 was planned, including his biggest shot in the NBA.
The reason Mazzulla placed González in that situation was simple: trust. With Brown, Pritchard, Hauser, and Scheierman around him, he trusted that González would come through, even without the instruction of a playbook. It was about trusting one’s instincts and letting everything else play out.
“The play wasn’t necessarily for him,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “Need threes are a crapshoot. You never know what defense they’re in — are they reading the floor? Are they reading after? Are they matching up? Are they on the body? Off the body? So it was really just a read where those four guys had to make a play, and Hugo made a great play and a great pass.”
That singular play highlighted Mazzulla’s tactical mastery. Sure, circumstances have forced him to lean on inexperienced players like González, but it’s how Mazzulla is doing it that’s made a difference. Everyone involved is benefiting. Playing González in that spot carried risk, especially with the Toronto Raptors inching toward Boston’s No. 2 seed spot, but it worked. It allowed González to boost his confidence, showed teammates they can trust him to take a big shot, and further weaponized a shorthanded Celtics team that has continued to raise its own bar.
The Celtics have reached the point where they can confidently say they know what to expect from González — and that’s huge. His foundation is pure, raw hustle. That’s something coaches can’t teach. Those are intangibles a player either has or doesn’t. From there, everything else can be developed: his 3-point shot, his ball-handling, his strength. González is a developmental piece who, even as-is, can make a difference and impact winning.
For a rookie, that’s rare to come by.
“That was a big-time shot from the rookie,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “He’s been playing well all season, and to see him make that shot for us to get a big-time win — that was a big moment for us as a team, and a big moment for him too.”
González took only four shots on Friday night, and that included two attempts in overtime: two jumpers, a transition layup leading a fastbreak, and a tip-in off a Scheierman miss. Before his overtime attempts, González hadn’t recorded a single field goal attempt since 2:34 of the third quarter. Still, he stayed ready to deliver whenever the Celtics determined his time to contribute had arrived.
“It’s also easy when you got a coach that’s trusting in you, teammates that are trusting in you, that if you take a shot, you’re gonna make it,” González told reporters. “That helps a lot.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be taking on the Orlando Magic on the second end of a back-to-back on Saturday. They’ll face off against the Magic twice in three days.
The Magic haven’t had the season many envisioned after they traded for Desmond Bane this offseason. The offense is still a mess as they lack a primary initiator and don’t have enough three-point shooting to make up for it.
Orlando’s defense has also been worse than expected. They come into this game 15th in defensive rating after being second in that category the last few seasons. The dip on that side of the court is what has led to the middling results so far.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Cavs -1
Cavs injury report for Friday’s game vs. Sacremento Kings: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)
Magic injury report: Franz Wagner – OUT (ankle), Jalen Suggs – PROBABLE (knee), Colin Castleton – OUT (G League)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Magic expected starting lineup: Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Tristan de Silva, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Antetokounmpo won the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 [Getty Images]
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo expects to be out for about four to six weeks with a calf injury.
Antetokounmpo played 32 minutes of his side's 102-100 defeat by the Denver Nuggets on Friday before coming off in the final minute of the game.
"Probably the next steps will be, go to [an] MRI tomorrow," said the 31-year-old, who produced 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists against the Nuggets.
"After the MRI, they'll tell me, probably, I popped something in my calf, in my soleus, something. They'll probably give me a protocol of four to six weeks that I'll be out.
"This is from my experience being around the NBA."
He added: "After that, I'm going to work my butt off to come back. That will probably be the end of February, beginning of March."
Antetokounmpo was hurt in the first quarter, exited briefly and came back to play a total of 32 minutes.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers defended the decision to allow Antetokounmpo to continue playing after the first-quarter issue.
He explained: "I asked our [medical] team five different times.
"I didn't like what my eyes were seeing, personally. Giannis was defiant about staying in."
The two-time MVP recently criticised his team-mates amid their poor form.
The loss to the Nuggets was a fifth defeat in six games for the Bucks and leaves them 11th in the Eastern Conference. Their final game of the regular season is on 12 April.
"We're not playing hard, we're not doing the right thing, we're not playing to win, we're not playing together," said Antetokounmpo following their previous outing, which ended with the Bucks being beaten by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"Our chemistry is not there, guys are being selfish, rather try to look for their own shots than look for the right shot for the team. Guys are trying to do it on their own."
SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czechia (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin earned a place on the podium of a World Cup giant slalom for the first time in two years Saturday, finishing third in the last GS before the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The race was won by defending Olympic champion Sara Hector, who held on to her opening run lead for her first victory since January 2025.
“You always have to keep working, it's so many strong girls as you can see today,” the Swedish winner said in a course-side interview. “I am super happy that in the end I crossed the finish line first. That's a really cool feeling.”
Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic GS gold medalist, trailed Hector by 0.23 seconds and the American shared the podium with second-placed teammate Paula Moltzan, who was 0.18 off the pace.
Shiffrin holds the women’s record for most career World Cup GS wins with 22 but hadn’t had a top-three result in the discipline in 11 events since coming runner-up at a race in Slovakia in January 2024.
Six days later, she crashed in a downhill on the course that will be used for the Olympics next month and then didn’t compete in GS again until the start of the 2024-25 season.
In November 2024, she sustained a puncture wound to the right side of her abdomen and severe damage to her oblique abdominal muscles in a crash at her home GS in Killington, Vermont, and subsequently suffered from lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.
This season, Shiffrin racked up three fourth places before ultimately returning to the podium Saturday, three weeks before the Olympic race in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Moltzan, who's chasing her maiden career win, got her third podium of the season, leading a strong showing by the U.S. team, with Nina O’Brien in fifth and AJ Hurt in eighth.
In the opening run, Hector edged out Camille Rast of Switzerland by 0.02 seconds, with GS rankings leader Julia Scheib of Austria 0.26 back in third.
Rast dropped to fourth, while Scheib skied out in the final run.
Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone, who made a strong return to racing from a nine-month injury layoff on Tuesday, and her Italian teammate Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, sat out the event in Czechia, with a weekend of speed racing coming up in Switzerland next week ahead of their home Olympics.
A slalom on the same hill is scheduled for Sunday.
BROOKLYN — Plenty went wrong down the stretch in the Celtics’ double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets.
A 9-point lead with just over two minutes to go in regulation was squandered, with Brooklyn getting putback after putback as the deficit dissipated. The Celtics’ two primary bigs — Luka Garza and Neemias Queta — both fouled out. And Jaylen Brown, who shot 33% from the field, missed three consecutive shots in the first overtime period that would have helped seal the deal.
Still, after the final buzzer sounded, it was the Celtics who rejoiced, players leaping off the bench to tackle two-way rookie Amari Williams after he made several crucial plays in the second overtime period.
In street clothes, Jayson Tatum pumped his fist in celebration. Hugo Gonzalez, who hit the biggest shot of the night, went berserk. And Xavier Tillman, one of only two active Celtics who never laced up, rejoiced as if it were he who made the game-saving play.
And, despite a litany of mistakes down the stretch, the Celtics walked away with a 130-126 win.
Why?
Because, as cliché as it sounds, they never gave up.
For several stretches of the night, a Celtics victory seemed incredibly unlikely. The most deflating moment came when they trailed by 5 points with 8 seconds to play in the first overtime, the kind of deficit teams very rarely overcome.
But, rather than accept defeat, they ran masterful back-to-back plays.
First, Sam Hauser threw a full-court inbounds pass to Williams, who found Payton Pritchard for three. Then, after Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore split a pair of free throws, and Baylor Scheierman subsequently found Hugo Gonzalez for a wide-open corner three that sent the game to a second overtime period, in part thanks to a Jaylen Brown cut that helped create some defensive confusion (and to Mazzulla, who subbed in Gonzalez at the last second).
(If you’re counting, in just the final 10 seconds of the first overtime, six different Celtics made game-winning plays.)
Still, in totality, the Celtics’ win was littered with mistakes that Joe Mazzulla said the team would continue to work on cleaning up: missed defensive rebounds, defensive miscommunications, and missed shots.
But what stood out most for Mazzulla wasn’t the late-game execution; it was the team’s resolve.
“We don’t always play perfect, but you can guarantee that we play hard,” Mazzulla said. “And that gives you a chance every night.”
Jaylen Brown, who tallied his fifth career triple-double on Friday (with 27 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds), said that a culture centered around playing hard was born at training camp.
“It just started from before the season — we just set a precedent, just set a tone for what we want Celtics basketball to be,” Brown said. “And it wasn’t an excuse for none of our guys — not me, or for anyone from top to the bottom.”
Several times this season, that philosophy has meant that Brown himself has gotten pulled out of games and temporarily benched, something that might not have happened in previous seasons.
But, he’s welcomed that.
“If you’re not playing hard, if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re not putting in the effort, then you don’t need to be out on the floor,” he said plainly.
Asked Jaylen Brown about the Celtics’ identity of playing hard, no matter what else:
“It just started from before the season — we just set a precedent, just set a tone for what we want Celtics basketball to be. And it wasn't an excuse for none of our guys, not me, or for anyone… pic.twitter.com/3OkgMrfzrJ
Brown explained that this identity was new; in the past, the Celtics were able to get by and win games simply by being the more talented team. But this year’s roster — inundated with young, more unproven players — had no choice but to commit to always playing hard.
“We’re not the most talented team out there,” Brown said. “We got some good guys, some talented guys, some good potential that we’re still cultivating and developing. But a lot of our guys, this is their first time playing meaningful minutes.”
Payton Pritchard, who finished with 32 points and 4 assists, echoed that sentiment.
“What I like about this team is just how hard we play — every night, somebody new can step up and win the game for you,” Pritchard said. “That’s what I appreciate.”
Joe Mazulla made clear from the start of the season that the Celtics being the hardest-playing team was non-negotiable. Now, the Celtics find themselves with the East’s second-best record at 28-16, and the NBA’s second-best net rating at +7.5. It’s probably a spot in the standings they have no business holding. But, in large part thanks to their hard play, the Celtics have continued to live among the league’s elite teams.
“What you start to notice being in the NBA for a long time, playing hard is 70% of the battle, you know what I mean?” Brown said. “If you can do that, the rest of the stuff is just plus or minus. But, playing hard will get you by a lot.”
Friday’s victory included a little bit of everything (and everyone). Sam Hauser, who has been on a heater, added 19 points on 7-12 shooting and hit a big three in the second overtime. Payton Pritchard poured in 25 points after halftime.
And, three different bench players (Anfernee Simons, Hugo Gonzalez, and Luka Garza) logged double-digit points off the bench; Gonzalez went a perfect 4-4 from the field for 10 points, while Garza made 5 of 9 shots en route to a 12-point outing.
But the game also featured critical moments that had nothing to do with shotmaking: a drawn Scheierman charge, a massive Garza swat that got Tatum out of his seat, and a Gonzalez block on a Cam Thomas jumper.
For Brown and the Celtics, it was the relentless effort — particularly on the defensive side — that mattered most. It’s that effort that has made this Celtics team beloved by fans, and that made Barclays Center sound like Boston’s home court.
“I think the fans respect that more than anything,” Brown said. “The X’s and O’s will be the X’s and O’s, [you’ll] make or miss shots, but your effort — playing hard, defending, things like that — that’s stuff that I think the city of Boston represents.”
Good morning, it’s Saturday, January 24th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 26-20 and play the Orlando Magic on the road tonight at 7 PM.
This is Cleveland’s first game of the season against Orlando. They went 2-1 against the Magic last season. They will play each other again on Monday, this time in Cleveland.
Today’s Game of the Day
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 PM, ABC, ESPN
You can basically mark this matchup on your calendar every time it happens. As long as Luka Doncic is in the NBA, his games against the Dallas Mavericks will be worth watching.
I don’t have to re-litigate the blockbuster trade that shook the league nearly a year ago. We all remember, and we’ve all seen the utter chaos that Dallas has spiraled into since then. But the Lakers aren’t taking the NBA by storm, currently sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference.
The Rest of the NBA Slate
Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets – 12 PM
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers – 3 PM
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves – 5:30 PM
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls – 8 PM
Miami Heat at Utah Jazz – 9:30 PM
The Knicks versus the 76ers is one to watch. Joel Embiid is looking more like himself lately, and the Knicks are desperate to get back on track after losing seven of their last 10.
The Knicks hit ABC this afternoon trying to stop Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers and to avoid an 0–3 hole in the season series. A matinee . . . oh joy.
New York enters at 26*–18, while Philadelphia is 24–19. The Sixers bring the confidence of a team that has already beaten the Knicks twice at Madison Square Garden and now plan to do it at home. The Knicks, struggling of late, hope to carry over momentum from their record-setting slaughter of the Nets on Wednesday.
The first two meetings followed the same script. The Sixers solved the Knicks’ defense, and the Knicks could not solve Maxey. Having a season worthy of MVP consideration, the peppy point guard scored 30 in their December contest and followed with 36 and eight boards on January 3. Maxey controlled the tempo and nimbly navigated whatever coverage New York threw at him. In the frontcourt, Philly’s star center Joel Embiid had his way and, when he sat, Andre Drummond brought rebounding and floor-spacing. Rookie VJ Edgecombe impressed, too, and coach Nick Nurse’s club had a counter for every Knicks push.
In the first game, New York was neck-and-neck until sinking in a 20-point fourth quarter. In the rematch, a promising first quarter was squandered by a terrible next three.
The Knicks’ stars have produced. Jalen Brunson scored 22 and 31 in the losses, and Karl-Anthony Towns was steadily around 20 and 10. The issue was timing and resistance. December’s fourth quarter bogged down into late-clock jumpers, while January turned into a track meet that had New York panting.
For today’s matinee, both teams are monitoring stars: Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable for New York with back spasms, while Philadelphia has Joel Embiid (ankle) and Paul George (knee) both listed as game-time decisions.
Prediction
Despite everything, ESPN.com likes New York at 58%. Interesting. Their oddsmakers must be trying to skew the betting lines, because Philly has past performance and home court in their favor, not to mention New York’s lousy record since winning the (cursed) NBA Cup. We’ll take it, ESPN, but it’s fishy.
After Wednesday’s 54-point flogging of the Nets assuaged some panic about the Knicks’ recent play, today’s game feels less like a must win. It does smack of a prove-it game, though. Brooklyn is a glorified G-League team. New York’s effort today will show us if they truly are back on track.
The last time the Knicks appeared on national TV, just this past Monday, they were embarrassed by the lowly Mavericks. Today they will redeem themselves. In a tightly-fought contest that comes down to the final minute, we’ll see some overdue Captain Clutch heroics—in a shot-for-shot duel with Maxey—and the Knicks will get their 27th win of the season. New York by two.
