We knew coming into the Philadelphia 76ers’ upcoming back-to-back that Joel Embiid would not be playing both games. We suspected the same for Paul George. The only question was whether they would sit out Monday or Tuesday, and we now know the answer, with the veteran stars announced as out for Monday in Charlotte.
The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow’s game @ Charlotte:
Joel Embiid — left knee injury management — OUT
Paul George — left knee injury management — OUT
This is a front end of a back-to-back; Sixers host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
The decision makes sense from a couple perspectives. The Hornets game is on the road versus Tuesday against Milwaukee at home. Also, the game time for Monday was pushed up to 3:00pm due to the weather situation. I imagine with guys having a coordinated maintenance schedule for their past injuries, you would want to stick to a similar routine throughout the day as much as possible. Let both veterans have a normal day in their home city and arena before taking the court at a customary hour.
The Sixers will certainly miss both guys against the Hornets. After seemingly struggling some to ramp up his conditioning and regain a rhythm earlier in the season, Embiid is currently in the midst of his best stretch of the season, having scored at least 30 points in four straight appearances. He is coming off his first triple-double of the season against Houston, followed by a 38-point, 11-rebound, five-assist effort against the Knicks. Joel has appeared in 25 of the Sixers’ 44 games thus far, while Paul George has also taken the court 25 times.
Currently 24-20 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers will look to defeat the 18-28 Hornets down two starters. We’ll find out how they fare tomorrow afternoon.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will be sidelined again with a bone bruise and a hyperextended left knee, the team announced on Sunday before playing at Minnesota.
The game against the Timberwolves was rescheduled from the day before following the fatal shooting in Minneapolis of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers, to prioritize community safety.
The Warriors said a re-evaluation date on Kuminga’s condition would be determined “in the coming days.” The injury forced the disgruntled fifth-year player out of Golden State's most recent game on Thursday at Dallas. He had an MRI on Friday.
Kuminga had just returned to the rotation because of Jimmy Butler's season-ending knee injury. He had not played in a month, with the increasing chance he'll be traded before the deadline on Feb. 5.
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who was listed as questionable to play Sunday because of right knee soreness that developed Saturday, was cleared for action after going through pregame warmups. Al Horford (left toe injury management) and De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management) were suited up on Sunday, with the plan to rest them both in the rematch at Minnesota on Monday night with the schedule change forcing them into back-to-back games.
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An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton were not playing on Sunday. They will not play on Monday.
Per the Phoenix Suns’ communications department, Devin Booker will be re-evaluated in one week after suffering a right ankle sprain on Friday in Atlanta.
Devin Booker will be re-evaluated in one week after sustaining a right ankle sprain in Atlanta
That one-week re-evaluation doesn’t guarantee a return at that date, as you all know. But if he is cleared to begin ramping it up a week from now, that bodes well for an early February return with him missing 8 games or less in total, hopefully.
In related news, Booker has been spotted at Mullet Arena to watch his young teammates Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming as they are on assignment.
Stephen PridGeon-Garner notes that he is in shoes, not a boot or crutches. A positive development that pairs nicely with the update we received in our inbox.
Guess who's also at Mullett Arena, watching the Valley Suns game right now… Devin Booker.
"But it's actually really good to see him in his shoes, & not a boot or anything. So I'm really optimistic about that one week re-evaluation." ~Jeff Ayers on the Valley Suns broadcast. https://t.co/7e2vjDCBQFpic.twitter.com/Dmki8s9RYk
The Suns begin a 5-game homestand tonight against Miami that will run through next Sunday. Nine of their next ten games will be played at home in Phoenix.
The Philadelphia 76ers game on Monday visiting the Charlotte Hornets will now tip off at 3 p.m. ET. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m.
The NBA announced the time change on social media on Sunday afternoon as a winter storm dropping snow and ice continues to work it’s way through the east coast.
SCHEDULE UPDATE FOR MONDAY, JAN. 26:
The Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks game will now tip off at 1:30 p.m. ET due to inclement weather.
The Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets game will now tip off at 3 p.m. ET due to inclement weather.
The Sixers aren’t the only one facing schedule changes in the wake of the storm. The Indiana Pacers visiting the Atlanta Hawks on Monday was also moved up to a 1:30 p.m. ET start. On Sunday, two NBA games were cancelled due to issues caused by the weather — the Denver Nuggets vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Dallas Mavericks vs. Milwaukee Bucks. In the case of the Mavericks, the team was unable to fly to Milwaukee both Saturday night and Sunday morning.
There were similar concerns that the Sixers would have trouble getting from Philadelphia to Charlotte had they left later in the weekend. Nick Nurse said on Saturday that the team was planning to leave after the Sixers’ afternoon game hosting the New York Knicks. Typically, the team would stay in Philadelphia for a Sunday practice before leaving for a Monday away game.
A team official has confirmed to Liberty Ballers that the team has already arrived in Charlotte.
It’s another afternoon matinee of Sixers’ basketball! Philadelphia and Charlotte will tip off at 3 p.m. ET tomorrow.
Sunday's scheduled game between the visiting Mavericks and the Bucks has been postponed because Dallas was unable to fly out of the city to Milwaukee for the game, the league announced. There is no reschedule date set (though it is likely to be after the All-Star break, reports Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News). The league had hoped Dallas could fly out at some point today and play the game tomorrow, but the frigid temperatures prevented the plane from being de-iced, Townsend adds.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Aaliyah Chavez scored 18 points and No. 16 Oklahoma avoided a big upset, defeating Auburn 72-65 on Sunday.
The Sooners, coming off a 94-82 overtime win over No. 2 South Carolina on Thursday, were locked in a battle with the unranked Tigers until finishing the game with a 13-6 run over the final minutes.
Auburn's A’riel Jackson scored seven points early in the fourth quarter and Harissoum Coulibaly's layup tied the score at 57-all with six minutes remaining. Another Coulibaly layup made it 59-59 with 4:50 remaining but the Tigers managed only six points the rest of the game.
Sahara Williams and Raegan Beers scored 13 points each for Oklahoma (16-4, 4-3 SEC) and Brooklyn Stewart added 12 off the bench.
Jackson scored 19 points off the bench, Mya Petticord and Ja’Mia Harris 12 each, and Coulibaly 10 for Auburn (13-8, 2-5).
Oklahoma scored the last seven points of the first quarter to take a 19-12 lead. Jackson scored the first five points of the second quarter to get the Tigers within two points. Later in the quarter, a 6-0 run gave the Tigers their first lead of the game, 27-25.
Consecutive 3-pointers by a Chavez got the Sooners going again and they went on to lead 35-30 at halftime.
Petticord scored Auburn's first eight points of the third quarter, but it wasn't enough to keep the Sooners from extending their lead to 47-38. The Sooners' lead was 51-41 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the quarter but Auburn closed to within 53-48 entering the fourth.
Up next
Oklahoma: The Sooners host Texas A&M on Thursday
Auburn: The Tigers host South Carolina on Thursday ___
With most of the American mid-atlantic and southern areas of the country under heavy weather advisories for snow, sleet, and ice storms, the NBA has made a change to the game tomorrow.
Per a release from the NBA:
Please be advised of the following updates to the 2025-26 NBA Schedule:
Monday, January 26, 2026
The Indiana at Atlanta game will change game time to 1:30 PM ET.
The game was originally scheduled for 7:30 PM EST, so with the six-hour bump, this last second change may make for tough arrangements for those who desired to attend.
This game can be seen on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE), listened to on Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM), or streamed on the following options:
The Mavs were still awaiting takeoff on the plane, stranded on the tarmac in Dallas as of 3 p.m. CT for their originally scheduled 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) tip-off in Milwaukee. Dallas Hoops Journal's Grant Afseth reported the start time had already been pushed back by an hour to 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CT) before the NBA postponed the game.
The Mavericks-Bucks game is now the third NBA matchup this weekend impacted by the winter storm as midwestern and east coast states have experienced several inches of snow, and southern states have been hit by icy conditions with temperatures expected to drop to as low as -58 degrees in some areas. A total of 17 states have declared a state of emergency.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Los Angeles Lakers, who played in Dallas on Saturday night, will attempt to fly to Chicago Sunday afternoon for Monday's game against the Bulls. The Lakers, like the Mavericks, remained stuck in Dallas, however.
We don’t get to see Gregg Popovich often these days.
The longtime former San Antonio Spurs head coach and still current team president was present at an NBA G League game on Friday night, where the Spurs’ affiliate of the same nickname in Austin was locked into a duel with the Capital City Go-Go — the affiliate of the Washington Wizards.
Popovich, 76, was seen walking across the court, accompanied by a cane and two other people, and was given a rousing ovation from the Austin Spurs crowd in attendance at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Texas.
Coach Pop got an ovation at the Austin Spurs G-League game
Popovich, the winningest head coach in NBA history, took a leave of absence during the 2024-25 season while dealing with an increase in health complications after suffering a stroke on Nov. 2, just five games into the season.
Ultimately, Popovich stepped down from his role prior to this season, and the Spurs promoted interim coach Mitch Johnson to full-time, while the five-time NBA champion transitioned to team president duties.
Popovich coached the Spurs from 1996 until last season, ending his coaching career with the most regular-season wins (1,390) in NBA history, 55 ahead of second-place Don Nelson, whom Popovich served under as a Warriors assistant from 1992-94.
Gregg Popovich yells to his team during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on October 31, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Getty Images
At 170 playoff wins, Popovich only trails Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171) all-time.
His five titles with the Spurs came in the 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 postseasons.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ game against the Dallas Mavericks was postponed due to the winter storm blanketing much of the country, preventing the Mavs from taking off for Milwaukee. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported the development this afternoon, before the league made an official announcement. Here is their complete statement:
According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, the Mavericks tried to get out of Dallas last night after their loss to the Lakers, but weren’t cleared for takeoff at the airport. With that option gone, they tried to take off by 11:30 a.m. Central time, but their flight kept getting delayed. According to Townsend, as of 12:30 p.m., they were still de-icing the plane. He later reported that the frigid temperatures in the area prevented the plane from being adequately de-iced, preventing the Mavs from being able to take off.
League officials are still working out when the makeup game will be. According to Townsend, they could play either on Feb. 19 after the NBA All-Star break or as soon as tomorrow (if they can get out of Dallas). Regardless, the postponement will create a back-to-back for the Bucks. We’ll keep you updated once we know the official makeup date.
The Dallas Mavericks had a quick turnaround after a 116-110 loss to the Lakers Saturday night. The original plan was for the Mavericks to fly from Dallas to Milwaukee after last night’s game, for their 6 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The massive snowstorm affecting a significant portion of the United States had other ideas.
The Mavs were unable to fly out Saturday night, opting instead to make an attempt Sunday morning. To no one’s surprise, nothing came easy. The NBA announced Sunday afternoon that the Mavericks-Bucks game was officially postponed “due to the Mavericks’ inability to leave Dallas as a result of inclement weather.”
Several reports on Sunday indicated that a make-up date against the Bucks would likely be scheduled on Feb. 19, shortening the Mavericks’ All-Star Break by a day.
Mavs won’t play the Bucks tonight. No announcement from the NBA, but the most likely make-up date for Mavs at Bucks is Feb. 19. Officials hoped Mavs still might get out of Dallas today to play tomorrow in Milwaukee, but frigid temps prevented plane from being adequately de-iced.
The Mavs are already scheduled to at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 20, so as inconvenient as shortening their break may seem, it’s the lesser evil here. Had the Mavericks tried to play the Bucks on Sunday, they likely would have been forced to field a roster that more closely resembles the Texas Legends than a real, competitive NBA team. Cooper Flagg was previously listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game at Milwaukee, and Max Christie was questionable.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing better basketball of late, but there’s reason to believe they could make a move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. One of the players that teams have reportedly been trying to target recently is versatile defensive forward Dean Wade.
According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, “no fewer than 10 teams have reached out and expressed interest” in Wade. Up until this point, the Cavs have rejected those offers. We’ll see if that continues for the next week and a half.
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Wade is an attractive asset for contenders. He’s an incredible defender who can guard numerous positions. The Cavs have used him as both the primary defender on guards like Devin Booker and as a small-ball center when the team needs to space the floor.
That unique skillset is useful when playing alongside two shot-blocking centers in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Lineups with that trio on the court are outscoring opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions (97th percentile) with a 101.6 defensive rating (99th percentile).
Aside from his value on the court, Wade’s expiring $6.6 million contract fits into a lot of teams’ cap sheets. And if a team were to trade for Wade, they would have his Bird Rights, which means that they could go over the salary cap to sign him. A team trading for and signing Wade to a larger contract this offseason could also create an additional salary slot that they could trade in the future, which is incredibly beneficial if you’re a team that’s already over the salary cap.
Trading Wade wouldn’t make sense for the Cavs right now. They don’t have any other bigs that can provide what he does, even if the Cavs don’t think they’ll be able to sign him this upcoming offseason.
We’ll see what moves, if any, the Cavs make at the fast-approaching trade deadline.
As a role player, Marcus Smart’s job is fairly simple: play hard on defense, hit your open shots and be a banshee. That means doing all the dirty work that goes unnoticed so the Lakers can be in a position to win games.
What also went unnoticed was a bit of medical work he did to himself during the fourth quarter. Smart appeared to jam his finger after deflecting a pass in the final frame, but never came off the floor.
After the game, he revealed that he dislocated his finger but just popped it back in and kept playing.
Marcus Smart said his right index finger – which he had surgically repaired last summer – popped out in the 4th quarter, but he didn’t want to come out of the game, so he just bent over and popped it back in. He’s about to go get it wrapped and iced up now.
It’s unreal that Smart didn’t miss a beat, given that it was the right index finger he had surgery on last summer that got dislocated. Smart injured this finger late last season when he was a member of the Wizards. He missed a few games down the stretch and had surgery this summer.
It’s on-brand that Smart just kept on playing. Plenty of other players would’ve been done for the night, or at the very least, taken a moment to have a medical staff member pop it back in place for him.
Smart, being the competitor he is, didn’t want to miss a second. So he just took care of it himself and kept playing.
Regardless of whether Smart has a good game or not, his toughness is never in question. He’s always preaching defensive physicality and leading by example.
These are the kind of moments that need to be remembered and celebrated when it comes to Smart and what he brings to this team. It’s why the Lakers stars were so excited about Smart’s arrival in the first place.
He’s a winning player and raises your team’s level of toughness just by his mere presence. While the lows can be infuriating, the highs are equally impressive.
And thanks to Smart contributing to Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s small-ball unit in the fourth, they completed their comeback, ensuring Luka Dončić remained undefeated against his former team.
So credit to Smart, for stepping up in the moment and doing what a banshee needs to do, whatever it takes to win.
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, NBATV
Listen: KMVP 98.7
Alright, Game 46 of the season, and once again you’ll be spending your Sunday night with me. Which, you know, I truly appreciate. Our Suns host the Miami Heat for the last time this season (unless we somehow meet in the NBA Finals…), and there’s definitely a revenge vibe around this matchup: Phoenix lost to them in crunch time 12 days ago.
The Heat haven’t really found their rhythm yet, as they’ve posted a .500 record and a 5–5 stretch over their last ten games. On our side, I’d like to stay optimistic: the recent record is solid, but losing Devin Booker and Jalen Green back-to-back in the last game hurts. A lot.
First, as mentioned earlier, this is an immediate rematch of a highly offensive duel. The two teams faced each other on January 13, 2026, with Miami winning 127–121 in a wide-open game. Bam Adebayo (29 points) and Norman Powell (27 points) punished Phoenix in crunch time. On our side, the Booker–Brooks–Allen trio combined for 74 points.
Second, it’s always a stylistic clash. And statistically, the contrast is fascinating. Miami plays fast (1st in pace), constantly trying to score in transition or early in the shot clock. Phoenix, on the other hand, plays slower (20th in pace), preferring half-court sets, three-point shooting, and structured offense.
And finally, no matter the outcome, this game matters. The Suns are hovering between 6th and 8th in the West, while the Heat want to escape the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. Every win matters in the seeding race, especially for Phoenix, who are clearly looking to secure a playoff spot without going through the play-in.
Key to a Suns Win
I don’t have 20,000 reasons. I have one. And it includes several layers: Phoenix needs to impose itself where it is strongest. That means generating and exploiting second-chance opportunities and extra possessions, especially through offensive rebounding (6th in the league with 12.8 per game) and steals (1st with 10.4).
Our win will also depend on three-point shooting and how easily we can generate those looks. Without Booker, late-clock situations, mid-range creation, and overall offensive organization will be more complicated, so they’ll need to play faster, cleaner, and smarter. And limit turnovers.
Finally, the defense has to show up. The Suns have been elite on that end in 2026 (4th-best defense in the league since January 1st). They need to limit the guys who hurt them last time: Bam and Norman. Forcing Bam to shoot from distance and attacking Powell’s playmaking weaknesses by trapping or isolating him could be options. Obviously, they’re not the only threats, but they’re the pillars of Miami’s system.
Prediction
I’m expecting an exciting, fast-paced game with shots falling and possessions rarely ending in wasted opportunities. I can’t wait to watch this one, and I think the Suns pull it out, painfully, but this roster will get it done. I believe in them.
