Category: NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers held the Charlotte Hornets to 87 points in their win on Wednesday. Whether that’s the result of good defense or poor outside shooting from Charlotte is for you to decide.

The stats in the table below are from Cleaning the Glass.

	Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	43.7%, 5th percentile	39.3%, 92nd percentile	21.6%, 4th percentile	20.7, 48th percentile
Hornets	37.8%, 0th percentile	32.8%, 73rd percentile	13.5%, 61st percentile	13.3, 12th percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Hornets shot 17% from three (1st percentile). Three-point defense can be difficult to diagnose on first watch. Well-defended shots can result in makes, and giving up uncontested threes can result in misses. There’s just a lot of variance there. The best defense is often done by limiting outside shots from the opponent’s best three-point shooters. The Cavs didn’t do that as Kon Knueppel (2-10 from three), Brandon Miller (3-11), and LaMelo Ball (0-10) all attempted more threes than their season-long averages. Based on that, this might have been a case of Cleveland benefiting from a horrendous shooting night from Charlotte.
• Charlotte’s eight three-point makes were their fewest on the season. It was also their worst percentage as they went 8-47 (17%) from distance. Their lowest mark in a game up until this point was 25%. This was an uncharacteristically bad shooting night for a top-ten three-point shooting team.
• The Cavs didn’t shoot much better as they went 8-40 (20%) from three (2nd percentile). This was also Cleveland’s worst shooting night of the season, and the second game in a row they only hit eight outside shots. This was the fifth time this season they’ve shot 25% or worse from three, and the first time they’ve won such a game.
• This was the second game in a row the Cavs had just 34 field-goal makes. That ties their lowest total of field goals in a game.
• Cleveland outscored Charlotte 25-17 on second-chance points. Both teams struggled to end defensive possessions with rebounds, but the Cavs did a better job of capitalizing on their second-chance opportunities. This was ultimately the difference in a game where both teams struggled offensively.
• Nae’Qwan Tomlin provided a career-high seven offensive rebounds. His ability to create additional scoring opportunities for the Cavs has been incredibly helpful this season. Tomlin came into this game in the 95th percentile for offensive rebounding percentage. As a result, the Cavs as a team have grabbed 3.8% more of their missed shots from the field when Tomlin is on the court (86th percentile). This was the fourth time he’s had four or more offensive rebounds in a game.
• Evan Mobley tied a season-high with 14 rebounds. This was the third time he’s reached that mark.
• The Cavs had three players with multiple blocks: Mobley (3), Jarrett Allen (2), and Craig Porter Jr. (2).
• This was the seventh time this season Porter has recorded two or more blocks in a game. Both rejections were on Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is exactly a foot taller than Porter.
• Cleveland’s 18 fourth-quarter points were the first time they’ve been held under 20 points in the final frame. It’s also the fewest points they’ve had in any quarter in a win this season.
• The Cavs tied a season-high with 21 turnovers. It was the second-straight game they committed 21 turnovers, and the fourth game in a row they had 16 or more.
• Donovan Mitchell is responsible for a season-high eight of those turnovers.
• Despite having eight more turnovers than Charlotte, the Cavs only lost the points off turnover battle by one point. The Cavs’ ability to create offense off the Hornets’ 12 giveaways went a long way in making sure they won this game.
• This was the first time the Cavs have won this season when they’ve scored 105 points or less. Cleveland is now 1-7 in such games. This was the third time they’ve failed to reach the 100-point mark.
• The Hornets were held to just 12 points in the second quarter. That ties the fewest points they’ve scored in a quarter all season.
• Cleveland’s 89.6 defensive rating was their second-best of the season. The only time the Cavs topped that was in their October win over the Detroit Pistons, where they registered an 84.6 defensive rating.
• Charlotte scored 26 fast-break points. They were in the 94th percentile for points scored in transition. Some of that is due to being able to run off of steals, but they also did a good job of getting into the open floor off defensive rebounds. This is an area the Cavs could’ve done a better job in defensively.
• The Cavs’ half-court defensive rating of 59 is their best this season by a wide margin. Their previous best for a single game coming into this was 84.6.

The NBA trade deadline is exactly two weeks away, so it’s time to take stock of the rumors that are out there.

It’s important to note that not everything that’s leaked this time of the year can be believed, at least not without appropriate skepticism. Whenever a report bubbles up that cites anonymous sources, it bears asking why one party — from the player side or from the team — would want that information to go public. Put another way: this is the time of year when posturing and negotiation can happen through the press.

Still, there has only been one trade executed thus far, when the Atlanta Hawks moved Trae Young to the Washington Wizards Jan. 7 for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Here’s everything you need to know about the latest NBA trade rumors and what they mean ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline:

NBA trade rumors

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Like most trade markets, this one is waiting for resolution of its biggest domino.

The teams that might otherwise be hesitant to make smaller moves will be closely watching what happens with the Bucks, who have lost 20 of their last 30 games. Antetokounmpo has made it clear he’s not entirely happy in Milwaukee, though he also made it clear he won’t ask for a trade, at least publicly.

Antetokounmpo seemingly wants to preserve optics and doesn’t want to be the bad guy in this scenario. But Antetokounmpo, 31, is the best player in the Eastern Conference and a legitimate MVP threat when fully healthy. It’s more likely that the Bucks will look to be buyers — hello, Ja Morant? — to try to appease Antetokounmpo, who’s under contract through the 2026-27 season, with a player option the following year.

The reality here is that the Bucks — even if they did want to move Antetokounmpo to rebuild and recoup assets — have no incentive to do so now.

While there is the pressure of the deadline, prospective trading partners are limited in the players and draft capital they can offer. That changes over the offseason, once teams like the Lakers, Heat, Warriors and others are able to deploy further future draft capital to entice Milwaukee.

For Antetokounmpo to be on a different team Feb. 6, he would have to make it ugly and demand a deal. This one, at least right now, seems unlikely to happen.

Come the offseason, however, that may be a very different story.

Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

The Athletic reported this week that the Knicks, who are Antetokounmpo’s reported preferred destination, might not be ruling out a trade of Towns, their 30-year-old floor-spacing big.

And while the temptation is to think Towns can be the centerpiece in a trade for Antetokounmpo, it’s an odd fit, and the Bucks would almost certainly be interested in New York’s wings. For one, Milwaukee just signed Myles Turner, who has a similar skill set to Towns. For another, Towns has been criticized recently — most notably from his own head coach — for his lack of effort during a game against the Kings.

The Knicks, though, made their first conference finals in 25 seasons last year. They clearly have the roster to compete in the East. Team owner James Dolan made it clear when he fired Tom Thibodeau in June, that it was NBA Finals or bust. He also has said that this build has enough to win a championship.

Similar to Milwaukee, New York is probably more likely to package some of its depth for another role player than it is to trade Towns.

Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks

A left hand injury that’s set to sideline Davis well beyond the deadline may have cratered any chance he had of being traded. Davis, already, has been an injury liability in Dallas, playing just 29 of a possible 86 games since he joined the Mavericks last February.

Given his massive salary, age, and health issues, his value is as low as it has ever been. That’s the frustrating part for the Mavericks; Davis is averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds when he’s on the floor. He was the headliner in the infamous trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Lakers.

It’s challenging to see any team being comfortable with the prospect of shipping real assets for Davis, who may not align with the team’s timeline. Still, a young team that has shown improvement like the Hornets, who would likely love a veteran presence, may be an intriguing option.

Could the Warriors, who have sorely lacked a consistent offensive threat in the paint and who just lost Jimmy Butler to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, be another potential fit? Golden State is desperate to make use of the window with Stephen Curry and does have Jonathan Kuminga to dangle in a deal.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

This is where the reports get interesting. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that the Grizzlies are very comfortable with the idea of keeping Morant. The read here appears to be that Memphis hasn’t been blown away by the market for Morant and is trying to build leverage.

NBA insider Marc Stein also reported that Morant doesn’t want to be dealt. Yet the Grizzlies are currently outside of the play-in picture in the West and will likely continue to listen to any offers that come their way. This appears to be a case where Memphis needs to feel that the offer presents suitable value.

One thing helping a potential deal: in the two games since Morant returned from a right calf contusion, he has combined to score 47 points and dish 25 assists. That type of play could entice teams like the Timberwolves or Warriors to push for a deal.

Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

This feels like a deal that will get done, though a knee sprain has seemingly slowed Porter, who has nonetheless been a positive for Brooklyn this year.

But the Nets are going nowhere and Porter’s value has never been higher. Brooklyn has been loading up on draft capital, so this could present the best chance to leverage Porter’s play into more picks.

The Pistons, Warriors, Lakers and Bucks could be potential fits.

Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors

This is another one that seems inevitable. Kuminga became eligible for a trade Jan. 15, and he simply has not been a fit on Steve Kerr’s team — even with the injury to Jimmy Butler.

Kuminga is more of an athletic slasher, whereas Golden State thrives best when its role players are spot-up shooters. Kuminga’s defense is also suspect, and given that the Warriors are undersized, they cannot afford to have a weak link on that side of the floor.

But Golden State also hasn’t done a good job of propping Kuminga’s value up, eventually removing him from the rotation; in a loss Tuesday, Jan. 20 against the Raptors, Kuminga scored 20 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting and hauled in 5 rebounds in 21 minutes. It was his first action since Dec. 18.

Kuminga is still only 23 and is on a one-year deal (with a club option for next season), so a team that deals for him may want more than a short-term rental.

The Kings, Mavericks, Lakers, Bucks and Nets may be potential destinations.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Latest NBA trade rumors on Giannis, Ja, KAT, Anthony Davis

Missing a couple games due to injury could be the difference between winning and losing the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2026.

That's how close the race between former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel remains as the league approaches next month's trade deadline. Since USA TODAY Sports last published its NBA rookie rankings two weeks ago, Flagg missed two games due to an ankle injury and that was enough to push Knueppel back to the top of the heap with the 2025-26 season halfway done.

The rest of the top five stays the same, but there's more movement in the back half of the rankings this week as another top-15 pick from the 2025 NBA Draft and an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract emerged.

Here's a breakdown of how all the rookies stack up for the entire 2025-26 season:

NBA POWER RANKINGS: Knicks slide as offense sputters in losing streak

NBA rookie rankings

Stats as of games played on Jan. 20. NBA Rookie of the Year odds as of 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 21, courtesy of BetMGM.'

On the bubble: Maxime Raynaud, Tre Johnson, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Ace Bailey, Danny Wolf

10. Caleb Love, Portland Trail Blazers

• Last ranked: Not ranked
• Stats: 11.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: N/A

The former North Carolina and Arizona star fully emerged as an offensive weapon off the bench during Portland's recent stretch of 10 wins in 13 games, averaging 15.8 points and three 3-pointers per game on 37.5% shooting from beyond the arc.

9. Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors

• Last ranked: Not ranked
• Stats: 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: N/A

The No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft started nine consecutive games at center for Jakob Poeltl and further reinforced early comparisons to Draymond Green. Murray-Boyles was a two-way force for the Raptors, averaging 10.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 stocks (steals + blocks). He aggravated a thumb injury and did not play in Toronto's win over Golden State on Jan. 20.

8. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs

• Last ranked: 7
• Stats: 10.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +20,000

Harper had his best offensive performance in more than two weeks when he scored 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting and dished out five assists off the bench in the Spurs' 123-110 win over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 19.

7. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans

• Last ranked: 8
• Stats: 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +20,000

Fears ranks among the top five rookies in minutes, points and steals per game and has nine games in which he's scored 20 or more points. He's also played in every game for the Pelicans this season. But a recent rough patch shooting the ball and the team's defensive issues when he's on the court are looming issues.

6. Egor Dëmin, Brooklyn Nets

• Last ranked: 9
• Stats: 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +50,000

The Russian point guard trails only Knueppel among NBA rookies in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage, and the Nets' defensive metrics improve significantly when he's on the court. Demin recently sat out a game due to injury management and the 19-year-old is still struggling at times with adjusting to NBA physicality.

5. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies

• Last ranked: 5
• Stats: 14 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +10,000

Coward returned from a two-game injury absence and didn't seem to miss a beat despite a minutes restriction, shooting 50% from the field and better than 39% from 3-point range over the Grizzlies' next four games. His all-around play puts him among the top five rookies this season in minutes, points, rebounds, NET rating and player efficiency rating.

4. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans

• Last ranked: 4
• Stats: 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +5000

Queen leads all rookies in rebounds per game and ranks second in assists and blocks, continuing to flourish as a multi-faceted offensive option in New Orleans. The 6-9 center has four double-doubles in January and appears to be part of the contingent of Pelicans' players that won't be available at the NBA trade deadline.

3. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers

• Last ranked: 3
• Stats: 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +2500

The No. 3 pick cooled off a bit after a recent hot streak before producing 25 points in a Jan. 20 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Edgecombe leads all rookies in minutes played and steals, ranks third in scoring, 3-pointers made, assists and plus/minus, and he's among the top five in blocks and NET rating for the season.

2. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

• Last ranked: 1
• Stats: 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: -800

Flagg missed two games against the Jazz due to an ankle injury, but returned to the Mavericks' lineup in their 114-97 win over the New York Knicks on Jan. 19. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists in more than 27 minutes of action.

1. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

• Last ranked: 2
• Stats: 19 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +600

Knueppel's magical rookie season continued with another string of consistently impressive all-around performances featuring incredibly accurate shooting, heady playmaking and subtle two-way contributions for the Hornets. He hasn't been held below double digits in scoring since Thanksgiving and recently became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 800 points.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA rookie power rankings: Kon Knueppel surges ahead of Cooper Flagg

1. Ran the Pacers out of the Gym

After a close loss against the Detroit Pistons, Boston came back home to play their final matchup of the season against the Indiana Pacers where they proceeded to run them out of the gym, winning by a final score of 119-104. Boston did a great job when it came to defending the Pacers tonight, holding them to 37-94 (39%) shooting. The Celtics offense also showed up big time, opening up a 23-point lead in a great bounce back win back in front of the home crowd.

Winning at home ☘️ >> #DifferentHerepic.twitter.com/kDmB8ghhJz

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 22, 2026

2. Sam Hauser is back

I think it is safe to say that Sam Hauser is officially back. Hauser pushed his three-point percentage back up over 40% on the season in his third great performance in a row, finishing with 17 points, 6 rebounds on 6-8 shooting from the field and 5-7 from three. I really think Hauser has started to develop into the second-best offensive player on the Celtics right now over his most recent hot stretch. At a time where the Celtics needed a second scoring option, Hauser has really turned up his game and has been on fire from three.

Hauser hit the first two threes that he attempted in the first quarter in quick succession. The first one came on the first shot of the game for the Celtics. Some nice ball movement from Derrick White set up Hauser for a wide-open corner three. The second came in a similar fashion, but this time Payton Pritchard drove to the free throw line and found Hauser on the opposite corner.

Hauser would hit 3 more wide open threes in similar fashion but his best play of the night came on his two-point attempt at the 7:05 mark of the fourth quarter. Hauser received the ball on the far corner and Pascal Siakam went to contest his shot. Instead, Hauser made a spin move out of the corner and hit a midrange jumper over Siakam instead. Just incredible bag work that you don’t see out of Hauser that often.

3. Jaylen Brown Efficient Game

This was one of the best all-around games we have seen from Jaylen Brown this season, finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals on 11-22 shooting. Brown was incredibly efficient tonight, taking over the game when it came to straight drives to the paint. Brown opened up his scoring night with a driving finger roll over Johnny Furphy and then made a great play where he attacked Jay Huff at the rim and finished over him for an And-1.

Brown continued to be aggressive in the second quarter where he scored 10 of his 30 points. He hit a nice fadeaway jumper over Quenton Jackson, drove aggressively at Aaron Nesmith to finish a layup, and finally, after getting blocked by Micah Potter, he was able to grab his own rebound and finish with a layup.

Brown had a fine third quarter but the fourth quarter is where he really put the game away for good. This was highlighted by a steal on an errant pass by Aaron Nesmith where he took it all the way back for a driving layup that should have been an And-1.

4. Neemias Queta’s Defense

After a rough showing against the Pistons, Neemias Queta bounced back with a big performance, finishing with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Queta’s first block came when Andrew Nembhard was going up for a layup in the first quarter that he swatted away. The second block came when Jackson left a dump off pass for Tony Brady who attempted to put up a shot, but Queta stuffed it before he even had the chance. The third came when Johnny Furphy got the ball in the corner and decided he wanted to drive to the basket where Pritchard was standing underneath. Before he made contact with Pritchard, Queta came flying out of nowhere to send Furphy’s attempt out of bounds. The fourth came when Pascal Siakam went driving to the basket, but Queta played some great help defense and was able to spike the shot off of the back board. Finally, the last block came when Ben Sheppard was trying to heave up a three as the shot clock expired, but Queta was right there on the contest to force the 24 second violation.

5. Jordan Walsh Hustle Plays

Jordan Walsh finished the game with 3 points and 5 rebounds but it felt like he was everywhere tonight on defense. Walsh had a great run in the second quarter that started with some great defense on Siakam. Siakam had Walsh on the block and went to work on him like he normally loved to do. Walsh wasn’t going to make it on him however as he stood his ground and forced Siakam to put up a wild shot that looked like it got tipped.

This was followed up by a great block by Neemias Queta that put the Celtics on the fast-break where some nice ball movement occurred. Simons passed it to Queta up top who sent it to Hauser who drew two defenders and found Walsh for a wide open three that he was able to knock down, forcing a Pacers timeout.

Walsh’s best play of the night came on the block he was credited for in the third quarter. Jarace Walker pump faked to get Jordan Walsh in the air. Instead of taking the shot, he decided to pass it to Ben Sheppard in the corner where he attempted a three. However, Walsh was able to recover well on the initial pump fake and sent Sheppard’s shot into the third row.

6. Luka Garza Bounce Back

Much like Queta, Luka Garza had a rough game in Detroit when it came to being matched up with their bigs. In this game however, he was able to bounce back and make a ton of winning plays, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Garza is a master when it comes to grabbing offensive rebounds and this play is a good microcosm of his performance on the glass. After Scheierman missed a layup, Garza was able hit the ball up to himself, grab another rebound, and got fouled by Isaiah Jackson on his third attempt to get free throws.

Garza showed off his masterful finishing skills at the basket tonight at the 4:54 mark of the first quarter. After setting a great screen on Andrew Nembhard for Pritchard, Payton pump faked a three and found Garza rolling to the basket on a bounce pass. Garza then used a beautiful deceleration step to let let Walker fly by him and finish the layup.

7. Hugo Gonzalez Offensive Flashes

Any time we get to see Hugo Gonzalez come in to the game, it is always going to be a fun time and tonight he made some great plays despite finishing with only 5 points and 2 rebounds. His best play of the night came after Anfernee Simons missed a midrange jumper in the second quarter. Hugo battled on the offensive glass over a crowd of Pacers players, came up with the ball, bobbled it, then got control to pass it to Jaylen Brown. Brown then found Gonzalez who relocated back to the corner for a wide open three that went down and got the TD Garden on its feet.

His other great play came off of an inbounds pass. White was passing it in and Gonzalez made a great cut to the basket off of a nice back screen by Queta to finish a wide open layup.

8. Free Throws

NBCSports Boston showed an interesting graphic during their broadcast tonight where it showed the Celtics rank dead last in free throw differential at home at -6.3 and 21st on the road at -1.4. In this game however, Boston was able to buck the trend as they shot 25 free throws on the night compared to Indiana’s 23. The Celtics did a much better job of hitting their free throws in this game as well, finishing the night 23-25 (92%). Joe Mazzulla said in his post game press conference that they need to find ways to win even when they aren’t shooting well and getting to the free throw line is a great start.

The Celtics' free throw differentiat at home is significantly worse than on the road. Wild. pic.twitter.com/0fJUouciDc

— Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) January 22, 2026

9. Dominating the Paint

The Celtics did a great job when it came to protecting the pain in this matchup against the Pacers. Thanks to the help of Neemias Queta, Boston finished the night with 6 blocks and only allowed Indiana to score 40 points in the paint. On the flip side, the Celtics finished with 48 points in the paint and shot 24-42 (57%) in that area. Boston was also dominant on the glass in this game, out-rebounding Indiana 54-42. This is a great bounce back from their loss to the Pistons and it was helped by the Pacers not having a legitimate big man.

10. Three Point Differential

In the three prior matchups with the Pacers this season, the three point shot has been the great equalizer. In the first matchup, the Pacers shot 60% from three in the first half and 5% from three in the second half leading to a 103-95 Celtics win. In the second matchup, Boston shot 51% from three and blew out Indiana 140-122. In the third matchup, Boston shot 26% from three as a team while Indiana 43% of theirs to beat the Celtics 98-96. In this matchup, the three pointer was not the biggest equalizer with both teams hitting 12 threes on the night but Boston was able to hit them at a more efficient clip, shooting 12-31 (39%) over Indiana’s 12-45 (27%).

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy took a double-bogey seven in a 1-over opening round of 73 to start the Dubai Desert Classic trailing eight shots behind clubhouse leader Francesco Molinari on Thursday.

Playing the 18th hole as the ninth of his round, McIlroy’s chip approach for his third shot pitched in front of the green and rolled back into the water. After taking a penalty, his next approach left McIlroy six feet from the pin needing two putts.

McIlroy’s playing partner, Tommy Fleetwood, also dropped a shot on the 18th after making bogey also at the 14th and 16th. The world Nos. 2 and 3 both carded 73.

The third member of the stellar group of Ryder Cup winners, Tyrrell Hatton, shot a 2-under 70 to begin the defense of his Dubai title at Emirates Golf Club. Another Ryder Cup teammate, Shane Lowry, also was on 2 under.

Molinari hit eight birdies in a 7-under 65, including four in his first five holes starting at the 10th. He later had three straight birdies through the ninth to finish his round.

Mikael Lindberg was two shots back in second place with a 5-under 67, and Joel Girrbach was alone in third place in the clubhouse on 4 under.

A group of players on 3 under included Wenyi Ding, the 21-year-old former Arizona State University student from China.

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

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Europa League returns after a break with a leading trio of Aston Villa, Lyon and Midtjylland seeking away wins to close on automatic qualification to the round of 16 on Thursday.

The three are tied on points from five wins and a loss with two games to go in the league phase. Like in the Champions League, the top eight finishers advance automatically after eight rounds.

Villa may have the toughest encounter by traveling to Istanbul to meet Fenerbahce that is near to the top eight spots in 12th. The unlikely title challenger in the Premier League will miss injured captain John McGinn as it hopes to recover from a surprise 1-0 defeat to Everton at Villa Park on Sunday, a first home loss since Aug. 31.

Lyon plays Young Boys in Bern while Midtjylland is at Norwegian side Brann in Bergen. The hosts are 21st and 22nd in the table, respectively.

The teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-leg playoff to progress.

Among other matches, Nottingham Forest at 11th is away at seventh-placed Braga while Roma (10th) and Stuttgart (ninth) who are tied on points meet at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

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

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat in the first one-day international of the three-match series against England on Thursday.

England had to make a last-minute change as Will Jacks was ruled out due to illness and legpinner Rehan Ahmed replaced him in the playing XI. Ahmed will team up with another legspinner Adil Rashid with Jacob Bethell and Joe Root the other spin options for England.

England skipper Harry Brook said he would have liked to bat first, “but it is what it is." Brook believed Sri Lanka is a strong side in its own conditions and he was looking forward to the challenge.

Sri Lanka test captain Dhananjaya de Silva returns to ODIs since last playing the 50-over format in November 2023 while Wanindu Hasaranga misses out to focus on next month’s T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

“Looks a good pitch, want a good score on the board," Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said at the toss while confirming that Hasaranga was rested for the World Cup.

Sri Lanka also went in with two specialist spinners Dunith Wellalage and Jeffery Vandersay in a hope the wicket will suit the slow bowlers. De Silva and Asalanka are the two off-spinners in hosts’ starting lineup.

It is the first international series for England since it lost the Ashes earlier this month in Australia.

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Lineups:

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Ratnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid.

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

If there’s one thing that’s sure to help a team coming off a loss (and in the midst of dealing with an overly condensed schedule), it’s a double helping of patsy, sandwiched around the week’s biggest challenge.

The Spurs more or less thrashed the Jazz just before going the distance with the Rockets, and now they have the still-banged-up Utah team in their crosshairs after a quiet but public challenge to their mental and physical toughness from their coach, Mitch Johnson.

How a team responds to that kind of critique is always worth watching, but you have to feel a little bit bad for the Jazz if the Spurs come out with a chip on their shoulders.

The Spurs were lights out against the Jazz on Monday, shooting just shy of 56% from the field and 42% from three, in a game where the final score fell short of expressing how over-matched the Jazz were.

The Jazz will still be without their leading scorer in Markkanen, and their best post defender in Walker Kessler, so San Antonio should be able to more or less arrange a layup line in this contest, even if their streaky outside shooting fails them.

The Spurs have been on a relative heater, though, ranking 7th in Effective Field Goal Percentage, 9th in True Shooting Percentage, 10th in Field Goal Percentage, 12th in Three-Point Percentage, and 7th in Offensive Rating, all of which are improvements over their extended post-Christmas slump.

They’ve also avoided giving the ball away, ranking 8th in limiting turnovers and 6th in assist-to-turnover ratio, offering no help to a Jazz defense that’s been one place shy of dead last (29th in defensive rating) during that same stretch.

The only area in which the Jazz have outperformed the Spurs is in 2nd chance scoring, something the Spurs have struggled with both producing and preventing for most of the season.

So, if the Spurs go cold again, the Jazz are likely to be able to prevent them from taking another shot and to corral their own misses, which feels like their most realistic chance at victory.

If, however, the Spurs take Mitch Johnson’s post-game comments to heart, I wish the Jazz the best of luck because I would personally not want to be on the other side of an angry Spurs team that ranks in (or near) the top 10 in most offensive categories this season.

San Antonio Spurs(30-14) vs Utah Jazz (15-29)

January 22nd, 2026 | 8:00 PM CT

Watch: FanDuel Southwest| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Devin Vassell – Out (Groin), Luke Kornet – Questionable (Groin), Jeremy Sochan – Day-to-Day (Illness)

Jazz Injuries: Walker Kessler – Out (Shoulder), Georges Niang – Out (Foot), Keyonte George – Questionable (Forearm), Lauri Markkanen – Out (Conditioning), Brice Sensabaugh – Questionable (Illness)

The New York Knicks ended their four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion with a record-breaking 120-66 win over local rivals the Brooklyn Nets.

The 54-point margin of victory is the biggest since the Knicks were founded in 1946 and eclipses 48-point winning margins achieved in 1968, 1972 and 1994.

"Seeing us play the way we're capable of playing, to put it together for 48 minutes was a lot of fun," said Knicks coach Mike Brown.

The victory at Madison Square Garden followed a poor run that culminated in a 114-97 defeat by Dallas on Monday.

But the Knicks snapped out of that form against the Nets, roaring into a 38-20 lead in the first quarter and extending that to 59 points at one stage in the match.

Jalen Brunson, who scored 20 points, said the win was a huge boost as the Knicks approach the midpoint of the season in third place in the Eastern Conference, behind the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.

"We just had to refocus and get back to who we are," Brunson said.

"This is a good step for us, but we've got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day."

With the Knicks finally at full strength, Jordan Clarkson’s playing time has disappeared. 

He did not enter the Knicks’ historic 120-66 rout of the Nets on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden until the start of the fourth quarter for garbage time, with the Knicks already leading by 32.

That came after playing just two minutes in the blowout loss to the Mavericks on Monday. 

“Yeah, it could be tough to get him in the rotation,” coach Mike Brown said. “Obviously Deuce [McBride] played well during his time, Mitch [Robinson] played well, Landry [Shamet] played at a pretty high level before he got hurt. So trying to find minutes for those guys as well as for our starting group is tough. I can’t even hit the minute threshold for all those guys that I’m looking for. It can be tough from time to time.” 

Clarkson was signed this past offseason to be a key part of what was supposed to be an improved bench unit. But after a strong start to the season, he has struggled of late. 

Clarkson averaged 20.2 minutes per game across the first 42 games before being effectively benched the last two. 

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“I read the room, I see what it is,” Clarkson said. “I’m just a vet, coming here, doing my work, staying ready. When I’m playing those minutes with the young guys, I ain’t taking nothing away from them. Being a pro, talking to them, trying to get them in their spots.

“Still play but I’m not gonna go in there and f–k the game up.

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“I’m just gonna try to keep continuing to play the right way, help these guys grow and continue to get better. That’s all I can do.” 

Clarkson said there wasn’t necessarily a conversation with Brown about the change, but that he wasn’t surprised. 

He remains confident he can regain an important role. 

“I can help any team in the league,” Clarkson said. “I help winning. You saw it early on in the year. I know I got a lot left in my tank. I can impact winning wherever. I’ll impact winning here. In the short time that I’ve been here, [we’re] winning games. Just gotta stay prepared and control what I can control.”

Warriors have 14 days to make sincere effort at patching their deficient roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA trade deadline is precisely two weeks away, and those huddling in the Warriors’ front office would be negligent if Feb. 5 passes without giving Stephen Curry some capable assistance.

Golden State lost its second-tier contender status Monday night, when Jimmy Butler III was lost for the season. Now it’s time to make a sincere effort to at least approach that level. To compete against teams that seem to abuse the Warriors.

Shortly after the Warriors closed their the longest homestand with a tip-to-buzzer loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, coach Steve Kerr expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, winning six of eight games at Chase Center.

“Great homestand,” Kerr said afterward. “Toronto was amazing tonight, 21-for-34 from 3; they couldn’t miss. They had a great plan. They came in and took it to us early and we were obviously trying to swim upstream the entire game. It happens. We’ve been the team making all the threes the last few games, and we were probably due for one like this, where our opponent made them all.

“But we move on. Great homestand. But now we got to go out on the road and win some games.”

Winning on the road, however, will be appreciably harder to do without Butler, who sustained a torn right ACL injury. Considering how soundly Golden State was defeated by Toronto, winning on any court with this roster would be appreciably harder over the 37 games remaining on the schedule, with or without Butler.

The Raptors exposed the Warriors’ most visible weakness, just as the Atlanta Hawks had done while winning at Chase nine days earlier. In an NBA where length and athleticism matters, Golden State’s roster – as assembled by the front office led by CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy – is operating at a conspicuous deficit. The Warriors frequently are slower and relatively miniature when compared to their opponent.

A 6-2 homestand might indicate progress, but the team’s architects can’t be blind to the length/athleticism deficit. It’s apparent in most games, including some in which the Warriors found a way to win – mostly because of the brilliance of Curry and Butler.

“I can’t think of anybody at that age playing better,” Kerr said, responding to Curry, 37, being named an NBA All-Star Game starter for the 11th time. “I know Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] played well late in his career, obviously, LeBron [James], but I just can’t imagine anybody playing at a higher level at this age than Steph. He’s been amazing all year, and I’m glad he’s being rewarded.”

Without Butler, the Warriors are primed to struggle even more than they have while compiling a 25-20 record. With De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford on the roster, the most realistic outlook is that they can be a slightly better version of the pre-Butler Warriors, who were 25-26 before Jimmy was acquired.

The Warriors entered the 2025-26 NBA season hugging the unforgiving second apron, spending to win now. While Curry still is elite. With Butler around from opening night. Dunleavy anticipated a boost from Melton and Horford, as well as among the under-25 players. They signed Jonathan Kuminga to a contract designed for a trade that could provide a midseason upgrade. Kerr, in the final season of his contract, was embracing his lame-duck status. 

Though no one said it out loud, this team was designed to provide the best player in franchise history with at least a semirealistic opportunity to make one more valiant run at a fifth NBA championship.

During the 80 games from Butler’s arrival through his last appearance on Monday, the Warriors were 53-27. That’s the equivalent to a second-tier contender. They were perhaps one impact trade – with Kuminga and future No. 1 draft picks as chips – away from joining the top tier.

Butler’s injury puts those preseason plans in peril. Dunleavy was fishing for trades before Jimmy went down, and he will continue fishing now that he is out.

“There’s a lot of dialogue going on around the league,” Dunleavy said Tuesday. “We talk to all these teams, everybody’s talking to each other, feeling each other out. We really haven’t seen any trades yet, which usually, two weeks away, you’ll see one or two. But I think there’s been some good discussions and stuff will start to heat up here the next couple weeks as we know. So we’ll see. 

“But for us, this injury is better now than two weeks from now or three weeks from now. It gives us a little bit of opportunity to assess and see if there’s something we can do to help us out.”

For those longing for the Warriors to add Anthony Davis, surely you know the overt risk. For those dreaming of Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to Golden State, it’s OK to fantasize. For those peeping at Jaren Jackson Jr., he’d be quite the upgrade.

For those hoping the Warriors can find any lengthy paint presence with the ability to provide a bounce that would allow them to compete at the league’s highest level, know that Lacob and Dunleavy want the same.
If they fail to achieve it, they will face the wrath of a mob roaring much louder than Steph.

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Charlotte Hornets (16-28, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (23-19, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Magic -6.5; over/under is 229.5

BOTTOM LINE: Desmond Bane and the Orlando Magic host Miles Bridges and the Charlotte Hornets in Eastern Conference play.

The Magic are 5-4 against Southeast Division teams. Orlando is third in the Eastern Conference with 54.4 points per game in the paint led by Franz Wagner averaging 11.4.

The Hornets have gone 11-19 against Eastern Conference opponents. Charlotte is eighth in the NBA with 33.2 defensive rebounds per game led by Bridges averaging 5.2.

The Magic are shooting 46.6% from the field this season, 1.2 percentage points lower than the 47.8% the Hornets allow to opponents. The Hornets average 15.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.2 more made shots on average than the 11.9 per game the Magic allow.

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Hornets won 120-105 in the last matchup on Dec. 27.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bane is averaging 18.9 points and 4.5 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists over the past 10 games.

Bridges is averaging 18.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 18.8 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 5-5, averaging 112.9 points, 45.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 7.9 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.6 points per game.

Hornets: 5-5, averaging 115.1 points, 49.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 5.9 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.3 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Jalen Suggs: day to day (knee), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

Hornets: Mason Plumlee: out (groin), KJ Simpson: day to day (hip).

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

Boston Celtics (27-16, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (12-30, 13th in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn enters the matchup against Boston as losers of three games in a row.

The Nets are 9-18 against Eastern Conference opponents. Brooklyn gives up 114.5 points to opponents and has been outscored by 6.6 points per game.

The Celtics are 6-4 in division games. Boston is 12-10 against opponents over .500.

The Nets' 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.1 fewer made shots on average than the 14.3 per game the Celtics allow. The Celtics average 116.8 points per game, 2.3 more than the 114.5 the Nets allow to opponents.

The teams play for the third time this season. The Nets won the last meeting 113-105 on Nov. 22. Michael Porter Jr. scored 33 points to help lead the Nets to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Noah Clowney is scoring 13.1 points per game and averaging 4.1 rebounds for the Nets. Porter is averaging 18.8 points and 5.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Jaylen Brown is scoring 29.8 points per game and averaging 6.7 rebounds for the Celtics. Sam Hauser is averaging 3.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 2-8, averaging 104.8 points, 39.6 rebounds, 25.6 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.1 points per game.

Celtics: 6-4, averaging 116.0 points, 49.6 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 6.3 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.3 points.

INJURIES: Nets: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee).

Celtics: Josh Minott: day to day (ankle), Jayson Tatum: out (achilles).

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

Sacramento Kings (12-33, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (25-20, fifth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento visits Cleveland looking to break its seven-game road skid.

The Cavaliers are 14-11 in home games. Cleveland ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference with 50.0 points per game in the paint led by Evan Mobley averaging 10.5.

The Kings are 3-17 on the road. Sacramento allows 120.7 points to opponents while being outscored by 10.0 points per game.

The Cavaliers average 119.1 points per game, 1.6 fewer points than the 120.7 the Kings give up. The Kings are shooting 46.7% from the field, 0.2% higher than the 46.5% the Cavaliers' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Donovan Mitchell is scoring 28.9 points per game with 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Cavaliers. Mobley is averaging 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 56.2% over the last 10 games.

Russell Westbrook is averaging 15.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists for the Kings. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 20.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 117.1 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.9 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.1 points per game.

Kings: 4-6, averaging 111.0 points, 41.6 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 6.6 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.7 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: Max Strus: out (foot), Darius Garland: out (foot), Sam Merrill: day to day (hand).

Kings: Keegan Murray: out (ankle), Domantas Sabonis: day to day (knee).

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

Phoenix Suns (27-17, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (21-25, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix aims to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Suns take on Atlanta.

The Hawks have gone 7-13 at home. Atlanta leads the NBA with 31.0 assists per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 8.0.

The Suns have gone 13-12 away from home. Phoenix ranks third in the Western Conference with 15.3 fast break points per game led by Devin Booker averaging 3.3.

The Hawks are shooting 47.3% from the field this season, 0.6 percentage points higher than the 46.7% the Suns allow to opponents. The Suns average 114.7 points per game, 4.4 fewer than the 119.1 the Hawks allow to opponents.

The two teams match up for the second time this season. The Hawks defeated the Suns 124-122 in their last matchup on Nov. 17. Onyeka Okongwu led the Hawks with 27 points, and Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 34 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Okongwu is averaging 16.1 points, eight rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Hawks. Johnson is averaging 21.1 points over the last 10 games.

Collin Gillespie is averaging 13.4 points and 4.8 assists for the Suns. Booker is averaging 21.4 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 41.6% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 4-6, averaging 112.5 points, 42.9 rebounds, 30.3 assists, 10.6 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.4 points per game.

Suns: 7-3, averaging 112.0 points, 43.1 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.4 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Kristaps Porzingis: out (achilles), Zaccharie Risacher: out (knee), N'Faly Dante: out for season (knee).

Suns: None listed.

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