PHILADELPHIA (AP) — New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad and coach Mike Sullivan achieved career milestones Saturday, one day after team president and general manager Chris Drury sent a letter to fans expressing disappointment over how the season has gone.
Zibanejad became the Rangers’ all-time leader in power-play goals and tied the franchise record for career hat tricks in New York’s 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The victory was the 500th of Sullivan’s career.
The 32-year-old Zibanejad scored with a man advantage in the second period for his 117th power-play goal. He had shared the Rangers' record with Camille Henry and Chris Kreider, who had 116.
“It’s definitely special,” Zibanejad said after the game. “It means I’ve been given a chance to be here a long time, long enough to get close to that.”
Zibanejad’s ninth hat trick with the Rangers matched Bill Cook’s franchise record.
“He’s really committed to trying to play the game the right way, the way we’re trying to play,” Sullivan said. “I think he’s personified that most of the year. We’ve challenged him to use his size and his physicality, both offensively and defensively. I think he’s really embraced that challenge. He has played extremely well for us.”
The Rangers’ latest challenge came Friday when Drury sent a letter to fans saying that “we know and feel your disappointment with how the season has gone to this point.” The letter indicated changes could be on the way.
“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” Drury wrote. “We are not going to stand pat – a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.”
Zibanejad acknowledged that there were “all kinds of feelings” after the letter was sent out and said he liked the way the team responded. He said “it’s not an easy situation” but added that this kind of win could provide a spark.
“If changes are coming, then try to make the most of the time we have as a group, the group that we have right now,” Zibanejad said.
“I’m just grateful,” Sullivan said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach in this league. It’s the greatest league in the world, and it’s an absolute privilege to be part of it in any capacity. To be a head coach for as long as I have at this point has been an incredible honor.”
This latest win was particularly special because of the circumstances leading up to it.
“I just think it speaks volumes for the character of the people in the room,” Sullivan said. “The last couple of days have been pretty emotional for the whole group. To respond with an effort like they did tonight. ... I think is evidence that these guys are quality people, and they care a lot about each other and the Rangers.”
The RedHawks remain undefeated, moving to 19-0 after a dramatic finish on Saturday, Jan. 17 against Buffalo that required two buzzer-beating shots — once in regulation, and again in overtime.
The visiting Bulls gave the RedHawks, one of three undefeated teams left in the country, plenty of trouble in a tight contest. With 12 seconds left, Buffalo guard Daniel Freitag made two free throws to make it a three-point game, putting the pressure on Miami.
Miami (Ohio's) Peter Suder tried a 3-pointer and missed, but Brant Byers tipped the ball back right into the hands of Eian Elmer, who took one step back behind the arc and knocked down the shot as time expired to send it to overtime.
The surprises continued into the extra period. It remained close with less than 20 seconds left, with Buffalo's Ezra McKenna hitting a 3-point shot to tie the game at 102. Miami had the chance to end the game, and Suder redeemed himself by drilling a 3-pointer to make it 105-102 with a second left.
Suder let the Bulls know it was time to go when he hit the "night-night" celebration right in front of the bench.
The Bulls were unable to get the game-tying shot to send it to a second overtime.
The thrilling victory extends what has been the best start in program history for Miami (Ohio). At 19-0, it also tied the MAC record for best start to the season, set by Western Michigan in 1975-76. Not only are they the favorite to win the conference and secure an NCAA Tournament bid, but also continue to make a case to be in the field as an at-large, regardless of winning a MAC title.
In the most recent USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, Miami Ohio is a No. 11 seed, which would be its best mark since it was a No. 10 seed in 1999.
Entering the day, Miami (Ohio), Arizona and Nebraska are the only undefeated teams left in the country.
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Ashley Chea scored 16 points, Fadima Tall added 15 and Skye Belker chipped in with 14, and No. 22 Princeton jumped out early to cruise past Dartmouth 69-41 on Saturday for the Tigers’ 13th straight win.
Chea shot 5 of 13 from the floor that included a pair of 3-pointers. Tall and Belker combined for 12-of-25 shooting. Emily Eadie grabbed 10 rebounds to go with six points, three assists and two blocks for Princeton (15-1, 3-0 Ivy League).
The Tigers shot 40% (27 of 68) from the floor and held Dartmouth to 27% (14 of 51) shooting while forcing 18 turnovers.
Reserves Nina Minicozzi and Debra Hill lead Dartmouth (9-7, 0-3) with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Olivia Austin grabbed 10 rebounds but missed her only field-goal attempt. The Big Green has lost five of their last six games.
Chea scored six points in the first quarter as the Tigers jumped out to a 13-5 advantage heading into the second quarter. Grace O’Sullivan hit a 3-pointer late in the half and the Tigers led 36-16 at the break.
Princeton entered with its highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since March 2, 2020, when the Tigers were No. 21. That team finished 26-1 and ranked No. 22.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 27 points, Tavion Banks added a career-high 26, and Iowa defeated Indiana 74-57 on Saturday, snapping a three-game losing streak.
The Hawkeyes (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) never trailed and a 14-5 run gave them their first double-digit lead, 24-13. Neither team missed a shot in one stretch from 9:45 to 5:30 in the first half, leaving Iowa with a 30-23 lead. Indiana was held to five points over the final 4 1/2 minutes and Iowa led 38-28 at the break.
Indiana closed to within 49-45 in the second half, but soon thereafter Stirtz dropped a couple of 3s and Banks had a three-point play followed by a midrange jumper to put Iowa in command 62-48 with seven minutes remaining. The Hawkeyes' next six points came at the free-throw line and Banks followed with a layup for a 70-50 lead with four minutes remaining.
The Hawkeyes made 21 of 23 free throws, with Banks going 9 for 9 and Stirtz making 10 of 11.
Tayton Conerway scored 16 and Sam Alexis 13 for Indiana (12-6, 3-4). The Hoosiers' Lamar Wilkerson, who was leading the Big Ten with 26.0 points per game in conference play, was held to nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.
The Hawkeyes have won six of the last seven meetings between the longtime Big Ten rivals.
On Wednesday, Banks pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a deal with prosecutors that included a dismissal of his public intoxication charge related to a bar fight last October.
The matchup featured the previous two coaches at Drake — Iowa's Ben McCollum and Indiana's Darian DeVries.
Up next
Iowa: The Hawkeyes return home to play Rutgers on Tuesday.
Indiana: The Hoosiers play at Michigan on Tuesday.
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) — Fred Payne scored 26 points, and Donald Hand Jr. hit a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation as Boston College outscored Syracuse 17-9 in overtime to win 81-73 and earn its first Atlantic Coast Conference win of the season on Saturday.
Payne added six assists and three steals for the Eagles (8-10, 1-4 ACC), who erased a late seven-point deficit in the final three minutes and snapped a four-game conference losing streak. Hand finished with 12 points, with his 24-foot jumper with seven seconds left forcing overtime.
Syracuse (12-6, 3-2) held Boston College to 29% shooting in the first 10 minutes, jumping out to a 17-11 lead. The Orange led 33-28 at halftime despite committing eight turnovers.
The Orange pushed ahead 64-60 on Nate Kingz’s driving layup with 1:21 remaining in regulation. Donnie Freeman then missed the front end of a one-and-one with 18 seconds left and, after a defensive stop, Hand buried the tying 3 to send the game to overtime.
Boston College took command immediately in the extra period. Aidan Shaw opened with a dunk, Chase Forte added a driving layup, and Jayden Hastings capped a 6-2 run with an alley-oop dunk that made it 70-66 with 2:43 left. The Eagles sealed it by going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final minute.
Kingz scored a career-high 27 points for Syracuse, while Freeman added 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Orange committed 18 turnovers.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nick Boyd scored 32 points and had nine assists as Wisconsin beat Rutgers 96-87 on Saturday for its fourth straight win.
Boyd was 8-of-16 from the floor and 14 of 15 at the line to finish four points shy of his career high set against Providence in November. John Blackwell added 19 points and Nolan Winter had 18 for the Badgers (13-5, 5-2 Big Ten), whose win streak includes a 91-88 win at then-No. 2 Michigan and a last-second 78-75 road victory over Minnesota in their last game.
Harun Zrno scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, Jamichael Davis added 14 and Tariq Francis had 12 for the Scarlet Knights (9-9, 2-5).
Consecutive 3s by Braeden Carrington, Winter and Jack Janicki gave Wisconsin its largest lead of 26 with under 14 minutes remaining. Francis led Rutgers back with nine unanswered points, and a few minutes later Zrno and Buchanan connected for consecutive 3s to start a 15-4 run that got the Knights within seven with five minutes to go.
Boyd converted a three-point play and added two free throws in a 7-0 run to put the Badgers back up by 14 with three minutes remaining and the lead remained in double figures.
Boyd scored 15 points and Winter added 11 in the first half, as Wisconsin shot 53% and made 8 of 15 3-point attempts to take a 51-29 lead.
Both teams shot 48% and both made 12 of 30 3-point attempts. Wisconsin took 10 more free throws and made 26 of 29 and outscored the Knights 19-4 off turnovers.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Terrence Brown scored a game-high 26 points, Keanu Dawes had a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double, and Utah took down TCU 82-79 on Saturday.
The Runnin' Utes (9-9, 1-4 Big 12) snapped a four-game skid and picked up their first win of conference play. Don McHenry added 11 points and Seydou Traore scored 10.
Utah opened the game on a 14-0 run, and TCU did not make a basket for the first six minutes. The Horned Frogs cut the deficit to eight points at the half, 38-30.
TCU tied the game with 15:21 remaining after a 9-1 run, but never took the lead. McHenry made four free throws down the stretch to secure the win, and Brown made three of his own.
Brown was 9-of-15 from the field and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. The Utes shot 51% as a team, and 38% from deep.
David Punch scored 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting to pace the Horned Frogs (11-7, 2-3). Micah Robinson had 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
Utah leads the series 18-6 and is 12-2 against TCU in conference play across the Big 12, Mountain West, and Western Athletic conferences.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Segundo Oliva Pinto made five birdies in an eight-hole stretch around the turn Saturday on his way to a 6-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead in the Latin American Amateur and setting up a sprint to see who gets a spot in three majors this year.
Pinto made seven birdies in his round that took the Argentine from seven shots back to a 54-hole lead in the championship that awards the winner a spot in the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open this year.
He was at 5-under 205, one shot ahead of Eduardo Matarazzo of Brazil (66) and Andy Schonbaum, the 34-year-old Argentine who has played in all but one of the 11 editions of this event. Schonbaum, the 36-hole leader, had two double bogeys on the back nine for a 72.
Virgilio Paz Valdes of Venezuela also had a 64, matching the low score this week at Lima Golf Club. He was two shots behind, along with Eduardo Derbez of Mexico (66), Mateo Pulcini of Argentina (70) and Erich Fortlage of Paraguay (70).
Seven players were separated by two shots going into the final round.
Boston Celtics (25-15) at Atlanta Hawks (20-23) Saturday, January 17, 2026 7:30 PM ET Regular Season Game #41 Road Game #22 TV: NBCSB, FDSNSE, NBA-LP 98.5 Sports Hub, 92.9 The Game, Sirius XM State Farm Arena
The Celtics continue their road trip after a loss to the Pacers and a win over the Heat. After this game at Atlanta, they will finish the trip in Detroit on Monday. This is the 1st of 4 games between these two teams this season. They will meet again in Atlanta on March 30 and will play twice in Boston on January 28 and March 27. The Hawks won the series 2-1 last season with the Celtics winning one in Atlanta and the Hawks winning twice in Boston. The Celtics are 245-151 overall all time and they are 113-95 in games played in Atlanta.
The Hawks saw a lot of change in the off season. They were part of a 3 team trade That sent Georges Niang to Boston and Terance Mann to Brooklyn and brought back Kristaps Porzingis from Boston. They were also part of a 7 team trade involving Kevin Durant where they sent Clint Capela to Houston in return for David Roddy, who they cut. They got Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a sign and trade with Minnesota.
They traded Kobe Bufkin to Brooklyn for cash. Caris LeVert and Larry Nance, Jr both left in free agency and they cut Charles Bassey. They signed N’Faly Dante and Luke Kennard as free agents. They drafted Asa Newell with the 23rd pick in thee draft. Just last week, they made the first big trade of the silly season when they sent Trae Young to Washington for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are half a game ahead of 2nd place New York. They are 1 game ahead of 4th place Toronto, 2.5 games ahead of 5th place Philadelphia and 6th place Orlando. The Celtics are 18-9 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 13-8 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.
The Hawks are 10th in the East, 11 games behind first place Detroit, 5.5 games behind 2nd place Boston, 4 games behind 6th place Orlando, 3.5 games behind 7th place Cleveland, 2 games behind 8th place Miami, and half a game behind 9th place Chicago. They are 2 games ahead of 11th place Milwaukee. They are 10-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 7-11 at home and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 2 games.
The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game road trip. They lost the first game in Indiana and won in Miami. They will play Detroit on Monday to complete the trip. They will then play one game at home against Indiana before playing Brooklyn and Chicago on the road. They will then have another 4 game home stand against Portland, Atlanta, Sacramento and Milwaukee. Then, they are on the road at Dallas and Houston before playing Miami, New York, and Chicago at home, taking them into the All Star Break.
The Hawks are playing in the first of 2 consecutive home games. and will host Milwaukee on Monday. They will then play at Memphis and then host Phoenix and Indiana. Then they play at Boston, home vs Houston and on the road against indiana and Miami. Next up are 2 home games against Utah and Charlotte before playing at Minnesota and at Charlotte that brings them to the All Star game.
For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum remains out as he continues to rehab from the Achilles tear he suffered in last year’s playoffs. Josh Minott will miss his sixth straight game due to an ankle sprain. Payton Pritchard is in danger of missing his first game of the season as he is listed as doubtful due to ankle soreness. I’m guessing that Sam Hauser will continue to start at power forward and taking a very wild guess that Anfernee Simons will get the start at shooting guard after his big game against the Heat. Joe will likely start the person I least expect to start, however, and may start Jordan, Hugo or Baylor.
For the Hawks, Dyson Daniels is questionable due to a right ankle sprain that he has been managing. I’m thinking he will play, but if not, we may see new Hawk CJ McCollum get the start. Former Celtics Kristaps Porzingis will sit out his 5th consecutive game due to left Achilles tendinitis. Zaccharie Risacher will miss his 5th consecutive game due to a left knee injury. N’Faly Dante is out for the season with a knee injury.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SG: Anfernee Simons vs Dyson Daniels
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Vit Krejci
PF: Sam Hauser vs Jalen Johnson
Sam Hauser
C: Neemias Queta vs Onyeka Okongwu
Celtics Reserves Baylor Scheierman Xavier Tillman Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Chris Boucher Jordan Walsh
2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga Amari Williams Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out Josh Minott (ankle) out Payton Pritchard (ankle) doubtful
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Hawks Reserves Nikola Durisic Mouhamed Gueye Luke Kennard Corey Kispert CJ McCollum Asa Newell Keaton Wallace
2 way Players Rayj Dennis Caleb Houston Injuries/Out N’Faly Dante (knee) out Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) out Zaccharie Risacher (knee) out Dyson Daniels (ankle) questionable
Head Coach Quin Snyder
Key Matchups Sam Hauser vs Jalen Johnson Johnson is averaging 23.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals. He is shooting 51.9% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc. Sam needs to hit his 3’s to spread the floor and keep Johnson out of the paint and off the boards.
Derrick White vs Nickeil Alexander-Walker Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.8% from beyond the arc. Derrick White struggled against the Heat and so hopefully he will bounce back with a big game in this one.
Honorable Mention Neemias Queta vs Onyeka Okongwu Okongwu is averaging 16.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1 block per game. He is shooting 48.2% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need tu guard Okongwu both inside the paint and on the perimeter because he shoots well from both.
Keys to the Game Defense – Defense is always a key to winning games. The Celtics have an offensive rating of 121.5 (3nd) while the Hawks have an offensive rating of 113.8, which is 19th. The Celtics have a defensive rating of 114.4 which is 15th while the Hawks have a defensive rating of 114.7, which is 16th. The Celtics have been hot and cold on defense this season. Sometimes they can shut down the other team and sometimes they allow them to score at will. the Celtics need to defend the perimeter because the Hawks are 6th, shooting 37% pm threes. They also have to defend the paint as the Hawks are 10th with 52 points in the paint per game. The Celtics must make defense a priority in this game and they have to play that tough defense for 48 minutes and not let up.
Rebound – Next to defense, rebounding is the key to winning. When the Celtics put out the extra effort on the boards, it usually carries through to the rest of their game. The Hawks are averaging 41.7 rebounds per game (25th) while the Celtics are averaging 44.7 rebounds per game (12th). The Celtics need to aggressively go after every rebound. They can’t afford to give the Hawks extra possessions and 2nd chance points by allowing them to beat them to rebounds. Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes– The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. In most of their losses and even in their wins, they have allowed their opponents to play with more energy than them for periods of time during the game. They play well for stretches but let up and allow their opponents to surge ahead, especially down the stretch. They have to stay focused for all 48 minutes and be ready for their opponents to play harder in the second half and they need to match that effort. They also have to come out with more effort and energy to start the game and not get into a hole as they did against the Heat. Move the Ball Carefully – When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they are tough to beat. When they hold the ball and try to play hero ball, they become predictable and struggle. When the Celtics have more assists than their opponents they are 11-0 and when their opponents have more assists than the Celtics, they are just 12-14. The Celtics need to move the ball, but they have to make careful passes because the Hawks are 5th in the league with 20.3 points off turnovers per game.
X-Factors Road Game – The Celtics are playing in their 3rd straight game on the road and will have the distractions of travel and a hotel stay and playing in front of hostile fans in an unfamiliar arena. Both teams are also playing short handed and so fatigue due to the missing players and also fatigue from travel can be a factor down the stretch
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game. We have recently seen how much of an x-factor officiating can be. The Celtics have to play so well all game that the officiating, no matter how bad, can’t influence the outcome.
The Golden State Warriors look to keep their momentum rolling Saturday night when they host the Charlotte Hornets. The game will tip off at 5:30 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State enters the matchup riding a two-game winning streak after Thursday night’s 126–113 comeback win over the New York Knicks. The Warriors erased an early 14-point first-quarter deficit behind a dominant performance from Jimmy Butler, who scored 32 points on 14-of-22 shooting — his second 30-point outing in the last three games.
Stephen Curry followed with 27 points, while Moses Moody knocked down seven three-pointers on his way to 21 points. The victory pushed Golden State to four games above .500 for the first time this season.
“His ability to just stay composed and see the floor while, you know, he's making his presence felt, it's tough to guard for anybody.”
Steph Curry on why he and Jimmy Butler were so effective in the pick and roll against the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/kBZw8blIxU
The Warriors are 4–1 during this eight-game homestand and now turn their attention to a Charlotte team they’ve beaten six straight times dating back to the 2022–23 season. Golden State will once again look to take advantage of the Hornets’ defense, which ranks 23rd in the league with a 116.6 defensive rating.
Although Charlotte has struggled on that end, it remains dangerous offensively. They own the NBA’s ninth-best offensive rating while featuring four players averaging 19 points or more, led by All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball’s 20.4 points per game. That combination sets the stage for another high-scoring night, especially with the Warriors posting a league-best 125.4 offensive rating over the past five games of this homestand.
Steph Curry: “I like where we are at. I like the vibes. I like how we are playing. pic.twitter.com/1IYTwTsADa
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Four players scored in double figures as the Kansas State women used a dominant team rebounding performance to beat previously undefeated No. 17 Texas Tech 65-59 on Saturday.
Tess Heal led the Wildcats (10-9, 3-3 Big 12) with 12 points, four rebounds and three steals. Gina Garcia, Jordan Speiser and Taryn Sides all scored 11 points. Speiser led with seven rebounds and added two steals.
The Wildcats dominated the Lady Raiders (19-1, 6-1) by a margin of 46-20 on the glass, leading to a 28-14 advantage on points in the paint, and a 14-3 advantage on second-chance points. That rebounding negated the Lady Raiders' 18-10 advantage on turnovers, leading to a 18-5 advantage on points off turnovers.
Bailey Maupin had 18 points and two steals for the Lady Raiders. Jada Malone added 15, going 5 of 8 and 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. Snudda Collins had 12 to go with two blocks.
The Wildcats used a 14-3 run to build a 30-25 lead at the half. The Lady Raiders responded to take the lead with an 11-0 run, using seven points from Malone and a four-point play by Collins to lead by six with 8:17 remaining.
That lead evaporated in the waning minutes. After a 3-pointer from Collins with 2:24 remaining, the Lady Raiders' only point came from a Sidney Love free throw with six seconds left, while the Wildcats closed with an 8-1 run.
The loss removes the Lady Raiders from the list of remaining undefeated teams in the country (No. 1 UConn, No. 5 Vanderbilt), after the best start to a season in program history.
The Dallas Mavericks (16-26) play the second night of a back-to-back against the Utah Jazz (14-27) on Saturday afternoon in the final game of a four game homestand. These two teams each faced one another on Thursday in the Seats for Heroes night, and Dallas won by many, many points. Perhaps Utah will have an ounce of shame and actually play some of their players instead of benching guys luke Jusif Nurkic.
Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz
WHAT: A midseason tankfest
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
WHEN: 4:00 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
The injury report for the Dallas Mavericks grows even longer than the one from Thursday. The core four are out (Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively, and Dante Exum), but D’Angelo Russell was added to the report as out just recently due to illness and PJ Washington is missing the game due to personal reasons.. Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford are each listed as doubtful due to ankle sprains they suffered during the Denver Nuggets game. Thats EIGHT Mavericks. Max Christie is going to suit up, though.
The Jazz won’t have Walker Kessler, who is missing the whole season due to shoulder surgery. Lauri Markkonen is out due to an illness and Georges Niang will miss the game due to a foot injury.
The Jazz openly tanked the Thursday game, sitting playable guys who got “Did not play – Coach’s decision”. I expect a fine from them at some point, particularly if they do it again today. Dallas isn’t tanking, they are simply hurt and also stink.
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — John Mobley Jr. scored a career-high 28 points and knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers as Ohio State pulled away in the second half for an 86-74 win over UCLA on Saturday.
Bruce Thornton added 21 points and eight rebounds, while Devin Royal finished with 22 points and nine rebounds for the Buckeyes (12-5, 4-3 Big Ten).
Ohio State erased a six-point first-half deficit by closing the half on a 12-6 run to take a 42-36 lead at the break. Mobley and Royal opened the second half with consecutive 3-pointers, stretching the margin to 48-36 less than two minutes in.
The Bruins cut the deficit to 54-40 midway through the half, but the Buckeyes responded with an 8-3 spurt capped by Mobley’s 28-foot 3-pointer that made it 66-49 with 10:31 remaining. Ohio State led by double figures the rest of the way.
Mobley shot 8 of 15 from the field and 6 of 12 from behind the arc and added three assists without committing a turnover in 38 minutes. Thornton went 7 of 7 from the free-throw line, and Ohio State finished 21 of 25 at the line while outrebounding UCLA 37-27.
Tyler Bilodeau scored 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting for UCLA (12-6, 4-3), his seventh 20-point game of the season and second career 30-point performance. Donovan Dent added 13 points and seven assists, and Eric Dailey Jr. scored 12 for the Bruins, who shot 40% from the field.
Who: Phoenix Suns (24-17) @ New York Knicks (25-16)
When: 5:30pm Arizona Time
Where: Madison Square Garden — New York, New York
Watch: NBA TV, Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Phoenix Suns have their first losing streak of 2026 and their first in over a month. Losses to the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons, the Suns had a chance to win the first two games of their six-game road trip, but too many free throws and couldn’t execute in clutch time to get the wins.
The good thing for the Suns? Help might be on the way.
Devin Booker, who missed the team’s last game with an ankle injury that he suffered against the Heat, could return to action tonight. Booker has had major success against the Knicks the past couple of seasons, especially at Madison Square Garden. Last season, he had a 40-point outing, and in the 2023-24 campaign, he hit a game-winning three late.
Just like the Suns, the New York Knicks head into this matchup on a losing streak. They’re also on a two-game losing streak and are 2-7 in their last nine outings. Previously, they had won 11 out of 1,3 including their win in the Cup Championship. Tonight is the Knicks’ first home game in more than a week. They started their road trip against the Suns, losing 112-107.
Can the Suns get back on track against a struggling New York team?
Projected Starting Lineup
Injury Report
Suns
Devin Booker — QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
Jamaree Bouyea — OUT (Concussion Protocol)
Jordan Goodwin — AVAILABLE (Jaw Sprain)
Jalen Green — (Right Hamstring Sprain)
Knicks
Jalen Brunson — QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
Trey Jemison — OUT (G-League)
What to Watch For
In his last five games against the Knicks, Booker is averaging 32 points and seven assists. Throughout his career, he’s averaged 28.6 points per game against New York. Assuming he plays, does Booker continue his streak of historically strong play against them?
When the two teams faced off in Phoenix last week, Booker scored 31 points, hit four threes and dished in eight assists. Down the stretch of the game, he made numerous big plays to help the Suns secure the win.
After a rough few games getting his legs under him returning from injury, Grayson Allen is playing similarly to how he was at the start of the season when he was the team’s second-leading scorer. Allen scored 30 points for the second time this season in Thursday’s loss to Detroit, going for 33 points, seven threes, and three blocks. After recording three triples and three swats in the first quarter, Allen became the first Sun to ever record such a stat line in a single quarter.
Allen has more points in his last two games, 58, than he did in his previous four games, 41. Does Allen keep his strong scoring going?
Key to a Suns Win
No matter the opponent, the Suns need to shoot better from the free-throw line than they did against the Pistons. Going 16/25 from the line, one of the main reasons the Suns were in the game down the stretch was because Detroit actually shot a worse percentage from the charity stripe. In the Knicks and Suns’ first matchup of the season, Phoenix executed down the stretch at the line, hitting all six of their attempts in the final 15 seconds to ice the game. The Suns need to get back to knocking down their free throws at a high rate to keep them in games and secure victories.
If Devin Booker doesn’t play, the Suns need to decide who is going to step up as the primary scorer. Last game it was Allen and Collin Gillespie with Dillon Brooks in foul trouble. Despite his injury and availability status progressing in the right direction, Jalen Green remains out. Who will step up if Booker is not able to go.
Prediction
New York has been struggling and just made a cross-country flight to get back to the East Coast. The Suns look like the healthier and better team right now. Give me Phoenix in a close one as long as Booker plays.
