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3 storylines to watch as the Mavericks host the Minnesota Timberwolves

As the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex emerges from its three-day winter standstill, the Dallas Mavericks (19-27) get back to regularly scheduled basketball programming on Wednesday, when they host the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves (28-19) at American Airlines Center.

The sudden onset of winter weather caused the Mavericks to miss their game on Sunday in Milwaukee, giving the team an extra day of rest after Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Mavs’ four-game winning streak on Saturday, 116-110, with a furious fourth-quarter comeback.

The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 37-17 in the game’s final 9:35 on Saturday, and wintry precipitation in DFW kept the team’s plane from taking off the following day, giving Dallas an extra day to stew in the melting puddle of misery that has been the 2025-26 season.

With the recent fingy injury suffered by Mavs forward Anthony Davis, we don’t even have much excitement to look forward to with the NBA Trade Deadline little more than a week away. Around these parts, trade deadline hysteria season has given way to injury management season, as both Cooper Flagg (ankle) and Anthony Edwards (foot) are listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game on the NBA’s injury report as of 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

The basketball gods have spoken. We do not, in fact, deserve nice things. Even still, here are three storylines to watch when the Timberwolves come to town.

The best ability

Edwards has played through ongoing right foot issues in recent games, but missed Monday night’s 108-83 win over the Golden State Warriors with what was listed as “right foot injury maintenance.” The fact that he’s generally been able to play through any pain associated with the foot injury, but got the night off on Monday, may point to the superstar guard being available on Wednesday in Dallas. Edwards is averaging 29.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game coming into Wednesday’s matchup. His 29.7 points-per-game average is good for third in the NBA though 46 games, just a hair ahead of Boston’s Jaylen Brown.

Flagg is also listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, getting the same “injury management” designation as Edwards on the latest NBA injury reports. He missed a pair of games, both against the Utah Jazz, less than two weeks ago, so who knows when the rookie star’s next off-day will come. Dallas seems to have two feet traveling in opposite directions, with some remarkable recent wins against seemingly quality opponents but a dismal outlook in the Western Conference standings with little, if any, hope of making noise down the stretch.

If both stars are available for their respective teams on Wednesday, the matchup clearly favors Minnesota, but the Wolves were mired in a muck of their own making before Monday’s win over the Warriors. They came into that game losers of five straight, including losses at Utah and at home to the Chicago Bulls. They’re part of the Western Conference contingent made up of teams that might be good enough to make a deep run even if they’re not laying out a particularly convincing case at the moment.

Shooting ability

The Timberwolves come into Wednesday’s game fourth in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (37.2%) as a team. Much has been made of the Mavericks’ inability to shoot the long ball this year and how much the lack of shooting has held the team back in the standings. Entering Wednesday’s game, the Mavericks sit 24th in the NBA in the same category, at 34.5%. Dallas’ recent four-game win streak was largely fueled by 3-point heaters from Klay Thompson and Max Christie. Christie has been the Mavs’ lone bright spot from long range this year, shooting it at a 45.5% clip, good for sixth in the league as a sharpshooter.

Both Edwards (41%) and Jaden McDaniels (42.3%) shoot the 3-ball at above 40% for the Wolves, while big man Naz Reid comes into the game shooting it at a 39% clip. The Timberwolves own most of the matchup advantages against the injury-depleted Mavericks and have the ability to run the home team out of its own gym. What’s plagued Minnesota during its recent run is a lack of focus and leadership that presents itself on the floor as a tendency to turn the ball over and let struggling teams stay in the game long enough for the tide to eventually turn.

Neither team shot it particularly well when the Wolves dominated the Mavericks in the teams’ first meeting, 120-96 on Nov. 17. The Mavericks looked lost with 20 turnovers that night, falling behind by 33 points before the reserves played for most of the fourth quarter in the blowout.

The ability to dictate terms

The Mavs enter Wednesday’s game with a distinct disadvantage in firepower, with or without Flagg, but the Wolves’ own tendency to coast may be Dallas’ path to another unlikely win. The Mavs have proven their own ability to absorb blows this year. They’re a try-hard bunch. They nip at the heels of superior rosters, and sometimes it works.

All it takes is one or two hot stretches from this or that unsung role player, and the Mavs just have a knack for making games of what on paper appears to be a lopsided matchup. If the Wolves don’t dictate the terms of the Mavericks’ surrender from the opening tip, the Mavs will once again make a game of what should be a blowout loss.

And we’ve seen it a number of times this year — anything can happen if Dallas finds a way to stay in the game when crunch time rolls around.

How to watch

The Mavericks host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and regional sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ viewership area, or you can catch the stream on MavsTV or NBA League Pass where available.

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Rapid Recap: 76ers 139, Bucks 122

The Milwaukee Bucks put up a good fight against the Philadelphia 76ers with Giannis out, executing at a pretty high level for most of the game, but eventually falling 139-122. Myles Turner had his best game as a Buck, ending the night with 31 points on 62.5% shooting. Paul George led the Sixers with 32 points, five assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

After getting down 9-2 in the opening minutes, the Bucks battled back to tie the game due to Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner. Turner, in particular, was excellent in the first, dropping 12 points on 4/7 shooting. The Bucks stayed within arm’s length of the 76ers for most of the period, but about two-thirds of the way through the quarter was when Philly made their move, with Joel Embiid being the catalyst. Embiid looked surprisingly spry considering his injury history, manoeuvring his way to 18 first-quarter points (including a bunch of free throws, as per usual). The Bucks were down 42-34 after one.

Milwaukee opened the second with a lineup consisting of Anthony, Trent, Harris, Portis, and Sims (with Rollins entering a few minutes in). To my surprise, this crew got the deficit back to just three about four minutes in, with GT nailing two huge transition bombs. The Sixers would immediately answer with a 5-0 run after that, though, up 53-45—Bucks timeout. Unfortunately, the Sixers’ run extended to 10-0 out of the timeout, with AJ Green halting the run with a three off Kyle Kuzma’s penetration to cut the deficit from 13 to 10. Both teams traded buckets for the rest of the quarter, with nothing truly notable to report other than a funny sequence in which Embiid and Portis—both known high flyers—traded monster jams on consecutive possessions, later laughing about it in a stoppage. Philly led 62-71 at half.

The third quarter featured an offensive explosion from both teams in the opening four minutes. Paul George came out on fire for Philly, dropping 10 quick points in that span. For the Bucks, it was the trio of Turner, Portis, and Rollins that combined to have the Bucks tie the game at 81 about halfway through the frame. A key piece of the comeback was Doc electing to go to the zone, which slowed the 76ers’ offense down in a major way—credit where it’s due. By the same token, the Sixers figured the zone out somewhat in the minutes that followed, opening a 90-84 edge following an Edgecombe corner three and a Maxey drive. Turner kept the Bucks close, though, making it rain off a kick-out three for a season-high 26th point with minutes to play in the third, Milwaukee down 94-91. Much to the Bucks’ dismay, a late flurry from Paul George had Philly up 106-95 after three.

Sixers second-year man Jared McCain—who had struggled in the early season after returning from injury—opened the fourth with a triple to put the 76ers’ lead at 14, threatening to blow the game open, but Kuzma and Anthony scored consecutively to get it back down to 10. Unfortunately, the Bucks could only hold the Sixers off for so long, with George and McCain combining to hit four threes over the next two minutes, actually blowing the game open—Milwaukee down 123-104 with eight minutes to play. The Bucks got it back to 12 with four minutes to play, but the hill was just too steep to climb in the end.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks lost the possession battle tonight, with Philly besting Milwaukee 101-86 in attempts. This was largely because the 76ers had 15 offensive rebounds to the Bucks’ eight, and Milwaukee also turned it over 11 times to Philly’s six.  

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Sixers’ offense hums as they win 25th game vs. Giannis-less Bucks

When you adjust for snowstorms this has been a great start to the week for the Sixers.

Philadelphia bounced back with a decisive 139-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night.

Paul George, just shy of the franchise record for three-pointers in a game, dropped a game-high 32 points with five rebounds and five assists shooting 11-of-21 from the floor and 9-of-15 from three. Joel Embiid, off another brilliant first half, put up 29 points and nine rebounds going 11-of-24 from the field

Tyrese Maxey did a good job of putting the last one behind him, going for 22 points and nine assists on 9-of-19 shooting. Myles Turner led the Bucks with 31.

Quentin Grimes was out with an ankle sprain while the Bucks were without Taurean Prince, Kevin Porter Jr. and most importantly, Giannis Antetekounmpo.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • Maxey walking into an open midrange jumper off an Embiid screen to get on the board was certainly a palette cleanser compared to his outing against the Hornets. The Sixers got plenty of open jumpers early and were able to convert for a decent start. VJ Edgecombe hit his first long range shot of the night and PG hit two early threes as well.
  • It was nice to see Jared McCain get early minutes. With Quentin Grimes out that wasn’t a surprise, but Justin Edwards seeing the floor early was a bit more of a shock. He converted on an open corner three when the ball was swung to him just like George.
  • He wasn’t hitting as many shots from outside, but the most efficient start for the Sixers was from Embiid, who put up 18 points on 12 shots. He also helped McCain have his best five-minute stretch in quite some time. McCain used Embiid as a screener to knock down his first open three of the night, then get to the basket on a drive. On the other end they did struggle again with dribble penetration, helping the Bucks shoot 54.5% in the quarter, but the Sixers were hot enough to get out to an eight-point lead.

Second Quarter

  • When they held on to the ball, the Sixers’ process on offense was good enough to overcome the Bucks making three of their first five threes to start the second. Maxey drives opened up easy baskets for both himself and Kelly Oubre Jr. They weren’t getting a ton from their front court defensively, but Adem Bona was able to get on the board with an and-1 putback. When he missed the free throw, a fresh-into-the-game Dominick Barlow was able to grab another offensive rebound and dish it out for an open Edgeceombe. Barlow got on the board himself with yet another putback layup on the following possession.
  • The Sixers extended the lead and then some with Embiid on the bench, and Maxey looking more like Tyrese Maxey was the biggest reason for that. He played really well off of George, taking turns drawing the attention of the defense to get each other open.
  • Of course when Embiid returned, that only helped Maxey even more. Maxey threw a transition lob to Embiid, and they just looked so excited that that’s a play they were able to make happen again. As much as they continued to hum offensively, they never locked in defensively, allowing the Bucks to only be trailing by nine at the half.

Third Quarter

  • George made his first four jumpers of the second half, and the Sixers needed every one as their defense looked even worse than the first half. Turner started the half with baskets inside before Kyle Kuzma started going wherever he wanted off the dribble.
  • Suddenly needing to be perfect, the Sixers offense finally started to slow down. For the first time ever, they found a groove again when the Bucks threw a zone at them. Edgecombe was able to handle a double and find Oubre wide open at the rim. They swung it around on the next possession to fine a wide open Edgecombe in the corner before an Oubre transition basket and Maxey layup forced a timeout.
  • Maxey and Embiid went to their two-man game to keep the offense afloat, but PG keeping the hot hand from the start of the quarter gave the offense a big boost with two consecutive threes. Maxey capped things off with a pair of lightning fast drives to put the Sixers back at an 11-point lead.

Fourth Quarter

  • George’s production started to become well-rounded as he set Bona up for a bucket at the rim and McCain for a pair of threes. Edgecombe ran quick off a Bucks miss to hit McCain in transition for yet another three. Hitting his fourth out of five tries was just the type of night he needed — both himself and the building seemed to feed off of that energy.
  • Piling on in the best way, an offensive rebound found McCain coming out of a timeout and he buried the open corner three. The offense did stall for a bit ,with jumpers going cold and a dump-off to Bona being there only field goal for a couple of minutes.
  • It seemed like Nick Nurse wanted to give Embiid the fourth quarter off, but the Bucks made it just close enough to put him back out there for a couple of minutes. He immediately buried a corner three to keep up with Turner. He missed a midrange pull-up to cross the 30-point threshold again, but Edgecombe slamming back the miss was plenty enough of an exclamation point for this game.
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Wednesday's Time Schedule

All Times EST

Wednesday, Jan. 28

NBA

Chicago at Indiana, 7 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

New York at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Orlando at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Golden State at Utah, 9 p.m.

San Antonio at Houston, 9:30 p.m.

NHL

N.Y. Rangers at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Colorado at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

T25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 10 Houston at TCU, 9 p.m.

No. 19 Florida at South Carolina, 9 p.m.

No. 25 St. John's vs. Butler, 7 p.m.

T25 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 1 UConn vs. Xavier, 8 p.m.

No. 2 UCLA at Illinois, 7 p.m.

No. 16 Maryland vs. No. 25 Washington, 7 p.m.

No. 21 Texas Tech vs. Iowa St., 7 p.m.

PWHL

Toronto at Montreal, 6:30 p.m.

New York at Boston, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Minnesota, 9 p.m.

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Knicks 103, Kings 87: Cap outduels Deebo for New York’s third straight W

Coming into the Pride Night game at Madison Square Garden, the Sacramento Kings (12-36) had lost five straight and nine consecutive road games. They lost by 23 in Detroit on Sunday. One of the highlights of their season was the January 14 win over the Knicks (28*-18), which surely must have been a fluke.

Not so fast, sassafras. After plodding through the opening minutes, New York managed to finish the first quarter with a 10-point lead, primarily due to Mitchell Robinson being a wrecking ball off the bench. After scoring 36 in the first frame, though, New York managed just 16 in the second, could not figure out how to guard DeMar DeRozan, and held a scant 52-51 lead at halftime. In the third, DeRozan kept cooking, Anunoby turned it over five times, and despite Sacramento shooting blanks from three, the game was tied at 72 going into the fourth, when Captain Clutch donned his cape and dropped 11 points to blow the lid off the game. Final score, 103-87.

This game had a season high and a season low. Their 21 turnovers were the most given away by the Knicks this season, and Sacramento’s 32 three-point attempts were the fewest taken against New York so far. Brunson carried the offense with 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting, hit four threes, and posted a +17 plus-minus.

The league’s leading rebounder, Karl-Anthony Towns, delivered a 17-11 double-double, but was up-and-down tonight. Mikal Bridges was quietly excellent, scoring 18 on 8-of-13, and finishing with a +14. OG Anunoby filled the stat sheet with 15 points, three threes, and two steals, but his seven turnovers were rough on the eyes. Josh Hart did Josh Hart things (nine boards, four dimes, three steals), but seven points on just six shot attempts plus four turnovers made it a mixed bag.

Tonight’s lion was Robinson. He changed the game off the bench with 13 rebounds (six offensive), two steals, and a massive +25. Played 27 minutes, too. Give the man his hard hat and boots, coach.

For Sac Town, DeRozan did everything he could, pouring in 34 points on 13-of-26 shooting with seven free throws, but finished -17. Domantas Sabonis posted a low-calorie near triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. And Russell Westbrook tallied 14 points on 6-of-19, 2-of-9 from three, and six turnovers.

First Half

Load management dictates that Mitchell Robinson plays one game of back-to-backs. Why would the Knicks employ him against the Kings rather than reserve him for tomorrow’s tilt with the third-place Raptors? These are the mysteries of the universe. Regardless, Mitch came off the bench and owned the quarter, playing half the period and grabbing almost a rebound per minute. Fittingly, his tip-in dunk closed the period.

Friends and neighbors, this is actual speed.

The Kings’ offense was a mess. They shot 40% from the floor and 3-of-9 from deep. DeRozan ate his usual diet of midrangers, but Westbrook and Schröder were bricking, and Sabonis had trouble holding onto the rock. Sacramento held a small lead until the midway point, when Brunson and Bridges hit the gas. Playing all 12 minutes, Jalen drilled two threes and attacked the lane aggressively (the ankle looks good!), scoring 10. Bridges followed with a nifty 4-of-6 for nine.

As the offense improved, so did the defense. With timely steals from Anunoby, Shamet, and KAT, the Knicks stretched their lead to ten. By the buzzer, they were ahead 36-26.

For one stretch this season, Tyler Kolek would start the second quarter at the point to give Brunson a break. With Shamet back in the fold, that trend has come to an end. He’s had two DNPs over the last seven games, logged 2:41 against the Mavs, and, when he last saw action, played less than 10 minutes against Brooklyn. Tonight, he didn’t take the floor in the first half, and we’re reminded that a lot can happen before the February 5 trade deadline.

In Q2, that fine first-half shooting fell apart for New York. The offense stalled with Brunson on the bench, and didn’t necessarily improve when he returned. Turnovers were the biggest bugaboo. New York’s 11 giveaways were the most they’d coughed up in a first half this season. How bad did it get? In the second period, New York squeaked out just 16 points.

DeRozan led the rally, scoring at will inside the arc and from the free-throw line. As the only King in double-digit points, he kept the game competitive by himself. Deebo’s just giving potential trade destinations some fresh tape! With DeMar aflame and the Knicks crashing the plane, the Kings came back to overtake the Knicks just before the buzzer, but a KAT drive made the intermission score 52-51. (Can you imagine, some fool predicted the home team to win by 60?)

DeRozan’s only triple in the half:

Other than the three-point shooting, which New York won 38%-27%, the halftime statistics were essentially identical on both sides of the column. The Kings had a few more rebounds, the Knicks had a few more assists. Brunson was the only Knick in double-digits, with 13 points.

Second Half

Hey, refs! Jalen Brunson got hammered in the third quarter, and not in a Jose Cuervo kinda way. On the broadcast, Clyde said something about him flopping a lot as a reason for the umps swallowing their whistles while Jalen ate the court. Frazier also bemoaned the fact that once again, the Knicks were letting one guy beat them while DeRozan bucketed and bucketed . . . and bucketed. . . . Who can argue the logic of an elder twice enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Swear my grandmother had that couch.

Through the third, New York coughed up the ball five more times. The weird thing is that all five were committed by Anunoby. Note, the Kings were shooting 18% from deep (4-of-21), but the Knicks still couldn’t get any breathing room. Playing disorganized defense—and offense for that matter—they let the Kings regain the lead by the middle of the quarter and tie the game at 72 by the end. After scoring 36 points in the first frame, New York managed just 36 points in the second and third frames combined. And the Kings’ defense is ranked 27th in the league.

Every time we start to think the Knicks are back on track, they don’t take care of business against the dregs of the league. Anunoby doesn’t deserve all the blame. Brunson and Towns were uneven in the quarter, too. If not for Mitchell Robinson, they’d be trailing from a distance. The big fella posted four points, grabbed six rebounds (three offensive), and added a steal.

Behold this gorgeous giraffe.

Towns drilled two early treys to start the fourth quarter and passionately exhorted the crowd to its feet. For the moment, he seemed engaged and excited. Brunson woke up, too, and scored in the face of Precious Achiuwa (who worked all the revenge juice out of his system in their last matchup, evidently), and gradually the Knicks’ lead grew to 12. Brunson tallied 11 fourth-quarter points and hit three threes to finally put some daylight on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Westbrick shot 1-0f-6 from deep to deep-six any hopes of a rally.

Wins feel great. We just hope that the extra effort exerted by the starters tonight doesn’t bite them tomorrow when . . . .

Up Next

It’s a quick jaunt across the border for a tussle with the Toronto Raptors tomorrow eve! Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

* Should be one more, but the NBA Cup doesn’t count.

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No. 14 Baylor women hold off Houston 82-66 for 8th straight win

WACO, Texas (AP) — Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored 25 points, Bella Fontleroy added a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 14 Baylor held off Houston's late surge for an 82-66 victory on Tuesday night for the Bears' eighth straight win.

Houston had trailed by double digits since midway through the second quarter but used a 14-6 run to cut the deficit to 71-64 with 5:17 remaining. Baylor scored the next 11 points to seal it.

Littlepage-Buggs shot 10 of 11 from the floor, 5 of 6 for the line and grabbed eight rebounds. Fontleroy made three of the Bears' six 3-pointers. Taliah Scott added 14 points and Kyla Abraham scored 10 for Baylor (19-3, 8-1 Big 12).

Kyndall Hunter Amirah and Abdur-Rahim Houston scored 17 points apiece for Houston (6-14, 0-9). Briana Peguero chipped in with 14 points and had seven assists.

Scott's 3-pointer stretched Baylor's lead to 25-13 with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter. The Bears had their largest lead, 58-37, with 1:43 to play in the third quarter.

Baylor is 5-0 against Houston in Big 12 play.

Up next

Houston: Host Cincinnati on Sunday.

Baylor: At No. 22 West Virginia on Sunday.

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Brunson, Knicks use a big fourth quarter to beat the Kings 103-87 for their 3rd straight win

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and the New York Knicks dominated the fourth quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 103-87 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.

Mikal Bridges added 18 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who outscored the Kings 31-15 in the final period after the game was tied at 72 after three.

DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points for the Kings, who lost their sixth straight. Russell Westbrook added 14 points, but he and DeRozan combined to go 3 for 16 from 3-point range on a night when Sacramento finished 5 for 30 (16.7%).

Mike Brown earned his first victory as Knicks coach against the team that fired him last season, two years after he was NBA Coach of the Year after leading Sacramento to the 2023 playoffs.

Towns hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and sank another to cap an 8-2 spurt that made it 80-74.

DeRozan's basket cut it to 90-85 before Brunson made a 3 then two straight baskets before OG Anunoby's dunk made it 99-85. Brunson hit a free throw after a technical foul on Sacramento, then drained another 3 to cap a 13-0 run and make it 103-85.

Anunoby scored 15 points as the Knicks won despite committing 21 turnovers.

Up next

Kings: Visit Philadelphia on Thursday.

Knicks: Visit Toronto on Wednesday.

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Knicks overcome turnover issues in 103-87 win over Kings

The Knicks avoided another inexcusable performance against the Kings, splitting their season series with a 103-87 win on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Mikal Bridges was the Knicks' leading scorer in their sloppy road loss to the Kings back on Jan. 14, and Tuesday's rematch happened to begin with the veteran guard igniting their offense with nine first-quarter points on four-made shots. While the Kings steadily attacked in the early minutes, leading by as many as five points midway through the opening period, they were forced to burn a timeout after allowing a quick 9-0 run to the Knicks. The break in action didn't cool off the Knicks -- they shot 54 percent from the floor and led 36-26 through 12 minutes of action.

-- Points were scarce for New York in the second quarter. They mustered a pair of buckets through the first four minutes, and that cold spell opened a window for the Kings, who trimmed their deficit to five, 45-40, with 5:50 left in the half. The Knicks' lack of rhythm was also due to poor ball control -- they committed a season-worst 11 first-half turnovers -- and in the closing minutes of the quarter, the Kings produced their own sudden 9-0 run that placed them ahead, 51-50. A driving layup from Karl-Anthony Towns with 14 seconds left gave the Knicks a 52-51 edge at the break.

-- Bridges wasn't a factor in the second quarter, as he took just one shot and remained at nine points. The Knicks' first-half leader was Jalen Brunson, but even his 13 points came on an underwhelming 3-of-9 shooting. DeMar DeRozan handily carried the Kings, scoring 22 first-half points and resembling the threat he posed in their Jan. 14 meeting (he contributed a game-high 27 points then). There weren't any other players with double-digit points through 24 minutes of play.

-- The Knicks didn't take too kindly to the Kings' physicality in the third quarter. By the 7:20 mark, a jumper from veteran Russell Westbrook put the Kings ahead again, 61-60, and both teams continued to exchange blows to the tune of a 72-72 tie by the buzzer. Turnovers continued to plague the Knicks, as they committed seven in the period to put their game total to an ugly 18. They also struggled to defend DeRozan, who reached 28 points -- his sixth-highest mark of the season -- entering the final quarter.

-- Towns tried his best to take matters into his own hands, scoring six of the Knicks' first eight points in the fourth on a pair of threes while clinching a double-double. With some assistance from OG Anunoby and five unanswered points from Brunson, their lead over the Kings climbed back to double-digits, 95-85, with 3:07 remaining. Following a media timeout, the tandem combined for another four points, bumping the Knicks' lead to a game-high 14 that forced the Kings to burn a timeout with 2:02 left. Their message on the bench was all for naught -- the Kings scored just two points in the final four-plus minutes, finishing with a measly 13 in the quarter. DeRozan gave the Knicks fits, adding 34 points in total, but his efforts weren't enough.

-- The only Knicks starter who failed to score double-digit points was Josh Hart, who added seven in 31 minutes. But the veteran made his presence known elsewhere, logging nine rebounds and four assists while forcing three turnovers. Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson combined for 16 points off the bench -- Robinson registered a team-best 13 boards -- and in spite of a season-high 21 turnovers, the Knicks' talent and tenacity prevailed.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson came to life in the fourth quarter, racking up 11 crucial points that pushed his total to a team-best 28. The Knicks captain has averaged 25.2 points over his last four games. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks (28-18), now on a three-game win streak, will have travel north of the border for a Wednesday night matchup against the Toronto Raptors (7:30 tip-off).

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Williams, Copeland lead balanced scoring attack to send NC State past Syracuse

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Darrion Williams scored 23 points and Quadir Copeland scored 19 points, and NC State won its third straight game by beating Syracuse 88-68 on Tuesday night.

Ven-Allen Lubin made all eight of his shots and scored 18 points and reserve Musa Sagnia scored 10. Copeland, who made all nine of his foul shots, just missed a double-double distributing nine assists and defensively came up with four steals.

The Wolfpack (15-6, 6-2 ACC) shot 51% (33 of 65) despite a 29% effort (7 of 24) from behind the arc. NC State led the entire game.

Donnie Freeman scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and J.J. Starling scored 17 points for Syracuse (12-9, 3-5). The Orange missed 41 shots, going 26 of 67 (39%) from the floor.

NC State led 41-37 at halftime and made that margin over the first eight minutes of the second half. Freeman's layup with 11:50 left made it 55-51.

Copeland responded with a three-point play and two more foul shots to push the lead to 60-51. After a Starling layup, Sagnia threw down a dunk and Terrance Arceneaux made a layup and the Wolfpack claimed their first double-digit lead.

NC State stayed ahead by double digits over the final 5:16.

Up next

Syracuse: Will try to end its four-game losing streak when it hosts Notre Dame on Saturday.

NC State: Winners of five of six and eight of their last 10, the Wolfpack rravels to face Wake Forest on Saturday.

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Kugel scores 17, Burks hits late 3 and UCF rallies late to beat Arizona State 79-76

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Riley Kugel scored 17 points, Jordan Burks hit a late 3-pointer and finished with 15 points, and UCF rallied to beat Arizona State 79-76 on Tuesday night.

UCF used a 14-2 run to tie it 72-all with 2:30 remaining. Burks' 3 gave the Knights a 78-76 lead with 34 seconds left, and he forced a turnover on the next possession. Themus Fulks split a pair of free throws for UCF with six seconds to go before Bryce Ford missed a 3-pointer to end it.

Jamichael Stillwell added 14 points and Fulks finished with 12 for UCF (16-4, 5-3 Big 12). John Bol grabbed 10 rebounds, and Kugel and Stillwell had nine apiece.

Maurice Odum made three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for Arizona State (11-10, 2-6). Anthony Johnson scored 12 points and Ford added 11.

An Odum 3-pointer with about six minutes left in the first half sparked a 15-6 surge to give Arizona State a 33-28 advantage, and the Sun Devils took a 39-35 lead into the break. Arizona State used a 23-11 run to take its largest lead, 70-58, with 6:09 remaining.

It was Arizona State's first game at Orlando in the series.

Up next

Arizona State: Hosts top-ranked Arizona on Saturday.

UCF: At home against No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday.

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Broncos fire offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and 2 other assistants after AFC title game loss

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Tuesday in a shakeup of their coaching staff in the wake of their AFC championship game loss.

Lombardi had been with coach Sean Payton since he took the Broncos job 2023. His tenure in Denver ended after backup Jarrett Stidham filled in for an injured Bo Nix on Sunday and the New England Patriots beat the Broncos 10-7 in a game where a snowstorm made it difficult for both offenses in the second half.

Denver also fired wide receivers coach Keary Colbert and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch. Lombardi also was part of Payton's staff in New Orleans.

“I want to thank these coaches for playing an important role in elevating our program over the last three seasons,” Payton said in a statement. “I’ve been fortunate to work with Joe Lombardi for 15 years and am particularly grateful for his many contributions to our success as offensive coordinator.

“We sincerely appreciate Joe, Keary and Addison’s hard work and wish them all the best in the future.”

Nix led the Broncos (15-4) to a franchise record-tying 14 wins in the regular season and their first playoff victory since Super Bowl 50 a decade ago. He’s won 25 games in two seasons and boasts an NFL-best 11 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime over that span. The Broncos’ offense averaged 23.6 points per game during the regular season.

Payton fell to 1-3 in conference championships.

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

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Recap: Wizards beat Trail Blazers, 115-111

The Washington Wizards defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, 115-111 at Capital One Arena. Washington didn’t just get a win tonight. They pushed the Blazers down to a sub .500 record as well.

This game featured 19 lead changes, six ties and a long stretch in the middle of the game where the Wizards led by as many as 11 points. The Blazers on the other hand never led by more than 11.

In the fourth quarter, the Blazers started with the lead and still held it midway. Shaedon Sharpe scored 12 of his team-high 31 points and kept Washington on their toes. But Kyshawn George scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth. George even made a three off a Bilal Coulibaly assist with just under three minutes left that gave Washington the lead for good.

And it gets better. George made that three over Blazers superstar (and former Wizard) Deni Avdija.

Avdija, who is poised to make the NBA All-Star team for the first time, scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. But he also committed 6 turnovers for Portland. As for Washington, George had the biggest clutch play of the night, but Alex Sarr led Washington’s scorers with 29 points and added grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Wizards’ next game is on Thursday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.

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Cavs expected to avoid Western Conference star in upcoming roadtrip

The Cleveland Cavaliers‘ good basketball will be put to the test as they’re set to be without Evan Mobley (calf) for anywhere between one to three weeks. Additionally, they’re set to embark on a five-game, week-and-a-half Western Conference roadtrip starting on Friday against the shorthanded Phoenix Suns.

The Suns are expected to be without Devin Booker. He injured his ankle in a game last week against the Atlanta Hawks. The injury isn’t serious, but it is expected to sideline him for Friday’s game. The injury update the team announced on Sunday said he would be reevaluated in a week with a right ankle sprain.

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Phoenix has been one of the best stories in the league this season. Former Cavs assistant Jordan Ott has done an excellent job leading what felt like a rudderless team after the disastrous Kevin Durant trade back into relevancy. They’re firmly in the playoff race in a tightly contested Western Conference with a 27-19 record.

Despite the good play, the Suns have struggled without Booker this season. They’ve been outscored by 2.1 points per 100 possessions (40th percentile) when he isn’t on the floor and are 1-4 in games he doesn’t play overall.

On the season, Booker is averaging 25.4 points, 6.2 assists, and four rebounds per game on .456/.313/.864 shooting splits.

The Cavs conclude their five-game roadtrip on Feb. 9 against the Denver Nuggets. Whether or not Nikola Jokic will be back in time for that game remains to be seen. He hasn’t played since injuring his knee in December, but resumed on-court workouts two weeks ago. The initial four-week reevaluation period has already passed.

No matter who is in the lineup, this upcoming stretch will be difficult for the Cavs. We’ll see how the Cavs handle it in the coming week, after they host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

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Game Preview #48 – Timberwolves at Mavericks

Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks
Date: January 28th, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM CST
Location: American Airlines Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio

The Wolves finally stopped the bleeding Monday night, snapping the five-game losing streak by beating the Warriors’ B squad at Target Center. And yes, we all understand the fine print on the receipt: no Steph Curry, no Jimmy Butler, and Golden State looked like a team that was mostly trying to survive the evening without someone pulling a hamstring tying their shoes.

But here’s the thing: when you’re 0–5 in your last five and you’ve spent the last week playing basketball like you’re distractedly scrolling Twitter at half court, any win counts. Not “counts” like it moves you up the standings in some dramatic way. “Counts” like a drowning person grabbing a life preserver.

Minnesota did it without Anthony Edwards again, who continues to have issues with his foot. They had four of five starters available, they brought competent energy, and they handled business the way a serious team is supposed to handle a compromised opponent: build separation, keep it, don’t get cute.

Now comes the next test, and it’s the kind of test that tells you whether the Wolves are actually pulling themselves together or just enjoyed one nice evening before returning to their regularly scheduled chaos.

They head back to Texas, scene of the recent crime spree (Houston and San Antonio), except this time the opponent isn’t a contender with Kevin Durant or Victor Wembanyama. It’s Dallas, who is struggling, banged up, and missing major pieces. No Kyrie Irving. No Anthony Davis. And maybe no Cooper Flagg, who’s listed as a game-time decision. This is less “climbing Everest” and more “successfully walking up a flight of stairs without tripping,” which… considering the last two weeks… still qualifies as progress.

And that’s the point. Sometimes you don’t fix a shaky season with one grand moment. Sometimes you do it with baby steps: beat the depleted Warriors, beat the depleted Mavericks, and then you look up and suddenly you’ve got some stability heading into Thursday’s OKC game instead of an emotional crater.

So let’s treat this correctly. Dallas isn’t the type of team you circle as a signature win. Dallas is the type of game you circle as mandatory.

Here are the keys.

Keys to the Game

1. Weaponize the size advantage
Dallas is limping into this one, and without Anthony Davis in particular, there’s no excuse for Minnesota not to own the paint. This is where the Wolves’ identity is supposed to live: Rudy Gobert anchoring the back line, and Julius Randle and Naz Reid crashing to the rim. They did a solid job exploiting the Warriors’ lack of size. Now they need to turn that into a habit, not a one-night stand. If Minnesota wins the paint and the boards, Dallas runs out of ways to stay in the game.

2. Play like the game matters for 48 minutes — because it does.
This is the danger zone game. The Wolves finally get a win, the schedule looks friendly, and the brain starts whispering, We can coast a little. That’s how you lose to injured teams, turn a possible two-game win streak into another spiral, and end up doing the “how did we end up in the play-in?” math in March. Minnesota has already proven they can flip intensity on and off like a light switch. The problem is they’ve been using it like a broken one. This has to be a professional effort from the opening tip. Sprint back. Hit the glass. Make the extra rotation. Don’t wait until the fourth quarter to start caring. You don’t build momentum by winning one game. You build it by stacking another one right after it, especially on the road.

3. Guard the perimeter.
Even depleted teams can beat you if you let them get comfortable from three and turn the game into a math problem. Minnesota has been at its worst when the wing defense becomes optional. When guys get blown by, Rudy gets dragged into impossible help situations, and suddenly every possession is either a layup or a scramble into an open corner three. Dallas doesn’t need to be healthy to make you pay if you’re lazy. The Wolves have to close out like they mean it, contain dribble penetration, and keep the ball in front. The goal should be simple: make Dallas work for every shot, and make their offense feel heavy. If Minnesota keeps Dallas in the mud for three quarters, this game ends early.

4. Take care of the ball and keep the offense flowing.
We just watched the Wolves cough it up 25 times against Golden State on Sunday. That wasn’t a “bad luck” thing. That was a carelessness thing. Monday only looked better because it couldn’t possibly be worse, with Minnesota giving the ball away 22 times. This game cannot become another “we gave them life” situation where Dallas hangs around because Minnesota is throwing away possessions like expired coupons. The Wolves need clean decision-making, purposeful ball movement, and a steady pace. No dribbling the air out of it. No lazy cross-court passes. No possessions that end with someone launching a bailout three because the offense died at the top of the key. Especially if Ant is out again, the Wolves have to score through structure with movement, paint touches, kickouts, and extra passes.

5. Leadership can’t be a postgame quote — it has to show up in the first quarter.
This is the big one, especially if Edwards remains sidelined. When a team is wobbling, and make no mistake, Minnesota is wobbling, leadership isn’t something you talk about. It’s something you demonstrate. Rudy has to set the defensive tone. Conley has to organize the chaos and keep everyone connected. Randle has to play forceful but smart bully-ball with reads, not tunnel vision. And the “middle class” guys (DDV, Naz, Jaden) have to bring real edge, not passive cardio. Monday was a step toward stopping the bleeding. Wednesday has to be the game where they show they can walk normally again.

This is where the Wolves are right now: not in the “make a statement” phase, but in the “prove you’re not broken” phase. Dallas is injured. Dallas is struggling. Dallas is vulnerable. If Minnesota plays with maturity, this is a workmanlike road win, the kind you bank, the kind you don’t brag about, the kind that quietly steadies your season.

But if they come out sloppy, unfocused, and casual, if they treat this like a night off because the opponent is shorthanded, then we’re right back in the swamp. And the OKC game won’t be a measuring stick. It’ll be a scheduled disaster.

So yeah: baby steps. Beat the depleted Warriors. Beat the depleted Mavericks. Get your footing back. Then turn your attention to OKC with something resembling confidence.

Because the Wolves dug this hole themselves. And the only way out is to start stacking wins that aren’t glamorous, just necessary.

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Markram and Linde guide South Africa to win over West Indies in T20 series opener

PAARL, South Africa (AP) — South Africa captain Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten 86 off 47 balls as the Proteas beat the West Indies by 9 wickets Tuesday in the opener of their three-match T20 international series.

Markram, who hit nine boundaries and three sixes, shared a partnership of 83 with Lhuan-dre Pretorius (44) and 93 with Ryan Rickelton to reach 176-1 with 13 balls to spare.

Left-arm spinner George Linde picked 3-25 to earn player-of-the-match honors, while Keshav Maharaj and Corbin Bosch took two wickets each as the visitors reached 173-7 in 20 overs after South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Shimron Hetmyer top-scored for the West Indies with 48 runs off 32 balls that included four boundaries and three sixes. Hetmyer and Rovman Powell (29 not out) shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 74.

The second match is on Thursday at Centurion.

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