Jan 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts after being ejected from the game against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was ejected from the team’s blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday. He picked up his second technical foul in the fourth quarter after arguing with a referee and incidentally bumping them in the process.
Atkinson was also critical of the officiating after the game as well, calling what transpired “circus-like.”
“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that fouls 26th [worst],” Atkinson said. “And then the second free throw we got was after a flop. … I thought the game got out of hand quite honestly. … Parts of the game, it seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league. Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don’t stand up to them.”
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Atkinson later pointed out that it wasn’t the official’s fault for why his team lost. The Cavs didn’t play their best as they were unable to take care of the ball, had poor perimeter defense, and couldn’t make enough shots to offset it.
On Saturday, the league announced that it was fining Atkinson $50,000 for his actions in Friday’s loss. The press release stated he was fined for “aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official.”
The loss in Phoenix snapped what was a five-game winning streak.
The Cavaliers will be on the road for the next week and a half as they have four games remaining on their five-game Western Conference road trip. They will take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday evening.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 by the NBA for “aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official” during a game on Friday night.
The NBA's head of basketball operations James Jones made the announcement on Saturday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freshman Trent Sisley made the first of two free throws with less than a second remaining in a second overtime and Indiana outlasted UCLA 98-97 on Saturday.
Nick Dorn hit six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 26 points for the Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten Conference) in a third straight victory following a four-game losing streak. Lamar Wilkerson added 24 points and eight rebounds.
Indiana reserve Reed Bailey totaled 24 points before fouling out in OT. He made 6 of 7 shots and 12 of 13 free throws. His only miss at the foul line came with eight seconds left in regulation, leading to a 3-pointer by Trent Perry that forced the first extra period tied at 76.
Perry made all 10 of his free throws and scored 25 to lead the Bruins (15-7, 7-4), who fall to 12-1 at home after winning 14 straight dating to last season. Donovan Dent totaled 24 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 0.3 seconds left, leading to the winning free throw. Tyler Bilodeau added 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.
It was UCLA's first OT game at home in four years and their first double OT game there in 11 years.
Perry had 11 points in the first half to help UCLA build a 38-30 advantage.
Indiana played from behind until Dorn hit a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 45-43 lead with 14:14 remaining. UCLA trailed by 10 before outscoring Indiana 15-5 over the final 1:50 to force OT.
Indiana's Sam Alexis had a layup to tie it 84-all with six seconds left, leading to a second extra period after Perry missed a jumper.
DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 03: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at American Airlines Center on January 03, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (19-29) head out on the road to face off against the Houston Rockets (29-17) in a Saturday night ABC showdown of division rivals. It’s not as much of a showdown as the network would like, with Dallas stumbling as of late, most recently dropping one to the Charlotte Hornets. Houston mostly recently walloped the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.
Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets
WHAT: Road division rival game
WHERE: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
HOW: ABC
I have to say… this is the best Dallas Mavericks injury report in a while. Yes, the same four guys who have been out forever are still out (Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, Dereck Lively), but past that… everyone else is a go, even the two way guys you’d expect (Moussa Cisse, Ryan Nembhard). Steven Adams is now out for the season after it was determined his ankle needed surgery. Fred Van Vleet has been out for the Rockets all year.
This will be the fourth and final game of the season series between these two teams. Dallas lost the first in early November but hung around, then took the next two games from Houston. In the second game, they sat key players and hoped to get by and did not. In the third game, All-Star forward Alperin Sengun hurt himself minutes into the contest.
It’s not like Houston needs this game, but Dallas is sliding into a true losing streak after finally looking like they were turning a corner. The three point shooting between these two teams is what I’d keep an eye on. Offensive rebounding can be a key, but Dallas has managed to hang around in that department these last two games.
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!
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Anthony Roy hit five 3-pointers and scored 26 points and Oklahoma State beat Utah 81-69 on Saturday for the Cowboys' first Big 12 road win in nearly two years, ending a 15-game skid.
Oklahoma State last won a conference road game at Cincinnati, 80-76, on Feb. 21, 2024.
Christian Coleman added 14 points and 10 rebounds, Parsa Fallah scored nine of his 13 points in the final 3 1/2 minutes and Vyctorius Miller added 10 for the Cowboys (15-6, 3-5), who ended a two-game losing streak.
Terrence Brown scored 20 points, Don McHenry added 17, Keanu Dawes had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Seydou Traore scored 10 points for the Utes (9-12, 1-7), who have lost three straight and eight of their last nine.
There were nine ties and 10 lead changes, the final one coming after Coleman had a consecutive baskets in an 8-0 surge for a five-point lead with eight minutes left.
A 3-pointer by Fallah, only his seventh in 15 attempts this season, made it 67-62 by the final media timeout. His tip-in made it a 10-point edge with 1:26 to go and after Utah got within eight with 44 seconds remaining he scored the final four points.
Oklahoma State led 40-39 at halftime behind Roy’s 14 points.
Up next
Oklahoma State is home against No. 13 BYU on Wednesday.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Chauncey Wiggins, Lajae Jones and Robert McCray V combined to score 60 points as Florida State held off Stanford 88-80 on Saturday, in the first meeting between the two sides in Tallahassee.
Wiggins was 6 of 13 from the floor and 7 of 8 at the line, scoring a team-high 23 points, including 16 in the second half for the Seminoles (10-12, 3-6 Atlantic Coast Conference). McCray V added 19 points, seven assists and two steals. Jones finished with 18 and five rebounds, scoring 13 in the first half.
Alex Steen had 12 points and Kobe Magee 10 to go with six rebounds.
The win makes it back to back for the Seminoles against their Californian foes in the ACC. They've won three of their last four games — all in ACC play — after starting the season 0-5 in the conference.
The Seminoles built a 41-33 lead at the half, using a 13-2 run to flip a four-point deficit into a six-point lead that grew. In the second half, they used a 12-0 run with seven points from Magee to build a 19-point lead with 11:38 to go.
That cushion allowed them to hold on despite an 11-4 Stanford run starting at the 6:17 mark with six points from Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie.
Okorie started slow for the Cardinal (14-8, 3-6), scoring three in the first half on 1 of 4 shooting. He finished with 26 points after a 23-point second half in which he went 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Okorie entered the game ranked 13th in the country in scoring at 21.5 points per game and third among freshmen.
Benny Gealer added 12 points, AJ Rohosy 11, and Donavin Young 10. Oskar Giltay had nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
The Seminoles outscored the Cardinal 18-9 on points off turnovers.
Up next
Stanford will host No. 22 Clemson on Wednesday.
Florida State heads on the road to face Notre Dame next Saturday.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Nate Kingz scored 28 points and JJ Starling added 21 for Syracuse in an 86-72 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night.
William Kyle III had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Orange (13-9, 4-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). Naithan George dished 10 assists and had a pair of steals.
An 11-0 run by Syracuse in the first half put them up by double digits early, carrying a 40-31 lead into halftime. Starling scored 17 points in the first half on a perfect 7 of 7 shooting from the field and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
The Irish (11-11, 2-7) got as close as six in the second half, off a 3-pointer from Cole Certa. After that, the Orange went on a 9-0 run to pull away for good.
Notre Dame was led by Jalen Haralson, who scored 26. Braeden Shrewsberry put up 17 points to go with five rebounds.
The win was Syracuse's fifth consecutive at home against Notre Dame, dating back to the 2020-21 season.
Up next
Notre Dame: Visits No. 20 Louisville on Wednesday.
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 26: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half against the Chicago Bulls on January 26, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the second consecutive game, the Lakers are listing Austin Reaves as questionable, setting up for his potential return from injury.
Prior to Friday’s game, head coach JJ Redick stated that there was no setback and that the team was just being extra cautious.
Redick says Reaves has not had any setbacks, he has continued to progress and just reached the five-week mark since the injury. https://t.co/7fQtw66ASr
Considering Reaves suffered a pretty immediate reaggravation of his injury upon his last return from a calf strain, showcasing some more restraint and caution in this return.
However, it does feel like a bit of a tease to be this close to an Austin return and have it keep being delayed. At the start of the current road trip, Redick said the goal was to have Reaves back before they returned to Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers have two games left on this trip, both in New York. They will face the Knicks on Sunday before finishing up the trip in Brooklyn. Having Reaves available on Sunday would be a big boost against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Tuesday’s contest against the Nets would serve as a great warm-up regardless of whether he returns against the Knicks or not.
It might be frustrating to keep having to wait for Reaves to finally be back, especially with everyone — Luka included — excited for him to return. But the Lakers are playing the long game with Reaves.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Joel Farabee’s short-handed goal at 6:53 of the third period broke a tie and sent the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin each scored his 12th goal of the season for the Flames (22-26-6), who overcame a pair of one-goal deficits and snapped a five-game losing streak.
Will Smith and Adam Gaudette scored for the Sharks (27-22-4), who have lost two in a row and four of seven.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 39 shots for the Sharks, while Dustin Wolf made 23 saves for the Flames.
Wolf’s best stop came against Macklin Celebrini with 21 seconds remaining when he stuck out a pad to deny the star forward after he was set up all by himself in front of the net.
Celebrini’s three-game point streak was snapped (three goals, four assists).
Just 15 seconds after teammate Nazem Kadri was penalized for slashing, Farabee broke a 2-all tie with Calgary's NHL-leading eighth short-handed goal. Mikael Backlund’s slap shot missed the net, but the rebound caromed right back out front where Farbee knocked a backhand through Nedeljkovic’s pads.
It was Calgary’s first victory since trading defenseman Rasmus Andersson. The Flames had gone 0-3-2 and scored only seven goals since the deal.
Wolf, who is from Gilroy, California, improved to 16-2-2 against teams from his home state — the Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. He is 9-2-0 against San Jose.
While recently acquired left wing Kiefer Sherwood (upper body) remains out, San Jose did welcome back left wing Philipp Kurashev (upper body, 19 games) and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin (undisclosed, 10 games).
Sherwood, acquired from Vancouver on Jan. 19, hasn’t played since Jan. 10, but he’s back skating with the team.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Justin Sourdif scored off a rebound at 1:42 of overtime and the Washington Capitals overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Saturday night.
Down 3-0 early in second period, the Capitals tied it on defenseman Jakob Chychrun's goal with 6:42 left in regulation — his 19th of the season.
Hendrix Lapierre and Dylan Strome scored in the second period to start the rally and help give Clay Stevenson his first NHL victory. Stevenson won in his second career start and first of the season, stopping 19 shots.
Washington has won two in a row. It beat beat Detroit 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night to end a six-game trip.
Mark Jankowski, Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for Carolina, and Frederik Andersen made 38 saves. The Hurricanes had won two in a row and five of six.
Jankowski opened the scoring for Carolina with 6:33 left in the first. Aho made it 2-0 with 2:09 to go in the period, and Gostisbehere struck at 4:16 of the second.
Lapierre got one back for Washington at 7:52 of the second, and Strome made it a one-goal game with 5:02 left in the period.
Up next
Hurricanes: Host Los Angeles on Sunday.
Capitals: Host New York Islanders on Monday night,
UPDATE: The NBA has announced that the Spurs game in San Antonio vs. the Orlando Magic has been pushed back to 6:00 PM on Sunday after originally being scheduled for 3:00, so it sounds the Spurs are expected to get out of Charlotte in the morning. Forecasts show the snow lightening and ending in the next few hours.
Game ON for tomorrow. Switching from 3 pm to 6 pm CT!
A powerful winter storm that descended on the Carolinas this weekend has forced the San Antonio Spurs to remain in Charlotte overnight after their 111-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, dramatically altering the team’s travel plans and raising questions about their Sunday afternoon game against the Orlando Magic at the Frost Bank Center.
The Spurs had hoped to fly home immediately after the game, but the wintry conditions shut down Charlotte Douglas International Airport for the night. Spurs play-by-play broadcaster Jacob Tobey provided a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing the heavy snow the airport and said the team was waiting on the tarmac for nearly two hours.
Update: we are not taking off tonight. Just under two hours on the tarmac and every brake test failed to try and open runways. The weather has gotten worse in Charlotte. TBD on how tomorrow’s game against the Magic, IN SAN ANTONIO, will be handled.
The storm, described as the most significant snowfall Charlotte has seen in nearly a decade, has brought heavy snow and dangerous travel conditions to the area. Snow accumulations at the airport are expected to reach over 6 inches by Saturday evening, with totals possibly climbing as high as 9 inches before the storm moves out. A winter storm warning remained in effect through early Sunday morning.
The news puts the Spurs’ schedule into further uncertainty. The team is slated to host the Orlando Magic at the Frost Bank Center on Sunday afternoon, but at the time of this report neither the Spurs nor the NBA have issued official word on whether the game will proceed as scheduled.
Charlotte’s winter conditions not only hampered the Spurs’ travel but also impacted the game itself. The game was moved up by three hours from its originally scheduled 3 p.m. ET afternoon start to noon, in an effort by the NBA to get both teams out of dangerous travel conditions before weather worsened.
While the Hornets capitalized on their home-court advantage and rallied for the win on the basketball court, for the Spurs the focus quickly shifted from basketball to logistics as winter weather proved once again that it can upend even the plans for professional athletes.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Ehis Etute scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Oregon in a 68-61 win over No. 16 Maryland on Saturday night.
Etute shot 10 of 15 from the field and 6 of 8 from the line. Sofia Bell added 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers.
The Ducks (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten) pulled ahead off an 11-0 run with 2:39 remaining. Addi Mack made a layup and made two free throws to get Maryland within two with 27 seconds remaining but Oregon made 5 of 6 free throws to seal the win.
The Terrapins (17-6, 5-6) finished the first half with a 14-0 run to lead 36-30. Oluchi Okananwa was 11-of-17 shooting and scored 27 points, 23 in the first half. Mack added 17. The loss is Maryland's fourth straight.
Up next
Oregon: Hosts Illinois on Wednesday.
Maryland: Visits No. 13 Michigan State on Wednesday.
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Skye Belker and Olivia Hutcherson scored 20 points apiece, and No. 19 Princeton pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Cornell 72-61 on Saturday.
Princeton opened the final quarter on a 10-2 surge for a 58-48 advantage with 7:17 remaining. Ashley Chea's 3-pointer later stretched the Tigers' advantage to 65-53 with 4:44 to play. Belker made a 3-pointer and scored eight points in the fourth quarter, and Hutcherson chipped in with two layups.
Chea finished with 11 points for Princeton (18-2, 6-1 Ivy League), which rebounded from a 73-67 loss to Columbia on Friday that ended the Tigers' 15-game win streak.
Rachel Kaus scored 20 points, and Emily Pape added 14 for Cornell (8-12, 3-4). Clarke Jackson scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Princeton shot 51% (29 of 57) overall and hit 43% (9 of 21) from 3-point range, while Cornell shot 52% (25 of 48) and 44% (7 of 16) from distance, but the Tigers scored 19 points off 13 Big Red turnovers. Princeton had just five turnovers.
Up next
Cornell: hosts Columbia on Saturday.
Princeton: at home against Pennsylvania on Friday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The latest collection of government files released on Jeffrey Epstein include emails from 2003 between Casey Wasserman, the head of the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, and Epstein's one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Among the exchanges included Wasserman telling Maxwell “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
There is also an email exchange about massages and one in which Maxwell asks whether it will be foggy enough during an upcoming visit "so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”
Wasserman responds, “or something like that."
In a statement released Saturday, Wasserman said “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” which he said occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” he said.
The documents were disclosed as mandated by a law passed requiring the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidant and onetime girlfriend, Maxwell. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Wasserman built a sports and talent agency that represents top players in football, basketball and baseball, along with big-name actors such as Adam Sandler and Brad Pitt.
He has grabbed more headlines recently as the frontman for the LA Olympic effort; his lobbying played a big role in bringing the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. in 2028. Los Angeles previously hosted in 1984 and this will be the first Summer Games in the United States since Atlanta in 1996.
In 2021, Wasserman divorced his wife of 20 years, Laura Ziffren Wasserman.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 30: De'anthony Melton #8 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket on Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Chase Center on January 30, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/ (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Back in May, I wrote that bringing DeAnthony Melton back was essential for the Warriors’ 2025-26 season. The response was predictable: “He’s coming off an ACL tear,” “He’s 27 and might never be the same,” “The Warriors need to move on.” But here we are in January 2026, and Melton isn’t just back—he’s having a solid year, and the numbers tell a story of perseverance that deserves way more attention than it’s getting.
Let’s rewind to November 2024. Melton was cooking. Nineteen points and 10 rebounds against OKC, drilling five threes and looking like the perfect complement to Steph Curry’s brilliance. Two nights later against Dallas, he dropped 14 points in 26 minutes, helping the Warriors take down a legitimate contender. Steve Kerr had finally cracked the rotation code, calling Melton “really the perfect mix” of shooting and defensive versatility. Then, in that same Dallas game, his knee twisted, his ACL tore, and the season collapsed before it ever really started. Even in his injury absence, it was clear that the Warriors should bring him back over the summer.
De’Anthony Melton fit so well into the Warriors system last year while healthy that you can almost guarantee Golden State’s decision makers will put some thought into potentially bringing him back next year. Melton is an unrestricted free agent and is still only 27 years old.… pic.twitter.com/WvrgAk7N4B
Fast forward to January 2026, and Melton is back and not just surviving his return from major knee surgery. After an up-and-down December, he’s thriving in ways that make February look very appetizing for the Warriors.
In December, Melton shot 32.9% from the field and a ghastly 16.7% from three. His effective field goal percentage sat at .368, the kind of number that gets you benched or buried. He looked like a player still searching for his rhythm, still fighting through the mental hurdles that come with trusting a surgically repaired knee.
Then January happened and his stats were night and day. His field goal percentage jumped to 48.3%, which is a 47% improvement. His three-point accuracy exploded from 16.7% to 37.3%, more than doubling his efficiency. His effective field goal percentage skyrocketed to 56.9%, a leap that signaled he was attacking with confidence. He went from making 6 threes in December to 25 in January. His assists quadrupled from 12 to 44. This wasn’t just regression to the mean; this was a player rediscovering who he is.
“He’s been out basically for the most part in two years, so we're going to keep doing what we're doing, bring him off the bench, keep his minutes climbing.”
By month’s end, Melton had become the Warriors’ third-leading scorer at 14.7 PPG, trailing only Curry and Jimmy Butler. He posted the team’s highest plus-minus for January at +10.3. He was second on the team in paint points with 88—just six behind Butler—and 46% of his scoring came in the restricted area, a higher rate than Gui Santos, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green, and Quinten Post. He wasn’t just spotting up for threes; he was attacking closeouts, finishing through contact, and playing with the two-way aggression that made him so valuable before the injury.
At 27 years old, Melton is posting career-high numbers (11.7 PPG on the season) and evolving into a legitimate two-way weapon. He’s not a role player filling minutes, instead he’s a core rotation piece that the Warriors can’t afford to lose again. The December struggles? Those were the final stages of a player rebuilding trust in his body. January was him remembering he belongs.
Steve Kerr on De’Anthony Melton emerging as a scoring option off the bench after a season-high 23 points tonight:
“You can see the confidence is rising. He’s a really dynamic player. Explosive athlete and really skilled… the guys have total confidence in him.” pic.twitter.com/Edx5mqMEq0
I said it in May: the Warriors needed to bring Melton back. They did. And now, watching him transform from December’s cautious comeback player to January’s confident two-way force, it’s clear this wasn’t just a good signing. It was essential. The ACL injury in November 2024 derailed what could’ve been a special season. But Melton’s January 2026 performance proves he’s not coming back from injury; he’s arriving as the player the Warriors always needed him to be.
