NEW YORK (AP) — Providence forward Duncan Powell was suspended two additional games by the Big East on Sunday, meaning he will miss three games for his flagrant foul that sparked a fight in a game against St. John's.
Powell already faced an automatic one-game ban for fighting by NCAA rules, but the conference tacked on an additional penalty stemming from the 17th-ranked Red Storm's 79-69 victory Saturday that featured seven ejections.
It started when Powell flagrantly fouled Bryce Hopkins — who played three seasons in Providence — from behind as he went up for a fast-break layup. Powell was automatically ejected for the flagrant 2 foul.
“Providence College holds its student-athletes and coaches to the highest standards,” athletic director Steve Napolillo said. “We fully support the suspension that the Big East has issued to Duncan Powell. His actions were unacceptable and do not reflect the values, discipline, or sportsmanship expected of anyone representing Providence College.”
The Big East said in its ruling that officials determined that Powell “engaged in additional combative actions that constituted a fighting act subsequent to the flagrant foul.”
He will sit out next Saturday at DePaul, followed by a Feb. 24 home game against Xavier and a game at Creighton on Feb. 28.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Raegan Beers scored 21 points and Payton Verhulst added 17 to help No. 10 Oklahoma beat 23rd-ranked Alabama 79-71 on Sunday.
Oklahoma led by double digits on three separate occasions, but each time Alabama cut the deficit down to four points or less.
The Sooners (19-6, 7-5 SEC) rallied behind freshman Aaliyah Chavez’s nine points in the fourth quarter to win the game, she finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Oklahoma had its struggles offensively- — missing five of its first six shots from the field and only shooting 23% from 3-point range and 58% from the free throw line for the game. Turnovers were also an issue with 19 which resulted in 15 Alabama points.
Alabama (20-6, 6-6) was led by Ta’Mia Scott’s 17 points and 11 apiece by Jessica Timmons and Ace Austin.
The Crimson Tide featured a more balanced scoring attack with six players with at least eight points, but couldn’t hold off the Sooners down the stretch to secure a second win over a top 10 team this season.
Alabama rallied to take a 57-54 lead in the third quarter by using an 18-4 run — its first advantage since early in the opening quarter. However the Crimson Tide only made three of 15 shots the rest of the way and were outscored 21-11 in the final quarter.
Oklahoma had 14 offensive rebounds which led to 19 second chance points and was plus-20 on the boards for the game.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kiki Rice had 17 points and nine rebounds, Lauren Betts added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 2 UCLA beat Indiana 92-48 on Sunday to extend its win streak to 19 games.
UCLA (25-1, 15-0 Big Ten), which is unbeaten since a 76-65 loss to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 at the Players Era Championship, has the third-longest active win streak in the nation behind North Dakota State (21 straight) and UConn (43).
Betts had her 10th double-double this season and the 43rd in her career. Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens had 12 points apiece for the Bruins and Gabriela Jaquez scored 11. Sienna Betts and Lena Bilic each had 10 points.
Maya Makalusky led Indiana (14-13, 3-12) with 13 points. Lenee Beaumont added 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting and Nevaeh Caffey scored 10. Shay Ciezki, the Big Ten’s leading scorer who went into the game averaging 24.0 points (No. 5 nationally), left the game due to an apparent ankle injury late in the first quarter and did not return.
The Hoosiers shot a season-low 31% (15 of 48) from the field, 4 of 20 (20%) from 3-point range, and tied their season low for points in a game. Indiana went into the game shooting 47.9% this season, which ranked 14th nationally.
UCLA grabbed a season-high 23 offensive boards, outrebounded the Hoosiers 51-24 overall, and outscored them 28-2 in second-chance points. The Bruins committed just four turnovers and forced 13 by Indiana, which they converted into 25 points.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Jalen Duran #0, Cade Cunningham #2, Chet Holmgren #7, Devin Booker #1, Scottie Barnes #4, Tyrese Maxey #0 and Jalen Johnson #1 of Team USA Stars pose for a portrait during the NBA All-Star Game Portraits as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will get underway on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET from the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Returning to NBC for the first time in decades and also streaming on Peacock, this year’s All-Star Game will feature a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games between three teams: two with United States players and one made up of players from across the globe.
Of particular note for Sixers fans, Tyrese Maxey will be suiting up for the “USA Stars” squad. Maxey, along with the likes of Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker and others, will play in the first game of the day against the World team.
The NBA has caught some flak for how its All-Star Saturday events went about, myself included, given its early start time, a lukewarm at best Slam Dunk Contest and just a general sense of “eh” about it all. The game’s biggest and brightest stars, however, have the opportunity to change the narrative of the weekend overall with a strong showing during this little All-Star tourney. I hope they do! It would be great for both the fans and the league.
As the basketball action unfolds, come chat in our open thread and talk about Maxey, the Sixers and anything hoops related (or unrelated, I guess). Soak it up given that the Sixers as a whole won’t return to the court until this upcoming Thursday when they host the Atlanta Hawks.
Feb 15, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Spike Lee on the red carpet before the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 21: A.J. Lawson #0 and Alijah Martin #55 of the Toronto Raptors talk prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 21, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Like many of the NBA All-Star weekend events, the G-League Next Up Game has taken on a variety of forms over the years. The first version of this contest, an All-Star game that mimicked the format of the NBA’s, was first held in Las Vegas in 2007. Since then it’s taken on different forms, including a “Futures vs Prospects” format, hosting international teams, all the way to the format we saw today.
The mini-tournament consisted of Red vs. Black, followed by Blue vs. White, with the winners of those contests moving on to the final. Each match was a target score contest, with the first round to 35 and the final to 30.
In similar fashion to the NBA’s All-Star games, the defence and effort was on and off throughout the game. For the final few minutes in both games there was a distinct uptick in energy and effort, with teams wanting to see their way through to the final game.
While it wasn’t nationally televised (in fact it took a few minutes to find the stream on the NBA App), it looked well-attended, doing what it was meant to: providing an opportunity for a few of the many talented G-League players to showcase their talent and represent the organizations they play for with pride.
A.J. Lawson represented the Raptors 905 on Team Red. He opened up scoring for the game with a beautiful shot he stepped into. It was a solid start for him, running the floor, grabbing boards, and moving the ball around.
He struggled to score a little bit, missing some long range shots and a dunk attempt, but he made the most of it with a clutch baseline cut and a steal late in the game. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to move on, as Team Black took the win on a pair of free-throws.
Alijah Martin was the second player to step on the court representing Toronto, this time for Team Blue. This game appeared to be less balanced, with Team Blue going down 21-8 early. As we know, Martin isn’t one to give in, and showed a little bit more effort on the defensive end than some of the other players. He was able to convert a long range shot that he stepped into, but didn’t make as much of an impact tonight as he did on Friday for the Rising Stars game.
The opposite was true for his once-again teammate, Sean East II. East struggled during the Rising Stars game, but cashed in a pair of 3s (one on the assist from Martin), and had a nice move in the paint for a floater.
Their combined effort brought the score up to 26-23, but they weren’t able to continue on either, with Team White running away with the game after a timeout.
It also says a lot that both A.J. Lawson and Sean East II are representing Canadian Basketball as alumni of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Lawson spent a season playing for the Guelph Nighthawks before he made his way to the NBA and returned to the G-League. He took a similar path as Lawson, taking the leap to play for the Edmonton Stingers of the CEBL after his first season in the G-League. During that season, he set the single-season scoring record of the CEBL on August 10 with a total of 546 points. Not much of a surprise when you see him making shots like this:
While it was disappointing to see neither of the Raptors 905 guys move on, it remains a testament to the development of players within the program to have both of them represented there.
Now, we wait for Scottie and Ingram will represent Toronto in the All-Star Game later tonight.
The NBA All-Star Game Red Carpet had it all on Sunday — flashy outfits, comfy kicks, showy accessories and even diamond gifts.
Players from USA Stars, USA Stripes and Team World strutted their stuff as they headed into Intuit Dome in Inglewood hours before tip-off of the NBA’s annual showcase, and each sported an ensemble that drew cheers from the small crowd in attendance.
Several — including Luka Doncic, Alperen Şengün and Chet Holmgren — opted for ties for the occasion, while Jamal Murray and Scottie Barnes went with more casual vibes.
Donovan Mitchell had perhaps the most notable accessories of the afternoon. He brought a unique carrying case for his shoes, and then he passed off his pricey sunglasses to a stunned young fan in the audience.
All of those on the All-Star roster were gifted diamond rings that came in boxes with recorded messages from their loved ones inside once they reached the end of the carpet.
According to the NBA, each piece of jewelry had 24 white diamonds.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his massive scarf actually gave away his ring to two fans who presented him with it.
Here’s a look at all of the Association’s best dressed ahead of their big day on the hardwood:
Stephen Curry looks sharp on the red carpet at the All Star Game in LA on Sunday. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesScottie Barnes showed off his NBA All Star ring. Edward LewisAll of those on the All-Star roster were gifted diamond rings that came in boxes with recorded messages from their loved ones inside once they reached the end of the carpet. Edward Lewis
Giannis Antekounmpo with his kids Liam and Maverick. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesKarl-Anthony Towns hit the red carpet in an Aimé Leon Dore jacket. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesDonovan Mitchell had perhaps the most notable accessories of the afternoon. He brought a unique carrying case for his shoes, and then he passed off his pricey sunglasses to a stunned young fan in the audience. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesJalen Brunson of the Knicks looked stylish in a gray suit. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Birk Ruud cleared the first hurdle on Sunday in his two-tiered quest to repeat as the Olympic big air champion and win a second gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
The two-time Olympian from Norway finished big air qualifying in third place, easing into Tuesday's final of 12 freeskiers.
Ruud, 25, won big air in Beijing four years ago and took gold on Tuesday in slopestyle.
After landing his first jump, Rudd did a head-over-heels forward flip, just for fun.
“It was a really good qualifying. I landed my two runs and felt real good about it,” Ruud said. “I expect a tough battle (in the final). It is going to be tight and there are going to be big tricks.”
American Mac Forehand had the best score of qualifying with 183 points from his two jumps. Austrian Matej Svancer was next.
New Zealand's Luca Harrington, who won bronze in slopestyle at these Games, was fifth.
American Alex Hall, the silver medalist in slopestyle, failed to advance.
In big air qualifying, skiers must land two of three jumps. Their top two scores are added together to determine their ranking.
The Livigno big air ramp, built on a scaffolding, sends the riders soaring down a slope that’s more than 40 meters (131 feet) in height and was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 26 points and No. 12 Baylor breezed to a bounce-back win, defeating UCF 93-63 on Sunday.
The Bears fell a half-game out of first place in the Big 12 on Thursday when they lost at home to No. 17 TCU 83-67. Baylor plays at TCU on March 1.
Led by 12 points from Scott, Baylor rolled to a 27-13 lead through the first quarter against UCF, which lost by 50 points against Big 12-leader West Virginia last time out. Baylor led 52-23 at halftime after shooting 65% in the first half compared to 37% for UCF.
Scott made 7 of 8 shots and had 21 points by halftime. She finished 8 for 10 for the game with 3 of 4 3s and 7 for 7 at the free-throw line.
Jana Van Gytenbeek had 11 assists and 10 points for her first double-double of the season to go with the triple-double she had on Dec. 9 against Alabama State. Kayla Nelms scored 12 points off the bench, Bella Fontleroy scored 11 and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs 10 for the Bears (22-5, 11-3 Big 12).
No starter scored in double figures for UCF (10-15, 2-12). The bench led the way with Samari Bankhead's 16 points and 13 points from Kayanna Cox.
Baylor's lead reached 39 points three times in the second half, but UCF got within the final 30-point margin when Bankhead hit two 3-pointers and Jacorriah Bracey hit another in the final two minutes of the game.
Baylor defeated UCF 73-48 on Jan. 21 in the game that started UCF’s now seven-game losing streak.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ben Shelton saved three match points before finishing another rally at the Dallas Open, beating top-seeded Taylor Fritz in three sets for the title Sunday in a matchup of the world's highest-ranked American men.
The No. 2 seed and No. 9 player in the ATP rankings lost the first set in each of the last three rounds of the tournament, this time coming back for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Fritz in the first meeting of the top seeds since the event moved to Dallas in 2022.
Shelton improved to 4-0 in ATP finals and beat Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, after the pair had split their first two meetings. The 23-year-old's title came after he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals last month, losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner.
After saving three match points to get the third set to 5-5, Shelton had three chances to close out Fritz while serving for the match. Fritz saved the first two, but the 10-time ATP champion couldn't match his opponent by saving the third.
“This was a crazy match to be a part of,” Shelton said. “I thought the level was amazing.”
Fritz's dominant serving from a semifinal win over Marin Cilic — the 28-year-old didn't even face a break point while winning both tiebreakers in a straight-sets victory — carried over to the first set of the final. Fritz won 12 of his first 13 service points while breaking Shelton in the left-hander's first service game.
Shelton turned the match late in the second set by breaking Fritz's serve for a 5-3 lead, then did it again early in the third set.
Fritz broke back for 3-3 was leading 5-4 on Shelton's serve when he had three chances to close out the match. Shelton got to deuce with an overhead smash from the net and a backhand winner that caught Fritz going the wrong way.
On Fritz's last match point, Shelton converted a volley to get back to deuce and went on to hold serve with a backhand volley into the open court with both players at the net.
“If you’d told me I lost after having three match points, I think I would expect to be a lot more upset,” Fritz said. “It hurts, but I feel like it doesn’t hurt as much as I would expect it to because I don’t really have a lot of regrets with how I played those match points.”
Fritz's double-fault — the only one of the match for either player — gave Shelton three break points at 5-5. Shelton converted the second break chance when Fritz's forehand went long.
An ace on a second serve gave Shelton three match points, and he converted the second when Fritz's lunging return attempt on Shelton's approach shot fell short.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Jalen Johnson #1 of Team USA Stars smiles during the NBA All Star Media Day as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Teller/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Johnson competes in his first All-Star Game as part of a US vs. the world round robin format.
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Saunders, a fourth-year player averaging 18 points per game this season, will miss the remainder of the campaign after tearing his ACL early in BYU's 90-86 overtime win over Colorado on Feb. 14. BYU confirmed the injury in a press release on Feb. 15.
"To end my BYU career like this is heartbreaking," Saunders wrote on Instagram. "... My story has never been one of ease. And while I didn't plan for this, my career is not over. I will return with more fight and more grit than before. My goals haven't changed."
Richie Saunders injury
Saunders went down with the injury less than a minute into BYU's game against Colorado on Feb. 14 after taking an awkward fall. He was down on the ground for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room.
Saunders was BYU's best player last season and led the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2011. BYU will now rely on true freshman standout AJ Dybantsa and transfer Rob Wright III, who are averaging 24.4 and 18.7 points per game, respectively this season.
The 6-foot-5 senior guard was the Big 12's most improved player in 2025 after improving his scoring average from 9.6 points per game in 2023-24 to 16.5 points per game in 2024-25. He ranks eighth in program history in 3-point makes (205) and 15th in 20-point games.
BYU has won two games in a row against Baylor and Colorado after dropping four consecutive games against Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Houston. The Cougars' next two games won't be easy, either, facing Arizona on the road and Iowa State at home without Saunders.
Richie Saunders stats
Here are Saunders' year-by-year stats at BYU:
2022-23 (freshman): 5.5 points with 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game
2023-24 (sophomore): 9.6 points with 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game
2024-25 (junior): 16.5 points with 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game
2025-26 (senior): 18 points with 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Clara Strack had 28 points and nine rebounds, Tonie Morgan added 14 points and nine assists, and No. 18 Kentucky beat No. 14 Mississippi 74-57 on Sunday.
Asia Boone scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter for Kentucky (20-7, 7-6 SEC).
Latasha Lattimore scored four points and Cotie McMahon the next five in a 9-0 spurt that trimmed the Rebels' deficit to 57-51 with 6:45 left in the game, but Strack scored eight consecutive points over the next three-plus minutes before Morgan made a layup to give Kentucky a 16-point lead with 2:59 to play.
Ole Miss (20-6, 7-4) had won four of its last five, the lone loss in that span coming at then-No. 21 Alabama, 64-63, on Feb. 5.
McMahon led the Rebels with 18 points but made just 4 of 18 from the field. Lattimore finished with 15 points, on 6-of-17 shooting and added 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Lattimore made a layup to open the scoring, but Strack hit two free throws and then a jumper that made it 4-2 less than three minutes into the game and Kentucky never trailed again, although there was one more tie.
Boone converted a four-point play to spark a 19-0 run that culminated when Boone sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around another 3 by Amelia Hassett to make it 39-15 with 3:18 left in the second quarter.
Up next
Ole Miss: Hosts No. 22 Tennessee on Tuesday in a game that had previously been scheduled for Jan. 26.
Feb 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard/forward Amir Coffey (2) dribbles to the basket in the first half of the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
There is always one question that hangs over every trade deadline, and it starts with intent. What are you trying to be in that moment as an organization? Buyers. Sellers. A team standing still and letting the chaos pass. Some franchises swing for the fences, others chip away at the margins, and this year, more than most, we saw teams prioritize financial flexibility as much as on-court improvement.
For the Phoenix Suns, the deadline came and went quietly. No blockbuster moves. No roster shakeups that rattled the league. No dramatic exits or headline-grabbing arrivals. Instead, Phoenix operated in the margins, making subtle adjustments while doing what they could to stay clear of deeper luxury tax complications.
Their only move came via a three-team deal that sent Nigel Hayes-Davis to Milwaukee and Nick Richards to Chicago, with Phoenix bringing back Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey. That was it. Purposeful, depending on how you view it.
Did they get better? That is where the conversation gets interesting.
The community was split, but not divided. 42% felt the Suns improved, while 38% believed they essentially held serve. When you zoom out, that means 80% of the fan base landed in the same general place: either the team got better or at least didn’t take a step back.
At the deadline, Phoenix chose restraint over reaction, patience over panic, and marginal gains over fireworks. Whether that proves to be enough will be written over the final stretch of the season, but the intent was clear. This was not about winning February headlines. It was about positioning, flexibility, and trusting the direction already in place.
I fall into the camp that believes the team largely stayed the same. You can make a reasonable case that they got marginally better, and I am not pushing back against that, because it is not an unreasonable read of the situation.
What they gave up in the deal was one player who never saw the floor and another who had effectively been played out of the rotation. Nigel Hayes-Davis brought value as a locker room presence, but as a wing on the court, the results never really matched the hope. Nick Richards, meanwhile, reached a point where the coaching staff no longer trusted him in meaningful minutes.
Losing Richards does thin out your size, especially when you look at depth across the frontcourt, and that part matters. At the same time, it opened a developmental lane for your tenth overall pick, which carries its own long-term value. In return, Phoenix brought in one player who has yet to report and another who appears to be carving out a role as a rotation-level three-and-D wing. That has utility, especially on a team searching for reliable minutes on the edges.
The odds on FanDuel did not change much. Acquiring Amir Coffey didn’t bump the team to Pacific Division favorites (that still goes to the Lakers at -175 while the Suns are at +190).
So if you want to frame it as a marginal improvement, I get it. If you want to call it holding the line, that also tracks. For me, it lands closer to a wash, a deadline defined by subtle shifts rather than meaningful change, and one that keeps the Suns largely in the same competitive lane they were already occupying.
