Category: Basketball

The San Antonio Spurs left Toyota Center Tuesday night with a familiar and frustrating feeling, undone once again by a late-game collapse in a 111–106 loss to the Houston Rockets that spoiled an otherwise encouraging road performance.

For much of the evening, the Spurs were the sharper, more composed team. They opened the game with one of their best offensive quarters of the season, building a 39–28 lead behind quick ball movement, confident shooting, and an aggressive defense that kept Houston scrambling. San Antonio pushed the pace, shared the ball freely, and capitalized on early mismatches to seize control.

That momentum carried into the second quarter, where the Spurs continued to dictate tempo. Victor Wembanyama provided flashes of brilliance throughout the night, but Houston’s defense on him was on point. He finished with just 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting, his worst performance of the season. Despite that, San Antonio entered halftime with a double-digit advantage and appeared well-positioned to secure a road win.

But as has been the case too often this season, sustaining that level proved difficult.

“A lot of things went wrong in the fourth quarter,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “Houston did a heck of a job… but we had a rough whole half. We missed open shots, we weren’t strong in creating leads, passing, and mental stuff. It was a variety of things across the board.”

The game began to tilt late in the third quarter when the Spurs’ offense stalled. Open looks that fell earlier in the night stopped dropping, and possessions grew increasingly stagnant. Houston took advantage, trimming the deficit with transition opportunities and second-chance points that energized the home crowd.

What followed in the fourth quarter was decisive.

The Rockets opened the final period with renewed confidence, while the Spurs struggled to find rhythm. The Rockets outscored San Antonio 29–14 over the final 12 minutes. The Spurs went cold at the worst possible time, going 0-for-8 before their first made basket of the frame. The prolonged scoring drought allowed Houston to erase the remainder of San Antonio’s lead, and the Rockets surged ahead behind a series of perimeter shots and aggressive drives to the rim. San Antonio managed just 14 points in the quarter, a stark contrast to the offensive efficiency that defined the opening half.

“They (Houston) got some good one-on-one defenders, and now you’re playing against those guys a lot of times against the clock. And then when that happens, you get rushed up again at times. And we saw that, not just with Victor, but the whole team,” Johnson said of his team’s offensive struggles in the second half.

Houston’s guards repeatedly penetrated the Spurs’ defense, forcing rotations that led to open looks and timely baskets. Meanwhile, San Antonio’s possessions were rushed, with contested jumpers and missed opportunities at the rim rearing their head as the main problem. The Spurs had chances to regain control, but key stops and baskets never materialized.

Late-game execution — both offensively and defensively — remains a work in progress for a Spurs team balancing development with the desire to win now. Missed rotations, untimely fouls, and an offense that bogged down under pressure proved costly against a Houston team that seized the moment.

“It’s the same as blowing a 15-point lead,” Wembanyama said when asked about blowing a 16-point lead to Houston. “The good thing is we’re all onto the problem, and we’re all putting our minds into it. But we’re conscious that it is a problem.”

For a young team still learning how to win in hostile environments, Tuesday night served as another hard lesson. Until San Antonio finds consistency in crunch time, strong starts and encouraging stretches will continue to be overshadowed by disappointing finishes.

Game notes

• Someone needs to open an investigation to that rim situation. Can the Houston team get a more accurate level? I’m kidding obviously. but man that was annoying.
• Outside of Julian Champagnie, who shot 50 percent from three, the rest of the Spurs struggled. San Antonio went 6-for-18 from beyond the arc sans Champagnie. That’s an issue that needs to be addressed at some point.
• San Antonio had nine turnovers on the night with Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox having three each.
• Keldon Johnson had an “off night” by his standards, scoring just 12 points on the night. That’s not so bad, but when Harrison Barnes (6 points, 33% shooting) continues to struggle, that number needs to be better for the Spurs to win.
• San Antonio looked tired and it hit them in the fourth quarter. Maybe the back-to-back caught up with them, but in the end, you learn and move on.

The Texas back-to-back was fun, but in both matchups, a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves team was edged in the last few minutes of each game. Minnesota looked to get back on track in a slightly later than usual 8 PM CT tipoff against the Utah Jazz in the place that Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, and Johnny Juzang called home.

Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert were both removed from the injury list and are expected to play in this one, while Naz Reid is listed as questionable after exiting the Spurs game with a left shoulder injury on Saturday night. While they played well for stretches in each of the last two games, it is important that they get back to their winning ways that have been lacking since the calendar year flipped, as the West is always tight when it comes to the seeding race.

Minnesota got off to a fast start early and used transition and fast break opportunities to get in a rhythm early. The Jazz kept fighting back and would not go away; however, they kept coming at the Timberwolves despite an early double-digit disadvantage.

The Timberwolves took their foot off the gas in the 2nd quarter, after leading the way for much of the first. The Jazz went blow for blow with them in the second. Rudy Gobert defended the rim well to the tune of multiple blocks, but Minnesota struggled a lot elsewhere on that end of the floor. Keyonte George was on fire in the first half, scoring 23 points and making difficult shots look easy. Ant led the way for the Wolves with 17 of his own, but Utah took a slight edge heading into the final 24 minutes with a one-point lead.

that's tough. pic.twitter.com/9YjC1YK2P3

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 21, 2026

Minnesota used its pressure to force more Jazz turnovers and get open looks with numbers in transition. While the Jazz offense stayed strong to start the frame, with their cutting and spacing. The Timberwolves held steady and started to knockdown threes in short order, going on a 15-4 run. Ant finished the quarter by going on a heater – bumping guys off of him to get to his spot in the mid range. After trailing by one at halftime, Minnesota dominated the frame to take a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.

This is when it all fell apart. The Jazz got an injection in their offense by running the floor and finishing in transition. They kept getting shots before the Timberwolves were set up. In the half-court, they spread out the offense to attack the space and got easy lay-ins on backdoor cuts that seemed to catch the Wolves by surprise every time. Utah caught lightning in a bottle, shooting 17/25 from the field in the fourth quarter and putting up 43 points after being stagnant for much of the third. Utah threw its punch, and the Timberwolves never got back up. An Ant flurry at the end of the game gave them a glimmer of hope, but bricked shots sunk them in the end as they dropped an ugly one, 127-122.

Keynote George Career Night

Keynote George was incredible and helped carry the Jazz back to a victory in this one. He scored 43 points on 15/28 shooting, including 6/13 from three. It seemed as though he had an answer to any coverage that the Timberwolves threw at him. He had his spots that he wanted to get to, and he got to them and converted at a high clip. This was a career-high in points for him, and he hit some big shots, including a 3-pointer off of an offensive rebound that proved to be the dagger in this one.

WHAT A NIGHT FOR KEYONTE GEORGE.

🎶 43 PTS (career-high)
🎶 6 3PM

Utah completes the 15-PT comeback to win at home! pic.twitter.com/zECzxkiyC5

— NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2026

Brutal 4th Quarter

After a third quarter that seemed like the Wolves were leaning on their “taking care of business” attitude that has been a big part of 2026, Minnesota completely lost themselves in the final 12 minutes. Being loose with the ball, giving the Jazz energy, and letting it snowball all came together in a culmination of the loss this evening. Utah snatched the energy and momentum and never gave it back.

Usually, we have seen the Timberwolves be able to compose themselves after a hard stretch, but the opposite happened in this one. It seemed like every shot was a prayer that ended in a clank while they gave up backdoor layup after backdoor layup on the other side of the floor. Tough pill to swallow after how they looked in the third quarter.

some dimes mean more than others 🪙

with this assist, Nurk records the first triple-double by a Jazzman since January 1, 2024 🫡

10 PTS / 15 REB /10 AST and counting… pic.twitter.com/d6KcLnC7sU

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 21, 2026

Up Next

The Timberwolves return home for the first of a three-game home stand, where they take on the Chicago Bulls on FanDuel Sports North. Tipoff is at 7 PM CT.

Highlights

The Lakers surged in the second half on the shoulders of Luka Dončić and Marcus Smart to take the 115-107 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. 

It was an offensive showdown early. Denver was a perfect 5-5 from the field, while Los Angeles was shooting at 80%. Luka couldn’t miss and was in double figures with 12 points. Jamal Murray was also perfect from the field with eight points. The only other Laker to score was Deandre Ayton on a layup. 

After a timeout, Luka continued his hot start, converting on a jumpshot. 

The Nuggets were shooting an impressive 81% from behind the arc. The Lakers had no answer for Spencer Jones, who had drained four of Denver’s nine triples in the quarter. Rui Hachimura provided some offense for LA with four points. 

Denver opens this game 7 for 9 from 3, including 3 of 3 from fill-in starter Spencer Jones, to allow a 25-19 lead despite a 6-for-6 start from Luka Dončić.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 21, 2026

LeBron James converted on a jumper at the buzzer to cut the deficit to nine going into the second period.

Drew Timme opened the quarter with five straight points to make it a four-point game. Timme time was in full effect as he also converted on a layup. LA looked like they were poised to go on a big run, until Denver responded to push their lead to eight. 

LeBron gave Los Angeles some life with an emphatic dunk, staring down the crowd right after. 

The Nuggets had been able to extend their lead to double-digits, but the Lakers responded to cut it down to six. LA’s defense was awful, though, as Murray was able to get to the rim with ease, scoring six quick points. 

Los Angeles ended the half disastrously, falling apart. To make matters even worse, Murray heaved a shot that, of course, went in at the buzzer. At halftime, the purple and gold were down by 14. 

LA pulled within 6 with 52 seconds left in the half, but then gave up an 8-0 run to find themselves down by 14:

– Gordon alley-oop (34.6)
– missed 2 for 1 3-pointer (31.2)
– uncontested 3 from Watson (07.3)
– offensive foul on LeBron (02.3)
– 56-foot 3-pointer from Murray (0.00)

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 21, 2026

LeBron opened the third period with a layup for LA. Peyton Watson started to cook for the Nuggets, scoring six points. After a quick four-point surge by Los Angeles, Denver called a timeout. Out of the break, the Nuggets turned the ball over, and it resulted in a jumper by Luka on the other end. 

Denver’s lead was down to single digits after Luka converted on a triple. 

The Lakers tightened their defense, which led to a 15-4 scoring run. Luka was now at 32 points for the game. 

Luka getting it done on both ends of the court 😎#LakeShowpic.twitter.com/vEcqYu0me1

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026

A dunk from Aaron Gordon and four points from Jones forced a timeout call from LA. LeBron scored five straight to make it a two-point game going into the fourth period. They outscored Denver 29 to 17 in the quarter. 

The final frame began with the Lakers tying the game off a layup from Timme. Both teams then took turns tying the game again, with LA not able to take the lead. The Nuggets went up by four.

Ayton suffered an eye injury in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. 

Los Angeles got their first lead of the game by two at the 6:42 mark, thanks to free throws from Luka. Smart scored six in a row to give the Lakers more cushion in their lead.

Marcus Smart keeps the Lakers rolling 🤑

LAL on a 12-0 run on NBC & Peacock! pic.twitter.com/PwwOHoHZc9

— NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2026

LA’s defense was suffocating the Nuggets, leading to a five-minute scoring drought. Smart’s second-half dominance continued with another triple. Denver’s drought ended as they scored six straight. LeBron responded with another powerful dunk. 

Los Angeles kept their composure, and Denver played the foul game the rest of the way, as the Lakers cruised to victory.

Key Player Stats

Dončić scored 16 of his 38 points in the first quarter. He also ended with 13 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. LeBron notched 19 points with nine rebounds and eight assists. Smart had 15 massive points and two rebounds. Ayton pitched in with four points and eight rebounds. 

Timme had nine points and three rebounds. Hachimura ended with nine points and five rebounds. Jaxson Hayes scored nine points with five rebounds and two blocks. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Another injury has hit the Lakers’ roster with Deandre Ayton hurting his left eye in the middle of LA’s road game against Denver.

Ayton suffered the injury during the first half and did not return at the start of the third quarter. Initially, the Lakers listed him as questionable to return, but he was officially ruled out of the contest at the start of the fourth quarter.

Has now been ruled out https://t.co/ZhvY8U98Fg

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 21, 2026

Ayton is LA’s starting center and was in the middle of a very solid performance against the Nuggets with four points and eight rebounds. With Ayton out, the Lakers will rely on Jaxson Hayes and two-way forward Drew Timme to provide them with enough size to compete with the Denver bigs.

Ayton has been relatively healthy this year. He has played in 37 of LA’s 42 games. Recently, Ayton missed a game against the Blazers due to left knee soreness.

On the season, Ayton is averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The Lakers will have to provide an update later to let us know whether this is a serious injury that will force him to miss additional games or if he can return immediately.

The Lakers have just started an eight-game road trip, so it would be best for the purple and gold if Ayton can suit up and play in those upcoming contests.

Los Angeles is currently in a play-in position, and a successful road trip could help them get back into the top six in the Western Conference.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

LOS ANGELES — UCLA needed a major victory as it tries to build its NCAA tournament resume – and it got one. 

The Bruins put up one of their best performances of the season to take down No. 4 Purdue, 69-67, for its first signature win of the season, and a massive one in the Big Ten.

It was all thanks to guard Donovan Dent, who broke out of a rough slump and showed all the reasons that made him such a highly-touted transfer out of New Mexico. UCLA coach Mick Cronin said he spoke with Dent earlier in the week about needing to "get in there and throw punches" after the struggling performances at Penn State and Ohio State.

"I had a little talk, he listened," Cronin said.

Dent picked apart the Purdue defense and was the catalyst in the offensive surge for a team that shot 56.9% from the field, finishing with a game-high 23 points and season-best 13 assists, his first double-double in more than a month.

"He's a player of the game," said Purdue coach Matt Painter. "There's no question about that."

While every dime brought out the energy for an electric home crowd, there was one no greater than the final one. With the Bruins down by one point, Dent drew two defenders off a screen that resulted in forward Tyler Bilodeau wide open. Dent dished it out to him and he drilled the game-winning 3-point shot with six seconds left. 

Purdue had a chance to respond and tried to go for the win, but were unable to get the bucket when C.J. Cox's 3-point shot bounced off the rim and the Boilermakers were unable to secure the rebound.

In a game that honored the legendary John Wooden – who played for Purdue and later was coach at UCLA – Purdue got out to a hot start, flipping the script from its past couple of games; it looked like the Boilermakers would cap off their West Coast trip in perfect fashion with a 12-point lead in the first half. The strong presence of Purdue fans inside Pauley Pavilion drowned out the home crowd.

Then UCLA turned it up a notch. With Dent leading the charge, the Bruins were blocking shots and the offense started knocking down shots, using a 17-5 run in the final seven minutes of the half to go in the locker room tied.

The second half remained close, with the lead and momentum going back-and-forth. But UCLA's offense remained hot, shooting a whopping 65.2% from the field in the last 20 minutes. Thanks to some key buckets from star guard Braden Smith, Purdue again looked like it was closing in on a win when it grabbed a six-point lead with just under two minutes left. 

However, Purdue couldn’t get more opportunities at the bucket to put the nail in the coffin. Two key turnovers resulted in UCLA baskets to close the deficit, punctuated by Bilodeau’s game-winning shot. UCLA ended the game on an 8-0 run.

TYLER BILODEAU CALLED GAME 💥 pic.twitter.com/WdTMmtrEoU

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 21, 2026

It’s a much-needed win for UCLA as its tournament hopes were starting to fade thanks to some tough losses and no big wins on the season; the Bruins entered the night 12-6 with a 1-5 Quad 1 record. The win over Purdue dramatically boosts UCLA's resume as it tries to live up to preseason expectations it would be a contender in the Big Ten.

Despite the big win, Cronin couldn't help but throw a slight jab at the Big Ten for UCLA's start to its conference schedule.

"I want to thank the Big Ten for giving us five of our first seven on the road, and giving us the team picked to win the league on two days rest," he said. "I really wanna thank the Big Ten for that."

Dent and Bilodeau were two of four Bruins that were in double figures. Smith finished with 12 points and four assists for Purdue, with Cox as the team's leading-scorer with 16 points.

Purdue suffers its second loss of the season, snapping its nine-game win streak. It’s the first road loss for the Boilermakers.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA boosts NCAA tournament hopes with upset of No. 4 Purdue

HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to help the Houston Rockets rally for a 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

Reed Sheppard scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Kevin Durant added 18 points to help the Rockets to their third straight victory.

Tipoff was delayed by 22 minutes after a player bent one of the rims during warmups and it had to be replaced.

The Rockets trailed by as many as 16 and were down by 10 before opening the fourth quarter with a big run to close the gap.

The game was tied with about two minutes to play when Sheppard blocked a 3-point attempt by Julian Champagnie. Jabari Smith Jr. put the Rockets on top 106-104 with a fadeaway shot a few seconds later.

Sengun made a basket with about 30 seconds left to extend the lead to 108-104 before Stephon Castle missed a 3-point attempt. Sheppard added two free throws after that to seal the victory.

Champagnie made eight 3-pointers and led the Spurs with 27 points on a night Victor Wembanyama was held to 14 points with 10 rebounds. Champagnie’s performance came after he set the franchise record by sinking 11 3-pointers in a win over the Knicks on Dec. 31.

Houston trailed by five midway through the fourth before Sheppard scored all of the team’s points during an 8-2 run that put the Rockets on top 101-100 with about four minutes to go.

SUNS 116, 76ERS 110

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Devin Booker scored 27 points and Jalen Green added 12 points in his return to the lineup as Phoenix beat Philadelphia in a matchup of teams playing the second game of a back to back.

Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin scored 16 points apiece and Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro each added 12 as the Suns won their third straight game and for the 12th time in 16 games.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 25 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21 points and Tyrese Maxey added 20. Andre Drummond finished with 15 rebounds and eight points for the Sixers, who lost for the fourth time in six games.

Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid (right ankle injury management) and Paul George (left knee injury management).

Green played in just his third game of the season, and his first since Nov. 8, because of a right hamstring injury. He is in his first season with the Suns, arriving in the offseason as part of the trade in which Kevin Durant was sent to the Houston Rockets.

BULLS 138, CLIPPERS 110

CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 27 points and hit six of Chicago’s franchise record-tying 25 3-pointers in a win over surging Los Angeles.

White had the touch again after hitting a season-high seven 3s in Sunday’s blowout win over Brooklyn, and the Bulls made 25 of 47 from beyond the arc.

Matas Buzelis added 21 points, Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 and Kevin Huerter added 14. All three players made four 3s.

Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and eight rebounds, and the Bulls had their way with a team that came in rolling. The Clippers had won six straight and 13 of 15 since a 6-21 start.

Chicago led by 21 points at the half after matching a season high with 45 points in the second quarter and broke the game back open after Los Angeles made a run in the third.

James Harden led Los Angeles with 24 points. John Collins scored 23 and matched a season high with five 3-pointers.

JAZZ 127, TIMBERWOLVES 122

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Keyonte George scored a career-high 43 points, Jusuf Nurkic recorded his second career triple-double, and Utah rallied to beat Minnesota.

Nurkic finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in his first triple-double since Jan. 16, 2019, with Portland in a 129-112 win over Cleveland.

Rookie Ace Bailey scored 20 points and Isaiah Collier had 18 points and 10 assists for the Jazz (15-29), who delivered coach Will Hardy his 100th career victory.

George scored more than 30 points for the third time in his last six games.

Anthony Edwards scored 38 points for the Timberwolves (27-17), who squandered a 15-point lead and closed out a four-game trip with three straight losses. Julius Randle scored 19 points and Rudy Gobert added 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Edwards had a three-point play that pulled Minnesota within 121-119 before George responded with a 3-pointer from the corner with 59.2 seconds left that give the Jazz the cushion needed to halt their four-game skid.

Bailey sparked an 11-2 run with an electrifying dunk and a 3-pointer that gave the Jazz the lead with 7:47 to play in the fourth quarter. The Jazz scored on their first 11 possessions of the final period.

HEAT 130, KINGS 117

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 25 points, Norman Powell added 22 and Miami cruised to a road win over Sacramento.

The Heat have won three of their last five and led by double digits the entire fourth quarter. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, while Pelle Larsson had 16 points and a team-high nine assists.

Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points off the bench on five 3-pointers. Miami shot 50% from 3-point range, hitting 21 of 42.

Miami guard Tyler Herro (ribs) and center Kel’el Ware (hamstring) missed the game, leaving the Heat without two key rotation players. Ware — who is averaging a team-high 9.8 rebounds — missed his first game of the season.

Sacramento has dropped two straight games after winning a season-high four in a row. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points, while Russell Westbrook added 22 on 9-of 14 shooting.

Malik Monk scored 18 points, while Dylan Cardwell added 12 rebounds.

LAKERS 115, NUGGETS 107

DENVER (AP) — Luka Doncic had 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and Los Angeles rallied to beat Denver.

LeBron James, who was not voted an All-Star starter for the first time since his rookie season, scored 19 points for Los Angeles, which played the second half without center Deandre Ayton due to a left eye injury.

Jamal Murray scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half for Denver and added 11 assists, but shot just 1 for 5 in the second half.

With Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II sitting courtside, the short-handed Nuggets led by 16 in the third quarter despite missing four rotation players, including Nikola Jokic, who has missed the last 12 games with a hyperextended left knee.

Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson scored 18 apiece for the Nuggets.

RAPTORS 145, WARRIORS 127

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Immanuel Quickley matched his career high with 40 points and added 10 assists, and Toronto ran away from Golden State for a win in the Warriors’ first game since losing star guard Jimmy Butler to a season-ending right knee injury.

Quickley shot 11 for 13 and made all 11 of his free throws, while Scottie Barnes added 26 points and 11 assists in the Raptors’ highest-scoring game and the Warriors’ worst defensive performance this season.

Buddy Hield had season highs of 25 points and six 3-pointers — making all of his attempts from deep — while Stephen Curry scored 16 points and Draymond Green added six points, six rebounds and five assists.

Hield’s 3 with 5:02 remaining cut Toronto’s lead to nine points but Brandon Ingram immediately hit from deep moments later.

With Butler out, Golden State coach Steve Kerr turned to Jonathan Kuminga for the first time in 17 games and the high-flying forward finished with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and five rebounds in 21 minutes. He has requested a trade given his status so deep on the bench, but now it’s unclear if the Warriors will move him by the Feb. 5 deadline. He and Kerr spoke last week.

The Utah Jazz win a close one against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a final score of 122-127. This marks the first time the Jazz have won without Lauri Markkanen this season.

After a stretch of uncompetitive games, the Jazz played Minnesota wire-to-wire, led by Keyonte George’s career night. George finished with 43 points and three assists. George, now a top-20 scorer in the NBA, continues to emerge as star in the NBA. While he likely won’t earn an All-Star spot this season, his ability to become a late-game offensive engine is a serious boost to the Jazz’s chances of becoming a competitive team once again. In his first two seasons, George’s inability to create space off the dribble limited his effectiveness as an isolation scorer. But his stunning development this offseason has made his this one of his greatest strengths.

The Jazz were also helped by Jusuf Nurkic’s big night. Facing off against former Jazzman Rudy Gobert, Nurkic put up his second-career triple-double, ending the night with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. On the defensive end, Nurkic has obviously lost a step. But on offense, he continues to be one of the more versatile bigs in the NBA. The Jazz are measurably more in control when Nurkic is controlling the offense through a series of back-door passes, high-screens, and DHO’s. The stats show it too – he averages a league leading 4.6 screen assists per game. Regardless of his future with the team, Nurkic has provided a valuable veteran presence for the roster.

Utah’s youth also stepped up, with big nights coming from Isaiah Collier and Ace Bailey. Collier played one of the more complete games of his career, finishing with 18 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds. Bailey, who continues to look better with every game, ended the night with 20 points and four rebounds, including this ferocious dunk:

AIRIOUS. ACE. BAILEY! 🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/TwEysKFmoV

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 21, 2026

While pro-tank fans will be disappointed with Utah picking up another win, the Jazz have created some separation between them and the Dallas Mavericks in the standings, making this win fairly inconsequential from a draft perspective. Utah hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Keyshawn Hall scored 19 points, Tahaad Pettiford added 17, and Auburn beat Mississippi 78-66 on Tuesday night, the Tigers' first true road win of the season.

The Tigers have won 10 straight against Ole Miss and lead the series 87-64.

KeShawn Murphy had 16 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds for Auburn (12-7, 3-3 SEC). Sebastian Williams-Adams had 10 points, two steals and two blocks.

Pettiford and Murphy made back-to-back layups before Elyjah Freeman threw down a dunk that made it 23-19 and Auburn led the rest of the way.

The Rebels used a 14-4 run to trim their deficit to 66-63 but Pettiford answered with a three-point play, threw down a high-flying dunk, and then made two free throws that gave Auburn a seven-point lead with a minute left.

AJ Storr scored 13 of his 18 in the second half for Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3). Travis Perry, who hit five 3-pointers, and Patton Pinkins added 15 points apiece. The Rebels had their three-game win streak snapped.

Auburn made just 2 of 17 (12%) from 3-point range but set season highs for free throws made (32) and attempted (39).

Up next

Auburn: The Tigers visit No. 16 Florida on Saturday.

Ole Miss: The Rebels play Saturday at Kentucky.

___

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — B.J. Edwards scored 24 points, and SMU took the lead for good midway through the first half and cruised past Wake Forest 91-79 on Tuesday night.

Edwards shot 8 of 13 from the floor and finished with eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Jaron Pierre Jr. added 13 points for SMU (14-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Boopie Miller added 12 points and six assists for the Mustangs. Jaden Toombs chipped in with 10 points to go with nine rebounds.

The Mustangs built a nine-point halftime lead and led 47-36 in the second half. Wake Forest answered with a 10-3 surge to pull to 50-46 with 16:45 remaining but the Demon Deacons didn't get closer.

Pierre's 3-pointer made it 89-67 with 3:33 to play.

Juke Harris made five 3-pointers and finished with 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting to lead Wake Forest (11-8, 2-4). Tre’Von Spillers scored 19 points and Myles Colvin added 17.

Edwards scored 17 points in the first half to help SMU take a 45-36 lead into the break. Harris scored 11 first-half points for Wake Forest, which had its last lead, 20-18, with 10:48 remaining in the half.

Up next

SMU: Hosts Florida State on Saturday.

Wake Forest: At No. 5 Duke on Saturday.

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MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) — PJ Haggerty poured in 34 points and gave Kansas State the lead in the final minute in an 81-78 win over Utah on Tuesday.

Haggerty’s jump shot with 39 seconds left gave the Wildcats (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) a two-point lead that they held onto for their first Big 12 win of the season. He was 15 of 29 to go with eight rebounds and two steals. David Castillo had 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Nate Johnson added 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Haggerty entered the game fourth in the country with 22.8 points per game, and as the first Wildcat to score in double figures over the first 18 games since Jacob Pullen in 2009-10. It’s his 14th game this season with 21 points or more. He scored 28 in the second half.

Terrence Brown had 33 points for the Utes (9-10, 1-5), shooting 14 of 24 with four steals. Seydou Traore scored 15 to go with six rebounds. Don McHenry added 15 points and six rebounds, but the career 80% free throw shooter went 2 of 5 at the stripe, costing the Utes in the final seconds.

Starting from the 5:32 mark, Haggerty and Brown each scored eight points, and were the only players to score until McHenry drew a foul with 11 seconds remaining. With a chance to tie the game at the line, he made 1 of 2 attempts.

Johnson made a pair of free throws on the other end, and Brown's game-tying 3-point attempt caromed off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

The Wildcats entered with a five-game losing streak, including two to top-10 opponents in No. 1 Arizona and then-No. 10 BYU.

Up next

The Utes will travel to Provo to face No. 13 BYU on Saturday.

The Wildcats host in-state rival, No. 19 Kansas on Saturday.

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Talking to reporters before the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Toronto Raptors — and one night after the tragic ACL injury that befell Jimmy Butler, ending his season prematurely — Mike Dunleavy stated that he has no plans to trade Jimmy Butler’s contract before the February 6 trade deadline.

“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy said. “Now that you’ve brought it up, I’d say my vision for him is to give us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived.”

This differs the approach the Warriors took with De’Anthony Melton last season. Melton, who tore his ACL after playing only six games with the Warriors, was part of the trade package sent to Brooklyn for Dennis Schröder. Melton was then re-signed in the offseason, during the late stages of his ACL rehabilitation. If Dunleavy is to be believed, the Warriors are taking a different approach by keeping Butler on their books and hoping he can return next year to contribute — shutting down hopes that Butler’s contract could be used to quickly pivot toward contributory players who could give the Warriors a shot at playoff contention this season.

“At his age, to have the year he’s had is impressive,” Dunleavy said. “I think he’s got a style of game that can play for a long time with his skill, his physicality, his mind for the game. So, I guess my vision for him is him returning at some point between now and this time next year.”

Mike Dunleavy said he does not envision he will trade Jimmy Butler’s contract and believes Butler will rehab and return to help the team at some point next season pic.twitter.com/FjU1xzDnb6

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 21, 2026

Butler is owed $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million next season, the final year of his contract before hitting free agency. Butler’s contract might be more of an attractive trade piece next season for teams looking for expiring contracts. But at such a high price, it still could give teams pause.

As has been extensively reported, Dunleavy stated that they are not willing to give up their trove of draft picks unless it is for a big name.

“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here, it’s going to have to be a player that we think we’ll be getting back that is going to be here when those picks are going out,” Dunleavy said. “That player’s going to have to be pretty impactful…. But if there’s a great player to be had, we’ve got everything in the war chest that we would be willing to use.”

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

Josh Morrissey added a goal and two assists as Winnipeg scored three goals on 16 shots. Eric Comrie made 22 saves for Winnipeg (20-23-6), which won for the fifth time in seven games.

Jordan Kyrou scored for St. Louis. Joel Hofer stopped 13 of 15 shots for St. Louis (19-23-8), which lost its second straight and for the fifth time in seven games.

The Jets took advantage of a four-minute high-sticking penalty to the Blues’ Nathan Walker, who clipped Winnipeg defenseman Isaak Phillips, scoring twice in a 1:33 span midway through the first period.

First, Morrissey beat Hofer on a slap shot from the blue line with Scheifele and Kyle Connor assisting at 9:52. Then, Scheifele lifted the puck over Hofer from close range, with Morrissey getting the assist, at 11:25.

The Blues had pulled to within 2-1 late in the second. With Vladislav Namestnikov serving a four-minute minor for high-sticking Jonathan Berggren, Kyrou scored past Comrie.

Scheifele put the game away with an empty-net goal with 2:23 left.

Nino Niederreiter saved a goal with about six minutes left in the first. After a shot by Cam Fowler trickled through Comrie, Niederreiter swept the puck off the goal line.

Up next

Blues: At Dallas on Friday night.

Jets: Host Florida on Thursday night.

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The San Antonio Spurs’ tour into Houston was a failure because they got satisfied with their work late and lost interest in guarding the 3-point line. It was their second matchup of the season with the Rockets, and now they are even with two outings to go.

The first quarter ended with a 39-28 lead, as their hot 3-point shooting carried them and made up for struggles in the lane, while the Rockets were getting nearly everything at close range. Victor Wembanyama subsequently heated up after jamming over Clint Capela, and the team drained three more trifectas, but their open-court offense failed to pick up easy points. 

They still went to halftime ahead by 10, more than doubling Houston’s 3-point makes, and keeping them at bay on the glass. The long-range shooting slowed down in the third quarter, but it took a while, and at one point, coach Ime Udoka looked numb on the bench when the cameras caught him following the Spurs’ 14th trey.

The Rockets then started playing with more urgency, quickly erasing all of San Antonio’s cushioning early in the fourth quarter as the latter started settling for outside shots. The Spurs even suffered a six-minute drought extending from the end of the third quarter, but they still couldn’t get it together after that amid Houston’s Tsunami.

Observations

• This is one of the team’s biggest meltdowns of the season. They failed 11 3-point tries in the fourth quarter, giving the game away because they refused to go to the body more. They were outscored in the fourth quarter by 15.
• The Rockets have a top-seven defense, but it’s no surprise the Spurs were blazing from 3-point range for three quarters because Houston allows 20.8 wide-open attempts per game. It makes no sense why the strategy is to pack the paint first when three is more than two. 
• Houston had a problem with the rim’s leveling and had to bring in a new one 20 minutes after the scheduled tip-off. The Spurs went back to the locker room for a bit, while the Rockets kept warming up, but everything got rolling after the maintenance crew fixed it. This played a role in the Spurs being shaky on defense early because bizarre things like this can mentally throw players off, as they are creatures of routine. The rim needed a brief second look early in the fourth quarter, which cut the flow of the game as Houston was taking control, but they were fine. San Antonio was shellshocked the entire period.
• Julian Champagnie was the team’s top marksman, making eight 3-pointers. Four of them came in the first quarter, and that was a big reason why the Spurs maintained their early mental edge after the delayed start. But he later went colder than an ice box.
• Alperen Şengün’s objective against the Spurs is to get physical with Wembanyama, and it will continue to work until the latter gets stronger. Bumping and driving to the chest are how Şengün counters the length. Wemby can’t bail him out by leaving his feet, like when he picked up his third foul with seven seconds left of the second quarter.
• Reed Sheppard is a sharpshooter who torched the Spurs in the fourth quarter, but he is one of the worst defenders in the league, and he took on the easier assignment of guarding a weaker offensive player- Carter Bryant- so he didn’t have to contend with the quicker-footed ball handlers. Then there was a substitution, and he had no choice but to pick one up, and he looked lost out there. If the offense fails apart, he’s an option to hunt to try to reestablish a rhythm instead of settling for jumpers.
• This was the sixth time the Spurs have scored at least 70 going into halftime. Their record is 4-2 on those nights.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points, reserve Tate Sage added 17 and Iowa held off Rutgers 68-62 on Tuesday night for the Hawkeyes' second straight win.

Tavion Banks had 12 points for Iowa (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten), which shot 47% (24 of 51) from the field.

Darren Buchanan Jr. scored 17 points and reserve Tariq Francis had 15 for Rutgers (9-10, 2-6). The Scarlet Knights have lost back-to-back games and three of their last four.

Francis made a pair of foul shots with 22 seconds left to get Rutgers within 64-62. After being intentionally fouled, Sage went to the line and made two free throws.

Lino Mark missed an off-balance 3-pointer for Rutgers with 10 seconds left and Iowa guard Isaia Howard made a pair of free throws to seal the win with eight seconds left.

Stirtz's driving layup with 8:22 left to play gave Iowa a 46-45 lead and they never trailed again. The Hawkeyes led 31-24 at halftime before Rutgers emerged from the break and used a 9-0 run to take a 33-31 lead.

Up next

The Scarlet Knights host Indiana on Friday.

Iowa hosts USC on Jan. 28.

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DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored two goals, Justin Hryckowian had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars ended a three-game skid while snapping the Boston Bruins' six-game winning streak, 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who had just three goals in their previous three games. Miro Heiskanen had three assists and Jake Oettinger had 16 saves.

The Bruins trailed 6-0 when Morgan Geekie scored on the power play to end Oettinger's shutout bid with 7:49 to play. Geekie ended a personal 12-game goal-scoring drought when he tipped in David Pastrnak's shot.

Fraser Minten also scored for Boston while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves before he was lifted in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who had three stops.

The Stars played without leading scorer Mikko Rantanen (19 goals, 44 assists), who was out with an illness.

Johnston's goal with 3:52 left in the first was his NHL-leading 16th power-play goal this season. Bourque's first-period goal also came on the power play.

Johnston has six goals and six assists over the past 12 games.

Robertson scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season early in the third period.

The Bruins had allowed two goals or less per game during their six-game winning streak.

The Stars outshot the Bruins 37-18 and won 65% of the faceoffs.

Up next

Bruins: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.

Stars: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

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