Category: Basketball

Game Story

Six days ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the talk of the NBA discourse after a ridiculous 19-point comeback over the San Antonio Spurs. It was filled with late game drama and a photo finish. Most of the talk was about the duel between two of the faces o the league, as Anthony Edwards slayed Victor Wembanyama. Since then, Edwards has nursed a nagging toe injury the past two games. Wembanyama, on the other hand, stewed over the loss while battling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

You can bet Wembanyama had this game circled as an opportunity for revenge.

Don’t believe me? Despite a pedestrian five minute stint in the first quarter, the Frenchman went on a tear in his 10-minute second quarter rotation. The Wolves began the game admirably despite missing Rudy Gobert due to a minor hip injury and losing Naz Reid, who started in his stead, just minutes into the action with a left shoulder issue. Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards took charge, combining for 15 of the teams 22 points in the opening stanza to maintain a one-point lead, but San Antonio had a response.

The Wemby Show was in full effect when the second quarter began. It started with a parade to the charity stripe. It built up with an impressive step through shot. It all culminated in a trio of three-point makes, each more and more video game-esque. It seemed like in a blink of an eye, the Spurs sprinted ahead by 25.

Yes, it’s true that Wembanyama was on a heater. However, the Wolves were just as guilty allowing him to get hot. There was a ton of defensive miscommunication on one end and selfish one-pass, or no-pass, basketball on the other end. Minnesota was simply getting outclassed in every category.

Wolves Head Coach Chris Finch certainly got into his team between halves.

Joan Beringer, who was playing meaningful minutes in basically the second game of his career, was called up to join the starters in lieu of Gobert and Reid in the second half. Boy, did he answer the call. The 19-year-0ld had a number of hustle plays to either score or save possessions on both ends. It could essentially be summed up by this offensive rebound where he was initially ruled out of bounds, but it was overturned upon review.

His energy seemed to change the entire momentum of the game. There was a moment where Edwards finished a tough layup and came up limping, immediately asking to get subbed out of the game due to a left knee issue. Despite that, the Wolves kept it pushing. McDaniels took control of the wheel with a flurry of game-changing plays. He somehow blocked a Wembanyama mid-range jumper, then later gave one to Stephon Castle as well.

Minnesota lost the second quarter 22 to 48, but won the third quarter 40 to 27.

There was still plenty of work to be done. Through all of their hard work, the Wolves still trailed by a dozen to start the final quarter. The momentum they built in the previous stanza was still pulsing. A McDaniels block. A Beringer block. Randle bully ball. It was a beautiful crescendo of a comeback that was capped off by a flurry of Edwards three pointers, each more and more video game-esque.

That’s right. An old fashioned duel was unfolding behind our very eyes between Edwards and Wembanyama.

The final minutes of the game was straight out of a Rocky movie. The two superstars hit each other with haymaker after haymaker. Last Sunday, it was Edwards that had the last word. This Saturday, it was Wembanyama. A go-ahead mid-range jumper was coupled with a block on Beringer in the final minute of play.

There was quite a bit of late game shenanigans, including Edwards pushing his point total to a new career high of 55, but his final half court heave was never online. It felt like a crushing defeat in the heat of the moment, considering the Wolves battled back from a franchise-tying 25-point deficit, but just couldn’t top the immovable object that is Victor Wembanyama.

When you zoom out and take a breath…

• They were on the tail end of a road-road, back-to-back.
• The opponent is one of the best teams in the entire league.
• They were fully healthy, while Minnesota was down both a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
• We all got to witness the continued and impressive progress of the center of the future.
• The evolution of their two-way All-Defensive Team talent was on full display.
• The two All-NBA starters showed a ton of heart to engineer a late fourth quarter lead.

We got this.

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Box Score

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Comment of the Night

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Up Next

The Wolves get a couple days off as they travel to visit the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, January 20 at 8:00 pm CT. This will be the third matchup between the two teams, as Minnesota won both their prior contests. Surely, Jazz fans will be excited to welcome Rudy Gobert, and more importantly, Joe Ingles back to Delta Center if they’re available. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network.

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Highlights

Anthony Edwards produced a career-high night for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Still, it didn’t result in a successful outing as they suffered a 126-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the road.

Edwards reached 54 points after nailing a 3-point shot in the corner to make it a one-point game with 9.8 seconds left in regulation. He added one more free throw and finished the game with 55 points, a new career high.

The Timberwolves star scored 26 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 29 points through the first three quarters of play.

Victor Wembanyama led the way for the Spurs with 39 points.

Anthony Edwards stats vs. San Antonio Spurs

• Points: 55
• FG: 19-for-33
• 3PT: 9-for-16
• Free Throws: 8-for-10
• Rebounds: 4
• Assists: 3
• Steals: 0
• Blocks: 0
• Turnovers: 2
• Fouls: 4
• Minutes: 40

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves vs. Spurs highlights

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Edwards stats, points tonight, Timberwolves-Spurs highlights

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Ilias Kamardine and AJ Storr scored 17 points apiece, Patton Pinkins made the go-ahead jumper with 18.8 seconds left, and Mississippi beat Mississippi State 68-67 on Saturday night for its third win in a row.

Malik Dia had eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and 11 rebounds for Ole Miss (11-7, 3-2 SEC).

Mississippi State (10-8 2-3) has lost three in a row despite having a double-digit lead in each of those games.

Jayden Epps led the Bulldogs with 14 points on 4-of-18 shooting. Jamarion Davis-Fleming made 6 of 8 from the field and finished 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Josh Hubbard, who went in averaging 22.8 points (No. 7 nationally), also scored 13 but made just 3 of 16 overall, 2 of 8 from 3, and 5 of 10 from the free-throw line.

Storr hit a step-back jumper that gave the Rebels a four-point lead with 1:16 to play before Hubbard answered 10 seconds later with a contested pull-up 3 from NBA range and then made two free throws with 34 seconds remaining to put Mississippi State up 67-66. Pinkins hit a baseline floater that capped the scoring.

Hubbard missed two free throws with 12 seconds left and, after Storr missed the front end of a 1-and-1, missed a potential winning layup before the buzzer.

Kamardine made a layup and James Scott followed with a two-hand dunk that gave Ole Miss its first lead of the game, 34-32, with 17:05 remaining.

The teams combined to make 7 of 47 (14.9%) from 3-point range in a game that featured 13 lead changes and seven ties, all in the second half.

Mississippi State is 152-121 against the Rebels in the 12th-most played rivalry in the history of college basketball.

Up next

Ole Miss: Hosts Auburn on Tuesday.

Mississippi State: Plays Wednesday at Texas A&M.

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Down by seven with just over a minute left, Karl-Anthony Towns had a wide-open three from the top of the key, a chance to cut the Knicks deficit to four and make it interesting. But he airballed. It was fitting, and the MSG crowd rained boos down on the court.

This is more than a rut. The Knicks — without Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on Saturday — are beginning to spiral, as they fell 106-99 to the Suns at Madison Square Garden.

“You don’t ever want to have boos, but at the end of the day, the fans here are passionate and you respect and embrace their passion,” coach Mike Brown said. “But it hurts. It hurts the staff, it hurts the players.”

In a sign of just how poorly things are going for them at the moment, they went on a 16-0 run to go up by 10 points in the third quarter, but still managed to end the quarter down three. That’s because, after one of their best stretches in weeks, they let the Suns close the third quarter on a 13-0 run and undo all the good that they had done.

That’s the way it’s been recently for the Knicks. Too many bad moments outweighing anything positive.

Yes, they were short-handed without Brunson and Hart, both sidelined with right ankle injuries. But the Knicks had over $134 million in firepower on the court in Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. It’s hard to commit 17 turnovers and shoot as badly as the Knicks did, however, and win.

So the alarm bells only continue to ring louder and louder.

“A lot,” Towns said of the frustration level around the team. “I don’t like losing any games, so of course, for me, the concern is winning the next one. Just staying focused on the task at hand, winning games and giving our fans something to cheer for.”

It dropped them to 2-8 in their past 10 games and 7-10 since winning the NBA Cup. They’ve gone on a four-game and this current three-game losing streak since the in-season tournament.

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It’s not just the dog days of the season. This is a prolonged stretch.

Devin Booker, returning after missing one game with his own ankle injury, hurt the Knicks with 27 points. Collin Gillespie made the Knicks dizzy in the fourth quarter – he scored eight in the period as the Suns pulled away.

And the Suns got strong production from their bench, Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin adding 16 and 13 points. In total, the Suns bench outscored the Knicks bench 39-14.

There has been so much talk recently about the lax Knicks defense. But it wasn’t the biggest problem on Saturday. They shot just 40 percent from the field on offense and had a nine-point disadvantage in points conceded off turnovers. It’s the fifth game since Jan. 1 they’ve scored 107 or fewer points. It’s the third time they’ve scored fewer than 100 in that stretch.

Towns, Anunoby and Miles McBride’s final numbers look OK — they finished with 23, 21 and 23 points, respectively. But they went quiet in the fourth quarter, during which the Knicks were outscored by four points.

“It’s a long season,” Anunoby said. “Anyone who’s been in the NBA a long time knows it goes like this. Especially, an 82-game season, there’s gonna be ups and downs. You just continue pushing.”

The Suns entered Sunday fourth in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game. Without Hart, the usual Knicks advantage on the glass went missing. During a five-minute stretch in the second quarter, the Suns grabbed four offensive rebounds and converted them into nine second-chance points. They finished with a four-point advantage in second-chance points.

“There’s concern there, but not to the point where we’re gonna overhaul everything,” Brown said. “We gotta work. We gotta look in the mirror, see how we can individually help the group, starting with me.”

The Knicks left the West Coast with Draymond Green taunting Towns as a lasting image. And now, they began a homestand with their own fans fed up with what they saw.

Title contender? Right now, the Knicks are way closer to the play-in than the top of the East.

Jalen Williams left the Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the Miami Heat in the first half with right thigh soreness, according to the team. He was subsequently officially ruled out for the rest of the game.

The Thunder had a 52-46 lead against the Heat with 5:39 left in the second quarter at the time of Williams' exit. He struggled to move down the court after he attempted to drive toward the basket with the ball and two defenders in front of him. He did not make the basket.

It was initially thought that Williams injured his hamstring as he limped back to the locker room. It remains unclear if he will miss any upcoming games.

Williams finished with eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes of play on Saturday night. He shot 3-for-5 from the field and was 2-for-2 from the 3-point line.

Williams has already been a regular name on the OKC injury report, having missed the first 19 games of the season after recovering from wrist surgery.

Jalen Williams' 2025-26 season stats

Williams has averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game in 23 games played.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Williams injury update, what we know about Thunder star

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal scored three straight goals, including Cole Caufield’s second of the game 33 seconds into overtime, to give the Canadiens a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Trailing 5-3 late in the third period, Montreal pulled goaltender Samuel Montembeault and got within one with 4:24 remaining when Juraj Slafkovsky tipped a Lane Hutson shot for his second goal of the game. Alexandre Carrier tied it 65 seconds later when he beat Leevi Merilainen glove side. Josh Anderson also had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.

Jake Sanderson, who also had three assists, had given the Senators what appeared to be insurance when he scored his 10th at 7:55 of the third, beating Montembeault short side to give the Senators a 5-3 lead.

Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens and David Perron also scored for the Senators. Merilainen stopped 13 shots.

The Senators started the second period with a two-man advantage. Tkachuk scored his 10th of the season just 42 seconds in.

With 1:36 remaining in the second, Artem Zub fired a shot from just inside the blue line and it went off Perron’s skate in the crease to give Ottawa its first lead.

Montreal had a goal called back midway through the period but got it back late in the period, on the power play again, when Nick Suzuki won a puck battle along the boards and fed Caufield who wristed a shot past Merilainen.

Lane Hutson had three assists and passed Henri Richard (101) for the most assists by a Canadiens player at age 21 or younger in franchise history.

Up next

Canadiens: Host Minnesota on Tuesday.

Senators: Visit Detroit on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Spurs made it more difficult than it had to be, but they prevailed against the Timberwolves in a battle of superstars. Anthony Edwards had 55 points while Victor Wembanyama finished with 39 in a close game that featured plenty of big moments for both teams.

The first half had one constant for the Spurs: terrific defense that kept their opponent at 22 points in each quarter. Everyone was great one that end, except for specific plays. The offense was another story. De’Aaron Fox started out the game hot and Keldon Johnson did his job at leading the second unit, but there were too many turnovers and missed open looks in the first 12 minutes, so San Antonio actually trailed heading into the second quarter.

Once the offense caught up to the defense, the Spurs went on a massive run. Everything clicked as Castle dished out assists to Kornet, and the shooters connected from beyond the arc. But it was Victor Wembanyama’s jaw-dropping second-quarter performance that helped San Antonio get a 48-point frame that gave them a massive buffer. The Alien got himself going by getting to the line and then caught fire from outside, on his way to a 20-point period that had the Silver and Black sitting pretty at the break.

The Wolves, who were on the second game of a back-to-back, could have given up. Instead, they did what they have done to the Spurs in the past and completely took control of the game, chipping away at the lead by mostly playing with more energy and physicality and beating their opponent down the court in transition. Everything was easy for Minnesota, as they got into the bonus early and had Julius Randle coming alive to help a dominant Anthony Edwards. San Antonio reacted to avoid a bigger disaster, but only led by 12 after three.

The comeback attempt continued in the final frame, with San Antonio’s poor floor balance allowing the visitors to run off every miss and forcing fouls on the other end. Minnesota’s defense played with ferocious physicality that the Silver and Black couldn’t match. The Wolves took the lead at one time, Edwards was just unstoppable, and the Spurs were doing their best to hold on. They did enough to give themselves a chance at a close game in which Wemby and Fox had huge contributions to lead the team to an ugly but emotional win.

Observations:

• The Spurs came into the matchup on a six-game losing streak to the Timberwolves, including two losses to them this season. It wasn’t easy, but the streak was finally snapped.
• The Wolves were missing Rudy Gobert, out with injury. As a result, rookie Joan Beringer got early playing time and did a solid job in his first stint against Kornet, but struggled against Wembanyama. He then got to start the second half, as Naz Reid suffered an injury, and impressed with his tools and motor, playing a huge part in the Wolves’ comeback attempt. France keeps producing intriguing young players.
• The officials allowed a lot of contact in the past matchup, helping Julius Randle keep Wemby under control. They were quicker to blow the whistle this time, and as a result, Wemby lived at the line in the first half. In the second half, the refs’ willingness to call fouls worked against the Spurs. In the end, both teams finished with 28 free throw attempts.
• It’s always hilarious when NBA players look like they have never seen a zone defense before. It happened to the Spurs a lot on Saturday, but most teams have those games, which are equal parts baffling and funny to watch.
• The Spurs’ broadcast highlighted how good Julian Champagnie has been on the boards recently, showing a clip of Mitch Johnson praising his work on the glass. He had a massive board after a missed free throw by Edwards. Champagnie continues to add skills that could earn him a sizable contract in the offseason. He’s extension-eligible, and it would be great if Brian Wright could get him to sign a team-friendly deal, but it would be understandable to hold off due to his inconsistency as a shooter.
• Mike Conley missing a right-handed floater was a reminder that Father Time comes for us all. The Wolves have a chance to win it all because of their core and their superstar, but they need a significant upgrade in the back court just as much as the Spurs arguably need one at the forward spots.
• The third quarter was one of the worst the Spurs have had all season. A complete lack of urgency from a team that at this point should know it can’t just flip the switch. Especially against an opponent that thrives once it builds momentum. At their best, San Antonio looks like a contender, but they’ll need to continue learning how to avoid complacency.
• The Spurs are horrendous at coach’s challenges. It’s not a new thing, but it’s still frustrating to watch. They lost the one they called for, and it cost them the opportunity to have one for later. Every little edge matters against elite teams and San Antonio has to manage its challenges better.
• The Harper – Castle – Kornet lineups can be rough on offense at times. Fortunately, they have Keldon Johnson to bail them out. Keldon continues to have the best season of his career, maybe not by the numbers but definitely by how much he’s contributing to wins.

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For the Timberwolves fans’ perspective, visit Canis Hoopus.

The Spurs will host the tanking Jazz on Monday, January 19, at 6 p.m. CT.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — JT Toppin had 27 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 15 Texas Tech rallied in the second half for an 84-71 victory over 11th-ranked BYU on Saturday night, ending the Cougars' 13-game winning streak.

Christian Anderson scored 22 points and LeJuan Watts added 20 for the Red Raiders (14-4, 4-1 Big 12), who beat the Cougars for the fifth consecutive time after losing the first three meetings between the schools.

Robert Wright III had 28 points while leading scorer AJ Dybantsa was limited to 13 points on 6-of-17 shooting for BYU (16-2, 4-1). The Cougars had a 12-game Big 12 regular-season winning streak stopped, going back to an 84-66 loss at Cincinnati last February.

Texas Tech went on a 30-6 run over most of the final 10 minutes after Wright scored eight points during a 16-2 burst that put BYU up 61-52 with 9:26 remaining.

The Red Raiders pulled even at 63-all with three free throws from Jaylen Petty after he was fouled on a 3-pointer, and a three-point play from Toppin.

After Dybantsa scored to put the Cougars in front, Toppin gave Texas Tech the lead for good with a 3 from the top of the key. Watts then hit another 3, and stole a pass at the other end to set up Anderson from long range for a 72-65 lead.

Richie Saunders scored 18 points for BYU, while Dybantsa had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting after halftime.

Up next

BYU: Utah visits next Saturday, two weeks after the Cougars' 89-84 road win over their biggest rival.

Texas Tech: At Baylor on Tuesday night.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Luka Doncic was ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers' game on Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers because of left groin soreness.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the injury was probably an “accumulation of a longer week.” The Lakers are in the midst of playing five games in seven days.

“More lingering if anything," Redick said about Doncic's injury, "and obviously wanted to be safe. The MRI was good. He's day to day."

Doncic, a five-time All-Star, leads the league in scoring this season with an average of 33.6 points, and also averages 7.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists. He had 39 points in the team's 135-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

Also absent against the Trail Blazers was starting center Deandre Ayton, who had left knee soreness, and Jaxson Hayes, who was unavailable because of left hamstring tendinopathy. Maxi Kleber earned his first start of the season.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

The Detroit Pistons took care of business against an undermanned, overmatched Indiana Pacers, blitzing Indy 121-78. It was the fewest points the Pistons had surrendered since a 116-77 win over the Charlotte Hornets in 2015. It was the 10th time in the 3-point era the Pistons beat a team by at least 40 points. JB Bickerstaff joins Chuck Daly as the only coaches in Pistons history with at least three wins of 40 or more points. Bickerstaff did it three times in 122 games.

There wasn’t much to analyze in this one as the Pacers were down their six most important players, with several guys resting on the second half of a back-to-back. Without the likes of Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell, and Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers simply couldn’t generate any offense.

A Jalen Duren free throw with 5:07 left in the first quarter put Detroit up 24-2. The Pacers hit a couple shots, and Detroit let its foot off the gas a bit, but the game kinda went like that the whole time. At halftime, it was 59-25. By the midpoint of the third quarter, Cade Cunningham and Duren went to the bench permanently, and there was a lot of garbage time for a lot of reserve players to show their stuff.

The Pacers were held to 35% from the floor and 22% from three. Detroit had a 34-9 advantage in points off of turnovers. It was an ugly game.

The only downside for the Pistons was that it was clear early on the refs had no interest in dragging out the game any more than necessary and swallowed their whistles. Detroit did their typical bulldog, attack-the-basket offense, and it was rarely rewarded with free throws regardless of contact. That meant a lot of empty trips down the floor.

The Pistons were led by a trio of players with 16 points: Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, and Javonte Green, who were all 4-of-6 from three. The only player in a Pistons jersey to play past the 24-minute mark was Ron Holland. The Pacers were led by Jarace Walker, who scored 13 points on 12 shots.

Detroit gets a rest day and then hosts the Boston Celtics back in Detroit for a game with more stakes, and one certain to be much closer.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Max Domi scored at 3:08 of overtime on a 2-on-1 with Auston Matthews to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs past the Winnipeg Jets, 4-3 on Saturday night.

Domi also had an assist, Matthews scored his 24th goal of the season and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a goal and two assists. Bobby McMann tied it in the third, and Morgan Rielly added two assists.

Dennis Hildeby stopped 27 shots as Toronto closed a four-game trip 2-1-1.

Alex Iafallo, Kyle Connor and Nino Niederreiter scored Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves. The Jets had won four in a row.

The Jets led 3-1early in the third period. Ekman-Larsson scored at 5:58, and McMann’ tied it with 4:27 remaining.

Up next

Maple Leafs: Host Minnesota on Monday night.

Jets: At Chicago on Monday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Without two of their starters, the Knicks just could not muster enough offense in their 106-99 loss to the Suns at MSG on Saturday evening.

Jalen Brunson (ankle) and Josh Hart (ankle) did not dress for this game, leaving the Knicks looking for answers offensively. Miles McBride, who made the start, did his part, scoring 23 points on 9 of 18 shooting (5-for-11 from three) with five assists, two rebounds and two steals. He was a team-high plus-six on the court. 

Phoenix star Devin Booker, who missed their last game due to an ankle injury and was questionable heading into Saturday's tip, suited up and provided more than enough for the Suns. He had a game-high 27 points and was a menace getting to the hoop, going 12 of 14 from the charity stripe. 

New York has lost three in a row and eight of their last 10 games. 

Here are the takeaways....

-The Knicks got off to a hot shooting start, hitting three of their first four three-point attempts. That allowed New York to keep a lead through most of the opening quarter as they led 27-19 after the first.

New York shot 50 percent in the quarter to the Suns' 36 percent. 

-The second quarter saw the Suns make a 12-0 run in the middle part of the frame to take a lead, but the Knicks' defense finally hunkered down to retake the lead, backed by steals from McBride on back-to-back Phoenix possessions, which led to eight straight points. It was a back-and-forth game from there, as the teams went into halftime 56-55 in favor of the Knicks.

OG Anunoby went into the break with a team-high 13 points while McBride (10) and Karl-Anthony Towns (12) were the only Knicks scoring in double figures at this point. Towns, who scored 10 points in the opening frame, had just two points in the second.

-Phoenix got out to a 10-3 run to start the third quarter, forcing head coach Mike Brown to call a timeout. Whatever the first-year Knicks coach said worked as New York went out to a 16-0 run to regain the lead and take a 10-point cushion at one point, but the Suns persisted and tied it at 77-77 with 1:30 left in the quarter. On the final possession of the quarter, Booker drove and tossed up a prayer as he was fouled, and the ball banked in for an and-one to go into the fourth up by three.

-The physicality of this game ramped up a notch as players fought for loose balls, and hard fouls on players taking it to the hoop were plentiful. Two of the Suns' guards (Grayson Allen and Oso Ighodaro) had to miss time with busted noses. 

An 8-0 run, mostly because of the Knicks' inability to knock down shots, pushed the Suns to have a 95-87 lead with six minutes remaining. The Knicks started to chip away at the Suns' lead, and got Dillon Brooks to miss a three, but Mark Williams picked up the offensive rebound and kicked out to Royce O'Neal, who hit a three to put Phoenix up by nine, forcing another Knicks timeout.

The Knicks tried to make a comeback, but their shots weren't falling, even when they cut the lead to five points. The Suns made their free throws and bled the clock away for the seven-point victory. The Knicks scored just 22 points in the fourth quarter. 

-The Knicks shot 40 percent from the field but just 33 percent from three. Towns tied McBride with 23 points but he was just 7 of 16 from the field and just 3-for-8 from three. He airballed a three-pointer in the waning minutes, which would have cut the Phoenix lead to four points. The MSG crowd rained boos on Towns as the last gasp comeback attempt was extinguished. 

Anunoby (21) and Mikal Bridges (15) were the only other Knicks to score in double figures.

Highlights

Deuce pulls up for three! pic.twitter.com/xG6c0B4N3K

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 18, 2026

DEUCE 🔋 pic.twitter.com/GbErAhb5U3

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 18, 2026

OG on the offensive glass 💪 pic.twitter.com/IKxMaTI6Op

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 18, 2026

A hard-working bucket for OG pic.twitter.com/057l1ZPUpJ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 18, 2026

Deuce is COOKING ♨️ pic.twitter.com/SClEihKA75

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 18, 2026

What's next

The Knicks continue their homestand with an early evening matchup with the Mavericks on Monday. Tip is set for 5 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have hired Kevin Stefanski to be their next head coach.

Stefanski joins the Falcons after a six-year stint with the Cleveland Browns, where he was a two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year and led the group to a 45-56 overall record. He was fired on Jan. 5 after a 5-12 finish to the 2025 season.

Stefanski replaces Raheem Morris, who was fired alongside general manager Terry Fontenot after an 8-9 campaign in his second season leading the franchise. He will report to newly appointed President Matt Ryan,who also holds most of the team’s major passing records,

“We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski, who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation,” Ryan said in a statement.

Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank brought Ryan on as his second-in-command and a key decision-maker for the franchise.

“Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture," Ryan added. "His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed."

Stefanski was named AP Coach of the Year in 2020 after leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and their first playoff win since 1994 with an 11-5 record. He won it again in 2023 when the Browns made the playoffs and finished 11-6.

The coach climbed the ranks in Minnesota for 14 years with the Vikings before being hired by Cleveland in 2020. He overlapped with Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2018 and 2019.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise,” Stefanski said. “I am grateful to Mr. Blank and Matt Ryan for trusting me to coach this football team and there are many talented players on our roster that I cannot wait to coach. We share a vision for this football team that I believe will make Falcons fans everywhere proud."

Stefanski inherits a roster that includes four players who were named AP All-Pros in 2025. Bijan Robinson was named a first-team running back and second-team all-purpose player. Tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., right guard Chris Lindstrom and safety Jessie Bates III each earned second-team honors.

But he also finds some uncertainty at quarterback. Shortly after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in 2024, the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the NFL draft. Cousins lost the starting job after underperforming midway through the 2024 season. Penix finished his rookie season and started the 2025 campaign as the starter before going down with a season-ending knee injury.

Cousins stepped in for the last nine games, leading the Falcons to a 5-4 record and four straight wins to close out the season. Penix's recovery is expected to linger into training camp.

Stefanski has experience with quarterback uncertainty. The Browns had rotating quarterbacks throughout most of his tenure after trading former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield and acquiring Deshaun Watson. Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders each quarterbacked the offense in 2025.

The Falcons also have several other staffing decisions ahead of them, including general manager.

“We will get to work immediately putting together a first-class coaching staff and working hard to get to know all the great people that are so important to getting us all where we want to go,” Stefanski said.

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

NEW YORK — The Phoenix Suns defeated the New York Knicks 106-99 on Saturday for their first win of their six-game road trip.

A back-and-forth battle for the majority of the game, both teams had to whether each other’s large runs but BLANK came away victorious, pulling away late. Devin Booker returned from his ankle injury to lead the team in scoring but the victory was a team effort, with six players scoring in double figures. Dillon Brooks had one of his worst shooting nights of the year but it did not matter.

New York’s first game back from a four-game road trip, Knicks fans were loud but the Suns played loud when it mattered most, a contrast from their performances late against the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons earlier this week.

Now 25-17 on the year, the Suns snap their losing streak at two with the second of their Eastern Conference road trip pending.

Game Flow

First Half

The Knicks struck first, going ahead 13-6 and forcing Jordan Ott to take a timeout less than four minutes into the game. Karl-Anthony Towns had it going early for New York. Over the next six minutes, scoring was limited with both teams scoring just a combined 17 points. Only four different Suns scored as the score at the end of 12 minutes was 27-19 New York.

In the first quarter, Devin Booker passed a Phoenix Suns legend in the NBA all-time scorer list.

Devin Booker has passed Steve Nash on the @NBA all-time scoring list! pic.twitter.com/Xu9jsic4Wj

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 18, 2026

The Suns went on a 17-4 run to start the second and take their first lead since early in the first, and the team played more balanced on offense. The Knicks responded with a run of their own to retake the lead, thanks in large part to their hot three-point shooting; they hit 63% of their first 13 triples.

After a flurry of runs from both teams, the squads exchanged baskets to end the second half. New York led 56-55 at the break. The two teams’ splits at the half were similar. Phoenix shot 43.9% from the field and 39.1% from three, while New York shot 42.9% from the field and 42.1% from three.

Second Half

The third quarter was 12 minutes of runs by both teams. Phoenix went on a 10-3 run to go up six which was followed by a 16-0 run by New York to give them a 10-point lead. Madison Square Garden was loud and the Knicks fans were roaring.

🗣️ DEUUUUCCEEEEEEE

19 PTS | 4 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/0J4HgQ7Yfl

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 18, 2026

When the Suns stopped the Knicks’ run, they finished the quarter on a 13-0 run to end the third, capped off by Devin Booker’s And-one with 0.3 seconds left in the frame. Jordan Goodwin’s effort and quick five-point scoring burst were pivotal.

Goodie always bringing that hustle 😤 pic.twitter.com/ClftkXn8ih

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 18, 2026

A slow start to the final quarter, the game started to slow down in its final moment. Collin Gillespie took control of the first half of the fourth, hitting shots and organizing the offense. Phoenix was playing better late than they did against the Pistons and Heat in their previous two games.

Relying mostly on the starters and Grayson Allen, Phoenix pulled away late, avoiding a small scare at the end when New York cut it to five.

---

Up Next

The Suns will stay in New York City and face the Brooklyn Nets on Monday in the first half of a back-to-back.

The Dallas Mavericks have seen a lot of the Utah Jazz over the past month, with their most recent faceoff just two days ago. Dallas repeated their success from Thursday night with a 138-120 win Saturday.

Let’s get to the grades!

Brandon Williams: A

22 PTS / 4 REB / 5 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN

Williams had a very nice game on both sides of the ball. He scored on efficient shooting (8-for-13), played solid defense and made some nice passes. His assist-to-turnover ratio (5:2) wasn’t mind blowing, but there isn’t much to complain about in respect of his overall performance.

Max Christie: A

22 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 26 MIN

Christie returned to action looking as though he didn’t miss a beat. He had himself a sound night in all respects, shooting well in his return (7-for-13). He took care of the ball and played sound defense without racking up fouls. Highlight play: cutting off a passing lane for a steal he took the other way for a layup in the second quarter.

Caleb Martin: C+

3 PTS / 6 REB / 5 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN

Martin’s near-flawless shooting was absent Saturday night, though he grabbed a few boards and dished some dimes. He didn’t hurt the Mavs, but also didn’t do a whole lot to favorably impact the game. Highlight play: on the opening tip Martin moved as though clairvoyant, getting to a spot before the jump ball was even touched, perfectly positioning himself to gain possession. It was a small thing, but pretty cool to see.

Naji Marshall: B+

16 PTS / 5 REB / 6 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 29 MIN

Marshall had a hot hand and did a bit of everything, but his grade takes a hit for the high turnover (3) and high foul (4) totals.

Dwight Powell: A-

10 PTS / 8 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 0 BLK – 27 MIN

Powell was quietly Powell, grabbing boards, hitting his limited shot opportunities, and setting solid screens — one of which got him free throws when Keyonte George committed a flagrant foul by running him over and pushing him to the ground. His steal total gives his grade a boost beyond his other contributions.

Jaden Hardy: C+

12 PTS / 1 REB / 3 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 17 MIN

Hardy can be streaky for sure, and on Saturday his shot could have been better (5-for-13). He did little else and his plus/minus was in the negative for most of the night. Still, he did what you’d want him to do — drop double-figure points in limited minutes.

Moussa Cisse: B-

9 PTS / 10 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN

Cisse was solid, though some of his stats came in garbage time. He also had the worst plus/minus on the team (-minus-17).

Klay Thompson: A

23 PTS / 0 REB / 3 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 20 MIN

Thompson’s first half alone had him in the “A” range: 7-for-10 from the floor, 6-for-9 from deep, 3-for-3 from the free throw line, 23 points. He even dished two assists around his prolific shooting. He came back down to earth in the second half, but very few minutes played was a factor in that.

Final thoughts

If you’re on board with Team Tank, you might be a bit chapped to see Utah doing it better than Dallas by sitting players somewhat arbitrarily in both this, and the game Thursday night. Utah is just behind Dallas in the Western Conference standings, so the losses for them are wins from a certain perspective.

I’m not a big fan of intentionally losing, but I would be lying to say a better pick this summer isn’t highly appealing. With the win, Dallas and Utah now have two wins apiece in the season series, but there is a long way to go before game 82 decides the final standings. For now, Dallas continues to look engaged with two-way players and others that don’t get a lot of burn showing up with maximum effort.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.