MADRID (AP) — Akor Adams scored a second-half double, the second of which was a last-gasp penalty, to give Sevilla a 2-2 draw at home to Elche on Monday and stop it from recording a fifth consecutive loss.
Sevilla came into the match having failed to score in its last four, and pressure on Argentine coach Matías Almeyda was mounting.
The match quickly seemed to get away from it as Elche took the lead after 14 minutes, with Aleix Febas drilling a low shot into the bottom corner for only his second goal of the season.
German Valera made it 2-0 early in the second half when he stroked home a low drive through a sea of legs after the ball was cleared from a corner kick.
But Adams pulled his side back into the match 15 minutes from time when he showed quick reflexes to prod home from close range after the ball had come back off the post.
Just back from the Africa Cup of Nations, the Nigeria international then secured the draw two minutes into stoppage time when he side-footed home a perfect penalty.
Sevilla had also hit the woodwork twice. The result leaves it in 14th place on 21 points.
Those pesky young Wizards fought in this game. This is despite the dominance of James Harden. As the game went on, the Wizards decided to double team Harden to get the ball out of his hands more. Harden did a great job of moving the ball to the open man and making the Wizards pay for it.
The Wizards countered by making the oldest team in the league do what any young team should do, make them play in transition more. This adjustment helped the Wizards to get out of the gates in the 2nd half with a 10-point lead. That lead would soon evaporate as the Wizards could not keep up the momentum.
Washington’s Achilles’ heel in this game was turnovers. 19 turnovers for the game, especially the ‘live ball’ turnovers killed the Wizards’ momentum at points in this game. Clippers got 21 points off of turnovers and also won the battle of points in the paint, 60-38. Those two issues stopped the Wizards from having a chance in this one.
Wizards lose this one 110-106. Next up, they will host the Denver Nuggets at Capital One Arena on Thursday evening.
BRIGHTON, England (AP) — Teenage substitute Charalampos Kostoulas scored with an audacious overhead kick in a stoppage-time to give Brighton a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Monday.
The 18-year-old Greece international received a knock-down from Jan Paul van Hecke, chested the ball up in the air and then executed a perfect bicycle kick from about 10 yards out.
“I’ve seen him score better in training, but that was unbelievable," Brighton captain Lewis Dunk said of the late strike. "He’s a special talent. You’ve seen glimpses, and there’ll be many more things to come from him. He’s adapting to the country, new league, and he’s shown what he can do. That shows exactly what he can do.”
The result extends Brighton's unbeaten run to five games and leaves it in 12th place in the Premier League, three points and three places above its south coast rivals.
Fabian Hürzeler’s team started well but faded after an encouraging first few minutes and Bournemouth took the lead with a disputed penalty in the 32nd minute.
Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was adjudged to have fouled Amine Adli in the box and after a video review Marcus Tavernier confidently dispatched the penalty.
Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola lamented giving up the late goal and decried what he said was a run in which it seemed like “everything is going against us.”
But he was sanguine about the quality of Kostoulas's decisive strike.
“It is an incredible goal, it is an overhead kick into the top corner, and we finish with a point," he said. "It is a shame because the players have done an incredible effort. We are going point by point and we have to keep going.”
The announcement came during the NBA on NBC pregame show ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder-Cleveland Cavaliers game to tip-off the league's Martin Luther King Jr. Day broadcast slate.
The fan vote accounted for 50% of the selection process, along with a survey of NBA players and a media panel that were each responsible for 25%. The starters were chosen regardless of position.
Dončić -- who led both previous rounds of the fan vote in the weeks leading up to Monday's reveal -- held onto his lead with 3,402,967 total votes. He was the only player in the Western Conference to break three million votes; the next closest player to him was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who received 3,218,398 votes.
Despite being the top vote-getter among fans, Doncic finished sixth in the player survey and second in the media survey with 95 votes apiece. Notably, his Lakers running mate, LeBron James, saw his 21-year all-star starter streak end.
NBA All-Star Game starters
Western Conference
Here is the full starting five for the West:
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (12th All-Star selection)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (fourth)
This year's All-Star Weekend will be held from February 13-15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The festivities will tip-off on Friday with the Celebrity All-Star Game and Rising Stars Game, followed by the three-point and dunk contest on Saturday all leading up to Sunday's All-Star Game.
This year's format, however, will be a little different. Instead of a traditional East vs. West matchup or the pickup-style experiments of years past, the NBA is pivoting to a USA vs. the World format. The All-Stars will be split into three teams consisting of eight players and will compete in a round-robin tournament. Reserves will be chosen by the coaches, though there is a contingency plan in which commissioner Adam Silver would fill out the teams if there are not enough domestic or international players.
Stephen Curry just became the oldest point guard ever voted to start an All-Star Game at 37 years old. He did it by beating out a 23-year-old Anthony Edwards who by many accounts is having a better statistical season. He did it in the same announcement that ended LeBron James’ 22-year stranglehold on All-Star starter status. And he did it knowing full well that Father Time is undefeated, even if Curry keeps trying to break his ankles with every hesitation dribble.
This is the fascinating inflection point of Curry’s career. He’s caught in basketball purgatory: the space between “still elite” and “eventually mortal.” He’s not chasing the longevity records that define careers like Kareem’s or LeBron’s. His late start to superstardom, those ankle injuries that nearly derailed everything, the way he didn’t make his first All-Star team until age 25? All of it ensures that the volume stats will never tell his full story.
But right now, Curry occupies something even more interesting: he’s the bridge between eras, the standard that the next generation has to meet while simultaneously being the gatekeeper they have to overcome. There’s a relatively high level of shock radiating through basketball social media for Curry being selected over Anthony Edwards to start the exhibition.
Edwards is an absolute monster on the court, and many probably assumed he was the clear choice over Curry. But the fans (50% of the vote) and the players said no. Not yet.
Curry finished third in fan voting, second in player voting, which propelled him to his 12th All-Star Game. Even diminished, even on an struggling Warriors team, Curry remains the most compelling argument for why basketball transcends box scores.
Here’s what makes this moment deliciously complex: Curry knows he’s not winning this war against Father Time. But Curry’s is absolutely trying to win every individual battle with such style that when the war is finally lost, his legacy will burn throughout history. If you had told me back in 2011 that the skinny guard next to Monta Ellis would be an All-Star, I’d be like “I hope so but when??”. Now he’s tied with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, and Hakeem Olajuwon at 12. Oh yeah and Warrior legend Rick Barry! Not bad for a guy who was supposedly too small, too fragile, and too one-dimensional.
But unlike LeBron, who’s defying age by rewriting the athletic longevity blueprint, Curry’s rebellion looks different. He moves with deliberateness now, a calculated dismantling with very cut, dribble, and screen. He’s methodically deadly from anywhere on the court, moving at his own pace.
Edwards will get his moment. The 24-year-old is everything the modern NBA demands: athletic, versatile, clutch. He’s is definitely a major part of the future of basketball.
But today? The old guard said: not yet, young king. Go head Steph, show em how it’s done!
ROME (AP) — Nico Paz scored a brace but missed a penalty as Como comfortably beat Lazio 3-0 in Serie A on Monday to record a third consecutive away win by the same scoreline.
The win also puts Como just two points behind fifth-place Juventus, while Lazio is in ninth, with only one win in its last six games.
Martin Baturina scored the opener after two minutes although he was lucky that his shot took a deflection before hitting the net.
Paz was running the midfield with the poise that won him the Serie A’s Rising Star of the Month award in August and September and doubled Como’s lead midway through the first half when he rifled home a left-foot shot from close range.
The Spanish-born Argentina international but saw his penalty saved in the 35th minute but still added a second goal four minutes after the break.
Baturina’s cheeky backheel set Paz up and he stroked home a precise finish from the edge of the box.
Verona remains bottom
Verona remains rooted to the bottom of the league after a 0-0 draw at Cremonese earlier Monday.
Giovane came close to breaking the deadlock for the visitors but the stalemate extended Verona’s winless run to six games.
Verona is level with Pisa on 14 points remains in last place on goal difference. Both clubs are three points adrift of Lecce and Fiorentina.
CLEVELAND — It’s been wrong to use injuries as an excuse for many of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ losses this season. They’ve had enough talent in many of those defeats to prevail still. Monday afternoon was different. They didn’t have the right combination of skill players to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and were thoroughly outclassed as a result, leading to a 32-point loss.
The Cavs were without Darius Garland (toe), Sam Merrill (hand), and Max Strus (foot). That’s the wrong combination of guys to be missing against a physical, Oklahoma City defense that can wreak havoc on teams that don’t have numerous on-ball creators.
Donovan Mitchell has traditionally struggled in the matchup against the Thunder. Lu Dort was seemingly built in a lab to make life difficult for Mitchell. He’s one of the few guard defenders who can match Mitchell’s combination of speed and athleticism. In two games last season, Mitchell combined to score just 19 points on 6-31 shooting.
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That trend continued. Mitchell scored the opening basket of the game, but then went cold. He wasn’t able to get past Dort and couldn’t shoot well enough behind the arc to make up for it. Mitchell ended the night with 19 points on 5-18 shooting to go along with three assists.
The Cavs’ offense struggled as a result. They went 4-18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc in the first half. That isn’t going to do it against a Thunder team that does such a good job at protecting the paint. This led to a 15-point deficit for Cleveland at the break.
The Cavs showed some fight in the third quarter. The Thunder pushed the lead to 20 early in the frame, but the Cavs were able to make it nominally competitive by cutting the deficit to nine late in the quarter. But that was as close as they would get in the second half.
Any comeback was reliant on the three-ball falling. That never happened as the Cavs ended the game shooting 8-25 (22.9%) from three.
The Thunder made this a one-sided affair in the fourth quarter. They won that quarter 45-25 to make this game much more lopsided than it felt for the first three quarters.
Oklahoma City’s defense made Cleveland’s bigs beat them with how they were able to defend Mitchell. The Cavs’ bigs weren’t able to consistently do so. Mobley’s boxscore looks fine. He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, but he didn’t have the superstar impact the Cavs needed him to have if they were going to win this one.
Jarrett Allen added 16 points and nine rebounds.
The Thunder were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. SGA had a game-high 30 points on 12-20 shooting to go along with three assists. Holmgren supplied 28 points and eight rebounds.
Even though the Thunder were missing two starters in Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus), they were able to maintain their identity. Cleveland wasn’t. The Cavs didn’t have the shooting or playmaking to play how they wanted to. And right now, that’s what separates Cleveland from the truly elite teams.
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Wednesday as they hit the road to take on a Charlotte Hornets team that is playing better than expected over their last few games. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
There’s been a lot of rumors about other teams’ interest in Michael Porter Jr. (latest reportedly from Milwaukee) and Nic Claxton (as always from the Lakers) and even Day’Ron Sharpe (at least historically from Boston), but nothing about Cam Thomas.
Thomas famously exercised his qualifying offer back in the summer and less famously switched agents in the fall, for the second time in a year. He’s now with Wasserman Group, one of the league’s high-power firms. It would seem the two are linked, that Thomas is interested in moving on. The Nets are willing to help, it’s been said, but Thomas seems stuck as much now as he was in the summer. Maybe more. Thomas, with his $6.0 million expiring deal, does not appear to have any suitors, partly a function of how teams regard his style, partly because there’s so little cap space out there. .
Since he declined the Nets two-year, $30 million deal with the second year non-guaranteed, Thomas has added impediments, that admittedly were mostly put in place by choice, and worse luck. By exercising his QO, Thomas will have the right to approve any trade but would lose his Bird Rights, reducing his changes of a big contract even more. And worse, earlier this season, he missed 20 games with his fourth episode of hamstring soreness or worse. That brings the year-and-a-third total to 73 games.
As Jordi Fernandez said yesterday, Thomas remains part of the rotation, but won’t be returning to the starting lineup now that he’s 10 games back following his rehab from hamstring strain. He even praised Thomas both before and after Sunday’s game.
“Yeah, right now we’re happy where he is, with the minutes he’s playing with the production, being that willing playmaker; because we know how good he is scoring the basketball, and taking those steps defensively,” Fernandez said before the Nets’ 124-102 loss in Chicago. “We need him to stay in those minutes a little longer because I, we, just believe what’s most important right now is his body, and (how) his body reacts. And we’re gonna be cautious with that.”
Indeed, he will sit vs. the Suns Monday at Barclays Center as the Nets play a back-to-back and their third game in four days. He is often joined on the bench in such situations by others with injury concerns: Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, and now Drake Powell. All missed some time between Summer League and now, the midway point of the season. Thomas, of course, missed the most and to a nagging injury. So no surprise.
So, where he is is where a number of people thought he’d ultimately wind up: as a sixth man capable of heating up almost instantly. That is not where the 6’4” 23-year-old wants to be. He wants to start. When our Lucas Kaplan asked him few games back whether he was disappointed not starting, Thomas smiled and politely declined comment.
How’s he done in those 10 games since his return? Not bad but with some caveats. Brian Lewis lays it out:
Since his return, Thomas has averaged a dozen points on .408 shooting and .340 from deep in 22.5 minutes. He handed out a career-high tying ten assists Sunday in Chicago; but he had just three points on 1-of-6 shooting in a loss where the Nets desperately needed him to replace absent Michael Porter Jr.’s missing offense.
Sunday’s 1-of-6 number sticks out. As Lewis notes, when MPJ is out, they need their best sniper to pour it on. The numbers in the boxscore didn’t bother his head coach, though. Fernandez keeps noting that scoring is Thomas’ “super power” and he’ll continue to encourage it. On Sunday, he even offered praise for Thomas’ game.
That said, there have been too many moments like these: Cam hogging the ball while others are left to simply look on…
“I’m not going to believe that he’s going to go 1-for-6 ever again. So I’m ok with him taking those shots,” Fernandez said post-game Sunday. “But the [playmaking] ability, he proved it today. Ten assists to one turnover, that’s elite.
“And he’s more than capable of doing it. He can see the game. He’s a smart player. They’re being aggressive in coverages, and he’s found his teammates. And his teammates made the shots. So very proud of him and the way he played. He shared the basketball, made this simple play over and over and over. And that’s the CT with playmaking that we want to see.”
How long will they “see” is the issue. If he isn’t moved by the trade deadline, now 17 days a way, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent who the Nets could in theory re-sign. More likely, he’ll seek a big deal elsewhere.
In the meantime, you’d expect his new agent will be scouring the NBA horizon, lobbying for his client and looking in the league’s nooks and crannies for spots he might just fit. Might Thomas be included in some multi-team deal where his contract becomes a facilitating piece? Might he wait till season’s end? One thing is certain, his opportunities are at this point limited.
Boston Celtics (26-15) at Detroit Pistons (30-10) Monday, January 19, 2026 8:00 PM ET Regular Season Game #42, Road Game #23 TV: Peacock, NBC Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 97.1 The Ticket, SiriusXM Little Caesars Arena
The Celtics have reached the end of their 4 game road trip as they visit the Detroit Pistons. This is the 4th and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Celtics are 1-2 in the 3 games so far. They lost 119-113 in Detroit on October 26. They won 117-114 in Boston on November 26 when they ended the Pistons 13 game win streak. The Celtics lost 112-105 in Boston on December 15. They are 257-143 overall all time against the Pistons and 100-87 in games played in Detroit.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place New York. They are 2 games ahead of 4th place Toronto, 3 games ahead of 5th place Cleveland and 3.5 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 19-9 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 14-8 on the road and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 2 games.
The Pistons are 1st in the east, 4.5 games ahead of 2nd place Boston, 5 games ahead of 3rd place New York, 6.5 games ahead of 4th place Toronto, 7.5 games ahead of 5th place Cleveland, 8 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 7th place Orlando. They are 21-6 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 16-4 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 2 games.
The Celtics are playing in the final game of a 4 game road trip. They lost the first game in Indiana and won in Miami and Atlanta. The Celtics will then play one game at home against Indiana before playing Brooklyn and Chicago on the road. They will then have another 4 game home stand where they will host Portland, Atlanta, Sacramento and Milwaukee. Then, they are on the road at Dallas and Houston before playing Miami, New York, and Chicago at home, taking them into the All Star Break.
For Detroit, this is the final game of a 6 game home stand. They beat New York, Chicago, Phoenix and Indiana and lost to the Clippers. Next, they will play at New Orleans and then home vs Houston and Sacramento. Then it’s a 3 game road trip through Denver, Phoenix and Golden State before hosting Brooklyn, Denver, Washington, and New York. Then games at Charlotte and Toronto will take them to the All Star break.
For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum remains out as he continues to rehab from the Achilles tear he suffered in last year’s playoffs. Josh Minott will miss his 7th game with a sprained ankle. Chris Boucher is probable due to back soreness. Payton Pritchard missed his first game of the season on Saturday with ankle soreness but is available for this game. For the Pistons, Ron Holland II is questionable due to illness.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Cade Cunningham
SG: Payton Pritchard v Duncan Robinson
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Ausar Thompson
PF: Sam Hauser vs Tobias Harris
Sam Hauser
C: Neemias Queta vs Jalen Duren
Celtics Reserves Anfernee Simons Josh Minott Xavier Tillman Jordan Walsh Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Baylon Scheierman Chris Boucher 2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga Amari Williams Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out Josh Minott (ankle) out Chris Boucher (back) probable Payton Pritchard (ankle) available
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Pistons Reserves Javonte Green Jaden Ivey Bobi Klintman Chaz Lanier Paul Reed Isaiah Stewart Caris LeVert Marcus Sasser
Two Way Players Daniss Jenkins Colby Jones Tolu Smith
Injuries/Out Ron Holland II (illness) questionable
Head Coach JB Bickerstaff
Key Matchups Derrick White vs Cade Cunningham Cunningham is averaging 25.9 points, 6 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In the 3 game against the Celtics, he averaged 33 points 5 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Celtics must defend him well both in the paint and on the perimeter and they need to expect him to pass to the open man since he is averaging 9.6 assists per game.
Neemias Queta vs Jalen Duren Duren is averaging 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 62.8% from the field with no 3 pointers. In the first 3 games against Boston, he averaged 14 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 46.4% from the field with no threes. The Celtics need to try to keep him out of the paint and off the boards. Honorable Mention Sam Hauser vs Tobias Harris Harris is averaging 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In the first 3 games against the Celtics, he averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 45.5% from the field and 17.6% from beyond the arc.
Keys to the Game Defense – As always, defense is the key to winning this, and every, game. The Celtics have been up and down with their defensive effort, even quarter to quarter within a game. The Celtics are 14th with a defensive rating of 114.0. The Pistons, on the other hand, are 2nd with a defensive rating of 108.5. The Celtics have to especially defend the paint as the Pistons are 2nd with 57.1 points in the paint per game. The Celtics have to be ready for the tough defense that the Pistons play and they must make defense a priority and match the Pistons’ effort on defense if they hope to win this game.
Rebound – As with defense, rebounding will always be a key to winning. The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team and go after every rebound. The Celtics are 10th in the league with 44.9 rebounds per game. The Pistons are 3rd, averaging 46.4 rebounds per game. The Pistons average 17 second chance points per game, which is 6th in the league. Every Celtic has to crash the boards and they must work harder to grab rebounds than the Pistons to limit those 2nd chance points.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball to get the best shots. The Celtics are much better when they move the ball and don’t lapse into iso ball. But, they have to be careful with the ball and avoid turnovers. They need to make careful passes and also focus on their ball handling so as not to turn the ball over. They are best in the league with just 12.0 turnovers per game. However, they tend to lose focus and at times turn the ball over way too much. The Pistons are 2nd in the league with 21.8 points off turnovers per game and they will make the Celtics pay if they get sloppy.
Effort and Energy for 48 Minutes– The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. In most of their losses and even in some of their wins, they have allowed their opponents to play with more energy than them for periods of time during the game. They play well for stretches but let up and allow their opponents to surge ahead. The Celtics need to make playing with more effort and energy their identity this season and play that way for the entire game, not just a quarter or two. Hopefully they can play well for 48 minutes in this one just as they did against the Hawks.
X-Factors On the Road – The Celtics are on the road for the 4th straight game. They need to overcome the distractions of playing on the road and in front of a hostile crowd and stay focused on playing the right way. They have to come out playing hard right from the beginning and try to keep the Pistons’ crowd from getting into the game. The final game of a road trip is always a tough game and the Celtics need to stay extra focused and play extra hard to get a win. Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game. We have recently seen how much of an x-factor officiating can be. The Celtics have to play so well all game that the officiating, no matter how bad, can’t influence the outcome.
That’s always the question to pose once NBA All-Stars – and each conference’s starters – are announced.
On Monday, Jan. 19, the NBA unveiled the East and West starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The league used a weighted system to select starters, with the fan vote accounting for 50%, and NBA players and media accounting for 25%, respectively. Each player then generated a weighted score, and the Top 5 players from each conference, regardless of position, were named starters.
Here are the winners and losers from the selection of starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
Though he is a five-time All-Star, Brown had always been overshadowed by fellow Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Not this year. With Tatum sidelined with a torn Achilles, Brown has not only emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option and a first-time All-Star starter, but he has also put himself squarely in the conversation for Most Valuable Player. That Brown is also doing this after Boston moved on from established stars Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis further illustrates his rise. He’s averaging 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season.
Jalen Brunson
There’s no question Brunson is one of the elite players in the NBA and one of the steadiest closers. And though Brunson cleared the threshold with ease — his weighted score of 3.25 ranked fourth among East players and was 2.75 points greater than Donovan Mitchell, the No. 6 player on the list — he probably got a boost that New York players often get. The Knicks are a blue-chip franchise with a gargantuan following, so their stars tend to get elevated. Make no mistake: Brunson is a deserving All-Star. But with a roster of talented guards in the East, his case to start was thinner than the end result indicated.
Victor Wembanyama
There’s no denying the impact Wembanyama has on the floor, but the San Antonio Spurs are actually 10-4 in games he didn’t play. That record, though, shouldn’t be skewed; he’s certainly worthy of the starter nod, but he got by on the slimmest of margins, on a fan vote tiebreaker (more on that later). Wembanyama just turned 22 on Jan. 4 and is making his second All-Star appearance. He’s only getting better and is in the MVP conversation. His days of starting in All-Stars are only beginning.
Tyrese Maxey
Another first-time starter, Maxey’s rise this season shows how he’s assuming control of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. Although Joel Embiid, the 2022-23 Most Valuable Player, is slowly returning to form, this is Maxey’s team, and he’s quickly becoming one of the elite scoring guards in the NBA – one with seemingly limitless shooting range.
LOSERS
LeBron James
Chances are, James will still be an All-Star and will extend his record streak to 22 consecutive nominations. But for the first time in 21 years, James was not named a starter in the All-Star Game. James missed the first 14 games of the season with a right sciatica issue, and the Los Angeles Lakers have managed his playing time in back-to-backs since then. James, who turned 41 in late December, is reimagining the standard for players his age. His points (22.6 per game) and rebounds (5.9) are the lowest they have been since his rookie season (20.9 and 5.5), but James remains a threat for the Lakers. Still, all good things come to an end.
This is the biggest snub of the day. Edwards’ 29.6 points per game rank fifth in the NBA. He’s a dynamic, three-level scorer and is one of the premier walking highlights this league has. His biggest problem here is that the person who took his spot, Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, is exactly the same. Edwards and Wembanyama received the same weighted score of 5.75, which triggered a tiebreaker. Edwards lost that because his fan vote (1,960,957) was just 4,505 votes fewer than Wembanyama’s total. Stats don’t paint the entire picture because Wembanyama’s impact as a defender is immense, but, just for comparison’s sake, he’s averaging 24.5 points per game.
Donovan Mitchell
He was the first out in the field for starters in the East and very easily could’ve made a case to start. Entering Monday, Mitchell ranked seventh in the NBA in scoring, dropping 29.2 points per game. Even then, the margin between him and Jaylen Brown, the fourth player on the list, was just 0.5 points per game. His scoring clip is a career high, and his assists numbers (5.7) are just behind his all-time high of 6.1. The Cavaliers, though, started slowly, which almost certainly impacted his voting numbers.
Jalen Johnson
Will Johnson be an All-Star? Almost certainly yes. Did he deserve to start? Perhaps. Johnson is the victim of playing in a smaller market, for a team that has struggled to reach relevance in recent seasons. The Hawks are 20-24 (10th in the East), but Johnson is averaging nearly a triple-double, putting up 22.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. Johnson is more of an all-around player than Jalen Brunson, though Johnson’s defensive intensity has fallen off in recent seasons.
Princeton, N.J. (AP) — Madison St. Rose and Ashley Chea each scored 19 points and No. 20 Princeton beat Harvard 82-79 in overtime on Monday for its 14th consecutive victory.
Princeton (16-1, 4-0 Ivy League) moved up to No. 20 this week in the AP poll, the team’s best ranking since the Tigers were 13th in the final poll of 2015. The lone defeat on the season came against then-No.9 Maryland on Nov. 16.
Princeton scored eight of the opening 10 points of the fourth quarter, with six points from Toby Nweke, to take a 57-50 lead.
But Harvard made back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation, the last with 4.9 seconds left to take a 64-61 lead. Chea answered with a 3-pointer from the corner with 0.4 seconds left to tie it. The Crimson turned it over to send it to overtime.
Princeston scored the first five points of overtime to make it 69-64.
Olivia Hutcherson added 14 points, Skye Belker scored 13 and Fadima Tall had 11 points, nine rebounds and five steals for Princeton.
Karlee White scored 27 points to go with 10 rebounds for Harvard (9-8, 2-2). Saniyah Glenn-Bello added 16 points.
Last season, Chea received an inbounds pass with 3.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter and sank a long jumper just before the buzzer to give Princeton a 52-50 victory over Harvard on Jan. 11.
Up next
Harvard: Plays at Cornell on Saturday.
Princeton: Goes on the road to face Brown on Saturday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA will resume having referees wear headsets with earpieces and microphones Tuesday, with the test scheduled to continue through games of Feb. 12 before the league breaks for All-Star weekend.
From Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, referees had the headsets clipped onto their uniforms — then used it during instant replay reviews and other stoppages, but not actually during live play.
In this phase, referees will wear the earpieces throughout the game, including during live play, and be able to communicate directly with the replay center and each other at all times.
The league told teams on Monday that the first phase enhanced officiating accuracy and improved game flow. The league also is hoping the new headsets — also used by referees in the NFL, with FIFA, the top soccer leagues in England and Germany, and Major League Soccer as well — have improved technology, after audio quality and the ability to communicate with other referees without disruption was an issue in some cases during the first phase of the project.
The NBA has been testing the technology since 2022 at various events, including the G League Winter Showcase, NBA Summer League and NBA preseason games.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Knicks (25*-17) return to Madison Square Garden looking to snap a three-game skid against a struggling Dallas Mavericks team (17-26). The Knicks edged the Mavs 113-111 in Dallas last November. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have been cleared to play, while hotshot rookie Cooper Flagg is listed as a game-time decision as of this writing.
Tip off is 5:00 p.m. EST on NBA/Peacock (and MSG). This is your game thread. This is Mavs Moneyball. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Embody kindness, gentle humans. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
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The Spurs are participating in a Martin Luther King Day game today against the Utah Jazz for an unusual Monday afternoon game. The Jazz are missing Lauri Markkanen and several other rotation players. The Spurs roster will be missing Devin Vassell, who has been out for a while with an adductor strain, but the hope is that he will return soon. Tonight’s game is the last of a three game home stand, and they could win all three with a victor tonight. The Spurs face the Rockets tomorrow night in Houston, and if the Spurs can put the Jazz away early today, it would be advantageous for the Spurs as they look to stay solidly in second place in the Western Conference stay among the top teams in the league.
The Spurs have struggled with putting teams away lately, blowing big leads on several occasions and barely holding on for a win against the Timberwolves on Saturday after taking a 25 point lead at the half. The next step in the Spurs evolution would be developing a killer instinct, and the Jazz game would be a good place to start, especially since Utah beat the Silver and Black 127-114 on December 27. Let’s GO SPURS!!
Game Prediction:
After the game, the Jazz offer to return their team name to New Orleans, and will adopt a name more appropriate to Salt Lake City. Suggestions in comments.
San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz January 19, 2026 | 4:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
The Sixers worked through some shaky patches and handled business Monday night against the Pacers.
They notched a 113-104 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena to improve to 23-18 on the season. Indiana fell to 10-34.
Newly minted All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey had 29 points, eight assists and a whopping eight steals, setting a new career high.
Joel Embiid posted 30 points and nine rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points.
Pacers star Pascal Siakam tallied 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Andrew Nembhard scored 25 points.
Paul George (left knee injury management) sat for the Sixers on the first night of a back-to-back. The team will host the Suns on Tuesday.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ victory over the Pacers:
Turnovers fuel Sixers again
Oubre slotted into the Sixers’ starting lineup for George. He began brightly, scoring the night’s first four points on a couple of driving layups.
Embiid soon settled into an excellent mid-range rhythm and started 5 for 5 from the floor. He drained a Dirk Nowitzki-style one-legged fadeaway over Nembhard and then hit a face-up jumper on Jay Huff.
Dominick Barlow brought his usual hustle in his first stint, including two offensive rebounds and two steals. A coast-to-coast Barlow layup put the Sixers up 22-19.
Maxey also picked two steals in the first quarter. As was the case in their loss Wednesday to the Cavs, much of the Sixers’ early success stemmed from forced turnovers. They scored the game’s first 13 points off turnovers and the first 13 fast-break points.
Woes without the stars
The Sixers’ half-court offense was rough early in the second quarter without Maxey and Embiid.
Head coach Nick Nurse turned to a bench-heavy lineup with no conventional point guard. The Sixers did not outperform that on-paper description.
Trendon Watford missed two free throws and three close-range shots in his opening stint. Quentin Grimes got little reward for his aggression, going 1 for 5 from the floor in the first half. VJ Edgecombe was largely a spectator. The rookie only took four field goals in 20 first-half minutes and was scoreless until he made a free throw with 1:55 left in the second quarter.
The offensive struggles continued once the Sixers’ stars re-entered. The team remained cold beyond the arc (2 for 10 from three-point range in the first half) and the Pacers’ bench played very well. Former Sixers center Tony Bradley gave Indiana good minutes and helped the Pacers build a lead as high as 10 points in the second quarter.
Maxey at ball-hunting best
The Sixers’ starters regained the lead in the third quarter. Edgecombe laid in his own miss to lift his team to a 63-62 edge.
Edgecombe was far more involved in the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter, often bringing the ball up, running two-man actions with Embiid, and finding opportunities to drive downhill. The highlight of the third period came when he jammed in a giant one-handed, and-one dunk on Bradley.
The Sixers still did not dramatically improve their shooting night. The team was subpar from both three-point range (29.4 percent) and at the foul line (66.7 percent).
Siakam’s corner three gave the Pacers an 88-86 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers replied with a 7-0 run capped by Maxey swiping a steal, surging ahead and ultimately knocking down two free throws.
The Pacers’ sloppiness was a problem throughout the game — the final points off turnovers margin was 28-7 — and Maxey was at his ball-hunting best. On top of the possession, his steals tend to carry extra weight because of the strong odds that he profits in transition. There’s sometimes a fine line between sniffing out steals and playing sound defense, but Maxey is generally the kind of player who should have the green light and he’s made great progress defensively overall the last several years.
Led by Maxey and Embiid, the Sixers pulled away and avoided any tension in the final minutes. They’ll look for a 2-0 start to their week Tuesday night vs. the Suns.
