Category: Basketball

Indiana Pacers (10-34) at Boston Celtics (26-16)
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #43  Home Game #20
TV:  NBCSB, FDSN, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 107.5 The Fan,  Sirius XM
TD Garden

The Celtics return home from their road trip to host the Indiana Pacers. This is the 4th and final game between these 2 teams this season. The Celtics won the first game 103-95 on December 22 in Boston and they won the 2nd game 140-122 on December 26 in Indiana. They lost the 3rd game 98-96 in Indiana on January 12. The Pacers won the series 2-1 last season, with the Celtics winning one in Boston and losing 1 in Boston and one in Indiana. The Celtic are 112-88 overall all time against the Pacers. They are 64-28 in games played in Boston.

The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5.5 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, 2.5 games ahead of 5th place Philadelphia and 3 games ahead of 6th place Orlando and 7th place Cleveland. The Celtics are 19-10 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 12-7 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.

The Pacers are 15th in the East, 22.5 games behind first place Detroit and 17 games behind 2nd place Boston. They are 9.5 games behind 10th place Atlanta, 3.5 games behind 13th place Brooklyn, and 1 game behind 14th place Washington. The Pacers are 7-22 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 2-18 on the road and 4-6 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 2 games.

The Celtics are playing at home after a 4 game road trip. They lost the first game of that road trip in Indiana. After this game at home vs Indiana, they will play 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.

This is the 3rd game of a 5 game road trip for the Pacers. They lost the first to at Philadelphia and Detroit and will complete the trip at Oklahoma City and Atlanta. They will then host Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Utah before a 6 game road trip through Milwaukee, Toronto, New York, Brooklyn. They will finish the road trip with 2 games at Washington after 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 8th straight game with an ankle sprain. Jaylen Brown is listed as probable for this game with left hamstring tightness. For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton remains out as he rehabs from the Achilles tear he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bennedict Mathurin is out due to a thumb injury. Obi Toppin is out due to a foot injury.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Andrew Nembhard

SG: Payton Pritchard vs Aaron Nesmith

SF: Jaylen Brown vs Johnny Furphy

PF: Sam Hauser vs Pascal Siakam

C: Neemias Queta vs Jay Huff

Celtics Reserves
Anfernee Simons
Hugo Gonzalez
Xavier Tillman
Jordan Walsh
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)  questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Pacers Reserves
Tony Bradley
Kam Jones
TJ McConnell
Micah Potter
Ben Sheppard
Jarace Walker
Isaiah Jackson

Two-Way Players
Quenton Jackson
Taelon Peter
Ethan Thompson

Injuries/Out
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out
Obi Toppin (foot) out
Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) questionable

Head Coach
Rick Carlisle

Key Matchups
Sam Hauser vs Pascal Siakam
Siakam is averaging 23.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the arc. Over his career, Siakam has averaged 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game against the Celtics. In the 3 games this season, he averaged 19 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him well in this game.

Derrick White vs Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard is averaging 17.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc.  Over his career against the Celtics, he has averaged 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.  In the first 3 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 45% from the field and 56.3% from beyond the arc.  Hopefully White will emerge from his mini shooting slump of late and have a big game. 

Honorable Mention
Payton Pritchard vs Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith is averaging 13.4points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 35.2% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.  Over his career against the Celtics, he averaged 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.  He missed the first 2 games against the Celtics this season but in the 3rd game, he finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 22.2% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. 

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is the key to winning every single game.  The Pacers haven’t been the scoring juggernaut they were last season.  They are 30th in the league with an offensive rating of 107.9 while the Celtics have an offensive rating of 121.4 (2nd).    The Celtics are 14th in the league with a defensive rating of 114.0.  The Pacers are 19th with a defensive rating of 116.0.  In the first game between these two teams, the Celtics allowed the Pacers to score 61 points in the first half and they trailed by 18 points at the half.  They held them to 34 points in the second half and won the game.  The Celtics have to play tough defense from the tip through the final buzzer in this one and not allow the Pacers to get any offensive rhythm. 

Rebound – Rebounding is also an important key to winning every game. The Celtics are 10th in the league, pulling down 44.9 rebounds per game.  The Pacers are 23rd with 42.8 rebounds per game.  It is important for the Celtics to rebound the ball to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Pacers from getting the same along with 2nd chance points.  Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have got to put out more effort than the Pacers to grab rebounds for all 4 quarters.   

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. Against the Pistons, the Celtics finished with just 13 assists.  They are 17-1 when they have 25 or more assists and they are just 9-15 when they have fewer than 25 assists.  Jaylen Brown especially needs to get back to moving the ball instead of trying to score on every possession.  Even though the Celtics usually take good care of the ball, they lose focus at times and turn the ball over too much.  They need to make careful passes and keep the ball moving. 

Don’t Underestimate – It would be easy for the Celtics to underestimate the Pacers and expect an easy win.  But that would be a mistake, especially since they did just that in their last game against the Pacers and lost the game.  Any team can win on any night if the other team lets down their guard.  The Celtics have to come out and play hard and not underestimate the last place Pacers. 

X-Factors
Home Game and Revenge – The Celtics are at home and should have the crowd behind them.  The Celtics need to protect home court and use the crowd support for motivation.  The Pacers have to deal with travel and staying in hotels and playing on an unfamiliar court and in front of hostile fans.  The Celtics need to remember their loss to these Pacers earlier this month and fight hard to avenge that loss with a win in this one.   

Officiating – The officiating can always be an x-factor.  Some referees call the game tight and others let them play.  Some favor the home team and others call it evenly.  Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit the play on the court.  And sometimes the refs are simply bad.  The Celtics have to play through however the refs call the game, whether it is tight or they let them play or they make terrible calls.  The Celtics can’t allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on the game. 

JJ Redick was hopeful Deandre Ayton would be all right after he got poked in the face Tuesday night, but the Lakers coach candidly admitted his star center’s eye was “not in good shape.”

Just after the Lakers scored a 115–107 victory over the Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver, Redick provided a bit of a concerning update on Ayton, who was not able to finish the game after he got his face raked during a play.

“His eye is, it’s not in good shape,” Redick told media members.

The coach added that Ayton was wearing a patch that made him look “like a pirate,” before he said they were holding their breath that “it’s at the bare minimum just a poke in the eye and he’ll be fine” on Wednesday.

For Ayton’s part, he didn’t seem overly worried about things, as he added a playful caption on a picture of his bandaged face in a late-night update on his Instagram page.

“Arrr!!!” Ayton wrote in a caption on a photo that showed off his eye patch. He added several emojis, including one of a pirate flag.

Ayton played 14 total minutes in the Lakers’ victory, scoring four points with eight rebounds.

He’s played in 37 games for LA this season, averaging 13.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and one block per game.

Ayton won’t have long to heal up if he wants to be ready for the Lakers’ next tilt — LA’s scheduled to head across town on Thursday night to play the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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Austin Reaves hasn’t played in 2026 due to this Grade 2 calf strain, but that will soon change.

Reaves’ four-week absence due to this injury will be up soon, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave a positive update on his guard before the Lakers played the Nuggets on Tuesday.

Redick indicated that Reaves’ recovery has been going well and that he would return to play during LA’s current road trip.

The Lakers’ eight-game road trip is set to end on Feb. 1, so barring a setback, Reaves will be back by that date at the latest.

This calf situation has been an issue for Reaves all year long. Earlier in the season, Reaves missed a week of play due to a mild calf strain. The Lakers claimed they were being “cautious” with the injury, but he returned for just two games before suffering his most recent setback.

Once Reaves does return, the Lakers will get back one of their best players.

This season, Reaves is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Those are all career-highs for the five-year player.

When he’s back in the lineup, the Lakers can finally see what they can be with their big three featuring LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Reaves.

So far, this trio has played together in just eight games, totaling 140 minutes.

While Reaves being back is great news, he did lose the opportunity for any individual glory due to his time off. Revaes has already missed 19 games, making him officially ineligible for any end-of-season awards.

It seems unfair that Reaves will be unable to qualify for All-NBA accolades due to missing games, since his play certainly warrants such prestige.

But those are the rules, at least for now.

Considering how much of a team player Reaves is, he likely doesn’t care about those awards and is just thrilled to be returning to play for the purple and gold.

With nearly half of the season left, there is still time for Reaves to have a successful year and give the Lakers the best chance at being playoff contenders.

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

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Ex-Alabama player Charles Bediako, who has spent the past 2 1/2 years competing in the NBA Summer League and G League, had his college eligibility temporarily reinstated Wednesday by a judge who blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return to the 17th-ranked Tide.

Bediako had signed several NBA developmental contracts since going undrafted in 2023. He played two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament twice.

James H. Roberts Jr. of the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court granted Bediako a temporary restraining order and said he is “immediately eligible” to participate in all team activities. Roberts also ruled the NCAA is “restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalties or sanctions” against Bediako, the Crimson Tide or its coaches and players.

“These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students,” the NCAA said in response. “A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules.”

The temporary order is valid for 10 days. A full hearing on Bediako’s request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Tuesday.

Alabama hosts Tennessee on Saturday. It’s unlikely that Bediako would play, but his case is one to watch as the NCAA navigates eligibility rules that are being constantly challenged amid the ever-changing landscape of college sports.

“The University of Alabama supports Charles and his ongoing efforts to be reinstated for competition while he works to complete his degree,” the school said in a statement.

Bediako signed a two-way NBA contract with San Antonio in 2023. Although he has never played in an NBA game, he has taken part in developmental leagues with the Spurs, Orlando, Denver and Detroit.

Bediako sued the NCAA earlier this week after the sanctioning body denied Alabama's appeal to allow him to return to college basketball.

His case comes after the NCAA cleared international players with professional experience and other players who were in the NBA’s developmental G League.

In his initial complaint against the NCAA, Bediako cited the eligibility of Baylor center James Nnaji, who was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft and was cleared to return to college basketball in December. Nnaji played in the NBA’s Summer League and spent multiple years with FC Barcelona of the Euroleague.

Bediako’s initial complaint stated that the NCAA has been biased toward international players with professional experience who have been cleared to play college hoops in recent years.

___

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The Golden State Warriors lost on Tuesday night, ending their extended home stand with a 145-127 loss to the Toronto Raptors. It was a bizarre game … the Raptors are the worst-shooting team in the league, but had one of the best-shooting games in the NBA this year, paced by a career game from Immanuel Quickley. The Warriors, meanwhile, played decently but couldn’t score much beyond tremendous contributions from Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga.

Here’s a look at how Dub Nation viewed the action in real time, as seen through comments from the Golden State of Mind game thread.

First quarter: ‘Kuminga should be starting’

It was a brutal opening act, as the Warriors fell behind 10-0 and later 28-10. The Raptors couldn’t miss, and led 41-28 after one.

Second quarter: ‘JK sighting’

Kuminga entered to start the second quarter, playing for the first time in over a month. The deficit would balloon to 28, with the Warriors trailing 70-50 at halftime.

Third quarter: ‘JK coming back to life’

It was very ugly for much of the third quarter, with the Raptors’ lead expanding to 30 points. But they ended with a bunch of energy and highlights, primarily from Hield and Kuminga, who were fantastic. They got back into the game, trailing 108-94 entering the fourth.

Fourth quarter: ‘Making it a game!

The Warriors made things interesting, but couldn’t maintain it. Toronto was just too hot, and coasted to a blowout win.

Everyone loves a linear narrative.

OK, fine – not everyone. If you’re some kind of wacky postmodernist, you prefer a strange metanarrative. You love yourself some Twin Peaks.

Good for you.

The rest of us love a linear narrative. We also love a linear NBA career. When a player becomes the player they were projected to be, it’s satisfying. Their predraft profile is a clearly defined premise, and their NBA career is a tidy, logical conclusion.

It might not go that way for Amen Thompson.

When he was drafted, he was either the mythological 6’7″ point guard or a bust. Thompson was going to be prime Russell Westbrook – oh, but also the best wing defender in the NBA. Alternatively, he was Michael Kidd-Gilchist only someone a worse shooter. His supporters countered that it wouldn’t matter that he couldn’t shoot – why would that matter in 2026?

I was guilty. I evoked the specter of Ben Simmons. Perhaps that trajectory is still on the table, but it isn’t necessary. Fortunately, he’s also had too much success to entertain a future “bust” label. Most of that career success has come as an off-ball cutter who conserves most of his energy for the defensive end.

Lately, it seems like he’s transitioning back into that role.

Rockets’ Amen Thompson is moving off the ball

On the season, Thompson has a 20.3% Usage Rate. Over the Rockets’ last five games, he’s at 18.8%.

Some will cry sample size. To be sure, it’s not a huge sample. It may be noise.

Yet, it has felt like a concerted effort. When Thompson shares the floor with Reed Sheppard, it’s Sheppard initiating the offense. Alperen Sengun typically feels like the primary hub. They’re both more natural half-court playmakers than Thompson.

“Half-court” is (are?) the operative word(s) there. The qualities that screamed “point guard” pre-draft are still present in Thompson. He has the floor vision, and it’s evident in transition. Thompson’s processing speed seems causally tied to the speed of the game itself. When it’s fast, he’s fast.

But when it’s slow…

Thompson seems uncertain about what type of half-court initiator he wants to be. There’s selflessness in his DNA, but he’s also aggressive. Wires get crossed. Thompson is capable of making utterly absurd drive-and-kick passes, but he sometimes drives when he should have kicked, or kicks when he’s too far into his drive.

None of which means Thompson should never have the ball. He’s in the 56.1st percentile league-wide in Points Per Possession (PPP) as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. He’s in the 61.6th percentile in isolation PPP. Neither of those marks is necessarily good, but neither is bad.

Thompson can attack closeouts. He can drive later in the clock if the Rockets have exhausted their other options. He’s not a point guard yet, and he may never be one:

But he is a point forward.

Rockets still searching for Thompson’s role

Last year, Thompson had a 4.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). For context’s sake, that put him in the same ballpark as James Harden, Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, and others. This year’s 1.9 BPM has Thompson sharing company with Alex Sarr, Payton Pritchard, Immanuel Quickley…

You get the picture.

There’s a counterargument to be made. You could say that regression was always to be expected as Thompson learned a new position.

Perhaps. A 2.2 drop in BPM feels like a bit more than “regression”. It seems sensible to conclude that if Thompson looked elite as an off-ball guy, and mediocre with more on-ball reps, he’s likely got a brighter future as an off-ball weapon. Call me crazy.

It’s not that the Rockets should have already concluded. It’s not to knock them for experimenting with him at the 1 this year. If his career does take the route I’m outlining here, he’ll still benefit from having handled the ball in his third season.

All I’m saying is this: the safe money suggests that Thompson is more Andrei Kirilenko than Penny Hardaway*. If the Rockets concur, they might as well set his course accordingly. His usage rate over the last 5 games is likely more indicative of what his future holds than his season-long number:

Unless his development takes an unexpected turn.

*Please forgive the imperfect analogy. Thompson is a singular athlete even in NBA history. It’s hard to find a comparison.

P.S. Does the asterisk at the end of the article subvert the expected linearity of the article ironically? If not, how about the postscript? Is this meta?  

LeBron James taunted one of his former teammates Tuesday night with a gesture that almost turned PG-13 in a hurry.

Just prior to tip-off of the Lakers’ road matchup with the Nuggets, James made his way toward Denver’s bench to have some fun with assistant coach Jared Dudley.

Bron with the pregame antics pic.twitter.com/SbXltfH3BT

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 21, 2026

The two guys were on the 2020 Lakers team that won an NBA title, and in a unique way of acknowledging his old buddy’s presence, James made a motion with his right hand that nearly turned vulgar.

The 41-year-old pretended to wind up his middle finger like a jack in the box, but thankfully for all the young eyes in attendance, James stopped just short of flipping Dudley the bird.

The two then shared a big laugh, before James hit the floor to try to lead his Lakers to a win.

The 21-time All-Star ended up having a great night against Dudley’s Nuggets, scoring 19 points while recording nine rebounds and eight assists. L.A. went on to pull out the victory, 115-107.

James didn’t address the pregame giggle with Dudley following the tilt, though he did tell reporters why he felt it was necessary to share a mid-game moment with Nikola Jokic, who sat out the contest while still battling a knee injury.

“Jokic is one of the greatest players to ever play this game,” James said. “And for me to see him, just go over and pay my respect, that’s easy. That’s easy.”

James and the Lakers play next in a matchup with the Clippers on Thursday night at Intuit Dome.

When reporters asked Golden State Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, Jr. about Jonathan Kuminga’s trade demand, he didn’t just have an answer. He delivered a bar.

“In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be demand,” Dunleavy said Monday. He went to explain that Cranbrook is a private school, Kuminga’s parents had a real good marriage, and that while Kuminga stands tough, he noticed that on defense this man doesn’t have his hands up.

It’s not clear if Dunleavy intended to be so savage about Kuminga’s lack of trade value, one not helped by his inconsistent playing time with the Warriors. At the same time, Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, haven’t been able to find much in the way of interest from other teams, or at least not ones willing to give up anything of value for the 23-year-old forward.

During the summer, the Sacramento Kings were the main team who expressed interest in Kuminga, but their trade offers were centered around second-year point guard Devin Carter and local favorite Dario Šarić, or taking on Malik Monk’s long-term contract, plus a Schrödinger’s cat of a future first-round pick that might be protected, might not, and might not even exist —it depends on what trade rumors you observe. They’re still interested in Kuminga, but the rosters don’t match up well for a trade, considering the Warriors don’t really need an eighth shooting guard in Monk.

During the summer, the Phoenix Suns were reportedly willing to give Kuminga a four-year deal for $90M or so, and their offer also included a salary dump of Royce O’Neale (owed $32.6M through 2027-28) and a garbage plate of second-round picks. It’s very difficult to make a deal work with the Suns in terms of matching contracts, and the 27-17 Suns may not be interested in shaking up their roster, especially with the return of another rim-attacking score-first player in Jalen Green.

Dunleavy’s harshness may be a result of the seemingly endless Kuminga saga, which dates back more than a year. It’s possible that Kuminga’s ankle injury last season scuttled the team’s plans to include him in a blockbuster deal, either for original trade target Kevin Durant or the eventual move for Jimmy Butler. It seems like Kuminga’s agent spends more time posting highlights of his client (some of which were allegedly altered) and taking to social media to criticize the team’s treatment of Kuminga than finding him a new home. Turner posted this after Kuminga sat in the 4th quarter of a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sitting Kuminga for a month hurts his trade value but so does his agent trying to go viral on social media and making the podcast rounds. Is Kuminga’s new organization going to be excited to deal with Turner?

In his return from exile Tuesday, Kuminga scored 20 points, which might help rekindle interest from teams who may have forgotten he was in the NBA at all. If nothing else, he showed that he’s stayed mentally strong and prepared even through a parade of DNP-CDs and that the Kuminga-Hield combination can light up the scoreboard, at least against the Toronto Raptors reserves.

It seems like Kuminga really, really wants a trade and the Warriors are willing to trade him. Finding a trade partner will be a “demanding” job.

Publicly, LeBron James and Jeanie Buss seemed to have a strong relationship throughout their tenure together. Jeanie has spoken of the value of having LeBron on the roster both on-court and off and the two sides seemed to be in a good place more often than not.

Behind the scenes, though, things haven’t been quite as rosy.

Thanks to a story by Baxter Holmes of ESPN on Wednesday, we learned quite a bit about their relationship. While there were plenty of anecdotes detailing how things changed, the most notable revelation was that Jeanie considered not giving LeBron another extension in 2022 and even thought about trading him to the Clippers.

In 2022, in the aftermath of the Westbrook trade, multiple people said Jeanie privately mused about not giving James a contract extension and, later that year, even about trading James, with the LA Clippers floated as a possibility.

Look, there are plenty of people to blame for the Russell Westbrook trade. The fact that no one really got fired was perplexing. But Jeanie placing the blame at the feet of LeBron and not the President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka is surprising.

If the Lakers decided to trade for Russ because LeBron wanted it, then sure, he takes some of the blame. However, ultimately, he is a player and doesn’t have the final say, sothat falls more on ownership and the front office than on James.

And the Lakers still gave him a no-trade clause after these events, so their actions don’t match the disgruntled comments that might’ve been felt internally.

But from Jeanie’s perspective, it seems she believed LeBron was focused on spinning the blame away from himself on this topic, which led to their relationship souring.

The distance between Jeanie and James widened after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook in July 2021, people close to the team said. The team had made the trade in an effort to appease James, but the acquisition backfired in catastrophic fashion. L.A. went 33-49 and missed the playoffs, and James seemed to wash his hands of his role in the acquisition.

Jeanie privately bristled about what she felt was his lack of accountability and the way James would shift blame onto others after the Westbrook trade, the people said.

Despite the icy relationship and Jeanie’s thoughts of moving on from LeBron, she never has. And has still made decisions she thought would make him happy, like drafting Bronny James. But, again, Jeanie wasn’t pleased with his response.

And when the Lakers drafted James’ son Bronny with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, Jeanie privately remarked that James should be grateful for such a gesture, but she felt that he wasn’t, people close to the team told ESPN.

Bronny worked out with other teams, so clearly, he had interest from different organizations, and he was going to find a spot in the league.

While LeBron never publicly said the words “I appreciate what the Lakers did drafting Bronny,” he has certainly shown how much it means to him. When training camp started, he called it “the greatest thing” to have Bronny working with him. And LeBron, for years, mentioned that playing with Bronny was “the ultimate dream.”

While Jeanie might feel LeBron hasn’t shown gratitude for what the Lakers have done for him, LeBron also likely feels like they haven’t been thankful for what he’s done for them.

The fact is, LeBron came to the Lakers when it didn’t make sense for him to do so. Back in 2018, he could’ve gone wherever he wanted, but he chose LA.

And while Jeanie might think they had a great pitch, LeBron had non-basketball reasons for being in Los Angeles due to his business ventures. So, it likely didn’t matter what their PowerPoint presentation looked like or what Magic Johnson had to say when selling Bron on the idea.

LeBron’s arrival, followed by a title within two years, makes him a Laker legend. That credit LeBron gets breeds envy, and Jeanie appears to have some, given how his move and its success are perceived by the general public.

She didn’t like that James was considered a savior for a foundering franchise when he arrived in 2018 and that it was he who chose the Lakers rather than the team’s leadership receiving praise for landing him. Team sources have been adamant for years that James’ camp informed the Lakers as early as 2017 that he was coming to join them when he became a free agent the following year.

In the end, it’s all messy, petty corporate politics mixed with sports.

Clearly, the Westbrook trade was a failure, and no one wants to take accountability for it. Jeanie is the boss of the Lakers and, like all bosses, she wants all of the credit and none of the blame.

Rather than looking within or at Pelinka and the rest of the front office on what went wrong, it’s easier to just blame LeBron. While he likely did push for it, that’s not his job. Someone in charge could’ve said no and they didn’t.

Despite any ideas about walking away from LeBron, Jeanie and the Lakers never did.

This relationship between Jenaie and LeBron seems to be pretty fractured at this point. And considering that LeBron is in the final year of his contract, perhaps this ends, as many things do, in a bit of a cold divorce.

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

Trash talk’s a foundational part of basketball, something of a love language in the sport between ruthless competitors trying to gain whatever edge they can on the court.

This week, Michigan State men’s basketball guard Kur Teng received it from an unlikely source: his own coach.

During a timeout in his team’s 68-52 win at Oregon on Tuesday, Jan. 20, Spartans coach Tom Izzo used the opportunity to critique Teng’s defense, telling the 6-foot-4 sophomore that he couldn’t guard Izzo’s 99-year-old mother, Dorothy.

"Kur you can't guard my mother. My mother!"

Inside the @MSU_Basketball huddle with Tom Izzo. pic.twitter.com/HETzQFA8UX

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 21, 2026

It wasn’t a joke, either, with Izzo saying in his post-game news conference that he was “serious as a jaybird.”

“I’m hoping that it ticks him off and maybe he’ll play better angry because some of it was unstomachable and I haven’t said that much this whole year,” Izzo said.

"We're all flying back to East Lansing and [Kur Teng] is flying to Appleton. Check USA Today tomorrow him and my mom will be going at it in a nursing home gym..."

Tom Izzo on telling Kur Teng he couldn't guard his mother during MSU's game at Oregon. pic.twitter.com/WAoMTjJxY8

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 21, 2026

Teng is fifth on the team in scoring this season, averaging 7.3 points per game, but he struggled against the Ducks, picking up no stats beyond two fouls and a turnover in eight minutes. It was his second-shortest appearance in a game this season and marked the first time this season he didn’t attempt a shot.

Thankfully for Teng, the rest of his team was more sound defensively, holding Oregon to 39% shooting from the field. The victory improved Michigan State to 17-2 overall and 7-1 in Big Ten play. The Spartans are No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

While the rest of his team heads back from the Pacific Northwest to prepare for a matchup on Saturday, Jan. 24 against Maryland, Teng will be taking a detour to pay a visit to a certain nonagenarian.

“We’re all flying back to East Lansing. He’s flying to Appleton,” Izzo said. “Check USA TODAY tomorrow. Him and my mom will be going at it in a nursing home in a gym and we’ll see how he does.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Izzo tells Michigan State's Kur Teng 'you can't guard my mother'

The Toronto Raptors offense exploded against the Golden State Warriors last night. The question is, can they keep it up on back-to-back nights when they visit the Sacramento Kings?

My Raptors vs. Kings predictions break down why the Raps will keep roaring in the third game of their West Coast road trip. 

Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley fuel my NBA picks for this matchup set to go at 10 pm ET at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento.

Raptors vs Kings prediction

Raptors vs Kings best bet: Raptors team total Over 115.5 (-115)

The Toronto Raptors took advantage of the Warriors playing without Jimmy Butler and went off for a season-high 145 points in last night's victory. 

Immanuel Quickley led the way with 40 while Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes both had 20+ points apiece. Tonight, they take on a Sacramento Kings team that gives up a ton of buckets.

Sacramento ranks 27th in defensive rating and has surrendered 118.2 points per game over the last 15 games.

Toronto has a team total of 115.5, a number the Raps have topped in six of their last 10 games.

Raptors vs Kings same-game parlay

Quickely’s 40 burger is the culmination of some improved play from the Raptors guard. He’s averaging 19.2 points over his last 14 games and has eclipsed tonight's point total in 10 of those 14.

Meanwhile, Barnes is on a hot streak. He’s scored 22 or more points in five of his last six, averaging 24 over that stretch. Mix in the Kings' poor rebounding, and there should be plenty of second-chance opportunities for the Raps to go Over these point totals.

Raptors vs Kings SGP

• Raptors team total Over 115.5
• Immanuel Quickley Over 16.5 points
• Scottie Barnes Over 20.5 points 

Our "from downtown" SGP: Timmy's Special

Let's back IQ and Scottie to take their games to the next level. Scottie should dominate the glass, and IQ will look to get his teammates involved. 

Raptors vs Kings SGP

• Raptors team total Over 115.5
• Scottie Barnes double-double
• Immanuel Quickley double-double

Raptors vs Kings odds

• Spread: Raptors -220 | Kings +180
• Moneyline: Raptors -5.5 | Kings +5.5
• Over/Under: Over 226 | Under 226

Raptors vs Kings betting trend to know

The Raptors have covered the 1Q Spread in 28 of their last 40 away games for +14.30 Units and a 31% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Kings.

How to watch Raptors vs Kings

Raptors vs Kings latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman grabbed a hat trick as Afghanistan warmed up for next month’s T20 World Cup with a series-clinching 39-run win over the West Indies on Wednesday.

West Indies, which lost the first game by 38 runs, got bowled out for 150 in 18.5 overs. Mujeeb claimed 4-21 and became only the third Afghan bowler after Rashid Khan and Karim Janat to accomplish a hat trick in T20s.

Earlier, Darwish Rasooli followed his half-century in the first game with 68 off 39 balls and Sediqullah Atal made 53 in Afghanistan’s total of 189-4 after the West Indies won the toss and elected to field.

Mujeeb had Evin Lewis trapped leg before wicket of a quicker ball before he clean bowled Johnson Charles with a perfect delivery that drifted into the right-handed batter and the West Indies slumped to 38-3 in eight overs.

Mujeeb waited for his hat trick until he returned for his final over in the death overs when top-scorer captain Brandon King (50) holed out at long-on and then finished with a four-wicket haul by clean bowling Quentin Sampson.

“The plan was to keep it simple and hit the stumps,” Mujeeb said. “Didn’t know I was on a hat trick and I was just looking to hit the right areas. Good preparation for us before the World Cup. This win will give us more energy.”

The three-match series concludes on Thursday.

Shimron Hetmyer briefly challenged the tall target with his 46 off 17 balls that featured six sixes before he holed out to sweeper cover while attempting a big shot against Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-28).

Fast bowler Azmatullah Omarzai claimed 2-20 before Farooqi dismissed No. 11 batter Ramon Simmonds to seal the series for Afghanistan with seven balls to spare.

Afghanistan opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) and Ibrahim Zadran (22) exited inside the power play, but Rasooli and Atal combined in a 115-run stand as they dominated both pace and spin.

Atal smacked three sixes and two fours before he holed out to deep square leg in Matthew Forde’s (2-25) return spell and Rasooli fell in the 18th over when he couldn’t clear Alick Athanaze at mid-off.

Omarzai smashed an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls with spinner Gudakesh Motie returning with expensive figures of 0-54 that included 19 runs of the final over.

“Hetty (Hetmyer) played a fantastic innings, but after he got out, I had to be the person finishing it,” King said. “The fielding has been a disappointment but that’s something we keep working on.”

___

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

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question to the comments section here or on X/Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @blakesilverman.

Join us live on Saturday morning for the show where we’ll discuss the Pistons’ week of games. Just how impressive was the win over the Celtics? Is Jalen Duren a lock to become an All-Star and join Cade Cunningham? With relatively little chatter surrounding the upcoming trade deadline, will the Pistons make any move?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Saturday January 24 at 10:30 a.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @blakesilverman or @therealwesd3
• YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.