Emanuel Sharp scored 27 points, Kingston Flemings added 21 and No. 8 Houston beat Florida State 82-67 on Saturday night. Flemings and Sharp each scored 13 points in the first half and were a combined 10 of 15 from the floor as the Cougars (8-1) held a 41-33 halftime lead. Sharp finished 10 of 17 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers.
No. 14 Illinois beats No. 13 Tennessee 75-62 in Music City Madness
Tomislav Ivisic and Keaton Wagler each scored 16 points and No. 14 Illinois beat No. 13 Tennessee 75-62 Saturday night in the second part of the Music City Madness. The Fighting Illini (7-2) came in rested after an eight-day break with this their last of four Top 15 opponents over a seven-game stretch. Illinois snapped a five-game skid on neutral courts against ranked opponents and also gave coach Brad Underwood his first win in three tries against Tennessee.
Bennett Stirtz scores 25 points and Iowa beats Maryland 83-64, gives Ben McCollum first Big Ten win
Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points and Iowa beat Maryland 83-64 on Saturday to give coach Ben McCollum his first Big Ten victory.
Washington rallies from 18-point deficit to beat No. 24 USC 84-76
Washington rallied from an 18-point, first-half deficit to beat No. 24 Southern California 84-76. Hannes Steinbach led with 24 points and tied his career-high with 16 rebounds.
No. 10 Iowa State takes down No. 1 Purdue, 81-58
Milan Momcilovic scored 20 points and Iowa State sank 11 3-pointers to propel No. Iowa State to a dominant 81-58 win over No. Purdue on Saturday.
No. 24 USC gives up 18-point lead, falling to Washington for first loss
The Trojans, who were 8-0 entering Saturday, led for all but six minutes in the game, but the Huskies outscored them 54-28 in the second half for the win.
Eric Dailey Jr. goes from zero to hero, powering UCLA to victory over Oregon
After being shutout in UCLA's Big Ten opener earlier in the week, Eric Dailey Jr. responds with 18 points to lead the Bruins to a 74-63 win over Oregon.
Michael Porter Jr.'s 35 points, Nic Claxton's triple-double lead Nets over Pelicans, 119-101
NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. tied his season high with 35 points, Nic Claxton had his second triple-double and the Brooklyn Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-101 on Saturday.
Porter matched his career best by reaching 30 for a third straight game, having also done it last Feb. 3-6 during his final season with Denver. He made five 3-pointers and had nine rebounds after sitting out Thursday to rest his back in the second night of a back-to-back.
Claxton finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He’s the first Nets player with multiple triple-doubles in a season since James Harden (nine) and Kevin Durant (four) in 2021-22, and the second Nets center with multiple career triple-doubles. Shawn Bradley had five from 1995-97.
Day’Ron Sharpe added 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting as Brooklyn won for the third time in four games to improve to 6-17.
Trey Murphy III scored 23 points for the Pelicans, who lost their sixth straight game and fell to 3-21. Saddiq Bey added 18 points and Bryce McGowens had 16.
The Nets shot 63.6 percent and had 13 assists on their 14 baskets in the first quarter, taking a 35-24 lead. Porter scored 13 points in the second quarter on 5-for-6 shooting as Brooklyn made it 62-44 at halftime.
The Nets led by 28 points in the second half.
Up next
Pelicans: Host San Antonio on Monday night.
Nets: At Dallas on Friday night.
Johnson scores 22 as No. 3 Michigan routs Rutgers 101-60
Morez Johnson Jr. scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and No. 3 Michigan won its fifth consecutive game by 25 or more points, beating Rutgers 101-60 on Saturday.
Acuff scores 18 points to lead No. 25 Arkansas over Fresno State 82-58
Darius Acuff Jr. scored 18 points to lead No. 25 Arkansas to an 82-58 win over Fresno State on Saturday at Simmons Bank Arena.
Michigan basketball obliterates Rutgers 101-60 in Big Ten opener, remains unbeaten
Michigan basketball continued its stretch of dominating opponents, opening Big Ten play with a 101-60 win over Rutgers at Crisler Center.
Lakers star Luka Doncic might play Sunday after birth of second child
Luka Doncic was removed from the team’s status report entering Sunday’s game at Philadelphia after the Lakers superstar and his fiancee announced the birth of their second child Saturday.
Doncic missed the last two games, but before Friday’s game against Boston, coach JJ Redick was open to the possibility of him rejoining the team in time for Sunday’s road trip finale. The Lakers (16-6) went 1-1 to begin the trip with a thrilling, three-point win in Toronto on Thursday before getting blown out in Boston.
LeBron James, who also missed Friday’s game because of sciatica and joint arthritis in his left foot, is questionable to return Sunday. The 40-year-old has played in only six of the Lakers’ 22 games.
Guard Marcus Smart will miss a sixth consecutive game because of a left lumbar muscle strain.
Doncic, who shared a photo of his new daughter, Olivia, on social media, leads the NBA with 35.3 points per game. If he returns against the 76ers (13-9), the game will feature three of the league’s top five scorers.
Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey ranks third with 31.6 points per game and Lakers guard Austin Reaves is fifth with 29.3 points. Reaves’ career season has helped the Lakers go 4-2 in games without Doncic, as Reaves is averaging 40 points per game without Doncic in the lineup.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Tom Izzo pissed off after Michigan State basketball loss to Duke
Tom Izzo was a question he could not quite fathom: Was No. 8 Michigan State basketball’s 66-60 loss to No. 4 Duke more frustrating or discouraging?
Conwell stars as No. 6 Louisville holds off No. 22 Indiana for an 87-78 win
Ryan Conwell had 21 points and No. 6 Louisville turned a fast start into an 87-78 victory over No. 22 Indiana on Saturday.
Zach LaVine helps Kings exhale after majestic road performance against Heat
Zach LaVine helps Kings exhale after majestic road performance against Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings went to South Beach and played their best game of the 2025-26 NBA season, coasting to a 127-111 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday at Kaseya Center.
Yes, you read that correctly: Sacramento, in the midst of a losing skid and on the road, put together four impressive quarters against one of the league’s best defensive teams in a city notoriously known for distracting its visitors.
To many teams in the league, it could’ve been any other victory. For the Kings, especially at this juncture of the season, it’s a moment to exhale – and release some built-up tension.
“The preparation has been the same,” Zach LaVine told Kyle Draper, Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live.” “We’ve been fighting through it. Everyone in this locker room is a competitor. I’m a competitor. No one is quitting. No one wants to lose.
“We are fighting through a little bit of adversity from top to bottom with the whole team. We’re just trying to figure out how to make it happen. Everybody in this locker room is going to stick with it regardless of what people say on the outside. We don’t care about that. We’re going to keep doing what we have to do.”
"No one is quitting. No one wants to lose."
Zach LaVine emphasizes the Kings' commitment after tonight's win 👏 pic.twitter.com/9ZDHWccOSs
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 7, 2025
Sure, among the Heats’ inactives were guards Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell, but the Kings, propelled by a season-high 42 points from LaVine, left coach Doug Christie – and Sacramento fans – with plenty to be proud of.
“We work on the defense when get practice days, and when these guys are locked in, we’ve seen them play some really good defense,” Christie told reporters.
“Now, they have some guys out, so you got to understand that. At the same time, they played on a back to back, so there are some things there. But still, their style of basketball plays to everyone on their team. I know with [Heat coach Erik Spoelstra], it’s the next man up. There are no excuses, and for us to come out and play that way mightily impressive.”
"For us to come out and play that way was mightily impressive."
Doug Christie was pleased with the Kings' defensive work 👏 pic.twitter.com/T52BYcVn38
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 7, 2025
LaVine, who also tallied eight 3-pointers, was supported by a pair of King rookies.
After gaining Christie’s confidence through several strong performances, rookie Maxime Raynaud made his first career start tonight.
The Stanford product finished with a double-double, registering 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Meanwhile, first-round pick Nique Clifford, coming off the bench, demonstrated his best performance of the season, adding 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
Before returning home, the Kings will make a stop in Indiana to face the Pacers on Monday.
In the meantime, they’ve earned every right to take in some of the Miami experience.