How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Injury Report
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard – Questionable (Ankle), Bogdan Bogdanovic – Out (Hamstring), Derrick Jones Jr. – Out (Knee), Bradley Beal – Out (Hip)
Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic – Out (Knee), Bilal Coulibaly – Out (Back), Cam Whitmore – Out (Shoulder), Trae Young – Out (Knee)
Pregame notes
The Washington Wizards come back home after a 3-game road trip against Western Conference foes, that did not yield a win. Now they will try their luck at home against another Western Conference foe, the Los Angeles Clippers.
If you have been watching the NBA season this year, you are probably familiar with how much the Clippers struggled to start the season. Their struggles have been well-documented, but do not let that fool you, this team has played much better basketball as of late. They have won 14 out of their last 16 games, including a win over the Wizards in Los Angeles this past Wednesday. They have been sparked by the play of their two stars, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
On the other side, the Wizards have lost six straight games coming into this one. Maybe this is according to plan as the team just a few weeks ago had won six of 10 games and looked poised to possibility play out of their position to guarantee top-8 pick in the draft. Make no mistake about it, this team’s young players will continue to play hard and we will continue to see progress, but Monday’s matchup looks tough going against one of the hottest teams in the league.
Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant registered 24 points, five rebounds and 13 assists on his return from injury [Getty Images]
The Memphis Grizzlies cruised to a 126-109 victory over the Orlando Magic in the first NBA regular-season match to be hosted in London since 2019.
As part of the stardom that the NBA attracts, courtside at London's O2 Arena was full of famous faces, including footballers Virgil van Dijk and Declan Rice, Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli and actress Rosamund Pike.
American singer Vanessa Williams sung the US national anthem before the game but during her performance a heckler shouted "leave Greenland alone".
The remark drew some applause from the crowd but Williams continued unfazed.
It comes after US President Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs on eight European allies, including the United Kingdom, if they oppose his proposed takeover of Greenland.
Trump insists the autonomous Danish territory is critical for US security and has not ruled out taking it by force - a move that has drawn widespread criticism.
NBA glam comes to London
Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice was among the many footballers in attendance [Getty Images]
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry was also courtside in close proximity to the Orlando bench throughout the match, alongside NBA legend Tony Parker.
Both Henry and Pike received cheers from the crowd in atmosphere akin to that of an American game at times. The atmosphere might have been even better if it had been a more even contest.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was shown on screen, met with a huge chorus of boos, which quickly turned to cheers when the camera switched to show former Real Madrid and Brazil footballer Marcelo.
Before tip-off, NBA greats John Amaechi and Steve Nash both addressed the crowd, with Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama, of the Magic and Grizzlies respectively, also thanking the fans for their support.
Morant inspires Grizzlies
The Grizzlies, who have struggled for consistency this season, dominated the early stages and led by 17 points late in the first quarter.
From there it became an even contest, with the score difference varying little in the last three quarters and the Magic's hopes of a fightback limited by the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies were inspired by star point guard Ja Morant on his return from an ankle sprain that resulted in him missing six matches. His name received the loudest cheer from the crowd before the tip-off.
Morant put up 20 points in the first half, 15 of which came in the second quarter.
He was only due to make a limited appearance on his return but played for 28 minutes as he scored 24 points, with team-mate Jock Landale adding 21 from the bench.
Wendell Carter Jr impressed for the Magic with 18 points, while team-mate Paolo Banchero added 16 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a 36-minute outing.
The return to London was the second part of a double-header between the two sides, with the Magic beating the Grizzles 118-111 on Thursday in Berlin.
"I think all players should actually want to come and have the opportunity to play over here and actually experience everything us and the Magic got to in this last week," said Morant.
His Grizzlies team-mate Jaren Jackson Jr added: "We were here to perform and I'm glad everyone had a great time.
"We've been embraced since we've been here in Berlin and in London. This is definitely a place I'd love to revisit."
What next for the NBA in Europe?
A sellout crowd of 18,424 were in attendance at the NBA's first regular-season match in London in seven years [Getty Images]
A win for Memphis in London marks the end of the NBA's two-match stay in Europe.
In 2027, Manchester will host its first regular-season match, joining up with Paris to host a double-header next January. Paris and Berlin will both host matches in 2028.
Long term, the NBA has plans to launch an independent European league that could start as early as the 2027-28 campaign, with conversations currently ongoing with potential investors, sponsors and stakeholders over how that could look.
The NBA has faced resistance from EuroLeague, the continent's current primary club competition.
EuroLeague has threatened the NBA with legal action, should it approach any current EuroLeague clubs over joining the formation of a new division.
Real Madrid and Alba Berlin both played in last season's EuroLeague. While Real Madrid remain a EuroLeague team, Alba Berlin withdrew from the competition after 24 years at the start of this season. Both are understood to be open to joining NBA Europe.
By the time Manchester's Co-op Live hosts an NBA match next January, there will be a much clearer picture over if the league is happening, how it will look and when it is expected to launch.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Mateo Pulcini made a pair of big par putts over the final hour and finished with a 3-foot par save on the second playoff hole to win the Latin America Amateur Championship on Sunday, earning the Argentine a spot in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open.
Pulcini, at 25 the oldest winner of the Latin America Amateur since it began in 2015, closed with a 2-under 68 and outlasted Missouri senior Virgilio Paz, who was trying to become the first winner from Venezuela.
“We dream to play and to win this,” Pulcini said. “I have no words right now. I'm so happy, and so grateful for the people around me.”
Paz, who also had a 68 at Lima Golf Club, pulled into a share of the lead with a 25-foot birdie putt on the difficult par-4 17th. Pulcini, who played his college golf at Oklahoma Christian and a final year at Arkansas, stayed tied for the lead by following with a 20-foot par putt.
On the 18th hole in regulation, Paz went over the green and ran his chip some 8 feet by the hole, making that to join Pulcini at 5-under 275 and force only the second playoff in tournament history.
And then the big Argentine got his biggest break on the first playoff hole. From a bad lie in the right rough, his shot was headed for the trees and somehow missed all the big branches, leaving him some 40 yards short of the pin. He pitched that to 18 feet and made the par putt to send the playoff to another hole.
“It was a lot of nerves coming in,” Pulcini said. “As always, I tried to have fun, to laugh. Being in that position I was dreaming of at the beginning of the week, why not take advantage and enjoy?”
Paz was in the left rough on the 18th, partially blocked by trees, and caught a flyer that went right of the green and settled in a dirt swatch framing a tree. Stooped over to stay below the limbs, he chipped out to about 25 feet and missed the par putt.
“It was a fun fight, a long day,” Paz said. “I'm proud of myself what I did. I go back to school happy.”
Pulcini is the third Argentine winner. Chile also has produced three winners.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have provided an injury update for two-time All-Star Darius Garland.
“Cavaliers guard Darius Garland injured his right great toe on January 14 at Philadelphia. Further evaluation and imaging at Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine on Saturday revealed a Grade 1 right great toe sprain. Garland will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days. During that evaluation period, Garland will undergo a series of treatments and rehabilitation, and his status will be updated as appropriate.”
This is not the same toe that Garland previously injured last season (which required surgery in the summer) and then re-aggravated earlier this season. Instead, Garland is now rehabbing a separate injury on his other foot.
We’d expect the Cavs to be cautious with this injury, considering what happened last year. Garland rushed back for the NBA Playoffs and seemingly only made his injury worse. The Cavs would like to avoid repeating that outcome and having another injury progress to needing surgery.
Assuming Garland is out for the next 10 days, that means he will miss games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic (twice), and Los Angeles Lakers.
There’s never a good time to lose your All-Star point guard, but this current stretch isn’t the most ideal. Cleveland has just been finding its groove with big wins over the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, they face a daunting week of basketball without one of their most important players.
The Cavs also gave updates on other players. Kenny Atkinson said that he doesn’t expect Sam Merrill to be out much longer, Max Strus was on the court for a workout after practice, and Dean Wade was available to practice and could suit up against the Thunder tomorrow.
Cleveland is 24-19 and will need big-time performances from Craig Porter Jr., Lonzo Ball, and possibly even Tyrese Proctor to make up for the momentary loss of Garland.
The NBA's Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate on Monday features four exciting matchups on NBC and Peacock. The quadruple header tips off with the Milwaukee Bucks vs the Atlanta Hawks at 1:00 PM ET. The Oklahoma City face the Cleveland Cavaliers at 2:30 PM ET, and the Dallas Mavericks take on the New York Knicks at 5:00 PM ET. The day wraps up with an Eastern Conference showdown between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons at 8:00 PM ET. Live coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.
See below for additional information on how to watch all four games and follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
The Thunder's five-game win streak was snapped on Saturday with a 122-120 loss to the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. ShaiGilgeous-Alexander posted 39 points, and ChetHolmgren contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-digit rebounding effort in five outings. AaronWiggins (18 points) and AjayMitchell (15 points) led the bench in scoring.
At 35-8, the Thunder lead the Association in wins and sit atop the Western Conference standings, 5.5 games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets. They'll look to defend their title and become the first team since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back championships.
The Cavaliers came back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-115 on Friday night for a second straight win. JaylonTyson scored a career-high 39 points and dished to EvanMobley for a game-winning dunk with 4.8 seconds left. De'Andre Hunter added 16 points off the bench, Mobley finished with 15, and DonovanMitchell posted 13 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists.
Mitchell is scoring a career-high 29.2 points per game, and he's looking to finish the season as the first Cavalier to average at least that many since LeBronJames averaged 29.7 in the 2009-10 campaign.
Monday's matchup will be the first meeting of the Thunder and Cavaliers this season. The teams faced off twice last season, and the home team won both matchups.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
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STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Stailee Heard had 18 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists and Oklahoma State routed No. 19 Iowa State 86-58 on Sunday, sending the reeling Cyclones to their fifth consecutive loss.
It was Heard's first career triple-double and the third in Oklahoma State history. She is averaging 20.8 points over the past four games.
Before Sunday, Iowa State's losing streak included only one loss by double digits. Oklahoma State's 13-0 run in the middle of the second quarter put the Cyclones down by 16 points and they never recovered.
Oklahoma State went on to score 30 points in the second period and led 43-21 at halftime. Micah Gray hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the quarter and the Cowgirls shot 61%.
In the third quarter, the Cyclones cut into their 22-point halftime deficit and had it down to 51-35 before Haleigh Timmer scored 10 points in a 15-0 run that made it 66-35 after the third quarter.
Entering the fourth, Audi Crooks and Jada Williams were the only players with more than three points for Iowa State (14-5, 2-5 Big 12). Crooks, the nation's leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Williams had 15 points and seven assists. Iowa State, second in the nation with 21.9 assists per game, had 11 on Sunday.
Timmer finished with 16 points, Gray had 15 and Lena Girardi added 11 off the bench for the Cowgirls (16-4, 5-2).
Oklahoma State is 28-2 at home over the past two seasons.
Iowa State opened the season with 14 consecutive wins and was ranked as high as No. 10 in the AP Top 25.
The sky seemed to be falling for the Denver Nuggets when Nikola Jokic was facing an extended spell on the sidelines, but instead, they’re on a hot streak heading into tonight’s matchup with the Charlotte Hornets.
Denver is 6-1 in its last seven games, and my Hornets vs Nuggets predictions expect big-time production from the hosts’ role players against a Charlotte team that brings an ugly 8-15 road record to Ball Arena.
Read on for my NBA picks ahead of this battle on Sunday, January 18.
Hornets vs Nuggets prediction
Hornets vs Nuggets best bet: Peyton Watson Over 18.5 points (-115)
The Denver Nuggets have needed contributions from up and down the roster to survive Nikola Jokic’s absence, and Peyton Watson’s emergence has to be among the biggest pluses to come out of this stretch.
It’s easy to forget that Watson averaged just 8.1 PPG last season, but he’s looked like a different player this year, with a major take-off this month in an expanded role. Spreading his wings as an offensive force, he’s averaging 23.6 PPG in January.
Watson has gone past this O/U number in nine of his last 10 outings, including a 21-point effort yesterday against the Washington Wizards, and I see Denver leaning on his athleticism in the second game of a back-to-back set.
While Watson’s 48% mark from 3-point range isn’t sustainable, he can get buckets in other ways, too. In addition to Jokic, the Nuggets will still be without Cam Johnson and possibly Christian Braun, so shot volume shouldn’t be a factor.
The Charlotte Hornets gave up 136 points against the Golden State Warriors last night, and there’s no reason to think the visitors’ defense will fare any better with Watson & Co. on the charge.
Hornets vs Nuggets same-game parlay
Give me the team that’s finding a way to grind out victories and maximizing its talent. The Nuggets are 12-6 at Ball Arena this season, and 26-16 ATS overall, and Jamal Murray is coming off a lights-out effort against Washington. I can’t trust the Hornets offense to show up here after some wildly erratic totals in January.
Brandon Miller has put together consecutive strong shooting nights, but his assist tallies have been even steadier. He’s dished 4+ dimes in four straight games, and I expect him to flash his playmaking skills in what should be an end-to-end contest.
Hornets vs Nuggets SGP
Peyton Watson Over 18.5 points
Nuggets moneyline
Brandon Miller Over 3.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Doing Things the Hardaway
Tim Hardaway Jr. has knocked down 17 threes across his past four outings, and he dropped 30 points on the Wizards last night. With the Nuggets short on sharpshooters, Hardaway has a neon green light to let it fly from beyond the arc.
Hornets vs Nuggets SGP
Peyton Watson Over 18.5 points
Nuggets moneyline
Brandon Miller Over 3.5 assists
Tim Hardaway Jr. Over 3.5 threes
Hornets vs Nuggets odds
Spread: Hornets -1.5 (-110) | Nuggets +1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Hornets -120 | Nuggets +100
Over/Under: Over 228.5 (-110) | Under 228.5 (-110)
Hornets vs Nuggets betting trend to know
The Nuggets are 9-1 SU in their last 10 matchups against the Hornets. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Hornets vs Nuggets
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN SE Charlotte, Altitude
Hornets vs Nuggets latest injuries
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ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Dani Carnegie had a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, Trinity Turner added 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Georgia beat No. 16 Mississippi 82-59 on Sunday.
Georgia (16-3, 2-3 SEC) earned its first Quad 1 win of the season. The Lady Bulldogs snapped a 11-game home skid against teams in the AP Top 25 and beat a ranked opponent by 20-plus points for the first time since 2006.
Carnegie, a Georgia Tech transfer, made 11 of 17 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line.
Christeen Iwuala led Ole Miss (16-4, 3-2) with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Sira Thienou scored 12. Cotie McMahon — who went into the game averaging a team-high 19.2 points on 49.6% shooting — finished with nine points on 1-of-13 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and five assists.
Rylie Theuerkauf made two free throws that gave Georgia the lead for good less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game and sparked a 16-2 run that made it 19-6 with 1:04 left in the first quarter. Debreasha Powe capped a 7-0 spurt with a 3-pointer that trimmed the deficit to nine points with 7:12 remaining in the first half, but Carnegie answered with a layup and the Lady Bulldogs led by double figures for the final 26-plus minutes.
Georgia shot 55% (29 of 53) from the field and made 8 of 16 from behind the arc.
Ole Miss made 21 of 71 (30%) from the field, 5 of 19 (26%) from 3-point range.
A nice overall game flow is not what fans saw when the Lakers played the Blazers on Saturday night.
The whistle was active and erratic during the opening quarter. Portland was awarded a whopping 22 free throws, which was the most in any quarter for any team this year. To contextualize that even further, the Blazers average 27 free throws per game. The Lakers only took three free throws in the opening quarter and ended the night with 21. The Blazers shot more free throws in one quarter than the Lakers did all game
However, just because the way a game was called didn’t affect the result doesn’t mean the decisions were right, or consistently ruled the same way.
This officiating conversation was part of the dialogue postgame, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealing that the referees acknowledged their inconsistency.
“There’s always going to be fouls,” Redick said. “You can sit there and go through and watch every single [foul]. I do it sometimes. I’ll watch film and I’ll watch a play and ‘Wait a minute. Let me rewind that, zoom in, slow it down.’ The officials dont have that luxury. It’s more about the way the game is called. They got off to a bad start tonight and they admitted that to me.
“And then they were all over the map. Making calls and not actually making a call. That happened multiple times where we have to go over, ‘What’s going on? What’s the actual call here?’ I couldn’t get great communication from Pat [Frasher] all night, which we’ll put in the feedback. I’ve talked about it. It’s not to single them out or it’s not the reason we lost. For whatever reason, you’d have to ask probably the other 29 coaches, it feels like the inconsistency night to night within a game has been there for most of these crews.”
This isn’t the first time Redick has shown frustration with the officials.
At least in the Blazers game, the officials acknowledged the bad start, even if Redick was displeased with the communication he got from crew chief Pat Fraser.
Another odd call later in this game was the flagrant foul on LeBron James.
He went up to attempt a block a shot by Donovan Clingan and the play was deemed a flagrant 1 foul. That seems like an odd call given the replay. If what LeBron did is the standard criteria for a flagrant call, then no player can ever contest a shot in the air without it being deemed a flagrant.
I don't like that call on LeBron. I know flagrants aren't judged by whether you made a play on the ball, but rather whether the contact was excessive. However, I don't think that was excessive contact or a windup, unless you're just not supposed to go for a block there. AK
It’s hard for Redick and the Lakers to adjust to the officiating if what’s a foul and what isn’t is changing game to game and even play-by-play.
Given that this has been a theme for Redick and the Lakers, they’ll have to keep bringing it up and try to better understand what’s allowed throughout the year.
Coming off a win against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs battled the Minnesota Timberwolves for their final meeting of the season. After a slow first quarter, the Spurs’ offense exploded in the second, outscoring the Wolves 48-22. Holding a 25-point lead, the Wolves responded in the third quarter by outscoring the Spurs 40-27, and trailed the silver and black by 12 entering the fourth. Minnesota’s momentum continued as Anthony Edwards dropped 26 of his 55 points in the fourth quarter alone. Meanwhile, the Spurs combated Edwards with Victor Wembanyama. Around 3:28 remaining, Edwards and Wemby traded clutch buckets multiple times. Anytime Edwards gave the Wolves the lead, Wemby would tie it up. With a two-point lead with a little over a minute remaining, Donte DiVincenzo drained a go-ahead three-pointer to give the Wolves a one-point lead. Wemby responded by splashing a go-ahead mid-range jumper to give the Spurs back the lead. After Wemby blocked Joan Beringer’s shot at the rim, Keldon Johnson nailed a dagger three to give the Spurs a four-point lead with 17 seconds left. Then, things got interesting. After Wemby missed a technical foul free-throw, Edwards drained a stepback three to cut the lead to one. De’Aaron Fox was fouled, made both of his free throws, and fouled Edwards while up by three. Edwards made the first, missed the second, and Julian Champagnie secured the rebound while being fouled.. Just to make things more dramatic, Julian missed both free throws, but Wemby saved the day with a key offensive rebound. After getting fouled, Wemby made the first free-throw, but was called for a lane violation after attempting to miss the second one. Edwards missed a half-court shot, and the Spurs won 126-123.
Victor Wembanyama led the way with 39 points (12-23 FG, 11-14 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. It has been a while since Wemby last played at least 30 minutes in a game, but he played 31 against the Wolves. Milwaukee was just the beginning, but this game has Spurs fans reminiscing on his monster games, especially the season opener versus Dallas. Not only was he dropping buckets from everywhere on the court, but he was dropping CLUTCH buckets. He also had a clutch block and a clutch rebound. Simply put, this man can do everything.
Wemby dime! On the fastbreak, Wemby lasers the ball to Champagnie, who finishes with a two-handed slam! Julian finished with seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
De’Aaron Fox dropped a double-double: 25 points (10-17 FG, 3-4 FT) and 12 assists to go along with three rebounds and a block. D-Fox splashed shots from everywhere on the court: middies, threes, floaters, layups, and dunks. Since Stephon Castle was dealing with foul trouble, D-Fox assumed the primary guard role and dropped dimes. After being Batman in Sacramento, games like this show he can be extra comfortable being Robin.
Lay it up high! D-Fox drives in on Edwards and lays it up high for the deuce!
FLIGHT 4 CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF! After DiVincenzo throws the ball to Champagnie, he throws it ahead to Keldon, who throws it ahead to a wide-open D-Fox who finishes with two hands!
Keldon Johnson dropped 20 points (8-14 FG, 3-5 3PT), two assists, a rebound, and a steal. Another KJ game that feeds his 6MOTY campaign. When the Spurs went on a cold streak, KJ went to work. Not only did he go to work, but he also came up clutch for the silver and black. He continues to spark the Frost Bank Center every time he makes a hustle play, and he will continue to be the heart and soul of this team.
K3LDON! KJ knocks down the contested corner three late in the first. Subtle foreshadowing!
Dylan Harper dropped nine points, three rebounds, and three assists. Dyl continues to slash his way to the basket like a veteran guard. In just 21 minutes, he was a combo guard that found guys in the right spots and finished with zero turnovers. He also provided solid defense and was not afraid to go after boards. He still needs to polish his finishing, but he has plenty of time to figure it out.
HARP3R! Dyl uses the Wemby screen to free himself up for the wide-open trey!
P&R to perfection! Dyl finds Luke Kornet cutting to the basket off the pick-and-roll for the easy finish! Luke finished with eight points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal.
Stephon Castle dropped eight points, nine assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Even though Steph struggled from the field, he filled the stat sheet all-around. He dished dimes, grabbed boards, but most of all played solid defense. Besides the three steals, he was tasked with guarding Edwards. While he stayed in front of him, he also ended up fouling out in the fourth with 28 minutes played. Besides turnovers, Steph is still working on playing without fouling, and he knows it’s something he can fix.
Threading the needle! Steph finds a wide-open Luke who is split between the defense for the deuce!
All in all, this game turned from a blowout into a classic. Albeit the Spurs blew another huge lead to the Wolves, they still found a way to finish the game. Ant’s 55 versus Wemby’s 39 is the type of duel NBA fans dream of. Elite shot-making no matter the defense: It’s like a game of NBA2K broke out with the sliders maxed out. Nonetheless, D-Fox and KJ were instrumental in their roles to help clinch the squad’s first win against Minnesota this season. Hopefully, Devin Vassell is finally back on Monday versus Utah.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs take on the Utah Jazz on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at 4:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — David Coit tied the program's single-game record for made 3-pointers and scored a career-high 43 points — 30 in the first half — to help Maryland beat Penn State 96-73 on Sunday for the Terrapins' first Big Ten Conference win this season.
Coit made 14 of 22 from the field, 9 of 14 from behind the arc and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. The 5-foot-11 graduate transfer from Kansas had his second 40-point game and his third game making at least eight 3s this season.
Maryland (8-10, 1-6) snapped a four-game skid. The Terrapins set season highs for points (96), field goals made (33), field-goal percentage (54.1%), 3-pointers made (18) and 3-point field-goal percentage (52.9). Maryland outrebounded Penn State 39-21.
The Nittany Lions (9-9, 0-7) have lost five straight and eight of the last nine.
Elijah Saunders scored 16 points and Darius Adams 14 for the Terrapins. Solomon Washington had 11 rebounds to go with six points, two steals and a block.
Kayden Mingo made 7 of 12 from the field and finished with 19 points and five assists for Penn State. Dominick Stewart added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, Eli Rice scored 13 and Josh Reed added 11 points.
Coit hit a 3-pointer and made a layup before Saunders added a 3 that capped a 9-0 run, made it 13-9 and gave the Terrapins the lead for good. A few minutes later, Coit sandwiched a three-point play and a 3-pointer around a layup by Darius Adams to extend the lead to 36-21 and Maryland led by double figures for the final 29-plus minutes.
LONDON (AP) — A heckler yelled “leave Greenland alone!” while Vanessa Williams sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before tipoff of an NBA game in London between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that the U.S. should control Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in U.S. hands would be “unacceptable.”
The heckler's outburst drew some scattered laughter and applause. Williams was unfazed and completed the song.
Week 13 did not exactly bring good fortune for the Suns as they opened a road trip through the East against three teams sitting above .500. You can say the Eastern Conference is the lighter side of the league, and you would not be wrong. If the Suns were parked over there with a 25-17 record, they would be staring at the three seed. That does not make this stretch soft. Phoenix felt every bit of it this week.
The endings were cruel. The Suns were outscored 54-44 in the fourth quarter across the first two games, and the whistle was not doing them any favors. Through the first three quarters of the past three games, Phoenix was called for 43 personal fouls while opponents were whistled for 44. It felt balanced until it did not.
Across those three games in Week 13, the gap widened. The Suns were hit with 24 personal fouls in Q4. Their opponents drew 12. That is the kind of math that turns close games into long nights, especially when the legs are heavy and the margin is thin.
Road trip foul split is telling: first three quarters are nearly even (44–43).
In fourth quarters, Phoenix gets penalized for physicality while opponents largely don’t. That late-game discrepancy deserves scrutiny. https://t.co/nQFvsjc4ve
So the math is not mathing here. For whatever reason, through the first three quarters, the foul count stays even. Then the fourth quarter hits, the temperature rises, and suddenly the Suns are getting dinged for their physicality while the opposition skates.
The Pistons committing one foul in the fourth quarter is absurd, especially for a game that looked more like a wrestling match than a track meet. Detroit shot 14 free throws in the fourth. The Suns shot zero. That is not variance. That is unlucky. Or shit officiating. Your call.
It was also unlucky that Devin Booker twisted his ankle. He gutted it out against the Knicks, limp and all, but the Suns as a whole were limping through Week 13. They still walked away 1-2.
So what did we learn? The defense travels. This team is tough as nails. They went 16 rounds with three of the better teams in the Eastern Conference and did not back down. They were five points up late against Miami. Five points up late against Detroit. They did not close either one, but the ability to pester, disrupt, and annoy showed up every night.
The next step is turning that aggression into road wins against quality teams. If the Suns want to make noise in the postseason, that is non-negotiable. Week 13 gave them the tape. Now it is on them to use it as fuel.
Week 13 Record: 1-2
@ Miami Heat, L, 127-121
Possession Differential: +0.1
Turnover Differential: 0
Offensive Rebounding Differential: +9
The road trip opened with a punch straight to the jaw in Miami. The Heat tried to end the night early, going up by 20, but these Suns do not fold anymore. They swung back after halftime, won the second half, forced steals, collected techs, and turned the paint into a war zone.
Devin Booker went down, came back, and led. Bam Adebayo going nuclear from deep ruined the ending, but the tone was set. This trip is a stress test, and Phoenix showed it is built for contact.
@ Detroit Pistons, L, 108-105
Possession Differential: +1.7
Turnover Differential: -4
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -5
Detroit was another sixteen-round fight that ended in a TKO, the second straight fourth-quarter collapse with Phoenix running on fumes. Yes, Devin Booker was out. Yes, the identity showed up. The effort never dipped. But losses still count the same, and back-to-back ones have a way of leaving bruises that linger as this trip drags on.
@ New York Knicks, W, 106-99
Possession Differential: -2.1
Turnover Differential: -5
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -2
The Suns did not need a must-win in mid-January, but they absolutely needed this one. Down 0-2 on the trip, Phoenix walked into Madison Square Garden and let the bench hijack the night. A 39-14 second-unit avalanche flipped the game after a Knicks haymaker run, while the defense squeezed the life out of a top-three offense.
No frills, no flexing. Just a reminder of who these Suns are and why nobody enjoys playing them.
Inside the Possession Game
Weekly Possession Differential: -0.3
Weekly Turnover Differential: -11
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -11
Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +8
And now your weekly graph that looks more confusing as the weeks progress.
From an analytical lens, this was not a clean week for the Suns. Inefficiency showed up across the board.
They posted a 48.1% rebounding rate, which ranked 20th in the league over that stretch. The effective field goal percentage landed at 50.6%, fourth worst during the week. The turnover ratio checked in at 1.7, sixth worst. The offensive rating finished at 112.2, ninth worst. That is what happens when you walk into hostile buildings and play teams that want to turn every possession into a collision.
The Suns lost the possession battle. They lost the fight on the glass. Yet they still walked away 1- 2. This six-game road trip was never going to be a stroll, and the front end was always the rougher side of the climb. The back half lightens up, at least on paper. To me, a successful trip looks like 3-3. That path is still there. The margins are thin, the tape is loud, and the opportunity is still very much alive.
Week 14 Preview
We have four games on deck in Week 14, which means it is time for my weekly micro-rant about the NBA schedule. The Suns have played 42 games. Meanwhile, teams like the one they are about to face on Tuesday have only played 39. Brooklyn and Houston are both three games behind Phoenix at this point. Sure, that means more games are coming for them later, but it still feels strange. The NBA schedule has always been weird. It remains weird. Micro-rant complete.
The week opens in Brooklyn on Monday, and credit where it is due, the scheduling gods finally nailed one. The Suns were already in New York after playing the Knicks, so they did not have to ping pong to Atlanta and back. They got to park it in the Big Apple for a couple of days and breathe.
The opponent is a Nets team sitting at 12-27, but do not let that record fool you. They are feisty. Michael Porter Jr. is doing real work over there, playing well enough to actively sabotage whatever tanking dreams Brooklyn might have. Then again, why tank at all when you already walked out of the last draft with five first-round rookies? This one has trap game written all over it.
The Suns then head to Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back, which is never polite. The Sixers sit at 22-8, seventh in the East, and they have been rolling lately with six wins in their last nine. Tyrese Maxey is a full-blown problem right now, pouring in 30.3 points a night. Joel Embiid is still there. Paul George too, who will inevitably create space with a few well-timed push-offs that somehow never get called.
The trip wraps up Friday in Atlanta. The Suns were up 22 in the fourth there earlier this season and somehow walked out with a loss. Atlanta has since moved on from Trae Young, deciding he was not the long-term answer. That torch now belongs to Jalen Johnson, who has looked every bit like the future while averaging 22.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Hawks have dropped three straight, but closing a road trip is never simple. There are no freebies waiting at the finish line.
The week closes back home on Sunday against the Miami Heat, the same Heat the Suns saw recently on their floor and handled themselves well against. Miami plays at the fastest pace in the league, and their offense is built less on screen and roll and more on isolation. They want to turn you, beat you off the dribble, and live at the rim. It is relentless, and it tests your legs and your discipline.
The real storyline of Week 14, though, might be this. We could finally see Jalen Green back. As I am writing this, I am waiting on the injury report for Brooklyn, because there is a chance a questionable or probable tag shows up. If that happens, this stretch could be the moment the Suns start to feel whole again. The pieces lining up. The picture sharpening. Stay tuned.
