Roddy Gayle Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg both scored 17 points as No. Michigan routed No. Auburn 102-72 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Championship.
Michigan basketball annihilates No. 25 Auburn in Players Era Festival
Michigan basketball score: For the second night, Yaxel Lendeborg led a dominating performance by U-M at the Players Era Festival tourney in Las Vegas.
No. 25 Indiana clamps down on Kansas State 86-69
Reed Bailey scored 21 points and No. Indiana limited the nation's leading scorer, P.J. Haggerty, to 12 below his average in an 86-69 home win over Kansas State on Tuesday night. The senior Bailey did most of his work at the line, where he hit 13 of 15 free throws.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson questions free-throw disparity after loss to Tennessee
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson repeatedly referred to the disparity in free throws after his third-ranked Cougars lost 76-73 to No. 17 Tennessee on Tuesday in the Players Era Championship. Houston was 8 of 11. Sampson frequently returned to the topic during the postgame news conference.
Orlando's Jalen Suggs ejected in first half after heated altercation with Andre Drummond, 76ers
PHILADELPHIA — The Orlando Magic’s Jalen Suggs was ejected with 27 seconds left in the first half of Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after receiving two technicals during a heated altercation between the teams.
Philadelphia’s Andre Drummond squared off with Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. near the Magic’s free-throw line, though no punches were thrown.
Suggs came in and shoved Drummond. Philadelphia’s Jabari Walker got in between the players, and Suggs then took issue with Walker and there was more pushing and shoving.
Drummond, Carter, Parker, and Orlando’s Desmond Bane received technical fouls while Suggs received two.
The Magic dominated the second quarter, outscoring Philadelphia by 26 points in the period to take an 86-60 lead at the break.
No. 16 North Carolina beats St. Bonaventure 85-70 in Fort Myers Tip-Off
Henri Veesaar scored 24 points and Caleb Wilson added 20 as No. North Carolina pulled away in the second half for an 85-70 victory over St. Bonaventure in the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Tuesday night. Kyan Evans added 11 points and Luka Bogavac 10 for the Tar Heels (6-0), who are off to their best start since 2016-17.
No. 17 Tennessee upends No. 3 Houston at Players Era Festival, but isn’t guaranteed a spot in championship game
Tennessee is 2-0 at the festival and just knocked off the No. 3 team in the country. But it awaits its fate for the championship round, thanks to a convoluted tiebreaker format at the 18-team event.
No. 14 St. John’s bounces back with impressive 96-81 win over undefeated Baylor
Bryce Hopkins scored 26 points, Oziyah Sellers added 22 and No. 14 St. John’s beat Baylor 96-81 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Festival.
No. 14 St. John’s hands Baylor its 1st loss, cruising to 96-81 win at Players Era Championship
Bryce Hopkins scored 26 points, Oziyah Sellers added 22 and No. 14 St. John’s beat Baylor 96-81 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Championship. Using a dominant second half to open a 23-point lead, the Red Storm (4-2) bounced back from an 83-82 loss to No. 15 Iowa State in the opening round Monday. Sellers went 5 for 7 from beyond the arc, and Hopkins was 9 of 12 from the floor while adding five rebounds and five assists.
Dereck Lively out at least 3 games with right foot 'swelling and discomfort,' Dallas fears it could be longer
Mavericks' center Dereck Lively II will miss at least the next three games due to "swelling and discomfort" in his right foot, the team announced on Tuesday.
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is currently being evaluated for swelling and discomfort in his right foot.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) November 25, 2025
He will miss the team’s upcoming three-game road trip and a further timeline will be provided in approximately 7-10 days.
The Mavericks fear it could be much more than three games, with Mark Stein reporting it could be an "extended absence."
Lively had surgery on this same foot in the offseason and has already missed a dozen games this season, although nine of those were due to knee pain. Even when he has played, Lively has been limited to 16 minutes a night and is averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
The good news for Dallas is that Anthony Davis appears to be nearing a return to the court from the calf strain that has limited him. Still, the Mavericks are 5-14 on the season and have the worst offense in the league.
Double-doubles by Tre White and Flory Bidunga help Kansas beat Syracuse 71-60 at Players Era tourney
Tre White had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Flory Bidunga added 13 points and 14 boards, and Kansas beat Syracuse 71-60 on Tuesday at the Players Era tournament. Syracuse was within 52-50 before Kansas scored 11 straight on layups and free throws to pull away. White completed a three-point play with 4:49 remaining in the second half and he added three free throws on Kansas' next possession for a 60-50 lead.
Observations after Sixers get crushed by 41 points and injury list grows
Observations after Sixers get crushed by 41 points and injury list grows originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
By an enormous margin, the shorthanded Sixers fell to their worst loss so far this season on Tuesday night.
Going into their meeting with the Magic, the Sixers’ largest margin of defeat was 11 points. They trailed by as many as 46 against Orlando and lost by a 144-103 score.
The 9-8 Sixers’ top scorer was Tyrese Maxey with 20 points. Anthony Black scored a career-high 31 for the 11-8 Magic.
The Sixers were missing the following players:
- Joel Embiid (right knee injury management)
- Paul George (right ankle sprain)
- VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness)
- Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain)
- Adem. Bona (right ankle sprain)
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that Embiid had been “trending toward playing” Tuesday and participated in some of the team’s morning shootaround, but he’s “not quite there yet.”
Nurse said Edgecombe’s calf is “improving” and that George reported ankle soreness after the Sixers’ loss Sunday to the Heat. He was unsure whether the 35-year-old forward would need to be sidelined for multiple games.
Tuesday’s game was an NBA Cup contest. The Sixers are now 0-3 in East Group B and Orlando is 3-0.
The Sixers’ final Cup game will be Friday night in Brooklyn against the Nets. Here are observations on their blowout loss to the Magic:
Sixers’ injury list grows
The Sixers went to their bench early, bringing in Jared McCain and Trendon Watford to replace Justin Edwards and Dominick Barlow.
Both Watford and McCain were strong in their first stint. McCain nailed a catch-and-shoot three-pointer on his first shot. Watford had a couple of driving baskets around the midpoint of the first quarter. He also drew and made four free throws later in the period.
McCain celebrated with Maxey and Watford after drilling another long-range jumper in transition, giving the Sixers a 21-17 edge and prompting an Orlando timeout. As a duo, McCain and Watford posted 15 points in the first quarter on 4-for-4 shooting.
Unfortunately for Watford, his night ended abruptly in the second quarter.
While he was handling the ball on a fast break, Watford fell awkwardly to the floor. He was helped back to the locker room with 4:07 left in the second and ruled out at halftime with a left adductor strain.
Justin Edwards also went to the locker room at the 10:24 mark of the third quarter. Whatever Edwards’ issue, he got the green light to return to the game late in the third.
Woeful defensive night
The Sixers turned to a zone defense early in the first quarter. Orlando was unable to knock down jumpers in the opening minutes, starting 0 for 8 from three-point range, which allowed the Sixers to sit in the zone for an extended stretch.
Finally, the Magic saw a few deep shots drop late in the first quarter. A Tyus Jones three with 2.5 seconds left in the first tied the game up at 35 apiece.
Defensive rebounding was a predictable, major challenge for the Sixers in their zone. The Magic scored 15 second-chance points in the first half to the Sixers’ zero.
Orlando’s offense stayed hot to begin the second quarter and the Sixers’ relative lack of size became a more glaring problem. Multiple Sixers also had very porous moments individually, allowing just about everyone on the Magic to coast to the rim.
Black was a giant standout off of Orlando’s bench. His second straight corner three extended the Magic’s lead to 57-43. In animated fashion, Maxey appeared to ask Andre Drummond why he hadn’t closed out on the player torching the Sixers. Fair question.
The Sixers’ deficit ballooned to 80-54 on a Wendell Carter Jr. alley-oop slam late in the second quarter and they heard boos from the home crowd.
Black scored 27 points in the first half. Before Tuesday, his career high for a game was 23.
Dust-up adds a bit of drama
Drummond was at the center of a dust-up in the final minute of the first half.
He fouled Carter on the perimeter and then squared up to the Magic big man with a boxing-style stance. Drummond didn’t throw any punches, but the situation escalated when Jalen Suggs shoved him. Jabari Walker joined the fray, too.
After the dust settled, officials assessed technical fouls to Drummond, Carter, Desmond Bane and Walker. Suggs received two technicals, which resulted in his ejection.
Nothing about the second half was nearly as interesting. Johni Broome checked in with 5:09 to go in the third quarter and finished with four points on 2-for-9 shooting and six rebounds. Fellow rookie Hunter Sallis played most of the fourth quarter.
Kyle Lowry was the one active Sixer who didn’t see any action, although “We want Kyle” chants popped up. Maxey logged a season-low 32 minutes and watched the whole fourth.
Feast on sports week: what to watch during Thanksgiving Week
Here's a look a where to watch during Thanksgiving week (all times Eastern): College basketball The Players Era men's tournament features 18 teams playing in and around the Las Vegas area, with half ranked in the AP Top 25. Tuesday's games include No. St. John's vs. Baylor (4:30 p.m.
Killyan Toure scores 20 points to lead No. 15 Iowa State past Creighton, 78-60
Freshman Killyan Toure scored a career-high 20 points and No. 15 Iowa State beat Creighton 78-60 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Championship. Despite missing co-leading scorer Tamin Lipsey, who injured his groin in Monday’s 83-82 win over St. John’s, the Cyclones kept Creighton at arm’s length for most of the game. Joshua Jefferson had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Jaxon Kohler unlocks key to Michigan State basketball ceiling
Reacting to games from Jaxon Kohler, Divine Ugochukwu and more after Michigan State's win over East Carolina on Tuesday at Fort Myers Tip-off.