Category: Basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic behind yet another offensive explosion from Donovan Mitchell.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

45 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds

Mitchell was in attack mode again tonight. He scored 26 points in the first half, burying 4-of-5 three-point attempts in his first 17 minutes. His hot shooting helped the Cavaliers claw back from an early deficit and reclaim momentum.

Mitchell continued to score into the second half, finishing with 45 points and improving the Cavs’ record to 11-1 when he scores 35+ points.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Mobley is looking more spry and agile by the day. He’s moving around the court with the confidence he hasn’t always shown. It doesn’t feel like anyone can stop Mobley from getting to his spots right now. I’ve been wanting to type that sentence for years.

Grade: A+

Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

The Cavs have a rising star in Tyson. He once again made an impact on both ends of the floor, playing defense, bulldozing his way into the paint, and connecting on three-point jumpers with efficiency.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter Jr.

4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

Porter looked especially quick tonight as the Magic double-teamed Mitchell and left him with openings to attack. This led to Porter getting into the paint and finding his teammates for BLANK assists.

Grade: B+

Lonzo Ball

0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

This wasn’t anything crazy, but Ball has probably played two of his better games as a Cavalier in his two latest against the Magic. Aside from being part of a brutal lineup in the first quarter (featuring Ball, Tomlin, Proctor, Porter, and Nance), Ball held his own tonight.

Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

I don’t think his teammates did a great job of getting him the ball, but Allen was effective every time he got a touch. He shot 4-6 from the floor and was aggressive with all of his opportunities.

Grade: B+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Tomlin is facing a make-or-break moment. His minutes have seen diminishing returns as opponents ignore him from the three-point line. He started the game 1-5 from the floor as the Magic left him wide open from the corner and packed the paint on his drives.

He found a way to break free for a moment in the second half, but he’ll have to develop into a more consistent shooter for him to take the next step.

Grade: C-

Dean Wade

6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Wade turned in another quality performance. Strong defense, solid rebounding, and a positive impact on the Cavalier offense despite shooting 0-2 from three.

Grade: A–

Tyrese Proctor

6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Kenny Atkinson can’t stop talking about Proctor’s “moxy” on the basketball court. The kid has confidence, and he showed it tonight by hitting a big-time three-pointer in the second half and ripping the ball away from the Magic for a backbreaking steal.

Grade: A

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for his second shutout of the season and 42nd of his career, Darren Raddysh scored on a power play late in the second period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Utah Mammoth 2-0 on Monday night.

Brandon Hagel added a power-play goal in the final minute for the Lightning, who have won 15 of 17 and swept the season series against Utah. Tampa Bay moved atop the Eastern Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Carolina and Detroit.

Vasilevskiy, who leads the league in goals-against average, improved to 2-0-0 against the Mammoth, both shutouts. He blanked them last season, the inaugural campaign for the Utah franchise.

Raddysh took a feed from Nikita Kucherov and one-timed it above the shoulder of Karel Vejmelka for a 1-0 lead with 2:22 left in the second.

Vejmelka made 25 saves for Utah, which lost in regulation for only the second time in its past 12 games.

Kucherov's assist was his team-best 53rd of the season. He ranks third in the NHL in points with 79 and is second in assists.

Hagel's goal was his 26th, matching Kucherov for the team lead.

Tampa Bay's Nick Paul dropped the gloves with Utah's Ian Cole after Cole put a big hit on rookie Dominic James along the boards early in the second period. Paul and Cole each received 5-minute penalties for the fight.

Up next

Mammoth: Stay in Florida and visit the Panthers on Tuesday night.

Lightning: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jada Richard scored 20 points and No. 6 LSU pulled away in the second half for an 89-60 victory over Florida on Monday night.

It was the fifth straight Southeastern Conference win for the Tigers (19-2, 5-2) after they lost their first two league games to Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

MiLaysia Fulwiley had 15 points and Amiya Joiner added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams scored 12 as LSU opened a three-game SEC homestand.

Florida (13-9, 1-6) was led by Liv McGill, who had team highs of 14 points and eight rebounds.

LSU led 22-19 at the end of the first quarter, but it took a while to pull away. During an eight-minute stretch, the Tigers missed 10 of 13 shots — many of them open looks.

The Gators, who got their first SEC win eight days ago, went toe-to-toe with LSU. They turned to physical play, forcing five turnovers in a 2:42 span.

After Laila Reynolds gave Florida a 27-26 lead with 5:36 left in the first half, LSU closed on a 10-2 run for a 36-29 lead at the break. Williams assisted on two of the Tigers’ baskets and closed the half with a driving jumper.

Richard scored 12 of LSU’s 27 third-quarter points, and the Tigers took a 63-45 lead into the fourth. They scored 11 third-period points off six Florida turnovers.

Fulwiley took charge for LSU in the fourth with 11 points, two rebounds and two blocks. She chased down McGill for a rejection of her fast-break layup attempt.

Up next

Florida: Thursday at home vs. Texas.

LSU: Thursday at home vs. Arkansas.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — John Mobley Jr. scored 25 points to help Ohio State hold off Penn State 84-78 on Monday night.

Mobley made 7 of 14 shots with five 3-pointers and all six of his free throws for the Buckeyes (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten Conference). He added five assists and three steals to help Ohio State prevail after blowing almost all of a 50-32 halftime lead.

Amare Bynum added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals for the Buckeyes. Devin Royal had 14 points and sophomore reserve Taison Chatman scored a career-high 11. Bruce Thornton finished with nine points and needs two more to pass Michael Redd (1,879 from 1997-2000) for sixth place on OSU's all-time list.

Sophomore Ivan Njegovan made his first career start for the Buckeyes, replacing injured Christoph Tilly. The 7-foot-1 sophomore scored all eight of his points in the second half, adding three rebounds and two blocked shots before fouling out.

Eli Rice hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 to lead the Nittany Lions (9-11, 0-9), who have lost seven straight. Ivan Juric totaled 14 points and 14 rebounds. Josh Reed and reserve Melih Tunca both scored 13.

Chatman and Mobley sank 3-pointers to end a game-opening 22-11 run by Ohio State and turned it into an 18-point lead at halftime.

Rice sank three 3-pointers in a 22-8 run to cut it to 58-54 in the first eight minutes. Josh Reed had a three-point play to make it 60-59 three minutes later, but Mobley answered with two free free throws and a 3-pointer and Ohio State stayed in front from there.

Up next

Penn State: At Northwestern on Thursday.

Ohio State: At Wisconsin on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

At least something positive happened for the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Following the disastrous loss to Charlotte in the afternoon, the league announced the participants for the 2026 NBA Rising Stars competition during All-Star weekend. Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe will rightfully be a member of the Rookies squad. Here’s the list of all participants:

2026 NBA Rising Stars rosters: pic.twitter.com/WXLjq3Ui2i

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 26, 2026

As a reminder, Rising Stars is now a mini-tournament consisting of four teams of seven players. In addition to the G League team, the rookies and sophomores will be placed on three separate teams via a draft taking place on Tuesday night at 7:00pm ET on Peacock. Rising Stars will be the Friday night of All-Star weekend, February 13, beginning at 9:00pm ET.

It’s a well-deserved honor for Edgecombe, who has undoubtedly been one of the best members of his rookie class thus far. He’s third among rookies in both points (15.6) and assists (4.2) per game, and tops in steals (1.5) per game. While outside shooting was a purported weakness for him coming into the league, VJ is third in three-pointers made (85) among rookies, at a respectable 36.6 percent clip. Not only has he displayed all of the “high-floor” attributes that caused him to be viewed as a safe pick at third overall, but Edgecombe has flashed plenty of star potential as well. Sixers fans will look forward to seeing him out there with the best young talent in the league in a few weeks.

Below is the release from Sixers Public Relations:

“The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe has been selected to the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 13 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles as part of NBA All-Star 2026. Edgecombe is the 22nd 76ers player in franchise history to be selected to a Rising Stars event.

Edgecombe has appeared in 41 games (all starts) for the 76ers this season, averaging 15.4 points (third among rookies), 5.3 rebounds (eighth among rookies), and 4.1 assists (T-3rd among rookies). He is one of two rookies this season averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Edgecombe’s 11 games of 20-plus points are the third most among rookies this season.

In the month of January, Edgecombe has notched 26 steals, the second most in the NBA behind backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey (36), while his 1.5 steals per game ranks first among rookies this season.

The Bahamian National poured in 34 points in his NBA debut at Boston on Oct. 22, surpassing Allen Iverson (30 points, Nov. 1, 1996) for the highest scoring output ever by a 76ers player in an NBA debut. Edgecombe, whose 14 first-quarter points broke LeBron James’ record for most points scored in the opening quarter of a player’s debut (12), finished the night with the third-highest scoring output ever in a debut (43 points – Wilt Chamberlain, 10/24/59; 35 points – Frank Selvy, 11/30/54).“

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 114-98 behind 45 points from Donovan Mitchell. This was Cleveland’s fourth straight win and its second in a row against the Magic.

The Cavs fell into a 10-point hole early on before Donovan Mitchell carried them out of it. His 26 points in the first half brought energy into the arena and momentum back in Cleveland’s favor. The Cavs entered halftime with a five-point lead, outscoring Orlando 39-24 in the second quarter.

Turnovers were nearly an issue again for the Cavaliers. They entered this game with one of the worst turnover percentages in the league for the month of January, and turned it over six times in the opening 10 minutes of this game. Darius Garland’s efficient control of the offense is something this team isn’t equipped to replace full-time.

Thankfully, the Cavs got themselves in order after a scrambly first quarter. They only turned it over eight more times the rest of the way, getting back to their season-average. They won the rebounding battle and finished the game shooting above 40% from three. Do all of those things, and you have a good chance of winning any game.

Jaylon Tyson, who was named to the 2026 NBA Rising Star game before tonight’s matchup, scored 14 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished 4 assists, and shot 5-9 from the floor. He’ll be the first Cavalier on a standard contract to compete in the Rising Stars game since Evan Mobley.

Mitchell put the Cavalier offense on his back for long stretches of this game. It was another prolific scoring performance from Mitchell, who has been in a groove recently and is showing no signs of slowing down. Evan Mobley has also been hitting his stride, scoring an efficient 20 points to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Cleveland has now won 11 of their last 15 games and is quickly climbing. back up the Eastern Conference. They host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Something tells me you won’t want to miss that.

This was something of a foregone conclusion, of course, but Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend next month in Los Angeles.

Flagg will enter the Rising Stars game as one of the league’s marquee youngsters, bringing season averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists into the game through the first 43 games of his NBA career. He’s the only player to rank in the top five in points (second), rebounds (third), assists (fourth), steals (second) and blocked shots (third) per game among rookies this year.

The NBA announced today that Mavericks forward/guard Cooper Flagg has been selected to compete in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/yI9uYWMigo

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 26, 2026

Flagg turned 19 on Dec. 21, and before that, had piled up an NBA resume only rivaled by LeBron James as an 18-year-old. On Dec. 15, just six days before his 19th birthday, Flagg became the only 18-year-old in NBA history to record a 40-point game, when he scored 42, brought down seven rebounds and dished six assists in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz. Only James scored more points (625) in NBA history as an 18-year-old than Flagg did this season.

He was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for both October/November and for December.

Flagg has been one of the best clutch players in the league all year long, which will give him some consideration in All-Star voting circles, but the selection to the Rising Stars game likely ends his candidacy for an All-Star reserve spot. All-Star Game reserves will be announced on Feb. 1 ahead of the Rising Stars tournament, which will be played on Feb. 13 and the All-Star Game itself, which will be played on Feb. 15. All the festivities will be held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Inglewood, Calif.

Blake Griffin was the last rookie to be named an NBA All-Star in 2011.

The Rising Stars Challenge is a four-team, three-game mini-tournament featuring selected rookies and second-year players split into three teams, with the fourth team in the field made up of players from the NBA G League. Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tourney. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.

Third-year Maverick Dereck Lively II participated in each of the last two Rising Stars challenges. The MVP of 2025’s Rising Stars mini-tournament was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle.

The three 2026 Rising Stars teams, made up of NBA rookies and second-year players, will be drafted on Tuesday. The field of players for the Rising Stars mini-tourney is as follows:

Rookies

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)
VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)
Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)
Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)

Sophomores

Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)
Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)
Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)
Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)

NBA G League Players

Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)

Tom Thibodeau is keeping his eyes peeled for his next coaching opportunity. 

The former Knicks coach, who took them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last season, told SiriusXM’s “The Starting Lineup” that he wants to be in the NBA ranks again. 

“I love the game. Obviously, I’m preparing for the next opportunity, so hopefully I’ll be ready for it,” Thibodeau said. 

It shouldn’t come as much of a revelation that Thibs wants back in the game after being fired by the Knicks and replaced by Mike Brown. 

Thibodeau served as head coach of the Knicks for five seasons, leading the team to a 226-174 record during that span. 

The Knicks reached the playoffs five times during his tenure, which included the Eastern Conference Finals trip last season. 

Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in 2021 and the Knicks had 40-plus win seasons in four of his five seasons in the Big Apple. 

Thibs previously coached the Bulls from 2010-15 and the Timberwolves from 2016-19, accumulating a 578-420 record all-time as a head coach. 

The former head coach was in the Windy City for the jersey retirement ceremony of Derrick Rose. 

Rose, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago, praised his former coach and pushed back on the narrative that the he was to blame for his ACL tear. 

“They look at Thibs as the injury part, but I’m here to say f–k that,” Rose told the crowd during his jersey retirement ceremony. “There’s a reason why, everything is meant to be, bro. Thibs was the first coach who made me feel special when we used to watch film. I used to do s–t in games just to make sure he saw me on tape.”

The Golden State Warriors are looking for back-to-back wins in their road baseball series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, after cruising to a 111-85 win on Sunday night. But the second win will be much, much harder to come by, as the Warriors are playing without nearly all of their key players.

Here’s the full injury report for the game.

Warriors

Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral inflammation)

Curry got a bit banged up in Sunday’s win and, as a result, we’re all deprived of getting to watch the greatest show in sports tonight. Thankfully it doesn’t appear to be anything serious.

Out — Draymond Green (left low back soreness)

Yep, no Draymond, either. The Warriors will be without their offensive leader and their defensive leader.

Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL tear)

You know the drill by now. It still sucks, though.

Out — Jonathan Kuminga (left knee bone bruise)

It’s a big bummer that Kuminga got hurt right as he re-joined the rotation. I would have loved to see him play tonight with so much of the team sidelined. He would have had a big role. Hopefully he’s back on the court soon.

Out — Al Horford (left toe injury management)

Horford played on the front end of the back-to-back, so he was never going to play tonight.

Out — De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management)

It seems the Warriors are going to rest Melton on a lot of back-to-backs, which makes sense. He is still getting fully up to speed after recovering from his ACL tear.

Out — Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation)

The younger Curry remains out, though a return is getting closer.

Out — LJ Cryer (left hamstring tightness)

It’s a bummer for Cryer that he can’t play, as everyone healthy should see sizable minutes. Cryer has played just eight minutes in his young NBA career, and surely would have gotten some significant run in this game if he were healthy.

Wolves

Out — Anthony Edwards (right foot injury maintenance)

The Wolves are much healthier than the Dubs but, like the Warriors, they’ll be without their superstar and face of the franchise.

Out — Terrence Shannon Jr. (left foot abductor hallucis strain)

A late first-round pick in the 2024 draft, Shannon has been sidelined for a month in his sophomore season. He hasn’t played since Christmas.

Enjoy the game, Dub Nation. It kicks off at 6:30 p.m. PT on Peacock.

Egor Demin, the Brooklyn Nets’ first lottery pick in 15 years, has been selected for the NBA’s Rising Stars Competition at All-Star Weekend, the league announced Monday afternoon. The selection for the competition that features rookies, sophomores and G League stars, takes place at 9:00 p.m. ET February 13 at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, the first night of three-night weekend.

The 6’9” guard is one of 10 rookies, 11 sophomores and seven G Leaguers to make the team.

Michael Porter Jr. will learn his All-Star fate on Sunday when All-Star reserves will be revealed but Demin’s selection ensures that Brooklyn will have at least representation at the 75th All-Star Game. MPJ has never made an All-Star Game. Skill competition participants will also be announced soon, but no Nets are likely to be selected for that.

Demin is the first Brooklyn Net to be selected for the Rising Stars competition since 2019 when the competition was rookies vs. sophomores. Rodions Kurucs was named to the rookie squad and Jarrett Allen to the sophomores.

Demin, a native of Moscow and a BYU product, was taken at No. 8 in the first round at the end of June and after playing in the Summer League in Las Vegas, he spent two months rehabbing from plantar fascia before finally joining the Nets in preseason. In the regular season, Demin is averaging 10.2 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 40/40/85 for the season. He is the 11th youngest player in the NBA.

For Demin, it’s another recognition and for the Nets front office, justification for what was at the time an unpopular pick. In the days and weeks leading up to the Draft, Demin was seen as a precocious playmaker but a limited shooter. Since then, he’s shown that not only can he shoot, but he can shoot at a high volume and in clutch moments.

In fact, other than than Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, Demin is arguably the 2025-26 rookie class’s best volume shooter from deep. And other than last month, he’s been the class’s top volume shooter, hitting 47.1% of 6.4 attempts per game. Knueppel, who’s on an historic run, is hitting 39.0% of 6.3 attempts.

Demin is one of five first-round picks the Nets selected in June, a record haul. The others were Nolan Traore, taken at No. 19; Drake Powell at No. 22; Ben Saraf at No. 26 and Danny Wolf at No. 27.

NBA assistant coaches determined the pool of 21 NBA players, with each team submitting one ballot. Voters ranked 10 rookies and 10 sophomores, with more points assigned to higher placements. The top 10 rookies and top 10 sophomores by point total earned spots. The final spot was awarded to the higher-scoring player among the 11th-ranked finishers in each class. The pool includes one more sophomore than rookie based on total points received.

The players will be divided into four teams for the competition, with a draft run by four honorary coaches taking place Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET…

Presenting the honorary head coaches for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars!

NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday (1/27) at 7:00pm/et on Peacock, with NBA G League players to comprise the fourth team.

The four teams will compete in the Castrol… pic.twitter.com/lb37AOyoHC

— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2026

In what is described as a mini-tournament, Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).

For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 25 points.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephen Curry and Draymond Green won't play for Golden State on Monday night at Minnesota due to injuries. Anthony Edwards will rest for the Wolves.

Both Golden State players suited up Sunday afternoon as the Warriors won in Minneapolis. But coach Steve Kerr said Curry's balky right knee was causing him enough trouble on Monday morning to rule him out.

Green is sidelined with a back injury.

Kerr expressed hope that both players would be back in the lineup for Wednesday's game at Utah.

The Warriors were already short-handed after losing forward Jimmy Butler for the season with a torn ACL. Forward Jonathan Kuminga also will sit out with a bone bruise and a hyperextended left knee.

___

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

The Kentucky Wildcats and Vanderbilt Commodores will both be without key players for their Tuesday matchup in Nashville.

For Kentucky, Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Kam Williams remain out. Lowe is having season-ending shoulder surgery, while Williams recently underwent foot surgery and could return later this season if all goes well, though no definitive timetable has been given yet.

As for Quaintance, he remains sidelined with swelling in his surgically-repaired knee. This will be his sixth game missed since initially being ruled out ahead of the Mississippi State game on January 10.

For the Commodores, the big absence is point guard Frankie Collins, who is recovering from surgery on a torn meniscus in December and is listed as out. The fifth-year senior is averaging 7.8 points (38.2% from the field and 25% from deep), 4.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per contest. Vandy was 9-0 with him in the lineup and has gone 6-3 in his absence.

The Commodores have a surprise addition to the injury report in starting guard Duke Miles, who is listed as questionable to play. Miles logged 28 minutes in Saturday’s win at Mississippi State while going for 17 points, seven steals, four assists, and three rebounds.

For the season, Miles is averaging 16.6 points (45.1% from the field and 34.1% from deep), 3.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Injury Report

Duke Miles will be a tough matchup for Kentucky tomorrow.

He leads the SEC in steals/game (2.8), and has had 5 games of 5+ steals. In his last game, he had 7 vs. MSU.

Kentucky will be without a true point guard. Going to have to take care of the ball. pic.twitter.com/7r8U9oNtfC

— WT – Mo D Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) January 26, 2026

You want more A Sea Of Blue coverage? Then add us to your “Preferred Sources” on Google to get all the latest Kentucky Wildcats news and views. And Go CATS!

Rui Hachimura is making it clear – through his words off of the court and his actions on the court – that he’s willing to do what’s needed to help the Lakers win. 

And that’s a welcomed sight for a Lakers coaching staff, led by JJ Redick, that’s on the precipice of making an important decision when it comes to Hachimura.

With star guard Austin Reaves set to make his return to the court as soon as this week after missing the last month because of left calf strain, the Lakers will have to make a decision about their starting lineup. 

Even if it’s not in his first game back, which could be as soon as Wednesday night against the Cavaliers in Cleveland, Reaves will rejoin the first unit permanently. Reaves will likely replace either Marcus Smart or Jake LaRavia, who’ve started alongside Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton when available since late December after Hachimura started to miss time with a right calf strain.

But will Hachimura also rejoin the first unit after starting the first 30 games he played in before missing time with the calf injury? He’s been a full-time starter for the Lakers since February 2024. 

Or will he continue to be used as a reserve, like he has in the seven games he’s played since returning from injury? 

“We’ll assess things as they go,” Redick responded when asked about the plans for the starting lineup. “The reality is that until Austin’s back, we’re going to go with [the Doncic-Smart-LaRavia-James-Ayton starting] lineup, and then we’ll figure out the best path forward.” 

The reality, for the Lakers, is that their best path forward is for Hachimura to embrace a role as a reserve if and when the team is fully healthy.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: as All-NBA-/All-Star-caliber players, Doncic, Reaves and James are starting when they’re available. And even with Ayton’s struggles as of late, the Lakers need to start a traditionally-sized center.

That leaves one starting spot left.

Even though Hachimura brings important skills and attributes to the floor — spacing (42% on 3s over the last three seasons), cutting and knowing how to play without the ball, which is especially important next to star players — the Lakers need a more defensive-oriented fifth starter.

Smart and LaRavia would be good candidates for the spot. 

It’s not just that the Lakers’ initial first unit of Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, James and Ayton struggled to start the season (a minus-19.9 net rating in a small sample of 85 minutes). But lineups with James and Hachimura on the floor together have struggled, especially defensively.

There’s been a sentiment surrounding the Lakers that having Hachimura come off the bench could potentially risk losing his buy-in.

And those feelings weren’t without merit. 

Outside of just raw statistical production, Hachimura was significantly more effective and efficient the previous two seasons as a starter compared to as a reserve. And the Lakers performed better while he was on the floor when he started vs. came off the bench.  

But Hachimura made it clear to The Athletic that he’s open to a bench role, with his main focus on winning ahead of his pending unrestricted free agency as the three-year, $51 million contract he signed with the Lakers in July 2023 expires after this season. 

And his actions have backed up those words so far.

There was the viral clip of him having one of his better individual defensive sequences during the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ comeback attempt that fell short against the Clippers on Thursday.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Hachimura had a season-high eight rebounds in Saturday’s road win over the Mavericks, and also knocked down a pair of clutch 3s to help get the Lakers over the hump.

And he didn’t start in either game, showing that he’s willing to be engaged regardless of whether he’s a starter or reserve. 

Hachimura, and the Lakers, have emphasized being about winning. It’s time for both sides to fully embrace the change that could lead to more success.

“At the end of the day…I’m trying to help this team win,” Hachimura said earlier in the season. “That’s the whole purpose of being here. I’ve been here for four seasons now. I think I’m one of the guys that has been here the longest too, so I’m happy to be here playing with these guys, the coaches and everybody. I love these guys. Of course the contract and stuff is coming up. But at the end of the day I’m just trying to focus on every day, just in the moment.”

Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies

January 26, 2026

Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Time: 7:00pm CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Grizzle: LAX Bro, Coward Of The River, Jwells, Santissimo, Jumbo Jackass Junior

BOSTON — Boston Celtics two-way player Ron Harper Jr. has been selected to participate in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars challenge as one of 7 G League players, the NBA announced on Monday. Harper Jr., who spent the last two training camps with the Celtics before signing a two-way contract with Boston, has been one of the G League’s most consistent players this season.

The Rising Stars game, which will take place at All-Star Weekend next month, is comprised of 21 standout NBA rookies and sophomores, plus seven players who have played in G League games.

Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Castrol Rising Stars mini tourney, while former NBA player Austin Rivers will coach the G League Rising Stars team.

In addition to Harper Jr, the G League will be represented by Sean East II, Yang Hansen, Ron Harper Jr., David Jones Garcia, Yanic Konan Niederhouser, Alijah Martin, and Tristen Newton.

The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars representing the NBA G League ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/7qwSudcry3

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 26, 2026

Ron Harper Jr. has been a Maine Celtics standout

Harper Jr has had a standout season in the G League, averaging 26.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while shooting 49.7% from the field and 40.2% from three.

He’s appeared in 7 games for the Boston Celtics this season, most recently playing rotation minutes in a double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

Previously, Harper Jr spent two years with the Toronto Raptors and one year with the Detroit Pistons. He was on two-way contracts with both teams.

While Harper Jr. got good news regarding the Rising Stars challenge, fellow Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez did not. Gonzalez was not selected as one of 10 NBA rookies to participate in Rising Stars; those rookies are Cedric Coward, Egor Demin, VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears, Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Derik Queen.