COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith gave No. 12 Purdue a commanding lead with an early 3-point barrage, and the Boilermakers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 93-63 victory over Maryland on Sunday.
Loyer scored 21 of his 29 points in the first half, when he Smith went a combined 9 of 12 from beyond the arc. The Boilermakers (18-4, 8-3) led 49-28 at halftime. Smith finished with 19 points. He needs one more to become the first player in Big Ten history to reach 1,000 career points and 500 assists in conference games.
Andre Mills scored 18 points for Maryland (8-13, 1-9), which continues to struggle under new coach Buzz Williams. This was the most lopsided defeat for the Terrapins in this arena, where they started playing in 2002.
Purdue was ranked No. 4 in the country before losing in succession to UCLA, Illinois and rival Indiana. But the schedule eased a bit with this game against Maryland and a matchup next weekend with an Oregon team that’s also near the bottom of the Big Ten.
Purdue raced out to a 10-2 lead against the Terps, with Loyer making two 3-pointers. Then Smith made a couple of 3s during an 11-0 spurt that made it 25-7.
NO. 8 IOWA STATE 95, KANSAS STATE 61
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Joshua Jefferson scored 19 points to lead five players in double figures as Iowa beat Kansas State.
The Cyclones (20-2, 7-2 Big 12 Conference) got 18 points from Milan Momcilovic, 16 from Tamin Lipsey, 13 from Killyan Toure and 11 from Nate Heise en route to their fourth consecutive win.
They handed the Wildcats (10-12, 1-8 Big 12) their worst loss under coach Jerome Tang, who was hired ahead of the 2023 season.
Iowa State used two big runs in the first half to build a 29-point lead at the break. The second was a suffocating 25-4 run that covered nearly five minutes.
The Cyclones held the Wildcats to a season-low 21 points in the first half. The Wildcats shot just 31% from the field and matched their largest halftime deficit of the season. It swelled to 39 points in the second half.
NO. 9 ILLINOIS 78, NO. 5 NEBRASKA 69
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored 28 points and Illinois won its 11th straight game, beating Nebraska in the first matchup of top-10 teams the Cornhuskers have hosted.
The Fighting Illini (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten), who haven’t lost since falling 83-80 at home to Nebraska on Dec. 13, held the Huskers to four field goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half.
Nebraska (20-2, 9-2) lost its second straight after a 20-0 start. The Huskers were beaten on the road Tuesday by another top-10 opponent, No. 3 Michigan.
Jake Davis finished with 13 points for Illinois, Tomislav Ivisic scored 12 and David Mirkovic had 10.
NO. 19 FLORIDA 100, NO. 23 ALABAMA 77
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Alex Condon scored 25 points, Thomas Haugh added 22 and Florida handled Alabama and Charles Bediako.
Florida’s fifth consecutive victory in the series came a little more than a week after Gators coach Todd Golden said “we’re gonna beat ’em anyways” in response to a judge’s decision to allow Bediako to return to college.
This one was so one-sided that 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, played the final minute and scored Florida’s last basket.
Boogie Fland chipped in 15 points, eight assists and a career-high eight steals for the defending national champion Gators (16-6, 7-2 Southeastern Conference). Fland dominated his matchup against the league’s leading scorer, Labaron Philon. Fland’s eight steals matched the program record set by Clifford Lett in 1989.
Philon, who entered the game averaging 22 points, finished with 14. Aden Holloway led the Crimson Tide (14-7, 4-4) with 19 points.
Any hope that the Utah Jazz could get a player to Los Angeles for NBA All-star weekend now resides in the form of an injury replacement. And even then, it’s a long shot.
On Sunday, the NBA announced its Western Conference all-star rosters, and candidates Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen failed to make the list of the final seven reserves. Ahead of them were Chet Holmgren, Deni Avdija, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jamal Murray and LeBron James.
The Western Conference players honored as reserves for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kmAtdvGE6N
Markkanen is averaging a career-best 27.4 points per game this season — two more than his lone all-star campaign in 2023 — on 47.9/36.4/88.6 shooting splits. He’s also putting up 7.0 rebounds per game and is dishing out a career-high 2.2 assists per game.
But Markkanen has also only played 35 of the 13-seeded Jazz’s 49 games. That’s not gonna sit well with people who decide his all-star fate.
George is having a breakout year, and has inserted his name into most improved player competition, as well as made himself a real “guy” in the NBA.
This season, George is averaging 24.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.2 apg in 47 appearances. His shooting numbers have improved drastically from his sophomore season, going from 39.1% from the field to 45.9%, and 34.3% from deep to 37.7%.
But even if a player has to miss due to injury, snagging an injured reserve spot is just as hard a task for the Jazz duo. Take a look at some of the names that are in the running for the extra spot:
Julius Randle: 22.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.4 apg
Austin Reaves: 26.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.3 apg
Alpren Sengun: 21.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 6.4 apg
Kawhi Leonard: 27.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.5 apg
James Harden: 25.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.1 apg
George and Markkanen were always going to be on the outside looking in when it came to the 2026 all-star game. There’s simply too many good players on good Western teams for the NBA to justify giving a spot to a 15-win team.
Do you think that the coaches got the reserves right? Should the Jazz have gotten a player in?
As part of the centennial season celebration for the Detroit Red Wings, the iconic No. 91 jersey of three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Fame forward Sergei Fedorov was raised to the rafters at Little Caesars Arena.
One of the most exciting and dynamic players not only in Red Wings history but in the NHL as a whole, Fedorov electrified fans with his raw speed, elite playmaking ability, and thrilling flair and style.
However, many younger generations of Red Wings fans may not know the full story of his defection from the former Soviet Union, a saga that could have been lifted straight from a spy movie.
The Red Wings had selected Fedorov in the fourth round (74th overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft while he was in the midst of his tenure with CSKA Moscow, where he was teammates with another future Red Wing, Vladimir Konstantinov (selected 229th overall in the same Draft).
One of the principal architects behind the extremely risky defection by both Fedorov and Konstantinov from the Soviet Union was Keith Gave, a longtime Red Wings journalist who was employed at the time by The Detroit Free Press.
"I started covering the Red Wings in 1985, and four years later, they started drafting Russians - they took a few Soviet players, Sergei and Vladdy," Gave explained. "And a week or so after the Draft, I got a call out of the blue in mid-July requesting a lunch meeting from Jim Lites."
Lites, now CEO and alternate governor of the Dallas Stars (where former Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill is now general manager), was the Red Wings’ executive vice president at the time. He invited Gave to lunch, where the seeds would be planted of what would eventually become a hockey dynasty.
As Gave put it, Lites began discussing the recent selections of both Fedorov and Konstantinov, and he reacted with understandable skepticism given the political climate of the time.
“We were thinking that because you speak Russian and know the language, and you have NHL credentials, you might be able to slip them a message under the auspices of covering them—to defect and play for the Detroit Red Wings,” Gave said Lites told him.
"The more he talked, the more skeptical I was becoming," Gave continued. "I said, 'Jim, there’s no way I can do this, I work for the Freep, and I’d be putting my job in danger.'"
Gave eventually left the lunch and returned home to discuss the matter with his wife, but began to reconsider. With several years of experience as a Russian linguist for the National Security Agency, he began to see a viable path to pulling off the hazardous assignment.
"I spent six years in the spy business in West Berlin, working a mile from Checkpoint Charlie, the tip of the spear of the Cold War, and I'd never been given a good cloak and dagger assignment, and I was being offered one, I thought there was a way we might be able to do this," he said.
After reconnecting with Lites, they began to formulate a plan. As it happened, the Soviet national team was holding a Training Camp in Finland, and with Gave's press credentials, he would be the ideal figure to get as close as possible to the players.
"I told him that we might be able to make it work on the condition that I won’t take a dime of your money," Gave said. "I’ll cash in miles, I’ll get there and do my best to get access, I’ll write some letters, and explain to them everything you told me about what you want to know."
However, Gave laid out one simple condition: he wanted to be the first one to break the story when both players eventually made their way to North America.
“I want to be your first phone call when these guys come over,” Gave said to Lites. “I want the first story for the Freep."
"And a couple of weeks later, I was on my way to Helsinki, writing letters for Sergei and Vladdy, saying the Red Wings wanted them to come over and play hockey in the NHL for Detroit.”
Gave described how his Russian language training, which was honed during his time in the military, proved just sufficient to get the Red Wings’ message across.
“I was in Russian language school in 1971, 1972, and I left the Army in 1977," he explained. "In 1989, 12 years later, my Russian wasn’t worth shit anymore, but the Army taught me well enough."
Gave began penning a message to Detroit's future Russian stars, which would be clandestinely slipped between the pages of a media guide.
"I remembered enough, and I knew how to use the Russian/English dictionary, and I was able to patch together a letter that he could understand and throw the (contract) numbers in there," he said.
In the note, Gave wrote that the Red Wings were willing to pay both Fedorov and Konstantinov the same figure as Steve Yzerman, who had been named team captain by coach Jacques Demers just three years earlier to begin the 1986-87 campaign.
Another condition that was stipulated was that the families of both players would be paid $25,000 per year.
"At the time, that was a ton," Gave said. "You could live like royalty in the USSR at that time with that money."
After arriving in Helsinki, there were a few obstacles to overcome to even get to the venue where both Fedorov and Konstantinov were.
"I landed at 4:00 in the afternoon, the hockey game was in three hours, and I didn’t know where it was," Gave explained. "I had to find the arena, find the hockey game, and was asking for directions around the airport; people were looking at me like I had three heads. Finally, I got the answer - they were playing at Olympic Stadium."
Gave managed to get his hotel information, hail a taxi, shower at his hotel, and then make his way across the park to the venue, which was nearby. He happened upon the rink just as the Soviet players arrived and were getting off their bus.
Two Lives - And An NHL Franchise - Are Soon Changed Forever
After entering the venue, Gave’s only immediate problem was finding someone who could get him close to the players.
“I flashed my NHL credentials, and I had my Professional Hockey Writers Association card, my Red Wings media pass, and everything," he said. "I had no trouble getting in, but I had trouble finding someone to get me down where the players were. I finally found a guy, a promoter."
After requesting assistance, Gave was told by the promoter that while he'd help him, the Russian players might not be receptive.
"I’ll certainly try," Gave said the promoter said to him. "You came all the way from Detroit, but you know how Russians are—you can ask, but they may not play ball."
"The Russians were notorious for limiting access to guys like us," Gave said.
Eventually, Gave made it down near the dressing rooms, where he noticed an imposing nearby physical presence keeping tabs on him as he waited.
From the start, Gave knew it was someone who, if crossed, could potentially be dangerous.
"About 8-10 feet away to my left was a guy who kept looking at me, kind of giving me the eye," Gave said. I could tell he was their KGB guy, to make sure nobody defected."
Suddenly, he knew his assignment had become that much tougher.
“The promoter went into the room, and a long while later, came out and brought Sergei and Vladdy with him," Gave said. "They had just stepped out of the shower with white towels and wet hair."
"I basically introduced myself and showed them I was from Detroit, and showed them the Red Wings' Draft list from 1989. I said, 'Sergei, here you are, 74th overall.’ He showed no signs of emotion overall, and then I showed Vladdy his own name, and he was bouncing up and down like a kid with a shiny new bike for Christmas."
It was at that moment that Gave realized he had just broken the news to both players for the first time: they had been selected by an NHL team.
"I learned later that this was the moment they realized they’d been drafted by an NHL team," he said. "This was way before the internet, and news traveled slowly then; neither of them had any clue that an NHL team was interested in them."
After giving both players the business cards for both Jim Devellano and Jim Lites, it was at that moment that Gave made his move - albeit carefully.
"I pulled out the media guides with the letters tucked in and gave them to the players," he said. "Sergei had his in front of him, he looked down and thumbed through it, and he saw the KGB guy. He had noticed the guy a bit earlier; he knew who he was, and he had to be careful.”
“He thumbed through and saw the letter,” Gave said of Fedorov when he began looking through the media guide containing the life-changing message. “He nonchalantly put it behind his back, and I knew it was time to get the f--- out. I shook their hands and said, ‘Good luck, thanks, and hope to see you in Detroit one day,’ and left.”
Having literally just set history in motion, Gave made his exit - while also being sure to make sure that the KGB agent wasn't lurking behind.
“Walked out of the building and walked around Helsinki for four hours, looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t being followed," he said.
Thankfully, he was safe and eventually made it back to the hotel. While he admitted he felt some apprehension for his own safety, his chief concern was for Fedorov and Konstantinov and what may have happened to them if the note been discovered.
"I was worried mostly for the two kids," Gave said. "Sergei was 19 at the time, and Vladdy, a bit older. But if they get caught with those letters, they were f---ed. They could lose their careers.
I was worried for them, but Russians know how to sneak around and play the game, and obviously didn’t run into any problems."
After what he described as an uneventful walk around Helsinki, Gave eventually returned to his room and contacted Lites to deliver the news.
"I got back to my hotel room and noticed it was 7:30 back in Detroit, and I called Jim Lites to say that I made contact with the guys and passed the note along. He was so excited and said, ‘I can’t wait to tell Mr. Ilitch.’
I said one thing: ‘Remember our deal: I want the news first.’ He said, ‘You got it.’
And that was it. I had no more role. I saw Jim Lites 100 times, and we never talked about it—it never came up.”
Two Red Army Players Become Red Wings
Nearly a year after Gave’s risky mission in Finland, he received the news that would not only secure his place in hockey history but also change the course of the Red Wings.
Fedorov had traveled with the Soviets to North America in 1990 to take part in the Goodwill Games in Portland. Lites picked up Fedorov discreetly outside of his hotel, and it wouldn't be long before they were both on Mike Ilitch's private jet en route to Detroit.
“About 11 months later, I was about to have dinner at my Dearborn home when the phone rang," Gave said. "It was Jim Lites again, giving me another odd call in the middle of July.
He said, ‘Just wanted to let you know that I’m on Mr. I’s airplane flying back to Detroit. Guess who is sitting next to me: Sergei Fedorov.’ I shoved my plate away, grabbed my notebook, talked to Jim for 10 minutes, and hung up the phone.
I called the Freep city desk—they were on deadline—and I said, ‘It’s Keith Gave.’"
He said that initially, they were confused as to why a hockey beat writer would be calling them in the middle of the summer.
"I called and asked what the scheduled story on page one was, and said, 'I’m going to blow it out of the water: A Soviet defector on his way to Detroit on Mike’s plane.'
There was a pause, and then he said, ‘You got 35 minutes.’
I hung up, grabbed my laptop, and started typing my ass off. Thirty-five minutes later, I fired off a story. When the newspaper arrived at 6:15 on my doorstep, there it was: Soviet defector coming to play hockey, page one, above the fold—right where you want to be.”
Fedorov entered the NHL with a bang in the 1990-91 season, scoring 31 goals with 48 assists. It wouldn't be long before he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player for 1993-94 after scoring 56 goals with 64 assists.
Meanwhile, Konstantinov began his NHL career one year after Fedorov and quickly became one of Detroit's most defensively responsible and bruising defensemen.
Both players eventually became 2/5 of the iconic "Russian Five" with Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, and Slava Fetisov.
With Fedorov, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, and 2002. Gave was able to join Kozlov, Larionov, and Fetisov in Russia's famed Red Square with the Cup.
Konstantinov played a key role in Detroit's 1997 win, but his career (and nearly his life) ended just a week later in a limousine accident that also came close to claiming the life of team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov.
Both Fedorov and Konstantinov remain beloved former members of the Red Wings and enduring figures in some of the franchise’s greatest successes. Without Gave’s fateful mission to Helsinki, carrying a clandestine note tucked into a media guide, those moments may never have happened.
A more detailed account of his journey can be read in his book, The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage.
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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored 28 points and No. 9 Illinois won its 11th straight game, beating No. 5 Nebraska 78-69 on Sunday in the first matchup of top-10 teams the Cornhuskers have hosted.
The Fighting Illini (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten), who haven't lost since falling 83-80 at home to Nebraska on Dec. 13, held the Huskers to four field goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half.
Nebraska (20-2, 9-2) lost its second straight after a 20-0 start. The Huskers were beaten on the road Tuesday by another top-10 opponent, No. 3 Michigan.
Jake Davis finished with 13 points for Illinois, Tomislav Ivisic scored 12 and David Mirkovic had 10.
Braden Frager returned for Nebraska after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury and scored 20 points.
After missing the last 18 games due to a grade two right calf strain, head coach JJ Redick told reporters on Sunday that Reaves would go through his pregame warmup at Madison Square Garden and be a game-time decision for the Lakers' road game against the New York Knicks on Feb. 1.
Reaves' presence has been missed since going down on Christmas Day; the Lakers went on a cold streak in late December and early January. They've started to find their footing since then, winning six of their last 10 games as the trade deadline approaches this week.
Here is everything you need to know about Reaves' status ahead of tip-off vs. the Knicks:
Is Austin Reaves playing tonight vs. Pelicans?
No. Reaves went through pregame warmups and was listed as a game time decision, but was ultimately ruled out, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported. Still, it's the closest Reaves has gotten to playing since Dec. 25, so all signs point to Reaves' return being imminent.
Reaves has been listed as questionable before each of the Lakers' last three games.
Austin Reaves gets up some touch shots pregame at MSG. He’s a gametime decision tonight, per JJ Redick pic.twitter.com/Eqzb3luMPN
Reaves' injury halted his momentum on what could've been his first All-Star season. Through 23 games, the fourth-year guard is posting career-high averages in points (26.6), rebounds (5.2) and assists (6.3) per game. He's also averaging at least one steal per game for the second straight year.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 29: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in the final seconds of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Kings 113-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s still time to fix it, but this kind of sucks.
The NBA announced the reserves for the 2026 All-Star game and, despite his dominant month of January, Joel Embiid did not make the cut in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the backups will be Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, Miami’s Norman Powell, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Eastern Conference players honored as reserves for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ieypTER2Nd
The reasoning for this has to be game’s played, since Embiid’s production is now better than most of those guys, though doing so in about 10-15 less appearances. After dropping 40, on the Pelicans he’s up to 26.2 points per game and 7.5 rebounds on 59.9% true shooting. That really speaks to how effective he’s been inside since he’s still shooting 29% from behind the three-point line. Embiid has appeared in 28 games so far this season and 16 of the Sixers’ last 20. He averaged 29 points and eight rebounds a game in the 14 appearances he made in January.
This doesn’t entirely sink Embiid’s chances to earn his eighth All-Star selection, though. If Giannis Antetokounmpo, a starter for the East, is accurate with his own diagnosis, he’ll miss the game and the league will select his replacement.
There’s also a chance that as an international player, Embiid could be selected if the “Team World” needs more players to round out its roster. The fact that I — and many others — are still unsure of how those rosters quite work says a lot about the idea.
Perhaps this ends up being a best-of-both-worlds situation for Embiid. He still makes the game, but has the motivation from being snubbed initially to work with going forward.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of Team Chuck warms up before the game during the 74th NBA All-Star Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Donovan Mitchell has been selected to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. This is Mitchell’s seventh consecutive selection and fourth with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell is the only Cavalier to make the game this season.
Other Eastern Conference reserves include Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Miami’s Norman Powell, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, and Indiana’s Pascal Siakam. Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, and Tyrese Maxey were previously named as starters for the Eastern Conference.
This has been a career-year for Mitchell. He’s averaging a personal-best 29.1 points per game in addition to 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds. He’s also just shy of shooting a career-best from the three-point line, currently at 38.6% (just 0.2% below his best).
The Cavs have struggled at times this season. But that’s no fault of Mitchell. He’s carried this team through adversity and given them a fighting chance in almost every game. Cleveland doesn’t want to think about where they would be this season without him.
Mitchell is in the league’s 94th percentile for on/off rating according to Cleaning the Glass. That’s pretty good.
It’s important to recognize when a player is making franchise history. Mitchell has now tied Mark Price and Kyrie Irving for the third most All-Star selections in Cavaliers history. He’s behind only Brad Duagherty (five) and LeBron James (10) for the most in the Land. That’s special.
As for the rest of the roster, it’s disappointing to see the Cavs with only one player in the All-Star Game after having three represent them last season. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley simply haven’t been healthy or good enough to earn the nod this year.
Mobley had hit his stride recently, getting back to his previous All-Star level and looking like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate before his latest calf injury. Garland had also taken steps towards looking like his old self before suffering another toe injury. It’s a bummer, but I can’t argue with the results.
Feb 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots the ball over Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Bucks evened the season series to the Boston Celtics by losing this one, 107-79. Ryan Rollins was the main bright spot for the Bucks; his 25 points were a larger share of the Bucks’ total than anyone would have liked. Kyle Kuzma chipped in with 16 and some defense. Meanwhile, 30 points for Jaylen Brown and 27 for Anfernee Simons in a pretty complete performance form the Celtics. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below:
Rollins came out hunting buckets and got them in spades. He picked up some turnovers early but was clean the rest of the game. His teammates need to find him more and his whistle needs to catch up to his rising star power. Honestly the main reason I watch this team right now.
Following Zac’s question from the preview, it seems like the last few games were a mirage. Four shots inside against this Celtics team? Decent rim protection but stickier hands would be appreciated.
Grade: D+
AJ Green
29 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1/5 3P, -27
Rough day at the office. Bad karma to be the first Buck to miss after a 13-3 start.
At least someone reached double-digits, even if my notes for a couple of his baskets included the word “somehow” and the efficiency leaves a little to be desired (luckily he got to the line). The team-best non-garbage plus-minus might speak to defense but I was busy watching the offense go nowhere.
Tried his best. The fouls showed some inexperience.
Grade: C-
Gary Trent Jr.
25 minutes, 9 points, 2/8 FG, 2/7 3P, -18
Just brutal. The two makes were splashed when the outcome was settled. And the one shot inside the arc was a classic fouled drive. It’s Gary at the rim, It’s Gary at the rim, It’s scary, It’s scary, It’s Gary at the rim!
Just another game of Bucks basketball under Doc Rivers. No screaming errors to me. I was surprised at the space that Milwaukee gave Boston from deep—not that it really hurt them—but maybe that’s just upholding tradition. I don’t have numbers on this, but it doesn’t feel like this was the first time that the Bucks came out hot before they pretty much fell apart. I didn’t see errors, but I didn’t see key in-game adjustments either. Maybe that’s upholding tradition too.
Grade: C-
Limited minutes: Andre Jackson Jr., Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince
Bonus Bucks Bits
It was the inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic, honoring the first Black players in the NBA. It turns out that Bobby Portis played one of them in a movie. Fun! It also turns out that a trophy was up for grabs. Not quite.
The five first-quarter turnovers weren’t a harbinger of things to come; only five more the rest of the way.
The Bucks tried to run in transition a bit in the first quarter, but nothing doing; outscored 11-1 in that department.
The net cam during free throws could be improved so that court language doesn’t awkwardly hover over the players. Just to be the squeaky wheel.
Doc Rivers got a shout-out from Bill Russell’s daughter. That’s something, at least!
Wesley Matthews vouched for a “case study” to determine who would find basketball interesting if it only consisted of free throws. I think you’re looking for a different social scientific methodology, friend.
Lisa described a kid who breakdanced at halftime and timeouts as “one of the best parts of the afternoon.” Too true, Lisa.
The Bucks may not have scored the ball, but at least their top three scorers put up 25 (Rollins), 16 (Kuzma), and 9 (GTJ). What’s so special about that, you ask? Pythagorean’s theorem, baby: 3^2 + 4^2 = 5^2.
Up Next
The Bucks return home for a three-game stretch starting Tuesday against the Bulls. Catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 20: Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game seven of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre on October 20, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB Rumors: Eugenio Suarez and the Cincinnati Reds are in agreement on a one year, $15 million deal with a $16 million mutual option for 2026, per reports.
I think it is fair to say that this is a much lighter deal than most were expecting. Suarez, 34, split the 2025 season between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners, and ended up accumulating 49 homers on the season. Ben Clemsns projected two years, $50 million for Suarez at Fangraphs, while Kiley McDaniel had him at 2 years, $45 million. Just $15 million for one year for a 49 homer guy from last year doesn’t seem to make sense.
There are some concerns, though, which would seem to help explain it. Suarez has become rather one-dimensional — his defense at third base has declined, and Cincinnati will be playing him primarily at a DH, per reports. He doesn’t get on base much, slashing .228/.298/.526, and strikes out a ton. Basically, his value is pretty much wrapped up in his home runs, and teams have long been leery of righthanded power hitters falling off the cliff. Suarez likely didn’t help himself with his .189/.255/.428 slash line for Seattle post-trade, though he did hit three home runs in the playoffs.
A couple of interesting things here, to me, anyway. Suarez has 1814 strikeouts in his career, which places him 26th all time, two behind Dave Kingman. However, given he struck out 196 times last year, and has averaged 190 Ks per season the last five years, if he plays every day, he has a good chance of cracking the 2000 K mark. Only 8 players have struck out at least 2000 times in their major league careers, though Paul Goldschmidt (1979) seems likely to reach 2000 Ks in 2026, assuming he plays, and Andrew McCutchen (1893) could get there as well if he lands somewhere he can play every day. He needs 189 to tie Andres Galarraga, who is currently 8th, and 158 to pass Justin Upton and reach the top 10.
The other interesting thing is that Suarez is seemingly coming full circle in his franchise travels. This is his second stint with the Reds, who traded him to Seattle in the spring of 2022. Seattle traded him to Arizona after the 2023 season, then re-acquired him last summer. To make it complete, after playing for the Reds this year, Suarez will need to join the Detroit Tigers, who signed him originally, and traded him to Cincy for Alfredo Simon in 2014.
One of the most impressive records in NBA history lives on.
The NBA announced this year's All-Star Game reserves before the debut of NBC's "Sunday Night Basketball" and LeBron James – not voted a starter for the first time since his rookie season two weeks ago – kept his record streak going and was named an All-Star for the 22nd consecutive year.)
James, 41, saw his other record of 20 consecutive All-Star appearances end last season when he was a last-minute scratch from the game due to ankle and foot soreness. He's also the All-Star Game's scoring leader with 434 points.
There is a chance for James to be a "starter" in an unofficial sense in this year's game due to the new format – three teams of at least eight players will compete in a "USA vs. the World" round robin-style tournament.
He was named an All-Star reserve Sunday, joining Jalen Brunson, who is a starter, as the two Knicks representatives.
Towns entered Sunday averaging 20 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists — all down from last season.
His efficiency is down as well; he entered Sunday shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3-point range.
Reserves are determined by the league’s head coaches.
Evidently, they still see Towns as an All-Star caliber player.
“I’m a firm believer that winning should be a big factor in it,” coach Mike Brown said before the Knicks hosted the Lakers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. “We’re sitting second or third in the East right now, so we should have multiple guys on the team. Jalen, definitely, he’s in the MVP conversation, but we’ve got other guys on this team that have stepped up and helped in a lot of different ways.
Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket during the Knicks’ Jan. 7 game. Charles Wenzelberg
“KAT, he’s leading us in rebounds, he’s second in scoring. I don’t know how many double-doubles he has, but that’s impactful when you’re talking about doing it in a winning situation. … We should have, in my opinion, two or three guys, at least, on this All-Star team based on what our record is. Not only that — we were NBA Cup champions, so there are a lot of positives, in my opinion, that point for that to happen.”
It’s Towns’ third straight All-Star nod and sixth total.
The Los Angeles Kings (23-17-14) pushed the Carolina Hurricanes (34-15-6) to the limit Sunday afternoon, but Sebestain Aho's overtime winner sealed a disappointing 3-2 loss for the Kings at Lenovo Center in a winnable game.
Despite being outshot 34-13, the Kings got excellent goaltending from Anton Forsberg to force extra time before Carolina closed it out in overtime.
Carolina opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play, when Jordan Staal scored off the nice feed from Andrei Svechnikov to make it 1-0. The Canes were the better team early on, generating high-quality scoring chances and converting them, while the Kings couldn't find the net despite creating good chances.
Los Angeles started to settle as the period came to an end, generating several chances off the rush, but couldn't score, ending intermission trailing by one.
In other news, though, early in the period, the Kings lost defenseman Mikey Anderson with an upper-body injury and did not return, forcing the Kings to play the remainder of the contest with five defenseman.
The second period and most of the regulation belonged to Anton Forsberg, who turned aside several of the Hurricanes' chances, including several point-blank shots very close to going into the net.
Drew Doughty was also great in the sequence where the Hurricanes were looking to extend their lead on a 2-on-1 rush play, but Doughty sprinted down the ice and blocked the shot from behind to keep the score 1-0.
With the defense keeping them in the game, the Kings' offense struggled to generate offense and help Forsberg, continually getting turned away by the Hurricanes or missing easy shots on rush plays.
Helenius and Byfield Bring Kings Back
The game opened up in the third period, with it still being very winnable for the Kings, trailing 1-0. Carolina, though, regained the lead at the 7:03 mark when Alexander Nikishin fired a shot past Forsberg to make it 2–0.
Los Angeles converted 24 seconds later, with Samuel Helenius finishing a play off a Carolina turnover to score his third goal of the season and give Los Angeles its first goal of the game.
Shortly, though, after scoring, Helenius exited the game and headed to the locker room with about six minutes left in regulation, and didn't return for the rest of the game. No update has been given yet on what happened, but a live update will come shortly after more information is provided.
A couple of minutes later, at the 3:11 mark, Quinton Byfield tied the game for Los Angeles, restoring the two-goal deficit from earlier in regulation. The goal looked to have given the Kings a lot of momentum after trailing throughout the entire match and going scoreless for 40 minutes.
No team was able to score in the last two minutes of regulation after
Carolina refused to let this game slip away after letting the game get close late. Aho delivered the game-winner at the 3:35 mark of overtime after faking a pass to score down the middle of the lane under Forsberg to win it for Carolina.
Forsberg finished with 31 saves in a strong performance, while the Kings’ power play struggled, going 0-for-2 on the night. Los Angeles was solid in the faceoff battle, matching the Hurricanes (50%), and was more physical than Carolina with 25 hits and 25 blocked shots.
Despite the loss, give credit to Los Angeles, which was battling with physicality and came back from behind to make it a game before coming up just short in overtime. Now, this finally caps off the Kings' road trip, ending it 3-1-1, 7 of 10 points total, and currently fourth in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Seattle Kraken.
The Kings' next game will be on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken at 7:00 P.M. PT, in a Western Conference showdown for potentially the third seed in the division.
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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Houston Astros right fielder Zach Cole (16) during an at bat in an MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels played on September 26, 2025 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We will continue to update this list with new articles as new information/acquisitions occur.
Spring Training is almost here. Astros pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach February 11.
This is the part of the year where that excitement starts to ramp up, it’s almost time for baseball to be back!
Now that the calendar has turned to February, let’s start taking a look at the Astros roster. While I do not believe the roster is a finished product and that Astros GM Dana Brown will continue to make some more moves, these projections will reflect only players currently in the Astros’ organization.
Here is my “as of Feb. 1, 2026” roster projections/depth chart for the Houston Astros:
Pitching Staff:
Starters (6): Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, Spencer Arrighetti, Ryan Weiss
Bullpen (7): Josh Hader (CL), Bryan Abreu (SU), AJ Blubaugh, Bennett Sousa, Bryan King, Steven Okert, Nate Pearson
AAA Depth: Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, Miguel Ullola, Jayden Murray, Kai-Wei Teng, Logan VanWey
Decisions looming: Enyel De Los Santos (out of options), Roddery Munoz (Rule V pick, must be on MLB roster or MLB IL or offered back to original team), Lance McCullers Jr. (retirement?)
The Astros top 4 starters are a virtual lock. The back two spots are the ones being battled for, and currently Spencer Arrighetti and Ryan Weiss should have the inside track.
Arrighetti has spent the last 2 seasons on the big league club, although 2025 was a forgettable year due to injury and ineffectiveness. How much of that ineffectiveness after his return was due to lingering injury is yet unknown. He must prove he is healthy and has regained his command. Arrighetti’s significant decrease in strikeout rate year over year (10.6 in 2024, 7.9 in 2025) combined with his very high walk rates (4.1 BB/9 in 2024, 5.0 BB/9 in 2025) and propensity for surrendering the long ball(1.3 HR/9 in 20024, 1.5 HR/9 in 2025) will need to be rectified or he will not stick at the MLB level.
Weiss has never pitched at the MLB level, but his tremendous stats in the KBO in 2025 (16-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.024 WHIP) and his demonstration of being able to pitch an entire season (178.2 IP in 2025) should give him a nod over AJ Blubaugh and Nate Pearson entering Spring Training.
Five of the seven bullpen spots return from last season, with two newcomers in Blubaugh and Pearson. The Astros need righthanded arms in the pen, where they are very lefty heavy. Since the Astros plan on utilizing a 6-man rotation, having multiple relievers capable of going multiple innings will be important for them.
Both Blubaugh and Pearson are capable of giving longer outings out of the pen, and being able to “save the pen” is going to be paramount for team that doesn’t have a lot of maneuverable spots in it’s pen to begin with. While Blubaugh still has options remaining, Pearson does not. If Pearson fails to impress or hold his own early, he could find himself with a one-way ticket to DFA-ville early.
Lance McCullers Jr. is a sentimentally difficult decision but not necessarily difficult from a production standpoint. Lance’s velocity on his fastball last season was not MLB caliber, and both he and the team know it. He will need to show improved velocity and command this spring or it will be time for that “come to the light” meeting where the Astros give him the choice of retiring as an Astro before the season or being DFA’d.
The Astros have shown they are not afraid to DFA players in the final year of their contracts and simply eat the money to free up the roster spot.
McCullers is a fan favorite. I cannot help but have the utmost respect for him as a competitor, watching him year after year work his tail off to recover from repeated injuries. Unfortunately, there comes a point in time where the body can no longer do as the mind and heart command and injuries accelerate that timetable. It may be that time for McCullers.
As this time, I would expect Jason Alexander to be the first man up from Sugar Land if one of the projected arms to start the year with the Astros underperforms or suffers an injury.
With 24 games in the first 26 days of the season, the Astros need some pitchers with options to call up fresh arms when they have to burn a pen arm for any reason.
Blubaugh, Gordon, Alexander, Murray and Teng all have options, and are all players who could be on the “Sugar Land Shuttle” if the Astros need pen reinforcements in the first month. Sousa also has options and has an injury question coming into the season regarding his left flexor tendon, which shut him down last year, though the Astros considered the injury minor and he did not need surgery.
Enyel De Los Santos is out of options and needs to make the club or pass through waivers. Logan VanWey is not on the 40-man roster. Roddery Munoz was a Rule V pick and will have to show monster improvement to make this roster. He has a significant likelihood of being returned to the Cincinnati Reds as Rule V picks must be offered back to the team they were selected from if they are not going to be on the MLB roster or MLB IL for the season.
Position Players:
STARTERS: Yainer Diaz (C), Christian Walker (1B), Jose Altuve (2B), Jeremy Pena (SS), Carlos Correa (3B), Zach Cole (LF), Jake Meyers (CF), Cam Smith (RF), Yordan Alvarez (DH)
BENCH: Isaac Paredes (CO), Cesar Salazar (C), Nick Allen (MI), Jesus Sanchez (OF)
AAA Depth: Zach Dezenzo (OF) Shay Whitcomb (UT), Taylor Trammell (OF), Carlos Perez (C)
There is likely to be some movement among this group before the season starts, as Astros GM Dana Brown has expressed desire for another lefty hitting outfielder and a veteran backup catcher. The Astros publicly deny that their logjam in the infield is an issue but information from around the league tells a different story of the Astros trying to figure out a way to make a deal that alleviates that logjam and improves the team at the same time.
In the meantime, Yainer Diaz projects to get a significant share of the catching reps, perhaps as much as 75% (120 games). That number could change if the Astros bring in a veteran (they have reportedly been exploring talks with Christian Vazquez though Vazquez has been a dreadful hitter since the Astros acquired him at the deadline in 2022), if Diaz struggles at the plate badly, or if they get unexpected production elsewhere. Right now, Cesar Salazar would seem to be the best option as a backup catcher. Houston is concerned about his bat at the MLB level, but if they are concerned about Salazar’s bat then they should be more concerned about Vazquez’ bat. If the rest of the team produces as it should, Salazar’s potential weak bat would not be much of an issue.
Christian Walker will start at 1B, although if Isaac Paredes is on the team and healthy, he may cede some playing time to him.
Paredes and Walker coexisting will be a challenge for Joe Espada, as getting enough ABs for both of those players will not only be a major challenge, but will be something the Astros manager will be asked about every single game.
Paredes can give Walker a day off (or 2) at first, Correa a day off at third, maybe an occasional day out of the field for Altuve at 2B (whether Paredes can truly play 2B is a question right now), and spell Yordan at DH every couple of weeks. That has Paredes in the lineup about 4 days a week, and has a lot of days off for both him and regulars.
Granted, two of those players are older players (Altuve, Walker) and two are injury-prone players (Alvarez, Correa), but if everyone is healthy it can be a pretty tough situation trying to keep everyone happy. (Before you ask, yes, happy matters, especially over 162 games.) Guys need to be accepting of their roles, and the biggest potential problem would be Paredes.
Paredes is the one with the most to gain by playing well and playing often. He has one year of arbitration remaining, and he can get either a long term extension or a big free agent contract if he gets enough opportunity and capitalizes on it. The opportunity may be diminished if he and Walker are both on the team and it forces Espada to use Paredes in a super utility role. The looming work stoppage that could potentially happen at the end of the 2026 season also plays a factor.
The outfield right now breaks down to just four players, as a 4 man bench limits opportunity and the team must use two spots for a backup catcher and backup shortstop, and one for Paredes. That leaves Smith, Meyers, Cole and Sanchez as the outfield.
Sanchez has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, with the Astros disappointed both by his offensive disappearing act once they acquired him from Miami last year and his defensive deficiencies. However, for his career he is a decent hitter against righthanded pitching.
Sanchez career numbers against RHP (.253/.324/.450 slash line, .774 OPS) are certainly playable at the bottom of the lineup, but his numbers vs. lefties are abysmal (.181/.231/.289 slash line, .520 OPS) for his career, and he is clearly a platoon player.
The Astros are hoping Cam Smith can take a step forward and be a productive hitter for an entire season and against both righties and lefties. While Dana Brown has said Smith is not guaranteed a roster spot to start the season, it’s hard to see who would take that roster spot from him, as competition right now for his spot would come from Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcomb and Taylor Trammell. None of those players should be striking fear in the heart of Smith that his spot is truly in jeopardy. Brown just wants more from a player he views as immensely talented in Smith.
Jake Meyers has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, but he is still on the team. If he is on the team, he starts in center.
Cole impressed the organization with his progress and power last season, and he will get a chance to show his wares plenty in spring.
Potential Lineups:
Pena – SS
Yordan – DH
Altuve – 2B
Correa – 3B
Walker – 1B
Diaz – C
Cole – LF
Smith – RF
Meyers – CF
I believe this can form the baseline of the Astros lineup. Sanchez will get time, solely against RHP, and he will get more time if Smith falters.
Paredes will get time as well, and could find himself hitting behind Correa in the 5 spot or pushing everyone down one slot by batting 2.
Salazar would be the 9 hitter anytime he played, pushing the bottom three hitters up a spot, ditto Allen. I would expect we would never see Allen and Salazar in the same lineup barring something unexpected or catastrophic. In fact, with the current roster, I would expect to see the Astros make Paredes a regular with any infield injury (he would start at 1B/2B/3B, and in the case of an injury to Pena – Correa would slide to SS and Paredes would play 3B).
Of note: Altuve hit .222 with a .316 OBP and .649 OPS batting 2nd (133 PA) and .276 with a .338 OBP and .854 OPS batting 3rd (350 PA) last season.
Yordan for his career is a .312 hitter batting second, with a .383 OBP and .926 OPS. In 2025, Yordan batted .338 with a .409 OBP and .909 OPS in 22 games batting second.
Paredes had his worst slash numbers batting second in 2025, posting a .233 AVG with a .337 OBP and .765 OPS in 58 games. For his career, he a .223 hitter batting 2nd with a .329 OBP and .751 OPS. His best slash line has been batting sixth, where he is a career .293 hitter with a .393 OBP and .999 OPS in 57 games.
Sebastian Aho scored early in overtime to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
Brandon Bussi made 11 saves to continue his dominant rookie season, while Jordan Staal and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who have earned at least a point in eight straight games (6-0-2).
Samuel Helenius and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg made 31 saves. The Kings wrapped up their road trip with a 3-1-1 record with one game (last Monday at Columbus) postponed due to severe winter weather.
A winter storm dumped snow all around North Carolina but Raleigh was mostly spared, which made it easier for about 14,000 fans to make it to the arena for the afternoon start.
A day after squandering a three-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss at Washington, Aho made sure the Hurricanes didn't blow a 2-0 lead against the Kings. He beat Forsberg 1:25 into the overtime period after the Kings' goalie had made two tough saves on Seth Jarvis.
Bussi, a 27-year-old rookie claimed off waivers four days before the season started, continues to be a revelation. He has won 21 of his 25 starts (21-3-1) to help the Hurricanes to first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Nikishin put the Hurricanes up 2-0 with 7:03 to play in the third period. Helenius responded 24 seconds later to cut the lead to 2-1. Byfield finished a beautiful pass from Adrian Kempe with 3:11 left in regulation to tie the game at 2-2.
Staal tipped in Andrei Svechnikov's pass for his third power-play goal of the season at 6:25 of the first period. Staal has matched last year’s scoring output with 13 goals but in 23 fewer games.
