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Sixers’ offense hums as they win 25th game vs. Giannis-less Bucks

When you adjust for snowstorms this has been a great start to the week for the Sixers.

Philadelphia bounced back with a decisive 139-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night.

Paul George, just shy of the franchise record for three-pointers in a game, dropped a game-high 32 points with five rebounds and five assists shooting 11-of-21 from the floor and 9-of-15 from three. Joel Embiid, off another brilliant first half, put up 29 points and nine rebounds going 11-of-24 from the field

Tyrese Maxey did a good job of putting the last one behind him, going for 22 points and nine assists on 9-of-19 shooting. Myles Turner led the Bucks with 31.

Quentin Grimes was out with an ankle sprain while the Bucks were without Taurean Prince, Kevin Porter Jr. and most importantly, Giannis Antetekounmpo.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • Maxey walking into an open midrange jumper off an Embiid screen to get on the board was certainly a palette cleanser compared to his outing against the Hornets. The Sixers got plenty of open jumpers early and were able to convert for a decent start. VJ Edgecombe hit his first long range shot of the night and PG hit two early threes as well.
  • It was nice to see Jared McCain get early minutes. With Quentin Grimes out that wasn’t a surprise, but Justin Edwards seeing the floor early was a bit more of a shock. He converted on an open corner three when the ball was swung to him just like George.
  • He wasn’t hitting as many shots from outside, but the most efficient start for the Sixers was from Embiid, who put up 18 points on 12 shots. He also helped McCain have his best five-minute stretch in quite some time. McCain used Embiid as a screener to knock down his first open three of the night, then get to the basket on a drive. On the other end they did struggle again with dribble penetration, helping the Bucks shoot 54.5% in the quarter, but the Sixers were hot enough to get out to an eight-point lead.

Second Quarter

  • When they held on to the ball, the Sixers’ process on offense was good enough to overcome the Bucks making three of their first five threes to start the second. Maxey drives opened up easy baskets for both himself and Kelly Oubre Jr. They weren’t getting a ton from their front court defensively, but Adem Bona was able to get on the board with an and-1 putback. When he missed the free throw, a fresh-into-the-game Dominick Barlow was able to grab another offensive rebound and dish it out for an open Edgeceombe. Barlow got on the board himself with yet another putback layup on the following possession.
  • The Sixers extended the lead and then some with Embiid on the bench, and Maxey looking more like Tyrese Maxey was the biggest reason for that. He played really well off of George, taking turns drawing the attention of the defense to get each other open.
  • Of course when Embiid returned, that only helped Maxey even more. Maxey threw a transition lob to Embiid, and they just looked so excited that that’s a play they were able to make happen again. As much as they continued to hum offensively, they never locked in defensively, allowing the Bucks to only be trailing by nine at the half.

Third Quarter

  • George made his first four jumpers of the second half, and the Sixers needed every one as their defense looked even worse than the first half. Turner started the half with baskets inside before Kyle Kuzma started going wherever he wanted off the dribble.
  • Suddenly needing to be perfect, the Sixers offense finally started to slow down. For the first time ever, they found a groove again when the Bucks threw a zone at them. Edgecombe was able to handle a double and find Oubre wide open at the rim. They swung it around on the next possession to fine a wide open Edgecombe in the corner before an Oubre transition basket and Maxey layup forced a timeout.
  • Maxey and Embiid went to their two-man game to keep the offense afloat, but PG keeping the hot hand from the start of the quarter gave the offense a big boost with two consecutive threes. Maxey capped things off with a pair of lightning fast drives to put the Sixers back at an 11-point lead.

Fourth Quarter

  • George’s production started to become well-rounded as he set Bona up for a bucket at the rim and McCain for a pair of threes. Edgecombe ran quick off a Bucks miss to hit McCain in transition for yet another three. Hitting his fourth out of five tries was just the type of night he needed — both himself and the building seemed to feed off of that energy.
  • Piling on in the best way, an offensive rebound found McCain coming out of a timeout and he buried the open corner three. The offense did stall for a bit ,with jumpers going cold and a dump-off to Bona being there only field goal for a couple of minutes.
  • It seemed like Nick Nurse wanted to give Embiid the fourth quarter off, but the Bucks made it just close enough to put him back out there for a couple of minutes. He immediately buried a corner three to keep up with Turner. He missed a midrange pull-up to cross the 30-point threshold again, but Edgecombe slamming back the miss was plenty enough of an exclamation point for this game.
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Blackhawks Legend Patrick Kane Ties Mike Modano For Most Points By An American

The Chicago Blackhawks were fortunate enough to select Patrick Kane with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. To say he lived up to that pick would be an understatement. He was everything the Blackhawks needed him to be and more. 

After leaving the Blackhawks and a quick cup of coffee with the New York Rangers, Patrick Kane landed with the Detroit Red Wings. 

On Tuesday, while playing for Chicago's century-old rival, Kane earned a secondary assist on a goal scored by another former Blackhawk, Alex DeBrincat. This isn't just any assist, though. 

On this goal, Kane earned career point number 1374, tying him with Mike Modano for the most ever by an American-born player. One more will make him the USA's all-time leading NHL scorer. 

Modano is expected to be in the building when Kane breaks his record, which will surely cement him as the greatest American-born player in league history. Add all of the championships and personal accolades on top of his gaudy statistics, and it leaves no doubt where he stands in history. 

Kane will look to break Modano's mark on Thursday night, when the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals. Whenever it happens, it is sure to be a special moment for Kane, USA Hockey, and the many folks who helped him reach that milestone. 

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Wednesday's Time Schedule

All Times EST

Wednesday, Jan. 28

NBA

Chicago at Indiana, 7 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

New York at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Orlando at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Golden State at Utah, 9 p.m.

San Antonio at Houston, 9:30 p.m.

NHL

N.Y. Rangers at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Colorado at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

T25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 10 Houston at TCU, 9 p.m.

No. 19 Florida at South Carolina, 9 p.m.

No. 25 St. John's vs. Butler, 7 p.m.

T25 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 1 UConn vs. Xavier, 8 p.m.

No. 2 UCLA at Illinois, 7 p.m.

No. 16 Maryland vs. No. 25 Washington, 7 p.m.

No. 21 Texas Tech vs. Iowa St., 7 p.m.

PWHL

Toronto at Montreal, 6:30 p.m.

New York at Boston, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Minnesota, 9 p.m.

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Cubs BCB After Dark: Where can the Cubs break?

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’re so glad to see you. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you which recent deal for a starting pitcher do you wish the Cubs had made? Most of y0u thought the Cubs made the right move as 55 percent of you picked Edward Cabrera. The deal the Mets made for Freddy Peralta finished in second with 34 percent.

On Tuesday nights/Wednesday morning, I don’t normally write about movies. But you still have time to vote in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classicmatchup between The Matrix and Back to the Future. But I always have time for jazz. I guess that time is now.

Tonight we’re featuring some funky rock fusion from Snarky Puppy, the supergroup led by bassist Michael League. This is from 2022 and is an original composition from League called “Bet.”

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.

Some of you may disagree with me, but I think the Cubs are a very good team this year without any real weaknesses. I go through the projected starting lineup, starting rotation and bullpen and there isn’t one guy on the team whom I think “He needs to be replaced.” This is a team that can make the National League Championship Series and beyond.

But “can” is a very different word than “will.” The Cubs have a good plan for 2026, but as Mike Tyson famously said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” And trust me, the Cubs are going to get punched in the mouth. Metaphorically, of course.

Last year, Justin Steele going down with elbow surgery was a punch in the mouth. Then the Cubs got another punch in the mouth with Shōta Imanaga went down with a hamstring injury. The Cubs managed to cover that over with a combination of Colin Rea and eventually Cade Horton, but come September, Horton was injured, Imanaga was not as effective after his injury and he really seemed to lose it by October. The Cubs ran out of starting pitching by the Division Series with the Brewers and that brought the 2025 season down.

So what I’m asking you to do is stress test the Cubs 2026 season. What’s most likely to go wrong? Where does the front office need to add extra redundancies to prevent disasters? Where, if something goes wrong, are the Cubs most screwed?

Obviously the starting pitching rotation is one place to worry about and yes, pitchers are going to get hurt. But the Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera and Justin Steele’s return is ahead of schedule. Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks are waiting in the wings and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins should make his major league debut sometime this season. Is that enough?

Then there is the bullpen, which was a source of strength last season but has almost been completely rebuilt after most of the relievers left as free agents. Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar are back. We hope Porter Hodge is healthy. Almost everyone else is new. Relievers are also very volatile from year to year. Have the Cubs done enough to make sure that they have the arms to get the final 9-to-12 outs every game?

Catching was a source of strength last year, but that was almost entirely because Carson Kelly had a career year. Can he do that again at 31? The Cubs suffered a huge blow last year when Miguel Amaya missed most of the season with two injuries. They lucked out when Reese McGuire stepped in and served as a solid backup to Kelly. Will the Cubs be as lucky again? Or maybe they’ll be luckier and Kelly and Amaya will be healthy all season and Moisés Ballesteros can fill in when necessary.

The infield looks pretty solid to me with the Alex Bregman signing and Matt Shaw moving to a utility role. I suppose there is the issue of how Michael Busch will do against left-handed pitching, but that’s what Tyler Austin is for. But maybe you see infield problems where I don’t.

Finally, the starting outfield is set with Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki. But what if one of them gets hurt? The Cubs traded away Owen Caissie, so he won’t be there for depth. He couldn’t play center field anyways, although I suppose Happ could in a pinch. There’s top prospect Kevin Alcántara, but the Cubs might prefer he gat at-bats in Iowa to sitting on the bench in Chicago. Are Dylan Carlson or Chas McCormick enough cover is something happens?

So what I’m asking you is what do you want keeping team president Jed Hoyer up nights worrying about. Where is the Cubs 2026 season most likely to break? What part of the team needs added reinforcements? Where are they most vulnerable?

Thank you for stopping by tonight. Please don’t forget your coat or anything else you may have checked. Get home safely. Stay warm. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.

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Corey Perry’s Late Goal Seals Kings’ 3-1 Win Over Red Wings

The Los Angeles Kings (22-16-13) delivered one of their more complete team performances tonight against the Detroit Red Wings (32-17-5), beating them on the road 3-1 at Little Caesars Arena. 

After losing the last matchup against the Red Wings on Oct. 30 in a shootout at home, the Kings were looking to flip the script tonight on the road. 

Behind great performances from Samuel Helenius and Andrei Kuzmenko, and a late goal down the stretch from Corey Perry to seal the deal, Los Angeles showed discipline and structure tonight with their depth and beat a very good Detroit team, which was 8-1-1 over its last 10 games, starting its road trip off on a high note.

Scoreless First

Despite both teams starting 0-0 in the opening period, the Kings controlled possession and dictated the pace. The Kings fired 9 shots on goal, while limiting Detroit to just 5, usings trong defensive pressure and forechecking to disrupt the Red Wings' zone exits. 

The fourth line of Samuel Helenius, Taylor Ward, and Jeff Malott stood out early, hounding the puck below the goal line and drawing penalties. The pressure from the Kings' line made it tough for Detroit to generate any offense, as Anton Forsberg was also great early on, turning away all five shots he faced in the opening frame. 

Helenius Sets the Tone

The Kings broke the tie in the second period when Samuel Helenius scored his second goal of the season after Los Angeles won the puck battle and fed Helenius to the center, where he finished past John Gibson, giving the Kings a 1-0 lead. 

Los Angeles continued to pressure Detroit in the period, forcing turnovers in all three zones. Detroit struggled to establish any rhythm offensively in the first 40 minutes of the game, while Forsberg denied several Red Wings' shots to keep the Kings ahead. 

King's Power Play Delivers

The Kings extended their lead early in the third period on the power play. Andrei Kuzmenko buried the low shot that beat Gibson, with Kevin Fiala picking up the assist off the nice pass. 

The goal marked Kuzmenko's 11th of the season and capped off a good movement with the puck that dismantled Detroit's penalty kill. 

Meanwhile, Detroit continued to struggle on the power play, finishing the night 0-for-4, while Los Angeles went 1-for-3 and controlled the special teams battle. 

Late Push Falls Short

Detroit finally showed some life late in the period with under two minutes remaining when Alex DeBrincat scored to cut the deficit to 2-1, infusing life into the building after the boos were heard in the stadium. However, any momentum was short-lived. 

Just over a minute later, Corey Perry restored the two-goal cushion with a dagger goal after the faceoff win from Los Angeles. Perry hit the puck from deep down the ice to seal it in the empty net. 

Los Angeles showed some fight today on the road, where they've been good all season, compared to at home, where they're 8-10-7, while they're 14-6-6 away from Crypto.com Arena.

The Kings were also very physical, with 21 hits to Detroit's 11 and blocked 16 shots to the Red Wings' 15. So, Los Angeles was clearly the more physical team tonight and the better defensive team, holding Detroit to just one goal for the first time in two weeks.

LA is now 2-0 in their six-game road trip and will look to continue this long stretch away from Crypto.com on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres at 4 P.M. PT.  

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Knicks 103, Kings 87: Cap outduels Deebo for New York’s third straight W

Coming into the Pride Night game at Madison Square Garden, the Sacramento Kings (12-36) had lost five straight and nine consecutive road games. They lost by 23 in Detroit on Sunday. One of the highlights of their season was the January 14 win over the Knicks (28*-18), which surely must have been a fluke.

Not so fast, sassafras. After plodding through the opening minutes, New York managed to finish the first quarter with a 10-point lead, primarily due to Mitchell Robinson being a wrecking ball off the bench. After scoring 36 in the first frame, though, New York managed just 16 in the second, could not figure out how to guard DeMar DeRozan, and held a scant 52-51 lead at halftime. In the third, DeRozan kept cooking, Anunoby turned it over five times, and despite Sacramento shooting blanks from three, the game was tied at 72 going into the fourth, when Captain Clutch donned his cape and dropped 11 points to blow the lid off the game. Final score, 103-87.

This game had a season high and a season low. Their 21 turnovers were the most given away by the Knicks this season, and Sacramento’s 32 three-point attempts were the fewest taken against New York so far. Brunson carried the offense with 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting, hit four threes, and posted a +17 plus-minus.

The league’s leading rebounder, Karl-Anthony Towns, delivered a 17-11 double-double, but was up-and-down tonight. Mikal Bridges was quietly excellent, scoring 18 on 8-of-13, and finishing with a +14. OG Anunoby filled the stat sheet with 15 points, three threes, and two steals, but his seven turnovers were rough on the eyes. Josh Hart did Josh Hart things (nine boards, four dimes, three steals), but seven points on just six shot attempts plus four turnovers made it a mixed bag.

Tonight’s lion was Robinson. He changed the game off the bench with 13 rebounds (six offensive), two steals, and a massive +25. Played 27 minutes, too. Give the man his hard hat and boots, coach.

For Sac Town, DeRozan did everything he could, pouring in 34 points on 13-of-26 shooting with seven free throws, but finished -17. Domantas Sabonis posted a low-calorie near triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. And Russell Westbrook tallied 14 points on 6-of-19, 2-of-9 from three, and six turnovers.

First Half

Load management dictates that Mitchell Robinson plays one game of back-to-backs. Why would the Knicks employ him against the Kings rather than reserve him for tomorrow’s tilt with the third-place Raptors? These are the mysteries of the universe. Regardless, Mitch came off the bench and owned the quarter, playing half the period and grabbing almost a rebound per minute. Fittingly, his tip-in dunk closed the period.

Friends and neighbors, this is actual speed.

The Kings’ offense was a mess. They shot 40% from the floor and 3-of-9 from deep. DeRozan ate his usual diet of midrangers, but Westbrook and Schröder were bricking, and Sabonis had trouble holding onto the rock. Sacramento held a small lead until the midway point, when Brunson and Bridges hit the gas. Playing all 12 minutes, Jalen drilled two threes and attacked the lane aggressively (the ankle looks good!), scoring 10. Bridges followed with a nifty 4-of-6 for nine.

As the offense improved, so did the defense. With timely steals from Anunoby, Shamet, and KAT, the Knicks stretched their lead to ten. By the buzzer, they were ahead 36-26.

For one stretch this season, Tyler Kolek would start the second quarter at the point to give Brunson a break. With Shamet back in the fold, that trend has come to an end. He’s had two DNPs over the last seven games, logged 2:41 against the Mavs, and, when he last saw action, played less than 10 minutes against Brooklyn. Tonight, he didn’t take the floor in the first half, and we’re reminded that a lot can happen before the February 5 trade deadline.

In Q2, that fine first-half shooting fell apart for New York. The offense stalled with Brunson on the bench, and didn’t necessarily improve when he returned. Turnovers were the biggest bugaboo. New York’s 11 giveaways were the most they’d coughed up in a first half this season. How bad did it get? In the second period, New York squeaked out just 16 points.

DeRozan led the rally, scoring at will inside the arc and from the free-throw line. As the only King in double-digit points, he kept the game competitive by himself. Deebo’s just giving potential trade destinations some fresh tape! With DeMar aflame and the Knicks crashing the plane, the Kings came back to overtake the Knicks just before the buzzer, but a KAT drive made the intermission score 52-51. (Can you imagine, some fool predicted the home team to win by 60?)

DeRozan’s only triple in the half:

Other than the three-point shooting, which New York won 38%-27%, the halftime statistics were essentially identical on both sides of the column. The Kings had a few more rebounds, the Knicks had a few more assists. Brunson was the only Knick in double-digits, with 13 points.

Second Half

Hey, refs! Jalen Brunson got hammered in the third quarter, and not in a Jose Cuervo kinda way. On the broadcast, Clyde said something about him flopping a lot as a reason for the umps swallowing their whistles while Jalen ate the court. Frazier also bemoaned the fact that once again, the Knicks were letting one guy beat them while DeRozan bucketed and bucketed . . . and bucketed. . . . Who can argue the logic of an elder twice enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Swear my grandmother had that couch.

Through the third, New York coughed up the ball five more times. The weird thing is that all five were committed by Anunoby. Note, the Kings were shooting 18% from deep (4-of-21), but the Knicks still couldn’t get any breathing room. Playing disorganized defense—and offense for that matter—they let the Kings regain the lead by the middle of the quarter and tie the game at 72 by the end. After scoring 36 points in the first frame, New York managed just 36 points in the second and third frames combined. And the Kings’ defense is ranked 27th in the league.

Every time we start to think the Knicks are back on track, they don’t take care of business against the dregs of the league. Anunoby doesn’t deserve all the blame. Brunson and Towns were uneven in the quarter, too. If not for Mitchell Robinson, they’d be trailing from a distance. The big fella posted four points, grabbed six rebounds (three offensive), and added a steal.

Behold this gorgeous giraffe.

Towns drilled two early treys to start the fourth quarter and passionately exhorted the crowd to its feet. For the moment, he seemed engaged and excited. Brunson woke up, too, and scored in the face of Precious Achiuwa (who worked all the revenge juice out of his system in their last matchup, evidently), and gradually the Knicks’ lead grew to 12. Brunson tallied 11 fourth-quarter points and hit three threes to finally put some daylight on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Westbrick shot 1-0f-6 from deep to deep-six any hopes of a rally.

Wins feel great. We just hope that the extra effort exerted by the starters tonight doesn’t bite them tomorrow when . . . .

Up Next

It’s a quick jaunt across the border for a tussle with the Toronto Raptors tomorrow eve! Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

* Should be one more, but the NBA Cup doesn’t count.

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Sloppy Puck Play Hurts Red Wings In 3-1 Loss To Kings

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The Detroit Red Wings returned home from a successful 2-0-1 road trip, hoping to carry that momentum into another win against the Los Angeles Kings at Little Caesars Arena.

Instead, the Kings avenged their 5-2 loss to Detroit from exactly one year earlier (as well as Detroit's 4-3 shootout win in Los Angeles on Oct. 30), stifling the Red Wings’ offense in a 3-1 victory.

Andrei Kuzmenko scored what proved to be the game-winning power-play goal at 6:46 of the third period, doubling what had been a 1-0 lead. 

Alex DeBrincat gave the Red Wings life with his 28th tally of the season late in regulation, but Detroit proved unable to come up with the equalizer. 

With an assist on DeBrincat's goal, Patrick Kane tied Mike Modano with 1,374 career points and is only one point away from becoming the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history. 

While the Red Wings remain in second place in the Atlantic Division standings despite the loss, things got even tighter thanks to victories by both the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

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Following a scoreless 20 minutes of play, the Kings found the back of the net first, exactly 10 minutes into the second period, as fourth-line forward Samuel Helenius beat goaltender John Gibson with a quick shot through the five-hole. 

Detroit had multiple chances that were stymied by Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg, leading up to Kuzmenko's power-play tally in the third period. 

Despite a late push by Detroit following their first and only goal of the night, longtime Red Wings nemesis Corey Perry delivered the knockout blow with an empty-net goal with 1:13 left in regulation. 

Gibson saw his winning streak come to a close, making 19 saves. Meanwhile, Forsberg was especially sharp in the third period, finishing with 27 saves. 

Detroit, which suffered just its second regulation loss in its last 11 games, also went 0-for-3 on the power play.

The Red Wings will next host the Washington Capitals on Thursday evening.

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No. 14 Baylor women hold off Houston 82-66 for 8th straight win

WACO, Texas (AP) — Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored 25 points, Bella Fontleroy added a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 14 Baylor held off Houston's late surge for an 82-66 victory on Tuesday night for the Bears' eighth straight win.

Houston had trailed by double digits since midway through the second quarter but used a 14-6 run to cut the deficit to 71-64 with 5:17 remaining. Baylor scored the next 11 points to seal it.

Littlepage-Buggs shot 10 of 11 from the floor, 5 of 6 for the line and grabbed eight rebounds. Fontleroy made three of the Bears' six 3-pointers. Taliah Scott added 14 points and Kyla Abraham scored 10 for Baylor (19-3, 8-1 Big 12).

Kyndall Hunter Amirah and Abdur-Rahim Houston scored 17 points apiece for Houston (6-14, 0-9). Briana Peguero chipped in with 14 points and had seven assists.

Scott's 3-pointer stretched Baylor's lead to 25-13 with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter. The Bears had their largest lead, 58-37, with 1:43 to play in the third quarter.

Baylor is 5-0 against Houston in Big 12 play.

Up next

Houston: Host Cincinnati on Sunday.

Baylor: At No. 22 West Virginia on Sunday.

___ 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

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Dahlin scores first NHL hat trick to lead Sabres to 7-4 win over Maple Leafs

TORONTO (AP) — Rasmus Dahlin had the first hat trick of his NHL career to go along with two assists and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Tage Thompson, with a goal and an assist in his 500th NHL game, Josh Doan, Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn also scored for Buffalo, which has won four straight.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed two goals on five shots before leaving with a lower-body injury in the first period. Colten Ellis made 16 saves in relief. Mattias Samuelsson added three assists.

Auston Matthews and Max Domi each had a goal and two assists for Toronto. Bobby McMann, with a goal and an assist, and Matthew Knies also scored. Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots.

The Maple Leafs came home last week off a successful road trip, but finished their disastrous five-game homestand with a solitary point (0-4-1) and have dropped seven of eight overall.

The club entered play six points back of the second wild-card spot and are now eight adrift of the Sabres in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres have an NHL-best 19-3-1 record since Dec. 9.

Former Maple Leaf Darryl Sittler was honored before puck drop in a ceremony marking 50 years since he set an NHL record with 10 points in a game. The former Toronto captain had six goals and four assists in an 11-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976.

Doan scored his first goal since signing a seven-year contract extension. Doan’s father, Shane, is a special adviser to Toronto general manager Brad Treliving.

Up next

Sabres: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Maple Leafs: At the Seattle Kraken on Thursday in the opener of a six-game trip.

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

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Brunson, Knicks use a big fourth quarter to beat the Kings 103-87 for their 3rd straight win

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and the New York Knicks dominated the fourth quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 103-87 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.

Mikal Bridges added 18 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who outscored the Kings 31-15 in the final period after the game was tied at 72 after three.

DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points for the Kings, who lost their sixth straight. Russell Westbrook added 14 points, but he and DeRozan combined to go 3 for 16 from 3-point range on a night when Sacramento finished 5 for 30 (16.7%).

Mike Brown earned his first victory as Knicks coach against the team that fired him last season, two years after he was NBA Coach of the Year after leading Sacramento to the 2023 playoffs.

Towns hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and sank another to cap an 8-2 spurt that made it 80-74.

DeRozan's basket cut it to 90-85 before Brunson made a 3 then two straight baskets before OG Anunoby's dunk made it 99-85. Brunson hit a free throw after a technical foul on Sacramento, then drained another 3 to cap a 13-0 run and make it 103-85.

Anunoby scored 15 points as the Knicks won despite committing 21 turnovers.

Up next

Kings: Visit Philadelphia on Thursday.

Knicks: Visit Toronto on Wednesday.

___

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

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Sergachev's goal helps lift Utah Mammoth to 4-3 win over Florida Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Mikhail Sergachev scored in the third period to put Utah ahead to stay, and the Mammoth held on for a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Nick Schmaltz, Sean Durzi and Barrett Hayton also scored goals for the Mammoth, who have won nine of their last 11 games and played without top goal-scorer Dylan Guenther, who has a lower-body injury. Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves and Durzi also had an assist.

Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves for Florida, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Sergachev's goal with 8:55 to play gave Utah a 3-2 lead and Hayton made it 4-2 with an empty-netter with 56 seconds to play. Verhaeghe scored with 16 seconds left to pull the Panthers within 4-3, setting up a frantic final few seconds.

Schmaltz scored an unassisted short-handed goal with 4:14 to play in the first period when he picked up a loose puck just inside his own blue line, skated in alone and backhanded it past Bobrovsky.

The second short-handed goal of Schmaltz's NHL career (the first was on March 26, 2024, against Columbus) gives him 15 points in his last 14 games (7 goals, 8 assists).

Vilmanis' goal 2:52 into the second was the first of his NHL career and tied it at 1-1. The team's fifth-round draft choice in 2022 was playing in his ninth NHL game.

The Panthers went scoreless on the power play in four chances.

Florida's A.J. Greer played in his 300th career game

Up next

Mammoth: Play at Carolina on Thursday night in the final game of a four-game road trip.

Panthers: Visit St. Louis on Thursday night.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Detroit's Patrick Kane ties Modano for American-born NHL points mark in 3-1 loss to Kings

DETROIT (AP) — Anton Forsberg made 26 saves and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Red Wings 3-1 on Tuesday night as Detroit winger Patrick Kane moved into a tie with Dallas' Mike Modano as the highest-scoring American-born players in NHL history.

Kane matched Modano by recording his 1,374th point on an assist on a goal by Alex DeBrincat late in the third period. He accomplished the feat just a couple of months after turning 37, while Modano was 40 when he scored a goal to register point No. 1,374. For his career, Kane has 500 goals and 874 assists in 1,341 NHL regular-season games. Modano retired in 2011 with 561 goals and 813 assists in 1,499 games.

Samuel Helenius, Andrei Kuzmenko and Corey Perry scored for the Kings, who won their third straight game.

Detroit's John Gibson made 19 saves and had his eight-game win streak halted, surrendering a goal midway through the second period and a power-play score early in the third.

The Kings have earned points in their last six games (3-0-3). The Red Wings lost for just the second time in six games and third time in their last 11.

Helenius got Los Angeles on the board at the 10-minute mark of the second period, scoring his second of the season by converting a feed from Jeff Malott from behind the net.

Kuzmenko extended the lead to 2-0 for the Kings at 6:46 of the third period, scoring on the power play on assists from Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala. The goal was the 24th of the season with a man advantage for the Kings, who rank last in the NHL on the power play.

DeBrincat scored and pulled Detroit within 2-1 at 17:45 of the third period after the Red Wings pulled Gibson for the extra skater. Kane and Moritz Seider assisted.

The Kings iced the game when Perry scored into an empty net at 18:47.

Up next

Kings: At Buffalo on Thursday in the third game of a six-game trip.

Red Wings: Host the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

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

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Knicks overcome turnover issues in 103-87 win over Kings

The Knicks avoided another inexcusable performance against the Kings, splitting their season series with a 103-87 win on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Mikal Bridges was the Knicks' leading scorer in their sloppy road loss to the Kings back on Jan. 14, and Tuesday's rematch happened to begin with the veteran guard igniting their offense with nine first-quarter points on four-made shots. While the Kings steadily attacked in the early minutes, leading by as many as five points midway through the opening period, they were forced to burn a timeout after allowing a quick 9-0 run to the Knicks. The break in action didn't cool off the Knicks -- they shot 54 percent from the floor and led 36-26 through 12 minutes of action.

-- Points were scarce for New York in the second quarter. They mustered a pair of buckets through the first four minutes, and that cold spell opened a window for the Kings, who trimmed their deficit to five, 45-40, with 5:50 left in the half. The Knicks' lack of rhythm was also due to poor ball control -- they committed a season-worst 11 first-half turnovers -- and in the closing minutes of the quarter, the Kings produced their own sudden 9-0 run that placed them ahead, 51-50. A driving layup from Karl-Anthony Towns with 14 seconds left gave the Knicks a 52-51 edge at the break.

-- Bridges wasn't a factor in the second quarter, as he took just one shot and remained at nine points. The Knicks' first-half leader was Jalen Brunson, but even his 13 points came on an underwhelming 3-of-9 shooting. DeMar DeRozan handily carried the Kings, scoring 22 first-half points and resembling the threat he posed in their Jan. 14 meeting (he contributed a game-high 27 points then). There weren't any other players with double-digit points through 24 minutes of play.

-- The Knicks didn't take too kindly to the Kings' physicality in the third quarter. By the 7:20 mark, a jumper from veteran Russell Westbrook put the Kings ahead again, 61-60, and both teams continued to exchange blows to the tune of a 72-72 tie by the buzzer. Turnovers continued to plague the Knicks, as they committed seven in the period to put their game total to an ugly 18. They also struggled to defend DeRozan, who reached 28 points -- his sixth-highest mark of the season -- entering the final quarter.

-- Towns tried his best to take matters into his own hands, scoring six of the Knicks' first eight points in the fourth on a pair of threes while clinching a double-double. With some assistance from OG Anunoby and five unanswered points from Brunson, their lead over the Kings climbed back to double-digits, 95-85, with 3:07 remaining. Following a media timeout, the tandem combined for another four points, bumping the Knicks' lead to a game-high 14 that forced the Kings to burn a timeout with 2:02 left. Their message on the bench was all for naught -- the Kings scored just two points in the final four-plus minutes, finishing with a measly 13 in the quarter. DeRozan gave the Knicks fits, adding 34 points in total, but his efforts weren't enough.

-- The only Knicks starter who failed to score double-digit points was Josh Hart, who added seven in 31 minutes. But the veteran made his presence known elsewhere, logging nine rebounds and four assists while forcing three turnovers. Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson combined for 16 points off the bench -- Robinson registered a team-best 13 boards -- and in spite of a season-high 21 turnovers, the Knicks' talent and tenacity prevailed.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson came to life in the fourth quarter, racking up 11 crucial points that pushed his total to a team-best 28. The Knicks captain has averaged 25.2 points over his last four games. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks (28-18), now on a three-game win streak, will have travel north of the border for a Wednesday night matchup against the Toronto Raptors (7:30 tip-off).

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Jake Evans scores in overtime to lift Canadiens past Golden Knights 3-2

MONTREAL (AP) — Jake Evans scored at 3:58 of overtime, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.

Cole Caufield, with his 30th goal of the season, and Phillip Danault also scored for Montreal, as the Habs halted a two-game losing skid.

Mike Matheson ran his point streak to a season-long five games with an assist on Caufield’s goal.

Jakub Dobes made 32 saves in his first career start against Vegas. The 24-year-old boasts a 6-0-1 record over his past seven games, with his last regulation loss coming against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 9.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored both goals for the Golden Knights, who lost their third straight game against Montreal, dating back to last season.

Akira Schmid stopped 23 shots in the losing effort. The Swiss netminder lost for the second time in as many starts against Montreal this season.

Caufield, who had a hat trick in his team’s 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, has scored in six straight games, the longest streak of his career. Caufield has nine goals over that six-game stretch.

Noah Hanifin skated in his 800th career NHL game for the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old Boston native became the first player of the 2015 draft class to reach the milestone.

Up next

Golden Knights: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Canadiens: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

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

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Patrick Kane ties Mike Modano as top U.S. scorer

The performance wasn't among the Detroit Red Wings' best, but there was still a milestone to celebrate as Patrick Kane tied metro Detroit native (and former Red Wing) Mike Modano for most points in NHL history by a U.S.-born player.

The Los Angeles Kings, who are fighting for a playoff spot, had the better start and middle in their only appearance of the season at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 27. It wasn't until the third period that the Wings looked like they had some pop to them and got on the scoreboard, but they couldn't undo the slow start and lost, 3-1.

Red Wings playoff picture

That kept the Wings at 69 points, with a 32-17-5 record. The Tampa Bay Lightning (70 points) were idle, and still have three games in hand on the Wings atop the Atlantic Division. Kane's next chance to pass Modano will come with a notable record-holder in the building: Alex Ovechkin, who holds the NHL's all-time goals record, with 918, and the Washington Capitals visit Little Caesars Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/HULU). After that, the Wings will host Colorado at 1 p.m. ET Saturday in their last home game until March 4.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL: Detroit Red Wings have one thought in mind as trade market heats up

The Kings, whose scheduled game on Monday against the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio, was postponed because of snow, looked like they had the fresher legs, even though both teams had been off since Saturday. They scored their second goal while defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker was in the penalty box early in the third period, with Andrei Kusmenko scoring on a low shot. Goalie Anton Forsberg, who had a good night, denied Alex DeBrincat in the final minutes.

The Wings pulled goalie John Gibson with about 3½ minutes to play for an extra attacker, and during that stretch, DeBrincat did succeed, edging the Wings within a goal with 2:15 on the clock. Kane's assist gave him 1,374 career points.

Corey Perry added an empty net goal at 18:47.

A sleepy start at LCA

The Wings were home again after taking five of six points on a trip north and west. But right from the get-go Tuesday, they looked off.

Gibson was tested right away, by Warren Foegele. Midway through the first period, the Wings were assessed back-to-back penalties, to Albert Johansson and Dylan Larkin. It was while killing off the Larkin penalty that Moritz Seider was tripped, sending the Wings on a power play, as Larkin was released 6 seconds later. But the Wings got nothing out of the man advantage, running around chasing pucks and failing to generate a good chance against Forsberg. It was reflective of the Wings' first period overall: Sloppy.

That didn't improve much when the second period began, and sure enough, midway through, the Kings scored. Jeff Malott was in a forecheck when he got his stick on the puck and fired a backhand pass out to Samuel Helenius in the slot for a 1-0 lead.

A second power play wasn't enough to generate momentum for the Wings, who squandered the last 1:39 of the second period again running around accomplishing little. The Wings had 10 shots on goal after 40 minutes.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Patrick Kane ties Mike Modano as top US scorer in NHL