The New York Knicks entered Wednesday night's game having lost four consecutive contests, but you would have never known it given the way they obliterated the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks won 120-66, their 54-point margin of victory a team record. It could have been even worse − at one point the Knicks led by 59.
The 54-point margin of victory easily shattered the Knicks' previous record of 48, achieved three times (in 1994, 1972 and 1968).
Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 20 points, and five other Knicks scored in double figures. They shot 57% as a team, including 50% from 3 (16-for-32).
The Nets, by comparison, shot a grisly 29% from the field (23-for-79). They were also soundly beaten on the boards (56-27) and in the assist department (28-15).
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss pushed back on an ESPN report about the family drama that led to the sale of the Lakers, specifically the part that said she had grown frustrated with LeBron James and even floated the idea of trading him in the wake of the disastrous Russell Westbrook trade. Here is what Jeanie wrote to The Athletic's Sam Amick.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued this statement to @TheAthletic in response to today’s ESPN story, which includes reporting about her relationship with LeBron James.
“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled…
"Who gives a s***. I don't, right? You don't know what's true, what's not true. But where there's smoke, there's fire. I seen some of the stuff that came out about it and obviously they talked about different scenarios in terms of power that we may have. Here's all I know. There's an appreciation for guys like Michael Irvin, there should be, our legends. And there damn sure should be appreciation for a guy like LeBron."
There has been some tension around LeBron and the Lakers in the last year, more tied to the franchise turning the page to Luka Doncic and the future — this is the first time in his career that LeBron was not the primary focal point of the organization he was a part of. Buss and Warriors owner Joe Lacob had some talk about a LeBron trade, although that didn't go anywhere it speaks to where the relationship is.
LeBron's relationship with the Buss family — and, to a degree, with Lakers fans — is very different than the ones that Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson had. That may be a function of the modern NBA and LeBron coming in with an established brand more than anything else, but things have not always been smooth. There has been frustration on both sides. How much that frustration impacted things is up for debate, maybe Buss floated a LeBron trade internally but ultimately he got his max contract extension and no trade clause. The Lakers and LeBron stayed in business together.
With new ownership and LeBron at the end of his career, all that may now be changing. And with that comes a new, and maybe increased, tension.
LeBron has yet to speak about this but likely will on Thursday when the Lakers travel across town to face the Clippers at the Intuit Dome.
The Boston Celtics return home to TD Garden after a tough 4-game road trip. Boston led all game in a homecoming win by 15 points, 119-104. Newly minted All Star starter, Jaylen Brown led the team with 30 points in just 33 minutes, Hauser had 5 triples with 17 points on a hot shooting night in Boston.
Sam Hauser hit two early three-pointers to start the game for Boston. The sharp shooting Hauser has been hitting threes at a 39.5 percent clip on the season and has made 16 threes in his last 3 outings for Boston. The C’s had an early lead of 10-7 at the first TV timeout.
The trio of Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, and Anfernee Simons were first off the bench for the home team. Garza scored on his now patented deceleration cutting layup past a leaping Pacer big man. Payton Pritchard scored on a layup and was fouled by Jackson in the act of shooting, with the C’s starting PG hitting the bonus free throw.
Pascal Siakam was cooking early for the Pacers with a mix of jumpers and rim play, and he had 9 quick points in the first quarter to pace Indy. The power forward is staking his claim for All-Star reserve selection. Indiana beat Boston just over a week ago in a low-scoring game, and tonight was more of the same in the first quarter for the sluggish Pacers.
Scheierman’s corner triple gave the C’s an early seven-point lead, and Pritchard’s buzzer-beating three at the horn gave Boston a 30-20 lead at the end of the quarter.
Tony Bradley scored on the interior to start the 2nd quarter; the 6-foot-10 big was on his second 10-day contract with Indy following a string of injuries. Jordan Walsh was impacting things on both ends for Boston in his early minutes; he chased down 2 rebounds and nailed a triple on his first shot of the game in just 7 quick minutes of action. Sam Hauser swished home a three for Boston off a sweet JB assist; the Celtics were pushing the pace in the second quarter, up by 14 points, 38-24.
Hugo Gonzalez got his first run of the game at the midway point of the second quarter, and the rookie stuck a big three-pointer on his first shot of the game. Joe Mazzulla had Hugo matched up with 7-foot-1-inch center Jay Huff. Brown hit a sweet turnaround jumper, following that up with a wide-open transition layup.
Jan 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) gets off a shot past Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Boston went on a 15-0 run before Pascal Siakam finally snapped the scoring streak for the visiting Pacers, Boston stretching the lead out to 23 points, 57-34. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points for Boston in the second quarter a few days after he was named a starter in the All Star game.
Queta had back-to-back dunks for Boston, Derrick White chipped in his first three of the game in front of the commentary bench, Boston headed to the change rooms with a 20 point lead, 66-46.
Sam Hauser opened the second half with a sweet drive and one-handed flick pass to Queta on the rim-rattling jam. Hauser had his fourth triple of the game off a Derrick White assist. Siakam had 5 straight points for the Pacers, as they started to chip away at Boston’s lead, getting it back to 16 points at the 9 minute mark.
Brown scored on a tough driving layup, his 21st of the game with Johnny Furphy draped all over him. Brown took Jay Huff all the way to the cup on the next play but missed both free throw attempts from the stripe. Brown would take a seat with 5 minutes to go in the third quarter, logging 23 points.
Jordan Walsh had a huge block on a Ben Sheppard’s corner three attempt, the ball sailing into the stands. Walsh chased down Potter on the break for another block attempt, but the replay confirmed Walsh got a piece of arm on the play.
Indiana cut into Boston’s big lead with a 16-4 run, the Celtics retained a 15-point lead with Jaylen Brown on the bench. A Ben Sheppard triple gave Indiana a ray of hope, cutting it back to 9-points. Things were setting up for another close battle down the stretch at TD Garden with a quarter to go.
Brown lead the C’s in scoring after 3 quarters with 23 points, Siakam had 27 points for the visitors, the Celtics up by 13 points, 91-78 after three.
Jan 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots over Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Sam Hauser peeled off a neat Garza screen to hit his fifth three of the night, Simons playing the facilitator with a second assist on the night. Boston started of the fourth quarter hitting 7 points to Indy’s 4 points to start the fourth. Pritchard’s pull up two-pointer saw Boston hit the 100-point mark with seven minutes to go in the game.
With Indy down 15, it felt like they would run out of time to make a comeback as Boston had answers to every Pacer challenge. Brown had a steal and layup to stretch the lead back to 19 points. Brown was in complete control hitting 30 points for the 24th time of the year on a swooping two-footed layup across the key. Brown went to the bench with a 30-piece in the bag, both teams rolling with the bench squads to close things out, Boston sailing to victory.
Boston hit the road again to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
The Jimmy Butler injury has drastically altered the landscape for the Golden State Warriors in more ways than one.
For starters, it may have effectively dashed any hope for the Warriors to become frisky contenders this season, let alone for the rest of the Stephen Curry era. This has forced the organization to consolidate their assets and make choices before the February 6 trade deadline: trade or keep Butler’s contract that has two years left; trade or keep Jonathan Kuminga; attempt to acquire auxiliary role players that will further help the Warriors have an outside shot at contention.
But another choice looms over their heads, involving head coach Steve Kerr.
“But Kerr’s future is still up in the air. This is the final year of his contract, and as of Wednesday, he has yet to sign a new deal. Though Kerr has publicly been mum about his future, multiple assistant coaches have been operating under the premise that he will not return next season, according to team sources, with some surveying the league to secure jobs next season. Last month, longtime assistant Chris DeMarco left the staff to be the head coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty.”
There could be indications that Kerr is treating this year as his last dance. The push and pull over the Kuminga situation has signaled a clear disconnect between the higher-ups of the organization and the coaching staff. The former seems to want to hold on to Kuminga for a while longer, while the latter has lost faith in Kuminga and his ability to fit into the Warriors’ intricate system.
Kerr seems ready to head into the proverbial sunset and close this chapter of his coaching career, in which he steered the Warriors to four championships in tandem with Curry. Time will tell if Kerr moves on to another team or outright retires from clipboard duties. Whichever the case, Kerr’s time will be remembered fondly for his role in transforming a beleaguered bottom-dwelling team into a dynastic powerhouse.
The first home game back after a long road trip can be difficult, as the Charlotte Hornets showed. They came out flat and couldn’t make outside shots as they scored just 32 points in the first half. The Cleveland Cavaliers took advantage of this as they took a 24-point advantage into the break.
The roles were reversed in the second half. The Cavs couldn’t make anything offensively over the final two quarters, which allowed Charlotte back into the game. The Hornets won the second half by 17, but the Cavs were still able to hang on to a less-than-inspiring 94-87 victory.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade would be an average performance for a particular player.
Donovan Mitchell
24 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 8 turnovers
Mitchell struggled to take care of the ball, which is the last thing you want your starting point guard to do. He committed eight of the team’s 21 turnovers and was a large reason why the Cavs struggled in that area so much.
The scoring didn’t counterbalance the lack of ball security. Mitchell had an uncharacteristically inefficient night. He connected on just two of his eight three-point attempts and went 6-12 on shots inside the arc. Needing 20 shots to get to 24 points against a poor Charlotte defense isn’t what we’ve come to expect from Mitchell this season.
This was far from his best game.
Grade: D+
Jaylon Tyson
14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
This wasn’t Tyson’s most efficient scoring night, but he showed up when the Cavs needed him to. Seven of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was getting away from them. That’s incredibly helpful, even if this wasn’t his best night shooting as he went 1-9 from three and 6-17 from the floor.
Grade: C+
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Mobley absolutely dominated the first two quarters. He exposed nearly every offensive mismatch that came his way by aggressively driving to the basket. And even when he didn’t have a mismatch, he drove to the basket with ease against a smaller Hornets front court. This led to Mobley going 5-6 on shots in the restricted area in the first half.
That aggressiveness carried over to the defensive end as well. Mobley was disruptive in passing lanes and dominant on the glass as he grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half.
Then, that offensive effectiveness and aggression just went away. He scored only one point in the second half on just two attempts. And while Mobley was still great defensively, he wasn’t the All-NBA level player he was in the first half.
Games like this underline how frustrating the Mobley experience has been this season. Yes, the Hornets were packing the paint much more in the second half, but that isn’t an excuse for just disappearing on that end. Someone with his talent should be a helpful offensive player against a front line that is this inept defensively.
Grade: C
Tyrese Proctor
5 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists
Proctor just looks like an NBA player when he’s on the court. He competed well on the defensive end and isn’t afraid to take threes when he has an opportunity to do so. Both are things you want him to do, but the shot needs to be more consistent. Proctor went just 1-4 from beyond the arc on Wednesday. It’s easy to envision him becoming an incredibly useful player once his three-point shot becomes more consistent.
Grade: C
Craig Porter Jr.
7 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has compared Porter to a power forward before. A game like this shows why it’s a good comparison, and why that might be a problem.
Porter had two blocks on seven-footers on Wednesday. It’s incredibly valuable to have ancillary rim protection from the point-guard position, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.
At the same time, you need your second-string point guard — and really the only point guard who saw minutes on Wednesday with the injury to Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball not playing this game — to do point guard things.
Porter hasn’t consistently done that. He hit two threes, but was mostly a non-factor on that end. He wasn’t able to create separation off-the-dribble, and had as many assists as turnovers (two).
Grade: C
De’Andre Hunter
4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
This was a weird game for Hunter. He came out aggressively by being an impactful rebounder and did a good job of getting into the chest of his opponent. However, this aggressiveness led to Hunter picking up three personal fouls in the first quarter.
Hunter then took his foot off the gas and was a complete non-factor for the rest of the game. He went 1-6 from the floor and had four turnovers. This led to him playing just a little over 13 minutes.
Allen had a solid game. He did a good job as an interior defender and provided some much-needed scoring inside.
Grade: B
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
Tomlin’s three-point shot is by far the worst part of his game. You want him to work on that skill and be comfortable taking that shot when he’s open. At the same time, you’d also prefer if he didn’t put himself in a position where he had to take three-pointers as often as he does. Maybe spotting up at the corner isn’t the best place to be.
That complaint aside, Tomlin was disruptive on the glass with seven offensive rebounds. He made an impact with his hustle and energy in that department, which is what he’s on the floor to do.
Grade: B
Larry Nance Jr.
5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Nance is good at a lot of little things that could help this team. His screening, effectiveness running dribble handoffs, disruption in passing lanes, offensive rebounding, and his passing ability are all examples of things Nance can do well that the Cavs could use more of at his position. There’s a reason he finished the game as a +14, which was the highest mark for a Cavalier reserve.
This game also showcased why he hasn’t been in the lineup often. Nance was hesitant to take open threes and couldn’t get inside and finish at the rim as effectively as he did in the past. If he’s going to be in the lineup more, he needs to showcase the outside shooting he did last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Still, this was a good and encouraging showing.
Grade: A-
Dean Wade
4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
This was a typical Wade game. He provided good defense, grabbed rebounds, and moved the ball on offense. That’s all you want him to do.
Additionally, I didn’t know Wade could finish a layup off a Euro step. That bumps his grade up half a letter.
WACO, Texas (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 17 of her 22 points in the first half and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs recorded her 10th double-double of the season and 14th-ranked Baylor beat UCF 73-48 on Wednesday night.
Littlepage-Buggs scored 13 points and grabbed 18 rebounds; the second most of her career. She's grabbed 20 boards twice - on Jan. 4 in a 72-70 win against Iowa State and Dec. 8, 2024, in a 71-64 victory over UNLV.
Scott finished 4-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Baylor sank 12 3-pointers to just two for UCF.
Khyala Ngodu had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and reserve Krystol Ayson scored 10 points for the Knights.
The Bears led 16-13 at the end of the first quarter. Just under two minutes into the second quarter, Littlepage-Buggs made a 3-pointer, Scott made a jumper and a 3 to make it 24-14 with 6:29 before halftime.
Baylor (18-3, 7-1 Big 12) went to halftime up 34-23, used an 8-3 start to the second half to advance the lead to 42-26 and stayed up by double-digits from there.
The Bears, winners of seven straight overall, are 6-0 against UCF (10-9, 2-6).
Up Next
UCF: The Knights host ninth-ranked TCU on Saturday.
The Lakers (26-16) are back in Los Angeles but will play a road game against the LA Clippers (19-24) on Thursday. The purple and gold look to build on the momentum they gained after a strong win against the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers’ most recent win against the Nuggets was much-needed. Yes, the Nuggets were down three starters, including Nikola Jokić, but it’s wins like this that could set the tone for them moving forward — especially in the midst of a pivotal eight-game road trip.
Now, the purple and gold’s next mission is to defeat the Clippers, who are currently playing their best basketball this season. After starting the season with an atrocious record of 6-21, the Clippers have completely turned things around. Since mid-December, they’ve won 14 of their last 16, including their most recent game against the Lakers.
A huge reason for the Clippers’ surge is their improved offense, which now ranks 13th best in the league. Kawhi Leonard — despite missing the last three games — has also turned up his production, as has James Harden. The team as a whole is shooting better from behind the arc and is competing harder on defense.
That said, the Lakers should also give the Clippers a better fight than they did last time. With Luka Dončić and Deandre Ayton set to play in this matchup, that alone will be a huge difference.
Ultimately, what’s important is that the Lakers keep the main thing the main thing. That means continuing to stack wins, especially since they’ve fallen to fifth place in the Western Conference standings. Their game against the Clippers is vital because a win would bring the Lakers one step closer to owning the tiebreaker against their rival. And, with the West looking as competitive as ever, that might become important as the season goes on.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are listed as out.
As for the Clippers, Bradley Beal (left hip fracture), Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring), Derrick Jones Jr., (right knee sprain) and Chris Paul (not with team) are out.
Kawhi Leonard (left knee contusion) is questionable.
The season series between the Lakers and the Clippers is currently at 1-1.
The trade we expected to happen this offseason has finally happened. Freddy Peralta has been traded to the Mets, per multiple reports. In return, the Brewers will get two of the Mets’ top prospects: Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. The Brewers are also sending Tobias Myers to the Mets in the trade.
Mets reportedly acquire RHPs Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from Brewers for SS/OF Jett Williams and RHP Brandon Sproat, per multiple reports including MLB's @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/I2lfZ8Pt9V
Rumors around the Brewers trading Freddy Peralta have been swirling all offseason. While the Brewers kept insisting that they would keep him for the final year of his contract, it followed the same pattern we’ve seen from previous players who were entering their final years, such as Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams. There was some hope that the Brewers would keep him — they kept Willy Adames for the final year of his contract. It was just a matter of whether the right deal came around for Peralta, and someone finally met the Brewers’ asking price.
The addition of Myers in the deal comes as a surprise. It’s been reported by Michael Marino that the Brewers initially offered a Williams/Sproat for Peralta trade, but the Mets countered to get Myers added to the deal.
Sources: After the Mets declined the Brewers offer of Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat for Freddy Peralta, the Mets countered and suggested multiple variations where the Brewers would add to their side. They settled on Tobias Myers. https://t.co/2Ix1QtcMZ8
Myers spent most of 2025 in Triple-A after a strong rookie season in 2024, but was on the rise as the season came to an end. In 10 2/3 innings in September, he posted a 2.53 ERA and 4.17 FIP out of the bullpen. He made the roster for the NLCS, but made just one appearance, where he allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning. His 2024 season was much better, as he was one of the leaders in the rotation, posting a 3.00 ERA and 3.91 FIP in 27 games (25 starts) over 138 innings. However, with the Brewers’ depth at starting pitcher, his chances of getting back into the rotation in Milwaukee were looking slim.
Jett Williams was rated as the No. 3 prospect in the Mets system and No. 30 overall on MLB Pipeline in their 2025 rankings. FanGraphs was a little cooler on him, ranking in at No. 6 for the Mets and No. 69 overall in their trade deadline update. He spent the majority of last season in Double-A, but earned a promotion to Triple-A later in the year. In 96 Double-A games, he batted .281/.390/.477 with a wRC+ of 156. That cooled down to .209/.285/.433 with an 81 wRC+ in Triple-A, but only in 34 games. Williams has been shifting between second base and shortstop in the minors, but he was also behind Francisco Lindor on the depth chart. Moving to Milwaukee, he has a better opportunity to stick at shortstop with the Brewers looking for an upgrade on offense over Joey Ortiz. However, Williams will likely need some more time at Triple-A, but should still make an impact on the 2026 team.
Brandon Sproat was rated as the No. 5 prospect on MLB Pipeline for the Mets, but did not slot into the top 100. However, FanGraphs was more positive on him, ranking him No. 3 for the Mets and No. 51 overall. Sproat made his MLB debut in 2025, making four starts in September for the Mets. He allowed 11 runs in 20 2/3 innings, struck out 17, and walked seven. Sproat has a fastball that can reach triple digits and regularly sat in the 95-98 mph range in Triple-A, but also was hit at a rate of .380 with it. He also regularly mixes in a slider, curveball, and changeup as well. Sproat should be in competition for a starting spot in Spring Training, though he could also start the year in Triple-A to develop a little more.
Meanwhile, Peralta will head to the Mets and strengthen their rotation. The Mets were around the middle of the pack with their rotation in 2025, posting a 4.13 ERA (18th in MLB) and 3.95 FIP (9th) as a team. Peralta will fill one of their biggest offseason needs and should be one of their top starters entering 2026.
This ends Peralta’s time as a Brewer. He will finish his time with the third-highest career strikeout total and the 10th most starts by a Brewers pitcher. He’s been a strong part of the franchise for years, but with free agency approaching, his time was likely approaching its end either way.
All season long, the Detroit Red Wings have preached the importance of winning games against divisional opponents.
On Wednesday evening, they made good on their goal.
Dylan Larkin scored the overtime game-winning tally over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, giving Detroit a clean four-game season series sweep over their longtime Original Six rival.
Goaltender John Gibson continued his run of spectacular play since the beginning of December, making 30 saves for his 20th win of the campaign.
It was the Maple Leafs who got on the scoresheet first, thanks to Scott Laughton, who was left alone at the side of the net following a missed clearing attempt from defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Detroit earned multiple high-percentage scoring opportunities, but wasn't able to penetrate goaltender Joseph Woll until late in the first period when Simon Edvinsson knotted the score at 1-1.
The Maple Leafs had a golden opportunity to seize the lead in the game's middle frame when Laughton was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked on a partial shorthanded breakaway.
However, he fumbled the puck as he attempted to deke Gibson, never getting a clean shot off.
Neither team found the back of the net in the third period, setting up overtime.
In the extra session, it was defenseman Moritz Seider forcing a turnover at the Toronto blue line and feeding Larkin, who took the puck on his backhand and then roofed a forehand shot past the blocker of Woll, ensuring the extra point for the Red Wings.
With the victory, the Red Wings improved to 31-16-4 and were put back into a first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Their road trip will continue on Thursday evening with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Marie-Philip Poulin scored a goal in overtime and the Montreal Victoire beat the Minnesota Frost 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Maureen Murphy also had a goal and Ann-Renée Desbiens had 20 saves for Montreal (5-3-0-5).
After the Frost pulled goaltender Nicole Hensley, Kelly Pannek scored a goal that made it 1-1 with 1:02 left in regulation for Minnesota (5-2-3-3), which has lost four of its last five.
Poulin, working from right to left, turned her back to the net and flicked a back-hand shot inside the post with 1:57 left in overtime. Poulin also scored in overtime to help Montreal beat the Frost 3-2 at home Jan. 4.
Murphy scored her first goal of the season to give Montreal a 1-0 lead with 1:31 left in the second period. Nicole Gosling, low along the left board, flicked a shot on goal that Murphy redirected into the net.
The Frost, who went into the game with a league-leading 37 goals this season and tied with New York for the best goal differential (plus-11), were shut out through two periods for the first time this season. Minnesota is 0-4 this season when it trailed going into the third period.
The Victoire lost 2-1 to New York on Sunday to snap the Victoire's three-game win streak. which began with Poulin's first OT winner against Minnesota.
Montreal's Natalie Mlynkova hit the near post with a break-away shot from the left side about five minutes into the second period.
TORONTO (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored at 3:07 of overtime as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Simon Edvinsson also scored for Detroit. John Gibson made 30 saves. Larkin added an assist for a two-point performance.
Scott Laughton scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 39 shots.
The Red Wings improved to 7-1-0 over their last eight games. The Maple Leafs fell to 1-2-2 across their last five contests following an 8-0-2 run.
Laughton opened the scoring at 4:46 of the first period before Edvinsson replied with 17.7 seconds remaining on the clock, moments after Woll made a huge pad save during a scramble.
Larkin won it in the extra period after Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider stole the puck from Maple Leafs winger Easton Cowan.
Toronto captain Auston Matthews was held off the scoresheet, but had an NHL-best 10 goals since the calendar flipped to 2026 entering play.
Maple Leafs veteran defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson played just under two minutes and didn’t come out for the start of the second period with a lower-body injury. Star winger William Nylander missed a third straight game with a groin issue.
Laughton was awarded a penalty shot late in the second period after being hooked on a short-handed breakaway, but lost the handle on his attempt and didn’t even force a save out of Gibson.
In the article published on Wednesday, Jan. 21, James had fallen out of favor with Buss for his role and actions in recent years involving the organization.
“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Buss said in a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday regarding the ESPN story. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”
The story stated that Buss had not been pleased with the team’s superstar after he failed to take accountability for how things worked out with Russell Westbrook and for how ungrateful James appeared to be after the team drafted James' son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
LeBron James has not publicly commented on the ESPN story.
The bulk of the story details the role of the Buss family's infighting and how it led to the $10 billion sale of one of the NBA's most storied franchises. Jeanie has had a falling out with her siblings in recent years regarding the franchise that has been in the family since the late 1970s.
In February 2013, Jeanie became the controlling owner and governor of the Lakers, following the death of her father, Jerry Buss. In the role, she took full control of both the franchise's business and basketball operations.
MLB Trade Rumors: The New York Mets are acquiring pitchers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Brandon Sproat and shortstop Jett Williams, per multiple reports.
Peralta, a 29 year old righthander who had his $8 million club option for 2026 picked up, and will be a free agent after the 2026 season, had been rumored throughout the offseason to be a hot commodity, with the Brewers listening on him but not chomping at the bit to deal him. Peralta put up a 2.81 ERA in his first full season as a major league starter in 2021, having split time between the rotation and pen in the three seasons prior to that. He followed that up with a 3.73 ERA and 3.83 FIP in 417 innings from 2022-24, missing a chunk of the 2022 season but making 30 and 32 starts the next two years.
In 2025, Peralta put up a 2.70 ERA and led the majors in wins, with 17, earning him a fifth place finish in the Cy Young balloting. Oddly, though, his peripherals weren’t that much different from his previous three seasons…after averaging 10.7 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, and 1.3 HR/9 from 2022-24, he registered 10.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 rates in 2025.
Myers is a 27 year old righthander who pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 2025, after making 25 starts and two relief appearances in 2024, his first season in the majors. He started the 2025 season on the injured list, and once healthy split the season between AAA, where he was a starter, and the majors.
Both Sproat and Williams are included on the BA top 100 list that came out earlier today. Williams, ranked #71, was a 2022 first rounder out of Heath, Texas. He missed most of 2024, but rebounded with a solid season in 2025, slashing .261/.363/.465 while splitting time between AA and AAA, and stealing 34 bases. He draws walks, strikes out a fair amount, and has a surprising amount of power for a guy that BA lists at 5’6”.
BA had Sproat at #81 on their list. Originally drafted in the seventh round by the Rangers in 2019, he ended up not signing, opting to attend the University of Florida instead. The Mets drafted him in the third round in 2022, but he didn’t sign, returning for his senior season at Florida. New York drafted him again in 2023, this time in the second round, and were able to sign him this time around.
Sproat made four major league starts in September, 2025, most notably throwing six shutout innings against the Rangers on September 13. At AAA, he put up a 4.24 ERA in 121 innings over 26 appearances, striking out 113 and walking 53.
Cedric Mullins’ brief stint in Queens did not produce the results the Mets hoped for.
The Mets acquired Mullins from the Orioles moments before the trade deadline last July, shipping three prospects to Baltimore in exchange for the veteran outfielder.
The 31-year-old admitted that leaving the Orioles, after a decade in the organization, made for a difficult adjustment.
The Mets acquired Cedric Mullins from the Orioles last July. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“It hit pretty hard, having to uplift your entire life,” Mullins said during an appearance on “Foul Territory” Wednesday.
“Especially out in New York, where things can get hectic on a day-to-day basis. It was definitely a lot of changes and adjustments that had to be made, along with trying to perform at your best.”
Acquired to shore up center field after Jose Siri’s knee injury — and underperformance from Tyrone Taylor — the Mets hoped Mullins could recapture some of his All-Star form from 2021, when he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases.
Even his first-half output with Baltimore — a .229/.305/.433 slash line with 15 homers and 49 RBIs —would have represented a stark upgrade for New York.
“Foul Territory” co-host and ex-MLB catcher Erik Kratz asked Mullins if he felt pressure to play differently upon joining the Mets.
“In some instances, yeah,” Mullins said. “There were a bunch of talented guys where I didn’t feel like I had to come in and be something I completely wasn’t.
“I was just trying to complement what the team already had and that might have put some pressure on me to do a little too much for what was already a good team that fell off at the end.”
Cedric Mullins hit just .182 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 42 games after the trade. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Despite standout individual seasons from Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and the since-departed Pete Alonso, a rash of injuries to the pitching led to a crushing end to the year, as the Mets missed the playoffs after losing on the last day of the season.
The pitching woes, in particular, impacted the Mets down the stretch, according to Mullins.
“After a week, two weeks, it feels pretty evident the pitching was struggling,” Mulins added. “We had to try to come back late in a lot of the games. When it comes in waves like that, it’s tough to battle back. Every once in a while, we’d have a moment where our arms would be dominating and the offense is struggling to get it going.
“When you have that roller coaster going back and forth, it’s tough to get momentum going for us, especially in a playoff run.”
In a transformative offseason for the Mets, a Mullins reunion was not in the cards, as he returned to the familiar AL East, signing a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rays.
Mullins said the Rays’ return to Tropicana Field in 2026 — after the team was displaced last season following Hurricane Milton — factored into his decision.
“I saw what that schedule looked like for them last year,” Mullins said, referencing the team’s stretch at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which does not have a roof. “They went through it for sure.”
