A federal investigation into alleged point shaving and game fixing in college basketball is nearing its end, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Michael Rosenberg reported. The inquiry is focused on “Southern Schools,” according to SI. Investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania conducted interviews with players suspected of influencing their […]
2025-26 Lakers schedule: Lakers open at home and later face formidable Grammy road trip
As LeBron James enters his record-setting 23rd NBA season and superstar Luka Doncic returns for his first full season in L.A., the Lakers are tied with the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks for the most nationally televised games in the league.
The NBA announced the regular season schedule Thursday, and the Lakers’ slate highlights the league’s growing number of broadcast partners. The Lakers open the season at home against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 on NBC, have ABC/ESPN’s 5 p.m. prime-time slot against the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day and will welcome a familiar face back to Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 28 on Prime.
Anthony Davis’ return to L.A. with the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28 will wrap up NBA Cup group play. The former Lakers star forward was injured during what was going to be his return to L.A. last season after he was sent to the Mavericks in a shocking trade.
Now in its third year, the NBA Cup will begin on Oct. 31 with the Lakers playing at Memphis in West Group B that also includes the New Orleans Pelicans, the Clippers and the Mavericks. The Lakers have their second group game at New Orleans on Nov. 14 before playing the Clippers on Nov. 25 in Inglewood, where the game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. PST on NBC, the latest starting time for any in-season tournament game.
Read more:LeBron James exercises $52.6-million option and will be first to play 23 NBA seasons
The NBA released only 80 of 82 regular-season games for each team as the final two games in December will be announced based on NBA Cup standings. The knockout rounds for the tournament begin Dec. 9.
The Lakers’ annual Grammy trip will have a hometown interlude as the two-week-long road trip includes a game at the Clippers on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. But the meeting in Inglewood doesn’t necessarily ease the travel load as it is the second of the nine-game trip, sandwiched between games at Denver (Jan. 20) and Dallas (Jan. 24).
After returning from the trip, the Lakers have an eight-game home stand, highlighted by a Feb. 22 game against the Boston Celtics, when the franchise will unveil a Pat Riley statue outside Crypto.com Arena, the team announced Thursday. The coach of the Showtime Lakers, who guided the team to four NBA championships, will be the 14th statue in the arena's Star Plaza.
The Lakers begin training camp Sept. 29 before playing six preseason games, beginning in Palm Springs on Oct. 3 against the Suns. The slate also includes a game against the Mavericks in Las Vegas on Oct. 15.
Read more:'Just the beginning': Luka Doncic on why he agreed to a three-year, $165-million contract extension
2025-26 Lakers schedule
OCTOBER
21: Golden State, 7; 24: Minnesota, 7; 26: at Sacramento, 6; 27: Portland, 7:30; 29: at Minnesota, 6:30; 31: at Memphis, 6:30.
NOVEMBER
2: Miami. 6:30; 3: at Portland, 7; 5: San Antonio, 7; 8: at Atlanta, 5; 10: at Charlotte, 4; 12: at Oklahoma City, 6:30; 14: New at Orleans, 5; 15: at Milwaukee, 5; 18: Utah, 7:30; 23: at Utah, 5; 25: at Clippers, 8; 28: Dallas, 7; 30: New Orleans, 6:30.
DECEMBER
1: Phoenix, 7; 4: at Toronto, 4:30; 5: at Boston, 4; 7: at Philadelphia, 4:30; 18: at Utah, 6; 20: at Clippers, 7:30; 23: at Phoenix, 6; 25: Houston, 5; 28: Sacramento, 6:30; 30: Detroit, 7:30.
JANUARY
2: Memphis, 7:30, 4: Memphis, 6:30; 6: at New Orleans, 5; 7: at San Antonio, 4:30; 9: Milwaukee, 7:30; 12: at Sacramento, 7; 13: Atlanta, 7:30; 15: Charlotte, 7:30; 17: at Portland, 7; 18: Toronto, 6:30; 20: at Denver, 7; 22: at Clippers, 7; 24: at Dallas, 5:30; 26: at Chicago, 5; 28: at Cleveland, 4; 30: at Washington, 4.
FEBRUARY
1: at New York, 4; 3: at Brooklyn, 4:30; 5: Philadelphia, 7; 7: Golden State, 5:30; 9: Oklahoma City, 7; 10: San Antonio, 7:30; 12: Dallas, 7; 20: Clippers, 7; 22: Boston, 3:30; 24: Orlando, 7:30; 26: at Phoenix, 6; 28: at Golden State, 5:30.
MARCH
1: Sacramento, 6:30; 3: New Orleans, 7:30; 5: at Denver, 7; 6: Indiana, 7:30; 8: New York, 12:30; 10: Minnesota, 8; 12: Chicago, 7:30; 14: Denver, 5:30; 16: at Houston, 6; 18: at Houston, 6:30; 19: at Miami, 5; 21: at Orlando, 4; 23: at Detroit, 4; 25: at Indiana, 4; 27: Brooklyn, 7:30; 30: Washington, 7; 31: Cleveland, 7:30.
APRIL
2: at Oklahoma City, 4:30; 5: at Dallas, 4:30; 7: Oklahoma City, 7:30; 9: at Golden State, 7; 10: Phoenix, 7:30; 12: Utah, 5:30.
All times Pacific.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fantasy Basketball: 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule release takeaways
At long last, most of the 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule is known.
All 30 teams know 80 of their 82 games, with the two exceptions being the contests played after the conclusion of the NBA Cup group stage. During that "open" week, all teams are guaranteed two games, and the two teams that reach the NBA Cup final will play a third game that does not count toward official league records/stats or fantasy basketball results.
Because of the uncertainty caused by the NBA Cup, Yahoo! leagues will once again feature two "combo" weeks, one of which will bookend All-Star Weekend.
Below is a breakdown of the 2025-26 regular season schedule from a fantasy standpoint.
NBC will showcase opening night, and there also will be Sunday Night Basketball, Peacock NBA Monday and Coast 2 Coast Tuesday.
Kurt HelinFive teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-backs
Charlotte, Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington are scheduled to play 16 back-to-backs, which is especially notable for the 76ers. Not only did the team's "big three" of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all see their 2024-25 seasons end prematurely due to injury, but so did guard Jared McCain. In Embiid's case, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said Thursday that he was unsure if the center would be a full go when training camp opens in late September. Injury management days can significantly impact fantasy basketball, and one would assume that there may be a few of those days in the cards for Embiid, given his injury history.
The Hornets will play five back-to-back games in October and November, beginning with games against Philadelphia and Washington on October 25-26. Will LaMelo Ball, who has not hit 50 games played since the 2021-22 season, be allowed to play back-to-backs immediately, or will the Hornets look to manage his workload early on? Charlotte added Collin Sexton via trade and re-signed Tre Mann, two players who will be of added interest in fantasy leagues if Ball is not playing back-to-backs immediately.
However, there is a silver lining in the 76ers’ scheduling “cloud.”
According to Positive Residual’s scheduling data, the 76ers are one of three teams with 14 games in which they'll have the advantage from a rest standpoint, with Utah and Sacramento being the others. Toronto and Detroit will have the rest advantage for 13 games. On the other side of the coin are the Warriors, who have 14 games in which they'll be at a disadvantage regarding rest. Eight teams, including the 76ers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets, will be at a disadvantage for 12 games.
The Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers are among the teams that will play 15 back-to-backs
The Warriors and Clippers have two of the older cores in the NBA, with the latter being the oldest based on average age. The good news for Los Angeles is that Kawhi Leonard has been able to focus on sharpening his skills this summer instead of recovering from another injury. Will that impact his usage once the regular season begins, or will he and the Clippers continue prioritizing him being fresh for the postseason? Similar questions can be asked of James Harden and Chris Paul, even if they don't have the same injury concerns as Leonard.
Golden State will have Jimmy Butler on board from the start, which should help from a chemistry standpoint. However, he, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are all 35 or older heading into the 2025-26 season. And this doesn't consider the expected addition of Al Horford, as the 39-year-old has to wait for the Warriors to reach a solution with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga (De'Anthony Melton is also on hold). Miami and Portland are also scheduled to play 15 back-to-backs, two teams that don't hold the same age concerns as the Warriors and Clippers.
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Indiana, Minnesota and Oklahoma City play a league-low 13 back-to-backs
This group includes the reigning champs, two expected contenders in Houston and Minnesota, a Hawks team that hopes to work its way into the mix, and the Celtics and Pacers, who appear to be headed for a "bridge year" with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton recovering from Achilles tendon tears. The Hawks and Rockets will get some help schedule-wise, as they're working in Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Durant, respectively. Both players have struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but KD did play 62 games for the Suns last season (and 75 the year prior).
The two “double weeks” are December 8-21 and February 9-22.
In Yahoo! public leagues, there are two instances in which two game weeks will count as one from a scoring standpoint. The first occurs in December due to the need to finalize schedules after NBA Cup group play concludes. For the first part of that "week," only two games will count for each team, including the two that reach the NBA Cup final. Once again, that game will not count toward official records, stats or fantasy scoring. The other double week sandwiches the All-Star break, with All-Star Weekend scheduled for February 13-15 in Los Angeles. Among the teams that will play a back-to-back immediately out of the break are Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver and LA Clippers.
Five teams have a five-game week, including the Lakers and 76ers.
The Lakers (Week 13), Heat (Week 14), 76ers (Week 21), Suns and Wizards (Week 22) all have a week in which they're scheduled to play five games. The latter three teams stand to impact fantasy basketball the most, as weeks 21 and 22 will likely be playoff weeks for many leagues. Philadelphia will be a team of interest due to the injury history of the team's star players, most notably Embiid and George. The Lakers' five-game week concludes on January 18 with a home game against the Raptors before the team embarks on an eight-game road trip. Miami will be on a five-game road trip out west when it plays its "loaded" week, beginning with a January 19-20 back-to-back against the Warriors and Kings.
If, for some reason, your league includes April’s entire schedule, the Knicks and Trail Blazers are the teams to avoid.
Twenty-eight of the 30 teams will play either six or seven games in April, but the Knicks and Trail Blazers only play five. Given how many teams have handled their rosters in recent seasons, there's no need for a fantasy league to include April. But, in case your league does, New York and Portland's role players are at a disadvantage due to the schedule. Also of note for April is that the entire league will play on April 10 and 12, the final two game days of the regular season. Games on Sunday, April 12 will begin at either 6 pm Eastern (seven Eastern Conference matchups) or 8:30 pm Eastern (seven Western Conference games and one interconference matchup).
Sabres Prospect Profile – Samuel Meloche
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games.
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#30 - Samuel Meloche - G (Rouyn-Noranda - QMJHL)
The Sabres continued their practice of selecting goalies, but after taking Topias Leinonen in 2022, Scott Ratzlaff in 2023, and Ryerson Leenders in 2024, the club selected a pair of netminders at the 2025 NHL Draft. With their seventh round pick, they took Belarusian Yevgeni Prokhorov, who has a longer development window in the KHL, but with the second to two fourth-round picks, Buffalo selected QMJHL goalie Samuel Meloche.
The 18-year-old broke into the Q with Rouyn-Noranda as a 16-year-old, and leading into his draft year played 51 games for the Huskies, posting an excellent 30-14-6 record. In the playoffs, he went 8-3-2, leading Rouyn-Noranda to the QMJHL semi-final, where they lost to Moncton in a four-game sweep.
Elite Prospects said that Meloche had an ”ability to stay composed, even when things broke down in front of him rather frequently, and that his “play reading and composure pair well with his athleticism. He’s able to make up for rare mistakes in save selection with quick, explosive reflexes” and is “one of the better puckhandling goalies in this draft.”
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
Knicks' 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule
The 2024-25 season was by all means a success for the Knicks, as the team won 51 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. But it ended in disappointment, as they fell short of the NBA Finals and lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
The New York front office decided if they are going to take the next step, there needs to be a change. Head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired after five seasons on June 3 and Mike Brown was officially hired on July 7. The veteran coach is now tasked with leading Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Co. over the hump in pursuit of the franchise's first championship since 1973.
With the NBA announcing it's regular season schedule on Thursday, here are some notes on the Knicks 2025-26 schedule:
-- New York opens at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
-- They stay home to face the Boston Celtics, who'll be without Jayson Tatum this season due to injury, on Friday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. on Prime. The Knicks and Celtics face off again on December 2 in Boston, but then not again until Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 in Boston, followed by their third-to-last game of the year on April 9.
-- The Knicks will play Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs again on Christmas Day at 12:00 p.m. at the Garden
-- Some notable matchups against other top teams in the league include at the Dallas Mavericks and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg on Nov. 19, at San Antonio and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama on Dec. 31, home against LeBron James and Luka Doncic's Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, 2026, and two games against reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder in March (3/4/26 at home, 3/29/26 on the road).
Here's the rest of the New York's 2025-26 schedule:
Knicks’ 2025-26 schedule: pic.twitter.com/sf5JvoUkUZ
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 14, 2025
NBA returns to NBC, debuts on Peacock: Check out the full slate of more than 100 games
For the first time in 24 years, the NBA has returned to NBC — and is debuting on Peacock — with more than 100 games, featuring the biggest stars, some playoff rematches, and some of the NBA's classic rivalries all taking their turn in the spotlight.
Many of those games will be highlighted in the big three nights of games on NBC and Peacock every week: Peacock NBA Monday, Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, and Sunday Night Basketball (starting after the NFL season).
Everything tips off on the NBA's opening night, Oct. 21, with a double header on NBC and streaming on Peacock. First, the Houston Rockets visit the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, marking the night the players receive their rings and OKC raises its championship banner. In the second game of the night, it's Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors visiting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a showdown of two NBA icons.
After that dramatic opening, we get into the weekly games.
Peacock NBA Monday
Starting on Oct. 27 and every Monday throughout the season, as many as three games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock. This Monday night series opens with a must-watch doubleheader: Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Detroit to take on the fast-rising Pistons led by Cade Cunningham. In the second game, two of the West's top teams face off when Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets travel to Minnesota to take on Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
Another Peacock NBA Monday game to circle on your calendar comes on March 9, when the last two MVPs — the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Nuggets' Jokic — face off when Denver travels to Oklahoma City.
Check out the full Peacock NBA Monday schedule:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Platform |
| Mon., Oct. 27 | Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Nov. 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves at Brooklyn Nets | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Mon., Nov. 10 | Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Mon., Nov. 17 | Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Mon., Nov. 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Dec. 1 | Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Dec. 8 | Sacramento Kings at Indiana Pacers | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Dec. 15 | TBD | TBD | Peacock |
| Mon., Dec. 22 | Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Dec. 29 | Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Mon., Jan. 5 | New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers | 8 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Jan. 12 | Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Jan. 19 | Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks | 12 p.m. | Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks | 5 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Mon., Jan. 26 | Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics | 8 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Feb. 2 | Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Timberwolves | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Feb. 9 | Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., Feb. 23 | San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., March 2 | Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., March 9 | Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder | 7:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers | 10 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., March 16 | Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Phoenix Suns at Boston Celtics | 8 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., March 23 | Memphis Grizzlies at Atlanta Hawks | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., March 30 | Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
| Detroit Pistons at Oklahoma City Thunder | 9:30 p.m. | Peacock | |
| Mon., April 6 | New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks | 7 p.m. | Peacock |
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday
One week after the NBA season tips off, Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, Oct. 28, with doubleheaders on NBC and Peacock.
Tuesday nights will begin with a 30-minute studio show leading into the double header. The first game starts at 8 p.m. ET and will be presented on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones. That will be followed by an 8 p.m. PT game shown on NBC stations in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. Both games will stream on Peacock.
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday tips off Oct. 28 with a doubleheader of the New York Knicks at the Milwaukee Bucks at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers at the Golden State Warriors at 8 p.m. PT. Here are some of the other games not to miss on what will be a weekly showcase of the best in the league.
• Nov. 4, the Orlando Magic at the Atlanta Hawks (8 ET). Two teams that had some of the best offseasons in the NBA and two teams with top-four aspirations in the East meet in an early-season showdown. Trae Young and Paolo Banchero are always worth tuning in to see.
• Nov. 25, the Orlando Magic at the Philadelphia 76ers (8ET). If Paul George, Joel Embiid and the core of the 76ers are healthy, this is one of the best teams in the East, but will they be? Good test around Thanksgiving against the fast-rising Magic.
• Jan. 20, the San Antonio Spurs at the Houston Rockets. This is going to be one of the big rivalries in the NBA in the coming years, and we get to see Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and the Rockets' deep roster try to attack a defense led by Victor Wembanyama (the preseason favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year). Also, it's a chance to check in on No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and how he is progressing in San Antonio.
• March 10: the Dallas Mavericks at the Atlanta Hawks. The No. 1 picks of the last two seasons — Dallas' Cooper Flagg and Atlanta's Zaccharie Risacher — face off.
Check out the full Coast 2 Coast Tuesday schedule:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Platform |
| Tues., Oct. 28 | New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Nov. 4 | Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Nov. 11 | Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Nov. 18 | Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Nov. 25 | Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Dec. 2 | New York Knicks at Boston Celtics | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Dec. 23 | Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Dec. 30 | Philadelphia 76ers at Memphis Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Jan. 6 | Miami Heat at Minnesota Timberwolves | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Jan. 13 | Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Jan. 20 | San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets | 10 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Jan. 27 | Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Feb. 3 | Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., Feb. 24 | New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Portland Trail Blazers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., March 3 | San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., March 10 | Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., March 17 | Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., March 24 | Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets | 10 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., March 31 | New York Knicks at Houston Rockets | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Tues., April 7 | Minnesota Timberwolves at Indiana Pacers | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns | 11 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
Sunday Night Basketball
Sports fans have come to expect the best games being on Sunday, and that will be no different when Sunday Night Basketball is launched on Feb. 1, 2026. That coverage starts after NBC's NFL coverage but will pause for two weeks — on Feb. 8, NBC and Peacock will broadcast Super Bowl LX, and on Feb. 15, there will be coverage of the NBA All-Star Game, and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics — but will restart on Feb. 22 with some fascinating games (all of which also will be streamed on Peacock).
Among the must-watch games on Sunday Night Basketball are:
• Feb. 1, a double header featuring LeBron and the Lakers traveling to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks (7 pm ET) — LeBron has a long history of showcase games in that building — which will be followed by a showdown between two of the last three NBA champions, Oklahoma City at Denver.
• Feb. 22, the Boston Celtics at the Los Angeles Lakers, a renewal of the league's greatest historic rivalry.
• March 8, Kevin Durant and Houston travel to San Antonio to take on Victor Wembanyama and the fast-rising Spurs in a West showdown. These Texas teams could form the NBA's best rivalry for the rest of this decade.
• April 5, Luka Doncic returns to Dallas wearing Lakers colors as he takes on Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and the Mavericks.
Here is the full Sunday schedule on NBC and Peacock:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Platform |
| Sun., Feb. 1 | Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks | 7 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets | 9:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Sun., Feb. 22 | Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers | 6:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Sun., March 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Sun., March 8 | Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Sun., March 15 | Golden State Warriors at New York Knicks | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Sun., March 22 | Minnesota Timberwolves at Boston Celtics | 8 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Sun., March 29 | New York Knicks at Oklahoma City Thunder | 7:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets | 10 p.m. | NBC, Peacock | |
| Sun., April 5 | Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks | 7:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors | 10 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Quadrupleheader
Some of the NBA's biggest names — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown and more — will be featured as NBC Sports will present a quadrupleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2026. All four games will be streamed on Peacock. Those games are:
• 1:00 p.m. ET: Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks (Peacock exclusive)
• 2:30 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers (NBC/Peacock)
• 5:00 p.m. ET: Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks (NBC/Peacock)
• 8:00 p.m. ET: Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons (NBC/Peacock)
'How Big Are His Feet?' How Hockey Scouts And Agents Predict A Teen Prospect's Growth
It may be the dead of summer and a quiet time in the hockey world, but I've still been to the rink once a week thanks to a numberofcamps, either skills-based or for international tournaments.
Because I'm watching teenagers, I know that most of them still have a lot of growing to do – but how much?
If a kid is already huge, such as 2026 NHL draft prospect Ethan Belchetz of OHL Windsor (he's already 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds), there's no need to worry. But a lot of the kids at Canada's U-17 camp, eligible for the 2027 NHL draft, are harder to forecast.
A 5-foot-9 defenseman would have to be really special to make the NHL, but that same kid could easily grow three inches in the coming years, and no one would have any questions about his viability.
Famously, Mitch Marner was listed at 5-foot-7.5 and 130 pounds when the London Knights took him 19th overall in the 2013 OHL draft. Marner, now one of the most dangerous forwards in the NHL, grew up to be six-feet tall and 180 pounds, according to NHL.com. On the other hand, some players never shoot up, and it doesn't matter anyway – Johnny Gaudreau and Cole Caufield being prime examples.
But just for funsies, I asked a bunch of scouts and agents (whose job it is to convince scouts their clients are still growing) what their favorite unscientific way is to guess if a teen player is going to get a lot taller in the coming years. Here's a cross-section of responses:
"How big are his feet? A shorter kid with big feet is going to grow."
"Look at his skate size."
"Look at Mom and Dad, or look at the feet and hands."
"Look at the mom."
"Brothers."
"I've tried it enough to see there's no concrete way of predicting it. I usually look at Mom and Dad and try my best to see which parent the kid takes after the most. Grandparents are looked at, too. I know a guy who swears it's Grandpa on the mom's side, but I have counter-examples of that."
"Take the height difference in inches between the dad and mom, divide by three and add to the kid's height at 16 or 17."
"It's all guesswork."
I suppose if there were a tried-and-true answer, it would be a lot easier to predict which players will have both the talent and size to become NHL stars one day. In the meantime, teams will continue to take leaps of faith on kids they like, or simply value safe size – as prospect writer Jerome Berube noted after the 2025 NHL draft, not a single sub-six-foot defenseman was taken this year. But I'll leave the last word to one scout who lives by a very strong axiom:
"If the kid is 5-foot-6 and he shaves every day – he's cooked."
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Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock goes on passionate rant about NIL, transfer portal
Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock went on an impassioned rant about NIL and the transfer portal in college football
Gerard Gallant Admits To Feelings Of Frustration Due To Not Getting Another NHL Coaching Job
Despite signing a two-year contract with the Shanghai Dragons to become their next head coach, Gerard Gallant still has his eyes set on the NHL.
Since getting fired by the Rangers in 2023, Gallant has been unable to secure an NHL coaching job.
As time has gone on, Gallant admitted that he’s continued to grow frustrated due to a lack of interest from NHL teams.
“I’ve been out for two years … and nothing’s happened yet,” Gallant said. “Am I a little pissed off? Yeah. But that’s the way it goes and you wait for your turn and your opportunities.
“So, I took this job. I’m going to Russia, going to St. Petersburg. I have a two-year contract and I’m going to honor that contract.”
Gallant coached the Rangers for two seasons from 2021 to 2023.
The 61-year-old coach made these comments after it was reported a few months ago that Gallant was eager to prove he didn’t deserve to be fired by the Rangers.
Gerard Gallant Named Head Coach Of KHL’s Shanghai DragonsGerard Gallant has been named the head coach of the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons.
“I don’t know if he’s (Gallant) been in any of these particular interviews this year, I just don’t know,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. “I have heard he’s eager to prove that when he got let go by the Rangers, It wasn’t only about him, and he wants an opportunity to show people that. We’ll see if he gets an opportunity with teams to talk about that.”
It looks as if Gallant is looking to salvage his reputation in the KHL with the hopes of landing an NHL head coaching gig in the near future.
Premier League’s big show is back, full of thrills but facing new threat to its power | Barney Ronay
Clubs are spending like there is no tomorrow but the title looks to be between Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea
And I heard, as it were, a sound of thunder. I heard multitudes marching to the big kettle drum. Not to mention, it should be said, even larger multitudes talking on the wicked and unholy internet about agent sightings, failed here-we-gos and the Alexander Isak wheel of global conspiracy.
Let he that hath understanding count the number! Because, let’s face it, it really is an absolute beast of a number, 215 live Premier League games on Sky Sports alone, an endless rolling debauchery of games, of graphics that go whoosh, of arguments by the lighted dias.
Continue reading...Nola to return for series finale in D.C., Phils to use 6-man rotation (for now)
Nola to return for series finale in D.C., Phils to use 6-man rotation (for now) originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
WASHINGTON — Aaron Nola has joined the Phillies at the final stop of their 10-game road trip.
He’ll take the ball for their series finale against the Nationals, too.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said ahead of Thursday’s series opener that Nola will start Sunday. The Phils will slide Ranger Suarez back to Monday night vs. the Mariners and — at least for now — expand their rotation to six starters.
Nola hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since May 14. He was first sidelined by an ankle sprain, then a right rib stress fracture. Before that, Nola had a rough start to his 2025 season, posting a 6.16 ERA in nine starts.
He fared well in three rehab appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowing three runs over 12 and 1/3 innings. Nola racked up 11 strikeouts in his final start.
As for the shift to a six-man rotation, Thomson wouldn’t commit to anything long term.
“Once for sure, and then we’ve got some other ideas about how to attack this thing as we move forward,” he said.
Zack Wheeler has recently dealt with shoulder soreness and his velocity was down last time out. Ranger Suarez’s season ERA has jumped from 2.15 to 3.28 over his past five starts.
The rotation has been a major strength for the Phils, whose starters have a National League-best 3.42 ERA. Thomson wants to be cautious about health and freshness.
“Just getting some of these guys some extra rest, because we’ve been grinding on them pretty hard all year,” he said. “The one downside to it is you’ve got to take somebody out of your bullpen, so you’re a little bit short there, but we’ll just have to figure it out.”
Alvarado on track
Barring any unexpected developments, the Phillies still plan to have Jose Alvarado back in their bullpen mix next Tuesday.
That’s the day the 30-year-old lefty is able to return from the 80-game suspension he received for testing positive for exogenous testosterone. He’s ineligible to pitch in this year’s postseason.
Alvarado has not had a rusty rehab stint. In three Triple-A innings, he’s conceded zero runs.
“It’s like he didn’t even leave,” Thomson said. “He looks like he’s in midseason form.
“Sometimes guys, when they’ve had time off and come back, they go through kind of a dead arm period. Hopefully, he doesn’t do that. But so far it’s been really, really good.”
Red Sox getting some schedule relief for playoff push after daunting stretch
Red Sox getting some schedule relief for playoff push after daunting stretch originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox are through the gauntlet.
They survived.
Mostly.
After entering the All-Star break on a season-high 10-game winning streak, the Red Sox were welcomed back to action with a brutal schedule, with seven of their first eight series in the unofficial second half coming against teams with a .500 record or better at the start of those series. That included some teams that significantly cleared the .500 hurdle, like the Cubs (57-39), Dodgers (60-43), and Astros (62-47 at the start of one series, 66-52 at the start of the next).
And though they certainly hit their struggles with a 1-4 stretch to start and more recently a three-game losing streak, the Red Sox posted a respectable 13-11 record over that span. They’re 66-56 on the year, and they’re firmly in the second wild-card position with a 1.5-game lead over New York and a 2.5-game lead over the Guardians, who are on the outside looking in at the moment. Through that daunting stretch of the schedule, the Red Sox largely did their job.
Now, like a cold front moving in at the end of a heat wave, here comes the relief.
After catching their breath with a day off on Thursday following a series loss in Houston, the Red Sox will begin a stretch with eight of 11 series coming against teams with a losing record.
That includes some middling teams like Miami (four games under .500 entering Thursday), Cleveland (five games under), Arizona (four games under), and Tampa Bay (four games under). Yet it also includes some of the league’s basement dwellers, like two series against the A’s (15 games under .500), a three-game home series against the Pirates (20 games under), and six games against the Orioles (12 games under .500).
And even two of their series against an over-.500 team come with a caveat, as they’ll play seven games against the Yankees. New York sits at 64-57, but they’ve arguably been baseball’s biggest mess this month. The Yankees are 4-8 in August, after starting the month with a five-game losing streak. A series win this week over the Twins may work to stabilize the team, but the Red Sox have to hope those struggles continue for the Yankees through their series in New York (Aug. 21-24) and perhaps even through the series in Boston (Sept. 12-14).
All told, between now and Sept. 21, the Red Sox will face eight opponents who entered Thursday with a combined record of 461-508, a .476 winning percentage.
After that, they’ll close the season against the teams that are currently the two best in the American League: the Blue Jays and Tigers. But the Red Sox have done their job against sub-.500 teams this season, currently owning a 33-21 record against them thus far. If you want to play the theoretical game, they can go 15-9 against the sub-.500 teams down the stretch, which would get them to 81 wins. And if they can tread water in their 16 games against teams over .500, they’ll get themselves to 89. And 89 wins has been enough to earn an AL wild-card spot every year since MLB added the third wild card in 2022.
That, though, is the theoretical. In real life, it’s much simpler: After enduring a tough month-long stretch against some of baseball’s best teams, the Red Sox now face a much easier schedule for the next month. In their quest to make the postseason for the first time in four years, they’ll make life a whole lot easier on themselves if they can feast.
Michael Harris II’s grand slam caps nine-run fourth as Braves rally to beat Mets 11-6
NEW YORK — Michael Harris II hit a grand slam Wednesday night to cap Atlanta’s biggest inning in almost five years — a nine-run outburst in the fourth that propelled the Braves to an 11-6 comeback win over the slumping New York Mets.
The Braves fell behind 6-0 in a game delayed 95 minutes by rain before storming back against David Peterson and Reed Garrett (3-5). Peterson issued four free passes in the fourth, including a bases-loaded walk of Nick Allen, and gave up Jurickson Profar’s three-run double before Marcell Ozuna greeted Garrett with an RBI single.
Three batters later, Harris hit a 417-foot homer to straightaway center. The nine-run inning was the biggest for the Braves since Sept. 9, 2020, when they scored 11 times in the second inning of a 29-9 win over the Miami Marlins.
Ozuna hit a two-run homer in the sixth.
Aaron Bummer (2-2), the first of five Braves relievers to follow Carlos Carrasco, tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Carrasco gave up six runs in two innings. Pete Alonso had a two-run single and Cedric Mullins lofted a sacrifice fly in the first before Juan Soto hit a 407-foot, two-run homer and Jeff McNeil had an RBI double in the second.
Peterson surrendered a season-high six runs over a season-low 3 1/3 innings. The Mets have lost 12 of 14.
Key moment
Harris’ grand slam was his first since last Aug. 14.
Key stat
The Mets gave up at least nine runs in an inning for the ninth time in franchise history and the first since Apr. 16, 2019, when the Philadelphia Phillies scored 10 runs in the first inning of a 14-3 win.
Up next
The three-game series concludes Thursday night, when Mets RHP Kodai Senga (7-4, 2.30 ERA) opposes Braves RHP Bryce Elder (4-9, 6.12).
Wallabies and Springboks in identity swap for clash amid thin air of Highveld | Daniel Gallan
The frenemies meet in this year’s Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park where they are expected to rip pages out of the other’s playbook
One team boasts some of the most menacing forwards found anywhere in the world. The other is developing a scintillating backline capable of tearing apart any defence. Business as usual, then, for a Wallabies versus Springboks clash. Except this time, like the characters of Freaky Friday, the two sides have switched identities ahead of the first round of the Rugby Championship.
Australia might have lost the British & Irish Lions series but they were one referee’s decision at the breakdown away from causing a seismic upset. That the margin was so small was thanks largely to the thundering cameos of Will Skelton, Rob Valetini, Taniela Tupou and a handful of other meaty men who provided the front-foot grunt that was absent in the first Test in Brisbane.
Continue reading...Mark Pope names Kentucky’s best wins (and worst loss) from debut season in 2024-25
Goodness, Kentucky’s highs in Mark Pope‘s debut season coaching the Wildcats were sky-high, weren’t they? There was something special about No. 41 winning his first game at Rupp Arena by 41 points. He’d follow that up with eight top-15 victories to tie an all-time record in the history of the sport — not too shabby […]