TORONTO (AP) — Brock Nelson scored twice in a 1:12 span in the first period and sealed his fifth career hat trick with an empty-netter in the Colorado Avalanche's 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Jack Drury also scored to help NHL-leading Colorado improve to 35-6-9. MacKenzie Blackwood made 32 saves.
Colorado became the fourth team in NHL history with six or fewer regulation losses through 50 games, joining the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (35-3-12), 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens (38-5-7) and 1975-76 Canadiens (36-6-8).
The last team with at least 77 points through 50 contests was the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (38-7-5), who went on to set the NHL record for wins in a season with 65.
Max Domi had a late power-play goal for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 33 shots. The Maple Leafs are 24-19-9.
The Maple Leafs had a 4-3 overtime victory in Denver on Jan. 12, but have dropped six of seven (1-4-2), including an ugly 0-3-1 start to their current five-game homestand following an 8-0-2 run.
Colorado became just the fourth team in NHL history with six or fewer regulation losses through 50 games, joining the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (35-3-12), 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens (38-5-7) and 1975-76 Canadiens (36-6-8).
The last team with at least 77 points through 50 contests was the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (38-7-5), who went on to set the NHL record for wins in a season with 65.
Nelson opened the scoring at 6:19 of the first on a 2 on 1 before adding his second just over a minute later on a sneaky pass off the stick of Artturi Lehkonen from behind Woll’s net. He has 27 goals this season.
Nelson tied Alex DeBrincat and Kyle Connor — both with eight — for the third-most 25-goal seasons among active American players. The list is led by Patrick Kane (11) and Toronto captain Auston Matthews (10).
Inspired bowling and a 14-ball fifty by opener Abhishek Sharma led India to a crushing eight-wicket series-clinching win over New Zealand in the third T20 international on Sunday (times local).
Brock Nelson wasted little time reminding the league why Colorado invested in him, torching the Maple Leafs with a hat trick as the Avalanche opened a three-game road trip with a convincing 4–1 win over Toronto on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena.
Nelson scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season as part of the three-goal performance, while Jack Drury also found the back of the net for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood rebounded from two subpar outings with a stellar showing, stopping 32 shots to anchor the victory.
The 34-year-old Nelson, who was recently named to Team USA to represent his country at the Olympic Games in Italy, surpassed his goal total from last season with 30 games still remaining, further validating the Avalanche’s decision to sign him to a three-year, $22.5 million extension in the offseason.
Max Domi scored Toronto’s lone goal, and although Joseph Woll delivered several strong sequences, he was tagged with the loss after making 33 saves.
First Period
Gavin Brindley sprinted down the ice early and tried to set up Taylor Makar for a tap-in at the crease in hopes of securing his teammate’s first NHL goal, but Makar just missed the puck.
At the other end, Martin Nečas broke up a prime scoring chance when Auston Matthews attempted a pass from behind the goal line into the slot for Matthew Knies Nečas tied him up effectively, causing Knies to fan on the shot.
Necas tied up Knies in front of the net and forced him to fan on that puck.
Blackwood coughed up a rebound, which created a dangerous chance, but we got away with it.#avs
Nelson opened the scoring 6:18 into the game by intercepting a Toronto pass in the neutral zone, bursting into the offensive end, and snapping a wrist shot past Woll to give Colorado a 1–0 lead. The blast was so forceful it damaged the net camera.
Just 1:12 later, Nelson struck again. Artturi Lehkonen worked the puck from behind the net and fed Nelson in the slot, where his shot banked off Woll’s numbers and in to make it 2–0.
Lehkonen was later sent off for slashing John Tavares on the hands, giving the Avalanche their first penalty kill of the afternoon. The unit responded with a clean kill. Colorado then earned a power play after Simon Benoit was called for tripping, but failed to capitalize.
Since the team meeting Jared Bednar held prior to the January 9 game against Ottawa in an effort to jump-start the power play, the Avalanche have converted just four of their last 26 opportunities.
Second Period
With 4:55 remaining, Nathan MacKinnon and Nečas broke into the zone on a 2-on-1 rush. Rather than pass, MacKinnon fired on goal and took a swipe at the rebound, but Woll was able to smother the puck.
Moments later, Cale Makar nearly extended the lead before Toronto defenseman Brandon Carlo chased him down, grabbed his right arm, and prevented the chance—earning a holding penalty with just over four minutes left in the period.
Colorado finally broke through again with 1:07 remaining. Parker Kelly stickhandled through center ice, elected not to dump the puck, and instead fed Drury, who snapped a shot from the left circle past Woll to make it a 3–0 game.
Third Period
The third period opened with a strong defensive play by Makar to deny a potential scoring chance. The Avalanche quickly transitioned the other way, where Nečas rang a shot off the iron.
At the 8:03 mark, Josh Manson was called for high-sticking Matthew Knies behind his own net, giving Toronto its second power play. Colorado’s penalty kill stood tall again, completing its second kill on as many chances.
After failing to convert on the man advantage, Toronto generated its best look in some time, but Carlo clanged a shot off the post. With 8:30 remaining in regulation, Colorado held a 34–24 edge in shots.
Matias Maccelli later pounced on a loose puck with a wide-open net, but Blackwood reacted instantly, dropping into the splits to make a spectacular save and preserve the shutout bid.
Toronto pulled Woll for the extra attacker with just under six minutes remaining. The Avalanche lived dangerously in their own zone, and Matthews narrowly missed wide as Blackwood went down into the butterfly.
Despite leaving the net empty for more than two-and-a-half minutes, Toronto couldn’t cash in, while Nelson narrowly missed completing the hat trick on multiple empty-net chances.
Finally, with 3:46 left, Nelson buried the insurance marker to complete the hat trick with the empty netter and silence the crowd.
Zakhar Bardakov was later penalized for batting the puck with his glove off a faceoff, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. On the ensuing power play, Domi scored his seventh goal of the season to spoil the shutout.
After going 4-4-2 over their last 10 games, it was certainly nice to see the Avalanche (35-6-9) get on the right track. And with a win or an overtime/shootout loss in their next game, Colorado will become the first NHL team to reach or eclipse 80 points this season. Their next matchup will take place Wednesday against Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. local time.
The Mavs were still awaiting takeoff on the plane, stranded on the tarmac in Dallas as of 3 p.m. CT for their originally scheduled 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) tip-off in Milwaukee. Dallas Hoops Journal's Grant Afseth reported the start time had already been pushed back by an hour to 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CT) before the NBA postponed the game.
The Mavericks-Bucks game is now the third NBA matchup this weekend impacted by the winter storm as midwestern and east coast states have experienced several inches of snow, and southern states have been hit by icy conditions with temperatures expected to drop to as low as -58 degrees in some areas. A total of 17 states have declared a state of emergency.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Los Angeles Lakers, who played in Dallas on Saturday night, will attempt to fly to Chicago Sunday afternoon for Monday's game against the Bulls. The Lakers, like the Mavericks, remained stuck in Dallas, however.
We don’t get to see Gregg Popovich often these days.
The longtime former San Antonio Spurs head coach and still current team president was present at an NBA G League game on Friday night, where the Spurs’ affiliate of the same nickname in Austin was locked into a duel with the Capital City Go-Go — the affiliate of the Washington Wizards.
Popovich, 76, was seen walking across the court, accompanied by a cane and two other people, and was given a rousing ovation from the Austin Spurs crowd in attendance at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Texas.
Coach Pop got an ovation at the Austin Spurs G-League game
Popovich, the winningest head coach in NBA history, took a leave of absence during the 2024-25 season while dealing with an increase in health complications after suffering a stroke on Nov. 2, just five games into the season.
Ultimately, Popovich stepped down from his role prior to this season, and the Spurs promoted interim coach Mitch Johnson to full-time, while the five-time NBA champion transitioned to team president duties.
Popovich coached the Spurs from 1996 until last season, ending his coaching career with the most regular-season wins (1,390) in NBA history, 55 ahead of second-place Don Nelson, whom Popovich served under as a Warriors assistant from 1992-94.
Gregg Popovich yells to his team during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on October 31, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Getty Images
At 170 playoff wins, Popovich only trails Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171) all-time.
His five titles with the Spurs came in the 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 postseasons.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ game against the Dallas Mavericks was postponed due to the winter storm blanketing much of the country, preventing the Mavs from taking off for Milwaukee. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported the development this afternoon, before the league made an official announcement. Here is their complete statement:
According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, the Mavericks tried to get out of Dallas last night after their loss to the Lakers, but weren’t cleared for takeoff at the airport. With that option gone, they tried to take off by 11:30 a.m. Central time, but their flight kept getting delayed. According to Townsend, as of 12:30 p.m., they were still de-icing the plane. He later reported that the frigid temperatures in the area prevented the plane from being adequately de-iced, preventing the Mavs from being able to take off.
League officials are still working out when the makeup game will be. According to Townsend, they could play either on Feb. 19 after the NBA All-Star break or as soon as tomorrow (if they can get out of Dallas). Regardless, the postponement will create a back-to-back for the Bucks. We’ll keep you updated once we know the official makeup date.
The Dallas Mavericks had a quick turnaround after a 116-110 loss to the Lakers Saturday night. The original plan was for the Mavericks to fly from Dallas to Milwaukee after last night’s game, for their 6 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The massive snowstorm affecting a significant portion of the United States had other ideas.
The Mavs were unable to fly out Saturday night, opting instead to make an attempt Sunday morning. To no one’s surprise, nothing came easy. The NBA announced Sunday afternoon that the Mavericks-Bucks game was officially postponed “due to the Mavericks’ inability to leave Dallas as a result of inclement weather.”
Several reports on Sunday indicated that a make-up date against the Bucks would likely be scheduled on Feb. 19, shortening the Mavericks’ All-Star Break by a day.
Mavs won’t play the Bucks tonight. No announcement from the NBA, but the most likely make-up date for Mavs at Bucks is Feb. 19. Officials hoped Mavs still might get out of Dallas today to play tomorrow in Milwaukee, but frigid temps prevented plane from being adequately de-iced.
The Mavs are already scheduled to at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 20, so as inconvenient as shortening their break may seem, it’s the lesser evil here. Had the Mavericks tried to play the Bucks on Sunday, they likely would have been forced to field a roster that more closely resembles the Texas Legends than a real, competitive NBA team. Cooper Flagg was previously listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game at Milwaukee, and Max Christie was questionable.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Perth Scorchers’ continued dominace of the Big Bash League has seen them secure an incredible sixth title on Sunday night, defeating the Sydney Sixers by six wickets at Optus Stadium.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing better basketball of late, but there’s reason to believe they could make a move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. One of the players that teams have reportedly been trying to target recently is versatile defensive forward Dean Wade.
According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, “no fewer than 10 teams have reached out and expressed interest” in Wade. Up until this point, the Cavs have rejected those offers. We’ll see if that continues for the next week and a half.
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Wade is an attractive asset for contenders. He’s an incredible defender who can guard numerous positions. The Cavs have used him as both the primary defender on guards like Devin Booker and as a small-ball center when the team needs to space the floor.
That unique skillset is useful when playing alongside two shot-blocking centers in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Lineups with that trio on the court are outscoring opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions (97th percentile) with a 101.6 defensive rating (99th percentile).
Aside from his value on the court, Wade’s expiring $6.6 million contract fits into a lot of teams’ cap sheets. And if a team were to trade for Wade, they would have his Bird Rights, which means that they could go over the salary cap to sign him. A team trading for and signing Wade to a larger contract this offseason could also create an additional salary slot that they could trade in the future, which is incredibly beneficial if you’re a team that’s already over the salary cap.
Trading Wade wouldn’t make sense for the Cavs right now. They don’t have any other bigs that can provide what he does, even if the Cavs don’t think they’ll be able to sign him this upcoming offseason.
We’ll see what moves, if any, the Cavs make at the fast-approaching trade deadline.
As a role player, Marcus Smart’s job is fairly simple: play hard on defense, hit your open shots and be a banshee. That means doing all the dirty work that goes unnoticed so the Lakers can be in a position to win games.
What also went unnoticed was a bit of medical work he did to himself during the fourth quarter. Smart appeared to jam his finger after deflecting a pass in the final frame, but never came off the floor.
After the game, he revealed that he dislocated his finger but just popped it back in and kept playing.
Marcus Smart said his right index finger – which he had surgically repaired last summer – popped out in the 4th quarter, but he didn’t want to come out of the game, so he just bent over and popped it back in. He’s about to go get it wrapped and iced up now.
It’s unreal that Smart didn’t miss a beat, given that it was the right index finger he had surgery on last summer that got dislocated. Smart injured this finger late last season when he was a member of the Wizards. He missed a few games down the stretch and had surgery this summer.
It’s on-brand that Smart just kept on playing. Plenty of other players would’ve been done for the night, or at the very least, taken a moment to have a medical staff member pop it back in place for him.
Smart, being the competitor he is, didn’t want to miss a second. So he just took care of it himself and kept playing.
Regardless of whether Smart has a good game or not, his toughness is never in question. He’s always preaching defensive physicality and leading by example.
These are the kind of moments that need to be remembered and celebrated when it comes to Smart and what he brings to this team. It’s why the Lakers stars were so excited about Smart’s arrival in the first place.
He’s a winning player and raises your team’s level of toughness just by his mere presence. While the lows can be infuriating, the highs are equally impressive.
And thanks to Smart contributing to Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s small-ball unit in the fourth, they completed their comeback, ensuring Luka Dončić remained undefeated against his former team.
So credit to Smart, for stepping up in the moment and doing what a banshee needs to do, whatever it takes to win.
Andrew McCutchen during batting practice before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Andrew McCutchen is presently unsigned for 2026, but the former NL MVP is still miffed that the Pirates did not invite him to their annual preseason fan fest.
McCutchen, who has played 12 of his 17 MLB seasons in Pittsburgh over two stints, took to social media Saturday night to express his unhappiness.
He cited Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw, Miguel Cabrera and others as examples of longtime stars who attended team functions in the past despite not being under contract for that upcoming season.
“I wonder, did the Cards do this [to Adam] Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi [Molina]? Dodgers to Kershaw? Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on,” McCutchen wrote on X. “If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player.”
Andrew McCutchen during batting practice before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
Pirates GM Ben Cherington gave vague answers Saturday about why McCutchen — a five-time All-Star outfielder and the 2013 NL MVP — was not in attendance.
“Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He’s had an incredible run at two different times. Certainly, his legacy as a Pirate is secure,” Cherington said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Everybody with the Pirates, it’s our desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future.”
The 39-year-old McCutchen, who appeared in 25 games for the Yankees in 2018, batted just .239 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .700 OPS in 135 games — 120 as a designated hitter — for the Pirates last season.
Andrew McCutchen bats against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park on September 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
“Then we come back to our team. What is the job? The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to win games when you’re at the ballpark in June and July,” Cherington added. “Our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in the past seasons. That’s gonna continue to guide our decisions. So much respect for Andrew. That relationship is really important to us.
“We’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”
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Alright, Game 46 of the season, and once again you’ll be spending your Sunday night with me. Which, you know, I truly appreciate. Our Suns host the Miami Heat for the last time this season (unless we somehow meet in the NBA Finals…), and there’s definitely a revenge vibe around this matchup: Phoenix lost to them in crunch time 12 days ago.
The Heat haven’t really found their rhythm yet, as they’ve posted a .500 record and a 5–5 stretch over their last ten games. On our side, I’d like to stay optimistic: the recent record is solid, but losing Devin Booker and Jalen Green back-to-back in the last game hurts. A lot.
First, as mentioned earlier, this is an immediate rematch of a highly offensive duel. The two teams faced each other on January 13, 2026, with Miami winning 127–121 in a wide-open game. Bam Adebayo (29 points) and Norman Powell (27 points) punished Phoenix in crunch time. On our side, the Booker–Brooks–Allen trio combined for 74 points.
Second, it’s always a stylistic clash. And statistically, the contrast is fascinating. Miami plays fast (1st in pace), constantly trying to score in transition or early in the shot clock. Phoenix, on the other hand, plays slower (20th in pace), preferring half-court sets, three-point shooting, and structured offense.
And finally, no matter the outcome, this game matters. The Suns are hovering between 6th and 8th in the West, while the Heat want to escape the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. Every win matters in the seeding race, especially for Phoenix, who are clearly looking to secure a playoff spot without going through the play-in.
Key to a Suns Win
I don’t have 20,000 reasons. I have one. And it includes several layers: Phoenix needs to impose itself where it is strongest. That means generating and exploiting second-chance opportunities and extra possessions, especially through offensive rebounding (6th in the league with 12.8 per game) and steals (1st with 10.4).
Our win will also depend on three-point shooting and how easily we can generate those looks. Without Booker, late-clock situations, mid-range creation, and overall offensive organization will be more complicated, so they’ll need to play faster, cleaner, and smarter. And limit turnovers.
Finally, the defense has to show up. The Suns have been elite on that end in 2026 (4th-best defense in the league since January 1st). They need to limit the guys who hurt them last time: Bam and Norman. Forcing Bam to shoot from distance and attacking Powell’s playmaking weaknesses by trapping or isolating him could be options. Obviously, they’re not the only threats, but they’re the pillars of Miami’s system.
Prediction
I’m expecting an exciting, fast-paced game with shots falling and possessions rarely ending in wasted opportunities. I can’t wait to watch this one, and I think the Suns pull it out, painfully, but this roster will get it done. I believe in them.
