Posts

Posted on

Player Grades: Cavs vs Magic – Donovan Mitchell erupts again

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic behind yet another offensive explosion from Donovan Mitchell.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

45 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds

Mitchell was in attack mode again tonight. He scored 26 points in the first half, burying 4-of-5 three-point attempts in his first 17 minutes. His hot shooting helped the Cavaliers claw back from an early deficit and reclaim momentum.

Mitchell continued to score into the second half, finishing with 45 points and improving the Cavs’ record to 11-1 when he scores 35+ points.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Mobley is looking more spry and agile by the day. He’s moving around the court with the confidence he hasn’t always shown. It doesn’t feel like anyone can stop Mobley from getting to his spots right now. I’ve been wanting to type that sentence for years.

Grade: A+

Support us and rep Evan Mobley with Homage!

We’ve partnered with Homage to help provide Cavs fans with the best gear. Anything bought from the links below helps support Fear the Sword while also allowing you to rep the Cavs. You can also shop all Homage Cavs gear HERE.

  • You can grab the Mobley shirt seen above HERE.
  • The Mobley trading card shirt can be bought HERE.

Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

The Cavs have a rising star in Tyson. He once again made an impact on both ends of the floor, playing defense, bulldozing his way into the paint, and connecting on three-point jumpers with efficiency.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter Jr.

4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

Porter looked especially quick tonight as the Magic double-teamed Mitchell and left him with openings to attack. This led to Porter getting into the paint and finding his teammates for BLANK assists.

Grade: B+

Lonzo Ball

0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

This wasn’t anything crazy, but Ball has probably played two of his better games as a Cavalier in his two latest against the Magic. Aside from being part of a brutal lineup in the first quarter (featuring Ball, Tomlin, Proctor, Porter, and Nance), Ball held his own tonight.

Grade: C+

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!

Jarrett Allen

9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

I don’t think his teammates did a great job of getting him the ball, but Allen was effective every time he got a touch. He shot 4-6 from the floor and was aggressive with all of his opportunities.

Grade: B+

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Tomlin is facing a make-or-break moment. His minutes have seen diminishing returns as opponents ignore him from the three-point line. He started the game 1-5 from the floor as the Magic left him wide open from the corner and packed the paint on his drives.

He found a way to break free for a moment in the second half, but he’ll have to develop into a more consistent shooter for him to take the next step.

Grade: C-

Dean Wade

6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Wade turned in another quality performance. Strong defense, solid rebounding, and a positive impact on the Cavalier offense despite shooting 0-2 from three.

Grade: A–

Tyrese Proctor

6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Kenny Atkinson can’t stop talking about Proctor’s “moxy” on the basketball court. The kid has confidence, and he showed it tonight by hitting a big-time three-pointer in the second half and ripping the ball away from the Magic for a backbreaking steal.

Grade: A

Posted on

Islanders shut out Flyers for win they needed in the worst way

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Jean-Gabriel Pageau #44 of the New York Islanders celebrates his first period shorthanded goal against the Philadelphia Flyers with Casey Cizikas #53 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Image 2 shows New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers

The Islanders came into Philadelphia on Monday night outmanned and reeling, having lost their past two games by a combined score of 9-1.

For a team that hadn’t lost three straight games in regulation since the first three games of the season, and for a team that would have gone below the playoff cutline with a defeat, this was a game they needed in the worst sort of way.

Down Simon Holmstrom, Cal Ritchie and Ryan Pulock with a combination of illness and injury, the Islanders showed their resilience anyway, defeating the Flyers 4-0 at Wells Fargo Center.

“We approached the game like it was a playoff game,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau told reporters after a two-goal performance. “And I thought we played an extremely solid game. Of course, when your goalie gives zero, it helps a lot.”

This performance had so much of what the Islanders have lacked recently.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau #44 of the New York Islanders celebrates his first period shorthanded goal against the Philadelphia Flyers with Casey Cizikas #53 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NHLI via Getty Images

The Islanders dominated on special teams. They held the puck in the offensive zone and played off the cycle. They cut down on high-danger chances around Ilya Sorokin’s crease, helping him to a 21-save shutout.

That is what they will need to do, again and again, if they are going to stay above the playoff cutline and make some noise in the tournament itself.

Coach Patrick Roy’s constant reshuffling of the lines finally seemed to land on some combinations that did the trick here. Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair had exactly the right response to their third-period benching on Saturday, playing most of the night up ice on a line with Jonathan Drouin. The trio produced a goal when Barzal tipped Isaiah George’s shot from the right point past Sam Ersson to make it a 2-0 game 5:41 into the second.

That was sandwiched between a pair of special teams goals, the first of which came from Pageau shorthanded at 14:29 of the first. Pageau took Casey Cizikas’ expertly spun feed off the wall and went bar-down to open the scoring.

Barzal then got his second point of the night on the power play, assisting Tony DeAngelo off the rush to make it 3-0 at 12:50 of the second. Ironically, that counted for DeAngelo’s first power play goal as an Islander. And, as Roy noted, the play was sprung by an active backchecking effort from Duclair.

Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Flyers didn’t come up with much as far as a potential comeback, and Pageau’s second goal of the night made it a 4-0 game at 13:38 of the third. Maxim Tsyplakov’s feed off the wall to set up Pageau was just his second point and first assist of the year.

The reunited fourth line of Marc Gatcomb, Cizikas and Kyle MacLean did its usual good work, while Emil Heineman and Bo Horvat clicked well on the second line. Max Shabanov got better alongside them as the game went on, as did Tsyplakov with Pageau and Anders Lee. The Islanders will hope that Tsyplakov — filling in for Holmstrom, who was a late scratch with illness — gets a much-needed confidence boost from putting a point on the board.

“That’s one of his best games this year,” Roy told reporters of Tsyplakov. “… Might not be easy at times, but he played really well.”

Sorokin, for once, was not under fire all night. His sixth shutout of the year required just 21 saves for comparatively little stress.

Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The injuries are starting to pile up for the Islanders, who pulled the trigger on reinforcements in the form of Carson Soucy. The Islanders officially announced the deal after the game which sent a 2026 third-round pick down 495 and across the East River to the Rangers in exchange for the left-handed defenseman.

If Pulock’s upper-body injury has him miss serious time, though, Soucy won’t be enough. And Ritchie, who was called day to day with a lower-body injury, is suddenly a concern as well.

The way everything was piling up, a loss Monday would have felt like a crisis point in the season.

Turning in an all-around performance and a commanding win over the team directly below them in the standings instead was certainly a good way to take the pressure off.

“I thought we had a really good process,” Tony DeAngelo told reporters. “That’s how you win games: process. It was probably our best 60-minute game from start to finish in a little while here.”

Posted on

Mets’ Carlos Mendoza provides encouraging first report on Bo Bichette at third base

Bo Bichette’s transition to third base is officially underway. 

With just a few weeks left before players begin reporting to Port St. Lucie for spring training, Bichette took some reps in front of his new manager, Carlos Mendoza. 

It’s still early in the process, but the Mets skipper seems to like what he saw. 

“He’s an athlete,” Mendoza said on the NY Post’s “The Show” podcast. “We’re looking at a guy that has played shortstop his whole career -- watching him today moving around third, taking grounders, creating angles, and just the throws to first I was telling him it looks like you’ve played here before.

“It was exciting that I had that opportunity to see him today, he’s super excited and working really hard.”

Bichette, of course, will be taking over as New York’s full-time man at the hot corner after signing with the club on a big money three-year deal with opt outs just last week. 

Prior to this season, he’s only played shortstop and some 2B during his big-league career. 

Mendoza indicated that there are things the 27-year-old will have to learn through game reps, as expected, but emphasized that the team is fully confident in him making he switch. 

David Stearnsechoed that confidence to SNY’s Steve Gelbs at Citi Field last week. 

“There are certainly going to be learning moments for Bo, and Jorge Polanco as well, as they understand the intricacies of their positions -- but with Bo we’re talking about someone who knows the game so well,” Stearns said. 

“Someone who understands the game so well, has been around the game for his entire life, has a great work ethic on the field, has the aptitude -- we believe he’s going to get there and get there pretty fast.”

Posted on

Canadiens Prospect Is Shining In AHL

The Montreal Canadiens have one of the most exciting prospect pools in the NHL. Among their notable promising youngsters is defenseman Adam Engstrom, as the 2022 third-round pick has the potential to emerge as a solid NHL defenseman. 

Engstrom played his first American Hockey League (AHL) season with the Laval Rocket during this past campaign. In 66 games with the AHL club, he posted five goals, 22 assists, 27 points, and a plus-14 rating. Overall, the left-shot defenseman demonstrated plenty of promise with Laval this past season but has been taking another step forward with his play so far in 2025-26.

In 28 games so far this season with Laval, Engstrom already has seven goals, 15 assists, and 22 points. With numbers like these, there is no question that the young defenseman has provided Laval with some solid offense from the point this campaign.

Engstrom is continuing to make an impact with Laval as the season rolls on, too. Over his last nine games with Laval, he has two goals and six points. This included him recording a goal and an assist in Laval's Jan. 24 contest against the Calgary Wranglers on Jan. 24. 

The Canadiens will be hoping that Engstrom can continue to impress as the season rolls on. If he does, he certainly has a chance of getting another look on the NHL roster soon. 

Posted on

Andrei Vasilevskiy makes 28 saves in 2nd shutout of season as Lightning blank Mammoth 2-0

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for his second shutout of the season and 42nd of his career, Darren Raddysh scored on a power play late in the second period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Utah Mammoth 2-0 on Monday night.

Brandon Hagel added a power-play goal in the final minute for the Lightning, who have won 15 of 17 and swept the season series against Utah. Tampa Bay moved atop the Eastern Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Carolina and Detroit.

Vasilevskiy, who leads the league in goals-against average, improved to 2-0-0 against the Mammoth, both shutouts. He blanked them last season, the inaugural campaign for the Utah franchise.

Raddysh took a feed from Nikita Kucherov and one-timed it above the shoulder of Karel Vejmelka for a 1-0 lead with 2:22 left in the second.

Vejmelka made 25 saves for Utah, which lost in regulation for only the second time in its past 12 games.

Kucherov's assist was his team-best 53rd of the season. He ranks third in the NHL in points with 79 and is second in assists.

Hagel's goal was his 26th, matching Kucherov for the team lead.

Tampa Bay's Nick Paul dropped the gloves with Utah's Ian Cole after Cole put a big hit on rookie Dominic James along the boards early in the second period. Paul and Cole each received 5-minute penalties for the fight.

Up next

Mammoth: Stay in Florida and visit the Panthers on Tuesday night.

Lightning: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night.

___

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

Posted on

Islanders 4, Flyers 0: Pageau strikes twice, Sorokin gets sixth shutout

There were some lineup swaps tonight with Cal Ritchie (lower body injury) and Simon Holmstrom (illness) out. Max Tsyplakov and Marc Gatcomb drew into the lineup, giving both of them an opportunity to make an impression after a tough game for the Islanders against Buffalo.

The Islanders bounced back tonight in Philadelphia, with JG Pageau scoring twice, including one shorthanded goal, Mat Barzal responding well to his third-period benching with a goal and an assist, and Ilya Sorokin recording his league-leading sixth shutout this season.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Early on in the first, though, Tsyplakov’s impact was just a hooking penalty, which the Islanders killed.

Noah Cates went to the box for holding, and we were treated to two very bad mixed up power play units, which bumped Barzal to the second unit, separated from Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer. That power play went poorly, and the Flyers killed it.

Then, the other swap in the lineup, Gatcomb, went to the box as well, but JG Pageau scored short handed, assisted by Casey Cizikas.

View Link

In the second period, the Flyers got an early power play after Adam Boqvist was called for high sticking. Before that started, Ilya Sorokin was down in the crease, but seemed to shake it off, after a Matvei Michkov shot hit him in the back of the leg and went in after the whistle blew.

With 30 seconds left on that power play, Scott Mayfield and Owen Tippett were both sent to the box for slashing and crosschecking respectively. The Islanders killed all of that, despite being down two defensemen.

Later, Barzal got a tip on an Isaiah George shot, putting it past Samuel Ersson after some cycling in the Flyers zone.

View Link

Cam York was called for tripping, and the Islanders took advantage of a shorthanded turnover at the blue line and Anthony Duclair passed the puck to Barzal who set up Tony DeAngelo to make it 3-0.

View Link

At the end of the second, Jonathan Drouin took a puck to the face and went right down the tunnel. Drouin came back for the third with some stitches, but otherwise was fine.

Emil Heineman collided with a ref behind the play and labored to the bench, but it wasn’t anything more serious as he played his normal shifts the rest of the game.

Schaefer drew a high sticking penalty, sending Tippett to the box, but the Isles couldn’t convert on the man advantage.

Tsyplakov then set up Pageau for his second of the night (and Tsyplakov’s first assist of the season!) to make it 4-0 and entirely bury any chance of a comeback from the Flyers.

View Link

The Islanders closed out the game and Ilya Sorokin picked up his sixth shutout of the season and extended his franchise record total, while Barzal, Duclair, and Pageau each scored two points (1G/1A, 2A, 2G respectively) and Isaiah George got his first assist of the season in just his second game back up in the NHL.

Up Next

Next, the Islanders have a home-and-home back-to-back with the New York Rangers starting Wednesday at UBS Arena. There’s been a rare trade between these two teams (not yet officially-official at time of posting, but Carson Soucy to the Islanders for a 2026 3rd round pick) so Soucy will likely debut against his old team and become the stable bottom pair defenseman this team has been missing almost all season.

Posted on

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scores twice in Islanders' 4-0 win over Flyers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ilya Sorokin stopped 21 shots for his NHL-best sixth shutout of the season and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored two goals to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.

Mathew Barzal and Tony DeAngelo also scored for the Islanders. The Islanders scored power-play, short-handed and even-strength goals.

A game after they were shut out for the first time this season, Pageau snapped the scoreless streak with his ninth goal of the season on a short-handed shot past Samuel Ersson.

The Flyers allowed their fifth short-handed goal of the season.

Pageau smashed home his second goal late in the third to finish off a listless Flyers team.

Barzal tipped-in Isaiah George’s shot for his 12th of the season at 5:41 into the second and DeAngelo — a former Flyer — added a power-play goal later in the period to help send the Islanders to their first win over the Flyers in three games this season.

The Flyers’ surprising season that had them in a playoff spot just three weeks ago took a detour with a six-game losing streak. The Flyers rebounded to win two of three on the road — including a 7-3 stunner at Colorado, who boast the best record in the NHL — but failed to carry that momentum with them home.

The Flyers never made Sorokin work with tough shots on goal and were just flat in front of a sparse crowd largely affected by a massive winter storm.

The few Flyers fans that stayed until the end chanted “at least get one!”

No luck. Sorokin earned his third shutout this month and second in four starts.

The Islanders snapped a two-game losing streak and kept third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Up next

Islanders host the Rangers on Wednesday, and the two teams play the next night at Madison Square Garden.

Flyers play Wednesday at Columbus.

Posted on

Jada Richard scores 20 as No. 6 LSU women beat Florida 89-60

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jada Richard scored 20 points and No. 6 LSU pulled away in the second half for an 89-60 victory over Florida on Monday night.

It was the fifth straight Southeastern Conference win for the Tigers (19-2, 5-2) after they lost their first two league games to Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

MiLaysia Fulwiley had 15 points and Amiya Joiner added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams scored 12 as LSU opened a three-game SEC homestand.

Florida (13-9, 1-6) was led by Liv McGill, who had team highs of 14 points and eight rebounds.

LSU led 22-19 at the end of the first quarter, but it took a while to pull away. During an eight-minute stretch, the Tigers missed 10 of 13 shots — many of them open looks.

The Gators, who got their first SEC win eight days ago, went toe-to-toe with LSU. They turned to physical play, forcing five turnovers in a 2:42 span.

After Laila Reynolds gave Florida a 27-26 lead with 5:36 left in the first half, LSU closed on a 10-2 run for a 36-29 lead at the break. Williams assisted on two of the Tigers’ baskets and closed the half with a driving jumper.

Richard scored 12 of LSU’s 27 third-quarter points, and the Tigers took a 63-45 lead into the fourth. They scored 11 third-period points off six Florida turnovers.

Fulwiley took charge for LSU in the fourth with 11 points, two rebounds and two blocks. She chased down McGill for a rejection of her fast-break layup attempt.

Up next

Florida: Thursday at home vs. Texas.

LSU: Thursday at home vs. Arkansas.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Posted on

Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm, Mets’ Marcus Semien crack MLB Network’s Top 10 2B for 2026

Both NY’s teams have top-10 second basemen, according to MLB Network. 

Yankees slugger Jazz Chisholm Jr. came in at second at the position, and new MetMarcus Semien was fifth on their list heading into the 2026 season.  

Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte headlined the list for the fourth time in his career. 

Chisholm, an impending free agent, is coming off a spectacular campaign that resulted in him making his second All-Star appearance and securing his first Silver Slugger. 

The 27-year-old racked up 4.2 WAR as he put together his first-ever 30-30 campaign. 

Semien remains one of the top defenders in the game, having locked up his second career Gold Glove last season, but he’s left much to be desired offensively. 

He lifted just 15 homers to go along with a .305 OBP and .669 OPS over 127 games. 

After being traded to the Big Apple, though, both he and the Mets are confident that he can return to the MVP-form that he showed during the 2023 World Series campaign. 

Here's a look at the rest of the list:

Posted on

John Mobley Jr. scores 25 to lead Ohio State over Penn State 84-78

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — John Mobley Jr. scored 25 points to help Ohio State hold off Penn State 84-78 on Monday night.

Mobley made 7 of 14 shots with five 3-pointers and all six of his free throws for the Buckeyes (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten Conference). He added five assists and three steals to help Ohio State prevail after blowing almost all of a 50-32 halftime lead.

Amare Bynum added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals for the Buckeyes. Devin Royal had 14 points and sophomore reserve Taison Chatman scored a career-high 11. Bruce Thornton finished with nine points and needs two more to pass Michael Redd (1,879 from 1997-2000) for sixth place on OSU's all-time list.

Sophomore Ivan Njegovan made his first career start for the Buckeyes, replacing injured Christoph Tilly. The 7-foot-1 sophomore scored all eight of his points in the second half, adding three rebounds and two blocked shots before fouling out.

Eli Rice hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 to lead the Nittany Lions (9-11, 0-9), who have lost seven straight. Ivan Juric totaled 14 points and 14 rebounds. Josh Reed and reserve Melih Tunca both scored 13.

Chatman and Mobley sank 3-pointers to end a game-opening 22-11 run by Ohio State and turned it into an 18-point lead at halftime.

Rice sank three 3-pointers in a 22-8 run to cut it to 58-54 in the first eight minutes. Josh Reed had a three-point play to make it 60-59 three minutes later, but Mobley answered with two free free throws and a 3-pointer and Ohio State stayed in front from there.

Up next

Penn State: At Northwestern on Thursday.

Ohio State: At Wisconsin on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Posted on

VJ Edgecombe selected as NBA Rising Star during All-Star weekend

At least something positive happened for the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Following the disastrous loss to Charlotte in the afternoon, the league announced the participants for the 2026 NBA Rising Stars competition during All-Star weekend. Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe will rightfully be a member of the Rookies squad. Here’s the list of all participants:

As a reminder, Rising Stars is now a mini-tournament consisting of four teams of seven players. In addition to the G League team, the rookies and sophomores will be placed on three separate teams via a draft taking place on Tuesday night at 7:00pm ET on Peacock. Rising Stars will be the Friday night of All-Star weekend, February 13, beginning at 9:00pm ET.

It’s a well-deserved honor for Edgecombe, who has undoubtedly been one of the best members of his rookie class thus far. He’s third among rookies in both points (15.6) and assists (4.2) per game, and tops in steals (1.5) per game. While outside shooting was a purported weakness for him coming into the league, VJ is third in three-pointers made (85) among rookies, at a respectable 36.6 percent clip. Not only has he displayed all of the “high-floor” attributes that caused him to be viewed as a safe pick at third overall, but Edgecombe has flashed plenty of star potential as well. Sixers fans will look forward to seeing him out there with the best young talent in the league in a few weeks.

Below is the release from Sixers Public Relations:

“The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe has been selected to the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 13 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles as part of NBA All-Star 2026. Edgecombe is the 22nd 76ers player in franchise history to be selected to a Rising Stars event.

Edgecombe has appeared in 41 games (all starts) for the 76ers this season, averaging 15.4 points (third among rookies), 5.3 rebounds (eighth among rookies), and 4.1 assists (T-3rd among rookies). He is one of two rookies this season averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Edgecombe’s 11 games of 20-plus points are the third most among rookies this season.

In the month of January, Edgecombe has notched 26 steals, the second most in the NBA behind backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey (36), while his 1.5 steals per game ranks first among rookies this season.

The Bahamian National poured in 34 points in his NBA debut at Boston on Oct. 22, surpassing Allen Iverson (30 points, Nov. 1, 1996) for the highest scoring output ever by a 76ers player in an NBA debut. Edgecombe, whose 14 first-quarter points broke LeBron James’ record for most points scored in the opening quarter of a player’s debut (12), finished the night with the third-highest scoring output ever in a debut (43 points – Wilt Chamberlain, 10/24/59; 35 points – Frank Selvy, 11/30/54).“

Posted on

Cleveland Cavaliers win fourth straight, beating Orlando Magic 114-98

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 114-98 behind 45 points from Donovan Mitchell. This was Cleveland’s fourth straight win and its second in a row against the Magic.

The Cavs fell into a 10-point hole early on before Donovan Mitchell carried them out of it. His 26 points in the first half brought energy into the arena and momentum back in Cleveland’s favor. The Cavs entered halftime with a five-point lead, outscoring Orlando 39-24 in the second quarter.

Turnovers were nearly an issue again for the Cavaliers. They entered this game with one of the worst turnover percentages in the league for the month of January, and turned it over six times in the opening 10 minutes of this game. Darius Garland’s efficient control of the offense is something this team isn’t equipped to replace full-time.

Thankfully, the Cavs got themselves in order after a scrambly first quarter. They only turned it over eight more times the rest of the way, getting back to their season-average. They won the rebounding battle and finished the game shooting above 40% from three. Do all of those things, and you have a good chance of winning any game.

Jaylon Tyson, who was named to the 2026 NBA Rising Star game before tonight’s matchup, scored 14 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished 4 assists, and shot 5-9 from the floor. He’ll be the first Cavalier on a standard contract to compete in the Rising Stars game since Evan Mobley.

Mitchell put the Cavalier offense on his back for long stretches of this game. It was another prolific scoring performance from Mitchell, who has been in a groove recently and is showing no signs of slowing down. Evan Mobley has also been hitting his stride, scoring an efficient 20 points to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Cleveland has now won 11 of their last 15 games and is quickly climbing. back up the Eastern Conference. They host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Something tells me you won’t want to miss that.

Posted on

Islanders Bounce Back, Beat Flyers 4-0 In Metropolitan Division Matchup

The New York Islanders rebounded after a 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 on Monday night. 

They scored a shorthanded goal, added two 5-on-5 goals, and got a power-play goal in the win. Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves for his sixth shutout of the season. Flyers netminder Sam Ersson made 19 saves. 

With the win, the Islanders extended their lead on the Flyers to four points as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division, just two points back of the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Islanders are acquiring LHD Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers for a 2026 third-round pick, per Emily Kaplan and Vince Mercogliano.  

Here's how the game unfolded:

After a failed power play, the Islanders found themselves on the penalty kill. That's when a basic dump-in by Jean-Gabriel Pageau made its way back to him courtesy of a no-look pass from Casey Cizikas to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 14:29 of the first:

That was Pageau's ninth goal of the season and third shorthanded goal of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Mathew Barzal extended the Islanders' lead to 2-0 at 5:41 of the second period after he deflected an Isaiah George point shot past a screened Ersson, who had Jonathan Drouin stationed right in front of him:

Barzal snapped an eight-game goal drought. 

The Islanders got one more in the middle frame after Tony DeAngelo wired a one-timer from the high slot past Ersson's right pad at the 12:50 mark:

Barzal and Anthony Duclair each recorded their second points of the night.

The Islanders added a fourth goal, as Pageau scored his second of the game and 10th of the season off the rush after finishing a feed from Maxim Tsyplakov at 13:38 of the third:

Notes: Forward Calum Ritchie did not play as he is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Forward Simon Holmstrom missed the game due to illness. Defenseman Ryan Pulock, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, missed his second straight game. 

Up Next: The Islanders battle the Rangers at UBS Arena on Wednesday before heading to Madison Square Garden on Thursday. 

Posted on

Mavericks rookie sensation Cooper Flagg selected for All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars

This was something of a foregone conclusion, of course, but Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend next month in Los Angeles.

Flagg will enter the Rising Stars game as one of the league’s marquee youngsters, bringing season averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists into the game through the first 43 games of his NBA career. He’s the only player to rank in the top five in points (second), rebounds (third), assists (fourth), steals (second) and blocked shots (third) per game among rookies this year.

Flagg turned 19 on Dec. 21, and before that, had piled up an NBA resume only rivaled by LeBron James as an 18-year-old. On Dec. 15, just six days before his 19th birthday, Flagg became the only 18-year-old in NBA history to record a 40-point game, when he scored 42, brought down seven rebounds and dished six assists in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz. Only James scored more points (625) in NBA history as an 18-year-old than Flagg did this season.

He was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for both October/November and for December.

Flagg has been one of the best clutch players in the league all year long, which will give him some consideration in All-Star voting circles, but the selection to the Rising Stars game likely ends his candidacy for an All-Star reserve spot. All-Star Game reserves will be announced on Feb. 1 ahead of the Rising Stars tournament, which will be played on Feb. 13 and the All-Star Game itself, which will be played on Feb. 15. All the festivities will be held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Inglewood, Calif.

Blake Griffin was the last rookie to be named an NBA All-Star in 2011.

The Rising Stars Challenge is a four-team, three-game mini-tournament featuring selected rookies and second-year players split into three teams, with the fourth team in the field made up of players from the NBA G League. Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tourney. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.

Third-year Maverick Dereck Lively II participated in each of the last two Rising Stars challenges. The MVP of 2025’s Rising Stars mini-tournament was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle.

The three 2026 Rising Stars teams, made up of NBA rookies and second-year players, will be drafted on Tuesday. The field of players for the Rising Stars mini-tourney is as follows:

Rookies

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)
VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)
Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)
Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)


Sophomores

Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)
Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)
Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)
Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)


NBA G League Players

Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)

Posted on

Ketel Marte Ranked #1 on MLB Now’s “Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now”

As expected, having been the top player at the position when the MLB Network ranked the top hundred players last week, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte duly ranked first overall on MLB Now’s Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now earlier tonight. The three-time All-Star, who also ranked first overall on the Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now countdown last year, finished one spot ahead of two-time All-Star (and former Diamondback prospect!) Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees. 

On Marte, MLB Network analyst and 17-year MLB veteran Cliff Floyd said, “He’s in his prime. …We’ll figure out every other position and get everybody else right because we have a guy at second base that’s the best in the sport.” 

View Link

The complete ranking for MLB Now’s top-10 second basemen is listed below:  

Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now 

  1. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks 
  2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. New York Yankees 
  3. Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs 
  4. Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals 
  5. Marcus Semien, New York Mets 
  6. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros 
  7. Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers 
  8. Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins 
  9. Brandon Lowe, Pittsburgh Pirates 
  10. Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers 

Hosted by MLB Network’s Brian Kenny, the 16th season of each Top 10 Right Now ranking considers player performance over multiple seasons, offensive and defensive metrics, both advanced Statcast data and traditional numbers, and expert analysis by the MLB Network research team. Next up, tomorrow, will be left field – but I don’t expect the D-backs to trouble the listing there. We’ll be looking forward instead to the Thursday night ranking, which discusses shortstops. I feel sure Arizona should have some representation there. But as to how high, we will just have to wait and see.

So, do you think that Marte is, indeed, the best player at the position in baseball? Tell us in the comments, and explain your logic – whether your answer is yes or no!