Peterson hits two late 3s as No. 11 Kansas wins 64-61 at No. 13 Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson scored 19 points, including two 3-pointers in the final 1:20 for his only field goals of the second half, and the 11th-ranked Jayhawks overcame a late nine-point deficit to beat No. 13 Texas Tech 64-61 on Monday night.

Peterson, who played a season-high 35 minutes, hit a 3 from the right corner with 1:20 left to tie the game at 61. His next one, with 44 seconds remaining, put the Jayhawks (17-5, 7-2 Big 12) ahead to stay in their sixth consecutive win.

The Red Raiders (16-6, 6-3), playing without starting point guard Christian Anderson, had a 59-50 lead with 6:05 to go after a jumper by LeJuan Watts. But they made only one of their last 12 shots while Kansas closed on a 14-2 run.

Melvin Council Jr. had 16 points, Flory Bidunga scored 14 and Bryson Tiller grabbed 10 rebounds for Kansas.

NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA 87, SYRACUSE 77

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson had 22 points and nine rebounds as North Carolina held off Syracuset after building a 32-point lead midway through the second half.

Syracuse shaved the deficit to six with 42 seconds remaining before the Tar Heels finally closed it out from the free-throw line.

Henri Veesaar added 17 points and 11 boards for his Atlantic Coast Conference-leading 12th double-double. Jonathan Powell scored 12 points and Luka Bogavac had 10 for the Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3), who will carry a four-game winning streak into Saturday’s showdown with No. 4 Duke in Chapel Hill.

Wilson went 6 of 14 from the field and reached 20 points for the 16th time, most by a UNC freshman.

Donnie Freeman finished with 23 points and eight rebounds to lead Syracuse (13-10, 4-6), which lost for the fifth time in six games. Naithan George added 15 points.

Avalanche Suffer First Shutout Of The Season In 2-0 Loss To Red Wings

With only two more games left before the Olympic break, the Colorado Avalanche hoped to spark a win streak to end this first half of the season, with the 4-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings as a catalyst. Well, the exact opposite happened, and with the power play continuing to get worse each game, the Avalanche got a taste of their own medicine, being shut out at home, with a 2-0 loss.

Period 1:

The Red Wings don’t waste any time as they come out early with a 2-on-1 opportunity, and it's Lucas Raymond from Marco Kasper to open the scoring, 1-0. Mason Appleton gets called for delay of game as he sends the puck over the glass, and the Avalanche gets their first power play of the night.

Though their power-play struggles continue, this unit looks nowhere near as good as it did back in Detroit. The first period did not look great for the Avalanche, as they were outshot 8-5, with Detroit getting a lot of offensive zone time and the Avalanche not generating much.

Period 2:

The second period wasn’t any better for both teams as a whole. Sam Malinski is called for tripping, and Taylor Makar is called for hooking, but the Avalanche continue to do a good job on the penalty kill and negate both penalties.

The Red Wings were able to adjust as the period went on, the Avalanche werent able to, and it showed. Missed passes, shots going wide on the net, and MacKenzie Blackwood having to come up with big saves to keep it within a one-goal game. Come the end of the period, the Avalanche were outshot 15-4 in the period, matching a season low in shots in the second period.

Period 3:

Albert Johansson called for tripping, but the Avalanche just can’t get anything going on the man-advantage. Blackwood is doing everything he can to keep the Avalanche in the game, including robbing Andrew Copp on the doorstep, as it was set up with Alex DeBrincat getting away from Clae Makar across the boards.

Blackwood is pulled with 2:30 remaining in the period, and Reymond finds the empty net to close the game off at 2-0. With this loss, this is the first time the Avalanche have been shut out this season. For the Red Wings, this is their first regulation win against the Avalanche since March 18, 2017.

The Avalanche face the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Feb 4, in their final game before the Olympic break.

Nathan MacKinnon Sparks Fury Among Red Wings FansNathan MacKinnon Sparks Fury Among Red Wings FansHow dare Nathan MacKinnon defend a teammate.
Image

Atlanta Braves News: Future of Braves TV, Battery Power Top 30 Propsects, More

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 06: Brandon Gaudin (L-R), Tom Glavine and Big Boi pose for a photo in the Bally Sports booth during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park on August 6, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

One of the of the biggest off the field stories over the past year or so for the Braves and many other MLB teams has been the uncertain future of their TV Broadcasts. On Monday, several MLB teams decided to take the next step forward as they will have their broadcasts directly linked to MLB itself. However, the Braves are expected to go a different route and focus on establishing their own TV Network in the near future.

This is not that surprising, as some MLB teams in the biggest markets/with the biggest fanbases have done the same in the recent past. Though the details are still unknown, the logic behind this move is a simpler setup for the Braves to get access of their games to the fanbase with a bigger part of the profit coming their way. Stay tuned for more details as they come, but this could be win for everyone in time.

Braves News

The start of the 2026 Battery Power Top 30 Braves Prospects series begins with the honorable mentions.

The Braves are officially moving all their Spring Training necessities to Florida in anticipation for Spring Training. Plus, more information on the promotion schedule for the 2026 season.

MLB News

Brendan Donovan, one of the more notable bats on the trade market this offseason, found a new home with the Seattle Mariners via a trade with the Cardinals on Monday.

Lakers vs. Nets Preview: Last stop of the roadtrip

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 10: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles as Day'Ron Sharpe #20 of the Brooklyn Nets defends during the first half at Barclays Center on March 10, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After a tough loss against the New York Knicks, the Lakers (29-19) look to redeem themselves against the Brooklyn Nets (13-35) on Tuesday. This is the last stop in their Grammy road trip.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets

When: 4:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 3

Where: Barclays Center

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet


The Lakers were once again confronted with some harsh realities in Sunday’s loss against the Knicks:

  • They’re not going to win many games whenever they shoot 12-45 (28.6%) from the 3-point line
  • Losing one quarter by a wide margin can significantly affect the game’s outcome
  • They have a tough time against opponents who rebound the ball well
  • Their struggles against teams above .500 continue (9-11) has become a concern

Frankly, these points have been reccurring issues throughout the season and the purple and gold have shown very little to no signs of improving. Whether that’s because of roster construction, injuries, JJ Redick’s coaching, players underperforming or everything at once, it’s fair to say that the Lakers won’t go far if these issues continue.

In fact, after the annoying loss to New York, Los Angeles fell to seventh in the competitive Western Conference standings which, as we all know, is play-in territory. This didn’t last long thanks to the Suns’ loss a few hours after, but it’s a warning on what can happen if they don’t start stringing some wins.

Luckily for them, they’ll have a good chance of improving their record right away when they take on a rebuilding Nets team on Tuesday. The Nets are pretty much Michael Porter Jr’s team right now along with a bunch of serviceable role players like Cam Thomas, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton. They can be competitive at times but truth to be told, there’s no reason for the Lakers to lose to them.

Now in jeopardy of being a play-in team, this has become sort of a must-win game for the purple and gold. They can’t lose games like this anymore, especially with seven of their next 10 games coming against teams above .500. The Nets are one of the very few teams in the league with a bottom-tier offensive and defensive rating. They don’t shoot and rebound the ball well. If there’s a group that’s worse than the Lakers in pretty much everything, it’s them.

The goal is to make sure MPJ — who is averaging 25.6 points a game — doesn’t go off. Same goes with Claxton, who shouldn’t dominate the boards and in the paint against Deandre Ayton. If the Lakers can manage to make sure the Nets don’t have an anomaly type of shooting performance or feast inside the paint, then they should be able to handle them.

The Lakers should also use this as another “get right” game before they head home and their schedule gets tougher. Their biggest competitors will be themselves, especially if their offense underperforms again. Hopefully, the team that shows up is the one that’s determined to close their road trip on a winning note and is serious about being a competitive playoff team this season.

Let’s see if the Lakers can do just that on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

  • The Lakers’ injury report lists Bronny James Jr., (left lower leg soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) are questionable.
  • Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) is out.
  • For the Nets, Haywood Highsmith (right knee surgery) is out and Noah Clowney (lower back sprain) is probable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Jason Zucker breaks 3rd-period tie in the Sabres' 5-3 win over the Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jason Zucker broke a tie on a power play at 5:31 of the third period and he Buffalo Sabres beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday night.

The Sabres have won six of seven and took over the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They hold a 10-point lead over the Panthers. Florida, which has lost four straight, trails Boston by nine for the final playoff position with 27 games remaining.

Peyton Krebs had a goal and an two assists for the Sabres. Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, and Josh Doan also scored for Buffalo, with Rasmus Dahlin had two assists. Alex Lyon, who has won 11 of his past 12 starts, made 38 saves.

Sandis Vilmanis, Evan Rodrigues, and Uvis Balinskis scored for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky made 15 saves.

SENATORS 3, PENGUINS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Claude Giroux scored with just over five minutes remaining in the third period and Ottawa beat Pittsburgh.

Giroux skated in on goal, was tripped by Erik Karlsson and went hard into the post. The net lifted off its moorings, but officials determined the puck crossed the line first at 14:52.

Giroux, a longtime Philadelphia Flyer, tied Alex Ovechkin for the most points against Pittsburgh by an active player. He has 23 goals and 78 points in 72 games against the Penguins.

Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle scored in his third straight game and Michael Amadio scored his first goal since Dec. 11 at Columbus. Stutzle has four goals in his last five games.

Linus Ullmark made 14 saves for the Senators, who won their fourth straight game. Ottawa has points in nine of its last 11 games overall. Ullmark joined Tony Esposito and Bob Froese as the only goalies in NHL history to win each of their first eight games against Pittsburgh.

Tommy Novak scored for Pittsburgh, and Egor Chinakhov added a goal and an assist. Chinakhov has seven goals in 16 games with Pittsburgh since he was traded from Columbus. Evgeni Malkin continued a six-game point streak with an assist.

CAPITALS 4, ISLANDERS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Martin Fehervary and Anthony Beauvillier scored 31 seconds apart in the second period, and Washington beat New York.

Clay Stevenson won his second straight game in goal for the Capitals, who pulled within two points of the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division. Stevenson has been forced into action with Washington’s top two goalies — Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren — both injured.

This was Stevenson’s third NHL game.

Nic Dowd also scored for the Capitals in his 500th game with the franchise. John Carlson scored into an empty net with 2:25 to play on a shot that traveled almost the entire length of the ice.

New York led 1-0 after one period on a goal by Mathew Barzal. Tom Wilson’s errant pass from the corner in his own zone ended up on Barzal’s stick right in front of the net.

WILD 4, CANADIENS 3, OT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 3:38 of overtime to give Minnesota a victory over Montreal.

Minnesota got the power play when Phillip Danault hooked Kaprizov in front of the goal. Kaprizov took a feed from Quinn Hughes and fired a shot past Jakub Dobes from the high slot for his 32nd goal of the season.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber also scored, and Hughes had three assists to reach 50 for the season. Filip Gustavsson made 17 saves.

Faber tied it at 3 at 7:05 of the third, racing onto the puck down the right side for a quick shot. Quinn assisted on the goal.

Hughes assisted on Kaprizov’s first goal to tie the Russian’s team-record assists streak at nine and push his franchise-record points streak for defenseman to nine. Kaprizov had assists in nine straight games in 2022-23.

PREDATORS 6, BLUES 5

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored twice in the third period to help Nashville rally for a victory over St. Louis.

Ryan O’Reilly also scored twice and Michael McCarron and Filip Forsberg added goals for Nashville. The Predators scored five straight goals to erase a four-goal deficit and win their second straight.

Earlier Monday, Predators general manger Barry Trotz announced his impending retirement. Trotz, who succeeded inaugural general manager David Poile in July of 2023, will stay in the position until his successor can be hired.

Pavel Buchnevich scored twice and Jake Neighbours, Philip Broberg, and Colton Parayko also scored for St. Louis, losers of seven of eight. Joel Hofer made 22 saves, and Jorday Kyrou had three assists.

BLACKHAWKS 6, SHARKS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Donato had two goals and two assists, and Chicago beat the San Jose.

Ilya Mikheyev added a goal and three assists in Chicago’s final home game before the Olympic break. Connor Bedard, Connor Murphy and Sam Rinzel also scored, and Spencer Knight made 25 saves.

The Blackhawks had lost five in a row. They improved to 3-6-2 in their last 11 games.

Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist for San Jose, which dropped to 1-2-1 on a five-game trip. Will Smith and Shakir Mukhamadullin also scored.

STARS 4, JETS 3, OT

DALLAS (AP) — Thomas Harley scored at 2:05 of overtime, and the Dallas Stars matched their longest winning streak of the season at five games with a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.

The goal came moments after Jake Oettinger made a pad save on Mark Schiefele’s breakaway in a matchup of the top two goalies for Team USA in the second-to-last game before the break for the Milan Cortina Olympics. Oettinger and expected U.S. starter Connor Hellbuyck each stopped 24 shots.

Mikko Rantanen put Dallas ahead 3-2 with 7:43 left in regulation on a weaving play through two defenders, but Logan Stanley got the Jets even on a 6-on-5 goal with 1:43 to go.

Jason Robertson had his 199th career goal and team-leading 31st this season and Nils Lundkvist scored as the Stars won their 18th one-goal game, tying the New York Islanders for the NHL lead.

Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti had a goal and an assist apiece for the Jets, and Scheifele had two assists.

RED WINGS 2, AVALANCHE 0

DENVER (AP) — John Gibson stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and Lucas Raymond scored and had his team-leading 41st assist as Detroit beat Colorado.

Gibson improved to 22-11-2 with his 28th career shutout, which was Colorado’s first since Feb. 4, 2025, ending a run of 87 consecutive games with at least a goal.

Detroit was 0-14-1 in its previous 15 games against Colorado entering Monday, including a 5-0 home loss two days earlier in which Gibson allowed four goals on 17 shots.

After being shut out on Sunday, the Red Wings scored 33 seconds into the first period, with Raymond finding a wide-open Marco Kasper on an odd-man rush.

It was the third time in the past nine games Kasper has scored after he was held without a goal in 44 of his previous 45 games. Prior to his assist, Raymond had gone three consecutive games without a point, his longest pointless stretch of the season.

Raymond scored his 19th goal of the season into an empty net with 30 seconds remaining.

MAMMOTH 6, CANUCKS 2

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nick Schmaltz had his second hat trick of the season and added two assists for a five-point game in Utah's victory over Vancouver.

Schmaltz had his third career NHL hat trick to push his season goals total to 22, one shy of his career high set with Arizona in 2021-22.

JJ Peterka scored his 20th of the season, John Marino had a goal and two assists and Mikhail Sergachev also scored to help Utah end a two-game losing streak. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves.

Schmaltz scored twice in the first as Utah took a 2-1 lead. In the second, Sergachev connected on a power play and Marino and Peterka pushed the advantage to 5-1. Schmaltz completed the hat trick with 7:38 left in the third, scoring off a feed from Clayton Keller on a break.

Liam Ohgren and Teddy Blueger scored for Vancouver. Kevin Lankinen stopped 14 shots.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, FLAMES 2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — William Nylander scored on a breakaway 35 seconds into the game and added two assists that helped Toronto beat Calgary.

Matias Maccelli and defenseman Troy Stecher also scored as the Maple Leafs won their second straight following a six-game losing streak. Toronto halted an 0-5-1 slide by winning 3-2 in a shootout Saturday at Vancouver.

Bobby McMann’s empty-net goal sealed it with 25 seconds remaining. Joseph Woll made 28 saves, improving to 5-0-0 against Calgary.

Toronto has won eight in a row versus the Flames, its longest active streak against any team.

Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee each had a goal and an assist for the struggling Flames, who have dropped six of seven. They snapped a five-game skid (0-3-2) with a 3-2 victory Saturday against San Jose when Farabee scored a short-handed goal to break a third-period tie.

Dustin Wolf stopped 18 shots.

Takeaways: Penguins' Six-Game Win Streak Snapped By Senators In Lethargic Effort

Lately, it's been pretty easy to write serenades about the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have had their way with most of the teams they have played.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case on Monday.

The Ottawa Senators came to Pittsburgh and defeated the Penguins, 3-2, to snap the team's six-game win streak. Pittsburgh has now won just two of their last 11 games against the Senators, who didn't give them much to work with the entire game. 

Through two periods, the Penguins had just 10 shots on goal to the Senators' 23, and they never really found a way to get to the hard-forechecking and possession game that has made them so successful lately. Ottawa was shutting them down in the neutral zone, and the Penguins had a hard time breaking out of their own zone. 

"They jammed it up in the middle," forward Noel Acciari said. "We struggled getting out of our zone and getting in their zone. And the simple play was, tonight, just get it behind them and try and forecheck. But, it wasn't our best tonight.

"Ten shots over two periods is not going to win games, but we know we've got better, and it's a quick turnaround for tomorrow."

Out of the gate, the Penguins were pretty lethargic, and they were outworked from the jump. However, that didn't stop Evgeni Malkin from, once again, connecting with fellow Russian Egor Chinakhov, who was breaking through the slot. Chinakhov finished the play for his 10th of the season and seventh goal as a Penguin to put Pittsburgh in front, 1-0, early on. 

But, from there, the Penguins ran into some penalty trouble - which threw off their game - and the Senators pretty muc controlled all the momentum despite the goal. Michael Amadio tied the game from the slot just a minute and a half into the second period, and - miraculously - the score remained that way until the third because of the work of Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs, who was outstanding throughout this game. 

With a little more than 13 minutes to go in regulation, a bad change by defenseman Erik Karlsson led to a breakaway opportunity for Tim Stutzle, who capitalized for his 26th of the season to put Ottawa on top, 2-1. Two minutes later, Tommy Novak tied things up with a garbage goal at the net front, and the Penguins were still hanging on.

However - with just over five to go - Claude Giroux received a pass from Stutzle and crashed into the Silovs as Silovs stopped the initial shot attempt. However, the puck trickled into the net in the aftermath, and it was called a good goal on the ice. The Penguins challenged for goaltender interference on the play, but they lost the challenge and ultimately lost the game, 3-2. 

Silovs - who stopped 28 of 31 shots on the evening - did not agree with the ruling.

"I don't know. For me, it doesn't make sense," Silovs said. "He came in, I stopped the puck, and then the second... he goes like 25 miles [per hour] going down. Like, what do you expect me to do? I don't understand how they think, whether they're protecting players or not, especially for goalies... I don't understand this rule.

"Like, what's the position there? I would understand if it goes straightaway in, then I would agree with the call. But, it's a second effort, so I don't really agree with the call."

'Every Line's Able To Bring Some Offense': Penguins' Quick-Strike Offense Key To Success This Season'Every Line's Able To Bring Some Offense': Penguins' Quick-Strike Offense Key To Success This SeasonThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winning a lot of hockey games this season - and it starts with the team's ability to keep piling on offense

Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this 3-2 loss:

- Honestly? There's not really much to say about this one. This is a bad matchup for the Penguins, and this team just has their number. They were never, at any point, the better team in this game, and it showed in the end result. 

And, honestly? The end result indicated a closer game than it actually was. 

Look, losing this one isn't the end of the world. Maybe this opinion is unpopular, but when you win a lot of hockey games, a team almost earns the luxury of having a dud here and there. It's been happening frequently lately to the best team in the league in the Colorado Avalanche, as they have lost three of their last eight games by a score of 7-3 against the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens.

This is one that you lock away in a box and leave. The Penguins need their best Tuesday against the New York Islanders - who lost to the Washington Capitals, 4-1, on Monday - and I expect a response, especially after seeing how much head coach Dan Muse was seething after the game. 

How Three Key Free-Agent Additions Are Paying Huge Dividends For The Penguins How Three Key Free-Agent Additions Are Paying Huge Dividends For The Penguins The Penguins were busy in free agency over the summer, and three of the players they brought in have been fantastic.

- Silovs was truly magnificent in this game, and I think it was one of his best as a Penguin.

He made a ton of key saves early, and throughout the year, the early parts of games is where he has struggled the most. But he was dialed in all night long, and he was the only reason this game was as close as it was. 

His teammates owe him a very fancy steak dinner after this one.

- Chinakhov continues to make me wonder what the Columbus Blue Jackets were thinking. This guy just has such great instincts on top of having a 99th percentile shot in this league.

And, if I'm the Penguins, he's out there in six-on-five situations and on the first power play unit. There's no sense in not having the guy with the best shot on your team - and some of the best offensive instincts - out there in almost every key offensive situation. 

What a player this guy has been for the Penguins and for Malkin. 

- Speaking of the power play, it was another rough one for them, even if they only got one opportunity in the latter half of the third period. It's just one of its last 16, and there isn't really anything going right on that unit right now. 

A switch-up in personnel may be in order, but honestly? I just think it comes down to more player movement and quicker, more decisive puck movement. The Penguins are also overpassing right now and not getting nearly enough pucks - or bodies - to the net. 

Revisiting The Top-Five Moments Of The 2016 Stanley Cup Championship RunRevisiting The Top-Five Moments Of The 2016 Stanley Cup Championship RunPrior to their game on Saturday against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">New York Rangers</a>, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> celebrated their 2016 Stanley Cup champion team, as 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the championship run.

- This was a disaster of a game for every Penguin not named Silovs in general, but boy, was this a dud from Karlsson.

Karlsson has been one of the Penguins' best players all season long, but he struggles against his former team. He doesn't not have a goal against the Senators in his career, and he is a minus-5 - which doesn't account for that bad change. 

Not a good game from the blue line in general, but he stood out in particular. 

- The top line is not functioning well for the Penguins right now. This four-game stretch for Sidney Crosby has been rough - he has just one point in the last four games - and without Bryan Rust, they haven't been able to generate anything, as Justin Brazeau doesn't look like a fit there. 

If Rust wasn't returning Tuesday, I think a look for Rutger McGroarty with Crosby and Rickard Rakell would be warranted. But, with Rust set to return against the Isles, it's probably a moot point. 

Still, even with Rust in the fold before his suspension, something has been off. It's nice that the Penguins are getting secondary scoring, but at some point, the top line needs to produce at its customary rate again if the Penguins want to continue winning down the stretch run of the season.

Erik Karlsson Hits Career Milestone On SaturdayErik Karlsson Hits Career Milestone On SaturdayErik Karlsson notched his 700th assist during Saturday's game.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

Purple Row After Dark: Who’s a player whose Rockies career you wish wasn’t cut short?

DENVER - OCTOBER 27: Infielder Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies fields a ground ball out against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning of Game Three of the 2007 World Series at Coors Field on October 27, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images

Yesterday in The Feed, porter_engle asked the question “Name the Rockies draft pick you wish had turned out better.” They then identified Kyle Hancock as their pick, and asked the community to weigh in.

I’d like to spin that off this evening in the form of a different question:

Who’s a player whose Rockies career you wish wasn’t cut short, either due to injuries, being traded/released, walking in free agency, etc.?

For me, it’s always going to be Troy Tulowitzki. He was my first favorite Rockie, and he was on a potential Hall of Fame trajectory if his entire baseball career wasn’t marred by injuries. And then, of course, he was also traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, which left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth for a very long time.

What about you?


Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Hornets fight back from 22 down to beat Pelicans 102-95 for 7th straight victory

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball overcame an early head-to-head collision with coach Charles Lee to score 24 points, and the surging Charlotte Hornets fought back from a 22-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 102-95 on Monday for their seventh straight win.

Kon Knueppel added 17 points, hitting four 3s, and Brandon Miller and Grant Williams each scored 16 as Charlotte pulled within a half-game of the Atlanta Hawks for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets overcame 17 turnovers while matching their longest winning streak since March 2016.

Trey Murphy III scored 27 points to lead the Pelicans, who have lost six of their last nine. Zion Williamson finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Derik Queen had 16 points.

ROCKETS 118, PACERS 114

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alperen Sengun matched his season high with 39 points, and Jabari Smith Jr. added 19 to help short-handed Houston overcome the absence of All-Star forward Kevin Durant to beat Indiana.

Durant sat out, coach Ime Udoka said, after spraining his left ankle when he stepped on a fan’s foot. The Rockets already were missing center Steven Adams, who is expected to miss the rest of this season following surgery on his injured left ankle, so Sengun did the heavy lifting.

He made 13 of 25 from the field and 13 of 18 from the free-throw line including 8 of 12 during the fourth quarter. Houston won its third straight, got its fifth victory in six games and captured its third straight on the road.

All-Star forward Pascal Siakam finished with 27 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 25 to lead the Pacers, who charged back from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter to take the lead. But they didn’t have quite enough to extend their winning streak to a season-best three straight.

GRIZZLIES 137, TIMBERWOLVES 128

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 30 points, Ty Jerome added 19 and Memphis built a 20-point lead in the second half and held on for a victory over Minnesota.

Memphis maintained a double-digit advantage through much of the fourth quarter. Minnesota, behind Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, seemed poised to overtake Memphis, but the Grizzlies never let the Timberwolves within nine points and snapped a six-game losing streak.

Jaylen Wells scored 18 points for Memphis, while Cam Spencer and Vince WIlliams Jr. added 16 points apiece.

Edwards led Minnesota with 39 points and seven rebounds. Jaden McDaniels scored 29 points and DiVincenzo finished with 21, including 13 in the fourth. Minnesota had its four-game win streak halted.

76ERS 128, CLIPPERS 113

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, Dominick Barlow added 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Philadelphia beat Los Angeles for their fourth consecutive victory.

The game featured two big names who weren’t selected as All-Star reserves: Joel Embiid of the Sixers and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers.

Embiid had 24 points as he continues to gain full strength after a right ankle injury. The Sixers improved to 11-10 without Paul George, who is serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program.

Leonard led the Clippers with 29 points and Jordan Miller had 21 points off the bench.

Los Angeles was without James Harden, who missed his second straight game due to personal reasons. Coach Tyronn Lue said before the game that Harden was at home in Phoenix.

Nashville Predators tie franchise record for largest comeback in victory over Blues | Recap

After falling into a 5-1 hole in the second period, the Nashville Predators scored five unanswered goals for a miraculous comeback victory over the St. Louis Blues, 6-5 on Monday at Bridgestone Arena. 

It ties the franchise record for the largest comeback in the game, four goals, set in a 7-5 win over the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 21, 2025, when Nashville also came back after going down 5-1. 

Steven Stamkos scored the game-tying and game-winning goal in the third period. 

The Predators were down by just a goal at the end of the first period, with Ryan O'Reilly recording his first tally of the night on the power play.

However, in the first four minutes of the second period, the Blues scored three unanswered goals, two of which came just 30 seconds apart.

The early second-period barrage saw the Predators pull Juuse Saros for Justus Annunen after Saros allowed five goals on 21 shots. 

The Predators began to turn things around near the end of the second as Michael McCarron and Filip Forsberg scored to make it a two-goal game. Forsberg now has four goals in three games. 

In the third, O'Reilly netted his second of the night to cut the Blues' lead down to a goal. Stamkos took over, scoring twice to tie the game and give the Predators the lead. The second goal was his ninth game-winning goal of the season. 

While they didn't score, Roman Josi had four assists and Luke Evangelista had three assists. Josi is riding a red-hot scoring streak, with 37 points in 42 games. 

Nashville was able to hang on for the final 10 minutes of the game for its 17th comeback win of the season. The Predators improve to 26-23-6 on the year and steal two points for 58 on the season. 

This story will be updated. 

Kaprizov scores 2nd goal of game on a power play in OT to lift Wild past Canadiens, 4-3

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 3:38 of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.

Minnesota got the power play when Phillip Danault hooked Kaprizov in front of the goal. Kaprizov took a feed from Quinn Hughes and fired a shot past Jakub Dobes from the high slot for his 32nd goal of the season.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber also scored, and Hughes had three assists to reach 50 for the season. Filip Gustavsson made 17 saves.

Faber tied it at 3 at 7:05 of the third, racing onto the puck down the right side for a quick shot. Quinn assisted on the goal.

Hughes assisted on Kaprizov’s first goal to tie the Russian’s team-record assists streak at nine and push his franchise-record points streak for defenseman to nine. Kaprizov had assists in nine straight games in 2022-23.

Minnesota won its fourth straight, ending Montreal winning streak at three.

Brendan Gallagher, Ivan Demidov and Kirby Dach scored to give Montreal the lead after the Wild raced to a 2-0 advantage.

Dach put Montreal ahead 12 seconds into the third, knocking in Nick Suzuki’s feed. Gallagher started the comeback with 52 seconds left in the first, and Demidov tied it with 17 seconds to go in the second,

Eriksson Ek opened the scoring at 38 seconds of the first, firing a wrist shot from right circle. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 4:12 left in the first, tipping in Quinn's feed.

Wild defenseman Daemon Hunt didn’t return after taking a puck to the throat in the first period.

Up next

Canadiens: At Winnipeg on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.

Wild: At Nashville on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.

___

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

Grizzlies 137, Timberwolves 128: Why can’t you just be normal??

MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 2: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 2, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Everything the Minnesota Timberwolves do right now is under a massive microscope. That microscope’s name is Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It’s hard to watch Jaden McDaniels shoot 18-26 from three during the last two weeks and not think immediately of how a certain team in Milwaukee would think of him. It’s increasingly difficult to watch Julius Randle without wondering if he will be sticking around if Minnesota continues to try to prioritize McDaniels and Naz Reid without getting a deal done for Giannis.

All of that is on the table. It means that so little about tonight’s game is actually about tonight’s game. Still, the nature of this recap means that we do need to talk about what happened against the Memphis Grizzlies instead of thinking about what price, if any, is too high for a current top-three player in the entire association.

(If that price is all three of Naz, Jaden, and Julius, that’s certainly too high for me)

The Wolves did what we all know them to do and came out flat. A first-quarter deficit grew and festered like an ever-spreading cough that no one seems to be able to get rid of. While on the topic of sicknesses, it seems pretty clear that the entire team frequently looks anemic and completely devoid of whatever vitamin is needed to provide consistent effort.

The story of this game was the eight-point lead that the Grizzlies maintained for the entirety of the contest. It is exceptionally difficult to consider the Wolves a good team when they have inverted their early-season form and turn into a pumpkin whenever they face a team below 500.

To Minnesota’s discredit, Memphis was also missing two consistent starters and at least four rotation pieces by my count.

It’s just bad.

Despite a great performance from Jaden, these are the types of games that fuel the desperation necessary for the Wolves to go all in on a Giannis trade. And it doesn’t help when your supposed second option has fans tweeting like this:

The word to describe it is just flat. So much of this team is without depth and without texture. The Wolves are not a product you can trust. They are the gas station sandwiches of the NBA. One day, they are the exact thing you need on a road trip, a shocking bit of excellent normalcy to distract from disappointing other options. Another day, they had you projectile vomiting on the side of the highway about an hour and a half later because the lettuce had started to rot.

All that is to say that anyone who sees Minnesota as a title contender is simply wrong. The unseriousness is unavoidable and is just fully baked into this team as is. Whether that would change in an era focused fully on the Jaden/Ant/Naz trio remains to be seen, but this iteration of the team will not escape who they are.

Maybe we will look back on this recap in a couple of months — as we did last year… and the year before as well — and laugh at this level of declaration, but I think there’s a reason that the Wolves burn out in the conference finals.

The Wolves have the ceiling of being able to beat anyone. The last few matchups with the Thunder have shown that. But their inability to lock in and just show up every day, every hour, every play means that they just cannot stop getting in their own way.

If you missed this whole game, you missed out on nothing. You should’ve watched Unrivaled.

A 16-3 run in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter buried any hope of a Minnesota comeback. What else is there to say about a performance like tonight that hasn’t already been said? Ant started off hot, and then cooled off as the game fell out of grasp. Cam Spencer and Ty Jerome made a bad loss worse for Minnesota.

If there’s a story that continues to stand out, it is how dreadful Mike Conley has been. Whereas Bones Hyland at least has a lesser version of the Jordan Poole/Michael Jordan wheel that he spins every game, Conley is ping-ponging between Hornets Tony Parker and Bucks Jeff Teague.

The old man is, by all accounts, a wonderful teammate and an integral part of the locker room, but the biggest difference maker for the Wolves’ deadline hopes is probably getting number 10 to go from a five-minute-a-game player to a zero-minute-a-game player.

Additionally, it was a terrible night for Naz Reid, who had been the most impactful Wolves player according to most net rating numbers over the past few game winning streak. Naz’s issues tend to mirror the team’s. There’s such a high high, but such a low low. Tonight was quite low.

Basketball is fun. Being a fan of a good team is, typically, fun. The Wolves have once again drained me of my will to watch and my will to support.

That brings us back to the question that looms as large as the last name that would answer it. I’d have no problems putting my own words to it, but I think it’s already been said about as well as it can.

Goodnight Wolves fans. I’m sorry you had to watch that. I wish you didn’t have to. I wish I hadn’t.


Up Next

The Timberwolves finish their three-game road trip north of the border as they take on the Toronto Raptors, where they look to end one of the craziest streaks in the NBA, as they have not won a road game in Toronto since January 21, 2004. The game begins at 6:30 PM CT, airing on FanDuel Sports Network.

Highlights

Cubs BCB After Dark: Would you trade Matt Shaw to Boston?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 09: Matt Shaw #6 of the Chicago Cubs throws to first base during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field on October 09, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s a new week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in out of the cold. We’ll waive the cover charge for you. Let us take your coat. The hostess can take you to your table now. Bring your own beverage.

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

Last week, I asked you which Cubs corner outfielder should the team sign to an extension. Your choice was Seiya Suzuki with 49 percent of the vote. Ian Happ only got 21 percent, which affirms my belief that Happ is the most underrated Cub of the 21st Century. Nineteen percent of you did want to sign both players to an extension.

Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You’re free to skip that if you’d like. You won’t hurt my feelings.


Tonight we’re featuring Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias in New York in 2011 playing “Samba Triste.” Joining her are Marc Johnson on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums.


You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic and like most things that decide to go up against Godzilla, The Day the Earth Stood Still got crushed. I would have thought Gort would have been able to put up a better fight with all his alien technology, but that’s what people thought about Mechagodzilla as well.

Today we’ve got another third round matchup to decide which film will face off against Godzilla in the semifinals. It’s director Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey and the film with one of the most famous endings of all time, Planet of the Apes (1968).

2001: A Space Odyssey.(1968) Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.

Here’s what I wrote about 2001 earlier.

Here’s the docking scene to the tune of Johann Strauss’s “Blue Danube.”

Planet of the Apes (1968). Starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans.

Here’s what I wrote about Planet of the Apes earlier.

Here’s the “hunt” scene where Taylor (Heston) and his crew are captured by the Apes.

Reading back what I wrote about these two films, I don’t really have a lot more to say. Both of them kind of defy criticism anyways, but in very different ways. I also assume that all of you who have been following along have already seen both of these movies, so I don’t need to tell you a lot.

So you might as well vote.

You have until Wednesday to vote. Up next, Alien takes on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I’m wondering if we won’t get Alien versus Godzilla in the final, which would no doubt give some producer an idea for a new film series.


Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

The Boston media and Red Sox fans have been going nuts since the Cubs signed Alex Bregman. Even the few Boston fans who didn’t think the Red Sox should re-sign Bregman are upset because the team has too many outfielders and not enough infielders. Marcelo Mayer is pencilled in for third base and while he was a highly-regarded prospect coming into last season, he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first go at the major leagues. He also struggled badly against left-handed pitching, so he probably needs a platoon partner. That’s no reason to give up on Mayer, but it is a risky spot to be in for a team that has title aspirations.

The situation for the Red Sox at second base is even worse. Romy Gonzalez did very well at the plate last season—..305/.343/.483 in 96 games, but most of that damage was done against left-handers. Basically, he’s a good platoon partner for Mayer at third base and he can’t play second and third base against left-handed pitching at the same time.

Another option the Red Sox have at second base is Kristian Campbell, who was poor in his rookie season, hitting .223/.319/.345 over 67 games. There’s also David Hamilton, who was even worse.

The situation is so desperate that the team is apparently kicking around is moving center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela to second base. Rafaela was a good defensive infielder before the Red Sox moved him to center field and he could probably handle the position well should they move him back. The problem is that Rafaela is an elite center fielder who may be the only outfielder in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s class as a defender. So that might solve the Red Sox problem of too many outfielders and not enough infielders, but it comes with a big cost.

So that leaves adding another infielder before the season starts. Two just went off the board as the Reds signed third baseman Eugenio Suárez and the Mariners got second baseman Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals. So Boston’s options are running thin. They may be desperate.

One thing that has been suggested a lot by Red Sox fans is to trade for one of the Cubs infielders, in particular Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw. The idea is behind Hoerner is that the Cubs have one too many infielders and Hoerner is a free agent at the end of the season. If the Cubs aren’t planning to sign him to an extension, they might be better off getting something for him in trade.

Honestly, I don’t see the Cubs trading Hoerner. The Cubs also consider themselves playoff contenders and Hoerner is one of the best all-around players on the team. For the Cubs to trade Hoerner, they would have to get something back that would give them equal or better production this year. If the Red Sox had that to trade, they wouldn’t need Nico Hoerner.

Matt Shaw is a more interesting question. Shaw got off to a poor start to his rookie season last year, but he really turned it on in the second half. He also was surprisingly good at third base, but with Alex Bregman under contract, he doesn’t have a full-time job. The Cubs have made it clear that they’d like to use Shaw as a “supersub” all around the diamond, but for 2026 at least, Shaw is a luxury rather than a necessity. It’s also escaped no one’s attention that Shaw is from Massachusetts and grew up a Red Sox fan.

Most of the trade offers I’ve seen out of Boston for Shaw is along the lines of “here’s a bunch of players we don’t want for a Cub we very much do want.” Sorry, but trades don’t work that way. The Cubs have no reason that they have to trade Shaw. The Cubs need a strong bench and he’s the backup plan for 2027 should Hoerner leave as a free agent. On top of that, I believe that even though Hoerner is the better player, Shaw has more trade value than Hoerner. He was the 35th-ranked prospect according to Baseball America coming into last year. Keith Law of The Athletic ranked him as the 14th-best prospect. While he didn’t set the world on fire his rookie season, he’s still young and promising. On top of that, he has five years of team control left instead of just one for Nico.

So sorry Red Sox fans. If you want Matt Shaw, it’s gonna hurt. Boston will definitely have to give up something they don’t want to give up if they want Shaw.

Fortunately for them, they do have two prospects the Cubs might covet. The Red Sox have two young (23 years old) starting pitchers who are major-league ready this season: left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Baseball America ranked Tolle as the 17th-best prospect in the game. They ranked Early 52nd. Law ranked Tolle 40th and Early 64th. Both have already made their major league debuts. Early and was very good (2.33 ERA) over four starts. Tolle wasn’t nearly as effective out of the gate with a 6.06 ERA over three starts and four relief spots. But the important thing is that both pitchers are ready to pitch in the majors this season.

Here’s a little of what Baseball America said about Tolle

He . . . averaged 96.6 mph in his big league cameo and hit triple digits for the first time in his life on a pitch that averaged 16.7 inches of ride and 6.7 inches of armside run. Tolle reshaped his secondary mix throughout the season, most notably with the introduction of an 88-90 mph cutter in August that immediately surpassed his gyro slider,

And here’s a little of what they said about Early.

He paired the [93-94 mph] fastball with an excellent mid-80s changeup with sink and fade to his arm side as well as a slider and curveball against righties, while crushing lefties by mixing his four- and two-seamer with a low-80s sweeper that produced a 100% whiff rate—not a typo—on 10 regular-season swings.

To be clear, while all the rankings I’ve seen have Tolle ranked higher, presumably because of his greater velocity, I have read some people saying they think Early is the better prospect and will be the better pro. He was certainly better in his cup of coffee last year than Tolle was. In any case, this isn’t a situation where one pitcher is obviously superior to the other. There’s a general consensus that Tolle is better, but reasonable teams could think otherwise.

The Red Sox would have to give up one of those two to get Matt Shaw and probably another lesser prospect as well. As I said, it’s going to have to hurt if they want Matt Shaw. I’m not going to speculate on who that might be (I don’t know the lower reaches of the Red Sox system at all) and maybe if the Cubs took Early they’d get a slightly better second prospect than with Tolle.

I’m not saying that the Red Sox would make this deal. They may not want to part with either pitcher. But what I am saying is that this is the type of offer they would have to make for the Cubs to consider dealing Shaw.

To be clear, such a trade would be risky for the Cubs as well. Shaw is pencilled in for a major bench role in 2026 and if someone gets hurt, he’s likely going to have to play a lot. On top of that, if the Cubs were to trade Matt Shaw, they’d be operating without a safety net with Nico Hoerner. If Hoerner leaves at the end of the year, then the Cubs would be without a second baseman if they trade Shaw. Maybe another minor league infielder like Jefferson Rojas, Pedro Ramirez or James Triantos will establish themselves this year as an alternate heir apparent to Hoerner. But there’s no guarantee of that.

So with the understanding that the Red Sox may not be willing to make the offer, would you be willing to part with Matt Shaw for either of these packages?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. It’s always good to start the week with friends. Please get home safely. Stay warm and dry out there. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark.

Tuesday's Time Schedule

All Times EST

Tuesday, Feb. 3

NBA

Denver at Detroit, 7 p.m.

New York at Washington, 7 p.m.

Utah at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Boston at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Chicago at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Orlando at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Philadelphia at Golden State, 10 p.m.

Phoenix at Portland, 11 p.m.

NHL

Columbus at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto at Edmonton, 8:30 p.m.

Seattle at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

T25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 3 UConn vs. Xavier, 7 p.m.

No. 4 Duke vs. Boston College, 7 p.m.

No. 18 Virginia vs. Pittsburgh, 9 p.m.

No. 19 Saint Louis at Davidson, 9 p.m.

No. 22 St. John’s at DePaul, 8 p.m.

No. 23 Miami (OH) at Buffalo, 6:30 p.m.

No. 25 Tennessee vs. Ole Miss, 7 p.m.

_____

MLB to Produce and Distribute Rays Broadcast

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 20: Alanna Rizzo of the MLB network reports as part of the first all female broadcast on Youtube during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field on July 20, 2021 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Tampa Bay Rays announced today that Major League Baseball will take over production and distribution of local television broadcasts beginning with the 2026 season. The partnership ensures that fans across Florida will be able to watch Rays games through their cable or satellite provider and through MLB’s direct‑to‑consumer streaming service.

“Since our first days of taking ownership of the club, we’ve been committed to delivering a world‑class fan experience,” said Tampa Bay Rays CEO Ken Babby. “This transition reflects that commitment. With MLB’s best‑in‑class streaming platform, Rays fans in our home market will finally be able to stream games on the MLB app without local blackouts. And just as importantly, fans who prefer the tradition of watching Rays baseball on television will continue to find our games on cable and satellite. Every decision we make is done first and foremost with our fans in mind.”

Fans in the Rays home market will be able to access games on participating cable and satellite systems, with provider details and channel lineups to be shared soon. Streaming access will be available for purchase on MLB.com and the MLB app once subscriptions go on sale in February.

The Rays join a number of MLB clubs already partnering with the league for local broadcasts. All 162 regular‑season games in 2026 will be available either through local distribution or MLB’s national broadcast partners.

Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.

5 former Kentucky Wildcats named to NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles

Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball under pressure from Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The NBA officially filled out its All-Star game roster, and it is filled with former Kentucky Wildcats. There will be five total Cats in Los Angeles as the ASG festivities kick off in a little less than two weeks.

The five Wildcats named to the league’s most prolific game are New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Jamal Murray, and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.

Murray, a nine-year veteran with the Nuggets, will appear in his first-ever All-Star Game in 2026. He’s having a career year in Denver, averaging 25.5 points per game, shooting 48.7% from the field, and also 7.5 assists per game. He currently has the Nuggets sitting as the third seed in the Western Conference.

The Wildcats’ guard pipeline never fails to amaze. Maxey, who is playing his sixth season for the 76ers, has been one of the most elite guards in the league this season. Averaging just under thirty points a game, the former Wildcat has become the face of the franchise in Philly. A savvy guard who can score at all three levels.

In a weekend full of celebrities and stars in LA, there will be no shortage of Wildcats around all weekend long. Former Cats are always making BBN proud.

The All-Star game is set for February 15th at the Inuit Dome, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.