Worldwide Sports News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Bruce Thornton scored 21 points and hit two late throws to help Ohio State secure an 89-82 win over USC on Wednesday.

Ohio State (16-6, 8-6 Big Ten) trailed 43-40 at halftime after opening 2 of 13 at the free-throw line, but Thornton steadied the Buckeyes in the second half. He became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,935 career points and moved into fifth all-time in Ohio State scoring.

The Buckeyes grabbed their largest lead at 67-60 with eight minutes left after a Devin Royal layup and a John Mobley Jr. 3-pointer. USC (18-7, 7-7) answered with a 7-0 run capped by a Jordan Marsh 3 to cut it to 70-69, but Christoph Tilly scored inside, and Royal added a jumper to push the margin back to five.

Alijah Arenas hit a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining to pull USC within 82-81, but Thornton responded with a driving layup and converted the free throw to make it 85-81. USC missed two shots in the final 30 seconds, and Thornton closed it out at the line.

Royal scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Ohio State, and Mobley added 13. Thornton reached double figures for the 23rd time this season.

Arenas scored 25 points for USC, Kam Woods added 14 and Ezra Ausar finished with 13 points and nine rebounds before fouling out. The Trojans have played eight consecutive games decided by seven points or fewer.

Up Next

USC hosts No. 8 Illinois next Wednesday.

Ohio State faces No. 15 Virginia 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

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Andre Mills scored 24 points, David Coit added 19 off the bench and Maryland beat Iowa 77-70 on Wednesday night to snap the Hawkeyes' six-game win streak.

Mills scored 10 straight Maryland points to take a 57-56 lead with 8:03 remaining and then Coit scored the next five points overall for a six-point advantage.

Bennett Stirtz twice got Iowa within three points in the final 20 seconds, but Elijah Saunders made four straight free throws and Coit added two more to seal it.

Maryland won despite going 19 of 28 from the free-throw line and committing 14 turnovers. Iowa could not take advantage due to missing 10 straight 3-pointers over the final 10 minutes of the game.

Saunders finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for Maryland (10-14, 3-10 Big Ten). Darius Adams added 11 points and Solomon Washington had 10 points and eight rebounds to help the Terrapins hold a 34-25 advantage on the glass.

Stirtz finished with 32 points, six assists and no turnovers for Iowa (18-6, 8-5). He was 13 of 21 from the field, including 4 of 10 behind the arc, to reach 30-plus points for the third time in four games. Tavion Banks had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Brendan Hausen made a 3-pointer with 11:42 remaining in the game to give Iowa the lead, 48-47, for the first time since there was 4:36 left before halftime.

On Dec. 6, Iowa eased to an 83-64 victory over Maryland for coach Ben McCollum’s first Big Ten victory.

Up next

Iowa: Returns home to face No. 13 Purdue on Saturday.

Maryland: Goes on the road to play Rutgers on Sunday.

___ 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

CLEVELAND — Trading for James Harden two-thirds of the way through the season presents some challenges for Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Harden has had success playing an isolation-heavy style where he knows where everyone is on the court. Atkinson has been known for a heavy ball and player movement offense. Those opposites can’t co-exist, at least not in how they’ve looked in previous itterations.

After Harden’s debut, Atkinson said that “players win, not systems.” By the looks of it, Harden’s style will win out for at least this season and rightfully so. The Cavs are already taking steps to make sure that they put him in the best position to succeed.

“I’ve looked at all the Houston stuff, and looked at Clippers stuff, looked at Sixers stuff,” Atkinson said, “I think that’s part of your job as a coach is to see what’s worked. Heck, we ran two ATOs (after timeout plays) the other night I stole from [Mike] D’Antoni. Houston stuff. Nothing particularly new or innovative. But it’s, how do we get an advantage for him type stuff?”

Atkinson admitted that he talked with D’Antoni about Harden after the trade went down. Atkinson served as an assistant under D’Antoni when they were both with the New York Knicks.

It’s important to remember that D’Antoni was the architect of the seven seconds or less Phoenix Suns. They were a high octane, revolutionary offense that was built on playing fast and having ample ball and player movement. It’s not too dissimilar to the systems that Atkinson has run as a head coach.

But D’Antoni didn’t try to force Harden into that system in Houston. Instead, he created an environment for Harden to thrive in, because he knew that particular systems don’t matter if it’s not what fits your players.

So far, Atkinson is doing his part to make sure the Cavs fit around Harden and not the necessarily the other way around. When you have a player as good as Harden who can make his teammates better — especially the bigs — it would be foolish to not take advantage of that.

“We’d be dumb not to,” Atkinson said about borrowing stuff from Harden’s previous stops. “I’m looking forward to over the All-Star break to dive in deeper on how we can use him even better.”

Rui Hachimura began the year as a starter for the Lakers, but after a quarter of the season passed and the starting unit struggled to win their minutes, he was relegated to the bench.

He’s since embraced the sixth man role and is solely focused on helping the Lakers win.

As a reserve player, Hachimura has given the bench an offensive injection. He is averaging 10.2 points and averaging 42% from deep, giving Lakers head coach JJ Redick a reserve he can rely on as a scorer.

While Hachimura provides offense, his Lakers teammate Jarred Vanderbilt brings a similar intensity defensivley.

Vando has established himself as a player who can guard multiple positions and is one of the few Lakers who can say defense is a strong suit.

The Lakers’ recent contest against the Sixers was a prime example of this duo helping to lift LA to success.

Hachimura scored 17 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Vanderbilt was hustling all over the court and had a plus-minus of +16 in the 23 minutes he played.

After the comeback win, Hachimura spoke about how this dynamic duo is making an impact.

“I think, especially coming off the bench, we got to bring the energy,” Hachimura said. “Me, Vando, we have the length, the strength and everything. We talk about it every game. We just got to bring the energy. Me and him are gonna be the x-factors on this team.”

No player is perfect, but the goal is to have five on the court who balance each other out and are better as a unit.

Hachimura gives the Lakers bench scoring they severely need, and Vanderbilt, playing a couple of shifts a game, provides defensive versatility and a player who can change momentum with a couple of timely plays.

They’ve both been with this franchise since 2023 and have experienced all the highs and lows that have come during this era of Lakers basketball. Now they are both established as bench players and embracing that position.

When each plays well, they uplift the team and are a reason LA remains above .500 despite all the injuries they’ve had.

With both settling into their roles, they have time to continue building chemistry on the court. The Lakers still have a good chunk of the season left, followed by postseason action. If they want to go as far as possible, they’ll need Hachimura and Vando at the top of their game.

From the looks of it and based on Hachimura’s words, this duo is ready to do whatever it takes to make that happen and be the x-factors that help raise this team’s ceiling.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Game 55.

Hopefully win 33. Let’s go!

After the San Antonio Spurs face off against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, they’ll dive headfirst into All-Star Weekend, where they will have their largest presence in years.

Victor Wembanyama was named an All-Star starter for the first time; Mitch Johnson will coach one of the U.S. teams in the All-Star Game; Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle will participate in the Rising Stars tournament; Carter Bryant is in the Dunk Contest; and Harper will join his family in the Shooting Stars challenge. San Antonio’s core is well-represented at All-Star Weekend, but some, including Johnson, have questioned whether they were still shortchanged. The Athletic’s Law Murray caught the Spurs head coach talking about some players he thought were snubbed from the big game.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson with one of my favorite mic drops of the season before a game lol

No one asked him about All-Star snubs, mentioned that his team isn't one of 7 with multiple All-Stars, says if Fox/Castle aren't All-Stars then Wemby MVP votes must be up pic.twitter.com/h3HaCbnsVA

— Law Murray 🏴‍☠️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 11, 2026

Castle and De’Aaron Fox have been critical pieces for a Spurs squad that is second in the Western Conference and owns the third-best record in the NBA. While their counting stats may not be at the same level as other All-Stars, their contribution to winning certainly is.

Do you think Johnson had a point? Was Castle or Fox snubbed from the All-Star game? Which Spur do you think will perform the best over the weekend? Vote in the poll below, and we’ll cover the results after the All-Star game!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Spurs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers

February 11, 2026

Location: Toyota Center – Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network,

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Time: 7:00pm CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Clippers: Derek Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, John Collins, Brook Lopez

The James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a step closer to adding to its esteemed roster of myriad basketball legends.

On Wednesday, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, Team USA’s 1996 women’s national team, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw were among the premier names announced as finalists for the hoops hall, which will soon welcome many of the biggest names in the history of women’s basketball. Former NBA All-Stars Blake Griffin and Amar’e Stoudemire will also be finalists, with Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers also closer to the Hall.

Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP, will forever remain a pre-eminent part of influencing women’s hoops. In 2008, after an esteemed career at the University of Tennessee, she immediately broke through in the pros by becoming the first (and only) player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld are the only NBA players to do so. Parker, whose 16-year career ended in 2023, is ranked 10th in WNBA history in total points, third in rebounds, 11th in assists, fifth in blocks and 18th in career steals. She was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2016 after leading the Los Angeles Sparks to their fourth title in team history. In 2021, she led her hometown Chicago Sky to the franchise’s only WNBA championship.

Nicknamed the Women’s Dream Team, the 1996 Team USA women’s national squad remains one of the most dominant in the game’s history. It was led by several prominent names who are already individually enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame: Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Sheryl Swoopes, Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain. The roster also included Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Venus Lacy, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee and Katy Steding. Credited with aiding the launch of the WNBA, this team defeated opponents by an average of 28.6 points per game en route to gold medal honors.

Delle Donne, whose 10-year career ended in 2023, is the only player in WNBA history to win MVP honors with multiple franchises (2019 with the Washington Mystics, 2015 with the Chicago Sky). She steps closer to the hall thanks to her unique combination of shooting touch and basketball IQ, becoming the first player in WNBA history to join the prestigious 50-40-90 club (shooting at least 50 percent overall, 40 percent on 3-pointers and 90 percent on free throws for a full season). Her career scoring average of 19.5 points per game ranks fifth highest in WNBA history.

Holdsclaw won WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1999, averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in her first season as a pro. She finished in the top 10 of MVP voting six times over her 11 WNBA seasons, during which she averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. She peaked in 2003, averaging 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds for the Washington Mystics. She finished her career with three All-WNBA selections and six All-Star nods and notched the 2002 league scoring title while leading the league in rebounds twice. Those accomplishments weren’t a surprise given her elite collegiate career at Tennessee, where she won Naismith Player of the Year honors twice (1998-99) and led the Lady Volunteers to three titles.

For the men’s side of this year’s finalist bracket, Rivers is one of seven coaches in NBA history to win Coach of the Year honors in their first season with a team, doing so with the Orlando Magic in 1999-00. His 1,183 regular-season wins rank sixth in NBA history. In 2008, he led the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history when the Boston Celtics snapped a championship drought of over 20 years. In 2022, the NBA named Rivers as one of the 15 greatest coaches in league history.

Griffin, who retired after the 2022-23 season, spent years as one of the most talented and athletic players in the NBA. He averaged 21.4 points and 9.0 rebounds over 765 career games, including a special run as the face of Lob City during arguably the most successful era in the LA Clippers’ history. For the 2013-14 season, he finished third in MVP voting after averaging 24.3 points (second-highest scoring average of his career), 9.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. His seven triple-doubles are tied for second most in Clippers history.

Like Griffin, Stoudemire’s athletic prowess and unmatched skill on offense were a unique mix in a special career. He was pivotal to the Phoenix Suns’ revival, led by two-time MVP Steve Nash and coach Mike D’Antoni, who joins Stoudemire as a finalist for the Hall. Stoudemire notched six All-Star selections and five All-NBA nods over his 14-year career in the NBA. At his peak, the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year averaged over 25 points per game and was one of the league’s most potent dunkers. He finished his career with averages of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 846 career games.

D’Antoni’s 253 regular-season wins with Phoenix rank third in franchise history. His run as coach of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns included two runs to the Western Conference finals. During D’Antoni’s four full seasons as coach (2004-05 to 2007-08), Phoenix ranked third in the NBA in win percentage (.707) and total victories (232).

There are 21 total finalists this year. Others include Marques Johnson, Mark Few, Jerry Welsh, Dick Motta, Gary McKnight, Kelvin Sampson, Molly Bolin-Kazmer, Tal Brody, Joey Crawford and Kevin Johnson. The inductees will be announced in April. Enshrinement weekend is scheduled for later this year at Mohegan Sun Arena, beginning with a tip-off celebration and awards gala Aug. 14. The commencement ceremony will take place the next day at the Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Los Angeles Sparks, NBA, WNBA

2026 The Athletic Media Company

The Nets picked up a hard-fought 123–115 win over the Bulls on Monday, powered by career nights from Nic Claxton (28 points, 10 rebounds) and Nolan Traoré (13 points, 13 assists). Now they’re up against the 14-win Pacers in the final game before All-Star Weekend.

🏀 KEY INFO

WHO: Indiana Pacers (14-40) at Brooklyn Nets (15-37)

WHEN: 7:30 PM ET

WATCH: YES Network

---

NETS INJURY REPORT

• Clowney — OUT
• Porter Jr. — OUT (Right Knee Tendinitis)
• Etienne — OUT (G League Two-Way)
• Johnson — OUT (G League Two-Way)
• Liddell — OUT (G League Two-Way)

Nic Claxton is questionable entering the game (right hip soreness).

💬 DISCUSSION

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

The San Antonio Spurs are waiving forward Jeremy Sochan, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Wednesday.

The two parties had reportedly been working towards finding a trade destination for the former lottery pick − Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported that the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns, among other teams, have all shown interest − but landed on a release instead after the deadline passed last week.

Now, the pending restricted free agent has been bought out and is free to choose his next destination.

The Spurs made the news official on social media with a graphic thanking Sochan, who they selected No. 9 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Sochan had represented San Antonio in the 2023 and '24 Rising Stars games.

Thank You Jeremy pic.twitter.com/5HKRFGW60X

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 11, 2026

Since then, however, Sochan's usage has declined in San Antonio. He averaged just 12.8 minutes in 28 games this season after starting 23 times the prior season, and he found himself out of the rotation completely after the emergence of rookie wing Carter Bryant.

According to Charania, Sochan "is expected to decide among multiple interested teams."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spurs release Jeremy Sochan: Why it happened, what we know

The Knicks (34*-20) face the Philadelphia 76ers (30-23) tonight at Xfinity Mobile Arena. It’s New York’s final game on the schedule before the All-Star break. They arrive still stinging from last night’s overtime loss to Indiana, while Philly’s last game was a bust against Portland.

Game’s at 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG and ESPN. This is your game thread. This is Liberty Ballers. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good ambassadors of humanity. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count. 

The San Antonio Spurs have released Jeremy Sochan. They are allowing him an opportunity to test the market and find a home. I am here to tell you that home shouldn’t be in Phoenix.

The San Antonio Spurs and forward Jeremy Sochan have agreed on his release to allow the 2023 All-Rookie team member to become a free agent, sources tell ESPN. Sochan is expected to decide among multiple interested teams. pic.twitter.com/ilLIWLz7gb

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 11, 2026

I get it. You like the energy. You like the hustle. You like the style. Above all else, you like the idea of the size. Even though he is 6’8”, he is not really a true power forward. He does not solve any of the issues that the Suns currently possess. Even though bringing him here on a veteran minimum contract could be appealing, it is not the right move for Phoenix.

There is no real value added with him coming in here. If this were a team that lacked hustle and energy, it would be different. You would plug him in and let him run wild. You would allow his energy and focus to influence those on the court. But the second unit does not need that. They have Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn.

The second name is the most important in this whole equation. If you bring in Jeremy Sochan, you are giving up on Ryan Dunn, at least in the short term relative to his development. Ryan Dunn has had a rocky sophomore season, but we are starting to see signs of life. Things are starting to click on both ends of the floor. Over his last four games, he is 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Ryan Dunn is 6 of his last 9 from deep pic.twitter.com/hxsGNWjncH

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) February 11, 2026

I’d rather keep Ryan Dunn in the second unit. Honestly, I might even give him more minutes. Let him keep building confidence. Let him fortify his development. There is no reason to create a logjam in front of him right now.

That matters even more when you look at the numbers. This is a player who is a career 28.7% shooter from beyond the arc. He is not some massive upgrade over Dunn on the glass either. His career rebounding percentage sits at 12%. Dunn is at 11% across his two seasons. That gap is negligible. I’ll bank on upside and development, even if Dunn is technically older than Sochan. Dunn has at least shown an ability to make threes, even if it comes in waves.

And if the argument is that he should be in the starting lineup, I’m sorry, but no thank you. He has not started a game in San Antonio this season. Over the past two years, he slowly but surely played himself out of that role. Maybe a change of scenery helps. I still do not see him as a starting power forward. He is undersized, and I would much rather have the shooting of Royce O’Neale on the floor. Sochan shrinks the spacing. He might grab a few more rebounds, but he does not bring enough offensively to move anything in a meaningful way.

I keep coming back to what I said last week when I was putting together mock trades involving him. I understand why people like him. He is just not for me. At least not for this team, and not right now. There is no real value added here. The fit is duplicative, and it actively blocks the development of Ryan Dunn.

So, like Dillon Brook should do late in games, I’ll pass.

We have entered the “Every Guy Who Gets Waived Should Be a Sun” part of the season 🤦‍♂️

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) February 11, 2026

Let’s see what you can do, Tolu Smith. The Detroit Pistons will be relying on their two-way center to play plenty of minutes tonight against the Toronto Raptors as the Pistons will be playing their first game without Jalen Duren or Isaiah Stewart. Both were suspended for their actions during a brawl with the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. The Pistons will also be missing Ron Holland, who is still out for personal reasons. This is Detroit’s last game before the All-Star break, and you’d like to see them end the unofficial first half on a high note. But not only are they playing short-handed, but they are also playing a dangerous Toronto Raptors team.

Toronto has won three of four games, granted that was against the Jazz, Bulls, and Pacers. But they always seem to be feisty against the Pistons. I want a nice, quiet game that can ease us into the break. Is that too much to ask?

Game Vitals

When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +1

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons: (39-13)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed

Toronto Raptors (32-22)

Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has done a good job of integrating the new additions at the deadline into the rotation. James Harden has paired well with both Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. And by the sounds of things, it won’t be long until we find out how the new core four looks together.

According to Atkinson, Mobley should be returning from his calf strain “right after the All-Star break.”

Mobley has missed the team’s last six games and is out for Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards. He injured his left calf in the team’s win over the Orlando Magic on Jan. 26. This was the same calf that he injured earlier on Dec. 12. That initial injury kept him out for two weeks.

If Mobley returns after the All-Star break in the team’s Feb. 19 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, it would be a three and a half week absence from the court. The timeline for the recent calf strain was one to three weeks.

Fitting Mobley back into a lineup that looks vastly different could present some challenges.

“I’m not sure if James has ever played with two bigs,” Atkinson said. “It’s usually four shooters, one big, but I have no doubt he’ll figure that one out too.”

Atkinson is already planning for that eventuality.

“We’re trying to get ahead of it,” Atkinson said. “With the coaches, we’ve talked about it. I don’t want to overload James right now. … When Evan comes back, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. … We got to think about the spacing, isolation spacing, pick-and-roll spacing, what kind of sets are best when those two are together.”

The Cavs have bet on talent and overall basketball IQ winning out with the Harden trade. Through two games, it has worked out. We’ll see how that adjustment period goes when Mobley returns.