PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 31: Sidney Crosby #87, Evgeni Malkin #71 and Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins watch the video board during the 10 year anniversary of the 2016 Stanley Cup winning team before the game against the New York Rangers during the at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It was an emotional day at PPG Paints Arena as a reunion of sorts was held for the Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup team.
A large chunk of the team’s roster from the 2016 Stanley Cup team was back in Pittsburgh to be honored and celebrated before the Penguins’ game against the New York Rangers.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby spoke at length about how it felt to be reunited with his teammates, saying that as you continue playing in your career, you tend to forget some of the big moments from the winning years, but that it was awesome to see everyone back in Pittsburgh.
As a tribute video to the team was playing in the arena, Crosby was visibly emotional on the ice.
Sidney Crosby has all the feels looking back at the 2016 @penguins team that won the #StanleyCup 🏆
“I just you know, obviously loved that group and it’s pretty special when you have that bond and you win together,” Crosby said to Kevin Weekes during an interview on the ice. “When you see them all here and you see some of those clips, it’s definitely emotional but it’s still awesome to see them.”
“We were hockey players, and that’s our goal, to win Stanley Cups,” Rust said. “To be able to do this, and do that with the group that we had and all the amazing memories, it brings back so many smiles. It brings back happy tears.”
Patric Hornqvist said he didn’t come back to town just for the ceremony, but to take a little walk down memory lane as well.
“We rented a car yesterday to drive around, see our old houses, where my kids went to school, and the grocery stores,” Hornqvist said. “We almost lived our old life for one day, not playing hockey, and then the same night, you meet these guys who are like family. When you win, that’s how close you get to each other.”
As for this year’s Penguins, Pittsburgh defeated the Rangers in a 6-5 barnburner of a game.
Pittsburgh has now won six straight games and are 7-0-2 in their last nine games with their last regulation loss coming on January 11.
The Penguins are back at home on Monday night as they host the Ottawa Senators and then hit the road to face the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres before the NHL’s Olympic break.
Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope argues with an official during SEC college basketball Wednesday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky January 7, 2026. Pope would be ejected from the game in the second half. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Kentucky Wildcats bounce back on the road at No. 15 Arkansas and capture a much-needed win. The final score came out to 85-77 as the Cats picked up their fifteenth win of the season, and Mark Pope got his revenge on John Calipari.
The Wildcats led most of the way, but BBN’s favorite referee, Doug Shows, played a huge role throughout the game. A total of seven technical fouls were assessed during Saturday night’s game at Bud Walton Arena. The Wildcats had 4, and the Razorbacks had 3.
There were five technical fouls given by Shows’ crew during the second half, and three of them were within a 38-second stretch as the Wildcats were trying to hold onto a tight lead. Brandon Garrison, Mo Doiubate, and Pope were the ones who received techs during that gruesome stretch of play.
The most egregious was this phantom technical foul from Shows on Mo Dioubate after he blocked a shot out of bounds.
The Field of 68 reporter Rob Dauster said it best, calling it the worst technical foul he’s ever seen while saying, “Doug Shows should never be allowed to officiate another game after that. Horrendous.”
The Wildcats found a way to win on the road despite just shooting 19-30 (63%) from the charity stripe. Trent Noah came up big from the FT line as he finished the night 6-8.
And to cap off the night, Razorbacks big man Trevon Brazile intentionally fouled Noah and grabbed him by the jersey, and tossed him down court, making that his fifth foul of the night with just 14 seconds remaining.
Stay classy, Razorbacks.
The Wildcats are back in action on Wednesday night as Otega Oweh’s former team, the Oklahoma Sooners, come to Rupp Arena. Everyone knows how well that series went for the Cats last season, so expect another barnburner this time around.
Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
That technical foul on Mo Dioubate is the worst technical foul that I've EVER seen.
EVER.
Doug Shows should never be allowed to officiate another game after that. Horrendous.
Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 30 saves on 33 shots in the New Jersey Devils 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night.
New Jersey surrendered the game's opening goal for the 31st time this season. After the Devils failed to convert on two power play opportunities, Brady Tkachuk scored while Ottawa was on the man advantage at the 13:38 mark of the first period.
With 1:41 remaining in the period, Cody Glass won the offensive zone draw against Ridly Greig. The 26-year-old battled for the puck near Linus Ullmark's crease and passed it to Meier to tie the game entering the first intermission.
37 seconds into the third period, Jonas Siegenthaler was called for a hooking penalty, leading to the Senators scoring their second power play goal for a 2-1 lead. Ottawa went 2-for-3 on the man advantage, while the Devils couldn't convert on their five opportunities.
Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto scored the Senators' third and fourth goals in the final two minutes of regulation. Tkachuk finished the game with three points (one goal, two assists).
Jack Hughes was sidelined with a lower-body injury that he sustained against the Nashville Predators and is currently considered day-to-day.
The Devils will return to Newark and prepare to host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday at Prudential Center.
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Captain Roman Josi scored his 200th career goal in the third period, snapping a tie and giving the Nashville Predators a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday at UBS Arena.
He is now the 24th defenseman all-time to surpass 200 career goals. Josi now has 10 goals and 23 assists on the year, recording a goal and an assist against the Islanders.
On the play, during 4-on-4 play, Josi took the puck up the ice into the Islanders' zone before backpedaling and then wristing a shot bardown on Ilya Sorokin for the lead with 1:14 left in the game.
The Predators gave up the first goal of the game 1:29 into the game off a shot from Matthew Barzal. It's the fifth time in the last six games that the Predators have fallen behind early.
The 2025 first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, scored his 15th goal of the season to double the Islanders' lead less than six minutes into the game.
Adam Pelech was called for tripping on Andreas Englund, putting the Predators on the power play halfway through the first period, and Filip Forsberg converted to get Nashville on the board.
About three minutes later, Matthew Wood scored his first goal since Dec. 6 to tie the game at two. Wood had his first multipoint game (one goal, one assist) since Dec. 11, when he had two assists in a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.
J.G. Pageau gave the Islanders back in the second period, but Forsberg would net his second goal of the game to tie things up at three. Forsberg now has 22 goals and 21 assists on the season.
New York believed it had scored the game-leading goal in the third period, but it was waived off due to goaltender interference. The Islanders challenged the call and lost.
Of note, defenseman Nick Blakenburg did not play due to illness and was ruled "day-to-day."
Nashville improves to 25-23-6 on the season and is within three points of a Wild Card spot. It will face the St. Louis Blues next on Monday at 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena.
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Hannes Steinbach, Zoom Diallo and Wesley Yates III combined for 65 points as Washington beat Northwestern 76-62 on Saturday. Steinbach notched 22 points and 14 rebounds for his fourth-straight double-double, and 14th of the season, tying Isaiah Stewart's freshman record for the Huskies (12-10, 4-7 Big Ten).
Diallo added 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting, six rebounds and six assists. Yates had 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go with three steals.
The Huskies built a 39-27 lead at the half after a pair of 10-2 and 12-2 runs. That lead grew to as much as 21 early in the second half before an 11-2 Wildcats run. Another 7-0 Wildcats run trimmed the deficit to eight, but that was as close as it got.
Nick Martinelli, the nation's leading scorer at 24 points per game, had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (10-12, 2-9). The tally snapped a 12-game streak of scoring 20 points or more, the longest in the nation.
Arrinten Page added 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks for the Wildcats. Jayden Reed tallied 11 points and five rebounds. Tre Singleton scored 10.
Up next
Washington hosts Iowa on Wednesday.
Northwestern will head on the road to face No. 9 Illinois on Wednesday.
The San Antonio Spurs changed the start time for their home game Sunday against the Orlando Magic because of a snowstorm that prevented them from flying out of Charlotte on Saturday night.
San Antonio will now host Orlando at 6 p.m. CST on Sunday, three hours after the original tipoff.
The Spurs were scheduled to depart Charlotte following their 111-106 loss to the Hornets on Saturday, but flights were canceled as more than 9 inches of snow fell in the city. The winter storm had already forced the Hornets to move up Saturday's game against the Spurs by three hours.
San Antonio was planning to fly out Sunday morning for the second game of a back-to-back set.
Orlando has been in San Antonio since Saturday morning after last playing Thursday in a home 124-97 home loss to Charlotte.
San Antonio (32-16) is third in the Western Conference behind Oklahoma City (38-11) and Denver (33-16).
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 31: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers controls the ball against Yves Missi #21 of the New Orleans Pelicans in the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 31, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What a nice win to celebrate the reunion of the 2001 team. How nice to have another nice and easy day watching the 76ers.
Philadelphia survived to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-114 Saturday night.
Joel Embiid, who was scorching in the first half again, led all scorers with 39 points along with 11 rebounds going 13-of-27 from the floor. Tyrese Maxey was quiet after the first, but put up 18 with eight assists on 7-of-18 shooting.
VJ Edgecombe had the assist of the night, having five of those while finishing with 15 points shooting 6-of-10 from the floor. Kelly Oubre Jr. had a good first night trying to replace Paul George, scoring 19 points shooting 7-of-13 from the floor with nine rebounds and four assists. Saddiq Bey led the Pelicans with 34.
It’s not a shock the Sixers heavily leaned into their reliable two-man game to start this one, with Maxey and Embiid taking the team’s first eight shots of the game. Both Derik Queen and Embiid seemed stoked for their matchup, looking to take each other down to the post frequently. For as much as the top two guys dominated the ball, Dominick Barlow deserves some love for this bounce pass he threw to Maxey to start a fast break.
They continued to generate good looks, but were giving up ones just as good on the other end of the floor. The Sixers’ defense looked disorganized to start, missing rotations, losing cutters, and of course getting easily beat down the floor to create transition opportunities.
The Pelicans’ other rookie Jeremiah Fears got to show off even more when he checked into the game, hitting his first three shots of the night, two of them coming from behind the arc. The Sixers were able to keep pace all quarter, but smoked a couple costly bunnies. Both Jabari Walker and Adem Bona each couldn’t finish some nice dump off passes, and the Sixers trailed by two after the first.
Second Quarter
Without PG to lead the second unit, Nick Nurse had to switch up how he staggers the other starters. That meant Embiid was out there to start the quarter. Quentin Grimes returning to the lineup knocked Jared McCain down the totem pole — he didn’t check in until a couple minutes in.
Trendon Watford got a lot of time to handle the ball in this stretch and he did a decent job with it. He got himself a layup driving to the basket and knocked down a three. McCain missed his first three of the night but hit his second, using Embiid as a screener to stepback into an open three.
After allowing a wide open alley-oop to start the quarter the Sixers did sure up their defense a bit. The only field goal they allowed for nearly five minutes was a Yves Missi putback dunk after no one boxed him out. Embiid drew a charge on Zion Williamson and got quite the celebration from his bench in doing so.
Nurse said he thought about lineups with both Embiid and Bona after their rebounding troubles in Sacramento, and he did so to close the half in this one. It was an interesting look defensively, with Bona somewhat playing safety roaming off Williamson. Embiid tried to fit him the ball in the dunker spot, but Oubre had to slam home the miss. Embiid had cooled off from the field but was living at the line in the second. His midrange jumper missed at the buzzer, but his 23 points powered the Sixers to a 13-point lead at the half.
Third Quarter
A quick three from Bey followed by a Trey Murphy drive to set New Orleans up to have one of those classic third quarters against the Sixers. Oubre answered with a pair of threes to settle that down, the second one coming off a really slick behind the back pass from Edgecombe.
The offense would eventually stagnate as they just got sloppy with the ball. On top of two Embiid turnovers they almost gave it away a couple more times just by dropping the ball. They went four minutes without scoring in the half court.
It was just Bey doing damage for much of the quarter, but the Sixers started struggling to contain Murphy off the dribble as well. Maxey had gone quiet, scoring his first points since the first quarter. He got into a bit of a groove playing off of Watford, hitting a three and a layup to keep the Sixers lead at six.
Fourth Quarter
The margin for error only got slimmer as Jose Alvarado opened up the quarter with a three. For as much as Watford had done offensively, it felt like Walker or especially Barlow were more up to the task of guarding Williamson. Watford picked up three quick fouls to start the quarter trying to do so.
The offense did seem to find a groove again with McCain playing really well off of Embiid. He knocked down a couple more threes to round out a much needed good shooting night. Embiid himself got some jumpers to fall again, but they were suddenly in a spot where they needed to score every time down the floor. Walking into open three after open three, the Pelicans took their first lead of the game since early in the second.
The Sixers finally got a stop, but they had to use a challenge to earn possession back after the ball rolled out of bounds. Embiid knocked down a jumper coming out of that timeout. Maxey and Barlow ran out to create a fast break off a missed three. A few trips later down the floor, Maxey pushed the lead to six with a three. Embiid and Edgecombe each did the same on the next two possessions, putting this game away.
Karlsson notched his 700th assist on Rickard Rakell's power play goal that made it 4-1 in the third period, becoming the 12th defenseman in NHL history to accomplish that feat. He's also the eighth-fastest defenseman to reach that milestone.
700 assists for EK65 👏
Karlsson becomes the 12th defenseman in NHL history - and eighth fastest (1,132 GP) - to reach the milestone. pic.twitter.com/RWz4nBaiXt
Karlsson is also only the second Swedish defenseman to hit 700 assists, joining Nicklas Lidstrom, who finished is career with 878.
Karlsson only needs 13 more assists to pass Scott Stevens for the 11th most assists among all defensemen in NHL history. He needs 43 more to move into the top 10 all-time.
The Penguins held on to beat the Rangers 6-5 on Saturday and have won six in a row heading into Monday's game against the Ottawa Senators.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 6: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers (29-18) are on the last stop of their current eight-game road trip in New York City where they will take on the Knicks (30-18) and Brooklyn Nets (13-24) in their next two games. This is the first time they’ll see both teams this season.
One of the most notable games in the Lakers’ calendar every season is when they make their annual visit to Madison Square Garden. There’s just something about the Lakers facing the Knicks even if both teams don’t really consider each other as rivals. Perhaps it’s because Los Angeles and New York are two of the biggest and most popular cities in America or maybe it’s West versus East. Either way, there’s always something in the air when these two heavyweights go at it.
On Sunday, the Lakers will look to secure their fourth straight victory in MSG and seventh in the last 10 games. They’ve had a decent road trip so far, where they’ve won four out of six games. Putting their atrocious second half performance in the loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers aside, their defense has shown signs of improvement and they’ve been playing with more energy, focus and purpose on the offensive end. Their most recent victory against the Washington Wizards — even though they are the worst team in the association — is a testament to that.
The win against the Wizards was the perfect get-right game and set up for what should be the toughest challenge in this road trip. The Knicks, who are second in the Eastern Conference, are on a five-game winning streak after a slump that began right after they won the NBA Cup this year.
They’ll be ready for the Lakers and here’s what the purple and gold should expect:
A really good rebounding team
Perhaps the biggest advantage New York has over Los Angeles this season is that the former ranks second overall in rebounds per game (46.4) and third in offensive rebounds (13.6). Much of this is because the Knicks are big and athletic. They have Karl Anthony-Towns averaging 11.8 rebounds per game followed by Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. The Lakers will have to match their production on the boards or, better yet, dominate the possession battle if they want a chance to win this one.
An energized offensive team
A big reason for the Knicks’ recent winning streak is their improved offense, which hasn’t been stagnant. They’re playing with more speed and motion, not to mention that they have the league’s third-best offense. The Knicks are the type of opponent that the Lakers have struggled to defend this season. It’ll be interesting to see how head coach JJ Redick game plans against them and whether or not the Lakers’ offense — which now ranks seventh in the league — can outmatch them. This game will be a battle between two elite offenses.
A team that will throw the kitchen sink at Luka Dončić
With Miles McBride possibly absent in this one, the Knicks won’t have arguably their best point-of-attack defender. That means they’ll most likely throw the kitchen sink at Dončić, who will see different coverages all night. That will then cause a domino effect and impact LeBron James and the rest of the team. How the Lakers counter and play through this will obviously dictate the outcome of the game.
They’re going to need their superstars to play at a high level. Deandre Ayton and the rest of the supporting cast need to make their presence felt in this one as well.
It’s tough to beat a Knicks team at home but the Lakers have proven over the last three years that they can do it. They know they’re going to have to play well and they’ve also shown this season that they’re capable of rising to the moment. Let’s see if this happens once again on Sunday as West meets East.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Bronny James (lower left leg soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) are questionable.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Nembhard scored 26 points, Pascal Siakam added 25 and the Indiana Pacers held off the Atlanta Hawks 129-124 on Saturday night.
Indiana nursed a single-digit lead for much of the third quarter and led 103-100 entering the fourth. It was tight the rest of the way before Siakam hit a crucial 12-foot jumper with 18.6 seconds remaining to push the Pacers ahead 127-123.
Aaron Nesmith added 23 points, Nembhard had 10 assists and Siakam shot 11 of 15 from the field. The Pacers won despite 23 turnovers.
Atlanta dropped its second straight game despite Jalen Johnson's eighth triple-double of the season. The forward finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 21 points.
The Pacers have won seven of their past 12 games, enjoying a solid stretch of basketball after starting the season with a 6-31 record. Indiana has played all year without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season.
Indiana jumped to an 80-73 lead by halftime, spurred by a 45-point second quarter. Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points before the break while Nembhard also had 21 for the Pacers.
It was Indiana's highest scoring half of the season. The Pacers shot 58% from the field, including 11 of 20 (55%) 3-pointers.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ezra Ausar scored 21 points, Jacob Cofie had a double-double and Southern California held off Rutgers for a 78-75 victory on Saturday night.
Rutgers never led after scoring the opening bucket and trailed by as many as 19 points early in the second half. With 2:23 to play, Tariq Francis sparked an 11-2 surge for the Scarlet Knights that capped the scoring with 36 seconds left. Francis scored nine points during the stretch.
Chad Baker-Mazara missed a jumper for USC with five seconds to go but then forced a turnover to end it. Baker-Mazara finished with 17 points for USC (16-6, 5-6 Big Ten). Cofie scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Francis scored 26 points to lead Rutgers (9-13, 2-9), which has lost five straight. Dylan Grant added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Trojans started with an 18-6 run and built a 40-30 halftime lead. Cofie scored 12 points and Ausar added nine in the first half for the Trojans. Grant and Francis each scored nine first-half points for the Scarlet Knights. USC had its largest lead, 56-37, with 14:37 to play.
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 16: Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 16, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Sacramento Kings tomorrow. Let’s preview this.
Game info
When: Sunday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (back), Tristan Vukcevic (hamstring), Marvin Bagley (back), Trae Young (knee, quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) are out. Tre Johnson is day-to-day.
For the Kings, Keegan Murray is out. Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk are day-to-day.
What to watch for
The Wizards remain at home and look to start February on the right note. The Kings have lost eight in a row and haven’t won since beating … the Wizards at home (meaning, in Sacramento) back on Jan. 17. After getting a shellacking from the Lakers last Friday, hopefully the Wizards can turn the tables on the Kings tomorrow evening!
Police handcuffed and escorted Tuskegee basketball coach Benjy Taylor off the court after a loss to Morehouse on Saturday, Jan. 31, following a Division II HBCU game.
According to HBCU GameDay, Taylor was attempting to ensure conference-mandated security protocols were followed after Morehouse's 77-69 win over the Golden Tigers in Atlanta. Football players from Morehouse intermingled with players during the postgame handshake, which is not allowed.
According to Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin, Taylor asked security to enforce the conference rules and remove the football players from the handshake line.
“We have security measures for our protection of our officials, our student-athlete coaches and spectators,” Ruffin told HBCU Gameday. He said those measures follow a protocol "mandated by the conference office" and used "at all levels across member institutions."
However, officers handcuffed Taylor instead, claiming Taylor was "very aggressive" − which Ruffin refuted.
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today," Taylor said in a statement to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68. "For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”
When contacted by USA TODAY Sports about the matter, Taylor issued the following statement: "I am devastated and I will have no more comments at this time."
Tuskegee head coach Benjy Taylor was handcuffed by police after the loss at Morehouse.
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that… pic.twitter.com/2AQRNCu1Dd
Shortly after being handcuffed, Taylor was released and was able to travel with the team. He has been the head coach for the Golden Tigers since 2019, according to the school's website.
OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 27: Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles past Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on January 27, 2015 in Oakland, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Time moves different in the NBA. Late January 2026 will go down as one of those weeks that makes you sit back and really feel the passage of life in this sport. On January 24th, Derrick Rose’s #1 jersey was lifted to the United Center rafters. And I’d bet that if you’re Rose, maybe it felt like one week you’re the youngest MVP in league history with the whole world at your feet. And in the blink of an eye you’re standing at center court, waving goodbye as the fans cry and salute you as your jersey is retired in Chicago.
Less than a week from that, John Wall stood at Capital One Arena soaking in applause from Washington fans who remembered when he was the fastest, flashiest thing this city had ever seen.
Two generational point guards. Two #1 overall picks. Two players who were supposed to define the next decade of basketball. While Rose and Wall were having their past celebrated, somewhere across the country, the guy who was supposed to be the cautionary tale? He’s still out there. Still starting All-Star games. Still dropping 30 on whoever’s foolish enough to guard him. His name’s Stephen Curry.
.
Raised in Chicago. Overcame adversity. Starred for his city. Eternally remembered.
Remember that 2011-12 Bleacher Report preview discussing the league’s point guards that had Rose at #2, Wall at #6, and Curry at #8? The logic was sound: Rose was the reigning MVP. Wall was the electric #1 pick with unlimited potential. And Curry was figuring it out between ankle surgeries and Monta Ellis’ shadow.
When Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the 2012 playoffs at 23 years old, all hoop fans felt sick. He never averaged 20 points again. Never made another All-Star team. Although he still carved out a solid career as a veteran, he never rose again to those MVP heights. Meanwhile Wall ruptured his Achilles in 2019 at 28 years old. He played just 43 games over the next four seasons. His game, like Rose’s, was predicated on speed and explosiveness. When those disappeared, so did his superstar status.
“This is my city, this is still my house. I love y’all, and thank y’all for the night.”
Curry? He rolled his ankles so many times that the Warriors gave him a “team-friendly” contract in 2012 because they legitimately feared he’d never stay healthy. But Curry’s injuries never stole the thing that made him special. His shot doesn’t require a 40 inch vertical. His off-ball movement doesn’t require youth. His basketball IQ only improves with time. His handles are a part of his identity. He built a game designed to age gracefully while Rose and Wall used games that could only be dominant in their physical primes.
That’s what made Rose’s jersey retirement, Wall’s homecoming, and Curry’s All-Star starter nod in the same week feel so surreal. Rose at 22 looked like the future of basketball. And now his #1 hangs in the rafters as a monument to the player he was for three brilliant years before his body betrayed him. Wall’s celebration carried the same melancholic weight. He should have led Washington to championship contention. Instead, his tenure is remembered for playoff disappointment and injury setbacks. Meanwhile Curry is still trying to rip hearts out on a nightly basis. He’s averaging almost 25 points per game at nearly the age of 38, still terrorizing defenses. and let’s not forget he’s the all-time three-point leader by a margin so comically wide it looks like a typo.
Good for Dub Nation that he’s not done yet. Curry isn’t just surviving, he’s thriving. While his peers give retirement speeches, he’s still hitting step-back threes from 30 feet. Time really does move different in this league. For most players, it moves too fast. For Stephen Curry, he’s trying to hit another stepback over Father Time’s outstretched fingertips.
Jan 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts after being ejected from the game against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was ejected from the team’s blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday. He picked up his second technical foul in the fourth quarter after arguing with a referee and incidentally bumping them in the process.
Atkinson was also critical of the officiating after the game as well, calling what transpired “circus-like.”
“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that fouls 26th [worst],” Atkinson said. “And then the second free throw we got was after a flop. … I thought the game got out of hand quite honestly. … Parts of the game, it seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league. Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don’t stand up to them.”
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Atkinson later pointed out that it wasn’t the official’s fault for why his team lost. The Cavs didn’t play their best as they were unable to take care of the ball, had poor perimeter defense, and couldn’t make enough shots to offset it.
On Saturday, the league announced that it was fining Atkinson $50,000 for his actions in Friday’s loss. The press release stated he was fined for “aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official.”
The loss in Phoenix snapped what was a five-game winning streak.
The Cavaliers will be on the road for the next week and a half as they have four games remaining on their five-game Western Conference road trip. They will take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday evening.
