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Luka Doncic has triple-double as Lakers rally for big road win over Denver

Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones (21) fouls Los Angeles Lakers forward Luka Dončić (77) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Luka Doncic is fouled by Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones in the first half. (Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

The first time chants of “Let’s go, La-kers” rang out in Ball Arena, Denver’s rowdy home crowd booed the unwelcome slogan into silence. Minutes later when the game ended, there weren’t enough home fans left to quiet the purple and gold faithful.

The Lakers overcame a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to notch one of their most significant wins of the season, taking down the Denver Nuggets 115-107 on Tuesday. Luka Doncic recorded his fifth triple-double of the season with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while LeBron James had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Despite losing center Deandre Ayton to a left eye injury in the second quarter, the Lakers still held the Nuggets to 36 points in the second half. Marcus Smart, the team’s perimeter defensive stalwart, sparked a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to put the game away, scoring 11 of his 15 points during the six-and-a-half-minute streak.

“Just contributions from everybody,” coach JJ Redick said, noting the second-half performance from Jaxson Hayes (nine points, five rebounds) after Ayton's injury, nine points from Drew Timme off the bench and defensive energy from Jarred Vanderbilt. “It was a great team win. 

Redick is hopeful that Ayton was just poked in the eye and he will be back by the time the Lakers play the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Thursday. 

The Lakers (26-16) slowly are returning to full health as guard Austin Reaves’ calf injury is “progressing well,” coach JJ Redick said before the game, and they hope he could play on the eight-game trip that will stretch until Feb. 3. Reaves is approaching the four-week point after aggravating his calf injury on Christmas Day.

For the first time since the injury, Reaves went on a trip with the team. He blended seamlessly into the bench group, wearing head-to-toe black next to the coaches.

Read more:Can the Lakers 'have fun with it' in the second half of the season?

On the other bench, Denver’s injured superstar was dressed in a forest green suit. Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ three-time most valuable player, has been sidelined because of a knee injury since Dec. 30. 

Three members of the Nuggets’ season-opening starting rotation were sidelined Tuesday. Starting guard Christian Braun has been out since injuring an ankle Nov. 12 and Cameron Johnson has missed 15 games because of a knee injury. Backup center Jonas Valanciunas, who has missed the last 11 games with a calf injury, sat next to Jokic.

Denver (29-15) still had no problem controlling the first half, finishing the second quarter on a 14-3 run to claim a 14-point lead. Jamal Murray drained a three-pointer from almost three-quarters court at the buzzer to punctuate a chaotic final 35 seconds that was preceded by Doncic’s 13th technical foul of the season and featured an 8-0 run for the Nuggets.

For a team that had lost five of its last seven games and was beginning a difficult eight-game road trip with the NBA trade deadline looming in two weeks, the moment could have broken the Lakers. 

Instead, Doncic showed why he led the league in All-Star fan voting. After scoring 16 points on six-of-six shooting in the first quarter, Doncic started distributing to his teammates. He had nine points and four assists in the third quarter as the Lakers trimmed a 16-point deficit to two entering the fourth. Doncic scored or assisted on 11 unanswered Lakers points.

“It showed the character of our team,” Doncic said of how the Lakers responded to the end of the first half. “… We just stayed together.”

The Lakers could have wilted when the Nuggets hit nine three-pointers in the first quarter too, Doncic said. But they calmly locked back in on defense and committed to the plan to blitz Murray, who scored 26 in the first half. Then Doncic continued his take over. 

Read more:Lakers' Luka Doncic named NBA All-Star Game starter, LeBron James waits for reserve call

“Luka, you can't turn the engine halfway with him,” Redick said. “Once the engine's on, like he's in kill mode. And it's on me as a coach to make sure that everybody else is involved, and it's on him too, on the court to make sure that. And truthfully, I think he's done a phenomenal job of that the last couple weeks.”

After Doncic’s third-quarter domination, James tagged in and scored five consecutive points to end the quarter. He assisted on a basket by Drew Timme on the Lakers’ opening possession of the fourth quarter that tied the score 88-88. The Lakers outscored the Nuggets by 20 points when James was on the floor in the second half after he was held to just seven points with four turnovers in the first. 

While Doncic will return to the All-Star stage next month at Intuit Dome, James was not named a starter for the first time in 22 years. He will have to wait for a vote from coaches or a special selection from NBA commissioner Adam Silver to earn his 22nd All-Star honor.

“Given the missed games early, wasn't surprised,” Redick said, referring to James missing the first 14 games because of sciatica. “I believe he'll be in the All-Star game.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Adebayo, Powell lead hot-shooting Heat past the Kings for a 130-117 victory

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 25 points, Norman Powell added 22 and the Miami Heat cruised to a 130-117 road win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

The Heat have won three of their last five and led by double digits the entire fourth quarter. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, while Pelle Larsson had 16 points and a team-high nine assists.

Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points off the bench on five 3-pointers. Miami shot 50% from 3-point range, hitting 21 of 42.

Miami guard Tyler Herro (ribs) and center Kel’el Ware (hamstring) missed the game, leaving the Heat without two key rotation players. Ware — who is averaging a team-high 9.8 rebounds — missed his first game of the season.

Sacramento has dropped two straight games after winning a season-high four in a row. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points, while Russell Westbrook added 22 on 9-of 14 shooting.

Malik Monk scored 18 points, while Dylan Cardwell added 12 rebounds.

The Heat took a 77-64 lead at halftime on the strength of a 45-point second quarter that included nine 3-pointers. Miami made 15 of 24 shots (62.5%) from behind the arc before the break.

Miami snapped a streak of four straight road losses that all came by at least 12 points.

Up next

Heat: At Portland on Thursday.

Kings: Host Toronto on Wednesday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Late Collapse Costs Spurs in 111–106 Loss to Rockets

The San Antonio Spurs left Toyota Center Tuesday night with a familiar and frustrating feeling, undone once again by a late-game collapse in a 111–106 loss to the Houston Rockets that spoiled an otherwise encouraging road performance.

For much of the evening, the Spurs were the sharper, more composed team. They opened the game with one of their best offensive quarters of the season, building a 39–28 lead behind quick ball movement, confident shooting, and an aggressive defense that kept Houston scrambling. San Antonio pushed the pace, shared the ball freely, and capitalized on early mismatches to seize control.

That momentum carried into the second quarter, where the Spurs continued to dictate tempo. Victor Wembanyama provided flashes of brilliance throughout the night, but Houston’s defense on him was on point. He finished with just 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting, his worst performance of the season. Despite that, San Antonio entered halftime with a double-digit advantage and appeared well-positioned to secure a road win.

But as has been the case too often this season, sustaining that level proved difficult.

“A lot of things went wrong in the fourth quarter,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “Houston did a heck of a job… but we had a rough whole half. We missed open shots, we weren’t strong in creating leads, passing, and mental stuff. It was a variety of things across the board.”

The game began to tilt late in the third quarter when the Spurs’ offense stalled. Open looks that fell earlier in the night stopped dropping, and possessions grew increasingly stagnant. Houston took advantage, trimming the deficit with transition opportunities and second-chance points that energized the home crowd.

What followed in the fourth quarter was decisive.

The Rockets opened the final period with renewed confidence, while the Spurs struggled to find rhythm. The Rockets outscored San Antonio 29–14 over the final 12 minutes. The Spurs went cold at the worst possible time, going 0-for-8 before their first made basket of the frame. The prolonged scoring drought allowed Houston to erase the remainder of San Antonio’s lead, and the Rockets surged ahead behind a series of perimeter shots and aggressive drives to the rim. San Antonio managed just 14 points in the quarter, a stark contrast to the offensive efficiency that defined the opening half.

“They (Houston) got some good one-on-one defenders, and now you’re playing against those guys a lot of times against the clock. And then when that happens, you get rushed up again at times. And we saw that, not just with Victor, but the whole team,” Johnson said of his team’s offensive struggles in the second half.

Houston’s guards repeatedly penetrated the Spurs’ defense, forcing rotations that led to open looks and timely baskets. Meanwhile, San Antonio’s possessions were rushed, with contested jumpers and missed opportunities at the rim rearing their head as the main problem. The Spurs had chances to regain control, but key stops and baskets never materialized.

Late-game execution — both offensively and defensively — remains a work in progress for a Spurs team balancing development with the desire to win now. Missed rotations, untimely fouls, and an offense that bogged down under pressure proved costly against a Houston team that seized the moment.

“It’s the same as blowing a 15-point lead,” Wembanyama said when asked about blowing a 16-point lead to Houston. “The good thing is we’re all onto the problem, and we’re all putting our minds into it. But we’re conscious that it is a problem.”

For a young team still learning how to win in hostile environments, Tuesday night served as another hard lesson. Until San Antonio finds consistency in crunch time, strong starts and encouraging stretches will continue to be overshadowed by disappointing finishes.

Game notes

  • Someone needs to open an investigation to that rim situation. Can the Houston team get a more accurate level? I’m kidding obviously. but man that was annoying.
  • Outside of Julian Champagnie, who shot 50 percent from three, the rest of the Spurs struggled. San Antonio went 6-for-18 from beyond the arc sans Champagnie. That’s an issue that needs to be addressed at some point.
  • San Antonio had nine turnovers on the night with Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox having three each.
  • Keldon Johnson had an “off night” by his standards, scoring just 12 points on the night. That’s not so bad, but when Harrison Barnes (6 points, 33% shooting) continues to struggle, that number needs to be better for the Spurs to win.
  • San Antonio looked tired and it hit them in the fourth quarter. Maybe the back-to-back caught up with them, but in the end, you learn and move on.
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Jazz 127, Timberwolves 122: Death by 1,000 Backdoor Cuts

The Texas back-to-back was fun, but in both matchups, a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves team was edged in the last few minutes of each game. Minnesota looked to get back on track in a slightly later than usual 8 PM CT tipoff against the Utah Jazz in the place that Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, and Johnny Juzang called home.

Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert were both removed from the injury list and are expected to play in this one, while Naz Reid is listed as questionable after exiting the Spurs game with a left shoulder injury on Saturday night. While they played well for stretches in each of the last two games, it is important that they get back to their winning ways that have been lacking since the calendar year flipped, as the West is always tight when it comes to the seeding race.

Minnesota got off to a fast start early and used transition and fast break opportunities to get in a rhythm early. The Jazz kept fighting back and would not go away; however, they kept coming at the Timberwolves despite an early double-digit disadvantage.

The Timberwolves took their foot off the gas in the 2nd quarter, after leading the way for much of the first. The Jazz went blow for blow with them in the second. Rudy Gobert defended the rim well to the tune of multiple blocks, but Minnesota struggled a lot elsewhere on that end of the floor. Keyonte George was on fire in the first half, scoring 23 points and making difficult shots look easy. Ant led the way for the Wolves with 17 of his own, but Utah took a slight edge heading into the final 24 minutes with a one-point lead.

Minnesota used its pressure to force more Jazz turnovers and get open looks with numbers in transition. While the Jazz offense stayed strong to start the frame, with their cutting and spacing. The Timberwolves held steady and started to knockdown threes in short order, going on a 15-4 run. Ant finished the quarter by going on a heater – bumping guys off of him to get to his spot in the mid range. After trailing by one at halftime, Minnesota dominated the frame to take a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.

This is when it all fell apart. The Jazz got an injection in their offense by running the floor and finishing in transition. They kept getting shots before the Timberwolves were set up. In the half-court, they spread out the offense to attack the space and got easy lay-ins on backdoor cuts that seemed to catch the Wolves by surprise every time. Utah caught lightning in a bottle, shooting 17/25 from the field in the fourth quarter and putting up 43 points after being stagnant for much of the third. Utah threw its punch, and the Timberwolves never got back up. An Ant flurry at the end of the game gave them a glimmer of hope, but bricked shots sunk them in the end as they dropped an ugly one, 127-122.

Keynote George Career Night

Keynote George was incredible and helped carry the Jazz back to a victory in this one. He scored 43 points on 15/28 shooting, including 6/13 from three. It seemed as though he had an answer to any coverage that the Timberwolves threw at him. He had his spots that he wanted to get to, and he got to them and converted at a high clip. This was a career-high in points for him, and he hit some big shots, including a 3-pointer off of an offensive rebound that proved to be the dagger in this one.

Brutal 4th Quarter

After a third quarter that seemed like the Wolves were leaning on their “taking care of business” attitude that has been a big part of 2026, Minnesota completely lost themselves in the final 12 minutes. Being loose with the ball, giving the Jazz energy, and letting it snowball all came together in a culmination of the loss this evening. Utah snatched the energy and momentum and never gave it back.

Usually, we have seen the Timberwolves be able to compose themselves after a hard stretch, but the opposite happened in this one. It seemed like every shot was a prayer that ended in a clank while they gave up backdoor layup after backdoor layup on the other side of the floor. Tough pill to swallow after how they looked in the third quarter.

Up Next

The Timberwolves return home for the first of a three-game home stand, where they take on the Chicago Bulls on FanDuel Sports North. Tipoff is at 7 PM CT.

Highlights

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Lakers rally to beat Nuggets on the road

The Lakers surged in the second half on the shoulders of Luka Dončić and Marcus Smart to take the 115-107 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. 

It was an offensive showdown early. Denver was a perfect 5-5 from the field, while Los Angeles was shooting at 80%. Luka couldn’t miss and was in double figures with 12 points. Jamal Murray was also perfect from the field with eight points. The only other Laker to score was Deandre Ayton on a layup. 

After a timeout, Luka continued his hot start, converting on a jumpshot. 

The Nuggets were shooting an impressive 81% from behind the arc. The Lakers had no answer for Spencer Jones, who had drained four of Denver’s nine triples in the quarter. Rui Hachimura provided some offense for LA with four points. 

LeBron James converted on a jumper at the buzzer to cut the deficit to nine going into the second period.

Drew Timme opened the quarter with five straight points to make it a four-point game. Timme time was in full effect as he also converted on a layup. LA looked like they were poised to go on a big run, until Denver responded to push their lead to eight. 

LeBron gave Los Angeles some life with an emphatic dunk, staring down the crowd right after. 

The Nuggets had been able to extend their lead to double-digits, but the Lakers responded to cut it down to six. LA’s defense was awful, though, as Murray was able to get to the rim with ease, scoring six quick points. 

Los Angeles ended the half disastrously, falling apart. To make matters even worse, Murray heaved a shot that, of course, went in at the buzzer. At halftime, the purple and gold were down by 14. 

LeBron opened the third period with a layup for LA. Peyton Watson started to cook for the Nuggets, scoring six points. After a quick four-point surge by Los Angeles, Denver called a timeout. Out of the break, the Nuggets turned the ball over, and it resulted in a jumper by Luka on the other end. 

Denver’s lead was down to single digits after Luka converted on a triple. 

The Lakers tightened their defense, which led to a 15-4 scoring run. Luka was now at 32 points for the game. 

A dunk from Aaron Gordon and four points from Jones forced a timeout call from LA. LeBron scored five straight to make it a two-point game going into the fourth period. They outscored Denver 29 to 17 in the quarter. 

The final frame began with the Lakers tying the game off a layup from Timme. Both teams then took turns tying the game again, with LA not able to take the lead. The Nuggets went up by four.

Ayton suffered an eye injury in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. 

Los Angeles got their first lead of the game by two at the 6:42 mark, thanks to free throws from Luka. Smart scored six in a row to give the Lakers more cushion in their lead.

LA’s defense was suffocating the Nuggets, leading to a five-minute scoring drought. Smart’s second-half dominance continued with another triple. Denver’s drought ended as they scored six straight. LeBron responded with another powerful dunk. 

Los Angeles kept their composure, and Denver played the foul game the rest of the way, as the Lakers cruised to victory.

Key Player Stats

Dončić scored 16 of his 38 points in the first quarter. He also ended with 13 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. LeBron notched 19 points with nine rebounds and eight assists. Smart had 15 massive points and two rebounds. Ayton pitched in with four points and eight rebounds. 

Timme had nine points and three rebounds. Hachimura ended with nine points and five rebounds. Jaxson Hayes scored nine points with five rebounds and two blocks. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

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Deandre Ayton ruled out vs. Nuggets

Another injury has hit the Lakers’ roster with Deandre Ayton hurting his left eye in the middle of LA’s road game against Denver.

Ayton suffered the injury during the first half and did not return at the start of the third quarter. Initially, the Lakers listed him as questionable to return, but he was officially ruled out of the contest at the start of the fourth quarter.

Ayton is LA’s starting center and was in the middle of a very solid performance against the Nuggets with four points and eight rebounds. With Ayton out, the Lakers will rely on Jaxson Hayes and two-way forward Drew Timme to provide them with enough size to compete with the Denver bigs.

Ayton has been relatively healthy this year. He has played in 37 of LA’s 42 games. Recently, Ayton missed a game against the Blazers due to left knee soreness.

On the season, Ayton is averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The Lakers will have to provide an update later to let us know whether this is a serious injury that will force him to miss additional games or if he can return immediately.

The Lakers have just started an eight-game road trip, so it would be best for the purple and gold if Ayton can suit up and play in those upcoming contests.

Los Angeles is currently in a play-in position, and a successful road trip could help them get back into the top six in the Western Conference.

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

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Mets, White Sox, agree to Luis Robert Jr. trade

The Mets, continuing their roster overhaul after their disastrous 2025, agreed to a trade with the White Sox for center fielder Luis Robert Jr on Tuesday night. The Mets are sending two young players to the South Side of Chicago in return, one we have seen a lot of in Luisangel Acuña, and one that is (was) new to the organization in RHP prospect Truman Pauley.

Robert Jr. has been the subject of a lot of trade discussions over the past few seasons, and has had a rather tumultuous career despite being only 28 years old. He signed a six year, $50m contract in January 2020, before he appeared in a Major League game. After an average debut during the COVID-shortened season, he burst onto the scene in 2021 with an incredible 68 game performance that saw him hit .338/.378/.567 (155 wRC+), accumulating 3.4 fWAR in those 68 games. He never reached those heights again, but a good 2022 (111 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR in 98 games), and a great 2023 (129 wRC+, 4.9 fWAR in 145 games), making his pre-debut contract look like a steal for the White Sox.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, injuries to his lower half put huge dampers on his 2024 and 2025 seasons, as he has hit a combined .223/.288/.372 (84 wRC+, 1.8 fWAR) in 210 games. Despite the drop in offensive performance, Robert has maintained his sprint speed (90th percentile last season), and his defensive acumen (7 OAA, 93rd percentile), giving the Mets a bonafide center fielder at the very least, if they cannot bring the bat back to life. It has been nothing short of the roller coaster for Robert and the White Sox, who have flirted with trading Robert dating back to last year’s trade deadline.

Luisangel Acuña, one of the two players going back to the White Sox, has had an up and down time in Queens in his own right. Acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Texas Rangers for Max Scherzer, Acuña never found his footing in the Mets organization. He got leapfrogged by other prospects, and when he finally got an extended run in the big leagues last season, struggled pretty mightily, hitting .234/.293/.274 (65 wRC+, 0,4 fWAR) in 95 games. Truman Pauley, the second piece going to Chicago, is quite an interesting prospect. Drafted in the 12th round out of Harvard in last year’s draft, is a right hander with very interesting pitch metrics, especially in regards to his fastball.

The Mets will be taking all of Robert’s $20m he is set to earn in 2026, and also will be on the hook for a $20m team option if they choose to exercise it for 2027. The option has a $2m buyout.

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UCLA upsets Purdue, boosts NCAA tournament resume with Quad 1 win

LOS ANGELES — UCLA needed a major victory as it tries to build its NCAA tournament resume – and it got one. 

The Bruins put up one of their best performances of the season to take down No. 4 Purdue, 69-67, for its first signature win of the season, and a massive one in the Big Ten.

It was all thanks to guard Donovan Dent, who broke out of a rough slump and showed all the reasons that made him such a highly-touted transfer out of New Mexico. UCLA coach Mick Cronin said he spoke with Dent earlier in the week about needing to "get in there and throw punches" after the struggling performances at Penn State and Ohio State.

"I had a little talk, he listened," Cronin said.

Dent picked apart the Purdue defense and was the catalyst in the offensive surge for a team that shot 56.9% from the field, finishing with a game-high 23 points and season-best 13 assists, his first double-double in more than a month.

"He's a player of the game," said Purdue coach Matt Painter. "There's no question about that."

While every dime brought out the energy for an electric home crowd, there was one no greater than the final one. With the Bruins down by one point, Dent drew two defenders off a screen that resulted in forward Tyler Bilodeau wide open. Dent dished it out to him and he drilled the game-winning 3-point shot with six seconds left. 

Purdue had a chance to respond and tried to go for the win, but were unable to get the bucket when C.J. Cox's 3-point shot bounced off the rim and the Boilermakers were unable to secure the rebound.

UCLA's Eric Dailey Jr. reacts after a dunk against Purdue at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 20, 2026.

In a game that honored the legendary John Wooden – who played for Purdue and later was coach at UCLA – Purdue got out to a hot start, flipping the script from its past couple of games; it looked like the Boilermakers would cap off their West Coast trip in perfect fashion with a 12-point lead in the first half. The strong presence of Purdue fans inside Pauley Pavilion drowned out the home crowd.

Then UCLA turned it up a notch. With Dent leading the charge, the Bruins were blocking shots and the offense started knocking down shots, using a 17-5 run in the final seven minutes of the half to go in the locker room tied.

The second half remained close, with the lead and momentum going back-and-forth. But UCLA's offense remained hot, shooting a whopping 65.2% from the field in the last 20 minutes. Thanks to some key buckets from star guard Braden Smith, Purdue again looked like it was closing in on a win when it grabbed a six-point lead with just under two minutes left. 

However, Purdue couldn’t get more opportunities at the bucket to put the nail in the coffin. Two key turnovers resulted in UCLA baskets to close the deficit, punctuated by Bilodeau’s game-winning shot. UCLA ended the game on an 8-0 run.

It’s a much-needed win for UCLA as its tournament hopes were starting to fade thanks to some tough losses and no big wins on the season; the Bruins entered the night 12-6 with a 1-5 Quad 1 record. The win over Purdue dramatically boosts UCLA's resume as it tries to live up to preseason expectations it would be a contender in the Big Ten.

Despite the big win, Cronin couldn't help but throw a slight jab at the Big Ten for UCLA's start to its conference schedule.

"I want to thank the Big Ten for giving us five of our first seven on the road, and giving us the team picked to win the league on two days rest," he said. "I really wanna thank the Big Ten for that."

Dent and Bilodeau were two of four Bruins that were in double figures. Smith finished with 12 points and four assists for Purdue, with Cox as the team's leading-scorer with 16 points.

Purdue suffers its second loss of the season, snapping its nine-game win streak. It’s the first road loss for the Boilermakers.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA boosts NCAA tournament hopes with upset of No. 4 Purdue

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Rockets rally to beat Spurs 111-106

HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to help the Houston Rockets rally for a 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

Reed Sheppard scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Kevin Durant added 18 points to help the Rockets to their third straight victory.

Tipoff was delayed by 22 minutes after a player bent one of the rims during warmups and it had to be replaced.

The Rockets trailed by as many as 16 and were down by 10 before opening the fourth quarter with a big run to close the gap.

The game was tied with about two minutes to play when Sheppard blocked a 3-point attempt by Julian Champagnie. Jabari Smith Jr. put the Rockets on top 106-104 with a fadeaway shot a few seconds later.

Sengun made a basket with about 30 seconds left to extend the lead to 108-104 before Stephon Castle missed a 3-point attempt. Sheppard added two free throws after that to seal the victory.

Champagnie made eight 3-pointers and led the Spurs with 27 points on a night Victor Wembanyama was held to 14 points with 10 rebounds. Champagnie’s performance came after he set the franchise record by sinking 11 3-pointers in a win over the Knicks on Dec. 31.

Houston trailed by five midway through the fourth before Sheppard scored all of the team’s points during an 8-2 run that put the Rockets on top 101-100 with about four minutes to go.

SUNS 116, 76ERS 110

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Devin Booker scored 27 points and Jalen Green added 12 points in his return to the lineup as Phoenix beat Philadelphia in a matchup of teams playing the second game of a back to back.

Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin scored 16 points apiece and Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro each added 12 as the Suns won their third straight game and for the 12th time in 16 games.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 25 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21 points and Tyrese Maxey added 20. Andre Drummond finished with 15 rebounds and eight points for the Sixers, who lost for the fourth time in six games.

Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid (right ankle injury management) and Paul George (left knee injury management).

Green played in just his third game of the season, and his first since Nov. 8, because of a right hamstring injury. He is in his first season with the Suns, arriving in the offseason as part of the trade in which Kevin Durant was sent to the Houston Rockets.

BULLS 138, CLIPPERS 110

CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 27 points and hit six of Chicago’s franchise record-tying 25 3-pointers in a win over surging Los Angeles.

White had the touch again after hitting a season-high seven 3s in Sunday’s blowout win over Brooklyn, and the Bulls made 25 of 47 from beyond the arc.

Matas Buzelis added 21 points, Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 and Kevin Huerter added 14. All three players made four 3s.

Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and eight rebounds, and the Bulls had their way with a team that came in rolling. The Clippers had won six straight and 13 of 15 since a 6-21 start.

Chicago led by 21 points at the half after matching a season high with 45 points in the second quarter and broke the game back open after Los Angeles made a run in the third.

James Harden led Los Angeles with 24 points. John Collins scored 23 and matched a season high with five 3-pointers.

JAZZ 127, TIMBERWOLVES 122

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Keyonte George scored a career-high 43 points, Jusuf Nurkic recorded his second career triple-double, and Utah rallied to beat Minnesota.

Nurkic finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in his first triple-double since Jan. 16, 2019, with Portland in a 129-112 win over Cleveland.

Rookie Ace Bailey scored 20 points and Isaiah Collier had 18 points and 10 assists for the Jazz (15-29), who delivered coach Will Hardy his 100th career victory.

George scored more than 30 points for the third time in his last six games.

Anthony Edwards scored 38 points for the Timberwolves (27-17), who squandered a 15-point lead and closed out a four-game trip with three straight losses. Julius Randle scored 19 points and Rudy Gobert added 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Edwards had a three-point play that pulled Minnesota within 121-119 before George responded with a 3-pointer from the corner with 59.2 seconds left that give the Jazz the cushion needed to halt their four-game skid.

Bailey sparked an 11-2 run with an electrifying dunk and a 3-pointer that gave the Jazz the lead with 7:47 to play in the fourth quarter. The Jazz scored on their first 11 possessions of the final period.

HEAT 130, KINGS 117

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 25 points, Norman Powell added 22 and Miami cruised to a road win over Sacramento.

The Heat have won three of their last five and led by double digits the entire fourth quarter. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, while Pelle Larsson had 16 points and a team-high nine assists.

Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points off the bench on five 3-pointers. Miami shot 50% from 3-point range, hitting 21 of 42.

Miami guard Tyler Herro (ribs) and center Kel’el Ware (hamstring) missed the game, leaving the Heat without two key rotation players. Ware — who is averaging a team-high 9.8 rebounds — missed his first game of the season.

Sacramento has dropped two straight games after winning a season-high four in a row. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points, while Russell Westbrook added 22 on 9-of 14 shooting.

Malik Monk scored 18 points, while Dylan Cardwell added 12 rebounds.

LAKERS 115, NUGGETS 107

DENVER (AP) — Luka Doncic had 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and Los Angeles rallied to beat Denver.

LeBron James, who was not voted an All-Star starter for the first time since his rookie season, scored 19 points for Los Angeles, which played the second half without center Deandre Ayton due to a left eye injury.

Jamal Murray scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half for Denver and added 11 assists, but shot just 1 for 5 in the second half.

With Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II sitting courtside, the short-handed Nuggets led by 16 in the third quarter despite missing four rotation players, including Nikola Jokic, who has missed the last 12 games with a hyperextended left knee.

Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson scored 18 apiece for the Nuggets.

RAPTORS 145, WARRIORS 127

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Immanuel Quickley matched his career high with 40 points and added 10 assists, and Toronto ran away from Golden State for a win in the Warriors’ first game since losing star guard Jimmy Butler to a season-ending right knee injury.

Quickley shot 11 for 13 and made all 11 of his free throws, while Scottie Barnes added 26 points and 11 assists in the Raptors’ highest-scoring game and the Warriors’ worst defensive performance this season.

Buddy Hield had season highs of 25 points and six 3-pointers — making all of his attempts from deep — while Stephen Curry scored 16 points and Draymond Green added six points, six rebounds and five assists.

Hield’s 3 with 5:02 remaining cut Toronto’s lead to nine points but Brandon Ingram immediately hit from deep moments later.

With Butler out, Golden State coach Steve Kerr turned to Jonathan Kuminga for the first time in 17 games and the high-flying forward finished with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and five rebounds in 21 minutes. He has requested a trade given his status so deep on the bench, but now it’s unclear if the Warriors will move him by the Feb. 5 deadline. He and Kerr spoke last week.

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Around the Empire: Yankees outfielders Beltrán, Jones elected to Hall of Fame

MLB.com | Mike Petriello: The elections of Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones to the National Baseball Hall of Fame has re-stoked recent discussions about the strength of this year’s class, with the perception among some being that this is a comparatively weak group of players to gain entry to Cooperstown. To vet this perception, Petriello ranked all 84 Hall of Fame classes by the cumulative WAR of all players elected, and it turns out that this year’s class is bang average. Between Beltrán, Jones, and Jeff Kent — elected via the Eras Committee — the trio accumulated 188 rWAR which would rank it 44th. If you exclude the stacked inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936, the average WAR for a class of inductees is 196 rWAR.

CBS Sports | Matt Snyder: Now that the 2026 Hall of Fame class has been announced, it’s time for the way-too-early look ahead to the 2027 ballot. Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte, and Félix Hernández all experienced the biggest jumps in vote share and each stand decent shots at enshrinement in coming election cycles. Manny Ramirez falls off the ballot after failing to reach the 75-percent threshold needed for induction in ten tries, while Cole Hamels was the only first-year player to receive the necessary vote share (at least five percent) to remain on the ballot next year. Buster Posey headlines the list of first-year players in 2027 and has a good shot at first ballot enshrinement, while Brett Gardner is the most notable former Yankee projected to appear on the ballot as a first-year player.

NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: Cody Bellinger is expected to sign with a team this week now that Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette have signed with the Dodgers and Mets, respectively. The Yankees remain at an impasse with their one time outfielder, which suggests that at least one other team has an offer on the table. The Mets are listed as the Yankees’ biggest competition for Bellinger’s signature after the Queens outfit traded away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and missed out on signing Tucker. Then again, they just traded for Luis Robert Jr., as of late last night, so perhaps they’re out on Bellinger.

The Athletic | Mitch Bannon ($): One team who is not expected to bid for Bellinger’s services are the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite losing Bichette to free agency and getting spurned by Tucker, and despite Scott Boras’ comments linking Bellinger to a move north of the border, Bannon relays that “the Jays haven’t appeared particularly interested in the 30-year-old free agent this winter.” Their focus remains on the trade market, where they have been recently linked to Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan and Cardinals utilityman Brendan Donovan.

The Athletic | Evan Drellich ($): With Kyle Tucker signing a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers, it is now “a 100-percent certainty” that the owners will demand a salary cap during the labor negotiations that loom beyond the end of the upcoming season. Owners are said to be “raging” over the back-to-back World Series champions adding the best free agent on the market, making them once again the only team to carry a payroll in excess of $400 million in consecutive season. Granted, the owners were always going to push for a cap during labor talks, Tucker and the Dodgers just give them a convenient excuse to do so. The current CBA expires at the end of the 2026 season, and “players have historically been willing to miss many games to avoid a cap system.” Instituting a cap would instantly increase the valuation of all 30 franchise and would have to be accompanied by a salary floor, something several small market owners are expected to resist.

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Newly Acquired Defenseman Could Be Sneaky Good Pickup For Penguins

Up to this point in the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most active teams in the league on the trade market.

On Tuesday, they made yet another move to help shore up some depth for a playoff run. And it's a move that has some upside potential.

The Penguins sent forward Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for left defenseman Ilya Solovyov. The 25-year-old blueliner was selected in the seventh round (201st overall) by the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he was claimed off waivers by the Avs on Oct. 3.

In 16 games with the Avalanche this season, the 6-foot-3, 208-pound defenseman registerd a goal and three points to go along with a minus-1. In 31 career NHL games, he has a goal and seven points. 

On the surface, nothing jumps out about Solovyov, who didn't really have the chance to crack the lineup much on a dominant Colorado team. But, given the Penguins' lack of depth on the left side of their blue line - and their lack of NHL-ready organizational depth at defense in general - it made sense for GM/POHO Kyle Dubas to target depth defensemen, especially as the Penguins push for the playoffs. 

But there may be a bit of untapped potential in Solovyov. He has a booming shot, and he isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage. In 59 games with the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL last season, he had six goals and 28 points and was a plus-8. He also has the ability to box out players at the net-front with his frame, and he is pretty decent in transition. 

Solovyov will join the NHL club on its Western road trip, and their next game is in his old stomping grounds in Calgary on Wednesday, when they take on the Flames. With Kris Letang day-to-day with an upper-body injury and Erik Karlsson stating he wouldn't be in the lineup Wednesday despite making the trip with the team, there's a chance Solovyov might be in the lineup as soon as then.

All in all, this was a low-risk move for the Penguins, and it never hurts to have more depth on the blue line - especially on a left side that has yet to have a bottom-pairing blueliner stick in the lineup on a permanent basis.

Penguins Acquire Big Defender From Avalanche Penguins Acquire Big Defender From Avalanche The Penguins have made another trade.

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It's Time For The Penguins To Give Stuart Skinner More Starts

Ever since the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Stuart Skinner in the Tristan Jarry trade in December, head coach Dan Muse has opted to go with a goalie rotation between him and Arturs Silovs.

Muse was doing the same thing with Silovs and Jarry at the beginning of the season, until Jarry started stealing some starts due to his strong play.

Now that Skinner is playing really well over the last few weeks, I think it's time for Muse to start giving him two out of every three starts and move away from the rotation a bit. This isn't a knock on Silovs, who has been playing better as of late (outside of shootouts). It's way more about Skinner, who has really found his form. 

Skinner's hot stretch began on Dec. 30 against the Carolina Hurricanes, a game the Penguins won 5-1. Skinner finished that game with 27 saves on 28 shots and a .964 save percentage. It was one of the Penguins' best efforts of the season, but there were still instances when Skinner had to come up with some big saves. 

He only allowed two goals over his next two starts against the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils on Jan. 3 and Jan. 8. Every Penguin player owed him a gourmet steak dinner for the way he played in the first period against the Devils. The Penguins were lethargic in their own zone, but Skinner was there to save them, making some big saves to preserve a 1-0 lead going into the second period. The Penguins eventually found their footing in the final 40 minutes and won 4-1. 

Skinner has won five of his last starts and has a .923 save percentage for the month of January, which is good for his best month of the 2025-26 season to date.

Newly Acquired Defenseman Could Be Sneaky Good Pickup For PenguinsNewly Acquired Defenseman Could Be Sneaky Good Pickup For PenguinsUp to this point in the season, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have been one of the most active teams in the league on the trade market.

In the Penguins' 6-3 win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday, he was especially sharp in the first period, making a big save on a breakaway from Eeli Tolvanen less than three minutes into the game. He finished the game with an .870 save percentage, but don't let that fool you. He was good when he needed to be. 

Even in the Penguins' 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 11, he gave his team every opportunity to tie the game. The only goal he gave up went off the post, his skate, and into the net. 

He has such a calming presence around him and continues to look really poised in the crease. His teammates are feeding off his confidence each time he plays. 

All of this can certainly change, since Skinner has been an inconsistent goaltender throughout his career, but right now, he's giving the Penguins the best chance to win and should see a slight increase in his workload. 

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Luis Robert Jr. traded to Mets in three-player deal with White Sox

The New York Mets acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, the White Sox announced on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Robert, a 28-year-old from Cuba, was an All-Star in 2023 and that same season won a Silver Slugger Award. He won a Gold Glove Award in 2020.

During six major-league seasons, all with the White Sox, Robert has batted .259 with 102 home runs and 298 RBIs.

Robert's breakthrough season came in 2023, when he hit 38 home runs, and had 80 RBIs and 90 runs scored. But he has hit no more than 14 homers in any of his five other seasons. And in 2025, he batted .223 with 14 home runs.

In exchange for Robert, the White Sox acquired Luisangel Acuña, a 23-year-old infielder from Venezuela, and Truman Pauley, a right-handed pitcher who played for Harvard and was a 12th-round pick of the Mets in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Mets are taking on Robert’s entire $20 million salary, plus a $2 million buyout or a $20 million option for 2027.

MORE: Winners and losers of Bo Bichette-Mets pact

Acuña made news last week in Venezuelan Winter League when he hit four home runs in a single game. He'd hit only three home runs in 214 at-bats over the past two seasons with the Mets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luis Robert Jr. traded by Chicago White Sox to New York Mets

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Hagel scores twice as Lightning beat Sharks 4-1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals to reach 25 for the season and surpass Nikita Kucherov for the team lead as the Tampa Bay Lightning continued their surge with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist, and Kucherov had two assists to reach 48. Kucherov has 72 points, tied for third in the league with San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, who was held scoreless.

Tampa Bay has a 14-game point streak and has won two straight since its one loss in that span, a 3-2 shootout defeat at St. Louis last Friday. The Lightning (31-13-4), who haven’t lost in regulation since Dec. 18, matched Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 66 points.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for Tampa Bay.

Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks, who concluded their East Coast trip at 2-2. San Jose returns home for one game on Friday before a five-game trip with the first three in Western Canada.

Toffoli scored with 5:23 left in the first period, but Hagel tied it 37 seconds later with his 24th goal. He converted a precise feed from Cirelli to beat Yaroslav Askarov.

Cirelli scored early in the second period and Guentzel’s goal 1:28 later made it 3-1. After a long scoreless stretch, Hagel converted an empty-netter.

Askarov stopped 16 shots.

SENATORS 4, BLUE JACKETS 1

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tyler Kleven and Tim Stutzle both scored in the first period, and Ottawa beat Columbus, snapping its four-game winning streak.

Ridly Greig had a goal and assist, Thomas Chabot added two assists, and Stutzle also had an assist. James Reimer made 21 saves in his first win for the Senators, who had lost two straight. He signed with the team as a free agent on Jan. 12.

Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins stopped five shots for Columbus in 20 minutes before leaving the game with an illness. He was replaced in the second period by Jet Greaves, who stopped 12 shots.

Kleven put Ottawa ahead 1-0 at 3:34 of the first period, beating Merzlikins from the left circle on the Senators’ second shot of the game.

Monahan pulled Columbus even at 7:46 with his first goal in seven games, but Stutzle put Ottawa back in front 2:29 later.

After a scoreless second period, Greig gave Ottawa an insurance goal off the rush at 6:49 of the third. Brady Tkachuk added an empty-netter with 3:06 remaining.

CANADIENS 4, WILD 3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift Montreal to a win over Minnesota.

Caufield took a pass from Nick Suzuki and fired a shot from the top of the right circle for his 25th of the season.

Phillip Danault — with his first of the season — Alexandre Carrier and Lane Hutson also scored for Montreal.

Rookie winger Ivan Demidov provided two assists and Jakub Dobes made 16 saves.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Brock Faber also scored for Minnesota, which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots.

STARS 6, BRUINS 2

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored two goals, Justin Hryckowian had a goal and two assists, and Dallas ended a three-game skid while snapping Boston's six-game winning streak.

Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who had just three goals in their previous three games. Miro Heiskanen had three assists and Jake Oettinger had 16 saves.

The Bruins trailed 6-0 when Morgan Geekie scored on the power play to end Oettinger’s shutout bid with 7:49 to play. Geekie ended a personal 12-game goal-scoring drought when he tipped in David Pastrnak’s shot.

Fraser Minten also scored for Boston while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves before he was lifted in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who had three stops.

The Stars played without leading scorer Mikko Rantanen (19 goals, 44 assists), who was out with an illness.

Johnston’s goal with 3:52 left in the first was his NHL-leading 16th power-play goal this season. Bourque’s first-period goal also came on the power play.

Johnston has six goals and six assists over the past 12 games.

Robertson scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season early in the third period.

SABRES 5, PREDATORS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Konsta Helenius scored his first NHL goal, assisted on two others, and Buffalo beat Nashville.

Noah Ostlund scored twice, Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs also scored and Alex Lyon made 32 saves for the Sabres, 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Ryan O’Reilly scored twice and added an assist, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, and Juuse Saros and Justus Annunen combined to make 27 saves for the Predators, losers of two straight. Nashville had not lost consecutive games since a three-game skid in late November.

Ostlund scored the first goal of the game at 8:11 of the opening period.

Saros stopped Helenius’ shot from the left side and Ostlund crept in from the right and poked in the rebound from just outside the crease.

Ostlund struck again at 11:45 of the first with Helenius assisting on that goal as well.

Helenius scored at 17:24 of the first, skating through the slot and snapping a wrist shot high to Saros’ glove side. The 19-year-old Finn made his NHL debut in Monday night’s loss at Carolina.

JETS 3, BLUES 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist to lead Winnipeg to a victory over St. Louis.

Josh Morrissey added a goal and two assists as Winnipeg scored three goals on 16 shots. Eric Comrie made 22 saves for Winnipeg (20-23-6), which won for the fifth time in seven games.

Jordan Kyrou scored for St. Louis. Joel Hofer stopped 13 of 15 shots for St. Louis (19-23-8), which lost its second straight and for the fifth time in seven games.

The Jets took advantage of a four-minute high-sticking penalty to the Blues’ Nathan Walker, who clipped Winnipeg defenseman Isaak Phillips, scoring twice in a 1:33 span midway through the first period.

First, Morrissey beat Hofer on a slap shot from the blue line with Scheifele and Kyle Connor assisting at 9:52. Then, Scheifele lifted the puck over Hofer from close range, with Morrissey getting the assist, at 11:25.

The Blues had pulled to within 2-1 late in the second. With Vladislav Namestnikov serving a four-minute minor for high-sticking Jonathan Berggren, Kyrou scored past Comrie.

Scheifele put the game away with an empty-net goal with 2:23 left.

KINGS 4, RANGERS 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves after taking over for the injured Darcy Kuemper in Los Angeles's victory over slumping New York.

Adrian Kempe, Taylor Ward and Andrei Kuzmenko also scored for the Kings, who snapped a four-game skid with only their second regulation victory in January.

Kuemper allowed two goals on eight shots before abruptly leaving with 38 seconds left in the first period following a collision in the crease with a charging Jonny Brodzinski.

Forsberg played superbly after taking over for Kuemper, a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Kuemper also missed 2 1/2 weeks last month after taking a hit to the head during a loss at Dallas.

J.T. Miller scored two goals for the Rangers, who are last in the Eastern Conference after losing seven of eight.

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in his third start and fourth appearance against the Kings, who drafted him in 2005. Quick, who turns 40 years old on Wednesday, won 370 games — 199 more than any other Kings goalie — while backstopping the club to two Stanley Cup championships during his 16 seasons in LA.

Kempe scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.

DEVILS 2, OILERS 1

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass each had a goal and an assist and New Jersey held on to beat Edmonton.

The Devils, who improved to 17-0-0 when leading after two periods, have won four of their last five outings, including a 2-1 overtime victory on Monday against the host Calgary Flames.

Matthew Savoie scored for the Oilers, who had a two-game winning streak halted — the ninth time this season they have failed to extend a winning streak to three games.

Jake Allen survived a barrage in the third and recorded 21 saves to earn the win in net for New Jersey, while Tristan Jarry made 15 stops in his Oilers’ home debut.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who was a healthy scratch against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 10, picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games, during which he has collected seven points.

The Oilers’ Curtis Lazar skated in his 600th career NHL game against his former team, where he spent portions of three seasons from 2022-25. He has played for seven NHL squads and has 50 goals and 80 assists.

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz Recap and Final Score: George, Bailey, Nurkic Star in Win

The Utah Jazz win a close one against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a final score of 122-127. This marks the first time the Jazz have won without Lauri Markkanen this season.

After a stretch of uncompetitive games, the Jazz played Minnesota wire-to-wire, led by Keyonte George’s career night. George finished with 43 points and three assists. George, now a top-20 scorer in the NBA, continues to emerge as star in the NBA. While he likely won’t earn an All-Star spot this season, his ability to become a late-game offensive engine is a serious boost to the Jazz’s chances of becoming a competitive team once again. In his first two seasons, George’s inability to create space off the dribble limited his effectiveness as an isolation scorer. But his stunning development this offseason has made his this one of his greatest strengths.

The Jazz were also helped by Jusuf Nurkic’s big night. Facing off against former Jazzman Rudy Gobert, Nurkic put up his second-career triple-double, ending the night with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. On the defensive end, Nurkic has obviously lost a step. But on offense, he continues to be one of the more versatile bigs in the NBA. The Jazz are measurably more in control when Nurkic is controlling the offense through a series of back-door passes, high-screens, and DHO’s. The stats show it too – he averages a league leading 4.6 screen assists per game. Regardless of his future with the team, Nurkic has provided a valuable veteran presence for the roster.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 20: Jusuf Nurkic #30 of the Utah Jazz and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves play defense during the game on January 20, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

Utah’s youth also stepped up, with big nights coming from Isaiah Collier and Ace Bailey. Collier played one of the more complete games of his career, finishing with 18 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds. Bailey, who continues to look better with every game, ended the night with 20 points and four rebounds, including this ferocious dunk:

While pro-tank fans will be disappointed with Utah picking up another win, the Jazz have created some separation between them and the Dallas Mavericks in the standings, making this win fairly inconsequential from a draft perspective. Utah hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.