Detroit Pistons (33-11, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (31-15, third in the Western Conference)
Denver; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit will try to keep its three-game road win streak alive when the Pistons take on Denver.
The Nuggets are 12-8 on their home court. Denver ranks eighth in the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, giving up only 116.2 points while holding opponents to 46.8% shooting.
The Pistons are 14-6 on the road. Detroit ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 18.2 fast break points per game led by Cade Cunningham averaging 3.5.
The 120.7 points per game the Nuggets average are 10.6 more points than the Pistons give up (110.1). The Pistons are shooting 48.0% from the field, 1.2% higher than the 46.8% the Nuggets' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jamal Murray is averaging 26 points and 7.3 assists for the Nuggets. Peyton Watson is averaging 20.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over the past 10 games.
Cunningham is averaging 25.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 14 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 107.3 points, 39.0 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.6 points per game.
Pistons: 8-2, averaging 112.3 points, 44.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 12.1 steals and 8.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.8 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Cameron Johnson: out (knee), Tamar Bates: out (foot), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Jonas Valanciunas: day to day (calf), Nikola Jokic: out (knee), Christian Braun: out (ankle), Peyton Watson: day to day (ankle), Jamal Murray: day to day (hamstring).
Pistons: Caris LeVert: out (illness).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota comes into the matchup against Golden State after losing five games in a row.
The Timberwolves have gone 14-14 against Western Conference teams. Minnesota is fifth in the Western Conference with 33.5 defensive rebounds per game led by Rudy Gobert averaging 7.4.
The Warriors are 16-13 in conference games. Golden State is ninth in the Western Conference with 11.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Jimmy Butler III averaging 2.3.
The Timberwolves average 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.5 more made shots on average than the 12.6 per game the Warriors give up. The Warriors are shooting 46.2% from the field, which equals what the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the third time this season. The Warriors won the last matchup 111-85 on Jan. 25. Stephen Curry scored 26 points to help lead the Warriors to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is averaging 22.3 points, seven rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo is averaging 3.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Brandin Podziemski is scoring 12.2 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds for the Warriors. Curry is averaging 3.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 4-6, averaging 118.0 points, 46.9 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 7.9 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.5 points per game.
Warriors: 7-3, averaging 123.7 points, 40.5 rebounds, 31.8 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.1 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (foot).
Warriors: Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Jonathan Kuminga: out (knee), Seth Curry: out (back).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Memphis visits Houston looking to break its four-game road losing streak.
The Rockets are 15-14 in conference matchups. Houston ranks seventh in the NBA with 52.9 points in the paint led by Alperen Sengun averaging 13.7.
The Grizzlies are 5-4 against opponents from the Southwest Division. Memphis is fifth in the Western Conference with 11.8 offensive rebounds per game led by Zach Edey averaging 3.9.
The Rockets average 11.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.0 fewer makes per game than the Grizzlies allow (14.4). The Grizzlies average 13.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Rockets won the last matchup 124-109 on Nov. 6. Amen Thompson scored 28 points to help lead the Rockets to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kevin Durant is scoring 26.3 points per game with 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Rockets. Thompson is averaging 19.7 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 51.4% over the past 10 games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is scoring 18.9 points per game with 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Grizzlies. Jock Landale is averaging 13.9 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 55.6% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 5-5, averaging 108.8 points, 48.8 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 8.3 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.2 points per game.
Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 114.4 points, 46.4 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 7.0 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.9 points.
INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Aaron Holiday: day to day (back), Steven Adams: out (ankle).
Grizzlies: Scotty Pippen Jr.: out (toe), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Zach Edey: out (ankle), Ty Jerome: out (calf), Brandon Clarke: out (calf), Santi Aldama: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
New Orleans Pelicans (12-36, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-10, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Western Conference foes Oklahoma City and New Orleans square off on Tuesday.
The Thunder are 28-6 against conference opponents. Oklahoma City ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 25.4 assists per game led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 6.2.
The Pelicans are 6-25 in Western Conference play. New Orleans is 2-3 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Thunder are shooting 49.2% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points higher than the 48.4% the Pelicans allow to opponents. The Pelicans average 6.9 more points per game (114.8) than the Thunder allow their opponents to score (107.9).
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won 126-109 in the last matchup on Nov. 18. Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 26 points, and Jeremiah Fears led the Pelicans with 24 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Holmgren is shooting 57.1% and averaging 17.8 points for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.9 points over the last 10 games.
Trey Murphy III is scoring 22.2 points per game with 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson is averaging 21.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 63.0% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 119.3 points, 42.4 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 8.6 steals and 7.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.0 points per game.
Pelicans: 4-6, averaging 114.8 points, 45.5 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.7 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (hip), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Alex Caruso: out (adductor), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Isaiah Hartenstein: out (calf).
Pelicans: Dejounte Murray: out (leg).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Sacramento Kings (12-35, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (27-18, fourth in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento will look to break its nine-game road losing streak when the Kings play New York.
The Knicks have gone 17-6 in home games. New York is eighth in the league averaging 117.8 points and is shooting 46.9% from the field.
The Kings are 3-19 on the road. Sacramento is 9-16 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.9 turnovers per game.
The Knicks are shooting 46.9% from the field this season, 2.2 percentage points lower than the 49.1% the Kings allow to opponents. The Kings average 10.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.8 fewer made shots on average than the 14.4 per game the Knicks allow.
The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Kings defeated the Knicks 112-101 in their last matchup on Jan. 15. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 27 points, and Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with 19 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.5 points and 11.4 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 18.1 points over the last 10 games.
Dennis Schroder is shooting 41.6% and averaging 12.8 points for the Kings. Malik Monk is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 4-6, averaging 108.5 points, 46.8 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.1 points per game.
Kings: 4-6, averaging 114.8 points, 41.1 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 5.7 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 50.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.4 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.
Kings: Keegan Murray: out (ankle), Zach LaVine: out (back).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The starting center gutted through a finger injury suffered in Friday’s loss to the Celtics, playing with a bandage on his right pinky. He was slated to have imaging on the finger Saturday morning, but the results weren’t available yet.
Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) play for the ball against Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“Yeah, I think it’s his right hand. I know that he’s going to play. He’s got some discomfort, but I really give him credit,” coach Jordi Fernández said of Claxton, who finished with six points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
“He finished [Friday’s] game, and then he’s willing to be out there. Obviously, we care about his health, and everything is fine. Everything’s fine. So, credit to him for wanting to play [and] compete with his teammates.”
Midway through the third quarter, Claxton was raked across the hand by Kawhi Leonard, going up for a shot that was blocked with 6:52 in the period. He grimaced in pain and was clutching his hand for several moments afterward, but stayed in the game.
With Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney sidelined by a sore back, Terance Mann started against his old Clippers team. And the veteran not only got a first-quarter tribute video, but an ovation from the L.A. crowd for which he’d played five-plus seasons.
Mann – who had eight points and three rebounds in 19 minutes – had been a second-round draft pick by the Clippers in 2019 and started in the 2021 Western Conference Finals before being traded to Atlanta midway through last season.
“Yeah, I mean, The Wall, I love The Wall. You know, I was the one that introduced The Wall to the world,” said Mann. “So, I feel like I’ve got a special bond with those guys up there and everybody up there. Yeah, man, you know I love the fans, they love me. Some part of me will always be a Clipper.”
Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins (20) during the first half at Intuit Dome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rookie Nolan Traore was out against the Clippers with an illness after a career-best 21 point effort Friday.
Cam Thomas sat out with a sprained left ankle.
“He’s sore. He’ll be out [Sunday] and we hope that he’ll be back soon. We don’t know exactly when,” Fernández said of Thomas. “So, going through the proper work and making him feel better and then have him back on the court when we can.”
With the Nets shorthanded in the backcourt, rookie Ben Saraf was recalled from Long Island and made his first NBA appearance since Dec. 6. The point guard finished with six points in 17 minutes off the bench.
“Improvement. All our guys that have played under Mfon [Udofia, Long Island Nets head coach], they’ve done a great job getting better every game competing,” Fernández said. “And it’s not just about them; it’s about playing within a system and making the group competitive. So, happy with what we’re seeing.”
The Nets play Tuesday in Phoenix. Suns star Devin Booker is out with a right ankle sprain.
There is losing. And then there’s playing like losers.
Sunday night Brooklyn looked like the latter.
For the second time in three games, the Nets embarrassed themselves, this one a 126-89 beating at the hands of the Clippers before 17,927 at the Intuit Dome.
It marked Brooklyn’s fifth straight defeat, and their tenth in the last 11 games. For a tanking team, losing the game isn’t a concern. But losing their competitiveness – becoming losers – is a grave one.
“We won the third quarter; we were competitive from those six minutes of the second. And outside of that, the other 30 minutes, we played like a losing team,” said Jordi Fernandez. “You can lose; and you can be a loser. So for 18 minutes, we lost and we were competitive. And for 30, we were losers. So we have to decide what we want to be and who we want to be.”
Brooklyn showed little fight, a horrid way to start a five-game road swing. But these problems started before their delayed cross-country flight.
Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) shoots against Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller (22) during the second half at Intuit Dome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While the worst defeat in team history – a 59-point caning – had actually come last Jan. 15 in this same building, the second-worst was Wednesday’s 54-point loss to the Knicks. After a brief bounceback Friday vs. Boston, the Nets backslid.
Brooklyn was flat from the start, down 38-14 after the lowest-scoring first quarter of the season. They fell behind by 40 and never fought back.
“It’s part of life and part of learning and part of finding the next Nets…we’re obviously going to need the right pieces on the floor that play and compete to a certain standard,” said Fernandez. “And right now, out of three games, one out of three as far as being competitive is not good enough. We should be 3-for-3 competitive, whether you win or lose.”
The tanking Nets have decisions to make, both by the Feb. 5 Trade Deadline and in the offseason. Players will be asked to acquit themselves and required to compete. None covered themselves in glory Sunday, about as ice-cold as the blizzard back home.
Michael Porter Jr. got held to single-digits with just nine points on uncharacteristic 3-of-11 shooting, and 0-of-4 from 3-point range. He has been dealing with a sprained MCL, and was off his game. Rookie Danny Wolf led the Nets with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench, all team-highs. Egor Demin added a dozen points, but was 3-of-11 overall and 3-of-10 from deep.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (4) and center Brook Lopez (11) defend the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) during the second half at Intuit Dome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Nets had lost 121-105 to the Clippers on Jan 9, but this was far worse.
“They were just the better team. It wasn’t much to it. They just dominated us last game and dominated us (Sunday),” said Porter. “We’ve got to get back to competing every night. So from players to the guys on the bench to the coaches, we all just got to get back to competing. I could’ve definitely done a better job. Our starting unit could’ve done a better job. It was just an-all around bad effort.”
Brooklyn shot just 33.7 percent and 9-of-43 from deep. And they got torn to shreds on the other end by Kawhi Leonard (28 points) and ex-Net James Harden (22 points, eight assists and six rebounds).
The Nets trailed by 24 after one, and coughed up 18 unanswered points in the second.
Brooklyn was down 64-26 with 3:13 left in the half after a bucket by Jordan Miller.
The next play was even more embarrassing. Brooklyn ended up with a 5-on-4 possession, after Kris Dunn came up gimping. But the Nets missed four shots on the possession, before Dunn hobbled back into the play and grabbed the rebound.
The rest was garbage time, and that garbage stunk.
Brooklyn (12-32) is fifth in the lottery standings, 1 ½ games behind fourth-place Sacramento and just two out of the coveted Top 3 spots.
“They just played better than us,” said Porter. “They were obviously the better team tonight so that’s pretty much it. They were better than us.”
The Calgary Flames saw a strong start unravel on Sunday night, falling 4–3 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Calgary opened the game with pace and purpose, jumping out to a 2–0 lead in the first period and controlling long stretches of play, but Anaheim chipped away and eventually stole the extra point thanks to a hat-trick performance from rookie Beckett Sennecke.
Jonathan Huberdeau got the Flames on the board at the 6:17 mark of the opening frame, snapping an 10-game goal drought. After driving the net, Huberdeau stayed with a loose puck and poked it past Lukas Dostal to give Calgary an early advantage.
Just moments later, the Saddledome erupted again as Hunter Brzustewicz recorded his first career NHL goal. The defenceman fired a shot from the point that deflected off traffic in front and found its way into the net, doubling the Flames’ lead and capping a memorable milestone in his 17th NHL game.
Anaheim pushed back late in the first despite managing only three shots on goal through much of the period. A quick backdoor play found Sennecke, who buried his first of the night past Dustin Wolf to cut the lead in half.
Calgary dominated the shot clock early in the second period, outshooting Anaheim 25–7 at one point, but the Ducks found their footing. Crisp puck movement led to another Sennecke goal at the side of the net, tying the game at 2–2. The Ducks briefly thought they had taken the lead moments later, but a high-stick goal from Alex Killorn was immediately waved off and upheld after review.
The Flames regained the lead on the power play in the third period. Nazem Kadri worked the puck down low to Matvei Gridin who threaded a cross-seam pass to Matt Coronato, who elevated a quick shot over Dostal to make it 3–2.
Anaheim answered once again, tying the game on a 2-on-1 rush as Kris Kreider finished a one-timer to complete the hat trick and force overtime.
In the extra frame, Sennecke delivered the decisive blow, ripping a top-shelf shot over Wolf’s glove to seal the 4–3 Ducks victory. The rookie now leads all first-year players with 18 goals on the season.
After spending time as a healthy scratch, Hunter Brzustewicz made a strong case to stay in the lineup. His first NHL goal was the reward for a simple, confident play, and it marked a positive step for a player who has been trending in the right direction.
3. January continues to be difficult for Dustin Wolf
The loss marked Wolf’s sixth defeat in his last seven appearances, underscoring a challenging month for the young goaltender. Despite stretches of strong play, the results haven’t followed, adding to Calgary’s recent frustrations.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 26 points to lead the Golden State Warriors past Minnesota 111-85 on Sunday, the fifth straight loss for the Timberwolves and their longest skid in more than three years.
Curry added seven assists and four of his team’s season-high 20 steals after being listed as questionable to play because of knee soreness. Moses Moody added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors (26-21), who moved within 1 1/2 games of the Timberwolves (27-19) for seventh place in the Western Conference.
Brandin Podziemski had 12 points, six assists and four steals for the Warriors, who have won seven of their last 10 games.
PISTONS 139, KINGS 116
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 11 assists and Detroit routed Sacramento for its fifth victory in six games.
The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons rebounded from a home loss to Houston on Friday night to improve to 33-11. Tied at 35 after a quarter, Detroit broke it open in the second by outscoring the Kings 43-30.
Cunningham was 13 of 22 from the field, hitting 3 of 5 3-pointers. Pistons center Jalen Duren added 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and Tobias Harris had 16.
Malik Monk led Sacramento with 19 points, and DeMar DeRozan had 16. The Kings have lost five straight to drop to 12-35.
Domantas Sabonis played his fifth game for Sacramento after after missing two months because of a knee injury. He had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and eight assists and seven rebounds in 24:44.
RAPTORS 103, THUNDER 101
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Immanuel Quickley had 23 points and 11 rebounds to help Toronto defeat the NBA-leading Oklahoma City.
R.J. Barrett scored 14 points and Scottie Barnes added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who won their fourth straight.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting. He scored at least 20 points for the 117th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NBA history.
Lu Dort scored a season-high 19 points, Kenrich Williams scored 15 and Chet Holmgren added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder.
PELICANS 104, SPURS 95
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Saddiq Bey and Zion Williamson each had 24 points and 10 rebounds and New Orleans squandered a 20-point lead before rebounding to beat San Antonio.
San Antonio held a 24-5 advantage to open the fourth quarter, but New Orleans closed the game on a 17-3 run to avoid a season sweep by the Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama had 16 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks to lead San Antonio. Keldon Johnson added 15 points as the Spurs failed to capitalize on a double-digit rally.
New Orleans’ lead swelled to 19 points midway through the third quarter, leading San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson to sub out his entire starting lineup following a timeout.
The lineup change worked as San Antonio went on a 21-4 run bridging the third and fourth quarters. The Spurs scored 16 straight points to close the run.
HEAT 111, SUNS 102
PHOENIX (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 22 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 20 and Miami beat short-handed Phoenix.
The Heat had a short turnaround after blowing out Utah 147-116 on Saturday night, but took advantage of Phoenix playing without two key players who suffered injuries in Friday night in a 110-103 loss at Atlanta.
Devin Booker, a four-time All-Star, rolled his right ankle in third quarter against the Hawks and will be re-evaluated in a week. Jalen Green came out after feeling pain in his second game back after missing 33 with a hamstring strain.
The Suns labored without Booker’s team-leading 25.4 points per game, shooting 37% and 7 of 35 from 3. Dillon Brooks led Phoenix with 26 points and Grayson Allen added 18 despite shooting 4 of 18 from the floor, including 1 of 11 from 3.
The NBA’s fourth-highest scoring team, Miami led by five after three quarters and pushed it to 101-83 midway through the fourth on their way to finishing a five-game trip 3-2. Norman Powell added 16 points and 10 rebounds.
CLIPPERS 126, NETS 89
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half as Los Angeles built a 38-point lead in the second quarter and beat Brooklyn.
James Harden scored 19 points, John Collins added 18, and Jordan Miller had 16. Ivica Zubac finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Clippers, who were coming off a victory over the Lakers on Thursday, won for the eighth time in nine games.
Danny Wolf scored 14 points and Egor Demin had 12 for the Nets, who shot 28% in the first half and 34% (29 for 86) overall, including 21% (9 for 43) from 3-point range. Brooklyn lost its fourth straight and has dropped 10 of its last 11 games and 13 of 15.
New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: The major business for the Yankees seems to be done for the winter, after the team agreed to terms with Cody Bellinger last week. That makes Belli the biggest addition (or retread) of the club alongside the returning Trent Grisham and new Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers. It’s not exactly as big a splash as some of the division opponents have made in the offseason, with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles all on paper a little better than they were to end 2025. The Yankees are betting on repeating 2025’s “success,” with a very similar roster, and it’ll take a few months to see if that wager is a fruitful one.
MLB.com | Bryan Murphy: A key to the Yankees’ success in 2026 will be a rerun of Carlos Rodón’s strong campaign, even as the lefty continues to rehab from elbow surgery in his pitching arm. The nominal #1-B pitcher had bone chips removed from the joint back in October, and while he is still expected to start the season on the IL, his recovery seems to be progressing normally. Rodón himself seems excited that he can button his own shirt, and if that’s the mile marker he needs to be at at this stage, that’s good news.
FanGraphs | David Laurila: By now we know two former Yankees were voted into Cooperstown, with Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán getting the requisite 75 percent of the BBWAA vote for enshrinement. Another ex-bomber, Bobby Abreu, seems to be having a tougher time building a voting case for himself, and with three years remaining on the ballot, he may end up falling just short of baseball’s most exclusive club.
The Memphis Grizzlies were supposed to play a game yesterday against the Denver Nuggets. However, due to bad weather that is sweeping across the United States, the game was postponed. Now, the Grizzlies will travel to Houston and be relatively rested if a bit disheveled.
The Rockets and Grizzlies are both around tenth in adjusted defensive efficiency, which means both give up about 114 points per 100 possessions. The difference between the teams is on offense, where Houston is fifth and Memphis is twenty-fifth.
Memphis’s best player, by efficiency, is Cam Spencer. I doubt anyone had that on their Bingo cards, but here we are. He’s got a true shooting percentage of 66.9% and assists on 33% of Memphis’s made shots while he’s on the floor. Jock Landale, freed from Houston’s “Go grab rebounds” play style, has flourished as well. Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaylen Wells, rookie Cedric Coward, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will get the majority of the rest of the minutes.
Memphis is dealing with plenty of injuries (see below) and seem headed for a future as sellers at the trade deadline.
Let’s not beat around the bush: The Lakers aren’t NBA title contenders.
At least, not yet.
And don’t kid yourself either, because you already knew they weren’t, despite having flashes of being the type of team that could play deeper into the NBA calendar.
Lakers’ Luka Dončić works the floor against Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, Jan. 24. AP
Yes, the Lakers — with a 27–17 record after Saturday’s road win over the Dallas Mavericks for their third victory in four games — are jumbled up with a few other Western Conference teams in the standings, and aren’t too far behind the No. 2 spot.
Yes, they’ve had significant injury misfortune: LeBron James sidelined for training camp, the preseason, and the first 14 regular-season games due to sciatica; and Austin Reaves playing just two games since mid-December because of calf injuries.
Because of their misfortunes in player availability, the Lakers have had their three best players in Reaves, James and Luka Dončić for the same game just eight times out of the 44 they’ve played so far.
Lakers’ Austin Reaves handles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 25, 2025 at Crypto Arena, Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
Speaking of Dončić, the Lakers also have an MVP-quality player, which is historically necessary for championship contenders.
And yet, as of right now, they aren’t contenders.
Not like the Thunder. Or the Nuggets. Or the Spurs. Or the Eastern Conference team of your choice, since that conference does have to be represented in the NBA Finals.
The Lakers’ defense? Not good enough, ranking No. 25 across the league — which is an improvement on that end of the floor after they picked up their play over the last week.
LeBron James reacts after a basket by the Dallas Mavericks during the game on Jan. 24 in Dallas. AP
Their offense? Very good, ranking No. 9, but not great like it needs to be to compensate for their poor perimeter defense, and far from the heights expected of them with Dončić, James and Reaves on the roster.
The roster? Not balanced enough with players consistently effective on both ends of the floor, or that complement one another.
Their effort and execution? Not consistent enough, which is why 15 of their 17 losses have been by double digits, and they have a negative point differential on the season, which can often be a better indicator of the quality of a team instead of their record.
Do you know what true contenders are? Consistent.
The Lakers are still figuring out who they are on a nightly basis.
“For the group as a whole, the effort and execution piece is probably the biggest two things,” Lakers Coach JJ Redick said Saturday. “I’ve used the word ‘consistency’ a lot. We’re just looking for that. Because again, we’ve shown that we can execute on both ends. And we’ve shown that we can have effort on both ends. It’s just a matter of consistency.”
The good news for the Lakers is that despite their obvious flaws, many of which were evident before they even played their first game, they’re closer to being contenders than it often feels.
Dončić talks to Coach JJ Redick during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Jan. 6. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Here’s what needs to happen to help them go from pretenders to contenders:
First, when Reaves makes his return to the floor, which appears to be imminent and could be during the Grammy road trip, do NOT go back to the starting lineup of Dončić, Reaves, James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton.
Although it only played a small sample of minutes (85), that unit was responsible for the team’s slow starts to games from mid-November through mid-December. It performed poorly on both ends of the floor, leading to a minus-19.9 net rating.
The Lakers’ current starting lineup, with Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in place of Reaves and Hachimura, hasn’t been great (minus-1.6 net rating), but it’s been good enough because it has balance. And the players are slotted into roles they’re better suited for defensively. When fully healthy, Smart, who’s been the team’s best defender this season, should start in place of Hachimura, who can still be valuable in a reserve role.
It’s a shame the Dončić-Reaves-Smart-James-Ayton lineup has only played three minutes.
The Lakers also need to be elite offensively. Very good or borderline great isn’t good enough for a team that’ll have its defensive struggles, even if Smart is in the first unit and more balanced lineups are used throughout the game.
The team can get closer to reaching its offensive ceiling if the players are more consistent with being organized offensively, which includes running plays/sets. It’s proven to be when the Lakers are at their best.
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It’s obvious that a trade for a two-way wing/guard is needed. A player better than Smart who could guard bigger wings while also being a reliable 3-point threat.
The Lakers aren’t as far from being contenders as some might think. But if they don’t fix their obvious issues, we’ll be back here in early May talking about their season in the past tense for the third consecutive year.
And, even by the skin of their teeth, they just keep on winning, too.
On Sunday, the Penguins narrowly defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2, to close out their perfect four-game Western road trip. It is their third time this season stringing together at least four straight wins, and the win gave them solid standing at second place in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points - four points ahead of the third-place New York Islanders and six points back of the divison-leading Carolina Hurricanes.
The victory may not have been as comfortable as the previous three, but they still came away with it - and that's in large part thanks to their netminder, Stuart Skinner, who was magnificent late in the game and stopped 30 of 32 Vancouver shots on goal.
The game got off to a bit of a wild start, as there was a disallowed goal for each team in the first period. The first was when Egor Chinakhov appeared to pick up the loose change and score at the net-front, but the play was deemed offside. The second was an apparent Canucks goal by Connor Garland that was deemed goaltender interference on the ice, as ex-Penguin Teddy Blueger interfered with Skinner.
But the Penguins took over a bit when the second period began. Five and a half minutes into the middle frame, Evgeni Malkin took a feed from Tommy Novak off the rush and put it home at the goal mouth to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead. Later in the period - and in front of 192 family members and friends - hometown kid Ben Kindel finished a perfect shot-pass by Ryan Shea to put Pittsburgh ahead by two.
Then, with a little more than two and half minutes remaining in the second, Justin Brazeau made a high-level play at the offensive blue line to sneak the puck past Canucks' young defenseman Zeev Buium and feed it to a breaking Kindel in the slot, who one-timed a rocket past Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen and broke the goal camera in the process to make it 3-0.
But, despite the Penguins building a nice lead in the second period, Vancouver swung the momentum in a big way during the third.
After some sustained pressure, Jake DeBrusk finally got Vancouver on the scoresheet six and a half minutes into the third. The score remained 3-1 until six minutes remained in regulation, and that's when Blueger tipped a shot by Liam Ohgren to bring the Canucks to within one.
And the pressure didn't subside for the rest of regulation. The Canucks kept coming, but Skinner answered the bell every time - even channeling his inner "Marc-Andre Fleury-against-Nicklas Lidstrom-in-2009" to dive to his right and make a game-saving stop with 50 seconds left.
He was also able to shut the door in the game's waning seconds - when Vancouver had multiple shots on goal right around the net-front - to send the Penguins home with the win and a perfect eight points on their road trip.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this key 3-2 win:
- Of course, every win from here on out for the Penguins - and for any team - is an important one. Every lost point counts and is to the benefit of every team trying to chase you in the standings.
But it goes without saying that getting all eight points on this Western swing, especially when that's never to be expected, was as huge as it was pleasantly surprising.
The fact that the Penguins trail the Hurricanes by only six points with a game in hand is pretty crazy, especially when taking into account the eight-game losing streak in December and how hot the Hurricanes have been, too, as they are 7-1-2 in their last 10. Keeping pace with that team is no small thing, especially since that team is a Stanley Cup contender year in and year out.
But, perhaps, the even bigger deal is that the Penguins have created some separation between themselves and the Metro playoff contenders below them. The Isles are four points back. The Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals are each six points back, and the Penguins have two games in hand on the Caps.
Again, every win is important. But getting all eight points on this road trip is massive, especially since every NHL team is going to be shaking off some rust after the Olympic break. Padding points now is crucial when you consider the gauntlet the Penguins have in the month of March.
- On a relatively quiet night for the first line - which hasn't been the case recently - the middle-six really stepped up once again.
We're used to seeing it from Malkin, Novak, and Chinakhov at this point. But it sure is nice to see the third line develop some chemistry and get going in these last few games.
Anthony Mantha has five points in his last four games. Brazeau four in his last four. Kindel has just the two goals in his last five, but he was still doing other things to help generate, even if he wasn't showing up on the scoresheet.
The Penguins are a four-line team, and that makes them dangerous.
- Speaking of Kindel, good for him.
Ben Kindel and 192 of his closest friends and family 🫶
"Lots of people that have been part of my life for a long time and have helped me make it here. So, it's great. It’s about them just as much as it is myself."
It has been a whirlwind season for the 18-year old, and it was nice to see him have himself a game in front of a lot of supporters. 192 people showing up for one person is pretty unreal, and Kindel delivered in front of all of them as close to his hometown Coquitlam as he can get.
Oh, and by the way, Kindel is the first Penguins' rookie since Jake Guentzel in 2016-17 to register a double-digit total in goals. He now has 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games.
- Skinner has been unreal for the Penguins. In his last eight starts, he is 7-1-0 with a 1.63 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.
Stuart Skinner's last eight starts with the @penguins:
I don't expect him to maintain those numbers, of course, and nobody else should, either. He will come back down to earth a little bit eventually, and he may even hit a rough patch. He has been known to do that throughout his career.
But I think there is something to the "change of scenery" thing here. Skinner is more confident, more relaxed, and more poised, and it shows in his body language and positioning on the ice.
If he can continue this tear - or even give the Penguins slightly above average goaltending - they should have no problems making the postseason.
- I don't think it was a particularly strong night for the Penguins' defense, as good as it has been lately. I didn't like Kris Letang's play on Vancouver's first goal, and as a whole, the back end gave up far too many golden opportunities in this one.
That said, this game was a blip on the radar in comparison to recent performances. The Penguins are still giving up a few too many chances, but they've been much better as of late. So, hopefully, they revert back to what they were doing during the first three games of this road trip in these last five games before the break.
- To be fair, however, the Penguins did play most of the game with five defensemen, as Jack St. Ivany exited early with what was later specified as an upper-body injury. He did not return.
If St. Ivany is out for any length of time, that would be terribly unfortunate, as he has looked much better in this last handful of games. And he hasn't had the best injury luck in the past year and a half, either.
- At the end of regulation, Bryan Rust had a bit of a nasty check to the head of Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
I do expect expect disciplinary action, to be honest. We'll see what happens.
- And, about that break.
Starting Thursday at home against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Penguins will play five games in eight days. The first three of those games are against teams outside the playoff picture in Chicago, the New York Rangers, and the Ottawa Senators. And after that? They have the Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres, two teams either chasing them in the division or jostling for wild card positioning.
Just like this Western trip was, these next five games are extremely important. The Penguins can't afford to let points slip away, especially in two games that are, essentially, four-point games.
And just like they did on this trip, they need to beat the teams they should beat. At minimum, the Penguins - realistically - need at least three out of five. But they should get four out of five.
In any case, the schedule in March is rough, and it's chock-full of contenders. They need to bank every point they possibly can before the three-week hiatus.
TORONTO (AP) — Brock Nelson scored twice in a 1:12 span in the first period and sealed his fifth career hat trick with an empty-netter in the Colorado Avalanche’s 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Jack Drury also scored to help NHL-leading Colorado improve to 35-6-9. MacKenzie Blackwood made 32 saves.
Colorado became the fourth team in NHL history with six or fewer regulation losses through 50 games, joining the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (35-3-12), 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens (38-5-7) and 1975-76 Canadiens (36-6-8).
The last team with at least 77 points through 50 contests was the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (38-7-5), who went on to set the NHL record for wins in a season with 65.
Max Domi had a late power-play goal for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 33 shots. The Maple Leafs are 24-19-9.
The Maple Leafs had a 4-3 overtime victory in Denver on Jan. 12, but have dropped six of seven (1-4-2), including an ugly 0-3-1 start to their current five-game homestand following an 8-0-2 run.
DUCKS 4, FLAMES 3, OT
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Rookie Beckett Sennecke scored at 2:54 of overtime for his first NHL hat trick as Anaheim rallied to beat Calgary.
Sennecke’s winner came on a 2-on-1 in which he kept the puck and snapped a shot past Dustin Wolf, just inside the post.
Chris Kreider also scored for Anaheim (28-21-3), which extended its winning streak to seven games. Mikael Granlund and Alex Killorn each had two assists. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves and improved to 19-12-2.
Sennecke’s three-goal effort gives him 18 for the season and 41 points overall, which places him second in rookie scoring to Montreal’s Ivan Demidov, who has 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points.
The Ducks moved to within one point of the second-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. Anaheim holds one game in hand. The Ducks and Oilers play Monday in Edmonton.
KRAKEN 4, DEVILS 2
SEATTLE (AP) — Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton scored 18 seconds apart in the third period, Joey Daccord made 27 saves and Seattle beat New Jersey.
Ryker Evans and Jordan Eberle also scored for Seattle, which has won three of their last 10 games. Beniers was playing in his 300th career NHL game.
Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes scored for the Devils. Jacob Markstrom stopped 15 shots in his sixth start in New Jersey’s last seven games. The Devils conclude their four-game Pacific Division road trip with a 3-1-0 record.
Hamilton opened the scoring 8:11 into the first period with a clean shot on the power play. Scoring his sixth goal of the season, Hamilton now has eight points in his last nine games.
Evans tied the game at 7:37 in the second period. The shot hit Johnathan Kovacevic’s stick and slipped through Markstrom’s pads, who appeared to be heavily screened.
Beniers and Catton scored back-to-back for Seattle, with their goals coming at 7:04 and 7:22 in the third period, respectively.
SENATORS 7, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Stephen Halliday had two goals and an assist, Dylan Cozens also scored twice and Ottawa routed the road-weary Vegas.
Senators goalie Linus Ullmark returned to to the active roster from a personal leave, backing up Mads Sogaard. Ullmark was the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner.
Halliday scored his second and third career goals, and added the assist for a three-point game in his first season in the NHL.
Fabian Zetterlund, Jordan Spence and Nick Jensen also scored, and Brady Tkachuk had three assists. Sogaard stopped 19 shots.
Rasmus Andersson scored in third period for Vegas, making it 7-1. It was the defenseman’s first goal in two games with the Golden Knights following a trade with Calgary.
PENGUINS 3, CANUCKS 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rookie Ben Kindel scored twice in the second period to lead Pittsburgh to a win over Vancouver and a sweep of Pittsburgh’s four-game western Canada trip.
Kindel, from nearby Coquitlam, British Columbia, had a large contingent of supporters on hand for his second multi-goal game. The 18-year-old had gone 20 games without a goal after scoring eight in his first 28 and has 10 goals and 12 assists in 48 games.
Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins (26-14-11), and Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots and won for the seventh time in eight games.
Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger scored in the third period for the Canucks (17-30-5), who failed to complete their comeback try and dropped their second straight. Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 shots.
PANTHERS 5, BLACKHAWKS 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Defenseman Tobias Bjornfot scored his first two goals this season — giving him just three over seven NHL seasons and 139 career games — and Florida defeated Chicago for their third straight win.
Mackie Samoskevich and Carter Verhaeghe connected 2:04 apart early in the third period and Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter as the Panthers won for the sixth time in eight. Daniil Tarasov made 19 saves and the two-time defending Stanley Cup Panthers moved eight games over .500 for the first time this season.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored his team-leading 25th goal for the Blackhawks. Spencer Knight, who started his career with Florida, made 20 saves and fell to 0-2 against his former team.
The teams generated only a handful of chances through the first and second periods and neither pressured with a territorial edge.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Clippers built a 38-point lead in the second quarter and beat the Brooklyn Nets 126-89 on Sunday.
James Harden scored 19 points, John Collins added 18, and Jordan Miller had 16. Ivica Zubac finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Clippers, who were coming off a victory over the Lakers on Thursday, won for the eighth time in nine games.
Danny Wolf scored 14 points and Egor Demin had 12 for the Nets, who shot 28 percent in the first half and 34 percent (29 for 86) overall, including 21 percent (9 for 43) from 3-point range. Brooklyn lost its fourth straight and has dropped 10 of its last 11 games and 13 of 15.
The Clippers charged to a 24-point lead in the first quarter and extended their advantage to 38 points in the second, carrying a 68-37 lead into the break. Los Angeles maintained its lopsided advantage in the third quarter and was ahead 96-66 headed into the fourth.
It was another lopsided win for the Clippers over the Nets in Los Angeles. When the teams met in LA on Jan. 15, 2025, the Clippers won 126-67, and the 59-point margin of victory is the only 50-point win for the Clippers.
Up next
Nets: At the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the second game of a five-game trip.
