He was named an All-Star reserve Sunday, joining Jalen Brunson, who is a starter, as the two Knicks representatives.
Towns entered Sunday averaging 20 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists — all down from last season.
His efficiency is down as well; he entered Sunday shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3-point range.
Reserves are determined by the league’s head coaches.
Evidently, they still see Towns as an All-Star caliber player.
“I’m a firm believer that winning should be a big factor in it,” coach Mike Brown said before the Knicks hosted the Lakers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. “We’re sitting second or third in the East right now, so we should have multiple guys on the team. Jalen, definitely, he’s in the MVP conversation, but we’ve got other guys on this team that have stepped up and helped in a lot of different ways.
Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket during the Knicks’ Jan. 7 game. Charles Wenzelberg
“KAT, he’s leading us in rebounds, he’s second in scoring. I don’t know how many double-doubles he has, but that’s impactful when you’re talking about doing it in a winning situation. … We should have, in my opinion, two or three guys, at least, on this All-Star team based on what our record is. Not only that — we were NBA Cup champions, so there are a lot of positives, in my opinion, that point for that to happen.”
It’s Towns’ third straight All-Star nod and sixth total.
The Los Angeles Kings (23-17-14) pushed the Carolina Hurricanes (34-15-6) to the limit Sunday afternoon, but Sebestain Aho's overtime winner sealed a disappointing 3-2 loss for the Kings at Lenovo Center in a winnable game.
Despite being outshot 34-13, the Kings got excellent goaltending from Anton Forsberg to force extra time before Carolina closed it out in overtime.
Carolina opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play, when Jordan Staal scored off the nice feed from Andrei Svechnikov to make it 1-0. The Canes were the better team early on, generating high-quality scoring chances and converting them, while the Kings couldn't find the net despite creating good chances.
Los Angeles started to settle as the period came to an end, generating several chances off the rush, but couldn't score, ending intermission trailing by one.
In other news, though, early in the period, the Kings lost defenseman Mikey Anderson with an upper-body injury and did not return, forcing the Kings to play the remainder of the contest with five defenseman.
The second period and most of the regulation belonged to Anton Forsberg, who turned aside several of the Hurricanes' chances, including several point-blank shots very close to going into the net.
Drew Doughty was also great in the sequence where the Hurricanes were looking to extend their lead on a 2-on-1 rush play, but Doughty sprinted down the ice and blocked the shot from behind to keep the score 1-0.
With the defense keeping them in the game, the Kings' offense struggled to generate offense and help Forsberg, continually getting turned away by the Hurricanes or missing easy shots on rush plays.
Helenius and Byfield Bring Kings Back
The game opened up in the third period, with it still being very winnable for the Kings, trailing 1-0. Carolina, though, regained the lead at the 7:03 mark when Alexander Nikishin fired a shot past Forsberg to make it 2–0.
Los Angeles converted 24 seconds later, with Samuel Helenius finishing a play off a Carolina turnover to score his third goal of the season and give Los Angeles its first goal of the game.
Shortly, though, after scoring, Helenius exited the game and headed to the locker room with about six minutes left in regulation, and didn't return for the rest of the game. No update has been given yet on what happened, but a live update will come shortly after more information is provided.
A couple of minutes later, at the 3:11 mark, Quinton Byfield tied the game for Los Angeles, restoring the two-goal deficit from earlier in regulation. The goal looked to have given the Kings a lot of momentum after trailing throughout the entire match and going scoreless for 40 minutes.
No team was able to score in the last two minutes of regulation after
Carolina refused to let this game slip away after letting the game get close late. Aho delivered the game-winner at the 3:35 mark of overtime after faking a pass to score down the middle of the lane under Forsberg to win it for Carolina.
Forsberg finished with 31 saves in a strong performance, while the Kings’ power play struggled, going 0-for-2 on the night. Los Angeles was solid in the faceoff battle, matching the Hurricanes (50%), and was more physical than Carolina with 25 hits and 25 blocked shots.
Despite the loss, give credit to Los Angeles, which was battling with physicality and came back from behind to make it a game before coming up just short in overtime. Now, this finally caps off the Kings' road trip, ending it 3-1-1, 7 of 10 points total, and currently fourth in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Seattle Kraken.
The Kings' next game will be on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken at 7:00 P.M. PT, in a Western Conference showdown for potentially the third seed in the division.
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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: Houston Astros right fielder Zach Cole (16) during an at bat in an MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels played on September 26, 2025 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We will continue to update this list with new articles as new information/acquisitions occur.
Spring Training is almost here. Astros pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach February 11.
This is the part of the year where that excitement starts to ramp up, it’s almost time for baseball to be back!
Now that the calendar has turned to February, let’s start taking a look at the Astros roster. While I do not believe the roster is a finished product and that Astros GM Dana Brown will continue to make some more moves, these projections will reflect only players currently in the Astros’ organization.
Here is my “as of Feb. 1, 2026” roster projections/depth chart for the Houston Astros:
Pitching Staff:
Starters (6): Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, Spencer Arrighetti, Ryan Weiss
Bullpen (7): Josh Hader (CL), Bryan Abreu (SU), AJ Blubaugh, Bennett Sousa, Bryan King, Steven Okert, Nate Pearson
AAA Depth: Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, Miguel Ullola, Jayden Murray, Kai-Wei Teng, Logan VanWey
Decisions looming: Enyel De Los Santos (out of options), Roddery Munoz (Rule V pick, must be on MLB roster or MLB IL or offered back to original team), Lance McCullers Jr. (retirement?)
The Astros top 4 starters are a virtual lock. The back two spots are the ones being battled for, and currently Spencer Arrighetti and Ryan Weiss should have the inside track.
Arrighetti has spent the last 2 seasons on the big league club, although 2025 was a forgettable year due to injury and ineffectiveness. How much of that ineffectiveness after his return was due to lingering injury is yet unknown. He must prove he is healthy and has regained his command. Arrighetti’s significant decrease in strikeout rate year over year (10.6 in 2024, 7.9 in 2025) combined with his very high walk rates (4.1 BB/9 in 2024, 5.0 BB/9 in 2025) and propensity for surrendering the long ball(1.3 HR/9 in 20024, 1.5 HR/9 in 2025) will need to be rectified or he will not stick at the MLB level.
Weiss has never pitched at the MLB level, but his tremendous stats in the KBO in 2025 (16-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.024 WHIP) and his demonstration of being able to pitch an entire season (178.2 IP in 2025) should give him a nod over AJ Blubaugh and Nate Pearson entering Spring Training.
Five of the seven bullpen spots return from last season, with two newcomers in Blubaugh and Pearson. The Astros need righthanded arms in the pen, where they are very lefty heavy. Since the Astros plan on utilizing a 6-man rotation, having multiple relievers capable of going multiple innings will be important for them.
Both Blubaugh and Pearson are capable of giving longer outings out of the pen, and being able to “save the pen” is going to be paramount for team that doesn’t have a lot of maneuverable spots in it’s pen to begin with. While Blubaugh still has options remaining, Pearson does not. If Pearson fails to impress or hold his own early, he could find himself with a one-way ticket to DFA-ville early.
Lance McCullers Jr. is a sentimentally difficult decision but not necessarily difficult from a production standpoint. Lance’s velocity on his fastball last season was not MLB caliber, and both he and the team know it. He will need to show improved velocity and command this spring or it will be time for that “come to the light” meeting where the Astros give him the choice of retiring as an Astro before the season or being DFA’d.
The Astros have shown they are not afraid to DFA players in the final year of their contracts and simply eat the money to free up the roster spot.
McCullers is a fan favorite. I cannot help but have the utmost respect for him as a competitor, watching him year after year work his tail off to recover from repeated injuries. Unfortunately, there comes a point in time where the body can no longer do as the mind and heart command and injuries accelerate that timetable. It may be that time for McCullers.
As this time, I would expect Jason Alexander to be the first man up from Sugar Land if one of the projected arms to start the year with the Astros underperforms or suffers an injury.
With 24 games in the first 26 days of the season, the Astros need some pitchers with options to call up fresh arms when they have to burn a pen arm for any reason.
Blubaugh, Gordon, Alexander, Murray and Teng all have options, and are all players who could be on the “Sugar Land Shuttle” if the Astros need pen reinforcements in the first month. Sousa also has options and has an injury question coming into the season regarding his left flexor tendon, which shut him down last year, though the Astros considered the injury minor and he did not need surgery.
Enyel De Los Santos is out of options and needs to make the club or pass through waivers. Logan VanWey is not on the 40-man roster. Roddery Munoz was a Rule V pick and will have to show monster improvement to make this roster. He has a significant likelihood of being returned to the Cincinnati Reds as Rule V picks must be offered back to the team they were selected from if they are not going to be on the MLB roster or MLB IL for the season.
Position Players:
STARTERS: Yainer Diaz (C), Christian Walker (1B), Jose Altuve (2B), Jeremy Pena (SS), Carlos Correa (3B), Zach Cole (LF), Jake Meyers (CF), Cam Smith (RF), Yordan Alvarez (DH)
BENCH: Isaac Paredes (CO), Cesar Salazar (C), Nick Allen (MI), Jesus Sanchez (OF)
AAA Depth: Zach Dezenzo (OF) Shay Whitcomb (UT), Taylor Trammell (OF), Carlos Perez (C)
There is likely to be some movement among this group before the season starts, as Astros GM Dana Brown has expressed desire for another lefty hitting outfielder and a veteran backup catcher. The Astros publicly deny that their logjam in the infield is an issue but information from around the league tells a different story of the Astros trying to figure out a way to make a deal that alleviates that logjam and improves the team at the same time.
In the meantime, Yainer Diaz projects to get a significant share of the catching reps, perhaps as much as 75% (120 games). That number could change if the Astros bring in a veteran (they have reportedly been exploring talks with Christian Vazquez though Vazquez has been a dreadful hitter since the Astros acquired him at the deadline in 2022), if Diaz struggles at the plate badly, or if they get unexpected production elsewhere. Right now, Cesar Salazar would seem to be the best option as a backup catcher. Houston is concerned about his bat at the MLB level, but if they are concerned about Salazar’s bat then they should be more concerned about Vazquez’ bat. If the rest of the team produces as it should, Salazar’s potential weak bat would not be much of an issue.
Christian Walker will start at 1B, although if Isaac Paredes is on the team and healthy, he may cede some playing time to him.
Paredes and Walker coexisting will be a challenge for Joe Espada, as getting enough ABs for both of those players will not only be a major challenge, but will be something the Astros manager will be asked about every single game.
Paredes can give Walker a day off (or 2) at first, Correa a day off at third, maybe an occasional day out of the field for Altuve at 2B (whether Paredes can truly play 2B is a question right now), and spell Yordan at DH every couple of weeks. That has Paredes in the lineup about 4 days a week, and has a lot of days off for both him and regulars.
Granted, two of those players are older players (Altuve, Walker) and two are injury-prone players (Alvarez, Correa), but if everyone is healthy it can be a pretty tough situation trying to keep everyone happy. (Before you ask, yes, happy matters, especially over 162 games.) Guys need to be accepting of their roles, and the biggest potential problem would be Paredes.
Paredes is the one with the most to gain by playing well and playing often. He has one year of arbitration remaining, and he can get either a long term extension or a big free agent contract if he gets enough opportunity and capitalizes on it. The opportunity may be diminished if he and Walker are both on the team and it forces Espada to use Paredes in a super utility role. The looming work stoppage that could potentially happen at the end of the 2026 season also plays a factor.
The outfield right now breaks down to just four players, as a 4 man bench limits opportunity and the team must use two spots for a backup catcher and backup shortstop, and one for Paredes. That leaves Smith, Meyers, Cole and Sanchez as the outfield.
Sanchez has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, with the Astros disappointed both by his offensive disappearing act once they acquired him from Miami last year and his defensive deficiencies. However, for his career he is a decent hitter against righthanded pitching.
Sanchez career numbers against RHP (.253/.324/.450 slash line, .774 OPS) are certainly playable at the bottom of the lineup, but his numbers vs. lefties are abysmal (.181/.231/.289 slash line, .520 OPS) for his career, and he is clearly a platoon player.
The Astros are hoping Cam Smith can take a step forward and be a productive hitter for an entire season and against both righties and lefties. While Dana Brown has said Smith is not guaranteed a roster spot to start the season, it’s hard to see who would take that roster spot from him, as competition right now for his spot would come from Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcomb and Taylor Trammell. None of those players should be striking fear in the heart of Smith that his spot is truly in jeopardy. Brown just wants more from a player he views as immensely talented in Smith.
Jake Meyers has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, but he is still on the team. If he is on the team, he starts in center.
Cole impressed the organization with his progress and power last season, and he will get a chance to show his wares plenty in spring.
Potential Lineups:
Pena – SS
Yordan – DH
Altuve – 2B
Correa – 3B
Walker – 1B
Diaz – C
Cole – LF
Smith – RF
Meyers – CF
I believe this can form the baseline of the Astros lineup. Sanchez will get time, solely against RHP, and he will get more time if Smith falters.
Paredes will get time as well, and could find himself hitting behind Correa in the 5 spot or pushing everyone down one slot by batting 2.
Salazar would be the 9 hitter anytime he played, pushing the bottom three hitters up a spot, ditto Allen. I would expect we would never see Allen and Salazar in the same lineup barring something unexpected or catastrophic. In fact, with the current roster, I would expect to see the Astros make Paredes a regular with any infield injury (he would start at 1B/2B/3B, and in the case of an injury to Pena – Correa would slide to SS and Paredes would play 3B).
Of note: Altuve hit .222 with a .316 OBP and .649 OPS batting 2nd (133 PA) and .276 with a .338 OBP and .854 OPS batting 3rd (350 PA) last season.
Yordan for his career is a .312 hitter batting second, with a .383 OBP and .926 OPS. In 2025, Yordan batted .338 with a .409 OBP and .909 OPS in 22 games batting second.
Paredes had his worst slash numbers batting second in 2025, posting a .233 AVG with a .337 OBP and .765 OPS in 58 games. For his career, he a .223 hitter batting 2nd with a .329 OBP and .751 OPS. His best slash line has been batting sixth, where he is a career .293 hitter with a .393 OBP and .999 OPS in 57 games.
Sebastian Aho scored early in overtime to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
Brandon Bussi made 11 saves to continue his dominant rookie season, while Jordan Staal and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who have earned at least a point in eight straight games (6-0-2).
Samuel Helenius and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg made 31 saves. The Kings wrapped up their road trip with a 3-1-1 record with one game (last Monday at Columbus) postponed due to severe winter weather.
A winter storm dumped snow all around North Carolina but Raleigh was mostly spared, which made it easier for about 14,000 fans to make it to the arena for the afternoon start.
A day after squandering a three-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss at Washington, Aho made sure the Hurricanes didn't blow a 2-0 lead against the Kings. He beat Forsberg 1:25 into the overtime period after the Kings' goalie had made two tough saves on Seth Jarvis.
Bussi, a 27-year-old rookie claimed off waivers four days before the season started, continues to be a revelation. He has won 21 of his 25 starts (21-3-1) to help the Hurricanes to first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Nikishin put the Hurricanes up 2-0 with 7:03 to play in the third period. Helenius responded 24 seconds later to cut the lead to 2-1. Byfield finished a beautiful pass from Adrian Kempe with 3:11 left in regulation to tie the game at 2-2.
Staal tipped in Andrei Svechnikov's pass for his third power-play goal of the season at 6:25 of the first period. Staal has matched last year’s scoring output with 13 goals but in 23 fewer games.
Jordan Hicks adds MLB-ready pitching depth to a team in the midst of a rebuild. | David Butler II-Imagn Images
Despite a busy weekend hosting a fan convention Sox Fest Live at the Ramova Theatre on the South Side, Chicago White Sox GM Chris Getz was still making moves behind the scenes. Between interacting with fans and answering questions during a town hall, Getz was brewing up a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire veteran righthander Jordan Hicks as well as right-handed prospect David Sandlin, in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl (No. 31 at SSS) and our favorite prospect: Cash Considerations ($8 million).
With both Hicks and Sandlin being added to the White Sox 40-man roster, Chicago made a couple of subsequent moves by designating RHP Jairo Iriarte and catcher Drew Romo for assignment.
Ziehl originally came to Chicago at the 2025 trade deadline, from the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Austin Slater. Slater performed well in the first half of last season, and was solid enough for the Yankees to decide to deal a pitching prospect to add outfield depth in the midst of their playoff run. Now, in the course of a half-year they upgraded from Slater to a solid prospect (Ziehl) to a blue-chipper (Sandlin).
The immediate impact of this trade comes in the form of Hicks, a flamethrower who simply hasn’t found footing in the majors.
Drafted in 2015, Hicks debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018 and was fairly dependable out of the bullpen with a 3.59 ERA and 1.339 WHIP in 77 2/3 innings (73 games). He was even better in the first half of 2019, posting a 3.14 ERA while reducing his WHIP down to 0.942 in 28 2/3 innings. Hicks unfortunately tore his UCL and Tommy John surgery knocked him out for the rest of 2019 until late 2021, downgrading him to just a moderately reliable bullpen arm for St. Louis for the remainder of his time there.
Upon joining the San Francisco Giants in 2024 after signing a four-year, $48 million deal, Hicks shifted into a starting role. While he didn’t necessarily dazzle anyone with his 4.10 ERA and 1.450 WHIP in 20 starts (29 total games), he was a serviceable arm with the same tantalizing pedigree.
Hicks, however, experienced a steep drop in production in 2025, accumulating a 6.95 aggregated ERA across 67 1/3 innings with the Giants and the Red Sox — and his performance fell off of a cliff in Boston after being including in the Rafael Devers blockbuster, posting a whopping 8.20 ERA in 18 2/3 innings with the team. His previous performance is likely what Getz and the White Sox are hoping to lean on as someone who can eat innings so some of the prospects can sharpen up a bit before heading to the show — especially given his high fastball velocity (97 mph), and ability to induce ground outs. Outside of avoiding barrels, however, Hicks’ Statcast profile has a bit too much blue on it, and the low chase and whiff rates are definitely a cause for concern,. He is not a long-term solution by any means.
The real star of the trade, and the reason why the White Sox are spending $16 million on a mediocre reliever in Hicks, is Sandlin. The righty ranked eighth per MLB among Red Sox prospects in 2025. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2022 out of the University of Oklahoma and posted a 3.51 ERA across both Low and High-A in his first professional season in 2023. Sandlin wasn’t as strong in 2024, with a 5.34 ERA in 57 1/3 innings in High-A and Double-A. Despite the ERA struggles, Sandlin still struck out batters at a high 33.2% K rate across both levels while maintaining a decent 7.3% walk rate.
His performance greatly improved with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs last season, posting a 3.61 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and a career-best 1.178 WHIP while starting 13 games and appearing in 17 before earning the promotion to Triple-A. Sandlin struggled to quickly adapt to the level, and in his small sample size of 23 2/3 innings he racked up a 7.61 ERA in 14 games out of the bullpen and one start. His strikeout rate decreased from 25.4% to 17.6% with the jump, and his walk rate inflated to 10.9%.
Sandlin has showed plenty of promise and his fastball sits in the upper-90s, averaging around 96 mph, and his secondary pitches are pretty solid, with the slider being his next most-thrown pitch.
Ziehl is a comparable player to Sandlin that has shown that he has a solid mix with his slider and cutter, but he doesn’t have as strong a fastball. Despite not exhibiting an elevated walk rate (4.2% in 2025), Ziehl’s command isn’t fully there yet. Sandlin is likely to be MLB ready much sooner.
While reading through some reactions from Boston fans, it seems they are mostly relieved to be rid of Hicks, but some are unhappy that the prospect capital to salary-dump was as high as Sandlin — a testament to the optimism behind his development as a pitcher at this point in his career. The White Sox have pinpointed some strong, underrated players over the last couple of years (notably Shane Smith and Mike Vasil), and are actually making moves on the market to address the gaps on the team. Maybe we are actually in a new era of White Sox baseball.
It will be interesting to see how Getz and Venable work together to continue to build off of this roster, but at the very least the South Siders are moving in the right direction rather than remaining stagnant.
Mitch Marsh’s team spun to record-breaking 111-run loss in Lahore
Usman Tariq hits back at Cameron Green over throwing allegation
Australia have been handed the worst possible conclusion to their World Cup warmup, suffering their heaviest T20 international defeat in a third successive morale-sapping capitulation to Pakistan.
Still wounded from a 90-run defeat 24 hours earlier at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium – their worst loss to Pakistan – it only got even more dire for Mitch Marsh’s side on Sunday as they were spun to a record-breaking 111-run loss on the same ground.
Sunday, when the reserves are announced, is when the hard decisions are made and real snubs happen. The NBA All-Star Game reserves are selected by a vote of the coaches, and the results are usually fairly predictable — they name a few big stars who just missed out on starting, but they also reward some newcomers and some guys having unexpected standout seasons. The coaches did that, but there was no way to put together these teams without leaving off some deserving players.
Below, we have rolled out the coach's selections as they are announced on NBC and Peacock, and provide analysis and identify the biggest snubs. As a quick reminder, here are the starters (as voted in by the fans, players and media):
Eastern Conference: Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks, but he is out with a calf strain and his replacement will be selected by Commissioner Adam Silver)
Western Conference: Luka Doncic (Lakers), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
The reserves for each conference are:
EASTERN CONFERENCE All-STAR RESERVES
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) Jalen Johnson (Hawks) Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) Pascal Siakam (Pacers) Norman Powell (Heat) Scottie Barnes (Raptors) Jalen Duran (Pistons)
BIGGEST SNUBS: Michael Porter Jr. (Nets), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR RESERVES
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) Jamal Murray (Nuggets) Chet Holmgren (Thunder) Kevin Durant (Rockets) Devin Booker (Suns) Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers) LeBron James (Lakers)
BIGGEST SNUBS: Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Julius Randle (Timberwolves), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz).
Analysis of reserve picks
• This is LeBron James' 22nd year as an All-Star and it wouldn't be the same without him. That said, did his play this season earn it? He has missed 17 games, but is averaging 21.9 points, 6.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds a game this season.
All-Star Game format
While the idea of a USA vs. international players All-Star Game format has been talked about for years, 2026 felt like the right time.
That's because the NBA All-Star Game returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock in the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. That was a perfect setup for the first-of-its-kind All-Star Game format.
The 24 All-Star players will be divided into three teams — two USA teams and one world team — that will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. Each of the three teams will have a minimum of eight players (if the USA or World teams are short on players, the league office will select one or more players to reach the required number).
At the end of the round-robin, the two top teams will play a championship game (the fourth 12-minute game of the day) for the title.
All-Star weekend tips off on Feb. 13 with the Rising Stars at the Intuit Dome at 6 p.m. PT, featuring the league's top first- and second-year players. Also on the 13th is the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, featuring stars from media, sports and entertainment at the Kia Forum. The Forum also hosts the fifth annual NBA HBCU Classic at 8 p.m. that night. On Saturday, Feb. 14, All-Star Saturday night — featuring the Skills Challenge, 3-point Contest and the Dunk Contest — will take place at the Intuit Dome.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. Eastern, earlier than in previous years, leading into more coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The Cincinnati Reds awoke from their winterlong slumber long enough to welcome back the oldest of friends: Eugenio Suárez.
The Venezuelan slugger, who pounded 49 home runs last season and hit 189 for the Reds between 2015 and 2021, agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal with the club Feb. 1, taking the top remaining offensive player off the market.
Suárez, 34, was an All-Star for Cincinnati in 2018, when he hit 34 home runs, and again last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline and was an ideal fit, hitting 13 homers for the Mariners and then three more in the postseason, including a go-ahead Game 5 grand slam that put the Mariners within one game of their first World Series berth.
But the Mariners lost Games 6 and 7 at Toronto and Suárez hit the market. Meanwhile, the Reds whiffed on their efforts to land slugger Kyle Schwarber, then went virtually silent on the offensive front the remainder of the winter, save for trading infielder-outfielder Gavin Lux and taking flyers on outfielders such as JJ Bleday.
In Suárez, they get proven pop accompanied by massive strikeout totals: He fanned 195 times last season and led the AL in 2022 and '23, punching out 214 tiimes the latter year. Still, he slides seamlessly into the DH spot and can spell the defensively-great Ke'Bryan Hayes at third should the Reds desire a bat-heavy look on certain days.
Suárez's agreement was first reported by ESPN.
Eugenio Suarez stats
The 34-year-old slugger batted .228 with 49 home runs, 118 RBIs and 91 runs scored in 159 games last season, split between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners.
Eugenio Suarez contract
Suarez is reportedly signing a one-year contract worth $15 million.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers acquired forward Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in exchange for injured center Duop Reath and a pair of draft picks.
Krejci has averaged 9.0 points and 2.1 rebounds and 22.3 minutes this season. In his fifth NBA season, Krejci has made 42.3% of his 3-pointers this season, averaging 2.2 per game.
Reath, who hasn’t played since Jan. 18, underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot Thursday and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Reath, in his third year, has averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.1 minutes a game. He won a bronze medal with Australia at the Tokyo Olympics.
Portland also sent the Hawks a second-round pick (via Atlanta) in 2027, and a second-round pick (via New York) in 2030, as part of the trade.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Clara Strack had 33 points and 15 rebounds, Teonni Key also had a double-double, and No. 18 Kentucky defeated Arkansas 93-73 on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Kentucky led by only six points at halftime and it was 60-49 heading to the fourth quarter. The Wildcats outscored the Razorbacks 33-24 in the fourth.
The Wildcats' lead was 66-53 early in the fourth before they went on a 13-0 run in less than 2 1/2 minutes, extending their lead to 79-53. Kentucky led by at least 19 points the rest of the way.
Strack had 15 points and nine rebounds as the Wildcats built a modest 34-28 halftime lead.
Strack, a junior center, did not block a shot. Her 63 blocks are second in the nation and she remains 10 blocks away from tying her own single-season school record.
Key had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Kentucky (18-5, 4-4 SEC), which also got 16 points from Amelia Hassett, 14 from Tonie Morgan and 11 off the bench from Asia Boone.
Emily Robinson scored 20, Taleyah Jones 19 and Bonnie Deas 18 for Arkansas (11-11, 0-8). The rest of the team scored 16 points.
Kentucky had lost three straight for the first time under coach Kenny Brooks, who is in his second season with the program.
Up next
Kentucky: No. 5 Vanderbilt visits Historic Memorial Coliseum on Thursday.
This week's Peacock NBA Monday action features two fascinating games. First is a Western Conference showdown with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the Memphis Grizzlies. That is followed by Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers visiting one of the hottest teams in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers.
Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM ET on NBCSN and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch each game and follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Preview:
This is the 76ers and Clippers second meeting this season, but neither team will look anything like the sides that took the court back on Nov. 17. The Clippers did not have Kawhi Leonard on the roster, and he has driven their 16-4 run since just before Christmas. The 76ers did have Paul George but did not have Joel Embiid for that game, it will be flipped on Monday night.
George has been suspended for 25 games for "violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program," the league announced Saturday. George said in the process of seeking treatment for a mental health issue, "I made the mistake of taking an improper medication. I take full responsibility for my actions." He will not be able to return until March 25. The 76ers are going to miss his 16 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, but the play of Kelly Oubre will help make up for his absence.
Philadelphia will still roll out plenty of star power on Monday night in Southern California. Tyrese Maxey was voted an All-Star Game starter — in this same Intuit Dome building on Feb. 15 — and he continues to play at a potential First Team All-NBA level, including scoring the game-winner against the Kings last week.
Joel Embiid has looked as close to his MVP self in recent weeks as he has in years — he has scored 29+ points in seven consecutive games. Over his last six games, Embiid has averaged 33.2 points, 9 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 50% from 3-point range.
When the Clippers were 6-21 and their season looked lost, coach Tyronn Lue challenged his players to get back to .500 by the end of the season. Since then, the team has gone 16-4 and already pushed its way into the top 10 in the West and the play-in mix. Leonard has been the driving force of this run. In his last 15 games, he's averaged 29.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 41.9% from 3-point range and playing elite defense. The Clippers have a +4.9 net rating when Leonard and James Harden share the court, the veterans have found a real rhythm together.
How to watch Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Clippers:
The first game of the night is a Western Conference showdown, a rematch of Saturday night's game, in which Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves went into Memphis and beat the Grizzlies comfortably, 131-114. Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in the NBA of late, with a top-10 offense and defense, but the Grizzlies are looking for some revenge. The showdown is on Peacock and starts at 7:30 Eastern.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule:
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The New York Rangers made a surprise pick-up on Saturday, claiming defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers.
Iorio was waived by the Sharks, and the Rangers decided to take a chance on the 2021 second-round pick.
Will Iorio immediately slot into the Rangers’ lineup? That remains unclear, but after trading Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders, Iorio should get an opportunity to earn a spot with the Blueshirts.
Mike Sullivan hinted about what sort of role Iorio could play and what he expects from the team’s latest acquisition.
“I don't know a lot about him. I know a little bit about him. I know he's going to bring good size,” Sullivan said of Iorio. “He's a young kid I think he could potentially help us with our puck-moving ability back there. I think he defends pretty well with his size.
“I know our hockey operations department obviously thinks highly of him, and that's why they claimed him. I look forward to seeing him in person and getting to know him and working with him. We'll see where it goes.”
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Freddie Dilione V had 25 points and Kayden Mingo scored with one second left as Penn State snapped an eight-game losing streak by extending Minnesota's skid to seven with a 77-75 victory on Sunday.
Mingo buried a 3-pointer and Dilione had the final two baskets in a 9-0 spurt to give Penn State a 69-58 lead with 6:31 left.
Cade Tyson made four free throws, Langston Reynolds sank a pair, and Grayson Grove tipped in a miss as the Golden Gophers used an 8-0 run to cut it to 71-70 with 2:31 remaining. Dilione and Reynolds traded baskets before Mingo turned a steal into a layup for a three-point lead with 49 seconds to go.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had a layup and Reynolds made the first of two free throws with 31 seconds left to tie it 75-all. Mingo ran the clock down to eight seconds before beginning his game-winning drive to the basket.
Dilione made 11 of 17 shots with a 3-pointer in the first winning effort in Big Ten Conference play this season for the Nittany Lions (10-12, 1-10).
Josh Reed sank four 3-pointers — all in the first half — and scored 18 for Penn State. Mingo scored 14 on 6-for-17 shooting, while Dominick Stewart pitched in with 12 points.
Langston Reynolds had 18 points and seven assists to lead the Golden Gophers (10-12, 3-8). Cade Tyson added 17 points, Bobby Durkin hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 and Isaac Asuma added 12 points.
Reed had 16 points and Dilione scored 13 to guide the Nittany Lions to a 41-31 lead at halftime.
