MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gift Uchenna had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Kyrah Daniels added 19 points, and Wisconsin defeated No. 24 Nebraska 63-60 on Wednesday night.
Daniels hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 60 with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter and the go-ahead free throw 50 seconds later. After a Nebraska turnover, Uchenna's layup made it 63-60 with 53 seconds left and neither team scored again.
The Cornhuskers led by five points with 3:45 remaining in the game but made only 1 of 7 shots the rest of the way and 2 of their last 12.
Ronnie Porter added 10 points for the Badgers (13-7, 5-4 Big Ten), who improved to 11-1 at home. Destiny Howell, who scored 39 points in a 94-92 double-overtime win over Oregon on Sunday, was in foul trouble for much of the game and did not score.
Eliza Maupin scored 13 points and Britt Prince had 11 for Nebraska (14-5, 3-5).
Uchenna had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and Wisconsin led 38-25 at the break.
After shooting 37% in the first half, Nebraska forced eight turnovers and limited Wisconsin to five shots in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. Nebraska outscored Wisconsin 22-7 in the period and took a 47-45 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 120-66 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Here are some takeaways...
- Sure, playing the Nets helps, but the Knicks finally looked like the Knicks again tonight. New York came out much more energized following their players-only meeting and were able to cruise their way to their 13th-consecutive victory over their rebuilding crosstown rivals.
- New York got off to a very efficient start, knocking down six of their first nine shots, and they used a pair of runs (14-0, 14-3) to open a double-digit advantage, which they never looked back from. Jalen Brunson led the way with 11 first-quarter points, but most encouraging, the Knicks held the Nets to just 20 points over the first 12 minutes.
- The strong play continued into the second quarter, as New York's suffocating defense and hot shooting helped them stretch the lead out past 20 points just a few minutes in. OG Anunoby had a fastbreak slam after Brooklyn's fifth turnover of the game and Karl-Anthony Towns continued his strong start, stretching his total to 10 points.
Both Towns and Mitchell Robinson did, however, put themselves in early foul trouble after picking up three apiece.
- The Knicks carried a 22-point advantage into the break, and they held the Nets to just 38 points, marking their best defensive half of the season. Brooklyn knocked down just five of their 20 three-point attempts through two quarters, and they didn't have a single player in double figures.
New York outrebounded the Nets 28-16 and had 14 fastbreak points off of seven turnovers.
- The Knicks remained in control coming out of the break, as all five of their starters found the bottom of the bucket, and they knocked down six of their first seven shots from the field to begin the half. Mikal Bridges pushed his way into double figures minutes into the third quarter after scoring just 10 points in total the last time out against Phoenix.
- Landry Shamet continued his hot shooting since returning from his shoulder injury. The veteran sharpshooter knocked down all six of the three-pointers he attempted on the night, leaving him just two points shy of Brunson's game-high (20). The lead was pushed up to as much as 32 at the end of three.
Both teams emptied their benches early in the fourth quarter and the rout stretched out to 54 points, the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
- Brunson led all scorers with 20 points despite making just one of eight threes. Towns had 14 points and eight boards, Bridges had 11 points against his former team, and McBride chipped in 14 points off the bench. Tyler Kolek (6 points), Mohamed Diawara (5 points), and Ariel Hukporti (four boards) took advantage of their garbage time minutes.
- Michael Porter Jr. and Ziare Williams were the only two to crack double digits for Brooklyn.
Game MVP: Landry Shamet
Shamet continues to dominate from downtown since returning from injury.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made this one more stressful than it should have been. They led the Charlotte Hornets 56-32 at halftime, before Charlotte cut the lead to 4 points in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland eventually closed the door and secured their 25th win of the season. But, as I said, it felt less satisfying than you’d have liked.
The Hornets have been better than their record recently. They entered the night with the league’s second-best offense over the last two weeks, while Cleveland had the 24th-best defense during this same stretch. That felt like a combination that could have burned the Cavs tonight. But they began the game with the appropriate energy on defense, holding the Hornets to just 12 points in the second quarter.
That focus wouldnt’ last all 48 minutes. The Cavs slipped in the second half and allowed the Hornets to go on a big run. But they found their footing and got enough stops in the end to stave off a disastrous collapse.
Evan Mobley started the game hot. He had 13 points and 11 rebounds at halftime after a handful of jaw-dropping dunks. As is the theme, this aggression didn’t carry over to the final two quarters. Mobley finished with just 14 points in an otherwise solid performance.
Charlotte was led by Brandon Miller with 24 points. Lamelo Ball had a rough night, shooting 0-10 from deep and 1-15 from the floor overall.
Donovan Mitchell had 24 points on 8-20 shooting. It wasn’t a great night for Mitchell, as his 8 turnovers added fuel to Charlotte’s fire. It’s clear the Cavs are still missing Darius Garland’s efficient command of the offense.
The Cavs are back at home this weekend with a game versus the Sacramento Kings before going on the road for a matchup against the Orlando Magic.
With the final days of January here, the Philadelphia Flyers remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race. At the time of this writing, they have a 23-17-8 record and are fourth in the Metropolitan Division standings.
With the Flyers still being in the playoff race, it is fair to wonder if they could look to add to their roster ahead of the trade deadline. One specific need they have is a bottom-six center, and this is especially so with Rodrigo Abols being sidelined with a fractured ankle.
Due to this, one player who the Flyers should consider making a push for is Vancouver Canucks center David Kampf.
While Kampf is not the flashiest of trade candidates in the NHL, he would have the potential to be a good addition to the Flyers' bottom six if acquired. This is because he is a solid defensive forward who also performs well at the dot, as evidenced by his 53.4 faceoff winning percentage this season with Vancouver. He would also give the Flyers another clear option for their penalty kill if acquired.
It's unlikely that Kampf would cost the Flyers much in a potential swap. He also has a low $1.1 million cap hit for the season, which adds to his appeal.
In 28 games so far this season with the Canucks, Kampf has posted two goals, four points, 16 blocks, and 34 hits.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Denzel Aberdeen scored 19 points, Collin Chandler and Otega Oweh each had 18 points, and Kentucky took down Texas 85-80 on Wednesday night.
Oweh reached double-figures for the 22nd straight game, a streak dating to last season, and Chandler reached a career-high, surpassing his 15 scored in November's season-opener against Nicholls.
The Wildcats (13-6, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) battled back-and-forth with Texas, as the game featured 11 lead changes. After heading to the locker rooms tied at 40, Kentucky took the lead for good midway through the second half during a 6-0 run and closed on a 7-2 run to secure the victory.
Andrija Jelavic and Chandler each hauled in a team-high seven rebounds, and Kentucky narrowly won the glass battle 36-34. Malachi Moreno led with six assists.
Dailyn Swain scored 29 points on 10-for-16 shooting for the Longhorns (11-8, 2-4), his third game with 20 or more points this season. Matas Vokietaitis had a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Free throws made the difference for the Wildcats, converting on 30 of their 35 attempts. Texas made 18 of 20.
Only hours after president of baseball operations David Stearns reaffirmed to reporters his desire to address the team’s starting rotation, the Mets acquired All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta on Wednesday from the Brewers for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, the club announced.
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Peralta, who is entering his walk year, pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts for the Brewers last season, when he finished fifth in the National League Cy Young Award voting after his second career All-Star appearance.
The 29-year-old Peralta, who arrived to the Brewers in a trade with the Mariners during Stearns’ tenure heading the Brewers front office, gives the Mets the true ace they have lacked since trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer during the 2023 season.
Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch during the first inning. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Over the past two seasons, the Mets had hoped Kodai Senga would develop into an ace, but the right-hander was sidetracked by injuries (and ineffectiveness last year that led to him finishing the season at Triple-A Syracuse) leading Stearns to say earlier in the offseason that Senga couldn’t be counted on as a top-of-the-rotation force.
Myers, a swingman, appeared in 22 games last season (six as a starter) and pitched to a 3.55 ERA.
Peralta’s key metrics include a hard-hit ball rate of only 34.5 percent, which ranked in MLB’s 90th percentile. Peralta’s strikeout rate of 28.2 percent (despite a fastball that rates only slightly above average) ranked in MLB’s 84th percentile.
Williams was the Mets’ No. 3 prospect and a possibility for the major league roster at some point this season. Drafted as an infielder, he had shifted into a hybrid role, playing center field in the minors.
Sproat began last season as the organization’s top pitching prospect, but was supplanted by Nolan McLean as the year progressed. Even so, Sproat debuted for the Mets last September and pitched to a 4.79 ERA in four starts.
It leaves the Mets with rotation pieces heading to spring training that will include Peralta, McLean, Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and David Peterson.
Brandon Sproat was sent to the Brewers. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
Others in the mix include Christian Scott and Jonah Tong. Scott missed last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and the rookie Tong debuted for the club last September.
The Peralta splash occurred only hours after the Mets introduced Bo Bichette at Citi Field. The Mets signed Bichette last week to a three-year contract worth $126 million (that includes two opt-outs) after missing on Kyle Tucker, the top free agent on the market.
Tuesday night the Mets addressed center field by acquiring Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox for Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley.
Robert is deemed a Gold Glove potential center fielder with a high ceiling offensively who has underwhelmed the past two seasons in large part because of injuries.
Stearns’ overhaul of the roster began in November, when he traded Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien. At the Winter Meetings, the team lost stars Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso to free agency (to the Dodgers and Orioles) and shortly afterward traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for a minor league pitcher.
In between, the team signed Devin Williams (who will assume the closer’s role) and Luke Weaver for the bullpen. The Mets also signed Jorge Polanco to play first base — a position at which he’s appeared only once in the major leagues — with the idea his powerful switch-hitting bat will help compensate for Alonso’s loss.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Kierra Wheeler scored 16 points and No. 22 West Virginia rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Arizona State 53-43 on Wednesday night.
Arizona State led 37-34 through three quarters and the score was tied at 41 with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer by Sydney Shaw gave the Mountaineers a 44-41 lead with 2:45 remaining. Jordan Harrison added a free throw and Wheeler scored in the paint for a 47-41 lead.
McKinna Brackens hit a jumper for the Sun Devils but it was their only made basket in nine attempts in the final 4 minutes. West Virginia closed it out at the line, making 7 of 9 free throws in the last minute.
Shaw scored 11 points and Gia Cooke had 10 for West Virginia (16-4, 6-2 Big 12).
Brackens and Gabby Elliott led Arizona State (17-3, 4-3) with 15 points each.
Arizona State battled back from a six-point first-quarter deficit to trail 13-12 after one. West Virginia hit three 3-pointers early in the second quarter and a layup by Sydney Woodley gave the Mountaineers a 25-15 lead with 3 1/2 minutes left in the quarter. Arizona State did not allow a point for the remainder of the half and trailed only 25-24 at halftime.
Arizona State extended the run to 13 points for a 28-25 lead a couple of minutes into the third. The Sun Devils' lead was 37-29 with about a minute remaining in the third, then West Virginia closed to within three points at the end of the quarter.
The Mets have found their ace, and their president of baseball operations found one in his old stomping grounds.
New York has acquired All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Brewers in exchange for a prospect package that will include Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.
The Mets have also received RHP Tobias Myers in the deal.
Peralta, who turns 30 next summer, is coming off the best season of his career. The veteran right-hander was stellar for the Brewers, posting a personal-best 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts across 176.2 innings (33 starts). He also allowed just 124 hits, holding opponents to a .193 average.
The growth potential for Peralta is, without question, enormous. His advanced metrics were elite in 2025, as he ranked well above average in strikeout percentage, whiff percentage, hard-hit percentage, and extension. The results earned him a top-five finish in NL Cy Young voting.
As if his makeup wasn't enough of a selling point, Peralta's services in 2026 won't even break the bank. He's actually one of the best bargains in baseball, slated to earn only $8 million on a club option before reaching free agency next offseason.
The Mets didn't pursue Peralta on a whim. They knew exactly who they were getting -- after all, David Stearns was in the Brewers' front office when they gave the two-time All-Star a five-year contract extension back in 2020.
With a terrific fastball-changeup-curveball mix that induces plenty of whiffs, Peralta has the arsenal to remain one of the league's most reliable pitchers for quite some time. Over the last five seasons (139 starts), he owns a 3.30 ERA with 895 strikeouts -- a laudable rate of 10.9 per nine.
Myers, who will turn 28 in August, has some major league experience as a starter and reliever. In 2024, he posted a 3.00 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP in 27 games (25 starts).
This past season, Myers made 22 appearances (six starts) and posted a 3.55 ERA while striking out 38 batters across 50.2 innings.
To make room on the 40 Man Roster, RHP Cooper Criswell has been designated for assignment.
The Buffalo Sabres made a major move on Wednesday, as they signed forward Josh Doan to a seven-year, $48.65 million contract extension. With this, the Sabres' breakout young star will be staying in Buffalo for a very long time.
Now, with the Sabres signing Doan to this new deal, let's take a look at two more players that the Sabres could look to extend next.
Alex Tuch, RW
Tuch is undoubtedly the Sabres' biggest contract extension candidate. It is no secret that the Sabres want to keep the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) around, and it is very understandable when noting that he is one of their best forwards. With this, he is a contract extension candidate to keep an incredibly close eye on. If he still does not have a contract extension closer to the deadline, that is where things could get very interesting.
Zach Benson, LW/RW
Benson is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) who the Sabres certainly could look to extend soon. The young forward has a ton of potential and has shown signs of improvement so far this season. In 36 games so far this campaign, the 2023 first-round pick has recorded 22 points. This is after he had just 28 points in 75 games this past season.
According to both Jon Heyman and Pat Ragazzo, the Mets are in talks to acquire 29-year-old right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Brewers. Ragazzo specifies that Mets prospect Jett Williams would be part of the return going to Milwaukee in a potential deal.
Peralta has spent the entirety of his major league career in Milwaukee, and he’s entering the final season of a seven-year $30 million contract that he signed with Milwaukee ahead of the 2020 season. He’s thrown 165 innings or more in each of the past three seasons, and he was particularly great in 2025. He finished that season with a 2.70 ERA and a 3.64 FIP in 176.2 innings over the course of 33 starts.
Williams has been a consensus top-100 prospect ahead of each of the last three seasons, and the 22-year-old has played shortstop, second base, and center field thus far in his minor league career. He split his 2025 season between Double-A Binghamton, where he spent the majority of the year, and Triple-A Syracuse, and he hit .261/.363/.465 with 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 43 attempts.
Joel Sherman adds that the Brewers have asked about Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat and that 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers would be coming to the Mets in the potential trade.
Boras told the paper Lee's detainment was "not anything political or anything like that" and Lee was released later Wednesday evening, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reported.
“We are working politically and with immigration and the Giants to get verifications,” Boras had told the Chronicle. “I’m not sure what was lacking but it was something with the proper paperwork. I think he just forgot one of the documents.”
The Giants told the Chronicle they were working to resolve the issue, as was California Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office.
Lee was arriving back in California from South Korea ahead of a Giants fan event set to be held on Saturday.
The Dodgers finalized their deal with Kyle Tucker on Wednesday, signing the outfielder to a four-year contract worth $240 million.
Tucker gets a $64 million signing bonus as part of the contract, $54 million of which will be paid this February 15 and the other $10 million on February 1, 2027, per Beth Harris and Ronald Blum of Associated Press, with the following annual salaries.
2026: $1 million 2027: $55 million 2028: $60 million player option 2029: $60 million player option
A total of $30 million of the salaries are deferred — $10 million each year from 2027-29 — which is not uncommon among Dodgers contracts of late. Each year’s $10 million deferred salary will be paid out at $1 million per year every December 1 from 2036-45, again per AP.
Tucker is one of 10 Dodgers with deferred money in their contract, with a total of $1.0945 billion scheduled to be paid out between 2028-47. Shohei Ohtani’s $680 million deferred — 97 percent of his 10-year contract — is the outlier, with deferred money in the other nine contracts ranging between 12.5 percent (Tucker) and 36.3 percent (Blake Snell) of the total contract guarantee.
The deferrals in Tucker’s contract reduce the average annual value from $60 million to $57,195,945 per year.
Tucker has two opportunities to opt out of the contract — after either the 2027 or 2028 seasons. The Dodgers typically don’t include opt-outs, but given that Tucker was also being heavily pursued by the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, including the ability for Tucker to leave potentially after two seasons was a way for the Dodgers to sweeten the deal.
“In two years, we’ll know a lot more about a lot of things than we do know, and just because he opts out doesn’t mean that we won’t be there to try to sign up,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “In any deal you’d prefer to to have an opt-out. Generally speaking, I think they’re very poorly priced in the market, which is why we have avoided them by and large. In this case, it just made sense for a confluence of reasons.”
“The depth of our system put us in a position where, while the cost is still meaningful, it wasn’t as significant. We have a very strong system up top,” Friedman said. “But even more than that, I think the depth of our system allows us this one year to have our food budget for the draft meetings exceed our signing bonuses. It’s not great by any means, but just trying to balance that with doing everything we could to put ourselves in the best position to win a championship in 2026.”
San Francisco Giants star Jung Hoo Lee was detained by US Customs and Border Protection at LAX on Wednesday over a “paperwork issue,” his team confirmed Wednesday night.
“Earlier today,” the Giants said in a statement to the Associated Press, “Jung Hoo Lee experienced a brief travel issue at LAX due to a paperwork issue.
“The matter was quickly clarified with the appropriate authorities, and he has since been cleared to continue his travel. We appreciate the professionalism of all parties involved.”
Giants star Jung-Hoo Lee was traveling to California for an event, according to the report. WireImage
The 27-year-old outfielder was traveling ahead of a scheduled appearance at a Giants FanFest event on Saturday, according to the report.
Lee’s agent, Scott Boras, told The Post on Wednesday night everything “is now resolved” and the baseball player continued on to Arizona following the delay.
The 27-year-old outfielder was detained by US Customs and Border Protection at LAX Wednesday after forgetting travel documents according to a report. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office had reportedly been working with federal officials to secure his release prior to the matter getting sorted out.
Spring Training for the Giants begins in Scottsdale in three weeks.
Lee signed a six-year deal with the Giants in December 2023 worth $113 million.
In his first season in San Francisco, Lee — who previously starred in the KBO before joining the MLB — was limited to just 37 games due to injury.
This past season, he was able to play in 150, and he recorded a .266 batting average with eight home runs, 55 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
The 2026 NHL trade deadline is starting to get closer, and we are already seeing players around the league being dealt to new teams. This is only going to continue until we get to deadline day.
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy is among the top trade candidates in the NHL. Because of this, let's take a look at three potential landing spots for the right-shot defenseman.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins are looking to boost the right side of their blueline and recently missed out on Rasmus Andersson. While Murphy is not at the same level as Andersson, he would still give the Bruins' right side a nice upgrade if they landed him. Thus, Boston could be a team to watch in the sweepstakes.
Dallas Stars
It would not be surprising in the slightest if the Stars had Murphy on their radar. They would benefit by adding another veteran right-shot defenseman who can handle a good amount of minutes on their roster, and Murphy would provide them with just that if acquired.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs could be a team to watch when it comes to Murphy as well. With Chris Tanev being out due to injury, Murphy could be a solid defensive defenseman for the Maple Leafs to bring in for more insurance.
