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Hawks break losing streak after nail-biting 124-122 win against Grizzlies

A close one indeed.

The Atlanta Hawks were in Memphis on Wednesday evening to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Hawks came in looking for anything to work as they were riding a four-game losing streak after suffering a tough defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks on MLK Day.

As for the Grizzlies, they’re coming off a win against the Orlando Magic in London, and they got Ja Morant back after he missed time with an injury.

For the Hawks, they were still without Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis, as they are set to be re-evaluated sometime next week.

It was not a good start for the Hawks, as they went down 12-1 early, and couldn’t get a bucket to fall. The shots eventually started to go down, and Onyeka Okongwu’s two three-pointers helped them get back into it.

Once Okongwu started to get into a rhythm, Jalen Johnson followed suit with a few shots of his own.

The defense took it up a notch in the quarter as well, and Mouhamed Gueye put his imprint on the game to eventually give the Hawks the lead.

It was a homecoming for Luke Kennard as he got to face his former team, and he made it worth his while in this one, knocking down shot after shot. Going into the second, the Hawks trailed 32-31.

Kennard continued to light it up going into the second, and it was almost as if he couldn’t miss. (He couldn’t)

The Grizzlies and Hawks got into a little of a squirmish in the second that involved Morant and Gueye, and they were both assessed technical fouls.

Christian Koloko got his first minutes on the Hawks and made an immediate impact with a huge dunk.

Johnson turned into a quarterback in the second and threw a perfect pass down court to Vit Krejci for a layup. While he was making opportunities for others, he also got his own in transition.

The Hawks were able to grab the lead midway through the quarter and extended it late. After a rough start in the first half, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was able to finally get a shot to go from deep.

Johnson ended the half strong, going to the rim on Jaren Jackson Jr., and the Hawks went into halftime leading 66-59.

The Hawks did not start off the second half as they wanted to, and the Grizzlies tied the game early. The Hawks didn’t let it bother them, and Corey Kispert gave them the lead back.

CJ McCollum found Gueye for an easy dump off into a floater.

The Grizzlies started to pull away just a little bit, but the Hawks kept it close by continuing to execute on offense. The Hawks were active on the boards on this play, and it got Okongwu the bucket plus the foul to cut down their deficit.

If the Hawks could find Kennard on every play, it would’ve done wonders, because he couldn’t miss through the third quarter. He even turned defense into offense with a steal, finding McCollum for a three-pointer.

The Hawks took the lead at one point late in the quarter, but Morant put the Grizzlies back on top going into the fourth, leading 95-94.

Vit Krejci knocked down a three-pointer in transition to tie the game early in the fourth.

Nobody could stop Johnson in his tracks on this transition play, and the only thing the Grizzlies could do was try to foul him. Unfortunately for them, he still made the dunk.

Koloko continued to show his impact in his first game and knocked down a big three-pointer to give the Hawks the lead.

The Grizzlies took the lead after this, but not for long. Johnson turned defense into offense and found Alexander-Walker in the corner for a three-pointer, giving the Hawks a four-point lead.

The Grizzlies fought back, but the Hawks continued to make the right plays when they needed them.

With seconds remaining and the Hawks up two, Johnson missed the jumper to give them a four-point lead. The Grizzlies grabbed the rebound and didn’t call a timeout, so this was going to be the game. Morant took the ball and fumbled it for a minute, and had to chuck up a three-pointer at the buzzer that didn’t drop. With that, the Hawks were able to break their four-game winning streak and get back in the win column.

Johnson finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists; Kennard finished with 18 points, and Okongwu finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.

The Hawks will be back in action on Friday against the Phoenix Suns.

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The Astros CAN Compete in 2026!

Brett Chancey – Independent Journalist | Co-Host Locked on Astros | Back to the Bullpen with Mike Stanton

The Astros embark on a season in a way they haven’t known since 2016. This is the first year they enter a season where they didn’t qualify for the previous Postseason. We all recall the first round, 2 game exit vs. the Detroit Tigers when they at least made it. Many say was the beginning of the end. I do think, however, despite missing the playoffs in 2025, the Astros stock going into 2026 has gone up.

What gives you the right?

Well, this team has a slew of very capable players on this roster and in this rotation to be highly competitive in the American League West, as well contend for the American League title. Realistically on paper, you would put the Blue Jays, as well others who qualified for the postseason above the Astros. That doesn’t mean I am ready to put them on the shelf, and no one is ignoring it will be a tough task.

I am a firm believer in the law of averages, especially when it comes to the 162-game season that is Major League Baseball. The Houston Astros set a record for injured players in a season and the year prior dealt with injuries so frequently it led to roster irregularities and a team that in the end was too banged up to truly compete in 2026. There is no need to recall all the injuries,

3 Things to focus on:
  1. Win the innings war, with a six man rotation and pitching depth.
  2. Scoring runs, as well keeping them off the board (offensive and defensive approach)
  3. Stop living in the margins: Astros need more depth, fewer empty innings.

Win the Innings War, Pitching Built to Last.

The Astros fastest route back to pitching stability – not “rely on ONE ACE” (AKA HUNTER BROWN), but stack usable starts so the bullpen isn’t cooked by May. They have the starting depth to do that, even if they don’t add anyone at this point. When a team leans into a six man rotation early, which the Astros will by default due to schedule.

There is proof that at this point according to Joe Espada this is a clear and intentional direction for this pitching staff. This was detailed by Brian McTaggart in a tweet December 15, 2025 prior to signing Tatsuya Imai.

The Astros need six serious starters to get off to a hot start pitching wise and take pressure off the offense. My starting 6 would be:

  1. Hunter Brown
  2. Christian Javier
  3. Tatsuya Imai
  4. Mike Burrows
  5. Spencer Arrighetti
  6. Ryan Weiss/Jason Alexander

(Spring Training will also determine if Lance McCullers Jr. has a role in this rotation, which he could earn, Nate Pearson, AJ Blubagh, Colton Gordon, and J.P. France.)

While some may pencil in McCullers Jr. I am not there yet, as with Gordon because I think he profiles as a Long Reliever in the grand scheme of things. The others not mentioned Wesneski and Blanco won’t factor in until July or August realistically speaking.

If the Houston Astros six man rotation can create fewer bullpen “bridge games”, starts where they pitch into the 6th inning more than not, then you have a recipe for success. The one thing that begs the question, will the Astros be able to trust anyone beyond Hunter Brown a 3rd time through the order?

Scoring Runs: Bringing Runners Home.

The Astros don’t need to be the #1 offense in MLB to be a playoff team – but they do need to get back to controlling run environments with quality contact, patience at the plate, and increasing their RISP. With all the discussion of interest from other teams regarding a trade for Isaac Paredes this seems to be a counter intuitive goal, if you are going off past history.

The Astros getting more barrels and fewer easy outs isn’t a vibe, it’s a measurable and attainable goal.

This begins with a Healthy Yordan Alvarez. His Barrel % is 13.8% and huge driver of slugging and extra-base hits. His 52.9% Hard Hit percentage is among the best in MLB, we know his ability to hit all sides of the field as well. Jeremy Pena having another solid offensive year would be huge. While his chase rate is at a career 28.4% he hasn’t been below 35.9%, if the new hitting coaches can get him to reduce that, and get more lift on the ball his barrell % would go up and be a catalyst for this team.

A third player I will mention, (Isaac Paredes is a given if he remains on this roster Opening Day) is Carlos Correa. I believe that with him playing 3B you will see a Correa that stays on the field and can enjoy a chase rate in the 2021 range where he saw his lowest chase% at 24.1%. This would give higher probability to more barrels. In 2021 he had his 2nd highest barrel % at 11.4% only topped by 2019 12.9%. What does this all mean? I see this offense feeding off each other. Notice I didn’t mention Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith, or any of the others. I didn’t for this simple fact, this offense goes as these 3 listed go. If you can get the others to follow you have a playoff offense.

Run Prevention 101 (Pitching and Catching)

This Astros team narrowly missed the playoffs almost solely off of it pitching alone. In the same conversation they were the same pitchers who at times couldn’t stop late inning comebacks. In 2025 the onus is on the offense primarily speaking, but the pitching wasn’t flawless. You need a couple things for this too happen: Prevent runs on the board, manage opponents contact.

The Houston Astros need to understand balls will get hit, so what is the Hard Hit % of batted balls agains their pitchers, as well advancing runners on base. The Houston Astros starting backstop was 1 Catchers CS Above Avg. in 2025, the backup everyone wanted was -4 Catchers CS Above Avg. Both bottom of the barrel. While Yainer Diaz arm strength is 3rd in the league and 4th in Exchange time, his Caught stealing % was only 18%. What does all this have to do with run prevention and the pitching? I will wrap up the discussion here.

Your pitchers have to make a concerted effort to get to the plate as fast as possible. Catchers have to be in an optimal position to throw out the runners. If you can eliminate the threat of running to 2B by throwing out runners, or simply holding them at bay. This team stands to give up fewer runs. Fewer runs less pressure on the offense, as well the pitchers.

All in all I expect the Astros to be contenders in 2026, of course that is why every team plays 162 games in the regular season. As my co-host on Back to the Bullpen Mike Stanton says, getting to the playoffs is the hard part, once you’re in, it’s anybody’s game.“…….or is it? Dodgers????

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Knicks score biggest win in team history in beatdown of Nets

The New York Knicks entered Wednesday night's game having lost four consecutive contests, but you would have never known it given the way they obliterated the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks won 120-66, their 54-point margin of victory a team record. It could have been even worse − at one point the Knicks led by 59.

The 54-point margin of victory easily shattered the Knicks' previous record of 48, achieved three times (in 1994, 1972 and 1968).

Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 20 points, and five other Knicks scored in double figures. They shot 57% as a team, including 50% from 3 (16-for-32).

The Nets, by comparison, shot a grisly 29% from the field (23-for-79). They were also soundly beaten on the boards (56-27) and in the assist department (28-15).

Knicks vs. Nets highlights

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks biggest blowout win: New York sets team record vs Nets

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Jeanie Buss pushes back, regrets LeBron being drawn into family drama, calling report 'just not true'

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss pushed back on an ESPN report about the family drama that led to the sale of the Lakers, specifically the part that said she had grown frustrated with LeBron James and even floated the idea of trading him in the wake of the disastrous Russell Westbrook trade. Here is what Jeanie wrote to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

LeBron's agent and longtime friend Rich Paul was a lot less diplomatic when asked his thoughts on the report during the latest episode of the Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul podcast (hat tip Bleacher Report).

"Who gives a s***. I don't, right? You don't know what's true, what's not true. But where there's smoke, there's fire. I seen some of the stuff that came out about it and obviously they talked about different scenarios in terms of power that we may have. Here's all I know. There's an appreciation for guys like Michael Irvin, there should be, our legends. And there damn sure should be appreciation for a guy like LeBron."

There has been some tension around LeBron and the Lakers in the last year, more tied to the franchise turning the page to Luka Doncic and the future — this is the first time in his career that LeBron was not the primary focal point of the organization he was a part of. Buss and Warriors owner Joe Lacob had some talk about a LeBron trade, although that didn't go anywhere it speaks to where the relationship is.

LeBron's relationship with the Buss family — and, to a degree, with Lakers fans — is very different than the ones that Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson had. That may be a function of the modern NBA and LeBron coming in with an established brand more than anything else, but things have not always been smooth. There has been frustration on both sides. How much that frustration impacted things is up for debate, maybe Buss floated a LeBron trade internally but ultimately he got his max contract extension and no trade clause. The Lakers and LeBron stayed in business together.

With new ownership and LeBron at the end of his career, all that may now be changing. And with that comes a new, and maybe increased, tension.

LeBron has yet to speak about this but likely will on Thursday when the Lakers travel across town to face the Clippers at the Intuit Dome.

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Thursday's Time Schedule

All Times EST

Thursday, Jan. 22

NBA

Charlotte at Orlando, 7 p.m.

Denver at Washington, 7 p.m.

Houston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Golden State at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Chicago at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

San Antonio at Utah, 9 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 10 p.m.

Miami at Portland, 10 p.m.

NHL

Buffalo at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Dallas at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Vegas at Boston, 7 p.m.

Florida at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Ottawa at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Detroit at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.

T25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 1 UConn at Georgetown, 7:30 p.m.

No. 2 South Carolina at No. 16 Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. Auburn, 7:30 p.m.

No. 6 LSU at Texas A&M, 9 p.m.

No. 7 Michigan at Rutgers, 6 p.m.

No. 10 Iowa at No. 15 Maryland, 6 p.m.

No. 11 Kentucky at No. 17 Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.

No. 12 Ohio St. vs. Indiana, 8 p.m.

No. 13 Michigan St. vs. Southern Cal, 8 p.m.

No. 18 Mississippi at Missouri, 7:30 p.m.

PWHL

Toronto at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

_____

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Celtics exact revenge on Pacers, win 119-104

The Boston Celtics return home to TD Garden after a tough 4-game road trip. Boston led all game in a homecoming win by 15 points, 119-104. Newly minted All Star starter, Jaylen Brown led the team with 30 points in just 33 minutes, Hauser had 5 triples with 17 points on a hot shooting night in Boston.

Sam Hauser hit two early three-pointers to start the game for Boston. The sharp shooting Hauser has been hitting threes at a 39.5 percent clip on the season and has made 16 threes in his last 3 outings for Boston. The C’s had an early lead of 10-7 at the first TV timeout.

The trio of Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, and Anfernee Simons were first off the bench for the home team. Garza scored on his now patented deceleration cutting layup past a leaping Pacer big man. Payton Pritchard scored on a layup and was fouled by Jackson in the act of shooting, with the C’s starting PG hitting the bonus free throw.

Pascal Siakam was cooking early for the Pacers with a mix of jumpers and rim play, and he had 9 quick points in the first quarter to pace Indy. The power forward is staking his claim for All-Star reserve selection. Indiana beat Boston just over a week ago in a low-scoring game, and tonight was more of the same in the first quarter for the sluggish Pacers.

Scheierman’s corner triple gave the C’s an early seven-point lead, and Pritchard’s buzzer-beating three at the horn gave Boston a 30-20 lead at the end of the quarter.

Tony Bradley scored on the interior to start the 2nd quarter; the 6-foot-10 big was on his second 10-day contract with Indy following a string of injuries. Jordan Walsh was impacting things on both ends for Boston in his early minutes; he chased down 2 rebounds and nailed a triple on his first shot of the game in just 7 quick minutes of action. Sam Hauser swished home a three for Boston off a sweet JB assist; the Celtics were pushing the pace in the second quarter, up by 14 points, 38-24.

Hugo Gonzalez got his first run of the game at the midway point of the second quarter, and the rookie stuck a big three-pointer on his first shot of the game. Joe Mazzulla had Hugo matched up with 7-foot-1-inch center Jay Huff. Brown hit a sweet turnaround jumper, following that up with a wide-open transition layup.

Jan 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) gets off a shot past Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Boston went on a 15-0 run before Pascal Siakam finally snapped the scoring streak for the visiting Pacers, Boston stretching the lead out to 23 points, 57-34. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points for Boston in the second quarter a few days after he was named a starter in the All Star game.

Queta had back-to-back dunks for Boston, Derrick White chipped in his first three of the game in front of the commentary bench, Boston headed to the change rooms with a 20 point lead, 66-46.

Sam Hauser opened the second half with a sweet drive and one-handed flick pass to Queta on the rim-rattling jam. Hauser had his fourth triple of the game off a Derrick White assist. Siakam had 5 straight points for the Pacers, as they started to chip away at Boston’s lead, getting it back to 16 points at the 9 minute mark.

Brown scored on a tough driving layup, his 21st of the game with Johnny Furphy draped all over him. Brown took Jay Huff all the way to the cup on the next play but missed both free throw attempts from the stripe. Brown would take a seat with 5 minutes to go in the third quarter, logging 23 points.

Jordan Walsh had a huge block on a Ben Sheppard’s corner three attempt, the ball sailing into the stands. Walsh chased down Potter on the break for another block attempt, but the replay confirmed Walsh got a piece of arm on the play.

Indiana cut into Boston’s big lead with a 16-4 run, the Celtics retained a 15-point lead with Jaylen Brown on the bench. A Ben Sheppard triple gave Indiana a ray of hope, cutting it back to 9-points. Things were setting up for another close battle down the stretch at TD Garden with a quarter to go.

Brown lead the C’s in scoring after 3 quarters with 23 points, Siakam had 27 points for the visitors, the Celtics up by 13 points, 91-78 after three.

Jan 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots over Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Sam Hauser peeled off a neat Garza screen to hit his fifth three of the night, Simons playing the facilitator with a second assist on the night. Boston started of the fourth quarter hitting 7 points to Indy’s 4 points to start the fourth. Pritchard’s pull up two-pointer saw Boston hit the 100-point mark with seven minutes to go in the game.

With Indy down 15, it felt like they would run out of time to make a comeback as Boston had answers to every Pacer challenge. Brown had a steal and layup to stretch the lead back to 19 points. Brown was in complete control hitting 30 points for the 24th time of the year on a swooping two-footed layup across the key. Brown went to the bench with a 30-piece in the bag, both teams rolling with the bench squads to close things out, Boston sailing to victory.

Boston hit the road again to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

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Report: Warriors assistants operating under premise that Steve Kerr won’t be returning next year

The Jimmy Butler injury has drastically altered the landscape for the Golden State Warriors in more ways than one.

For starters, it may have effectively dashed any hope for the Warriors to become frisky contenders this season, let alone for the rest of the Stephen Curry era. This has forced the organization to consolidate their assets and make choices before the February 6 trade deadline: trade or keep Butler’s contract that has two years left; trade or keep Jonathan Kuminga; attempt to acquire auxiliary role players that will further help the Warriors have an outside shot at contention.

But another choice looms over their heads, involving head coach Steve Kerr.

Per a report by The Ringer’s Logan Murdock:

“But Kerr’s future is still up in the air. This is the final year of his contract, and as of Wednesday, he has yet to sign a new deal. Though Kerr has publicly been mum about his future, multiple assistant coaches have been operating under the premise that he will not return next season, according to team sources, with some surveying the league to secure jobs next season. Last month, longtime assistant Chris DeMarco left the staff to be the head coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty.”

There could be indications that Kerr is treating this year as his last dance. The push and pull over the Kuminga situation has signaled a clear disconnect between the higher-ups of the organization and the coaching staff. The former seems to want to hold on to Kuminga for a while longer, while the latter has lost faith in Kuminga and his ability to fit into the Warriors’ intricate system.

Kerr seems ready to head into the proverbial sunset and close this chapter of his coaching career, in which he steered the Warriors to four championships in tandem with Curry. Time will tell if Kerr moves on to another team or outright retires from clipboard duties. Whichever the case, Kerr’s time will be remembered fondly for his role in transforming a beleaguered bottom-dwelling team into a dynastic powerhouse.

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Player Grades: Cavs vs Hornets – Cleveland outlasts Charlotte in shaky offensive performance

The first home game back after a long road trip can be difficult, as the Charlotte Hornets showed. They came out flat and couldn’t make outside shots as they scored just 32 points in the first half. The Cleveland Cavaliers took advantage of this as they took a 24-point advantage into the break.

The roles were reversed in the second half. The Cavs couldn’t make anything offensively over the final two quarters, which allowed Charlotte back into the game. The Hornets won the second half by 17, but the Cavs were still able to hang on to a less-than-inspiring 94-87 victory.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade would be an average performance for a particular player.

Donovan Mitchell

24 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 8 turnovers

Mitchell struggled to take care of the ball, which is the last thing you want your starting point guard to do. He committed eight of the team’s 21 turnovers and was a large reason why the Cavs struggled in that area so much.

The scoring didn’t counterbalance the lack of ball security. Mitchell had an uncharacteristically inefficient night. He connected on just two of his eight three-point attempts and went 6-12 on shots inside the arc. Needing 20 shots to get to 24 points against a poor Charlotte defense isn’t what we’ve come to expect from Mitchell this season.

This was far from his best game.

Grade: D+

Jaylon Tyson

14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

This wasn’t Tyson’s most efficient scoring night, but he showed up when the Cavs needed him to. Seven of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was getting away from them. That’s incredibly helpful, even if this wasn’t his best night shooting as he went 1-9 from three and 6-17 from the floor.

Grade: C+

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Evan Mobley

14 points, 14 rebounds, 0 assists

This was a tale of two halves.

Mobley absolutely dominated the first two quarters. He exposed nearly every offensive mismatch that came his way by aggressively driving to the basket. And even when he didn’t have a mismatch, he drove to the basket with ease against a smaller Hornets front court. This led to Mobley going 5-6 on shots in the restricted area in the first half.

That aggressiveness carried over to the defensive end as well. Mobley was disruptive in passing lanes and dominant on the glass as he grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half.

Then, that offensive effectiveness and aggression just went away. He scored only one point in the second half on just two attempts. And while Mobley was still great defensively, he wasn’t the All-NBA level player he was in the first half.

Games like this underline how frustrating the Mobley experience has been this season. Yes, the Hornets were packing the paint much more in the second half, but that isn’t an excuse for just disappearing on that end. Someone with his talent should be a helpful offensive player against a front line that is this inept defensively.

Grade: C

Tyrese Proctor

5 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists

Proctor just looks like an NBA player when he’s on the court. He competed well on the defensive end and isn’t afraid to take threes when he has an opportunity to do so. Both are things you want him to do, but the shot needs to be more consistent. Proctor went just 1-4 from beyond the arc on Wednesday. It’s easy to envision him becoming an incredibly useful player once his three-point shot becomes more consistent.

Grade: C

Craig Porter Jr.

7 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

Head coach Kenny Atkinson has compared Porter to a power forward before. A game like this shows why it’s a good comparison, and why that might be a problem.

Porter had two blocks on seven-footers on Wednesday. It’s incredibly valuable to have ancillary rim protection from the point-guard position, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

At the same time, you need your second-string point guard — and really the only point guard who saw minutes on Wednesday with the injury to Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball not playing this game — to do point guard things.

Porter hasn’t consistently done that. He hit two threes, but was mostly a non-factor on that end. He wasn’t able to create separation off-the-dribble, and had as many assists as turnovers (two).

Grade: C

De’Andre Hunter

4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

This was a weird game for Hunter. He came out aggressively by being an impactful rebounder and did a good job of getting into the chest of his opponent. However, this aggressiveness led to Hunter picking up three personal fouls in the first quarter.

Hunter then took his foot off the gas and was a complete non-factor for the rest of the game. He went 1-6 from the floor and had four turnovers. This led to him playing just a little over 13 minutes.

Grade: F

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Jarrett Allen

12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Allen had a solid game. He did a good job as an interior defender and provided some much-needed scoring inside.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Tomlin’s three-point shot is by far the worst part of his game. You want him to work on that skill and be comfortable taking that shot when he’s open. At the same time, you’d also prefer if he didn’t put himself in a position where he had to take three-pointers as often as he does. Maybe spotting up at the corner isn’t the best place to be.

That complaint aside, Tomlin was disruptive on the glass with seven offensive rebounds. He made an impact with his hustle and energy in that department, which is what he’s on the floor to do.

Grade: B

Larry Nance Jr.

5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Nance is good at a lot of little things that could help this team. His screening, effectiveness running dribble handoffs, disruption in passing lanes, offensive rebounding, and his passing ability are all examples of things Nance can do well that the Cavs could use more of at his position. There’s a reason he finished the game as a +14, which was the highest mark for a Cavalier reserve.

This game also showcased why he hasn’t been in the lineup often. Nance was hesitant to take open threes and couldn’t get inside and finish at the rim as effectively as he did in the past. If he’s going to be in the lineup more, he needs to showcase the outside shooting he did last season with the Atlanta Hawks.

Still, this was a good and encouraging showing.

Grade: A-

Dean Wade

4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

This was a typical Wade game. He provided good defense, grabbed rebounds, and moved the ball on offense. That’s all you want him to do.

Additionally, I didn’t know Wade could finish a layup off a Euro step. That bumps his grade up half a letter.

Grade: B

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Scott's early scoring spree sparks 14th-ranked Baylor women past UCF

WACO, Texas (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 17 of her 22 points in the first half and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs recorded her 10th double-double of the season and 14th-ranked Baylor beat UCF 73-48 on Wednesday night.

Littlepage-Buggs scored 13 points and grabbed 18 rebounds; the second most of her career. She's grabbed 20 boards twice - on Jan. 4 in a 72-70 win against Iowa State and Dec. 8, 2024, in a 71-64 victory over UNLV.

Scott finished 4-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Baylor sank 12 3-pointers to just two for UCF.

Khyala Ngodu had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and reserve Krystol Ayson scored 10 points for the Knights.

The Bears led 16-13 at the end of the first quarter. Just under two minutes into the second quarter, Littlepage-Buggs made a 3-pointer, Scott made a jumper and a 3 to make it 24-14 with 6:29 before halftime.

Baylor (18-3, 7-1 Big 12) went to halftime up 34-23, used an 8-3 start to the second half to advance the lead to 42-26 and stayed up by double-digits from there.

The Bears, winners of seven straight overall, are 6-0 against UCF (10-9, 2-6).

Up Next

UCF: The Knights host ninth-ranked TCU on Saturday.

Baylor: The Bears host Houston on Saturday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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Lakers vs. Clippers preview: Have the purple and gold turned a corner?

The Lakers (26-16) are back in Los Angeles but will play a road game against the LA Clippers (19-24) on Thursday. The purple and gold look to build on the momentum they gained after a strong win against the Denver Nuggets.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. L.A. Clippers

When: 7 p.m. PT, Jan. 22

Where: Intuit Dome

Watch: Prime Video

The Lakers’ most recent win against the Nuggets was much-needed. Yes, the Nuggets were down three starters, including Nikola Jokić, but it’s wins like this that could set the tone for them moving forward — especially in the midst of a pivotal eight-game road trip.

Now, the purple and gold’s next mission is to defeat the Clippers, who are currently playing their best basketball this season. After starting the season with an atrocious record of 6-21, the Clippers have completely turned things around. Since mid-December, they’ve won 14 of their last 16, including their most recent game against the Lakers.

A huge reason for the Clippers’ surge is their improved offense, which now ranks 13th best in the league. Kawhi Leonard — despite missing the last three games — has also turned up his production, as has James Harden. The team as a whole is shooting better from behind the arc and is competing harder on defense.

That said, the Lakers should also give the Clippers a better fight than they did last time. With Luka Dončić and Deandre Ayton set to play in this matchup, that alone will be a huge difference.

Ultimately, what’s important is that the Lakers keep the main thing the main thing. That means continuing to stack wins, especially since they’ve fallen to fifth place in the Western Conference standings. Their game against the Clippers is vital because a win would bring the Lakers one step closer to owning the tiebreaker against their rival. And, with the West looking as competitive as ever, that might become important as the season goes on.

Notes and Updates

  • For the Lakers’ injury report, Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are listed as out.
  • As for the Clippers, Bradley Beal (left hip fracture), Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring), Derrick Jones Jr., (right knee sprain) and Chris Paul (not with team) are out.
  • Kawhi Leonard (left knee contusion) is questionable.
  • The season series between the Lakers and the Clippers is currently at 1-1.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

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Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers traded to Mets for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat

The trade we expected to happen this offseason has finally happened. Freddy Peralta has been traded to the Mets, per multiple reports. In return, the Brewers will get two of the Mets’ top prospects: Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. The Brewers are also sending Tobias Myers to the Mets in the trade.

Rumors around the Brewers trading Freddy Peralta have been swirling all offseason. While the Brewers kept insisting that they would keep him for the final year of his contract, it followed the same pattern we’ve seen from previous players who were entering their final years, such as Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams. There was some hope that the Brewers would keep him — they kept Willy Adames for the final year of his contract. It was just a matter of whether the right deal came around for Peralta, and someone finally met the Brewers’ asking price.

The addition of Myers in the deal comes as a surprise. It’s been reported by Michael Marino that the Brewers initially offered a Williams/Sproat for Peralta trade, but the Mets countered to get Myers added to the deal.

Myers spent most of 2025 in Triple-A after a strong rookie season in 2024, but was on the rise as the season came to an end. In 10 2/3 innings in September, he posted a 2.53 ERA and 4.17 FIP out of the bullpen. He made the roster for the NLCS, but made just one appearance, where he allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning. His 2024 season was much better, as he was one of the leaders in the rotation, posting a 3.00 ERA and 3.91 FIP in 27 games (25 starts) over 138 innings. However, with the Brewers’ depth at starting pitcher, his chances of getting back into the rotation in Milwaukee were looking slim.

Jett Williams was rated as the No. 3 prospect in the Mets system and No. 30 overall on MLB Pipeline in their 2025 rankings. FanGraphs was a little cooler on him, ranking in at No. 6 for the Mets and No. 69 overall in their trade deadline update. He spent the majority of last season in Double-A, but earned a promotion to Triple-A later in the year. In 96 Double-A games, he batted .281/.390/.477 with a wRC+ of 156. That cooled down to .209/.285/.433 with an 81 wRC+ in Triple-A, but only in 34 games. Williams has been shifting between second base and shortstop in the minors, but he was also behind Francisco Lindor on the depth chart. Moving to Milwaukee, he has a better opportunity to stick at shortstop with the Brewers looking for an upgrade on offense over Joey Ortiz. However, Williams will likely need some more time at Triple-A, but should still make an impact on the 2026 team.

Brandon Sproat was rated as the No. 5 prospect on MLB Pipeline for the Mets, but did not slot into the top 100. However, FanGraphs was more positive on him, ranking him No. 3 for the Mets and No. 51 overall. Sproat made his MLB debut in 2025, making four starts in September for the Mets. He allowed 11 runs in 20 2/3 innings, struck out 17, and walked seven. Sproat has a fastball that can reach triple digits and regularly sat in the 95-98 mph range in Triple-A, but also was hit at a rate of .380 with it. He also regularly mixes in a slider, curveball, and changeup as well. Sproat should be in competition for a starting spot in Spring Training, though he could also start the year in Triple-A to develop a little more.

Meanwhile, Peralta will head to the Mets and strengthen their rotation. The Mets were around the middle of the pack with their rotation in 2025, posting a 4.13 ERA (18th in MLB) and 3.95 FIP (9th) as a team. Peralta will fill one of their biggest offseason needs and should be one of their top starters entering 2026.

This ends Peralta’s time as a Brewer. He will finish his time with the third-highest career strikeout total and the 10th most starts by a Brewers pitcher. He’s been a strong part of the franchise for years, but with free agency approaching, his time was likely approaching its end either way.

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Dylan Larkin Scores OT Winner, Red Wings Complete Season Sweep Of Maple Leafs

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All season long, the Detroit Red Wings have preached the importance of winning games against divisional opponents. 

On Wednesday evening, they made good on their goal.

Dylan Larkin scored the overtime game-winning tally over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, giving Detroit a clean four-game season series sweep over their longtime Original Six rival. 

For Larkin, it was his third overtime game-winning goal of the season, helping Detroit improve to 8-2 in OT. 

It's also Detroit's first regular-season sweep (min. four games) of the Maple Leafs since the 1995-96 season. 

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Goaltender John Gibson continued his run of spectacular play since the beginning of December, making 30 saves for his 20th win of the campaign. 

It was the Maple Leafs who got on the scoresheet first, thanks to Scott Laughton, who was left alone at the side of the net following a missed clearing attempt from defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

Detroit earned multiple high-percentage scoring opportunities, but wasn't able to penetrate goaltender Joseph Woll until late in the first period when Simon Edvinsson knotted the score at 1-1. 

The Maple Leafs had a golden opportunity to seize the lead in the game's middle frame when Laughton was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked on a partial shorthanded breakaway.

However, he fumbled the puck as he attempted to deke Gibson, never getting a clean shot off. 

Neither team found the back of the net in the third period, setting up overtime.

In the extra session, it was defenseman Moritz Seider forcing a turnover at the Toronto blue line and feeding Larkin, who took the puck on his backhand and then roofed a forehand shot past the blocker of Woll, ensuring the extra point for the Red Wings. 

With the victory, the Red Wings improved to 31-16-4 and were put back into a first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. 

Their road trip will continue on Thursday evening with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild. 

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Deja vu? Marie-Philip Poulin scores in OT as Victoire beat Frost 2-1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Marie-Philip Poulin scored a goal in overtime and the Montreal Victoire beat the Minnesota Frost 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Maureen Murphy also had a goal and Ann-Renée Desbiens had 20 saves for Montreal (5-3-0-5).

After the Frost pulled goaltender Nicole Hensley, Kelly Pannek scored a goal that made it 1-1 with 1:02 left in regulation for Minnesota (5-2-3-3), which has lost four of its last five.

Poulin, working from right to left, turned her back to the net and flicked a back-hand shot inside the post with 1:57 left in overtime. Poulin also scored in overtime to help Montreal beat the Frost 3-2 at home Jan. 4.

Murphy scored her first goal of the season to give Montreal a 1-0 lead with 1:31 left in the second period. Nicole Gosling, low along the left board, flicked a shot on goal that Murphy redirected into the net.

The Frost, who went into the game with a league-leading 37 goals this season and tied with New York for the best goal differential (plus-11), were shut out through two periods for the first time this season. Minnesota is 0-4 this season when it trailed going into the third period.

The Victoire lost 2-1 to New York on Sunday to snap the Victoire's three-game win streak. which began with Poulin's first OT winner against Minnesota.

Montreal's Natalie Mlynkova hit the near post with a break-away shot from the left side about five minutes into the second period.

Up next

Montreal: The Victoire host Ottawa on Saturday.

Minnesota: The Frost

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Larkin scores winner, Red Wings top Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime

TORONTO (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored at 3:07 of overtime as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Simon Edvinsson also scored for Detroit. John Gibson made 30 saves. Larkin added an assist for a two-point performance.

Scott Laughton scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 39 shots.

The Red Wings improved to 7-1-0 over their last eight games. The Maple Leafs fell to 1-2-2 across their last five contests following an 8-0-2 run.

Laughton opened the scoring at 4:46 of the first period before Edvinsson replied with 17.7 seconds remaining on the clock, moments after Woll made a huge pad save during a scramble.

Larkin won it in the extra period after Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider stole the puck from Maple Leafs winger Easton Cowan.

Toronto captain Auston Matthews was held off the scoresheet, but had an NHL-best 10 goals since the calendar flipped to 2026 entering play.

Maple Leafs veteran defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson played just under two minutes and didn’t come out for the start of the second period with a lower-body injury. Star winger William Nylander missed a third straight game with a groin issue.

Laughton was awarded a penalty shot late in the second period after being hooked on a short-handed breakaway, but lost the handle on his attempt and didn’t even force a save out of Gibson.

Up next

Red Wings visit Minnesota on Thursday.

Maple Leafs host Vegas on Friday.

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Lakers' Jeanie Buss responds to reported criticism of LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued a statement regarding a story by ESPN about her criticism with LeBron James.

In the article published on Wednesday, Jan. 21, James had fallen out of favor with Buss for his role and actions in recent years involving the organization.

“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Buss said in a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday regarding the ESPN story. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”

The story stated that Buss had not been pleased with the team’s superstar after he failed to take accountability for how things worked out with Russell Westbrook and for how ungrateful James appeared to be after the team drafted James' son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

LeBron James has not publicly commented on the ESPN story.

The bulk of the story details the role of the Buss family's infighting and how it led to the $10 billion sale of one of the NBA's most storied franchises. Jeanie has had a falling out with her siblings in recent years regarding the franchise that has been in the family since the late 1970s.

In February 2013, Jeanie became the controlling owner and governor of the Lakers, following the death of her father, Jerry Buss. In the role, she took full control of both the franchise's business and basketball operations.

When do Lakers play next?

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will play at the L.A. Clippers on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. ET at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeanie Buss responds to reported criticism of Lakers star LeBron James