In a matchup that felt far more like May than January, the Pistons outlasted the Celtics 104–103 on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena, surviving a final Jaylen Brown jumper that fell just short at the buzzer.
The Celtics jumped out to an early 16–8 lead behind Brown’s scoring and strong defensive activity, but the momentum didn’t last long. Jalen Duren scored seven straight points to halt the run, setting the tone for what became a bruising night in the paint.
With four minutes remaining in the quarter, the game’s intensity boiled over. Thirty seconds after Isaiah Stewart checked in, he and Jaylen Brown were assessed double technical fouls following a brief altercation, punctuating an already physical opening quarter.
Boston closed the first with a narrow 29–26 advantage, but the warning signs were there.
Detroit seized control in the second, outscoring Boston 33–22 and flipping the game with defensive playmaking and physicality. Rim protection and activity disrupted Boston’s offensive rhythm, forcing turnovers that the Pistons consistently capitalized on. Detroit scored 19 points off Boston’s 14 turnovers.
Brown carried the scoring, while contributions came in waves from others. Five Celtics reached double figures, but Boston struggled to generate consistent offense against the NBA’s No. 2 defense. The Pistons’ defensive pressure, highlighted by emphatic blocks at the rim from Stewart and Cade Cunningham, helped build their confidence heading into the break.
Boston made its push coming out of halftime. A pair of Sam Hauser three-pointers and a short jumper trimmed the Pistons’ lead to one early in the third, injecting life back into the game.
Payton Pritchard provided a needed spark, scoring 10 points in the quarter to keep the Celtics within striking distance as Detroit leaned on hot shooting from Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris to maintain its edge.
The game settled into a possession-by-possession battle from there.
The fourth quarter mirrored the rest of the night — physical, tense, and tightly contested. Boston had chances to take control and answered just enough to keep their hopes alive. Ultimately, a communication breakdown on a Tobias Harris three-pointer and a pair of missed free throws from Brown proved to be the difference.
Down one in the final moments, the Celtics put the ball in Brown’s hands for a potential game-winner. His jumper was off the mark, and Detroit escaped with the one-point victory.
WHAT A GAME. Jaylen Brown's shot bounces off the rim and the Pistons hold on to win! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ZCYnI05qDH
The Celtics showed fight and resilience, but the Pistons’ second-quarter surge and defensive connectivity proved decisive. Brown led Boston’s scoring effort with 32 points, and played a large part in Cade Cunningham’s quiet 16-point outing. Tobias Harris’ 25 points, Jalen Duren’s 18 points and nine rebounds, and Duncan Robinson’s five three-pointers elevated the Pistons just out of the Celtics’ reach.
Payton Pritchard chipped in 17 points, while Sam Hauser put together another solid night with 16 points on four made threes. Derrick White’s 1-for-11 outing was difficult to dismiss in a game where both sides were searching for production.
This one came down to margins — a missed shot, poor ball security, and missed free throws. Detroit flexed their muscles defensively, and handled those moments just a bit better.
The Celtics head back home for a rematch against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, a team they dropped a close one to as well just a week ago.
There was plenty of animosity from fans directed at Knicks players. But the loudest boos were held for Karl-Anthony Towns.
When he briefly checked out of the game late in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 114-97 loss to the Mavericks on Monday at Madison Square Garden, he was hounded with loud jeers.
“I mean, you spend what $140 to represent your favorite player with a jersey,” Towns said of the boos. “And you come to an MLK Day game at The Garden and the tickets are twice to three times the price, and to come here and spend your hard-earned money, money that you’ve saved up to bring your family to this game and for us to come here and obviously to not only win — which is disappointing — but to not really have a chance? I’d be disappointed too, and fans, they spend their hard-earned money. They give us so much love and motivation to go out there and they’re expecting results and so do we. So fans are doing their part and we’ve gotta do our part.”
Karl-Anthony Towns on the boos at MSG directed at him and the team
"You spend $140 to represent your favorite player with a jersey. You come to MLK Day here at The Garden and tickets are 3x the price. I'd be disappointed too" pic.twitter.com/vrTAznt1mV
Towns has struggled during the Knicks free fall. He was given a flagrant foul for kicking Dwight Powell in the groin while taking a 3-pointer. By the end, it was the fourth straight game he recorded five fouls.
“You just gotta win at the end of the day,” Towns said after finishing with 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting and 18 rebounds. “Fans nor us want to hear any excuses. We’ve just gotta wanna get the job done and that’s what we’ve gotta do.”
With the Knicks back to full strength, Jordan Clarkson might now be on the periphery of coach Mike Brown’s rotation.
He played just two minutes in Monday’s loss.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns #32 puts up a shot as Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall #13 defends during the third quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“There are different combinations that we haven’t had this year,” Brown said. “My biggest goal, I got a range of minutes that I like guys to play. With these eight, eight and a half to nine guys, it’s hard to get them to that range by playing many more guys. I gotta keep messing around with it and make sure that it fits seamlessly with the group to help them flow on the floor, on both ends.”
Draymond Green tormented Towns on the court last week during the Knicks loss to the Warriors on Thursday and then on his podcast posted Monday, saying the Knicks center’s voice weakens his ability to trash-talk.
“OG Anunoby and I were having a conversation,” Green said. “And [Towns] came over and joined in, talking. And he told me, ‘Hey man, you’re going to start talking in the last minute and a half of the game? You’re a front-runner.’
“Now, one thing Karl-Anthony Towns can’t do is call me a front-runner. His voice changes too much to call someone a front-runner. Because we don’t really know which KAT we getting.”
The 2026 Hall of Fame Class will be announced on Tuesday. Several former Braves on on the ballot for consideration, but the one name that likely is being followed the most is Andruw Jones. In his 9th and second to last year of initial eligibility, Jones is projected to have a very good shot at finally being inducted. While many in Braves Country have been known for years Jones deserves the honor, we will know if it happens in reality in less than 24 hours.
Braves News
Less than a day after learning of the injury to Ha-Seong Kim, the Braves signed utility player Jorge Mateo to a one-year deal. He will also be the backup shortstop to Mauricio Dubon.
The Dallas Maverick won their third straight game in blowout fashion Monday afternoon in New York, dominating the Knicks 114-97.
Dallas made was hot from three yet again, getting out and punishing a lackadaisical Knicks team that didn’t seem all that interested in playing this game. As we’ve seen from this Mavericks team time and again, if you’re unprepared or not ready to play, Dallas will jump on you, despite their poor record.
The Mavericks were led by a game-high 26 points from Max Christie, while Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 22 points for the Knicks.
Let’s get to the numbers.
3: Consecutive first-halves the Mavericks scored 70 or more points
The Mavericks are currently the 27th ranked offense in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. They entered this matchup making just 34 percent of their threes, a bottom-third of the league number. Even at full-strength (well, what counts for full-strength for this Dallas squad), this Mavericks team hasn’t scored the ball well most of this season. Now they look like the Showtime Lakers.
It’s very funny and strange that Dallas has gone on this heater at perhaps the most shorthanded this roster has been all season — Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and PJ Washington are out, Cooper Flagg missed both Jazz games, and that’s not even counting Dereck Lively and Kyrie Irving, one who is out for the season, and the other who hasn’t played a single game yet. This ragtag group of two-way rookies and undrafted free agents (along with a few obviously key veterans) have propelled Dallas to score 70 points or more in the first half of each of the last three games.
Just a remarkable streak for a team that couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. Who knows how long it can last, but it’s fun to watch.
15: Points scored by Moussa Cisse
A career night for the Mavericks talented two-way big man, Moussa Cisse did what’s he’s done all season when given time: plays his ass off, run the floor hard, rebound, and block shots. Cisse added the cherry on top by finishing lobs and dump-off passes, scoring a career-high 15 points while also grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots.
Cisse clearly has something, yet he’s still very raw. He fouls a lot, which makes it hard for him to stay on the floor, but he’s improving — the Knicks game signaled the third-straight 20-plus minute night from Cisse, the first time he’s played 20 minutes or more in three straight games all season. The Mavericks should do what they can to free up room to sign Cisse to a full contract, so he can get as much time on the floor as possible before the season ends.
32: Mavericks fastbreak points
Dallas literally ran New York off the floor in this one, outscoring the Knicks in transition 32-6. It was a stark contrast — the Mavericks looked like they were consistently two or even three steps ahead of a plodding Knicks team.
The Mavericks pushed at every opportunity they got, and funny enough a lot of those transition buckets were threes. Dallas scored only 44 points in the paint in this one, and while Dallas certainly had a decent amount of layups and dunks on the break, they were able to push ahead and get the Knicks scrambling while Max Christie and Klay Thompson sprinted to the line. Despite being a road game and a unique start time, the Mavericks never looked sluggish. Kudos to them.
A showdown between one of the league’s top offenses facing one of the league’s staunchest defenses ended with defense winning out as a Jaylen Brown contested jumper bounced off the rim, and the Detroit Pistons outlasted the Boston Celtics 104-103 in front of a raucous Little Caesars Arena crowd.
It was a prize fight for 48 minutes, going back and forth with the Celtics hitting deep threes and Detroit’s defense creating running opportunities. It also featured two freshly minted All-Star starters as Cade Cunningham faced Brown. Brown won the matchup 32 points to 16, but Cunningham won the war.
Cade’s wrist is obviously still impacting his offense, and he was relatively selective with his shots. The ones he did take, beyond 15 feet anyway, were flat. But Cade played a brilliant facilitation game and attacked the rim when the opportunity presented itself. Cunningham had 14 assists and zero turnovers and was able to get himself to the line 10 times.
The belt for this one goes to Tobias Harris. The soft-spoken Detroit veteran played his best game of the season, with a team-high 25 points. He hit several huge threes on a night when Detroit struggled with its shot. The Pistons also called his number often, as they took advantage of size mismatches by feeding the power forward in the post to back down an undersized Celtics defender and get a clean look at his patented 10-foot turnaround jumper. Harris also delivered defensively, switching and playing solid help and man-to-man defense. It was Harris who got the assignment to guard Brown with 4.4 seconds remaining, with the entire arena knowing exactly where the ball was going as Boston looked for a game-winning shot.
Detroit also got a big boost from Jalen Duren early. He was nearly unstoppable inside with his face-up game, his deft footwork to create easy looks at the rim, and his rim pressure in the pick-and-roll. He finished with 18 points and nine rebounds
When the Pistons weren’t turning to Unc to patiently dissect Boston’s defense, they relied on their defense to create offense. The Pistons had a 19-4 advantage in points off turnovers and a 20-3 advantage on the fastbreak. Again and again, the Pistons had an answer for whatever Boston was able to throw at them.
Whether it was Brown’s all-around offensive brilliance or 11 combined threes from Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, Detroit never looked like a team that expected anything less than a victory when the final buzzer sounded. And they were right. Again. Because they put themselves in a position to rely on their defense for one final possession. And their defense was up to the task.
The Pistons team is imperfect. It’s clear they need more shooting. But it is also clear they have so many ingredients needed to deliver a championship. Tonight they faced off against one of the best teams in the league and came out on top. It’s just what they do.
DENVER — Alex Barré-Boulet didn’t just answer the call — he made it count.
The 28-year-old forward, the Colorado Eagles’ leading point producer and a key contributor for the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, was summoned on short notice to replace Valeri Nichushkin, who was ruled out of Monday afternoon’s game against the Washington Capitals. Nichushkin was scratched after sustaining minor injuries in a multi-car accident while en route to the arena, forcing the Avalanche into a last-minute lineup adjustment.
Barré-Boulet Serves as Late Call-Up for Nichushkin
Barré-Boulet, who has recorded 12 goals and 25 assists for a team-leading 37 points in 36 games with the Eagles, received the call roughly two hours before puck drop. Unlike in boxing, where late replacements can decline a fight, hockey doesn’t afford that luxury. When the call comes, you go.
And Barré-Boulet made the most of his opportunity.
He recorded an assist in Colorado’s 5–2 victory, earning his first NHL point in more than two years. Just under six minutes into the opening period, Barré-Boulet left a pass for Parker Kelly at the top of the zone. Kelly carried the puck in, slammed on the brakes, and fed Cale Makar for a point shot that Kelly deflected past Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren to give Colorado a 1–0 lead.
The goal marked Kelly’s ninth of the season — a career high for the 26-year-old — but it carried added significance for Barré-Boulet. It was his first NHL point since December 21, 2023, when he scored for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 5–4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Credit: Jonathan Dyer. Barré-Boulet's last NHL goal to date.
Perhaps even more notable, Barré-Boulet hadn’t dressed for an NHL game in well over a year.
Barré-Boulet Makes an Impact
Making an impact on such short notice did not go unnoticed by head coach Jared Bednar.
“I liked him. That line did some good things for us. They drew a few icings, had a good forecheck, drew a penalty,” he stated. “They were able to sustain some o-zone time in the second period. We were able to jump out our top guys and get a favorable matchup a couple times.
“Short notice for sure and he came in and did a nice job. (Washington) shortened their bench a little bit, so did we. So they didn’t see a lot of ice time in the second half of the game.”
Prior to Monday night, Barré-Boulet had not appeared in an NHL game in more than 15 months. His last outing came on October 10, 2024, when he suited up for the Montreal Canadiens against the Boston Bruins in the final game of a brief two-game stint. He recorded no points and picked up two penalty minutes during that stretch.
Since then, Barré-Boulet has spent the bulk of his time with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, where he enjoyed a strong 2024–25 campaign. In 64 regular-season games, he posted 22 goals and 41 assists for 63 points, then added three goals and 11 points in 13 playoff appearances.
Barré-Boulet was reassigned to the Eagles following the game, but he returned to the AHL having reinforced what the Avalanche saw during the preseason. His two-way play is no fluke. He has shown he is more than just a scorer — he is committed to rounding out every aspect of his game, a standard he has set throughout his professional career.
That approach will likely be rewarded with another call-up down the line when the Avalanche need him again.
Knicks celeb super fan Ben Stiller had a social media meltdown watching the Knicks drop their fourth straight game aon Monday in an ugly 114-97 defeat at the hands of the Mavericks at Madison Square Garden
Stiller, whose ride-or-die fandom has been on full display during the Knicks’ recent playoff runs, seemed to speak for most Knicks fans during the game.
He followed it up by posting, “f———————” a short while later.
“This is a team issue not a player issue,” Stiller continued in a third post during the Knicks game.
The New Yorker tried to remain in good spirits with his last post on the game writing, “Trying to stay positive.”
Comedian Ben Stiller reacts on celebrity row during the first half when the New York Knicks played the Phoenix Suns Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Fellow Knicks fans likely know Stiller’s pain after the team dropped its fourth consecutive game and suffered its ninth loss in its last 11 games since New Year’s Eve.
Ben Stiller’s thread of tweets on X during the Knicks-Mavericks game on Monday night. X @BenStiller
“I’m okay with the boos,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game. “I mean, if we’re playing crapy…boo. If I was in the stands, I’d probably boo too. You pay [hard-earned] money to come to the game, and this is a form of entertainment for the fans, they know good basketball and they know bad basketball. And we didn’t play good basketball in the first half, so I’m okay with the boos.”
Brown took his team to task in earlier comments during his postgame press conference and even dropped an F-bomb at one point, which he paused and apologized for.
“Bottom line is we gotta lock in and do our job for 48 minutes. There was nothing to be said at halftime except do your job,” he said.
Tyrese Maxey – 17 VJ Edgecombe – 5 Paul George – 5 Joel Embiid – 4 Andre Drummond – 2 Dominick Barlow – 1 Adem Bona – 1 Justin Edwards – 1 Quentin Grimes – 1 Jared McCain – 1 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Sixers welcomed the Indiana Pacers to South Philly on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a Monday night tilt between Eastern Conference foes. Paul George was the lone Sixer unavailable in this one as part of his load management plan for his knee. The Sixers came into this one riding the news of Tyrese Maxey having been named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter.
The Sixers jumped out to an early 33-30 advantage after the first quarter behind some efficient scoring inside the arc. The Sixers were led in the first by none other than Joel Embiid and Maxey. Embiid poured in 10 points, knocking down a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. Maxey put 11 on the board of his own. The Pacers were spear headed by Joel Embiid countrymate Pascal Siakam who put in nine points.
The Sixers went cold in the second quarter, only mustering 17 points in the period. The Pacers went to the intermission with a 55-50 lead led by Andrew Nembhard and Siakam.
The Sixers got it revved back up in the third quarter putting in 32 points in the period. The third quarter was similar to the first. Embiid was firing on all cylinders. He led the Sixers with 21 points heading into the fourth quarter. The Sixers took a slim 82-81 advantage into the final frame. Former Sixer T.J. McConnell was a thorn in the Sixers’ side as he led all bench scorers with 10 points after three.
The fourth quarter was a slow grind to start as the Pacers took an early 88-86 lead. The Sixers from there would go on a 21-3 run led by a career high eight steals from your newest All-Star starter, Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers would take a commanding lead at 107-91 with just 3:00 to go in the ball game and not surrender it from there. The Sixers would go on to win this one by a final score of 113-104.
Tyrese Maxey: 29 points, 8 assists, 8 steals, 12-for-24 from the field
Maxey set a career high with eight steals in this one. Maxey became just the second Sixer in franchise history to go for 25 points, eight assists and eight steals, and the first since Allen Iverson in 2003. Maxey is also the first Sixers guard since Iverson 16 years ago to be named an NBA All-Star starter. The newest-minted Sixers All-Star starter was a nightmare to stop from getting to the rim in this one. Maxey poured in 14 of his 29 points in the final period to stretch the Sixers lead and pull away for the win.
Joel Embiid: 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-for-17 from the field, 9-for-10 from the foul line
Embiid continues to show he is still one of the best big men in the game of basketball. This marked 14 consecutive games of 20+ from Embiid, a sight common for Sixers fans over the years. Embiid started off this one knocking down his first five attempts from the field and, after a quiet second quarter, got it rolling again in half No. 2 to help carry the Sixers to victory.
TORONTO (AP) — Marcus Foligno had his first NHL hat trick to double his season goals total, Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and the Minnesota Wild beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday night.
The 34-year-old Foligno in the second period at even strength and on a power play, then into an empty net in the third.
Ryan Hartman added a goal and an assist, and Kirill Kaprizov and defensemen Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber each had two assists. Hughes has two goals and 18 assists in 18 games with the Wild since being acquired from Vancouver on Dec. 12.
Filip Gustavsson stopped 27 shots. The Wild have won two straight to open a three-game trip after being swept on a three-game homestand. They beat Buffalo 5-4 in overtime Saturday.
Auston Matthews scored his 25th goal of the season and had an assist for Toronto. John Tavares and Nicholas Robertson also scored. Joseph Woll allowed five goals on 29 shots in two period. Dennis Hildeby stopped nine shots in the third.
The Maple Leafs had won seven in a row a home.
Foligno gave Minnesota a 3-1 lead at 6:53 of the second, Tarasenko followed with his second of the game at 8:24 and Foligno made it 5-1 on a power play with 46 seconds left in the period.
It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re open again for business. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come in out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last week I asked you if, after the trade for Edward Cabrera and the signing of Alex Bregman, the Cubs were now the team to beat in the National League Central. Seventy-two percent of you agreed that the Cubs are now the favorites in the Central. Another 27 percent went with the defending champs, the Brewers. The Reds managed to eke out one percent of the vote, which was more than what the Pirates and Cardinals got.
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. The BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic is well underway, but you’re still free to join in the fun. But you’re also free to skip that. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Tonight we’re featuring the Charles Mingus Sextet in Norway in 1964 playing the Billy Strayhorn tune made famous by Duke Ellington, “Take the ‘A’ Train.”
Mingus is the bassist, of course, and Eric Dolphy plays bass clarinet. Jake Byard is on piano, Clifford Jordan on tenor sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet and Dannie Richmond is the drummer.
You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic between Star Wars and Alien and Alien pulled off the upset. A mild upset, to be sure, but an upset nonetheless. I did call it the “Star Wars bracket” afterall. I do wonder if Star Wars’ reputation has suffered because of the uneven quality of all the recent intellectual property spinoffs. I’ve only seen a few of them and I haven’t really considered myself a “Star Wars fan” since I was about 14 years old. But I know that there are millions out there that still revere it. But the same is true of Alien, I guess.
Tonight we have the second semifinal of the “Star Wars” bracket between the number-one seed Blade Runner and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Blade Runner (1982). Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young.
Blade Runner is the one film that gets mentioned a lot as an alternative to 2001: A Space Odyssey when critics are naming the greatest science fiction film of all time. I guess Stalker and Metropolis might get a few mentions as well, but it’s those two that, it seems to me, get mentioned the most often. It’s not hard to see why. Both of them are science fiction films with ambition. They both are trying to transcend the genre and elevate it at the same time.
Here’s the opening scene of Blade Runner. I considered giving you the famous “tears in rain” speech as a clip, but since that’s a spoiler at the end of the film, I thought it best to avoid giving you that one for those of you who still haven’t seen it. But those of you already familiar with it can click on the link above if you want to relive it.
5. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Ricardo Montalban.
It’s entirely possible that I’ve seen The Wrath of Khan more than any other film. I don’t really keep track so I don’t know, but I’ve seen it a lot. If I just want a film for pure entertainment value, there’s not much better than The Wrath of Khan. There’s a saying that these kinds of films are only as good as their villain, and it doesn’t get much better than Montalban playing Khan here. But the film also takes advantage of our familiarity with the crew of the Enterprise and lets them play into their strengths as well. There’s also a video online where director Meyer explained how he made Shatner do take after take in order to tire him out and get a more subdued and world-weary Kirk. That somewhat explains the good job Shatner did here as well.
The scene where Khan reveals himself on Ceti Alpha Five.
Now it’s time to vote.
You have until Wednesday to vote. Coming up next, Brazil (1985) takes on Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991).
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and the movies.
In the time between the Cubs failing to sign NPB-import Tatsuya Imai and the Cubs trading for Edward Cabrera, there was a lot of talk about the Cubs pivoting to free agent Zac Gallen to bolster their starting rotation. There was also a lot of talk about the Cubs interest in Zac Gallen earlier as Bob Nightengale erroneously reported, as Bob is wont to do, that the Cubs had come to terms with Gallen. Nightengale may have been wrong about the signing, but other writers did confirm that the Cubs were interested in the former Diamondbacks right-hander.
It did seem like the Cubs interest in Gallen was over after the recent moves. For one, trading for Cabrera lessens the need for a starting pitcher on the Cubs. Two, the signing of Alex Bregman puts the Cubs right up against the luxury tax threshold and it is widely assumed that even if the Cubs were willing to go a little above that, they wouldn’t go enough over it sign a major free agent.
But the market for Gallen, 30, has not developed like he and his agent Scott Boras would have liked. There are a few reasons for that. The first is that Gallen, an ace in 2022 and 2023 and not much worse in 2024, had a poor season in 2025. We’ll get into that a bit later. The other reason is that Gallen turned down a qualifying offer from the Diamondbacks and teams are reluctant to give up a draft pick on top paying a lot of money for someone who isn’t elite. If you just base it on his 2025 season, Gallen isn’t an elite pitcher anymore. So it seems that Boras is pivoting to his normal tactic in such situations—have the player sign a short-term deal that would get him back on the market for a big payday while h’e still young.
Thus, Bruce Levine dropped a bit of a bombshell over the weekend when he reported that the Cubs and Boras are still talking about a deal that would bring Gallen to Chicago on a short-term deal. Such a deal would put the Cubs way over the luxury tax threshold that they’ve been reluctant to cross in recent years, but it’s also not something that ownership can’t afford, from everything we know.
So why might the Cubs bust the budget and lose a draft pick for Zac Gallen? The Cubs starting rotation currently looks like this:
Matthew Boyd
Cade Horton
Shōta Imanaga
Jameson Taillon
Edward Cabrera
There’s also Justin Steele, who will return from elbow surgery sometime this year. Let’s pencil him in for June. The Cubs top pitching prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, could also be ready for the majors around mid-season or so.
There’s also Colin Rea and Javier Assad who can join the rotation or pitch out of the bullpen.
So if the Cubs already have 5 starters, two in reserve and two who could join the team midseason, why would they want Gallen so much they’d be willing to break the budget for him?
For one, the Cubs would hope that Gallen would be an improvement over one of the five pitchers currently in the rotation. If you have a chance to improve your team, you should. Yes, Gallen had a poor year last year with an ERA of 4.83. He had a career-low strikeout percentage. But he did improve greatly by the end of the season. In the final two months of the year, Gallen made 11 starts and put up an ERA of 3.32. His strikeout rate also increased back to what it had been from 2021 to 2024, when Gallen was good. If you think that Gallen figured out whatever was wrong from March to July, then Gallen is a near-ace pitcher who can be acquired for the price of a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy and for far fewer years.
But the biggest reason to do so is to just add depth to the rotation. We all know that in the National League Division Series, through an injury to Horton and just general ineffectiveness of Imanaga, the Cubs ran out of starting pitchers. Horton has battled injuries throughout his career. So has Cabrera. Truth be told, Boyd isn’t far removed Tommy John surgery in 2023. While the Cubs hope Steele will be back sooner rather than later, there is no guarantee of that.
On top of that, Boyd, Imanaga, Taillon and Rea are all free agents after this upcoming season. The Cubs are going to have to find more pitchers for 2027 and beyond.
The big reason not to sign Gallen is, if you look at the totality of his 2025 season, that he’s a declining pitcher on who has just passed 30. I don’t think 30 is as old for a pitcher as it is for a position player, but Gallen does have a lot of innings on his arm. If you don’t think Gallen’s last two months truly represent a return to form, then you probably don’t want to sign Gallen for any price, considering the loss of a draft pick attached.
The other reason is that because Gallen rejected a qualifying offer, the Cubs would lose their second-round draft pick for signing him. The good news is that the Cubs are getting a pick after the second-round for losing Tucker. It’s better to have two draft picks than one here, but at least the Cubs would only be moving down a few picks had they just re-signed Tucker and signed no one who’d gotten an offer.
I’m going to propose that the Cubs offer Gallen a two-year deal worth $40 million, with a mutual option for a third year for another $20 million. If the Cubs decline the option, there’s a $4 million buyout. If Gallen declines it, there’s no penalty. In any case, Gallen can go back on the market in two years and if he pitches well, get one last big deal. If he doesn’t pitch well, at least he’s guaranteed $44 million.
So should the Cubs offer this deal?
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Once again, a slow start and sieve-like defense were too much for the Nets to overcome Monday, lit up 126-117 by the Suns before 17,344 at Barclays Center.
The Nets put seven scorers in double figures but still spent much of the night teetering on being blown out. That’s how bad their defense was as they fell for the seventh time in their last eight games.
It’s hard to picture the Nets (12-29) snapping that skid unless they start guarding and getting back in transition. They allowed 57.1 percent shooting, and 20-for-39 from 3-point range.
“Oh man, it was a real physical game out there. Credit to them, they punched us in the mouth first. And we just tried to respond, match their physicality,” said Ziaire Williams, who had 15 points in his first game back since Jan. 7. “They’re a good ball club, man. They play really well together, the ball was moving. So it took a lot of second and third efforts out of us.”
Michael Porter Jr. had 23 points to lead seven Nets in double figures despite playing without Egor Dëmin, Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe. But Brooklyn couldn’t get a stop on the other end.
Brooklyn remains fifth in the lottery race. They’re a game behind idle Sacramento, and kept pace a game ahead of sixth-place Utah, which lost.
Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets drives top the basket as Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns defends during the first half when the Brooklyn Nets played the Phoenix Suns Monday, January 19, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Nets allowed a misprint-like 71.4 percent in a first quarter that saw them fall behind by 15. They conceded 6-for-9 from deep in that opening period, and trailed 28-13.
Dillon Brooks scored 27 points and Devin Booker 24 for the Suns.
Jordan Ott — who spent six years as a Nets assistant from 2016-22 — came back for the first time as a head coach. His Suns, projected to win just 30 games this season, are on pace for 50. They’re 11-4 over their last 15 games and lit the Nets up.
Brooklyn led 9-7 after Nic Claxton (12 points, eight rebounds, six assists) kicked out to Noah Clowney for a 3-pointer. But they coughed up the next eight unanswered points, in a run that eventually reached 21-4.
Drake Powell #4 of the Brooklyn Nets puts up a shot over Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half when the Brooklyn Nets played the Phoenix Suns Monday, January 19, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Brooklyn spent the rest of the night chasing.
Booker hit a short jumper to put the Nets in a 64-44 hole.
It was still 72-57 with 1:37 left in the half before the Nets closed on an 11-0 run, capped by Terance Mann’s 3-pointer to beat the buzzer.
That got the Nets within four at the break.
Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets makes a jumping pass during the first half when the Brooklyn Nets played the Phoenix Suns Monday, January 19, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Brooklyn fell behind by 18 in the fourth quarter before they mounted a 16-3 run to get back in it. A Porter jumper pulled them within five, and he scored again to make it 114-109 with 5:34 to play.
A Clowney and-one on a driving floater pulled the Nets within 118-114. But Brooks drilled a 3-pointer and the Nets never challenged.
“They’re a great team. When we went over it in scout, they told us they’re No. 1 in 3-point attempts in transition, and we saw that real quick,” said Williams. “So, they gave us the game plan; it just took us too long just to really dial in. And we dug ourself a little hole.”
The loss, which was essentially decided at halftime with New York down 75-47, led to an exasperated crowd at Madison Square Garden to rain down boos from the rafters to show their frustration with the team.
Jalen Brunson, who did not shoot the ball well (9-for-24), was asked after the game what went wrong in the team's latest fiasco, and a clearly frustrated Brunson was up front about the team's struggles.
"We just didn’t follow the game plan at all," he said. "... As a team, we know what we have to do. It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it or we don’t."
While Brunson mentioned that it's a "long season," he also emphasized the importance of fixing the issues that have been plaguing New York as soon as possible.
"We gotta figure this out fast," he said, while also acknowledging that he has all the confidence in the guys in the locker room to do so.
As for the boos that have made their way to MSG after such a special start to the season, Brunson did not hold back.
"I’d be booing us too," he said. "Straight up."
Head coach Mike Brown also weighed in on the jeering from the fans and agreed with Brunson's point of view.
"I'm okay with the boos," he said. "If we're playing crappy, boo. If I was in the stands, I'd probably boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the game."
Following the loss, the Knicks are now 25-18 (third place in the East) and 2-9 in their last 11 games. They still sport an impressive 16-6 record at home, second-best to the Detroit Pistons in the conference, but have lost three of their last four at MSG with Monday's loss not even close.
"I’d be disappointed, too," said Karl-Anthony Towns. "Fans spend their hard-earned money, they give us so much love and motivation to go out there and they expect the results and so do we. Fans are doing their part, we gotta do our part."
Part of doing their part involves tightening up on defense. On Monday, New York let the Mavs shoot 48 percent from the floor and 47 percent from deep. Those numbers were even worse in the first half after the Knicks gave up 75 first-half points.
In fact, the Knicks have only kept their opponents to under 100 points three times this season and none since Nov. 30, which spans 25 games.
"We all need to do some soul-searching, some looking in the mirror," said Josh Hart. "Right now we're playing embarrassing basketball. We're not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we've been abysmal. We've been terrible defensively all year."
The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Phoenix Suns at the Barclays Center Monday evening. It was the first time in a while where the two teams meeting didn’t feel like running into an ex out in public.
No Kevin Durant. No Cam Johnson. No Mikal Bridges. Not even any of Phoenix’s future first rounders were in the backdrop tonight — just a whole lot of buckets on a day to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Brooklyn and Phoenix collectively began tonight shooting 6-of-10 from deep. Two were put in Drake Powell, who returned to the starting lineup with Egor Dëmin held out for injury management…
Although Powell’s name fell into the point guard slot on the pregame lineup card, ball-handling was done by a committee for Brooklyn. Terance Mann got some reps, even dishing seven assists in the first half, as did Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton. (Cam Thomas was also out for injury management.)
Despite the group effort, the Brooklyn’s offense was overshadowed in the first, and for most of the game. While the Nets came out hot, the Suns were white dwarfs, posting 71/67 splits in the first quarter. Dillon Brooks added seven points while shooting 4-of-5 from the field. Phoenix also controlled the game’s pace, grabbing eight points on the break.
The Nets (naturally) caught up a bit when Nolan Traoré checked in at the 4:19 point of the period. He, Jalen Wilson, Danny Wolf, Tyrese Martin, and Ziaire Williams, who returned after missing a week of ball with an illness, cut the deficit to nine after it had ballooned to 15 at one point, yet Phoenix maintained a 40-26 lead after one…
“I’m just grateful just to be out here,” Williams said of his return. “Woke up one morning feeling fine, and then I ended up sick, and missing games, and it was just a reminder of just how anything can be taken away from you by any time…I missed playing with these guys.”
It was the first time the Nets gave up 40 points in a quarter since November 9th. In the second, Michael Porter Jr. looked to get it all back.
After going scoreless in the opening frame, MPJ dropped 13 points while shooting 5-6 from the field. Traoré also continued his run of impressive play since coming up from Long Island. The sequel to his career night in Chicago on Friday started with 10 first half points while shooting a perfect 3-3 from the field. He didn’t get any more in the second half…but still finished the game as a +4.
Williams also hit two threes in the period’s final two four minutes. Mann also put one in for submission seconds before the deadline…
But again, every positive at the offensive end doubled as a negative at the other. Rather than switching, Brooklyn played more of in a drop this evening. Devin Booker and company went to work with the extra space provided. The Suns added 32 more points in the second, maintaining 63/46/91 splits as a team at half, where theu led the Nets by a 72-68 tally.
The Nets also probably threw one too many high doubles at Booker, who had the poise and precision all night to pass out of them and find open shooters.
“We were kind of giving them that shot, trying to live with that rather than Booker ISO,” Mann said. “So, just the ability to make shots down the stretch. They’re a veteran team.”
Even as the shots continued to fall for Phoenix, the Nets did well to keep the deficit from fully reinflating in the third. But while the Phoenix lead didn’t boil, the frustrations for Brooklyn did. Booker and Dillon Brooks each found success baiting the Nets and befooling officials early in the period. The Suns drew nine free throw attempts in the quarter’s first eight minutes after getting 11 in the entire first half.
Fernández said the game was “called like a rugby match,” post game. Williams also noted he felt there were one or two wrongful whistles, but he also tipped his cap to his old teammate.
“I love Dillon to death, man,” he said. “That’s my guy. That’s my big brother. He taught me so much. It’s really dope to see him really flourish this year. I feel like he’s an all star, in my opinion…He’s a great teammate. I hate playing against them but love him on your team. His competitiveness is second to none and I definitely learned a lot of tips and tricks from him.”
The Nets made it a 112-105 game with 7:04 to go after Tyrese Martin connected on a transition three. Porter Jr. followed that up with a quick five, getting three with glam and two with grit…
Michael Porter Jr. gets a flashy one, then a gritty one next time down the floor. pic.twitter.com/A9A72fcuYd
But the mounting pressure from Brooklyn only caused Phoenix’s offensive crystallize and its ball movement to shine. As the Nets repeatedly looked to trap Booker, the Suns the rock with pace and precession, pulling the Brooklyn defense as if it were pizza dough before baking it with a bucket.
“They’re a good ball club, man,” Williams said. “They play really well together, ball was moving.”
The Nets had possesson down nine with a little over a minute to go, but could only draw up a Powell step back three out of the timeout. It clanked off the side rim. Down too much and too late to make playing the foul game acceptable, Brooklyn didn’t down quietly, but a bit quieter than usual.
Final: Phoenix Suns 126, Brooklyn Nets 117
Milestone Watch
Terance Mann’s seven assists in the first half against the Suns are tied for his most in a game this season (fourth time) and tied the most in a half in his career (2/8/22, LAC at MEM).
This was Nolan Traoré’s second career half with 10+ points, joining his 14 points in the second half last night against Chicago.
Halfway There
It’s a common misconception that the All-Star break marks the halfway point in the NBA regular season. That’s usually when we’re about two-thirds of the way there. Believe it or not, tonight was Brooklyn’s 41st game, meaning they’re now at that halfway point. Here was Ziaire Williams’ answer on what the Nets have learned and want to take into second half:
“Yeah, for sure, man, just a whole list of things. Off the top of my mind, we just got to start better. We start off 0-7 and we figured out, but even with tonight, we figured it out, and came up just short. But it’s all a growing process, growing pains, and the best part is, we have a full locker room of guys who want to win and wan’t to compete at the highest level. I feel like that’s the hardest part, is finding a group that loves each other and enjoys going to war with each other every night, and we have that, and that’s the culture that Jordi and the rest of the staff are building. So, we’ll figure it out, and there’s a lot of better days ahead, just got to stay in the process.”
No change in the Tankathon rankings. Nets still is sixth, still two games out of fourth.
Injury Report
The only Net to miss tonight’s game not for injury management or a G-League assignment was Day’Ron Sharpe. The Nets tagged him with an illness/throat contusion injury designation pregame. We’ll monitor the situation and update as we learn more.
Next Up
Brooklyn hasn’t beaten their cross town rival since January of 2023, and even with the Nets sporting the league’s fifth-worst record, it feels like they’ll have a solid chance to break that streak on Wednesday night. The Knicks are in one of their worst losing spells in the Leon Rose era right now, having dropped eight of their last 10 games. The quest for redemption tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.
Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self was reportedly hospitalized on Monday and did not travel with the team to Colorado "out of an abundance of caution," according to ESPN.
Per ESPN, the school said Self was feeling "under the weather" and was later taken to LMH Health, where he was reportedly given IV fluids. According to a statement released by the school, Self is "feeling better but did not accompany the team to Boulder."
Self had another health scare last summer, when he was hospitalized in July after experiencing "some concerning symptoms," wrote Bozello. He was released two days after undergoing a medical procedure in which two stents were placed. He also underwent a similar procedure in 2023 and missed that year's Big 12 and NCAA tournaments due to chest tightness and balance concerns.
Self has been one of the most decorated coaches in college basketball history since taking the helm at Kansas in 2003, leading the Jayhawks to 14 consecutive Big 12 championships from 2004-2018. He's coached Kansas to four final four appearances and national titles in 2008 and 2022 — making him the only coach in school history to win multiple national championships. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. On Nov. 12, 2024, Self passed Allen Phog as the winningest coach in Kansas history.
