San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Iorio (22) looks to pass the puck during the NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks on January 11, 2026 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA.
PITTSBURGH — Players with an upside are the top target of this Rangers retooling initiative, and the club made its first pickup via the waiver wire on Saturday.
Defenseman Vincent Iorio is headed to New York after the Blueshirts claimed him off waivers from the Sharks, the team announced.
At 23 years old, Iorio has 30 career NHL games of experience and is thought to have potential as a mobile right-handed blueliner.
San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Iorio (22) looks to pass the puck during the NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks on January 11, 2026 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
His 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame also makes him an intriguing addition to the Rangers defense corps.
In anticipation of more trades before the March 6 trade deadline, which could include the departure of another member of the back end in Braden Schneider, the Rangers filled an expected need.
Drafted 55th overall by the Capitals in 2021, Iorio registered a career high and skated in 21 games for the Sharks this season.
He only appeared in nine contests over two seasons for the Capitals before the organization waived him in October.
Vincent Iorio of the San Jose Sharks reacts to the play during the first period against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on January 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NHLI via Getty Images
During the 2024-25 AHL season, Iorio’s 20 points in 67 games with the San Jose Barracuda ranked third among his fellow D-men.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Mike Nwoko scored 21 points as LSU outlasted South Carolina 92-87 in overtime on Saturday.
LSU (14-8, 2-7 Southeastern Conference) outscored the Gamecocks 14-9 in overtime and went 21 of 25 from the free-throw line. Rashad King finished with 18 points for LSU, while Marquel Sutton added 16 points and eight rebounds. Max Mackinnon scored 15 points and recorded a season-high eight assists.
The Tigers struck first after going into halftime up one, but South Carolina answered with a surge midway through the second half. Elijah Strong and Eli Ellis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Gamecocks a 56-52 lead, and South Carolina later built a five-point cushion with just over eight minutes remaining.
LSU responded with King converting a driving layup with 5:54 left and drilling a go-ahead 3-pointer 40 seconds later. After several late lead changes, Nwoko tied the game at 78 with a layup at the 1:39 mark, and neither team scored again before the horn.
LSU took control in overtime at the free-throw line. King and Pablo Tamba combined to go 8 of 8 from the stripe in the extra period, and Mackinnon sealed it with a 23-foot 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining.
Meechie Johnson led South Carolina with 21 points and six assists. Kobe Knox scored 15 points, and Ellis added 14 off the bench.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: Julius Erving speaks at Vince Carter's jersey retirement during half time of the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat's match up at Barclays Center on January 25, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nets won the ABA’s final game. Then they were forced to sell the best player in the world just to survive. Yeah, that qualifies as a justification for a curse.
The Nets and Nuggets were the last two teams to play an ABA game: May 13, 1976.
It’s the 50-year anniversary for the final ABA season and the final championship won by the then New York, then New Jersey, then Brooklyn Nets. .
There are four ABA teams that are still in the NBA: Nuggets, Nets, Pacers, and Spurs, the survivors of a league that once reached 12. The Nets are the outlier in that they’re the only team that has not won a championship since the merger in 1976. You’d think a 50th anniversary would be mentioned this year, in some form. It hasn’t happened.
Perhaps it’s uncelebrated for several reasons.
The 50-year anniversary of the merger is less a celebration than a blemished milestone. The NBA didn’t inherit the ABA… it sort of replaced it. The league kept the stars and the style, but erased the branding, records, and much of the acknowledgment that another league helped build the modern game.
“The ABA still lives within the NBA, no question about it,” Erving said in 2016.
Honoring the ABA means revisiting uncomfortable math. Four teams were allowed in. Two were paid to essentially disappear (Kentucky Colonels & Spirits of St. Louis). The Spirits, owned by Ozzie and Daniel Silna, negotiated a television deal so lucrative that until a decade ago it still made airwaves in today’s NBA TV rights.
They got $2.2 million upfront plus a one-seventh share of television revenue from each ABA team that joined the NBA… forever. As NBA broadcasts exploded in the ’80s and ’90s, that tiny share became massive. The Silnas collected tens of millions a year for decades, eventually totaling hundreds of millions before a 2014 settlement capped it. Forbes called it the “greatest sports deal of all-time.”
Others got rich but ABA contracts got voided or renegotiated. Players had minimal benefits. ABA stats weren’t fully integrated into NBA history, thus the Nets championships technically aren’t even recognized as official.
And one… the Nets
Half a century after joining the NBA, the merger’s costs still cast a shadow over the Nets’ legacy, and Dr. J’s presence looms large.
The New York Nets faced the opposite problem to the Spirits of St. Louis. The Nets were forced to pay the standard $3.2 million expansion fee plus $4.5 million to the New York Knicks for territorial rights. It may not seem onerous now but it was a big deal back then for the Nets owners whose primary asset was not the Nets, but the NHL’s Islanders both of whom played at Nassau Coliseum.
Under the NBA merger rules, each team controlled a 75-mile radius around its arena. No other franchise could relocate, play, or market in that zone without permission, and teams could demand compensation if a newcomer entered their territory. Nassau Coliseum fell squarely inside the Knicks’ protected zone.
Roy Boe, owners of the Nets, paid the $7.7 million in fees (roughly $37-40M today) before salaries, operations, or retaining Julius Erving. The Knicks’ refusal to waive the territorial fee forced the Nets to make the only viable move: sell Erving, native of Roosevelt, Long Island, twisting the knife even further. (Oh yes, the Knicks also refused to accept Dr. J as compensation. They wanted the cash.)
Owner Roy Boe sold Dr. J to the Sixers but it might’ve bought the team a curse. “It killed me to have to think about doing it,” he said in 2002.
Basketball’s sweethearts with Dr. J at the forefront of it all, in the red, white, blue jerseys with the stars on the side. An afro as vibrant and in-your-face as the league. The Boes were simply forced to demolish the culture, the legend.
“There will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Nets, having played on two ABA championship teams for the franchise.” Erving has said.
But Dr. J didn’t necessarily want it to end.
Erving and his agent knew his value. When Boe told him the team couldn’t meet his salary demands, Erving refused to play under those conditions, holding out of camp until a resolution could be found.
In the years that followed, his Philadelphia teams became a perennial contender. The Nets fell into instability, missed the playoffs repeatedly, and Roy Boe sold the team in 1978. He also dealt the Isles and they immediately went on to dominate the NHL with four straight Stanley Cup titles,
Since then…
Relocations:
In 1977, the Nets moved back to New Jersey.
They played at the Rutgers Athletic Center and later the Meadowlands for roughly 30 years.
In 2012, they relocated to Brooklyn, moving into the Barclays Center and rebranding as the Brooklyn Nets.
History:
The Nets reached their first NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 but fell short both times.
Since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, the team has made it past the first round of the playoffs twice.
42.4 win percentage (1,692 wins & 2,303 losses).
Roy Boe purchased the team for $1.1 million in 1969. In 1978, the NYT estimated the Nets valuation at $10 million, but the price of the sale was never made public. The group that purchased the Nets was led by Alan N. Cohen, former Chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, the parent company of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, the Nets’ primary territorial rivals.
As far as it goes for 54-point losses on MSG hardwood or Nets franchise players demanding trades to the Knicks — there’s a reason why it stings extra for the little brother. By no mistake.
Now, 50 years later, Erving returned to the spotlight specifically for Vince Carter’s jersey retirement. Anniversaries tend to spotlight triumph but this one isn’t. The ABA’s influence is everywhere in today’s NBA, but the cost of getting here doesn’t fit neatly into a highlight reel.
The Nets defeated the Nuggets and claimed basketball glory in 1976. Since then, the franchise has moved, rebranded, and struggled, never fully escaping the consequences of the merger.
The Nuggets now boast the best player in the world, Nikola Jokić, and it’s hard not to see the irony. The Nets once had the best player in the world too — and the merger forced them to give him up. Then sold to the rivals.
The franchise hasn’t erased their history completely, but there’s an opportunity to honor it. Just as Dr. J returned for Vince Carter’s retirement, could he also return to the Nets again. Just this week, the NBA finally announced the day for the NBA Lottery: May 10, just three days before the actual anniversary. It would an ideal way to honor the 1976 team, Erving and can conduct a worthy science experiment: if karma can move ping pong balls.
It’ll be expensive to arrange, difficult too with NBA but the price might be worth paying.
Ishan Kishan hit his maiden T20 international century and Arshdeep Singh took five wickets as India thrashed New Zealand by 46 runs to seal the series 4-1 on Saturday.
Kane scores 36th goal of season in leaders’ 2-2 draw
Rashford caps Barcelona’s 3-1 victory to extend lead
Harry Kane scored his 36th goal of the season but Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich let a second-half lead slip to draw 2-2 at Hamburg.
Fábio Vieira put Hamburg in front from the penalty spot then Kane levelled before half-time. The substitute Luis Díaz put the visitors ahead within a minute of the restart, but Luka Vuskovic kept up his good scoring form to earn what could be a precious point for the struggling hosts.
The Buffalo Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens for the final time this season on Saturday. Both clubs are tied for third place in the Atlantic Division with 67 points and Buffalo has won the last two meetings against the Habs, after losing at the Bell Centre in October. The Sabres have two games in hand on second-place Detroit and hope to move within one point of the Wings, who lost to the Colorado Avalanche Saturday afternoon.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media following the morning skate Saturday morning and provided updates on injured defenseman Jacob Bryson and winger Jordan Greenway. Bryson suffered. Bryson suffered an upper-body injury in Montreal last week and was placed on injured reserve, but took to the ice and is considered day-to-day.
Greenway, who has struggled with the lingering effects of a mid-body injury that was surgically repaired last offseason, has not played since the contest at the Bell Centre on January 22nd. Earlier this week, Ruff had indicated that the injury is not preventing the big forward from skating, but that he would likely be undergoing further medical evaluation.
Alex Lyon, who set a club record with his 10th consecutive victory against Los Angeles on Thursday, occupied the home net at the morning skate and is expected to start, while Jakub Dobes is the likely starter for Montreal.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 28: Ben Proudfoot and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors poses for a photo before the game against the Utah Jazz on January 28, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Alex Goodlett/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
At Sundance Film Festival, Steph Curry added another accolade to his already impressive collection.
On Tuesday night, Steph Curry and Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot took home the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for their short film “The Baddest Speechwriter of All.”
The film chronicles the story of Clarence B. Jones, an attorney who was a key speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. It reflects on Jones’ personal experience of the Civil Rights Movement and his perspective on his involvement in shaping the history we all know today.
“Stephen and I are jumping for joy [him a lot higher than I] with this extraordinary recognition,” Proudfoot said, per Deadline.
In 2022, Curry and Proudfoot collaborated on “The Queen of Basketball,” a film about Luisa Harris, the scorer of the first point in Women’s Olympic Basketball history, and the first woman to ever be drafted by an NBA team. Curry served as an executive producer, while Proudfoot directed.
“On a personal note, to share creative duties with Stephen, one of the greatest living athletes and just [a] truly good man, has given me an opportunity to grow as a filmmaker and be part of telling a story I probably never would have learned until Stephen called me,” Proudfoot said about Curry, who wasn’t in attendance at the festival.
The two met up at the Warriors’ game vs the Utah Jazz on January 28th, and planned to celebrate their win after the game.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Rashaun Agee posted 18 points and 15 rebounds as Texas A&M rolled past Georgia 92-77 on Saturday to stay atop the SEC standings.
The Aggies (17-4, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) seized control early behind a 22-0 run while holding Georgia to just two points through nearly five minutes of action. Texas A&M led 51-41 at halftime, shot 45% from the field and went 19 of 20 from the free-throw line.
Georgia cut the deficit to 56-47 early in the second half, but Agee knocked down two 3-pointers after entering the game shooting 18.6% from deep to help Texas A&M rebuild its cushion. The Bulldogs pulled within 69-66 with just over nine minutes remaining, but the Aggies answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Ali Dibba and Jacari Lane to regain control.
Texas A&M closed it out at the line and extended its winning streak against Georgia to seven straight meetings.
Marcus Hill scored 15 points for the Aggies, Rubén Domínguez added 13, and Dibba finished with 15 off the bench. Agee recorded his 10th double-double of the season.
Jeremiah Wilkinson led Georgia (16-6, 4-5) with 17 points and five assists while posting a career high in blocks (2). Kanon Catchings and Blue Cain scored 14 points apiece. Dylan James recorded the first double-double of his career with 13 points and a career high in rebounds (13) off the bench.
The Aggies improved to 10-0 this season when scoring at least 90 points.
The two were not only together during Stearns’ final year in Milwaukee, but Myers was also the starter who carved up the Mets in Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series.
The right-hander allowed just two hits and struck out five batters over five scoreless innings of work in his first-ever postseason appearance.
That fearlessness is one of the things Stearns and the Mets’ front office valued when they picked up Myers as part of the blockbuster deal for Freddy Peralta.
“He’s not afraid,” Stearns said. “He fills up the zone, he goes right after people, he can zone up with pretty much his entire arsenal -- and he’s pitched well in very big moments, as we saw firsthand a couple of years ago.”
The Mets also like the versatility the 27-year-old brings to their staff.
Myers made 25 starts for the Brew Crew during a strong rookie campaign, but he enjoyed even more success as a long-man out of the bullpen last season.
He pitched to a 3.48 ERA as a starter, and a 1.62 ERA in 18 appearances as a reliever.
“Being able to have that success in both,” Stearns said. “We like his ability to give us multiple innings out of the pen, and also flex into the rotation if that’s the way it goes."
Myers will provide the Mets with strong rotation depth, but for now, he figures to begin the year in the bullpen.
He also has a minor league option, if the Mets decide to keep him stretched out in Syracuse.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 23: David Cone smiles after throwing the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Back in August, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley, where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. I thought, what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered — and maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else.
With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-January Birthday Yankee Team.
There was only one real choice I could make for the January team’s pitcher. Cone helped the Yankees to four World Series titles, threw a memorable perfect game, and is still around as part of the YES Network’s broadcast crew. Coney rules!
On the other hand, there’s not an obviously great option to be Cone’s battery mate, so we’ll go with Nunamaker, who we highlighted back on January 25th.
The signing of Giambi was one of the Yankees’ acquisitions that truly did make them feel like an “Evil Empire” back in the 2000s, and he ended up being a very solid presence in the lineup over his tenure in the Bronx.
Considering that Soriano played outfield for much of his career in between his Yankees’ stints, we could’ve maybe finagled him into a spot out there, and rotated some others around to make the overall team stronger. However, his home for most of his Bronx life was at second base. We can’t really put him anywhere else.
Sojo was the utility infield on the Yankees’ dynasty teams of the 90s and early 00s. While he was hardly an all-star at the plate, he helped keep that dynasty going with a big hit in the clinching Game 5 of the 2000 World Series.
There are probably better players we could’ve maneuvered into this spot, but I couldn’t not include the 1978 World Series hero. He had a career OPS of just .392, however in the six-game triumph over the Dodgers, he posted a .938 OPS with a couple big hits.
Left Field: Stan Javier
This is probably the weakest spot in this team. Not because of the player himself, as Javier was a pretty good major leaguer over the course of a 17-year career. However, only seven games of it came with the Yankees (and he was overshadowed on January 9th by 1962 World Series MVP arm Ralph Terry). After he played a couple games with the 1984 Yankees, they traded him to the Athletics that offseason as part of the Rickey Henderson deal.
Center Field: Tim Hendryx
Hendryx is another player that we didn’t get to in our birthday series, but who still makes the team. He played on the Yankees from 1915-17. The last of those was the only one where he got a good amount of playing time, and he was pretty good, but the Yankees traded him that offseason. We ended up going with pitcher Duke Maas for January 31st, Hendryx’s birthday.
Selkirk was the man tasked with replacing literally Babe Ruth in the Yankees’ lineup after the Babe left in 1935. No one would ever confuse him with Ruth, but Selkirk did an absolutely admirable job, and had a very nice nine-year career with the Yankees.
Hall of Famer Johnny Mize would be a decent choice here, as he spent a couple seasons at the end of his career as a pinch-hitting/bench option for the Yankees. However, the DH didn’t exist in his career, and when you look up the dictionary definition of “designated hitter,” Chili Davis might be one of the pictures you’ll find.
A quick hot streak could push them into position for homecourt advantage in the first round. A stumble could doom them toward the Play-In Tournament.
Luckily, the Memphis Grizzlies should be a matchup that helps Minnesota stay on its current hot streak.
My Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies predictions recognize which starter is hottest these days.
Read more in my NBA picks for Saturday, January 31.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies prediction
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies best bet: Jaden McDaniels Over 13.5 points (-112)
Jaden McDaniels clearly doesn’t want to be traded, and he’s been playing all season like he shouldn’t be.
McDaniels’ 21 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from three on Thursday grabbed headlines because it came against the Thunder, but the Minnesota Timberwolves forward has been performing at this level for some time.
He has cleared this prop in seven of his last nine games, part of doing so in 26 of 47 games this season. McDaniels’ long-range shooting has jumped this season, hitting 44.0% on the year while taking 3.4 per game. He should take more tonight.
The Memphis Grizzlies have given up the fourth-most attempts from beyond the arc in the last 10 games, with opponents taking 40.7 threes per game. When McDaniels gets those looks these days, he hits them.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies same-game parlay
McDaniels has hit multiple 3-pointers in three straight games and five of his last six, shooting 58.3% from deep.
That has certainly helped the Timberwolves cover the spread in three consecutive contests.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies SGP
Jaden McDaniels Over 13.5 points
Jaden McDaniels Over 1.5 threes
Timberwolves -9
Our "from downtown" SGP: Playing Facilitator
When Julius Randle has to face a post defender entirely capable of stopping his isolation game, his points suffer — but his assists pop.
For example, he finished with 13 points and five assists against Oklahoma City’s post defenders on Thursday.
Over/Under: Over 229.5 (-110) | Under 229.5 (-110)
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies betting trend to know
Memphis is 2-6 against the spread in its last eight games. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Grizzlies
Location
FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Date
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN North, FDSN Southeast Memphis
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 31: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on January 31, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs came up short to the blossoming Hornets in the matinee game in Charlotte. It was all gas and no brakes early as the Spurs countered the rebounding, pace and LaMelo Ball’s flurry with six 3-pointers, eight fast break points plus the bench added a cushion. They also got some help from Charlotte’s six turnovers, ending the first quarter ahead by four points.
The 3-point shooting came to a crashing halt, missing all seven attempts, while the hosts ran lots of motion. Collin Sexton was their next man to erupt, scoring 10 points in the second quarter, and then Brandon Miller turned into a supernova, pouring in 16, pushing them to a 14-point lead after it was tied with three minutes left in the half.
The Spurs subsequently came out of intermission with little to offer against Charlotte’s paint pressure. They also couldn’t cut the deficit closer than nine points going into the fourth quarter because their turnovers turned into points for the other side. The poor 3-point defense that followed, in combination with getting beat on second attempts, had them looking in bad shape on the ropes until Stephon Castle’s late scoring inspired the team, and they cut the deficit to two, forcing the Hornets to call timeout with five minutes left.
They followed up getting beat to the inside thrice, missed four critical shots and committed the cardinal sin of fouling Miles Bridges on a 3-point attempt. It was curtains after that.
Observations
It takes a bit of an adjustment for players to get comfortable in a matinee game because sometimes the shoot-around or practice is around that time, and these are creatures of routine. The Spurs were affected, being a step behind on defense for most of the game.
Harrison was with the second unit for the first time in 10 years, since he was a Golden State Warrior, and he got hot late when the team badly needed a spark. Unfortunately, after he helped lead the Spurs charge back in the fourth quarter, he was the one who committed that fateful foul on Bridges late.
The Hornets came into the game on a five-game win streak and surged in January with two other quality wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers. Charlotte has been the top team in rebounding percentage over that span and it was no different Saturday, being the nastier team in the trenches. Charlotte has a 15-point rebounding edge and scored 14 extra second-chance points. Additionally, it was too hard for them to recover from Charlotte more than doubling their points in the second quarter. Consider that San Antonio outscored them in the other three.
Kon Knueppel has been no lower than the second-best rookie this season, and the Spurs made it harder for him to get separation on the dribble. All the attention on him and Ball made it easier for Miller to get loose on curling sets and after setting screens. Furthermore, the Hornets made 23 shots in the lane, and most of those belonged to Moussa Diabaté.
Dylan Harper created havoc and was the team’s leading bench scorer, hitting jumpers and attacking the lane. He was arguably the team’s best player in the first half, and it felt like a sneak peek of the future.
Victor Wembanyama had a bad game, being unable to establish himself in the lane, and most of his jumpers were off target. It was also his fourth game of the year without a block.
HOUSTON (AP) — Milos Uzan had 16 points and No. 10 Houston won its 38th straight game over an unranked opponent with a 76-54 victory against Cincinnati on Saturday.
Emanuel Sharp, Chris Cenac Jr. and Isiah Harwell each scored 13 for the Cougars (19-2, 7-1 Big 12).
Cenac scored all of his points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting as the Cougars built a 32-20 lead at the half.
Houston won its 16th straight home game and its 14th straight over the Bearcats (11-11, 3-6).
Houston shot 46% and 9 of 26 on 3-pointers. It forced 19 turnovers and converted them into 26 points.
The Cougars finished with four turnovers and held a 26-8 advantage in points in the paint.
Jalen Celestine had 15 points and Keyshuan Tillery scored 14 for Cincinnati. The Bearcats shot 38% and went 10 of 23 on 3-pointers.
Leading 16-13 with about eight minutes left in the first half, Houston outscored Cincinnati 16-5 over a nearly seven-minute span to take a 32-18 lead on a jumper by Mercy Miller.
Houston’s lead never dipped below double-digits the rest of the way.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 28: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Rocket Arena on January 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 129-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards are reportedly one of several teams that have called about Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball, per Mike Scotto of HoopsHype. Washington has nearly $30 million in cap space to absorb contracts, in exchange for the price of draft picks.
Ball has been a major disappointment for the Cavs, shooting just 29.9% from the floor and even worse from beyond the arc. While his shooting is not the main reason the Cavs acquired him, Ball’s passing and defense have not been able to offset the otherwise terrible splits. He has been passed on the depth chart by Craig Porter Jr., and at times, Tyrese Proctor as well, meaning he has been left out of the rotation entirely.
Ball is in the first year of a two-year $20 million deal he signed with the Chicago Bulls, but the second year is a team option – one that will overwhelmingly not be picked up by whoever has the 29-year-old come this summer. If the Cavs are able to clear out Ball’s contract now as opposed to this summer, it would free up a roster spot and get them closer to escaping the dreaded second apron, although additional salary would need to be cut in order to do so.
The Cavs are expected to be one of the more active teams this trade season, with the deadline coming on Thursday. De’Andre Hunter has already been mentioned several times in trade discussions, most notably with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. Ball and Hunter combined account for $34.9 million on the salary sheet, and the Cavs are most certainly not getting that value back — or even close to it. If they can offload those salaries and get salary relief and/or better-fitting players, it could help plug some of the holes on the roster.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Paul McNeil Jr. scored 28 points and knocked down six 3-pointers as N.C. State pulled away in the second half for a 96-78 win over Wake Forest on Saturday.
McNeil shot 8 of 12 from the field, went 6 of 8 from behind the arc, and was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line for the Wolfpack (16-6, 7-2 ACC). N.C. State shot 54% overall and 57% from 3-point range, building a 49-31 halftime lead in a game that was moved up more than two hours due to weather.
Wake Forest opened the second half with a brief surge, trimming the deficit to 52-40 on a 3-pointer by Myles Colvin at the 17:18 mark. Darrion Williams hit a 3-pointer less than a minute later, though, and McNeil followed with a deep 3 of his own to help push the lead back to 18.
The Demon Deacons cut it to 62-54 midway through the half after another 3 from Juke Harris, but McNeil answered again. He buried a 26-foot jumper with 9:48 remaining, then added free throws and a layup during a 12-3 run that ended any threat. N.C. State led by at least 13 the rest of the way.
Williams finished with 20 points, Ven-Allen Lubin added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Tre Holloman dished out 10 assists for the Wolfpack.
Harris scored 31 points for Wake Forest (11-11, 2-7) in the final Big Four matchup of the season for the Demon Deacons. Omaha Biliew scored 12 points.
Up next
N.C. State travels to SMU this Tuesday.
Wake Forest hosts No. 20 Louisville next Saturday.
