Antetokounmpo won the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 [Getty Images]
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo expects to be out for about four to six weeks with a calf injury.
Antetokounmpo played 32 minutes of his side's 102-100 defeat by the Denver Nuggets on Friday before coming off in the final minute of the game.
"Probably the next steps will be, go to [an] MRI tomorrow," said the 31-year-old, who produced 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists against the Nuggets.
"After the MRI, they'll tell me, probably, I popped something in my calf, in my soleus, something. They'll probably give me a protocol of four to six weeks that I'll be out.
"This is from my experience being around the NBA."
He added: "After that, I'm going to work my butt off to come back. That will probably be the end of February, beginning of March."
Antetokounmpo was hurt in the first quarter, exited briefly and came back to play a total of 32 minutes.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers defended the decision to allow Antetokounmpo to continue playing after the first-quarter issue.
He explained: "I asked our [medical] team five different times.
"I didn't like what my eyes were seeing, personally. Giannis was defiant about staying in."
The two-time MVP recently criticised his team-mates amid their poor form.
The loss to the Nuggets was a fifth defeat in six games for the Bucks and leaves them 11th in the Eastern Conference. Their final game of the regular season is on 12 April.
"We're not playing hard, we're not doing the right thing, we're not playing to win, we're not playing together," said Antetokounmpo following their previous outing, which ended with the Bucks being beaten by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"Our chemistry is not there, guys are being selfish, rather try to look for their own shots than look for the right shot for the team. Guys are trying to do it on their own."
SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czechia (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin earned a place on the podium of a World Cup giant slalom for the first time in two years Saturday, finishing third in the last GS before the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The race was won by defending Olympic champion Sara Hector, who held on to her opening run lead for her first victory since January 2025.
“You always have to keep working, it's so many strong girls as you can see today,” the Swedish winner said in a course-side interview. “I am super happy that in the end I crossed the finish line first. That's a really cool feeling.”
Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic GS gold medalist, trailed Hector by 0.23 seconds and the American shared the podium with second-placed teammate Paula Moltzan, who was 0.18 off the pace.
Shiffrin holds the women’s record for most career World Cup GS wins with 22 but hadn’t had a top-three result in the discipline in 11 events since coming runner-up at a race in Slovakia in January 2024.
Six days later, she crashed in a downhill on the course that will be used for the Olympics next month and then didn’t compete in GS again until the start of the 2024-25 season.
In November 2024, she sustained a puncture wound to the right side of her abdomen and severe damage to her oblique abdominal muscles in a crash at her home GS in Killington, Vermont, and subsequently suffered from lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.
This season, Shiffrin racked up three fourth places before ultimately returning to the podium Saturday, three weeks before the Olympic race in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Moltzan, who's chasing her maiden career win, got her third podium of the season, leading a strong showing by the U.S. team, with Nina O’Brien in fifth and AJ Hurt in eighth.
In the opening run, Hector edged out Camille Rast of Switzerland by 0.02 seconds, with GS rankings leader Julia Scheib of Austria 0.26 back in third.
Rast dropped to fourth, while Scheib skied out in the final run.
Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone, who made a strong return to racing from a nine-month injury layoff on Tuesday, and her Italian teammate Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, sat out the event in Czechia, with a weekend of speed racing coming up in Switzerland next week ahead of their home Olympics.
A slalom on the same hill is scheduled for Sunday.
BROOKLYN — Plenty went wrong down the stretch in the Celtics’ double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets.
A 9-point lead with just over two minutes to go in regulation was squandered, with Brooklyn getting putback after putback as the deficit dissipated. The Celtics’ two primary bigs — Luka Garza and Neemias Queta — both fouled out. And Jaylen Brown, who shot 33% from the field, missed three consecutive shots in the first overtime period that would have helped seal the deal.
Still, after the final buzzer sounded, it was the Celtics who rejoiced, players leaping off the bench to tackle two-way rookie Amari Williams after he made several crucial plays in the second overtime period.
In street clothes, Jayson Tatum pumped his fist in celebration. Hugo Gonzalez, who hit the biggest shot of the night, went berserk. And Xavier Tillman, one of only two active Celtics who never laced up, rejoiced as if it were he who made the game-saving play.
And, despite a litany of mistakes down the stretch, the Celtics walked away with a 130-126 win.
Why?
Because, as cliché as it sounds, they never gave up.
For several stretches of the night, a Celtics victory seemed incredibly unlikely. The most deflating moment came when they trailed by 5 points with 8 seconds to play in the first overtime, the kind of deficit teams very rarely overcome.
But, rather than accept defeat, they ran masterful back-to-back plays.
First, Sam Hauser threw a full-court inbounds pass to Williams, who found Payton Pritchard for three. Then, after Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore split a pair of free throws, and Baylor Scheierman subsequently found Hugo Gonzalez for a wide-open corner three that sent the game to a second overtime period, in part thanks to a Jaylen Brown cut that helped create some defensive confusion (and to Mazzulla, who subbed in Gonzalez at the last second).
(If you’re counting, in just the final 10 seconds of the first overtime, six different Celtics made game-winning plays.)
Still, in totality, the Celtics’ win was littered with mistakes that Joe Mazzulla said the team would continue to work on cleaning up: missed defensive rebounds, defensive miscommunications, and missed shots.
But what stood out most for Mazzulla wasn’t the late-game execution; it was the team’s resolve.
“We don’t always play perfect, but you can guarantee that we play hard,” Mazzulla said. “And that gives you a chance every night.”
Jaylen Brown, who tallied his fifth career triple-double on Friday (with 27 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds), said that a culture centered around playing hard was born at training camp.
“It just started from before the season — we just set a precedent, just set a tone for what we want Celtics basketball to be,” Brown said. “And it wasn’t an excuse for none of our guys — not me, or for anyone from top to the bottom.”
Several times this season, that philosophy has meant that Brown himself has gotten pulled out of games and temporarily benched, something that might not have happened in previous seasons.
But, he’s welcomed that.
“If you’re not playing hard, if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re not putting in the effort, then you don’t need to be out on the floor,” he said plainly.
Asked Jaylen Brown about the Celtics’ identity of playing hard, no matter what else:
“It just started from before the season — we just set a precedent, just set a tone for what we want Celtics basketball to be. And it wasn't an excuse for none of our guys, not me, or for anyone… pic.twitter.com/3OkgMrfzrJ
Brown explained that this identity was new; in the past, the Celtics were able to get by and win games simply by being the more talented team. But this year’s roster — inundated with young, more unproven players — had no choice but to commit to always playing hard.
“We’re not the most talented team out there,” Brown said. “We got some good guys, some talented guys, some good potential that we’re still cultivating and developing. But a lot of our guys, this is their first time playing meaningful minutes.”
Payton Pritchard, who finished with 32 points and 4 assists, echoed that sentiment.
“What I like about this team is just how hard we play — every night, somebody new can step up and win the game for you,” Pritchard said. “That’s what I appreciate.”
Joe Mazulla made clear from the start of the season that the Celtics being the hardest-playing team was non-negotiable. Now, the Celtics find themselves with the East’s second-best record at 28-16, and the NBA’s second-best net rating at +7.5. It’s probably a spot in the standings they have no business holding. But, in large part thanks to their hard play, the Celtics have continued to live among the league’s elite teams.
“What you start to notice being in the NBA for a long time, playing hard is 70% of the battle, you know what I mean?” Brown said. “If you can do that, the rest of the stuff is just plus or minus. But, playing hard will get you by a lot.”
Friday’s victory included a little bit of everything (and everyone). Sam Hauser, who has been on a heater, added 19 points on 7-12 shooting and hit a big three in the second overtime. Payton Pritchard poured in 25 points after halftime.
And, three different bench players (Anfernee Simons, Hugo Gonzalez, and Luka Garza) logged double-digit points off the bench; Gonzalez went a perfect 4-4 from the field for 10 points, while Garza made 5 of 9 shots en route to a 12-point outing.
But the game also featured critical moments that had nothing to do with shotmaking: a drawn Scheierman charge, a massive Garza swat that got Tatum out of his seat, and a Gonzalez block on a Cam Thomas jumper.
For Brown and the Celtics, it was the relentless effort — particularly on the defensive side — that mattered most. It’s that effort that has made this Celtics team beloved by fans, and that made Barclays Center sound like Boston’s home court.
“I think the fans respect that more than anything,” Brown said. “The X’s and O’s will be the X’s and O’s, [you’ll] make or miss shots, but your effort — playing hard, defending, things like that — that’s stuff that I think the city of Boston represents.”
Good morning, it’s Saturday, January 24th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 26-20 and play the Orlando Magic on the road tonight at 7 PM.
This is Cleveland’s first game of the season against Orlando. They went 2-1 against the Magic last season. They will play each other again on Monday, this time in Cleveland.
Today’s Game of the Day
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 PM, ABC, ESPN
You can basically mark this matchup on your calendar every time it happens. As long as Luka Doncic is in the NBA, his games against the Dallas Mavericks will be worth watching.
I don’t have to re-litigate the blockbuster trade that shook the league nearly a year ago. We all remember, and we’ve all seen the utter chaos that Dallas has spiraled into since then. But the Lakers aren’t taking the NBA by storm, currently sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference.
The Rest of the NBA Slate
Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets – 12 PM
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers – 3 PM
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves – 5:30 PM
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls – 8 PM
Miami Heat at Utah Jazz – 9:30 PM
The Knicks versus the 76ers is one to watch. Joel Embiid is looking more like himself lately, and the Knicks are desperate to get back on track after losing seven of their last 10.
Osaka cites abdominal injury linked to prior pregnancy
Two-time champion withdraws before Inglis match
Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open just hours before she was due to take the court against the qualifier Maddison Inglis, citing an abdominal injury linked to body changes from her pregnancy.
The news landed late on a Saturday in Melbourne that had been heavily affected by soaring temperatures that triggered the tournament’s heat protocols, forcing arena roofs closed and suspending play on outside courts.
The Knicks hit ABC this afternoon trying to stop Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers and to avoid an 0–3 hole in the season series. A matinee . . . oh joy.
New York enters at 26*–18, while Philadelphia is 24–19. The Sixers bring the confidence of a team that has already beaten the Knicks twice at Madison Square Garden and now plan to do it at home. The Knicks, struggling of late, hope to carry over momentum from their record-setting slaughter of the Nets on Wednesday.
The first two meetings followed the same script. The Sixers solved the Knicks’ defense, and the Knicks could not solve Maxey. Having a season worthy of MVP consideration, the peppy point guard scored 30 in their December contest and followed with 36 and eight boards on January 3. Maxey controlled the tempo and nimbly navigated whatever coverage New York threw at him. In the frontcourt, Philly’s star center Joel Embiid had his way and, when he sat, Andre Drummond brought rebounding and floor-spacing. Rookie VJ Edgecombe impressed, too, and coach Nick Nurse’s club had a counter for every Knicks push.
In the first game, New York was neck-and-neck until sinking in a 20-point fourth quarter. In the rematch, a promising first quarter was squandered by a terrible next three.
The Knicks’ stars have produced. Jalen Brunson scored 22 and 31 in the losses, and Karl-Anthony Towns was steadily around 20 and 10. The issue was timing and resistance. December’s fourth quarter bogged down into late-clock jumpers, while January turned into a track meet that had New York panting.
For today’s matinee, both teams are monitoring stars: Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable for New York with back spasms, while Philadelphia has Joel Embiid (ankle) and Paul George (knee) both listed as game-time decisions.
Prediction
Despite everything, ESPN.com likes New York at 58%. Interesting. Their oddsmakers must be trying to skew the betting lines, because Philly has past performance and home court in their favor, not to mention New York’s lousy record since winning the (cursed) NBA Cup. We’ll take it, ESPN, but it’s fishy.
After Wednesday’s 54-point flogging of the Nets assuaged some panic about the Knicks’ recent play, today’s game feels less like a must win. It does smack of a prove-it game, though. Brooklyn is a glorified G-League team. New York’s effort today will show us if they truly are back on track.
The last time the Knicks appeared on national TV, just this past Monday, they were embarrassed by the lowly Mavericks. Today they will redeem themselves. In a tightly-fought contest that comes down to the final minute, we’ll see some overdue Captain Clutch heroics—in a shot-for-shot duel with Maxey—and the Knicks will get their 27th win of the season. New York by two.
Pittsburgh Penguins (25-14-11, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Vancouver Canucks (17-29-5, in the Pacific Division)
Vancouver, British Columbia; Sunday, 6 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Vancouver Canucks seeking to continue a three-game win streak.
Vancouver has a 5-15-3 record in home games and a 17-29-5 record overall. The Canucks have a 7-7-4 record in games decided by one goal.
Pittsburgh has a 14-7-4 record on the road and a 25-14-11 record overall. The Penguins have scored 165 total goals (3.3 per game) to rank 10th in NHL play.
Sunday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Penguins won the last meeting 5-1.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brock Boeser has scored 12 goals with 13 assists for the Canucks. Evander Kane has three goals over the past 10 games.
Bryan Rust has 18 goals and 21 assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby has four goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canucks: 1-9-0, averaging two goals, 3.3 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.3 penalty minutes while giving up 4.3 goals per game.
Penguins: 6-2-2, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canucks: None listed.
Penguins: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won his second successive toss and elected to bat against England in the second one-day international on Saturday.
England top-order batters struggled against Sri Lanka spinners and lost the first game of the three-match series by 19 runs despite Jamie Overton and Rehan Ahmed showing late aggression in the run chase.
Opening batter Zak Crawley was ruled out of Saturday’s match with a knee injury and was replaced by Will Jacks, who missed the first match due to illness.
Sri Lanka continued with its combination that won the first game with spinners Dunith Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay troubling England batters in the middle overs.
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Lineups:
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Ratnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
England: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid.
Brooklyn’s center hurt his right pinkie, leaving the game before returning to finish with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 39 minutes.
“It’s sore. I really don’t know. I’ve just got to get X-rays, MRIs. So I don’t know,” Claxton said. “It is sore though. It was just locking up, so I just put some tape on it. I’ll know more (Saturday) probably.”
Nic Claxton suffered a right pinkie injury during the Nets’ 130-126 double overtime loss to the Celtics on Jan. 23, 2026 at Barclays Center. Getty Images
It’s uncertain exactly how much clarity Claxton or Brooklyn will get.
Claxton is tentatively slated for imaging Saturday morning in New York, with the team flying to California at midday. There is a chance he could get imaging once they arrive.
Either way, results won’t immediately be available.
The Nets start a five-game road trip with Sunday’s game at the Clippers.
Nic Claxton walks back to the bench after suffering a right pinkie injury during the Nets’ double overtime loss to the Celtics. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
If Claxton can’t play, Day’Ron Sharpe likely would get his fourth start of the season.
Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and eight rebounds in a bounce-back effort after Wednesday’s horrible outing vs. the Knicks.
The forward had shot just 41.4 percent overall and 33.3 percent from deep in eight games since spraining his MCL vs. Orlando.
Michael Porter slams home a dunk during the Nets’ double overtime loss to the Celtics. Getty Images
“Yeah, I think it’s turning a corner,” Porter said. “The last eight or nine games, ever since that Orlando game, I’ve not felt as explosive on my cuts and stuff. So I feel like I’ve dropped off a little bit. But that’s mostly just because of that knee soreness.
“But the good thing was that it was nothing that I couldn’t play through, no structural. It wasn’t unsafe to play, it was just a little sore. So I decided to play through it, not rest it; and I’m just getting back feeling like it’s a non-issue. It felt the best it has; so I think by the next game or two, it’ll be back to 100%.”
Cam Thomas, arguably Brooklyn’s best bucket-getter, suddenly can’t buy a basket. He had seven points on 2-for-8 shooting Friday, and 0-for-2 from deep.
In his last eight games, Thomas is averaging 8.9 points on 29.8 percent from the floor and 27.3 from behind the arc in 22 minutes for a minus-6.9.
But he said he’s perfectly healthy, that he’s just doing what’s being asked.
“I’m playmaking. They wanted to see playmaking,” Thomas said. “I’m coming off the bench. You take what you can get.”
Jordi Fernández on Egor Dëmin and fellow teen Real Madrid product Hugo Gonzalez: “We all know how big international basketball is in the NBA. … The NBA is not looking at your passport, which is a good thing, especially nowadays. You are welcome, and you can grow in this league.”
Dëmin logged just 21:05 to Nolan Traore’s 36:51, but Fernández said the former wasn’t being ‘punished.’
The Brooklyn Nets sulked back to the visitors’ locker room after a historic, 54-point loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. Jordi Fernández headed to a brief postgame presser, where he fell on the sword in his typically monotone style. Did the head coach really believe he was “responsible” for the ass-kicking, that halfway through the season “players are not responsible for it, so I got to make sure that they understand the values that we have,” or was it just something to say?
Players did not tear the visiting locker room apart. Rookie Drake Powell mentioned that a couple veterans spoke a sentence or two, but it was not exactly a scene out of Remember the Titans. Guys got dressed leisurely, sat on their phones, and chatted — maybe slightly softer, a little more somber, than normal.
“I mean, I don’t know if I said much directly after,” said Michael Porter Jr. Friday. “We all were kind of a little — obviously just had our feelings about the game. But later that night, I texted the guys and just told them like, ‘yo, that’s my fault. I’ve got to come in with that energy.’”
To Porter Jr. and the Nets, Wednesday was not a shameful chapter in a rivalry matchup or a devastating blow to team morale. It was a bad day at work.
“It’s the time leading up to the game,” explained MPJ at Friday’s shootaround. “It’s the day off, how you spent your day off in between games, how much sleep you got. All those things play a part to how your body, your nervous system, your mind feels when it’s tip-off time. And I felt like those two days were a little shaky for me in terms of preparation, and that’s what separates the good players and the average players from the great players, that time in between.”
Playing 82 games in 170 days does not provide much time for reflection, only for routine. Nic Claxton finally used the E-word on Friday morning, but he wasn’t stewing over the loss: “I’m in the present now. We focused on tonight, we know we got to be a better team tonight, because that’s not gonna happen again. t’s unacceptable. Obviously, it was embarrassing. We’ll be ready to go tonight.”
Nets fans seeking more public atonement from their leaders were out of luck. But Porter and Claxton veterans that they’ve had to be despite being 27 and 26, didn’t have to grovel; instead, they gave the Boston Celtics (missing Derrick White) one hell of a game on Friday night.
Now, there were embarrassing moments in this one too. Barclays Center was filled Celtics fans cheering their hearts out and serenading Jaylen Brown with unmistakable “M-V-P” chants far louder than any “Broooooook-lyyyyyn” chants begun by the PA announcer. I felt particularly bad for two die-hard Nets fans in front of press row, about to triumph over the sea of green they were engulfed in before their favorite team defended a last-second sideline-out-of-bounds play befitting of their 12-31 record…
Still, Claxton and Porter fulfilled their promise. Though MPJ’s impact wavered as the game went on, he indeed brought the right energy out of the gate, cutting hard and crashing the glass. Noah Eagle called him “spry” on the YES Network broadcast. Claxton capably guarding Jaylen Brown in isolation was crucial to Brooklyn’s defensive gameplan, and Brown ultimately shot 9-of-27.
Postgame, Jordi Fernández said he was “proud of the brand of basketball we played, the competitiveness. We got better today, and that’s most important.”
MPJ respectfully disagreed: “We lost. That’s all I really care about. I don’t care about no fight, personally. Obviously it was a better performance collectively than last game, but we still lost. So it was a game we should have won. We’ve lost too many games this year that come down to the wire like this.”
Brooklyn improved their performance tenfold from Wednesday to Friday. Alas, it was Friday’s loss that bothered Brooklyn’s veterans more…
Claxton was still muttering to himself about the loss in the locker room postgame. Wednesday’s loss might have elucidated the effect that organizational tanking has on its players — and why you try to keep their duration short. But Friday’s loss showed that players are wholly divorced from that strategy. While clearly an optimal development for Brooklyn’s long-term prospects, especially with the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers picking up wins on the same night, this one stung.
“We played a really good game,” said Clax. “I feel like we deserved to win. We just didn’t execute enough down the stretch, so we got to learn from it. But this is a tough loss though. This one really hurt.”
With the trade deadline 12 days away, both Claxton and Porter Jr. are sure to have a go bag packed at all times. But neither of them seem too concerned about the possibility of being traded.
“It seems like it’s the same thing every year, whether it’s — I mean, it’s a part of the business,” said Clax. “You see certain teammates, certain names in trade rumors or whatever, but you just got to be where your feet are and be a professional. It’s cliché, but it is what it is. It’s our job to come out here and perform whenever we put on a Brooklyn Nets uniform.”
MPJ. agreed: “Honestly, I’m just going with the flow. Whatever happens, happens. It’s out of my control. So, I’ve voiced already that I’m enjoying my time here, and I’m enjoying getting to grow with these guys and the day-to-day process with these guys. But everything else, I just try to let it be what it’s going to be.”
Brooklyn’s two highest-paid players have been pushed into early vet-status as a result of being on the NBA’s youngest team. This week, they were right for the part, easily shrugging a historic loss and trade rumors off their shoulders before leading one of Brooklyn’s most competitive games in 2026.
The Nets are 12-31, the worst team either player has been on — for MPJ, by a long shot. Now, they get to escape a brutal snowstorm in the Northeast by starting a five-game road trip in sunny Los Angeles. Once again, the task will be to rebound from a brutal loss; is it the same as rebounding from an outright embarrassment?
“No,” says Porter “It’s different. You learn from them in different ways. Obviously what happened at MSG the other night is unacceptable and there’s unlimited things to learn from. But tonight there’s very specific things, late-game situations. So you can learn something from any game.”
Nic Claxton simply sighed: “It’s so many games when you play an 82-game season. So, you really just can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. You get beat by 50, you got to be ready to respond. If you lose a tough game like this, you just kind of just got to be even-keeled through everything.”
While that is certainly a clichéd sentiment, the Nets just covered the entire bandwidth of defeat in three days, from Wednesday’s embarrassment to Friday’s gut-punch. In a losing season that promises to continue down this path, that cliché is a damn useful one. Perhaps for fans as well as players.
Toronto Raptors (28-19, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-9, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City takes on the Toronto Raptors after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 117-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Thunder are 20-4 on their home court. Oklahoma City ranks ninth in the NBA with 52.5 points in the paint led by Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 13.0.
The Raptors are 15-9 in road games. Toronto is third in the Eastern Conference with 29.6 assists per game led by Immanuel Quickley averaging 6.3.
The Thunder's 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.6 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Raptors give up. The Raptors score 6.3 more points per game (114.3) than the Thunder give up (108.0).
TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.3 points and 6.2 assists for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren is averaging 15.7 points over the last 10 games.
Scottie Barnes is averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Raptors. Quickley is averaging 16.3 points and 5.4 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 118.9 points, 42.0 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 9.5 steals and 7.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.1 points per game.
Raptors: 6-4, averaging 113.4 points, 41.7 rebounds, 30.5 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (hip), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Alex Caruso: out (adductor), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Aaron Wiggins: out (groin), Isaiah Hartenstein: out (calf).
Raptors: Jakob Poeltl: out (back), Collin Murray-Boyles: out (thumb), Ja'Kobe Walter: out (hip).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
New Orleans Pelicans (11-36, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (31-14, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio will try to keep its four-game home win streak alive when the Spurs play New Orleans.
The Spurs are 18-12 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio averages 117.9 points while outscoring opponents by 5.3 points per game.
The Pelicans are 4-7 against the rest of their division. New Orleans gives up 122.1 points to opponents while being outscored by 7.0 points per game.
The Spurs average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 fewer makes per game than the Pelicans allow (14.9). The Pelicans are shooting 46.4% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 46.0% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Spurs won 135-132 in the last matchup on Dec. 9.
TOP PERFORMERS: Stephon Castle is scoring 16.9 points per game and averaging 5.0 rebounds for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama is averaging 24.7 points and 9.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Trey Murphy III is averaging 22.3 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals for the Pelicans. Jordan Poole is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 6-4, averaging 111.3 points, 46.1 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Pelicans: 3-7, averaging 114.7 points, 44.1 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.3 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: Luke Kornet: day to day (adductor), Devin Vassell: out (thigh).
Pelicans: Jose Alvarado: out (oblique), Dejounte Murray: out (leg).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Cleveland hits the road against Orlando trying to extend its three-game road winning streak.
The Magic are 15-15 in conference games. Orlando ranks eighth in the league with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Franz Wagner averaging 3.9.
The Cavaliers are 17-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland is fifth in the league scoring 119.2 points per game while shooting 46.9%.
The Magic average 11.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.0 fewer makes per game than the Cavaliers give up (14.1). The Cavaliers average 14.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.0 per game the Magic give up.
TOP PERFORMERS: Desmond Bane is averaging 18.9 points and 4.5 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists over the last 10 games.
Donovan Mitchell is scoring 29.0 points per game and averaging 4.8 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Jaylon Tyson is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 5-5, averaging 112.0 points, 43.2 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.3 points per game.
Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 118.1 points, 44.7 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.1 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Jalen Suggs: day to day (knee), Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).
Cavaliers: Max Strus: out (foot), Darius Garland: out (foot), Sam Merrill: out (hand).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Brooklyn Nets (12-31, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (20-24, 10th in the Western Conference)
Inglewood, California; Sunday, 9 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn will attempt to break its six-game road slide when the Nets face Los Angeles.
The Clippers are 12-9 on their home court. Los Angeles allows 113.5 points to opponents and has been outscored by 1.2 points per game.
The Nets are 6-14 in road games. Brooklyn is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference scoring 42.4 points per game in the paint.
The Clippers are shooting 47.4% from the field this season, 1.4 percentage points lower than the 48.8% the Nets allow to opponents. The Nets' 44.5% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.5 percentage points lower than the Clippers have allowed to their opponents (47.0%).
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Clippers won 121-105 in the last meeting on Jan. 10. James Harden led the Clippers with 31 points, and Egor Demin led the Nets with 19 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Harden is averaging 25.8 points and 8.1 assists for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard is averaging 19.3 points and 1.6 steals over the last 10 games.
Michael Porter Jr. is scoring 25.4 points per game and averaging 7.4 rebounds for the Nets. Demin is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Clippers: 8-2, averaging 112.2 points, 40.8 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points per game.
Nets: 1-9, averaging 104.7 points, 41.0 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 6.9 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.6 points.
INJURIES: Clippers: Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), Derrick Jones Jr.: out (knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic: day to day (hamstring).
Nets: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Long Island Nets returned to their home court on Friday night, January 23, for a showdown with the 10-2 Toronto Raptors 905, the G League’s best team. Long Island featured the three Brooklyn two-ways – E.J. Liddell, Tyson Etienne and Chaney Johnson – as well as Brooklyn’s rookie assignee, Ben Saraf but 7-footer Grant Nelson, who is not under contract with the big club, would play hero in this one, contributing to the big Long Island win in a number of ways.
Nelson finished this game with 20 points in less than 19 minutes on the court. The 20 points led the team, despite the 23-year-old playing the fewest minutes among the starters. The effort also marked the Alabama product’s second career game with at least 20 points for Long Island. Nelson shot the ball more than effectively, draining seven of his eight shot attempts. He didn’t take any shots from deep, but he went perfect from the foul stripe, hitting all four of his shots. Nelson also played a very physical game and has looked great in his five starts since a seven-week layoff due to an ankle injury…
Following the game, NetsDaily had a chance to speak with Nelson about his mindset on how well he’s been performing in these games.
“I’m really just grateful to be back on the court,” Nelson says. “Tonight I think my teammates did a good job at moving the ball and getting off of it early, because the first two times we played them we gave up 40 points off our turnovers and 23 in the other. We lost by like 20-something in one and like seven in the other. I think tonight we just did a lot better, followed their scouting report, and just came out with the win.”
He picked up multiple tough lay-ups, even converting on a couple of and-ones. More impressively, Nelson even found Ben Saraf with the ball and boxed out two of Toronto’s players at the same time, leading to a wide-open lay-up for the Brooklyn rookie. His physical style can lead to scary moments, like in the first half when he went up for a tough lay-up in the first quarter and came down awkwardly.
Nelson was out for most of the first quarter, but re-entered the game as soon as the second quarter came around after he worked with the Long Island trainer on the sideline. After the game, Nelson told ND, “I just tweaked my ankle a little bit. Nothing too bad. It was obviously good enough to keep playing.” Nelson also reached 100 career points in the win and recorded a game-best plus-minus of +26.
Over his five starts, Nelson is averaging 30.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per 36 minutes and 75%.
With more performances like this, Nelson will become a player to watch for a two-way spot, should a spot open up. Following his impressive performance, Nelson was asked if he could see himself getting a two-way deal with Brooklyn and if that’s a goal of his. “Yeah, for sure,” Nelson told ND. “That’s been a goal of mine since the summer like right after the draft, to get that two-way spot with Brooklyn. I’m still competing for it and still playing for it, so hopefully soon.”
Teams traditionally review two-way contracts at the trade deadline which is now 12 days away. In the past, the Nets have both moved players up from two-ways to standard NBA deals or waived players from their two-way contracts while retaining their G League rights.
Brooklyn rookie Ben Saraf saw a bit of an improvement in this one. Last time on the court, Saraf connected on just two of his 12 shots and went one-for-five from deep. Friday nigh, he finished with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, missing all five of his 3-point attempts. When asked about this performance of late and his mindset coming out of it, Saraf had this to say:
“I think nothing changed for me,” Saraf says. “I have to keep shooting the ball with confidence is what the team wants me to do. Same for today, I didn’t hit the threes. 0-for-5, but I think I have to keep shooting the ball.”
Despite how slight it may have been, any improvement at this point is a good improvement.
“I feel like for me just sticking to the simple things,” Saraf says. “I think that’s what the team wants me to do. It starts with the defense. First of all, it’s a defense for us. Today was a better game for me on the defensive side. Offensively, it’s just keep practicing, keep shooting the ball, and it’ll fall in.”
Saraf was on Long Island during Brooklyn’s historically ugly loss against the Knicks. and offered some advice to his teammates at Barclays Center. “Stick to the basics,” Saraf told ND. “For Jordi, the most important thing is to play hard. So, I’m sure we’ll fix it.”
We saw a very uncharacteristic game from E.J. Liddell in this one. He connected on just one of his 12 shots, including missing all seven of his tries from deep. However, where Liddell did damage to Toronto was on the foul line. Liddell connected on four of his five tries from the foul stripe. He finished with eight points.
Liddell shone in the rebounding department. Liddell hauled in 11 rebounds and had one assist to his credit. Liddell’s 11 rebounds led not only the team, but the game. Despite an ugly performance shooting the ball, Liddell remains one of the top shooters.
Brooklyn two-way player Chaney Johnson was second on the team in scoring with 16 points. He shot the ball very well, connecting on five of his six shots, including hitting both of his shots from deep. Johnson also went two-for-three from the foul stripe. He finished with four rebounds and three assists. In another characteristic performance, the Nets’ third two-way player, Tyson Etienne, took only five shots, connecting on two of them.
Long Island guard Malachi Smith added 14 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals in 31 minutes as he set his Long Island high for rebounds and matched his career-high assist total. Smith shot 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from the field and 50 percent (2-for-4) from deep and finished without any turnovers in the game.
To round out the starters, Nate Williams tallied 15 points, as well as six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks. Williams’ four blocks led the game, having more than the entire Toronto team combined. Meanwhile, Alex Schumacher, a 6’3” 24-year-old shooting guard signed out of the Suns organization, made his debut for Long Island in this one, and did well. He finished with 12 points and shot the ball very effectively, hitting 4-of-5.
The loss pushed the Raptors out of the top spot in the G League. They’re now tied with the Greensboro Swarm at 10-3, while the Nets are now 8-6.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (8-6) return to the court on Monday night, January 26th, for a showdown with the Motor City Cruise. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on the NBA G League site, as well as on the YES Network.
