WACO, Texas (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 17 of her 22 points in the first half and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs recorded her 10th double-double of the season and 14th-ranked Baylor beat UCF 73-48 on Wednesday night.
Littlepage-Buggs scored 13 points and grabbed 18 rebounds; the second most of her career. She's grabbed 20 boards twice - on Jan. 4 in a 72-70 win against Iowa State and Dec. 8, 2024, in a 71-64 victory over UNLV.
Scott finished 4-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Baylor sank 12 3-pointers to just two for UCF.
Khyala Ngodu had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and reserve Krystol Ayson scored 10 points for the Knights.
The Bears led 16-13 at the end of the first quarter. Just under two minutes into the second quarter, Littlepage-Buggs made a 3-pointer, Scott made a jumper and a 3 to make it 24-14 with 6:29 before halftime.
Baylor (18-3, 7-1 Big 12) went to halftime up 34-23, used an 8-3 start to the second half to advance the lead to 42-26 and stayed up by double-digits from there.
The Bears, winners of seven straight overall, are 6-0 against UCF (10-9, 2-6).
Up Next
UCF: The Knights host ninth-ranked TCU on Saturday.
The Lakers (26-16) are back in Los Angeles but will play a road game against the LA Clippers (19-24) on Thursday. The purple and gold look to build on the momentum they gained after a strong win against the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers’ most recent win against the Nuggets was much-needed. Yes, the Nuggets were down three starters, including Nikola Jokić, but it’s wins like this that could set the tone for them moving forward — especially in the midst of a pivotal eight-game road trip.
Now, the purple and gold’s next mission is to defeat the Clippers, who are currently playing their best basketball this season. After starting the season with an atrocious record of 6-21, the Clippers have completely turned things around. Since mid-December, they’ve won 14 of their last 16, including their most recent game against the Lakers.
A huge reason for the Clippers’ surge is their improved offense, which now ranks 13th best in the league. Kawhi Leonard — despite missing the last three games — has also turned up his production, as has James Harden. The team as a whole is shooting better from behind the arc and is competing harder on defense.
That said, the Lakers should also give the Clippers a better fight than they did last time. With Luka Dončić and Deandre Ayton set to play in this matchup, that alone will be a huge difference.
Ultimately, what’s important is that the Lakers keep the main thing the main thing. That means continuing to stack wins, especially since they’ve fallen to fifth place in the Western Conference standings. Their game against the Clippers is vital because a win would bring the Lakers one step closer to owning the tiebreaker against their rival. And, with the West looking as competitive as ever, that might become important as the season goes on.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are listed as out.
As for the Clippers, Bradley Beal (left hip fracture), Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring), Derrick Jones Jr., (right knee sprain) and Chris Paul (not with team) are out.
Kawhi Leonard (left knee contusion) is questionable.
The season series between the Lakers and the Clippers is currently at 1-1.
The trade we expected to happen this offseason has finally happened. Freddy Peralta has been traded to the Mets, per multiple reports. In return, the Brewers will get two of the Mets’ top prospects: Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. The Brewers are also sending Tobias Myers to the Mets in the trade.
Mets reportedly acquire RHPs Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from Brewers for SS/OF Jett Williams and RHP Brandon Sproat, per multiple reports including MLB's @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/I2lfZ8Pt9V
Rumors around the Brewers trading Freddy Peralta have been swirling all offseason. While the Brewers kept insisting that they would keep him for the final year of his contract, it followed the same pattern we’ve seen from previous players who were entering their final years, such as Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams. There was some hope that the Brewers would keep him — they kept Willy Adames for the final year of his contract. It was just a matter of whether the right deal came around for Peralta, and someone finally met the Brewers’ asking price.
The addition of Myers in the deal comes as a surprise. It’s been reported by Michael Marino that the Brewers initially offered a Williams/Sproat for Peralta trade, but the Mets countered to get Myers added to the deal.
Sources: After the Mets declined the Brewers offer of Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat for Freddy Peralta, the Mets countered and suggested multiple variations where the Brewers would add to their side. They settled on Tobias Myers. https://t.co/2Ix1QtcMZ8
Myers spent most of 2025 in Triple-A after a strong rookie season in 2024, but was on the rise as the season came to an end. In 10 2/3 innings in September, he posted a 2.53 ERA and 4.17 FIP out of the bullpen. He made the roster for the NLCS, but made just one appearance, where he allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning. His 2024 season was much better, as he was one of the leaders in the rotation, posting a 3.00 ERA and 3.91 FIP in 27 games (25 starts) over 138 innings. However, with the Brewers’ depth at starting pitcher, his chances of getting back into the rotation in Milwaukee were looking slim.
Jett Williams was rated as the No. 3 prospect in the Mets system and No. 30 overall on MLB Pipeline in their 2025 rankings. FanGraphs was a little cooler on him, ranking in at No. 6 for the Mets and No. 69 overall in their trade deadline update. He spent the majority of last season in Double-A, but earned a promotion to Triple-A later in the year. In 96 Double-A games, he batted .281/.390/.477 with a wRC+ of 156. That cooled down to .209/.285/.433 with an 81 wRC+ in Triple-A, but only in 34 games. Williams has been shifting between second base and shortstop in the minors, but he was also behind Francisco Lindor on the depth chart. Moving to Milwaukee, he has a better opportunity to stick at shortstop with the Brewers looking for an upgrade on offense over Joey Ortiz. However, Williams will likely need some more time at Triple-A, but should still make an impact on the 2026 team.
Brandon Sproat was rated as the No. 5 prospect on MLB Pipeline for the Mets, but did not slot into the top 100. However, FanGraphs was more positive on him, ranking him No. 3 for the Mets and No. 51 overall. Sproat made his MLB debut in 2025, making four starts in September for the Mets. He allowed 11 runs in 20 2/3 innings, struck out 17, and walked seven. Sproat has a fastball that can reach triple digits and regularly sat in the 95-98 mph range in Triple-A, but also was hit at a rate of .380 with it. He also regularly mixes in a slider, curveball, and changeup as well. Sproat should be in competition for a starting spot in Spring Training, though he could also start the year in Triple-A to develop a little more.
Meanwhile, Peralta will head to the Mets and strengthen their rotation. The Mets were around the middle of the pack with their rotation in 2025, posting a 4.13 ERA (18th in MLB) and 3.95 FIP (9th) as a team. Peralta will fill one of their biggest offseason needs and should be one of their top starters entering 2026.
This ends Peralta’s time as a Brewer. He will finish his time with the third-highest career strikeout total and the 10th most starts by a Brewers pitcher. He’s been a strong part of the franchise for years, but with free agency approaching, his time was likely approaching its end either way.
All season long, the Detroit Red Wings have preached the importance of winning games against divisional opponents.
On Wednesday evening, they made good on their goal.
Dylan Larkin scored the overtime game-winning tally over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, giving Detroit a clean four-game season series sweep over their longtime Original Six rival.
Goaltender John Gibson continued his run of spectacular play since the beginning of December, making 30 saves for his 20th win of the campaign.
It was the Maple Leafs who got on the scoresheet first, thanks to Scott Laughton, who was left alone at the side of the net following a missed clearing attempt from defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Detroit earned multiple high-percentage scoring opportunities, but wasn't able to penetrate goaltender Joseph Woll until late in the first period when Simon Edvinsson knotted the score at 1-1.
The Maple Leafs had a golden opportunity to seize the lead in the game's middle frame when Laughton was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked on a partial shorthanded breakaway.
However, he fumbled the puck as he attempted to deke Gibson, never getting a clean shot off.
Neither team found the back of the net in the third period, setting up overtime.
In the extra session, it was defenseman Moritz Seider forcing a turnover at the Toronto blue line and feeding Larkin, who took the puck on his backhand and then roofed a forehand shot past the blocker of Woll, ensuring the extra point for the Red Wings.
With the victory, the Red Wings improved to 31-16-4 and were put back into a first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Their road trip will continue on Thursday evening with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Marie-Philip Poulin scored a goal in overtime and the Montreal Victoire beat the Minnesota Frost 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Maureen Murphy also had a goal and Ann-Renée Desbiens had 20 saves for Montreal (5-3-0-5).
After the Frost pulled goaltender Nicole Hensley, Kelly Pannek scored a goal that made it 1-1 with 1:02 left in regulation for Minnesota (5-2-3-3), which has lost four of its last five.
Poulin, working from right to left, turned her back to the net and flicked a back-hand shot inside the post with 1:57 left in overtime. Poulin also scored in overtime to help Montreal beat the Frost 3-2 at home Jan. 4.
Murphy scored her first goal of the season to give Montreal a 1-0 lead with 1:31 left in the second period. Nicole Gosling, low along the left board, flicked a shot on goal that Murphy redirected into the net.
The Frost, who went into the game with a league-leading 37 goals this season and tied with New York for the best goal differential (plus-11), were shut out through two periods for the first time this season. Minnesota is 0-4 this season when it trailed going into the third period.
The Victoire lost 2-1 to New York on Sunday to snap the Victoire's three-game win streak. which began with Poulin's first OT winner against Minnesota.
Montreal's Natalie Mlynkova hit the near post with a break-away shot from the left side about five minutes into the second period.
TORONTO (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored at 3:07 of overtime as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Simon Edvinsson also scored for Detroit. John Gibson made 30 saves. Larkin added an assist for a two-point performance.
Scott Laughton scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 39 shots.
The Red Wings improved to 7-1-0 over their last eight games. The Maple Leafs fell to 1-2-2 across their last five contests following an 8-0-2 run.
Laughton opened the scoring at 4:46 of the first period before Edvinsson replied with 17.7 seconds remaining on the clock, moments after Woll made a huge pad save during a scramble.
Larkin won it in the extra period after Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider stole the puck from Maple Leafs winger Easton Cowan.
Toronto captain Auston Matthews was held off the scoresheet, but had an NHL-best 10 goals since the calendar flipped to 2026 entering play.
Maple Leafs veteran defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson played just under two minutes and didn’t come out for the start of the second period with a lower-body injury. Star winger William Nylander missed a third straight game with a groin issue.
Laughton was awarded a penalty shot late in the second period after being hooked on a short-handed breakaway, but lost the handle on his attempt and didn’t even force a save out of Gibson.
In the article published on Wednesday, Jan. 21, James had fallen out of favor with Buss for his role and actions in recent years involving the organization.
“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” Buss said in a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday regarding the ESPN story. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”
The story stated that Buss had not been pleased with the team’s superstar after he failed to take accountability for how things worked out with Russell Westbrook and for how ungrateful James appeared to be after the team drafted James' son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
LeBron James has not publicly commented on the ESPN story.
The bulk of the story details the role of the Buss family's infighting and how it led to the $10 billion sale of one of the NBA's most storied franchises. Jeanie has had a falling out with her siblings in recent years regarding the franchise that has been in the family since the late 1970s.
In February 2013, Jeanie became the controlling owner and governor of the Lakers, following the death of her father, Jerry Buss. In the role, she took full control of both the franchise's business and basketball operations.
MLB Trade Rumors: The New York Mets are acquiring pitchers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Brandon Sproat and shortstop Jett Williams, per multiple reports.
Peralta, a 29 year old righthander who had his $8 million club option for 2026 picked up, and will be a free agent after the 2026 season, had been rumored throughout the offseason to be a hot commodity, with the Brewers listening on him but not chomping at the bit to deal him. Peralta put up a 2.81 ERA in his first full season as a major league starter in 2021, having split time between the rotation and pen in the three seasons prior to that. He followed that up with a 3.73 ERA and 3.83 FIP in 417 innings from 2022-24, missing a chunk of the 2022 season but making 30 and 32 starts the next two years.
In 2025, Peralta put up a 2.70 ERA and led the majors in wins, with 17, earning him a fifth place finish in the Cy Young balloting. Oddly, though, his peripherals weren’t that much different from his previous three seasons…after averaging 10.7 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, and 1.3 HR/9 from 2022-24, he registered 10.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 rates in 2025.
Myers is a 27 year old righthander who pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 2025, after making 25 starts and two relief appearances in 2024, his first season in the majors. He started the 2025 season on the injured list, and once healthy split the season between AAA, where he was a starter, and the majors.
Both Sproat and Williams are included on the BA top 100 list that came out earlier today. Williams, ranked #71, was a 2022 first rounder out of Heath, Texas. He missed most of 2024, but rebounded with a solid season in 2025, slashing .261/.363/.465 while splitting time between AA and AAA, and stealing 34 bases. He draws walks, strikes out a fair amount, and has a surprising amount of power for a guy that BA lists at 5’6”.
BA had Sproat at #81 on their list. Originally drafted in the seventh round by the Rangers in 2019, he ended up not signing, opting to attend the University of Florida instead. The Mets drafted him in the third round in 2022, but he didn’t sign, returning for his senior season at Florida. New York drafted him again in 2023, this time in the second round, and were able to sign him this time around.
Sproat made four major league starts in September, 2025, most notably throwing six shutout innings against the Rangers on September 13. At AAA, he put up a 4.24 ERA in 121 innings over 26 appearances, striking out 113 and walking 53.
Cedric Mullins’ brief stint in Queens did not produce the results the Mets hoped for.
The Mets acquired Mullins from the Orioles moments before the trade deadline last July, shipping three prospects to Baltimore in exchange for the veteran outfielder.
The 31-year-old admitted that leaving the Orioles, after a decade in the organization, made for a difficult adjustment.
The Mets acquired Cedric Mullins from the Orioles last July. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“It hit pretty hard, having to uplift your entire life,” Mullins said during an appearance on “Foul Territory” Wednesday.
“Especially out in New York, where things can get hectic on a day-to-day basis. It was definitely a lot of changes and adjustments that had to be made, along with trying to perform at your best.”
Acquired to shore up center field after Jose Siri’s knee injury — and underperformance from Tyrone Taylor — the Mets hoped Mullins could recapture some of his All-Star form from 2021, when he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases.
Even his first-half output with Baltimore — a .229/.305/.433 slash line with 15 homers and 49 RBIs —would have represented a stark upgrade for New York.
“Foul Territory” co-host and ex-MLB catcher Erik Kratz asked Mullins if he felt pressure to play differently upon joining the Mets.
“In some instances, yeah,” Mullins said. “There were a bunch of talented guys where I didn’t feel like I had to come in and be something I completely wasn’t.
“I was just trying to complement what the team already had and that might have put some pressure on me to do a little too much for what was already a good team that fell off at the end.”
Cedric Mullins hit just .182 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 42 games after the trade. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Despite standout individual seasons from Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and the since-departed Pete Alonso, a rash of injuries to the pitching led to a crushing end to the year, as the Mets missed the playoffs after losing on the last day of the season.
The pitching woes, in particular, impacted the Mets down the stretch, according to Mullins.
“After a week, two weeks, it feels pretty evident the pitching was struggling,” Mulins added. “We had to try to come back late in a lot of the games. When it comes in waves like that, it’s tough to battle back. Every once in a while, we’d have a moment where our arms would be dominating and the offense is struggling to get it going.
“When you have that roller coaster going back and forth, it’s tough to get momentum going for us, especially in a playoff run.”
In a transformative offseason for the Mets, a Mullins reunion was not in the cards, as he returned to the familiar AL East, signing a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rays.
Mullins said the Rays’ return to Tropicana Field in 2026 — after the team was displaced last season following Hurricane Milton — factored into his decision.
“I saw what that schedule looked like for them last year,” Mullins said, referencing the team’s stretch at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which does not have a roof. “They went through it for sure.”
On Wednesday night, the Brooklyn Nets had a game to win. It was the game to unite both sides of the aisle, whether you believe rooting for your favorite team to lose is a morally corrosive practice that leaves stains on the heart of your fandom or if you believe more in the marriage of fandom and pragmatism.
Not only did they have the Knicks in MSG, but they had a Knicks team with water creeping into their lungs: 7-11 since winning the NBA Cup and entering Wednesday on a 2-9 stretch. If there’s not full-blown panic over in Manhattanites, it’s just around the corner, with beat writers reporting that the team hasn’t fully bought into their roles and advocating for a major shake-up at the trade deadline.
The Nets don’t own the Knicks first-round pick this year — they do in odd-numbered years — but that hardly mattered on Wednesday. Brooklyn has shorted New York’s long-term future, but in the short-term, they had a chance to plunge the Knicks further into disarray on Wednesday. Whether you hate the blue-and-orange or don’t pay them any mind, you can’t deny the hilarity of a 12-29 team handing them their 10th loss in 12 games, right in the middle of a championship-or-bust season.
Anyway, that’s not what happened. The Knicks secured their largest margin of victory in franchise history. Seriously. Here’s a brief list of stuff that happened:
Landry Shamet shot 6-of-6 from deep
The Nets shot 10-of-27 in the paint
Mike Brown challenged a call up by 48
Mike Brown lost that challenge
The Nets (with 11 points to spare) scored the fewest points by an NBA team in a game this season
Thanks to a 5-0 run to close the game, the Nets avoided the worst margin of defeat in franchise history
Why are you still reading this?
Let’s allot some brief space for Ziaire Williams, the only Net who, by any measure, played well. He (with some help from Day’Ron Sharpe) desperately tried to raise Brooklyn’s energy level in the first half, deflecting pass after pass and applying ball pressure to Jalen Brunson, who was otherwise seeing cones. Williams scored 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting with just a rebound and a steal, but he was the only one who matched New York’s verve.
Every other aspect of these 48 minutes was depressing. Michael Porter Jr. continued his cool-streak with a 4-of-14 performance, Egor Dëmin hit two quick threes before air-balling a floater by a foot, scoring zero points the rest of the way. Nolan Traore had a 0/1/3 line with three turnovers and Danny Wolf got owned by Deuce McBride at the rim. Terance Mann, Jalen Wilson, and Tyrese Martin — all of whom were initially out of the rotation — entered early in the fourth quarter, only for the Nets to go scoreless until the 5:38 mark.
“I felt like the little stuff that we said we wanted to do, we didn’t do,” said Noah Clowney postgame. “Like, we know they’re gonna switch, Josh Hart and OG are gonna switch, things like that. We need to get Brunson in the action because he’s not gonna switch, so there’s our advantage and play off of that. Stuff like that, offensively, we didn’t do it and defensively it was disastrous. We didn’t get back for the first part, they lit our ass up from three, had everything they wanted.
Jordi Fernández fell on the sword postgame: “This was a tough one, but show up the next day and have positive energy and work and get better and go out there and compete. I have to help them better … players are not responsible for it, so I got to make sure that they understand the values that we have and how we want to play, and we’ll work together.”
Drake Powell disagreed, predictably: “Yeah, 100% don’t agree. I think, you know, we’re the ones that are out there playing, making decisions, and I think it’s ultimately on us as a team.”
Maybe rooting for losses and encouraging a tank isn’t about pragmatism. Maybe it’s a defense mechanism. The Brooklyn Nets — scratch that — Nets fans had a rare opportunity on Wednesday to get a win without worrying about a ping-pong ball, to be a true thorn in the Knicks’ side. With that in mind, the second-worst loss in franchise history tastes even more bitter.
Oh well. At least they’re tanking. One year and five days ago, the Brooklyn Nets lost by a franchise-record 59 points to the Los Angeles Clippers, and it hardly mattered. They would soon return home, win six out of seven games, and later make five first-round draft picks who will either become good NBA players or not, regardless of Wednesday’s humiliation ritual.
“This doesn’t stop the plan that we have. It’s just, obviously, a tough experience to go through.” — Jordi Fernández.
Final Score: Brooklyn Nets 120, New York Knicks 66
Milestone Watch
The 54-point margin of defeat is the second-largest in Nets history, slightly more respectable than the aforementioned 59-point drubbing at the hands of the Clippers last season.
In each of the last three seasons, Brooklyn has lost a game by 50+ points, starting with the rout that got Jacque Vaughn canned. The Portland Trail Blazers, from 2021-2024, are the only other franchise to accomplish this feat.
MPJ injury update
Gotta love how candid Michael Porter Jr. is with the media. Brooklyn’s leading scorer offered up — unprompted — that he’s been dealing with an MCL sprain since getting tangled up with Wendell Carter Jr. in Brooklyn’s loss to the Orlando Magic. Now, he’s only missed two games since then, and they were both on the front-end of a back-to-back, so he and Jordi Fernández don’t believe it’s anything to worry about.
“He had some discomfort, but he kept playing. He’s played all the way through,” Fernandez said. “We value our players’ health, and if it were something that didn’t allow him to play, we would do whatever it takes to figure that out. But he’s played, so I don’t think I have anything else to say from that.”
Brooklyn has a strong incentive to tank this season, not to mention the trade rumors swirling around Porter Jr. If it was a serious injury, you’d have to believe he wouldn’t be playing through it, but perhaps it’s contributing in some small way to his relative struggles of late. Since the Orlando loss, he’s shooting 42% from the floor and 33% from deep.
Next Up
<p>Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images</p><br>
The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the 27-16 Boston Celtics, sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, come to town. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday evening.
On Monday, the Knicks (26*-18) were embarrassed by the Dallas Mavericks in their fourth-straight loss. That capped an awful 2-9 stretch that had us reeling. Dropping another one, to the Brooklyn Nets (12-30) no less, would have unleashed madness and mayhem upon the city. Thus, obliged to do their civic duty, New York opened up their biggest can of whup-ass of the season (apparently ever) and pulverized Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden, 120-66.
That, my friends, is a record for New York—the largest margin of victory in team history.
The Knicks finally started a game with fire and desire. It’s been weeks since they played with such intensity of pace and defense. Led by Karl-Anthony Towns, they attacked Brooklyn’s front court relentlessly; of their first 18 points, eight came in the paint and five from the free throw line. By the middle of the frame, they had held the Nets to six points and ripped off 14 unanswered points.
Through the quarter, Jalen Brunson scored 11 points and set the pace for the starting five. New York got nice bench support, too. Mitchell Robinson was a monster, recording four rebounds, three points, a steal, and a block in five minutes, while Landry Shamet made both three-point attempts, then added a steal and an assist. New York shot 67% from the floor, crushed the glass (14–5), and moved the ball well (nine assists). Their rivals tried a diet of long, contested threes and missed 67% of them. When 12 minutes were up, New York sat on a 38-20 lead.
In Q2, the thrashing continued as the home team went up by 27 and never let Brooklyn get within 15. Focused defense forced the Nets into seven first-half turnovers and squandered possessions. Michael Porter, Jr. supplied a three, a layup, and a trip to the line, but that was the extent of an offense that managed just 18 points in the quarter. Robinson returned to the fray for six more minutes of hellraising, while Bridges played an active role on both ends of the court. Completing their best defensive first half of the year, New York entered intermission ahead, 59–38.
Through the half, Brooklyn converted barely a third of their shots, while the Knicks shot 55% overall and 50% from deep. The home team ruled the backboard (outrebounding the Nets 28–16), won the paint 22–14, and had a 14–4 edge in fast-break points. Time and again, they attacked before the Nets could set their defense and looked vastly more engaged than they did on Monday. Brunson led all scorers with 12 points, and Porter had nine for the villains.
Proving their first half energy was no fluke, the ‘Bockers came banging out of the locker room with a 10-6 run to reach 70 points. By the middle of the frame, they’d gone up by 30. A little later, it was 37. Ziaire Williams scored five straight for Brooklyn while the Knicks caught their breath, but our heroes still carried an 88-56 advantage into the final frame.
A 16-0 stretch to start the fourth gave New York a 48-point lead, their largest of not just the night, not just the season, but in franchise history. Some of those points came from Shamet, who made all six of his three-point attempts tonight. Meanwhile, Brooklyn missed their first eight shots of the quarter and, with seven minutes to go, they looked impatient for the buzzer. Tyrese Martin hit a 31-foot three, Day’Ron Sharpe chipped in with two free throws, Terrence Mann scored a layup, and Danny Wolf drained a longball as the clock wound down. That’s it. Those were the only Nets buckets in a fourth quarter that New York won 32-10.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points and five assists. Towns was a force in limited minutes, pouring in 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. Josh Hart delivered one of his most complete all-around games—11 points on a perfect 5-for-5 and nine rebounds—while Mikal Bridges pitched in 11 points and four assists. OG Anunoby didn’t need to score much but finished a +28.
Everybody got the memo! New York’s bench showed up, too. Miles McBride exploded for 14 points, four assists, and a game-best +34. Shamet delivered 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting and scorching from deep. Mitch controlled the paint with seven points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, while Mohamed Diawara provided some good minutes, too.
KAT had committed five fouls in each of his last four games. Consider that streak over. And so ends the skid! With tonight’s win, the Knicks snapped a four-game losing streak and avoided a nuclear meltdown. Up next, Professor Miranda will summon his brilliance to the page for you lucky bums. As for New York, they’ll travel to Philadelphia for a matinee on Saturday. Storm’s comin’. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
The Mets have acquired right-handed pitchers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Brewers in exchange for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, per Jeff Passan and Jon Heyman.
The 29-year-0ld Peralta has a career 3.59 ERA in the 931.0 innings he’s thrown in the big leagues, all of which have been with the Brewers. He’s been particularly durable over the past three seasons, as he’s thrown 165.2, 173.2, and 176.2 innings in those years, respectively. And thanks to his excellent 2.70 ERA in 2025, he had a cumulative 3.40 ERA over those past three seasons. He’s signed through the end of the 2026 season, after which he’s set to be a free agent—barring any potential extension with the Mets.
Myers is a 27-year-old who started Game 3 against the the Mets in the Wild Card round of the 2024 playoffs. After pitching almost exclusively as a starter in his rookie season with the Brewers in 2024, he made the vast majority of his appearances last year out of the bullpen. In total, he has a 3.15 ERA in 188.2 innings in the big leagues.
Williams was a consensus top-100 prospect in baseball in each of the past three seasons, and he’s coming off a 2025 season that saw him hit .261/.363/.465 with 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 43 attempts in his time with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
And Sproat was a consensus top-100 prospect ahead of the 2025 season, too, as he was coming off an excellent 2024 season. After struggling in the first half in Syracuse last year, he turned things around and finished his minor league season with a 4.24 ERA. And he made four starts for the Mets as they searched for answers in their rotation late in the season, putting up a 4.79 ERA in 20.2 innings with the team.
The Cleveland Cavaliers gave us all a scare with a 94-87 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Let’s see who won and lost the game.
WINNER – Evan Mobley’s First Half
This was a tale of two halves for Mobley.
Mobley had the highest scoring game of his career last season when he hung 41 points on the Hornets. He didn’t replicate that scoring outburst tonight, mainly because he totally disappeared in the second half, but he had the confidence and demeanor of a player who could get whatever he wanted in the first half.
The first half was the Mobley show. He opened the game with a pair of aggressive drives and had a double-double before the end of the second quarter. This block leading into a spinning dunk tells you everything you need to know. Mobley was everywhere.
How Mobley scored those points in the first half is important.
Elite NBA players understand where their comfort zones are and how to reach them. The best scorers will relentlessly work to hit their sweet spots. Think of Nikola Jokic with his back to the basket, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting to the mid-range fallaway.
Mobley might not be in the same class offensively as SGA or Jokic. But he’s talented enough to have certain spots on the floor where he can dominate. Space out and get Mobley the ball moving downhill. That’s a blueprint that’s easy enough to follow. When you steer the offense in that direction, all that’s left is for Mobley to seize the opportunity. He did so in the first and second quarters.
And then the second half happened…
LOSER – That Second Half
Do you like turnovers? How about unfocused offense and blown defensive rotations?
The Cavs took everything that worked in the first half and tossed it out the window during the second half. We knew the Hornets would make a run at some point. Every NBA team does. But this game had no business being a nail-biter during the fourth quarter. Not when Cleveland already had the answers to the test.
Mobley had 13 points in the first half. He had just 1 point on two attempts in the second. It’s a trend that’s become all too familiar (and incredibly frustrating).
But it was more than Mobley. The Cavs became a turnover machine in the second half. Careless passes, forced entries. Just a general lack of focus that’s hard to explain when the team had looked totally dialed in for the first 24 minutes. The Cavs finished with 20+ turnovers for the second game in a row.
Again, I want to reiterate the adage, ‘it’s a game of runs’. You will rarely see a team dominate another for 48 full minutes. Especially not in the modern NBA when three-point shooting can swing a game’s momentum in seconds. So, it’s worth keeping this in mind when looking at the big picture, considering Cleveland held onto the win. But I still don’t think the Cavs should be happy about how much ground they conceded in the second half.
And they definitely shouldn’t be happy that Mobley became a non-factor in the third and fourth quarters.
WINNER – Defensive Effort
Alright, now let’s get back to the good stuff.
You might not have guessed this, but Charlotte entered this game with the second-best offense in the NBA over the last two weeks. They’ve been scoring in bunches and pulling off some impressive wins, including efforts against the OKC Thunder and LA Lakers.
That’s what made the first half of this game so impressive for the Cavs, who have been 24th in defensive rating during this same stretch.
Charlotte had 32 points at halftime after scoring only 12 points in the second quarter. They’d eventually find their groove and respond with a stronger second half — cutting the deficit all the way down to four points. But the Cavs had built a big enough cushion to hang on in the end. Charlotte still ended the game with only 87 points, which is a huge win for the Cavaliers’ defense.
Effort and communication are the keys to any good defense. You can’t be very good without either one. The Cavs checked both boxes forthe first half of tonight, playing hard and defending on a string. That wound up being just enough.
WINNER – Larry Nance Jr.
This one will be quick.
Nance played his first meaningful minutes since November after missing multiple weeks with a calf injury, then earning a few DNP-CD’s since being cleared to return. The Cavs have taken a cautious approach with putting him back into the lineup, but it paid off tonight.
This wasn’t a world-beating performance or anything. It was fairly average. But seeing Nance back on the floor, and more importantly, being a somewhat helpful player, was nice to see.
The Brewers, who let teams know all winter that Peralta was available, but only at a steep price, finally got a team to meet their demand when the Mets sent prized pitching prospect Brandon Sproat and infield prospect Jett Williams to Milwaukee. The Mets also receive pitcher Tobias Myers.
Peralta, who’s eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, is coming off a career year in which he went an NL-leading 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, helping lead the Brewers to an MLB-best 97 victories. Peralta, who finished fifth in the Cy Young balloting, also is one of the best bargains in baseball, earning just $8 million.
Just like that, in a winter in which they were chastised and ridiculed by their fan base for letting favorites Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz leave in free agency, while trading away outfielder Brandon Nimmo, the Mets have rebounded with a flourish.
The Mets, who were left at the alter five days ago when outfielder Kyle Tucker rejected their four-year, $120 million offer and joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, have since signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract, traded for Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert, and now landed Peralta and Myers.
And just like that, the Chicago Cubs’ winter got a whole lot better, too, knowing that the Brewers’ ace is out of the NL Central.
The Brewers, who have previously traded away pitchers like Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and relievers Josh Hader and Devin Williams before they hit free agency, now take another immediate hit, although it could be quite beneficial for the future.
While Peralta was a bargain at $8 million, this simply was a deal the Brewers thought too good to pass up. Williams is ranked as MLB’s 71st-best prospect, according to Baseball America, while Sproat is ranked 81st.
The Mets now believe they have the team again to compete for the NL East title after last year’s epic collapse left them sitting home all October.
They have dramatically changed the face of the organization with newcomers Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Williams, Bichette, Robert and now Peralta and Myers.
“I’m not going to compare but what I’ll say is I really like how our group sets up right now on both sides of the ball,’’ David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations, told reporters Wednesday at the Bichette press conference. "I think we’re going to score plenty of runs, and I also think we’ve probably gotten better defensively, especially up the middle.”
The starting rotation now has been fortified with Peralta, who is 70-42 with a 3.59 ERA the last eight seasons. He has made at least 30 starts with 200 strikeouts in each of the past three seasons. He leads a talented rotation that includes Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Kodai Senga and Jonah Tong.
The acquisition of Peralta most likely now takes the Mets out of the running for another front-line starter such as Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen, who are both on the free-agent market. The Baltimore Orioles are expected to land one of them, perhaps at a cheaper price than they envisioned.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gift Uchenna had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Kyrah Daniels added 19 points, and Wisconsin defeated No. 24 Nebraska 63-60 on Wednesday night.
Daniels hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 60 with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter and the go-ahead free throw 50 seconds later. After a Nebraska turnover, Uchenna's layup made it 63-60 with 53 seconds left and neither team scored again.
The Cornhuskers led by five points with 3:45 remaining in the game but made only 1 of 7 shots the rest of the way and 2 of their last 12.
Ronnie Porter added 10 points for the Badgers (13-7, 5-4 Big Ten), who improved to 11-1 at home. Destiny Howell, who scored 39 points in a 94-92 double-overtime win over Oregon on Sunday, was in foul trouble for much of the game and did not score.
Eliza Maupin scored 13 points and Britt Prince had 11 for Nebraska (14-5, 3-5).
Uchenna had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and Wisconsin led 38-25 at the break.
After shooting 37% in the first half, Nebraska forced eight turnovers and limited Wisconsin to five shots in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. Nebraska outscored Wisconsin 22-7 in the period and took a 47-45 lead into the fourth quarter.
