SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 19: General Manager and VP of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings on December 19, 2024 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Merriam-Webster defines aggressive as “marked by driving forceful energy or initiative.” Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka defines it a bit differently.
The Lakers made just one small move at the trade deadline by bringing in Luka Kennard. With the focus on the offseason and maximizing cap space, the Lakers balked at the idea of adding players who would eat into it.
For most, that would not be described as an aggressive approach to the deadline. Pelinka, however, is not most, to say the least. And he delivered one of the most peak-Pelinka quotes he’s ever had when discussing the deadline prior to Saturday’s game against the Warriors.
Rob Pelinka on the trade deadline: “I would say we were aggressive. And one form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future.” pic.twitter.com/Bu66VH6lLG
As Pelinka confirmed, there were talks with other teams, so it’s not like the Lakers’ front office was kicking their feet as the deadline approached. And there were reports that the Lakers were, in fact, shopping Dalton Knecht.
While it might frustrate win-now Lakers fans that they didn’t make a huge splash immediately, Pelinka might’ve done the smarter thing and waited until better options are available.
However, there has to be a way to explain that where I’m not rolling my eyes. That being said, this was also the most on-brand way he could have described the situation as well.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Baba Miller had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Jizzle James scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half, and Cincinnati beat UCF 92-72 on Sunday.
Moustapha Thiam also scored 15 points for Cincinnati (12-12, 4-7 Big 12), Jalen Celestine added 14 and Day Day Thomas 11.
The Bearcats, who went into the game shooting 41.7% from the field (worst in the Big 12 and No. 327 nationally) this season, shot a season-high 59% (33 of 56) and scored at least 90 points for just the third time this season.
Chris Johnson had 16 points and six assists and Jordan Burks also scored 16 for UCF (17-6, 6-5). Jamichael Stillwell finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, and Riley Kugel added 10 points.
The Knights made just 1 of 11 from the field to close the first half and went scoreless for the final three-plus minutes. Cincinnati scored 14 of the final 16 points, capped when Celestine made back-to-back 3-pointers that made it 40-28 at halftime.
The Bearcats opened the second half with a 9-0 run to take their biggest lead at 49-28 with 18:13 left.
Devan Cambridge and Johnson each hit from behind the arc in 20-6 run that culminated when George Beale Jr. made 3s 27 seconds apart to trim UCF's deficit to 62-56 with 9:33 left. Thiam answered with a jumper, James hit a 3 and made two free throws, and Thiam threw down a dunk that pushed the lead to 15 less than two minutes later.
For the first time this season, we are going to see Damian Lillard in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform and on an NBA court.
Lillard, who has not played a minute this season while recovering from a torn 45.1%) with Achilles, pushed to return and try to win his third NBA All-Star Saturday Night 3-point Contest in four years. He had won in 2023 and 2024 but lost last year to the Heat's Tyler Herro.
This year's competitors in the 3-point Contest are: · Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns · Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets · Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers · Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers · Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers · Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets · Bobby Portis Jr., Milwaukee Bucks · Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Of the participants, Portis is shooting the highest percentage this season (45.1%) with Murray (43.2%) and Knueppel next in line (42.8%). Lillard is a career 43.9% shooter from beyond the arc.
Knueppel can become the first rookie to win the event. He is one of four first-time participants, along with Maxey, Murray and Portis.
The format of the 3-point Contest remains unchanged. It is a two-round event where players attempt to knock down as many shots and score as many points as possible from five different 3-point locations (all within 70 seconds). The top three scorers from the first round advance to the championship round, where the highest score wins.
Fans will not have to wait long to see Lillard. In a change of pace this year, All-Star Saturday night will lead off with the 3-Point Contest, followed by the Shooting Stars and then the Dunk Contest.
Everything also starts earlier than traditionally — 5 p.m. ET — and coverage of All-Star Saturday night on NBC and Peacock will flow directly into coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Every moment of All-Star Weekend — the Rising Stars challenge on Friday. (Feb. 13), All-Star Saturday Night with the 3-Point Contest and Dunk Contest (Feb. 14), as well as the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 — will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. Eastern, a time earlier than in previous years, leading into more coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Brooks scored 21 points, Nyla Harris added 19 and No. 25 North Carolina rolled past Wake Forest 84-56 on Sunday.
North Carolina (20-5, 9-3 ACC) has won seven straight and reached 20 wins for the 34th time in program history.
Wake Forest led 9-6 through the first five minutes before North Carolina hit four 3-pointers — two each from Brooks and Lanie Grant — in a 16-0 run. The Tar Heels led 22-11 heading to the second quarter. Two more 3s from Brooks helped push the lead to 14 points before the Tar Heels settled for a 39-29 advantage at halftime.
Harris scored 11 points in the third quarter and the Tar Heels extended their lead to 65-42 entering the fourth. Carolina's lead first reached 30 points at 78-48 on a short jumper by Blanca Thomas with about 3 1/2 minutes to go.
Milan Brown scored 13 points for Wake Forest (13-12, 3-10).
Indya Nivar had nine points, eight rebounds and seven assists for North Carolina. Brooks buried five of the Tar Heels' 11 3-pointers.
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 15: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns shoots three point basket during the 2020 NBA All-Star - MTN DEW 3-Point Contest on February 15, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. 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 2020 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA All-Star Game is creeping closer, less than two weeks out now, and as the league starts pointing its compass toward Los Angeles, the side attractions are coming into focus. Skills. Dunks. Threes. And yes, the Phoenix Suns will have a seat at the table. Devin Booker is officially in the three-point contest.
This will be Book’s fourth time stepping into that pressure cooker. He did it as a rookie in 2016. He won the whole thing in 2018. He participated in 2020 as well.
Now here we are, round four, arriving during what is, by the numbers, the roughest three-point shooting season of his career. Booker is sitting at 30.7% from deep, knocking down 1.7 threes on 5.5 attempts per night. Not exactly vintage, not exactly automatic, but that is part of the intrigue.
The field is loaded. Kon Knueppel from Charlotte. Tyrese Maxey. Donovan Mitchell. Jamal Murray. Bobby Portis Jr. Norman Powell. Damian Lillard, who is still in this thing despite not having played since returning to Portland after the Achilles injury last season. Booker and Lillard are the only two in the group who have won this event before.
And honestly, this is still the best show All-Star Weekend has left. The dunk contest lost its soul somewhere along the way, back when it became a showcase for guys most fans met five minutes earlier. The three-point contest still brings stars. Real ones. Names you know.
Booker stepping into that rack again feels right. Percentages be damned, it’ll be nice seeing him out there representing the Phoenix Suns.
Jaren Jackson Jr. in a beautiful purple jersey with”Utah” written out diagonally over a gradient mountain on his chest with a baby blue trim on the edges.
Quadruple J — Jazz Jaren Jackson Jr. — had finally arrived.
For days, fans across the NBA anxiously awaited to see how the Jazz’s big man lineup of Lauri Markkanen at the three, Jackson at the four and Jusuf Nurkic (next year this spot will be filled by Walker Kessler) would play together. Regardless of if you think it would work or not, if you like basketball you were at least curious to see how this lineup meshed.
And boy, did it mesh.
At one point late in the third quarter on Saturday, the Jazz led the Orlando Magic by 17 points. Jackson and Markkanen were incredibly efficient, scoring 49 points on 55.3% field goal shooting. There was even an awesome dribble-handoff action from Jackson that set up perfectly for a Markkanen 3-pointer. Just off of the starting lineup’s size alone, the on and off-ball screens set up so many great looks for Utah. More so than usual.
Utah also dominated the team rebounding battle, in large part to Nurkic’s 14 boards, which calmed any anxieties about Jackson’s rebounding abilities — or lack thereof.
The trade was a success! This team is good!
A little too good.
In the fourth quarter, “Tank Note” took over. Head coach Will Hardy — and likely Danny Ainge and Ryan Smith — had seen enough of this new look team. Hardy yanked Jackson, Markkanen and Nurkic in the fourth quarter. With Keyonte George going out earlier in the game with an ankle injury, the Jazz managed to only play one starter in the fourth quarter, rookie Ace Bailey.
The Jazz lost the game 120-117. Just how they drew it up.
Is it ethical? Maybe not. Is it necessary? Absolutely.
In 2021 and 2022, the Jazz learned a hard lesson: you have to have a top-five player to win an NBA Championship.
Take a look at the NBA champions since 2015. The list of best players goes as follows: Steph Curry, LeBron James, Curry/Durant, Curry/Durant, Kawhi Leonard, James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Curry, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, SGA.
The only player on that list that is not definitive top-five is Tatum, and when healthy, he is no lower than seven in my mind. He also had an elite cast surrounding him, more so than Jokic’s in the year prior.
You can point to the 2024-25 Pacers as a team that doesn’t fit this mold, but by all means, they are an outlier. I’d rather have Jokic than try to find the perfect blend of 11 players, like the Pacers impressively did last season.
The entire point of the rebuild is to find that guy. A guy who can play on the same court as SGA or Luka Doncic or Victor Wembnyama, and have just as much claim to the NBA throne as they do. The easiest way to do that is to draft inside the top-five. You can’t do that if you give up your top-eight protected pick to the reigning champions.
Yes, this Jazz team is exciting. I get chills just thinking about the 2026-27 season. But imagine this team with Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa. Doesn’t that excitement go up a level?
The Jazz are getting a lot of hate right now for their decision to not play their best players in the fourth quarter against Orlando, but a lot of that is coming from teams that are doing the same thing as Utah.
Washington traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis midseason, and the two will likely not suit up in red white and blue any time soon. The Mavericks deliberately tanked after the whole Luke trade debacle just so they could get into the lottery last season, and somehow the Basketball Gods rewarded them with Cooper Flagg.
The Quad-J — I’m really hoping there’s something there with that nickname — era has gotten off to a fun start already, but there is still more to accomplish. More pieces to add.
The end of the tank is near, but make no mistake, it is still very much alive. It has to be.
"In accordance with the Big 12 Conference Principles and Standards of Sportsmanship, the conference issued Oklahoma State University a $50,000 fine following its investigation into inappropriate chants that occurred during Wednesday's men's basketball game," the statement read. "The Big 12 will not tolerate any behavior that targets or demeans others."
OSU said in a statement that said the school “respects the Big 12’s decision and will not appeal the fine.”
“The university conducted an immediate investigation into the allegation that a group of students used an inappropriate chant during last Wednesday’s men’s basketball game between OSU and BYU,” the statement said. “It was determined that a derogatory chant followed a disputed call and referenced the Mormon faith in relation to game officials. The reference to religion did not meet our standards and expectations. Oklahoma State respects the Big 12’s decision and will not appeal the fine.
“The Cowboy Code calls us to treat others with respect and dignity. Oklahoma State University values the relationship we have with BYU and deeply respects its community and faith. We will continue to work to ensure that the atmosphere at our events reflects the values of the Cowboy family.”
Following the 99-92 win for Oklahoma State over No. 14 BYU, Cougars coach Kevin Young shared his disappointment about anti-Mormon chants coming from the student section.
"There were some 'F The Mormons' chants tonight by the student section that I heard," Young said in his postgame news conference on Wednesday. "It was a great win for Oklahoma State University. I think their fans should be proud, but it would be great if some class was warranted.
"I got four small kids at home, I'm a Mormon, and when I go home, they're going to ask me about it, the same way they asked me about it last year at Arizona."
This is at least the fourth incident in the past year with derogatory chants aimed at Mormons during BYU football or basketball games. Last season, Arizona apologized for the chant that happened during a BYU loss in Tucson.
Similar chants were also heard during BYU football games against Colorado and Cincinnati. The Buffaloes were fined by the Big 12 for $50,000 and issued a public reprimand.
The Pistons traded Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and a 2026 first round pick swap. They were blown out in embarrassing fashion by the short-handed Wizards. Then they turned around and took the Knicks behind the woodshed on the second night of a back-to-back! Wes and Blake break it all down, diving into the main takeaways from that trade deadline and the game against New York. They discuss if we are all looking at the deadline backwards, every other Eastern Conference team needs to catch Detroit, not the other way around, after all. They react to Kevin Huerter’s addition and early performances, and they take a look at Ausar Thompson’s Defensive Player of the Years odds as well.
We’ve got you covered for all this and more in this week’s episode!
Want to hear your voice on the Pindown? Call (313) 355-2717 and leave your question as a voicemail! The guys will play your message and answer your question on that week’s episode! All we ask is that you keep your questions to under 45 seconds.
ROME (AP) — Inter Milan routed 10-man Sassuolo 5-0 on Sunday to extend its Serie A lead to eight points over AC Milan, which didn't play this weekend because of the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Yann Bisseck and Marcus Thuram scored in the first half for Inter. Lautaro Martínez, Manuel Akanji and Luis Henrique added second-half goals to give Inter its fifth straight win in all competitions.
Federico Dimarco contributed with three assists.
Sassuolo was coming off two straight victories after a series of seven winless games. It played with 10 men from the 54th minute after Nemanja Matic was shown a second yellow card. The hosts, sitting in 11th place, had only one attempt on target.
Second-place Milan couldn't host Como this weekend after the San Siro stadium was used for the opening ceremony of the Winter Games. That issue had prompted Serie A to consider moving the match to Perth, Australia. The game will now be played on Feb. 18.
Juve equalizes late
Pierre Kalulu scored six minutes into stoppage time as fourth-place Juventus salvaged a 2-2 home draw with eighth-place Lazio after being two goals down.
Lazio went ahead with Pedro's goal in first-half added time, and doubled its lead soon after the break with Gustav Isaksen's goal in the 47th.
Juventus pulled closer with a goal from Weston McKennie in the 59th before Kalulu equalized with a header.
Juventus visits Inter on Saturday.
Other results
Christian Ordóñez scored a stoppage-time winner as 14th-place Parma won at 10th-place Bologna with both teams having a player sent off.
Bologna was a man down after Tommaso Pobega's dismissal in the first half, and Parma saw Mariano Troilo exit in the 79th.
It was the fourth consecutive league loss for Bologna. Parma hadn't won in four straight.
Lecce, in 17th place and just outside the relegation zone, ended an eight-game winless streak by beating ninth-place Udinese 2-1 at home thanks to Lameck Banda's 90th-minute winner.
On Saturday, Rasmus Höjlund scored a last-gasp penalty as 10-man Napoli won 3-2 at Genoa. Napoli is third, one point behind Milan.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Aday Mara scored a career-high 24 points, Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg had double-doubles and second-ranked Michigan rolled to an 82-61 victory over Ohio State on Sunday.
The Big Ten-leading Wolverines (22-1, 12-1) led throughout as they made 10 3-pointers — including nine in the first half — and dominated in rebounding. Michigan had 17 offensive boards and outrebounded Ohio State 44-31.
Johnson had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Lendeborg added 14 points and 14 rebounds for Michigan, which has won six of the past seven meetings.
Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes (15-8, 7-6) with 16 points and Devin Royal scored 15. Ohio State has dropped two of three.
Michigan led 44-34 at halftime and was up by as many as 23 late in the game.
The Buckeyes were 8 of 25 from the field in the second half.
It was the worst loss by Ohio State to Michigan at home since Feb. 9, 1976, when the Wolverines rolled to a 90-66 win.
NO. 13 TEXAS TECH 70, WEST VIRGINIA 63
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — JT Toppin had 22 points and nine rebounds and Texas Tech broke a two-game losing skid with a victory over West Virginia.
Donovan Atwell added 15 points for the Red Raiders (17-6, 7-3 Big 12) and Christian Anderson had 13 points and 11 assists in his return from a one-game absence because of illness.
Brenen Lorient scored 20 points for West Virginia (15-9, 6-5), which lost for just the second time in 15 home games.
West Virginia scored the first four baskets after halftime, all on layups, to trim a 13-point deficit to 39-35, but the Mountaineers went the next four minutes without a basket and got no closer.
Texas Tech, which never trailed, kept distancing itself with a steady diet of 3-pointers. Jaylen Petty, Atwell and Toppin each hit from long distance in a span of less than two minutes, and the Red Raiders pushed their lead to 52-37 with 13:17 remaining.
Lorient scored nine points in the final four minutes, but West Virginia’s comeback bid came up short.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 29: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers controls the ball against the Sacramento Kings at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Kings 113-111. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey couldn’t be more deserving of his starting spot in this year’s NBA All-Star game, and now it’s been confirmed he’ll be giving us some extra entertainment in the Three-Point Contest as well.
While this year’s group is largely highly experienced veteran guards (credit to Bobby Portis, a 45.1 percent three-point shooter this season, albeit on far simpler/lower volume, for throwing himself in the mix) Kon Knueppel is a great inclusion to represent the rookie class. Knueppel is one of the NBA’s highest volume shooters, with his 7.8 attempts per game ranking 15th in the league, all while making them at a stellar 42.8 percent clip.
Jamal Murray’s weekend will be a memorable one too, what with him finally making his debut as an All-Star.
Damian Lillard is a surprising inclusion. He’s not even playing this season as he’s out for the year with an Achilles injury, but he’s clearly keen to go for his third win of the contest after taking home the trophy in 2023 and 2024.
Obviously it comes down to who gets hot on the night and can stay consistent, but Donovan Mitchell will likely be a big threat for Maxey with the way he’s shooting this season. The Cavs guard is taking more threes (9.7 attempts per game) than everyone bar Steph Curry and Luka Doncic, including a ton off the dribble as usual, and making 37.9 percent of them.
Even though Maxey’s three-point shooting has cooled off over the last few weeks (30.4 percent over his last 14 games), he’s still at 38.2 percent from deep for the season on a whopping 8.8 attempts per game, including tons of high-difficulty pull-ups and step-backs.
His range has continued to grow and he’s so comfortable attempting any kind of shot, whether he’s flying into a three running off movement, pulling up off deep ball screens, or creating space for himself.
It’ll be exciting to see if Maxey can get on a heater and take home the Three-Point Contest win.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of Team Chuck looks on against Team Shaq during the 74th NBA All-Star Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Cleveland Cavaliers’ star Donovan Mitchell will participate in the 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest. This will be Mitchell’s third time competing in the contest, second time as a member of the Cavaliers.
Mitchell is joined in this year’s contest by Devin Booker, Kon Knueppel, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey, Bobby Portis Jr, Norman Powell and surprise candidate Damian Lillard, who hasn’t played in a game yet this season but could match the all-time record of three wins.
The 3-Point Contest will be the first event of All-Star Saturday night, marking a shift from recent years. This is a weird decision, in my opinion, as the contest has arguably become the most popular event of the weekend. So, make sure you remember this change so you don’t end up missing it.
Mitchell currently leads the NBA in total three-point makes with 180 threes in 49 games. Charlotte rookie Knueppel is third with 174 makes, while Maxey is right behind him at 169. Cleveland’s franchise record for three-pointers in a season is 245, set by Mitchell in 2023.
The Cavaliers last won the contest in 2013 when Kyrie Irving took home the trophy. Mark Price won back-to-back contests in 1993 and 1994. Other notable contestants include Darius Garland and Daniel Gibson.
Cleveland’s Sam Merrill isn’t in the contest despite being one of the league’s best three-point shooting role players. Merrill implied that he prefers golfing during the All-Star break in recent years, so perhaps that’s why. Either way, it makes sense for the league’s leading sniper, Mitchell, to get the nod. But it would have been cool to see multiple Cavaliers in the event.
Mitchell is also the only Cavalier who will be playing on All-Star Sunday. He’s had a career-year in Cleveland and carried this team when they struggled early in the season.
While the league’s activities are on a hiatus for the duration of the Olympics, the Men’s hockey tournament is the talk of the town in just about any city. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a real best-on-best tournament. We did whet our collective appetite on the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, but as the name suggests, only four nations were playing. When the tournament kicks off on February 11, 12 countries will be vying for gold. Unfortunately for Ivan Demidov and his countrymen, Russia won’t be one of them since the country is still banned from international competition because of its war on Ukraine.
Still, it’s interesting to wonder who would have made Team Russia if war had been over and the country had been reinstated. The Athletic asked Ivan Larionov, former NHL player (644 points in 921 games) and current coach of SKA St. Petersburg, who would have been on his Olympic roster, and one Montreal Canadiens’ player made the cut: Ivan Demidov.
In net, the former center man would have gone with Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Igor Shesterkin, leaving off Ilya Sorokin. It’s hard to argue with any of those selections. The first two have backstopped the Stanley Cup Champions for four of the last six years, while Shesterkin is the only reason the New York Rangers are not the worst team in the NHL right now. Bobrovsky would be his third-string goalie; talk about an embarrassment of riches.
On defence, Larionov would have selected former Canadiens’ defenseman Alexander Romanov if he weren’t out of action because of a shoulder surgery. However, the group he selected remains impressive and includes a former Hab: Mikhail Sergachev, Alexander Nikishin, Vladislav Gavrikov, Artem Zub, Nikita Zadorov, and Dmitri Orlov.
Commenting on his picks, the NHL legend explained that while physicality is a big part of the game, in a best-on-best tournament, you must take players that have the skill set to compete with the best – that might be a message to Team USA GM Bill Guerin, who knows.
Up front, Larionov would have Demidov skate on a line with all-time NHL leading goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin and Vladislav Namestnikov. It’s hard not to wonder what magic the youngster could create playing alongside such a fantastic goal scorer. Believe it or not, that would be his third line; that’s a scary thought.
His first line would feature Evgeny Malkin, Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov, and his second line would put Artemi Panarin, Pavel Buchnevich and Kirill Marchenko. A wonderful top six which would have been tough for any team to face. As for his fourth line, it would have been formed by Vasily Podolkin, Fedor Svechkov and Ivan Barbashev.
His extras would have been Andrei Svechnikov, Ilya Mekheyev, Ivan Provorov, and Ilya Lubushkin. Needless to say, Russia would have been one of the favourites entering the tournament.
While I understand the ban and the need to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the conflict, I can’t help but feel for older players like Ovechkin and Malkin, who probably won’t ever have the chance to compete at the Olympics since time waits for no man. At least, Demidov is only 20, which means that he should have another opportunity somewhere down the line to live that incredible experience. The NHL has agreed to its players taking part for 12 years, which brings us to 2038. If things aren’t resolved by then, though, it could spell trouble for the Canadiens’ rookie, since there’s no guarantee that there will be another between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee.
BOSTON — Jose Alvarado officially arrived at the end of the third quarter.
The newest Knick was on defense and switched onto Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who saw the size mismatch and tried to back Alvarado into the paint.
Alvarado, generously listed at 6 feet, didn’t give an inch. He took the contact, waited for Brown to turn for a shot, stripped the ball clean and gave the Knicks bench a hometown flex. It was Alvarado’s first steal with the Knicks and the highlight of a successful debut, an 111-89 victory over the rival Celtics in Sunday’s pre-Super Bowl matinee.
Jose Alvarado #5 of the Knicks knocks the ball away from Payton Pritchard #11 of the Celtics during the second quarter on Feb. 8, 2026. Getty Images
The transition for Alvarado was seamless. At least in Game 1.
“It just feels like it was meant to be,” Alvarado, the Brooklyn product, said. “It feels like I’ve been part of it for a while, even though it was the first game. Like it felt like nothing. It felt like home. It felt like it was supposed to happen this way.
“And I’m glad I did.”
Alvarado finished with 12 points, two steals and six deflections in 25 minutes on 5-for-12 shooting. His other steal — this time in the fourth quarter — was also splendid. He airballed a 3-pointer from the corner, recovered to sneak behind Brown for a strip, then buried a layup before yelling at the Celtics bench.
Welcome to the Alvarado experience.
“[People on the Celtics bench] basically said, ‘You’re going to miss.’ And I said, ‘That’s how you get it back, you know what I’m saying?’ ” Alvarado said. “Who cares about the miss if you get it back.”
The 27-year-old ball of energy arrived as advertised, providing a feisty defensive presence to muck up the game and help Jalen Brunson, who pummeled the Celtics with 31 points in 33 minutes.
Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket against the Celtics on Feb. 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“That’s him,” Josh Hart said of Alvarado, who was earmarked by Mike Brown for 22 minutes but expanded it to 25. “He’s a really good on-ball defender, takes the challenge of being a great secondary ball handler for us, being able to playmake, get into the paint, handle pressure, so what you got from Jose today is the player he is.”
The victory moved the Knicks (34-19) into a tie with the Celtics (34-19) for second in the East.
And it was an impressive way to bounce back, especially without OG Anunoby (sore toe).
The Knicks were coming off a disheartening blowout defeat Friday to the conference-leading Pistons, who squeezed the breath out of New York’s offense.
It didn’t take long for it to come back to life in Boston. The Knicks scored 35 points in the first quarter, with Brunson contributing 15.
The Celtics cut the deficit to four early in the second half, but they never regained the lead after the first quarter.
“Our group is resilient,” coach Mike Brown said. “Sometimes like in Detroit, that happens. None of us like it. None of us want to go through it. Give Detroit a lot of credit, but we know it’s not who we are.
“We played a lot better than that. We will. But I do think this group is resilient because they’ve shown time and time again after tough losses or multiple losses playing the next game usually doing a pretty good job of playing again.”
Plus, they have a new plucky defensive guard to help.
“Obviously [my teammates] know my passion is defense and they trust in me and believe in me and they let me be myself,” Alvarado said. “They keep saying go out there and be yourself and everything will go the way we need it to go.”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives past Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman on Sunday. | David Butler II-Imagn Images
Late in the fourth quarter Sunday, with the outcome of Celtics-Knicks decided, simultaneous “Let’s go, Pats!” chants and boos from Knicks fans echoed throughout TD Garden.
While Knicks fans enjoyed leaning into their cantankerous DNA for a moment, those boos quickly returned to cheers as the Knicks cemented a 111-89 victory over the Celtics (34-19).
The result snaps Boston’s five-game winning streak, as the Knicks (34-19) came out flying and never relinquished power.
Jalen Brunson led New York with 31 points and eight assists, Josh Hart added 19 and the Knicks shot 40 percent from 3-point range as a team.
Jaylen Brown paced Boston with 26, Baylor Scheierman added 10 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists and Derrick White contributed 19 points, but the Celtics shot just 37 percent from the floor as a team.
While the Celtics looked disorganized and flat-footed at times, this one was more so about the Knicks beating the Celtics than the Celtics losing to the Knicks. New York was the more physical, skilled and organized team.
The Knicks jumped out to a 35-24 edge through 1, as Brunson made his mark early with 15 points and four assists. New York shot 63 percent from the floor, compared to 35 percent for Boston, and got out in transition in the opening minutes.
White and Brown responded to help the Celtics slice the deficit to 60-53 at halftime, but the Knicks finished the half at 60 percent and generated a steady stream of easy looks.
Scheierman gave the Celtics a lift in the quarter, showcasing his versatility as a playmaker and rebounder. Scheierman has now totaled 40 rebounds in his last four games following a career high Sunday.
The Knicks extended the margin to 85-68 following a terrific third quarter in which they held the Celtics to just 15 points. With Neemias Queta in foul trouble, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla elected to go small with Brown at the 4 and the Knicks made them pay inside.
Hart made his presence felt in the quarter as New York turned defense into offense to seize command.
As they did two days prior against the Heat, the Celtics showed some fight; this time, however, there was no magical comeback. Scheierman buried a corner 3 to slice it to 12, then New York caught fire to pull away convincingly.
After holding their opponent to fewer than 100 points in each of the last five games, the Celtics let the Knicks get comfortable and couldn’t catch up. The game was closer than the score indicates, but the outcome was never really in doubt.
The Celtics have still won five of six, but Sunday wasn’t their best showing. New England fans will quickly forget about their shortcomings if the Patriots are able to win Super Bowl LX.
